Islamicstudies.info
Tafheem.net

Tafsir Ishraq al-Ma'ani

Quran Translation & Commentary by Syed Iqbal Zaheer
Buy from Amazon

Quran Translation
Word for Word by
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh
& Kausar Khatri

Introduction | Wiki
1. Al-Fatihah
2. Al-Baqarah
3. Al-Imran
4. Al-Nisa
5. Al-Maidah
6. Al-Anam
7. Al-Araf
8. Al-Anfal
9. Al-Taubah
10. Yunus
11. Hud
12. Yusuf
13. Al-Rad
14. Ibrahim
15. Al-Hijr
16. Al-Nahl
17. Bani Israil
18. Al-Kahf
19. Maryam
20. Ta-Ha
21. Al-Anbiya
22. Al-Hajj
23. Al-Muminun
24. An-Nur
25. Al-Furqan
26. Ash-Shuara
27. An-Naml
28. Al-Qasas
29. Al-Ankabut
30. Ar-Rum
31. Luqman
32. As-Sajdah
33. Al-Ahzab
34. Saba
35. Fatir
36. Yasin
37. As-Saffat
38. Saad
39. Az-Zumar
40. Al-Mumin
41. Ha-Meem-As-Sajdah
42. AShura
43. Az-Zukhruf
44. Ad-Dukhan
45. Al-Jathiyah
46. Al-Ahqaf
47. Muhammad
48. Al-Fath
49. Al-Hujurat
50. Al-Qaf
51. Adh-Dhariyat
52. At-Tur
53. An-Najm
54. Al-Qamar
55. Al-Rahman
56. Al-Waqiah
57. Al-Hadid
58. Al-Mujadalah
59. Al-Hashr
60. Al-Mumtahinah
61. As-Saff
62. Al-Jumuah
63. Al-Munafiqun
64. Al-Taghabun
65. At-Talaq
66. At-Tahrim
67. Al-Mulk
68. Al-Qalam
69. Al-Haqqah
70. Al-Maarij
71. Nuh
72. Al-Jinn
73. Al-Muzzammil
74. Al-Muddhththir
75. Al-Qiyamah
76. Ad-Dahr
77. Al-Mursalat
78. An-Naba
79. An-Naziat
80. Abas
81. At-Takwir
82. Al-Infitar
83. At-Tatfif
84. Al-Inshiqaq
85. Al-Buruj
86. At-Tariq
87. Al-Ala
88. Al-Ghashiyah
89. Al-Fajr
90. Al-Balad
91. Ash-Shams
92. Al-Lail
93. Ad-Duha
94. Al-Inshirah
95. At-Tin
96. Al-Alaq
97. Al-Qadr
98. Al-Bayyinah
99. Az-Zilzal
100. Al-Adiyat
101. Al-Qariah
102. At-Takathur
103. Al-Asr
104. Al-Humazah
105. Al-Fil
106. Al-Quraish
107. Al-Maun
108. Al-Kauthar
109. Al-Kafirun
110. An-Nasr
111. Al-Lahab
112. Al-Ikhlas
113. Al-Falaq
114. An-Nas
Surah 44. Ad-Dukhan
Verses [Section]: 1-29[1], 30-42 [2], 43-59 [3]

Quran Text of Verse 30-42
وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyنَجَّیْنَاWe savedبَنِیْۤ(the) Children of Israelاِسْرَآءِیْلَ(the) Children of Israelمِنَfromالْعَذَابِthe punishmentالْمُهِیْنِۙthe humiliating مِنْFromفِرْعَوْنَ ؕFiraunاِنَّهٗIndeed heكَانَwasعَالِیًاarrogantمِّنَamongالْمُسْرِفِیْنَ the transgressors وَ لَقَدِAnd certainlyاخْتَرْنٰهُمْWe chose themعَلٰیbyعِلْمٍknowledgeعَلَیoverالْعٰلَمِیْنَۚthe worlds وَ اٰتَیْنٰهُمْAnd We gave themمِّنَofالْاٰیٰتِthe Signsمَاthatفِیْهِin itبَلٰٓؤٌا(was) a trialمُّبِیْنٌ clear اِنَّIndeedهٰۤؤُلَآءِtheseلَیَقُوْلُوْنَۙsurely they say اِنْNotهِیَitاِلَّا(is) butمَوْتَتُنَاour deathالْاُوْلٰیthe firstوَ مَاand notنَحْنُweبِمُنْشَرِیْنَ (will be) raised again فَاْتُوْاThen bringبِاٰبَآىِٕنَاۤour forefathersاِنْifكُنْتُمْyou areصٰدِقِیْنَ truthful اَهُمْAre theyخَیْرٌbetterاَمْorقَوْمُ(the) peopleتُبَّعٍ ۙ(of) Tubbaوَّ الَّذِیْنَand thoseمِنْbefore themقَبْلِهِمْ ؕbefore themاَهْلَكْنٰهُمْ ؗWe destroyed themاِنَّهُمْindeed, theyكَانُوْاwereمُجْرِمِیْنَ criminals وَ مَاAnd notخَلَقْنَاWe createdالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضَand the earthوَ مَاand whateverبَیْنَهُمَا(is) between themلٰعِبِیْنَ (in) play مَاNotخَلَقْنٰهُمَاۤWe created both of themاِلَّاbutبِالْحَقِّin [the] truthوَ لٰكِنَّbutاَكْثَرَهُمْmost of themلَا(do) notیَعْلَمُوْنَ know 44. Ad-Dukhan Page 498اِنَّIndeedیَوْمَ(the) Day of Judgmentالْفَصْلِ(the) Day of Judgmentمِیْقَاتُهُمْ(is) an appointed term for themاَجْمَعِیْنَۙall یَوْمَ(The) Dayلَاnotیُغْنِیْwill availمَوْلًیa relationعَنْforمَّوْلًیa relationشَیْـًٔاanythingوَّ لَاand notهُمْtheyیُنْصَرُوْنَۙwill be helped اِلَّاExceptمَنْ(on) whomرَّحِمَAllah has mercyاللّٰهُ ؕAllah has mercyاِنَّهُIndeed, Heهُوَ[He]الْعَزِیْزُ(is) the All-Mightyالرَّحِیْمُ۠the Most Merciful
Translation of Verse 30-42

(44:30) And surely, We delivered the Children of Israel from the humiliating affliction.

(44:31) From Fir`awn, indeed he was high-and-mighty (and) of the prodigals.

(44:32) And We chose them20 – in (full) knowledge21 – over the worlds.

(44:33) And bestowed on them such signs wherein was a manifest sign.22

(44:34) Indeed, these people say,23

(44:35) It is no more but our first death and we are not to be resurrected.24

(44:36) Bring back our forefathers then, if you are truthful.’25

(44:37) Are they better26 than the people of Tubba`,27 and those before them? We destroyed them (all). They were indeed criminals.

(44:38) We created not the heavens and the earth, and what is between the two in sport.

(44:39) We created not the two but in truth, but most of them realize not.

(44:40) Indeed the day of Decision28 is the appointed time for them all.

(44:41) The day no protector will avail a client aught, nor shall they be helped.

(44:42) Save him upon whom Allah showed mercy. He indeed is the All-mighty, the All-merciful.


Commentary

20. That is, chose them (for raising Prophets among them, sending down revelations, etc.) from among the nations contemporary to them (Zamakhshari, Ibn Kathir).

21. That is, write Zamakhshari and Alusi, We chose them in full knowledge that they deserved to be chosen (for reasons Allah knew best: Au.); or, despite the knowledge that they might sometimes rebel and exceed the bounds in certain situations. Asad comments: “.. (As) a test of their sincerity with regard to the spiritual principles which in the beginning raised them ‘above all other beings’ and, thus, of their willingness to act as God’s message-bearers to all the world. The formulation of the above sentence implies elliptically that they did not pass the test inasmuch as they soon forgot the spiritual mission for which they had been elected, and began to regard themselves as God’s ‘chosen people’ simply on account of their descent from Abraham: a notion which the Qur’an condemns in many places. Apart from this, the majority of the Children of Israel very soon lost their erstwhile conviction that the life in this world is but the first and not the final stage of human life, and – as their Biblical history shows – abandoned themselves entirely to pursuit of material prosperity and power.” Does not the above apply to this Ummah as well? Do we see in them any inclination to be the message-bearers? Does a strong notion prevail among them that this world is but a passage? (Au.). In the simpler language of Yusuf Ali, “From degrading servitude, Israel was delivered, and taken, in spite of many rebellions and backsliding on the way, to ‘a land flowing with milk and honey’, where later they established the glorious kingdom of David and Solomon. This was not merely fortuitous. In Allah’s decree it was to be a link in furthering His Plan. But their being chosen did not mean that they could do what they liked. In that sense there is no ‘chosen race’ before Allah. But Allah gives every race and every individual a chance, and when the race or individual fails to live up to it, he or it must fall and give place to others.”

22. The allusion is to such miracles as were shown to them, viz., parting of the sea, mann and salwa, (the cloud sheltering them, etc.) in the Sinai etc. They tested the Israelites whether they would stay firm on the path when bestowed with such heavenly bestowals, or would they rebel? (Ibn Jarir, Zamakhshari, Ibn Kathir, Alusi). The shining hand and the Rod turning into snake could also be included (Qurtubi).

23. It was the Quraysh who said this (Alusi).

24. Zamakhshari writes: The meaning is not, as it might appear, that the pagans were promised several deaths and so they asserted, “This is not but our first death;” but rather, they were told that they were dead earlier, given life, will die, and will be resurrected; to which they answered in refutation, denyed that they were dead earlier, that it is nothing but this first life, and it will be no more than first death after which no life will follow. The ayah of Zamakhshari’s reference is (2: 28):

“You were dead then He quickened you. Thereafter He will deal you death and then will quicken you.” The problem is that this ayah is said to be Madinan, while the Surah under discussion is Makkan - although nothing definite can be said of either of them as fully Makkan or fully Madinan. It is also possible that they were refuting a Prophetic statement of the above meaning or that of one of the Companions. Alusi appears with Zamakhshari in this opinion (Au.). Imam Razi mentions the above, without granting full approval, and presents another possible meaning, which sounds less convincing: “We shall not undergo any of the happenings of the Hereafter alleged by you (O Muhammad) except for experiencing the first death.”

25. In particular, they wanted Qusayy b. Kilab – their most respected progenitor - to be brought alive so that they could consult him with regard to the Messenger and his message (Zamakhshari, Razi, Qurtubi, Alusi).

26. That is, in worldly power and sway over the lands (Zamakhshari).

27. There is dearth of information about “the people of Tubba`”. Neither do we know anything about the Prophets raised among them, nor how exactly the people treated the message and Messengers. (History of no other people is as obscure as that of Himyar despite there being 26 known occupants of the thrones over a period of 2020 years: Alusi). One difficulty is that Tubba` (meaning a King, or Sovereign; collectively, Tababi`ah) was a dynastic name (like Fir`awn, Kisra, Qaysar), of whom there were two kingdoms. Their second dynasty ruled South Yemen (Himyar) flourishing in the 3rd, 4th and 5th centuries of the Christian era. That is, their reign ended roughly one hundred years before the appearance of the Prophet. Syed Sulayman Nadwi (Arbdul Qur’an, vol.1, p. 289-91) lists more than a dozen Tababi`ah with approximate dates of their reign as found on archeological tablets. Shammar Yur`ish, Abukarib As`ad (E.I.), Sharjil Ya`fir, `Abd Kalil, are the better known names. Some of them are credited with great exploits (as in Ibn Sa`d’s Life of Muhammad), their rule extending up to Tashkent and leaving Arab colonies in Tibet. But Syed Sulayman Nadwi is with Ibn Khaldun who does not believe in these accounts. Alusi holds the same opinion (Au.). Historians report one of the Tababi`ah as having visited Yethrib (where its inhabitants – Jews included - fought him during the day, but fed his army at night). Thereonward he visited Makkah, enshrouded the Ka`bah, and, returning to Himyar, he converted the population to Judaism. Ibn Kathir credits the Tubba` of Qur’anic mention – named As`ad Abu Kurayb (or Karab) - as having been a (lower order: Au.) Prophet whose subjects adopted tawhid, but returned to paganism after his death. But Alusi discounts this and declares a report coming from Ibn `Abbas as weak. There are reports coming down from the Prophet which say that he was not sure whether Tubba` of Qur’anic mention was a Prophet or not. But, although found in several collections, those reports are weak. Another report has the Prophet saying, “Do not curse Tubba` for he had become a Muslim.” It is in Ahmad’s collection, but also weak because of the presence of `Amr b. Jabir and Ibn Lehi`ah in the chain (who were considered weak). Tabarani has the same report but through another chain in which (as noted by Sami b. Muhammad Salamah) one of the narrators was unknown to Haythami. `A’isha and Qatadah are also on record having said (since Allah censured the people of Tubba` but not Tubba` himself), “Do not speak ill of Tubba` for he was a righteous man” (Ibn Jarir, Zamakhshari, Razi, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir [some in parts]). `A’isha’s opinion about Tubba` is in Hakim (Alusi).

28. The textual “fasl” can also be understood as “separator.” That day the believers will be separated from the unbelievers; the believer will be separated from all the hardships he underwent; the unbeliever will be separated from all that he dreamt of attaining (Razi).