1. It is evident from the statements of 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas and other Companions and Successors that in this war between the Roman and Persian Empires, the Muslims' sympathies lay with the former whereas the Makkan unbelievers sympathised with the latter.

This was so for several reasons. First, the Persians had portrayed this war as a war between Zoroastrianism and Christianity. They were trying to use the war not only for territorial expansion, but also as a means to spread their faith. The letter that Khosrau wrote to Caesar after the conquest of Jerusalem carries this unmistakable note for he interpreted his victory as a proof of the truth of his faith, Zoroastrianism. Moreover, in substantive terms, Zoroastrianism bore some resemblance with the religion of the Makkan polytheists. Common to both was the rejection of monotheism. The Zoroastrians believed in a duality of gods and worshipped fire. The Makkan unbelievers, being polytheists, naturally felt a degree of affinity with the Zoroastrians.

At the other end of the spectrum were the Christians. Notwithstanding the polytheistic elements that might have penetrated their religious beliefs and practices in the course of time, in principle they subscribed to God's unity and considered it to be the quintessence of the true faith. They also believed in the Hereafter and regarded revelation and prophecy as the main source of guidance. Thus, the core of their belief system resembled the Islamic faith. The Muslims, therefore, had a natural sympathy for the monotheistic Christians and an uncomfortable distaste for the Zoroastrian polytheists.

The second reason why the Muslims had a certain sympathy with the Christians had to do with the fact that the adherents of every Prophet are reckoned as Muslims until a new Prophet is raised. However, if they reject the new Prophet after receiving his message, they are no longer considered believers. (See Towards Understanding the Qur'an, Vol. VII, al- Qaşaş 28: n. 73, pp. 229-232.) it was some five or six years after the Prophet Muhammad's advent that the Romans suffered their defeat at the hands of the Persians. By then, the Prophet's message had not found its way beyond the confines of Arabia. The Muslims, therefore, did not consider the Christians as unbelievers. Their attitude towards them though was distinct from that they held towards the Jews whom they counted as unbelievers for their rejection of Jesus's Prophethood.

The third reason behind this solicitude for the Christians can be attributed to the kind and sympathetic treatment the Muslims received from them during the early days of Islam, as mentioned in al-Qaşaş 28:52-55 and al-Ma'idah 5:82-85. Not only that, but quite a number of Christians had begun to accept Islam with open hearts. The Muslims also had goodwill for the Christians because the Christian emperor of Abyssinia, Negus, had provided a safe haven for Muslim migrants to his realm and had rejected the Makkan unbelievers' demand that they be handed over to them.

2. The fact that the Persians gained a considerable victory did not at all mean that God was weak and had been overpowered. Nor did the subsequent victory of the Romans mean that God's dominion had thereby been restored. For sovereignty in any case belongs exclusively to God. It was God who had granted victory to one party earlier and later to the other. No one can gain the upper hand against anyone merely by dint of power alone. It is God Who ultimately decides who should rise and who should fall.

3. According to 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas, Abū Sa 'id al-Khudri, Sufyan al-Thawri, al-Suddi and others, the Romans' victory over the Persians coincided with the Muslims' victory over the Makkan polytheists in the Battle of Badr. (See Tafsir, comments on al-Rum 30:41-Ed.) The Muslims' rejoicing, therefore, was twofold. This is corroborated by both Persian and Roman records of the time. It was in 624 C.E. that the Battle of Badr took place and it was in the same year that Caesar razed the largest fire temple of the Zoroastrians to the ground and ravaged Zarathustra's birthplace.

4. There are myriad signs and evidences which confirm the imminence of the Hereafter. If the unbelievers disregard these signs - and there is no good reason for them to do so - they themselves are to blame. It is their own fault if they fix their gaze on the outward appearances of worldly life and become oblivious to what lies behind it and which is bound to overtake them. Such negligence is strange in view of the repeated warnings they received at God's behest.

5. This in itself is persuasive proof of the imminence of the Hereafter. Were the unbelievers only to reflect on themselves, they would have found convincing proofs that the Next Life will follow the present one. Man is, after all, distinguished from all other creatures by the following three features:

i. Innumerable objects on earth and its environs have been yoked to man's service and man has been vested with a wide range of abilities so that he can make use of these.

ii. Man has been granted freedom to choose his course in life. He is

free to believe or to disbelieve, to obey or to disobey, to do good or evil. He may opt for truth or falsehood, for right or wrong. But once he makes the choice, he is enabled, by the nature of things, to pursue his choice and, in so doing, can use the resources which God has created regardless of whether he wants to use them in obeying God or disobeying Him.

iii. Man has been inherently endowed with moral consciousness. Thanks to this, he instinctively differentiates between voluntary and involuntary acts and judges some voluntary acts to be good and others to be evil. He also concludes that good acts merit reward and evil acts merit punishment.

These innate traits indicate that at some point in time man should be called to account; that he should be asked how he used the abilities, power and authority that were granted to him in the world and how he exercised his free-will to choose between good and evil. These traits also require that man's voluntary acts should be appraised and that he should be rewarded or punished for his good and bad acts respectively. It is also evident that the appraisal of man's performance is possible only after the term granted to him to act comes to an end. Furthermore, this can only happen when the actions of not just one individual or nation, but of all human beings, come to a final end. This, because an individual's death or even the disappearance of a whole nation does not bring about an end to the total effects of a person's actions. In fact, all the good and evil effects of a person's actions should be taken into account when passing the final judgement on him. For until the full impact of a person's actions materialise, how can he be judged and requited in keeping with the strict requirements of justice?

Thus, man's own being and the position he enjoys in this world require that there should be an Afterlife in which everyone will be judged in the light of his life's record and be recompensed in accordance with his performance.

6. Two additional arguments in support of the Hereafter are adduced in this verse. If man looks carefully at the order of the Universe external to himself, the following two facts emerge:

i. This Universe has been created in truth. It is not a child's play crafted for the mere fun of it. Creation did not take place for sheer amusement. The Universe is not a child's play house of sand or clay devoid of any serious meaning and purpose, a play house about which it could be said that it would be all the same whether it was made or destroyed. On the contrary, the Universe is characterised by the prevalence of an order actuated with profound purpose. Every atom of the Universe bears witness that it has been created for a definite end, that a well-defined law permeates all its objects, and that everything in it serves a definite purpose.

This is evident from the whole gamut of human culture and economy and the entire accumulation of human knowledge and expertise. Man has been able to make advancements in various domains only after identifying the laws of nature that govern the operation and purpose of everything. Had he been a mere puppet in this vast yet meaningless spectacle, no advancement could have been accomplished either in the domains of science, culture or civilisation. Given this, how can the unbelievers entertain the preposterous notion that God created man without any purpose? How can anyone be led to such a belief when it is evident that the All-Wise God ingrained a sense of purpose in the whole of creation and also equipped man with the highest intellectual and physical faculties? Moreover, God has imbued man with a moral sense, has granted him free-will, and has placed innumerable objects and forces of the Universe at his disposal. How is it even conceivable that God would do all this and yet endow man's existence with no purpose? How can it stand to reason that man, after doing much that is good or evil, just or unjust, and right or wrong, will simply be reduced to dust after he dies without facing the consequences for any of his deeds? The fact is that man's every action affects the lives of thousands upon thousands of human beings like himself as well as upon innumerable objects in the Universe. How is it possible that no sooner than a person dies the whole record of his deeds will be reduced to naught without him bearing any responsibility for them?

ii. Another fact that becomes evident by studying the order of the Universe is that nothing in it is everlasting. There is an appointed term for everyone and everything. Upon the expiry of that term, it comes to an end. The same holds true for the Universe as a whole. All the forces that are at work in it are finite. At a given point in time, all of them will finish and the present order will cease.

In the past, owing to lack of knowledge some people were taken in by the contentions of those philosophers and scientists who claimed that this world neither had a beginning nor an end. However, modern science has almost definitively cast its vote in favour of the position of those who believe that the world will some day come to an end. It has, thus, resolved the long drawn-out debate between atheists and theists regarding whether this Universe has existed from eternity or was created in time. Atheists can no longer invoke reason and logic to claim that the world has always been and will always be.

The contention of the materialists of ancient times rested on the notion that matter is imperishable and that it only changes its form, that the total quantum of it always remains the same. Consistent with this notion, it was held that this material world is without a beginning and an end. The discovery of atomic energy has dealt a severe blow to this. It is now fairly clear that there is a permanent nexus between matter and energy. Matter changes into energy, and vice versa, and neither retains a fixed form or structure. The second law of thermodynamics has demonstrated that this material world has neither always been nor will always be; it necessarily had a beginning in time and at some point is bound to end. One can, therefore, no longer invoke science to deny the Afterlife. That being the position, it is obvious that philosophy, unsupported by science, is in no position to deny Afterlife.

7. The unbelievers reject the idea that after death they will have to return to and stand before their Lord for His judgement.

8. This argument in support of the Hereafter is drawn from history. Throughout history a large number of people denied the notion of the Hereafter. There have been a very large number of people, in fact whole nations, who either denied the Hereafter or altogether disregarded it. There have also been others who fabricated totally false notions about it, seeking to reduce it to an absurdity.

It is noteworthy, however, that all through history whenever the Hereafter was denied it always led to moral corruption. It made people consider themselves as devoid of all responsibility, thus making them unfettered brutes. They intermittently committed evil and brazenly perpetrated injustice and oppression. It was this which inexorably led many nations to be decimated. Does this lesson from history down the ages not prove that the Afterlife is an incontrovertible reality, a reality whose denial entails disastrous consequences for mankind? Man was persuaded to accept the law of gravity because he has invariably observed material objects gravitate to the earth. Likewise, man has considered poison to be fatal because he has witnessed its deadly effect. By the same token, when it is a proven fact that the rejection of the Afterlife has always led to man's moral impairment, this should be a sufficient basis to affirm belief in the Afterlife and to conclude that man cannot live a wholesome life without believing in it.

9. The Qur'ānic expression “athārū al-arḍ” may refer to a range of activities such as ploughing farms, digging the earth to draw subterranean water, constructing over ground and subterranean canals, and mining, etc.

10. This is a rejoinder to those who regard the material prosperity of a community as proof of the rectitude of its behaviour. Such people contend that it is absolutely inconceivable that God would make those who had been conspicuously successful in the world, who had skilfully exploited natural resources on a wide scale, carried out massive construction works, and established a glorious civilisation the fodder of Hell-fire. The Qur'ānic view on the issue, however, is that these constructive tasks were also accomplished by many communities in the past. Now, it is common knowledge that those communities, which had once boasted flourishing cultures and civilisations, were destroyed by God's scourge and all their architectural accomplishments razed to the ground. Divine scourge seized those nations that had attained material prosperity but that had done so without adhering to right beliefs and following the norms of good conduct. This is how God's Law of Retribution operates in the world. Such being the case, how can wicked people escape God's Retribution in the World-to-Come?

11. The Messengers brought with them Clear Signs that were sufficient to establish their veracity. Mention of the advent of Messengers in this context means, on the one hand, that evidence for the Afterlife is found in man's own being, in the workings of the Universe, and in the record of human history. On the other hand, God's Messengers were raised in succession and were endowed with those Signs and miracles which confirmed their Prophethood. They too warned mankind of the impending Afterlife.

12. When these communities failed to respond to the call of the Messengers who came to them with Clear Signs from God, they were utterly destroyed. This was certainly not an act of God's injustice and cruelty to them; rather, it is these communities themselves that had invited destruction upon themselves. If an individual or a community does not see reason and pays no heed to the admonitions of those who sincerely warn and counsel them to follow the Straight Way, it is not God but they themselves who are to blame for the disastrous end that overtakes them. This, because God has made true guidance available to mankind through His Books and Prophets. Additionally, He has endowed man with knowledge and intellect wherewith he can ascertain the soundness of the knowledge imparted by the Prophets and Scriptures. Had God not made such guidance available to mankind or had He not endowed man with these capacities, there would have been at least some basis to aver that God had engaged in wrong-doing.

13. This statement is couched in terms of an assertion. However, the assertion is also inclusive of its supportive argument. For common sense requires that He Who was able to bring all His creatures into existence in the first instance will definitely be able to recreate them. The initial act of creation is obviously a fact that is recognised by all. In fact, even the unbelievers and polytheists acknowledge this to be God's act, the act of the Supreme Deity. It would be absolutely puerile, then, to contend that God, Who in their own belief is the initial Creator of all, lacks the power to recreate them.

14. That is, the Hour when everyone will be returned to God to face His reckoning.

15. The verb used here is derived from the verbal noun iblās which denotes puzzlement caused by the shock of grief, utter perplexity in the face of total despair, bewilderment at the inability to explain one's conduct. When this verb is used in the context of a culprit, it brings out the image of a criminal caught red-handed. Such is his predicament that there is no way for him either to flee or to obtain his release by satisfactorily explaining his conduct. He is thus left speechless in a state of utter despair and quandary.

It would be pertinent to clarify at this stage what is meant by the word mujrimun (criminals). The significance of this term is not confined to those who are guilty of murder, theft, robbery and other crimes of the kind. The term also applies to those who are guilty of rebellion against God, who disown the teachings and guidance of His Messengers, who deny or are heedless of accountability in the Next Life, who serve others rather than the One True God, and who worship their own carnal desires. Such people are criminals in God's sight regardless of whether their basically erroneous attitude is combined with what is designated in common parlance as "crime" or not. The term "criminals" is also applicable to those who, despite affirming belief in God, in the Messengers, and in the Hereafter, deliberately disobey God and persist in this disobedience till their very last breath.

16. Three types of beings are usually associated with God in His Divinity. To the first category belong angels, Prophets, saints, martyrs and pious people whom the polytheists invest with Divine attributes, and for whom they consecrate worship rituals. On the Day of Judgement, these beings will plainly tell their devotees that the latter had engaged in polytheistic acts without the consent of the objects themselves; rather, that they had done so in violation of their teachings. They will thus disown them altogether. They will also make it quite clear that they will not intercede with God on their behalf.

The second category is comprised of objects that are devoid of consciousness or even life - the sun, the moon, the planets, trees, stones and animals. Polytheists elevated these objects to Godhead, worshipped them, and addressed prayers to them. Those objects, however, are totally unaware that human beings, whom God designated as His vicegerent, are engaged in such adoration. As things stand, none of these objects will be in a position to intercede with God on behalf of their devotees in the Next Life. The third category consists of those who are notorious for their evil, those who exerted their efforts, had recourse to deception, falsehood and trickery and did not shrink from using force in order to make God's creatures serve and worship them. These include Satan, false religious leaders and tyrannical and oppressive rulers. In the Next Life they will be absolutely helpless; in fact, they will face severe reckoning and punishment. They will be in no position to speak on behalf of their devotees. If anything, they will rather seek to save themselves or secure relief for themselves by pleading that their devotees were responsible for the crimes that they committed, and that they should not be taken to task for their devotees' waywardness. In sum, on the Day of Judgement the polytheists will receive no help from any quarter.

17. On the Day of Judgement, the polytheists will confess their mistake of associating others with God in His Divinity. It will then be quite evident to them that their false gods do not even have the least share in Divinity.

They will thus disown in the Next World the very polytheism to which they obdurately cling in the present world.

18. All collective entities that have held people together in the world- entities based on an affinity to a common nation, race, homeland, language, tribe, vocation or community of economic and political interests -- will dissolve on the Day of Judgement. Human beings will then be grouped together afresh in consideration of their faith and conduct alone. To one group will belong pious believers from all nations down the ages. The other group will comprise all those who held on to a variety of erroneous beliefs and a whole range of erroneous behaviour. Islam recognises only one legitimate basis for distinguishing between people - their beliefs and their conduct. It recognises this as the primary reason for considering a group of people to belong to one collectivity as distinct from the other in this world as well as in the Next. The votaries of Ignorance, however, vehemently disagree with this view.

From the Islamic viewpoint, faith and morals constitute the core that unifies or divides some people from others. All those who embrace the true faith and seek to mould their lives in accordance with God's Guidance constitute a single community, no matter to which part of the globe they belong. Likewise, those who reject the true faith and disobey God constitute another community, regardless of the territory or race to which they belong.

These two communities are distinct from each other; they cannot be a common entity. The members of these two entities neither have a common way of life in this world nor will they encounter the same end in the Hereafter. Their paths as well as their destiny are different from this world to the Next. However, the devotees of Ignorance have insisted throughout history, as they do now, that human beings should be grouped together on the basis of their affinity to race, country or language. All those who share such commonalities should be considered as one collective entity irrespective of their creed as against people belonging to other collective entities. Such an entity then should have a common pattern of life that is able to accommodate the devotees of the One True. God and the polytheists as well as those who do not believe in God and all under one umbrella.

This was also the view entertained at the time of the Prophet (peace be on him) by people like Abū Jahl and Abu Lahab and the chiefs of the Quraysh. Hence why they reproached the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), contending that he had created division in the ranks of their people. By way of response, the Qur'an makes it clear that in the Hereafter all false entities that had come into vogue in this world will be dissolved and people will ultimately be grouped together according to their creed and worldview, their character and conduct. This is what Islam seeks to accomplish. The premise being that the ways of life of those who will ultimately have different ends cannot be the same in this world.

19. Here the glory and splendour of the Garden are emphasised. Since this Garden is mentioned as a reward from God, it is not to be interpreted literally to mean that there will only be one Garden in the Next World. Instead, what is really intended by the expression "a Garden" is the unique value of what people will receive as reward - a Garden that will simply make them feel ecstatic with joy.

20. The Qur'anic expression yuḥbarun encompasses elements of happiness, delight, honour, glory and veneration. Thus, those who will be placed in Paradise will be shown honour, they will be happy and jubilant, and will enjoy all kinds of joy and delight.

21. It is noteworthy that belief is bracketed with acting righteously, and those who possess both are promised immense reward on that account (see v. 15). However, while speaking of the terrible consequences of disbelief, no reference has been made to evil deeds ensuing from it (see v. 16). This indicates that disbelieving will suffice to wreck one's ultimate end, whether one commits other misdeeds along with it or not.

22. Use of the word fa ("so") in the verse signifies the following: they have now come to know that belief coupled with righteous action leads to one kind of end and disbelieving and decrying the true faith as false to another. This should make them glorify God both in the evening and in the morning.

Use of the word fa ("so") also has another significance. The unbelievers dismissed the Hereafter as something improbable. In so doing they perceived God as One devoid of absolute power, as One unable to enforce His will. The believers are being told that the way to undermine this false notion is to celebrate God's glory and proclaim that He is free from every weakness. This directive is addressed to the Prophet (peace be on him) and through him to all believers.

23. To glorify God encompasses the declaration that He is above and beyond all the shortcomings, defects and weaknesses which the polytheists attribute to Him; this because of their adherence to polytheism and their denial of the Hereafter.

The best way to glorify God is to observe Prayer. For this reason 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, Ibn Zayd and some other Qur'ānic scholars maintain that the celebration of God's glory in this verse means to observe Prayer. This interpretation is borne out by the Qur'anic text itself. For the verse specifies certain hours to celebrate God's glory. Had the intention been merely to state the principle that the believers should look upon God as absolutely perfect and free from every weakness and imperfection, that would not have called for prescribing morning, evening, afternoon and when the sun begins to decline as the scheduled times to celebrate His glory. For evidently to hold on to the belief that God is free from every imperfection and weakness, it would make little sense to tie it with morning, evening, afternoon and with the time when the sun begins to decline. As the verse links glorifying God with these appointed hours the unmistakable reference here is to a definite form in which this act is required to be performed and that can be none other than Prayer.

24. The verse makes a pointed reference to the appointed times of four Prayers that ought to be performed - Fajr, Maghrib, 'Aşr and Zuhr. Additional allusions to times of Prayers have been made in the following Qur'ānic verses: "Establish Prayer from the declining of the sun to the darkness of the night; and hold fast to the recitation of the Qur'an at dawn", (Surah Bani Isrā'il 17:78). "Establish the Prayer at the two ends of the day and in the first hours of the night", (Hud 11:114). "Glorify your Lord, praising Him before sunrise and before sunset, and glorify Him in the watches of the night and at the ends of the day", (Tā Hā 20:130).

Of these, the verse in Banī Isrā'īl (17:78) indicates the time of Maghrib Prayer: "from the declining of the sun to the darkness of the night; and hold fast to the recitation of the Qur'an at dawn". It also indicates the time of Fajr Prayer. Hud 11:114 speaks of Fajr, Maghrib and 'Isha' Prayers while the verse Ta Ha 20:130, refers to the appointed hours of Fajr and 'Aşr Prayers. As to the Prayers "in the watches of the night", they obviously refer to Maghrib and 'Isha' Prayers. The three ends of the day are dawn, noon and sunset which allude to the appointed times of Fajr, Zuhr and Maghrib Prayers.

Thus the Qur'an alludes to the times of all five Prayers that Muslims offer every day the world over. However, it is obvious that were a person to merely read the above Qur'anic passages, it would not be possible for him to precisely fix the time of these five Prayers unless he were to look to the words and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), whom God raised as the teacher of the Qur'an. By his precept and practice, he further explained and elucidated the appointed times of the five daily Prayers. (For further information see Țabari, Tafsir, comments on al-Rum 30:17-Ed.)

Let us pause here for a moment and consider the audacity of those who reject Hadith as unreliable. They make fun of the Prayers offered by Muslims, claiming that they are not at all what the Qur'an had commanded. They contend that offering Prayers is quite different from the Qur'ānic command "to establish Prayer[*] which, in their opinion, means establishing the system of Divine Providence* should this proposition be accepted. One might ask them: what kind of system is it that can be set up before sunrise or from sunset until early night or on Fridays? For the Qur'an pointedly asks that Friday Prayer be performed: "When the call is made to Prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah", (Al-Jumu'ah 62:9). If one were to accept the view that the establishment of Prayer means setting up a system of Divine Providence, it is inexplicable how such a system could be put into effect by washing one's face and hands up to the elbows and feet up to the ankles and wiping over one's head.

[*] Even though the author does not specifically mention the name of the group that expounded this view, it is quite obvious that he is referring here to Mr. Ghulam Ahmad Parwez (d. 1985) who expressed the ideas mentioned here in a great many of his writings but especially in the monthly journal Ţulu-i Islām.

It is significant that without this washing ritual, wuḍū', one cannot establish this system! We say so, because the Qur'an prescribes it as a precondition for Prayer: "When you stand up for Prayer, wash your faces and hands up to the elbows", (al-Ma'idah 5:6). Again, what is quite peculiar is that this system cannot be established if one is in a state of ritual defilement whereby one is obliged to take a bath before approaching "this system". "Do not draw near to the Prayer...while you are defiled until you have washed yourselves save when you are travelling", (al- Nisa' 4:43). Equally intriguing is the fact that if one has had "contact with women" and is unable to obtain water, one should strike one's hands on clean clay and wipe them over one's face so that one might establish this system! Just consider this verse: "If you have had contact with women and can find no water, then betake yourselves to pure earth, passing with it lightly over your face and your hands", (al-Nisa' 4:43). Moreover, were one to accept the above interpretation of establishing Prayer as meaning the establishment of the system of Divine Providence, it is quaint that one is required to establish only half of the system, if one is on a journey! "When you go forth journeying in the land, there is no blame on you if you shorten the Prayer", (al-Nisa' 4:101).

It is patently absurd, therefore, to construe the performance of Prayer to mean the establishment of some system. For, the ludicrous implication of this assumption would be that during warfare, half of the soldiers, with their weapons on their persons should remain engaged in establishing the system while the rest should take on the enemy! Then, after the former division of the army performs one prostration, while setting up this system, they should rise and resume fighting the enemy and the latter should replace them and start establishing the system behind the imam! Consider the following verse: "(O Messenger!) If you are among the believers and rise (in the state of war) to lead the Prayer for them, let a party of them stand with you to worship, keeping their arms. When they have prostrated, let them go behind you and let another party who have not yet prayed, pray with you, remaining on guard and keeping their arms", (al-Nisa' 4:102).

It is perfectly clear from all the relevant verses that wherever the expression "iqamat al-ṣalāh" (establishment of Prayer) is used in the Qur'an, the obvious meaning is the establishment of those same Prayers that Muslims observe across the world. However, it is evident that those who reject the Ḥadith, would fain change the meaning of the Qur'an rather than try to change themselves in keeping with the imperatives of the Book. It is not until one becomes altogether impudent and audacious with God that one can come up with such a funny view regarding Prayer. Only those who in their heart of hearts do not consider the Qur'an to be the Word of God can indulge in such preposterous statements. Such people are in fact only exploiting the name of the Qur'an to mislead others. (In this regard see also n. 50 below.)

25. Man is reminded here of some of God's acts such as bringing forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living and reviving the earth after it is dead (that is, after it has been rendered bereft of all signs of fertility). All these acts of God are observed by everyone day in and day out. How, then, can it even be conceived that God will be unable to revive man after he dies? Let us not forget that it is the same God Who makes living humans and animals regularly discharge waste matter which has apparently no sign of life. At the same time, He infuses life into dead matter and brings into existence countless living beings - animals, plants, and human beings - even though the constituents of which these living beings are composed are devoid of life. God also grants man the opportunity to constantly observe that barren patches of dead land are instantly revived by water and begin to pour out a luxuriant treasure of plant and animal life. Anyone who observes all this and still remains unconvinced that the Omnipotent God Who superintends the entire scheme of existence would be powerless to resurrect human beings after they die certainly suffers from intellectual blindness.

26. Verses 20-26 enumerate several Signs of God. These Signs, in the context of the foregoing, provide, on the one hand, evidence to establish that the Next Life is possible as well as imminent. On the other hand, these very Signs also corroborate that this Universe is neither devoid of God nor is there a plurality of gods. Instead, there is only One God Who is the sole Creator, Sovereign, Lord and Master of the Universe. As a corollary of this, He alone should be the object of man's worship and service.

27. Man is constituted of some lifeless elements such as traces of carbon, calcium and sodium. Yet that which has been produced from these elements is the wonderful being called man who is possessed of astonishing feeling, emotion, intellection and imagination. Now, none of these traits can be traced to the elements of which he is composed. It is obvious that the creation of man was not coincidental for he was endowed with reproductive power thanks to which billions upon billions of human beings have come into existence. These human beings essentially possess the same structure and endowments and myriad hereditary and individual characteristics. Does it stand to reason that this wonderful feat of creation was accomplished without the creative will of an All-Wise Creator? Or alternatively, can anyone in his right mind believe that the great scheme of man's creation could have been devised and executed and the innumerable forces of heaven and earth yoked to serve man's purposes by the will and power of a multiplicity of gods? Likewise, can anyone believe, unless his rationality has been impaired, that God, Who brought man into existence from nothing, will not have the power to recreate him after he dies?

28. In His immaculate wisdom, God divided mankind into two sexes. Members of both these sexes are identical in their humanity. The basic formula of their physical constitution is the same. And yet the two differ widely in certain aspects of their physical configuration, their mental and psychological characteristics, their emotional and psychic urges. At the same time, they complement each other, each serving as the other's couple. There is an astounding degree of complementarity between the two sexes in so far as the physical make-up, emotional characteristics, and the urges of each complete those of the other.

From the very beginning, God in His infinite wisdom has been creating the two in such proportion that each balances out the other. It has never happened-in no age and at no place - that only male or female children have been born. Also, everyone would agree that this phenomenon has nothing to do with any planning or effort on man's part. Nor does man have any role in the fact that males and females are endowed with features that make them complementary to each other. Nor does man have the power to regulate the proportion of male and female births ensuring thereby a degree of balance between the two. Nor would it make sense to regard the birth of billions upon billions of men and women over the ages in the manner mentioned above either as a mere coincidence or as the result of a common scheme devised and executed by a multiplicity of gods. What the phenomenon really indicates is that all this is thanks to the will of an All-Wise Creator, and of only One Creator. It is He Who in His immense wisdom and power initially created an exceedingly appropriate design of the male and the female and then ensured that innumerable males and innumerable females are brought into existence according to the same design with their respective characteristics, and roughly in a given proportion.

29. The arrangement we see around us is that men and women, thanks to their natural instincts, are attracted to one another and when a relationship is established between a male and a female that provides peace and contentment to both of them. This judicious arrangement is designed by God as a means of ensuring procreation of the human species on the one hand, and to bring human civilisation and culture into existence on the other. Had the two sexes been created with their respective varying characteristics the human race would possibly still have multiplied, as we find in the case of sheep and goats. Nevertheless, this multiplication of mankind would not have been productive of culture and civilisation. For it is noteworthy that, as contradistinguished from all animal species, man alone possesses culture and civilisation.

What accounts for this is that the Creator in His wisdom has infused into men and women a strong desire, a thirst, and an urge which draws each to the other. Such is their nature that they remain ill at ease unless a male and a female are unified in an intimate and abiding relationship. It is this thirst for gratification that prompts them to establish, by their mutual effort, a home, a family, and a tribe, which also gives rise to the emergence of society, culture and civilisation. These achievements doubtlessly owe themselves to the mental faculties of the human species. Yet the driving force for these achievements was provided by the yearning of each sex for the other, a yearning that is ingrained in their nature which compels them to come together and establish a home. Is it credible that this consummate wisdom was merely an accidental product of the blind forces of nature? Or alternatively, is it credible that a multiplicity of gods sought to achieve this beneficial objective by bringing into being innumerable men and women all endowed with this mutual yearning? The fact is that this phenomenon has only one explanation, that it represents the wisdom of the One All-Wise God. This is far too evident to be denied by any except those who suffer from intellectual myopia.

30. The word mawaddah (love) used in the verse denotes sexual love, which is the primary factor that makes a male and a female gravitate towards one another and keeps them bonded together. As for the word rahmah (mercy), it refers to that spiritual relationship which gradually develops among them in the course of their matrimonial life. This is a relationship of cordial mutuality thanks to which the spouses become each other's true well-wishers and sincere co-sharers of each other's joy and sorrow. In fact there comes a time when the passionate ardour of sexual love is relegated to the background and these life-partners become, in their old age, all the more loving, caring and compassionate towards each other.

Love and mercy are thus the two positive forces which the Creator has ingrained in men and women in order to trigger that inherent discontent in them which prompts them to go for its resolution. As a result, they are drawn to each other. In time, these two forces lead to the establishment of a permanent companionship between a couple. Although each of the two might have been brought up in a totally different milieu, they become immensely close to each other and spend their lives in intimacy, rowing together their common boat on the turbulent waters of life. This love and mercy, which have been experienced by millions of human beings in their lives, are not material objects that can be subjected to

weight and measure. Nor can their sources be traced to any of the chemical constituents of which the human body is composed, nor can any laboratory determine how love and compassion come into existence and grow. The only explanation for their existence and growth is that they were judiciously instilled in human nature by the All-Wise Creator for some specific purpose.

31. The heavens and the earth were created ex nihilo and were made to function according to an inexorable scheme in which innumerable forces are operating in a state of utter mutual harmony and equilibrium. This definitely indicates that the whole Universe was created and is controlled by a Creator Who is absolutely One.

There is much in the Universe that calls for reflection. In the first place, one ought to reflect on what the source of primary energy was that assumed the form of matter, and how matter split into a multiplicity of elements. Moreover, these elements were made parts of a system that is characterised by amazing balance and equilibrium, giving rise to an awe- inspiring cosmic order that has been in operation for billions of years.

If one considers all this without intellectual bias, one is bound to conclude that this wondrous order could never be the product of mere chance or accident. At the same time, we also see that the entire Universe, from the earth to the most distant planets, is made up of the same elements and is governed by the same laws of nature. It is obvious that anyone who is not utterly tainted by obstinacy is bound to recognise that all this could not have been possible had there been a multiplicity of gods. What has made all this possible is that there is only One God, Who is the Creator and Lord of the entire Universe.

32. Although all human beings have been endowed with the same organs of speech, there being no difference in the structure of their tongues or brains, they speak different languages in different parts of the world. Not only this but even speakers of the same language have different dialects which vary from town to town and region to region. Furthermore, each person has a distinct accent and pronunciation and a mannerism of speech that is markedly different from others. In like manner, even though all human beings were created from an identical semen and according to an identical formula of creation, they all differ widely in their complexion. Even offspring of the same parents carry different hues, let alone the fact that different communities are characterised by a variety of complexions.

The Qur'an mentions variations in language and complexion only for illustrative purposes. Going further along the same line, one observes a mind-boggling variation of different kinds throughout the world. These variations are simply too numerous to be fully spelled out here. Notwithstanding the essential sameness in human beings, animals and plants within their respective species, they differ vastly. Not even one member of a species is quite like any other of the same species, so much so that even two leaves of the same tree are not quite identical.

It is thus fairly clear that the different objects of this world have not been produced by automatic machines geared to mass manufacturing of identical products. On the contrary, the world clearly indicates the role of the All-Powerful Maker and Designer Who pays attention to each and every product, investing each with a unique design and distinctive features, proportions, and traits. As a result, every creation of God is unique in its own right. God's inexhaustible inventiveness accounts for the production of ever new models. It is out of sync with His creative power to repeat any product of His own creation. Anyone who carefully observes the phenomenon of creation can never succumb to the delusion that the Creator, having brought the present cosmic order into being, has withdrawn Himself from His overlordship and into His sleeping chamber. On the contrary, he is bound to conclude that the Creator is ever engaged in His creative task, paying special attention to each and every piece of His creation.

33. The expression "seeking His Bounty" signifies man's effort to seek his livelihood. Man usually sleeps at night and strives during the day to earn his bread. This, however, is not to be taken strictly as a universal rule. For many people indeed sleep during the day and are engaged in seeking their livelihood at night. Significantly, the verse mentions day and night together, implying that man takes rest and earns his bread both by night and day.

The earning of one's livelihood is yet another manifestation of the All-Wise Creator's Providence. It not only shows His creative power but also His immense mercy and compassion for His creatures. It is evident that He cares for and is benevolently concerned with providing for man's needs and for all that is conducive to His well-being far more than man can care for himself. Let us consider some examples: man has been so constituted that he cannot work continually all the time without interruption. After working for several hours he needs a few hours of rest and relaxation to refresh himself enabling him to resume work for a few more hours.

In order to make this possible God has created in man the disposition to become fatigued and exhausted, which is followed by the urge to take rest. That is not all however. God has also ingrained in man's being the powerful urge to sleep, an urge that involuntarily seizes him after he has remained awake and has exerted himself for a few hours. In fact, this urge to sleep is so powerful that it overpowers man despite his efforts to resist it, forcing him even involuntarily to take a few hours' rest. Once he has taken a rest and is refreshed, his sleep automatically comes to an end.

Man has not yet been able to fathom the nature of sleep and the factors inducing it. All we know about it is that it is innate in human nature, that it is a part of his physiological make-up. The fact that it perfectly attends to man's needs testifies to the fact that it is not merely accidental; rather, it is part of a well thought out scheme devised by the All-Wise Creator. The purposiveness and wisdom underlying it are unmistakable. The phenomenon of sleep also indicates that He Who has ingrained it into the human body certainly cares for man's well-being even more than man himself. For it is possible that had the urge to sleep not been so overpowering, man might have worked continuously and incessantly at the cost of his rest, causing incalculable harm to the life-energy with which he has been endowed.

As for the expression "seeking Allah's Bounty", this points to another genre of Signs. Man's search for livelihood would have been futile had the forces of the Universe not been geared to producing the means of such livelihood, and had man's livelihood not been made readily available. God not only took care of all this, but also bestowed upon man the bodily organs and other physical and mental capacities suitable for seeking his livelihood. Thus, the ability within man to seek his livelihood and the availability of livelihood outside him clearly point to the existence of God Who is Compassionate, Benevolent and Generous to His creatures. Unless a person is puerile it would be hard to consider all this to be merely the outcome of a fortuitous combination of circumstances, or the outcome of the will of a plurality of gods, or that these acts of bounteous generosity owe themselves to some blind, senseless, impersonal force.

34. Thunder and lightning give rise to the hope of rainfall, which in turn helps to produce crops. At the same time, these natural phenomena also evoke dread lest lightning or a thunderstorm cause wide-scale destruction.

35. On the one hand, rainfall indicates that death will be followed by Resurrection. On the other hand, it also indicates that it is the One True God Who manages the affairs of the heavens and the earth. The sustenance of countless earthly creatures rests on the produce of the earth. This, in turn, is contingent upon the fertility of the soil, which depends on rain which might fall directly on earth and accumulate in the form of water reservoirs, or in the form of underground springs, or wells by penetrating the recesses of the earth, or it may assume the form of rivers as a result of snow and ice melting from mountain tops. As for rainfall, it is caused by a number of factors - sunlight, climatic variations, atmospheric temperatures, movements of the wind, and lightning, which causes the clouds to make the rain fall and adds to it a natural fertilizing element.

It is noteworthy that there is perfect equilibrium and harmony among these myriad objects right from the sky down to the earth and that all these objects are geared to innumerable and varied purposes. It is also noteworthy that the equilibrium and harmony obtaining among these numerous objects have been there all along for millions of years. Evidently this cannot be merely accidental. Does it stand to reason that all this is possible without the most careful planning of a Creator possessed of absolute wisdom and power? Does this not conclusively prove that the Creator of the earth, of the sun, of water, of heat and cold, and of all the creatures on earth is the same One True God?

36. Not only have the sky and the earth come into existence by God's command, but the continuity of their existence also owes itself to His command. But for His command, the whole order of things would have come crashing down within a moment.

37. It is not at all difficult for Him Who created and thereafter manages the affairs of the Universe to resurrect human beings after they die. In order to do so, He will not have to make any elaborate preparations. A single command from Him will suffice to raise to life, from all parts of earth, all those who were ever born and thereafter suffered death.

38. If creation in the first instance was not difficult for God, then why should it be difficult for Him to repeat it? The act of God's creation is before all to see. Evidently, the initial act of creation was not at all difficult for Him. So common sense itself requires that it should be easier for Him to recreate those whom He created once before.

39. The Qur'anic discourse up until this point covers the twin subjects of affirming God's unity and the Hereafter. The Signs invoked in the preceding verses also contain evidence to corroborate God's unity. They also indicate that the Afterlife cannot be brushed aside as beyond the range of the possible. From now on until the end of the surah the discourse focuses on only one subject - an affirmation of God's unity.

40. The polytheists recognised that God is the Creator and Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything therein. In spite of this, they ascribed Divinity to some of God's creatures, declaring them to be associates in His Divinity. They addressed their prayers to these so- called partners, made offerings to them, and took them as their objects of worship.

We have some idea of the Arabian polytheists' belief about these so-called partners of God by the words they used to utter while circumambulating the Ka'bah: "Here we are, O Allah, here we are. You have none as partner except the Partner Who is Yours, he whom You own along with all his possessions." (See Sulayman b. Ahmad al-Tabarānī, al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, II edn., Mosul: Maktabat al-'Ulum wa al-Hikam, 1401/1982, traditions 12348 and 12883 - Ed.)

In the present verse God refutes this brand of polytheism precisely. The purpose of this parable is to highlight the self-contradiction to which the polytheists had fallen prey. On the one hand, they believed that those human beings who had accidentally become their slaves could not be regarded as co-sharers of their properties. On the other hand, they believed that God had made some of His own creatures partners in His Godhead. They should better see reason before entertaining such silly notions. (For further elaboration of this point see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, Vol. IV, al-Naḥl 16: n. 62, pp. 344-346.)

41. When a man neither exercises his own reason and common sense nor is prepared to give heed to the advice of others, God places a curse on his ability to think straight. After that, whatever ordinarily enables a rational being to arrive at the truth, increasingly drives that obstinate lover of falsehood towards the mire of error. This is the state which has been described by saying: "But the wrong-doers follow their desires without any knowledge. Who, then, can show him the way whom Allah lets go astray?" When a person is disposed to the Truth and seeks God's Guidance, God facilitates his quest commensurate with the extent of his quest's genuineness. By the same token, when a person is disposed to error and insists on following such a course, God grants him the means whereby he might progressively pursue that path. This increasingly drives him away from the Truth.

42. The use of fa ("so") here implies that since the truth had been conclusively established and it had become evident to them that God alone is the sole Creator, Master and Lord of the Universe and mankind, it follows that they should turn exclusively to Him in devotion.

43. This refers to the True Faith which the Qur'an expounds, one whose core is to consecrate one's service, worship and obedience for God alone, recognising none as an associate in His Divinity, His sovereign authority or His claims against His creatures. This is the faith that requires man to voluntarily commit himself to follow God's guidance and law in all aspects of his life.

...[T]urning one's face single-mindedly to Allah" implies that after one decides to submit to God, one may not turn one's face in any other direction. Once a person decides to follow this course in his life, he should not pay even scant attention to any other way of life. Once a person has opted for Islam, it should guide his thinking, his likes and dislikes. His values and standards should be derived from Islam, his character and conduct too should bear Islam's stamp, and both his individual and collective life should be subservient to it.

45. All human beings have been created with that true innate nature which prompts them to believe that the One True God alone is the Creator, the Lord and the only object of worship and obedience, requiring them to adhere to that attitude. Should they decide to consider themselves invested with sovereign authority, they would be deviating from their true nature. Likewise, should they decide to submit to the authority of any other than the One True God, they would again be deviating from the true nature with which they were born.

This truth has been elucidated in several traditions narrated from the Prophet (peace be on him). According to both Bukhārī and Muslim, the Prophet (peace be on him) said: "There is no child but is born on his true nature, and then his parents either make him into a Christian or a Jew or a Magian. This is like what happens with an animal who begets an animal with a whole, sound body [and subsequently people slit their ears]. Do you see any born with slit ears?" (See Muslim, K. al-Qadar, Bab: Ma'nä kullu Mawlūd yūladu ‘alä al-Fiṭrah. See also Bukhārī, K. al-Janā'iz, Bāb: Idhā aslama al-Ṣabī fa māta hal yuṣallā ‘alayh – Ed.) (It may be noted that the pre-Islamic pagans of Arabia used to slit the ears of new-born animals because of some polytheistic superstition.)

According to another tradition, narrated by Aḥmad ibn Hanbal and Nasa'i, the Muslims killed a large number of their enemies in a battle, including children. On learning this, the Prophet (peace be on him) was infuriated and said: "What happened to people today that they exceeded all limits in killing so much that they even killed children?" Thereupon someone pointed out that those killed were, after all, the children of polytheists. The Prophet (peace be on him) replied: "The best among you are the children of polytheists. Every living being is born with a true nature until he starts speaking and then his parents turn him into a Jew or a Christian." (See Aḥmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 3, p. 435 and Nasā'ī, al-Sunan al-Kubra, Beirut: Där al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyah, 1411/1991, ḥadīth 8616, Muslim, K. al-Jannah wa Sifat Na'imihā Bāb: al-Sifat allati yu'arafu bihä fi al-Dunya ahl al-Jannah wa ahl al-Nar - Ed.)

Another tradition in Aḥmad ibn Hanbal's Musnad, which has been narrated on the authority of 'Iyad ibn Himār al-Mujāshi 'i, mentions that once during the course of his sermon the Prophet (peace be on him) said: "My Lord says: I created all of My servants as hanif (worshippers of the One True God alone). Then devils came to them and led them astray from their True Faith: they prohibited what I had made lawful and commanded them to associate others with Me in My Divinity for which I had sent down no sanction." (See Aḥmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 4, p. 162.)

46. God has appointed man to be His servant, having created mankind to serve Him exclusively. No matter what is done, it is impossible to alter the natural pattern inherent in man. Nor can man become anything else than God's servant, nor can any other person or object become his god because of the mere fact that someone has chosen that person or object to be so. Man may make as many deities as he pleases, but the inalterable fact remains that he is the servant of none but the One True God. Out of folly and ignorance, man may invest whomsoever he wishes with God's attributes and authority and regard whomsoever he wants as possessed of the power to make or mar his destiny. The fact is that neither anyone other than God is possessed of Divine attributes nor of the power to determine man's destiny.

As for the present verse, it can also be translated as follows: "Let there be no alteration in the mould fashioned by Allah"; that is, it is not proper for anyone to try to alter, let alone corrupt and distort man's natural mould.

47. That is, to adhere to the true nature on which human beings were created is the right and straight way for mankind.

48. To turn to God means the following: anyone who opts to act independently of God's directives and thus deviates from the path prescribed for him by God, or whoever betrays God by accepting to serve aught apart from the One True God, should give up that attitude and revert to serving God Whose born servant he is.

49. Man should dread the punishment which he will incur by acting independently of, or worshipping others besides God, despite the fact that it is God Who brought him into being. Man should, therefore, shun all attitudes that lead to God's wrath.

50. Turning to God and holding His wrath in awe are acts of the heart. In order that this state of heart might become manifest and be reinforced, one needs to engage in physical acts which indicate that one has truly returned to the service and worship of the One True God, One Who has no associates in His Divinity. The regular performance of these acts helps develop in man the state of returning to and fearing God. This is why soon after directing man to bring about an attitudinal change, God asks him to engage in an outward, physical act - the establishment of Prayer. As long as an idea is confined purely to the realm of the intellect, it lacks strength and stability. Such an idea might suffer dilution or might change altogether. However, as soon as a person begins to put that idea into effect, it takes root in his personality. Thereafter, as he persists in translating that idea into practice, its hold upon him is further consolidated and then a time comes when the dilution or change of that idea or belief becomes incrementally difficult.

Viewed in this context, the performance of the five daily Prayers at their stated times is the most effective means to develop God-consciousness and God-fearing. No other act is more effective for this purpose than regularly performing the five daily Prayers. These Prayers, as we know, are performed regularly after every few hours and are performed in one and the same form. Thanks to this, man rehearses over and over again, at short intervals, the Qur'an's teaching that man should believe in God and submit to Him in his day-to-day life. All this is repeated on a daily basis in order that man might not forget this imperative.

Observance of prayer also demonstrates to all - believers as well as unbelievers who has given up defiance of God and committed themselves to obeying Him. This is useful for believers in order that they might become a congregation and a community at the collective level and cooperate with one another in God's cause. Moreover, it also proves useful when any believer slackens in his devotion and others become aware of this in Prayer. This visible display of faith - observance of Prayer - is equally useful for unbelievers because this spectacle of people turning to God might awaken in them their dormant but inherently ingrained God- consciousness. However, even if they do not take heed, the devotional activities of believers are likely to inspire in them a sense of awe. For these purposes too the establishment of Prayer is highly useful.

It ought to be borne in mind that the directive to establish Prayer was given in that phase of the Makkan life of the Prophet (peace be on him) when there were no more than a handful of Muslims. Besides, these Muslims were at that time reeling under the most brutal oppression at the hands of the unbelieving Quraysh, which they continued to endure for the following nine years. At the time when the directive regarding Prayers was given, the possibility that Islam would become a state was hard even to imagine. Had the performance of Prayers been contingent on the existence of the Islamic state, as some ignoramuses have come to fancy, or had the establishment of Ṣalah meant the establishment of a system of Divine Providence as the rejecters of the Sunnahı claim, it would have been meaningless at this stage to order people to establish Prayer. One also wonders why the Prophet (peace be on him) and other Muslims carried out this command for nine more years of the Makkan period after its promulgation when no Islamic state was in existence.

51. This alludes to the fact that True Faith alone is compatible with man's inherent nature as stated earlier (see v. 30 above). Contrary to the speculation of those who have imaginatively weaved a whole philosophy of religion, the fact is that True Faith did not originate with polytheism and, thereafter, gradually evolve into monotheism. On the contrary, the polytheistic religions found in the world today are merely distorted versions of the true original faith centred on monotheism. Distortions crept into the religious domain because people added their innovations to the natural truths embodied in the original faith. Rather than adhere to the true original faith, they became enamoured of these innovations. Thanks to this, religious divisions emerged among mankind and every group turned into a new, distinct sect or community. The only way that now remains for those who care for true guidance is to return to that core truth, which was the foundation of the original True Faith, and to abjure all subsequent religious innovations. Any affinity with those who are responsible for distorting the True Faith will have a corrupting influence on one's own religious faith and practice.

52. This amply proves that in the depths of their hearts all testify to the truth of monotheism. Whenever faced with utter despair, their own inner voice tells them that the sovereignty of the One True God embraces the whole Universe and it is His help alone that can deliver them from distress.

53. However, once they are rescued from their distress by dint of God's mercy, they soon begin to make offerings to their false gods, claiming that it is because of the intercession or blessing of such and such a saint or of such and such a saint's resting place that they have been rescued from their distress.

54. The polytheists are asked to reveal the source of their information that aught other than God can rescue mankind from their suffering and distress. Is such a claim supported by reason? Or, does any Scripture indicate that God has delegated His powers to some other beings who can use them to benefit mankind?

55. The preceding verse reproaches man for his ignorance and ingratitude, whereas the present verse takes him to task for his meanness and puerility. When he acquires wealth, power and esteem and everything seems to be going well, he forgets that he owes all this to God. He tends to think of himself as one inherently possessed of extraordinary qualities, which make him worthy of whatever he has come to possess and of which others remain deprived. Such delusions intoxicate him with arrogance and hauteur with the result that he neither pays any heed to God nor to God's creatures. However, no sooner than his success begins to fade, does he feel totally shattered and despondent. Driven by frustration, he feels no qualms in committing the most degrading acts, including suicide.

56. That is, the believers are capable of drawing the right lesson from noting the impact of unbelief and polytheism on the one hand, and of belief in God on man's conduct, on the other. Those who truly believe in God and regard Him alone as the sole Master of all resources of sustenance cannot stoop to the pettiness which often characterises the attitude of those who are oblivious of Him. When such people are granted plentiful sustenance, rather than becoming haughty and arrogant they are thankful to God. Acquisition of wealth generates in them an attitude of humility and generosity towards their fellow-beings and they do not flinch from spending their wealth - which in fact belongs to God - to please God. When such people are faced with straitened circumstances, even with starvation, they still remain patient, honest, trustworthy and dignified and always look forward to God's grace and bounty. Such moral loftiness cannot be displayed either by atheists or polytheists.

57. It is significant that here man is not being asked to give charity to near of kin, the needy and the wayfarer; instead, he is being asked to give them what is their due, to render them the right that he owes them. While giving charity the thought that he is doing a favour to someone should not even cross his mind. Nor should he entertain the illusion that his wealth has made him a superior being who is lavishing benefactions on the lowly and the contemptible. Instead, he should be fully cognisant of the fact that if God, the True Owner of all wealth, has granted him a little more wealth than others then these others who have been granted less have a right over his additional wealth. This additional wealth has, in fact, been entrusted to him so that His Lord might test him and see whether he is cognisant of the rights of others or not.

Anyone who reflects on this Divine directive, and on the spirit underlying it, cannot fail to note that the course of man's moral and spiritual growth prescribed here assumes the existence of a free society and a free economy. The moral and spiritual growth envisaged here is simply inconceivable in a milieu wherein the right of individuals to own property has been abolished and the state has assumed proprietary rights over all resources, and the governmental machinery has taken over the responsibility of distributing income among people. Under such a system no one will be in a position to give anything to anyone as the latter's "due", nor will there be an occasion for anyone to have good-will for others on account of receiving any assistance from them.

The state of affairs we are talking about represents a patently communist economic system, which some people in our country are presently trying to promote under the deceptive euphemism of the Qur'ānic system of Divine Providence (Qur'ānī nizām-i rubūbīyat). These people arbitrarily claim that this system is based on the Qur'an although, in fact, it is diametrically opposed to the scheme of things envisaged by the Qur'an. This, because under such a system there remains no scope for the growth of the individual's morality or the refinement of human conduct.

The Qur'anic scheme of life can only come fully into force in a society where individuals have the right to own property and also have the freedom to use it, and yet they are willing to spend it of their own volition so as to sincerely discharge their obligations to God and to His creatures. It is only in such a social setting that it is possible for individuals to develop in themselves traits of sympathy and compassion, of altruism and sacrifice, of recognising the rights of others and having the will to render these to them. Again, it is only in such a social setting that those to whom any good is done will develop feelings of good-will and gratitude and a readiness to do similar good to those who have done good for them. In fact, it is possible that such a society might some day be able to achieve that ideal condition in which the prevention of evil and the promotion of good might not necessarily be contingent on the action of any coercive power. Instead, this might be realised by the members of that society by dint of their inner purity and good intention.

58. This does not mean that prosperity will be attained merely by fulfilling one's obligations to the poor, the wayfarer and near of kin and that nothing else needs to be done in that regard. In fact, what the verse stresses is that those who do not recognise these rights cannot prosper. Prosperity will be attained only by those who are cognisant of the rights of others and fulfil them, doing so solely in order to please God.

59. This is the first Qur'anic verse expressing disapproval of interest. The verse confines itself to stressing only one point - that those who pay interest do so under the impression that the excess they pay to the lender over and above the principal will increase the latter's wealth. Contrary to this, in God's sight, it is zakāh rather than interest that causes increase in wealth. Subsequently, when an injunction prohibiting interest was revealed during the Madinan period of the Prophet's life, the following addition was made: "Allah deprives interest of all blessing, whereas He blesses charity with growth", (al-Baqarah 2:276). (For subsequent injunctions on interest see Al 'Imrän 3:130 and al-Baqarah 2:275-281.)

Qur'ānic commentators offer the following two interpretations of the verse under discussion. According to one group, the word ribā here does not refer to the kind of interest that the Shari'ah has declared to be unlawful. Rather, here, the word ribā signifies the gift or present or donation given with the intention that its recipient give a greater amount in return, or render the benefactor some useful service; or it signifies the amount given in expectation that the recipient's prosperity will ultimately be of profit to the benefactor. This is the opinion of 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbās, Mujahid, Daḥhak, Qatādah, 'Ikrimah, Muḥammad ibn Kab al-Qurāzī and Shabi. Their interpretation presumably rests on the assumption that the verse simply states that this action will not register any increase of wealth in God's sight. Had the forbidden variety of interest been under discussion, the Qur'an would have specified that such an act would incur God's punishment. (See Ţabari, Tafsir, comments on al-Rüm 30:39 - Ed.)

The other group, however, considers this to be the very same interest that is expressly forbidden in the Shari'ah. This is the opinion of Ḥasan al-Baṣrī and al-Suddī. Ālūsī, too, subscribes to the same view and points out that the Arabic word riba is used specifically for this purpose. Nīsābūrī, another Qur'ānic commentator, endorses this view.

In our own opinion, too, the latter interpretation is the correct one. This, because the argument put forward by the first group is not sufficiently convincing to prove the point that here the word ribā should not be understood in its well-known sense. It is pertinent to note that Surah al- Rūm was revealed at a time when the Qur'an had not declared interest as prohibited. That declaration was made a few years later. We notice that the Qur'an, before declaring anything unlawful, prepares the ground for this, and takes some time in doing so. With regard to wine, for instance, it was first indicated in the Qur'an that it is not a "wholesome sustenance", (see al-Nahl 16:67). After a period of time, the Qur'an asserted that its evil is greater than its benefit (al-Baqarah 2:219). This was followed by the command that people may not draw near to Prayer when intoxicated (al- Nisa' 4:43). It was after all this preparatory work had been completed that wine was finally and categorically declared unlawful. As for the present verse, it confines itself to declaring that interest does not bring about any increase in wealth; rather, it is through zakāh that wealth increases manifold. Subsequently, compound interest was forbidden, (see Al 'Imrān 3:130). Thereafter, interest as such was finally outlawed in categorical terms (see al-Baqarah 2:275).

60. There is no upper limit to this multiplication of wealth. The greater a person's sincerity, spirit of sacrifice, and desire to seek God's good pleasure when he spends his wealth in God's cause, the greater will be his reward. Thus we find a tradition according to which the Prophet (peace be on him) said that if a person gives a single date in charity for God's sake, God can increase its reward to him manifold, so much so that it will become equal to Mount Uhud.

61. Once again, the themes of monotheism and the Hereafter are resumed in order to elucidate them to unbelievers and polytheists.

62. God has provided man with all varieties of sustenance on earth. Furthermore, He has devised a system whereby everyone receives some portion of this sustenance.

63. Those whom the unbelievers and polytheists associate with God in His Divinity have not created anything. Nor do they have any role in providing people with their sustenance nor do they have any control over their life and death, nor do they possess the power to resurrect the dead. One wonders, then, why they should have been set up as deities when they are so absolutely powerless.

64. This again refers to the war then raging between the Romans and the Persians which had enveloped the whole of the Middle East region. The word "deeds" in this verse signifies the wickedness and profligacy, and the injustice and tyranny which necessarily characterise the conduct of those who succumb to polytheism or atheism and who disregard the Hereafter. The verse says that "perhaps they will turn back (from evil)". The reason for so saying is that God makes people see the evil consequences of some, though not of all their deeds before they are face to face with the chastisement of the Hereafter. God does so in order that they might perceive the Truth, realise the falsity of their erroneous notions, and turn to true beliefs. It is to these beliefs that God's Prophets have always summoned mankind and they alone provide the right foundation for human character and conduct. This theme occurs in the Qur'an at several places. See, for instance, al-Tawbah 9:126; al-Ra'd 13:21; al-Sajdah 32:21 and al-Tur 52:47.

65. There was nothing unusual about the devastating war that was then raging between the Romans and the Persians. The history of ancient nations is replete with wars that left behind a tragic trail of devastation. The root of the evils that destroyed these earlier nations was polytheism and it is precisely this evil that people were being asked to abandon.

66. There is no way to avert the Day of Judgement: neither God Himself will avert it nor has He left any possibility for anyone else to do so.

67. This pithy observation encompasses all the harms that the unbelievers incur owing to their unbelief. No list of such harms, howsoever elaborate, can be as comprehensive as that embodied here in these few words.

68. That is, to herald the good tidings of rainfall.

69. Mention is made here of other kinds of winds, those that make it' possible for vessels to sail on water. In the past, the sailing of boats and ships depended largely on favourable winds. As for unfavourable winds, they could be precursors of doom. After mentioning God's bounty of rainfall, reference is made here to the winds that help vessels to sail on water as a special favour from God.

70. To "seek His Bounty" here signifies undertaking trade voyages.

71. There is a wide variety of God's Signs. One of these Signs is that which is interspersed throughout the Universe and which man witnesses during his life; namely the movement of winds mentioned in the preceding verse. There are also other kinds of Signs that pertain to the Prophets: the miracles they performed, the Scriptures they brought, the excellence which characterised their character and conduct, and the wholesome, life-giving impact that they had on human life and society.

Signs of both kinds emphasise the truth of monotheism which the Prophets taught mankind. Each of the two kinds of Signs reinforces the other. The Signs visible in the Universe testify, on the one hand, to the truth of the teachings of the Prophets. On the other hand, the Signs brought along by the Prophets further elucidate the truth indicated by God's Signs in the Universe.

72. The unbelievers are blind to both sets of Signs. They adamantly persist in rejecting monotheism and continue their insurgence against God.

73. Significantly, Prophets and rainfall are mentioned here together. This subtly alludes to the fact that the advent of Prophets is a blessing for man's moral life in much the same way that rainfall is a blessing for his material life. Rainfall instantly revives dead land, causing luxuriant vegetation. In like manner, the revelation sent down from on high revives man's moral and spiritual life as a result of which new life begins to blossom. This manifests itself in the new heights of moral and spiritual excellence that human beings achieve. It is unfortunate that the unbelievers do not give thanks to God for this great favour of His. Rather than look upon revelation as a blessing, they consider it a message of doom.

74. That is, after the cultivated fields become green in the wake of rainfall, it is possible that fiery or frosty winds might begin to blow, devastating the entire harvest.

75. When faced with adversity, the unbelievers tend to curse God, blaming Him for inflicting a host of sufferings upon them. This, despite the fact that when God lavished. His favours upon them, they scarcely appreciated those favours and failed to give thanks to Him. Here again there is a subtle allusion to the fact that when God's Messengers bring His message of mercy, people tend to spurn it. Thereupon God punishes these ungrateful people for their unbelief by imposing tyrants and oppressors upon them who crush and violate their dignity. Strangely, those people react to this by blasphemously reviling God for creating a world so full of wrong and injustice.

76. The word "dead" in this context signifies those whose conscience and moral sense have become totally extinct. These are the ones whose all-out immersion in carnal desires and whose adamance and obstinacy have altogether deprived them of the capacity to comprehend and accept the Truth.

77. The word "deaf" here signifies those who have sealed their hearts as a result of which they are deaf to the call of the Truth even though their physical faculty of hearing might be fully intact. No sooner do such people hear the Truth than they clog their ears, and no sooner do they spot any exponent of the Truth than they flee. How can anyone make such people heed the Truth?

78. It is none of a Prophet's responsibility to take hold of the blind by their hands and guide them throughout their life along the right way. All he can do is to direct such people to the right way. But how can they be of any help to those who have become altogether blind to the way that the Prophets seek to direct them to?

79. It is God Who has divided man's life into the different stages of childhood, youth and old age. It depends entirely on His will to create some who are weak and others who are strong. It also depends entirely on His will to cause someone to die before he reaches his youth, or to die in his youth, or to grant someone a long life and still keep him healthy and strong. In like manner, God can grant someone a glorious youth and then cause him to suffer a miserable old age. Man can cherish any illusions about himself that he wants to but the fact remains that he is entirely in God's control and is absolutely helpless to alter the state in which God decides to place him.

80. The "Hour" here refers to the Hour of Judgement.

81. That is, they had stayed no more than an hour from the time of their death until the Day of Resurrection. Even though thousands of years might have elapsed after their death they still feel as though they had been in a state of slumber for a very short while when they were suddenly woken by some accidental commotion.

82. In like manner, they used to miscalculate while they lived in the world. Not comprehending the reality, they believed that there would be no Day of Judgement, that there would be no life after death, and that they would never be called to account by God.

83. This could also be translated as follows: "...nor will they be asked to please their Lord", for by then they will have irretrievably lost all chance to turn to the True Faith and good deeds. The time prescribed for testing man will be over by then and he will be face to face with the Hour of Judgement.

84. This alludes to God's promise mentioned in an earlier verse of this surah: "We sent Messengers before you to their respective nations, and they brought Clear Signs to them. Then We took vengeance upon those who acted wickedly. It was incumbent on Us to come to the aid of the believers." (See v. 47 above.)

85. The believers should be so firmly anchored in their conviction that there should be no reason whatsoever for enemies to consider them so feeble hearted that they can be overpowered by the latters' hue and cry, cowed down by their campaigns of calumny and slander, demoralised by their taunts and ridicules, intimidated by their threats, overawed by their display of strength and by their persecution, or be tempted by their allurements. Nor should the believers feel persuaded to make any compromise with enemies under the spell of pleas in the name of national interest. On the contrary, such enemies should find the believers so vigilant as regards their objectives, so mature and deeply entrenched in their beliefs, so determined in their resolve, and so firm in their character that no threat can frighten them, nor can any price howsoever high cajole them, nor can any danger, loss or suffering deflect them from their chosen path and nor can their religious faith ever be a matter of bargain and haggle. All these ideas are encompassed, thanks to the Qur'an's consummate eloquence, in these few words: "Let those who lack certainty not cause you to be unsteady."

History bears out that the Prophet (peace be on him) proved himself to be as firm and solid as God had wanted His last Messenger to be. If anyone challenged him, regardless of the arena of the challenger, he was unfailingly brow-beaten by the Prophet (peace be on him). In the course of time, his powerful personality brought about a revolution that could not be thwarted by the combined forces of unbelief and polytheism across the Arabian Peninsula, and this despite the fact that his opponents spared no weapons available to them.