Tafsir of Surah Ash-Shura - Verse 45

The State of the Wrongdoers on the Day of Resurrection

Allah tells us that whatever He wills happens and whatever He does not will does not happen, and no one can make it happen. Whomever He guides, none can lead astray, and whomever He leads astray, none can guide, as He says:

وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ وَلِيًّا مُّرْشِدًا

(but he whom He sends astray, for him you will find no protecting to lead him.) (18:17). Then Allah tells us about the wrongdoers, i.e., the idolators who associate others in worship with Allah:

لَمَّا رَأَوُاْ اْلَعَذَابَ

(when they behold the torment,) i.e., on the Day of Resurrection, they will wish that they could go back to this world.

يَقُولُونَ هَلْ إِلَى مَرَدٍّ مِّن سَبِيلٍ

(they will say: "Is there any way of return") This is like the Ayah:

وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُواْ عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُواْ يلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلاَ نُكَذِّبَ بِـَايَـتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ - بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَوْ رُدُّواْ لَعَـدُواْ لِمَا نُهُواْ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ

(If you could but see when they will be held over the (Hell) Fire! They will say: "Would that we were but sent back! Then we would not deny the Ayat of our Lord, and we would be of the believers!" Nay, it has become manifest to them what they had been concealing before. But if they were returned, they would certainly revert to that which they were forbidden. And indeed they are liars.) (6:27-28)

وَتَرَاهُمْ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا

(And you will see them brought forward to it) means, to the Fire.

خَـشِعِينَ مِنَ الذُّلِّ

(made humble by disgrace,) means, in a befitting manner, because of their previous disobedience towards Allah.

يَنظُرُونَ مِن طَرْفٍ خَفِىٍّ

((and) looking with stealthy glance.) Mujahid said, "In a humiliated manner." That is, they will steal glances at it, because they will be afraid of it. But the thing that they are afraid of will undoubtedly happen, and worse than that -- may Allah save us from that.

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ

(And those who believe will say) means, on the Day of Resurrection they will say:

إِنَّ الْخَـسِرِينَ

(Verily, the losers...) means, the greatest losers.

الَّذِينَ خَسِرُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ

(are they who lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. ) means, they will be taken to the Fire and deprived of any pleasures in the Hereafter. They will lose themselves, and they will be separated from their loved ones, companions, families and relatives, and they will lose them.

أَلاَ إِنَّ الظَّـلِمِينَ فِى عَذَابٍ مُّقِيمٍ

(Verily, the wrongdoers will be in a lasting torment.) means, everlasting and eternal, with no way out and no escape.

وَمَا كَانَ لَهُم مِّنْ أَوْلِيَآءَ يَنصُرُونَهُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ

(And they will have no protectors to help them other than Allah.) means, no one to save them from the punishment and torment which they are suffering.

وَمَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِن سَبِيلٍ

(And he whom Allah sends astray, for him there is no way.) means, no salvation.

Commentary

The earlier three of the above verses state the end of those people who, as against the virtuous Muslims, remained desirous of the delights and luxuries of this world, instead of caring about the Hereafter. Then in verse 47, they have been advised to repent and embrace faith before the scourge of Doomsday comes upon them. Thereafter, in verse 48, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been comforted and assured that if these people do not come to their senses, despite your preaching again and again, and despite your tireless efforts, then you should not worry: فَإِنْ أَعْرَ‌ضُوا فَمَا أَرْ‌سَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا "So, if they turn away, then We did not send you as a supervisor over them. You are not responsible but for conveying the message" - 48.

Verses 49 and 50 state the absolute power and perfect wisdom of Allah Ta’ ala in the creation of this universe in which He has no partner, and then mankind has been called to believe in the Oneness of Allah. In this regard, after stating the creation of the earth and the heavens, Allah Almighty has stated a fact about His power in verse 49, خْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ (He creates what He wills.) to indicate that He has absolute Power to create anything small or big. He creates whatever He wills whenever He wills. In this context, creation of mankind has been mentioned by saying, "He grants females to whom He wills, and grants males to whom He wills. Or He combines for them couples, both males and females, and makes whom He wills barren. Surely He is All-Knowing, Very Powerful. (49-50) " It means that nobody's intention or authority has anything to do in the creation of a human being, nor does anybody have its knowledge. What to say of anybody else, even the intention or choice of the parents, who are the apparent agents of the creation of a human beings, does not have any bearing on the child's creation. Let alone having a say in the child's creation, the mother does not even know before the child is born as to what is being formed in her womb, and how it is being processed.

It is Allah Ta’ ala alone who grants female children to whom He wills, and male children to whom He wills; to some He grants both male and female children, and He renders some females barren who do not have any children.

While stating the sex of children in this verse, Allah Ta’ ala has mentioned females first, and males later. Taking a hint from this verse, Sayyidna Wathilah Ibn Asqa' ؓ has said that blessed is the woman who gives birth to a daughter first. (Qurtubi)

In this world, guidance is revealed through logic, this being the law of God for this world. This means that in this world only that person will benefit from guidance who proves himself capable of understanding matters by a process of reasoning. The establishing of a fact by this method is enough to make him bow down before it. Those who do not accept facts in this way, can never receive guidance in this world. One who does not yield to reason in this world, runs the risk of being laid low by God’s power in the Hereafter. But bowing down on the Day of Judgement is of no avail to anybody, because then it will serve only to humble a man and not make him entitled to a reward.