Verses 12–20
41. Fussilat · Explained in detail
Makkan54 verses
فَقَضَىٰهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَٰوَاتٍۢ فِى يَوْمَيْنِ وَأَوْحَىٰ فِى كُلِّ سَمَآءٍ أَمْرَهَا ۚ وَزَيَّنَّا ٱلسَّمَآءَ ٱلدُّنْيَا بِمَصَٰبِيحَ وَحِفْظًۭا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْعَلِيمِ
41:12Then He set them up as seven heavens in two days, and revealed [to the angels] in each heaven its ordinance. We have adorned the lowest heaven with lamps, and guarded them. That is the ordaining of the All-mighty, the All-knowing.1
فَإِنْ أَعْرَضُوا۟ فَقُلْ أَنذَرْتُكُمْ صَٰعِقَةًۭ مِّثْلَ صَٰعِقَةِ عَادٍۢ وَثَمُودَ
41:13But if they turn away, say, ‘I warn you of a thunderbolt, like the thunderbolt of ‘Ad and Thamud.’
إِذْ جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلرُّسُلُ مِنۢ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ ۖ قَالُوا۟ لَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّنَا لَأَنزَلَ مَلَٰٓئِكَةًۭ فَإِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلْتُم بِهِۦ كَٰفِرُونَ
41:14When the apostles came to them, before them and in their own time, saying, ‘Worship no one except Allah!’ They said, ‘Had our Lord wished, He would have sent down angels [to us]. We indeed disbelieve in what you have been sent with.’2
فَأَمَّا عَادٌۭ فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَقَالُوا۟ مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً ۖ أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةًۭ ۖ وَكَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ
41:15As for [the people of] ‘Ad, they acted arrogantly in the earth unduly, and they said, ‘Who is more powerful than us?’ Did they not see that Allah, who created them, is more powerful than them? They used to impugn Our signs;*
فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِيحًۭا صَرْصَرًۭا فِىٓ أَيَّامٍۢ نَّحِسَاتٍۢ لِّنُذِيقَهُمْ عَذَابَ ٱلْخِزْىِ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ أَخْزَىٰ ۖ وَهُمْ لَا يُنصَرُونَ
41:16so We unleashed upon them an icy gale during ill-fated days, in order that We might make them taste a humiliating punishment in the life of the world. Yet the punishment of the Hereafter will be surely more disgraceful, and they will not be helped.3
وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَٰهُمْ فَٱسْتَحَبُّوا۟ ٱلْعَمَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰ فَأَخَذَتْهُمْ صَٰعِقَةُ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْهُونِ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ
41:17As for [the people of] Thamud, We guided them, but they preferred blindness to guidance. So the bolt of a humiliating punishment seized them because of what they used to earn.
وَنَجَّيْنَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَكَانُوا۟ يَتَّقُونَ
41:18And We delivered those who had faith and were Godwary.
وَيَوْمَ يُحْشَرُ أَعْدَآءُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِ فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ
41:19The day the enemies of Allah are marched out toward the Fire, while they are in check,
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا مَا جَآءُوهَا شَهِدَ عَلَيْهِمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَأَبْصَٰرُهُمْ وَجُلُودُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
41:20when they come to it, their hearing, their eyes and their skins will bear witness against them concerning what they used to do.
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 14
1.A man invents so many lame excuses to oppose the truth and wants to escape from it. This is an open challenge that those who opposed the message of Allah seeing a man like them and did not believe in him and were taking a trial of his character from the beginning and doing the experiment of his entrusted thing and sincerity. even if they see Angels, they wouldn’t bring faith on them. Whereas they were not knowing who they were? And from where they have come and what kind of creatures they are and whether they can trust them?
Verse 17
2.It is a confirmed fact that those who selected misguidance and opposed the right path have to face disgrace one day in the world. This is not a question of the chastisement of hereafter. Allah also wants to create some stages in the world so that the sensible people understand. From Firon and Qaroon to ruler of Iran till, Nixon, Carter and Khrushchev all are living examples. If a man has ability to understand he can take lesson from this.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
- 1
Some commentators say that seven heavens imply the seven levels of heaven which are not related to the seven stars. The world of the stars is different from the world of the atmosphere. Beyond this no one has more knowledge about all this except Allah and the Rasekhoona Fil Ilm (Those who are firmly grounded in Knowledge).
- 2
This is an indication towards the praiseworthy efforts of the prophets. They tried in every way to convey the message and reform the people. Just as Shaitan tried to deviate them in every way. Otherwise all prophets are from Allah and there is no other sense in saying that they come from various sides.
Benefit
Under the 15th ayat the saying of Ali (a.s.) is worth remembering. These arrogant people at last became the guest of the grave. Dust became their shroud and bones their companions or neighbours. What greater helplessness could there be for man.
- 3
The evil omen days is that particular period when chastisement descended upon this nation and it was a bad period for that nation. Otherwise it certainly does not mean that the days have become bad forever and their ill omen will never be dispelled. As it is clear from the verse also these days were ill omen for those very people and not that Allah selected the bad days for sending punishment. Otherwise the meaning of punishment lasting a week is that all the days of the week have become ill omen and the evil deeds of one nation have deprived all mankind from goodness.