The Light of the Holy Qur'an Interpretation of Sura Al-fatir

Commentary : Verse 41

(41) إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمْسِكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ أَن تَزُولاَ وَلَئِن زَالَتَآ إِنْ أَمْسَكَهُمَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِن بَعْدِهِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيماً غَفُوراً

41.“Verily Allah holds the heavens and the earth lest they remove (from the orbit); and did they remove, none would hold them after Him; verily He is the Forbearing, the Forgiving.”

Commentary:

The situation of the heavens and the earth, as well as their motions and orbits, are with the will of Allah, and it is He Who protects them in every moment.

The words in this holy verse are about the sovereignty of Allah over the whole heavens and the earth. In fact, next to the negation of the partnership of the artificial objects of worship in the world of existence, it proves the Unity of divinity and Lordship. It says:

“Verily Allah holds the heavens and the earth lest they remove (from the orbit); …”

Not only the creation at the beginning is done by Allah, but also their maintenance providence and protection are in His infinite Power. Moreover, in any moment they have a new creation, and the grace of being comes down to them from that bountiful source a moment after another, so that if their communication with that great source is ceased for a short moment, they will face with destruction.

It is true that the verse emphasizes on the subject of the protection of the superior system of existence, but, as it has been proved in the philosophical discussions, all beings are in need of the Origin for their permanence in the same form that they are for their temporal origination. And, thus, the protection of the system is not anything except the continuation of new creation and Divine emanation.

It is worthy to note that, without being fastened by anything, the celestial spheres have been rotating for millions of years in their places with the same orbs that have been decided for them without the least deviation, the example of which is seen in solar system. Our globe, the earth, rotates in its orb round the sum for millions or milliards of years with an exact order, which originates from the equilibrium of the power of polarization, and it obeys the command of Allah. Then, as an emphasis, the verse says:

“… and did they remove, none would hold them after Him; …”

Neither your idols, nor the angels, nor anything other than them is able to do this job.

In order not to shut the door of repentance to deviated polytheists and let them return in any stage they are, at the end of the verse the Qur’a-n says:

“… verily He is the Forbearing, the Forgiving.”

Because of His forbearance, Allah does not hasten in punishing them, and because of His forgiveness, He accepts their repentance, with its conditions, in any case and stage it is. Thus, the ending part of the verse refers to the situation of polytheists and that His Mercy encompasses them at the time of repentance and returning.

Some commentators have taken these two attributes in relation to maintenance of the heavens and the earth, because their destruction is an affliction and a punishment, and Allah, because of His Forbearance and Forgiveness, does not let people get this punishment and affliction, though the sayings and deeds of many of them require that this chastisement should be sent down, as Sura Maryam, No. 19, verses 88 to 90 say: “And they say: ‘The Beneficent (Allah) has taken (unto Himself) a son’.” “Indeed you have put forth something hideous!” “At it the skies are about to burst, and the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down crashing.”

During the length of the history of human beings this event has repeatedly happened that some of the astronomers have foreseen that, in its way, a particular comet, or other than it, may pass by the earth and probably it crashes this globe. These predictions have worried the thoughts of all people in the world.

In these circumstances this feeling appears for everybody that in this problem nobody can do anything, because if, for example, so and so celestial globe comes towards the earth and, under their gravity they crash each other, there will remain no trace from the thousand-year-old civilization of mankind, and even from other living creatures on the earth; and no power, except the Power of Allah, can prevent this event.

In these cases everyone feels absolute need unto absolute Self-Sufficient Allah; but when those probable dangers are removed, forgetfulness encompasses human beings.

Not only the crash of the celestial spheres and planets cause calamity, but also a slight deviation of a planet, like earth, from its orb may bring forth a calamity.

Commentary : Verse 42

(42) وَأَقْسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ لَئِن جَآءَهُمْ نَذِيرٌ لَّيَكُونُنَّ أَهْدَي مِنْ إِحْدَي الأُمَمِ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ نَذِيرٌ مَّا زَادَهُمْ إِلاَّ نُفُوراً

42.“And they swore by Allah with the strongest oaths that if a Warner came to them, they would be more rightly guided than any one of the nations; but when a Warner came to them, it increased them naught but aversion (unto the truth).”

Commentary:

The polytheists believed in Allah and sanctified Him and used to swear by Him, but upon the occasion of revelation of this holy verse it is cited in Durr-ul-Manthu-r, Rauh?-ul-Ma‘a-li-, Mafa-ti-h-ul-Qayb and other commentary books that: whenever the Arab polytheists heard that some of the former nations, such as the Jews, had rejected the Divine prophets and killed them, they said that they were not like them.

If the messenger of Allah came to them, they would be the best rightly guided of the nations. But when the world illuminating sun of Islam appeared in the horizon of their land and the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) with the greatest heavenly Book came to them, not only they did not accept it, but also tried to reject it and to play kinds of tricks against it.

The abovementioned holy verse was sent down and blamed them for these empty baseless claims. (Most of the commentary books, has been mentioned under this verse.) The verse says:

“And they swore by Allah with the strongest oaths that if a Warner came to them, they would be more rightly guided than any one of the nations; …”

The Arabic term /’ayma-n/ is the plural form of /yami-n/ which means ‘oath’. Originally it means ‘right hand’, but since at the time of taking oath and promising people they shake hands with their right hands and take an oath, this word has gradually been used in the sense of oath.

The Arabic word /jahd/ is derived from /jiha-d/ in the sense of ‘struggle and effort’. Therefore, the application of the Arabic phrase /jahd-a-’ayma-nihim/ refers to the strong oath.

Yes, when they were observing the former events recorded in the pages of the history, saying about disloyalties, ingratitude actions, hindrances and crimes of the former nations, specially the Jews unto their prophets, they wondered very much, while they had every kind of claim and boast about themselves.

But when their own trial practically came forth and they wanted to practise it, they showed that they were of the same kind, as the Qur’a-n in this verse declares:

“… but when a Warner came to them, it increased them naught but aversion (unto the truth).”

We must be also attentive to this matter. God forbids those who are waiting for the advent of Had?rat Mahdi- (May Allah hasten his glad advent) and say that if he (a.s.) comes they will do so and so, but when he (a.s.) comes they stand against him.

Commentary : Verse 43

(43) اسْتِكْبَاراً فِي الأَرْضِ وَمَكْرَ السّـِيئِ وَلاَ يَحِيقُ الْمَكْرُ السَّيّـِئُ اِلاَّ بِاَهْلِهِ فَهَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلاَّ سُنَّتَ الأَوَّلِينَ فَلَن تَجِد َلِسُنَّتِ اللَّهِ تَبْدِيلاً وَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ اللَّهِ تَحْوِيلاً

43.“On account of their arrogance in the earth, and devising evil; but evil devising encompasses only the devisers themselves; so do they expect anything except the way of (Allah against) the former people? For never shall you find any alternation in the course of Allah and never shall you find in the course of Allah any change.”

Commentary:

The origin of escape and hatred from the way of prophets is either arrogance or evil devising. (Perhaps arrogance is from the side of obstinate pagans and evil devising from the side of hypocrites.)

This holy verse is an explanation over what was said in the previous verse. The verse implicitly says that their being aloof from the Truth was for the sake that they paved the path of arrogance in the earth and they never accepted to surrender to the truth. And, also, it was for the sake that they used to commit devising evil, but the evil devising afflicts none but those who do it. The verse says:

“On account of their arrogance in the earth, and devising evil; but evil devising encompasses only the devisers themselves; …”

The Arabic sentence /la- yah?i-q/, derived from /h?aq/ means: ‘it does not descend down, does not overtake, and does not overcome’. This points to the fact that applying devises may temporarily reach others, but finally they come forth against the devisers themselves and will make them disgrace before the servants of Allah, and will make them shameful in front of Allah; and this is the same evil fate that the pagans of Mecca encountered. In fact, the verse implies that they did not suffice only to get aloof from this great Divine Prophet, but also they took help from their entire ability and power in hurting him; and the main motive of it was arrogance, pride, and the lack of humility before the truth.

In the continuation of the verse, the Qur’a-n threatens this arrogant, deceitful and treacherous group by an expressive awakening sentence, and says:

“… so do they expect anything except the way of (Allah against) the former people? …”

This short sentence is a hint to the whole evil ends of the haughty, and disobedient former nations, such as the people of Noah, ‘A-d, Thamu-d, and Pharaoh, each of whom were afflicted with a great calamity, and the Qur’a-n has frequently pointed to some parts of their painful and evil fates. Here, by this very short sentence, the Qur’a-n illustrates all of them in front of the eyes of this group.

Then, for a more emphasis, it adds:

“… For never shall you find any alternation in the course of Allah and never shall you find in the course of Allah any change.”