1. For details, see: Tafhīm al-Qur'ān vol. v, and Sūrah al-Ḥadīd, 57: 1. A study of subsequent verses in this Surah clarifies why the discourse started with this sentence. Subsequent verses bring out the truth about the universe and man, declaring that God alone is the Creator, Master and Ruler of both the universe and man. Furthermore, He has not created this universe without purpose or wisdom nor is man left to his own accord, free to do whatever he wills without any responsibility or accountability. The Ruler of this universe is not a care-free and ignorant king who does not know what is happening in his kingdom. Given this, the brief opening words of the Surah couched in brief sentences constitute its best introduction. It is clear from the context of the introduction that if one looks around, from this earth to the utmost heights of the heavens one will clearly realise, provided one is not intellectually blind, that everything from this earth to the limitless heavens in this universe, from single particles to colossal galaxies, bears witness to the existence of God. Also, the entire universe bears witness that God is perfect, flawless and infallible in every respect. Had His being, actions and commands been tainted by any error, lapse, weakness or defect in the slightest degree, such a perfect functioning of the universe could not have taken place at all. Furthermore, the masterful and consistent functioning of the universe, since its beginning until eternity, underscores God's perfection.

2. The whole universe is His dominion alone. He has not just created the universe and left it alone after giving it the initial push off but practically rules over it all the time. No one has any role or partnership in His rule and sovereignty. If others have any limited authority, possession or kingship, in any part of this universe, they do not enjoy it of their own nor have they earned it. It is rather God Who has granted it to them and lets them enjoy it as long as He wills, and whenever He wills they will be withdrawn from them.

3. In other words, God alone is worthy of all praise. As for others who may have any laudable qualities, it is God Who has granted them. If praise (hamd) is taken here in the sense of gratitude (shukr), once again God alone is entitled to all gratitude for all good things in the world have been created by Him and none other than Him is the true benefactor of all creation. When one thanks someone else for his favour, it is because God has made him the agency through which that favour was given to one. Otherwise, he is neither the creator of the favour nor did he have the power to grant that favour to one without God's permission and help.

4. God is All Powerful in an absolute sense. He can do whatever He wills and there is no power to restrain or limit His Omnipotence.

5. This is open to four kinds of meanings and all are correct in their respective places:

1. God alone is man's Creator. Some men acknowledge this truth while others do not. This meaning becomes obvious when the first and second sentences are read together.

2. God has created man in such a way that he may opt for disbelief, if he wishes to do so. Likewise, one is free to affirm faith if one wishes to do so. God does not compel anyone to choose faith or disbelief. Therefore, man himself is responsible for his choice of belief or unbelief. This is borne out by the following Qur'ānic sentence that 'God observes all that man does'. By granting this choice to mankind, He tests him in order to ascertain how he exercises this choice.

3. God has created man and endowed him with a sound and innate ability which requires that he adopts the way of faith. Notwithstanding this arrangement, some people choose disbelief, which runs against their nature and purpose of creation. As for those who adopt the way of faith, they do so because it is in accordance with their essential nature. This point comes out very sharply when this verse is read along with verse number thirty of Surah al-Rum which says: "Turn your face exclusively to the True Faith and adhere to the true nature on which Allah has created human beings. The mould fashioned by Allah cannot be altered. That is the True, Straight Faith" (Sūrah al-Rūm, 30: 30). And this very theme is explained by several traditions in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has repeatedly stressed that God has created every human being according to the true nature and only interim external factors afflict him with disbelief, polytheism or error. (For details, see: Tafhim al-Qur'ān, vol. 3 and Sūrah al-Rūm, 30: nn 42-47). It is worth stating that no Divine Scripture has presented the idea of man's essential sinfulness, which has been professed as a fundamental doctrine for the last 1500 years by Christianity, like the Qur'an. Today, even the Catholic scholars themselves state that there is no basis for this doctrine in the Bible. A famous German biblical scholar, Revd. Herbert Haag in his book, Is Original Sin in Scripture?, points out that this notion that human beings are sinners from birth was unknown to Christians until the 3rd century AD. Before that, there was no such creed that man was a sinner by birth but when this idea started spreading among people, the notion gained currency, even though Christian scholars continued to oppose and refute it for two centuries. At last, in the 5th century AD, through the power of his logic, St. Augustine made this idea part of the fundamental beliefs of Christianity: "Mankind is heir to the original sin committed by Adam, and there is no way to salvation for man except through the atonement made by Christ."

4. It is only God Who has brought you into existence from non- existence. Man did not exist beforehand and then he came into existence. Had man reflected on this truth seriously and honestly, he would have realised that life is a real blessing through which he is benefitting from numerous bounties in this universe. This would have prevented him from rising in revolt against his Creator or embracing disbelief and rebellion. However, some people do not give it the right thought or think wrongly and choose the path of disbelief, but others adopt the same way of belief and faith which is the very requirement of correct thinking.

6. In this sentence "seeing" does not merely mean to see, but it automatically gives the meaning that one will be rewarded or punished according to his actions and deeds. It is akin to a boss's remark to his workers that the'worker's performance will be watched and, depending upon it, the worker will be rewarded fully; otherwise he would be called to account for his negligence.

7. This verse brings out three logically connected points which have been stated in sequence.

1. God has created this universe with the truth. Of course, this is a truism, but when the same expression is used for a command, it means that the command is anchored in justice; when it is spoken as a statement, it means it is a correct statement; and when it is used for an act, it implies an act which is wise, reasonable and useful. Now, Khalq is an act, therefore, to say that the universe has been created with the truth, surely means that the universe has not been created for sport, rather it is a serious work of a wise Creator. Hence, everything in it has a rational objective and purpose which is so evident that, if a sensible person understands the nature of the thing well, it will not be difficult for him to perceive the purpose behind the creation of the universe. It is clear from man's scientific progress that the more man reflects on and closely studies something, the more he succeeds in understanding its true nature. Eventually, through careful thinking, research and investigation, he comes to know the purpose and objective of its creation and his understanding of its purpose leads him to countless inventions which can be used in human civilization. This universe could not have been possible had it been the plaything of a care-free person, devoid of any wisdom or purpose. (For more explanation, see: Tafhīm al-Qur'an Towards Understanding the Qur'an (TUQ), vol. 1, Sūrah al-An‘ām, n. 46; vol. 2 Surah Yūnus, n. 11;, vol. 3, Surah al-Anbiya', n. 15-16; (TUQ), vol. 4, Surah al-Dukhan n. 44; Surah Ibrāhīm, 14: n. 26; al- Naḥl, 16: n. 6; al-Anbiyā', 21: nn. 15-16; al-Mu'minūn, 23: n. 102; al-'Ankabut, 29: n. 75; al-Rūm, 30: n. 6; and al-Jathiyah, 45: n. 28).

2. Another truth presented in the verse is that God has created man in the best mould. The reference here is not only to man's face but also man's whole physical constitution, including his faculties and abilities which have been granted to him in order to function in this world. Taken in this sense, man has been given the best shape and form among the creatures of the earth and, on the same basis, he has become worthy to rule over all the universe. Man has been given an erect structure; he has been given most appropriate feet to walk on. Likewise, he is blessed with most suitable hands to work with and he has been bestowed with such senses and organs to gather knowledge by which he obtains every kind of information. Above all, man enjoys a highly developed brain with the capacity to think, understand and infer new things on the basis of information gathered by him. Furthermore, he has been granted a moral sense and the power of discrimination by which he distinguishes between good and evil, right and wrong. Man's power of judgement helps him to choose his own course of action thereby deciding where to invest his efforts and which activities he should avoid. He has been given even the freedom to believe in and worship his Creator or deny Him. Likewise, he is free to take anyone as his Lord or revolt against those whom he considers to be gods. Beside all these powers and capabilities, God has granted him the authority to exercise control over numerous other creatures and he does indeed use this authority in practice. (For further explanation see: Tafhīm al-Qur'ān (TUQ) vol. 4, Surah al-Mu'min, 40: n. 91)

3. In light of the above two points, the third point which logically follows from the first two, is that "man has to return eventually to God". As a powerful and authorised creature, he has been placed in a wise and purposeful system of the universe, and it is logical that he should not be left in the world unbridled and without responsibility. On the contrary, it is essential that this creature be answerable to God Who blessed him with such authority and power. "Return" in this context signifies man's appearance before God for accountability. It is clarified in later verses that this return will not be in this life. Rather, he will be resurrected in the second life after death and its right time will be when all mankind is brought back to life again and gathered together simultaneously to give an account of its works in this world. Such accountability will be contingent on man's proper or improper use of the powers and faculties granted to him by God. Let us answer the question of why this accountability cannot happen in the present life of this world and why it is deferred to the Next Life upon the end of this world when everyone is resurrected and gathered together simultaneously? Upon a bit of reflection and using common sense, one can realise that the above arrangement is perfectly rational and sensible. Wisdom requires that accountability be in the Next Life and that all human beings are held answerable at the same time. The first and foremost reason for this is that man will be taken to account for the work of his entire life. His accountability should be at a time when his whole life has come to an end. Another reason for this arrangement is that man is responsible also for the effect and impact of his actions on other people's lives. The effects and impact do not come to an end with his death but have a long lasting bearing. So a meaningful accountability is possible only after all mankind dies and all the former and latter generations are present at the same time for judgement. (For further details, see: Tafhim al-Qur'an (TUQ), vol. 1, Surah al-A'raf, 7: n. 30; Yūnus, 10: nn. 10-11; Hūd, 11: n. 105; al-Naḥl, 16: n. 35; (TUQ), vol. 3, al-Ḥajj, 22: n. 9; al-Naml, 27: n. 27; al-Rum, 30: nn. 5-6; Ṣād, 38: nn. 29-30; al- Mu'min, 40: n. 80; and al-Jathiyah, 45: n. 27-29).

8. It may alternatively be translated as: "All that you do secretly and all that you do openly."

9. God is aware not only of those actions of man which come to the public knowledge but also those actions which remain hidden from them. Furthermore, God does not only see the outward form of these actions but also man's intention and purpose behind each action. On reflection, man may thus learn that justice can be dispensed only on the

Day of Judgement and only in the court of God. Man's own intellect itself requires that he should be punished for every crime he commits. It is common knowledge that most of the crimes in the world go unreported or the culprit escapes punishment because of insufficient evidence or, when a crime is established, the culprit is so influential that he escapes punishment. The intellect of man instinctively wants that one should not be punished just because someone's behaviour resembles a criminal act but, instead, that it should be thoroughly probed that the act was committed intentionally and deliberately and that all his power of discernment was intact and intended to commit the crime, with full knowledge that it was a crime. That is why the courts in this world examine all these factors and such an enquiry is based on the principle of justice. Do we have any available tools in this world by means of which all these things are thoroughly examined beyond any shadow of doubt? In the light of this background, the above verse also bears a deep logical relevance to the words of Allah Most High: "He has created the earth and the heavens with truth". This Qur'ānic message calls for perfect and well-considered justice which should prevail in this universe. And this is only possible when each and every act of the responsible person is no longer concealed from the judge and his intention for committing the act is revealed. It goes without saying that no one other than the Creator of this universe can dispense such a justice. So the one who denies God and the Hereafter in fact claims that the universe is devoid of justice and that the dispensation of justice cannot possibly be achieved. Only a brazen person can buy this foolish idea for reason and conscience cannot reconcile to this stance as being progressive or rational and also because it dismisses those who believe in the highly rational concept of the universe propounded by the Qur'ān as antiquated and retrogressive.

10. The punishment they face in this world for their misdeeds are neither appropriate nor adequate for their crimes. They will taste their proper punishment in the Hereafter. Nonetheless, the punishment faced by them in this world should teach them that all those nations who adopted an attitude of unbelief against their Lord went astray and eventually met with a disgraceful and horrible end. (For further explanation, see: Tafhim al-Qur'an (TUQ), vol. 2, Surah al-A'raf, 7: nn. 5-6 and Hud, 11: n. 105).

11. The Qur'ānic expression bayyināt is a wide-ranging term. In the Arabic language, bayyin is used for something that is evident and clearly manifest. The Qur'an declares that the Prophets always came with clear signs (bayyināt) which means they brought manifest signs which testified that they had been sent down by God. Secondly, the message presented by them was laced with rational and clear arguments. Thirdly, their teachings contained no ambiguity. They clearly pointed out what constitutes the truth and what amounts to falsehood. Likewise, they clearly taught what was lawful and what was unlawful, and what path man should follow and what path he should avoid.

12. This was then the foremost and basic reason for their degeneration and destruction. Mankind would have not found the Straight Path unless their Creator informed them of it by way of granting special knowledge to some human beings and assigning them the duty of conveying these truths to other human beings. For this purpose, God sent the Prophets with clear signs (bayyināt) so that people do not have any reasonable ground to doubt their genuine prophethood. But the people refused to believe that a human being could possibly be a Messenger of God. Thus, they lost every opportunity to derive proper guidance. (For further explanation, see: Tafhim al-Qur'an (TUQ), vol. 4, Surah Yā Sīn, 36: n. 11). In this connection, a strange human manifestation of ignorance and folly is seen because they never shied away from following the directives of other fellow human beings, so much so that, under their guidance, they carved out idols made of wood and stone as gods, thus deifying fellow human beings and taking them as the incarnations of God, or even as the sons of God. They adopted such bizarre beliefs through following the guidance of their misguided leaders, which altogether dealt a severe blow to human culture, civilization and morals. But whenever the Messengers of God came to them with the truth, without any selfish motive, they felt outraged, saying: "How can a fellow human being guide us?" In other words, if a human being misguides them, they follow him willingly, but if he shows the right way, they refuse his guidance.

13. Since they treated the Divine Guidance with indifference, Allah became indifferent to them. God did not care which pit they fell in. God did not stand in need of their acknowledgement of His Godhood. His divinity is not contingent on their belief and His throne is not under any threat from these disbelievers. He does not need their service and worship nor their praise and glorification of Him. God, in fact, intended to show them the right path only for their own benefit and well-being. However, as they turned away from it, God became indifferent towards them. He did not bless them with guidance nor remain responsible for their protection. He did not save them from calamities nor did He enable them to avoid their own destruction. This is because these disbelievers were not keen on receiving Divine Guidance and Protection.

14. This is the second basic error into which the deniers of the truth have fallen in every age, which ultimately brought about their ruin. No disbeliever today has the means to prove conclusively that there is no life after death, nor will any disbeliever in the future. Yet, these foolish people have always asserted the same thing, whereas there exists neither an intellectual basis for denying the Hereafter with absolute certainty nor any scientific basis for it.

15. This is the third place where Allah Most High has instructed His Prophet to tell people, through swearing an oath by his Lord, that such a thing will certainly happen. In the first, in Surah Yunus, it was said: "They asked Yunus: 'Is what you say really true?"" Tell them: "Yes, by my Lord, this is absolutely true, and you have no power to avert it (v. 53). Then, in Surah Saba', it was said: "The disbelievers say: 'How come it is that the Resurrection is not overtaking us?' Say: 'by my Lord, it will surely overtake you'" (v. 3).

This gives rise to the question: what difference does it make for a disbeliever when he is informed of the Day of Resurrection by taking an oath or not? For if he does not believe in it at all, he is not likely to change his mind simply through the assertion of this oath. (1) In the first place, the Prophet's addressees were those who knew well in the light of their first-hand knowledge and experience that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) had never uttered a lie in his life. Even if they might have forged the most shameless slander against him yet, in their hearts, they could never conceive that a truthful person like him would say something under oath about God which he himself was not fully convinced of through his knowledge and experience. (2) Secondly, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not merely present the doctrine of the Hereafter but also gave highly rational arguments in its support. What distinguishes the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) from others is that, however weighty and cogent the arguments that other philosophers may give for the Hereafter, all they could argue for is that the occurrence of the Hereafter is more reasonable and probable than its absence. By contrast, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) holds a more exalted position than that of a philosopher. His real position is that he has not arrived at the conclusion of the necessity of the Hereafter through exercising his reasoning faculty but, instead, he has knowledge that the Hereafter shall occur and he says it with conviction. Therefore, only a Prophet can swear an oath to declare this whereas a philosopher cannot. Then again, faith in the Hereafter can be made only through a Prophet's statement; the reasoning of the philosopher does not have the power to induce even himself to adopt it as a religious creed on the basis of his own argument, not to speak of other people. If the philosopher is correct, he cannot go beyond that, as only a Prophet can assert with conviction that a thing "is for certain".

16. This is the purpose for which all human beings will be resurrected. This also answers the question why the Resurrection is so essential. If one keeps in view what has been discussed above concerning verses 1-4 of this Surah, one can readily grasp the point that, in this universe created with the truth, it would be highly unreasonable to imagine that man would go on without being taken to task and that his deeds and actions would not be subjected to scrutiny, when he has been granted the freedom to chose belief or disbelief and he is responsible for good or evil. Anyone who asserts such an irrational thing inevitably commits one of two fallacies. (1) Either he thinks that, although this universe is based on wisdom and purpose, yet such a powerful creature like man will be left free and unaccountable for his actions, which is clearly against justice and wisdom; (2) or he thinks that this is a haphazard universe which is created at random and is devoid of the wisdom of a Wise Creator. As for the former fallacy, it is marred by contradiction. For the existence of an irresponsible creature, which is endowed with authority in a universe based on wisdom is clearly against justice and wisdom. As for the latter fallacy, it cannot give any rational explanation about how it is possible that a rational being, like man, should come into being all of a sudden in this haphazardly created and blind universe nor how he conceived the idea of justice. Only a stubborn person can entertain such views.

17. This represents the second argument in support of Resurrection. The first argument was about the necessity of resurrection, this second argument emphasises its possibility. Obviously, if God could create such a grand and wonderful system of the universe without any difficulty, and if He can create human beings in this world in the first instance, it cannot be difficult for Him at all to resurrect the same human beings, and summon them before Himself for accountability.

18. Since this incident is borne out by human history down the ages which testifies that the real reason for the destruction of earlier communities has been human beings' disobedience to their messengers and their denial of the Hereafter, they (the Makkan disbelievers) should not persist in the same error and be liable to causing their own destruction. Rather, they should believe in the guidance given by God, His Messenger and the Qur'an. It is evident from the context that the "Light" here means the Qur'an. A light based on the truth is self-evident; it illuminates everything around it that has hitherto been enveloped in darkness. Going by this analogy, the Qur'an stands out as the Divine light whose truth is self-evident. Furthermore, in this light provided by the Qur'an, humans can understand and solve any problem they tackle by means of their knowledge and intellects. Anyone who holds this light of the Qur'an can clearly see the straight path of Truth among the numerous crooked paths of thought and action. One is able to follow the straight Path, guided by the Qur'an throughout life in such a way that one can understand where the crooked byways may lead one astray, and where the pitfalls of destruction may be found on the way as well as the ways to avoid and be cautious from.

19. The Day of Gathering refers to the Day of Judgement when all human beings, born in the world from the beginning of creation until the Last Day, are gathered at the same time and place. This truth has been fully explained in several places in the Qur'an, such as in Surah Hūd where it is said: "That will be a Day when all people shall be mustered together. That will be a Day when whatever happens shall be witnessed by all" (Hud, 11: 103); "The earlier ones and the later ones shall all be brought together on an appointed Day" (Surah al-Waqi'ah, 56: 49-50).

20. The Qur'anic expression yawm al-taghābun is so vast in meaning that it is not possible to explain it in one word, or it is simply untranslatable in any other language. Of all the appellations for the Day of Judgement employed in the Qur'an, this is perhaps the most meaningful. Therefore, a little explanation is necessary to understand its meaning.

Taghabun is a derivative of ghaban or ghabn. The term ghabn is commonly used in commercial and business transactions and ghaban also for giving opinion and sometimes it is used the other way round. It has several connotations in the Arabic lexicon for example, ghabanū khabar al-nāqah is used for a she-camel when it goes missing, which means they do not know where the she-camel has gone; or for cheating in a transaction, ghabana fulānan fi'l-bay; or for causing someone some loss, ghabana fulānan; or for laying a claim to something. The word ghabin is also used for someone who is of weak intelligence and opinion. Likewise, maghbūn refers to a victim of cheating. In sum, ghaban carries the following connotations: negligence, forgetfulness, losing one's share, harming someone in a business transaction or mutual dealing surreptitiously, etc. When Imam al-Hasan al-Baṣrī observed someone cheating another person in a sale transaction, he exclaimed: "He is befooling you (Hadhā Yagbanu ‘aqlaka)."

Taghabun which is a derivative of ghaban signifies loss and cheating between two or more people. Thus, taghabun al-qawm means some people treating others fraudulently or one person is harming others or one person is depriving others of their shares or a person is incurring loss in business and others are gaining profit at his expense. It is used also for indicating the weakness of opinion of someone in comparison to others.

In the light of the above discussion, let us reflect on the point made in this verse about Resurrection, which has been designated as the Day of Taghabun (Gathering). These words automatically give the meaning that Taghabun is a fairly common occurrence in this world which happens by day and night. However, such taghābun is transient and illusory and is not the real and genuine taghābun. The real taghābun will take place on the Day of Resurrection. There, it will become manifest who actually incurred a loss and who earned a profit, who was deceived and who proved to be prudent and sensible, who actually had invested his total resources in a worthless enterprise and become bankrupt and who directed all his energies, ability, wealth and time in a profitable bargain and obtained all the benefits and gains, something that the one who lost could have also earned had he not been deceived in understanding the true nature of the world.

While explaining the Qur'anic term yawm al-taghabun, the commentators of the Qur'an have arrived at several meanings which are all correct and throw light on different aspects of its meaning. According to some commentators, on that Day, the dwellers of Paradise will take away that share of the dwellers of Hell which they would have had in Paradise had they done good deeds in this world and the dwellers of Hell will take away that share of the people of Paradise which they would have had in Hell had they done evil deeds in this world. This point is corroborated by two Prophetic traditions narrated by al-Bukhārī in Kitāb al-Rigāq (48) on the authority of Abu Hurayrah who related that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one who is admitted to Paradise will be shown the place which he would have had in Hell if he had indulged in evil deeds in this world so that he may give more and more thanks to God. Likewise, the inmate of Hell will have a view of his place in Paradise which he would have had if he had done good deeds in this world so that he may feel more and more remorseful."

Other commentators of the Qur'an state that a victim will be credited with the good deeds of his oppressor to compensate for his wrongdoing or the misdeeds of the victim will be credited to his wrongdoer. This is because, on the Day of Resurrection, no one will possess money or wealth to compensate or repay his victims. Deeds alone will be the currency and suitable compensation for the wrong suffered by others. Therefore, whoever has wronged another person in this world will have to surrender some of his own good deeds to the victim as compensation. Alternatively, he has to take some of his victim's misdeeds as a recompense for his wrongdoing. This is supported by several Prophetic traditions. In al-Bukhārī's Kitāb al-Riqāq, it is related by Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Anyone who wrongs his fellow Muslim should settle the matter in this world. For in the Hereafter no one will have any wealth or money to pay as compensation. There, some of his good deeds will be taken from him and given away to the wronged person; or if he does not have enough good deeds some of the sins of the wronged person will be credited to his account." Likewise, Jabir ibn 'Abdullah ibn Unays has narrated in the Musnad of Imām Aḥmad (2, 303, 334 and 372) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No dweller of Paradise will enter Paradise and no dweller of Hell will enter Hell until each one compensates the others for

the wrong done to them, so much so that one will have to compensate others even for a slap." We asked: "How will this compensation be carried out while we are going to be penniless and undressed?" He clarified: "The compensation will be made on the basis of your good and bad deeds." In Muslim and Musnad of Imam Ahmad, Abū Hurayrah is reported to have related the following narration: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked the Companions sitting in his assembly: 'Do you know who is the pauper?' They replied: "The poor among us is the one who does not have any money or resource.' However, he clarified: 'The pauper of my community is the one who will appear before God on the Day of Resurrection with prayers, fasting and Zakāt to his credit. However, he is guilty also of having abused this person, slandered that person, usurped the property of yet another and cheated and hit or slain another. All of his good deeds will be taken away and credited to the account of his victims. When no good deed is left in his account and, to compensate his victims, his victim's misdeeds shall be transferred to his record and then he will be hurled into Hell.' In another tradition on the authority of Buradah, Muslim and Abū Dāwūd narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If a warrior is absent from home for the cause of God and someone cheats his wife and his family members, he will be presented before that warrior on the Day of Judgement and the latter will be asked to take whatever he likes out of the good deeds of the wrongdoer." Upon saying this, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned to us and asked: "What do you think? Do you imagine he will leave out anything for him?"

Some other commentators have stated that the word taghabun is mostly used to refer to fraud or cheating in business. In several places, the Qur'an compares the attitude of the believers and disbelievers in this worldly life in terms which are used in trade and business. When the believer dessists from disobedience, follows the path of obedience to God and devotes his life, wealth and hard work in God's way, this means that he has forfeited a harmful transaction and opted for a beneficial and profitable business venture which will get him much gain and profit in the end. Similarly, when the unbeliever abandons the way of obedience to God and invests his entire capital in the path of disobedience of God and rebellion, he acts like a trader who purchases error in place of guidance and thus will incur loss in the end. Both loss and profit will become manifest on the Day of Resurrection. In this world, it is likely that the disbelievers may seem prosperous while the believers may appear to be losers. However, the truth will come out on the Day of Judgement and it will be plain who actually made the right bargain and who made the wrong one. The Qur'an deals with such a theme in several places, for example in Surahs al-Baqarah, 2: 16, 175-207; Āl ‘Imrān, 3: 77 and 177; al-Nisa', 4: 74; al-Tawbah, 9: 111; al-Naḥl, 16: 95; Fāṭir, 35: 29 and al-Saff, 37: 10.

Another form of taghabun is that, in this world, people cooperate with one another in acts of disbelief, sin, injustice and wickedness with complete peace of mind and with the confidence that they are enjoying mutual intrigues and the comradeship of notorious families, immoral religious figures and their followers, groups of thieves and robbers, alliances of corrupt, unjust and conspiring officials, unscrupulous groups of men, traders, industrialists, and landlords, parties established to spread deviation, discord and wickedness and, at the global level, governments and nations upholding injustice and corruption and conniving with one another on the basis of mutual friendship and successful coordination. However, on the Day of Resurrection, they will suddenly wake up to the realization that they have been grievously mistaken and deceived. Each of them will feel that those whom he considered his father, brothers, wife, husband, children, friends, partners, leaders, guides, disciples or supporters and helpers had been, in fact, his worst enemy. Then his ties of kinship, friendship, bond of love and respect will change into enmity and hostility. They will all reproach and curse each other and wish to charge each other with their crimes to secure maximum and severe punishment for them. This theme also occurrs in several places in the Qur'an such as in Surahs al-Baqarah, 2: 167; al-A'raf, 7: 36-39; Ibrāhīm, 14: 21-22; al-Mu'minūn, 23: 101; al-'Ankabūt, 29: 12, 13 and 25; Luqmān, 31: 33; al-Aḥzāb, 33: 67 and 68; Sabā, 34:31-33; Fățir, 35: 18; al-Ṣaffăt, 37:27-33; Sad, 38:59-61; al-Sajdah, 41: 29; al-Zukhruf, 43: 67; al-Dukhān, 44: 41; al- Ma‘ārij, 70: 10-14 and 'Abasa, 80: 34-37)

21. One's belief in God does not merely mean believing in God's existence but rather believing in Him in the way that God Himself has taught through His Messenger and Book. This belief in God by itself includes belief in His Messengers and Book. Likewise, what is considered a good deed is not any act that man does nor that which only conforms to man-made moral norms; what is considered are only those righteous acts which are in consonance with the law sent down by God. One should not therefore be deluded into thinking that one will reap the rewards of faith and good deeds without recourse to the Messenger and God's Book. The person who studies the Qur'an carefully and knows it well but without believing in the Messenger or the Qur'ān, such a person does not do justice to genuine belief in God nor are his seemingly good actions righteous at all.

22. These words clarify well the meaning of disbelief (kufr). This is because these verses explain that disbelief amounts to a failure to grasp the signs of God's Book as Divine Signs or to recognise the truths spelled out in these verses while refusing to follow and obey the commandments included therein. Those described in the verses to follow shall face dire consequences.

23. The discourse now turns to the believers. While studying these verses, it should be kept in mind that these verses were revealed at a time when the Muslims were suffering great hardship. After years of persecution at Makkah, they left their homes and migrated to Madīnah where the sincere Muslims who had given them refuge were faced with a double burden. On the one hand, they had to provide support for hundreds of emigrants from different parts of Arabia. On the other, they became the target of persecution and enmity from the enemies of Islam in the whole of Arabia.

24. This same theme features also in verses 22-23 of Surah al-Hadid which we have explained above. (For details, see: al-Ḥadīd, 57: nn. 39- 42). The objective and circumstantial background are identical and it is reiterated here for the same consideration. This truth is pressed home for the attention of Muslims that adversity is not something accidental which afflicts anyone. It is beyond anyone's power in this world to afflict anyone with hardships through his own authority because this completely depends on the authority of God who allows or disallows the affliction of anyone. This Divine Exigency, in any case, is based on a wisdom directed at some ultimate good which is not known or understood by man.

25. It is only belief in God that keeps man on the right path even in the face of an onslaught of afflictions, not letting him waver under most difficult circumstances. The person whose heart is devoid of faith looks at afflictions as results of mere chance, or he may think they are caused by some worldly powers, or he may consider them to be the work of imaginary powers which human superstitions regard as potent in bringing good and causing evils, or he may believe that God is the real Doer of everything but does not believe so truly and sincerely. In all the above instances, his conduct is vitiated by meanness. He endures afflictions, but then yields and bows to every false god; he turns to others for help and support; he undergoes all sorts of humiliation and difficulties and may even resort to wicked deeds. He does not hesitate to abuse God, or even commit suicide. By contrast, the heart of the person who knows and believes sincerely that everything is in the hands of God, that He alone is the Master and Ruler of the universe, that affliction can only happen by His permission and only through His command can it be averted, is blessed by God with perseverance, submission and agreeing with Divine Will and is also granted the power to face every circumstance with determination and courage. Even under the most straitened circumstances, the candle of hope in God's bounty lights up his way and no affliction, however severe and trying, can dishearten him to the extent of making him swerve from the right path, bow to falsehood, or invoke other than God to address his grievances. Thus, every affliction opens for him a new door to well-being and happiness and his affliction becomes in the final result and analysis a blessing in disguise, for whether he falls victim to it or passes through it safely, in each case he emerges successful from the trial set by his Lord. The same thing has been stated by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in an agreed upon hadith: "There is something amazing about the believer. Any decision regarding him by God is ultimately good for him. For he acts with perseverance in adversity and this brings immense good to him. He thanks God when he is blessed with prosperity and this is much better for him. Only the believer enjoys this good privilege" (Muslim, Kitāb al-Zuhd, 64 and Musnad of Imām Aḥmad, 6, 10 and 16).

26. In the above context, this carries the following two meanings: (1) God knows well who really is a true believer and the measure of his faith. By dint of His knowledge, He grants guidance only to the heart that is endowed with faith and grants it such a degree of guidance befitting the degree of its faith. (2) The second meaning could be that God is not unaware of the circumstances of His believing servants. He does not abandon them after having invited them to faith and subjecting them, at the same time, to severe trials and temptations in this world. He knows well their lot and how they are meeting the requisites of faith in such circumstances. The believers should therefore be content that God knows well the conditions behind the adversity befalling them as it is by God's leave. Indeed, there is an immense good in it for God is a sincere well-wisher of His believing servants. He does not want to subject them to afflictions without any good reason.

27. It is evident from the text that the believers should obey God and His Messenger both in adversity and prosperity. If they cease to obey when they face hardship, they will only harm themselves. The Messenger's main responsibility was to guide them to the straight path and he has discharged his duty well in the best possible way.

28. All power rests only and solely with God. No one else is authorised to make or mar people's destiny. It is only God Who can bless them with prosperity. Again it is God Who can protect them against adversity. So one should sincerely believe in the One True God, put complete trust in Him and perform one's duty as a believer in this world, with the conviction that all goodness and well-being lie only in the way shown by God. If one were to obtain success in this way, it will only be by God's help and support as no one other than God can provide any help or support. If one encounters difficulties, hardship, danger or disasters in the way, it is again God alone Who will rescue one for there is no other rescuer besides Him.

29. This verse is open to two meanings. (1) It is applicable to most of the difficulties encountered upon following God's way by many believing men from their wives or by many believing women from their husbands or by parents from their children. It is highly uncommon to find spouses who are blessed with partners who are proper companions and helpers of each other in the matter of faith and righteousness, or that they have such children who are the comfort of their eyes with regard to their faith and deeds, morals and conduct. It so happens,

generally speaking, that if the husband is honest and pious, the wife and children look upon his honesty, piety and righteousness as a misfortune for themselves. Wives and children want their heads of family to earn Hell for their sake, give up any distinction between the lawful and the unlawful and provide them with all the means of luxury, enjoyment, sin and vice in every possible manner. This is because they are interested in indulgement in all kinds of entertainment and luxury which may lead them to indulge in wicked deeds. Otherwise, many a time, a pious woman gets a husband who does not approve at all of her conformity to the Shari'ah and her children follow in the footsteps of their misguided father which makes the life of the mother miserable through their deviation and sinful deeds. In an encounter between faith and disbelief, a man's faith demands that he should suffer loss for the sake of God and His religion, run risks and all kinds of hardship, including migration from his country or origin, or even endanger his life by joining the war against unbelief. In all such noble acts, the greatest hindrance in his way are the people of his own household.

The second meaning relates to the special circumstances which most of the Muslims were facing at the time when these verses were revealed. And every Muslim person then faced those problems which are now being faced by anyone who embraces Islam in non-Muslim societies. It was at that time fairly common in Makkah and other parts of Arabia that a husband accepted Islam whereas his wife and children were not inclined to do so. In fact, they would try their best to pressurise him to give up Islam. The women also encountered similar situations if they happened to be the only members of their families who embraced Islam. The Qur'an brings home the following three points for all such believers who are confronted with the above situation:

First, they are cautioned, from a worldly point of view, that undoubtedly everybody loves his near and dear ones. However, it is true that, from a worldly point of view, they are their dearest relations, but from a religious point of view, they may be their enemies. This enmity may be because they hinder them from doing good and induce them to commit evil, or that they restrain them from belief and pull them towards unbelief, or that their sympathies lie with the unbelievers and, if they come to know of the war secrets of the Muslims through them, they would convey them to the enemies of Islam. If they hold their faith dearer to their hearts, they should regard them as their enemies. They should not be swayed by their love and affection and never forget that between them stands the barrier of belief and unbelief, obedience and disobedience.

This is followed by the advice "Beware of them", i.e. one should exercise caution regarding them. One should not ruin one's eternal life for the sake of their worldly life. Likewise, one should not be overwhelmed with excessive love for them such that it may affect one's bond and loyalty to God, His Messenger and Islam. One should not place such reliance on them that the secrets of the Muslim community are divulged to them which may reach one's enemies only through one's negligence and carelessness. This is the same thing that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warned the Muslims against in a ḥadīth: "Someone will be presented on the Day of Judgement and it will be proclaimed that all his good deeds have been laid to waste by his family members, wife and children."

The verse concludes with the observation that if one overlooks offences and forgives them, Allah is surely Most-Forgiving, Most-Compassionate. What is meant is that they are informed about their enmity only in order to beware of them and do their best to protect their faith from them. This warning does not imply that one should start beating one's wife and children and treat them harshly or strain one's relations with them so as to make one's domestic life miserable and wretched for everybody. Were one to do so, it will obviously result in the following two huge losses. (1) It may shut the door of reformation of the wife and children forever. (2) This may misrepresent Islam or give rise to suspicion and misgiving about Islam in broader society and people around may form a bad impression of Muslims' character and conduct in that, after embracing Islam, one turns harsh and ill-tempered even towards one's own children and household.

It should also be borne in mind that, in the beginning, when people became Muslim, they encountered a special difficulty when their parents were unbelievers. The latter put pressure on their children to give up their new faith. They also confronted another difficulty when their wives and children (or their husbands and children in case of women) clung to disbelief and tried their best to turn them away from Islam. As for the former scenario, the Qur'ānic guidance is embodied in verse eight of Surah al-'Ankabūt and verses 14-15 of Surah Luqman which declare that one should not listen at all to one's parents if they insist on something against one's faith. However, one should be nice to them and deal with them in kindness. As for the latter, it is advised that one must try to protect one's faith from one's children and family members but should not treat them harshly, rather one should treat them kindly and leniently. (For further explanation, see: Tafhim al-Qur'ān (TUQ), vol. 2, Surah al-Tawbah, 9: 23-24; al-Mujādalah, vol. 5, 58: n. 37; al-Mumtaḥinah, 60: nn. 1-3 and al-Munāfiqūn, 63: n. 18).

30. For explanation see Tafhīm al-Qur'ān (TUQ), vol. 2, Surah al- Anfal, 8: n. 23. Here, one should also keep in mind the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) which is narrated by al- Tabarānī on the authority of Abū Mālik al-Ash‘arī: "He is not your real enemy the one who, if you were to kill him, your success is ensured, and if he were to kill you, there is Paradise for you. But your real enemy may be your own biological child or the wealth of which you are the owner." That is why in the above verse as well as in Surah al-Anfal, God declares that, if one saves oneself from the temptation and allurements of worldly possessions as well as from one's children and succeeds in tying their love to the love of Allah, then God has abundant rewards for one.

31. At another place in the Qur'an, man is instructed to fear God as He should actually be feared (Al 'Imrān 3: 102). It also declares at another place (Surah al-Baqarah, 2: 286) that God does not burden anyone with more than he can bear. In the above verse (Surah al-Taghabun 64: 16), man is directed to fear Him as He should be feared. On studying together all the three verses, in Al ‘Imrān, al-Baqarah and al-Taghabun, it appears that the first verse sets an ideal to which every believer should aspire; the second verse declares the principle that man is not required to exert himself beyond his power and ability. He should perform the different religious duties to the best of his abilities and power. The verse under study instructs every believer to have as much piety and consciousness of God as he can. In order to ensure this, he should obey God's commands as much as possible and not disobey Him. If he shows laxity in this regard, he will not be able to escape punishment. However, he will not be held accountable for that which is beyond his power (and God alone can decide best what is really beyond a person's power and ability).

32. For explanation, see: Tafhim al-Qur'ān, vol. 5, Surah al-Hashr, 59: n. 19.

33. For explanation, see: Tafhīm al-Qur'ān (TUQ), vol. 1 and vol. 5, Surah al-Baqarah, 2: n. 267; Surah al-Ma'idah, 5: n. 33, Surah al-Ḥadīd, 57: n. 16.

34. For explanation, see: Tafhīm al-Qur'ān, Surah Fățir, 35: nn. 52-59, Surah al-Shūrā, 42: n. 42.