Surah al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage ) 22 : 6
Translations
Pickthall
Yusuf Ali
Qur'an Dictionary
Explanatory Note
All that has been said about the origins of man and his creation out of dust, the various stages an embryo goes through, and the next cycle of a child and his life, and also about life blooming out of a dry and barren earth are closely related to the fact that God is the Ultimate Truth. All these aspects are constant laws initiated and operated by God, the Truth, whose laws will never fail. The progress of life in such a fashion, moving from one stage to another, is indicative of the great will that determines its moves and stages. The link is clear between the fact that God is the Ultimate Truth and this consistency of an unfailing cycle of life. “He alone brings the dead to life.” Bringing the dead to life is to re-initiate life in what has been dead. The One who originated life in the first instance is the One who brings it back in the final stage.
3. Surah Overview
As this Surah contains the characteristics of both the Makkan and the Madīnan Surahs the commentators have differed as to its period of revelation but in the light of its style and themes we are of the opinion that a part of it (v. 1-24) was sent down in the last stage of the Makkan life of the Prophet a little before migration and the rest (v. 25-78) during the first stage of his Madinah life. That is why this Surah combines the characteristics of both the Makkan and the Madinah Surahs.
According to Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah and other great commentators, v. 39 is the first verse that grants the Muslims permission to wage war. Collections of hadith and books on the life of the Prophet confirm that after this permission actual preparations for war were started and the first expedition was sent to the coast of the Red Sea in Safar 2 A.H. which is known as the Expedition of Waddan or Al-Abwa.
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Overview (Verses 6 - 10) The Ultimate Truth That is because God alone is the Ultimate Truth; and He alone brings the dead to life; and He has the power to will anything. And that the Last Hour is certain to come, beyond any doubt; and that God will certainly resurrect all who are in their graves. (Verses 6-7) All that has been said about the origins of man and his creation out of dust, the various stages an embryo goes through, and the next cycle of a child and his life, and also about life blooming out of a dry and barren earth are closely related to the fact that God is the Ultimate Truth. All these aspects are constant laws initiated and operated by God, the Truth, whose laws will never fail. The progress of life in such a fashion, moving from one stage to another, is indicative of the great will that determines its moves and stages. The link is clear between the fact that God is the Ultimate Truth and this consistency of an unfailing cycle of life. “He alone brings the dead to life.” (Verse 6) Bringing the dead to life is to re-initiate life in what has been dead. The One who originated life in the first instance is the One who brings it back in the final stage. “God will certainly resurrect all who are in their graves.” (Verse 7) They will then be given their reward for whatever they did in this first life. Such resurrection is dictated by the purpose of creation. The cycles both embryo and child go through indicate that the wise will which has set them in motion will inevitably allow man to attain his ultimate perfection in a world of perfection. In this life on earth, perfection is unattainable because man’s advancement stops at a certain point before he retreats so far as to reach a stage when ‘all that he once knew, he knows no more.’ It is, then, absolutely necessary that a second life should take place to allow man to attain perfection. Thus, these cycles, with all their stages, give a dual indication of the resurrection. They establish first that the Creator who initiates life is able to bring the dead back to life. They also show that the wise will that has set all this in operation will undoubtedly complete man’s perfection in the life to come. Thus, the laws of creation and return, life and resurrection, as well as reckoning and reward, all unite to testify to the power of God, the Creator, who conducts and controls the entire universe. His existence and power admit no doubt whatsoever. But despite all this evidence some people continue to dispute God’s existence: “Yet some people argue about God without having any knowledge, without guidance, and without any light giving revelations. They turn away in scorn so as to lead others astray from the path of God. Disgrace is in store for them in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection We shall make them taste suffering through fire. [They shall be told]: This is the outcome of what your own hands have wrought. Never does God do the least wrong to His creatures.” (Verses 8-10) Argument about God in the face of all this evidence is singularly stupid. How much more ridiculous is it then when such argument has no basis in knowledge, evidence, fact, or revelation to enlighten the heart and mind and give a clear account of the truth? The sūrah paints a picture of this type of conceited person who ‘turns away in scorn’. Such a person realizes that his attitude lacks sound knowledge and tries to compensate for it by becoming arrogant. His aim is ‘to lead others astray from the path of God.’ He is not satisfied to be astray himself. He wants others to follow his suit. Such deviant arrogance which leads people astray must be stopped and dealt with severely. Hence, ‘disgrace is in store for them in this world.’ Such disgrace befalls them in contrast with their arrogance. God does not ignore such arrogant people who lead others astray but instead He smashes their arrogance and brings them low, even if this is not immediate. God may give them respite for a while so that their disgrace becomes that much more effective and their punishment in the hereafter that much more severe: “On the Day of Resurrection We shall make them taste suffering through fire.” (Verse 9) And in a brief moment, the threatened punishment becomes a reality we see with our own eyes. This is achieved by the change of style from a statement to an address: “This is the outcome of what your own hands have wrought. Never does God do the least wrong to His creatures.” (Verse 10) We almost see them being severely rebuked as well as the punishment of fire that they must endure. |
Ibn Kathir (English)
Sayyid Qutb
Sha'rawi
Al Jalalain
Mawdudi
الطبري - جامع البيان
ابن كثير - تفسير القرآن العظيم
القرطبي - الجامع لأحكام
البغوي - معالم التنزيل
ابن أبي حاتم الرازي - تفسير القرآن
ابن عاشور - التحرير والتنوير
ابن القيم - تفسير ابن قيّم
السيوطي - الدر المنثور
الشنقيطي - أضواء البيان
ابن الجوزي - زاد المسير
الآلوسي - روح المعاني
ابن عطية - المحرر الوجيز
الرازي - مفاتيح الغيب
أبو السعود - إرشاد العقل السليم
الزمخشري - الكشاف
البقاعي - نظم الدرر
الهداية إلى بلوغ النهاية — مكي ابن أبي طالب
القاسمي - محاسن التأويل
الماوردي - النكت والعيون
السعدي - تيسير الكريم الرحمن
عبد الرحمن الثعالبي - الجواهر الحسان
السمرقندي - بحر العلوم
أبو إسحاق الثعلبي - الكشف والبيان
الشوكاني - فتح القدير
النيسابوري - التفسير البسيط
أبو حيان - البحر المحيط
البيضاوي - أنوار التنزيل
النسفي - مدارك التنزيل
ابن جُزَيّ - التسهيل لعلوم التنزيل
علي الواحدي النيسابوري - الوجيز
السيوطي - تفسير الجلالين
المختصر في التفسير — مركز تفسير
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Overview (Verses 6 - 10) The Ultimate Truth That is because God alone is the Ultimate Truth; and He alone brings the dead to life; and He has the power to will anything. And that the Last Hour is certain to come, beyond any doubt; and that God will certainly resurrect all who are in their graves. (Verses 6-7) All that has been said about the origins of man and his creation out of dust, the various stages an embryo goes through, and the next cycle of a child and his life, and also about life blooming out of a dry and barren earth are closely related to the fact that God is the Ultimate Truth. All these aspects are constant laws initiated and operated by God, the Truth, whose laws will never fail. The progress of life in such a fashion, moving from one stage to another, is indicative of the great will that determines its moves and stages. The link is clear between the fact that God is the Ultimate Truth and this consistency of an unfailing cycle of life. “He alone brings the dead to life.” (Verse 6) Bringing the dead to life is to re-initiate life in what has been dead. The One who originated life in the first instance is the One who brings it back in the final stage. “God will certainly resurrect all who are in their graves.” (Verse 7) They will then be given their reward for whatever they did in this first life. Such resurrection is dictated by the purpose of creation. The cycles both embryo and child go through indicate that the wise will which has set them in motion will inevitably allow man to attain his ultimate perfection in a world of perfection. In this life on earth, perfection is unattainable because man’s advancement stops at a certain point before he retreats so far as to reach a stage when ‘all that he once knew, he knows no more.’ It is, then, absolutely necessary that a second life should take place to allow man to attain perfection. Thus, these cycles, with all their stages, give a dual indication of the resurrection. They establish first that the Creator who initiates life is able to bring the dead back to life. They also show that the wise will that has set all this in operation will undoubtedly complete man’s perfection in the life to come. Thus, the laws of creation and return, life and resurrection, as well as reckoning and reward, all unite to testify to the power of God, the Creator, who conducts and controls the entire universe. His existence and power admit no doubt whatsoever. But despite all this evidence some people continue to dispute God’s existence: “Yet some people argue about God without having any knowledge, without guidance, and without any light giving revelations. They turn away in scorn so as to lead others astray from the path of God. Disgrace is in store for them in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection We shall make them taste suffering through fire. [They shall be told]: This is the outcome of what your own hands have wrought. Never does God do the least wrong to His creatures.” (Verses 8-10) Argument about God in the face of all this evidence is singularly stupid. How much more ridiculous is it then when such argument has no basis in knowledge, evidence, fact, or revelation to enlighten the heart and mind and give a clear account of the truth? The sūrah paints a picture of this type of conceited person who ‘turns away in scorn’. Such a person realizes that his attitude lacks sound knowledge and tries to compensate for it by becoming arrogant. His aim is ‘to lead others astray from the path of God.’ He is not satisfied to be astray himself. He wants others to follow his suit. Such deviant arrogance which leads people astray must be stopped and dealt with severely. Hence, ‘disgrace is in store for them in this world.’ Such disgrace befalls them in contrast with their arrogance. God does not ignore such arrogant people who lead others astray but instead He smashes their arrogance and brings them low, even if this is not immediate. God may give them respite for a while so that their disgrace becomes that much more effective and their punishment in the hereafter that much more severe: “On the Day of Resurrection We shall make them taste suffering through fire.” (Verse 9) And in a brief moment, the threatened punishment becomes a reality we see with our own eyes. This is achieved by the change of style from a statement to an address: “This is the outcome of what your own hands have wrought. Never does God do the least wrong to His creatures.” (Verse 10) We almost see them being severely rebuked as well as the punishment of fire that they must endure. |
