1. For explanation, see al-Zumar 39, n. 1 above; al-Jathiyah 45, n. 1 above and al-Sajdah 32, n. 1, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. VII, pp. 156-7. All these are helpful in enabling one to better appreciate the spirit of this Surah’s introduction.

2. Fora detailed discussions, see al-An‘am 6, n. 46, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. II, pp. 243-4; Yiinus 10, n. 11, vol. IV, pp. 10-11; Ibrahim 14, n. 26, vol. IV, p. 263; al-Hijr 15, n. 47, vol. IV, p. 301; al-Nahl 16, n. 6, vol. IV, p. 313; al-Anbiya’ 21, nn. 15-17, vol. V, pp. 257-8; al-Muminun 23, nn. 102-3, vol. VI, pp. 128-9; al-‘Ankabut 29, n. 75-6, vol. VILL, p. 40; al-Rum 30, n. 6, vol. VILL, pp. 76-8; Luqman 31, n. 51, vol. VIH, p. 144; al-Dukhan 44, n. 34 and al-Jathiyah 45, n. 28 above.

3. The fact is that the working of the universe, rather than representing a purposeless sport, is characterized by perfect wisdom. Under such a scheme of things it is inevitable that the pious and the wicked, the wrongdoers and their victims are judged with perfect justice. The present order will not last forever. It is time-bound; at a given moment it is bound to wither away. The time for God’s Judgement which will follow this is also ordained. Whenever that time comes it will be inevitably held.

However, those who have refused to believe in God’s message and His Book disregard these facts. They have altogether forgotten that on the Day of Judgement they will have to render an account of their deeds.

They mistake the Prophet (peace be on him) as their enemy, because he informs and warns them about these truths. They misperceive this to be an act of the Prophet's ill-will towards them. On the contrary, the fact is that he does so out of goodwill. For he forewarns them against their imminent accountability and also explains sincerely what preparations they should make for the Day of Recompense.

For a better understanding of the following discourse, it should be borne in-mind that man’s fundamental error is that he entertains preconceived and biased notions about God. Taking this issue lightly and forming an opinion about this matter on the basis of some ancestral traditions is an act of colossal foolishness. This because it affects man’s world view and his ultimate end. As a result of this false notion, man considers himself unanswerable to anyone. He suffers from the delusion that there is no Afterlife in which he will be taken to task. Or he thinks that his gods will rescue him in the Hereafter. This is what makes man act so casually and complacently in matters of faith. Little wonder, then, that he falls prey to absurd doctrines like atheism and polytheism, or opts for a blind and unthinking conformity to absurdities concocted by others.

4. Since this passage is directed to a polytheistic people, they are told that, for want of a sense of responsibility, they are blindly clinging to a highly irrational belief. Just consider this: they acknowledge God to be the Creator of the universe and believe, at the same time, that several other beings too are their deities. To them they address their supplications, it is to them that they call upon in moments of crisis, it is to them that they prostrate themselves, and it is to them that they make their offerings and sacrifices. They do so because of their false belief that those deities can make or mar their destinies. They are asked: what entitles those beings to Godhead? There can obviously be only two grounds for taking someone as a partner with God: (i) man may come to know from a dependable source of knowledge that others too have a share in the creation of the heavens and the earth; or (ii) God may have informed him that someone is His partner in Divinity. Since the polytheists cannot substantiate their contention in either of the above two respects their standpoint is patently baseless.

The verse makes a pointed reference to ‘any Scripture earlier than this’. This means any Scripture revealed before the Qur’an’s revelation.

As for the expression ‘vestige of knowledge’, this refers to the teachings of the earlier Prophets and righteous people, authentically transmitted by subsequent generations. Both these sources are absolutely free even from any suggestion of polytheism. Even if the above allusion is not taken to mean the earlier Scriptures and Prophets’ teachings, no one can even otherwise point-to anyone other than God as having created anything whatsoever. Likewise, no one can establish that any of the bounties on which man draws are provided by someone other than God.

5. By ‘answering the call’ is meant the action taken in response to the caller’s calling rather than an answer received in writing. If one invokes these false gods, they are so utterly helpless that they cannot act at all on the call of the caller for they lack all power to act positively or negatively.

(For further details see al-Zumar 39, n. 33.) That these false gods cannot answer the call of the callers “till the Day of Resurrection’ means that as long as the present world lasts they will be unable to answer. However, when the Day of Reckoning arrives, these deities will become enemies of their devotees as is said in the verse that follows.

6. These false gods do not even hear the prayers addressed to them.

They are even unaware that their devotees call upon them. Such false gods invoked by polytheists all over the world may be broadly categorized under the following three headings: (i) soulless creatures that are devoid of rational faculty; (ii) deceased saints and pious people; and (iii) the misguided people who put themselves and others on a deviant path. The gods belonging to the first category cannot obviously hear the prayers of their devotees. As for the second category consisting of those close to God, there are two reasons for their being unaware of the caller’s calls One, that they are in a state where such calls do not reach them. Two God and His angels do not inform them that those whom they had always urged to turn only to God have degenerated to the point of calling upon them. Such information would greatly hurt them, and God does not want to put His pious servants to grief. As for the gods belonging to the third category, there are two reasons for their ignorance: (i) they are lodged with God as culprits and they cannot find out what goes on in this world; and (ii) God and His angels do not tell them that their mission has been flourishing in the world insofar as misguided people have taken them as gods. This because it would greatly please them and God does not want to make these wrong-doers feel happy.

It is pertinent to note in the above context that God conveys the greetings and prayers of people for His pious servants, as this pleases them. By the same token, He apprises the iniquitous of the curses and reproaches directed at them by people. According to a tradition, those unbelievers who were killed in the Battle of Badr were made to hear the Prophet's reproach for it would agonize them. However, any piece of information which grieves the pious or pleases the iniquitous is not conveyed to the relevant party. This throws some light on the issue of the dead persons’ ability to hear.

7. All false gods will clearly declare that they had never asked those people to worship them. Furthermore, they will also say that they were not even aware that those people worshipped them. If they were entangled in such error, it was simply their own responsibility and they alone should suffer its consequence. As for the false gods themselves, they are not to blame for they did not contribute to such people’s errors.

8. When the Qur’anic verses were recited before the Makkan unbelievers, they did feel that the Word of God was much more elevated and lofty than the human word. Even their best poets, orators or litterateurs could not come close to the Qur’an’s unmatched eloquence and rhetorical force, its overpowering oration, its lofty themes and its heart-captivating style. Above all, the Prophet’s own speech, although lucid and elegant, lacked the power and grandeur of the Qur’an. Those who had known the Prophet (peace be on him) since childhood could note the tremendous difference between his own speech and the Word of God. It was inconceivable that someone who had lived in the midst of his people for a full 40 to 50 years could all of a sudden compose a work whose style had no resonance with his own speech. This was an unmistakable indication of the truth that the Qur’an is the Word of God. However, since its detractors had made up their minds to cling to unbelief and not accept the Qur’an to be God’s revelation, they attributed the Qur’an’s glory and splendor to magic. (They branded the Qur’an as magic in another sense as well, which is explained in al-Anbiya 21, n. 5, Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. V, pp. 250-2 and Sad 38, n. 5 above.)

9. The question posed here strongly suggests the quaintness of the Makkan unbelievers’ position. The question amounts to saying: Are these people devoid of even a shred of shame that they are accusing the Prophet (peace be on him) of fabricating the Qur’an despite every evidence that it could not be the product of his mind. That they dismissed the Qur’an as magic itself reflected their admission that it was an extraordinary discourse, one beyond any human’s capacity to compose.

10. Since the unbelievers’ allegations were utterly baseless and stemmed only from obstinacy, the Qur’an does not adduce any arguments to refute them. It says only this much: that if the Prophet (peace be on him) is guilty of fabricating the Qur’an and ascribing it to God, they cannot save him from God’s punishment. However, if the case is otherwise, they will be severely punished for hurling baseless charges against him.

The truth is not hidden from God. He suffices to adjudge between truth and falsehood. If a truthful person is rejected by the whole of mankind that is immaterial, for God will declare him to be true. They should, therefore, better think of their own ultimate ends, rather than indulge in this specidus task.

11. In the context of the verse this observation conveys the following two meanings: (i) It is only owing to God’s mercy and forgiveness that the unbelievers are alive. For they had brazenly rejected the Word of God as the Prophet's fabrication. Had He been merciless and impatient, He would have instantly decimated such blasphemous. people. (ii) The wrong-doers are asked to give up their obstinacy. The gates of God’s mercy are wide open for them. As for their past misdeeds, they will be forgiven if they repent and mend their ways.

12. When the Prophet (peace be on him) presented himself as the Messenger of God, the Makkans took to raising all sorts of objections.

They found it strange that he had a family, walked about the markets, ate and drank and led his life as an ordinary person. They failed to discern anything exceptional in him which could persuade them that he had been designated by God as His Messenger. Their assumption was that God’s Messenger should have been escorted by an angel, who would attend upon him and proclaim him to be God’s Messenger and instantly punish those who showed any disrespect towards him. It was beyond them how God could ask His Messenger to fend for himself in Makkah and be left to suffer all kinds of persecution. They thought that God should have, at least, provided him with a lofty palace and a flourishing garden. It should simply not have happened that when his wife’s resources at times were exhausted, the Prophet (peace be on him) was forced to starve. Furthermore, it is on record that he did not have any ride or transport and had to travel to Ta’if on foot. The unbelievers asked him to come forth with miracles of all sorts and demanded that he should inform them of matters belonging to the Unseen. They thought a Messenger should be superhuman and in full knowledge of the Unseen.

At his gesture, mountains should move and deserts turn into oases! He should be fully aware of the past as well as of the future. All that lies beyond human perception should be at his fingertips.

These points are taken up in this passage. The Prophet (peace be on him) is directed to tell his detractors that he is like other Messengers. His advent as a Messenger is not new in history. They know well the traits of a Messenger. For many Messengers had appeared before him and in this respect he is no different from them. He is also asked to tell them that he does not know what will happen either to him or to them tomorrow. Every Messenger had a family, subsisted on food and drink and lived like any other human being. No Messenger was ever escorted by an angel who announced his status and whipped his detractors. Nor was any Messenger ever granted palaces and gardens. Like him, the earlier Messengers too faced persecution. Never did any Messenger reveal a miracle on his own.

None of them was omniscient. In view of this, they should not apply such an extraordinary yardstick for judging the Prophet's claim to be God’s Messenger. He simply abides by the revelations sent down to him. In other words, he does not possess knowledge of the Unseen. He is not aware of his or their future. His knowledge is restricted to what is communicated to him by revelation. He never claimed to know anything beyond the knowledge imparted to him by God. Nor was such a claim made by any other Messenger. They should not expect him to inform them of their lost goods, or foretell whether a woman will give birth to a son or daughter, or predict whether a patient will survive or die. He is also directed to declare that he is only a clear warner. In other words, he does not have any share in Divinity which may enable him to produce the miracles they ask for. His assignment consists in presenting the Straight Way to people and in warning those who refuse to believe.

13. Almost the same occurs in Ha Mim al-Sajdah 41: 52, n. 69 above.

14. Qur’anic exegetes hold divergent views in identifying who the witness is. A large number of them believe that the allusion is to ‘Abd Allah ibn Salam, a leading Jewish scholar of Madinah. He had embraced Islam after the Prophet's arrival there. Since this event took place in that city, some Quranic commentators consider this verse to be Madinan. Their: view rests on Sa’d ibn Abi Waqas’s report that the verse is related to ‘Abd Allah ibn Salam. (Bukhari, Kitab al-Manaqib, Bab Manaqib ‘Abd Allah ibn Salam Radiya Allah ‘anh; Muslim, Kitab al-Fada'il Bab min Fada’il Abd Allah ibn Salam Radiya Allah ‘anh; Nasa’s, al-Sunan al-Kubra, Kitab al-Manaqib, Bab ‘Abd Allah ibn Salam Radiya Allah ‘anh; and Tabari, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-Ahqaf 46: 10.) The above viewpoint is endorsed by Ibn ‘Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, Dahbak, Ibn Sirin, al-Hasan al-Basri, Ibn Zayd and ‘Awf ibn Malik al-Ashja‘i. (Tabari, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-Ahqaf 46: 10.) On the other hand, ‘Ikrimah, Sha’bi and Masruq contend that the verse could not be about ‘Abd Allah ibn Salam for the whole discourse is addressed to the Makkan unbelievers. This because the surah in its entirety was revealed in Makkah. (Suyuti, al-Durr al-Manthur, comments on surah al-Ahqaf 46: 10.) Ibn Jarir al-Tabari shares the same view. He points out the Makkan context of the Surah, as it addresses the Makkan polytheists both before and after this verse. It is hardly conceivable, therefore, that a Madinan verse would be put in between Makkan verses. (Tabari, Tafsir, comments on surah al-Ahqaf 46: 10.) However, some Qur’anic scholars do not discount Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas’s report. For them, the verse is equally applicable to ‘Abd Allah ibn Salam’s acceptance of Islam. Sa‘d’s allusion to ‘Abd Allah ibn Salam should be taken in this light. (Tabari, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-Ahqaf 46: 10.)--.

The second interpretation appears more sound and plausible. Yet the question of the identity of ‘the witness’ remains to be determined. Some exegetes express the opinion that the allusion is to the Prophet Moses (peace be on him). (Tabari, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-Ahqaf 46: 10.) However, this does not fit in with the later part of the verse which asserts: ‘But he believed, while you waxed arrogant.’ The more plausible view, therefore, is that of Ibn Kathir and Nishapiri, that the reference is not to someone in particular. Rather, it holds true for an ordinary member of the Children of Israel. (Nishapuri, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-Ahqaf 46: 10; Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-Ahqaf 46: 10.) The point brought home is that the Qur’anic teachings being presented to them are neither novel nor weird. They cannot, therefore, plead that they are unable to believe in something altogether novel in human history. This because the same teachings form part of the Torah and other Scriptures, which owe their origin to revelation, and they are held true by the common man. The common man also recognizes that revelation is the source of these teachings. Therefore, they cannot put forward their ignorance of revelation as a pretext for their rejection.

Rather, it is their pride, arrogance and haughtiness that mainly accounts for their unbelief.

15. This is an argument employed by the Quraysh chiefs to provoke people against the Prophet (peace be on him.) Their contention was that if the Qur’an represented the truth and the Prophet's call signified the Straight Way, their community chiefs and elites would have been the first ones to accept Islam. However, since Islam was accepted by some inexperienced youth, slaves and poor people and was rejected by mature, experienced leaders of the community known for their sagacity, they found it hard to believe in Islam. While resorting to this fallacious logic, they misled common people into thinking that there is something innately wrong with Islam, which accounted for its rejection by the tribal chiefs.

Accordingly, so the logic went, they should also stay away from it.

16. The unbelievers consider themselves to be the criterion of truth and falsehood. They believe that what they reject is necessarily false. However, they cannot muster the courage to dismiss Islam as an altogether new fabrication and, therefore, brand it ‘an old fabrication’ for its teachings are identical with those of the earlier Messengers. In other words, all those people who have believed in these truths for thousands of years were also stupid and wisdom and sound judgement are the monopoly of these unbelievers.

17. The Prophet (peace be on him) warns all those who disbelieve in God and wrong themselves by worshipping others besides Him.

18. For details see Ha Mim al-Sajdah 41, nn. 33-5 above.

19. It is evident from the verse that while children should serve both parents, the mother has a greater right over her children insofar as she bears greater hardships for them. The same point is made in the hadith which is narrated with slight variations by Bukhari, Kitab al-Adab, Bab Man al-Ahaqq al-Nas bi Husn al-Suhbah; Muslim, Kitab al-Birr wa al-Silah wa al-Adab, Bab Birr al-Walidayn wa Annahuma Ahaqq bih; Abu Da’ud, Kitab al-Adab, Bab fi Birr al-Walidayn; Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Birr wa al-Silah min Rasul Allah Salla Allah ‘alayhi wa Sallam, Bab ma Ja’a fi Birr al-Walidayn; Ibn Majah, Kitab al-Adab, Bab Birr al-Walidayn; and Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, narrated by Abu Hurayrah; and Bukhari, al-Adab al-Mufrad, Bab Birr al- Umm. The hadith is as follows: ‘Once someone asked the Prophet (peace be on him) as to who is more entitled to his service? He replied: “Your mother”. Then he asked as to who was next to her, he again replied, “Your mother”. The same question was asked for the third time and the answer was the same. It was only on the fourth asking that the Prophet (peace be on him) said: “Your father”.’ The Prophet’s observation amplifies the point made in this verse. For this, too, speaks of the three points special to one’s mother: (i) she carries one in the womb with hardship; (ii) she delivers one with much agony; and (iii) conception and weaning together take 30 months.

On reading this verse in conjunction with Luqman 31: 14 and al-Baqarah 2: 233, one notes a legal point identified by ‘Ali and ‘Abd Allah‘ibn ‘Abbas during a legal case, and in view of which Caliph ‘Uthman changed his judgement. The tradition is as follows: During ‘Uthman’s reign, someone married a woman of the Juhaynah tribe. She gave birth to a sound baby six months after marriage. The husband reported the case to the Caliph, who declared her an adulteress and sentenced her to be stoned to death.

‘Ali, however, contested his ruling and recited before him the following three Qur’anic verses, one after the other: (1) If they (Le. the fathers) wish that the period of suckling for their children be completed, mothers may suckle their children for two whole years (al-Baqarah 2: 233).

(2) His mother bore him... and his weaning lasted two years, (Luqman 31: 14.) (3) The carrying of the child to his weaning is a period of thirty months, (al-Ahqaf 46: 15.) On deducting two years of suckling from the total period of 30 months, a pregnancy may only be of six months’ duration. So, such a woman cannot be branded an adulteress. On noting ‘Ali’s reasoning, ‘Uthman admitted his oversight and changed his judgement. According to a report, ‘Ali’s contention was also supported by Ibn ‘Abbas, and it was then that ‘Uthman changed his judgement. (Tabari, Tafsir, comments on Surah al- Zukhruf 43: 81; Jassas, Ahkam al-Qur’an, comments on Surah al-Ahqaf 46: 15 and Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-Ahqaf 46: 15.) By studying these three Qur’anic verses one learns the following legal points: (i) A woman who delivers a sound baby in less than six months of her marriage, provided that it is not via miscarriage but normal delivery, will be regarded as guilty of illicit sex. The baby will not be credited to her husband. (ii) A woman who delivers a baby after six months of marriage or more cannot be accused of adultery simply on the basis of delivery alone. Nor is her husband entitled to accuse her of that. The baby will be credited to her husband and she will not be punished. (iii) The maximum period of weaning is two years. If a baby takes the milk of a woman when he is above two years of age, she will not be considered as his. foster mother. Accordingly, the legal commands embodied in al-Nisa’ 4: 23 which relates to foster relationships will not apply. As a precautionary measure, Abu Hanifah fixed the weaning period up to two-and-a-half years lest any mistake might be made in such a delicate matter as the prohibition of a foster relationship. (For further details, see Luqman 31, n. 23, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. VIII, pp. 133-4.) It is pertinent to point out that the latest medical studies suggest that a baby takes at least 28 weeks inside its mother’s womb to be born alive.

In other words, it takes a little more than six and half months. Islamic law reduces the period by approximately another half a month. This because holding a woman guilty of adultery and depriving a baby of his family status is a serious matter. Accordingly, both the mother and the baby are granted maximum allowance. Moreover, no physician, judge and even the pregnant woman herself knows for sure the exact time of conception. This, therefore, calls for extending the legally stipulated period of pregnancy by a few days.

20. He prayed that he be granted the ability to perform those good deeds that are formally sound and in full accordance with God's Law so that they may also be accepted by God. For an action, however good it might be, cannot bring any good if it is not in conformity with God’s Law.

Likewise, if a person’s good action is vitiated by impious intention such as the desire to show off virtuousness, pride or excessive worldliness, its reward will be reduced.

21. One will earn one’s rank in the Hereafter on the basis of one’s best deeds and one will not be taken to task for one’s minor lapses, weaknesses and mistakes. This is analogous to the case of a loyal servant whose efforts are appreciated by a gracious master who rewards him in recognition of his substantive achievements. With such a servant the employer is likely not to be pickish about minor failings.

22. Here, two different types of character appear on the scene. The addressees are asked to decide for themselves as to which of the two is better.

Since both these types were found at that time, it was not hard to identify them. The verse serves as a rejoinder to the Quraysh chiefs’ contention that had acceptance of Islam been a good thing they would have superseded the youth and slaves in its acceptance. This rejoinder provides a mirror to all to see the characteristics of believers and unbelievers alike.

23. Neither the good deeds and sacrifices of the good will go to waste, nor will the wicked be punished more than their actual wickedness requires, nor will pious people be denied their due reward, nor will anyone receive less reward than he deserves for that too is a kind of injustice. If a wicked person goes unpunished, or is punished more than his wickedness, that too will be reckoned unjust.

24. The degrading chastisement they will receive will be a sequel to their arrogance. They thought very highly of themselves. They considered it beneath their dignity to profess belief in the Messenger and to join the company of poor, indigent Muslims in their faith. God will humiliate them in the Hereafter and their pride and arrogance will be reduced to dust.

25. Since the Quraysh chiefs thought very highly of themselves and boasted of their glory and affluence, the story of the people of ‘Ad is related to them. The ‘Ad were known in Arabia for their might and glory.

Ahqaf is the plural form of hiqf, which literally means a sand dune. This was used as a special term for the empty quarter in the Arabian desert which to this day has remained unsuitable for habitation.

According to Ibn Ishaq, the ‘Ad were settled in the region extending from Oman to Yemen. (Tabari, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-A’raf’7: 69).

According to the Qur’an, al-Ahqaf was their homeland. They then moved out from their land and established control over neighboring lands. At a place near Hadramawt, which is about 125 miles away from Mukallah in Yemen, there is a grave which people regard as that of the Prophet Hud (peace be on him.) On 15 Sha’ban every year a religious festival is held there, attracting thousands of people from every nook and corner of Arabia. Although it is not conclusively established that what is believed to be the Prophet Hiid’s grave is truly his, yet the pilgrims’ visit and the attachment of the people of southern Arabia to it show that according to local traditions the place is associated with the ‘Ad. Many ruins in the area are called the abode of the ‘Ad by locals.

While looking today at al-Ahqaf region, it is hard to believe that a mighty and glorious civilization once flourished there. It is quite likely, however, that this was a fertile region thousands of years ago and was later reduced to an arid desert as it appears today. Today, however, it is a huge desert and people can hardly muster the courage to penetrate its depths. In 1843, a Bavarian German soldier managed to reach its southern edge. He pointed out that if one looks at it from Hadramawt’s northern plateau, the desert appears to be a one-thousand-feet-deep valley. The Arab Bedouins are mortally afraid of this desert and are not prepared to go there at all. According to the above-mentioned traveler, no local person was willing to escort him there, so he went there alone. According to him, the sand is like fine powder and anything dropped into it sinks and is decomposed in no time. When he threw a plummet into the desert from a distance, it sank into it within five minutes and the end of the rope with which it was attached also decomposed. (For further details of the region, see the following: Harold Ingrams, Arabia and the Isles, London, 1964; R.H. Kiernan, The Unveiling of Arabia. London, 1937; and H. Philby, The Empty Quarter, London, 1933.)

26. God alone knows when His scourge will strike the unbelievers.

The Messenger (peace be on him) is not authorized to decide the period of respite or the date of punishment.

27. Out of their ignorance, the unbelievers take the Prophet's warnings lightly and ask him in a jocular mood to expedite the punishment.

They have absolutely no idea of the gravity and enormity of Divine punishment. Their misdeeds, however, will soon bring such punishment upon them.

28. It is not specified who said so. It emerges from the context that the statement represents what the prevailing state of affairs practically told them. They thought that the clouds would provide them with water.

However, in reality it was God’s punishment that was rushing towards them, bent upon destroying them.

29. Fora detailed account of the story of the people of ‘Ad, see al-A ‘raf 7,nn. 51-6, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. IIL, pp. 42-5; Hud 11, nn. 54-65, vol. IV, pp. 108-11; al-Muminun 23, nn. 34-7, vol. VI, pp. 96-9; al-Shu‘ara’ 26, nn. 88-94, vol. VIL pp. 91-4; al-’Ankabut 29, nn. 65-6, vol.

VIIL, pp. 36-7; and Ha Mim al-Sajdah 41, nn. 20-1 above.

30. The unbelieving Quraysh are no match for the ‘Ad in their affluence, power, authority and might. Their authority is confined only to the city of Makkah whereas the ‘Ad exercised control over very large chunks of territory.

31. This states a significant truth: God’s signs impart to man true understanding and insight. Thanks to this, man draws sound conclusions, takes proper decisions and thinks in the right way. However, when man refuses to recognize God’s signs, he is unable to perceive truth notwithstanding his faculty of sight. Likewise, he does not heed any advice although he is able to hear. He misuses the powers and abilities of his mind and heart and draws false conclusions. Ultimately, he courts his own disaster.

32. When the polytheists developed their initial veneration of those personalities [that later became their deities], they took them as God’s chosen servants. They thought they would gain His proximity through them. However, they gradually deified them, invoked them, addressed their supplications to them and imagined that they had the power to meet their needs. In order to guide them to the Straight Way, God first explained the matter to them with the help of His signs through His Messengers. However, as they insisted on their false ways and idolatry, God’s punishment struck them and their false gods were incapable of coming to their rescue.

33. All the reports about the circumstantial setting of this verse, narrated on the authority of ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas’ud, Zubayr, ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abbas, al-Hasan al-Basri, Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, Zarr ibn Hubaysh, Mujahid and ‘Ikrimah are unanimous on the point that the jinn appeared for the first time in the valley of Nakhlah. (Tabari, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-A’raf 7: 69.) Ibn Ishaq Abu Na’aym Isfahani and Waqidi state that it happened when the Prophet (peace be on him) was on his way back to Makkah from Ta’if. He stayed at Nakhlah and was reciting the Qur’an during the ‘Isha’ or Tahajjud or Fajr Prayer when a group of jinn passed by.

They stopped there to listen to his recitation. (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-Ahqaf 46: 29; Suyuti, al-Durr al-Manthur, comments on Surah al-Ahqaf 46: 29.) All the reports indicate that at that time the jinn did not physically appear before the Prophet (peace be on him). Nor did he note their presence. Later on, God informed him through revelation about their visit and their listening to the Qur’an. (Tabari, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-Ahqaf 46: 29.) This happened either at al-Zaymah or at al-Say] al-Kabir, both of which are located in the Nakhlah Valley. Both abound in water and greenery. The visitors from Ta’if usually break their journey there.

34. One thus learns that these jinn were already believers in the Prophet Moses (peace be on him) and the Scriptures. For, on listening to the Qur’an, they readily recognized that its message was identical with that of the earlier Prophets. Accordingly, they decided to believe in the Qur’an and its bearer, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him).

35. Authentic traditions indicate that after this incident a series of delegations of the jinn called on the Prophet (peace be on him) and met him directly. Collation of the relevant ahadith indicates that at least six delegations visited Makkah before the Migration to Madinah. ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas’ud reports: ‘Once the Prophet (peace be on him) did not turn up for the whole night which caused great concern. We feared that someone had attacked him. The next morning, we saw him coming from the Hira’ cave. On being asked he told us that a jinn had invited him and he recited the Qur’an before a whole group of them’. (Muslim, Kitab al-Salah, Bab al-Jahr bi al-Qira’ah fi al-Subh wa al-Qira’ah ‘ala al-Jinn; Ahmad ibn Hanbal, narrated by ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas’‘ud; and Tirmidhi, Kitab Tafsir al-Qur’an ‘an Rasul Allah Salla Allah ‘alayhi wa Sallam, Bab wa min Surah al-Ahqaf). Abd Allah ibn Mas‘ud narrates another tradition: ‘Once the Prophet (peace be on him) told his Companions in Makkah: “Who among you will accompany me to meet the jinn?” I expressed my desire to accompany him. While we reached the upper region of Makkah, he drew a line and directed me not to cross it. He went beyond that and started reciting the Qur’an. I saw many people surrounding him.’ (Tabari, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-Ahqaf 46: 29, Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwah, Jimi’ Abwab al-Mab‘ath, Bab Dhikr Islam al-Jinn wa ma Zahara ft Dhalika min Ayat al-Mustafa Salla Allah ‘alayhi wa Sallam and; Abu Na‘aym al-Isfahani, Dala’il al-Nubuwah, Kitab ma Zahara min al-Ayat fi Makhrijihi ila al-Madinah wa fi al-Tariq, Bab Ma Ruwiya fi Iltiqa’ihim bi Rasul Allah Salla Allah ‘alayhi wa Sallam.) , On another occasion while ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘tid accompanied the Prophet (peace be on him), the latter decided a case involving the jinn at Hajun, near Makkah. Many years after this incident, when ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘tid saw some people in Kufah, he remarked that they resembled the jinn whom he had seen at Hajun. (Tabari, Tafsir, comment Surah al-Ahkaf 46: 29.)

36. It is likely that this part of the verse is a statement made by the jinn. Or it might be a remark by God. The latter, however, seems more plausible.

37. The Prophet (peace be on. him) is directed to bear, like other Messengers, with the indifference, opposition and resistance of his people.

He should keep on working tirelessly for the cause of his mission. He should not expect people to embrace faith immediately or think that in case of their not believing God will send down His punishment upon them overnight.