The Light of the Holy Qur'an Interpretation of (sura Yunus(jonah))

Commentary : Verse 95

(95) وَ لا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الَّذينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآياتِ اللَّهِ فَتَكُونَ مِنَ الْخاسِرينَ

  1. " Nor be of those who belied the Signs of Allah,(for)then you shall be of the losers. "

Commentary :

The previous holy verse advised against maintaining any skepticism about the Qur'an. This noble verse addresses itself to refutation of the verses.

Many a time if skepticism remains unchallenged, it will lead to refutation. The verse says:

" Nor be of those who belied the Signs of Allah,(for)then you shall be of the losers. "

All investigation and analysis that had been applied to skepticism in the previous verse, may equally propound here as well, for refutation is worse than skepticism. There have been numerous verses and traditions which inform of the certainty the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) possessed. Therefore, the target and the addressees of such warnings are mankind, and not the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) in person. How can someone, who has led others to believe in something with certainty, be himself a skeptic, or refute that same thing ?

Commentary : Verse 96.97

(96) إِنَّ الَّذينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ

(97) وَ لَوْ جاءَتْهُمْ كُلُّ آيَةٍ حَتَّى يَرَوُا الْعَذابَ الْأَليمَ

  1. " Verily those against whom the Word of your Lord has proved true will not believe, "

  2. " Even if every Sign come unto them, until they see the painful chastisement. "

Commentary :

Allah tells the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) , here, that there is a group among his opponents who are fanatic and obstinate and who cannot be expected to become believers. They have become so brainwashed in their thinking, and have been led astray to such an extent that they have lost their human consciences, becoming individuals who may not be impressed or influenced. However, explaining the subject with this connotation, the Qur'an says that Allah's commandment had been proven and was unequivocal to them, though they will not become believers. The verse says:

" Verily those against whom the Word of your Lord has proved true will not believe, "

Even if all Allah's verses and symbols had dawned upon them, they would not become believers unless they witnessed the Divine Punishment with their own eyes, at which time, their faith would be of no avail.

The verse says:

" Even if every Sign come unto them, until they see the painful chastisement. "

Commentary : Verse 98

(98) فَلَوْ لا كانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ آمَنَتْ فَنَفَعَها إيمانُها إِلاَّ قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّا آمَنُوا كَشَفْنا عَنْهُمْ عَذابَ الْخِزْيِ فِي الْحَياةِ الدُّنْيا وَ مَتَّعْناهُمْ إِلى‏ حينٍ

  1. " Why was there not a township which believed, so that their belief should have profited them, except the people of Jonah(Yunus)When they believed, We removed from them the Penalty of Ignominy in the life of the world, and gave them enjoyment for a while. "

Commentary :

Allah, the Gracious, had said in the previous verses, Pharaoh's repentance when he witnessed the Punishment was not accepted. In line with this account, the Qur'an recounts the story of the nation of Jonah before the Punishment was imposed, asking the question why is it that the people of every settlement do not become believers when their faith would bring them dividends and is to their advantage Allah, the Gracious, likewise has declared that accepting faith at the time when the punishment is imposed and death is near is of no avail. However, when the nation of Jonah witnessed the early signs of the Punishment they started to believe, and Allah relieved them from it, and allowed them to enjoy their lives until the end of their lifetimes, and reap the fruits of His blessings. The verse says:

" Why was there not a township which believed, so that their belief should have profited them, except the people of Jonah(Yunus)When they believed, We removed from them the Penalty of Ignominy in the life of the world, and gave them enjoyment for a while. "

According to Had rat Sadiq(a.s.), Had rat Jonah(a.s.)had been preaching for 33 years, starting at the age of 03 until the age of 36. However, he only was successful in converting two people to the religion of monotheism. He then cursed the people for their recalcitrance. One of these two believers was a sage and philosopher. When he noticed the prophet's cursing the people and his departure, he went up to them and warned them in a loud voice. The people who were impressed, under his guidance, left the town distancing themselves from their children, and they cried and repented before Allah until they were forgiven. On his return, Jonah(a.s.)had noticed that township had not been annihilated. He asked the reason and was told the story:(Majma'- ul- Bayan, and As- Safi).

Therefore, faith and repentance in sufficient time removes Divine Punishment, while prayer and supplication both removes the Punishment and generates success and happiness.(Regarding the occasion of revelation)

Commentary : Verse 99

(99) وَ لَوْ شاءَ رَبُّكَ لَآمَنَ مَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ جَميعاً أَ فَأَنْتَ تُكْرِهُ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنينَ

  1. " And if your Lord had willed, whoever is on the earth would have believed, all of them, all together. Will thou then compel the people till they become believers "

Commentary :

Man is free and faith is based upon one's voluntary choice; it is not to be accepted under compulsion or by imposition.

Allah is Omnipotent and Omniscient, employing His power in such a way that it does not run contrary to His Knowledge. And as His omniscience requires mankind to be free, He never compels them to accept faith by force.

The Prophet(p.b.u.h.) has compassionately insisted that people accept the faith on the basis of voluntary acceptance and not through compulsion. The verse says:

" And if your Lord had willed, whoever is on the earth would have believed, all of them, all together. Will thou then compel the people till they become believers ?"

Commentary : Verse 100

(100) وَ ما كانَ لِنَفْسٍ أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَ يَجْعَلُ الرِّجْسَ عَلَى الَّذينَ لا يَعْقِلُونَ

  1. " And it is not for a soul to believe except by the Will of Allah, and He appoints uncleanness(of infidelity)on those who do not ponder. "

Commentary :

People are neither compelled to accept the faith(according to the previous verse)nor can they succeed in accepting the faith without His guidance and Divine Providence. The verse says:

" And it is not for a soul to believe except by the Will of Allah, ..."

Divine favor and Divine Providence shine their light upon the sage and those people who use their reasoning and he who does not meditate and reason under his own volition, will suffer His Punishment and will abide in wretchedness. The verse continues saying:

"... and He appoints uncleanness(of infidelity)on those who do not ponder. "

Sound reasoning provides the basis for faith and having no faith exhibits ignorant and irrational behavior.

Commentary : Verse 101

(101) قُلِ انْظُرُوا ما ذا فِي السَّماواتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ وَ ما تُغْنِي الْآياتُ وَ النُّذُرُ عَنْ قَوْمٍ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ

  1. " Say: 'Observe you what is in the heavens and the earth! But neither Signs nor warnings avail a people who do not believe'. "

Commentary :

In the previous verses the issue in question was that faith is a voluntary matter; it is not a matter that springs up in emergency situations, nor is it compulsory. It is for this reason that the means of acquiring faith is shown in this verse. Addressing the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) , the Qur'an implies that he should say to the unbelievers to carefully observe the wonderful, profound system at work in the skies and on the earth each part of which exhibits the magnitude, power, knowledge and wisdom of Allah. The verse says:

"Say: 'Observe you what is in the heavens and the earth! "

The above sentence explicitly rules out the issue of fatalism and the lack of freedom of will. It indicates that accepting faith is consequential upon studying the world of existence which is a task left entirely in our hands.

The Qur'an adds, however, that despite all these verses and clues to the Truth, is it not surprising that some groups do not become believers, for those verses and clues, warnings and admonishments not only are of no benefit to those who lack preparedness for embracing the Truth, but they are not useful for those obstinate people who will not become believers either. The verse continues saying:

"... But neither Signs nor warnings avail a people who do not believe'. "

Commentary : Verse 102

(102) فَهَلْ يَنْتَظِرُونَ إِلاَّ مِثْلَ أَيَّامِ الَّذينَ خَلَوْا مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ قُلْ فَانْتَظِرُوا إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ مِنَ الْمُنْتَظِرينَ

  1. " Do they then expect(anything)but the like of the days of those who passed away before them Say: 'Wait you then, verily I also with you, will be of those who wait'. "

Commentary :

This verse is in the form of a question with a threatening tone. It declares that obstinate and faithless people expect to see a destiny other than that of former nations which suffered the painful Divine Punishment; the doom of Pharaohs, the Nimrods, Shaddads, and their assistants and advocates. The verse says:

" Do they then expect(anything)but the like of the days of those who passed away before them ? ..."

Towards the end of the verse, in order to warn them, Allah commands the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) to tell them that now they are on such a track, and are not ready to reconsider their fate, that they should wait and look out for it as he was. The verse continues saying:

"... Say: 'Wait you then, verily I also with you, will be of those who wait'. "

They wait in order to avoid and deny Allah's call, and we wait for the evil and painful destiny which awaits them like that of the former oppressive nations of the past.

Commentary : Verse 103

(103) ثُمَّ نُنَجِّي رُسُلَنا وَ الَّذينَ آمَنُوا كَذلِكَ حَقًّا عَلَيْنا نُنْجِ الْمُؤْمِنينَ

  1. " Then(when Our wrath fell)We deliver Our messengers and those who believe. Thus it is binding on Us(that)We deliver the believers. "

Commentary :

Our common sense tells us and we witness the fact that the good and evil are sometimes placed in the same category indiscriminately. The Qur'an warns us also in verse 52 of Sura Al- Anfal that we must fear the calamities which not only are inflicted upon the oppressors but also upon the faithful as well. How is it, then, that this verse states that Allah saves the faithful in time of trouble The verse says:

" Then(when Our wrath fell)We deliver Our messengers and those who believe. ..."

The answer to this verse is that if the faithful remain silent when they are among the disbelievers and the guilty, Allah's punishment will encompass all of them. However, if the believers act according to their divine duty, which is forbidding the wrong, Allah may save them in time of trouble. The verse continues saying:

"... Thus it is binding on Us(that)We deliver the believers. "