• Mankind exhorted to serve God and God alone

• The wicked shall be punished with fire from all sides

• The Bounties of God

• The patient ones shall be rewarded without any account

Az-Zumar (Az-Zumur) Verses 10 – 21

قُلْ يَـٰعِبَادِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ فِى هَـٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ وَأَرْضُ ٱللَّهِ وَٰسِعَةٌ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى ٱلصَّـٰبِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ

Say thou (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!) “O’ my servants who believe! Fear ye (the wrath of) your Lord, for those who do good in this world (there) is good, and God’s earth is extensive; Verily, only the patient1ones will be paid their recompense without any account. (39:10)2

قُلْ إِنِّىٓ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ ٱللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ ٱلدِّينَ

Say thou: “I have been bidden that I should worship God (alone) being sincere unto Him in religion, (39:11)

وَأُمِرْتُ لِأَنْ أَكُونَ أَوَّلَ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ

“And Commanded I am, that I shall be the first 3Muslim” (39:12)4

قُلْ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّى عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ

Say: “Verily, fear I, if I disobey my Lord, the chastisement of a great day. (39:13)5

قُلِ ٱللَّهَ أَعْبُدُ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُۥ دِينِى

Say: “God (It is Whom) worship I, being sincere unto Him in my religion, (39:14) 6

فَٱعْبُدُوا۟ مَا شِئْتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ قُلْ إِنَّ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ أَلَا ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْخُسْرَانُ ٱلْمُبِينُ

“Worship ye then whatsoever ye like other than Him.” Say thou: “Verily, the losers are those who have lost their own selves and their families on the Day of Judgment; Beware! that is the clear loss” (39:15)

لَهُم مِّن فَوْقِهِمْ ظُلَلٌ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ وَمِن تَحْتِهِمْ ظُلَلٌ ذَٰلِكَ يُخَوِّفُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ عِبَادَهُۥ يَـٰعِبَادِ فَٱتَّقُونِ

“For them shall be from above them coverings of fire and from beneath them coverings; with that maketh God His servants to fear; (so) fear Me ye O’ My servants.” (39:16)

وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱجْتَنَبُوا۟ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ أَن يَعْبُدُوهَا وَأَنَابُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ لَهُمُ ٱلْبُشْرَىٰ فَبَشِّرْ عِبَادِ

And those who shun the worship of the idols and turn they unto God, for them is the glad tidings, so bear thou the glad tidings unto My servants. (39:17)7

ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ ٱلْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُۥٓ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَدَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمْ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ

Those who hearken unto the word8and follow the best of it; those are they whom God hath guided; and those it is who are the men of understanding. (39:18)

أَفَمَنْ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ كَلِمَةُ ٱلْعَذَابِ أَفَأَنتَ تُنقِذُ مَن فِى ٱلنَّارِ

What! Is he on whom the sentence of chastisement hath been justly passed (equal to one who deserveth a reward)? Canst thou rescue him who is in the fire? (39:19)9

لَـٰكِنِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوْا۟ رَبَّهُمْ لَهُمْ غُرَفٌ مِّن فَوْقِهَا غُرَفٌ مَّبْنِيَّةٌ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ لَا يُخْلِفُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمِيعَادَ

But (for) those who fear10the (wrath of) their Lord are lofty pavilions, above them (ever) lofty pavilions, built (for them), ’neath which flow rivers: (this is) the promise of God: Faileth not God (His) promise. (39:20)

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَسَلَكَهُۥ يَنَـٰبِيعَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُ بِهِۦ زَرْعًا مُّخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَٰنُهُۥ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَىٰهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُهُۥ حُطَـٰمًا إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكْرَىٰ لِأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ

Seest thou not that God sendeth down water from heaven, then causeth it go into the earth in the springs, then bringeth forth with it herbage of various colours11then it withereth that thou seest it yellow, then He maketh it chaff12? Verily in this is a reminder for men of understanding. (39:21)

Commentary

Verse 10

Regarding the value of piety in Islam see verses 49:13, 7:26, 2:188, 189, 9:108, 28:83, 39:33. Islam has fixed the superior most degree of excellence acceptable to God, entitling man to the nearness to Him. For Piety see 49:13. Only the Pious are the near and the dear ones to God, and the most honourable with Him. God accepts goodness at the hands of no others but the Pious ones.

The spaciousness of the earth is mentioned to say that if conditions at home, circumstances including political, are not congenial or favourable to the practice of the faith, one must be prepared, of one’s own accord, to migrate to some other place where the necessary freedom is available.

It is said that on the Day of Judgment, every deed of righteousness in this world viz. ‘Namaz’ (prayer), ‘Roza’ (Fasting), ‘Haj’ (Pilgrimage), ‘Zakat’ (alms-giving - the poor-rate) etc. will be weighed and would be recompensed duly, excepting patience, fortitude and forbearance of the sufferers in the cause of truth in this world, and even martyrs would be superseded by the patient ones in the way of the Lord and would be answered saying “You suffered death only once but the patient ones suffered tortures worse than death, for their whole life.”

It may refer to the first migration of Muslims from Abyssinia. (A.P.).

Verses 11 - 12

The pagans asked the Holy Prophet as to why he preached a new faith opposed to the idolatry already current, and put his followers and devotees to untold miseries and heartless persecution - This verse was revealed.

Not in the order of the conversion of Meccans, but in the order of creation as a whole, mentioned in verse 3:183. (A.P.).

Verse 15

This is not even a permission but a note of reproach meaning, if in spite of all the given admonitions and the clear guidance, any one chooses only to go astray, let him act as he pleases and entitle himself to the return for it. But later this verse is said to have been abrogated by the command for the fight for the cause of truth.13

Verse 20

Reference may be to the enjoyments awaiting the Pious in the life hereafter. (A.P.).

• 1. Are there any in the Islamic World as a whole who were tortured, persecuted more than the Holy Ahl Al-Bayt, particularly the martyrs of Karbala, and those taken captives thereafter? What could be the recompense of Lord? How great & unaccountable would be their recompense.
• 2. Refer to verses 2:188-189, 7:26, 9:108, 28:83, 49:13.
• 3. Of those who submit themselves to God.
• 4. Refer to verses 3:183, 6:163, 6:14.
• 5. Refer to verse 6:15.
• 6. Refer to verse 6:14.
• 7. Refer to verses 6:36, & 2:256.
• 8. All words – all talks.
• 9. Refer to verse 39:17.
• 10. The pious ones.
• 11. Kinds.
• 12. Crumbleth it down.
• 13. See 2:216, 2:244, 5:74-75, 6:35, 10:36, 10:41, 10:73, 10:123, 17:78, 26:4.