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So, at the end of the verse, it says :"... nor anything wet or dry but it is (noted) in a clear Book." * * * (60) وَ هُوَ الَّذِي يَتَوَفَّاكُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وَ يَعْلَمُ ما جَرَحْتُمْ بِالنَّهارِ ثُمَّ يَبْعَثُكُمْ فِيهِ لِيُقْضى أَجَلٌ مُسَمًّى ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِما كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ 60. " And He it is Who takes your souls at night (in sleep), and He knows what you commit in the day, then He raises you up therein that an appointed term may be accomplished, then unto Him is your return, then He will inform you of what you were doing." Commentary : By night, Allah takes activity out of your soul the same as He takes it by death. He is also aware of what you do during the day. During the night you sleep, and during the day you perform some activities. Then, Allah will raise you up from your graves so that He reckons you for what you spend your lives upon. It is so until the appointed time comes forth, when Allah has assigned for raising the dead from their graves and giving them the fruit of their deeds. This is the Hereafter. Thus, your return is unto Him. That is, you will attend where you will be reckoned. On that Day, the Lord will inform you of the deeds you used to accomplish in the world, day and night. Some commentators have rendered this part of the verse into the sense that He awakens you from sleep during the day in order that you gain sufficient interest from your life. In this verse, Allah has resembled awakening people from sleep to raising them up. The verse says : " And He it is Who takes your souls at night (in sleep), and He knows what you commit in the day, then He raises you up therein that an appointed term may be accomplished, then unto Him is your return, then He will inform you of what you were doing." * * * Section 8The JudgmentAllah is supreme over everything - Allah's chastisement may come from above or from bellow the feet of men - Mockers of religion to avoided. (61)وَ هُوَ الْقاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبادِهِ وَ يُرْسِلُ عَلَيْكُمْ حَفَظَةً حَتَّى إِذا جاءَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُناو َهُمْ لا يُفَرِّطُونَ 61. " And He is the Omnipotent over His servants, and He sends guardians (to watch) over you until when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take his soul and they never neglect." Commentary : Again, in this verse, in order to emphasize on Allah's scientific conversance with the deeds of the servants and that He keeps their account minutely to be dealt with on the Resurrection Day, it says : " And He is the Omnipotent over His servants, and He sends guardians (to watch) over you ..." Then the Qur'an goes on stating that keeping this account continues until the ending moments of life, when death approaches you. At this time, the messengers of Allah (the angels), who are missioned to take the souls, take the mortal away. "... until when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take his soul..." And, at the end of the verse, it adds that these angels never neglect their duty and no shortcoming nor any defect they perform. They take the soul of a person neither a moment sooner nor a moment later. The holy verse says : "... and they never neglect. " * * * (62) ثُمَّ رُدُّوا إِلَى اللَّهِ مَوْلاهُمُ الْحَقِّ أَلا لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَ هُوَ أَسْرَعُ الْحاسِبِينَ 62. " Then they are returned unto Allah, their Maula (Master), the Real One. Beware ! His (alone) is the Judgment (on that Day), and He is the swiftest of reckoners." Commentary : After that (death), people are taken toward the divine Judgement and Allah's reward. The Lord is their owner, their master and the guardian of their affairs. He (s.w.t.) is the Judge, Who does not judge but in truth. On That Day, the command is only His command, not that of other than His. Allah will reckon all human-kind in a short time and neither of the accounts hinders Him to reckon those of others. Imam Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) once was asked when Allah is not seen, then how He reckons people. He (a.s.) answered them: " In the same way that He gives them sustenance and they do not see Him." (1) This very subject is an evidence to the fact that reckoning one person does not detain Him from reckoning others. Again, it is an evidence to prove that He communicates without talking a word, otherwise it is impossible that all people be reckoned at the same time. However, the return of all is unto Him, and He is the only Judge in the Hereafter. And the real master is the One in Whose authority is creation, guardianship, sleep and wakefulness, death and raising up, judgement and reckoning, and He is the Lord. The verse says: " Then they are returned unto Allah, their Maula (Master), the Real One. Beware ! His (alone) is the Judgment (on that Day), and He is the swiftest of reckoners." By the way, the fright from Hereafter is the fear from our own offences and Allah is both the guardian, the rightful, and the bestower of mercy and virtue. Concerning reckoning and judgement on that Day, there is a tradition from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) who has said: " The more a person tortures people in this world, the heavier than everybody's chastisement his punishment will be on the Day Judgement." (2) * * * (1) Majma'-ul-Bayan, Vol. 3, P. 313 (Arabic version) (2) Nahaj-ul-Fisahah, p. 59, and Kanzul-'Ummal, vol. 3, p. 500 (63) قُلْ
مَنْ يُنَجِّيكُمْ مِنْ ظُلُماتِ الْبَرِّ وَ الْبَحْرِ تَدْعُونَهُ تَضَرُّعاً وَ
خُفْيَةً لَئِنْ أَنْجانا مِنْ هذِهِ لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ 63. " Say : ' Who delivers you from the darkness of the land and the sea ? You call upon Him humbly and secretly, (saying): If He delivers us from this (darkness), certainly we shall be of the grateful ones '." 64. " Say : ' Allah delivers you from them and from every affliction, then again you assign (Him) associates'." Commentary : The Light Which Gliters in DarknessOnce more the Qur'an takes the hand of pagans and leads them into inside their innate disposition, and in that mysterious place it shows them the light of Unity and monotheism. So, it commands the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) to question them who delivers them from the darknesses of the land and the sea. The verse says : " Say : ' Who delivers you from the darkness of the land and the sea ?..." Darkness has sometimes a substantial aspect and sometimes a spiritual aspect. The substantial aspect of darkness is when the light ceases utterly, or it becomes so weak that one cannot see anywhere or he sees with difficulty. The spiritual aspect of darkness is the same hardships, entanglements, disturbances and pollutions whose end is both dark and ambiguous. If this darkness combines with some terrible incidents and, for example, in a voyage by night, a person be surrounded with some aweful waves in a whirlpool, its horror is of a higher degree than that of difficulties that come forth in daytime. It is in these moments that one delivers everything to forgetfulness and does not care of anything except himself and the light, which gliters the depth of his soul, invites him to a source wherein only He can solve such problems. These kinds of cases, which happen for everybody, are some windows to Unity and monotheism. That is why, in the next phrase of the verses, the Qur'an says that it is in this status that : "... You call upon Him humbly and secretly, ..." And, it is in this condition that immediately you make covenant with that great source, promising that if He delivers you from danger you will certainly be grateful of His blesses and rely on none but Him. "... (saying): If He delivers us from this (darkness), certainly we shall be of the grateful ones '." * * * Then, The Qur'an commands the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) to tell them that Allah will deliver them from these darknesses and from any other sorrow, (as He has delivered them frequently), but, after deliverance, they pave again the path of polytheism and paganism. The verse says : " Say : ' Allah delivers you from them and from every affliction, then again you assign (Him) associates'." * * * (65) قُلْ
هُوَ الْقادِرُ عَلى أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذاباً مِنْ فَوْقِكُمْ أَوْ مِنْ
تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعاً وَ يُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ
بَعْضٍ انْظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ الْآياتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَفْقَهُونَ 65. " Say: ' He is able to send forth upon you a chastisement, from above you or from beneath your feet, or to confuse you of different parties, and to make you taste the violence of (fighting) one another.' See how We repeat the Signs that they may understand." 66. " And your people have belied it (the Qur'an) though it is the truth. Say: 'I am not a guard upon you '." Commentary : Various Chastisements :In order to state the different ways of training, this verse has laid emphasis on the subject of threatening to the divine punishment. Clearly speaking, as Allah is the most Merciful of all merciful ones, and the protector of those who are without support, He is also the Supreme and the Avenger against tyrants and rebellious ones. In this verse, the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) has been ordered to threaten the sinners with three sorts of punishment. The chastisements which come from above and from beneath, the chastisement of dispute and the chastisement of fight and blood shedding. Thus, it commands the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) to say that Allah is able to send retributions from above them, like the punishment upon the people of Lut, stones over the People of the Elephant, Flood of Noah, the Cry upon the People of Thamud, and the Wind against the People of 'Ad. And, today, there are some other retributions like atomic bombs, chemical bombs, and far-range-striking-rockets of various kinds. And, from the downwards, there are earthquake, splitting or depressing the land, the Pharaoh being drowned, Korah (Croesus) sank into the ground, cholera, plague, famine, hunger, which are brought for you. Or, that He makes you scattered in some separate groups to dispute with each other, and that you taste the bitterness of fighting one another. It says : " Say: ' He is able to send forth upon you a chastisement, from above you or from beneath your feet, or to confuse you of different parties ' and to make you taste the violence of (fighting) one another.'..." The phenomenon of dispute and contradiction in speech among a society is so dangerous that it has been counted in the row of heavenly punishments, thunders, and earthquakes. Yes, it is truely so. Moreover, sometimes the destructions which are resulted from disperse and dispute are heavier than those resulted from thunders and earthquakes. It has repeatedly happened that some developed countries have completely been ruined under the inauspicious shade of hypocrisy and disunity. This phrase is counted a warning unto the whole Muslims in the world. Then, at the end of the verse, in order that they may realize the Truth and return to it, it is added " "... See how We repeat the Signs that they may understand." * * * The second verse of the verses mentioned above, as well as its following verse, are, in fact, to complete the discussion stated in the former verses abut the invitation to Monotheism, Resurrection, and the facts upon Islam and being afraid of the Divine punishment. At first, addressing the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), it indicates that his people, viz. Quraysh and the pagans of Mecca, belied his teachings while all of these teachings are right and godly, so that different evidences, accepted through intellect and innate disposition comfirm them. The holy verse says: " And your people have belied it (the Qur'an) though it is the truth...." Therefore, their rejection and denial does not decrease anything from the importance of these facts, although the number of opponents and deniers may be large. Then, the verse continues the statement implying that it is the duty of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) to communicate the prophecy and he is not responsible that they accept it. "... Say: ' I am not guard upon you '." The objective meaning of the Arabic term / wakil/ is 'a person who is responsible to lead an action and who is liable due to others."(1) * * * (1) There are some other phrases mentioned in the Qur'an which convey the same meaning, including : Sura Al-'An'am, No. 6, Verse 107 ; Sura Yunus, No. 10, Verse 41; Sura Az-Zumar, No. 39, Verse 41. and Sura Ash-Shaura, No. 42, Verse 6. (67) لِكُلِّ نَبَإٍ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَ سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ 67. " For every announcement there is a term and you will come to know soon." Commentary : In this verse, through a short but expressive phrase, the Qur'an warns people and invites them to choose the right path. It announces that whatever news that Allah or the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) informs people, there is finally a term for it, and it will be accomplished in its appointed time, which they will know soon. The verse says : " For every announcement there is a term and you will come to know soon." By giving people the proper news, Allah and the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) introduce the right path to them. Therefore, Imam Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) in a tradition says: " He who has an intelligent mind looks to his goal. He knows his low road as well as his high road. The caller (of the right, i.e., the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) has called, and the leader (of Ummah, i.e., Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) has tended (his leadership). So, respond to the caller (of the right) and follow (your) leader." (1) * * * (1) Nahaj-ul-Balaqah, sermon 154 (68) وَ إِذا رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ فِي آياتِنا فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ حَتَّى يَخُوضُوا فِي حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِ وَ إِمَّا يُنْسِيَنَّكَ الشَّيْطانُ فَلا تَقْعُدْ بَعْدَ الذِّكْرى مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ 68. " And when you see those who cavil about Our Signs, turn away from them until they enter into (some) other topic. And if Satan causes you to forget, then, after recollection, do not sit with the unjust people." Commentary : It has been narrated by Imam Baqir (a.s.) who said : When this verse was revealed and Muslims were prohibited from associating with the pagans and those who mocked the verses of the Qur'an, (a group of) Muslims said that if they wanted to treat according to that commandment everywhere, they had to neither enter the Sacred Mosque, nor circumambulate the Ka'bah, because those people were often about inside the Sacred Mosque busy mocking the Divine verses which they heard easily by a short pause. Then the next verse was revealed and ordered Muslims to advise them and guide them as much as they could.(1) However, since the statements of this Sura are mostly about the circumstances of pagans and idol-worshippers, both in the current verse and in the verse next to it, the Qur'an hints to the affairs concerning them. At first, it tells the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) that when he sees the arrogant, illogical opponents are mocking the signs of Allah, he should turn away from them so that they give up the subject and be busy with another topic. " And when you see those who cavil about Our Signs, turn away from them until they enter into (some) other topic. ..." Then the Qur'an adds that this matter is so important that if Satan causes you to forget and you sit with such persons unintentionally, as soon as you remember it, you should leave that meeting and do not sit with these unjust people. The verse says : "... And if Satan causes you to forget, then, after recollection, do not sit with the unjust people." There arises a question here: Is it possible that Satan dominates the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and causes him to forget his duty ? In answer to this question, it can be said that although the addressee in this verse is the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), the main purpose, in fact, is the followers of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.). It means that if they are entangled with forgetfulness and they take part in pagans' sinful meetings, they should come out of that meeting and leave the place as soon as they remember it. The like of this status happens in our daily conversations and in the literature of different languages, that, in speech, one person is addressed but the aim is that others hear that statement. * * * (1) Majma'-ul-Bayan, Vol. 3, P. 316. (69) وَ ما عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ مِنْ حِسابِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ وَ لكِنْ ذِكْرى لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ 69. " And nothing of the reckoning of their (deed) shall be upon those who keep from evil, but a reminding (must be given) so that they, too, may keep from evil." Commentary : When the verse of prohibition upon the vain speakers and mockers of the Divine revelations was revealed, some believers said that they should not go to the Sacred Mosque and would not circumambulate the Ka'bah, since the range of their mockery had stretched as far as there. Participation in the meeting of sinners is allowed if it is with the intention of refraining them from wrong and guiding them to the right. Of course, this exception is only for those believers who are pious and firm in belief, since there are some Muslims who go to save others but they themselves drown. Thinking and realizing the situation, in fact, is one of the principles of intellect and of Islam. Hearing the absurd sayings temporarily with the purpose of answering them or saving the deviated people permanently, is allowed. " And nothing of the reckoning of their (deed) shall be upon those who keep from evil, but a reminding (must be given) ..." Piety is a means of protection for man against committing sins. It is like saving-clothes for fire-extinguishers. Besides being pious himself, such a person must try to make others virtuous, too. "... so that they, too, may keep from evil." By the way, there are abundant traditions narrated by the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and the Immaculate Imams (a.s.) which prohibit Muslims from companionship with sinners or participation in a gathering where faults or a single fault is being committed and they cannot bar it even if the people of the gathering are from relatives. Imam Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) recommended his son: " Allah has prescribed for the ear not to listen to any sin and any backbite." (1) Imam Ali (a.s.) also said : " Association with the wicked causes suspicion upon the righteous." (2) This verse may be attached as an evidence for the prohibition of some wicked books, too. * * * (1) Nahjul-Balaqah (2) Nur-uth-Thaqalayn, Vol. 1, P. 728 (70) وَ ما عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ مِنْ حِسابِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ وَ لكِنْ ذِكْرى لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ 70. " And leave those who have taken their religion for a play and pastime, and whom the life of this world has deluded, and admonish (them) by it (the Qur'an) lest a soul be destroyed for what it has earned. It shall not have besides Allah any guardian nor any intercessor, and though it offers every compensation it will not be accepted from it. Those are they who are given up to destruction for what they have earned. They will have a drink of boiling water and a painful chastisement for what they used to disbelieve." Commentary : The purpose of the phrase ' leave those who ...' is ' hating them, and not having any communication with them', which sometimes ends with fighting against them. Thus, the phrase does not mean abandoning Holy Struggle against them. The manner of taking religion for a play has different forms in different circumstances. Sometimes it is in the form of superstitious beliefs, or religious laws are considered impracticable, or sins are justified, or innovation, interpretation of the Qur'an by personal opinion, and following the allegorical verses, come forth. However, Faith has no consistency with laziness, flattery, and playing with ideology. " And leave those who have taken their religion for a play and pastime, ..." Admonishment is a means to being saved from the wrath and punishment of Allah "... and admonish (them) by it (the Qur'an) ..." Be not proud of the world since there will come to help you none, in the Hereafter, except Allah. Everybody should know that the cause of all his misfortunes is his self and his own deeds. "... for what it has earned ..." Therefore, the holy verse, pointing to a part of their painful chastisements, says : "... They will have a drink of boiling water and painful chastisement for what they used to disbelieve." They will be burnt from inside by boiling water and from outside by Hell Fire. * * * Section 9
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