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 Surah Al-Haj 22:39-48 [6/10]
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
أُذِنَPermission is given
لِلَّذِينَto those who
يُقَـٰتَلُونَare being fought
بِأَنَّهُمْbecause they
ظُلِمُواْ‌ۚwere wronged.
وَإِنَّAnd indeed,
ٱللَّهَAllah
عَلَىٰfor
نَصْرِهِمْtheir victory
لَقَدِيرٌ(is) surely Able.
﴿٣٩﴾
ٱلَّذِينَThose who
أُخْرِجُواْhave been evicted
مِنfrom
دِيَـٰرِهِمtheir homes
بِغَيْرِwithout
حَقٍّright
إِلَّآexcept
أَنthat
يَقُولُواْthey said,
رَبُّنَا"Our Lord
ٱللَّهُ‌ۗ(is) Allah."
وَلَوْلَاAnd if not
دَفْعُ ٱللَّهِAllah checks
ٱلنَّاسَthe people,
بَعْضَهُمsome of them
بِبَعْضٍby others
لَّهُدِّمَتْsurely (would) have been demolished
صَوَٲمِعُmonasteries
وَبِيَعٌand churches
وَصَلَوَٲتٌand synagogues
وَمَسَـٰجِدُand masajid -
يُذْكَرُis mentioned
فِيهَاin it
ٱسْمُ ٱللَّهِ(the) name of Allah
كَثِيرًا‌ۗmuch.
وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ ٱللَّهُAnd surely Allah will help
مَن(those) who
يَنصُرُهُۥٓ‌ۗhelp Him.
إِنَّIndeed,
ٱللَّهَAllah
لَقَوِىٌّ(is) surely All-Strong,
عَزِيزٌAll-Mighty.
﴿٤٠﴾
ٱلَّذِينَThose who,
إِنif
مَّكَّنَّـٰهُمْWe establish them
فِىin
ٱلْأَرْضِthe land
أَقَامُواْthey establish
ٱلصَّلَوٲةَthe prayer
وَءَاتَوُاْand they give
ٱلزَّكَوٲةَzakah
وَأَمَرُواْand they enjoin
بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِthe right
وَنَهَوْاْand forbid
عَنِfrom
ٱلْمُنكَرِ‌ۗthe wrong.
وَلِلَّهِAnd for Allah
عَـٰقِبَةُ(is the) end
ٱلْأُمُورِ(of) the matters.
﴿٤١﴾
وَإِنAnd if
يُكَذِّبُوكَthey deny you,
فَقَدْso verily
كَذَّبَتْdenied
قَبْلَهُمْbefore them
قَوْمُ(the) people
نُوحٍ(of) Nuh
وَعَادٌand Aad
وَثَمُودُand Thamud,
﴿٤٢﴾
وَقَوْمُAnd (the) people
إِبْرَٲهِيمَ(of) Ibrahim,
وَقَوْمُand (the) people
لُوطٍ(of) Lut
﴿٤٣﴾
وَأَصْحَـٰبُAnd the inhabitants
مَدْيَنَ‌ۖ(of) Madyan.
وَكُذِّبَ مُوسَىٰAnd Musa was denied,
فَأَمْلَيْتُso I granted respite
لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَto the disbelievers,
ثُمَّthen
أَخَذْتُهُمْ‌ۖI seized them,
فَكَيْفَand how
كَانَwas
نَكِيرِMy punishment.
﴿٤٤﴾
فَكَأَيِّنAnd how many
مِّنof
قَرْيَةٍa township
أَهْلَكْنَـٰهَاWe have destroyed it,
وَهِىَwhile it
ظَالِمَةٌwas doing wrong,
فَهِىَso it
خَاوِيَةٌfell
عَلَىٰon
عُرُوشِهَاits roofs,
وَبِئْرٍand well
مُّعَطَّلَةٍabandoned,
وَقَصْرٍand castle
مَّشِيدٍlofty.
﴿٤٥﴾
أَفَلَمْSo have not
يَسِيرُواْthey traveled
فِىin
ٱلْأَرْضِthe land
فَتَكُونَand is
لَهُمْfor them
قُلُوبٌhearts
يَعْقِلُونَ(to) reason
بِهَآwith it
أَوْor
ءَاذَانٌears
يَسْمَعُونَ(to) hear
بِهَا‌ۖwith it?
فَإِنَّهَاFor indeed, [it]
لَاnot
تَعْمَى(are) blinded
ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرُthe eyes
وَلَـٰكِنbut
تَعْمَى(are) blinded
ٱلْقُلُوبُthe hearts
ٱلَّتِىwhich
فِى(are) in
ٱلصُّدُورِthe breasts.
﴿٤٦﴾
وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَAnd they ask you to hasten
بِٱلْعَذَابِthe punishment.
وَلَنBut never will
يُخْلِفَ ٱللَّهُAllah fail
وَعْدَهُۥ‌ۚ(in) His Promise.
وَإِنَّAnd indeed,
يَوْمًاa day
عِندَwith
رَبِّكَyour Lord
كَأَلْفِ(is) like a thousand
سَنَةٍyear(s)
مِّمَّاof what
تَعُدُّونَyou count.
﴿٤٧﴾
وَكَأَيِّنAnd how many
مِّنof
قَرْيَةٍa township
أَمْلَيْتُI gave respite
لَهَاto it,
وَهِىَwhile it
ظَالِمَةٌ(was) doing wrong.
ثُمَّThen
أَخَذْتُهَاI seized it
وَإِلَىَّand to Me
ٱلْمَصِيرُ(is) the destination.
﴿٤٨﴾


اُذِنَ لِلَّذِيۡنَ يُقٰتَلُوۡنَ بِاَنَّهُمۡ ظُلِمُوۡا​ ؕ وَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلٰى نَـصۡرِهِمۡ لَـقَدِيۡرُ ۙ‏  اۨلَّذِيۡنَ اُخۡرِجُوۡا مِنۡ دِيَارِهِمۡ بِغَيۡرِ حَقٍّ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ يَّقُوۡلُوۡا رَبُّنَا اللّٰهُ​ ؕ وَلَوۡلَا دَ فۡعُ اللّٰهِ النَّاسَ بَعۡضَهُمۡ بِبَـعۡضٍ لَّهُدِّمَتۡ صَوَامِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَّصَلٰوتٌ وَّمَسٰجِدُ يُذۡكَرُ فِيۡهَا اسۡمُ اللّٰهِ كَثِيۡرًا​ ؕ وَلَيَنۡصُرَنَّ اللّٰهُ مَنۡ يَّنۡصُرُهٗ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيۡزٌ‏  اَ لَّذِيۡنَ اِنۡ مَّكَّنّٰهُمۡ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ اَقَامُوا الصَّلٰوةَ وَاٰتَوُا الزَّكٰوةَ وَاَمَرُوۡا بِالۡمَعۡرُوۡفِ وَنَهَوۡا عَنِ الۡمُنۡكَرِ​ ؕ وَلِلّٰهِ عَاقِبَةُ الۡاُمُوۡرِ‏  وَاِنۡ يُّكَذِّبُوۡكَ فَقَدۡ كَذَّبَتۡ قَبۡلَهُمۡ قَوۡمُ نُوۡحٍ وَّعَادٌ وَّثَمُوۡدُ ۙ‏  وَقَوۡمُ اِبۡرٰهِيۡمَ وَقَوۡمُ لُوۡطٍ ۙ‏  وَّاَصۡحٰبُ مَدۡيَنَ​ۚ وَكُذِّبَ مُوۡسٰى فَاَمۡلَيۡتُ لِلۡكٰفِرِيۡنَ ثُمَّ اَخَذۡتُهُمۡ​ۚ فَكَيۡفَ كَانَ نَكِيۡرِ‏  فَكَاَيِّنۡ مِّنۡ قَرۡيَةٍ اَهۡلَكۡنٰهَا وَهِىَ ظَالِمَةٌ فَهِىَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلٰى عُرُوۡشِهَا وَبِئۡرٍ مُّعَطَّلَةٍ وَّقَصۡرٍ مَّشِيۡدٍ‏  اَفَلَمۡ يَسِيۡرُوۡا فِى الۡاَرۡضِ فَتَكُوۡنَ لَهُمۡ قُلُوۡبٌ يَّعۡقِلُوۡنَ بِهَاۤ اَوۡ اٰذَانٌ يَّسۡمَعُوۡنَ بِهَا​ ۚ فَاِنَّهَا لَا تَعۡمَى الۡاَبۡصَارُ وَلٰـكِنۡ تَعۡمَى الۡـقُلُوۡبُ الَّتِىۡ فِى الصُّدُوۡرِ‏  وَيَسۡتَعۡجِلُوۡنَكَ بِالۡعَذَابِ وَلَنۡ يُّخۡلِفَ اللّٰهُ وَعۡدَهٗ​ ؕ وَاِنَّ يَوۡمًا عِنۡدَ رَبِّكَ كَاَ لۡفِ سَنَةٍ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّوۡنَ‏  وَكَاَيِّنۡ مِّنۡ قَرۡيَةٍ اَمۡلَيۡتُ لَهَا وَهِىَ ظَالِمَةٌ ثُمَّ اَخَذۡتُهَا​ۚ وَاِلَىَّ الۡمَصِيۡرُ‏ 

Translation
(22:39) Permission (to fight) has been granted to those for they have been wronged.78 Verily Allah has the power to help them:79 (22:40) those who were unjustly expelled from their homes80 for no other reason than their saying: "Allah is Our Lord."81 If Allah were not to repel some through others, monasteries and churches and synagogues82 and mosques wherein the name of Allah is much mentioned, would certainly have been pulled down.83 Allah will most certainly help those who will help Him. Verily Allah is Immensely Strong, Overwhelmingly Mighty. (22:41) (Allah will certainly help) those84 who, were We to bestow authority on them in the land, will establish Prayers, render Zakah, enjoin good, and forbid evil.85 The end of all matters rests with Allah.86 (22:42) (O Prophet), if they87 give the lie to you, then before them the people of 'Ad and Thamud, also gave the lie (to the Prophets), (22:43) and so too did the people of Abraham and the people of Lot; (22:44) and so did the dwellers of Midian, and Moses too was branded a liar. Initially I granted respite to the unbelievers for a while and then seized them.88 How dreadful was My punishment!89 (22:45) How many towns have We destroyed because their people were steeped in iniquity:90 so they lie fallen down upon their turrets! How many wells lie deserted; and how many towering palaces lie in ruins! (22:46) Have they not journeyed in the land that their hearts might understand and their ears might listen? For indeed it is not the eyes that are blinded;91 it is rather the hearts in the breasts that are rendered blind. (22:47) They ask you to hasten the punishment.92 Allah shall most certainly not fail His promise; but a Day with your Lord is as a thousand years of your reckoning.93 (22:48) How many towns did I respite at first though they were steeped in iniquity, and then I seized them! To Me are all destined to return.

Commentary

78. This (verse 39) is the first verse of the Quran in which permission to tight was given in the month of Zil-Hajj in the first year after Hijrah according to our research. Then the command to fight was given in (verse 190, 191, 193, 216 and 244 of Surah Al-Baqarah) in Rajab or Shaban of A.H. 2.

79. “Allah surely has Power over giving them victory”: this assurance was urgently needed by the persecuted Muslims whose fighting strength at that time was very meager, not even a thousand including all the migrants and the Muslims of Al-Madinah. On the other hand, the fighting strength of the Quraish by themselves was much greater. Besides, they had all the other mushrik clans of Arabia at their back and were joined later by the Jews as well. Therefore, this assurance was most opportune and the challenge to the disbelievers was very significant, for it meant to say that they were not fighting against a small number of the Muslims but against Allah. Therefore, “You are welcome to fight if you dare”.

80. The mention of their expulsion from their homes in (verse 40) is a clear proof that this portion of Surah Al-Hajj was revealed at Al-Madinah.

81. In order to have an idea of the severe persecution of the Muslims, a few instances of this are cited.

(1) Suhaib Rumi was deprived of everything, when he was about to migrate to Al-Madinah. When he reached there, he had nothing with him except the clothes he was wearing. Though he had earned all that through his own labors, he was deprived of everything by the disbelievers of Makkah.

(2) When Abu Salmah was about to leave Makkah with his wife and a suckling child, his in laws forcibly separated his wife from him, and then the people of his own family took away the child from them. Thus the poor woman had to pass one whole year in sorrow and grief. After a year, she secured the child somehow and journeyed from Makkah to Al-Madinah with it all alone on a dangerous route.

(3) Ayyash bin Rabiah was a half brother of Abu Jahl. When he migrated to Al-Madinah, he was followed by Abu Jahl and another brother of his, and they told him the lie: Your mother has taken the oath that she will not move from the sun to the shade nor comb her hair until she should see you (Ayyash). You should therefore go back with us to Makkah, show her your face and then come back. He was taken in by this trick. When they were journeying back the two brothers made him a prisoner, took him to Makkah with his hands and feet tied, and proclaimed: O people of Makkah, this is how these lads should be treated and set right. He remained in that state for a long time and was at last rescued by a brave Muslim.

82. Saumah (pl. Swami), Biya and Salawat in the original text are the places of worship of the monks who have left the world, the Christians and the Jews respectively. Salawat was Salauta in Aramaic, which might be the origin of the English words salute and salutation.

83. In this sentence, a divine principle has been stated:

Allah does not let a group of people or a community have authority forever. Every now and then He repels one group by means of another.

If this had not been the case, the permanent dominator would have created chaos not only in the political and economic spheres, but would have encroached upon the places of worship as well. This principle has also been stated in Ayat 251 of Surah Al-Baqarah.

84. Those who help Allah are the people who invite mankind to Tauhid and exert their utmost to establish the true faith and righteousness. For further explanation see (E.N. 50 of Surah Aal-Imran).

85 “If We give them authority”: In this one sentence, the real aim of the Islamic State and the characteristics of those who conduct its affairs have been stated concisely but comprehensively. Those who help Allah and deserve His succor behave righteously, establish Salat, make arrangements for the collection of Zakat and use their power and authority to propagate good and eradicate evil.

86. That is, it is Allah Who decides whom to give power in the land and when. This is meant to remove the misunderstanding of the proud and arrogant people who think that the destiny of the land and its dwellers is in their hands, and there is none to depose them from power. But Allah dethrones the most haughty ruler in supernatural ways and gives power to the most humble in order to show that He is All-Powerful, All-Mighty.

87. The disbelievers of Makkah.

88 The instances of some peoples who rejected their Prophets have been cited to impress that they were given respite to reform themselves before they were punished. Therefore: O people of Makkah, you should not be deluded by the delay in your punishment. When the term of respite comes to an end, you shall also be punished like the former people, if you do not mend your ways in the meantime.

89. The Arabic word nakeer is very comprehensive and implies two meanings:

(1) Displeasure at the evil conduct of the other.

(2) A terrible punishment which disfigures the culprit so badly that he cannot even be recognized. The sentence therefore will mean: Just see when I seized them for this evil conduct, how terrible was My chastisement.

90. In Arabic a well is synonymous with a habitation. Thus “many a wells” means “many a habitation has been destroyed”.

91. The words “blinded are the hearts” have been used in the metaphorical and not in the literal sense. Since the heart is regarded as the center of emotions, feelings and of mental and moral qualities, these words have been used to imply that their obduracy has inhibited them from feeling and acting rationally.

92. This refers to the oft-repeated challenge by the disbelievers: Well, if you are a true prophet, why does not that chastisement come with which you have been threatening us, for we have been rejecting your claim of being a true Prophet of Allah.

93. That is, the decisions of Allah do not follow your time and calendar, nor do the consequences of your wrong attitudes appear immediately after the deeds. Therefore it will be very foolish for the part of a people to argue that the threat of punishment was empty just because a decade or a century had passed since they had adopted a wicked attitude and conduct with impurity.