In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Abridgment of the Tafsir of al-Tabari,
Abridged by Dr. 'Aqil ibn Salim al-Shammari.
Surah al-Mu'minun.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“Though We had mercy on them and relieved them of the harm afflicting them, they still would wander blindly on in their contumacy.” (23:75)
"Even if We showed mercy to these people who do not believe in the Hereafter,
and relieved them of the drought, barrenness, and affliction of hunger they suffer,
they would persist blindly in their transgression and defiance against their Lord, wandering aimlessly."
“Already have We grasped them with punishment, but they humble not themselves unto their Lord, nor do they pray,” (23:76)
We have indeed seized these polytheists with Our punishment,
restricted their livelihoods, made their lands barren, and slain their notables by the sword,
yet they neither submitted to their Lord by complying with His commands and prohibitions, nor humbled themselves before Him.
“Until, when We open for them the gate of extreme punishment, behold! they are aghast thereat.” (23:77)
Until, when We opened upon them the gate of famine and misery,
these polytheists were suddenly filled with sorrow and remorse over their past rejection of Allah's verses.
"And it is He who produced for you hearing, sight, and hearts; little are you grateful."
Allah is the One who created for you the hearing with which you hear, the sight with which you see,
and the hearts with which you comprehend;
how, then, could it be impossible for the One who originated all of that to restore it?
Little do you give thanks, O deniers of Allah's revelation, for His granting you hearing, sight, and hearts.
“And He it is Who hath sown you broadcast in the earth, and unto Him ye will be gathered.” (23:79)
Allah is the One who scattered you across the earth, and to Him you will be gathered after your death,
and then resurrected from your graves to the gathering place of reckoning.
“And He it is Who giveth life and causeth death, and His is the difference of night and day. Have ye then no sense?” (23:80)
Allah is the One who gives life to His creation after they were lifeless drops of fluid,
and causes them to die after having given them life.
And it is He who made the night and the day alternate.
Will you not then reason, O people,
that the One who performed these acts initially from nothing
cannot be incapable of reviving the dead after their demise?
“Nay, but they say the like of that which said the men of old;” (23:81)
"They said: 'When we die and become dust and bones, will we truly be resurrected?'"
These polytheists took no heed of the signs of Allah,
but rather repeated what their predecessors had said.
They said, "When we die and our bones turn to dust,
will we really be brought forth alive from our graves in the same form we had before death?
Surely, this is something that can never happen!
“We were already promised this, we and our forefathers. Lo! this is naught but fables of the men of old.” (23:83)
This is nothing but the legends of the ancients."
They said, "We have been promised this very promise that you make to us, O Muhammad,
and our forefathers before us were promised it by people who claimed they were messengers of Allah before you,
yet we have never seen it to be true.
This resurrection after death that you promise us
is nothing but what the ancients penned in their books of tales and reports,
which have no truth or reality to them."
“Say: Unto Whom (belongeth) the earth and whosoever is therein, if ye have knowledge?” (23:84)
“They will say: Unto Allah. Say: Will ye not then remember?” (23:85)
Say, O Muhammad, to these deniers of the Hereafter:
"To whom belongs the earth and whomever of creation is in it,
if you truly know who owns it?"
Then He informed him that they would admit it belongs to Allah in sole ownership;
so say to them: "Will you not then remember,
and know that the One who had the power to create that initially
is equally able to revive them after their death?"
“Say: Who is Lord of the seven heavens, and Lord of the Tremendous Throne?” (23:86)
“They will say: Unto Allah (all that belongeth). Say: Will ye not then keep duty (unto Him)?” (23:87)
Say to them, O Muhammad: "Who is the Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the Throne that encompasses all of that?"
They will say: "All of that belongs to Allah." Say to them:
"Will you not then fear His punishment for your disbelief in Him and your denial of His word and His Messenger's word?"
“Say: In Whose hand is the dominion over all things and He protecteth, while against Him there is no protection, if ye have knowledge?” (23:88)
“Say: In Whose hand is the dominion over all things and He protecteth, while against Him there is no protection, if ye have knowledge?” (23:88)
“Say: In Whose hand is the dominion over all things and He protecteth, while against Him there is no protection, if ye have knowledge?” (23:88)
"They will say: 'To Allah.' Say: 'Then how are you so deluded?'"
Say, O Muhammad: "In whose hand is the realm of all things,
and who protects whomever He wills from anyone intending harm against them,
while no one can protect against anyone whom He intends harm toward,
to avert His torment and punishment from him—
if you truly know the One described by these attributes?"
They will say that the dominion over all things
and the power over all things belong solely to Allah.
So say to them, O Muhammad:
"From what perspective, then, does falsehood appear to you as truth,
and corruption as sound,
such that you are turned away from affirming the truth to which Our Messenger, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), calls you?"
“Nay, but We have brought them the Truth, and lo! they are liars.” (23:90)
“Allah hath not chosen any son, nor is there any god along with Him; else would each god have assuredly championed that which he created, and some of them would assuredly have overcome others. Glorified be Allah above all that they allege.” (23:91)
“Allah hath not chosen any son, nor is there any god along with Him; else would each god have assuredly championed that which he created, and some of them would assuredly have overcome others. Glorified be Allah above all that they allege.” (23:91)
"Exalted is Allah above what they describe."
“Knower of the Invisible and the Visible! and Exalted be He over all that they ascribe as partners (unto Him)!” (23:92)
The reality is not as these polytheists claim regarding Allah,
asserting that the angels are the daughters of Allah,
and that false gods and idols are deities besides Allah.
Rather, We have brought them the certain truth, which is Islam,
and the polytheists are indeed liars in what they ascribe to Allah
and falsely attribute to Him of having children and partners.
Allah has taken no son,
nor has there ever been with Him from eternity anyone worthy of worship.
Had there been with Him from eternity or at His creation of things anyone worthy of worship,
each deity would have departed with what it created, ruling it alone,
and they would have vied for supremacy, with some overcoming others,
and the stronger among them subduing the weaker.
Exalted is Allah and far above what these polytheists attribute to Him.
He is the Knower of all things unseen by His creation;
exalted and high is Allah above the polytheism of these idolaters
and their description of Him with what they fabricate.
Say, O Muhammad: "My Lord, if You should show me the punishment You have promised these polytheists,
then do not destroy me with that by which You destroy them,
and deliver me from Your punishment and wrath;
do not place me among the polytheistic people,
but include me among the righteous allies with whom You are pleased."
“My Lord! then set me not among the wrongdoing folk.” (23:94)
“And verily We are Able to show thee that which We have promised them.” (23:95)
Indeed, O Muhammad, We are well able to show you the prompt punishment We have promised these polytheists,
so let not their denial of what We have promised you cause you grief;
We only defer it so that the appointed decree may reach its term.
“Repel evil with that which is better. We are Best Aware of that which they allege.” (23:96)
Repel evil, O Muhammad, with that which is best,
namely by overlooking and forgiving the ignorance of the polytheists,
and showing patience toward their harm;
this was His command to him before He commanded him to fight them.
By "evil," He meant the harm the polytheists inflicted upon him.
We are best aware of what they describe Allah with,
what they falsely attribute to Him of lies and fabrication,
and the evil they speak against you,
and We shall recompense them for all of that.
“And say: My Lord! I seek refuge in Thee from suggestions of the evil ones,” (23:97)
“And I seek refuge in Thee, my Lord, lest they be present with me,” (23:98)
And say, O Muhammad: "My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the suffocating assaults and whisperings of the devils,
and I seek refuge in You, my Lord, lest they be present in any of my affairs."
“Until, when death cometh unto one of them, he saith: My Lord! Send me back,” (23:99)
“That I may do right in that which I have left behind! But nay! It is but a word that he speaketh; and behind them is a barrier until the day when they are raised.” (23:100)
“That I may do right in that which I have left behind! But nay! It is but a word that he speaketh; and behind them is a barrier until the day when they are raised.” (23:100)
“That I may do right in that which I have left behind! But nay! It is but a word that he speaketh; and behind them is a barrier until the day when they are raised.” (23:100)
Until, when death comes to one of these polytheists,
he says, full of remorse over what he neglected:
"My Lord, send me back to the world, return me to it,
so that I may do righteous deeds in that which I left undone before this day,
where I was neglectful and fell short."
By no means! The matter is not as he says;
this statement—his saying, "My Lord, send me back"—
is merely a word this polytheist utters,
and behind them is a barrier preventing them from returning,
until the Day they are resurrected from their graves.
“And when the trumpet is blown there will be no kinship among them that day, nor will they ask of one another.” (23:101)
“And when the trumpet is blown there will be no kinship among them that day, nor will they ask of one another.” (23:101)
"And when the Horn is blown,
“And the trumpet is blown, and all who are in the heavens and all who are in the earth swoon away, save him whom Allah willeth. Then it is blown a second time, and behold them standing waiting!” (39:68)
there will be no kinship ties between them that Day by which they may maintain bonds,
nor will they ask after one another."
They will not visit each other to inquire about their conditions or their lineages.
"Then those whose scales are heavy—it is they who are the successful."
“And those whose scales are light are those who lose their souls, in hell abiding.” (23:103)
"The Fire will scorch their faces, and they will be therein grinning grimly."
Those whose scales of good deeds are heavy—they are the ones who will abide eternally in the Gardens of Bliss.
But those whose scales of good deeds are light—they are the ones who have deprived themselves of their share of Allah's mercy;
in the fire of Hell they will abide eternally, the flames of the Fire scorching their faces and burning them,
and their lips will be shriveled back from their teeth because of the Fire burning their faces.
It will be said to them: "Were not the verses of the Qur'an recited to you in the worldly life, and you used to deny them?"
They will say: "Our Lord, what was predetermined for us in Your prior knowledge and decreed for us in the Mother of the Book overcame us,
and we were a people who strayed from the path of guidance and the pursuit of truth."
“Our Lord! Oh, bring us forth from hence! If we return (to evil) then indeed we shall be wrong-doers.” (23:107)
"He said: 'Be humiliated therein, and do not speak to Me.'"
"Our Lord, bring us out of the Fire; then, if we return to the deeds You hate from us, we will indeed be wrongdoers."
The Lord will say, answering them: "Stay despised in the Fire, and do not speak to Me."
“Lo! there was a party of My slaves who said: Our Lord! We believe, therefor forgive us and have mercy on us for Thou art Best of all who show mercy;” (23:109)
“But ye chose them for a laughing-stock until they caused you to forget remembrance of Me, while ye laughed at them.” (23:110)
Exalted is His mention, He says: "There was indeed a group of My servants—the believers in Allah—
who used to say in the worldly life: 'Our Lord, we have believed in You and Your messengers, so forgive us and have mercy upon us,
for You are the best of those who show mercy to the afflicted, so do not punish us with Your torment.'
But you took the believers in Me in the worldly life as a mockery and a laughingstock, ridiculing them,
and your mocking of them persisted until it made you forget My remembrance, distracting you from it, while you used to laugh at them.
“Lo! I have rewarded them this day forasmuch as they were steadfast in that they, even they, are the triumphant.” (23:111)
Today, O polytheists who associate partners with Allah, I have rewarded those believers whom you took in worldly life as objects of ridicule,
because of their patience through the harm of your mockery which they endured,
in that they are the triumphant today with everlasting bliss and eternal honor."
“He will say: How long tarried ye in the earth, counting by years?” (23:112)
"They said: 'We remained a day or part of a day; ask those who keep count.'"
“He will say: Ye tarried but a little if ye only knew.” (23:114)
He will say to these wretched ones: "How many years did you remain on earth?"
They will say, answering Him: "We remained therein a day or part of a day;
ask those who keep count of the months and years, for we do not know—we have forgotten that."
Allah will say to them: "You remained on earth only a little, brief while,
if you had only known the true measure of your stay therein.
“Deemed ye then that We had created you for naught, and that ye would not be returned unto Us?” (23:115)
Did you think, O wretched ones, that We created you aimlessly and in vain,
and that you would not be returned to your Lord after your death,
so that you might be recompensed for what you used to do in the world?"
Exalted is Allah, the True King,
far above what these polytheists attribute to Him of having a partner.
There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, the Lord of the Noble Throne.
“He who crieth unto any other god along with Allah hath no proof thereof. His reckoning is only with his Lord. Lo! disbelievers will not be successful.” (23:117)
"His reckoning is only with his Lord."
“He who crieth unto any other god along with Allah hath no proof thereof. His reckoning is only with his Lord. Lo! disbelievers will not be successful.” (23:117)
“He who crieth unto any other god along with Allah hath no proof thereof. His reckoning is only with his Lord. Lo! disbelievers will not be successful.” (23:117)
And whoever invokes another deity alongside the only Deity worthy of worship,
having no proof or clear evidence for what he says and does in that regard,
his evil deed's reckoning is solely with his Lord,
and He will pay him his recompense in full when he comes before Him.
Indeed, those who disbelieve in Allah will never succeed before Him,
nor will they attain eternal life and dwelling in bliss.
And say, O Muhammad: "My Lord, conceal my sins for me through Your pardon of them,
and have mercy on me by accepting my repentance."
And say: "You, my Lord, are the best of those who show mercy to the sinner,
accepting his repentance and not punishing him."