Tafsir of Surah Al-Insan - Verse 31

Mention of the Qur'an's Revelation and the Command to be Patient and remember Allah

Allah reminds His Messenger of how He blessed him by revealing the Magnificent Qur'an to him.

فَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ

(Therefore be patient with constancy to the command of your Lord.,) meaning, `just as you have been honored by what has been revealed to you, then be patient with His decree and decision and know that He will handle your affairs in a good manner.'

وَلاَ تُطِعْ مِنْهُمْ ءَاثِماً أَوْ كَفُوراً

(And obey neither a sinner (Athim) nor a disbeliever (Kafur) among them.) meaning, `do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites if they wish to deter you from what has been revealed to you. Rather convey that which has been revealed to you from your Lord and put your trust in Allah, for verily, Allah will protect you from the people.' The Athim is the sinner in his deeds and the Kafur is the disbeliever in his heart.

وَاذْكُرِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلاً

(And remember the Name of your Lord every morning and afternoon.) meaning, at the beginning of the day and at its end.

وَمِنَ الَّيْلِ فَاسْجُدْ لَهُ وَسَبِّحْهُ لَيْلاً طَوِيلاً

(And during the night, prostrate yourself to Him, and glorify Him a long night through.) This is similar to Allah's statement,

وَمِنَ الَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ عَسَى أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَاماً مَّحْمُودًا

(And in some parts of the night offer the Salah with it (the Qur'an), as an additional prayer (Tajhajjud) for you. It may be that you Lord will raise you to Maqam Mahmud.) (17:79) Similarly, Allah also says,

يأَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ - قُمِ الَّيْلَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً - نِّصْفَهُ أَوِ انقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلاً - أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْءَانَ تَرْتِيلاً

(O you wrapped! Stand all night, except a little. Half of it or a little less than that, or a little more. And recite the Qur'an Tartil.) (73:1-4)

The Censure of Love for the World and informing about the Day of the Final Return

Allah reprimands the disbelievers and those similar to them who love the world and are devoted and dedicated to it, who put the abode of the Hereafter behind them in disregard. He says;

إِنَّ هَـؤُلاَءِ يُحِبُّونَ الْعَاجِلَةَ وَيَذَرُونَ وَرَآءَهُمْ يَوْماً ثَقِيلاً

(Verily, these love the present life of this world, and put behind them a heavy Day.) meaning, the Day of Judgement. Then Allah says,

نَّحْنُ خَلَقْنَـهُمْ وَشَدَدْنَآ أَسْرَهُمْ

(It is We Who created them, and We have made them of strong build.) Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and others have said, "This means their creation."

وَإِذَا شِئْنَا بَدَّلْنَآ أَمْثَـلَهُمْ تَبْدِيلاً

(And when We will, We can replace them with others like them with a complete replacement.) meaning, `when We wish, We will resurrect them on the Day of Judgement and change them, repeating their creation in a new form.' Here the beginning of their creation is a proof for the repetition of their creation. Ibn Zayd and Ibn Jarir both said,

وَإِذَا شِئْنَا بَدَّلْنَآ أَمْثَـلَهُمْ تَبْدِيلاً

(And when We will, We can replace them with others like them with a complete replacement.) "This means, if We wish We can bring another group of people besides them (in their place)." This is like Allah's statement,

إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ وَيَأْتِ بِـاخَرِينَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَى ذلِكَ قَدِيراً

(If He wills, He can take you away, O people, and bring others. And Allah is capable over that.) (4:133) This is also like His statement,

إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُـمْ وَيَأْتِ بِخَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ وَمَا ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ بِعَزِيزٍ

(If He wills, He can remove you and bring a new creation! And for Allah that is not hard or difficult.) (14:19-20)

The Qur'an is a Reminder, and Guidance comes from the Help of Allah

Allah then says,

إِنَّ هَـذِهِ تَذْكِرَةٌ

(Verily, this is an admonition,) meaning, this Surah is a reminder.

فَمَن شَآءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ سَبِيلاً

(so whosoever wills, let him take a path to his Lord.) meaning, a path and a way. This means, whoever wishes to be guided by the Qur'an. This is similar to Allah's statement,

وَمَاذَا عَلَيْهِمْ لَوْ ءَامَنُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ

(And what loss have they if they had believed in Allah and in the Last Day.) (4:39) Then Allah says,

وَمَا تَشَآءُونَ إِلاَّ أَن يَشَآءَ اللَّهُ

(But you cannot will, unless Allah wills.) meaning, no one is able to guide himself, enter into faith or bring about any benefit for himself,

إِلاَّ أَن يَشَآءَ اللَّهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيماً حَكِيماً

(Unless Allah wills. Verily, Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise.) meaning, He is Most Knowledgeable of who deserves to be guided. So, He makes guidance easy for him and He predestines for him that which will be a cause for it. However, whoever deserves misguidance, He averts guidance from him. Unto Him belongs the most excellent wisdom and the most irrefutable argument. Thus, He says,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيماً حَكِيماً

(Verily, Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise.) Then He says,

يُدْخِلُ مَن يَشَآءُ فِى رَحْمَتِهِ وَالظَّـلِمِينَ أَعَدَّ لَهُمْ عَذَاباً أَلِيماً

(He will admit to His mercy whom He wills and as for the wrongdoers -- He has prepared a painful torment.) meaning, He guides whomever He wishes and He leads astray whomever He wishes. Whoever He guides, there is no one who can lead him astray; and whoever He leads astray, there is no one who can guide him. This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Insan. And all praise and thanks are due to Allah.

اِنَّ هٰذَا كَانَ لَكُمْ جَزَاۗءً وَّكَانَ سَعْيُكُمْ مَّشْكُوْرًا ([ It will be said to them,] This is a reward for you, and your effort has been appreciated....76:22). Allah will address the inmates of Paradise once they have entered Paradise, and will announce to them that the amazing bounties are granted to them as a reward for their good deeds they had done in the world, and their deeds have been appreciated by Allah. These expressions will be made to them by way of congratulation. For the people of love, the Divine congratulatory expressions will outweigh all the other blessings of Paradise put together. The congratulatory words are a proof positive of Divine pleasure.

Having mentioned the general blessings of the inmates of Paradise, special blessings that are conferred on the Holy Prophet are listed. Firstly, the blessing in the form of the revelation of the Qur'an is mentioned. The Holy Prophet is, then, directed that the opponents and obdurate non-believers will obstinately reject the message and persecute him. So, he is to submit patiently to Allah's decision, and he should not obey any sinner or ungrateful person. Secondly, he is commanded to pronounce the name of Allah, and worship Him day and night. Further, he should prostrate before Him, during the night, and pronounce His purity for long times at night. This preoccupation will serve as a remedy for the non-believers' persecution. Towards the conclusion of the passage, the verse shows the reason for the persistence of the obdurate infidels. These ignoramus are intoxicated with the fleeting pleasures of this world, and have neglected the Hereafter, whereas if they had pondered in their own being or existence, they would have recognised and understood their Creator and Maker.

نَحْنُ خَلَقْنٰهُمْ وَشَدَدْنَآ اَسْرَهُمْ ۚ وَاِذَا شِئْنَا بَدَّلْنَآ اَمْثَالَهُمْ تَبْدِيْلًا (We have created them and have made their joints strong. And whenever We will, We would replace them with others like them, a total replacement. ...76:28)

Miracles of Nature Respecting Human Joints

This verse alludes to the fact that even though man's limbs and organs are perpetually in motion, and the wear and tear on them is phenomenal, they continue to function from birth to death. When machines made of iron or steel wear out and require regular servicing to remain functioning for even a short period, man's body, made of soft tissues and muscles, functions for decades and scores of years without maintenance. Let us take the joints of the fingers [ or other joints of the human body ]. They are moved vigorously in different ways in an uncountable number of times. Heavy pressure and force is applied to them for seventy to eighty years [ on an average ], yet the finger joints [ and other joints ] remain intact. It is certainly only Allah Who makes this possible. 'Glorious is Allah, the Best of Creators!'

Alhamdu1i11ah

The Commentary on

Surah Ad-Dahr

Ends here

There are two particular reasons for the denial of Truth. Either man has his worldly interests in view, and the fear of being deprived of these prevents him from going ahead towards the Truth. Or man’s false pride prevents him from recognising greatness in anyone other than his own self. Both types of people create obstacles in the way of the mission of Truth. But the preacher of Truth has been commanded to carry on his work with patience and without paying any heed to the hurdles he must surmount.