51. SURAH YUNUS – Presentation of Islam and Quran

INTRODUCTION TO SURAH YUNUS

Surah Yunus is generally accepted as the 51st surah revealed in Mecca. While some scholars hold the view that verses 40-90 along with 95 and 96 were revealed during the Medinan period, others argue that all verses from 41 onwards [41-109] were revealed in Medina. However, considering the content and treatment of the subjects discussed, the prevailing opinion maintains that the entire surah was revealed in Mecca.

The surah focuses on fundamental themes including faith (iman), monotheism (tawhid), belief in the Hereafter, the role and mission of messengers, the indisputable miraculous nature of the Qur’an, and human responsibilities. It provides convincing responses to various objections raised by infidels, exposes the underlying reasons for their rejection, and presents striking moral lessons through specific aspects of the narratives of Noah’s people and the Moses-Pharaoh accounts.

Meaning of verses:

¹Alif/1, Lam/30, Ra/200. These are the Ayat of that book which contains laws.

²Is it strange to them that We have revealed to a wise man from among them, saying: “Warn the people and give those who believe the good tidings that they will definitely have pleasant incomings, happy life [qadama sidq] with their Rabb”? Infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb said: “Indeed, this messenger is a scholar that speaks fascinating words/this book is a fascinating, influential knowledge”.

³Surely, your Rabb is Allah, Who formed the heavens/universe and the earth in six steps and then established His dominion over the greatest throne, arranges the matter. Whoever helps, supports on the earth may only do after His permission/knowledge. This is Allah, your Rabb. So, worship Him! Do you not still think and take lesson?

⁴The return of all of you is only to Him. Allah has promised this as a truth. Indeed, He starts the formation from the beginning then returns those who have believed and done righteous deeds so He may recompense them with their shares which are their right. Those infidels; those who consciously denied the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb are the ones for whom a drink of scalding water and a severe punishment will be for their disbelief; their conscious denial of the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb.

⁵He is the One Who made the sun a shining light and the moon a reflected light and determined phases for the moon so that you may know the numbers and the count of the years. Allah formed this only in truth. He explains the Ayat in detail for a people who will know.

⁶Indeed, there are many evidences/signs in the alternation of the night and the day and in that which Allah has formed in the heavens/universe on the earth for a people who enter under the guardianship of Allah.

^7,8Those who do not expect to meet Us, are pleased with the life of the world, are satisfied with it and those who are apathetic, careless to Our Ayat/evidences/signs; they are the ones whose final destination will be the fire for what they did with their own hands.

⁹No doubt that those who believe and do amendatory deeds; their Rabb guides them because of their faith. In Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] with abundant blessings, rivers will flow underneath them.

¹⁰Their prayers therein will be, “My Allah! Purified are You from all deficiencies!”. And their greetings therein will be, “Salam [health, peace, happiness…]!”. And the end of their prayers will be, “All praise is to Allah, Rabb of all universes!”.

¹¹And had Allah hastened to give evil to the people as they hastened to receive the good, He would certainly have fulfilled the end of their term. But, We leave the ones who do not expect to meet Us struggling in their transgression.

¹²And when affliction touches man, he definitely calls upon Us while lying on his side, sitting, standing. And when We remove his affliction from him, he continues as if he had never called upon Us for that affliction that touched him. Thus has been made pleasing for those who show the truth incomplete.

¹³And surely, We manipulated/destroyed the generations before you when they did wrong by associating others with Allah, by disbelieving. And their messengers had come with clear proofs. But they were not to believe anyway. Thus We recompense the people of criminals.

¹⁴The We made you successors after them on the earth so We may observe how you will do.

¹⁵And when Our Ayat were recited to them clearly, those who do not expect to meet Us said: “Bring a Qur’an other than this or change it!”. Say: “It is out of the question for me that I change it with my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. Indeed, I fear the punishment of a great day if I disobey my Rabb”.

¹⁶Say: “If Allah had willed, I would not have recited the Qur’an to you and Allah would not have made the Qur’an known to you. And I had remained among you for a lifetime before the Qur’an. Will you still not use your reason?”.

¹⁷Then, who can do more wrong; act more against his own good than the one who invents a lie about Allah or denies His Ayat/evidences/signs? Indeed, these sinners will not reach the salvation.

¹⁸They worship those that do not harm themselves and do not benefit themselves from among those that are inferior to Allah and say: “These are our helpers/supporters with Allah”. Say: “Do you inform Allah of something He does not know in the heavens/universe and on the earth?”. Allah is purified from all that which they associate with Him and high above them.

¹⁹And mankind was only a single community, then they differed and if not for a Word that preceded from your Rabb, the judgment would have been concluded between them over that which they have differed.

²⁰And they say: “Why has an evidence/a sign not been sent down to him from his Rabb?”. Say: “To know the unseen, the unheard, the unfelt, the past and the future belongs only to Allah. So wait! Surely, I am with you among those who wait!”.

²¹And when We make the people taste a mercy after an adversity has touched them, they have a plot about Our Ayat/evidences/signs. Say: “Allah is swifter in plan”. Indeed, our messengers continuously write that which you plot.

²²Allah is the One Who makes you travel on land and at sea. When you are in ships, ships sail with those who are in them with a good wind. And when the passengers rejoice, there comes a strong storm, waves come from every direction. And when they realize that they are surrounded, they supplicate Him as the ones who purify the religion for Allah: “If You save us from this, surely we will be the ones who repay”.

²³And when We save them from there, they commit transgressions without right on the earth as soon as they are saved. – O mankind! Your transgression is only against your own good as a gain of this worldly life. Then your return is only to Us. Then We will inform you about what you did. –

²⁴The example of this worldly life is like the water We send down from the sky. Then, with the water We send down from the sky, the plants which man and livestock eat are intermingled. And when earth adorns itself with its ornaments and its owners believe that they have possession over it, sometimes by night sometimes by day, Our command comes to it suddenly and it makes it harvested as if no celebration was there yesterday. Thus We explain Our Ayat in detail for a people who will think.

²⁵And Allah invites to the home of salamat [peace, safety, happiness] then He guides whomever He wills/whoever wills to the straight path.

²⁶For those who do good, there will be better and more. No darkness will cover their faces nor humiliation nor scorn. These are the companions of Jannah [Heaven/Paradise]. They will abide therein eternally. ²⁷And those who have earned evil, the recompense of an evil is like of it. And humiliation will encompass them. There will be no protector for them from Allah. Their faces will be as they are covered with a piece of dark nights. They are the companions of the fire. They will abide therein eternally.

^28,29And on the day We will gather all of them and say to those who associated others with Allah “To your places! You and your partners!”, We will definitely separate them and their partners will say: “You have not been worshipping only to us! Now, sufficient is Allah between us and between you as a witness. We were certainly unaware of/apathetic to your worship”.

³⁰There/then everyone will be tested for whatever he sent. And they certainly will be returned to their true god, Allah. And that which they used to slander, invent will depart from them and perish.

^31,32Say: “Who is the One Who provides for you from the sky and the earth? Or who is the One Who possesses ears and eyes; who is the One Who owns these? Who is the One Who brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living? And who is the One Who arranges the matters?” They will immediately say: “Allah”. Then say: “So will you not still enter under the guardianship of Allah? Therefore He is Allah, your true Rabb. And what can be beyond truth except going astray! So how are you averted?

³³Word of your Rabb has come into effect for those who have gone astray from the righteous path: Surely, they will not believe.

³⁴Say: “Who is it of your partners that forms first and then will return it/resurrect?” Say: “Allah forms first and then returns it. Then how are you deluded?”

³⁵Say: “Who is it of your partners that guides to the righteous path?”. Say: “Allah guides to the righteous path which is the truth. So, who guides to the righteous path? So is the One Who guides to the truth more worthy to be followed or is the one who does not follow unless he is guided? Then what is the matter with you? How do you judge?”.

³⁶And most of them follow nothing but an assumption. No doubt that assumption does not avail against the “truth” at all. Indeed, Allah knows very well what they do.

³⁷And this Qur’an is not that which has been invented by those that are inferior to Allah. But, it is only a confirmation of what is within and a detailed explanation of the Torah. There is nothing to be doubted about it. It is from Rabb of all universes.

³⁸Or they say: “He has invented it”. Say: “Then bring forth a similar independent division and call upon whomever you can from among those that are inferior to Allah. If you should be truthful”.

³⁹Rather, they have denied something which they did not understand in knowledge and whose interpretation has not come to them yet. Those before them had denied like this. Then, look how was the end of those who did wrong; acted against their own good by associating others with Allah.

⁴⁰Among them are those who will believe in the Qur’an and those who will not. And your Rabb is the One Who knows best those who make corruption.

⁴¹And if they deny you, then say: “My deeds belong to me and your deeds belong to you. You are away from what I do and I am away from what you do”.

⁴²And among them are those who heed to you. Is it you who will make the deaf listen while they do not reason?

⁴³Among them are those who look at you. But, is it you who will guide the blind while they are the ones who do not see?

⁴⁴Surely, Allah does not treat people unjustly by any means and ways. Yet people treat unjustly by doing wrong to themselves; acting against their own good.

⁴⁵And on the day when Allah will gather them, people will know each other, as if they had remained only for an hour of the day. Since those who deny that they will meet Allah are not the ones who follow the righteous path, they will definitely lose.

⁴⁶Whether We show you some of what We have promised them or take your life; remind you what you did in the past and what you failed to do while being obliged to, their return will finally be to Us. Then, Allah is witness to what they will do.

⁴⁷And there will be messenger for every people with a leader. When their messenger comes, justice and equity will be fulfilled between them. And they will not be treated unjustly.

⁴⁸And they say: “If you are truthful, when is this promise?”.

⁴⁹Say: “I am not able to make a harm or benefit for myself other than what Allah wills”. There is an end of the term for every people with a leader. When their end of the term comes, they will neither postpone for a moment nor will they advance.

⁵⁰Say: “Have you ever considered? If His punishment should come to you by night when you are asleep or by day!” What do the criminals hasten of this?

⁵¹Will you believe in it after this punishment has occurred or now? Yet, you have been seeking to hasten it.

⁵²Then, it will be said to those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah, denying, “Taste that punishment of eternity!”. – Will you be recompensed except for that which you have earned?”-

⁵³And they ask to receive information from you, “Is that punishment true?”. Say: “Yes, by my Rabb, it is truth. And you will not incapacitate”.

⁵⁴And all of those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah would sacrifice; give everything on the earth as a ransom if they possessed them. And they would regret when they see the punishment. And justice and equity will certainly be established among them. And they will not be treated unjustly.

⁵⁵Open your eyes! Indeed, everything in the heavens/universe and on the earth is for Allah. Open your eyes! Indeed, promise of Allah is truth. But most of them do not know.

⁵⁶Allah gives life and takes life. And you will be returned only to Him.

⁵⁷O mankind! There has come to you from your Rabb a reminder, a cure for what is within the chests, a guidance and a mercy for the believers.

⁵⁸Say: “These are by the gift and mercy of Allah. Let them rejoice in only these. This is better than what they accumulate”.

⁵⁹Say: “Have you seen/ever thought? Allah has sent down many provisions for you and you made some of them haram/forbidden and some of them halal/permissible”. Say: “Has Allah permitted you or do you invent a lie about Allah?”.

⁶⁰And what is the opinion, belief of those who slander a lie against Allah about the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection]? Surely, Allah is the One Who bestows to the people but most of them do not repay.

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.

^62,63Open your eyes! There will be no fear for those who are close to Allah, His helpers – it is those who have believed and entered under the guardianship of Allah-. They will not grieve.

⁶⁴Good tidings are for them in this worldly life and in Akhirat [Afterlife]. There is no change in the words of Allah. This is what is the greatest attainment.

⁶⁵And do not let their speech grieve you. Indeed, dominion, glory and honor belong to Allah entirely. He is the One Who hears best, knows best.

⁶⁶Open your eyes! Indeed, whoever is in the heavens/universe and whoever is on the earth belong to Allah. And those who invoke those that are inferior to Allah do not follow those that they take as partner. They only follow assumption and they only lie.

⁶⁷Allah is the One Who created the night for you so you may rest in it and the day so you may see; research and find meaning. Indeed, there are evidences/signs in this for a people who will heed.

⁶⁸They have said: “Allah has taken a child”. He is purified from this. He is free of need. All that is in the heavens/universe and on the earth belongs to Him. There is no proof with you concerning this. Do you say about Allah that which you will not know?

⁶⁹Say: “Those who invent a lie about Allah will definitely not succeed”.

⁷⁰Those things are the enjoyment in the world. Then their return will be only to Us. Then We will make them taste that severe punishment for they disbelieved; for that which they consciously denied and refused to accept.

^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 this 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”.

⁷³And they denied him despite this. So We saved him and those who were with him in the ship; in the monotheistic religion of Islam. And We made them successors of those who went away. We plunged those who denied our Ayat [evidences/signs] into great trials and devastated them. Look how was the end of those who were warned.

⁷⁴Then after him, We sent messengers to their own peoples and they brought them explicit proofs. But they did not believe for they had denied it before. Thus We seal the hearts of the transgressors.

***

⁷⁵Then after these, We sent Moses and Aaron with Our Ayat/evidences/signs to Pharaoh and his chiefs. But they acted arrogantly and became a sinner people.

⁷⁶And when the truth came to them from Us, they said: “Indeed, this is definitely an explicit magic”.

⁷⁷Moses said: “Do you say ‘This is a magical word?’ for the truth when it has come to you? Yet, those who say magical words will not reach what they hope for”.

⁷⁸They said: “Have you come to us to turn us away from upon which we found our ancestors and so that you two may have the rule on the earth? We do not believe in both of you”.

⁷⁹And Pharaoh said: “Bring me all scholars who are the most knowledgeable, who speak influential words!”.

⁸⁰And when the scholars who speak influential words came, Moses said to them: “Throw whatever you will throw!”.

^81,82And when they threw Moses said, “That which you have brought is an illusion/a deception. Surely, Allah will disclose that it is fake and useless. No doubt that Allah does not amend the works of corrupters. And Allah establishes the truth by His words and implements it even though sinners do not like”.

⁸³Then no one except a lineage among the people of Moses believed in him out of the fear that Pharaoh and his men would throw them into the fire. And surely, Pharaoh was exalted in power on the earth and he certainly was of those who showed the truth incomplete.

⁸⁴And Moses said: “O my people! If you have believed in Allah, have become of the Muslims who have submitted only to Him, then rely only on Him!”.

^85,86And they said: “We have relied upon Allah. O our Rabb! Do not make us a trial for that people who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with You and save us with Your mercy from that people of infidels; who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb!”.

⁸⁷And We revealed to Moses and his brother, “Prepare some schools in Egypt for your people and make your schools your goal and establish Salah [establish and maintain the institutions that support financially and spiritually; enlighten the community] and give good tidings to the believers!”.

⁸⁸And Moses said: “Our Rabb! Surely, You have given Pharaoh and his chiefs wealth and properties in this simple worldly life. – Our Rabb! So that they may lead astray from Your path – Our Rabb! Obliterate their wealth and harden their hearts. Because they will not believe until they see that painful punishment”.

⁸⁹Allah said: “Both of your supplication have certainly been accepted. So, keep on the righteous path. And do not follow the path of those who do not know!”.

^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.

⁹³And indeed, We placed Israelites in a beautiful land and provided them with pleasant blessings and they did not differ until the knowledge had come to them. Indeed, your Rabb will establish justice among them on the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection] concerning over what they differed.

^94,95If you do not have certain, sufficient knowledge about some of that which We have revealed to you, then immediately ask those who learned and taught book before you! Surely, it is the truth what has come to you from your Rabb. Then never be among those who doubt! And never be among those who deny the Ayat of Allah or you will be among those who lose and suffer.

^96,97Indeed, those, against whom the Word of your Rabb has come into effect, will not believe even if all the evidences/signs come to them altogether until they see that painful punishment.

⁹⁸If only there was a city, people of which believed and benefited from their faith. Except the people of Jonah. When they had believed, We removed the punishment of disgrace in this worldly life from upon them and let them enjoy for a time.

⁹⁹Had your Rabb willed, surely all of those on earth would have believed entirely. Then will you compel them in order that they become believers?

¹⁰⁰And it is not for anyone to believe without permission/knowledge of Allah. And Allah will place defilement/punishment upon those who do not use their reason.

¹⁰¹Say: “Look what is in the heavens/universe and on the earth!” – And explicit Ayat/evidences/signs and warnings will not avail a people who will not believe. –

¹⁰²So, do they wait for the days like the days of those who passed before them? Say: “Wait! I am with you among those who wait”.

¹⁰³Then We save Our messengers and those who believe. Thus it is! It is a duty upon Us that We save the believers.

^104-106Say: “O people! If you do not exactly know what my religion is, know well that I do not worship those you worship from among those that are inferior to Allah. But I worship Allah/the One Who will take your lives. And I have been commanded to be among those believers and that ‘Turn all your self towards the Religion as being one who turns to the Truth from associating, consciously denying the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb and never be among those who associate others with Allah! And do not invoke those that neither benefit you nor will harm you from among those that are inferior to Allah! If you do despite this, you will definitely be among those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah’”.

¹⁰⁷Should Allah touches you with adversity, there is no one to remove it except Him. And should He intend good for you, then there is no one to reverse what He gives. He causes His bounties to reach whom He wills of His servants. And Allah is very forgiving, very merciful.

¹⁰⁸Say: “O mankind! Indeed the truth has come to you from your Rabb. Now whoever follows the righteous path which is guided follows it for himself and whoever goes astray does it against his own good. And I am not responsible for you”.

¹⁰⁹And you, follow that which has been revealed to you! And have patience until Allah will judge. And Allah is the best of those who judge.

Analysis of Verses

Verse 1:

¹Alif/1, Lam/30, Ra/200. These are the Ayat of that book which contains laws.

The surah begins by drawing attention to the “disjointed letters” (al-huruf al-muqatta’a), which in our view serve as warning particles.

Regarding the meaning of the letters “ا A, ل L, ر R,” various interpretations have been proposed in past periods:

“The Lord is me, I am the Lord,”
“I am Allah, I see,”
“I am Allah, the Most Merciful (al-Rahman).”

Some have also viewed these letters as distributed forms of the letters contained in Allah’s name “al-Rahman.”^[1]

The numerical values of these letters according to the Abjad system are:

Alif ا): 1 )
Lam ل): 30 )
Ra ر):200 )

No definitive explanation has yet been established regarding what these numerical values signify. Our hope rests in dedicated Quranic scholars who will conduct serious studies and research on this matter.

Following the “disjointed letters,” the verse continues with the demonstrative pronoun “tilke” ( تلك), meaning “these,” which is typically used to indicate concrete entities. This serves as a strong rebuttal to those who claim the Qur’an is magic.

The word “tilke” (“these”) could potentially refer to:

The initial letters “Alif (ا), Lam (ل), Ra (ر)” at the beginning of the verse, or
The subsequent verses (2-109) to be revealed after this one.

In our view, it is more likely that “tilke” points to the verses within this surah itself.

Similarly, the expression “Kitab-ı Hakim” (كِتَابٌ حَكِيمٌ – “the Book of Wisdom”) carries two possible interpretations:

It may refer to the Qur’an itself, or
The “Preserved Tablet” (Lawh-i Mahfuz)—the divine repository of knowledge from which all revealed scriptures originate.

While one could argue that “Kitab-ı Hakim” might denote the Torah and Gospel, since some of the events mentioned in this surah are also referenced in those scriptures, we consider this interpretation highly improbable.

THE MEANING OF THE ATTRIBUTE “HAKIM” USED FOR THE BOOK:

The word “al-Hakim” (الحكيم) means “possessor of wisdom” or “firmly established.” When used as an attribute describing the Book, it signifies that the Book contains rulings on what is lawful (halal), unlawful (haram), and punishments – meaning it is a book of laws.

In this verse, “the Book of Wisdom (al-Kitab al-Hakim)” refers to the Qur’an. This can be seen in many verses throughout the Qur’an. Since this subject was previously analyzed in Surah Ya Sin, we will simply recommend reviewing that relevant section rather than repeating it here.

The word “Hakim” appears in the Qur’an 97 times:

92 times as an attribute of Allah
5 times as a quality of the Qur’an

The other four verses where the word is used as a quality of the Qur’an are as follows:

^2-6The Qur’an that contains the laws/that is prevented from corruption which is sent down by the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the possessor of vast mercy so you may warn with it those people whose ancestors were not warned and thus who are apathetic is the evidence that you are among those messengers and indeed you are on a straight path.

(Ya Sin/ 2- 6)

⁵⁸We recite this to you from the Ayat and from the reminders/the Qur’an that contains laws.

(Ali-Imran/ 58)

^2-5These are the Ayat of that book which contains laws as a guidance to the righteous path and mercy upon those who establish Salah [establish and maintain the institutions that support financially and spiritually; enlighten the community], 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 established, and those who certainly believe in Akhirat [Afterlife], who do good deeds –they are upon a righteous path from their Rabb. And they are the ones who will reach the salvation-.

(Lokman/ 2-5)

⁴And surely, the Qur’an is very exalted in the main source that is with Us and it contains laws, it is incorruptible/prevented from corruption.

(Az-Zukhruf/ 4)

Starting from the primary [original] meaning of the word “Hakim” as “منع menea [to prevent],” the phrase “Kitab-ı Hakim” can also be understood to mean “the Book whose corruption has been prevented,” “preserved firmly,” or “the Book containing no inconsistency or contradiction.”

Verse 2:

In this verse, it is stated that there is nothing surprising about Allah appointing a human as a messenger, which the infidels found astonishing.

The reasons for revelation (asbab-i nuzul) narrations record that this verse was revealed in response to the infidels of Mecca who, upon the Prophet being sent as a messenger, said, “Allah is too great to have a human as His messenger” and “Could Allah not find anyone else to send as a messenger except the orphan of Abu Talib?” ^[2]

The fact that the surah begins with this verse is an important indication that Surah Yunus is a continuation of Surah Isra. This becomes clearer when the second verse, which is our subject, is read as a continuation of verses 95-111 of Surah Isra.

QADAMA SIDQ”

Regarding the phrase “qadama sidq” mentioned in the verse, the following explanations have been provided in classical sources:

Katade explained this phrase as “truthfulness since ancient times.” Al-Rabi’ interpreted it as “a true and real reward,” Ata as “the rank of siddiqiyyah (truthfulness),” and Yeman as “true faith.” Additionally, it has been explained as “the supplication of the angels” as well as “the righteous children they sent forth [those who passed away before them].”

Al-Mawardi says: (qadama sidq) means truthful and sincere, in accordance with obedience, and the granting of the true reward. Al-Hasan and again Katade say: Qadama sidq is Muhammad.

Again, it is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: This refers to them facing the calamity of the Prophet’s death.

Abdulaziz b. Yahya also says: “Qadama sidq” is expressed in the words of Allah the Exalted: “Indeed, those for whom the best has preceded from Us—they will be far removed from it [Hell]” (Al-Anbiya/101).

Muqatil says: What is meant by qadama sidq is the good deeds they performed while in the world. Al-Tabari also preferred this opinion. ^[3]

The phrase “qadama sidq”, composed of the words “qadam” ( قدم – foot) and “sidk” (صدق – truth), in our view, means “the foot of truth” and signifies “the good and auspicious recompense of people’s deeds.” Through this phrase, the verse conveys that “the believers will certainly receive the full, even increased, reward for their deeds, and their efforts will not be in vain.” A similar meaning is found in the Turkish expression “Ugurlu kademli olsun” (May it bring good fortune), where the word “kadem” expresses the wish that “what is acquired brings goodness and blessings to the recipient” and carries a meaning close to that of the Quranic phrase “Qadama Sidq.”

The first sentence of the verse, which forms a rhetorical question of reprimand (“Istifham-i Inkari”), carries the meaning of affirmation and rebuke: “Is it strange to them that We have revealed to a wise man from among them, saying: “Warn the people and give those who believe the good tidings that they will definitely have pleasant incomings, happy life [qadama sidq] with their Rabb”?”The infidels are rebuked here for their astonishment that a messenger was sent from among them. This attitude of the infidels is also mentioned in other verses, and it is even stated that previous nations behaved toward their prophets just as the Meccans did:

^6,8And the chiefs among them walked forth: “Insist on your gods and do not turn away from your decision, word. This is truly what is expected from you. We have not heard this in the latest/another religion, this is only an invention. Has the Reminder/the Book been revealed upon him among us?” –Rather, they have insufficient knowledge about My reminder/the Qur’an, rather, they have not tasted My punishment yet.-

(Sad/ 4-8)

³¹And they said: “Why was this Qur’an not sent down to a great man from these two cities?”.

(Az-Zukhruf/ 31)

⁹⁴And what prevents the people from believing when the guidance/the Qur’an has come to them is only that they say “Has Allah sent a human as a messenger?”.

(Al-Isra/ 94)

And Najm/59, Qaf/1-3, A’raf/61-63, A’raf/67-69, Furqan/7, 8.

THE WORD “SAHIR” (ساحر) IN THE VERSE

The variation in the recitation of the word “sahir” (ساحر) in the latter part of the verse leads to different interpretations regarding what is being referred to by the demonstrative pronoun “hadha” ( هذا – this).

Ibn Kathir, Asim, Hamza, Khalaf, Kisa’i, and the reciters of Kufa have recited the word as “sahirun” (ساحرٌ – “he is a sorcerer”).^[4]
According to this recitation, the verse is pointing to our Prophet, who is being accused of sorcery.

The more widespread recitation of the word, however, is “sihrun” (سحر – “it is sorcery”). In this case, what is referred to as “sorcery” is the Qur’an itself. That is, the demonstrative pronoun “hadha” (هذا this) is pointing to the Qur’an. There is a valid reason why the infidels describe the Qur’an as “sorcery,” because its qualities far surpass their own abilities. Unable to match the Qur’an, they cannot criticize its literary superiority and instead cling to the claim that it is “sorcery,” deluding themselves into thinking this will absolve them of responsibility.

Verse 3:

In this verse, some of the “knowledge that introduces Allah” necessary for our Prophet to fulfill his obligation of making Allah known are being presented. Four of these pieces of knowledge are prominently highlighted in the verse:

ALLAH CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH IN SIX DAYS (PERIODS):

The word “yawm” (اليوم) can be translated into Turkish as both “day” and “period/epoch.” This is because in Arabic, the word “yawm” refers both to a 24-hour “cycle [day]” consisting of day and night, as well as generally meaning a “period/epoch.”

Interpreting “yawm” in this context as “period” allows us to witness another miracle of the Qur’an. As is known, current cosmological findings indicate that the universe (and consequently, the Earth as well) reached its present state by passing through a series of stages. By declaring that the universe and the Earth were created in six “ayyam” (أيام – periods), the Qur’an proclaimed—fourteen centuries ago—the same conclusion reached by modern scientific discoveries: that creation occurred in stages, in successive periods. Thus, it has demonstrated yet another of its miracles.

Since this topic was previously explained in detail in Surah Qaf, we will limit ourselves here and recommend those who wish to learn more to revisit the relevant section.

ALLAH IS THE ONE WHO ESTABLISHED HIMSELF OVER THE THRONE (ISTAWA ALA AL-ARSH):

The mutashabih (allegorical) term “istawa” (استوى) is used metaphorically in the verse. The metaphorical meaning of the word is “He established dominion, took control.”

⁵Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created] established dominion on the greatest throne.¹³⁹ ⁶All that is in the heavens/universe, on the earth and between them and under the moist soil belongs to Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created].

(Ta Ha/ 5)

⁵⁴Indeed, your Rabb is Allah Who formed the heavens/universe and the earth in six phases, then established dominion on the greatest throne, covers the day with the ever pursuing night and created the sun, the moon and the stars as they are under His command. Know well that forming and maintaining systems belongs only to Him. Allah, Who is Rabb of all universes , how generous is He!

(Al-A’raf/ 54)

²⁹He is the One Who formed all that is on the earth for you. Then, He established His dominion in the heavens/universe; He arranged it in thousand pieces. He is the One Who knows all best.

(Al-Baqara/ 29)

The word “istawa” appears in this manner not only in the above verses but also in Yunus/3, Ra’d/2, Furqan/59, and Sajdah/4.

As can be seen, the word “istawa” (استوى) in the verses expresses Allah’s power and might through mutashabih (allegorical) language. Most of these mutashabih expressions were common figures of speech among the Arabs of that time. Therefore, the Almighty Allah also expressed His will using these idioms and phrases that were appropriate to the Arabs’ way of speaking and understanding at that time.

If the verses in Al-i Imran (7) and Zumar (23), which inform us about the existence of mutashabih verses in the Qur’an, are ignored, and every expression in the mutashabih verses is taken at face value, literally, and in their apparent meanings, this would be contrary to the spirit of the Qur’an. For example, Allah’s coming, descending, approaching, establishing Himself over the Throne (istawa ala al-arsh), being in the sky, having a hand, being on the high horizon, engaging in direct dialogue with Adam and Iblis, seeing, and hearing are all mutashabih expressions, and they are interpreted by qualified scholars.

It is more appropriate to leave the understanding of mutashabih expressions to time and to qualified experts. Over time, there will inevitably emerge those who are firmly grounded in every field of knowledge, and these equipped specialists will interpret those verses as they should be.

The word “Arsh” (العرش) means “the royal throne,” which is a symbol of sovereignty. The expression “Owner of the Throne” signifies that He is the sole Owner, the sole Ruler, and the sole Sovereign of the earth, the heavens, and the entire universe with all its beings. This Supreme Being, who is the Owner of everything and everyone, is Allah—from whom no one and nothing can escape.

“IT IS ALLAH WHO GOVERNS ALL AFFAIRS”:

The word “tadbir” (تدبير) mentioned in the verse means “to oversee, manage, and regulate the beginning and end of a matter with knowledge and calculation, ensuring it reaches a good outcome.” Through this expression, it is emphasized that Allah did not sever His relationship with the universe after creating it; rather, He continuously maintains control over its governance.

INTERCESSION IS ONLY BY ALLAH’S PERMISSION:

This statement means that intercession depends on Allah’s permission. However, this cannot be interpreted to mean that Allah has given or will give permission to any individual or group to intercede, because our Lord has made no such declaration regarding this matter. More details about intercession are provided in the surahs of Najm, Maryam, and Ta Ha.

It is also possible to interpret the word “shafi'” (شفيع) in the verse as meaning “pair, secondary, or created beings,” thus understanding the statement “Intercession is only by Allah’s permission” to mean “everything that exists or occurs does so only by Allah’s permission.” As we mentioned in Surah Fajr, the concept of “even number” indicates the existence of multiple elements of the same kind; in other words, it encompasses everything that has an opposite or counterparts and is therefore related to other things.

The concluding part of the verse states: “This is Allah, your Rabb. So, worship Him! Do you not still think and take lesson?” This is addressing the polytheists, saying: “Direct your worship exclusively to Allah, the One without partners, O polytheists! Will you not take admonition regarding your situation – that while you know Allah is the sole Creator, you still worship others alongside Him?”

The verse in question is further elaborated in the surahs of Zukhruf and Mu’minun:

⁸²Purified is Rabb of the heavens/universe and the earth, Rabb of the greatest throne²⁷² from that which they describe.

⁸³So leave them right away, let them be in vain and amuse themselves until they meet the day which they were promised.

⁸⁴And He is the One Who is deity in the heavens/universe and deity on the earth. And He is the One Who is the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible, knows very well.

⁸⁵And how generous is Allah to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens/universe and the earth and all that is in between them. The knowledge of the moment of Qiyamat [Resurrection] is only with Him. And you will be returned only to Him.

⁸⁶And the ones whom they invoke from among those that are inferior to Him are not able to possess to help, support, intercede. Except the One Who testifies to the truth. They also know.

⁸⁷And surely, if you asked them who formed them, they would definitely say: “Allah”. So, how are they deluded?

⁸⁸And that he says, “My Rabb! Indeed these are a people who do not believe” is an evidence…

⁸⁹Then turn away from them and say: “Salam [health, peace, happiness…]”. Soon they will know.

(Az-Zukhruf/82-89)

⁸⁴Say: “If you should know; to whom does this world and those on it belong?”.

⁸⁵They will say: “To Allah”. Then say: “Do you not contemplate?”.

⁸⁶Say: “Who is Rabb of the heavens/universe and who is Rabb of the great throne³⁰⁵?”.

⁸⁷They will say: “It belongs to Allah/It is Allah”. Then say: “So, will you not enter under the guardianship of Allah?”.

⁸⁸Say: “If you should know; who is the One Who possesses the dominion over all things and Who governs all and Who protects all; but Who is not protected?”.

⁸⁹They will say: “It belongs to Allah/It is Allah”. Then you, say: “Then how are you deluded?”.

⁹⁰Rather, We have brought them the truth, yet they are certainly the liars.

(Al-Mu’minun/ 84-90)

Verse 4:

In this verse, the statement from the 3rd verse – “It is Allah who continually governs all affairs” – is further elaborated to emphasize that our Lord continues to control His creation after bringing it into existence. It stresses that the second stage following creation, lasting until the end of the world, remains under Allah’s complete control, and that He will certainly resurrect people to establish justice.

The Quran explains the possibility of resurrection by presenting numerous rational examples from daily life. It repeatedly emphasizes through various comparisons that Allah – who initially created everything and continuously sustains creation – can recreate everything after the Day of Judgment in whatever form He wills, and that this is exceedingly easy for Him:

⁹And Allah is the One Who sends the winds. Then they move and elevate a cloud. Then We send that cloud to a barren land. Thus We give life to the earth after its lifelessness with it. Thus is to give life to the dead, decomposed people.

(Fatir/ 9)

³⁹Surely, when you see the earth barren and We send down water upon it; it is among His evidences/signs that it quivers and grows. Surely, the One Who gives life to it will indeed resurrect the dead. Indeed, He is the One Who is competent over everything.

(Fussilat/ 39)

²¹Have you not seen/never thought about that Allah sends down a water from the sky and places it in the springs on the earth through a way, then makes a crop of varying colors with it, then it ripens and you see it turned yellow, then He makes it debris? Indeed, there is a reminder in this for those of understanding; those who have a pure mind.

(Az-Zumar/21)

¹⁸From what thing did Allah form him? ¹⁹A sperm! Allah formed and then proportioned, ²⁰then He eased the righteous path for him by sending him a messenger, sending down a book while he was alive, ²¹then He took his life, made him to be put in his grave, ²²then He will resurrect him when He wills.

²³Certainly not as he thinks! Man has not accomplished yet at all what Allah commanded to him.

²⁴Then, let man look at his own food!

(‘Abasa/ 18-24)

And Ya Sin/79-81, Qaf/15, Qiyamah/36-40, Hajj/5-7, Isra/50-52, Ahqaf/33, Nazi’at/27, An’am/60, 62, Zumar/42, Waqi’ah/60-62.

The statement in verse 4 of our subject – “then returns those who have believed and done righteous deeds so He may recompense them with their shares which are their right.” – explains why the Hereafter is necessary.

^38,39And the infidels have sworn with their strongest oaths that “Allah will not resurrect one who is dead”. No, Allah will resurrect the dead as a true promise that He took upon Himself so He will make clear to them that over which they differed and show that those who concealed the truth are the ones who are the liars. But, most of the people do not know.

(An-Nahl/ 38, 39)

The necessity of the Hereafter can be demonstrated in the following ways under the light of these verses:

THE NECESSITY OF THE HEREAFTER

The fear of the Hereafter serves as a deterrent for humans – who are created with a nature that loves comfort and desires worldly pleasures – from committing crimes in pursuit of these aims. Because humans, being capable of irresponsible behavior for their own benefit, can only restrain themselves through belief in an “abode of reward and punishment.” Thus, the increasing rate of evil in worldly life is at least partially curbed. The mere imagination of the corruption, chaos, and disorder in a world completely devoid of fear of the Hereafter is terrifying.

Although shown the right path, humans have been granted complete freedom in this world. Consequently, some people choose faith while others choose infidelity; some choose gratitude while others choose ingratitude. Logically considered, these freely made choices must necessarily receive corresponding rewards or punishments. The place where these consequences will be administered is the Hereafter.

It is impossible to claim that humans receive the full recompense for their deeds in this world. Many good deeds go unnoticed or ignored and thus remain unrewarded, while many good people suffer oppression and abuse despite being completely innocent. However, justice demands that all actions receive their exact due. Therefore, there must be another world where every atom’s weight of good and evil is accounted for, where absolute justice prevails. This other world is the abode of the Hereafter, where all deeds will be recompensed by Allah, “the Most Just of Judges” and “the Most Perfect in Justice,” thus ensuring every right is restored.

QIST (قسط) AND ADALET (عدل)

The word “qist” (قسط) mentioned in the verse is often explained as meaning “adalet” (عدل – justice). However, while it has been interpreted this way, “qist” does not exactly mean “justice.” Whereas “justice” refers to “exact recompense, balance, equivalence, and equality,” ^[5] the word “qist” means “portion, share, or deserved portion.” ^[6]

When “qist” (قسط) is concerned, the exact deserved and promised recompense is invariably given. “Justice,” which is a form of equality, requires giving exact equivalent recompense for actions. However, equality does not always mean rightful recompense, and can sometimes even constitute oppression. Indeed, in professional life, the principle applied is not equality but “qist,” taking into account factors such as employees’ qualifications and seniority; thus, salaries are determined according to individuals’ merits. Similarly, a family head deals with their children not based on the principle of equality but according to “qist.” This is because each child’s needs vary according to their age and education, and children receive shares from the family budget according to these needs. For example, a family with two children – one in primary school and the other in university – would never determine their allowances in equal amounts.

The word “qist” (قسط), which appears 27 times in the Quran along with its derivatives, has the following forms that are used in Turkish with the exact same Arabic meanings:

“Iqtisat” (اقتساط) [following the beneficial, righteous path without causing oppression or excess (This word should not be confused with “iqtisad” (إقتصاد), derived from “qasd” (قصد) meaning “following the middle path”)]
“Taksit” ( تقسيط) [dividing something rightfully due into portions over specified periods]
“Qistas” (قسطاس)

Our Lord is both “Adil” ( عادل) and “Qasit” (قاسط). That is, He deals with both justice and qist:

⁷¹And Allah favored some of you over others in provision. Those who are favored over others do not distribute their provisions; their foods and drinks, wealth equally to those who are under their protection in accordance with the contracts. Then, do these consciously cover up the favor of Allah?

(An-Nahl/ 71)

³²Are they the ones who distribute the mercy of your Rabb? It is We Who have distributed their livelihood among them in this simple worldly life. We have raised some of them above some of others in degrees so they may make use of one another for service. And the mercy of your Rabb is better than that which they accumulate.

(Az-Zukhruf/ 32)

The difference in shares among children in inheritance distribution and the allocation of a share to orphans who may be present during inheritance division are examples of our Lord’s application of “qist”.

Our Lord has also commanded people to deal with others according to “qist,” praising those who do so and declaring His love for them.

⁴²As for those who heed to lies too much, devour haram/forbidden too much; if they come to you, judge among them or keep your distance from them. If you keep your distance from them, then they will never be able to harm you. And should you judge, judge between them with justice and equity. Indeed, Allah likes those who treat in justice and equity.

(Al-Ma’idah/ 42)

⁹And if two groups from among the believers are made to battle each other, immediately make peace between them. Should one of them attack the other, fight against the attacking side until they return to the command of Allah. And if the attacker returns, make peace between them with justice and treat in justice and equity. Surely, Allah likes those who treat in justice and equity.

(Al-Hujurat/ 9)

Regarding this matter, one may also refer to Al-Baqara/282, Al-Ahzab/5, Ali-Imran/18, 21, An-Nisa/3, 127, 135, Al-An’am/152, Al-A’raf/29, Yunus/4, 47, 54, Al-Mumtahina/8, Hud/85, Al-Anbiya/47, and Ar-Rahman/9.

The word “qist,” like the word “‘adl” (عدل), belongs to the category of “azdad” (أضداد – words with opposite meanings). While primarily meaning “deserved share,” it can also carry the opposite meaning of “oppression” or “usurpation of rights”:

¹⁴And truly, as for our situation; Muslims are among us, those who do wrong; act against their own good are among us as well. However, whoever have become Muslim, they are among those who seek for the good, the right, the beautiful, the truth. ¹⁵However, as for those who do wrong; act against their own good about faith, they will be wood for Jahannah [Hell]”.

(Al-Jinn/14, 15)

HAMIM (حميم)

As understood from the verse, people will be divided into two general groups in the Hereafter. One group consists of “those who believe and do righteous deeds,” while the other comprises “infidels,” including polytheists, hypocrites, and rejecters. In verse 4 (the subject of our discussion), it is stated that one of the things prepared for the “infidels” in Hell is “hamim” (حميم), meaning “scalding water.” While the righteous will live happily in Paradise enjoying all kinds of blessings, the infidels will suffer painful punishment in Hell and will be given scalding water to drink.

The inclusion of “hamim” (scalding water) among the punishments in Hell is also mentioned in other verses (An-Naba’/21-30, Muhammad/15, Ar-Rum/27, Al-Waqi’ah/42-44, Ar-Rahman/41-44).

Verses 5, 6:

Our Lord draws attention to His evident signs in the universe like the Sun and Moon, pointing to His power and knowledge. It is noteworthy that in the verse, the Sun is described as “diya” (ضياء) while the Moon is described as “nur” (نور). This description is also made in other verses (Furqan/61, Nuh/16, Naba/12,13).

From the above verses, it is understood that the Sun is a flaming source of energy and light, while the Moon is a reflector of light. Detailed information on this subject can be found in science and technical books.

THE LUNAR STATIONS

The expression “lunar stations” in verse 5 (our subject) also appears in Surah Ya Sin where it was explained. It has been known since ancient times that the Moon’s appearance changes daily from Earth – starting as a crescent (“hilal”), becoming a full moon on the 14th day, then gradually returning to its original shape. These regular, periodic changes in the Moon’s appearance are evaluated as “lunar stations.” For more details, we recommend revisiting the relevant section in Surah Ya Sin.

Verses 7, 8:

In this verse, foolish people are being warned – those who disregard the truths mentioned in verses 5 and 6 as evidence for a God-conscious people, who do not hope for the Hereafter, who occupy themselves solely with worldly pleasures and are satisfied with them, and who remain indifferent to Allah’s signs.

The word “an-nar” (النّار – fire) in the verse can be understood both as the “physical” fire of Hell and as “the fire of conscience, regret, and longing.” For there is always a troubling “what if” in the minds of those who declare their disbelief. The mere possibility of being deprived of Paradise – let alone the possibility of going to Hell – burns and scorches their hearts. In our view, such people live in constant unease because they cannot even be certain of their own disbelief. Those who live constantly feeling this unease in the depths of their minds should carefully consider and evaluate the following saying attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib:

“The astrologer and physician both said: ‘The dead will not be resurrected [after their death]!’ And I say to you: ‘If what you say proves true, I lose nothing. But if my words prove true, woe unto you!'”

Verses 9, 10:

⁹No doubt that those who believe and do amendatory deeds; their Rabb guides them because of their faith. In Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] with abundant blessings, rivers will flow underneath them.

In contrast to the fate of the infidels described in verses 7 and 8, these verses also declare the fate of believers. According to our Lord’s declaration, those who have believed and done righteous deeds will be as Allah has guided them due to their faith, and they will enter Paradise. The inhabitants of Paradise will glorify and praise Allah for the blessings they attain there, and they will congratulate one another with “Salam [peace, security, happiness, well-being]!” The greeting of the Paradise-dwellers will come not only from other inhabitants, but they will also be greeted by the keepers of Paradise and, most beautifully, by Almighty Allah Himself.

⁵⁸”Salam [health, peace, happiness…]!” will be the word from Rabb, Who is the possessor of vast mercy.

(Ya Sin/ 58)

^14,15So, is the one who is upon an explicit evidence from his Rabb like those whose evil of their affairs are made attractive to them and who follow their vain, transitory desires; like those who will abide in the Fire eternally and who will be made to drink scalding water and that will tear their intestines into pieces? Example of Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] that is promised to those who entered under the guardianship of Allah: There will be rivers of unspoiled water, rivers of milk taste of which does not change, rivers of wine delicious to those who drink and rivers of filtered honey. For them will be therein all kinds of fruits and forgiveness from their Rabb.

(Muhammad/ 15)

⁶⁹And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, those are with the ones upon whom Allah bestowed His favor of the prophets, the truthful ones, the advanced witnesses of the existence and divinity of Allah and the righteous ones. And how good are those as companions! ⁷⁰This is a bounty from Allah. Allah is sufficient as the One Who knows best.

(Nisa/ 69, 70)

And see Ahzab/44, Waqi’ah/15-26, Maryam/62, Nahl/32, Zumar/73, Anbiya/101, Rad/21-24, Fatir/34, 35.

Verse 11:

This verse drawing attention to the matter of “ajal” (appointed term) implicitly responds to those who mock the prophets and demand that “the promised punishment” be brought upon them immediately:

“People want good things to come quickly. If Allah were to bring evil upon them as swiftly as they desire good, their matter would be decided immediately and they would certainly perish. However, in accordance with Allah’s wisdom, those who deny their meeting with Him are granted time to repent from their sins – despite all their rebellion and transgressions – and are repeatedly warned during this period. Thus, the evil they deserve is postponed until a determined time. But for those who persist in heedless excesses, continuing to transgress boundaries and failing to utilize this opportunity, it is certain that the punishment will inevitably come when this term expires.”

The hastiness of infidels in demanding the immediate arrival of the divine punishment they are threatened with has also been addressed in other verses:

¹¹Surely, you warn the one who follows the Qur’an which is a reminder and who fears Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created] in awe with respect, love, knowledge even in unseen, unheard, unfelt places. Give him the good tidings of forgiveness and a very noble reward.

(Al-Isra/ 11)

²⁹And they say: “When is this that you promise, if you should be among truthful?”.

(Saba’/ 29, 30)

²⁵And they also say: “When is this threat, if you should be among those who are truthful?”.

²⁶Say: “The knowledge of this threat is definitely with Allah. I am only a clear warner”.

(Mulk/ 25, 26)

See also Anbiya/38, al-Naml/71, al-Maarij/1, 2, al-Anfal/32, Yunus/48, Yunus/50, Ra’d/6, Ibrahim/42, Maryam/84, Ahqaf/22-25.

Verse 12:

This verse draws attention to man’s ingratitude. Human ingratitude has been mentioned many times in the Qur’an:

⁵¹And when We bestow favor upon man, he keeps his distance and turns away. But when an evil touches him, he is full of extensive supplication; he calls and invokes.

(Fussilat/ 51)

⁶⁷And when an adversity touches you at sea, those whom you invoke are lost, He, does not. And when He delivers you to the land and saves you, you distance yourselves immediately. And man is very ungrateful!

(Al-Isra/ 67)

³³And do not kill a person that Allah has made haram/forbidden except by right. And whoever is killed unjustly, We have given an authority to his relatives. Let him not compromise what is right in killing, let him not make incomplete implementations. – Surely, the relatives of the one who is killed who are to defend his rights have been supported. –

(Al-Isra/83)

And Rum/33, Zumar/49, Hud/9, 10, Tawba/75, 76, Yunus/22, 23, Nahl/53, 54, Luqman/31, 32, Ankabut/65, Muminun/75-77.

Regarding the statement at the end of our subject verse – “Thus has been made pleasing for those who show the truth incomplete.”– the one who makes these deeds appear attractive is either another infidel in their surroundings, or the person themselves who, following their desires, admires everything they do:

^48,49And when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is disease; the ill-minded said, “Their religion has deluded them”, that evil commander made their deeds alluring to them and said to them, “Today, there is no one to defeat you from among the people and I am your helper too”. And when two groups were within the sight of each other, he turned on his heels and said: “Surely, I am away from you. Surely, I am seeing what you can not see, surely I fear Allah”. And Allah is the One Whose judgement/recompense is severe. And whoever relies on Allah, let him know that Allah is the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible.

(Al-Anfal/ 48)

¹⁰³Say: “Should we inform of the greatest losers in deeds? ¹⁰⁴They are those whose efforts are lost while they think that they produce good work”.

(Al-Kahf/ 103, 104)

⁴Surely, those who do not believe in Akhirat [Afterlife]; We have made their deeds pleasing to them so they wonder.

(An-Naml/4)

(Yunus/ 21)

Verse 13, 14:

¹⁴Then We made you successors after them on the earth so We may observe how you will do.

In this verse, the human whose ingratitude was described in the previous verse is also warned to take lessons from past communities. For this world is a testing ground where one generation passes and another is brought forth, maintaining this order continuously:

^164,165Say: “Should I seek for another Rabb other than Allah while Allah is Rabb of all things?”. Whatever anyone earns belongs only to himself. The one who bears his burden does not bear the burden of another. Then, only to your Rabb will you be returned. Thus will Allah inform you about that over which you differed. And He is the One Who has made you the successors of those who left on the earth and raised some of you above others in degrees so He may test you with what He has given you. Indeed, your Rabb is fast in penalty and indeed, He is the One Who forgives much, shows great mercy.

(Al-An’am/ 164, 165)

The word “khalifa” (خليفة) in verse 14’s statement – “Then We made you successors after them on the earth so We may observe how you will do.” – means “those who come afterward and replace others.”

This expression conveys the following message to its recipients: “You are not the sole rulers of the earth. Before you, others held dominion in this world. We destroyed them and made you their successors. If you too turn to oppression, We will destroy you and replace you with others.”

This same message had been delivered to previous communities as well:

⁷³Surely, We sent Thamud their brother Salih as a messenger. He said: “O my people! Worship Allah, no deity is for you but Allah. Your Rabb has sent you a clear evidence. This camel/social relief and support principle of Allah is an Ayah for you; So let it graze on the earth of Allah, do not touch it with evil, or you will be seized by a grievous punishment. ⁷⁴And remember that He made you successors of the people of Ad. And placed you on the earth: You build palaces from its plains, you carve its mountains as your homes. Then remember the blessings of Allah and do not transgress on the earth, being the ones who cause corruption”.

(Al-A’raf/ 73, 74)

¹⁵O mankind! You are the ones who need Allah. Allah, on the other hand; He is the One Who is free of need and praiseworthy.

^16,17If He wills, He does away with you and will bring forth a totally new formation. This is not difficult at all for Allah.

(Fatir/15-17)

^19,20Have you not seen/thought about that Allah formed the heavens/universe and the earth in truth. If He wills, He will take you away and bring a new formation. This is not difficult for Allah.

(Ibrahim/ 19, 20)

¹³³O people, if Allah wills, He will take you away. And He will bring others. And Allah is the One Who is competent to do that.

(An-Nisa/ 133)

⁵⁴O you who have believed! Whoever among you reverts from his religion, let him know that Allah will soon bring forth a people who are indulgent for the believers and dignified, severe to the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb; Allah loves them, and they love Allah; they strive in the path of Allah and they do not fear the condemnation of those who condemn. This is a bounty that Allah gives to whom He wills. Allah is the One Whose knowledge and mercy is vast and limitless, the One Who knows very well.

(Al-Ma’idah/ 54)

Verses 15, 16:

In these verses, our Lord responds to the polytheists who demanded that the Qur’an be altered, pointing out that anyone who reflects and uses their intellect will recognize that the Qur’an, as revealed to the Prophet, could only be the Word of Allah. This reply not only silences the polytheists’ objections but also strengthens the believers’ conviction in the Qur’an’s divine origin.

According to historical accounts of revelation (asbab al-nuzul), five prominent Qurayshi polytheists – Abdullah ibn Umayya al-Makhzumi, Walid ibn al-Mughira, Muqawwir ibn Hafs, Amr ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Qays al-Amiri, and As ibn Amir ibn Hisham – requested the Prophet to bring forth a different Quran that would suit their intellects: one that wouldn’t reject their deities, wouldn’t dictate their actions, and could be modified according to their desires when needed. These verses were revealed in response to this demand.^[7]

The polytheists’ demand for the Quran to be altered, saying, “This Quran insults our gods, condemns us, and we are troubled by it,” concealed a cunning plan. In truth, they sought to test our Prophet, and if he were to comply, they planned to claim that he himself had compiled the Quran and altered it as he wished. However, the response given to our Prophet—”Had Allah willed, I would not have recited it to you, nor would He have made it known to you. Indeed, I had already spent a lifetime among you before it (came). Will you not then use reason?”—not only thwarted the polytheists’ scheme but also served as proof that the Quran was truly divine revelation from Allah. For through this answer, they were told: “The arrival of such a great and precious book at the hands of one who was untaught, never a student, never read any book, and never engaged in scholarly debates—this proves that it could only be by revelation. To deny such a reality is beyond reason. Will you not then use reason?”

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)

^44-47If the Messenger/Muhammad had made up some words as if they were Our words, We would certainly have taken all his power from him. Then We would surely have cut his vital point from him. And none of you could have been shield to him.

(Al-Haqqah/ 44-47)

Verse 17:

¹⁷Then, who can do more wrong; act more against his own good than the one who invents a lie about Allah or denies His Ayat/evidences/signs? Indeed, these sinners will not reach the salvation.

To fabricate a lie against Allah means to present one’s own or someone else’s words as if they were the words of Allah, or to claim that knowledge has been given to him by Allah.

If noticed, the one who denies Allah’s verses and the one who fabricates lies against Allah have been placed in the same category, and both are described with the attribute of “the most unjust.” This description, which is an open threat, is directed at the infidels and slanderers of that time and afterward. Therefore, since our Prophet did not fabricate any lie against Allah, the threat contained in the verse is aimed at other individuals who fabricate lies against Allah. Indeed, historical records point to deviant slanderers and false prophets like the Liar Musaylima, who attributed their own delusions to Allah by saying, “This was dictated by Allah, this was revealed.”

⁷⁸And there is a fool and rogue group among the People of the Book who twist and turn their tongues towards the book so you may assume that it is from the book while it is not from the book. They say, “This is from Allah” while it is not from Allah. They lie about Allah while they know.

(Ali-Imran/ 78)

⁹³And who can do more wrong; act more against his own good than the one who invents a lie about Allah or says “I have been revealed” even though he has not been and says “I will also reveal like what Allah revealed”? If only you could see those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah when they are in violence of death and when authorities in charge extend their hands to them saying: “Discharge your souls. Today, you will be recompensed with a humiliating punishment for you have told lies about Allah and acted arrogantly towards His Ayat!”

(Al-An’am/ 93)

¹¹⁴And should I seek for a judge other than Allah while He is the One Who has sent down to you the Qur’an in detail/truth-falsehood separated?”. And those to whom We gave the Book, they surely know that the Qur’an is sent down by their Rabb with the truth. Then, do not ever be among those who doubt concerning that they know that this book is sent down by Allah.

(Al-An’am/ 114)

Verse 18:

This verse condemns the polytheists who believe in Allah as the Creator, the Provider, the Omnipotent, and the Organizer of all things, yet fail to use their intellect and instead take false gods besides Allah, imagining that these will bring them closer to Him. The misguided logic of the polytheists has been expressed in numerous verses of the Quran:

⁷⁶Say: “Do you worship that which possesses no power to harm and benefit you from among those that are inferior to Allah? But Allah is the One Who hears very well, knows very well”.

(Al-Ma’idah/ 76)

^11-13And among the people is he who worships Allah on an undefined edge/in an irresolute manner, without a defined frame. Therefore, when a good comes to him, he becomes assured by eliminating all question marks in his mind with it. And if a social fire/distress comes to him, he turns on his face. He has lost the world and Akhirat [Afterlife] as well. This is what is the explicit loss. He invokes those which are not able to harm and benefit him, from among those that are inferior to Allah. This is what is the distant astray. He invokes one whose harm is closer than his benefit. How an evil helper, protector and evil fellow is that which he invokes.

(Al-Hajj/11-13)

¹⁶Say: “Who is Rabb of the heavens/universe and the earth?”. Say: “Allah!”. Say: “Do you take those that are not able to benefit and harm themselves from among those that are inferior to Allah as familiars who are helpers, guides, protectors?”. Say: “Is the one who is blind like the one who sees? Or is the darkness like the light?”. Or have they found partners to Allah who form like Him and this formation seemed similar to them? Say: “Allah is the One Who forms all things. And He is the One and the Only, the most exalted and the prevailing”.

(Ar-Ra’d/16)

And Anbiya/66, 67, An’am/71, 72, Furqan/55.

As seen in the verses above, the objects the polytheists associate with Allah can neither harm them nor benefit them. Their worship of such things and their seeking help from them is nothing but sheer foolishness deserving all criticism.

The statement in the verse, “Do you inform Allah of something He does not know in the heavens/universe and on the earth?” can be understood as follows: “That is, are you informing the Almighty Allah that He has a partner in His dominion or that there is an intercessor with Him without His permission? Yet He knows of no partner in the heavens or on earth. For He has no partner, and such a thing is inconceivable for Him.”

A verse in Surah Ra’d also exposes this insolence peculiar to the polytheists:

³³So, who is the One Who stands upon/observes every one with that which he earns? But they ascribed partners to Allah. Say: “Name them! Or will you inform Him about that which He does not know on the earth or of what is apparent of the word? In fact, plots of the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb have been made attractive to them so they have been averted from the Path. Whomever Allah leads astray, there will be no guide for them.

(Ar-Ra’d/ 33)

Then Almighty Allah declares Himself pure and sanctified from having any unjust partner [from shirk], saying: “Allah is purified from all that which they associate with Him and high above them.”

Verse 19:

From this verse, which informs that humanity – initially a single community – later divided into different beliefs and different groups, it is understood that people’s subsequent disputes and divisions occurred by Allah’s will and permission. That is, Almighty Allah left people free by not compelling them in matters of belief, thus creating differences among them.

HUMANITY WAS A SINGLE COMMUNITY BEFORE THEY FELL INTO DISPUTE:

The word “ummah” (الامّة), whose plural is “umam” (الامم), is derived from the root “amm” just like the words “umm”, “ummi”, “emam”, “imam”, “ammin”, and “tayammum”. Since the word “amm” means “to intend, to aim”, both the word “ummah” and its other derivatives contain the meaning of “intention” – even if this doesn’t align with its usage in Turkish. ^[8]

The term meaning of the word “ummah” (الامّة) is: “A community of people who – either by their own will or due to necessity – are present at the same time in the same place; who share the same belief, whether good or bad; and who live together as a result of pursuing the same goal.” Along with its plural form “umam” (الامم), it appears in 64 places in the Quran. Additionally, there are hundreds of words in the Quran that appear in different forms but derive from the same root. All of these words revolve around the meaning of “intending, aiming.”

Regarding the concept of ummah, since an explanation is given in Surah A’raf, we recommend reading the relevant section there, and we now move to the topic of how people were originally a single ummah:

²¹³The mankind was one community with a leader, then Allah sent prophets as harbingers of tidings and warners and He also sent down with them the book with the truth so they might judge between the people over what they differed. And those who had been given the Book differed only because of their transgression between them after that many proofs had come to them. Then, pursuant to His knowledge, Allah guided the believers to the truth over which they had differed. And Allah guides whomever He wills/whoever wills to the straight path.

(Al-Baqara/ 213)

The above verse informs us that people were a single ummah before a warner came to them [while they were on the path of infidelity]. While the word is used for people on the path of infidelity, it has also been used for the community of believers. Indeed, in the following verses, the word ummah is used for believers:

⁵¹-O messengers! Eat from that which is clean, pleasant and beneficial and do righteous deeds. Indeed, I am the One Who knows very well what you do.

⁵²And this is your community as the one united community. And I am your Rabb. So, enter under the guardianship of Mine.-

⁵³Then people divided their affairs among themselves. And every group rejoices and brags about what it has.

(Al-Mu’minun/ 51-53)

⁹²Surely, this is your community as the one united community. And I am your Rabb. Then worship Me.

(Al-Anbiya/ 92)

Accordingly, from the statement in our subject verse 19, “And mankind was only a single community” we can derive the following meanings:

“People were originally a monotheistic (tawhid) and Islamic ummah. However, when some abandoned the belief in tawhid and fell into shirk (polytheism) and deviation, divisions emerged among them. Thus, they separated into various lineages, groups and nations that recognized no rights or justice between each other and justified all kinds of oppression.” OR
“People were originally an ummah of infidels. However, some later became hanifs (pure monotheists) like Prophet Ibrahim and separated from others to form the tawhid(monotheistic) and Islamic ummah.”

THE WORD THAT CAME FROM OUR LORD

The “Word” mentioned in the verse refers to our Lord’s principle of “postponing punishments to a predetermined time.” Almighty Allah has mentioned this principle of His, and His commitment to not breaking it, in other verses as well:

¹⁴And they became divided only out of their transgression between themselves after the knowledge had come to them. If not for a word that preceded from your Rabb, “Until the end of a predetermined term”, it would have been concluded between them. And indeed, those who have been made inherit the Book after them have an uncertain, insufficient knowledge that leads them into uncertainty, about the Qur’an.

(Ash-Shura/ 14)

(Hud/ 110)

⁴⁵And if Allah was to question and punish the people for that which they earn, He would not leave any living creature, small-large, on the earth. But He postpones them until a predetermined term. And when the end of their term comes, then indeed Allah is the One Who sees His servants best.

(Fatir/ 45)

The same principle is also mentioned in Fussilat/45 and Ta Ha/129.

From these explanations, it becomes clear that: Had Almighty Allah not previously given His Word that He would not judge between people regarding their disputes before the Day of Judgment, He would certainly have executed His judgment during worldly life – sending believers to Paradise and infidels to Hell based on their deeds. However, Almighty Allah has granted people opportunity by giving them free will and sufficient time (despite His complete knowledge of what they would do), setting the Day of Judgment as the deadline for this period.

Verse 20:

Our Lord instructed the Prophet to deliver a pointed response to the disbelievers who stubbornly demanded a tangible miracle. The essence of that reply can be rendered as follows:

“I convey to you only what Allah has revealed to me. You ask for signs that Allah has never shown me—things unseen by both you and me—and you insist that you will not believe unless you witness a miracle. But it is Allah’s prerogative to grant or withhold knowledge of the unseen. So we will wait to see whether Allah sends the miracle you insist upon.”

This attitude—demanding impossible proofs—recurred throughout the Qur’an, and it was the same challenge faced by previous prophets.

^7,8And those deniers said: “What kind of messenger is he that he eats, walks in the streets? Why has not an angel been sent down to him? So it would be a warner with him! Or why has not a treasure been given to him or a garden been given to him from which he eats?”. Those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah also said: “You only follow a man affected by magic”.

(Al-Furqan/ 7, 8)

^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)

⁵⁹And what prevented Us from sending evidences/signs; manipulate/destroy, punish with a severe punishment was that former ones denied them. And We clearly and apparently assigned Thamud the duty of establishing social support institutions¹⁸⁹ but they treated unjustly because of it. And We send those evidences/signs only as a warning.

(Al-Isra/ 59)

And Yunus/96, 97, Hijr/14, 15, Tur/44, An’am/7-9, 37, 109, Anfal/32, 33, Shu’ara/153, 154, Shu’ara/185-187, Hud/53-57, Baqara/55.

Verse 21:

This verse provides a concrete example of man’s ungrateful nature, stating that when someone is granted mercy after hardship, they immediately attempt to disparage Allah’s signs. While the word “people” specifically refers to the Meccan infidels, it actually encompasses all humanity.

The reasons for revelation (asbab al-nuzul) records cite the following incident as the occasion for this verse’s revelation:

Abu Sufyan said: “Because of your curse, rain no longer falls upon us. If you could make it rain [and ensure] rain falls upon us, we would believe in you.” Despite rain falling after the Prophet’s prayer, they still didn’t believe. This is what is meant by their “schemes.” ^[9]

The statement in the verse “Allah is swifter in plan” employs the rhetorical device of Mushakala (مشاكلة) and means “Allah punishes swiftly.” Details about the Mushakala rhetorical device are presented in the analysis of Surah Tariq.

The ungrateful nature that characterizes most people has also been expressed in various ways in other verses:

^6-8Certainly not as you think! Even though the return is to your Rabb, man certainly transgresses when he sees himself self sufficient.

(Al-Alaq/ 6-8)

(Yusuf/ 12)

³⁶And when We make the people taste a mercy, they become spoiled with it. If a trouble hits them for that which their hands have done before, they fall into despair at once.

(Ar-Rum/ 36)

Verses 22-23:

These verses provide another concrete example of man’s ungrateful character, when a person faces desperate hardship, he quickly abandons the false gods he associated with Allah and sought intercession from, praying to Allah exactly as He commands – yet as soon as the hardship is relieved, he immediately returns to transgression and wrongdoing. Another verse giving this example is found in Surah Isra:

(Al-Isra/67)

The parenthetical statement in verse 23 warns those who become arrogant by worldly successes and completely forget the Hereafter: “O mankind! Your transgression is only against your own good as a gain of this worldly life. Then your return is only to Us. Then We will inform you about what you did.”

Verse 24:

In the previous verse, worldly gains were called “the profit of a simple life.” Here, a concise metaphor shows that temporary pleasures—seeking amusement or sudden wealth—quickly vanish. First, the rewards of a simple life are depicted as a lush, thriving landscape; then, in an instant, that same land lies desolate and ruined. This striking contrast between flourishing and devastation serves as a powerful warning. A similar pattern of presenting positive and negative imagery in succession appears elsewhere in the Qur’an:

⁴⁵And you, present to them the example of simple worldly life: That simple worldly life is like a water that We send down from the sky and plants of the earth mingle because of it then it becomes a remnant which wind scatters. And Allah is the One Who makes all things to accept His power.

(Al-Kahf/ 45)

(Az-Zumar/ 21)

²⁰Know that the simple worldly life is nothing but a game, a passionate distraction, an adornment, boasting to one another, a competition in increase in wealth and children. –Like an example of a rain; crop that rain causes to grow pleases the farmers, then it dries and then you see it turn to yellow and then it becomes debris.-

And know again that in Akhirat [Afterlife], there will be a severe punishment for those who disbelieved; forgiveness and approval for the believers from Allah.

The simple life in the world is nothing but a material of delusion.

(Al-Hadid/ 20)

WORLDLY LIFE IS LIKE VEGETATION

The worldly gains that man acquires through time and effort will vanish when death comes – just like a carefully cultivated garden that suddenly withers after a disaster. A lifetime of nurtured hopes will instantly turn to despair. For death typically comes suddenly to those who cling tightly to this world and constantly increase their desires, arriving when least expected. Facing this unexpected end, man feels as if he has been thrown from a high cliff onto the ground.

This reality is depicted in another verse as follows:

⁴⁴And when they abandoned what they were reminded, We opened the doors of everything upon them. Then We suddenly seized them when they ‘rejoiced and became spoiled’ in that which they had been given. Then they became the ones whose hopes were lost.

(Al-An’am/44)

Verse 25:

²⁵And Allah invites to the home of salamat [peace, safety, happiness] then He guides whomever He wills/whoever wills to the straight path.

In verse 24, it was explained how worldly gains – which cause distress and unhappiness when being earned, preserved, and spent – are temporary and worthless. In this verse, our Lord calls people to true happiness, peace, and security. Paradise is called “the Abode of Peace” (Dar as-Salam) because whoever enters it will be safe from all disasters and calamities. Furthermore, “as-Salam” is one of our Lord’s names, and the expression “Dar as-Salam” also carries the meaning that “Allah is calling to His own abode.”

^19-24Then, is the one who knows that which has been revealed to you from your Rabb is the truth like the one who is blind? Surely, only those who are able to comprehend;

those who fulfill their promises to Allah and who do not break the contract,

those who combine that which Allah has ordered to be combined; the faith and the good deed,

those who fear their Rabb in awe with respect, love, knowledge and who are afraid of the evil of account,

those who had patience in order to obtain the countenance of their Rabb,

those who established Salah [established and maintained the institutions that support financially and spiritually; enlighten the community],

those who spent from what We had provided for them secretly and openly for the cause of Allah

and those who eliminate evil with good remember and contemplate. It is they for whom the consequence of this home; the gardens of Eden are. They, the righteous from among their ancestors, spouses and descendants will enter into the gardens of Eden. And the forces in charge/harbinger Ayat will enter upon them from every gate: “Salam [health, peace, happiness…] be upon you for what you have had patience! How excellent is the end of this home!”.

(Ar-Ra’d/ 21-24)

¹⁴Excessive and passionate desire for opposite sex, sons, heaped up gold and silver, fine branded horses, cattles bred for their meat and milk and crops has been beautified/made attractive to people. These are the enjoyments of the simple worldly life. And Allah is the One with Whom is the best return.

^15-17Say: “Shall I inform you of what is better than this? For the servants who have entered under the guardianship of Allah; who say, “Our Rabb! Indeed We have believed, then forgive our sins and protect us from the punishment of the Fire!”, who have patience; who resist, who are true, show respect constantly, who spend for the cause of Allah and ask forgiveness at the daybreaks; as their first work with clear mind, there will be gardens of Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] underneath of which rivers flow and wherein they will abide eternally, pure spouses [who have not been stained by eye, thought; totally new] and approval from Allah. And Allah is the One Who sees the servants best.

(Ali-Imran/ 14-17)

Verses 26-27:

These verses convey their message using the “contrast” method. The separate explanations of what rewards await both those who do good and those who acquire evil, represent an essential aspect of this contrast methodology. Presenting the conditions of the righteous and the wicked in opposition facilitates comparison between them. Those who think good thoughts and do good deeds will find the most beautiful rewards in the Hereafter, while the wicked – whose faces will be covered with disgrace that day due to their sins – will only be punished in proportion to their deeds:

⁶⁰Is the recompense of good deeds other than the good?

(Ar-Rahman/ 60)

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

(Ash-Shura/ 45)

^42,43Never think that Allah is apathetic to/unaware of what those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah do! He only delays them for a day when they will run with their heads raised up and when the eyes will pop out. Their sight will not come back to them and their hearts will be empty.

^44,45And warn the people with the day when the punishment will come. Then those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah will say: “O our Rabb! Delay us for a short term so we may answer Your invitation and follow the messengers”. –Had you not sworn before that there would be no end/destruction/eradication for you? And you dwelled in the lands of those who had done wrong; acted against their own good by associating others with Allah. And it became explicit to you how We had done to them. And We presented to you examples as well.-

(Ibrahim/ 42-45)

¹⁶⁰Whoever brings good, then there will be ten times the like of what he brings for him. And whoever brings evil, he will be recompensed only with the like of it and they will not be treated unjustly.

(Al-An’am/ 160)

And in Qiyamat/7-12, Ali-Imran/106-107, Zumar/60, Abasa/38-42, Qiyamat/20-23, Naml/89, Ali-Imran/134, Ankabut/69.

Verses 28, 29:

These verses depict as a Hereafter scene the argument between those who associate partners with Allah and the false deities who reject the accusations against them while calling Allah as their witness. The statement “Take your places!” addressed to the polytheists and what they worship is a threatening expression meaning “Remain in your places until your account is settled!”

However, the infidels who will face Allah’s harsh treatment on the Day of Gathering had been warned many times in the Quran during their worldly lives (Nahl/36, Anbiya/25, Zukhruf/45, Tariq/8,9, Qiyamat/13, Isra/13,14) to avoid encountering this terrible day.

The gathering of the guilty together on that day has been announced in numerous verses with various expressions (Saffat/22-25, Kahf/47, Ya Sin/59, Rum/14, Rum/43, Maryam/82, Ahqaf/5,6, Saba/40,41, A’raf/44,45).

On that day, Allah will also present witnesses, leaving the guilty with nothing to say:

^116-118And when Allah said: “O Jesus, son of Mary! Was it you who told people: ‘Take me and my mother as two gods from among those that are inferior to Allah’?”. Jesus said: “Purified are You, it is not suitable for me to say that which is not true. If I had said it, You would have surely known this. You know what is within myself, but I do not know what is within Yourself. Surely, You are the One Who knows best the unseen, the unheard, the unfelt, the past and the future! I only said to them what You had commanded me; ‘Worship Allah Who is my Rabb and your Rabb’. And as long as I was among them, I was a witness over them. But when you took my life; reminded me that which I had done in the past and what I had failed to do while being obliged to, then You became the One Who observes them. And indeed, You are the witness over all things. If You should punish them, they are definitely Your servants and should You forgive them, indeed You are the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible”.

(Al-Ma’idah/ 116-118)

Verse 30:

This verse, which serves as a complement to the previous ones, briefly summarizes what will happen at that Hour when everything related to worldly life ends, and in that place where return becomes impossible: People will be returned to Allah, their true Mawla (الْمَوْلَى), while the helpers they invented will have abandoned them, and they will face the consequences of what they previously sent forth. In other words, that will be the time and place when reality finally dawns on them.

^165,166Among the people are those who take some equals from among those that are inferior to Allah. They love them as they love Allah. Yet, those who have believed are stronger in love for Allah. And when those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah will see the punishment; when those who are followed disassociate themselves and flee from those who follow them by seeing the punishment and when they see the punishment and ties are severed with them, if only they saw that all the power belongs to Allah and how severe the punishment of Allah is.

(Al-Baqara/ 166)

²⁴See how they will lie against themselves! And that which they invented will depart from them and be lost.

(Al-An’am/ 24)

²¹Those are the ones who will lose themselves. And that which they invented will depart from themselves and vanish. ²²No doubt, indeed these are the ones who will lose the most/suffer the most in Akhirat [Afterlife] as well.

(Hud/21, 22)

⁸⁷And on the day when the Sur will be blown, whoever in the heavens/universe and on the earth will be terrified, except for those whom Allah wills. And they all will come to Him, having lost their values.

(An-Naml/ 87)

⁷⁵And when We will gather a witness from every people with a leader and say: “Here, bring your solid proof!”. Then they will know that the truth belongs to Allah and what they have been inventing is lost from themselves.

(Al-Qasas/75)

The word “there” at the beginning of the verse means “in that place, at that station,” referring to the standing place in the gathering area. However, understanding the place-name as being used for time, the word can also be interpreted as “at that time.”

THE TRUE MAWLA

The clear expression of the verse emphasizes that “the True Mawla” is “Allah.” If we recall, we previously touched upon this matter in the analysis of the 3rd verse of Surah A’raf, noting that the word “mawla” (مَوْلَى) – which carries the same meaning as “wali” (وَلِيّ) in the sense of “guide, helper, protector, close one” – should not be attributed to humans, and that Mawla is only Allah. For this reason, it is not correct practice for our poet Jalaluddin al-Rumi or similar figures in societies like India, Pakistan and Afghanistan to be addressed with the title “Mawla” (مَوْلَانَا).

That the True Mawla is Allah has been declared in many verses of the Quran (An’am/58-62, Hajj/78, Anfal/40, Muhammad/11, Tahrim/2, Ibrahim/22).

Verses 31, 32:

In these verses, it could be said that tactics were given to our Prophet to convince the polytheists that Allah is the true deity. However, in our view, the targeted audience in these verses is not only the Meccan polytheists but all peoples.

Our Lord instructs our Prophet to pose questions to the polytheists, informing him that through their answers, the polytheists will acknowledge Allah’s oneness and Lordship. The tactic taught to our Prophet is to use these admissions as evidence of Allah’s oneness, leaving the polytheists no alternative but to confess their sins.

Our Lord has requested the application of this method in other verses as well, presenting the fact that He is the provider of sustenance as proof of His Lordship:

^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/ 27-32)

²¹Or, who is it that could provide for you if Allah withheld His provision? Actually, they persist in insolence and aversion.

²²Then, does one who walks fallen on his face go truer or one who walks upright on a straight path?

²³Say: “He is the One Who built you, made for you ears, eyes and hearts. How less you repay for the blessings you have!”

(Al-Mulk/ 21-23)

⁴⁶Say: “Have you ever thought, if Allah takes your hearing and sight and seals your hearts; which deity other than Allah can bring them to you?” Look, how We explain the Ayat. Then they turn away and forbid!

(Al-An’am/ 46)

And in Rahman/29, Ankabut/17, Sajdah/5, Zumar/3, Luqman/25, Mu’minun/84-89.

Verse 33:

³³Word of your Rabb has come into effect for those who have gone astray from the righteous path: Surely, they will not believe.

In this verse, one of the “unseen matters” known through our Lord’s eternal knowledge is mentioned, revealing that “those who transgress will not come to faith.” The transgressors referred to in the verse are those who close their eyes and ears to the signs in the universe (afaq) and within human souls (anfus). Through this behavior, they not only lock their hearts but also effectively leash themselves to worldly pleasures and blessings. As in the example of Abu Lahab, these individuals die without faith despite living for years after receiving warnings, thus fulfilling our Lord’s declaration: “Surely, they will not believe”

^42,43And they swore by Allah with all their strength that if warner, a prophet came to them, they would definitely be more on the righteous path than other peoples with a leader. Despite this, whenever a warner came to them, this only increased their hatred in terms of an arrogance and plotting of evil on the earth. But, evil plot encompasses only its own schemers. Then, do they expect other than the laws of the former ones/what was implemented upon them? Therefore, you will never find any change in the implementation of Allah. And you will never find any alteration in the implementation of Allah.

(Fatir/ 42, 43)

⁷¹And infidels; those who consciously denied the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb will absolutely be sent to Jahannah [Hell] in groups. And when they arrive there, its gates will be opened. And its guards will say to them: “Did there not come to you messengers from yourselves who recited you the Ayat of your Rabb and warned you that you would meet this day of yours?. They will say: “Yes they did”. –But the word of punishment has been justified upon the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb.-

(Az-Zumar/ 71)

THE FULFILLED “WORD”

If we recall the information provided in the analysis of Surah Qaf ^[10] regarding what this “Word” refers to, this “Word” signifies a specific declaration, decree, or principle – a foundational decision our Lord made about us during our creation. Our Lord explicitly announced this decree in verses 84-85 of Surah Sad and subsequently referenced it many times:

⁸⁴Allah said: “This is the truth. And the truth I say: “⁸⁵I will definitely fill Jahannah [Hell] of you and those of them who follow you; all of you”.

(Sad/ 84, 85)

¹³Had We willed, We would have given everyone the righteous path. Yet the word from Me has been decreed : “I will definitely fill Jahannah [Hell] with people of known, unknown, the past, the future all together”.

(As-Sajdah/ 13)

This decree appears in the Quran sometimes as “al-Qawl” (القول) (Isra/16, Naml/82, 85, Qasas/51, 63, Saffat/31, Fussilat/25, Ahqaf/18); and sometimes as “Kalimatu Rabbik” (كلمة ربك) (Hud/119, An’am/115, A’raf/137, Yunus/19, 33, 96, Mu’min/6, Fussilat/45, Shura/14, Saffat/171, Ta Ha/129).

A crucial point that should not be overlooked in our Lord’s decree regarding filling Hell with both ins and jinn [i.e. everyone] is that those who will fill Hell will reach this outcome through their own free choices. For as will be seen in verses 69-70 of this surah, our Lord in His mercy sends messengers, reveals scriptures, and leaves people free in their choices. Moreover, our Lord has declared as a fundamental principle that He will not punish without first sending a messenger:

¹⁵Whoever follows the path that is guided, he will follow the path that is guided for his own good. And whoever goes astray, he will go astray against his own good. And no bearer of burdens bears the burden of another. And We have never been the Ones Who would punish unless We sent a messenger.

(Al-Isra/ 15)

Verse 34, 35:

³⁴Say: “Who is it of your partners that forms first and then will return it/resurrect?” Say: “Allah forms first and then returns it. Then how are you deluded?”

In these verses, our Lord commands our Prophet to again use the question-and-answer method to make the polytheists compare the true deity with false deities.

^42-45Once he said to his father: “O my father! Why do you worship those which do not hear, do not see and do not benefit you at all? O my father! Surely, a knowledge which did not come to you has come to me. Therefore, follow me so I may guide you to a straight path. O my father! Do not worship satan. Indeed satan disobeyed Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created]. O my father! Surely I fear that a punishment from Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created] touches you and you become for satan a familiar who guides, protects and helps”.

(Maryam/ 42-45)

^95,96Abraham said: “Do you worship that which you carve with your hands? Yet, it is Allah Who formed you and that which you do”.

(As-Saffat/ 95, 96)

Verse 36:

³⁶And most of them follow nothing but an assumption. No doubt that assumption does not avail against the “truth” at all. Indeed, Allah knows very well what they do.

This verse, which first warned the Meccans and then all of humanity, declares that conjecture (zann) will not benefit people in any way. Conjecture has no value compared to “knowledge” (ilm). Both the false religion-makers who lead people to superstitions, and the philosophers and lawmakers who do not derive their views and proposals from knowledge, rely solely on their assumptions and conjectures. Since conjecture (zann) has no relation to “truth” (haqq), it cannot bring any benefit to anyone. This matter will be revisited later in verse 66.

Verses 37-39:

These verses address the topic mentioned in Isra/88, focusing on how the polytheists who follow conjecture view the Quran, and provides them with necessary responses. The infidels who say “He has invented it himself” were confronted with our Lord’s clear challenge: “Then bring forth a similar independent division!” Our Lord’s challenge continues in other verses (Isra/88, Hud/13, Tur/33, 34, Baqara/23).

As seen in these verses, our Lord’s challenge is not limited to producing something equivalent to the entire Quran – this challenge was reduced to producing ten similar surahs, then reduced to one surah, and finally even a single similar statement. Our Lord further suggests that if individuals cannot produce its equal, they should attempt it collectively through cooperation. However, He declares that no matter what they do, they will never succeed.

In truth, through this challenge, our Lord directs people to study and reflect upon the Quran. For He knows that through serious study, people will reach at least these conclusions:

The Qur’an is a unique book and a literary masterpiece in terms of eloquence, rhetoric, and conciseness. Yet, Allah’s messenger Muhammad (as) had no literary background nor any formal education. Therefore, he could not have authored such a book himself.
The Qur’an confirms the previous books and messengers. However, if the messenger himself had written it, he would have surely followed his own desires, prioritizing himself instead of affirming past books and messengers, seeking to attribute everything to himself.
The Qur’an is also a unique book in terms of its content and teachings, as it contains numerous insights related to physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, cosmology, education, psychology, and sociology. Yet, our Prophet grew up in Mecca, with every phase of his life known to all, and there was no school or teacher around him. Thus, it was impossible for him not only to possess the knowledge in the Qur’an but even to contemplate such subjects.
The Qur’an includes many historical events based on facts. Yet, Allah’s messenger Muhammad (as) was someone unaware of such matters. It was impossible for him to know these events or to fabricate them without error.
The Qur’an provides information about the future [the unseen] as much as it does about the past. The accuracy of these revelations has been proven over time. It is impossible for an ordinary person to give such unfailingly true prophecies. It is unthinkable that someone who claimed to be Allah’s messenger and expected everyone to believe in him would present his own speculations as divine knowledge of the future, risking his credibility. Therefore, these revelations cannot be his own predictions.
The Qur’an also contains many structural miracles. Despite its vast volume, there are no contradictions or inconsistencies in its text from any perspective. It is evident that such a book could not have been written by someone whose incapacity for such a task was known to all.

⁸²Do they still not contemplate the Qur’an properly by reading/putting its Ayat in the order of revelation? If it had been from anyone but Allah, they would have found many contradictions in it.

(An-Nisa/ 82)

These matters, which every person who studies and reflects upon the Qur’an can discern, demonstrate that the Qur’an is not the work of our Prophet. The statement in verse 37, “There is nothing to be doubted about it. It is from Rabb of all universes.”, also points to this, declaring that the Qur’an is a book revealed by divine inspiration from Allah.

Our Lord’s challenge remains valid today, just as it will remain valid until the Day of Judgment. The miracles contained within the Qur’an, the greatest of all miracles, will never be exhausted, and until that day, people will continue to encounter many new miracles within it. Every new miracle discovered in the Qur’an will further prove that it is from Allah.

It must never be forgotten that the Qur’an is not a book addressed only to the era in which it was revealed, but to all people until the Day of Judgment. Some ignorant individuals who disregard this fact or fail to comprehend how the Qur’an could contain so many miracles have criticized and objected to such verses that they themselves could not understand. The statement in verse 39, “Rather, they have denied something which they did not understand in knowledge and whose interpretation has not come to them yet”, precisely refers to such a situation. An example of the objections made by the ignorant against verses they could not comprehend is found in the following verses:

⁶²Is this better as a treat or tree of zaqqum?

⁶³Surely, We have made it a testing tool for those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah. ^64,65Indeed, that tree of zaqqum will grow at the bottom of Jahannah [Hell]. Its sprouts will be like the heads of horned serpents.

⁶⁶And indeed they will eat from it and they will fill their bellies with it. ⁶⁷Then indeed, a mixture of scalding water after that will be for them. ⁶⁸And surely their return will be certainly Jahannah [Hell].

(As-Saffat/ 62-66)

^43-46Surely, tree of zaqqum will be the food of those who excessively waste their time/delay the good/harm/who are excessively reluctant for the good. It is like molten metal; it boils within bellies like the boiling of a scalding liquid.

(Ad-Dukhan/ 43-46)

²⁴Then, if you do not do this and you will never be able to do; then beware of the fire, fuel of which is the humans and stones, that is prepared for the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb.

(Al-Baqara/ 24)

Regarding the above verses, Abu Jahl from the polytheists of that time made this criticism: “Your companion [Muhammad] claims that Hellfire burns stones and people by saying ‘Its fuel is stones and men’ (إِنَّ حَطَبَهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ), then he stands up and says a tree grows green in that Hell. But fire consumes, burns and destroys trees. So how can that tree grow green in Hell?”

Our Lord, who informs us that there may be those like Abu Jahl who wish to confuse matters regarding mutashabih (allegorical) verses whose interpretation has not yet been made, has also stated in Surah Al Imran who should perform the interpretation of these verses:

^7-9Allah is the One Who has sent down this book to you. Part of this book are the Ayat which contain laws, they are the foundation of the book. And the others have analogous meanings. Yet, even though this is the case, those in whose hearts is deviation/inconsistency follow of it which have analogous meanings

to avert people from the religion,

drive them to associate others with Allah

and seek to interpret most suitable meaning of it. Yet, only Allah and those who are expert on that knowledge –who say: “We have believed this, all of this is from our Rabb. O our Rabb! Do not avert our hearts after You have guided us! Grant mercy to us from Yourself! Surely, You are the One Who bestows abundantly. O our Rabb! Surely, You are the One Who will gather the people for that day on which there is no doubt. Surely, Allah does not break His promise”- know the most appropriate interpretation. And only those who are able to understand will be reminded.

(Ali-Imran/ 7-9)

EXAMPLE OF UNREALIZED INTERPRETATION (TEVIL):

²⁵⁹Or the condition of some of those who disbelieve; consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb are like the one who visited a city, roofs of whose houses were collapsed: That person disclosed his disbelief, saying: “How will Allah bring this to life after its death?”. Therefore, Allah took his life for hundred years, and then revived him. Allah said: “How long have you remained?”. He said: “One day or a fraction of a day”. Allah said: “Rather, you have remained for hundred years but look at your food-drink, it has not changed yet, and look at your donkey. –We did this so you may know and we may make you an Ayah for the people…- And look at those bones, how We raise them. Then how We cover them with flesh?”. And when it became clear to him, he said: “Indeed, I know better that Allah is the One Who is the competent over everything”.

(Al-Baqara/ 259)

Verses 40-43:

⁴⁰Among them are those who will believe in the Qur’an and those who will not. And your Rabb is the One Who knows best those who make corruption.

⁴¹And if they deny you, then say: “My deeds belong to me and your deeds belong to you. You are away from what I do and I am away from what you do”.

⁴²And among them are those who heed to you. Is it you who will make the deaf listen while they do not reason?

⁴³Among them are those who look at you. But, is it you who will guide the blind while they are the ones who do not see?

In this group of verses, the Prophet is informed about the behavior of people around him and is advised not to blame himself for the reactions shown by the infidels.

The infidels are here referred to as “المفسدين al-mufsidun [the corrupters]”. Because their denial is not based on any meaningful reason, but on prejudice and selfish desires.

⁵⁷And they said: “If we follow the guidance to the righteous path together with you, we will be driven out from our land”. Have We not established them in a secure place/Mecca¹⁸², where fruits of all crops were harvested and brought to them as a provision from Us? But most of them do not know.

(Al-Qasas/57)

³¹And they said: “Why was this Qur’an not sent down to a great man from these two cities?”.

(Az-Zukhruf/ 31)

⁷³They were about to tempt you away from what We have revealed to you in order to make you say other than it by attributing it to Us thus make you do wrong and burn you in fire. In that case, they would take you as a leader who leaves his mark.

(Al-Isra/ 73)

These deceitful corrupters who suppress the voice of their hearts [consciousness] present their inability to be convinced that the Qur’an is Allah’s Book as the reason for their denial. In this state, they attempt to raise doubts in people’s minds and prevent others from believing. However, their insincerity in these excuses is not hidden from Allah. Due to their lack of sincerity and ill intentions, they are referred to by our Lord as “المفسدين al-mufsidun [the corrupters].”

The accounts of asbab-i nuzul (reasons for revelation) record that some of these individuals genuinely acknowledged the Qur’an as Allah’s Word but turned to denying it due to stubbornness or fear of condemnation:

“Walid ibn al-Mughirah would listen to the Prophet recite the Qur’an and say: ‘I just heard words from Muhammad that resemble neither human nor jinn speech. By Allah, his words possess an extraordinary sweetness and grace. The beginning of his words is like a firm date palm tree, and their conclusion resembles that tree’s fruits. It is sublime; none can surpass it.’

Walid was one of Quraysh’s prominent leaders. When Abu Jahl learned of Walid’s statement, he went straight to reprimand him – for Abu Jahl harbored intense hatred toward the Prophet.”

Another account:

“Walid came to Abu Bakr and asked him to recite from the Qur’an. Thereupon, Abu Bakr recited some portions to him. Later, Walid returned to the elders of Quraysh and said: ‘How marvelous are the words of Ibn Abi Kabsha [the Prophet]! By Allah, it is neither poetry, nor magic, nor the ramblings of madness. Without doubt, it is the Word of Allah.’ Hearing this, the Quraysh nobles feared he might embrace faith and influence others. Abu Jahl came to him, reproached and censured him. He kept pressuring Walid until he recanted.” ^[11]

In verse 41, the fundamental principle of freedom in choosing religion is expressed. This matter was first established in Surah Al-Kafirun:

¹Say: “O infidels; those who do not accept the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb! ²I do not worship what you worship/I do not do the servitude that you do. ³And you are not to worship what I worship/and you do not do the servitude that I do.⁴I will never worship what you worship/I am never to do the servitude that you do. ⁵And you will not worship what I worship/you are not to do the servitude that I do. ⁶Your religion/faith and principles of life are only for you, my religion/faith and principles of life are only for me.”

(Al-Kafirun/ 1-6)

^18,19Indeed, Allah knows those of you who forbid, omit, and who say to their brothers, envying you: “Come to us!”. And they do not stand against distress but a little. And when that fear came, you saw them looking at you with revolving eyes like one fainting from death. And when that fear departed, they lashed you with sharp tongues, indisposed towards good. These have not believed so Allah has made their deeds worthless. And this is very easy for Allah.

(Al-Ahzab/ 18,19)

Verses 42 and 43 describe the infidels as “those who hear but do not listen” and “those who look but do not see” due to their insensitivity. This characterization constitutes a concise condemnation of the infidels.

^4,5There is definitely an excellent example for you in Abraham and those who were with him –except the saying of Abraham for his father: “I will certainly ask forgiveness for you. And I have no power against anything from Allah”-. When Abraham and those with him said to their people: “We are away from you and what you worship from among those that are inferior to Allah. We have denied you. And there has emerged an animosity and hatred between you and us forever until you believe in Allah alone. O our Rabb! We have relied only on You, turned to You. And to return is only to You. O our Rabb! Do not make us a tool of trial for the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Yourself and the fact that You are Rabb! Forgive us! O our Rabb! Surely, You are the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible!”.

(Al-Mumtahinah/ 4, 5)

^41,42And when they see you, they do not do anything except ridicule you: “Is this the one whom Allah has sent as the messenger? If we had not insisted on believing in our gods, indeed, he would almost have led us astray from our gods”. And when they see the punishment soon, they will know who is more astray in way!

(Al-Furqan/ 41-42)

¹⁹⁸If you invite them to the righteous path, they do not hear. And you see them looking at you, however they do not see.”

(Al-A’raf/ 198)

⁴⁶Have they not travelled through the earth so they might have hearts to reason and ears to hear. Indeed, it is not the eyes that go blind but, hearts which are within the chests go blind.

(Al-Hajj/ 46)

Verse 44:

⁴⁴Surely, Allah does not treat people unjustly by any means and ways. Yet people treat unjustly by doing wrong to themselves; acting against their own good.

This verse containing a warning message for everyone declares that Allah wrongs no one. This means those suffering in Hell will be in that state as a direct consequence of their own choices. While at first glance this conclusion might seem illogical – since presumably no one would knowingly choose their own harm – it is absolutely correct. For Allah has given humans hearing ears, seeing eyes, and perceiving hearts that comprehend. Moreover, He has sent the Guide [the Qur’an] that distinguishes truth from falsehood, along with the Messenger to convey and explain it. If a person disregards all these provisions and takes the path whose outcome is evident from the outset, this constitutes a choice made by their own free will.

Those who destroy their eternal lives for temporary worldly gains will only feel regret in the Hereafter:

⁹Then they will say: “Indeed, a warner had come to us but we denied and said, ‘Allah has sent down nothing, you are only in a great astray’”.

¹⁰And they will say: “If we had listened or reasoned, we would not be among the companions of that blazing fire”.

(Al-Mulk/ 9, 10)

In conclusion; in the afterlife, everyone will reap what they have sown, harvest what they have planted, and find what they have earned.

Verse 45:

This verse depicts a scene – pertaining to the Day of Judgment – of what those who deserve Hell will experience. From this portrayal of a moment during the gathering in the “Hashr” area, we understand that no matter how long the wrongdoers lived in this world, they will perceive their lifespan as short. On that Day, some will feel they lived only “an hour of a day,” others “an evening or its morning,” and some just “a day” – all indicating how brief their earthly existence will seem. This perception of their worldly life as extremely short is described in the verses as follows:

⁴⁶On the day when they will see it, they will be like as though they have remained in the world for an evening or a late morning.

(An-Nazi’at/46)

⁹⁹Thus We relate to you some of the important news of that which preceded. Indeed, We have given you a reminder [the Qur’an] from Ourselves. ^100-102Whoever keeps his distance from Our Reminder [the Book/the Qur’an], he will definitely bear a burden on the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection]; on that day when the Sur will be blown, in which they will abide eternally. And what a heavy burden is the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection] for them! On that day, We will gather the criminals with their eyes turned blue. ¹⁰³They will whisper among themselves: “You remained on the earth only for ‘ten days’.” – ¹⁰⁴We know better what they will speak among themselves. – Then the one who was the best in way will say: “You remained only for one day”.

(Ta Ha/ 99-104)

⁵⁵And on the day when Qiyamat [Resurrection] will occur, the sinners will swear that they remained not more than an hour. Thus they were deluded.

⁵⁶And those who were given the knowledge and faith will say: “Surely, in the decree of Allah, you remained until the day of resurrection. This is the day of resurrection after death. But you did not know this”.

⁵⁷On that day, excuses of those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah will not benefit themselves. And they will not be forgiven either.

(Ar-Rum/ 55- 57)

¹¹²Allah will say: “How many years did you remain on the earth in number of years?”.

¹¹³They will say: “We remained one day or a part of a day. Ask those who count”.

¹¹⁴Allah will say: “You stayed only for a little time; if only you had known!”.

(Al-Mu’minun/ 112-114)

The phrase “they will recognize each other” in our subject verse indicates that these people will immediately recognize one another after emerging from their graves – just as they did in this world. However, this recognition won’t benefit them through friendship or kinship as in worldly relations, but will rather result in mutual reproach and humiliation. This matter is also mentioned in other verses (Al-Mu’minun/101, Al-Ma’arij/10-15, Al-A’raf/38, Al-Ahzab/67-68, Saba’/31-33, Abasa/33-37):

The statement at the end of the verse – “Since those who deny that they will meet Allah are not the ones who follow the righteous path, they will definitely lose” – means: “They were deceived by the temporary and neglected the eternal; they chose counterfeit goods in their trade and thus gained no profit, rendering all their efforts worthless.”

Verse 46:

The verse addresses the Prophet while delivering a warning to the entire society. The message can be understood as: “Whether We show you part of what We will inflict upon them during your lifetime, or take your soul before showing it, nothing will change. We will certainly carry out Our decree against them. There is no escape from being returned to Us and gathered for judgment. We witness all their deeds and record them precisely.”

This same message is given in Surah Ar-Ra’d:

⁴⁰And whether We show you a part of that which We have promised them or remind you what you did in the past and what you failed to do while being obliged to, upon you is definitely only to convey. And upon Us is to conclude accounts.

(Ar-Ra’d/ 40)

Indeed, many of the things promised to them have come to pass, both during the Prophet’s lifetime and after his death, occurring in stages. For example, defeats similar to the Battle of Badr that occurred during the Prophet’s lifetime have been repeated thousands of times after his death. However, it is certain that what awaits people in the Hereafter will be far greater than what occurred in this world.

Verse 47:

⁴⁷And there will be messenger for every people with a leader. When their messenger comes, justice and equity will be fulfilled between them. And they will not be treated unjustly.

Regarding whether the “coming” of prophets to their communities refers to this world or the Hereafter, two different meanings can be derived from the verse. We believe both interpretations are correct. These are:

First meaning: The prophets come to their communities during this worldly life and deliver Allah’s messages to them.
According to this interpretation: Messengers have been sent to every community in this world, and once the message reaches its recipients, people can no longer claim ignorance as an excuse. Every community is responsible for the message sent to them. Those who accept the message and organize their lives accordingly will attain Allah’s mercy, while the infidels will face punishment either in the Hereafter or both in this world and the Hereafter. Both rewards and punishments will be administered with perfect justice. As stated in many verses of the Qur’an, those to whom no messenger was sent in this world will not be punished. There are other verses that support deriving this meaning:

²⁴Surely, We have sent you as a harbinger, as a warner/made you a messenger in truth. In every community there has certainly been a warner. ²⁵And if they deny you, surely their ancestors denied too; messengers came to them with explicit evidences, scriptures and enlightening books. ²⁶Then, I seized the infidels; those who consciously denied the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb. So, how was not to know Me/to attempt to make Me unknown?

(Fatir/24)

(Al-Isra/15)

^133,134And the deniers said: “Why does this person, who alleges to be the messenger, not bring us an evidence/a sign from his Rabb?”. Have the explicit evidences which were in the first scriptures not come to them? And had We manipulated/destroyed them with a punishment before this, they would certainly have said: “O our Rabb! If only you had sent us a prophet so we could have followed Your Ayat before we became humiliated and disgraced!”

(Ta Ha/133, 134)

Second meaning: Every prophet will come before their community in the Hereafter and bear witness for their people during judgment.

Communities will be called to account in the Hereafter while their respective messengers stand before them, and these messengers will be heard as witnesses during this reckoning.

There are verses compatible with deriving this meaning from our subject verse 47:

⁴¹How will it be when We bring a witness from every people and bring you as a witness over them?

⁴²Those who denied and disobeyed the Messenger will wish to be covered by the earth and perish on that day. And they will not be able to hide any word from Allah.

(An-Nisa/ 41, 42)

⁶⁸And the Sur will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens/universe and whoever is on the earth will be terrified and lose their reason except whom Allah wills. Then the Sur will be blown again and then they will stand and will be looking on.

⁶⁹And the area on that day will shine with the light of your Rabb, the book will be placed, prophets and witnesses will be brought and it will be judged between them in truth. And they will not be treated unjustly.

(Az-Zumar/ 68, 69)

^11-13and when the messengers, who are to witness, are assigned the time for witnessing on the “day of Distinction”, for which they have been kept hold, –

(Al-Mursalat/ 11-13)

¹⁴³Thus We have made you a righteous people with a leader so you may testify over the people and the Messenger; the Qur’an may testify over you. And We have determined the goal/strategy that is upon you so We may separate; mark and show/declare those who would follow the Messenger from those who would turn back on their heels. This goal/strategy We have determined is indeed very difficult for the people except for those whom Allah guides. And Allah would not to make your faith get lost. No doubt that Allah is very compassionate, very merciful to all people.

(Al-Baqara/ 143)

³⁰And the messenger will say : “O my Rabb! Surely, my people have taken this Qur’an as an isolated/abandoned thing”.

(Al-Furqan/ 30)

(Al-Ma’idah/ 116-118)

Verses 48-49:

⁴⁸And they say: “If you are truthful, when is this promise?”.

This verse responds to the infidels’ question “If you are truthful, when is this promise?” stating that the fulfillment of this promise lies within Allah’s knowledge alone, while the Prophet has no knowledge of it.

This question, previously mentioned in Ya Sin/48, was posed by infidels to believers. As we explained in our commentary on Surah Ya Sin, this is not a sincere inquiry seeking knowledge but rather a question rooted in denial and mockery. The infidels’ question appears in numerous verses throughout the Qur’an:

²⁹And they say: “When is this that you promise, if you should be among truthful?”.

³⁰Say: “For you is a predetermined time of the day so that you will neither remain an hour back nor will you precede it”.

(Saba’/29, 30)

²⁵And they also say: “When is this threat, if you should be among those who are truthful?”.

²⁶Say: “The knowledge of this threat is definitely with Allah. I am only a clear warner”.

(Al-Mulk/25, 26)

See also Anbiya/38 and al-Naml/71.

The statement “There is an end of the term for every people with a leader. ” in the final part of verse 49 declares that every society will perish when its predetermined time comes, thereby conveying the message that communities should not place confidence in their present power.

¹⁸Those who do not believe in it want that Qiyamat [Resurrection] should come soon. But those who believe shake with fear of it and they know that it is the truth. Know well that those who dispute about the moment of Qiyamat [Resurrection] are in an irrevocable astray.

(Ash-Shura/ 18)

¹¹Allah will never delay one who has come to the end of his term. And Allah is aware of what you do.

(Al-Munafiqun/ 11)

¹²If only you could see the criminals before their Rabb hanging their heads, saying: “O our Rabb! We have seen and listened, now return us back so we may do a righteous deed, we surely believe now”!

(As-Sajdah/ 12)

⁸⁴And then when they saw Our punishment, they said: “We have believed in Allah alone and we have disbelieved in that which we associated with Him”.

⁸⁵But their faith when they saw Our punishment did not benefit them. –Established way of Allah over His servants…- Thereupon lost the infidels; those who consciously denied the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb.

(Al-Mu’min/ 84-85)

Verses 50-52:

⁵⁰Say: “Have you ever considered? If His punishment should come to you by night when you are asleep or by day!” What do the criminals hasten of this?

⁵¹Will you believe in it after this punishment has occurred or now? Yet, you have been seeking to hasten it.

This group of verses constitutes the second response to the infidels’ question mentioned in verse 48: “If you are truthful, when is this promise? A similar response appears in Surah At-Tur:

^13-16On that day, the deniers will be thrown into the fire of Jahannah [Hell]. –This is the fire you have been denying! Then, is this also a magic? Or, do you not see? Lean over it! Whether you have patience or you do not have patience, it is the same for you now. You will only be recompensed for what you did!-

(At-Tur/ 13-16)

The statement at the very end of this verse group – “Will you be recompensed except for that which you have earned?” – refers to the principle that no wrongdoer will be punished for anything other than their own sins.

(Al-Isra/ 15)

Verses 53-54:

⁵³And they ask to receive information from you, “Is that punishment true?”. Say: “Yes, by my Rabb, it is truth. And you will not incapacitate”.

In verse 53, a serious warning is given to those infidels who still ask “Is that punishment true?” after receiving numerous warnings. It reiterates that the promised punishment is indeed real and inescapable. Our Lord’s warnings that no one can escape this punishment are numerous, as can be seen in Ya Sin/82, Saba’/3, and At-Taghabun/7.

In verse 54, our Lord informs the infidels that even if they possessed all the wealth in the world, when the Hour comes they would offer it all to escape that punishment – thus revealing to them the degree of regret they will feel that day and the seriousness of the matter. However, on that Day no one will be wronged, and judgment will be passed between them with truth and justice:

⁴⁸And enter under the guardianship of Allah against the day when no individual will avail another individual, no one’s help and intercession will be accepted, no ransom/compensation will be received and no individual will be helped.

(Al-Baqara/ 48)

²⁵⁴O you who have believed! Spend from what We have provided for you for the cause of Allah/provide sustenance first to your relatives and others before the coming of a day when no exchange, no friendship or intercession or help will be. And the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb are the ones who treat unjustly to themselves.

(Al-Baqara/ 254)

⁹¹Indeed, those who disbelieved; consciously denied the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb and die while they are disbelievers; never will the whole capacity of earth of gold be accepted from any of them –even if they give it as ransom/compensation-. It is those for whom an unbearable punishment will be. And there will be no helpers for them.

(Ali-Imran/ 91)

⁹⁴Surely, Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created] surrounds them and keeps account of them, one by one. ⁹⁵And on the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection], all of them will come to Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created] alone.

(Maryam/ 94, 95)

Verses 55, 56:

⁵⁵Open your eyes! Indeed, everything in the heavens/universe and on the earth is for Allah. Open your eyes! Indeed, promise of Allah is truth. But most of them do not know.

⁵⁶Allah gives life and takes life. And you will be returned only to Him.

These verses, which constitute a declaration addressed to all humanity, begin with the exclamation “الا ala!” (Behold!). This exclamation, meaning “Take notice, open your eyes, know well!” is used solely to capture the attention of the heedless and awaken them from their slumber of neglect [indifference, insensitivity]. This divine declaration emphasizes that the true owner of all things in the heavens and earth is Allah, that life and death are in His hands, thereby explaining the meaninglessness of worldly attachments and the futile effort to attain permanence in this world – thus warning people through admonition.

Verse 57:

⁵⁷O mankind! There has come to you from your Rabb a reminder, a cure for what is within the chests, a guidance and a mercy for the believers.

In this verse addressing all humanity, the Qur’an is introduced by highlighting four primary attributes, while stating that the Qur’an will only benefit believers.

As may be recalled, the Qur’an’s attributes of being “شفاء shifa [healing]” and “رحمة rahmat [mercy]” first appeared in Al-Isra/82. As explained there, the Qur’an’s healing does not refer to physical illnesses but rather to mental ailments. For the Qur’an convinces minds, relieves distress and depression by satisfying hearts, elevates people’s moral standards, thereby establishing societal order, harmony, peace and tranquility.

The Qur’an is also the greatest “rahmat [mercy]” because it shows humanity the straight path they need, guides them to maturity, and provides the knowledge necessary for righteous living while encouraging the acquisition of knowledge. The emphasis that the Qur’an’s “shifa [healing]” and “rahmat [mercy]” are for believers stems from the fact that only the faithful can truly benefit from the Qur’an.

For a more detailed explanation on this subject, we recommend reviewing the analysis of Al-Isra/82 and rereading the relevant section.

Verse 58:

⁵⁸Say: “These are by the gift and mercy of Allah. Let them rejoice in only these. This is better than what they accumulate”.

This verse conveys through our Prophet the message to humanity that the benefits they will obtain from the Qur’an’s qualities listed in the previous verse are more valuable than all worldly gains. When we consider that people’s worldly acquisitions include not only wealth, property, money, position, status, fame and honor but also the material and spiritual heritage passed down from the past, perhaps we can better understand how immense are the benefits obtained from the Qur’an and the pleasures derived from these true gains.

This comparison addressed to all humanity is made in another verse specifically directed to our Prophet:

¹³¹And do not extend your eyes/covet for the wealth, properties and children that We have given for enjoyment to some couples among them as ornaments of the simple worldly life to test them. And the provision of your Rabb is better and more enduring.

(Ta Ha/ 131)

Verses 59, 60:

After mentioning the Qur’an’s qualities and the benefits it provides to people, the passage transitions to discussing the moral consequences of classifying provisions as forbidden (haram) and permissible (halal), making it clear that these two verses constitute different divisions(najm). The polytheists who declare some of Allah’s provisions as halal and others as haram are criticized for this attitude, with the message that they have no authority to do so. While they are asked whether they received authorization from Allah for this classification or are fabricating lies, since it is universally known that Allah has granted no one such authority, this question essentially declares that they are lying.

Our Lord’s authority to decree what is “haram” and “halal,” mentioned in other verses as well, is discussed in most detail in Surah Al-An’am:

¹³⁶And they allocated a share for Allah from the crops and livestock Allah created and said according to their deviant belief: “This is for Allah; and that is for our partners”. The share which is for their partners does not reach Allah, and that which is for Allah reaches their partners. How evil is what they judge!

¹³⁸And due to their wrong belief, they said: “These are untouchable animals and crops. No one can eat these except whom we will. These are the animals whose backs are forbidden”. And they do not mention the name of Allah upon some animals by inventing a lie about Allah. Allah will surely recompense them for that which they invented.

¹³⁹And they said: “What is in the bellies of these animals belong only to our men and are forbidden to our women. If it is dead, then they have their shares”. Allah will give them their descriptions as recompense. Indeed, He is the One Who is the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible, knows very well.

¹³⁷And their partners made killing of their children pleasing with reasons of burden, shame, sacrificing for gods for many of those who associate others with Allah so they might ruin themselves and confuse and corrupt their religion. Had Allah willed, they would not have done this. Then, leave them and that which they invent!

¹⁴⁰Those who killed their children foolishly due to ignorance and those who made haram/forbidden what Allah has provided for them by inventing a lie about Allah have indeed lost. They surely have gone astray and they are not the ones who have followed the righteous path they were guided.

¹⁴¹Allah is the One Who builds gardens with and without trellises, dates, crops with many kinds of fruits, olives and pomegranates, similar to one another and dissimilar. Eat of its fruit when it yields, and give its due right on the harvest day and do not diminish from its right. Surely, Allah does not like those who diminish the right.

¹⁴²And He is the One Who builds of the livestock which carry load and that which are used to make bed. Eat from that which Allah has provided for you. Do not follow the steps of satan. Indeed, He is an explicit enemy for you.

¹⁴³Eight mates: Two of sheep and two of goat. Say: “Has Allah forbidden two males or two females or what the wombs of two females enshrouded; children? If you are truthful, inform me with knowledge”.

¹⁴⁴And two of camel and two of cattle… Say: Has Allah forbidden two males or two females or children of two females? Or were you with Allah when He charged you this liability?” Who can do more wrong; act more against his own good than the one who invents a lie about Allah to lead people astray without relying upon any such information? Indeed, Allah does not guide that people of those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah.

(Al-An’am/ 136-144)

¹⁰³Allah did not make Al-Bahira, As-Sahiba, Wasila and Ham. But the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb invent lies about Allah. And most of them do not reason.

(Al-Ma’idah/ 103)

Although these two subject verses do not mention the fate of those who fabricate lies against Allah, according to verse 17 of this surah – “Then, who can do more wrong; act more against his own good than the one who invents a lie about Allah or denies His Ayat/evidences/signs? Indeed, these sinners will not reach the salvation.” – it is already evident that these individuals cannot escape Allah’s punishment. Indeed, verse 60’s questioning of these liars about their opinion concerning the Day of Judgment also serves as a warning, implying they will face a bitter end.

There are many other warning verses in the Qur’an regarding those who fabricate lies against Allah. Concerning this matter, one should also examine An’am/21, 93, A’raf/37, Hud/18, Ankabut/68, Zumar/32 and Saff/7.

Verse 61:

Our Lord presents His primary message first by addressing the Prophet, then through the rhetorical device of iltifat (sudden shift in address), directs His speech to all humanity. Therefore, this verse’s message is for both our Prophet and everyone.

The message given to the Prophet in this verse can be understood as: “We see all that you do with great patience and perseverance to convey the Message of Truth and reform people. Be certain that We know exactly how you strive in performing your duty and what attacks you endure from your enemies.”

The message the verse gives to everyone, particularly the Prophet’s enemies, can be interpreted as: “Do not imagine We are unaware of what you do against Our messenger and those who defend and speak for the Truth. We see all the schemes you devise and obstacles you place. Moreover, We are recording all your actions in detail and with precision. Therefore, be cautious; do not entertain the delusion that you won’t be held accountable for these deeds.”

This means that every person – whether a messenger or an ordinary member of society – must ensure their actions align with the Qur’an [Allah’s approval] if they don’t want their deeds to harm them. For every action is witnessed, and all will be accounted for individually. Nothing in this world can be hidden from Allah’s knowledge and sight. This is such meticulous observation that not even an atom’s weight – or anything smaller or larger – in the heavens or earth can escape it. All are recorded in a clear book.

⁵⁹Keys to the unseen, the unheard, the past and the future are only with Him. No one knows them except Him. He also knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not even a leaf falls but that He knows it. No grain is there within the darkness of the earth and no moist or dry thing except that it is within an explicit book.

(Al-An’am/ 59)

³⁸And there are no moving creatures, small-large, and no birds flying with its two wings on the earth except that they are a community with a leader like you. We left nothing out/missing in the Book. Then they will be gathered to their Rabb.

(Al-An’am/ 38)

⁶There is no creature on the earth, small-large, whose provision is not upon Allah. Allah knows its permanent dwelling and temporary settlement. All is in an explicit book.

(Hud/ 6)

^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.

(Ash-Shu’ara/ 217-220)

¹²Indeed, it is only We, We Who resurrect the dead. And We write what they have sent forth before and their work. Then, We have enumerated everything in “an explicit pioneer/the Qur’an”.

(Ya Sin/ 12)

Verses 62-64:

^62,63Open your eyes! There will be no fear for those who are close to Allah, His helpers – it is those who have believed and entered under the guardianship of Allah-. They will not grieve.

⁶⁴Good tidings are for them in this worldly life and in Akhirat [Afterlife]. There is no change in the words of Allah. This is what is the greatest attainment.

This distinct group of verses (najm) also explains an extremely important and special subject: the matter of “اولياء اللّهAllah’s awliya [close ones, helpers].” This topic, due to its distortion, has led to various superstitions and deviant movements in religious life. Given its importance, we will examine it extensively here, ultimately revealing the true meaning of the Qur’anic term “Allah’s Awliya.”

WHO ARE CLOSE TO ALLAH AND WHO ARE HIS HELPERS?

Until now, the term “waliy [close, helper]” has been used concerning Allah’s closeness and assistance to His servants. However, in Yunus/62, through the expression “awliyaullah,” it is first introduced in the context of “servants’ closeness and assistance to Allah.” This is because the possessive construction (takwin al’iidafii, noun phrase) “اولياء اللّه awliyaullah” literally means “those close to Allah.”

Because ” اولياء اللّه Awliyaullah [those close to Allah]” occurs in the Qur’an, it is clear that Allah identifies some individuals as particularly near to Him, His helpers. The essential question, then, is who these “close and helpful” people are. Unfortunately, this concept has been distorted: instead of consulting the Qur’an for clarification, some have relied on unfounded rumors to create unrelated terminology. In doing so, they have strayed from the path of tawḥīd and introduced foreign beliefs and practices that conflict with Islam. Those who failed to recognize how these assumptions led them astray found themselves mired in error, alongside the polytheists who fabricated non-Qur’anic sources for the faith.

²⁸O you who have believed! These who associate others with Allah are indeed unclean. Let them not come close to Masjid al-Haram after this year. If you fear poverty/that you will lose income because they will go away, Allah will soon enrich you with bounties when He wills. Surely, Allah is the One Who knows best, the One Who is the best law maker.

(At-Tawbah/ 28)

However, there is no need to sink into shirk to understand who the “Awliyaullah” are. Because our Lord has explained who they are in the Qur’an:

³⁴And what do they have so Allah may not punish them while they forbid from Masjid al-Haram/the untouchable theological education center even though they are not the trustees/foundation directors who maintain it? The trustees/foundation directors who maintain it are those who have entered under the guardianship of Allah. But most of them do not know.

(Al-Anfal/ 34)

Those who seek answers to their questions in fabricated narrations rather than the Qur’an have disregarded the Qur’an in this matter as well, interpreting the term “awliyaullah” according to their own fabricated explanations:

When the Prophet was asked “Who are the Awliyaullah?”, he replied: “They are such people that when seen, Allah is remembered and invoked.” ^[12]

A narration attributed to Hz. Omar states: “They are people whom prophets and martyrs admire, though they themselves are neither prophets nor martyrs – people who love each other for Allah’s sake without any business or kinship ties.” ^[13]

The Awliyaullah love for Allah’s sake and become friends, companions and beloved ones to each other. ^[14]

While Almighty Allah has explicitly defined “اولياء اللّه Awliyaullah [those close to Allah]” in the aforementioned verses of Yunus and Anfal as “pious believers”, inventing alternative explanations for “awliyaullah” through fabricated narrations that contradict Allah’s clear statement can only, in our view, be the work of insolent enemies of Islam. These malicious individuals with devilish dispositions, seeking to waste Muslims’ lives, have used the concept of “hadith” as polish for their poisonous views and attributed their fabrications to the Prophet. We consider it our duty here to absolve the Prophet of these false attributions.

The conclusion from our explanations thus far is: The essential meaning of “اولياء اللّه Awliyaullah” is “those close to Allah.” And “those close to Allah” are, according to our Lord’s expression, “pious believers (muttaqi mu’min).”

At this point, the question that must be asked is: “How can pious believers become close to Allah?” Our Lord has also provided the answer to this question in the Qur’an:

⁷O you who have believed! Should you help Allah, He will help you and set your feet firm. ⁸As for those who deny, destruction will be upon them and Allah will waste their work. ⁹This is definitely because they disliked what Allah revealed. And Allah has made their deeds worthless.

(Muhammad/ 7-9)

^14,15Battle them so Allah may punish them through your hands and disgrace them. And He may make you victorious over them and heal the hearts of a believing people, remove the hatred of their hearts. Allah accepts the repentance of whom He wills. And Allah is the One Who knows very well, the One Who is the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible.

(At-Tawbah/ 14, 15)

^52,53And when Jesus felt disbelief; denial of the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb from them, he said: “Who are my helpers in the path of Allah?”. The Apostles said: “We are the helpers of Allah, we have believed in Allah, now testify that we are Muslims. –O our Rabb! We have believed in that which You have revealed and followed the messenger as well. Then, write us down among the witnesses”-.

(Ali-Imran/ 52,53)

¹⁴O you who have believed! Be helpers of Allah; as when once Jesus, son of Mary, said to apostles: “Who are my helpers for Allah?”. And apostles said to him: “We are helpers of Allah”. Then, a group of people believed in Israelites and another group did not. Then, We strengthened those who believed against their enemies so they prevailed.

(As-Saff/ 14)

^39-41Those whom are waged war have been allowed to fight since they have been treated unjustly; driven out from their lands without right only because they have said “Our Rabb is Allah!”.

And surely, Allah is the One Who is the most competent to lead them to victory. If Allah had not eliminated and prevented some of the people with other people, all sprouts, buds, fruits on the trees, harvested grains, legumes, thorns in barren lands, all built structures, bazaars and malls; markets, all Salah; support institutions (workplaces; employment and procurement institutions, educational and training facilities and security centers) and all the masjids [school] within which the name of Allah is mentioned frequently would have definitely been demolished.

Allah will definitely help those who help Him -who establish Salah [establish and maintain the institutions that support financially and spiritually; enlighten the community], 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 established, instruct that which is acceptable for all and who keep away with Wahy [Revelation] and common sense that which is considered evil, if We make them have authority and home-. Indeed, Allah is very powerful, almighty. And only to Him belongs the consequence of all matters.

(Al-Hajj/ 39- 41)

As can be seen, in the explicit statements of the verses above, it is mentioned about help to Allah and about the helpers of Allah. It is known by everyone that it is impossible to help Allah Himself; the Exalted Allah is also free from such a help and from helpers. Indeed, our Lord’s accepting the muttaqi believers as His wali [close and helper] does not originate from His incapacity, weakness, helplessness, or need. Our Lord explains this matter as follows in one of His verses:

¹¹¹And say: “All praise is to Allah Who has not taken any child, Who has no partners in possession and in dominion, Who does not need a helper out of weakness; no one else may be praised”. And glorify Allah with glorification!

(Al-Isra/ 111)

Therefore, in order to understand how the pious believers can, -in the true sense of the word,- help Allah who has no need of any help or helper, it is necessary to carefully ponder over the following matters:

For what purpose has Allah created people, why has He sent them books and prophets, and what has He demanded from them?
Through whom are the things Allah has demanded from people carried out, how does divine law (Sunnatullah) take place?
Who are the enemies of Allah, what do they want, how do they behave?

The answers to these questions are both clear and easy: Allah, in worldly life, wants the establishment of justice, the elimination of kufr, shirk, and nifaq, the religion being devoted entirely to Allah, and these wishes of His take place in proportion to the struggle [jihad] put forth by us, His servants. That Allah does not establish the order He wants to be established Himself but leaves it to His servants is due to His wanting to test His servants:

^4-6When you meet/battle those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb, strike their necks at once…/battle to death. And when you prevail over them, secure the bond/make strong decisions. And when the war lays down its burdens and it is over, release them free either without compensation or with ransom. Thus, if Allah had willed, He would surely have maintained justice by recompensing them. But this is so to test you with each other. And as for those who are killed/kill/fight in the path of Allah; Allah will never waste their deeds. Allah will guide them, amend their conditions and admit them to Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] which He has made known to them.

(Muhammad/ 4)

That means, those who strive for the realization of what Allah wants [that is, those who helped our Prophet while he was alive and those who strive to uphold the religion of Allah], in the full sense of the word, have helped Allah. In other words, “اولياء اللّه awliyaullah [those who are close to Allah]” and “ انصار اللّه ansarullah [those who help Allah]” are those who, by adopting the commands and prohibitions set by Allah, cling to His religion and strive with all their might for the spreading of that religion. These people are described by the Qur’an as “muttaqi mu’min, pious believers.”

Although the real meanings of the expressions “awliyaullah” (اولياء اللّه) and “ansarullah” (انصار اللّه) are these, as a result of the word “waliy” and its derivatives being deviated from their true meanings and expressed in a very shallow way as “dost/friend,” the matter has gone astray, and with this seemingly simple mistake, it has started to be spoken of as if there is a “bond of heart” friendship between Allah and the servant, and between the servant and Allah. In fact, most of the deviations in religious fields have arisen from imposing words used in the text with their literal meanings as if they were concepts. Therefore, the real meaning of the word “dost,” which is also used in Turkish outside of its true meaning, must be identified, and it must be clearly shown what kind of deviation it has caused in this matter.

The word “dost,” whose original is “dust” and plural is “dostan,” means “someone who wishes the good of another, loves him sincerely, is on good terms with him, the closest friend, a person of like heart” and has entered our language from Persian. As anyone who has at least some knowledge about the attributes of Allah will accept, the meaning of this word prevents depicting any person as being in a friendship relationship with Allah. For this reason, “a person being a dost/friend to Allah” or “Allah taking a person as a dost/friend” are expressions that are wrong in terms of the meaning of the word “dost/friend.” On the other hand, due to the fact that they are different in meaning, using the Turkish word “dost” (friend) and the Arabic word “waliy” in the same meaning is an extremely big mistake. When the mistake of using a wrongly-meaning word is made in a matter related to Allah, it is not even possible to explain it with the word “mistake.” Using the word “dost,” which is used to describe good relations and closeness between people in simple worldly matters, to express the figurative closeness between Allah and humans who are subordinate to Him in every aspect, leads one to think that those who commit this grave mistake, might be acting deliberately. Because this grave mistake does not stem from either their insufficiency in Arabic or their ignorance about Allah. On the contrary, these people, who are well-versed enough in Arabic not to make such a mistake and claim to know Allah very well.

In conclusion, Allah’s closeness to humans is metaphorical, manifested through His bringing people out of darkness into light, guiding them, helping them, and protecting them. As for pious believers’ closeness to and assistance of Allah, it consists of their efforts to spread and live by Allah’s religion.

Returning to our main subject regarding the word “waliy” – the reason we have examined this word at length is because it has been conceptualized and used in ways contrary to tawhid (monotheism). Since ancient times, an elite class of religious figures called “waliy” or “evliya” has been fabricated. These false “awliya,” much like Christian clergy, have engaged in many un-Islamic practices. Unfortunately, countless poor souls have fallen into the trap of these fake awliya who, with their unique methods of distortion, have produced all sorts of non-Islamic ideologies. Consequently, these fraudsters become the “awliya” of the foolish people they deceive, while devils become the “awliya” of these fraudsters.

To avoid such disaster, we recommend dedicating religion solely to Allah and turning to Him so He may not divert us from this straight path:

“May Allah not withhold His wilayah [closeness, assistance, guidance from darkness to light, intercession, mentorship, and protection] from those who strive to dedicate religion purely to Him! May He accept the pious believing servants who exert this effort as ‘awliyaullah’ and ‘ansarullah’!”

Verse 65:

⁶⁵And do not let their speech grieve you. Indeed, dominion, glory and honor belong to Allah entirely. He is the One Who hears best, knows best.

This verse, which consoles our Prophet, declares that sovereignty, power, glory, and honor belong solely to Allah. The Prophet is advised not to grieve over the actions of the infidels, and this consolation also serves as a warning to his opponents, as it implies that those who obey Allah will attain victory.

Some of the words that saddened our Prophet are conveyed in Surah Furqan as follows:

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”.

⁶Say: “The One Who knows the secret within the heavens/universe and the earth has revealed it. Indeed, He is the One Who forgives, shows mercy”.

(Al-Furqan/4-8)

In response to the attitudes of the infidels, our Prophet has been consoled in many verses, and it has been promised to those who obey Allah that they will achieve victories and that their glory and honor will increase:

¹⁰Whoever wishes to become exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible; the subduer, must know that being the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the Invincible; the subduer belongs completely only to Allah. Good words ascend only to Him. And righteous work raises it. As for those who plot evil deeds; they are the ones for whom severe punishment will be. And their plots will perish.

(Fatir/10)

⁸They say “Indeed, if we return to Medina, those who have more power and honor will definitely expel those who are less in power and weak from there”. Yet, power, honor and exaltedness belong to Allah, His Messenger and the believers. However, the hypocrites do not know.

(Al-Munafiqun/8)

¹⁸⁰Purified is your Rabb, who is Rabb of authority, strength, invincibility, glory and honor from that which they describe.

(As-Saffat/180)

And (Ya Sin 76), (Al-An’am 33, 34), (Al-Mu’min 51), (Al-Mujadilah 21), (As-Saffat 171-173).

Verse 66:

This verse also begins with the warning particle “ala [open your eyes!].” The warning states that the sustenance of those in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah, yet those who make demands from those beneath Allah follow conjecture and speak falsely. Thus, the verse also emphasizes that conjecture and imagination have no place in the religion of Islam.

The general message of the verse can be understood as follows: “The real reason for your deviation is that you base your inquiries on conjecture and doubt. Because of this baseless attitude, you refuse to listen even to the most reasonable things. As a result, not only do you fail to reach the truth, but you also cannot properly evaluate the messages conveyed by the messengers.”

The expressions warning against “not relying on conjecture,” which were previously mentioned in (An-Najm 23, 28) and (Yunus 36), will also appear later in (Al-An’am 116 and 148).

Verse 67:

In the previous verse we learned that the heavens and the earth belong to Allah. Here, the focus shifts to the order and harmony that govern the universe, underscoring that Allah alone sustains and controls all creation. The verse concludes by noting that those who pay attention to revelation will recognize these signs and find proof of His sovereignty.

^32-34Allah is the One Who formed the heavens/universe and the earth, Who sends down water from the sky and brings forth some fruits with it from the earth as provision for you. And Allah gave the ships to your service/created them in such characteristics that you may benefit, so they may sail through the sea by His command, and He gave rivers to your service as well. He gave the sun and the moon which constantly revolve to your service/created them in such characteristics so you may benefit. And He gave the night and the day to your service as well. And He gave you from all you asked of Him. You can not count the favor of Allah even if you wish to! Indeed, man is one who does very wrong; acts against his own good and is very ungrateful.

(Ibrahim/ 32, 33)

⁸⁶Have they not seen that We created the night so they may rest and created the day bright so it may improve thinking by shedding a light and being beneficial. Indeed, there are definitely evidences/signs in this for a people who believe.

(Neml/86)

Verse 68:

This verse refers to the deviant belief of the polytheists that “Allah has taken a son,” and this baseless claim is categorically rejected. In this context, it is stated that Allah is far above such a thing and has no need for it, thereby reinforcing the belief in tawhid(monotheism.)

One of the slanders the polytheists attributed to Almighty Allah is that they sometimes ascribed to Him a “son” and at other times “daughters.” This attitude of the polytheists has been addressed in many verses (Surah Tawbah 30, Surah Ma’idah 17, Surah Saffat 158, 159, Surah Baqara 116, Surah Maryam 88-95, Surah An’am 101, Surah Ikhlas 1-4), and necessary warnings have been given to them.

Verses 69, 70:

⁶⁹Say: “Those who invent a lie about Allah will definitely not succeed”.

In these verses, it is stated that those who slander without evidence and attribute their absurd views to Allah will only enjoy a brief pleasure in this world with such lies, but in the Hereafter, they will face a terrible fate. This terrible fate is the severe punishment they will taste.

Verses 71 – 73:

The story of the Prophet Noah is mentioned very briefly in Surah Yunus. The preaching of the Prophet Noah, the denials of the community that opposed him, and the evil consequences of these denials are explained. We have already explained the meanings of the words “FULK” (ْفُلْكِ) and “Gharaq (غرق )” in Surah A’raf.

“FULK (ْفُلْكِ)”

The word “Fulk” means a “small” ship. In Turkish, we use the form “FILIKA” for this word. “Filika” is a term used in maritime and entered the Turkish language from the Italian word “faluca.” Its meaning is “LIFEBOAT.” The word “faluca” is also known in Italian as “faluca” or “falucca” and refers to a type of small sailing boat. The origin of this word goes back to the Arabic word “فلوكة” (falukah), which in Arabic means a small boat or dinghy. Thus, the word “feluca” passed into Italian from Arabic.

In Surah Al-Mu’minun 27, it is said, “Board it.”

From our understanding of the verses, the word “فلك (fulk)” in the verse represents the religion of Islam. Indeed, later it will come with the attribute “مشحون (mashhun)” (a ship fully and perfectly equipped with all necessary provisions and fittings). Here, the “فلك (fulk – ship)” is the symbol of the monotheistic/Tawheed religion of Islam.

In Nuh/28, it is stated: “My Rabb! Forgive all of us/me, my mother and father, those who enter MY HOUSE as a believer and believing men and believing women! And increase those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with You only in destruction”

رَبِّ اغْفِرْ ل۪ي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِمَنْ دَخَلَ بَيْتِيَ مُؤْمِنًا وَلِلْمُؤْمِن۪ينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِۜ وَلَا تَزِدِ الظَّالِم۪ينَ اِلَّا تَبَارًا ﴿28﴾

As seen in this verse, the expression “ship (fulk)” is not used to represent the religion of Islam; instead, the word “MY HOUSE” is employed.

Here, فلك (fulk – ship), as we also use in Turkish, refers to the ‘Ship of Salvation.’ In the parable of Noah, the religion of Islam is symbolized as ‘Fulk.’ Indeed, in another verse, the religion of Islam is symbolized as ‘السِّلْمِ (SILM).’

يَٓا اَيُّهَا الَّذٖينَ اٰمَنُوا ادْخُلُوا فِي السِّلْمِ كَٓافَّةًࣕ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِؕ اِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُبٖينٌ ﴿٢٠٨﴾

The expression ‘س ل م (SILM)’ means “ دَارِ السَّلَامِؕ (dar us-salam – the Abode of Peace).’ In the verse, it is commanded: ‘Enter “ دَارِ السَّلَامِؕ (dar us-salam) entirely.'”

Yunus/25:

وَاللّٰهُ يَدْعُٓوا اِلٰى دَارِ السَّلَامِؕ

In (the verse), the monotheistic/Tawheed religion of Islam preached by Prophet Solomon is described as a صرح SARH (palace).

قٖيلَ لَهَا ادْخُلِي الصَّرْحَۚ فَلَمَّا رَاَتْهُ حَسِبَتْهُ لُجَّةً وَكَشَفَتْ عَنْ سَاقَيْهَاؕ قَالَ اِنَّهُ صَرْحٌ مُمَرَّدٌ مِنْ قَوَارٖيرَؕ قَالَتْ

رَبِّ اِنّٖي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسٖي وَاَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ سُلَيْمٰنَ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمٖينَࣖ

⁴⁴It was said to the queen, “Enter the palace/pure religion where is nothing concealed, obscure and all things are shown clearly!” When the queen saw the pure religion, she carefully examined it again and again, scrutinized it, and revealed all the secrets of her past life. Solomon said: ‘This is the pure religion meticulously derived from Allah’s revelations.”⁴⁴….And the Queen said: “My Rabb! I have truly been acting unjustly to myself. With Solomon, I have become Muslim for Allah, Rabb of all universes” (An-Naml/ 44)

In conclusion, the فلك FULK (ship) that Noah built and entered with his followers to attain salvation is ‘THE RELIGION OF ISLAM’.

GHARK (غَرْق)

The word “ghark” (غَرْق) is generally understood to mean “drowning in water.” However, in all classical lexicons, it is found to carry the absolute meaning of “sinking”—used in contexts such as “sinking in water, sinking into debt, or sinking into calamity,” depending on the object it takes.

Here, the sinking and drowning of Noah’s people does not refer to sinking or drowning in water; rather, as clarified in Saffat: 76, it signifies sinking into calamity—being overwhelmed by disaster. 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, because Noah and those with him were in the Rescue Ship—that is, in the religion of Islam-Tawheed—they were saved from the great calamity and the punishment of infamy.

In these verses, the events that took place between the Prophet Noah and his people are briefly and concisely mentioned as a reminder. These events had been previously referenced in earlier surahs, particularly with detailed accounts in Surah Shu’ara. The inclusion of a brief summary of these events in this surah is, in our view, due to the striking similarity between the struggle of Prophet Noah with his people and that of our Prophet with the Meccan polytheists. These parallels can be seen in Hud/53-57, Ma’idah/48, Naml/91, 92, Baqara/131, 132, Yusuf/101, Yunus/84, A’raf/123-126, Naml/44, Ma’idah/44, Maida/111, and An’am/162-163.

Verse 74:

Out of His mercy, our Lord sent messengers to communities after Prophet Noah as well. Despite these messengers bringing clear proofs, they were rejected by their people. Allah’s established way [Sunnatullah] in this matter is to seal the hearts of those who transgressively deny the truth. The phrase “thus We seal their hearts” at the end of the verse means that the hearts of infidels become hardened by greed for wealth, property, and status, turning emotionless, thoughtless, and devoid of understanding until they lose their capacity to believe.

¹¹⁰And We turn away their hearts and eyes just as they did not believe in the first time. And We leave them blind and confused in their transgression.

(Al-An’am/110)

¹⁷And We manipulated/destroyed many generations after Noah. And sufficient is your Rabb as the One Who is all aware of and the One Who sees best the sins of His servants.

(Al-Isra/17)

According to the Qur’an, the prophets sent after Noah were Hud, Salih, Abraham, Lot and Shu’ayb.

Verses 75-93:

⁷⁵Then after these, We sent Moses and Aaron with Our Ayat/evidences/signs to Pharaoh and his chiefs. But they acted arrogantly and became a sinner people.

⁷⁶And when the truth came to them from Us, they said: “Indeed, this is definitely an explicit magic”.

⁷⁷Moses said: “Do you say ‘This is a magical word?’ for the truth when it has come to you? Yet, those who say magical words will not reach what they hope for”.

⁷⁸They said: “Have you come to us to turn us away from upon which we found our ancestors and so that you two may have the rule on the earth? We do not believe in both of you”.

⁷⁹And Pharaoh said: “Bring me all scholars who are the most knowledgeable, who speak influential words!”.

⁸⁰And when the scholars who speak influential words came, Moses said to them: “Throw whatever you will throw!”.

⁸⁴And Moses said: “O my people! If you have believed in Allah, have become of the Muslims who have submitted only to Him, then rely only on Him!”.

⁸⁸And Moses said: “Our Rabb! Surely, You have given Pharaoh and his chiefs wealth and properties in this simple worldly life. – Our Rabb! So that they may lead astray from Your path – Our Rabb! Obliterate their wealth and harden their hearts. Because they will not believe until they see that painful punishment”.

⁸⁹Allah said: “Both of your supplication have certainly been accepted. So, keep on the righteous path. And do not follow the path of those who do not know!”.

^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.

This group of verses presents a summary compiled from the previously narrated stories in many Surahs about Prophet Musa, the Musa-Pharaoh, and Musa-Israelites accounts, containing some details not found in the narratives of other Surahs. The verses providing different information are as follows:

⁷⁸They said: “Have you come to us to turn us away from upon which we found our ancestors and so that you two may have the rule on the earth? We do not believe in both of you”.

(Yunus/ 78)

This verse discusses how Prophets Musa and Harun would turn Pharaoh and his people away from their ancestors’ path and take away power from them. The statement in Yunus/82 – “And Allah establishes the truth by His words and implements it even though sinners do not like” – interprets other verses containing expressions like “swallowing what they fabricated,” “utterly wiping out,” and “will consume what they did.”

Clearly, Allah eliminates falsehood through His words and establishes the truth. What is described as the staff thrown by Musa represents “Allah’s word,” that is, “revelation.”

(Yunus/ 83)

As understood from this verse, not all of Prophet Musa’s people believed in him, but only a lineage from among his people. These believers referred to as a lineage in the verse were likely a group of youth from that time.

^85,86And they said: “We have relied upon Allah. O our Rabb! Do not make us a trial for that people who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with You and save us with Your mercy from that people of infidels; who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb!”.

(Yunus/ 85-86)

BEING A FITNA(TRIAL) FOR THE OPPRESSORS:

As we have explained many times before, the word “fitna” means the purification of precious metals like gold and silver by burning away their impurities in fire. The word is also used as a concept for the calamities and hardships that our Lord makes His servants endure to purify and mature them. However, in this context, the word “fitne” appears in the phrase “being a fitna [trial] for the oppressors.” Therefore, when we examine the word within the context of the passage comprising verses 83-86, we see that its passive (maful) meaning is intended. Accordingly, the prayer of Prophet Musa’s people carries the following meaning:

“O our Lord! Do not let that people subject us to pressure and oppression to turn us away from our religion, and do not permit this to happen!”

(Yunus/ 87)

And We revealed to Musa and his brother: “Prepare some houses in Egypt for your people, make your houses [qibla] cell-like houses used as meeting centers , establish prayer [salat], and give good news to the believers.”

This verse explains what Prophets Musa and Harun needed to do to maintain their unity and solidarity against Pharaoh’s oppressive policies and assimilation attempts to make the Children of Israel abandon their religion. According to our Lord’s instruction, the messengers and their followers were to establish houses facing each other [or cell-like houses used as meeting centers] and establish prayer. Otherwise, as the saying goes, “the wolf takes the one who separates from the flock.”

This paragraph mentions Prophet Musa’s prayer against Pharaoh and his chiefs, our Lord’s declaration that this prayer was accepted, and how Pharaoh professed faith at the moment of drowning – with his body being preserved as a lesson for future generations.

Pharaoh’s deathbed faith falls under the category of “forced faith” known as “iman-i ye’s” (faith of despair) or “iman-i beis” (faith of hopelessness). This type of faith, which brings no benefit to its possessor, was previously explained in detail during the analysis of Surah Qiyamah.

The word “body” in the verse means both “human body” and also “armor.”

Therefore, translating the verse as “We will save you with your body” makes no sense, since the word “you” already includes the meaning of “body.” Accordingly, the verse’s statement “Today We will save you along with your armor” suggests that Pharaoh’s subsequent display as a lesson would occur while he was still wearing his battle attire.

However, some people have failed to consider that the word “body” [beden] can also mean “armor,” and have claimed that Pharaoh’s corpse was found and put on display.

One such claim asserts that the body exhibited in the British Museum with catalog number EA 32.751 belongs to Pharaoh Ramses II from that era. Proponents of this claim point to the corpse’s position resembling the prostration posture in prayer as evidence for their argument. However, according to a written statement by Derek A. Welsby, curator of the British Museum’s Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Department, this body dates back to 3400 BCE [a period long before Prophet Musa], and no identifying jewelry, clothing, or markings were found in the tomb to confirm the corpse’s identity.

Among the opinions put forward on this matter, another one belongs to Mawdudi. Mawdudi expressed his claim as follows:

“This divine promise was fulfilled – as everyone knows – when Pharaoh’s corpse surfaced on the water and is now displayed in a museum.”

“Even today, locals point out the location where Pharaoh’s floating body was found. This place is on the western coast of the Sinai Peninsula and is now known as Jabal-i Fir’awn [Pharaoh’s Mountain]. Nearby, there’s a hot spring called Hammam-i Fir’awn [Pharaoh’s Bath], located a few miles from Abu Zenima where Pharaoh’s body was reportedly discovered.”

“If the drowned Pharaoh was Minfetah who ruled Egypt when Musa was sent to him, his mummified body is still exhibited in the Cairo museum. When Sir Grafton E. Smith removed the bandages from Pharaoh’s mummy, they found a layer of salt on the body – clear evidence that he drowned in the sea.” ^[15]

SAVING PHARAOH AS A LESSON FOR OTHERS:

As is known, Pharaoh was a ruler who grew arrogant on earth, becoming increasingly tyrannical, and began to proclaim and present himself as the lord and god of the earth. His corpse would serve as a lesson – both to those who similarly transgressed and to all subsequent observers who would witness his condition – demonstrating how that once-mighty figure was ultimately reduced to nothing.

The statement at the end of the verse “And indeed, many of the people are apathetic/careless to our Ayat/evidences/signs” draws attention to people’s indifference. Truly, though most people live surrounded by Allah’s countless Signs, they remain unaware. Yet when such a special case arises, they even pay to see that Sign/Ayat displayed in museums.

(For the benefits of Quranic narratives, refer to our explanation in the analysis of Surah A’raf.)

Regarding Pharaoh’s corpse, various scientific and technical books contain some explanations.

In the verse Yunus/92, the words نُنَجّٖيكَ بِبَدَنِكَ have also been read as نُنَحِّيكَ بِنِدَائِكَ . ^[16] According to the meaning of the words in this recitation, it would mean “We will make you an example with THIS CALLING OF YOURS.” From this, it is understood that Allah will present the coming to faith of Pharaoh at his last moment as an example to His servants; that with this example through Pharaoh, He will make known that Faith in a time of distress does not avail. This is also the reasonable understanding.

In the ninety-third verse, the Children of Israel, especially those who are knowledgeable, are being reproached. Because in the verse it is stated that until knowledge came, they did not fall into division. That is, while knowledge is the greatest factor that should lead to unity, not division, among the Children of Israel it caused conflict.

The fact that the Children of Israel fell into division after knowledge came corresponds to their condition both in the time of Musa and in the period when the Qur’an was revealed. For some among the Children of Israel, when the Torah came, and when they saw the Qur’an, acted in line with their interests without recognizing the book which was the source of knowledge, and fell into division.

Verses 94, 95:

The beginning of the verse 94 with the particle “ف fa,” which we have rendered as “now/then,” shows that the statements following this particle belong to the passage preceding this verse. Therefore, the warnings in verses 94 and 95 are made in connection with the narrative found in verses 75–93. The neglect of this particle causes problems both in the verse and in the passage.

Although the addressee of the verse is all people, the address being made in the singular form to our prophet is exactly similar to the Turkish saying, “My daughter, I am telling you, my daughter-in-law, you listen.” We can see many examples of this in the Qur’an (Zumar/65, 66; Ma’idah/116; Infitar/6; Zumar/49; Talaq/1; Ahzab/1–3; Inshiqaq/6).

الشّكّ SHEKK

In Turkish, the word الشّكّ shekke, used in the sense of “doubt,” actually means “knowledge that is not certain [the opposite of yakin].” ^[17] Therefore, what is in question here is not that the Prophet was in doubt, but that he did not have sufficient knowledge about what had been revealed to him. In fact, the fact that in the verse the expression appears not in the present tense but in the past tense form “ فان كنت fa-in kunte [if you were…] shows that the word is used in this meaning. Another example of this will also be encountered in verse 104 of this same surah.

It has also been stated in other verses that our prophet did not have adequate and certain knowledge about the past nations:

¹Qaf/100. The honorable/glorious Qur’an is the evidence that ²²indeed, you were in apathy and ignorance of this. Now, We have removed your cover from you. Then your sight is sharp on this day; thanks to the Qur’an, you have become educated.

(Qaf/ 22)

³We narrate you the best of stories as We reveal this Qur’an to you although you were among those who were unaware of/apathetic to this matter before this.

(Yusuf/ 3)

⁴⁸And you did not recite from any book before this; and you are not writing the Qur’an by yourself. If it had been so, those who believe in falsehood would have had doubt.

(Al-Ankabut/ 48)

⁸⁶And you were not expecting that the Book would be revealed/sent down to you. It has been given to you as a mercy from your Rabb. So, do not help the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb.

(Al-Qasas/ 86)

The fact that the particle من min in the verse is for tab’iz [division, partition] means that what is especially intended is that the details of the narrative being told should be learned from the ahl al-dhikr of that day, that they should be asked to provide verification, and thus that complete knowledge on the matter should be attained. And in Mecca of that time, there were also certain people who possessed this knowledge and had a culture of revelation.

Verses 96, 97:

^96,97Indeed, those, against whom the Word of your Rabb has come into effect, will not believe even if all the evidences/signs come to them altogether until they see that painful punishment.

These verses—meant to console the Prophet and strengthen his resolve—highlight two of Allah’s fixed principles. First, those who choose disbelief will not believe, regardless of how many signs they witness (see verses 23 and 33 for the same principle). Second, the phrase “كلمة ربك” (kalimati Rabbik, “the Word of your Lord”) refers to Allah’s irrevocable decree to fill Hell—what we have elsewhere called Allah’s “Qawl” (Word or decision).

Note that no matter how many miracles the disbelievers encounter, their refusal will persist until they face the terrible punishment. Only then will they profess faith, but that compulsion—“faith of despair”—brings them no benefit.

Verse 98:

The meaning of this verse should not be confused with the meaning of verse 97. For while verse 97 speaks of faith of despair, here it is being asked that people should believe in such a way as to benefit themselves before that last moment comes, and as an example of this is given the people of the prophet Yunus. The people of Yunus were a community who, while being subjected to certain troubles and being in a state of complete “disgrace,” believed, and because of this conduct of theirs Allah saved them from disgrace and allowed them to benefit from this worldly life for a while longer. The fact that our Lord gives people certain troubles as a recompense for some of their deeds is in order to make them come to their senses:

⁴¹Corruption has emerged on the land and at the sea because of that which they have earned with their hands to make them taste some of which they have done so that perhaps the people will return; they will act in accordance with the principles of Allah.

(Ar-Rum/41)

In the verse, by referring to the communities who, unlike the people of Yunus, did not believe and were therefore destroyed, it is stated that if they had believed, their faith would have benefited them. The main aim of the verse is to warn the Meccans of that time with what had happened to previous communities and to encourage them to correct themselves. If they act as the people of Yunus did and correct their situation without missing the opportunity, they will have done something beneficial for themselves.

For the prophet Yunus, the Qur’an uses the expression Dhun-Nun [owner of the sword]. This expression means “from the city of Nineveh, famous for sword making” and “Ninevite.” Nineveh is an ancient city located near today’s Mosul in Iraq. As the details regarding Yunus and his people are included within the analysis of the word “Hut” made in Surah A’raf, we are not going into detail here. However, we think it will be useful to present some verses about the prophet Yunus which will come up later:

⁸⁷And Dhun-Nun [possessor of sword; the one from Nineveh]; when he went in displeasure and thought that We would not put him in distress. Then in darkness he called: “There is no deity except You! I purify you. I surely have been among those who do wrong; act against their own good!”.

(Al-Anbiya/87)

¹³⁹Surely, Jonas was among the messengers that were sent.

¹⁴⁰When he ran away to a laden ship like a fugitive slave.

¹⁴¹Then he drew lots with arrows and became of those whose evidence was called off/whose argument was disproved.

¹⁴²Then the “greed/distress” swallowed him. Then he became regretful.

^143,144And if he had not been among those who purified Allah from all deficiencies, he would have been in distress until the day that they will be resurrected.

^145,146Then We threw him onto the shore while he was suffering thinking pain, We saved him from distress: We had placed into his mind some problems which were simple, temporary and that would be solved in a short time. ¹⁴⁷And We sent him as a messenger first to hundred thousand and then more people.

¹⁴⁸Then eventually they believed and We let them enjoy for a time.

(As-Saffat/139-148)

Verses 99, 100:

⁹⁹Had your Rabb willed, surely all of those on earth would have believed entirely. Then will you compel them in order that they become believers?

¹⁰⁰And it is not for anyone to believe without permission/knowledge of Allah. And Allah will place defilement/punishment upon those who do not use their reason.

In these verses, our Prophet is being consoled. Our Prophet, who desired his people and relatives to believe, was in great sorrow because many of them did not believe. While consoling His Messenger with these verses, our Lord also establishes three principles regarding the matter. These are:

That Allah has left everyone free, and the Prophet must not compel anyone;
That no one can believe without Allah’s permission;
That Allah unleashes filth and punishment upon those who do not use their intellect.

²⁹And say: That truth is from your Rabb. So whoever wills, let him believe and whoever wills, let him consciously deny/disbelieve”. Indeed, We have prepared a fire, walls of which will surround them for those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah. And if they wish that it should rain, a water that scalds faces like molten metal will be rained. How an evil drink it is! How an evil place to seek refuge!

(Al-Kahf/29)

¹⁴⁹Say: “The absolute and perfect evidence belongs to Allah. Therefore, if Allah had willed, He would indeed have guided you all”.

(Al-An’am/149)

^2,3Surely, We formed man from a drop of semen mixture. We will wear him down/assign him liabilities. Therefore, We made him who hears very well, sees very well; informed him by sending him the knowledge to distinguish between good and evil. Indeed, We showed him the path, whether he repays for the blessings he is given or he is ungrateful.

(Al-Insan/2, 3)

²⁵⁶There is no compulsion in the religion; faith has been separated clearly from the denial of the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb; good from evil, truth from going astray. So, whoever disbelieves in Taghut ; denies it and believes in Allah, he has grasped a handhold that never breaks. Allah is the One Who hears best, knows best.

(Al-Baqarah/256)

الرِّجس (RIJS)

At the end of the 100th verse, another term that deserves attention is the word “الرِّجس (Rijs).” The original meaning of this word is “disturbingly loud thunder or the sound of a camel.” Later, it came to refer to anything that causes discomfort, pain, or suffering to a person:

The word “Rijs” means “impurity, filth (the opposite of purity and cleanliness)”. Every kind of dirt and filth is “rijs.” This term also refers to “what is forbidden(haram), evil deeds, punishment, curse, and disbelief (qufur).” In the Qur’an, the words ” رجس (Rijs)” and ” رجز (Ricz – punishment)” are the same, except that the letter ” س (s)” in the first has transformed into “ز (z)” in the second—similar to how “ اسد (Asad – lion)” becomes ” ازد (Azed – lion).”

Az-Zajjaj said: “Rijs is anything that incurs Allah’s condemnation.” When someone commits a vile or evil act, it is said: “Rajasa’r-rajulu (the person did something foul).”

In its “Rijs” form, the word means “extremely intense, disturbing thunder or the bellowing of a camel.” ^[18]

The reason evil deeds—such as shirk (associating partners with Allah), disbelief (qufur), and curses—are called “Rijs” is that they lead to harm, punishment, and distress. Examining the eight occurrences of this word in the Qur’an, we see that “Rijs” refers not only to things that bring punishment but also to those that cause illness, discomfort, and unrest.

¹⁴⁵Say: “I do not find in what has been revealed to me anything that is haram/forbidden for those who eat it other than carcass or spilled blood or the flesh of swine -flesh of swine is indeed impure, disturbing- or anything that is dedicated for anyone other than Allah; which is a sign of going astray from the righteous path. But whoever is forced, he may eat of these without transgressing and exceeding the necessity limit”. Indeed your Rabb is the One Who forgives much, shows great mercy.

(Al-An’am/ 145)

⁹⁰O you who have believed! Hamr/intoxicants [alcoholic drinks/drugs for pleasure/anything that dulls/numbs consciousness by any means outside of medical uses], gambling; any kind of lottery to earn without effort, marks that represent idols and persons who are worshipped; symbols and arrows of fortune; all kinds of prophecy tools and instruments are only that which give harm from the work of satan. Therefore, avoid work of satan so that you may maintain your status and be successful.

⁹¹Truly satan wants to plant animosity among you through Hamr/intoxicants [alcoholic drinks/drugs for pleasure/anything that dulls/numbs consciousness by any means outside of medical uses] and gambling and avert you from remembering Allah, His reminder and Salah [supporting financially and spiritually; enlightening the community]. Then, are you the ones who have abstained/desisted?

(Al-Ma’idah/ 90, 91)

^32-34O women of the Prophet! You are not like anyone among women; if you enter under the guardianship of Allah, do not speak attractively, those in whose hearts is disease; ill-minded would covet. Speak in a way that is acceptable for all. Be staid in your houses, do not make a display as display of the former ignorance, establish Salah [establish and maintain the institutions that support financially and spiritually; enlighten the community], 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 established, obey Allah and His Messenger. – O people of the house! Truly, Allah intends to remove the impurity from you and purify you.- And remember the Ayat of Allah that are recited in your houses and the laws, rules, principles that are set forth to prevent injustice, corruption and chaos. Indeed, Allah is the most gracious, the One Who knows what is hidden, the One Who knows well inner and hidden sides of everything.

(Al-Ahzab/ 32, 34)

And Al-An’am/125, Hud/118-119, Ar-Ra’d/31, Fatir/4, Al-Baqara/272, Ash-Shu’ara/3, Al-Qasas/56, Ar-Ra’d/40, Yunus/46, Mu’min/77, Al-Ghashiyah/21, 22.

The phrase بإذن اللّه [bi-idnillahi] in the verse is often translated as “by Allah’s permission/leave/granted freedom,” which stems from interpreting the word “idn” according to its Turkish meaning. However, the Turkish “izin(permission)” and the Arabic “إذن [idn]” are not the same. This is because, إذن [idn] means “knowledge/to know,” and it is conjugated as أذِن [edine/knew], أئذنن [‘aydhuna/informed]. ^[19]

When the word “idn” is taken in its true meaning, the phrase bi-iznillahi means “due to Allah’s knowledge, according to Allah’s knowledge,” as can also be seen in the following verses: (Al-Baqara/97, 213, 221, and Al-Ma’ida/16).

Verse 101:

¹⁰¹Say: “Look what is in the heavens/universe and on the earth!” – And explicit Ayat/evidences/signs and warnings will not avail a people who will not believe. –

Regarding the divine decree in this verse, which calls upon people to study the universe and use their intellect, it can be understood as follows: “There are countless signs in the heavens and the earth that confirm and bear witness to the message I have given you. If you observe with open eyes and an open heart and reflect upon them, you will easily comprehend them.”

¹⁸⁵And have they not looked at the possession and the government of the heavens/universe and the earth, anything that Allah has formed and the possibility that their term has definitely come close? Then what would they believe other than this?

(Al-A’raf/ 185)

Verses 102, 103:

¹⁰²So, do they wait for the days like the days of those who passed before them? Say: “Wait! I am with you among those who wait”.

¹⁰³Then We save Our messengers and those who believe. Thus it is! It is a duty upon Us that We save the believers.

In these verses, where warnings continue to bring people to the right path, the destruction of stubborn polytheists and the salvation of believers are announced. Through this, infidels are threatened while believers are given glad tidings.

^96,97Indeed, those, against whom the Word of your Rabb has come into effect, will not believe even if all the evidences/signs come to them altogether until they see that painful punishment.

(Yunus/96, 97)

⁵⁴And when those who believe in Our Ayat come to you, say: “Salam [health, peace, happiness…] be upon you! Your Rabb decreed mercy upon Himself. Indeed, whoever of you commits an evil deed unintentionally and then repents and corrects; surely Allah is the One Who removes the sins of His servants, does not punish them and has much forgiveness, the One Who is the possessor of vast mercy!”.

(Al-An’am/54)

Verses 104-106:

In this concluding section of the surah, the initial theme is revisited. Therefore, we believe it would be beneficial to recall verses 1-10 of the surah.

In verses 104-106, our Lord makes a declaration to the masses through His Messenger. This declaration, which the Prophet is commanded to address to humanity, carries the nature of a challenging manifesto:

“O people! If you were in doubt about my religion [if you did not know exactly and completely what my religion was], then know well that I do not worship those whom you worship besides Allah. Rather, I worship the One who will take your souls [Allah]. And I have been commanded to be among the believers and to ‘turn your face hanif (upright) toward the Religion, and never be among the polytheists! And do not call upon, besides Allah, that which neither benefits you nor harms you. If you do so, then indeed you will be among the wrongdoers.’ I will do this. Even if I am alone, even if I am killed or put to death, I will not turn away from it.”

The word “face” in the phrase “turn your face hanif toward the Religion” in verse 105 refers to “the whole being, identity, and personality,” as we mentioned at the end of Surah Al-Qasas. This is because, in Arabic, the “face” is the most defining feature of a living being due to the rhetorical device of “juz’iyyah majaz-i mursal” (synecdoche). It is like how an ID photo represents a person’s identity.

^78,79And then when he saw the sun rising, he said: “This is my Rabb” this is greater. And then when it also set, he said: “O my people! Surely I am away from those which you associate with Allah. Indeed, as a man who has turned away from falsehood, I have turned my face to the One Who created the heavens/universe and the earth from nothing/Who will destroy the heavens/universe and the earth and I am not among those who associate others with Allah”.

(Al-An’am/78, 79)

The term “حنيف haniyf” appears in the Qur’an for the first time here. We are analyzing it here as this term, in both singular and plural forms, will appear again in later surahs.

الحنيف HANIYF

This word is the active participle (ism-i fail) form of the verb “ح ن ف Ha-ne-fe.” The word “hanefe” means “the turning of the foot, the turning of both feet so that the big toes face each other.” Some also say the word refers to “the sole of the foot turning upward.” Over time, the word came to be used in the sense of “turning from good to evil or from evil to good.” Eventually, it became a significant attribute of the Prophet Ibrahim, generalizing to mean “turning from polytheism to monotheism.” During the time of the Qur’an’s revelation, those in Mecca who belonged to the religion of Ibrahim, as well as those who came from outside Mecca to perform Hajj and were circumcised, were called “hanif.” Later, this term came to be used synonymously with “Muslim.” ^[20]

Considering the above explanations regarding the meaning of the word, we are of the opinion that the term should not be understood as “one who was previously a polytheist but later abandoned polytheism and turned to monotheism,” but rather as “one who turns to monotheism without associating partners with Allah.” Indeed, this understanding is also evident from the following verse:

^30,31Thus it is! And whoever shows respect to what Allah made untouchable, it is better for him in the sight of his Rabb. And all livestock other than which have been recited to you are made halal/permissible to you. Therefore, avoid the evil which is from those idols as the ones who have turned to Allah, who do not associate others with Him, and avoid lies as well. And whoever associates others with Allah is like that which falls from the sky and snatched by birds or that which the wind drags to a desolate place.

(Al-Hajj/30, 31)

Verse 107:

This verse declares that no one can prevent the harm Allah decrees or the good He ordains, thereby reemphasizing that everything in the entire universe is under Allah’s control.

Verse 108:

In this verse, particularly clarifying what was explained in the 99th and 100th verses, it is stated that the prophet’s duty is solely to proclaim and convey the “truth” (haqq) that comes from Allah, while the choice to accept guidance or not is left to each individual’s free will.

Verse 109:

¹⁰⁹And you, follow that which has been revealed to you! And have patience until Allah will judge. And Allah is the best of those who judge.

In this concluding verse of the surah, our prophet is reminded of his duty – he is commanded to follow the revelation, remain patient, steadfastly continue his mission, and entrust future outcomes to Allah.

Allah knows best what is true.

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

^[2] (Razi, el-Mefatihu’l-Gayb; Kurtubi, el-Camiu li Ahkami’l-Kur’an)

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

^[4] (Kurtubi; el-Camiu li Ahkami’l-Kur’an)

^[5] (Lisanu’l-Arab; v.7, p. 359-360)

^[6] (Lisanu’l-Arab, v.6, p. 123-128)

^[7] (Razi; el-Mefatihu’l-Gayb)

^[8] (Lisanu’l-Arab; v.1, p.221-225)

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

^[10] (Tebyinu’l-Kur’an)

^[11] Ibn Kathir; Explanations of Surah Al-Muddaththir)

^[12] (Ibn-i Mace Zuhd-4)

^[13] (Musned, 5/343)

^[14] (Ebu Davud; Sunen/2, 4596. narrative)

^[15] (Mawdudi; Tefhimu’l Kur’an, Yunus, footnote no. 92)

^[16] Dr.Ahmet Muhtar Omer, Dr. Abdul Al Salim Mukerrem; Mu’cemu’l Kıraatil Kur’aniyye ve Dr. Abdullatif el Hatıb; Mu’cemu’l Kıraat.

^[17] (Lisanu’l-Arab; v:5, p:167, 168)

^[18] (Lisanu’l-Arab, v: 4, p: 75, 76 Rjs item.; El-Mufredat, “Rjs” item)

^[19] Lisanu’l-Arab; v. 1, p. 111-115

^[20] (Lisanu’l-Arab v: 2, p: 629, 630 “hnf” item)