Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The gods of the Idolators did not witness the Creation of anything, not even Themselves Allah says: `These whom you take as helpers instead of Me are creatures just like you. They do not possess anything and did not witness the creation of heaven and earth, because they did not exist at that time.' Allah says, `I am the One Who independently and exclusively creates and controls all things, and I have no partner, associate or advisor in that.' As Allah says: قُلِ ادْعُواْ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ لاَ يَمْلِكُونَ مِثُقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَلاَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَمَا لَهُمْ فِيهِمَا مِن شِرْكٍ وَمَا لَهُ مِنْهُمْ مِّن ظَهِيرٍ وَلاَ تَنفَعُ الشَّفَـعَةُ عِندَهُ إِلاَّ لِمَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ (Say: "Call upon those you claim besides Allah, they possess not even a speck of dust in the heavens or on the earth, nor have they any share in either, nor is there for Him any assistant among them. Intercession with Him profits not except for him whom He permits.) 34:22-23 Similarly Allah says here: وَمَا كُنتُ مُتَّخِذَ الْمُضِلِّينَ عَضُداً (nor did I take those who mislead as `Adudan.) Malik said: "Assistants."

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Their Partners are not able to respond and the Criminals are brought to the Fire Allah tells us how He will address the idolators on the Day of Resurrection before all of creation, rebuking and scolding them, نَادُواْ شُرَكَآئِىَ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ (Call those (so-called) partners of Mine whom you claimed.) meaning, in the world. Call them today to save you from the situation you are in! Allah says: وَلَقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا فُرَادَى كَمَا خَلَقْنَـكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَتَرَكْتُمْ مَّا خَوَّلْنَـكُمْ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِكُمْ وَمَا نَرَى مَعَكُمْ شُفَعَآءَكُمُ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ أَنَّهُمْ فِيكُمْ شُرَكَآءُ لَقَد تَّقَطَّعَ بَيْنَكُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنكُم مَّا كُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ (And truly, you have come unto Us alone as We created you the first time. You have left what you were given behind your backs and We do see not with you your intercessors whom you claimed were your partners. Now all relations between you and them have been cut off, and all that you used to claim has vanished from you.) 6:94 فَدَعَوْهُمْ فَلَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُواْ لَهُمْ (Then they will cry unto them, but they will not answer them.) As Allah says: وَقِيلَ ادْعُواْ شُرَكَآءَكُمْ فَدَعَوْهُمْ فَلَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُواْ لَهُمْ (And it will be said (to them): "Call upon those partners of yours," then they will call upon them, but they will not answer them.) 28: 64 And the Ayah: وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّن يَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَن لاَّ يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ (And who is more astray than one who calls others besides Allah, such as will not answer him) 46:5 Until the end of the two Ayat; وَاتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ ءالِهَةً لِّيَكُونُواْ لَهُمْ عِزّاً كَلاَّ سَيَكْفُرُونَ بِعِبَـدَتِهِمْ وَيَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضِدّاً (And they have taken gods besides Allah, that they may grant them honor. Nay, but they will deny their worship of them, and become opponents to them.) 19:81-82 وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُم مَّوْبِقاً (and We shall put Mawbiq between them.) Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah and others said: "Destruction." The meaning is that Allah is stating that these idolators will have no way of reaching the gods they claimed in this world. He will separate them in the Hereafter and neither party will have any means of reaching the other. There will be devastation, great horrors and other terrible things in between them. `Abdullah bin `Amr understood the pronoun in the phrase "between them" to refer to the believers and the disbelievers, meaning that the people of guidance and the people of misguidance will be separated. This then is like the Ayat: وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَتَفَرَّقُونَ (And on the Day when the Hour will be established -- that Day shall (all men) be separated. ) 30:14 يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصَّدَّعُونَ (On that Day men shall be divided.) 30:43, وَامْتَازُواْ الْيَوْمَ أَيُّهَا الْمُجْرِمُونَ ((It will be said), "And O you the criminals! Get you apart this Day (from the believers).) 36:59 وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ نَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُواْ مَكَانَكُمْ أَنتُمْ وَشُرَكَآؤُكُمْ فَزَيَّلْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ (And on the Day when We shall gather them all together, then We shall say to those who joined partners, "Stop in your place! You and your partners." Then We shall separate between them...) until, وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ (And what they invented will vanish from them.) 10:28-30 وَرَأَى الْمُجْرِمُونَ النَّارَ فَظَنُّواْ أَنَّهُمْ مُّوَاقِعُوهَا وَلَمْ يَجِدُواْ عَنْهَا مَصْرِفًا (And the criminals shall see the Fire and apprehend that they are to fall therein. And they will find no way of escape from it.) meaning when they see Hell with their own eyes, since it is being dragged forth by seventy thousand reins, each pulled by seventy thousand angels. When, وَرَأَى الْمُجْرِمُونَ النَّارَ (the criminals shall see the Fire), they will realize that they cannot escape being thrown into it, and that will only intesify their anxiety and distress, because the anticipation and fear of punishment is in itself a real punishment. وَلَمْ يَجِدُواْ عَنْهَا مَصْرِفًا (And they will find no way of escape from it.) means, they will have no way of fleeing, it will be inevitable.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Their Partners are not able to respond and the Criminals are brought to the Fire Allah tells us how He will address the idolators on the Day of Resurrection before all of creation, rebuking and scolding them, نَادُواْ شُرَكَآئِىَ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ (Call those (so-called) partners of Mine whom you claimed.) meaning, in the world. Call them today to save you from the situation you are in! Allah says: وَلَقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا فُرَادَى كَمَا خَلَقْنَـكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَتَرَكْتُمْ مَّا خَوَّلْنَـكُمْ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِكُمْ وَمَا نَرَى مَعَكُمْ شُفَعَآءَكُمُ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ أَنَّهُمْ فِيكُمْ شُرَكَآءُ لَقَد تَّقَطَّعَ بَيْنَكُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنكُم مَّا كُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ (And truly, you have come unto Us alone as We created you the first time. You have left what you were given behind your backs and We do see not with you your intercessors whom you claimed were your partners. Now all relations between you and them have been cut off, and all that you used to claim has vanished from you.) 6:94 فَدَعَوْهُمْ فَلَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُواْ لَهُمْ (Then they will cry unto them, but they will not answer them.) As Allah says: وَقِيلَ ادْعُواْ شُرَكَآءَكُمْ فَدَعَوْهُمْ فَلَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُواْ لَهُمْ (And it will be said (to them): "Call upon those partners of yours," then they will call upon them, but they will not answer them.) 28: 64 And the Ayah: وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّن يَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَن لاَّ يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ (And who is more astray than one who calls others besides Allah, such as will not answer him) 46:5 Until the end of the two Ayat; وَاتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ ءالِهَةً لِّيَكُونُواْ لَهُمْ عِزّاً كَلاَّ سَيَكْفُرُونَ بِعِبَـدَتِهِمْ وَيَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضِدّاً (And they have taken gods besides Allah, that they may grant them honor. Nay, but they will deny their worship of them, and become opponents to them.) 19:81-82 وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُم مَّوْبِقاً (and We shall put Mawbiq between them.) Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah and others said: "Destruction." The meaning is that Allah is stating that these idolators will have no way of reaching the gods they claimed in this world. He will separate them in the Hereafter and neither party will have any means of reaching the other. There will be devastation, great horrors and other terrible things in between them. `Abdullah bin `Amr understood the pronoun in the phrase "between them" to refer to the believers and the disbelievers, meaning that the people of guidance and the people of misguidance will be separated. This then is like the Ayat: وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَتَفَرَّقُونَ (And on the Day when the Hour will be established -- that Day shall (all men) be separated. ) 30:14 يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصَّدَّعُونَ (On that Day men shall be divided.) 30:43, وَامْتَازُواْ الْيَوْمَ أَيُّهَا الْمُجْرِمُونَ ((It will be said), "And O you the criminals! Get you apart this Day (from the believers).) 36:59 وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ نَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُواْ مَكَانَكُمْ أَنتُمْ وَشُرَكَآؤُكُمْ فَزَيَّلْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ (And on the Day when We shall gather them all together, then We shall say to those who joined partners, "Stop in your place! You and your partners." Then We shall separate between them...) until, وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ (And what they invented will vanish from them.) 10:28-30 وَرَأَى الْمُجْرِمُونَ النَّارَ فَظَنُّواْ أَنَّهُمْ مُّوَاقِعُوهَا وَلَمْ يَجِدُواْ عَنْهَا مَصْرِفًا (And the criminals shall see the Fire and apprehend that they are to fall therein. And they will find no way of escape from it.) meaning when they see Hell with their own eyes, since it is being dragged forth by seventy thousand reins, each pulled by seventy thousand angels. When, وَرَأَى الْمُجْرِمُونَ النَّارَ (the criminals shall see the Fire), they will realize that they cannot escape being thrown into it, and that will only intesify their anxiety and distress, because the anticipation and fear of punishment is in itself a real punishment. وَلَمْ يَجِدُواْ عَنْهَا مَصْرِفًا (And they will find no way of escape from it.) means, they will have no way of fleeing, it will be inevitable.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Examples put forth in the Qur'an Allah says, `In this Qur'an, We have explained to mankind and given clear details of matters so that they will not stray from the truth or be misled from the path of guidance. Despite this explanation, man is very quarrelsome and opposes truth with falsehood,' except for those whom Allah guides to the path of salvation. Imam Ahmad recorded that `Ali bin Abi Talib said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to visit him and Fatimah, the daughter of Allah's Messenger ﷺ at night, and said, «أَلَا تُصَلِّيَانِ؟» (Are you not going to pray) I said, "O Messenger of Allah, our souls are in the Hand of Allah. If He wills to wake us, He will wake us." When I said that, he went away without returning. Then I heard him as he was walking away, slapping his thigh and saying, وَكَانَ الإِنْسَـنُ أَكْثَرَ شَىءٍ جَدَلاً (But, man is ever more quarrelsome than anything.)" It was also recorded in the Two Sahihs.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Rebellion of the Disbelievers Allah tells us about the rebellion of the disbelievers in ancient times and in more recent times, and how they rejected the obvious truth even when they witnessed clear signs and proofs. Nothing stopped them from following the truth except their demand to witness with their own eyes the punishment which they were being warned about. As some of them said to their Prophet: فَأَسْقِطْ عَلَيْنَا كِسَفاً مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّـدِقِينَ (So cause a piece of the heaven to fall on us, if you are of the truthful!) 26:187, Others said: ائْتِنَا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّـدِقِينَ (Bring Allah's torment upon us if you are one of the truthful.) 29:29 The Quraysh said: اللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَـذَا هُوَ الْحَقَّ مِنْ عِندِكَ فَأَمْطِرْ عَلَيْنَا حِجَارَةً مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ أَوِ ائْتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ (O Allah! If this is indeed the truth from You, then rain down stones on us from the sky or bring upon us a painful torment.) 8:32 وَقَالُواْ يأَيُّهَا الَّذِى نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الذِّكْرُ إِنَّكَ لَمَجْنُونٌ - لَّوْ مَا تَأْتِينَا بِالْمَلَـئِكَةِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّـدِقِينَ (And they say: "O you to whom the Reminder has been sent down! Verily, you are a mad man! Why do you not bring angels to us if you are of the truthful") 15:6-7. There are other Ayat refering to the same thing. Then Allah says: إِلاَّ أَن تَأْتِيَهُمْ سُنَّةُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ (except that the ways of the ancients be repeated with them,) meaning, their overwhelming punishment, destroying every last one of them. أَوْ يَأْتِيَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ قُبُلاً (or the torment be brought to them face to face.) they see it with their own eyes, being directly confronted with it. Then Allah says: وَمَا نُرْسِلُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلاَّ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ (And We send not the Messengers except as bearers of good news and warners.) before the punishment they give good news to those who believe in them and follow them, and warnings to those who reject them and oppose them. Then Allah tells us about the disbelievers who argue: بِالْبَـطِلِ لِيُدْحِضُواْ بِهِ الْحَقَّ (with falsehood, in order to refute the truth thereby.) they try to weaken the truth that the Messengers brought, but they cannot achieve that. وَاتَّخَذُواْ ءايَاتِى وَمَا أُنْذِرُواْ هُزُواً (And they take My Ayat and that which they are warned for jest!) they take the proof, evidence and miracles sent with the Messengers to warn them, and make them fear the punishment; هُزُواً (as a jest and mockery) and they make fun of them, which is the worst type of disbelief. وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن ذُكِّرَ بِـَايِـتِ رَبِّهِ فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا وَنَسِىَ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِى ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْراً وَإِن تَدْعُهُمْ إِلَى الْهُدَى فَلَنْ يَهْتَدُواْ إِذاً أَبَداً - وَرَبُّكَ الْغَفُورُ ذُو الرَّحْمَةِ لَوْ يُؤَاخِذُهُم بِمَا كَسَبُواْ لَعَجَّلَ لَهُمُ الْعَذَابَ بَل لَّهُم مَّوْعِدٌ لَّن يَجِدُواْ مِن دُونِهِ مَوْئِلاً