Ornaments of Gold, Luxury, The Embellishment — Verse 62

The Contempt of the Quraysh for the son of Maryam, and His true Status with Allah Allah tells us how the Quraysh persisted in their disbelief and stubborn arguments: وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلاً إِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّونَ (And when the son of Maryam is quoted as an example, behold, your people cry aloud thereat.) Several others narrated that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, As-Suddi and Ad-Dahhak said, "They laughed, i.e., they were astounded by that." Qatadah said, "They were repelled by that and they laughed." Ibrahim An-Nakha`i said, "They turned away." The reason for this was mentioned by Muhammad bin Ishaq in As-Sirah. He said, "According to what I have heard, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat down one day with Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah in the Masjid, and An-Nadr bin Al-Harith came and sat down with them. There were also other men from the Quraysh in the gathering. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ spoke, then An-Nadr bin Al-Harith came up to him and the Messenger of Allah spoke to him until he defeated him in argument. Then he recited to him and to them, إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ أَنتُمْ لَهَا وَارِدُونَ (Certainly you and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell! (Surely) you will enter it.) (21:98) Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ got up and went to sit with `Abdullah bin Al-Zab`ari At-Tamimi. Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah said to him, `By Allah, An-Nadr bin Al-Harith could not match the son of `Abd Al-Muttalib in argument. Muhammad ﷺ claims that we and these gods that we worship are fuel for Hell.' `Abdullah bin Az-Zab`ari said, `By Allah, if I meet with him I will defeat him in argument. Ask Muhammad ﷺ whether everyone that is worshipped instead of Allah will be in Hell with those who worshipped him, for we worship the angels, and the Jews worship `Uzayr, and the Christians worship the Messiah `Isa bin Maryam.' Al-Walid and those who were sitting with him were amazed at what `Abdullah bin Az-Zab`ari said, and they thought that he had come up with a good point. He said this to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who said: «كُلُّ مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُعْبَدَ مِنْ دُونِ اللهِ فَهُوَ مَعَ مَنْ عَبَدَهُ، فَإِنَّهُمْ إِنَّمَا يَعْبُدُونَ الشَّيْطَانَ وَمَنْ أَمَرَهُمْ بِعِبَادَتِه» (Everyone who likes to worship something other than Allah will be with the one whom he worshipped, for indeed they are worshipping the Shaytan and whomever told them to worship that person.)" Then Allah revealed the words: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ سَبَقَتْ لَهُمْ مِّنَّا الْحُسْنَى أُوْلَـئِكَ عَنْهَا مُبْعَدُونَ (Verily, those for whom the good has preceded from Us, they will be removed far therefrom (Hell)) (21:101), meaning that `Isa, `Uzayr and rabbis and monks who were also worshipped, who spent their lives in devotion towards Allah. The misguided people who came after them took them as lords instead of Allah. Concerning the notion of worshipping the angels as daughters of Allah, the following words were revealed: وَقَالُواْ اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَـنُ وَلَداً سُبْحَانَهُ بَلْ عِبَادٌ مُّكْرَمُونَ (And they say: "The Most Gracious has begotten a son (or children)." Glory to Him! They are but honored servants.) (21:26) Concerning `Isa bin Maryam, the fact that he is worshipped instead of Allah, and to the amazement of Al-Walid and the others who were present at the argument, the following was revealed: وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلاً إِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّونَ (And when the son of Maryam is quoted as an example, behold, your people cry aloud thereat.) meaning, they take this argument as a basis for rejecting your message. Then Allah mentions `Isa bin Maryam and says: إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلْنَـهُ مَثَلاً لِّبَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ - وَلَوْ نَشَآءُ لَجَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ مَّلَـئِكَةً فِى الاٌّرْضِ يَخْلُفُونَ وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ (He was not more than a servant. We granted Our favor to him, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel. And if it were Our will, We would have made angels to replace you on the earth. And he (`Isa) shall be a known sign for the Hour. ) meaning, the miracles and signs that happened at his hands, such as raising the dead and healing the sick, are sufficient as signs of the approach of the Hour. فَلاَ تَمْتَرُنَّ بِهَا وَاتَّبِعُونِ هَـذَا صِرَطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ (Therefore have no doubt concerning it. And follow Me! This is the straight path)." Ibn Jarir mentioned that Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, commented on the Ayah: وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلاً إِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّونَ (And when the son of Maryam is quoted as an example, behold, your people cry aloud thereat.) "This means the Quraysh, when it was said to them: إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ أَنتُمْ لَهَا وَارِدُونَ (Certainly you and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell! (Surely) you will enter it.) (21:98) The Quraysh said to him: `What about `Isa bin Maryam' He said: «ذَاكَ عَبْدُاللهِ وَرَسُولُه» (He is the servant and Messenger of Allah.) They said, `By Allah, he means that we should take him as a lord just as the Christians took `Isa son of Maryam as a lord.' Then Allah said: مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلاَّ جَدَلاَ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ (They quoted not the above example except for argument. Nay! But they are a quarrelsome people)." وَقَالُواْ ءَأَالِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ أَمْ هُوَ (And say: "Are our gods better or is he"). Qatadah said, "They were saying, `our gods are better than him'." Qatadah said; "Ibn Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him, recited it (أَآلِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ أَمْ هذَا) (Are our gods better or is this (person))" they mean Muhammad ﷺ. مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلاَّ جَدَلاَ (They quoted not the above example except for argument.) means, for the sake of stubborn argument, for they knew that he (`Isa ) was not included in the Ayah (21:98), because that would not make sense. The words, إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ (Certainly you and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell!) (21:98) are addressed to the Quraysh, for they used to worship idols and false gods -- they did not worship the Messiah so why should he be included in what the Ayah says What they said was only for the sake of argument; they did not really believe in it. Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, recorded that Abu Umamah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «مَا ضَلَّ قَوْمٌ بَعْدَ هُدًى كَانُوا عَلَيْهِ، إِلَّا أُوْرِثُوا الْجَدَل» g(No people go astray after having been guided, but they resort to (futile) argument.) Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited this Ayah: مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلاَّ جَدَلاَ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ (They quoted not the above example except for argument. Nay! But they are a quarrelsome people)." It was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Ibn Jarir. At-Tirmidhi said, "This Hadith is Hasan Sahih, we do not know it except from the Hadith of Hajjaj bin Dinar..." إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ (He (`Isa) was not more than a servant. We granted Our favor to him,) means, `Isa, peace be upon him; he was no more than one of the servants of Allah whom Allah blessed with prophethood and messengership. وَجَعَلْنَـهُ مَثَلاً لِّبَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ (and We made him an example for the Children of Israel.) means, `a sign, proof and evidence of Our power to do whatever We will.' وَلَوْ نَشَآءُ لَجَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ مَّلَـئِكَةً فِى الاٌّرْضِ يَخْلُفُونَ (And if it were Our will, We would have made angels to replace you on the earth.) As-Suddi said, "They would have taken your place on (the earth). " Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and Qatadah said, "They would have succeeded one another just as you succeed one another." This view is implied by the former veiw. Mujahid said, "They would have populated the earth instead of you." Allah's saying: وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ (And he (`Isa) shall be a known sign for (the coming of) the Hour.) The correct view concerning this phrase is that it refers to his descent before the Day of Resurrection, as Allah says: وَإِن مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ إِلاَّ لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ (And there is none of the People of the Scripture but must believe in him before his death) (4:159). -- meaning before the death of `Isa, peace be upon him -- وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيداً And on the Day of Resurrection, he will be a witness against them )4:159(. This meaning has the support from an alternate recitation of the Aya0t؛ (وَإِنَّهُ لَعَلَمٌ لِلسَّاعَةِ) (And he shall be a known sign for (the coming of) the Hour.) means, evidence that the Hour will surely come. Mujahid said: وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ (And he shall be a sign for (the coming of) the Hour.) means, sign and "One of the signs of the Hour will be the appearance of `Isa son of Maryam before the Day of Resurrection. " Something similar was also narrated from Abu Hurayrah, Ibn `Abbas, `Abu Al-`Aliyah, Abu Malik, `Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and others. Many Mutawatir Hadiths report that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that `Isa will descend before the Day of Resurrection as a just ruler and fair judge. فَلاَ تَمْتَرُنَّ بِهَا (Therefore have no doubt concerning it.) means, do not doubt that it will surely come to pass. وَاتَّبِعُونِ (And follow Me.) means, `in what I tell you about it.' هَـذَا صِرَطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌوَلاَ يَصُدَّنَّكُمُ الشَّيْطَـنُ (This is the straight path. And let not Shaytan hinder you.) means, from following the truth. إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌوَلَمَّا جَآءَ عِيسَى بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ قَالَ قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِالْحِكْمَةِ (Verily, he (Satan) to you is a plain enemy. And when `Isa came with (Our) clear proofs, he said: "I have come to you with Al-Hikmah..."), meaning prophethood: وَلأُبَيِّنَ لَكُم بَعْضَ الَّذِى تَخْتَلِفُونَ فِيهِ (and in order to make clear to you some of the (points) in which you differ.) Ibn Jarir said, "This means religious matters, not worldly matters." What he said is good. فَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ (Therefore have Taqwa of Allah) means, `with regard to what I command you to do.' وَأَطِيعُونِ (and obey me.) means, `in what I bring to you.' إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ رَبِّى وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ هَـذَا صِرَطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ (Verily, Allah! He is my Lord and your Lord. So worship Him. This is the straight path.) means, `you and I are enslaved to Him, in need of Him and we commonly share in the worship of Him Alone, associating none with Him.' هَـذَا صِرَطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ (This is the straight path) means, `what I have brought to you is the straight path, which is the worship of the Lord, may He exalted, Alone.' فَاخْتَلَفَ الاٌّحْزَابُ مِن بَيْنِهِمْ (But the sects from among themselves differed. ) means, they differed and became parties and factions, some who stated that he (`Isa) was the servant and Messenger of Allah -- which is true - while others claimed that he was the son of Allah or that he himself was Allah -- glorified be Allah far above what they say. Allah says: فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمٍ أَلِيمٍ (So woe to those who do wrong from the torment of a painful Day)!

And do not let Satan bar you do not let him turn you away from God’s religion. Indeed he is a manifest enemy of yours one whose enmity is manifest.

ولا يصدَّنكم الشيطان بوساوسه عن طاعتي فيما آمركم به وأنهاكم عنه، إنه لكم عدو بيِّن العداوة.

أي عن اتباع الحق.

( وَلاَ يَصُدَّنَّكُمُ الشيطان ) أى : ولا يمنعنكم الشيطان بسبب وسوسته لكم ، عن طاعتى واتباعى ( إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ ) أى : إن الشيطان عداوته لكم ظاهرة ، وكيد لكم واضح ، كما قال - تعالى - :( إِنَّ الشيطان لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فاتخذوه عَدُوّاً إِنَّمَا يَدْعُواْ حِزْبَهُ لِيَكُونُواْ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ السعير ).

وقوله: ( وَلا يَصُدَّنَّكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ ) يقول جلّ ثناؤه: ولا يعدلنكم الشيطان عن طاعتي فيما آمركم وأنهاكم, فتخالفوه إلى غيره, وتجوروا عن الصراط المستقيم فتضلوا( إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُبِينٌ ) يقول: إن الشيطان لكم عدوّ يدعوكم إلى ما فيه هلاككم, ويصدّكم عن قصد السبيل, ليوردكم المهالك, مبين قد أبان لكم عداوته, بامتناعه من السجود لأبيكم آدم, وإدلائه بالغرور حتى أخرجه من الجنة حسدًا وبغيًا.

( ولا يصدنكم ) لا يصرفنكم ( الشيطان ) عن دين الله ( إنه لكم عدو مبين ) .

وَلَا يَصُدَّنَّكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُبِينٌ (62)لما أُبلغت أسماعُهم أفانينَ المواعظ والأوامر والنواهي ، وجرى في خلال ذلك تحذيرهم من الإصرار على الإعراض عن القرآن ، وإعلامُهم بأن ذلك يفضي بهم إلى مقارنة الشيطان ، وأخذَ ذلك حظه من البيان انتقل الكلام إلى نهيهم عن أن يحصل صدّ الشيطان إياهم عن هذا الدّين والقرآن الذي دُعوا إلى اتّباعه بقوله : { واتبعون هذا صراط مستقيم } [ الزخرف : 61 ] تنبيهاً على أن الصدود عن هذا الدّين من وسوسة الشيطان ، وتذكيراً بعداوة الشيطان للإنسان عداوة قوية لا يفارقها الدفع بالناس إلى مساوىء الأعمال ليوقعهم في العذاب تشفّياً لعداوته .وقد صيغ النهي عن اتباع الشيطان في صدّه إياهم بصيغة نهي الشيطان عن أن يصدهم ، للإشارة إلى أن في مكنتهم الاحتفاظ من الارتباق في شباك الشيطان ، فكني بنهي الشيطان عن صدّهم عن نَهْيهِمْ عن الطاعة له بأبلغَ من توجيه النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إليهم ، على طريقة قول العرب : لا أعْرِفنَّك تفعل كذا ، ولا أُلْفِينَّكَ في موضع كذا .وجملة { إنه لكم عدو مبين } تعليل للنهي عن أن يصدهم الشيطان فإن شأن العاقل أن يحذر من مكائد عدوه . وعداوة الشيطان للبشر ناشئة من خبث كينونته مع ما انضمّ إلى ذلك الخبث من تنافي العنصرين فإذا التقى التنافي مع خبث الطبع نشأ من مجموعهما القصد بالأذى ، وقد أذكى تلك العداوةَ حدث قارن نشأة نوع الإنسان عند تكوينه ، في قصته مع آدم كما قصه القرآن غير مرة . وحرف ( إنَّ ) هنا موقعه موقع فاء التسبب في إفادة التعليل .

{ وَلَا يَصُدَّنَّكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ } عما أمركم الله به، فإن الشيطان { لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ } حريص على إغوائكم، باذل جهده في ذلك.

ولا يصدنكم الشيطان أي : لا تغتروا بوساوسه وشبه الكفار المجادلين ، فإن شرائع الأنبياء لم تختلف في التوحيد ولا فيما أخبروا به من علم الساعة وغيرها بما تضمنته من جنة أو نار . ( إنه لكم عدو مبين ) تقدم في ( البقرة ) وغيرها .

In this world it is possible for a man to derive a perverse meaning from every statement. For instance, the Messenger of God once said: ‘Whoever is worshipped other than God has no good in him.’ On hearing this, his opponents pointed out that the Christians worshipped Jesus Christ. Did it mean that Jesus Christ had no good in him? Obviously, this was only irrelevant hair-splitting, because the saying of the Prophet of God was in relation to the worshippers and not the objects of their worship. Even if it is presumed that it was in relation to the latter, it obviously meant those beings who, while unworthy of worship, acquiesced in their being deified. If a man does not take a saying in its right sense, it is possible for him to clothe it in a perverse meaning, howsoever right and proper it may be. The personality of Jesus Christ in a way resembled that of an angel. In view of this, many people made him an object of worship. But, the Messiah’s angel-like persona was an example of God’s creative powers and not an example of the Messiah’s personal powers. The fact is that creation of this kind is not at all difficult for God. If He so wished, He might convert the entire population of the earth into angels. Even so, the angels would still just be angels; they would not become gods and worthy of worship. Jesus Christ was blessed with the miraculous power to bring a dead man back to life. He used to bring earthen statues to life by blowing his breath into them. This was in fact a sign of God which was displayed in order to demonstrate the possibility of life after death. But the people did not learn a lesson from this; on the contrary, they treated Jesus as superhuman and started worshipping him. The signs of God appear before us in different ways. If they are treated as such, they are a tremendous source of guidance. But if they are considered something other than divine portents, they may become the cause of man’s going astray. Satan has eternally striven to prevent man from learning a lesson from the signs of God. It is at this point that man’s fate will be decided on the basis of whether Satan has succeeded in overcoming man or vice-versa.

وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ (And he (Isa علیہ السلام) is a source of knowledge of the Hour [ the day of judgment ] - 43:61). This verse has been explained in two different ways. One is that Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) being born without a father is a proof to the fact that Allah Almighty can create people without apparent causes. Thus resurrecting the dead is not at all difficult for Him. But most exegetes have taken this verse in another sense. According to them it means that the descent of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) from the sky is a sign of the Doomsday. And his coming to this world again in its last days and killing Dajjal (the Antichrist) is proved by mutawatir ahadith. Some details on this subject have already been given in the explanation of the verse (3:54-55) of Surah 'Al-` Imran, (See V, 2, pp.76 onward of this book) and in Surah Nisa' 3:54-55 (See V. 2, PP. 622 onward of this book) and some in Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:110). For more details one should refer to the author's book “ التصریح بم اتواتر فی نزول المسیح ” At-Tasrih bi ma tawatara f nuzul-il-Masih in Arabic and Masih-e-Mau’ ud ki pehchan مسیح موعود کی پہچان in Urdu.

(And let not Satan turn you aside) let not Satan turn you away from the religion of Islam or from belief in the coming of the Hour. (Lo! he is an open enemy for you) whose enmity is quite manifest.