The Holy Quran Text. Translation & Commentary (the Example Commentary in Brief)(volume Three)

Excuses Again (verse No. 7)

As a matter of human rights, people do have the right of asking God's apostles to manifest some miracles, to assure their hearts and to support their prophethood. But the oppositions to the prophet were not with the intention of a good will, or willing to find the truth. Their request for certain and ridiculous miracles was due to their obstinacy, and unreasonable adherance to some false ideas. Instead of the search of truth, they searched for excuses! On the other hand, inspite of revealing hundreds of wonderful miracles, our prophet never claimed to have been able to do whatever he liked! He always insisted upon his assertion that, no one can do anything against God's will, and miracles too, are in the hand of God, without Whose permission none of the prophets could bring one. Therefore, the prophet was a warner and a bearer of good-tidings for the believers.

Of course whenever there was a real need for doing a miracles the prophets prayed to God and asked it in order to guide people to the path of truth, and God answered and gave them what they asked. As to the last clause of the verse:ِ ``You are only a warner, and there is a guide for every people.'' It points at two different tasks of warning and guidance.

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A.warner tries to direct those who go astray in the straight way of God; but the duty of a guide, is to lead on the straight path. Therefore the guide leads the followers of the prophet to the methodical way of the prophet. The prophet makes the way out, and the guide or Imam, leads people in the way trodden by the prophet. Traditions have been related by successive witness of all sects, that the prophet said:ِ ``I am the warner and Ali is the guide.'' Fakhr-Al-Razi the famous Sonni commentator has narrated in his great commentary book V.19ِP.14 that, IBN-ABASS, has said that the prophet pointed at his own chest and said:ِ ``I am the said warner in this verse (NO.7)'' The prophet then put his hand upon Hazrat Imam Ali, and said:ِ ``O, Ali! you are the guide mentioned here; and after me, those who are guided, are guided by you.''

اللهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَحْمِلُ كُلُّ أُنثَى وَمَا تَغِيضُ الاَْرْحَامُ وَمَا تَزْدَادُ وَكُلُّ شَيْء عِنْدَهُ بِمِقْدَار(( 8 ))

8- ALLAH KNOWS WHAT EVERY FEMALE BEARS; AND WHAT THE WOMBS FALL SHORT OF, AND WHAT THEY EXCEED. AND EVERYTHING WITH HIM HAS A MEASURE.

عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ الْكَبِيرُ الْمُتَعَالِ(( 9 ))

9- THE KNOWER OF THE UNSEEN AND THE VISIBLE, THE GREAT, THE HIGHEST

سَوَاءٌ مِّنْكُمْ مَنْ أَسَرَّ الْقَوْلَ وَمَنْ جَهَرَ بِهِ وَمَنْ هُوَ مُسْتَخْف بِاللَّيْلِ وَسَارِبٌ بِالنَّهَارِ(( 10 ))

10- IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE FOR HIM WHETHER ONE OF YOU WHISPERS OR SPEAKS ALOUD, AND HE WHO IS HIDDEN BY THE NIGHT, OR IS MOVING ABOUT IN DAY.

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THE COMMENTARY GOD'S INFINITE KNOWLEDGE (VERSE NO. 8 - 10)

Here, mention is made of some of God's attributes that completes the discussion of Monotheism, as well as that of the Resurrection Day. The word is on the infinite knowledge of Allah, which is the source of the great and wonderful order that prevails throughout the universe, and the wonders existing in all the being things!:ِ ``Allah knows what every female bears, and what does a womb fall short of, and what does it exceed.''

The secrecy of a female's womb is a good instance to point at God's infinite knowledge, and His perception of the hidden or exposed facts; because, even the female herself does not know what is hidden in her womb, of a female or a male, a well formed or malformed; a single creature or a couple? Is it to be born short of the standard period of nine months, or exceeds that length of time?

It does not make any difference for God, whether something is hidden or exposed. Our most hidden thoughts and motives are known to Him, that things visible or invisible are the same for God to see! This is because seen and unseen are based on relativity, according to the sense of sight of creatures. For example, we, mankind, own some sensual faculties like the sense of sight, or the sense of hearing. The range of view in our vision is limited. Our visible spectrum has wave lengths between 3800 and 8000 Angstroms, and we cannot see beyond these two extremes, i.e. infra red and ultraviolet. (Angstrom is a minute unit of length equal to one hundred-millionth of a centimeter used in expressing the length of light waves.) So, whatever is beyond our visible spectrum we call it the unseen, and the invisible world. So is the case with our sense of hearing, and other faculties that we have. But, because the glorified Substance of our Lord is infinite and limitless, seen and unseen are the same for Him, and He can see both of them the same!

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EMBRYOLOGY

The fetus; its wonders, laws, and stages of development, have been repeatedly pointed to in the Holy Qura"n, making the undeniable proofs of Monotheism and God's infinite knowledge of the seen or unseen. Embryology is a young science the development of which has recently been rapid and sure, revealing many secrets to mankind about his own creation. All these informations are good and reasonable lessons on the vital subject of monotheism.

THERE IS A MEASURE FOR EVERYTHING

In many verses we read that everything and every affair has a measure. Anything, be it physical or spiritual has certain extremes, or utmost points or borders, which is dangerous to exceed or transgress. In other word, nothing in this world exists without a measure or without an account. As an example we may mention the blood which circulates in our veins. It consists of some twenty or more elements, all of which must have a certain amount or number! An increase or decrease of that amount or number will result in a dangerous fault and failure, which manifests itself in some sort of a disease! Such an account is not only in man's blood, but in everything that can exist! Therefore, if man wants to live free of defects and faults he must observe the medium in between the two settled extremes of all things and all affairs.

لَهُ مُعَقِّبَاتٌ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللهِ إِنَّ اللهَ لاَ يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْم حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللهُ بِقَوْم سُوءاً فَلاَ مَرَدَّ لَهُ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِّنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ وَال(( 11 ))

11- FOR HIM (FOR EVERY PERSON) THERE ARE ATTENDANTS (ANGELS) BEFORE HIM AND BEHIND HIM, TO PROTECT HIM BY THE COMMAND OF ALLAH. VERILY, ALLAH WILL NOT CHANGE

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WHAT IS WITH A PEOPLE, UNTIL THEY CHANGE WHAT IS IN THEM. AND WHEN ALLAH INTENDS EVIL TO A PEOPLE, NO ONE CAN WARD IT OFF, AND BESIDES HIM THERE IS NO PROTECTOR FOR THEM.

THE COMMENTARY MAN'S INVISIBLE GUARDS (VERSE NO. 11)

The pronoun, ©HIM¨ in the beginning of the above verse, returns to mankind, which implies that Allah is the protector and the guardian of His servants, and cares much for them. He surrounds man with His infinite knowledge and Mercy, and protects him from many hazards and fatal incidents, but His protection is not without condition. Man may go to throw himself into an abyss, or to commit suicide either physically or spiritually. Therefore God helps those who help themselves. It is not right for man to do all the evils he wants and then expect his Lord to take care of him not to fall! The verse implies that Allah our Merciful Lord has appointed a group of angels to attend to man's protection alternately in day and night, guarding man against accidents and afflictions by God's leave.

Many calamities and disasterous events threatens man from all round him, and particularly during his childhood, when he has not enough information regarding the dangers round about, and yet we see them grown and matured sound and safe! Hazrat Imam Sadiq (AS) has said:ِ

``There lives no God's servant, unless two angels guard him and protect him from hazards and perils, but when God's decree is issued, the angels yield him to their fate.''

The same tradition is also found among the saying of Hazrat Imam Ali (AS) in the NAHJOLBALA"GHEHِNO.201.

The verse under discussion (NO.11) also implies that; as a

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universal Law of Allah, changes always begin in the inner self of man, and then extends to outside:ِ ``Allah will not change what is with a people until they change what is in them.'' In other word, man's fate lays in his own hand, and his life is what he makes it. Any change in man's fortune or misfortune depends on his inner self. It is therefore a general Islamic Law that every external change in our life and condition of being, depends on our internal changes, and we should not look for the causes of our misfortunes and failures outside the realm of our self and soul.

هُوَ الَّذِي يُرِيكُمُ الْبَرْقَ خَوْفاً وَطَمَعاً وَيُنْشِىءُ السَّحَابَ الثِّقَالَ(( 12 ))

12- IT IS HE WHO SHOWS YOU THE LIGHTNING (WHICH CAUSES) FEAR AND HOPE. AND HE CREATES HEAVY CLOUDS.

وَيُسَبِّحُ الرَّعْدُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةُ مِنْ خِيفَتِهِ وَيُرْسِلُ الصَّوَاعِقَ فَيُصِيبُ بِهَا مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُمْ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي اللهِ وَهُوَ شَدِيدُ الْمِحَالِ(( 13 ))

13- AND THE THUNDER CELEBRATES HIS PRAISE, AND (SO DO) THE ANGELS WITH AWE. AND HE SENDS THE THUNDERBOLT AND THEN STRIKES WITH IT WHOM HE WILLS. AND THEY DISPUTE ABOUT ALLAH WHO IS MIGHTY IN POWER.

لَهُ دَعْوَةُ الْحَقِّ وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ لاَ يَسْتَجِيبُونَ لَهُمْ بِشَىْء إِلاَّ كَبَاسِطِ كَفَّيْهِ إِلَى الْمَاءِ لِيَبْلُغَ فَاهُ وَمَا هُوَ بِبَالِغِهِ وَمَا دُعَاءُ الْكَافِرِينَ إِلاَّ فِي ضَلاَل(( 14 ))

14- FOR HIM IS THE CALL OF TRUTH. AND THOSE WHOM THEY CALL BESIDES HIM DO NOT ANSWER THEM ON ANYTHING. (THEY ARE) LIKE HE WHO STRETCHES OUT HIS PALMS TO THE WATER SO AS TO REACH HIS MOUTH, AND IT

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REACHES IT NOT. AND THE PRAYER OF THE UNBELIEVERS IS NOT EXCEPT IN ERROR.

وَللهِِ يَسْجُدُ(1) مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَْرْضِ طَوْعاً وَكَرْهاً وَظِلاَلُهُمْ بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالاْصَالِ(( 15 ))

15- AND FOR ALLAH PROSTRATES WHOEVER IS IN THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH, WILLINGLY OR UNWILLINGLY, AND THEIR SHADOWS TOO, IN THE MORNING AND EVENINGS.

THE COMMENTARY SOME OTHER SIGNS OF GOD'S GREATNESS (VERSE NO. 12 - 15)

Once again, reference is made to some natural phenomenons, in order to show some of God's greatness and to shine the light of faith in the believer's heart moving them on:ِ ``It is He who shows you the lightning which causes fear and hope.'' The scope of God's Grace and Mercy is so vast and extensive that, even in the miseries and misfortunes there can be found again and againe His Mercy and generosity! An instance of this which is mentioned here, is the fearful force and fire of lightning in which there is also the hope of good and abundant crops in the rain which will come out of the clouds among which the lightning flashes.

THE BLESSING OF LIGHTNING AND THUNDERِBOLT

We know that the lightning flashes is caused by the contact of two pieces of positively and negatively charged clouds; just like the sparking of two hot and cold bare electric wire in contact. When a positively charged piece of cloud, approaches the earth which is negative relative to the cloud, a flash of lightning is created, and it is

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then dangerous because the earth acts as a negative terminal causing an immense amount of current to flow. There are also many profits for man in the lightning, some of which are as follows:ِ

1- Man's benefit of irrigation....Due to the great amount of heat that the lightning may cause, a great amount of the air is burnt, serving to reduce the air pressure, and we know that it is the low pressure of air that makes it raining.

2- The great amount of heat produced by the lightning serves to make heavy water (H2 O2) which is the killer of microbes and remover of the plant infections.

3- Through the high degree of the created heat, rain droplets will carry carbonic acids, and when they fall upon the earth they fertilize the soil. Then there is the interesting next verse, saying:ِ

``And the thunder celebrates His praise, and so do the angels with awe.'' Some of the philosophers have understood that all the existing particles that make the building blocks of the universe have some sort of wisdom and understanding and all of them intelligently celebrate the praise of their Creator and glorify His name! Rumi too, in his great book (MATHNAVI) has clearly composed that:ِ

``All the constituent particles of the world cry out loudly that:ِ we can hear, we can see, and we can speak. We are all endowed with intelligence, but with you strangers we keep quiet.'' Therefore it is not strange to hear that the thunder bolt too may have some sort of a tongue to celebrate the praise of its Creator. In the verse NO.15 we read:ِ

``And for Allah prostrates who ever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly....'' Prostration in this case may mean, being humble and submitting. Some creatures prostrate themselves for Allah, through their nature and by following the natural laws, and some other creatures like the angels, man and Jinns, prostrate themselves before Him according to their creeds and religious laws.

*****

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MORE ABOUT THE LIGHTNING

(One of the most awe-inspiring of all the displays of nature is a blinding flash of lightning followed by the deafening roll of thunder. A great deal of what we know about lightning-flashes is due to the work of a South African scientist, Sir BASIL SCHONLAND who took many photographs of lightning, using a special camera with fast moving films. According to what Sir Basil has discovered, lightning is associated with thunder clouds. In the formation of the clouds a mass of warm air moves upward which carry a considerable amount of moisture in the form of water vapour. As the mass rises, it gets cooler and can get less water vapour then it could when it was warmer. Finally the vapour condenses to tiny droplets of water that forms clouds. The water droplets that form in thunder clouds become supercooled, down toِ40³F, which are turned to tiny lumps of ice. Some of the frozen droplets fuse with others to form small hail-stones.

These start falling, but continually bump into supercooled droplets moving upward. Billions of such encounters between water droplets and hail-stones produce in the cloud the electrical charge which finally brings about the flashes of lightning. At each encounter with a droplet the hail-stone acquire a negative charge. At the same time a minute splinter of ice cracks off from the water droplet as it freezes and carries a positive charge. As the positively charged splinters rise in the cloud, the negatively charged hail-stones fall towards the bottom, where it is warmer, and so they melt into large drops of water. This process may continue for an hour.

During this time the whole cloud is a huge dynamo, continuously generating nearly a million of Kilovolt of electricity. It acts too, like a storage battery, with positive terminal at the top, and the negative terminal perhaps several miles below! Between the two there may be a voltage difference of hundred million volts. While the main charging process has been taking place, a smaller packet of positive charge has been built up at the base of the cloud, below the negative pole. Here occurs the triggering action that sets off the lightning flash. As lightning strikes; the energy that is liberated, heats the air

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through which it passes, and the air suddenly expands. The pressure wave travels outward and gives a sensation of sound to anyone that can hear. Lightning is sometimes beneficial to man by helping to provide food for growing plants. Plants are in need of nitrogen which is absorbed by the roots, not in pure form, but in nitrogen containing compounds, called nitrates. There is plenty of nitrogen in the air, but it is useless to the plants unless it can be made to combine with other elements to produce the precious nitrates....a difficult task. Now every flash of lightning causes a certain amount of nitrogen in the air to unite with oxygen. After several further steps, the nitrogen is made available to the plant in the form of the nitrates which it can absorb. Lightning accounts for only a comparatively small part of the nitrogen used by plants. Much more is made available by the bacteria found on certain plants, or by nitrate mine from natural deposits, and by man made fertilizers.

Lightning also causes a great deal of dangers, as a result of heating and expansion, when it passes through wood by which enormous current heats up the part of the wood through which its routes lie and causes it to expand many times. As a result the wood may split.

When lightning strikes, it may follow a very complicated path. A stroke of lightning once hit a large elm in front of a country house. From the tree it jumped to the house just below the eaves, and went through the wall to an iron bed where on a man was sleeping. By great good luck he was unharmed. The principle protection against lightning is the lightning rod which was invented by Benjamine Franklin. It consists of a metal rod extending up from the roof, or some other high point of the building. It is connected by a heavy wire to a metal plate buried in the ground. Thus the lightning will not take a destructive path if it strikes the house.

FROM:ِ FATHOMING THE MYSTERIES OF NATURE'S FIRE WORKS. BY:ِ JAMES STOKLEY TRANSLATOR'S NOTE)

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قُلْ مَنْ رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَْرْضِ قُلِ اللهُ قُلْ أَفَاتَّخَذْتُمْ مِّنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ لاَ يَمْلِكُونَ لاَِنفُسِهِمْ نَفْعاً وَلاَ ضَرّاً قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الاَْعْمَى وَالْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِي الظُّلُمَاتُ وَالنُّورُ أَمْ جَعَلُوا للهِِ شُرَكَاءَ خَلَقُوا كَخَلْقِهِ فَتَشَابَهَ الْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ قُلْ اللهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْء وَهُوَ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ (( 16 ))

16- SAY:ِ WHO IS THE LORD OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH? SAY:ِ ALLAH . SAY:ِ HAVE YOU THEN TAKEN OTHER GUARDIANS BESIDES HIM THAT THEY HAVE NO POWER TO PROFIT OR HURT (EVEN) THEMSELVES? SAY:ِ ARE THE BLIND AND THE SEEING EQUAL? OR IS DARKNESS EQUAL WITH LIGHT? OR HAVE THEY ASSOCIATED WITH ALLAH PARTNERS THAT HAVE CREATED LIKE HIS CREATION, SO THAT BOTH CREATIONS HAVE APPEARED TO THEM ALIKE? SAY:ِ ALLAH IS THE CREATOR OF ALL THINGS, AND HE IS THE ONLY ONE, THE SUBDUER.

THE COMMENTARY WHY IDOLATRY? (VERSE NO. 16)

The verse which is composed in the form of question and answer, tries to remind the polytheists of their mistakes and wrong judgement. Here the prophet is told to ask them;

``Who is the cherisher Lord of the heavens and the earth?'' And the prophet is not to wait for the idolaters to answer that question, that the answer is clear and easy, that there is no Creator other than Allah.

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Then through a parable the believers and the unbelievers are compared. The faithful is likened to light and a man who can see, and the faithless to darkness and a man who is blind. The verse also implies that Lordship is connected with being worshipped. It is not so that God may create something and then sit aside, leaving the creature alone and unattended. God's bestow of existence is ever continuous, and every creature gets existence from God's Sacred Essence newly and instant by instant.

أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَسَالَتْ أَوْدِيَةٌ بِقَدَرِهَا فَاحْتَمَلَ السَّيْلُ زَبَداً رَّابِياً وَمِمَّا يُوقِدُونَ عَلَيْهِ فِي النَّارِ ابْتِغَاءَ حِلْيَة أَوْ مَتَاع زَبَدٌ مِثْلُهُ كَذَلِكَ يَضْرِبُ اللهُ الْحَقَّ وَالْبَاطِلَ فَأَمَّا الزَّبَدُ فَيَذْهَبُ جُفَاءً وَأَمَّا مَا يَنفَعُ النَّاسَ فَيَمْكُثُ فِي الاَْرْضِ كَذَلِكَ يَضْرِبُ اللهُ الاَْمْثَالَ(( 17 ))

17- HE SENT DOWN WATER FROM THE SKY. THEN IT FLOWED (IN RIVER BEDS) ACCORDING TO ITS CAPACITY. THEN THE TORRENT CARRIED ON A SCUM. AND SOME OF THE MATERIALS ON WHICH THEY INFLAME IN THE FIRE (TO BE MELTED), TO OBTAIN ORNAMENT OR COMMODITY, GIVE UP SCUM THE LIKE OF IT.

SO DOES ALLAH STRIKE (THE PARABLE OF) TRUTH AND FALSEHOOD. AS FOR THE SCUM, IT WILL BE OUT CAST, AND WHAT PROFITS PEOPLE WILL REMAIN IN THE EARTH. SO DOES ALLAH STRIKE THE SIMILITUDES.

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THE COMMENTARY A MINUTE ILLUSTRATION OF TRUTH AND FALSEHOOD (VERSE NO. 17)

The style of the Holy Qura"n, and its mode of expressing thought in language, and exhibiting the spiritual and physical matters, is sometimes through striking parables, some of which are found in the above verse (NO.17). It begins with:ِ ``Allah sent down water from the sky.'' The life giving water which is the source of all movements will flow in different channels and beds according to their capacities. Some form great streams or rivers which may irrigate big pieces of farm lands. Some are clear crystalline brooks coming out of springs so good to drink. The heavy rain keeps the rivers and valleys in flood which carries the scum that has only a great show on top of the flood. The scum is not only found on the top of the floods. The metal ores too, when heated to melt is covered with scum for having a lot of impurities, but the fire will separate the gold from the dross.

This parable of water and scum that can induce general conception, has a likeness to truth and falsehood. The scum will not last on the top of the water, and that which profits man like water itself will remain in the earth, just as the falsehood vanishes and the truth looms and remains. God may test His servants through difficulties and ups and downs of life to make known what is vain and useless and what is valuable and useful. God's Grace and Mercy is like the rain which all can receive it. It rains equally over fertile and barren lands through which the garden will produce fruit and flower, but the barren and salty soil gives out nothing, or at the best it may produce some thorn.

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SOME POINTS TO NOTE

The recognition of truth and falsehood, which is the knowing of realities and imaginations, may sometimes create difficulties and complexities for man. Qura"n gives some signs for truth and falsehood so that one may know them easier. Some of the signs are as follows:ِ

.ِTruth is always useful like the clean, clear, crystal water that springs out of a spring, where as falsehood is always useless and vain.

.ِFalsehood is very noisy, showy, pretentious, futile, and it is characterized by ostentation, while the truth is noiseless, humble, heavy, meaningful and active.

.ِThe truth is self-reliant, but falsehood takes reputation and validity from truth.

.ِFalsehood apears in many forms, and in various guises in different languages.

.ِIn the above verse we read that:ِ ``Only those things will remain that profit man, and those things which are useless like the scum will be out cast.''

The parable of truth and falsehood likened to water and scum is not confined in time and space, and it comes true every where and every time in various forms.

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لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُوا لِرَبِّهِمْ الْحُسْنَى وَالَّذِينَ لَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا لَهُ لَوْ أَنَّ لَهُمْ مَّا فِي الاَْرْضِ جَمِيعاً وَمِثْلَهُ مَعَهُ لاَفْتَدَوْا بِهِ أُوْلَئِكَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ الْحِسَابِ وَمَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ(( 18 ))

18- FOR THOSE WHO OBEYED THEIR LORD (THEIR REWARD IS) GOODNESS, AND THOSE WHO DO NOT OBEY HIM, HAD THEY POSSESSED ALL THAT IS IN THE EARTH, AND THE LIKE OF IT TO OFFER AS ATONEMENT, (IT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AND) FOR THEM IS A BAD RECKONING, AND THEIR ABODE IS THE HELL, AND SO BAD A CRADLING.

THE COMMENTARY THOSE WHO ACCEPTED THE INVITATION OF TRUTH (VERSE NO. 18)

This verse refers to those who accepted the invitation of truth, and obeyed their Lord. It also mentions those who turned away and disobeyed Allah:ِ

``For those who obeyed their Lord, their reward is goodness, and those who do not obey him.... there is a bad reckoning.'' Goodness means, excellence, virtue, anything serviceable and fit, and all sorts of prosperity which ultimatly end in Paradise and Gardens of Bliss. Such is the reward of those who believed and obeyed their Lord. On the contrary the unbelievers who have turned away in disobedience, their abode is Hell, so bad a cradling that no atonement for its rescue is found even if they give the whole globe and the like of it. Many verses in Qura"n imply that people are of two groups in the Day of Doom. Some are encountered with exactingness in summing their accounts, and so they will have to answer for whatever they did; be it little or large, and this is indeed a bad reckoning. Others are

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taken easy in their reckoning, and their faults are looked upon with a good amount of tolerance and connivance. This is because in their lower life here, they have dealt people with easiness and were gentle, kind, and forgiving towards their subjects who were dependent upon them.

أَفَمَنْ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَّبِّكَ الْحَقُّ كَمَنْ هُوَ أَعْمَى إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُوْلُوا الاَْلْبَابِ(( 19 ))

19- IS HE WHO KNOWS THAT WHAT HAS BEEN SENT DOWN TO YOU FROM YOUR LORD IS TRUTH, LIKE HIM WHO IS BLIND? ONLY THE THOUGHTFULS WILL TAKE ADMONITION.

الَّذِينَ يُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللهِ وَلاَ يَنقُضُونَ الْمِيثَاقَ (( 20 ))

20- THOSE WHO FULFIL THEIR COVENANT WITH ALLAH, AND BREAK NOT THEIR PROMISE.

وَالَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ مَا أَمَرَ اللهُ بِهِ أَنْ يُوصَلَ وَيَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ وَيَخَافُونَ سُوءَ الْحِسَابِ(( 21 ))

21- AND THOSE WHO CONNECT TO THOSE WITH WHOM ALLAH HAS COMMANDED THEM TO CONNECT, AND FEAR THEIR LORD, AND DREAD THE BAD RECKONING.

22- AND THOSE WHO KEPT PATIENT FOR THE SAKE OF ALLAH AND PERFORMED THE PRAYER, AND GAVE ALMS FROM THE SUSTENANCE WHICH WE GRANTED THEM, SECRETLY OR OPENLY; AND WHO WARD OFF EVIL WITH GOOD DEEDS. THEY

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ARE THOSE FOR WHOM IS THE GOOD (AND ETERNAL) ABODE.

جَنَّاتُ عَدْن يَدْخُلُونَهَا وَمَنْ صَلَحَ مِنْ آبَائِهِمْ وَأَزْوَاجِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةُ يَدْخُلُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِّنْ كُلِّ بَاب (( 23 ))

23- (THEIR SAID ABODE WILL BE) GARDENS OF EDEN, IN WHICH THEY SHALL ENTER WITH THOSE WHO WERE RIGHTEOUS, OF THEIR FATHERS AND THEIR WIVES, AND THEIR OFFSPRINGS. AND THE ANGELS WILL COME TO THEM FROM EVERY GATE.

سَلاَمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِمَا صَبَرْتُمْ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ (( 24 ))

24- (AND THE ANGELS WILL SAY TO THEM) PEACE BE UPON YOU FOR BEING PATIENT. HOW EXCELLENT IS THEN YOUR ETERNAL ABODE.