Tazkirul Quran · Tafsir · in English
An-Naml 27:62–90
27:62–64Page 382
أَمَّن يُجِيبُ ٱلۡمُضۡطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكۡشِفُ ٱلسُّوٓءَ وَيَجۡعَلُكُمۡ خُلَفَآءَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ أَءِلَٰهٞ مَّعَ ٱللَّهِۚ قَلِيلٗا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ ٦٢
Is He [not best] who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes you inheritors of the earth?1 Is there a deity with Allāh? Little do you remember.
أَمَّن يَهۡدِيكُمۡ فِي ظُلُمَٰتِ ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِ وَمَن يُرۡسِلُ ٱلرِّيَٰحَ بُشۡرَۢا بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡ رَحۡمَتِهِۦٓۗ أَءِلَٰهٞ مَّعَ ٱللَّهِۚ تَعَٰلَى ٱللَّهُ عَمَّا يُشۡرِكُونَ ٦٣
Is He [not best] who guides you through the darknesses of the land and sea and who sends the winds as good tidings before His mercy? Is there a deity with Allāh? High is Allāh above whatever they associate with Him.
أَمَّن يَبۡدَؤُاْ ٱلۡخَلۡقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُۥ وَمَن يَرۡزُقُكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ أَءِلَٰهٞ مَّعَ ٱللَّهِۚ قُلۡ هَاتُواْ بُرۡهَٰنَكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ٦٤
Is He [not best] who begins creation and then repeats it and who provides for you from the heaven and earth? Is there a deity with Allāh? Say, "Produce your proof, if you should be truthful."
The needs of man are fulfilled as a result of the perfect co-ordination between all the factors in the Universe. We must ask who, other than Almighty God, can assemble all the favourable factors on such a large scale? Similarly, the displacement of a nation or race and another nation taking its place, the sailing of a ship, and in the modern age the flying of an aeroplane in darkness as well as in daylight by taking advantage of technological advances, the rising of water vapour from the sea and its subsequent descent in the shape of rain. The creation of things out of nothing and their resurrection, the provision of all kinds for man on a large scale—all these result solely from the instrumentality of Almighty God. This is true of all of the world’s events. Here, to cause a single event to take place, it is necessary to activate innumerable factors, and this can be done only by that Being who has control of the whole universe. In this context, how foolish it is to make anybody other than God the centre of adoration and worship!
27:65–69Page 383
قُل لَّا يَعۡلَمُ مَن فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ ٱلۡغَيۡبَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُۚ وَمَا يَشۡعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبۡعَثُونَ ٦٥
Say, "None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allāh, and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected."
بَلِ ٱدَّٰرَكَ عِلۡمُهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۚ بَلۡ هُمۡ فِي شَكّٖ مِّنۡهَاۖ بَلۡ هُم مِّنۡهَا عَمُونَ ٦٦
Rather, their knowledge is arrested concerning the Hereafter. Rather, they are in doubt about it. Rather, they are, concerning it, blind.
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ أَءِذَا كُنَّا تُرَٰبٗا وَءَابَآؤُنَآ أَئِنَّا لَمُخۡرَجُونَ ٦٧
And those who disbelieve say, "When we have become dust as well as our forefathers, will we indeed be brought out [of the graves]?
لَقَدۡ وُعِدۡنَا هَٰذَا نَحۡنُ وَءَابَآؤُنَا مِن قَبۡلُ إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّآ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ٦٨
We have been promised this, we and our forefathers, before. This is not but legends of the former peoples."
قُلۡ سِيرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱنظُرُواْ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ ٦٩
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Proceed [i.e., travel] through the land and observe how was the end of the criminals."
The addressees of the prophets were not absolute and total deniers of the life Hereafter, but they denied that particular concept of the Hereafter, which was presented by the prophets. People were under the impression that the issue of the Hereafter was meant not for them but for others to ponder over. The prophets told them that the Hereafter was as serious a problem for them as it was for others. Yet they clung to the belief that their attachment to some saints or holy persons would redeem them in the Hereafter. The prophets told them, however, that in the Hereafter only God’s grace and not attachment to any saint or holy person would be of any avail. That is why they were mentally confused about the Hereafter. Hot-headed individuals would, of course, articulate their denial of the Hereafter. However, the common people’s position was that they did not deny the Hereafter altogether. But, since acceptance of the concept of the Hereafter resulted in the curtailment of their various liberties, their selfish side was not prepared to accept it. So, in reply, they used to talk as if they doubted it. Due to this mentality, they never gave serious consideration to the arguments in favour of the Hereafter. They remained blind and deaf to them. The fact is that the powers required to decide the fate of nations or races are vested solely in the All-Knowing God. In the present world, He enforces His decisions partially, but in the Hereafter, He will enforce His decisions fully in respect of all nations.
27:70–75Page 383
وَلَا تَحۡزَنۡ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا تَكُن فِي ضَيۡقٖ مِّمَّا يَمۡكُرُونَ ٧٠
And grieve not over them or be in distress from what they conspire.
وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَىٰ هَٰذَا ٱلۡوَعۡدُ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ٧١
And they say, "When is [the fulfillment of] this promise, if you should be truthful?"
قُلۡ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونَ رَدِفَ لَكُم بَعۡضُ ٱلَّذِي تَسۡتَعۡجِلُونَ ٧٢
Say, "Perhaps it is close behind you [i.e., very near] - some of that for which you are impatient.
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو فَضۡلٍ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ لَا يَشۡكُرُونَ ٧٣
And indeed, your Lord is the possessor of bounty for the people, but most of them are not grateful."
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَيَعۡلَمُ مَا تُكِنُّ صُدُورُهُمۡ وَمَا يُعۡلِنُونَ ٧٤
And indeed, your Lord knows what their breasts conceal and what they declare.
وَمَا مِنۡ غَآئِبَةٖ فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ إِلَّا فِي كِتَٰبٖ مُّبِينٍ ٧٥
And there is nothing concealed1 within the heaven and the earth except that it is in a clear Register.2
The words ‘do not grieve’ are not meant to prevent the preacher from grieving. It is, in fact, meant to contradict the impression that Truth is helpless. It means that, in spite of unfavourable conditions, the Truth and supporters of the Truth will finally meet with success. When the adversaries of the preacher of Truth contradict him, they think that they are dealing with a human being. They do not understand that this is tantamount to setting themselves up against God Himself and not merely opposing an ordinary mortal. This state of affairs (i.e. the temporary success of the opponents) continues only till the expiry of the period of human trial. As soon this period is over, God will appear and all these opponents will vanish into thin air. There is no foolishness greater than mistaking the temporary respite during the trial period for unconditional and unlimited liberty to indulge in arrogance.
27:76–81Page 383
إِنَّ هَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ يَقُصُّ عَلَىٰ بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلَّذِي هُمۡ فِيهِ يَخۡتَلِفُونَ ٧٦
Indeed, this Qur’ān relates to the Children of Israel most of that over which they disagree.
وَإِنَّهُۥ لَهُدٗى وَرَحۡمَةٞ لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ٧٧
And indeed, it is guidance and mercy for the believers.
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَقۡضِي بَيۡنَهُم بِحُكۡمِهِۦۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٧٨
Indeed, your Lord will judge between them by His [wise] judgement. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Knowing.
فَتَوَكَّلۡ عَلَى ٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَى ٱلۡحَقِّ ٱلۡمُبِينِ ٧٩
So rely upon Allāh; indeed, you are upon the clear truth.
إِنَّكَ لَا تُسۡمِعُ ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰ وَلَا تُسۡمِعُ ٱلصُّمَّ ٱلدُّعَآءَ إِذَا وَلَّوۡاْ مُدۡبِرِينَ ٨٠
Indeed, you will not make the dead hear, nor will you make the deaf hear the call when they have turned their backs retreating.
وَمَآ أَنتَ بِهَٰدِي ٱلۡعُمۡيِ عَن ضَلَٰلَتِهِمۡۖ إِن تُسۡمِعُ إِلَّا مَن يُؤۡمِنُ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا فَهُم مُّسۡلِمُونَ ٨١
And you cannot guide the blind away from their error. You will only make hear those who believe in Our verses so they are Muslims [i.e., submitting to Allāh].
The human being is a creature who has been blessed with the ability to see, hear and think. If these capacities are utilised in an open-minded way, realities may be seen and recognised with the utmost clarity. But, if a man is wrongly conditioned, truth may come before him unveiled, but he will remain unaware of it, as if he were blind and deaf. The fact is that, in this world, one can be guided to the right path, only if one wants to be guided. For one who has no burning desire to find the right path, no guidance of any kind will be of any avail. In order to become a seeker of Truth, the qualities most needed in a man are those of acceptance. In this world, only that man receives guidance who possesses the quality of readily accepting that which is well established by arguments and following that whole heartedly. Those who do not answer God’s call have finally to bow down before God’s verdict, but bowing down when the time for testing is over will be of no avail to anybody.
27:82–86Page 384
۞ وَإِذَا وَقَعَ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ عَلَيۡهِمۡ أَخۡرَجۡنَا لَهُمۡ دَآبَّةٗ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ تُكَلِّمُهُمۡ أَنَّ ٱلنَّاسَ كَانُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا لَا يُوقِنُونَ ٨٢
And when the word [i.e., decree] befalls them,1 We will bring forth for them a creature from the earth speaking to them, [saying] that the people were, of Our verses, not certain [in faith].
وَيَوۡمَ نَحۡشُرُ مِن كُلِّ أُمَّةٖ فَوۡجٗا مِّمَّن يُكَذِّبُ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا فَهُمۡ يُوزَعُونَ ٨٣
And [warn of] the Day when We will gather from every nation a company of those who deny Our signs, and they will be [driven] in rows
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُو قَالَ أَكَذَّبۡتُم بِـَٔايَٰتِي وَلَمۡ تُحِيطُواْ بِهَا عِلۡمًا أَمَّاذَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ٨٤
Until, when they arrive [at the place of Judgement], He will say, "Did you deny My signs while you encompassed them not in knowledge, or what [was it that] you were doing?"
وَوَقَعَ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ عَلَيۡهِم بِمَا ظَلَمُواْ فَهُمۡ لَا يَنطِقُونَ ٨٥
And the decree will befall them1 for the wrong they did, and they will not [be able to] speak.
أَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ أَنَّا جَعَلۡنَا ٱلَّيۡلَ لِيَسۡكُنُواْ فِيهِ وَٱلنَّهَارَ مُبۡصِرًاۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّقَوۡمٖ يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٨٦
Do they not see that We made the night that they may rest therein and the day giving sight? Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe.
At the time when Almighty God takes the decision that the present history of the earth should be brought to an end, some extraordinary signs will appear to usher in the last phase. Among these signs will be the appearance of a communicator (dabbah). This will be the bell announcing the end of the examination period and not its beginning. Mass communications, particuarly the internet and multimedia, are probably what is meant by dabbah here. When all the people gather on the Day of Judgement, they will be divided into groups. The believers will be ranged on one side and those who denied the truth on the other. Then those who denied the truth will be asked what academic or rational arguments made them deny the Truth. At that time their silence will prove their denial was based on stubbornness and bias, though they advanced false arguments to show that they were right. At that time, it will be clear to them that over and above the verbal message of the preacher , even the alternation of day and night was non-verbally and tacitly conveying to them the words of Truth. Sleep during the night stood for death and waking up in the morning stood for resurrection. In spite of these extraordinary arrangements for the proclamation of the Truth, they were unable to discover it.
27:87–90Page 384
وَيَوۡمَ يُنفَخُ فِي ٱلصُّورِ فَفَزِعَ مَن فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ إِلَّا مَن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُۚ وَكُلٌّ أَتَوۡهُ دَٰخِرِينَ ٨٧
And [warn of] the Day the Horn will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will be terrified except whom Allāh wills. And all will come to Him humbled.
وَتَرَى ٱلۡجِبَالَ تَحۡسَبُهَا جَامِدَةٗ وَهِيَ تَمُرُّ مَرَّ ٱلسَّحَابِۚ صُنۡعَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَتۡقَنَ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍۚ إِنَّهُۥ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا تَفۡعَلُونَ ٨٨
And you see the mountains, thinking them motionless,1 while they will pass as the passing of clouds. [It is] the work of Allāh, who perfected all things. Indeed, He is Aware of that which you do.
مَن جَآءَ بِٱلۡحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُۥ خَيۡرٞ مِّنۡهَا وَهُم مِّن فَزَعٖ يَوۡمَئِذٍ ءَامِنُونَ ٨٩
Whoever comes [at Judgement] with a good deed will have better than it, and they, from the terror of that Day, will be safe.
وَمَن جَآءَ بِٱلسَّيِّئَةِ فَكُبَّتۡ وُجُوهُهُمۡ فِي ٱلنَّارِ هَلۡ تُجۡزَوۡنَ إِلَّا مَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ٩٠
And whoever comes with an evil deed1 - their faces will be overturned into the Fire, [and it will be said], "Are you recompensed except for what you used to do?"
In the present world, the real reason for denial of the Truth is the lack of fear of God. It is due to this mentality of fearlessness that man ignores the Truth, and setting himself up against it, indulges in arrogant behaviour. But, when the period of examination is over and, as a sign, the Judgement Day trumpet is blown, people will suddenly come to know that their fearlessness was simply based on ignorance. On that Day, all greatness will be washed away like a wall of sand. This will be such a terrible moment that not only human beings, but even the mountains will crumble. At that time, all humility will be on one side, while all the power will be on the other. At that time, all the things which were considered important in this world, will become unimportant. On that Day, only righteous deeds will carry weight. On that Day, the ‘losers’ will become the successful ones and the ‘successful ones’—in the world—will face deprivation forever.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences