The Ascending Stairways, The Ladders — Verse 40

For verily fa-lā lā is extra I swear by the Lord of the rising-places and the setting-places of the sun the moon and all the stars that We are able

فلا أقسم برب مشارق الشمس والكواكب ومغاربها، إنا لقادرون على أن نستبدل بهم قومًا أفضل منهم وأطوع لله، وما أحد يسبقنا ويفوتنا ويعجزنا إذا أردنا أن نعيده.

أي أقسم. و"لا" صلة.

ثم ساق - سبحانه - ما يدل على كمال قدرته ، وعلى زيادة التهوين من شأن هؤلاء الكافرين ، والتحقير من أمرهم فقال : ( فَلاَ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ المشارق والمغارب إِنَّا لَقَادِرُونَ . على أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْراً مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ ) .وجمع - سبحانه - هنا المشارق والمغارب ، باعتبار أن لها فى كل يوم من أيام السنة مشرقا معينا تشرق منه ، ومغربا معينا تغرب فيه .وقال فى سورة الرحمن ( رَبُّ المشرقين وَرَبُّ المغربين ) أى : مشرق ومغرب الشتاء . والصيف .وقال فى سورة المزمل : ( رَّبُّ المشرق والمغرب ) والمراد بهما هنا : جنسهما ، فهما صادقان على كل مشرق من مشارق الشمس ، وعلى كل مغرب من مغاربها .وبذلك يتبين أنه لا تعارض بين مجئ هذه الألفاظ تارة مفردة ، وتارة بصيغة المثنى ، وتارة بصيغة الجمع .وجملة ( إِنَّا لَقَادِرُونَ ) : جواب القسم . أى : أقسم بالله - تعالى - الذى هو رب مشارق الشمس والقمر والكواكب ومغاربها . . إنا لقادرون قدرة تامة ( على أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْراً مِّنْهُمْ )

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : فَلا أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَارِقِ وَالْمَغَارِبِ إِنَّا لَقَادِرُونَيقول تعالى ذكره: فلا أقسم بربّ مشارق الأرض ومغاربها.

"فلا أقسم برب المشارق والمغارب"، يعني مشرق كل يوم من أيام السنة ومغربه، "إنا لقادرون".

فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَارِقِ وَالْمَغَارِبِ إِنَّا لَقَادِرُونَ (40) وجملة ( لا أقسم برب المشارق ) الخ معترضة بين الفاء وما عطفته .والقَسَم بالله بعنوان ربوبيته المشارقَ والمغارب معناه : ربوبيته العالم كله لأن العالم منحصر في جهات شروق الشمس وغروبها .وجمع { المشارق والمغارب } باعتبار تعدد مطالع الشمس ومغاربها في فصول السنة فإن ذلك مظهر عجيب من مظاهر القدرة الإلهية والحكمةِ الربانية لدلالته على عظيم صنع الله من حيث إنه دال على الحركات الحافة بالشمس التي هي من عظيم المخلوقات ، ولذلك لم يذكر في القرآن قسَم بجهة غير المشرق والمغرب دون الشمال والجنوب مع أن الشمال والجنوب جهتان مشهورتان عند العرب ، أقسم الله به على سُنة أقسام القرآن .وفي إيثار { المشارق والمغارب } بالقسم بربها رَعي لمناسبة طلوع الشمس بعد غروبها لتمثيل الإِحياءِ بعد الموت .وتقدم القول في دخول حرف النفي مع ( لا أقسم ) عند قوله : { فلا أقسم بما تبصرون وما لا تبصرون } في سورة الحاقة ( 38 ، 39 ) ، وقوله : { فلا أقسم بمواقع النجوم } في سورة الواقعة ( 75 ) .وقوله : على أن نبدل خيراً منهم } يحتمل معنيين : أولهما وهو المناسب للسياق أن يكون المعنى على أن نبدلهم خيراً منهم ، أي نبدل ذواتهم خلقاً خيراً من خلْقهم الذي هم عليه اليوم . والخيرية في الإِتقان والسرعة ونحوهما وإنما كان خلقاً أتقن من النشأة الأولى لأنه خلق مناسب لعالم الخلود ، وكان الخلْق الأول مناسباً لعالم التغير والفناء ، وعلى هذا الوجه يكون { نُبدِّلَ } مضمناً معنى : نعوّض ، ويكون المفعول الأول ل { نبدل } ضميراً مثل ضمير { منهم } أي نبدلهم والمفعولُ الثاني { خيراً منهم } .و ( مِن ) تفضيلية ، أي خيراً في الخلقة ، والتفضيلُ باعتبار اختلاف زمانَي الخلْق الأول والخلق الثاني ، أو اختلاففِ عالميهما .والمعنى الثاني : أنْ نبدل هؤلاء بخير منهم ، أي بأمَّة خير منهم ، والخيرية في الإيمان ، فيكون { نبدل } على أصل معناه ، ويكون مفعوله محذوفاً مثل ما في المعنى الأول ، ويكون { خيراً } منصوباً على نزع الخافض وهو باء البدلية كقوله تعالى : { أتستبدلون الذي هو أدنى بالذي هو خير } [ البقرة : 61 ] ، ويكون هذا تهديداً لهم بأنْ سيستأصلهم ويأتيَ بقوم آخرين كما قال تعالى : { إن يشا يذهبكم ويأتتِ بخلق جديد } [ فاطر : 16 ] وقوله : { وإن تتولوا يستبدل قوماً غيركم ثم لا يكونوا أمثالكم } [ محمد : 38 ] .وفي هذا تثبيت للنبيء صلى الله عليه وسلم وتذكير بأن الله عالم بحالهم .وذيل بقوله : { وما نحن بمسبوقين ، } والمسبوق مستعار للمغلوب عن أمره ، شبه بالمسبوق في الحلبة ، أو بالمسبوق في السير ، وقد تقدم في قوله تعالى : { أم حسب الذين يعملون السيئات أن يسبقونا ساء ما يحكمون } [ العنكبوت : 4 ] ، ومنه قول مرة بن عَدَّاء الفقعسي :كأنكَ لم تُسبَق من الدهر مرة ... إذا أنت أدركتَ الذي كنتَ تطلُبيريد : كأنك لم تُغلب إذا تداركت أمرك وأدركت طلبتك .

هذا إقسام منه تعالى بالمشارق والمغارب، للشمس والقمر والكواكب، لما فيها من الآيات الباهرات على البعث

قوله تعالى : " فلا أقسم " أي أقسم . و " لا " صلة .برب المشارق والمغارب هي مشارق الشمس ومغاربها . وقد مضى الكلام فيها . وقرأ أبو حيوة وابن محيصن وحميد " برب المشرق والمغرب " [ ص: 271 ] على التوحيد .

The periodic change in the places where the sun rises and sets on the earth’s horizon is due to that unique feature of the earth known as the axial tilt. This plus the fact that the sun is at one of the foci of the earth’s elliptical orbit, and not at its centre, is responsible for the changing of the seasons. In the absence of such factors the earth would have been less useful to man.

وَالَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَادَاتِهِمْ قَائِمُونَ (...and those who are upright in their testimonies, [ 70:33] '. The word shahadat is the plural of shahadah. The use of plural number in this verse too indicates that there are many types and categories of 'testimony', and it is necessary to stand firm by one's testimony of any type. This includes testifying to the faith of Islam, Divine existence and His Oneness, and testifying that Sayyidna Muhammad ﷺ is His Final Messenger. It is obligatory to testify to the crescent of Ramadan, if one has seen it. Giving a true and accurate account of Shari'ah matters as expert witness, and in all judicial hearings is also implied. Everyone is duty-bound to offer the testimony when summoned. It is prohibited to add or omit any part thereof. According to this verse, it is obligatory to bear testimony, to be upright in it and stand firm by it. Al-hamdulillah The Commentary on Surah Al-Ma’ arij Ends here.

(But nay! I swear by the Lord of the rising places) the rising places of winter and summer (and the setting places of the planets) the setting places of winter and summer. There are two rising places and two setting places. The rising place of winter and summer has 177 phases and so do the setting places of winter and summer. The sun rises, in a year, two days in the same phase, and it also sets, in a year, two days in the same phase (that We are Able) this is the reason of the above oath

The Rebuke of the Disbelievers and the Threat against Them Allah rebukes the disbelievers who, in the time of the Prophet , saw him and the guidance Allah sent him with. They witnessed the magnificent miracles Allah aided him with. Then, after all of this they fled from him and separated themselves from him. They fled right and left, group by group and party by party. This is as Allah says, فَمَا لَهُمْ عَنِ التَّذْكِرَةِ مُعْرِضِينَ - كَأَنَّهُمْ حُمُرٌ مُّسْتَنفِرَةٌ - فَرَّتْ مِن قَسْوَرَةٍ (Then what is wrong with them that they run away from admonition As if they were (frightened) wild donkeys. Fleeing from a beast of prey.) (74:49-51) This is the example of disbeliever. And this Ayah is similar. As Allah says, فَمَالِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ (So what is the matter with those disbelievers, before you Muhti`in) meaning, `what is wrong with these disbelievers who are with you, O Muhammad Why are they Muhti`in, meaning hastily running away from you' This is as Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "Muhti`in means departing." عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ (On the right and on the left, `Izin.) The singular of `Izin is `Izah, which means separating. meaning in their separating and their differing. Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas about the Ayah; فَمَالِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ (So what is the matter with those disbelievers, before you Muhti`in.) "They are looking in your direction." Then the Ayah; عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ (On the right and on the left, `Izin.) he (Ibn `Abbas) said, "Al-`Izin is a group among the people. On the right and on the left means they are turning away (right and left) from him (the Prophet ) and mocking him." Jabir bin Samurah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out to them while they were sitting in circles. So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «مَا لِي أَرَاكُمْ عِزِينَ؟» (Why do I see you all `Izin (in groups).) Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Jarir all recorded this Hadith. Then, concerning Allah's statement, أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ امْرِىءٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ كَلاَّ (Does every man of them hope to enter the Paradise of Delight But no!) meaning, is this their wish, yet they flee from the Messenger in aversion to the truth Are they hoping that they will be admitted into the Gardens of Delight Nay, rather their abode is Hell. Then Allah affirms the occurrence of the Final Abode and the torment that will befall them that they are denying its existence and claiming it to be something farfetched. As a proof against them, Allah mentions the initiation of creation, and that repeating the process is something easier than performing it the first time. This is something that they themselves confess to. Allah says, إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ (Verily, We have created them out of that which they know!) meaning, from despised semen. This is as Allah says, أَلَمْ نَخْلُقكُّم مِّن مَّآءٍ مَّهِينٍ (Did We not create you from a despised water (semen)) (77:20) Allah also says, فَلْيَنظُرِ الإِنسَـنُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ - خُلِقَ مِن مَّآءٍ دَافِقٍ - يَخْرُجُ مِن بَيْنِ الصُّلْبِ وَالتَّرَآئِبِ - إِنَّهُ عَلَى رَجْعِهِ لَقَادِرٌ - يَوْمَ تُبْلَى السَّرَآئِرُ - فَمَا لَهُ مِن قُوَّةٍ وَلاَ نَاصِرٍ (So let man see from what he is created! He is created from a water gushing forth. Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs. Verily He is able to bring him back! The Day when all the secrets will be examined. Then he will have no power, nor any helper.) (86:5-10) Then Allah says, فَلاَ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَـرِقِ وَالْمَغَـرِبِ (But no! I swear by the Lord of the easts and the wests) meaning, the One Who created the heavens and the earth and made the east and the west. He is the One Who subjected the stars causing them to appear in the eastern parts of the sky and vanish in the western parts of it. The point of this statement is that the matter is not as the disbelievers claim: that there is no final return, no reckoning, no resurrection and no gathering. Rather all of this will occur and come to pass. There is no way of avoiding it. This is the reason that Allah has stated a negation at the beginning of this oath. This shows that He is swearing by a denial of their claim. This is a refutation of their false claim of rejecting the Day of Judgement. They already witnessed the greatness of Allah's power in what is more convincing than the Day of Judgement, that is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the subjection of the creatures in them, the animals, the inanimate objects and the other types of creatures that exist. This is why Allah says, لَخَلْقُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ أَكْـبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْـثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ (The creation of the heavens and the earth is indeed greater than the creation of mankind; yet, most of mankind know not.) (40:57) Allah also says, أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِى خَلَقَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَلَمْ يَعْىَ بِخَلْقِهِنَّ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَى أَن يُحْىِ الْمَوْتَى بَلَى إِنَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ (Do they not see that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, and was not wearied by their creation, is able to give life to the dead Yes, He surely is Able to do all things.) (46:33) Allah says in another Ayah, أَوَلَـيْسَ الَذِى خَلَقَ السَّمَـوتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ بِقَـدِرٍ عَلَى أَن يَخْلُقَ مِثْلَهُم بَلَى وَهُوَ الْخَلَّـقُ الْعَلِيمُ - إِنَّمَآ أَمْرُهُ إِذَآ أَرَادَ شَيْئاً أَن يَقُولَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ (Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth, able to create the like of them Yes, indeed! He is the All-Knowing Supreme Creator. Verily, His command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, "Be!"-- and it is!) (36:81,82) So here He says, فَلاَ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَـرِقِ وَالْمَغَـرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَـدِرُونَ عَلَى أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْراً مِّنْهُمْ (But no! I swear by the Lord of the easts and the wests that surely We are Able --to replace them by (others) better than them..) meaning, `on the Day of Judgement We will bring them back (to life) in bodies that are better than these bodies that they have now.' For verily, Allah's power is suitable (able) to do that. وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ (and We are not to be outrun.) meaning, `We are not unable.' This is as Allah says, أَيَحْسَبُ الإِنسَـنُ أَلَّن نَّجْمَعَ عِظَامَهُ - بَلَى قَـدِرِينَ عَلَى أَن نُّسَوِّىَ بَنَانَهُ (Does man think that We shall not assemble his bones Yes, We are able to put together in perfect order the tips of his fingers.) (75:3,4) Allah also says, نَحْنُ قَدَّرْنَا بَيْنَكُمُ الْمَوْتَ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ - عَلَى أَن نُّبَدِّلَ أَمْثَـلَكُمْ وَنُنشِئَكُمْ فِى مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ (We have decreed death to you all, and We are not outstripped. To transfigure you and create you in (forms) that you know not.) (56:60,61) Ibn Jarir preferred the meaning to be: `a nation who will obey Us and not disobey Us.' He (Ibn Jarir) interpreted it in the same way as Allah's statements, عَلَى أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْراً مِّنْهُمْ (To replace them by (others) better than them..) and: الْفُقَرَآءُ وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوْاْ يَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْماً غَيْرَكُمْ ثُمَّ لاَ يَكُونُواْ (And if you turn away, He will exchange you for some other people and they will not be like you.) (47:38) However, the first interpretation is more obvious since the other Ayat support that, and Allah the Most High knows best. Then Allah says, فَذَرْهُمْ (So leave them) meaning, `O Muhammad!' يَخُوضُواْ وَيَلْعَبُواْ (to plunge in vain talk and play about,) meaning, leave them in their denial, disbelief and obstinance. حَتَّى يُلَـقُواْ يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ (until they meet their Day which they are promised.) meaning, they are going to know the outcome of that and taste its evil consequences. يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الاٌّجْدَاثِ سِرَاعاً كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَى نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ (The Day when they will come out of the graves quickly as racing to a Nusub.) meaning, they will stand up out of their graves when the Lord, Blessed be He the Most High, calls them to the place of the reckoning. They will rise up quickly as if they were rushing towards some monumental object. Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Ad-Dahhak, all said, "As if they were rushing towards a flag." Abu `Aliyah and Yahya bin Abi Kathir both said, "As if they were rushing towards a goal." The majority of reciters recited this word as "Nasb" (instead of Nusub) with a Fathah over the letter Nun and a Sukun over the letter Sad. This (Nasb) is a verbal noun meaning something that is erected. Al-Hasan Al-Basri recited it as "Nusub" with a Dammah over both the letter Nun and Sad. This (Nusub) means an idol. With this recitation the Ayah means, as if their rushing to this place was like when they used to hurry in the worldly life to the idol when they saw it. They would rush hurriedly to see who would be the first of them to touch it. This has been reported from Mujahid, Yahya bin Abi Kathir, Muslim Al-Batin, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Abu Salih, `Asim bin Bahdalah, Ibn Zayd and others. Concerning Allah's statement, خَـشِعَةً أَبْصَـرُهُمْ (With their eyes lowered in fear) meaning humbled. تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ (covering them with humility.) meaning, in return for how they behaved arrogantly in the worldly life by refusing to be obedient (to Allah). ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الَّذِى كَانُواْ يُوعَدُونَ (That is the Day which they were promised!) This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Sa'ala Sa'il. And all praise and thanks are due to Allah.