Mary (Surah 19): Verses 36–40

Commentary on Verse 36: "And indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him."

There are several points regarding this verse:

• Medinan and Abu Amr's Reading: They read وَإِنَّ (with fath on the alif), meaning: "And because Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him."
• Kufan and Abu 'Ubaydah's Reading: They read وَإِنَّ (with kasr on the alif) as an independent clause starting with an oath (implied).
• Abu Ubay's Reading: He read إِنَّ (with kasr and without the preceding waw), implying: "Because of that, worship Him."

It is not appropriate for Allah to say this Himself. Therefore, the speaker must be someone other than Allah. There are two views:

1. The Implied Command: The meaning is: "Say, O Muhammad, 'Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord,' after demonstrating clear proofs that Jesus is the servant of Allah."
2. Abu Muslim al-Isfahani's View: The waw (و) in وَإِنَّ connects to what Jesus (peace be upon him) said: "I am indeed a servant of Allah; He has given me revelation" (19:30). Thus, the meaning is: "I am a servant of Allah, and indeed, He is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him."
   • Wahb ibn Munabbih's View: When Jesus informed them about his mission, birth, and description, he covenanted with them, saying: "Allah is my Lord and your Lord," meaning: "We are all servants of Allah Almighty."

1. Refutation of Astrologers: The statement "Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord" indicates that Allah is the manager and reformer of people's affairs, contrary to the view of astrologers who claim the stars manage human happiness and misery.
2. Proof of Monotheism (Tawhid): The word "Allah" is a proper noun specific to Him. By saying "Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord," it implies that there is no Lord for creation other than Allah, proving Tawhid.
3. The Command to Worship (فَاعْبُدُوه): In the principles of jurisprudence, linking a ruling to a suitable attribute implies causality. Here, the command to worship is linked to the attribute of Lordship. This indicates that we are obligated to worship Him because He is our Lord. This, in turn, proves that His worship is obligatory because He has bestowed upon creation the fundamental and secondary blessings. This is supported by Abraham (peace be upon him) when he forbade his father from worshipping idols, saying: "Why do you worship what neither hears nor sees, nor can avail you in anything?" (19:41). Since idols bestow no benefit, their worship is invalid. Thus, this verse establishes that because Allah is the Lord and Nurturer of His servants, worship is obligatory for them. This confirms, both affirmatively and negatively, that worship is tied to the worshipped being a bestower of blessings.
4. The Straight Path (هَٰذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ): This refers to the doctrine of Tawhid (monotheism) and the negation of offspring or a consort for Allah. This doctrine is called the "Straight Path" by analogy to a physical road, as it leads to Paradise.
5. The Disagreement of Factions (فَاخْتَلَفَ الْأَحْزَابُ مِنْ بَيْنِهِمْ): There are several interpretations of "factions" (الْأَحْزَاب):
   • First View: It refers to the different sects of Christians, as previously explained.
   • Second View: It refers to Christians and Jews, where some claimed Jesus was a son, and others called him a liar.
   • Third View: It refers to all disbelievers, including Jews, Christians, and the pagans contemporary to the Prophet (PBUH).
   • If we adopt the interpretation that the preceding statement ("Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him") is what Muhammad (PBUH) was commanded to say, this third view is the most apparent because it involves no specific restriction. Furthermore, the subsequent verse, "So woe to those who disbelieved," reinforces this possibility.
6. The Great Day (مِنْ مَشْهَدِ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ): The term Mashhad (witnessing/scene) can mean either the act of witnessing or the place/time of witnessing.
   • As the Act of Witnessing: It could mean their witnessing the horrors of the Reckoning and Retribution on the Day of Resurrection, or the location of this witnessing (the Standing Place), or the time of it.
   • As the Testimony: It could mean the testimony of the angels and prophets, or the testimony of their own tongues, hands, and feet regarding their disbelief and evil deeds, or the place/time of that testimony.
   • Another View: It refers to what they said and testified concerning Jesus and his mother.
   • This scene is described as "Great" because nothing is greater than what is witnessed that day—the accounting and questioning—nor are there greater benefits than the reward, nor greater harms than the punishment.

Commentary on Verse 41: "Hear them and see them the Day they come to Us!"

There are several issues regarding this verse:

Astonishment (تعجب) is generally defined as perceiving something as great while being ignorant of its cause. However, the expression of astonishment can also be used merely to express great awe, even if the cause is known.

• Al-Farrā’ and Sufyan's Narration: They narrated that Shurayh read بَلْ عَجِبْتَ (But you wondered) in Surah As-Saffat (37:12). When told that Allah does not wonder (as wonder implies ignorance), Ibrahim al-Nakha'i replied that Shurayh was a poet whose knowledge amazed him, but 'Abdullah (Ibn Mas'ud) knew better. Ibn Mas'ud read it as بَلْ عَجِبْتُ (But I wondered), meaning Allah performed an act that, if done by creation, would indicate wonder in their hearts. This interpretation allows attributing actions like plotting (مكر) and mockery to Allah metaphorically.

• Forms of Exclamation: There are two forms: مَا أَفْعَلَهُ (e.g., Mā akrama Zayd - How noble is Zayd!) and أَفْعِلْ بِهِ (e.g., أَسْمِعْ بِهِمْ وَأَبْصِرْ).

• Grammatical Interpretations of أَفْعِلْ بِهِ:
  1. The Imperative taking the meaning of the Past Tense (News): Similar to أَكْرِمْ بِزَيْدٍ (Be noble with Zayd), which originally meant "Zayd became noble" (أَكْرَمَ زَيْدٌ), like أَغَدَّ الْبَعِيرُ (the camel developed a hump). This form is used for news, just as past tense forms are sometimes used for commands (e.g., وَالْمُطَلَّقَاتُ يَتَرَبَّصْنَ - Divorced women shall wait). Also, رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ (May Allah have mercy on him) is a prayer expressed as past tense news, and the باء (preposition) is superfluous.
  2. The Imperative Meaning Command: It means: "Command everyone to make Zayd noble," i.e., to describe him as noble. The باء is superfluous, like in وَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ (And do not throw yourselves with your own hands into destruction).
  3. Intensification: Saying أَكْرِمْ بِزَيْدٍ implies that Zayd has reached such a degree of nobility that if you wish to make someone else noble, it is through Zayd that you will achieve your goal. Similarly, saying اُكْتُبْ بِالْقَلَمِ (Write with the pen) means the pen is the instrument that connects you to your objective.

There are three interpretations:

1. The Strongest and Most Famous View: It means: "How much He hears them and how much He sees them!" Wondering about Allah is impossible. Rather, it means their hearing and sight on that Day will be worthy of astonishment, especially after they were deaf and blind in the world. Another interpretation is that it is a threat regarding what they will hear and see, which will distress their sight and break their hearts.
2. The Judge's View: It could mean: "Make these people hear and see!" i.e., make them aware of the state of the people who come to Us, so they may take heed and refrain.
3. Al-Jubba'i's View: It could mean: "Let the people hear about these people and see them," so that they may recognize their situation and dire consequence and thus be deterred from doing what they did.

There are two views:

1. The wrongdoers are in manifest error today (in this life), but in the Hereafter, they will know the truth.
2. The wrongdoers are in manifest error today, and they will remain in error from Paradise in the Hereafter, unlike the believers.

There is no doubt that this is a command to the Prophet (PBUH) to warn those in his time. This suggests that the previous mention of factions (فَاخْتَلَفَ الْأَحْزَابُ) refers to the disagreements of all groups during the Prophet's era.

• The Warning (وَأَنذِرْهُمْ): It means frightening them of punishment so they may guard against abandoning the worship of Allah.
• The Day of Regret (يَوْمِ الْحَسْرَةِ): This is undoubtedly the Day of Resurrection, as the inhabitants of Hell will experience intense regret. Some say those in Paradise will also regret if they are not among the foremost achievers of high ranks. However, the first view is correct, as regret is sorrow, which is unsuitable for the inhabitants of reward.

There are several interpretations:

1. When the matter has been decided by clarifying the proofs regarding reward and punishment.
2. When the matter has been decided on the Day of Regret, through the annihilation of the world and the cessation of religious obligations. The first view is closer because of the subsequent phrase, "while they are in heedlessness and do not believe," suggesting that the proofs and clear signs were presented while they were heedless and disbelieving.
3. It is narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) was asked about "when the matter has been decided" and replied: "When Death is brought in the form of a handsome ram, and it is slaughtered, while both groups (believers and disbelievers) watch. The people of Paradise will increase in joy, and the people of Hell will increase in sorrow."
   • Note: Death is an accident/state, so it cannot become a living animal body. The meaning is that there will be no death whatsoever after that point.

• "While they are in heedlessness" (وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ): Meaning, heedless of that Day and the nature of its regret.
• "And they do not believe" (وَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ): Meaning, they do not believe in that Day.

This means that ultimately, the power to benefit or harm belongs only to Allah.

This means they will return to the place of Our judgment and decree, as Allah is transcendent above needing a physical location for them to return to. This serves as a tremendous warning and eloquent admonition to the disobedient.

The Third Story: The Story of Abraham (Peace Be Upon Him) (Verses 47–50)

"And mention in the Book Abraham. Indeed, he was a man of truth, a prophet. When he said to his father, 'O my father, why do you worship that which does not hear and does not see and cannot avail you at all? O my father, knowledge has come to me that has not come to you, so follow me; I will guide you to a straight path. O my father, do not worship Satan. Indeed, Satan has ever been, to the Most Merciful, a rebel. O my father, indeed I fear that there will touch you a punishment from the Most Merciful, so you would become to Satan an ally.'"