1. This presumably means that these angels act as the message- bearing intermediaries between God and His Prophets (peace be on them). Alternatively, it might mean that the angels' assignment consists in communicating and putting into effect God's commands. The angels mentioned here are those whom the polytheists recognised as their gods and goddesses. In point of fact, however, they are no more than God's obedient servants. In the manner of a king's servants, they swiftly move from one place to another, carrying out His commands. Being God's servants, however, they are devoid of all authority. All power and authority rests with God, the only True Lord.

2. It is beyond our ability to know the true nature of the angels' wings. However, God has used this word - that is, wings--to describe the angels, a word used in human language to describe the organ that helps birds fly. Hence we can imagine that this word approximately depicts the reality that it seeks to describe.

The verse also mentions these angels as having two, three, or four wings. This indicates that God has endowed them with various levels of ability commensurate with the nature of their tasks.

3. The wording of the verse suggests that four is not necessarily the maximum number of an angel's wings. Some angels in fact have been granted a higher number of wings. According to 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud, the Prophet (peace be on him) once saw Gabriel with six hundred wings, (Bukhārī, Kitāb Bad' al-Khalq, Bab Idhä Qäla Aḥadukum Amin...; Muslim, Kitab al-Iman, Bab fi Dhikr Sidrat al-Muntahā; Tirmidhi, Kitāb Tafsir al- Qur'an 'an Rasul Allāh, Bāb Sūrah al-Najm.) Likewise, 'Ä'ishah reports that the Prophet (peace be on him) saw Gabriel in his true form on two occasions. On both occasions he had six hundred wings and he enveloped the entire horizon, (Tirmidhi, Kitāb Tafsir al-Qur'an 'an Rasul Allāh, Bāb Surah al-Najm.)

4. This is aimed at removing the polytheists' misconception that some human beings have the power to provide them jobs, grant them children, or cure their ailments. All such polytheistic notions lack substance. Rather, it is God's Mercy that provides the help man seeks. Furthermore, none apart from God has the power to bestow any favour on mankind nor has anyone else the ability to prevent a favour that God wants to bestow. This truth is frequently articulated in the Qur'an as well as in aḥādīth in a variety of ways. The purpose in so doing is to dissuade people from stumbling around, knocking at myriad doors, stretching forth their hands to all possible altars. Only God, and none other than God, has the power to make or mar man's fate.

5. God is Most Mighty; that is, He prevails over all and has absolute sovereignty. None has the power to prevent His will from being carried out. However, along with being Most Mighty, God is also Most Wise. Whenever He decrees something, He does so by dint of absolute wisdom. Whenever He grants anything to someone or withholds it from someone, He does so out of His wisdom.

6. Man is asked not to be ungrateful to God, nor to ignore that it is He Who has bestowed upon him all his possessions. In other words, this statement serves as a warning: those who serve or worship any others besides God, or those who ascribe any of God's bounties to others besides Him, or who thank any others rather than God for those bounties, or who seek bounties from others rather than God are all guilty of ingratitude towards Him.

7. There is a subtle gap between the two statements made here, one that is filled by the context of the discourse. In order to appreciate this one should try to bring to mind that the discourse's audience were polytheists. The speaker asks the audience: is there any other than God who has created them and who provides sustenance for them from the heavens and the earth? After posing the question the speaker pauses for a while. Now, instead of responding, the whole audience remains silent, none claiming that someone other than God is their Creator or Provider. This naturally leads to the conclusion that all agree that none other than God is their Creator and Provider. At this point, the speaker breaks the silence and says: "In that case, none other than God can be their deity. All this is crystal clear. Who, then, is misdirecting them?"

8. That is, the Makkan unbelievers denied the Prophet's contention that none other than God is worthy of worship and service. Likewise, they rejected his claim to be God's Prophet, branding that contention as an obvious falsehood.

9. In other words, people do not become liars simply because the unbelievers pronounced them to be so. The judgement on such matters

rests with God. One day He will make it absolutely clear as to who engaged in falsehood. Moreover, He will also make the liars face the dire consequences of their lying.

10. God's promise in the verse refers to His promise in the Hereafter. This was alluded to in the preceding verse by saying: "To Allah shall all matters be sent back".

11. The unbelievers should not delude themselves into supposing that there is nothing beyond the life of this world, that this life will not be followed by the Afterlife wherein people will be called to account. They should also not fall prey to the delusion that when the Afterlife does come about those who flourish here will also flourish there.

12. The word Deluder here refers to Satan, which is evident from the following verse (verse 6). To delude as regards God means that Satan persuades some people to believe that God does not exist at all. He leads others to the misgiving that God originally created the universe and made it operational, but thereafter, for all intents and purposes, He has withdrawn Himself from it. Thus, He is no longer concerned with the affairs of the universe that He Himself created. Satan misleads others into believing that while God is still governing the universe, He has provided no guidance to mankind. All talk of Revelation and Prophethood, therefore, is simply fraud and deception. Satan also convinces others that they may behave as they please for the simple fact that God is Most Forgiving and Most Compassionate! Human beings can, therefore, sin to their hearts' fill and still be sure that He will forgive them out of His Compassion. Satan may also mislead people into cherishing the notion that all they have to do is firmly attach themselves to God's favourites, for they will see to it that they inevitably receive salvation.

13. By the words "those that disbelieve" are meant those who reject God's Book and His Messenger's call.

14. God will not only overlook their lapses but will also reward them more abundantly than what their good deeds amount to.

15. The preceding verses are addressed to the common people. From here on, the discourse turns to those exponents of erroneous doctrines who spared no effort to frustrate the Prophet's mission and reduce it to humiliation and ignominy.

16. There are some evil-doers who, notwithstanding their lapses, realise that they are indeed guilty of committing evil deeds. Good counsel and admonition are likely to help such people to mend themselves. The reproach of their conscience also occasionally directs them to righteous conduct. This because even though their conduct might not be all that good, their outlook nonetheless remains sound.

There are, however, also others whose outlook is vitiated, who fail to have any sense of distinction between good and evil. As a result, a life immersed in sin beckons to them as the very zenith of high living. Such people are repelled by uprightness whereas evil conduct instinctively appeals to them as the very essence of culture and refinement. Such people look down upon uprightness and piety as incorrigible reactionaryism and perceive evil-doing and sinfulness as progressivism. Thus their judgements are reversed: they mistake guidance for error and error for guidance. Understandably, no one's counsel avails them. They are neither conscious of their follies nor heed the words of their well-wishers. It is futile to run after such people and consume oneself out of concern to guide them to the Right Way. One should, instead, pay attention to those whose conscience is still pulsating with life, those who have not bolted their hearts against the Truth.

17. In between the two parts of the statement it has been said that "Allah causes whomsoever He will to fall into error and shows the Right Way to whomsoever He will". The earlier part refers to those diehard unbelievers who allow their minds to utterly wallow in error. When such people are fully immersed in error, God deprives them of His succour that would direct them to the Right Way. He lets them stumble around in the erroneous ways that they insist upon. After clarifying this point, God apprises the Prophet (peace be on him) that it is simply beyond his power to direct those who are so deeply mired in error to the Right Way. He is, therefore, asked to be patient and not to torment himself on account of those for whom God does not care or who have no value near God. Two points in this context merit attention:

i. The above statement was not made in regard to all Makkan unbelievers as such. It was made, instead, in regard to their chiefs who had no compunction even in resorting to lies, deception and fraud to frustrate the Prophet's call to Islam. Their situation was quite different from those who had fallen prey to some misconception about the Prophet (peace be on him).

As distinct from ordinary unbelievers, these people knew well enough what the Prophet (peace be on him) was calling them to. They were also well aware of the false beliefs and moral corruptions that they wanted to hold on to. They knew all these things and understood them perfectly well. Despite this, they nonetheless had resolved in quite a cool, calculated manner to oppose the Prophet (peace be on him). In opposing him, they felt no qualms of conscience in resorting to all possible means, howsoever lowly or ignoble. They wilfully invented ever new lies against the Prophet (peace be on him) and actively went about spreading them. Such people might deceive the whole world but as far as they themselves were concerned, they fully knew themselves to be liars. They were also quite aware that the Prophet (peace be on him) was free of the charges they levelled against him. Furthermore, they knew that the Prophet (peace be on him) was an utterly truthful, upright and straightforward person. This because even in face of their vile opposition he never deviated from truthfulness and honesty. These people, however, felt no remorse at their misdeeds and persisted in lying and this in sharp contrast to the Prophet's truthfulness. Their unrepentant adamance was sufficiently indicative that they had been overtaken by God's curse and had lost all sense of distinction between good and evil.

ii. The other point to be borne in mind is that God did not simply want to intimate the truth of the matter to the Prophet (peace be on him). Had that alone been the purpose this could have been done without making the matter public. God, however, disclosed it to everyone by a revelation to that effect. The purpose of bringing all this into public knowledge was to alert the common people and make them cognisant of their leaders' mettle - religious as well as otherwise. The crookedness of their mental orientation and the utter corruption of their conduct loudly proclaimed that they were under God's curse.

18. Implicit in this is the unmistakable note of warning that God will ultimately punish them for their misdeeds. A sovereign's declaration that he is well aware of his criminal subjects' deeds is not simply a statement of fact. Such a statement also necessarily carries the message that he will take them to task.

19. The unbelievers foolishly dismiss the Hereafter simply as something that can never take place. They are under the illusion that regardless of whatever they do in the world, the moment will never come when they will be made to stand before God to render an account of their deeds. Such thinking by the unbelievers, however, is sheer fantasy. For, on the Day of Judgement, at a simple command from God, all the dead will be raised to life. This will happen in the same manner as when a shower of rain revives a seemingly sterile patch of land, causing the long dormant roots that had remained buried in the recesses of earth to blossom forth.

20. It may be noted that whatever the Quraysh chiefs did to oppose the Prophet (peace be on him) was motivated by their privilege and their desire to retain their prestige in society. They thought that should the Prophet's teachings gain currency they would lose their power and pelf over the length and breadth of Arabia. Accordingly, they are told that the prestige they enjoyed was a sham, it lacked firm foundation to sustain it, and was thus bound some day or other to come crashing down. Conversely, true honour and prestige never change into disgrace. Such honour and prestige is only derived by servitude to God. If you turn to Him, you will be honoured. If you turn away from Him, disgrace is your fate.

21. This is the right way to attain glory. False, impure and evil words can never rise in God's sight. He exalts only the word that is true and pure and is grounded in reality, the word that faithfully represents a sound worldview and a wholesome outlook on life. Moreover, what leads to the exaltation of such a word is human support and reinforcement of it by acting according to it. Whenever one's practice goes contrary to the good word, its purity begins to shrink. For, mere verbal exuberance does not exalt a word. It is rather the power of righteous deeds that exalts it and makes it flourish.

It is pertinent to note that the Qur'an considers a good word and a good deed to be mutually dependent. No deed can be considered righteous unless it rests on the bedrock of right belief. Right belief, on the other hand, is unauthentic if it is not corroborated by righteous action. If a person claims to consider the One True God as the sole object of his worship but in practice worships others than God, this amounts to giving the lie to his claim. To take another instance, a person claims that he considers intoxicating drinks to be forbidden, but at the same time drinks them. In such a scenario, the claim is neither acceptable to God's creatures, nor will it be accepted by God.

22. This refers to people who proclaim false words. They attempt to publicise these through various tricks and fraudulent claims. Their aim is to belittle the true word, even by recourse to the most evil means available.

23. From here on the discourse again turns to the common people.

24. In the first instance, man was brought into being directly from mud. Thereafter, the continuity of his race was ensured by means of sperm drops.

25. God pre-ordains every person's life-span. Those who have a long life have it by dint of God's command. God's command also ensures that some people's life-spans are short. Some ignorant people, however, call attention to the fact that infant mortality rates have fallen dramatically owing to advancements in medicine. Furthermore, they claim that thanks to better resources and better medical care, the average life-span has increased. [The upshot of the claim being that the terms of men's lives are determined by factors other than simply God's will-Ed.] However, this argument can only hold water if it is established that someone's life-span was extended beyond what was pre-ordained by God. Since this cannot be ascertained it is pointless to contest the Qur'ānic statement. The decrease in infant mortality rates or the spurt in longevity does not indicate that man is now able to overrule God's command. One may ask: what is the difficulty, from a rational point of view, in accepting the proposition that God has apportioned different life-spans for people in different times? Also, that it was part of God's decree that man would be able to effectively treat certain diseases at certain periods of time or that he would be able to acquire the resources needed to ensure longevity.

26. It is not difficult at all for God to lay down detailed decisions in respect of His multifarious creatures.

27. One of these two masses of water lies in seas and oceans. The other is held in rivers, springs and lakes.

28. "Fresh meat" here refers to the flesh of water creatures.

29. That is, pearls, corals, precious stones, and gold.

30. At dusk, daylight begins to slowly recede and the darkness of the night eventually envelopes everything. Likewise, at dawn the initial streak of light gradually develops into bright daylight.

31. That is, God has strictly bound the sun and the moon to a set of laws.

32. Qiṭmir refers to the thin film covering a date-stone. The point of emphasis is that the idols worshipped by polytheists simply own nothing.

33. This does not necessarily mean that the deities they worshipped would cry out and tell them in so many words that their supplication had been accepted or not. Rather, it means that they do not have the power to respond to their supplications. If one pleads to someone who is not authorised to do anything in that matter, then that pleading goes to waste. On the contrary, if a supplication is addressed to one who has the power to act on it, the matter is bound to receive due attention. Thereafter, it will either be accepted or rejected.

34. The deities they worship will plainly state that they never told their devotees that they had a share in God's Divinity. Nor did they ever ask their devotees to worship them. They will further claim that they were not even aware that they were being taken as associates with the Lord of the universe in His Divinity or that prayers were being addressed to them. They will also contend that none of the polytheists' prayers or any of their gifts and offerings ever reached them.

35. The "All-Aware" here is none other than God Himself. The point being made is as follows: The utmost that anyone other than God can do is to proffer rational arguments to refute polytheism and establish the absolute ineffectuality of the polytheists' deities. As distinct from all others, God alone is "All-Aware". It is on the basis of His direct knowledge that He can categorically say that those to whom people had assigned some power and authority in God's Godhead are all utterly powerless. They have no power to make or mar someone's life. God knows by dint of His knowledge that on the Day of Resurrection these deities will themselves refute the polytheistic notions of their devotees.

36. It is clearly emphasised here that it is man who stands in need of God, rather than God standing in need of man. God's dominion is not contingent upon human beings' acceptance of Him as their Lord. Even if they were to disbelieve in Him, it would not cause Him the least harm. On the contrary, man does need God. For he cannot survive for even a moment unless God so wills. Furthermore, it is God Who provides man with the wherewithal to keep him alive and active. Hence, when human beings are told to serve and worship God the reason for it is not that God is sorely in need of their service and worship. Rather, the reason for this urging is that human beings' own success in this world and the Next hinges on it. Were they to pay no heed to this, they will hurt themselves rather than God.

37. God is "Self-Sufficient" because everything that exists is His. He, therefore, does not stand in need of anyone. For Him, no one is indispensable. Moreover, God is "Immensely Praiseworthy" meaning that He is intrinsically worthy of praise. Regardless of whether someone praises him or not, He is worthy of praise and thanks. These two attributes of Self-Sufficiency and being Immensely Praiseworthy have deliberately been juxtaposed. The reason for this is that it is possible for someone to be self-sufficient, but the mere fact that he is self-sufficient does not make him worthy of praise. For it is quite conceivable for someone to have an abundance of resources, but which he does not use to provide benefit to others. Such a person will become praiseworthy when, rather than deriving benefit from others, he diverts his resources to provide them with benefit. God is not simply Self-Sufficient but also Praiseworthy because of His benevolence in providing for the needs of all.

38. People should not forget that if they are strutting about on earth it is not because of any intrinsic power of their own. It would take no more than a word from God to have them removed from the scene, replacing them by an altogether different people. Hence, they better bear in mind their true position, entertain no illusions, and beware of that evil course which led to the doom of many nations in the past. For, once God decides to destroy a people, no power in the whole universe can prevent that decision from taking effect.

39. The word "burden" here means the burden of responsibility to God. In other words, everyone will be responsible for his deeds, and God will never transfer a person's responsibility to another. Thus, it is not possible for someone to assume another's burden nor is it possible for someone to have themselves seized on another's behalf. This was occasioned by the fact that the relatives and clansmen of those who were converting to Islam said to them: "Abjure this new faith and return to the faith of your ancestors. We bear responsibility for the consequences that will follow".

40. Just prior to this, God's law of justice was enunciated: "No one can bear another's burden". This is an assurance that no one will be seized on account of another person's misdeeds; that God will hold every persor. responsible for his own sins. Here, reference is made to those who encouraged people to unbelief and sin by assuring them that they would own these acts on the Day of Judgement and volunteer to suffer retribution on their behalf. It was made clear that those people were extending false assurance. When the Day of Judgement comes, everyone will realise how horrible the impending punishment is. Each one will then become absorbed with their own fate. So horrendous will the circumstances facing all be that a brother will distance himself from his brother and a father from his son. No one will show the least inclination to voluntarily bear an atom's weight of any other person's sins.

41. That is, the Prophet's warnings will have no effect on those that are obstinate and haughty. Admonition can avail only those who fear God and are ready to surrender themselves to God, their true Master.

42. These similitudes bring out the distinction between the present and the future of the believers as well as unbelievers. The unbelievers turn a blind eye to the truths that are manifest in their own beings and in the universe at large. By contrast, the believers consider all things with an open and reflective mind and perceive everything to testify to monotheism and to man's ultimate accountability to God.

At one end are those who stray in the dark alleys of assumption, conjecture and superstition and who are averse to going even close to the effulgent lamp kindled by the Prophet (peace be on him). At the other end are those who keep their eyes wide open. Hence, no sooner are they exposed to the light kindled by the Prophet (peace be on him) than it becomes clear to them that the ways followed by the polytheists, unbelievers and atheists lead to doom and destruction. It also becomes clear to them that the way shown by the Prophet (peace be on him) alone leads to true success and felicity.

It follows from this that the people of the two categories pursue different paths in the life of this world. How, then, can their destinations in the Hereafter be the same? In other words, how can those who follow two different paths end up alike, both becoming extinct? How is it possible that the errant will not be punished, and those who follow the Right Way, will be denied their reward? As the following verse eloquently puts it: "The blind and the seeing are not alike, nor darkness and light; nor cool shade and torrid heat nor are the living and the dead alike." (vv. 19-22).

The allusion in these verses is to the fact that while the people of one category will enjoy the "cool shade" of God's mercy, those belonging to the other category will suffer the "torrid heat" of Hell. There is no basis for the illusion that the end of all of them will be the same. It is also significant that the believers have been likened to "the living", and the obstinate unbelievers to "the dead". In other words, the believer is possessed of sensitivity, consciousness and understanding, his living, throbbing conscience constantly reminding him of the distinction between good and evil. As for those who are steeped in obdurateness and the bigotry of unbelief, they are worse than the blind who stagger in darkness. Such people are like the dead who are devoid of every sense and feeling.

43. As for God's Will, it is sui generis and no limits can be placed on it. Hence, if God so wills, He can grant the faculty of hearing even to stones. However, there are limits to what the Prophet (peace be on him) can do. For instance, he cannot make his message enter the hearts of those whose conscience is dead. Likewise, he cannot penetrate deaf ears. He can have an impact only on those who are ready to pay heed to that which is fair and reasonable.

44. The Prophet's assigned task is no more than to warn mankind. If the Prophet (peace be on him) fulfils that task and despite this, someone does not come to his senses but keeps stumbling in darkness, then the Prophet (peace be on him) is required to do no more. He is not expected to do the impossible - to make the blind see and the deaf hear.

45. It is stated quite frequently in the Qur'an that there has not been a people in the world among whom no Prophet was raised.

You are only a warner and every people has its guide. (Al-Ra'd 13:7.)

(O Muḥammad), certainly We did send Messengers before you among the nations that have gone by. (Al-Hijr 15:10.)

We raised a Messenger in every community. (Al-Nahl 16:36.)

We never destroyed any habitation but that it had warners. (Al- Shu'ara' 26:208.)

However, one should also comprehend the following two points to avoid any misconception. First, that a Prophet suffices for the entire territory whereto his message reaches. It is not at all necessary for separate Prophets to be raised in every town and every nation. Secondly, that the need for a new Prophet does not arise as long as the teachings of an earlier Prophet remain extant and his example is available. It is, therefore, not at all necessary for a separate Prophet to be designated to every generation of people.

46. That is, the Messengers came with "Clear Proofs", thereby corroborating that they were God's Messengers.

47. Presumably the distinction made here between the "Scriptures" and "the Illuminating Book" is that while the former were mainly comprised of counsels and moral directives, the latter represents a pervasive, all-embracing Shari'ah.

48. This is to stress that the universe is characterised by its multivariate nature rather than uniformity. This multivariate nature is manifest everywhere. For example, we find that on the same piece of land and watered by the same rainfall, a variety of trees growing on it. Furthermore, two fruits of the same tree vary in colour, size and taste. Even if we were to look at a mountain, we would find in it a variety of colours; in fact, every part of the mountain has a different material composition. Even two issues from the same parentage are not exactly alike. There are people who expect to find uniformity in the temperaments, dispositions and mindsets of people. When they find, instead, the kind of diversity mentioned in verses 19-22 above, they are bewildered. This, however, reflects their own flawed perception.

The fact of the matter is that diversity and variation point to the fact that this Universe was created by the One Who created it with immense wisdom, diversity and variation. They also indicate that the Maker of the Universe is a unique Creator and Matchless Designer, Whose creativity is in no way confined. On the contrary, He is capable of producing any number of patterns and designs. It is not at all accidental that men differ so widely as regards their temperaments and mental faculties. Once again, this fact is a masterpiece of God's creative wisdom. Had all human beings been identical as regards their temperaments, desires, emotions, inclinations and ways of thinking with no room left for any diversity, the very idea of creating man would have been futile. However, since God decided that humans be created as responsible beings and be granted free will, it necessarily follows that there should be considerable scope for diversity among them. This clearly indicates that far from being an accident, man's creation represents a grand plan based on immense wisdom. Now, if there is a grand plan based on wisdom, it is evident that there must be a Wise Being behind it. Only an imbecile can think of wisdom without there being a Wise Being.

49. The more a person is ignorant of God's attributes, the more fearless he will be of Him. By contrast, the more a person understands attributes such as those of God's power, knowledge, wisdom, and dominance over all, the more one will fear to disobey Him. The expression "those who know" is not used to denote savants in conventional fields of knowledge such as science, philosophy, history and mathematics. A person might be literate or illiterate, but what really matters is whether or not he holds God in awe. A person who is fearless of God is devoid of the knowledge that is meant here and will be deemed to be ignorant, however vast his knowledge of the world may be. By contrast, a person who has a good knowledge of God's attributes and who is God-fearing, will be considered knowledgeable even if he is illiterate. In this regard it should also be borne in mind that the above expression "those who know" does not necessarily refer to those whom we call 'ulama' al-dīn (religious scholars), because they have knowledge of the Qur'ān, Ḥadīth, Fiqh and Kalām. This expression only applies to them if they are characterised by God-consciousness. Accordingly, 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud observed:

“Knowledge does not come from an abundance of ḥadīth but from an abundance of God-fearing".

ليس العلم عن كثرة الحديث ولكن العلم عن كثرة الخشية

[It could perhaps also mean: "Knowledge does not consist of an abundance of verbal expression, but of an abundance of God-fearing" - Ed.] The same observation was made by Hasan al-Baṣrī in the following words:

العالم من خشي الرحمن بالغيب و رغب فيها رغب الله فيه وزهد فيها سخط الله فيه

"A scholar is he who fears God, who is inclined to what pleases God, and who keeps away from whatever leads to God's wrath." (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, comments on verse 28).

50. Such is God's might that He can seize culprits whenever He wills. No one can escape His grip. However, He is also Most Pardoning and Most Forbearing and therefore He continually grants respite to evil-doers.

51. The believers' act of spending in good causes is likened to a trade wherein one invests one's capital, energies and abilities in the hope that one will recover the capital and also be compensated for one's time and effort. Not only that, one also expects to reap rich dividends. By the same token, a believer devotes his time, resources and abilities in obeying, serving and worshipping God and in promoting the cause of the true faith. Like a trader, a believer's devotion is in the expectation that God will not only pay him his wages in full, but will also abundantly compensate him out of His Bounty.

Though there is some similarity between worldly trade and the other type of trade mentioned here, there is also a major difference between them. As far as worldly trade is concerned, it is liable to both profit as well as loss. Quite contrary is the case of the trade which a believer has with God, for in it he runs no risk of loss.

52. In dealing with His sincere believers God's attitude is unlike that of stingy masters one encounters in this world. These masters strictly take their servants to task for everything, large or small. Even a minor lapse on a servant's part makes them sweep aside his entire record of devoted service and loyalty. Distinguished from such worldly masters, God is noble and magnanimous. He overlooks the lapses of His loyal servants and appreciates even the slightest service that they render.

53. The Qur'an is not expounding any novel message, one discordant with the teachings of earlier Prophets. Rather, the Qur'an expounds the eternal truth that was always communicated to people by the Prophets throughout the ages.

54. These attributes of God are mentioned here so as to explain to humans wherein their good lies, which principles are suitable for their guidance and which rules are in conformity with their best interests. This because none but God is truly aware of these matters. He, the Creator, alone has full knowledge of the nature of human beings and their requirements. Furthermore, God alone can take into account their true interests. Human beings do not know themselves as well as God does. Hence what God communicated through revelation only is, and can be true.

55. The reference here is to Muslims. They have been sorted out from all mankind to form the chosen group to whom God's Book was bequeathed and who were required to become its standard-bearers after the Prophet (peace be on him). Although the Book was presented before all mankind, only those who stepped forward and accepted it were chosen for this honour. That is, to be the inheritors of a book as great as the Qur'an and the trustees of the teachings of a Prophet as great as Muḥammad (peace be on him).

56. These Muslims, however, are not all alike; rather, they belong to the following three categories:

i. "Those who wrong themselves". These Muslims sincerely believe in the Qur'an as God's Book and in Muhammad (peace be on him) as God's Messenger. However, in their practical lives they fail to follow the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace be on him) to the extent they should. Despite being believers they still commit sin. While such people might be iniquitous, they are not rebels. Their belief might be a bit feeble, yet they are neither hypocrites nor wilful unbelievers. In recognition of this, the Qur'an brands them as God's chosen servants to whom His Book has been bequeathed. Such an honour, for sure, could not have been conferred on rebels, hypocrites or unbelievers. Among the believers of all the three categories, they are the first to be mentioned for they constitute the majority of Muslims.

ii. Then come those "who follow the medium course". That is, they are the ones who fulfil, though partially, the requirements ensuing from the bequest of God's Book to them. They represent a mixture of obedience and disobedience. Such people, however, do not give an altogether free rein to their desires; rather, they try to control them. Nevertheless, at times they let their desires loose a bit which leads to sinful behaviour. Thus their conduct is a mixture of both kinds of acts - good and bad. Such people are less in number than the people of the first category but outnumber those of the third category mentioned below.

iii. Then come those "who vie with one another in acts of goodness". Among the believers, they occupy the forefront. They stand out as the true trustees of the Book of God. They outstrip others as they are exceedingly active in following the Book of God and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be on him), in communicating God's Message to His servants, in offering sacrifices for the cause of faith, and in doing acts of goodness. They are not the ones who would deliberately commit a sin; but if they happen to fall into sin, they repent as soon as they realise this. In number, these are less than the two groups mentioned above. Although they are mentioned after those groups, they are in fact well ahead of them in acquitting themselves of the trusteeship of the Qur'an.

The verse concludes with the words: "That is the great bounty". Should these words be considered as referring to the nearest statement - "those who vie with each other in acts of goodness" - the expression would mean that "vying with each other in acts of goodness itself constitutes the great bounty". Hence, those who comprise this group hold the pride of place among Muslims. Another opinion, however, is that these words relate to the following words in the earlier part of the verse: "Then We bequeathed the Book to those of Our servants that We chose". If this view is accepted, then it would mean that the bequeathing of the Book and inclusion in the fold of God's chosen servants constitutes "the great bounty". As a result, those Muslims to whom the Qur'an was bequeathed and whom God chose to be among His servants have an edge over the rest of God's servants as they attained the distinction of believing in the Qur'an and in the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him).

57. A group of Qur'an-commentators is of the opinion that the words "they shall enter the everlasting Gardens" ... refer to the people mentioned above - that is, to those who "vie with each other in acts of goodness".

It is in respect of them that the statement about the great bounty was made, and it is they who were assured entry to the everlasting Gardens. However, two other groups- those who "wrong themselves" and those who "follow the medium course" - are also mentioned. According to these commentators, however, the Qur'an is silent about them. The reason for this silence is to arouse among them serious concern about their ultimate end and to provide them with the impetus to change their present state into a better one. Al-Zamakhsharī forcefully argued for this view and Fakhr al-Din al-Rāzī also endorsed it. (See, Zamakhsharī, al-Kashshāf, and Rāzi, al-Tafsir al-Kabir, comments on verses 32-33).

The majority of Qur'an-commentators, however, are of the opinion that this statement [to wit, "they shall enter the everlasting Gardens"] is connected with the whole preceding statement. In other words, what it means is that all people belonging to the above three groups will eventually enter Paradise. Some will enter without being subjected to reckoning and others after it; some without facing the consequences of that reckoning and some after facing them.

The context of the verse supports this interpretation. This because just a little later on we read of "those who disbelieved, the Fire of Hell awaits them" (verse 36), in contrast to those who have been bequeathed the Book. This shows that all those who believe will be admitted to Paradise and that Hell awaits those who refuse to believe. This interpretation is further corroborated by a tradition from the Prophet (peace be on him) narrated by Abu al-Darda'. The Prophet (peace be on him) is on record as saying: "Those who vie with each other in acts of goodness shall enter Paradise without reckoning. As for those of the medium course, they will be interrogated, though lightly. However, those 'who wronged themselves', will be detained during the Assembly [of the Last Day], and then God will admit them to His Mercy. They will say: 'All praise be to Allah, Who has taken away all sorrow from us" ". (For this tradition see Aḥmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, narrated by Abu al-Darda'; Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, comments on verse 32; Tabari, Tafsir, comments on verse 32.)

This hadith fully endorses the thrust of the verse under discussion. It points to the different kinds of treatment that will be meted out to each of the three categories of believers. Those believers who follow the medium course will be subjected to light reckoning. This implies that the unbelievers will receive punishment for each of their evil deeds in addition to their punishment for refusing to believe. As distinguished from them, the believers who have a mixed record of good and bad deeds will be treated differently. Their record as a whole, rather than each single item of it, will be subjected to reckoning. It has been stated in the ḥadīth cited above that those believers who "wrong themselves" will be detained during the course of the Assembly of the Last Day.

(One does not know how many centuries long this will be and what will be its attendant severities!) The statement that they shall be detained throughout the course of the Assembly seems to resemble the verdict of our present-day courts that sentence a culprit to remain in "detention till the rising of the court". After being exposed to these severities of the Assembly of the Last Day, God's mercy will envelope them and they will finally be admitted to Paradise. Statements of this import have been narrated on the authority of several Companions such as 'Umar ibn al- Khaṭṭāb, 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'üd, ‘Abd Allāh ibn 'Abbas, 'A'ishah, Abū Sa'id al-Khudrī and Barā' ibn 'Azib. It is obvious that these Companions could not have made such statements unless they had heard something to that effect from the Prophet (peace be on him).

The statement regarding detention for the entire period of the Assembly of the Last Day should, however, not be misunderstood. It does not mean that the punishment of those who wronged themselves will be strictly confined to this detention and that they will not suffer the chastisement of Hell. This is clearly not tenable. This because the Qur'an and Ḥadith mention several sins in regard to which it has been said that even faith would not be able to prevent those who commit them from being cast into Hell. One such sin, for instance, is the deliberate murder of a believer. God Himself declares that such people will be cast into Hell. (See al-Nisa' 4: 93.) Likewise, those who violate the limits laid down by God as regards the laws of inheritance have also been warned of the punishment of Hell. (See al-Nisa' 4:6-14.) Again, with regard to those who continue to indulge in usury after its prohibition, it is said in the Qur'an, that they are the "people of the fire", (al-Baqarah 2:275). Aḥadīth also identify those who will be consigned to Hell in retribution for certain major sins.

58. Reference here is to their sorrow in a broad sense. They will finally be relieved of any kind of sorrow that might have afflicted them in the course of their lives. Moreover, they will attain deliverance in the Hereafter, which was to them a matter of much concern and anxiety. All such concerns will then have become a matter of the past. As for the future, it will be all milk and honey; a future free of every grief and sorrow.

59. They will recognise God's bounty and be thankful to Him. This because God forgave them their sins. He also showed appreciation for whatever little good they did and rewarded them by admitting them to Paradise.

60. Believers will realise that the worldly existence they went through was just a stage of life as was the Assembly of the Last Day. After having successfully passed through these stages, they will find themselves in Paradise where they are destined to abide forever.

61. Their admittance to Paradise will bring to an end all their toil and suffering. In Paradise, there will be no tasks entailing hardship and exhaustion.

62. Here reference is made to those who do not believe in the Qur'an, the Book God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him).

63. This signifies the age during which one acquires the ability to distinguish between good and evil and truth and falsehood and becomes mature enough to turn to guidance in place of error should one so want to. The present verse makes it clear that if one were to die before attaining that age, one will not face accountability. However, those who have attained such age will definitely be held responsible for their deeds. The greater the number of opportunities for a person to mend his ways, the more strictly will he be called to account. Anyone who fails to mend his ways despite reaching old age will have no reason to be extenuated. This point features in the following hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah and Sahl ibn Sa'd al-Sa'idi: "There is an excuse for him who dies at a young age. However, there is no excuse for those who live for sixty years or more". (Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Riqāq, Bāb man Balagha Sittin Sanah; Aḥmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, narrated by Abu Hurayrah; Nasā'ī, Kitāb al-Riqāq; Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, comments on verse 37; Tabari, Tafsir, comments on verse 37.)

64. This has two possible meanings: (i) That God settled them in the land after the passing away of the earlier generations and nations.

(ii) They enjoyed authority not as owners and masters, but as vicegerents of the True Lord on earth.

65. If the earlier statement is understood to mean that the Muslims were made successors of earlier nations, then this statement means the following: those who do not draw any lesson from the tragic end of past nations and persist in the same unbelief that brought those nations to their catastrophic ends, they will eventually witness the same tragic end that overtook these iniquitous nations of the past.

This statement can also mean that those who disregard their position as God's vicegerents, who arrogate sovereign authority to themselves, and who worship others besides the One True Lord will face terrible consequences for their defiance.

66. The expression used here is "your associates". The significance of this seems to be that in point of fact these deities are not God's associates; rather, it is the polytheists who falsely set them up as God's associates.

67. The polytheists and unbelievers are pointedly asked whether they have any written sanction from God indicating that He had, for instance, granted certain people the power to cure the sick, or to provide jobs to the unemployed, or to meet the needs of those in distress? No, God has not conferred any such authority upon them. They can neither make nor mar anyone's fate. God has not directed mankind to invoke them or to make offerings to them. They are, therefore, asked to produce evidence in support of their beliefs, if they have any. Now, since they cannot produce such, they had better reconsider their polytheistic beliefs and practices. They are asked to come forward with specific proofs indicating that their idols are indeed God's associates. They, however, have nothing to put forward for there is nothing in any Scripture that lends support to such a notion. Nor do these idols possess any authority from God on the basis of which they have been ascribed special powers. If they have nothing to support their position, they might as well ask themselves: did they own Godhead that made it possible for them to go about lavishing God's powers on whomsoever they wished?

68. These misguided religious leaders, so-called saints and clergymen, preachers, soothsayers and their accomplices exploit the common people. They invent false stories in order to convince them that their devotion to such an idol will carry them to success in this world and to salvation in the Hereafter.

69. It is God who keeps the universe intact. No angel, or jinn, no Messenger or saint oversees the workings of the universe. Far from sustaining the universe, those mentioned above cannot maintain even themselves. For, everyone is totally dependent upon God for everything, even as regards his birth and survival. It is thus sheer folly and deception to consider anyone to be God's partner either in His attributes or authority.

70. This underscores God's great forbearance whereby He does not instantly punish the guilty even if they adopt a blasphemous posture towards Him.

71. This was the Arabs' usual comment, especially the Quraysh's, relating to the moral degeneration of the Jews and Christians in pre- Islamic days. Such statements by them are also recorded in Surah al-An'am 6:156-157 and Surah al-Ṣäffat 37:167-169.

72. This law is applicable to them in so far as every nation that rejects its Prophet is destroyed.