In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.
Abridged by Dr. 'Aqil ibn Salim al-Shammari.
Surah al-Mulk.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“Blessed is He in Whose hand is the Sovereignty, and, He is Able to do all things.” (67:1)
Exalted and transcendent is He in whose hand is the dominion of this world and the Hereafter, and the sovereignty over both.
His command and decree are effective within them.
He is the One who, regarding whatever He wills to do, possesses the power such that no obstacle can prevent Him from doing it.
Nor does any incapacity stand between Him and His will.
“Who hath created life and death that He may try you which of you is best in conduct; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving,” (67:2)
He is the Almighty, the Forgiving.
“Who hath created life and death that He may try you which of you is best in conduct; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving,” (67:2)
He causes death to whom He wills and what He wills.
And He gives life to whom He desires and what He desires until an appointed time.
To test you, O people, and see which of you is most obedient to Him.
And which of you is swiftest in seeking His pleasure.
He is the Powerful, whose retribution is severe against those who disobey Him and oppose His command.
He is the Forgiving of the sins of those who turn to Him in repentance for their transgressions.
“Who hath created seven heavens in harmony. Thou (Muhammad) canst see no fault in the Beneficent One's creation; then look again: Canst thou see any rifts?” (67:3)
“Who hath created seven heavens in harmony. Thou (Muhammad) canst see no fault in the Beneficent One's creation; then look again: Canst thou see any rifts?” (67:3)
“Who hath created seven heavens in harmony. Thou (Muhammad) canst see no fault in the Beneficent One's creation; then look again: Canst thou see any rifts?” (67:3)
“Then look again and yet again, thy sight will return unto thee weakened and made dim.” (67:4)
Your sight will return to you.
Your sight will return humbled and exhausted.
He who created seven heavens, one layer above another.
Some of them stacked above others.
You do not see in the creation of the Most Gracious, who created all things.
Neither in the sky, nor in the earth, nor in anything else, any discrepancy.
So return your gaze; do you see any cracks?
Then return your gaze, O son of Adam, time after time.
Look, do you see any flaw or inconsistency?
Your sight will return to you humbled, cast down, and weary.
And We have adorned the lowest heaven with lamps.
And We have made them as missiles to drive away the devils.
“And verily We have beautified the world's heaven with lamps, and We have made them missiles for the devils, and for them We have prepared the doom of flame.” (67:5)
And We have adorned the lowest heaven with luminous stars.
And We have made the lamps with which We adorned the lowest heaven.
As missiles for the devils, to pelt them with.
And We have prepared for the devils in the Hereafter the punishment of the Blaze.
“And for those who disbelieve in their Lord there is the doom of hell, a hapless journey's end!” (67:6)
“When they are flung therein they hear its roaring as it boileth up,” (67:7)
And for those who disbelieved in their Lord who created them in this world, there is the punishment of Hell in the Hereafter.
And wretched is the destination, the punishment of Hell, when the disbelievers are cast into it.
They will hear from it a roaring, which is the sound that emerges from the depths with intensity as it boils.
“As it would burst with rage. Whenever a (fresh) host is flung therein the wardens thereof ask them: Came there unto you no warner?” (67:8)
“As it would burst with rage. Whenever a (fresh) host is flung therein the wardens thereof ask them: Came there unto you no warner?” (67:8)
“They say: Yea, verily, a warner came unto us; but we denied and said: Allah hath naught revealed; ye are in naught but a great error.” (67:9)
Hell almost bursts and tears apart from rage against its inhabitants.
Every time a group is cast into Hell, its keepers will ask them, "Did no warner come to you in the world to warn you of this punishment you are now in?"
The wretched ones will answer them, saying, "Yes, a warner did come to us, warning us of this, but we denied him and said, 'Allah has not sent down anything; you are only in great error.'"
And they will say, "If we had only listened or reasoned, we would not be among the companions of the Blaze," so they will acknowledge their sin; thus, away with the companions of the Blaze.
The group cast into the Fire will say to the keepers, "If we had only listened or reasoned in the world to the advice the warners brought us."
"Or understood from them what they were calling us to, we would not be among the people of the Fire today," so they will confess their sin; thus, far removed are the people of the Fire.
Indeed, those who fear their Lord unseen, for them is forgiveness and a great reward.
Indeed, those who fear their Lord unseen, even though they have not seen Him, for them is pardon from Allah for their sins, and a generous reward from Allah for their fearing Him in the unseen.
And conceal your speech or publicize it; indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts. Does He not know who created, while He is the Subtle, the Acquainted?
Conceal your speech and words, O people, or announce and reveal them; He has knowledge of the secrets of the hearts that have not been spoken.
How then could He not know what has been uttered and spoken, whether concealed or revealed? Does the Lord, may His name be exalted, not know His own creation?
How could His creation, which He brought into being, be hidden from Him, while He is the Subtle with His servants, the Acquainted with them and their deeds?
“He it is Who hath made the earth subservient unto you, so Walk in the paths thereof and eat of His providence. And unto Him will be the resurrection (of the dead).” (67:15)
It is Allah who made the earth subservient for you, easy; He smoothed it for you, so walk in its paths—that is, in its regions and sides.
And eat of the provision of Allah which He has brought forth for you from the regions of the earth, and to Allah is your resurrection from your graves.
“Have ye taken security from Him Who is in the heaven that He will not cause the earth to swallow you when lo! it is convulsed?” (67:16)
“Or have ye taken security from Him Who is in the heaven that He will not let loose on you a hurricane? But ye shall know the manner of My warning.” (67:17)
Then you will know how My warning is.
Do you feel secure, O disbelievers, that He who is in the heaven will not cause the earth to swallow you, so that the earth shakes and trembles with you?
Or do you feel secure that He who is in the heaven—and He is Allah—will not send against you a storm of stones?
Then you will know, O disbelievers, how the consequence of My warning to you is, since you denied it and rejected it against My Messenger.
“And verily those before them denied, then (see) the manner of My wrath (with them)!” (67:18)
And those before these polytheists of Quraysh, from the bygone nations, denied their messengers.
So how was My rejection of their denial of them?
“Have they not seen the birds above them spreading out their wings and closing them? Naught upholdeth them save the Beneficent. Lo! He is Seer of all things.” (67:19)
“Have they not seen the birds above them spreading out their wings and closing them? Naught upholdeth them save the Beneficent. Lo! He is Seer of all things.” (67:19)
Do these polytheists not look at the birds above them, spreading their wings and folding them at times?
None holds the birds spreading their wings above you except the Most Gracious.
In that, there is a lesson for them, if they would take heed.
They would know by it that their Lord is One, with no partner.
Indeed, Allah is, of all things, Seeing and Acquainted.
No flaw enters His management, nor is any inconsistency seen in His creation.
“Or who is he that will be an army unto you to help you instead of the Beneficent? The disbelievers are in naught but illusion.” (67:20)
Who is this who is an army for you, O disbelievers in Him, to help you against the Most Gracious if He intends evil for you?
To ward off from you what He intends for you of that?
The disbelievers in Allah are only in delusion, from their belief that their gods will bring them closer to Allah in status.
And that they can benefit or harm.
“Or who is he that will provide for you if He should withhold His providence? Nay, but they are set in pride and frowardness.” (67:21)
“Or who is he that will provide for you if He should withhold His providence? Nay, but they are set in pride and frowardness.” (67:21)
Or who is this who provides for you, gives you drink, and brings your sustenance if He withholds from you the provision He grants you?
Rather, they have persisted in arrogance and aversion to the truth and pride.
“Is he who goeth groping on his face more rightly guided, or he who walketh upright on a straight road?” (67:22)
Is one who walks upright on a straight path?
Is one who walks, O people, falling upon his face, not seeing what is before him or what is to his right and left?
Is he more rightly guided on the path, or one who walks upright, the walk of the children of Adam on two feet, on a path that has no crookedness?
“Say (unto them, O Muhammad): He it is who gave you being, and hath assigned unto you ears and eyes and hearts. Small thanks give ye!” (67:23)
“Say: He it is Who multiplieth you in the earth, and unto Whom ye will be gathered.” (67:24)
Say, O Muhammad, to those who deny the Resurrection among the polytheists:
It is Allah who brought you into being and created you, and made for you hearing with which you hear, and sight with which you see, and hearts with which you reason.
Little do you thank your Lord for these blessings He has bestowed upon you.
Say, O Muhammad, it is Allah who created you on the earth, and to Allah you will be gathered—assembled from your graves for the station of reckoning.
And they say, "When is this promise, if you should be truthful?"
“Say: The knowledge is with Allah only, and I am but a plain warner;” (67:26)
The polytheists say, "When will what you promise us of gathering to Allah occur?"
"If you are truthful in your promise to us of what you promise us."
Say, O Muhammad, to those who hasten you regarding the punishment and the coming of the Hour:
The knowledge of the Hour and when the Resurrection will occur is with Allah; none knows that except Him.
And I am only a clear warner to you, warning you of the punishment of Allah for your disbelief in Him; He has made His warning clear to you.
“But when they see it nigh, the faces of those who disbelieve will be awry, and it will be said (unto them): This is that for which ye used to call.” (67:27)
But when these polytheists see the punishment of Allah approaching and witness it:
The faces of the disbelievers will be distressed by it.
And it will be said to them, "This is that which you used to ask your Lord to hasten for you."
“Say (O Muhammad): Have ye thought: Whether Allah causeth me (Muhammad) and those with me to perish or hath mercy on us, still, who will protect the disbelievers from a painful doom?” (67:28)
Say, O Muhammad, to the polytheists of your people, "Have you considered, O people, if Allah destroys me and causes me and those with me to die?"
"Or has mercy upon us and delays our appointed times, then who can protect the disbelievers in Allah from a painful, agonizing punishment?"
Neither our death nor our life will save the disbelievers from the punishment of Allah.
So there is no need for you to hasten the coming of the Hour and the descent of the punishment.
For that will not benefit you; rather, it is a great trial for you.
“Say: He is the Beneficent. In Him we believe and in Him we put our trust. And ye will soon know who it is that is in error manifest.” (67:29)
Say, O Muhammad, "Our Lord is the Most Gracious; we have believed in Him and upon Him we have relied in our affairs, and in Him we have trusted regarding them."
Then you will know, O polytheists in Allah, who is in clear error.
And who is upon a path other than a straight one, when we and you are gathered to Him.
“Say: Have ye thought: If (all) your water were to disappear into the earth, who then could bring you gushing water?” (67:30)
Say, O Muhammad, to these polytheists, "Have you considered, O people who equate others with Allah:"
"If your water were to become sunken, so that no bucket could reach it, then who could bring you flowing water that your eyes could see?"