Tafsir of Fussilat 41:13-18

Tafsir of Surah Fussilat (Verses 13-18)

Fussilat: (13-18) But if they turn away, say: I have warned you...

Know that the discourse began with the statement: {Your God is only One God} (Fussilat: 6), and the proof offered was: {Say: Do you indeed disbelieve in Him Who created the earth in two days?} (Fussilat: 9). The essence is: how can one disbelieve in the God possessing such overwhelming power, and how can these base physical objects be associated with Him in divinity?

When this argument was fully established, He said: {But if they turn away, say: I have warned you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt of 'Ad and Thamud}.

The explanation is that the function of the argument has been completed in the most perfect manner. If they persist in their ignorance, there remains no remedy for them except the descent of punishment upon them. For this reason, He said: {But if they turn away, say: I have warned you}, meaning, if they turn away from accepting this powerful argument we have mentioned (PageV27P095) and insist on ignorance and blind imitation, {say: I have warned you}. Warning (al-indhār) is instilling fear. Al-Mubarrid stated that the thunderbolt (al-ṣā‘iqah) is the destructive storm, whatever its cause. It is also recited as ṣā‘iqah (singular instance of thunderbolt) like the thunderbolt of 'Ad and Thamud. The author of Al-Kashshāf says this refers to a single instance of striking (al-ṣa‘q).

Then He said: {when the Messengers came to them from before them and from behind them}. There are two interpretations for this:

1. The meaning is: The Messengers sent to them came to them from every direction, exerted themselves fully, and employed every means of persuasion, yet they met only with arrogance and turning away. This is similar to what Allah recounts about Satan's saying: {Then I will surely come upon them from before them and from behind them} (Al-A'rāf: 17), meaning, I will approach them from every side and employ every stratagem against them. A man might say: "I tried every angle with so-and-so, but my stratagems had no effect on him."

2. The meaning is: The Messengers came to them from before them (in time) and from behind them (in time). If it is asked: How can the Messengers who came before them and after them be described as having come to them? We reply: Hūd and Ṣāliḥ came to them, inviting them to believe in them and all the Messengers. Under this interpretation, it is as if all the Messengers had come to them.

Then He said: {that you worship none but Allāh}. This means that the Messengers who came to them from before and behind commanded them to uphold Tawhīd (monotheism) and negate Shirk (polytheism). The author of Al-Kashshāf explains the negation in {that you worship none but Allāh} as meaning "that you should not worship," or it is the lightened form of the heavy an (that), originally being bi-an lā ta‘budū (that you should not worship), implying: "The matter is that you should worship none but Allāh."

Then Allah recounts what those disbelievers said: {If your Lord had willed, He would have sent down angels}. This means they rejected the Messengers and said: The proof that they are liars is that if the Lord intended to send guidance to mankind, He would have made His Messengers from the company of angels, because sending angels to creation would achieve the purpose of the mission more effectively. After presenting this doubt, they said: {So indeed, we are disbelievers in what you have been sent with}. This means: Since you are human beings and not angels, you are not Messengers, and if you are not Messengers, we are not obliged to accept your word. This is what is meant by {So indeed, we are disbelievers in what you have been sent with}.

Know that we have elaborated on the response to these doubts in Surah Al-An'ām. The phrase {you have been sent with} is not an admission on their part that those prophets were Messengers; rather, it is a narration of the Messengers' speech or done mockingly, as Pharaoh said: {Indeed, your Messenger who has been sent to you is mad} (Ash-Shu'arā': 27).

It is narrated that Abū Jahl said in a gathering of Quraysh: "The matter of Muhammad has become confusing to us. If you could find someone knowledgeable in poetry, magic, and soothsaying to speak with him, then report back to us about his status." 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah said: "By Allāh, I have heard poetry, magic, and soothsaying, and I possess knowledge of them; nothing about them is hidden from me." So he went to the Prophet (PBUH), saying: "O Muhammad, are you better than Hāshim? Are you better than 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib? Are you better than 'Abd Allāh? Why do you insult our gods and lead us astray? If you seek leadership, we will crown you, and you will be our chief. If you desire women, we will marry you to ten women of your choice from the daughters of Quraysh. If wealth is your goal, we will gather for you what suffices you." The Messenger of Allāh (PBUH) remained silent. When 'Utbah became anxious, he said: "In the Name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Ḥā, Mīm. A revelation from the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful..." until he reached the verse: {a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt of 'Ad and Thamud}. 'Utbah immediately covered his mouth and implored him by the ties of kinship. He returned to his people and did not meet with Quraysh. When he was delayed, they said: "We see that 'Utbah has apostatized." They went to him and said: "O 'Utbah, what detained you except that you have apostatized?" He became angry and swore he would never speak to Muhammad again, then said: "By Allāh, I spoke with him, and he responded to me with something that was neither poetry, nor magic, nor soothsaying. When he reached the part about {a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt of 'Ad and Thamud}, I covered my mouth and implored him by kinship. I know that Muhammad never lies when he speaks, so I feared that the punishment might descend upon you." (PageV27P096)

Know that when Allah mentioned the disbelief of the people of 'Ad in general terms, He then mentioned a specific characteristic of that group: {As for 'Ad, they were arrogant in the land without right}. This arrogance has two aspects:

1. Displaying haughtiness and pride, and paying no heed to others.
2. Dominating others and using them as servants.

Then the cause of this arrogance was mentioned: {and they said, "Who is greater than us in strength?"}. They were distinguished by large bodies and great physical power.

Then Allah mentioned what indicates that they should not be deluded by their strength: {Did they not see that Allāh Who created them is greater than them in strength?} Meaning, even if they were stronger than others, Allāh, Who created them, is stronger than them. If an increase in strength necessitates that the lesser be obedient to the greater, then this relationship requires them to be submissive to Allāh's commands and prohibitions.

Our scholars have used this verse to affirm Allāh's Power (al-Qudrah). They say: Strength belongs to Allāh, and this is confirmed by His statement: {Allāh Who created them is greater than them in strength}, which indicates the affirmation of strength for Allāh. This is further confirmed by: {Indeed, Allāh is the Provider, the Possessor of Strength, the Firm} (Adh-Dhāriyāt: 58). If it is argued: The comparative form (af'al al-tafḍīl) only applies between two things that share a relationship, but the servant's power is finite, while Allāh's power is infinite. The finite has no ratio to the infinite. So what is the meaning of "Allāh is greater than them in strength"? We reply: This is stated according to the convention of saying "Allāhu Akbar" (Allāh is Greater).

Then He said: {and they used to deny Our signs}. This means they knew the signs were true but denied them, just as someone denies a trust fund entrusted to him.

Know that the structure of the discourse is: "As for 'Ad, they were arrogant in the land without right, and they used to deny Our signs." And {and they said, "Who is greater than us in strength?"} is an interjection placed in between to establish the reason that drove them to arrogance.

Know that we mentioned that the essence of praiseworthy characteristics is kindness to creation and reverence for the Creator. Thus, {they were arrogant in the land without right} contradicts kindness to creation, and {and they used to deny Our signs} contradicts reverence for the Creator (PageV27P097). Since this is the case, they reached the utmost limit in blameworthy characteristics that necessitate ruin and annihilation. For this reason, Allah inflicted punishment upon them: {So We sent against them a piercing wind}. Regarding ṣarṣar (piercing/howling), there are two opinions:

1. It is the violent storm whose blowing produces a sound like a howl (taṣrṣur). The reason for this naming is debated: it is said that when winds intensify, a sound resembling the sound of a cricket (ṣarṣar) is heard, so the wind is named after it. Or it comes from the creaking of a door (ṣarīr). Or from a cry or shriek (ṣurrah), as in His saying: {Then his wife came forward in a shriek} (Adh-Dhāriyāt: 29).
2. It is the extremely cold wind that burns with its coldness, just as fire burns with its heat. Its root is ṣar, meaning intense cold, as in: {like a wind in which there is coldness} (Āl 'Imrān: 117). It is narrated from the Messenger of Allāh (PBUH) that he said: "The winds are eight: four are punishment—the violent storm (al-‘āṣif), the piercing wind (al-ṣarṣar), the sterile wind (al-‘aqīm), and the scorching wind (al-sumūm). And four are mercy—the scattering winds (al-nāshirāt), the bearers of good tidings (al-mubashshirāt), the sent winds (al-mursalāt), and the dispersing winds (al-dhāriyāt)." Ibn 'Abbās narrated that Allāh never sent upon His servants a wind greater than the size of a signet ring, meaning that despite its smallness, it destroyed everyone, which indicates the perfection of His Power.

Regarding {on days of ill omen} (fī ayyāmin naḥsāt), there are two issues:

Issue 1: Nāfi', Ibn Kathīr, and Abū 'Amr recited it with a quiescent ḥā (nuḥsāt). The rest recited it with a kasra (nuḥusāt). The author of Al-Kashshāf says: Naḥasa naḥsan is the opposite of sa‘ada sa‘dan, so it is naḥis. As for nuḥus, it is either a shortened form of naḥis, or an adjective following the pattern of fa‘l, or a noun used as an adjective.

Issue 2: The practitioners of judicial astrology (al-aḥkāmiyyūn) used this verse as evidence that some days are inauspicious (naḥs) and some are auspicious (sa‘d). They claim this verse explicitly supports this meaning. The theologians responded by saying: {days of ill omen} means days full of dust and rising earth, where one can barely see or act. Furthermore, they said the meaning of these days being inauspicious is that Allāh destroyed them on those days. The first arguer responded that naḥsāt in linguistic usage means unfortunate days, because sa‘d is opposed by sa‘d (happiness), and gloom (kadar) is opposed by clarity (ṣāfī). He answered the second point by saying that Allāh informed us that the punishment occurred on those inauspicious days, so the state of those days being inauspicious must be distinct from the punishment that occurred therein. (PageV27P097)

Then He said: {the punishment of disgrace in the worldly life}. This means the punishment of humiliation and degradation. The reason was their arrogance, so Allāh countered that arrogance by inflicting disgrace, humiliation, and degradation upon them.

Then He said: {But the punishment of the Hereafter is greater in disgrace}, meaning more severe in humiliation and disgrace, {and they will not be helped}, meaning they will fall into severe disgrace, and yet they will have no helper to repel that disgrace from them.

When Allah mentioned the story of 'Ad, He followed it with the story of Thamud: {And as for Thamud, We guided them}. The author of Al-Kashshāf mentions that Thamūd is read with nominative (Thamūdu) or accusative (Thamūda), with or without tanwīn. The nominative reading is more eloquent because it follows a particle of initiation (wa). It is also read with a ḍammah on the Thā' (Thumūd). {We guided them} means We showed them the path of good and evil. {But they preferred blindness over guidance}, meaning they chose to enter into misguidance over entering into righteousness.

Know that the author of Al-Kashshāf, in explaining guidance in the verse {a guidance for the righteous} (Al-Baqarah: 2), stated that guidance (al-hudā) is an expression for direction that leads to the desired goal (al-baghiyah). This verse refutes his statement, because it indicates that guidance was achieved (We guided them), even though reaching the desired goal did not occur (they chose blindness). Thus, the condition of being leading to the desired goal is not considered essential to the name guidance.

A question arises from this verse, which implies this, but he did not provide a satisfactory answer, so we omit it. The Mu'tazilites argue that this verse indicates that Allāh may establish proofs and remove excuses, but faith (īmān) only comes from the servant, because {And as for Thamud, We guided them} indicates that Allāh established the proofs for them, and {But they preferred blindness over guidance} indicates that they brought about that blindness by themselves. This suggests that disbelief and faith originate from the servant. I say, rather, this verse is one of the strongest proofs that they originate only from Allāh, not from the servant, and this is shown in two ways:

1. Their action of choosing blindness only occurred because they loved to attain it. If this preference occurred in their hearts—the love for it over its opposite—without a deciding factor (murajjih), it is invalid. If the deciding factor was the servant, the request returns (to the servant). If the deciding factor was Allāh, then the desired outcome is achieved.
2. Allāh said: {But they preferred blindness over guidance}. It is known by necessity that no one loves blindness and ignorance while knowing it to be blindness and ignorance. Rather, one does not desire something unless one thinks that this blindness and ignorance is insight and knowledge. Therefore, their decision to choose that ignorance must be preceded by another ignorance. If that second ignorance was also by their choice, it necessitates an infinite regress (tasalsul), which is impossible. Therefore, those ignorances must terminate in an ignorance that occurs to them without their choice, which is what is sought.

When Allah described their disbelief, He said: {So the thunderbolt of humiliation seized them}. {The thunderbolt of punishment} (ṣā‘iqat al-‘adhāb) means the calamity of punishment, and {al-huwn} means humiliation. It is used as an intensive adjective for the punishment, or it is a substitute for it: {for what they used to earn}, meaning their polytheism, their rejection of Ṣāliḥ, and their hamstringing of the she-camel. The author of Al-Kashshāf embarks here upon a great folly. It is better not to pay attention to him; although he strove well concerning vocabulary, the poor man was far removed from the meanings. (PageV27P098)

When Allah mentioned the warning, He followed it with the promise: {And We saved those who believed and used to fear Allāh}. This means they feared the actions that the people of 'Ad and Thamud used to commit. If it is asked: How can the Messenger (PBUH) warn his people of a thunderbolt like that of 'Ad and Thamud, knowing that such a thing will not occur to the Ummah of Muhammad (PBUH)? Allah explicitly stated: {But Allāh would not punish them while you were among them} (Al-Anfāl: 33), and authentic Hadiths state that Allāh removed these types of calamities from this Ummah. We reply: Since they knew they shared with 'Ad and Thamud the deservingness of such a thunderbolt, they could conceive of the occurrence of something of that nature, even if it were of a lesser degree. This degree is sufficient for warning.

{And [mention] the Day when the enemies of Allāh will be gathered to the Fire, and they will be arrayed in ranks, until when they reach it, their hearing and their eyes and their skins will testify against them concerning what they used to do. And they will say to their skins, "Why did you testify against us?" They will say, "Allāh, Who made everything speak, has made us speak." And He it is Who created you the first time, and to Him you will be returned. And you were not concealing yourselves lest your hearing and your eyes and your skins testify against you, but you assumed that Allāh does not know much of what you do. And that assumption of yours, which you assumed about your Lord, has ruined you, and you became among the losers. So if they are patient, the Fire will be their dwelling; and if they seek to please [Allāh] (by asking to leave), they will not be among those granted leave.}