Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 47–54

41. Fussilat · Explained in detail

Makkan54 verses

۞ إِلَيْهِ يُرَدُّ عِلْمُ ٱلسَّاعَةِ ۚ وَمَا تَخْرُجُ مِن ثَمَرَٰتٍۢ مِّنْ أَكْمَامِهَا وَمَا تَحْمِلُ مِنْ أُنثَىٰ وَلَا تَضَعُ إِلَّا بِعِلْمِهِۦ ۚ وَيَوْمَ يُنَادِيهِمْ أَيْنَ شُرَكَآءِى قَالُوٓا۟ ءَاذَنَّٰكَ مَا مِنَّا مِن شَهِيدٍۢ

41:47On Him devolves the knowledge of the Hour, and no fruit emerges from its covering and no female conceives or delivers except with His knowledge. On the day when He will call out to them, ‘Where are My ‘partners’?’ They will say, ‘We informed You that there is no witness amongst us.’1

وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَدْعُونَ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَظَنُّوا۟ مَا لَهُم مِّن مَّحِيصٍۢ

41:48What they used to invoke before has forsaken them, and they know there is no escape for them.

لَّا يَسْـَٔمُ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ مِن دُعَآءِ ٱلْخَيْرِ وَإِن مَّسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ فَيَـُٔوسٌۭ قَنُوطٌۭ

41:49Man is never wearied of supplicating for good, and should any ill befall him, he becomes hopeless and despondent.2

وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَٰهُ رَحْمَةًۭ مِّنَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ ضَرَّآءَ مَسَّتْهُ لَيَقُولَنَّ هَٰذَا لِى وَمَآ أَظُنُّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ قَآئِمَةًۭ وَلَئِن رُّجِعْتُ إِلَىٰ رَبِّىٓ إِنَّ لِى عِندَهُۥ لَلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ فَلَنُنَبِّئَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِمَا عَمِلُوا۟ وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنْ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍۢ

41:50If, after distress has befallen him, We let him have a taste of Our mercy, he says, ‘This is my due! I do not think the Hour will ever come, and in case I am returned to my Lord, I will indeed have the best [reward] with Him.’ So We will surely inform the faithless about what they have done, and will surely make them taste a harsh punishment.

وَإِذَآ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَى ٱلْإِنسَٰنِ أَعْرَضَ وَنَـَٔا بِجَانِبِهِۦ وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ فَذُو دُعَآءٍ عَرِيضٍۢ

41:51When We bless man, he is disregardful and turns aside; but when an ill befalls him, he makes protracted supplications.3

قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ كَفَرْتُم بِهِۦ مَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ هُوَ فِى شِقَاقٍۭ بَعِيدٍۢ

41:52Say, ‘Tell me, if it is from Allah and you disbelieve in it, who will be more astray than those who are in extreme defiance.’

سَنُرِيهِمْ ءَايَٰتِنَا فِى ٱلْءَافَاقِ وَفِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۗ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِ بِرَبِّكَ أَنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ شَهِيدٌ

41:53Soon We shall show them Our signs in the horizons and in their own souls until it becomes clear to them that He is the Real. Is it not sufficient that your Lord is witness to all things?*

أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ فِى مِرْيَةٍۢ مِّن لِّقَآءِ رَبِّهِمْ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّهُۥ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ مُّحِيطٌۢ

41:54Indeed, they are in doubt about the encounter with their Lord! Indeed, He embraces all things!

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

1.No doubt the whole universe, the earth and the heaven and existence of human being are open books that each and every word witnesses this grandeur and existence of Allah. If a man would observe a little particle, he would know that its creation is impossible without Allah the Almighty. And if he thinks about his breath, he would be assured that there is someone who controls his existence otherwise what is the guarantee of soul that depends on air. This is the mercy of Allah, the Lord of universe that keeps safe the bodies for thousands of years. The belief of oneness of Allah is an invisible faith but its arguments and proofs are not invisible. On the contrary they are entirely clear and they can be easily perceived. Man has no right to call a visible thing invisible.

Amirul Momineen (a.s.) had stated in a fine manner regarding the existence of human beings, that man is a creature that speaks through the flesh, hears through bones and sees through fat.

Is it not a good proof of Allah, that He gave such a capability to flesh and small pieces of bones. If man himself is unaware about his own existence then how can he be attentive towards Allah?

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. Benefit

    Everyone can find out pregnancy and its stage and also the gender. But the time of pregnancy, the condition, the special points and the final result of it is not known to anyone except Allah and no one could know it in the future. If Allah gives this knowledge to someone it is another matter.

  2. 1

    Sa’at (Hour) is Qiyamat. Akmam is the plural of Kim with the vowel ‘i’. It denotes the covering before the growth of a fruit which is called ‘baur’ in Hindustani language.

  3. 2

    In the view of people the best things are health, wealth etc. regarding whom they all supplicate. Otherwise if they had prayed for true goodness, that is belief and character they would never have fallen prey to despair because despair is opposed to belief and faith.

  4. 3

    How a correct interpretation of human psychology is presented here. That if man gets a little of wealth and comfort he changes his colours as if he had never asked for anything and as soon as he falls in need of something he raises his hands in supplication. Islam does not like such a type of belief and faith. It prefers that even if all the bounties are received by a person he should continue to supplicate and if he is afflicted with every type of calamity he must not fall into despondence. He should be satisfied with the divine decree and must entrust all his affairs to Allah.

  5. Benefit

    The 53rd ayat mentions the view of some people. The first part is the proof of system by which one recognizes Allah. The second is the Proof of the Truthful ones where a personality is recognized by another. And Allah knows best