Verses 16–22
42. Ash-Shura · Consultation
Makkan53 verses
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُحَآجُّونَ فِى ٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا ٱسْتُجِيبَ لَهُۥ حُجَّتُهُمْ دَاحِضَةٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌۭ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌۭ شَدِيدٌ
42:16Those who argue concerning Allah, after His call has been answered, their argument stands refuted with their Lord, and upon them shall be [His] wrath, and there is a severe punishment for them.1
ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَٱلْمِيزَانَ ۗ وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ قَرِيبٌۭ
42:17It is Allah who has sent down the Book with the truth and [He has sent down] the Balance. What do you know—maybe the Hour is near!
يَسْتَعْجِلُ بِهَا ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهَا ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مُشْفِقُونَ مِنْهَا وَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهَا ٱلْحَقُّ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُمَارُونَ فِى ٱلسَّاعَةِ لَفِى ضَلَٰلٍۭ بَعِيدٍ
42:18Those who do not believe in it ask [you] to hasten it, but those who have faith are apprehensive of it, and know that it is true. Indeed those who are in doubt about the Hour are in extreme error!
ٱللَّهُ لَطِيفٌۢ بِعِبَادِهِۦ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْقَوِىُّ ٱلْعَزِيزُ
42:19Allah is all-attentive to His servants. He provides for whomever He wishes, and He is the All-strong, the All-mighty.
مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ حَرْثَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ نَزِدْ لَهُۥ فِى حَرْثِهِۦ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ حَرْثَ ٱلدُّنْيَا نُؤْتِهِۦ مِنْهَا وَمَا لَهُۥ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ مِن نَّصِيبٍ
42:20Whoever desires the tillage of the Hereafter, We will enhance for him his tillage, and whoever desires the tillage of the world, We will give it to him, but he will have no share in the Hereafter.2
أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَٰٓؤُا۟ شَرَعُوا۟ لَهُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَنۢ بِهِ ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةُ ٱلْفَصْلِ لَقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُمْ ۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ
42:21Do they have deities [besides Allah] who have ordained for them a religion not permitted by Allah? Were it not for a [prior] conclusive word, judgement would have been made between them, and indeed a painful punishment awaits the wrongdoers.
تَرَى ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا كَسَبُوا۟ وَهُوَ وَاقِعٌۢ بِهِمْ ۗ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ فِى رَوْضَاتِ ٱلْجَنَّاتِ ۖ لَهُم مَّا يَشَآءُونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَضْلُ ٱلْكَبِيرُ
42:22When it is about to befall them, You will see the wrongdoers fearful because of what they have earned; but those who have faith and do righteous deeds will be in the gardens of paradise: they will have whatever they wish near their Lord. That is the mighty grace.3
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 16
1.Some commentators have written that Jews and Christians misguide Muslims saying: Our religion is older than yours. Therefore we do not need another religion. Its antiquity is the best argument of its truth. A blessed verse of the Holy Quran has ruled that this argument is absurd and useless. First of all the standard of excellence of religion is based on its laws and its strength. It is not concerned with its antiquity. Just as Jews say to Muslims that after receiving our religion we do not need another religion in the same way Christians too say to Jews that we have our religion and we do not need your religion. Then whatever the Christians will reply to Jews, the same will be from the Muslims.
Verse 22
2.How great is the dignity of man that Allah promises to give whatever He desires, whereas there is no limit of human desires and this is the proof that the world is only to fulfill the needs.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
Indeed the Book of Allah is the truth and also a criterion. That all the realities of the world can be weighed on this standard. Though Mizan is ‘Balance’ its actual meaning is standard or scale, which makes us aware of different things.
- 1
That is the religion of Islam is accepted and people have entered into the fold of Islam and after that also if they are engrossed in meaningless debates they shall have terrible consequences.
- 2
It is not a real address. It is to explain to the deniers of Qiyamat that why they ask the Prophet about Qiyamat. What he knows, it is Our job and you must ask Us about it and We are saying that it is very near. So you must realize the seriousness of the situation and stop denying and submit with sincerity and do not depend on false proofs.
- 3
The irreligious person also does everything in the world but the only difference between the religious person and the irreligious person is the sincerity of intention. The intention of the former is for the Hereafter while the latter does everything for the world. The benefit of having an intention of the Hereafter is that the world is safe for him and he has a good Hereafter. The bane of intending everything for the world is that most often the person is deprived of success in the Hereafter. Also he is able to gain only something in the world and not everything of the world. That is why the Quran has mentioned additional with Hereafter and has not denied the worldly achievements. But with the intention of the world the Hereafter is emphatically refuted and in the achievement of the world there is mention of ‘minha’ (from it). That is they would get only some of it.