1. This serves as a short prelude to the surah which alerts the addressees to the following two truths: (i) The Qur’an is not a product of the Prophet’s mind. Rather, it is being sent down to him by God. (ii) God Who has been revealing the Qur’an is Most Mighty and Most Wise. Since He is Most Mighty, one should not dare to defy Him. Moreover, God has perfect wisdom. This requires man to faithfully observe all His commands.

His wisdom rules out any lapse or mistake in His commands.

2. The manner in which the main theme is treated after this prelude makes it evident that the Makkan unbelievers’ objections to the Prophet's teachings underlie the main discourse. These unbelievers contended that they could not abandon their venerated gods only because of a single person’s call to do so. In response, they are told that the truth of Islam is endorsed by the signs scattered all over the universe. On reflection, they can note these signs even in their own selves and in the universe at large.

Itis beyond any shadow of doubt that the whole universe is the creation of the One True God, Who alone owns it, holds its reins and regulates it.

The unbelievers contended that their deities were partners in God’s Divinity. The Qur’an, on the contrary, emphatically tells them that there is no deity other than the One True God. The signs spread across the cosmos underscore the truth of monotheism and refute polytheism. As to the Qur’anic assertion that these signs are for believers signifies that though they are meant for everyone, they actually guide only believers to sound results. For those lost in negligence and error the existence of these signs is immaterial. For they live like animals, oblivious to all truth.

An insensitive person cannot, of course, feel or take note of anything.

3. As to those bent upon denying the truth or those who prefer to be mired in skepticism, they are beyond redemption. However, as for those who do not have such closed minds and who reflect on their own births, on their bodies, on the immense variety of species of animals scattered on earth, they will perceive the signs which will lead them to believe in God’s Oneness. (For further details, see also al-An‘am 6, nn. 25-27, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. II, pp. 229-30; al-Nahl 16, nn. 6-8, vol. IV, pp. 313-14; al-Hajj 22, nn. 5-9, vol. VI, pp. 7-11; al-Mu’minun 23, nn. 12- 13, vol. VI, pp. 87-8; al-Furqan 25, n. 69, vol. VIL, p. 33; al-Shu‘ara’ 26, nn. 57-9, vol. VIL, pp. 77-8; al-Naml 27, nn. 80-1, vol. VIL, pp. 174-6; al-Rum 30, nn. 25-32 and 79, vol. VIIL, pp. 88-93 and 114; al-Sajdah 32, nn. 14-18, vol. VIL pp. 163-6; Ya Sin 36: 71-3; al-Zumar 39: 6 and al-Mu’min 40, nn. 97-8 and 110 above.)

4. The alternation of day and night stands out as one of God’s signs in the sense that this alternation happens regularly. It is a sign insofar as day is bright whereas night is dark. Moreover, it is also a sign insofar as the duration of day keeps gradually receding until it equals the duration of night. Then again day’s duration begins to increase and night’s duration gradually recedes until the duration of the two becomes equal.

The variations between night and day and the wisdom underlying these variations indicate that only One True God is the Creator, Master and Ruler of the sun, the earth and all beings on earth. God also controls the sun and the moon. All this indicates as well that His control over day and night is characterized by immense wisdom. For He has put in place unalterable laws which have made the earth a fitting habitat for numerous life forms. (For further details, see Yunus 10, n. 65, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. IV, pp. 48-50; al-Naml 27, n. 104, vol. VIL pp. 187-8; al-Qasas 28, n. 92, vol. VIL, p. 243; Luqman 31: 29 and n. 50, vol. VIIL, p. 144; Ya Sin 36: 37 and n. 32, vol. IX, pp. 258-9.)

5. Sustenance, in this context, signifies rainfall, a Point clarified in the next verse.

6. For further elaboration, see al-Mu’minun 23, n. 17, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. VI, p. 90; al-Furqan 25, nn. 62-5, vol. VII, pp. 30-1; al-Shu‘ara’ 26, n. 5, vol. VIL, p. 55; al-Naml 27, n. 73-4, vol. VIL, pp. 171-3; al-Rum 30, n. 35-73, vol. VIIL pp. 95-112 and Ya Sin 36, nn. 26-31, vol. IX, pp. 255-8.

7. The reference here is to the movement of the winds in different regions and on earth in different seasons which results in climatic changes.

God has provided air in such manner that it caters for the breathing of all creatures. The air around the earth also saves mankind from many calamities. Moreover, air is not restricted or uniform; it veers from hot to cold and from slow to gusty. At times it turns into storms. Sometimes it brings rain and at others, it drives away clouds. Moreover, the movement of the winds is not haphazard; this phenomenon is governed by a particular law which is characterized by order and purpose, indicating the perfect wisdom of the One Who devised this arrangement. The movement of winds is closely related with winter and summer which, change with the revolution of the earth around the sun. Moreover, it has its direct bearing on seasonal changes and the distribution of rainfall.

All these pieces of evidence clearly indicate that it was not the result of mere accident by some blind force of nature. Nor are there separate and independent regulators for the sun, the earth, winds, rainfall and the plant and animal kingdom. On the contrary, all of them have the same lord and master, the One True God Who is their Creator. Quite evidently, all these elaborate arrangements have been made for a definite purpose by the All-Wise God.

8. If the unbelievers refuse to profess faith even in the face of these weighty proofs of God’s existence and Oneness, nothing can direct them to accept faith. The Word of God is the final and ultimate source of guidance. All weighty arguments for persuading man to embrace faith are contained in it. One is free to reject them. However, this does not and cannot alter the ultimate reality.

9. There is a world of difference between he who studies God’s signs with an unprejudiced mind and seriously reflects over them and he who rejects them out of hand because of his deeply entrenched prejudice.

The former is not keen on clinging to unbelief. Rather, he is on a quest for truth and seeks to reach the point of total satisfaction. In such a case, some other signs may convince him of the Divine truth at a later date. In comparison, the latter is not moved by any sign. This because he has made up his mind not to believe. While the former is expected to embrace faith sooner or later, the latter group can never accept faith. These latter display the following three characteristics: (i) They are given to lies, hence truth does not appeal to them. (ii) They are given to wickedness. Therefore, they strongly resent those teachings that place moral restrictions upon them. (iii) They suffer from the delusion that they know everything, hence they do not need any guidance. Misled by these false notions, they do not pay any attention to God’s signs.

10. Not only do unbelievers mock a particular sign of God, but they are prone to dismissing all signs of God with contempt. For example, on coming to know some Qur’anic statement, they first seek to find some crookedness in it in order to reduce it to a butt of ridicule. They are also given to mocking the Prophet (peace be on him) and the Qur’an and never fail to play up what they consider to be the outlandish and ridiculous contents of the Qur’an.

11. Ward’ in Arabic applies to everything that is not visible, whether it is behind or in front of someone. Therefore, part of the verse may be translated thus: ‘Hell is behind them’. Taken in the former sense, the verse means that they are on their way to Hell, without realizing that they will soon land themselves in it. In its latter sense, it signifies that they disregard the Hereafter and are engrossed in mischief-making, without realizing that Hell is after them.

12. Wali is open to the following two meanings: (i) Such gods and goddesses, and living and dead leaders, about whom the polytheists believe have the power to rescue them so that they will not be punished by God, no matter how they conduct themselves. This because they believe that the intervention and intercession of their patrons will enable them to attain deliverance. (ii) This verse warns the unbelievers who unquestioningly obey and would do anything to please their tribal chiefs, leaders and rulers, even at the expense of displeasing God. They are warned that when their attitude lands them in Hell, their patrons will fail to come forward to save and defend them. (For further details, see al-Shira 42, n.6 above.) 13. Fora detailed account, see Banit Isra’il 17, n. 83, vol. V, p. 60; al-Rum 30, n. 69, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. VIIL p. 111; Luqman 31, n.

55, vol. VII, p. 145; al-Mu’min 40, n. 111 and al-Shura 42, n. 54 above.

14. That is, God’s subjection of the sea for man is in order that he may earn a wholesome livelihood by sea-trade, fishing, pearl diving, shipping and other means.

15. For details, see Ibrahim 14, n. 44, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. IV, pp. 271-2; and Luqman 31, n. 35, vol. VII, pp. 138-9.

16. This has the following two meanings: (i) God’s bestowal of bounties is not akin to the award of some favour by earthly kings. The latter give out of what they receive from their subjects. On the contrary, God has created all the bounties in the universe out of which He grants to man what He pleases. (ii) God does not have any partner in the creation of these bounties or in making them subservient to man. God alone is their Creator and it is He Who has conferred these upon man.

17. For those who reflect there are major signs in God’s yoking the objects of nature to serve man’s purposes. These signs underscore that the One True God is the Creator, Master, Regulator and Disposer of all objects in the universe. He has bound all these to His laws. His power and wisdom account for making all these objects useful for man’s life, economy, comfort, culture and civilization. God alone, therefore, merits all thanks and gratitude. None besides Him has any role in the creation of these objects or in subjugating them for man’s service.

18. Literally, it may be translated thus: ‘Those who do not expect Allah’s days.’ However, in Arabic idiom, it signifies momentous, historic days. For example the expression Ayyam al-‘Arab stands for the eventful days and major battles among the Arab tribes which have been recorded in memory for centuries. The verse alludes to inauspicious days when a people are afflicted with God’s scourge. They are destroyed in punishment for their misdeeds. In keeping with the same, the verse has been translated thus: ‘Those who have no fear of any evil days coming upon them from Allah.’

19. Qur’anic exegetes offer two interpretations of this verse, both of which are admissible in the light of the wording: (i) The believers are asked to ‘indulge’ the excesses committed by the wrong-doers so that God - may reward them for their perseverance, forbearance and gentleness and for their enduring persecution in His cause. (Zamakhshari, al-Kashshaf, comments on Surah al-Jathiyah 45: 14.) (ii) The believers should ‘indulge’ the wrong-doers so that God may fully avenge on their behalf. (Tabari, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-Jathiyah 45: 14.) Some scholars take this verse as abrogated, holding that this command was valid whilst the Muslims were not permitted to fight. When they were granted this permission, the above command was abrogated.

(Tabari, Tafsir, comments on Surah Jathiyah 45: 14.) However, this claim of abrogation is not supported by the Qur’Anic text. Since the believers are directed to ‘indulge’ these wrong-doers, the message is that they should not retaliate against them, notwithstanding their capacity to do so.

This is despite the fact that the unbelievers, being fearless of God, had transgressed all limits of morality and decency. This directive is not discordant with the Qur’anic permission to Muslims to go to war. Yes, war is to be waged as and when the Muslim state has a valid reason to declare war against an unbelieving people. The above directive, however, relates to the believers’ encounter in one way or another with the unbelievers in which the latter resort to hurting Muslims by all possible means. The objective of the directive is that Muslims should not stoop to the unbelievers’ low level. They should not quarrel with them or repay them in their own coin. They may defend their position as long as it is possible to do so within the bounds of civility. However, if the unbelievers misbehave, they should observe silence and refer the matter to God. If Muslims confront them in disregard of the norms of civility, God will leave them on their own to take them on. However, if they ‘indulge’ God, He will deal with the wrong-doers and reward the victims for their forbearance.

20. Hukm signifies: (i) knowledge and understanding of both the Book and faith; (ii) the ability to work in accordance with the purport of the Book; and (iii) the ability to decide matters. (Zamakhshari, comments on Surah al-Jathiyah 45: 16.)

21. This does not mean that they were granted excellence over others forever. Of all the nations found then, God chose the Children of Israel for this assignment. It was their task to uphold the Word of God and champion Godliness.

22. For details, see al-Shura 2, n. 230, Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. I, pp. 165-6; Al ‘Imran 3, n. 17, vol. I, p. 242 and al-Shura 42, nn. 22-3.

23. This means that the task entrusted earlier to the Children of Israel _ is now transferred to the Prophet [and his followers]. Notwithstanding their knowledge of faith, the former had caused dissensions out of selfish motives. They had divided themselves into many sects. As a result, they were unable to invite others to the Way of God. Now, Muslims are charged with the same responsibility. They are required to take up the assignment which the Children of Israel had abandoned. (For further details, see al- Shura 42: 13-15 and nn. 20-6 above.)

24. If the believers alter the Divine faith in order to placate the unbelievers, they too will not escape God’s punishment.

25. This Book and this Shari‘ah provide light to all mankind which enables them to distinguish between truth and falsehood. However, only those who believe in their veracity are actually able to derive any guidance. For such people it is a great blessing and mercy.

26. The discourse on monotheism concludes here and is followed by a discussion of the Hereafter.

27. This is a moral argument in support of belief in the Hereafter.

Since good and evil radically differ from each other, it is essential that the upright and the wicked should ‘not meet the same end. Rather, the upright should be rewarded for their good deeds and the wicked punished for - their misdeeds. Should there be no Hereafter, morals would lose their meaning and relevance. In fact, in such an event one might even ascribe injustice to God. Those given to evil doing naturally oppose the idea of recompense in the Hereafter. They do so because it puts restraint on their unbridled ways. However, God, Who is Wise and Just, cannot be expected to treat the upright and the wicked alike. He will certainly take into account how people spent their lives and how some abused the faculties granted to them. For, the upright abide by the moral code, faithfully discharge their obligations, avoid unlawful gains and suffer losses on account of their commitment to truth and honesty. As opposed to this, the wicked gratify their base desires, refuse to serve God, usurp what belongs to others and unlawfully appropriate for themselves all that they can. If these two groups have not been alike in their conduct in life, they should not be treated alike after death. If they are treated alike, it would be tantamount to injustice in God’s realm. (For further details, see Yunus 10, nn. 9-10, Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. IV, pp. 8-10; Hid 11, n. 105, vol. IV, P. 133; al-Nahl 16, n. 35, vol. IV, Pp. 329-30; al-Hajj 22,n. 9, vol. VI, pp. 9-11; al-Naml 27, n. 86, vol.VIL, pp. 180-1; al-Rum 30, nn. 6-8, vol. VIIL, pp. 76-9; and Sad 38: 28 and n. 30 above.)

28. God has not created the heavens and the earth as a sport. Rather, their creation is animated by perfect wisdom and a sense of purpose. It is, therefore, inconceivable that the upright and the wicked will be reduced to dust after death and that there will be no Afterlife in which they will be recompensed proportionate to their good and bad deeds. Those who properly utilized the faculties and resources bestowed upon them by God in doing good should be rewarded. On the contrary, those who misused _ these and perpetrated mischief must be punished. (For further details, see al-An‘am 6, n. 46, vol. II, pp: 243-4; Yunus 10, n. 11, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. IV, pp. 10-11; Ibrahim 14, n. 26, vol. IV, Pp. 263; al-Nahl 16, n. 6, vol. IV, p. 313; al-‘Ankabut 29,n. 75, vol. VIL p. 40; al-Rum 30, n. 6, vol. VIEL, pp. 76-8.)

29. The meaning of this verse is quite clear in the present context: if the upright are not rewarded for their good conduct and the wrongdoers are not punished for their wrongs and if the wrongs of the victims are not redressed this would amount to injustice. Such injustice is out of the question with regard to God’s realm. Likewise, the other form of injustice is that an upright person is rewarded less than what he deserves or a wicked person is punished more than what his wickedness warrants.

This is also inconceivable with regard to God.

30. To take one’s desires as one’s god means that one fully becomes the slave of one’s desires. Such a person does whatever yields pleasure, irrespective of the fact that it is forbidden by God. Likewise, he will not do what is prescribed by God as an obligatory duty if he doesn’t want to do it. If someone behaves as described above, he is the servant of his unbridled desires, no matter whether he verbally calls them his god or not and whether he worships them as idols or not. This because such an attitude amounts to treating his desires as deities. In the case of such behavior, one cannot deny committing idolatry on the technical grounds that one had not verbally declared any of one’s desires to be one’s lord _ a or that one had not literally prostrated before them.

This is how distinguished Qur’anic scholars have understood this verse. In the words of Ibn Jarir al-Tabari: ‘This person has made his base self his deity. He does all that his base self asks for. In so doing, he fails to observe the limits of the lawful and the unlawful laid down by God’. (Tabari, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-Jathiyah 45: 23.) According to Abu Bakr al-Jassas: ‘Such a person obeys the promptings of his base self so religiously as one should serve God.’ (Jassas, Ahkam al-Qur’an, comments on Surah al-Jathiyah 45: 23.) Zamakhshari offers the following interpretation: ‘He is led by his base self and follows it blindly. In other — words, he looks after his self with a devotion that one consecrates to God.’ (Zamakhshari, al-Kashshaf, comments on Surah al-Jathiyah 45: 23.) (For further details, see al-Furgan 25, n. 56, Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. VIL, pp. 27-8; Saba’ 34, n. 63, vol. IX, pp. 197-8; Ya Sin 36, n. 53, vol. IX, pp. 268-9; al-Shura 42, n. 38 above.)

31. This is open to more than one meaning. It may mean that notwithstanding that person’s knowledge, God directed him to error for he was a slave of his own desires. Or, it might mean that in view of God’s knowledge that one deifies one’s desires, God pushes him into error and misguidance.

32. God’s causing some people to go astray and His sealing of their hearing and His casting a veil over their sight has been explained by us. For details, see al-Bagarah 2, nn. 10 and 16, Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. I, pp. 48-9, 51; al-An‘am 6, nn. 17 and 28, vol. II, pp..223-4 231; al-A‘raf 7,nn. 80-1, vol. HI, p. 62; al-Tawbah 9, n. 89, vol. Il, p. 239; Yunus 10, n. 71, vol. IV, pp. 53-4; al-Ra‘d 13, n. 44, vol. IV, pp. 239-40; Ibrahim 14, n. 40, vol. IV, p. 270; al-Nahl 16: 107-8; Bani Isra’il 17, n. 51, Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. V, pp. 47-8; al-Rum 30, n. 84 vol.

VIEL, p. 116; Fatir 35, nn. 16-17, vol. IX, pp. 212-14; and al-Mu'min 40 n 54 above.

33. It becomes evident from the context of the verse that those who are bent on unbridled gratification of their desires are none else than those that deny the Hereafter. Such people look upon the idea of the Hereafter as so many shackles and fetters upon their freedom. Once they deny the Hereafter, they become even more engrossed in gratifying their desires and wander about in error, committing all conceivable misdeeds. They feel no scruples in usurping what belongs to others. Since they are given to committing injustices and excesses, even the fear of the law does not deter them from evil-doing. They also tend to disregard the incidents that should serve as lessons for them. Lost in self-complacency, they feel satisfied with their conduct even when itis evil. They pay no heed to any admonition. An argument that generally dissuades people from doing evil is misconstrued by them as an incentive for committing further evil. They look for any pretext to justify their unbridled freedom. As a result, rather than being concerned with doing good, their hearts and minds are given wholly to the gratification of desire. This proves beyond any shadow of doubt that denial of the Hereafter is fatal for morality. What can restrain and keep man under control is his belief in accountability to God for his deeds. Even a learned person, who is devoid of this consciousness, is apt to behave like a brute.

34. The unbelievers do not have any definite source of knowledge - that categorically informs them that there is no Afterlife. Likewise, they are not on sure ground in holding that the human soul is not seized by God’s command and that man simply dies in the course of time. These ideas are simply their speculations. They may, at most, claim that they do not know whether there is an Afterlife or not. However, they have no grounds to rule it out categorically. By the same token, they cannot claim with certainty that the human soul is not seized by God and that man dies as a result of a mechanical process. Since both options exist, the unbelievers are not justified i in dismissing one altogether and insisting only on the other. In fact, in so doing, they are swayed by their own biases.

Far from basing their view on any weighty argument, it is their desire that there should not be any Afterlife. In other words, it is their wishful thinking which prompts them to deny the reality of the Hereafter.

35. That is, those signs which provide weighty arguments in support of the Hereafter. These prove that both justice and common sense demand that there should be an Afterlife. For, in its absence the present order’ loses its meaning.

36. The unbelievers refused to believe in resurrection. They insisted that the Hereafter can be affirmed only if they see with their own eyes the dead rising from their graves. If this did not happen, they were not prepared to believe in resurrection. However, the fact remains that they were never told that the dead will rise from their graves in this world.

Rather, the Qur’anic doctrine is that it is on the Day of Judgement that God will resurrect all mankind and recompense them.

37. This is a rejoinder to their fallacious notion that the death of humans is caused simply by the passage of time. They are told that life and death are not a chance happening. It is God Who grants life to people and it is He who seizes their soul.

38. This is said in response to the demand to resurrect their ancestors.

Itis pointed out that it is not a few individuals who will be brought back to life. Rather, on the Day of Judgement, all humans will be resurrected.

39. Their ignorance and myopic vision account for their denial of the Hereafter. This doctrine is neither novel nor bizarre. On the contrary, its q absence is unthinkable. Anyone who studies the workings of the universe and his own existence will realize that the Hereafter is imminent.

40. Were we to keep in mind the context of the discourse, it becomes 7 quite evident that, since God exercises control over the entire universe, He is doubtlessly capable of resurrecting the dead.

41. People will be filled with such awe and dread in the Grand Assembly on the Day of Judgement that they will give up their boasting and arrogance. They will surrender themselves, meekly and humbly, before God.

42. This does not necessarily mean putting something into writing.

There are many other ways of recording human speech and action. It is hard to imagine what developments may take place here on earth in this field in the future. It is, therefore, not possible for man to ascertain how God gets each and every word and deed of man recorded, including, his intentions and thoughts. Nor is it possible to say how this record of both individuals and communities will be presented on the Day of Judgement.

43, The unbelievers arrogantly consider it beneath their dignity to pledge their obedience to God. They suffer from the delusion that they are simply too exalted to serve and worship Him.

44, Verse 24 speaks of those who deny the Hereafter without any hesitation. Reference is made in this verse to those who do not believe in it, though they do not rule it out altogether. Apparently there is a big difference between the two groups. For the former rejects it altogether whereas the latter regards it as a remote possibility. However, both of them will meet the same fate, for the same moral consequences flow from rejecting the Hereafter. In either case, such people will be devoid of the consciousness about their accountability to God. This adversely affects their beliefs and actions. Only belief in the Hereafter enables man to adhere to the Straight Way. Any denial or reservation about the Hereafter renders man’s attitude irresponsible and this culminates in his punishment and suffering in the Hereafter. Neither the unbelievers nor the sceptics can avoid Hellfire because their notions about the Hereafter are false.

45. They will realize in the Hereafter that their ways, habits, deeds and activities in which they took great pride were absolutely wrong. By considering themselves unanswerable they committed a fundamental error which vitiated their outlook on life.

46. This brings to mind the punishment which the master will award to his disobedient servants.