36. Surah Ya Sin (O Thou Human Being) Mecca 41
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَاضْرِبْ
لَهُم مَّثَلاً
أَصْحَابَ
الْقَرْيَةِ ...
36: 13. Set forth to them, by way of a parable, the (story of) the Companions of the City.
C3957. Many of the classical Commentators have supposed that the City referred to was Antioch.
Now Antioch was one of the most important cities in North Syria in the first century of the Christian era. It was a Greek city founded by Seleucus Nicator, one of the successors of Alexander, about 300 B.C. in memory of his father Antiochus. It was close to the sea, and had its sea-port at Seleucia. Soon after Christ his disciples successfully preached there, and they "were called Christians first in Antioch":Acts, 11:26.
It afterwards became the seat of a most important Bishopric of the Christian Church.
In the story told here "by way of a parable", the City rejected the Message, and the City was destroyed: 36:29.
Following Ibn Kathir, I reject the identification with Antioch decisively. No name, or period, or place is mentioned in the text.
The significance of the story is in the lessons to be derived from it as a parable, for which see the next note. That is independent of name, time, or place.
... إِذْ جَاءهَا الْمُرْسَلُونَ ﴿١٣﴾
Behold, there came messengers to it.
إِذْ
أَرْسَلْنَا
إِلَيْهِمُ
اثْنَيْنِ
فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا...
36: 14. When We (first) sent to them two messengers, they rejected them:
... فَعَزَّزْنَا بِثَالِثٍ ...
but We strengthened them with a third:
C3958. Allah sends His messengers or teachers of Truth by ones and twos, and where the opposition is great and He considers it necessary, he supports them with others.
Their mission is divine, but they do not claim to be more than men. This is used by the unjust and the ungodly as if it were a reproach, whereas it should commend them to men, for mankind is glorified by such commission and by Allah's Self-revelation.
The Message is clearly expressed in human language, but because it exposes all evil, men think it unlucky, as it checks their selfishness. It is often the poorest and most despised of mankind, from the outskirts or "farthest parts of the City", that accept the Message and are willing to work and die for it. The stiff-necked resist and accomplish their own destruction.
... فَقَالُوا إِنَّا إِلَيْكُم مُّرْسَلُونَ ﴿١٤﴾
they said, "Truly, we have been sent on a mission to you."
قَالُوا
مَا أَنتُمْ
إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ
مِّثْلُنَا ...
36: 15. The (people) said:
"Ye are only men like ourselves;
C3959. Cf. Acts, 14:15, where Paul and Barnabas say, in the city of Lystra near the modern Konia, "We also are men with like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities..."
... وَمَا أَنزَلَ الرَّحْمن مِن شَيْءٍ...
and (Allah) Most Gracious sends no sort of revelation:
C3960. They not only reject the mission of the particular messengers, but they deny the possibility of Allah's sending such mission.
Note how they convict themselves of inconsistency by using Allah's name "Most Gracious", even though they may mean it ironically!
... إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ تَكْذِبُونَ ﴿١٥﴾
Ye do nothing but lie."
قَالُوا
رَبُّنَا يَعْلَمُ
إِنَّا إِلَيْكُمْ
لَمُرْسَلُونَ ﴿١٦﴾
36: 16. They said:
"Our Lord doth know that we have been sent on a mission to you:
C3961. Just as a Messenger whose credentials are doubted can refer to the authority granted by his Principal, as the highest proof of his mission, so these messengers of Allah invoke the authority of Allah in proof of their mission.
In effect they say: "The knowledge of Allah is perfect, and He knows that our mission is from Him; if you do not, it is your own misfortune." (R).
وَمَا
عَلَيْنَا
إِلاَّ الْبَلاَغُ
الْمُبِينُ ﴿١٧﴾
36: 17. "And Our duty is only to proclaim the clear Message."
C3962. Then they proceed to explain what their mission is.
It is not to force them but to convince them. It is to proclaim openly and clearly Allah's Law, which they were breaking,-to denounce their sins and to show them the better path. If they were obstinate, it was their own loss. If they were rebellious against Allah, the punishment rested with Allah.
قَالُوا
إِنَّا تَطَيَّرْنَا
بِكُمْ...
36: 18. The (people) said:
"For us, We augur an evil omen from you:
C3963. Tair means a bird.
Like the Roman augurs, the Arabs had a superstition about deriving omens from birds.
Cf. the English word "auspicious", from the Latin avis, a bird, and specio, I see.
From Tair (bird) came ta-taiyara, or ittaiyara, to draw evil omens. Because the prophets of Allah denounced evil, the evil-doers thought that they brought ill-luck to them.
As a matter of fact any evil that happened to them was the result of their own Hi-deeds.
Cf. 7:131, where the Egyptians ascribed their calamities to the ill-luck brought by Moses:
and 27:47, where the Thamud ascribed ill-luck to the preaching of Salih.
... لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهُوا لَنَرْجُمَنَّكُمْ وَلَيَمَسَّنَّكُم مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿١٨﴾
if ye desist not, we will certainly stone you, and a grievous punishment indeed will be inflicted on you by us."
قَالُوا
طَائِرُكُمْ
مَعَكُمْ ...
36: 19. They said:
"Your evil omens are with yourselves:
C3964. 'What ye call omens arise from your own ill-deeds. Do you suppose that a man who comes to warn you and teach you the better way brings you ill-luck?
Fie upon you!'
... أَئِن ذُكِّرْتُم...
(deem ye this an evil omen), if ye are admonished?
... بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ مُّسْرِفُونَ ﴿١٩﴾
Nay, but ye are a people transgressing all bounds!"
C3965. To call Good evil and accuse of falsehood men of truth who come unselfishly to bring the message of the beneficent Mercy of Allah, is the very height of extravagance and transgression.
وَجَاء
مِنْ أَقْصَى
الْمَدِينَةِ
رَجُلٌ يَسْعَى...
36: 20. Then there came running, from the farthest part of the City, a man,
C3966. While the wealthy, influential, and fashionable men in the city were doubtful of Allah's providence and superstitiously believed in Chance and evil omens, the Truth was seen by a man in the outskirts of the City, a man held in low esteem by the arrogant. He had believed, and he wanted his City to believe.
So, in Arabia, when the arrogant chiefs of the Quraish exiled the holy Prophet, it was men from Madinah and from the outskirts, who welcomed him, believed in him, and supported his mission in every way.
... قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اتَّبِعُوا الْمُرْسَلِينَ ﴿٢٠﴾
saying,
"O my people! obey the messengers:
اتَّبِعُوا
مَن لاَّ يَسْأَلُكُمْ
أَجْرًا وَهُم
مُّهْتَدُونَ ﴿٢١﴾
36: 21. "Obey those who ask no reward of you (for themselves), and who have themselves received Guidance.
C3967. Prophets do not seek their own advantage. They serve Allah and humanity. 'Their hope lies in the good pleasure of Allah, to Whose service they are devoted.
وَمَا
لِي لاَ أَعْبُدُ
الَّذِي فَطَرَنِي ...
36: 22. "It would not be reasonable in me if I did not serve Him Who created me,
C3968. The argument throughout is that of intense personal conviction for the individual himself, coupled with an appeal to his people to follow that conviction and get the benefit of the spiritual satisfaction which he has himself achieved. He says in effect:
'how is it possible for me to do otherwise than to serve and adore my Maker?
I shall return to Him, and so will you, and all this applies to you as much as to me.'
Note how effective is the transition from the personal experience to the collective appeal.
... وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ﴿٢٢﴾
and to Whom ye shall (all) be brought back.
وَإِن
كُلٌّ لَّمَّا
جَمِيعٌ لَّدَيْنَا
مُحْضَرُونَ ﴿٣٢﴾
36: 32. But each one of them all -- will be brought before Us (for judgment).
وَيَقُولُونَ
مَتَى هَذَا
الْوَعْدُ إِن
كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ﴿٤٨﴾
36: 48. Further, they say, "When will this promise (come to pass), if what ye say is true?"
C3996. In addition to the arrogance and blasphemy referred to in the last note, they not only realise Faith, but they taunt the men of Faith as if the men of Faith were dealing in falsehood: "If there is a Hereafter, tell us when it will be!"
The answer is:
"It will come sooner than you expect: you will yet be disputing about things of Faith and neglecting your opportunities in Life, when the Hour will sound, and you will have no time even to make your dispositions in this life: you will be cut off from everyone whom you thought to be near and dear to you, or able to help you!"
مَا
يَنظُرُونَ
إِلَّا صَيْحَةً
وَاحِدَةً
تَأْخُذُهُمْ
وَهُمْ يَخِصِّمُونَ ﴿٤٩﴾
36: 49. They will not (have to) wait for aught but a single Blast:
it will seize them while they are yet disputing among themselves!
فَلَا
يَسْتَطِيعُونَ
تَوْصِيَةً
وَلَا إِلَى
أَهْلِهِمْ
يَرْجِعُونَ ﴿٥٠﴾
36: 50. No (chance) will they then have, by will, to dispose (of their affairs), nor to return to their own people!
وَنُفِخَ
فِي الصُّورِ ...
36: 51. The trumpet shall be sounded,
C3997. Traditionally, the angel who will sound the Trumpet is Israfil, but the name does not occur in the Quran.
The Trumpet is mentioned in many places: e.g., 6:73; 78:18, etc.
... فَإِذَا هُم مِّنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَنسِلُونَ ﴿٥١﴾
when behold! from the sepulchers (men) will rush forth to their Lord!
قَالُوا
يَا وَيْلَنَا
مَن بَعَثَنَا
مِن مَّرْقَدِنَا...
36: 52. They will say: "Ah! woe unto us! Who hath raised us up from our beds of repose?...
C3998. The dead will rise as in a stupor, and they will be confused in the new conditions! They will gradually regain their memory and their personality. They will be reminded that Allah in His grace and mercy had already announced the Hereafter in their probationary lives, and the word of Allah's messengers, which then seemed so strange and remote, was true and was now being fulfilled.
... هَذَا مَا وَعَدَ الرَّحْمَنُ...
(A voice will say:)
"This is what (Allah) Most Gracious had promised,
... وَصَدَقَ الْمُرْسَلُونَ ﴿٥٢﴾
and true was the word of the messengers!"
إِن كَانَتْ
إِلَّا صَيْحَةً
وَاحِدَةً ...
36: 53. It will be no more than a single Blast,
C3999. Time and Space, as we know them here, will be no more. The whole gathering will be as in the twinkling of an eye.
Cf. 36:49 above.
... فَإِذَا هُمْ جَمِيعٌ لَّدَيْنَا مُحْضَرُونَ ﴿٥٣﴾
when lo! they will all be brought up before Us!
Asad’s Version:
36: 13 AND SET FORTH unto them a parable - [the story of how] the people of a township
[behaved] when [Our] message-bearers came unto them.
(34:14) Lo! We sent unto them two [apostles], and they gave the lie to both; and so We strengthened [the two] with a third; and thereupon they said: "Behold, we have been sent unto you [by God]!" 10
36:15 [The others] answered: "You are nothing but mortal men like ourselves; moreover, the Most Gracious has never bestowed aught [of revelation] from on high. You do nothing but lie !""
(36:16) Said [the apostles]: "Our Sustainer knows that we have indeed been sent unto you;
(36:17) but we are not bound to do more than clearly deliver the message [entrusted to us]."
36:18 Said [the others]: "Truly, we augur evil from you! 12 Indeed, if you desist not, we will surely stone you, and grievous suffering is bound to befall you at our hands!"
36:19 [The apostles] replied: "Your destiny, good or evil, is [bound up] with yourselves! 13 [Does it seem evil to you] if you are told to take [the truth] to heart? Nay, but you are people who have wasted their own selves!" 14
36:20 At that, a man came running from the farthest end of the city, [and] exclaimed: "O my people! Follow these message-bearers!
(36:21) Follow those who ask no reward of you, and themselves are rightly guided! (36:22) "[As for me,] why should I not worship Him who has brought me into being, and to whom you all will be brought back?
(36:32) and [that] all of them, all together, will [in the end] before Us be arraigned?
(36:48) And they add, "When is this promise [of resurrection] to be
fulfilled? [Answer this] if you are men of truth!"
36:49 [And they are unaware that] nothing awaits them beyond a single blast [of God's punishment], 27 which will overtake them while they are still arguing [against resurrection):
(36:50) and so [sudden will be their end that] no testament will they be able to make, nor to their own people will they return!
(36:51) And [then] the trumpet [of resurrection] will be blown - and lo! out of their graves towards their Sustainer will they all rush forth!
36:52 They will say: "Oh, woe unto us! Who has roused us from our sleep [of death]?" [Whereupon they will be told:] "This is what the Most Gracious has promised! And His message-bearers spoke the truth!"
36:53 Nothing will there have been but one single blast - and lo! before Us will all of them be arraigned [and be told]: