Surah 50: Qaf
The Holy Qur’an with English Translation and Commentary (Five Volume Commentary)
[a]In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.[3855]
[a] See 1:1.
[3855] Commentary:
See 1:1.
Qaf. By [b]the Glorious Qur’an, thou art a Messenger of God.[3856]
[b] 56:78.
[3856] Important Words:
The letter ق (Qaf) may stand for the Divine attribute قادر or قدیر (Qadir or Qadir) which means, the Mighty God; or the letter may stand for القیامة حق i.e. the Resurrection is an undoubted reality. This is the last abbreviated letter used in the Holy Qur’an and therefore possesses a special significance. For a detailed explanation, however, of the abbreviated letters (المقطعات) see 2:2 & 19:2.
The letter و (by) among other things may mean, 'by' or 'I swear' or 'I cite as witness or evidence.' See also 37:2.
المجید (Glorious) is derived from مجد (majada) which means, he was or became possessed of or characterized by glory, honour, dignity, nobility, etc. or he was or became glorious, in a state of honour, dignity; noble. مجدتالابل means, the camels fed in a land abounding with pasture, and satiated themselves therewith, or lighted upon abundant herbage. أمجدہ means, he made it (a gift) large or abundant. They say أمجدنا فلان قری i.e. such a one gave us a sufficient and superabundant entertainment. The Arabs say أمجدہ سباً و ذماً i.e. he reviled and dispraised him much. أمجد الدایة means, he gave the beast of carriage much fodder. Thus the primary signification of the root word is abundance or superabundance. مجد (majdun) means, glory, honour, dignity, nobility; (syn. شرف و عز & کرم) or ample glory, nobility, honour, dignity, etc., or the acquisition of glory, honour, etc., or acquired or personal glory, honour, etc., transmitted by one’s ancestors. مجید means, a man possessing or characterized by glory, honour, dignity; nobility. المجید as an epithet of God signifies the Glorious or Great in dignity, Who gives liberally or bountifully. مجید is also applied in the Holy Qur’an as an epithet to the Throne (عرش) of God and to the Holy Qur’an itself and signifies exalted, sublime, noble, glorious (Lane & Aqrab). See also 38:2. The words القرآن المجید thus may mean, the Glorious Qur’an, the great Qur’an, the Holy Qur’an possessing great and abundant good. In the last sense the word مجید may be synonymous with مبارک which is also one of the epithets used by the Holy Qur’an for itself (6:156). Elsewhere the Holy Qur’an has been called the Holy Qur’an full of wisdom (36:3), the Holy Qur’an full of exhortation (38:2), the Noble Qur’an (56:78), the Holy Qur’an which explains things fully (12:3).
Commentary:
The construction of this verse exactly resembles that of 38:2. Taking the abbreviated letter ق as signifying 'the Powerful God,' the verse may mean that the Powerful God swears by the Holy Qur’an, or that He cites the Holy Qur’an as witness, that by acting upon its teaching and making it a rule of their lives, its followers will achieve glory, greatness and spiritual and material grandeur. And by taking the letter as signifying القیامة حق i.e. the Resurrection is an undoubted reality, the verse would signify that Resurrection will certainly take place and that the Glorious Qur’an can be cited as an evidence to prove this claim. The proof consists in the fact: (1) that the Holy Qur’an has made two claims, viz. that by acting upon its teaching the weak, oppressed and persecuted followers of the Holy Prophet will achieve glory, greatness and spiritual and material eminence and an honoured place in the comity of the world’s great nations; and (2) that Resurrection will undoubtedly take place. The fulfilment of the first prophecy, the verse implies, will substantiate and establish the truth of the second claim.
But they wonder that there has come to them a Warner from among themselves.[a] And the disbelievers say, ‘This is a strange thing.’[3857]
[a] 7:64.
[3857] Commentary:
The verse purports to say that in spite of the fact that from time immemorial God has been sending His Messengers and Prophets to guide men to the path of truth and righteousness, the people, whenever there appeared a Prophet, wondered, and considered it highly improbable that God should commission as His Messenger an ordinary man from among themselves. This attitude of disbelievers towards Divine Messengers has been referred to at several other places also in the Holy Qur’an (7:64; 10:3; 38:5).
‘What! when we are dead and have become dust, shall we be raised up again?[b] That is a return far from possible.’[3858]
[b] 13:6; 23:36; 27:68; 37:17.
[3858] Commentary:
Greater is the disbelievers’ wonder at the idea, says the verse, that when they are dead and are reduced to dust, they will get a new life.
We know how much the earth diminishes of them and how much it adds to them, and with Us is a Book that preserves everything.[3859]
[3859] Commentary:
The verse refutes the disbelievers’ objection mentioned in the preceding verse, viz. that when they are dead and reduced to broken bones and particles of dust they would be raised again. It is the physical body, says the verse, that disintegrates and perishes. The soul is imperishable and will be given a new body to account for the deeds done in this world which are recorded in "a Book that preserves everything." The verse may also mean that even the particles of objects which the earth disintegrates are well preserved in God’s knowledge. It may also signify that as complete knowledge about all the details of a thing presupposes the power to create it, and God being the Possessor of full knowledge of human anatomy and the process of its disintegration could recreate it after it had perished.
The verse may also signify that just as the earth corrupts and swallows up dead bodies, it also possesses the means of nourishing living ones.
Nay, they rejected the truth when it came to them, and so they are in a state of confusion.[3860]
[3860] Important Words:
مریج (state of confusion) is derived from مرج (maraja) which means, he mixed a thing with another thing or two things together. مرج الامر (marija) means, the affair became corrupt, spoiled, disordered or in a confused or disordered state. مرج الناس means, the people became confused so that they could not extricate themselves from their perplexity (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
The verse means that though disbelievers always reject the Divine Message, their rejection or denial does not rest on sure ground. They are always in a confused state of mind. They do not know what they should make of the Message. They call it poetry, sorcery, the day-dreaming of an ambitious visionary, the confused vapourings of an unhinged mind, or the forgery of an impostor (21:6). But the Holy Prophet and his followers stand on the bedrock of certainty and sure knowledge.
Have they not looked at the sky above them, how We have made it and adorned it,[a] and there are no flaws in it?[3861]
[a] 15:17; 37:7; 41:13; 67:6.
[3861] Important Words:
فروج (flaws) is the plural of فرج which means, a cleft, an opening, a gap, and hence a flaw or defect (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
This and the following few verses draw attention to the marvels of creation, the wonderful design in the universe, to the celestial firmament with its countless beautiful planets and stars, to earth and its wide expanse teeming with human and animal life, and points to the inevitable inference that the Great and Wise Designer, the Architect and the Controller, Who could bring into being this wonderful universe and who placed man at its centre, does possess the power to recreate the universe after its disintegration, and to give man a new life after he is dead.
And the earth—We have spread it out, and placed therein firm mountains;[b] and We have made to grow therein [c]every kind of beautiful species,
[b] 13:4; 15:20; 31:11; 77:28.
[c] 27:61; 31:11.
As a means of enlightenment and as a reminder to every servant that turns to God.[3862]
[3862] Commentary:
It is logical to assume a purpose behind physical nature. The concept of God as Designer and Creator of all things gives a coherent and complete picture of origin, design and purpose. And the existence of a purpose behind the creation implies the existence of a life after death because the very idea that with the dissolution of its physical tabernacle the human soul suffers death militates against the whole design of God and the purpose in creating the universe.
[d]And We send down from the sky water which is full of blessings, and We produce therewith gardens and grain harvests.
[d] 24:44; 25:49.
And tall palm-trees, with spathes piled one above the other.[3863]
[3863] Important Words:
باسقات (tall) is the plural of باسقة, fem. gen. of باسق which is act. part. from بسق. They say بسق النخل i.e. the palm trees were or became tall or exceedingly tall and full grown or they bore fruit. بسق علیھم means, he overcame them, excelled them or was superior to them. بسق فی علمه means, he excelled in his knowledge or learned the whole of it. بسقت الشمس means, the sun rose high. باسق الاخلاق means, a person endowed with noble, moral and mental qualities. نخلة باسقة means, an exceedingly tall palm tree or palm tree bearing fruit (Lane & Aqrab).
نضید or منضود (piled one above the other) is derived from نضد. They say نضد المتاع i.e. he put goods one upon the other or set them together in regular order or piled them up. تنضدت الاسنان means, the teeth were set in regular order (Lane & Aqrab).
As a provision for Our servants; [a]and We quicken thereby a dead land. Even so shall be the Resurrection.[3864]
[a] 25:50; 43:12.
[3864] Commentary:
The verse means that just as God sends down rain from heaven and causes a dry dead land to bloom and blossom and pulsate with a new vigorous life, and brings forth from the earth all sorts of flowers and fruits, similarly He can and will give a new life to man after he is dead so that he might account for and be rewarded or punished for the actions good or bad he might have done in this world.