Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 37–43

24. An-Noor · The Light

Madinan64 verses

رِجَالٌۭ لَّا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَٰرَةٌۭ وَلَا بَيْعٌ عَن ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَإِقَامِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَإِيتَآءِ ٱلزَّكَوٰةِ ۙ يَخَافُونَ يَوْمًۭا تَتَقَلَّبُ فِيهِ ٱلْقُلُوبُ وَٱلْأَبْصَٰرُ

24:37by men whom neither trade nor bargaining distracts from the remembrance of Allah and the maintenance of prayer and the giving of zakat. They are fearful of a day wherein the hearts and the sights will be transformed,1

لِيَجْزِيَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَحْسَنَ مَا عَمِلُوا۟ وَيَزِيدَهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍۢ

24:38so that Allah may reward them by the best of what they have done, and enhance them out of His grace, and Allah provides for whomever He wishes without any reckoning.

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَعْمَٰلُهُمْ كَسَرَابٍۭ بِقِيعَةٍۢ يَحْسَبُهُ ٱلظَّمْـَٔانُ مَآءً حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَهُۥ لَمْ يَجِدْهُ شَيْـًۭٔا وَوَجَدَ ٱللَّهَ عِندَهُۥ فَوَفَّىٰهُ حِسَابَهُۥ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ

24:39As for the faithless, their works are like a mirage in a plain, which the thirsty man supposes to be water. When he comes to it, he finds it to be nothing; but there he finds Allah, who will pay him his full account, and Allah is swift at reckoning.2

أَوْ كَظُلُمَٰتٍۢ فِى بَحْرٍۢ لُّجِّىٍّۢ يَغْشَىٰهُ مَوْجٌۭ مِّن فَوْقِهِۦ مَوْجٌۭ مِّن فَوْقِهِۦ سَحَابٌۭ ۚ ظُلُمَٰتٌۢ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ إِذَآ أَخْرَجَ يَدَهُۥ لَمْ يَكَدْ يَرَىٰهَا ۗ وَمَن لَّمْ يَجْعَلِ ٱللَّهُ لَهُۥ نُورًۭا فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن نُّورٍ

24:40Or like the manifold darkness in a deep sea, covered by billow upon billow, overcast by clouds; manifold [layers of] darkness, one on top of another: when he brings out his hand, he can hardly see it. One whom Allah has not granted any light has no light.3

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلطَّيْرُ صَٰٓفَّٰتٍۢ ۖ كُلٌّۭ قَدْ عَلِمَ صَلَاتَهُۥ وَتَسْبِيحَهُۥ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا يَفْعَلُونَ

24:41Have you not regarded that Allah is glorified by everyone in the heavens and the earth, and the birds spreading their wings. Each knows his prayer and glorification, and Allah knows best what they do.4

وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمَصِيرُ

24:42To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and toward Allah is the destination.

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُزْجِى سَحَابًۭا ثُمَّ يُؤَلِّفُ بَيْنَهُۥ ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُهُۥ رُكَامًۭا فَتَرَى ٱلْوَدْقَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ خِلَٰلِهِۦ وَيُنَزِّلُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مِن جِبَالٍۢ فِيهَا مِنۢ بَرَدٍۢ فَيُصِيبُ بِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَصْرِفُهُۥ عَن مَّن يَشَآءُ ۖ يَكَادُ سَنَا بَرْقِهِۦ يَذْهَبُ بِٱلْأَبْصَٰرِ

24:43Have you not regarded that Allah drives the clouds, then He composes them, then He piles them up, whereat you see the rain issuing from its midst? And He sends down hail from the sky, out of the mountains that are in it, and He strikes with it whomever He wishes, and turns it away from whomever He wishes. The brilliance of its lightening almost takes away the sight.5

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 39

1.Here different kinds of examples are given of the deeds of unbelievers. One example is of a mirage in a barren desert and a man becomes thinks that he will get water and when he comes near to it, he finds nothing and the example of infidels is worse than this in that a thirsty man comes to the mirage but only remains disappointed but infidels have to confront the account of their deeds and they have to give an explanation of their life. The second example is of the darkness in the deep sea that is covered by the waves and besides this there is a layer of clouds above it, that it is unable to perceive that light. That means infidels sink in the sea of strong desires and wishes and there is no sign of their faith and character, and to whomsoever Allah deprives of the light, there is no possibility of brightness or fortune.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. Benefit

    La Tulhee him shows that they are not aloof from business. Rather they conduct business in such a way that it does not prevent them from Allah’s remembrance. Indeed these houses are like those of the Prophets and Imams (a.s.). whose foundation is laid on divine commands. Their walls are high. Constant remembrance of Allah is going to on within them. Their care and upkeep in entrusted to persons who are not negligent of Allah’, remembrance. On this basis this house is the center and source of guidance.

  2. 1

    Tijarat - trading, Business etc. Baee is Buying and selling.

  3. 2

    Saraab - mirage. Qeya is the plural of Qa, that is field.

  4. 3

    Lujja - A deep sea with waves upon each other.

  5. 4

    Sifaat - Birds that fly with wings spread wide.

  6. 5

    Yazjee - To move slowly.

    Rukaam - In layers.

    Bard - Snow that accumulates between clouds.

  7. Benefit

    The layers of darkness that surround the disbelievers may be the ignorance of belief, actions and speech or three types of ignorances that includes not knowing - that is they think that they know while actually they do not. All these types of ignorances are included in it.