Surah 23. Al-Mu'minun

---

Verses [Section]: 1-22[1], 23-32 [2], 33-50 [3], 51-77 [4], 78-92 [5], 93-118 [6]

---

Quran Text of Verse 1-2223. Al-Mu'minun Page 34223. Al-Mu'minunبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِقَدْIndeedاَفْلَحَsuccessfulالْمُؤْمِنُوْنَۙ(are) the believers الَّذِیْنَThose whoهُمْ[they]فِیْduringصَلَاتِهِمْtheir prayersخٰشِعُوْنَۙ(are) humbly submissive وَ الَّذِیْنَThose whoهُمْ[they]عَنِfromاللَّغْوِthe vain talkمُعْرِضُوْنَۙturn away وَ الَّذِیْنَThose whoهُمْ[they]لِلزَّكٰوةِof purification worksفٰعِلُوْنَۙ(are) doers وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoهُمْ[they]لِفُرُوْجِهِمْof their modestyحٰفِظُوْنَۙ(are) guardians اِلَّاExceptعَلٰۤیfromاَزْوَاجِهِمْtheir spousesاَوْorمَاwhatمَلَكَتْpossessاَیْمَانُهُمْtheir right handsفَاِنَّهُمْthen indeed, theyغَیْرُ(are) notمَلُوْمِیْنَۚblameworthy فَمَنِThen whoeverابْتَغٰیseeksوَرَآءَbeyondذٰلِكَthatفَاُولٰٓىِٕكَthen thoseهُمُ[they]الْعٰدُوْنَۚ(are) the transgressors وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoهُمْ[they]لِاَمٰنٰتِهِمْof their trustsوَ عَهْدِهِمْand their promise(s)رٰعُوْنَۙ(are) observers وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoهُمْ[they]عَلٰیoverصَلَوٰتِهِمْtheir prayersیُحَافِظُوْنَۘthey guard اُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseهُمُ[they]الْوٰرِثُوْنَۙ(are) the inheritors الَّذِیْنَWhoیَرِثُوْنَwill inheritالْفِرْدَوْسَ ؕthe ParadiseهُمْTheyفِیْهَاthereinخٰلِدُوْنَ (will) abide forever وَ لَقَدْAnd indeedخَلَقْنَاWe createdالْاِنْسَانَthe humankindمِنْfromسُلٰلَةٍan essenceمِّنْofطِیْنٍۚclay ثُمَّThenجَعَلْنٰهُWe placed himنُطْفَةً(as) a semen-dropفِیْinقَرَارٍa resting placeمَّكِیْنٍ۪firm ثُمَّThenخَلَقْنَاWe createdالنُّطْفَةَthe semen-dropعَلَقَةً(into) a clinging substanceفَخَلَقْنَاthen We createdالْعَلَقَةَthe clinging substanceمُضْغَةً(into) an embryonic lumpفَخَلَقْنَاthen We createdالْمُضْغَةَthe embryonic lumpعِظٰمًا(into) bonesفَكَسَوْنَاthen We clothedالْعِظٰمَthe bonesلَحْمًا ۗ(with) fleshثُمَّthenاَنْشَاْنٰهُWe produce itخَلْقًا(as) a creationاٰخَرَ ؕanotherفَتَبٰرَكَSo blessed isاللّٰهُAllahاَحْسَنُ(the) Bestالْخٰلِقِیْنَؕ(of) the Creators ثُمَّThenاِنَّكُمْindeed youبَعْدَafterذٰلِكَthatلَمَیِّتُوْنَؕsurely (will) die ثُمَّThenاِنَّكُمْindeed youیَوْمَ(on the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ(of) the Resurrectionتُبْعَثُوْنَ will be resurrected وَ لَقَدْAnd indeedخَلَقْنَاWe (have) createdفَوْقَكُمْabove youسَبْعَsevenطَرَآىِٕقَ ۖۗpathsوَ مَاand notكُنَّاWe areعَنِofالْخَلْقِthe creationغٰفِلِیْنَ unaware 23. Al-Mu'minun Page 343وَ اَنْزَلْنَاAnd We send downمِنَfromالسَّمَآءِthe skyمَآءًۢwaterبِقَدَرٍin (due) measureفَاَسْكَنّٰهُthen We cause it to settleفِیinالْاَرْضِ ۖۗthe earthوَ اِنَّاAnd indeed, Weعَلٰیonذَهَابٍۭtaking it awayبِهٖtaking it awayلَقٰدِرُوْنَۚsurely (are) Able فَاَنْشَاْنَاThen We producedلَكُمْfor youبِهٖby itجَنّٰتٍgardensمِّنْof date-palmsنَّخِیْلٍof date-palmsوَّ اَعْنَابٍ ۘand grapevinesلَكُمْfor youفِیْهَاin itفَوَاكِهُ(are) fruitsكَثِیْرَةٌabundantوَّ مِنْهَاand from themتَاْكُلُوْنَۙyou eat وَ شَجَرَةًAnd a treeتَخْرُجُ(that) springs forthمِنْfromطُوْرِMount SinaiسَیْنَآءَMount Sinaiتَنْۢبُتُ(which) producesبِالدُّهْنِoilوَ صِبْغٍand a relishلِّلْاٰكِلِیْنَ for those who eat وَ اِنَّAnd indeedلَكُمْfor youفِیinالْاَنْعَامِthe cattleلَعِبْرَةً ؕsurely (is) a lessonنُسْقِیْكُمْWe give you drinkمِّمَّاfrom whatفِیْ(is) inبُطُوْنِهَاtheir belliesوَ لَكُمْand for youفِیْهَاin themمَنَافِعُ(are) benefitsكَثِیْرَةٌmanyوَّ مِنْهَاand of themتَاْكُلُوْنَۙyou eat وَ عَلَیْهَاAnd on themوَ عَلَیand onالْفُلْكِ[the] shipsتُحْمَلُوْنَ۠you are carried

---

Translation of Verse 1-22In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

(23:1) The believers have indeed attained true success:¹

(23:2) those who,² in their Prayers, humble themselves;³

(23:3) who avoid whatever is vain and frivolous;⁴

(23:4) who observe Zakah;⁵

(23:5) who strictly guard their private parts⁶

(23:6) save from their wives, or those whom their right hands possess; for with regard to them they are free from blame "

(23:7) As for those who seek beyond that, they are transgressors"⁷

(23:8) who are true to their trusts and their covenants,⁸

(23:9) and who guard their Prayers.⁹

(23:10) Such are the inheritors

(23:11) that shall inherit Paradise;¹⁰ and in it they shall abide for ever.¹¹

(23:12) We created man out of the extract of clay,

(23:13) then We made him into a drop of life-germ, then We placed it in a safe depository,

(23:14) then We made this drop into a clot, then We made the clot into a lump, then We made the lump into bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh,¹² and then We caused it to grow into another creation.¹³ Thus Most Blessed is Allah, the Best of all those that create.¹⁴

(23:15) Thereafter you are destined to die,

(23:16) and then on the Day of Resurrection you shall certainly be raised up.

(23:17) We have indeed fashioned above you seven paths.¹⁵ Never were We unaware of the task of creation.¹⁶

(23:18) We sent down water from the sky in right measure, and caused it to stay in the earth,¹⁷ and We have the power to cause it to vanish¹⁸ (in the manner We please).

(23:19) Then through water We caused gardens of date-palms and vines to grow for you wherein you have an abundance of delicious fruits¹⁹ and from them you derive your livelihood.²⁰

(23:20) And We also produced the tree which springs forth from Mount Sinai,²¹ containing oil and sauce for those that eat.

(23:21) And indeed there is also a lesson for you in cattle. We provide you with drink out of what they have in their bellies;²² and you have many other benefits in them: you eat of them,

(23:22) and are carried on them and also on ships.²³

---

Commentary

1: The word ‘believers’ referred to in this verse stands for those who embraced the Prophet’s call, accepted him as their guide and leader, and willingly consented to follow the way of life expounded by him.

The Arabic word falah means success and prosperity. It is used as an antonym of khusran which signifies loss and failure. To say that someone has acquired falah therefore, amounts to saying that he has achieved his objective; that he has attained prosperity and well-being, that his efforts have borne fruit, and that his condition has ameliorated.

The opening statement of this surah, namely that ‘the believers have indeed attained true success’, can only be appreciated with reference to the circumstantial background against which this discourse was revealed. At the time of its revelation, the chief opponents of the Message of Islam consisted, on the one hand, of the wealthy notables of Makka whose trade was flourishing, who enjoyed all the appurtenances of worldly prosperity. On the other hand, there were the followers of Islam. In-sharp contrast to the former, most of them were in a poor and wretched condition when they embraced Islam. Only a few Muslims belonged to well-to-do families or had achieved some success in business. Even they, however, were reduced to severe adversity because of the persecution and pressures to which they were subjected by their own people.

Given this background, the opening verse which proclaims the success and prosperity of the believers suggests that man-made standards of success and failure are false; that the assumptions entertained by men in this regard are ill-founded; that they lack the correct vision that enables them to have a long-range view of things. No wonder, for what they conceive of as success and prosperity is nothing but sheer loss and failure. Likewise, contrary to the claim of their contemporaries who thought of the believers as those who had ‘failed and had incurred utter loss, the followers of the Prophet (peace be on him) were indeed those who had attained true success. By responding to the call to embrace the truth they had not struck a bad bargain; rather they had been fortunate in obtaining what would confer on them lasting success in both this life and the Next. By their refusal to’ embrace the call to the truth, the unbelievers, in contrast, had incurred a serious loss, the dire consequences of which would afflict them in this world and in the Hereafter:

This idea forms the central theme of the surah and the whole discourse from the beginning to the end is focused on driving home this point.

2. Verses 1-9 set forth the qualities of the believers. Veritably, these qualities serve as evidence in support of the claim that it is the act of believing that led the believers to success. In other words: how can those who have developed such wholesome qualities in their lives owing to their faith not attain true success? If they cannot be successful, then who can?

3. The true meaning of khushu ‘is to lower oneself before someone, to be submissive, to display humility. The state called Kyushu ‘is related both to the heart and to the outward condition of one’s bodily organs. The khushu of the heart consists in man’s feeling of being overwhelmed by someone’s awe, grandeur and majesty. As for khushu of the bodily organs, it manifests itself in a number of ways: one’s head is lowered in the presence of him whom one holds in awe; the organs of the body are loosened; one’s gaze is downcast; one speaks in a subdued voice. In short, outward khushu covers all the physical manifestations. which naturally appear when one comes face to face with someone exceedingly mighty and awesome. In the context of Prayer, khushu signifies both the state of the heart and its outward manifestations. In fact, khushu is the essential spirit of Prayer. It is reported in a hadith that once the Prophet (peace be on him) observed someone playing with his beard during Prayer. On this he observed: ‘Had his heart been in a state of humility [before ‘God] the organs of his body would also have been in a state of humility.’ (Cited by Alusi in his Ruh al-Ma ‘ani, vol. 18, p. 3 - Ed.) Although Khushu is essentially a condition of the heart which also manifests itself outwardly, the Shari‘ah does additionally prescribe certain rules which are required to be observed in Prayer. These serve two purposes.

First, they help create the state of mind that is conducive to khushu. Second while the state of khushu naturally vacillates, these rules ensure that at least a certain minimum of khushu is observed at the outward level. For instance, one of these rules is that during Prayer one should neither move one’s head left or right, nor should one look upward. At most, one can cast glances out of the corner of one’s eyes. According to the Hanafi and Shafi schools, even one’s gaze should not go beyond the spot on which one prostrates. However, the Maliki school is of the opinion that all one is required to do is to look straight ahead [i.e. one’s gaze may go beyond the spot on which one prostrates]. It is also forbidden to move about or bend in different directions while one is praying. Likewise, it is also forbidden to fold one’s clothes over and over again, or to brush them or play with them.

People have also been directed not to clean the place on which they sit or perform prostration while they are bending to prostrate. It is also inconsistent with the etiquette of Prayer to stand in an overly erect position, or to recite the Qur’an too loudly, or to recite it in a sing-song style. Similarly, to yawn or belch loudly during Prayer is not consistent with the good manners of praying. To perform the Prayer too hastily is also highly disapproved of. It is rather required that each part of the Prayer should be performed with deliberation and care, with peace and tranquility. Not until one has completed one part of the Prayer, such as prostration, rising or sitting down, can one proceed to the next part. If one is put to inconvenience by something, it can be driven away with one hand. What is, however, disallowed is that one should violently move or engage both hands in anything other than the rituals of Prayer.

Apart from observing these outward rules, it is exceedingly important that while praying one should avoid thinking deliberately about irrelevant matters. Should some such ideas involuntarily come to one’s mind, once or even constantly, there is nothing to worry about for that is man’s natural weakness. Yet one should try one’s level best that one’s heart remain oriented to God, and that the statements made by one’s tongue accord with: what one’s heart also feels. During Prayers if some unrelated ideas involuntarily come to mind all one is required to do is turn one’s attention away from them and direct it instead towards Prayer. This should be done as soon as one realizes, i.e. becomes aware, of this interference.

4. The word laghw signifies all that is useless, irrelevant and fruitless.

All things, be they words of the mouth or actions of the body, which have no utility, which lead to no beneficial results, which are neither genuinely.

needed nor serve any useful purpose, fall under the purview of laghw.

We have translated mu‘ridun as those ‘who avoid whatever is vain and frivolous .. .” We are conscious, however, that this expression fails to do full justice to what the Qur’an says here. The thrust of the verse is that the believers do not concern themselves with things that are vain and frivolous; they rather pay no attention to them at all. They even abstain from approaching places where people are engaged in frivolous things let alone directly participate in them. If they come face to face with frivolities, they simply move away and scrupulously pass them by; and if they are confronted with them, they remain detached and withdrawn. This is what has been said elsewhere in the Qur’an: ‘The believers do not bear witness to falsehood and, if they pass by a vain thing, they pass by it with honorable avoidance’ (al-Furqan 25: 72).

What has been pithily stated here in just a few words in fact constitutes one of the most vital characteristics of a believer. A true believer is he who is always conscious of his duties. He looks at his being placed in the world as though he were in an examination hall where he is taking a test.

Life to him amounts to being put in a position in which it is required of him to complete his examination. Such realization makes him behave in the manner of a serious-minded student who, while seated in the hail, fully concentrates on the examination, knowing that the time allocated to him to complete the test is very short. Like the student he is also conscious that the few hours granted to him for-so doing is extremely crucial for his future career. He, therefore, utilizes each and every second so that he might give his best possible performance. Without wasting a single moment, a believer spends all the time available to him on pursuits which produce beneficial results. Even in selecting his leisure activities, he chooses those that eventually produce better results. Rather than being inclined to ‘kill time’, he regards time as a precious and invaluable commodity which he naturally tries to utilize in the best possible way. Moreover, a believer is blessed with good taste, chaste temperament and fine sensibility. He is not attracted to things that are obscene or vulgar. He engages in useful conversation, but certainly not silly gossip. He enjoys humor, wit and refined jokes, but he refrains from vulgarity, obscene jokes and clownishness.

He is not someone who is habituated to silly chatting. He is tormented if he is placed in bad company or a society rife with abuse, back-biting, evil insinuations, lying, dirty songs and obscene talk. It may be remembered that one of the numerous bounties of Paradise that the Qur’an mentions is that in it one will not come across any word that is vain: ‘In it [i.e. Paradise] they shall hear no vanity’ (al-Ghashiyah 88: 11).

5. The significance of ‘observing Zakah’ is entirely different from paying Zakah, and it is a mistake to overlook the difference between the two meanings.

It would appear important that in this verse whilst describing the attributes of believers, the Qur’an departs from the usual usage yu’tun al-zakah, ‘they pay zakah’, and employs instead the unusual expression li al-zakat fa‘ilun, ‘they observe zakah’. In Arabic, zakah signifies two things: (1) purity, and (2) growth.

To remove all that obstructs the growth of a thing and to enable its essence to grow are the two concepts that bring out the full meaning of zakah. When this word is employed in the Islamic context, it applies to (1) the amount of wealth that is given away in order to achieve purification; and (2) the striving to purify oneself. Had the expression been yu’tun al-zakah, they pay zakah, it would simply have meant that believers give away a part of their wealth so as to purify themselves. This would have restricted the act simply to giving away wealth.

The actual expression used here, however, is li al-zakat fa‘ilun which signifies that the believers are actively engaged in purification. In such a case, the matter does not end with their giving away part of their wealth, rather it embraces a whole range of acts including purification of one’s self, purification of one’s morality, purification of one’s wealth; in sum, the purification of virtually everything.

Moreover, this is a wide-ranging concept according to which the process of purification is not confined to the life of an individual, but extends to the lives of all those amidst whom we live. It is better, therefore, to understand the present verse as meaning that the believers are those who are constantly engaged in the task of purification. In other words, they seek to purify themselves as well as others. They not only try to purify themselves but also to bring about purification in the world outside themselves. The Qur’an also refers to this aspect of the believers’ concern in other places: “Those who purify themselves, and remember the name of their Lord and perform Prayer will prosper’ (al-A‘raf7: 14-15). ‘Truly he who caused it to grow it [to wit his self-] succeeds; and he who corrupts it, fails’ (al-Shams 91: 9-10).

The present verse, however, has a wider connotation than the two mentioned above. For, whereas the other verses emphasize the task of self-purification.

the present verse concentrates on the act of purification itself; one that embraces both the individual and society.

6. This means two things. First, that the believers cover the private parts of their body; that is, they shun nudity. Second, that they guard their chastity and modesty; that they are not unfettered in the exercise of their sexual urges. (For further elaboration see al-Nur 24, nn. 30-2 below.)

7. This parenthetical statement is made in order to dispel any misconception which might arise from the above statement about strictly guarding one’s private parts. Some people have believed in the past as some people also believe now that the sexual urge is, in itself, an evil. Such people are of the opinion that it is unbecoming of those who are righteous, of those who are truly devoted to God to fulfil their sexual desires even in a perfectly legitimate way. It is possible that such a misconception might have been strengthened if the statement had ended on the note that believers who guard their private parts are those who succeed. This could, however, have given the wrong message that piety demands that people practice absolute abstinence, lead a hermetic and reclusive life, and stay away from all the botherations of conjugal life. The Qur’an, therefore, makes the additional remark in parenthesis that there is nothing inherently bad in fulfilling one’s sexual desires providing it is done in a legitimate manner. Sin only entails that one exceeds the legitimate limits and seeks to gratify one’s sexual urges beyond what is appropriate and lawful.

Several rules can be derived from the above Qur’anic statement, rules that we will attempt below to state succinctly: (1) It is made clear that one need not guard one’s private parts from two kinds of women — one’s wives and slave-girls. The first category consists, according to Arabic usage and several Qur’anic statements, of those women whom one has duly married. The second category are termed as ma malakat aymanuhum. Use of this expression in both the Arabic language as well as the instances of its use in the Qur’an make it quite evident that it signifies slave-girls, i.e. women whom one has come to possess.

Thus, this verse makes it clear that it is perfectly lawful for a person to have sexual relations both with one’s wives and the slave-girls in one’s possession. Likewise, it is clear from this verse that with regard to the latter it is not marriage, but ownership which provides the legitimizing basis for sexual relations with them. Had marriage alone been the legitimate ground for sexual relations, there would have been no need to mention a separate category because any woman whom a person marries would fall in the category of azwaj (wives).

Some Qur’anic commentators of our own time who deny the legitimacy of sexual relations with slave-girls, refer to the following verse in support of the doctrine that one is only allowed to. have such relations with one’s wives: ‘And those of you who cannot afford to marry free believing women — (muhsanat), then marry such believing women whom your right hands possess’ (al-Nisa’ 4: 25).

They argue on the basis of this verse that sexual relations with slave girls can be established ‘only after marrying them. For, this verse of Surah al-Nisa’ states, that if one does not have the means to marry free believing women, then one may marry a slave-girl, or so they contend. It is, however, strange that these scholars cite only that particular part of the Qur’anic verse which suits their purpose and leave aside the remaining element which goes against their position. The verse in question actually lays down the following code for marrying slave-girls: ‘Marry them, then, with the leave of their guardians, and give them their bridal-due in a fair manner’ (al-Nisa’ 4: 25).

Now quite obviously this verse is not addressed to the owners of slave girls, but to those who intend to marry a slave-girl who is in someone else’s possession. Such a person, if he does not have the resources to marry a free woman, is being directed to marry a slave-girl with the permission of her owner. Had the verse related to the owners themselves, the statement about obtaining the owner’s leave would be quite redundant. Nonetheless, those who are bent on distorting the meaning and message of the Qur’an highlight only that part which pertains to marrying slave-girls, and suppress the statement made about the leave of their guardians.

Moreover, this incorrect inference runs counter to the directive laid down in other places in the Qur’an. Anyone who is interested in making an honest and objective study of this question with the intention so as to find the true Qur’anic position should read the above verse in conjunction with the following verses: al-Nisa’ 4: 3 and 25, al-Ahzab 33: 50-2, and al-Ma ‘arij 70: 30. Taken together, these clearly spell out the Qur’anic position on the issue. (For further details see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. I, al-Nisa’ 4, n. 44, pp. 26~8 and the author’s Tafhimat, vol. 2, pp. 290-324, and Rasa’il wa Masa’il, vol. 1, pp. 324-33). (2) The use of the proposition ‘ala in making an exception of those with whom one is not required to guard one’s private parts (illa ‘ala azwajihim aw ma malakat aymanuhum), makes it all the more clear that the law that is being laid down here is specifically meant for men. However, what has been stated in verses 1 to 11 of the surah, is equally applicable to both men and women despite the fact that the pronoun hum (in verse 2) is masculine. This is so because in Arabic the masculine pronoun is used to denote a group of people consisting of genders. However, in the command relating to the guarding of private parts an indication is given that the meaning applies only to males, this by use of the preposition ‘ala. Had the preposition li been used instead of ‘ala, it would have covered both males and females. Unable to grasp this subtle nuance, a woman in the time of Caliph ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab had sexual relations with her male slave. When the matter was reported in a gathering of the Prophet’s Companions, they unanimously expressed the opinion that she had interpreted the Book of God incorrectly.

This should not, however, give rise to the misunderstanding that since this exception applies to males alone, it is not lawful for wives to have sexual relations with their husbands. Such a misconception is pointless since husbands have not been asked to guard their private parts from their wives. Thus, the same command applies to wives in relation to their husbands. Quite obviously, no further clarification or elaboration on this count was needed.

In sum, the above exception is practically confined to relations between males and their slave-girls. As a corollary of this rule, it is unlawful for women to have sexual relations with their male slaves. This prohibition for women is accounted for by virtue of the fact that while a male slave would be able to fulfil the woman’s sexual desires, he would not be able, because of his slavery, to become the head (qawwam) of the family. As a consequence of such a relationship, the foundations of family life would be weakened. (3) The words of the verse: ‘But those who seek beyond that — such are the transgressors’, prohibit all forms of sexual relations, except the two specified in the verse. These words not only prohibit sexual relations with.

all those. women who do not fall into the above two categories, but also prohibit such relations with other males as also with all animals. The only form of sexual gratification about which there is some disagreement among jurists is masturbation. Ahmad ibn Hanbal regarded it as lawful while Malik and Shafi‘i considered it totally forbidden. The Hanafi school whilst looking upon it as an unlawful act, is of the view that if someone is overpowered by sexual passion to commit such an act occasionally rather than habitually. God might pardon him. (4) Some commentators on the Qur’an cite this verse to prove the prohibition of mut‘ah (temporary marriage). They argue that a woman in temporary marriage is neither a wife nor a slave-girl. So far as her not being a slave-girl is concerned, this is quite obvious. Now as far as her being a wife is concerned, we find that none of the laws with regard to marriage apply to her. She neither inherits her male partner nor does the latter inherit her. Nor is the waiting period (‘iddah) applicable in her case, nor divorce or maintenance, nor the other rules in respect to matters pertaining to marriage such as ila’, zihar and li‘an. A temporary wife is also not counted as one of the four wives, the maximum one may have at any time. As she does not belong to the category of either wife or slave-girl, those who have sexual relations with temporary wives fall into the category of those ‘who seek beyond what is lawful’, and such people have been branded by the Qur’an as transgressors. (See verse 7.).

This argument appears quite weighty, yet it 1s marred by the fact that it is difficult to say with absolute certainty that the verse categorically forbids mut‘ah. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) forbade mut‘ah in a categorical and definitive manner in the year of the conquest ‘of Makka.

That mut‘ah was considered permissible before that is something which is borne out by authentic traditions. Let us suppose that the verse under discussion prohibits mut‘ah. Now this verse is unanimously considered a Makkan verse, revealed a few years before the Hijrah. It seems simply inconceivable that the Prophet (peace be on him) would have allowed the practice of mut‘ah (temporary marriage) till the conquest of Makka, even though it had been prohibited by the Qur’an. It would, therefore, be safer to hold that mut ‘ah was not forbidden by any Qur’anic verse, but rather by the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be on him). Had this matter not been clearly resolved by the Sunnah, mut‘ah could not be forbidden simply on the basis of this verse.

While discussing the question of mut‘ah, two points need to be clarified here. First, that it had been forbidden by the Prophet (peace be on him) himself. It is, therefore, incorrect to say that it was ‘Umar who forbade it.

The fact is that ‘Umar was not the one who prohibited mut‘ah, but the one who enforced the prohibition. Mut‘ah was prohibited by the Prophet (peace be on him) himself in the very last stages of his life and, hence, its prohibition was not known to everyone. What ‘Umar did was to proclaim the prohibition in such a manner that it became widely known. Moreover, he ensured it was duly executed by recourse to the force of law. Second, as for the legal position of the Shi‘ah that mut‘ah is absolutely lawful, there is no justification for this in any text of the Qur’an or the Sunnah. In the early period of Islam, the few Companions and Successors who held mut ‘ah to be lawful confined its lawfulness to highly exceptional circumstances, to circumstances of extreme compulsion and necessity. None of them believed mut‘ah to be unconditionally lawful in normal circumstances, i.e. a practice that would be as lawful as say contracting marriage. ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abbas is mentioned as the leading authority to hold this practice as lawful. It is significant that Ibn ‘Abbas mentions the lawfulness of mut‘ah in the following words: ‘It is no different from the carrion which is not lawful for anyone except for him who is compelled to eat it.’ (See Jassas, vol. 2, p. 147 — Ed.) Ibn ‘Abbas did, however, recant his position when he observed that some people misused the permission and indulged in it freely instead of availing of it only under compulsive circumstances.

Disregarding whether Ibn ‘Abbas and the very small number of like-minded Companions recanted their positions or not, all those who claim to follow the legal position can avail themselves of the lawfulness of mut‘ah only in very exceptional circumstances. There are no grounds, in any case, to consider it unconditionally lawful, even if one has wives whom one has duly married. Practising mut‘ah in such a circumstance seems outrageous to a person of sound taste, let alone that its lawfulness be ascribed to the Shari‘ah of Muhammad (peace be on him) and the imams of the Prophet’s family. I believe that no decent person of the Shi‘ah community would be happy if someone were to seek to contract mut‘ah rather than regular marriage with his sister or daughter. This being the case, if mut‘ah were practiced, it would be necessary to have a fair number of low-class women, say similar to prostitutes. The other possibility is that women of poor families are subjected to mut‘ah by the rich. However, it is unthinkable that either God or-the Prophet (peace be on him) would endorse a law that is so flagrantly unjust. Is it plausible that the Shari‘ah would sanction a practice which no woman could help but view as brazenly dishonorable and shameless?

8. The word amanat (trusts) encompasses all types of trust which either God or society or an individual place in someone else’s charge. ~ As for the word ‘ahd (pledge), it embraces all covenants between man and God, man and man, and one nation and another. One of the distinguishing characteristics of a believer is that he never betrays a trust and never goes back on his committed word. In his sermons, the Prophet (peace be on him) often used to say: ‘He who is not true to his trust is devoid of faith, and he who does not keep to his commitment is devoid of [true] religiosity.’ (See Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 3, p. 135. See also Bayhaqi, Shu ‘ab al- Iman - Ed.) A tradition in Bukhari and Muslim states that the Prophet (peace be on him) said: ‘There are four attributes which if they are found in some person [it will be deemed that] he is a full-fledged hypocrite. And if someone has any one of these four attributes [it will be deemed that] he has one attribute of hypocrisy until he abandons it. These attributes are: when he is charged with a trust, he betrays it; when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a commitment, he violates it; and when he quarrels, he transgresses [all limits of morality and truthfulness].’ (See Bukhari and Muslim.)

9. In an earlier verse (see verse 2 above) while referring to khushu ‘it was said that the Believers are those who humble themselves in Prayer (salah). There, the word salah was used in the singular whereas in the present verse, the same word is used in the plural. This is because of a difference in the two usages. In the first case, Prayer as such was meant, whereas in the second, the word signifies each single, individual Prayer. Thus, safeguarding Prayers in the second instance means that believers safeguard the appointed time of each Prayer, and safeguard all the rituals of which it is composed; in short, they safeguard everything associated with Prayer. Thus, their safeguarding Prayers means that they take full care to keep their bodies and clothes clean, to perform ablution properly, and remain ever vigilant lest they perform any Prayer without ablution. They should also be mindful of performing Prayers at the right time, rather than lazily, allowing the time to go by. They should also perform all the acts related to Prayers with due concentration and equanimity and not treat them as if they were a burden which they would rather get rid of. Rather than mechanically repeating a set of words that one has committed to memory and which one somehow likes to utter and finish with, everything should be recited with full consciousness and in the manner that a servant entreats his master.

10. Firdaws, the most commonly used word for Paradise in the Qur’an, is common to almost all languages. In Sanskrit, we have the word Pardisha, in ancient Kaldian Pardisa, in ancient Persian Pairidaisa, in Hebrew Pardis, in Armenian Pardiz, in Syriac Fardisw, in Greek Paradaisus, in Latin Paradisus and in Arabic we have the word Firdaws. In all these languages the word signifies a large, enclosed garden adjoining one’s residence, a garden that abounds in fruits, especially grapes. In some languages the concept also includes the notion of a garden that abounds in pet birds and animals.

The word Firdaws was also used in pre-Islamic Arabic literature. In the Qur’an, it is used to denote a collection of gardens, such as in the following verse: ‘As for those who believe and do good works, the Gardens of Paradise shall be there to welcome them’ (al-Kahf 18: 107). The image that emerges from this verse is that Firdaws is a very spacious garden full of trees, fruits and flowers.

The idea that the believers would inherit Paradise is also mentioned elsewhere in the Qur’an. For further elaboration, see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. V, Ta Ha 20. n. 83, p: 226 and al-Anbiya’ 21, n. 99, pp. 299-302.

11. These verses make four significant points: first, that those who accept the teaching of the Qur’an and the Prophet (peace be on him) as true and develop the attributes enunciated here, will succeed in the present world and in the World to Come.

Second, true success does not accrue merely by a verbal affirmation of faith, nor merely by developing in oneself some good qualities. True success rather requires a combination of both. When a man accepts God's guidance and cultivates good moral qualities in the light of that guidance, he achieves success.

Third, success does not simply comprise material well-being, nor is it limited to ephemeral worldly success. Instead, man’s success consists in a pervasive well-being which embraces unceasing prosperity and well-being both in the present world and in the Hereafter. These can only be attained if one has faith and one is righteous in conduct. This is a universal law and is not negated by the ephemeral prosperity and success of those who are immersed in error. Nor is this law negated by the fact that righteous men of faith are at times temporarily faced with hardship.

Fourth, the attributes of believers are put forward as proof of the truth of Prophet Muhammad's (peace be on him) mission. It is this aspect of the present verses which links them with the discourse that follows until verse 50.

The argument develops in the following manner. It opens with an empirical proof. It says that the teachings of the Prophet (peace be on him) brought about a moral change in some members of society who had accepted the true faith insofar as they had developed admirable moral qualities. That being the case, it was for the unbelievers to consider how such wholesome changes could have been brought about had the Prophet’s teachings not been true.

This is followed by an argument based on observation. It runs as follows: ‘There are innumerable signs in the universe around man and within him which conclusively prove the truth of the doctrines of monotheism and of the Hereafter expounded by the Prophet (peace be on him).’ These are followed by arguments drawn from human history.

The historical argument is as follows: the conflict between the Prophets and their opponents had been raging since ancient times and the outcome of this conflict was always the same. This clearly shows which party was in.

the right, and which in the wrong.

12. For elaboration see al-Hajj 22, nn. 5,6 and 9 above.

13. Anyone who notes the growth of a fetus in a mother’s womb will never be able to anticipate what kind of baby will come into being nor what its mental and physical faculties will be. It is impossible for anyone to predict the marvelous achievements that a child may go on to make in different fields by dint of his intellectual ability, wisdom and skill. For, in the beginning every child is no more than a lump of flesh, which up until its birth is possessed of no more than the most rudimentary attributes of life. In these early stages, the fetus is devoid of the faculties of hearing, sight, speech, understanding and reason. Soon after birth, however, a child becomes something quite different from the fetus it originally was. It now makes its mark as one gifted with the faculties of seeing, hearing, and speaking, and one who gradually acquires knowledge through experience and observation.

The child also develops, by and by, an ego of its own which, from the very outset, asserts itself in relation to the things around it, and seeks to establish dominance over them. And as the child grows its ego manifests itself as a factor that constantly becomes more conspicuous and full of impact. Later, when the child grows into youth, he or she becomes totally different from the baby that was. At middle age, we again find another change, and with old age the difference is so great from what was visible in the earlier stages of life that it becomes extremely difficult for the younger ones to imagine what this older person looked like in childhood or during youth. Such extraordinary changes do not occur in any other creature on earth. Let a person look at the powers and abilities of a grown-up and then consider that this was once only a drop of sperm which had been dropped in a mother’s womb some fifty or sixty years previously and which had all these astonishing qualities latent in it. When one does actually reflect on this one is forced to utter, with wonder and excitement the words that we find in the verse that follows: ‘Blessed is Allah, the Best of all those that create.’

14. The actual words used are, the full significance and richness of these words are hard to translate. In terms of lexicography and linguistic usage, the expression embraces two meanings. First, that Allah is extremely Holy and is far above all defects, imperfections and limitations. Second, that Allah is so infinitely Good, Bounteous and Munificent that we always find Him higher than whatever estimate we form of Him. (For further elaboration see al-Furqan 25, nn. 1 and 19 below.) When both these meanings are taken into consideration, it is clear that the exclamation ‘Blessed is Allah’ at the conclusion of the account of the different stages of man’s creation by God, serves not only to exalt God, but in fact constitutes. the natural conclusion of the argument. What is brought home here is that God, Who develops the extract of clay into a fully-fledged man, is far too Holy to have any partner in His Godhead. Likewise, He is far too great to be incapable of re-creating man whom He created in the first instance. It would also be a very low estimate of God to think that His creative capacities ceased once He created man and that, thereafter, He became bereft of the ability to further create.

15. The actual word used is tara’iq which signifies both ‘paths’ and ‘layers’. (See t-r-q in Lisan al-‘Arab — Ed.) If the term is taken in the first sense, it means the orbit of the seven planets. Since man at that time knew only of seven planets, hence only those orbits are mentioned. This statement does not mean that there are no other orbits. On the other hand, if we consider in the second sense, it means an expression used elsewhere in the Qur’an, ‘seven heavens one layer upon the other’ (al-Mulk 67: 3).

In the present verse it is said that God ‘fashioned above you seven paths...’ Its simple meaning is what the words clearly convey in the first instance. But the statement also seems to emphasize God’s greatness insofar as He created the heavens whose creation is a much greater achievement than the creation of man. This is quite in consonance with what the Qur’an has said elsewhere: ‘Indeed the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of man’ (al-Mu’min 40: 57).

16. Alternatively, this verse can be rendered as follows: ‘We were never {nor are] oblivious of the creatures.’ The idea expressed here is that it is quite evident from everything God Has Created that it has neither been created purposelessly nor is it the creation of someone devoid of skill. On the contrary, God’s creation conforms to a well-considered plan, with the result that all parts of His creation reveal a high degree of mutual harmony and coordination. Purposiveness is also evident from every aspect of this vast universe and this conclusively points to the ‘wisdom of its Creator.

Alternatively, if the verse is understood in the second sense (namely ‘We were never oblivious of the creatures’), it would mean that God has never ‘been negligent of the needs of any of His creatures, nor has He ever been unaware of the state they are in. The result is that God has never allowed anything to go in a direction opposed to His plans, nor has he ever been negligent in providing for the natural requirements of anything. God has always been mindful of all His creation, be it a tiny particle or the leaf of a tree, or anything else.

17. This may be understood to mean seasonal rainfall. When one considers the words of the verse, however, one might be inclined to accept another meaning as well: that at the time of creating the universe, God provided it with water through one huge downpour. Thanks to God’s infinite knowledge, He provided through this downpour water in a quantity that would suffice for the earth’s needs for all time to come. The water that was so provided accumulated in the recesses of the earth, giving rise to seas, gulfs, and subsoil water. It is this accumulation of water which is kept rotating through the varying seasons and winds. The original resource of water continues to be distributed through rains, snow-clad mountains, rivers, springs, and wells.

This very accumulation of water enters into the process of creation and into the composition of a variety of things. Then it also becomes part of the wind and eventually returns to the same original resource of water. Thus, from the beginning until today the total quantity of water has neither increased nor decreased by as much as a single drop.

What is even more astonishing is that water is composed of two gases, namely hydrogen and oxygen, which were released only once in such quantity and right proportion that a vast quantity of water was produced which continues to fill the seas and oceans and no fresh supply is added to it. So who is it who prevents hydrogen and oxygen from intermingling, even though both gases are found in the world, with the result that not a drop of water has been added to the original reservoir of water? We also know that water evaporates into air. Again who is it who prevents the two gases from separating after this evaporation? Do atheists have any answers to these questions? Or can all this be satisfactorily explained by those who believe in a multiplicity of gods, who believe that there are separate gods of wind and water, of heat and cold?

18. There are numerous means by which water can be made to disappear: God is quite capable of cutting off the supply of this vital life source by any of these means. Thus, this verse further extends the import of the one which follows: ‘What do you consider, if one morning your water were to vanish in the earth who would then supply you with clear flowing water?’ (al-Mulk .67: 30).

19. This refers to a wide variety of dry and fresh fruits in addition to dates and grapes.

20. Orchards and farms provide man with many forms of livelihood — fruits, grains, timber and much, much more. The words used in the verse are in which the pronoun (is related to the word jannaat (gardens), rather than to fawakih (fruits). As for the word ta’kulun it does not simply mean that ‘people eat the fruits of these gardens’, it rather conveys the wider meaning of deriving a livelihood from them.

21. This alludes to the. olive, the most important product in all the lands around the Mediterranean Sea. The olive tree lasts for one and a half to two thousand years. Olive trees live for so long that on the basis of the height and breadth of some in Palestine it is estimated that they date back to the days of the Prophet Jesus (peace be on him): The olive tree is mentioned here in association with Mount Sinai. This presumably is because the original habitat of the olive tree is Mount Sinai which in turn is the most prominent place in that region.

22. This refers to milk. At another place the Qur’an speaks of it as something produced from what is within the bodies of animals, between excretion and blood (see al-Nahl 16: 66).

23. Cattle and ships are juxtaposed here because the Arabs mostly used camels for transportation. Now, the camel has been known for a very long time as the ‘ship of the desert’. In the poetry of Dhu’l-Rumnah, a pre-Islamic' poet of Arabia, we come across the following line: (‘The ship of the desert, its rein is under my cheek.’)