The Forgiver, The Forgiving One — Verse 63

Signs of the Power and Oneness of Allah Allah reminds us of His grace towards His creation in that He has given them the night in which they rest and relax from their activities so that they can go back to them for their livelihood during the day. He has given them the day with its light, so that they can undertake their journeys and engage in their business. إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يَشْكُرُونَ (Truly, Allah is full of bounty to mankind; yet, most of mankind give no thanks.) means, they do not express gratitude for the favors which Allah bestows upon them. Then Allah says: ذَلِكُـمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّـكُمْ خَـلِقُ كُـلِّ شَىْءٍ لاَّ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ (That is Allah, your Lord, the Creator of all things, La ilaha illa Huwa.) means, the One Who does all of these things is Allah, the One, the Unique, the Creator of all things, besides Whom there is no other god or lord. فَأَنَّى تُؤْفَكُونَ (How then are you turning away) means, `how can you worship idols which cannot create anything but are themselves hand-made and carved' كَذَلِكَ يُؤْفَكُ الَّذِينَ كَانُواْ بِـَايَـتِ اللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ (Thus were turned away those who used to deny the Ayat of Allah) means, just as these people Quraysh were led astray by their worship of gods other than Allah, those who came before them also disbelieved and worshipped others, with no proof or evidence, but on the basis of ignorance and desires. They denied the signs and proof of Allah. اللَّهُ الَّذِى جَعَـلَ لَكُـمُ الاٌّرْضَ قَـرَاراً (Allah, it is He Who has made for you the earth as a dwelling place) means, `He made it stable and spread it out for you, so that you might live on it and travel about in it; He strengthened it with the mountains so that it does not shake with you.' وَالسَّمَآءَ بِنَآءً (and the sky as a canopy,) means, `a roof covering and protecting the world.' وَصَوَّرَكُمْ فَأَحْسَنَ صُوَرَكُمْ (and has given you shape and made your shapes good) means, `He created you in the best and most perfect form.' وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ (and has provided you with good and pure things.) means, of food and drink in this world. Allah states that that He is the Creator of the dwelling place and of the inhabitants and of the provision; He is the Creator and Provider, as He says in Surat Al-Baqarah: يَـأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُواْ رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِىْ خَلَقَكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ - الَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الاٌّرْضَ فِرَاشاً وَالسَّمَآءَ بِنَآءً وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِ مِنَ الثَّمَرَتِ رِزْقاً لَّكُمْ فَلاَ تَجْعَلُواْ للَّهِ أَندَاداً وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those who were before you so that you may have Taqwa. Who has made the earth a resting place for you, and the sky as a canopy, and sent down water (rain) from the sky and brought forth therewith fruits as a provision for you. Then do not set up rivals unto Allah while you know.) (2:21-22) And here Allah says, after mentioning the creation of all these things: ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُـمْ فَتَـبَـرَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَـلَمِينَ (That is Allah, your Lord, so Blessed be Allah, the Lord of all that exists.) meaning, exalted and sanctified and glorified be Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. Then He says: هُوَ الْحَىُّ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ (He is the Ever Living, La ilaha illa Huwa;) means, He is the Ever Living, from eternity to eternity, Who was, is and shall be, the First and the Last, the Manifest, the Hidden. لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ (La ilaha illa Huwa) means, there is none comparable or equal to Him. فَـادْعُوهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ (so invoke Him making the religion for Him Alone.) means, affirm His Oneness by testifying that there is no God but He. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Imam Ahmad recorded that after ending every prayer, `Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr used to say: «لَا إِلهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ،لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ، لَا إِلهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَلَا نَعْبُدُ إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ، لَهُ النِّعْمَةُ وَلَهُ الْفَضْلُ وَلَهُ الثَّنَاءُ الْحَسَنُ، لَا إِلهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُون» (There is no (true) God except Allah Alone with no partner or associate, to Him belongs the dominion and praise, for He is able to do all things; there is no strength and no power except with Allah; there is no (true) God except Allah and we worship none but Him; to Him belong blessings and virtue and goodly praise; there is no (true) God except Allah, we worship Him in all sincerity even though the disbelievers may hate that.) He said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say the Tahlil in this fashion after every prayer." Similar was also recorded by Muslim, Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i.

So deviate that is in the same way that these Meccans deviate deviate those who used to deny the signs of God His miracles.

كما كذَّبتم بالحق -يا كفار قريش- وأعرضتم عنه إلى الباطل، يُصرف عن الحق والإيمان به الذين كانوا بحجج الله وأدلته يجحدون.

أي كما ضل هؤلاء بعبادة غير الله كذلك أفك الذين من قبلهم فعبدوا غيره بلا دليل ولا برهان بل بمجرد الجهل والهوى وجحدوا حجج الله وآياته.

وقوله - تعالى - : ( كَذَلِكَ يُؤْفَكُ الذين كَانُواْ بِآيَاتِ الله يَجْحَدُونَ ) بيان لحال الذين وقفوا من نعم الله - تعالى - موقف الجحود والكفران .ويؤفك هنا : بمعنى القلب والصرف عن الشئ ، من الأفك - بالفتح - مصدر أفكه عن الشئ بمعنى صرفه عنه - وبابه ضرب - ومنه قوله - تعالى - :( قالوا أَجِئْتَنَا لِتَأْفِكَنَا عَنْ آلِهَتِنَا . . . ) أى : لتصرفنا عن عبادتها .والمعنى : مثل ذلك الصرف العجيب من الحق إلى الباطل ، ينصرف وينقلب كل أولئك الذين انتكست عقولهم ، والذين كانوا بآياتنا الدالة على وحدانيتنا وقدرتنا يجحدون ويكفرون .

وقوله: ( كَذَلِكَ يُؤْفَكُ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ ) يقول: كذهابكم عنه أيها القوم, وانصرافكم عن الحقّ إلى الباطل, والرشد إلى الضلال, ذهب عنه الذين كانوا من قبلكم من الأمم بآيات الله, يعني: بحجج الله وأدلته يكذّبون فلا يؤمنون; يقول: فسلكتم أنتم معشر قريش مسلكهم, وركبتم محجتهم في الضلال.

( كذلك ) يعني كما أفكتم عن الحق مع قيام الدلائل كذلك ، ( يؤفك الذين كانوا بآيات الله يجحدون ) .

كَذَلِكَ يُؤْفَكُ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا بِآَيَاتِ اللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ (63)هذه الجملة معترضة بمنزلة التعليل لمضمون الجملة التي قبلها وهو التعجيب من انصرافهم عن عبادة ربهم خالقهم وخالق كل شيء فإن في تعليل ذلك ما يبين سبب التعجيب ، فجيء في جانب المأفوكين بالموصول لأن الصلة تومىء إلى وجه بناء الخبر وعلتِه ، أي أن استمرارهم على الجحد بآيات الله دون تأمل ولا تدبّر في معانيها ودلائلها يَطبع نفوسهم على الانصراف عن العلم بوجوب الوحدانية له تعالى . فالإِشارة بذلك إلى الإِفك المأخوذ من فعل { تؤفكون } [ غافر : 62 ] أي مثل إفككم ذلك يؤفك الذين كانوا بآيات الله يجحدون .فيجوز أن يكون المراد بالذين كانوا بآياتِ الله يَجْحَدون } المخاطبين بقوله : { ذلكم الله رَبُّكُم } [ غافر : 62 ] ، ويكون الموصول وصلته إظهاراً في مقام الإِضمار ، والمعنى : كذلك تؤفكون ، أي مثلَ أَفككم تُؤفكون ، ويكون التشبيه مبالغة في أن إفكهم بلغ في كنه الأَفك النهاية بحيث لو أراد المقرِّب أن يقربه للسامعين بشبيه له لم يجد شبيهاً له أوضح منه وأجلى في ماهيته فلا يسعه إلا أن يشبهه بنفسه على الطريقة المألوفة المبينة في قوله تعالى : { وكذلك جعلناكم أمة وسطاً } [ البقرة : 143 ] ، وبذلك تكون صلة الموصول من قوله : { الذين كانوا بئاياتت الله يجحَدُون } إيماء إلى علة إفكهم تعليلاً صريحاً .ويجوز أن يكون المراد ب { الذين كانوا بآياتِ الله يجحَدُون } كلَّ من جحد بآيات الله من مشركي العرب ومن غيرهم من المشركين والمكذبين فيصير التعليل المومى إليه بالصلة تعليلاً تعريضياً لأنه إذا كان الأفك شأن الذين يجحدون بآيات الله كلهم فقد شمل ذلك هؤلاء بحكم المماثلة . وصيغة المضارع لاستحضار الحالة ، وذكر فعل الكون للدلالة على أن الجحد بآيات الله شأنهم وهجِّيراهم .وهذا أصل عظيم في الأخلاق العلمية ، فإن العقول التي تتخلق بالإِنكار والمكابرة قبل التأمل في المعلومات تصرف عن انكشاف الحقائق العلمية فتختلط عليها المعلومات ولا تميّز بين الصحيح والفاسد .

كذلك ، أي : كما صرفتم عن الحق مع قيام الدليل عليه ف كذلك يؤفك يصرف عن الحق الذين كانوا بآيات الله يجحدون .

The alternation of night and day and the existence of other life-sustaining processes on earth is too perfect and too great to have been brought into existence by any human being, or even by all God’s creatures put together. This is a clear argument which urges that the Creator is the only one who is worthy of being worshipped. Man should bow down only before Him and entertain hopes solely of Him. But, all too frequently, human beings are unable to establish any real relationship of worship and prayer with the Creator of the Universe because of being involved with someone or something other than God. Some are engaged in the worship of living or dead personalities, while others are totally occupied with themselves. Time and again, God reveals arguments which contradict such wrongful practices, but man ignores them, hiding behind false justification. All such behaviour amounts to a lack of appreciation for the Creator of the Universe, and those who degrade Him will find no place for themselves except in hell.

Commentary In the verses cited above, after having presented a few manifestations of Allah's blessings and His perfect power, an invitation to belief in the Oneness of Allah has been extended. In the first verse (61), it was said: جَعَلَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ لِتَسْكُنُوا فِيهِ وَالنَّهَارَ‌ مُبْصِرً‌ا (Allah is the One who made for you the night, so that you may have rest in it, and the day to let you see.). Just imagine how great a blessing it is that all human beings, even animals, have been naturally tuned to a set time for sleep, and that this time has been, in a manner of saying, virtually switched off in perfect synchronization with the need to sleep. In fact, it was made the part of everyone's psyche that this is the time, the time of night, that would bring a sound sleep. Otherwise, had sleep been in one's own control and had everyone been making one's own program to sleep at different hours, as he or she does to set a timetable for business or personal preferences, it would have left all sleepers deprived of the bliss of sleep, nor would it have been convenient for those awake to set their own hours of work right. The reason is that human needs are inter-related. Had sleeping hours been different, jobs of the awake connected with the sleeping would have gone topsy-turvy, and the jobs of the sleeping connected with the awake would have fared no better. Also, if only human beings had a set time for sleep - with wild beasts and animals sleeping at some other time - even then, the system of human engagement with work would have gone haywire.

(Thus are they perverted) lie against Allah (who deny the revelations of Allah) who disbelieve in Muhammad (pbuh) and in the Qur'an.