Overview - Surah 15: al-Hijr (The Valley of Stone)
The main theme of the Surah is divine guidance, and people's response. Allah's warns those who deny this message and as a reminder of these warnings, we have here the stories of Prophet Lot's people, Thamud and other groups.
Sections:
- Qur'an is the Books of Allah. He revealed it and He will guard it.
- Allah knows everything in the universe. He is the Creator of all.
- The creation of human being is from a very humble stuff, but Allah honored him and asked angels to bow down to Adam. Satan's response.
- Allah is very forgiving, but His punishment is also severe.
- Prophet Lot and Prophet Shu'aib's people.
- The People of Hijr and what happened to them. Qur'an and Surah al-Fatihah are special gifts of Allah. Allah will take care of those who ridicule His message
It is named ‘Hijr’ after the valley located between Madinah and Sham [Greater Syria], where the people of Salih, Thamud lived.
There are 99 Ayat in this Surah.
Overview
| Total Ayat | 99 |
| Total Words * | 655 |
| Root Words * | 210 |
| Unique Root Words * | 3 |
| Makki / Madani | Makki |
| Chronological Order* | 54th (according to Ibn Abbas) |
| Year of Revelation* | 9th year of Prophethood |
| Events during/before this Surah*
Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 3, Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 2, Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 1, 2nd Migration to Abyssinia, Physical beating and torture of some Muslims - 1st Migration of Muslims to Abyssinia, Public Invitation to Islam - Persecution of Muslims; antagonism - ridicule - derision - accusation - abuse and false propaganda., Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam , Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam , Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam
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| Events during/after still to occur*
Death of Abu Talib - Death of Khadijah - Stoning at Ta'if - al-Isra wal Mi'raj - Night Journey,1st Pledge of Aqabah,2nd Pledge of Aqabah,,Migration from Makkah to Madinah - Building of Masjid Nabi in Madinah - Treaty with Jews of Madinah - Marriage of Prophet to Aishah,Change of Qiblah from Jerusalem to Makkah - Battle of Badr,Battle of Uhud,,Battle of Ahzab - Expedition of Banu Quraydhah,Treaty of Hudaiybiyah - Letters to Kings and Rulers,,Conquest of Makkah - Battle of Hunain,Hajj led by Abu Bakr - Expedition of Tabuk,Farewell Hajj by Prophet - Death of Prophet - End of Divine Revelation
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| Names of Prophets Mentioned
Lut, Ibrahim
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| Surah Index
Abraham, Angels, Angels (not sent to satisfy whims) , Astronomy (constellations) , Communications (overhearing the Host on high) , Death (those communities who have no revelation will not be destroyed) , Earth, Friends (avoid active disbelievers) , Future (learning of it through divination forbidden) , Hell, Humankind (creation of) , Humankind (creation of) (from clay), Humankind (creation of) (from dark transmuted slime), Iblis, Jinn, Jinn (created of fire) , Judgement (Day) , Lot, Madyan, Materialism (envy forbidden) , Mountains, Prayer (prostration) , Qur’an, Resurrection (of soul) , Revelation, Thamud, Thamud (rock dwellings) , Weather (rain) , Weather (wind) , Weather (wind) (to pollinate)
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Theme 1: Allah protects and preserves His Deen [religion]
Though the main topics of the Surah are :
a. warning to those who rejected his Message, opposed it tooth and nail and ridiculed him.
b. comfort and encouragement to the Prophet
It does not mean that this Surah does not contain admonition and instructions. As a matter of fact the Qur’an never confines itself to mere warning; rebuke and censure but resorts to precept in every suitable place. Accordingly this Surah contains brief arguments for Monotheism (Tawhid) on the one hand and admonition in the story of Adam and Satan on the other.
At the beginning and end of the surah there are profound statements about the Qur’an – 15:9 “Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur'an and indeed, We will be its guardian.” And in 15:87 “And We have certainly given you, [O Muhammad], seven of the often repeated [verses] and the great Qur'an.”
Manuscripts / Inscriptions
764 H 1363 CE
764 H 1363 CE
1037-1194 CE
1037-1194 CE
1st Century Hijrah (7th Century CE)
1st Century Hijrah (7th Century CE)
Total Word Count per Ayat (shows how many words per Ayat) = 3* | ||
| # | Root Word | Frequency in Surah | Frequency in Qur'an |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | ق و ل | 25 | 1722 |
| 2. | ك و ن | 16 | 1390 |
| 3. | إِلَّا | 13 | 663 |
| 4. | ع ل م | 12 | 854 |
| 5. | ر ب ب | 9 | 980 |
| 6. | أ ت ي | 7 | 549 |
| 7. | ر س ل | 7 | 513 |
| 8. | ب ش ر | 7 | 123 |
| 9. | ن ز ل | 6 | 293 |
| 10. | خ ل ق | 6 | 261 |
| Root Word | Frequency in Surah |
Frequency in Qur'an |
|---|---|---|
| ق و ل | 25 | 1722 |
| ك و ن | 16 | 1390 |
| إِلَّا | 13 | 663 |
| ع ل م | 12 | 854 |
| ر ب ب | 9 | 980 |
| أ ت ي | 7 | 549 |
| ر س ل | 7 | 513 |
| ب ش ر | 7 | 123 |
| ن ز ل | 6 | 293 |
| خ ل ق | 6 | 261 |
“This surah was revealed in Makkah, after the revelation of Surah 12, Joseph. The time was a very critical one, falling as it did between the ‘year of sorrow’ when the Prophet lost his wife Khadijah and his uncle Abu Talib and the year when the Prophet migrated to Madinah. The surah thus reflects the needs and requirements of this difficult period.” [Ref: Qutb, Fi Dhilal]
“It is clear from its topics and style that the period of its revelation is similar to that of Surah 14: Ibraheem (Abraham) as two things are quite prominent in its background. Firstly, it appears from the repeated warnings in this Surah that despite the fact that the Prophet had been propagating the Message for many years his people in general had not shown any inclination towards its acceptance, nay they had become more and more obdurate and stubborn in their antagonism, enmity and ridicule with the passage of time. Secondly by that time the Prophet had begun to feel a little tired of making strenuous efforts to eradicate disbelief and opposition of his people. That is why God has consoled and comforted him over and over again by way of encouragement..” [Ref: Mawdudi]
- The Qur'an is a Divine Book.
- Allah protects His Book (15:9), the heavans (15:17), provisions, (15:21), water on earth (15:22), Adam and his children (15:39-40), Ibrahim and his nephew by saving them from the plots of their people, the Prophet Shuayb and finally the Prophet Muhammad (15:95) [verification of Ayat numbers required]
- On the Day of Judgement, the disbelievers will wish that they had become Muslims.
- Allah Himself has taken the responsibility of preserving and safeguarding Al-Qur'an.
- Admonition through the story of Adam's creation, prostration of the angels before him, and refusal of Shaitan to prostrate.
- The Prophet Ibrahim was given the good news of having a son by the same two angels who were assigned to destroy the nation of Lut.
- Al-Fatiha is also named, "seven verses worthy of oft-recitation."
- Divine order to proclaim the commandments of Allah publicly and turn away from the mushrikin.
Tafsir Zone
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Overview (Verses 28 - 29) God said to the angels: “I am creating a human being out of sounding clay, out of black mud moulded into shape. When I have fashioned him and breathed of My spirit into him, fall down in prostration before him.” (Verses 28-29) And what God said immediately took effect, for His word expresses His will, and His will is always done. We cannot question how the breath of God’s eternal spirit mixed with the clay that has limited life. Such arguments are no more than idle play. It is indeed a child’s play with man’s intellect itself. It forces the human mind out of its own realm in which it may exercise its powers of perception, reflection and comprehension. All the controversy that has been raised over this issue, past and present, betrays ignorance of the nature of the human mind, its characteristics and limitations. It simply forces the human mind to try to measure God’s work by human standards. It is an altogether wrong premise. The Qur’ān explains man’s distinction in a clear and simple statement: “When I have fashioned him and breathed of My spirit into him.” (Verse 29) Thus it is this breath of God’s spirit that takes man from the state of a humble organic entity to the noble human stage, right from his inception. It makes of him a distinguished creature worthy of being vicegerent on earth. How does this happen? In answer we ask: when was this human creature able to perceive how the Creator works? Now we can stand on solid ground. Satan was created out of the fire of scorching wind, long before man’s creation. This is as far as our knowledge goes. What Satan’s nature is and how he was created are matters which we cannot delve into. However, we do understand that he shares some characteristics with the fire of scorching wind. We realize that he can affect the elements constituting mud and clay, since he is made out of fire. He also causes harm and is not slow to inflict it, since the fire he is made of is that of scorching wind. Then the story reveals to us his conceit and arrogance, which is not far removed in our perception from the nature of fire. Then man’s creation took place, starting with the sticky mud that had dried, then the adding of sublime spirit which brought about his distinction from all living creatures. This gave him his unique human characteristics. Right from the beginning of human life, man has followed his own separate line, while animals remained in their own domain. Man’s Dual Nature It is this breath of God’s spirit that provides man’s link with the Supreme Society, making him worthy of contact with God, receiving His messages, and going beyond the material world of his physical constitution to the mental world of hearts and minds. It is this breath of God’s spirit which allows man to go beyond time and space, and beyond the reach of his senses and physical ability to formulate perceptions and experience feelings that, at times, seem unlimited. All this despite the heavy nature of clay which puts him in need of all that his clay constitution requires, such as food, drink, clothing and the satisfaction of desires. He also has his weaknesses, giving rise to faulty concepts and whims. Yet right from the beginning, man is a compound of these two inseparable elements. He has the nature of a compound, not that of a mixture. We need to keep this fact clear in our minds whenever we speak about man’s constitution from clay and sublime spirit. The two constituents are inseparable in his nature. In no situation does either element achieve total domination, completely excluding the other. Man is not pure clay or pure spirit even for a single moment. Every single action and every single deed involves his whole make-up which is indivisible. Achieving a proper balance between the clay and the sublime elements is the highest level man is called on to achieve. That is the stage of human perfection. He is not required to shed either element of his constitution so as to become either angel or animal. To attempt a rise that disturbs the balance is a shortcoming that does not suit man’s essential characteristics, or the purpose of his creation in this unique fashion. A person who tries to suppress his basic physical instincts is the same as one who tries to suppress his free spiritual powers. Both go beyond straight human nature, imposing on themselves something that God does not sanction. Both destroy themselves by distorting the basic compound of their very nature. They will have to account to God for such destruction. Hence the Prophet (peace be upon him) reproached one of his Companions for deciding to remain celibate, vowing not to marry, and another for having decided to fast every day of his life and a third who decided to spend all night every night in worship. His reproach is clear in a ĥadīth reported by his wife `Ā’ishah, and he said at the end: “Whoever turns away from my path does not belong to me.” Islam has formulated its own laws for human life taking into account man’s constitution. It established a human system which does not suppress a single aspect of human potential. The whole purpose of this system is to establish a perfect balance between these powers, so that they all work in concert, without allowing anyone of them to encroach on another. Any such encroachment leads to the negation of the other, and every dominance leads to destruction. Man is responsible for the maintenance of the essential characteristics of his nature and his accountability to God. The system Islam establishes for human life is geared to promote these characteristics which God has given to man for a clear purpose. Anyone who wishes to kill the animal instincts in man destroys his unique constitution, just like one who wishes to kill the essentially human instincts such as faith and believing in what lies beyond the reach of our perception. Anyone who deprives people of their faith destroys their human entity, just like one who deprives them of their food, drink and other physical needs. Both are enemies of man, and both deserve to be driven away just like we must drive Satan away. Man is an animal with something extra. He has the same needs as an animal, but he has other needs on account of that extra element. These latter needs are not inferior to the ‘essential needs’ as claimed by advocates of materialistic creeds who are, in truth, enemies of mankind. These are simply thoughts derived from the truth of our human constitution, as stated in the Qur’ān. We have referred to them only briefly so that we do not delay any further the discussion of the Qur’ānic text relating the most important story of man’s creation. We shall however return to these thoughts at the end of our discussion. God simply says that this has happened without saying how. Hence, the event itself is a fact that the human mind cannot deny. Yet it cannot prove it by any interpretation it invents, other than accepting what God has said. Man is a creature with a beginning, and as such, he cannot judge what is eternal, or how the eternal creates. When the human mind accepts this point, it stops expending its power in futile argument. |
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 28 - 29) God said to the angels: “I am creating a human being out of sounding clay, out of black mud moulded into shape. When I have fashioned him and breathed of My spirit into him, fall down in prostration before him.” (Verses 28-29) And what God said immediately took effect, for His word expresses His will, and His will is always done. We cannot question how the breath of God’s eternal spirit mixed with the clay that has limited life. Such arguments are no more than idle play. It is indeed a child’s play with man’s intellect itself. It forces the human mind out of its own realm in which it may exercise its powers of perception, reflection and comprehension. All the controversy that has been raised over this issue, past and present, betrays ignorance of the nature of the human mind, its characteristics and limitations. It simply forces the human mind to try to measure God’s work by human standards. It is an altogether wrong premise. The Qur’ān explains man’s distinction in a clear and simple statement: “When I have fashioned him and breathed of My spirit into him.” (Verse 29) Thus it is this breath of God’s spirit that takes man from the state of a humble organic entity to the noble human stage, right from his inception. It makes of him a distinguished creature worthy of being vicegerent on earth. How does this happen? In answer we ask: when was this human creature able to perceive how the Creator works? Now we can stand on solid ground. Satan was created out of the fire of scorching wind, long before man’s creation. This is as far as our knowledge goes. What Satan’s nature is and how he was created are matters which we cannot delve into. However, we do understand that he shares some characteristics with the fire of scorching wind. We realize that he can affect the elements constituting mud and clay, since he is made out of fire. He also causes harm and is not slow to inflict it, since the fire he is made of is that of scorching wind. Then the story reveals to us his conceit and arrogance, which is not far removed in our perception from the nature of fire. Then man’s creation took place, starting with the sticky mud that had dried, then the adding of sublime spirit which brought about his distinction from all living creatures. This gave him his unique human characteristics. Right from the beginning of human life, man has followed his own separate line, while animals remained in their own domain. Man’s Dual Nature It is this breath of God’s spirit that provides man’s link with the Supreme Society, making him worthy of contact with God, receiving His messages, and going beyond the material world of his physical constitution to the mental world of hearts and minds. It is this breath of God’s spirit which allows man to go beyond time and space, and beyond the reach of his senses and physical ability to formulate perceptions and experience feelings that, at times, seem unlimited. All this despite the heavy nature of clay which puts him in need of all that his clay constitution requires, such as food, drink, clothing and the satisfaction of desires. He also has his weaknesses, giving rise to faulty concepts and whims. Yet right from the beginning, man is a compound of these two inseparable elements. He has the nature of a compound, not that of a mixture. We need to keep this fact clear in our minds whenever we speak about man’s constitution from clay and sublime spirit. The two constituents are inseparable in his nature. In no situation does either element achieve total domination, completely excluding the other. Man is not pure clay or pure spirit even for a single moment. Every single action and every single deed involves his whole make-up which is indivisible. Achieving a proper balance between the clay and the sublime elements is the highest level man is called on to achieve. That is the stage of human perfection. He is not required to shed either element of his constitution so as to become either angel or animal. To attempt a rise that disturbs the balance is a shortcoming that does not suit man’s essential characteristics, or the purpose of his creation in this unique fashion. A person who tries to suppress his basic physical instincts is the same as one who tries to suppress his free spiritual powers. Both go beyond straight human nature, imposing on themselves something that God does not sanction. Both destroy themselves by distorting the basic compound of their very nature. They will have to account to God for such destruction. Hence the Prophet (peace be upon him) reproached one of his Companions for deciding to remain celibate, vowing not to marry, and another for having decided to fast every day of his life and a third who decided to spend all night every night in worship. His reproach is clear in a ĥadīth reported by his wife `Ā’ishah, and he said at the end: “Whoever turns away from my path does not belong to me.” Islam has formulated its own laws for human life taking into account man’s constitution. It established a human system which does not suppress a single aspect of human potential. The whole purpose of this system is to establish a perfect balance between these powers, so that they all work in concert, without allowing anyone of them to encroach on another. Any such encroachment leads to the negation of the other, and every dominance leads to destruction. Man is responsible for the maintenance of the essential characteristics of his nature and his accountability to God. The system Islam establishes for human life is geared to promote these characteristics which God has given to man for a clear purpose. Anyone who wishes to kill the animal instincts in man destroys his unique constitution, just like one who wishes to kill the essentially human instincts such as faith and believing in what lies beyond the reach of our perception. Anyone who deprives people of their faith destroys their human entity, just like one who deprives them of their food, drink and other physical needs. Both are enemies of man, and both deserve to be driven away just like we must drive Satan away. Man is an animal with something extra. He has the same needs as an animal, but he has other needs on account of that extra element. These latter needs are not inferior to the ‘essential needs’ as claimed by advocates of materialistic creeds who are, in truth, enemies of mankind. These are simply thoughts derived from the truth of our human constitution, as stated in the Qur’ān. We have referred to them only briefly so that we do not delay any further the discussion of the Qur’ānic text relating the most important story of man’s creation. We shall however return to these thoughts at the end of our discussion. God simply says that this has happened without saying how. Hence, the event itself is a fact that the human mind cannot deny. Yet it cannot prove it by any interpretation it invents, other than accepting what God has said. Man is a creature with a beginning, and as such, he cannot judge what is eternal, or how the eternal creates. When the human mind accepts this point, it stops expending its power in futile argument. |
- Surah 15. Al-Hijr - Saad al Ghamidi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvlchpsEhWw&list=PLhM2xiAUdw2cAqW_o3zZkbhJNw0bnaBZN&index=15
- Surah 15. Al-Hijr Mahmoud Khalil Al Hussary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MstV_Kbp9_4&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfMFWX22VZWOKpzjr-vH_BM&index=15
- Surah 15. Al-Hijr Muhammad Al Luhaydan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHnL6SvX4d4&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfKAYuQLRNAZomoezhfhRZe&index=15
- Idris Akbar Surah Hijr https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ6kdndUmpw
- Surah 15. Al-Hijr muhammad Minshawi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGOHF57JukM&list=PLxpAkjlGauHdUcO_uc-8F8J2NUQRDZjPG&index=15
