The Forgiver, The Forgiving One — Verse 52

The Victory of the Messengers and the Believers إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فِى الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا (Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe in this world's life). As-Suddi, "Allah never sends a Messenger to a people and they kill him or some of the believers who call them to the truth, then that generation passes away, but He then sends them someone who will support their call and will seek vengeance for their blood from those who did that to them in this world. So the Prophets and believers may be killed in this world, but their call will prevail in this world." Allah granted victory to His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his Companions over those who had opposed him, disbelieved in him and shown hostility towards him. He caused His Word and His religion to prevail over all other religions, commanded him to emigrate from his people to Al-Madinah, where He gave him supporters and helpers. Then He caused him to prevail over the idolators on the day of Badr, when He granted him victory over them and he humiliated them, killing their leaders and taking their elite prisoner, driving them before him in chains. Then he did them the favor of accepting ransom from them. Shortly after that, Allah enabled him to conquer Makkah, and he rejoiced in his return to his homeland, the sacred and holy land of Al-Haram. Through him, Allah saved it from its disbelief and Shirk. Then Allah enabled him to conquer the Yemen, and the entire Arabian Peninsula submitted to him, and the people entered the religion of Allah in crowds. Then Allah took him (in death), because of his high status and honor, and He established his Companions as his Khalifahs. They conveyed the religion of Allah from him, called mankind to Allah, they conquered many regions, countries and cities, and opened people's hearts, until the call of Muhammad ﷺ spread throughout the world, east and west. This religion will continue to prevail until the Hour begins. Allah says: إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فِى الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الاٌّشْهَـدُ (Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe in this world's life and on the Day when the witnesses will stand forth) meaning, on the Day of Resurrection the victory will be greater and more complete. Mujahid said, "The witnesses are the angels." يَوْمَ لاَ يَنفَعُ الظَّـلِمِينَ مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ (The Day when their excuses will be of no profit to wrongdoers.) is referring to the same as; وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الاٌّشْهَـدُ (...the Day when the witnesses will stand forth.) Others read it with that meaning; وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الاٌّشْهَـدُيَوْمَ لاَ يَنفَعُ الظَّـلِمِينَ (And the Day the witnesses will stand forth, is a Day when there will be no profit to wrongdoers.) and the wrongdoers are the idolators. مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ (their excuses) means, no excuse or ransom will be accepted from them. وَلَهُمُ الْلَّعْنَةُ (Theirs will be the curse,) means, they will be cast out far away from the mercy of Allah. وَلَهُمْ سُوءُ الدَّارِ (and theirs will be the evil abode.) means, the Hell-fire, as As-Suddi said, a terrible abode and dwellingplace. Indication that the Messenger and the Believers will prevail just as Musa and the Children of Israel prevailed وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْهُدَى (And, indeed We gave Musa the guidance.) means, the guidance and light with which Allah sent him. وَأَوْرَثْنَا بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ الْكِتَـبَ (and We caused the Children of Israel to inherit the Scripture.) means, `We caused them to prevail in the end and they inherited the land and accumulated wealth of Fir`awn, because of their patience in obeying Allah and following His Messenger Musa.' The Scripture which they inherited, the Tawrah, was هُدًى وَذِكْرَى لاٌّوْلِى الاٌّلْبَـبِ (A guide and a reminder for men of understanding.) i.e. those of a sound and upright nature. فَاصْبِرْ (So be patient) means, `O Muhammad,' إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ (Verily, the promise of Allah is true,) means, `We have promised that your word will prevail and that the ultimate victory will be for you and those who follow you, and Allah does not break His promises. What We have told you is true and there is no doubt in it whatsoever.' وَاسْتَغْفِـرْ لِذَنبِكَ (and ask forgiveness for your fault,) This encourages the Ummah to seek forgiveness. وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ بِالْعَشِىِّ (and glorify the praises of your Lord in the `Ashi) meaning, at the end of the day and the beginning of the night, وَالابْكَارِ (and in the Ibkar.) meaning, at the beginning of the day and the end of the night. إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُجَـدِلُونَ فِى ءَايَـتِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَـنٍ أَتَـهُمْ (Verily, those who dispute about the Ayat of Allah, without any authority having come to them,) means, they try to refute the truth with falsehood, and to refute sound evidence with dubious arguments, having no proof or evidence from Allah. إِن فِى صُدُورِهِمْ إِلاَّ كِبْرٌ مَّـا هُم بِبَـلِغِيهِ (there is nothing else in their breasts except pride. They will never have it.) means, they are too proud to follow the truth and submit to the one who has brought it. But their attempts to suppress the truth and elevate falsehood will fail; the truth will prevail and their words and aspirations will be defeated. فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ (So seek refuge in Allah. ) means, from being like these people, إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ (Verily, it is He Who is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.) or seek refuge with Him from being like these people who dispute about the Ayat of Allah without any authority having come to them.

the day when their excuses will not benefit read lā yanfa‘u or lā tanfa‘u the evildoers even if they were to offer them and theirs will be the curse in other words the banishment from God’s Mercy and theirs will be the ills of the ultimate abode in the Hereafter meaning the most severe of its chastisements.

يوم الحساب لا ينتفع الكافرون الذين تعدَّوا حدود الله بما يقدِّمونه من عذر لتكذيبهم رسل الله، ولهم الطرد من رحمة الله، ولهم الدار السيئة في الآخرة، وهي النار.

قوله تعالى "يوم لا ينفع الظالمين معذرتهم" بدل من قوله "ويوم يقوم الأشهاد" وقرأ آخرون يوم بالرفع كأنه فسره به "يوم يقوم الأشهاد يوم لا ينفع الظالمين" وهم المشركون "معذرتهم" أي لا يقبل منهم عذر ولا فدية "ولهم اللعنة" أي الإبعاد والطرد من الرحمة "ولهم سوء الدار" وهي النار قاله السدي بئس المنزل والمقيل وقال علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما "ولهم سوء الدار" أي سوء العاقبة.

وقوله : ( يَوْمَ لاَ يَنفَعُ الظالمين مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ ) أى : وننصرهم يوم القيامة يوم يقدم الظالمون أعذارهم لكى نعفو عنهم . فلا يقبل منهم عذر واحد ، لأنها أعذار ساقطة . وجاءت فى غير وقتها .ولا منافاة بين هذه الآية وبين قوله - تعالى - : ( وَلاَ يُؤْذَنُ لَهُمْ فَيَعْتَذِرُونَ ) لأن المقصود منهما واحد . وهو أنهم ليس لهم عذر مقبول حتى يلتفت إليهم ، وإنما عذرهم مرفوض رفضا تاما .( وَلَهُمُ اللعنة ) من الله - تعالى - ومن عباده المؤمنين ( وَلَهُمْ ) - أيضا - ( سواء الدار ) وهى جهنم وسوؤها ما يسوء فيها من العذاب ، فالإِضافة من باب إضافة الصفة إلى الموصوف . أى : ولهم الدار السوءى .وفى هاتين الآيتين ما فيهما من البشارة السارة العظيمة للمؤمنين ومن الإِهانة التى ليس بعدها إهانة للكافرين .

واختلفت القرّاء في قراءة قوله: ( وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الأشْهَادُ يَوْمَ لا يَنْفَعُ الظَّالِمِينَ مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ ) فقرأ ذلك عامة قرّاء المدينة والكوفة ( وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ ) بالياء. وينفع أيضا بالياء, وقرأ ذلك بعض أهل مكة وبعض قرّاء البصرة: " تَقُومُ" بالتاء, و " تَنْفَعُ" بالتاء.والصواب من القول في ذلك أنهما قراءتان معروفتان بمعنى واحد, فبأيتهما قرأ القارئ فمصيب.وقد بيَّنا فيما مضى أن العرب تذكر فعل الرجل وتؤنث إذا تقدّم بما أغنى عن إعادته.وعني بقوله: ( وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الأشْهَادُ ) يوم يقوم الأشهاد من الملائكة والأنبياء والمؤمنين على الأمم المكذبة رسلها بالشهادة بأن الرسل قد بلغتهم رسالات ربهم, وأن الأمم كذّبتهم. والأشهاد: جمع شهيد, كما الأشراف: جمع شريف.وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثنا بشر, قال: ثنا يزيد, قال: ثنا سعيد, عن قتاد.( وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الأشْهَادُ ) من ملائكة الله وأنبيائه, والمؤمنين به.حدثنا محمد, قال: ثنا أحمد, قال: ثنا أسباط, عن السديّ( وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الأشْهَادُ ) يوم القيامة.حدثنا ابن بشار, قال: ثنا مؤمل, قال: ثنا سفيان, عن الأعمش, عن مجاهد, في قول الله: ( وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الأشْهَادُ ) قال الملائكة.وقوله: ( يَوْمَ لا يَنْفَعُ الظَّالِمِينَ مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: ذلك يوم لا ينفع أهل الشرك اعتذارهم لأنهم لا يعتذرون إن اعتذروا إلا بباطل, وذلك أن الله قد أعذر إليهم في الدنيا, وتابع عليهم الحجج فيها فلا حجة لهم في الآخرة إلا الاعتصام بالكذب بأن يقولوا: وَاللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ .وقوله: ( وَلَهُمُ اللَّعْنَةُ ) يقول: وللظالمين اللعنة, وهي البعد من رحمة الله ( وَلَهُمْ سُوءُ الدَّارِ ) يقول: ولهم مع اللعنة من الله شرّ ما في الدار الآخرة, وهو العذاب الأليم.

( يوم لا ينفع الظالمين معذرتهم ) إن اعتذروا عن كفرهم لم يقبل منهم ، وإن تابوا لم ينفعهم ، ( ولهم اللعنة ) البعد من الرحمة ، ( ولهم سوء الدار ) يعني جهنم .

يَوْمَ لَا يَنْفَعُ الظَّالِمِينَ مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ وَلَهُمُ اللَّعْنَةُ وَلَهُمْ سُوءُ الدَّارِ (52)و { يومَ لاَ يَنفَعُ الظالمين مَعْذِرَتُهُم } بدل من { يوم يقوم الأشهاد } وهو منصوب على البدلية من الظرف . والمراد بالظالمين : المشركون . والمعذرة اسم مَصْدر اعتَذر ، وتقدم عند قوله تعالى : { قالوا معذرة إلى ربكم } في سورة [ الأعراف : 164 ] .وظاهرُ إضافة المعذرة إلى ضميرهم أنهم تصدر منهم يومئذٍ معذرة يعتذرون بها عن الأسباب التي أوجبت لهم العذاب مثل قولهم : { ربنا هؤلاء أضلونا } [ الأعراف : 38 ] وهذا لا ينافي قوله تعالى : { ولا يؤذن لهم فيعتذرون } [ المرسلات : 36 ] الذي هو في انتفاء الاعتذار من أصله لأن ذلك الاعتذار هو الاعتذار المأذون فيه ، وقد تقدم ذلك عند قوله تعالى : { فيومئذٍ لا تنفع الذين ظلموا معذرتهم } في سورة [ الروم : 57 ] .( وقرأ نافع وعاصم وحمزة والكسائي وخلف { لا ينفع } بالياء التحتية لأن الفاعل وهو «معذرة» غير حقيقي التأنيث وللفصل بين الفعل وفاعله بالمفعول . وقرأ الباقون بالتاء الفوقية على اعتبار التأنيث اللفظي .و { لَهُمُ اللَّعْنَةُ } عطف على جملة { لا يَنفَعُ الظالمين معذِرَتُهُم } أي ويوم لهم اللعنة . واللعنة : البعد والطرد ، أي من رحمة الله ، { ولَهُمْ سُوءُ الدَّارِ } هي جهنم . وتقديم ( لهم ) في هاتين الجملتين للاهتمام بالانتقام منهم .

{ يَوْمَ لَا يَنْفَعُ الظَّالِمِينَ مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ } حين يعتذرون { وَلَهُمُ اللَّعْنَةُ وَلَهُمْ سُوءُ الدَّارِ } أي: الدار السيئة التي تسوء نازليها.

" يوم " بدل من " يوم " الأول . لا ينفع الظالمين معذرتهم قرأ نافع والكوفيون ينفع بالياء . الباقون بالتاء .ولهم اللعنة ولهم سوء الدار اللعنة البعد من رحمة الله و سوء الدار جهنم .

There is firm assurance of God’s help to prophets and their followers. But entitlement to this help is achieved only after the exercise of patience. Patience has been given so much importance, so that those who uphold the Truth may be fully established as champions of the Truth and tyrants may be proved to be such. In order to reach the stage where this distinction becomes clear, the upholders of Truth have to exercise patience unilaterally. The patience they exercise makes them entitled to God’s help in this world and, by virtue of this very quality, they become entitled to be God’s witnesses against transgressors on the Day of Judgement. The Book which comes from God comes only for providing guidance to human beings. But this guidance is useful only to those who are wise, i.e. those who are not bound by certain untoward considerations; those who keep themselves free of complexes; those who test matters on the basis of rationality and not on any other basis. Those who, unlike the former, indulge in an irrational interpretation of God’s guidance are transgressors, while those who treat the guidance of God as a matter of logic are the ones who have achieved success.

Commentary In the opening statement of verse 51, it was said: إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ‌ رُ‌سُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا (Surely, We do help Our messengers and those who believe in the worldly life, 40:51). This verse carries the promise of Allah Ta’ ala that He would keep helping His messengers and believers, both in the present world and in the Hereafter. It is obvious that this help is intended to be against adversaries and enemies. That it so happened in the case of most prophets (علیہم السلام) ، peace be on them all, is clear enough. But, there were prophets (علیہم السلام) such as, Sayyidna Yahya, Zakariyya and Shu'aib (علیہم السلام) ، who were either martyred by enemies or had to abandon their home country and migrate to some other place - as was the case with Sayyidna Ibrahim علیہ السلام and the last of the prophets, Sayyidna Muhammad al-Mustafa ﷺ . There may be some doubt about that. Ibn Kathir has, with reference to Ibn Jarir, answered this possible doubt by saying that, in this verse, نُصرَت (nusrah: help) means: اِنتِصار (intisar: victory) or subduing of the enemy in retaliation - whether it happens at their hands while they are alive, or after their death. This meaning applies to all prophets and believers without any exception. History bears witness as to how those who killed their prophets (علیہم السلام) were later on subjected to terrible punishments and the disgrace that followed. Upon those who killed Sayyidna Yahya, Zakariyya and Shu'aib (علیہم السلام) ، their enemies were set who showed no mercy while disgracing and killing them. As for Namrud (Nimrod), terrible was the punishment that overtook him. And Allah Ta’ ala set the power of Byzantine against the enemies of Sayyidna 'Isa (علیہ السلام) that defeated and disgraced them. And to him Allah Ta’ ala will give ascendancy over his enemies close to the last day of al-Qiyamah. As for the enemies of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، Allah Ta’ ala had them stand subdued at the hands of Muslims themselves. Their arrogant chiefs were killed. Some were taken prisoners. The rest were rounded up at the time of the conquest of Makkah, but the Holy Prophet ﷺ let them have their freedom. His message spread all over. The faith prevailed. The state of Islam stood established on the entire Arabian Peninsula within the lifetime of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . In the later part of verse 51, it was said: يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْأَشْهَادُ (as well as on the day in which witnesses will stand [ to give their testimony ]. It means the day of Qiyamah (Doomsday). Once they are there, Divine help for prophets and believers will show itself specially.

(The day when their excuse) for disbelieving (availeth not the evil-doers) the disbelievers, (and theirs is the curse) wrath and torment, (and theirs the ill abode) the Fire.