The Believers — Verse 80

وَلَقَدْ أَخَذْنَـهُمْ بِالْعَذَابِ (And indeed We seized them with punishment,) means, `We tried and tested them with difficulties and calamities.' His saying: فَمَا اسْتَكَانُواْ لِرَبِّهِمْ وَمَا يَتَضَرَّعُونَ (but they humbled not themselves to their Lord, nor did they invoke with submission to Him.) means, that did not deter them from their disbelief and resistance, rather they persisted in their sin and misguidance, فَمَا اسْتَكَانُواْ (but they humbled not themselves) وَمَا يَتَضَرَّعُونَ (nor did they invoke (Allah) with submission to Him. ) they did not call on Him. This is like the Ayah: فَلَوْلا إِذْ جَآءَهُمْ بَأْسُنَا تَضَرَّعُواْ وَلَـكِن قَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ (When Our torment reached them, why then did they not humble themselves But their hearts became hardened,) 6:43 Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "Abu Sufyan came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, `O Muhammad, I ask you by Allah and by the ties of kinship between us, we have been reduced to eating camel hair and blood.' Then Allah revealed, وَلَقَدْ أَخَذْنَـهُمْ بِالْعَذَابِ فَمَا اسْتَكَانُواْ (And indeed We seized them with punishment, but they humbled not themselves.) This was also recorded by An-Nasa'i. The basis of this Hadith is in the Two Sahihs, where it says that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed against the Quraysh when he could not make any headway with them, and he said, «اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي عَلَيْهِمْ بِسَبْعٍ كَسَبْعِ يُوسُف» (O Allah, help me against them sending on them seven years (of famine) like the seven (years of drought) of Yusuf.) حَتَّى إِذَا فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَاباً ذَا عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ إِذَا هُمْ فِيهِ مُبْلِسُونَ (Until, when We open for them the gate of severe punishment, then lo! they will be plunged in despair.) When the command of Allah reaches them and the Hour comes to them suddenly, and they are overtaken by the punishment of Allah which they were not expecting, then they will despair of any ease and goodness, and all their hopes will disappear. A reminder of the Blessings of Allah and His immense Power Then Allah mentions His blessings to His servants, in that He has given them hearing, sight and understanding through which they come to know things and draw lessons from them, the signs which attest to the Oneness of Allah and indicate that He is the One Who does what He wills and chooses what He wants. قَلِيلاً مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ (Little thanks you give.) means, how little you thank Allah for the blessings He has given you. This is like the Ayah: وَمَآ أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ (And most of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly.) 12:103 Then Allah tells us about His great power and overwhelming authority, for He is the One Who originated creation and put people in all parts of the earth, with their different nations, languages and characteristics, then on the Day of Resurrection He will gather them all together, the first of them and the last, at a fixed time on a day appointed, and none will be left out, young or old, male or female, noble or insignificant, but all will be brought back as they were originally created. Allah said: وَهُوَ الَّذِى يُحْىِ وَيُمِيتُ (And it is He Who gives life and causes death,) meaning, He will bring the scattered bones back to life and cause the death of the nations, وَلَهُ اخْتِلَـفُ الَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ (and His is the alternation of night and day. ) meaning, by His command night and day are subjugated, each of them following the other and never departing from that pattern, as Allah says: لاَ الشَّمْسُ يَنبَغِى لَهَآ أَن تدْرِكَ القَمَرَ وَلاَ الَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ (It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day)36:40. أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ (Will you not then understand) means, do you not have minds that tell you of the Almighty, All-Knowing to Whom all things are subjugated, Who has power over all things and to Whom all things submit The Idolators thought that Resurrection after Death was very unlikely Then Allah tells us about those who denied the resurrection, who were like the disbelievers who came before them: بَلْ قَالُواْ مِثْلَ مَا قَالَ الاٌّوَّلُونَ - قَالُواْ أَءِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَاباً وَعِظَـماً أَءِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ (Nay, but they say the like of what the men of old said. They said: "When we are dead and have become dust and bones, shall we be resurrected indeed") They thought it very unlikely that this would happen after they had disintegrated into nothing. لَقَدْ وُعِدْنَا نَحْنُ وَءَابَآؤُنَا هَـذَا مِن قَبْلُ إِنْ هَـذَآ إِلاَّ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ ("Verily, this we have been promised -- we and our fathers before (us)! This is only the tales of the ancients!") This means, "It is impossible that we could be brought back. This was said by those who learned it from the books and disputes of the ancients." This denial and rejection on their part is like the Ayah where Allah tells us about them: أَءِذَا كُنَّا عِظَـماً نَّخِرَةً - قَالُواْ تِلْكَ إِذاً كَرَّةٌ خَـسِرَةٌ - فَإِنَّمَا هِىَ زَجْرَةٌ وَحِدَةٌ - فَإِذَا هُم بِالسَّاهِرَةِ ("Even after we are crumbled bones" They say: "It would in that case, be a return with loss!" But it will be only a single Zajrah, When behold, they find themselves on the surface of the earth alive after their death.) 79:11-14 أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الإِنسَـنُ أَنَّا خَلَقْنَـهُ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌ مٌّبِينٌ - وَضَرَبَ لَنَا مَثَلاً وَنَسِىَ خَلْقَهُ قَالَ مَن يُحىِ الْعِظَـمَ وَهِىَ رَمِيمٌ - قُلْ يُحْيِيهَا الَّذِى أَنشَأَهَآ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلْقٍ عَلِيمٌ (Does not man see that We have created him from Nutfah. Yet behold he (stands forth) as an open opponent. And he puts forth for Us a parable, and forgets his own creation. He says: "Who will give life to these bones after they are rotten and have become dust" Say: "He will give life to them Who created them for the first time! And He is the All-Knower of every creation!") 36:77-79 قُل لِّمَنِ الاٌّرْضُ وَمَن فِيهَآ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ - سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ قُلْ أَفَلاَ تَذَكَّرُونَ - قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ السَّمَـوَتِ السَّبْعِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ قُلْ أَفَلاَ تَتَّقُونَ-

And He it is Who gives life by breathing the Spirit into the embryo mudgha and brings death and due to Him is the alternation of night and day in darkness and brightness and through increase and diminution. Will you not then comprehend? His handiwork exalted be He and so reflect?

وهو وحده الذي يحيي من العدم، ويميت بعد الحياة، وله تعاقب الليل والنهار وتفاوتهما، أفلا تعقلون قدرته ووحدانيته؟

ولهذا قال " وهو الذي يحيي ويميت " أي يحيي الرمم ويميت الأمم " وله اختلاف الليل والنهار " أي وعن أمره تسخير الليل والنهار كل منهما يطلب الآخر طلبا حثيثا يتعاقبان لا يفتران ولا يفترقان بزمان غيرهما كقوله " لا الشمس ينبغي لها أن تدرك القمر ولا الليل سابق النهار " الآية. وقوله " أفلا تعقلون " أي أفليس لكم عقول تدلكم على العزيز العليم الذي قد قهر كل شيء وعز كل شيء وخضع له كل شيء ثم قال مخبرا عن منكري البعث الذين أشبهوا من قبلهم من المكذبين.

ثم ذكر ما يدل على كمال قدرته فقال : ( وَهُوَ الذي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ ) بدون أن يشاركه فى ذلك مشارك ، ( وَلَهُ ) وحده التأثير فى اختلاف الليل والنهار وتعاقبهما ، وزيادة أحدهما ونقص الآخر ، ( أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ ) وتدركون ما فى هذا لكه من دلائل واضحة على وحدانية الله - تعالى - وقدرته؟

يقول تعالى ذكره: والله الذي يحيي خلقه يقول: يجعلهم أحياء بعد أن كانوا نطفا أمواتا، بنفخ الروح فيها بعد التارات التي تأتي عليها ، ( وَيُمِيتُ ) يقول: ويميتهم بعد أن أحياهم ( وَلَهُ اخْتِلافُ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ ) يقول: وهو الذي جعل الليل والنهار مختلفين، كما يقال في الكلام: لك المنّ والفضل، بمعنى: إنك تمنّ وتفضل. وقوله: ( أَفَلا تَعْقِلُونَ ) يقول: أفلا تعقلون أيها الناس، أن الذي فعل هذه الأفعال ابتداء من غير أصل، لا يمتنع عليه إحياء الأموات بعد فنائهم، وإنشاء ما شاء إعدامه بعد إنشائه.

( وهو الذي يحيي ويميت وله اختلاف الليل والنهار ) أي : تدبير الليل والنهار في الزيادة والنقصان ، قال الفراء : جعلهما مختلفين ، يتعاقبان ويختلفان في السواد والبياض ، ( أفلا تعقلون ) ما ترون من صنعة فتعتبرون .

وَهُوَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَلَهُ اخْتِلَافُ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ (80)هو من أسلوب { وهو الذي أنشأ لكم السمع } [ المؤمنون : 78 ] وأعقب ذكر الحشر بذكر الإحياء لأن البعث إحياء إدماجاً للاستدلال على إمكان البعث في الاستدلال على عموم التصرف في العالم .وأما ذكر الإماتة فلمناسبة التضاد ، ولأن فيها دلالة على عظيم القدرة والقهر . ولما كان من الإحياء خلْق الإيقاظ ومن الإماتة خلق النوم كما قال تعالى : { الله يتوفى الأنفس حين موتها } [ الزمر : 42 ] الآية عطف على ذلك أن بقدرته اختلاف الليل والنهار لتلك المناسبة ، ولأن في تصريف الليل والنهار دلالة على عظيم القدرة ، والعلم دلالة على الانفراد بصفات الإلهية وعلى وقوع البعث كما قال تعالى : { كما بدأكم تعودون } [ الأعراف : 29 ] .واللام في { له اختلاف الليل والنهار } للملك ، أي بقدرته تصريف الليل والنهار ، فالنهار يناسب الحياة ولذلك يسمى الهبوب في النهار بعثاً ، والليلُ يناسب الموت ولذلك سمى الله النوم وفاةً في قوله : { وهو الذي يتوفاكم بالليل ويعلم ما جرحتم بالنهار ثم يبعثكم فيه } [ الأنعام : 60 ] .وتقديم المجرور للقصر ، أي له اختلاف الليل والنهار لا لغيره ، أي فغيره لا تحق له الإلهية .ولما كانت هذه الأدلة تفيد من نظر فيها علماً بأن الإله واحد وأن البعث واقع وكان المقصودون بالخطاب قد أشركوا به ولم يهتدوا بهذه الأدلة جُعلوا بمنزلة غير العقلاء فأنكر عليهم عدم العقل بالاستفهام الإنكاري المفرع على الأدلة الأربعة بالفاء في قوله { أفلا تعقلون } .وهذا تذييل راجع إلى قوله { وإليه تحشرون } [ المؤمنون : 79 ] وما بعده .

وَهُوَ } تعالى وحده { الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ } أي: المتصرف في الحياة والموت، هو الله وحده، { وَلَهُ اخْتِلَافُ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ } أي: تعاقبهما وتناوبهما، فلو شاء أن يجعل النهار سرمدا، من إله غير الله يأتيكم بليل تسكنون فيه؟ ولو شاء أن يجعل الليل سرمدا، من إله غير الله يأتيكم بضياء أفلا تبصرون؟. (ومن رحمته جعل لكم الليل والنهار لتسكنوا فيه ولتبتغوا من فضله ولعلكم تشكرون). ولهذا قال هنا: { أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ } فتعرفون أن الذي وهب لكم من النعم، السمع، والأبصار، والأفئدة، والذي نشركم في الأرض وحده، والذي يحيي ويميت وحده، والذي يتصرف بالليل والنهار وحده, أن ذلك موجب لكم، أن تخلصوا له العبادة وحده لا شريك له، وتتركوا عبادة من لا ينفع ولا يضر، ولا يتصرف بشيء، بل هو عاجز من كل وجه، فلو كان لكم عقل لم تفعلوا ذلك.

قوله تعالى : وهو الذي يحيي ويميت وله اختلاف الليل والنهار أي جعلهما مختلفين ؛ كقولك : لك الأجر والصلة ؛ أي إنك تؤجر وتوصل ؛ قاله الفراء . وقيل : اختلافهما نقصان أحدهما وزيادة الآخر . وقيل : اختلافهما في النور والظلمة . وقيل : تكررهما يوما بعد ليلة وليلة بعد يوم . ويحتمل خامسا : اختلاف ما مضى فيهما من سعادة وشقاء وضلال وهدى .أفلا تعقلون كنه قدرته ، وربوبيته ، ووحدانيته ، وأنه لا يجوز أن يكون له شريك من خلقه ، وأنه قادر على البعث .

In this universe the human being is a special creation who has been endowed with the exceptional powers of sight, hearing and thought. These capacities have been given to man for the special purpose of understanding the reality of life. He should use his ears to hear the voice of Truth. With his eyes he should recognise the signs of God that are spread around him and he should use his thinking powers to discover the Creator in His creations. Doing so amounts to being thankful to God and those who do not give evidence of such thankfulness in this world risk losing their entitlement to these gifts forever. Among the attributes of God that are prominently visible in this world are His powers to create a life, to take it and revive it again (as in the case of a barren land). In the hereafter, God will assemble the entire mankind before Him. That Day, He will remove the veil of ignorance and the reality will stand fully revealed.

وَلَقَدْ أَخَذْنَاهُم بِالْعَذَابِ فَمَا اسْتَكَانُوا لِرَ‌بِّهِمْ وَمَا يَتَضَرَّ‌عُونَ And We have already seized them with punishment, but they did not turn humble to their Lord, nor do they supplicate in humility. (23:76) In the preceding verse it has been stated that when the unbelievers are subjected to chastisement for their sins, they plead to Allah and the Holy Prophet ﷺ for mercy and when Allah who is Merciful relieves their suffering, they return to their evil practices and wicked deeds. This verse relates a similar instance when the unbelievers were punished for their misdeeds. However when they were delivered from their sufferings as a result of the intercession by the Holy Prophet ﷺ on their behalf, they did not humble themselves before Allah but persisted in idolatry and unbelief. Visitation of famine upon Makkah and its deliverance on the prayers of the Holy Prophet ﷺ It has been mentioned earlier that the Holy Prophet ﷺ had prayed to Allah to punish the people of Makkah with famine and as a result they were reduced to great straits and were forced to eat dead animals. At last, Abu Sufyan presented himself before the Holy Prophet ﷺ at Madinah and said, "I appeal you in the name of Allah, did you not say that you had been sent by Him as mercy for the whole world?" The Holy Prophet ﷺ replied, "Yes I did, and what I said is true also." Then Abu Sufyan said, "You killed the leaders of your clan with sword at the battle of Badr and now you are killing those who still survive with starvation. Pray to Allah, I beseech you, to remove this curse from over our heads." The Holy Prophet ﷺ then prayed to Allah to forgive the people of Makkah and deliver them from the agony of hunger, and his prayer was granted forthwith. The verse: وَلَقَدْ أَخَذْنَاهُم بِالْعَذَابِ فَمَا اسْتَكَانُوا لِرَ‌بِّهِمْ (23:76) was revealed on this occasion and refers to this incident. (Mazhari)

(And He it is Who giveth life) upon resurrection (and causes death) in the life of this world, (and His is the difference of night and day) He changes the day and the night; He makes them come and go, increase and decrease in length; the brightness of day and darkness of night-all these are a sign that Allah will bring the dead back to life. (Have ye then no sense) do you then not believe in resurrection after death?