Feb 14, 2009

Al-Qur'an Al-Kareem Surah At-Tur Verse (29-43) - Tafsir Ibn Katsir

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
﴿ فَذَكِّرْ فَمَآ أَنتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِكَـهِنٍ وَلاَ مَجْنُونٍ
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ شَاعِرٌ نَّتَرَبَّصُ بِهِ رَيْبَ الْمَنُونِ
قُلْ تَرَبَّصُواْ فَإِنِّى مَعَكُمْ مِّنَ الْمُتَرَبِّصِينَ
أَمْ تَأْمُرُهُمْ أَحْلَـمُهُمْ بِهَـذَآ أَمْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ طَاغُونَ
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ تَقَوَّلَهُ بَل لاَّ يُؤْمِنُونَ
فَلْيَأْتُواْ بِحَدِيثٍ مِّثْلِهِ إِن كَانُواْ صَـدِقِينَ

(29. Therefore, remind. By the grace of Allah, you are neither a Kahin nor a madman.)
(30. Or do they say: "A poet! We await for him some calamity by time!'')
(31. Say: "Wait! I am with you among those who wait!'')
(32. Or do their minds command them this or are they people transgressing all bounds)
(33. Or do they say: "He has forged it'' Nay! They believe not!)
(34. Let them then produce a recitation like unto it if they are truthful.)
Absolving the Prophet of the False Accusations the Idolators made against Him
Allah the Exalted commands His Messenger to convey His Message to His servants and remind them of His revelation that has been sent down to him. Next, Allah refutes the false accusations that the liars and sinners accused the Prophet of,
﴿ فَذَكِّرْ فَمَآ أَنتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِكَـهِنٍ وَلاَ مَجْنُونٍ
(Therefore, remind. By the grace of Allah, you are neither a Kahin nor a madman.) Allah says, `by the grace of Allah, you, O Muhammad, are not a Kahin, as the ignorant Quraysh idolators claim.' A Kahin is the soothsayer who receives information from the Jinns that the Jinns are able to eavesdrop on news from heaven,
﴿ وَلاَ مَجْنُونٍ
(nor a madman) whom Shaytan has possessed with insanity. Allah the Exalted said, while chastising the pagans for uttering false statements about the Prophet ,
﴿ أَمْ يَقُولُونَ شَاعِرٌ نَّتَرَبَّصُ بِهِ رَيْبَ الْمَنُونِ
(Or do they say: "A poet! We await for him some calamity by time!'') They said, `We await a disaster to strike him, for example, death. We will be patient with him until death comes to him and we, thus, get rid of his bother and from his Message.' Allah the Exalted said,
﴿ قُلْ تَرَبَّصُواْ فَإِنِّى مَعَكُمْ مِّنَ الْمُتَرَبِّصِينَ
(Say: "Wait! I am with you among those who wait!'') `wait and I too will wait with you, and you will come to know to whom the good end and triumph shall be granted in this life and the Hereafter.' Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that `Abdullah bin Abi Najih said that Mujahid said that Ibn `Abbas said, "When the Quraysh gathered in the Dar An-Nadwah (their meeting place) to discuss the matter of the Prophet, one of them said, `Jail him in chains. Then we will wait and in time, a calamity will strike him; he will die just as the poets before him died, such as Zuhayr and An-Nabighah, for he is a poet just like them.' Allah the Exalted said in response to their statement,
﴿ أَمْ يَقُولُونَ شَاعِرٌ نَّتَرَبَّصُ بِهِ رَيْبَ الْمَنُونِ
(Or do they say: "A poet! We await for him some calamity by time!'')'' Allah the Exalted said,
﴿ أَمْ تَأْمُرُهُمْ أَحْلَـمُهُمْ بِهَـذَآ
(Or do their minds command them this), `do their minds command them to tell these lies against you (O Muhammad), even though they know in their hearts that they are untrue and false,'
﴿ أَمْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ طَاغُونَ
(or are they people transgressing all bounds) `surely, they are misguided, stubborn and unjust people, and this is why they say what they say about you (O Muhammad). ' Allah the Exalted said,
﴿ أَمْ يَقُولُونَ تَقَوَّلَهُ
(Or do they say: "He has forged it'') They said, `he has forged this Qur'an and brought it from his own.' Allah the Exalted responded to them,
﴿ بَل لاَّ يُؤْمِنُونَ
(Nay! They believe not!), meaning, their disbelief drives them to utter these statements,
﴿ فَلْيَأْتُواْ بِحَدِيثٍ مِّثْلِهِ إِن كَانُواْ صَـدِقِينَ
(Let them then produce a recitation like unto it if they are truthful.) meaning, if they are truthful in their statement that Muhammad has forged this Qur'an and brought it of his own, then let them produce something similar to what he has brought forth, as in this Qur'an! And even if they combine their strength to that of the people of the earth, Jinns and mankind alike, they will never produce something like the Qur'an, or ten Surahs like it, or even one Surah! 

﴿ أَمْ خُلِقُواْ مِنْ غَيْرِ شَىْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَـلِقُونَ
أَمْ خَلَقُواْ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ بَل لاَّ يُوقِنُونَ
أَمْ عِندَهُمْ خَزَآئِنُ رَبِّكَ أَمْ هُمُ الْمُسَيْطِرُونَ
أَمْ لَهُمْ سُلَّمٌ يَسْتَمِعُونَ فِيهِ فَلْيَأْتِ مُسْتَمِعُهُم بِسُلْطَـنٍ مُّبِينٍ
أَمْ لَهُ الْبَنَـتُ وَلَكُمُ الْبَنُونَ
أَمْ تَسْـَلُهُمْ أَجْراً فَهُم مِّن مَّغْرَمٍ مُّثْقَلُونَ
أَمْ عِندَهُمُ الْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ
أَمْ يُرِيدُونَ كَيْداً فَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ هُمُ الْمَكِيدُونَ
أَمْ لَهُمْ إِلَـهٌ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ سُبْحَـنَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

(35. Or were they created by nothing Or were they themselves the creators)
(36. Or did they create the heavens and the earth Nay, but they have no firm belief.)
(37. Or are with them the treasures of your Lord Or are they the tyrants with the authority to do as they like)
(38. Or have they a stairway (to heaven), by means of which they listen Then let their listener produce some manifest proof.)
(39. Or has He only daughters and you have sons)
(40. Or is it that you ask a wage from them so that they are burdened with a load of debt)
(41. Or that the Unseen is with them, and they write it down)
(42. Or do they intend a plot But those who disbelieve are themselves plotted against!)
(43. Or have they a god other than Allah Glorified be Allah from all that they ascribe as partners.)
Affirming Tawhid and annulling the Plots of the Idolators This is the position where Tawhid of Allah's Lordship and Divinity are affirmed.
Allah the Exalted said,
﴿ أَمْ خُلِقُواْ مِنْ غَيْرِ شَىْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَـلِقُونَ
(Or were they created by nothing Or were they themselves the creators) Allah asks them, were they created without a maker or did they create themselves Neither is true. Allah is the One Who created them and brought them into existence after they were nothing. Al-Bukhari recorded that Jubayr bin Mut`im said, "I heard the Prophet recite Surat At-Tur in Al-Maghrib prayer and when he reached this Ayah,
﴿ أَمْ خُلِقُواْ مِنْ غَيْرِ شَىْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَـلِقُونَ
أَمْ خَلَقُواْ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ بَل لاَّ يُوقِنُونَ
أَمْ عِندَهُمْ خَزَآئِنُ رَبِّكَ أَمْ هُمُ الْمُسَيْطِرُونَ
(Or were they created by nothing Or were they themselves the creators Or did they create the heavens and the earth Nay, but they have no firm belief. Or are with them the treasures of your Lord Or are they the tyrants with the authority to do as they like), I felt my heart would fly away.'' This Hadith is collected in the Two Sahihs using various chains of narration. Jubayr bin Mut`im went to the Messenger of Allah after the battle of Badr to ransom the captured idolators. At that time, he was still an idolator. Hearing the Prophet recite this Ayah was one of the reasons that he later embraced Islam. Allah the Exalted said, o
﴿ أَمْ خَلَقُواْ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ بَل لاَّ يُوقِنُونَ
(Or did they create the heavens and the earth Nay, but they have no firm belief.) meaning, Allah is censuring the idolators for their idolatry, while asking them if they created the heavens and earth. They knew that Allah Alone is the Creator without partners with Him. However, they fell into idolatry because they had no firm belief,
﴿ أَمْ عِندَهُمْ خَزَآئِنُ رَبِّكَ أَمْ هُمُ الْمُسَيْطِرُونَ
(Or are with them the treasures of your Lord Or are they the tyrants with the authority to do as they like) meanings, do they have the authority to do whatever they will in His kingdom Do they hold the keys to His treasures in their hands
﴿ أَمْ هُمُ الْمُسَيْطِرُونَ
(or are they the tyrants with the authority to do as they like) meanings, are they the tyrants who would hold the creation to account Never, Allah the Exalted and Most Honored is the Only King and Owner of the existence and He does what He wills. Allah the Exalted said,
﴿ أَمْ لَهُمْ سُلَّمٌ يَسْتَمِعُونَ فِيهِ
(Or have they a stairway, by means of which they listen.) meaning, do they have a stairway to heaven (to the place where the angels are),
﴿ فَلْيَأْتِ مُسْتَمِعُهُم بِسُلْطَـنٍ مُّبِينٍ
(Then let their listener produce some manifest proof.) meaning, let their listener produce evidence to the truth of their actions and statements. They will never be able to do so and therefore, they have nothing and have no evidence for their stance. Allah admonishes them regarding their claim that He has daughters and that the angels are females! The pagans chose for themselves male offspring and preferred them instead of females, and when one of them would be brought the good news of a daughter being born, his face would turn dark on account of his suppressed anger! Yet, they made the angels Allah's daughters and worshipped them besides Allah,
﴿ أَمْ لَهُ الْبَنَـتُ وَلَكُمُ الْبَنُونَ
(Or has He only daughters and you have sons) Allah sends a strong warning and stern admonition to them in this Ayah and a sure promise. Allah said,
﴿ أَمْ تَسْـَلُهُمْ أَجْراً
(Or is it that you ask a wage from them) meaning, `as a remuneration for your preaching Allah's Message to them Nay, you, do not ask them for a wage,'
﴿ فَهُم مِّن مَّغْرَمٍ مُّثْقَلُونَ
(so that they are burdened with a load of debt), meaning, for in this situation, one will complain of the least bothersome thing and feel it difficult and burdensome for him,
﴿ أَمْ عِندَهُمُ الْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ
(Or that the Unseen is with them, and they write it down) means, they do not have knowledge of the Unseen, for none in the heavens or earth knows the Unseen except Allah,
﴿ أَمْ يُرِيدُونَ كَيْداً فَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ هُمُ الْمَكِيدُونَ
(Or do they intend a plot But those who disbelieve are themselves plotted against!) Allah the Exalted is asking, `Do these people who utter such statements about the Messenger and his religion seek to deceive the people and plot against the Messenger and his Companions If they do, then let them know that their plots will only harm them. Therefore, they are being plotted against rather than being the plotters!'
﴿ أَمْ لَهُمْ إِلَـهٌ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ سُبْحَـنَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
(Or have they a god other than Allah Glorified be Allah from all that they ascribe as partners (to Him).) This Ayah contains harsh refutation directed at the idolators for worshipping the idols and calling upon rivals along with Allah. Allah next glorifies His Most Honorable Self from what they ascribe to Him, their lies and idolatry,
﴿ سُبْحَـنَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
(Glorified be Allah from all that they ascribe as partners (to Him).) 

﴿ وَإِن يَرَوْاْ كِسْفاً مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ سَـقِطاً يَقُولُواْ سَحَـبٌ مَّرْكُومٌ
فَذَرْهُمْ حَتَّى يُلَـقُواْ يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذِى فِيهِ يُصْعَقُونَ
يَوْمَ لاَ يُغْنِى عَنْهُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْئاً وَلاَ هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ
وَإِنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ عَذَاباً دُونَ ذَلِكَ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ
وَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ فَإِنَّكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ
وَمِنَ الَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْهُ وَإِدْبَـرَ النُّجُومِ

(44. And if they were to see a piece of the heaven falling down, they would say: "Clouds gathered in heaps!'')
(45. So leave them alone till they meet their Day, in which they will sink into a fainting (with horror).)
(46. The Day when their plotting shall not avail them at all, nor will they be helped.)
(47. And verily, for those who do wrong, there is another punishment before this; but most of them know not.)
(48. So wait patiently for the decision of your Lord, for verily, you are under Our Eyes; and glorify the praises of your Lord when you get up.)
(49. And in the nighttime also glorify His praises and at the setting of the stars.)
The Stubbornness of the Idolators; Their Punishment
Allah the Exalted reaffirms the stubbornness of the idolators and their ignorance of what goes around them,
﴿ وَإِن يَرَوْاْ كِسْفاً مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ سَـقِطاً
(And if they were to see a piece of the heaven falling down,) meaning, on them as punishment, they would not believe it is coming their way, saying that, these are layers of clouds on top of each other. Allah the Exalted said in other Ayat,
﴿ وَلَوْ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَاباً مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ فَظَلُّواْ فِيهِ يَعْرُجُونَ
لَقَالُواْ إِنَّمَا سُكِّرَتْ أَبْصَـرُنَا بَلْ نَحْنُ قَوْمٌ مَّسْحُورُونَ
(And even if We opened to them a gate from the heaven and they were to keep on ascending thereto (all day long), they would surely say (in the evening): "Our eyes have been dazzled. Nay, we are a people bewitched.'')(15:14-15)
Allah the Exalted said,
﴿ فَذَرْهُمْ
(So leave them alone), `O Muhammad,'
﴿ حَتَّى يُلَـقُواْ يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذِى فِيهِ يُصْعَقُونَ
(till they meet their Day, in which they will sink into a fainting.) on the Day of Resurrection,
﴿ يَوْمَ لاَ يُغْنِى عَنْهُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْئاً
(The Day when their plotting shall not avail them at all, ) meaning, on the Day of Resurrection, their deceit and plots they planned in this life shall not help them in the least,
﴿ وَلاَ هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ
(nor will they be helped.) Allah the Exalted said,
﴿ وَإِنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ عَذَاباً دُونَ ذَلِكَ
(And verily, for those who do wrong, there is another punishment before this;) meaning, that of being the torment in this world. Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,
﴿ وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُمْ مِّنَ الْعَذَابِ الاٌّدْنَى دُونَ الْعَذَابِ الاٌّكْبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ
(And verily, We will make them taste of the near torment prior to the supreme torment (in the Hereafter), in order that they may return.)(32:21) Allah said;
﴿ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ
(but most of them know not.) meaning, `We will torment them in the life of the world and test them with various hardships, so that they might go back and repent. However, they do not understand what is happening to them or why, because when the torment is removed, they revert to committing the worst of what they used to do before.' A Hadith states that,
Ordering the Prophet to have Patience and to glorify Allah
Allah the Exalted said,
﴿ وَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ فَإِنَّكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا
(So wait patiently for the decision of your Lord, for verily, you are under Our Eyes;) meaning, `be patient in the face of their annoyance and do not be concerned about it, for you are under Our Eyes and Protection, and We will surely protect you from the people,'
﴿ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ
(and glorify the praises of your Lord when you get up.) Ad-Dahhak said, "Meaning to stand for the Salah (and say): "Glorious are You and with Your praise, Hallowed be Your Name, Exalted be Your majesty, and there is no God (worthy of worship) except You.'' In his Sahih, Muslim recorded that `Umar used to recite this supplication when he began Salah. Ahmad and the Sunan compilers recorded this Hadith from Abu Sa`id and other Companions, who stated that the Prophet used to say that. Abu Al-Jawza' commented on the Ayah;
﴿ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ
(and glorify the praises of your Lord when you get up.) "From your sleep, from your bed.'' And this is the view chosen by Ibn Jarir. Suporting this view is the Hadith that Imam Ahmad recorded that `Ubadah bin As-Samit said that the Messenger of Allah said,
« مَنْ تَعَارَّ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ: لَا إِلهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَالْحَمْدُ للهِ وَلَا إِلهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَاللهُ أَكْبَرُ، وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي أو قال: ثُمَّ دَعَا اسْتُجِيبَ لَهُ، فَإِنْ عَزَمَ فَتَوَضَّأَ ثُمَّ صَلَّى، قُبِلَتْ صَلَاتُه »
(Whoever gets up at night and says: `La ilaha illallah, He is One without partners. For Him is the kingdom and all praise is due to Him. He has power over all things. Glory be to Allah, and all praise is due to Allah, and La illaha illallah and Allah is Greater. There is neither might nor power except Allah.' And then says, `O Lord! Forgive me.' Or invokes (Allah), he will be responded to it, and if he intends and performs ablution and prays, his prayer will be accepted.) Al-Bukhari and the Sunan compilers also recorded this Hadith. Ibn Abi Najih reported that Mujahid commented on the Ayah,
﴿ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ
(and glorify the praises of your Lord when you get up.) saying, "From every gathering you sit in.'' Ath-Thawri said that Abu Ishaq narrated that Abu Al-Ahwas said that,
﴿ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ
(and glorify the praises of your Lord when you get up.) "When a person wants to stand from a gathering, he says: `Glory be to You, O Allah, and with Your praise.''' Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said,
« مَنْ جَلَسَ فِي مَجْلِسٍ فَكَثُرَ فِيهِ لَغَطُهُ، فَقَالَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقُومَ مِنْ مَجْلِسِهِ: سُبْحَانَكَ اللْهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ، إِلَّا غَفَرَ اللهُ لَهُ مَا كَانَ فِي مَجْلِسِهِ ذلِك »
(Whoever sits in a gathering in which he speaks idle excessively, but says before he stands up to depart that gathering, `Glory be to You O Allah , and with Your praise, I testify that there is no God (worthy of worship) except You, I seek Your forgiveness, and I repent to You.' Then, Allah will forgive him what he has said in that gathering.) This was recorded by At-Tirmidhi, and this is his wording, and it was also recorded by An-Nasa'i in ﴿`Amal﴾ Al-Yawm wal-Laylah. At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih.'' It was also recorded by Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, and he said, "Its chain meets the criteria of Muslim.'' Allah the Exalted said;
﴿ وَمِنَ الَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْهُ
(And in the nighttime also glorify His praises), meaning remember and worship Allah by reciting the Qur'an and praying at night. Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,
﴿ وَمِنَ الَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ عَسَى أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَاماً مَّحْمُودًا
(And in some of the night, offer Tahajjud in it as an additional (prayer) for you. It may be that your Lord will raise you to Maqam Mahmud.)(17:79)
Allah said;
﴿ وَإِدْبَـرَ النُّجُومِ
(and at the setting of the stars.) is in reference to the two voluntary Rak`ahs before the Dawn prayer, according to a Hadith from Ibn `Abbas. These two Rak`ahs are an established Sunnah performed before the stars are about to set. It is confimred in the Two Sahihs from `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said, "The Prophet was never more regular and particular in offering any voluntary prayer than the two (Sunnah) Rak`ahs of the Fajr prayer.'' In another narration collected by Muslim, ﴿the Prophet said,﴾
« رَكْعَتَا الْفَجْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا »
(Two (Sunnah) Rak`ahs before Fajr are better than this life and all that in it.)This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat At-Tur, all praise and gratitude is due to Allah.

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