Verses 35–45
50. Qaaf · The letter Qaaf
Makkan45 verses
لَهُم مَّا يَشَآءُونَ فِيهَا وَلَدَيْنَا مَزِيدٌۭ
50:35There they will have whatever they wish, and with Us there is yet more.
وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُم مِّن قَرْنٍ هُمْ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُم بَطْشًۭا فَنَقَّبُوا۟ فِى ٱلْبِلَٰدِ هَلْ مِن مَّحِيصٍ
50:36How many generations We have destroyed before them, who were stronger than these, insomuch that they ransacked the towns?! So, is there any escape [from Allah’s punishment]?1
إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكْرَىٰ لِمَن كَانَ لَهُۥ قَلْبٌ أَوْ أَلْقَى ٱلسَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌۭ
50:37There is indeed an admonition in that for one who has a heart, or gives ear, being attentive.*
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍۢ وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِن لُّغُوبٍۢ
50:38Certainly We created the heavens and the earth, and whatever is between them, in six days, and any fatigue did not touch Us.
فَٱصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ ٱلشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ ٱلْغُرُوبِ
50:39So be patient at what they say, and celebrate the praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before the sunset,
وَمِنَ ٱلَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْهُ وَأَدْبَٰرَ ٱلسُّجُودِ
50:40and glorify Him through part of the night and after the prostrations.
وَٱسْتَمِعْ يَوْمَ يُنَادِ ٱلْمُنَادِ مِن مَّكَانٍۢ قَرِيبٍۢ
50:41And be on the alert for the day when the caller calls from a close quarter,2
يَوْمَ يَسْمَعُونَ ٱلصَّيْحَةَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ يَوْمُ ٱلْخُرُوجِ
50:42the day when they hear the Cry in all truth. That is the day of rising [from the dead].
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نُحْىِۦ وَنُمِيتُ وَإِلَيْنَا ٱلْمَصِيرُ
50:43Indeed it is We who give life and bring death, and toward Us is the [final] destination.
يَوْمَ تَشَقَّقُ ٱلْأَرْضُ عَنْهُمْ سِرَاعًۭا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ حَشْرٌ عَلَيْنَا يَسِيرٌۭ
50:44The day the earth is split open for [disentombing] them, [they will come out] hastening. That mustering is easy for Us [to carry out].3
نَّحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ ۖ وَمَآ أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِجَبَّارٍۢ ۖ فَذَكِّرْ بِٱلْقُرْءَانِ مَن يَخَافُ وَعِيدِ
50:45We know well what they say, and you are not there to compel them. So admonish by the Quran those who fear My threat.4
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 35
1.It should be clear that the inmates of Paradise will be provided with more than their heart’s desires because the desire of the person is according to his view and the bounty is according to the knowledge and the power of the Almighty.
Verse 39
2.According to some people the timings of Prayer indicate that Morning prayer should be recited before the rising of the Sun. The Asr prayer is before the Sunset and after the Sunset we have the Maghrib and Isha prayer. After the obligatory prayers it is meritorious to recite the Nawafil prayers which are the best way of reciting the praise of Allah and thanking Him. However in all these details there is no mention of the Zuhr prayer and which is referred to as the Salat-e-wusta (the middle prayer). It is possible that the prayer before the sunset may include both Zuhr and Asr. But in this way it orders the performance of both these prayers immediately one after the other just as the Maghrib and Isha are mentioned in a single word and they are not mentioned separately and the fact is also that in Quran there is no separate mention of the prayers. Only Allah knows why Muslims are so obstinate on this habit. Why do they not leave it to the limit of lawfulness and leave the people to their own choice whether they offer it separately or together?
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
- 1
Qarn - Is the people of a particular period. They tried to find the way for having an eternal life. But they finally realized that there was no escape from death.
Benefit
The 37th ayat is proof that to derive teaching and advices it is necessary to have a heart, intelligence and personal capacity or man should be ready to listen with the presence of mind. Without this neither the scholar can have any effect nor an ignorant person.
- 2
Here one word is eliminated that you listen about the day on which the horn would be blown. Otherwise the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) does not have to listen to the horn. This is told to the people as seen by the next ayat.
- 3
In Qiyamat the earth would split in a way that everyone will emerge quickly from the graves and spread in the Field of Hashr (gathering). And it is not difficult for Allah to gather this crowd.
- 4
Jabbar - One who forces people to accept faith and the job of the Prophet (s.a.) is to invite to faith and not to compel the people. It is against the standard of justice and Islam is the religion of justice and wisdom.