Tazkirul Quran · Tafsir · in English
يس
Ya-Sin
Ya Sin · Meccan · 83 ayahs
36:1–6Page 440
يسٓ ١
Yā, Seen.1
وَٱلۡقُرۡءَانِ ٱلۡحَكِيمِ ٢
By the wise1 Qur’ān,
إِنَّكَ لَمِنَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ ٣
Indeed you, [O Muḥammad], are from among the messengers,
عَلَىٰ صِرَٰطٖ مُّسۡتَقِيمٖ ٤
On a straight path.
تَنزِيلَ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ٥
[This is] a revelation of the Exalted in Might, the Merciful,
لِتُنذِرَ قَوۡمٗا مَّآ أُنذِرَ ءَابَآؤُهُمۡ فَهُمۡ غَٰفِلُونَ ٦
That you may warn a people whose forefathers were not warned, so they are unaware.
The Quran itself is the proof of Muhammad being the Prophet of God. The Quran calls mankind towards the right path, i.e. the path of righteousness. None of its contents clash with reason and nature. Even fifteen hundred years after the Quran was first revealed, nothing has been detected in it which can be called as irrational or unnatural. This distinct characteristic of the Quran is the greatest proof of its being the book of God. ‘So that you may warn a people.’ Here, ‘people’ refers to the Children of Isma‘il. Every prophet is raised primarily to address his contemporaries. Accordingly, the first addressees of the Prophet Muhammad were his own tribesmen. But although the institution of prophethood ended with him, the Prophethood of Muhammad shall continue until Doomsday—the difference being that, with the Children of Isma‘il, he personally and directly fulfilled his mission, while in respect of all other nations after him, the task of giving the call and fulfilling the mission shall have to be performed by his followers.
36:7–11Page 440
لَقَدۡ حَقَّ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ عَلَىٰٓ أَكۡثَرِهِمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٧
Already the word [i.e., decree] has come into effect upon most of them, so they do not believe.
إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَا فِيٓ أَعۡنَٰقِهِمۡ أَغۡلَٰلٗا فَهِيَ إِلَى ٱلۡأَذۡقَانِ فَهُم مُّقۡمَحُونَ ٨
Indeed, We have put shackles on their necks, and they are to their chins, so they are with heads [kept] aloft.
وَجَعَلۡنَا مِنۢ بَيۡنِ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ سَدّٗا وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِمۡ سَدّٗا فَأَغۡشَيۡنَٰهُمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يُبۡصِرُونَ ٩
And We have put before them a barrier and behind them a barrier and covered them, so they do not see.
وَسَوَآءٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَأَنذَرۡتَهُمۡ أَمۡ لَمۡ تُنذِرۡهُمۡ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ ١٠
And it is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them - they will not believe.
إِنَّمَا تُنذِرُ مَنِ ٱتَّبَعَ ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَخَشِيَ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنَ بِٱلۡغَيۡبِۖ فَبَشِّرۡهُ بِمَغۡفِرَةٖ وَأَجۡرٖ كَرِيمٍ ١١
You can only warn one who follows the message and fears the Most Merciful unseen. So give him good tidings of forgiveness and noble reward.
If a man’s neck is encircled by chains, his head will stay raised and he will not be able to see anything below. This is the picture of those proud individuals who are so engrossed in self-aggrandisement that they are unable to see any reality beyond themselves. Such people never admit the Truth. It is very important for a man to be inclined to admit the Truth in order to avail of guidance; he should always be conscious and fearful of having to appear before God; he should never settle for anything less than the whole and absolute Truth. People who are so inclined towards the Truth as soon as it appears, consequently receive the greatest reward from God.
36:12Page 440
إِنَّا نَحۡنُ نُحۡيِ ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰ وَنَكۡتُبُ مَا قَدَّمُواْ وَءَاثَٰرَهُمۡۚ وَكُلَّ شَيۡءٍ أَحۡصَيۡنَٰهُ فِيٓ إِمَامٖ مُّبِينٖ ١٢
Indeed, it is We who bring the dead to life and record what they have put forth and what they left behind, and all things We have enumerated in a clear register.
Modern research has established that whatever a man utters remains preserved in the atmosphere in the form of vibrations or waves. Similarly, the image of the actions which a man performs remains preserved in the form of light waves. In other words, every individual in this world is being constantly video-recorded. It should be borne in mind that in this world, without a man’s knowledge and quite independent of his will, his utterances and actions, being completely recorded and preserved, could be replayed any time later.
36:13–19Page 441
وَٱضۡرِبۡ لَهُم مَّثَلًا أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡقَرۡيَةِ إِذۡ جَآءَهَا ٱلۡمُرۡسَلُونَ ١٣
And present to them an example: the people of the city, when the messengers came to it -
إِذۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَيۡهِمُ ٱثۡنَيۡنِ فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا فَعَزَّزۡنَا بِثَالِثٖ فَقَالُوٓاْ إِنَّآ إِلَيۡكُم مُّرۡسَلُونَ ١٤
When We sent to them two but they denied them, so We strengthened [them] with a third, and they said, "Indeed, we are messengers to you."
قَالُواْ مَآ أَنتُمۡ إِلَّا بَشَرٞ مِّثۡلُنَا وَمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ مِن شَيۡءٍ إِنۡ أَنتُمۡ إِلَّا تَكۡذِبُونَ ١٥
They said, "You are not but human beings like us, and the Most Merciful has not revealed a thing. You are only telling lies."
قَالُواْ رَبُّنَا يَعۡلَمُ إِنَّآ إِلَيۡكُمۡ لَمُرۡسَلُونَ ١٦
They said, "Our Lord knows that we are messengers to you,
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَآ إِلَّا ٱلۡبَلَٰغُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ ١٧
And we are not responsible except for clear notification."
قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا تَطَيَّرۡنَا بِكُمۡۖ لَئِن لَّمۡ تَنتَهُواْ لَنَرۡجُمَنَّكُمۡ وَلَيَمَسَّنَّكُم مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ ١٨
They said, "Indeed, we consider you a bad omen. If you do not desist, we will surely stone you, and there will surely touch you, from us, a painful punishment."
قَالُواْ طَٰٓئِرُكُم مَّعَكُمۡ أَئِن ذُكِّرۡتُمۚ بَلۡ أَنتُمۡ قَوۡمٞ مُّسۡرِفُونَ ١٩
They said, "Your omen [i.e., fate] is with yourselves. Is it1 because you were reminded? Rather, you are a transgressing people."
The township referred to in these verses was perhaps a settlement in Egypt where two prophets, Moses and Aaron were sent to admonish the people. But they rejected both of them. Then, a third person from amongst their own community came forth to support the Prophets, but this angered His fellow-men so much that they threatened to stone him, if he did not stop. At all times, the bitterest pill for a man to swallow is the piece of advice which is not to his liking. He flares up as soon as he hears it. Consequently, he cannot consider it with a balanced mind and does not assess it in the light of reason. Swayed by obstinacy and hatred, he goes on saying irrelevant things against it. Making assessments in the light of reason is to remain within reasonable limits but irrational opposition amounts to transgressing those limits.
36:20Page 441
وَجَآءَ مِنۡ أَقۡصَا ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ رَجُلٞ يَسۡعَىٰ قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ ٱتَّبِعُواْ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ ٢٠
And there came from the farthest end of the city a man, running. He said, "O my people, follow the messengers.
Both the prophets at that time were powerless. Nevertheless, this third man associated himself with them. In the struggle between truth and untruth, man has to take the side of the truth, even if it amounts to supporting the weak against the strong. The third man urged the people of his community to pay heed to the words of the earlier Prophets who were on the straight path and who did not seek any return for guiding rightly. This shows that in spite of a man being selfless and well-intentioned, his words will be examined in the light of reason, and will be deemed to be of value only if they measure up to the standard of reason.
36:21–27Page 441
ٱتَّبِعُواْ مَن لَّا يَسۡـَٔلُكُمۡ أَجۡرٗا وَهُم مُّهۡتَدُونَ ٢١
Follow those who do not ask of you [any] payment, and they are [rightly] guided.
وَمَالِيَ لَآ أَعۡبُدُ ٱلَّذِي فَطَرَنِي وَإِلَيۡهِ تُرۡجَعُونَ ٢٢
And why should I not worship He who created me and to whom you will be returned?
ءَأَتَّخِذُ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ ءَالِهَةً إِن يُرِدۡنِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ بِضُرّٖ لَّا تُغۡنِ عَنِّي شَفَٰعَتُهُمۡ شَيۡـٔٗا وَلَا يُنقِذُونِ ٢٣
Should I take other than Him [false] deities [while], if the Most Merciful intends for me some adversity, their intercession will not avail me at all, nor can they save me?
إِنِّيٓ إِذٗا لَّفِي ضَلَٰلٖ مُّبِينٍ ٢٤
Indeed, I would then be in manifest error.
إِنِّيٓ ءَامَنتُ بِرَبِّكُمۡ فَٱسۡمَعُونِ ٢٥
Indeed, I have believed in your Lord, so listen to me."
قِيلَ ٱدۡخُلِ ٱلۡجَنَّةَۖ قَالَ يَٰلَيۡتَ قَوۡمِي يَعۡلَمُونَ ٢٦
It was said, "Enter Paradise."1 He said, "I wish my people could know
بِمَا غَفَرَ لِي رَبِّي وَجَعَلَنِي مِنَ ٱلۡمُكۡرَمِينَ ٢٧
Of how my Lord has forgiven me and placed me among the honored."
The believer had risked his own life to support the call of the prophets before him. This action of his was of such great worth that he was sent to Paradise. After entering Paradise he did not speak ill of his people, although they were transgressors. On the contrary, he felt that, had they seen his reward, they would not have opposed the truth. This is the picture of a true believer. He is the well-wisher of others under all circumstances, even if he is oppressed by them.
36:28–32Page 442
۞ وَمَآ أَنزَلۡنَا عَلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِۦ مِن جُندٖ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا كُنَّا مُنزِلِينَ ٢٨
And We did not send down upon his people after him any soldiers from the heaven, nor would We have done so.
إِن كَانَتۡ إِلَّا صَيۡحَةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ فَإِذَا هُمۡ خَٰمِدُونَ ٢٩
It was not but one shout,1 and immediately they were extinguished.
يَٰحَسۡرَةً عَلَى ٱلۡعِبَادِۚ مَا يَأۡتِيهِم مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا كَانُواْ بِهِۦ يَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ ٣٠
How regretful for the servants. There did not come to them any messenger except that they used to ridicule him.
أَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ كَمۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا قَبۡلَهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡقُرُونِ أَنَّهُمۡ إِلَيۡهِمۡ لَا يَرۡجِعُونَ ٣١
Have they not considered how many generations We destroyed before them - that they to them1 will not return?
وَإِن كُلّٞ لَّمَّا جَمِيعٞ لَّدَيۡنَا مُحۡضَرُونَ ٣٢
And indeed, all of them will yet be brought present before Us.
When a decision is taken by Almighty God to destroy a community, it is enough for Him to direct the forces of nature against it: He does not need to utilise heavenly forces for the purpose. People always mock or ridicule the one who appears to them to be of a low status. This was the case with the prophets. The prophets’ personalities were underestimated by the people and they were considered of too low a standing to represent the Divine Truths.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences