Tazkirul Quran · Tafsir · in English
As-Saffat 37:158–182
37:158–166Page 452
وَجَعَلُواْ بَيۡنَهُۥ وَبَيۡنَ ٱلۡجِنَّةِ نَسَبٗاۚ وَلَقَدۡ عَلِمَتِ ٱلۡجِنَّةُ إِنَّهُمۡ لَمُحۡضَرُونَ ١٥٨
And they have made [i.e., claimed] between Him and the jinn a lineage, but the jinn have already known that they [who made such claims] will be brought [to punishment].
سُبۡحَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ١٥٩
Exalted is Allāh above what they describe,
إِلَّا عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِينَ ١٦٠
Except the chosen servants of Allāh [who do not share in that sin].
فَإِنَّكُمۡ وَمَا تَعۡبُدُونَ ١٦١
So indeed, you [disbelievers] and whatever you worship,
مَآ أَنتُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ بِفَٰتِنِينَ ١٦٢
You cannot tempt [anyone] away from Him
إِلَّا مَنۡ هُوَ صَالِ ٱلۡجَحِيمِ ١٦٣
Except he who is to [enter and] burn in the Hellfire.1
وَمَا مِنَّآ إِلَّا لَهُۥ مَقَامٞ مَّعۡلُومٞ ١٦٤
[The angels say],1 "There is not among us any except that he has a known position.2
وَإِنَّا لَنَحۡنُ ٱلصَّآفُّونَ ١٦٥
And indeed, we are those who line up [for prayer].
وَإِنَّا لَنَحۡنُ ٱلۡمُسَبِّحُونَ ١٦٦
And indeed, we are those who exalt Allāh."
A belief has it, that the ‘jinn’ are both the opponents and equals of God. But those who hold this belief are greatly misguided. They also think that the forces of evil are in the hands of the jinn and forces of righteousness are in the hands of the angels; both having the power to create trouble or bring success to anybody they like. Similarly, the Zoroastrians believe in the duality of the godhead. According to them, Yazdan is the god of righteousness and Aherman is the god of evil. Man, on the basis of his false assumptions, worships angels when angels themselves proclaim the greatness of the one and only God, at all times.
37:167–175Page 452
وَإِن كَانُواْ لَيَقُولُونَ ١٦٧
And indeed, they [i.e., the disbelievers] used to say,1
لَوۡ أَنَّ عِندَنَا ذِكۡرٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ١٦٨
"If we had a message from [those of] the former peoples,
لَكُنَّا عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِينَ ١٦٩
We would have been the chosen servants of Allāh."
فَكَفَرُواْ بِهِۦۖ فَسَوۡفَ يَعۡلَمُونَ ١٧٠
But they disbelieved in it,1 so they are going to know.
وَلَقَدۡ سَبَقَتۡ كَلِمَتُنَا لِعِبَادِنَا ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ ١٧١
And Our word [i.e., decree] has already preceded for Our servants, the messengers,
إِنَّهُمۡ لَهُمُ ٱلۡمَنصُورُونَ ١٧٢
[That] indeed, they would be those given victory
وَإِنَّ جُندَنَا لَهُمُ ٱلۡغَٰلِبُونَ ١٧٣
And [that] indeed, Our soldiers [i.e., the believers] will be those who overcome.1
فَتَوَلَّ عَنۡهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ حِينٖ ١٧٤
So, [O Muḥammad], leave them for a time.
وَأَبۡصِرۡهُمۡ فَسَوۡفَ يُبۡصِرُونَ ١٧٥
And see [what will befall] them, for they are going to see.
In ancient times, when the Arabs heard that the Jews and other peoples had rejected their prophets, they used to proudly say, ‘These people are unfortunate. If a prophet had come to us, we would have appreciated him and supported him.’ But, when God did send a prophet among them, they rejected him just as others had rejected their prophets. The Truth which affects others is readily seen by a man, but the Truth which affects him personally, seldom catches his eye. Throughout history, people have ignored the call of the preachers of Truth. They forget that the preachers of Truth endeavour to spread God’s word which will in any case reign supreme, however much the unbelievers may oppose them.
37:176–182Page 452
أَفَبِعَذَابِنَا يَسۡتَعۡجِلُونَ ١٧٦
Then for Our punishment are they impatient?
فَإِذَا نَزَلَ بِسَاحَتِهِمۡ فَسَآءَ صَبَاحُ ٱلۡمُنذَرِينَ ١٧٧
But when it descends in their territory, then evil is the morning of those who were warned.
وَتَوَلَّ عَنۡهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ حِينٖ ١٧٨
And leave them for a time.
وَأَبۡصِرۡ فَسَوۡفَ يُبۡصِرُونَ ١٧٩
And see, for they are going to see.
سُبۡحَٰنَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ ٱلۡعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ١٨٠
Exalted is your Lord, the Lord of might, above what they describe.
وَسَلَٰمٌ عَلَى ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ ١٨١
And peace upon the messengers.
وَٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ١٨٢
And praise to Allāh, Lord of the worlds.
The prophets used to warn their community about the consequences of denying God’s Message. But people did not attach any importance to their words and instead ridiculed them because their prophet did not seem important enough to invoke God’s punishment on their rejection of his call. However, in spite of their ridicule, God’s punishment was not meted out to them immediately, because before that can happen, the dawah work should have been brought to completion. That is why the prophets have been exhorted by God to exercise patience and avoid confrontation until the period of respite given to the people has been brought to an end at God’s instance.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences