Monday, September 18, 2017

Surah Az Zariyat Notes (26-48)


Source: Ibn Kathir
(26) Then he turned to his household, so brought out a roasted calf [as the property of Ibrahim (Abraham) was mainly cows].

(Then he turned to his household,) Ibrahim discretely went inside in haste,

(and brought out a roasted calf.) from the best of his menu, And in another Ayah

(And he hastened to entertain them with a roasted calf.) (11:69) means roasted on hot coals


(27) And placed it before them, (saying): "Will you not eat?"

(And placed it before them), brought it close to them,

(Saying, "Will you not eat'') Ibrahim said this polite and kind statement to his guests, and surely, this Ayah indicates proper manners for honoring guests. For he brought the food to his guests quickly, while they were unaware that it was being prepared for them. He did not first mention this favor to them by saying, "We will make food for you.'' Rather, he discretely had it prepared and placed before them. He prepared the best kind of food he had, a young, fat roasted calf. He did not place the food far from them and invite them to come close to it to eat. Rather, he placed it close to them and refrained from ordering them to eat. Instead, he invited them using a kind and subtle invitation,

(Will you not eat) This statement is similar to one of us saying to a guest, "Would you be kind and generous to do such and such'' 


(28) Then he conceived a fear of them (when they ate not). They said: "Fear not." And they gave him glad tidings of an intelligent son, having knowledge (about Allah and His religion of True Monotheism).

(Then he conceived fear of them.) this Ayah is explained by Allah's statement,

(But when he saw their hands went not towards it, he mistrusted them, and felt a sense of fear of them. They said: "Fear not, we have been sent against the people of Lut.'' And his wife was standing (there), and she laughed.)(11:70-71), meaning, she was glad that the people of Lut would be destroyed on account of their rebellion and transgression against Allah, the Exalted. This is when the angels delivered the good news to her of a son, Ishaq, and Ya`qub after Ishaq,

(She said: "Woe unto me! Shall I bear a child while I am an old woman, and here is my husband an old man Verily, this is a strange thing!'' They said, "Do you wonder at the decree of Allah The mercy of Allah and His blessings be on you, O family of the house. Surely, He (Allah) is All-Praiseworthy, All-Glorious.'')(11:72-73) Allah said here;


(And they gave him glad tidings of a son having knowledge.) This news was as good to Ibrahim as it was to his wife, for this son would be theirs, and therefore, they both were getting some good news. 




(29) Then his wife came forward with a loud voice, she smote her face, and said: "A barren old woman!"

Allah the Exalted said,

(Then his wife came forward with a loud voice), She screamed loudly, according to Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Abu Salih, Ad-Dahhak, Zayd bin Aslam, Ath-Thawri, and As-Suddi. She said when she shouted,

(Ah! Woe to me!)(25:28), then,

(she smote her face,) meaning, she struck herself upon her forehead, according to Mujahid and Ibn Sabit. Ibn `Abbas said that she smacked her face just as women do when confronted with an amazing thing,


(and said: "A barren old woman!'') meaning, "How can I give birth while I am an old woman And even when I was young I was barren and could not have children,''


(30) They said: "Even so says your Lord. Verily, He is the All-Wise, the All-Knower."

(They said: "Even so says your Lord. Verily, He is the All-Wise, the All-Knower''), `He is the All-Knower of the honor that you are worthy of and He is the most Wise in His statements and decisions.'



The Angels were sent to destroy the People of the Prophet Lut

(31) [Ibrahim (Abraham)] said: "Then for what purpose you have come, O Messengers?"

Allah the Exalted said about Ibrahim, peace be upon him,

(Then when the fear had gone away from (Ibrahim), and the glad tidings had reached him, he began to plead with Us for the people of Lut. Verily, Ibrahim was, without doubt forbearing, used to invoke Allah with humility, and was repentant. "O, Ibrahim! Forsake this. Indeed, the commandment of your Lord has gone forth. Verily, there will come a torment for them which cannot be turned back.'')(11:74-76) Allah said here,


((Ibrahim) said: "Then for what purpose you have come, O messengers'') meaning, `what is the mission that you were sent with,'


(32) They said: "We have been sent to a people who are Mujrimun (polytheists, sinners, criminals, disbelievers in Allah);

(They said: "We have been sent to a people who are criminals.'') in reference to the people of Lut,


(33) To send down upon them stones of baked clay.

(To send down upon them stones of baked clay, marked), or written,



(34) Marked by your Lord for the Musrifun (polytheists, criminals, sinners those who trespass Allah's set limits in evil-doings by committing great sins).

(by your Lord for transgressors.) recorded with Allah to their names; each stone has the name of its companion. Allah said in Surat Al-`Ankabut,



((Ibrahim) said: "But there is Lut in it.'' They said: "We know better who is there. We will verily save him and his family except for his wife: she will be of those who remain behind.'')(29:32), 


(35) So We brought out from therein the believers.

(So We brought out from therein the believers.) they are Lut and his family, except his wife,


(36) But We found not there any household of the Muslims except one [i.e. Lout (Lot) and his two daughters].


(37) And We have left there a sign (i.e. the place of the Dead Sea, well-known in Palestine) for those who fear the painful torment.

(And We have left there a sign for those who fear the painful torment.) meaning, `We left a proof of the punishment, torment, and stones made of Sijjil (baked clay) that We sent on them; We made their dwelling place a putrid, evil, dead sea. This should provide a lesson for the believers,'


(for those who fear the painful torment.)



Lessons from the Destruction of Fir`awn, `Ad, Thamud, and the People of Nuh

(38) And in Musa (Moses) (too, there is a sign). When We sent him to Fir'aun (Pharaoh) with a manifest authority.

Allah the Exalted said,



(And in Musa, when We sent him to Fir`awn with a manifest authority.) meaning, with clear proof and plain evidence,


(39) But [Fir'aun (Pharaoh)] turned away (from Belief in might) along with his hosts, and said: "A sorcerer, or a madman."

(But he turned away along with his hosts,) meaning, in rebellion and arrogance, Fir`awn turned away from the plain truth that Musa was sent with,

(Bending his neck in pride, and leading (others) too (far) astray from the path of Allah.)(22:9 ), meaning turning away from truth in arrogance,


(and said: "A sorcerer or a madman.'') meaning Fir`awn said to Musa, "With regards to the message that you brought me, you are either a magician or a madman.


(40) So We took him and his hosts, and dumped them into the sea, while he was to be blamed.

Allah the Exalted replied,

(So We took him and his armies, and dumped them), meaning `We threw them,'

(into the Yamm), into the sea,


(for he was blameworthy.) meaning, Fir`awn was a denying sinner and a stubborn disbeliever worthy of blame. 


(41) And in 'Ad (there is also a sign) when We sent against them the barren wind;

(And in `Ad when We sent against them the barren wind) that destroys everything and produces nothing. This was said by Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, and others. 


(42) It spared nothing that it reached but blew it into broken spreads of rotten ruins.

(It spared nothing that it reached,) meaning, everything that the wind could destroy,


(but blew it into broken spreads of rotten ruins.) meaning made it just like a rotten and destroyed. 


(43) And in Thamud (there is also a sign), when they were told: "Enjoy yourselves for a while!" 

(And in Thamud, when they were told: "Enjoy yourselves for a while!'') is just as He said in another Ayah,

(And as for Thamud, We guided them to the path of truth, but they preferred blindness to guidance; so the Sa`iqah of disgracing torment seized them.) (41:17) 


(44) But they insolently defied the Command of their Lord, so the Sa'iqah overtook them while they were looking.

Allah said here,



(And in Thamud, when they were told: "Enjoy yourselves for a while!'' But they insolently defied the command of their Lord, so the Sa`iqah overtook them while they were looking.) Thamud were given a respite for three days, during which they await the torment. In the early morning of the fourth day, the torment overtook them,


(45) Then they were unable to rise up, nor could they help themselves.

(Then they were unable to rise up,) they were unable to escape and run away from it,


(nor could they help themselves.) nor could they save themselves from the torment that befell them. 


(46) (So were) the people of Nuh (Noah) before them. Verily, they were a people who were Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).

((So were) the people of Nuh before them.) meaning, `We destroyed the people of Nuh before these people (Fir`awn, `Ad and Thamud).'


(Verily, they were a people who were rebellious.) We mentioned these stories in details before in the Tafsir of several other Surahs.



Proofs of Allah's Oneness abound in the Creation of the Heavens and the Earth

(47) With power did We construct the heaven. Verily, We are Able to extend the vastness of space thereof.

Allah reminds us of the creating of the higher and lower worlds,

(We constructed the heaven.) meaning, `We made it as a high roof, protected from falling,'

(with Hands), meaning, with strength, according to `Abdullah bin `Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, Ath-Thawri and several others,


(Verily, We are able to extend the vastness of space thereof.) means, `We made it vast and We brought its roof higher without pillars to support it, and thus it is hanging independently.'


(48) And We have spread out the earth, how Excellent Spreader (thereof) are We!

(And We have made the earth a Firash), meaning, `We have made it a resting place for the created,'

(how excellent a spreader (thereof) are We!), meaning, `We spread it for its inhabitants,'

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