Surah 21. Al-Anbya

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-29 [2], 30-41 [3], 42-50 [4], 51-75 [5], 76-93 [6], 94-112 [7]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-1021. Al-Anbya Page 32221. Al-Anbyaبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِاِقْتَرَبَ(Has) approachedلِلنَّاسِfor [the] mankindحِسَابُهُمْtheir accountوَ هُمْwhile theyفِیْ(are) inغَفْلَةٍheedlessnessمُّعْرِضُوْنَۚturning away مَاNotیَاْتِیْهِمْcomes to themمِّنْofذِكْرٍa Reminderمِّنْfromرَّبِّهِمْtheir Lordمُّحْدَثٍanewاِلَّاexceptاسْتَمَعُوْهُthey listen to itوَ هُمْwhile theyیَلْعَبُوْنَۙ(are at) play لَاهِیَةًDistractedقُلُوْبُهُمْ ؕtheir heartsوَ اَسَرُّواAnd they concealالنَّجْوَی ۖۗthe private conversationالَّذِیْنَthose whoظَلَمُوْا ۖۗ[they] wrongedهَلْIsهٰذَاۤthisاِلَّاexceptبَشَرٌa human beingمِّثْلُكُمْ ۚlike youاَفَتَاْتُوْنَSo would you approachالسِّحْرَthe magicوَ اَنْتُمْwhile youتُبْصِرُوْنَ see (it) قٰلَHe saidرَبِّیْMy Lordیَعْلَمُknowsالْقَوْلَthe wordفِیinالسَّمَآءِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضِ ؗand the earthوَ هُوَAnd Heالسَّمِیْعُ(is) the All-Hearerالْعَلِیْمُ the All-Knower بَلْNayقَالُوْۤاthey sayاَضْغَاثُMuddledاَحْلَامٍۭdreamsبَلِnayافْتَرٰىهُhe (has) invented itبَلْnayهُوَheشَاعِرٌ ۖۚ(is) a poetفَلْیَاْتِنَاSo let him bring usبِاٰیَةٍa signكَمَاۤlike whatاُرْسِلَwas sentالْاَوَّلُوْنَ (to) the former مَاۤNotاٰمَنَتْbelievedقَبْلَهُمْbefore themمِّنْanyقَرْیَةٍtownاَهْلَكْنٰهَا ۚwhich We destroyedاَفَهُمْso will theyیُؤْمِنُوْنَ believe وَ مَاۤAnd notاَرْسَلْنَاWe sentقَبْلَكَbefore youاِلَّاexceptرِجَالًاmenنُّوْحِیْۤWe revealedاِلَیْهِمْto themفَسْـَٔلُوْۤاSo askاَهْلَ(the) peopleالذِّكْرِ(of) the Reminderاِنْifكُنْتُمْyouلَا(do) notتَعْلَمُوْنَ know وَ مَاAnd notجَعَلْنٰهُمْWe made themجَسَدًاbodiesلَّاnotیَاْكُلُوْنَeatingالطَّعَامَthe foodوَ مَاand notكَانُوْاthey wereخٰلِدِیْنَ immortals ثُمَّThenصَدَقْنٰهُمُWe fulfilled (for) themالْوَعْدَthe promiseفَاَنْجَیْنٰهُمْand We saved themوَ مَنْand whomنَّشَآءُWe willedوَ اَهْلَكْنَاand We destroyedالْمُسْرِفِیْنَ the transgressors لَقَدْIndeedاَنْزَلْنَاۤWe (have) sent downاِلَیْكُمْto youكِتٰبًاa Bookفِیْهِin itذِكْرُكُمْ ؕ(is) your mentionاَفَلَاThen will notتَعْقِلُوْنَ۠you use reason

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Translation of Verse 1-10In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

(21:1) The time of people's reckoning has drawn near,¹ and yet they turn aside in heedlessness.²

(21:2) Whenever any fresh admonition³ comes to them from their Lord they barely heed it and remain immersed in play,⁴

(21:3) their hearts being set on other concerns. The wrong-doers whisper to one another: "This person is no more than a mortal like yourselves. Will you, then, be enchanted by sorcery while you see?"⁵

(21:4) He said: "My Lord knows well all that is spoken in the heavens and the earth. He is All-Hearing, All- Knowing."⁶

(21:5) They say: "Nay, these are confused dreams; nay, he has forged it; nay, he is a poet.⁷ So let him bring us a sign, even as the Messengers of the past were sent with signs."

(21:6) Not one township that We destroyed before them believed. Would they, then, believe?⁸

(21:7) (O Muhammad), even before you We never sent any other than human beings as Messengers, and to them We sent revelation.⁹ Ask the People of the Book¹⁰ if you do not know.

(21:8) We did not endow the Messengers with bodies that would need no food; nor were they immortals.

(21:9) Then We fulfilled the promise We had made to them: We rescued them and those whom We wished, and We destroyed those who exceeded all bounds.¹¹

(21:10) We have bestowed upon you a Book that mentions you. Do you not understand?¹²

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Commentary

1. This means that the Day of Resurrection is near. The Day is not far away when people will be made to appear before God to render an account of themselves. The advent of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) has ushered in the last phase of human history; as compared to earlier phases, mankind is now closer to its eventual end. The Prophet (peace be on him) himself confirmed this. According to one hadith, he pointed to two of his fingers and said: ‘I and the Hour are [close to each other] like these two fingers.’ The statement implies that there would be no further divine revelation between Muhammad (peace be on him) and the Day of Resurrection; people were closer to the Last Day than ever before. It was, thus, time for people to heed Muhammad’s (peace be on him) call as no other guide, warner and announcer of good news would be raised for mankind.

2. People do not take heed of God’s warning. They are so immersed in this heedlessness that they are incapable of thinking seriously about what their end ‘will be let alone paying attention to the Messenger who has come to warn them.

3. Each new surah of the Qur’an, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) and recited to the people, represents a piece of good counsel and admonition.

4. The words used here may be interpreted in more than one way. We have opted for the interpretation to be found in the above translation, wherein we take ‘jest’ to refer to life as a whole. Hence, the verse means that because of the unbelievers’ indifference to God and the Hereafter, they treat their lives merely as sport and jest rather than as a serious affair. Alternatively, the verse means that people do not listen to the Qur’an with the serious attention that it deserves; they rather take it as a jest.

5. This verse may be translated in either the present or the future tense, and both translations would be correct. It is the chiefs of the Quraysh who whisper among themselves for they are driven by a passionate concern to somehow counter the Prophet’s mission. They rejected outright his claim to be a Prophet.

They did so on the grounds that he was like any other human being: he ate and drank and went about the markets, and had a family of his own. They wondered what was so different about him that he stood out from others and merited a special relationship with God. They were cognizant, however, of the fact that the Prophet — by means of his personality and teachings — had a spellbinding effect on people. Whoever listened attentively to what he said, or had a chance to be close to him, immediately lost his heart to him. They, therefore, held that it was wise not to have any interaction with the Prophet (peace be on him), for getting close to him amounted to falling under his spell.

Ibn Ishaq (d. 152), the earliest biographer of the Prophet (peace be on him), _ mentions several incidents where the unbelievers accused the Prophet (peace be on him) of sorcery. ‘Utbah ibn Rabi‘ah the father-in-law of Abu Sufyan and the father of Hind, approached the Quraysh chiefs, saying: “Should you like, I will call on Muhammad and try to persuade him.’ This happened after Hamzah embraced Islam and when the number of the Prophet’s Companions continued to rise, a development which seriously perturbed the Quraysh chiefs. They, the - Quraysh chiefs, agreed that ‘Utbah should try to dissuade Muhammad from his course for they had full confidence in him. Accordingly, ‘Utbah visited the Prophet (peace be on him) and said to him: “O my nephew! You know well the _ position you enjoy among us. In terms of pedigree you come from a noble family. So why have you brought down such a calamity on your people? You have caused division in the whole community. You speak ill of their faith and their deities. You brand our deceased ancestors with unbelief and error.

Nephew! If you seek your supremacy in the world through all this, we will raise money and give you such an amount that you will become the wealthiest person. If you are keen to acquire chiefdom, we will make you our chief. If you seek kingship, we will appoint you our ruler. And if you suffer from some malady, we will arrange the best physician to treat you.’ While ‘Utbah made these offers, the Prophet (peace be on him) listened silently. When he had finished his long list of offers, the Prophet (peace be on him) said: ‘Abu al-Walid! Have you finished or do you have something else to say?’ To this he replied in the affirmative, confirming that he had spoken his mind in full. Then the Prophet (peace be on him) said: ‘Listen to me now. In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Ha Mim. This is the revelation from the Compassionate, the Merciful.’ He then went on to recite some verses from Surah Ha Mim al-Sajdah and ‘Utbah listened to the Prophet (peace be on him) in rapt attention. When the Prophet (peace be on him) recited verse 38 of this surah, he prostrated himself, saying to ‘Utbah: ‘O Abu al-Walid, you have listened to what I have to say. Now it is up to you to do what pleases you.’ “Utbah took his leave of the Prophet and returned to the Quraysh chiefs. As he approached them, they exclaimed: ‘By God! Abu al-Walid’s countenance is totally changed. This is not the one he went to meet Muhammad with.” When “Utbah joined them they asked: ‘O Abu al-Walid! What were you able to do?’ To this he replied: ‘By God! Today I have listened to something I have never heard before. By God, it is neither poetry, nor magic, nor soothsaying. Leaders of the Quraysh! Listen to me and let him alone. Whatever I have heard from him is bound to come about. If the Arabs defeat him, you will not be held guilty of his murder for others will be responsible for it. However, if he establishes his dominance over Arabia, his dominion will be your dominion, his prestige will mean your prestige.’ They replied: ‘Abu al-Walid! You too have fallen prey to his spell!’ (Ibn Hisham, Sirah, vol. 1, pp. 293-4 — Ed.) In the reports brought together by Bayhaqi regarding this event, there is some additional information. When the Prophet (peace be on him) was reciting Ha Mim al-Sajdah and reached the verse: ‘But if they turn away, say: ‘‘I have warned you of a thunder like the thunder that overtook ‘Ad and Thamud” (Ha Mim al-Sajdah 41: 13), ‘Utbah put his hand upon the Prophet’s mouth, pleading mercy for his people.

Another incident reported by Ibn Ishaq is as follows: Once a member of the Arash tribe came to Makka with some camels, Abu Jahl purchased the camels but when he asked for the price, Abu Jahl tried to evade the issue. Irked by this, the Arashi went to the Ka‘bah and invoked the help of the Quraysh chiefs. The Prophet (peace be on him) was sitting in a corner of the sanctuary. The Quraysh told the Arashi: ‘We are helpless. Tell the man sitting in the corner about your plight. He will help you recover your money.’ As the Arashi proceeded towards the Prophet (peace be on him), the Quraysh chiefs said to each other: ‘We will have real fun to-day.’ The Arashi conveyed his grievance to the Prophet (peace be on him), who immediately rose and took him to Abu Jahl’s house and knocked at his door. He asked: ‘Who is there?’ He replied: ‘Muhammad’.

Amazed, Abu Jahl came out. The Prophet (peace be on him) asked him: ‘Give him his due.’ Abu Jahl did not resist; he simply went in and brought back the money he owed the Arashi. The informer rushed to the Ka‘bah and apprised the chiefs of all that had happened. He said: ‘By God, today I came across what I have never seen before. As Hakam ibn Hisham (Abu Jahl) came out of his house, his countenance changed on seeing Muhammad; and when Muhammad asked him to pay the amount, Abu Jahl appeared almost lifeless and enervated.’ (Ibn Hisham, vol. 2, pp. 389-90 -- Ed.)

This surah demonstrates the impact of the Prophet’s personality and conduct, and such was the spell of his speech that the unbelievers branded it as sorcery. Hence, they tried to keep people, who were not very mature at arm's length from the Prophet (peace be on him) lest they too were influenced by him.

6. The Prophet (peace be on him) did not respond to this false propaganda nor to the vicious whispering campaign against him, except in so far as to say: ‘God hears and knows all that you say, both what you say loudly and what you say in whispers.’ Never did the Prophet (peace be on him) stoop to the level of his enemies, hurling at his enemies the evils they hurled at him.

7. This piece of propaganda should be viewed against the situational background pertaining at that time. The Prophet’s sphere of influence continued to expand and this prompted the Makkan leaders to mutual consultation so as to decide the lines along which a propaganda campaign could be launched against him. It was decided that the venue for this campaign should be Makka.

Their campaign was expected to yield good results: the aim being to prejudice the minds of those pilgrims who were visiting the city so that they would not pay any attention to the Prophet’s Message. A number of people were assigned to visit the pilgrims’ camps to poison these visitors’ ears against the Prophet (peace be on him). A variety of notions were put before these pilgrims. At times they were told that the Prophet (peace be on him) was a " sorcerer. At times they were told that the Qur’an had in fact been composed by Muhammad himself and was falsely attributed to God. At times the Qur’an was dismissed as a series of insane outbursts, as a conglomerate of incoherent ideas. On other occasions the Qur’an was condemned as a piece of poetic imagination, a collection of rhymed discourses falsely ascribed to God.

In short, a variety of things were said but with just one purpose in mind — to mislead people about Islam. The Quraysh were not the least bit concerned with considerations of truth or veracity and “hence they made no attempt to formulate and express a well-considered and definitive opinion on any matter.

All this false propaganda, however, had one redeeming effect — it carried the name of the Prophet (peace be on him) to all parts of Arabia and made him known far and wide. The Muslims would not have been able to give the Prophet (peace be on him) and Islam the same amount of publicity as the hostile propaganda campaign launched by the Quraysh generated in a very short span of time.

For, as a result of the campaign everyone asked himself who this man was against whom such a storm had been let loose. Many who were disposed to thinking and reasoning, decided to make serious inquiries about what the Prophet’s teachings were. They were not children, or at least so they told themselves, who could be misled by merely acquainting themselves with his teachings.

An interesting instance is provided in the story of Tufayl ibn ‘Amr al-Dawsi as narrated by Ibn Ishaq. Tufayl refers to himself as a poet of the Dawsi tribe who visited Makka in connection with his business. No sooner had he reached the city than some of the Quraysh contacted him and tried to poison his ears against the Prophet (peace be on him). As a result, he developed serious misgivings about the Prophet (peace be on him) and made up his mind always to remain at arm’s length from him. The very next day, however, when Tufayl visited the Ka‘bah he found the Prophet (peace be on him) praying there.

Overhearing some of the Prophet’s utterances, he suddenly realized his attraction to these. Tufayl said to himself that he was a poet, a youth, an intelligent person, not an immature child incapable of distinguishing right from wrong.

Therefore, when the Prophet (peace be on him) finished his Prayer and was proceeding homewards, Tufayl followed him. He arrived at the Prophet’s house close behind the Prophet and said: ‘Your people have told me such things about you which prejudiced me against you to such an extent that I closed my ears lest I might hear what you say. But I like what I have just heard from you. Can you explain to me your message in some detail?’ In response, the Prophet (peace be on him) recited part of the Qur’an to Tufayl. The latter was so captivated by it that he immediately embraced Islam. On his return home he persuaded his father and wife also to accept Islam. From then onwards Tufayl continued to preach Islam among his tribe. By the time of the Battle of Khandaq, some 70 to 80 families belonging to his tribe had already become Muslims. (Ibn Hisham, vol.2, pp. 382-5 — Ed.) Another report narrated by Ibn Ishaq, indicates that the Quraysh leaders themselves conceded that their propaganda campaign against the Prophet (peace be on him) was totally false. According to Ibn Ishaq, Nadr ibn al-Harith once addressed the Quraysh, saying: ‘The way you have been trying to confront Muhammad will be of no avail. As a youth he was the best mannered among you. He was regarded as one most truthful and most trustworthy. Now that his hair is greying, you have taken to branding him as a magician, a soothsayer, a poet and a lunatic. By God, he is not a magician. We have seen magicians and we are fully conversant with their craft. By God, he is not a soothsayer. We have listened to their feigned utterances and their enigmatic sayings. By God, he is not a poet either. We are aware of all genres of poetry but his discourse does not fall into any of those categories. By God, he is not a mad person either. Are we not aware of the condition of a mad person, and of the stupid things he says? O leaders of the Quraysh, think again. What confronts you today is far too serious to be met by recourse to false propaganda; this will certainly not overcome him.’ Nadr later on suggested that legendary stories from Persian folklore, such as those of Rustam and Isfandiyar, should be circulated throughout Arabia so that people might become engrossed in those legends and so lose sight of the Qur’an. It is interesting to note that Nadr did indeed resort to relating such tales. (Ibn Hisham, Sirah, vol 1, pp. 299-300 — Ed.)

8. The reply to the unbelievers’ demand for miraculous signs made in the above verse consists of three points. First, they are told that although they seek signs of the kind bestowed upon previous Prophets, they forget that people are often too stubborn as man’s past record only too clearly bears out — to embrace the true faith even after witnessing such signs. Second, they do not fully appreciate the grave risk they are exposing themselves to by asking for these signs. For a people who refuse to believe in the truth once they have witnessed God’s miraculous signs are not spared: they are simply annihilated.

Third. they do not realize it is a result of God’s mercy that He does not send them miraculous signs in response to their demands. For although they have persistently rejected the truth, God has still not meted out His punishment to them. It is nothing more than folly for such people to ask for miraculous signs when this amounts to their asking for that scourge which overtook earlier nations when they would not believe even after witnessing God’s miraculous signs.

9. This is in response to the unbelievers’ question: ‘Is he (the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) no more than a man like ourselves?’ (verse 3 above). They considered the Prophet’s humanity to be inconsistent with his claim to prophet hood. This is countered by reference to the unbelievers’ own recognition of the humanity of those whom they considered to be Prophets in earlier times. The distinction between Prophets and other people consists in the fact that although they were all human beings, the Prophets additionally received their revelations from God. (For further details, see Ya Sin 36, n. 11.

10. The Makkan unbelievers should ask the Jews, who had joined hands with them in their hostility to Islam and who were guiding them in their machinations against Islam, about Moses and other Prophets of Israel: were they human beings or did they belong to any other species?

11. We learn from history not only that the earlier Prophets were human beings, but also that God fulfilled all the promises He made to effectively aid His Prophets and destroy their opponents. The result being that all those nations which sought to humiliate the Prophets were, one by one, annihilated. Did all this then not require that the Makkan unbelievers should reconsider the consequences of their conduct?

12. This is a response to the various and mutually inconsistent, contentions made by the Makkan unbelievers against the Qur’an and the Prophet (peace be on him) to the effect that the Qur’an was either mere poetry, a kind of talisman, a set of incoherent dreams, or merely a medley of fairy tales. What was, so exotic about the Qur’an which drove its opponents to hold such a collection of mutually conflicting opinions about it? The Qur’an should have been familiar material to them for its discourse centered on the human psyche and on human affairs; on man’s nature, man’s beginning and his end. Additionally, the Qur’anic discourse is replete with signs which are drawn from man’s own environment and which point to the truth. The Qur’an also concerns itself with elucidating the difference between good and evil in human beings, and the human conscience bears ample testimony to the truth of that distinction. There — is nothing enigmatic or complicated in the Qur’an that would make it incomprehensible to the human mind.