47. SURAH ASH-SHU’ARA – Presentation of Islam and Quran

INTRODUCTION TO SURAH SHU’ARA

This surah takes its name from the word “الشّعراء (ash-shu’ara) [the poets]” mentioned in the 224th verse and is also called “الجامعة (al-Jamia) [the Gatherer]” due to the breadth of its content. It is generally accepted that this surah was revealed in Makkah as the 47th in order. Although some sources ^[1] claim that verses 224–227 are Medinan, the coherence of these verses with their surrounding passage makes this claim highly unlikely. Muqatil, on the other hand, argued that only the 197th verse was Medinan. ^[2] However, as we have explained in our analysis of the 197th verse, this is also impossible. In our view, the entire surah is Makkan.

In terms of the number of verses, Surah Ash-Shu’ara ranks second after Surah Al-Baqarah. However, like other Makkan surahs, Ash-Shu’ara consists of short verses. Due to this characteristic, it does not rank among the lengthy surahs in terms of page count in the official Mushaf.

The surah first draws attention to the Qur’an. Then, it describes the Messenger’s delivery of the message, the attitudes of the Makkans toward the Messenger, the distress the Messenger faced due to these attitudes, and how the Makkan polytheists were warned through cosmic signs (takweeni verses). Subsequently, striking and significant accounts of past nations, well-known to the people of that time, are provided for reflection. Additionally, emphasis is placed on Allah’s existence, oneness, and His gathering of people for reckoning in the Hereafter. Toward the end of the surah, attention is once again directed to the Qur’an, stating that it was revealed to the Messenger by Allah, and thus, the wicked cannot tamper with It nor are they able to do so. Along with this declaration, it is stated that the wicked can only target sinful, slanderous individuals, using them as mere tools, and that they cannot reach a person of great moral character like our Prophet.

Meaning of verses:

¹Ta/9, Sin/60, Mim/40.

²These are the Ayat of the explicit book/the book that clarifies.

³They; ^{Al-Hijr 91}those who assume that the Qur’an is nothing but a compilation of fragments that contain incantations, poems, myths, invented words, blasphemies; ³you may devastate yourself that they do not become the ones who believe!

⁴If We willed, We would send down a sign [evidence; ray, radiation and meteors, hurricane, flood] from the sky, just like what We did to ^{Al-Hijr 90}those testifiers that they would have submitted to it. ⁵And when a new reminder from Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created] came to them, they became the ones who distance themselves from it. ⁶Then they indeed denied. Soon will come to them the news of that which they have been ridiculing. ^{Al-Hijr 92,93}So, by your Rabb that We will definitely question all of them from that which they have done.

⁷And have they not looked at the earth? We have produced therein from every beautiful pair. ⁸Surely, there is an evidence/a sign in this; but most of them were not to be believers. ⁹And no doubt that, your Rabb is the One Who is certainly the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the possessor of vast mercy.

¹⁰Once your Rabb said to Moses: “Go to those people who do wrong; act against their own good; ¹¹the people of Pharaoh, will they not enter under the guardianship of Allah?”

¹²Moses said: “My Rabb! Indeed I fear that they will deny me. ¹³My chest tightens, my tongue does not speak, so make Aaron a messenger as well. ¹⁴And there is a crime upon me that belongs to them. I fear that they will kill me because of it”.

¹⁵Allah said: “Certainly not as you think! Now, you both go with Our evidences/signs. Surely, We are with you, We are the Ones Who hear. ^16,17Now, you both go to Pharaoh and say ‘Indeed We are the messengers of your Rabb so that you will send Israelites with us’”.

¹⁸Pharaoh said: “Did we not raise you among us when you were a child? Did you not remain among us for many years of your life? ¹⁹Then you did the deed which you did. And you are one of ungrateful…”.

^20-22Moses said: “I did it when I was of those astray. I fled from you immediately when I feared you. Then my Rabb bestowed me laws-principles and made me one of the messengers. And the favor you are bragging me about is the fact that you have enslaved Israelites”.

²³Pharaoh said: “What is that which you say Rabb of all universes?

²⁴Moses said: “If you know closely; He is Rabb of the heavens/universe, the earth and all that is between”.

²⁵Pharaoh said to those around him: “Do you not hear?”.

²⁶Moses said: “He is your Rabb and Rabb of your ancestors”.

²⁷Pharaoh said: “This messenger who was sent to you is indeed supported by secret forces/is a madman”.

²⁸Moses said: “If you use your reason, He is Rabb of the east and the west and that is between them”.

²⁹Pharaoh said: “If you take any deity but me I swear I will make you one of those who are imprisoned”.

³⁰Moses said: “Even though I have brought you something manifest?”.

³¹Pharaoh said: “Well, bring it forward now, if you are one of those righteous”.

³²Then Moses brought his knowledge forward; and suddenly the knowledge of Moses is an explicit “devourer”.

³³He pulled his power out; and that power is perfect to the audience, flawless.

^34,35Pharaoh said to the chiefs around him: “Indeed, this is definitely a very knowledgeable, influential scholar! He wants to drive you out of your land with his influential knowledge. Now, what do you say?”.

^36,37Chiefs said: “Hold him and his brother and send gatherers to cities. Let them bring you all great and very influential scholars”.

³⁸Thus, influential scholars were gathered together on a specified time of a certain day.

³⁹And it was said to the people: “Will you congregate?”.

-“⁴⁰The influential scholars must be the ones who prevail, then we will follow them!”-

⁴¹When influential scholars came, they said to Pharaoh: “If we prevail, is there definitely a payment for us?”.

⁴²Pharaoh said: “Yes, in this case, you will definitely be among those who are close”.

⁴³Moses said to them: “Put forward what you will put forward”.

⁴⁴Then they brought forward their knowledge, their ancient beliefs and theses/useless; trivial knowledge and said “By the power of Pharaoh, it is we who will definitely prevail”.

⁴⁵Thereafter, Moses brought forward his knowledge; and they marveled at once, it devoured what they invented!

^46-48Then influential scholars were left as they submitted: “We have believed in Rabb of all universes; Rabb of Moses and Aaron”.

⁴⁹Pharaoh said: “Have you believed in him before I gave you permission? Indeed, he is your senior who has taught you magic! So, you will know soon! Surely I will cut you off the covenants; commitments, then indeed, I will take you out of your comfortable environment; I will take you out of your business in the city and I will make you agricultural laborer in the date palm farms, I will make you work in the stone pits, in the hardest works”.

^50,51Influential scholars said: “No matter, we will definitely return to our Rabb. And We hope that our Rabb will forgive our sins for us because we are first of the believers”.

⁶³Then We revealed to Moses: “Hit that large body of water/river with your knowledge!”. Then that large body of water/river was split/dams were set and each dam became like a great mountain.

⁵²And We revealed to Moses: “Take My servants to the road by night, you surely are those who will be chased”.

^53-56And Pharaoh sent gatherers to cities: “Surely they are a scattered group of a few men. And they are indeed mad at us. We indeed are a ready and precautious people”. ⁶⁰Then Pharaoh and his men set to chase them at the dawn.

⁶¹When two peoples saw each other, the companions of Moses said: “Indeed, we are definitely overtaken”.

⁶²Moses said: “Certainly not as you think! Surely my Rabb is with me and will guide me”.

⁶⁴And We made others come closer to there.

^65,66And We saved Moses and all those with him, then drowned all others in the water.

^57-59In the end, We drove Pharaoh and his people out from the gardens, springs, treasures and that honorable position. Thus it is! And then We made Israelites inherit/last owner of them. ⁶⁷Indeed, there is definitely an evidence/a sign in this. But many of them did not believe. ⁶⁸And surely, your Rabb is the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the possessor of vast mercy.

⁶⁹And recite to them the news of Abraham!

⁷⁰When he said to his father and his people: “What do you worship?”.

⁷¹And they said: “We worship some idols and we will continue to worship them”.

^72-74Abraham said: “Do they hear you when you supplicate or do they benefit you or harm you?” They said, “Rather, we found our ancestors doing this.”

^75,76Abraham said: “Have you ever thought about what you and your ancient ancestors worshipped? ⁷⁷They are my enemies; except Rabb of all universes. ^78-82He is the One Who formed me. And it is He Who guides me to the righteous path. And He is the One Who makes me eat and drink. He is the One Who cures me when I am ill. And it is He Who will take my life and resurrect me. And He is the One Who, I hope, will forgive me for my sin on the day of religion. ⁸³My Rabb! Give me ‘judgement’ and join me with the righteous! ⁸⁴And make me among those who will be remembered with good for next generations! ⁸⁵And make me among the inheritors of Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] with abundant blessings! ⁸⁶And forgive my father as well because indeed, he became of those astray. ^87-91And do not disgrace me on the day of resurrection; on that day when wealth and sons will not benefit anyone but those who come with a sound heart/a true faith and when Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] will be brought close to those who entered under the guardianship of Allah and when Jahannah [Hell] will be brought forth and shown for the transgressors!”.

^92,93And it will be said to them: “Where are the things you used to worship from among those that are inferior to Allah? Do they help you or do they help themselves?”.

^94,95Then idols and transgressors and the soldiers of Iblis/thinking ability; those who acted without contemplating will be thrown into Jahannah [Hell].

^96-102They will say while they dispute one another therein: “Truly we were in an explicit astray. Because we equated you with Rabb of all universes. And no one led us astray from the righteous path except those sinners. Now there is none for us from helpers, intercessors and there is no familiar for us who is helper, guide, protector. If only we had a way to return and we could be of the believers!”.

¹⁰³Surely, there is an evidence/a sign in this. But most of them were not believers.

¹⁰⁴And no doubt that your Rabb is the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the possessor of vast mercy.

¹⁰⁵People of Noah denied those who were sent to them [messengers, messages].

^106-110Once their brother Noah said to them: “Will you not enter under the guardianship of Allah? Indeed I am a trustworthy messenger for you. So, enter under the guardianship of Allah and obey me. I do not ask you any payment for this. My payment is only upon Rabb of all universes. Now, enter under the guardianship of Allah and obey me!”.

¹¹¹They said: “Shall we believe in you while the lowest people follow you?”.

^112-115Noah said: “I do not have any knowledge about what they do. Their account is only upon my Rabb. If you think! And I am not the one to drive the believers away. I am only an explicit warner”.

¹¹⁶And they said: “O Noah! If you do not desist, know well that you will definitely be of those who are stoned to death!”.

^117,118Noah said: “My Rabb! My people have denied me. Then judge between me and them. And save me and those who are with me of the believers!”.

^{119, 120}Upon this, We saved him and those with him, in the ship fully and perfectly equipped with all the necessary equipment and provisions; in the monotheistic religion of Islam. Then, We plunged the remaining ones into great trials and devastated them!

¹²¹Indeed, there is an evidence/a sign in this. But most of them were not to be believers. ¹²²And no doubt that your Rabb is the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the possessor of vast mercy.

¹²³People of Ad denied those who were sent to them [messengers, messages].

^124-135When their brother Hud [Eber] said to them: “Will you not enter under the guardianship of Allah? Indeed I am a trustworthy messenger for you. So, enter under the guardianship of Allah and obey me. I do not ask you any payment for this. My payment is only upon Rabb of all universes. Do you amuse yourselves by constructing a building at every hill as a sign? And do you take such places that produce industries [factories/castles] to become eternal/as if they will make you eternal? And when you seize, do you seize like tyrants? Now, enter under the guardianship of Allah and obey me. Enter under the guardianship of the One Who gives you all that you know [cattle, sons, vineyards, gardens, springs]. Indeed, I fear the punishment of a great day about you”.

^136-138And they said: “It is same for us whether you advise or you are not one of those advisers. This is only the lifestyle of the former ones. And we are not the ones to be punished”.

¹³⁹Then they denied him so We manipulated/destroyed them. Indeed there is an evidence/a sign in this, but most of them were not to be believers.

¹⁴⁰And no doubt that your Rabb is the One Who is certainly the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the possessor of vast mercy.

¹⁴¹People of Thamud denied those who were sent to them [messengers, messages].

^142-152 When their brother Salih said to them: “Will you not enter under the guardianship of Allah? Indeed I am a trustworthy messenger for you. Then, enter under the guardianship of Allah and obey me. And I do not ask you any payment for this. My payment is only upon Rabb of all universes. Will you be left here secure; in gardens, springs, crops and between the date groves with hanging bunches? And you carve houses out of the mountains skillfully. So, enter under the guardianship of Allah and obey me. And do not obey those transgressors who do not amend but cause corruption on the earth and show the truth incomplete.”.

^153,154And they said: “You are definitely of those affected by magic! You are only a human like us. If you are among those who tell the truth, then bring us an evidence/a sign”.

^155,156Salih said: “This is a Support Institution, contributions should be made so it may maintain; a part of your income must be reserved for it. Sustain it. Otherwise, punishment of the great day will seize you”.

¹⁵⁷Despite this, they destroyed the Support Institution by depleting its resources and then overnighted in regret.

¹⁵⁸Therefore, punishment seized them. Surely, it is a big lesson but most of them did not believe.

¹⁵⁹ And no doubt that your Rabb is the One Who is certainly the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the possessor of vast mercy.

¹⁶⁰People of Lot denied those who were sent to them [messengers, messages].

^161-166When their brother Lot said to them: “Will you not enter under the guardianship of Allah? Indeed I am a trustworthy messenger for you. Then, enter under the guardianship of Allah and obey me. I do not ask you any payment for this. My payment is only upon Rabb of all universes. Do you leave your mates that Allah formed for you and approach males from among the people? Truly, you are a people who transgress”.

¹⁶⁷They said: “O Lot! If you do not desist, you will certainly be of those who are driven out”.

¹⁶⁸Lot said: “Surely I am one of those who detest what you do”.

^169__My Rabb! Save me and my family from what they have been doing!–

^170-172Then We saved him and all his family – except the despicable woman who was among those who remained behind – and then manipulated/destroyed all those left behind. ¹⁷³And We rained upon them such a rain! Look how evil is the rain of those who were warned!

¹⁷⁴Surely, there is an evidence/a sign in this. But most of them were not to be believers.

¹⁷⁵And no doubt that your Rabb is the One Who is certainly the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the possessor of vast mercy.

¹⁷⁶Companions of the Thicket denied those who were sent to them [messengers, messages].

^177-184When Shu’ayb said to them: “Will you not enter under the guardianship of Allah? Indeed I am a trustworthy messenger for you. So, enter under the guardianship of Allah and do what I say. I do not ask you any payment for this. My payment is only upon Rabb of all universes. Measure with accurate weight, do not cause loss in the values of properties of the people, do not cause chaos on the earth by corruption. And enter under the guardianship of that One Who formed you and the generations before you”.

^185-187And they said: “You are definitely one of those affected by magic! You are nothing but a human like us. Indeed, we are sure that you are one of the liars. If you should be of the truthful, then make a piece fall upon us from the sky!”.

¹⁸⁸Shu’ayb said: “My Rabb is the One Who knows best what you do”.

¹⁸⁹Then they denied him so the punishment of that shadow day seized them. Surely it was a punishment of a great day.

¹⁹⁰Indeed, there is an evidence/a sign in this. But most of them were not to be believers.

¹⁹¹And no doubt that your Rabb is the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, very merciful.

¹⁹²And surely, this clear book is sent down by Rabb of all universes.

^193-195The Trustworthy Soul [divine messages, trustworthy knowledge] descended into your heart in an explicit Arabic language so you may be of those warners with that explicit book. ¹⁹⁶And indeed, the Trustworthy Soul [divine messages, trustworthy knowledge] was certainly in the books of those before you.

¹⁹⁷And has it not been an evidence/a sign for the scholars of Israelites that they know about the existence of the trustworthy knowledge in their own books?

^198,199And even if We had sent down the explicit book to anyone from the foreigners/those who do not speak Arabic and he had recited it to them, they would not have been the ones to believe in it.

^200,201Thus We inserted it into the hearts of those sinners. They will not believe in it until they see the painful punishment.

²⁰²And this will come to them suddenly while they do not perceive.

²⁰³Then they will say: “Are we among the ones who are given respite?”.

²⁰⁴Do they wish to hasten Our punishment?

^205-207Do you see/have you ever thought about that if We make them earn for years and when the day they have been promised comes, that which they have earned will not benefit them.

²⁰⁸And We did not manipulate/destroy any city except that it had warners.

²⁰⁹A reminder! And We are not unjust.

²¹⁰And it was not devils who placed the book which is explicit, which clarifies into your heart.

²¹¹It does not suit to them, and they are not capable.

²¹²Indeed, they are kept away from hearing/revelation.

²¹³So, do not invoke any other deity with Allah or you will be of those who are punished. ²¹⁴And warn your closest kindred. ²¹⁵And lower your wings for those believers who follow you. ²¹⁶If they disobey you, say: “Surely I am away from what you do”. ^217-219And rely on the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the possessor of vast mercy Who sees you when you rise/come out to perform your messenger duties and walk among those who have submitted. ²²⁰Indeed, He is the One Who hears best, knows best.

²²¹Will I inform you upon whom devils descend/upon whom they impose notions? ²²²Devils descend for all slanderers who waste their time/who delay the good/who are reluctant for the good/who harm and they impose upon them notions. ²²³They pass what is heard but most of them are liars. –^{An-Naml 6}Indeed, this Qur’an is being imposed in you by Allah, the One Who is law maker and the One Who knows best.

²²⁴And those poets; surely those who deviate follow them.

^225,226Do you not see/have you not ever thought about that they roam in every valley aimlessly and tell that which they have not done?

²²⁷Except for those who believe and do amendatory deeds, remember Allah often and defend themselves when being treated unjustly. Those who treat unjustly will soon know to what return they will be returned.

Analysis of Verses

Verse 1:

¹Ta/9, Sin/60, Mim/40.

During the revelation period of the Qur’an, when numerals were not yet in use and numbers were expressed with letters, the numerical values of these letters according to the ABJAD table are 9, 60, and 40, respectively. As we have explained many times before, these letters—also called “disjoint letters [independent letters]”—have no meaning. We consider them to be either “a warning exclamation” or, in terms of structure (not meaning), “a very significant element related to the preservation of the Qur’an or the manifestation of a miracle.” Unfortunately, this subject, which has not yet been seriously studied and awaits knowledgeable and competent scholars of the Qur’an capable of conducting such research, has been exploited here as well. Regarding this verse, far-fetched and baseless claims detached from reality have been made:

Ibn Abbas said: “Ta, Seen, Meem” is an oath/qasem and this is one of the names of Allah the Exalted. That which is sworn upon is His statement: “If We will, We could send down upon them a sign from heaven.”

Qatadah said: This is one of the names of the Qur’an and Allah the Exalted has sworn by it. Mujahid said: This is the name of the surah. It beautifies the beginning of the surah.

ar-Rabi’ said: This expresses the account of a people’s time. According to another explanation, it describes a calamity that will befall a people.

al-Qurazi said: Allah the Exalted swears by His tawlin [power], His sanah [glory and supremacy], and His dominion.

Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Aqil said: “Ta” means Mount Sinai, “Seen” means Alexandria, and “Meem” means Mecca.

Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Ali also said: “Ta” is the Tuba tree, “Seen” is the Sidrat al-Muntaha, and “Meem” is Muhammad (peace be upon him). According to another explanation: “Ta” stands for at-Tahir, “Seen” for al-Quddus (it has also been said to stand for as-Sami’ and as-Salam), and “Meem” for al-Majid (these are symbolic representations). It has also been said to represent ar-Rahim and al-Malik. Explanations regarding this meaning were previously mentioned in the opening sections of al-Baqara surah (in the commentary of verses 1-2).^[3]

“Ta” is an indication of the “tarb” [excitement] of the hearts of the wises; “Seen” indicates the joy of lovers; and “Meem” indicates the supplications of disciples. ^[4]

These transmitted explanations do not express the truth but are merely speculative interpretations.

Verse 2:

²These are the Ayat of the explicit book/the book that clarifies.

The word “book” in this verse need not be limited solely to the Qur’an; it can also refer to the previous scriptures revealed before the Qur’an. In many verses, the terms “الكتاب (el-Kitab)” and “الذّكر (ez-Zikr)” are used to denote earlier divine books. This interpretation suggests that the verses found in Surah Shu’ara and the information contained therein may also be present in those prior revelations.

One of the attributes of the Qur’an, “المبين mubin,” means “clear” and “explanatory,” and it appears in many other verses as well. Indeed, the Qur’an is clear and explanatory for everyone, whether believers or infidels. Anyone who reads or listens to it can easily understand what it calls to, what it commands and prohibits, and what it considers good or evil. In other words, no one can say, “I could not understand this book; its meaning is unclear.” Whether people believe in it or choose not to believe because it does not suit their interests is another matter entirely.

Verses 3- 6, Al-Hijr 90-92,93 :

Verses 90-93 of Surah Al-Hijr are not technically or thematically related to their current location. Through our extensive research, we have humbly determined that these verses rightfully belong in the introductory paragraph of Surah Ash-Shu’ara. Consequently, we have evaluated these verses within the context of the opening paragraph of Surah Ash-Shu’ara. We will present the detailed justification for this in our analysis of Surah Al-Hijr.

These verses express the sorrow and distress our Prophet felt when facing the attitudes of the infidels while carrying out his mission of conveying Allah’s message. The Prophet is comforted by the declaration that the infidels will be held accountable. In these verses, the infidels are described as “those who reduce the Qur’an to fragments (such as magic, poetry, myths, or fabricated speech)” and it is declared that those who fragment the Qur’an – those who falsely claim it to be magic, poetry, false speech, or myths – will receive the punishment they deserve, just as happened in the past.

At the same time, our Lord continues to console the Prophet.

THE WORD “عضين (IDIYN)”

The word “عضين (Idiyn)” appears in the Qur’an only in this instance. There are differing opinions regarding the root and meaning of this word:

a) If the word is considered to derive from the root “عُضُوّ (uduv)”, then this plural word means “limbs [parts]” just as in Turkish.
b) If the word is considered to come from the root “عَضَه (adah)”, then it means “evil speech such as lies, slander, or gossip.”
c) Al-Farra stated that this word means “magic.” ^[5]

Upon examination, one can see that all of the above meanings are simultaneously present in the verse in question. Thus, this expression refers both to those who divide the Qur’an into fragments by believing in what suits them and disbelieving in what doesn’t (as explained in Al-Baqara/85), and to those who slander the Qur’an by attributing evil qualities to it such as “magic, poetry, myths, and false speech” as mentioned in many verses.

“ المقتسمين MUQTASIMIN”

The word “المقتسمين (muqtasimin)” found in Al-Hijr/90 can be analyzed according to the rules of Arabic morphology(Sarf) as being derived from either the word “قسِم (qism) [division]” or ” قسَم (qasam) [oath].” There is nothing preventing this interpretation. What matters is making the correct decision about which meaning should be preferred in this passage.

To arrive at the correct meaning of these verses, what needs to be done is to identify either an “oath-taker (Turkish: yeminci)” or a “divider (Turkish: taksimci)” who was afflicted with calamity as mentioned in the Qur’an. Considering the period when these verses were revealed, since no “divider” who was afflicted in the past is mentioned in the Qur’an, we need to find an “oath-taker” who was punished in the past.

When we consult the Qur’an, we find two groups of “oath-takers” who were punished in the past:

Those who setup a trap against Prophet Salih:

⁴⁸And in that city was a group of Nine people who caused corruption on the earth, who did not amend. ⁴⁹Swearing to each other by Allah, they said: “We will raid him and his family by the night, and then say to his close people who will defend his rights that ‘we have not witnessed the destruction of that family/we were not there during that event and we surely are truthful’”. ⁵⁰And they set such a trap and indeed We recompensed them with such a recompense that they did not perceive.

(An-Naml/ 49, 50)

Companions of the farms

^17-24Indeed, We will test them as We tested the companions of the farm: When they swore that they would definitely harvest the crops of the farm in the morning. And they made no exception. Then, there came a wind from your Rabb over the farm while they were asleep. And by the morning, the farm became as reaped/harvested. They called one another in the morning: “Go early in the morning if you should harvest!”. Then, they set out, they were whispering among themselves: Do not let any poor come among you!

^25-29They went early with a prohibitive/aggressive attitude. But when they saw the farm, they said: “We have indeed lost/come to a wrong place; no, no, we have been deprived; Allah has punished us!” The best of them said: “Did I not tell you “Do you not purify Allah from deficiencies?”. They said: “Our Rabb, we purify You; truly, we were the ones who do wrong; act against their own good, treat themselves unjustly!”.

^30-32Then they turned, reproaching each other: “Woe to us! We were indeed transgressors who see themselves like Pharaoh; we hope our Rabb will give us better than it; truly, we turn our all hope to our Rabb.”

³³Such is the punishment in the world! Indeed, the punishment of Akhirat [Afterlife] is greater; if only they were among those who know!

(Al-Qalam/ 17- 33)

The fact that the word in question appears as “المقتسمين (al-Muqtasimin)” with the definite article “ال (al-)” indicates that these “oath-takers” were previously taught and mentioned to us. When considering the chronological order of the surahs’ revelation, since they were revealed before Surah Al-Hijr, it is possible that the word “al-muqtasimin” refers to the “oath-takers” mentioned in both surahs. However, our preference is that it refers to the “oath-takers” mentioned in Surah Al-Qalam.

As we mentioned earlier, the verses in question do not belong to Surah Al-Hijr but rather to Surah Ash-Shu’ara. Taking into account that Surah An-Naml was revealed after Surah Ash-Shu’ara, we consider the possibility that these “oath-takers” refer to those who plotted against the Prophet Salih to be unlikely.

Surah Ash-Shu’ara (1-6) along with Surah Al-Hijr (92, 93) emphasize that these guilty parties will certainly be punished. As is known, our Lord has declared in various verses (Al-A’raf/136, Al-Hijr/79, Ar-Rum/47, Az-Zukhruf/25, 41, 55, Al-Ma’ida/95, Ali-Imran/4, Ibrahim/47, Az-Zumar/37, As-Sajdah/22, Ad-Dukhan/16) that He will surely apprehend and punish the wrongdoers, thus establishing justice.

Our Prophet’s distress is also addressed in other surahs:

⁷The infidels; those who consciously denied the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb; there is a severe punishment for them. Those who believed and did amendatory deeds; there is a forgiveness and a great reward for them. ⁸Then, is the one to whom his evil deed has been made attractive so that he sees it good? Surely, Allah leads astray whomever He wills/whoever wills and guides whomever He wills/whoever wills. Therefore, do not let yourself bother with longing/sorrow over them. Indeed, Allah knows best what they do.

(Fatir/8)

⁶Then, you would almost devastate yourself out of sorrow because of what they do if they do not believe in this Qur’an!

(Al-Kahf/6)

The persistent disbelief and polytheism of our Prophet’s fellow townspeople – many of whom were his relatives – who turned a deaf ear to his messages and opposed him, caused him increasing distress as revelations came about the fate awaiting infidels in the Hereafter. For failing to grieve over the terrible punishments awaiting those people would be the attitude of a hypocrite, not a believer:

¹²⁰When good touches you, it distresses them and when evil touches you, they rejoice at it. If you have patience and enter under the guardianship of Allah, their plot will never harm you at all. Surely, Allah has surrounded them with that which they do.

(Ali-Imran/ 120)

⁵⁰If a good touches you, it distresses them. If a disaster touches you, they say: “We have certainly taken precautions before”. And they turn away and leave as the ones who rejoice.

(At-Tawbah/ 50)

The message directed to our Prophet in this verse also applies to all social advocates who work for community welfare yet face negative reactions or even attacks. They should simply perform their duties and continue their work without faltering. They must not let sorrow interrupt their efforts. They should persevere and entrust the rest to Allah.

In the ninety-second verse, references Allah’s supreme attribute as “Rabb” by saying, “So, by your Rabb that We will definitely question all of them from that which they have done.” Since “Rabb” means “one who disciplines and educates, one who leads His creatures to certain goals in accordance with a certain program, one who programs and directs development”, the reckoning of people is one of the necessities and manifestations of Allah’s attribute of Rabb.

Verses 7-9:

In this group of verses, our Lord indirectly states that everyone has the right to choose, the freedom to believe or not believe, and that no one is compelled. This statement also makes clear why our Prophet should not grieve. By way of consolation, it implicitly says: “Had Allah willed, He could have forced them to believe through miracles. They would have then believed under compulsion. This is within Allah’s power. But Allah left them free.” This principle is one that our Lord has repeatedly declared in the Qur’an (Yunus/99, Hud/118,119, Yusuf/103, Ya Sin/30, Mu’minun/44):

In verse 7, the statement “Have they not looked at the earth – how much of every noble kind We have caused to grow therein?” emphasizes that sensible people need not search for signs in distant places, and that examining the plants in their immediate surroundings would suffice to recognize Allah. The infidels, who must be blind and foolish not to see the numerous signs around them, are thereby reproached as if being told: “The infidels cannot even see what’s right before their noses. They don’t observe their surroundings or the earth, failing to perceive Our miracles there.”

The message conveyed in these verses was also addressed in Surah Abasa, one of the earliest surahs:

²⁴Then, let man look at his own food!

²⁵We poured water in abundance. ²⁶Then We broke open the earth, splitting.

^27,32Thus We made grow on the earth grains/cereals, grapes, cloves, olives, dates, gardens with dense grass and trees, fruits and meadows as a livelihood for you and your livestock.

(‘Abasa/ 24-32)

In verse 7, translated as “We have planted therein many of every beautiful kind,” our Lord employs the adjective “كريم (kerim)” to describe plants. This term can be used for anything admired and praised in its own context. For example, the face admired for its beauty is called “وجه كريم (wajh-i karim),” and a book renowned for its benefits and meanings is called “كتاب كريم (kitab-i karim).” Here, “نبات كريم (nabat-i karim)” signifies “a plant that is admired for its benefits.” In other words, our Lord has characterized plants—whether people classify them as “beneficial” or “harmful”—as “karim.” This implies that many plants deemed harmful may actually possess benefits yet to be discovered, for Allah Almighty has not created anything without purpose or reason. Indeed, the ecological importance of many plants previously considered useless in maintaining balance, or their healing properties for human ailments, has only recently been understood.

The paragraph comprising verses 3–9 reads: “Surely, there is an evidence/a sign in this; but most of them were not to be believers. And no doubt that, your Rabb is the One Who is certainly the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the possessor of vast mercy.” Although these last two sentences appear repeatedly—eight times throughout the Surah—as a refrain at the close of each prophet’s parable, they are not mere repetition. Each instance refers to different subjects. In these sentences, Allah is described with the attributes “العزيز (al-Aziz)” and “الرّحيم (al-Rahim).” Here, “Aziz” functions as a warning or threat to those who deny the truth, while “Rahim” provides good news and reassurance to the believers and those who will eventually come to believe.

Verses 10, 11:

¹⁰Once your Rabb said to Moses: “Go to those people who do wrong; act against their own good; ¹¹the people of Pharaoh, will they not enter under the guardianship of Allah?”

In verse 6, the statement “Soon will come to them the news of that which they have been ridiculing.” refers to important announcements and striking information that begins to be revealed from these verses onward. The first of these significant accounts concerns the information about Prophet Musa, Pharaoh, and the Children of Israel.

The passage comprising verses 10-68 summarizes events from Musa’s appointment as prophet to Pharaoh’s drowning in the river. While these events were previously detailed in the surahs of Al-A’raf and Ta-Ha, they are repeated here with additional information, thereby making the narrative remarkably eloquent and concise for memorization.

Verses 12 -15:

Most of the content in this group of verses has already been mentioned in Surahs A’raf and Ta-Ha but in a different style. For example, the Prophet Moses’ expression of fear—here rendered as “I fear that they will deny me”—echoes a similar sentiment in the 45th verse of Surah Ta-Ha, where he pleads, “Our Lord! We fear that he may transgress against us, or that he may be unruly.” The concern of the Prophet Musa that he would not be believed is also mentioned in the Bible as follows:

Musa said, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you’?” The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He answered, “A staff.” The LORD said, “Throw it on the ground.” When Musa threw it on the ground, it became a snake, and he ran from it. The LORD said, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Musa reached out and took hold of the snake, and it turned back into a staff in his hand. The LORD said, “This is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers—the God of Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishaq (Isaac), and Yaqub (Jacob)—has appeared to you.” Then the LORD said, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” He did so, and when he took it out, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. The LORD said, “Put your hand back into your cloak.” He did so, and when he took it out, it was restored like the rest of his flesh.^[6]

The statement in Ayat 14 regarding the Prophet Musa having previously committed a crime is confirmed by Pharaoh’s words in Ayat 18-19: “Did we not raise you among us when you were a child? Did you not remain among us for many years of your life? ¹⁹Then you did the deed which you did. And you are one of ungrateful…” The details of this incident are found in Surah Al-Qasas.

¹⁵And Moses entered the city at the time of inattention by the people of the city. Then he found two men, one from his side and one from the side of the enemy, who were trying to kill each other. Then the one who was from his side asked Moses for help against the enemy. Then, Moses punched the other and he died immediately. Moses said: “This is from the work of the satan, surely, He is a clear, misleading enemy”.

¹⁶Moses said: “My Rabb! I have been unjust to myself. So forgive me!” and Allah forgave him. He surely is the One Who is very forgiving, the One Who shows great mercy.

¹⁷Moses said: “My Rabb! For that which You bestowed upon me as a favor, I will never assist the criminals again”.

¹⁸Then, Moses overnighted in the city, fearing and watching around. He marveled at once, the one who had asked him for help the day before was crying out for his help again. Moses said: “You truly are a transgressor!”.

¹⁹And when Moses wanted to seize the man who was an enemy to both of them, that man said: “O Moses! Do you intend to kill me as you killed someone yesterday? You truly want to be a tyrant on the earth but not a person who does amendatory deeds”.

²⁰And a man came from the other side of the city, running. He said: “O Moses! Chiefs are conferring over you to kill you. Go immediately! I surely am of the advisors”.

²¹Then Moses left it, fearing, watching around. He said: “My Rabb! Save me from those people who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah!”.

(Al-Qasas 15-21)

^33,34Moses said: “My Rabb! I surely have killed a person from among them, now I fear that they will kill me. Send my brother Aaron with me; he is better and more influential in speech than me. Therefore, send him with me as an assistant who would testify me. Indeed, I fear that they will deny me”.

(Al-Qasas/ 33-34)

In response to the Prophet Musa’s (Moses) expression of concern, the words of our Lord in Ayat 15-17 are conveyed in Surah Ta-Ha as follows:

⁴⁶Allah said: “Do not fear, surely I am with both of you, I hear and see. ⁴⁷Go to him immediately and say to him; “Indeed, we are two messengers of your Rabb. Then send Israelites with us and do not torment them; indeed we have come to you with an evidence/a sign from your Rabb. Salam [health, peace, happiness…] is to those who follow the guidance. ⁴⁸Surely, it was revealed to us that the punishment will definitely be for one who denies and turns away’”.

(Ta-Ha/ 46-48)

The concern and requests expressed by the Prophet Musa and our Lord’s emphasis in Ayat 15, “Surely, We are with you, We are the Ones Who hear”, are presented in Surah Ta-Ha in the following manner:

²⁵Moses ²⁰said: “My Rabb!²⁵Open my chest, ²⁶facilitate my work³³so we may purify you from all deficiencies ³⁴and remember you frequently. ²⁷Untie my tongue ²⁸so they may understand my word well. ²⁹And from my family; ³⁰my brother Aaron; ²⁹make him a minister for me, ³¹increase my strength with him. ³²Make him share my task. ³⁵Indeed, You see us”.

(Ta-Ha/ 25-35)

With this emphasis, Almighty Allah assures the Prophet Musa that He hears all that will happen, knows it, and will grant them assistance.

From Ayat 15-17, it is understood that two messengers were sent to a people together. As will be recalled, Surah Ya-Sin also mentions that three messengers were sent to the same town. In Surah Hud, it will also be seen that a group of messengers—more than three—visited the prophets Ibrahim (Abraham) and Lut (Lot).

Verses 18 – 24:

²³Pharaoh said: “What is that which you say Rabb of all universes?

²⁴Moses said: “If you know closely; He is Rabb of the heavens/universe, the earth and all that is between”.

This group of Ayat describes the first conversation between the prophets Musa and Harun (Aaron) and Pharaoh, as Allah’s messengers. In this dialogue, the statement attributed to the Prophet Musa stands out: “And the favor you are bragging me about is the fact that you have enslaved Israelites” Based on some historical estimates, the period of enslavement of the Children of Israel in Egypt lasted around 430 years. Therefore, the Prophet Musa spoke these words fully aware of this long period of enslavement. Concerning what he may have intended with these words, the following interpretations can be made:

“If you hadn’t committed that oppression against us and our people, I wouldn’t have needed your shelter.”
“This favor you later did was nothing compared to the great oppression inflicted upon our people. When weighed against it, it becomes as if it never existed.”
“You enslaved them, seized their wealth, and spent some of it on me. Therefore, you have no rightful claim over me for raising me.”
“You claimed that the Children of Israel were your slaves. A master cannot boast of feeding and providing for his slaves, as that is his obligation.”

Verse 25:

²⁵Pharaoh said to those around him: “Do you not hear?”.

This verse reflects the mocking tone of Pharaoh, who was regarded by his people as “the only supreme Lord”. Pharaoh’s sarcastic tone implies that he was astonished at the expression “Lord of the Worlds” by the prophet Moses and that the elders present with him should reveal their astonishment at this expression.

Verse 26:

²⁶Moses said: “He is your Rabb and Rabb of your ancestors”.

While Pharaoh attempts to seek support from his commanders with a mocking tone, Prophet Musa essentially declares that he does not recognize Pharaoh’s present or past authority, emphasizing that both Pharaoh and his ancestors have always been in error.

Prophet Musa’s statement in Ayah 24—”He is Rabb of the heavens/universe, the earth and all that is between”—can be understood in connection with this Ayah as meaning: “If you don’t recognize Allah from the universe around you, can’t you at least recognize Him from your own existence? Every part of you bears His signature.” In this case, Prophet Musa reaffirms that not only Pharaoh but also those around him are deeply mistaken regarding divinity and lordship.

Verses 27 – 31:

²⁷Pharaoh said: “This messenger who was sent to you is indeed supported by secret forces/is a madman”.

²⁸Moses said: “If you use your reason, He is Rabb of the east and the west and that is between them”.

²⁹Pharaoh said: “If you take any deity but me I swear I will make you one of those who are imprisoned”.

³⁰Moses said: “Even though I have brought you something manifest?”.

³¹Pharaoh said: “Well, bring it forward now, if you are one of those righteous”.

From the conversations in this group of Ayat, it is understood that Pharaoh, faced with Prophet Musa’s fearless and serious warnings despite his mocking tone, accused him of being insane. By referring to him as “the messenger who came to you,” Pharaoh avoided acknowledging his messengership as being directed at himself.

In response, Prophet Musa accused them of acting foolishly, stating that if they used their minds, they would recognize that Allah is the Lord of all things and come to know Him. It is evident that Pharaoh became enraged at this clear warning. So much so that he resorted to the method all tyrants invariably employ and began uttering reckless threats. Prophet Musa paid no heed to these threats and continued his proclamation, thereby gaining the opportunity to present them with clear signs.

PHARAOH’S DIVINITY:

As we have noted in our analysis of the 127th verse of Al-A’raf and verses 49–55 of Ta-Ha, Pharaoh does not deny the existence of Allah and the angels; on the contrary, he acknowledges Allah as the sovereign of the heavens.

^51-53And Pharaoh called out among his people: “O my people! Do not the kingdom of Egypt and the rivers that flow beneath me belong to me? Do you still not see? Or am I not better than that man who is insignificant; who hardly expresses himself? And why have not bracelets of gold placed upon him or have not angels in ranks come with him?”.

(Az-Zukhruf/ 51-53)

^28,29And a brave man from the family of Pharaoh who concealed his faith said: “Will you kill a man because he says my Rabb is Allah? But he surely has come to you with clear evidences from your Rabb. And if he is a liar, you will see that his lie will be against himself. But if he is truthful, some of what he threats will hit you. Indeed, Allah does not guide the one who is a liar that shows the truth incomplete. O my people! Sovereignty is apparently yours today. But who would help us and protect us from the punishment of Allah if it came?”.

Pharaoh said: I do not show you anything except what I see and I guide you only to the path of being able to distinguish between good and evil/path of reason”.

^30-35And that one who has believed said: “O my people! Indeed, I fear about you the like of the day of the Companions; adventures similar to those of the people of Noah, Ad, Thamud and those after them. And Allah does not want any injustice, wrong for His servants. O my people! Indeed I fear for you that day of calling-screaming/fleeing; that day on which you will turn your backs and flee. There is no one to protect you from Allah. And whomever Allah leads astray, then there is no guide for him. And surely, Joseph had come to you with evidences before this. And you had uncertain, insufficient knowledge in that which he brought to you at that time as well. And when he died, you said, “Allah will never send a messenger after this”. Thus Allah leads astray those who dispute about the Ayat/evidences/signs of Allah, those who show the truth incomplete, those who doubt without an authority having come to them. Great is the hatred of this situation in the sight of Allah and in the sight of those who have believed. Thus seals Allah hearts of every tyrant who acts arrogantly”.

(Al-Mu’min/ 28-35)

Based on the indications of the aforementioned verses, it is not possible to infer from Pharaoh’s words in the 29th verse that he placed himself in the position of Allah. Rather, he saw himself as the lord [rabb] of the people and based this belief on his claim that he was the human form of the Sun God. Therefore, Pharaoh’s words mean that no one on earth other than himself could issue commands or dare to interfere with his sovereignty.

On the other hand, it is not a correct approach to equate the concept of “ilah” (إله) as intended by Pharaoh with the Islamic concept of “Allah”. As we have mentioned in our analysis of Surah An-Nas, according to the pure monotheistic creed of Islam, there are undeniable and significant differences between “Allah”—the One who creates everything from nothing and is the only being worthy of worship—and the concept of “ilah” in other religions. The deities of other religions are shaped by the fears and needs of their followers, and if those fears or needs cease to exist, these deities lose all function. Moreover, these deities, which come into existence alongside humans’ fears and needs and perish with their disappearance, then no use of these deities remains.

For this reason, human-made religions have never accepted that these deities—to whom prayers are made, worship is directed, and sacrifices and offerings are given—have the authority to legislate in legal and political matters, the right to command as they please in worldly affairs, or that their decrees must be obeyed. These human-made religions have never granted any deity the right to interfere with the laws they themselves established or the policies they designed, insisting that absolute authority on earth belongs solely to humans.

Indeed, this is the root cause of the conflict between Allah’s messengers and their followers on one side, and worldly rulers and regimes [human-made religions] on the other.

When Pharaoh’s words are evaluated in light of these fundamental truths, it becomes clear that the issue is not merely a simple matter of worship and submission. If the Prophet Musa (Moses) had only asked Pharaoh to believe in Allah and worship Him—while acknowledging all other deities—Pharaoh would likely not have felt threatened and would not have troubled Musa much. At most, he would have refused to abandon his ancestors’ faith, expressed his objection, and challenged Musa to debate his scholars.

However, the Prophet Musa introduced himself as the messenger of the “Lord of the Worlds” and demanded Pharaoh’s obedience to this supreme authority, making Pharaoh feel like a subordinate ruler. As a result, Pharaoh refused to allow the emergence of a new authority in the political realm.

At this point, Pharaoh, cornered by Musa’s words (“Even though I have brought you something manifest?”), had no choice but to respond: “Well, bring it forward now, if you are one of those righteous”—thereby accepting the challenge to witness what Musa would present. Pharaoh’s response demonstrates that he is no different from the polytheists of old and today. For, as we learn from the Qur’an, all infidels—from the people of the Prophet Nuh (Noah) to the polytheists of Mecca—have followed the same path.

Verses 32, 33:

³²Then Moses brought his knowledge forward; and suddenly the knowledge of Moses is an explicit “devourer”.

³³He pulled his power out; and that power is perfect to the audience, flawless.

In the surahs of A’raf and Ta-Ha, it has been extensively explained that the “white hand” [yad-i bayda, meaning “flawless power”] was Harun (Aaron), who was given to Musa (Moses) as his assistant/vizier.

Verses 34 – 42:

^36,37Chiefs said: “Hold him and his brother and send gatherers to cities. Let them bring you all great and very influential scholars”.

³⁸Thus, influential scholars were gathered together on a specified time of a certain day.

³⁹And it was said to the people: “Will you congregate?”.

-“⁴⁰The influential scholars must be the ones who prevail, then we will follow them!”-

⁴¹When influential scholars came, they said to Pharaoh: “If we prevail, is there definitely a payment for us?”.

⁴²Pharaoh said: “Yes, in this case, you will definitely be among those who are close”.

Following Prophet Musa’s bringing of two great and clear miracles, this group of verses describes the plans made by Pharaoh and his chiefs against Prophet Musa. It appears that Pharaoh, who had previously brazenly challenged, “If you take any deity but me I swear I will make you one of those who are imprisoned” and who considered himself a god and lord, became terrified upon seeing the miracles and the learned men of his people believing in them, anticipating what would befall him. In this moment of confusion, forgetting the position he represented, he claimed that Prophet Musa was planning to lead his people away with “some deceptive, eye-catching tricky arguments” and spoke nonsense to an extent that reason could not accept.

Although Pharaoh knew very well that the many skilled deceivers in his land who displayed “examples of deceptive, eye-catching tricks” did so only for rewards and wages, he nevertheless accused Prophet Musa of being “one who deceives the people with deceptive, eye-catching tricks” and alleged that with this power, Musa would carry out a political revolution.

SPECIFIED TIME OF A CERTAIN DAY

The phrase “specified time of a certain day” in the 38th verse has been explained in Surah Ta-Ha to mean the Egyptians’ national holiday, known as the “Day of Adornment” and “forenoon” .

⁵⁹Moses said: “Meeting time with you is forenoon on the festival and celebration day when people will gather”.

(Ta-Ha/ 59)

According to the devised plan, heralds would be sent everywhere to ensure a large crowd would witness the contest between Prophet Musa and the land’s influential deceivers—those who had long deceived the people with false, misleading information. This public demonstration was intended to show everyone that nothing extraordinary or unexplainable was occurring, and that even the magicians in the country could replicate such a contest. In doing so, the effect of the miracle performed by Prophet Moses in the palace—whose news had likely spread among the people—would be mitigated.

Another clear indication of the immense anxiety Pharaoh felt due to the signs brought by Prophet Musa was his promise to his scholars: if they defeated Musa, they would be granted the prestigious rank of “those who are close” —a great honor.

Verses 43-48:

⁴³Moses said to them: “Put forward what you will put forward”.

⁴⁴Then they brought forward their knowledge, their ancient beliefs and theses/useless; trivial knowledge and said “By the power of Pharaoh, it is we who will definitely prevail”.

⁴⁵Thereafter, Moses brought forward his knowledge; and they marveled at once, it devoured what they invented!

^46-48Then influential scholars were left as they submitted:

“We have believed in Rabb of all universes; Rabb of Moses and Aaron”

In the verses of Shu’ara/44 and Ta-Ha/66, the arguments of Pharaoh’s scholars are described as “ropes and staffs.” As we have explained in Surah Ta-Ha, and as indicated by these verses, the expressions “ropes and staffs” can be likened to the Turkish idioms “odds and ends,” “worthless things,” or “baseless claims.” What is meant here is the worthlessness and uselessness of the views and arguments put forth by Pharaoh’s scholars.

The contest briefly described in these verses was narrated in Surahs A’raf and Ta-Ha as follows:

¹¹⁷And We revealed to Moses and said: “Bring your knowledge forward”. And they marveled at once, it devoured all they made up and brought forward. ¹¹⁸Thus the truth prevailed and all that Pharaoh and the chiefs had done failed.

¹¹⁹Pharaoh and the chiefs were defeated and returned as a humiliated community.

^120-122The very knowledgeable, fascinating, influential scholars were left there as they submitted. They said: “We believe in Rabb of all universes; Rabb of Moses and Aaron”.

(Al-A’raf/ 117-122)

⁶⁵Influential scholars said: “O Moses! Either you will bring forward or we will be first who will bring forward”.

⁶⁶Moses said: “Rather, you, bring it forward”. He marveled at once! Their knowledge, old beliefs and hypotheses/useless/trivial knowledge seemed to him larger than they actually were due to their magic/ingenious presentation. ⁶⁷Hence, Moses felt a fear within himself.

^68,69We said: “Do not fear, indeed you; it is you who is superior: Bring forward the knowledge you have; then it will devour their productions. Surely, what they have done is just an trick of an illusion. And the one who impresses through illusion will definitely not win victory, succeed wherever he goes”.

⁷⁰In the end, all influential scholars were left submitted while they extended their necks, saying: “We have believed in Rabb of Moses and Aaron”.

(Ta-Ha/ 65-70)

As we can see, the influential scholars who initiated the contest by taking refuge in Pharaoh’s power, swearing oaths and displaying great self-confidence, eventually realized that their false prowess was utterly worthless in the light of the signs brought by Prophet Moses. These were not ordinary charlatans but men who had reached the pinnacle of the knowledge of magic, fully aware of the limits of their own art. When confronted with the clear and transcendent verses of the Prophet, they understood that these signs were beyond mere illusion, and by engaging their intellect they promptly admitted defeat and embraced faith.

Thus, the promise given by our Lord to Prophets Musa and Harun in the 46th verse of Surah Ta-Ha and the 15th verse of this Surah – “I will protect you, I am with you” —was fulfilled. Indeed, as stated in numerous other verses, Allah always guards His messengers and ensures that the truth prevails.

⁸¹And say: “Truth has come, falsehood has perished. Indeed, falsehood will perish”.

(Al-Isra/ 81)

¹⁸Rather, We dash the truth upon falsehood and it destroys it. Then you see that the falsehood has perished. O woe to you for what you ascribe to Allah!

(Al-Anbiya/ 18)

²¹Allah has written: “Indeed, I and My messengers will prevail”. Indeed, Allah is the One Who is competent over everything, the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer.

(Al-Mujadila/ 21)

Verses 49-51:

^50,51Influential scholars said: “No matter, we will definitely return to our Rabb. And We hope that our Rabb will forgive our sins for us because we are first of the believers”.

In these verses, it is narrated how Pharaoh, who was defeated in the contest, threatened his magicians when they came to faith, and how these former magicians, now believers, paid no heed to Pharaoh’s threats. As we previously mentioned in Al-A’raf and Ta-Ha Surahs, what Pharaoh did to these believers [Pharaoh’s scholars] is not explicitly stated in the Qur’an. According to narrations, Pharaoh carried out his threats immediately.

The events following the contest are cut off here, and from this point, the narrative transitions to the part of the story related to the new mission of the Prophet Musa (Moses). Meanwhile, some of the events that took place are mentioned in Al-A’raf (127–135), some in Yunus (83–89), some in Al-Mu’min (23–46), and some in Al-Zukhruf (46–56).

For additional clarification, the explanation of the word “حِلَف (hilaf)” is provided in the exegesis of Surah A’raf (verses 124–126), and a detailed analysis of the word “صَلْب (salb)” is given in our analysis of verse Ta-Ha/71.

Verses 52-68:

⁵²And We revealed to Moses: “Take My servants to the road by night, you surely are those who will be chased”.

⁶¹When two peoples saw each other, the companions of Moses said: “Indeed, we are definitely overtaken”.

⁶²Moses said: “Certainly not as you think! Surely my Rabb is with me and will guide me”.

⁶⁴And We made others come closer to there.

^65,66And We saved Moses and all those with him, then drowned all others in the water.

As understood from other verses, Musa (Moses), during his stay in Egypt, concealed his true intention by damming the river, creating canals across the plain, and opening up old waterways for agriculture. This is why Pharaoh says, “Are not these rivers flowing beneath me, my own?”

(Az-Zukhruf/51-53)

In the verses of Shu’ara (53-56), Pharaoh says about the army he prepared concerning the Children of Israel:

In verses 53–56 of Surah Ash-Shu’ara, concerning the army assembled by Pharaoh, it is stated: “Surely they are a scattered group of a few men. And they are indeed mad at us. We indeed are a ready and precautious people”

This passage, referring to the Israelites, contrasts sharply with the account in verse 4 of Surah Al-Qasas, where our Lord says: “Surely, Pharaoh was exalted on the earth and divided the people under his rule into groups; he wanted to weaken one of these groups; he strangled their sons; he made them weak, unqualified by leaving them uneducated and covered their women with disgrace. Indeed, he was of the corrupters.”

This makes it clear that Pharaoh had previously split the Children of Israel into camps, parties, cliques, and factions, hoping they would never unite.

Later, Musa took his people and the Copts who believed in him, led them through these lands, lured the pursuing Pharaoh and his army into these agricultural fields, and then destroyed the dams while they were in the fields, causing the waters to overflow and ultimately drowning Pharaoh and his army.

The Parting of the Sea with the Staff

⁶³Then We revealed to Moses: “Hit that large body of water/river with your knowledge!”. Then that large body of water/river was split/dams were set and each dam became like a great mountain.

Note: This verse should actually be arranged after verses 50 and 51 in the Mushaf. Its placement in the sixty-third position leads to both misinterpretation of the verse and the formation of incorrect beliefs.

⁵⁰And when We split open the large body of water/the river to save your lives and drowned the people close to Pharaoh while you were looking on.

(Al-Baqara/ 50)

In these verses, the Qur’an explains that Moses was divinely revealed to use his own knowledge to construct dams along the Nile. These dams were not miraculous acts of splitting the Red Sea or having water piled up like mountains on each side; rather, Moses built them with his own resources. Each dam was so enormous that it was described as being as high as a mountain, and later, these dams were blown up, leading to a massive flood that drowned Pharaoh and his relatives.

Historical evidence supports this view: The oldest known dam, built in 2900 BCE on the Nile, was 15 meters high. According to the Qur’an’s clear statement, there was more than one dam.

As understood from other verses, during his time in Egypt, Musa concealed his true intention while blocking the river with dams, creating canals across the plain, and reopening old waterways for agriculture. This is why Pharaoh says, “Are not these rivers beneath me my own?”

This verse also reminds us of other stages in the history of the Children of Israel:

The parting of the water (construction of dams),
The salvation of the Children of Israel,
The drowning of Pharaoh’s close followers before the eyes of the Children of Israel.

Later, Musa took his people and the Copts who believed in him, led them through these lands, lured Pharaoh and his pursuing army into these agricultural fields, and then there, by breaking the dams, Moses caused a catastrophic flood that resulted in the drowning of Pharaoh and his pursuers.

Here, these events are summarized briefly. We do not assume they happened within just a few hours; rather, this was a process that unfolded over many years.

One notable point here is that the Children of Israel witnessed and observed the drowning of Pharaoh’s close followers, as described in the Bible:

25 He took off the wheels of their chariots, so that they could hardly drive their chariots. The Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the Israelites, for the LORD is fighting with us for them.”

26 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thy hand over the sea, and let the waters turn against the Egyptians, and against their chariots, and against their horsemen.

27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. By morning the sea returned to its usual state. The Egyptians fled from the waters, but the LORD swept them away in the midst of the sea.

28 The returning waters swallowed up the chariots, the horsemen, and all Pharaoh’s army that had gone into the sea after the Israelites. Not one of them survived.

29 But the Israelites crossed the sea on foot on dry land. The waters formed a wall on their right and on their left.

30 That day the LORD delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians. The Israelites saw the dead bodies of the Egyptians by the sea.

31 And the children of Israel were afraid because of the great power of the LORD against the Egyptians, and they trusted in the LORD and in Moses his servant. ^[7]

From this, it is understood that this drowning event did not occur in the Red Sea. Because from a distance of approximately one hundred kilometers, there is no possibility of seeing the drowning or the corpses of those at one end of the sea from the other end.

The passing of the children of Israel through the water–Pharoh and his relatives being swept away in the flood and drowned–Letting the sea run fast:

^17-21And surely, We had tested the people of Pharaoh before them. And a noble messenger had come to them: “Give back to me the servants of Allah. Indeed, I am a trustworthy messenger who has been sent for you. Do not act haughtily against Allah. Surely, I bring you an explicit authority. And surely, I have sought refuge in my Rabb and your Rabb from that you would stone me to death. And if you do not believe in me, go away from me immediately”.

²²Then Moses called to his Rabb, saying: “Surely, these are a criminal people”.

-“^23,24Then make My servants walk at night. Surely you are those who are pursued, be cautious. Release the large amount of water/river quickly. Indeed, they are an army drowned in water.-

(Ad-Dukhan/17- 24)

In these verses, it is seen that the Prophet Musa was given the general plan for leading the Children of Israel out of Egypt. The details are not present. Musa will create dry paths in the water and drown Pharaoh and his men in the water. Musa had previously committed a murder and was suffering from its guilt. At this point, Musa had reached a dead end; he fell into distress.

In these verses the Prophet Moses is given a general plan to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt—without delving into details. Moses is commanded to create dry paths between the waters, to drown Pharaoh and his men, and to kill them. Musa had previously committed a murder and was suffering from its guilt. At this point, Musa had reached a dead end; and is deeply depressed. In order to alleviate his inner distress, he sets out on the journey, seeking a way to lift his depression.

To relieve the troubles in his mind, he will take to the roads, seeking a way to escape his distress. We see this section in the Surah of Al-Kahf. The story of Musa and the Scholar servant informs us of these matters.

In that story, we also see that Musa learned from:

The “boat incident” to avoid attracting the attention of the oppressors;
The “killing of the young man incident” that, those who wage war against Allah can be killed;
The “wall incident” that, they should accumulate provisions for their long journey ahead and hide their savings within the walls of their houses.

With these knowledge, he will accomplish these things by Allah’s permission.

^90-92And We took the Israelites across the large body of water/river. But Pharaoh and his soldiers followed them immediately in transgression and enmity. And when drowning in the water overtook him he said: “I have definitely believed that there is no deity except the One in Whom Israelites believe, I am among those who submitted”. – Now? But you disobeyed before and became of the corrupters. Today We will save you in your armor. We will make you an example with this calling of yours. – And indeed, many of the people are apathetic/careless to our Ayat/evidences/signs.

(Yunus/ 90- 92)

⁵⁰And when We split open the large body of water/the river to save your lives and drowned the people close to Pharaoh while you were looking on.

(Al-Baqara/ 50)

These verses remind us of other phases from the history of the Children of Israel. These periods are:

The parting of the waters
The construction of dams
The passage of the Children of Israel through dry areas between the waters
The drowning of Pharaoh and his close followers

Here, these events are expressed in a brief sentence. As we mentioned above, we do not believe these events occurred within just a few hours. This incident took place over many years.

From the Quran, we can clearly understand how this drowning event occurred. We previously saw how Musa built dams on the river, dividing the river waters like mountains. Musa then caused these dams to burst, and just as the people of Saba were destroyed by the “Arim flood (dam flood)” (Saba; verses 15-19), Pharaoh and his army were first swept away by the dam waters and then submerged and drowned.

-“^23,24Then make My servants walk at night. Surely you are those who are pursued, be cautious. Release the large amount of water/river quickly. Indeed, they are an army drowned in water.-

(Ad-Dukhan/ 23, 24)

⁴⁰We seized him and his soldiers and threw them in that large body of water/in the river. So see how is the end of those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah!

(Al-Qasas/ 40)

⁴⁰Then We seized him and his armies and cast them in the large amount of water/river. And he was blameworthy.

(Adh-Dhariyat/ 40)

The word “rehwan” in the original of Ad-Dukhan verse 24 is an al-Azdat (antonymie homophones) and has both the meanings of “calmness and excessive movement”. Our interpretation is in favor of the meaning of “excessive movement; rapid flowing”.

For in the following verses, Pharaoh and his companions were dragged through the water for a while before they were drowned.

⁷⁷And surely We revealed to Moses: “Make my servants walk by night without fearing to be caught and without fearing in awe with respect and love/without being grateful to Pharaoh and make a dry path for them in the large body of water/the river!”.

⁷⁸Pharaoh followed them with his armies at once and there covered them from the large body of water/the river which covered them.

⁷⁹And Pharaoh led his people astray and did not guide them to the righteous path.

(Ta Ha/ 77- 79)

Another noteworthy point here is the statement in Al-Baqara 50: “…and drowned the people close to Pharaoh while you were looking on.” The implication here is that the sons of Israel watched and saw Pharaoh and his close ones drown. This is described in the Bible as follows.

30 On that day the LORD delivered Israel from the hand of the Egyptians. The Israelites saw the dead bodies of the Egyptians on the seashore. ^[8]

It is evident from the evidence provided that this drowning did not take place in the Red Sea; from a distance of around a hundred kilometers, it would have been impossible for people at the opposite end to see both the drowning and the bodies of Pharaoh and his followers. In summary, Moses was given only the Book as proof of his messengership, and his brother Aaron was designated as vizier.

Furthermore, the two signs bestowed upon Moses, mentioned in verses 20–23, are succinctly summarized in Surah Furqan. These signs serve to confirm Moses’ divine commission and provide a clear demonstration of the truth that underlies his message.

³⁶Allah said: “O Moses! You have been granted what you request”.

(Ta-Ha/25-36)

³⁵And surely We gave to Moses the Book and appointed his brother Aaron as his assistant and supporter.

³⁶Then We said: “Go to those people who deny Our Ayat!”. Ultimately, We destroyed with a complete destruction those people who denied Our Ayat.

(Al-Furqan/ 35, 36)

These verses record Pharaoh’s words in response to the preparations made by the Children of Israel, under the leadership of Prophet Moses, to depart Egypt. In reaction, Pharaoh took measures to prevent their exodus by gathering forces from the surrounding regions. Historically, the Children of Israel did not live in a single city but in various settlements—mostly in the area known as Goshen between Memphis and Ramesses. Pharaoh’s reference to them as a “scattered people” confirms this historical fact.

Although precise numbers are uncertain, many narrations claim that there were 600,000 Israelites, with none under the age of twenty or over the age of sixty. However, as mentioned in Surahs A’raf and Ta-Ha, our Lord does not emphasize their numbers but rather presents them as small, scattered groups.

Verses 57–59 then state: “In the end, We drove Pharaoh and his people out from the gardens, springs, treasures and that honorable position. Thus it is! And then We made Israelites inherit/last owner of them.”

These are parenthetical statements drawing attention to the fate of Pharaoh and his prominent community members. From these expressions, it is understood that they abandoned their lofty positions, gardens, rivers, wealth, provisions, sovereignty, and the world’s abundant places, were deprived of everything, and as if they had emerged from a sea of blessings only to enter hell.

¹³⁶Then We maintained justice by recompensing them for they definitely denied our Ayat [evidences/signs] and were heedless of them. And We drowned them in a large body of water/the river.¹³⁷And We made those people who had been oppressed/weakened, inheritors of all places that We had blessed. Thus the good promise of your Rabb to Israelites was fulfilled¹¹² for they had been patient. And We destroyed all the industry work and that which Pharaoh and his people had been building.

(Al-A’raf/ 136, 137)

⁵And We wanted to bestow favor to those who were oppressed on the earth, make them leaders, make them inheritors. ⁶And establish them on the earth strongly, and show Pharaoh, Haman and their soldiers that which they feared from them.

(Al-Qasas/ 5-6)

The expressions in verses 60-62 of the passage: “Then Pharaoh and his men set to chase them at the dawn. When two peoples saw each other, the companions of Moses said: “Indeed, we are definitely overtaken”. Moses said: “Certainly not as you think! Surely my Rabb is with me and will guide me”” From these statements, it is understood that the Children of Israel had departed from Egypt under the leadership of the Prophet Musa, and Pharaoh was pursuing them with his soldiers.

Upon seeing the soldiers following them and panicking, the Children of Israel uttered inappropriate words expressing their loss of trust in the Prophet Musa, while Musa calmed them by conveying the assurance he had previously received from Almighty Allah. If we recall, this assurance from our Lord had been mentioned earlier in verse 15 and in the Surah of Ta-Ha:

(Ash-Shu’ara/ 15-17)

(Ta-Ha/ 46)

The statements in verses 67-68 of the passage: “Indeed, there is definitely an evidence/a sign in this. But many of them did not believe. And surely, your Rabb is the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the possessor of vast mercy.” indicate that this event was not only a sign for the Children of Israel, but also a verse directed both to the Meccan polytheists and all of humanity. However, following this statement, our Lord declares that despite this event being one of the greatest evidences pointing to His power, most people did not (and will not) believe.

It is certain that this event proving the truthfulness of Prophet Musa left an indelible mark on the minds of the witnessing Children of Israel throughout their lives. Consequently, in that society, the resistance attempted against God’s messenger was broken, and the community’s allegiance to Prophet Musa was largely achieved through this event.

That this event served as a sign for Quraysh relates to Pharaoh and his army. Pharaoh, his close associates and supporters – who had been shown clear signs for years – even after seeing large body of water/river part and a dry path opened for the Children of Israel to cross, failed to recognize that God’s power and support stood behind Prophet Musa, and continued pursuing them for battle. When they finally came to believe, it was too late – for their faith was no longer voluntary but born of fear and desperation. Our detailed explanation about this type of faith can be found in the analysis of the Surah al-Qiyamat.

(Yunus/ 90-92)

The message of this event for all times is as follows:

“Though evil forces may appear dominant for now, Allah ultimately establishes truth through His grace and destroys falsehood.”

Our Lord’s declaration of being “Aziz” (The Almighty) and “Rahim” (The Merciful) immediately after the story of Prophet Musa conveys the message that infidels will certainly be overcome and punished by Allah, while believers will benefit from His boundless mercy.

Verse 69:

⁶⁹And recite to them the news of Abraham!

Following the important news about Prophet Musa, we see that the second important news concerns Prophet Ibrahim. The accounts about Prophet Ibrahim, which were previously mentioned in detail in the Surah of Maryam, continue in this surah from verse 69 to verse 104, narrated in a different literary style. However, not all of Prophet Ibrahim’s life story is told here. What is narrated here, concerns his life after receiving the prophetic mission, focusing on tawheed(monotheism), and consists of the account of his conflict with his people who were in shirk (polytheism).

In our view, along with the accounts of Prophet Ibrahim here, other accounts about him in Al-Baqara (258,260), Al-An’am (75-83), Maryam (41-50), Al-Anbiya (51-70), As-Saffat (83-113), Al-Mumtahana (4-5) and Ali-Imran (67-68) should also be considered.

The Arabs, particularly the Quraysh tribe, were warned in the Quran with the accounts of Prophet Ibrahim because they considered themselves Prophet Ibrahim’s descendants and acknowledged that their faith originated from him. The Arabs were asked to be like their ancestor Ibrahim – a Muslim hanif (upright monotheist) who was neither Jewish nor Christian. However, the religion of Ibrahim, characterized by its strict monotheism and its clear separation from polytheism, stands in stark contrast to the prevailing polytheistic practices of the Arabs at that time.

Verses 70-77:

⁷⁰When he said to his father and his people: “What do you worship?”.

⁷¹And they said: “We worship some idols and we will continue to worship them”.

^72-74Abraham said: “Do they hear you when you supplicate or do they benefit you or harm you?” They said, “Rather, we found our ancestors doing this.”

^75,76Abraham said: “Have you ever thought about what you and your ancient ancestors worshipped? ⁷⁷They are my enemies; except Rabb of all universes.

In this group of verses, Prophet Abraham’s questioning of his people and his confrontation of their unwise behavior is mentioned. In this way, both the Meccans and the polytheists of all times, who have taken gods from Allah’s subordinates, are condemned, and Allah, the true Lord, the Lord of the Worlds, is introduced.

Prophet Ibrahim’s questioning has been expressed with different wording in other verses, and similar interrogations have been conducted by other messengers:

^80,81And his people argued with him. Abraham said: “Do you argue with me concerning Allah while He has shown me the righteous path? I do not fear those which you associate with Him at all. – Except for that which my Rabb wills.- My Rabb encompasses everything in knowledge. Do you still not think? And how should I fear that which you associate while you do not fear to associate others with Allah even though He has not sent down any power/authority about them? So, if you should know, which of these two communities has more right to be safe?”.

(Al-An’am/ 80, 81)

²⁵So, We seized them, maintained justice by recompensing them. Look how was the end of those who denied! –^26,27And when Abraham once said to his father and his people: “Surely I am away from that which you worship. – Except for the One Who created me from nothing – Surely, He will guide me to the righteous path”. ²⁸Abraham made this statement a word to remain among his successors so they might return; they might act in accordance with the principles of Allah.-

(Az-Zukhruf/ 25-28)

^71,72And recite to them the important news of Noah: When he said to his people: “O my people! If my position; that I have a duty, that I stand against you and that I remind you with the Ayat of Allah should be burdensome upon you, know that I have relied upon Allah. Now, you and your partners, gather and decide what you will do with all of your power. Then do not let your deed be trouble for you. Then carry it out upon me and do not give me respite. Then, if you turn away; I have not asked you a payment anyway! My payment is only upon Allah. And I have been commanded to be of the Muslims”.

(Yunus/ 70- 72)

^53-57They said: “O Hud! You have not come to us with a clear evidence. And we are not to leave our idols by your word. We are not the ones who believe in you. But we can only say ‘Some of our gods have possessed you with evil badly’”. Hud said: “Surely, I have Allah as my witness, and you too, witness that I am far from those that you associate with Him from among those that are inferior to Allah. Then set your traps for me and do not give me a respite. Indeed, I have relied on Allah, my Rabb and your Rabb. There is no moving living creature, small-large that He does not hold from its forelock and check. Indeed, my Rabb is on a path that is straight. But if you turn away despite this, I have conveyed to you with which I have been sent to you. And my Rabb will make another people to succeed you. And you can not harm Him at all by any means. Indeed, my Rabb is the One Who protects and guards all things”.

(Hud/ 53-57)

Verses 78-82:

^78-82He is the One Who formed me. And it is He Who guides me to the righteous path. And He is the One Who makes me eat and drink. He is the One Who cures me when I am ill. And it is He Who will take my life and resurrect me. And He is the One Who, I hope, will forgive me for my sin on the day of religion.

In these verses, Prophet Ibrahim attempts to introduce Allah, whom he describes in verse 77 as “the Lord of the worlds.” Beginning the introduction by enumerating some of our Lord’s attributes such as “the Creator,” “the Guide,” “the Provider,” “the Healer,” Prophet Ibrahim reveals his relationship with Allah from creation to the final point of resurrection, stating that it is “Allah” who will take his life and then resurrect him to hold him accountable, and that he hopes for forgiveness from Allah on that day. Thus, he demonstrates that divinity belongs only to Allah and that worship should be directed only to Him.

Prophet Ibrahim’s words in verse 82 are noteworthy. Here, instead of using an expression like “the one who will forgive me…,” he uses the phrase “the One Who, I hope, will forgive me…,” reminding us of the principle of always referring every matter to Allah’s will and decree. Thus, it is emphasized once again that absolute power of effect belongs completely and solely to Allah, and that any effect in things depends on Allah’s will and permission. The details regarding the questioning of messengers can be found in the analysis of verse 6 of Al-A’raf.

Prophet Ibrahim’s words in verse 82 expressing his hope for forgiveness have been interpreted by some as indicating “he had sins he wanted forgiven,” leading these individuals to attempt to attribute sins to Prophet Ibrahim based on both the Quran and the Bible. Regarding the sins attempted to be attributed to Prophet Ibrahim from the Quran, verses from Al-Anbiya (63), As-Saffat (88, 89), and Al-An’am (76) have been used. However, these verses contain no statement suggesting Prophet Ibrahim lied. This matter has been explained in detail in the analysis of the relevant verses.

As for the sin attributed to Prophet Ibrahim based on the Bible, it concerns his referring to his wife as “my sister.” This matter is detailed in Genesis, Chapter 20.

Verses 83-91:

⁸³My Rabb! Give me ‘judgement’ and join me with the righteous! ⁸⁴And make me among those who will be remembered with good for next generations! ⁸⁵And make me among the inheritors of Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] with abundant blessings! ⁸⁶And forgive my father as well because indeed, he became of those astray. ^87-91And do not disgrace me on the day of resurrection; on that day when wealth and sons will not benefit anyone but those who come with a sound heart/a true faith and when Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] will be brought close to those who entered under the guardianship of Allah and when Jahannah [Hell] will be brought forth and shown for the transgressors!”.

This group of verses listing Prophet Ibrahim’s supplications demonstrates how to pray and what to ask from Allah.

QALB-E-SALEEM (قلب سليم – Sound Heart)

The details about the word “qalb” (قلب ) were given in the analysis of Surah Qaf. The term “qalb-e-saleem” in Prophet Ibrahim’s prayer means “a sound, disease-free heart that has no doubts or mental anguish when facing the universe’s miracles, a heart that is completely satisfied.” This expression refers to “true faith” in our subject verse, because “heart disease” is defined in the Quran as “hypocrisy (nifaq) and hypocrisy of munafiqeen (hypocrites).”

¹⁰In their hearts is illness; ill is their mentality; so Allah has increased illness; going astray for them. A painful punishment is for them for they lie.

(Al-Baqara/10)

^60-62Indeed, if those hypocrites and those in whose hearts is disease; ill-minded and those who spread rumors in Medina do not cease what they do, We will definitely inflict you upon them by cursing them. Then, they will not remain your neighbors therein except for a little; as with the implementation of Allah upon those who have passed away, they will be seized wherever they are found and killed pitilessly. You will not find a change in the law/implementation of Allah!!

(Al-Ahzab/ 60)

Prophet Ibrahim succeeded in coming before Allah with a “qalb-e-saleem,” and our Lord has announced this in the Quran:

⁸⁴When he came to his Rabb with a sound heart.

(Saffat/ 84)

WHAT PROPHET IBRAHIM ASKED FROM HIS LORD:

To be granted wisdom/judgment
To be joined with the righteous
To be remembered with good for next generations! (lisan-e-sidq)
To be made an inheritor of Paradise
The forgiveness for his father
Not to be disgraced on Judgment Day

The Quran explains people’s disgrace on Judgment Day as follows:

²⁷Then, on the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection], Allah will disgrace them and say: “Where are My partners for whom you opposed?”. Those who were given knowledge will say: “Indeed, today, disgrace and evil are upon the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb”.

(An-Nahl/ 27)

Some of our Lord’s blessings on Prophet Abraham and those who came after him are as follows;

¹⁰⁸And We left a word about him [to mention him with good, to follow him] that will remain among the later generations.

(Saffat/ 108)

⁵⁰And We gave them bounties from Our mercy. And We made for them a great reputation of honor, righteousness.

(Maryam/ 50)

The statement in verse 90 that Paradise is brought closer to the righteous, so to speak, to the feet of the righteous, is also mentioned in Surah Kaf:

³¹And Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] will be brought close to those who have entered under the guardianship of Allah, will not be far.

(Kaf/ 31)

Verses 92-102:

^92,93And it will be said to them: “Where are the things you used to worship from among those that are inferior to Allah? Do they help you or do they help themselves?”.

^94,95Then idols and transgressors and the soldiers of Iblis/thinking ability; those who acted without contemplating will be thrown into Jahannah [Hell].

In this group of verses, information about the Day of Resurrection is given, and some scenes of the Resurrection are depicted.

In verses 92 and 93, the statement “And it will be said to them: “Where are the things you used to worship from among those that are inferior to Allah? Do they help you or do they help themselves?” contains the words spoken by the Prophet Ibrahim to the polytheists. According to what is understood from Prophet Ibrahim’s words, the false deities mentioned here are deified humans on earth. For it is not conceivable that idols made of stone, clay, or bronze would be thrown into Hell or punished.

^66,67Abraham said: “Then, do you worship that which is from among those that are inferior to Allah that do not benefit you at all and do not harm you? Then woe to you and what you worship from among those that are inferior to Allah! Will you still not reason?”.

(Al-Anbiya/ 66, 67)

In verses 96–102, it is described how some people, who in this world regarded and served their religious leaders as gods, treated their words and actions as law, and submitted to them in every way, will behave toward those leaders in the Hereafter. In the Hereafter, these people—realizing that they have been cast into Hell because of their blind obedience—will hold those leaders responsible for leading them astray and will rain curses upon them. With this scene of the Hereafter, our Lord warns such people who follow their leaders blindly, reminding them that they must carefully evaluate whether these leaders are guiding them to truth or falsehood. This terrifying scene is also repeated in other surahs of the Qur’an:

³⁸Allah will say: “Enter among those peoples with a leader who passed on before you; who are in the fire, whether you know them or not!”. Every time a people enter, they curse their brother. At the end, when all of them gather in there, then the later ones will say about the former ones: “Our Rabb! They made us astray. Punish them many times more from the fire”. Allah will say: “Punishment is many times more for all but you do not know”.

(Al-A’raf/ 38)

²⁹And those infidels; who consciously denied the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb said: “O our Rabb! Show us those who led us astray from the righteous path of everyone we know or we do not know. We will keep them under our feet so they may be among the lowest”.

(Fussilat/ 29)

^67,68And they will say: “O our Rabb! Indeed, we obeyed our chiefs and dignitaries so they led us astray from the path. O our Rabb! Give them two shares from the punishment and curse them/deprive them of Your mercy completely”.

(Al-Ahzab/ 67, 68)

This conflict between the disbelievers in the Hereafter will take place even if they have sworn friendship in this world. This is because the Qur’an states that in the Hereafter only the believers will continue to be friends, while the disbelievers will be enemies:

⁶⁷On that day, all leaders/those who follow each other except for those who have entered under the guardianship of Allah will be enemy of each other.

(Az-Zukhruf/ 67)

⁶⁴Indeed, this quarreling/dispute of the people of the fire is truth.

(Sad/ 64)

Verses 103, 104:

¹⁰³Surely, there is an evidence/a sign in this. But most of them were not believers.

¹⁰⁴And no doubt that your Rabb is the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the possessor of vast mercy.

These accounts concerning the Prophet Ibrahim are described as “a sign [lesson, admonition],” and the warnings in these verses invite people of understanding to think, threaten the infidels, and give hope and assurance to those who believe and will believe. These warnings are directed primarily at the Meccans, as well as all people of all times.

The fact that the story of the Prophet Ibrahim is a “sign [lesson, admonition]” is, in our view, twofold:

First and foremost, this story was a sign for the Meccan polytheists, who claimed descent from Ibrahim but refused to follow the Messenger calling them to the religion of their forefather. Accordingly, the Meccan polytheists should have first understood this, abandoned their stubbornness, and adhered to the pure, Hanif religion of their ancestors.

Secondly, they should have taken heed from the destruction of Ibrahim’s rebellious people and the fact that only his lineage through Ismail, Ishaq, Yaqub… continued.

⁷⁰Has the news of those before them; the people of Noah, Ad, Thamud, the people of Abraham, the companions of Midian and overturned cities not come to them? Their messengers came to them with clear proofs. And then it was not Allah Who treated them unjustly. But they treated themselves unjustly by associating others with Allah.

(At-Tawbah/ 70)

Verse 105:

¹⁰⁵People of Noah denied those who were sent to them [messengers, messages].

The third important account mentioned in this surah concerns the Prophet Nuh, and the details about him continue until the 120th verse.

Information about the Prophet Nuh and his people, previously mentioned in the surahs of Qamar and A’raf, is also covered in detail in the surahs of Hud and Nuh, apart from this surah.

Although only the Prophet Nuh was sent as a messenger to his people, it is noteworthy that the verse uses the plural expression “those sent.” In our view, this expression does not mean that many messengers came to that people and they rejected all of them, but rather that the people outright denied the institution of prophethood, refused to acknowledge any messenger, and were determined in their rejection of prophethood. Additionally, the expression “those sent” also encompasses the meaning of “messages.” For this reason, in the translation we have provided, we have indicated both meanings.

Verses 106-120:

¹¹¹They said: “Shall we believe in you while the lowest people follow you?”.

¹¹⁶And they said: “O Noah! If you do not desist, know well that you will definitely be of those who are stoned to death!”.

^117,118Noah said: “My Rabb! My people have denied me. Then judge between me and them. And save me and those who are with me of the believers!”.

The story of Nuh (Noah) has also been mentioned in other verses of the Qur’an (A’raf /59-64, Yunus/ 71-73, Hud/ 25-48, Isra/ 2, 3, Anbiya/ 76, 77, Mu’minun/ 23-28, Furqan/ 37, Ankabut/ 14, 15, Saffat/ 75-82, Qamar/ 9-15 and the surah of Nuh). It is beneficial to read all the verses related to the parable collectively:

When examining the story of Prophet Nuh by considering all the verses in the Qur’an that mention Nuh and the surah of Nuh, it becomes apparent that the events between Prophet Nuh and his people, bear an exact resemblance to what occurred between our Prophet and the Meccan polytheists. Prophet Nuh put forward two points to make his people believe in him. The first was that he was recognized by his people as a trustworthy person before being given the mission of prophethood. This point is not mentioned in other parts of the story found in other surahs but is specifically stated in the 107th verse, which is our current subject. The second point was that Prophet Nuh continued his mission tirelessly day and night, without demanding any reward or seeking any personal benefit, despite all objections and attacks. Additionally, another similarity is that the first believers in Prophet Nuh were ordinary people, even from the lower strata of society, just like those who first believed in our Prophet and became Muslims.

The story of Prophet Noah is recorded in the Bible in Genesis 6, 7, 8.

^{119, 120}Upon this, We saved him and those with him, in the ship fully and perfectly equipped with all the necessary equipment and provisions; in the monotheistic religion of Islam. Then, We plunged the remaining ones into great trials and devastated them!

“al-fulqi al-mashhun” (الفُلْكِ الْمَشْحُونِ) – The fully equipped ship

“sh-h-n” (ش ح ن)

The root of the word “al-mashhun” (الْمَشْحُونِ) is “sh-h-n” (ش ح ن), which means “to fill.” The form “al-mashhun” (الْمَشْحُونِ) means “filled” or “loaded.” This word appears in our Qur’an as an adjective for the ship (“fulq”) in the verses of Yasin/41, Shu’ara/119, and Saffat/140. In all Qur’anic studies, this adjective phrase is translated as “loaded ship,” but what the ship was loaded with remains unexplained.

However, in ancient dictionaries, it is explained as:

مَلْؤُكَ السفينة وإِتْمامُك جِهازَها كله.

. شَحَنَ السفينة يَــشْحَنُــها

شَحْنــاً: مَلأَها، … “

، … “mal’uka al-safinah wa itmamuka jihazaha kulluh. shahana al-safinah yashhanuha shahnan: mala’aha…” meaning “to completely fill and perfect all the ship’s equipment (provisions).” This means: When the word “al-mashhun” (الْمَشْحُونِ) is used as an adjective for a ship, it is understood as “a ship fully and perfectly equipped with all necessary provisions and gear.” The purpose of describing the qualities of the “mashhun” ship is actually to indicate the qualities of the Islamic religion.

In surah Ma’idah, verse 3;

….This day I have perfected your religion for you, I have completed My favor upon you. And I have approved Islam as the religion for you. ….

“Shahane” (شحانة – meaning “very beautiful!”)

Although the Turkish Language Association (TDK) states that this word comes from Persian with the meaning “befitting kings/shahs, befitting rulers,” it actually derives from the root “sh-h-n” (ش ح ن) with the meaning “very beautiful, perfect, of superior quality.”

“al-fulqi al-mashhun” ( الْفُلْكِ الْمَشْحُونِ – the fully equipped ship)

It becomes clearly and evidently apparent that this represents “hikmah-i baligha” (supreme wisdom) – (the Islamic Religion which is filled and equipped with perfect and complete principles that ensure people’s happiness in both this world and the hereafter).

“GHARQ” (غرق)

The word “gharq” (غرق) is generally understood to mean “drowning in water.” However, in all ancient dictionaries, it is found to have the absolute meaning of “sinking,” used in various contexts such as “sinking in water,” “sinking in debt,” or “sinking in calamity,” depending on the object it complements.

Here, the sinking/drowning of Noah’s people does not refer to sinking or drowning in water, but rather – as clearly explained in the verse of Saffat/76 – it means sinking in calamity; drowning in misfortune. As explained in Hud/39, it is the punishment of disgrace.

Hud/39 فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَۙ مَنْ يَأْت۪يهِ عَذَابٌ يُخْز۪يهِ وَيَحِلُّ عَلَيْهِ عَذَابٌ مُق۪يمٌ

….³⁹– You are going to know to whom that humiliating punishment will come and upon whom that perpetual punishment will descend. –

Saffat/76: وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَاَهْلَهُ مِنَ الْكَرْبِ الْعَظٖيمِؗ

⁷⁶And We saved him and his family, those who were close to him, those who believed from that great affliction.

In short, Nuh (Noah) and those with him were saved from the great calamity and the punishment of disgrace because they were in the Life-Saving Ship, that is, they were in the Islamic-Tawhid Religion.”

Verses 121, 122:

Again, these verses are a reference to the Meccans and people of all times, threatening those who do not come to their senses and giving hope to those who believe and will believe.

When these verses were revealed, the same thing was happening between the Prophet and the Meccan disbelievers, who were asking him to expel the slaves and poor people around him, such as Bilal, Ammar and Suhayb. However, there was a special warning from our Lord on this matter:

⁵²And do not send away those who call their Rabb morning-evening; always seeking His countenance! No liability is upon you from their account and no liability is upon them from your account. If you sent them away, you would be of those who do wrong; act against their own good!

^53,55And We have led some of them into the fire, tested them so they would say, “Is it these whom Allah favored among us?” and the path of the criminals may be disclosed/manifest for you. Is Allah not the One Who knows better those who repay for the blessings they are given? Thus We explain the Ayat in detail.

(Al-An’am/ 52, 53)

^-3,4How can you know, perhaps he will be purified, he may be reminded and that reminder would benefit him.

^5-7And as for the one who sees himself free of need; you give attention to him even though there is no responsibility on you if he is not purified. ^8-10But! As for the one who comes to you striving, fearing in awe with knowledge, love, respect; you go away from him easily assuming that what you do is better.-

^11-16Certainly not as they think! The Qur’an is what makes think, within valuable scriptures, exalted, purified, honored, in the hands of good writers. Whoever wills may think about it and remember.

(‘Abasa/ 5-16)

Verse 123:

¹²³People of Ad denied those who were sent to them [messengers, messages].

The fourth major news in this Surah is the story of the people of ’Ad and the Prophet Hud, who was sent to them as a messenger. These events are presented as a parable, much like the experiences of our Prophet with the polytheists of Mecca, and are intended to serve as a lesson to them. The narrative emphasizes that the fate of the people of ’Ad—who rejected Hud’s clear message—mirrors the fate of the Meccan polytheists, encouraging those who persist in disbelief to come to their senses.

Since extensive details about the tribe of ’Ad have already been provided in the analysis of the earlier Surahs, here we offer only a brief reminder, citing a few of the relevant verses as a warning and an admonition.

^6-13Have you not seen/thought about what your Rabb did to the people of Ad, Iram who owned pillars – like of which was not formed among the cities -, the people of Thamud who cut out the rocks in the valleys, Pharaoh, the owner of the stakes; who had excellent armies/tortured like never seen before? They transgressed in those lands. Therefore, they increased the corruption therein. That is why, your Rabb poured the whip of punishment upon them.

(Al-Fajr/6-13)

^67-69Hud said: O my people! I am no retarded nor ignorant, however I am a messenger sent by Rabb of all universes. I convey to you what my Rabb sent and I am a trustworthy adviser for you. Are you really surprised that a reminder/a book has come to a man from among you for you so he may warn you? And remember that He made you successors of the people of Noah, and He increased you in stature at formation. Remember the blessings of Allah so you may succeed”.

⁷⁰Then they said: “Have you come to make us to worship Allah without associating others with Him and leave what our ancestors worshipped? Then, if you are among the truthful, bring us that with which you threaten us!”.

(Al-A’raf/ 67-70)

¹⁵As for Ad, they acted arrogantly without right on the earth and said: “Who else is greater than us in strength?”. Did they not see that Allah Who formed them was definitely greater than them in strength! And they were consciously denying Our Ayat.

(Fussilat/15)

^59,60And this is the people of Ad, who rejected the Ayat of their Rabb, disobeyed His messengers and obeyed the command of every obstinate tyrant. And a curse followed them in this world and will follow them on the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection]. Open your eyes! The people of Ad did not believe in their Rabb. Open your eyes! The people of Ad who were the people of Hud was given away/was given eradication from the history.

(Hud/ 59, 60)

Verses 124-138:

^136-138And they said: “It is same for us whether you advise or you are not one of those advisers. This is only the lifestyle of the former ones. And we are not the ones to be punished”.

In verses 128–130, the statement: “Do you amuse yourselves by constructing a building at every hill as a sign? And do you take such places that produce industries [factories/castles] to become eternal/as if they will make you eternal?” brings to mind the skyscrapers of our time and the office buildings lined up along roads at city entrances. This reminds us of the lifestyle similarities between modern societies and the people of Ad. Indeed, the ostentatious buildings constructed on the high hills of cities are structures that, like those of the people of Ad, merely display wealth and power. This showy architectural style, which has become a trend, is a result of humanity’s affliction with the disease of greed (takathur, التكاثر) for selfish gains.

The money spent on these magnificent structures—which are indicators of hoarding and unnecessary waste for show—could instead be used to make investments that continuously generate value and provide job opportunities for many. If people do not come to their senses, the fate of the people of Ad will inevitably befall modern societies that exhibit the same behavior.

In verse 129, the word “لعلّكم leallekum” appears as “كأنّكم keennekum” in Ubayy’s mushaf. ^[9] This compound word in Arabic means “as if you.” Therefore, in our translation of the verse, we have included the meaning of both readings.

Verses 136–138, which describe the reactions shown against Prophet Hud, demonstrate that the polytheists of all eras are not much different from each other. If we recall, the Meccan polytheists had also shown similar reactions to our Prophet:

⁴And those infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb said: “This, the Qur’an, is nothing but a lie that he/Muhammad has invented. And another people helped him for this”. Thus they treated unjustly and brought forward a false allegation.

⁵And they said: “The Qur’an is the legends of the former ones written down; and these are being dictated to him day and night/continuously”.

(Al-Furqan/4, 5)

^24,25And when it was said to them: “What has your Rabb sent down?”, they said, “Legends of the former ones” so that they may bear their own sins in full and also bear a portion of the sins of those whom they led astray because of their ignorance on the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection]. Be careful, how evil is that which they bear!

(An-Nahl/24)

Verses 139, 140:

¹³⁹Then they denied him so We manipulated/destroyed them. Indeed there is an evidence/a sign in this, but most of them were not to be believers.

¹⁴⁰And no doubt that your Rabb is the One Who is certainly the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the possessor of vast mercy.

This time the story of the Prophet Hud and the people of Ad is recounted, and the Meccans and people of all times are again reminded to learn from the parable; as before, the stubborn are threatened with punishment, while the faithful are given the good news of mercy.

Verse 141:

¹⁴¹People of Thamud denied those who were sent to them [messengers, messages].

The fifth of the important narratives and striking information mentioned in this surah concerns the people of Thamud. The Thamud people, one of the significant nations in history, like the people of Noah and the people of Ad whose stories were relayed earlier, rejected the messages sent to them through a messenger chosen from among themselves and entirely denied the institution of prophethood.

As was the case with the people of Noah and Ad, the relationship between the messenger and the people of Thamud also resembles the relationship between our Prophet and the Meccans. The narrative of the tribe of Thamud, detailing the interactions between Prophet Salih and his people, extends until verse 159. Within this surah, additional details that were not included in previous surahs are provided, enriching the narrative further. The story of Thamud has also been mentioned in other surahs—such as al-Fajr, al-Najm, al-Shams, al-Buruj, al-Kaf, al-Qamar, Sad, and al-A’raf—and detailed information about this tribe has been discussed in the exegeses of these chapters.

It is significant to note that the story of Prophet Salih and the tribe of Thamud is not an Israelite or Far Eastern tale, but rather an Arab story. This is because the Arabs were well acquainted with this parable and frequently recounted it among themselves, which is why our Lord has included it so many times in the Qur’an.

Verses 142-157:

^153,154And they said: “You are definitely of those affected by magic! You are only a human like us. If you are among those who tell the truth, then bring us an evidence/a sign”.

¹⁵⁷Despite this, they destroyed the Support Institution by depleting its resources and then overnighted in regret.

Regarding the expression “the she-camel” mentioned in the narrative, we find it beneficial to refer to the explanations we provided in the Shams surah.

In the verse, the phrase “ناقةاللّه (Naqatullah – Allah’s she-camel)” is used for this camel. The attribution of the camel to Allah is a matter that requires careful consideration. What is being discussed here is neither the creation of the camel by Allah nor the camel being proof of Allah’s existence and oneness. After all, Allah is the creator of everything in the universe, and every creature – from the smallest particle to the largest sphere, living or non-living – is evidence of Allah’s existence and oneness.

The expression “en-Naqah” in the verse refers to a five-year-old strong she-camel that was communal property, from which the poor, orphans, needy – in short, all who were in need in that society at that time – could freely benefit from its milk, strength, and offspring. In modern terms, this expression corresponds to charitable organizations, social aid foundations, and social security institutions.

That hungry and poor people could escape from hunger, misery, and servitude to others through this institution [النّاقة (en-Naqah)] did not please the leaders of the Thamud people at that time. Because those who served them being freed from servitude did not suit these taghuts who saw themselves above all needs.

Verses 158, 159:

¹⁵⁸Therefore, punishment seized them. Surely, it is a big lesson but most of them did not believe.

¹⁵⁹ And no doubt that your Rabb is the One Who is certainly the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the possessor of vast mercy.

Following the narrative concerning the Thamud people, the grievous fate of this nation was declared, and once again a threat was given to the infidels while a message of hope and happiness was conveyed to believers and those who would believe.

Verse 160:

¹⁶⁰People of Lot denied those who were sent to them [messengers, messages].

The sixth of the important announcements and striking pieces of information given in this surah relates to the events that occurred between Prophet Lot and his people. The people of Lot also denied the messenger and messages sent to them, rejected the institution of prophethood, and were consequently punished.

The narration of this account, which continues until verse 173, begins by referring to previous accounts and contains new information not found in earlier ones, such as the fact that the messenger did not ask for any remuneration in return for his prophethood.

Verses 161-173:

¹⁶⁷They said: “O Lot! If you do not desist, you will certainly be of those who are driven out”.

¹⁶⁸Lot said: “Surely I am one of those who detest what you do”.

^169__My Rabb! Save me and my family from what they have been doing!–

There exists a widespread and mistaken belief among societies that the people of Lot were destroyed solely because of homosexuality. It should not be assumed that homosexuality was the only reason for the destruction of Lot’s people. This nation’s fundamental crime was “polytheism (shirk, شِرْك) and rejecting the prophet.” This is understood both from the statement in Shu’ara verse 166: “Truly, you are a people who transgress” from the fact that the punishment for homosexuality is not “destruction,” and from verse 160 of the Shu’ara surah:

¹⁶⁰People of Lot denied those who were sent to them [messengers, messages].

(Ash-Shu’ara/ 160)

THE PUNISHMENT FOR HOMOSEXUALITY

Scholars have differed on the punishment for homosexuality; some have suggested different punishments, such as throwing it off a cliff, burying it alive, stoning it to death, and beating it with a hundred sticks as in the case of adultery.

However, our Lord has revealed the punishment for homosexuality in the Qur’an:

¹⁵For those of your women who have transgressed/committed sexual abominations, bring four witnesses from among you against them; if they testify, keep those women in the houses until this disgrace, ignorance, distressed, unhappy condition takes them to a higher position and makes them owner of high moral or Allah sets forth a solution for them.

¹⁶If two males from among you commit sexual abominations, then rehabilitate both of them right away. If they repent and correct themselves, then keep your distance from them. Indeed, Allah is the One Who accepts the repentances most, gives many opportunities to repent, shows great mercy.

(An-Nisa/ 15, 16)

As can be seen, the prescribed punishment for this crime is to subject the perpetrators to physical and verbal chastisement. Since the nature of the chastisement is not specified, the form of punishment can be adjusted by public authorities according to contemporary conditions. What is understood from the verse is that the duty of eradicating this vile behavior belongs to society. Therefore, states should make necessary efforts to eliminate this deviance: those with physical abnormalities should receive treatment, while those pursuing different pleasures who engage in this act as slaves to their passions should be punished.

In verse 173, attention is drawn to the rain poured upon the people of Lot, but no further information is given about it. In reality, this was not water rain but a rain of stones. According to details given elsewhere in the Quran, when Prophet Lot departed from his homeland with his family in the last hours of night, at dawn there occurred a terrifying explosion and violent earthquake. After all the houses of this wicked people were turned upside down, stones made of baked clay fell upon the city like rain due to volcanic eruption and wind effects.

Regarding the region where Lot’s people lived, Mawdudi, after evaluating the Bible, ancient Greek and Latin writings, as well as modern geological research and archaeological observations, conveys the following on this matter:

“The hundreds of ruins found in the desert and empty lands stretching east and south of the Dead Sea show that this was once a prosperous and densely populated region. Archaeologists estimate that this area’s period of prosperity occurred between 2300-1900 BCE. According to historians, Abraham lived around 2000 BCE. Therefore, archaeological evidence confirms that this region was destroyed during the time of Prophet Abraham and his nephew Lot .

The most populous and fertile area of the region was, as mentioned in the Bible, the ‘Vale of Siddim’: ‘And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.’ (Genesis 13:10). Modern scholars believe this basin is now located beneath the Dead Sea, supported by solid archaeological evidence: In ancient times, the Dead Sea did not extend as far south as it does today. Opposite modern Jordan’s city of al-Karak (el-Kerek) lies a small peninsula called al-Lisan (el-Lisan), which was formerly the end of the Dead Sea. The area south of this, now underwater, was the fertile ‘Vale of Siddim’ containing the famous cities of Lot’s people: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar. Around 2000 BCE, this valley collapsed due to a powerful earthquake and was submerged. Even today, this remains the shallowest part of the Sea. During Roman times it was even shallower, allowing people to walk across to al-Lisan on the western shore. Submerged forests are still visible along the southern coasts, and buildings likely remain underwater.

According to the Bible and ancient Greek/Latin writings, the region was rich in petroleum pits and asphalt, with pockets of non-flammable gas. Geological observations indicate that a severe earthquake caused petroleum, asphalt and gases to erupt and ignite, making the entire area explode like a bomb. The Bible describes how when Prophet Abraham heard the news and went from Hebron (Hibran) to the devastated valley, he saw ‘the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace’ (Genesis 19:28).” ^[10]

Verses 174, 175:

¹⁷⁴Surely, there is an evidence/a sign in this. But most of them were not to be believers.

¹⁷⁵And no doubt that your Rabb is the One Who is certainly the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the possessor of vast mercy.

In these verses, again, a special message is given to the Meccans of that day and to people of all times.

Verse 176:

¹⁷⁶Companions of the Thicket denied those who were sent to them [messengers, messages].

The seventh of the important announcements and striking pieces of information concerns the Companions of the Thicket (Ashabu’l-Ayka, أَصْحَابُ الْأَيْكَة) and Prophet Shu’ayb, continuing until verse 189. The community to which Prophet Shu’ayb was sent as a messenger – referred to as the “People of Midian” (Ashabu Madyan, أَصْحَابُ مَدْيَن) in verse 86 of A’raf surah – is called the “Companions of the Thicket” in this surah. This shows that both names refer to the same people.

Verses 177-189:

¹⁸⁸Shu’ayb said: “My Rabb is the One Who knows best what you do”.

¹⁸⁹Then they denied him so the punishment of that shadow day seized them. Surely it was a punishment of a great day.

According to the verses, what Prophet Shu’ayb demanded from his people was:

Give full measure!
Weigh with accurate scales!
Do not deprive people of their rightful due! [This item establishes the standards for wages and livelihood in human religions. It is desired that no one should suffer livelihood difficulties.]
Do not spread corruption on earth as mischief-makers!
Fear the One who created you and the previous nations!

The response given by his people to Prophet Shu’ayb was identical to that given by the Thamud people to Prophet Salih – whose beliefs were already similar. If we recall, the response of the Thamud people’s leaders to Prophet Salih was: “You are certainly one of the bewitched! You are but a human like us. If you are truthful, then bring us a sign.”

The reaction of the Meccan polytheists (mushrikun) to the call made to them was no different from the above:

^90-93And they said: “We will not believe in you until you cause a spring to gush out from the ground. Or you must have a garden of dates and grapes. You must cause rivers to gush forth in force between them. Or you must make the heavens/universe fall upon us in pieces as you have claimed or you must bring Allah and angels before us. Or you must have a house ornamented with gold or you must ascend into the heavens/universe. But we will never believe in your ascension until you bring down to us a book which we may learn and teach”. And say: “Purified is my Rabb from all deficiencies. I am nothing but a human messenger!”.

(Al-Isra/ 90-93)

³²And once, they said: “O our Allah! If this is the truth itself that has come from You, then rain upon us stones from the sky immediately or give us a very painful punishment”.

(Al-Anfal/ 32)

Some different information is also given in the other surahs of the story:

^88,89And the chiefs among his people who were arrogant said: “O Shu’ayb! Either we definitely drive you and those who have believed with you out of this city or you will return to our religion/lifestyle!” And Shu’ayb said: “Even if we are unwilling? If we returned to your religion/lifestyle after Allah saved us from it, we would certainly invent lie against Allah. It is not for us to return to it except that Allah, our Rabb should will. Our Rabb encompasses everything with His knowledge. So we trust and rely only on Allah”. – O our Rabb! Judge justly between us and our people. Because You are the best of those who judge! –

(Al-A’raf/ 88, 89)

⁹⁴And when Our command came, We saved Shu’ayb and those who have believed with him with a mercy from Us. And a horrible blast seized those people who did wrong; acted against their own good by associating others with Allah so they became fallen prone on their land. ⁹⁵As if they had never lived there in prosperity. Open your eyes! Then, the people of Midian are to be taken away/erased from the history as the people of Thamud were taken.

(Hud/ 94, 95)

⁸⁷They said: “O Shu’ayb! Is it your Salah [your religion that includes supporting financially and spiritually; enlightening the community] that commands you that we should abandon what our ancestors worshipped and that we should not do whatever we will with our wealth? Indeed, you are a tenderhearted and right minded man”.

(Hud/ 87)

The expression “Punishment of the Shadow Day” (Azabu’l-Yawmi’dh-Dhill, عَذَابُ الْيَوْمِ الظِّلِّ) in verse 189 is noteworthy. Classical works contain numerous transmissions regarding the “punishment of the shadow day” mentioned in the verse. This information is based on narrations and conjectures. To properly understand the subject, it is beneficial to examine these:

It has been narrated that the Almighty (Cenâb-ı Hak) sent winds upon them for seven days and afflicted them with sand, dust, and earth, cutting off their breath in such a way that neither shade nor water could benefit them. Thus, they were forced to go out into the desert. Allah shaded them with a cloud whose coolness and pleasant breeze they felt. They all gathered beneath that cloud. Then the cloud rained fire upon them, burning them completely.

It has been narrated that Shu’ayb was sent as a prophet to two communities called the People of Midian (Ashabu Madyan) and the “Companions of the Thicket” (Ashabu’l-Ayka). The Midianites were destroyed by a single shout from Gabriel (Jibril, جِبْرِيل), while the “Companions of the Thicket” were destroyed by “the punishment of that shadowy-cloudy day.” ^[11]

Then they denied him. Thereupon, the punishment of “the Day of Shadow” (yawmu’z-zullah, يَوْمُ الظُّلَّةِ) seized them.” Ibn Abbas (Ibn ‘Abbas) said: There came an extremely intense heat. Then the Almighty Allah sent a cloud, and they rushed toward it to seek shade beneath it. After they had gathered under its shadow, a mighty cry (sayha, صَيْحَةٌ) burst upon them and they were all destroyed.

According to another explanation: The Almighty Allah kept this cloud above their heads. It was radiating heat like flames. Finally, they perished and died. That day was one of the greatest days ever witnessed on earth.

It has been said: The Almighty Allah sent upon them an intensely hot wind, so they retreated to the shade of trees. Then the Almighty Allah set the grove ablaze, and they all burned.

According to another narration from Ibn Abbas (Ibn ‘Abbas, ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ) and others, the Almighty Allah opened one of the gates of Hell (jahanam, جَهَنَّم) upon them and sent an extremely intense heat. They became unable to breathe, entered their homes, but neither shade nor water benefited them. They were roasted by the heat and fled to the plains to escape it. The Almighty Allah sent a cloud over them which provided shade. There they found some coolness, comfort, and a pleasant breeze. They began calling one another until all had gathered under that cloud. Then the Almighty Allah ignited the cloud with flames. The ground beneath them shook, and they burned like scorched locusts, turning to ashes. This is what is described in Allah’s words: “…they lay prone in their dwellings as though they had never dwelt there” (Hud 11:67) and “Then the punishment of the Day of Shadow (yawmu’z-zullah, يَوْمُ الظُّلَّةِ) seized them. Indeed, it was the punishment of a tremendous day.”

It has also been narrated: The Almighty Allah deprived them of wind for seven days and afflicted them with heat until they could not breathe. Neither shade nor water benefited them. They entered tunnels to cool down, but found them hotter than outside. Finally, they fled to the desert where a cloud shaded them – this is “az-zullah” (الظلة). Beneath it they found coolness and a breeze, but then fire rained upon them and they burned.

Yazid al-Jurayri (Yazid al-Jurayri, يَزِيدُ الْجُرَيْرِيِّ) said: The Almighty Allah afflicted them with continuous heat for seven days and nights. Then He raised a distant mountain. When someone reached it, they saw rivers, springs, trees and cold water beneath it. They all gathered under the mountain, which then collapsed upon them. This is what is called “az-zullah” (الظلة). ^[12]

In our view, it is possible to understand the “Punishment of the Shadowy Day” (Azabu Yawmi’dh-Dhill, عَذَابُ يَوْمِ الظِّلِّ) from the verses describing the destruction of this people in the A’raf and Hud surahs.

^91,92Then that grievous tremor seized them, so they fell on knees within their homeland. Those who denied Shu’ayb became as if they never dwelt/were never prosperous there. Those who denied Shu’ayb, they became the ones who lost.

(Al-A’raf/ 91, 92)

(Hud/ 94)

As understood from these verses, either: A volcano became active, spewing lava while the ejected stones and earth rose as a massive dust cloud creating a shadowy haze, or, Before a tremendous earthquake, a thick fog layer covered the area, and with the earthquake, a great dust cloud formed.

Verses 190, 191:

¹⁹⁰Indeed, there is an evidence/a sign in this. But most of them were not to be believers.

¹⁹¹And no doubt that your Rabb is the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, very merciful.

The Prophet Shuayb and his people are also a lesson for mankind. Societies that live like the people of Shuayb in this world will also face destruction. As for those who believe, do righteous deeds, and stand against the wicked, they will attain Allah’s mercy.

A GENERAL COMMENTARY ON THE STORIES

In the narrated accounts, it is evident that every prophet consistently conveyed the same message to their people: “I do not ask for any remuneration from you; my reward is only with the Lord of the worlds.”

This unwavering lack of personal reward is a powerful proof of their true messengership. These messengers performed their duties without any personal interest, often leaving behind their comfortable lives and established work. They risked being labeled as madmen, liars, or magicians, and they even risked severing ties with their disbelieving relatives—all in the pursuit of conveying the divine message. It is inconceivable that anyone who is not a genuine messenger would willingly endure so much hardship for the sake of temporary benefits. On the contrary, someone seeking worldly power would typically cling to traditional prejudices and manipulate society to serve personal ambitions, not to sacrifice it in pursuit of Allah’s message.

NOR DID THE PROPHET ASK ANYONE FOR A FEE

Apart from the verses mentioned above, it is seen in many other verses that our Lord did not allow any of His prophets to demand or take any reward in return for their duty. As stated in the Hud and Dhariyat surahs, the messengers who brought good news to the Prophet Ibrahim refused the hospitality offered to them by Ibrahim in return for their mission. On this matter, our Prophet was also repeatedly commanded the same thing in the Furqan, Sad, Qalam, and Saba surahs. Therefore, it is impossible for our Prophet to have asked for any reward from anyone. This also includes asking for his relatives to be favored or loved, for ultimately, such a request is also a form of seeking benefit and personal gain.

Despite this, due to the influence of hundreds of narrations claiming that the Prophet wanted love for his close family (Ahl al-Bayt), an exception has been added to the 57th verse of Furqan and the 23rd verse of Shu’ra. As a result, in many translations, the phrase “fondness and love in closeness” in the 23rd verse of Shura has been interpreted as “I ask you to love my relatives, my Ahl al-Bayt.” However, there is no possessive word or indication in the verse. The expression there still means “seeking the path to Allah, fostering love for the sake of closeness to Allah.” The opposite scenario—where the Prophet makes a request for his relatives—is impossible, as such a demand would contradict the principles of prophethood.

Moreover, as understood from the context of these verses, the address is always directed at the infidels, and expecting any reward or compensation from them is meaningless. For the infidels do not accept the Prophet and wage fierce struggle against him. In such a heated conflict, it would be utterly illogical for one party to demand that the opposing side love their relatives.

Verses 192-196:

¹⁹²And surely, this clear book is sent down by Rabb of all universes.

After completing the important announcements section that appears as a major parenthesis in the Quranic narrative at the beginning of the surah, the explanation returns to the main subject concerning the Quran. The conjunction “wa” (and) at the beginning of verse 192 connects this paragraph to the beginning of the surah, and the demonstrative pronoun “this” in the word “إنّه innehü” in the same verse refers to “clear, explanatory book” mentioned in verse 2. Therefore, this paragraph should be understood together with verses 1 and 2 of the surah as follows:

Verses 1, 2, 192-196:

¹Ta/9, Sin/60, Mim/40.

²These are the Ayat of the explicit book/the book that clarifies.

¹⁹²And surely, this clear book is sent down by Rabb of all universes.

^193-195The Trustworthy Soul [divine messages, trustworthy knowledge] descended into your heart in an explicit Arabic language so you may be of those warners with that explicit book. ¹⁹⁶And indeed, the Trustworthy Soul [divine messages, trustworthy knowledge] was certainly in the books of those before you.

AR-RUH AL-AMIN

This expression appears in the Quran only in verse 193 of this passage. The phrase “ar-Ruh al-Amin” in this verse, which is actually an adjective phrase, is mistakenly perceived as a noun phrase “Ruh al-amin” (the Trustworthy Soul), leading to significant errors. Indeed, the traditional understanding based on the preconceived notion that the Quran was revealed by an angel named Jibril/Gabriel has led to the incorrect translation of verse 193 as “The Trusted Spirit [Jibril] brought it down,” causing this misconception to become entrenched in minds. However, this translation not only contradicts the literal meaning of the verse but also conflicts with both the expression in verse 192 – “It is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds [Allah]” – and hundreds of other verses stating that the Quran was revealed by Allah.

Another contradiction arises from interpreting the intransitive verb “nazala” (to descend) as transitive meaning “brought down,” when in fact it should remain intransitive. To resolve this contradiction with hundreds of other verses, it would suffice to interpret the preposition “bi” in “bihi” as indicating accompaniment (“with”, musahabah) rather than physical contact (ilsak). In this case, the verb “nazala” would retain its intransitive meaning as “descended with it,” which is consistent with the Qur’anic usage elsewhere.

“Moreover, dozens of QURRA (Ibn Amir, Hamza Kisa’i, Asim, Shu’ba, Hasan, Khalaf, Yaqub, Abu Hatim, Abu Ubayd, A’mash) have recited this expression as ‘NAZZALA BIHI AR-RUH AL-AMIN…’ ^[13] The meaning of this recitation is: ‘The Lord of the worlds sent down the Trustworthy Spirit [divine messages, reliable knowledge] to your heart with that clear Book, in plain Arabic language, so that you may be among the warners.’

As a result, it is incorrect to personify the expression ‘ar-Ruh al-Amin’ in verse 193 as ‘Jibril.’ Here, what is described as ‘amin, trustworthy, sound’ and sent down to our Prophet’s heart by Allah to make him among the warners – namely ‘the spirit, knowledge, revelation’ – was also sent down by Allah to strengthen the believers, as clearly stated in verse 22 of Surah al-Mujadilah.”

Verse 197:

¹⁹⁷And has it not been an evidence/a sign for the scholars of Israelites that they know about the existence of the trustworthy knowledge in their own books?

As we mentioned in the introduction of the surah, this verse has been claimed to be Medinan. The reason for this claim is presumably the inability to establish a meaningful connection between this verse and the verses before and after it. However, when the pronoun ‘it’ in the verse is understood to refer to “the existence of sound knowledge [in their own scriptures,]” this claim becomes baseless. Otherwise, no meaningful connection can be established between this verse and the surrounding verses, and one might argue that the verse is Medinan. Yet, in that case, the problem arises as to where this verse should be placed among the verses revealed in Medina.

In this verse, the scholars of the Children of Israel are presented as witnesses to the fact that the Quran was revealed by Allah. For unlike the Arabs, the scholars of the Children of Israel were knowledgeable about matters such as revelation and scripture, and if the Quran were presented to them, they would be able to confirm that it is like the previous scriptures.

This verse has been interpreted with verses 52-55 of Surah al-Qasas:

⁵²Those to whom We gave the Book before the Word [Wahy [Revelation]/the Qur’an] believe in the Word [Wahy [Revelation]/the Qur’an] as well.

⁵³And when the Word [Wahy [Revelation]/the Qur’an] was recited to them, they said: “We have believed in it. Surely, it is the truth sent by our Rabb. Indeed, we were those who were Muslims before it”.

⁵⁴They will be given their reward twice for they have had patience. And they eliminate the evil with the good and they spend from that which We have provided them for the cause of Allah/provide sustenance first for their relatives and then others.

⁵⁵And when they hear vain talk, they keep their distance from it and say: “What we do is only for us and what you do is only for you. Salam [health, peace, happiness…] be upon you! We do not seek the ignorant”.

(Al-Qasas/ 52-55)

We would also like to remind you of the following verses on this subject:

^156,157Allah says: “I have My punishment; I will touch with it whom I will, and I have My Mercy; that encompasses everything. I will decree it especially to those who enter under guardianship of Allah, those who give zaqah; the tax that the believers sincerely give as a liability of belief and duty of servitude so that the religion of Allah may be spread, maintained and Salah may be established¹¹⁶ and who believe in Our Ayat; and those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who is from the Mother City/Mecca who orders them the good, forbids them from evil, allows them that which is clean and pleasant and prohibits for them that which is filthy and evil, relieves them of their burden, ties and chains which were upon them; whom they can find written in the Torah and in the Bible which are with them. Therefore, those who believe in him, show him a strong respect, support him and follow the light sent down with him will be the ones who will succeed”.

(Al-A’raf/ 156, 157)

¹⁰Say: “Have you ever thought? If the Qur’an is from Allah and you consciously denied it, while a witness from among Israelites testified for something similar and believed, and you acted arrogantly… Surely, Allah does not guide a people who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Himself”.

(Al-Ahqaf/ 10)

¹⁰⁶And We have divided the Qur’an into divisions so you may learn and teach to the people in accordance with the expectations and We have sent it down progressively!

^107,108Say: “Whether you believe in the Qur’an or you do not; those who were given knowledge before; when the Qur’an is recited, they fall in prostration, submitting. And they say: “Purified is our Rabb from all deficiencies. And the promise of our Rabb will certainly be fulfilled”.

¹⁰⁹And they fall upon their chins, crying. And the Qur’an increases their respect and humility.

(Al-Isra/ 106-109)

198, 199. Verses:

In these verses continuing the Quranic explanations and information, it is stated that even if the Quran – revealed in Arabic – were revealed to someone who didn’t know Arabic and he recited it in Arabic (meaning if a foreigner recited the Quran in a language he didn’t know), and even if the infidels witnessed such a miracle, they still wouldn’t believe.

What is being conveyed is that the disbelievers have underestimated the miraculous nature of the Qur’an by reducing its wonder to the mere fact that the Prophet was an Arabic speaker.

The statement that the Quran was initially revealed in Arabic to Arabs so they could thoroughly understand it shows that the Quran prioritizes human comprehension. Because if the Quran weren’t in Arabic, the Arabs wouldn’t have understood it. Therefore, to believe in the Quran, it must necessarily be understood. For non-Arabs to recite the Quran in Arabic without understanding it contradicts verses stating our Lord revealed the Quran to be understood:

²Surely, We have sent down the Qur’an in Arabic so you may understand.

(Yusuf/2)

^155-157And the Qur’an is a blessed book that We have sent down so some of you will not say, “The book was sent down to only two groups before us, Jews and Christians; but we could not read these books and we could not understand their language” or some of you will not say, “Had a book been sent down to us, we would have been on a righteous path better than them”. Therefore, follow it and enter under the guardianship of Allah so you may be shown mercy. A clear proof, guidance and mercy have come to you as well from your Rabb. Therefore, who can do more wrong; act more against their own good than those who deny the Ayat of Allah, turn away from them? We will recompense those who turn away from Our Ayat with the worst of the punishment for they have turned away.

(Al-An’am/155-157)

Verses 200-209:

^200,201Thus We inserted it into the hearts of those sinners. They will not believe in it until they see the painful punishment.

²⁰²And this will come to them suddenly while they do not perceive.

²⁰³Then they will say: “Are we among the ones who are given respite?”.

²⁰⁴Do they wish to hasten Our punishment?

^205-207Do you see/have you ever thought about that if We make them earn for years and when the day they have been promised comes, that which they have earned will not benefit them.

²⁰⁸And We did not manipulate/destroy any city except that it had warners.

²⁰⁹A reminder! And We are not unjust.

In this group of verses, the foolish and stubborn attitude of the infidels against the Quran and their ultimate fate are explained. Although these skeptical fools demand that our Prophet immediately bring forth the punishment with which they are threatened, pretending not to believe, they always carry a ‘what if?’ in their minds. That is, while these deniers outwardly display an attitude of rejection and disbelief, they actually inwardly doubt, thinking ‘What if it’s true? What if it exists?’ and become uneasy.

⁵⁵And those who disbelieve; consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb will keep doubting the Qur’an until the moment of Qiyamat [Resurrection] or the punishment of a barren [unavailing, infertile] day has come to them unexpectedly.

(Al-Hajj/55)

The statement in verse 200, “Thus We inserted it into the hearts of those sinners.” supports this, and this expression can be understood as follows: ‘We made the Quran so comprehensible by revealing it in their own language that We cast it into their hearts in such a way that…’ This expression will appear again later in Surah Hijr:

¹Alif/1, Lam/30, Ra/200. These are the Ayat of the Book and an explicit Qur’an/Qur’an that clarifies.

²Time to time the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb will wish “If only We had been Muslims”.

¹²Thus We impose the Qur’an into the hearts of the criminals.

(Al-Hijr/1,2, 12)

Verses 210-212:

²¹⁰And it was not devils who placed the book which is explicit, which clarifies into your heart.

²¹¹It does not suit to them, and they are not capable.

²¹²Indeed, they are kept away from hearing/revelation.

In this group of verses, the main subject is returned to and it is explained that the Clear Book [the Qur’an] is the revelation of Allah and that evil people [the devils] had absolutely no role in its revelation.

It will be recalled that earlier, the devil;

One who commands and advises the eating of forbidden (haram) and gaining unjust gains,
Commanding us to commit evil, immorality and to say things against Allah that we do not know,
Who frightens us with poverty,
The one who leads us to vain thoughts,
The one who commands to change what Allah has created,
Whispering gilded words to deceive us,
The one who gives us mischief, provokes and confuses us,
Who spoils us with our deeds,
The one who turns us on,
Who want to sow enmity and hatred between us in drink/drugs and gambling,
We have explained that there are people and forces that want to hold us back from the remembrance of Allah and social support.

What is meant here by “devils” are evil people with the above characteristics. These evil people cannot interfere with the Qur’an in any way. This is because the Qur’an is protected by Allah and left in the heart of the Messenger Muhammad by Allah:

⁹No doubt that it is We Who have sent down that Reminder/Qur’an. And surely, We are the protectors of it.

(Al-Hijr/9)

The fact that the Qur’an is and will be preserved by Allah has already been discussed in detail in the analysis of Surah al-Buruj.

Because of the importance of the subject, we believe it would be useful to read the relevant section again.

The word “sem’a” in verse 212 means ‘revelation.’ There are examples of this word being used in this sense, such as in verse 10 of Surah Mulk and verse 18 of Surah Hijr. However, verses 16-18 of Surah Hijr have been distorted, and as a result of this distortion, beliefs have emerged that satans ascend to the heavens and speak with angels, or that satans stealthily and deceitfully approach while Allah and the angels are conversing, steal portions of their conversation, and relay them to the soothsayers on earth. Yet, such beliefs are based on a very ancient understanding and have no connection whatsoever with the verses of Surah Hijr. This topic will, God willing, be discussed in detail in the analysis of Surah Hijr.

Verses 213-220:

In this group of verses, the Prophet is instructed to continue his servitude by continuing his service [with the Qur’an] with the clean and strong material at his disposal, and in doing so, to be kind, to leave even those who behave badly in a soft manner, and to refer the matter to Allah, the All-Merciful, the All-Holy, the All-Merciful, at all times and in all places.

⁶¹And you, whatever occupation you have, whatever you recite of the Qur’an about it and whatever work you do, do not forget that We are witness over you when you are engaged in it. Not absent from your Rabb is anything of weight of an atom in the heavens/universe and on the earth. And anything smaller and greater than this is only within an explicit book.

(Yunus/ 61)

^88,89Do not covet upon that which We have given to some among them and let them enjoy with it; wealth and fortune. Do not grieve over them either… Lower your wings for the believers. And say: “Surely, I am the one who is the clear warner”.

(Al-Hijr/ 88)

Regarding the expression in our subject verse group: ‘And rely on the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the possessor of vast mercy Who sees you when you rise/come out to perform your messenger duties and walk among those who have submitted.‘ strange fabrications have been produced. In these fabricated narratives, it is claimed that our Prophet was circulated in the wombs of all believing women (descendants of Adam and Eve who prostrated) and in the loins of believing men from his mother’s womb until birth, and that he was carried in the loins of all prophets. They have even gone so far as to claim that his tasbih (glorification) and hajj talbiyah (saying “labbayk, labbayk”) were heard by others while he was circulating in some of his ancestors’ loins. ^[14]

Verses 221-223 and Naml/6:

As seen, we have included verse 6 of Surah Naml in this verse group. In our opinion, the verse classified by the companions as verse 6 of Surah Naml actually belongs here. As will be mentioned in Surah Naml, this verse has no semantic or technical compatibility with the passage in Surah Naml.

These verses continue to explain the nature of the Qur’an, making clear how evil forces—devils, slanderers, liars, and sinners—can deceive people, causing them to regard what is not divine revelation as if it were authentic. In contrast, our Prophet is depicted not as a liar but as a man of great morals, sound mind, and unwavering trustworthiness; he does not concoct his message on his own, for it is revealed to him by Allah alone.

Verses 224-226:

²²⁴And those poets; surely those who deviate follow them.

^225,226Do you not see/have you not ever thought about that they roam in every valley aimlessly and tell that which they have not done?

These verses criticize the unchecked and deceptive nature of poets in pre-Islamic Arabia. They highlight that poets were not constrained by any moral boundaries—they roamed every valley, freely expressing their thoughts without regard for what was right or wrong, and often resorted to cunning words that obscured the truth. Historical accounts show that many poets, especially those of the past, pursued flattery as a means to gain influence, and they did not hesitate to lie or slander in order to elevate those they favored and disparage those they opposed. By shaping public opinion through fabricated ideas, poets were regarded as more influential than even the most powerful weapons—a phenomenon analogous to the modern role of media in forming public sentiment.

At that time, Arab poetry was predominantly concerned with themes such as sexuality, love, drinking, tribal enmities, blood feuds, and the pride of ancestry. The poetry on these subjects was rife with exaggeration, unfounded accusations, unnecessary praise, idle chatter, boasting, satire, polytheism, and obscenity. Interestingly, the very values extolled in their verses—such as generosity, disinterest in material wealth, abstention, and respect—were often contradicted by the poets’ actual conduct; they were, in reality, stingy, self-centered, and hypocritical. This discrepancy is strikingly illustrated by the metaphor of magnifying the “straw” in the eyes of others while remaining oblivious to the “beam” in one’s own eye.

According to records of the reasons for revelation (asbab-i nuzul), this group of verses was revealed concerning Abdullah ibn az-Ziba’ra, Musa ibn Abd Manaf, and Umayya ibn Abi’s-Salt, who attacked our Prophet and believers through their poetry and spread negative propaganda about them everywhere. Some have claimed these verses were revealed in response to a verbal attack by Abu Azza al-Jumahi. ^[15]

The effect of poetry is also mentioned in other verses of the Qur’an:

^112,113Thus, for every prophet We made his concealed-apparent devils an enemy: Some of these inspire/whisper to some other alluring words so that, hearts of those who did not believe in Akhirat [Afterlife], due to their indulgence into the allurement of the worldly life, may incline towards them, they may be content of them and do what they were doing. –And if your Rabb had willed, they would not have done it. Then, leave them and that which they invent!-

(Al-An’am/112, 113)

As understood from the above verses, human and jinn satans [all evil people, whether known or unknown]:

To turn the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter [those who have not yet become Muslims] towards these self-created fancy words that are alternatives to the Qur’an,
To please those who do not believe in the Hereafter [those who have not yet become Muslims] with these words,
Thus, in order to continue committing the crime they are committing [and thus to turn their wheels, to keep their ships afloat, to continue their reign, to continue exploiting the people, to continue their interests], they make an attempt with fancy, gilded words.

When examining History of Islam, one will see that all superstitions and corruptions introduced into Islam were brought in through the gilded words [poetry] of these men disguised as poets.

WHAT IS POETRY?

Poetry, which has had hundreds of definitions, is briefly ‘an art of simile.’ Poetry is never ‘real.’ Therefore, poetry is not the presentation of the reality of an object or event, but rather ’embellished speech’ [zuhrufu’l-qawl] presenting its imitation [counterfeit, fake]. The relatively best analysis of poetry was made by Plato, who lived between 427-347 BC. According to Plato, poets deal with appearances rather than realities, creating copies of copies that distance people from the truth. ^[16]According to this approach, just as children can be deceived with toys, societies can be deceived with poetry [with simile], misled, and ideologies can be diluted. There are hundreds of examples of this in history, particularly in Islamic history. For instance, Jalaluddin Rumi is one such example.

Verse 227:

The good poets criticized in verses 224-226 are exempted by this verse. Because not all poets are the same, and there are many beautiful poems that have been composed. It is unthinkable that people of intellect and knowledge would reject this or oppose good and beneficial poetry. According to the verse, the exempted poets are those with the following qualities:

Those who believe,
Those who do righteous deeds,
Those whose poetry concerns tawheed [monotheism], prophethood, and inviting people to truth [those who frequently remember Allah],
Those who do not satirize anyone except when they retaliate against those who satirize them [who avenge themselves after they have been wronged].

The statement in the verse, “and defend themselves when being treated unjustly”, means that it is only permissible to say bad words when oppressed. Under normal circumstances, our Lord does not allow bad words or attacks.

¹⁴⁸Allah does not like public mention of evil word except by those who have been treated unjustly. And Allah is the One Who hears best, knows best.

(An-Nisa/ 148)

¹⁹⁴The prohibited month is for the haram/forbidden month. And all that which must be obeyed/binding provisions are for each other. Then whoever has attacked you, then attack him in the same way he has attacked you. And enter under the guardianship of Allah. And know that Allah is with those who have entered under the guardianship of Himself.

(Al-Baqara/ 194)

The poets exempted in verse 227 are poets like Abdullah ibn Rawaha, Hassan ibn Thabit, Ka’b ibn Malik, and Ka’b ibn Zuhayr. These poets exposed the lies of slanderous infidels to their faces and defended our Prophet and believers against attacks.

The concluding statement of the verse – “Those who treat unjustly will soon know to what return they will be returned.” – constitutes an explicit warning and threat. The recipients of this threat are those who, despite repeated presentation of rational proofs, the messengers’ explanations, and stories of past prophets, still disregard them; those foolish ones who cannot distinguish between the Quran and poetry, between the messenger and a poet, and who persist in seeing the Quran as poetry and the messenger as a poet or soothsayer despite all explanations. These wretched ones are warned that they will soon experience a great transformation.

Allah knows best what is true.

^[1] (Kurtubi; el-Camiu li Ahkami’l-Kur’an)

^[2] (Kurtubi; el-Camiu li Ahkami’l-Kur’an and Muqatil)

^[3] (Kurtubi; el-Camiu li Ahkami’l Kur’an)

^[4] (Razi; el-Mefatihu’l- Gayb)

^[5] (Lisanu’l-Arab; v. 6, p. 305- 306 Udh item. Ragıp; El-Mufredat, Udv item)

^[6] Exodus; 4: 1–7,1-

^[7] Exodus Chapter 14, verses 25-31

^[8] Exodus Chapter 14, Sentence 30:

^[9] (Razi, el-Mefatihu’l-Gayb; Kurtubi, el-Camiu li Ahkami’l-Kur’an)

^[10] (Mevdudi; Tefhimu’l-Kur’an)

^[11] (Razi; el-Mefatihu’l-Gayb)

^[12] (Kurtubi, el Camiu li Ahkami’l-Kur’an; Zemahsheri, el-Keshshaf)

^[13] MU’CEMU’L KIRAATI KURANIYYE Dr. Ahmet Muhtar, Dr.Abdul Al Salim Mukerrem. Mu’cemul Kıraat; dr. Abdullatif el Hatiyb

^[14] (transferred from Kurtubi; Mucahid and Katade)

^[15] (Kurtubi; el-Camiu li Ahkami’l-Kur’an)

^[16] (Plato; The Republic, 10. Chapter)