Saba, Sheba — Verse 41

The Angels will disown Their Worshippers on the Day of Resurrection Allah tells us that on the Day of Resurrection, He will rebuke the idolators before all of creation. He will ask the angels whom the idolators used to worship, claiming that their idols were in the form of these angels and that they could bring them nearer to Allah. He will ask the angels: أَهَـؤُلاَءِ إِيَّاكُمْ كَانُواْ يَعْبُدُونَ (Was it you that these people used to worship) meaning, `did you command them to worship you' Allah says in Surat Al-Furqan: أَءَنتُمْ أَضْلَلْتُمْ عِبَادِى هَـؤُلاَءِ أَمْ هُمْ ضَلُّوا السَّبِيلَ (Was it you who misled these My servants or did they (themselves) stray from the (right) path) (25:17). And He will say to `Isa, peace be upon him: أَءَنتَ قُلتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُونِى وَأُمِّىَ إِلَـهَيْنِ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ قَالَ سُبْحَـنَكَ مَا يَكُونُ لِى أَنْ أَقُولَ مَا لَيْسَ لِى بِحَقٍّ (Did you say unto men: "Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah,' He will say: "Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say).") (5:116). Similarly, the angels will say: سُبْحَـنَكَ Glorified be You! meaning, exalted and sanctified be You above the notion that there could be any god besides You. أَنتَ وَلِيُّنَا مِن دُونِهِمْ You are our Protector instead of them. means, we are Your servants and we disown these people before You. بَلْ كَانُواْ يَعْبُدُونَ الْجِنَّ (Nay, but they used to worship the Jinn;) meaning, the Shayatin, because they are the ones who made idol worship attractive to them and who misguided them. أَكْـثَرُهُم بِهِم مُّؤْمِنُونَ most of them were believers in them. This is like the A0yah: إِن يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلاَّ إِنَـثاً وَإِن يَدْعُونَ إِلاَّ شَيْطَـناً مَّرِيداً لَّعَنَهُ اللَّهُ (They invoke nothing but females besides Him, and they invoke nothing but Shaytan, a persistent rebel! Allah cursed him) (4:117-118). Allah says: فَالْيَوْمَ لاَ يَمْلِكُ بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ نَّفْعاً وَلاَ ضَرّاً (So Today, none of you can profit or harm one another.) means, `none of those idols and rivals whom you hoped would benefit you, will be of any avail to you, those whom you worshipped in the hope that they would help you at times of stress and calamity. Today they will have no power either to benefit you or to harm you.' وَنَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ And We shall say to those who did wrong: -- meaning the idolators -- ذُوقُواْ عَذَابَ النَّارِ الَّتِى كُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ ("Taste the torment of the Fire which you used to deny.") meaning, this will be said to them by way of rebuke.

They will say ‘Glory be to You exalted above that You should have an associate! You are our Supporter not they in other words as far as we are concerned there are no bonds of association between us and them. Nay bal is to indicate transition rather they used to worship the jinn the devils in other words they used to obey them and agree to worship us; most of them were believers in them’ accepting as truth what these jinn used to say to them.

قالت الملائكة: ننزهك يا ألله عن أن يكون لك شريك في العبادة، أنت وليُّنا الذي نطيعه ونعبده وحده، بل كان هؤلاء يعبدون الشياطين، أكثرهم بهم مصدقون ومطيعون.

"سبحانك " أي تعاليت وتقدست عن أن يكون معك إله " أنت ولينا من دونهم " أي نحن عبيدك ونبرأ إليك من هؤلاء " بل كانوا يعبدون الجن " يعنون الشياطين لأنهم هم الذين زينوا لهم عبادة الأوثان وأضلوهم " أكثرهم بهم مؤمنون " كما قال تبارك وتعالى " إن يدعون من دونه إلا إناثا وإن يدعون إلا شيطانا مريدا لعنه الله " قال الله عز وجل.

وقوله - تعالى - : ( قَالُواْ سُبْحَانَكَ أَنتَ وَلِيُّنَا مِن دُونِهِمْ ) حكاية لأقوال الملائكة .أى : قال الملائكة فى الإِجابة على سؤال خالقهم . ( سُبْحَانَكَ ) أى : ننزهك ونقدسك عن أن يكون لك شريك فى عبادتك وطاعتك ( أَنتَ وَلِيُّنَا مِن دُونِهِمْ ) أى : أنت الذى نواليك ونتقرب إليك وحدك بالعبادة ، وليس بيننا وبين هؤلاء المشركين أى موالاة أو قرب ، ولا دخل لنا فى عبادتهم لغيرك .ثم صرحوا بما كان المشركون يعبدونه فى الدنيا فقالوا : ( بَلْ كَانُواْ يَعْبُدُونَ الجن أَكْثَرُهُم بِهِم مُّؤْمِنُونَ ) .أى : إن هؤلاء المشركين لا علم نا بأ ، هم كانوا يبعدوننا ، ونبرأ من ذلك إن كانوا قد عبدونا ، وهم إنما كانوا يعبدون فى الدنيا ( الجن ) أى الشياطين ، وكان أكثر هؤلاء المشركين يؤمنون بعبادة الشياطين . ويطيعونهم فيما يأمرونهم به ، أو ينهونهم عنه .فقوله - تعالى - ( بَلْ كَانُواْ يَعْبُدُونَ الجن ) إضراب انتقالى ، لبيان السبب فى شرك هؤلا المشركين ، وتصريح بمن كانوا يعبدونهم فى الدنيا .قال الجمل : فإن قيل جميعهم كانوا متابعين للشيطان ، فما وجه قوله - تعالى - ( أَكْثَرُهُم بِهِم مُّؤْمِنُونَ ) فإنه يدل على أن بعضهم لم يؤمن بالجن ولم يطعمهم؟فالجواب من وجهين : أحدهما : أن الملائكة احترزوا عن دعوة الإِحاطة بهم ، فقالوا أكثرهم ، لأن الذين رأوهم واطعلوا على أحولاهم كانوا يعبدون الجن ، ولعل فى الوجود من لم يطلع الله الملائكة على حاله من الكفار .الثانى : هو أن العبادة عمر ظاهر ، والإِيمان عمل باطن ، فقالوا : بل كانوا يبعدون الجن لاطلاعهم على أعمالهم ، وقالوا : أكثرهم بهم مؤمنون عند عمل القلب ، لئلا يكونوا مدعين اطلاعهم على ما فى القلوب ، فإن القلب لا يطلع على ما فيه إلا الله .

(قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ) ربنا؛ تنـزيهًا لك وتبرئة مما أضاف إليك هؤلاء من الشركاء والأنداد (أَنْتَ وَلِيُّنَا مِنْ دُونِهِمْ) لا نتخذ وليًّا دونك (بَلْ كَانُوا يَعْبُدُونَ الْجِنَّ).وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة قوله (وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ نَقُولُ لِلْمَلائِكَةِ أَهَؤُلاءِ إِيَّاكُمْ كَانُوا يَعْبُدُونَ) استفهام كقوله لعيسى أَأَنْتَ قُلْتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُونِي وَأُمِّيَ إِلَهَيْنِ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ .وقوله (أَكْثَرُهُمْ بِهِمْ مُؤْمِنُونَ) يقول: أكثرهم بالجن مصدقون، يزعمون أنهم بنات الله، تعالى الله عمَّا يقولون علوًّا كبيرًا.

( قالوا سبحانك ) تنزيها لك ( أنت ولينا من دونهم ) أي : نحن نتولاك ولا نتولاهم ( بل كانوا يعبدون الجن ) يعني : الشياطين ، فإن قيل لهم كانوا يعبدون الملائكة فكيف وجه قوله : ( يعبدون الجن ) قيل : أراد الشياطين ، زينوا لهم عبادة الملائكة ، فهم كانوا يطيعون الشياطين في عبادة الملائكة ، فقوله ) ( يعبدون ) أي : يطيعون الجن ( أكثرهم بهم مؤمنون ) يعني : مصدقون للشياطين .

قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ أَنْتَ وَلِيُّنَا مِنْ دُونِهِمْ بَلْ كَانُوا يَعْبُدُونَ الْجِنَّ أَكْثَرُهُمْ بِهِمْ مُؤْمِنُونَ (41)فمورد التنزيه في قول الملائكة { سبحانك } هو أن يكون غير الله مستحقاً أن يعبد ، مع لازم الفائدة وهو أنهم يعلمون ذلك فلا يضرون بأن يكونوا مَعبودين .والولي : الناصر والحَليف والصديق ، مشتق من الوَلْي مصدر وَلِيَ بوزن عَلِم . وكلٌّ من فاعل الوَلْي ومفعوله وليّ لأن الوَلاية نسبة تستدعي طرفين ولذلك كان الولي فعيلاً صالحاً لمعنى فاعل ولمعنى مفعول .فيقع اسم الولِيّ على المُوالِي بكسر اللام وعلى المُوالَى بفتحها وقد ورد بالمعنيين في القرآن وكلام العرب كثيراً .فمعنى { أنت ولينا } لا نوالي غيرك ، أي لا نرضى به وليّاً ، والعبادةُ ولاية بين العابد والمعبود ، ورضَى المعبود بعبادة عابده إياه ولايةٌ بين المعبود وعابده ، فقول الملائكة { سبحانك } تبرؤ من الرضى بأن يعبدهم المشركون لأن الملائكة لما جعلوا أنفسهم موالين لله فقد كذبوا المشركين الذين زعموا لهم الإِلهية ، لأن العابد لا يكون معبوداً . وقد تقدم الكلام على لفظ ( ولي ) عند قوله تعالى : { قل أغير اللَّه أتخذ ولياً } في سورة الأنعام ( 14 ) وفي آخر سورة الرعد .ومِن } زائدة للتوكيد و ( دون ) اسم لمعنى غير ، أي أنت ولينا وهم ليسوا أولياء لنا ولا نرضى بهم لكفرهم ف { من دونهم } تأكيد لما أفادته جملة { أنت ولينا } من الحَصر لتعريف الجزأين .و { بل } للإِضراب الانتقالي انتقالاً من التبرؤ منهم إلى الشهادة عليهم وعلى الذين سَوّلوا لهم عبادة غير الله تعالى ، وليس إضراب إبطال لأن المشركين المتحدث عنهم كانوا يعبدون الملائكة ، والمعنى : بل كان أكثر هؤلاء يعبدون الجن وكان الجنّ راضين بعبادتهم إياهم . وحاصل المعنى : أنا منكرون عبادتهم إياناً ولم نأمرهم بها ولكن الجن سوّلت لهم عبادة غير الله فعبدوا الجن وعبدوا الملائكة .وجملة { أكثرهم } للمشركين وضمير { بهم } للجن ، والمقام يردّ كل ضمير إلى معاده ولو تماثلت الضمائر كما في قول عباس بن مرداس يوم حنين: ... عُدنا ولولا نحن أحدق جمعهمبالمسلمين وأحرزوا ما جَمَّعوا ... أي أحرز جَمْع المشركين ما جَمَّعه المسلمون من مغانم .وقرأ الجمهور { نحشرهم } و { نقول } بنون العظمة . وقرأ حفص عن عاصم بياء الغائب فيهما ، والضمير عائد إلى { ربي } من قوله : { قل إن ربي يبسط الرزق لمن يشاء من عباده ويقدر له } [ سبأ : 39 ] .

{ قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ } أي: تنزيها لك وتقديسا, أن يكون لك شريك, أو ند { أَنْتَ وَلِيُّنَا مِنْ دُونِهِمْ } فنحن مفتقرون إلى ولايتك, مضطرون إليها, فكيف ندعو غيرنا إلى عبادتنا؟ أم كيف نصلح لأن نتخذ من دونك أولياء وشركاء؟"ولكن هؤلاء المشركون { كَانُوا يَعْبُدُونَ الْجِنَّ } أي: الشياطين

قالوا سبحانك أي تنزيها لك . أنت ولينا من دونهم أي أنت ربنا الذي نتولاه ونطيعه ونعبده ونخلص في العبادة له . بل كانوا يعبدون الجن أي يطيعون إبليس وأعوانه . وفي التفاسير : أن حيا يقال لهم بنو مليح من خزاعة كانوا يعبدون الجن ، ويزعمون أن الجن تتراءى لهم ، وأنهم ملائكة ، وأنهم بنات الله ; وهو قوله : وجعلوا بينه وبين الجنة نسبا .

Angels are not visible to human beings. It was the prophets who told human beings of the angels. This they did as they wanted the people to realize the majesty of God and devote themselves to prayers. But, Satan, in his devious manner, misled them by saying that it was difficult to achieve nearness to God directly and, as such, they should first worship the angels and through them come near to God. So, throughout the world, idols of angels were set up and worshipped. The concept of gods and goddesses stems in fact from this perverse belief in angels. For example the angel who was appointed for rains was considered the rain-god; and the angel for winds was taken as the god of winds, etc. In the Hereafter, the angels will dissociate themselves from such worshippers and neither God nor the angels will give them any support. Such people will become eternally helpless.

Commentary This verse has appeared a little earlier (36) almost in the same words. As obvious, the same thing has been mentioned here, however, it has a difference. At this place, there is an addition of: مِنْ عِبَادِهِ (out of His servants) after: مَن يَشَاءُ whomsoever He wills) and: لَہ، (lahu: for him or whomever) after: یَقدِر (yaqdir: straitens). From the statement: مِنْ عِبَادِهِ (min 'ibadihi: from His servants), it is gathered that this rule of guidance has been put forth for His particular servants, that is, for the believers, and the purpose is to alert people of faith that they should not start loving wealth and comfort to the extent that their hearts choke when it comes to spending at occasions and on rights enjoined by Allah Ta’ ala. As for the earlier verse (36) that carries the same text, it was addressed to disbelievers and polytheists who prided on the worldly assets of wealth and children and declared these to be the proof of their success in the Hereafter. Thus, any discordance between the addressee and the purpose of address stands eliminated. Maulana Ashraf ` Ali Thanavi (رح) ، in his khulasah of Tafsir Bayn ul-Qur'an, has taken the same approach by first adding 'the believers' in parenthesis while explaining this verse. Another difference between these two verses pointed to by some commentators is that mentioned in the first verse was the distribution of sustenance between different human beings, that is, Allah Ta’ ala gives more of wealth and property to some, and less to some others - all in His wisdom and in the light of universal considerations. And in this verse, only one person and his different states have been mentioned, that is, this one person has, at times, more with him, then, comes another time and the same person has much less as well. The word: لَہ (lahu: for him) which appears in this verse after: یَقدِر (yaqdiru: straitens) releases an indication in this direction. This approach too leaves no discordance behind. Rather, the first verse turns out as relating to different individuals and the present verse, to different states of one single person. The sentence: وَمَا أَنفَقْتُم مِّن شَيْءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُ (And whatever thing you spend, He replaces it. And He is the best of the sustainers.) in verse 39 literally means: 'For anything that you spend, Allah Ta’ ala gives you a return from His unseen treasures - at times, within this world and at times, in the Hereafter and at times, in both.' In things happening around us, we see that water comes down from above, animals and humans use it freely, needs of farms and forests are satiated, and no sooner does that supply of water gets used up, than another supply descends to replenish it. Similar is the case of wells dug for water that, no matter how much water is spent out of these, it stands replenished by nature from other sources of water beneath the bed. Man eats up his food leaving the impression that he has finished it, but Allah Ta’ ala provides him with other food in its absence. Physical exercise burns out calories of food and other workings of nature turn it into energy. In short, whatever man spends out in this world, it is the customary practice of Allah Ta’ ala that He would replace it with something else similar to it. Something happening contrary to this, as an exceptional case, - either to punish one, or for the sake of some other creational consideration - will not be deemed as contrary to this customary Divine practice. According to a Hadith of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ in Sahih of Muslim, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, "Everyday when people rise to see another morning, two angels descend from the heavens and pray: اللَّھُم اَعطِ منفقاً خَلفاً واعط ممسکاً تلفق (0 Allah, bless the one who spends [ out of what You gave him or her ] with its return, and let the one who withholds [ what You gave him or her ] find it wasted." And according to another Hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah Ta’ ala has told me: You spend on people, I shall spend on you." There is no promise of a return for spending that is not in accordance with the Shari'ah Says a Hadith of Sayyidna Jabir ؓ see that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, "Good deed is sadaqah (an act of charity in the way of Allah). When someone spends on himself or his children and family, that spending too falls under sadaqah. It brings thawab (reward from Allah). And one who spends to protect his integrity and honor, this too is sadaqah. And whoever spends whatever he does in obedience to the command of Allah, He has taken it upon Himself that He will give him its return - except that which is spent in (wasteful, extra to need) building or sinful activity, for there is no promise of a return for it." After hearing this Hadith from Sayyidna Jabir ؓ ، his disciple, Ibn al-Munkadir asked him: 'What is the meaning of spending to protect one's honor?' He said, 'There may be a person about whom one apprehends that, should he not give him something, he would go about maligning him in all sorts of ways. In this case, giving to such a person is in order to save one's honor.' (Reported by ad-Darqutni, Qurtubi) With the decrease in the use of something, its production also decreases The hint embedded in this verse also tells us that as long as the things of use provided by Allah Ta’ ala for consumption of human beings and animals keep being consumed, these keep being replaced by Him constantly. The rule seems to be that the more the consumption of something, the more its production. The multiple uses made of domestic animals like goats, sheep and cows put them high on the list of consumption. They are slaughtered. Their meat is eaten. Then, they are also slaughtered under Islamic legal requirements, such as, the Qurbani قُربَانِی or sacrifice, and in Kaffarat (plural of kaffarah or expiation) and jinayat (faults, offences against religious prohibitions). The more they are consumed, the more increased becomes their frequency of production from Allah Ta’ ala. This is common experience everywhere. The number of these animals, despite being under the knife all the time, remains the highest in the world. The number of dogs and cats is not that high, although the reproduction of dogs and cats should obviously be much more as they produce four or five puppies and kittens in a single pregnancy. A cow or goat delivers two calves or kids at the most. Cows and goats keep being slaughtered all the time. Dogs and cats are (generally) not touched by anyone. But, as far as common observations goes, it cannot be denied that the number of cows, sheep and goats comparatively exceeds the number of dogs and cats. Since the time restrictions have been placed on the slaughter of cows in India, the production of cows has gone down there in that very ratio. Otherwise, every village and every home would have been full of cows that stayed spared from being slaughtered. Once the Arabs tapered down their use of camels for riding and transport purposes, the usual increase in the populations of their camels has also gone down. Incidentally, what has been said here also helps remove that atheistic doubt usually dished out with reference to the Islamic injunctions of sacrifice saying that it is likely to affect the economy of Muslims adversely.

(They) i.e. the angels (will say: Be Thou glorified) they will exonerate Allah. (Thou art our Protector) O our Lord (from them! Nay, but they worshipped the jinn; most of them were believers in them) thinking they were angels.