Surah 41
(Makkan Period)
Title
A compound word Ḥā Mīm al-Sajdah constitutes this sūrah's title. Ḥā Mīm signifies that it is the surah that commences with this expression and al-Sajdah indicates that it contains a verse that requires prostration.
Period of Revelation
Authentic traditions indicate that this surah was revealed after Hamzah's but before 'Umar's acceptance of Islam. On the authority of Muḥammad ibn Ka'b al-Quraṇī, a leading Successor, Muḥammad ibn Ishaq, the Prophet's earliest biographer, records the following: Once some Quraysh chiefs were assembled in the Mosque. The Prophet (peace be on him) was there all alone, seated in a corner of the Sacred Mosque. By that time Hamzah had embraced Islam and the Quraysh were getting panicky over the conversion of an increasing number of people to Islam. On that occasion 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah, Abu Sufyan's father-in-law, spoke to the chiefs of the Quraysh. He suggested that if they agreed, he would approach Muḥammad (peace be on him) and would put forward a few ideas to him in the hope that if any of these were acceptable to the Quraysh, that would put an end to the discord between them and the Prophet (peace be on him). All those present agreed. As a result, 'Utbah went to the Prophet (peace be on him) and sat beside him. When the Prophet (peace be on him) turned towards him, 'Utbah said: 'Nephew, you know what esteem you enjoy among your people because of your family and lineage. But you have brought about huge hardship for your people. You have destroyed their unity and you are declaring them to be imbeciles. You have decried their deities and have begun to say things which mean that our ancestors were infidels. Now pay heed to what I say: I am putting forward a few suggestions to you. Consider them, maybe some of them will appeal to you.' The Prophet (peace be on him) asked 'Utbah to say what he wanted to, assuring him that he would pay heed. 'Utbah said: 'If you have started your mission for pecuniary gains we will grant you so abundantly that you will become the wealthiest person among us. If you seek personal glory and status, we will appoint you our chief. If you are after kingship, we will make you our king. If you are afflicted by some jinn, we will bear all the expenses incurred on your treatment.'
While 'Utbah made these offers, the Prophet (peace be on him) remained silent. Thereafter, he asked: 'O Abū al-Walid, are you finished?' After he replied in the affirmative, the Prophet (peace be on him) said: 'Now listen to me.' He then pronounced the Basmalah and then began to recite this particular surah. 'Utbah listened to him in rapt attention. When the Prophet (peace be on him) recited the verse 38 of this surah, he prostrated. He then raised his head and said: 'O Abu al-Walid, you now know my response. You may do as you please.' 'Utbah returned to the Quraysh chiefs. When they saw him they said among themselves that 'Utbah's countenance had changed. Thereafter 'Utbah reported to them all that had transpired: 'By Lord! Never before did I listen to such a discourse. By Lord! It is neither poetry, nor magic, nor soothsaying. O chiefs of the Quraysh! Listen to me and leave this person alone. I think his message will bear fruit. Suppose other Arabs prevail against him, you will bear no blame for raising your hands against your brother. On the contrary, if he prevails, you will receive your share in his success and you will bask in his glory.' No sooner had the Quraysh chiefs heard this than they said: 'O father of Walid, eventually his spell has also charmed you!' 'Utbah replied that he had placed his opinion before them and now it was for them to do whatever they pleased. (Ibn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad, tr. and notes by A. Guillaume, Karachi: Oxford University Press, 1955, 6th impression, 1980, pp. 132-33.)
Hadith scholars have recorded variants of the same narration on the authority of Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah. Some state that as the Prophet (peace be on him) recited verse 13: 'I warn you against a sudden scourge like that which struck the 'Ad and Thamud', 'Utabah rushed to seal the Prophet's mouth, urging him to have mercy on his own tribe. Later, he justified his actions, saying: 'Muhammad's word always comes true. So I stopped him from saying anything further lest a scourge might overtake us.' (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, Comments on Surah Ḥā Mīm al-Sajdah 41:5 and idem, al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, 'Ali Shayri, ed., Cairo: Där Iḥya' al-Turāth al-'Arabi, 1408/1988, vol. III, p. 80.)
Subject Matter and Themes:
The Qur'an paid no attention to the suggestions made by 'Utbah to the Prophet (peace be on him), for they implicitly attacked the Prophet's integrity and cast aspersions on his intelligence, wisdom and rationality. The underlying assumption behind 'Utbah's suggestions were an unmistakable denial of Muhammad's Prophethood and of the Divine provenance of the Qur'ān. The Quraysh simply thought that the Prophet (peace be on him) was in pursuit of power or money. Alternatively, they thought that maybe he suffered from some kind of mental instability. In the first case, they wanted to strike a bargain with him, and in the second, they wanted to insult him by calling him insane and offering to bear the expenses of the treatment of his insanity. Obviously, when such outrageous statements were made, they deserved no response.
These blatantly foolish contentions were thus ignored and attention was paid instead to expounding the message of the Prophet (peace be on him). While totally disregarding the materially seductive offers made to the Prophet (peace be on him), attention was directed on the unbelievers' obstinate and ill-mannered opposition to the Prophet (peace be on him). His opponents had clearly told the Prophet (peace be on him) that they would never listen to his message. They had also arrogantly declared that their hearts and ears were sealed against it and that there stood an unbridgeable chasm between them and the Prophet (peace be on him), a chasm that would keep them apart for ever. They had openly challenged the Prophet (peace be on him) to continue his mission but it would be in the face of their very fierce opposition. As part of the same strategy, the unbelievers used to disturb the gatherings in which the Prophet (peace be on him) or any of his Companions recited the Qur'an. They created such a din that no one could hear the Qur'an's recital. Furthermore, they always made a point of twisting and subverting the Qur'an's message. They would deliberately misinterpret the Qur'an, speak of things out of context, or even present a corrupted version of it to others. Their only purpose was to discredit both the Qur'an and its bearer, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him).
As for their objections with regard to the Qur'an, these were both numerous and ill-founded. This surah cites one such silly objection whereby they took exception to the Qur'an's revelation in Arabic. According to them, had it been revealed in a language other than Arabic, that would have been a miracle, for then an Arab would have suddenly and fluently presented a discourse in some foreign tongue. Had that been the case, it could have been regarded as not to be his own composition but a piece revealed to him from on High, from God.
The following main points were brought out in response to the unbelievers' bigoted opposition:
(1) The Qur'an is God's Own Word and it is in the Arabic language. It clearly expounds truths, truths that the ignorant find to be of no value whereas those endowed with understanding consider them to embody the light and guidance of which they can constantly avail themselves. Out of His Mercy God has revealed the Qur'an to guide mankind. Wretched and unfortunate are those who resent its revelation. Yet, it is an especially welcome event for those blessed souls who wish to be guided by it. As for those who reject it, they should be fearful of the consequences of their disbelief.
(2) If the unbelievers have sealed their hearts and have turned deaf to the Qur'an's message, then let it be known that it is not the Prophet's job to force to hear those who do not wish to hear or to force to understand those who disdain to do so. The Prophet (peace be on him) can make them hear the Qur'ānic message only if they are willing to hear it and to make them understand only if they are willing to do so. After all he is only a mortal human being like his addressees.
(3) The unbelievers can close their eyes and ears and seal their hearts. However, the truth remains that there is One True God and human beings are servants and creatures of no other god. The unbelievers' adamance in this regard cannot alter the truth. If they accept the truth that there is no other deity than the One True God, then this will be conducive to their own good. On the other hand, should they refuse to accept it, they will incur their own ruin.
(4) The unbelievers should realise the enormity of their guilt in associating others with God in His Divinity and in denying Him as the Only True God. For God indeed is the Creator, Sovereign and Sustainer of this vast universe, and all creatures derive benefit from His bounties and receive their sustenance from Him. How pitiful it is that people take God's humble creatures as associates in His Divinity!
(5) If people refuse to believe, they should prepare themselves for God's scourge that may suddenly overtake them una- wares just as happened in the case of the 'Ad and Thamūd. That, however, will not be the end of the matter for it will be followed by their strict reckoning on the Day of Judge- ment and possibly torment in Hell.
(6) Unfortunate is he who falls prey to the devils among men and jinn who make his follies appear in an alluring light, who do not let him reflect as to what is right, nor let him pay proper heed to the matter when others direct him to it. Such ignorant folk encourage each other to vie in com- mitting wrongs with impunity. However, on the Day of Judgement, each of them will simply want to trample those who misled him under his feet.
(7) The Qur'an embodies the truth in clear, unalterable terms. The unbelievers cannot checkmate it by recourse to dishonourable means. Whether falsehood assaults it publicly from the front or assails it stealthily, using indirect strategy, it can never cause the Qur'an to be defeated.
(8) The unbelievers contend that the Qur'an should have been sent down in a non-Arabic tongue. Had that indeed been done, the unbelievers would have made that very fact the butt of their ridicule, criticising that the Book meant for the guidance of Arabs was revealed in a language they cannot even understand. What this kind of pickish objection shows, however, is that the unbelievers are simply not interested in God's guidance and there is no end to their pretexts to justify their disbelief.
(9) Have the unbelievers given any thought to how terrible their end will be if it indeed turns out, as it will, that the Qur'an is God's Own Revelation? How horrendous, then, will the consequences of their rejecting and fiercely opposing it be?
(10) They have presently gone quite far in opposing the Qur'an. They will, however, soon observe that the Qur'an's message has spread all around and has come to pervade not only the world around them but also they themselves have been overcome by it. It will then dawn upon them that what they were being told has indeed come true.
Apart from thus responding to the unbelievers, the surah deals with some of the issues with which the Prophet (peace be on him) and his Companions were confronted in this fiercely charged and hostile atmosphere. So adverse was the situation that, let alone being able to propagate their faith, it was extremely difficult for the believers even to live according to its requirements. Those who were discovered to have converted to Islam found themselves utterly helpless before the fierce enmity of their powerful and resourceful opponents. The believers are, therefore, consoled and told that in point of fact they are neither alone nor helpless. Rather, whoever makes up his mind to take God as His Lord and remains firm in that regard, God's angels come to his aid throughout the life of this world as well as in the Hereafter. They are further comforted by the information that the best person in God's sight is he who does good, who calls people to God's way and who fearlessly declares himself to be one of those who submit to God's command. Likewise, the Prophet (peace be on him) is apprised that he was armed with a powerful weapon: that of excellent conduct. So overwhelming is this weapon that in time it will make inroads into the ranks of Islam's inveterate enemies and their hostility will crack into pieces and then simply dissolve and disappear. The believers are, therefore, required to be patient. Whenever Satan prompts them to act in a state of provocation they should seek refuge with God.