Verses 25–35
21. Al-Anbiyaa · The Prophets
Makkan112 verses
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِىٓ إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱعْبُدُونِ
21:25We did not send any apostle before you but that We revealed to him that ‘There is no god except Me; so worship Me.’1
وَقَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ وَلَدًۭا ۗ سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ ۚ بَلْ عِبَادٌۭ مُّكْرَمُونَ
21:26They say, ‘The All-beneficent has taken offsprings.’ Immaculate is He! Indeed, they are [His] honoured servants.
لَا يَسْبِقُونَهُۥ بِٱلْقَوْلِ وَهُم بِأَمْرِهِۦ يَعْمَلُونَ
21:27They do not venture to speak ahead of Him, and they act by His command.
يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يَشْفَعُونَ إِلَّا لِمَنِ ٱرْتَضَىٰ وَهُم مِّنْ خَشْيَتِهِۦ مُشْفِقُونَ
21:28He knows that which is before them and that which is behind them, and they do not intercede except for someone He approves of, and they are apprehensive for the fear of Him.2
۞ وَمَن يَقُلْ مِنْهُمْ إِنِّىٓ إِلَٰهٌۭ مِّن دُونِهِۦ فَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِيهِ جَهَنَّمَ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
21:29Should any of them say, ‘I am a god besides Him,’ We will requite him with hell. Thus do We requite the wrongdoers.
أَوَلَمْ يَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ كَانَتَا رَتْقًۭا فَفَتَقْنَٰهُمَا ۖ وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلْمَآءِ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ حَىٍّ ۖ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
21:30Have the faithless not regarded that the heavens and the earth were interwoven and We unravelled them, and We made every living thing out of water? Will they not then have faith?3
وَجَعَلْنَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ رَوَٰسِىَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِهِمْ وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا فِجَاجًۭا سُبُلًۭا لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ
21:31We set firm mountains in the earth lest it should shake with them, and We made broad ways in them so that they may be guided [to their destinations].
وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ سَقْفًۭا مَّحْفُوظًۭا ۖ وَهُمْ عَنْ ءَايَٰتِهَا مُعْرِضُونَ
21:32We made the sky a preserved roof and yet they are disregardful of its signs.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ ۖ كُلٌّۭ فِى فَلَكٍۢ يَسْبَحُونَ
21:33It is He who created the night and the day, the sun and the moon, each swimming in an orbit.4
وَمَا جَعَلْنَا لِبَشَرٍۢ مِّن قَبْلِكَ ٱلْخُلْدَ ۖ أَفَإِي۟ن مِّتَّ فَهُمُ ٱلْخَٰلِدُونَ
21:34We did not give immortality to any human before you. If you are fated to die, will they live on forever?
كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۗ وَنَبْلُوكُم بِٱلشَّرِّ وَٱلْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةًۭ ۖ وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ
21:35Every soul shall taste death, and We will test you with good and ill by way of test, and to Us you will be brought back.
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 30
1.A fresh discovery of the present era is that the whole solar system was attached as one and thereafter all stars separated and the earth also separated from it and entered into the expansive atmosphere and the earth is moving continuously as pointed out by different words in the Holy Quran.
2.It is clearly said in the tradition of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) that Allah has created the water first, then the sky and the earth and the same matter is clarified in the blessed verse of the Holy Quran.
Verse 35
3.It is narrated in one of the traditions that once Ali (a.s.) was unwell. A man came to him and asked: How are you? Ali (a.s.) said - I am in a pitiable condition. The man said this answer does not suit you. Ali (a.s.) said: Allah says in the Holy Quran that He takes trial by giving good and bad condition. Good condition concerns good health and wealth and bad condition concerns poverty and disease.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
Please note that angels have six important characteristics: 1) They are the servants of Allah 2) They are honoured 3) They do not overtake the affair of Allah 4) They act upon the command of Allah 5) They do not intercede for hated people 6) They tremble for the fear of Allah.
- 1
The Jews made Uzair the son of god, the Christians alleged Divine heredity to Jesus and the polytheists also alleged that Allah had married the Jinns and this union has produced the angels. (We seek Allah’s Refuge)
- 2
According to the polytheists the angels were the children of Allah and through them a great deal could be achieved. The Almighty Allah has openly declared that the angels cannot even intercede except for those who are liked by Allah. Therefore to repose any hopes in them is nothing but a mistaken notion.
- 3
Some people read it as “hayyan’ meaning that We not only created the living things from water but we made the non living things alive through water.
- 4
The opposite of Kullun Fi Falakin is also Kullun fi Falakin that indicates a circular motion, and the verb ‘Yasbahum’ is to describe its various stages.
Benefit
Please note that the creation of life from water could be from water itself and it could also denote the creation of life from sperm. Because even moist ground requires mixture of water.