Tafsir of Surah Az-Zumar - Verse 46

How to supplicate After condemning the idolators for their love of Shirk and their hatred of Tawhid

Allah then says:

قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ فَاطِرَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَـدَةِ

(Say: "O Allah! Creator of the heavens and the earth! All-Knower of the unseen and the seen!...") meaning, `call you upon Allah Alone with no partner or associate, Who has created the heavens and the earth and originated them,' i.e., made them like nothing that ever before existed.

عَـلِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَـدَةِ

(All-Knower of the unseen and the seen!) means, what is secret and what is open.

أَنتَ تَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ فِى مَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ

(You will judge between your servants about that wherein they used to differ.) means, in this world; `You will judge between them on the Day when they are resurrected and brought forth from their graves.' In his Sahih, Muslim recorded that Abu Salamah bin `Abdur-Rahman said, "I asked `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ started his prayer when he stood up to pray at night. She said, may Allah be pleased with her: `When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up to pray at night, he would start his prayer with the words: ؟

«اللْهُمَّ رَبَّ جِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَائِيلَ وَإِسْرَافِيلَ، فَاطِرَ السَّموَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ، عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ، أَنْتَ تَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ، اهْدِنِي لِمَا اخْتُلِفَ فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِكَ، إِنَّكَ تَهْدِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ إِلى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيم»

(O Allah, Lord of Jibril, Mika'il and Israfil, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You will judge between Your servants concerning that wherein they differ. Guide me with regard to that wherein there is dispute concerning the truth by Your leave, for You guide whomsoever You will to the straight path.)"

No Ransom will be accepted on the Day of Resurrection

وَلَوْ أَنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ

(And those who did wrong,) means, the idolators.

مَّا فِى الاٌّرْضِ جَمِيعاً وَمِثْلَهُ مَعَهُ

(if they had all that is in earth and therewith as much again,)

لاَفْتَدَوْاْ بِهِ مِن سُوءِ الْعَذَابِ

(they verily, would offer it to ransom themselves therewith from the evil torment;) means, that which Allah has decreed for them on the Day of Resurrection. But the ransom will not be accepted from them, even if it were to be an earth-full of gold as He mentioned elswhere (3:91). Then Allah says:

وَبَدَا لَهُمْ مِّنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يَكُونُواْ يَحْتَسِبُونَ

(and there will become apparent to them from Allah what they had not been reckoning.) which means, when they come to realize what Allah's punishment for them will be, which they had never before imagined.

وَبَدَا لَهُمْ سَيِّئَاتُ مَا كَـسَبُواْ

(And the evils of that which they earned will become apparent to them,) means, they will see the punishment for the forbidden actions and sins which they committed in this world.

وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ

(and that which they used to mock at will encircle them.) means, the punishment which they used to make fun of in this world will encompass them.

In verse 46, it was said: قُلِ اللَّـهُمَّ فَاطِرَ‌ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْ‌ضِ (Say, "0 Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth...). According to a narration of Sayyidna ` Abd-ur-Rahman Ibn ` Awf ؓ appearing in Sahih Muslim, he says, "I asked Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ L as to what it was from which the Holy Prophet ﷺ began his nightly prayer (tahajjud)? She said, 'When he rose for the salah of tahajjud, he used to recite this prayer:

اَللَّھُمَّ رَبَّ جِبرِیلَ وَ میکَایٔیلَ وَ اِسرَافِیلَ ، فَاطِرَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الاَرضِ عالِمَ الغَیبِ وَ الشَّھَادَۃِ اَنتِ تَحکُمُ بَینَ عِبَادِکَ فِیمَا کَانُوا فِیہِ یَختَلِفُونَ ، اِھدِنِی لِما اختُلِفَ فِیہِ مِنَ لحَقَّ بِاِذنِکَ اِنَّکَ تَھدِی مَن تَشَآُء اِلٰی صِرَطِ مُّستَقِیم۔

0 Allah, Lord of Jabra'i1 and Mika'il and Israfil, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, you will judge between Your servants in that about which they used to differ.. Guide me, with Your will, to the truth in which people have disputes, for You are the One who guides whomsoever He wills to the straight path.

A prayer that is answered

Sayyidna Said Ibn Jubayr ؓ says that he knows a verse of the noble Qur'an after reciting which the prayer one makes is answered. Then he pointed out to this very verse that begins with the words: اللَّـهُمَّ فَاطِرَ‌ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْ‌ضِ (0 Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth... to the end of verse 39:46) - (al-Qurtubi)

Those believed by polytheists to be potential intermediaries between them and God were not simply stone statues. They were actually the statues of great men who lived among them. These supposed intermediaries were in reality their national heroes to whom they owed allegiance and who, they believed, would be adequate mediators before God. Those who entertain such beliefs about beings other than God, gradually reach the point where their loyalty is dedicated solely to these beings. They are pleased to hear the praises of these beings; the proclamation of the Majesty of the One and only God does not nourish their souls. With such people, howsoever one advocates the cause of the pure Unity of God, they do not accept it. Their eyes will open only when, on the Day of Judgement, the Majesty of God reveals itself. Today, man is not even ready to offer words of acceptance, but at that time (on the Day of Judgment), he will wish to offer whatever he has as compensation in order to save himself. But, on that Day, nothing will be of avail to him except the merit of his own deeds.