Bismillah ir-Rahmaan ir-Raheem





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		    Commentary on the Holy Qur'an



				  by



		       Syed Abul `Alaa Maududi

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This ASCII file of the English version of Syed Maududi's Commentary on

the  Qur'an has been made available by



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contains Qur'anic and Hadith databases and access software for Mac and

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                             ---------------

                               1. Fathihah

                             ---------------



Name



This Sura is named Al-Fatihah because of its subject-matter. Fatihah

is that which opens a subject or a book or any other thing. In other

words, Al-Fatihah is a sort of preface.



Verses



This Sura has a total of 7 verses.



Period of Revelation



It is one of the very earliest Revelations to the Holy Prophet. As a

matter of fact, we learn from authentic Traditions that it was the

first complete Sura which was revealed to Muhammed (PBUH). Before this,

only a few miscellaneous verses were revealed which form parts of Sura

Alaq, Muzzammil, Muddathir, etc.



Theme



This Sura is in fact a prayer which Allah has taught to all those who

want to make a study of his book. It has been placed at the very

beginning of the book to teach this lesson to the reader: if you

sincerely want to benefit from the Quran, you should offer this prayer

to the Lord of the Universe. This preface is meant to create a strong

desire in the heart of the reader to seek guidance from the Lord of

the Universe, who alone can grant it. Thus Al- Fatihah indirectly

teaches that the best thing for a man is to pray for guidance to the

straight path, to study the Quran with the mental attitude of a

seeker- after-truth and to recognize the fact that the Lord of the

Universe is the source of all knowledge. He should, therefor, begin

the study of the Quran with a prayer to him for guidance. From this

theme, it becomes clear that the real relation between Al-Fatihah and

the Quran is not that of an introduction to a book but that of a

prayer and its answer. Al-Fatihah is the prayer from the servant and

the Quran is the answer from the Master to his prayer. The servant

prays to Allah to show him guidance and the Master places the whole of

the Quran before him in answer to his prayer, as if to say, "This is

the Guidance you begged from Me."









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From tjangda@infi.net Mon Mar 27 12:58:54 1995

Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #2



                               -----------

                               2. Baqara:

                               -----------



Name



Why the name AL-BAQARAH? AL-BAQARAH (the Cow) has been so named from

the story of the Cow occurring in this Sura (vv. 67-73). It has not,

however, been used as a title to indicate the subject of the Sura. It

will, therefore, be as wrong to translate the name Al-Baqarah into

"The Cow" or "The Heifer" as to translate any English name, say Baker,

Rice, Wolf etc., into their equivalents in other languages or vice

versa, because this would imply that the Sura dealt with the subject

of "The Cow". Many more Suras of the Quran have been named in the same

way because no comprehensive words exist in Arabic (in spite of its

richness) to denote the wide scope of the subject discussed in them.

As a matter of fact all human languages suffer from the same

limitation.



Sequence



Though it is a Madani Sura, it follows naturally a Makki Sarah Al-

Fatihah, which ended with the prayer :"Show us the straight way". It

begins with the answer to that prayer, "This is the Book (that) . . .

is guidance. The greater part of Al-Baqarah was revealed during the

first two years of the Holy Prophet's life at Al-Madinah. The smaller

part which was revealed at a later period has been included in this

Sura because its contents are closely related to those dealt with in

this Sura. For instance, the verses prohibiting interest were revealed

during the last period of the Holy prophet's life but have been

inserted in this Sura. For the same reason, the last verses (284-286)

of this Sura which were revealed at Makkah before the migration of the

Holy Prophet to AI-Madinah have also been included in it.



Historical Background



In order to understand the meaning of this Sura, we should know its

historical background: 1. At Makkah the Quran generally addressed the

mushrik Quraish who were ignorant of Islam, but at Al- Madinah it was

also concerned with the Jews who were acquainted with the creed of the

Unity of Allah, Prophethood, Revelation, the Hereafter and angels.

They also professed to believe in the law which was revealed by Allah

to their Prophet Moses (Allah's peace be upon him), and in principle,

their way was the same (Islam) that was being taught by Prophet

Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him). But they had strayed away from

it during the centuries of degeneration and had adopted many un-

Islamic creeds, rites and customs of which there was no mention and

for which there was no sanction in the Torah. Not only this : they had

tampered with the Torah by inserting their own explanations and

interpretations into its text. They had distorted even that part of

the Word of God which had remained intact in their Scriptures and

taken out of it the real spirit of true religion and were now clinging

to a lifeless frame of rituals. Consequently their beliefs, their

morals and their conduct had gone to the lowest depths of degeneration.

The pity is that they were not only satisfied with their condition but

loved to cling to it. Besides this, they had no intention or

inclination to accept any kind of reform. So they became bitter

enemies of those who came to teach them the Right Way and did their

worst to defeat every such effort. Though they were originally Muslims,

they had swerved from the real Islam and made innovations and

alterations in it and had fallen victims to hair splitting and

sectarianism. They had forgotten and forsaken Allah and begun to serve

mammon. So much so that they had even given up their original name

"Muslim" and adopted the name "Jew" instead, and made religion the

sole monopoly of the children of Israel. This was their religious

condition when the Holy Prophet went to Al-Madinah and invited the

Jews to the true religion. That is why more than one third of this

Sura has been addressed to the children of Israel. A critical review

of their history, their moral degeneration and their religious

perversions has been made; side by side with this the high standard of

morality and the fundamental principles of the pure religion have been

put forward in order to bring out clearly the nature of the

degeneration of the community of a prophet when it goes astray and to

draw clear lines of demarcation between real piety and formalism, and

the essentials and non-essentials of the true religion. 2. At Makkah

Islam was mainly concerned with the propagation of its fundamental

principles and the moral training of its followers. But after the

migration of the Holy Prophet to Al-Madinah, where Muslims had come to

settle from all over Arabia and where a tiny Islamic State had been

set up with the help of the Ansar (local supporters), naturally the

Quran had to turn its attention to the social, cultural, economic,

political and legal problems as well. This accounts for the difference

between the themes of the suras revealed at Makkah and those at Al-

Madinah. Accordingly about half of this Sura deals with those

principles and regulations which are essential for the integration and

solidarity of a community and for the solution of its problems. After

the migration to Al-Madinah, the struggle between Islam and un-Islam

had also entered a new phase. Before this the Believers, who

propagated Islam among their own clans and tribes, had to face its

opponents at their own risk. But the conditions had changed at Al-

Madinah, where Muslims from all parts of Arabia had come and settled

as one community, and had established an independent city state. Here

it became a struggle for the' survival of the Community itself, for

the whole of non- Muslim Arabia was bent upon and united in crushing

it totally. Hence the following instructions, upon which depended not

only its success but its very survival, were revealed in this Sura

  (a) The Community should work with the utmost zeal to propagate its

ideology and win over to its side the greatest possible number of

people.

  (b) It should so expose its opponents as to leave no room for doubt

in the mind of any sensible person that they were adhering to an

absolutely wrong position.

  (c) It should infuse in it's members (the majority of whom were

homeless and indigent and surrounded on all sides by enemies) that

courage and fortitude which is so indispensable to their very

existence in the adverse circumstances in which they were struggling

and to prepare them to face these boldly.

  (d) It should also keep them ready and prepared to meet any armed

menace, which might come from any side to suppress and crush their

ideology, and to oppose it tooth and nail without minding the

overwhelming numerical strength and the material resources of its

enemies

  (e) It should also create in them that courage which is needed for

the eradication of evil ways and for the establishment of the Islamic

Way instead. That is why Allah has revealed in this Sura such

instructions as may help achieve all the above mentioned objects. 4.

During this period, a new type of "Muslims," munafiqin(hypocrites),

had begun to appear. Though signs of duplicity had been noticed during

the last days at Makkah, they took a different shape at Al-Madinah. At

Makkah there were some people who professed Islam to be true but were

not prepared to abide by the consequences of this profession and to

sacrifice their worldly interests and relations and bear the

afflictions which inevitably follow the acceptance of this creed. But

at Al-Madinah different kinds of munafiqin(hypocrites) began to appear.

There were some who had entered the Islamic fold merely to harm it

from within. There were others who were surrounded by Muslims and,

therefore, had become "Muslims" to safeguard their worldly interests.

They, therefore, continued to have relations with the enemies so that

if the latter became successful, their interests should remain secure.

There were still others who had no strong conviction of the truth of

Islam but had embraced it along with their clans. Lastly, there were

those who were intellectually convinced of the truth of Islam but did

not have enough moral courage to give up their former traditions,

superstitions and personal ambitions and live up to the Islamic moral

standards and make sacrifice in its way. At the time of the revelation

of Al-Baqarah, all sorts of hypocrites had begun to appear. Allah has,

therefore, briefly pointed out their characteristics here. Afterwards

when their evil characteristics and mischievous deeds became manifest,

Allah sent detailed instructions about them.



Theme: Guidance



This Sura is an invitation to the Divine Guidance and all the stories,

incidents etc., revolve round this central theme. As this Sura has

particularly been addressed to the Jews, many historical events have

been cited from their own traditions to admonish and advise them that

their own good lies in accepting the Guidance revealed to the Holy

Prophet. They should, therefore, be the first to accept it because it

was basically]y the same that was revealed to Prophet Moses (Allah's

peace be upon him).







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #3



                             ---------------

                             3. Al-i-Imran:

                             ---------------



Name



This Sura takes its name from v. 33. Al-i-Imran, like the names of

many other suras, is merely a name to distinguish it from other suras

and does not imply that the family of Imran has been discussed in it.



The Period of Revelation



This Sura consists of four discourses The first discourse (vv. 1-32)

was probably revealed soon after the Battle of Badr. The second

discourse (vv. 33-63) was revealed in 9 A. H. on the occasion of the

visit of the deputation from the Christians of Najran. The third

discourse (vv. 64-120) appears to have been revealed immediately after

the first one. The fourth discourse (vv. 121-200) was revealed after

the Battle of Uhud.



Subject



Though these discourses were revealed at different periods and on

different occasions, they are so inter-linked and so inter-connected

iii regard to their aim, object and central theme that they make

together one continuous whole. This Sura has been especially addressed

to two groups-the people of the Book (the Jews and the Christians) and

the followers of Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him). The message has

been extended to the Jews and the Christians in continuation of the

invitation in Al-Baqarah, in which they have been admonished for their

erroneous beliefs and evil morals and advised to accept, as a remedy,

the Truth of the Quran. They have been told here that Muhammad

(Allah's peace be, upon him) taught the same right way of life that

had been preached by their own Prophets; that it alone was the Right

Way, the way of Allah; hence any deviation from it will be wrong even

according to their own Scriptures. The second group, the Muslims, who

had been declared to be the best Community in Al-Baqarah and appointed

torch-bearers of the Truth and entrusted with the responsibility of

reforming the world, have been given additional instructions in

continuation of those given in the preceding Sura. The Muslims have

been warned to learn a lesson from the religious and moral

degeneration of the former communities and to refrain from treading in

their footsteps. Instructions have also been given about the

reformative work they had to perform. Besides this, they have been

taught how to deal with the people of the Book and the hypocrites who

were putting different kinds of hindrances in the way of Allah. Above

all, they have been warned to guard against those weaknesses which had

come to the surface in the Battle Uhud.



Background



The following is the background of the Sura: (1) The Believers had met

with all sorts of trials and hardships about which they had been

forewarned in Al- Baqarah. Though they had come out victorious in the

Battle of Badr, they were not out of danger yet. Their victory had

aroused the enmity of all those powers in Arabia which were opposed to

the Islamic Movement. Signs of threatening storms had begun to appear

on all sides and the Muslims were in a perpetual state of fear and

anxiety. It looked as if the whole Arabian world around the tiny state

of Al- Madinah which was no more than a village state at that time-was

bent upon blotting out its very existence. This state of war was also

adversely affecting its economy, which had already been badly

disturbed by the influx of the Muslim refugees from Makkah. (2) Then

there was the disturbing problem of the Jewish clans who lived in the

suburbs of Al-Madinah. They were discarding the treaties of alliance

they had made with the Holy Prophet after his migration from Makkah.

So much so that on the occasion of the Battle of Badr, these people of

the Book sympathized with the evil aims of the idolaters, in spite of

the fact that their fundamental articles of the Faith-Oneness of Allah,

Prophethood, Life-after- death-were the same as those of the Muslims.

After the Battle of Badr, they openly began to incite the Quraish and

other Arab clans to wreak their vengeance on the Muslims. Thus those

Jewish clans set aside their centuries-old friendly and neighborly

relations with the people of Al-Madinah. At last when their

mischievous actions and breaches of treaties became unbearable, the

Holy Prophet attacked the Bani- Qainu-qa'a, the most mischievous of

all the other Jewish clans who had conspired with the hypocrites of

Al-Madinah and the idolatrous Arab clans to encircle the Believers on

all sides. The magnitude of the peril might be judged from the fact

that even the life of the Holy Prophet himself was always in danger.

Therefore his Companions slept in their armors during that period and

kept watch at night to guard against any sudden attack, and whenever

the Holy Prophet happened to be out of sight even for a short while,

they would at once set out in search of him. (3) This incitement by

the Jews added fuel to the fire which was burning in the hearts of the

Quraish and they began to make preparations to avenge the defeat they

had suffered at Bad. A year after this an army of 3,000 strong marched

out of Makkah to invade Al-Madinah and a battle took place at the foot

of Mount Uhd. The Holy Prophet came out of Al-Madinah with one

thousand men to meet the enemy. While they were marching to the

battle-field, three hundred hypocrites deserted the army and returned

to Al- Madinah, but there still remained a small band of hypocrites

among the seven hundred who accompanied the Holy Prophet. They played

their part and did their worst to create mischief and chaos in the

ranks of the Believers during the Battle. This was the first clear

indication of the fact that within the fold of the Muslim Community

there was quite a large number of saboteurs who were always ready to

conspire with the external enemies to harm their own brethren. (4)

Though the devices of the hypocrites had played a great part in the

set-back at Uhud, the weaknesses of the Muslims themselves contributed

no less to it. And it was but natural that the Muslims should show

signs of moral weakness for they were a new community which had only

recently been formed on a new ideology and had not as yet got a

thorough moral training. Naturally in this second hard test of their

physical and moral strength, some weaknesses came to the surface. That

is why a detailed review of the Battle of Uhud was needed to warn the

Muslims of their shortcomings and to issue instructions for their

reform. It should also be noted that this review of the Battle is

quite different from the reviews that are usually made by generals on

similar occasions.



Subject: Guidance



This Sura is the sequel to, Al-Baqarah and the invitation therein is

continued to the people of the Book. In Al- Baqarah the Jews were

pointedly invited to accept the Guidance and in this Sura the

Christians have particularly been admonished to give up their

erroneous beliefs and accept the Guidance of the Quran. At the same

time, the Muslims have been instructed to nourish the virtues that may

enable them to carry out their obligations and spread the Divine

Guidance.







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #4



                               ----------

                                4. Nisaa:

                               ----------



Period of Revelation



This Sura comprises several discourses which were revealed on

different occasions during the period ranging probably between the end

of A. H. 3 and the end of A. H. 4 or the beginning of A. H. 5.

Although it is difficult to determine the exact dates of their

revelations, yet it is possible to assign to them a fairly correct

period with the help of the Commandments and the events mentioned

therein and the Traditions concerning them. A few instances are given

below by way of illustration (a) We know that the instructions about

the division of inheritance of the martyrs and for the safeguard of

the rights of the orphans were sent down after the Battle of Uhud in

which 70 Muslims were killed. Then naturally the question of the

division of the inheritance of the martyrs and the safeguard of the

rights of their orphans arose in many families at Al-Madinah. From

this we conclude that vv. 1 -28 were revealed on that occasion. (b) We

learn from the Traditions that the Commandment about salat during war

time was given on the occasion of Zat-ur-Riqa'a, an expedition which

took place in A. H. 4. From this we conclude that the discourse

containing v. 102 was revealed on that occasion. (c) The last warning

(v. 47) to the Jews was given before the Banu Nadir were exiled from

Al-Madinah in Rabi'-ulAwwal, A. H. 4. From this it may safely be

concluded that the discourse containing v. 47 must have been revealed

some time before that date. (d) The permission about tayammum(the

performance of ablutions with pure dust, in case no water be

available) was given during the Bani-al-Mustaliq expedition, which

took place in A. H. 5.. Therefore the probable period of the

revelation of the discourse containing v. 43 was A. H. 5.



Topics and Their Background



Let us now consider the social and historical considerations of the

period in order to understand the Sura. All the discourses in this

Sura deal with three main problems which confronted the Holy Prophet

at the time. First of all, he was engaged in bringing about an all

round development of the Islamic Community that had been formed at the

time of his migration to Al-Madinah. For this purpose he was

introducing new moral, cultural, social, economic and political ways

in place of the old ones of the pre-Islamic period. The second thing

that occupied his attention and efforts was the bitter struggle that

was going on with the mushrik Arabs, the Jewish clans and the

hypocrites who were opposing tooth and nail his mission of reform.

Above all he had to propagate Islam in the face of the bitter

opposition of these powers of evil with a view to capturing more and

more minds and hearts. Accordingly, detailed instructions have been

given for the consolidation and strengthening of the Islamic Community

in continuation of those given in Al-Baqarah. Principles for the

smooth running of family life have been laid down and ways of settling

family disputes have been taught. Rules have been prescribed for

marriage and rights of wife and husband have been apportioned fairly

and equitably. The status of women in the society has been determined

and the declaration of the rights of orphans has been made laws and

regulations have been laid down for the division of inheritance, and

instructions have been given to reform economic affairs. The

foundation of the penal code has been laid down drinking has been

prohibited, and instructions have been given for cleanliness and

purity. The Muslims have been taught the kind of relations good men

should have with their Allah and fellow men. Instructions have been

given for the maintenance of discipline in the Muslim Community. The

moral and religious condition of the people of the Book has been

reviewed to teach lessons to the Muslims and to forewarn them to

refrain from following in their footsteps. The conduct of the

hypocrites has been criticized and the distinctive features of

hypocrisy and true faith have been clearly marked off to enable the

Muslims to distinguish between the two. In order to cope with the

aftermath of the Battle of Uhud, Inspiring discourses were sent down

to urge the Muslims to face the enemy bravely, for the defeat in the

Battle had so emboldened the mushrik Arab clans and the neighboring

Jews and the hypocrites at home that they were threatening the Muslims

on all sides. At this critical juncture, Allah filled the Muslims with

courage and gave them such instructions as were needed during that

period of war clouds. In order to counteract the fearful rumors that

were being spread by the hypocrites and the Muslims of weak faith,

they were asked to make a thorough enquiry into them and to inform the

responsible people about them. Then they were experiencing some

difficulties in offering their salat during the expeditions to some

places where no water was available for performing their ablutions,

etc. In such cases they were allowed to cleanse themselves with pure

earth and to shorten the salat or to offer the "Salat of Fear", when

they were faced with danger. Instructions were also given for the

solution of the puzzling problem of those Muslims who were scattered

among the unbelieving Arab clans and were often involved in war. They

were asked to migrate to Al-Madinah, the abode of Islam. This Sura

also deals with the case of Bani Nadir who were showing a hostile and

menacing attitude, in spite of the peace treaties they had made with

the Muslims. They were openly siding with the enemies of Islam and

hatching plots against the Holy Prophet and the Muslim Community even

at AI-Madinah itself. They were taken to task for their inimical

behavior and given a final warning to change their attitude, and were

at last exiled from Al-Madinah on account of their misconduct. The

problem of the hypocrites, who had become very troublesome at that

time, was involving the Believers in difficulties-- Therefore they

were divided into different categories to enable the Muslims to deal

with them appropriately. Clear instructions were also given regarding

the attitude they should adopt towards the non-belligerent clans. The

most important thing needed at that time was to prepare the Muslims

for the bitter struggle with the opponents of Islam. For this purpose

greatest importance was attached to their character building, for it

was obvious that the small Muslim Community could only come out

successful, nay, survive, if the Muslims possessed high moral

character. They were, therefore, enjoined to adopt the highest moral

qualities and were severely criticized whenever any moral weakness was

detected in them. Though this Sura mainly deals with the moral and

social reforms, yet due attention has been paid to propagation of

Islam. On the one hand, the superiority of the Islamic morality and

culture has been established over that of the Jews, Christians and

mushriks; on the other hand, their wrong religious conceptions, their

wrong morality and their evil acts have been criticized to prepare the

ground for inviting them to the way of the Truth.



Subject: Consolidation of the Islamic Community



The main object of this Sura is to teach the Muslims the ways that

unite a people and make them firm and strong. Introductions for the

stability of family, which is the nucleus of community have been given.

Then they have been urged to prepare themselves for defence. Side by

side with these, they have been taught the importance of the

propagation of Islam. Above all, the importance of the highest moral

character in the scheme of consolidation of the Community has been

impressed.









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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #5



                               ----------

                                5. Maida:

                               ----------



Name



This Sarah takes its' name from verse 112 in which the word Mai'dah

occurs. Like the names of many other suras, this name has no special

relation to the subject of the Sura but has been used merely as a

symbol to distinguish it from other suras.



Period of Revelation



The theme of this Sura indicates, and traditions support it, that it

was revealed after the treaty of Hudaibiyah at the end of 6 A. H. or

in the beginning of 7 A. H. That is why it deals with those problems

that arose from this treaty. The Holy Prophet with 1400 Muslims went

to Makkah in Zil-Qaadah 6 A. H. to perform Umrah, but the Quraish

spurred by their enmity, prevented him from its performance, though it

was utterly against all the ancient religious traditions of Arabia.

After a good deal of hard and harsh negotiations, a treaty was

concluded at Hudaibiyah according to which it was agreed that he could

perform Umrah the following year. That was a very appropriate occasion

for teaching the Muslims the right way of performing a pilgrimage to

Makkah with the true Islamic dignity, and enjoining that they should

not prevent the disbelievers from performing pilgrimage to Makkah as a

retaliation for their misbehavior. This was not difficult at all as

many disbelievers had to pass through Muslim territory on their way to

Makkah. This is why the introductory verses deal with the things

connected with pilgrimage to Makkah and the same theme has been

resumed in vv. 101-104. The other topics of this Sura also appear to

belong to the same period. The continuity of the subject shows that

most probably the whole of the sura was revealed as a single discourse

at one and the same time. It is also possible that some of its verses

were revealed at a later period and inserted in this Sura at different

places where they fitted in. But there appears to be not the least gap

anywhere in the sura to show that it might have comprised two or more

discourses. Occasion of Revelation. This Sura was revealed to suit the

requirements of the changed conditions which were now different from

those prevailing at the time of the revelation of Al-i-'Imran and An-

Nisa. Then the shock of the set-back at Uhud had made the very

surroundings of Al-Madinah dangerous for the Muslims, but now Islam

had become an invulnerable power and the Islamic State had extended to

Najd on the east, to the Red Sea on the west, to Syria on the north

and to Makkah on the south. This set-back which the Muslims had

suffered at Uhud had not broken their determination. It had rather

spurred them to action. As a result of their continuous struggle and

unparalleled sacrifices, the power of. the surrounding clans, within a

radius of 200 miles or so, had been broken. The Jewish menace which

was always threatening Al-Madinah had been totally removed and the

Jews in the other parts of Hijaz had-become tributaries of the State

of Al-Madinah. The last effort of the Quraish to suppress Islam had

been thwarted in the Battle of the Ditch. After this, it had become

quite obvious to the Arabs that no power could suppress the Islamic

movement. Now Islam was not merely a creed which ruled over the minds

and hearts of the people but had also become a State which dominated

over every aspect of the life of the people who lived within its

boundaries. This had enabled the Muslims to live their lives without

let or hindrance, in accordance with their beliefs. Another

development had also taken place during this period. The Muslim

civilization had developed in accordance with the principles of Islam

and the Islamic viewpoint. This civilization was quite distinct from

all other civilizations in all its' details, and distinguished the

Muslims clearly from the non Muslims in their moral, social and

cultural behavior. Mosques had been built in all territories, prayer

had been established and' Imam (leader) for every habitation and clan

had been appointed. The Islamic civil and criminal laws had been

formulated in detail and were being enforced through the Islamic

courts. New and reformed ways of trade and commerce had taken the

place of the old ones. The Islamic laws of marriage and divorce, of

the segregation of the sexes, of the punishment for adultery and

calumny and the like had cast the social life of the Muslims in a

special mould. Their social behavior, their conversation, their dress,

their very mode of living, their culture etc., had taken a definite

shape of its own. As a result of all these changes, the non-Muslims

could not expect that the Muslims would ever return to their former

fold. Before the treaty of Hudaibiyah, the Muslims were so engaged in

their struggle with the non-Muslim Quraish that they got no time to

propagate their message. This hindrance was removed by what was

apparently a defeat but in reality a victory at Hudaibiyah. This gave

the Muslims not only peace in their own territory but also respite to

spread their message in the surrounding territories. Accordingly the

Holy Prophet addressed letters to the rulers of Iran, Egypt and the

Roman Empire and the chiefs of Arabia, inviting them to Islam. At the

same time the missionaries of Islam spread among the clans and tribes

and invited them to accept the Divine Way of Allah. These were the

circumstances at the time when Al-Ma'idah was revealed.



Topics



It deals with the following three main topics: (1) Commandments and

instructions about the religious, cultural and political life of the

Muslims. In this connection, a code of ceremonial rules concerning the

journey for Hajj has been prescribed; the observance of strict respect

for the emblems of Allah has been enjoined; and any kind of

obstruction or interference with the pilgrims to the Kaabah has been

prohibited. Definite rules and regulations have been laid down for

what is lawful and unlawful in the matter of food, and self-imposed

foolish restrictions of the pre-Islamic age have been abolished.

Permission has been given to. take food with the people of the Book

and to marry their women. Rules and regulations for the performance of

Wudu (ablutions) and bath and purification and tayammum(ablutions with

dust) have been prescribed. Punishment for rebellion, disturbance of

peace and theft have been specified. Drinking and gambling have

absolutely been made unlawful. Expiation for the breaking of oath has

been laid down and a few more things have been added to the law of

evidence. (2) Admonition to the Muslims. Now that the Muslims had

become a ruling body, it was feared that power might corrupt them. At

this period of great trial, Allah had admonished them over and over

again to stick to justice and to guard against the wrong behavior of

their predecessors, the people of the Book. They have been enjoined to

remain steadfast to the Covenant of obedience to Allah and His

Messenger, and to observe strictly their commands and prohibitions in

order to save them- selves from the evil consequences which. befell

the Jews and the Christians who had violated them. They have been

instructed to observe the dictates of the Holy Quran in the conduct of

all their affairs and warned against the attitude of hypocrisy. (3)

Admonition to the Jews and the Christians. As the power of the Jews

had been totally weakened and almost all their habitations in north

Arabia had come under the rule of the Muslims, they have been warned

again about their wrong attitude and invited to follow the Right Way.

At the same time a detailed invitation has also been extended to the

Christians. The errors of their creeds have been clearly pointed out

and they have been admonished to accept the guidance of the Holy

Prophet. . Incidentally, it may be noted that no direct invitation has

been made to the Majusis and idolaters living in the adjoining

countries, because there was no need for a separate address for them

as their condition. had already been covered by the addresses to the

mushrik Arabs. Subject:Consolidation of the Islamic Community. In

continuation of the instructions about the consolidation of the

Islamic Community given in Sura AN-NISA, the Muslims have been

directed to observe and fulfill all their obligations: further

regulations have been prescribed to train the Muslims for that purpose.

They have also been particularly warned as rulers to guard against the

corruption, of power and directed to observe the Covenant of the Quran.

They have also been exhorted to learn lessons from the failings of

their predecessors, the Jews and the Christians, who in their turn

have been admonished to give up their wrong attitudes towards the

Right Way and accept the guidance taught by Prophet Muhammad (God's

peace be upon him).







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #6



                               -----------

                               6. An-aam:

                               -----------



Name



This Sura takes its name from vv. 136, 138 and 139 in which some

superstitious beliefs of the idolatrous Arabs concerning the

lawfulness of some cattle (anam) and the unlawfulness of some others

have been refuted.



Period of Revelation



According to a tradition of Ibn Abbas, the whole of the Sura was

revealed at one sitting at Makkah. Asma, a daughter of Yazld and a

first cousin of Hadrat Mu'az-bin Jabl, says,. "During the revelation

of this Sura, the Holy Prophet was riding on a she-camel and I was

holding her nose-string. The she-camel began to feel the weight so

heavily that it seemed as if her bones would break under it."We also

learn from other traditions that the Holy Prophet dictated the whole

of the Sura the same night that it was revealed. Its subject-matter

clearly shows that it must have been revealed during the last year of

the Holy Prophet's life at Makkah. The tradition of Asma, daughter of

Yazid, also confirms this. As she belonged to the Ansar and embraced

Islam after the migration of the Holy Prophet to Yathrab, her visit to

the Holy Prophet at Makkah must have taken place during the last year

of his life there. For before this, his relations with those people

were not so intimate that a woman from there might have come to visit

him at Makkah.



Occasion of Revelation



After determining the period of its revelation, it is easier to

visualize the background of the Sura. Twelve years had passed since

the Holy Prophet had been inviting the people to Islam. The antagonism

and persecution by the Quraish had become most savage and brutal, and

the majority of the Muslims had to leave their homes and migrate to

Habash (Abyssinia). Above all, the two great supporters of the Holy

Prophet. Abu Talib and Hadrat Khadijah, were no more to help and give

strength to him. Thus he was deprived of all the worldly support. But

in spite of this, he carried on his mission in the teeth of opposition.

As a result of this, on the one hand, all the good people of Makkah

and the surrounding clans gradually began to accept Islam ; on the

other hand, the community as a whole, was bent upon obduracy and

rejection. Therefore, if anyone showed any inclination towards Islam,

he was subjected to taunts and derision, physical violence and social

boycott. It was in these dark circumstances that a ray of hope gleamed

from Yathrab, where Islam began to spread freely by the efforts of

some influential people of Aus and Khazraj, who had embraced Islam at

Makkah. This was a humble beginning in the march of Islam towards

success and none could foresee at that time the great potentialities

that lay hidden in it. For, to a casual observer, it appeared at that

time as if Islam was merely a weak movement it had no material backing

except the meager support of the Prophet's own family and of the few

poor adherents of the Movement. Obviously the latter could not give

much help because they themselves had been cast out by their own

people who had become their enemies and were persecuting them.



Topics



These were the conditions, when this discourse was revealed. The main

topics dealt with in this discourse may be divided under seven

headings: (1) Refutation of shirkand invitation to the creed of

Tawhid.. (2) Enunciation of the doctrine of the "Life-after- death."

and refutation of the wrong notion that there was nothing beyond this

worldly life. (3) Refutation of the prevalent superstitions. (4)

Enunciation of the fundamental moral principles for the building up of

the Islamic Society. (5) Answers to the objections raised against the

person of the Holy Prophet and his mission. (6) Comfort and

encouragement to the Holy Prophet and his followers who were at, that

time in a state of anxiety and despondency because of the apparent

failure of the mission. (7) Admonition, warning and threats to the

disbelievers and opponents to give up their apathy and haughtiness. It

must, however, be noted that the above topics have not been dealt with

one by one under separate headings, but the discourse goes on as a

continuous whole and these topics come under discussion over and over

again in new and different ways.



The Background of Makki Suras



As this is the first long Makki Sura in the order of the compilation

of the Quran, it will be useful to explain the historical background

of Makki Suras in general, so that the reader may easily understand

the Makki Suras and our references to its different stages in

connection with our commentary on them. First of all, it should be

noted that comparatively very little material is available in regard

to the background of the revelation of Makki Suras whereas the period

of the revelation of all the Madani Suras is known or can be

determined with a little effort. There are authentic traditions even

in regard to the occasions of the revelation of the majority of the

verses. On the other hand, we do not have such detailed information

regarding the Makki Suras. There are only a few Suras and verses which

have authentic traditions concerning the time and occasion of their

revelation. This is because the history of the Makki period had not

been compiled in such detail as that of the Madani period. Therefore

we have to depend on the internal evidence of these Suras for

determining the period of their revelation: for example, the topics

they discuss, their subject. matter, their style and the direct or

indirect references to the events and the occasions of their

revelation. Thus it is obvious that with the help of such evidence as

this, we cannot say with precision that such and such Sura or verse

was revealed on such and such an occasion. The most we can do is to

compare the internal evidence of a Sura with the events of the life of

the Holy Prophet at Makkah, and then come to a more or less correct

conclusion as to what particular stage a certain Sura belongs. If we

keep the above things in view, the history of the mission of the Holy

Prophet at Makkah can be divided into four stages. The first stage

began with his appointment as a Messenger and ended with the

proclamation of Prophethood three years later. During this period the

Message was given secretly to some selected persons only, but the

common people of Makkah were not aware of it. The second stage lasted

for two years after the proclamation of his Prophethood. It began with

opposition by individuals: then by and by, it took the shape of

antagonism, ridicule, derision,, accusation, abuse, and false

propaganda then gangs were formed to persecute those Muslims who were

comparatively poor, weak' and helpless. The third stage lasted for

about six years from the beginning of the persecution to the death of

Abu Talib and Hadrat Khadijah in the tenth year of Prophethood. During

this period, the persecution of the Muslims became' so savage and

brutal that many of them were forced to migrate to Habash. Social and

economic boycott was applied against the Holy Prophet and the members

of his family, and those Muslims who continued to stay in Makkah were

forced to take refuge in Shi'b-i-A'bi Talib which was besieged. The

fourth stage lasted for about three years from the tenth to the

thirteenth year of Prophethood. This was a period of hard trials and

grievous sufferings for the Holy Prophet and his followers. Life had

become unendurable at Makkah and there appeared to be no place of

refuge even outside it. So much so that when the Holy Prophet went to

Ta'if, it offered no shelter or protection. Besides this, on the

occasion of Hajj, he would appeal to each and every Arab clan to

accept his invitation to Islam but met with blank refusal from every

quarter. At the same time, the people of Makkah were holding counsels'

to get rid of him by killing or imprisoning or banishing him from

their city. It was at that most critical time that Allah opened for

Islam the hearts of the Ansar of Yathrab where he migrated at their

invitation. Now that we have divided the life of the Holy Prophet at

Makkah into four stages, it has become easier for us to tell, as far

as possible, the particular stage in which a certain Makki Sarah was

revealed. This is because the Suras belonging to a particular stage

can be distinguished from those of the other stages with the help of

their subject matter and style. Besides this, they also contain such

references as throw light on the circumstances and events that form

the background of their revelation. In the succeeding Makki Suras, we

will determine on the basis of the distinctive features of each stage,

and point out in the Preface, the particular stage in which a certain

Makki Sura was revealed.



Subject :Islamic Creed.



This Sura mainly discusses the different aspects of the major articles

of the Islamic Creed: Tawhid, Life-after- death, Prophethood an' their

practical application to human life. Side by side with this, it

refutes the erroneous beliefs of the "opponents and answers their

objections, warns and admonishes them and comforts the Holy Prophet

and his followers, who were then suffering from persecution. of course,

these themes have not been dealt with under separate heads but have

been blended in an excellent manner.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #7



                               ----------

                                7. Araaf:

                               ----------



Name



This Sura takes its name from vv. 46-47 in which mention of A'araf

occurs.



Period of Revelation



A study of its contents clearly shows that the period of its

revelation is about the same as that of AL-AN'AM, i. e., the last year

of the Holy Prophet's life at Makkah, but it cannot be asserted with

certainty which of these two was sent down earlier. Anyhow the manner

of its admonition clearly indicates that it belongs to the same period.

As both have the same historical background the reader should keep in

view the preface to AL-AN'AM.



Topics of Discussion



The principal subject of this sura is "invitation to the Divine

Message sent down to Muhammad" (Allah's peace be upon him), which is

couched in a warning. This is because the Messenger had spent a long

time in admonishing the people of Makkah without any tangible effect

on them. Nay, they had turned a deaf ear to his message and become so

obdurate and antagonistic that, in accordance with the Divine Design,

the Messenger was going to be commanded to leave them and turn to

other people,. That is why they are being admonished to accept the

Message but, at the same time, they are being warned in strong terms

of the consequences that followed the wrong attitude of the former

people towards their Messengers. (Now that the Holy Prophet was going

to" migrate from Makkah the concluding portion of the address has been

directed towards the people of the Book with whom he was going to come

into contact. This meant that the time of migration was coming near

and the "invitation" was going to be extended to mankind in general,

and was not to be confined to his own people in particular as before.

During the course of the address to the Jews, the consequences of

their hypocritical conduct towards Prophethood have also been pointed

out clearly, for they professed to believe in Prophet Moses but in

practice opposed his teachings, disobeyed him and worshipped falsehood

and consequently were afflicted with ignominy and disgrace. At the end

of the Sura, some instructions have been given to the Holy Prophet and

his followers for carrying out the work of the propagation of Islam

with wisdom. The most important of these is that they should show

patience and exercise restraint in answer to the provocations of their

opponents. Above all, they have been advised that under stress of the

excitement of feeling, they should not take any wrung step that might

harm their cause.



Subject: Invitation to the Divine Message







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #8



                               -----------

                               8. Anfaat:

                               -----------



Name



The Sura takes its name AL-ANFAL (The Bounties) from the first verse.



The Period of Revelation



It was revealed in 2 A. H. after the Battle of Badr, the first battle

between Islam and kufr. As it contains a detailed and comprehensive

review of the Battle, it appears that most probably it was revealed at

one and the same time. But it is also possible that some of the verses

concerning the problems arising as a result of this Battle might have

been revealed later and incorporated at the proper places to make it a

continuous whole. At any rate, in the whole Sura there is nothing that

might show that it is a collection of a couple of discourses, that

have been patched up together.



Historical Background



Before reviewing the Sura, it is worthwhile to consider the events

that led to the Battle of Badr. During the first decade or so of the

Prophethood at Makkah, the Message had proved its firmness, and

stability. This was the result of two things. First, the Messenger,

who possessed the highest qualities of character, was performing his

Mission with wisdom, foresight and magnanimity. He had shown by his

conduct that he had made up his mind to carry the movement to a

successful end and, therefore, was ready to face all sorts of dangers

and obstacles in the way. Secondly, the Message was so charming that

it attracted the minds and hearts of the people irresistibly towards

itself. So much so that all obstacles of ignorance, superstition and

petty prejudices failed to check, its advance. That is why the Arab

upholders of the ways of "ignorance,' who looked down upon it in its

initial stages, had' begun to reckon it as a serious menace during the

last period of the stay of the Holy Prophet at Makkah, and were bent

on crushing it with all the force at their command. But in spite of

the above-mentioned strength, the movement still lacked certain things

to lead it to victory First, it had not yet been fully proved that it

had gathered round it a sufficient number of such followers who not

only believed in its truth, but also had such an intense devotion to

its principles that they were ready to expend all their energies and

all that they possessed in the struggle for its success and

establishment. So much so that they were ready to sacrifice their

lives in the fight against the whole world itself even though they

should be their own nearest relative. It is true that the followers of

Islam had endured the severest persecutions at the hands of the

Quraish of Makkah and had given a good proof of the firmness of their

faith and their strong relation with Islam, yet further trials were

required to  show that Islam had succeeded in acquiring such a band of

followers which considered nothing dearer than its ideal and was ready

to sacrifice life for it. Secondly, though the voice of Islam had

reached' every part of the country, its effects were yet scattered and

its acquired strength was spread here and there: it had not yet

gathered sufficient force essential for a decisive conflict with the

old established order of "ignorance". Thirdly, Islam had yet no home

of its own and had not established itself firmly anywhere in the land

where it could consolidate its power and make it a base for further

action. For the Muslims were scattered all over the country and were

living among the unbelievers as aliens whom their bloodthirsty enemies

wanted to uproot from their own homes. Fourthly, the Muslims had not

yet had an opportunity to demonstrate practically the blessings of the

system of life based on Islam. There was neither any Islamic culture,

nor any social, economic or political system; nor were there any

established principles of war and peace for their guidance. Therefore

the Muslims had no opportunity for demonstrating those moral

principles on which they intended to build their entire system of

life; nor had it been proved on the touchstone of trial that the

Muslims as a community were sincere in their proclamation of the

Message. Allah created opportunities for making up these deficiencies.

During the last four years or so of the Prophet's stay at Makkah, the

voice of Islam had been proving effective at Yathrab and the people

for various reasons had been accepting the message more readily than

other clans of Arabia. So much so that in the twelfth year of

Prophethood on the occasion of Hajj deputation of 75 people met the

Holy Prophet in the darkness of night. These people not only accepted

Islam, but also offered to give him and his followers a home. As this

was a most epoch making opportunity provided by Allah, the Holy

Prophet took advantage of it. The significance of this offer was quite

clear to the people of Yathrab, and they fully realized that this was

not an invitation to a mere fugitive, but to the Messenger of Allah so

that he should become their leader and ruler. Likewise they knew that

they were not inviting the Muslim refugees to give them shelter from

persecution but to assemble them from all over the country for their

integration with themselves to form an organized community. Thus the

offer of the people of Yathrab was to make Yathrab the "City of

Islam." Accordingly the Holy Prophet accepted their invitation and

made it the first "City of Islam" in Arabia. And the people of Yathrab

were fully aware of the implications of this offer. It was indeed a

declaration of war against the whole of Arabia, and an invitation to

their own social and economic boycott as well. And when the Ansar from

Yathrab declared their allegiance to the Holy Prophet at Aqabah, they

knew fully well its consequences. During the course of the formal

declaration of allegiance, Asad-bin- Zurarah, the youngest of all the

delegates from Yathrab, stood up and said, "0 people of Yathrab! Just

listen to me and consider the matter carefully in all its aspects.

Though we have come to him, regarding him only as a Messenger of Allah,

we should know that we shall be inviting the enmity of the whole of

Arabia. For when we take him away to Yathrab, we shall be attacked and

our children may be put to the sword. Therefore if you have the

courage in your hearts to face it, then and then only, you should

declare your allegiance to him and Allah will give you its reward. But

if you love your lives more than him and his Message, then leave this

matter and frankly excuse yourselves, for at this time Allah may

accept your excuses." Abbas bin Ubadah bin Naalah, another member of

the delegation, reiterated the same thing, saying, Do you understand

the implication of the declaration of your allegiance to this person?"

(Voices, "Yes, we know it.") "You are challenging the whole world to

war by your declaration of allegiance to him. There is every

likelihood of a serious menace to your lives and properties. Therefore

consider it well. If you have any idea lurking in your minds that you

will then hand him over to his enemies, it is much better to leave him

alone now, because that conduct shall bring shame and disgrace to you

in this world and the next. On the other hand, if you have sincerely

resolved that you will endure all kinds of consequences that will

follow as a result of this invitation, then it would be the best thing

to take the oath of allegiance to him because, by God, this will

surely bring good to you in this world as well as in the next world."

At this all the members of the delegation cried with one voice, "We

are ready and prepared to risk all our wealth and our noble kith and

kin for his sake." It was then that the famous oath of allegiance,

which is known as the "Second Oath of Allegiance at Aqabah" was taken.

On the other side, the people of Makkah also understood fully well the

implications of this matter from their own point of view. They

realized that Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him), who, they knew

well, had a great personality and possessed extraordinary abilities,

was going to gain a strong footing, by this allegiance. For this would

help integrate his followers, whose constancy, determination, and

unwavering fidelity to the Messenger had been tried, into a

disciplined community under his wise leadership and guidance. And they

knew that this would spell death for their old ways of life. They also

realized the strategic importance of. Al- Madinah to their trade,

which was their chief means of livelihood. Its geographical position

was such that the Muslims could strike with advantage at the caravans

travelling on the trade route between Yaman and Syria, and thus strike

at the root of their economy and that of other pagan clans very

effectively. The value of the trade done by the people of Makkah alone

on this route, not to count that of raif and other places, amounted to

about two hundred thousand dinars annually. As the Quraish were fully

aware of the implications of the oath of allegiance at Aqabah, they

were greatly perturbed when they got wind of it the same night. At

first they tried to win over the people of Al-Madinah to their side.

But when they saw that the Muslims were migrating to Al- Madinah in

small groups, they realized that the Holy Prophet was also going to

emigrate soon from there. Then they decided to adopt an extreme

measure to prevent this danger. A few days before his migration, the

Quraish held a council to consider the matter. After a good deal of

argument; they decided that one person should be taken from each of

the families of Quraish other than that of Banu Hashim to put an end

to the life of the Holy Prophet. This was to make it difficult for the

family of the Holy Prophet to fight alone with all the other families

of the Quraish and thus to force them to accept blood-money for his

murder-instead of taking revenge from them, but by the grace of Allah

their plot against the life of the Holy Prophet failed because of his

admirable foresight and full trust in Allah, and he reached Al-

Madinah safe and sound. When they could not prevent his emigration, it

occurred to them to exploit Abdullah bin Ub who had begun to cherish a

grievance against the Holy Prophet since his arrival at Al-Madinah. He

was an influential chief of Al-Madinah and the people had agreed to

make him their king. But when the majority of Aus and Khazraj clan

became Muslims and acknowledged the Holy Prophet as their leader,

guide and ruler, all his hopes of becoming a king came to an end.

Therefore the Quraish wrote to him, "As you have given shelter to our

enemy, we tell you plainly that you should either fight with him

yourself or exile him from your city otherwise we swear by God that we

will invade your city, kill your males and make your females our slave

girls." This letter added fuel to the flames of his jealousy and he

was inclined to do some mischief, but the Holy Prophet took timely

precautions and defeated his evil designs. The Quraish got another

opportunity to hold out a threat. When Sa'ad bin Mu'az, another chief

of Al-Madinah, went to Makkah to perform Umrah, Abu Jahl interrupted

him at the very door of the Kabah, saying, "Do you think we will let

you perform Umrah in peace while you give shelter and help to

renegades from us? Had you not been a guest of Ummayyah bin Khalf, you

would not have gone alive from here." Sa'ad replied, "By Allah, if you

prevent me from this, I will retaliate in a worse manner and block

your route near Al-Madinah." This incident virtually led to a

declaration from the people of Makkah that they would prevent the

Muslims from a pilgrimage to the Kabah, and from the people of Al-

Madinah that as a retaliation they would block their trade route to

Syria against the opponents of Islam. As a matter of fact there was no

other alternative for the Muslims than to keep a strong hold on this

route so as to force the Quraish, and the other clans, whose interests

were vitally bound with this route, to reconsider their inimical and

antagonistic attitude towards them. That is why the Holy Prophet

attached the greatest importance to this problem. As soon as he was

free from making the preliminary arrangements for organizing the newly

formed Muslim Community and settling peace terms with the neighboring

Jewish habitations, he adopted two measures in this connection First,

he entered into negotiations with those clans who lived between the

Red Sea and this route so as to make alliances with them or at east to

persuade them to make treaties of neutrality with the Muslims. He was

successful in this, and he entered into a treaty of non-alignment with

Juhainah, which vas a very important clan of the hilly tract near the

sea coast. Then, at the end of the first year of Hijrah, he made a

treaty of defensive alliance with Bani Damrah, who lived near Yanb'u

and Zawal Ushairah. In 2 A. H. Bani Mudlij also joined the alliance,

as they were the neighbors and allies of Bani Damrah. Then ii so

happened that quite a large number of these people were converted to

Islam as a result of the missionary work done by the Muslims. Secondly,

he successively sent small bands of his men on this route to serve as

a warning to the Quraish, and himself accompanied some of them. In the

first year of Hijrah, four expeditions were sent there, that is, the

expedition under Hamzah, the expedition under Ubaidah bin Harith, the

expedition under Sa'ad bin Abi Waqqas and the Al-Abwa' expedition

under the Holy Prophet himself. In the first month of the second year

two more incursions were made on the same route. These are known as

Buwat Expedition and Zawal Ushairah Expedition. Two things about all

these expeditions are noteworthy. First, no blood was shed and no

caravans were plundered in any of these expeditions. This proves that

the real object of these expeditions was to show to the Quraish which

way the wind was blowing. Secondly, not a single man from the people

of Al-Madinah was sent by the Holy. Prophet on any of these incursions.

All the bands consisted purely of the immigrants from Makkah so that

the conflict should remain between the people of the Quraish

themselves and should not further spread by the involvement of other

clans. On the other side, the Quraish of Makkah tried to involve

others also in the conflict. When they sent bands towards Al-Madinah,

they did not hesitate to plunder the people. For instance, an

expedition under the leadership of Kurz bin Jabir al-Fihrl plundered

the cattle of the people of Al-Madinah from the very vicinity of the

city to show what their real intentions were. This was the state of

affairs when, in Sha'aban, 2 A. H. (February or March, 623 A. D.) a

big trade caravan of the Quraish, carrying goods worth $50,000 or so,

with only a guard of thirty to forty men, on its way back from Syria

to Makkah, reached the territory from where it could be easily

attacked from Al-Madinah. As the caravan was carrying trade goods

worth thousands of pounds, and was scantily guarded, naturally Abu

Sufyan, who was in charge of it, from his Past experience feared an

attach from the Muslims. Accordingly, as soon as he entered the

dangerous territory, he despatched a camel rider to Makkah with a

frantic appeal for help. When the rider reached Makkah, he, following

an old custom of Arabia, tore open the ears of his camel, cut open his

nose and overturned the saddle. Then rending his shirt from front and

behind, he began to cry aloud at the top of his voice, "O people of

Quraish despatch help to protect your caravan from Syria under the

charge of Abu Sufyan, for Muhammad with his followers is in pursuit of

it; otherwise I don't think you will ever get your goods. Run, run for

help." This caused great excitement and anger in the whole of Makkah

and all the big chiefs of the Quraish got ready for war. An army,

consisting of 600 armored soldiers and cavalry of 100 riders with

great pomp and show marched out for a fight. They intended not only to

rescue the caravan but also to put to an end, once for all, the new

menace from the Muslims who had consolidated themselves at Al-Madinah.

They wanted to crush that rising power and overawe the clans

surrounding the route so as to make it absolutely secure for future

trade. Now the Holy Prophet, who always kept himself well informed of

the state of affairs, felt that the decisive hour has come and that

was the right time when he must take a bold step; otherwise the

Islamic Movement would become lifeless for ever and no chance would be

left for it to rise again. For if the Quraish invaded Al-Madinah, the

odds would be against the Muslims. The condition of the Muslim

Community was still very shaky because the immigrants Muhajirin had

not been able to stabilize their economy during the short period (less

than two years) of their stay at Al-Madinah; their helpers, the Ansar

had not yet been tried; and the neighboring Jewish clans were

antagonistic. Then there was a strong group of hypocrites and

mushrikin Al- Madinah itself; above all, the surrounding clans lived

in awe of the Quraish and had all their religious sympathies with them.

The Holy Prophet, therefore, felt that the consequences of this

possible invasion would not be favorable to the Muslims. The second

possibility was that they would not invade Al-Madinah but try only to

escort their caravan safely and securely by a mere show of force. In

that case, too, if the Muslim remained inactive, it would affect their

reputation adversely. Obviously, this weak stand in the conflict would

embolden the other Arabs also and make the position of the Muslims

very insecure in the country and the surrounding clans would, at the

instance of the Quraish, start hostilities against them, and the Jews,

the hypocrites and the mushriks of Al- Madinah would openly rise

against them and not only endanger their security of life, property

and honor but make it difficult for them even to live there. The

Muslims would not be able to inspire the enemy with awe so as to keep

safe from them their life, property and honor. A careful study of the

situation led the Holy Prophet to make up his mind to take a decisive

step and go into the battle with whatever little strength he could

muster, for thus and thus only could he show whether the Muslim

Community had the right to survive or was doomed to perish. When he

arrived at this momentous decision, he called the Muhajirin and the

Ansar together and placed the whole position before them, without any

reservation. He said, "Allah has promised that you will confront one

of the two, the trade caravan coming from the north or the army of the

Quraish marching from the south. Now tell me which of the two you want

to attack!" A large majority of the people replied that they wanted to

attack the caravan. But the Holy Prophet who had something else before

him, repeated the same question. At this Miqdad bin 'Amr, a Muhajir,

stood up and said, "0 Messenger of Allah! Please march to the side to

which your Lord commands you; we will accompany you wherever you go.

We will not say like the Israelites, 'Go and let you and your Lord

fight we will wait'. In contrast to them we say, 'Let you and your

Lord fight; we will fight by your side to our last breath'." Even then

he did not announce any decision but waited for a reply from the Ansar

who had not yet taken any part in any battle of Islam. As this was the

first opportunity for them to prove that they were ready to fulfil

their promise of fighting for the cause of Islam, he repeated the

question without directly addressing them. At this, Sa'ad bin Mu'az,

an Ansar, stood up and said, "Sir, it appears that you are putting the

question to us." When the Holy Prophet said, "Yes", the Ansar replied,

"We have believed in you and confirmed that what you have brought is

the Truth, and have made a solemn pledge with you that we will listen

to you and obey you. Therefore, 0 Messenger of Allah, do whatever you

intend to do. We swear by Allah Who has sent you with the Truth that

we are ready to accompany you to the sea shore and if you enter it, we

will plunge into it. We assure you that not a single one of us will

remain behind or forsake you, for we will not hesitate at all to go to

fight, even if you should lead us to the battlefield tomorrow. We will

remain steadfast in the battle and sacrifice our lives in the fight.

We do hope that by the grace of Allah our behavior will gladden your

heart. So, trusting in Allah's blessing, take us to the battlefield."

After these speeches it was decided that they should march towards the

army of the Quraish and not towards the trade caravan. But it should

be noted that the decision was of an ordinary nature. For the number

of people, who came forward to go to the battlefield, was only a

little more than three hundred (86 Muhajirs, 62 from Aus and 170 from

Khazraj). Then the little army was ill-armed and hardly equipped for

battle. Only a couple of them had horses to ride and the others had to

take their turn in threes and fours on the back of a camel, out of the

70 they had in all. Above all, they had not got enough weapons for the

battle; only 60 of them had armors. It is, therefore, no wonder that

with the exception of those who were prepared to sacrifice their lives

for the cause of Islam, the majority of those who had joined the

expedition, were so filled with fear that they felt as if they were

knowingly going into the jaws of death. Then there were people who

always looked at things from a selfish point of view. Though they had

embraced Islam, they did not realize that their faith would demand the

sacrifice of their lives and properties from them; they were of the

opinion that it was a mad expedition prompted by irrational enthusiasm

for religion. But the Holy Prophet and the true Believers had realized

the urgency of that critical hour which required the risk of life:

therefore they marched straight to the south-west, wherefrom the army

of the Quraish was coming. This is a clear proof of the fact that from

the very beginning they had gone out to fight with the army and not to

plunder the caravan. For if they had aimed at plundering the caravan

they would have taken the north- westerly direction and not the south-

westerly one. The two parties met in combat at Badr on the seventeenth

of Ramadan. When the two armies confronted each other and the Holy

Prophet noticed that the Quraish army outnumbered the Muslims by three

to one and was much better equipped, he raised his hands up in

supplication and made this earnest prayer with great humility: "0

Allah! Here are the Quraish proud of their war material: they have

come to prove that Thy Messenger is false. 0 Allah! now send that

success that Thou hast promised to give me. 0 Allah!If this little

army of Thy servants is destroyed, then there will be left none in the

land to worship Thee." In this combat the emigrants from Makkah were

put to the hardest test for they had to fight against their own near

and dear relatives and put to the sword their fathers, their sons,

their paternal and maternal uncles and their brothers. It is obvious

that only such people could have come out successful in this hardest

of tests as had accepted the Truth sincerely and cut off all relations

with falsehood. And in another way the test to which the Ansar were

put was not less hard. So far they had only alienated the powerful

Quraish and their allies by giving shelter to the Muslims against

their wishes but now, for the first time, they were going to give

fight to them and to sow the seeds of a long and bitter war with them.

This was indeed a very hard test for it meant that a small town with a

population of a few thousand inhabitants was going to wage a war with

the whole of Arabia. It is obvious that only such people could take

this bold step who believed in the Truth of Islam so firmly that they

were ready to sacrifice every personal interest for its sake. So Allah

accepted the self-sacrifices of the Muhajirin and the Ansar because of

their true faith, and rewarded them with His success. The proud, well-

armed Quraish were routed by these ill-equipped devotees of Islam.

Seventy men of their army were killed and seventy captured as

prisoners and their arms and equipment came into the hands of the

Muslims as spoils of war. All their big chiefs, who were their best

soldiers and who had led the opposition to Islam, were killed in this

Battle. No wonder that this decisive victory made Islam a power to be

reckoned with. A Western research scholar says that before the Battle

of Badr, Islam was merely a religion and a state but after the Battle

it became the state religion, nay, the state itself.



Topics of Discussion



It is this great Battle that has been reviewed in this Sura. But let

it be noted that in some respects this review is quite different from

the reviews that are usually made by the worldly commanders after a

great victory Instead of gloating over the victory, the moral

weaknesses that had come to the surface in that expedition have been

pointed out so that the Muslims should try their best to reform

themselves. It has been impressed upon them that the victory was due

to the success of Allah rather -than to their own valor and bravery so

that the Muslims should learn to rely on Him and obey Allah and His

Messenger alone. The moral lesson of the conflict between the Truth

and falsehood has been enunciated and the qualities which lead to

success in a conflict have been explained. Then the Sura addresses the

mushriks, the hypocrites, the Jews and the prisoners of this war in a

very impressive manner that should teach them a good lesson. It also

gives instructions in regard to the spoils of war. The Muslims have

bean told not to regard these as their right but as a bounty from

Allah. Therefore they should accept with gratitude the share that is

granted to them out of it and willingly accede to the share which

Allah sets apart for His cause and for the help of the needy. Then it

also gives normal instructions concerning the laws of peace and war

for these were urgently needed to be explained at the stage which the

Islamic Movement had entered. It enjoined that the Muslims should

refrain from ways of "ignorance" in peace and war and thus should

establish their moral superiority in the world. It also meant, to

demonstrate to the world in actual practical life the morality which

it had been preaching to the world from the very beginning of Islam

and had been enjoining that practical life should be based on the same.

It also states some articles of the Islamic Constitution which help

differentiate the status of the Muslims living within the limits of

Dar-ul-Islam (the Abode of Islam) from that of the Muslims living

beyond its limits.









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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #9



                               ----------

                                9. Tauba:

                               ----------



Name



This Sura is known by two names AT-TAUBAH and AL-BARA'AT. It is called

AT-TAUBAH because it enunciates the nature of taubah (repentance) and

mentions the conditions of its acceptance.(vv. 102. 118). The second

name BARA' AT (Release) is taken from the first word of the Sura. Why

Omission of Bismillah



This is the only Sura of the Quran to which Bismillah is not prefixed.

Though the commentators have given different reasons for this, the

correct one that which has been given by Imam Razi: namely,this is

because the Holy Prophet himself did not dictate it at the beginning

of the Sura. Therefore the Companions did not prefix it and their

successors followed them., This is a further proof of the fact that

utmost care has been taken to keep the Qur?an intact so that it should

remain in its complete and original form.



Discourses and Periods of Revelation



This Sura comprises three discourses The first discourse (vv. 1-37),

was revealed in Zil-Qa'adah A. H. 9 or thereabout. As the importance

of the subject of the discourse required its declaration on the

occasion of Hajj the Holy Prophet despatched Hadrat Ali to follow

Hadrat Abu Bakr, who had already left for Makkah as leader of the

Pilgrims to the Ka'abah. He instructed Hadrat Ali to deliver the

discourse before the representatives of the different clans of Arabia

so as to inform them of the new policy towards the mushriks. The

second discourse (vv., 38-72) was sent down in Rajab A. H. 9 or a

little before this, when the Holy Prophet was engaged in making

preparations for the Campaign, of Tabuk. In this discourse, the

Believers were urged to take active part in jihad, and the shirkers

were severely rebuked for holding back their wealth and for hesitation

to sacrifice their lives in the way of Allah because of their

hypocrisy, weak faith or negligence. The third discourse (vv. 73-I 29)

was revealed on his return from the Campaign of Tabuk. There are some

pieces in this discourse that were sent down on different occasions

during the same period and were afterwards consolidated by the Holy

Prophet into the Sura in accordance with inspiration from Allah. But

this caused no interruption in its continuity because they dealt with

the same subject and formed part of the same series of events. This

discourse warns the hypocrites of their evil deeds and rebukes those

Believers who had stayed behind in the Campaign of Tabuk. Then after

taking them to task, Allah pardons those true Believers who had not

taken part in the Jihad in the Way of Allah for one reason or the

other. Chronologically, the first discourse should have come last; but

being the most important of the three in regard to its subject-matter,

it was placed first in the order of compilation.



Historical Background



Now let us consider the historical background of the Sura. The series

of events that have been discussed in this Sura took place after the

Peace Treaty of Hudaibiyah. By that time, one-third of Arabia had come

under the sway of Islam which had established itself as a powerful,

well organized and civilized Islamic State. This Treaty afforded

further opportunities to Islam to spread its influence in the

comparatively peaceful atmosphere created by it. After this Treaty,

two events took place, which led to very important results.



Conquest of Arabia



The first was the Conquest of Arabia. The Holy Prophet was able to

send missions among different clans for the propagation of Islam. The

result was that during the short period of two years, it became such a

great power that it made the old order of ignorance' feel helpless

before it. So much so that the zealous elements from among the Quraish

were so exasperated that they broke the Treaty in order to encounter

Islam in a decisive combat. But the Holy Prophet took prompt action

after the breach so as not to allow them any opportunity to gather

enough force for this. He made a sudden invasion on Makkah in the

month of Ramadan in A. H. 8 and conquered it. Though this conquest

broke the backbone of the order of ignorance, it made still another

attack on Islam in the battle-field of Hunain, which proved to be its

death-knell. The clans of Hawazin Thaqif, Naur, Jushm and others

gathered their entire forces in the battle field in order to crush the

reformative Revolution, but they utterly failed in their evil designs.

The defeat of 'ignorance' at Hunain paved the way for making the whole

of Arabia the 'Abode of Islam' (Dar-ul-Islam). The result was that

hardly a year had Passed after the Battle of Hunain, when the major

portion of Arabia came within the fold of Islam and only a few

upholders of the old order remained scattered over some corners of the

country. The second event that contributed towards making Islam a

formidable power was the Campaign of Tabuk, which was necessitated by

the provocative activities of the Christians living within or near the

boundaries of the Roman Empire to the north of Arabia. Accordingly,

the Holy Prophet, with an army of thirty thousand marched boldly

towards the Roman Empire but the Romans evaded the encounter. The

result was that the power of the Holy Prophet and Islam increased

manifold and deputations from all corners of Arabia began to wait upon

him on his return from Tabuk in order to offer their allegiance to

Islam and obedience to him. The Holy Quran has described this triumph

in Sura An-Nisa: "When the success of Allah came and victory was

attained and you saw people entering the fold of Islam in large

numbers...



Campaign to Tabuk



The Campaign to Tabuk was the result of conflict with the Roman Empire,

that had started even before the conquest of Makkah. One of the

missions sent after the Treaty of Hudaibiyah to different parts of

Arabia visited the clans which lived in the northern areas adjacent to

Syria. The majority of these people were Christians, who were under

the influence of the Roman Empire. Contrary to all the principles of

the commonly accepted international law, they killed fifteen members

of the delegation near a place known as Zat-u-Talah (or Zat-i-Itlah).

Only Ka'ab bin Umair Ghifari, the head of the delegation, succeeded in

escaping and reporting the sad incident. Besides this, Shurahbll bin

Amr, the Christian governor of Busra, who was directly under the Roman

Caesar, had also put to death Haritli bin Umair, the ambassador of the

Holy Prophet, who had been sent to him on a similar minion. These

events convinced the Holy Prophet that a strong action should be taken

in order to make the territory adjacent to the Roman Empire safe and

secure for the Muslims. Accordingly, in the month of Jamadi-ul-Ula A.

H. 8, he sent an army of three thousand towards the Syrian border.

When this army reached near Ma'an, the Muslims learnt that Shurahbil

was marching with an army of one hundred thousand to fight-with them

and that the Caesar, who himself was at Hims, had sent another army

consisting of one hundred thousand soldiers under his brother Theodore.

But in spite of such fearful news, the brave small band of the Muslims

marched on fearlessly and encountered the big army of Shurahbil at

M'utah. And the result of the encounter in which the Muslirns were

fighting against fearful odds (the ratio of the two armies was 1:33),

as very favorable, for the enemy utterly failed to defeat them. This

proved very helpful for the propagation of Islam. As a result, those

Arabs who were living in a state of semi. independence in Syria and

near Syria and the clans of Najd near Iraq, who were under the

influence of the Iranian Empire, turned towards Islam and embraced it

in thousands. For example, the people of Bani Sulaim (whose chief was

Abbas bin Mirdas Sulaimi), Ashja'a, Ghatafan, Zubyan, Fazarah, etc.,

came into the fold of Islam at the same time. Above all, Farvah bin

'Amral Juzami, who was the commander of the Arab armies of the Roman

Empire, embraced Islam during that time, and underwent the trial of

his Faith in a way that filled the whole territory with wonder. When

the Caesar came to know that Farvah had embraced Islam, he ordered

that he should be arrested and brought to his court. Then the Caesar

said to him, "You will have to choose one of the two things. Either

give up your Islam and win your liberty and your former rank, or

remain a Muslim and face death." He calmly chose Islam and sacrificed

his life in the way of the Truth. No wonder that such events as these

made the Caesar realize the nature of the danger that was threatening

his Empire from Arabia. Accordingly, in 9 A. H. he began to make

military preparations to avenge the insult he had suffered at M'utah.

The Ghassanid and other Arab chiefs also began to muster armies under

him. When the Holy Prophet, who always kept himself well-informed even

of the minutest things that could affect the Islamic Movement

favorably or adversely, came to know of these preparations, he at once

under- stood their meaning. Therefore, without the least hesitation he

decided to fight against the great power of the Caesar. He knew that

the show of the slightest weakness would result in the utter failure

of the Movement which was facing three great dangers at that time.

First the dying power of 'ignorance' that had almost been crushed in

the battle-field of Hunain might revive again. Secondly, the

Hypocrites of Al: Madinah, who were always on the look-out for such an

opportunity, might make full use of this to do the greatest possible

harm to it. For they had already made preparations for this and had,

through a monk called Abu Amir, sent secret messages of their evil

designs to the Christian king of Ghassan and the Caesar himself.

Besides this, they had also built a mosque near Al-Madinah for holding

secret meetings for this purpose. The third danger was of an attack by

the Caesar himself, who had already defeated Iran, the other great

power of that period, and filled with awe the adjacent territories. It

is obvious that if all these three elements had been given an

opportunity of taking a concerted action against the Muslims, Islam

would have lost the fight it had almost won. That is why in this case

the Holy Prophet made an open declaration for making preparations for

the Campaign against the Roman Empire, which was one of the two

greatest empires of the world of that period. The declaration was made

though all the apparent circumstances were against such a decision:

for there was famine in the country and the long awaited crops were

about to ripen: the burning heat of the scorching summer season of

Arabia was at, its height and there was not enough money for

preparations in general, and for equipment and conveyance in

particular. But in spite of these handicaps, when the Messenger of

Allah realized the urgency of the occasion, he took this step which

was to decide whether the Mission of the Truth was - - going to

survive or perish. The very fact that he made an open declaration for

making preparations for such a campaign to Syria against the Roman

Empire showed how important it was, for this was contrary to his

previous practice. Usually he took every precaution not to reveal

beforehand the direction to which he was going nor the name of the

enemy whom he was going to attack; nay, he did not move out of Al-

Madinah even in the direction of the campaign. All the parties in

Arabia fully realized the grave consequences of this critical decision.

The remnants of the lovers of the old order of 'ignorance' were

anxiously waiting for the result of the Campaign, for they had pinned

all their hopes on the defeat of Islam by the Romans. The 'hypocrites'

also considered it to be their last chance of crushing the power of

Islam by internal rebellion, if the Muslims suffered a defeat in Syria.

They had, therefore, made full use of the Mosque built by them for

hatching plots and had employed all their devices to render the

Campaign a failure. On the other side, the true Believers also

realized fully that the fate of the Movement for which they had been

exerting their utmost for the last 22 years was now hanging in the

balance. If they showed courage on that critical occasion, the doors

of the whole outer world would be thrown open for the Movement to

spread. But if they showed weakness or cowardice, then all the work

they had done in Arabia would -end in smoke. That is why these lovers

of Islam began to make enthusiastic preparations for the Campaign.

Everyone of them tried to surpass the other in making contributions

for the provision of equipment for it. Hadrat Uthman and Hadrat Abdur

Rehman bin Auf presented large sums of money for this purpose. Hadrat

Umar contributed half of the earnings of his life and Hadrat Abu Bakr

the entire earnings of his life. The indigent Companions did not lag

behind and presented whatever they could earn by the sweat of their

labor and the women parted with their ornaments. Thousands of

volunteers, who were filled with the desire of sacrificing their lives

for Islam, came to the Holy Prophet and requested that arrangements

for weapons and conveyance be made for them so that they should join

the expedition. Those who could not be provided with these shed tears

of sorrow; the scene was so pathetic that it made the Holy Prophet sad

because of his inability to arm them. In short, the occasion became

the touchstone for discriminating a true believer from a hypocrite.

For, to lag behind in the Campaign meant that the very relationship of

a person to Islam was doubtful. Accordingly, whenever a person lagged

behind during the journey to Tabuk, the Holy Prophet, on being

informed, would spontaneously say, "Leave him alone. If there be any

good in him, Allah will again join him with you, and if there be no

good in him, then thank Allah that He relieved you of his evil

company". In short, the Holy Prophet marched out towards Syria in

Rajab A. H. 9, with thirty thousand fighters for the cause of Islam.

The conditions in which the expedition was undertaken may be judged

from the fact that the number of camels with them was so small that

many of them were obliged to walk on foot and to wait for their turns

for several had to ride at a time on each camel. To add to this, there

was the burning heat of the desert and the acute shortage of water.

But they were richly rewarded for their firm resolve and sincere

adherence to the cause and for their perseverance in the face of those

great difficulties and obstacles. When they arrived at Tabuk, they

learnt that the Caesar and his allies had withdrawn their troops from

the frontier and there was no enemy to fight with. Thus they won a

moral victory that increased their prestige manifold and, that too,

without shedding a drop of blood. In this connection, it is pertinent

to point out that the general impression given by the historians of

the campaigns of the Holy Prophet about the Campaign of Tabuk is not

correct. They relate the event in a way as if the news of the

mustering of the Roman armies near the Arabian frontier was itself

false. The fact is that the Caesar had begun to muster his armies, but

the Holy Prophet forestalled him and arrived on the scene before he

could make full preparations for the invasion. Therefore, believing

that "discretion is the better part of valor," he withdrew his armies

from the frontier. For he had not forgotten that the three thousand

fighters for the cause of Islam had rendered helpless his army one

hundred thousand strong at M'utah. He could not, therefore, even with

an army of two hundred thousand, dare to fight against an army of

thirty thousand, and that, too, under the leadership of the Holy

Prophet himself. When the Holy Prophet found that the Caesar had

withdrawn his forces from the frontier, he considered thee question

whether it would be worthwhile to march into the Syrian territory or

to halt at Tabuk and turn his moral victory to political and

stratigical advantage. He decided on the latter course and made a halt

for twenty days at Tabuk. During this time, he brought pressure on the

small states that lay between the Roman Empire and the Islamic State

and were at that time under the influence of the Romans, and subdued

and made them the tributaries of the Islamic State. For instance, some

Christian chiefs Ukaidir bin Abdul Malik Kindi of Dumatul Jaiidal,

Yuhanna bin D'obah of Allah, and the chiefs of Maqna, Jarba' and Azruh

also submitted and agreed to pay Jizyah to the Islamic State of Al-

Madinah. As a result of this, the boundaries of the Islamic State were

extended right up to the Roman Empire, and the majority of the Arab

clans, who were being used by the Caesar against Arabia, became the

allies of the Muslims against the Romans. Above all, this moral

victory of Tabuk afforded a golden opportunity to the Muslims to

strengthen their hold on Arabia before entering into a long conflict

with the Romans. For it broke the back of those who had still been

expecting that the old order of 'ignorance' might revive in the near

future, whether they were the open upholders of shirk or the

hypocrites who were hiding their shirk under the garb of Islam. The

majority of such people were compelled by the force of circumstances

to enter into the fold of Islam and, at least, make it possible for

their descendants to become true Muslims. After this a mere impotent

minority of the upholders of the old order was left in the field, but

it could not stand in the way of the Islamic Revolution for the

perfection of which Allah had sent His Messenger.



Problems of the Period



If we keep in view the preceding background, we can easily find out

the problems that were confronting the Community at that time. They

were: (1)to make the whole of Arabia a perfect Dar-ul-Islam, (2)to

extend the influence of Islam to the adjoining countries, (3)to crush

the mischiefs of the hypocrites, and (4)to prepare the Muslims for

Jihad against the non- Muslim world. Now that the administration of

the whole of Arabia had come in the hands of the Believers, and all

the opposing powers had become helpless, it was necessary to make a

clear declaration of that policy which was to be adopted to make her a

perfect Dar-ul-Islam Therefore the following measures were adopted. A

clear declaration was made that all the treaties with the mushriks

were abolished and the Muslims would be released from the treaty

obligations with them after a respite of four months.(vv. 1-3). This

declaration was necessary for uprooting completely the system of life

based on shirk and to make Arabia exclusively the center of Islam so

that it should not in any way interfere with the spirit of Islam nor

become an internal danger for it. A decree was issued that the

guardianship of the Kaabah, which held central position in all the

affairs of Arabia, should be wrested from the mushriks and placed

permanently in the hands of the Believers, (vv. 12-18) that all the

customs and practices of the shirk of the era of 'ignorance' should be

forcibly abolished: that the mushriks should not be allowed even to

come near the "House" (v. 28). This was to eradicate every trace of

shirk from the "House" that was dedicated exclusively to the worship

of Allah. The evil practice of Nasi, by which they used to tamper with

the sacred months in the days of 'ignorance', was forbidden as an act

of kufr(v. 37). This was also to serve as an example to the Muslims

for eradicating every vestige of the customs of ignorance from the

life of Arabia (and afterwards from the lives of the Muslims

everywhere). In order to enable the Muslims to extend the influence of

Islam outside Arabia, they were enjoined to crush with sword the non-

Muslim powers and to force them to accept the sovereignty of the

Islamic State. As the great Roman and Iranian Empires were the biggest

hindrances in the way, a conflict with them was inevitable. The object

of Jihad was not to coerce them to accept Islam they were free to

accept or not to accept it-but to prevent them from thrusting forcibly

their deviations upon others and the coming generations. The Muslims

were enjoined to tolerate their misguidance only to the extent that

they might have the freedom to remain misguided, if they chose to be

so, provided that they paid Jizyah(v. 29) as a sign of their

subjugation to the Islamic State. The third important problem was to

crush the mischiefs of the hypocrites, who had hitherto been tolerated

in spite of their flagrant crimes. Now that there was practically no

pressure upon them from outside, the Muslims were enjoined to treat

them openly as disbelievers (v. 73). Accordingly, the Holy Prophet set

on fire the house of Swailim, where the hypocrites used to gather for

consultations in order to dissuade the people from joining the

expedition to Tabuk. Likewise on his return from Tabuk, he ordered to

pull down and burn the 'Mosque' that had been built to serve as a

cover for the hypocrites for hatching plots against the true Believers.

In order to prepare the Muslims for Jihad against the whole non-Muslim

world, it was necessary to cure them even of that slight weakness of

faith from which they were still suffering. For there could be no

greater internal danger to the Islamic Community than the weakness of

faith, especially where it was going to engage itself single-handed in

a' conflict with the whole non-Muslim world. That is why those people

who had lagged behind in the Campaign to Tabuk or had shown the least

negligence were severely taken to task, and were considered as

hypocrites if they had no plausible excuse for not fulfilling that

obligation. Moreover, a clear declaration was made that in future the

sole criterion of a Muslim's faith shall be the exertions he makes for

the uplift of the Word of Allah and the role he plays in the conflict

between Islam and kufr. Therefore, if anyone will show any hesitation

in sacrificing his life, money, time and energies, his faith shall not

be regarded as genuine. (vv. 81-96). If the above-mentioned important

points are kept in view during the study of this Sura, it will

facilitate the understanding of its contents.







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #10



                               -----------

                               10. Yunus:

                               -----------



Name



The Sura takes its name from V. 98, in which there is a reference to

Prophet Yunus (Jonah). The name, as usual, is symbolical and does not

indicate that the Sura deals with the story of Prophet Jonah.



Period of Revelation



We learn from traditions, and this is supported by the contents of the

Sura itself, that the whole of this Sura was revealed at Makkah. But

there are some people who are of the opinion, that some of its verses

were revealed at Al-Madinah. This is, however, a superficial view. The

continuity of the theme clearly shows that this does not comprise

isolated verses or discourses that were revealed at different times

and on different occasions. On the contrary, it is, from the beginning

to the end, a closely connected discourse which must have been

revealed at one sitting. Besides this, the nature of its theme is

itself a clear proof that the Sura belongs to the Makkan period.



Time of Revelation



We have no tradition in regard to the time of it's revelation, but its

subject matter gives clear indication that it must have been revealed

during the last stage of the Holy Prophet's residence at Makkah. For

the mode of the discourse suggests that at the time of its revelation,

the antagonism of the opponents of the Message had become so intense

that they could not tolerate even the presence of the Holy Prophet and

his followers among themselves, and that things had come to such a

pass as to leave no hope that they would ever understand and accept

the Message of the Prophet. This indicates that the last stage of the

Prophet's life among thee people had come, and the final warning like

the one in this Sura had to be given. These characteristics of the

discourse are clear proof that it was revealed during the last stage

of the Movement at Makkah. Another thing that determines more

specifically the order of the Suras of the last stage at Makkah is the

mention (or absence) of some open or covert hint about Hijrat

(Emigration) from Makkah. As this Sura does not contain any hint

whatsoever about this, it is a proof that it preceded those suras

which contain it. Now that we have specified the time of its

revelation, there is no need of repeating its historical background

because that has already been stated in Suras VI and VII.



Subject



This discourse deals with the invitation to the Message, admonition

and warning. In the very introductory verses, the invitation has been

extended like this:- "The people consider it a strange thing that this

Message is being conveyed by a human being and charge him with sorcery,

whereas there is nothing strange in it nor has it any connection with

sorcery or sooth saying. It simply informs you of two realities. First,

Allah, Who has created the universe and manages it, is, in fact, your

Master and Lord, and He alone is entitled to your worship. The second

reality is that after the life in this world, there will be another

life in the Next World, where you shall have to render full account of

the life of this world and be rewarded or punished according to

whether you adopted the righteous attitude as required by Him after

acknowleding Him as your Masters or acted against His will. Both of

these realities, which the Messenger is presenting before you, are

"realities" in themselves whether you acknowledge them as such or not.

He is inviting you to accept these and regulate your lives in

accordance with them; if you accept these, you will have a very

blessed end; otherwise join shall meet with evil consequences."







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #11



                               ----------

                                11. Huud:

                               ----------



Name



This Sura has been named after Prophet Hud whose story has been

related in vv. 50-60. Period of Revelation If we consider its theme

deeply, we come to the conclusion that it was revealed during the same

period as Sura Yunus and most probably followed it immediately.



Subject



The Sura deals with the same subject as Sura Yunus, that is,

invitation to the Message, admonition and warning, with this

difference that the warning is sterner. This is also supported by a

Tradition: It is related that after its revelation, once Hadrat Abu

Bakr said to the Holy Prophet, "Of late I have been noticing that you

are growing older and older. What is the cause of it?" The Holy

Prophet replied, "Sura Hud and the like Suras have made me old." This

shows that it was a very hard time for the Holy Prophet and these

stern warnings added greatly to his anxieties that were caused by the

persecution from the Quraish, who were doing their worst to crush down

the Message of Islam. For it was obvious to the Holy Prophet that the

last limit of the respite given by Allah was approaching nearer and

nearer and he was afraid lest the term of the respite should expire

and his people be seized by the torment. The invitation is this:Obey

the Messenger of Allah; discard shirk, and worship Allah and Allah

alone: establish the entire system of your life on the belief that you

shall be called to account in the Hereafter. The admonition is

this:Remember that those people who put their faith in the outward

appearance of this worldly life and rejected the Message of the

Prophets met with dire consequences. Therefore you should consider it

seriously whether you should follow the same way that history has

proved to be the path to ruin. The warning is this:You should not be

deluded by the delay in the coming of the punishment: it is because of

the respite that Allah has granted you by His grace so that you might

mend your ways: if you do not make use of this opportunity, you shall

be inflicted with an inevitable punishment that will destroy you all

except the Believers. Instead of addressing the people directly, the

Quran has used the stories of the people of Noah, Hud, Salih, Lot,

Shu'aib and Moses to achieve the above mentioned objects. What is most

prominent in their stories is that when Allah passes His judgement on

the people, He does not spare anyone whatsoever, even if he be the

nearest relative of the Prophet of the time. Only that one is rescued

who had believed in the Prophet, and none else, not even his own son

or wife. More than that: the Faith demands from each and every

Believer that he should totally forget his relationships when that

judgement comes and remember only the relationship of the Faith. For

it is against the spirit of Islam to show any regard whatsoever for

the relationships of blood and race. And the Muslims demonstrated

these teachings practically in the Battle of Badr, four years after

the revelation of this Sura.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #12



                               -----------

                               12. Yusuf:

                               -----------



When and Why Revealed?



The subject matter of this Sura indicates that it was revealed during

the last stage of the Holy Prophet's residence at Makkah, when the

Quraish were considering the question of killing or exiling or

imprisoning him. At that time some of the unbelievers put this

question (probably at the instigation of the Jews) to test him :"Why

did the Israelites go to Egypt?" This question was asked because they

knew that their story was not known to the Arabs for there was no

mention of it whatever in their traditions and the Holy Prophet had

never even referred to it before. Therefore they expected that he

would not be able to give any satisfactory answer to this question or

would first evade it, and afterwards try to enquire about it from some

Jew, and thus he would be totally exposed. But, contrary to their

expectations, the tables were turned on them, for Allah revealed the

whole story of Prophet Joseph then and there, and the Holy Prophet

recited it on the spot. This put the Quraish in a very awkward

position because it not only foiled their scheme but also administered

a warning to them by aptly applying it to their case, as if to say,

"As you are behaving towards this Prophet, exactly in the same way the

brothers of Prophet Joseph behaved towards him; so you shall meet with

the same end."



Objects of Revelation



From the above it is clear that this Sura was sent down for two

objects: The first object was to give the proof of the Prophethood of

Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him), and that too, the one demanded

by the opponents themselves so as to prove conclusively that his

knowledge was not based on mere hearsay, but was gained through

Revelation. This aspect has been stated explicitly in its introductory

verses and explained plainly in its concluding portion. The second

object was to apply it to the Quraish and warn them that ultimately

the conflict between them and the Holy Prophet would end in his

victory over them. As they were then persecuting their brother, the

Holy Prophet, in the same way the brothers of Prophet Joseph had

treated him. The Quraish were told indirectly that they would also

fail in their evil designs just as the brothers of Prophet Joseph had

failed in his case, even after casting him into the well. This is

because none has the power to defeat the Divine will. And just as the

brothers of Prophet Joseph had to humble themselves before him, so one

day the Quraish shall have to beg forgiveness from their brother whom

they were then trying to crush down. This, too, has been made quite

plain in v. 7: "Indeed there are signs in this story of Joseph and his

brothers for these inquirers from among the Quraish." The fact is that

by applying this story to the conflict, the Quran had made a bold and

clear prophecy, which was fulfilled literally by the events that

happened in the succeeding ten years. Hardly two years had passed

after its revelation, when the Quraish conspired to kill the Holy

Prophet like the brothers of Prophet Joseph, and he had to emigrate

from Makkah to Al-Madlnah, where he gained the same kind of power as

Prophet Joseph had gained in Egypt. Again, in the end the Quraish had

to humble themselves before him just like the brothers of Prophet

Joseph, when they humbly requested, "Show mercy to us for Allah

rewards richly those who show mercy" (V. 88), and Prophet Joseph

generously forgave them, (though he had complete power to wreak

vengeance on them,) saying, " today no penalty shall be inflicted on

you. May Allah forgive you:He is the greatest of all those who

forgive" (V. 92). The same story of mercy was repeated, when after the

conquest of Makkah, the crest fallen Quraish stood meekly before the

Holy Prophet, who had full power to wreak his vengeance on them for

each and every cruelty committed by them. But instead, he merely asked

them, "What treatment do you expect from me now?" They replied, "You

are a generous brother and the son of a generous brother." At this, he

very generously forgave them, saying, "I will give the same answer to

your request that Joseph gave to his brothers: '. .,. today, no

penalty shall be inflicted on you: you are forgiven."



Topics of Discussion



Moreover, the Quran does not relate this story as a mere narrative but

uses it, as usual, for the propagation of the Message in the following

ways: Throughout the narrative the Quran has made it clear that the

Faith of Prophets Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph (Allah's peace be

upon them all) was the same as that of Prophet Muhammad (Allah's peace

be upon him) and they invited the people to the same Message to which

Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) was inviting them. Then it places

the characters of Prophet Jacob and Prophet Joseph side by side with

the characters of the brothers of Joseph, the members of the trade

caravan, the court dignitary; Al Aziz of Egypt and his wife, the

"ladies" of Egypt and the rulers of Egypt and poses a silent question

to the reader, as if to say, "Contrast the former characters moulded

by Islam on the bedrock of the worship of Allah and accountability in

the Hereafter with the latter moulded by kufr and "ignorance" on the

worship of the world and disregard of Allah and the Hereafter, and

decide for yourselves which of these two patterns you would choose."

The Quran has used this story to bring forth another truth: whatever

Allah wills, He fulfils it anyhow, and man can never defeat His plan

with his counterplans nor prevent it from happening nor change it in

any way whatever. Nay, it often so happens that man adopts some

measure to fulfil his own design and believes that he has done that

very thing which would fulfil his design, but in the end he finds to

his dismay that he had done something which was against his own and

conducive to the Divine purpose. When the brothers of Prophet Joseph

cast him into the well, they believed that they had once for all got

rid of the obstacle in their way but in fact, they had paved the way

for the Divine purpose of making him the ruler of Egypt, before whom

they would have to humble themselves in the end. Likewise, the wife of

Aziz had sent Prophet Joseph to the prison, floating over the thought

that she had wreaked her vengeance on him, but, in fact, she had

provided for him the opportunity for becoming the ruler of Egypt and

for putting herself to the shame of confessing her own sin publicly.

And these are not the solitary instances which prove the truth that

even if the whole world united to bring about the down fall of the one

whom Allah willed to raise high, it could not succeed. Nay, the very

"sure and effective" measures that were adopted by the brothers to

degrade Joseph were used by Allah for the success of Joseph and for

the humiliation and disgrace of his brothers. On the other hand, if

Allah willed the fall of one, no measure, howsoever effective, could

raise him high : nay, it helped to bring about his fall and the

disgrace of those who adopted them. Moreover, the story contains other

lessons for those who intend to follow the way of Allah. The first

lesson it teaches is that one should remain within the limits,

prescribed by the Divine Law, in one's aims and objects and measures,

for success and failure are entirely in the hands of Allah. Therefore

if one adopts pure aims and lawful measures but fails, at least one

will escape ignominy and disgrace. On the other hand, the one who

adopts an impure aim and unlawful measures to achieve it, shall not

only inevitably meet with ignominy and disgrace in the Hereafter, but

also runs the risk of ignominy and disgrace in this world. The second

lesson it teaches is that those who exert for the cause of truth and

righteousness and put their trust in Allah and entrust all their

affairs to Him, get consolation and comfort from Him, for this helps

them face their opponents with confidence and courage and they do not

]ose heart, when they encounter the apparently terrifying measures of

the powerful enemies. They will persevere in their task without fear

and leave the results to Allah. But the greatest lesson this story

teaches is that if the Believer possesses true Islamic character and

is endowed with wisdom, he can conquer a whole country with the

strength of his character alone. The marvellous example of Prophet

Joseph teaches us that a man of high and pure character comes out

successful even under the most adverse circumstances. When Prophet

Joseph went to Egypt, he was only a lad of seventeen years, a

foreigner, all alone and without any provisions; nay, he had been sold

there as a slave. And the horrible condition of the slaves during that

period is known to every student of history. Then he was charged with

a heinous moral Crime and sent to prison for an indefinite term. But

throughout this period of affliction, he evinced the highest moral

qualities which raised him to the highest rank in the country.



Historical and Geogiaphical Background



The following historical and geographical details will help understand

the story: Prophet Joseph was a son of Prophet Jacob and a grandson of

Prophet Isaac and a great grandson of Prophet Abraham (Allah's peace

be upon them all). The Bible says (and the allusions in the Quran also

confirm this) that Prophet Jacob had twelve sons from four wives.

Prophet Joseph and his younger brother Benjamin were from one wife and

the other ten from the other wives. Prophet Jacob had settled at

Hebron (Palestine) where his father Prophet Isaac and before him

Prophet Abraham lived and owned a piece of land at Shechem as well.

According to the research scholars of the Bible, Prophet Joseph was

born in or about 906 B. C. and the incident with which this story

begins happened in or about 890 B. C. He was seventeen when he saw the

dream and was thrown into the well. This well was near Dothan to the

north of Shechem according to Biblical and Talmudic traditions, and

the caravan, which took him out of the well, was coming from Gilead

(Trans-Jordan), and was on its way to Egypt. At that time Fifteenth

Dynasty ruled over Egypt, whose rulers are known in history as the

Hyksos kings. They belonged to the Arab race, but had migrated from

Palestine and Syria to Egypt in or about 2000 B. C. and taken

possession of the country. The Arab historians and the commentators of

the Quran have given them the name of Amaliq (the Amalekites), and

this has been corroborated by the recent researches made by the

Egyptologists. They were foreign invaders who had got the opportunity

of establishing their kingdom because of the internal feuds in the

country. That is why there was no prejudice in the way of Prophet

Joseph's ascendancy to power and in the subsequent settlement of the

Children of Israel in the most fertile region of Egypt. They could

gain that power and influence which they did, because they belonged to

the same race as the foreign rulers of Egypt. The Hyksos ruled over

Egypt up to the end of the fifteenth century B. C., and practically

all the powers remained in the hands of the Israelites. The Quran has

made a reference to this in v. 20 of Al-Ma'idah: ..... He raised

Prophets among you and made you rulers. . ., Then there arose a great

nationalist movement which overthrew the power of this dynasty and

exiled 250,000 or so of the Amalekites. As a result of this, a very

bigoted dynasty of Copts came into power and uprooted everything

connected with the Amalekites. Then started that persecution of the

Israelites which has been mentioned in connection with the story of

Prophet Moses. We also learn from the history of Egypt that the

"Hyksos kings" did not acknowledge the gods of Egypt and, therefore,

had imported their own gods from Syria, with a view to spreading their

own religion in Egypt. This is the reason why the Quran has not called

the king who was the contemporary of Prophet Joseph by the title of

"Pharaoh," because this title was associated with the religion of the

original people of Egypt and the Hyksos did not believe in it, but the

Bible erroneously calls him "Pharaoh". It appears that the editors of

the Bible had the misunderstanding that all the kings of Egypt were

"Pharaohs." The modern research scholars who have made a comparative

study of the Bible and the Egyptian history are generally of the

opinion that Apophis was the Hyksos king, who was the contemporary of

Prophet Joseph. At that time Memphis was the capital of Egypt, whose

ruins are still found on the Nile at a distance of 4 miles south of

Cairo. When Prophet Joseph was taken there, he was 17 or 18 years old.

He remained in the house of Aziz for three years and spent nine years

in prison, and then became the ruler of the land at the age of thirty

and ruled over Egypt independently for eighty years. In the ninth or

tenth year of his rule he sent for his father, Prophet Jacob, to come

from Palestine to Egypt with all the members of his family and,

according to the Bible, settled them in the land of Goshen, where they

lived up to the time of Prophet Moses. The Bible says that before his

death, Prophet Joseph bound his kindred by an oath: "when you return

from this country to the house of your forefathers you must take my

bones out of this country with you. So he died a hundred and ten years

old, and they embalmed him . Though the story of Prophet Joseph as

given in the Quran differs very much in its details from that given in

the Bible and the Talmud, the Three generally agree in regard to its

component parts. We shall explain the differences, when and where

necessary, in our Explanatory Notes.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #13



                               ----------

                                13. Ra'd:

                               ----------



Name



This Sura takes its name from the word (ar-Ra'ad) (thunder) that

occurs in v. 13. It is merely the symbolic name of the Sura and does

not in any way mean that the Sura deals with the scientific problems

connected with thunder.



Period of Revelation



The internal evidence (vv 27-31 and vv. 34-48) shows that this Sura

was revealed in the last stage of the Mission of the Holy Prophet at

Makkah and during the same period in which Suras Yunus, Hudand Al-

A'arafwere sent down. The manner of speech indicates that a long time

had passed since the Holy Prophet had been conveying the Message. On

the one hand, his opponents had been contriving different devices to

defeat him and his Mission, and, on the other, his followers had been

expressing a desire that by showing a miracle the disbelievers might

be brought to the Right Way. In answer, Allah impressed on the

Believers that it is not His way to convert people by this method and

that they should not lose heart, if He is giving the enemies of the

Truth a rope long enough to hang themselves. Otherwise, He is able to

show such signs as may bring the dead out of their graves and make

them speak (v. 31), but even then these obdurate people will invent an

excuse to explain this away. All this decisive evidence clearly proves

that this Sura was revealed during the last stage of the Prophet's

Mission at Makkah.



Central Theme



The first verse enunciates the main theme of this Sura, that is, "The

Message of Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) is the very Truth, but

it is the fault of the people that they are rejecting it." This is the

pivot on which the whole Sura turns. This is why it has been shown

over and over again in different ways that the basic components of the

Message Tauhid, Resurrection and Prophethood-are a reality: therefore

they should believe sincerely in these for their own moral and

spiritual good. They have been warned that they shall incur their own

ruin if they reject them, for kufrby itself is sheer folly and

ignorance. Moreover, the aim of the Sura is not merely to satisfy the

minds but also to appeal to the hearts to accept the Faith. Therefore

it does not merely put forward logical arguments in support of the

truth of the Message and against the people's wrong notions, but at

appropriate intervals it makes frequent use of sympathetic and earnest

appeals to win over their hearts by warning them of the consequences

of kufrand by holding out the happy rewards of Faith so that the

foolish people should give up their obduracy. Besides this, the

objections of the opponents have been answered without any mention of

them, and those doubts which are proving a hindrance in the way of the

Message or were being created by the opponents have been removed. At

the same time, the Believers; who had been passing through long and

hard ordeal and were feeling tired, and waiting anxiously for Allah's

succour, have been comforted and filled with hope and courage.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #14



                              -------------

                              14. Ibrahim:

                              -------------



Name The Sura takes its name from v. 35 in which mention has been made

of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). But it does not mean that it contains

the life story of Prophet Abraham. The name is merely a symbol lid the

names of many other suras, i. e., the Sura in which Abraham's mention

has been made.



Period of Revelation



It appears from the tone of the Sura that it belongs to that group of

the Suras which were revealed during the last stage of the Makkan

period. For instance, v. 13 ("The disbellevers warned their Messengers,

'you shall have to return to our community or we will assuredly expel

you from our land'") clearly indicates that the persecution of the

Muslims was at its worst at the time of the revelation of this Sura,

and the people of Makkah were bent on expelling the Believers from

there like the disbelievers of the former Prophets. That is why in v.

14 they have been warned, "We will destroy these evil doers," and the

Believers have been comforted as were the believers before them, "and

after them settle you in the land" Likewise the stern warning

contained in the concluding portion (vv. 43-52 also confirms that the

Sura relates to the last stage of the Makkan Period.



Central Theme and Purpose



This Sura is an admonition and a warning to the disbelievers who were

rejecting the Message of the Holy Prophet and devising cunning schemes

to defeat his Mission. But warning, reproof, censure and reproach

dominate admonition. This is because a good deal of admonition had

already been made in the preceding Suras, but in spite of this their

obduracy, enmity, antagonism, mischief, persecution etc. had rather

increased.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #15



                               ----------

                                15. Hijr:

                               ----------



Name



This Sura takes its name from v. 80.



Period of Revelation



It is clear from its topics and style that the period of its

revelation is about the same as that of Sura Ibrahim, for two things

are quite prominent in its background. First, it appears from the

repeated warnings in this Sura that in spite of the fact that the Holy

Prophet had been propagating the Message for many years, his people in

general had not shown any inclination towards its acceptance nay, they

had become more and more obdurate and stubborn in their antagonism,

enmity and ridicule with the passage of time. Secondly, by that time

the Holy Prophet had begun to feel a little tired of making strenuous

efforts to eradicate disbelief and opposition of his people. That is

why Allah has consoled and comforted him over and over again by way of

encouragement . Topics and the Central Theme



Though the main topics of the sura are : (a) warning to those who

rejected his Message, opposed it tooth and nail, and ridiculed him,

and (b) comfort and encouragement to the Holy Prophet, it does not

mean that this Sura does not contain admonition and instructions. As a

matter of fact, the Quran never confines itself to mere warning;

rebuke and censure, but resorts to precept in every suitable place.

Accordingly, this Sura contains brief arguments for Tauhidon the one

hand, and admonition in the story of Adam and Satan on the other.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #16



                               ----------

                                16. Nahl:

                               ----------



Name



The name, An-Nahl, of this Sura has been taken from v. 68. This is

merely to distinguish it from other Suras.



Period of Revelation



The following internal evidence shows that this Sura was revealed

during the last Makkan stage of Prophethood: 1.V. 41 clearly shows

that persecution had forced some Muslims to emigrate to Habash before

the revelation of this Sura. 2.It is evident from v. 106 that at that

time the persecution of the Muslims was at its height. Therefore a

problem had arisen in regard to the utterance of a blasphemoins word,

without actual disbelief, under unbearable conditions. The problem was

that if one did so how he should be treated. 3.vv. 112-114 clearly

refer to the end of seven year famine that had struck Makkah some

years after the appointment of the Holy Prophet as Allah's Messenger.

4.There is a reference to V 116 of this Sura in VI: 145, and v. 118 of

this Sura contains a reference to VI: 146. This is a proof that both

these Suras (VI and XVI) were sent down in the same period. The

general style of the Sura also supports the view that this was

revealed during the last stage at Makkah. Central Theme All the topics

of the Sura revolve round different aspects of the Message, ie.,

refutation of shirk, proof of Tauhid, and warning of the consequences

of the rejection of and opposition and antagonism to the Message.



Topics of Discussion



The very first verse gives direct and strict warning to those who were

rejecting the Message outright, as if to say, "Allah's decision has

already been made concerning your rejection of the Message. Why are

you then clamouring for hastening it? Why don't you make use of the

respite that is being given to you!" And this was exactly what the

disbelievers of Makkah needed at the time of the revelation of this

Sura. For they challenged the Holy Prophet over and over again: "Why

don't you bring that scourge with which you have been threatening us!

For we have not only rejected your Message but have been openly

opposing it for a long time." Such a challenge had become a by-word

with them, which they frequently repeated as a clear proof that

Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) was not a true Prophet.

Immediately after this warning they have been admonished to give up

shirk, for this false creed was the main obstacle in the way of the

Message. Then the following topics come over and over again, one after

the other: 1.Very convincing proofs of Tauhidand refutation of

shirkhave been based on the plain signs in the universe and in man's

own self. 2. The objections of the disbelievers have been answered,

their arguments refuted, their doubts removed and their false pretexts

exposed. 3.Warnings have given of the consequences of persistence in

false ways and antagonism to the Message. 4.The moral changes which

the Message of the Holy Prophet aims to bring practically in human

life have been presented briefly in an appealing manner. The

mushrikshave been told that belief in Allah, which they also professed,

demanded that it shotlld not be confined merely to lip service, but

this creed should take a definite shape in moral and practical life.

The Holy Prophet and his companions have been comforted and told about

the attitude they should adopt in the face of antagonism and

persecution by the disbelievers.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #17



                            -----------------

                            17. Bani Israel:

                            -----------------



Name



This Sura takes its name (Bani Israil) from v. 4. But this name is

merely a distinctive appellation like the names of many other suras

and not a descriptive title, and does not mean that "Bani Isra'il" is

the theme of this Sarah.



Period of Revelation



The very first verse indicates that this Sura was revealed on the

occasion of Miraj (Ascension). According to the Traditions and books

on the life of the Holy Prophet, this event happened one year before

Hijrah. Thus, this Sura is one of those which were revealed in the

last stage of Prophethood at Makkah.



Background



The Holy Prophet had been propagating Tauhidfor the previous twelve

years and his opponents had been doing all they could to make his

Mission a failure, but in spite of all their opposition, Islam had

spread to every corner of Arabia and there was hardly any clan which

had not been influenced by his invitation. In Makkah itself the true

Believers had formed themselves into a small community and were ready

and willing to face every danger to make Islam a success. Besides them,

a very large number of the people of Aus and Khazraj (two influential

clans of Al-Madinah) had accepted Islam. Thus the time had come for

the Holy Prophet to emigrate from Makkah to Al- Madinah and there

gather together the scattered Muslims and establish a state based on

the principles of Islam. These were the conditions when Mi'raj took

place and on his return the Holy Prophet brought down the Message

contained in this Sura.



Theme and Topics



This Sura is a wonderful combination of warning, admonition and

instruction, which have been blended together in a balanced proportion.

The disbelievers of Makkah had been admonished to take a lesson from

the miserable end of the Israelites and other communities and mend

their ways within the period of respite given by Allah, which was

about to expire. They should, therefore, accept the invitation that

was being extended by Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) and the

Quran; otherwise they shall be annihilated and replaced by other

people. Incidentally, the Israelites, with whom Islam was going to

come in direct contact in the near future at Al-Madinah have also been

warned that they should learn a lesson from the chastisements that

have already been inflicted on them. They were warned, "Take advantage

of the Prophethood of Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) because

that is the last opportutury which is being given to you. If even now

you behave as you have been behaving, you shall meet with a painful

torment." As regards the education of mankind, it has been impressed

that human success or failure, gain or loss, depends upon the right

understanding of Tauhidlife-after- death and Prophethood. Accordingly,

convincing arguments have been put forward to prove that the Quran is

the Book of Allah and its teachings are true and genuine the doubts of

the disbelievers about these basic realities have been removed and on

suitable occasions they have been admonished and rebuked in regard to

their ways of ignorance. In this connection, those fundamental

principles of morality and civilization on which the Islamic System of

life is meant to be established have been put forward. Thus this was a

sort of the Manifesto of the intended Islamic state which had been

proclaimed a year before its actual establishment. It has been

explicitly stated that that was the sketch of the system on which

Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) intended to build human life

first in his own country and then in the outside world. Besides these,

the Holy Prophet has been instructed to stick firmly to his stand

without minding the opposition and difficulties which he was

encountering and should never think of making a compromise with

unbelief. The Muslims who sometimes showed signs of impatience, when

they met with persecution, calumny, and crooked arguments, have also

been instructed to face adverse circumstances with patience and

fortitude and keep full control over their feelings and passions.

Moreover, salatwas prescribed in order to reform and purify their

souls, as if to say, "This is the thing' which will produce in you

those high qualities of character which are essential for everyone who

intends to struggle in the righteous way Incidentally, we learn from

Traditions that Mi'raj was the first occasion on which the five daily

Prayers were prescribed to be offered at fixed times.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #18



                               ----------

                                18. Kahf:

                               ----------



Name



This Sura takes its name from v. 9 in which the word (al-kahf) occurs.



Period of Revelation



This is the first of those Suras which were sent down in the third

stage of Prophethood at Makkah. We have already divided the life of

the Holy Prophet at Makkah into four stages in the Introduction to

Chapter VI. According to that division the third stage lasted from the

fifth to the tenth year of Prophethood. What distinguishes this stage

from the second and the fourth stages is this. During the second stage

the Quraishmainly resorted to ridiculing, scoffing, threatening,

tempting, raising objections and making false propaganda against the

Holy Prophet and his followers in order to suppress the Islamic

Movement. But during the third stage they employed the weapons of

persecution, man handling and economic pressure for the same purpose.

So much so that a large number of the Muslims had to emigrate from

Arabia to Habash, and those who remained behind were besieged in

Shi'ib Abi Talib along with the Holy Prophet and his family. To add to

their misery, a complete social and economic boycott was applied

against them. The only redeeming feature was that there were two

personalities, Abu Talib and Hadrat Khadijah, whose personal influence

had been conducive to the support of two great families of the Quraish.

However, when in the tenth year of Prophethood these two persons died,

the fourth stage began with such revere persecutions as forced the

Holy Prophet and all his Companions to emigrate from Makkah. It

appears from the theme of the Sura that it was revealed at the

beginning of the third stage when in spite of persecutions and

opposition, migration to Habash had not yet taken place. That is why

the story of "Ashab-i-Kahf" (the Sleepers of the Cave) has been

related to comfort and encourage the persecuted Muslims and to show

them how the righteous people have been saving their Faith in the past.





Subject and Topics



This Sura was sent down in answer to the three questions which the

mushriksof Makkah, in consultation with the people of the Book, had

put to the Holy Prophet in order to test him. These were: (1) Who were

"the Sleepers of' the Cave" ? (2) What is the real story of Khidr? and

(3) What do you know about Zul- Qarnain?As these three questions and

the stories involved concerned the history of the Christians and the

Jews, and were unknown in Hijaz, a choice of these was made to test

whether the Holy Prophet possessed any source of the knowledge of the

hidden and unseen things. Allah, however, not only gave a complete

answer to their questions but also employed the three stories to the

disadvantage of the opponents of Islam in the conflict that was going

on at that time at Makkah between Islam and un-belief The questioners

were told that "the Sleepers of the Cave" believed in the same

doctrine of Tauhidwhich was being put forward in the Quran and that

their condition was similar to the condition of the persecuted Muslims

of Makkah. On the other hand, the persecutors of the Sleepers of the

Cave had behaved in the same way towards them as the disbelievers of

the Quraishwere behaving towards the Muslims. Besides this, the

Muslims have been taught that even if a Believer is persecuted by a

cruel society, he should not bow down before falsehood but emigrate

from the place all alone, if need be, with trust in God. Incidentally

the disbelievers of Makkah were told that the story of the Sleepers of

the Cave was a clear proof of the creed of the Hereafter, for this

showed that Allah has the power to resurrect anyone He wills even

after a long sleep of death as He did in case of the Sleepers of the

Cave. The story of the Sleepers of the Cave has also been used to warn

the chiefs of Makkah who were persecuting the small newly formed

Muslim Community. At the same time, the Holy Prophet has been

instructed that he should in no case make a compromise with their

persecutors nor should he consider them to be more important than his

poor followers. On the other hand, those chiefs have been admonished

that they should not be puffed up with the transitory life of pleasure

they were then enjoying but should seek after those excellences which

are permanent and eternal. The story of Khidr and Moses has been

related in such a way as to supply the answer to the question of the

disbelievers and to give comfort to the Believers as well. The lesson

contained in this story is this "You should have full faith in the

wisdom of what is happening in the Divine Factory in accordance with

the will of Allah. As the reality is hidden from you, you are at a

loss to understand the wisdom of what is happening, and sometimes if

it appears that things are going against you, you cry out, 'How and

why has this happened'. The fact is that if the curtain be removed

from the "unseen", you would yourselves come to know that what is

happening here is for the best. Even if some times it appears that

something is going against you, you will see that in the end it also

produces some good results for you. The same is true of the story of

zul-Qarnain for it also admonishes the questioners, as if to say, "0

you vain chiefs of Makkah you should learn a lesson from zul-Qarnain.

Though he was a great ruler, a great conqueror and the owner of great

resources, yet he always surrendered to his Creator, whereas you are

rebelling against Him even though you are insignificant chieftains in

comparison with him. Besides this, though zul-Qarnain built one of the

strongest walls for protection, yet his real trust was in Allah and

not in the "wall". He believed that the wall could protect him against

his enemies as long as it was the will of Allah and that there would

be crack and holes in it, when it would be His will : whereas you who

possess only insignificant fortified abodes and dwellings in

comparison with him, consider yourselves to be permanently safe and

secure against all sorts of calamities." While the Quran turned the

tables on the questioners who had tried to "expose" the Holy Prophet,

in the end of the Sura the same things have been reiterated that were

stated at its beginning: "Tauhidand the Hereafter are absolutely true

and real and for your own good you should accept these doctrines, mend

your ways in accordance with them and live in this world with this

conviction that you are accountable to Allah: otherwise you shall ruin

your life and all your doings shall be set at naught."







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #19



                              ------------

                               19. Maryam:

                              ------------



Name



It takes its name from v. 16.



Period of Revelation



It was revealed before the Migration to Habash. We learn from

authentic Traditions that Hadrat Ja'afar recited vv. 1-40 of this Sura

in the court of Negus when he called the migrants to his court.



Historical Background



We have already briefly referred to the conditions of that period in

the introduction to Sura Al-Kahf. Here we shall give rather fuller

details of the same conditions, which will be helpful in grasping the

meaning of this Sura and the other Suras of the period. When the

chiefs of the Quraishfelt that they had failed to suppress the Islamic

movement by ridicule, sarcasm, and by holding out promises and threats

and by making false accusations, they resorted to persecution, beating

and economic pressure. They would catch hold of the new Muslims of

their clans and persecute them, starve them and would even inflict

physical torture on them in order to coerce them to give up Islam. The

most pitiful victims of their persecution were the poor people and the

slaves and the proteges of the Quraish. They were beaten black and

blue, were imprisoned and kept thirsty and hungry and were dragged on

the burning sands of Makkah. The people would get work from the

professional labourers but would not pay them their wages. As an

instance we give below the story of Hadrat KhabbabbinArat, which is

given in Bukhari and Muslim: "I used to work as a blacksmith in Makkah.

Once I did some work for As bin Wa'il. When I went to ask for my wages,

he said, 'I will not pay your wages unless you disown Muhammad'." In

the same connection Hadrat Khabbabsays, "One day the Holy Prophet was

sitting in the shadow of the Ka'abah. I went to him and said, '0

Messenger of Allah, now persecution has gone to its extreme; why do

you not pray to Allah (for relief)?' At this the Holy Prophet was

greatly moved. He said, 'The believers before you were persecuted much

more than you. Their bones were scraped with combs of iron and their

heads were cut with saws, but still they did not give up their Faith.

I assure you that Allah will fulfil this Mission, and there will come

a period of such peace that one would travel from Sanna to Hadramaut,

and he will have no fear from anyone, save Allah. But you people have

already become impatient'." (Bukhari) When the conditions became

unbearable, the Holy Prophet, in the month of Rajab of the fifth year

of Prophethood, gave advice to his Companions to this effect: "You may

well migrate to Habash, for there is a king, who does not allow any

kind of injustice to anyone, and there is good in his land. You should

remain there till the time that Allah provides a remedy for your

affliction". Accordingly, at first, eleven men and four women left for

Habash. The Quraishpursued them up to the coast but fortunately they

got a timely boat for Habash at the sea-port of Shu'aibah, and they

escaped attest. Then after a few months, other people migrated to

Habash and their number rose to eighty-three men and eleven women of

the Quraishand seven non-Quraish. After this, only forty persons were

left with the Holy Prophet at Makkah. There was a great hue and cry in

Makkah after this Migration, for every family of the Quraishwas

adversely affected by this. There was hardly a family of the

Quraishwhich did not lose a son, a son-in-law, a daughter, a brother

or a sister. For instance, there were among the Migrants the near

relatives of Abu Jahl, Abu Sufyan and other chief of the Quraishwho

were notorious for their persecution of the Muslims. As a result of

this, some of them became even more bitter in their enmity of Islam,

while there were others who were so moved by this that they embraced

Islam. For instance, this Migration left a deep mark on Hadrat Umar.

One of his relatives, Laila, daughter of Hathmah, says, "I was packing

my luggage for Migration, while my husband, Amr bin Rabiy'ah, had gone

out. In the meantime Umar came there and began to watch me, while I

was engaged in preparation for the journey. Then he said, 'Are you

also going to migrate?' I answered, 'Yes by God, you people have

persecuted us much. But the wide earth of Allah is open for us. Now we

are going to a place where Allah will grant us peace'. At this, I

noticed such signs of emotion on the face of Umaras I had never seen

before. He simply said, 'May God be with you' and went away." After

the migration, the Quraishheld consultations, and decided to send

Abdullah bin Abi Rabiy'ah, half brother of Abu Jahl, and Amr bin As to

Habash with precious gifts so as to persuade Negus to send the

migrants back to Makkah. Hadrat Umm Salmah (a wife of the Holy

Prophet), who was among the migrants, has related this part of the

story in detail. She says, "When these two clever statesmen of the

Quraishreached Habash, they distributed the gifts among the courtiers

of the King and persuaded them to recommend strongly to him to send

the migrants back. Then they saw Negus himself and, presenting rich

gifts to him, said, "Some headstrong brats of our city have come to

your land and our chiefs have sent us to you with the request that you

may kindly send them back. These brats have forsaken our faith and

have not embraced your faith either, but have invented a new faith".

As soon as they had finished their speech, all the courtiers

recommended their case, saying, "We should send such people back to

their city for their people know them better. It is not proper for us

to keep them here". At this the King was annoyed and said, "I am not

going to give them back without proper enquiry. As these people have

put their trust in my country rather than in any other country and

have come here to take shelter, I will not betray them. At first I

will send for them and investigate into the allegations these people

have made against them. Then I will make my final decision".

Accordingly, the King sent for the Companions of the Holy Prophet and

asked them to come to his court. When the migrants received the

message of the King, they assembled and held consultations as to what

they should say to the King. At last they came to this unanimous

decision: "We will present before the King the teachings of the Holy

Prophet without adding anything to or withholding anything from them

and leave it to him whether he lets us remain here or turns us out of

his country". When they came to the court, the King put this problem

abruptly before them:"I understand that you have given up the faith of

your own people and have neither embraced my faith nor any other

existing faith. I would like to know what your new faith is." At this,

JafarbinAbiTalib, on behalf of the migrants, made an extempore speech

to this effect: "O King! We were sunk deep in ignorance and had become

very corrupt; then Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) came to us as

a Messenger of God, and did his best to reform us. But the

Quraishbegan to persecute his followers, so we have come to your

country in the hope that here we will be free from persecution". After

his speech, the King said, "Please recite a piece of the Revelation

which has been sent down by God to your Prophet". In response, Hadrat

Jafarrecited that portion of Sura Maryam which relates the story of

Prophets John and Jesus (Allah's peace be upon them). The King

listened to it and wept, so much so that his beard became wet with

tears. When Hadrat Jafarfinished the recital, he said:"Most surely

this Revelation and the Message of Jesus have come from the same

source. By God I will not give you up into the hands of these people".

Next day Amr bin As went to Negus and said, "Please send for them

again and ask them concerning the creed they hold about Jesus, the son

of Mary, for they say a horrible thing about him". The King again sent

for the migrants, who had already learnt about the scheme of Amr. They

again sat together and held consultations in regard to the answer they

should give to the King, if he asked about the belief they held about

Prophet Jesus. Though this was a very critical situation and all of

them were uneasy about it, they decided that they would say the same

thing that Allah and His Messenger had taught them. Accordingly, when

they went to the court, the King put them the question that had been

suggested by Amr bin As. So JafarbinAbiTalibstood up and answered

without the least hesitation: "He was a Servant of Allah and His

Messenger. He was a Spirit and a Word of Allah which had been sent to

virgin Mary." At this the King picked up a straw from the ground and

said, 'Bye God, Jesus was not worth this straw more than what you have

said about him." After this the King returned the gifts sent by the

Quraish, saying, "I do not take any bribe". Then he said to the

migrants, "You are allowed to stay here in perfect peace."



Theme and Subject



Keeping in view this historical background, it becomes quite obvious

that this Sura was sent down to serve the migrants as a "provision"

for their journey to Habash, as if to say, "Though you are leaving

your country as persecuted emigrants to a Christian country, you

should not in the least hide anything from the teachings you have

received. There- fore you should plainly say to the Christians that

Prophet Jesus was not the son of God." After relating the story of

Prophets John and Jesus in vv. 1-40, the story of Prophet Abraham has

been related (vv. 41-50) also for the benefit of the Migrants for he

also had been forced like them to leave his country by the persecution

of his father, his family and his country men. On the one hand, this

meant to console the Emigrants that they were following the footsteps

of Prophet Abraham and would attain the same good end as that Prophet

did. On the other hand, it meant to warn the disbeliever, of Makkah

that they should note it well that they were in the position of the

cruel people who had persecuted their forefather and leader, Abraham,

while the Muslim Emigrants were in the position of Prophet Abraham

himself. Then the mention of the other Prophets has been made in vv.

51-65 with a view to impress that Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him)

had brought the same way of Life that had been brought by the former

Prophets but their followers had become corrupt and adopted wrong ways.

In the concluding passage (vv. 66-98), a strong criticism has been

made of the evil ways of the disbelievers of Makkah, while the

Believers have been given the good news that they would come out

successful and become the beloved of the people, in spite of the worst

efforts of the enemies of the Truth.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #20



                               -----------

                               20. Ta-ha:

                               -----------



Name



This Sura takes its name from its "first word "Ta Ha". This name, like

the names of many other Suras, is merely symbolic.



Period of Revelation



The period of its revelation is the same as of Sura Maryam. It is just

possible that it was sent down during the Migration to Habash or just

after it. Anyhow, it is certain that this Sura was revealed before

Hadrat Umarembraced Islam. According to a well known and authentic

tradition when Hadrat Umarset out to kill the Holy Prophet, he met a

certain person, who said, "Before you do anything else, you should

know that your own sister and brother-in-law have embraced Islam"

Hearing this, he directly went to the house of his sister. There he

found his sister, Fatimah, and his brother-in-law, Said bin Zaid,

learning the contents of a scroll from KhabbabbinArt. When Fatimah saw

him coming she hid the scroll at once, but Hadrat Umarhad heard the

recital, so he began to interrogate them about it. Then he began to

thrash his brother-in-law, and wounded his sister, who tried to

protect him. At last both of them confessed, "We have become Muslims;

you may do whatever you like." As Hadrat Umarwas moved to see blood

running down from her head, he said, "Show me the thing you were

reading." The sister asked him to promise on oath that he would not

tear it, and added, "You cannot touch it unless you have a bath."

Accordingly, Hadrat Umartook his bath and when he began to read the

scroll, which contained this Sura, he spontaneously spoke out, "What

an excellent thing!" At this Hadrat Khabbab, who had hidden himself at

the sound of his footsteps, came out of his hiding and said, "By God,

I have high expectations that Allah will get great service from you to

propagate the Message of His Prophet, for just yesterday I heard the

Holy Prophet praying to Allah, 'My Lord, make Abul Hakam bin Hisham

(Abu Jahl) or Umar bin Khattab a supporter of Islam. So O Umar, turn

to Allah, turn to Allah." These words proved to be so persuasive that

he at once accompanied Hadrat Khabbaband went to the Holy Prophet to

embrace Islam. This happened a short time after the Migration to

Habash.



Theme and Topics of Discussion



This Sura begins with the enunciation of the object of the Revelation

of the Qur'an to this effect:"O Muhammad, this Quran has not been sent

down to you to put you unnecessarily to some great affliction. It does

not demand from you to perform the impossible task of imbuing the

hearts of the obdurate disbelievers with Faith. It is merely an

admonition meant to guide on to the Right Path those who fear God and

want to save themselves from His punishment. This Quran is the Word of

the Master of the earth and the heavens and God-head belongs to Him

alone:These two facts are eternal whether one believes them or not."

After this introduction, the Sura abruptly moves on to relate the

story of Prophet Moses without any apparent relevancy and without even

hinting at its applicability to the events of the period. However, if

we read between the lines, we realize that the discourse is addressed

very relevantly to the people of Makkah. But before we explain the

hidden meaning of the discourse, we must keep in view the fact that

the Arabs in general acknowledged Moses as a Prophet of God. This was

so because they had "been influenced by the large number of the Jews

around them and by" the neighbouring Christian kingdoms. Now let us

state those things which are hidden between the lines of the story:

1.Allah does not appoint a Prophet by the beat of drums or My

celebrating the occasion in a regular and formal ceremony, as if to

say, "We are appointing such and such a person as Our Prophet from

today." On the contrary, He bestows Prophethood in a confidential

manner just as He did in the case of Prophet Moses. Therefore you

should not consider it strange if Hadrat Muhammad has been appointed

as a Prophet all of a sudden and without any public pro- clamation.

2.The fundamental principles presented by Prophet Muhammad Tauhidand

the Hereafter are just the same as were taught to Prophet Moses at the

time of his appointment. 3.Prophet Muhammad has been made the standard

bearer of the Message of the Truth among the people of the Quraishall

by himself without material provisions, just as Prophet Moses was

entrusted with the Mission to go to a tyrant king like Pharaoh and ask

him to give up his attitude of rebellion. These are the mysterious

ways of Allah. He catches hold of a way farer of Midian on his way to

Egypt and says, "Go and fight with the greatest tyrant of the time."

He did not provide him with armies and provisions for this Mission.

The only thing He did was to appoint his brother as his assistant at

his request. 4.You, O People of Makkah, should note it well that

Pharaoh employed the same devices against Prophet Moses as you are

employing against Prophet Muhammad; frivolous objections, accusations,

and cruel persecutions. You should know that Allah's Prophet came out

victorious over Pharaoh, who possessed large armies and war equipments.

Incidentally, the Muslims have been consoled and comforted, though not

in so many words, that they should not be afraid of fighting with the

Quraishagainst fearful odds, for the mission which is supported by

Allah comes out victorious in the end. At the same time, the Muslims

have been exhorted to follow the excellent example of the magicians of

Egypt, who remained steadfast in their Faith, though Pharaoh

threatened them with horrible vengeance. 5. An incident from the story

of the Israelites has been cited to show in what ridiculous manner the

idolisation of false gods and goddesses starts and that the Prophets

of God do not tolerate even the slightest tinge of this preposterous

practice. Likewise, Prophet Muhammad is following the former Prophets

in opposing shirkand idol worship today. Thus, the story of Moses has

been used to throw light on all those matters which were connected

with the conflict between the Holy Prophet and the Quraish. Then at

the end of the story, the. Quraishhave been briefly admonished, as if

to say, "The Quran has been sent down in your tongue for your own good.

If you listen to it and follow its admonition, you will be doing so

for your own good but if you reject it, you will yourselves meet with

an evil end." After this the story of Prophet Adam has been related,

as if to tell the Quraish, "The way you are following is the way of

Satan, whereas the right way for a man is to follow his father Adam.

He was beguiled by Satan, but when he realized his error, he plainly

confessed it and repented and again turned back to the service of

Allah and won His favour. On the other hand, if a person follows Satan

and sticks to his error obdurately in spite of admonition, he does

harm to himself alone like Satan." In the end, the Holy Prophet and

the Muslims have been advised not to be impatient in regard to the

punishment to the disbelievers, as if to say, "Allah has His Own

scheme concerning them. He does not seize them at once but gives them

sufficient respite. Therefore you should not grow impatient but bear

the persecutions with fortitude and go on conveying the Message." In

this connection, great emphasis has been laid on salatso that it may

create in the believers the virtues of patience, forbearance,

contentment, resignation to the will of God and self analysis for

these are greatly needed in the service of the Message of the Truth.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #21



                              -------------

                              21. Anbiyaa:

                              -------------



Name



The name of this Sura has not been taken from any verse but it has

been called Al-Anbiyaa because it contains a continuous account of

many Anbiyaa (Prophets). Nevertheless, it is a symbolic name and not a

title.



Period of Revelation



Both the subject matter and the style of the Sura indicate that it was

sent down in the third stage of the life of the Holy Prophet at

Makkah.(Sea Introduction to Chapter VI).



Subject and Topics



This Sura discusses the conflict between the Holy Prophet and the

chiefs of Makkah, which was rampant at the time of its Revelation and

answers those objections and doubts which were being put forward

concerning his Prophethood and the Doctrines of Tauhidand the

Hereafter. The chiefs of Makkah have also been rebuked for their

machinations against the Holy Prophet and warned of the evil

consequences of their wicked activities. They have been admonished to

give up their indifference and heedlessness that they were showing

about the Message. At the end of the Sura, they have been told that

the person whom they considered to be a "distress and affliction" had

in reality come to them as a blessing.



Main Themes



In vv. 1-47, the following themes have been discussed in particular :

(1) The objection of the disbelievers that a human being could not be

a Messenger and therefore they could not accept Muhammad (peace be

upon him) as a Prophet, has been refuted. (2) They have been taken to

task for raising multifarious and contradictory objections against the

Holy Prophet and the Qur'an. (3) Their wrong conception of life has

been proved to be false because it was responsible for their

indifferent and heedless attitude towards the Message of the Holy

Prophet. They believed that life was merely a sport and pastime and

had no purpose behind or before it and there was no accountability or

reward or punishment. (4) The main cause of the conflict between the

disbelievers and the Holy Prophet was their insistence on the doctrine

of shirkand antagonism to the Doctrine of TauhidSo the doctrine of

skirkhas been refuted and the Doctrine of Tauhidreinforced by weighty

and impressive though brief arguments. (5) Arguments and admonitions

have been used to remove another misunderstanding of theirs. They

presumed that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a false prophet and his

warnings of a scourge from God were empty threats, just because no

scourge was visiting them in spite of their persistent rejection of

the Prophet. In vv. 48-91, instances have been cited from the

important events of the life stories of the Prophets to show that all

the Prophets, who were sent by God, were human beings and had all the

characteristics of a man except those which were exclusive to

Prophethood. They had no share in Godhead and they had to implore

Allah to fulfil each and every necessity of theirs. Along with these

two other things have also been mentioned: (1) All the Prophets had to

pass through distress and affliction; their opponents did their worst

to thwart their mission, but in spite of it they came out successful

by the extraordinary succour from Allah. (2) All the Prophets had one

and the same "way of life', the same as was being presented by

Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him), and that was the only Right Way

of Life and all other ways invented and introduced by mischievous

people were utterly wrong. In vv. 92-106, it has been declared that

only those who follow the Right Way, will come out successful in the

final judgment of God and those who discard it shall meet with the

worst consequences. In vv. 107-112, the people have been told that it

is a great favour of Allah that He has sent His Messenger to inform

them beforehand of this Reality and that those, who consider his

coming to be an affliction instead of a blessing, are foolish people.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #22



                               ----------

                                22. Hajj:

                               ----------



Name



This Sura takes its name from v. 27.



Period of Revelation



As this Sura contains the characteristics of both the Makki and the

Madani Suras, the commentators have differed as to its period of

revelation, but in the light of its style and themes we are of the

opinion that a part of it (vv. 1-24) was sent down in the last stage

of the Makki life of the Holy Prophet a little before migration and

the rest (vv. 25-78) during the first stage of his Madani life. That

is why this Sura combines the characteristics of both the Makki and

the Madani Suras. The sudden change of the style from v. 25 shows that

probably vv. 25-78 were sent down in the month of Zul-Hijjah in the

very first year after HijrahThis is indicated by vv. 25-41 and

confirmed by the occasion of the revelation of vv. 39-40. It appears

that the month of Zul-Hijjah must have brought to the immigrants

nostalgic memories of their homes in Makkah and naturally they must

have thought of their Sacred City and of their Hajjcongregation there,

and grieved to think that the mushrikQuraishhad debarred them from

visiting the Sacred Mosque. Therefore, they might even have been

praying for and expecting Divine permission to wage war against those

tyrants who had expelled them from their homes and deprived them of

visiting the House of Allah and made it difficult for them to follow

the way of Islam. It was at this psychological occasion that these

verses were sent down. That is why the pur- pose for which Masjidal

Haramwas built has been specifically mentioned. It has been made plain

that Hajj(pilgrimage) had been enjoined for the worship of One Allah.

But it is an irony that afterwards it had been dedicated to the

rituals of shirkand the worshippers of One Allah had been debarred

from visiting it. Therefore, permission for waging war against those

tyrants has been given to oust them from there and to establish the

righteous way of life for establishing virtue and eradicating evil.

According to Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Urwah bin Zubair, Zaid bin Aslam,

Muqatil bin Hayyan, Qatadah and other great commentators, v. 39 is the

first verse that grants the Muslims permission to wage war.

Collections of Hadlth and books on the life of the Holy Prophet

confirm that after this permission actual preparations for war were

started and the first expedition was sent to the coast of the Red Sea

in Safar A.H. 2, which is known as the Expedition of Waddan or Al-

Abwa. Subject Matter and Theme This Sura is addressed to: (1) The

mushriksof Makkah, (2) the wavering Muslims, and (3) the True

Believers. The mushrikshave been warned in a forceful manner to this

effect: "You have obdurately and impudently persisted in your ideas of

ignorance and trusted in your deities instead of Allah, though they

possess no power at all and you have repudiated the Divine Messenger.

Now you will meet the same end as has been the doom of those like you

before. You have only harmed yourselves by rejecting Our Prophet and

by persecuting the best element of your own community; now your false

deities shall not be able to save you from the wrath of God". At the

same time, they have been admonished time and again for their creed of

shirkand sound arguments have been given in favour of Tauhidand the

Hereafter. The wavering Muslims, who had embraced Islam but were not

prepared to endure any hardship in its way, have been admonished to

this effect: "What is this faith of yours? On the one hand, you are

ready to believe in Allah and become His servants provided you are

given peace and prosperity but, on the other, if you meet with

afflictions and hardships in His Way, you discard your Allah and cease

to remain His servant. You should bear in mind that this wavering

attitude of yours cannot avert those misfortunes and losses which

Allah has ordained for you." As regards the true Believers, they have

been addressed in two ways: (1) in a general way so as to include the

common people of Arabia also, and (2) in an exclusive way: (1)The

Believers have been told that the mushriksoF Makkah had no right to

debar them from visiting the Holy Mosque. They had no right to prevent

anyone from performing Hajjbecause the Holy Mosque was not their

private property. This objection was not only justified but it also

acted as an effective political weapon against the Quraish. For it

posed this question to the other clans of Arabia: Were the Quraishmere

attendants of the Holy Mosque or its owners? It implied that if they

succeeded in debarring the Muslims from Hajjwithout any protest from

others, they would feel encouraged in future to debar from Hajjand

Umrahthe people of any other clan, who happened to have strained

relations with the Quraish. In order to emphasize this point, the

history of the construction of the Holy Mosque has been cited to show

that it was built by Prophet Abraham by the Command of Allah and he

had invited all the peoples to perform Hajjthere. That is why those

coming from outside had enjoyed equal rights by the local people from

the very beginning. It has also been made clear that that House had

not been built for the rituals of shirkbut for the worship of One

Allah. Thus it was sheer tyranny that the worship of Allah was being

forbidden there while the worship of idols enjoyed full licence. (2)

In order to counteract the tyranny of the Quraish, the Muslims were

allowed to fight with them. They were also given instructions to adopt

the right and just attitude as and when they acquired power to rule in

the land. Moreover, the Believers have been officially given the name

of "Muslims", saying, "You are the real heirs to Abraham and you have

been chosen to become witnesses of the Truth before mankind. Therefore

you should establish salatand pay the zakatdues in order to become the

best models of righteous life and perform Jihadfor propagating the

Word of Allah." (vv. 41,77, 78.) It will be worth while to keep in

view the introductions to Chapters II (Al-Baqarah) and VIII (AlAnfal).







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #23



                             --------------

                              23. Mumineen:

                             --------------



Name



The sura takes its name, Al-Muminun, from the first verse.



Period of Revelation.



Both its style and theme indicate that it was revealed during the

middle stage of Prophethood at Makkah. Reading between the lines, one

feels that a bitter conflict had begun between the, Holy Prophet and

the disbelievers of Makkah, though the persecution by them had not yet

become tyrannical. It appears that the sura was sent down during the

climax of the "Famine" in Makkah (vv. 75-76), which according to

authentic traditions occurred during the middle stage of Prophethood.

Moreover, according to a tradition related by 'Urwah bin Zubair,

Hadarat Umarwho had embraced Islam by that time, said, "This Sura was

revealed in my presence and I myself observed the state of the Holy

Prophet during its revelation. When the revelation ended , the Holy

Prophet remarked, 'On this occa- sion ten such verses have been sent

down to me that the one who measures up to them, will most surely go

to Paradise'. Then he recited the initial verses of the sura." (Ahmad,

Tirmizi, Nasai, Hakim).



Theme Topics



The central theme of the sura is to invite the people to accept and

follow the Message of the Holy Prophet and the whole Sura revolves

round this theme.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #24



                               ----------

                                24. Noor:

                               ----------



Name



This Sura takes its name, An Nur, from verse 35.



Period of Revelation



The consensus of opinion is that it was sent down after the Campaign

against Bani al-Mustaliq and this is confirmed by vv. 11-20 that deal

with the incident of the "Slander", which occurred during that

Campaign. But there is a difference of opinion as to whether this

Campaign took place in 5 A. H. before the Battle of the Trench or in 6

A. H. after it. It is important to decide this issue in order to

determine whether this Sura was sent down earlier or Sura Al-

Ahzab(XXXIII), which is the only other Sura containing the

Commandments about the observance of purdah by women. Sura Al-Ahzabwas

admittedly sent down on the occasion of the Battle of the Trench. Now

if this Battle occurred earlier, it would mean that the initial

instructions in connection with the Commandments of purdah were sent

down in Sura Al-Ahzab?and they were complemented later by the

Commandments revealed in this Sura. On the other hand, if the Campaign

against Bani al-Mustaliq occurred earlier, the chronological order of

the Commandments would be reversed, and it would become difficult to

understand the legal wisdom and implications of the Commandments of

purdah. According to Ibn Sa'd, the Campaign against Bani al Mustaliq

took place in Shaban 5 A. H. and the Battle of the Trench in Zil-

Qa'dah the same year. This opinion is based on some traditions from

Hadarat Ayesha about the events connected with the "Slander" in which

she refers to a dispute between Hadrat Sa'd bin 'Ubadah and Sa'd bin

Mu'az. Hadrat Sa'd bin Mu'az, according to authentic traditions, died

during the Campaign against Bani Quraizah, which took place

immediately after the Battle of the Trench. It is, therefore, evident

that he could not be present in 6 A. H. to take part in a dispute

about the "Slander". On the other hand, Muhammad bin Ishaq says that

the Battle of the Trench took place in Shawwal 5 A. H. and the

Campaign against Bani al-Mustaliq in Sha'ban 6 A. H. This opinion is

supported by many authentic traditionss from Hadrat Ayesha and others.

According to these traditions, (1) the Commandments about purdah had

been sent down in Sura Al-Ahzabbefore the incident of the "Slander",

(2) the Holy Prophet had married Hadrat Zainab in Zil-Qa'dah 5 A. H.

after the Battle of the Trench, (3) Hamnah, sister of Hadrat Zainab,

had taken a leading part in spreading the "Slander", just because

Hadrat Ayesha was a rival of her sister. All this evidence supports

the view of Muhammad bin Ishaq. Now let us consider the two opinions a

little more closely. The only argument in favour of the first opinion

is the mention of the presence of Hadrat Sa'd bin Mu'az in a dispute

connected with the incident of the "Slander". But this argument is

weakened by some other traditions from Hadrat Ayesha, in which she

mentions Hadara Usaid bin Hudair instead of Hadrat Sa'd bin Mu'az in

this dispute. It may, therefore, be assumed that there has been some

confusion regarding the two names in reporting the traditions.

Moreover, if we accept the first opinion, just because of the mention

of the name of Hadrat Sa'd bin Mu'az in some traditions, we encounter

other difficulties that cannot be resolved in any way. For, in that

case, we shall have to admit that the revelation of the Commandments

of purdah and the Holy Prophet's marriage with Hadrat Zainab had taken

place even earlier than the Battle of the Trench. But we learn from

the Qur'an and many authentic traditions that both these events

happened after that Battle and the Campaign against Bani Quraizah.

That is why Ibn Hazm, Ibn Qayyim and some other eminent scholars have

held the opinion of Muhammad bin Ishaq as correct, and we also hold it

to be so. Thus, we conclude that Sura AlAhzabwas sent down earlier

than Sura An-Nur, which was revealed in the latter half of 6 A. H.

several months after Sura AlAhzab.



Historical Background



Now let us review the circumstances existing at the time of the

revelation of this sura. It should be kept in mind that the incident

of the "Slander", which was the occasion of its revelation, was

closely connected with the conflict between Islam and the disbelievers.

After the victory at Badr, the Islamic movement began to gain strength

day by day; so much so that by the time of the Battle of the Trench,

it had become so strong that the united forces of the enemy numbering

about ten thousand failed to crush it and had to raise the siege of Al

Madinah after one month. It meant this, and both the parties

understood it well, that the war of aggression which the Disbelievers

had been waging for several years, had come to an end. The Holy

Prophet himself declared: "After this year, the Quraishwill not be

able to attack you; now you will take the offensive." When the

disbelievers realized that they could not defeat Islam on the

battlefield, they chose the moral front to carry on the conflict. It

cannot be said with certainty whether this Change of tactics was the

outcome of deliberate consultations, or it was the inevitable result

of the humiliating retreat in the Battle of the Trench, for which all

the available forces of the enemy had been concentrated:They knew it

well that the rise of Islam was nor due to the numerical strength of

the Muslims nor to their superior arms and ammunition nor to their

greater material resources; nay, the Muslims were fighting against

fearful odds on all these fronts. They owed their success to their

moral superiority. Their enemies realized that the pure and noble

qualities of the Holy Prophet and his followers were capturing the

hearts of the people, and were also binding them together into a

highly disciplined community. As a result of this, they were defeating

the mushriksand the Jews both on the peace and on the war front,

because the latter lacked discipline and character. Under the above

mentioned circumstances, the wicked designs of the disbelievers led

them to start a campaign of vilification against the Holy Prophet and

the Muslims in order to destroy the bulwark of morale that was helping

them to defeat their enemies. Therefore the strategy was to attain the

assistance of the hypocrites to spread slanders against the Holy

Prophet and his followers so that the mushriksand the Jews could

exploit these to sow the seeds of discord among the Muslims and

undermine their discipline. The first opportunity for the use of the

new strategy was afforded in Zil-Qa'dah 5 A. H. when the Holy Prophet

married Hadrat Zainab (daughter of Jahsh), who was the divorced wife

of his adopted son, Zaid bin Harithah. The Holy Prophet had arranged

this marriage in order to put an end to the custom of ignorance, which

gave the same status to the adopted son that was the right only of the

son from one's own loins. The hypocrites, however, considered it a

golden opportunity to vilify the Holy Prophet from inside the

community, and the Jews and the mushriksexploited it from outside to

ruin his high reputation by this malicious slander. For this purpose

fantastic stories were concocted and spread to this effect: "One day

Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) happened to see the wife of his

adopted son and fell in love with her; he manouvered her divorce and

married her." Though this was an absurd fiction it was spread with

such skill, cunning and artfulness that it succeeded in its purpose;

so much so that some Muslim traditionalist and commentators also have

cited some parts of it in their writings, and the orientalists have

exploited these fully to vilify the Holy Prophet. As a matter of fact,

Hadrat Zainab was never a stranger to the Holy Prophet that he should

see her by chance and fall in love with her at first sight. For she

was his first cousin, being the daughter of his real paternal aunt,

Umaimah, daughter of Abdul Muttalib. He had known her from her

childhood to her youth. A year before this incident, he himself had

persuaded her against her will to marry Hadarat Zaid in order to

demonstrate practically that the Quraishand the liberated slaves were

equal as human being. As she never reconciled herself to her marriage

with a liberated slave, they could not pull on together for long,

which inevitably led to her divorce. The above mentioned facts were

well known to all, yet the slanderers succeeded in their false

propaganda with the result that even today there are people who

exploit these things to defame Islam. The second slander was made on

the honour of Hadrat Ayesha, a wife of the Holy Prophet, in connection

with an incident which occurred while he was returning from the

Campaign against Bani al-Mustaliq. As this attack was even severer

than the first one and was the main background of this Sura, we shall

deal with it in greater detail. Let us say a few words about Abdullah

bin Ubayy, who played the part of a villain in this attack. He

belonged to the clan of Khazraj and was one of the most important

chiefs of Al-Madinah. The people had even intended to make him their

king a little before the Holy Prophet's migration there, but the

scheme had to be dropped because of the changed circumstances. Though

he had embraced Islam, he remained at heart a hypocrite and his

hypocrisy was so manifest that he was called the "Chief of the Hypo-

crites". He never lost any opportunity to slander Islam in order to

take his revenge. Now the main theme. When in Sha'ban 6 A. H. the Holy

Prophet learned that the people of Bani al-Mustaliq were making

preparations for a war against the Muslims and were trying to muster

other clans also for this purpose, he fore- stalled and took the enemy

by surprise. After capturing the people of the clan and their

belongings, the Holy Prophet made a halt near Muraisi, a spring in

their territory. One day a dispute concerning taking water from the

spring started between a servant of Hadrat Umarand an ally of the clan

of Khazraj, and developed into a quarrel between the

Muhajirs(immigrants) and the Ansar(Muslims of Mad!nah), but was soon

settled. This, however, did not suit the strategy of Abdullah bin

Ubayy, who also had joined the expedition with a large number of

hypocrites. So he began to incite the Ansar, saying, "You yourselves

brought these people of the quraishfrom Makkah and made them partners

in your wealth and property. And now they have become your rivals and

want domination over you. If even now you withdraw your support from

them, they shall be forced to leave your city." Then he swore and

declared, "As soon as we reach back Al-Madinah, the respectable people

will turn out the degraded people from the city.' When the Holy

Prophet came to know of this, he ordered the people to set off

immediately and march back to Al-Madinah. The forced march continued

up to noon the next day without a halt on the way so that the people

became exhausted and had no time for idle talk. Though this wise

judgment and quick action by the Holy Prophet averted the undesirable

consequences of the mischief, Abdullah bin Ubayy got another

opportunity for doing a far more serious and greater mischief, i. e.

by engineer]ng a "Slander" against Hadrat Ayesha, for that was a

mischief which might well have involved the young Muslim Community in

a civil war, if the Holy Prophet and his sincere and devoted followers

had not shown wisdom, forbearance and marvellous discipline in dealing

with it. In order to understand the events that led to the incident of

the "Slander", we cite the story in Hadrat 'Ayesha's own words. She

says "Whenever the Holy Prophet went out on a journey, he decided by

lots as to which of his wives should accompany him. Accordingly, it

was decided that I should accompany him during the expedition to Bani

al Mustaliq. On the return journey, the Holy Prophet halted for the

night at a place which was the last stage on the way back to Al-

Madinah. It was still night, when they began to make preparations for

the march. So I went outside the camp to ease myself. When I returned

and came near my halting place, I noticed that my necklace had fallen

down somewhere. I went back in search for it but in the meantime the

caravan moved off and I was left behind all alone. The four carriers

of the litter had placed it on my camel without noticing that it was

empty. This happened because of my light weight due to lack of food in

those days. I wrapped myself in my sheet and lay down in the hope that

when it would be found that I had been left behind, a search party

would come back to pick me up. In the meantime I fell asleep. In the

morning, when Safwan bin Mu'attal Sulami passed that way, he saw me

and recognised me for he had seen me several times before the

Commandment about purdah had been sent down. No sooner did he see me

than he stopped his camel and cried out spontaneously : "How sad! The

wife of the Holy Prophet has been left here!" At this I woke up all of

a sudden and covered my face with my sheet. Without uttering another

word, he made his camel kneel by me and stood aside, while I climbed

on to the camel back. He led the camel by the nose-string and we

overtook the caravan at about noon, when it had just halted and nobody

had yet noticed that I had been left behind. I learnt afterwards that

this incident had been used to slander me and Abdullah bin Ubayy was

foremost among the slanderers.(According to other traditions, when

Hadrat Ayesha reached the camp on the camel, led by Safwan, and it was

known that she had been left behind, Abdullahbin Ubayy cried out, 'By

God, she could not have remained chaste. Look, there comes the wife of

your Prophet openly on the camel led by the person with whom she

passed the night.') "When I reached Al-Madinah, I fell ill and stayed

in bed for more than a month. Though I was quite unaware of it, the

news of the "Slander" was spreading like a scandal in the city, and

had also reached the Holy Prophet. Anyhow, I noticed that he did not

seem as concerned about my illness he used to be. He would come but

without addressing me directly, would inquire from others how I was

and leave the house. Therefore it troubled my mind that something had

gone wrong somewhere. So I took leave of him and went to my mother's

house for better nursing. "While I was there, one night I went out of

the city to ease myself in the company of Mistah's mother, who was a

first cousin of my mother. As she was walking along she stumbled over

something and cried out spontaneously, 'May Mistah perish!' To this I

retorted, 'What a good mother you are that you curse your own son, the

son who took part in the Battle of Badr.' She replied, 'My dear

daughter, are you not aware of his scandal mongering?' Then she told

me everything about the campalgn of the "Slander".(Besides the

hypocrites, some true Muslims also had been involved in this campaign,

and among them who took leading part in it, were Mistah, Hassan bin

Thabit, the famous poet of Islam, and Hamnah, daughter of Jahsh and

sister of Hadrat Zainab). Hearing this horrible story, my blood

curdled, and I immediately returned home, and passed the rest of the

night in crying over it. "During my abcence the Holy Prophet took

counsel with Ali and Usamah bin Zaid about this matter. Usamah said

good words about me to this effect:'O Messenger of Allah, we have

found nothing but good in your wife. All that is being spread about

her is a lie and calumny.' As regards Ali, he said, 'O Messenger of

Allah, there is no dearth of women; you may, if you like, marry an

other wife. If, how- ever, you would like to investigate into the

matter, you may send for her maid servant and enquire into it through

her.' Accordingly, the maid servant was sent for and questioned. She

replied, 'I declare on an oath by Allah, Who has sent you with the

Truth, that I have never seen any evil thing in her, except that she

falls asleep when I tell her to look after the kneaded dough in my

absence and a goat comes and eats it.' "On that same day the Holy

Prophet addressed the people from the pulpit, saying:'O Muslims, who

from among you will defend my honour against the attacker of the

person who has transgressed all bounds in doing harm to me by

slandering my wife. By God, I have made a thorough enquiry and found

nothing wrong with her nor with the man, whose name has been linked

with the "Slander". At this Usaid bin Hudair (or Sa'd bin Mauz)

according to other traditions) stood up and said, 'O Messenger of

Allah, if that pcrson belongs to our clan, we will kill him by

ourselves, but if he belongs to the Khazraj clan, we will kill him if

you order us to do so.' Hearing this Sa'd bin 'Ubadah,2 chief of the

Khazraj clan, stood up and said, 'You lie you can never kill him. You

are saying this just because the person belongs to our clan of Khazraj.

Had he belonged to your clan, you would never have said so.' Hadrat

Usaid retorted, 'You are a hypo- crite: that is why you are defending

a hypocrite.' At this, there was a general turmoil in the mosque,

which would have developed into a riot, even though the Holy Prophet

was present there the whole time. But he cooled down their anger and

came down from the pulpit." The remaining details of the incident will

be cited along with our commentary on the Text, which honourably

absolved Hadrat Aishah from the blame. But here we would only want to

point out the enormity of the mischief that was engineered by Abdullah

bin Ubayy: (1) It implied an attack on the honour of the Holy Prophet

and Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddiq.(2) He meant to undermine the high moral

superiority which was the greatest asset of the Islamic Movement (3)

He intended to ignite civil war between the Muhajirsand the Ansar, and

between Aus and Khazraj, the two clans of the Ansar. Theme and Topics

This Sura and vv. 28-73 of Sura Al-Ahzab(of which this is the sequel)

were sent down to strengthen the moral front, which at that time was

the main target of the attack, vv. 28-73 of Al-Ahzabwere sent down

concerning the Holy Prophet's marriage with Hadrat Zainab, and on the

occasion of the second attack (the "Slander" about Hadrat Aishah),

Sura An-Nurwas sent down to repair the cracks that had appeared in the

unity of the Muslim Commurvty. If we keep this in view during the

study of the two Suras, we shall understand the wisdom that underlies

the Commandments about purdah. Allah sent the following instructions

to strengthen and safeguard the moral front, and to counteract the

storm of propaganda that was raised on the occasion of the marriage of

Hazrat Zainab: (1) The wives of the Holy Prophet were enjoined to

remain within their private quarters, to avoid display of adornments

and to be cautious in their talk with other persons (vv. 32, 33). (2)

The other Muslims were forbidden to enter the private rooms of the

Holy Prophet and instructed to ask whatever they wanted from behind

the curtain.(v. 53). (3) A line of demarcation was drawn between the

mahram and the non-mahram relatives. Only the former were allowed to

enter the private rooms of those wives of the Holy Prophet with whom

they were so closely related as to prohibit marriage with them.(v. 55).

(4) The Muslims were told that the wives of the Prophet were

prohibited for them just like their own real mothers; therefore every

Muslim should regard them with the purest of intentions.(vv. 53, 54).

(5) The Muslims were warned that they would invite the curse and

scourge of Allah if they offended the Holy Prophet. Likewise it was a

heinous sin to attack the honour of or slander any Muslim man or

woman.(vv. 57, -8). (6) All the Muslim women were enjoined to cover

their faces with their sheets if and when they had to go out of their

houses.(v. 59). On the occasion of the second attack, this Sura was

sent down to keep pure and strengthen the moral fibre of the Muslim

society, which had been shaken by the enormity of the slander. We give

below a summary of the Commandments and instructions in their

chronological order so that one may understand how the Qur'an makes

use of the psychological occasion to reform the Community by the

adoption of legal, moral and social measures. (1) Fornication which

had already been declared to be a social crime (IV: 15,16) was now

made a criminal offence and was to be punished with a hundred lashes.

(2) It was enjoined to boycott the adulterous men and women and the

Muslims were forbidden to have any marriage relations with them. (3)

The one, who accused the other of adultery but failed to produce four

witnesses, was to be punished with eighty lashes. (4) The Law of Lian

was prescribed to decide the charge of adultery against his own fife

by a husband. (5) The Muslims were enjoined to learn a lesson from the

incident of the "Slander" about Hadrat Aishah, as if to say, "You

should be very cautious in regard to charges of adultery against the

people of good reputation, and should not spread these; nay, you

should refute and suppress them immediately." In this connection, a

general principle was enunciated that the proper spouse for a pure man

is a pure woman, for he cannot pull on with a wicked woman for long,

and the same is the case with a pure woman, as if to say, "When you

knew that the Holy Prophet was a pure man, nay, the purest of all

human beings, how could you believe that he had experienced happiness

with a wicked woman and exalted her as the most beloved of his

wives?For it was obvious that an adulterous woman could not have been

able to deceive, with her affected behaviour, a pure man like the Holy

Prophet. You ought also to have considered the fact that the accuser

was a mean person while the accused was a pure woman. This should have

been enough to convince you that the accusation was not worth your

consideration; nay, it was not even conceivable. (6) Those who spread

news and evil rumours and propagate wickedncss in the Muslim Community,

deserve punishment and not encouragement. (7) A general principle was

laid down that relations in the Muslim Community should be based on

good faith and not on suspicion: everyone should be treated as

innocent unless he is proved to be guilty and vice versa. (8) The

people were forbidden to enter the houses of others unceremoniously

and were instructed to take permission for this. (9) Both men and

women were instructed to lower their gaze and forbidden to cast

glances or make eyes at each other. (10) Women were enjoined to cover

their heads and breasts even inside their houses. (11) Women were

forbidden to appear with make-up before other men except their

servants or such relatives with whom their marriage is prohibited.

(12) They were enjoined to hide their make-ups when they went out of

their houses, and even forbidden to put on jingling ornaments, while

they moved out of their houses. (13) Marriage was encouraged and

enjoined even for slaves and slave girls, for unmarried people help

spread indecency. (14) The institution of slavery was discouraged and

the owners and other people were enjoined to give financial help to

the slaves to earn their freedom under the law of Mukatabat. (15)

Prostitution by slave girls was forbidden in the first instance, for

prostitution in Arabia was confined to this class alone. This in fact

implied the legal prohibition of prostitution. (16) Sanctity of

privacy in home life was enjoined even for servants and under age

children including one's own. They were enjoined not to enter the

private rooms of any man or woman without permission; especially in

the morning, at noon and at night. (17) Old women were given the

concession that they could set aside their head covers within their

houses but should refrain from display of adornments. Even they were

told that it was better for them to keep themselves covered with head

wrappers. (18) The blind, lame, crippled and sick persons were allowed

to take any article of food from the houses of other people without

permission, for it was not to be treated like theft and cheating,

which are cognizable offences. (19) On the other hand, the Muslims

were encouraged to develop mutual relationships by taking their meals

together, and the nearest relatives and intimate friends were allowed

to take their meals in each other's house without any formal

invitation. This was to produce mutual affection and sincere

relationships between them to counteract any future mischief. Side by

side with these instructions, clear signs of the Believers and the

hypocrites were stated to enable every Muslim to discriminate between

the two. At the same time the Community was bound together by adopting

disciplinary measures in order to make it stronger and firmer than it

was at the time so as to discourage the enemies from creating mischief

in it. Above all, the most conspicuous thing about this discourse is

that it is free from the bitterness which inevitably follows such

shameful and absurd attacks. Instead of showing any wrath at this

provocation, the discourse prescribes some laws and regulations and

enjoins reformative commandments and issues wise instructions that

were required at the time for the education and training of the

Community. Incidentally, this teaches us how to deal with such

provocative mischiefs coolly, wisely and generously. At the same time,

it is a clear proof that this is not the word of Prophet Muhammad

(Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) but of a Being Who is

observing all human conditions and affairs from the highest level, and

guiding mankind without any personal prejudices, feelings and leanings.

Had this been the word of the Hoiy Prophet; there would have been at

least some tinge of natural bitterness in spite of his great

generos1ty and forbearance, for it is but human that a noble man

naturally become enraged when his own honour is attacked in this mean

manner.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #25



                              -------------

                              25. Furqaan:

                              -------------



Name



The Sura takes its name "Al-Furqan" from the first verse. Though it is

symbolic like the names of many other Suras, it has a close relation

to its subject matter.



Period of Revelation



It appears from its style and subject matter that, like Sura Al-

Mu'minun, it was also revealed during the third stage of Prophethood

at Makkah. Ibn Jarir and Imam Razi have cited a tradition of Dahhak

bin Muzahim that this Sura was revealed eight years before Sura AnNisa.

This also confirms our opinion as to its period of revelation. (Ibn

Jarir, Vol. XIX, pp. 28-30, and Tafsir Kabir, Vol. VI,p. 358). Subject

Matter and Topics The Sura deals with the doubts and objections that

were being raised against the Qur'an, the Prophethood of Muhammad

(Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his teachings by the

disbelievers of Makkah. Appropriate answers to each and every

objection have been given and the people have been warned of the

consequences of rejecting the Truth. At the end of the Sura, a clear

picture of the moral superiority of the Believers has been depicted as

in the beginning of Sura Al-Mu'minun, as if to say, 'Here is the

criterion for distinguishing the genuine from the counterfeit. This is

the noble character of those people who have believed in and followed

the teachings of the Holy Prophet and this is the kind of people that

he is trying to train. You may yourselves compare and contrast this

type of people with those Arabs, who have not as yet accepted the

Message, and who are upholding "ignorance" and exerting their utmost

to defeat the Truth. Now you may judge for yourselves as to which you

would like to choose." Though this question was not posed in so many

words, it was placed before every one in Arabia in a tangible shape.

It may be noted that during the next few years, the practical answer

given to this question by the whole nation, with the exception of a

small minority, was that they chose Islam.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #26



                              -------------

                              26. Shuaraa:

                              -------------



Name



The Sura takes its name from verse 224 in which the word Ash-Shuaraa'

occurs.



Period of Revelation



The subject matter and the style show, and the traditions confirm,

that it was revealed during the middle Makkan poriod. According to Ibn

Abbas, Sura TaHawas revealed first, then Sura AlWaqiah, and then Sura

Ash-Shu'araa.(Ruh-ul-Ma'ani, Vol. xIx, p. 64). About Sura TaHait is

well known that it had been revealed before Hadrat Umar embraced Islam.





Subject Matter and Topics



The background of the Sura is that the disbelievers of Makkah were

persistently refusing, on one pretext or the other, to accept the

message of Islam given by the Holy Prophet. Sometimes they would say

that he did not show them any sign to convince them of his

Prophethood; some-times they would brand him as a poet or a sorcerer

and mock his message; and sometimes they would ridicule his Mission,

saying that his followers were either a few foolish youth, or the poor

people and slaves whereas, they argued, if his Mission had really some

value for the people, the nobles and the elders would have accepted it

first. Thus, while on the one hand, the Holy Prophet was becoming

wearied by his efforts to show them rationally the errors of their

creeds and prove the truth of the Doctrines of Tauhidand the Hereafter,

the disbelievers, on the other, were never tired of adopting one kind

of obduracy after the other. This state of affairs was causing great

anguish and grief to the Holy Prophet. Such were the conditions when

this Sura was revealed. It begins with words of consolation to the

Holy Prophet, implying, "Why do you fret for their sake?If these

people have not believed in you, it is not because they have not seen

any Sign, but because they are obdurate. They will not listen to

reason they want to see a Sign which makes them bow their heads in

humility. When this Sign is shown in due course of time, they will

themselves realize that what was being presented to them was the

Truth." After this introduction, till verse 191, one and the same

theme has been presented continuously, and it is said: "The whole

earth abounds in such Signs as can guide a seeker after truth to

Reality, but the stubborn and misguided people have never believed

even after seeing the Signs, whether these were the Signs of the

natural phenomena or the miracles of the Prophets. These wretched

people have stubbornly adhered to their erroneous creeds till the

Divine scourge actually overtook them." It is to illustrate this that

the history of seven of the ancient tribes has been told, who

persisted in disbelief just like the disbelievers of Makkah. In this

connection, the following points have been stressed: (1) The Signs are

of two kinds:(a) Those which are scattered all over the earth, and by

seeing which an intelligent person can judge for himself whether what

the Prophet is presenting is the Truth or not and (b) those which were

seen by Pharaoh and his people, Noah's people, the Ad and the Thamud,

Lot's people and the people of Aiykah. Now it is for the disbelievers

to decide which kind of the Signs they are eager to see. (2) The

mentality of thc disbeliever has been the same throughout the ages;

their arguments and their objections, and their excuses and

subterfuges for not believing have been similar and ultimately the

fates that they met have also been the same. Likewise, the Prophets in

every age presented the same teachings, their personal character and

their reasoning and arguments against their opponents were the same,

and they were all similarly blessed with mercy by Allah Almighty. Both

these patterns of behaviour and conduct are found in history, and the

disbelievers could themselves see as to which respective patterns they

and the Holy Prophet belonged. (3) Allah is All Mighty, All Powerful

and All Merciful at the same time. History contains instances of His

Wrath as well as of His Mercy. Now, therefore, it is for the people to

decide whether they would like to deserve Allah's Merey or His Wrath.

(4) Lastly, the discussion has been summed up, saying "O disbelievers,

if at all you want to see the Signs, why should you insist on seeing

those horrible Signs that visited the doomed communities of the

past?Why don't you see the Qur'an which is being presented in your own

language?Why don't you see Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and

mercy) and his Companions?Can the revelations of the Qur'an be the

work of a satan or a jinn?Does the recipient of the Qur'an appear to

be a sorcerer?Are Muhammad and his Companions no different from a poet

and his admirers?Why don't you give up disbelief and search your

hearts for their judgment?When in the heart of your hearts you

yourselves believe that the Revelations of the Qur'an have nothing in

common with sorcery and poetry, then you should know that you are

being cruel and unjust, and will certainly meet the doom meant for the

cruel and unjust."







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #27



                               ----------

                                27. Naml:

                               ----------



Name



The Sura takes its name from the phrase wadin-naml which occurs in

verse 18, implying that it is a Sura in which the story of An-Naml

(the Ant) has been related.



Period of Revelation



The subject matter and the style bear full resemblance with the Suras

of the middle Makkan period and this is supported by traditions as

well. According to Ibn Abbas and Jabir bin Zaid, "First the Sura

AshShuaraawas sent down, then the Sura An Naml and then Al-Qasas."



Theme and Topics



The Sura consists of two discourses, the first from the beginning of

the Sura to the end of verse 58, and the second from verse 59 to the

end of the Sura. The theme of the first discourse is that only those

people can benefit from the guidance of the Quran and become worthy of

the good promises made in it, who accept the realities which this Book

presents as the basic realities of the universe, and then follow up

their belief with obedience and submission in their practical lives as

well. But the greatest hindrance for man to follow this way is the

denial of the Hereafter. For it makes him irresponsible, selfish and

given to worldly life, which in turn makes it impossible for him to

submit himself before God and to accept the moral restrictions on his

lusts and desires. After this introduction three types of character

have been presented. The first type Is characterised by Pharoah and

the chiefs of Thamud and the rebels of the people of Lot, who were all

heedless of the accountability of the Hereafter and had consequently

become the slaves of the world. These people did not believe even

after seeing the miracles. Rather they turned against those who

invited them to goodness and piety. They persisted in their evil ways

which are held in abhorrence by every sensible person. They did not

heed the admonition even until a moment before they were overtaken by

the scourge of Allah. The second type of character is of the Prophet

Solomon (peace be upon him), who had been blessed by God with wealth

and kingdom and grandeur to an extent undreamt of by the chiefs of the

disbelievers of Makkah. But, since he regarded himself as answerable

before God and had the feeling that whatever he had was only due to

Allah's bounty, he had adopted the attitude of obediance before Him

and there was no tinge of vanity in his character. The third type is

of the queen of Sheba, who ruled over a most wealthy and well known

people in the history of Arabia. She possessed all those means of life,

which could cause a person to become vain and conceited. Her wealth

and possessions far exceeded the wealth and posses- sions of the

Quraish. Then she professed shirk, which was not only an ancestral way

of life with her, but she had to follow it in order to maintain her

position as a ruler. Therefore, it was much more difficult for her to

give up shirkand adopt the way of tauhidthan it could be for a common

mushrik. But when the Truth became evident to her, nothing could stop

her from accepting it. Her deviation was, in fact, due to her being

born and brought up in a polytheistic environment and not because of

her being a slave to her lusts and desires. Her conscience was not

devoid of the sense of accountability before God. In the second

discourse, at the outset, attention has been drawn to some of the most

glaring and visible realities of the universe, and the disbelievers of

Makkah have been asked one question after the other to the effect :

"Do these realities testify to the creed of shirkwhich you are

following, or to the truth of tauhidto which the Qur'an invites you?"

After this the real malady of the disbelievers has been pointed out,

saying, "The thing which has blinded them and made them insensitive to

every glaring reality is their denial of the Hereafter. This same

thing has rendered every matter and affair of life non-serious for

them. For, when according to them, everything has to become dust

ultimately, and the whole struggle of life is purposeless and without

an object before it, the truth and falsehood are equal and alike.

Therefore, the question whether one's system of life is based on the

right or wrong foundations, becomes meaningless for him." But the

discourse, as outlined above, is not meant to dissuade the Prophet and

the Muslims from calling the obdurate and heedless people to the way

of tauhid; it is, in fact, intended to arouse them from their slumber.

That is why in vv. 67-93 certain things have been said repeatedly in

order to produce in the people a sense of the Hereafter, to warn them

of the consequences of being heedless of it, and to convince them of

its coining, like an eye witness of something, who convinces the other

person of it, who has not seen it. In conclusion, the real invitation

of the Quran that is, the invitation to serve One Allah alone, has

been presented in a concise but forceful manner, and the people warned

that accepting it would be to their own advantage and rejecting it to

their own disadvantage. For if they deferred their faith until they

saw those Signs of God after the appearance of which they would be

left with no choice but to believe and submit, they should bear in

mind the fact that that would be the time of judgement and believing

then would be of no avail.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #28



                               ----------

                                28. Qasa:

                               ----------



Name



The Sura takes its name from verse 25 in which the word Al-Qasas

occurs. Lexically, qasas means to relate events in their proper

sequence. Thus, from the view- point of the meaning too, this word can

be a suitable title for this Sura, for in it the detailed story of the

Prophet Moses has been related.



Period of Revelation



As already mentioned in the introduction to Sura An Naml, according to

Ibn Abbas and Jabir bin Zaid, Suras Ash-Shuaraa, An-Namland Al-

Qasaswere sent down one after the other. The language, the style and

the theme also show that the period of the revelation of these three

Suras is nearly the same. Another reason for their lose resemblance is

that the different parts of the Prophet Moses story as mentioned in

these suras together make up a complete story. In Sura Ash-Shuaraa,

excusing himself for not accepting the office of Prophethood the

Prophet Moses submits, "The people of Pharaoh have the charge of a

crime against me; therefore, I fear that they will put me to death."

Then, when lie goes before Pharaoh, the latter says, "Did we not bring

you up as a child in our house? You lived quite a few years of your

life among us, and then you did what you did." Nothing more of this

has been mentioned there, but in this Sura the other details have been

supplied. Similarly, in Sura An-Namlthe story starts abruptly from the

time when the Prophet Moses was journeying with his family and

suddenly saw a fire at a distance. In that Sura nothing has been said

about the nature of his journey, or the place he was coming from, or

his destination, but this Sura supplies all the necessary details.

Thus, the three Suras read together complete the story of the Prophet

Moses (Allah's peace be upon him).



Theme and Topics



The main theme is to remove the doubts and objections that were being

raised against the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom

be Allah's peace and blessings) and to invalidate the excuses which

were being offered for not believing in him. For this purpose, first

the story of the Prophet Moses has been related, which, by analogy

with the period of revelation, impresses the following points in the

listener's mind automatically: First, Allah provides the means and

motives of whatever He wills to do, in imperceptible ways. Thus, Allah

so arranged things that the child through whom Pharaoh had to be

removed from power, was bred and brought up in his own house, and he

could not know whom he was fostering. Who can then fight God and

frustrate Him by his machinations. Secondly, Prophethood is not

granted to a person amid festivities by issuing a proclamation from

the earth and heavens. You wonder how Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's

peace) has been blessed with Prophethood unexpectedly, all of a sudden,

but Moses whom you yourselves acknowledge as a Prophet (v. 48) had

also become a Prophet unexpectedly, while on a journey, and nobody had

known what event had occurred in the desolation at the foot of Mt.

Sinai. Even Moses himself did not know a moment before what he was

going to be blessed with. He, in fact, had gone to bring a piece of

the fire but had returned with the gift of Prophethood Thirdly, the

person from whom Allah wants to take some service comes out without

any army and armour and without an apparent helper or force at his

back, yet he puts to rout much stronger and better equipped opponents.

The contrast that existed between the strengths of Moses (peace be

upon him) and Pharaoh was much more prominent and glaring than that

which existed between Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the quraish;

yet the world knows who had come out victorious in the end and who had

been routed. Fourthly, you refer to Moses again and again and say,

"Why has Muhammad not been given the same which was given to Moses? i.

e. miracles of the staff, the shining liand, etc. as if to suggest

that you would readily believe only if you were shown the kind of the

miracles that were shown by Moses to Pharaoh. But do you know what

sort of response was made by those who were shown those miracles? They

had not believed even after seeing the miracles, and had only said,

"This is magic", for they were involved in stubbornness and hostility

to the Truth. The same malady afflicts you today. Will you believe

only when you are slowly the same kind of miracles?Then, do you know

what fate the disbelievers had met even after seeing the miracles?

They were annihilated by Allah. Do you now wish to meet the same doom

by asking for the miracles in your obstinacy? These were the things

which were automatically impressed in the mind of every listener who

heard this story in the pagan environment of Makkah, for a similar

conflict was going on at that time between the Holy Prophet and

disbelievers of Makkah as had already taken place between the Prophet

Moses and Pharaoh before. This was the background against which the

story of the Prophet Moses was narrated so that a perfect analogy was

established automatically in every detail between the conditions

prevailing then in Makkah and those existing in the time of the

Prophet Moses. Then, from vcrse 43 onward the discourse turns to the

real theme. In the first place, the narration of a two thousand year

old historical event by the Holy Prophet with such accuracy and detail,

is presented as a proof of his Prophethood although he was un-lettered

and the people of his city and clan knew full well that he had no

access to any source of such information as they could point out. Then

his appointment as a Prophet is put forward as Allah's mercy to them,

for they were heedless and Allah had made this arrangement for their

guidance. Then their oft-repeated objection, "Why has not this Prophet

brought the miracles which Moses had brought?" has been answered. It

is said to them, "How can you be justified in demanding miracles from

this Prophet when you did not believe in Moses either, who, as you

yourselves acknowledge, had brought miracles from God?You can still

see the truth only if you do not serve your lusts and whims. But if

you remained afflicted with this malady, you would never see it even

though you were shown any kind of miracles." Then the disbelievers of

Makkah have been warned and put to shame for an event that occurred in

those very days. Some Christians had come to Makkah and embraced Islam

when they heard the Qur'an from the Holy Prophet. Instead of learning

any lesson from this the Makkans were so upset at this that their

leader, Abu Jahl, disgraced those people publicly. In conclusion, the

excuse that the disbelievers put forward for not believing in the Holy

Prophet has been dealt with. What they feared was this:"If we give up

the polytheistic creed of the Arabs and accept the doctrine of

Tauhidinstead, this will put an end to our supremacy in the religious,

political and economic fields, which, in turn, will destroy our

position of the most influential tribe of Arabia and we shall be left

with no refuge anywhere in the land." As this was the real motive of

the chiefs of the Quraishfor their antagonism towards the Truth, and

their doubts and objections were only the pretences, which they

invented to deceive the common people, Allah has dealt with these

fully till the end of the Sura, considered each aspect of these in a

wise manner and offered the remedy for their basic ailment due to

which those people judged the Truth and falsehood only from the

viewpoint of their worldly interests.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #29



                             --------------

                              29. Ankaboot:

                             --------------



Name



The Sura takes its name from verse 41 in which the word Ankabut

(Spider) has occurred.



Period of Revelation



Verses 56 to 60 clearly show that this Sura was sent down a little

before the migration to Habash, and this is supported by the internal

evidence of the subject matter as well. Some commentators have opined

that since it mentions the hypocrites, and hypocrisy appeared in

Madinah, the first ten verses of this Sura were revealed at Madinah

and the rest of it at Makkah; whereas the people whose hypocrisy has

been mentioned here are those who had adopted a hypocritical way of

life because they were afraid of the oppression and extreme physical

torture to which the Muslims were being subjected by the disbelievers.

Evidently, this kind of hypocrisy could be there only at Makkah and

not at Madinah. Similarly, some other commentators, seeing that in

this Sura the Muslims have been exhorted to migrate, have regarded it

as the last Sura to be revealed at Makkah, whereas the Muslims had

migrated to Habash even before their migration to Madinah. These

opinions are not based on any tradition but on the internal evidence

of the subject matter, and this internal evidence, when considered

against the subject matter of the Sura as a whole, points to the

conditions prevailing in the time of the migration to Habash and not

to the last stage at Makkah.



Theme and Subject matter



A perusal of the Sura shows that the period of its revelation was the

period of extreme persecution of the Muslims at Makkah. The

disbelievers were opposing and fighting Islam tooth and nail and the

new converts were being subjected to the severest oppression. Such

were the conditions when Allah sent down this Sura to strengthen and

encourage the sincere Muslims as well as to put to shame those who

were showing weakness of the faith. Besides, the disbelievers of

Makkah have been threatened and warned not to invite for themselves

the fate that the antagonists of the Truth have been experiencing in

every age. In this connection, the questions that some young men were

facing in those days, have also been answered. For instance, their

parents were urging them to abandon Muhammad (may Allah's peace be

upon him), and return to their ancestral religion, for they argued:

"The Qur'an in which you have put your faith, regards the rights of

the parents as the uppermost; therefore, listen to what we say;

otherwise you will be working against the dictates of your own Faith."

This has been answered in verse 8. Similarly, the people of some clans

said to the new converts to Islam, "Leave the question of punishments,

etc., to us. Listen to us and abandon this man. If God seizes you in

the Hereafter, we will come forward and say, 'Lord, these people are

innocent: we had forced them to give up the Faith; therefore, seize

us'." This has been dealt with, in vv. 12-13. The stories mentioned in

this Sura also impress the same point mostly, as if to say, "Look at

the Prophets of the past: they were made to suffer great hardships and

were treated cruelly for long periods. Then, at last they were helped

by Allah. Therefore, take heart: Allah's succour will certainly come.

But a period of trial and tribulation has to be undergone." Besides

teaching this lesson to the Muslims, the disbelievers also have been

warned, as if to say, "If you are not being immediately seized by

Allah, you should not form the wrong impression that you will never be

seized. The signs of the doomed nations of the past are before you.

Just see how they met their doom and how Allah succoured the

Prophets." Then the Muslims have been instructed to thc effect: "If

you feel that the persecution has becomc unbearable for you, you

should give up your homes, instead of giving up your Faith: Allah's

earth is vast: seek a new place where you can worship Allah with the

full peace of mind." Besides aIl this, the disbelievers also have been

urged to understand Islam. The realities of Tauhidand the Hereafter

have been impressed with rational arguments, shirkhave been refuted,

and drawing their attention towards the signs in the universe, they

have been told that all these Signs confirm the teachings that the

Prophet is presenting before them.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #30



                                ---------

                                30. Rum:

                                ---------



Name



The Sura takes its name Ar-Rum from the second verse in which the

words ghulibat-ir-Rum have occurred. Period of Revelation The period

of the revelation of this Sura is determined absolutely by the

historical event that has been mentioned at the outset. It says: "The

Romans have been vanquished in the neighbouring land."In those days

the Byzantine occupied territorie's adjacent to Arabia were Jordan,

Syria and Palestine, and in these territories the Romans were

completely overpowered by the Iranians in 615 A. D. Therefore, it can

be said with absolute certainty that this Sura was sent down in the

same year, and this was the year in which the migration to Habash took

place.



Historical Background



The prediction made in the initial verses of this Sura is one of the

most outstanding evidences of the Quran's being the Word of Allah and

the Holy Prophet Muhammad's being a true Messenger of Allah. Let us

have a look at the historical background relevant to the verses. Eight

years before the Holy Prophet's advent as a Prophet the Byzantine

Emperor Maurice was overthrown by Phocus, who captured the throne and

became king. Phocus first got the Emperor's five sons executed in

front of him, and then got the Emperor also killed and hung their

heads in a thoroughfare in Constantinople. A few days after this he

had the empress and her three danghters also put to death. The event

provided Khusrau Parvez, the Sassanid king of Iran; a good moral

excuse to attack Byzantium. For Emperor Maurice had been his

benefactor; with his help he had got the throne of Iran. Therefore, he

declared that he would avenge his godfather's and his children's

murder upon Phocus, the usurper. So, he started war against Byzantium

in 603 A. D. and within a few years, putting the Phocus armies to rout

in succession, he reached Edessa (modern, Urfa) in Asia Minor, on the

one hand, and Aleppo and Antioch in Syria, on the other. When the

Byzantine ministers saw that Phocus could not save the country, they

sought the African governor's help, who sent his son, Heraclius, to

Constantinople with a strong fleet. Phocus was immediately deposed and

Heraclius made emperor. He treated Phocus as he had treated Maurice.

This happened in 610 A. D., the year the Holy Prophet was appointed to

Prophethood. The moral excuse for which Khusrau Parvez had started the

war was no more valid after the deposition and death of Phocus. Had

the object of his war really been to avenge the murder of his ally on

Phocus for his cruelty, he would have come to terms with the new

Emperor after the death of Phocus. But he continued the war, and gave

it the colour of a crusade between Zoroastrianism and Christianity.

The sympathies of the Christian sects (i. e. Nestorians and Jacobians,

etc.) which had been excommunicated by the Roman ecclesiastical

authority and tyrannized for years also went with the Magian

(Zoroastrian) invaders, and the Jews also joined hands with them; so

much so that the number of the Jews who enlisted in Khusrau's army

rose up to 26,000. Heraclius could not stop this storm. The very first

news that he received from the East after asccnding the throne was

that of the Iranian occupation of Antioch. After this Damascus fell in

613 A. D. Then in 614 A.D. the Iranians occupying Jerusalem played

havoc with the Christian world. Ninety thousand Christians were

massacred and the Holy Sepulchre was desecrated. The Original Cross on

which, according to the Christian belief, Jesus had died was seized

and carried to Mada'in. The chief priest Zacharia was taken prisoner

and all the important churches of the city were destroyed. How puffed

up was Khusrau Parvez at this victory can be judged from the letter

that he wrote to Heraclius from Jerusalem. He wrote: "From Khusrau,

the greatest of all gods, the master of the whole world : To Heraclius,

his most wretched and most stupid servant: 'You say that you have

trust in your Lord. why didn't then your Lord save Jerusalem from

me?'" Within a year after this victory the Iranian armies over-ran

Jordan, Palestine and the whole of the Sinai Peninsula, and reached

the frontiers of Egypt. In those very days another conflict of a far

greater historical consequence was going on in Makkah. The believers

in One God, under the leadership of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's

peace be upon him), were fighting for their existence against the

followers of shirkunder the command of the chiefs of the Quraish, and

the conflict had reached such a stage that in 615 A. D., a substantial

number of the Muslims had to leave their homes and take refuge with

the Christian kingdom of Habash, which was an ally of the Byzantine

Empire. In those days the Sassanid victories against Byzantium were

the talk of the town, and the pagans of Makkah were delighted and were

taunting the Muslims to the effect: "Look the fire worshippers of Iran

are winning victories and the Christian believers in Revelation and

Prophethood are being routed everywhere. Likewise, we, the idol

worshippers of Arabia, will exterminate you and your religion." These

were the conditions when this Sura of the Quran was sent down, and in

it a prediction was made, saying:"The Romans have been vanquished in

the neighbouring land and within a few years after their defeat, they

shall be victorious. And it will be the day when the believers will

rejoice in the victory granted by Allah." It contained not one but two

predictions: First, the Romans shall be Victorious; and second, the

Muslims also shall win a victory at the same time. Apparently, there

was not a remote chance of the fulfilment of the either prediction in

the next few years. On the one hand, there were a handful of the

Muslims, who were being beaten and tortured in Makkah, and even till

eight years after this prediction there appeared no chance of their

victory and domination. On the other, the Romans were losing more and

more ground every next day. By 619 A. D. the whole of Egypt had passed

into Sassanid hands and the Magian armies had reached as far as

Tripoli. In Asia Minor they beat and pushed back the Romans to

Bosporus, and in 617 A. D. they captured Chalcedon (modern, Kadikoy)

just opposite Constantinople. The Emperor sent an envoy to Khusrau,

praying that he was ready to have peace on any terms, but he replied,

"I shall not give protection to the emperor until he is brought in

chains before me and gives up obedience to his crucified god and

adopts submission to the fire god." At last, the Emperor became so

depressed by defeat that he decided to leave Constantinople and shift

to Carthage (modern, Tunis). In short, as the British historian Gibbon

says, even seven to eight years after this prediction of the Quran,

the conditions were such that no one could even imagine that the

Byzantine Empire would ever gain an upper hand over Iran. Not to speak

of gaining domination, no one could hope that the Empire, under the

circumstances, would even survive. When these verses of the Quran were

sent down, the disbelievers of Makkah made great fun of them, and

Ubayy bin Khalaf bet Hadrat Abu Bakr ten camels if the Romans became

victorious within three years. When the Holy Prophet came to know of

the bet, he said, "The Quran has used the words bid i sinin, and the

word bid in Arabic applies to a number upto ten. Therefore, make the

bet for ten years and increase the number of camels to a hundred." So,

Hadrat Aba Bakr spoke to Ubayy again and bet a hundred camels for ten

years. In 622 A. D. as the Holy Prophet migrated to Madinah, thc

Emperor Heraclius set off quietly for Trabzon from Constantinople via

the Black Sea and started preparations to attack Iran from rear. For

this he asked the Church for money, and Pope Sergius lent him the

Church collections on interest, in a bid to save Christianity from

Zoroastrianism. Heraclius started his counter attack in 623 A. D. from

Armenia. Next year, in 624 A. D., he entered Azerbaijan and destroyed

Clorumia, the birthplace of Zoroaster, and ravaged the principal fire

temple of Iran. Great are the powers of Allah, this was the very year

when the Muslims achieved a decisive victory at Badrfor the first time

against the mushriks. Thus both the predictions made in Sura Rum were

fulfilled simultaneously within the stipulated period of ten years.

The Byzantine forces continued to press the Iranians hard and in the

decisive battle at Nineveh (627 A.D.) they dealt them the hardest blow.

They captured the royal residence of Dastagerd, and then pressing

forward reached right opposite to Ctesiphon, capital of Iran in those

days. In 628 A. D. in an internal revolt, Khusrau Parvez was

imprisoned and 18 of his sons were executed in front of him and a few

days later he himself died in the prison. This was the year when the

peace treaty of Hudaibiya was concluded, which the Quran has termed as

"the supreme victory", and in this very year Khusrau's son, Qubad II,

gave up all the occupied Roman territories, restored the True Cross

and made peace with Byzantium. In 628 A. D., the Empcror himself went

to Jerusalem to instal the "Holy Cross" in its place, and in the same

year the Holy Prophet entered Makkah for the first time after the

Hijrah to perform the Umra-tul-Qada. After this no one could have any

doubt about the truth of the prophecy of the Quran, with the result

that most of the Arab polytheists accepted Islam. The heirs of Ubayy

bin Khalaf lost their bet and had to give a hundred camels to Hadrat

AbuBakrSiddiq. He took them before the Holy Prophet, who ordered that

they be given away in charity, because the bet had been made at a time

when gambling had not yet been forbidden by the Shariah; now it was

forbidden. Therefore, the bet was allowed to be accepted from the

belligerent disbelievers, but instruction given that it should be

given away in charity and should not be brought in personal use. Theme

and Subject matter The discourse begins with the theme that the Romans

have been overcome and the people the world over think that the empire

is about to collapse, but the fact is that within a few years the

tables will be turned and the vanquished will again become victorious.

This introductory theme contains the great truth that man is

accustomed to seeing only what is apparent and superficial. That which

is behind the apparent and superficial he does not know. When in the

petty matters of life, this habit to see only the apparent and

superficial can lead man to misunderstandings and miscalculations, and

when he is liable to make wrong estimates only due to lack of

knowledge about "what will happen tomorrow", how stupendous will be

his error if he risks his whole life-activity by placing reliance

only upon what is visible and apparent with respect to his worldly

life as a whole. Then, from the question of the conflict between

Byzantium and Iran the direction of the discourse turns to the theme

of the Hereafter, and as far as verse 27, man has been made to

understand in different ways that the Hereafter is possible as well as

rational and necessary; then for the sake of keeping the system of his

life also stable and balanced it is absolutely necessary that he

should plan and order his present life on the faith in the Hereafter;

otherwise he will commit the same error as has always been the result

of placing one's reliance only upon the apparent and the visible. In

this connection, the Signs of the universe which have been presented

as evidence to prove the doctrine of the Hereafter arc precisely the

same which support the doctrine of Tauhid. Therefore from verse 28

onward, the discourse turns to the affirmation of Tauhidand the

refutation of shirk, and it is stressed that the natural way of life

for man is none else but to serve One God exclusively. Shirkis opposed

to the nature of the universe as to the nature of man. Therefore,

whenever man has adopted this deviation, chaos has resulted. Again

here, an allusion has been made to the great chaos that had gripped

the world on account of the war between the two major powers of the

time, and it has been indicated that this chaos too, is the result of

shirk, and all the nations who were ever involved in mischief and

chaos in the history of mankind were also mushriks. In conclusion, a

parable has been presented to make the people understand that just as

dead earth comes to life, all of a sudden, by a shower of rain sent by

God and swells with vegetation and plant life, so is the case with the

dead humanity. When God sends a shower of His mercy in the form of

Revelation and Prophethood, it also gives a new life to mankind and

causes it to grow and develop and flourish. Therefore: "If you take

full advantage of this opportunity, the barren land of Arabia will

bloom by Allah's mercy and the whole advantage will be your. But if

you do not take advantage of it, you will harm only your selves. Then

no regret will avail and no opportunity will be provided to make

amends."







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #31



                              -------------

                              31. Lukmaan:

                              -------------



Name



The Sura has been named Luqman after Luqman the Sage, whose

admonitions to his son have been related in vv. 12-19 of this Sura.



Period of Revelation



A perusal of the subject matter shows that it was sent down in the

period when persecution to suppress and thwart the invitation to Islam

had begun and every sort of machination had started being employed for

the purpose. This is borne out by vv. 14,15, in which the young

converts to Islam have been told that although the rights of the

parents are the uppermost after God, they should not listen to them if

they prevented them from accepting Islam, or compelled them to revert

to the creed of shirkand polytheism. The same thing has been said in

Sura Al-Ankabut, which indicates that both these Suras were sent down

in the same period. A study of the style and subject matter of the two

Suras on the whole, however, shows that Sura Luqman was sent down

earlier, for one does not see any sign of the antagonism in its

background though, contrary to this, while studying Sura Al-Ankabutone

can clearly feel that the Muslims were being severely persecuted

during the period of its revelation.



Theme and Subject matter



In this Sura the people have been made to under- stand the

meaninglessness and absurdity of shirkand the truth and reasonableness

of Tauhid, and they have been invited to give up blind imitation of

their forefathers, consider with a cool mind the teachings which the

Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) is

presenting from the Lord of the worlds, and see with open eyes the

manifest Signs found in the universe around them and in their own

selves, which bear evidence to its truth. In this connection, it has

also been pointed out that this is not a new teaching which might have

been, presented in the world, or in the land of Arabia, for the first

time, and with which the people might be unfamiliar. The learned and

wise people of the past ages said and taught the same thing which

Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) is teaching today. It is as if

to say, "O people:In your own country there has lived a wise man,

named Luqman, whose wisdom has been well known among you, whose

proverbs and wise sayings are cited in your daily conversation and who

is often quoted by your poets and orators. Now you should see for

yourselves what creed and what morals he used to teach."







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #32



                               -----------

                               32. Sajda:

                               -----------



Name



The Sura has been entitled As-Sajdah after the theme of Sajdah

(prostration) as expressed in verse 15.



Period of Revelation



From the style of the Sura it appears that it was sent down during the

middle Makkah period, more particularly in its initial stage, for one

does not find in its background that severity of the persecution and

tyranny which one finds in the Suras sent down in the later stages.



Theme and Topics



The main theme of the Sura is to remove the doubts of the people

concerning Tauhid, the Hereafter and thc Prophethood, and to invite

them to all these three realities. The disbelievers of Makkah, when

they talked of the Holy Prophet in private, said to one another, "This

person is forging strange things sometimes he gives news of what will

happen after death. He says: when you have become dust, you will be

called to render your accounts, and there will be Hell and Heaven.

Sometimes he says: these gods and goddesses and saints are

nonentities: One God alone is the Deity. And sometimes he says: the

discourses which I recite are not my own but Allah's Word. All these

are strange things which he presents."The answer to these doubts and

misgivings forms the theme and subject matter of this Sura. In this

connection, the disbelievers have been told: "Most certainly it is

Allah's Word, which has been sent down in order to arouse a people who

are sunk in heedlessness, being deprived of the bounties and blessings

of Prophethood. How can you call it a fabrication when its having been

sent dawn from Allah is manifest and selfevident?" Then, they have

been asked, "Use your common sense and judge for yourselves which of

the things presented by the Quran is strange and novel?Look at the

administration of the heavens and the earth: consider your own

creation and structure. Don't these things testify to the teaching

which this Prophet is presenting before you in the Quran? Does the

system of the universe point to Tauhidor to shirk? When you consider

this whole system and your own creation, does your intellect testify

that the One Who has given you your present existence, will not be

able to create you once again?" Then a scene of the Hereafter has been

depicted, the fruits of belief and the evil consequences of disbelief

have heen mentioned and the people exhorted to give up disbelief even

before they meet their doom and accept the teaching of the Quran,

which will be to their own advantage in the Hereafter. Then they have

been told: It is Allah's supreme Mercy that He does not seize man

immediately for his errors to punish him finally and decisively but

warns him beforehand by afflicting him with small troubles and

hardships and calamiaes and losses and strokes of misfortune so that

he may wake up and take admonition. Then it is said: "This is not the

first and novel event of its kind that a Book has becn sent down upon

a man from God. Before this the Book had been sent upon Moses also,

which you all know. There is nothing strange in this at which you

should marvel. Be assured that this Book has come down from God, and

note it well that the same will happen now as has already happened in

the time of Moses. Leadership now will be bestowed only on those who

will accept this Divine Book. Those who reject it shall be doomed to

failure." Then the disbelievers of Makkah have been admonished to the

effect:"See the end of the doomed communities of the past by whose

ruined habitations you pass during your trade journeys. Will you like

to meet the same doom yourself?Do not be deluded by the apparent and

superficial. Today you see that no one is listening to Muhammad (upon

whom be Allah's peace) except a few young men and some slaves and poor

men, and he is being made the target of curses and ugly remarks from

every side. From this you have formed the wrong impression that his

mission will fail. But this is only a deception of your eyes. Don't

you see the phenomenon in your daily life that a land previously lying

absolutely barren starts swelling with vegetation and plant life

everywhere just by a single shower of the rain though before this no

one could ever imagine that under the layers of its soil there lay

hidden such treasures of greenery and herbage?" In conclusion, the

Holy Prophet has been addressed to the effect: "These people mock at

what you say and ask as to when you will attain this decisive victory.

Tell them: when the time comes for the final judgement regarding you

and us, believing then will not profit you at all. If you have to

believe, believe now. But if you intend to await the final judgement,

then await it as you please."







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #33



                               -----------

                               33. Ahzab:

                               -----------



Name



The Sura derives its name Al-Ahzab from verse 20.



Period of Revelation



The Sura discusses three important events which are: the Battle of the

Trench (or Al-Ahzab: the Clans), which took place in Shawwal, A. H. 5;

the raid on Bani Quraizah, which was made in Dhil-Qa'dah, A. H. 5; and

the Holy Prophet's marriage with Hadrat Zainab, which also was

contracted in Dhil-Qa'dah, A. H. 5. These historical events accurately

determine the period of the revelation of this Sura.



Historical Background



The Islamic army's setback in the Battle of Uhud (A. H. 3) that

resulted from the error of the archers appointed by the Holy Prophet

so boosted up the morale of the Arab pagans and the Jews and the

hypocrites that they started entertaining the hope that they would

soon be able to exterminate Islam and the Muslims completely. Their

high state of morale can be judged from the events that occurred in

the first year after Uhud. Hardly two months had passed then the tribe

of Bani Asad of Najd began to make preparations for a raid on Madinah,

and the Holy Prophet had to despatch an expedition under Abu Salamah

to counteract them. In Safar A. H. 4 some people of the tribes of Adal

and Qarah asked the Holy Prophet to send some men to instruct them in

Islam. Accordingly six of the Companions were allowed to accompany

them for the purpose. But when they reached Raji (a place between

Rabigh and Jeddah), they summoned Hudhail against them, who killed

four of the Companions, and took the other two (Hadrat Khubaib bin Adi

and Hadrat Zaid bin ad-Dathinnah) to Makkah and sold them to the enemy.

Then in the same month of Safar, on the request of a chief of Bani

Amir, the Holy Prophet sent another deputation of 40 (according to

others, 70) preachers, consisting of the Ansar young men, to Najd. But

they were also betrayed. The people of Usayyah and Ri'l and Dhakwan,

tribes of Bani Sulaim, surrounded them suddenly at Bir Maunah and slew

all of them. Meanwhile the Jewish tribe of Bani an-Nadir of Madinah,

getting encouragement, continued to commit breaches of the treaties;

so much so that in Rabi'ul Awwal, A.H. 4, they plotted against the

life of the Holy Prophet himself. Then in Jamadi al-Ula, A. H. 4, Bani

Thalbah and Bani Muharib, the two tribes of Bani Ghatafan, started

making preparations to attack Madinah and the Holy Prophet had to go

to punish them. Thus, after their setback at Uhud, the Muslims went on

encountering repercussions continuously for seven to eight months.

However, it was the Holy Prophet's determination and wisdom and his

great Companions' spirit of sacrifice that changed these adverse

conditions completely within a short span of time. The economic

boycott by the Arabs had made life hard for the people of Madinah. All

the polytheistic tribes around Madinah were becoming rebellious.

Inside Madinah itself the Jews and the hypocrites were beat upon

mischief. But the successive steps taken by a handful of the sincere

Muslims, under the leadership of the Holy Prophet, not only restored

the image of strength of Islam in Arabia but also increased it

manifold. Raids Preceding the Battle of the Trench The first such step

was taken immediately after the Battle of Uhud. The very next day when

quite a large number of Muslims lay wounded and the martyrdom of the

near and dear ones was being mourned in many houses, and the Holy

Prophet himself was injured and sad at the martyrdom of his uncle,

Hadrat Hamzah, he called out to the devoted servants of Islam to

accompany him in pursuit of the pagans so as to deter them from

returning and attacking Madlnah again. The Holy Prophet's assessment

was absolutely correct. He knew that, although the Quraishhad

retreated without taking any advantage of their almost complete

victory, they would certainly regret their folly when they would halt

and consider the whole matter coolly on the way, and would return to

attack Madinah again. Therefore, he decided to go in pursuit of them,

and 630 of of the Muslims at once volunteered to accompany him. When

they reached Hamra al-Asad on the way to Makkah and camped there for

three days, the Holy Prophet came to know through a sympathetic non-

Muslim that Abu Sufyan had stayed at Ar-Rauha, 36 miles short of

Madinah, with an army 2,978 strong: they were regretting their error

and were, in fact, planning to return and attack Madinah once agaln.

But when they heard that the Holy Prophet was coming in pursuit of

them with an army, they lost heart and gave up their plan. Thus, not

only were the Quraishdeterred by this action but the other enemies

living around Madinah also realized that the Muslims were being led by

a person, who was highly well informed, wise and resolute, and that

the Muslims were ever ready to lay down their lives at his

command.(For further details, see Intro- duction to Sura AlImran. Then

as soon as the Bani Asad started making Preparations for a raid on

Madinah, the Holy Prophet's secret agents gave him timely information

about their intention. Thus, before they could come in force to attack

Madfnah, he sent an army 150 strong, under Hadrat Abu Salamah (the

first husband of Hadrat Umm Salamah) to punish them. They took Bani

Asad by surprise, who fled in panic leaving all their possessions

behind, which fell into the Muslim hands. After this came the turn of

the Bani an-Nadir. The day they plotted against the life of the Holy

Prophet, and the secret was disclosed, the Holy Prophet ordered them

to leave Madinah within ten days and warned that anyone who remained

behind after that would be put to death. Abdullah bin Ubayy, the chief

of the hypocrites of Madinah, encouraged them to defy the order and

refuse to leave Madinah. He even promised to help them with 2,000 men,

and assured them that the Bani Ghatafan from Najd also would come to

their aid. Accordingly, the Bani an- Nadir sent word that they would

not leave no matter what the Holy Prophet might do. As soon as the

time limit of ten days come to an end, the Holy Prophet laid siege to

their quarters, but none of their supporters had the courage to come

to their rescue. At last, they surrendered on condition that every

three of them would be allowed to load a camel with whatever they

could carry and go away leaving the rest of their possessions behind.

Thus, the whole suburbs of the city which were inhabited by the Bani

an-Nadir, and their gardens and their fortresses and other properties

fell to the Muslims, and the people of this treacherous tribe became

scattered in Khaiber, Wad il Qura and Syria. Then the Holy Prophet

turned his attention to the Bani Ghatafan, who were preparing for a

war against Madinah. He took 400 of the Muslims and overtook them at

Dhat ar-Riqa. They were so taken by surprise that they fled their

houses without a struggle and took refuge in the mountains. After this

in Shaban A. H. 4, the Holy Prophet went forth to Badrto fight Abu

Sufyan. At the end of the Battle of Uhud, he had challenged the Holy

Prophet and the Muslims, saying, "We shall again meet you in combat at

Badrnext year." In reply the Holy Prophet announced through a

Companion: "All right: we accept your challenge." Accordingly, at the

appointed time he reached Badrwith 1,500 of the Muslims. From the

other side, Abu Sufyan left Makkah with an army of 2,000 men, but

could not have the courage to march beyond Marr-az-Zahran (modern,

Wadi Fatimah). The Holy Prophet waited for him at Badrfor eight days;

the Muslims during these days did profitable business with a trading

party. This incident help- ed more than restore the image of strength

of the Muslims that had been tarnished at Uhud. It also made the whole

of Arabia realize that the Quraishalone could no longer resist

Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and bless- ings). This image and

position of the Muslims was further strengthened by another event.

Dumat al-Jandal (modern, Al-Jauf) was an important place at the border

between Arabia and Syria. When the caravans of the Arabs, trading

between Iraq in the south and Syria and Egypt in the north, passed

that way, they were harassed and looted by the natives. In Rabi al-

Awwal, A. H. 5, the Holy Prophet himself went to punish them with an

army of 1,000 men. They could not muster up courage to come out and

fight him and, therefore, fled the place. This caused the whole of

northern Arabia to dread the power of Islam, and the tribes began to

realize that the great power emerging from Al-Madinah was formidable

and could no longer be resisted by one or a few of the tribes.



The Battle of the Trench



Such were the conditions when the Battle of the Trench took place. It

was in fact a combined raid by many of the Arab tribes, who wanted to

crush the power of Madinah. It had been instigated by the leaders of

the Bani an-Nadir, who had settled in Khaiber after their banishment

from Madinah. They went round to the Quraishand Ghatafan and Hudhail

and many other tribes and induced them to gather all their forces

together and attack Madinah jointly. Thus, in Shawwal, A. H. 5, an

unprecedentedly large army of the Arab tribes marched against the

small city of Madinah. From the north came Jews of Bani an-Nadir and

Bani Qainuqa who after their banishment from Madinah, had settled in

Khaiber and Wad il Qura. From the east advanced the tribes of Ghatafan,

Bani Sulaim, Fazarah, Murrah, Ashja, Sad, Asad, etc. and from the

south the Quraish, along with a large force of their allies. Together

they numbered from ten to twelve thousand men. Had it been a sudden

attack, it would have been disastrous. But the Holy Prophet was not

unaware of this in Madinah. His intelligence men and the sympathisers

of the Islamic movement and the people influenced by it were present

in every tribe, who kept him informed of the enemy's movements. Even

before the enemy could reach his city, he got a trench dug out on the

north-west of Madinah in six days, and having the Mount Salat their

back, took up a defensive position with 3,000 men in the protection of

the Trench. To the south of Madinah there were many gardens (even now

there are) so that it could not be attacked from that side. To the

east there are lava rocks which are impassable for a large army. The

same is the case with the south western side. The attack, therefore,

could be made only from the eastern and western sides of the Uhud,

which the Holy Propbet had secured by digging a trench. The

disbelievers were not at all aware that they would have to counter the

trench outside Madinah. This kind of a defensive stratagem was unknown

to the Arabs. Thus, they had to lay a long siege in winter for which

they had not come prepared. After this, only one alternative remained

with the disbelievers: to incite the Jewish tribe of Bani Quraizah,

who inhabited the south eastern part of the city, to rebellion. As the

Mus]ims had entered a treaty with them that in case of an attack on

Madinah they would defend the city along with them, the Muslims had

made no defensive arrangement there and had even sent their families

to take shelter in the forts situated on that side. The invaders

perceived this weakness of the Islamic defenses. They sent Huyayy bin

Akhtab, the Jewish leader of the Bani an-Nadir, to the Bani Quraizah

so as to induce them to break the treaty and join the war. In the

beginning, they refused to oblige and said that they had a treaty with

Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) who had faithfully abided by it

and given them no cause for complaint. But when Ibn Akhtab said to

them, "Look, I have summoned the united force of entire Arabia against

him: this is a perfect opportunity to get rid of him. If you lose it,

you will never have another opportunity," the anti Islamic Jewish mind

prevailed over every moral consideration and the Bani Quraizah were

persuaded to break the treaty. The Holy Prophet received news of this.

He at once told Sad bin Ubadah, Sad bin Muadh, Abdullah bin Rawahah

and Khawwat bin Jubair, chiefs of the Ansar, to go and find out the

truth. He advised them that if they found Bani Quraizah still loyal to

the treaty, they should return and say so openly before the Muslim

army; however, if they found that they were bent upon treachery they

should only inform him so that the common Muslims would not be

disheartened. On reaching there the Companions found the Bani Quraizah

fully bent on mischief They told the Companions openly, "There is no

agreement and no treaty between us and Muhammad." At this they

returned to the Islamic army and submitted their report to the Holy

Prophet, saying, "'Adal and Qarah." That is, "The Quraizah are bent

upon doing what the Adal and Qarah had done with the preachers of

Islam at Raji." This news spread among the Muslims and caused great

consternation among them, for they had been encircled and their city

had been endangered on the side where there existed no defensive

arrangement and where they had also sent their families to take

shelter in the forts. This further increased the activities of the

hypocrites and they started making psychological attacks to break the

morale of the Muslims. One said, "How strange!We were being foretold

that the lands of Caesar and Chosroes would fall to us, but here we

are that not one of us can go out even to relieve himself." Another

one asked for permission to leave his post at the Trench so that he

could go and protect his own house which was in danger. Another one

started making secret propaganda to the effect: "Settle your affair

with the invaders yourselves and hand over Muhammad to them." This was

a highly critical hour of trial, which exposed every person who

harboured any hypocrisy in his heart. Only the true and sincere

Muslims remained firm and steadfast in their resolve and devotion. The

Holy Prophet at that critical moment initiated peace negotiations with

the Ban Ghatafan and tried to persuade them to accept one third of the

fruit harvest of Madinah and withdraw. But when he asked Sad bin

Ubadah and Sad bin Muadh, chief of the Ansar, for their opinion about

the conditions of peace, they said, "O Messenger of Allah: Is it your

personal wish that we should agree on these conditions, or is it

Allah's Command that we have no option but to accept it?Or, are you

giving this proposal only in order to save us from the enemy?" The

Holy Prophet replied, "I am proposing this only to save you: I see

that the whole of Arabia has formed a united front against you. I want

to divide the enemy." At this the two chiefs protested; saying, "Sir,

if you want to conclude this pact for our sake, kindly forget it.

These tribes could not subdue us under tribute when we were

polytheists. Now that we have the honour of believing in Allah and His

Messenger, will they make us sink to this depth of ignominy?The sword

now shall be the arbiter till Allah passes His judgement between them

and us." With these words they tore up the draft for the treaty which

had not yet been signed. In the meantime Nuaim bin Masud, a member of

the Ashja branch of the Ghatafan tribe, became a Muslim and came

before the Holy Prophet and submitted: "No one as yet knows that I

have embraced Islam: You can take from me whatever service you

please." The Holy Prophet replied: "Go and sow the seeds of discord

among the enemy."' So, first of all, Nu'aim went to the Quraizah with

whom he was on friendly terms, and said to them, "The Quraishand the

Ghatafan can become wearied of the siege and go back, and they will

lose nothing, but you have to live here with the Muslims. Just

consider what will be your position if the matter turns that way.

Therefore, I would advise you not to join the enemy until the

outsiders should send some of their prominent men as hostages to you."

This had the desired effect upon the Bani Quraizah and they decided to

demand hostages from the united front of the tribes. Then he went to

the chiefs of the Quraishand the Ghatafan and said to them, "The Bani

Quraizah seem to be slack and irresolute. May be they demand some men

as hostage from you, and then hand them over to Muhammad (upon whom be

Allah's peace) to settle their affair with him. Therefore, be very

firm and cautious in your dealing with them." This made the leaders of

the united front suspicious of Bani Quraizah. and they sent them a

message, saying, "We are tired of the long siege; let there be a

decisive battle; let us, therefore, make a general assault

simultaneously from both the sides." The Bani Quraizah sent back the

word, saying, "We cannot afford to join the war unless you hand over

some of your prominent men to us as hostages." The leaders of the

united front became convinced that what Nuaim had said was true. They

refused to send hostages. And the Bani Quraizah, on the other side,

also felt that Nuaim had given them the correct counsel. Thus, the

strategy worked: it divided the enemy against itself. The siege was

prolonged for more than 25 days. It was winter. The supply of food and

water and forage was becoming more and more scarce everyday and

division in the camp was also a great strain on the state of morale of

the besiegers. Then, suddenly one night a severe windstorm accompanied

by thunder and lightning hit the camp. It added to the cold and

darkness. The wind overthrew the tents and put the enemy in disarray.

They could not stand this severe blow of nature. They left the

battleground even during the night and returned to their homes. When

the Muslims awoke in the morning, there was not a single enemy soldier

to be seen on the battlefield. The Holy Prophet, finding the

battlefield completely empty, said: "The Quraishwill never be abie to

attack you after this: now you will take the offensive." This was a

correct assessment of the situation. Not only the Quraishbut the

united front of all the enemy tribes had made their final assault

against Islam and had failed. Now they could no longer dare invade

Madinah; now the Muslims were on the offensive.



Raid on Bani Quraizah



When the Holy Prophet returned from the Trench, Gabriel came to him in

the early afternoon with the Divine Command the the Muslims should not

lay aside the arms yet but should deal with the Bani Quraizah as well.

On receipt of this Command, the Holy Prophet got announced: "Everyone

who is steadfast in obedience should not offer his Asr Prayer till he

reahes the locality of the Bani Quraizah." Immediately after this, he

despatched Hadrat Ali with a contingent of soldiers as vanguard

towards the Quraizah. When they reached there, the Jews climbed on to

their roof tops and started hurling abuses on the Holy Prophet and the

Muslims, but their invectives could not save them from the

consequences of their treachery. They had committed breach of the

treaty right at the most critical moment of the war, joined hands with

the invaders and endangered the entire population of Madinah. When

they saw the contingent of Hadrat Ali, they thought that they had come

only to overawe them. But when the whole Islamic army arrived under

the command of the Holy Prophet himself and laid siege to their

quarters, they were very frightened. They could not stand the severity

of the siege for more than two or three weeks. At last, they

surrendered themselves to the Holy Prophet on the condition that they

would accept whatever decision Hadrat Sad bin Muadh, the chief of the

Aus, would give. They had accepted Hadrat Sad as their judge because

in the pre-Islamic days the Aus and the Quraizah had been confederates

and they hoped that in view of the past ties he would help them quit

Madinah as had happened in the case of the Bani Qainuqa and the Bani

an-Nadir before. The people of the Aus themselves wished that Hadrat

Sad treat their previous allies leniently. But Hadrat Sad had just

experienced and seen how the two Jewish tribes who had been allowed to

leave Madinah previously had instigated the other tribes living around

Madinah and summoned the united front of ten to twelve thousand men

against the Muslims. He was also aware how treacherously this last

Jewish tribe had behaved right on the occasion when the city was under

attack from outside and threatened the safety of the whole of its

population. Therefore, he decreed that all the male members of the

Quraizah should be put to death, their women and children taken

prisoners, and their properties distributed among the Muslims. The

sentence was carried out duly. When the Muslims entered their

strongholds they found that the treacherous people had collected 1,500

swords, 300 coats of mail, 2,000 spears and 1,500 shields in order to

join the war. If Allah's succour had not reached the Muslims, all this

military equipment would have been used to attack Madinah from the

rear right at the time when the polytheists were making preparations

for a general assault on the Muslims after crossing the Trench. After

this disclosure there remained no doubt that the decision of Hadrat

Sad concerning those people was absolutely correct.



Social Reforms



Though the period of two years between the Battles of Uhud and the

Trench was a period of disturbance and turmoil and the Holy Prophet

and his Companions could hardly relax in peace and security even for a

day, the work of reform as a whole and the reconstruction of the

Muslim society continued uninterrupted. This was the time when the

Islamic laws pertaining to marriage and divorce were complemented; the

law of inheritance was introduced, drinking and gambling were

prohibited, and the new laws and regulations concerning many other

aspects of the economic and social life were enforced. In this

connection, an important thing that needed to be reformed was the

question of the adoption of a son. Whoever was adopted by the Arabs as

a son was regarded as one of their own offspring: he got share in

inheritance; he was treated like a real son and real brother by the

adopted mother and the adopted sister; he could not marry the daughter

of his adopted father and his widow after his death. And the same was

the case if the adopted son died or divorced a wife. The adopted

father regarded the woman as his real daughter-in-law. This custom

clashed in every detail with the laws of marriage and divorce and

inheritance enjoined by Allah in Suras Al-Baqarahand An-Nisa. It made

a person who could get no share in inheritance entitled to it at the

expense of those who were really entitled to it. It prohibited

marriage between the men and the women who could contract marriage

perfectly lawfully. And, above all, it helped spread the immoralities

which the Islamic Law wanted to eradicate. For a real mother and a

real sister and a real daughter cannot be like the adopted mother and

the adopted sister and the adopted daughter, however one may try to

sanctify the adopted relations as a custom. When the artificial

relations endued with customary sanctity are allowed to mix freely

like the real relations, it cannot but produce evil results. That is

why the Islamic law of marriage and divorce, the law of inheritance

and the law of the prohibition of adultery required that the concept

and custom of regarding the adopted son as the real son should be

eradicated completely. This concept, however, could not be rooted out

by merely passing a legal order, saying, The adopted son is not the

real son. The centuries old prejudices and superstitions cannot be

changed by mere word of mouth. Even if the people had accepted the

command that these relations were not the real relations, they would

still have looked upon marriage between the adopted mother and the

adopted son, the adopted brother and the sister, the adopted father

and the daughter, and the adopted father- in-law and the daughter-in-

law odious and detestable. Moreover, there would still exist some

freedom of mixing together freely. Therefore, it was inevitable that

the custom should be eradicated practically, and through the Holy

Prophet himself. For no Muslim could ever conceive that a thing done

by the Holy Prophet himsell, and done by him under Allah's Command,

could be detestable. Therefore, a little before the Battle of the

Trench, the Holy Prophet was inspired by Allah that he should marry

the divorced wife of his adopted son, Zaid bin Harithah (may Allah be

pleased with him), and he acted on this Command during the siege of

the Bani Quraizah. (The delay probab- ly was caused for the reason

that the prescribed waiting period had not yet ended, and in the

meantime the Holy Prophet had to become busy in the preparation for

war). Storm of Propaganda at the Marriage of Hadrat Zainab As soon as

the marriage was contracted, there arose a storm of propaganda against

the Holy Prophet. The polytheists, the hypocrites and the Jews, all

were burning with jealousy at his triumphs which followed one after

the other. The way they had been humbled within two years after Uhud,

in the Battle of the Trench, and in the affair of the Quraizah, had

made them sore at heart. They had also lost hope that they could ever

subdue him on the battlefield. Therefore, they seized the question of

this marriage as a god send for themselves and thought they would put

an end to his moral superiority, which was the real secret of his

power and success. Therefore, stories were concocted that Muhammad,

God forbid, had fallen in love with his daughter-in-law, and when the

son had come to know of this, he divorced his wife, and the father

married his daughter-in-law. The propaganda, however, was absurd on

the face of it. Hadrat Zainab was the Holy Prophet's first cousin. He

had known her from childhood to youth. So, there could be no question

of his falling in love with her at first sight. Then he himself had

arranged her marriage with Hadrat Zaid under his personal influence,

although her whole family had opposed it. They did not like that a

daughter of the noble Quraishshould be given in marriage to a freed

slave. Hadrat Zainab herself was not happy at this arrangement. But

everyone had to submit to the Holy Prophet's command. The marriage was

solemnized and a precedent was set in Arabia that Islam had raised a

freed slave to the status of the Quraishite nobility. If the Holy

Prophet had in reality any desire for Hadrat Zainab, there was no need

of marrying her to Hadrat Zaid; he himself could have married her. But

in spite of all this, the shameless opponents invented stories of love,

spread them with great exaggeration and publicised them so vehemently

that even some Muslims also began to accept them as true.



Preliminary Commandments of Purdah



The fact that the tales invented by the enemies also became topics of

conversation among the Muslims was a clear sign that the element of

sensuality in society had crossed all limits. If this malady had not

been there, it was not possible that minds would have paid any

attention whatever to such absurd and disgusting stories about a

righteous and pure person like the Holy Prophet. This was precisely

the occasion when the reformative Com- mandments pertaining to the law

of Hijab or Purdah were first enforced in the Islamic society. These

reforms were introduced in this Sura and complemented a year later in

Sura An-Nur, when a slander was made on the honour of Hadrat

Aishah.(For further details, see Introduction to Sura An-Nur).



Domestic Affairs of the Holy Prophet



There were two other problems which needed attention at that time.

Though apparently they pertained to the Holy Prophet's domestic life,

it was necessary to resolve them for the domestic and mental peace of

the person, who was exerting every effort to promote the cause of

Allah's Religion and was day and night absorbed in this great mission.

Therefore, Allah took these two problems also officially in His own

hand. The first problem was that economically the Holy Prophet at that

time was in straitened circumstances. During the first four years he

had no source of income whatever. In 4 A. H. after the banishment of

the Bani an-Nadir, a portion of their evacuated lands was reserved for

his use by the Command of Allah, but it was not enough for his family

requirements. On the other hand, the duties of the office of

Prophethood were so onerous that they were absorbing all his energies

of the mind and body and heart and every moment of his time, and he

could not make any effort at all for earning his livelihood. In

conditions such as these when his wives happened to disturb his mental

peace because of economic hardships he would feel doubly strained and

taxed. The other problem was that before marrying Hadrat Zainab, he

had four wives already in the houses: Hadrat Saudah, Hadrat Aishah,

Hadrat Hafsah, and Hadrat Umm Salamah. Hadrat Zainab was his fifth

wife. At this the opponents raised the objection, and the Muslims also

started entertaining doubts, that as for others it had been forbidden

to keep more than four wives at a time, but how the Holy Prophet

himself had taken a fifth wife also.



Subject Matter and Topics



These were the questions that were engaging the attention of the Holy

Prophet and the Muslims at the time Sura Al-Ahzab was revealed, and

replies to the same form the subject matter of this Sura. A perusal of

the theme and the background shows that the Sura is not a single

discourse which was sent down in one piece but it consists of several

injunctions and commandments and discourses, which were sent down, one

after the other, in connection with the important events of the time,

and then were put together in one Sura. Its following parts stand out

clearly distinguished from one another: 1.Verses 1-8 seem to have been

sent down before the Battle of the Trench. Their perusal, keeping the

historical background in view, shows that at the time of their

revelation Hadrat Zaid had already divorced Hadrat Zainab. The Holy

Prophet was feeling the necessity that the concepts and customs and

superstitions of ignorance concerning the adoption of the son should

be eradicated, and he was also feeling that the delicate and deep

sentimonts the people cherished about the adopted relations merely on

emotional grounds would not be rooted out until he himelf took the

initiative to eradicate the custom practically. But at the same time

he was hesitant and considering seriously that if he married the

divorced wife of Hadrat Zaid then, the hypocrites and the Jews and the

mushrikswho were already bent on mischief would get a fresh excuse to

start a propaganda campaign against Islam. This was the occasion of

the revelation of vv. 1-8. 2.In verses 9-27 an appraisal has been made

of the Battle of the Trench and the raid against the Bani Quraizah.

This is a clear proof that these verses were sent down after these

events. 3.The discourse contained in vv. 28-35 consists of two parts.

In the first part, Allah has given a notice to the wives of the Holy

Prophet, who were being impatient of the straitened circumstances, to

the effect:"Choose between the world and its adornments, and Allah,

His Prophet and the Hereafter. If you seek the former, you should say

so openly: you will not be kept back in hardship even for a day, but

will be sent off gracefully. And if you seek the latter, you should

cooperate with Allah and His messenger and bear patiently." In the

second part, initial steps were taken towards the social reforms whose

need was being felt by the minds moulded in the Islamic pattern

themselves. In this regard, reform was started from the house of the

Holy Prophet himself and his wives were commanded to avoid behaving

and conducting themselves in the ways of the pre Islamic days of

ignorance, ,to remain in their houses with dignity, and to exercise

great caution in their conversation with the other men. This was the

beginning of the Commandments of Purdah. 4.Verses 36-48 deal with the

Holy Prophet's marriage with Hadrat Zainab. In this section the

opponents' objection about this marriage have been answered; the

doubts that were being created in the minds of the Muslims have been

removed; the Muslims have been acquainted with the Holy Prophet's

position and status; and the Holy Prophet himself has been counselled

to exercise patience on the false propaganda of the disbelievers and

the hypocrites. 5.In verse 49 a clause of the law of divorce has been

laid down. This is a unique verse which was sent down on some occasion

probably in connection with the same events. 6.In verses 50-52 a

special regulation of marriage has been laid down for the Holy Prophet,

which points out that he is an exception to the several rertrictions

that have been imposed on the other Muslims in regard to marital life.

7.In verses 53-55 the second step was taken towards social reform. It

consists of the following injunctions: Restriction on the other men to

visit the houses of the Holy Prophet's wives; Islamic etiquette

concerning visits and invitations; the law that only the near

relatives could visit the holy wives in their houses; as for the other

men, they could speak to or ask them a thing from behind a curtain;

the injunction that the Holy Prophet's wives were forbidden for the

Muslims like their mothers; and none could marry any of them after him.

8.In verses 56-57 warning was given to stop criticizing the Holy

Prophet's marriage and his domestic life, and the believers instructed

not to indulge in fault finding like the enemies of Islam, but to

invoke the blessings of Allah for their Prophet; moreover, they were

instructed that they should avoid falsely accusing one another even

among themselves, not to speak of the person of the Prophet. 9.In

verse 59 the third step for social reform was taken. All the Muslim

women were commanded that they should come out well covered with the

outer garments and covering their faces whenever they came out of

their houses for a genuine need. After this till the end of the Sura

the hypocrites and other foolish and mean people have been rebuked for

the propaganda that they were carrying on at that time against Islam

and the Muslims.







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #34



                               -----------

                               34. Sabaa:

                               -----------



Name



The Sura takes its name from verse 15 in which the word Saba has

occurred, which implies that it is the Sura in which mention has been

made of Saba (i. e. the Sabaeans).



Period of Revelation



The exact period of its revelation is not known from any reliable

tradiiion. However, the style shows that it is either the middle or

the early Makkan period. If it is the middle period, it was probably

its initial stage when the persecution had not yet become tyrannical

and the Islamic movement was being suppressed only by resort to

derision and ridicule, rumour mongering, false allegations and casting

of evil suggestions in the people's minds.



Theme and Subject Matter



The SJrah deals with those objections of the disbelievers, which they

were raising against the Holy Prophet's message of Tauhidand the

Hereafter, and about his Prophethood itself, mostly in the form of

absurd allegations and taunts and mockery. These objections have been

answered, sometimes by citing them and sometimes without citing them,

and the discourse itself shows which objection is being answered at a

particular place. The answers mostly take the form of instruction and

admonition and argument, but at some places the disbelievers have been

warned also of the evil consequences, of their stubborness. In this

connection, the stories of the Sabaeans and the Prophets David and

Solomon have been related to impress this lesson: "You have both these

historical precedents before you. On the one hand, there were the

Prophets David and Solomon, who had been blessed by Allah with great

powers and such grandeur and glory as had been granted to hardly any

people before them. In spite of this, they were not proud and arrogant,

but remained grateful servants of their Lord. They were never

rebellious. On the other hand, there were the people of Saba, who,

when blessed by Allah, became proud, and were consequently so

thoroughly destroyed and dispersed as to be remembered only in myths

and legends. With these precedents in view, you may see and judge for

yourselves as to which bind of the life is better: that which is built

on belief in Tauhidand the Hereafter and the attitude of gratefulness

to Allah, or that which is based on disbelief and shirkand denial of

the Hereafter and the worship of the world."







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #35



                              ------------

                               35. Faatir:

                              ------------



Name



The word Fatir of the first very verse is the title given to this Sura,

which simply means that it is a Sura in which the word Fatir has

occurred. The other name is Al Malaika, which also occurs in the first

verse.



Period of Revelation



The internal evidence of the style shows that the period of the

revelation of this Sarah is probably the middle Makkan period, and

especially that part of it, when antagonism had grown quite strong and

every sort of mischief was being adopted to frustrate the mission of

the Holy Prophet.



Subject Matter and Theme



The discourse is meant to warn and reprove the people of Makkah and

their chiefs for their antagonistic attitude that they had then

adopted towards the Holy Prophet's message of Tauhid, like a well

wisher, and also to admonish them like a teacher, as if to say:"O

foolish people, the way to which this Prophet is calling you is to

your own advantage. Your anger, your tricks and machinations against

it and your conspiracies and designs to frustrate it are not directed

against him but against your own selves. If you do not listen to him,

you will be harming your own selves, not him. Just consider and ponder

over what he says : there is nothing wrong in it. He repudiates shirk.

If you look around carefully, you will yourself realize that there is

no basis for shirkin the world. He presents the doctrine of Tauhid. If

you use your common sense, you will come to the conclusion that there

is no being, beside Allah, Creator of the Universe, which might

possess divine attributes and powers and authority. He tells you that

you have not been created to be irresponsible in this world, but you

have to render an account of your deeds before your God, and that

there is life after the life of this world when everyone will meet the

consequences of what he has done here. If you thing a little you will

see that your doubts and your astonishment about it are absolutely

baseless. Don't you see the phenomenon of the reproduction of creation

day and night. How can then your own recreation be impossible for that

God Who created you from an insignificant sperm drop? Doesn't your own

intellect testify that the good and the evil cannot be alike? Then

think and judge for yourselves as to what is reasonable : should the

good and the evil meet with the same fate and end up in the dust, or

should the good be requited with good and the evil with evil? Now, if

you do not admit and acknowledge these rational and reasonable things

and do not abandon your false gods, and wish to continue living only

as irresponsible people in the world, the Prophet will not lose

anything. It is you yourselves only who will suffer the consequences.

The Prophet's only responsibility was to make the truth plain to you,

which be has done". In this connection, the Holy Prophet has been

consoled again and again, as if to say :"When you are doing full

justice to the preaching of your mission, you do not incur any

responsibility for those who persist in their error and do not accept

and follow the right way". Furthermore, he has also been consoled to

the effect "You should neither grieve on account of those who do not

want to believe, nor consume yourself with the thought of how to bring

them to the rights path. Instead of this, you should pay your full

attention to those who are inclined to listen to you". The believers

also, in this connection, have been given the good news so that they

may feel strengthened and encouraged and remain steadfast on the path

of the truth with full faith in the promises made by Allah.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #36



                              ------------

                               36. Yaasin:

                              ------------



Name



The Sura takes its name from the two letters of the alphabet with

which it begins.



Period of Revelation



A study of the style shows that it was either sent down during the

last stage of the middle Makkan period, or it is one of those Suras,

which were sent down during the last stage of the Holy Prophet's stay

at Makkah.



Subject Matter and Theme



The object of the discourse is to warn the Quraishof the consequences

of not believing in the Prophethood of Muhammad (may Allah's peace and

blessings be upon him) and of resisting and opposing it with tyranny,

ridicule and mockery. The aspect of the warning is dominant and

conspicuous although along with repeatedly giving the warnings,

arguments also have been given for the correct understanding by the

people. Arguments have been given for three things: (1) For tauhid,

from the signs of the universe and from common sense; (2) for the

Hereafter, from the signs of the universe, from common sense and from

man's own exis-tence itself; and (3) for the Prophethood of the

Prophet Muhammad, from the fact that he was facing all kinds of

hardships in the preaching of his message without any selfish motive,

and from this that whatever he was inviting the people to was rational

and reasonable, accepting which was in the people's own interest. On

the strength of these arguments, themes of reprobation, reproof and

warning have been presented repeatedly in a highly forceful manner, so

that hearts are shaken up and those which have any capacity for

accepting the truth left in them should not remain unmoved. Imam Ahmad,

Abu Daud, Nasai, Ibn Majah and Tabarani have related on the authority

of Hadrat Ma'qil bin Yasar that the Holy Prophet said:"Sura YaSinis

the heart of the Qur'an."This is similar to describing the Sura

AlFatihahas the Umm al Qur'an (the essence or core of the Qur'an),

because AlFatihahcontains the sum and substance of the teaching of the

whole Quran. The Sura YaSinhas been called the throbbing heart of the

Qur'an because it presents the message of the Qur'an in a most

forceful manner, which breaks the inertness and stirs the spirit of

man to action. Again Imam Ahmad, Aba Da'ud and Ibn Majah have related

from the same Ma'qil bin Yasar that the Holy Prophet said: "Recite

Sura Ya Sin to the dying ones among you." The object is not only to

revive and refresh the whole Islamic creed in the mind of the dying

person but also bring before him, in particular, a complete picture of

the Hereafter so that he may know what stages he would have to pass

through after crossing the stage of this worldly life. In view of this,

it would be desirable that along with the recitation of the Sura Ya

Sin its translation also is made for the benefit of the person who

does not know Arabic so that the purpose of the admonition is duly

fulfilled.







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #37



                              -------------

                              37. Saaffat:

                              -------------



Name



The name is derived from the word was saaffat with which the Sura

begins. Period of Revelation The subject matter and the style show

that this Sura probably was sent down in the middle of the Makkan

period, or perhaps in the last stage of the middle Makkan period. The

style clearly indicates that antagonism is raging strong in the

background and the Holy Prophet and his Companions are passing through

very difficult and discouraging circumstances.



Subject Matter and Theme



The dishelievers of Makkah have been severely warned for their

attitude of mockery and derision with which they were responding to

the Holy Prophet's message of Tauhidand the Hereafter and for their

utter refusal to accept and acknowledge his claim to Prophethood. In

the end, they have been plainly warned that the Prophet whom they are

mocking and ridiculing will overwhelm them in spite of their power and

pelf and they will find the army of Allah encamping in the very

courtyards of their houses (vv. 171-179. This notice was given at a

time when there appeared no chance whatever of the Holy Prophet's

success and triumph. The Muslims (who have been called Allah's army in

these verses) were being made the target of severe persecution. Three-

fourth of their population had already emigrated and hardly 40 to 50

of the Companions were left with the Holy Prophet in Makkah who were

experiencing all sorts of the excesses with utter helplessness. Under

such circumstances, in view of the apparent conditions, no one could

believe that the Holy Prophet and the handful of his ill equipped

Companions would ultimately attain dominance. The people rather

thought that the new movement would end and be buried in the ravines

of Makkah. But hardly 15 to 16 years had passed when on the conquest

of Makkah precisely the same thing happened of which the disbelievers

had been forewarned. Along with administering warnings, Allah in this

Sura has done full justice also to the theme of inducement and

instruction in a balanced way. Brief but impressive arguments have

been given about the validity of the doctrines of Tauhidand the

Hereafter. Criticism has been made of the creed of the mushrikinto

show the absurdity of their beliefs; they have been informed of the

evil consequences of their deviations, which have been contrasted with

the splendid results of the faith and righteous acts. Then, in

continuation of the same, Precedents from past history have been cited

to show how Allah had been treating His Prophets and their followers :

how He has been favouring His faithful servants and punishing their

deniers and rejectors. The most instructive of the historical

narratives presented in this Sura is the important event of the pious

life of the Prophet Abraham, who became ready to sacrifice his only

son as soon as he received an inspiration from Allah. In this there

was a lesson not only for the disbelieving Quraish, who waxed proud of

their blood relationship with him, but also for the Muslims who had

believed in Allah and His Messenger. By narrating this event they were

told what is the essence and the real spirit of Islam, and how a true

believer should be ready to sacrifice his all for the pleasure and

approval of Allah after he has adopted it as his Faith and Creed. The

last verses of the Sura were not only a warning for the disbelievers

but also a good news for the believers who were passing through highly

unfavourable and discouraging conditions on account of their

supporting and following the Holy Prophet. In these verses they were

given the good news that they should not be disheartened at the

hardships and difficulties they had to encounter in the beginning, for

in the end they alone would attain dominance, and the standard bearers

of falsehood, who appeared to be dominant at the time would be

overwhelmed and vanquished at their hands. A few years later the turn

the events took, proved that it was not an empty consolation but an

inevitable reality of which they had been foretold in order to

strengthen their hearts.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #38



                               ----------

                                38. Saad:

                               ----------



Name



The Sura takes its name from the alphabetic letter Suad with which it

begins.



Period of Revelation



As will be explained below, according to some traditions this Sura was

sent down in the period when the Holy Prophet had started calling the

people openly to Islam in Makkah, and this had caused great alarm

among the chiefs of the Quraish. If this be true, its period of

revelation would be about the 4th year of the Prophethood. According

to some other traditions, it was sent down after Hadrat

Umar'sembracing Islam, and this happened, as is well known, after the

migration to Habash. Another chain of the traditions shows that the

event which occasioned the revelation of this Sura took place during

the last illness of Abu Talib. If this be correct, the period of its

revelation would be the 10th or 11th year of the Prophethood.



Historical Background



Here is a resume of the traditions related by Imam Ahmad, Nasa'i,

Tirmidhi, Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Shaibah, Ibn Aba Hatim, Muhammad bin

Ishaq and others: When Abu Talib fell ill, and the Quraishchiefs knew

that his end was near, they held consultations and decided to approach

the old chief with the request that he should solve the dispute

between them and his nephew. For they feared that if Abu Talib died

and then they subjected Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) to a

harsh treatment, after his death, the Arabs would taunt them, saying,

"They were afraid of the old chief as long as he lived now that he is

dead they have started maltreating his nephew." At least 25 of the

Quraishchiefs including Abu Jahl, Abu Sufyan, Umayyah bin Khalaf, As

bin Wa'il, Aswad bin al-Muttalib, 'Uqbah bin Abi Mu'ait, Utbah and

Shaibah went to Abu Talib. First, they put before him their complaints

against the Holy Prophet as usual, then said, "We have come to present

before you a just request and it is this : let your nephew leave us to

our religion, and we shall leave him to his. He may worship whomever

he may please: we shall not stand in his way in this matter; but he

should not condemn our gods, and should not try to force us to give

them up. Please tell him to make terms with us on this condition". Abu

Talib called the Holy Prophet and said, "Dear nephew, these people of

your tribe have come to me with a request. They want you to agree with

them on a just matter so as to put an end to your dispute with them."

Then he told him about the request of the chiefs of the Quraish. The

Holy Prophet replied, "Dear uncle:I shall request them to agree upon a

thing which, if they accept, will enable them to conquer the whole of

Arabia and subject the non-Arab world to their domination. "Hearing

this the people were first confounded; they did not know how they

should turn down such a proposal. Then, after they had con- sidered

the matter, they replied:"You speak of one word: we are prepared to

repeat ten others like it, but please tell us what it is." The Holy

Prophet said:La ilaha ill-Allah. At this they got up all together and

left the place saying what Allah has narrated in the initial part of

this Sura. Ibn Sa'd in his Tabaqat has related this event just as

cited above, but, according to him, this did not happen during Abu

Talibs last illness but at the time when the Holy Prophet had started

preaching Islam openly, and the news of the conversion of one person

or the other was being heard almost daily in Makkah. In those days the

Quraishchiefs had led several deputations to Abu Talib and had asked

him to stop Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) from

preaching his message, and it was with one of those deputations that

this conversation had taken place. Zamakhshari, Razi, Nisaburi ond

some other comentators say that this deputation went to Abu Talib at

the time then the chiefs of the Quraishhad been upset at Hadrat

Umar'sembracing Islam; but no reference to its basis is available in

any book of the traditions, nor have these commentators cited the

source of their this information. However, if it be true, it is

understand able. For the unbelieving Quraishhad already been

bewildered to see that the person who had arisen from among themselves

with the message of Islam had no parallel in the entire tribe as

regarded nobility, purity of character, wisdom and seriousness.

Moreover, his right handman and chief supporter was a man like Abu

Bakr, who was well known in and around Makkah as a gentle, righteous

and brilliant man. Now when they might have seen that a brave and

resolute man like Umaralso had joined them, they must have felt that

the danger was growing and becoming intolerable. Subject Matter and

Topics The Sura begins with a review of the aforesaid meeting. Making

the dialogue between the Holy Prophet and the disbelievers the basis,

Allah says that the actual reason with those people for their denial

is not any defect in the message of Islam but their own arrogance,

jealousy and insistence on following the blind. They are not prepared

to believe in a man from their own clan as a Prophet of God and follow

him. They want to persist in the ideas of ignorance which they have

found their ancestors following. And when a person exposes their this

ignorance and presents the truth before them, they are alarmed and

regard it as an oddity, rather as a novel and impossible thing. For

them the concept of Tauhidand the Hereafter is not only an

unacceptable creed but also a concept which only deserves to be

ridiculed and mocked. Then, Allah, both in the initial part of the

Sura and in its last sentences, has precisely warned the disbelievers,

as if to say, "The man whom you are ridiculing today and whose

guidance you reject will soon overpower you,and the time is not far

when in this very city of Makkah, where you are persecuting him, he

will overwhelm you completely." Then describing nine of the Prophets,

one after the other, with greater details of the story of the Prophets

David and Solomon; Allah has emphasized the point that His Law of

Justice is impartial and objective, that only the right attitude of

man is acceptable to Him, that He calls to account and punishes every

wrongdoer who. ever he be, and that He likes only those people who do

not persist in wrongdoing but repent as soon as they are warned of it,

and pass their life in the world keeping in mind their accountability

in the Hereafter. After this, the final end that the obedient servants

and the disobedient people will meet in the Hereafter, has been

depicted, and two things have been especially impressed on the

disbelievers:(1) That the leaders and guides whom the ignorant people

are following blindly in the world, on the way of deviation, will have

reached Hell even before their followers in the Hereafter, and the two

groups will be cursing each other there; and (2) that the disbelievers

will be amazed to see that there is no trace whatever in Hell of the

believers whom they used to regard as contemptible in the world and

will themselves be involved in its torment. In conclusion, mention has

been made of the story of Adam and Iblis (Satan), which is meant to

tell the disbelieving Quraishthat the same arrogance and vanity which

was preventing them from bowing before Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's

peace) had prevented Iblis also from bowing before Adam. Iblis felt

jealous of the high rank God had given to Adam and became accursed

when he disobeyed His Command. Likewise, "You, O people of Quraish,

are feeling jealous of the high rank God has bestowed on Muhammad

(upon whom be Allah's peace) and are not prepared to obey him whom God

has appointed His messenger. Therefore, you will be doomed ultimately

to the same fate as will be met by Satan."







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #39



                               -----------

                               39. Zumar:

                               -----------



Name



The Sura derives its name from verse 71 and 73 in which the word zumar

has occurred.



Period of Revelation



In verse 10 (wa ardullah-i-wasi atun: and Allah's earth is vast) there

is abundant evidence that this Sura was sent down before the migration

to Habash. Some traditions provide the explanation that this verse was

sent down in respect of Hadrat Ja'far bin Abi Talib and his companions

when they made up their mind to emi- grate to Habash.(Ruh al-Maani,

vol. XXII, p. 226).



Theme and Subject matter



The entire Sura is a most eloquent and effective address which was

given some time before the emigration to Habash, in an environment

filled with tyranny and persecution, ill-will and antagonism, at

Makkah. It is a sermon whose addressees mainly are the unbelieving

Quraish, although here and there the believers also have been

addressed. In it the real aim of the invitation of Muhammad (upon whom

be Allah's peace and blessings) had been enunciated, which is this:Man

should adopt Allah's servitude sincerely, and should not pollute his

God worship with the service of any other. Presenting this cardinal

principle in different ways over and over again, the truth of

Tauhidand the excellent results of accepting it, and the falsehood of

shirkand the evil concequences of following it, have been explained in

a most forceful way, and the people exhorted to give up their wrong

way of life and return to the mercy of their Lord. In this very

connection, the believers have been instructed, as if to say:"If a

place has become narrow for the worship and service of Allah, His

earth is vast: you may emigrate to some other place in order to save

your faith: Allah will reward you for your patience."On the other hand,

the Holy Prophet has been encouraged, so as to say:"Tell the

disbelievers plainly that they may do whatever they like, but their

persecutions and tyrannies will never deter you from the way of Islam;

that they may go on doing their worst to obstruct your way, but you

will continue to perform your mission in spite of the adverse

conditions and circumstances."







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #40





			     -----------

			      40. Mumin:

			     -----------



Name



The Sura takes its name Al Mu'min from verse 28, implying thereby,

that it is a Sura in which Al Mu'min (the Believer of Pharaoh's

people) has been mentioned.



Period of Revelation



According to Ibn'Abbas and Jabir bin Zaid, this Sura was sent down

consecutively after Sura AzZumar, and its present position in the

order of the Suras in the Quran is the same as its chronological order.





Background of Revelation



There are clear indications in the subject matter of this Sura to the

conditions in which it was revealed. The disbelievers of Makkah at

that time were engaged in two kinds of the activities against the Holy

Prophet. First, they were creating every kind of suspicion and

misgiving in the minds of the pqople about the teaching of the Quran

and the message of Islam and about the Holy Prophet himself by

starting many disputes and discussions, raising irrelevant objections

and bringing ever new accusations so that the Holy Prophet and the

believers were sick of trying to answer them. Second, they were

preparing the ground for putting an end to the Holy Prophet himself.

They were devising one plot after the other, and on one occasion had

even taken tha practical steps to execute a plot. Bukhari has related

a tradition on the authority of Hadrat Abdullah bin Amr bin 'As saying

that one day when the Holy Prophet was offering his Prayer in the

precinct's of the Kabbah, suddenly 'Uqbah bin Abi Mu'ait, rushed

forward and putting a piece of cloth round his neck started twisting

it so as to strangle him to death. Hadrat Abu Bakr, who happened to go

there in time, pushed him away. Hadrat Abdullah says that when Abu

Bakr was struggling with the cruel man, he was saying words to the

effect: "Would you kill a man only because he says: Allah is my Lord?"

With a little variation this event has also been mentioned in Ibn

Hisham, Nasa'i and Ibn Abi Hatim . Theme and Topics



Both aspects of this have been clear]y stated at the very outset, and

then the whole following discourse is a most effective and instructive

review of them. As an answer to the conspiracies of murder, the story

of the Believer of the people of Pharaoh has been acknowledge the

prophethood of Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace), your power and

authority will come to an end. That is why you are straining every

nerve to frustrate and defeat him." In the same connection, the

disbelievers have been warned again and again to the effect:"If you do

not desist from wrangling against the Revelations of Allah, you will

be doomed to the same fate as the nations of the past. Much worse

torment awaits you in the Hereafter. Then you will repent, but it will

be too late.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #41



                              ------------

                               41. Ha-Mim:

                              ------------



Name



The name of this Sura is composed of two words, Ha-Mim and As-Sajdah,

which implies that it is a Sura which begins with Ha-Mim and in which

a verse requiring the performance of sajdah (prostration) has occurred.





Period of Revelation



According to authentic Traditions, it was sent down after the

affirmation of the Faith by Hadrat Hamzah and before the affirmation

of the Faith by Hadrat Umar. Muhammad bin Ishaq, the earliest

biographer of the Holy Prophet, has related on the authority of

Muhammad bin Ka'b al-Qurzi, the famous follower of the Companions,

that one day some of the Quraishchiefs were sitting in their assembly

in the Masjid al-Haram, while in another corner of the Mosque there

was the Holy Prophet sitting by himself. This was the time when Hadrat

Hamzah had already embraced Islam and the people of the Quraishwere

feeling upset at the growing numbers of the Muslims. On this occasion,

Utbah bin Rabi'ah (the father-in-law of Abu Sufyan) said to the

Quraishchiefs: "Gentlemen, if you like I would go and speak to

Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) and put before him

some proposals; maybe that he accepts one of them, to which we may

also agree, and so he stops opposing us." They all agreed to this, and

Utbah went and sat by the Holy Prophet. When the Holy Prophet turned

to him, he said: "Nephew, you know the high status that you enjoy in

the community by virtue of your ancestry and family relations, but you

have put your people to great trouble: you have created divisions

among them and you consider them to be fools: you talk ill of their

religion and gods, and say things as though all our forefathers were

pagans. Now listen to me and I shall make some suggestions. Consider

them well: maybe that you accept one of them." The Holy Prophet said:

"Abul Walid, say what you want to say and I shall listen to you." He

said, "Nephew, if by what you are doing, you want wealth, we will give

you enough of it so that you will be the richest man among us; if you

want to became an important man, we will make you our chief and will

never decide a matter without you; if you want to be a king, we will

accept you as our king; and if you are visited by a jinn, whom you

cannot get rid of by your own power, we will arrange the best

physicians and have you treated at our own expense." 'Utbah went on

speaking in this strain and the Holy Prophet went on listening to him

quietly. Then he said, "Have you said, O Abul Walid, what you had to

say?" He replied that he had. The Holy Prophet said: "Well, now listen

to me."Then pronouncing Bismilah ir Rehman-ir-Raihm he began to recite

this very Sura, and Utbah kept on listening to it, putting his hands

behind his back and leaning on them as he listened. Coming to the

verse of prostration (v. 38) the Holy Prophet prostrated himself; then

raising his head, said, "This was my reply, O Abul Walid, now you may

act as you please." then Utbah arose and walked back towards the

chiefs, the people saw him from afar, and said: "By God! Utbab's face

is changed. He does not look the same man that he was when he went

from here." Then, when he came back and sat down, the people asked,

"What have you heard?" He replied, "By God! I have heard something the

like of which I had never heard before. By God, it's neither poetry,

nor sorcery, nor magic. O chiefs of the Quraish, listen to what I say

and leave this man to himself. I think what he recites is going to

have its effect. If the other Arabs overcome him, you will be saved

from raising your band against your brother, and the others will deal

with him. But if he overcame Arabia, his sovereignty would be your

sovereignty and his honour your honour." Hear- ing this the chiefs

spoke out:"You too, O father of Walid, have been bewitched by his

tongue."Utbah replied, "I have given you my opinion; now you may act

as you please." (Ibn Hisham, vol. I, pp. 313-314). This story has been

narrated by several other tradi- tionists also on the authority of

Hadrat Jabir bin Abdullah in different ways, with a little variation

in wording. In some traditions it has also been related that when

during the recitation the Holy Prophet had come to verse 13, viz."If

they turn away, say to them: I warn you of a thunderbolt the like of

which had visited the Ad and the Thamud,"Utbah had spontaneously

placed his hand on the Holy Prophet's mouth, and said: "For God's sake,

have mercy on your people." After- wards he justified his action

before the Quraish chiefs, saying: "You know that whatever Muhammad

says is always fulfilled; therefore, I feared lest a torment should

descend on us." (For details, see Tafsir Ibn Kathir, vol. IV, pp. 90-

91; Al Bidayah wan-Nihayah, vol. III, p. 62).



Theme and Subjet Matter



In the discourse that Allah sent down in response to what Utbah said,

no attention whatever was paid to the absurd proposals that he had

made to the Holy Prophet. For what he had said was, in fact, an attack

on the Holy Prophet's intention and his intellect. His assumption was

that as there was no possibility of his being a Prophet and the Quran

being Allah's Revelation, inevitably the motive of his invitation must

either be the desire to obtain wealth and political power, or, God

forbid, he had lodt his reason. In the first case, he wanted to make a

bargain with the Holy Prophet; in the seconcd, he was insulting him

when he said that the Quraishchiefs would have been cured of his

madness at their own expense. Obviously, when the opponents come down

to such absurd things, no gentleman would like to answer them, but

would ignore them and say what he himself had to say. Therefore,

ignoring what Utbah said, this Sura makes antagonism its subject of

discussion, which the unbelieving Quraishwere showing stubbornly and

wickedly in order to defeat the message of the Qur'an. They would say

to tho Holy Prophet, "You may try however hard you try: we would not

listen to you. We have put coverings on our hearts and we have closed

our ears. There is a wall between you and us, which would never let us

meet together." They had given a clear notice to the Holy Prophet to

the effect: "You may continue your mission of inviting the people to

yourself, but we would go on opposing you as hard as we can to

frustrate your mission." For this object they had devised the

following plan: Whenever the Holy Prophet or a follower of his would

try to recite the Qur'an before the people, they would at once raise

such a hue and cry that no one could bear anything. They were

desperately trying to misconstrue the verses of the Qur'an and spread

every kind of misunderstanding among the people. They misconstrued

everything and found fault even with the straightforward things. They

would isolate words and sentences from their right context, from here

and there, and would add their own words in order to put new meanings

on them so as to mislead the people about the Quran and the Messenger

who presented it. They would raise strange objections a specimen of

which has been presented in this Sura. They said, "If an Arab presents

a discourse in Arabic, what could be the miracle in it?Arabic is his

mother tongue. Anyone could compose anything that he pleased in his

mother tongue and then make the claim that he had received it from God.

It would be a miracle if the person would suddenly arise and make an

eloquent speech in a foreign tongue which he did not know. Then only

could one say that the discourse was not of his own composition but a

revelation from God." Here is a resume of what has been said in answer

to this deaf and blind opposition: (1)The Qur'an is most certainly the

Word of God, which He has sent down in Arabic. The ignorant people do

not find any light of knowledge in the truths that have been presented

in it plainly and clearly, but the people of understanding are seeing

this light as well as benefiting by it. It is surely Allah's mercy

that He has sent down this Word for the guidance of man. If a person

regarded it as an afliction, it would be his own misfortune. Good news

is for those who benefit by it and warning for those who turn away

from it. (2) If you have put coverings on your hearts and have made

yourselves deaf, it is none of the Prophet's job to make the one hear

who does not want to hear, and the one who does not want to understand

understand forcibly. He is a man like you; he can make only those to

hear and understand, who are inclined to hear and understand. (3)

Whether you close down your eyes and ears and put coverings on your

hearts, the fact, however, is that your God is only One God, and you

are not the servant of any one else. Your stubbornness cannot change

this reality in any way. If you accept this truth and correct your

behaviour accordingly you will do good only to yourselves, and if you

reject it, you will only be preparing your own doom. (4) Do you have

any understanding as to whom you disbelieve and with whom you

associate others in divinity? It is with regard to that God Who has

created this limitless universe, Who is the Creator of the earth and

heavens, from Whose blessings you are benefiting on the earth, and on

Whose provisions you are being fed and sustained. You set up His mean

creatures as His associates and then you are made to understand the

truth you turn away in stubbornness. (5) If you still do not believe,

then be aware that a sudden torment is about to visit you, the like of

which had visited the Ad and the Thamud, and this torment also will

not be the final punishment of your crimes, but there is in addition

the accountability and the fire of Hell in the Hereafter. (6) Wretched

is the man who gets as company such satans from among men and jinn,

who show him nothing but green and pleasant, who make his follies seem

fair to him, who neither let him think aright himself nor let him hear

right from others. But on the Day of Reckoning when their doom

overtakes them, each one of them will say that if he happened to get

hold of those who had misled and deceived him in the world, he would

trample them under his foot. (7) This Quran is an unchangeable Book.

You can not defeat it by your machinations and falsehoods. Whether

falsehood comes from the front or makes a secret and indirect attack

from behind, it cannot succeed in refuting it. (8) Today when this

Quran is being Presented in your own language so that you may

understand it, you say that it should have been sent down in some

foreign tongue. But had We sent it in a foreign tongue for your

guidance, you would yourselves have called it a joke, as if to say,

"What a strange thing! The Arabs are being given guidance in a non-

Arabic language, which nobody understands." This means that you, in

fact, have no desire to obtain guidance. You are only inventing ever

new excuses for not affirming the faith. (9) Have you ever considered

that if it became established that the Qur'an was really from Allah,

then what fate you would meet by denying it and opposing it so

vehemently as you do? (10) Today you do not believe but soon you will

see with your own eyes that the message of this Qur'an had pervaded

the whole world and you have yourselves been overwhelmed by it. Then

you will come to know that what you were being told was the very truth.

Besides giving these answers to the opponents, attention has been paid

to the problems which the believers and the Holy Prophet himself were

facing in that environment of active resistancs. Not to speak of

preaching the message to others, the believers were even finding it

difficult to follow the way of the Faith. Any one about whom it became

known that he had become a Muslim, life would become an agony. As

against the dreadful combination of the enemy ang its all pervading

power, they were feeling utterly helpless and powerless. In this state,

in the first place, they were consoled and encouraged, as if to say:

"You are not, in fact, helpless and powerless, for any person who

believes in God as his Lord and adheres to this belief and way of life

resolutely, God's angels descend on him and help and support him at

every stage, from the life of this world till the Hereafter." Then

they were encouraged with the consolation: "The best man is be who

does good, invites others to God and proclaims firmly that he is a

Muslim." The question that was vexing the Holy Prophet at that time

was as to how be should carve out a way of pre- aching his message

when he had to face such heavy odds on every side. The solution he was

given to this question was: "Although apparently the obstacles seem to

be insurmountable, the weapon of good morals and character can smash

and melt them away. Use this weapon patiently, and whenever Satan

provokes you and incites you to use some other device, seek refuge in

Allah."







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #42



                               -----------

                               42. Shura:

                               -----------



Name



It is derived frog the sentence, wa amru-hum shura baina hum, of verse

38, implying thereby that it is a Sura in which the word shura has

occurred.



Period of Revelation



Although it could not be known from any authentic traditions, yet one

feels after a study of its subject matter that this Sura might have

been sent down consecutively after Ha-Miim As Sajdah, for it seems to

be, in a way, a supplement to it. This will become clear to every

person who first studies Sura Ha-Mim As Sajdah carefully and then goes

through this Sura. He will see that in that Sura the Quraish chiefs

had been taken to tack for their deaf and blind opposition so that

anyone in Makkah and in its out-skirts, who had any sense of morality

and nobility left in him, should know how unreasonably the chiefs of

the people were opposing Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace), and as

against them, how serious he was in everything he said, how rational

was his standpoint and how noble his character and conduct.

Immediately after that warning this Sura was sent down, which did full

justice to teaching and instruction, and made the truth of the Holy

Propbet's message plain in such an impressive way that anyone who had

any element of the love of the truth in him and who had not been

blinded by the errors of ignorance, could not help being influenced by

it.



Theme and Subject Matter



The discourse begins in a way as if to say:"Why are you expressing

surprise and amazement at what Our Prophet is presenting before

you?What he says is not new or strange, nor anything novel, which

might have been presented for the first time in history: that

Revelation should come down to a man from God and he should be given

instructions for the guidance of mankind. Allah has been sending

similar Revelations with similar instructions to the former Prophets

before this. It is not surprising that the Owner of the Universe

should be acknowledged as Deity and Ruler, but what is strange is that

one should accept another as divine and deity in spite of being His

subject and slave. You are being angry with him who is presentiug

Tauhidbefore you, where as the shirkthat you are practising with

regard to the Master of the Universe is such a grave crime as may

cause the heavens to break asunder. The angels are amazed at this

boldness of yours and fear that the wrath of Allah might descend on

you any moment." After this the people have been told that a person's

being appointed to Prophetbnod and his presenting himself as a Prophet

does not mean that he has been made master of the people's destinies

and he has come to the world with that very claim. Allah has kept the

destinies in His own hand. The Prophet has come only to arouse the

heedless and guide the strayed ones to the Right Path. To call to

account those who do not listen to him and to punish or not to punish

them is Allah's own responsibility. and not part of the Prophet's work.

Therefore, they should take it out of their head that the Prophet has

come with a claim similar to those that are made by their so called

religious guides and saints to the effect that he who would not listen

to them, or would behave insolently towards them, would be burnt to

death: In this very connection, the people have also been told that

the Prophet has not come to condemn them but he is their well wisher;

he is warning them that the way they are following will only lead to

their own destruction. Then, an answer has been given to the question:

Why didn't Allah make all human beings righteous by birth, and why did

He allow the difference of viewpoint owing to which the people start

following each and every way of thought and action?The answer given is

this: Owing to this very fact has it become possible for man to attain

to the special mercy of Allah, which is not meant for other dumb

creatures, but is only meant for those endowed with power and

authority, who should take Allah as Patron and Guardian not

instinctively but consciously by willing choice. Allah supports the

man who adopts this way and guides and helps him to do good and right

and admits him into His special mercy. On the contrary, the man who

misuses his option and makes his patron those who are not, in fact,

the guardians, and cannot be, are deprived of divine mercy. In this

connection, it has also been made clear that only Allah is the Patron

of man and of all other creatures. Others are neither the patron nor

have the power to do full justice to patronage. Man's success depends

only on this that he should make no mistake in choosing a patron for

himself by the use of his free choice, and should take only Him his

Guide Who, in reality, is the real Patron. After this, it has been

explained what the Dinbeing presented by the Holy Prophet Muhammad

(upon whom be Allah's peace) really is : Its primary basis that as

Allah Almighty is the Creator, Master and real Patnron of the Universe

and Man, He alone is Man's Ruler, He alone has the right to give Man

Faith (Din) and Law (system of belief and practice) and judge the

disputes of man and tell what is Truth and what is falsehood. No other

being has any right whatever to be man's lawgiver. In other words,

like the natural sovereignty, the sovereignty with regard to lawmaking

also is vested only in Allah. No man or creature, apart from Allah,

can be the bearer of this sovereignty. And if a person does not

recognize and accept this Divine rule of Allah, it is merely futile

for him to recognize the natural sovereignty of Allah. On this very

basis has Allah ordained a Din (True Religion) for Man from the very

beginning. It was one and the same Religion that was vouchsafed in

every age to all the Prophets. No Prophet ever founded any separate

religion of his own. The same one Religion has been enjoined by Allah

for all Mankind since the beginning of creation, and all the Prophets

have been following it and inviting others to follow it. This Religion

and Crecd was not sent so that man may rest content only with

believing in it, but it was sent with the purpose and intention that

it alone should be introduced, established and enforced in the world,

and no man made religion be made to prevail in Allah's earth apart

from His Religion. The Prophets had not been appointed only to preach

this Religion but to establish it particularly in the world. This same

was the original Religion of mankind, but after the death of the

Prophets, selfish people created new creeds by creating schisms for

vested interests due to selfconceit, vanity and ostentation. All the

different religions and creeds found in the world today have resulted

from corruption of the original Divine Truth. Now, the Holy Prophet

Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace,) has been sent so that he may

present before the people the same and original Religion in place of

the various practices and artificial creeds and man made religions,

and may try to establish the same. On this, if instead of being

grateful, you feel angry and come out to fight him, it is your folly;

the Prophet will not abandon his mission only because of your

foolishness. He has been enjoined to adhere to his faith at all costs

and to carry out the mission to which he has been appointed. Therefore,

the people should not cherish any false hope that in order to please

thee he would cater to the same whims and superstitions of ignorance

which has corrupted Allah's Religion before. You do not understand how

great an impudence it is against Allah to adopt a man made religion

and law instead of the Religion and Law enjoined by Allah. You think

it is an ordinary thing and there is nothing wrong with it. But in the

sight of Allah it is the worst kind of shirkand a grave crime whose

punishment will be imposed on all those who enforced their own

religion on Allah's earth and those who adopted and followed their

religion. Thus, after presenting a clear and visible concept of

Religion it is said:"The best possible method that could be employed

for your instruction and for bringing you to the Right Path has

already been employed. On the one hand, Allah has sent down His Book,

which is teaching you the truth in a most impressive way in your own

language; and on the other, the lives of the Holy Prophet Muhammad

(upon whom be Allah's peace) aud his Companions are present before you

by which you can see for yourselves what kind of men are prepared by

the guidance given in this Book. Even then if you do not accept this

guidance, nothing else in the world can bring you to the Right Path.

The only alternative, therefore, is that you should be allowed to

persist in the same error in which you have remained involved for

centuries, and made to meet with the same doom which has been destined

by Allah for such wrongdoers." While stating these truths, brief

arguments have been given, here and there, for Tauhidand the Hereafter,

the world worshippers have been warned of the evil consequences and

their punishment in the life hereafter, and the disbelievers have been

criticised for the moral weaknesses, which were the real cause of

their deviation from the truth. The Sura has been concluded with two

important themes. First, that the Holy Prophet was wholly unaware of

this concept of the "Book" or the True Faith during the first forty

years of his life and then his sudden appearance before the people

with those two things, is a manifest proof of his being a Prophet.

Secondly, his presenting his own teaching as the teaching of God does

not mean that he claims to have spoken to God, face to face, but God

has conveyed to him this Guidance, as in the case of all other

Prophets, in three ways: He speaks to His Prophets either through

Revelation, or from behind a veil, or He sends an angel with the

message. This thing was clarified so that the opponents did not have

an opportunity of accusing the Holy Prophet of claiming to have spoken

to God, face to face, and the lovers of the truth should know by what

methods Allah gave instruction to the man whom He had appointed to the

mission of Prophethood.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #43



                             --------------

                              43. Zukhruuf:

                             --------------



Name



It is derived from the word zukhruf-an which occurs in verse 33 of

this Sura.



Period of Revelation



It could not be known from any authentic tradition, but a study of its

subject matter shows that this Sura also was sent down in the same

period in which the Suras AlMumin, AsSajdahand AshShura, were sent

down. It appears that the revelation of this series of the Suras began

when the disbelievers of Makkah were planning to put an end to the

Holy Prophet's life. Day and night they were holding consultations in

their assemblies as how to eliminate him, and even an attack on his

life also had been made as has been clearly referred to in vv. 79-80.



Theme and Topics



In this Sura a forceful and severe criticism has been made of the

Quraishand the common Arabs creeds and superstitions of ignorance in

which they persisted, and their stubbornness has been exposed in a

firm and effective way, so that every member of the society, who was

reasonable in some degree, should be made to consider the evils in

which the community was involved and its tyrannical treatment of the

person who was trying to redeem it. The discourse starts in a way as

if to say: "You, by means of your mischiefs, want that the revelation

of this Book should be stopped, but Allah has never withheld the

appointment of His Prophets and the revelation of His Books because of

the mischief of the people, but has destroyed the wicked people, who

obstructed the way of His guidance. The same He will do again. A

little further in vv. 41-43 and 79-80 the same thing has been

reiterated. Though the people who were plotting against his life are

meant, the Holy Prophet has been addressed to the effect: "whether you

remain alive or not, We will certainly punish the wicked," and the

people themselves have been plainly warned to the effect: "If you have

decided to take an action against Our Prophet, We too will take a

decisive action." Then, it has been told what is the reality of the

religion that the people are following so devotedly and what are the

arguments on whose strength they are resisting Muhammad (upon whom be

Allah's peace and Blessings). They themselves admit that thc Creator

of the earth and heavens and of themselves and their deities is only

Allah. They also know and admit that the blessings they are benefiting

from, have been bestowed by Allah; yet they insist on making others

associates of Allah in His Godhead. They regard the servants as the

children of Allah, and that too daughters, whom they regard as

disgraceful for themselves. They believe that the angels are

goddesses; they have carved their images as females; they adorn them

with female dresses and ornaments, and call them daughters of Allah:

they worship them and invoke them for the fulfilment of their needs.

How did they know that the angels were female? When they are rebuked

for these superstitions, they present the pretence of destiny and say

:"Had Allah disapproved of these our practices, we could not have

worshipped these images, whereas the means of finding out whether

Allah had approved of something or not, are His Books and not those

things which are happening in the world according to His Will. For

under His Will not only idol worship but crimes like theft and

adultery, robbery. murder, etc. also are being committed. Can this

argument be used to justify as right and proper this commission of

every crime and evil is the world? When it is asked:Have you any other

authority, apart from this wrong argument, for the polytheism of

yours?They reply, "The same has been the practice since the time of

our forefathers." In other words, this in their opinion is a strong

enough argument for a creed's being right and true, whereas the

Prophet Ibraham, descent from whom is the only basis of their pride

and distinction, had rejected the religion of his elders and left his

home, and he had discarded every such blind imitation of his

forefathers, which did not have the support of any rational argument.

Then, if these people had to follow their elders only, for this also

they selected their most ignorant elders and abandoned their most

illustrious elders like the Prophets Abraham and Ishmael (on whom be

peace). When they are asked: "Has ever a Prophet or a Book sent down

by God also given this teaching that others beside Allah too are

worthy of worship? they present this practice of the Christians as an

argument that they took Jesus son of Mary as son of God and worshipped

him; whereas the question was not this whether the community of a

Prophet had committed shirkor not, but this whether a Prophet had

himself taught shirk. Jesus son of Mary had never said that he was son

of God and that the people should worship him. His own was the same

teaching which every other Prophet had given "My Lord as well as your

Lord is Allah: so worship Him alone." They were disinclined to believe

in the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet because he was neither a rich

man nor a person of high worldly position and rank. They said "Had

Allah willed to appoint a prophet among us, He would have appointed

one of the great men of' our two cities (Makkah and Taif). On that

very basis, Pharaoh also had looked down upon the Prophet Moses and

said: "If Allah, the King of the heavens, had to send a messenger to

me, the king of the earth, He would have sent him with bracelets of

gold and a company of angels in attendance. Wherefrom has this

mendicant appeared I am superior to him, for the kingdom of Egypt

belongs to me, and the canals of the River Nile are flowing under my

control. What is the status of this man as against me? He has neither

wealth nor authority." Thus, after criticising each practice of

ignorance of the disbelievers and rejecting it with rational arguments,

it has been pointed out: "Neither has God any offspring, nor are there

separate gods of the earth and heavens, nor is there any intercessor

who may be able to protect from His punishment those who adopt

deviation knowingly. Allah is far above this that He should have

children. He alone is the God of the whole Universe: all others are

His servants and not associates in His attributes and powers, and only

such men can intercede with Him, who are themselves followers of the

Truth and they also can intercede only for those who may have adopted

obedience of the Truth in the world."







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #44



                              -------------

                              44. Dukhaan:

                              -------------



Name



The Sura takes its name from the word dukhan which occurs in verse 10.



Period of Revelation



Its period of revelation also could not be determined from any

authentic tradition, but the internal evidence of the subject matter

shows that this Sura too was sent down in the same period in which

Sura Zukhruf and a few other earlier Suras had been revealed. However,

this Sura was sent down somewhat later. Its historical background is

this: When the disbelievers of Makkah became more and more

antagonistic in their attitude and conduct, the Holy Prophet prayed: O

God, help me with a famine like the famine of Joseph. He thought that

when the people would be afflicted with a calamity, they would

remember God, their hearts would soften and they wonud arccept the

admonition. Allah granted his prayer, and the whole land was overtaken

by such a terrible famine that the people were sorely distressed. At

last, some of the Quraishchiefs among whom Hadrat AbdullahbinMasudhas

particularly mentioned the name of Abu Sufyan came to the Holy Prophet

and requested him to pray to Allah to deliver his people from the

calamity. On this occasion Allah sent down this Sura.



Subject Matter and Topics



The introduction to the address revealed on this occasion for the

admonition and warning of the people of MaKkah contained some

important points, which are as follows (1) "You, O People of Makkah,

are wrong in thinking that the Quran is being composed by Muhammad

(upon whom be Allah's peace). This Book by itself bears the clear

testimony that it is not the composition of a man but of Allah, Lord

of the worlds." (2) "You are making a wrong estimate of the worth of

this Book. You think it is a calamity that has descended on you,

whereas the Hour when Allah, out of sheer mercy, decided to send His

Messenger and His Book to you was highly blessed." (3) "You are

foolishly involved in the misunderstanding that you will fight this

Messenger and this Book and will win, whereas the fact is that the

Messenger has been raised and the Book sent down in that particular

Hour when Allah decides the destinies, and Allah's decisions are not

so weak that they may be changed to a person's liking, nor are they

based on ignorance and folly that there may be the likelihood of a

mistake or error or weakness in them. They are rather the firm and

unalterable decisions of the Ruler of the Universe, Who is All Hearing,

All Knowing and All Wise. Therefore, they cannot be treated lightly.

(4) "You yourselves acknowledge that Allah alone is the Master and

Lord of the earth and heavens and of everything in the Universe and

also admit that life and death are only in His power, yet you insist

on making others your deities, for which the only argument you offer

is that that had been the practice since the time of your forefathers,

whereas if a person has the conviction that Allah alone is the Master,

Sustainer and Giver of life and death, he can never entertain the

doubt that there can be other gods also beside Him, who can be worthy

of worship. If your forefathers had committed this folly, there is no

reason why you also should continue committing it blindly. As a matter

of fact, their Lord too was only One God, Who is your Lord, and they

also should have worshipped only Him, Whom you should worship." (5)

"The only demand of Allah's Providence and Mercifulness is not this

that He should feed you, but also this that He should arrange guidance

for you. For this very guidance He has sent His Messenger and His

Book." After this introduction, the question of the famine that was

raging in Makkah has been discussed. As already mentioned, this famine

had occurred on the Holy Prophet's prayer, and he had prayed for it so

that when the calamity befell it would break the stubbornness of the

disbelievers and then they would listen to the rebuke. It looked as if

this expectation was being fulfilled to some extent, for some of the

most stubborn enemies of the Truth, on acount of the severities of the

famine, had cried out: "O Lord, avert this torment from us and we will

believe." At this, on the one hand, the Holy Prophet has been foretold

:"These people will not learn any leason from such calamities. When

they have turned away from the Messenger, whose life, character, works

and speech clearly show that he is Allah's true Messenger, how will a

mere famine help remove their disbelief?" On the other, the

unbelievers have been addressed, so as to say : "You lie when you say

that you will believe as soon as the torment is removed from you. We

shall just remove it to see how sincere you are in your promise. There

is a graver disaster about to fall upon you. You need a much more

crushing blow :minor misfortunes cannot set you right." In this very

connection, a reference has been made a little below to Pharaoh and

his people, implying that those people also had met with precisely the

same trial as the chiefs of the disbelieving Quraishare now afflicted.

To them also a similar noble and honourable Messenger had come; they

also had seen those express pointers and signs which clearly showed

that he had been appointed by Allah; they also had gone on witnessing

one sign after the other but they did not give up their stubbornness,

till at last they made up their mind to put an end to the Messenger's

life, and they met their doom, which has since become an object lesson

for the people for ever. After this the theme of the Hereafter has

been taken up, which the disbelievers of Makkah vehemently denied.

They said: "We have never seen anyone rising back to life after death.

Raise our forefathers back to life if you are true in your claim about

the life hereafter." In reeponse to this, two arguments for the

Hereafter have been presentea briefly (1) That the denial of this

creed has always proved destructive for the morals; and (2) that the

universe is not a plaything of a thoughtless diety, but it is a wise

system and no work of wisdom is ever vain or useless. Then the

disbelievers demand to bring their forefathers back to life has been

answered, thus : "This cannot be done every day to meet the demand of

the individuals, but Allah has appointed a time when He will resurrect

all mankind simultanoously and will subject them to accountability in

His Court. If one has to protect oneself there, one should think about

it here. For no one will be able to save himself there by his own

power, nor by the power of any one else." In connection with this

Court of Allah, mention has been made of the fate of those who will be

declared as culprits and of the rewards of those who will be declared

as successful. The discourse has been concluded with this warning:

"This Quran has been revealed in simple language in your own tongue so

that you may understand it; yet if you do not understand it and insist

on seeing your evil end, you may wait; Our Prophet too is waiting.

Whatever is to happen, will happen at its own appointed time."







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #45



                             --------------

                              45. Jaathiya:

                             --------------



Name



It is derived from the sentence wa tartt kullu ummat- in jathiyat-un

of verse 28, implying thereby that it is the Sura in which the word

jathiyah has occurred.



Period of Revelation



The period of the revelation of this Sura also has not been mentioned

in any authentic tradition, but its subject matter clearly shows that

it was revealed consecutively after Sura Ad Dukhan. The close

resemblance between the contents of the two Suras makes them look like

the twin Suras.



Subject Matter and Topics



It answers the doubts and objections of the disbeli- evers of Makkah

about Tauhidand the Hereafter and warns them for their attitude that

they had adopted against the message of the Qur'an. The discourse

begins with the arguments for Tauhid. In this connection, reference

has been made to the count- less Signs that are found in the world,

from man's own body to the earth and heavens, and it is pointed out

that everywhere around him man finds things which testify to

tauhidwhich he refuses to acknowledge. If man sees carefully the

variety of animals, the day and night, the rainfall and the vegetation

thereby, the winds and his own creation, and ponders over them

intelligently, without prejudice, he will find these Signs

sufficiently convincing of the truth that this universe is not Godless,

nor under the control of many gods, but it has been created by One God,

and He alone is its Controller and Ruler. However, the case of the

person who is determined not to acbnowledge and wants to remain

involved in doubts and suspicions is different. He cannot be blessed

with the faith and conviction from anywhere in the world. A little

below, in the beginning of the second section, it has been reiterated

that the things man is exploiting in the world, and the countless

forces and ageneies that are serving his interests in the universe,

did not come into being just accidentally, nor have they been provided

by the gods and goddesses, but it is One God alone, Who has supplied

and subjected these to him from Himself. If only a person uses his

mind properly and rightly, his own intellect will proclaim that God

alone is man's real Benefactor and He alone deserves that man should

pay obeisance to Him. After this, the disbelievers of Makkah have been

taken to task and reproved for their stubbornness, arrogance, mockery

and insistence on disbelief with which they were resisting the

invitation of the Qur'an they have been warned that this Qur'an has

brought the same blessing which had been granted to the children of

Israel before, by virtue of which they became distinguished above all

the people of the world. Then, when they failed to recognize the true

worth of this blessing and disputed their religion and lost it, this

blessing now has been sent to them. This is such a code of guidance

which shows the clear highway of Religion to man. The people who would

turn it down by their own folly, would only prepare for their own doom,

and only such people would become worthy of God's succour and mercy

who would adopt obedience to it and lead a life of piety and

righteousness. In this connection, the followers of the Holy Prophet

have been instructed that they should forbear and pardon the absurd

and foolish behaviour towards them of the people fearless of God, for

if they showed patience God Himself would deal with their opponents

and would reward them for their fortitude. Then, there is a criticism

of the erroneous ideas that the disbelievers hold about the Hereafter.

They said that life was only this worldly life there was no life

hereafter. Man dies in the course of time just as a watch stops

functioning suddenly. The body is not survived by any soul, which

might be seized and then breathed again into the human body some time

in the future. In this regard, they challenged the Holy Prophet,

saying: "If you lay a claim to this, then raise our dead forefathers

back to life." In answer to this, Allah has given tbe following

arguments (1) "You do not say this on the basis of any knowledge but

are uttering this grave thing on the basis of conjecture. Do you

really have the knowledge that there is no other life after death, and

the souls are not seized but are annihilated?" (2) "Your this claim

rests mainly on this that you have not seen any dead person rising

back to life and returning to the world. Is this basis strong enough

for a person to make a claim that the dead people will never rise to

life?When you do not experience and observe a thing, does it mean that

you have the knowledge that it does not exist at all? (3) It is

utterly against reason and justice that the good and the bad, the

obedient and the disobedient, the oppressor and the oppressed, should

be made equal ultimately. Neither a good act should bear a good result

nor an evil act an evil result; neither the grievances of the

oppressed be redressed nor the oppressor be punished, but everyone

should meet with the same fate ultimately. Whoever has formed this

view about the universe of God, has formed a patently wrong view. The

unjust and wicked people adopt this view because they do not want to

face the evil results of their deeds, but this world of God is not a

lawless kingdom; it is rather a system based on the Truth, in which

there can be no question of the injustice of regarding the good and

the bad as equal. (4) That the creed of the denial of the Hereafter is

highly destructive of morals. This is adopted only by such people as

are the slaves of their lusts, and for the reason that they should

have full freedom to serve their lusts. Then, when they have adopted

this creed, it goes on making them more and more perverse till at last

their moral sense becomes dead and all avenues of guidance are closed

against them. After giving these arguments Allah says most

emphatically: "Just as you did not become living of your own accord,

but became living by Our power, so you do not die of your own accord,

but die when We send death on you. And a time is certainly coming when

you will all be gathered together. If you do not believe in this

because of your ignorance and folly today, you may not; when the time

arrives, you will see for yourself that you are present before your

God and your whole book of conduct is ready accurately, which bears

evidence against each of your misdeeds. Then you will come to know how

dearly has your denial of the Hereafter and your mockery of it cost

you."







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #46



                              ------------

                               46. Ahqaaf:

                              ------------



Name



It is derived from the sentence idh andhara qauma-hu bil Ahqaf-i of

verse 21.



Period of Revelation



It is determined by an historical event that has been mentioned in vv.

29-32. This incident of the visit of the jinn and their going back

after listening to the Qur'an had occurred, according to agreed

traditions of the Hadith and biographical literature, at the time when

the Holy Prophet had halted at Makkah during his return journey from

Ta'if to Makkah. And according to all authentic historical traditions

he had gone to Ta'if three years before the Hijrah; therefore it is

determined that this Sura was sent down towards the end of the 10th

year or in the early part of the 11th year of the Prophethood.



Historical Background



The 10th year of the Prophethood was a year of extreme persecution and

distress in the Holy prophet's life. The Quraishand the other tribes

had continued their boycott of the Bani Hashim and the Muslims for

three years and the Holy Prophet and the people of his family aad

Companions lay besieged in Shi'b Abi Talib. The Quraishhad blocked up

this locality from every side so that no supplies of any kind could

reach the besieged people. Only during the Hajjseason they were

allowed to come out and buy some articles of necessity. But even at

that time whenever Abu Lahab noticed any of them approaching the

market place or a trading caravan he would call out to the merchants

exhorting them to announce forbidding rates of their articles for them,

and would pledge that he himself would buy those articles so that they

did not suffer any loss. This boycott which continued uninterrupted

for three years had broken the back of the Muslims and the Bani

Hashim; so much so that at times they were even forced to eat grass

and the leaves of trees. At last, when the siege was lifted this year,

Abu Talib, the Holy Prophet's uncle, who had been shielding him for

ten long years, died, and hardly a month later his wife, Hadrat

Khadijah, who had been a source of peace and consolation for him ever

since the beginning of the call, also passed away. Because of these

tragic incidents, which closely followed each other, the Holy Prophet

used to refer to this year as the year of sorrow and grief. After the

death of Hadart Khadijah and Abu Talib the disbelievers of Makkah

became even bolder against the Holy Prophet. They started treating him

even more harshly. So much so that it became difficult for him to step

out of his house. Of these days Ibn Hisham has related the incident

that a Quraish scoundrel one day threw dust at him openly in the

street. At last, the Holy Prophet left for Ta'if with the intention

that he should invite the Bani Thaqif to Islam, for even if they did

not accept Islam, they might at least be persuaded to allow him to

work for his mission peacefully. He did not have the facility of any

conveyance at that time, and travelled all the way to Ta'if on foot.

According to some traditions, he had gone there alone, but according

to others, he was accompanied by Zaid bin Harithah. He stayed at Ta'if

for a few days, and approached each of the chiefs and nobles of the

Bani Thaqif and talked to him about his mission. But not only they

refused to listen to him, but plainly gave him the notice that he

should leave their city, for they feared that his preaching might

"spoil" their younger generation. Thus, he was compelled to leave

Ta'if. When he was leaving the city, the chiefs of Thaqif set their

slaves and scoundrels behind him, who went on crying at him, abusing

him and petting him with stones for a long way from either side of the

road till he became broken down with wounds and his shoes were filled

with blood. Wearied and exhausted he took shelter in the shade of the

wall of a garden outside Ta'if, and prayed: "O God, to Thee I complain

of my weakness, little resource, and lowliness before men. O Most

Merciful, Thou art the Lord of the weak, and Thou art my Lord. To whom

wilt Thou confide me?To one afar who will misuge me?Or to an enemy to

whom Thou hast given power over me?If Thou art not angry with me I

care not. Thy favour is more wide for me. I take refuge in the light

of Thy countenance by which the darkness is illumined, and the things

of this world and the next are rightly ordered, lest Thy anger descend

upon me or Thy wrath light upon me. It is for Thee to be satisfied

until Thou art well pleased. There is no power and no might save in

Thee." (Ibn Hisham:A. Guillaume's Translation, p. 193). Grieved and

heart broken when he returned and reached near Qarn al-Manazil, he

felt as though the sky was overcast by clouds. He looked up and saw

Gabriel in front of him, who called out:"Allah has heard the way your

people have responded. He has, therefore, sent this angel incharge of

the mountains. You may command him as you please." Then the angel of

the mountains greeted him and submitted :"If you like I would overturn

the mountains from either side upon these people." The Holy Prophet

replied : "No, but I expect that Allah will create from their seed

those who will worship none but Allah, the One." (Bukhari, Dhikr al

Mala'ikah; Muslim: Kitab al-Maghazi; Nasa'i :Al-Bauth). After this he

went to stay for a few days at Makkah, perplexed as to how he would

face the people of Makkah, who, he thought, would be still further

emboldened against him after hearing what had happened at Ta'if. It

was here that one night when he was reciting the Qur'an in the Prayer,

a group of the jinn happened to pass by and listened to the Qur'an,

believed in it, and returned to their people to preach Islam. Thus,

Allah gave His Prophet the good news that if the men were running away

from his invitation, there were many of the jinn, who had become its

believers, and they were spreading his message among their own kind.

Subject Matter and Topics Such were the conditions when this Sura was

sent down. Anyone who keeps this background in view, on the one hand,

and studies this Sura, on the other, will have no doubt left in his

mind that this is not at all the composition of Muhammad (upon whom be

Allah's peace), but "a Revelation from the All Mighty, All Wise

Allah." For nowhere in this Sura, from the beginning to the end, does

one find even a tinge of the human feelings and reactions, which are

naturally produced in a man who is passing through such hard

conditions. Had it been the word of Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's

peace) whom the occurrence of personal griefs one after the other and

the countless and the recent bitter experience at Ta'if had caused

extreme anguinh and distress, it would have reflected in some degree

the state of the mind of the man who was the subject of these

afflictions and griefs. Consider the prayer that we have cited above:

it contains his own language its every word is saturated with the

feelings that he had at the time. But this Sura which was sent down

precisely in the same period and was recited even by him under the

same conditions, is absolutely free from every sign or trace of the

time. The subject matter of the Sura is to warn the disbelievers of

the errors in which they were involved, and also presisted arrogantly,

and were condemning the man who was trying to redeem them. They

regarded the world as a useless and purposeless place where they were

not answerable to anyone. Tbey thought that invitation to Tauhidwas

false and stuck to the belief that their own deities were actually the

associates of Allah. They were not inclined to believe that the Qur'an

was the Word of the Lord of the worlds. They had a strange erroneous

concept of apostleship on the basis of which they were proposing

strange criteria of judging the Holy Prophet's claim to it. In their

estimation one great proof of Islam's not being based on the truth was

that their elders and important chiefs of the tribes and so called

leaders of their nation were not accepting it and only a few young men,

and some poor folks and some slaves had affirmed faith in it. They

thought that Resurrection and life after death and the rewards and

punishments of the Hereafter were fabrications whose occurrence was

absolutely out of the question. In this Sura each of these

misconceptions has been refuted in a brief but rational way, and the

disbelievers have been warned that if they would reject the invitation

of the Qur'an and the Prophethood of the Prophet Muhammad (upon whom

be Allah's peace) by prejudice and stubbornness instead of trying to

understand its truth rationally, they would only be preparing for

their own doom.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #47



                             --------------

                              47. Muhammed:

                             --------------



Name



The Sura derives its name from the sentence wa amanu bi-ma nuzzila ala

Muhammad-in of verse 2, thereby implying that it is the Sura in which

the holy name of Muhammad (upon wham be Allah's peace and blessings)

has occurred. Besides, it has another well known name "al-Qital" also,

which is derived from the sentence wa dhukira fi-hal-qital of verse 20.

. Period of Revelation The contents of this Sura testify that it was

sent down after the hijrahat Madinah at the time when the fighting had

been enjoined, though active fighting had not yet been undertaken.

Detailed arguments in support of this view have becn given in E. N. 8

below.



Historical Background



The conditions at the time when this Sura was sent down were such that

the Muslims were being made the target of persecution and tyranny in

Makkah in particular and in Arabia in general, and life had become

miserable for them. Although the Muslims had emigrated to the haven of

Madinah from every side, the disbelieving Quraish were not prepared to

leave them alone and let them live in peace even there. Thus, the

small settlement of Madinah was hemmed in by the enemy, who was bent

upon exterminating it completely. The only alternative left with the

Muslims were that either they should surrender to the forces of

ignorance, giving up their mission of preaching the true Faith, or

even following it in their private lives, or should rise to wage a war

at the cost of their lives to settle finally and for ever whether

Islam would stay in Arabia or the creed of ignorance. On this occasion

Allah showed the Muslims the same way of reso1ution and will, which is

the only way for the true believers. He first permitted them to fight

in Sura AlHajj39 and then enjoined fighting in AlBaqarah190. But at

that time everyone knew fully well what it meant to wage a war in

those conditions. There were only a handful of Muslims in Madinah, who

could not muster even a thousand soldiers; yet they were being urged

to take up the sword and clash against the pagan forces of the whole

of Arabia. Then the kind of the weapons needed to equip its soldiers

for war could hardly be afforded by the town in which hundreds of

emigrants were still homeless and unsettled even by resort to starving

its members at a time when it had been boycotted economically by the

Arabs on all sides. Theme and Subject Matter Such were the conditions

when this Sura was revealed. Its theme is to prepare the believers for

war and to give them preliminary instructions in this regard. That is

why it has also been entitled al-Qital. It dea]s with the following

topics: At the outset it is said that of the two groups confronting

each other at this time, one has refused to accept the Truth and has

become an obstruction for others on the way of Allah, while the other

group has accepted the Truth which had been sent down by Allah to His

servant, Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings). Now,

Allah's final decision is that He has rendered fruitless and vain all

the works of the former group and set right the condition and affairs

of the latter group. After this, the Muslims have been given the

initial war instructions they have been reassured of Allah's help and

guidance: they have been given hope for the best rewards on offering

sacrifices in the cause of Allah and they have been assured that their

struggle in the cause of the Truth will not go to waste, but they will

be abundantly rewarded both in this world and in the Hereafter.

Furthermore, about the disbelievers it has been said that they are

deprived of Allah's support and guidance: none of their designs will

succeed in their conflict with the believers, and they will meet a

most evil fate both in this world and in the Hereafter. They thought

they had achieved a great success by driving the Prophet of Allah out

of Makkah, but in fact by this they had hastened their own doom. After

this, the discourse turns to the hypocrites, who were posing to be

sincere Muslims before the com- mand to fight was sent down, but were

counfounded when this command actually came down, and began to

conspire with the disbelievers in order to save themselves from the

hazards of war. They have been plainly warned to the effect that no

act and deed is acceptable to Allah of those who adopt hypocrisy with

regard to Him and His Prophet. There, the basic issue against which

all those who profess the Faith are being tried is whether one is on

the side of the Truth or Falsehood, whether one's sympathies are with

Islam and the Muslims or with disbelief and the disbelievers, whether

one keeps one's own self and interests dearer or the Truth which one

professes to believe in and follow. One who fails in this test is not

at all a believer; his Prayer and his Fasting and his discharging of

the zakatdeserve no reward from Allah. Then the Muslims have been

exhorted not to lose heart for being small in numbers and ill equipped

as against the great strength of the disbelievers: they should not

show weakness by offering peace to them, which might still further

embolden them against Islam and the Muslims, but they should come out

with trust in Allah and clash with the mighty forces of disbelief.

Allah is with the Muslims: they alone shall triumph; and the might of

disbelief will be humbled and vanquished. In conclusion, the Muslims

have been invited to spend their wealth in the cause of Allah.

Although at that time they were economically very weak, the problem

that they confronted was the very survival of Islam and the Muslinis.

The importance and delicacy of the problem demanded that the Muslims

should not only risk their lives for safeguarding themselves and their

Faith from the dominance of disbelief and for exalting Allah's

Religion but should also expend their economic resources as far as

possible in the preparations for war. Therefore, they were clearly

warned to the effect:Anyone who adopted a nigardly attitude at the

time, would not, in fact, harm Allah at all, but would result in his

own destruction, for Allah does not stand in need of help from men. If

one group of men shirkedoffering sacrifices in the cause of His

Religion, Allah would remove it and bring another group in its place.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #48



                               -----------

                               48. Fat-h:

                               -----------



Name



It is derived from the words Inna fatah-na laka fat-han mubina of the

very first verse. This is not only a name of the Sura but also its

title in view of the subject matter, for it deals with the great

victory that Allah granted to the Holy Prophet and the Muslims in the

form of the Truce of Hudaibiyah. Period of Revelation Traditions

concur that it was sent down in Dhil-Qadah, A. H. 6, at a time when

the Holy Prophet was on his return journey to Madinah after concluding

the Truce of Hudaibiyah with the disbelievers of Makkah.



Historical Background



The events in connection with which this Sura was sent down began life

this: One day the Holy Prophet saw in a dream that he had gone to

Makkah with his Companions and had performed the umrahthere. Obviously,

the Prophet's dream could not be a mere dream and fiction for it is a

kind of Divine inspiration as Allah Himself has confirmed in verse 27

below and said that He Himself had shown that dream to His Messenger.

Therefore, it was not merely a dream but a Divine inspiration which

the Holy Prophet had to obey and follow. Apparently, there was no

possible way of acting on this inspiration. The disbelieving

Quraishhad debarred the Muslims from proceeding to the Ka'bahfor the

past six years and no Muslim had been alliowed during that period to

approach the Kabahfor the purpose of performing hajjand umrah.

Therefore, it could not be expected that they would allow the Holy

Prophet to enter Makkah along with a party of his Companions. If they

had proceeded to Makkah in the pilgrim garments with the intention of

performing umrah, along with their arms, this would have provoked the

enemy to war, and if they had proceeded unarmed, this would have meant

endangering his own as well as his Cumpanions' lives. Under conditions

such as these nobody could see and suggest how the Divine inspiration

could be acted upon. But the Prophet's position was different. It

demanded that he should carry out whatever Command his Lord gave

fearlessly and without any apprehension and doubt. Therefore, the Holy

Prophet informed his Companions of his dream and began to make

preparations for the journey. Among the tribes living in the suburbs

also he had the public announcement made that he was proceeding for

umrahand the people could join him. Those who could only see the

apparent conditions thought that he and his Companions were going into

the very jaws of death none of them therefore was inclined to

accompany him in the expedition. But those who had true faith in Allah

and His Messenger were least bothered about the consequences. For them

this information was enough that it was a Divine inspiration and

Allah's Prophet had made up his mind to carry it into effect. After

this nothing could hinder them from accompanying the Messenger of

Allah. Thus, 1,400 of the Companions became ready to follow him on

this highly dangerous journey. This blessed caravan set off from

Madinah in the beginning of Dhil Qa'dah, A. H. 6. At Dhul Hulaifah

they entered the pilgrims robe with the intention of umrah, took 70

camels with collars round their necks indicating that they were

sacrificial animals; kept only a sword each in sheaths, which the

pilgrims to the Kabahwere allowed to carry according to the recognized

custom of Arabia, but no other weapon. Thus, the caravan set out for

the Ka'bah, the House of Allah, at Makkah, chanting the prescribed

slogan of Labbaik, Allahuma labbaik. The nature of the relations

between Makkah and Madinah in those days was known too well to every

Arab. Just the previous year, in Shawwal A. H. 5, the Quraishmustering

the united strength of the Arab tribes had invaded Madinah and the

well known Battle of the Trench had taken place. Therefore, when the

Holy Prophet along with such a large caravan set off for the home of

his blood-thirsty enemy, the whole of Arabia looked up with amazement,

and the people also noticed that the caravan was not going with the

intention to fight but was proceeding to the House of Allah in a

forbidden month in the pilgrims garb carrying sacrificial animals and

was absolutely unarmed. The Quraishwere confounded at this bold step

taken by the Holy Prophet. Dhil-Qa'dah was one of those foibidden

months which had been held as sacred for pilgrimage in Arabia for

centuries. Nobody had a right to interfere with a caravan which might

be coming for hajjor umrahin the pilgrims garb in this month; so much

so that even an enemy tribe could not hinder it from passing through

its territory according to the recognized law of the land. The

Quraishtherefore were caught in a dilemma, for if they attacked this

caravan from Madinah and stopped it from entering Makkah, this would

arouse a clamour of protest in the whole country, and all the Arab

tribes would have the misgiv- ing that the Quraishhad monopolised the

Ka'bahas exclusively their own, and every tribe would be involved in

the mistrust that now it depended on the will of the Quraishto allow

or not to allow anyone to perform hajjor umrahin the future and that

they would stop any tribe with which they were angry from visiting the

Ka'bahjust as they had stopped the Madinese pilgrims. This they

thought would be a grave mistake, which would cause the entire Arabia

to revolt against them. But, on the other hand, if they allowed

Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) and his large

caravan to enter their city safely, they would lose their image of

power in Arabia and the people would say that they were afraid of

Muhammad. At last, after a great deal of confusion, perplexity and

hesitation they were overcome by their false sense of honour and for

the sake of their prestige they took the decision that they would at

no cost allow the caravan to enter the city of Makkab. The Holy

Prophet had despatched a man of the Bani Ka'b as a secret agent so

that he may keep him fully informed of the intentions and movements of

the Quraish. When the Holy Prophet reached Usfan, he brought the news

that the Quraishhad reached Dhi Tuwa with full preparations and they

had sent Khalid bin Walid with two hundred cavalry men in advance

towards Kura'al-Ghamim to intercept him. The Quraishwanted somehow to

provoke the Holy Prophet's Companions into fighting so that they may

tell the Arabs that those people had actuaily come to fight and had

put on the pilgrims garments for umrahonly to deceive others.

Immediately on receipt of this information the Holy Prophet changed

his route and following a very rugged, rocky track reached Hudaibiyah,

which was situated right on the boundary of the sacred Makkan

territory. Here, he was visited by Budail bin Warqa the chief of the

Bani Khuza'ah, along with some men of his tribe. They asked what he

had come for. The Holy Prophet replied that he and his Companions bad

come only for pilgrimage to the House of Allah and for going round it

in worship and not for war. The men of Khuza'ah went and told this to

the Quraishchiefs and counsellcd them not to interfere with the

pilgrims. But the Quraishwere obstinate. They sent Hulays bin Alqamah,

the chief of the Ahabish, to the Holy Prophet to persuade him to go

back. Their object was that when Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace)

would not listen to Hulays, he would come back disappointed and then

the entire power of the Ahabish would be on their side. But when

Hulays went and saw that the whole caravan had put on the pilgrims

garments, had brought sacrificial camels with festive collars round

their necks, and had come for doing reverence to the House of Allah

and not to fight, he returiied to Makkah without having any dialogue

with the Holy Prophet and told the Quraishchiefs plainly that those

people bad no other object but to pay a visit to the Ka'bah; if they

debarred them from it, the Ahabish would not join them in that,

because they had not become their allies to support them even if they

violated the sacred customs and traditions. Then the Quraishsent Urwah

bin Mas'ud Thaqafi; he had lengthy negotiations with the Holy Prophet

in an effort to persuade him to give up his intention to enter Makkah.

But the Holy Prophet gave him also the same reply that he had given to

the chief of the Khuza'ah, that they had not come to fight but to do

honour to the House of Allah and carry out a religious duty. Urwah

went back and said to the Quraish: "I have been to the courts of the

Caesar and Khosroes, and the Negus also, but by God, never have I seen

any people so devoted to a king as are the Companions of Muhammad

(upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) to him. If Muhammad makes

his ablutions they would not let the water thereof fall on the ground

but would rub it on their bodies and clothes. Now you may decide as to

what you should do." In the meantime when the messages were coming and

the negotiations were going on, the Quraishtried again and again to

quietly launch sudden attacks on the Muslim camp in order to provoke

the Companions and somehow incite them to war, but every time they did

so the Companions' forbearance and patience and the Holy Prophet's

wisdom and sagacity frustrated their designs. On one occasion forty or

fifty of their men came at night and attacked the Muslim camp with

stones and arrows. The Companions arrested all of them and took them

before the Holy Prophet, but he let them go. On another occasion 80

men came from the direction of Tan'im right at the time of the Fajr

Prayer and made a sudden attack. They were also caught, but the Holy

Prophet forgave them, too. Thus, the Quraishwent on meeting failure

after failure in every one of their designs. At last, the Holy Prophet

sent Hadrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) as his own

messenger to Makkah with the message that they had not come to fight

but only for pilgrimage and had brought their sacrificial camels along,

and they would go back after performing the rite of pilgrimage and

offering the sacrifice. But the Quraishdid not agree and withheld

Hadrat Uthman in the city. In the meantime a rumour spread that Hadrat

Uthman had been killed; and when he did not return in time the Muslims

took the rumour to be true. Now they could show no more forbearance.

Entry into Makkah was different for there was no intention to use

force. But when the ambassador was put to death, the Muslims had no

alternative but to prepare for war. Therefore, the Holy Prophet

summoned all his Companions together and took a solemn pledge from

them that they would fight to death. In view of the critical occasion

it was not an ordinary undertaking. The Muslims numbered only 1400 and

had come without any weapons, were encamping at the boundary of Makkah,

250 miles away from their own city, and the enemy could attack them in

full strength, and could surround them with its allies from the

adjoining tribes as well. In spite of this, none from the caravan

except one man failed to give his pledge to fight to death, and there

could be no greater proof of their dedication and sincerity than that

in the cause of Allah. This pledge is well known in the history of

Islam as the pledge of Ridwan. Later it was known that the news about

Hadrat Uthman was false. Not only did he return but under Suhail bin

'Amr from the Quraiah also arrived a deputation to negotiate peace

with the Holy Prophet. Now, the Quraishno more insisted that they

would disallow the Holy Prophet and his Companions to enter Makkah.

However, in order to save their face they only insisted that he went

back that year but could come the following year to perform the umrah.

After lengthy negotiations peace was concluded on the following terms:

(1) War would remain suspended for ten years, and no party would

indulge in any hostility, open or secret, against the other. (2) If

any one during that period from among the Quraishwent over to Muhammad,

without his guardian's permission, he would return him to them, but if

a Companion of Muhammad came oven to the Quraish, they would not

return him to him. (3) Every Arab tribe would have the option to join

either side as its ally and enter the treaty. (4) Muhammad and his men

would go back that year and could come the following year for umrahand

stay in Makkah for three days, provided that they brought only one

sheathed sword each, and no other weapon of war. In those three days

the Makkans would vacate the city for them (so that there was no

chance of a clash), but they would not be allowed to take along any

Makkan on return. When the conditions of the treaty were being settled,

the whole of the Muslim army was feeling greatly upset. No one

understood the expedience because of which the Holy Prophet was

accepting the conditions. No one was far sighted enough to foresee the

great benefit that was to result from this treaty. The disbelieving

Quraishlooked at it as their victory, and the Muslims were upset as to

why they should be humiliated to accepting those mean conditions. Even

a statesman of th calibre of Hadrat Umar says that he had never given

way to doubt since the time he had embraced Islam but on this occasion

he also could not avoid it. Impatient he went to Hadrat Abu Bakr and

said "Is he (the Holy Prophet) not Allah's Messenger, and are we not

Mnslims, and are they not polytheists?  Then, why should we agree to

what is humiliating to our Faith?" He replied "O Umar, he is surely

Allah's Messenger, and Allah will never make him the loser."

Unsatisfied he went to the Holy Prophet himself and put the same

questions to him, and he also gave him the same replies as Hadrat Abu

Bakr had given. Afterwards Hadrat Umar continued to offer voluntary

prayers and give aims so that Allah may pardon his insolence that he

had shown towards the Holy Prophet on that occasion. Two things in the

treaty were highly disturbing for the Muslims first, the second

condition, about which they said that it was an expressly unfair

condition, for if they had to return a fugitive from Makkah, why

should not the Quraishreturn a fugitive from Madinah?To this the Holy

Prophet replied: "What use would be he to us, who fled from us to

them? May Allah keep him away from us!And if we return the one who

flees to us from them, Allah will create some other way out for him."

The other thing that was rankling in their minds was the fourth

condition. The Muslims thought that agreeing to it meant that they

were going back unsuccessful and this was humiliating. Furthermore,

the question that was causing them feel upset wad that they had

accepted the condition of going back without performing the pilgrimage

to the Ka'bah, whereas the Holy Prophet had seen in the vision that

they were performing tawaf at Makkah. To this the Holy Prophet replied

that in his vision the year had not been specified. According to the

treaty conditions, therefore, they would perform the tawaf the

following year if it pleased Allah. Right at the time when the

document was being written, Suhail bin 'Amr's own son, Abu Jandal, who

had become a Muslim and been imprisoned by the pagans of Makkah

somehow escaped to the Holy Prophet's camp. He had fetters on his feet

and signs of violence on his body. He implored the Holy Prophet that

he help secure his release from imprisonment. The scene only increased

the Companions' dejection, and they were moved beyond control. But

Suhail bin 'Amr said the conditions of the agreement had been

concluded between them although the writing was not yet complete;

therefore, the boy should be returned to them. The Holy Prophet

admitted his argument and Abu Jandal was returned to his oppressors.

When the document was finished, the Holy Prophet spoke to the

Companions and told them to slaughter their sacrificial animals at

that very place, shave their heads and put off the pilgrim garments,

but no one moved from his place. The Holy Prophet repeated the order

thrice but the Companions were so overcome by depression and dejection

that they did not comply. During his entire period of apostleship on

no occasion had it ever happened that he should command his Companions

to do a thing and thay should not hasten to comply with it. This

caused him a great shock, and he repaired to his tent and expressed

his grief before his wife, Hadrat Umm Salamah. She said, "You may

quietly go and slaughter your own camel and call the barber and have

your head shaved. After that the people would automatically do what

you did and would understand that whatever decision had been taken

would not be changed." Precisely the same thing happened. The people

slaughtered their animals, shaved their heads or cut their hair short

and put off the pilgrim garb, but their hearts were still afflicted

with grief. Later, when this caravan was returning to Madinah, feeling

depressed and dejected at the truce of Hudaibiyab, this Sura came down

at Dajnan (or according to some otbers, at Kura' al-Ghamim), which

told the Muslims that the treaty that they were regarding an their

defeat, was indeed a great victory. After it had come down, the Holy

Prophet summoned the Muslims together and said: "Today such a thing

has been sent down to me, which is more valuable to me than the world

and what it contains." Then be recited this Sura, especially to Hadrat

Umar, for he was the one who was feeling most dejected. Although the

believers were satisfied when they heard this Divine Revelation, not

much longer afterwards the advantages of this treaty began to appear

one after the other until every one became fully convinced that this

peace treaty indeed was a great victory: (1)In it for the first time

the existence of the Islamic State in Arabia was duly recognized.

Before this in the eyes of the Arabs the position of the Holy Prophet

Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) and his Companions was no more

than of mere rebels against the Quraishand other Arab tribes, and they

regarded them as the outlaws. Now the Quraisb themselves by concluding

this agreement with the Holy Prophet recognized his sovereignty over

the territories of the Islamic State and opened the way for the Arab

tribes to enter treaties of alliance with either of the political

powers they liked. (2)By admitting the right of pilgrimage to the

House of Allah for the Muslims, the Quraishalso admitted that Islam

was not an anti-religious creed, as they had so far been thinking, but

it was one of the admitted religions of Arabia, and like the other

Arabs, its followers also had the right to perform the rites of

hajjand umrah. This diminished the hatred in the Arabs hearts that had

been caused by the propaganda made by the Quraishagainst Islam. (3)The

signing of a no-war pact for ten years provided full peace to the

Muslims, and spreading to every nook and corner of Arabia they

preached Islam with such spirit and speed that within two years after

Hudaibiyah the number of the people who embraced Islam far exceeded

those who bad embraced it during the past 19 year or so. It was all

due to this treaty that two years later when in consequence of the

Quraish's violating the treaty the Holy Prophet invaded Makkah, he was

accompanied by an army 10,000 strong, whereas on the occa- sion of

Hudaibiyah only 1,400 men had joined him in the march. (4)After the

suspension of hostilities by the Quraishthe Holy Prophet had the

opportunity to establish and strengthen Islamic rule in the

territories under him and to turn the Islamic society into a full

fledged civilization and way of life by the enforcement of Islamic law.

This is that great blessing about which Allah says in verse 3 of Sura

Al-Ma'idah:"Today I have perfected your Religion for you and completed

My blessing on you and approved Islam as the Way of Life for you."

(for explanation, see Introduction to Sura Al-Ma'idahand its E. N. 15).

(5)Another gain that accrued from the truce with the Quraishwas that

being assured of peace from the south the Muslims overpowered all the

opponent forces in the north and central Arabia easily. Just three

months after Hudaibiyah, Khaiber, the major stronghold of the Jews,

was conquered and after it the Jewish settlements of Fadak, Wad-il

Qura, Taima and Tabuk also fell to Islam one after the other. Then all

other tribes of central Arabia, which were bound in alliance with the

Jews and Quraish, came under the sway of Islam. Thus, within two years

after Hudaibiyah the balance of power in Arabia was so changed that

the strength of the Quraishand pagan gave way and the domination of

Islam became certain. These were the blessings that the Muslims gained

from the peace treaty which they were looking upon as their defeat and

the Quraishas their victory. However, what had troubled the Muslims

most in this treaty, was the condition about the fugitives from Makkah

and Madinah, that the former would be returned and the latter would

not be returned. But not much long after- wards this condition also

proved to be disadvantageous for the Quraish, and experience revealed

what far reaching consequences of it had the Holy Prophet fore seen

and then accepted it. A few days after the treaty a Muslim of Makkah,

Abu Basir, escaped from the Quraishand reached Madinah. The

Quraishdemanded him back and the Holy Prophet returned him to their

men who had been sent from Makkah to arrest him. But while on the way

to Makkah he again fled and went and sat on the road by the Red Sea

shore, which the trade caravans of the Quraishtook to Syria. After

that every Muslim who succeeded in escaping from the Quraishwould go

and join Abu Basir instead of going to Madinah, until 70 men gathered

there. They would attack any Quraishcaravan that passed the way and

cut it into pieces at last, the Quraishthemselves begged the Holy

Prophet to call those men to Madinah, and the condition relating to

the return of the fugitives of itself became null and void. The Sura

should be read with this historical background in view in order to

fully understand it.







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #49



                             ---------------

                             49. Hujuraath:

                             ---------------



Name



The Sura takes its name from verse 4 in which the word hujurat has

occurred.



Period of Revelation



Traditions show and the subject matter of the Sura also supports the

same that this Sura is a collection of the commandments and

instructions sent down on different occasions, which have been put

together because of the relevancy of the theme. Moreover, the

traditions also show that most of these commandments were sent down

during the final stage of the Holy Prophet's life at Madinah. For

instance, about verse 4 the commentators state that it was sent down

concerning the Bani Tamim whose deputation had arrived in Madinah and

started calling out to the Holy Prophet from outside the apartments

(hujurat) of his wives, and according to all biographical books on the

Holy Prophet's life this deputation had visited Madinah in A. H. 9.

Likewise, about verse 6 a large number of the traditions of Hadith

confirm that it was sent down concerning Walid bin Uqbah whom the Holy

Prophet had sent to collect the zakat from the Bani al-Mustaliq, and

it is well known that Walid bin Uqabah had become a Muslim on the

conquest of Makkah.



Subject Matter and Topics



The subject matter of this Sura is to teach the Muslims the manners

worthy of true believers. In the first five verses they have bcen

taught the manners they should observe with regard to Allah and His

Messenger. Then, they have been given the instruction that it is not

right to belive in everv news blindly and to act according to it,

without due thought. If information is received about a person, a

group or a community, it should be seen carefully whether the means of

the information is reliable or not. If the means is not reliable, it

should be tested and examined to see whether the news is authentic or

not before taking any action on it. Then, it has been told what

attitude should the other Muslims adopt in case two groups of the

Muslims fall to mutual fighting. Then the Muslims have been exhorted

to safeguard against the evils that corrupt collective life and spoil

mutual relationships. Mocking and taunting each other, calling others

by nicknames, creating suspicions, prying into other people's affairs

and backbiting are the evils which are not only sins in themselves but

they also corrupt society. Allah has mentioned all these evils

separately and forbidden them as unlawful. After this, the national

and racial distinctions that cause universal corruption in the world

have been condemned. Nations and tribes and families pride of Ancestry

and their looking down upon others as inferior to themselves and their

pulling down others only for the sake of establishing their own

superiority is an important factor that has filled the world with

injustices and tyranny. Allah in a brief verse has cut at the root of

this evil by stating that all men are descendants of the same one pair

and their division into tribes and communities is only for the sake of

recognition, not for boasting and pride, and there is no lawful basis

of one man's superiority over the other except on the basis of moral

excellence. In conclusion, the people have been told that the real

thing is not the verbal Profession of the Faith but to believe in

Allah and His messenger truly, to obey them in practical life and to

exert sincerely with one's self and wealth in the cause of Allah. True

believers are only those who adopt this attitude. As for those who

profess Islam merely orally without affirmation by the heart and then

adopt an attitude as if they had done someone a favour by accepting

Islam, may be counted among the Muslims in the world, may even be

treated as Muslims in society, but they cannot be counted as believers

in the sight of Allah.







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #50



                               ----------

                                50. Qaaf:

                               ----------



Name



The Sura derives its name from the initial letter Qaf, thereby

implying that it is the Sura which opens with the alphabetic letter

Qaf.



Period of RevelatIon



There is no authentic tradition to show as to when exactly this Sura

was sent down. A study of the subject matter, however, reveals that

its period of revelation is the second stage of the Holy Prophet's

life at Makkah, which lasted from the third year of the Prophethood

till the fifth year. We have given the characteristics of this period

in the Introduction to the Sarah Al-An'am. In view of those

characteristics it can be said that this Sura might have been sent

down in about the 5th year, when the antagonism of the disbelievers

had become quite intense but had not yet assumed tyrannical

proportions.



Theme and Topics



Authentic traditions show that the Holy Prophet used to recite this

Sura generally in the Prayer on the Eid days. A woman named Umm Hisham

bin Harithah, wbo was a neighbour of the Holy Prophet, says that she

was able to commit Sura Qaf to memory only because she often heard it

from the Holy Prophet in the Friday sermons. According to some other

traditions he often recited it in the Fajr Prayer. This makes it

abundantly clear that this was an important Sura in the sight of the

Holy Prophet. That is why he made sure that its contents reached as

many people as possible over and over again. This reason for this

importance can be easily understood by a careful study of the Sura.

The theme of the entire Sura is the Hereafter. When the Holy Prophet

started preaching his message in Makkah what surprised the people most

was the news that people would be ressurected after death, and they

would have to render an account of their deeds. They said that that

was impossible; human mind could not believe that that would happen.

After all, how could it be possible that when the body had

disintegrated into dust the scattered particles would be reassembled

after hundreds of thousands of years to make up the same body once

again and raised up as a living body, Allah in response sent down this

discourse. In it, on the one hand, arguments have been given for the

possibility and occurrence of the Hereafter in a brief way, in short

sentences, and, on the other, the people have been warned, as if to

say: "Whether you express wonder and surprise, or you regard it as

something remote from reason, or deny it altogether, in any case it

cannot change the truth. The absolute, un-alterable truth is that

Allah knows the whereabouts of each and every particle of your body

that has scattered away in the earth, and knows where and in what

state it is. Allah's one signal is enough to make all the scattered

particles gather together again and to make you rise up once again as

you had been made in the first instance. Likewise, your this idea that

you have been created and left free to yourselves in the world and

that you have not been made answerable to anyone, is no more than a

misunderstanding. The fact is that not only is Allah Himself directly

aware of each act and word of yours, even of the ideas that pass in

your mind, but His angels also are attached to each one of you, who

are preserving the record of whatever you do and utter. When the time

comes, you will come out of your graves at one call just as young

shoots of vegetable sprout up from the earth on the first shower of

the rain. Then this heedlessness which obstructs your vision will be

removed and you will see with your own eyes all that you are denying

today. At that time you will realize that you had not been created to

be irresponsible in this world but accountable to all your deeds the

meeting out of the rewards and punishments, the Hell and Heaven, which

you regard as impossible and imaginary things, will at that time

become visible realities for you in consequence of your enmity and

opposition to the Truth you will be cast into the same Hell which you

regard as remote from reason today and the ones who fear the Merciful

God and return to the path of righteousness, will be admitted to the

same Paradise at whose mention you now express wonder and surprise.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #51



                             ---------------

                             51. Zaariyaat:

                             ---------------



Name



It is derived from the very first word wadh-dhariyat, which implies

that it is a Sura which begins with the word adh-dhariyat.



Period of Revelation



The subject matter and the style clearly show that it was sent down in

the period when although the Holy Prophet's invitation was being

resisted and opposed with denial and ridicule and false accusations

stubbornly, persecution had not yet started. Therefore, this Sura also

seems to have been revealed in the same period in which the Sura

Qafwas revealed.



Subject Matter and Topics



The Sura mostly deals with the Hereafter, and in the end it presents

the invitation to Tauhid. In addition, the people have also been

warned that refusal to accept the message of the Prophets and

persistence in the concepts and creeds of ignorance have proved to be

disastrous for those nations themselves which have adopted this

attitude and way of life in the past. About the Hereafter what this

Sura presents in short but pithy sentences is this: The people's

different and conflicting beliefs about the end of human life are

themselves an express proof that none of these beliefs and creeds is

based on knowledge; everyone by himself has formed an ideology on the

basis of conjecture and made the same his creed. Someone thought that

there would be no life-after-death; someone believed in the life-

after-death, but in the form of the transmigration of souls someone

believed in the life hereafter and the meting out of the rewards and

punishments but invented different sorts of props and supports to

escape retribution. About a question of such vital and fundamental

importance a wrong view of which renders man's whole life-work wrong

and waste and ruins his future for ever, it would be a disastrous

folly to build an ideology only on the basis of speculation and

conjecture, without knowledge. It would mean that man should remain

involved in a grave misunderstanding, pass his whole life in the

heedlessness of error, and after death should suddenly meet with a

situation for which he had made no preparation at all. There is only

one way of forming the right opinion about such a question, and it is

this: Man should seriously ponder over the knowledge about the

Hereafter that the Prophet of Allah is conveying to him from Him, and

should study carefully the system of the earth and heavens and his own

existence: and should see whether the evidence of that knowledge's

being sound and correct is afforded by everything around him or not.

In this regard, the arrangement of the wind and rain, the structure of

the earth and the creatures found on it, man's own self, the creation

of the heavens and of everything in the world in the form of pairs

have been precented as evidence of the Hereafter, and instances have

been cited from human history to show that the temper of the empire of

the Univeree requires that the law of retribution must operate here.

After this, giving the invitation to Tauhidbriefly, it has been said :

"Your Creator has not created you for the service of others but for

His own service. He is not like your false gods, which receive

sustenance from you and godhead of which cannot function without your

help, but He is a God Who is the Sustainer of all, Who does not stand

in need of sustenance from anyone and Whose Godhead is functioning by

His own power and might. In this very connection, it has also been

stated that whenever the Prophets of Allah have been opposed and

resisted, they have not been opposed and resisted on the basis of any

rational ground but on the basis of the same obduracy and stubbornness

and false pride that is being shown against the Prophet Muhammad

(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and there is no other

motive for it than rebellion and arrogance. Then the Holy Prophet has

been instructed not to bother about the rebels but to go on performing

his mission of invitation and admonition, for it is useful and

beneficial for the believers although it may not be so for the other

people. As for the wicked people who still persist in their rebellion,

they should know that their predecessors who followed the same way of

life, have already received their shares of the punishment, and these

people's share of the punishment has been made ready for them.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #52



                               ----------

                                52. Tuur:

                               ----------



Name



It is derived from the very first cord "WatTur-i."



Period of Revelation



From the internal evidence of the subject matter it appears that this

Sura too was revealed in the same stage of the Holy Prophet's life at

Makkah in which the Sura Adh-Dhariyatwas revealed. While going through

it one can clearly feel that during the period of its revelation the

Holy Prophet (peace and bleesings of Allah be upon him) was being

showered with objections and accusations but there is no evidence yet

to show that severe persecution of the Muslims had started.



Subject Matter and Topics



The subject matter of its first section (vv. 1-28) is the Hereafter.

As arguments for its possibility, necessity and occurrence had already

been given in Sura Adh-Dhariyat, these have not been repeated here.

However, swearing an oath by some realities and signs which testify to

the Hereafter, it has been stated most emphatically that it will

surely come to pass, and none has the power to prevent its occurrence.

Then, it has been stated as to what will be the fate of those who deny

it when it actually occurs, and how will those who believe in it and

adopt the way of piety and righteousness accordingly, be blessed by

Allah. Then, in the second section (vv. 29-49) the (Quraish:>diQuraish}

chiefs' attitude towards the message of the Holy Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allah he upon him) has been criticised. They called him a

sorcerer, a madman, or a poet, and would thus mislead the common

people against him so that they should not pay any serious attention

to the message he preached. They looked upon him as a calamity that

had suddenly descended on them and would openly wish that he met with

a disaster so that they were rid of him. They accused him of

fabricating the Qur'an by himself and of presenting it in the name of

Allah, and this was, God forbid, a fraud that he was practising. They

would often taunt him, saying that God could not have appointed an

ordinary man like him to the office of Prophethood. They expressed

great disgust at his invitation and meseage and would avoid him as if

he was asking them for a reward for it. They would sit and take

counsels together to devise schemes in order to put an end to his

mission. And while they did all this they never realized what creeds

of ignorance they were involved in and how selflessly and sincerely

was Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) exerting

himself to deliver tbem from their error. While criticising them for

this attitude and conduct, Allah has put them certain questions, one

after the other, each of which is either an answer to some objection

of theirs, or a criticism of some error. Then, it has been said that

it would absolutely be of no avail to show them a miracle in order to

convince them of his Prophethood, for they were such stubborn people

as would misinterpret anything they were shown only to avoid affirming

the faith. In the beginning of this section as well as in its end, the

Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has been given

the instruction that he should persistently continue giving his

invitation and preaching his message in spite of the accusations and

objections of his opponents and enemies, and should endure their

resistance patiently till Allah's judgement comes to pass. Besides, he

has been consoled, as if to say "Your Lord has not left you alone to

face your enemies, after raising you as a Prophet, but He is

constantly watching over you. Therefore, endure every hardship

patiently till the Hour of His judgement comes, and seek through

praising and glorifying your Lord the power that is required for

exerting in the cause of Allah under such conditions.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #53



                               ----------

                                53. Najm:

                               ----------



Name



The Sarah derives its name from the very first word wan Najm. This

title also does not relate to the subject matter, but is a name given

to the Sura as a symbol.



Period of Revelation



According to a Tradition related by Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Da'ud and

Nasai, on the authority of Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud, the first Sura

in which a versa requiring the performance of a sajdah (prostration)

as sent down, is Sura An-Najm. The parts of this Hadith which have

been reported by Aswad bin Yazid, Abu Ishaq and Zubair bin Mu'awiyah

from Hadrat Ibn Mas'ud, indicate that this is the first Sura of the

Qur'an, which the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon

him) had publicly recited before an assembly of the Quraish (and

according to Ibn Marduyah, in the Ka'bah) in which both the believers

and the disbelievers were present. At the end, when he recited the

verse requiring the performance of a sajdah and fell down in

prostration, the whole assembly also fall down in prostration with him,

and even those chiefs of the polytheists who were in the forefront of

the opposition to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be

upon him) could not resist falling down in prostration. Ibn Mas'ud

(may Allah be pleased with him) says that he saw only one man, Umayyah

bin Khalaf, from among the disbelievers, who did not fall down in

prostration but took a little dust and rubbing it on his forehead said

that that was enough for him. Later, as Ibn Mas'ud relates, he saw

this man being killed in the state of disbelief. Another eye witness

of this incident is Hadrat Muttalib bin Abi Wada'ah, who had not yet

become a Muslim. Nasai and Musnad Ahmad contain his own words to the

effect: "When the Holy Propbet recited the Sura An-Najm and performed

the sajduh and the whole assembly fell down in prostration along with

him, I did not perform the sajdah. Now to compensate for the same

whenever I recite this Sura I make sure never to abandon its

performance." Ibn Sad says that before this, in the Rajab of the 5th

year of Prophethood, a small group of the Companions had emigrated to

Abyssinia. Then, when in the Ramadan of the same year this incident

took place the news spread that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings

of Allah be upon him) had recited Sura An-Najm publicly in the

assembly of the Quraishand the whole assembly, including the believers

as well as the disbelievers, had fallen down in prostration with him.

When the emigrtrants to Abyssinia heard this news they formed the

impression that the disbelievers of Makkah had become Muslims.

Thereupon, some of them returned to Makkah in the Shawwal of the 5th

year of Prophethood, only to learn that the news was wrong and the

conflict between Islam and disbelief was raging as furiously as before.

Concequently, the second emigration to Abyssinia took place, in which

many more people left Makkah. Thus, it becomes almost certain that

this Sura gws revealed in the Ramadan of 5th year of Prophethood.



Historical Background



The details of the period of revelation as given above point to the

conditions in which this Sura was revealed. During the first five

years of his appointment as a Prophet, the Holy Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him) had been extending invitation to

Allah's Religion by presenting the Divine Revelations before the

people only in private and restricted meetings and assemblies. During

this whole period he could never have a chance to recite the Quran

before a common gathering openly, mainly because of the strong

opposition and resistance from the disbelievers. They were well aware

of how magnetic and captivating was the Holy Prophet's personality and

his way of preaching and how impressive were the Revelations of the

Qur'an. Therefore, they tried their best to avoid hearing it them-

selves and to stop others also from hearing it and to suppress his

invitation by false propaganda by spreading every kind of suspicion

against him. For this object, on the one hand, they were telling the

people that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had

gone astray and was now bent upon misleading others as well; on the

other hand, they would raise on uproar whenever he tried to present

the Qur'an before the people so that no one could know what it was for

which he was being branded as a misled and misguided person. Such were

the conditions when the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be

upon him) suddenly stood up one day to make a speech in the sacred pre.

cincts of the Ka'bah, where a large number of the Quraishhad gathered

together. Allah at that time made him deliver this discourse, which we

have now in the form of the Sura An-Najmwith us. Such was the

intensity of the impression that when the Holy Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him) started reciting it the opponents were

so completely overwhelmed that they could not think of raising any

disorder, and when at the conclusion he fell down in prostration, they

too fell down in prostration along with him. Later they felt great

remorse at the weakness they had involuntarily shown. The people also

started taunting them to the effect that whereas they had been

forbidding others to listen to the Qur'an, that day not only had they

themselves listened to it, with complete absorption but had even

fallen down in prostration along with Muhammad (peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him). At last, they had to invent a story in order to

get rid of the people's taunt and ridicule. They said "After he had

recited afara'ait-ul Lata wal Uzza wa Manat ath-thalitha-al ukhra, we

heard from Muhammad the words: tilk al-gharaniqa- tal-'ula, wa anna

shafa'at-u-hunna latarja: 'They are exalted goddesses: indeed, their

intercession may be expected.' From this we understood that Muhammad

had returned to our faith." As a matter of fact, only a mad person

could think that in the context of this Sura the sentences they

claimed to have heard could have any place and relevance.(For details,

please see E. N.'s 96 to 301 of Sura AlHajj).



Subject Matter and Topics



The theme of the discourse is to warn the disbelievers of Makkah about

the error of the attitude that they had adopted towards the Qur'an and

the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The

discourse starts in a way as if to say: "Muhammad is neither deluded

nor gone astray, as you are telling others in your propaganda against

him, nor has he fabricated this teaching of Islam and its message, as

you seem to think he has. In fact, whatever he is presenting is

nothing but Revelation which is sent down to him. The verities that be

presents before you, are not the product of his own surmise and

speculation but realities of which he himself is an eye witness. He

has himself seen the Angel through whom this knowledge is conveyed to

him. He has been directly made to observe the great Signs of his Lord:

whatever he says is not what he has himself thought out but what he

has seen with his own eyes. Therefore, your disputing and wrangling

with him is just like the disputing and wrangling of a blind man with

a man of sight over a thing which the blind man cannot see but he can

see." After this, three things have been presented in their successive

order : First, the listeners have been made to understand that: "The

religion that you are following is based on mere conjecture and

invented ideas. You have set up a few goddesses like Lat and Manat and

Uzzaas your deities, whereas they have no share whatever in divinity.

You regard the angels as the daughters of Allah, whereas you regard a

daughter as disgraceful for your own selves. You think that these

deities of fours can influence Allah in your favour, whereas the fact

is that all the angels together, who are stationed closest to Allah,

cannot infiuenre Him even in their own favour. None of such beliefs

that you have adopted, is based on knowledge and reason, but are

wishes and desires for the sake of which you have taken some whims as

realities. This is a grave error. The right and true religion is that

which is in conformity to the reality, and the reality is never

subject to thee people's wishes and desires so that whatever they may

regard as a reality and tru1th should become the reality and truth.

Speculation and conjecture caunot help to determine as to what is

according to the truth and what is not; it is knowledge. When that

knowledge is presented before you, you turn away from it, and brand

the one who tells you the truth as misguided. The actual cause of your

being involved in this error is that you are heedless of the Hereafter.

Only this world is your goal. Therefore, you have neither any desire

for the knowledge of reality, nor you bother to see 'whether the

beliefs you hold are according to the truth or not. Secondly, the

people have been told that: Allah is the caster and Sovereign of the

entire Universe. The righteous is he who follows His way, and the

misguided he who has turned away from His way. The error of the

misguided and the righteousness of the righteous are not hidden from

Him. He knows whatever everyone is doing: He will requite the evil

with evil and the good with good. The final judgement will not depend

on what you consider yourself to be, and on tall claims you make of

your purity and chastity but on whether you are pious or impious,

righteous or unrighteous, in the sight of God. If you refrain from

major sins, He in His mercy will overlook your minor errors.'' .

Thirdly, a few basic principles of the true Religion which had been

presented hundreds of years before the revelation of the Qur'an in the

Books of the Prophets Abraham and Moses have been reiterated so that

the people did not remain involved in the misunderstanding that the

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had

brought some new and novel religion, but they should know that these

are the fundamental truths which the former Prophets of Allah have

always been presenting in their respective ages. Besides, the same

Books have been quoted to confirm the historical facts that the

destruction of the 'Ad and the Thamud and of the people of the

Prophets Noah and Lot was not the result of accidental calamities, but

Allah has destroyed them in consequence of the same wickedness and

rebellion from which the disbelievers of Makkah were not inclined to

refrain and desist in any case. After presenting these themes and

discourses the Sura has been concluded, thus: "The Hour of Judge- ment

has approached near at hand, which no one can avert. Before the

occurrence of that Hour you are being warned through Muhammad (peace

and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Quran in the like manner

as the former people had been warned before. Now, is it this warning

that you find novel and strange? Which you mock and ridicule? Which

you turn away from and cause disorder so that no one else also is able

to hear what it is ? Don't you feel like weeping at your folly and

ignorance?Abandon this attitude and behaviour, bow down to Allah and

serve Him alone!" This was that impressive conclusion hearing which

even the most hardened deniers af the Truth were completely

overwhelmed, and when after reciting these verses of Divine Word the

Holy Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

fell down in prostration, they too could not help falling down in

prostration along with him.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #54



                               -----------

                               54. Qamar:

                               -----------



Name



The Sura takes its name from the very first verse Wan shaqq al-Qamar,

thereby implying that it is a Sura in which the word al-Qamar has

occurred.



Period of Revelation



The incident of the shaqq-al-Qamar (splitting of the moon) that has

been mentioned in it, determines its period of revelation precisely.

The traditionists and commentators are agreed that this incident took

place at Mina in Makkah about five years before the Holy Prophet's

hijrato Madinah.



Theme and Subject Matter



In this Sura the disbelievers of Makkah have been warned for their

stubbornness which they had adopted against the invitation of the Holy

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The amazing and

wonderful phenomenon of the splitting of the Moon was a manifest sign

of the truth that the Resurrection, of which the Holy Prophet was

giving them the news, could take place and that it had approached near

at hand. The great sphere of the Moon had split into two distinct

parts in front of their very eyes. The two parts had separated and

recedeed so much apart from each other that to the on-lookers one part

had appeared on one side of the mountain and the other on the other

side of it. Then, in an instant the two had rejoined. This was a

manifest proof of the truth that the system of the Universe was

neither eternal nor immortal, it could be disrupted. Huge stars and

Planets could split asunder, disintegra[e, collide with each other,

and everything that had been depicted in the Quran In connection with

the description of the details of Resurrection, could happen. Not only

this : it was also a portent that the disintegration of the system of

the Universe had begun and the time was near when Resurrection would

take place. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon

him) invited the people's attention to this event only with this

object in viwe and asked them to mark it and be a witness to it. But

the disbelievers described it as a magical illusion add persisted in

their denial. For this stubbornnnss they have been reproached in this

Sura. At the outset it has been said:"These people neither believe in

the admonition, nor learn a lesson from history, nor affirm faith

after witnessing manifest signs with their eyes. Now they would

believe only when Resurrection has taken place and they would be

rushing out of their graves towards the Summoner on that Day." Then,

the stories of the people of Noah and of 'Ad and Thamud and of the

peoples of Lot and the Pharaoh have been related briefly and they have

been reminded of the terrible punishments that these nations suffered

when they belied and disregarded the warnings given by the Prophets of

God. After the narration of each story the refrain that has been

provided is : "This Qur'an is an easy means of admonition, which if a

nation takes to heart and thereby takes the Right Way, the torment

that descended on the former nations could be avoided. But it would

indeed be a folly if instead of heeding the admonition through this

easy means, one persisted in heedlessness and disbelieved until one

was overtaken by the torment itself." Likewise, after citing

admonitary precedents from the history of the former nations, the

disbelievers cf Makkah have been addressed and warned to this effect:

"If you too adopt the same attitude and conduct for which the other

nations have already been punished, why will you not be punished for

it?Are you in any way a superior people that you should be treated

differently from others? Or, have you received a deed of amnesty that

you will not be punished for the crime for which others have been

punished?And if you feel elated at your great numbers, you will soon

see that these very numbers of yours are put to rout (on the

battlefield) and on the Day of Resurrectioun you will be dealt with

even more severely." In the end, the disbelievers have been told that

Allah does not need to make lengthy preparations to bring about

Resurrection. No sooner does He give a simple command for it than it

will take place immediately. Like everything else the Universe and

mankind also have a destiny. According to this destiny everything

happens at its own appointed time. It cannot be so that whenever

somebody gives a challenge, Resurrection is brought about in order to

convince him. If you adopt rebellion because you do not see it coming,

you will only be adding to your own distress and misfortune. For your

record which is being prepared by Divine agents, has not left any

misdeed of yours, great or small, unrecorded.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #55



                              ------------

                               55. Rahman:

                              ------------



Name



This Sura is entitled Ar Rahman, the word with which it begins. This

title, however, deeply relates to the subject matter of the Sura too,

for in it, from the beginning to the end, the manifestations and

fruits of Allah's attribute of mercy and grace have been mentioned.



Period of Revelation



The commentators generally hold the view that this is a Makki Sura,

though according to some traditions which have been cited on the

authority of Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas, Ikrimah and Qatadah, it was

revealed at Madinah. But, firstly, there are also some other

traditions from these very authorities, which contradict this view;

secondly, its subject matter bears a closer resemblance with the Makki

Suras than with the Madani Suras; rather it appears to belong to the

very early Makkah period. However, there are several authentic

traditions which testify that it had been revealed in Makkah itself

many years before the hijra. Musnad Ahmad contains a tradition from

Hadarat Asma, daughter of Abu Bakr (may Allah bless them both), to the

effect: "I saw the Messenger of Allah offering his Prayers in the

sacred precincts of the Ka'bahfacing the corner in which the "Black

Stone" is fixed. This relates to the time when the Divine Command,

fasda bi-ma tumar ("So, proclaim publicly, O Prophet, what you are

being commanded") had not yet been revealed. The po]ytheists at that

time were hearing the words, Fa-biayyi alaa'i Rabbi kuma tukadhdhi ban,

being recited by him in the Prayer." This shows than this Sura had

been sent down even before Sura Al-Hijr. Al-Bazzar, Ibn Jarir, Ibn Al-

Mundhir, Daraqutni (in Al Afrad), Ibn Marduyah and Ibn Al Khatib (in

At- Tarikh) have related, on the authority of Hadrat Abdullah bin Umar,

that once the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Aliah be upon him)

recited Sura Ar-Rahman himself, or heard it recited before him : then

he said to the people: How is it that I am not hearing from you the

kind of good answer that the jinn had given to their Lord?When the

people asked what it was he replied: "As I recited the Divine Words,

Fa bi- ayyi alaa'i Rabbi-kuma tukadhdhiban, the jinn in response would

repeat the words La bi shai'in min ni'mati Rabbi- na nukadhdhib: "We

do not deny any of our Lord's blessings." A similar theme has been

related by Tirmidhi, Hakim and Hafiz Abu Bakr al-Bazzar from Hadrat

Jabir bin Abdullah. Their tradition contains these words: "When the

people kept silent on hearing the Sura Ar-Rahman, the Holy Prophet

said 'I recited this very Sura before the jinn in the night when they

had gathered together to hear the Qur'an. They responded to it better

than you have. As I recited the Divine Words, Fa bi ayyi alaa'i

Rabbikuma tukadhdhiban ("O jinn and men, which blessings of your Lord

will you deny?") they would respond to it, saying: O our Lord, do not

deny any of your blessings Praise is for You alone'!" This tradition

indicates that on the occasion of the incident that bas been related

in Sura AlAhqaf(vv. 29- 32) of the jinn's hearing the Qur'an from the

Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) he was

reciting Sura Ar Rahman in the Prayer. This happened in the 10th year

of the Prophethood when the Holy Prophet had halted at Makkah on his

way back from Ta'if. Although in some other traditions it has been

reported that the Holy Prophet did not know then that the jinn were

hearing him recite the Qur'an, but afterwards Allah had informed him

of this, it is not unreasonable to suppose that just as Allah had

informed him of the jinn's hearing the Qur'an so also Allah Himself

might have told him as to what answer they were giving on hearing Sura

Ar Rahman. These traditions only indicate that Sura Ar Rahman had been

revealed even before Suras Al-Hijrand Al-Ahqaf. Besides, we come

across another tradition which shows that it is one of those Suras

which were the earliest Revelations at Makkah. Ibn Ishaq has related

this on the authority of Hadrat Urwah bin Zubair: The Companions one

day said to one another: "The Quraishhave never heard any one recite

the Qur'an publicly to them, and who would read out the Divine Word

aloud to them Hadrat AbdullahbinMasudsaid that he would. The

Companions expressed the apprehension that he might be subjected to a

harsh treatment and said that it should better be done by a person of

a powerful family, who would protect him if the Quraishtried to

subject him to violence. Hadrat Abdullahsaid: 'Let me alone : my

Protector is Allah.' So early next morning he went to the Ka'bahwhile

the Quraishchiefs were sitting in their respective conferences. Hadrat

Abdullaharrived at the Maqam (station of Abraham) and began to recite

Sura Ar- Rahman raising his voice as he did so. The Quraishfirst tried

for a while to understand what he was saying. Then,when they ealized

that it was the Word that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be

upon him) was representing as the Word of God, they fell upon him and

began to hit him in the face. But Hadrat Abdullahwas not deterred : he

continued to receive the slaps and to read the Qur'an as long as he

could, At last, when he returned with a swollen face, the Companions

said that they apprehended the same. He replied: 'God's enemies were

never so light for me as they were today. If you say I'll recite the

Qur'an to them again tomorrow.' They all said, 'No, you have done

enough; you have made them listen to what they didn't want to bear.'"

(Ibn Hisham, vol. 1, p. 336). Theme and Subject Matter This is the

only Sura of the Qur'an in which besides men the jinn also, who are

the other creation of the earth endowed with freedom of will and

action, have been directly addressed, and both men and jinn have been

made to realize the wonders of Allah's power, His countless blessings,

their own helplessness and accountability before Him, and have been

warned of the evil consequences of His disobedience and made aware of

the best results of His obedience. Although at several other places in

the Qur'an there are clear pointers to show that like the men the jinn

too are a creation who have been endowed with freedom of will and

action and are accountable, who have been granted the freedom of

belief and unbelief, of obedience and disobedience, and among them too

there are the believers and the unbelievers, the obedient and the

rebellious, as among human beings, and among them too there exist such

groups as have believed in the Prophets sent by God and in the Divine

Books, this Sura clearly points out that the message of the Holy

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Qur'an is

meant both for men and for jinn and that his Prophethood is not

restricted to human beings alone. Although in the beginning of the

Sura the address is directed only to human beings, for to them only

belongs the vicegerency" of the earth, among them only have the

Messengers of Allah been raised, and in their tongues only have the

Divine Books been revealed, yet from verse 13 onward both the men and

the jinn have been addressed and one and the same invitation has been

extended to both.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #56



                              ------------

                               56. Waaqia:

                              ------------



Name



The Sura takes its name from the word al-waqi'ah of the very first

verse.



Period of Revelation



According to the chronological order that Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas

has given of the Suras, first Sura TaHawas sent down, then Al-Waqi'ah

and then Ash-Shuara. The same sequence has been reported from Ikrimah.

This is supported also by the story that Ibn Hisham has related from

Ibn Ishaq about the affirmation of the Faith by Hadrat Umar (may Allah

be pleased with him). It say's that when Hadarat Umar entered his

sister's house, Sura TaHawas being recited. Hearing his voice the

people of the house hid the pages of the Qur'an. Hadrat Umar first

seized his brother-in-law and then his sister rose in defence of her

husband, he hit her also and wounded her on the head. When Umar saw

blood on his sister, he was sorry for what he had done, and said to

her: "Show me the manuscript that you have concealed so that I may see

what it contains." The sister said: "You are unclean because of your

polytheism: "Only a clean person can touch it." So, Hadrat Umar rose

and washed himself, and then took up the manuscript to read it. This

shows that Sarah Al-Waqi'ah had been sent down by that time for it

contains the verse: La yamassu hu ill al mutahharun; and it had been

established historically that Hadrat Umar embraced Islam after the

first migration to Habash, in the fifth year of the Prophethood. Theme

and Subject Matter Its theme is the Hereafter, Tauhidand refutation of

the Makkan disbelievers' suspicions about the Qur'an. What they

regarded as utterly incredible was that Resurrection would ever take

place, then the entire system of the earth and heavens would be upset,

and when all the dead would be resurrected and called to account,

after which the righteous would be admitted to Paradise and the wicked

cast into Hell. They regarded all this as imaginary, which could not

possibly happen in actual fact. In answer to this, it was said: "Wben

tha inevitable event will take place, there will be none to belie its

happening, nor will anyone have the Power to avert it, nor prove it to,

be an unreal happening. At that time all peoples will be divided into

three classes: (1) The foremost in rank and position; (2) the common

righteous people and (3) those who denied the Hereafter and persisted

in disbelief and polytheism and major sins till the last." How these

three classes of the people will be rewarded and punished has been

described in detail in vv. 7-56. Then, in vv. 57-74 arguments have

been given, one after the other, to prove the truth of the two basic

doctrines of Islam, which the disbelievers were refusing to accept,

viz. the doctrines of Tauhidand the Hereafter. In these arguments,

apart from every thing else that exists in the earth and heavens,

man's attention has been drawn to his own body and to the food that he

eats and to the water that he drinks and to the fire on which he cooks

his food, and he has been invited to ponder the question : What right

do you have to behave independently of, or serve any other than, the

God Whose creative power has brought you into being, and Whose

provisions sustain you And how can you entertain the idea that after

having once brought you into existence He has become so helpless and

powerless that He cannot recreate you once again even if he wills to?

Then, in vv. 75-82 their suspicions in respect of the Qur'an have been

refuted and they have been made to realize how fortunate they are that

instead of deriving any benefit from the great blessing that the

Qur'an is, they are treating it with scant attention and have set only

this share of theirs in it that they deny it. If one seriously

considers this matchless argument that has been presented in two brief

sentences about the truth of the Qur'an, one will find in it the same

kind of firm and stable system as exists among the stars and planets

of the Universe, and the same is the proof of the fact that its Author

is the same Being Who has created the Universe. Then the disbelievers

have been told that this Book is inscribed in that Writ of Destiny

which is beyond the reach of the creatures, as if to say "You think it

is brought down by the devils to Muhammad (peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him), whereas none but the pure angels has any access to

the means by which it reaches Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah

be upon him) from the well guarded Tablet." In conclusion, man has

been warned, as if to say: "You may brad and boast as you like and may

shut your eyes to the truths in your arrogance of independence, but

death is enough to open your eyes. At death you become helpless: you

cannot save your own parents; you cannot save your children; you

cannot save your religious guided and beloved leaders. They all die in

front of your vary eyes while you look on helplessly. If there is no

supreme power ruling over you, and your this assumption is correct

that you are all in all in the world, and there is no God, then why

don't you restore to the dying person his soul?Just as you are

helpless in this, so it is also beyond your power to stop Allah from

calling the people to account and mete out rewards and punishments to

them. You may or may not believe it, but every dying person will

surely see his own end after death. If he belongs to those nearest to

God, he will see the good end meant for them if he be from among the

righteous, he will see the end prepared for the righteous; and if he

be from among the deniers of the truth, he will see the end destined

for the criminals.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #57



                              ------------

                               57. Hadiid:

                              ------------



Name



The Sura takes its title from the sentence, Wa anzalna' l-hadida, of

verse 25.



Period of Revelation



This is unanimously a Madani Sura, and a study of its subject matter

shows that it was probably sent down some time during the interval

between the Battle of Uhud and the Truce of Hudaibiyah. This was the

time when the tiny Islamic State of Madinah had been hemmed in by the

disbelievers and the handful of the ill equipped Muslims were

entrenched against the com bined power of entire Arabia. In this state

Islam not only stood in need of the sacrifice of Life from its

followers, but it also needed monetary help and assistance. In this

Sura a forceful appeal has been made for the same. This view is

further strengthened by verse 10 in which Allah has addressed the

believers to the effect "Those of you who would spend and fight after

the victory can never be equal to those who have spent and fought

before the victory." And the same is supported by the traditions that

Ibn Marduyah has related on the authority of Hadrat Anas. In respect

of the verse Alam ya'n-i lilladhina aamanu an takhsha'a qulubu- hum

li-dhikrillah-i, he says that 17 years after the commencement of the

revelation of the Qur'an this verse was sent down to arouse the

believers to action. Reckoned thus the period of the revelation of

this Sura falls between the 4th and the 5th year after the hijra.



Theme and Subject Matter



The theme of this Sura is to exhort the Muslims to spend in the cause

of Allah. At the most critical juncture of the history of Islam when

it was engaged in a life and death struggle against Arab paganism,

this Sura was revealed to persuade the Muslim's to make monetary

sacrifices in particular, and to make them realize that Islam did not

merely consist in verbal affirmation and some outward practices but

its essence and spirit is sincerity towards Allah and His Religion.

The faith of the one who was devoid of this spirit and who regarded

his own self and wealth as dearer to himself than Allah and His

Religion, was hollow and therefore of little worth in the sight of

Allah. For this object, first the attributes of Allah Almi- ghty have

been mentioned so that the listeners may fully realize as to Who is

addressing them. Then, the follow- ing themes have been expressed in

sequenee (1)The inevitable demand of the Faith is that one should not

shirkspending one's wealth for the sake of Allah. This would not only

be contrary to the Faith but also wrong realistically. For the wealth

indeed belongs to Allah, on which man has been given proprietary

rights only as His vicegerent. Yesterday this wealth was in other

people's possessiont today it is with one particular man, and tomorrow

it will pass into some one else's hand. Ultimately, it will go back to

Allah, Who is the inheritor of everything in the universe. Only that

much of this wealth will be of any use to a man, which he spends in

the cause of Allah during the period it is in his possession. (2)

Although making sacrifices for the sake of Allah is commendable in any

case, the true worth of these sacrifices is determined by the nature

of the occasion. There is an occasion when the power of paganism is

overwhelming and there is a danger that it might subdue and overcome

Islam completely; there is another occasion when Islam is in a

stronger position in its struggle gainst un-Islam and the believers

are attaining victories. Both these states are not equal as regards

their respective importance. Therefore, the sacrifices that are made

in these different states would also not be equal. Those who sacrifice

their lives and expend their wealth to further promote the cause of

Islam when it is already strong cannot attain to the rank of those who

struggled with their lives and their wealth to promote and uphold the

cause of Islam when it was weak. (3)Whatever is spent for the cause of

the Truth is a loan on Allah, and Allah will not only return it

increasing it manifold but will also give from Himself the best reward

for it. (4)In the Hereafter the Light shall be bestowed only on those

believers who would have spent their wealth in the cause of Allah. As

for the hypocrites who watched and served only their own interests in

the world, and who least bothered whether the Truth or falsehood

prevailed will be segregated from the believers in the Hereafter

although they might have lived in close association with them in the

world. They will be deprived of the Light, and they will be counted

among the disbelievers. (5)The Muslims should not behave like those

followers of the earlier Books, whose lives have been. spent in the

worship of the world and whose hearts have become hardened due to

negligence with the passage of time. He cannot be a believer whose

heart does not melt at the remembrance of Allah and does not bow to

the Truth sent down by Him. (6)The sincere upholders of the Truth and

the true witnesses of the Faith in the sight of Allah are only those

believers who spend their wealth in His way sincerely, without any

desire of show. (7)The life of this world is only a short lived spring

and a means of pride and show. Its sports and pastimes, its adornments

and decorations, its pride of place, its wealth and possessions, for

which the people try to vie with one another, are transient. Its

likeness is of the crop which flourishes and blooms, then turns pale

and then finally is reduced to chaff. The everlasting life is the life

hereafter when results of great consequence will be announced.

Therefore, if one has to vie with another for something, one should

strive for Paradise. (8)Whatever good man meets with and whatever

hardship he suffers in the world, are pre-ordained by Allah. A true

believer is he who does not lose heart in affliction and is not puffed

up with pride in good times. It is the character of a hypocrite and

disbeliever that he is puffed up with pride when Allah favours him

with His blessings, behaved boastfully and shows stinginess when

called upon to spend in the cause of the same God Who blessed him, and

also counsels others to be stingy like himself. (9)Allah sent His

Messengers with clear signs and the Book and the Law of Justice so

that the people may adhere to justice; besides, He sent down iron also

so that power may be used to establish the Truth and vanquish

falsehood. Thus, Allah likes to see as to who from among the people

would rise to support and succour His true Religion even at the risk

of their lives. These opportunities Allah has created for man's own

advantage and development; otherwise Allah does not stand in need of

others for His works. (10) Prophets came from Allah in the past, and

by their preaching some people adopted the Right Path, but most of

them persisted in wickedness. Then the Prophet Jesus came, whose

teachings brought about many moral improvements in the lives of the

people, but his community invented monasticism. Now Allah has sent the

Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be His peace and blessings). Those who

affirm faith in him and pass their life fearing Allah's accountability,

will be given by Allah a double share of His mercy and He will bless

them with the Light by which they will see and walk the straight path

among the crooked paths met with at every step in the life of this

world. Although the followers of the earlier revelation regard

themselves as the monopolists of Allah's bounties, the fact remains

that Allah Himself controls His bounties He may bless with these

whomever He pleases.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #58



                             --------------

                              58. Mujadila:

                             --------------



Name



This Sura is entitled Al Mujadalah as well as Mujadilah, the title

being derived from the word tujadiluka of the very first verse. As at

the outset mention has been made of the woman who pleaded with the

Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace) the case of zihar pronounced

by her husband and urged him to suggest a way out of the difficult

situation in order to save her and, her children's life from ruin, and

Allah has described her pleading by the word "mujadalah", the Sura

came to be known by this very title. If it is read as "mujadalah"7it

would mean "pleading and arguing", and if it is read as "mujadilah",

it would mean "the woman who pleaded and argued."



Period of Revelation



There is no tradition to tell as to when this incident of pleading and

arguing took place, but there is a hint in the subject matter of the

Sura on the basis of which it can be said with certainty that it

happened some time after the battle of the Trench (Shawwal, 5 A. H.).

In Sauah Al-Ahzab, Allah while negating that an adopted son could be

one's real son, had just said this and no more; "And Allah has not

made those of your wives whom you divorce by zihar your mothers." But

in that Sura there was nothing to the effect that to divorce a wife by

zihar was a sin or a crime, nor anything about the legal injunction

concerning it. Contrary to it, in this Sura the whole law relating to

zihar has been laid down, which shows that these detailed injunctions

were sent down some time after the brief reference to it in Sura Al-

Ahzab.



Subject Matter and Topics



In this Sura instructions have been given to the Muslims about the

different problems that confronted them at that time. From the

beginning of the Sura to verse 6 legal injunctions about zihar have

been given, along with which the Muslims have been strictly warned

that it is contrary to their profession of the Faith that they should

still persist in the practices of ignorance after they have accepted

Islam, that they should break the bounds set by Allah, or refuse to

abide by them, or that they should make their own rules and

regulations contradictory to them. For this there is not only the

punishment of disgrace and humiliation in the world but in the

Hereafter too there will be strict accountability for it. In vv. 7-10

the hypocrites have been taken to task for their secret whisperings

and consultations by which they conspired and intrigued against the

"Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings), and because

of their hidden malice and grudge greeted him, like the Jews, in a

manner as to wish him ill instead of well. In this connection, the

Muslims have been consoled, as if to say: "These whisperings of the

hypocrites can do no harm to you; therefore, you should go on doing

your duty with full trust in Allah". Besides, they have also been

taught this moral lesson:"The true believers, when they talk secretly

together, do not talk of sin and transgression and disobedience to the

Messenger if they have to talk secretly together they should talk of

goodness and piety." In vv. 11-13 the Muslims have been taught certain

manners of social behaviour and given instructions to eradicate

certain social evils which were prevalent among the people then as

they are today. If some people are sitting in an assembly, and more

people arrive, they do not show even the courtesy as to squeeze in so

as to make room for others, with the result that the new-comers have

to keep standing, or to sit in the door-way, or to go back, or seeing

that there is enough room yet start jumping over the people's heads to

find room for themselves. This often used to be experienced in the

Holy Prophet's assemblies. Therefore, Allah gave the instruction, as

if to say:"Do not behave selfishly and narrow mindedly in your

assemblies but do accommodate the new-comers also with an open heart."

Likewise, another vice found among thc people is that when they go on

a visit to somebody (an important person, in particular), they prolong

their sitting and do not at all mind that encroaching upon his time

unduly would cause him hardship. Then, if he tells them to leave, they

mind it; if he himself rises up from their assembly, they complain of

his lack of manners; if he tells them indirectly that he has some

other business also to attend to, for which he needs time, they turn a

deaf ear to his request. The Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace)

himself also had to experience such misconduct of the people, who in

their earnestness to benefit by his teaching did not at all see that

they were wasting his precious time so badly needed for other

important works. At last, Allah in order to eradicate this bad manner,

enjoined that when the people arc asked to rise up from an assembly,

they should rise up and disperse. Another vice prevalent among the

people was that each person wished to have secret counsel individually

with the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace) without any real

need, or would like that he should approach him during an assembly and

whisper something to him. This was not only embarrassing for the Holy

Prophet but also annoying for the people who sat in the assembly. That

is why Allah imposed the restriction that anyone who wanted to consult

him in private, should first give away something in charity. The

object was that the people should be warned of this bad manner and

made to give it up. Thus, the restriction was kept in force for a

short while, and when the people had corrected their behaviour, it was

withdrawn. From verse 14 to the end of the Sura members of the Muslim

society, which was a mixture of the sincere Muslims and the hypocrites

and the waverers, have been told plainly as to what is the criterion

of sincerity in Islam. One kind of Muslims are those who are friends

with the enemies of Islam: they do not hesitate for the sake of their

interests to be treacherous to the religion which they profess to

believe in; they spread all sorts of doubts and suspicions against

Islam and prevent the people from adopting the Way of Allah. But since

they are part of the Muslim community their false profession of Faith

serves them as a cover and shield. The second kind of Muslims are

those who, in the matter of Allah's Religion, do not care even for

their own father, brother, children, and family, to say nothing of

others. They do not cherish any feeling of love for the person who is

an enemy of God and His Messenger and His Religion. Allah in these

verses has explicitly stated that the people of the first kind, in

fact, belong to Satan's party however hard they may try to convince

others of their Islam by swearing oaths. And the honour of belonging

to Allah's party is possessed only by the Muslims of the second kind.

They alone are the true Myslims: they alone will attain to true

success, and with them alone is Allah well pleased.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #59



                               -----------

                               59. Hashr:

                               -----------



Name



The Sura derives its name from the mention of the word al-hashr in

verse thereby implying that it is the Sura in which the word al-hashr

has occurred.



Period of Revelation



Bukhari and Muslim contain a tradition from Hadrat Sa'id bin Jubair to

the effect "When I asked Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas about Sura Al-Hashr,

he reptied that it was sent down concerning the battle against the

Bani an-Nadir just as Sura Al-Anfal was sent down concerning the

Battle of Badr. In another tradition from Hadrat Sa'Id bin Jubair, the

words cited from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) are: Qul:

sura an-Nadir: Say, it is Sura an-Nadir." The same thing has been

related also from Mujahid, Qatadah, Zuhri, Ibn Zaid, Yazid bin Ruman,

Muhammad bin Ishaq and others. They are unanimous that the followers

of the Book whose banishinent has been mentioned in it, imply the Bani

an-Nadir. Yazid bin Ruman, Mujahid and Muhammad bin Ishaq have stated

that this whole Sura, from beginning to end, came down concerning this

very battle. As for the question as to when this battle took place,

Imam Zuhri has stated on the authority of Urwah bin Zubair that it

took place six months after the Battle of Badr. However, Ibn Sa'd, Ibn

Hisham and Baladhuri regard it as an event of Rabi' al-Awwal, A. H. 4,

and the same is correct. For all traditions agree that this battle

took place after the incident of Bi'r Ma'unah, and historically also

it is well known that the incident of Bir Ma'unah occurred after the

Battle of Uhud and not before it.



Historical Background



In order to understand the subject matter of this Sura well, it is

necessary to have a look at the history of the Madinah and Hejaz Jews,

for without it one cannot know precisely the real causes of the Holy

Prophet's dealing with their different tribes the way he did. No

authentic history of the Arabian Jews exists in the world. They have

not left any writing of their own in the form of a book or a tablet

which might throw light on their past, nor have the Jewish historians

and writers of the non-Arab world made any mention of them, the reason

being that after their settlement in the Arabian peninsula they had

detached themselves from the main body of the nation, and the Jews of

the world did not count them as among themselves. For they had given

up Hebrew culture and language, even the names, and adopted Arabism

instead. In the tablets that have been unearthed in the archaeological

research in the Hejaz no trace of the Jews is found before the first

century of the Christian era, except for a few Jewish names. Therefore,

the history of the Arabian Jews is based mostly on the verbal

traditions prevalent among the Arabs most of which bad been spread by

the Jews themselves. The Jews of the Hejaz claimed that they had come

tv settle in Arabia during the last stage of the life of the Prophet

Moses (peace be upon him). They said that the Prophet Moses had

despatched an army to expel the Amalekites from the land of Yathrib

and had commanded it not to spare even a single soul of that tribe.

The Israelite army carried out the Prophet's command, but spared the

life of a handsome prince of the Amalekite king and returned with him

to Palestine. By that time the Prophet Moses had passed sway. His

successors took great exception to what the army had done, for by

sparing the life of an Amalekite it had clearly disobeyed the Prophet

and violated the Mosaic law. Consequently, they excluded the army from

their community, and it had to return to Yathrib and settle there for

ever.(Kitab al-Aghani, vol. xix, p. 94). Thus the Jews claimed that

they had been living in Yathrib since about 1200 B.C. But, this had in

fact no historical basis and probably the Jews had invented this story

in order to overawe the Arabs into believing that they were of noble

lineage and the original inhabitants of the land. The second Jewish

immigration, according to the Jews, took, place in 587 BC. when

Nebuchadnezzer, the king of Babylon, destroyed Jerusalem and dispersed

the Jews throughout the world. The Arab Jews said that several of

their tribes at that time had come to settle in Wadi al-Qura, Taima,

and Yathrib.(Al-Baladhuri, Futuh al-Buldan). But this too has no

historical basis. By this also they might have wanted to prove that

they were the original settlers of the area. As a matter of fact, what

is established is that when in A. D. 70 the Romans massacred the Jews

in Palestine, and then in A. D. 132 expelled them from that land, many

of the Jewish tribes fled to find an asylum in the Hejaz, a territory

that was contiguous to Palestine in the south. There, they settled

wherever they found water springs and greenery, and then by intrigue

and through money lending business gradually occupied the fertile

lands. Ailah, Maqna, Tabuk, Taima, Wadi al Qura, Fadak and Khaiber

came under their control in that very period, and Banl Quraizah, Bani

al-Nadir, Bani Bahdal, and Bani Qainuqa also came in the same period

and occupied Yathrib. Among the tribes that settled in Yathrib the

Bani al Nadir and the Bani Quraizah were more prominent for they

belonged to the Cohen or priest class. They were looked upon as of

noble descent and enjoyed religious leadership among their co-

religionists. When they came to settle in Madinah there were some

other tribes living there before, whom they subdued and became

practically the owners of this green and fertile land. About three

centuries later, in A. D. 450 or 451, the great flood of Yaman

occurred which has been mentioned in vv. 16-17 of Sura Sabaabove. As a

result of this different tribes of the people of Saba were compelled

to leave Yaman and disperse in different parts of Arabia. Thus, the

Bani Ghassan went to settle in Syria, Bani Lakhm in Hirah (Iraq), Bani

Khuzaah between Jeddah and Makkah and the Aus and the Khazraj went to

settle in Yathrib. As Yathrib was under Jewish domination, they at

first did not allow the Aus and the Khazraj to gain a footing and the

two Arab tribes had to settle on lands that had not yet been brought

under cultivation, where they could hardly produce just enough to

enable them to survive. At last, one of their chiefs went to Syria to

ask for the assistance of their Ghassanide brothers; he brought an

army from there and broke the power of the Jews. Thus, the Aus and the

Khazraj were able to gain complete dominance over Yathrib, with the

result that two of the major Jewish tribes, Bani an-Nadir and Bani

Quraizaha were forced to take quarters outside the city. Since the

third tribe, Bani Qainuqa, was not on friendly terms with the other

two tribes, it stayed inside the city as usual, but had to seek

protection of the Khazraj tribe. As a counter measure to this Bani an-

-Nadir and Bani Quraizah took protection of the Aus tribe so that they

could live in peace in the suburbs of Yathrib. Before the Holy

Prophet's arrival at Madinah until his emigration the folliwing were

the main features of the Jews position in Hejaz in general and in

Yathrib in particular (1) In the matter of language, dress,

civilization and way of life they had completely adopted Arabism, even

their names had become Arabian. Of the 12 Jewish tribes that had

settled in Hejaz, none except the Bani Zaura retained its Hebrew name.

Except for a few scattered scholars none knew Hebrew. In fact, there

is nothing in the poetty of the Jewish poets of the pre-Islamic days

to distinguish it from the poetry of the Arab poets in language, ideas

and themes. They even intermarried with the Arabs. In fact, nothing

distinguished them from the common Arabs except religion.

Notwithstanding this, they had not lost their identity among the Arabs

and had kept their Jewish prejudice alive most ardently and jealously.

They had adopted superficial Arabism bccause they could not survive in

Arabia without it. (2) Because of this Arabism the western

orientalists have been misled into thinking that perhaps they were not

really Israelites but Arabs who had embraced Judaism, or that at least

majority of them consisted of the Arab Jews. But there is no

historical proof to show that the Jews ever engaged in any

proselytizing activities in Hejaz, or their rabbis invited the Arabs

to embrace Judaism like the Christian priests and missionaries. On the

contrary, we see that they prided themselves upon their Israelite

descent and racial prejudices. They called the Arabs the Gentiles,

which did not mean illiterate or uneducated but savage and uncivilized

people. They believed that the Gentiles did not possess any human

rights; these were only reserved for the Israelites, and therefore, it

was lawful and right for the Israelites to defraud them of their

properties by every fair and foul means. Apart from the Arab chiefs,

they did not consider the common Arabs fit enough to have equal status

with them even if they entered Judaism. No historical proof is

available, nor is there any evidence in the Arabian traditions, that

some Arab tribe or prominent clan might have accepted Judaism. However,

mention has been made of some individuals, who had become Jews. The

Jews, however, were more interested in their trade and business than

in the preaching of their religion. That is why Judaism did not spread

as a religion and creed in Hejaz but remained only as a mark of pride

and distinction of a few Israelite tribes. The Jewish rabbis, however,

had a flourishing business in granting amulets and charms, fortune

telling and sorcery, because of which they were held in great awe by

the Arabs for their "knowledge" and practical wisdom. (3) Economically

they were much stronger than the Arabs. Since they bad emigrated from

more civilized and culturally advanced countries of Palestine and

Syria, they knew many such arts as were unknown to the Arabs; they

also enjoyed trade relations with the outside world. Hence, they had

captured the business of importing grain in Yathrib and the upper

Hejaz and exporting dried dates to other countries. Poultry farming

and fishing also were mostly under their controls They were good at

cloth weaving too. They had also set up wine shops here and there,

where they sold wine which they imported from Syria. The Bani Qainuqa

generally practised crafts such as that of the goldsmith, blacksmith

and vessel maker. In all these occupations, trade and business these

Jews earned exorbitant profits, but their chief occupation was trading

in money lending in which they had ensnared the Arabs of the

surrounding areas. More particularly the chiefs and elders of the Arab

tribes who were given to a life of pomp, bragging and boasting on the

strength of borrowed money were deeply indebted to them. They lent

money on high rates of interest and then would charge compound intrest,

which one could hardly clear off once one was involved in it. Thus,

they had rendered the Arbas economicaIly hollow, but it had naturally

induced a deep rooted hatred among the common Arabs against the Jews.

(4) The demand of their trade and economic interests was that they

should neither estrange one Arab tribe by befriending another, nor

take part in their mutual wars. But, on the other hand, it was also in

their interests, that they should not allow the Arabs to be united and

should keep them fighting and entrenched against each other, for they

knew that whenever the Arab tribes united, they would not allow them

to remain in possession of their 1arge properties, gardens and fertile

lands, which they had come to own through their profiteering and money

lending business. Furthermore, each of their tribes also had to enter

into alliance with one or another powerful Arab tribe for the sake of

its own protection so that no other powerful tribe should overawe it

by its might. Because of this they had not only to take part in the

mutual wars of the Arabs but they often had to go to war in support of

the Arab tribe to which their tribe was tied in alliance against

another Jewish tribe which was allied to the enemy tribe. In Yathrib

the Bani Quraizah and the Bani an- Nadir were the allies of the Aus

while the Bani Qainuqa of the Khazraj. A little before the Holy

Prophet's emigration, these Jewish tribes had confronted each other in

support of their respective allies in the bloody war that took place

between the Aus and the Khazraj at Buath. Such were the conditions

when Islam came to Madinah, and ultimately an Islamic State came into

existence after the Holy Prophet's (upon whom be Allah's peace)

arrival there. One of the first things that he accomplished soon after

establishing this state was unification of the Aus and the Khazraj and

the Emigrants into a brotherhood, and the second was that he concluded

a treaty between the Muslims and the Jews on definite conditions, in

which it was pledged that neither party would encroach on the rights

of the other, and both would unite in a joint defence against the

external enemies. Some important clauses of this treaty are as follows,

which clearly show what the Jews and the Muslims had pledged to adhere

to in their mutual relationship: "The Jews must bear their expenses

and the Muslims their expenses. Each must help the other against

anyone who attacks the people of this document. They must seek mutual

advice and consultation, and loyalty is a protection against treachery.

They shall sincerely wish one another well. Their relations will be

governed by piety and recognition of the rights of others, and not by

sin and wrongdoing. The wronged must be helped. The Jews must pay with

the believers so long as the war lasts. Yathrib shall be a sanctuary

for the people of this document. If any dispute or controversy likely

to cause trouble should arise, it must be referred to God and to

Muhammad the Apostle of God; Quraish and their helpers shall not be

given protection. The contracting parties are bound to help one

another against any attack on Yathrib; Every one shall be responsible

for the defence of the portion to which he belongs" (lbn Hisham, vol.

ii, pp. 147 to 150). This was on absolute and definitive covenant to

the conditions of which the Jews themselves had agreed. But not very

long after this they began to show hostility towards the Holy Prophet

of Allah (upon whom be Allah's peace) and Islam and the Muslims, and

their hostility and perverseness went on increasing day by day. Its

main causes were three: First, they envisaged the Holy Prophet (upon

whom be Allah's peace) merely as a chief of his people, who should be

content to have concluded a political agree- ment with them and should

only concern himself with the worldly , interests of his group. But

they found that he was extending an invitation to belief in Allah and

the Apostleship and the Book (which also included belief in their own

Prophets and scriptures), and was urging the people to give up

disobedience of Allah and adopt obedience to the Divine Commands and

abide by the moral laws of their own prophets. This they could not put

up with. They feared that if this universal ideological movement

gained momentum it would destroy their rigid religiosity and wipe out

their racial nationhood. Second, when they saw that the Aus and the

Khazraj and the Emigrants were uniting into a brotherhood and the

people from the Arab tribes of the surrounding areas, who entered

Islam, were also joining this Islamic Brotherhood of Madinah and

forming a religious community, they feared that the selfish policy

that they had been following of sowing discord between the Arab tribes

for the promotion of their own well being and interests for centuries,

would not work in the new system, but they would face a united front

of the Arabs against which their intrigues and machinations would not

succeed. Third, the work that the Holy Messenger of Allah (upon whom

be Allah's 'peace) was carrying out of reforming the society and

civilization included putting an end to all unlawful methods" in

business and mutual dealings. More than that; he had declared taking

and giving of interest also as impure and unlawful earning. This

caused them the fear that if his rule became established in Arabia, he

would declare interest legally forbidden, and in this they saw their

own economic disaster and death. For these reasons they made

resistance and opposition to the Holy Prophet their national ideal.

They would never hesitate to employ any trick and machination, any

device and cunning, to harm him. They spread every kind of falsehood

so as to cause distrust against him in the people's minds. They

created every kind of doubt, suspicion and misgiving in the hearts of

the new converts so as to turn them back from Islam. They would make

false profession of Islam and then would turn apostate so that it may

engender more and more misunderstandings among the people against

Islam and the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace). They would

conspire with the hypocrites to create mischief and would cooperate

with every group and tribe hostile to Islam. They would create rifts

between the Muslims and would do whatever they could to stir them up

to mutual feuds and fighting. The people of the Aus and the Khazraj

tribes were their special target, with whom they had been allied for

centuries. Making mention of the war of Buath before them they would

remind them of their previous enmities so that they might again resort

to the sword against each other and shatter their bond of fraternity

into which Islam had bound them. They would resort to every kind of

deceit and fraud in order to harm the Muslims economically. Whenever

one of those with whom that had business dealings, would accept Islam,

they would do whatever they could to cause him financial loss. If he

owed them something they would worry and harass him by making repeated

demands, and if they owed him something, they would withhold the

payment and would publicly say that at the time the bargain was made

he professed a different religion, and since he had changed his

religion, they were no longer under any obligation towards him.

Several instances of this nature have been cited in the explanation of

verse 75 of Sura AlImrangiven in the commentaries by Tabari, Nisaburi,

Tabrisi and in Ruh al Ma'ani. They had adopted this hostile attitude

against the covenant even before the Battle of Badr. But when the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace) and the Muslims won a decisive

victory over the Quraish at Badr, they were filled with grief and

anguish, malice and anger. They were in fact anticipating that in that

war the powerful Quraishwould deal a death blow to the Muslims. That

is why even before the news of the Islamic victory reached Madinah

they had begun to spread the rumour that the Holy Prophet (upon whom

be Allah's peace) had fallen a martyr and the Muslims had been routed,

and the Quraisharmy under Abu Jahl was advancing on Madinah. But when

the battle was decided against their hopes and wishes, they burst with

anger and grief. Ka'b bin Ashraf, the chief of the Bani an-Nadir,

cried out:"By God, if Muhammad has actually killed these nobles of

Arabia, the earth's belly would be better for us than its back." Then

he went to Makkah and incited the people to vengeance by writing and

reciting provocative elegies for the Quraishchiefs killed at Badr.

Then he returned to Madinah and composed lyrical verses of an

insulting nature about the Muslim women. At last, enraged with his

mischief, the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace) sent Muhammad

bin Maslamah Ansari in Rabi al-Awwal, A. H. 3, and had him slain. Ibn

Sad, Ibn Hisham, Tabari). The first Jewish tribe which, after the

Battle of Badr, openly and collectively broke their covenant were the

Bani Qainuqa. They lived in a locality inside the city of Madinah. As

they practised the crafts of the goldsmith, blacksmith and vessel

maker, the people of Madinah had to visit their shops fairly

frequently. They were proud of their bravery and valour. Being

blacksmiths by profession even their children were well armed, and

they couid instantly muster 700 fighting men from among themselves.

They were also arrogantly aware that they enjoyed relations of

confederacy with the Khazraj and Abdullah bin Ubbay, the cbief of the,

Khazraj, was their chief supporter. At the victory of Badr, they

became so provoked thaf they began to trouble and harass the Muslims

and their women in particular, who visited their shops. By and by

things came to such a pass that one day a Muslim woman was stripped

naked publicly in their bazaar. This led to a brawl in which a Muslim

and a Jew were killed. Thereupon the Holy Prophet (upon whom be

Allah's peace) himself visited their locality, got them together and

counselled them on decent conduct. But the reply that they gave was;

"O Muhammad, you perhaps think we are like the Quraish; they did not

know fighting; therefore, you overpowered them. But when you come in

contact with us, you will see how men fight."This was in clear words a

declaration of war. Consequently, the Holy Prophet (upon whom be

Allan's peace) laid siege to their quarters towards the end of Shawwal

(and according to some others, of Dhi Qa'dah) A. H. 2. The siege had

hardly lasted for a fortnight when they surrendered and all their

fighting men were tied and taken prisoners. Now Abdullah bin Ubayy

came up in support of them and insisted that they should be pardon- ed.

The Holy Prophet conceded his request and decided that the Bani

Qainuqa would be exiled from Madinah leaving their properties, armour

and tools of trade be- hind.(Ibn Sa'd, Ibn Hisham, Tarikh Tabari). For

some time after these punitive measures (i. e. the banishment of the

Qainuqa and killing of Ka'b bin Ashraf the Jews remained so terror

stricken that they did not dare commit any further mischief. But later

when in Shawwal, A. H. 3, the Quraishin order to avenge tbemselves for

the defeat at Badr, marched against Madinah with great preparations,

and the Jews saw that only a thousand men had marched out with the

Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace) as against three thousand

men of the Quraish, and even they were deserted by 300 hypocrites who

returned to Madinah, they committed the first and open breach of the

treaty by refusing to join the Holy Prophet in the defence of the city

although they were bound to it. Then, when in the Battle of Uhud the

Muslims suffered reverses, they were further emboldened. So much so

that the Bani an-Nadir made a secret plan to kill the Holy Prophet

(upon whom be Allah's peace) though the plan failed before it could be

executed. According to the details, after the incident of Bi'r Maunah

(Safar, A. H. 4) Amr bin Umayyah Damri slew by mistake two men of the

Bani Amir in retaliation, who actually belonged to a tribe which was

allied to the Muslims, but Amr had mistaken them for the men of the

enemy. Because of this mistake their blood money became obligatory on

the Muslims. Since the Bani an-Nadir were also a party in the alliance

with the Bani Amir, the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace) went

to their clan along with some of his Companions to ask for their help

in paying the blood money. Outwardly they agreed to contribute, as he

wished, but secretly they plotted that a person should go up to the

top of the house by whose wall the Holy Prophet was sitting and drop a

rock on him to kill him. But before they could execute their plan,

Allah informed him in time and be immediately got up and returned to

Madinah. Now there was no question of showing them any further

concession. The Holy Prophet at once sent to them the ultimatum that

the treachery they had meditated against him had come to his

knowledge; therefore, they were to leave Madinah within ten days; if

anyone of them was found staying behind in their quarters, he would be

put to the sword. Meanwhile Abduliah bin Ubayy sent them the message

that he would help them with two thousand men and that the Bani

Quraizah and Bani Ghatafan also would come to their aid; therefore,

they should stand firm and should not go. On this false assurance they

respondcd to the Holy Prophet's ultimatum saying that they would not

leave Madinah and he could do whatever was in his power. Consequently,

in Rabi' al-Awwal, A. H. 4, the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's

peace) laid siege to them, and after a few days of the siege (which

according to some traditions were 6 and according to others 15 days)

they agreed to leave Madinah on the condition that they could retain

all their property which they could carry on thee camels, except the

armour. Thus, Madinah was rid of this second mischievous tribe of Jews.

Only two of the Bani an-Nadir became Muslims and stayed behind. Others

went to Syria and Khaiber.



Theme and Subject Matter



The theme of the Sura as stated above, is an appraisal of the battle

against the Bani an Nadir. In this, on the whole, four things have

been discussed. (1) In the first four verses the world has been,

admonished to take heed of the fate that had just befallen the Bani

an-Nadir. A major tribe which was as strong in numbers as the Muslims,

whose people boasted of far more wealth and possession who were by no

means ill equipped militarily and whose forts were well fortified

could not stand siege even for a few Days, and expressed their

readiness to accept banishment from their centuries old, well

established settlement even though not a single man from among them

was slain. Allah says that this happened not because of any power

possessed by the Muslims but because the Jews had tried to resist and

fight Allah and His Messenger, and those who dare to resist the power

of Allah, always meet with the same fate. (2) In verse 5, the rule of

the law of war that has been enunciated is: the destruction caused in

the enemy territory for military purposes does not come under

"spreading mischief in the earth." (3) In vv 6-10 it has been stated

how the lands and properties which come under the control of the

Islamic State as a result of war or peace terms, are to be managed. As

it was the first ever occasion that the Muslims took control of a

conquered territory, the law concerning it was laid down for their

guidance. (4) In vv. 11-17 the attitude that the hypocrites had

adopted on the occasion of the battle against the Bani an-Nadir has

been reviewed and the causes underlying it have been pointed out. (5)

The whole of the last section (vv. 18-24) is an admonition for all

those people who had professed to have affirmed the faith and joined

the Muslim com-unity, but were devoid of the true spirit of the faith.

In it they have been told what is the real demand of the Faith, what

is the real difference between piety and wickedness, what is the place

and importance of the Quran which they professed to believe in, and

what are the attributes of God in Whom they claimed to have believed.







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #60





			   ---------------

			    60. Mumtahana:

			   ---------------

				   

Name



In verse 10 of this Sura it has been enjoined that the women who

emigrate to dar al-Islam (the Islamic State) and claim to be Muslims,

should be examined hence the title Al-Mumtahinah. The word is

pronounced both as mumtahinah and as mumtahanah, the meaning according

to the first pronunciation being "the Sura which examines", and

according to the second, "the woman who is examined."



Period of Revelation



The Sura deals with two incidents, the time of the occurrence of which

is well known historically. The first relates to Hadrat Hatib bin Abz

Balta'a, who, a little before the conquest of Makkah, had sent a

secret letter to the Quraish chiefs informing them of the Holy

Prophet's intention to attack them. The second relates to the Muslim

women, who had started emigrating from Makkah to Madinah, after the

conclusion of the Truce of Hudaibiyah, and the problem arose whether

they also were to be returned to the disbelievers, like the Muslim men,

according to the conditions of the Truce. The mention of these two

things absolutely determines that this Sura came down during the

interval between the Truce of Hudaibiyah and the Conquest of Makkah.

Besides, there is a third thing also that has been mentioned at the

end of the Sura to the effect; What should the Holy Prophet (upon whom

be Allah's peace) make the women to pledge when they come to take the

oath of allegiance before him as believers?About this part also the

guess is that this too was sent down some time before the conquest of

Makkah, for after this conquest a large number of the Quraishwomen,

like their men, were going to enter Islam simultaneously and had to be

administered the oath of allegiance collectively.



Theme and Topics



This Sura has three parts; The first part consists of vv. 1-9, and the

concluding verse 13 also relates to it. In this strong exception has

been taken to the act of Hadrat Hatib bin Abi Balta'a in that he had

tried to inform the enemy of a very important war secret of the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace) only for the sake of safe

guarding his family. This would have caused great bloodshed at the

conquest of Makkah had it not been made ineffective in time. It would

have cost the Muslims many precious lives; many of the Quraishwould

have been killed, who were to render great services to Islam

afterward; the gains which were to accrue from conquering Makkah

peacefully would have been lost, and all these serious losses would

have resulted only because one of the Muslims had wanted to safeguard

his family from the dangers of war. Administering a severe warning at

this blunder Allah has taught the believers the lesson that no

believer should, under any circumstances and for any motive, have

relations of love and friendship with the disbelievers, who are

actively hostile to Islam, and a believer should refrain from

everything which might be helpful to them in the conflict between

Islam and disbelief. However, there is no harm in dealing kindly and

justly with those disbelievers, who may not be practically engaged in

hostile activities against Islam and persecution of the Muslims. The

second part consists of vv. 10-11. In this a social problem has been

settled, which was agitating the minds at that time. There were many

Muslim women in Makkah, whose husbands were pagans, but they were

emigrating and reaching Madinah somehow. Likewise, there were many

Muslim men in Madinah, whose wives were pagans and had been left

behind in Makkah. The question arose whether the marriage bond between

them continued to be valid or not. Allah settled this problem for ever,

saying that the pagan husband is not lawful for the Muslim women, nor

the pagan wife lawful for the Muslim husband. This decision leads to

very important legal consequences, which we shall explain in our notes

below. The third section consists of verse 12, in which the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace) has been instructed to ask the

women who accept Islam to pledge that they would refrain from the

major evils that were prevalent among the womenfolk of the pre-Islamic

Arab society, and to promise that they would henceforth follow the

ways of goodness which the Messenger of Allah may enjoin.







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #61



                               ----------

                                61. Saaf:

                               ----------



Name



The Sura derives its name from the sentence yuqatiluna fi sabil-i-

hlsaff-an of verse 4; thereby implying that it is a Sura in which the

word saff occurred.



Period of Revelation



It could not be known from any reliable tradition, but a study of its

subject-matter shows that this Sura probably was sent down in the

period closely following the Battle of Uhud, for by reading between

the lines perceives a clear description of the con Theme and Subject

Matter Its theme is to exhort the Muslims to adopt sincerity in Faith

and to struggle with their lives in the cause of Allah. It is

addressed to the Muslims with weak faith as well as those who had

entered Islam with a false profession of the Faith and also tho At the

outset the believers have been warned to the effect; "Allah indeed

hates those people who say one thing and do another, and He indeed

loves. those who fight in the cause of the Truth, standing like a

solid structure, against the enemies of Allah."' In vv. 5-7 the people

of the Holy Prophet's community have been warned that their attitude

towards their Messenger and their Religion should not be like the

attitude that the Israelites had adopted towards the Prophets Moses

and Jesus (peace be upon them) Then, in vv. 8-9 a proclamation has

been made with the challenge:"The Jews and the Christians, and the

hypocrites, who are conspiring with them, may try however hard they

may to extinguish this Light of Allah, it will shine forth and spread

in the world In vv. 10-13, the believers have been told that the way

to success both here and in the Hereafter is only one: that they

should believe in Allah and His Messenger sincerely and should exert

their utmost in Allah's Way with their selves and their wealth. In

conclusion, the believers have been exhorted to' the effect that just

as the disciples of the Prophet Jesus had helped him in the cause of

Allah, so should they also become "helpers of Allah", so that they too

are blessed withthe same kind of good pl







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #62



                              ------------

                               62. Jamu'a:

                              ------------



Name



It is derived from the sentence idha nudiya-lis-salat-imin-yaum-il-

Jumu'ati of verse 9. Although inthis Sura injunctions about theFriday

congregational Prayer also have been given, yet "Jumu'ah" is not

thetitle of its subject-matter as a whole, bu



Period of Revelation



The period of the revelation of the first section (vv. 1-8) is A. H. 7,

and probably it was sent down, on the occasion of the conquest of

Khaiber or soon after it. Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i and Ibn

Jarir have related on the authority of Hadrat Abu H The second section

(vv. 9-11) was sent down shortly after the emigration, for the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace) had established the Friday

congregational Prayer on the 5th day after his arrival at Madinah. The

incident that has been referred t



Theme and Subject Matter



As we have explained above, the two sections of this Sura were sent

down in two different periods. That is why their themes as well as

their audiences are different. Although there is a kind of harmony

between them on account of which they have been put The first section

was sent down at a time when all Jewish efforts to obstrut the message

of Islam during the past six years had failed. First. in Madinah as

many as three of their powerful tribes had done whatever they could to

frustrate the mission of th (1) "You refused to believe in this

Messenger only because he was born among a people whom you

contemptuously call the "gentiles". You were under the false delusion

that the Messengermustnecessarily belong to your own community. You

seemed to have b (2) "You had been made bearers of the Torah, but you

did not understand your responsibility for it nor discharged it as you

should have. You are like the donkey which is loaded with books, and

which does not know what burden it is bearing. Rather you ar (3) "If

you really were Allah's favourites and you were sure of having a p!ace

of honour and high rank reserved with Him, you would not have feared

death so much as to prefer a life of disgrace to death. It is only

because of this fear of death that you The second section that was

sent down many years later, was appended to this Sura because in it

Allah has bestowed Friday on the Muslims as against the Sabbath of the

Jews, and Allah wanted to warn the Muslims not to treat their Friday

as the Jews had tr







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #63



                            ----------------

                             63. Munafiqoon:

                            ----------------



Name



The Sura takes its name from the sentence Idha jaa kal-munafiquna of

verse 1. This is the name of the Sura as well as the title of its

subject matter, for in it a review has been made of the conduct and

attitude of the hypocrites themselves.



Period of Revelation



As we shall explain below this Sura was sent down either during the

Holy Prophet's return journey from his campaign against Bani al-

Mustaliq, or imme- diately after his arrival back at Madinah, and we

have established by argument and research in the Introduction to Sura

An-Nurthat the campaign against Bani al-Mustaliq had taken place in

Sha'ban A. H. 6:Thus, the date of the revelation of this Sura is

determined precisely.



Historical Background



Before we mention the particular incident about which this Sura was

sent down, it is necessary to have a look at the history of the

hypocrites of Madinah, for the incident that occurred on this occasion

was not a chance happening but had a whole series of events behind it,

which ultimately led up to it. Before the Holy Prophet's emigration to

Madinah the tribes of the Aus and the Khazraj, fed up with their

mutual rivalries and civil wars, had almost agreed on the leadership

of one man and were making preparations to crown him their king. This

was Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, the chief of the Khazraj. Muhammad

bin Ishaq has stated that among the people of Khazraj his authority

was never contested and never had the Aus and the Khazraj rallied to

one man before this. Such were the conditions when the voice of Islam

reached Madinah and the influential people of both the tribes started

becoming Muslims. When before the Emigration, invitation was being

extended to the Holy Prophet (upon whoin be Allah'> peace) to come to

Madinah, Hadarat Abbas bin Ubadah bin Nadlah Ansari wanted to defer

this invitation for the reason that Abdullah bin Ubayy also might join

in the declaration of allegiance and invitation to the Holy Prophet,

so that Madinah might become the centre of Islam by common consent.

But the delegation that arrived in Makkah to declare their allegiance

did not give any importance to the proposal of Abbas bin Ubadah, and

a11 its members, who included 75 men from both the tribes, became

ready to invite the Holy Prophet in the face of every danger.(lbn

Hisham, vol. II, P. 89). We have given the details of this event in

the Introduction to Sura Al-Anfal. Then, when the Holy Prophet arrived

in Madinah, Islam had so deeply penetrated every house of the Ansar

that Abdullah bin Ubayy became helpless and did not see any other way

to save his leadership than to become a Muslim himself. So, he entered

Islam along with many of his followers from among the chiefs and

leaders of both the tribes although their hearts were burning with

rage from within. Ibn Ubayy in particular was filled with grief, for

the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace) had deprived him of his

kingship. For several years his hypocritical faith and grief of being

deprived of his kingdom manifested itself in different ways. On the

one hand, when on Fridays the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's

peace) took his seat to deliver the Sermon, Abdullah bin Ubayy would

stand up and say "O people, the Messenger of Allah is present among

you, by whom Allah has honoured you; therefore, you should support him

and listen to what he says and obey him." (Ibn Hishim, val. III, p.

111). On the other, his hypocricy was being exposed day by day and the

true Muslims were realizing that he and his followers bore great

malice against Islam, the Holy Prophet and the Muslims. Once when the

Holy Prophet was passing on the way Abdullah bin Ubayy spoke to him in

harsh words. When the Holy Prophet complained of it to Hadrat Sa'd bin

Ubadah; he said:"O Messenger of Allah, don't be hard on him, for when

Allah sent you to us we were making a diadem to crown him, and, by God,

he thinks that you have robbed him of his kingdom." (Ibn Hisham vol:

II, pp. 237-238). After the Battle of Badrwhen the Holy Prophet (upon

whom be Allah's peace) invaded the Jewish tribe of Bani Qainuqa on

their breaking the agreement and unprovoked revolt, this man stood up

in support of them, and holding the Holy Prophet by his armour,

said:"These 700 fighters have been helping and protecting me against

every enemy; would you cut them down in one morning?By God, I will not

leave you until you pardon my clients." (Ibn Hishim, vol. III, pp. 5l-

52). On the occasion of the Battle of Uhud this man committed open

treachery and withdrew from the battlefield with 300 of his companions.

One should note that at this critical moment when he so acted, the

Quraishhad marched upon Madinah with 3,000 troops and the Holy Prophet

had marched out with only 1,000 men to resist them. Of these 1,000

this hypocrite broke away with 300 men and the Holy Prophet was left

with only 700 men to meet 3,000 troops of the enemy in the field.

After this incident the common Muslims of Madinah came to realize

fully that he was certainly a hypocrite and his those Companions also

were found who were his associates in hypocrisy. That is why when on

the very first Friday, after the Battle of Uhud, this man stood up as

usual to make a speech before the Holy Prophet's Sermon, the people

pulled at his garment, saying "Sit down you are not worthy to say such

things." That was the first occasion in Madinah when this man was

publicly disgraced. Thereupon he was so filled with rage that he left

the mosque jumping over the heads of the people. At the door of the

Mosquesome of the Ansar said to him, "What are you doing?Go back and

ask the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace) to pray for your

forgiveness." He retorted "I do not, want him to pray for my

forgiveness." (Ibn Hisham, vol. III, p. 111). Then in A. H. 4 the

Battle of Bani an-Nadir took place. On this occasiorn he and his

companions supported the enemies of Islam even more openly. On the one

side, the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace) and his devoted

Companions were preparing for war against their enemy, the Jews, and

on the other, these hypocrites were sccretly sending messages to the

Jews to the effect: "Stand firm we are with you: if you are attacked,

we will help you, and if you are driven out, we too will go out with

you." The secret of this intrigue was exposed by Allah Himself, as has

been explained in Sura Al-Hashr: 11-17 above. But in spite of being so

exposed the reason why the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace)

was still treating him kindly was that he had a large band of the

hypocrites behind him. Many of the chiefs of both the Aus and the

Khazraj were his supporters. At least a third of the population of

Madinah consisted of his companions, as became manifest on the

occasion of the Battle of Uhud. Under such conditions it was not

prudent to wage a war with these internal enemies combined with the

external enemies. On this very account, in spite of being fully aware

of their hypocrisy the Holy Prophet continued to deal with them

according to their apparent profession of faith for a long time. On

the other hand, these people too neither possessed the power nor the

courage to fight the believers openly as disbelievers, or to join

hands with an invader and face them in the battlefield. Apparently

they were a strong hand but inwardly they had the weakness which Allah

has vividly portrayed in Sura Al-Hashr: 12-14. There- fore; they

thought their well being lay only in posing as Muslims. They came to

the mosque, offered the prayers gave away the zakat, and would make

tall oral claims to the faith, which the true Musiims never felt the

need to do. They would offer a thousand justifications for each of

their hypocritical acts by which they would try to deceive their

compatriots, the Ansar, into believing that they were with them. By

these designs they were not only saving themselves from the

disadvantages which could naturally accrue if they separated

themselves from the Ansar brotherhood, but also taking advantage of

the opportunities to make mischief which were available to them as

members of the Muslim brothehood. These were the causes which enabled

Abdullah bin Ubayy and like minded hypocrites to get an opportunity to

accompany the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace) in his

campaign against the Bani al-Mustaliq, and they simultaneously

engineered two great mischiefs which could shatter the Muslim unity to

pieces. However, by virtue of the wonderlul training in discipline

that the Muslim; had received through the pure teaching of the Quran

and the companionship of the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) both

mischiefs were stopped in time, and the hypocrites themselves were

disgraced instead. One of these was the mischief that has been

mentioned in Sura An-Nurabove, and the other which has been mentioned

in this Sura. This incident has been related by Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad,

Nasai, Tirmidhi, Baihaqi, Tabari, Ibn Marduyah, Abdur Razzaq, lbn

Jarir Tabari, Ibn Sa'd and Muhammad bin Ishaq through many reliable

channels. In some traditions the expedition in which it took place has

not been named, and in others it has been connected with the Battle of

Tabuk. But the authorities on the battles fought by the Holy Prophet

and history are agreed that this incident took place on the occasion

of the campaign against the Bani al- Mustaliq. The following seems to

he the real story when all the traditions are read together. When

after crushing down the power of Bani al- Mustaliq the Islamic army

had made a halt in the settlement at the well of al Muraisi. Suddenly

a dispute arose between two men on taking water from the well; One of

them was Jehjah bin Masud Ghifari, a servant of Hadrat Umar appointed

to lead his horse. The other was Sinan bin Wabar al-Juhani, whose

tribe was an ally of a clan of the Khazraj. Harsh words between them

led to fighting and Jehjah kicked Sinan, which the Ansar, on account

of their ancient Yamanite tradition, took as a great insult and

disgrace. At this Sinan called out the men of Ansar and Jehjah the

Emigrants for help. Hearing about the quarrel Ibn Ubayy started

inciting and calling the men of the Aus and the Khazraj to come out

and help their ally. From the other side some Emigrants also came out.

The dispute might have led to a fight between the Ansar and the

Muhajirinthemselves at the very place where they had just fought an

enemy tribc jointly and crushing it had halted in its own territory.

But hearing the noise the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) emerged

and said :"what is this call of paganism?What have you to do with such

a call?Leave it: it is a dirty thing." Thereupon the leading men of

the two sides met and settled the dispute; Sinan pardoned Jehjah and

peace was restored. After this every person whose heart was

disaffccted came to Abdullah hin Ubayy and they all said to him,

"Until now we had our hopes attached to you and you were protecting us,

but now it seems you have become a helper of these paupers against us.

Ibn Ubayy was already enraged:These words made him burst out, thus:

"This is what you have done to yourselves. You have given these people

shelter in your country, and have divided your property among them. So

much so that they have now become our rivals. Nothing so fits us and

the paupers of Quraish(or the Companions of Muhammad) as the ancient

saying 'Feed your dog to fatten it and it will devour you.' If you

hold back your property from them, they would go elsewhere. By God,

when we return to Madinah, the honourable ones will drive out from it

the mean ones." Zaid bin Arqam, a young boy, also happened to be

present in the assembly at that time. He heard this and mentioned it

before his uncle, and his uncle who was one of the Ansar chiefs went

to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) and told him the whole story.

The Holy Prophet called Zaid and asked him what had happened and he

repeated every word of what he had heard. The Holy Prophet said, "Zaid,

you are perhaps displeased with Ibn Ubayy; you might have been

mistaken in hearing; you. might have imagined Ibn Ubayy said this."

But Zaid was sure and firm. He said, "No, I swear by God I have heard

him say this and that." Thereupon the Holy Prophet called Ibn Ubayy,

and he came and swore that he hdd not said any such thing. The people

of the Ansar also said "Sir, a boy says this : he might have been

mistaken in what he heard lbn Ubayy is a venerable old man and our

chief. Do not believe what a boy says against him." The elderly people

of the tribe reproved Zaid also, who became depressed and held his

peace. But the Holy Prophc't knew Zaid as well as Abdullah bin Ubayy.

Therefore, he fully understood what had actually happened. When Hadrat

Umar came to know of this, he came to the Holy Prophet and

said:"Please allow me to put this hypocrite to the sword. Or, if you

do not think it is fit to give me the permission you may tell Muadh

bin Jabal, or Abbad bin Bishr, or Sad bin Mu'adh, or Muhammad bin

Maslamah from among the Ansar, to go and kill him."But the Holy

Prophet said: "No, the people will say Muhammad kills his own

Companions." After this he ordered the people to set off immediately,

although it was at a time when the Holy Prophet was not accustomed to

travel. The forced march continued for 30 hours at a stretch so that

the people became exhausted. Then he halted, and as soon as they

touched the ground they fell asleep. This he did to distract their

minds from what had happened at the well of al-Muraisi. On the way,

Hadrat Usaid bin Hudair, an Ansar chief, met the Holy Prophet, and

said:"O Messenger of Allah, today you ordered the people to set off at

a time which was disagreeable for travelling, a thing you have never

done before."The Holy Prophet replied: "Have you. not heard of what

your friend said?" When he asked who he meant, the Holy Prophet

replied:Abdul]ah bin Ubayy. He asked what he had said. The Holy

Prophet answered: "He has asserted that when he returns to Madinah the

honourable ones will drive out from it the mean ones. He answered :

"By God, O Messenger of Allah, you are the honourable one and he is

the mean one; you will drive him out whenever you want to." By and by

the news spread among the Ansar soldiers and it enraged them against

Ibn Ubayy. The people advised him to go to the Holy Prophet (upon whom

be Allah's peace) and request for his forgiveness, but he retorted :

"You asked me to believe in him, and I believed in him; you asked me

to pay the zakaton my property, and I paid the zakattoo; now the only

thing left is that I should bow down to Muhammad."This further enraged

the believing Ansar and everyone' started reproaching and cursing him

roughly. When the caravan was about to enter Madinah, Abullah, the son

of Abdullah bin Ubayy, stood before his father with a drawn out sword,

and said: "You had said that when you reached Madinah, the honourable

ones would drive out the mean ones. Now, you will know who is

honourable you or Allah and His Messenger. By God, you cannot enter

Madlnah until the Messenger of Allah (upon whom be Allah's peace)

permits you to enter." At this Ibn Uhayy cried out: "O people of

Khazraj, look, my own son is preventing me from entering Madinah." The

people conveyed this news to the Holy Prophet, and he said : "Tell

Abdullah to let his father come home."Abdullah said, "If this is the

Holy Prophet's order, then you may enter."Thereupon the Holy Prophet

said to Hadrat Umar: "Now what do you think, Umar? Had you killed him

on the day when you asked my permission to kill him, many people woujd

have trembled with rage. Today if I order them to kill him, they will

kill him immediately."Hadrat Umar replied "By God, I realize there was

greater wisdom behind what the Apostle of Allah said than what I

said."' These were the circumstances under which this Sura was sent

down most probably after the Holy Prophet's return to Madinah.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #64





			   ---------------

			    64. Tagaaboon:

			   ---------------



Name



The Sura takes its name from the sentence Dhalika yaum-ut taghabun of

verse 9, thereby implying that it is the Sura in which the word at

taghahun has occurred.



Period of Revelation



Muqatil and Kalbi say that it was partly revealed at Makkah and partly

at Madinah. Hadrat Abdul]ah bin Abbas and Ata bin Yasar say that vv.

1-13 were revealed at Makkah and vv. 14-18 at Madinah. But the

majority of commentators regard the whole of the sura as a Madinan

Revelation. Although there is no internal evidence to help determine

its exact period of revelation, yet a study of its subject matter

shows that it might probably have been sent down at an early stage at

Madinah. That is why it partly resembles the Makkah suras and partly

the Madinan Suras.



Theme and Subject Matter



The theme of this sura is invitation to the Faith and obedience (to

Allah) and the teaching of good morals. The sequence followed is that

the first four verses are addressed to all men; verses 5-10 to those

men, who do not believe in the invitation of the Qur'an; and verses

11-l8 to those who accept and believe in this invitation. In the

verses addressed to all men, they have been made aware in a few brief

sentences of the four fundamental truths: First, that the universe in

which they live is not Godless, but its Creator, Master and Ruler is

an All Powerful God, and everything in it testifies to His being most

Perfect and absolutely faultless. Second, that the universe is not

without purpose and wisdom, but its Creator has created it with truth

no one should be under the delusion that it is a mock show, which

began without a purpose and wiil come to an end without a purpose.

Third, that the excellent form that God has created you with and the

choice that He has given you to choose between belief and unbelief is

not a useless and meaningless activity so that it may be of no

consequence whether you choose belief or unbelief. In fact, God is

watching as to how you exercise your choice. Fourth, that you have not

been created irresponsible and un-answerable. You have to return

ultimately to your Creator, and have to meet the Being who is aware of

everything in the universe, from Whom nothing is hidden, to Whom even

the innermost thoughts of the minds are known. After stating these

four fundamental truths about the Universe and Man, the address turns

to the people who adopted the way of unbellef, and their attention is

drawn to a phenomenon which has persisted throughout human history,

namely that nation after nation has arisen and ultimately gone to its

doom. Man by his intellect and reason has been explaining this

phenomenon in a thousand ways, but Allah tells the real truth and

declares that the fundamental causes of the destruction of the nations

were only two First, that they refused to believe in the Messengers

whom He sent for their guidance, with the result that Allah too left

them to themselves, and they invented their own philosophies of life

and went on groping their way from one error to another. Second, that

they also, rejected the doctrine of Hereafter, and thought this

worldly life to be an end in itself, and that there was no life

hereafter when they would have to render an account of their deeds

before God. This corrupted their whole attitude towards life, and

their impure morals and character so polluted the world that

eventually the scourge of God itself had to descend and eliminate them

from the scene. After stating these two instructive truths of human

history, the deniers of the message of Truth have been admonished to

wake up and believe in Allah, His Messenger and the Light of Guidance

that Allah has sent in the form of the Qur'an if they want to avoid

the fate met by the former peoples. Besides, they have been warned

that the Day shall eventually come when all the former and the latter

generations will be collected ?dt one place and the fraud and

embezzlement committed by each will be exposed before all mankind.

Then the fate of each man will be decided finally on the basis as to

who had adopted the path of the Faith and righteous ness and who had

followed the way of disbelief and denial of the Truth. The first group

shalt deserve eternal Paradise and the second shall be doomed to

everlasting Hell. Then, addressing those who adopt the way of the

Faith, a few important instructions have been given: First, that

whatever affliction befalls a person in the world, it befalls him by

Allah's leave. Whoever in this state of affliction remains steadfast

to the Faith, Allah blesses his heart with guidance; otherwise

although the affliction of the one who in confusion or bewilderment

turns away from the path of the Faith, cannot be averted except by

Allah's leave, yet he becomes involved in another, the greatest

affliction of all, namely that his heart is deprived of the guidance

of Allah. Secondly, that the believer is not required to affirm the

faith with the tongue only, but after the affirmation of the Faith he

should practically obey Allah and His Messenger. If he turns away from

obedience he would himself be responsible for his loss, for the Holy

Messenger of Allah (upon whom be His peace) has become absolved from

the responsibility after having delivered the message of Truth.

Thirdly, that the believer should place his trust in Allah alone and

not in his own power or some other power of the world. Fourthly, that

the worldly goods and children are a great trial and temptation for

the believer, for it is their love which generally distracts man from

the path of faith and obedience. Therefore, the believers have to

beware some of their children, and wives lest they become robbers for

them on the Way of God directly or indirectly; and they should spend

their wealth for the sake of God so that their self remains safe

against the temptations of Satan. Fifthly, that every man is

responsible only to the extent of his power and ability. Allah does

not demand that man should exert himself beyond his power and ability.

However, the believer should try his best to live in fear of God as

far as possible, and should see that he does not transgress the bounds

set by Allah in his speech, conduct and dealings through his own

negligence.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #65



                              ------------

                               65. Talaaq:

                              ------------



Name



At-Talaq is not only the name of this Sura but also the title of its

subject matter, for it contains commandmeats about Talaq (divorce)

itself.



Period of Revelation



Hadrat Abdullah bin Masud has Pointed out, and the internal evidence

of the subject matter of the Sura confirms the same, that it must have

been sent down after those verses of sura Al-Baqarahin which com

mandments concerning divorce were given for the first time. Although

it is difficult to determine precisely what is its exact date of

revelation, yet the traditions in any case indicate that when the

people started making errors in understanding the commandments of Sura

Al-Baqarah, and practically also they began to commit mistakes, Allah

sent down these instructions for their correction.



Theme and Subject Matter



In order to understand the commandments of this Sura, it would be

useful to refresh one's memory about the instructions which have been

given in the Qur'an concerning divorce and the waiting period (Iddat)

above. "Divorce may be pronounced twice; then the wife may either be

kept back in fairness or allowed to separate in fairness." (Al Baqarah

229) "And the divorced women (after the pronouncement of the divorce)

must wait for three monthly courses... and their husbands are fully

entitled to take them back (as their wives) during this waiting period,

if they desire reconciliation." (Al Baqarah 228) "Then, if the husband

divorces his wife (for the third time), she shall not remain lawful

for him after this divorce, unless she marries another husband..."

(Al-Baqarah : 230) "When you marry the believing women, and then

divorce them before you have touched them, they do not have to fulfil

a waiting period, the completion of which you may demand of them."

(Al-Ahzab : 49) "And if those of you who die, leave wives behind, the

women should abstain (from marriage) for four months and ten days."

(Al-Baqarah 234) The rules prescribed in these verses were as follows:

(1)A man can pronounce at the most three divorces on his wife. (2) In

case the husband has pronounced one or two divorces he is entitled to

keep the woman back as wife within the waiting period and if after the

expiry of the waiting period the two desire to re-marry, they can re-

marry there is no condition of legalisation (tahlil). But if the

husband has pronounced three divorces, he forfeits his right to keep

her as his wife within the waiting. period, and they cannot re-marry

unless the woman remarries another husband and he subsequently

divorces her of his own free will. (3) The waiting period of the woman,

who menstruates and marriage with whom has been consummated, is that

she should pass three monthly courses. The waiting period in case of

one or two divorces is that the woman is still the legal wife of the

husband and he can keep her back as his wife within the waiting period.

But if the husband has pronounced three divorces, this waiting period

cannot be taken advantage of for the purpose of reconciliation, but it

is only meant to restrain the woman from re-marrying another person

before it comes to an end. (4) There is no waiting. period for the

woman, marriage with whom has not been consumated, and who is divorced

even before she is touched. She can re-marry, if she likes,

immediately after the divorce. (5) The waiting period of the woman

whose husband dies, is four months and ten days. Here, one should

understand well that Sura At- Talaq was not sent down to annul any of

these rules or amend it, but it was sent down for two purposes; First,

that the man who has been given the right to pronounce divorce should

be taught such judicious methods of using this right as do not lead to

separation, as far as possible however, if separation does take place,

it should only be in case all possibilities of mutual reconciliation

have been exhausted. For in the Divine Law provision for divorce has

been made only as an unavoidable necessity; otherwise Allah does not

approve that the marriage relationship that has been established

between a man and a woman should ever break. The Holy Prophet (upon

whom be Allah's peace) has said "Allah has not made lawful anything

more hateful in His sight than divorce." (Abu Daud). And: "Of all the

things permitted by the Law, the most hateful in the sight of Allah is

the divorce, (Abu Daud) The second object was to complement this

section of the family law of Islam by supplying answers to the

questions that hau remained after the revelation of the commandments

in SJrah Al-Baqarah. So, answers have been supplied to the following

questions:What would be the waiting period of the women, marriage with

whom has been consummated and who no longer menstruate, or those who

have not yet menstruated, in case they are divorced?What would be the

waiting period of the woman, who is pregnant, or the woman whose

husband dies, if she is divorced?And what arrangements would be made

for the maintenance and lodging of the different categories of

divorced women, and for the fosterage of the child whose parents have

separated on account of a divorce?







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #66



                              -------------

                              66. Tahreem:

                              -------------



Name



The Sura derived its name from the words lima tuharrimu of the very

first verse. This too is not a title of its subject matter, but the

name implies that it is the Sura in which the incident of tahrim

(prohibition, forbiddance) has been mentioned.



Period of Revelation



In connection with the incident of tahrim referred to in this Sura,

the traditions of the Hadith mention two ladies who were among the

wives of the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) at that time Hadrat

Safiyyah and Hadrat Mariyah Qibtiyyah. The former (i. e. Haurat

Safiyyah) was taken to wife by the Holy Prophet after the conquest of

Khaiber, and Khaiber was conquered, as has been unanimously reported,

in A. H. 7. The other lady, Hadrat Mariyah, had been presented to the

Holy Prophet by Muqawqis, the ruler of Egypt, in A. H. 7 and she had

borne him his son, Ibrahim, in Dhil-Hijjah, A. H. 8.These historical

events almost precisely determine that this Sura was sent down some

time during A.H. 7 or A. H 8.



Theme and Topics



This is a very important Sura in which light has been thrown on some

questions of grave significance with reference to some incidents

concerning the wives of the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah?s peace).

First, that the powers to prescribe the bounds of the lawful and the

unlawful, the permissible and the forbidden, are entirely and

absolutely in the hand of Allah and nothing has been delegated even to

the Prophet of Allah himself, not to speak of any other man. The

Prophet as such can declare something lawful or unlawful only if he

receives an inspiration from Allah to do so whether that inspiration

is embodied in the Qur'an, or imparted to, him secretly. However, even

the Prophet is not authorised to declare anything made permissible by

Allah unlawful by himself, much less to say of another man. Second,

that in any society the position of a Prophet is very delicate. A

minor incident experienced by an ordinary man in his life may not be

of any consequence, but it assumes the status of law when experienced

by a Prophet. That is why the lives of the Prophets have been kept

under close supervision by Allah so that none of their acts, not even

a most trivial one, may deviate from Divine Will. Whenever such an act

has emanated from a Prophet, it was rectified and rectified

immediately so that the Islamic law and its principles should reach

the people in their absolute purity not only through the Divine Book

but also through the excellent example of the Prophet, and they should

include nothing which may be in disagreement with Divine Will, Thirdly,

and this automatically follows from the above mentioned point, that

when the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) was checked on a minor

thing, which was not only corrected but also recorded, it gives us

complete satisfaction that whatever actionsand commands and

instructions we now find in the pure life of the Holy Prophet

concerning which there is nothing on record in the nature of criticism

or correction from Allah, they are wholly based on truth, are in

complete conformity with Divine Will and we can draw guidance from

them with full confidence and peace of mind. The fourth thing that we

learn from this discourse is that about the Holy Messenger himself,

whose reverence and respect Allah Himself has enjoined as a necessary

part of the Faith of His servants, it has been stated in this Sura

that once during his sacred life he made a thing declared lawful by

Allah unlawful for himself only to please his wives; then Allah has

severely reproved for their errors those very wives of the Holy

Prophet, whom He Himself has declared as mothers of the faithful and

worthy of the highest esteem and honour by them. Then, this criticism

of the Prophet and the administration of the warning to the wives also

has not been made secretly but included in the Book, which the entire

ummah has to read and recite for ever. Obviously, neither the

intention of making mention of it in the Book of Allah was, nor it

could be, that Allah wanted to degrade His Messenger and the mothers

of the faithful in the eyes of the believers; and this also is obvious

that no Musliin has lost respect for them, in his heart after reading

this Sura of the Qur'an. Now, there cannot be any other reason of

mentioning this thing in the Qur'an than that Allah wants to acquaint

the believers with the correct manner of reverence for their great

personalities. The Prophet is a Prophet, not God, that he may commit

no error. Respect of the Prophet has not been enjoined because he is

infallible, but because he is a perfect representative of Divine Will,

and Allah has not permitted any of his errors to pass by unnoticed.

This gives us the satisfaction that the noble pattern of life left by

the Prophet wholly and fully represents the will of Allah. Likewise,

the Companions of the holy wives of the Prophet, were human, not

angels or supermen. They could commit mistakes. Whatever ranks they

achieved became possible only because the guidance given by Allah and

the training imparted by Allah's Messenger had moulded them into the

finest models. Whatever esteem and reverence they deserve is on this

very basis and not on the presumption that they were infallible. For

this reason, whenever in the sacred lifetime of the Prophet (upon him

be peace) the Companions or holy wives happened to commit an error due

to human weakness, they were checked. Some of their errors were

corrected by the Holy Prophet, as has been mentioned at many places in

the Hadith; some other errors were mentioned in the Qur'an and Allah

Himself corrected them so that the Muslims might not form any

exaggerated notion of the respect and reverence of their elders and

great men, which might raise them from humanity to the position of

gods and goddesses. If one studies the Quran carefully, one will see

instances of this one after the other. In Sura Al-Imran, in connection

with the Battle of Uhud, the Companions have been addressed and told:

"Allah did fulfil His promise (of help) to you : in the initial stage

of the battle, it was you who were killing them by Allah's leave until

you lost heart and disputed about your duty and disobeyed your leader,

when Allah showed you what (the spoils) you coveted for there were

among you sortie who hankered after the life of this world, and

others: who cherished the life after death. Then Allah caused your

retreat before the disbelievers in order to test you, but the fact is

that even then Allah pardoned you, for Allah is very gracious to the

believers." (v. 152). In sura An-Nur, in connection with the Slander

against Hadrat Aisha, the Companions were told, "When you heard of it,

why did not the believing men and the believing women have a good

opinion of themselves, and why did they not say: this is a manifest

slander?......Were it not for Allah's grace and mercy towards you in

this world and in the Hereafter, a painful scourge would have visited

you because of the slander. (Just consider) when you passed this lie

on from one tongue to the other and uttered with your mouths that of

which you had no knowledge. You took it as a trifling matter whereas

it was a grave offence in the sight of Allah. Why did you not, as soon

as you heard of it, say 'It is not proper for us to uttrr such a

thing? Glory be to Allah! This is a great slander'."Allah admonishes

you that in future you should never repeat anything like this, if you

are true believers." (vv. 12-I7). In sura Al-Ahzab, the holy wives

have been addressed thus: "O Prophet, say to your wives If you seek

the world and its adornments, come, I shall give you of these and send

you off in a good way. But if you seek Allah and His Messenger and the

abode of the Hereafter, you should rest assured that Allah has

prepared a great reward for those of you, who do good." (vv. 28-29).

In Sura Jumu'ahabout the Coinpanions it was said: "And when they saw

some merchandise and amuse- ment they broke off to it and left you (O

Prophet) standing (in the course of the Sermon). Say to them : that

which is with Allah is far better than amusement and merchandise, and

Allah is the best of all providers." (v. 11). In Sura Al-Mumtahinah,

Hadrat Hatib bin Abi Balta'ah, a Companion who had fought at Badr, was

severely taken to task because he had sent secret information to the

disbelieving Quraishabout the Holy Prophet's invasion before the

conquest of Makkah. All these instances are found in the Qur'an itself,

in the same Qur'an in which Allah Himself has paid tribute to the

Companions and the holy wives for their great merits, and granted them

the certificate of His good pleasure, saying: "Allah became well

pleased with them and they with Allah." It was this same moderate and

balanced teaching of the reverence and esteem of the great men, which

saved the Muslims from falling into thc pit of man worship in which

the Jews and the Christians fell, and it is a result of the same that

in the books that the eminent followers of the sunnah have compiled on

the subjects of the Hadith, Commentary of the Qur'an and History, not

only have the excellences and great merits of the Companions and holy

wives and other illustrious men been mentioned, but dlso no hesitance

has been shown in mentioning the incidents relating to their

weaknesses, errors and mistakes, whereas those scholars were more

appreciative of the merits and excellences of the great men and

understood the bounds and limits of reverence better than those who

claim to be the upholders of reverence for the elders today. The fifth

thing that has been explicitly mentioned in this Sura is that Allah's

Religion is absolutely fair and just. It has for every person just

that of which he becomes worthy on the basis of his faith and works.

No relationship or connection even with the most righteous person can

be beneficial for him in any way and no relationship or connection

with the most evil and wicked person can be harmful for him in any way.

In this connection three kinds of women have been cited as examples

before the holy wives in particular. One example is of the wives of

the Prophets Noah and Lot, who, if they had believed and cooperated

with their illustrious husbands, would have occupied the same rank and

position in the Muslim community. which is enjoyed by the wives of the

Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings). But

since they were disbelievers, their being the wives of the Prophets

did not help them and they fell into Hell. The second example is of

the wife of Pharaoh, who in spite of being the wife of a staunch enemy

of God believed and chose a path of action separate from that followed

by the Pharaoh's people, and her being the wife of a staunch

disbeliever did not cause her any harm, and Allah made her worthy of

Paradise. The third example is of Hadrat Maryam (Mary) (peace be upon

her), who attained to the high rank because she submitted to the

severe test to which Allah had decided to put her. Apart from Mary no

other chaste and righteous girl in the world ever has been put to such

a hard test that in spite of being unmarried, she might have been made

pregnant miraculously by Allah's command and informed what service her

Lord willed to take from her. When Hadrat Maryam accepted this

decision, and agreed to bear, like a true believer, everything that

she inevitably had to bear in order to fulfil Allah's will, then did

Allah exalt her to the noble rank of Sayyidatu an-nisa' fil- Jannah:

"Leader of the women in Paradise" (Musnad Ahmad). Besides, another

truth that we learn from this Sura is that the Holy Prophet (upon whom

be peace) did not receive from Allah only that knowledge which is

included and recorded in the Qu'an, but he was given information about

other things also by revelation, which has not been recorded in the

Qur'an. Its clear proof is verse 3 of this Sura. In it we are told

that the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) confided a secret to one of

his wives, and she told it to another. Allah informed the Holy Prophet

of this secret. Then, when the Holy Prophet warned his particular wife

on the mistake of disclosure and she said:"Who has informed you of

this mistake of mine7" he replied: "I have been informed of it by Him

Who knows everything and is All Aware." Now, the question is where in

the Qur'an is the verse in which Allah has said "O Prophet, the secret

that you had confided to one of your wives, has been disclosed by her

to another person, or to so and so?If there is no such verse in the

Qur'an, and obviously there is none, this is an express proof of the

fact that revelation descended on the Holy Prophet besides the Qur'an

as well. This refutes the claim of the deniers of Hadith, who allege

that nothing was sent down to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace)

apart from the Qur'an.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #67



                                ----------

                                67. Mulk:

                               ----------



Name



The Sura takes its name al-Mulk from the very first sentence.



Period of Revelation



It could not be known from any authentic tradition when this Sura was

revealed, but the subject matter and the style indicate that it is one

of the earliest Suras to be revealed at Makkah. Theme and Subject

Matter In this sura, on the one hand, the teachings of Islam have been

introduced briefly, and, on the other, the people living in

heedlessness have been aroused from their slumber in a most effective

way. A characteristic of the earliest suras of the Makkan period is

that they present the entire teachings of Islam and the object of the

Holy Prophet's mission, not in detail, but briefly, so that they are

assimilated by the people easily. Moreover, they are particularly

directed to make the people shun heedlessness, to make them think, and

to arouse their dormant conscience. In the first five verses man has

been made to realize that the universe in which he lives is a most

well organized and fortified Kingdom in which he cannot detect any

fault, any weakness or flaw, how ever hard he may try to probe. This

Kingdom has been brought from nothing into existence by Allah Almighty

Himself and All the powers of controlling, administering and ruling it

are also entirely in Allah's hand and His power is infinite. Besides,

man has also been told that in this wise system he has not been

created without a purpose, but he has been sent here for a test and in

this test he can succeed only by his righteous deeds and conduct. In

vv. 6-Il, dreadful consequences of disbelief which will appear in the

Hereafter have been mentioned, and the people told that Allah, by

sending His Prophets, has warned them of these consequences in this

very world, as if to say "Now, if you do not believe in what the

Prophets say and correct your attitude and behaviour accordingly, in

the Hereafter you will yourself have to admit that you really deserved

the punishment that was being meted out to you." In vv. 12-l4, the

truth that has been impressed on the minds is that the Creator cannot

be unaware of His creation, as if to say: "He is aware of each open

and hidden secret of yours, even of the innermost ideas of your hearts.

Hence, the right basis of morality is that man should avoid evil,

fearing the accountability of the unseen God, whether in the world

there is a power to take him to task for this or not, and whether in

the world there is a possibility of being harmed by such a power or

not. Those who adopt such a conduct in the world alone will deserve

forgiveness and a rich reward in the Hereafter." In vv. 15-23, making

allusions, one after the other to those common truths of daily

occurrence, which man does not regard as worthy of much attention, he

has been invited to consider them seriously. It has been said: "Look:

the earth on which you move about with full satisfaction and peace of

mind, and from which you obtain your sustenance has been subdued for

you by Allah; otherwise this earth might at any time start shaking

suddenly so as to cause your destruction, or a typhoon might occur,

which may annihilate you completely. Look at the birds that fly above

you; it is only Allah Who is sustaining them in the air. Look at your

own means and resources: if Allah wills to inflict you with a scourge,

none can save you from it; and if Allah wills to close the doors of

sustenance on you, none can open them for you. These things are there

to make you aware of the truth, but you see them like animals, which

are unable to draw conclusions from observations, and you do not use

your sight, hearing and minds which Allah has bestowed on you as men;

that is why you do not see the right way." In vv. 24-27, it has been

said: "You have ultimately to appear before your God in any case. It

is not for the Prophet to tell you the exact time and date of the

event. His only duty is to warn you beforehand of its inevitable

occurrence. Today you do not listen to him and demand that he should

cause the event to occur and appear prematurely before you; but when

it does occur, and you see it with your own eyes, you will then be

astounded. Then, it will be said to you "This is the very thing you

were calling to be hastened." In vv. 28-29 replies have been given to

what the disbelievers of Makkah said against the Holy Prophet (upon

whom be peace) and his Companions. They cursed the Holy Prophet and

prayed for his and the believers destruction. To this it has been

said: "Whether those who call you to the right way are destroyed, or

shown mercy by Allah, how will their fate change your destiny? You

should look after yourselves and consider who would save you if you

were overtaken by the scourge of God?You regard those who believe in

God and put their trust in Him as the misguided. A time will come when

it will become evident as to who was misguided in actual truth. In

conclusion, the people have been asked this question and left to

ponder ovcr it "If the water which has come out from the earth at some

place in the desert or hill country of Arabia and upon which depends

your whole life activity, should sink and vanish underground, who

beside Allah can restore to you this life giving water?"







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #68



                               -----------

                               68. Qalam:

                               -----------



Name



This Sura is called Nun as well as Qulum, the words with which it

begins.



Period of Revelation



This too is one of the earliest suras to be revealed at Makkah, but

its subject matter shows that it was sent down at the time when

opposition to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) had grown very

harsh and tyrannical.



Theme and Subject Matter



It consists of three themes: Replies to the opponents objections,

administration of warning and admonition to them, and exhortation to

the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) to patience and constancy. At

the outset, the Holy Prophet has been addressed, to the effect: "The

disbelievers call you a madman whereas the Book that you are

presenting and the sublime conduct that you practise, are by

themselves sufficient to refute their false accusations. Soon they

will see as to who was mad and who was sane; therefore, do not at all

yield to the din of opposition being kicked up against you, for all

this is actually meant to cow you and make you resort to a compromise

with them." Then, in order to enlighten the common people the

character of a prominent man from among the opponents, whom the people

of Makkah fully well recognized, has been presented, without naming

him:At that time, the Holy Prophet's pure and sublime conduct was

before them, and every discerning eye could also see what sort of

character and morals were possessed by the chiefs of Makkah, who were

leading the opposition against him. Then, in vv. 17-33, the parable of

the owners of a garden has been presented, who after having been

blessed by Allah turned ungrateful to Him, and did not heed the

admonition of the best man among them when it was given them.

Consequently, they were deprived of the blessing and they realized

this, when all they had lay devastated. With this parable the people

of Makkah have been warned to the effect:"With the appointment of the

Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) to Prophethood, you, O people of

Makkah, too, have been put to a test similar to the one to which the

owners of the garden had been put. If you do not listen to him, you

too will be afflicted with a punishment in the world, and the

punishment of the Hereafter is far greater." Then, in vv. 34-47

continuously, the disbelievers have been admonished, in which the

address sometimes turns to them directly and sometimes they are warned

through the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace). A summary of what has

been said in this regard, is this: Well being in the Hereafter

inevitably belongs to those who spend their lives in the world in full

consciousness of God. It is utterly against reason that the obedient

servants should meet in the Hereafter the same fate as the guilty.

There is absolutely no basis of the disbelievers misunderstanding that

God will treat them in the manner they choose for themselves, whereas

they have no guarantee for this. Those who are being called upon to

bow before God in the world and they refuse to do so, would be unable

to prostrate themselves on the Day of Resurrection even if they wanted

to do so, and thus would stand disgraced and condemned. Having denied

the Qur'an they cannot escape Divine punishment. The rein they are

being given, has deluded them. They think that since they are not

being punished in spite of their denial, they must be on the right

path, whereas they are following the path of ruin. They have no

reasonable ground for opposing the Messenger, for he is a preacher

without any vested interest: he is not asking any reward of them for

himself, and they cannot either make the claim that they know with

certainty that he is not a true Messenger, nor that what he says is

false. In conclusion, the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) has been

exhorted to the effect:"Bear with patience the hardships that you may

have to face in the way of preaching the Faith till Allah's judgement

arrives, and avoid the impatience which caused suffering and

affliction to the Prophet Jonah (peace be on him)."







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #69



                               -----------

                               69. Haqqa:

                               -----------



Name



The Sura takes its name from the word al-Haaqqah with which it opens.



Period of Revelation



This too is one of the earliest suras to be revealed at Makkah. Its

subject matter shows that it was sent down at the time when opposition

to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) had started but had not yet

become tyrannical. Musnad Ahmad contains a tradition from Hadrat Umar,

saying: "Before embracing Islam one day I came out of my house with a

view to causing trouble to the Holy Prophet, but he had entered the

Masjid al-Haram before me. When I arrived I found that he was reciting

sura Al-Haaqqah in the Prayer. I stood behind him and listened. As he

recited the Qur'an I wondered at its literary charm and beauty. Then

suddenly an idea came to my mind that he must be a poet as the

Quraishalleged. Just at that moment he recited the words: "This is the

Word of an honour- able Messenger: it is not the word of a poet." I

said to myself: Then, he must be a soothsayer, if not a poet.

Thereupon be recited the words:"Nor is it the word of a soothsayer:

little it is that you reflect. It is a Revelation from the Lord and

Sustainer of the worlds. On hearing this Islam entered deep into my

heart." This tradition of Hadrat Umar shows that this sura had been

sent down long before his acceptance of Islam, for even after this

event he did not believe for a long time, and he continued to be

influenced in favour of Islam by different incidents from time to time,

till at last in the house of his own sister he came by the experience

that made him surrender?and submit to the Faith completely. (For

details, see introduction to sura Maryamand Introduction to sura Al-

Waqiah).



Theme and Subject Matter



The first section (vv. 1-37) is about the Hereafter and the second (vv.

38-52) about the Qur'an's being a revelation from Allah and the Holy

Prophet's being a true Messenger of Allah. The first section opens

with the assertion that the coming of the Resurrection and the

occurrence of the Hereafter is a truth which has to take place

inevitably. Then in vv. 4-12, it has been stated that the communities

that denied the Hereafter in the past became worthy of Allah's scourge

ultimately. In vv. 13-17 the occurrence of Resurrection has heen

depicted. In vv. 18-37 the real object for which Allah has destined a

second life for mankind after the present worldly life has been

enunciated. In it we are told that on that Day all men shall appear in

the Court of their Lord, where no secret of theirs shall remain hidden

each man's record will be placed in his hand. Those who had spent

lives in the world with the realization that one day they would have

to render an account of their deeds before their Lord, and who had

worked righteously in the world and provided beforehand for their well

being in the Hereafter, will rejoice when they see that they have been

acquitted and blessed with the eternal bliss of Paradise. On the

contrary, those who neither recognized the rights of Allah, nor

discharged the rights of men, will have no one to save them from the

punishment of Allah, and they will be cast into Hell. In the second

section (vv. 38-52) the disbelievers of Makkah have been addressed and

told: "You think this Qur'an is the word of a poet or soothsayer,

whereas it is a Revelation sent dawn by Allah, which is being

presented by the noble Messengers. The Messenger by himself had no

power to increase or decrease a word in it. If he forges something of

his own composition into it, We will cut off his neck-vein (or heart-

vein). For this is the Truth absolute and pure: and those who give it

a lie, will have ultimately to regret and repent.





==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #70





                              ------------

                               70. Ma'rij:

                              ------------



Name



The Sura takes its name from the word dhil Ma'arij in verse 3.



Period of Revelation



The subject matter bears evidence that this Sura too was sent down in

conditions closely resembling those under which Sura AlHaaqqahwas sent

down.



Theme and Subject Matter



It admonisbes and gives warnion to the disbelievers who made fun of

the news about Resurrection and the Hereafter, and Hell and Heaven,

and challenged the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) to cause

Resurrection with which he threatened them to take place if what he

said was true and they had become worthy of the punishment in Hell by

denying it. The whole Sura is meant to answer this denial. The Sura

opens with words to the effect:"A demander has demanded a torment, the

torment which must befall the deniers; and when it takes place, there

will be none to prevent it, but it will take place at its own

appointed time. Allah has His own way of doing things, but He is not

unjust. Therefore, have patience, O Prophet, at what they say. They

think it is far off, but We see it as near at hand." Then it is

said:"Resurrection, which they desire to be hastened out of jest and

fun, is terrible, and when it comes, it will cause great distress to

the culprits. At that time they will even be prepared to give away

their wives and children and their nearest kinsfolk in ransom to

escape the punishment, but they will not be able to escape it. Then

the people have been warned to the effect; "On that Day the destinies

of men will be decided strictly on the basis of their belief and their

conduct. Those who turn away from the Truth in the world and amass

wealth and withhold it from the needy, will be doomed to Hell; and

those who fear the punishment of God here, believe in the Hereafter,

keep up the Prayer, discharge the rights of the needy out of their

wealth, strictly avoid immoral and wicked deeds, practise honesty in

all their dealings, fulfil their pledges and trust and bear true

witness, will have a place of honour in Paradise" In conclusion, the

disbelievers of Makkah who rushed in upon the Holy Prophet (upon whom

be peace) from every side as soon as they saw him, in order to make

fun of him, have been warned to the effect: "If you do not believe,

Allah will replace you by other people who will be better than you",

and the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) has been consoled, so as to

say: "Do not take to heart their mockery and jesting; leave them to

indulge in their idle talk and foolish conduct if they are bent upon

experiencing the disgrace and humiliation of the Resurrection; they

will themselves see their evil end."'







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #71



                               ----------

                                71. Nooh:

                               ----------



Name



"Nuh" is the name of this Sura as well as the title of its subject

matter, for in it, from beginning to the end, the story of the Prophet

Noah has been related.



Period of Revelation



This also is one of the earliest Suras to be revealed at Makkah, but

the internal evidence of its subject matter shows that it was sent

down in the period when opposition to the Holy Prophet's message of

Islam by the disbelievers of Makkah had grown very strong and active.



Theme and Subject



In this sura the story of the Prophet Noah has not been related only

for the sake of story telling, but its object is to warn the

disbelievers of Makkah, so as to say:"You, O people of Makkah, are

adopting towards Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings)

the same attitude as the people of the Prophet Noah had adopted

towards him; if you do not change this attitude, you too would meet

with the same end." This had not been said in so many words anywhere

in the Sura, but in the background of the conditions under which this

story was narrated to the people of Makkah, this subject itself became

obvious. Vv. 2-4 briefly explain how he began his mission and what he

preached. Then after suffering hardships and troubles in the way of

preaching his mission for ages the report that he made to his Lord has

been given in vv. 5-20. In it he states how he had been trying to

bring his people to the right path and how his people had stubbornly

opposed him. After this, the Prophet Noah's final submission has been

recorded in vv. 21-24, in which he prays to his Lord, saying: "These

people have rejected my invitation: they are blindly following their

chiefs, who have devised a tremendous plot of deceit and cunning. Time

now has come when these people should be deprived of every grace to

accept guidance." This was not an expression of impatience by the

Prophet Noah, but when after having preached his message under

extremely trying circumstances for centuries be became utterly

disappointed with his people, he formed the opinion that no chance

whatever was left of their coming to the right path. His this opinion

fully conformed to Allah's own decision. Thus, in the next verse (25),

it has been said: "The torment of Allah descended on those people

because of their misdeeds." In the concluding verse, the Prophet

Noah's supplication that he made to his Lord, right at the time the

torment descended, has been recorded. In it he prays for his own and

for all the believers' forgiveness, and makes a submission to Allah to

the effect: "Do not leave any of the disbelievers alive on the earth,

for they have become utterly devoid of every good: they will not beget

any but disbelieving and wicked descendents." While studying this Sura

one should keep in view the details of the Prophet Noah's story which

have been given in the Qur'an above. For this see Al-Araf: 59-64

Yunus: 71,73, Hud: 25-49, Al-Mu'minun: 23-31, Ash- Shua'ra: 105-122,

Al-Ankabut: 14,15, As-Saaffat: 75-82, Al-Qamar: 9-16.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #72



                               ----------

                                72. Jinn:

                               ----------



Name



"Al-Jinn" is the name of this Sura as well as the title of its subject

matter, for in it the event of the Jinn's hearing the Qur'an and

returning to their people to preach Islam to them, has been related in

detail.



Period oœ Revelation



According to a tradition related in Bukhari and Muslim, on the

authority of Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas, once the Holy Prophet (upon

whom be peace) was going to Visit the Fair of Ukaz with some of his

Companions, On the way be led the Fajr Prayer at Nakhlah. At that time

a company of the jinn happened to pass that way. When they heard the

Quran being recited, they tarried and listened to it attentively. This

very event has been described in this Sura. Most of the commentators,

on the basis of this tradition, believe that this relates to the Holy

Prophet's well known journey to Taif, which had taken place three

years before the Hijrahin the 10th year of the Prophethood. But this

is not correct for several reasons. The jinn's hearing the Qur'an

during the journey to Taif has been related in Al-Ahqaf29-32. A

cursory reading of those verses shows that the jinn who had believed

after hearing the Qur'an on that occasion were already believers in

the Prophet Moses and the previous scriptures. On the contrary, vv. 2-

7 of this sura clearly show that the jinn who heard the Qur'an on this

occasion were polytheists and deniers of the Hereafter and Prophethood.

Then, it is confirmed historically that in his journey to Taif none

acconipanied the Holy Prophet except Hadrat Zaid bin Harithah. On the

contrary, concerning this journey Ibn Abbas says that the Holy Prophet

(upon whom be peace) was accompanied by some of his Companions.

Furthermore, the traditions also agree that in that journey the jinn

heard the Qur'an when the Holy Prophet had stopped at Nakhlah on his

return journey from Taif to Makkah, and in this journey, according to

the traditions of Ibn Abbas, the event of the jinn's hearing the

Qur'an occurred when the Holy Prophet was going to Ukaz from Makkah.

Therefore, in view of these reasons what seems to be correct is that

in Sura Al-Ahqafand Sura AlJinn, one and the same event has not been

narrated, but these were two separate events, which took place during

two separate journeys. As far as Sura Al-Ahqafis concerned, it is

agreed that the event mentioned in it occurred on the return journey

from Taif in the 10th year of Prophethood. As for the question, when

this second event took place, its answer is not given by the tradition

of Ibn Abbas, nor any other historical tradition shows as to when the

Holy Prophet had gone to the Fair of Ukaz along with some of his

Companions. However, a little consideration of vv 8-10 of this sura

shows that this could only be an event of the earliest stage of

Prophethood. In these verses it has been stated that before the

appointment of the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) to Divine Mission

the jinn used to have one or another opportunity to eavesdrop in the

heavens in order to hear news of the unseen, but after it they

suddenly found that angels had been set as guards and meteorites were

being shot on every side so that they could find no place of safety

from where they could hear the secret news. Thereupon they had set

about searching for the unusual thing that had occurred on the earth,

or was going to occur, because of which the security measures had been

tightened up. Probably since then many companies of the jinn must have

been moving about in search of the unusual occurrence and one of them

after having heard the Qur'an from the Holy Prophet (upon whom be

peace) must have formed the opinion that that was the very thing for

the sake of which all the gates of the heavens had been shut against

the jinn.



Reality of Jinn



Before one starts the study of this Sura one must clearly know what is

the reality of the jinn so as to avoid any possible mental confusion.

Many people of the modern times are involved in the misunderstanding

that the jinn are not real, but only a figment of the ancient

superstition and myths. They have not formed this opinion on the basis

that they have known all the realities and truths about the universe

and have thus discovered that the jinn do not exist. They cannot claim

to possess any such knowledge either. But they have assumed without

reason and proof that nothing exists in the universe except what they

can see, whereas the sphere of human perceptions as against the

vastness of this great universe is not even comparable to a drop of

water as against the ocean. Here, the person who thinks that what he

does not perceive, does not exist, and what exists must necessarily be

perceived, in fact, provides a proof of the narrowness of his own mind.

With this mode of thought, not to speak of the jinn, man cannot even

accept and acknowledge any reality, which he cannot directly

experience and observe, and he cannot even admit the existenc of God,

to say nothing of admitting any other unseen reality. Those of the

Muslims who have bein influenced by modernism, but cannot deny the

Qur'an either, have given strange interpretations of the clear

statements of the Qur'an about the jinn, Iblis and Satan. They say

that this does not refer to any hidden creation, which may have its

own independent existence, but it sometimes implies man's own animal

forces, which have been called Satan, and sometimes it implies savage

and wild mountain tribes, and sometimes the people who used to listen

to the Qur'an secretly. But the statements of the Qur'an in this

regard are so clear and explicit that these interpretations bear no

relevance to them whatever. The Qur'an frequently mentions the jinn

and the men in a manner as to indicate that they are two sepa- rate

creations. For this, see Al Araf: 38, Hind : 119, Ha Mim As-Sajdah:

25,29, Ahqaf: 18, Adh Dhariyat: 56, and the entire sura Ar-Rahman,

which bears such clear evidence as to leave no room to regard the jinn

as a human species. In Sura Al-Araf: 12, Al Hijr : 26-27 and Ar-Rahman

: 14-19, it has been expressly stated that man was created out of clay

and jinn out of fire. In Sura Al Hijr: 27, it has been said that the

jinn had been created before man. The same thing is testified by the

story of Adam and Iblis, which has been told at seven different places

in the Qur'an, and at every place it confirms that Iblis was already

there at the creation of man. Moreover, in sura Al-Kahf: 50, it has

been stated that Iblis belonged to the jinn. In sura Al-Araf: 27, it

has been stated in clear words that the jinn see the human beings but

the human beings do not see them. In sura Al-Hijr: 16-l8, sura As-

Saaffat: 6-10 and sura Al-Mulk: 5, it has been said that although the

jinn can ascend to the heavens, they cannot exceed a certain limit; if

they try to ascend beyond that limit and try to hear what goes on in

the heavens, they are not allowed to do so, and if they try to

eavesdrop they are driven away by meteorites. By this the belief of

the polytheistic Arabs that the jinn possess the knowledge of the

unseen, or have access to Divine secrets, has been refuted. The same

error has a]so been refuted in Saba: 14. Al-Baqarah: 30-34 and Al-

Kahf: 50 show that Allah has entrusted man with the vicegerency of the

earth and the men are superior to the jinn. Although the jinn also

have been given certain extraordinary powers and abilities an example

of which is found in An-Naml 39, yet the animals likewise have been

given some powers greater than man, but these are no argument that the

animals are superior to man. The Qur'an also explains that the jinn,

like men, are a creation possessed of power and authority, and they,

just like them, can choose between obedience and disobedience, faith

and disbelief. This is confirmed by the story of Satan and the event

of the jinn affirming the faith as found in Suras Al-Ahqaf and Al-Jinn.

At scores of places in the Qur'an, it has also been stated that Iblis

at the very creation of Adam had resolved to misguide mankind, and

since then the Satanic jinn have been persistently trying to mislead

man, but they do not have the power to overwhelm him and make him do

something forcibly. However, they inspire him with evil suggestions,

beguile him and make evil seem good to him. For this, see An-Nisa 117-

120, Al-Araf: 11-17, Ibrahim: 22, Al-Hijr: 30-42, An-Nahl 98-100, Bani

Israil 61-65. The Qur'an also tells us that in the pre Islamic

ignorance the polytheistic Arabs regarded the jinn as associates of

God, worshipped them and thought they were descended from God. For

this, see A1-An'am: 100, Saba : 40-41, Assaffat: 158. From these

details, it becomes abundantly clear that the jinn have their own

objective existence and are a concealed creation of an entirely

different species from man. Because of their mysterious qualities,

ignorant people have formed exaggerated notions and concepts about

them and their powers, and have even worshipped them, but the Qur'an

has explained the whole truth about them, which shows what they are

and what they are not.



Theme and Topics



In this Sura in vv. 1-15, it has been told what was the impact of the

Qur'an on the company of the jinn when they heard it and what they

said to their fellow jinn when they returned to them. Allah, in this

connection, has not cited their whole conversation but only those

particular things which were worthy of mention. That is why the style

is not that of a continuous speech but sentences have been cited so as

to indicate that they said this and this. If one studies these

sentences spoken by the jinn carefully, one can easily understand the

real object of the narration of this event of their affirming the

faith and or mentioning this conversation of theirs with their people

in the Qur'an. After this, in vv 16-l8, the people have been

admonished to the effect:"If you refrain from polytheism and follow

the way of righteousness firmly, you will be blessed; otherwise if you

turn away from the admonition sent down by Allah, you will meet with a

severe punishment." Then, in vv. 19-23, the disbelievers of Makkah

have been reproached, as if to say: When the Messenger of Allah calls

you towards Allah, you surround and mob him from every side, whereas

the only duty of the Messenger is to convey the messages of Allah. He

does not claim to have any power to bring any gain or cause any harm

to the people." Then, in vv. 24-25 the disbelievers have been warned

to the effect: "Today you are trying to overpower and suppress the

Messenger seeing that he is helpless and friendless, but a time will

come when you will know who in actual fact is helpless and friendless.

Whether that time is yet far off, or near at hand, the Messenger has

no knowledge thereof, but it will come to pass in any case." In

conclusion, the people have been told: The Knower of the unseen is

Allah alone. The Messenger receives only that knowledge which Allah is

pleased to give him. This knowledge pertains to matters connected with

the performance of the duties of Prophethood and it is delivered to

him in such securty which does not admit of any external interference

whatever.







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #73



                             --------------

                              73. Muzammil:

                             --------------



Name



The Sura has been so designated after the word al-muzzammil occurring

in the very first verse. This is only a name and not a title of its

subject matter.



Period of Revelation



The two sections of this Sura were revealed in two separate periods.

The first section (vv. 1-19) is unanimously a Makki Revelation, and

this is supported both by its subject matter and by the traditions of

the Hadith. As for the question, in which specific period of the life

at Makkah it was revealed, it is not answered by the tradition, but

the interal evidence of the subject matter of this section helps to

determine the period of its revelation. First, in it the Holy Prophet

(upon whom be peace) has been instructed to the effect: "Arise during

the night and worship Allah so that you may develop the capability to

shoulder the heavy burden of Prophethood and to discharge its

responsibilities." This shows that this Command must have been given

in the earliest period of the Prophethood' when training was being

imparted to the Holy prophet by Allah for this office. Secondly, a

Command has been given in it that the Qur'an be recited in, the

Tahajjud Prayer for half the night, or thereabout. This Command by

itself points out that by that time at least so much of the Qur'an had

been revealed as could be recited for that long. Thirdly, in this

section the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) has been exhorted to

have patience at the excesses being committed by his opponents, and

the disbelievers of Makkah have been threatened with the torment. This

shows that this section was revealed at a time when the Holy Propliet

(upon whom be peace) had openly started preaching Islam and the

opposition to him at Makkah had grown active and strong. About the

second section (v. 20) although many of the commentators have

expressed the opinion that this too was sent down at Makkah, yet some

other commentators regard it as a Madani Revelation, and this same

opinion is confirmed by the subject matter of this section. For it

mentions fighting in the way of Allah, and obviously, there could be

no question of it at Makkah; it also contains the Command to pay the

obligatory zakat, and it is fully confirmed that the zakatat a

specific rate and with an exemption limit (nisab) was enjoined at

Madinah.



Theme and Subject Matter



In the first seven verses the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) has

been commanded to the effect: "Prepare yourself to shoulder the

responsibilities of the great Mission that has been entrusted to you;

its practi- cal form is that you should rise during the hours of night

and stand up in Prayer for half the night, or for a little more or

less of it." In vv. 8-14, he has been exhorted to the effect: "Devote

yourself exclusively to that God Who is the Owner of the whole

universe. intrust all your affairs to Him with full satisfaction of

the heart. Bear with patience whatevel your opponents may utter

against you. Do not be intimate with them. Leave their affair to God:

He Himself will deal with them." Then, in vv. 15-19, those of the

people of Makkah, who were opposing the Holy Prophet (upon whom be

peace) have been warned, so as to say: "We have sent a Messenger to

you just as We sent a Messenger to the Pharaoh. Just consider what

fate the Pharaoh met when he did not accept the invitation of the

Messenger of Allah. Supposing that you are not punished by a torment

in this world, how will you save yourselves from the punishment for

disbelief on the Day of Resurrection." This is the subject matter of

the first section. The second section, according to a tradition from

Hadrat Sa'id bin Jubair, was sent down ten years later, and in it the

initial Command given in connection with the Tahajjud Prayer, in the

beginning of the first section, was curtailed. The new Command

enjoined, "Offer as much of the Tahajjud Prayer as you easily can, but

what the Mus]iins should particularly mind and attend to is the five

times obligatory Prayer a day:, they should establish it regularly and

punctually; they should discharge their zakatdues accurately; and they

should spend their wealth with sincere intentions for the sake of

Allah. In conclusion, the Muslims have been exhorted, saying:

"Whatever good works you do in the world, will not go waste, but they

are like the provision which a traveller sends up in advance to his

permanent place of residence. Whatever good you send up from the world,

you will find it with Allah, and the provision thus sent up is much

better than what you will have to leave behind in the world, and with

Allah you will also get a much better and richer reward than what you

have actually sent up before."







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #74



                             ---------------

                             74. Mudatthir:

                             ---------------



Name



The Sura takes its name from the word al- muddaththir in the first

verse. This also is only a name, not a title of its subject matter.



Period of Revelation



The first seven verses of this Sura belong to the earliest period at

Makkah. Even according to some traditions which have been related in

Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Musnad Ahmad, etc., on the authority of

Hadrat Jabir bin Abdullah, these are the very earliest verses of the

Qur'an to be revealed to the Holy Prophet (upon whoa be peace). But

the Muslim Ummahalmost unanimously agreed that the earliest Revelation

to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) consisted of the first five

verses of Sura Al-Alaq(XCVI) However, what is established by authentic

traditions is that after this first Revelation, no Revelation came

down to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) for quite some time.

Then, when it was resumed, it started with theme verses of Sura Al-

Muddaththir. Imam Zuhri has given the following details of it;

"Revelation to the Holy Prophet remained suspended for quite some time,

and it was such a period of deep grief and distress for him that he

started going early to the tops of the mountains to throw himself down

from them. But whenever he stood on the edge of a peak, the Angel

Gabriel would appear and tell him that he was Allah's Prophet. This

would console him and restore to him full peace of mind." (Ibn Jarir).

After this Imam Zuhri relates the following tradition on the authority

of Hadrat Jabir bin Abdullah; "The Ho]y Messenger of Allah describing

the period of falrat al-wahi (break in revelation) said: One day when

I was passing on the way, I suddenly heard a call from heaven. I

raised my head and saw that the same Angel who had visited me in the

Cave of Hira was sitting on a throne between heaven and earth. This

struck terror in my heart, and reaching home quickly, I said: 'Cover

me up, cover me up'. So the people of the house covered me up with a

quilt (or blanket). At that time Allah sent down the Revelation: Ya

ayyuhal-Muddaththiru... From then on revelation became intense and

continuous." (Bukhari, Muslim Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Jarir). The rest of

the Sura (vv. 8-56) was revealed when the first Hajj season came after

public preaching of Islam had begun in Makkah. This has been fully

well described in the Sura by Ibn Hishan and we shall cite it below.



Theme and Subject. Matter



As has been explained above, the earliest Revelation to the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace) consisted of the first five verses of

Sura Al-Alaq, in which it had been Said: "Read (O Prophet), in the

name of your Lord, Who created: created man from a clot of congealed

blood. Read: and your Lord is Most Generous, Who taught knowledge by

the pen, taught man what he did not know." This was the first

experience of Revelation met with suddenly by the Holy Prophet (upon

whom be peace). in this message it was not told what great mission he

had been entrusted with and what duties he had to perk form in future.

He was only initiated into it and then left alone for a time so that

the great strain this experience had caused should pass away and he

should mentally become prepared to receive the Revelation and perform

the prophetic mission in the future. After this intermission when

Revelation Was resumed, tbe first seven verses of this Sura Were

revealed:In these he Was for the first time commanded to arise and

warn the people of the consequences of the way of life they were

following and to proclaim the greatness of God in the world where

others were being magnified without any right. Along with that he was

given this instruction: The demand of the Unique mission that you have

to perform, now is that your life should be pure in every respect and

you should carry out the duty of reforming your people sincerely

irrespective of any worldly gain. Then, in the last sentence, he was

exhorted to endure with patience, for the sake of his Lord, all the

hardships and troubles that he might have to face while performing his

mission. In the implementation of this Divine Command when the Holy

Messenger of Allah began to preach Islam and recite the Qu'anic Suras

revealed success sively, the people of Makkah felt alarmed, and it

provoked a great storm of opposition and hostility. A few months

passed in this state until the Hajjseason approached. The people of

Makkah feared that if Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) started

visiting the caravans of the pilgrims coming from all over Arabia at

their halting places and reciting the spell binding and unique

Revelations of the Qur'an in their assemblies on the occasion of Hajj,

his message would reach every part of Arabia and influence countless

people. Therefore, the Quraishchiefs held a conference and settled

that they would start a propaganda campaign against the Holy Prophet

(upon whom be peace) among the pilgrims as soon as they arrived. After

they had agreed on this, Walid bin al-Mughirah said to the assembled

people: "If you said contradictory things about Muhuammad (upon whom

be Allah's peace and blessings), we all would lose our trust among the

people. Therefore, let us agree upon one opinion, which we should all

say without dispute. Some people said that they would call Muhammad

(upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) a soothsayer. Walid said :

No, by God, be is not a soothsayer. We have seen the soothsayers: what

they murmur and what they utter has no remote resemblance with the

Qur'an. Some other people said: Then we say be is possessed. Walid

said: He is not a possessed one: we have seen bad and insane people;

the way one talks disjointedly and behaves foolishly in that state is

known to all: who would believe that what Muhammad (upon whom be

peace) presented was the incoherent speech of a madman?The people

said: Then we say he is a poet. Walid said: No, he is not a poet, for

we know poetry in all its forms, and what he presents conforms to no

form of it. The people said: Then he is a sorcerer. Walid said: He is

no sorcerer either: we have Seen sorcerers and we also know what

methods they adopt for their sorcery. This also does not apply to

Muhammad. Then he said: "Whichever of these things you said about

Muhammad, it would be known to be a false accusation. By God, his

speech is sweet, his root is deep and his branches are fruitful. At

this Abu Jahl urging on Walid said: Your people will never be pleased

with you unless you say something about Muhammad. He said: Let me

think over it awhile. Then, after prolonged thought and consideration,

he said: The nearest thing to the truth is that you tell the Arabs

that he is a sorcerer, who has brought a message by which he separates

a man from his father; and from his brother, and from his wife and

children, and from his family. They all agreed on what Walid had

proposed. Then, according to a scheme the men of Quraishspread among

the pilgrims in the Hajjseason and they warned everyone they met of

the scrcery of Muhammad (upon whom be peace) and of his stirring up

divisions in the families by it." But the result was that by their

this plan the Quraishchiefs themselves made the name of the Holy

Messenger known throughout Arabia. (Ibn Hisham, pp. 288-289. That

Walid had made this proposal on the insistence of Abu Jahl has been

related by Ibn Jarir in his Tafsir on the authority of Ikrimah). In

conclusion, it has been explicitly stated: Allah does not stand in

need of anybody's faith that He may fulfil his conditions. The Qur'an

is an admonition that has been presented before the people openly; now

whoever wills may accept it. Allah has a right that the people should

fear His disobedience and He alone has the power to forgive the one

who adopts piety and an attitude of God consciousness even though one

may have committed many acts of disobedience in the past.







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #75



                             --------------

                              75. Qiyaamat:

                             --------------



Name



The Sura has been so named after the word al- Qiyamah in the first

verse. This is not only the name but also the title of this Sura, for

it is devoted to Resurrection itself.



Period of Revelation



Although there is no tradition to indicate its period of revelation,

yet there is in the subject matter of this Sura an internal evidence,

which shows that it is one of the earliest Suras to be sent down at

Makkah. After verse 15 the discourse is suddenly interrupted and the

Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) told: "Do not move your tongue to

remember this Revelation hastily. It is Our responsibility to have it

remembered and read. Therefore, when We are reciting it, listen to its

recital carefully. Again, it is Our responsibility to explain its

meaning." Then, from verse 2O onward the same theme which was

interrupted at verse 15, is resumed. This parenthetical passage,

according to both the context and the traditions, has been interpqsed

here for the reason that when the Angel Gabriel was reciting this Sura

to the Holy Prophet, the Holy Prophet, lest he should forget its words

later, was repeating them at the same moment. This in fact happened at

the time when the coming down and receipt of Revelation was yet a new

experience for him and he was not yet fully used to receiving it

calmly. There are two other instances also of this in the Qur'an.

First, in Sura TaHathe Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) has been

told: "And see that you do not hasten to recite the Qur'an belore its

revelation is completed to you." (v. 114). Then, in Sura Al-A'la, it

has been said: "We shall enable you to recite:, then you shall never

forget. (v. 6). Later, when the Holy Prophet became fully used to

receiving the Revelation well, there remained no need to give him any

such instruction. That is why except for these, three, there is no

other instance of this in the Qur'an.



Theme and Subject Matter



Most of the Suras, from here till the end of the Qur'an, in view of

their content and style, seem to have been sent down in the period

when after the first seven verses of Sura Al-Muddaththir, revelation

of the Qur'an began like a shower of rain:Thus, in the succesively

revealed Suras Islam and its fundamental concepts and moral teachings

were presented so forcefully and effectively in pithy, brief sentences

and the people of Makkah warned so vehemently on their errors and

deviations that the Quraishchiefs were utterly confounded. Therefore,

before the next Hajjseason came they held the conference for devising

schemes to defeat the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) as has been

mentioned in the Introduction to the Sura Al-Muddaththirabove. In this

Sura, addressing thee deniers of the Hereafter, replies have been

given to each of their doubts and objections, strong arguments have

been given to prove the possibility, occurrence and necessity of the

Resurrection and Hereafter, and also it has been pointed out clearly

that the actual reason of the people's denying the Hereafter is not

that they regard it as impossible rationally but because their selfish

motives do not allow thein to affirm it. At the same time, the people

have been warned, as if to say: "The event, the occurrence of which

you deny, will inevitably come: all your deeds will be brought and

placed before you. As a matter of fact, even before any of you sees

his record, he will be knowing fully well what he has done in the

world, for no man is unaware of himself, no matter what excuses and

pretences he may offer to deceive the world and deceive himself in

respect of his misdeeds."







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #76



                               ----------

                                76. Dahr:

                               ----------



Name



This Sura is called Ad-Dahr as well as Al-Insan after the words

occurring in the first verse.



Period of Revelation



Most of the commentators, including Allama Zamakhshari, Imam Razi,

Qadi, Baidawi, Allama Nizam ad-Din Nisaburi, Hafiz Ibn Kathir and many

others, regard it as a Makki Sura, and, according to Allam Alusi, the

same is the opinion of the majority of scholars. However, some

commentators hold the view that the Sura was revealed at Madinah, and

some others say that it was revealed at Makkah but vv. 8-10 of it were

sent down at Madinah. As far as the subject matter and the style of

the Sura are concerned, these are very different from those of the

Madani Suras. A little study of it rather shown that it is not only a

Makki Sura but it was revealed during the earliest period at Makkah,

which began just after the revelation of the first seven verses of

Sura Al-Muddaththir. As for vv 8-10, they are so naturally set in the

theme of the Sura that if they are read in their proper context, no

one can say that the theme preceding and following them had been sent

down 15 to 16 years earlier but these three verses which were revealed

many years later were inserted here unnaturally. In fact, the basis of

the idea that this Sura; or some verses of it were revealed at Madinah,

is a tradition which Ata has related from Ibn Abbas (may Allah bless

him). He says that once Hadrat Hasan and Husain fell ill The Holy

Prophet and some of his Companions visited them. They wished Hadrat

Ali to make a vow to Allah for the recovery of the two children.

Thereupon, Hadrat All, Hadrat Fatimah and Fiddah their maid servant,

vowed a fast of three days if Allah restored the children to health.

The children recovered by the grace of Allah and the three of them

began to fast as avowed. As there was nothing to eat in the house,

Hadrat Ali borrowed three measures (sa') of barley from somebody

(according to another tradition, earned through labour). When on the

first day they sat down to eat after breaking the fast, a poor man

came and begged for food. They gave all their food to him, drank water

and retired to bed. The next day when they again sat down to eat after

breaking the fast, an orphan came and begged for something. They again

gave away the whole food to him, drank water and went to bed. On the

third day when they were just going to eat after breaking the fast, a

captive came up and begged for food likewise. Again the whole food was

given away to him. On the fourth day Hadrat Ali took both the children

with him and went before the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace). The

Holy Prophet (on whom be peace) seeing the weak condition of the three,

returned with them to the house of Hadrat Fatimah and found her lying

in a corner half dead with hunger. This moved him visibly. In the

meantime the Angel Gabriel (peace be on him) came and said; "Look,

Allah has congratulated you on the virtues of the people of your

house!"When the Holy Prophet asked what it was, he recited this whole

Sura in response. (Accordink to Ibn Mahran's tradition, he recited it

from verse 5 till the end. But the tradition which Ibn Marduyah has

related from Ibn Abbas only says that the verse Wff yut'imun-at

ta'am... was sent down concerning Hadrat Ali and Hadrat Fatimah; there

is no mention of this story in it). This whole story has been narrated

by Ali bin Ahmad al-Wahidi in his Commentary of the Qur'an, entitled

Al'Basit, and probably from the same it has been taken by Zamakhshari,

Razi, Nisaburi and others. In the first place, this tradition is very

weak as regards its chain of transmission. Then, from the point of

view of its subject matter also, it is strange that when a poor man,

or an orphan, or a captive, comes to beg for food, he is given all the

food. He could be given one member's food and the five of them could

share the rest of it among themselves:Then this also is incredible

that illustrious persons like Hadrat Ali and Hadrat Fatimah, who

possessed perfect knowledge of Islam, should have regarded it as an

act of virtue to keep the two children, who had just recovered their

health and were still weak, hungry for three consecutive days.

Moreover, in respect of the captives also, it has never been a

practice under the Islamic government that they should be left to beg

for food for themselves. For if they were prisoners of the government,

the goverment itself was responsible to arrange food and clothing for

them, and if they were in an individual's custody, he was made

responsible to feed and clothe them. Therefore, it was not possible

that in Madinah a captive should have gone about begging food from

door to door. However, overlooking the weaknesses of transmission and

the probability of subject matter, even if the narrative is accepted

as it goes, at the most what it shows is that when the people of the

Holy Prophet's house acted righteously as they did, Gabriel came and

gave him the good news that Allah had much appreciated their act of

virtue, for they had acted precisely in the righteous way that Allah

had commanded in these verses of Sura Ad-Dahr. This does not

necessitate that these verses too were sent down on that very occasion.

The same is the case with many traditions concerning the occasion of

revelation. When about a certain verse it is said that it was sent

down on a particular occasion, it in fact does not mean that the verse

was sent down on the very occasion the incident took place. But it

means that the verse applies precisely and exactly to the incident.

Imam Suyuti in Al-Itqan has quoted this from Hafiz Ibn Taimiyyah:

"When the reporters say that a verse was sent down concerning a

particular incident, it sometimes implies that the same incident (or

matter) occasioned its revelation, and sometimes that the verse

applies to the matter although it may not have occasioned its

revelation."Further on he quotes Imam Badr ad-Din Zarkashi's view from

his Al-Burhan fi Ulum al-Quran:"It is well known in respect of the

Companions and their immediate successors that when one of them says

that a verse was sent down concerning a particular matter, it means

that the ruling contained in it applied to that matter and not that

the matter itself occasioned the revelation of the verse. Thus, it

only uses the ruling of the verse for the purpose of reasoning and not

for stating a fact." (Al-Itqan fi Ulum al-Quran, vol. I, p. 31, Ed.

1929).



Theme and Subject Matter



The theme of this Sura is to inform man of his true position in the

world and to tell him that if he understood his true position rightly

and adopted the attitude of gratefulness, he would meet with such and

such good end, and if he adopted the way of disbelief, he would meet

with such and such evil ends In the longer Suras of the Qur'an this

same theme has been presented at length, but a special characteristic

of the style of the earliest Suras revealed at Makkah is that the

subjects dealt with at length in the later period, "have been

presented in a brief but highly effective way in this period in such

concise, elegant sentences as may automatically be preserved in the

memory of thc hearers. In this Sura, first of all man has been

reminded that there was a time when he was nothing; then a humble

beginning of him was made with a mixed drop of sperm and ovum of which

even his mother was not aware; even she did not know that he had been

conceived nor anyone else seeing the microscopic cell could say that

it was a man, who in future would become the best of creation on the

earth. After this, man has been warned, so as to say: "Beginning your

creation in this way We have developed and shaped you into what you

are today in order to test and try you in the world. That is why,

unlike other creatures, you were made intelligent and sensible and

were shown both the way of gratitude and the way of ungratitude

clearly so that you may show, in the interval that you have been

granted here for work, whether you have emerged as a grateful servant

from the test or an unbelieving, Un- grateful wretch!" Then, just in

one sentence, it has been stated decisively what will be the fate to

be met with in the Hereafter by those who emerged as unbelievers from

this test. After this, in vv. 5-22 continuously, the blessings with

which those who do full justice to servitude in the world, will be

favoured, have been mentioned in full detail. In these verses, not

only have their best rewards been mentioned but they have also been

told briefly what are the acts on the basis of which they would become

worthy of those rewards. Another special characteristic of the

earliest Suras revealed at Makkah is that besides introducing in them

briefly the fundamental beliefs and concepts of Islam, here and there,

those moral qualities and virtuous acts have been mentioned, which are

praiseworthy according to Islam, and also those evils of deed and

morality of which Islam strives to cleanse human life. And these two

things have not been mentioned with a view to show what good or evil

result is entailed by them in the transitory life of the world, but

they have been mentioned only to point out what enduring results they

will produce in the eternal and everlasting life of the Hereafter,

irrespective of whether an evil quality may prove useful or a good

quality may prove harmful in the world. This is the subject matter of

the first section (vv. 1-22). In the second section, addressing the

Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace), three things have been stated:

first, that "it is in fact We Ourself Who are revealing this Qur'an

piecemeal to you, and this is intended to inform the disbelievers, not

you, that the Qur'an is not being fabricated by Muhammad (upon whom be

Allah's peace and blessings) but it is "We Who are revealing it, and

it is Our Own wisdom which requires that We should reveal it piece by

piece and not all at once."Second, the Holy Prophet has been told: "No

matter how long ,it may take for the decree of your Lord to be

enforced and no matter what afflictions may befall you in the meantime,

in any case you should continue to perform your mission of Apostleship

patiently, and not to yield to the pressure tactics of any of these

wicked and unbelieving people."The third thing he has been told is:

"Remember Allah day and night, perform the Prayer and spend your

nights in the worship of Allah, for it is these things which sustain

and strengthen those who call to Allah in the face of iniquity and

disbelief." Then in one single sentence, the actual cause of the

disbelievers wrong attitude has been stated: they have forgotten the

Hereafter and are enamoured of the world. In the second sentence, they

have been warned to the effect: "You have not come into being by

yourself: We have created you. You have not made these broad chests,

and strong, sturdy hands and feet for yourselves, it is We Who made

these for you; and it so lies in Our power to treat you as We please.

We can distort your figures, We can destroy you and replace you by

some other nation. We can cause you to die and can recreate you in

whatever form we like." In conclusion, it has been said: This is an

Admonition: whoever wills may accept it and take a path to his Lord.

But man's own will and desire is not everything in the world. No one's

will and desire can be fulfilled unless Allah (also) so wills. And

Allah's willing is not haphazard: whatever He wills, He wills it on

the basis of His knowledge and wisdom. He admits into His mercy

whomever He regards as worthy of His mercy on the basis of His

knowledge and wisdom, and He has prepared a painful torment for those

whom He finds unjust and wicked.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #77





			   ---------------

			    77. Mursalaat:

			   ---------------



Name



The Sura takes its name from the word wal-mursalat in the first verse.



Period of Revelation



Its subject matter bears full evidence that it was revealed in the

earliest period at Makkah. If this Sura is read together with the two

Suras preceding it, namely Al-Qiyamahand Ad-Dahr, and the two Suras

following it, namely An-Nabaand An-Naziat, it becomes obvious that all

these Suras are the Revelations of the same period, and they deal with

one and the same theme, which has been impressed on the people of

Makkah in differeot ways.



Theme and Subject Matter



Its theme is to affirm the Resurrection and Hereafter and to warn the

people of the consequences which will ultimately follow the denial and

the affirmation of these truths. In the first seven verses, the system

of winds has been presented as an evidence of the truth that the

Resurrection which is being foretold by the Qur'an and the Prophet

Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) must come to pass.

The reasoning is that the power of All-Mighty Allah Who established

this wonderful system on the earth, cannot be helpless in bringing

about the Resurrection, and the express wisdom which underlies this

system bears full evidence that the Hereafter must appear, for no act

of an All- Wise Creator can be vain and purposeless, and if there was

no Hereafter, it would mean that the whole of one's life was useless

and absurd. The people of Makkah repeatedly asked, "Bring about the

Resurrection with which you threaten us; only then shall we believe in

it."In vv. 8-l5, their demand has been answered, saying:"Resurrection

is no sport or fun so that whenever a jester should ask for it, it

should be brought forth immediately. It is indeed the Day of Judgement

to settle the account of all mankind and of all its individuals. For

it Allah has fixed a specific time it will take place at its own time,

and when it takes place with all its dreads and horrors, it will

confound those who are demanding it for fun today. Then their cases

will be decided only on the evidence of those Messengers whom these

deniers of the truth are repudiating with impunity. Then they will

themselves realize how they themselves are responsible for their dooms

In vv. 16-28 arguments have been given continuously for the occurrence

and necessity of the Resurrection and Hereafter. In these it has been

stated that man's own history, his own birth, and the structure of the

earth on which he lives, bear the testimony that the coming of

Resurrection and the establishment of the Hereafter are possible as

well as the demand of Allah Almighty's wisdom. History tells us that

the nations which denied the Hereafter ultlinately became corrupted

and met with destruction. This means that the Hereafter is a truth

which if denied and contradicted by a nation by its conduct and

attitude, will cause it to meet the same doom, which is met by a blind

man who bushes headlong into an approaching train. And it also means

that in the kingdom of the universe only physical laws are not at work

but a moral law also is working in it, under which in this very world

the process of retribution is operating. But since in the present life

of the world retribution is not taking place in its complete and

perfect form, the moral law of the universe necessarily demands that

there should come a time when it should take its full course and all

those good works and evil deeds, which could not be rewarded here, or

which escaped their due punishment should be fully rewarded and

punished. For this it is inevitable that there should be a second life

after death. If man only considers how he takes his birth in the world,

his intellect, provided it is sound intellect, cannot deny that for

the God Who began his creation from an insignificant sperm drop and

developed him into a perfect man, it certainly possible to create the

same man once again. After death the particles of man's body do not

disappear but continue to exist on the same earth on which he lived

his whole life. It is from the resources and treasures of this very

earth that he is made and nourished and then into the same treasures

of the earth he is deposited. The God who caused him to emerge from

the treasures of the earth, in the first instance, can also cause him

to re-emerge from the same treasures after he has been restored to

them at death. If one only considers the powers of Allah, one cannot

deny that He can do this; and if one considers the wisdom of Allah,

one also cannot deny that it is certainly the very demand of His

wisdom to call man to account for the right and wrong use of the

powers that He has granted him on the earth; it would rather be

against wisdom to let him off without rendering an account. Then, in

vv. 28-40, the fate of the deniers of the Hefeafter has been depicted,

and in vv. 4l-45 of those who affirming faith in it in their worldly

life, endeavoured to improve their Hereafter, and abstained from the

evils of disbelief and thought, morality and deed, conduct and

character which might be helpful in man's worldly life, but are

certainly ruinous for his life hereafter. In the end, the deniers ot

the Hereafter and those who turn away from God-worship, have been

warned as if to say: "Enjoy your short-lived worldly pleasure as you

may, but your end will ultimately be disasterous." The discourse

concludes with the assertion that the one who fails to obtain guidance

frbm Book like the Qur'an, can have no ether source in the world to

afford him Guidance.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #78





			     -----------

			      78. Nabaa:

			     -----------



Name



The Sura derived its name from the word an-Naba in the second verse.

This is not only a name but also a title of its subject matter, for

Naaba implies the news of Resurrection and Hereafter and the whole

Sura is devoted to the same theme.



Period of Revelation



As we have explained in the introduction to Sura Al-Mursalat, the

theme of all the Suras, from Al- Qiyamah to An-Naziat, closely

resembles one another's, and all these seem to have been revealed in

the earliest period at Makkah.



Theme and Subject Matter



Its theme also is the same as of Sura Al-Mursalat, i. e. to affirm the

Resurrection and Hereafter, and to warn the people of the consequences

of acknowledging or disacknowledging it. When the Holy Prophet (upon

vhom be peace) first started to preach Islam in Makkah, his message

conisted of three elements:(1) That none be held as an associate with

Allah in Godhead; (2) that Allah had appointed him as His Messenger;

(3) that this world will come to an end one day and then another world

will be establislied when all the former and the latter generations

will be resurrected with the same bodies in which they lived and

worked in the world; then they will be called to account for their

beliefs and deeds and those who emerge as believing and righteous in

this accountability wil go to Paradise and those who are proved to be

disbelieving and wicked will live in Hell for ever. Of these although

the first thing was highly unpleasant for the people of Makkah, yet in

any case they were not disbelievers in the existence of Allah. They

believed in His Being the Supreme Sustainer, Creator and Providence

and also admitted that all those beings whom they regarded as their

deities, were themselves Allah's creatures. Therefore, in this regard

the only thing they disputed was whether they had any share in the

attributes and powers of Divinity and in the Divine Being itself or

not. As for the second thing, the people of Makkah were not prepared

to accept it. However, what they could not possibly deny was that

during the 40 years life that the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace)

had lived among them before his claim to Prophethood, they had never

found him a lying deceitful person or the one who would adopt unlawful

methods for selfish ends. They themselves admitted that he was a man

possessed of wisdom, righteousness and moral superiority. Therefore,

in spite of charging him with a thousand false accusations, nothing to

say of making others believe, they were finding it difficult even for

theinselves to believe that although he was an honest and upright man

in every other affair and dealing of life, yet, God forbid, a liar

only in his claim to be a Prophet. Thus, the first two things were not

in fact so perplexing for the people of Makkah as the third thing.

When this was presented before them, they mocked it most of all,

expressed unusual wonder at it, and regarding it as remote from reason

and impossible, started talking against it as incredible, even

inconcievable, in their assemblies. But in order to bring them to the

way of Islam it was absolutely essential that the doctrine of the

Hereafter should be instilled into their minds, for without belief in

this doctrine, it was not at all possible that they could adopt a

serious attitude with regard to the truth and falsehood, could change

their standard of values in respect of good and evil, and giving up

worship of the world, could be inclined to follow the way that Islam

urged them to follow. That is why in the earliest Suras revealed at

Makkah the doctrine of the Hereafter has been impressed and stressed

more than anything else. However, the arguments for it have been given

in such a way that the doctrine of the Oneness of God (Tauhid) also is

impressed on the minds automatically. This also contains brief

arguments, here and there, to confirm the truth of the Holy Messenger

of Allah and the Qur'an. After understanding well why the theme of the

Hereafter has been so frequently repeated in the Suras of this period,

let us now have a look at the subject matter of this Sura. In it first

of all, allusion has been made to the common talk and the doubts that

were being expressed in every street of Makkah and in every assembly

of the people of Makkah on hearing the news about Resurrection. Then,

the deniers have been asked: "Don't you see this earth which We have

spread as a carpet for you?Don't you see the high mountains which we

have so firmly placed in the earth?Don't you consider your own selves

how We have created you as pairs of men and women?Don't you consider

your sleep by which We make you seek a few hours rest after every few

hours labour and toil so as to keep you fit for work in the

world?Don't you see the alternation of the night and day which We are

so regularly perpetuating precisely according to your needs and

requirements?Don't you see the strongly fortified system of the

heavens above you?Don't you see the sun by means of which you are

receiving your light and heat?Don't you see the rains which fall from

the clouds and help produce corns and vegetables and luxuriant

gardens?Do these things only tell you that the power of the Almighty

Being Who has created them, will be unable to bring about Resurrection

and establish the Next World?Then, from the supreme wisdom which is

clearly working in this world around you, do you only understand this

that although each part of it and each function of it is purposive,

yet life is meaningless?Nothing could be more absurd and meaningless

that after appointing man to the office of foreman and granting him

vast powers of appropiation, in this workhouse, when he leaves the

world after fulfilling his role, he should be let off without any

accountability. He should neither be rewarded and granted pension on

satisfactory work, nor subjected to any accountability and punishment

on unsatisfactory performance of duty. After giving these arguments it

has been emphatically stated that the Day of Judgement shall certainly

come to pass on its appointed time. No sooner is the Trumpet sounded

than whatever is being foretold shall appear before the eyes, and

whether you believe in it today, or not, at that time you will come

out in your multitudes from wherever you would be lying dead and

buried to render your account. Your denial cannot in any way avert

this inevitable event. Then, in vv. 21-30; it has been stated that

every single misdeed of those who do not expect any accountability to

take place and have thus belied Our Revelations, lies reckoned and

recorded with Us, and Hell is ever lying an ambush to punish them and

punish them fully for all their doings. Then, in vv. 31-36, the best

rewards of those who lived as responsible people in the world and have

provided for their Hereafter beforehand have been mentioned. They have

been reassured that they will not only be rewarded richly for their

services but in addition they will also be given sufficient gifts. In

conclusion, the Divine Court in the Hereafter has been depicted,

making it plain that there will be no question of somebody's being

adamant in the matter of getting his followers and associates forgiven,

none will speak without leave, and leave will be granted on the

condition that intercession be made only for the one to whom leave of

intercession will have been given, and the intercessor will say only

what is right. Moreover, leave for intercession will be given only for

those who had acknowledged the Truth in the world but were sinners;

rebels of God and rejectors of the Truth will deserve no intercession

at all. The discourse has been concluded with this warnng: The Day the

coming of which is being foretold, shall certainly come to pass. Do

not think it is yet far off, it is close at hand. Now, whoever wills,

let him believe in it and take the way towards his Lord. But he who

disbelieves, in spite of the warning, "will have all his deeds placed

before him: and he will exclaim regretfully: "Oh, would that I were

not born in the world!" At that time, his regrets will be about the

same world of which he is so enamoured today!







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #79



                             --------------

                              79. Naseehat:

                             --------------



Name



It is derived from the word wan-nazi'at with which the Sura opens.



Period of Revelation



According to Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas, this Sura was sent down after

Sura An-Naba. Its subject matter also testifies that it belongs to the

earliest period at Makkah.



Theme and Subject Matter



Its theme is affirmation of Resurrection and the life hereafter; It

also warns of the consequences of belying the Messenger of God. The

Sura opens with oaths sworn by the angels who take the soul at deaths

and those who hasten to carryout Allah's Commands, and those who

conduct the affairs of the universe according to Divine Will, to

assure that the Resurrection will certainly come to pass and the

second life after death will certainly take place. For the angels who

are employed to pluck out the soul today can also be employed to

restore the soul tomorrow, and the angels who promptly execute Allah's

Commands and conduct the affairs of the universe today can also upset

the order of the universe tomorrow by orders of the same God and can

also bring about a new order. After this the people have been told, so

as to say: "This work which you regard as absolutely impossible, is

not any difficult for Allah, for which He may have to make lengthy

preparations. Just a single jolt will upset this system of the world

and a second jolt will be enough to cause you to appear as living

beings in the new world. At that time the same people who were wont to

deny it, would be trembling with fear and seeing with awe struck eyes

all that they thought was impossible. Then, relating the story of the

Prophet Moses and Pharaoh briefly, the people have been warned to the

effect: "You know full well what fate the Pharaoh met in consequence

of belying the Messenger and rejecting the guidance brought by him and

endeavouring to defeat his mission by trickery and deceit. If you do

not learn any lesson from it and do not change your ways and attitude

accordingly, you also will have to meet the same fate. Then, in vv.

27-13, arguments have been given for the Hereafter and life after

death. In this regard, the deniers have been asked the question:"Is

your resurrection a more difficult task or the creation of the huge

Universe which spreads around you to infinite distances with myriads

of its stars and planets?Your recreation cannot be difficult for the

God for Whom this was an easy task. Thus, after presenting in a single

sentence, a decisive argument for the possibility of the Hereafter,

attention has been drawn to the earth and its provisions that have

been arranged in it for the sustenance of man and animal and of which

everything testifies that it has been created with great wisdom for

fulfilling some special purpose. Pointing to this the question has

been left for the intellect of man to ponder for itself and form the

opinion whether calling man to account after having delegated

authority and responsibilities to a creature like him in this wise

system would be more in keeping with the demands of wisdom, or that he

should die after committing all sorts of misdeeds in the world and

should perish and mix in the dust for ever and should never be called

to account as to how he employed the authority and fulfilled the

responsibilities entrusted to him. Instead of discussing this question,

in vv. 34-41, it has been said: "When the Hereafter is established,

men's eternal future will be determined on the criterion as to which

of them rebelled against his God transgressing the bounds of service

and made the material benefits and pleasures his objective of life and

which of them feared standing before his Lord and relrained from

fulfilling the unlawful desires of the self." This by itself provides

the right answer to the above question to every such person who

considers it honestly, free from stubbornness. For the only rational,

logical and moral demand of giving authority and entrusting

responsibilities to man in the world is that he should be called to

account on this very basis ultimately and rewarded or punished

accordingly. In conclusion, the question of the disbelievers of Makkah

as to when Resurrection will take place, has been answered. They asked

the Holy Prophet this question over and over again. In reply it has

been said that the knowledge of the time of its occurrence rests with

Allah alone. The Messenger is there only to give the warning that it

will certainly come. Now whoever wishes may mend his ways, fearing its

coming, and whoever wishes may behave and conduct himself as he likes,

fearless of its coming. When the appointed time comes, those very

people who loved the life of this world and regarded its pleasures as

the only object of life, would feel that they had stayed in the world

only for an hour or so. Then they will realize how utterly they had

ruined their future for ever for the sake of the short lived pleasures

of the world.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #80



                               -----------

                               80. Abasa:

                               -----------



Name



The Sura is so designated after the word abasa with which it opens.



Period of Revelation



The commentators and traditionists are unanimous about the occasion of

the revelation of this Sura. According to them, once some big chiefs

of Makkah were sitting in the Holy Prophet's assembly and he was

earnestly engaged in trying to persuade them to accept Islam. At that

very point, a blind man, named IbnUmmMaktum, approachcd him to seek

explanation of some point concerning Islam. The Holy Prophet (upon

whom be peace) disliked his interruption and ignored him. Thereupon

Allah sent down this Sura. From this historical incident the period of

the revelation of this Sura can be precisely determined. In the first

place, it is confirmed that Hadrat IbnUmmMaktumwas one of the earliest

converts to Islam. Hafiz Ibn Hajar and Hafiz Ibn Kathir have stated

that he was one of those who had accepted Islam at a very early stage

at Makkah. Secondly, some of the traditions of the Hadith which relate

this incident show that he had already accepted Islam and some others

show that be was inclined to accept it and had approached the Holy

Prophet in search of the truth. Hadrat Aishah states that coming to

the Holy Prophet he had said: "O Messenger of Allah, guide me to the

straight path." (Tirmidhi, Hakim, Ibn Hibban, Ibn Jarir, Abu Ya'la.

According to Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas, he had asked the meaning of a

verse of the Qur'an and said to the Holy Prophet: "O Messenger of

Allah, teach me the knowledge that Allah has taught you." Ibn Jarir,

Ibn Abu Hatim). These statements show that he had acknowledged the

Holy Prophet (upom whom be peace as a Messenger of Allah and the Quran

as a Book of Allah. Contrary to this, Ibn Zaid has interpreted the

words la allahu yazzakka of verse 3 to mean: la allahu yuslim: "maybe

that he accepts Islam." (Ibn Jarir) And Allah's own words: "What would

make you know that he might reform, or heed the admonition, and

admonishing might profit him?" and "The one who comes to you running,

of his own will, and fears, from him you turn away", point out that by

that time he had developed in himself a deep desire to learn the

truth: he had come to the Holy Prophet with the belief that he was the

only source of guidance and his desire would be satisfied only through

him; his apparent state also reflected that if he was given

instruction, he would benefit by it. Thirdly, the names of the people

who were sitting in the Holy Prophet's assembly at that time, have

been given in different traditions. In this list we find the names of

`Utbah, Shaibah, Abu Jahl, Umayyah bin Khalaf, Ubayy bin Khalaf, who

were the bitterest enemies of Islam. This shows that the incident took

place in the period when these chiefs were still on meeting terms with

the Holy Prophet and their antagonism to Islam had not yet grown so

strong as to have stopped their paying visits to him and having

dialogues with him off and on. All these arguments indicate that this

is one of the very earliest Suras to be revealed at Makkah.



Theme and Subject Matter



In view of the apparent style with which the discourse opens, one

feels that in this Sura Allah has expressed His displeasure against

the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) for his treating the blind man

with indifference and attending to the big chiefs exclusively. But

when the whole Sura is considered objectively, one finds that the

displeasure, in fact, has been expressed against the disbelieving

Quraish, who because of their arrogant attitude and indifference to

the truth, were rejecting with contempt the message of truth being

conveyed by the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace). Then, besides

teaching him the correct method of preaching, the error of the method

that he was adopting at the start of his mission has also been pointed

out. His treating the blind man with neglect and disregard and

devoting all his attention to the Quraish chiefs was not for the

reason that he regarded the rich as noble and a poor blind man as

contemptible, and, God forbid, there was some rudeness in his manner

for which Allah reproved him. But, as a matter of fact, when a caller

to Truth embarks on his missinn of conveying his message to the people,

he naturally wants the most influential people of society to accept

his message so that his task becomes easy, for even if his invitation

spreads among the poor and weak people, it cannot make much difference.

Almost the same attitude had the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace)

also adopted in the beginning, his motive being only sincerity and a

desire to promote his mission and not any idea of respect for the big

people and hatred for the small people. But Allah made him realize

that that was not the correct method of extending invitation to Islam,

but from his mission's point of view, every man, who was a seeker

after truth, was important, even if he was weak, or poor, and every

man, who was heedless to the truth, was unimportant, even if he

occupied a high position in society. Therefore, he should openly

proclaim and convey the teachings of Islam to all and sundry, but the

people who were really worthy of his attention, were those who were

inclined to accept the Truth, and his sublime and noble message was

too high to be presented before those haughty people who in their

arrogance and vanity thought that they did not stand in need of him

but rather he stood in need of them. This is the theme of vv. 1-16.

From verse 17 onward the rebuke directly turns to the disbelievers,

who were repudiating the invitation of the Holy Messenger of Allah

(upon whom be peace). In this, first they have been reproved for their

attitude which they had adopted against their Creator, Providence and

Sustaner. In the end, they have been warned of the dreadful fate that

they would meet in consequence of their conduct on the Day of

Resurrection.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #81



                              -------------

                              81. Takweer:

                              -------------



Name



It is derived from the word kuwwirat in the first verse. Kuwwirat is

passive voice from takvir in the past tense, and means "that which is

folded up", thereby implying that it is a Sura in which the "folding

up" has been mentioned:



Period of Revelation



The subject matter and the style clearly show that it is one of the

earliest Suras to be revealed at Makkah.



Theme and Subject Matter



It has two themes: the Hereafter and the institution of Apostleship.

In the first six verses the first stage of the Resurrection has been

mentioned when the sun will lose its light, the stars will scatter,

the mountains will be uprooted and will disperse, the people will

become heedless of their dearest possessions, the beasts of the jungle

will be stupefied and will gather together, and the seas will boil up.

Then in the next seven verses the second stage has been described when

the souls will be reunited with the bodies, the records will be laid

open, the people will be called to account for their crimes, the

heavens will be unveiled, and Hell and Heaven will be brought into

full view. After depicting the Hereafter thus, man has been left to

ponder his own self and deeds, saying: "Then each man shall himself

know what he has brought with him." After this the theme of

Apostleship has been taken up. In this the people of Makkah have been

addressed, as if to say "Whatever Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace

and blessings) is presenting before you, is not the bragging of a

madman, nor an evil suggestion inspired by Satan, but the word of a

noble, exalted and trustworthy messenger sent by God, whom Muhammad

(upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) has seen with his own eyes

in the bright horizon of the clear sky in broad day light. Whither

then are you going having turned away from this teaching?"







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #82



                             --------------

                              82. Infitaar:

                             --------------



Name



It is derived from the word infatarat in the first verse. Infitar is

an infinitive which means to burst or split asunder, thereby implying

that it is the Sura in which the splitting asunder of the sky has been

mentioned.



Period of Revelation



This Sura and the Sura At-Takwir closely resemble each other in their

subject matter. This shows that both were sent down in about the same

period.



Theme and Subject Matter



Its theme is the Hereafter. Accroding to a tradition related in Musnad

Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn al-Mundhir, Tabarani, Hakim and Ibn Marduyah, on

the authority of Hadrat Abdullah bin Umar, the Holy Messenger (upon

whom be peace) said: "The one who wants that he should see the

Resurrection Day as one would see it with one's eyes, should read Sura

At-Takwir" In this Sura first the Resurection Day has been described

and it is said that when it occurs, every person will see whatever he

has done in the world. After this, man has been asked to ponder thc

question: "O man, what has deluded you into thinking that the God, Who

brought you into being and by Whose favor and bounty you possess the

finest body, limbs and features among all creatures, is only bountiful

and not just?His being bountiful and generous does not mean that you

should become fearless of His justice."Then, man has been warned, so

as to say: "Do not remain involved in any misunderstanding. Your

complete record is being prepared. There are trustworthy writers who

are writing down whatever you do." In conclusion, it has been

forcefully stated that the Day of Resurrection will surely take place

when the righteous shall enjoy every kind of bliss in Paradise and the

wicked shall be punished in Hell. On that day no one shall avail

anyone anything. All powers of judgement shall be with Allah.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #83



                              -------------

                              83. Tatfeef:

                              -------------



Name



It is derived from the very first verse; Wayl-ul-lil mutaffifin.



Period of Revelation



The style of the Sura and its subject matter clearly show that it was

revealed in the earliest stage at Makkah, when sura after sura was

being revealed to impress the doctrine of the Hereafter on the

people's minds. This Sura was revealed when they had started

ridiculing the Muslims and disgracing them publicly in the streets and

in their assemblies, but persecution and manhandling of the Muslims

had not yet started. Some commentators regard this as a Madani Sura.

This misunderstanding has been caused by a tradition from Ibn Abbas

according to which when the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) arrived

in Madinah, the evil of giving short weight and measure was widespread

among the people there. Then Allah sent down Wayl ul-lil mutaffifin

and the people began to give full weight and measure. But, as we have

explained in the introduction to Sura Ad-Dahr, the common practice

with the Companions and their successors was that when they found that

a verse applied to a certain matter of life, they would say that it

had been sent down concerning that particular matter. Therefore, what

is proved by the tradition of Ibn Abbas is that when after his

emigration to Madinah the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) saw that

the evil was widespread among the people there, he recited this Sura

before them by Allah's Command and this helped them mend their ways.



Theme and Subject Matter



The theme of this Sura too is the Hereafter. In the first six verses

the people have been taken to task for the prevalent evil practice in

their commercial dealings. When they had to receive their due from

others, they demanded that it be given in full, but when they had to

measure or weigh for others, they would give less than what was due.

Taking this one evil as an example out of countless evils prevalent in

society, it has been said that it is an inevitable result of the

heedlessness of the Hereafter. Unless the people realized that one day

they would have to appear before God and account for each single act

they performed in the world, it was not possible that they would adopt

piety and righteousness in their daily affairs. Even if a person might

practise honesty in some of his less important dealings in view of

"honesty is the best policy", he would never practise honesty on

occasions when dishonesty would seem to be "the best policy". Man can

develop true and enduring honesty only when he fears God and sincerely

believes in the Hereafter, for then he would regard honesty not merely

as "a policy" but as "a duty" and obligation, and his being constant

in it, or otherwise, would not be dependent on its being useful or

useless in the world. Thus, after making explicit the relation between

morality and the doctrine of the Hereafter in an effective and

impressive way, in vv. 7-17, it has been said: The deeds of the wicked

are already being recorded in the black list of the culprits, and in

the Hereafter they will meet with utter ruin. Then in vv. 18-28, the

best end of the virtuous has been described and it has been laid that

their deeds are being recorded in the list of the exalted people, on

which are appointed the angels nearest to Allah. In conclusion, the

believers have been consoled, and the disbelievers warned, as if to

say: "The people who are disgracing and humiliating the believers

today, are culprits who, on the Resurrection Day, will meet with a

most evil end in consequence of their conduct, and these very

believers will feel comforted when they see their fate."







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #84



                             --------------

                              84. Inshiqaq:

                             --------------



Name



It is derived from the word inshaqqat in the first verse. Inshaqqat is

infinitive which means to split asunder, thereby implying that it is

the Sura in which mention has been made of the splitting asunder of

the heavens.



Period of Revelation



This too is one of the earliest Suras to be revealed at Makkah. The

internal evidence of its subject matter indicates that persecution of

the Muslims had not yet started; however, the message of the Qur'an

was being openly repudiated at Makkah and the people were refusing to

acknowledge that Resurrection would ever take place when they would

have to appear before their God to render an account of their deeds.



Theme and Subject Matter



Its theme is the Resurrection and Hereafter. In the first five verses

not only have the state of Resurrection been described vividly but an

argument of its being true and certain also have been given. It has

been stated that the heavens on that Day will split asunder, the earth

will be spread out plain and smooth, and it will throw out whatever

lies inside it of the dead bodies of men and evidences of their deeds

so as to become completely empty from within. The argument given for

it is that such will be the Command of their Lord for the heavens and

the earth; since both are His creation. they cannot dare disobey His

Command. For them the only right and proper course is that they should

obey the Command of their Lord. Then, in vv 6-19 it has been said that

whether man Is conscious of this fact or not, he in any case is moving

willy nilly to the destination when he will appear and stand before

his Lord. At that time all human beings will divide into two parts:

first those whose records will be given in their right hands: they

will be forgiven without any severe reckoning; second those whose

records will be given them behind their back. They will wish that they

should die somehow, but they will not die; instead they will be cast

into Hell. They will meet with this fate because in the world they

remained lost in the misunderstanding that they would never have to

appear before God to render an account of their deeds, whereas their

Lord was watching whatever they were doing, and there was no reason

why they should escape the accountability for their deeds. Their

moving gradual]y from the life of the world to the meting out of

rewards and punishments in the Hereafter was as certain as the

appearance of twilight after sunset, the coming of the night after the

day, the returning of men and animals to their respective abodes at

night, and the growing of the crescent into full moon. In conclusion,

the disbelievers who repudiate the Qur'an instead of bowing down to

God when they hear it, have been forewarned of a grievous punishment

and the good news of limitless rewards has been given to the believers

and the righteous.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #85



                              ------------

                               85. Buroof:

                              ------------



Name



The Sura is so designated after the word al buruj appearing in the

first verse.



Period of Revelation



The subject matter itself indicates that this Sura was sent down at

Makkah in the period when persecution of the Muslims was at its climax

and the disbelievers of Makkah were trying their utmost by tyranny and

coercion to turn away the new converts from Islam.



Theme and Subject Matter



Its theme is to warn the disbelievers of the evil consequences of the

persecution and tyranny that they were perpetrating on the converts to

Islam, and to console the believers, so as to say: "If you remain firm

and steadfast against tyranny and coercion, you will be rewarded

richly for it, and Allah will certainly avenge Himself on your

persecutors on your behalf" In this connection, first of all the story

of the people of the ditch (ashab al-ukhdud) had been related, who had

burnt the believers to death by casting them into pits full of fire.

By means of this story the believers and the disbelievers have been

taught a few lessons. First, that just as the people of the ditch

became worthy of Allah's curse and punishment, so are the chiefs of

Makkah also becoming worthy of it. Second, that just as the believers

at that time had willingly accepted to sacrifice their lives by being

burnt to death in the pits of fire instead of turning away from the

faith, so also the believers now should endure every persecution but

should never give up the faith. Third, that Gods acknowledging Whom

displeases the disbelievers and is urged on by the believers, is

Dominant and Master of the Kingdom of the earth and heavens; He is

self-praiseworthy and is watching what the two groups are striving

for. Therefore, it is certain that the disbelievers will not only be

punished in Hell for their disbelief but, more than that, they too

will suffer punishment by fire as a fit recompense for their tyranny

and cruelties. Likewise, this also is certain that those, who believe

and follow up their belief with good deeds, should go to Paradise and

this indeed is the supreme success. Then the disbelievers have been

warned, so as to say: "God's grip is very severe. If you are proud of

the strength of your hosts, you should know that the hosts of Pharaoh

and Thamud were even stronger and more numerous. Therefore, you should

learn a lesson from the fate they met. God's power has so encompassed

you that you cannot escape His encirclement, and the Qur'an that you

are bent upon belying, is unchangeable: it is inscribed in the

Preserved Tablet, which cannot be corrupted in any way."







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #86



                               -----------

                               86. Tariq:

                               -----------



Name



The Sura taken its name from the word at-tariq in its first verse.



Period of Revelation



The style of its subject matter resembles that of the earliest Suras

revealed at MaKkah, but this sura was sent down at a stage when the

disbelievers of Makkah were employlng all sorts of devices and plans

to defeat and frustrate the message of the Qur'an and Muhammad (upon

whom be Allah's peace and blessings).



Theme and Subject Matter



It discuses two themes: first that man has to appear before God after

death; second, that the Qur'an is a decisive Word which no plan or

device of the disbelievers can defeat or frustrate. First of all, the

stars of the heavens have been cited as an evidence that there is

nothing in the universe which may continue to exist and survive

without guardian over it. Then man has been asked to consider his own

self as to how he has been brought into existence from a mere sperm

drop and shaped into a living human being. Then it has been said that

the God, Who has so brought him into existence, has certan]y the power

to create him once again, and this resurrection will be for the

purpose to subject to scrutiny all the secrets of man which remained

hidden in the world. At that time, man will neither be able to escape

the consequences of his deeds by his own power, nor will anyone else

come to his rescue. In conclusIon, it has been pointed out that just

as the falling of rain from the sky and the sprouting of plants and

crops from the earth is no child's play but a serious task, so also

the truths expressed in the Qur'an are no jest but a firm and

unchangable reality. The disbelievers are involved in the

misunderstanding that their plans and devices will defeat the

invitation of the Qur'an, but they do not know that Allah too is

devising a plan which will bring to nought all their scheming and

planning. Than in one sentence the discourse has been summed up, with

a word of consolation to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) and a

tacit warning to the disbelievers, saying: "Have patience for a while:

let the disbelievers do their worst. Before long they will themselves

realize whether they have been able to defeat the Qur'an by their

scheming or the Qur'an has dominated them in the very place where they

are exerting their utmost to defeat it."







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #87



                               ----------

                                87. A'la:

                               ----------



Name



The Sura takes its name from the word al-A'la in the very first verse.



Period of Revelation



The subject matter shows that this too is one of the earliest Suras to

be revealed, and the words: "We shall enable you to recite, then you

shall never forget" of verse 6 also indicate that it was sent down in

the period when the Holy Messenger (upon whom he Allah's peace) was

not yet fully accustomed to receive Revelation and at the time

Revelation came down he feared lest he should forget its words. If

this verse is read along with yersc 114 of Sura TaHaand verses 16-19

of Al-Qiyamahand the three verses are also considered with regard to

their styles and contexts, the sequence of events seems to be that

first in this Sura the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) was reassured

to the effect: "Do not at all worry: We shall enable you to recite

this Word, then you shall not forget it." Then after a lapse of time,

on another occasion, when the Sura Al-Qiyamahwas being revealed, the

Holy Prophet involuntarily began to rehearse the words of the

Revelation. Thereupon it was said: "O Prophet do not move your tongue

to remember this Revelation hastily. It is for Us to have it remem-

bered and read. Therefore when We are reciting it, listen to its

recital carefully. Again, it is for Us to explain its meaning."Last of

all, on the occasion of the revelation of Sura TaHa, the Holy Prophet

on account of human weakness, again became afraid lest his memory

should fail to preserve some portion of the 113 verses which were

continuously revealed at that time, and therefore, he began to

memorise them. Thereupon, it was said: "And see that you do not hasten

to recite the Quran before its revelation is completed to you."After

this, it never so happened that he felt any such danger, for apart

form these three places, there is no other place in the Quran where

there might be a reference to this matter



Theme and Subject Matter



This short sura contains three themes.Tauhid, instructions to the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace) ann the Hereafter. In the first verse,

the doctrine of Tauhidhas been compressed into a single sentence,

saying that Allah's name should be glorified and exalted, i. e. He

should not be remembered by any name which mighty reflect a deficiency,

fault, weakness, or an aspect of likeness, with created beings, for

the root of all false creeds in the world are wrong concepts about

Allah, which assumed the form of an erroneous name for His glorious

and exalted Being. Therefore, for the correction of the creed, the

primary thing is that Allah Almighty should be remembered only by the

beautiful names which suit and befit Him. In the next three verses, it

has been said: "Your Lord, glorification of Whose name is being

enjoined, is He Who created everything in the Universe, proportioned

it, set it a destiny, taught it to perform the function for which it

is created, and you witness this manifestation of His power day and

night that He creates vegetation on the earth as well as reduces it to

mere rubbish. No other being has the power to bring about spring nor

the power to prevent autumn." Then, in the following two verses, the

Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) his been consoled, as if to say: "Do

not worry as to how you will remember word for word the Qur'an that is

being revealed to you. It is for Us to preserve it in your memory, and

its preservation is not in any way the result of any excellence in you

but the result of Our bounty and favour, otherwise if We so will, We

can cause you to forget it." Then, the Holy Prophet (upon whom be

peace) has been told: "You have not been made responsible to bring

everyone on to the right path; your only duty is to convey the truth,

and the simplest way of conveying the truth is that admonition be

given to him who is inclined to listen to the admonition and accept it,

and the one who is not inclined to it, should not be pursued. The one

who fears the evil consequences of deviation and falsehood, will

listen to the truth and accept it, and the wretched one who avoids

listening to and accepting it, will himself see his evil end."' The

discourse has been summed up, saying: "Success is only for those who

adopt purity of belief, morals and deed, and remember the name of

their Lord and perform the Prayer. But, on the contrary, the people

are wholly lost in seeking the ease, benefits and pleasures of the

world, whereas they should actually endeavour for their well being in

the Hereafter, for the world is transitory and the Hereafter

everlasting and the blessings of the Hereafter are far better than the

blessings of the world. This truth has not been expressed only in the

Qur'an but in the books of the Prophets Abraham and Moses too, it had

been brought to the notice of man.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #88



                             --------------

                              88. Gaashiya:

                             --------------



Name



The Sura takes its name from the word al-ghishiyah in the first verse.



Period of Revelation



The whole subject matter of the Sura indicatcs that this too is one of

the earliest Suras to be revealed; but this was the period when the

Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) had started preaching his message

publicly, and the people of Makkah were hearing it and ignoring it

carelessly and thoughtlessly.



Theme and Subject Matter



To understand the subject matter well one should keep in view the fact

that in the initial stage the preaching of the Holy Prophet (upon whom

be peace) mostly centred around two points which he wanted to instil

in the people's minds: Tauhidand the Hereafter: and the people of

Makkah were repudiating both. Let us now consider the subject matter

and the style of this Sura. At the outset, in order to arouse the

people from their heedlessness, they have been plainly asked:"Do you

have any knowledge of the time when an overwhelming calamity will

descend?" Immediately after this details of the impendirg calamity are

given as to how the people will be divided into two separate groups

and will meet separate ends. One group of the people will go to Hell

and they will suffer punishment; the second group will go to the

subliine Paradise and will be provided with, blessings. After thus

arousing the people the theme suddenly changes and the question is

asked: Do not these people, who frown and scorn the teaching of

Tauhidand the news of the Hercafter being given by the Qur'an, observe

the common things which they experience daily in their lives?Do they

never consider how the camels, on whom their whole life activity in

the Arabian desert depends, came into being, endowed precisely with

the same characteristics as were required for the beast needed in

their desert life?When they go on their journeys, they see the sky,

the mountains, or the earth. Let them ponder over these three

phenomena and consider as to how the sky was stretched above them, how

the mountains were erected and how the earth was spread beneath them?

Has all this come about without the skill and craftsmanship of an All-

Powerful, All Wise Designer? If they acknowledge that a Creator has

created all this with great wisdom and power and that no one else is

an associate with Him in their creation, why then do they refuse to

accept Him alone as their Lord and Sustainer?And if they acknowledge

that that God had the power to create all this, then on what rational

ground do they hesitate to acknowledge that that God also has the

power to bring about Resurrection, to recreate man, and to make Hell

and Heaven? After making the truth plain by this concise and rational

argument, the address turns from the disbelievers to the Holy Prophet

(upon whom be peace) and he is told: "If these people do not

acknowledge the truth, they may not; you have not been empowered to

act with authority over them, so that you should coerce them into

believing: your only task is to exhort, so exhort them. Ultimately

they have to return to Us; then We shall call them to full account and

shall inflict a heavy punishment on those who do not believe."







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #89



                               ----------

                                89. Fajr:

                               ----------



Name



The Sura is so designated after the word wal-fajr with which it opens.



Period of Revelation



Its contents show that it was revealed at the stage when persecution

of the new converts to Islam had begun in Makkah. On that very basis

the people of Makkah have been warned of the evil end of the tribes of

Ad and Thamud and of Pharaoh,



Theme and Subject Matter



Its theme is to affirm the meting out of rewards and punishments in

the Hereafter, which the people of Makkah were not prepared to

acknowledge, Let us consider the reasoning in the order in which it

has been presented. First of all, swearing oaths by the dawn, the ten

nights, the even and the odd, and the departing night, the listeners

have been asked: "Are these things not enough to testify to the truth

of that which you are refusing to acknowledge?" From the explanation

that we have given of these four things in the corresponding notes, it

will become clear that these things are a symbol of the regularity

that exists in the night and day, and swearing oaths by these the

question has been asked in the sense: Even after witnessing this wise

system established by God, do you still need any other evidence to

show that it is not beyond the power of that God Who has brought about

this system to establish the Hereafter, and that it is the very

requirement of his wisdom that He should call man to account for his

deeds? Then, reasoning from man's own history, the evil end of the Ad

and the Thamud and Pharaoh has been cited as an example to show that

when they transgressed all limits and multiplied corruption in the

earth, Allah laid upon them the scourge of His chastisement. This is a

proof of the fact that the system of the universe is not being run by

deaf and blind forces, nor is the world a lawless kingdom of a corrupt

ruler, but a Wise Ruler is ruling over it, the demand of Whose wisdom

and justice is continuously visible in the world itself in man's own

history that He should call to account, and reward and punish

accordingly, the being whom He has blessed with reason and moral sense

and given the right of appropriation in the world. After this, an

appraisal has been made of the general moral state of human society of

which Arab paganism was a conspicuous example; two aspects of it in

particular, have been criticised: first the materialistic attitude of

the people on account of which overlooking the moral good and evil,

they regarded only the achievement of worldly wealth, rank and

position, or the absence of it, as the criterion of honour or disgrace,

and had forgotted that neither riches was a reward nor poverty a

punishment, but that Allah is trying man in both conditions to see

what attitude he adopts when blessed with wealth and how he behaves

when afflicted by poverty. Second, the people's attitude under which

the orphan child in their society was left destitute on the death of

the father. Nobody asked after the poor; whoever could, usurped the

whole heritage left by the deceased parent, and drove away the weak

heirs fraudulently. The people were so afflicted with an insatiable

greed for wealth that they were never satisfied however much they

might hoard and amass. This criticism is meant to make them realize as

to why the people with such an attitude and conduct in the life of the

world should not be called to account for their misdeeds. The

discourse has been concluded with the assertion that accountability

shall certainly be held and it will be held on the Day when the Divine

Court will be establislied. At that time the deniers of the judgement

will understand that which they are not understanding now in spite of

instruction and admonition, but understanding then will be of no avail.

The denier will regret and say, "Would that I had provided for this

Day beforehand while I lived in the world." But his regrets will not

save him from Allah's punishment. However, as for the people who would

have accepted the Truth, which the heavenly books and the Prophets of

God were presenting, with full satisfaction of the heart in the world,

Allah will be pleased with them and they will be well pleased with the

rewards bestowed by Allah. They will be called upon to join the

righteous and enter Paradise.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #90



                               -----------

                               90. Balad:

                               -----------



Name



The Sura has been so named after the word al balad in the first verse.



Period of Revelation



Its subject matter and style resemble those of the earliest Suras

revealed at Makkah, but it contains a pointer which indicates that it

was sent down in the period when the disbelievers of Makkah had

resolved to oppose the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace), and

made it lawful for themselves to commit tyranny and excess against him.





Theme and Subject Matter



In this Sura a vast subject has been compressed into a few brief

sentences, and it is a miracle of the Quran that a complete ideology

of life which could hardly be explained in a thick voluine has been

abridged most effectively in brief sentences of this short Sura. Its

theme is to explain the true position of man in the world and of the

world in relation to man and to tell that God has shown to man both

the highways of good and evil, has also provided for him the means to

judge and see and follow them, and now it rests upon mans own effort

and judgement whether he chooses the path of virtue and reaches

felicity or adopts the path of vice and meets with doom. First, the

city of Makkah and the hardships being faced therein by the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace) and the state of the children of Adam

have been cited as a witness to the truth that this world is not a

place of rest and ease for man, where he might have been born to enjoy

life, but here he has been created into toil and struggle. If this

theme is read with verse 39 of Sura An-Najm(Laisa lil insani illa ma

saa: there is nothing for man but what he has striven for), it becomes

plain that in this world the future of man depends on his toil and

struggle, effort and striving. After this, man's misunderstanding that

he is all in all in this world and that there is no superior power to

watch what he does and to call him to account, has been refuted. Then,

taking one of the many moral concepts of ignorance held by man, as an

example, it has been pointed out what wrong criteria of merit and

greatness he has proposed for himself in the world. The person who for

ostentation and display squanders heaps of wealth, not only himself

prides upon his extravagances but the people also admire him for it

enthusiastically, whereas the Being Who is watching over his deeds,

sees by what methods he obtained the wealth and in what ways and with

what motives and intention he spent it. Then Allah says: We have given

man the means of knowledge and the faculties of thinking and

understanding and opened up before him both the highways of virtue and

vice: one way leads down to moral depravity, and it is an easy way

pleasing for the self; the other way leads up to moral heights, which

is steep like an uphill road, for scaling which man has to exercise

self- restraint. It is man's weakness that he prefers slipping down

into the abyss to scaling the cliff. Then, Allah has explained what

the steep road is by following which man can ascend to the heights. It

is that he should give up spending for ostentation, display and pride

and should spend his wealth to help the orphans and the needy, should

believe in Allah and His Religion and joining the company of believers

should participate in the construction of a society which should

fulfil the demands of virtue and righteousness patiently and should be

compassionate to the people. The end of those who follow this way is

that they would become worthy of Allah's mercies. On the contrary, the

end of those who follow the wrong way, is the fire of Hell from which

there is no escape.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #91



                               -----------

                               91. Shams:

                               -----------



Name



The Sura has been so designated after the word Ash-shams with which it

opens.



Period of Revelation



The subject matter and the style show that this Sura too was revealed

in the earliest period at Makkah at a stage when opposition to the

Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace) had grown very strong and

intense.



Theme and Subject Matter



Its theme is to distinguish the good from the evil and to warn the

people, who were refusing to understand this distinction and insisting

on following the evil way, of the evil end. In view of the subject

matter this Sura consists of two parts. The first part conists of vv.

1-10, and the second of vv. 11-15. The first part deals with three

things: (1) That just as the sun and the moon, the day and the night,

the earth and the sky, are different from each other and contradictory

in their effects and results, so are the good and the evil different

front each other and contradictory in their effects and results; they

are neither alike in their outward appearance nor can they be alike in

their results.(2) That Allah after giving the human self powers of the

body, sense and mind has not left it uninformed in the world, but has

instilled into his unconscious by means of a natural inspiration the

distinction between good and evil, right and wrong, and the sense of

the good to be good and of the evil to be evil.(3) That the future of

man depends on how by using the powers of discrimination, will and

judgement that Allah has endowed him with, he develops the good and

suppresses the evil tendencies of the self. If he develops the good

inclination and frees his self of the evil inclinations, he will

attain to eternal success, and if, on the contrary, he suppresses the

good and promotes the evil, he will meet with disappointment and

failure. In the second part citing the historical precedent of the

people of Thamud the significance of Apostleship has been brought out.

A Messenger is raised in the world, because the inspirational

knowledge of good and evil that Allah has placed in human nature, is

by itself not enough for the guidance of man, but on account of his

failure to understand it fully man has been proposing wrong criteria

and theories of good and evil and thus going astray. That is why Allah

sent down clear and definite Revelation to the Prophets (peace be upon

them) to augment man's natural inspiration so that they may expound to

the people as to what is good and what is evil. Likewise, the Prophet

Salih (peace be upon him) was sent to the people of Thamud, but the

people overwhelmed by the evil of their self, had become so rebellious

that they rejected him. And when he presented before them the miracle

of the she camel, as demanded by themselves, the most wretched one of

them, in spite of his warning, hamstrung it, in accordance with the

will and desire of the people. Consequently, the entire tribe was

overtaken by a disaster. While narrating this story of the Thamud

nowhere in the Sura has it been said "O people of Quraish, if you

rejected your Prophet, Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and

blessings), as the Thamud had rejected theirs, you too would meet with

the same fate as they met."The conditions at that time in Makkah were

similar to those that had been created by the wicked among the people

of Thamud against the Prophet Salih (peace be upon him). Therefore,

the narration of this story in those conditions was by itself enough

to suggest to the people of Makkah how precisely this historical

precedent applied to them.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #92



                               ----------

                                92. Lail:

                               ----------



Name



The Sura takes its name from the word wal-lail with which it opens.



Period of Revelation



Its subject matter so closely resembles that of Sura Ash-Shamsthat

each Sura seems to be an explanation of the other. It is one and the

same thing which has been explained in Sura Ash-Shamsin one way and in

this Sura in another. This indicates that both these Suras were sent

down in about the same period.



Theme and Subject Matter



Its theme is to distinguish between the two different ways of life and

to explain the contrast between their ultimate ends and results. In

view of the subject matter this Sura consists of two parts, the first

part consisting of vv. 1-11 and the second of vv. 12-21. In the first

part, at the outset it has been pointed out that the strivings and

doings that the individuals, nations and groups of mankind are engaged

in in the world, are, in respect of their moral nature, as divergent

as the day is from the night, and the male from the female. After this,

according to the general style of the brief Suras of the Quran, three

moral characteristics of one kind and three moral characteristics of

the other kind have been presented as an illustration from among a

vast collection of the strivings and activities of man, from which

every man can judge which style of life is represented by one kind of

the characteristics and which style of life by the other kind. Both

these styles have been described in such brief, elegant. and pithy

sentences that they move the heart and go down into memory as soon as

one hears them. Characteristics of the first kind are that one should

spend one's wealth, adopt God- consciousness and piety, and

acknowledge the good as good. The second kind of the characteristics

are that one should be miserly, should least care for God's pleasure

and His displeasure, and should repudiate what is good and right. Then

it has been stated that these two modes of action which are clearly

divergent, cannot be equal and alike in respect of their results. But,

just as they are divergent in their nature, so they are divergent in

their results. The person (or group of persons) who adopts the first

mode of action, Allah will make easy for him the correct way of life,

so much so that doing good will become easy for him and doing evil

difficult. On the contrary, he who adopts the second mode of life,

Allah will make easy for him the difficult and hard way of life, so

much so that doing evil will become easy for him and doing good

difficult. This passage has been concluded with a most effective and

touching sentence, saying: "This worldly wealth for the sake of which

man is even prepared to risk his life: will not go down with him into

the grave; therefore, what will it avail him after death?"' In the

second part also three truths have been stated equally briefly. First,

that Allah has not left man uninformed in the examination hall of the

world, but He has taken on Himself the responsibility to tell him

which one is the straight and right way out of the different ways of

life. Here, there was no need to point out that by sending His

Messenger and His Book He has fulfilled His this responsibility, for

both the Messenger and the Book were present to afford the guidance.

Second, that the Master of both the world and the Hereafter is Allah

alone. If you seek the world, it is He Who will give it, and if you

seek the Hereafter, again it is He Who will give it. Now, it is for

you to decide what you should seek from Him. The third truth that has

been stated is that the wretched one who rejects the good, which is

being presented through the Messenger and the Book, and turns away

from it, will have a blazing fire ready for him. As for the God

fearing person who spends his wealth in a good cause, without any

selfish motive, only for the sake of winning his Lord's good pleasure,

his Lord will be pleased with him and will bless him with so much that

he will be well pleased with Him.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #93



                              ------------

                               93. Dhuhaa:

                              ------------



Name



The Sura takes its name Ad-Duha from the very first word.



Period of Revelation



Its subject matter clearly indicates that it belongs to the earliest

period at Makkah. Traditions also show that the revelations were

suspended for a time, which caused the Holy Prophet (upon whom be

Allah's peace) to be deeply distressed and grieved. On this account he

felt very anxious that perhaps he had committed some error because of

which his Lord had become angry with him and had forsaken him.

Thereupon he was given the consolation that revelation had not been

stopped because of some displeasure but this was necessitated by the

same expediency as underlies the peace and stillness of the night

after the bright day, as if to say: "If you had continuously been

exposed to the intensely bright light of Revelation (Wahi) your nerves

could not have endured it. Therefore, an interval was given in order

to afford you peace and tranquillity." This state was experienccd by

the Holy Prophet in the initial stage of the Prophethood when he was

not yet accustomed to hear the intensity of Revelation. On this basis,

observance of a pause in between was necessary. This we have already

explained in the introduction to Sura AlMuddaththir; and in E. N. 5 of

Sura Al-Muzzammilalso we have explained what great burden of the

coming down of Revelation he had to bear. Later, when the Holy Prophet

developed the power to bear this burden, there was no longer any need

for long gaps. Theme and Subject Matter Its theme is to console the

Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) and its object to remove his anxiety

and distress, which he had been caused by the suspension of Revelation.

First of all, swearing an oath by the bright morning and the stillness

of night, he has been reassured, so as to say: "Your Lord has not at

all forsaken you, nor is he displeased with you." Then, he has been

given the good news that the hardships that he was experiencing in the

initial stage of his mission, would not last long, for every later

period of life for him would be better than the former period, and

before long Allah would bless him so abundantly that he would be well

pleased. This is one of the express prophecies of the Quran, which

proved literally true, afterwards, whereas when this prophecy was made

there seemed not to be the remotest chance that the helpless and

powerless man who had come out to wage a war against the ignorance and

paganism of the entire nation, would ever achieve such wonderful

success. Then, addressing His Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) Allah

says:"O My dear Prophet, what has caused you the anxiety and distress

that your Lord has forsaken you, and that We are displeased with you?

Whereas the fact is that We have been good to you with kindness after

kindness ever since the day of your birth. You were born an orphan, We

made the best arrangement for your upbringing and care: you were

unaware of the Way, We showed you the Way; you were indigent, We made

you rich. All this shows that you have been favoured by Us from the

very beginning and Our grace and bounty has been constantly focussed

on you."Here, one should also keep in view vv. 37-42 of Sura TaHa,

where Allah, while sending the Prophet Moses to confront a tyrant like

Pharaoh, encouraged and consoled him, saying: "We have been looking

after you with kindness ever since your birth; therefore, you should

be satisfied that you will not be left alone in this dreadful mission.

Our bounty will constantly be with you." In conclusion, Allah has

instructed His Prophet (upon whom be peace) telling him how he should

treat the creatures of God to repay for the favours He has done him

and how he should render thanks for the blessings He has bestowed on

him.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #94



                             ---------------

                             94. Inshiraah:

                             ---------------



Name



The Sura is so designated after the first sentence.



Period of Revelation



Its subject matter so closely resembles that of Sura Ad-Duhathat both

these Sura seem to have been revealed in about the same period under

similar conditions. According to Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas, it was

sent down in Makkah just after wad-Duha.



Theme and Subject Matter



The aim and object of this Sura too is to console and encourage the

Holy Messenger (upon whom be Allah's peace). Before his call he never

had to encounter the conditions which he suddenly had to encounter

after it when he embarked on his mission of inviting the people to

Islam. This was by itself a great revolution in his own life of which

he had no idea in his life before Prophethood. No sooner had he

started preaching the message of Islam than the same society which had

esteemed him with unique honour, turned hostile to him. The same

relatives and friends, the same clansmen and neighbours, who used to

treat him with the highest respect, began to shower him with abuse and

invective. No one in Makkah was prepared to listen to him; he began to

be ridiculed and mocked in the street and on the road; and at every

step he had to face new difficulties. Although gradually he became

accustomed to the hardships, even much severer ones, yet the initial

stage was very discouraging for him. That is why first Sura Ad-Duhawas

sent down to console him, and then this Sura. In it, at the outset,

Allah says: "We have favoured you, O Prophet, with three great

blessings; therefore you have no cause to be disheartened. The first

is the blessing of Sharh Sadr (opening up of the breast), the second

of removing from you the heavy burden that was weighing down your back

before the call, and the third of exalting your renown the like of

which has never been granted to any man before. Further below in the

notes we have explained what is implied by each of these blessings and

how great and unique these blessings indeed are! After this, the Lord

and Sustainer of the universe has reassured His Servant and Messenger

(upon whom be peace) that the period of hardships which he is passing

through, is not very long, but following close behind it there is also

a period of ease. This same thing has been described in Sura Ad-Duha,

saying: "Every later period is better for you than the former period,

and soon your Lord will give you so much that you will be well

pleased." In conclusion, the Holy Prophet has been instructed, so as

to say, "You can develop the power to bear and resist the hardships of

the initial stage only by one means, and it is this: `When you are

free from your occupations, you should devote yourself to the labour

and toil of worship, and turn all your attention exclusively to your

Lord'."This same instruction has been given him in much greater detail

in Sura Al-Muzzammil1-9.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #95



                               ----------

                                95. Tiin:

                               ----------



Name



The Sura has been so named after the very First word at-tin.



Period of Revelation



According to Qatadah, this Sura is Madani. Two different views have

been reported from lbn Abbas: first that it is a Makki Sura, and

second that it is Madani. But the majority of scholars regard it as a

Makki revelation, a manifest symbol of which is the use of the words

hadh-al-balad-il-amin (this city of peace) for Makkah. Obviously, if

it had been revealed at Madinah, it wouid not be correct to use the

words "this city" for Makkah Besides, a study of the contents of the

Sura shows that it belongs to the earliest period of Makkah, for in it

there is no sign whatever to indicate that during the period of its

revelation any conflict had started between Islam and unbelief.

Morever, it reflects the same style of the earliest revelations of

Makkah period in which briefly and succinctly the people have been

made to realize that the judgement of the Hereafter is necessary and

absolutely rational.



Theme and Subject Matter



Its theme is the rewards and punishments of the Hereafter. For this

purpose first swearing an oath by the habitats of some illustrious

Prophets, it has been stated that Allah has created man in the most

excellent of moulds. Although at other places in the Quran, this truth

has been expressed in different ways, for example, at some places it

has been said: "Allah appointed man His vicegerent on the earth and

commanded the angels to bow down to him (Al-Baqara: 30,34, Al-Anam:

165, Al-Araf: 11, Al-Hijr 28,29, An-Naml: 62, Suad 71- 73);" at others

that: "Man has become bearer of the Divine trust, which the earth and

the heavens and the mountains did not have the power to bear (Al-Ahzab

72);" and at still others that: "We honoured the children of Adam and

exalted them above many of Our other creatures (Banl Israil 70)," yet

here the statement made on oath in particular by the habitats of the

Prophets that man has been created in the finest of moulds, signifies

that mankind has been blessed with such an excellent mould and nature

that it gave birth to men capable of attaining to the highest position

of Prophethood, a higher position than which has not been attained by

any other creature of God. Then, it has been stated that there are two

kinds of men. those who in spite of having been created in the finest

of moulds, become inclined to evil and their moral degeneration causes

them to be reduced to the lowest of the low, and those who by adopting

the way of faith and righteousness remain secure from the degeneration

and consistent with the noble position, which is the necessary demand

of their having been created in the best of moulds. The existence

among mankind of both these kinds of men is such a factual thing which

no one can deny, for it is being observed and experienced in society

everywhere at all times. In conclusion, this factual reality has been

used as an argument to prove that when among the people there are

these two separate and quite distinct kinds, how can one deny the

judgement and retribution for deeds If the morally degraded are not

punished and the morally pure and exalted arc not rewarded and both

end in the dust alike, it would mean that there is no justice in the

Kingdom of God; whereas human nature and common sense demand that a

judge should do justice. How then can one conceive that Allah, Who is

the most just of all judges, would not do justice?







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #96



                               -----------

                               96. Iqraa:

                               -----------



Name



The Sura is so entitled after the word alaq in the second verse.



Period of Revelation



This Sura has two parts: the first part consists of vv. 1-5, and the

second of vv. 6-19. About the first part a great majority of the

Islamic scholars are agreed that it forms the very first Revelation to

be sent downn to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace and

blessings). In this regard, the Hadith from Hadrat Aishah, which Imam

Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim, and other traditionists have related with

several chains of authorities, is one of the most authentic Ahadith on

the subject. In it Hadrat Aishah has narrated the full story of the

beginning of revelation as she herself heard it from the Holy

Messenger of Allah. Besides, Ibn Abbas, Abu Musa al-Ashari and a group

of the Companions also are reported to have stated that these were the

very first verses of the Quran to be revealed to the Holy Prophet. The

second part was sent down afterwards when the Holy Prophet (upon whom

be peace) began to perform the prescribed Prayer in the precincts of

the Kabahand Abu Jahl tried to prevent him from this with threats.



Beginning of Revelation



The traditionists have related on the strength of their respective

authorities the story of the beginning of revelation from Iman Az-

-Zuhri, who had it from Hadrat Urwah bin Zubair, who had it from

Hadrat Aishah, his aunt. She states that revelations to the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace) began in the form of true (according to

other traditions, good) visions. Whichever vision he saw it seemed as

though he saw it in broad daylight. Afterwards solitude became dear to

him and he would go to the Cave of Hira to engage in worship there for

several days and nights (Hadrat Aishah has used the word tahannuth,

which Imam Zuhri has explained as ta'abbud: devotional exercises. This

was some kind of worship which he performed, for until then he had not

been taught the method of performing the Prayer by Allah). He would

take provisions with him and stay there for several days, then would

return to Hadrat Khadijah who would again provide for him for a few

more days. One day when he was in the Cave of Hira, Revelation came

down to him unexpectedly and the Angel said, to him: "Read". After

this Hadrat Aishah reports the words of the Holy Prophet himself, to

the effect, "I said: I cannot read! There upon the Angel took me and

pressed me until I could bear it no more. Then he left me and said:

Read. I said: I cannot read! He pressed me a second time until I could

bear it no more. Then he left me and said: Read. I again said: I

cannot read! He pressed me for the third time until I could bear it no

more. Then he left me and said: Iqra bismi Rabbi kal- ladhi khalaqa:

(Read in the name of your Lord Who created) till he reached ma lam ya

lam (what he did not know)."Hadrat Aishah says: "Then the Holy

Messenger (upon whom be peace) returned home to Hadrat Khadijah

trembling with fear, and said to her: `Cover me, cover me', and he was

covered. When terror left him, he said: `O KhadIjah, what has happened

to me?' Then he narrated to her whatever had happened, and said: `I

fear for my life'. She said; `No never! Be of good cheer. By God,

never will God debase you: you treat the kindred well, you speak the

truth, (one tradition adds: you restore what is entrusted to you), you

bear the burden of the helpless, you help the poor, you entertain the

guests, and you cooperate in good works.' Then she took him to Waraqah

bin Naufal, who was her cousin. He had become a Christian in pre-

Islamic days, wrote the Gospel in Arabic and Hebrew, and had become

very old and blind. Hadrat Khadijah said: `Brother, listen to the son

of your brother.' Waraqah said to the Holy Prophet: `What have you

seen, nephew?' The Holy Prophet described what he had seen. Waraqah

said; `This is the same Namus (the Angel of Revelation) which Allah

had sent down to Moses. Would that I were a young man during your

Prophethood! Would that I were alive when your tribe would expel you!'

The Holy Prophet said: `Will they expel me?' Waraqah said; `Yes, never

has it so happened that a person brought what you have brought and was

not treated as an enemy. If I live till then I would help you with all

the power at my command.' But not very long after this Waraqah died."

This narritive is explicit that even until a moment before the coming

Angel the Holy Messenger of Allah intimately aware of his life, his

Affairs and dealings. When he also heard of his experiencc, she did

not regard it as an evil suggestion, but immediately said that it was

the Namus who had descended on Moses (peace be upon him). This meant

that even according to him the Holy Prophet was such a sublime person

that there was nothing surprising in his being elevated to the office

of Prophethood. Occasion of Revelation of vv. 6-19 This second part of

thee Sura was revealed when the Holy Messenger of Allah began to

perform the Prayer in the Islamic way in the Ka'bahand Abu Jahl

threatened and tried to prevent him from this. It so happened that

after his appointment to Prophethood even before he could start

preaching Islam openly, he began to perform the Prayer in the

precincts of the Ka'bahin the way Allah taught him; and from this the

Quraishfelt for the first time that he had adopted a new religion. The

other people were watching it with curiosity, but Abu Jahl in his

arrogance and pride threatened the Holy Prophet and forbade him to

worship in that way in the Ka'bah. In this connection, quite a number

of the Ahadith have been related from Hadarat Abdullah ibn Abbas and

Hadrat Abu Huraira, which mention the foolish behaviour of Abu Jahl.

Hadrat Abu Huraira says that Abu Jahl asked the people of Quraish:

"Does Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) set his face

on the ground before you?"When they replied in the affirmative, he

said:"By Lat and Uzza, if I ever catch him in that act of worship, I

would set my foot on his neck and rub his face in the dust."Then it so

happened that he saw the Holy Messenger in that posture and came

forward to set his foot on his neck, but suddenly turned back as if in

a fright and being asked what was the matter, he said there was a

ditch of fire and a terrible apparition between himself and Muhammad

(upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) and some wings. On hearing

this the Holy Prophet remarked:"Had he come near me, the angels would

have smitten and torn him to pieces." (Ahmad, Muslim, Nasai, Ibn Jarir,

Ibn AbI Hatim, Ibn al-Mundhir, lbn Marduyah, Abu Nu'aim Isfahani,

Baihaqi). According to lbn Abbas, Abu Jahl said:"If I caught Muhammad

(upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) performing his Prayer by

the Ka'bah, I would trample his neck down." When the Holy Prophet

heard of it, he said: "If he acted so, the angels would seize him

there and then?" (Bukhari, Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Jarir, Abdur Razzaq,

Abd bin Humaid, Ibn al- Mundhir, Ibn Marduyah). According to another

tradition from Ibn Abbas, the Holy Prophet was performing his Prayer

at the Maqam Ibrahim. Abu Jahl passed that way and said: "O Muhammad,

did I not forbid you this, and then he started to threaten him."In

reply the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) rebuked him severely.

There upon he said:"O Muhammad, on what strength do you rebuke me? By

God, my followers in this valley far exceed yours in number." (Ahmad,

Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Jarir, lbn Abi Shaibah, Ibn al-Mundhir, Tabarani,

Ibn Marduyah). Because of these very incidents the portion of this

Sura beginning with Kalla inn al-insana la yat gha was sent down.

Naturally the place of this part should be the same as assigned to it

in this Sura of the Quran, for after the coming down of the first

Revelation the Holy Prophet had given expression to Islam first of all

by the act of Prayer, and his conflict with the pagans.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #97



                               ----------

                                97. Qadr:

                               ----------



Name



The Sura has been so designated after the word al-qadr in the very

first verse.



Period of Revelation



Whether it is a Makki or a Madani revelation is disputed. Abu Hayyan

in Al-Bahr al-Muhti has made the claim that the majority of scholars

regard it as a Madani Sura. All bin Ahmad al-Wahidi in his commentary

says that this is the first Sura to be sent down in Madinah. Contrary

to this, Al Mawardi says that occording to the majority of scholars it

is a Makki revelation, and the same view has Imam Suyuti expressed in

Al-Itqan. Ibn Mardayah has cited Ibn Abbas, lbn Az Zubair and Hadrat

Aishah as saying that this Sura was revealed at Makkah. A study of the

contents also shows that it should have been revealed at Makkah as we

shall explain below.



Theme and Subject Matter



Its theme is to acquaint man with the value, worth and importance of

the Quran. Its being placed just after Sura Al-Alaqin the arrangement

of the Quran by itself explains that the Holy Book, the revelation of

which began with the first five verses of Sura Al-Alaq. was sent down

in a destiny making night. It is a glorious Book and its revelation

for mankind is full of blessings. At the outset, Allah says: "We have

sent it down." That is, it is not a composition of Muhammad (upon whom

be Allah's peace and blessing) himself, but We Ourself have revealed

it. Then, it is said that "We sent it down in the Night of Destiny."

Night of Destiny lies two meanings and both are implied here. First,

that it is the night during which destinies are decided; or, in other

words, it is not an ordinary night like the other nights, but a night

in which destinies are made or marred. The revelation of this Book in

this night is not merely the revelation of a book but an event which

will change the destiny of not only the Quraish, or of Arabia, but of,

the entire world. The same thing has been said in Sura Ad-Dukhanfor

which please see Introduction to that Sura and E. N. 3 thereof. The

other meaning is that this is, a night of unique honour, dignity and

glory; so much so that it is better than a thousand months. Thus, the

disbelievers of Makkah have been warned, as if to say: "You on account

of your ignorance regard this Book, which Muhammad (upon whom be

Allah's peace and blessings) has presented, as a calamity for

yourselves and complain that a disaster has befallen you, whereas the

night in which it was decreed to be sent down was such a blessed night

that a task was accomplished in it for the well being of mankind,

which had never been accomplished even during a thousand months of

history. This also has been said in verse 3 of Ad-Dukhanin another way,

which we have explained in the introduction to that Sura. In

conclusion, it has been stated that in this night the angels and

Gabriel descend with every decree (which in verse 4 of Sura Ad-

Dukhanhas been described as arm-hakim: wise decree) by the leave of

their Lord, and it is all peace from evening till morning; that is,

there is no interfercnce of evil in it, for all decrees of Allah are

intended to promote good and not evil. So much so that even if a

decision to destroy a nation is taken, it is taken for the sake of

ultimate good, not evil.







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #98



                              -------------

                              98. Baiyina:

                              -------------



Name



The Sura is so designated after the word al-bayyinah occurring at the

end of the first verse.



Period of Revelation



Where it was revealed, at Makkah or Madinah, is also disputed. Some

commentators say it is a Makki revelation according to most scholars;

others say it is a Madani revelation according to most scholars. Ibn

Az Zubair and Ata bin Yasar hold the view that it is Madani. Ibn Abbas

and Qatadah are reported to have held two views, first that it is

Makki, second that it is Madani. Hadrat Aishah regards it as a Makki

Sura. Abu Hayyan, author of Bahr al-Muhit, and Abdul Munim ibn al-

Faras, author of Ahkam al-Quran, alsa have preferred to regard it as

Makki. As for its contents, there is nothing in it to indicate whether

it was revealed at Makkah or at Madinah.



Theme and Subject Matter



Its having been placed after Suras Al-Alaqand Al-Qadrin the

arrangement of the Quran is very meaningful. Sura Al-Alaqcontains the

very first revelation, while Sura Al-Qadrshows as to when it was

revealed, and in this Sura it has been explained why it was necessary

to send a Messenger along with this Holy Book. First of all the need

of sending a Messenger has been explained, saying: The people of the

world, be they from among the followers of the earlier scriptures or

from among the idolaters, could not possibly be freed from their state

of unbelief, until a Messenger was sent whose appearance by itself

should be a clear proof of his apostleship, and he should present the

Book of God before the people in its original, pristine form, which

should be free from every mixture of falsehood corrupting the earlier

Divine Books; and which should comprise sound teachings. Then, about

the errors of the followers of the earlier Books it has been said that

the cause of their straying into different creeds was not that Allah

had not provided any guidance to them, but they strayed only after a

clear statement of the Right Creed had come to them. From this it

automatically follows that they themselves were responsible for their

error and deviation. Now, if even after the coming of the clear

statement through this Messenger, they continued to stray, their

responsibility would further increase. In this very connection, it has

been stated that the Prophets who came from Allah and the, Books sent

down by Him, did not enjoin anything but that the way of sincere and

true service to Allah be adopted, apart from all other ways, no one

else's worship, service or obedience be mixed with His, the salatbe

established and the zakatbe paid. This same has been the true religion

since ever. From this also it automatically follows that the followers

of the earlier scriptures, straying from this true religion, have

added extraneous things to it, which are false, and Allah's this

Messenger has come to invite them back to, the same original faith. In

conclusion, it has been pointed out clearly that the followers of the

earlier Books and the idolaters who would refuse to acknowledge this

Messenger are the worst of creatures: their punishment is an

everlasting Hell; and the people who would believe and act righteously,

and would spend life in the world in awe of God, are the best of

creatures: their reward is eternal Paradise wherein they will live for

ever. Allah became well pleased with them and they became well pleased

with Allah.







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #99



                              -------------

                              99. Zilzaal:

                              -------------



Name



It is derived from the word zilzal in the first verse.



Period of Revelation



Whether or not it was revealed, at Makkah or Madianah, is disputed.

Ibn Masud, Ata, Jabir, and Mjahid say that it is a Makki Sura and a

statement of Ibn Abbas also supports this view. On the contrary,

Qatadah and Muqatil say that it is Madini and another statement of Ibn

Abbas also has been cited in support of this view. That it is a Madani

Sura is reasoned from a tradition from Hadrat Abu Said Khudri, which

Ibn Abi Hatim has related from him. He says: "When the verse Fa-man ya

mal mithqala dharratin khairan yarah, wa man ya mal mithqala dharratin

sharran yarah, was revealed, I said: "O Messenger of Allah, shall I

really see my deeds?The Holy Messenger replied in the affirmative. I

submitted: And every major sin?He replied yes. I said: And the minor

sins too? He replied yes. Thereupon I exclaimed that I would then be

ruined. The Holy Prophet said: Rejoice, O Abu Sa'id, for each good act

will be equal to ten good acts like it." The basis of the argument for

this Sura's being Madani is that Hadrat Abu Sa'ld Khudri was an

inhabitant of Madinah and reached maturity after the Battle of Uhud.

Therefore, if this Sura was revealed in his presence, as is apparent

from his statement, it must be a Madani Sura. However, the practice

that the Companions and their immediate successors followed in respect

of the occasion of the revelation of the verses and Suras, has already

been explained in the Introduction to Sura Ad-Dahrabove. Therefore, a

Companion's saying that a verse was sent down on this or that

particular occasion is no proof that it was sent down on that very

occasion. It may well be that after coming of age when Hadrat Aba

Sa'id heard this Sura for the first time from the Holy Prophet,

terrified by its last portion he might have asked the Holy Prophet the

questions which we have cited above, and he might have narrated the

incident saying that when this verse was revealed he put this and this

question to the Holy Prophet. In the absence of this tradition every

reader who reads the Qur'an with understandings will feel that it is a

Makki Sura. More than that: from its theme and style he would feel

that it must have been sent down in the earliest stage at Makkah when

the fundamental principles and beliefs of Islam were being presented

before the people in a concise but highly effective way.



Theme end Subject Matter



Its theme is the second life after death and presentation in it before

man of the full record of the deeds done by him in the world. In the

first three sentences it has been told briefly how the second life

after death will take place and how confounding it will be for man. In

the next two sentences it has been said that this very earth on which

man has lived and performed all kinds of deeds thoughtlessly, and

about which he never could fancy that this lifeless thing would at

some time in the future bear witness to his deeds, will speak out on

that Day by Allah's command and will state in respect of each

individual person what act he had committed at a particular time and

place. Then, it has been said that men on that Day, rising from their

graves, will come out in their varied groups from all corners of the

earth, to be shown their deeds and works, and their presentation of

the deeds will be so complete and detailed that not an atom's weight

of any good or evil act will be left unnoticed or hidden from his eyes.









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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #100



                             ---------------

                             100. Aadiyaat:

                             ---------------



Name



The Sura has been so entitled after the word al adiyat with which it

opens.



Period of Revelation



Whether it is a Makki or a Madani Sura is disputed. Hadrat Abdullah

bin Masud, Jabir, Hasan Basri, Ikrimah, and Ata say that it is Makki.

Hadrat Anas bin Malik, and Qatadah say that it is Madani; and from

Hadrat Ibn Abbas two views have been reported, first that it is a

Makki Sura, and second that it is Madani. But the subject matter of

the Sura and its style clearly indicate that it is no only Makki but

was revealed in the earliest stage of Makkah.



Theme and Subject Matter



Its object is to make the people realize how evil man becomes when he

denies the Hereafter, or becomes heedless of it, and also to warn them

that in the Hereafter not only their visible and apparent deeds but

even the secrets hidden in their hearts too will be subjected to

scrutiny. For this purpose the general chaos and confusion prevailing

in Arabia, with which the whole country was in turmoil, has been

presented as an argument. Bloodshed, loot and plunder raged on every

side. Tribes were subjecting tribes to raids, and no one could have

peaceful sleep at night from fear that some enemy tribe might raid his

settlement early in the morning. Every Arab was fully conscious of

this state of affairs and realized that it was wrong. Although the

plundered bemoaned his miserable, helpless state and the plunderer

rejoiced, yet when the plunderer himself was plundered, he too

realized how abject was the condition in which the whole nation was

involved. Referring to this very state of affairs, it has been said:

Unaware of the second life after death and his accountability before

God in it, man has become ungrateful to his Lord and Sustainer. He is

using the powers and abilities given by God for perpetrating tyranny

and pillage; blinded by the love of worldly wealth he tries to obtain

it by every means, however impure and filthy, and his own state itself

testifies that by abusing the powers bestowed by his Lord he is being

ungrateful to Him. He would never have behaved so, had he known the

time when the dead will be raised from the graves, and when the

intentions and motives with which he had done all sorts of deeds in

the world, will be exposed and brought out before everyone to see. At

that time the Lord and Sustainer of men shall be well informed of what

one had done and what punishment or reward one deserved.







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #101



                            ----------------

                             101. Al-Qariya:

                            ----------------



Name



The Sura takes its name from its first word al- qariah. This is not

only a name but also the title of its subject matter, for the Sura is

devoted to Resurrection.



Period of Reveletion



There is no dispute about its being a Makki Sura. Its contents show

that this too is one of the earliest Suras to be revealed at Makkah.



Theme and Subject Matter



Its theme is Resurrection and the Hereafter. At the outset, the people

have been aroused and alarmed, saying: "The Great Disaster!What is the

Great Disaster? And what do you know what the Great Disaster is?"Thus,

after preparing the listeners for the news of the dreadful calamity,

Resurrection has been depicted before them in two sentences, saying

that on that Day people will be running about in confusion and

bewilderment just like so many scattered moths around a light, and the

mountains uprooted, will their cohesion and will fly about like carded

wool. Then, it has been said that when Allah's Court is established in

the Hereafter and the people are called upon to account for their

deeds. The people whose good deeds are found to be heavier than their

evil deeds, will be blessed with bliss and happiness, and the people

whose good deeds are found to be lighter than their evil deeds, will

be cast into the deep pit full of burning fire.







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #103



                             ---------------

                             102. Takathur:

                             ---------------



Name



The Sura taken its name from the word at takathur in the first verse.



Period of Revelation



Abu Hayyan and Shaukani say that this Sura, according to all

commentators, is Makki, and this same is the well known view according

to Iman Suyuti. However, there are some traditions, on the basis of

which it is considered a Madani Sura, and they are as follows: Ibn

Hatim has cited Abu Buraidah as saying that this Sura was sent down

concerning the two tribes, Bani Harithah and Bani al-Harth, of the

Ansar. The two tribes had first recounted the glories and illustrious

deeds of their living men; then they had gone to the grave yard and

bragged of the glorious deeds of their dead. Thereupon the Divine

Revelation Alhakum at takathur came down. But, if the practice of the

Companions and their successors concerning the occasions of revelation,

is kept in view, this tradition is no argument to prove that Sura At

Takathur was sent down on that very occasion, but it shows that this

Sura fully applied to the act of the two tribes. Imam Bukhari and Ibn

Jarir have cited this view of Hadrat Ubayy bin Ka'b: "We took the Holy

Prophet" saing: `If the son of Adam had two valley full of wealth, he

would long for a third valley; the son of Adam's belly cannot be

filled but by earth, to be from the Quran until Alhakum at takathur

was sent down. This Hadith has been regarded as an argument for Sura

At-Takathur to be a Madani Sura on the ground that Hadrat Ubayy had

become a Muslim in Madinah. But Hadrat Ubayy's this statement does not

indicate in what sense the Companions regarded this saying of the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace) as belonging to the Quran. If it means

that they regarded it as a verse of the Quran, it cannot be acceptable,

for a great majority of the Companions consisted of the men who were

well aware of each and every word of the Quran; they could not have

the misunderstanding that the Hadith was a verse of the Quran. And if

its belonging to the Quran is taken to mean its being derived from the

Quran, the tradition can also mean that when the Companions who

entered Islam in Madinah, heard this Sura for the first time from the

Holy Prophet, they thought that it had been revealed just then, and

then about the Holy Prophet's above saying they formed the idea that

it was derived from this very Sura. Ibn Jarir Tirmidhi, Ibn al Mundhir

and other traditionists have related this view of Hadrat Ali: "We were

in doubt about the torment of the grave until Alhakum at takathur was

sent down." This view has been regarded as an argument for Sura At-

Takathur to be Madani on the ground that the torment of the grave was

first mentioned at Madinah; no mention of it was ever made at Makkah.

But this is wrong. In the Makki Suras of the Quran, the torment of the

grave has heen mentioned at many places so clearly that there can he

no room for any such doubt; for example, see Al- An'am: 93, An-Nahl:

28, Al-Muminun: 99-100, Al-Mu'min: 45-46, which are all Makki Suras.

Therefore, if anything is proved by Hadrat Ali's saying, it is that

Sura At-Takathur had been revealed before the revelation of the above

mentioned Makki Suras and its revelation had removed the Companions

doubt about the torment of the grave. That is why, in spite of these

traditions, a great majority of the commentators are agreed that this

Sura is Makki. In our opinion this is not only a Makki Sura but in

view of its contents and style it is one of the earliest Suras to be

revealed at Makkah. Theme and Subject Matter In it the people have

been warned of the evil consequences of world worship because of which

they spend their lives in acquiring more and more oF worldly wealth,

material benefits and pleasures, and position and power, till death,

and in vying with one another and bragging and boasting about their

acquisitions. This one pursuit has so occupied them that they are left

with no time or opportunity for pursuing the higher things in life.

After warning the people of its evil end they have been told us if to

say: "These blessings which you are amassing and enjoying

thoughtlessly, are not mere blessings but are also a means of your

trial. For each one of these blessings and comforts you will surely be

called to account in the Hereafter."







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #104



                               ----------

                                103. Asr:

                               ----------



Name



The Sura takes its name from the word al-asr occurring in the first

verse.



Period of Revelation



Although Mujahid, Qatadah and Muqatil regard it as a Madani Sura, yet

a great majority of the commentators opine that it is Makki; its

subject matter also testifies that it must have been sent down in the

earliest stage at Makkah, when the message of Islam was being

presented in brief but highly impressive sentences so that the

listeners who heard them once could not forget them even if they

wanted to, for they were automatically committed to memory.



Theme and Subject Matter



This Sura is a matchless specimen of comprehensiveness and brevity. A

whole world of meaning has been compressed into its few brief words,

which is too vast in content to be fully expressed even in a book. In

it, in a clear and plain way it has been stated what is the way to

true success for man and what is the way to ruin and destruction for

him. Imam Shafe has very rightly said that if the people only

considered this Sura well, it alone would suffice them for their

guidance. How important this Sura was in the sight of the Companions

can be judged from the tradition cited from Hadrat Abdullah bin Hisn

ad-Darimi Abu Madinah, according to which whenever any two of them met

they would not part company until they had recited Sura Al-Asr to each

other. (Tabarani)







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #104



                              -------------

                              104. Humaza:

                              -------------



Name



The Sura takes its name from the word humazah occurring in the first

verse.



Period of Revelation



All commentators are agreed that it is a Makki Sura; a study of its

subject matter and style shows that this too is one of the earliest

Suras to be revealed at Makkah.



Theme and Subject Matter



In it some of the evils prevalent among the materialistic hoarders of

wealth in the pre-Islamic days have been condemned. Every Arab knew

that they actually existed in their society; they regarded them as

evils and nobody thought they were good. After calling attention to

this kind of ugly character, the ultimate end in the Hereafter of the

people having this kind of character has been stated. Both these

things (i. e. the character and his fate in the Hereafter) have been

depicted in a way which makes the listener automatically reach the

conclusion that such a man fitly deserves to meet such an end. And

since in the world, people of such character do not suffer any

punishment, but seem to be thriving instead, the occurrence of the

Hereafter becomes absolutely inevitable. If this Sura is read in the

sequence of the Suras beginning with Az-Zilzal, one can fully well

understand how the fundamental beliefs of Islam and its teachings were

impressed on the peoples minds in the earliest stage in Makkah. In

Sura Az-Zilzal, it was said that in the Hereafter man's full record

will be placed before him and not an atom's weight of good or evil

done by him in the world will have been left unrecorded. In Sura Al-

Adiyat, attention was drawn to the plunder and loot, blood-shed and

vandalism, prevailing in Arabia before Islam; then making the people

realize, that the way the powers given by God were being abused, was

indeed an expression of sheer ingratitude to Him, they were told that

the matter would not end up in the world, but in the second life after

death not only their deeds but their intentions and motives too would

be examined, and their Lord fully well knows which of them deserves

what reward or punishment. In Sura Al-Qariahafter depicting

Resurrection the people were warned that in the Hereafter a man's good

or evil end will be dependent on whether the scale of his good deeds

was heavier, or the scale of his evil deeds was heavier:In Sura At-

Takathur the people were taken to task for the materialistic mentality

because of which they remained occupied in seeking increase in worldly

benefits, pleasures, comforts and position, and in vying with one

another for abundance of everything until death overtook them. Then,

warning them of the evil consequences of their heedlessness, they were

told that the world was not an open table of food for then to pick and

choose whatever they pleased, but for every single blessing that they

were enjoying in the world, they would have to render an account to

their Lord and Sustainer as to how they obtained it and how they used

it. In Sura Al-Asrit was declared that each member, each group and

each community of mankind, even the entire world of humanity, was in

manifest loss, if its members were devoid of Faith and righteous deeds

and of the practice of exhorting others to truth and patience.

Immediately after this comes Sura Al-Humazah in which after presenting

a specimen of leadership of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, the

people have been asked the question: "What should such a character

deserve if not loss and perdition?"







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Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #105



                               -----------

                               105. Feel:

                               -----------



Name



The Sura derives its name from the word ashab al fil in the very first

verse.



Period of Revelation



This is unanimously a Makki Sura; and if it is studied against its

historical background it appears that it must have been sent down in

the very earliest stage at Makkah.



Historical Background



As we have explained in E. N. 4 of Sura Al-Burujabove, in retaliation

for the persecution of the followers of the Prophet Jesus Christ

(peace be on him) in Najran by the Jewish ruler Dhu-Nuwas of Yaman,

the Christian kingdom of Abyssinia invaded Yaman and put an end to the

Himyarite rule there, and in 52S A. D. this whole land passed under

Abyssinian control. This happened, in fact, through collaboration

between the Byzantine empire of Constantinople and the Abyssinian

kingdom, for the Abyssinians at that time had no naval fleet. The

fleet was provided by Byzantium and Abyssinia sent 70,000 of its

troops by it across the Red Sea to Yaman. At the outset one should

understand that all this did not happen under the religious zeal but

there were economic and political factors also working behind it, and

probably these were the real motive, and retaliation for the Christian

blood was just an excuse. Since the time the Byzantine empire had

occupied Egypt and Syria, it had been trying to gain control over the

trade going on between East Africa, India, Indonesia, etc., and the

Byzantine dominions: from the Arabs, who had been controlling it for

centuries, so as to earn maximum profits by eliminating the

intermediary Arab merchants. For this purpose, in 24 or 25 B. C.,

Caesar Augustas sent a large army under the Roman general, Aelius

Gallus, which landed on the western coast of Arabia, in order to

intercept and occupy the sea route between southern Arabia and Syria.

But the campaign failed to achieve its objective on account of thc

extreme geographical conditions of Arabia. After this, the Byzantines

brought their fleet into the Red Sea and put an end to the Arab trade

which they carried out by sea, with the result that they were left

only with the land route. To capture this very land route they

conspired with the Abyssinian Christians and aiding them with their

fleet helped them to occupy Yaman. The Arab historians statements

about the Abyssinian army that invaded Yaman are different. Hafiz Ibn

Kathir says that it was led by two commanders, Aryat and Abrahah, and

according to Muhammad bin Ishaq, its commander was Aryat, and Abrahah

was included in it. Then both are agreed that Aryat and Abrahah fell

out, Aryat was killed in the encounter, and Abrahah took possession of

the country; then somehow he per- suaded the Abyssinian king to

appoint him his viceroy over Yaman. On the contrary, the Greek and

Syriac historians state that when after the conquest of Yaman, the

Abyssinians started putting to death the Yamanite chiefs, who had put

up resistance, one of the chiefs, named As-Sumayfi Ashwa (whom the

Greek historians call Esymphaeus) yielded to the Abyssinians and

promising to pay tribute obtained the Abyssinian king's warrant to be

governor over Yaman. But the Abyssinian army revolted against him and

made Abrahah governor in his place. This man was the slave of a Greek

merchant of the Abyssinian seaport of Adolis, who by clever diplomacy

had come to wield great influence in the Abyssinian army occupying

Yaman. The troops sent by the Negus to punish him either warned him or

were defeated by him. Subsequently, after the death of the king, his

successor was reconciled to accept him as his viceregent of Yaman.(The

Greek historians write him as Abrames and the Syriac historians as

Abraham. Abrahah perhaps is an Abyssinian variant of Abraham, for its

Arabic version is Ibrahim). This man through passage of time became an

independent ruler of Yaman. He acknowledged the sovereignty of the

Negus only in name and described himself as his deputy. The influence

he wielded can be judged from the fact that after the restoration of

the dam of Marib in 543 A. D. he celebrated the event by holding a

grand feast, which was attended by the ambassadors of the Byzantine

emperor, king of Iran, king of Hirah, and king of Ghassan. Its full

details are given in the inscription that Abrahah installed on the dam.

This inscription is extant and Glaser has published it.(For further

details, see E. N. 37 of the commentary of Sura Saba). After

stabilizing his rule in Yaman Abrahah turned his attention to the

objective which from the very beginning of this campaign had been

before the Byzantine empire and its allies, the Abyssinian Christians,

i. e. to spread Christianity in Arabia, on the one hand, and to

capture the trade that was carried out through the Arabs between the

eastern lands and the Byzantine dominions, on the other. The need, for

this increased because the Byzantine struggle for power against the

Sasanian empire of Iran had blocked all the routes of the Byzantine

trade with the East. To achieve this objective, Abrahah built in Sana,

the capital of Yaman, a magnificent cathedral, called by the Arabian

historians al-Qalis, al-Qullais, or al-Qulais, this word being an

Arabic version of the Greek word Ekklesia, church. According, to

Mahammad bin lshaq, after having completed the building, he wrote to

the Negus, saying: "I shall not rest until I have diverted the Arabs

pilgrimage to it."Ibn Kathlr writes that he openly declared his

intention in Yaman and got it publicly announced. He, in fact, wanted

to provoke the Arabs into doing something which should provide him

with an excuse to attack Makkah and destroy the Ka'bah. Muhammad bin

Ishaq says that an Arab, enraged at this public proclamation somehow

went into the cathedral and defiled it. Ibn Kathlr says this was done

by a Quraishite and according to Muqatil bin Suleman, some young men

of the Quraish had set fire to the cathedral. Either might have

happened, for Abrahah's proclamation was certainly provocative and in

the ancient pre-Islamic age it cannot be impossible that an Arab, or a

Quraishite youth, might have been enraged and might have defiled the

cathedral, or set fire to it. But it may well also be that Abrahah

himself got this done secretly by his own agent so as to have an

excuse for invading Makkah and thus achieving both his objectives by

destroying the Quraish and intimidating the Arabs. In any case,

whatever happened, when the report reached Abrahah that the devotees

of the Ka'bah had thus defiled his cathedral, he swore that he would

not rest until he had destroyed the Ka'bah. So, in 570 or 571 A. D.,

he took 60,000 troops and 13 elephants (according to another tradition,

9 elephants) and set off for Makkah. On the way, first a Yamanite

chief, Dhu Nafr by name, mustering an army of the Arabs, resisted him

but was defeated and taken prisoner. Then in the country of Khath'am

he was opposed by Nufail bin Habib al-Khath'am, with his tribe, but he

too was defeated and taken prisoner, and in order to save his life he

accepted to serve him as guide in the Arab country. When he reached

near Ta'if, Bani Thaqif felt that they would not be able to resist

such a big force and feeling the danger lest he should destroy the

temple of their deity Lat, too; their chief, Mas'ud. came out to

Abrahah with his men, and he told him that their temple was not the

temple he had come to destroy. The temple He sought was in Makkah, and

they would send with him a man to guide him there. Abrahah accepted

the offer, and Bani Thaqif sent Abu Righal as guide with him. When

they reached al-Mughammas (or al- Mughammis), a place about 3 miles

short of Makkah, Abu Righal died, and the Arabs stoned his grave and

the practice survives to this day. They cursed the Bani Thaqif too,

for in order to save the temple of Lat they had cooperated with the

invaders of the House of Allah. According to Muhammad bin Ishaq, from

al- Mughammas Abrahah sent forward his vanguard and they brought him

the plunder of the people of Tihamah and Quraish, which included two

hundred camels of Abdul Muttalib, the grandfather of the Holy

Messenger of Allah (upon whom be His peace). Then, he sent an envoy of

his to Makkah with the message that he had not come to fight the

people of Makkah but only to destroy the House (i. e. the Ka'bah). If

they offered no resistance, there would be no cause for bloodshed.

Abrahah also instructed his envoy that if the people of Makkah wanted

to negotiate, he should return with their leading chief to him. The

leading chief of Makkah at that time was Abdul Muttalib. The envny

went to him and delivered Abrahah's message. Abdul Muttalib

replied:"We have no power to fight Abrahah. This is Allah's House. If

He wills He will save His House." The envoy asked him to go with him

to Abrahah. He agreed and accompanied him to the king. Now Abdul

Muttalib was such a dignified and handsome man that when, Abrahah saw

him he was much impressed; he got off his throne and sat beside him on

the carpet. Then he asked him what he wanted. Abdul Muttalib replied

that he wanted the king to return his camels which he had taken.

Abrahah said: "I was much impressed when I saw you but your reply has

brought you down in my eyes: you only demand your camels but you say

nothing about this House which is your sanctuary and the sanctuary of

your forefathers." He replied: "I am the owner of my camels and am

requesting you to return them. As for the House, it has its own Owner:

He will defend it." When Abrahah said that He would not be able to

defend it against him, Abdul Muttalib said that that rested between

Him and him. With this Abdul Muttalib left Abrahah and he restored to

him his camels. Ibn Abbass tradition is different. It does not mention

the demand for the camels at all. According to the traditions related

from him by Abd bin Humaid, Ibn al-Mundhir, lbn Marduyah, Hakim, Abu

Nuaim and Baihaqi, he states that when Abrahah reached As- Sifah (a

place situated between Arafat and Taif in the mountains near the

sacred bounds of Makkah), Abdul Muttalib went to him and said: "There

was no need for you to come so far. You should have ordered us and we

would have brought before you whatever you needed." He said: "I hear

that this House is the House of peace: I have come to destroy its

peace."Thereupon, Abdul Muttalib said: "This is Allah's House. He has

not allowed anyone so far to dominate it."Abrahah replied: "We will

not return until we have destroyed it."Abdul Muttalib said:"You may

take whatever you like from us and return."Abrahah refused to budge

and ordered his troops to advance, leaving Abdul Muttalib behind.

Leaving the two traditions as they are, one thing which becomes

evident is that the tribes living in and around Makkah did not have

the power to fight such a big force and save the Ka'bah. Therefore,

obviously, the Quraishdid not try to put up any resistance. The

Quraishon the occasion of the Battle of the Trench (Ahzab) had hardly

been able to muster & strength numbering ten to twelve thousand men in

spite of the alliance with the pagan and Jewish tribes; they could not

have resisted an army 60,000 strong. Muhammad bin Ishaq says that

after returning from the camp of Abrahah Abdul Muttalib ordered the

Quraishto withdraw from the city and go to the mountains along with

their families for fear of a general massacre. Then he went to the

Ka'bahalong with some chiefs of the Quraishand taking hold of the iron

ring of the door, prayed to Allah Almighty to protect His House and

its keepers. There were at that time 360 idols in and around the

Ka'bah, but on that critical moment they forgot them and implored only

Allah for help. Their supplications which have been reported in the

books of history do not contain any name but of Allah, the One. Ibn

Hisham in his Life of the Prophet has cited some verses of Abdul

Muttalib, which are to the following effect: "O God, a man protects

his house, so protect Your House; Let not their cross and their craft

tomorrow overcome Your craft. If You will to leave them and our qiblah

to themselves, You may do as You please." Suhaill in Raud al-Unuf has

cited this verse also in this connection: "Help today Your devotees

against the devotees of the cross and its worshippers." Ibn Jarir has

cited Abdul Muttalib's these verses also, which he had recited in his

supplication; my Lord, I do not cherish any hope from anyone against

them except You. O my Lord, protect Your House from them. The enemy of

this House is Your enemy. Stop them from destroying Your settlement."

After making these suppllcations Abdul Muttalib and his companions

also went off to the mountains. Next morning Abrahah prepared to enter

Makkah, but his special elephant, Mahmud, which was in the forefront,

knelt down. It was beaten with iron bars, goaded, even scarified, but

it would not get up. When they made it face south, north, or east, it

would immediately start off, but as soon as they directed it towards

Makkah, it knelt down. In the meantime swarms of birds appeared

carrying stones in their beaks and claws and showered these on the

troops. Whoever was hit would start disintegrating. According to

Muhammad bin Ishaq and Ikrimah, this was smallpox, which was seen in

Arabia for the first time in that year. Ibn Abbas says that whoever

was struck by a pebble, would start scratching his body resulting in

breaking of the skin and falling off of the flesh. In another

tradition Ibn Abbas says that the flesh and blood flowed like water

and bones in the body became visible. The same thing happened with

Abrahah too. His flesh fell in pieces and there arose bores on his

body emitting pus and blood. In confusion they withdrew and fled

towards Yaman. Nufail bin Habib, whom they had brought as guide from

the country of Khatham, was searched out and asked to guide them back

to Yaman, but he refused and said: "Now where can one flee when God

pursues? The split nose (Abrahah) is the conquered; not the

conqueror." As they withdrew they were continually falling by the bay

and dying. Ata bin Yasar says that all the troops did not perish at

the spot; some perished there and others perished by the wayside as

they withdrew. Abrahah died in the country of Khath'am. This event

took place at Muhassir by the Muhassab valley, between Muzdalifah and

Mina. According to the Sahih of Muslim and Abu Da'ud, in the

description of the Holy Prophet's farewell pilgrimage that Imam Jafar

as-Sadiq has related from his father, Imam Muhammad Baqir, and he from

Hadrat Jabir bin Abdullah, he says that when the Holy Prophet (upon

whom be peace) proceeded from Muzdalifah to Mina, he increased his

speed in the valley of Muhassir. Imam Nawawt has explained it saying

that the incident of the people of the elephant had occurred there;

therefore, the pilgrims have been enjoined to pass by quickly, for

Muhassir is a tormented place. Imam Malik in Muatta has related that

the Holy Prophet said that the whole of Muzdalifah is a fit place for

staying but one should not stay in the valley of Muhassir. In the

verses of Nufail bin Habib, which Ibn Ishaq has cited, he describes

this event as an eye witness; "Would that you had seen, O Rudaina, but

you would not see, What we saw by the valley of Muhassab. I praised

God when I saw the birds, and I feared lest the stones should fall

upon us. Everyone was asking for Nufail as though I owned the

Abyssinians a debt." This was such a momentous event that it soon

spread throughout Arabia and many poets made it the subject of their

laudatory poems. In these poems one thing is quite evident that

everyone regarded it as a manifestation of Allah Almighty's miraculous

power, and no one, even by allusion, said that the idols which were

worshipped in the Ka'bah, had anything to do with it. For example,

Abdullah ibn Az-Zibara says: "The sixty thousand returned not home,

Nor did their sick man (Abrahah) survive on return. Ad and Jurham were

there before them, and there is Allah, above the servants, Who

sustains it." Abu Qais bin Aslat says; "Rise and worship your Lord and

annoint the Corners of the House of Allah between the Mountains of

Makkah and Mina. When the help of the Owner of the Throne reached you,

His armies repulsed them so that they were lying in dust, pelted with

stones." Not only this, but according to Hadrat Umm Hani and Hadrat

Zubair bin al-Awwam, the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) said:"The

Quraish did not worship anyone but Allah, the Only and One, for ten

years (and according to others, for seven years. Umm Hani's tradition

has been related by Imam Bukhari in his History and by Tabarani, Hakim,

Ibn Marduyah and Baihaqi in their collections of Ahidth. Hadrat

Zubair's statement has been related by Tabarani, Ibn Marduyah and Ibn

Asakir, and this is further confirmed by the mursal tradition of

Hadrat Sa'id bin al Musayyab, which Khatib Baghdadi has recorded in

his History. The Arabs describe the year in which this event took

place as Am al-Fil (the year of the elephants), and in the same year

the Holy Messenger of Allah (upon whom be His peace) was born. The

traditionists and historians almost unanimously state that the event

of the people of the elephant had occurred in Muharram and the Holy

Prophet was born in Rabi al-Awwal. A majority of them states that he

took birth 50 days after the event of the elephant. Theme and

Substance If Sura al-Fil is studied in the light of the historical

details as given above, one can fully well understand why in this Sura

only Allah's inflicting His punishment on the people of the elephant

has been referred and described so briefly. It was an event of recent

occurrence, and everyone in Makkah and Arabia was fully aware of it.

The Arabs believed that the Ka'bahhad been protected in this invasion

not by any god or goddess but by Allah Almighty Himself. Then Allah

alone had been invoked by the Quraishchiefs for help, and for quite a

few years the people of Quraishhaving been impressed by this event,

had worshipped none but Allah. Therefore, there was no need to mention

the details in Sura al-Fil, but only a reference to it was enough so

that the people of Quraish, in particular, and the people of Arabia,

in general, should consider well in their hearts the message that the

Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) was

giving. For the only message that he gave was that they should worship

and serve none but Allah, the Only and One. Then, they should also

consider that if they used force to suppress this invitation to the

truth, they would only be inviting the wrath of God, Who had so

completely routed and destroyed the people of the elephants.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #106



                             --------------

                              106. Quraish:

                             --------------



Name



The Sura has been so entitled after the word Quraish in the very first

verse.



Period of Revelation



Although Dahhak and Kalbi regard it as a Madani Sura, yet a great

majority of the commentators are agreed that it is Makki, and a

manifest evidence of this are the words Rabba hadh-al-Bait (Lord of

this House) of this Sura itself. Had it been revealed at Madinah, the

words "this House" for the Ka'bahcould not be relevant. Moreover, its

subject matter so closely relates to that of Sura Al-Filthat probably

it was revealed immediately after it, without any other Sura

intervening between them. On the basis of this very relevance, some of

the earliest scholars regard the two Suras as one entity. This view is

strengthened by the traditions which say that in the Quran copy

belonging to Hadrat Ubayy bin Ka'b these two were written as one Sura,

i. e. without the insertion of the Bismillah between them. Furthermore,

Hadrat Umar had once recited the two Suras as one in the Prayer. But

this view is not acceptable because in the Quran copy which Hadrat

Uthman (may Allah bless him) had got written down officially by the

cooperation of a large number of the Companions and sent to the

centres of Islamic lands, the Bismillah was written between these two

Suras, and since then these two have been written as separate Suras in

all the copies of the Quran everywhere in the world. Moreover, the

style of the two Suras is so different that they manifestly appear as

two separate Suras.



Historical Background



To understand the Sura well it is essential that one should keep the

historical background relevant to the contents of this Sura and of

Sura Al-Filin view. The tribe of Quraishwas scattered throughout Hijaz

until the time of Qusayy bin Kilab, the ancestor of the Holy Prophet

(upon whom be Allah's peace). First of all, Qusayy gathered it in

Makkah and this tribe was able to gain authority over the Ka'bah. On

that very basis Qusayy was called mujammi (uniter, assembler) by his

people. This man by his sagacity and wisdom founded a city state in

Makkah and made excellent arrangements for the welfare of the pilgrims

coming from all over Arabia, with the result that the Quraishwere able

to gain great influence among the Arabian tribes and lands. After

Qusayy the offices of the state of Makkah were divided between his

sons, Abdi Manaf and Abd ad-Dar, but of the two Abdi Manaf gained

greater fame even durng his father's lifetime and was held in high

esteem throughout Arabia. Abdi Manaf had four sons: Hashim, Abdi Shams,

Al-Muttalib, and Naufal. Of these Hashim, father of Abdul Muttalib and

grandfather of the Holy Prophet, first conceived the idea to take part

in the trade that passed between the eastern countries and Syria and

Egypt through Arabia, and also to purchase the necessities of life for

the Arabians so that the tribes living by the trade route bought these

from them and the merchants living in the interior of the country were

attracted to the,market of Makkah. This was the time when the Sasanian

kingdom of Iran had captured the international trade that was carried

out between the northern lands and the eastern countries and Byzantine

empire through the Persian Gulf. This had boosted up the trade

activity on the trade route leading from southern Arabia to Syria and

Egypt along the Red Sea coast. As against the other Arabian caravans,

the Quraishhad the advantage that the tribes on the route held them in

high esteem on account off their being keepers of the Ka'bah. They

stood indebted to them for the great generosity with which the

Quraishtreated them in the Hajj season. That is why tbe Quraishfelt no

fear that their caravans would be robbed or harmed any where on the

way. The tribes on the way did not even charge them the heavy transit

taxes that they demanded from the other caravans. Hashim taking

advantage of this prepared the trade scheme and made his three

brothers partners in it. Thus, Hashim obtained trade privileges from

the Ghassanide king of Syria, Abdi Shams from the Negus, Al-Muttalib

from the Yamanite nobles and Naufal from the governments of Iraq and

lran, and their trade began to flourish. That is how the four brothers

became famous as traders and began to be called ashab al-ilaf

(generators of love and affection) on account of their friendly

relations with the tribes and states of the surrounding lands. Because

of their business relations with Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Yaman and

Abyssinia, the Quraishcame across such opportunities and their direct

contact with the culture and civilization of different countries so

enhanced the level of their knowledge and wisdom that no tribe in

Arabia could match and equal them. As regards wealth and worldly goods

they became the most affluent tribe, and Makkah became the most

important commercial center of the Arabian peninsula. Another great

advantage that accured from these international relations was that

they brought from Iraq tile script which later was used for writin

down the Quran. No other Arabian tribe could boast of so many literate

people as Quraish. For these very reasons the Holy Prophet (upon whom

be peace) said: "Quraishare the leaders of men." (Mustiad Ahmad:

Marwiyat Amr bin al As). And according to a tradition from Hadrat Ali

in Baihaqi, the Holy Prophet said: "First the leadership of the

Arabians was in the hands of the people of Himyar, then Allah withdrew

it from them and gave it to Quraish" The Quraishwere thus prospering

and flourishing when the event of Abrahah's invasion of Makkah took

place. Had Abrahah at that time succeeded in taking this holy City and

destroying the Ka'bah, the glory and renown of not only the Quraishbut

of the Ka'bahitself, would have faded away, the belief of the pre-

Islamic Arabia that the House indeed was Allah's House would have been

shattered, and the high esteem in which Quraishwere held for being

keepers of the House throughout the country would have been tarnished.

Then, after the Abyssinian advance to Makkah, the Byzantium also would

have taken the initiative to gain control over the trade route between

Syria and Makkah: and the Quraishwould have been reduced to a plight

worse than that in which they were involved before Qusayy bin Kilab.

But when Allah showed this manifestation of His power that the swarms

of birds destroyed 60,000 Abyssinian troops brought by Abrahah by

pelting then, with stones, and from Makkah to Yaman they went on

falling and dying by the wayside, the faith of the Arabs that the

Ka'bahindeed was Allah's House increased manifold, and the glory and

renown of Quraishtoo was enhanced considerably throughout the country.

Now the Arabs were convinced that they were under Allah's special

favour; therefore, they visited every part of Arabia fearlessly and

passed through every land with their trade caravans unharmed. No one

could dare touch them with an evil intention. Not to speak of touching

them, even if they had a non-Quraishite under their protection, he too

was allowed to pass unharmed.



Theme and Substance



As all this was well kown in the time of the Holy Prophet's

appointment to Prophethood, there was no need to mention them. That is

why in the four brief sentences of this Sura, Quraishwere simply asked

to consider:"When you yourselves acknowledge this House (i. e. the

Ka'bah) to be Allah's House, and not of the idols, and when you fully

well know that it is Allah alone Who has granted you peace by virtue

of this House, made your trade and commerce flourish and saving you

from destitution favoured you with prosperity you should then worship

and serve Him alone!"







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #107



                              -------------

                              107. Ma'uun:

                              -------------



Name



The Sura has been so designated after the word al-maun occurring at

the end of the last verse.



Period of Revelation



Ibn Marduyah has cited Ibn Abbas (may Allah bless them both) as saying

that this Sura is Makki, and the same also is the view of Ata and

Jabir. But Abu Hayyan in Al-Bahr al-Muhit has cited Ibn Abbas, Qatadah

and Dahhak as saying that this Sura was revealed at Madinah. In our

opinion there is an internal piece of evidence in the Sura itself

which points to its being a Madani Revelation. It holds out a threat

of destruction to those praying ones who are unmindful of their

Prayers and who pray only to be seen. This kind of hypocrites were

found only at Madinah, for it was there that Islam and the Muslims

gained such strength that Islam and the Muslims gained such strength

that many people were compelled to believe from expedience, had to

visit the Mosque, join the congregational Prayer and prayed only to be

seen of others, so as to be counted among Muslims. Contrary to this is,

at Makkah concditions were altogether different. No one had to pray to

be seen. There it was difficult even for the believers to pray in

congregation; they prayed secretly and if a person prayed openly he

did so only at the risk of his life. This kind of hypocrites found in

Makkah did not comprise those who believed and Prayed to be seen but

those who in their hearts had know, and acknowledged the Holy

Messenger of Allah (upon whom be peace) to be on the true path, but

were avoiding to accept Islam in order to maintain their Position of

leadership and authority, or were not prepared to take the risk of

being afflicted with the kind of hardships with which they found the

believers afflicted in the society around them. This condition of the

hypocrites at Makkah has been described in vv. 10-11 of Sura Al-

Ankabut.



Theme and Subject Matter



Its theme is to point out what kind of morals a man develops when he

refuses to believe in the Hereafter. Invv 2-3 the condition of the

disbelievers who openly belie the Hereafter has been described, and in

the last four verses the state of those hypocrites who apparently are

Muslims but have no idea of the Hereafter, its judgement, and the

meting out of rewards and punishiments accordingly has been described.

On the whole, tie object of depicting the attitude and conduct of two

kinds of people is to impress the point that man cannot develop a

strong, stable and pure character in himself unless he believes in the

Hereafter







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #108



                             --------------

                              108. Kauthar:

                             --------------



Name



The Sura has been so designated after the word al-kauthar occurring in

the first verse.



Period of Revelation



Ibn Marduyah has cited Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas, Hadrat Abdullah bin

az-Zubair and Hadrat Aishah as saying that this Sura is Makki. Kalbi

and Muqatil also regard it as Makki, and the same is the view held by

the majority of commentators. But Hadrat Hasan Basri, Ikrimah, Mujahid

and Qatadah regard it as Madani. Imam Suyuti in Al-Itqan has confirmed

this same view, and Imam Nawawi in his commentary of the Sahih of

Muslim has also preferred the same. The reason for this assumption is

the tradition which traditionists of the rank of Imam Ahmad, Muslim,

Abu Daud, Nasai, Ibn Abi Shaibah, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Marduyah,

Baihaqi and others have related from Hadrat Anas bin Malik, saying:

"The Holy Prophet was among us. In the meantime he dozed; then he

raised his head, smiling, according to some traditions, the people

asked what for he was smiling, according to others, he himself told

them that a Sura had just been revealed to him. Then, with Bismillah

ir-Rahman ir-Rahim, he recited Sura Al-Kauthar; then he asked the

people whether they knew what Kauthar was. When they said that Allah

and his Messenger had the best knowledge, he said; It is a river which

my Lord has granted me in Paradise." (The details follow under

"Kauthar"). The basis of the reasoning from this tradition for this

Sura's being Madani is that Hadrat Anas belonged to Madinah, and his

saying that this Sura was revealed in his presence is a proof that it

was Madani. But, in the first place, from this same Hadrat Anas, Imam

Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Da'ud, Tirmidhi and Ibn Jarir have related

the traditions which say that this river of Paradise (Al-Kauthar) had

been shown to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) on the occasion of

the miraj (ascension) and everyone knows that miraj had taken place at

Makkah before the hijrah. Secondly, when during the miraj the Holy

Prophet had not only been informed of this gift of Allah Almighty but

also shown it, there was no reason why Sura Al-Kauthar should have be

revealed at Madinah to give him the good news of it. Thirdly, if in an

assembly of the Companions the Holy Prophet himself had given the news

of the revelation of Sura Al-Kauthar which Hadrat Anas has mentioned

in his tradition, and it meant that that Sura had been revealed for

the first time then, it was not possible that well-informed

Conipanions like Hadrat Aishah, Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas and Hadrat

Abdullah bin Zubair should have declared this Sura to be a Makki

revelation and most of the commentators also should have regarded it

as Makki. If the matter is considered carefully, there appears to be a

flaw in the tradition from Hadrat Anas in that it does not say what

was the subject under discussion in the assembly in which the Holy

Prophet gave the news about Sura Al-Kauthar. It is possible that at

that time the Holy Prophet was explaining something. In the meantime

he was informed by revelation that that point was further explained by

Sura Al-Kauthar, and he mentioned the same thing, saying that that

Sura was revealed to him just then. Such incidents did take place on

several occasions, on the basis of which the commentators have opined

about certain verses that they were revealed twice. This second

revelation, in fact, meant that the verse had been revealed earlier,

but on some later occasion the Holy Prophet's attention was invited to

it by revelation for the second time. In such traditions, the mention

of the revelation of a certain verse is not enough to decide whether

it was revealed at Makkah or Madinah, and when precisely it was

revealed. Had this tradition of Hadrat Anas not been there to cause

doubt, the whole content of the Sura Al- Kauthar by itself bears

evidence that it was revealed at Makkah, and in the period when the

Holy Prophet was passing through extremely discouraging conditions.



Historical Background



Before this in Suras Ad-Duhaand AlamNashrahwe have seen that when in

the earliest phase of Prophethood the Holy Prophet (upon whom be

peace) was passing through the most trying conditions when the whole

nation had turned hostile, there was resistance and opposition on

every side, and the Holy Prophet and a handful of his Companions did

not see any remote chance of success. Allah in order to console and

encourage him at that time had sent down several verses. In Sura Ad-

Duhait was said: "And surely the later period (i. e. every later

period) is better for you than the former period, and soon your Lord

shall give you so much that you shall be well pleased". In Sura

AlamNashrah: "And We exalted your renown for you."That is, "Though the

enemies are trying to defame you throughout the country, We, on the

contrary, have arranged to exalt your name and fame."And: "The fact is

that along with every hardship there is also ease."That is, "You

should not be disheartened by the severity of conditions at this time;

this period of hardships will soon pass, and the period of success and

victory will follow." Such were the conditions in which Allah by

sending down Sura Al-Kauthar consoled the Holy Prophet as well as

foretold the destruction of his opponents. The disbelieving

Quraishsaid: "Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) is cut off from

his community and reduced to a powerless and helpless individual.

According to Ikrimah when the Holy Prophet was appointed a Prophet,

and he began to call the people to Islam, the Quraish said: "Muhammad

(upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) is cut off from his people

as a tree is cut off from its root, which might fall to the ground any

moment." (Ibn Jarir). Muhammad bin Ishaq says: "Whenever the Prophet

(upon whom be peace) was mentioned before As bin Wa'il as-Sehmi, the

chief of Makkah, he used to say: Let him alone for he is only a

childless man (abtar) with no male offspring. When he dies, there will

be no one to remember him." Shamir bin Atiyyah says that Uqbah bin Abi

Mu'ait, also used to say similar things about the Holy Prophet, (Ibn

Jarir). According to Ibn Abbas, once Ka'b bin Ashraf (the Jewish chief

of Madinah) came to Makkah and the Quraish chiefs said to him: "Just

see this boy, who is cut off from his people; he thinks he is superior

to us, whereas we manage the Hajj, look after the Ka'bah and water the

pilgrims." (Bazzar). Concerning this very incident Ikrimah reports

that the Quraishad used the words as-sunbur al-munbatir min qaumi-hi

(a weak, helpless and childless man who is cut off from his people)

for the Holy Prophet. (Ibn Jarir) Ibn Sa'd and lbn Asakir have related

that Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas said; "The eldest son of the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace) was Qasim; next to him was Zainab, next

to her Hadrat Abdullah and next to him three daughters, viz. Umm

Kulthum, Fatimah and Ruqayyah. Of them first Hadrat Qasim died and

then Hadrat Abdullah. Thereupon As bin Wail said: "His line has come

to an end: now he is abtar (i. e. cut of from root)."Some traditions

add that As said "Muhammad is abtar: he has no son to succeed him.

When he dies, his memory will perish and you will be rid of him."The

tradition from Ibn Abbas, which Abd bin Humaid has related, shows that

Abu Jahl also had said similar words on the death of the Holy

Prophet's son, Abdullah. Ibn Abi Hatim has related on the authority of

Shmir bin Atiyyah that the same kind of meanness was shown by Uqbah

bin Abi Mu'ait by rejoicing at this bereavement of the Holy Prophet.

Ata says that when the second son of the Holy Prophet died, his own

uncle, Abu Lahab (whose house was next to his) hastened to the pagans

and gave them the "good news": Batira Muhammadun al-lail:"Muhammad has

become childless this night, or he is cut off from root:", Such were

the disturbing conditions under which Sura Al-Kauthar was sent down.

The Quraishwere angry with him because he worshipped and served only

Allah and repudiated their idolatry publicly. For this very reason he

was deprived of the rank, esteem and honour that he enjoyed among his

people before Prophethood and was now as cut off from his community.

The handful of his Companions also were helpless, poor people who were

being persecuted and tyrannized. Futhermore, he was bereaved by the

death of two sons, one after the other, whereat the near relatives and

the people of his clan, brotherhood and neighbourhood were rejoicing

and uttering such words as were disheartening and disturbing for a

noble person who had treated even his enemies most kindly. At this

Allah just in one sentence of this brief Sura gave him the good news,

better news than which has never been given to any man in the world,

besides the decision that it will be his opponents who will be cut off

from their root and not he.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #109



                            ----------------

                             109. Kaafiroon:

                            ----------------



Name



The Sura takes its name from the word al-kafirun occurring in the

first verse.



Period of Revelation



Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud, Hadrat Hasan Basri and Ikrimah, say that

this Sura, is Makki, while Hadrat Abdullah bin Zubair says that it is

Madani. Two different views have been reported from Hadrat Abdullah

bin Abbas and Qatadah, first that it is Makki, and second that it is

Madani. However, according to the majority of commentators, it is a

Makki Sura, and its subject- matter itself points to its being a Makki

revelation.



Historical Background



There was a time in Makkah when although a storm of opposition had

arisen in the pagan society of Quraishagainst the message of Islam

preached by the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace), yet the

Quraishchiefs hall not yet lost hope that they would reach some sort

of a compromise with him. Therefore, from time to time they would

visit him with different proposals of compromise so that he accepted

one of them and the dispute between them was brought to an end. In

this connection, different traditions have heen related in the Hadith.

According to Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas, the Quraishproposed to the

Holy Prophet; "We shall give you so much of wealth that you will

become the richest man of Makkah; we shall give you whichever woman

you like in marriage; we are prepared to follow and obey you as our

leader, only on the condition that you will not speak ill of our gods.

If you do not agree to this, we present another proposal which is to

your as well as to our advantage."When the Holy Prophet asked what it

was, they said that if he would worship their gods, Lat and Uzza, for

a year, they would worship his God for the same space of time. The

Holy Prophet said: "Wait awhile; let me see what my Lord commands in

this regard."Thereupon the revelation came down: Qul ya-ayyuhal-

kafirun... and: Qul afa-ghair Allahi...(Az-Zumar: 64): "Say to them:

ignorant people do you bid me to worship others than Allah?" (lbn

Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim, Tabarani). According to another tradition from

Ibn Abbas, the Quraishsaid to the Holy Prophet: "O Muhammad, if you

kiss our gods, the idols, we shall worship your God."Thereupon, this

Sura was sent down. (Abd bin Humaid). Said bin Mina (the freed slave

of Abul Bakhtari) has related that Walid bin Mughirah, As bin Wail,

Aswad bin al-Muttalib and Umayyah bin Khalaf met the Holy Prophet

(upon whom be peace) and said to him:"O Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's

peace and blessings), let us agree that we would worship your God and

you would worship our gods, and we would make you a partner in all our

works. If what you have brought was better than what we possess, we

would be partners in it with You, and have our share in it, and if

what we possess is better than what you have brought, you would be

partner in it with us and have your share of it."At this Allah sent

down: Qul ya-ayyuhal-kafirun (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Hisham

also has related this incident in the Sirah). Wahb bin Munabbih has

related that the people of Quraishsaid to Allah's' Messenger: "If you

like we would enter your faith for a year and you would enter our

faith for a year."(Abd bin Humaid, Ibn Abi Hatim). These traditions

show that the Quraishhad proposed such things to the Holy Prophet not

once, in one sitting, but at different times and on different

occasions; and there was need that they should be given a definite,

decisive reply so that their hope that he would come to terms with

them on the principle of "give and take" was frustrated for ever.



Theme and Subject Matter



If the Sura is read with this background in mind, one finds that it

was not revealed to preach religious tolerance as some people of today

seem to think, but it was revealed in order to exonerate the Muslims

from the disbelievers religion, their rites of worship, and their gods,

and to express their total disgust and unconcern with them and to tell

them that Islam and kufr (unbelief) had nothing in common and there

was no possibility of their being combined and mixed into one entity.

Although it was addressed in the beginning to the disbelieving

Quraishin response to their proposals of compromise, yet it is not

confined to them only, but having made it a part of the Quran, Allah

gave the Muslims the eternal teaching that they should exonerate

themselves by word and deed from the creed of kufr wherever and in

whatever fomn it be, and should declare without any reservation that

they cannot make any compromise with the disbelievers in the matter of

Faith. That is why this Sura continued to be recited when the people

to whom it was addressed as a rejoinder, had died and been forgotten,

and those Muslims also continued to recite it who were disbelievers at

the time it was revealed, and the Muslims still recite it centuries

after they have passed away, for expression of disgust with and

dissociation from kufr and its rites is a perpetual demand of Faith.

As for the esteem in which the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) held

this Sura, it can be judged from the following few ahadith: Hadrat

Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) has related that on

many an occasion he heard the Holy Prophet recite Suras Qul Ya-

ayyuhal- kafirun and Qul Huwu-Allahu ahad in the two rakahs before the

Fajr obligatory Prayer and in the two rakahs after the Maghrib

obligatory Prayer. Several traditions on this subject with a little

variation in wording have been related by Imam Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Nasai,

Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban, Ibn Marduyah from Ibn Umar. Hadrat Khabbab

says: "The Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) said to me: when you lie

down in bed to sleep, recite Qul ya-ayyuhal kafirun, and this was the

Holy Prophet's own practice also; when he lay down to sleep, he

recited this Sura." (Bazzar, Tabarani, Ibn Marduyah). According to Ibn

Abbas, the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) said to the people:

"Should I tell you the word which will protect you from polytheism?It

is that you should recite Qul ya-ayyuhal kafirun when you go to

bed."(Abu Ya'la, Tabarani). Hadrat Anas says that the Holy Prophet

said to Hadrat Mu'adh bin Jabal; "Recite Qul ya-ayyuhal-kafirun at the

time you go to bed, for this is immunity from polytheism." (Baihaqi in

Ash-Shu'ab). Both Fardah bin Naufal and Abdur Rahman bin Naufal have

stated that their father, Naufal bin Muawiyah al-Ashjai, said to the

Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace):"Teach me something which I may

recite at the time I go to bed."The Holy Prophet replied: "Recite Qul

ya-ayyuhal kafirun to the end and then sleep, for this is immunity

from polytheism." (Musnad Ahmad, Aba Da'ud, Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Abi

Shaibah, Hakim, Ibn Marduyah, Baihaqi in Ash-Shuab). A similar request

was made by Hadrat Jabalah bin Harithah, brother of Hadrat Said bin

Harithah, to the Holy Prophet and to him also he gave the same reply.

(Musnad Ahmad, Tabarani).







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #110



                               -----------

                               110. Nasr:

                               -----------



Name



The Sura takes its name from the word nasr occurring in the first

verse.



Period of Revelation



Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas states that this is the last Sura of the

Quran to be revealed, i. e. no complete Sura was sent down to the Holy

Prophet after it. (Muslim Nasai, Tabarani, Ibn Abi Shaibah, Ibn

Marduyah). According to Hadrat Abdullah bin Umar, this Sura was sent

down on the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage in the middle of the

Tashriq Days at Mina, and after it the Holy Prophet rode his she camel

and gave his well known Sermon. (Tirmidhi, Bazzar, Baihaqi, Ibn Abi

Shaibah, Abd bin Humaid, Abn Yala, Ibn Marduyah). Baihaqi in Kilab al-

Hajj has related from the tradition of Hadrat Sarra bint-Nabhan the

Sermon which the Holy Prophet gave on this occasion. She says: "At the

Farewell Pilgrimage I heard the Holy Prophet say: O people, do you

know what day it is? They said: Allah and His Messenger have the best

knowledge. He said: This is the middle day of the Tashriq Days. Then

he said: Do you know what place it is?They said: Allah and His

Messenger have the best knowledge. He said: This is Masharil-Haram.

Then he said: I do not know, I might not meet you here again. Beware,

your bloods and your honours are forbidden, until you appear before

your Lord, and He questions you about your deeds. Listen: let the one

who is near convey it to him who is far away. Listen: have I conveyed

the message to you?Then, when we returned to Madinah, the Holy Prophet

passed away not many days after that." If both these traditions are

read together, it appears that there was an interval of three months

and some days between the revelation of Sura An-Nasr and the Holy

Prophet's death, for historically the same was the interval between

the Farewell Pilgrimage and the passing away of the Holy Prophet. Ibn

Abbas says that when this Sura was revealed, the Holy Prophet said

that he had been informed of his death and his time had approached.

(Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Marduyah). In the other

traditions related from Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas, it has been stated

that at the revelation of this Sura the Holy Prophet understood that

he had been informed of his departure from the worId.(Musnad Ahmad,

Ibn Jarir, Tabarani, Nasai, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Marduyah). Mother of

the Believers, Hadrat Umm Habibah, says that when this Sura was

revealed the Holy Prophet said that he would leave the world that year.

Hearing this Hadrat Fatimah wept. Thereat he said: "From among my

family you will be the first to join me."Hearing this she laughed.(Ibn

Abi Hatim, Ibn Marduyah). A tradition containing almost the same theme

has been related by Baihaqi from Ibn Abbas. Ibn Abbas says: "Hadrat

Umar used to invite me to sit in his assembly along with some of the

important elderly Companions who had fought at Badr. This was not

liked by some of them. They complained that they also had sons who

were like the boy. Why then was he in particular invited to sit in the

assembly? (Imam Bukhari and Ibn Jarir have pointed out that such a

thing was said by Hadrat Abdur Rahman bin Auf). Hadrat Umar said that

the boy enjoyed the position and distinction because of his knowledge.

Then one day he invited the Companions of Badrand called me also to

sit with them. I understood that he had invited me to the assembly to

prove his contention. During the conversation Hadrat Umar asked the

Companions of Badr: "What do you say about Idha jaa nasrullahi wal-

fath?"Some said: "In it we have been enjoined to praise Allah and ask

for His forgiveness when His succour comes and we attain victory."Some

others said that it implied the conquest of cities and forts. Some

kept quiet. Then Hadrat Umar said: "Ibn Abbas, do you also say the

same?"I said no. He asked: "What then is your view?"I submitted that

it implied the last hour of Allah's Messenger (upon whom be peace); in

it he was informed `that when Allah's succour came and victory was

attained, it would be a sign that his hour had come; therefore, he,

should praise Allah and ask for His forgiveness. Thereat Hadrat Umar

said "I know nought but what you have said."In another tradition there

is the addition that, Hadrat Umar said to the Companions: "How can you

blame me when you yourselves have seen why I invite this boy to join

the assembly?" (Bukhari, Musnad Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Jarir, Ibn

Marduyah, Baghawi, Baihaqi, Ibn al-Mundhir).



Theme and Subject Matter



As is shown by the above traditions, Allah in this Sura had informed

His Messenger (upon whom be peace) that when Islam attained complete

victory in Arabia and the people started entering Allah's religion in

great numbers, it would mean that the mission for which he had been

sent to the world, had been fulfilled. Then, he was enjoined to busy

himself in praising and glorifying Allah by Whose bounty he had been

able to accomplish such a great task, and should implore Him to

forgive whatever failings and frailties he might have shown in the

performance of the service. Here, by a little consideration one can

easily see the great difference that there is between a Prophet and a

common worldly leader. If a worldly leader in his own lifetime is able

to bring about a revolution, which has the aim and objective of his

struggle, this would be an occasion for exultation for him. But here

we witness quite another phenomenon. The Messenger of Allah in a brief

space of 23 years revolutionized an entire nation as regards its

beliefs, thoughts, customs, morals, civilization, ways of living,

economy, politics and fighting ability, and raising it from ignorance

and barbarism enabled it to conquer the world and become leader of

nations; yet when he had accomplished this unique task, he was not

enjoined to celebrate it but to glorify and praise Allah and to pray

for His forgiveness, and he busied himself humbly the implementation

of that command. Hadrat Aishah says: "The Holy Messenger (upon whom be

peace) often used to recite Subhanak-Allahumma wa bi-hamdika

astaghfiruka wa atubu ilaika (according to some other traditions,

Subhan Allahi wa bi hamdi-hi as- taghfirullaha wa atubu ilaihi) before

liis death. I asked: O Messenger of Allah, what are these words that

you have started reciting now?He replied: A sign has been appointed

for me so that when I see it, I should recite these words, and it is:

Idha jaa nasrullahi wal-fathu." (Musnad Ahmad, Muslim, Ibn Jarir, lbn

al-Mundhir, Ibn Marduyah). In some other traditions on the same

subject Hadrat Aishah has reported that the Holy Prophet often recited

the following words in his ruku and sajdah: Subhanak-Allahumma wa-bi

hamdika, Allahumma- aghfirli. This was the interpretation of the Quran

(i. e. of Sura An-Nasr) that he had made.(Bukhari, Muslim Abu Daud,

Nasai, Ibn Majah, Ibn Jarir). Hadrat Urnm Salamah says that the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace) during his last days very often recited

the following words sitting and standing, going out of the house and

coming back to it:Subhan Allahi wa-bi hamdi-hi. I one day asked: "Why

do you recite these words so often? O Messenger of Allah". He replied:

I have been enjoined to do so. Then he recited this Sura." (Ibn Jarir).

According to Hadrat Abdullah bin Masud, when this Sura was revealed,

the Messenger of Allah (upon whom be peace) frequently began to recite

the words Subhanak-Allahumma wa bi-hamdika, Allahumm-aghfirli,

subhanaka Rabbana wa bi-hamdika, Allahumm-aghfirli, innaka anta at-

Tawwab al-Ghafur.(Ibn Jarir, Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Abi Hatim). Ibn Abbas

has stated that after the revelation of this Sura the Holy Messenger

(upon whom be peace) began to labour so intensively and devotedly hard

for the Hereafter as he had never done before.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #111



                              ------------

                               111. Lahab:

                              ------------



Name



The Sura takes its name from thc word Lahab in the first verse.



Period of Revelation



Although the commentators have not disputed its being a Makki Sura,

yet it is difficult to determine in which phase of the life at Makkah

precisely it was revealed. However, in view of Abu Lahab's role and

conduct against the Holy Prophet's message of Truth, it can be assumed

that it must have been revealed in the period when he had transgressed

all limits in his mad hostility to him, and his attitude was becoming

a serious obstruction in the progress of Islam. It may well have been

revealed in the period when the Quraishhad boycotted the Holy Prophet

(upon whom be peace) together with the people of his clan and besieged

them in Shi'b Abi Talib, and Abu Lahab was the only person to join

with the enemies against his own relatives. The basis of this

assumption is that Abu Lahab was the Holy Prophet's uncle, and public

condemnation of the uncle by the tongue of the nephew could not be

proper until the extreme excesses committed by the uncle had become

visible to everyone. If the Sura had been revealed before this, in the

very beginning, the people would have regarded it as morally

discourteous that the nephew should so condemn the uncle.



Background



This is the only place in the Quran where a person from among the

enemies of Islam has been condemned by name, whereas in Makkah as well

as in Madinah, after the migration, there were many people who were in

no way less inimical to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be

Allah's peace and blessings) than Abu Lahab. The question is, what was

the special trait of the character of this person, which became the

basis of this condemnation by name?To understand that it is necessary

that one should understand the Arabian society of that time and the

role that Abu Lahab played in it. In ancient days since there

prevailed chaos and confusion, bloodshed and plunder throughout Arabia,

and the condition since centuries was that a person could have no

guarantee of the protection of life, honour and property except with

the help and support of his clansmen and blood relations, therefore

silah rehmi (good treatment of the kindred) was esteemed most highly

among the moral values of the Arabian society and breaking off of

connections with the kindred was regarded as a great sin. Under, the

influence of the same Arabian tradition when the Holy Prophet (upon

whom be peace) began to preach the message of Islam, the other clans

of Quraishand their chiefs resisted and opposed him tooth and nail,

but the Bani Hashim and the Bani al-Muttalib (children of al-Muttalib,

brother of Hashim) not only did not oppose him but continued to

support him openly, although most, of them had not yet believed in his

Prophethood. The other clans of Quraishthemselves regarded this

support by the blood relations of the Holy Prophet as perfectly in

accordance with the moral traditions of Arabia. That is why they never

taunted the Bani Hashim and the Bani al-Muttalib in that they had

abandoned their ancestral faith by supporting a person who was

preaching a new faith. They knew and believed that they could in no

case hand over an individual of their clan to his enemies, and their

support and aid of a clansman was perfectly natural in the sight of

the Quraishand the people of Arabia. This moral principle, which the

Arabs even in the pre-Islamic days of ignorance, regarded as worthy of

respect and inviolable was broken only by one man in his enmity of

Islam, and that was Abu Lahab, son of Abdul Muttalib. He was an uncle

of the Holy Prophet, whose father and he were sons of the same father.

In Arabia, an uncle represented the father especially when the nephew

was fatherless. The uncle was expected to look after the nephew as one

of his own children. But this man in his hostility to Islam and love

of kufr trampled all the Arab traditions under foot. The traditionists

have related from Ibn Abbas with several chains of transmitters the

tradition that when the Holy Prophet was commanded to present the

message of Islam openly, and he was instructed in the Quran to warn

first of all his nearest kinsfolk of the punishment of God, he

ascended the Mount, Safa one morning and called out aloud: Ya sabahah

(O, the calamity of the morning!). This alarm in Arabia was raised by

the person who noticed early at dawn an enemy tribe advancing against

his tribe. When the Holy Messenger made this call, the people enquired

as to who had made the cail. They were told that it was Muhammad (upon

whom be Allah's peace). Thereat the people of all the clans of

Quraishrushed out. Everyone who could, came; he who could not, sent

another one for himself. When the People had assembled, the Holy

Messenger calling out each clan by name, viz. O Bani Hashim, O Bani

Abdul Muttalib, O Bani Fihr, O Bani so and so, said: "If I were to

tell you that behind the hill there was an enemy host ready to fall

upon you, would you believe me?"The people responded with one voice,

saying that they never had so far experienced a lie from him. The Holy

Prophet said: "Then I warn you that you are heading for a torment."

Thereupon, before anyone else could speak, Abu Lahab, the Holy

Prophet's uncle, said: "May you perish!Did you summon us for

this?"Another tradition adds that he picked up a stone to throw at the

Holy Prophet. (Musnad Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ibn Jarir, and

others). According to Ibn Zaid, one day Abu Lahab asked the Holy

Prophet: "lf I were to accept your religion, what would I get?" The

Holy Prophet replied: "You would get what the other believers would

get." He said: "Is there no preference or distinction for me?" The

Holy Prophet replied: "What else do you want?" Thereupon he said: "May

this religion perish in which I and all other people should be equal

and alike!" (Ibn Jarir). In Makkah Abu Lahab was the next door

neighbour of the Holy Prophet. Their houses were separated by a wall.

Besides him, Hakam bin As (Father of Marwan), Uqbah bin Abi Muait, Adi

bin Hamra and Ibn al-Asda il-Hudhali also were his neighbours. These

people did not allow him to have peace even in his own house.

Sometimes when he was performing the Prayer, they would place the

goat's stomach on him; sometimes when food was being cooked in the

courtyard, they would throw filth at the cooking pot. The Holy Prophet

would come out and say: "O Bani Abdi Manaf, what kind of

neighbourliness is it?"Abu Lahab's wife, Umm Jamil (Abu Sufyan's

sister), had made it a practice to cast thorns at his door in the

night so that when he or his children came out of the house at dawn,

they should run thorns in the foot. (Baihaqi, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Jarir,

Ibn Asakir, Ibn Hisham). Before the proclamation of Prophethood, two

of the Holy Prophet's daughters were married to two of Abu Lahab's

sons, Utbah and Utaibah. After his call when the Holy Prophet began to

invite the people to Islam, Abu Lahab said to both his sons:"I would

forbid myself seeing and meeting you until you divorced the daughters

of Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings)."So, both of

them divorced their, wives. Utaibah in particular became so nasty in

his spitefulness that one day he came before the Holy Prophet and

said: "I repudiate An-najmi idha hawa and Alladhi dana fatadalla" and

then he spat at him, but his spittal did not fall on him. The Holy

Prophet prayed: "O God, subject him to the power of a dog from among

Your dogs."Afterwards, Utaibah accompanied his father in his journey

to Syria. During the journey the caravan halted at a place which,

according to local people, was visited by wild beasts at night. Abu

Lahab told his companions, the Quraish: "Make full arrangements for

the protection of my son, for I fear the curse invoked by Muhammad

(upon whom be Allah's peace) on him." Accordingly, the people made

their camels sit all around Utaibah and went to sleep. At night a

tiger came which crossed the circle of the camels and devoured Utaibah

tearing him to pieces. (Ibn Abdul Barr: Al-Istiab; Ibn Hajar: Al-

Isabah; Abu Nuaim al-Isfahani: Dalail an-Nubuwwat; As-Suhaili: Raud

al-Unuf. Here there is a difference of opinion. Some reporters say

that the divorce took place after the Holy Prophet's proclamation of

Prophethood and some say that it took place after the revelation of

Tabbat yada Abi Lahab. There is also a difference of opinion about

whether Abu Lahab's this son was Utbah or Utaibah. But this much is

confirmed that after the conquest of Makkah, Utbah embraced Islam and

took the oath of allegiance at the Holy Prophet's hand. Therefore, the

correct view is that it was Utaibah). Abu Lahab's wickedness can be

judged from the fact that when after the death of the Holy Prophet's

son Hadrat Qasim, his second son, Hadrat Abdullah, also died, this man

instead of condoning with his nephew in his bereavement, hastened to

the Quraishchiefs joyfully to give them the news that Muhammad (upon

whom be Allah's peace and blessings) had become childless that night.

This we have already related in the commentary of Sura Al-Kauthar.

Wherever the Holy Prophet went to preach his message of Islam, this

man followed him and forbade the people to listen to him. Rabiah bin

Abbad ad- Dill has related:"I was a young boy when I accompanied my

father to the face of Dhul-Majaz. There I saw the Holy Messenger (may

peace be upon him) who was exhorting the people, saying: 'O people,

say: there is no deity but Allah, you will attain success.'Following

behind him I saw a man, who was telling the people; `This fellow is a

liar: he has gone astray from his ancestral faith.' I asked; who is

he?The people replied: He is his uncle, Abu Lahab." (Musnad Ahmad,

Baihaqi). Another tradition from Hadrat Rabiah is to the effect; "I

saw that the Holy Prophet went to the halting place of each tribe and

said: `O children of so and so, I have been appointed Allah's

Messenger to you. I exhort you to worship only Allah and to associate

none with Him. So, affirm faith in me and join me so that I may fulfil

the mission for which I have been sent.'Following close behind him

there was a man who was saying: `O children of so and so, he is

leading you astray from Lat and Uzza and inviting you to the religion

of error and innovation which he has brought. Do not at all listen to

what he says and do not follow him.' I asked my father: who is he?He

replied: he is his uncle, Abu Lahab." (Musnad Ahmad, Tabarani). Tariq

bin Abdullah al-Muharibi's tradition is similar. He says: "I saw in

the fare of Dhul-Majaz that the Holy Messenger (upon whom be peace)

was exhorting the people, saying: `O people, say La ilaha ill-Allah,

you will attain success', and behind him there was a man who was

casting stones at him, until his heels bled, and he was telling the

people: 'Do not listen to him, he is a liar.' I asked the people who

he was. They said he was his uncle, Abu Lahab." (Tirmidhi). In the 7th

year of Prophethood, when all the clans of Quraishboycotted the Bani

Hashim and the Bani al- Muttalib socially and economically, and both

these clans remaining steadfast to the Holy Prophet's support, were

besieged in Shib Abi Talib, Abu Lahab was the only person, who sided

with the disbelieving Quraishagainst his own clan. This boycott

continued for three years, so much so that the Bani Hashim and the

Bani al- Muttalib began to starve. This, however, did not move Abu

Lahab. When a trade caravan came to Makkah and a besieged person from

Shib Abi Talib approached it to buy some article of food, Abu Lahab

would shout out to the merchants to demand a forbidding price, telling

them that he would make up for any loss that they incurred. Thus, they

would demand exorbitant rates and the poor customer had to return

empty handed to his starving children. Then Abu Lahab would purchase

the same articles from them at the market rates. (Ibn Sa'd, Ibn

Hisham). On account of these very misdeeds this man was condemned in

this Sura by name, and there was a special need for it. When the Holy

Prophet's own uncle followed and opposed him before the Arabs who came

for hajjfrom outside Makkah, or gathered together in the fares held at

different places, they regarded it as against the established

traditions of Arabia that an uncle should run down his nephew without

a reason, should pelt stones at him and bring false accusations

against him publicly. They were, therefore, influenced by what Aba

Lahab said and were involved in doubt about the Holy Prophet (upon

whom be peace). But when this, Sura was revealed, and Abu Lahab,

filled with rage, started uttering nonsense, the people realized that

what he said in opposition to the Holy Prophet was not at all reliable,

for he said all that in his mad hostility to his nephew. Besides, when

his uncle was condemned by name, the people's expectation that the

Holy Messenger (upon whom be peace) could treat some relative

leniently in the matter of religion was frustrated for ever. When the

Holy Messenger's own uncle was taken to task publicly the people

understood that there was no room for preference or partiality in

their faith. A non-relative could become a near and dear one if he

believed, and a near relation a non-relative if he disbelieved. Thus,

there is no place for the ties of blood in religion.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #112



                             --------------

                              112. Ikhlaas:

                             --------------



Name



Al-Ikhlas is not merely the name of this Sura but also the title of

its contents, for it deals exclusively with Tauhid. The other Suras of

the Quran generally have been designated after a word occurring in

them, but in this Sura the word Ikhlas has ccurred nowhere. It has

been given this name in view of its meaning and subject matter.

Whoever understands it and believes in its teaching, will get rid of

shirk(polytheism) completely.



Period of Revelation



Whether it is a Makki or a Madani Sura is disputed, and the difference

of opinion has been caused by the traditions which have been related

concerning the occasion of its revelation. We give them below ad

seriatum: (1) Hadrat Abdullah bin Masud has reported that the

Quraishsaid to the Holy Prophed (upon whom be be peace): "Tell us of

the ancestry of your Lord."Thereupon this Sura was sent down.

(Tabarani). (2) Abul Aliyah has related on the authority of Hadrat

Ubayy bin Kab that the polytheists said to the Holy Prophet (upon whom

be peace): Tell us of your Lord's ancestry."Thereupon Allah sent down

this Sura. (Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Abi Harim, Ibn Jarir, Tirmidhi, Bukhari

in At-Tarikh, Ibn al-Mundhir, Hakim, Baihaqi). Tirmidhi has related a

tradition on the same theme from Abul Aliyah, which does not contain

any reference to Hadrat Ubayy bin Kab, and has declared it to be more

authentic. (3) Hadrat Jabir bin Abdullah has stated that a bedouin

(according to other traditions, some people) said to the Holy Prophet

(upon whom be peace): "Tell us of your Lord's ancestry."Thereupon

Allah sent down this Sura.(Abu Yala, Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir,

Tabarani in Al-Ausat, Baihaqi, Abu Nuaim in Al-Hilyah). (4) Ikrimah

has related a tradition form Ibn Abbas, saying that a group of the

Jews, including Kab bin Ashraf, Huyayy bin Akhtab and other, came

before the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) and said: "O Muhammad

(upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings), tell us of the attributes

of your Lord, Who has sent you as a Prophet."Thereupon Allah sent down

this Sura. (Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Adi, Baihaqi in Al-Asma was-Sifat). In

addition to these, some other traditions also have been cited by Ibn

Taimiyyali in his commentary of Sura Al-Ikhlas, which are as follows;

(5) Hadrat Anas has stated that some Jews of Khaiber came before the

Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) and they said:"O Abul Qasim, Allah

created the angels from light, Adam from rotten clay, Iblis from the

flame of fire, the sky from smoke, and the earth from the foam of

water. Now tell us about your Lord (of what He is made)."The Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace) did not give any reply to this question.

Then Gabriel came and he said: "O Muhammad, say to them: Huwa Allahu

ahad." (6) Amir bin at-Tufail said to the Holy Prophet: "O Muhammad,

what do you call us to?"The Holy Prophet replied: "To Allah."Amir

said: "Then, tell us of what He is made, whether of gold, silver, or

iron?" Thereupon this sura was sent down. (7) Dahhak, Qatadah and

Muqatil have stated that some Jewish rabbis came before the Holy

Prophet, and they said: "O Muhammad, tell us what is your Lord like,

so that we may believe in you. Allah in the Torah has sent down His

description. Kindly tell us of what He is made, what is His sex,

whether He is made of gold, copper, brass, iron, or silver, and

whether He eats and drinks. Also tell us from whom He, has inherited

the world, and who will inherit it after Him." Thereupon Allah sent

down this Sura. (8) Ibn Abbas has reported that a deputation of the

Christians of Najran along with seven priests visited the Holy Prophet

upon whom be peace), and they said: "O Muhammad, tell us what is your

Lord like and of what substance He is made."The Holy Prophet replied:

"My Lord is not made from any substance: He is unique and exalted

above everything."Thereupon Allah sent down this Sura. These

traditiona show that different people on different occasions had

questioned the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) about the essence and

nature of the God to Whose service and worship he invited the people,

and on every occasion he recited by Allah's command this very Sura in

response. First of all, the pagans. of Quraishasked him this question

in Makkah, and in reply this Sura was sent down. Then, at Madinah,

sometimes the Christians, and sometimes the other people of Arabia,

asked him questions of this nature, and every time Allah inspired him

to recite this very Sura in answer to them. In each of these

traditions, it has been said that this Sura was revealed on this or

that occasion. From this one should not form the impression that all

these traditions are mutually contradictory. The fact is that whenever

there existed with the Holy Prophet a verse or a Sura previously

revealed in respect of a particular question or matter, and later the

same question was presented before him, flllah inspired hiin to recite

ilie saine verse or Sura to the people as it contained the answer to

their question. The reporters of Hadith describe the same thing,

saying: When such and such a question or matter was presented before

the Holy Prophet, such and such a verse or Sura was revealed. This has

also been described as repetition of revelation, i. e. the revelation

of a verse or Sura several times. Thus, the fact is that this Sura is

Makki, rather in view of its subject matter a Sura revealed in the

earliest period at Makkah, when detailed verses oF the Quran dealing

with the essence and attributes of Allah Almighty had not yet been

revealed, and the people hearing, the Holy Prophet's invitation to

Allah, wanted to know what was his Lord like to whose worship and

service he was calling them. Another proof of this Sura's being one of

the earliest Suras to be revealed is that when in Makkah Umayyah bin

Khalaf, the master of Hadrat Bilal, made him lie down on burning sand

and placed a heavy stone on his chest, Bilal used to cry "Ahad,

Ahad!"This word was derived from this very Sura.



Theme and Subject Matter



A little consideration of the traditions regarding the occasion of the

revelation of this Sura, shows what were the religious concepts of the

world at the time the Holy Prophet began to preach the message of

Tauhid. The idolatrous polytheists were worshipping gods made of wood,

stone, gold, silver and other substances. These gods had a form, shape

and body. The gods and goddesses were descended from each other. No

goddess was without a husband and no god without a wife. They stood in

need of food and drink and their devotees arranged these for them. A

large number of the polytheists believed that God assumed human form

and there were some people who descended from Him. Although the

Christians claimed to believe in One God, yet their God also had at

least a son, and besides the Father and Son, the Holy Ghost also had

the honour of being an associate in Godhead: so much so that God had a

mother and a mother-in-law too. The Jews also claimed to believe in

One God, but their God too was not without physical, material and

other human qualities and characteristics. He went for a stroll,

appeared in human form, wrestled with a servant of His, and was father

of a son, Ezra. Besides these religious communities, the zoroastrians

were fire worshippers, and the Sabeans star worshippers. Under such

conditions when the people were invited to believe in Allah, the One;

Who has no associate, it was inevitable that questions arose in the

minds as to what kind of a God it was, Who was one and Only Lord and

invitation to believe in Whom was being given at the expense of all

other gods and deities. It is a miracle of the Quran that in a few

words briefly it answered all the questions and presented such a clear

concept of the Being of Allah as destroyed all polytheistic concepts,

without leaving any room for the ascription of any of the human

qualities to His Being.



Merit and Importance



That is why the Holy Messenger of Allah (upon whom be peace) held this

Sura in great esteem, and he made the Muslims realize its importance

in different ways so that they recited it frequently and disseminated

it among the people. For it states the foremost and fundamental

doctrine of Islam (viz. Tauhid) in four such brief sentences as are

immediately impressed on human memory and can be read and recited

easily. There are a great number of the traditions of Hadith, which

show that the Holy Prophet on different occasions and in different

ways told the people that this Sura is equivalent to one third the

Quran. Several ahadith on this subject have been related in Bukhari,

Muslim, Abu Daud; Nasai, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Musnad Ahmad, Tabarani

and other books, on the authority of Abu Said Khudri, Abu Hurairah,

Abu Ayyub Ansari, Abu ad-Darda, Muadh bin Jabal, Jabir bin Abdullah,

Ubayy bin Kab, Umm Kulthum bint Uqbah bin Abi Muait, Ibn Umar, Ibn

Masud, Qatadah bin an-Numan, Anas bin Malik, and Abu Masud (may Allah

be pleased with all of them). The commentators have given many

explanations of the Holy Prophet's this, saying. But in our opinion it

simply means that the religion presented by the Quran is based on

three doctrines: Tauhid, Apostleship and the Hereafter. This Sura

teaches Tauhid, pure and undefiled. Therefore, the Holy Prophet (upon

whom he Peace) regarded it as, equal to one-third of the Quran. A

tradition on the authority of Hadrat Aishah has been related in

Bukhari, Muslim and other collections of the Ahadith, saying that the

Holy Prophet sent a man as leader of an expedition. During the journey

he concluded his recitation of the Quran in every Prayer with Qul

Huwa-Allahu ahad. On their return him companions mentioned this before

the Holy Prophet. He said: "Ask him why he did so."When the man was

asked, he replied: "In this Sura the attributes of the Merciful God

have been stated; therefore, I love to recite it again and again."

When the Holy Prophet heard this reply, he said to the people: "Inform

him that Allah holds him in great love and esteem." A similar incident

has been related in Bukhari, on the authority of Hadrat Anas. He says:

"A man from among the Ansar led the Prayers in the Quba Mosque. His

practice was that in every rakah he first recited this Sura and then

would join another Sura to it. The people objected to it and said to

him:"Don't you think that Sura Ikhlas is by itselt enough?Why do you

join another Sura to it?You should either recite only this sura, or

should leave it and recite some other Sura. He said: "I cannot leave

it, I would rather give up leadership in the Prayer, if you so

desired."The people did not approve that another man be appointed

leader instead of him. At last, the matter was brought before the Holy

Prophet. He asked the man, "What prevents you from conceding what your

companions desire? What makes you recite this particular Sura in every

rakah?"The man replied: "I have great love for it."The Holy Prophet

remarked: "Your this love for this Sura has earned you entry into

Paradise."







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #113



                              ------------

                               113. Falaq:

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Name



Although these two Suras of the Qur'an are separate entities and are

written in the Mushaf also under separate names, yet they are so

deeply related mutually and their contents so closely resemble each

other's that they have been designated by a common name Mu'awwidhatayn

(the two Suras in which refuge with Allah has been sought).  Imam

Baihaqi in Dala'il an-Nubuwwat has written that these Suras were

revealed together, that is why the combined name of both is

Mu'awwidhatayn. We are writing the same one Introduction to both, for

they discuss and deal with just the same matters and topics.  However,

they will be explained and commented on separately below.



Period of Revelation



Hadrat Hasan Basri, 'Ikrimah, 'Ata' and Jabir bin Zaid say that these

Suras are Makki.  A tradition from Hadrat 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas also

supports the same view.  However, according to another tradition from

him, it is Madani and the same view is held also by Hadrat 'Abdullah

bin Zubair and Qatadah.  One of the traditions which strengthens this

second view is the Hadith which Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i and Imam

Ahmad bin Hanbal have related on the authority of Hadrat 'Uqbah bin

'Amir.  He says that the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peach) one day

said to him:  "Do you know what kind of verses have been revealed to

me tonight? - these matchless verses are A'udhu bi-Rabbil-falaq and

A'udhu bi-Rabbin-nas.  This Hadith is used as an argument for these

Suras to be Madani because Hadrat 'Uqbah bin 'Amir had become a Muslim

in Madinah after the hijrah, as related by Abu Da'ud and Nasa'i on the

basis of his own statement.  Other traditions which have lent strength

to this view are those related by Ibn Sa'd, Muhiyy-us-Sunnah Baghawi,

Imam Nasafi, Imam Baihaqi, Hafiz Ibn Hajar, Hafiz Badr-uddin 'Ayni,

'Abd bin Humaid and others to the effect that these Suras were

revealed when the Jews had worked magic on the Holy Prophet (upon whom

be peace) in Madinah and he had fallen ill under its effect.  Ibn Sa'd

has related on the authority of Waqidi that this happened in A.H. 7.

On this very basis Sufyan bin Uyainah also has described these Sura as

Madani. But as we have explained in the Introduction to Sura Al-Ikhlas,

when it is said about a certain Sura or verse that it was revealed on

this or that particular occasion, it does not necessarily mean that it

was revealed for the first time on that very occasion.  Rather it

sometimes so happened that a Sura or a verse had previously been

revealed, then on the occurrence or appearance of a particular

incident or situation, the Holy Prophet's attention was drawn to it by

Allah for the second time, or even again and again.  In our opinion

the same also was the case with the Mu'awwidhatayn.  The subject

matter of these Suras is explicit that these were sent down at Makkah

in the first instance when opposition to the Holy Prophet there had

grown very intense.  Later, when at Madinah storms of oppposition were

raised by the hyprocrites, Jews and polytheists, the Holy Prophet was

instructed to recite these very Suras, as has been mentioned in the

above cited tradition from Hadrat Uqbah bin Amir.  After this, when

magic was worked on him, and his illness grew intense, Gabriel came

and instructed him by Allah's command to recite these very Suras. 

Therefore, in our opinion, the view held by the commentators who

describe both these Suras as Makki is more reliable. Regarding them

as connected exclusively with the incident of magic is difficult, for

to this incident related only one verse (v.4), the remaining verses of

Sura al Falaq and the whole of Sura An-Nas have nothing to do with it

directly.



Theme and Subject-Matter



The conditions under which these two Suras were sent down in Makkah

were as follows.  As soon as the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace)

began to preach the message of Islam, it seemed as though he had

provoked all classes of the people around him.  As his message spread

the opposition of the disbelieving Quraish also became more and more

intense.  As long as they had any hope that they would be able to

prevent him from preaching his message by throwing some temptation in

his way, or striking some bargain with him, their hostility did not

become very active.  But when the Holy Prophet disappointed them

completely that he would not effect any kind of compromise with them

in the matter of faith, and in Sura Al-Kafirun they were plainly told:

"I do not worship those who you worship nor are you worshippers of HIm

Whom I worship.  For you is your religion and for me is mine", the

hostility touched its extreme limits.  More particularly, the families

whose members (men or women, boys or girls) had accepted Islam, were

burning with rage from within against the Holy Prophet.  They were

cursing him, holding secret consultations to kill him quietly in the

dark of the night so that the Bani Hashim could not discover the

murderer and take revenge; magic and charms were being worked on him

so as to cause his death, or make him fall ill, or become mad; satans

from among the men and the jinn spread on every side so as to whisper

one or another evil into the hearts of the people against him and the

Qur'an brought by him so that they became suspicious of him and fled

him. There were many people who were burning with jealousy against

him, for they could not tolerate that a man from another family or

clan than their own should flourish and become prominent.  For

instance, the reason why Abu Jahl was crossing every limit in his

hostility to him has been explained by himself: "We and the Bani Abdi

Manaf (to which the Holy Prophet belonged) were rivals of each other:

they fed others, we too fed others; they provided conveyances to the

people, we too did the same; they gave donations, we too gave

donations, so much so that when they and we have become equal in

honour and nobility, they now proclaim that they have a Prophet who is

inspired from the heaven; how can we compete with them in this field? 

By God, we will never acknowledge him, nor affirm faith in him". (Ibn

Hisham, vol. I, pp. 337-338). Such were the conditions when the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace) was commanded to tell the people: "I seek

refuge with the Lord of the dawn, from the evil of everything that He

has created, and from the evil of the darkness of night and from the

evil of magicians, men and women, and from the evil of the envious",

and to tell them: "I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind, the King of

mankind, and the Deity of mankind, from the evil of the whisperer, who

returns over and over again, who whispers (evil) into the hearts of

men, whether he be from among the jinn or men."  This is similar to

what the Prophet Moses had been told to say when Pharaoh had expressed

his design before his full court to kill him: "I have taken refuge

with my Lord and your Lord against every arrogant person who does not

believe in the Day of Reckoning." (Al-Mu'min: 27).  And: "I have taken

refuge with my Lord and your Lord lest you should assail me." (Ad-

Dukhan;20). On both occasions these illustrious Prophets of Allah were

confronted with well-equipped, resourceful and powerful enemies.  On

both occasions they stood firm on their message of Truth against their

strong opponenets, whereas they had no material power on the strength

of which they could fight them, and on both occasions they utterly

disregarded the threats and dangerous plans and hostile devices of the

enemy, saying: "We have taken refuge with the Lord of the universe

against you." Obviously, such firmness and steadfastness can be shown

only by the person who has the conviction that the power of His Lord

is the supreme power, that all powers of the world are insignificant

against Him, and that no one can harm the one who has taken His refuge.

 Only such a one can say: "I will not give up preaching the Word of

Truth.  I care the least for what you may say or do, for I have taken

refuge with my Lord and your Lord and Lord of all universe."



Question whether Mu'awwidhatayn are, or are not, Quranic



The above discussion is enough to help one understand fully the theme

and content of the two Suras, but since three points in the books of

Hadith and commentary concerning these Suras have been discussed,

which are likely to create doubts in the minds, it is necessary to

clear them also here. First, whether it is absolutely established that

these two Suras are the Qur'anic Suras, or whether there is some doubt

in this regard.  This question arose because in the traditions related

from an illustrious Companion like Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud, it has

been said that he did not regard these two Suras as the Suras of the

Qur'an and had eliminated these from his copy of the Mushaf.  Imam

Ahmad, Bazzar, Tabarani, Ibn Marduyah, Abu Ya'la, Abdullah bin Ahmad

bin Hanbal, Humaydi, Abu Nu'aim, Ibn Hibban and other traditionists

have related this from Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud with different

chains of transmitters and mostly on sound authority.  According to

these traditions, he not only eliminated these Suras from the Mushaf

but it has also been reported that he used to say: "Do not mix up with

the Qur'an that which is not of the Qur'an.  These two Suras are not

included in the Quran.  This was only a command enjoined on the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace) for seeking God's refuge." In some

traditions there is also the addition that he did not recite these

Suras in the Prayer. On the basis of these traditions the opponents of

Islam had an opportunity to raise doubts about the Qur'an, saying that

this Book, God forbid, is not free from corruption.  For when,

according to a Companion of the rank of Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud,

these two Suras are an annexation to the Qur'an, many other additions

and subtractions also might have been made in it.  To rid the Qur'an

of this blame Qadi Abu Bakr Al-Baqillani, Qadi Iyad and others took

the stand that Ibn Mas'ud was not in fact a denier of the

Mu'awwidhatayn being Qur'anic but only refused to write them in the

Mushaf.  For, according to him, only that which the Holy Prophet (upon

whom be peace) had allowed, should be written in the Mushaf, and Ibn

Mas'ud did not receive the information that the Holy Prophet had

allowed this.  But this stand is not correct, for according to sound

evidence, it is confirmed that Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with

him) had denied that these were Suras of the Qur'an. Some other

scholars, for instance, Imam Nawawi, Imam Ibn Hazm and Imam Fakhr-

udding Razi, regard this as a pure lie and falsehood that Ibn Mas'ud

had asserted any such thing.  But to reject genuine historical facts

without sound evidence is unscientific. Now, the question is:  How can

the blame that attaches to the Qur'an because of these traditions of

Ibn Mas'ud correctly refuted?  This question has several answers which

we shall give below in sequence: (1) Hafiz Bazzar after relating these

traditions of Ibn Mas'ud in his Musnad, has written that he is

solitary and isolated in his this opinion; no one from among the

Companions has supported this view. (2) The copies of the Qur'an which

the third Caliph, Hadrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), had

got compiled by the consensus of the Companions and which he had sent

from the Islamic Claiphate officially to the centres of the world of

Islam contained both these Suras. (3) The Mushaf which, since the

sacred time of the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) till today, has

the seal of consensus of the entire world of Islam, contains both

these Suras.  The solitary opinion of only Abdullah bin Mas'ud, in

spite of his high rank, has no weight against this great consensus.

(4) It is confirmed by sound and reliable ahadith from the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace) that he not only recited these Suras in

the Prayer himself but instructed others also to recite them, and

taught them to the people as the Suras of the Qur'an.  Consider, for

instance, the following ahadith: We have cited on the authority of

Muslim, Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Nasai the tradition of Hadrat Uqbah bin

Amir that the Holy Prophet told him about Sura Al-Falaq and Sura An-

Nas, saying that those verses had been revealed to him that night.  A

tradition in Nasai from Uqbah bin Amir is to the effect that the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace) recited both these Suras in the Morning

Prayer.  Imam Ahmad on sound authority has related in his Musnad the

tradition from a Companion that the Holy Prophet said to him, "When

you perform the Prayer, recite both these Suras in it."  In Musnad

Ahmad, Abu Daud and Nasai this tradition of Uqbah bin Amir has been

related: "The Holy Prophet said to him: Should I not teach you two

such Suras as are among the best Suras that the people recite?  He

said: Do teach me, O Messenger of Allah.  Thereupon the Holy Prophet

taught him the Mu'awwidhatayn.  Then the Prayer began and the Holy

Prophet recited the same two Suras in it also, and when after the

Prayer the Holy Prophet passed by him, he said to him, 'O Uqbah, how

did you like it?'  Then he instructed him to the effect: When you go

to bed, and when you get up from bed, recite these Suras." In Musnad

Ahmad, Abu Da'ud, Tirmidhi and Nasa'i there is a tradition from Uqbah

bin Amir, saying that the Holy Prophet exhorted him to recite the

Mu'awwidhat (i.e. Qul Huwa Allahu ahad and the Mu'awwidhatayn) after

every Prayer.  Nasai, Ibn Marduyah and Hakim have related this

tradition also from Uqbah bin Amir: "Once the Holy Prophet was riding

on a conveyance and I was walking along with him with my hand placed

on his sacred foot.  I said: Kindly teach me Sura Hud or Sura Yusuf. 

He replied: In the sight of Allah there is nothing more beneficial for

the servant than Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbil-falaq."  A tradition from

Abdullah bin Abid al-Juhani has been related by Nasai, Baihaqi and Ibn

Sad, saying that the Holy Prophet said to him: "Ibn Abid, should I not

tell you what are the best things out of the means by which the

seekers of refuge have sought refuge with Allah?  I submitted: Do

teach me, O Messenger of Allah.  He replied: Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbil-

falaq and Qul a-udhu bi Rabbin-nas - both these Suras."  Ibn Marduyah

had related from Hadrat Umm Salamah: "The Suras best liked by Allah

are: Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbil-falaq and Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbin-nas." Here,

the question arises: what caused Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud the

misunderstanding that these two are not Suras of the Qur'an?  We get

the answer to it when we combine two traditions: first, that Hadrat

Abdullah bin Mas'ud asserted that this was only a command which the

Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) was given to teach him the method of

seeking refuge with Allah; second, the tradition which Imam Bukhari

has related in his Sahih, Imam Ahmad in his Musnad, Hafiz Abu Bakr al-

Humaidi in his Musnad, Abu Nu'aim in his Al-Mustakhraj and Nasai in

his Sunan, with different chains of transmitters, on the authority of

Zirr bin Hubaish, with a slight variation in wording from Hadrat Ubayy

bin Kab, who held a distinguished place among the Companions on the

basis of his knowledge of the Qur'an.  Zirr bin Hubaish states: "I

said to Hadrat Ubayy: Your brother, Abdullah bin Mas'ud, says these

things. What do you say about this view?  He replied: I had

questioned the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) about this.  He said

to me: I was told to say 'qul', so I said 'qul'.  Therefore, we too

say the same as the Holy Prophet said."  In the tradition related by

Imam Ahmad, Hadrat Ubayy's words are to the effect: "I bear witness

that the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) told me that Gabriel (peace

be on him) had told him to say: Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbil-falaq; therefore,

he recited likewise, and Gabriel asked him to say: Qul a'udhu bi-

Rabbin-nas; therefore he too said likewise.  Hence, we too say as the

Holy Prophet said."  A little consideration of these two traditions

will show that the word qul (say) in the two Suras caused Hadrat

Abdullah bin Mas'ud the misunderstanding that the Holy Prophet (upon

whom be peace) had been commanded to say: A'udhu bi-Rabbil-falaq and

A'udhu bi-Rabbin-nas.  But he did not feel any need to question the

Holy Prophet about it.  In the mind of Hadrat Ubbay bin Kab also a

question arose about his and he put it before the Holy Prophet.  The

Holy Prophet replied: "Since Gabriel (peace be on him) had said qul,

so I too say qul."  Let us put it like this. If somebody is commanded

and asked: "Say, I seek refuge", he will not carry out the command,

saying: "Say, I seek refuge", but he will drop the work "say" and say:

"I seek refuge."  On the contrary, if the messenger of a superior

officer conveys to somebody the message in these words: "Say, I seek

refuge", and this command is given to him not only for his own person

but to be conveyed to others, he will convey the words of the message

verbatum to the people, and will not have the permission to drop

anything from the text of the message.  Thus, the fact that these two

Suras begin with the word qul is a clear proof that it is Divine Word,

which the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) was bound to convey

verbatum.  It was not merely a command given to him for his person. 

Besides these two Suras, there are 330 other verses int he Qur'an

which begin with the word qul (say).  The presence of qul in all these

is a proof that it is Divine Wprd. which was obligatory for the Holy

Prophet to convey verbatum; otherwise if qul everywhere had meant a

command, the Holy Prophet would have dropped it and said only that

which he was commanded to say, and it would not have been recorded in

the Qur'an, but, on the contrary, he would have remained content with

saying only what he was commanded to say. Here, if one considers this,

one can understand fully well how unreasonable it is to regard the

Companions as infallible and to make the clamour that a Companion has

been defamed as soon as one hears a saying or doing of his being

described as wrong.  Here, one can clearly see what a blunder happened

to be committed by an illustrious Companion like Hadrat Abdullah bin

Mas'ud about two Suras of the Qur'an.  If such an error could be

committed by an eminenet Companion like him, others also might commit

an error.  We can examine it in the scientific way, and describe it as

wrong if a thing said or done by a Companion is proved to be wrong. 

But wicked indeed would be the person who went beyond describing a

wrong act as wrong and started reproving and finding fault with the

Companions of the Holy Prophet of Allah.  Concerning the

Mu'awwidhatayn the commentators and traditionists have described the

opinion of Ibn Mas'ud as wrong, but no one has dared to say that by

denying these two Suras of the Qur'an, he had, God forbid, become a

disbeliever.



Question of Holy Prophet's being affected by Magic



The second thing that has arisen in respect of these two Suras is that,

according to traditions, magic had been worked on the Holy Prophet,

and he had fallen ill under its effect, and Gabriel (peace be on him)

had instructed him to repeat these Suras to remove the charm.  This

has been objected to by many rationalists of both ancient and modern

times.  They say that if these traditions are accepted, the whole

Shari'ah becomes doubtful.  For if the Prophet could be charmed, and

according to these traditions he was charmed, one cannot say what the

Prophet might have been made to say and do under the influence of

magic by his opponents, and what in his teaching may be Divine and

what the result of magic. Not only this: they also allege that if

this is accepted as true, it might well be that the Prophet might have

been prompted to make the claim to Prophethood through magic and the

Prophet by misunderstanding might have thought that an angel had come

to him.  They also argue that these traditions clash with the Qur'an. 

The Qur'an mentions the accusation of the disbelievers who said that

the Prophet was bewitched (Bani Isra'il:47), but these traditions

confirm the accusation of the disbelievers that the Prophet had

actually been charmed and bewitched. For a proper investigation of

this question it is necessary that one should first see whether it is

established by authentic historical evidence that the Holy Prophet

(upon whom be peace) had actually been affected by magic, and if so,

what it was and to what extent.  Then it should be seen whether the

objections raised against what is established historically do actually

apply to it or not. The Muslim scholars of the earliest period were

truly honest and upright in that they did not try to corrupt history

or conceal facts according to their own ideas, concepts and

assumptions.  They conveyed intact to the later generations whatever

was confirmed historically, and did not at all care how the material

supplied by them could be used by the one who was bent upon drawing

perverse conclusions from the facts.  Now, if something stands

confirmed by authentic and historical means, it is neither right for

an honest and rightminded person that he should deny history on the

ground that in case he accepted it, it would lead to these evil

results according to his thinking, nor it is right that he should add

to and stretch beyond its genuine limits by conjecture and speculation

whatever is established historically.  Instead, he should accept

histroy as history and then see what is actually proved by it and what

is not. As far as the historical aspect is concerned, the incident of

the Holy Prophet's being affected by magic is absolutely confirmed,

and if it can be refuted by scientific criticism, then no historical

event of the world can be proved right and genuine.  It has been

related by Bukhari, Muslim, Nasai, Ibn Majah, Imam Ahmad, Abdur Razzaq,

Humaidi, Baihaqi, Tabarani, Ibn Sad, Ibn Mardayah, Ibn Abi Shaibah,

Hakim, Abd bin Humaid and other traditionists on the authority of

Hadrat Aishah, Hadrat Zaid bin Arqam and Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas,

through so many different and numerous channels that forgery is out of

the question.  Although each tradition by itself is an isolated report

(khabar wahid), we give it below as a connected event from the details

provided by the traditions. After the peace treaty of Hudaibiyah when

the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) returned to Madinah, a

deputation of the Jews of Khaibar visited Madinah in Muharram, A.H. 7

and met a famous magician, Labid bin Asam, who belonged to the Ansar

tribe of Bani Zurayq.  They said to him: "You know how Muhammad (upon

whom be Allah's peace and blessings) has treated us.  We have tried

our best to bewitch him but have not succeeded.  Now we have come to

you because you are a more skilled magician.  Here are three gold

coings, accept these and cast a powerful magic spell on Muhammad."  In

those days the Holy Prphet had a Jewish boy as his attendant.  Through

him they obtained a piece of the Holy Prophet's comb with some hair

stuck to it.  Magic was worked on the same hair and the teeth of the

comb. According to some traditions, magic was worked by Labid bin

Asam himself, according to others, his sisters were more skilled than

him and he got the spell cast through them.  Whatever be the case,

Labid placed this spell in the spathe of a male date-tree and his it

under a stone at the bottom of Dharwan or Dhi Arwan, the well of Bani

Zurayq.  The spell took one whole year to have effect upon the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace).  In the latter half of the year the Holy

Prophet started feeling as if was unwell.  The last forty days became

hard on him, of which the last three days were even harder.  But its

maximum effect on him was that he way melting away from within.  He

thought he had done a thing whereas, in fact, he had not done it: he

thought he had visited his wives whereas he had not visited them; and

sometimes he would doubt having seen something whereas, in fact, he

had not seen it.  All these effects were confined to his own person;

so much so that the other people could not notice what state he was

passing through.  As for his being a Prophet, no change occurred in

the performance of his duties.  There is no tradition to say that he

might have forgotten some verses of the Qur'an in those days, or might

have recited a verse wrongly, or a change might have occurred in the

assemblies and in his counsels and sermons, or he might have presented

a discourse as Revelation which may not have been revealed to him, or

he might have missed a Prayer and thought that he had performed it. 

God forbid, if any such thing had happened, it would have caused a

clamour and the whole of Arabia would have known that a magician had

overpowered the one whom no power had been able to overpower.  But the

Holy Prophet's position as a Prophet remained wholly unaffected by it.

Only in his personal life he remained worried on account of it.  At

last, one day when he was in the house of Hadrat Aishah, he prayed to

Allah to be restored to full health. In the meantime he fell asleep

or drowsed and on waking he said to Hadrat Aishah: "My Lord has told

me what I had asked of Him." Hadrat Aishah asked what it was.  He

replied: "Two men (i.e. two angels in human guise) came to me.  One

sat near my head and the other near my feet.  The first asked: what

has happened to him?  The other replied: Magic has been worked on him.

The first asked: who has worked it? He replied: Labid bin Asam.  He

asked: In what is it contained?  He replied: In the comb and hair

covered in the spathe of a male date-tree. He asked: where is it?  He

replied: under a stone at the bottom of Dhi Arwan (or Dharwan), the

well of Bani Zurayq.  He asked: what should be done about it?  He

replied: the well should be emptied and it should be taken out from

under the stone.  The Holy Prophet then sent Hadrat Ali, Hadrat Ammar

bin Yasir and Hadrat Zubair: They were also joined by Jubair bin Iyas

az-Zurqi (two men from Bani Zurayq).  Later the Holy Prophet also

arrived at the well along with some Companions.  The water was taken

out and the spathe recovered.  There they found that beside the comb

and hair there was a cord with eleven knots on it and a wax image with

needles pricked into it.  Gabriel (peace be on him) came and told him

to repeat the Mu'awwidhatayn.  As he repeated verse after verse, a

know was loosened and a needle taken out every time, till on finishing

the last words all the knots were loosened and all the needles removed,

and he was entirely freed from the charm.  After this he called Labid

and questioned him.  He confessed his guilt and the Holy Prophet let

him go, for he never avenged himself on anyone for any harm done to

his person.  He even declined to talk about it to others, saying that

Allah had restored him to health; therefore he did not like that he

should incite the people against anyone. This is the story of the

magic worked on the Holy Prophet.  There if nothing in it which might

run counter to his office of Prophethood.  In his personal capactiy if

any injury could be inflicted on him as it happened in the Battle of

Uhud, if he could fall from his horse and be hurt as is confirmed by

the Hadith, if he could be stung by a scorpion as has been mentioned

in some Traditions and none of these negates the protection promised

him by Allah in his capacity as a Prophet, he could also fall ill

under the influence of magic in his personal capacity.  That a Prophet

can be affected by magic is also confirmed by the Qur'an.  In Sura Al-

A'raf it has been said about the magicians of Pharaoh that when they

confronted the Prophet Moses, they bewitched the eyes of thousands of

people who had assembled to witness the encounter (v. 116).  In Sura

Ta Ha it has been said that not only the common people but the Prophet

Moses too felt that the cords and staffs that they cast were running

towards them like so many snakes, and this filled Moses' heart with

fear.  Thereupon Allah revealed to him: "Don't fear for you will come

out victorious.  Cast down you staff." (vv. 66-69).  As for the

objection that this then confirms the accusation of the disbelievers

of Makkah that the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) was a bewitched

man, its answer is that the disbelievers did not call him a bewitched

man in the sense that he had fallen ill under that effect of magic

cast by somebody, but in the sense that some magician has, God forbid,

made him mad, and he had made claim to Prophethood and was telling the

people tales of Hell and Heaven in his same madness.  Now, obviously

this objection does not at all apply to a matter about which history

confirms that the magic spell had affected only the person of Muhammad

(upon whom be peace) and not the Prophethood of Muhammad (upon whom be

peace), which remained wholly unaffected by it. In this connection,

another thing worthy of mention is that the people who regard magic as

a kind of superstition hold this view only because the effect of magic

cannot be explained scientifically.  But there are many things in the

world which one experiences and observes but one cannot explain

scientifically how they happen.  If we cannot give any such

explanation it does not become necessary that we should deny the thing

itself which we cannot explain.  Magic, in fact, is a psychological

phenomenon which can affect the body through the mind just as physical

things affect the mind through the body.  Fear, for instance, is a

psychological phenomenon, but it affects the body: the hair stand on

end and the body shudders.  Magic does not; in fact, change the

reality, but under its influence man's mind and senses start feeling

as if reality had changed.  The staffs and the cords that the

magicians had thrown towards the Prophet Moses, had not actually

become snakes, but the eyes of the multitude of people were so

bewitched that everybody felt they were snakes; even the senses of the

Prophet Moses could not remain unaffected by the magic spell. 

Likewise, in Al-Baqarah: 102, it has been said that in Babylon people

learnt such matic from Harut and Marut as could cause division between

husband and wife.  This too was a psychological phenomenon.  Obviously,

if the people did not find it officacious by experience they could not

become its customers.  No doubt, it is correct that just like the

bullet of the rifle and the bomb from the aircraft, magic too cannot

have effect without Allah's permission, but it would be mere

stubbornness to deny a thing which has been experienced and observed

by man for thousands for years.



Question of Reciting Charms and Amulets in Islam



The third thing that arises in connection with these Suras is whether

recitation of charms and amulets has any place in Islam, and whether

such recitation is by itself efficacious or not.  This question arises

for in many ahadith it has been reported that the Holy Prophet (upon

whom be peace) at the time of going to bed every night, especially

during illness, used to recite the Mu'awwidhatayn (or according to

other reports, the Mu'awwidhat, i.e. Qul Huwa-Allahu Ahad and the

Mu'awwidhatayn) thrice, blow in his hands and then rub the hands on

his body from head to foot as far as his hands could reach.  During

his last illness when it was not longer possible for him to so do,

Hadrat Aishah recited these Suras herself or by his command blew on

his hands hin view of their being blessed and rubbed them on his body.

Traditions on this subject have been related in Bukhari, Muslim, Nasai,

Ibn Majah, Abu Da'ud and Mu'atta of Imam Malik through authentic

channels on the authority of Hadrat Aishah herself beside whom no one

could be better acquainted with the domestic life of the Holy Prophet.

In this regard, one should first understand its religious aspect.  In

the Hadith a lengthy tradition has been related on the authority of

Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas, at the end of which the Holy Prophet is

reported to have said: "The people of my Ummah to enter Paradise

without reckoning will be those who neither turn to treatment by

branding, nor to enchanting, nor take omens, but have trust in their

Lord." (Muslim). According to a tradition reported on the authority

of Hadrat Mughirah bin Shubah, the Holy Prophet said: "He who got

himself treated by branding, or enchanting, became independent of

trust in Allah." (Tirmidhi).  Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud has reported

that the Holy Prophet disapproved of ten things one of which was

recitation of charsm and amulets except by means of the Mu'awwidhatayn

or Mu'awwidhat. (Abu Daud, Ahmad, Nasai, Ibn Hibban, Hakim).  Some

ahadith also show that in the beginning the Holy Prophet had

altogether forbidden recitation of charms and amulets, but later he

allowed it on the condition that is should not smack of polytheism,

but one should recite and blow by means of the holy names of Allah, or

the words of the Qur'an.  The words used should be understandable and

one should know that there is nothing sinful in it, and one should not

wholly rely on the recitation of charms but on Allah's will to make it

beneficial."  After the explanation of the religious aspect, let us

now see what the Hadith says in this regard. Tabarani in As-Saghir has

related a tradition on the authority of Hadrat Ali, saying: "One the

Holy Prophet was stung by a scorpion during the Prayer.  When the

Prayer was over, he remarked: God's curse be on the scorpion: it

neither spares a praying one, nor any other.  Then he called for water

and salt, and started rubbing the place where the scorpion had stung

with salt water and reciting Qul ya ayyuhal-kafirun, Qul Huwa Allahu

ahad, Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbil-falaq and Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbin-nas, along

with it." Ibn Abbas also has related a tradition to the effect: "The

Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) used to recite this invocation over

Hadrat Hasan and Husain: U'idhu kuma bi-kalimat Allahit-tamati min

kulli shaitan-in wa hammati-wa min kulli ayt-in-lam nati: "I give you

in the refuge of Allah's blameless words, from every devil and

troublesome thing, and from every evil look." (Bukhari, Musnad Ahmad,

Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah). A tradition has been related in Muslim, Muwatta,

Tabarani and Hakim about Uthman bin al-As ath-Thaqafi, with a little

variation in wording, to the effect that he complained to the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace), saying: "Since I have become a Muslim, I

feel a pain in my body, which is killing me."  The Holy Prophet said:

"Place your right hand on the place where you feel the pain, then

recite Bismillah thrice, and A'udhu billahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma

ajidu wa uhadhiru ("I seek refuge with Allah and with His power from

the evil that I find and that I fear") seven times, and rub your

hand."  In Muwatta there is the addition: "Uthman bin Abi al-As said:

After that my pain disappeared and now I teach the same formula to the

people of my house." Musnad Ahmad and Tahavi contain this tradition

from Talq bin Ali: "I was stung by a scorpion in the presence of the

Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace).  The Holy Prophet recited something

and blew over me and rubbed his hand on the affected place." Muslim

contains a tradition from Abu Said Khudri, which says: "Once when the

Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) fell ill, Gabriel came and asked: O

Muhammad, are you ill?  The Holy Prophet answered in the affirmative. 

Gabriel said: I blow on you in the name of Allah from everything which

troubles you and from the evil of every soul and the evil look of

every envier.  May Allah restore you to health.  I blow on you in His

name."  A similar tradition has been related in Musnad Ahmad on the

authority of Hadrat Ubadah bin as-Samit, which says: "The Holy Prophet

was unwell.  I went to visit him and found him in great trouble.  When

I re-visited him in the evening I found him quite well.  When I asked

how he had become well so soon, he said: Gabriel came and blew over me

with some words.  Then he recited words similar to those reported in

the above Hadith.  A tradition similar to this has been related on the

authority of Hadrat Aishah also in Muslim and Musnad Ahmad. Imam Ahmad

in his Musnad has related this tradition from Hafsah, mother of the

Faithful: "One day the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) visited me in

the house and a woman, named Shifa, was sitting with me.  She used to

blow on the people to cure them of blisters.  The Holy Prophet said to

her: Teach Hafsah also the formula."  Imam Ahmad, Abu Daud and Nasai

have related this tradition from Shifa bint Abdullah herself, saying:

"The Holy Prophet said to me: Just as you have taught Hafsah reading

and writing, so teach her blowing to cure blsiters as well." In Muslim

there is a tradition from Auf bin Malik al-Ashjal to the effect: "We

used to practise blowing to cure diseases.  We asked the Holy Prophet

(upon whom be peace) for his opinion in this regard.  He said: Let me

know the words with which you blow over the people.  There is no harm

in blowing unless it smacks of polytheism." Muslim, Musnad Ahmad and

Ibn Majah contain a tradition from Hadrat Jabir bin Abdullah, saying:

"The Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) had forbidden us blowing to

cure disease.  Then the people of the clan of Hadrat Amr bin Hazm came

and they said: We had a formula with which we used to blow on the

people to cure them of scorpion's sting (or snake-bite).  But you have

forbidden us the practice.  Then they recited before him the words

which they made use of.  Thereupon the Holy Prophet said: I do not see

any harm in it, so let the one who can do good to hsi brother, do him

good."  Another tradition from Jabir bin Abdullah in Muslim is: "The

family of Hazm had a formula to cure snake-bite and the Holy Prophet

permitted them to practise it."  This is also supported by the

tradition from Hadrat Aishah, which is contained in Muslim, Musnad

Ahmad, and Ibn Majah: "The Holy Prophet granted permission to a family

of the Ansar for blowing to cure the evils effects of biting by every

poisonous creature."  Traditions resembling these have been related

from Hadrat Anas also in Musnad Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Muslim and Ibn Majah,

saying that the Holy Prophet gave permission for blowing to cure the

bite by poisonous creatures, the disease of blisters and the effects

of the evil look." Musnad Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Hakim have

related this tradition on the authority of Hadrat Umair, freed slave

of Abi al-Laham: "In the pre-Islamic days I had a formula with which I

used to blow over the people.  I recited it before the Holy Prophet,

whereupon he told me to drop out such and such words from it, and

permitted me to blow with the rest of it." According to Muwatta,

Hadrat Abu Bakr went to the house of his daughter, Hadrat Aishah, and

found that she was unwell and a Jewish woman was blowing over her. 

Thereupon he said to her: "Blow over her by means of the Book of

Allah."  This shows that if the people of the Book practise blowing by

means of the verses of the Torah and the Gospel, it is also permitted.

As for the question whether blowing for curing disease is efficacious

also, or not, its answer is that the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace)

not only did not forbid anybody to have recourse to cure and medical

treatment but himself stated that Allah has created a cure for every

disease and exhorted his followers to use cures.  He himself told the

people eeremidies for certain diseases, as can be seen in the Hadith

in the Kitab at-Tib (Book of Cures).  But the cure can be benificial

and useful only by Allah's command and permission, otherwise if the

cure and medical treatment were beneficial in every case, no one would

have died in hospitals.  Now, if beside the cure and medical treatment,

Allah's Word and His beautiful names also are made use of, or Word and

His beautiful names also are made use of, or Allah is turned to and

invoked for help by means of His Word, Names and Attributes in a place

where no medical aid is available, it would not be against reason

except for the materialists.  However, it is not right to disregard

intentionally a cure or treatment where it is available, and recourse

had only to enchanting and reciting of charms, and the people should

start a regular practice of granting amulets as a means of earning

their livelihood. Many people in this regard argue from Hadrat Abu

Said Khudri's tradition which has been related in Bukhari, Muslim,

Tirmidhi, Musnad Ahmad, Abu Daud and Ibn Majah, and it is supported

also by a tradition related in Bukhari on the authority of Ibn Abbas. 

According to it the Holy Prophet sent some of his Companions including

Hadrat Abu Said Khudri on an expedition.  They halted on the way at

the settlement of an Arabian tribe and demanded hospitality from the

people, but they refused to extend any hospitality.  In the meantime

the chief of the tribe was stung by a scorpion and the people came to

the travellers to ask if they had any medicine or formula by which

their chief could be cured. Hadrat Abu Said said: "Yes, we do have,

but since you have refused us hospitality, we would not treat him

unless you promised us to give us something."  They promised to give

them a flock of goats (according to some traditions, 30 goats), and

Hadrat Abu Said went and started reciting Sura Al-Fatihah and rubbing

his saliva on the affected place. Consequently, the chief felt

relieved of the effect of the poison and the people of the tribe gave

them the goats as promised.  But the Companions said to one another;

"Let us not make any use of the goats until we have asked the Holy

Prophet about it", for they were not sure whether it was permissible

to accept any reward for what they had done. So they came before the

Holy Prophet and related what had happened. The Holy Prophet smiled

and said: "How did you know that Sura Al-Fatihah could also be used

for curing such troubles?  Take the goats and allocate my share also

in it." But before one used this Hadith for permission to adopt a

regular profession of granting amulets and reciting charms, one should

keep in view the conditions under which Hadrat Abu Said Khudri had

recourse to it, and the Holy Prophet not only held it as permissible

but also said that a share for him also should be allocated so that

there remained no doubt in the minds of the Companions that such a

thing was permissible. The conditions in Arabia in those days were,

as they still are, that settlements were situated hundreds of miles

apart, there were not hotels and restaurants where a traveller could

buy food when he reached one of these after several days' journey. 

Under such conditions it was considered a moral duty that when a

traveller reached a settlement the people of the place should extend

hospitality to him.  Refusal on their part in many cases meant death

for the travellers, and this was looked upon as highly blameworthy

among the Arabs.  That is why the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace)

allowed as permissible the act of his Companions.  Since the people of

the tribe had refused them hospitality, they too refused to treat

their chief, and became ready to treat him only on the condition that

they should promise to give them something in return.  Then, when one

of them with trust in God recited Sura Al-Fatihah over the chief and

he became well, the people gave the promised wages and the Holy

Prophet allowed that the wages be accepted as lawful and pure.  In

Bukhari the tradition related on the authority of Hadrat Abdullah bin

Abbas about this incident contains the Holy Prophet's words to the

effect: "Instead that you should have acted otherwise, it was better

that you recited the Book of Allah and accepted the wages for it."  He

said this in order to impress the truth that Allah's Word is superior

to every other kind of enchanting and practice of secret arts. 

Furthermore, the Message also was incidentally conveyed to the Arabian

tribe and its people made aware of the blessings of the Word that the

Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) had brought from allah. This

incident cannot be cited as a precedent for the people who run clinic

in the cities and towns for the practice of secret arts and have

adopted it as a regular profession for earning livelihood.  No

precedent of it is found in the life and practice of the Holy Prophet

(upon whom be peace) or his Companions, their followers and the

earliest Imams.



Relation between Sura Al-Fatihah and the Mu'awwidhatayn



The last thing which is noteoworthy with regard to the Mu'awwidhatayn

is the relation between the beginning and the end of the Qur'an.

Although the Qur'an has not been arranged chronologically, the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace) arranged in the present order the verses

and Suras revealed during 23 years on different occasions to meet

different needs and situations not by himself but by the command of

Allah Who revelaed them.  According to this order, the Qur'an opens

with the Sura Al-Fatihah and ends with the Mu'awwidhatayn.  Now, let

us have a look at the two.  In the beginning, after praising and

glorifying Allah, Who is Lord of the worlds, Kind, Merciful and Master

of the Judgement Day, the servants submits: "Lord, You alone I worship

and to You along I turn for help, and the msot urgent help that I need

from You is to be guided to the Straight Way."  In answer, he is given

by Allah the whole Qur'an to show him the Straight Way, which is

concluded thus: Man prays to Allah, Who is Lord of dawn, Lord of men,

King of men, Deity of men, saying: "I seek refuge only with You for

protection from every evil and mischief of every creature, and in

particular, from the evil whisperings of devils, be they from among

men or jinn, for they are the greatest obstacle in following the

Straight Way."  The relation that the beginning bears with the end,

cannot remain hidden from anyone who has understanding and insight.







==============================================================================



Subject: Syed Maududi's Commentary for Surah #114



                               -----------

                               114. Naas:

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Name



Although these two Suras of the Qur'an are separate entities and are

written in the Mushaf also under separate names, yet they are so

deeply related mutually and their contents so closely resemble each

other's that they have been designated by a common name Mu'awwidhatayn

(the two Suras in which refuge with Allah has been sought).  Imam

Baihaqi in Dala'il an-Nubuwwat has written that these Suras were

revealed together, that is why the combined name of both is

Mu'awwidhatayn. We are writing the same one Introduction to both, for

they discuss and deal with just the same matters and topics.  However,

they will be explained and commented on separately below.



Period of Revelation



Hadrat Hasan Basri, 'Ikrimah, 'Ata' and Jabir bin Zaid say that these

Suras are Makki.  A tradition from Hadrat 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas also

supports the same view.  However, according to another tradition from

him, it is Madani and the same view is held also by Hadrat 'Abdullah

bin Zubair and Qatadah.  One of the traditions which strengthens this

second view is the Hadith which Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i and Imam

Ahmad bin Hanbal have related on the authority of Hadrat 'Uqbah bin

'Amir.  He says that the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peach) one day

said to him:  "Do you know what kind of verses have been revealed to

me tonight? - these matchless verses are A'udhu bi-Rabbil-falaq and

A'udhu bi-Rabbin-nas.  This Hadith is used as an argument for these

Suras to be Madani because Hadrat 'Uqbah bin 'Amir had become a Muslim

in Madinah after the hijrah, as related by Abu Da'ud and Nasa'i on the

basis of his own statement.  Other traditions which have lent strength

to this view are those related by Ibn Sa'd, Muhiyy-us-Sunnah Baghawi,

Imam Nasafi, Imam Baihaqi, Hafiz Ibn Hajar, Hafiz Badr-uddin 'Ayni,

'Abd bin Humaid and others to the effect that these Suras were

revealed when the Jews had worked magic on the Holy Prophet (upon whom

be peace) in Madinah and he had fallen ill under its effect.  Ibn Sa'd

has related on the authority of Waqidi that this happened in A.H. 7.

On this very basis Sufyan bin Uyainah also has described these Sura as

Madani. But as we have explained in the Introduction to Sura Al-Ikhlas,

when it is said about a certain Sura or verse that it was revealed on

this or that particular occasion, it does not necessarily mean that it

was revealed for the first time on that very occasion.  Rather it

sometimes so happened that a Sura or a verse had previously been

revealed, then on the occurrence or appearance of a particular

incident or situation, the Holy Prophet's attention was drawn to it by

Allah for the second time, or even again and again.  In our opinion

the same also was the case with the Mu'awwidhatayn.  The subject

matter of these Suras is explicit that these were sent down at Makkah

in the first instance when opposition to the Holy Prophet there had

grown very intense.  Later, when at Madinah storms of oppposition were

raised by the hyprocrites, Jews and polytheists, the Holy Prophet was

instructed to recite these very Suras, as has been mentioned in the

above cited tradition from Hadrat Uqbah bin Amir.  After this, when

magic was worked on him, and his illness grew intense, Gabriel came

and instructed him by Allah's command to recite these very Suras. 

Therefore, in our opinion, the view held by the commentators who

describe both these Suras as Makki is more reliable. Regarding them

as connected exclusively with the incident of magic is difficult, for

to this incident related only one verse (v.4), the remaining verses of

Sura al Falaq and the whole of Sura An-Nas have nothing to do with it

directly.



Theme and Subject-Matter



The conditions under which these two Suras were sent down in Makkah

were as follows.  As soon as the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace)

began to preach the message of Islam, it seemed as though he had

provoked all classes of the people around him.  As his message spread

the opposition of the disbelieving Quraish also became more and more

intense.  As long as they had any hope that they would be able to

prevent him from preaching his message by throwing some temptation in

his way, or striking some bargain with him, their hostility did not

become very active.  But when the Holy Prophet disappointed them

completely that he would not effect any kind of compromise with them

in the matter of faith, and in Sura Al-Kafirun they were plainly told:

"I do not worship those who you worship nor are you worshippers of HIm

Whom I worship.  For you is your religion and for me is mine", the

hostility touched its extreme limits.  More particularly, the families

whose members (men or women, boys or girls) had accepted Islam, were

burning with rage from within against the Holy Prophet.  They were

cursing him, holding secret consultations to kill him quietly in the

dark of the night so that the Bani Hashim could not discover the

murderer and take revenge; magic and charms were being worked on him

so as to cause his death, or make him fall ill, or become mad; satans

from among the men and the jinn spread on every side so as to whisper

one or another evil into the hearts of the people against him and the

Qur'an brought by him so that they became suspicious of him and fled

him. There were many people who were burning with jealousy against

him, for they could not tolerate that a man from another family or

clan than their own should flourish and become prominent.  For

instance, the reason why Abu Jahl was crossing every limit in his

hostility to him has been explained by himself: "We and the Bani Abdi

Manaf (to which the Holy Prophet belonged) were rivals of each other:

they fed others, we too fed others; they provided conveyances to the

people, we too did the same; they gave donations, we too gave

donations, so much so that when they and we have become equal in

honour and nobility, they now proclaim that they have a Prophet who is

inspired from the heaven; how can we compete with them in this field? 

By God, we will never acknowledge him, nor affirm faith in him". (Ibn

Hisham, vol. I, pp. 337-338). Such were the conditions when the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace) was commanded to tell the people: "I seek

refuge with the Lord of the dawn, from the evil of everything that He

has created, and from the evil of the darkness of night and from the

evil of magicians, men and women, and from the evil of the envious",

and to tell them: "I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind, the King of

mankind, and the Deity of mankind, from the evil of the whisperer, who

returns over and over again, who whispers (evil) into the hearts of

men, whether he be from among the jinn or men."  This is similar to

what the Prophet Moses had been told to say when Pharaoh had expressed

his design before his full court to kill him: "I have taken refuge

with my Lord and your Lord against every arrogant person who does not

believe in the Day of Reckoning." (Al-Mu'min: 27).  And: "I have taken

refuge with my Lord and your Lord lest you should assail me." (Ad-

Dukhan;20). On both occasions these illustrious Prophets of Allah were

confronted with well-equipped, resourceful and powerful enemies.  On

both occasions they stood firm on their message of Truth against their

strong opponenets, whereas they had no material power on the strength

of which they could fight them, and on both occasions they utterly

disregarded the threats and dangerous plans and hostile devices of the

enemy, saying: "We have taken refuge with the Lord of the universe

against you." Obviously, such firmness and steadfastness can be shown

only by the person who has the conviction that the power of His Lord

is the supreme power, that all powers of the world are insignificant

against Him, and that no one can harm the one who has taken His refuge.

 Only such a one can say: "I will not give up preaching the Word of

Truth.  I care the least for what you may say or do, for I have taken

refuge with my Lord and your Lord and Lord of all universe."



Question whether Mu'awwidhatayn are, or are not, Quranic



The above discussion is enough to help one understand fully the theme

and content of the two Suras, but since three points in the books of

Hadith and commentary concerning these Suras have been discussed,

which are likely to create doubts in the minds, it is necessary to

clear them also here. First, whether it is absolutely established that

these two Suras are the Qur'anic Suras, or whether there is some doubt

in this regard.  This question arose because in the traditions related

from an illustrious Companion like Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud, it has

been said that he did not regard these two Suras as the Suras of the

Qur'an and had eliminated these from his copy of the Mushaf.  Imam

Ahmad, Bazzar, Tabarani, Ibn Marduyah, Abu Ya'la, Abdullah bin Ahmad

bin Hanbal, Humaydi, Abu Nu'aim, Ibn Hibban and other traditionists

have related this from Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud with different

chains of transmitters and mostly on sound authority.  According to

these traditions, he not only eliminated these Suras from the Mushaf

but it has also been reported that he used to say: "Do not mix up with

the Qur'an that which is not of the Qur'an.  These two Suras are not

included in the Quran.  This was only a command enjoined on the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace) for seeking God's refuge." In some

traditions there is also the addition that he did not recite these

Suras in the Prayer. On the basis of these traditions the opponents of

Islam had an opportunity to raise doubts about the Qur'an, saying that

this Book, God forbid, is not free from corruption.  For when,

according to a Companion of the rank of Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud,

these two Suras are an annexation to the Qur'an, many other additions

and subtractions also might have been made in it.  To rid the Qur'an

of this blame Qadi Abu Bakr Al-Baqillani, Qadi Iyad and others took

the stand that Ibn Mas'ud was not in fact a denier of the

Mu'awwidhatayn being Qur'anic but only refused to write them in the

Mushaf.  For, according to him, only that which the Holy Prophet (upon

whom be peace) had allowed, should be written in the Mushaf, and Ibn

Mas'ud did not receive the information that the Holy Prophet had

allowed this.  But this stand is not correct, for according to sound

evidence, it is confirmed that Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with

him) had denied that these were Suras of the Qur'an. Some other

scholars, for instance, Imam Nawawi, Imam Ibn Hazm and Imam Fakhr-

udding Razi, regard this as a pure lie and falsehood that Ibn Mas'ud

had asserted any such thing.  But to reject genuine historical facts

without sound evidence is unscientific. Now, the question is:  How can

the blame that attaches to the Qur'an because of these traditions of

Ibn Mas'ud correctly refuted?  This question has several answers which

we shall give below in sequence: (1) Hafiz Bazzar after relating these

traditions of Ibn Mas'ud in his Musnad, has written that he is

solitary and isolated in his this opinion; no one from among the

Companions has supported this view. (2) The copies of the Qur'an which

the third Caliph, Hadrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), had

got compiled by the consensus of the Companions and which he had sent

from the Islamic Claiphate officially to the centres of the world of

Islam contained both these Suras. (3) The Mushaf which, since the

sacred time of the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) till today, has

the seal of consensus of the entire world of Islam, contains both

these Suras.  The solitary opinion of only Abdullah bin Mas'ud, in

spite of his high rank, has no weight against this great consensus.

(4) It is confirmed by sound and reliable ahadith from the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace) that he not only recited these Suras in

the Prayer himself but instructed others also to recite them, and

taught them to the people as the Suras of the Qur'an.  Consider, for

instance, the following ahadith: We have cited on the authority of

Muslim, Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Nasai the tradition of Hadrat Uqbah bin

Amir that the Holy Prophet told him about Sura Al-Falaq and Sura An-

Nas, saying that those verses had been revealed to him that night.  A

tradition in Nasai from Uqbah bin Amir is to the effect that the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace) recited both these Suras in the Morning

Prayer.  Imam Ahmad on sound authority has related in his Musnad the

tradition from a Companion that the Holy Prophet said to him, "When

you perform the Prayer, recite both these Suras in it."  In Musnad

Ahmad, Abu Daud and Nasai this tradition of Uqbah bin Amir has been

related: "The Holy Prophet said to him: Should I not teach you two

such Suras as are among the best Suras that the people recite?  He

said: Do teach me, O Messenger of Allah.  Thereupon the Holy Prophet

taught him the Mu'awwidhatayn.  Then the Prayer began and the Holy

Prophet recited the same two Suras in it also, and when after the

Prayer the Holy Prophet passed by him, he said to him, 'O Uqbah, how

did you like it?'  Then he instructed him to the effect: When you go

to bed, and when you get up from bed, recite these Suras." In Musnad

Ahmad, Abu Da'ud, Tirmidhi and Nasa'i there is a tradition from Uqbah

bin Amir, saying that the Holy Prophet exhorted him to recite the

Mu'awwidhat (i.e. Qul Huwa Allahu ahad and the Mu'awwidhatayn) after

every Prayer.  Nasai, Ibn Marduyah and Hakim have related this

tradition also from Uqbah bin Amir: "Once the Holy Prophet was riding

on a conveyance and I was walking along with him with my hand placed

on his sacred foot.  I said: Kindly teach me Sura Hud or Sura Yusuf. 

He replied: In the sight of Allah there is nothing more beneficial for

the servant than Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbil-falaq."  A tradition from

Abdullah bin Abid al-Juhani has been related by Nasai, Baihaqi and Ibn

Sad, saying that the Holy Prophet said to him: "Ibn Abid, should I not

tell you what are the best things out of the means by which the

seekers of refuge have sought refuge with Allah?  I submitted: Do

teach me, O Messenger of Allah.  He replied: Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbil-

falaq and Qul a-udhu bi Rabbin-nas - both these Suras."  Ibn Marduyah

had related from Hadrat Umm Salamah: "The Suras best liked by Allah

are: Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbil-falaq and Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbin-nas." Here,

the question arises: what caused Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud the

misunderstanding that these two are not Suras of the Qur'an?  We get

the answer to it when we combine two traditions: first, that Hadrat

Abdullah bin Mas'ud asserted that this was only a command which the

Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) was given to teach him the method of

seeking refuge with Allah; second, the tradition which Imam Bukhari

has related in his Sahih, Imam Ahmad in his Musnad, Hafiz Abu Bakr al-

Humaidi in his Musnad, Abu Nu'aim in his Al-Mustakhraj and Nasai in

his Sunan, with different chains of transmitters, on the authority of

Zirr bin Hubaish, with a slight variation in wording from Hadrat Ubayy

bin Kab, who held a distinguished place among the Companions on the

basis of his knowledge of the Qur'an.  Zirr bin Hubaish states: "I

said to Hadrat Ubayy: Your brother, Abdullah bin Mas'ud, says these

things. What do you say about this view?  He replied: I had

questioned the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) about this.  He said

to me: I was told to say 'qul', so I said 'qul'.  Therefore, we too

say the same as the Holy Prophet said."  In the tradition related by

Imam Ahmad, Hadrat Ubayy's words are to the effect: "I bear witness

that the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) told me that Gabriel (peace

be on him) had told him to say: Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbil-falaq; therefore,

he recited likewise, and Gabriel asked him to say: Qul a'udhu bi-

Rabbin-nas; therefore he too said likewise.  Hence, we too say as the

Holy Prophet said."  A little consideration of these two traditions

will show that the word qul (say) in the two Suras caused Hadrat

Abdullah bin Mas'ud the misunderstanding that the Holy Prophet (upon

whom be peace) had been commanded to say: A'udhu bi-Rabbil-falaq and

A'udhu bi-Rabbin-nas.  But he did not feel any need to question the

Holy Prophet about it.  In the mind of Hadrat Ubbay bin Kab also a

question arose about his and he put it before the Holy Prophet.  The

Holy Prophet replied: "Since Gabriel (peace be on him) had said qul,

so I too say qul."  Let us put it like this. If somebody is commanded

and asked: "Say, I seek refuge", he will not carry out the command,

saying: "Say, I seek refuge", but he will drop the work "say" and say:

"I seek refuge."  On the contrary, if the messenger of a superior

officer conveys to somebody the message in these words: "Say, I seek

refuge", and this command is given to him not only for his own person

but to be conveyed to others, he will convey the words of the message

verbatum to the people, and will not have the permission to drop

anything from the text of the message.  Thus, the fact that these two

Suras begin with the word qul is a clear proof that it is Divine Word,

which the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) was bound to convey

verbatum.  It was not merely a command given to him for his person. 

Besides these two Suras, there are 330 other verses int he Qur'an

which begin with the word qul (say).  The presence of qul in all these

is a proof that it is Divine Wprd. which was obligatory for the Holy

Prophet to convey verbatum; otherwise if qul everywhere had meant a

command, the Holy Prophet would have dropped it and said only that

which he was commanded to say, and it would not have been recorded in

the Qur'an, but, on the contrary, he would have remained content with

saying only what he was commanded to say. Here, if one considers this,

one can understand fully well how unreasonable it is to regard the

Companions as infallible and to make the clamour that a Companion has

been defamed as soon as one hears a saying or doing of his being

described as wrong.  Here, one can clearly see what a blunder happened

to be committed by an illustrious Companion like Hadrat Abdullah bin

Mas'ud about two Suras of the Qur'an.  If such an error could be

committed by an eminenet Companion like him, others also might commit

an error.  We can examine it in the scientific way, and describe it as

wrong if a thing said or done by a Companion is proved to be wrong. 

But wicked indeed would be the person who went beyond describing a

wrong act as wrong and started reproving and finding fault with the

Companions of the Holy Prophet of Allah.  Concerning the

Mu'awwidhatayn the commentators and traditionists have described the

opinion of Ibn Mas'ud as wrong, but no one has dared to say that by

denying these two Suras of the Qur'an, he had, God forbid, become a

disbeliever.



Question of Holy Prophet's being affected by Magic



The second thing that has arisen in respect of these two Suras is that,

according to traditions, magic had been worked on the Holy Prophet,

and he had fallen ill under its effect, and Gabriel (peace be on him)

had instructed him to repeat these Suras to remove the charm.  This

has been objected to by many rationalists of both ancient and modern

times.  They say that if these traditions are accepted, the whole

Shari'ah becomes doubtful.  For if the Prophet could be charmed, and

according to these traditions he was charmed, one cannot say what the

Prophet might have been made to say and do under the influence of

magic by his opponents, and what in his teaching may be Divine and

what the result of magic. Not only this: they also allege that if

this is accepted as true, it might well be that the Prophet might have

been prompted to make the claim to Prophethood through magic and the

Prophet by misunderstanding might have thought that an angel had come

to him.  They also argue that these traditions clash with the Qur'an. 

The Qur'an mentions the accusation of the disbelievers who said that

the Prophet was bewitched (Bani Isra'il:47), but these traditions

confirm the accusation of the disbelievers that the Prophet had

actually been charmed and bewitched. For a proper investigation of

this question it is necessary that one should first see whether it is

established by authentic historical evidence that the Holy Prophet

(upon whom be peace) had actually been affected by magic, and if so,

what it was and to what extent.  Then it should be seen whether the

objections raised against what is established historically do actually

apply to it or not. The Muslim scholars of the earliest period were

truly honest and upright in that they did not try to corrupt history

or conceal facts according to their own ideas, concepts and

assumptions.  They conveyed intact to the later generations whatever

was confirmed historically, and did not at all care how the material

supplied by them could be used by the one who was bent upon drawing

perverse conclusions from the facts.  Now, if something stands

confirmed by authentic and historical means, it is neither right for

an honest and rightminded person that he should deny history on the

ground that in case he accepted it, it would lead to these evil

results according to his thinking, nor it is right that he should add

to and stretch beyond its genuine limits by conjecture and speculation

whatever is established historically.  Instead, he should accept

histroy as history and then see what is actually proved by it and what

is not. As far as the historical aspect is concerned, the incident of

the Holy Prophet's being affected by magic is absolutely confirmed,

and if it can be refuted by scientific criticism, then no historical

event of the world can be proved right and genuine.  It has been

related by Bukhari, Muslim, Nasai, Ibn Majah, Imam Ahmad, Abdur Razzaq,

Humaidi, Baihaqi, Tabarani, Ibn Sad, Ibn Mardayah, Ibn Abi Shaibah,

Hakim, Abd bin Humaid and other traditionists on the authority of

Hadrat Aishah, Hadrat Zaid bin Arqam and Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas,

through so many different and numerous channels that forgery is out of

the question.  Although each tradition by itself is an isolated report

(khabar wahid), we give it below as a connected event from the details

provided by the traditions. After the peace treaty of Hudaibiyah when

the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) returned to Madinah, a

deputation of the Jews of Khaibar visited Madinah in Muharram, A.H. 7

and met a famous magician, Labid bin Asam, who belonged to the Ansar

tribe of Bani Zurayq.  They said to him: "You know how Muhammad (upon

whom be Allah's peace and blessings) has treated us.  We have tried

our best to bewitch him but have not succeeded.  Now we have come to

you because you are a more skilled magician.  Here are three gold

coings, accept these and cast a powerful magic spell on Muhammad."  In

those days the Holy Prphet had a Jewish boy as his attendant.  Through

him they obtained a piece of the Holy Prophet's comb with some hair

stuck to it.  Magic was worked on the same hair and the teeth of the

comb. According to some traditions, magic was worked by Labid bin

Asam himself, according to others, his sisters were more skilled than

him and he got the spell cast through them.  Whatever be the case,

Labid placed this spell in the spathe of a male date-tree and his it

under a stone at the bottom of Dharwan or Dhi Arwan, the well of Bani

Zurayq.  The spell took one whole year to have effect upon the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace).  In the latter half of the year the Holy

Prophet started feeling as if was unwell.  The last forty days became

hard on him, of which the last three days were even harder.  But its

maximum effect on him was that he way melting away from within.  He

thought he had done a thing whereas, in fact, he had not done it: he

thought he had visited his wives whereas he had not visited them; and

sometimes he would doubt having seen something whereas, in fact, he

had not seen it.  All these effects were confined to his own person;

so much so that the other people could not notice what state he was

passing through.  As for his being a Prophet, no change occurred in

the performance of his duties.  There is no tradition to say that he

might have forgotten some verses of the Qur'an in those days, or might

have recited a verse wrongly, or a change might have occurred in the

assemblies and in his counsels and sermons, or he might have presented

a discourse as Revelation which may not have been revealed to him, or

he might have missed a Prayer and thought that he had performed it. 

God forbid, if any such thing had happened, it would have caused a

clamour and the whole of Arabia would have known that a magician had

overpowered the one whom no power had been able to overpower.  But the

Holy Prophet's position as a Prophet remained wholly unaffected by it.

Only in his personal life he remained worried on account of it.  At

last, one day when he was in the house of Hadrat Aishah, he prayed to

Allah to be restored to full health. In the meantime he fell asleep

or drowsed and on waking he said to Hadrat Aishah: "My Lord has told

me what I had asked of Him." Hadrat Aishah asked what it was.  He

replied: "Two men (i.e. two angels in human guise) came to me.  One

sat near my head and the other near my feet.  The first asked: what

has happened to him?  The other replied: Magic has been worked on him.

The first asked: who has worked it? He replied: Labid bin Asam.  He

asked: In what is it contained?  He replied: In the comb and hair

covered in the spathe of a male date-tree. He asked: where is it?  He

replied: under a stone at the bottom of Dhi Arwan (or Dharwan), the

well of Bani Zurayq.  He asked: what should be done about it?  He

replied: the well should be emptied and it should be taken out from

under the stone.  The Holy Prophet then sent Hadrat Ali, Hadrat Ammar

bin Yasir and Hadrat Zubair: They were also joined by Jubair bin Iyas

az-Zurqi (two men from Bani Zurayq).  Later the Holy Prophet also

arrived at the well along with some Companions.  The water was taken

out and the spathe recovered.  There they found that beside the comb

and hair there was a cord with eleven knots on it and a wax image with

needles pricked into it.  Gabriel (peace be on him) came and told him

to repeat the Mu'awwidhatayn.  As he repeated verse after verse, a

know was loosened and a needle taken out every time, till on finishing

the last words all the knots were loosened and all the needles removed,

and he was entirely freed from the charm.  After this he called Labid

and questioned him.  He confessed his guilt and the Holy Prophet let

him go, for he never avenged himself on anyone for any harm done to

his person.  He even declined to talk about it to others, saying that

Allah had restored him to health; therefore he did not like that he

should incite the people against anyone. This is the story of the

magic worked on the Holy Prophet.  There if nothing in it which might

run counter to his office of Prophethood.  In his personal capactiy if

any injury could be inflicted on him as it happened in the Battle of

Uhud, if he could fall from his horse and be hurt as is confirmed by

the Hadith, if he could be stung by a scorpion as has been mentioned

in some Traditions and none of these negates the protection promised

him by Allah in his capacity as a Prophet, he could also fall ill

under the influence of magic in his personal capacity.  That a Prophet

can be affected by magic is also confirmed by the Qur'an.  In Sura Al-

A'raf it has been said about the magicians of Pharaoh that when they

confronted the Prophet Moses, they bewitched the eyes of thousands of

people who had assembled to witness the encounter (v. 116).  In Sura

Ta Ha it has been said that not only the common people but the Prophet

Moses too felt that the cords and staffs that they cast were running

towards them like so many snakes, and this filled Moses' heart with

fear.  Thereupon Allah revealed to him: "Don't fear for you will come

out victorious.  Cast down you staff." (vv. 66-69).  As for the

objection that this then confirms the accusation of the disbelievers

of Makkah that the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) was a bewitched

man, its answer is that the disbelievers did not call him a bewitched

man in the sense that he had fallen ill under that effect of magic

cast by somebody, but in the sense that some magician has, God forbid,

made him mad, and he had made claim to Prophethood and was telling the

people tales of Hell and Heaven in his same madness.  Now, obviously

this objection does not at all apply to a matter about which history

confirms that the magic spell had affected only the person of Muhammad

(upon whom be peace) and not the Prophethood of Muhammad (upon whom be

peace), which remained wholly unaffected by it. In this connection,

another thing worthy of mention is that the people who regard magic as

a kind of superstition hold this view only because the effect of magic

cannot be explained scientifically.  But there are many things in the

world which one experiences and observes but one cannot explain

scientifically how they happen.  If we cannot give any such

explanation it does not become necessary that we should deny the thing

itself which we cannot explain.  Magic, in fact, is a psychological

phenomenon which can affect the body through the mind just as physical

things affect the mind through the body.  Fear, for instance, is a

psychological phenomenon, but it affects the body: the hair stand on

end and the body shudders.  Magic does not; in fact, change the

reality, but under its influence man's mind and senses start feeling

as if reality had changed.  The staffs and the cords that the

magicians had thrown towards the Prophet Moses, had not actually

become snakes, but the eyes of the multitude of people were so

bewitched that everybody felt they were snakes; even the senses of the

Prophet Moses could not remain unaffected by the magic spell. 

Likewise, in Al-Baqarah: 102, it has been said that in Babylon people

learnt such matic from Harut and Marut as could cause division between

husband and wife.  This too was a psychological phenomenon.  Obviously,

if the people did not find it officacious by experience they could not

become its customers.  No doubt, it is correct that just like the

bullet of the rifle and the bomb from the aircraft, magic too cannot

have effect without Allah's permission, but it would be mere

stubbornness to deny a thing which has been experienced and observed

by man for thousands for years.



Question of Reciting Charms and Amulets in Islam



The third thing that arises in connection with these Suras is whether

recitation of charms and amulets has any place in Islam, and whether

such recitation is by itself efficacious or not.  This question arises

for in many ahadith it has been reported that the Holy Prophet (upon

whom be peace) at the time of going to bed every night, especially

during illness, used to recite the Mu'awwidhatayn (or according to

other reports, the Mu'awwidhat, i.e. Qul Huwa-Allahu Ahad and the

Mu'awwidhatayn) thrice, blow in his hands and then rub the hands on

his body from head to foot as far as his hands could reach.  During

his last illness when it was not longer possible for him to so do,

Hadrat Aishah recited these Suras herself or by his command blew on

his hands hin view of their being blessed and rubbed them on his body.

Traditions on this subject have been related in Bukhari, Muslim, Nasai,

Ibn Majah, Abu Da'ud and Mu'atta of Imam Malik through authentic

channels on the authority of Hadrat Aishah herself beside whom no one

could be better acquainted with the domestic life of the Holy Prophet.

In this regard, one should first understand its religious aspect.  In

the Hadith a lengthy tradition has been related on the authority of

Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas, at the end of which the Holy Prophet is

reported to have said: "The people of my Ummah to enter Paradise

without reckoning will be those who neither turn to treatment by

branding, nor to enchanting, nor take omens, but have trust in their

Lord." (Muslim). According to a tradition reported on the authority

of Hadrat Mughirah bin Shubah, the Holy Prophet said: "He who got

himself treated by branding, or enchanting, became independent of

trust in Allah." (Tirmidhi).  Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud has reported

that the Holy Prophet disapproved of ten things one of which was

recitation of charsm and amulets except by means of the Mu'awwidhatayn

or Mu'awwidhat. (Abu Daud, Ahmad, Nasai, Ibn Hibban, Hakim).  Some

ahadith also show that in the beginning the Holy Prophet had

altogether forbidden recitation of charms and amulets, but later he

allowed it on the condition that is should not smack of polytheism,

but one should recite and blow by means of the holy names of Allah, or

the words of the Qur'an.  The words used should be understandable and

one should know that there is nothing sinful in it, and one should not

wholly rely on the recitation of charms but on Allah's will to make it

beneficial."  After the explanation of the religious aspect, let us

now see what the Hadith says in this regard. Tabarani in As-Saghir has

related a tradition on the authority of Hadrat Ali, saying: "One the

Holy Prophet was stung by a scorpion during the Prayer.  When the

Prayer was over, he remarked: God's curse be on the scorpion: it

neither spares a praying one, nor any other.  Then he called for water

and salt, and started rubbing the place where the scorpion had stung

with salt water and reciting Qul ya ayyuhal-kafirun, Qul Huwa Allahu

ahad, Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbil-falaq and Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbin-nas, along

with it." Ibn Abbas also has related a tradition to the effect: "The

Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) used to recite this invocation over

Hadrat Hasan and Husain: U'idhu kuma bi-kalimat Allahit-tamati min

kulli shaitan-in wa hammati-wa min kulli ayt-in-lam nati: "I give you

in the refuge of Allah's blameless words, from every devil and

troublesome thing, and from every evil look." (Bukhari, Musnad Ahmad,

Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah). A tradition has been related in Muslim, Muwatta,

Tabarani and Hakim about Uthman bin al-As ath-Thaqafi, with a little

variation in wording, to the effect that he complained to the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace), saying: "Since I have become a Muslim, I

feel a pain in my body, which is killing me."  The Holy Prophet said:

"Place your right hand on the place where you feel the pain, then

recite Bismillah thrice, and A'udhu billahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma

ajidu wa uhadhiru ("I seek refuge with Allah and with His power from

the evil that I find and that I fear") seven times, and rub your

hand."  In Muwatta there is the addition: "Uthman bin Abi al-As said:

After that my pain disappeared and now I teach the same formula to the

people of my house." Musnad Ahmad and Tahavi contain this tradition

from Talq bin Ali: "I was stung by a scorpion in the presence of the

Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace).  The Holy Prophet recited something

and blew over me and rubbed his hand on the affected place." Muslim

contains a tradition from Abu Said Khudri, which says: "Once when the

Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) fell ill, Gabriel came and asked: O

Muhammad, are you ill?  The Holy Prophet answered in the affirmative. 

Gabriel said: I blow on you in the name of Allah from everything which

troubles you and from the evil of every soul and the evil look of

every envier.  May Allah restore you to health.  I blow on you in His

name."  A similar tradition has been related in Musnad Ahmad on the

authority of Hadrat Ubadah bin as-Samit, which says: "The Holy Prophet

was unwell.  I went to visit him and found him in great trouble.  When

I re-visited him in the evening I found him quite well.  When I asked

how he had become well so soon, he said: Gabriel came and blew over me

with some words.  Then he recited words similar to those reported in

the above Hadith.  A tradition similar to this has been related on the

authority of Hadrat Aishah also in Muslim and Musnad Ahmad. Imam Ahmad

in his Musnad has related this tradition from Hafsah, mother of the

Faithful: "One day the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) visited me in

the house and a woman, named Shifa, was sitting with me.  She used to

blow on the people to cure them of blisters.  The Holy Prophet said to

her: Teach Hafsah also the formula."  Imam Ahmad, Abu Daud and Nasai

have related this tradition from Shifa bint Abdullah herself, saying:

"The Holy Prophet said to me: Just as you have taught Hafsah reading

and writing, so teach her blowing to cure blsiters as well." In Muslim

there is a tradition from Auf bin Malik al-Ashjal to the effect: "We

used to practise blowing to cure diseases.  We asked the Holy Prophet

(upon whom be peace) for his opinion in this regard.  He said: Let me

know the words with which you blow over the people.  There is no harm

in blowing unless it smacks of polytheism." Muslim, Musnad Ahmad and

Ibn Majah contain a tradition from Hadrat Jabir bin Abdullah, saying:

"The Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) had forbidden us blowing to

cure disease.  Then the people of the clan of Hadrat Amr bin Hazm came

and they said: We had a formula with which we used to blow on the

people to cure them of scorpion's sting (or snake-bite).  But you have

forbidden us the practice.  Then they recited before him the words

which they made use of.  Thereupon the Holy Prophet said: I do not see

any harm in it, so let the one who can do good to hsi brother, do him

good."  Another tradition from Jabir bin Abdullah in Muslim is: "The

family of Hazm had a formula to cure snake-bite and the Holy Prophet

permitted them to practise it."  This is also supported by the

tradition from Hadrat Aishah, which is contained in Muslim, Musnad

Ahmad, and Ibn Majah: "The Holy Prophet granted permission to a family

of the Ansar for blowing to cure the evils effects of biting by every

poisonous creature."  Traditions resembling these have been related

from Hadrat Anas also in Musnad Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Muslim and Ibn Majah,

saying that the Holy Prophet gave permission for blowing to cure the

bite by poisonous creatures, the disease of blisters and the effects

of the evil look." Musnad Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Hakim have

related this tradition on the authority of Hadrat Umair, freed slave

of Abi al-Laham: "In the pre-Islamic days I had a formula with which I

used to blow over the people.  I recited it before the Holy Prophet,

whereupon he told me to drop out such and such words from it, and

permitted me to blow with the rest of it." According to Muwatta,

Hadrat Abu Bakr went to the house of his daughter, Hadrat Aishah, and

found that she was unwell and a Jewish woman was blowing over her. 

Thereupon he said to her: "Blow over her by means of the Book of

Allah."  This shows that if the people of the Book practise blowing by

means of the verses of the Torah and the Gospel, it is also permitted.

As for the question whether blowing for curing disease is efficacious

also, or not, its answer is that the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace)

not only did not forbid anybody to have recourse to cure and medical

treatment but himself stated that Allah has created a cure for every

disease and exhorted his followers to use cures.  He himself told the

people eeremidies for certain diseases, as can be seen in the Hadith

in the Kitab at-Tib (Book of Cures).  But the cure can be benificial

and useful only by Allah's command and permission, otherwise if the

cure and medical treatment were beneficial in every case, no one would

have died in hospitals.  Now, if beside the cure and medical treatment,

Allah's Word and His beautiful names also are made use of, or Word and

His beautiful names also are made use of, or Allah is turned to and

invoked for help by means of His Word, Names and Attributes in a place

where no medical aid is available, it would not be against reason

except for the materialists.  However, it is not right to disregard

intentionally a cure or treatment where it is available, and recourse

had only to enchanting and reciting of charms, and the people should

start a regular practice of granting amulets as a means of earning

their livelihood. Many people in this regard argue from Hadrat Abu

Said Khudri's tradition which has been related in Bukhari, Muslim,

Tirmidhi, Musnad Ahmad, Abu Daud and Ibn Majah, and it is supported

also by a tradition related in Bukhari on the authority of Ibn Abbas. 

According to it the Holy Prophet sent some of his Companions including

Hadrat Abu Said Khudri on an expedition.  They halted on the way at

the settlement of an Arabian tribe and demanded hospitality from the

people, but they refused to extend any hospitality.  In the meantime

the chief of the tribe was stung by a scorpion and the people came to

the travellers to ask if they had any medicine or formula by which

their chief could be cured. Hadrat Abu Said said: "Yes, we do have,

but since you have refused us hospitality, we would not treat him

unless you promised us to give us something."  They promised to give

them a flock of goats (according to some traditions, 30 goats), and

Hadrat Abu Said went and started reciting Sura Al-Fatihah and rubbing

his saliva on the affected place. Consequently, the chief felt

relieved of the effect of the poison and the people of the tribe gave

them the goats as promised.  But the Companions said to one another;

"Let us not make any use of the goats until we have asked the Holy

Prophet about it", for they were not sure whether it was permissible

to accept any reward for what they had done. So they came before the

Holy Prophet and related what had happened. The Holy Prophet smiled

and said: "How did you know that Sura Al-Fatihah could also be used

for curing such troubles?  Take the goats and allocate my share also

in it." But before one used this Hadith for permission to adopt a

regular profession of granting amulets and reciting charms, one should

keep in view the conditions under which Hadrat Abu Said Khudri had

recourse to it, and the Holy Prophet not only held it as permissible

but also said that a share for him also should be allocated so that

there remained no doubt in the minds of the Companions that such a

thing was permissible. The conditions in Arabia in those days were,

as they still are, that settlements were situated hundreds of miles

apart, there were not hotels and restaurants where a traveller could

buy food when he reached one of these after several days' journey. 

Under such conditions it was considered a moral duty that when a

traveller reached a settlement the people of the place should extend

hospitality to him.  Refusal on their part in many cases meant death

for the travellers, and this was looked upon as highly blameworthy

among the Arabs.  That is why the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace)

allowed as permissible the act of his Companions.  Since the people of

the tribe had refused them hospitality, they too refused to treat

their chief, and became ready to treat him only on the condition that

they should promise to give them something in return.  Then, when one

of them with trust in God recited Sura Al-Fatihah over the chief and

he became well, the people gave the promised wages and the Holy

Prophet allowed that the wages be accepted as lawful and pure.  In

Bukhari the tradition related on the authority of Hadrat Abdullah bin

Abbas about this incident contains the Holy Prophet's words to the

effect: "Instead that you should have acted otherwise, it was better

that you recited the Book of Allah and accepted the wages for it."  He

said this in order to impress the truth that Allah's Word is superior

to every other kind of enchanting and practice of secret arts. 

Furthermore, the Message also was incidentally conveyed to the Arabian

tribe and its people made aware of the blessings of the Word that the

Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) had brought from allah. This

incident cannot be cited as a precedent for the people who run clinic

in the cities and towns for the practice of secret arts and have

adopted it as a regular profession for earning livelihood.  No

precedent of it is found in the life and practice of the Holy Prophet

(upon whom be peace) or his Companions, their followers and the

earliest Imams.



Relation between Sura Al-Fatihah and the Mu'awwidhatayn



The last thing which is noteoworthy with regard to the Mu'awwidhatayn

is the relation between the beginning and the end of the Qur'an.

Although the Qur'an has not been arranged chronologically, the Holy

Prophet (upon whom be peace) arranged in the present order the verses

and Suras revealed during 23 years on different occasions to meet

different needs and situations not by himself but by the command of

Allah Who revelaed them.  According to this order, the Qur'an opens

with the Sura Al-Fatihah and ends with the Mu'awwidhatayn.  Now, let

us have a look at the two.  In the beginning, after praising and

glorifying Allah, Who is Lord of the worlds, Kind, Merciful and Master

of the Judgement Day, the servants submits: "Lord, You alone I worship

and to You along I turn for help, and the msot urgent help that I need

from You is to be guided to the Straight Way."  In answer, he is given

by Allah the whole Qur'an to show him the Straight Way, which is

concluded thus: Man prays to Allah, Who is Lord of dawn, Lord of men,

King of men, Deity of men, saying: "I seek refuge only with You for

protection from every evil and mischief of every creature, and in

particular, from the evil whisperings of devils, be they from among

men or jinn, for they are the greatest obstacle in following the

Straight Way."  The relation that the beginning bears with the end,

cannot remain hidden from anyone who has understanding and insight.