1. The majority of Qur'an-commentators are agreed that all the three groups mentioned here belong to the angels. This is the interpretation of the verses made by 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud, 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbās, Qatadah, Masruq, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, 'Ikrimah, Mujahid, al-Suddi, Ibn Zayd and Rabi' ibn Anas (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, comments on verses 1-3). Some commentators, howehver, do interpret the verses differently. However, the context in which the verses occur lends support to the view that those referred to here are angels.

The significance of the statement that they "range themselves in rows" is that the angels who manage the whole order of the universe are no more than God's servants and bondsmen. As such, they are always in a state of readiness to obey God and carry out His commands. This truth is reiterated in verse 165 below, where the angels introduce themselves as follows: "We range ourselves in rows (as humble servants)".

As for the words "those who reprove severely" (v.2), according to some commentators, they mean that some angels direct the clouds and bring about rainfall. Even though this meaning of the verse is not incorrect, what seems more plausible in view of the contents of the verses that follow, is the meaning that there is a group of angels who severely reprove the disobedient and afflict the guilty. This reproof, however, is not simply verbal but may also afflict the disobedient and the guilty in the form of natural disasters and historic calamities.

The statement that they "recite the Exhortation" (v. 3) means that among these angels are also those that constantly remind people of the truth so that they take heed. This exhortation may also take the form of the devastations that occurred in the past teaching human beings a lesson. It may also be in the form of the teachings that these angels convey to the Prophets, and also in the form of the inspirations that reach virtuous people through them.

2. The proclamation of this truth is accompanied by taking an oath in the name of the angels. In other words, it is affirmed that the workings of the whole universe reflect its servitude to God. Also, natural phenomena expose before man the evil consequences of deviating from God's servitude. Moreover, it has been a part of the universe's scheme of things that people are reminded of one and the same truth in varying ways. All these bear out that man's lord is none but the One True God.

The word ilah that occurs here has two connotations. In one sense, it means the deity that is an object of actual service and worship. In the other, it means the deity that truly deserves to be worshipped. The word ilah is employed in this verse in its latter sense. For evidently it could not have been used to denote the false gods that human beings invented and which they worshipped.

3. The truth, brought home by these verses, is that only the Lord and Sovereign of the universe is mankind's True God. It would be absolutely irrational that in the presence of the True Rabb (that is, Lord, Sovereign, Guardian and Sustainer) anyone else should be deemed deserving of worship. What underlies man's worship of God is his recognition of the Being Who is the source of all benefits and losses and of the fulfilment of all of his needs and requirements. It is a recognition of He Who can mar his fate, and in fact upon Whom his very existence and survival depend. It is, therefore, an innate requirement of human nature to recognise God's supremacy and to surrender to Him. Once man realises this truth, he can readily grasp that it is pointless and absurd to worship false gods for they have absolutely no power. Worship is exclusively the right of the One Who has absolute power. Powerless entities, by contrast, are not entitled to any worship. Man can gain nothing by turning to them. False gods are incapable of doing anything. Turning to them, and praying to them rather than to the All-Powerful God is as foolish an act as approaching subjects of the Sovereign who themselves invoke God's mercy.

4. The sun does not always rise at the same point. Furthermore, it appears in different parts of the earth at varying times. This explains the Qur'anic use of the word mashariq (Easts) in its plural form. It is significant that the Qur'an does not use the corresponding word magharib (Wests) here (the word maghrib singular of magharib signifies the direction in which the sun sets). The reason is that the word Easts also implies the word "Wests". However, in Surah al-Ma'arij 70:40, God is described as the Lord of "the easts and the wests".

5. By "the lower heaven" is meant the heaven nearer to us, one which we see with our naked eyes, without the aid of any external equipment such as a telescope. The worlds that can be observed with the help of telescopes, and the worlds that we have not yet been able to observe even with the help of the equipments of observation available to us are the "farther heavens". In this regard, it ought to be clarified that sama' is not a fixed, static object. This word and its equivalents have been used from earliest times to denote the heavens, or simply, the sphere above us.

6. The upper sphere is not an empty space that may be trespassed by anyone. On the contrary, it is strictly guarded and barriers have been erected in its various regions so that it is impossible for any rebellious devils to trespass it. Every planet has its own orbit and sphere and it is impossible for another to enter it, or for the planet itself, to move out of it. While looking around one feels that there is nothing else but space. In truth, however, this space contains numerous check posts, each of which forms a formidable barrier. One can have some idea of this by acquainting oneself with the myriad difficulties being experienced by man in his effort to reach the moon, the earth's closest neighbour. In like manner, the jinn face insurmountable difficulties in ascending to the heavens.

7. To better appreciate this, one should recall that soothsaying was quite rampant in Arabia at that time. Such soothsayers claimed to have control over the jinn and devils, which brought to them all kinds of information. It was against this backdrop that when Muḥammad (peace be on him) was designated a Prophet, he was dubbed a soothsayer for he began to recite the verses of the Qur'an which contained information about man's past and his future. The Prophet (peace be on him) also informed people that he received this revelation from an angel. Upon hearing this, the unbelievers immediately began to accuse him of being a practitioner of this craft and said that like other soothsayers, he too had links with the devils who informed him of tidings from on high.

The present verse refutes this charge, asserting that devils have no access to the heavens. Moreover, the devils are incapable of deriving any information from the angels. If, however, anything the angels say accidentally reaches their ears, then even before they descend to earth, they are hotly pursued by meteors. In other words, devils cannot interfere in the workings of the universe; they do not even have any access to the basic information regarding it. (For further details see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, Surah al-Hijr 15: nn. 8 and 10-12, Vol. IV, pp. 284-286.)

8. This is in response to the Makkan unbelievers' doubts about the Hereafter. Indeed they ruled out the Hereafter as something impossible. It was inconceivable for them that the dead would be brought back to life. The Qur'an advances a series of arguments in order to corroborate the doctrine of the Hereafter. First, it raises the question: if the unbelievers think that God does not have the power to resurrect mankind, then what is their position regarding the fact that God created the heavens and the earth? This, not to mention the innumerable other objects that exist in the heavens and the earth! There is, therefore, no reason for them to think that God lacks the power to bring the dead back to life.

9. There is nothing all that unusual about man. After all, what he was made from was sticky clay and he can be created from the same material again.

The present verse means that the first man was created from sticky clay and, thereafter, the human race multiplied from the semen of that first man. It also means that every human being is made from sticky clay in so far as the whole substance of man's existence is derived from earth. The semen of which man is created is a product of food. From the time of man's conception till the moment of his death, man's whole body is made of constituents drawn from food. Whether food is derived from animal or vegetable origins, its ultimate source is clay. When clay is combined with water it becomes possible to grow grain and vegetables and fruit, and also to nourish animals which supply milk and meat for man's consumption. The basis of the argument is as follows: had the clay not been invested with the ability to receive the essence of life, how could people be alive today? On the other hand, if clay already has the ability to receive the essence of life - something that is clearly proved by the existence of human beings - then why is it not plausible that through the same clay it will be possible to recreate them at some future date?

10. The unbelievers reject every notion about the Hereafter as belonging to the realm of magic and sorcery. For them, the Next Life the Prophet (peace be on him) talks about, one which involves the revival of the dead, the holding of God's Court of Reckoning, the award of Paradise and Hell, was just fantasy. Alternatively, this can be taken to mean that they regarded the Prophet (peace be on him) as enchanted, as someone who, under the spell of enchantment, talked of such bizarre things.

11. The unbelievers are told that God has the absolute power to make them as He wants. When God so willed He brought human beings into existence by simply hinting at what He wills. Likewise, whenever God so wills all human beings will instantly perish. By the same token, they will be resurrected whenever He so wills.

12. When the time for it comes, recreating the world will not be a difficult task for God to accomplish. A mere "rebuff" from God will suffice to awaken the dead. The Qur'anic expression employed in this context seems to suggest that all human beings, from the very the beginning of time up till the Last Day, have been in a state of sleep. Then there will be a sudden, reproachful command: "Wake up!" All will then be instantly up and awake.

13. This might be the remark made by the believers to the unbelievers, or by the angels. It is also possible that the prevailing state of affairs in the Hereafter will convey this message to them. Alternatively, this might be the reaction of concerned people as a part of their soliloquy. In other words, addressing themselves, they will say: "You thought all along that there would be no Day of Judgement. Now, that Day is come and woe has betaken you".

14. The word "wrong-doers" used here consists not only of those who had wronged others. The Qur'anic usage of the term applies to all those who are rebellious, headstrong, and disobedient of God.

15. The word azwāj used here might denote their wives who were accomplices in their rebellion against God, or it might denote all those who, like them, were rebellious, defiant and disobedient of God. The verse may also mean that the culprits of each category will be classified separately.

16. The reference here is to two kinds of deities: (i) Those human beings and devils who desired and strove in order that human beings abandon God and worship them instead of Him. (ii) The idols, trees and stones and so on that have been the objects of worship in the world. The deities of the former category will be reckoned as culprits and hurled into Hell. As for the deities of the second category, they will be cast into Hell along with their devotees so that the latter may perpetually witness them and remain immersed in shame and remorse. In addition to them there is a third category of deities. This category consists of those that were objects of people's worship but this was never at their behest or with their approval. These consist of angels, Prophets, and saints who always asked people not to worship anyone besides the One True God. Quite obviously there is no question of these deities being cast into Hell along with their devotees.

17. The first part of the statement will be addressed to the culprits and the second to the general public as they watch those culprits being dispatched to Hell. This passage depicts the true state of those culprits. They will not be able to muster any resistance. The so-called honourable and respectable figures of this world will be publicly disgraced. The clergy with pretensions to Divinity will also be thrown into Hell. Devotees will no longer care for their lords. Rather, they will turn away from them. Even passionate lovers will desert one another. In portraying this scene the Qur'an stresses the point that the mutual ties of men, rooted in rebellion of God, will be severed in the Hereafter. Those who strut about arrogantly in the world will be made to eat dust.

18. The word al-yamīn carries many connotations. If it is taken in the sense of power and strength, it would mean that the weak were dragged by the strong to the path of error. Alternatively, if it is taken to mean goodness, it would mean that they betrayed them although they pretended to be their sincere well-wishers, for they assured the weak that the path they showed them would lead to their success. This is what deceived them. If, however, this word is regarded as a synonym of an oath, it would mean that they swore that what they were expounding was nothing but the truth.

19. For further details see Towards Understanding the Qur'ān, Sürah Saba' 34: nn. 51-53, pp. 190-192 above.

20. Both false gods and their devotees, the leaders as well as the led, will share a terrible punishment in the Hereafter. The devotees' plea that they were misled by others will not be entertained. Nor will those who mislead them be exonerated on the grounds that the latter were not seekers of the Truth.

21. Bearing out the veracity of the Messengers carries the following three meanings and it appears that all three are intended here: (i) That he did not oppose any earlier Messenger; rather, he affirmed belief in all of God's earlier Messengers. Hence there was no reasonable basis for the followers of a messenger to be prejudiced against him. (ii) That he did not expound any novel message; rather, his message consisted of what the earlier Messengers had expounded from the very beginning. (iii) That the tidings given by the earlier Messengers about him were fully applicable to him.

22. "For them awaits a known provision", one whose qualities have already been described. This provision they feel fully assured of receiving, and receiving continually.

23. Implicit in this is the subtle hint that food in Paradise will be for enjoyment rather than for nutrition. Food there will not be the fuel for the body because man will not experience hunger. Nor will man be in need of food for survival. This explains why the word fawäkih (fruits) is mentioned in connection with the food of Paradise, which carries the dominant nuance of enjoyment rather than simply of nutrition.

24. The verse does not make a specific mention of wine. It is, however, implied by the use of the word ka's. This word is used only for the cup that contains an intoxicating drink. This word is never used if the cup contains milk or water, or even if it is empty.

25. It will be unlike the wine that is produced in the world from fruit and grain by means of fermentation. Rather, it will flow naturally in the form of springs and lakes. This point is elaborated in the following words in the Qur'an elsewhere: "In Paradise there shall be rivers of wine, of delight to those that drink", (Muḥammad 47:15).

26. It is not specified as to who will circulate the goblets of wine among the inmates of Paradise. This point is elaborated in the following verses:

Youths as fair as hidden pearls will be set apart to wait upon them; they will be running to and fro to serve them, (al-Tür 52:24). There boys of everlasting youth shall go about attending them: when you see them, you would think that they are scattered pearls, (al-Dahr 76:19).

The preceding point has been amplified in the aḥādīth narrated by Anas ibn Malik and Samurah ibn Jundub. According to these traditions, the children of polytheists will serve as page boys for the inmates of Paradise (Abū Da'ūd, al-Ṭayālisī, Ţabarānī and Bazzar). These reports are weak in terms of their chains of narrators. It is, nonetheless, evident from other aḥadīth that young children will be admitted to Paradise. We also learn from aḥādīth that righteous parents will enjoy the company of their children in Paradise. This leaves out only those parents who will not enter Paradise. It is, therefore, logical that their children will serve as page boys in Paradise. (For a detailed discussion see Ibn Hajar al- 'Asqalānī, Fath al-Bārī, Kitāb al-Janā'iz, Bāb mã Qīla fi Awlad al-Mushrikīn; Badr al-Din al-'Aynï, 'Umdat al-Qārī, Kitāb al-Janā'īz, Bāb mã Qila fi Awlad al-Mushrikin. See also the author's work in Urdu, Rasa'il wa Masa' il, Vol. 3, pp. 177-187.)

27. This wine will be free from both the defects that usually mar wine in the world. These defects are: its stench which is unbearable; its bad taste also offends, and the fact that it hurts both the stomach and the brain. Then it soars upwards to the brain and causes severe headaches. It also adversely affects the liver and ruins one's health as such. Another big disadvantage of drinking is that it causes intoxication followed by a hangover. One loses self control and acts in a foolish manner. One drinks wine only for the sake of transient pleasure, exposing oneself to all these harms. God makes it clear that while wine in Paradise "will be a delight to the drinkers", it will be altogether free of the kind of defects mentioned above.

28. That is, their glances will be restricted to their spouses.

29. It is likely that these may be the girls who died before reaching the age of discretion and whose parents do not deserve to enter Paradise. This is analogous to the case of the young boys whose parents are not admitted to Paradise, and who will serve as page boys there, (see n. 26 above). Likewise, such girls will serve as houries. Their state of youth will endure. And God knows best.

30. Literally, this stands for hidden or preserved eggs. Scholars of tafsir, however, have interpreted it variously. The true interpretation of it is evidently that narrated by Umm Salamah from the Prophet (peace be on him). When she requested him to define it, he replied: "They will be as soft and tender as the fine covering inside the eggshell", (Ṭabari, Tafsir, comments on verse 49).

31. The unbelievers used to tease the believers, asserting that their affirmation of the After-life simply betrayed their superstitiousness.

32. This points to the faculties of sight, hearing and speech granted to man in the Hereafter. A person sitting in Paradise will easily be able to know the condition of someone who is undergoing severe punishment in Hell. He will be able to do so just by casting his glance downwards to see him without using any equipment such as a television. He will also be able to remain directly in touch and even converse with others even though there might be a great distance separating them.

33. It is evident from the tenor of the discourse that while speaking to an inmate of Hell the dwellers of Paradise will turn to soliloquy. What he says in this regard fully expresses his sense of ecstatic wonder at the idyllic state in which he finds himself. Clearly, this is not directed at anyone in particular, for he is found talking to himself and is expressing his innermost feelings. He marvels at his good fortune in so far as he is immune from death and punishment. His admission to Paradise has brought to an end every hardship and suffering. He is also blessed with everlasting life. Overpowered by these feelings, he is unable to contain himself and exclaims, asking whether all this is true?

34. Zaqqum is the name of a tree that grows in Tihāmah. It has an intensely bitter taste as well as a bad odour. The juice released by its leaves causes swelling in the body. (This is perhaps the very same tree that is called thūhar in the Subcontinent.)

35. On hearing this, those who denied the Hereafter found another pretext to taunt the Qur'an and ridicule the Prophet (peace be on him). They would giggle uncontrollably at the idea that trees should grow in a Hell that is filled with blazing fire.

36. This should not give rise to the misunderstanding that since no one has seen the head of Satan, it cannot be likened to the spathes of the Zaqqum tree. For this is an imaginative simile. Such similes are an integral part of the literature of every language. For example, "fairy" is a common metaphor to indicate the zenith of feminine beauty. By the same token, "witch" is used as a metaphor for describing utmost ugliness. A pious person with a halo of spirituality around him is likened to an "angel". In contrast, an evil person is likened to Satan.

37. This shows that when the inmates of Hell are overpowered by hunger and thirst, they will be dragged to a spot full of Zaqqum trees and springs of boiling water. Then, after they have had their fill of both, they will be returned to Hell.

38. They never made use of their reason to examine their inherited ways. Blindly, they turned to the ways they had found their predecessors treading.

39. This relates to verses 72-74. If we bear in mind the content of those verses, it is evident why these stories are being narrated here.

40. Reference here is to the supplication of the Prophet Noah (peace be on him) in a state of utter despair after he had preached the truth to his people for centuries. This supplication is mentioned in the Qur'an in these words: "Then he called upon his Lord: 'Verily I am vanquished. So come to my aid"", (al-Qamar 54:10).

41. The subtle point suggested here is that in the same manner that God had delivered the Prophet Noah (peace be on him) and his companions from the "great calamity", He will also deliver the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) and his Companions from a similar calamity, the one they were facing at the hands of the Makkans.

42. This is open to the following two meanings: (i) The detractors of the Prophet Noah (peace be on him) were obliterated while only Noah's progeny has survived. (ii) Almost all the human race was removed from the scene. Only the descendants of the Prophet Noah (peace be on him) survived and later populated the world. Generally, Qur'an-commentators prefer the latter interpretation, although the text of the Qur'an is not explicit in this regard. God alone knows the truth. (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, comments on verse 77).

43. No one who would speak ill of the Prophet Noah (peace be on him) has survived. In contrast, for thousands of years since the Flood, praise has been constantly showered on him.

44. This means that a heart free of evil motives and intentions, exclusively turns to God. Moreover, this was done with a "pure heart", that is a heart free from all errors relating to both belief and practice. This is a heart that has been purged of unbelief, polytheism, scepticism, rebellion, egotism and evil intentions; a heart free from crookedness and complexity, free from evil inclinations and vile desires, free from rancour, envy and ill-will.

45. For a detailed account of the Prophet Abraham's story see also al- An'am 6:74-84; Maryam 19:41-50; al-Anbiya' 21:51-73; al-Shu'ara' 26:69-89, and al-'Ankabut 29:16–27.

46. Abraham pointedly asked the unbelievers what their view of God was. Do they believe that their statues of wood and stone are His equivalents? Do they ascribe partnership to them in God's Divinity? Abraham asked them: can they really be God's associates in His attributes and authority? Do they think they can indulge in this kind of blasphemy and still escape God's Punishment?

47. This particular event is described in al-Anbiya' 21:51-73 and al- 'Ankabut 29:16–27.

48. Ibn Abi Ḥātim quotes Qatadah, the leading Qur'an-commentator of the generation of the Successors, that the Arabs used the expression (he looked upon the stars) in an idiomatic sense; the word nazar meaning "to consider", "to ponder". Ibn Kathir has given preference to this opinion. (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, comments on verse 88.) Moreover, it is common knowledge that when one is seized with a question that deserves serious reflection, one tends to look up above for a while, before responding.

49. This is considered to be one of the three things about which the Prophet Abraham (peace be on him) is said to have lied during his life. Before saying so, however, it should be ascertained whether at that time Abraham was really suffering from some indisposition (as he said) or whether he merely uttered this by way of pretext. If the former is the case, he cannot be considered a liar. We have discussed this point at length in Towards Understanding the Qur'an, Surah al-Anbiyā' 21: n. 60, Vol. V, pp. 275-277. (See also the writer's work in Urdu, Rasa'il wa Masa'il, Vol. 2, pp. 35-39.)

50. This clarifies the actual situation. Apparently the members of Abraham's community were on their way to attend a fair and they presumably asked him to accompany them. Abraham, however, excused himself on the grounds of his indisposition. Since his family members accepted his excuse and left him behind it is evident that he was suffering from some kind of indisposition, maybe a cold or cough or any other ailment with such visible signs. It is this which prompted his family members to go ahead without him (see vv. 89-90).

51. This indicates that a variety of food items were placed before idols as offerings.

52. This event is described here in a summarised form. Its details feature in Surah al-Anbiya' (Surah 21). When Abraham's people returned home they found that their idols had been demolished. They began to inquire and were told that the young Abraham used to speak ill of these idols. These people asked that Abraham be brought before them. A group of them then hastened to Abraham and brought him to the public assembly.

53. It is stated elsewhere in the Qur'an that God made the fire "coolness and safety" for Abraham, (al-Anbiyā' 21:69 and al-'Ankabut 29:24). One learns, therefore, that while the unbelievers hurled the Prophet Abraham (peace be on him) into the fire, God saw to it that he remained safe. The wording of the verse that "the unbelievers had contrived an evil plan against him, but Allah abased them all" (verse 98), cannot be considered to mean that although they had wanted to throw the Prophet Abraham (peace be on him) into the fire, they could not do so. Instead, if one reads this verse in conjunction with the verses referred to above, it clearly emerges that what they were unsuccessful in doing was burning him to death, even though they did hurl him into the fire. Abraham's miraculous survival established his inordinately exalted position and the unbelieving members of his community were publicly humiliated.

The purpose of narrating this incident is to warn the Quraysh who boasted of being Abraham's descendants. They are being told that it is not they but Muhammad (peace be on him) who followed Abraham's way. Now, if they resort to evil designs against the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) in the manner the unbelieving members of the Prophet Abraham's people once did, they too will bite the dust. They may do whatever they wish to, but in no way will they be able to thwart the mission of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him).

54. After being delivered from the fire, Abraham decided to bid adieu to his homeland. He uttered the words, "I am going to my Lord" at the time of his departure.

55. Abraham's words, "I am going to my Lord", mean that he was leaving his hearth and home in God's cause. His people had turned against him on account of his exclusive devotion and allegiance to God. Also, there was no particular place to which Abraham could go. Hence, he was setting out for God's sake, and in so doing, his trust was entirely in Him. He was ready to go wherever God wanted to take him.

56. It is evident from this supplication that at that time Abraham (peace be on him) had no children of his own. It also appears from other Qur'anic passages that he had left the country along with his wife and his nephew, Lot. In this situation the desire naturally arose within him that God grant him a righteous child whose presence would be a solace to him in this grievous state of exile.

57. This should not give rise to the misconception that this happy tiding of the birth of a son came instantly on the heels of Abraham's supplication. It appears from Surah Ibrāhīm 14:39 that it took many years before Abraham's prayer was granted. According to the Bible, the Prophet Abraham (peace be on him) was 86 years old at the time of Ishmael's birth (Genesis 16:16) and was 100 years old when Isaac was born (Genesis 21:5).

58. It is noteworthy that the Prophet Abraham (peace be on him) did not dream that he had slaughtered his son; rather, he dreamt that he was slaughtering him. He, nonetheless, interpreted this dream to mean that he was directed to slaughter his son. It was for this reason that he prepared himself to carry out that task. The subtle point that whatever happened was a part of God's plan is uncovered below in verse 105.

59. Abraham did not mention his dream to his son in order to seek the latter's consent to carry out God's command. Instead, he wanted to ascertain how righteous his son was. It is significant that Abraham's prayer to God was to grant him "a righteous child". The latter's willingness to be slaughtered indicated that his prayer had been granted in full. Ishmael was thus not only his son in a biological sense, but was also a true descendant of Abraham in moral and spiritual terms.

60. It is clear from Ishmael's words that he took his father's dream to be an indication of God's command. Had this indeed not been God's command, the Qur'an would have indicated, whether explicitly or implicitly, that this was a misunderstanding. But there is nothing to show that this was a misunderstanding. This explains the Islamic doctrine that a Prophet's dream is one mode of revelation. Had the Prophet Abraham (peace be on him) erred in grasping the import of his dream, God would have corrected him. It is impossible for anyone who believes the Qur'an to be the Word of God to accept that God can commit such lapses.

61. Just as the Prophet Abraham (peace be on him) was about to undertake the slaughter, he placed his son with his face downwards. He did so because he did not wish to look at his son's face lest out of overwhelming affection, his hand might falter while he was slaughtering him.

62. Concerning verses 103-104, some grammarians are of the opinion that the letter "wa" (in v. 104) means "then" rather than "and". Thus the verses in question: "When both surrendered (to Allah's command) and Abraham flung his son down on the forehead, then We cried out: 'O Abraham ..."

Other grammarians, however, contest this interpretation. They are of the opinion that the answer to lammā (when) in verse 103 is omitted and has been left to the understanding of the reader. (Rāzi, al-Tafsir al-Kabir, comments on verse 104). The matter was of such tremendous proportions that rather than verbally express it, it was better left to the audience's imagination. In other words, God witnessed how readily the age-stricken father had agreed to slaughter his own son whose birth he had sought so fervently, and the son also expressed his full readiness to be slaughtered for God's pleasure. One can imagine how strongly this would have aroused God's mercy and compassion for both Abraham and his son; how the loyalty of both of them would have endeared them to God. This too is better left to the imagination rather than stated in words, for words can never do full justice to it.

63. In his dream Abraham had seen himself slaughtering his son, but not that he had slaughtered him. So, when he had made all preparations for that act, God treated this as indicating that the actual object of the dream had been fulfilled. God's purpose was not to take Ishmael's life, but to ascertain the readiness of Abraham and Ishmael to do His will.

64. God does not put His righteous servants to test with a view to subjecting them to unnecessary hardship. Rather, these tests are meant to bring out their latent excellence and to help them attain higher ranks. Also, God sees to it that they are safely rescued from the hardships in which they are placed. The Prophet Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his son was sufficient for the bestowal of an exalted rank on him, one which would normally have only been granted to him after the performance of the act itself.

65. God did not want the Prophet Abraham (peace be on him) to slaughter his son. The purpose of the test was to ascertain whether Abraham held God's pleasure dearer than everything else, including his son.

66. The reference here is to the ram, which according to both Islamic and Biblical sources, was made available to Abraham in order that it be sacrificed instead of his son. This is referred to as "the great sacrifice" in so far as it served as the ransom to preserve the son of God's obedient servant, Abraham. God made that ram the means for an unprecedented sacrifice. This incident is also known as "the great sacrifice" because God prescribed that believers should henceforth offer animal sacrifice and commemorate this great example of loyalty and selfless allegiance to Him.

67. One is faced here with the question of determining as to who was that son of the Prophet Abraham, he whom he wanted to sacrifice and who readily accepted to be sacrificed.

...God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham! Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you", (Genesis 22:1-2).

This passage specifies Isaac and declares him to be the only son of the Prophet Abraham (peace be on him). At other places, however, the Bible

speaks of a second son of Abraham as well. Let us consider the following Biblical passages as illustrative:

Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar; and Sarai said to Abram, "Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go in to my maid; it may be that I shall obtain children by her." And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. So, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to Abram her husband as wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived... (Genesis 16:1-4). And the angel of the Lord said to Hagar, "Behold, you are with child, and shall bear a son; you shall call his name Ishmael". (Genesis 16:11).

Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram, (Genesis 16:16).

And God said to Abram, "As for Sarai, your wife, ... I will give you a son by her; ... and you shall call his name Isaac ... Sarah shall bear to you Isaac at this season next year" ... Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and every male among the men of Abraham's house and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. (Genesis 17:15-25).

Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. (Genesis 21:5).

These Biblical passages betray inner contradictions. For 14 years, Ishmael was the only son of Abraham (peace be on him). If God had asked him to offer his only son, then this could only refer to Ishmael; for then he was his only son. Had God's intent been that Isaac be the offering, the insistence on the only son would be incongruous.

However, even the traditions in the Islamic sources on this question are characterised by serious contradictions. The traditions narrated by Qur'an-commentators on the authority of Companions and Successors show considerable disagreement. One group of commentators, for example, affirms, on the basis of reports narrated by Companions and Successors, that it was Isaac who was earmarked for the sacrifice. To this group belong 'Umar, 'Ali, 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud, 'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbās, Abu Hurayrah, Qatādah, 'Ikrimah, Hasan al-Basri, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, Sha'bi, Masruq, Makḥūl, Zuhri, 'Aṭā', Muqatil, Suddi, Ka'b al-Aḥbär and Zayd ibn Aslam.

Another group, however, asserts that it was Ishmael who was marked for the sacrifice. Notable authorities of this group are Abu Bakr, 'Ali, 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar, 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas, Abu Hurayrah, Mu'awiyah, 'Ikrimah, Mujahid, Yūsuf ibn Mahrān, Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, Muḥammad ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi, Sha'bi, Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, Daḥḥāk, Muḥammad ibn 'Ali ibn al-Husayn (Muḥammad al-Baqir), Rabi' ibn Anas and Aḥmad ibn Hanbal.

When we compare the names in the two lists, we find that some names feature in both of them. In other words, at times two opposite views are ascribed to the same people. According to 'Ikrimah, 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbās identified Isaac on this count. 'Ata' ibn Abi Rabāḥ, however, credits the same 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas with the following statement: "The Jews contend that it was Isaac; but the Jews lied". Likewise, Hasan al-Başri appears in a report supporting the view that Isaac was the one who was to be sacrificed. On the contrary, in another report, Amr ibn 'Ubayd declares that Ḥasan al-Başri wholly subscribed to the view that it was Ishmael whom the Prophet Abraham (peace be on him) was asked to sacrifice.

As a result of this disagreement, Muslim scholars stand divided into two camps. Ibn Jābir, Qāḍī 'Iyāḍ and some others are of the firm view that Isaac was the intended offering. Ibn Kathir, Jalāl al-Din al-Suyuti and some others appear undecided on the issue. In contrast, some scholars emphatically declare that Ishmael was the intended offering. A scrutiny of the whole issue, however, leads one to the view that beyond any shadow of doubt God's command to the Prophet Abraham (peace be on him) was to sacrifice Ishmael. This view rests on the following pieces of evidence:

i. As already noted, while migrating from his home town the Prophet Abraham (peace be on him) had prayed to God that he be blessed with a righteous son. In response, God gave him the glad tidings of the birth of a forbearing son. It is clear from the context that at the time he prayed he did not have a child. These tidings, therefore, relate to the birth of his first child. It also emerges from the context that Abraham was directed to present the same son as an offering. That Ishmael was his first son is indisputable. The Qur'an speaks of his sons in the following order: "Abraham said: ... All praise be to Allah Who, despite my old age, has given me Ishmael and Isaac". (Ibrāhīm 14:39.)

ii. All the Qur'ānic references to Isaac designate him as a "knowledgeable son". Instances in point are as follows: "They [the angels] announced to him (Abraham) the good news of (the birth of) a boy endowed with knowledge", (al-Dhariyāt 51:28). They (the angels) said: "We give you (O Abraham) the good news of a wise boy", (al-Hijr 15:53). When the Qur'ān speaks of Ishmael, he is mentioned as a forbearing boy (see al-Saffat 37:101). The two sons thus had qualities distinct from each other. The Qur'anic command to sacrifice was meant for the "forbearing boy", that is, Ishmael, rather than for the boy "endowed with knowledge", that is, Isaac.

iii. While giving the good news about Isaac's birth, the Qur'an also gave the good news of the birth of a son to him called Jacob: "We gave her (Abraham's wife) the good news of (the birth of) Isaac, and after Isaac, of Jacob", (Hūd 11:71). Thus the situation was the following: Abraham was given the tidings that a son (Isaac) would be born to him and that a worthy son (Jacob) would be born to Isaac. Then Abraham (peace be on him) was shown in a vision that he was sacrificing his son. In the circumstance it would be well nigh impossible for Abraham to conclude that he was being asked to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Ibn Jarir al-Tabari explains his viewpoint about the matter by saying that possibly Abraham had that vision after Jacob was born to Isaac. This, however, is a very tenuous contention. For the Qur'an states that the Prophet Abraham's dream belongs to the period when his son had become "old enough to go about and work with him", (al-Ṣäffät 37:102). Anyone who pays an unbiased attention to this will consider it to refer to a young, say eight or ten year old boy, rather than to a fully grown adult who had already fathered a child.

iv. After narrating this whole account the Qur'an concludes with the observation: "And We gave him the good news of Isaac, a Prophet and among the righteous ones", (al-Saffat 37:112). This, once again, establishes that Isaac was not to be sacrificed. Rather, the glad tiding about another son had been given earlier, and as he grew old enough to go about and work, God directed Abraham that he be sacrificed. After the Prophet Abraham (peace be on him) had successfully passed the test to which he was put, the good news of the birth of another son was given to him.

This sequence of events makes it clear that Isaac was not the son intended for the sacrifice. Rather, the allusion was to Ishmael who had been born 14 years earlier. Ibn Jarir al-Ṭabarī dismisses this sequence of events, saying that the glad tidings related to Isaac's birth. Also, as he expressed his readiness to be sacrificed in order to obtain God's pleasure, he was rewarded with the conferment of the Messenger's office. This, however, is an even less convincing and less plausible statement than the one already cited. Had Isaac been the intended offering, the Qur'an would not have said: "And We gave him the good news of Isaac, a Prophet and among the righteous ones", (v. 112). Rather, it would have been mentioned: "And We gave him the good news that this son of yours will be a Prophet among the righteous ones".

v. Authentic reports indicate that the horns of the ram which was slaughtered as a ransom for Ishmael were preserved inside the Ka'bah up to the days of 'Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr. At a later date, when Ḥajjaj ibn Yusuf laid siege on 'Abd Allah ibn al- Zubayr inside the Ka'bah and demolished it, these horns were lost. Both 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas and Sha'bi testify that they saw these horns inside the Ka'bah. (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, comments on verses 107-113). This also proves that the offering was made in Makkah, not in Syria, and that it was Ishmael who was to be sacrificed. That is why this relic was befittingly preserved within the precincts of the Ka'bah, which had been built by the Prophets Abraham and Ishmael (peace be on them).

vi. The Arabs have held on to the belief down the ages that the event of the offering took place in Mina. This was far from being a mere report. Since the time of the event till the life- time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), the Arabs used to sacrifice their animals, as one of their pilgrimage rites. They did this at the spot where the Prophet Abraham (peace be on him) had made the offering. This rite was retained as part of Hajj by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him). Up to this day, millions of pilgrims sacrifice their animals in Mina. This practice, for more than four and a half thousand years, conclusively establishes that Ishmael was the intended offering. Significantly, no such rite is performed by Isaac's descendants. Furthermore, Ishmael's people have observed this practice for centuries in order to commemorate the offering that involved the Prophets Abraham and Ishmael (peace be on them). (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, comments on verses 107-113, Faṣl fi Dhikr al-Āthār al-Waridah 'an al-Salaf fi anna al-Dhabiḥ man huwa?; Ṭabari, Tafsir, comments on verse 107.)

In the face of these incontrovertible pieces of evidence it is astonishing how even some Muslims entertained the idea that Isaac was the intended offering. The Jewish insistence on conferring this honour on their progenitor, Isaac, is understandable. However, it defies one's understanding why so many Muslims endorsed this Jewish claim. Ibn Kathir offers the following answer to this intriguing question:

The truth is known to God alone. Nonetheless, it appears that all the reports identifying Isaac as the intended offering have originated from Ka'b al-Aḥbar. When he embraced Islam during Caliph 'Umar's era, he occasionally narrated to the Caliph passages from the Jewish and Christian Scriptures. Others [that is, other Companions] too, received similar reports from him, irrespective of their authenticity. The Muslims did not stand in need of any report from these sources. (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, comments on verses 107-113, Fasl fi Dhikr al-Athār al-Wāridah 'an al-Salaf fi anna al-Dhabiḥ man huwa?)

The issue is further elaborated in a report on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi. He states:

There was discussion at the court of Caliph 'Umar ibn 'Abd al- 'Aziz on the issue as to who was the intended offering: Isaac or Ishmael. Among those present there was a devout Muslim who had converted from Judaism to Islam. He remarked: "O Commander of the Faithful! By God, it was Ishmael. This fact is well known to the Jews. However, swayed by their jealousy towards the Arabs, they confer this honour upon Isaac". (Tabari, Tafsir, comments on verse 107.)

In sum, it was as a result of Jewish propaganda that some Muslims bought the story of Isaac being the intended offering. Since the Muslims were unbiased on these academic issues, they uncritically accepted false reports paraded by the Jews as scriptural statements. They failed to discern the Jewish ploy permeating such reports.

68. This brings out the lesson inherent in the Prophet Abraham's story. Two major communities emerged from the Prophet Abraham's two sons. One of them were the Children of Israel among whom there emerged two major religions - Judaism and Christianity. The other were the Children of Ishmael. At the time the Qur'an was revealed, they were considered the leaders of the whole of Arabia. Among them were the Quraysh of Makkah, who occupied a pre-eminent position in the whole of Arabia. After relating this most important event in the history of this family, God reminds them that they were exalted to great heights. This was in recognition of their godliness, sincerity and submission to God, as exemplified by their ancestors-the Prophets Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac (peace be on them). God endowed His bounties on them according to His plan. This was not a haphazard bestowal of His grace. The descendants of these Prophets cannot lay claim to the endowment of the same favours simply because of their blood ties with their ancestors. Rather, God will test them as to whether they are righteous or wrong-doers and He will treat them accordingly.

69. In other words, their deliverance from the great calamity they suffered at the hands of Pharaoh and his people.

70. The Prophet Elias/Elijah was raised among the Children of Israel. His name occurs at only two places in the Qur'an - in the present verse and in Surah al-An'äm 6:85. Scholars of the present time believe that he flourished between 875-850 B.C. He hailed from Gilead which is now part of the northern districts of Jordan and lies to the south of the Yarmuk River. In the Bible, he is referred to as Elijah the Tishbite. Here is a brief account of the Prophet Elias/Elijah as gleaned from the Bible.

After the Prophet Solomon's death, his son, Rehoboam proved incompetent in handling the affairs of the kingdom with the result that it split into two. One part of the kingdom, which comprised Jerusalem and southern Palestine, fell under the control of the Prophet David's descendants. The other, comprising northern Palestine, emerged as an independent state called Israel, with Samaria as its capital. Although both states were plagued with problems, Israel's orientation from the very beginning was perverted. As a result, it became inundated with polytheism and idolatry, tyranny and oppression, sin and wickedness. When King Ahab married Jezebel, daughter of the king of Sidon (located in present-day Lebanon), this marked the lowest ebb in its history. For, under the evil influence of his polytheistic wife, Jezebel, King Ahab also succumbed to polytheism. He built a temple and an altar devoted to Ba'al in Samaria and spared no effort in promoting the worship of Ba'al instead of the One True God. Offerings dedicated to Ba'al were made publicly throughout the kingdom.

This was the time when the Prophet Elias/Elijah (peace be on him) appeared on the scene. He arrived in Samaria from Gilead and warned Ahab that his kingdom would not receive any rainfall as a punishment for his outrageous misdeeds, so much so that his land would even be deprived of dew-drops. This warning, issued by a Prophet of God, came true. For more than three years there was no rainfall in the kingdom. This brought Ahab back to his senses and he sent for Elias/Elijah. Before praying to God for rainfall, however, Elias/Elijah gathered people together in an assembly with a view to helping them discern the tremendous difference between the Lord of the universe and Ba'al. Accordingly, he asked the devotees of Ba'al to present an offering to their deity in that assembly whereas he would dedicate his offering to the One True Lord. Then, he proposed the following test: whichever of the two offerings was consumed by fire from on high, without any human intervention, would be deemed to be true. Ahab accepted the test. Accordingly, 850 priests, who owed allegiance to Ba'al, assembled at Mount Carmel. This test was held in a public gathering of Israelites, marking the encounter between the worshippers of Ba'al and the Prophet Elias/Elijah (peace be on him). In this test, Ba'al's devotees were thoroughly exposed and disgraced because the Prophet Elias/Elijah (peace be on him) publicly demonstrated that Ba'al was a false god. This event also established the truth of the One True Lord and of Elias'/Elijah's credentials as God's Messenger. In the same assembly he had Ba'al's worshippers put to the sword and then prayed to God for rainfall. His prayer was readily answered. The whole kingdom of Israel was subsequently blessed with rain.

Even after witnessing these miracles, Ahab was still under the sway of his idolatrous wife. She became so hostile towards the Prophet Elias/ Elijah (peace be on him) that she vowed to have him killed, just as the devotees of Ba'al had been put to death. The Prophet Elias/Elijah (peace be on him), therefore, had to leave Israel and take refuge in a cave in Mount Sinai for several years. His plight is reflected in his supplication, as recorded in the Bible:

The people of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thy altars, and slain thy Prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. (I Kings 19:10.)

During the same period, Jehoram, the ruler of the Jewish state of Jerusalem, married the daughter of Ahab, the King of Israel. This led to the spread of polytheism and idolatry in Jerusalem as well. The Prophet Elias/Elijah (peace be on him) warned against this evil as a part of his Prophetic mission. He wrote, for example, the following letter to Jehoram, admonishing him:

Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father, 'Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa, King of Judah, but have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and have led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem into unfaithfulness, just as the house of Ahab led Israel into unfaithfulness, and also you have killed your brothers, of your father's house, who were better than yourself; behold, the Lord will bring a great plague on your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions, and you yourself will have a severe sickness with a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the disease, day by day. (2 Chronicles 21:12-15.)

All that this letter forewarned came true. First, Jehoram's kingdom was destroyed as a result of invasions. Even Jehoram's wives were taken captives. At a later date, Jehoram died, suffering from a disease of the bowels.

Later on, the Prophet Elias/Elijah (peace be on him) returned to Israel and tried his level best to direct Ahab and his son, Ahaziab, to the Straight Way. They were, however, too deeply steeped in iniquity to pay any attention to his call. Eventually, Elias/Elijah's curse also brought an end to the state of Israel. It was at this juncture that God recalled him from the world. (For further details of the events relating to the Prophet Elias/Elijah (peace be on him), see 1 Kings 17-19 and 21; 2 Kings 1-2, and 2 Chronicles 21.)

71. Literally, Ba'al means "master". It is also used for husband. This expression features in the last-mentioned sense in the Qur'an itself. (Instances in point are: al-Baqarah 2:228; al-Nisa' 4:127; Hūd 11:72, and al-Nur 24:31.) Ancient Semitic nations, however, used this word as a synonym for God. They designated a certain idol as Ba'al. Special mention in this context should be made of the Phoenicians, the inhabitants of Lebanon. Ba'al and his spouse Ash'taroth were taken by them respectively as their chief god and goddess. Scholars differ in identifying Ba'al with either the Sun or Jupiter and Ash'taroth with either the Moon or Venus. What is, nonetheless, on record is that Ba'al worship had been in vogue from Babylonia to Egypt, virtually encompassing the whole of the Middle East. Polytheistic communities living in Lebanon, Syria and Palestine were prominent in their devotion of Ba'al. After migrating from Egypt, the Israelites settled in Palestine and Trans-Jordan. In defiance of the stringent prohibitions contained in the Torah they engaged in inter- marriages with members of the polytheistic communities of the region. As a result, they took to idolatry. According to the Bible, moral and religious decline afflicted the Israelites soon after the death of Joshua, the Prophet Moses' successor:

And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Ba'als... They forsook the Lord, and served the Ba'als and the Ash'taroth. (Judges 2:11-13.)

So the people of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Per'izzites, the Hivites, and Jeb'usites; and they took their daughters to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons; and they served their gods. (Judges 3:3-6.)

Ba'al worship was so rampant at the time that an altar dedicated to Ba'al was erected in one of their towns where animal sacrifices were made. When a pious Israelite saw this he could not contain his anger and demolished the altar in the darkness of night. The next morning a huge crowd assembled there, demanding the beheading of the Israelite who had so destroyed their centre of idolatry, (Judges 6:25-32). Eventually Samuel, Saul and the Prophets David and Solomon (peace be on them) managed to put an end to this sad state of affairs. Not only did they reform the recalcitrant Israelites, but also suppressed polytheism and idolatry in their kingdom. After the Prophet Solomon's death, polytheistic practices again resurfaced among the Israelites. Ba'al worship was particularly pronounced in northern Palestine, which formed part of the kingdom of Israel.

72. Only those who did not give the lie to the Prophet Elias/Elijah (peace be on him) and who were chosen by God from among that nation to serve Him were to be spared the punishment.

73. We have already noted to what extent the Children of Israel persecuted the Prophet Elias/Elijah (peace be on him). Subsequently, however, their attitude towards him changed altogether and they began to hold him in unusual esteem and respect. Other than Moses, they hardly held anyone in such high esteem. They believe that he was raised alive to the heavens by a whirlwind, (2 Kings 2). They also maintain that he will return to this world. The following Biblical passage throws further light on Jewish popular beliefs about him:

Behold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. (Malachi 4:5.)

Essentially, the Jews looked forward to the advent of the following three: (i) Elias/Elijah, (ii) the Christ, and (iii) the Prophet (that is, the Prophet Muhammad). As John the Baptist (peace be on him) embarked upon his Prophetic mission and baptised people, Jewish rabbis asked him:

"Who are you? Are you the Christ?" He confessed, "I am not the Christ." And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." They asked him, "Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" (John 1:19-25.)

When the Prophet Jesus (peace be on him) launched his mission, the Jews thought that the Prophet Elias/Elijah (peace be on him) had reappeared (Mark 6:14-15). Even some disciples of the Prophet Jesus (peace be on him) had looked forward to Elias'/Elijah's advent. The Prophet Jesus (peace be on him) removed their misunderstanding, telling them that Elias/Elijah had already appeared, though few recognised him. He also informed them about John the Baptist, urging them not to mistake him for Elijah who had appeared 800 years earlier. (Matthew 11:14 and 17:10-13.)

74. The actual words are (Peace be upon Elias). Some Qur'ān-commentators consider Ilyāsīn as another name for the Prophet Elias/Elijah, in the same way that another name for Abraham was Abram. Other scholars, however, point out that it represents only a variant form of the same Hebrew name. They also point out that some Hebrew names were variously pronounced by the Arabs. The same angel, for instance, was known by three different names: Mikāl, Mīkā'il and Mikä'in. The same happened with the Prophet Elias/Elijah. In the Qur'an itself we find the same mountain mentioned both as Tür Sīnā and Tür Sinin. (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, comments on verse 120.)

75. This allusion is to the Prophet Lot's wife. She did not accompany her husband and preferred to stay behind with her people. Accordingly, she was seized by God's scourge.

76. The Quraysh traders always passed through this same region in the course of their trade journeys to Syria and Palestine. The ruins of the Prophet Lot's towns were located on the highway.

77. This represents the third instance in which the Prophet Jonah (peace be on him) is mentioned in the Qur'an. Reference to him also occurs in Surahs Yūnus and al-Anbiyā'. (See Towards Understanding the Qur'an, Yunus 10: nr. 98-100, Vol. IV, pp. 66-68, and al-Anbiya' 21: nn. 82-85, Vol. V, p. 292.)

78. The word abaqa is used in Arabic to denote a slave who runs away from his master. The word ibaq, according to Lisan al-'Arab, means: lly "ibaq means a slave's running away from his master" (Lisän al-'Arab, q.v. abq).

79. Were we to consider verses 139 and 148 together it would be clear that the following is what happened: (i) When the Prophet Jonah (peace be on him) boarded the ship, it was already loaded beyond its capacity. (ii) Most probably when it was realised that this overloading posed a serious threat to the lives of all passengers, lots were drawn to cast someone over-board so as to shed the load. (iii) The Prophet Jonah's name appeared in this lot and consequently he was thrown into the sea and was swallowed by a fish. (iv) Jonah faced this plight because he had left his station without God's leave. Let us bring to mind the use of the term abaqa with regard to him, a term whose meaning we have explained in n. 78 above. The use of the expression mulim reinforces that sense as it denotes a guilty person who deserves to be reproached, irrespective of whether he is actually reproached or not

( يقال قد الام الرجل إذا أتى ما يلام عليه من الأمر و إن لم يلم

Tabari, Tafsir, comments on verse 142.)

80. This carries two meanings and both are intended: (i) The Prophet Jonah (peace be on him) even beforehand was one of those who constantly remembered God. (ii) When he entered the belly of the fish, he turned only to God and glorified Him. This comes out sharply from the following

Qur'ānic passage: "Eventually he cried out in the darkness: "There is no god but You. Glory be to You. I have done wrong"", (al-Anbiya' 21:87).

81. This does not mean that the fish would have remained alive till the Day of Resurrection and that Jonah would have remained in the belly of that fish. What it really means is that the belly of the fish would have been Jonah's grave till the Day of Resurrection. The famous Qur'an- commentator Qatadah interpreted the verse to mean so, (Tabari, Tafsir, comments on verse 144).

82. When the Prophet Jonah (peace be on him) admitted his lapse and engaged in God's glorification as a true believer, at God's behest the fish cast him onto the coast. The coast was a level plane, without any vegetation. Some pseudo-rationalists contend that it is impossible for anyone to come out alive from a fish's belly. However, exactly the same kind of incident took place in a coastal town in England, the centre of pseudo-rationalists! A group of fishermen went into the deep seas in August 1891 on the ship "Star of the East" to hunt whales. They managed to injure a huge whale, which was 20 ft. long, 5 ft. wide and weighed 100 tonnes. However, James Bartley, one of the fishermen, was swallowed up by the whale in the presence of his friends during this encounter. The next day they found the dead whale and transported it with much difficulty to the coast. On cutting open its belly, James Bartley was found alive. He had been in the whale's belly for more than 60 hours.

83. The word yaqṭīn is used for a tree which does not stand on a stem but rather grows and spreads like a creeper, such as a gourd, pumpkin, cucumber and melon. God miraculously allowed a creeper to grow over there. Its leaves provided shade to the Prophet Jonah (peace be on him) and its fruit served him both as food and drink.

84. The figure "one hundred thousand or more" does not indicate that God does not accurately know their number. What is meant here is that an observer would have surmised that the town had a population of one hundred thousand or more. It was presumably the same town from where the Prophet Jonah (peace be on him) had departed. After his departure, the inhabitants of the town embraced faith as they saw God's scourge approaching them. In view of their acceptance of faith, which amounted to repentance, the scourge was averted. The Prophet Jonah (peace be on him) was sent back to them so that they might embrace faith at his hands and lead their lives as believers. (For a better comprehension of this see Yunus 10:98.)

85. Some people have taken exception to our version of the Prophet Jonah's story, as featured in Surahs Yūnus (Sūrah 10) and al-Anbiya' (Surah 21); it would be pertinent to reproduce below the version of this story as offered by some Qur'an-commentators.

While elucidating Yunus 10: 98, the distinguished Qur'an-commentator, Qatadah says the following:

There has been no community that committed unbelief and believed after God's punishment had come to them, and yet they were spared punishment. The only exception are the people of Jonah. As the Divine scourge approached they looked for their Messenger and could not locate him in their midst, so God instilled repentance in their hearts. (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, comments on Surah Yūnus 10:98.)

Alūsi offers the following explanation:

The Prophet Jonah (peace be on him) was sent to the people of Nineveh in the region of Mosul. They were unbelievers. The Prophet Jonah (peace be on him) urged them to worship the One True God and to give up idolatry. However, they rejected his call and denounced him as a liar. The Prophet Jonah (peace be on him) warned them that a Divine scourge would befall them after three days. He left the town in the night before the appointed day of their punishment. The next day, as God's scourge almost encompassed them, they realised that they were on the verge of death and destruction. It was then that they desperately looked for their Messenger but they could not find him. Eventually they assembled in the open along with their children and cattle. At that stage they professed faith and repented their sins... God took pity on them and accepted the repentance. (Rüḥ al-Ma'āni, comments on Surah Yunus 10: 98).

In a similar vein Älūsī explains Surah al-Anbiya' 21:87:

The Prophet Jonah's departure, in a fit of anger directed against his community, no doubt constituted his migration. God, however, had not directed him to do so. (Rüḥ al-Ma'ani, comments on Sürah al-Anbiya' 21:87.)

As for the Prophet Jonah's confession that he had done wrong (al- Anbiya' 21:87), Ālūsi writes:

His confession of doing wrong underscores the haste with which he migrated. This did not befit a Messenger of God. He confessed his lapse in order to win God's acceptance of his repentance. (Rūḥ al-Ma'ani, comments on Surah al-Anbiya' 21:87.)

Mawlānā Ashraf 'Ali Thanawï's gloss on al-Anbiya' 21:87 reads as follows:

He left the town, angry with his community over their unbelief. He did not return to them even after the Divine scourge had been averted from them. His departure from the town did not have God's sanction. (Bayān al-Qur'an comments on Surah al-Anbiya' 21:87.)

Mawlānā Shabbir Aḥmad 'Uthmānī explains the Prophet Jonah's conduct thus:

Enraged at the misdeeds of his community, he [Jonah] left the town in a fit of anger. In so doing, he did not wait for the Divine directive. He had threatened his community with the Divine scourge which would overtake them after three days. Nonetheless, he later admitted his mistake in having left the town in haste without God's command and having abandoned his people. (Tafsir 'Uthmani, comments on Surah al-Anbiya' 21:87.)

Rāzī's explanation of al-Saffat 37:148 is as follows:

God had promised to annihilate the unbelieving people of the Prophet Jonah's town. While apprehending the imminent Divine scourge, the Prophet Jonah (peace be on him) lost patience and left the town, thus neglecting his mission to guide his community to the truth. He was obliged to continue his mission, for the possibility remained that God would decide not to destroy them. (Al-Tafsir al-Kabir, comments on al-Saffat 37:148.)

While explaining al-Ṣāffāt 37:140, Ālūsï states:

Abq denotes a slave's running away from his master. As the Prophet Jonah (peace be on him) had left his community without his Lord's leave, this expression is befittingly used of him. It was on the third day that he left the town. Unable to trace their Messenger, the community members went out, along with their cattle. As the Divine scourge was approaching them, they turned to God, crying fervently over their misdeeds and sought God's pardon. God accepted their repentance. (Rūḥ al-Ma'ānī, comments on al- Ṣäffat 37:140.)

On the import of al-Ṣāffāt 37:142, Mawlānā Shabbir Aḥmad 'Uthmānī writes as follows:

The Prophet Jonah (peace be on him) stood charged with having committed a mistake in the exercise of his discretion. It was so both in his choice of departing from the town without God's leave and in fixing the day the Divine scourge would strike his people. (Tafsir 'Uthmānī, comments on al-Saffat 37:142.)

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) was instructed not to behave towards the unbelievers in the manner of the Prophet Jonah (peace be on him) which was characterised by a certain lack of magnanimity and patience towards those who falsified the truth. (Tafsir 'Uthmani, comments on al-Qalam 68:48.)

Maulānā 'Uthmānī, referring to the words in the verse ("choking with grief"), says as follows: "This shows that Jonah was filled with anger towards his people which prompted him, in a state of irritation; to hurriedly imprecate against them and even make a prophecy [regarding the time of God's scourge]." (Tafsir 'Uthmānī, comments on al-Qalam 68:48.)

It emerges from all the above that the Prophet Jonah (peace be on him) had incurred God's displeasure because of the following three lapses: (i) He himself fixed a date for God's scourge, though God had not specified it. (ii) He migrated from the town before God's scourge had arrived. A Messenger is not supposed to leave his station without God's permission. (iii) Moreover, he did not return to his home town even after God's scourge was averted.

86. This marks the beginning of a new discourse. The earlier discourse commenced with verse 11. It began with posing to the Makkan unbelievers the question: "Were they harder to create than the objects We created?" At this stage, they are asked another question. The objective of the former question was to jolt the unbelievers, those who had ruled out the possibility of the Afterlife, Resurrection and Divine retribution, and mocked the Prophet (peace be on him) because he expounded these doctrines. The present question, however, seeks to alert them to their ignorance, for they ascribed children to God. They gave free rein to their imagination and confirmed ties of kinship between God and whomsoever they wanted.

87. We learn from traditions in a variety of sources that the Quraysh, Juhaynah, Banu Salimah, Khuza'ah, Banu Mulayḥ and some other tribes considered angels to be the daughters of God. The Qur'an refers to this in the following instances: al-Nisa' 4:117; al-Nahl 16:57-58; Bani Isrā'il 17:40; al-Zukhruf 43:16-19, and al-Najm 53:21-27.

88. There could evidently be no more than two grounds for considering the angels to be God's daughters. The first of these could be observation. Alternatively, it could have a scriptural basis. In other words, there should be a statement on God's authority that the angels are His daughters. The unbelievers, however, cannot substantiate their claim on either of these two grounds. It was the height of their ignorance and folly that they entertained a baseless notion as an article of faith. They attributed to God what was patently ridiculous and outrageous.

89. The Qur'an, employs the word jinn. Some leading Qur'ānic scholars, however, contend that the word jinn has been used here in the literal meaning of 'hidden creatures', thereby signifying angels since the angels are essentially hidden creatures. The text that follows also corroborates that the word has been used here to denote angels.

90. This may alternatively be translated as follows: "So you and your worship shall not be able to tempt anyone away from God except ..." Taken in this sense, the angels will tell their devotees that they will be unable to tempt them to err by their act of worshipping them. In other words, the devotees could beguile only those who have been caught in the vortex of their doom. As for the angels, they will simply not oblige their devotees by falling into their trap.

91. Far from being God's children, angels cannot dare to deviate even slightly from the roles assigned to each of them.

92. The same truth is enshrined in Surah Fățir 35:42.

93. God's "hosts" comprise the believers who follow His Prophet and support His cause, thereby signifying angels since the latter are essentially hidden creatures. The text that follows also corroborates that the word has been used here to denote angels, including the invisible powers that help the votaries of truth by God's leave. God's help and support, however, do not necessarily mean that every Prophet of God and his followers will enjoy political ascendancy in every age. Wherever God's Prophets do not have such ascendancy, they enjoy moral ascendancy. By the same token, the nations that do not follow those Prophets and follow a path contrary to their teachings, ultimately meet their doom. All theories and doctrines that are rooted in ignorance and error prosper only for a short while. Even when these are forcibly put into effect, they fail to strike deep roots. However, the truths expounded by God's Prophets since time immemorial continue to be immutable. None can shake their roots.

94. The Prophet's Companions are assured that the Makkan unbelievers will soon witness their own defeat and the victory of the believers. That indeed came true. Within 15 years of the revelation of these verses, the Makkan unbelievers helplessly watched the Prophet (peace be on him) enter their town, Makkah, as a conqueror. Then, a decade later, the Muslims had established their superiority over both superpowers of the time - the Persians and the Romans.