Tafsir of Surah Maryam - Verse 83

The Idols of the Polytheists will deny Their Worship

Allah, the Exalted, informs about the disbelievers who associate partners with their Lord, that they have taken gods besides Allah, so that these gods may be a source of honor and might for them. They think that these gods give them power and make them victorious. Then, Allah mentions that the matter is not as they claim, and it will not be as they hope. He says,

كَلاَّ سَيَكْفُرُونَ بِعِبَـدَتِهِمْ

(Nay, but they will deny their worship of them,) on the Day of Judgement.

وَيَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضِدّاً

(and will become their adversaries.) This means that they will be foes in a state other than what they think about these gods. This is similar to Allah's statement,

وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّن يَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَن لاَّ يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ وَهُمْ عَن دُعَآئِهِمْ غَـفِلُونَ - وَإِذَا حُشِرَ النَّاسُ كَانُواْ لَهُمْ أَعْدَآءً وَكَانُواْ بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ كَـفِرِينَ

(And who is more astray than one who calls upon, besides Allah, such as will not answer him till the Day of Resurrection, and who are (even) unaware of their calls to them And when mankind are gathered, they will become their enemies and will deny their worshipping.) 46:5-6 As-Suddi said,

كَلاَّ سَيَكْفُرُونَ بِعِبَـدَتِهِمْ

(Nay, but they will deny their worship of them,) "This means their worshipping of the idols. " Allah said,

وَيَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضِدّاً

(and will become their adversaries) contrary to what they hoped for from these gods. As-Suddi said,

وَيَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضِدّاً

(and will become their adversaries.) "They will be in severe opposition and argument." Ad-Dahhak said,

وَيَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضِدّاً

(and will become their adversaries.) "This means enemies."

The Power of the Devils over the Disbelievers

Concerning Allah's statement,

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا الشَّيَـطِينَ عَلَى الْكَـفِرِينَ تَؤُزُّهُمْ أَزّاً

(See you not that We have sent the Shayatin against the disbelievers to push them to do evil.) `Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn `Abbas said, "They will lead them astray with temptation." Al-`Awfi said that Ibn `Abbas said, "They will incite them against Muhammad and his Companions." Qatadah said, "They will harass them and disturb them until they disobey Allah." `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd said, "This is similar to Allah's statement,

وَمَن يَعْشُ عَن ذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَـنِ نُقَيِّضْ لَهُ شَيْطَاناً فَهُوَ لَهُ قَرِينٌ

(And whosoever turns away blindly from the remembrance of the Most Gracious, We appoint for him a Shaytan to be a companion for him.)" 43:36 Concerning Allah's statement,

فَلاَ تَعْجَلْ عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّمَا نَعُدُّ لَهُمْ عَدّاً

(So make no haste against them; We only count out to them a (limited) number.) This means, "Do not be hasty with the punishment that is going to befall them, O Muhammad."

إِنَّمَا نَعُدُّ لَهُمْ عَدّاً

(We only count out to them a number. ) This means, "We are only delaying them for a fixed appointment whose time is numbered. They are destined for that and there is no escaping the torment of Allah and His exemplary punishment." Allah says,

وَلاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ اللَّهَ غَـفِلاً عَمَّا يَعْمَلُ الظَّـلِمُونَ

(And consider not that Allah is unaware of that which the wrongdoers do.) 14:42 And He says,

فَمَهِّلِ الْكَـفِرِينَ أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْداً

(So give a respite to the disbelievers; deal gently with them for a while.) 86:17 And Allah says,

إِنَّمَا نُمْلِى لَهُمْ لِيَزْدَادُواْ إِثْمَاً

(We postpone the punishment only so that they may increase in sinfulness.) 3:178

نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلاً ثُمَّ نَضْطَرُّهُمْ إِلَى عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ

(We let them enjoy for a little while, then in the end We shall oblige them to (enter) a great torment.) 31:24

قُلْ تَمَتَّعُواْ فَإِنَّ مَصِيرَكُمْ إِلَى النَّارِ

(Say: "Enjoy! But certainly, your destination is the (Hell) Fire.") 14:30 As-Suddi said,

إِنَّمَا نَعُدُّ لَهُمْ عَدّاً

(We only count out to them a (limited) number. ) means years, months, days and hours."

يَوْمَ نَحْشُرُ الْمُتَّقِينَ إِلَى الرَّحْمَـنِ وَفْداً

وَنَسُوقُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ وِرْداً

Commentary

تَؤُزُّهُمْ أَزًّا

"Inciting them with all their incitements" - 19:83.

In Arabic language the words حَضّ – فَزّ – اَزّ - ھَزّ are synonymous, differing only in shade or degree, and mean to urge, incite, instigate. The word اَزّ means to apply strong pressure, to persuade somebody to do something. The sense of this verse is that the Devils instigate the unbelievers to persist in their evil ways by presenting before their eyes the benefits and hiding from them the wickedness of their evil deeds.

When Truth in its authentic form appears before a man and still he ignores it, this disregard of his paves the way for Satan’s entry into his very soul. As a result, his mind is given over to obduracy. Now he is not able to accept any argument in a right and positive manner. God’s signs may appear in front of him, but he offers self-devised explanations for them and even uses them to bolster his rebellious attitude and his arrogance. One who assumes false supports to be his real supports, which he can safely lean on, falls a prey to the same foolishness time and again. But those who fear God consider God alone to be their real support. The fear of God makes the believers give no importance to such people as mislead others into the belief that they are their true support. Thus it is the believers alone who will be God’s guests of honour in the life hereafter.