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-Saffat.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“Then We cast him on a desert shore while he was sick;” (37:145)
“And We caused a tree of gourd to grow above him;” (37:146)
We cast him out onto the barren land.
Where he was shielded by nothing, neither trees nor anything else.
He was ill, like a newborn infant.
With raw flesh.
We caused a plant to grow over Yunus, a type of plant that does not stand on a trunk.
Every plant that does not stand on a trunk,
Such as gourds, melons, colocynths, and the like,
Is called "yaqtin" (gourd) by the Arabs.
“And We sent him to a hundred thousand (folk) or more” (37:147)
“And they believed, therefor We gave them comfort for a while.” (37:148)
We sent Yunus to a hundred thousand people,
Or even more than a hundred thousand.
It is reported from Ibn 'Abbas that he says:
Rather, they were more.
They believed in the oneness of Allah, who sent Yunus to them.
So We averted the punishment from them.
And We let them enjoy their lives until the appointed time of their death.
So ask them: "Does your Lord have daughters, while they have sons?"
"Or did We create the angels as females while they were witnesses?"
Ask, O Muhammad, the polytheists of your people from Quraysh:
"Does your Lord have daughters, while you have sons?"
It is mentioned that the polytheists of Quraysh used to say:
"The angels are the daughters of Allah," and they used to worship them.
Or did these polytheists who make such claims witness,
That the angels are the daughters of Allah?
Did I create the angels as females, and did I create them as humans?
Did they witness this creation?
And did they describe the angels as being human?
“Lo! it is of their falsehood that they say:” (37:151)
“Allah hath begotten. Allah! verily they tell a lie.” (37:152)
Behold, these polytheists, in their falsehood, say:
"Allah has begotten," and they are indeed liars in that claim.
Has He chosen daughters over sons?
What is the matter with you? How do you judge?
Will you not remember?
Has Allah chosen, O people, daughters over sons?
Evil is the judgment you make, O people.
That Allah should have daughters while you have sons.
Yet you are not pleased with daughters for yourselves.
Will you not reflect on what you are saying?
So that you may recognize its error and desist from saying it.
“Or have ye a clear warrant?” (37:156)
“Then produce your writ, if ye are truthful.” (37:157)
Do you have any proof whose validity is clear to those who hear it, regarding the truth of what you say?
Then bring your proof from a book that has come to you from Allah,
If you are truthful that you have any evidence for that.
They have established a lineage between Him and the jinn.
But the jinn know well that they will be brought forth [for judgment].
Exalted is Allah above what they describe.
Except for the chosen servants of Allah.
These polytheists established a lineage between Allah and the jinn.
Some of them said:
"Allah and Iblis are brothers."
It is also said that they meant they claimed the angels were the daughters of Allah.
And they said the jinn are the angels.
The jinn know well that they will be brought forth to the punishment of the Fire.
This is a declaration of Allah’s transcendence and His innocence from what these polytheists attribute to Him.
The jinn know well that those who said,
"The angels are the daughters of Allah,"
Will be brought forth to the punishment.
Except for the servants of Allah whom He has chosen for His mercy and created for His Paradise.
For you and what you worship.
“Ye cannot excite (anyone) against Him.” (37:162)
“Save him who is to burn in hell.” (37:163)
For you, O polytheists who associate partners with Allah, and what you worship of gods and idols,
You are not able to lead anyone astray regarding what you worship besides Allah,
Except for those whom Allah has decreed will reach the Hellfire.
“There is not one of us but hath his known position.” (37:164)
And indeed, we are those who stand in ranks, and we are those who glorify Him.
There is not one among us, the company of angels, but has a known station in the heavens.
We are those who stand in ranks for Allah, for His worship.
And we are those who pray to Him.
And they used to say:
“If we had but a reminder from the men of old” (37:168)
“We would be single-minded slaves of Allah.” (37:169)
“Yet (now that it is come) they disbelieve therein; but they will come to know.” (37:170)
The polytheists of Quraysh used to say before Muhammad, peace be upon him, was sent to them:
"If only we had a book sent down from heaven like the Torah and the Gospel,"
"Or a prophet had come to us like the one who came to the Jews and the Christians,"
"We would have been the chosen servants of Allah whom He selected for His worship and chose for His Paradise."
But when the Reminder (the Qur'an) came to them from Allah, they disbelieved in it.
They will soon know, when they come before Me, what punishment they will receive for their disbelief in it.
Our word has already preceded for Our servants, the messengers.
That they are the ones who will be helped.
“And that Our host, they verily would be the victors.” (37:173)
Our decree and judgment have already passed for Our messengers,
That they are the ones who will have victory and triumph through arguments.
And Our party, the people of Our allegiance, are the ones who will have success and prosperity over those who disbelieve in Us.
“So withdraw from them (O Muhammad) awhile,” (37:174)
Watch them, for they will soon see.
Do they seek to hasten Our punishment?
“But when it cometh home to them, then it will be a hapless morn for those who have been warned.” (37:177)
So turn away from them until the time Our punishment arrives.
And watch them, for they will soon see what befalls them of Our punishment.
Do they seek to hasten the descent of Our punishment upon them, O Muhammad?
When the punishment of Allah descends upon these people,
Then evil is the morning for those who were warned by Our messenger but did not believe him.
“Withdraw from them awhile” (37:178)
And watch, for they will soon see.
And turn away, O Muhammad, from these polytheists,
Until the time Allah permits their destruction.
And watch them, for they will soon see what befalls them of Our punishment.
“Glorified be thy Lord, the Lord of Majesty, from that which they attribute (unto Him)” (37:180)
And peace be upon the messengers.
And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
A declaration of your Lord’s transcendence, O Muhammad, and His innocence,
The Lord of power and might,
From what these fabricators describe in their saying, "Allah has begotten,"
And their saying, "The angels are the daughters of Allah,"
And other such polytheism and fabrication against their Lord.
And it is a security from Allah for the messengers whom He sent to their nations,
From the terror of the Day of the Greatest Punishment,
And from any other evil.
And praise be to Allah, Lord of all creation.
Purely and exclusively, to the exclusion of all else.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.