Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 23–31

42. Ash-Shura · Consultation

Makkan53 verses

ذَٰلِكَ ٱلَّذِى يُبَشِّرُ ٱللَّهُ عِبَادَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ ۗ قُل لَّآ أَسْـَٔلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا ٱلْمَوَدَّةَ فِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ ۗ وَمَن يَقْتَرِفْ حَسَنَةًۭ نَّزِدْ لَهُۥ فِيهَا حُسْنًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ شَكُورٌ

42:23Such is the good news that Allah gives to His servants who have faith and do righteous deeds! Say, ‘I do not ask you any reward for it except the love of [my] relatives.’ Whoever performs a good deed, We shall enhance its goodness for him. Indeed Allah is all-forgiving, all-appreciative.2

أَمْ يَقُولُونَ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًۭا ۖ فَإِن يَشَإِ ٱللَّهُ يَخْتِمْ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ ۗ وَيَمْحُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْبَٰطِلَ وَيُحِقُّ ٱلْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَٰتِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيمٌۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ

42:24Do they say, ‘He has fabricated a lie against Allah’? If so, should Allah wish He would set a seal on your heart, and Allah will efface the falsehood and confirm the truth with His words. Indeed He knows well what is in the breasts.

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى يَقْبَلُ ٱلتَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَعْفُوا۟ عَنِ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ

42:25It is He who accepts the repentance of His servants, and excuses their misdeeds and knows what you do.

وَيَسْتَجِيبُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ وَيَزِيدُهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِۦ ۚ وَٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌۭ شَدِيدٌۭ

42:26He answers [the supplications of] those who have faith and do righteous deeds and enhances them out of His grace. But as for the faithless, there is a severe punishment for them.

۞ وَلَوْ بَسَطَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِعِبَادِهِۦ لَبَغَوْا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَٰكِن يُنَزِّلُ بِقَدَرٍۢ مَّا يَشَآءُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ بِعِبَادِهِۦ خَبِيرٌۢ بَصِيرٌۭ

42:27Were Allah to expand the provision for [all] His servants, they would surely create havoc on the earth. But He sends down in a [precise] measure whatever He wishes. Indeed, He is all-aware, all-seeing about His servants.

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُنَزِّلُ ٱلْغَيْثَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا قَنَطُوا۟ وَيَنشُرُ رَحْمَتَهُۥ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْوَلِىُّ ٱلْحَمِيدُ

42:28It is He who sends down the rain after they have been despondent, and unfolds His mercy, and He is the Guardian, the All-laudable.

وَمِنْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ خَلْقُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَثَّ فِيهِمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍۢ ۚ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ جَمْعِهِمْ إِذَا يَشَآءُ قَدِيرٌۭ

42:29Among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and whatever creatures He has scattered in them, and He is able to gather them whenever He wishes.

وَمَآ أَصَٰبَكُم مِّن مُّصِيبَةٍۢ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُوا۟ عَن كَثِيرٍۢ

42:30Whatever affliction that may visit you is because of what your hands have earned, and He excuses many [an offense of yours].

وَمَآ أَنتُم بِمُعْجِزِينَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّۢ وَلَا نَصِيرٍۢ

42:31You cannot frustrate [Allah] on the earth, and you do not have besides Allah any guardian or helper.

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 23

1.The scholars like Kashaf, Baherul Mohit, Ruhul Bayan and Kabir, all have written that after the revelation of this Ayat, the companions asked the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) : Who are your near relatives? The Prophet replied: Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain (a.s.). Nizamuddin Nishapuri has quoted that Ali and Fatima (a.s.) and both children. Some writers have settled this matter but still another argument comes against it. On this basis there is no recompense for Messengership and there is no demand separately. Some writers have raised doubts in that this Surah is Meccan and Hasnain (a.s.) were born in Medina. Therefore it is not concerned with them. Though the Surah is Meccan it does not mean that all its verses are Meccan, as Commentators clarified regarding this.

Verse 27

2.How unjust man becomes if he gets more favors. He becomes ready to reevolt against Him while Allah is Merciful. He restrains his sustenance and wants to keep him in a limit. He doesn’t like him to be disgraced in the hereafter.

Verse 30

3.Man thinks that calamities descend from nowhere and Allah is not concerned with them. The fact is that man has contact with it, near or far. Sometimes he gets punishment as a warning and sometimes as the effect of his bad deeds.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. 1

    Whatever may be meant by this good deed to mention it after the mention of the demand of love of Able Bayt (a.s.) proves that whatever good is performed after the love of Able Bayt (a.s.) gets increase in it by the Merciful Lord and whatever good is done without this love, is not reliable.

  2. 2

    Obviously the claim of prophethood and Messengership can be made at any time and anyone can make this claim. But to present something like the Quran is beyond human capability. So they should realize that if he intended to present it from his side and attributed it to Allah how could Allah had tolerated this? Its presentation is the proof that Allah has supported it. And our support is the sign of correctness and truth provided man believes in the justice of Allah. It would have been easy if the Prophet (s.a.) had taken the credit of authoring the Quran because the Arab eloquence and literary achievements were very much common. But to present it on behalf of an unseen Being and to annihilate ones own position before Him is a proof of extreme righteousness and generosity.

    Benefit: Apart from the 23rd ayat the Holy Quran has used the word of Qurba in 15 other places. It means ‘relatives’ only. Thus to construe it to mean proximity on this occasion is unjustified. Also the ayats 23 to 26 were revealed in Medina. They are not Meccan.