56. SURAH SAFFA – Presentation of Islam and Quran

INTRODUCTION:

The surah, which takes its name from the word “الصّفّات (Saffat)” in its first verse, is considered to have been revealed in Mecca as the 56th in order. The relationship between the passages of the surah shows that the sections composing these passages were revealed at close intervals—as in Surah An’am.

Unfortunately, the year, month, and day of the surah’s revelation are unknown. However, considering its content, it is understood that it was revealed during the troubled days of our Prophet and the Muslims around him. Therefore, the axis of the surah is the Qur’an and the principle of monotheism—the Qur’an’s basic teaching—and the motivation and support given to the Prophet and the Muslims in the process of establishing this principle. In the surah, in which polytheists are warned many times, many depictions of the afterlife concerning the polytheists and the pious are also presented. In the surah, where very important sections from the life of Prophet Abraham are given in an effective style, the stories of the prophets Noah, Ishmael, Moses, Aaron, Elijah, and Lot are also mentioned.

Surah Saffat is the fifth-longest surah of the Qur’an in terms of the number of verses. Its verses are short, and advanced literary artistry is displayed in each of them.

THE MEANING OF THE VERSES::

^1-5Those Ayat of the Qur’an which are set/set in ranks then shout and drag and then recite reminders after having shouted and dragged are evidences that your God is absolutely the One and the Only. He is Rabb of all that is in the heavens/universe and on the earth and all that is between. He is Rabb of the easts as well.

⁶Indeed, We have adorned the lowest heaven with the beauty which the stars form. ^7-10We protected it from all thinking abilities except for those which benefit from the Qur’an even just a bit, -except for those who fly to the space by a rocket- which are in constant effort, cursed by all and do not heed the Qur’an; those are useless and can not be active in the space.

¹¹Now ask them: “Are they stronger in formation or those whom We have formed?”. Indeed, We formed them from a sticky clay.

¹²In fact you marvel, yet they mock. ¹³When they are reminded, they do not accept it. ¹⁴And when they see an Ayah, they ridicule.

^15-17And they say: “This is nothing but explicit magic. Will we really be resurrected when we have died and become dust, bones? And our ancestors before us as well?”.

¹⁸Say: “Yes, you will be resurrected as very humiliated…”

^19,20Now it will be a single compelling shout. And you will see that they stand there. And they will say: “O woe to us! This is the Day of Religion!”.

-“²¹That is the Day of Distinction which you have been denying!”-

^22,23Gather those who did wrong; acted against their own good by associating others with Allah and their spouses and those whom they worshipped from among those that are inferior to Allah. Then guide them to the path of Jahannah [Hell]. ^24,25And stop them, they will definitely be questioned: “What has happened to you so you do not help each other?”.

²⁶Quite contrary, today they are the ones who want to be in salamat [peace, safety, happiness].

²⁷And some of them will turn others/face to face, asking/blaming each other.

²⁸They will say: “Surely, you have been coming to us from the right hand/the righteous path/a good position/authority and power”.

^29-32And others will say: “Quite contrary, you were not believers. And we had no power against you. Quite contrary, you were a transgressing people. Therefore, the Word of our Rabb has been justified upon us. Surely, we are those who taste. Then we provoked you. Because we were the provokers”.

³³Then, indeed they will be sharing in the punishment on that day.

³⁴Surely, this is how We do to the sinners.

^35,36Surely, they act arrogantly when it is said to them: “There is no deity except Allah” and say each other: “Surely, shall we abandon our idols for a man who is supported by secret forces/is a mad poet?”.

³⁷Quite contrary, he has come with the truth and confirmed all prophets.

***

^38,39Surely, you will taste the painful punishment and be recompensed only for the deeds you did.

⁴⁰Except for the purified servants of Allah.

^41-49Purified servants of Allah are the ones for whom will be certain provisions/fruits. They are the ones who will be served in Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] of abundant blessings while sitting upon thrones facing each other. There will be circulated among them a white cup that contains nothing harm filled from springs which is pleasing in its taste and does not intoxicate. Beside them will be those with large eyes staring at them. They will be like protected eggs.

⁵⁰Then some will turn some other and will ask each other.

^51-53A speaker among them will say: “Surely, I had a contemporary/close companion who used to say, ‘Are you surely one of those who confirm? Will we really be recompensed when we have died and become dust, bones?’”.

⁵⁴He will say: “Are you someone who recognizes, knows him?”.

⁵⁵Then he will recognize him and he will see him in the middle of Jahannah [Hell].

⁵⁶He will say: “I swear by Allah that you have almost manipulated/destroyed me. If not for the favor of my Rabb, I would certainly have been one of those who have been gathered. Behold, how is it! Are we not to die again except for our first death; are we not to be resurrected again? Will we not be punished?”.

⁶⁰Surely, this is what is the great salvation.

⁶¹Now, those who work, let them work only for the like of the great salvation.

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 certainly be Jahannah [Hell].

⁶⁹Surely, they found their ancestors as the ones who have gone astray.

⁷⁰Now they rush on their footsteps.

⁷¹And surely many before them had gone astray.

⁷²Surely, We sent warners to them as well.

^73,74Behold! How was the end of those people who were warned other than the purified servants of Allah!

⁷⁵And indeed, Noah called us and supplicated. –And how excellent responders We are!- ⁷⁶And We saved him and his family, those who were close to him, those who believed from that great affliction. ⁷⁷And We made his descendants those who remained.

⁷⁸And We left a word about him [to mention him with good, to follow him] that will remain among the later generations.

–⁷⁹Salam [health, peace, happiness] be upon Noah among the mankind!-

⁸⁰Surely, thus We recompense those who do good deeds.

⁸¹Surely, Noah was one of the believing servants of Ours.

⁸²Then We drowned others in the water.

***

⁸³No doubt that Abraham was among the kind of Noah.

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

^88,89Then, Abraham cast a gaze at the stars! Then he said: “Surely I suffer/suffer from thinking pain”.

^85,87When he said to his father and his people: “What do you worship? Do you desire invented idols from among those that are inferior to Allah? Then, what is your thought about Rabb of all universes?”.

⁹⁰Then his father and his people turned away from Abraham, turning their backs/severed their relationship with him.

^91,92Then he approached their idols and said: “Do you not eat/benefit from the blessings? What is the matter with you so you do not speak?”. Then he came close with a stroke with his right hand/due to his oath.

⁹⁴After a while, people of Abraham came running and confronted Abraham.

^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”.

⁹⁷They said: “Build a wall for him/impose an embargo upon him and throw him into the blazing fire/an extreme distress!”.

⁹⁸They intended to plot for Abraham but We made them the debased.

^99,100And Abraham said: “Surely, I will go to my Rabb; He will guide me: My Rabb! Grant me from among the righteous!”.

¹⁰¹Then, We gave Abraham the good tidings of a tenderhearted young boy.

¹⁰²And when that boy with whom he was harbingered reached the age to run/work with him, then Abraham said to him: “O my son! Surely I see myself ruining you and making you suffer in this sleepy; serene, unconcerned, apathetic place. Tell me what you think!”. His son said to him: “O my father! Do that which you will be commanded! If Allah wills, you will find me steadfast against all troubles and calamities I may suffer while you are away”.

^103-105And when they both Islamized and Abraham laid him upon his forehead [left him alone, aggrieved], We said to him: “O Abraham! You truly have fulfilled that vision”… –Indeed, thus We recompense/reward just like him those who produce good.-

¹⁰⁶Indeed, leaving the son alone was definitely an explicit trial by wearing.

¹⁰⁷And We rewarded/ransomed Abraham for that great thing he would ruin, make suffer.

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

¹⁰⁹Salam [health, peace, happiness…] be upon Abraham!

¹¹⁰Thus We reward like him those who produce good.

¹¹¹Surely, he was of the believing servants of Ours.

¹¹²And We gave him the good tidings of Isaac as a prophet from among the righteous.

¹¹³We gave Abraham and Isaac blessings. Among the descendants of both of them are those who produce good and also those who clearly treat unjustly against their own selves.

***

^114,115And indeed, We gave Moses and Aaron blessings as well. And We saved both of them and their people from that great affliction.

¹¹⁶And We helped them so they became the ones who prevailed.

¹¹⁷And We gave them the Book that guided them explicitly.

¹¹⁸And We guided them to the straight path.

¹¹⁹And We left for them among the later generations.

¹²⁰Salam [health, peace, happiness…] be upon Moses and Aaron!

¹²¹Indeed, thus We reward those who produce good.

¹²²Surely, these two were among the believing servants of Ours.

***

¹²³Surely, Elijah was from among the messengers that were sent.

^124-127When he said to his people: “Will you not enter under the guardianship of Allah? Do you call upon Ba’al (something useless) while you leave Rabb of yours and your ancestors before you, Allah Who is the best of those who form?” and they denied him. They will surely be gathered because of this.

¹²⁸Except the purified servants of Allah.

¹²⁹And We left a word about him [to mention him with good, to follow him] that will remain among the later generations.

¹³⁰Salam [health, peace, happiness…] be upon all those who are like Elijah!-

¹³¹Indeed, thus We reward those who produce good.

¹³²Surely, he was of the believing servants of Ours.

***

¹³³Surely, Lot was among the messengers that were sent as well.

^134-136When We saved him and all his family, except for unfortunate woman who remained within those remained behind and are destroyed. Then We manipulated/destroyed the others.

^137,138And surely, you pass by them in the morning and at night. Do you still not reason?

***

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.

¹⁴⁹Now ask them: “Do daughters belong to Allah and sons belong to them?”

¹⁵⁰Or did We form angels as females and they are witnesses?

^151,152Open your eyes! They say: “Surely, Allah has begotten” because of the slanders they have invented. And surely, they are definitely liars.

¹⁵³Has Allah preferred daughters over sons?

¹⁵⁴What is the matter with you? How do you judge?

¹⁵⁵Do you still not think?

¹⁵⁶Or do you have a clear authority/an evidence?

¹⁵⁷Then, bring forward your book if you are truthful ones.

¹⁵⁸And they claimed a relation between Allah and secret forces. But, the secret forces definitely know that they are those who will be brought/will be gathered at the great crowd.

¹⁵⁹Purified is Allah from that which they describe.

–¹⁶⁰Only the purified servants of Allah do not describe Allah in such a way with association.-

^161-163Now, you and that which you worship can not throw anyone other than those who haste for Jahannah [Hell] by themselves in the fire against Allah; you can not make them associate others with Allah.

^164-166And “Each of us definitely has a certain position. And we are the ones who are lined up/line up. We are the ones who purify Allah from all deficiencies”.

^167-169And indeed they said: “Surely, if we had had a reminder/a book from the ancients, we would surely have been the purified servants of Allah as well”.

¹⁷⁰And now they concealed the reminder/the book. But soon they will know.

^171-173And indeed, Our words have preceded about Our servants/messengers that we sent: “Surely, they are those who prevail. Indeed, Our armies are those who overcome”.

^174,175Now, turn away from them for a time. And observe them. Soon they will see too.

¹⁷⁶And do they wish that Our punishment would come quickly? ¹⁷⁷But when Our punishment sets upon their land, how evil will be the morning of those who have been warned!

^178,179Yet, turn away from them for a while and observe them! Soon they will see as well.

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

¹⁸¹And salam [health, peace, happiness…] be upon those messengers!

¹⁸²And all praise is to Allah, Rabb of all universes; no one else may be praised.

ANALYSIS:

^1-5Those Ayat of the Qur’an which are set/set in ranks then shout and drag and then recite reminders after having shouted and dragged are evidence that your God is absolutely the One and the Only. He is Rabb of all that is in the heavens/universe and on the earth and all that is between. He is Rabb of the easts as well.

The surah opens by drawing attention to the principle of monotheism. As evidence for monotheism, it points to the messages contained in the Qur’an’s verses revealed up to that point. Because these verses are linked with the conjunction ف (fa), the sentences flow into one another. This chain effect is marked by one feature: in the passage that begins with the قسم (qasam, oath), certain characteristics of the Qur’an are highlighted—namely, that its verses line people up in rows, draw the masses with the truths they contain, overcome their opponents, and admonish everyone. These features were expressed in Surah Mursalat as follows:

^1-7The Ayat of the Qur’an that were sent group by group/division by division and overthrow all what opposes it, revive the peoples, separate the truth and the falsehood as they revive, which reminds as an excuse or a warning, is the evidence that, indeed, with what you are threatened, frightened will definitely occur.

(Mursalat/ 1-7)

^1-5Gravitational force in the universe, repulsive force in the universe,

stars; galaxies; the sun, the moon and their floating around themselves and in the orbits around the star that they belong to, and thus the formation of the night, the day, and other conditions for life, tide, the night-the day, the seasons,

arranging the conditions of life for all kinds of living creatures and plants are the evidences,

the Ayat of the Qur’an which;

impose a constant distress, depression and remorse for those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb,

are easy and facilitate for the believers, give good tidings to them, make them happy,

are conveyed from hand to hand, through words and hearts, always prevail, make them pay attention and arrange all personal and social matters, have orders and prohibitions for every matter; set forth principles; are evidences that,

(Naziat/1-5)

^1-6Those which scatter dust, then haul the weight, then flow easily and then distribute a command is the evidence that with what you have been threatened is definitely true. Surely, recompense of what have been done will be fulfilled.

(Zariyat/1-6)

A thorough examination of all the verses of the Qur’an—from the first revealed up to those in this passage—shows that these verses are proofs both in the afak and the enfus [a person’s environment and inner world] for bringing a person to maturity, as guidance and mercy, and also as evidence a person offers against himself. With its unique miraculousness, the Qur’an encompasses all the features of “being in ranks” or “keeping in ranks,” and of “admonishing,” by persuading and bringing people to maturity. Such is the Qur’an.

For this reason, the Qur’an is presented as the sole proof of the oneness of Allah and that He is the Lord of the heavens, the earth, and everything between them.

It will be useful to analyze some of the expressions in this group of verses separately:

“Those Ayat of the Qur’an which are set in ranks”

These expressions in verses 1–3 have been understood by some traditionalists as “angels,” as in folk culture. According to what Sufyān al-Thawrī narrated from ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd (r.a.) through al-Aʿmash: he said, Those who stand in rows are “angels.” Those who drive and urge are “angels.” Those who recite dhikr are also “angels.”

This arose from not recognizing the Qur’an properly. Taking the expressions in question as “angels” is not actually a wrong approach; however, these angels should be understood as “messengers,” not as angels in folk culture. As mentioned in our previous analyses, the verses of the Qur’an are, in a sense, “messenger angels.” Expressions evoking this meaning appear in verses 164–166 of the surah. We previously gave details on this in the surahs al-Najm and al-Qadr.

In our earlier explanation about the qasam sentence, we stated that the “muqsam ʿalayh” [the thing sworn about] serves as evidence for the thesis to be put forward. Because of this rule in Arabic, the things mentioned must be concrete; abstract things cannot serve as evidence for concrete claims.

The three distinct qualities mentioned in the verses under discussion are attributes of a single thing, namely the verses of the Qur’an. Some verses contain tawhid, some describe the attributes of Allah, some offer admonition for people, some point to Allah’s signs in the horizons and within, some set forth principles necessary for personal and social life, and some convey information about the past. Thus, each group stands in a “pure” position.

For this reason, although some who strive seriously to understand the Qur’an have said that those described in these verses are scholars and mujahideen, most hold the view that they are the verses of the Qur’an.

Most classical commentators claim that verses 1–3 refer to angels. As reported by Rāzī, however, Abū Muslim al-Iṣfahānī rejects this and says the passage refers to true believers among people. Yet Rāzī gives another interpretation—by my lights the most convincing—and argues that what is meant here are the messages [ayat] of the Qur’an, which—as the commentator puts it—“touch on a wide variety of subjects: some point to proofs of Allah’s oneness or His knowledge, power, and wisdom, while others display the evidence of divine revelation or resurrection.”

Qatāda said: what is meant here are the prohibitive and restrictive commands of the Noble Qur’an. Qatāda also said: the intent is everyone who recites and writes the dhikr of Allah Almighty. According to another statement, the intent is the verses of the Noble Qur’an; Allah the Exalted has described these verses as recitation. As He says elsewhere: “Indeed, this Qur’an explains to the Children of Israel most of that over which they differ” (Naml/27:76).

It is also fitting to call the verses of the Qur’an “taliyāt [those that follow one another],” because one letter follows another. Al-Qushayrī mentioned this as well.

“then shout and drag”

With this expression characterizing the verses of the Qur’an, it is conveyed that the Qur’an’s verses are unique; they can persuade everyone; liars cannot cling to them; and the verses lead humanity toward development and positive change while preventing evil.

“and then recite reminders after having shouted”

The main reason the verses of the Qur’an appear in series, persuade everyone, and intimidate liars is that they admonish people and warn them about the afterlife. In fact, more than half of the Qur’an consists of verses expressing this.

“He is Rabb of all that is in the heavens/universe and on the earth and all that is between. He is Rabb of the easts as well.”

The following message is conveyed by emphasizing the kind of god to whom intelligent people should be servants: “The one to be acknowledged as the Lord must be the Lord of the heavens, the earth, and everything between them, and the Lord of the easts,” together with the statement, “It is established with evidence that your God is absolutely One.” People and objects incapable of creating even a fly must not be accepted as lords. If you make this mistake, you will end up empty-handed, your efforts will be in vain, and you will be wronging yourself. Therefore, do not go to the wrong address. Our Lord has introduced Himself as the Lord of the heavens, the earth, everything between them, and the east.

LORD:

Rabb means “the One who disciplines and educates, guides His creations toward specific goals according to a set program, and plans and manages development.” In line with this meaning of Rabb, the expression in the verse emphasizes that all beings and systems on the earth, in the sky, and between them are not the result of blind chance but unfold according to Allah’s plan and program.

The plural use of the phrase “Lord of the East” draws attention to the relativity of the concept of “east.” Because the Sun and the Earth both move, and because their rising points change continually with the seasons, “east” is not a fixed direction.

The word “المشارق el-meşârık” means “the rising points of the planets relative to the earth.” These rising points are most often mentioned for the Sun. “Rising/birth” is used especially for the Sun, as it expresses the process by which darkness disappears. Just as the Sun has different rising points for each day of the year, there are different rising points for the eastern and western hemispheres as well. The power that causes the Sun to move in this way and that brings about the Earth’s varying positions as it orbits the Sun is Allah the Almighty. For this reason He is called “Lord of the East.”

Our Lord is the Lord of the west as well as the Lord of the east. The reason the verse does not explicitly state that Allah the Almighty is also the “Lord of the West” is that this is understood from the verse’s context.

^40,41No! I swear by Rabb of the easts and the wests that We are the Ones Who are capable of replacing them with those who are better than them. And We are not the Ones Who are to be outdone.

(Meâric/40)

¹⁷Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created] is Rabb of two easts and Rabb of two wests.

(Rahman/17)

This part of the verse we are talking about is similar to the following verse in the Surah Nahl.

⁸¹And Allah has made shadows for you from what He formed and made shelters for you from mountains. He has made garments that will protect you from heat-cold and made garments that will protect you from your own rage. Thus Allah completes His blessings upon you so you may be Muslims.

(Nahl/81)

As is evident, while clothing protects people from both heat and cold, Nahl/81 mentions protection from “heat” but not from “cold”.

It is also possible to understand the use of only the word “easts” in the verse—without mentioning “wests”—as follows: the word “Mesharik [Easts]” also means “places where light shines.” This meaning brings the Qur’an to mind. In this case, it is understood from the expression “Rabbü’l-Meşrikayn” that the illumination of all minds with the light shed by the verses of the Qur’an was planned and carried out by Allah.

Verses 6 – 10:

⁶Indeed, We have adorned the lowest heaven with the beauty which the stars form.

^7-10We protected it from all thinking abilities except for those which benefit from the Qur’an even just a bit, -except for those who fly to the space by a rocket- which are in constant effort, cursed by all and do not heed the Qur’an; those are useless and can not be active in the space.

After the verses of the Qur’an are presented as evidence for Allah’s existence and oneness—that He is the Lord of the heavens, the earth, everything between them, and the easts—this passage states that the Qur’an is “الملإ اعلى Mele-i a‘lâ (The Supreme Repository).” By focusing on the human mind—its structure and its relationship with the universe—a concrete example is given that Allah is the Lord of the heavens, the earth, and everything between them.

As you may remember, a similar “twin” passage appears in Surah al-Hijr. We discussed and analyzed both passages under the title “Demons Who Steal Ears.” A detailed explanation of the same issue was previously given in the analysis of Surah Jinn. For this reason, we briefly repeat the analysis of some words in this passage and recommend reading the relevant section there.

In the recitation in the official muṣḥaf, we read it as elkevaib. Within the framework of the Integrity of the Qur’an, it should be BİSİNET’il KEVAİB (with the adornment of the stars) as an iḍāfa. The ornaments of the stars in the lower sky are mesabiyh; they are lamps. These are the factors that make up “THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE SKY.”

DO NOT LISTEN TO REVELATION, EVEN LITTLE [EAR THEFT]:

This subject is mentioned in the Qur’an: verses 16–18 of Surah al-Hijr and verses 6–10 of Surah Saffat. Almost all existing translations and interpretations explain the subject with more or less the same meaning. However, today’s technology has removed some of the expressions in these verses from being considered mutashabih, and there is no longer any need to neglect or deliberately misuse certain grammatical rules so as not to contradict the stories invented to explain those mutashabih expressions.

The verb “استرق istaraka” in the 18th verse of Surah al-Hijr is generally translated as “the one who steals a hearing,” and it appears only in this verse in the Qur’an. The meaning of “سرق saraqa,” the triliteral root, is “he stole.” The meaning of the five-letter pattern in question is “he listened, he eavesdropped, he glanced from under the brow, he watched with his eyes without being noticed.” In other words, “إستراق istirāq” means learning something insidiously by both ear and eye.

This verb occurs in the phrase “من استرق السّمع man istaraqa al-samʿa (the one who steals a hearing)” in the verse under discussion. Since the word “سمع samʿ” is made the object here, the verb “استرق istaraqa” carries the sense of “as much as can be learned by pricking up the ears,” that is, “one who acquires a little knowledge or learns a little through listening.”

Since the concepts of Satani-i Racim, Satan-i Marid, Mele-i A‘lâ, Shihab-i Mübin, and Shihab-i Sakip have been explained in detail several times before, we recommend that you read the details in those sections.

THE EXISTENCE OF THE SHIHAB BEFORE BI’SET

One of the claims made to explain these verses is that there were no stars in the sky until the Messenger of Allah was sent; that shihabs were then created to protect the Qur’an when it came, to drive away the devils who steal ears, and to hurl fireballs at them. We discussed this at length in our detailed article titled “Demons Who Steal Ears” in the analysis of Hijr/16–18. It will be useful to cite Razi on this subject:

Third Question:
Some say the following: “Mutawatir reports indicate that shihabs existed before the coming of the Prophet (pbuh). Wise people who lived long before the Prophet (pbuh) mentioned and discussed these shihabs. Since their existence prior to the Prophet’s coming is established, it is impossible to regard this as an event indicating his coming.”

Qadi answered as follows: The view closest to the truth is that “this phenomenon existed before the Prophet’s (pbuh) advent, but it increased during his time; and this increase was a miracle for the Prophet (pbuh).”

In the classical understanding, these verses have nothing to do with Prophet Muhammad’s prophethood; in other words, it is accepted that revelation is not the information devils overhear from angels in the sky and transmit to soothsayers on earth. Mawdudi explains this passage as follows:

“In order to fully understand the meaning of this verse, it is necessary to know that soothsaying was very popular among the Arabs at the time when prophethood came to the Prophet (pbuh). At that time, everywhere teemed with people claiming to bring news from the unseen and to inform about the unseen. The Arabs believed those who gave news about their past and future.

These people [soothsayers] also claimed that jinn and devils were under their command and that they brought them news from the unseen. When revelation first came to the Prophet (pbuh), he conveyed the verses of the Qur’an in such an atmosphere and said that these verses came to him from Allah through an angel. Thereupon, the unbelievers began calling the Prophet (pbuh) a ‘soothsayer’. They claimed that, just as the devil brought news to the soothsayers, he brought information to the Prophet as well, and that the Prophet conveyed this as revelation. The Qur’an answered these claims as follows: ‘The devil cannot even enter the World of Bala, let alone approach the Great God. If the devil attempts to approach the Great God, a piercing fire immediately pursues him.’

Another meaning may be as follows: ‘Angels manage the universe by Allah’s command. Therefore, they are protected from Satan’s interference. Satan cannot even draw near to them, much less interfere with them.’”

However, our subject here is not revelation as mentioned in the verses, but the presentation of the system Allah has established in the earth and the skies.

Verse 11:

¹¹Now ask them: “Are they stronger in formation or those whom We have formed?”. Indeed, We formed them from a sticky clay.

At the beginning of the surah, Allah’s “Oneness” is mentioned. After emphasizing that He is the Lord of the heavens, the earth, everything between them, and the easts, the polytheists are invited to think and compare Allah’s creations with their own inventions, so that they may come to their senses, find the truth, and act accordingly. In this context, it is declared that God’s creation of the entire universe and its countless systems is more difficult than His creation of man. To prompt reflection, the question “Are they more difficult to create, or those We have created?” is also found in other verses of the Qur’an.

⁵⁷Indeed, formation of the heavens/universe and the earth is greater than formation of the mankind. But most of the people do not know.

(Al-Mu’min57)

^27-33Are you more difficult in formation or the heavens/universe? It is Allah Who constructed the heavens/universe; then He raised its ceiling, then He organized it, made its night dark and brought out its light. And then He spread the earth as an enjoyment for you and your livestock/He brought forth from the earth its water and its pasture, and He set the mountains firmly.

(Naziat/27-33)

⁸¹Is the One Who formed the heavens/universe and the earth, not the One Who possesses the power to form many more like them? Yes, indeed, He is! And He is the One Who forms perfectly, knows very well.

(Ya Sin/81)

These verses also draw attention to the fact that our Lord can re-create humans.

“from a sticky clay.”

Our Lord, who has the power to resurrect humankind, points with this statement to the first creation of human beings. As we explained before, the reference to the origin of man—soil/mud—means that man was first created from inanimate matter. In the verses, the origin of man is described with expressions such as soil, slimy clay, and ceramics. These expressions highlight the variability of matter.

Verses 12, 15 – 17:

¹²In fact you marvel, yet they mock. ¹³When they are reminded, they do not accept it. ¹⁴And when they see an Ayah, they ridicule.

^15-17And they say: “This is nothing but explicit magic. Will we really be resurrected when we have died and become dust, bones? And our ancestors before us as well?”.

After asking for a comparison between the creation of man and the creation of the universe, these verses reveal the positions of our Prophet and the polytheists. While our Prophet stands in awe of Allah’s infinite power and mercy, the attitudes of the polytheists are criticized as play and frivolity. This criticism also shows how far the deniers are from the reality of the religion. Other verses and groups of verses in the Qur’an that convey the same messages are: Ra‘d/2–5, Yā Sīn/77–82, Saffāt/53, Qāf/2, 3, Sajda/10, Isrā’/49, Isrā’/98, Mu’minūn/35, 82, Wāqi‘a/47, and Nāzi‘āt/11.

Verse 18:

¹⁸Say: “Yes, you will be resurrected as very humiliated…”

In verses 15–17, the polytheists say: “This is nothing but manifest sorcery. When we die and become dust and bones, will we really be resurrected? And our earlier forefathers as well?” Their objection is answered with a single sentence—brief yet vast in meaning: “Yes; and you will be humbled (قِيلَ نَعَمْ وَأَنتُمْ دَاخِرُونَ).” Indeed, such treatment befits those who persist in denial.

⁸⁷And on that day they will submit to Allah. And that which they invented will depart from them and perish.

(Nahl/87)

⁶⁰And your Rabb said: “Call upon Me, supplicate so I will respond. Surely, those who disdain worshipping Me will soon enter Jahannah [Hell], being despised”.

(Al-Mu’min60)

Verses 19 – 23, 26 – 32

^19,20Now it will be a single compelling shout. And you will see that they stand there. And they will say: “O woe to us! This is the Day of Religion!”.

-“²¹That is the Day of Distinction which you have been denying!”-

²⁶Quite contrary, today they are the ones who want to be in salamat [peace, safety, happiness].

²⁷And some of them will turn others/face to face, asking/blaming each other.

²⁸They will say: “Surely, you have been coming to us from the right hand/the righteous path/a good position/authority and power”.

In this group of verses, three separate scenes depict that the polytheists “will be resurrected in the hereafter in a very humiliated state”.

FIRST SCENE [Verses 19-21]:

^19,20Now it will be a single compelling shout. And you will see that they stand there. And they will say: “O woe to us! This is the Day of Religion!”.

-“²¹That is the Day of Distinction which you have been denying!”-

In this scene, the unbelievers—contrary to their denials—have experienced the apocalypse and are standing in place. They confess their error and say, “Woe to us! This is the Day of Religion,” expressing their regret. Allah reveals the truth to them by saying, “This is the Day of Separation, which you deny.”

“the Day of Religion!”.

يوم الدّين Day of Religion” means “Day of Retribution.” With this expression, “the day of judgment when everyone will be recompensed for all their acts and deeds, whether good or bad” is intended. The full explanation of this concept is given by our Lord Himself in Infitar/15–19:

^10-14And as for the one who is given his book from his back; he will call for the death and enter into the blazing fire. He surely was happy among those close to him. Indeed he was sure that he would never return.

¹⁵No, surely his Rabb was the One Who was seeing him very well.

^16-19Therefore, the changes that you see, know in the universe [dawn, the night and the events that you may observe with those] are evidences that you will definitely experience one state after another [you will constantly change in state but never perish].

(Infitar/14-19)

After the polytheists confess that the moment of judgment they are experiencing is the “Day of Religion,” our Lord confirms their confession and warns them that that day is also the “Day of Discernment.”

YEVMÜ’L-FASL [DAY OF DISCRIMINATION]: This expression, consisting of the words يوم [yawm] and الفصل [al-fasl], is a noun phrase meaning “day of discrimination.” The Day of Judgment is called Yevmü’l-Fasl (يوم الفصل) because on that day truth and falsehood, and believers and unbelievers, will be separated from one another. In our view, the most accurate rendering of this expression—translated by some as “decision day” or “judgment day”—is the literal one, without comment. Since an explanation of “Yevmü’l-Fasl [Day of Discernment]” was previously given in Surah al-Mursalat, we recommend reading the details there.

SECOND SCENE [VERSES 22- 25]:

^22,23Gather those who did wrong; acted against their own good by associating others with Allah and their spouses and those whom they worshipped from among those that are inferior to Allah. Then guide them to the path of Jahannah [Hell]. ^24,25And stop them, they will definitely be questioned: “What has happened to you so you do not help each other?”.

In this scene, the state after the first stage of the apocalypse is depicted, and the unbelievers who are sent to Hell are asked, “What is it with you that you do not help one another?” In this way, they are reminded of their past foolishness and subjected to psychological torment.

As mentioned before, the “cruelty” and “polytheism” mentioned in the Qur’an indicate that “those who oppress” are those who commit polytheism (ظلم/zulm and شرك/shirk).

¹³And when Luqman said to his son, instructing him: “O my son! Do not associate others with Allah, surely, associating others with Allah is very wrong; acting against own good.

(Luqman/13)

⁸²Those who believe and do not mix the belief of associating others with Him/being against their own good with their belief, it is those for whom the security is. And they are the ones who follow the righteous path they are guided.

(An’am/82)

In the verse under discussion, those described as the “wives” of the oppressors are the companions of the polytheists—especially their demons who led them to polytheism. The statement in verses 29–32, “Rather, you were not believers. We had no authority over you; rather, you were a transgressing people. So the Word of our Lord has come true against us; indeed, we are tasters. Then we provoked you; we were the instigators,” makes this clear. As mentioned in many places, these words belong to the Devil.

⁷when the people are sorted out according to their beliefs and deeds,

(At-Takwir/7)

The literal meaning of the expression in the original verse is “when souls are paired.” According to Waqi‘a/7 (the 56th chapter), the pairing here is the grouping of people as “rightists, leftists, and the foremost,” that is, combining them group by group.

Since the apocalypse is also staged in this verse of Surah al-Takwir, the 7th and subsequent verses of Surah al-Waqi‘a can be regarded as its details. In this case, the pairing mentioned in the verse can be understood as the same pairing into “rightists, leftists, and the foremost” in Surah al-Waqi‘a.

²²And when the matter has been concluded, satan [Iblis/thinking ability] will say to them: “Surely, Allah promised you the true promise, and I promised you too but then renounced at once. Yet I did not have a compelling authority over you. But I invited you and you responded to me. Therefore, do not condemn me but condemn yourselves! I can not save you, and you are not my saviors! Surely, I had not accepted your association of me with Allah before”. –Surely, those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah are the ones for whom will be a painful punishment! ²³And those who believe and do amendatory deeds will be admitted to Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] underneath of which rivers flow, to abide therein eternally by permission/knowledge of their Rabb. Their greeting there will be “Salam [health, peace, happiness…]!”.-

(Ibrahim/ 22, 23)

^82,83Iblis said: “Then I swear by that You are the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible; the subduer that, I will make all of them transgress – except for Your purified servants among them –“.

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/82-85)

^39,40Iblis said: “My Rabb! Because of the reason that You have created me to lead the people astray, I will indeed make everything on the earth attractive to them and I will indeed lead all of them astray except for your purified servants!”.

^41-44Allah said: “This is a straight path that I have taken upon Me. You have no compelling power over my servants except for those who follow you of the ones who go astray. Surely, the promised place to all of them is Jahannah [Hell]. There are seven gates for it. For each of those gates, a part of them is assigned”.

(Hijr/39-44)

The expression “wives of the oppressors” in the verse has been attributed to ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb and interpreted as “the adulterer is grouped with the adulteress, the drinker with the drunkard, the thief with the thief.” Such an interpretation is contrary to the Qur’an, because believers who have sinned and then repented are not consigned to Hell.

THIRD SCENE [VERSES 26- 32]:

²⁶Quite contrary, today they are the ones who want to be in salamat [peace, safety, happiness].

²⁷And some of them will turn others/face to face, asking/blaming each other.

²⁸They will say: “Surely, you have been coming to us from the right hand/the righteous path/a good position/authority and power”.

^29-32And others will say: “Quite contrary, you were not believers. And we had no power against you. Quite contrary, you were a transgressing people. Therefore, the Word of our Rabb has been justified upon us. Surely, we are those who taste. Then we provoked you. Because we were the provokers”.

In this scene, the polytheists have no excuse or power to object; they are seen throwing in the towel, completely exhausted, and arguing with one another.

In verse 28, it is seen that some of the people of Hell say to others, “Indeed, you used to come to us from the yamin [from the right hand/right path/good position/power and strength].” This expression has often been interpreted superficially as “you would come from the right,” and thus the subtlety implied by the verse has not been understood. For this reason, it is useful to analyze the pairing of “yamin” and “coming from the yamin/approaching” in the verse.

YEMİN: “اليمين yemin” is originally the name of an organ and means “right hand.” According to Abū Manṣūr, the term “اليمين yemin” is also used for strength and power; he states that “yemin” signifies “a good position.” From both the lexicons and Qur’anic usage, it is understood that “yemin” denotes power, strength, what people value most, and what is most honorable. The right hand is called “yemin” because it is stronger than the left and more valued; hence people say of someone who gives them strength and support, “He is my right hand.”

COME FROM THE OATH: In Turkish this expression is used as “approaching from the right,” meaning “to appear to give morally useful advice.” Considering the passage in which the verse appears, it is understood tha

“You came to us on the right path. You deceived us with the things we value most. By using Allah, the Prophet, religion, faith and morality as material, you deceived us and made us polytheists. So, you have told lies about Allah and the Prophet. We also trusted you.”

The prominent interlocutors respond to these accusations from the people of Hell by saying, “On the contrary, you were not believers. We had no power over you; rather, you were a transgressing people. That is why the Word of our Lord has come true upon us. Surely we are tasters. Then we provoked you; we were the instigators,” and they do not accept the blame.

The enemy’s approach from the “right” should remind us of this scene in Surah al-A‘raf:

^16,17Iblis said: “Then because You put me in transgression, I will sit on Your straight path, and then I will approach them from their front, from their back, right and left and You will not find many of them as the ones who repay for the blessings they are given”.

(A’raf/16, 17)

As understood from this verse, the basis that the enemies use to deceive people is the straight path of Allah—namely, the supreme values of Allah, the Prophet, and morality. The enemies exploit these to deceive people, using God as a pretext and uttering lies and slander in His name.

The “True Word” mentioned in the verse is our Lord’s principled decree regarding the polytheists, hypocrites, and unbelievers: “I will surely fill Hell entirely with all humans and jinn [everyone].”

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”.

(Sajdah/13)

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)

Since the subject of “Our Lord’s Word is True” is discussed in Surah Qaf, we recommend reading the relevant section there. With the presentation of the third scene, the three scenes we mentioned at the beginning have all been analyzed. These scenes of argument in Hell are repeated in different surahs:

⁴⁷And when they will dispute with one another in the fire, the weak will say to those who were arrogant: “Indeed, we were those who followed you. Now, can you avert from us a part of the fire?”.

⁴⁸Those who were arrogant will say: “Surely we are all in it. Indeed, Allah has judged between the servants”.

(Al-Mu’min/47-48)

³¹And those infidels; who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb said: “We certainly, will not believe in this Qur’an, nor in that before it…”. If you could see those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah, by disbelieving before their Rabb, being arrested and refuting the words of some of them to some other! Those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant: “If not for you, we would have been believers”.

³²Those who were arrogant will say to those who were oppressed: “Did we avert you from the guidance after it had come to you? Rather, you became criminals by yourselves”.

³³Those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant: “Rather, plot of the night and the day! You were commanding us to disbelieve in Allah and to attribute some equals to Him”. When they see the punishment they will hide their regret. And We will put iron shackles on the necks of those infidels; those who consciously denied the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb. They will be recompensed only for what they did.

(Saba/31- 33)

Verses 33, 34:

³³Then, indeed they will be sharing in the punishment on that day.

³⁴Surely, this is how We do to the sinners.

In these verses, our Lord states that He will apportion the torment to those who commit polytheism and disbelief [those who commit polytheism and those who encourage it]—that is, He will punish both groups. The objections of those who direct, promote, and dress up polytheism as righteousness—saying, “We did not mislead them; they were already astray”—will be of no avail. Our Lord’s stance toward these two groups as they argue with one another was first discussed in the surahs Qaf and al-A‘raf, and is later addressed in Surah al-Ahzab.

²⁸And Allah will say: “Do not dispute before me! I had sent you warning before.

(Qaf/28)

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

(A’raf/38)

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

(Ahzab/67, 68)

Verses 35, 36:

In these verses, the past of the polytheists brought near to Hell is recalled: when Tawhid was presented to them, they rejected it and said, “Shall we indeed leave our gods for an insane poet?” Thus it is reported that they clung tightly to their beliefs. This statement is a direct criticism of the Meccan polytheists.

Verses 37 – 39:

³⁷Quite contrary, he has come with the truth and confirmed all prophets.

^38,39Surely, you will taste the painful punishment and be recompensed only for the deeds you did.

In this group of verses, those who called our Prophet “majnūn (مجنون)” or “poet” are answered that he is neither madman nor poet; rather, he came with the truth, brought the truth, and confirmed the messengers before him. The polytheists are addressed and informed that, for denying him and what he brought, they will face a severe punishment.

Among the many proofs that the Messenger of Allah is a true prophet is that he affirmed the earlier prophets; another is that he brought a Book [the Qur’an] that confirms them and obliges his ummah to believe in them. Had he not been a true prophet, he would have sought to exalt himself and secure acceptance by criticizing the past—as philosophers do—and he would have pursued material and spiritual gain thereby.

In verses 38–39 the deniers are threatened with “painful punishment.” For, in Shūrā/40—“And the recompense of an evil is an evil like it; but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation, his reward is with Allah. Surely He does not love the oppressors”—the principle is established that the punishment is commensurate with the crime. Those who cause pain to a messenger who conveys the truth by calling him a “crazy poet” deserve in return a painful recompense equal to the pain they inflicted; only thus is equivalence realized.

Verse 40:

⁴⁰Except for the purified servants of Allah.

The Qur’an often teaches by contrast. Accordingly, it first sets out the position of the unbelievers in the afterlife and then presents their opposite—the “purified, pious people.”

The term “مخلص (Muhles)” means “purified.” As the Qur’an teaches, this spiritual purification takes place through trials—“fitnah” and tribulation. No one is purified without cause.

According to Lisān al-ʿArab, the word fitnah derives from the root fatn, meaning “to burn in fire.” Its sense is “the process of separating precious metals such as gold and silver from the dross fused with them—melting them in a crucible in order to purify them.”

The word الفتنة [fitnah] is used not only for the purification of precious metals but also for what lays bare people’s beliefs and inner states: lack of goods [poverty], abundance of goods [wealth], illness, death, physical impairments such as blindness, lameness, and deafness, as well as social events like famine and war.

Our Almighty Lord subjects everyone—including the messengers He sends—to fitnah; He casts them into the fire, melts them, removes their dross, and makes them pure. Our Lord has declared that whatever brings about patience and perseverance, whether a blessing or a burden, is a means of fitnah:

Since God’s trials aim at the maturation, positive change, and development of messengers, individuals, and societies, fitnahs serve the function of real education and refinement. Those who undergo trial grow stronger in patience and perseverance. Indeed, the “muhles servants,” described in the Qur’an as servants whom Iblīs and other devils cannot sway, are those purified by trials and tribulations until they are pure.

It is not correct to restrict this quality to prophets alone, supposing that none but the prophets named as muhles in the Qur’an can be so. Anyone who is subjected to trials, bears afflictions with patience, seeks purification, and improves himself by strengthening mental faculties such as contemplation and reasoning is muhles. Such people can guard themselves against the temptations of the Devil and corrupt companions.

Verses 41- 56:

^41-49Purified servants of Allah are the ones for whom will be certain provisions/fruits. They are the ones who will be served in Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] of abundant blessings while sitting upon thrones facing each other. There will be circulated among them a white cup that contains nothing harmful filled from springs which is pleasing in its taste and does not intoxicate. Beside them will be those with large eyes staring at them. They will be like protected eggs.

⁵⁰Then some will turn to some other and will ask each other.

⁵⁴He will say: “Are you someone who recognizes, knows him?”.

⁵⁵Then he will recognize him and he will see him in the middle of Jahannah [Hell].

In this group of verses, the position of God’s purified servants in heaven is first described, and then the dialogues of a believer in heaven with his acquaintances in hell are given. These afterlife scenes, which have not yet occurred, are narrated for admonition and warning.

Purified people enjoy the blessings mentioned in the verse and chat among themselves. One of them wonders about the fate of an acquaintance who denied the afterlife while on earth and searches for him. Finally, he sees that liar in the midst of hell and calls out from heaven:

“By God, you almost destroyed me. If it were not for the blessing of my Lord, I would surely be among those present. Look, then, how it is! Are we not going to die again other than our first death? Will we not be tormented?”

We have seen such a scene before in Surah Al-Muddathir.

^38,39Every one who has found his self – except for the companions of the right – is a pledge for what he has earned.

^40,41The companions of the right will be in the gardens. They will ask each other about the criminals: ⁴²”What led you into the Saqar?” ⁴³The criminals will say: “We were not of those who fulfill Salah [support financially and spiritually; strive to enlighten the community], ⁴⁴and we did not give opportunities for those unemployed so they might earn their living. ⁴⁵And our deeds were in vain together with those whose deeds were in vain. ^46,47And we denied the Day of Religion until indisputable and inevitable death, the Qiyamat [Resurrection] came to us”. ⁴⁸Now, help and intercession of intercessors, helpers will not benefit them.

(Al-Muddathir/38- 47)

THINGS TO EAT AND DRINK

In the verse, the food and drink of heaven are described as “delicious, harmless, and non-intoxicating.” These expressions suggest that the blessings of heaven are given for delight rather than nourishment. They will not be like worldly foods, for there will be no feeling of hunger in heaven.

Verses 117-119:

^117-119Then We said: “O Adam! Surely, Iblis is enemy to you and your wife. Do not let him lead you out of green, lush gardens/paradise, or you will be devastated. Indeed, that you will not be in distress by being in hunger nor will you be naked is in green, lush gardens/paradise. And you will not be without water and you will not stay under the heat of the sun there”.

(Ta Ha/117- 119)

Drinks are not made from rotten fruit and barley like those in the world. The drinks there will flow from rivers and fountains.

²²We will provide them with the fruits and meat in abundance from whatever they desire.

²³They will exchange a cup that is free from vain talk, nonsense and wasting their time/delaying the good/being reluctant for the good/harming.

²⁴And around them will revolve young boys who belong to them; they are like pearls hidden in mother of pearl.

^25-28They will turn to each other and ask: “We were indeed fearful among our families. Allah favored us and protected us from the penetrating punishment. Surely, we used to invoke Him. Indeed, He is the One Who is the most beneficent and the most merciful”.

(Tour/22- 28)

^5-22Indeed, “the righteous people” will drink from a bowl containing camphor, from a spring gushing out of which servants of Allah will drink who give away their food to the poor, the orphan and the captive for the love of Allah/even though they love it, saying: “We feed you only for the countenance of Allah only and we do not expect from you a recompense and gratitude; and yes, we fear our Rabb on an austere and distressful day”.

And that is why, Allah will protect them from the evil of that day; He will give them light and happiness, He will give them Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] and silk as a reward of their patience; they will abide there reclining on thrones; they will not see therein a sun nor freezing cold and the shadows of the garden will hang over them and their picking up will be descended. And a silver cup and crystal bowls will be circulated among them, -their crystals which they will measure is of silver-. And they will drink from a bowl mixture of which is of ginger, from a spring there called Salsabil… And walk among them will young boys of everlasting youth; when you see them you will think they are scattered pearls! When you see there, you will see happiness and a great dominion and governing; those who abide there will be wearing fine green silken and glossy satin garments; they will be adorned with silver bracelets; their Rabb will make them drink a pure drink. Surely, this is the recompense for you. And your efforts are worth recompensing.

(Al-Insan/5 – 22)

^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)

¹⁰And the forerunners are the forerunners.

¹¹The forerunners are those brought close.

¹²And the forerunners are in the gardens of Bliss.

^13,14Many are from the former ones and a few are from the later ones. ²⁴They are upon ¹⁵thrones woven with gems ²⁴as a recompense for what they did. ¹⁶They recline on them, facing each other. ^17-23Around them will circulate pitchers, ewers, cups filled at the springs – no headache will they have from it, nor will they be intoxicated -, fruits of what they like, meat of fowl from whatever they desire; never-growing children, and large eyed ones like hidden pearls. ²⁵They will not hear therein vain talk, nonsense and that which will cause them to waste their time/to delay the good/to make reluctant for the good/to harm. ²⁶Only a saying: “Salam [health, peace, happiness…], salam [health, peace, happiness…]!”.

^27-34And the companions of the right; what are the companions of the right? They will be among thorne-free lote trees, bananas/acacias lined with fruits, extended shadows, gushing water, many fruits that do not end; deplete and are not forbidden and raised mattresses.

³⁵Surely, We created the lote, banana, shadows, gushing water with such a creation. ^36-38Then, We made them attractive and untouched and at the same level for the companions of the right.

^39,40A community, many are from the former ones. And another community is from the later ones.

(Vakıa/10-40)

After explaining what the people of heaven will eat and drink, our Lord also described the spouses of the people of heaven. In characterizing these spouses, three points are highlighted:

Beside them will be those with large eyes staring at them. They will be like protected eggs.

The reason why the spouses are compared to “hidden eggs” comes from an Arabic expression. The outer surface of an egg is white with a faint yellow hue, so it shows dirt and dust immediately. When the egg is kept covered, it is protected from dust, soil, and smoke. The Arabs praise a very beautiful woman by saying, “like a hidden, covered egg.”

Verses 60, 61:

⁶⁰Surely, this is what is the great salvation.

⁶¹Now, those who work, let them work only for the like of the great salvation.

After explaining the positions of the purified servants in heaven and their dialogues with their opponents, our Lord said to all people, “Surely, this is the great salvation itself. He warns people, “From now on, those who work should only work for something like this [the great salvation]” and invites people to behave in accordance with reason.

Verses 62, 63, 66

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

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].

After the explanations He gave about the two groups, our Lord compares them and asks: “Is this better as a treat, or the oleander tree?” Again, using the method of contrast, after the blessings He will grant His purified servants in Heaven, He now introduces the “Oleander” that He will feed to the unbelievers and the drink mixed with boiling water that He will make them drink.

In the verse, oleander is introduced as “a tree that grows at the bottom of Hell, whose buds are like the heads of devils [horned snakes].”

Oleander, a plant species growing in the Tihāmah region on the Red Sea side of the Arabian Peninsula, is a dwarf tree that grows spontaneously and does not shed its leaves in winter. Varieties with colorful, attractive flowers are also cultivated as ornamental plants. The oleander tree contains poisonous sap. This sap, which has a foul odor and a very bitter taste, causes a kind of skin disease even when it comes into contact with the human body externally [for example, when the branches are cut].

Since information about the verses mentioning the oleander tree is provided in Surah al-Wāqi‘ah, we recommend reading that discussion there.

The “oppressors” mentioned in the verse are not those who cause minor harm to those around them, but the polytheists and disbelievers.

Oleander as a fitnah (exam tool) for the oppressors:

As explained earlier, “fitnah” means burning in fire. From this it is understood that, at that time, someone must have been cast into the fire on account of the “oleander” issue [fell into trouble and lost his composure]. Or, each time he encountered this expression in the Qur’an, he was thrown into the fire [he fell into trouble and lost his balance].

According to the reports of “asbāb al-nuzūl,” when this verse was revealed, a person named Ibn Ziber said, “May God increase oleander in your homes.” The Yemenis used to call dates and cream “oleander.” For this reason, when Abū Jahl said to his concubine, “Bring us zaqqūm,” she would bring him dates and cream. Abū Jahl would then say [to his companions], “Here—take your zaqqūm!”

Additionally, those who heard this verse said, “How can one think that a tree could grow in Hell when fire burns trees?”

Because the unbelievers used a verse that “had not yet been interpreted” as material for themselves. Our Lord explained this in Surah Yūnus as follows.

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.

(Yunus/39)

^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

(Al-i Imran/7-9)

³¹And We have made companions of Jahannah [Hell] only angels. And We have not made their numbers except a trial so that those who were given the Book may know explicitly, those who have believed may increase in faith; those who were given the Book and those who believe may not have any doubt and those in whose hearts is disease; the ill-minded and infidels; those who have consciously denied the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb may say “What did Allah intend to say with this?”. Thus it is. Allah leads astray whom He wills/who wills, guides whom He wills/who wills. And no one knows the armies of your Rabb except Him. This is nothing but a reminder and what makes think for humanity.

(Al-Muddathir/31)

What is understood from the verse is that our Lord did not mean by “oleander” what Abu Jahl and his likes referred to as “oleander.” Indeed, as noted above, oleander is a plant unknown to the people of the Hejaz. The plant intended here—whose qualities we have already described—resembles what we call a cactus.

^2,3There will be people who will be humbled and humiliated on that day even though they worked hard and exhausted, ^4,5they will lean to a blazing fire, and will be given drink from a boiling spring.

^6,7There will be no food for them except a dry thorn that neither gives strength nor satisfies hunger.

(Gashiyah/2- 7)

Another situation similar to oleander being a fitnah took place regarding an issue that our Lord stated in Al-Baqarah 24:

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.

(Baqara/24)

Regarding the verse above, Abū Jahl—one of the polytheists of that time—made the following objection: “Your companion [Muhammad] claims that the fire of Hell burns even stones, saying, ‘Its fuel is stones and people.’ Then he says that a tree grows in that Hell. But fire consumes a tree, burns it, and destroys it. If so, how can a tree grow in Hell?”

Our Lord, who has informed us that there will be people like Abū Jahl who try to create confusion about mutashabih verses that have not yet been interpreted, has also stated in Āl ‘Imrān who is to interpret such verses.

“HEADS OF DEMONS”

The “devils” in the expression “heads of devils” in the verse does not refer to the devil of folk culture; rather, it is the name of a horned, crested snake. It is also the name of a very foul, ugly plant. Among the Arabs, things that are bad, ugly, and repulsive are likened to this snake or this plant. The familiar depictions of devils likewise derive from this serpent analogy.

It should be remembered that all references to Heaven and Hell in the Qur’an—and all descriptions of people’s states in the afterlife—are metaphorical. We are beings of a three-dimensional universe; our perception is limited to three dimensions. Heaven, Hell—indeed everything in the next world—belongs to another dimension. That realm can only be described through illustrative imagery. The other world is, for us, a matter of the unseen.

Verses 69, 70:

⁶⁹Surely, they found their ancestors as the ones who have gone astray.

⁷⁰Now they rush on their footsteps.

Actually, this passage is connected to verses 13–17. Here it is explained why the Meccan polytheists—the Prophet’s addressees—did not believe in resurrection. These fools do not base their stance on any knowledge or even a genuine doubt; without ever questioning the beliefs of their deviant ancestors, they refuse to believe. They fail to use the reason God has given them and do not consider whether the path they follow is right or wrong. Thus they deserve punishment.

Verses 71 – 74:

⁷¹And surely many before them had gone astray.

⁷²Surely, We sent warners to them as well.

^73,74Behold! How was the end of those people who were warned other than the purified servants of Allah!

In this group of verses, after the condition of the Meccan polytheists and the suffering that will follow from it are set out, they are reminded of their ancestors; concrete examples of past deviations are given, and the warning is issued: “So now look—what was the end of those who were warned, except the purified servants of Allah?”

With these verses as an introduction, the discourse turns to the narratives that serve as lessons.

Verses 75, 78-82:

⁷⁵And indeed, Noah called us and supplicated. –And how excellent responders We are!- ⁷⁶And We saved him and his family, those who were close to him, those who believed from that great affliction. ⁷⁷And We made his descendants those who remained.

⁷⁸And We left a word about him [to mention him with good, to follow him] that will remain among the later generations.

–⁷⁹Salam [health, peace, happiness] be upon Noah among the mankind!-

⁸⁰Surely, thus We recompense those who do good deeds.

⁸¹Surely, Noah was one of the believing servants of Ours.

⁸²Then We drowned others in the water.

In the previous group of verses, the unbelievers were reminded of the communities of the past. In this group, Prophet Noah and his people are presented as the first concrete example; further examples will follow.

Here it is stated—through the account of Noah and his people—that those who bring forth goodness and beauty are rewarded by Allah, while those who produce cruelty and disorder are punished.

The story of Noah is given in detail in Surah Hūd, verses 25–48, and in our analysis of that surah the subject is examined from many angles with quotations from the Bible. Therefore, we do not go further into the story here and recommend reading the relevant section there.

Verses 83, 84, 88, 89:

⁸³No doubt that Abraham was among the kind of Noah.

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

^88,89Then, Abraham cast a gaze at the stars! Then he said: “Surely I suffer/suffer from thinking pain”.

After the story of Prophet Noah and his people, the second example from the past is Prophet Abraham and his people. In the passage about Abraham (pbuh), parts of Abraham’s struggle with his people and episodes from his own life are given in separate paragraphs. The events mentioned here are neither sequential nor contemporaneous; moreover, they are only briefly indicated. It should not be overlooked that even a single word here can point to a very long phase of Abraham’s life.

At the beginning of the passage, our Lord informs us that Abraham was among Noah’s followers [a supporter of Noah, a close friend of Noah, who followed him in faith] and that he came to his Lord with a “good heart” [became healthy and fully satisfied].

In this group of verses, it is explained how Abraham used his mind [contemplated] and how he endured intellectual pains until he came to know Allah, and it is stated that he finally reached a “heart of soundness” by dispelling all the doubts in his mind. While Abraham’s (as) journey of faith and monotheism is set forth, it is also pointed out that every human being should know his Lord not by imitation, but by investigation and inner satisfaction.

⁷⁵And thus We showed Abraham the dominion and governance of the heavens/universe and the earth so he might obtain evidence and be among those who believe in certainty.

⁷⁶Therefore, Abraham saw a star when the night covered him and he said: “This is my Rabb”. And when the star set he said: “I do not like those which set”.

⁷⁷And when he saw the moon rising, he said: “This is my Rabb”. And when it also set, he said: “Surely, unless my Rabb guides me to the righteous path, I will be among the people who have gone astray”.

^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”.

(An’am/75-79)

²⁶⁰Once Abraham said: “My Rabb! Show me how You resurrect the dead!”. Allah said: “Have you not believed?”. Abraham said: “I have, but I ask it so my heart may be assured by eliminating all question marks”. Allah said: “Then take four of the birds and make them bound to you. Then, leave each of them on every mountain. Then call the birds, they will hasten to you. And 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”.

(Baqara/260)

¹³¹And when his Rabb said to him: “Be a person who strengthens [who makes the people healthier and happier]!”, Abraham said: “I have become a person who strengthens [who makes the people healthier, happier and convinces them to be Muslims] for Rabb of all universes”.

(Baqara/131)

KALB-İ SELÎM: It means “a heart that is sound and disease-free, harboring no doubts or mental distress before the signs in the universe, and wholly content.” In other words, it denotes a creed and conviction that is upright and pure—free of doctrinal and moral defects, and free of shirk, kufr, suspicion, rebellion, and disobedience. In these verses, “sekim” and “good heart” are presented as antonyms.

“سقيم sekim” denotes a disease specific to the body. Illness may be in the body or in the soul [mind]. As a matter of fact, Allah says, “In their hearts is a disease” (Baqara/10).

Because many took the word “sekim” only as a physical illness, they supported the statement “I am sick” with reports and advanced the view that Abraham spoke untruthfully. Al-Bukhari records this in the chapters “Prophets,” “Transactions,” and “Marriage”; Muslim relates it in “Faḍā’il.” The report in al-Bukhari is as follows:

Muhammad b. Sirin narrated it from Abu Hurayra. He said: Prophet Abraham told a lie only three times—two of them for the sake and pleasure of Allah, the Mighty and Exalted: when he said to the idol-worshipers, “I am sick,” and when he said, “Perhaps the greatest of them did this breaking.” The Messenger of Allah mentioned the third: “One day Abraham, together with his wife Sarah (who was a beautiful woman), passed by the land of a fierce tyrant, one of the tyrants. His men said to that ruler: A traveler has entered the city, and with him is a woman, the most beautiful of people.

The tyrant summoned Abraham. When he came, the ruler asked about Sarah: Who is this woman? Abraham replied: [In terms of religion] she is my sister. Then Abraham went to Sarah and said: O Sarah, there is no person on earth who believes [in the principles we believe in] other than me and you. This king asked me about you, so I informed him that you are my sister. Do not take my words as a lie.

The tyrant then sent a messenger and summoned Sarah. When she entered, the king reached out his hand to her, but he was seized and choked. He said to Sarah: Pray to God for me, and I will not harm you. Sarah prayed to Allah, and he was released. He then reached out to her a second time, and was seized again—similar to, or more severely than, the first time. He said: Pray to God for me, and I will not harm you. Sarah prayed again, and he was released. He then called some of his doorkeepers and said: You did not bring me a human; you brought me only a devil. He thereafter gave Hagar to Sarah as a servant.

Sarah returned to Abraham, who was standing in prayer. With her hand she gestured “mehye”—meaning, “What is your situation?” She said: Allah turned the scheme of the unbeliever—or the sinner—back upon his own chest and gave me Hagar as a servant.

Abu Hurayra said: This Hagar is your mother, O sons of the water of the sky.

Razi’s opinion on this issue is as follows:

Some people say that this statement of Ibrahim [a.s.] is a lie, and they report that the Prophet [pbuh] said, “Abraham told only three lies.” I say to these people that this hadith should not be accepted. When I stated that it is not permissible to attribute lies to Ibrahim [a.s.], someone said, “How can you say that the upright narrator is lying?” I replied: “It is known that when there is hesitation between attributing a lie to the narrator or to Allah’s friend Ibrahim [a.s.], the lie is attributed to the narrator. And why should it not be possible that by ‘lie’ in the hadith what is meant is ‘fake news’?”

It is understood that the illness of Abraham mentioned in the verse is not a sickness such as headache, toothache, stomachache, flu, or cold. Moreover, as stated in the classical works, when Ibrahim [a.s.] said, “I am sick,” he did not lie. He was truly ill; he was suffering intellectual pain.

Prophet Abraham came to know God by his knowledge of the dominion, and in this process of recognition he endured intellectual torment and mental pain. In the end, he submitted to Him and turned to Him with a sincere and sound heart. He was a hanif; there was no trace of polytheism in his heart.

Many thinkers and intellectuals in various parts of the world have likewise suffered mental torment by contemplating the verses in the afak and the enfus, and have eventually reached belief in the one God [the creed of monotheism].

Verses 85, 87:

In this group of verses, another phase of Abraham’s life is narrated: his struggle for monotheism with his people. Abraham sought to awaken his people by staging a scene, but they did not come to their senses and persisted in their obstinacy. They attempted to punish Abraham, yet our Lord foiled their plot and punished them.

In the scene he prepared, Abraham (pbuh) mockingly set food before his people’s idols and asked, “Will you not eat? What is wrong with you that you do not speak?”

From the expression “اليمين (al-yamīn)” in verse 93, it can be understood either that he struck “with his right hand”—that is, with full force—or that he struck in fulfillment of an oath. If taken in the sense of “right hand,” the phrase heightens the intensity of the blow, since the right hand is stronger than the left. If taken in the sense of “oath,” it indicates that Abraham broke the idols because he had sworn to do so. The details of these events, which are only alluded to with a word in Surah Saffat, are presented in Surah al-Anbiya.

⁵¹And surely, We gave Abraham his ability to distinguish between good and evil before. And We were the Ones Who knew him. ⁵²And when Abraham said to his father and people: “What are the statues to which you insist to worship?”.

⁵³They said: “We found our ancestors worshipping these”.

⁵⁴Abraham said: “I swear that you and your ancestors are in an explicit astray”.

⁵⁵They said: “Have you brought us the truth or are you among those who play?”.

^56,57Abraham said: “Rather, your Rabb is Rabb of the heavens/universe and the earth, it is He Who created them from nothing. And I am also of those who testify this. I swear by Allah that after you turn and go away, I will definitely plot against your idols”.

⁵⁸Then Abraham made these into pieces all except for the large one among them so they may return to it.

⁵⁹His people said: “Who did this to our idols? He surely is among those who do wrong; act against their own good”.

⁶⁰Some of them said: “We heard a young man who mentions them. He is called “Abraham””.

⁶¹They said: Then, bring Abraham before the people so they may testify him”.

⁶²They said: “O Abraham! Is it you who did this to our idols?”.

⁶³Abraham said: “Rather, that large one did it. Ask them if they are able to speak”.

⁶⁴So, they turned to their inner selves and said: “Indeed, you are the ones who do wrong; act against their own good”.

⁶⁵Then they returned to their minds again and said: “You have definitely known that these are not able to speak”.

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

⁶⁸His people said: “Make him burn [fire him, put him into distress] if you are the ones who do and help your gods”.

⁶⁹We said: “O fire! Be cool and safe for Abraham”.

⁷⁰And they intended to plot against him but We made them the ones who lose/suffer more.

⁷¹And We saved and delivered Abraham and Lot to the lands which were blessed in abundance for the people of the time.

⁷²And We bestowed him Isaac and Jacob in addition. And We made them all righteous people.

⁷³And We made them leaders who guided by Our command. And We revealed to them to do good deeds, establish Salah [establish and maintain the institutions that support financially and spiritually; enlighten the community] and 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 they were the ones who worshipped only to Us.

(Anbiya/51-73)

The purpose of briefly mentioning the struggle of Abraham (pbuh) in the Sura Saffat is to inform the Meccan polytheist Arabs, who say that they are descendants of Abraham and are proud of it, that the path of Abraham (pbuh) is the same as the path of the messenger of Allah, Muhammad (pbuh), and to inform them that Abraham’s struggle is the same. It is to give the message that resorting to some tyranny like the people of God will not save them and that they will definitely be defeated.

Verses 90 – 92, 94 – 113:

⁹⁰Then his father and his people turned away from Abraham, turning their backs/severed their relationship with him.

⁹⁴After a while, people of Abraham came running and confronted Abraham.

^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”.

⁹⁷They said: “Build a wall for him/impose an embargo upon him and throw him into the blazing fire/an extreme distress!”.

⁹⁸They intended to plot for Abraham but We made them the debased.

^99,100And Abraham said: “Surely, I will go to my Rabb; He will guide me: My Rabb! Grant me from among the righteous!”.

¹⁰¹Then, We gave Abraham the good tidings of a tenderhearted young boy.

^103-105And when they both Islamized and Abraham laid him upon his forehead [left him alone, aggrieved], We said to him: “O Abraham! You truly have fulfilled that vision”… –Indeed, thus We recompense/reward just like him those who produce good.-

¹⁰⁶Indeed, leaving the son alone was definitely an explicit trial by wearing.

¹⁰⁷And We rewarded/ransomed Abraham for that great thing he would ruin, make suffer.

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

¹⁰⁹Salam [health, peace, happiness…] be upon Abraham!

¹¹⁰Thus We reward like him those who produce good.

¹¹¹Surely, he was of the believing servants of Ours.

¹¹²And We gave him the good tidings of Isaac as a prophet from among the righteous.

¹¹³We gave Abraham and Isaac blessings. Among the descendants of both of them are those who produce good and also those who clearly treat unjustly against their own selves.

In this group of verses, other episodes from the life of Prophet Abraham are presented. Because their interpretation was not carried out, many false scenarios were built on these verses. As noted above, what is related about Prophet Abraham is not a chain of events occurring in a short span, nor is it narrated in chronological order. The signs here must therefore be understood correctly, and each event evaluated on its own.

As is known, much that conflicts with religion, belief, and sound reason has been attached to this passage of Surah Saffat. To clear away such nonsense and understand the Qur’an properly, we must grasp the expressions in the verses and the events they indicate.

In verses 99 and 100 it is stated that Abraham (pbuh) turned to Allah, saying, “I will surely go to my Lord; He will guide me.” He devoted himself to Allah’s service and prayed, “My Lord! Grant me one of the righteous!” From this supplication it is understood that he did not yet have a child at that time.

The statement in verse 101, “Thereupon We gave Abraham the good news of a gentle-tempered young man,” should not be taken to mean that a son was announced to Abraham immediately upon his prayer. The glad tidings of a son were given to Prophet Abraham in his old age.

^35-41And when Abraham once said: “My Rabb! Make this city safe! Keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols! My Rabb! Surely, idols have led many among the people astray. Then, whoever follows me, he is of me; and whoever disobeys… Then you surely are the One Who forgives much and shows great mercy. Our Rabb! I have indeed settled some of my children in a barren valley next to Your untouchable House so they might establish Salah [establish and maintain the institutions that support financially and spiritually; enlighten the community]. Our Rabb! So make the hearts of some of Your servants incline towards to them so they may repay for the blessings that You have given. And provide for them from some fruits. Our Rabb! Indeed, You know that which we conceal and that which we disclose. –And nothing is hidden from Allah in the heavens/universe and on the earth.- All praise is to Allah Who has bestowed me Ishmael and Isaac in my old age; no one else may be praised. Indeed, my Rabb is the One Who hears my supplication very well. My Rabb! Make me a man who establishes Salah [establishes and maintains the institutions that support financially and spiritually; enlighten the community]! And from my descendants too… Our Rabb! Accept my supplication! Our Rabb! Forgive me, my parents and believers on the day when the account will be established!”

(Ibrahim/35-41)

According to the Bible, Abraham was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born and one hundred years old when Isaac was born.

15 Hagar bore Abram a son. Abram named the child Ishmael.

16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.

1 The LORD showed kindness to Sarah according to his promise, and he kept his word.

2 Sarah became pregnant; In Abraham’s old age, she bore him a son at the exact time God had appointed.

3 Abraham named the child whom Sarah bore him Isaac.

4 And he circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, just as God had commanded him.

5 Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born.

In order to better understand some of the expressions in verse 102, it would be useful to review the meaning of the verse:

¹⁰²And when that boy with whom he was harbingered reached the age to run/work with him, then Abraham said to him: “O my son! Surely I see myself ruining you and making you suffer in this sleepy; serene, unconcerned, apathetic place. Tell me what you think!”. His son said to him: “O my father! Do that which you will be commanded! If Allah wills, you will find me steadfast against all troubles and calamities I may suffer while you are away”.

Among the expressions in the verse, the word that needs to be emphasized is the word “zebh”, which is interpreted as “sacrifice”.

ZEBH

The primary meaning of “ذبح (zebḥ)” is “to split/crack; to tear off a piece of something.” It later came to be used for “cutting the throat.” Figuratively, it denotes “destruction,” since throat-cutting is the quickest way to destroy a living being. In many contexts, “ذبح (zebḥ)” is clearly used metaphorically with senses such as “to sacrifice” (not the ritual sacrifice), “to destroy,” “to victimize,” and, in colloquial usage, “to spend/waste.”

MENAM

The word “منام Menâm” in the verse is a noun-of-place form from the root “نوم (nawm, to sleep)” and literally means “sleeping place.” Classical dictionaries show that “sleep” and “sleeping” are also used figuratively for “stagnation, serenity, insensitivity, negligence, inactivity, indifference—even death.” Interpreting this figurative sense as a noun of place, “منام Menâm” means “the place where stagnation, tranquility, insensitivity, negligence, and indifference prevail.”

From the verse we understand that Abraham exerted great effort to warn his people and rescue them from the mire of polytheism. They became unresponsive to his warnings and even cast him out. Prophet Abraham lost hope in his society and resolved to leave his son—still a child in need of care and protection. He confides this decision to his son to gauge his reaction. The following dialogue then takes place between father and son:

Ibrahim; “O my son! Surely I see myself ruining you and making you suffer in this sleepy; serene, unconcerned, apathetic place. Tell me what you think!”. His son said to him: “O my father! Do that which you will be commanded! If Allah wills, you will find me steadfast against all troubles and calamities I may suffer while you are away”.

It is understood from this dialogue that Prophet Abraham had to get away from things that would hinder him when he started his ambassadorship. As a matter of fact, when our Lord granted Moses (pbuh) the duty of ambassador, he said:

¹¹Then, when he came to it, when he decided to remove this distress he was called: “Moses! ¹²I, it is I Who is your Rabb. So, leave the people who are close to you and your belongings here,¹⁴¹ indeed, you are in the purified valley, in Tuwa/a valley cleaned twice. ¹³And I have chosen you; then heed that which will be revealed to you; heed the ¹⁴warning of “¹⁴Surely, I am Allah Himself. There is no deity except Me. Then worship Me and establish Salah [establish and maintain the institutions that support financially and spiritually; enlighten the community] to remember Me. ¹⁵Indeed, that hour/the Qiyamat [Resurrection] will come. I will almost conceal it so that everyone may be recompensed for his work. ¹⁶So, do not let one who does not believe in Qiyamat [Resurrection] and follows his vain, transitory desire avert you from believing in Qiyamat [Resurrection]; or you will be manipulated/destroyed”.

(Ta Ha/11- 16)

In Ta Ha/11–15, the expression that should draw our attention regarding our topic is “two horseshoes.” While studying Surah Ta Ha, we analyzed this expression and explained that it signifies Moses’ family [wife and children] and property, and that as soon as Moses received the command, he left his family and livestock and hastened to convey the message to Pharaoh.

The events mentioned concerning Prophet Abraham are given in detail in Surah Ibrahim:

(Ibrahim/35-41)

ATTITUDE OF IBRAHIM’S (AS) SON

In the verse, the son says to Abraham, “Father, do what you are commanded. If God wills, you will find me among the patient [for all the troubles and grievances that will befall me while you are away].” The point to be emphasized is this:

The phrase “افعل ما تؤمر if‘al mā tu’mar” is usually translated literally as “Do as you are commanded.” When this rendering is combined with reports inherited from Isrā’īliyyāt and with the assumption that God commanded Abraham to slaughter his son, the expression settles in the minds of Muslims as: “Since God commanded you to sacrifice me, do not hesitate—sacrifice me!” Unfounded reports on this subject will be presented in full at the end of the passage.

However, the expression “تؤمر tu’mar” in the verse is, in Arabic, a present–future (fi‘l al-muḍāri‘) passive; its sense is “you are/you will be commanded.” In this case, as understood from the son’s words—“Father, do what you are commanded. If God wills, you will find me among the patient [for all the troubles and grievances that will befall me while you are away]”—the son learned of his father’s ambassadorial duty and said to him: “From now on, do not worry about me! God willing, in your absence I will be patient with every hardship, distress, and sacrifice that may come to me. Do whatever you are commanded in your mission as an ambassador and in your struggle for tawḥīd. Continue your duty!”

The patience discussed here is not about the son enduring the pain and death supposedly inflicted when Abraham cut him.

In verses 103–105—“Then, when they both became Muslims, and he [Abraham] laid him down on his forehead [abandoned him, made him a victim], We called to him: ‘O Abraham! You have certainly confirmed that notion…’”—another phase concerning Abraham and his son is described. This account is not connected to the previous verses; it merely alludes to the fact that Abraham left his son, briefly recalling that phase of their lives.

The phrase “فلمّا أسلما falammā aslamā” in these verses is commonly taken to mean, “Abraham submitted to God’s command ‘sacrifice your son,’ and his son submitted to being sacrificed.” However, the word “أسلما aslamā” in the verse does not pertain to “surrender” here; its meaning is “when they became Muslimized, when they became Muslims.” With this single word, our Lord points to another stage in Abraham’s life. That stage is explained in the following verses:

¹²⁴And when his Rabb tried Abraham with certain words/wounds, distress and he fulfilled them completely. His Rabb said: “I am the One Who has made you leader to the people”. Abraham said: “Make leaders from among my descendants as well!”. His Rabb said: “My covenant/promise does not reach those who treat unjustly to their very selves!”.

¹²⁵And We made this Bayt [House]/the first school for the people a place to return and a place of security. And We took covenant from Abraham and Ishmael, saying: “Keep my Bayt [House] pure for the travelers, those who worship, who submit, who acknowledge the oneness of Allah”. –And get a place for Salah [a place where supporting financially and spiritually; enlightening the community will take place] from the place that Abraham served.-

¹²⁶And when Abraham said: “My Rabb! Make this place a safe city, provide for those who believe in Allah and the last day with fruits”. Allah said: “I grant a little enjoyment upon even an infidel; the one who consciously denies My divinity and the fact that I am Rabb, then I will drag him into the punishment of fire. How evil is the destination!”.

^127-129And when Abraham and Ishmael raised/exalted the fundamental laws of the religion from the oneness school, saying: “O our Rabb! Accept from us, surely You are the One Who hears best, knows best. O our Rabb! Make us both the ones who strengthen [who make healthier, happier and convince people to be Muslims] for You. And bring from our descendants as well a people with a leader who strengthen [who make people healthier, happier and convince people to be Muslims] for You. And show us the methods of servitude, accept our repentance as well. Surely, You are the One Who accepts the repentances much and the One Who is very merciful. O our Rabb! And send a prophet from among them so he may recite them Your Ayat; teach them the book and the laws, rules and principles that are set forth to prevent injustice, corruption and chaos; purify them. No doubt that 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”.

¹³⁰And who else turns away from the religion/lifestyle of Abraham than the one who makes a fool of himself? And We had chosen him on the earth. Surely, he will be among the righteous in Akhirat [Afterlife] as well.

¹³²And Abraham instructed to his sons and Jacob, “O my sons! Surely, Allah has chosen this religion for you. Therefore, die as a person who makes stronger [who makes the people healthier, happier and convinces them to be Muslims]!”.

(Baqara/124- 132)

As can be seen, in Baqara/131 the Almighty says to Abraham, “Become Islam (أَسْلِمْ),” and he “became Islam (أَسْلَمَ).” These are the realities indicated by our passage, Saffat/103–105.

We must note another very important point here. In verses 103–105, the “answer” (jawāb) of the conditional sentence beginning with the particle “فلمّا falammā [when]” does not appear in the text; it is omitted. That is, what happened after “when they became Muslims, when Abraham abandoned his son and left, when Abraham confirmed what he had conceived, and when Allah called, ‘O Abraham!’” is left unspoken. Nevertheless, some have offered faulty evaluations—especially by forcing a predicate onto the conjunctions in the sentence.

The following comments are examples of this: according to the Basrans, the answer to the “when” at the opening of the verse is held in reserve, and the sense is, “So when they both submitted and he laid him on his forehead, We ransomed him with a ram.” The Kufans say the answer is the clause “We called out,” understood as an imperative sense.

In our view, the reserved [left implicit] answer is expressed in the passage in Surah Baqara: “And when his Lord tested Abraham with certain words and he fulfilled them completely, [His Lord said], ‘I am making you an imam [leader] for the people’” (2:124). Once Abraham had completed his education and purification, it was time to be made an “imam/leader.” Accordingly, the appreciation of the omitted answer in our verse is as follows: “O Abraham! You have indeed confirmed that thought… now We have made Abraham an imam [leader] for the people.”

In verse 106 it is stated, “Surely this [leaving the son] is a clear trial (بلاء مبين).” Indeed, a father’s setting out on a mission while leaving a child in need of care, and a child’s being left unguarded at such an age, is a severe ordeal—one that wears a person down yet matures and purifies through patience. The explanation of “balā’” has been given earlier.

In verses 107–112 our Lord discloses that He rewarded Abraham, as He rewards every good and devoted servant, and even granted him another child [Isaac].

In verse 113—“We blessed him [Abraham] and Isaac; and among their descendants are those who produce goodness and beauty and those who openly wrong themselves”—the message is clearly conveyed that oppressors and unbelievers may emerge from a prophet’s descendants. As stated at the end of Baqara/124, when Abraham said, “And [make leaders] from my offspring,” the reply came, “My covenant does not extend to the oppressors.” From this it is understood that lineage has no standing in Islam. The sons of some polytheists [such as Āzar] became prophets, while the sons of some prophets [such as Noah] became polytheists. The wives of some prophets [Lot and Noah] were unbelievers, while the wife of a tyrant [Pharaoh’s wife] became a believer.

Shuara/83–91. Verses:

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

In this group of verses, which list Prophet Abraham’s requests from his Lord, it is shown how to pray and what to ask from God.

Prophet Abraham asked the following from his Lord:

* To have authority

* Joining the righteous

* Lisan-ı sidk [to be remembered well among the later ones]

* To inherit heaven

* Forgiveness of his father

* Not to be disgraced at the apocalypse

It is useful to briefly recall the expression “Kalb-i Selim” mentioned in the passage. Details about the word قلب (kalp) were previously given in the analysis of Surah Qaf. The “Kalb-i Selim” in the supplication of Prophet Abraham denotes a heart that is sound and free of disease, harboring no doubt or mental distress before the signs in the universe, and wholly content. In the verse at hand, this expression refers to true faith, for “heart disease” in the Qur’an is defined as discord and hypocrisy.

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

(Baqara/10)

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

(Ahzab/60)

Prophet Abraham managed to come to the presence of Allah with a “sound heart” and our Lord stated this in the Quran:

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

(Saffat/84)

The humiliation of people on the Day of Judgment is explained as follows in the Qur’an:

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

(Nahl/27)

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

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

(Saffat/108)

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

(Mary/50)

WHO IS THIS CHILD WHO WAS SACRIFICED AND VICTIMIZED?

As is known, the Qur’an does not name the sacrificed and victimized son of Abraham (pbuh). The Bible states that this child is Isaac. Islamic scholars do not have a unanimous view on this matter. On the basis of the evidence in Baqara/124–132, we hold that this child is Ishmael (a.s.).

Some of the comments and opinions recorded by earlier commentators are as follows. This child is Ḥaḍrat Ismāʿīl [a.s.]. He is a prophet and the first child of whom Abraham [a.s.] was given glad tidings. By the consensus of Muslims and the People of the Book, Ḥaḍrat Ismāʿīl is older than Ḥaḍrat Isḥāq. Indeed, according to their books, when Ishmael was born Abraham was eighty-six years old; when Isaac was born Abraham was ninety-nine. Again, according to their books, Allah the Exalted commanded Abraham to sacrifice his “only son.” In one copy it reads, “his firstborn.” Here they resorted to falsehood and claimed that the child commanded to be sacrificed was Isaac. This is impermissible, for it contradicts the very text of their books. They say the commanded child is Isaac because he is their forefather, while Ishmael is the forefather of the Arabs; out of partisanship they inserted additions and distorted the wording to mean “without any other.” Abraham had taken his son Ishmael and his mother to Mecca. What they advance is mere interpretation and false distortion. The Arabic word waḥīd (“unique”) applies to that which has no parallel; moreover, the first child has a special value unlike those who come after him, so the command to sacrifice him is more eloquent and formidable as a trial.

A group of scholars holds that the one commanded to be sacrificed was Isaac. Thereafter it is said, “We gave him the good news of Isaac—a prophet among the righteous.” When the angels brought Abraham good news of Isaac, they said, “Do not fear; we bring you glad tidings of a boy endowed with knowledge” (Ḥijr/53). Allah the Exalted also says, “And We gave her [Abraham’s wife] the good news of Isaac, and, after Isaac, Jacob” (Hūd/71)—that is, while Abraham and Isaac were alive, a child named Jacob would be born to Isaac, and thus there would be a continuing line from Isaac’s descendants. As explained earlier, once such continuation has been announced, it would not be permissible to command his slaughter in youth; Allah promised Abraham and Isaac that Isaac’s line would continue—how then could he be ordered slain as a child? Here Ishmael is described with the attribute ḥalīm, which perfectly suits the context.

“When he reached the age to walk with him, he said, ‘My son, I see in a dream that I am sacrificing you. Consider, what do you think?’” ʿUbayd b. ʿUmayr said: “The dreams of the prophets are revelation.” Then he recited, “O my son, indeed I see that I sacrifice you in my dream; consider, what do you think?” Ibn Abī Ḥātim reports: ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn b. Junayd, from Ibn ʿAbbās, that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “The dreams of the prophets during sleep are revelation.” This wording is not found in the Kutub al-Sitta. Abraham’s informing his son is to ease the matter for him and to test his patience, fortitude, and perseverance in obeying Allah and his father, given his youth.

Stories of stoning Satan: Imām Aḥmad relates—from the route of Sura and Yūnus, from Ibn ʿAbbās—the following: when Abraham was commanded with the obligatory rites of the ḥajj, Satan appeared to him during the saʿy. Abraham contested him and surpassed him. Then Gabriel took Abraham to the Jamrat al-ʿAqabah; Satan appeared there as well, and Abraham stoned him with seven pebbles and moved on. Satan appeared again near the middle jamrah; Abraham stoned it with seven pebbles. There he laid his son on his forehead. Ishmael wore a white shirt. He said to Abraham, “Father, I have no other garment in which you can shroud me. Take this off so that you may shroud me in it.” As Abraham was about to remove the shirt, a call came: “O Abraham, you have fulfilled the vision.” Abraham turned and saw a white, horned, large-eyed ram. Ibn ʿAbbās said: “We follow that by sacrificing such rams.” Imām Aḥmad also narrates, through Yūnus … from Ibn ʿAbbās, a similar long report in which the name Isaac (instead of Ishmael) appears. There are two narrations from Ibn ʿAbbās as to who the sacrificed son was; as will be explained, the strongest narration from him states that the sacrificial son was Ishmael.

Muḥammad b. Isḥāq, via his son Ḥasan b. Dīnār … from Ibn ʿAbbās, said regarding “And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice”: A ram descended to Abraham from heaven; it had grazed in heaven for forty years. Abraham left his son and went after the ram. He found it at the first jamrah; after stoning it with seven pebbles, he lost the ram there. At the middle jamrah he saw it again, stoned that jamrah with seven pebbles, then lost it again. He caught up with it near the big jamrah, stoned that jamrah with seven pebbles, found the ram there, took it, brought it to the place of sacrifice in Minā, and slaughtered it there. By Him in whose hand is the soul of Ibn ʿAbbās, in the beginning of Islam the ram’s head was hanging by its horns in the Kaʿbah’s trough, its head desiccated.

ʿAbd al-Razzāq reports: in Maʿmar’s narration from al-Zuhrī, from al-Qāsim, as follows. Abū Hurayrah and Kaʿb were together. Abū Hurayrah narrated from the Prophet (pbuh), and Kaʿb narrated from the scriptures. Abū Hurayrah said: the Prophet (pbuh) said, “For every prophet there is a supplication that will be answered; I have kept mine as intercession for my ummah on the Day of Resurrection.” Kaʿb asked, “Did you hear this from the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)?” He replied yes. Kaʿb continued: “May my parents be ransomed for you.” He then informed about Abraham (a.s.): when he saw in his dream that his son Isaac was being sacrificed, Satan said, “If I cannot confound them now, I never will.” Abraham took his son out to sacrifice him. Satan came to Sarah and asked, “Where has Abraham taken his son?” She said, “For some need.” Satan replied, “Not for a need; he has taken him to slaughter him.” She asked, “Why?” He said, “He thinks his Lord commanded him.” She said, “He has done well to obey his Lord.” Satan went to the boy and asked, “Where is your father taking you?” He said, “For a need.” Satan replied as before; the boy said, “By Allah, if Allah commanded him, he will surely do it.” Satan then met Abraham, repeated his claim, and Abraham said, “By Allah, if Allah commands me, I will surely do it.” Satan despaired and left. Ibn Jarīr relates through Yūnus … ʿAmr b. Abī Sufyān b. Asīd b. Jāriya al-Thaqafī that Kaʿb said to Abū Hurayrah … and the narrator extended the report. At its end is an addition: Allah revealed to Isaac, “I grant you a supplication and will answer it.” Isaac said, “O Allah, I supplicate: whoever among Your servants, first or last, meets You without associating anything with You—admit him into Paradise.” Ibn Abī Ḥātim says: my father told us … from Abū Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.) said: “Allah gave me the choice between sparing half my ummah or reserving my intercession; I reserved my intercession for the Day of Resurrection. I hope a large group of my ummah will be spared. Had not the righteous servant preceded me in this matter, I would have hastened my supplication in it.” When Allah lifted the slaughter from Isaac, He said, “O Isaac, ask and it will be granted.” Isaac said, “By Him in whose hand is my soul, I will hasten before Satan pricks with his whisper: O Allah, forgive whoever dies without associating anything with You, and admit him to Paradise.” This is a strange and unsound ḥadīth; among its narrators is ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Zayd b. Aslam, whose ḥadīth is weak. I fear there are later additions—the portion from “When Allah lifted the slaughter from Isaac …” to the end. Allah knows best. Even were the report protected, its thrust concerning Ishmael appears closer to the truth; as mentioned, the Israelites altered it by replacing him with Isaac out of envy. Otherwise, the place of the obligatory rites and sacrifice is Minā in the land of Mecca, and the person there is not Isaac but Ishmael, for Isaac was in the land of Canaan in greater Syria.

“We called out to him: O Abraham! You have fulfilled the vision.” The purpose of your dream was achieved when you laid the child down to sacrifice him. According to what al-Suddī and others related, Abraham passed the knife over the child’s neck, but it did not cut; rather, a layer of copper came between the knife and the neck, preventing the cut. Then came the call: “You have fulfilled the dream.”

According to what Imām Aḥmad narrated from Ṣafiyya bint Shaybah, through Sufyān: A woman from the Banū Sulaym—she who bore all of our family—reported that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.) sent to ʿUthmān b. Ṭalḥa. Once, the narrator relates, the woman asked ʿUthmān b. Ṭalḥa: why did the Prophet (pbuh) call you? He said: “The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said to me: When I entered the House [the Kaʿbah], I saw the two horns of that ram. I forgot to order you to cover them—so cover them. Nothing should distract the one praying in the Kaʿbah.” Sufyān said: the two horns of that ram hung there until the Kaʿbah burned, and they burned in that fire. This in itself is evidence that the son Abraham was commanded to sacrifice was Ishmael. The Quraysh preserved the horns of that ram—sent to Abraham as ransom for his son—as an inheritance, generation after generation, until the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was sent.

News from the predecessor about who was slaughtered:

Those who say that it was Isaac who was slaughtered:

According to the narration of Ḥamza al-Zayyāt from Abū Maysarah—may Allah have mercy on him—when they met, Yūsuf (a.s.) said to the king: “Do you refrain from eating with me? By Allah, my father is Yaʿqūb, the prophet of Allah. He is the son of Isḥāq, whom Allah commanded to be sacrificed. And he is the son of Ibrāhīm, the friend of Allah.” According to Sufyān’s narration from Abū Sinān, from Abū al-Hudhayl, Yūsuf (a.s.) said this to the king as well.

In Sufyān al-Thawrī’s report from Zayd b. Aslam, from ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUbayd b. ʿUmayr, from his father, it is related that Mūsā (a.s.) said: “My Lord, they say, ‘O God of Ibrāhīm, Isḥāq, and Yaʿqūb.’ Why do they say this?” He said: “When anything was associated with Me as a partner, Ibrāhīm always preferred Me over it. Isḥāq willingly stretched out his neck to be sacrificed for Me, and he was exceedingly generous in other matters too. As for Yaʿqūb, the more I increased his tribulation, the more his good opinion of Me increased.”

According to Shuʿbah’s narration from Abū Isḥāq, from Abū Aḥwaṣ: a man boasted in the presence of Ibn Masʿūd, saying, “I am the son of so-and-so, the son of honorable elders.” ʿAbdullāh said: “Yūsuf son of Yaʿqūb son of Ibrāhīm, the friend of Allah, son of Isḥāq—whom Allah commanded to be sacrificed (Zebihullah)—did not boast like this.” The attribution of this report is sound up to Ibn Masʿūd. ʿIkrimah also narrates from Ibn ʿAbbās that the one to be sacrificed was Isḥāq. It is likewise reported from Ibn ʿAbbās’s father al-ʿAbbās and from ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib that the sacrificed one was Isḥāq. The same is said by ʿIkrimah, Saʿīd b. Jubayr, Mujāhid, al-Shaʿbī, ʿUbayd b. ʿUmayr, Abū Maysarah, Zayd b. Aslam, ʿAbdullāh b. Shaqīq, al-Zuhrī, al-Qāsim b. Abī Bazzah, Makḥūl, ʿUthmān b. Ḥāḍir, al-Suddī, al-Ḥasan, Qatādah, Abū al-Hudhayl, and Ibn Thābit. Ibn Jarīr also prefers this view. According to his narration from Kaʿb al-Aḥbār, the child who was to be sacrificed was Isḥāq, as mentioned before. Ibn Isḥāq reports—via his son Ḥasan b. Dīnār … from Ibn ʿAbbās—that he said concerning the verse “And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice”: A ram came to Ibrāhīm from heaven; it had grazed there for forty years. Ibrāhīm left his son and pursued the ram. He found it at the first jamrah, stoned that jamrah with seven pebbles, and lost the ram. At the middle jamrah he saw it again, stoned it with seven pebbles, then lost it again. Near the big jamrah he caught up with it, stoned that jamrah with seven pebbles, seized the ram, brought it to the place of sacrifice in Minā, and slaughtered it there. By Him in whose hand is the soul of Ibn ʿAbbās, at the beginning of Islam the ram’s head was hanging by its horns in the Kaʿbah’s trough, its head dried.

Allah knows best, but all of these words are taken from Kaʿb al-Aḥbār. Kaʿb embraced Islam in the time of ʿUmar, and he narrated to ʿUmar from the writings of the Israelites; sometimes ʿUmar (r.a.) listened. People thus came to think it permissible to listen to what was in those writings, and they transmitted from him—whether weighty or not. Yet this ummah—Allah knows best—has no need of even a single letter from them. Al-Baghawī also suggests that the sacrificed one is Isḥāq. From ʿUmar, ʿAlī, Ibn Masʿūd, and al-ʿAbbās; and among the Tābiʿīn, from Kaʿb al-Aḥbār, Saʿīd b. Jubayr, Qatādah, Masrūq, ʿIkrimah, Muqātil, ʿAṭāʾ, al-Zuhrī, and al-Suddī. According to al-Baghawī, one of the two narrations from Ibn ʿAbbās is like this. There is also a ḥadīth on the matter: were it established as authentic, we would accept it wholeheartedly; but its isnād is not sound. Ibn Jarīr says: Abū Kurayb narrated to us … from al-ʿAbbās b. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, from the Prophet (pbuh): “The child commanded to be sacrificed is Isḥāq.” There are two weak narrators in its chain. Of them, Ḥasan b. Dīnār al-Baṣrī is abandoned; ʿAlī b. Zayd b. Judʿān’s ḥadīth is munkar. Ibn Abī Ḥātim relates it marfūʿ through his father from ʿAlī b. Zayd b. Judʿān. He also says: al-Mubārak b. Fuḍālah narrated it from al-ʿAbbās as his (al-ʿAbbās’s) statement—this appears more reliable and closer to the truth.

As for firm and sound reports that the one to be sacrificed was Ismāʿīl, we mention them now. Ibn Isḥāq says: I heard Muḥammad b. Kaʿb al-Qurazī say: the one of Ibrāhīm’s two sons whom Allah commanded to be sacrificed was Ismāʿīl. We find this in the Book of Allah: after finishing the story about the sacrificed one among Ibrāhīm’s two sons, Allah says, “We gave him the good news of Isḥāq—a prophet among the righteous.” And elsewhere: “We gave her [Ibrāhīm’s wife] the good news of Isḥāq, and after Isḥāq, Yaʿqūb” (Hūd/71)—that is, He gave him tidings of his son and of that son’s son. It is not conceivable that Allah would command the slaughter of Isḥāq after promising offspring through him. Therefore, at most, the one commanded to be sacrificed could only have been Ismāʿīl.

Ibn Isḥāq relates from Buraydah b. Sufyān b. Firwa al-Aslamī that he also wrote from Muḥammad b. Kaʿb al-Qurazī: during his caliphate, while in Damascus, ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz had this matter explained to him by Muḥammad b. Kaʿb. ʿUmar said: “This is a matter I have never considered; I think it is as you say.” He then summoned a man who had been with him earlier in Damascus, a Jew who had embraced Islam sincerely; he believed him to be a Jewish scholar. ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz asked him about the issue. Muḥammad b. Kaʿb reports that he and ʿUmar were together when ʿUmar asked: “Which of the two sons was Ibrāhīm commanded to sacrifice?” The man said: “O Commander of the Believers, by Allah, it is Ismāʿīl; the Jews surely know this. They cannot bear that the one commanded to be sacrificed—the one praised for patience with Allah’s command—should be the father of you Arabs; therefore they deny this and claim it was Isḥāq, for Isḥāq is their forefather. But Allah knows best which of the two it is; each was pure and devoted to Allah.”

ʿAbdullāh b. Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal says: I asked my father—may Allah have mercy on him—who the one commanded to be sacrificed was: Ismāʿīl or Isḥāq? He said, “Ismāʿīl.” Ibn Abī Ḥātim heard his father say: the sound position is that the one commanded to be sacrificed was Ismāʿīl (a.s.). It is related from ʿAlī, Ibn ʿUmar, Abū Hurayrah, Abū Ṭufayl, Saʿīd b. al-Musayyab, Saʿīd b. Jubayr, al-Ḥasan, Mujāhid, al-Shaʿbī, Muḥammad b. Kaʿb al-Qurazī, Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad b. ʿAlī, and Abū Ṣāliḥ that they said the sacrificed one was Ismāʿīl. In his tafsīr, al-Baghawī reports the same from ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar, Saʿīd b. al-Musayyab, al-Suddī, al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, Mujāhid, Rabīʿ b. Anas, Muḥammad b. Kaʿb al-Qurazī, and al-Kalbī; one narration from Ibn ʿAbbās is also like this. Al-Baghawī further relates this view from Abū ʿAmr b. al-ʿAlā’.

Ibn Jarīr narrates a strange ḥadīth on this subject: Muʿāwiyah b. Abī Sufyān said, “We were with the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) when a man came and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, O son of the two sacrificed ones, give me of what Allah has given you.’ The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) laughed.” Muʿāwiyah was asked, “O Commander of the Believers, who are the two sacrificed ones?” He replied: “When ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib undertook the excavation of Zamzam, he vowed that if Allah enabled him he would sacrifice one of his sons. The lot fell to ʿAbdullāh. His uncles stopped him and said, ‘Ransom your son with a hundred camels,’ and ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ransomed him. The second sacrificed one is Ismāʿīl.” This is indeed a strange report. In another route, al-Sunābihī says through one of the Umayyad companions in al-Maghāzī: “We were in Muʿāwiyah’s gathering; the people were discussing Ismāʿīl and Isḥāq …” and he said, “You have turned to the one who knows.” He added that he wrote it from a damaged copy.

Ibn Jarīr’s preference that the child is Isḥāq rests on the verse, “We gave him the good news of a knowledgeable boy,” taking the glad tidings of Isḥāq to be the same as this announcement. He answers the difficulty posed by the subsequent glad tidings of Yaʿqūb by saying it is possible that Isḥāq had reached an age to walk with his father, and also possible that he had other children in addition to Yaʿqūb. As for the question of the ram’s horns hanging in the Kaʿbah, he suggests they may have been brought to the Kaʿbah from the land of Damascus. As mentioned, some hold that the sacrifice took place there [in the land of Damascus], and this underlies Ibn Jarīr’s tafsīr. But his view is neither a way to be followed nor necessary; rather, it is an interpretation far from the truth. Muḥammad b. Kaʿb al-Qurazī’s inference that the one commanded to be sacrificed is Ismāʿīl is firmer, more reliable, and stronger. Allah knows best.

Mujāhid said: the command “when he started walking alongside him” means when he became a boy whose walking matched Ibrāhīm’s walking. Al-Farrāʾ said: he was thirteen years old that day. Ibn ʿAbbās explained that what is meant is puberty, while Qatādah said it is when he walks with his father.

Scholars differ on which son was commanded to be sacrificed. Most said it was Isḥāq. Among those who expressed this are al-ʿAbbās b. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib and his son ʿAbdullāh. Al-Thawrī and Ibn Jurayj narrate that Ibn ʿAbbās said: it is Isḥāq who was commanded to be sacrificed. The authentic narration from ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd is to the same effect. Ḥammād b. Zayd narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Surely the noble one, son of the noble one, son of the noble one, is Yūsuf son of Yaʿqūb son of Isḥāq son of Ibrāhīm (a.s.).” Abū al-Zubayr also narrates from Jābir that he said: the one who was commanded to be sacrificed is Isḥāq. This was also narrated from ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib (r.a.). It is narrated that Ibn ʿUmar said the one commanded to be sacrificed was Isḥāq. This is the opinion of ʿUmar (r.a.). It is seen that seven of the Companions held this view.

The Dream of the Prophets:

“He said: My son! I truly see myself slaughtering you in my dream. Consider—what do you think?” Muqātil says: Ibrāhīm (a.s.) saw this for three consecutive nights.
Muḥammad b. Kaʿb said: Revelation from Allah Almighty came to the messengers both while awake and while asleep, for the hearts of the prophets do not sleep. This is confirmed by the marfūʿ report conveyed from the Prophet (pbuh): “We, the community of prophets—our eyes sleep, but our hearts do not sleep.”
Ibn ʿAbbās likewise said: the dreams of the prophets are revelation, and he cited this verse as evidence.
Al-Suddī said: when Ibrāhīm (a.s.) was given the glad tidings—before Isaac was born—he said, “Then I will sacrifice him for Allah.” In a dream it was said to him, “You have made a vow; now fulfill your vow.”
It is also related that on the night of Tarwiyah (the eighth of Dhū al-Ḥijjah) someone said to him in a dream, “Allah commands you to slaughter your son.” In the morning he pondered: is this dream from Allah or from Satan? Because of this reflection the day was called “Tarwiyah.” The next night he had the same dream and was told, “Keep your promise.” In the morning he knew it was from Allah—hence “ʿArafah.” On the third night he saw it again and resolved to perform the slaughter—hence “Yawm al-Naḥr.”
It is also narrated that when he began to slaughter his son, Jibrīl (a.s.) said, “Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar.” The son replied, “Lā ilāha illā Allāh wa Allāhu akbar,” and Ibrāhīm (a.s.) then said, “Allāhu akbar wa lil-lāh al-ḥamd.” Thus this pattern of takbīr remained a sunnah.

Ransom Sent for His Son:

“الذِّبح Zibh [sacrifice]” in “So We ransomed him with a great sacrifice” names the sacrificed thing; its plural is “Zebūḥ,” just as “ṭaḥn [grounded]” names a thing made “maṭḥūn [ground].” If the letter dhāl is intensified as “Zebīḥ,” it becomes a verbal noun.

“ʿAẓīm [great]” means of great worth, not necessarily great in size. Its greatness lies in being the ransom for the son who was ordered to be slaughtered, or in its acceptance. Al-Naḥḥās noted that “great” in Arabic applies both to physical size and to nobility; the exegetes take it here as “honorable/acceptable.”
Ibn ʿAbbās said: this ram is the one offered by Hābil (Abel); it grazed in heaven until Allah sent it as a ransom for Ismāʿīl. According to another narration from him, it was a ram Allah sent down from heaven which had grazed there for forty years.

Al-Ḥasan said: the ransom for Ismāʿīl was a mountain goat that came from Sabir; Ibrāhīm slaughtered it. This is also the view of ʿAlī (r.a.). Abū Isḥāq al-Zajjāj said: it was said that a mountain goat was given to Ibrāhīm as ransom; however, the exegetes generally hold that it was a ram.

The Ruling of the Prophets’ Dream

“The Prophet Ibrāhīm (pbuh) saw himself cutting him in a dream.” The dreams of prophets are a kind of revelation. According to this view, what is seen in the dream is simply Ibrāhīm (pbuh) performing the act. If everything seen in a prophet’s dream were, by itself, fully binding, why did Ibrāhīm consult his son—“Consider, what do you think?”—rather than proceed at once? And why, as noted, did he reflect on the first day? If, on the other hand, what prophets see in dreams is not, by itself, established as binding, how could Ibrāhīm intend the act solely on the basis of a dream for which there was yet no independent proof? The answer is: Ibrāhīm (a.s.) hesitated on account of the dream—but it is possible to say that the dream was then supported by a clear revelation. Allah knows best.

Who is Zebîh?

Scholars differed over who was to be slaughtered. Some held that it was Isaac (a.s.)—this is attributed to ʿUmar, ʿAlī, al-ʿAbbās b. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, Ibn Masʿūd, Kaʿb al-Aḥbār, Qatādah, Saʿīd b. Jubayr, Masrūq, ʿIkrimah, al-Zuhruf, al-Suddī, and Muqātil (a.s.). Others held that it was Ismāʿīl (a.s.)—this is the view of Ibn ʿAbbās, Ibn ʿUmar, Saʿīd b. al-Musayyib, al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, al-Shaʿbī, Mujāhid, and al-Kalbī (a.s.).

Evidence that it is Ismāʿīl (a.s.):
1- The Prophet said, “I am the son of the two sacrificed ones.” A Bedouin also said to the Prophet (pbuh), “O son of the two sacrifices,” and he smiled. When asked, he explained: when ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib dug Zamzam he vowed to sacrifice one of his sons; the lot fell to ʿAbdullāh (the Prophet’s father). His uncles ransomed him with one hundred camels. The second sacrificed one is Ismāʿīl (a.s.).
2- Al-Aṣmaʿī said: I asked Abū ʿAmr b. al-ʿAlāʾ who the zebīḥ was. He said, “O Aṣmaʿī, where is your mind? When was Isaac in Mecca? The one in Mecca is Ismāʿīl; he built the Kaʿbah with his father. The attempted slaughter took place in Mecca.”
3- In “Remember Ismāʿīl, Idrīs, and Dhū al-Kifl” (Anbiyāʾ/85), Allah praises Ismāʿīl—not Isaac—for patience; it is the patience Ismāʿīl showed toward the slaughter. He is also described as true to his promise: “Remember Ismāʿīl in the Book—he was true to his promise” (Maryam/54), namely, his promise of patience to his father.
4- Allah said, “And We gave her [Ibrāhīm’s wife] the good news of Isaac, and after Isaac, Jacob” (Hūd/71). If the zebīḥ were Isaac, the order to slaughter would have come either before Jacob’s birth or after. The first is impossible, given the promise of Jacob from Isaac; the second conflicts with “When he reached the age to work with him,” which indicates the command came before that stage, not later.
5- Ibrāhīm said, “Indeed I am going to my Lord; He will guide me” (Ṣāffāt/99), and then prayed, “My Lord, grant me [a child] from among the righteous” (Ṣāffāt/100). Such a request suits a time when he had no child. The wording “min al-ṣāliḥīn” indicates “one” of the righteous. People agree Ismāʿīl was born before Isaac; thus the requested child—and the one connected to the subsequent account—is Ismāʿīl.

Cutting Location

Their disagreement about the place of the attempted slaughter follows from the above. Those who say it was Ismāʿīl (a.s.) say it took place in Minā; those who say it was Isaac (a.s.) say it was in Damascus. It has also been claimed to be Bayt al-Maqdis. Allah knows best.

The Story of Zebh

First Issue: It is related that when Ibrāhīm (a.s.) intended to sacrifice his son, he said, “My son, take the rope and knife; let us go to such-and-such a place to gather wood.” Midway, he informed his son of the command. The son said, “Father, bind my hands tightly so I do not struggle; set aside my garment so my blood does not spatter it and grieve my mother. Sharpen your knife well and make it swift, for death is hard. Convey my greetings to my mother; if you wish, give her my shirt—perhaps it will ease her sorrow.” Ibrāhīm said, “My child, how excellent a helper you are regarding Allah’s command!” Though bound, they embraced and wept; then he put the knife to his throat. The son said, “Lay me on my face, for if you look at me you will pity me, your heart will be troubled, and that will hinder you from Allah’s command.” Ibrāhīm did so, placing the knife at the nape; but it did not cut. Then came the call: “O Ibrāhīm! You have shown loyalty to the vision.”

Second Issue: The scholars differed about the ransom. Some said it was the ram that Hābil, son of Ādam (a.s.), had offered and Allah accepted and raised to the sky, where it grazed until sent as the ransom for Ismāʿīl (a.s.). Others said Allah sent a ram from heaven that had grazed for forty summers. Al-Suddī said: when “O Ibrāhīm” was called out, he turned and saw a whitish ram descending from the mountain; he rose from Ismāʿīl, seized the ram, and sacrificed it, then untied his son and embraced him, saying, “My son, today you have been granted back to me.”

As for “ʿaẓīm [great]” in the verse, some said it refers to its size and fatness. Saʿīd b. Jubayr said: “It befits a sacrificial animal that grazed forty years in Paradise to be very great.” Others said it is called “great” because of its great worth, for Allah sent it to Ibrāhīm (a.s.) and accepted it as the ransom for his son.

As can be seen from the citations above, many renowned figures of old relate numerous reports about Prophet Abraham and his son, yet these reports contradict one another and include scenarios too strange to be relied upon.

The explanation of the subject in the Bible is as follows:

The Test of Abraham

1 Then God tested Abraham. “Ibrahim!” he called out. Abraham said, “I’m here!” said.

2 Then God said, “Take your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah, and offer your son there as a burnt offering on a mountain that I will show you.”

3 Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. After splitting the wood for the burnt offering, he set out towards the place God had indicated to him.

4 On the third day he saw his destination from afar.

5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey, and my son and I will go there to worship and come back.”

6-7 And he split the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac. He took the fire and the knife himself. As they walked together, Isaac called out to Abraham, “Father!” said. Abraham said, “Yes, my son!” he replied. Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” asked.

8 Then Abraham said, “Son, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.” The two continued walking together.

9 When they arrived at the place God had told him, Abraham built an altar and arranged wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the wood of the altar.

10 He reached out and took the knife to strangle him.

11 But the angel of the LORD cried out from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” he called out. Abraham said, “Here I am!” he replied.

12 The angel said to him, “Do not touch the child or do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God and have not withheld your only son from me.”

13 When Abraham looked around, he saw a ram whose horns were caught in a thicket. He went and brought the coach. He offered him as a burnt offering in place of his son.

14 He called it “Yahweh-Yireh.” That is why it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”

15 The angel of the LORD spoke to Abraham a second time from heaven, saying:

16 “This is what the LORD says: I swear by myself that you have done this, that you have not spared your only son.

17 I will bless you abundantly; I will multiply your descendants as many as the stars of the sky and the sand of the shores. Your descendants will possess the cities of their enemies.

18 Through your descendants all the nations on the earth will be blessed. Because you listened to my words.”

19 Then Abraham returned to his servants. They set out together and went to Beersheba. Abraham remained in Beersheba.

Verses 114 – 122:

^114,115And indeed, We gave Moses and Aaron blessings as well. And We saved both of them and their people from that great affliction.

¹¹⁶And We helped them so they became the ones who prevailed.

¹¹⁷And We gave them the Book that guided them explicitly.

¹¹⁸And We guided them to the straight path.

¹¹⁹And We left for them among the later generations.

¹²⁰Salam [health, peace, happiness…] be upon Moses and Aaron!

¹²¹Indeed, thus We reward those who produce good.

¹²²Surely, these two were among the believing servants of Ours.

The third example among the prophets sent to past communities is the pair of Moses (pbuh) and Harun (pbuh). Their story is given very briefly in this surah, as if to recall the details presented in earlier surahs. The verse mentions that they “receive blessings” and are “delivered from the great distress,” that they cross the sea safely, and that they are freed from the troubles they suffered in Egypt and granted abundant favors. Since these details are provided in other surahs where the story of Moses (pbuh) is related, we suffice with this and do not cite those passages.

In verses 117 and 118—“And We gave them the clear Book. And We guided them to the straight path”—what is meant by the expression “And We guided them to the straight path” is the Torah. As stated in another verse:

^48,49And surely, We gave Moses and Aaron the criterion and a light and the reminder for those who fear their Rabb in awe with respect, love, knowledge in the unseen, unheard and unfelt desolate place, who are apprehensive of the moment of Qiyamat [Resurrection], who have entered under the guardianship of Allah.

(Anbiya/48, 49)

As understood from verse 121—”We reward the muḥsinīn thus”—the “salvation” and “attainment of blessings” mentioned earlier did not come because the saved were descendants of Abraham, but because of their own faith, goodness, and rectitude. In brief, Moses (pbuh), Aaron (pbuh), and those who believed with them were delivered from hardship by virtue of their faith and beneficence, were aided, and became a worthy example for those who came after.

Just as our Lord previously greeted Noah (pbuh) and Abraham (pbuh), here He greets Moses (pbuh) and Aaron (pbuh). The greatest reward is surely to receive our Lord’s greeting. We have already seen in Sūrat Yā Sīn that the companions of Paradise are honored with our Lord’s greeting.

⁵⁵Truly, the companions of Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] will have an occupation while they are amused.

⁵⁶They and the partners presented to them will recline on their couches, under shadows.

⁵⁷Only for them will be the fruits. They will have all they wish.

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

(Ya Sin/55- 58)

Verse 123 – 132:

¹²³Surely, Elijah was from among the messengers that were sent.

¹²⁸Except the purified servants of Allah.

¹²⁹And We left a word about him [to mention him with good, to follow him] that will remain among the later generations.

¹³⁰Salam [health, peace, happiness…] be upon all those who are like Elijah!-

¹³¹Indeed, thus We reward those who produce good.

¹³²Surely, he was of the believing servants of Ours.

The fourth example from past communities is the prophet Elijah (Ilyās). In this group of verses it is stated that Elijah was a messenger, and it is emphasized that he was a believer and a righteous servant. The name of the prophet Elijah also appears in En‘ām/85, where it is said, “We also guided Zachariah, John, Jesus, and Elijah,” and nothing beyond “they are all among the righteous” is given. Here, however, his struggle for tawḥīd is briefly mentioned: “Will you not be pious? Do you call upon Ba‘l instead of Allah, the best of creators—your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers?”

WHO IS THE PROPHET ILYAS?

Many theses have been put forward regarding the identity of Ilyās. Classical sources record two main opinions. First, it is related that Ibn Mas‘ūd (r.a.) read this as “inna Idrīsa” and said, “Ilyās is Idrīs,” which is also the view of ‘Ikrima. Second, most commentators say that he was a prophet sent to the Children of Israel and a descendant of Hārūn (a.s.), namely Ilyās b. Yāsīn. Qatāda and Muḥammad b. Isḥāq also report that some said Ilyās is Idrīs. Through Ibn Abī Ḥātim’s father, ‘Abdullāh b. Mas‘ūd (r.a.) said, “Ilyās is Idrīs,” and al-Ḍaḥḥāk said the same. Wahb b. Munabbih gives his lineage as: Ilyās b. Yāsīn b. Fīnḥās b. al-‘Azar b. Hārūn b. ‘Imrān. After Ḥizqīyāl (a.s.), Allah sent him as a prophet among the Children of Israel. They worshipped an idol called Ba‘l. Ilyās called them to Allah and forbade worshipping anything besides Him. Their kings first believed, then apostatized, and the people persisted in deviation. None believed in him; after he invoked a curse upon them, rain was withheld for three years. They then begged him to lift it and promised belief if rain were sent. He prayed to Allah, rain came, but they returned to worse disbelief. Thereupon Ilyās asked Allah to take his soul. Al-Yasa‘ b. Ukhtub was reared under him. Ilyās directed him to go to a certain place, mount whatever approached, and fear not. A fiery mare came to him; he mounted it. Allah clothed him in light and granted him wings; he flew with the angels like a heavenly-and-earthly angel. Wahb relates these from the People of the Book; Allah knows best their soundness.

“Remember when he said to his people: Will you not fear [Allah]? Would you worship the idol Ba‘l instead of the best of creators?” Ibn ‘Abbās, Mujāhid, ‘Ikrima, Qatāda, and al-Suddī say Ba‘l here denotes “lord.” Qatāda and ‘Ikrima say the word is from the Yemeni tongue; in another report from Qatāda it is in the language of Azd Shanū’ah. Ibn Isḥāq relates from a scholar that they worshipped a woman named Ba‘l. ‘Abd al-Raḥmān b. Zayd b. Aslam, from his father, said this was the name of the idol of Ba‘labakk, worshipped by the people of a town west of Damascus. Al-Ḍaḥḥāk says it was an idol they worshipped.

In the Bible, the Hebrew prophet Elijah (Ilyās in Arabic) is placed in the time of Ahab and Ahaziah—i.e., in the ninth century BCE—in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and is followed by Elisha (al-Yasa‘). As is clear from Elijah’s words, “Do you call upon Ba‘l instead of Allah, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers?”, his people worshipped an idol called Ba‘l.

“بعل BA‘L”

When we look at the Qur’an, we see the word بعل ba‘l (plural “بعولة buûlet”) in Baqara/228, Hūd/72, Nūr/31, Nisā’/128. This word is usually taken to mean “husband,” i.e., “a woman’s spouse.” The word بعل ba‘l in Saffāt/124 is the name of the deity served by the people to whom Prophet Elijah was sent as messenger.

To determine the word’s real sense, its root meaning must be considered: بعل ba‘l originally denotes “an arid, barren upland where rain falls only rarely, if at all.” A date palm that sustains itself without irrigation is also called ba‘l.

Although the occurrences of “ba‘l” in the Qur’an are generally understood as “husband,” when the original meaning is kept in view it points in marriage to something other than “husband” in the simple spousal sense; it conveys, even where a marital bond exists, “a person who does not have sexual relations due to andropause or estrangement, incompatibility—one who has no marital union in thought and conviction; an inefficient husband who has lost unity in his life-principles.”

The word “ba‘l” in Saffāt/124 is used for a god that is useless and powerless.

Here, taking ba‘l as a common noun and understanding the sense as, “Are you calling upon things that are useless and will not remedy your condition?” is more fitting.

The late Mawdūdī prepared a concise summary when discussing these reports. Without reproducing the sources, we present his summary:

Ancient Semitic peoples used this word in the sense of “god” and gave it as a proper name to a deity. “Baal,” in particular, became famous as the greatest male god of the Phoenicians in Lebanon; his consort “Ishtar” was the great goddess. Researchers differ over whether “Baal” refers to the Sun or the planet Mars, and whether “Ishtar” refers to the Moon or Venus. In any case, history records that Baal-worship was widespread across the Middle East—from Babylon to Egypt—especially in Lebanon, Damascus, and Palestine. When the Israelites came to Palestine and Transjordan after leaving Egypt, they intermarried with polytheists and formed social ties with them; thus, despite Torah passages strongly rejecting polytheism and the clear injunction not to marry idolaters, the disease of idolatry spread among them. According to the Bible, this moral and religious collapse among the Israelites began after the death of Moses’ successor, Joshua son of Nun:

“The children of Israel did evil before God and began to worship Baal… and they abandoned God and began to worship Baal and Ishtar” (Judges 2:11–13).

“Thus the Israelites began to marry the Canaanites, Hittites, Assyrians, and Persians and to worship their gods” (Judges 2:5–6). The Bible further shows that Baal-worship became common among the Israelites in that period. In one settlement where sacrifices were offered to idols, a God-fearing Israelite could not bear it and destroyed the altar at night; the very next day the people assembled to kill him merely for destroying the shrine of polytheism (Judges 6:25–32).

Later, however, Samuel, Saul, David, and Solomon corrected this state of affairs, reforming the Israelites and cleansing the land of idolatry. After Solomon’s death, this discord revived, and Baal-worship spread again, especially in the northern Kingdom of Israel.

Elijah (Ilyās) is a prophet from among the Israelites. He is mentioned twice in the Qur’an, once in Saffāt/123 and once in En‘ām/85. Modern research places him around 875–850 BCE. Gilead lay in the northern part of Jordan, south of the Yarmuk River, in antiquity. In the Bible, Elijah’s name appears as “Elijah the Tishbite.” His brief history is as follows:

After the death of Solomon, the realm was divided in two due to the incapacity of his son Rehoboam. Jerusalem and southern Palestine remained with the descendants of David, while northern Palestine became an independent state called “Israel,” with Samaria as its center. The condition of both states was poor. From the outset, the northern Kingdom of Israel sank into polytheism, idolatry, oppression, sin, and indecency. When the ruler of Israel, Ahab, married Jezebel, the daughter of the ruler of Sidon [Lebanon], corruption worsened. Ahab himself fell into polytheism under the influence of this idolatrous queen, and he built temples and altars in Israel in the name of Baal. Thus Baal began to be worshiped in place of Allah, and making vows and sacrifices to Baal became the custom.

In such a time Elijah appeared, coming from Gilead. He warned King Ahab: if you persist in this idolatry, Allah will withhold rain and even dew from your land. This warning came true, and for three years there was no rain. Ahab then sought Elijah and, when he found him, asked him to pray for rain. Before praying, Elijah gathered the Israelites and set out to show the difference between Allah and Baal: “Let those who worship Baal sacrifice to their god, and I will sacrifice to Allah. Whichever sacrifice fire descends upon, know that that one is upon the truth.” Ahab accepted. The Israelites and eight hundred and fifty Baal worshipers assembled on Mount Carmel. When fire descended upon Elijah’s sacrifice, he proved before everyone that Baal was a false god and that the true God is Allah alone, and thus affirmed his own prophethood.

The Baal-worshipers were defeated, and Elijah had them killed. He then prayed for rain, and the land was watered. Yet even such a miracle did not free Ahab from the ruinous influence of his polytheist wife. The queen became Elijah’s enemy and swore to kill him in retaliation for the death of the Baal priests. Elijah was forced to flee and hid for years in a cave at the foot of Mount Sinai. His cry to God is preserved in the Bible: “The Israelites have broken their covenant, torn down Your altars, and put Your prophets to the sword; I alone am left, and now they seek to kill me” (1 Kings 19:10).

Around the same time, Jehoram, the ruler of Jerusalem, married Ahab’s daughter. When unbelief and indecency began to spread in Judah under the influence of this idolatrous princess, Elijah, to fulfill his duty toward the southern kingdom, wrote a letter to King Jehoram. This letter is recorded as follows:

“And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God of David your father: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah, but have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a-whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also have slain your brethren of your father’s house, which were better than yourself: Behold, with a great plague will the Lord smite your people, and your children, and your wives, and all your goods; and you shall have great sickness by disease of your bowels, until your bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day’” (2 Chronicles 21:12–15).

Everything Elijah declared in this letter came true: Jehoram’s enemies devastated his rule, carried off his wives, and he himself fell grievously ill with an internal disease.

A few years later, Elijah returned to Israel and tried to guide Ahab and his son Ahaziah to the right path. Despite all efforts, the corruption pervading the Samaritan dynasty could not be removed. Elijah prayed, “My God, destroy this dynasty,” and thereafter God took him to Himself.

For details of these events, see the following sections of the Bible: 1 Kings 17, 18, 19, 21; 2 Kings 1–2; 2 Chronicles 21.

Verses 133 – 138:

¹³³Surely, Lot was among the messengers that were sent as well.

^134-136When We saved him and all his family, except for unfortunate woman who remained within those remained behind and are destroyed. Then We manipulated/destroyed the others.

^137,138And surely, you pass by them in the morning and at night. Do you still not reason?

The fifth example from the past is the prophet Lot. In this passage it is briefly stated that Loṭ (a.s.) was a messenger; it is reported that he and his family—except for the unfortunate, poor woman—were saved, and the others were destroyed. Then those living at the time of the Qur’an’s revelation are reminded that they regularly passed by the ruins of this people and witnessed their fate. With this reminder, the polytheists—especially those who turn a deaf ear to the call of tawḥīd—are urged to come to their senses.

By the expression “the unfortunate woman left behind and among the drowned” in the verse is meant the wife of Loṭ, who, when the migration came, did not go with her husband, preferring her people, their property, comfort, kin, and surroundings there, and thus deserving punishment. The word “عجوز ʿacūz,” which we rendered as “unfortunate woman,” was discussed in the analysis of Hūd/72 and explained there in detail.

This surah does not recount the people’s “denial of the messengers” or their social “sexual perversions.” The details appear in: A‘rāf/80–84, Hūd/77–83, Ḥijr/58–77, Anbiyā’/74–75, Shu‘arā’/160–175, ‘Ankabūt/28–34, and Naml/54–58.

Verses 139 – 146, 148:

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.

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

The sixth example given from the past is the prophet Yunus. Very important information about Yunus is given here. Yunus was overwhelmed by the task given to him and could not be patient, and ran away like a runaway slave. Later, as a result of the mental struggle he experienced, he realized his mistake, repented and got rid of the depression he fell into. Then, with the mercy of our Lord, he embraced his duty and fulfilled his duty as an ambassador.

As you may remember, our Lord had previously mentioned Yunus by his nickname, without giving his name, and advised our prophet not to do the same thing as him and to continue his ambassadorship duty with patience.

⁴⁸Then be patient for the decision of your Rabb, do not be like the one who was in distress. When he called out his Rabb while he was once very distressed. ⁴⁹If a favor from his Rabb had not reached to him, he would have had useless, vain, meaningless life as he was condemned. ⁵⁰However, his Rabb chose him and made him one of the righteous.

(Al-Qalam/48-50)

The situation of Yunus (a.s.) in the belly of the fish:

According to the narration of Ṭabarī, Abū Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “When Allah, Exalted is He, willed to confine Yunus in the belly of the fish, He inspired the fish: ‘Take him, but do not scratch his flesh and do not break his bones.’ The fish took him, then descended with him to its place in the sea while he was in its belly. When he reached the bottom of the sea, Yunus heard a sound. He wondered, ‘What is this?’ Allah, Exalted is He, said to the fish while Yunus was in its belly: ‘This is the glorification of the creatures of the sea.’ So he glorified while in the belly of the fish. When the angels heard his glorification, they said, ‘Our Lord, we hear a faint voice from an unfamiliar place.’ Allah, Exalted is He, said: ‘That is My servant Yunus. He disobeyed Me, so I confined him in the belly of the fish in the sea.’ The angels asked, ‘Is he not that righteous servant whose good deeds ascend to You day and night?’ Allah, Exalted is He, said: ‘Yes.’ Then they interceded for him, and Allah, Exalted is He, commanded the fish to cast him upon the shore ‘while he was ill,’ as He said. The illness with which Allah described him was that the fish left him on the shore like a newborn whose flesh and bones had only just been formed.”

According to reports, the fish moved along with the ship, raising its head above the water; meanwhile, Yunus continued to glorify. The fish did not leave the ship until it reached land; it released him safely, and no change befell the ship. Those present then believed. Al-Zamakhsharī mentioned this in his tafsīr.

Ibn al-ʿArabī said: Many of our companions related to me that Imām al-Ḥaramayn Abū’l-Maʿālī ʿAbd al-Malik b. ʿAbd Allāh b. Yūsuf al-Juwaynī was asked, “Is the Creator in any direction?” He replied, “No; He is too great and exalted for that.” They asked him, “What is your proof?” He said, “The proof is the ḥadīth of the Prophet (pbuh): ‘Do not say that I am more virtuous than Yunus b. Mattā.’” When he was asked, “What is the proof in that narration?” he said—after a certain condition had been met—“Yunus b. Mattā cast himself into the sea and the fish swallowed him. He was buried in three darknesses at the bottom of the sea and said, ‘Lā ilāha illā anta, subḥānaka, innī kuntu mina’ẓ-ẓālimīn,’ as Allah, Exalted is He, informed. Muḥammad (pbuh), by contrast, sat upon the green Rafraf and reached a station where he could hear the scratching of the pens of the angels, while his Lord spoke to him and revealed what He revealed. Yet, in the belly of the fish, in the darkness of the sea, he was no closer to Allah, Exalted is He, than Yunus.”

Yunus (a.s.) throwing himself into the sea and drawing lots:

According to Ṭabarī, when Yunus (a.s.) boarded the ship, a severe storm struck. Those on board said, “This is because of the sin of one of you.” Knowing that it was because of him, Yunus said, “This is on account of my sin; throw me into the sea.” They refused to do so without drawing lots. “He drew lots and was among the losers.” He said to them again, “I told you it is because of my sin,” but they would not throw him without drawing lots a second time. He was among the losers in the second draw, and still they refused without a third draw. He lost a third time. Seeing this, he cast himself into the sea in the darkness of night, and the fish swallowed him.

It is reported that he boarded the ship veiled and lay down to sleep not far away. A fierce wind arose and the ship nearly sank. The crew gathered to supplicate and said, “Wake this sleeping man so he may supplicate with us.” He supplicated with them and the storm subsided. Then Yunus returned to his place and slept again. Another wind blew and the ship nearly went under; they woke him again, supplicated, and the wind died down.

As they were in this state, a great fish lifted its head toward them and seemed intent on swallowing the ship. Yunus said, “Friends, this is because of me. If you cast me into the sea, you may proceed; the wind and the dangers that frighten you will cease.” They said, “We will not cast you without lots. Whoever the lot falls upon, we will throw him into the sea.” They drew lots and the lot fell upon Yunus. He said, “Cast me; this is because of me.” They replied, “Not without drawing lots again.” They drew again, and again the lot fell upon Yunus. He said, “Friends, cast me into the sea; this is because of me.” This is the meaning of the Almighty’s words: “He cast lots and was among the losers,” i.e., the lot fell upon him. They took Yunus to the prow to throw him into the sea and saw the fish waiting with its mouth open. They brought him to the other side and saw the fish again; they did so a third time and found the fish waiting with its mouth open yet again. When Yunus saw this, he cast himself, and the fish caught him. The Almighty said to the fish, “I have not given him to you as sustenance; I have made your belly a vessel for him.” He remained in the belly of the fish for forty days. “So, in the darknesses he said: ‘Lā ilāha illā anta, subḥānaka, innī kuntu mina’ẓ-ẓālimīn.’ We answered his call and delivered him from distress. Thus do We deliver the believers” (Anbiyāʾ/87–88). This has been mentioned earlier; further explanation will come later.

The lot fell upon him:

Ibn ʿAbbās explained regarding the story of Yunus (a.s.): “He lived in Palestine with his people. A king fought them and took captive nine and a half tribes; only two and a half remained. Allah, Exalted is He, had said to the Children of Israel: ‘If your enemy takes you captive or any calamity befalls you, supplicate to Me and I will answer.’ When they forgot this and were taken captive, Allah revealed to one of the prophets of the Israelites: ‘Go to the king of such-and-such a tribe and tell him to send a messenger [prophet] to the Israelites.’ The king chose Yunus (a.s.) for his strength and trustworthiness. When Yunus said, ‘Allah has commanded you to do this,’ the king replied, ‘No, I was commanded to send one who is trustworthy and strong, and you are precisely that.’ Yunus said, ‘Among the Children of Israel there are those stronger than I; why not send them?’ When the king insisted, Yunus grew angry and left. He came to the Greek Sea [Mediterranean] and found a crowded ship; they took him aboard. When the ship reached mid-sea, it nearly sank. The sailors said, ‘Among you are sinners and rebels; otherwise, without storm or clear cause, this would not be happening.’ The merchants said, ‘We have experienced such things; when they occur, we draw lots. Whoever the lot falls upon, we cast him into the sea, for it is better that one drown than that all should drown.’ The lot fell upon Yunus (a.s.). The merchants said, ‘We are more deserving of sin than the Prophet of Allah,’ and they repeated the drawing a second and third time; each time the lot fell upon Yunus. He said, ‘Wait; I am the sinner,’ wrapped himself in a blanket, and threw himself into the sea.

“The fish swallowed him. Allah, Exalted is He, said to the fish: ‘Do not break his bones and do not tear his joints apart.’ The fish carried him first to the Nile of Egypt, then to the Persian Sea, from there to the al-Betaik Sea, then to the Tigris, then raised him to the surface and cast him upon a flat, open place in the land of Nusaybin. At that time Yunus (a.s.) was like a plucked chick, without feather or skin. Then Allah caused a tree to grow over him; he benefited from its shade and its fruit until he regained strength. Then that soil consumed the tree and it fell from its roots to the ground. Yunus (a.s.) was greatly distressed and said, ‘My Lord, I sought shade from the sun and wind beneath this tree and ate from it, and now it has fallen.’ It was said to him, ‘Yunus, you have grieved over a tree that suddenly sprang up and suddenly was uprooted and fell to the ground, yet you did not grieve over a hundred thousand or more people. You left them and went away. Return to them.’” Allah knows best the reality of the matter.

HIS DESTROYING YUNUS

We gave an extensive explanation of the word “حوت hut” when analyzing A‘raf/163, focusing on the nature of the term usually translated “the fish swallowed him.” Because it is important, here is a brief summary of that discussion; for a fuller understanding, we recommend reading that entire section.

Some lexicographers gloss “حوت hut” as “fish,” others as “big fish.” In that sense it serves as a general name for cold-blooded vertebrates living in fresh or salt water, and it is also the name of a zodiacal constellation known since antiquity. Yet to understand the Qur’an correctly, one must look to original meanings, not merely conventional usage.

The root “حوت” (read both as hut and hawt in Arabic usage) shows two patterns in Bedouin speech:
— In an old verse, “وصاحبي لا خير في شبابه/حوتًا إذا ما زادنـا/ …”, the word is used with the sense “whether he swallows slowly or quickly, it never suffices him,” that is, he is never satisfied.
— “حوط/هاوط” is used for “a bird circling around water” or “a wild animal circling something and not leaving it.” There are many examples from both pre-Islamic and post-Islamic Arabic.

From this it appears that “حوت” is fundamentally an epithet applied to fish because they do not feel satiety and do not know when to stop. It does not, in origin, mean “fish.” The primary Arabic word for fish is “سمك samak.” Modern observation confirms that fish do not experience satiety; they stop eating only when physically overfilled. Aquarists who are unaware of this sometimes overfeed fish until they bloat and die. Fisheries research likewise notes species-level “gluttony” traits.

Accordingly, the senses of “حوت/حوط” can be expressed as “greed, insatiability.” When the Qur’anic passages using “حوت” are considered, the term functions as a “metaphor of cause,” naming the cause—ambition or insatiability—while intending the effect those traits produce in a person: constriction, dejection, and despair. In light of the Qur’an’s narrative features and rhetorical modes, certain words are employed figuratively; hence the expressions about Prophet Yunus are allegorical:

The word “مكظوم makẓūm” in Qalam/48 literally denotes “throat blocked; unable to breathe from compression.” In idiomatic English: “short of breath,” “choked,” “suffocated.” This constriction can arise from pressure, distress, or anguish. When the other verses about Prophet Yunus are taken into account, it is clear that the “shortness of breath” is not physical lack of air but the constriction of inner distress.
In Anbiyā’/87, Yunus is said to be “in the darknesses.” Here “darkness” is not mere absence of light but a figure for mental depression. To see this, compare Baqarah/257.

²⁵⁷Allah is the familiar Who is helper, guide, protector of the believers; He brings them out from all darkness into the light. And as for the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb; their familiar who helps, guides, protects is Taghut and it brings them out from the light into the darkness. These are the companions of Jahannah [Hell]. They will abide therein eternally.

(Baqara/257)

As can be seen, neither does Almighty Allah say that He will shed literal light to save those in darkness, nor does Taghut plunge those he has misled into darkness by extinguishing their physical lights. Therefore, “light” denotes spiritual illumination, felicity; “darkness” denotes inner darkness, depression.

3- In Anbiya/88, our Lord states that He saved Prophet Yunus from “ghamm”. The word “ghamm” and its derivatives literally mean “cloud,” but it is used figuratively for grief, sorrow, distress, depression, and gloom. It has been rendered in Turkish with this figurative sense. Accordingly, in this verse “ghamm” does not mean that Prophet Yunus was saved from a cloud, but that he was delivered from sadness and distress.

4- The expression “he was swallowed by the ḥūt” in Saffat/142, when the other verses about Prophet Yunus are considered, indicates that Yunus was overtaken by sorrow, distress, and dejection. Since Yunus fled toward a ship that was already fully loaded, his inability to board because it was full would itself have caused him grief and dejection.

Both the primary sense of “حوت ḥūt” and the figurative tenor of the expressions about Prophet Yunus show that the word “ḥūt” in these verses is not used with the meaning “fish.” On this basis, it may be said that the “ḥūt” of Prophet Moses mentioned in Al-Kahf 61 and 63, like the “ḥūt” of Prophet Yunus, is not a fish, but the depression and pessimism into which he fell.

Another point that should be emphasized concerns the words “ساهم sāhama” and “المدحضين mudḥaḍīn” in verse 141. The verse is commonly rendered, “Then he cast lots and became one of the losers.” However, we hold that these two words yield a less usual meaning in this context; hence we consider them more closely:

“ساهم SĀHEME”: The root is “سهم sahm.” Although sahm can sometimes mean “fortune, share,” its primary sense is “arrow,” the arrow used in gambling and drawing lots. The word is also used for a change in the face—turning yellow or red from illness, discomfort, embarrassment. Our term, “sāhama,” comes from the mufāʿalah pattern, which conveys mutual action; thus “sāhama” signifies “to engage in drawing arrows.” Read with this sense, verse 141 portrays Yunus disputing with someone aboard the ship (an exchange “of arrows”), or Yunus contending within himself—an arrow-flight and struggle between mind and feeling. Indeed, in verse 145 the expression “while he was in suqūn [while suffering intellectual pain]” occurs. Mutual action (mufāʿalah) need not be between many; it can also occur within a single person. The mental gymnastics Yunus performed upon himself is likewise a reciprocal action.

“المدحضين MUDḤAḌĪN”: From the verb “دحض dhaḥaḍa,” meaning “to slip on a slick place.” The form if‘āl yields the sense “to make one’s foot slip.” Just as it can describe a horse or camel slipping, it is also used for a proof being invalidated—evidence offered for a thesis being nullified and of no effect. Hence, here the term means “one of those whose proof has been overturned, whose thesis has been refuted.”

Apart from the verse in question, the word also occurs in the following verses:

⁵⁶And We send messengers only as bringers of good tidings and warners. The infidels; those who consciously denied the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb struggle to eliminate/invalidate the truth with falsehood. And they have ridiculed Our Ayat and that with which they were threatened.

(Qaf/56)

⁵Before them, the people of Noah and some groups after them denied. Every nation attempted to seize their messenger; they disputed him to invalidate the truth by falsehood. So I seized them. So how was my punishment?

(Al-Mu’min5)

¹⁶And those who argue about Allah after being responded; their evidences have been made invalid with their Rabb. And upon them is a displeasure, a severe punishment will be for them as well.

(Shura/16)

It must now be understood that Yunus neither drew lots nor lost in the lot. He realized that the reasons for his escape were not valid. Or someone told him this.

ESCAPE – MIGRATION

In the verse, it is stated that Yunus fled—like a slave running from his master. The obvious sense is “avoiding duty.” Hijra, by contrast, is leaving to continue the entrusted mission elsewhere with the permission or command of the one who assigned it. When the Prophet left Mecca, he was not fleeing his mission but its hostile people; his aim was to carry on his mission in another setting. For this reason, the Prophet’s migration was by command, and those who migrated were praised. This is the essential difference between the Prophet’s Hijra and Yunus’s flight.

¹⁰Be patient over what they say/they will say. And avoid them with good avoidance.

(Muzzammil/10)

²¹⁸Surely, those who believe, those who emigrate to other lands from their lands and those who strive in the path of Allah, they hope for the mercy of Allah. And Allah is very forgiving, very merciful.

(Baqara/218)

¹⁹⁵And, their Rabb responded to them: “Surely, I never let the deed of any worker among you get lost, whether male or female –that you all are same-. Therefore, those who emigrated, were driven out from their homes, were harmed in My cause, who fought and are killed; I will definitely remove their evil deeds from them and admit them into the gardens of Jannah [Heaven/Paradise], underneath of which rivers flow, as a reward from Allah. And Allah is the One Who has the good of the reward with Him”.

(Al-i Imran/195)

From the phrase in verse 145—“Then We, while he was sick [while he was suffering mental pain]…”—it is understood that Prophet Yunus, like Abraham (pbuh), passed through intense intellectual torment and inner suffering. The word “Sekim” in that statement was examined earlier under verse 89 of the surah.

In verse 146 two words draw attention: “genealogy” and “yaktiyn.” As previously explained under A‘raf/19, although “genealogy” is commonly rendered “tree,” its core sense is “something intricate, complex.” The word “yaktiyn” denotes a short-lived, weak-stemmed plant such as zucchini or cucumber (Lisan, Tac). Calling grasslike, weak-stemmed beings such as zucchinis and cucumbers “trees” runs against reason and plain usage; a figurative meaning should therefore be sought.

In our view, this verse interprets the mental pain Yunus endured. The expression “from genealogy” appears as nekre and, with its closing -t of kesret, indicates issues in the mind of Prophet Yunus that were simple and groundless, and would be removed in a short time. The sense of the verse, then, is: We had placed into his mind some problems which were simple, temporary, and would be solved in a short time.

What follows from verses 142–145 is this: Yunus (a.s.) repented and called upon Allah, and Allah delivered him from the darkness and dejection into which he had fallen. Yunus (a.s.) then returned to his people and called them to Allah once more. This time his people heeded the call and believed—numbering over one hundred thousand.

The preposition “أو ev” in verse 147 is usually translated “or.” Yet “أو” can function for idrāb and carry shades of shakk, ibhām, variation, jam‘, elaboration, and even the nuance of “bel.” For this reason it is also used in some places with the sense “sometimes this, sometimes that; sometimes this and the other thus,” as seen in Baqara/74, 135; A‘raf/4; Najm/9; Saba’/24.

Verses 149 – 157:

¹⁴⁹Now ask them: “Do daughters belong to Allah and sons belong to them?”

¹⁵⁰Or did We form angels as females and they are witnesses?

^151,152Open your eyes! They say: “Surely, Allah has begotten” because of the slanders they have invented. And surely, they are definitely liars.

¹⁵³Has Allah preferred daughters over sons?

¹⁵⁴What is the matter with you? How do you judge?

¹⁵⁵Do you still not think?

¹⁵⁶Or do you have a clear authority/an evidence?

¹⁵⁷Then, bring forward your book if you are truthful ones.

(As-Saffat/149-157)

After drawing attention to the Quran, humans and the wonders in the universe in the first part of the surah, our Prophet was commanded to say the following to the deniers and those who do not believe in resurrection after death in the 11th verse:

¹⁴⁹Now ask them: “Do daughters belong to Allah and sons belong to them?”

¹⁵⁰Or did We form angels as females and they are witnesses?

Then, we move on to stories from the past, and through these stories, the unbelievers were warned to come to their senses. Finally, in this passage, our Prophet was asked to ask the unbelievers again:

¹⁵³Has Allah preferred daughters over sons?

¹⁵⁴What is the matter with you? How do you judge?

Our Lord, who made His Messenger ask these questions, then directly addresses those who have sunk into polytheism:

¹⁵⁴What is the matter with you? How do you judge?

¹⁵⁵Do you still not think?

¹⁵⁶Or do you have a clear authority/an evidence?

¹⁵⁷Then, bring forward your book if you are truthful ones.

As is known, the Meccan polytheists—especially Juhaynah, Khuzaʿah, Banū Mulayḥ, Banū Salamah, and the sons of ʿAbd al-Dār—claimed that the angels were the daughters of Allah. In the verse under discussion, those who hold this claim are rebuked; it is emphasized that this belief has no foundation and that they have no book to substantiate it, thus indicating that they are blindly clinging to it.

Our Lord mentions and condemns their ignorant beliefs in many places.

¹¹⁷They invoke none but useless objects from among those that are inferior to Allah. And they invoke only their own desires, evil purposes.

(Nisa/117)

⁷And they attribute daughters to Allah. –Purified is Allah from this- And for them are sons that they desire.

(Nahl/57)

⁴⁰Has your Rabb given you sons purposely and He has taken females from the angels? You are definitely saying grave words.

(Isra/40)

²¹Is the male for you and for Allah the female? ²²That will be a deficient/unjust division if it is like this. ²³These are nothing but names which you and your ancestors gave even though Allah did not send down any evidence about them. Surely, they only follow assumption and also that which their selves desire even though the guidance of the righteous path has come to them from their Rabb.

²⁴Or is there for man whatever he misses and dreams? ²⁵Akhirat [Afterlife] and the earth belong to Allah. ²⁶There are many angels⁵⁶ in the heavens/universe whose help, intercession⁵⁷ will not avail at all except when Allah permits for whomever He wills and He is pleased with. ²⁷Those who disbelieve in Akhirat [Afterlife] name the angels female names. ²⁸Yet, they do not have any knowledge about this matter. They only follow assumption. And assumption does not avail against the “truth” at all.

(An-Najm/21-28)

¹⁵And they attributed from His servants a portion to Him. Surely, man is an explicit ungrateful.

¹⁶Or has He taken daughters from what He formed and chosen sons for you?

¹⁷When one of them is given the good tidings of a daughter/what he attributes to Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created], his face becomes dark. And he gulps over and over.

¹⁸-Is the clueless, unconscious, cowardly male person who is in ornaments; who is wealthy, lives a comfortable life without being openly involved in debates and who is unable to defend his thesis leading this non sense?-

¹⁹And they have made the angels, who are servants of Rahman [Allah; the One Who shows great mercy on the earth to all living beings that He created], females. Did they witness their formation? Their testimonies will be written and they will be questioned.

(Zukhruf/15- 19)

Verses 158 – 160:

¹⁵⁸And they claimed a relation between Allah and secret forces. But, the secret forces definitely know that they are those who will be brought/will be gathered at the great crowd.

¹⁵⁹Purified is Allah from that which they describe.

–¹⁶⁰Only the purified servants of Allah do not describe Allah in such a way with association.-

In these verses, the discussion returns to the polytheists and exposes another of their superstitions: the claim of a kinship bond between “unseen beings and powers” and God. The “line of descent” mentioned here is often taken as a renewed reference to the notion—repeated elsewhere and especially in the preceding passage—that “angels are the daughters of God.” We hold that this passage is pointing to a different form of shirk. Fakhr al-Rāzī notes:

“I would say that this view is problematic. Allah Most High refuted the Quraysh’s statement that ‘the angels are the daughters of Allah,’ and then He attributed to them the sentence, ‘They forged a lineage between Him and the jinn.’ But the reference (al-ma‘ṭūf) must be other than the first item (al-ma‘ṭūf ‘alayh). Therefore, what is meant here must differ from what preceded. While interpreting His saying, ‘They ascribe to Allah partners from among the jinn’ (An‘ām/100), we related that a group of heretics said, ‘Allah and Iblīs are two brothers: Allah is the noble, good brother, and Iblīs is the vile, evil brother.’ Thus, what is meant by ‘They invented a lineage between Him and the jinn’ is this. In my view, this is closest to the truth: it is the doctrine of the Zoroastrians who believe in the dualism of Yazdān and Ahriman.”

DUALISM IN ZORASTRISM

Zoroastrianism is generally regarded as a dualist faith. One god is the source and lord of all good—named in the Avesta as Ahura Mazda (Ormazd/Ormuz), Yazdān, or simply Ahura. The other is the source and ruler of all evil—named Ahriman, Dīv, Drug, or Angra Mainyu. Alongside Ahura are six beings he created as helpers, called Imşas Pendler [Amesha Spentas]. Ahriman likewise has six helpers, called Kamerikan.

The issue under discussion is not limited to the late Sasanian beliefs about “Ahriman” and “Yazdān.” As is clear from the next words of the verse—“Indeed, the devils know that they will be mustered [on the Day of Judgment]”—what is in view is people’s own devils. Accordingly, the statement “And they made a lineage between Him [Allah] and the jinn” refers to those who turned their crude notions and passions into deities and imagined that the devil who inspired those notions was, as it were, partnered with Allah.

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

(Shuara/ 98)

(Saffat/22,23)

¹⁰⁹And those who associate others with Allah swore by Allah with their strongest oaths that they would certainly believe in it if an evidence/a sign came to them. Say: “Evidences/signs are only with Allah”. Do you not understand that they would not believe even if evidences/signs came to them?

(An’am/100)

Verses 161 – 163:

After the conclusive proofs and necessary explanations, the verse shifts from direct exposition to a vivid address aimed at the polytheists who sought to mislead those around them: “You and those you worship cannot drive anyone into fitnah against Him [Allah]—you cannot cast anyone into the Fire—except the one who hurls himself toward Hell on his own.” In other words: you and your deities have no power to lead anyone astray; you and those you worship, being beneath Allah, can misguide no one—save those already intent on evil and thus deserving of the Fire. As we learn from the Qur’an, communities have at times worshiped human beings, at times angels, and at times jinn, devils, or certain symbols.

⁴⁰And on that day, Allah will gather them all together and will say to the angels: “Was it those who worshipped you?”.

⁴¹They will say: “We purify You. You are our familiar Who protects, guides against them. Rather, they worshipped secret forces. Most of them were believers in them”.

⁴²But today, you do not possess power for benefit and harm one another. And We will say to those who were stuck in the belief of associating: “Taste the punishment of the blazing fire which you denied!”.

(Sebe/40-42)

(A’raf/16-17)

⁶²Iblis said: “Have You seen that one whom You honored above me? I swear that if You give me respite until the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection], I will have all of his descendants except for a few under my command”.

^63-65Allah said: “Go! Whoever of them follows you, know that, indeed, your recompense is Jahannah [Hell] as an ample recompense. Incite whoever you are able to among them with your voice. And assault them with your horsemen and infantrymen! Become a partner to them in wealth and in children! And give promises to them”. – And satan promises to them nothing but deception. – Indeed, over My servants, there is no authority for you”. – Your Rabb is sufficient as the One Who arranges all creatures pursuant to a schedule and implements this schedule by supporting, maintaining it. –

(Isra/62-65)

Verses 164 – 166:

^164-166And “Each of us definitely has a certain position. And we are the ones who are lined up/line up. We are the ones who purify Allah from all deficiencies”.

In these verses, which form an independent section, the Qur’anic verses “speak” through the art of intak [speech]. Conveying messages by means of intak is a method frequently used in the Qur’an; among the examples are Maryam 19/64, Hūd 11/1–4, and Dhāriyāt 51/50–51.

Here the functions of the Qur’anic verses are set out and, in a sense, the word “الصّفّات as-Ṣaffāt” at the opening of the sūrah is elucidated. Some have claimed that the speakers in this passage are angels, but this view is not accurate.

Each verse in the Qur’an has a particular function: some awaken the mind, some revive a dead identity, some correct mistakes, some bestow honor, some inform, some warn, and some bring glad tidings.

Verse 167 – 169:

^167-169And indeed they said: “Surely, if we had had a reminder/a book from the ancients, we would surely have been the purified servants of Allah as well”.

¹⁷⁰And now they concealed the reminder/the book. But soon they will know.

These verses expose the inconsistency of the polytheists. Before a messenger came to them, they said, “If only we had a reminder/scripture from those before us, we would surely be purified servants of Allah.” Yet when the messenger did come and the Book was sent to them, they denied it. The closing words, “Soon they will know,” are a clear threat to these inconsistent polytheists. The same inconsistency is pointed out in other verses as well:

^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)

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

(Enam/155, 157)

Verses 171 – 173:

^171-173And indeed, Our words have preceded about Our servants/messengers that we sent: “Surely, they are those who prevail. Indeed, Our armies are those who overcome”.

With the ruling explained in this passage, the threat “They will soon know” (v.170) is clarified. This is our Lord’s decree: the messengers will be aided and will prevail. The armies of Allah can never be defeated.

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

(Al-Mujādilah/21)

⁷O you who have believed! Should you help Allah, He will help you and set your feet firm.

(Muhammad/7)

⁴He is the One Who sent down to the hearts of the believers the feelings of trust and tranquility/morale which pacify the heart so they would increase in faith along with their faith. Armies of the heavens/universe and the earth belong only to Allah. And Allah is the One Who knows best, the One Who is the best law maker.

(Al-Fath/4)

¹³⁹And do not weaken and do not grieve! If you are believers, it is you who are superior.

(Al-i Imran/139)

⁵¹Surely, We will help Our messengers and those who have believed in this simple worldly life and on that day when the witnesses will stand/testify.

(Al-Mu’min51)

The victory mentioned in the verse should be understood not only as triumphs on the battlefield, but also as the believers’ ascendancy in the political, social, and moral realms. History shows that since the time of Noah, ideas and beliefs opposed to the truth have sometimes enjoyed brief popularity, only to fade soon after, whereas the value system brought by the prophets has endured and remained vibrant across millennia. Moreover, sociological data clearly indicate that these divine truths will not fall from humanity’s agenda; prophetic messages will continue to attract people until the end of time.

Verses 174 – 179:

^174,175Now, turn away from them for a time. And observe them. Soon they will see too.

¹⁷⁶And do they wish that Our punishment would come quickly? ¹⁷⁷But when Our punishment sets upon their land, how evil will be the morning of those who have been warned!

^178,179Yet, turn away from them for a while and observe them! Soon they will see as well.

In this group of verses, the Prophet is instructed to keep his distance from the polytheists—who are inconsistent, unreasonable, and even hostile—and to keep them under observation; then that sneering crowd of polytheists is warned.

The phrase “They too will soon see” in verse 179 is, as in verse 175, a direct threat to the polytheists. It encompasses both the defeats they will suffer in this world and the misery awaiting them in the afterlife. Indeed, within fifteen years of these verses being revealed, the well-known Quraysh polytheists in Mecca saw the Prophet Muhammad enter Mecca in triumph; and a few years later they witnessed that Allah’s messages had reached not only the Arabs but entire empires—the Caesars and the Kisrās—spreading across the world.

Yet, out of His mercy, our Lord still warns them: “Do they want Our punishment to be hastened? But when it descends upon their land, how evil is the morning of those who were warned!” As is known, the unbelievers mocked the coming of punishment and demanded that it arrive at once.

Verses 180 – 182:

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

¹⁸¹And salam [health, peace, happiness…] be upon those messengers!

¹⁸²And all praise is to Allah, Rabb of all universes; no one else may be praised.

In the closing verses of the surah, Almighty Allah declares Himself far above the polytheism of the polytheists; He absolves Himself of their slanders—of ascribing partners, sons, or daughters to Him. After affirming that Allah is exalted and that the messengers are—and will remain—in peace and security, it is also affirmed that all praise belongs to Allah. Thus, right belief is set forth and, in a sense, everyone is left free to make his or her own choice.

The phrase “Lord of Glory” (رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ) in verse 180 indicates that the plan and allotment of glory [superiority, victory] belongs to Allah. Hence, no one attains power, renown, or honor on his own.

Allah knows the truth best.