Surah Al-Mu’minun (23)

Introduction

This Surah was revealed in Makkah, as recorded by Ibn Marduyah from Ibn Abbas and Ibn al-Zubayr, may Allah the Exalted be pleased with them. In al-Bahr, it is stated that it is Makki without dispute, and it is presented there without qualification. In al-Itqan, an exception is made for His saying, the Exalted: "Do they not see that We visit the earth [diminishing it from its borders]?" (21:44/13:41). It consists of one hundred and twelve verses according to the Kufan count, and one hundred and eleven according to the others, as stated by al-Tabarsi and al-Dani. The manner of its connection to the preceding Surah is self-evident. It is a magnificent Surah containing profound admonition; for Ibn Marduyah, Abu Nu'aym in al-Hilyah, and Ibn ‘Asakir narrated from ‘Amir ibn Rabi‘ah that a man from the Arabs stayed with him, and ‘Amir honored his hospitality and spoke to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, regarding him. The man then came to him and said, "I requested a valley from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, the likes of which there is no better valley among the Arabs, and I wish to grant you a portion of it so that it may be for you and your descendants after you." ‘Amir replied, "I have no need of your grant; today a Surah has been revealed that has distracted us from worldly things: 'The time of [their] reckoning has approached for mankind' (21:1), until its end."

(In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. The reckoning for mankind has drawn near.) It is narrated from Ibn Abbas, as mentioned by the Imam, al-Qurtubi, and al-Zamakhshari, that "mankind" refers to the polytheists. This is evidenced by the verses you will hear hereafter, if Allah the Exalted wills, for they are manifest in describing the polytheists. Some eminent scholars have said: That which is contained therein is of the category of attributing that which belongs to a part to the whole; thus, it does not negate that its definition (the 'al' in 'al-nas') is for the genus. The beauty of this usage here lies in the fact that those individuals are the majority, and the majority is granted the ruling of the whole according to both religious law and convention.

Some have permitted the interpretation of the generic, while the pronouns that follow refer to the polytheists of the people of Mecca, even if their mention has not preceded in this surah; this is no more remote than what has preceded. Others have said: The indication of what was mentioned regarding specification exists only upon interpreting the attributes as they have interpreted them; it is possible to carry each of them to a meaning that includes the disobedient monotheists. It is not hidden that doing so is committing to that which is highly contrary to the apparent meaning.

The lam is connected to "has drawn near" (iqtaraba), as is apparent. It is in the meaning of "to" (ila) or in the meaning of "from" (min), for "iqtaraba" is the ifta'al form of "proximity" (qurb), the opposite of distance, and it takes the preposition "to" or "from." Some have limited themselves to saying it is in the meaning of "to," and it has been said that this is an arbitrary assertion due to the fact that proximity is transitive through both. It has been answered that this is possible because each of min and ila, which are the prepositions for proximity, signifies the termination of an end, except that ila is deeply rooted in this meaning, while min is deeply rooted in the beginning of an end. Thus, there is a preference for expressing the fact that the aforementioned lam is in the meaning of the termination of an end, as in the words of the Exalted, "That your Lord has inspired it" (bi-anna rabbaka awha laha), by saying it is in the meaning of "to," and limiting it to that.

In al-Kashf, the meaning—on the supposition that it is li-iqtirab (for the drawing near)—is "has drawn near from mankind," for the meaning of specification and the beginning of an end are both achieved through it. This concludes the quote. There is a discussion therein, as the concept understood from it is that the word min, through which the verb "drawing near" is made transitive, signifies the end, which is not the case because that meaning is not suitable for the locations where that word is used. The truth is that it is in the meaning of the termination of an end, for they have mentioned that min comes for that. Al-Shamni said in al-Jana al-Dani: "Ibn Malik provides an example for the termination of an end with their saying, 'I drew near minhu (from him),' for it is equal to 'I drew near ilayhi (to him).'"

Among the things that testify to this is that the verb of approaching is used with min just as it is used with ila. It has been mentioned regarding the meanings of min that it signifies the termination of an end, as you have heard, and no one has mentioned the beginning of an end among the meanings of ila. The origin is that [the text] should not be a grammatical error in reality, even if it appears so. The establishment of the waw in the orthography is narrated from the book of Ibn Khalawayh.

In al-Lawami', it states that it was omitted in the transition (draj) due to the meeting of two quiescent letters, and the writing was based upon that; thus, it is omitted in writing as well. An analogy for this is, "Allah eliminates falsehood" (Yamhu-llahu al-batil). The omission of the waw in pronunciation and writing, and sufficiency with the damma indicating it, has occurred, as in the saying: "And if the physicians were around me..." and it was with the physicians, the healers. This is a poetic necessity according to some grammarians.

As for those who are "believers," it is said: they are those who attest to what is known by necessity to be from the religion of our Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—such as monotheism, prophethood, physical resurrection, requital, and their likes. Thus, the words of the Exalted: <<...>>