Verses 9–15
46. Al-Ahqaf · The Dunes
Makkan35 verses
قُلْ مَا كُنتُ بِدْعًۭا مِّنَ ٱلرُّسُلِ وَمَآ أَدْرِى مَا يُفْعَلُ بِى وَلَا بِكُمْ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ
46:9Say, ‘I am not a novelty among the apostles, nor do I know what will be done with me, or with you. I just follow whatever is revealed to me, and I am just a manifest warner.’1
قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ وَكَفَرْتُم بِهِۦ وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌۭ مِّنۢ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ عَلَىٰ مِثْلِهِۦ فَـَٔامَنَ وَٱسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
46:10Say, ‘Tell me, if it is from Allah and you disbelieve in it, and a witness from the Children of Israel has testified to its like and believed [in it], while you are disdainful [of it]?’ Indeed Allah does not guide the wrongdoing lot.
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَوْ كَانَ خَيْرًۭا مَّا سَبَقُونَآ إِلَيْهِ ۚ وَإِذْ لَمْ يَهْتَدُوا۟ بِهِۦ فَسَيَقُولُونَ هَٰذَآ إِفْكٌۭ قَدِيمٌۭ
46:11The faithless say about the faithful, ‘Had it been [anything] good, they would not have taken the lead over us toward [accepting] it.’ And since they could not find the way to it, they will say, ‘It is an ancient lie.’*
وَمِن قَبْلِهِۦ كِتَٰبُ مُوسَىٰٓ إِمَامًۭا وَرَحْمَةًۭ ۚ وَهَٰذَا كِتَٰبٌۭ مُّصَدِّقٌۭ لِّسَانًا عَرَبِيًّۭا لِّيُنذِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُحْسِنِينَ
46:12Yet before it the Book of Moses was a guide and mercy, and this is a Book in the Arabic language, which confirms it, [sent] to warn the wrongdoers, and is a [bearer of] good news for the virtuous.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَقَٰمُوا۟ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
46:13Those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah,’ and then remain steadfast, they will have no fear, nor will they grieve.2
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
46:14They shall be the inhabitants of paradise, remaining in it [forever]—a reward for what they used to do.
وَوَصَّيْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ بِوَٰلِدَيْهِ إِحْسَٰنًا ۖ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُۥ كُرْهًۭا وَوَضَعَتْهُ كُرْهًۭا ۖ وَحَمْلُهُۥ وَفِصَٰلُهُۥ ثَلَٰثُونَ شَهْرًا ۚ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُۥ وَبَلَغَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةًۭ قَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِىٓ أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَىَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَىَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَٰلِحًۭا تَرْضَىٰهُ وَأَصْلِحْ لِى فِى ذُرِّيَّتِىٓ ۖ إِنِّى تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِنِّى مِنَ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ
46:15We have enjoined man to be kind to his parents. His mother has carried him in travail, and bore him in travail, and his gestation and weaning take thirty months. When he comes of age and reaches forty years, he says, ‘My Lord! Inspire me to give thanks for Your blessing with which You have blessed me and my parents, and that I may do righteous deeds which please You, and invest my descendants with righteousness. Indeed I have turned to you in penitence, and I am one of the Muslims.’34
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 10
1.Although this Surah is Meccan this verse was revealed in Medina just as the Surah Shura is Meccan but the ayat of Mawaddat (42:23) is Medinan. It is not unusual for a Surah to be Meccan and one of its Verses is revealed in Medina. Because it was at the orders of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) that particular Verses were placed in particular Surahs. Except for Allah none is aware of the wisdom behind all this. The verse is related Abdullah Ibne Salam who was a great scholar of Bani Israel and he accepted Islam on hearing this ayat. He had remarked that the Signs and Portents of this ayat were perfectly matched with those given in the Old Testament. Therefore it must also be from the Almighty Allah. The surprising thing is that others could realize its eloquence and beauty but those on whose tongue it was revealed were unable to see anything special in it.
Verse 13
2.Isteqamat (Steadfastness) does not mean to be stubborn or to be obstinate on something as some simpletons presume. Isteqamat (steadfastness) denotes the fulfillment of the demands of Tawheed whether it commands open expression or in secret, whether for Jihad or making peace. If the demands of Tawheed become the basis of human life it is Isteqamat and it is called Isteqlal (fortitude). Other than this everything is stubbornness and obstinacy.
Verse 15
3.Muhammad bin Ishaq has written in his book of the Biography of the Prophet that a woman who had given birth to a child in six months was brought to Uthman. Uthman sentenced her to be stoned to death. In the meantime Ali (a.s.) came and asked, “Have you not read the Quran? It is specified the period of weaning to be two years. And the period of pregnancy and weaning to be thirty months. This shows that the period of pregnancy is atleast six months. Therefore there is no justification for passing any sentence on this woman. Uthman said that he had not even thought of this derivation and he changed the verdict. This incident clearly shows why the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) had left Ahle Bayt (a.s.) with the Quran. Ahle Bayt (a.s.) are aware of such meanings and secrets of the Quran that none of the Qari (reciter) or Hafiz (memoriser) of the ummah are aware of.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
- 1
Bada - That which has no equal. It is unique and Ma-Adrika implies that the final consequences of everyone is with Allah and no one can guarantee anything. Otherwise the Prophet (s.a.) knows the end of everyone and he has given glad tidings also for people like Salman and Abu Zar (r.a.).
Benefit
The 11th ayat is a ridicule of the poor, destitute and some other people of Mecca who accepted Islam before the peace treaty with Quraysh and they considered this strength as the proof of weakness of Islam.
Benefit: Regarding the parents there is demand for advice and regarding their children the desire for peace treaty proves that Islam wants to preserve the relationships and Qat-e-Rahm is considered opposed to humanity, which is felt very well by the people of the present age.
- 2
Fear is related to the circumstances of the future and sorrow is related to the past events, And the holy saints are needless of both. They are neither sorrowful of the past nor fearful of the future.
- 3
If the 30 months of pregnancy and weaning is considered with the 2 years of weaning the total period of pregnancy is six months which proves that a child born in 6 months of pregnancy will be related to its father and cannot be considered illegitimate.
- 4
The parents who have worked so hard for training their children they should indeed desire that their children become righteous and not that they should be wealthy and of high post as is common in the present world that parents are more worried about job and wealth rather than righteousness of their wards. This is absolutely an un-Islamic notion.