Tafsir of Surah Ta-Ha - Verse 2

Which was revealed at Makkah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

The Qur'an is a Reminder and a Revelation from Allah

We have already discussed the separated letters at the beginning of Surah Al-Baqarah, so there is no need to repeat its discussion here. Allah says,

مَآ أَنَزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْءَانَ لِتَشْقَى

(We have not sent down the Qur'an unto you to cause you distress,) Juwaybir reported that Ad-Dahhak said, "When Allah sent the Qur'an down to His Messenger , he and his Companions adh- ered to it. Thus, the idolators of the Quraysh said, `This Qur'an was only reve- aled to Muhammad to cause him distress.' Therefore, Allah revealed,

طه - مَآ أَنَزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْءَانَ لِتَشْقَى - إِلاَّ تَذْكِرَةً لِّمَن يَخْشَى

(Ta Ha. We have not sent down the Qur'an unto you to cause you distress, but only as a Reminder to those who fear (Allah).) The matter is not like the people of falsehood claim. Rather, whomever Allah gives knowledge to, it is because Allah wants him to have an abundance of good. This like what is confirmed in the Two Sahihs on the authority of Ibn Mas`ud, who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«مَنْ يُرِدِ اللهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا يُفَقِّهْهُ فِي الدِّين»

(Whomever Allah wants good for, then He gives him the understanding of the religion. ) Mujahid commented on Allah's statement,

مَآ أَنَزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْءَانَ لِتَشْقَى

(We have not sent down the Qur'an unto you to cause you distress,) "This is like His statement,

مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ وَأَقِيمُواْ

(So recite as much of the Qur'an as may be easy (for you).) 73:20 For, the people used to hang ropes at their chests (to hang on to when tired) in the prayer." Qatadah said,

مَآ أَنَزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْءَانَ لِتَشْقَى

(We have not sent down the Qur'an unto you to cause you distress,) "No, by Allah, He did not make it a thing of distress. Rather, He made it a mercy, a light and a guide to Paradise." Allah said,

إِلاَّ تَذْكِرَةً لِّمَن يَخْشَى

(But only as a Reminder to those who fear (Allah).) Allah revealed His Book and sent His Messenger as a mercy for His servants, so that the person who reflects may be reminded. Thus, a man will benefit from what he hears of the Book of Allah, it is a remembrance in which Allah revealed what He permits and prohibits. His saying,

تَنزِيلاً مِّمَّنْ خَلَق الاٌّرْضَ وَالسَّمَـوَتِ الْعُلَى

(A Revelation from Him (Allah) Who has created the earth and high heavens. ) means, `This Qur'an, which has come to you, O Muhammad, is a revelation from your Lord. He is the Lord of everything and its King. He is Most Able to do whatever He wills. He created the earth with its low depths and dense regions. He created the lofty heavens with their high altitudes and subtleties.' It has been reported in a Hadith, which At-Tirmidhi and others graded as authentic, that the density of each sky of the heavens is the distance of five hundred years travel and the distance between it and the next heaven is also five hundred years. Concerning Allah's statement,

الرَّحْمَـنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى

(The Most Gracious Istawa the Throne.) A discussion concerning this has already preceded in Surat Al-A`raf, so there is no need to repeat it here. The safest path to take in understanding this, is the way of the Salaf (predecessors). Their way was to accept that which has been reported concerning this from the Book and the Sunnah without describing it, reinterpreting it, resembling it to creation, rejecting it, or comparing it to attributes of the creatures. Concerning Allah's statement,

لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِي الاٌّرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَمَا تَحْتَ الثَّرَى

(To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, and all that is between them, and all that is under the soil.) This means all of this is owned by Him and in His grasp. It is all under His control, will, intent and judgement. He created all of this, He owns it and He is the God of all of it. There is no true God other than He and no Lord other than He. Concerning Allah's statement,

وَمَا تَحْتَ الثَّرَى

(and all that is under the soil.) Muhammad bin Ka`b said, "This means that which is beneath the seventh earth." Concerning Allah's statement,

وَإِن تَجْهَرْ بِالْقَوْلِ فَإِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ وَأَخْفَى

(And if you speak aloud, then verily, He knows the secret and that which is yet more hidden.) This means that He Who revealed this Qur'an, has also created the high heavens and the earth and He knows that which is secret and what is even more hidden. As Allah says,

قُلْ أَنزَلَهُ الَّذِى يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً

(Say: "It has been sent down by Him Who knows the secret of the heavens and the earth. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.") 25:6 `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said,

يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ وَأَخْفَى

(He knows the secret and that which is yet more hidden.) "The secret is what the son of Adam hides within himself, and

وَأَخْفَى

(that which is yet more hidden. ) is the deeds of the son of Adam, which are hidden before he does them. Allah knows all of that. His knowledge encompasses that which has passed and that which is in the future and it is one, complete knowledge. In this regard, all of the creatures are as one soul to Him. That is the meaning of His statement,

مَّا خَلْقُكُمْ وَلاَ بَعْثُكُمْ إِلاَّ كَنَفْسٍ وَحِدَةٍ

(The creation of you all and the resurrection of you all are only as a single person.) 31:28 Concerning Allah's statement,

اللَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ لَهُ الاٌّسْمَآءُ الْحُسْنَى

(Allah! There is no God but Him! To Him belongs the Best Names.) This means, `He Who revealed this Qur'an to you (O Muhammad), He is Allah, there is no God except Him. He is the Owner of the Best Names and the most lofty attributes.'

مَا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْ‌آنَ لِتَشْقَىٰ (We did not reveal the Qur'an to you to [ make you ] face hardship - 20:2) The word لِتَشْقَىٰ is derived from شقاء which means pain and distress. In the early days of Islam when the Qur'an was first revealed, the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his Companions ؓ used to spend whole nights in prayers and in reciting the Qur'an, as a result of which his feet used to get swollen due to standing for long hours in the prayers. Whereas during day time he would worry himself on how to bring light to the infidels in order that they should accept the teachings of the Qur’ an. This verse seeks to lessen the burden of long hours of prayers by informing the Holy Prophet ﷺ that the Qur’ an was not revealed to inflict toil and hardship on him and that it was not expected of him to stay awake the whole night reciting the Qur'an. Thereafter, the Holy Prophet ﷺ adopted a routine by which he rested in the early hours of the night and would get up later to offer the salah of tahajjud.

This verse also suggests that the duty of the Holy Prophet ﷺ is merely to convey the Message of Allah Ta` ala to the unbelievers, and thereafter he need not concern himself as to who accepted the Message and who did not.

The Quran is a reminder of the call to the Truth, but its full impact is felt only when the caller himself is fully dedicated to the cause of God, having sacrificed his own interests thereto. If he is to bring people to the right path, he must be seen to put others’ welfare before his own, even if this brings him toil and trouble. But no matter how perfect the presentation of the call to the Truth may be, only those will receive guidance from it who are capable of recognizing and appreciating the truth, and for whom the reasoned argument alone is enough to open their eyes. The August Being, who created the universe, has Himself revealed the Quran. Therefore, there is no contradiction between the Quran and nature. The Quran is a reminder of the truth. But its impact can only be commensurate with the ability —already innate in human nature—to recognise the truth.