Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The gods of the Idolators can neither benefit nor harm; rather they themselves seek to draw close to Allah Allah says: قُلْ (Say) O Muhammad to these idolators who worship things other than Allah, ادْعُواْ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُم مِّن دُونِهِ (Call upon those - besides Him whom you pretend.) such as idols and rivals of Allah. Even if you turn to them, فَلاَ يَمْلِكُونَ كَشْفَ الضُّرِّ عَنْكُمْ (They have neither the power to remove the adversity from you) they have no such power at all, وَلاَ تَحْوِيلاً (nor even to shift (it from you to another person.)) to lift the distress from you and give it to someone else. The meaning is that the only one Who is able to do that is Allah Alone, with no partner or associate, Who is the One Who creates and issues commands. قُلِ ادْعُواْ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُم (Say: "Call upon those whom you pretend) Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas, "The people of Shirk used to say, `we worship the angels and the Messiah and `Uzayr,' while these (the angels and the Messiah and `Uzayr) themselves call upon Allah." أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ (Those whom they call upon, desire) Al-Bukhari recorded from Sulayman bin Mahran Al-A`mash, from Ibrahim, from Abu Ma`mar, from `Abdullah: أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ (Those whom they call upon, desire a means of access to their Lord,) "Some of the Jinn used to be worshipped, then they became Muslims." According to another report: "Some humans used to worship some of the Jinn, then those Jinn became Muslim, but those humans adhered to their religion (of worshipping the Jinn)." وَيَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَهُ وَيَخَـفُونَ عَذَابَهُ (they hope for His mercy and fear His torment.) Worship cannot be complete or perfect unless it is accompanied by both fear and hope. Fear stops one from doing things that are forbidden, and hope makes one do more good deeds. إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحْذُورًا (Verily, the torment of your Lord is (something) to be afraid of!) meaning, one should beware of it and be afraid lest it happen. We seek refuge with Allah from that.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The gods of the Idolators can neither benefit nor harm; rather they themselves seek to draw close to Allah Allah says: قُلْ (Say) O Muhammad to these idolators who worship things other than Allah, ادْعُواْ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُم مِّن دُونِهِ (Call upon those - besides Him whom you pretend.) such as idols and rivals of Allah. Even if you turn to them, فَلاَ يَمْلِكُونَ كَشْفَ الضُّرِّ عَنْكُمْ (They have neither the power to remove the adversity from you) they have no such power at all, وَلاَ تَحْوِيلاً (nor even to shift (it from you to another person.)) to lift the distress from you and give it to someone else. The meaning is that the only one Who is able to do that is Allah Alone, with no partner or associate, Who is the One Who creates and issues commands. قُلِ ادْعُواْ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُم (Say: "Call upon those whom you pretend) Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas, "The people of Shirk used to say, `we worship the angels and the Messiah and `Uzayr,' while these (the angels and the Messiah and `Uzayr) themselves call upon Allah." أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ (Those whom they call upon, desire) Al-Bukhari recorded from Sulayman bin Mahran Al-A`mash, from Ibrahim, from Abu Ma`mar, from `Abdullah: أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ (Those whom they call upon, desire a means of access to their Lord,) "Some of the Jinn used to be worshipped, then they became Muslims." According to another report: "Some humans used to worship some of the Jinn, then those Jinn became Muslim, but those humans adhered to their religion (of worshipping the Jinn)." وَيَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَهُ وَيَخَـفُونَ عَذَابَهُ (they hope for His mercy and fear His torment.) Worship cannot be complete or perfect unless it is accompanied by both fear and hope. Fear stops one from doing things that are forbidden, and hope makes one do more good deeds. إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحْذُورًا (Verily, the torment of your Lord is (something) to be afraid of!) meaning, one should beware of it and be afraid lest it happen. We seek refuge with Allah from that.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Destruction or Torment of all Disbelieving Towns before the Hour begins Here Allah tells us that He has decreed and it is written in Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz (The Preserved Tablet) which is with Him, that there is no town that He will not destroy by wiping out all its people or by punishing them, عَذَاباً شَدِيداً (with a severe torment.) either by killing them or sending calamities upon them as He wills. This will be because of their sins, as Allah says of the past nations: وَمَا ظَلَمْنَـهُمْ وَلَـكِن ظَلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ (We wronged them not, but they wronged themselves.) 11:101 فَذَاقَتْ وَبَالَ أَمْرِهَا وَكَانَ عَـقِبَةُ أَمْرِهَا خُسْراً (So it tasted the evil result of its affair (disbelief), and the consequence of its affair (disbelief) was loss.) 65:9 وَكَأِيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ عَتَتْ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهَا وَرُسُلِهِ (And many a town (population) revolted against the command of its Lord and His Messengers;) 65:8 and many Ayat.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Reason why Allah did not send Signs or Miracles Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "The idolators said: `O Muhammad, you claim that before you there were Prophets, among whom was one to whom the wind was subjugated, and another who could bring the dead back to life. If you want us to believe in you, ask your Lord to turn As-Safa' into gold for us.' Allah conveyed to him by inspiration (Wahy): `I have heard what they have said. If you wish, I will do what they say, but if they do not believe after that, the punishment will come down upon them, because after the sign has been sent, there is no room for speculation. Or if you wish, I will be patient with your people and give them more time.' He said: «يَارَبِّ اسْتَأْنِ بِهِم» (O Lord, give them more time.)" This was also narrated by Qatadah, Ibn Jurayj and others. Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "The people of Makkah asked the Prophet to turn As-Safa' into gold for them, and to remove the mountains (from around Makkah) so that they could cultivate the land. It was said to him (by Allah): `If you wish, I will be patient and give them more time, or if you wish, I will do what they are asking, but if they then disbelieve, they will be destroyed as the nations before them were destroyed.' He said, «لَا، بَلِ اسْتَأْنِ بِهِم» (No, be patient and give them more time.) Then Allah revealed: وَمَا مَنَعَنَآ أَن نُّرْسِلَ بِالاٌّيَـتِ إِلاَّ أَن كَذَّبَ بِهَا الاٌّوَّلُونَ (And nothing stops Us from sending the Ayat but that the people of old denied them. ) An-Nasa'i also reported this from the Hadith of Jarir. Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said: The Quraysh said to the Prophet , "Ask your Lord to turn As-Safa' into gold and we will believe in you." He said, «وَتَفْعَلُونَ؟» (Will you really do that) They said, "Yes." So he asked his Lord, and Jibril came to him and said: "Your Lord conveys His Salam to you and says, `If you wish, I will turn As-Safa' into gold for them, then whoever of them disbelieves after that, will be punished with a torment the like of which has never be seen in creation; or if you wish, I will open the gates of repentance and mercy for them."' He said, «بَلْ بَابُ التَّوْبَةِ وَالرَّحْمَة» (Rather the gates of repentance and mercy.) وَمَا نُرْسِلُ بِالاٌّيَـتِ إِلاَّ تَخْوِيفًا (And We sent not the signs except to make them afraid (of destruction).) Qatadah said, "Allah makes people afraid with whatever signs He wills, so that they may learn a lesson and remember and return to Him. We were told that Al-Kufah was shaken at the time of Ibn Mas`ud, who said: `O people, your Lord is rebuking you, so pay heed!"' Similarly, it was reported that Al-Madinah was struck by several earthquakes at the time of `Umar bin Al-Khattab. `Umar said: "You have changed, by Allah, and if such a quake were to strike again, I will subject you to such and such." The Prophet said, in a Hadith whose authenticity is agreed upon: «إِنَّ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ آيَتَانِ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللهِ وَإِنَّهُمَا لَا يَنْكَسِفَانِ لِمَوْتِ أَحَدٍ وَلَا لِحَيَاتِهِ، وَلَكِنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يُخَوِّفُ بِهِمَا عِبَادَهُ، فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ ذَلِكَ فَافْزَعُوا إِلَى ذِكْرِهِ وَدُعَائِهِ وَاسْتِغْفَارِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا أُمَّةَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَاللهِ مَا أَحَدٌ أَغْيَرَ مِنَ اللهِ أَنْ يَزْنِيَ عَبْدُهُ أَوْ تَزْنِيَ أَمَتُهُ، يَا أُمَّةَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَاللهِ لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا أَعْلَمُ لَضَحِكْتُمْ قَلِيلًا وَلَبَكَيْتُمْ كَثِيرًا» (The sun and the moon are two of the signs of Allah, and they are not eclipsed for the death or life of anyone. Allah uses them to make His servants afraid, so if you see them, hasten to remember Him, call on Him and seek His forgiveness.) Then he said: (O Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ, by Allah, no one has a greater sense of jealousy than Allah if He sees His servant, or female servant, committing Zina (illegal sexual intercourse). O Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ, if you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much.)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Allah has encompassed Mankind and made the Vision of His Prophet a Trial for Them Allah says to His Messenger , encouraging him to convey the Message and informing him that He is protecting him from the people, that He is able to deal with them and that they are in His grasp and under His domination and control. وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لَكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ أَحَاطَ بِالنَّاسِ (And (remember) when We told you: "Verily, your Lord has encompassed mankind..") Mujahid, `Urwah bin Az-Az-Zubayr, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and others said, "This means, He protected you from them." وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّءْيَا الَّتِى أَرَيْنَـكَ إِلاَّ فِتْنَةً لِّلنَّاسِ (And We made not the vision which We showed you but a trial for mankind,) Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said: وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّءْيَا الَّتِى أَرَيْنَـكَ إِلاَّ فِتْنَةً لِّلنَّاسِ (And We made not the vision which We showed you but a trial for mankind,) "This is the vision which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw with his own eyes on the night when he was taken on the Night Journey (Al-Isra'). وَالشَّجَرَةَ الْمَلْعُونَةَ فِى القُرْءَانِ and (likewise) the accursed tree in the Qur a0n. refers to the Tree of Zaqqum." This was also recorded by Ahmad, `Abdur-Razzaq and others. It was also reported by Al-`Awfi from Ibn `Abbas. It was also interpreted as referring to the Night of the Isra' by Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan, Masruq, Ibrahim, Qatadah, `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd and several others. We have already quoted at length a comprehensive collection of Hadith about the Isra' at the beginning of this Surah, praise be to Allah. We have also already stated that some people gave up their Islam after they had been following the truth, because their hearts and minds could not comprehend that, and they denied what their knowledge could not grasp, but Allah caused it to increase and strengthen the faith of others, and so He says: إِلاَّ فِتْنَةً (but a trial), meaning a test. As for the cursed tree, this is the Tree of Zaqqum. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ told them that he had seen Paradise and Hell, and seen the Tree of Zaqqum, they did not believe that, and Abu Jahl, upon whom be the curses of Allah, even said, "Bring us some dates and butter," and he started eating them and saying, "Let us have some Zaqqum, we don't know any other Zaqqum but this." This was narrated by Ibn `Abbas, Masruq, Abu Malik, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and others. Everyone who interpreted the Ayah to refer to the Night of the Isra', also interpreted it to refer to the Tree of Zaqqum. وَنُخَوِّفُهُمْ (We make them afraid) meaning, `We make the disbelievers afraid with Our warnings and punishments and torment.' فَمَا يَزِيدُهُمْ إِلاَّ طُغْيَانًا كَبِيرًا (but it only increases them in naught save great disbelief, oppression and disobedience to Allah.) means, it only pushes them further into their disbelief and misguidance, and this is because Allah has forsaken them.