Surah Fussilat (41)

Verse 1

Fifty-four Meccan Verses

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

[41:1] Hā, Mīm.

[41:2] Tanzīlun mina ar-Raḥmāni ar-Raḥīm.

A revelation from the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

[41:3] Kitābun fuṣṣilat āyātuhu qur’ānan ‘arabiyyan liqawmin ya‘lamūn.

A Book whose verses have been detailed, an Arabic Qur'an for a people who know.

[41:4] Bashīran wa nadhīran fa-a‘raḍa aktharuhum fa-hum lā yasma‘ūn.

(Sent) as a bearer of good tidings and a warner. But most of them turn away, so they do not listen.

[41:5] Wa qālū qulūbunā fī akinnatin mimmā tad‘ūnā ilayhi wa fī ādhāninā wiqrun wa min bayninā wa baynika ḥijābun fa-a‘mal inna‘nā ‘āmilūn.

And they say, "Our hearts are veiled from what you call us to, and in our ears is deafness, and between us and you is a barrier. So act; indeed, we are acting."

[41:6] Qul innamā anā basharun mithlukum yūḥā ilayya annamā ilāhukum ilāhun wāḥidun fastaqīmū ilayhi wastaghfirūh, wa waylun lil-mushrikīn.

Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom it is revealed that your God is one God. So proceed straight to Him and seek His forgiveness. And woe to the polytheists,"

[41:7] Alladhīna lā yu’tūna az-zakāta wa hum bil-ākhirati hum kāfirūn.

"Who do not give Zakah, and they, in the Hereafter, are disbelievers."

[41:8] Innal-ladhīna āmanū wa ‘amiluṣ-ṣāliḥāti lahum ajrun ghayru mamnūn.

Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds—for them is a reward uninterrupted.

Tafsir of Surah Fussilat (Chapter 41)

There are several interpretations regarding the opening of this Surah:

1. The Strongest View: Hā, Mīm is the name of the Surah. Tanzīl (Revelation) is the predicate (khabar) to the implied subject (mubtada', which is Hā, Mīm).
2. Al-Akhfash's View: Tanzīl is the subject (mubtada'), and Kitāb (Book) is its predicate.
3. Al-Zajjaj's View: Tanzīl is the subject, and its predicate is the phrase Fussilat āyātuhu (Its verses have been detailed). The justification is that the word Tanzīl is specified by the attribute Min ar-Raḥmān ar-Raḥīm (from the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate), making it permissible for it to stand as a subject.

Allah has described this Surah (named Hā, Mīm) with several attributes:

1. Being a Tanzīl (Revelation): This means it is the Manzal (that which is revealed). Using the verbal noun (masdar) to mean the passive participle (the object) is a common metaphorical usage (e.g., "This is the building of the prince" meaning "his built structure"). This implies that Allah inscribed it in the Preserved Tablet (Al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ) and commanded Gabriel (peace be upon him) to memorize those words and then reveal and deliver them to Muhammad (peace be upon him).
2. Revelation from the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate: This indicates that the revelation is an immense blessing from Allah. An action qualified by such attributes must correspond to those attributes. Raḥmān and Raḥīm denote perfect mercy. Therefore, the revelation attributed to these two names must signify the greatest form of blessing. This is true because the creation in this world is like the sick, the infirm, and the needy. The Qur'an contains the remedies needed by the sick and the nourishment needed by the healthy. Thus, revealing the Qur'an is the greatest favor Allah bestowed upon the people of this world.
3. Being a Kitāb (Book): As previously explained, this name is derived from the concept of gathering (jamʿ). It is called a Book because it collects the knowledge of the ancients and the latter generations.
4. Its Verses are Detailed (Fussilat āyātuhu): This means its verses are separated and detailed into various meanings:
   • Some describe Allah's Essence, attributes of transcendence and holiness, His perfect knowledge, power, mercy, wisdom, and the wonders of the heavens, earth, stars, the alternation of night and day, and the states of plants, animals, and humans.
   • Some concern the obligations directed towards the hearts and the limbs.
   • Some relate to promises and warnings, reward and punishment, and the ranks of the people of Paradise and Hellfire.
   • Some contain admonitions and advice.
   • Some focus on refining morals and disciplining the soul.
   • Some contain stories of past peoples and histories of those who came before. In summary, anyone who is just will know that no book in the possession of creation combines such diverse sciences and varied discussions as the Qur'an.
5. A Qur'an (Qur’ānan): The reason for this name has been previously discussed. Its accusative case (naṣb) here is for ikhtiṣāṣ (specification) and praise, meaning: "This detailed Book is intended as a Qur'an, characterized by such and such." Alternatively, it is accusative as a circumstantial adverb (ḥāl).
6. In Arabic (ʿArabiyyan): This means the Qur'an was revealed in the Arabic language, confirmed by the verse: "And We did not send any messenger except in the language of his people" (Ibrahim 14:4).
7. For a People Who Know (Li-qawmin yaʿlamūn): This means We made it Arabic because We sent it down to an Arab people, so they could understand the intended meaning.
   • Connection: This phrase may relate to Tanzīl (a revelation for them) or Fussilat (its verses detailed for them). The better interpretation is that it functions as an adjective, like the preceding and succeeding terms: "an Arabic Qur'an existing for Arab people," to maintain consistency among the attributes.
8. A Bearer of Good Tidings and a Warner (Bashīran wa nadhīran): Good tidings for the obedient regarding reward, and a warning for the criminals regarding punishment. The Qur'an is indeed both, but the active participle form is used to emphasize its perfection in these roles, similar to saying "poetic verse" for a poet's verse.

Tenth Attribute: Their turning away from it, neither listening nor paying attention.

These are the ten attributes with which Allah described the Qur'an. Several issues arise from these descriptions:

Those who assert that the Qur'an is created used this verse as evidence in several ways:

1. It is described as Tanzīl (revelation) and Munazzal (revealed). The act of revealing implies a transition from one state to another, necessitating that it be created.
2. Tanzīl is a verbal noun (masdar), and the masdar is the absolute object (mafʿūl muṭlaq) by consensus of grammarians.
3. The term Kitāb refers either to the masdar (the absolute object) or the written text (the passive object).
4. The phrase Fussilat (detailed) indicates that an agent acted upon it, differentiating and specifying its parts, which is unsuitable for the Eternal (Al-Qadīm).
5. It is called Qur’ān because parts of it are joined to others, implying it is the object of an agent's action.
6. It is described as ʿArabī (Arabic). This attribution is valid only because these words entered these meanings according to the Arabs' linguistic conventions and usage. What is established by an establishing agent must be newly created.

The Reply: All these arguments relate to the linguistic forms, letters, and words, which we agree are newly created. What we claim is eternal is something other than these sounds and letters. (And Allah knows best.)

Most theologians hold that the obligated person must interpret the words of the Qur'an according to the meanings for which they were established in the Arabic language. Applying them to other meanings not derived this way is definitively false, such as the interpretations of the Ahl al-Bāṭin (esotericists) who sometimes use numerology (ḥisāb al-jummal) or assign specific meanings to individual letters, methods often used by Sufis and called the "Science of Unveiling" (ʿilm al-mukāshafah).

The verse "an Arabic Qur'an" refutes all such interpretations. It is called Arabic precisely because it signifies these specific meanings according to Arab usage and convention, indicating that the signification of these words is confined to those specific meanings, and anything else is void.

Some scholars (like Qum) suggest the Qur'an contains words borrowed from other languages, citing examples like Istabraq (silk) and Sijjīl (baked clay) from Persian, Mishkāh (niche) from Abyssinian, and Qisṭās (scale) from Roman.

The refutation comes from the verses "a Qur'an in Arabic" and "We did not send any messenger except in the language of his people" (Ibrahim 14:4).

The Mu'tazila claim that terms like Imān (faith), Kufr (disbelief), Ṣalāh (prayer), Zakāh (alms), Ṣawm (fasting), and Ḥajj (pilgrimage) are religious terms, not purely linguistic ones. They argue that the Lawgiver transferred these words from their original linguistic meanings to new ones.

We hold this to be false. The Lawgiver only specializes these names for a specific type within their general linguistic meaning. For example, Imān linguistically means affirmation; the Law restricts it to a specific type of affirmation (belief in the heart). Ṣalāh means supplication; the Law restricts it to a specific type of supplication (the ritual prayer).

Our proof for this is the verse "an Arabic Qur'an" and "We did not send any messenger except in the language of his people," which confirms that the language used is the established language of the people.

The description of the Qur'an as "Arabic" is a context of praise and glorification. This praise is only fully realized if it is established that the Arabic language is superior to other languages.

This is established by examining the components of speech: words are composed of letters (the material) and form (the arrangement). Excellence can relate to the material or the form.

Excellence based on Material (Letters):

1. Letters are either clear in articulation/separation or obscure. All Arabic letters have clear articulations and distinct separations, with no ambiguity between them. Other languages sometimes contain letters where one resembles another, which detracts from perfect eloquence (faṣāḥah).
2. Vowels in Arabic are clear: Naṣb (accusative), Rafʿ (nominative), and Jarr (genitive). These three are clearly distinct. Sounds like Ishmām and Rūm are rarer in Arabic, and their absence contributes to eloquence.

Excellence based on Form (Arrangement of Letters):

1. Letters are classified as having proximate or distant points of articulation, and as hard (ṣulbah) or soft (rakhwah). When two hard letters with proximate articulation points occur consecutively in a word, pronunciation becomes difficult, akin to walking after being restrained. This strenuous effort on one point of articulation causes weakness and fatigue. Such combinations are rare in Arabic.
2. Some letters inherently sound sweeter and more pleasant to the ear. A word containing such a letter sounds better.
3. Weight/Structure (Wazn): Words are binary, ternary, or quaternary. The ternary structure is the most balanced because sound is generated by movement, which requires a beginning, middle, and end—three stages. A binary word is deficient, and a quaternary word is excessive. The ternary structure is prevalent in Arabic speech.

Inductive reasoning shows that the Arabic language possesses these qualities of eloquence, while other languages do not. (And Allah knows best.)

The phrase "for a people who know" means it was made Arabic so they could know the intended meaning. Those who hold that Allah's actions are motivated by wisdom and benefit use this verse to argue that making it Arabic was for this specific purpose, thus supporting the permissibility of attributing purpose to Allah's actions.

Some groups claim that the entire Qur'an is not fully knowable; some parts are known, and some are not. The theologians argue that nothing unknowable can exist within it. The proof is the verse: "A Book whose verses have been detailed, a Qur'an," implying it was made Arabic so that it becomes knowable. Claiming it is unknowable undermines this purpose.

The statement "But most of them turn away, so they do not listen" indicates that guidance comes from Allah, and misguidance comes from Allah.

The nine preceding attributes of the Qur'an necessitate intense focus on understanding it:

• Being revealed by the Merciful God implies it contains the greatest benefits and highest objectives.
• Being a detailed, Arabic Qur'an implies utmost clarity and explanation.
• Being a Bearer of Good Tidings and a Warner implies that understanding its contents is of paramount importance, as human endeavor centers on knowing what leads to reward or punishment.

Despite these powerful incentives to understand the Qur'an, they turned away from it. This proves that none is guided except by Allah's guidance, and none is misguided except by Allah's leaving him astray.

After describing their turning away, Allah mentions three specific things they declared to express their aversion:

1. "Our hearts are under coverings (fī akunnah) regarding what you call us to." Akunnah is the plural of kinān, meaning coverings, like the sheath for arrows.
2. "And in our ears is deafness (waqr)." Meaning they are heavy and dull toward hearing your speech.
3. "And between us and you is a barrier (ḥijāb)." A barrier that prevents sight.

The benefit of using the preposition min in "And between us and you is a barrier" (instead of just "Between us and you is a barrier") is that the latter implies a barrier existing somewhere between the two parties. Adding min suggests the barrier originates from both sides and encompasses the entire distance between them, leaving no gap free of the barrier. This indicates the strength of the barrier (as noted by the author of Al-Kashshāf, which is an excellent observation).

The selection of these three organs (heart, ears, eyes) is significant because the heart is the seat of knowledge and the ruler of the body, while hearing and sight are the two instruments for acquiring knowledge. By stating these three are veiled, the ultimate level of obstruction is described.

When aversion to something is confirmed, it settles in the heart. Consequently, when one hears speech related to it, they do not grasp its meaning properly, and when they see it, that sight does not lead to understanding its subtle states. Intense aversion of the soul prevents contemplation and grasping subtleties. Thus, their statement is a complete metaphor conveying the intended meaning.

Addressing a potential contradiction: Allah condemns them for this in this verse, yet in Al-An'am (6:25), He mentions something similar in condemnation: "And We place over their hearts coverings, lest they understand, and in their ears deafness."

The Reconciliation: Here, Allah does not state that they were lying about their condition. Rather, He condemns them for using this alleged condition as an excuse, claiming that if they were thus veiled, they should not be held accountable (for commands and prohibitions). This latter claim is false, while the former (their actual state of aversion) is not necessarily denied by the text.

When they described themselves with these three conditions, they concluded with: "So act, indeed we are acting." This means: "Continue practicing your religion; we will continue practicing ours," or "Act to invalidate our command; we will act to invalidate yours."

The truth is that they did not lie about their claim of being veiled (akinnah, waqr, ḥijāb); rather, their disbelief and false speech lay in their statement: "So act, indeed we are acting."

When Allah recounted this objection, He commanded the Prophet (peace be upon him) to answer it with: "Say: I am only a human being like you, to whom it is revealed..."

The explanation of this response is: "I cannot compel you to believe by force, for I am only a human being like you. My only distinction is that Allah has revealed to me. I convey this message to you. If Allah honors you with monotheism and success, you will accept it; if He abandons you in deprivation, you will reject it. This outcome is not dependent on my prophethood or message."

The essence of that revelation boils down to two things: knowledge and action.

Knowledge: The chief element is the knowledge of Tawḥīd (Monotheism), as the truth is that Allah is One, which is meant by "Your God is only One God." Since this is the reality, we must confess it, which is meant by "So be steadfast toward Him." This is analogous to "Guide us to the straight path" (Al-Fātiḥah 1:6), "Indeed, those who say, 'Our Lord is Allah,' then remain steadfast" (Fussilat 41:30), and "And that this is My path, straight, so follow it" (Al-An'am 6:153).

Regarding "So be steadfast toward Him," there are two interpretations:

1. Be steadfast, directing yourselves toward Him.
2. It means "Be steadfast for Him," as prepositions can sometimes substitute for one another.

Obligation has two pillars:

1. Belief (I'tiqād): The chief element is the belief in Tawḥīd.
2. Action (ʿAmal): The chief element is seeking forgiveness (Istighfār). This is why He said, "and seek His forgiveness."

Objection: Seeking forgiveness and repentance (removing what is improper) should precede performing what is proper. Why is the order reversed here?

Reply: The Istighfār mentioned here is not repentance for disbelief. Rather, it means one should perform the action and then seek forgiveness afterward, fearing deficiency in the action performed, just as the Prophet (PBUH) said, "Indeed, a veil comes over my heart, and I seek forgiveness from Allah seventy times a day and night."

After encouraging good and obedience, Allah warns against what is improper: "Woe to the polytheists, who do not give zakāh and who, in the Hereafter, are disbelievers." (41:6-7)

There are several ways to understand the connection:

First View: Intellect and divine law indicate that the essence of happiness is tied to two things: Glorifying Allah's Command and Showing Compassion to Allah's Creation.

• With the Creator: Perfect happiness in dealing with Him is acknowledging that He is described with attributes of Majesty and Greatness, and performing actions that reflect this belief (Glorifying Allah's Command). The highest form of this is affirming His Oneness (Tawḥīd).
• With Creation: Perfect happiness in dealing with them is striving to remove harm from them and bring good to them (Showing Compassion).

Since Tawḥīd is the highest form of obedience, its opposite, Shirk (polytheism), is the lowest state. Since showing compassion is the best dealing with creation, withholding Zakāh (which is against compassion) is one of the worst deeds.

Allah pronounces woe upon those characterized by three traits:

1. Being a polytheist (opposite of Tawḥīd): "Woe to the polytheists."
2. Refusing to give Zakāh (opposite of compassion): "who do not give zakāh."
3. Denying the Hereafter and being engrossed in worldly pleasures: "and who, in the Hereafter, are disbelievers."

This structure is perfect because a person has three temporal dimensions: yesterday (the past), today (the present), and tomorrow (the future).

• Knowing the state of yesterday (the Eternal Past) is achieved through knowing Allah, the Eternal Creator.
• Knowing how the present day should proceed is achieved through doing good to the world's inhabitants as much as possible.
• Knowing the state of tomorrow is achieved by affirming the Resurrection and the Hereafter.

Whoever opposes the truth in these three dimensions is at the peak of ignorance and misguidance, hence Allah decrees woe upon them.

Second View: The meaning of "who do not give zakāh" could be interpreted as "who do not purify themselves from the filth of polytheism by saying Lā ilāha illā Allāh," derived from the verse "And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it" (Ash-Shams 91:7).

Third View (Al-Farrā'): The Quraysh used to feed the pilgrims, but they forbade this practice for those who believed in Muhammad (PBUH).

Our scholars use this verse to prove that disbelievers are addressed regarding the secondary obligations (furūʿ) of Islam. They argue that severe woe is attached based on two factors: being a polytheist AND not giving Zakāh. Therefore, each factor must have an independent effect in incurring that woe. This proves that the failure of a polytheist to give Zakāh significantly increases the severity of the threat, which is the desired conclusion.

Some argue that refusing Zakāh leads to disbelief (Kufr). They reason that the verse mentions what causes disbelief before it ("Woe to the polytheists") and after it ("and who, in the Hereafter, are disbelievers"). If withholding Zakāh were not disbelief, mentioning it between two conditions causing disbelief would be rhetorically awkward, as eloquence requires harmony between parts. They also cite that Abu Bakr As-Ṣiddīq ruled those who withheld Zakāh as apostates.

The Reply: Since it has been proven that faith consists of affirmation in the heart and confession by the tongue, and these two are present when Zakāh is withheld (if the person is not a polytheist), then disbelief is not necessarily incurred solely by withholding Zakāh. (And Allah knows best.)

After mentioning the threat to the disbelievers, Allah follows it with the promise to the believers: "Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds—for them is a reward unending."

• Ghayru Mamnūn (Unending/Uninterrupted): Derived from manna al-ḥabl (to cut the rope). It means the reward is not cut off.
• Alternative Meaning: Allah will not impose obligation or favor upon them for it, as it is already termed a Ajr (reward), which implies no obligation of favor.
• Another View: It was revealed concerning the sick and infirm. If they are unable to perform acts of obedience, their reward is written for them as if they performed the best of their previous deeds.

"Say, 'Do you truly disbelieve in He who created the earth in two days and attribute to Him equals? That is the Lord of the worlds. And He placed upon it firmly set mountains above it and blessed it and determined therein its [various] livelihoods in four days—equal for [all] questioners. Then He directed Himself to the heaven, while it was smoke, and said to it and to the earth, 'Come [into being] willingly or by compulsion.' They said, 'We come willingly.' Then He completed them as seven heavens in two days and inspired in each heaven its command. And We adorned the nearest heaven with lamps [stars] and [made it] a guard. That is the decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing.'"

(The text transitions here to the creation narrative, which is detailed in the subsequent verses.)