22.
Sura al-Hajj
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَإِن
يُكَذِّبُوكَ
فَقَدْ كَذَّبَتْ
قَبْلَهُمْ
...
22: 42. If they treat thy (mission) as false, so did the Peoples before them (with their Prophets),
C2820. It is nothing new if the Prophet of Allah is accused of imposture. This was done in all ages; e.g.,
- Noah (7:64);
- Hud the prophet of the 'Ad people (7:66);
- Salih the prophet of the Thamud (7:76);
- Abraham ( 21:55);
- Lut (7:82);
- Shu'aib the prophet of the Madyan people (7:85)
- and also of the Companions of the Wood ( 15:78).
The case of Moses is mentioned apart, as his people survived to the time of our Prophet and survive to the present, and they frequently rebelled against Moses (2:49-61).
... قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَعَادٌ وَثَمُودُ ﴿٤٢﴾
the People of Noah, and 'Ad, and Thamud;
وَقَوْمُ
إِبْرَاهِيمَ
وَقَوْمُ لُوطٍ
﴿٤٣﴾
22: 43. Those of Abraham and Lut;
وَأَصْحَابُ
مَدْيَنَ...
22: 44. And the Companions of the Madyan people:
C2821. Were they the same as the Companions of the Wood?
See n. 2000 to 15:78.
...وَكُذِّبَ مُوسَى...
and Moses was rejected (in the same way).
...فَأَمْلَيْتُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهُمْ...
But I granted respite to the Unbelievers and (only) after that did I punish them:
...فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ ﴿٤٤﴾
but how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)!
C2822. My Wrath on them, and the complete reversal of their fortune in consequence.
Asad’s Version:
22:42
AND IF THEY [who are bent on denying the truth] give thee the lie, [O Muhammad,
remember that, long] before their time, the people of Noah and [the tribes of] Ad and Thamud gave the lie [to their prophets],
(22:43) as did the people of Abraham, and the people of Lot,
(22:44) and the dwellers of Madyan; and [so, too,] Moses was given the lie [by Pharaoh] . 60 And [in every case] I gave rein, for a while, to the deniers of the truth: but then I took them to task - and how awesome was My denial [of them]!
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ
إِذْ قَالَ
لِقَوْمِهِ
اعْبُدُوا
اللَّهَ وَاتَّقُوهُ...
29: 16. And (We also saved) Abraham: Behold, he said to his people,
"Serve Allah and fear Him:
C3438. The story of Abraham has been told in various phases in different passages. The ones most germane to the present passage are:
21:51-72 (his being cast into the fire and being saved from it); and
19:41-49 (his voluntary exile from the home of his fathers).
Here the story is not told but is referred to in order to stress the following points;
- Abraham's people only responded to his preaching by threatening to burn him (29:16-18, 24);
- evil consorts with evil but will have a rude awakening (29:25);
- the good adhere to the good, and are blessed (29:26-27).
Note that the passage 29:19-23 is a parenthetical comment, though some Commentators treat a portion of it as part of Abraham's speech.
...ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿١٦﴾
that will be best for you -- if ye understand!
إِنَّمَا
تَعْبُدُونَ
مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ
أَوْثَانًا
وَتَخْلُقُونَ
إِفْكًا...
29: 17. "For ye do worship idols besides Allah, and ye invent falsehood.
...إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لَكُمْ رِزْقًا...
The things that ye worship besides Allah have no power to give you sustenance:
...فَابْتَغُوا عِندَ اللَّهِ الرِّزْقَ وَاعْبُدُوهُ وَاشْكُرُوا لَهُ...
then seek ye sustenance from Allah, serve Him, and be grateful to Him:
C3439. Sustenance: in the symbolic as well as the literal sense. Seek from Allah all that is necessary for your upkeep and development, and for preparing you for your future Destiny.
Lay all your hopes in Him and in no one else. Dedicate yourselves to His worship. He will give you all that is necessary for your growth and well being, and you should show your gratitude to Him by conforming your will entirely to His.
...إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ﴿١٧﴾
to Him will be your return.
وَإِن
تُكَذِّبُوا
فَقَدْ كَذَّبَ
أُمَمٌ مِّن
قَبْلِكُمْ...
29: 18. "And if ye reject (the Message), so did generations before you:
...وَمَا عَلَى الرَّسُولِ إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ الْمُبِينُ ﴿١٨﴾
and the duty of the messenger is only to preach publicly (and clearly)."
فَمَا
كَانَ جَوَابَ
قَوْمِهِ إِلَّا
أَن قَالُوا
اقْتُلُوهُ
أَوْ حَرِّقُوهُ...
29: 24. So naught was the answer of (Abraham's) people except that they said: "
Slay him or burn him."
...فَأَنجَاهُ اللَّهُ مِنَ النَّارِ...
But Allah did save him from the Fire:
C3444. See 21:66-70.
Abraham was cast into the fire, but he was unhurt, by the grace of Allah. So righteous people suffer no harm from the plots of the wicked. But they must leave the environment of evil even if they have to forsake their ancestral home, as Abraham did.
...إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿٢٤﴾
verily in this are Signs for people who believe.
وَقَالَ
إِنَّمَا اتَّخَذْتُم
مِّن دُونِ
اللَّهِ أَوْثَانًا
مَّوَدَّةَ
بَيْنِكُمْ
فِي الْحَيَاةِ
الدُّنْيَا...
29: 25. And He said:
"For you, ye have taken (for worship) idols besides Allah, out of mutual love and regard between yourselves in this life;
C3445. In sin and wickedness there is as much log-rolling as in politics.
Evil men humor each other and support each other; they call each other's vice by high-sounding names. They call it mutual regard or friendship or love; at the lowest, they call it toleration.
Perhaps they flourish in this life by such arts. But they deceive themselves, and they deceive each other.
What will be their relations in the Hereafter?
They will disown each other when each has to answer on the principle of personal responsibility. Each will accuse the others of misleading him, and they will curse each other. But there will then be no help, and they must suffer in the Fire.
...ثُمَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُ بَعْضُكُم بِبَعْضٍ وَيَلْعَنُ بَعْضُكُم بَعْضًا...
but on the Day of Judgement ye shall disown each other and curse each other:
...وَمَأْوَاكُمُ النَّارُ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ ﴿٢٥﴾
and your abode will be the Fire,
and ye shall have none to help.
فَآمَنَ
لَهُ لُوطٌ
وَقَالَ إِنِّي
مُهَاجِرٌ إِلَى
رَبِّي...
29: 26. But Lut had faith in Him: he said:
C3446. Lut was a nephew of Abraham. He adhered to Abraham's teaching and faith and accepted voluntary exile with him, for Abraham left the home of his fathers in Chaldaea and migrated to Syria and Palestine, where Allah gave him increase and prosperity, and a numerous family, who upheld the flag of Unity and the Light of Allah.
"I will leave home for the sake of my Lord:
...إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ﴿٢٦﴾
for He is Exalted in Might, and Wise."
وَوَهَبْنَا
لَهُ إِسْحَقَ
وَيَعْقُوبَ
وَجَعَلْنَا
فِي ذُرِّيَّتِهِ
النُّبُوَّةَ
وَالْكِتَابَ...
29: 27. And We gave (Abraham) Isaac and Jacob, and ordained among his progeny Prophethood and Revelation,
C3447. Isaac was Abraham's son and Jacob his grandson, and among his progeny was included Isma'il the eldest son of Abraham.
Each of these became a fountain-head of Prophecy and Revelation, Isaac and Jacob through Moses, and Isma'il through the holy Prophet Muhammad.
Jacob got the name of "Israel" at Bethel: Gen. 32:28; 35:10, and his progeny got the title of "The Children of Israel".
...وَآتَيْنَاهُ أَجْرَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا...
and We granted him his reward in this life;
...وَإِنَّهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ ﴿٢٧﴾
and he was in the Hereafter (of the company) of the Righteous.
C3448. Cf. 29:9, and 4:69, n. 586.
وَلُوطًا
إِذْ قَالَ
لِقَوْمِهِ...
29: 28. And (remember) Lut; behold, he said to his people:
...إِنَّكُمْ لَتَأْتُونَ الْفَاحِشَةَ مَا سَبَقَكُم بِهَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّنَ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿٢٨﴾
"Ye do commit lewdness, such as no people in Creation (ever) committed before you.
C3449. Cf. 7:80.
A discreet reference is made to their unspeakable crimes, which were against the laws of all nature.
أَئِنَّكُمْ
لَتَأْتُونَ
الرِّجَالَ
وَتَقْطَعُونَ
السَّبِيلَ
...
29: 29. "Do ye indeed approach men, and cut off the highway? --
C3450. They infested highways and committed their horrible crimes not only secretly, but openly and publicly, even in their assemblies.
Some Commentators understand "cutting off the highway" to refer to highway robberies: this is possible, and it is also possible that the crimes in their assemblies may have been injustice, rowdiness, etc. But the context seems to refer to their own special horrible crime, and the point here seems to be that they were not ashamed of it and that they practiced it publicly. Degradation could go no further.
... وَتَأْتُونَ فِي نَادِيكُمُ الْمُنكَرَ...
And practice wickedness (even) in your councils?"
...فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلَّا أَن قَالُوا...
But his people gave no answer but this: they said:
...ائْتِنَا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ ﴿٢٩﴾
"Bring us the Wrath of Allah if thou tellest the truth."
C3451. This is another instance of their effrontery, in addition to that mentioned in 7:82: the two supplement each other.
Here the point emphasised is that they did not believe in Allah or His Punishment, and dared Allah's Prophet Lut to bring about the Punishment if he could. And it did come and destroy them.
Asad’s Version:
29:16 AND ABRAHAM, [too, was inspired by Us] when he said unto his people: "Worship God, and be conscious of Him: this is the best for you, if you but knew it!
(29: 17) You worship only [lifeless] idols instead of God, and [thus] you give visible shape to a lie!" Behold, those [things and beings] that you worship instead of God have it not in their power to provide sustenance for you: seek, then, all [your] sustenance from God, and worship Him [alone) and be grateful to Him: [for] unto Him you shall be brought back!
29:18 "And if ydu give [me) the lie - well, [other) communities have given the lie (to God's prophets) before your time: but no more is an apostle bound to do than clearly deliver the message [entrusted to him]."
[[Asad’s notes: -
14 This passage - consisting of verses 29:19-23 - is parenthetically placed in the midst of the story of Abraham, connecting with the latter's reference to resurrection at the end of verse 17 ("unto Him you shall be brought back"). The ever-recurring emergence, decay and re-emergence of life, so vividly exemplified in all organic nature, is often cited in the Qur'an not merely in support of the doctrine of resurrection, but also as evidence of a consciously-devised plan underlying creation as such - and, thus, of the existence of the Creator.
15 Cf, for example, 23:12-14, which alludes to maris coming into existence out of most primitive elements, and gradually evolving into a highly complex being endowed not only with a physical body but also with a mind, with feelings, and instincts.
16 Implying that such people deprive themselves of God's grace and mercy (which is the twofold significance of the term rahmah in this context) by rejecting all belief in His existence: in other words, belief in God - or one's readiness to believe in Him - is, in and by itself, already an outcome of His grace and mercy, just as suffering in the hereafter is an outcome of one's be~ing "bent on denying the truth".
29:24 NOW (as for Abraham,] his people's only answer was, 17 "Slay him, or burn him!" - but God saved him from the fire. 18 Behold, in this (story] there are messages indeed for people who will believe!
29:25 And [Abraham] said: "You have chosen to worship idols instead of God for no other reason than to have a bond of love, 19 in the life of this world, between yourselves [and your forebears]: 20 but then, on Resurrection Day, you shall disown one another and curse one another - for the goal of you all will be the fire, and you will have none to succour you.
29:26 Thereupon [his brother's son] Lot came to believe in him and said: "Verily, I [too] shall forsake the domain of evil (and turn] to my Sustainer: 21 for, verily, He alone is almighty, truly wise!"
(29:27) And [as for Abraham,] We bestowed upon him Isaac and [Isaac's son] Jacob, 22 and caused prophethood and revelation to continue among his offspring. And We vouchsafed him his reward in this world: 25 and, verily, in the life to come [too] he shall find himself among the righteous.
29:28 AND LOT, [too, was inspired by Us] when he said unto his people: "Verily, you commit abominations such as none in all the world has ever committed before you!
(29:29) Must you indeed approach men [with lust] and thus cut across the way [of nature]? 24 and must you commit these shameful deeds in your [open] assemblies?"
But his people's only answer was. "Bring down upon us God's chastisement, if thou art a man of truth!"
[[Asad’s notes-
17 Lit., "the answer of his people was nothing but that they said" - thus connecting with the passage ending with verse 18.
18 See note 64 on 21:69.
19 Lit., "solely out of love".
20 Thus Razi. explaining this idol- worship as a result of a mere blind imitation (taqlid) of attitudes inherited from past generations.
21 For an explanation of the concept of hijrah and of my above rendering of the term muhajir, see surah 2, note 203, and surah 4, note 124. In the present instance this term is obviously used in both its physical and spiritual senses, analogous to the earlier allusion (in 19:48-49) to Abraham's "withdrawal" (i'tizal) from his evil, native environment and to his physical migration to Harran (in northern Mesopotamia), and thence to Syria and Palestine. The story of Lot (Lut) is mentioned in the Quran several times, and particularly in 1 1 :69-83.
22 I.e., in addition to Ishmael (Isma'il), who had been born some years earlier (cf. 21 :72).
23 Among, other things, by making him "a leader of men" (2:124).
24 This particular interpretation of the phrase taqa'un as-sabil is advanced by Baghawi and (on the authority of Al-Hasan) by Zamakhshari; Razi adopts it exclusively and without reservation. ]]