Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 85–88

28. Al-Qasas · The Stories

Makkan88 verses

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِى فَرَضَ عَلَيْكَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لَرَآدُّكَ إِلَىٰ مَعَادٍۢ ۚ قُل رَّبِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مَن جَآءَ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ وَمَنْ هُوَ فِى ضَلَٰلٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ

28:85Indeed He who has revealed to you the Quran will surely restore you to the place of return. Say, ‘My Lord knows best him who brings guidance and him who is in manifest error.’1

وَمَا كُنتَ تَرْجُوٓا۟ أَن يُلْقَىٰٓ إِلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَٰبُ إِلَّا رَحْمَةًۭ مِّن رَّبِّكَ ۖ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ ظَهِيرًۭا لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ

28:86You did not expect that the Book would be delivered to you; but it was a mercy from your Lord. So do not be ever an advocate of the faithless.2

وَلَا يَصُدُّنَّكَ عَنْ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ بَعْدَ إِذْ أُنزِلَتْ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَٱدْعُ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ۖ وَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ

28:87Do not ever let them bar you from Allah’s signs after they have been sent down to you. Invite to your Lord, and never be one of the polytheists.

وَلَا تَدْعُ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَ ۘ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُۥ ۚ لَهُ ٱلْحُكْمُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ

28:88And do not invoke another god besides Allah; there is no god except Him. Everything is to perish except His Face. All judgement belongs to Him, and to Him you will be brought back.*

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 85

1.It is said that when Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) migrated from Mecca to Medina, the remembrance of Ka’ba made him restless and he turned his face towards Ka’ba his own native place. Allah consoled him and said: We shall bring you back to your destination as you have migrated for Us and faced difficulties by OUT command. Just as We brought Moosa (a.s.) to his mother because his mother surrendered him to the sea by OUT command. This shows clearly from this incident that Allah is always ready to help His believers but the condition is that man should tolerate troubles in His way and choose the land way or the sea way for him. A man himself is responsible to give sacrifice of his own way and Allah is responsible for those who sacrifice in His way.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. Benefit

    Some scholars have interpreted Ma‘ad to denote Qiyamat while it is strange that Qiyamat is not only related to the Holy Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.s.). And the promise in the ayat is to the prophet.

  2. 1

    The Almighty has promised in this ayat that those who leave their homes to fulfil religious duty will be returned safely by Allah. That is why this ayat is recited and blown on the traveller. Now the traveller should also be careful not to become heedless of his duty. He must also not travel to a prohibited journey so that the system of divine mercy is continued for him.

  3. 2

    All these laws do not mean that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) was supportive of the polytheists or there was a chance he would condone the sinners. This is to declare that those who are bestowed with such a divine grace must not be supportive of the sinners so that every person who desires mercy should be aware that if Allah is merciful to him he must neither be among the polytheists nor pray for or support the sinners.

  4. Benefit

    The phrase ‘Kulle Shayyin’ in the 88th ayat denotes all the things of the earth otherwise Shayy can sometimes denote actions and deeds as well as Heaven and Hell. Secondly, ‘Halaak’ could denote the future annihilation and the baselessness of a particular thing itself.