[1] (In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful)

The meaning

More explanation

[2] 1. Praise is due to God, the Splitter of the heavens and the earth^a,

Who appoints the angels as messengers^b – having wings^c – [and He sends them in groups of] twos, threes and fours^d;

He [in the future, will] increase in the creation as He wills^e; for God is Omnipotent over everything.

^{1 a} Making them nine pieces after being one earth; they are the planets including the earth; they were at the start one earth, then He split and divided it to become nine planets or more than that.

The indication of this is His saying – be glorified – in the Quran 21: 30, which means:

(Do not those who disbelieve know that the heavens and the earth [: the planets including the earth] were united [as one planet], then We split them up [into many pieces]?)

And I said previously that every aya in the Quran in which ‘the heavens’ and ‘the earth’ are mentioned together with the word ‘and’ in between them, it means the planets.

In my book The Universe and the Quran I explained in details about this subject, [under the title of The material heavens ]

^{1 b} To the prophets; they come down with the revelation and with the commands of God to be carried out by the prophets and apostles.

^{1 c} Like the wings of birds.

^{1 d} It means: God sends the angels to the prophets: one time He sends two angels, another time He sends three and another time He sends four.

As did He send three angels to Abraham, who gave him the glad tidings of begetting a son.

^{1 e} So that He will create in the future a kind, other than the angels, the genie-kind and man-kind.

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[3] 2. Whatsoever grace^a God bestows on people, none can withhold; and whatsoever [of that] He withholds, non can loose following His [withholding]; He is All-Mighty^b, Most Wise^c.

[4] 3. O people remember the grace of God to you [and show gratitude to Him]; is there any creator, apart from God, who provides for you out of the sky^d and the earth^e? No god [in the universe] but He; how then are you perverted [from the way of the truth to the misguidance?]

[5] 4. But if they have [now] denied you [Mohammed]; as such had [many] messengers been denied before you; and souls [after death] will return to God^f.

[6] 5. O people, surely the promise of God [about the reward and punishment] is true [that will not be broken.]

So let not the Worldly life deceive you [with its ornamentation and pleasures], and let not [Satan] the Deceiver deceive you^g to [disobey] God [depending on His indulgence and forgiveness.]

[7] 6. To you Satan is an enemy^h; so take him for an enemy [and do not follow his orders.]

He calls his partyⁱ [in the life of the World] only that [in the Next Life] they may be among the inhabitants of the Blaze.

^{2 a} Like the rain, health, knowledge, provision or a righteous son.

^{2 b} In His kingdom; He bestows on whomever He pleases and withholds from whomever He wills.

^{2 c} With His acts.

^{3 d} With the rain.

^{3 e} With the plant, trees, fruits and cattle.

^{4 f} Who will recompense them according to their acts, and punish them according to their deeds.

^{5 g} By letting you wish and hope for the forgiveness in spite of insisting on the disobedience.

^{6 h} So he invites you to your destruction, disgrace and shame.

^{6 i} To the disbelief and association and to God’s disobedience.

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[8] 7. Those who disbelieve: for them will be severe chastisement [in the Next Life]; and those who believe and work righteous [deeds]: for them will be forgiveness and big reward.

[9] 8. Is he then, whose bad work is made fair-seeming to him^a, so that he sees it good^b?

For God misguides whom He wills and guides aright whom He pleases^c.

Therefore^d, let not yourself [O Mohammed] perish in grief concerning them^e;

God is All-Knowing of what [humiliation and wronging] they do [to the poor and the weak.]

[10] 9. God is He Who looses the winds, and they stir up [and collect] clouds, which We drive to a desolate [: dead] land^f, and thereby^g We quicken the earth, after it is desolate [: dead.]^h

Such is the resurrectionⁱ.

^{8 a} i.e. Satan made the evil work seem fair to him.

^{8 b} So he kept up to do it, and did not abstain from it. Is he like one whom God guided to the belief and righteous work and correct way? They are never alike.

^{8 c} It means: God misguides the one who deserves misguidance on account of his wronging people, and He guides the one who deserves guidance on account of his kindness to the poor and needy.

^{8 d} As you have now known the reason.

^{8 e} i.e. let not yourself perish with grief concerning them, and don’t be sad for their condition because they disbelieve, for God have misguided them from the way of the truth because they are wrongdoers.

^{9 f} i.e. devoid of the plant.

^{9 g} i.e. by means of it.

That is because the cloud rising up will melt some of the snow scattered in the atmosphere, so it will come down as rain, by which We quicken the land.

^{9 h} So that it was desolate then it became green with the plant.

^{9 i} It means: As such do We do, if We will to resurrect one of the dead. And as such did God create Adam and Eve.

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[11] 10. If any does seek for power^a, the power altogether belongs to God^b.

Good words^c go up to Him [to be written in the Preserved Tablet in heaven], and He takes up the righteous deed [to the ethereal heavens or the paradises] ^d.

But those who devise evil [plots]^e – theirs shall be a terrible chastisement^f, and their [evil] devising shall be useless [and shall perish.]^g

^{10 a} Let him fear God and avoid His disobedience, and so he will be powerful.

^{10 b} And as a whole the power is by the hand of God; therefore, don’t ask for it from anyone other than God.

^{10 c} The ‘good word’ is to defend God, so that if you hear someone blaspheme then you should prevent, beat and rebuke him for his blasphemy; so such defending of God: the angels will take up to God, and say: “Lord, your servant whose name is so and so, defended You and rebuked that man for his blasphemy; so God – be glorified – will say to the angels: “Write it down in the Preserved Tablet to be seen by the angels.”

Similar to this in meaning is His saying – be glorified – in the Quran 14: 24, which means:

(Don't you [man] see how God propounds a parable [about the righteous work and the goodly word?] –– a goodly word [which man says] is like a goodly tree: its derivation is permanent [on earth], and its derivatives are [taken] into heaven.)

^{10 d} For God – be glorified – commands the angels to take up every righteous work; among such works is the alms given to the poor, the needy, orphans and widows. E.g. if you give an apple to an orphan for the sake of God, and that orphan eats it, then the spirit of that apple will be taken up by the angels to the paradises to be preserved for you until you are admitted into Paradise, to find it before you, and the angels will say: Take this apple which you gave to the orphan in the life of the World, and these are seven hundreds like it instead of that you gave to the orphan.

Similarly, in the Barzakh world (or the Afterlife), they will bring to you that which you spent and gave [in the life of the World] for the sake of God.

^{10 e} Not all the ‘designing’ is evil; some of it is good; e.g. you may plan against a man who blaspheme, and so he repents from his disbelief; or you may design against someone who does not perform the prayers, and so he keeps up to prayers. Our master Abraham designed against the disbelievers when he broke up their idols; and such acts are righteous acts in spite of the ‘designing’.

^{10 f} For those who do the evil designing or devise evil [plots.]

^{10 g} i.e. it will be frustrated.

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[12] 11. And God created you[r father: Adam] from earth^a, then [created his children] from scanty [seminal] fluid, then made you in pairs [husband and wife in order to reproduce.]

And no female may conceive [pregnancy] nor may deliver [her load] but He is All-Knowing about it.

Neither is the life-time, of anyone given a long life, increased^b nor is his life-time decreased^c, but is [written down] in a book [of his deeds.]^d

Such [addition and deletion] is [quite] easy to God^e.

^{11 a} The indication of this is His saying – be glorified – in the Quran 3: 59, which means:

(To God, the likeness of Jesus is as the likeness of Adam, whom He created from earth.)

^{11 b} On account of his kindness to the poor.

^{11 c} i.e. anyone to whom We prescribed a long life, but his life time will be decreased because of his wronging the weak.

^{11 d} For the angels, with God’s leave, will write in the book of deeds that such man helped the poor, the needy with his wealth, so we add twenty years to his life; and that man wronged the needy and the weak, so we deleted twenty years from his life time.

^{11 e} Without any difficulty.

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[Then God – be glorified – gave a parable about the generous man who is merciful to the poor and the weak and he helps them, and about the miser who wrongs and persecutes people: that they are like two seas one of them is palatable for drinking, and the other is salt and not suitable for drinking, and He said:]

[13] 12. The two seas are not equal: this [River Nile of Egypt] is cold, pure and palatable for drinking^a; and that [Red Sea^b] is salt and bitter [to taste]^c, but out of both [seas] you do eat soft meat [of the fish] and take out ornaments^d that you wear.

And you [man] see ships sailing on it^e that you may seek after His bounty^f, and that you may show gratitude [if you gain and win in the trade.]

^{12 a} This has been explained in the interpretation of the Quran 25: 53

^{12 b} In which Pharaoh and his host were drowned.

^{12 c} The meaning: So is it equal to you the water of the two seas? No, they are not equal. And as such are the generous man and the miser not equal in the sight of God.

Then God – be glorified – explained that the sea, even though it is salt, but it is more beneficial to man than the miser is; and He – be glorified – said that:

^{12 d} It means: the pearl and the coral in addition to shells used for ornamentation and decoration.

^{12 e} Going to and fro.

Similar to this in meaning is in the Quran 42: 32, which means:

(And of His signs are [ships] that sail on the sea like 'high indicative marks'.)

^{12 f} By embarking on ships and going for trading.

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[14] 13. He makes the night pass into the day, and makes the day pass into the night, and has subdued the sun and the moon [to your benefit]; each one runs its course to an appointed term.^a

Such^b is God your Lord^c; the 'ownership and kingdom' belongs to Him; and those [angels] to whom you pray, apart from Him, cannot control anything [even cannot change a small into a large one of the flowers of Paradise^d.]

[15] 14. If you [associaters] pray them [: the angels, to remove your distress], they hear not your prayer [because they are in the ethereal heavens faraway from you.^e]

And if they [: those angels present with you on earth^{f
]} hear, they cannot grant it you [because they do not do anything without God’s command.]

On the Day of Judgment, they will disown your associating [them with God^g.]

And none can inform you [Mohammed] like [Gabriel:] the one who is aware [of God's dealing with the associaters^h.]

^{13 a} This has been explained in the interpretation of the Quran 31: 29.

^{13 b} Who formed the two seas and subjected the sun and moon.

^{13 c} So ask of Him anything of the affairs and stuffs of the life of the World, but do not ask of anyone else than God.

^{13 d} That is because the flowers in Paradise are spiritual which do not grow to become larger, neither do they whither to become smaller, but they remain as they are: fresh, and bright for thousands of years: neither will their splendor go away, nor will their beauty disappear.

However, flowers are two kinds: some of them are small in size which is called in Iraq (Qatti), and the other kind is larger than the first in size called (Qatmar), i.e. the large kind.

The meaning: Those, whom you pray to grant you your needs, cannot grow one of the Paradise flowers to make it bigger, then how can they help you with any material thing and grant you your needs, without God’s permitting them that.

^{14 e} For you are on the earth and they are in the ethereal heavens: in the ethereal paradises.

^{14 f} Who write down your acts and record your words.

^{14 g} i.e. they will reject your worshipping them, rebuke you for that and quit themselves clear from you.

^{14 h} i.e. and how God destroys them; for Gabriel is aware of what happened: he sees and hears. Similar to this sentence is His saying – be glorified – in the Quran 25: 59, which means:

(Then He mounted over the Throne; the Most Gracious [God]; so ask, about His [acts and might], [Gabriel who is] informed [of God’s acts and might.])

It means: ask Gabriel about God’s might and works.

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[16] 15. O people, it is you that are in need of God^a, while God is not in need of [any], and is the All-Laudable.

[17] 16. If He please He will make you perish [by death], and will bring [instead of you] a new creation^b.

[18] 17. For that is no hard^c [matter] for God.

[When the associaters said to those who believed in the Prophet: “Follow our way, and we will bear your sins”, His saying – be glorified – was revealed:]

[19] 18. No soul bearing its own load [of sins] may bear the load [of sins] of another [soul.]^d

And if a [soul] heavily laden [with sins] implores another for [the alleviation of] its load, nothing of it may be alleviated eventhough [the called one] is a kinsman.^e

You [Mohammed] only warns those who fear their Lord in private^f and perform the prayers.

And whosoever gives [excess] Zakat [alms], he does that only for [the advantage of] his own soul [in the life of the World and in the Next Life.]

And the final resort will be to [the neighborhood of] God.^g

^{15 a} So worship Him and ask of Him your needs.

^{16 b} Whom He will create, [in stead of you,] and settle them in your land and your homes.

^{17 c} i.e. It is neither impossible nor difficult.

^{18 d} It means: none will bear the sins of another.

^{18 e} Therefore, do not be deceived by such words of the associaters and do not return to their religion.

^{18 f} i.e. they fear their Lord in private, as do they also fear Him before people. The meaning: they fear Him in private and in public.

^{18 g} i.e. he will dwell in the ethereal heavens under the Throne.

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[20] 19. Not equal are the blind [: the unbeliever] and the seeing man [: the believer,]^a

[21] 20. the darkness^b [: the ignorance] and the light^c [: the knowledge],

[22] 21. the shade^d and the torrid heat^e;

[23] 22. Nor are the living equal^f nor are the dead^g.

God makes to hear whomsoever He will^h, but you cannot make those in the graves to hearⁱ.

[24] 23. You [Mohammed] are no other than a warner^j.

[25] 24. We have sent you [Mohammed] with the truth [: the Quran, as] a bearer of glad tidings [of Paradise for believers] and as a warner [of punishment for disbelievers, associaters and the disobedient];

and there was not any [past misguided] nation^k, but a warner^l should have come to them.

[26] 25. If they^m have [now] denied you [Mohammed], so too had those before themdenied [their messengers.]

Their messengers brought to them the manifest signsⁿ, the tablets [of stone]^o and the illuminating Scripture^p.

[27] 26. And I seized the unbelievers [with punishment till they perished]; then how was the consequence^q of [their] denying [My messengers]!?

^{19 a} i.e. the unbeliever and the believer are not equal.

^{20 b} i.e. the darkness in the nights of the lunar months are not alike; some of them are dark, and some have light. So the ‘darkness’ implies the ignorance, and the ‘light’ implies the guidance, and the ‘dark nights’ imply the past years when people were staggering in the darkness of ignorance, so they worshipped the idols.
And the ‘moon’ implies the guide and the messenger (or apostle) who invited them to worship God and forsake the idol worship, but they did not listen to his words until he set down with his death and departed from them.

^{20 c} i.e. the light of the sun and the light of the moon are not equal. The ‘light’ implies the guide who guides his people to the way of the truth. The meaning: Not all the guides are equal: for We sent some of them to one tribe only and he could not guide them, and some of them We sent to his people alone, while We sent Mohammed to mankind as a whole.

The indication, that the guides and messengers (apostles) are not equal, is His saying – be glorified – in the Quran 17: 55, which means:

(We have preferred some prophets over others; and We gave to David the Psalms.)

^{21 d} It means: The shade which you have in the life of the World is not equal to the shade which We have in Paradise; because the shade, which you have, disappears because of the earth spinning and because of the transmission of the sun rays on it; while the shade which We have in the Gardens is fixed and does not disappear because the ground of the Garden or Paradise is stationary and does not rotate, and therefore, the shade in it is fixed [and is lasting.]

Moreover, the shade which you have is hot in summer and cold in winter, but the shade which We have is continuously optimum: neither hot nor cold.

Therefore, do not prefer the shade which you have to that which We have, and work for your Next Life in order to come to the shade which We have.

God – be glorified – said in the Quran 4: 57, which means:

(Therein, for them, shall be spouses purified [from menstruation and from all dirts], and We shall admit them to a [shelter of] persistent shade.)

^{21 e} The ‘torrid heat’ is an implication of the chastisement; the meaning: The heat which you have in summer is not equal to the heat of Hell; so work for your Next Life and struggle for the cause of God, and forbear the heat of summer in order to be safe of the heat of Hell. The indication of this is His saying – be glorified – in the Quran 9: 81, which means:

(They said [to each other]: "Go not forth in the heat [of summer.]"

Say [Mohammed, to them]: "The fire of Hell is hotter", if only they could understand.)

^{22 f} In their acts and struggling for the cause of God; the ‘living’ are the believers who responded to their Lord and to His messenger and they believed; but they are not equal in the work and the struggling for the cause of God: some of them struggled, and others lagged behind without struggling; so those ‘struggling’ are the ‘living’ in the neighborhood of their Lord; as in His saying – be glorified – in the Quran 2: 154, which means:

(And say not of those who are slain in God's way: 'They are dead.' No, but they are alive [by their souls], though you perceive [them] not.)

^{22 g} The ‘dead’ implies the associaters because they lost their Next Life and lost their families; and even they are not equal: because some of them fought the Prophet, and some of them covenanted with him to peace and they did not fight him.

^{22 h} i.e. He guides, to the Islam religion, the one who is worthy of the guidance.

^{22 i} God – be glorified – likened the stubborn associaters to the spirits imprisoned in the graves; as such are the associaters bound with the traditions of their fathers.

^{23 j} And you have warned.

^{24 k} That were misguided away from the way of the truth.

^{24 l} i.e. a guide to warn them of God’s punishment if they do not forsake the worship of idols and statues.

^{25 m} i.e. Quraish and the associaters among the Arab.

^{25 n} Indicative of their truthfulness.

^{25 o} It means: the tablets of Moses, which is the original Torah.

^{25 p} It means: the heavenly books: the scripture of Abraham, the Torah of Moses, the Psalms of David and the Gospel of Jesus.

^{26 q} Wasn’t it not other than the destruction and ruining?

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[28] 27. Do you [Mohammed] not see how God sends down [rain] water from the sky, and We bring forth therewith fruits^a of various colors [sizes, tastes and smells] – and of mountains [also He brings forth therewith^b] newly-formed mountains: white and red, of various colors – and black brands of coal^c.

[29] 28. People too [are of different colors of the four human races^d], and beasts^e and cattle are of various colors^f in like manner.

None truly fear God, but those – among His servants – endowed with knowledge^g.

Surely, God is All-Mighty^h, Most Forgivingⁱ.

[30] 29. Surely those [believers] who recite [the Quran:] the Book of God, and perform the prayers, and expend out of that We have provided for them, secretly and publicly; they hope [of God] for a commerce that will not fail ^j.

[31] 30. That [God] may pay them in full their wages [in the Next Life] and even increase them out of His bounty; surely He is Most Forgiving [of their sins], Most Thankful [for their good deeds.]

^{27 a} Of the plant, trees and palm trees.

^{27 b} i.e. With the rain water, He brought forth new mountains.

Such new mountains are produced as a result of the weathering and erosion: for the rain water dissolves the carbon dioxide gas existing in the air to form the carbonic acid which will dissolve the lime stones of mountains, which will go down to seas or to low lands and will petrify once again, and as such the process will continue by passing of years until a new mountain will form.

^{27 c} It implies: And with the rain water, We formed the black coal. That is because it petrifies by means of the carbonic acid formed by the rain.

The word in the aya indicates the plural; that is because the coal is of four types.

There is a mine of coal in the village of Pulkana situated between Baghdad and Erbil in Iraq.

This aya has been interpreted in details in my book The Universe and the Quran [in the subject of Mountains ]

^{28 d} They are the white, yellow, black and red human races existing on our earth.

I have fully explained about them in my book The Universe and the Quran under the title of The four human races

^{28 e} are of various colors and patterns.

^{28 f} As do the colors of people and beasts differ; as such do the cattle.

^{28 g} It means: Those endowed with knowledge fear God, because they know the consequences so they dread Him and fear His punishment.

^{28 h} In His kingdom.

^{28 i} To whomever fears Him and does not associate anything in worshipping Him.

^{29 j} i.e. that will not suffer any recession or corruption.

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[When the ‘seven repeated stories’ of prophets were revealed in the Quran, and Jews heard some of them, they said: “They include addition and omission, but the correct thing is what is in our Torah.”

Therefore, this aya was revealed:]

[32] 31. As for that which We have revealed to you [Mohammed] of the [Heavenly] Scripture [: the Quran], it is the truth^a confirming [Mohammed] by whose hands [is the Quran]^b; surely, God is All-Aware, All-Seeing.^c

[33] 32. Then We gave the Scripture as inheritance to those whom We selected out of Our servants^d.

^e But of them are some who wrong themselves [with their bad acts] and of them are some who are reformers, and of them are some who – by God's leave^f – race for doing every good^g. That^h is the great favorⁱ.

[Then God – be glorified – started to describe what He has prepared for the one who ‘races for doing good’, and He said:]

[34] 33. Seven Gardens – into which they will enter – to be adorned therein with [ethereal bracelets issued] from bracelets of gold^j, and [with] pearls, and their garments therein will be [from] silk.

[35] 34. And they say: "Praise be to God Who has put the grief^k away from us. Surely, our Lord is Most Forgiving^l, Most Thankful^m."

[36] 35. "Who, with His grace, has made us to dwell in the ‘abode of everlasting’, wherein no toil shall touch us, and there shall touch us no fatigue."

[37] 36. But those who disbelieve, for them [in the Next Life] will be the fire of Hell; it shall not be decreed for them to die, nor shall its torment be lessened for them. Thus do We reward every disbeliever.ⁿ

[38] 37. And they [will] cry therein [saying:] "Our Lord, release us; we will do righteous [work], not [the evil] that we used to do [in the life of the World.]"

[And it will be said to them:] "But did not We grant you a life, in the [World], long enough for him who would receive admonition?^o

And [the prophet:] the warner came to you^p. Now suffer [the torment], for wrong-doers have no helper [to avert them from the punishment.]

^{31 a} It means: The fact which We have mentioned to you about the Heavenly Scripture, and which your companions have written in the Quran is the truth; while the present Torah had been distorted by Ezra the son of Siraeh who altered it with his pen.

^{31 b} That is because the Quran has been revealed by Gabriel, who believes and confirms the prophets’ stories that are by the hand of Mohammed.

^{31 c} That is because God knows about what happened in the past and what will happen in the future, and so will tell you the correct thing.

^{32 d} They are your nation, Mohammed.

The meaning: Then We made the Heavenly books an inheritance to Muslims; i.e. We shifted the revelations from the Children of Israel to the Children of Ishmael, the Arab, today whom We have chosen out of all nations.

That is because the Children of Israel disbelieved frequently, worshipped the idols repeatedly, did not comply with Our commands and did not submit themselves to Our prophets; therefore, We refused them and chose others.

Jesus, the son of Mary, threatened them about that, as in the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 21: 43; he said:

“Therefore I say to you: The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.”

It means: a nation that will apply it and work according to its statements.

^{32 e} Then God – be glorified – started to describe the Arab, and He said:

^{32 f} i.e. As God permitted him in the Heavenly Books.

^{32 g} i.e. those do much righteousness and charity, and they race and compete with others for doing that.

^{32 h} It points out to the revealing to our Prophet Mohammed, and the shifting of the revelation from the Children of Israel to the Arab: the Children of Ishmael.

^{32 i} On the Arab; so let them thank God for His offering and praise Him for His bounties.

^{33 j} It means: ethereal bracelets which were formed inside the bracelets of gold.

This has been interpreted in my book: The Universe and the Quran , as has also been explained in the interpretation of the Quran, chapter or soora 18 and 22.

^{34 k} i.e. the worry and sadness of which we suffered in the life of the World.

^{34 l} For the monotheists (: those who devote themselves to God alone) when they repent.

^{34 m} Of their good deeds.

^{36 n} Here a question may come to the mind of the reader, and he may say: “How won’t they die while they are at the most severe chastisement, and how don’t they burn while they are in Hell’s fire?”

The reason for that is that they are ethereal souls (: spirits), and the souls do not die neither do they burn eventhough they are in the fire. This is like the iron which does not burn in the fire; and had the chastisement been for the bodies, they would have burnt and died in one minute and become coal.

^{37 o} It means: long enough to receive admonition and to repent, for anyone who wants to receive admonition and repent; then why didn’t you receive admonition and repent from your crimes and evil deeds in the life of the World?

^{37 p} And he warned and admonished you, but you did neither fear nor receive admonition.

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[39] 38. Surely, God is the All-knowing about all that is ‘unknown’ in the heavens and the earth^a; surely, He is All-Knowing about [the hearts] that are inside breasts.^b

[40] 39. It is [God] Who has made you successors^c [of the ancient] in the land [of Mecca]; then whoso disbelieves, [the sin of] his disbelief will be against his [own self.]

With their Lord, the disbelief of disbelievers will only increase them in wrath; the disbelief of disbelievers will only cause more loss to them^d.

^{38 a} Therefore, do not disobey Him, or else you will be punished.

^{38 b} Therefore, do not conceal evil intention in your breasts against your Muslim brothers, or else the evil will turn against you.

^{39 c} So you succeeded those who passed away before you.

It means: He made you chiefs and nobles in Mecca, to whom people come from every direction, because of the Ka’aba: [the House of God at Mecca]; then why do you associate with God and disbelieve in His Book?

^{39 d} So they will lose both the life of the World and the Next Life.

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[41] 40. Say: "Tell me your opinion concerning your associates whom you pray besides God; show me what [part] they created of the earth [as a whole]^a, or have they any share in the [gaseous] heavens?^b

Or did We give them any [heavenly] book [before the Quran], from which they derive a manifest evidence?"^c

But [actually] the wrong-doers swear to each other [about the intercession of the angels], nothing other than [their] deception [and ignorance about true facts.]

[42] 41. Surely, God holds the heavens and the earth^d [with the gravity power of the sun]; in order that they escape not^e [from it and scatter in the space.]

And if they were to escape [the gravity of the sun], no one else than He could hold them.^f

He is Ever-Clement^g [and] Most Forgiving^h.

^{40 a} I said previously that when the ‘earth’ is mentioned [in an aya of the Quran] before the ‘heavens’, He then means by the ‘earth’: the earth as a whole, i.e. all the planets; therefore, His saying – be glorified – which means: (what [part] they created of the earth [as a whole]) means:
Which part of it did they create? Did they create Mars which is part of the original earth that tore up and became the planets?

Or did they create Venus or Saturn or any other one of the planets which are the parts of that earth that had torn up before?

^{40 b} So they created, together with Me, the hydrogen layer or the ozone or the sulfur dioxide or other gaseous layers which are in the space [: the upper atmosphere]?

Therefore, if they know that it is God Who created the planets and created the gaseous layers, then how do they worship the idols and statues, and do not devote their worship to God alone?

^{40 c} No, We did not give them any Book before the Quran.

^{41 d} i.e. God holds the planets, including the earth, by means of the power of the sun gravity.

^{41 e} It means: lest they should escape the gravity of the sun and go away scattering in the space, as did they escape in the past when the previous sun and the previous planets burst up.

^{41 f} It means: Could anyone – else than God – hold and fix them; and as such on Doomsday, none other than God can hold them.

That is because if the planets escape the gravity of the sun, they will tear up and become meteorites, which will be attracted to the new planets; because our sun explodes on Doomsday to become nineteen planets.

The meaning: If the present planets escape the gravity of the sun, and they tear up, then God – be glorified – will hold such pieces with another gravitational force.

^{41 g} Towards His servants.

^{41 h} To the monotheists who repent.

These two ayat have been interpreted in details in my book The Universe and the Quran under the title of The gravity : Question:15 and Question:14

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[43] 42. They swore most earnestly by God^a that if a warner^b comes to them, they will certainly become more rightly guided than a certain nation^c; but when a warner^d came to them, it^e only increased them in aversion [from the truth.]^f

[Then God – be glorified – explained about the reason for their aversion from the truth, and He said:]

[44] 43. Behaving arrogantly in the land^g, and plotting the evil^h, but the evil plotting overwhelms only those who do it.ⁱ

So do they expect anything but the way of [God's dealing with] the ancients?^j

And you will never find any changing the way of God['s dealing]^k, and you will never find any postponement of the way of God['s dealing] to the following year.^l

[45] 44. Have they not traveled throughout the earth [for tourism and trade] and seen [the remains and ruins of the ancients, to know] the end of those [who denied their messengers] before them [whom We destroyed.] They were even stronger than these.

God is never frustrated by anything whatsoever in the [gaseous] heavens^m or on the earthⁿ; He is Most Knowing [about their work], Most Able [to take revenge on them.]

[46] 45. If God should [hasten to] take men to task [and punish them] for what [sins] they earn, He would not leave on the surface [of the earth] even one moving creature [man or animal.]^o

But He defers them to a ‘stated decreed time’^p, and when their ‘decreed time’ comes^q, then God is Ever-Discerning His servants^r.

^{42 a} It means: The disbelievers of Mecca had sworn earnestly by God, before Mohammed came to them.

^{42 b} i.e. if a messenger comes from God to warn them.

^{42 c} i.e. more rightly guided, than Jews and Christians, about the obedience to God and the obedience to His messenger.

^{42 d} Who was Mohammed.

^{42 e} i.e. his coming.

^{42 f} And turning away from the guidance.

^{43 g} i.e. seeking after the leadership, and being arrogant over Mohammed and his poor followers, and for this reason they did not submit themselves to him and did not believe in him.

^{43 h} It means: they started to use the designing and plotting against people, and to divide them with enmity and fighting, in order that the domination will be for them, and so they applied the parable: “Divide and rule.”

^{43 i} In fact their evil plotting overwhelmed them and they were slain in the Battle of Bad’r; they were the chiefs of Quraish.

^{43 j} It means: What prevents them from believing at the present time? Do they wait that the punishment should come on them as did it afflict the ancients, and then they will regret and believe when their belief will not be accepted?

^{43 k} It means: Such is the way of God's dealing and His law in His creatures: when the punishment comes, the repentance will not be accepted of anyone who repents, neither will the belief be accepted of anyone who believe.

^{43 l} It means: when the punishment comes it will not be postponed to the next year.

^{44 m} Which are the habitation of the genie.

^{44 n} Which is the habitation of mankind.

^{45 o} But all of them would have died.

^{45 p} Which is the last day of their life time.

^{45 q} By death.

^{45 r} When He will punish the disbelievers and show mercy to the believers in the Barzakh world [: the Afterlife.]

By God's help, the interpretation of the soora 35 of the Quran is completed;

So (praise be to God: Lord of the worlds.)

[1] بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

[2] 1. الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ جَاعِلِ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا أُولِي أَجْنِحَةٍ مَّثْنَى وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ يَزِيدُ فِي الْخَلْقِ مَا يَشَاء إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

[3] 2. مَا يَفْتَحِ اللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ مِن رَّحْمَةٍ فَلَا مُمْسِكَ لَهَا وَمَا يُمْسِكْ فَلَا مُرْسِلَ لَهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

[4] 3. يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ هَلْ مِنْ خَالِقٍ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ السَّمَاء وَالْأَرْضِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَأَنَّى تُؤْفَكُونَ

[5] 4. وَإِن يُكَذِّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كُذِّبَتْ رُسُلٌ مِّن قَبْلِكَ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الأمُورُ

[6] 5. يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ فَلَا تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا وَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُم بِاللَّهِ الْغَرُورُ

[7] 6. إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا إِنَّمَا يَدْعُو حِزْبَهُ لِيَكُونُوا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ

[8] 7. الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ كَبِيرٌ

[9] 8. أَفَمَن زُيِّنَ لَهُ سُوءُ عَمَلِهِ فَرَآهُ حَسَنًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَاء وَيَهْدِي مَن يَشَاء فَلَا تَذْهَبْ نَفْسُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسَرَاتٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ

[10] 9. وَاللَّهُ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ الرِّيَاحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابًا فَسُقْنَاهُ إِلَى بَلَدٍ مَّيِّتٍ فَأَحْيَيْنَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا كَذَلِكَ النُّشُورُ

[11] 10. مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعِزَّةَ فَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ جَمِيعًا إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ وَالْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ يَرْفَعُهُ وَالَّذِينَ يَمْكُرُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَكْرُ أُوْلَئِكَ هُوَ يَبُورُ

[12] 11. وَاللَّهُ خَلَقَكُم مِّن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا وَمَا تَحْمِلُ مِنْ أُنثَى وَلَا تَضَعُ إِلَّا بِعِلْمِهِ وَمَا يُعَمَّرُ مِن مُّعَمَّرٍ وَلَا يُنقَصُ مِنْ عُمُرِهِ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ

[13] 12. وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْبَحْرَانِ هَذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ سَائِغٌ شَرَابُهُ وَهَذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ وَمِن كُلٍّ تَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمًا طَرِيًّا وَتَسْتَخْرِجُونَ حِلْيَةً تَلْبَسُونَهَا وَتَرَى الْفُلْكَ فِيهِ مَوَاخِرَ لِتَبْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِهِ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

[14] 13. يُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَيُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَجْرِي لِأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَالَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ مَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِن قِطْمِيرٍ

[15] 14. إِن تَدْعُوهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُوا دُعَاءكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ وَلَا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ

[16] 15. يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَنتُمُ الْفُقَرَاء إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ

[17] 16. إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ وَيَأْتِ بِخَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ

[18] 17. وَمَا ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ بِعَزِيزٍ

[19] 18. وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى وَإِن تَدْعُ مُثْقَلَةٌ إِلَى حِمْلِهَا لَا يُحْمَلْ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَى إِنَّمَا تُنذِرُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُم بِالغَيْبِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَمَن تَزَكَّى فَإِنَّمَا يَتَزَكَّى لِنَفْسِهِ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ الْمَصِيرُ

[20] 19. وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْأَعْمَى وَالْبَصِيرُ

[21] 20. وَلَا الظُّلُمَاتُ وَلَا النُّورُ

[22] 21. وَلَا الظِّلُّ وَلَا الْحَرُورُ

[23] 22. وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْأَحْيَاء وَلَا الْأَمْوَاتُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَاء وَمَا أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِي الْقُبُورِ

[24] 23. إِنْ أَنتَ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ

[25] 24. إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا وَإِن مِّنْ أُمَّةٍ إِلَّا خلَا فِيهَا نَذِيرٌ

[26] 25. وَإِن يُكَذِّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ جَاءتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَبِالزُّبُرِ وَبِالْكِتَابِ الْمُنِيرِ

[27] 26. ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ

[28] 27. أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاء مَاء فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ ثَمَرَاتٍ مُّخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَانُهَا وَمِنَ الْجِبَالِ جُدَدٌ بِيضٌ وَحُمْرٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهَا وَغَرَابِيبُ سُودٌ

[29] 28. وَمِنَ النَّاسِ وَالدَّوَابِّ وَالْأَنْعَامِ مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ كَذَلِكَ إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاء إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ

[30] 29. إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً يَرْجُونَ تِجَارَةً لَّن تَبُورَ

[31] 30. لِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَيَزِيدَهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِ إِنَّهُ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ

[32] 31. وَالَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ هُوَ الْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِعِبَادِهِ لَخَبِيرٌ بَصِيرٌ

[33] 32. ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْكِتَابَ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ وَمِنْهُم مُّقْتَصِدٌ وَمِنْهُمْ سَابِقٌ بِالْخَيْرَاتِ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْكَبِيرُ

[34] 33. جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ يَدْخُلُونَهَا يُحَلَّوْنَ فِيهَا مِنْ أَسَاوِرَ مِن ذَهَبٍ وَلُؤْلُؤًا وَلِبَاسُهُمْ فِيهَا حَرِيرٌ

[35] 34. وَقَالُوا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَذْهَبَ عَنَّا الْحَزَنَ إِنَّ رَبَّنَا لَغَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ

[36] 35. الَّذِي أَحَلَّنَا دَارَ الْمُقَامَةِ مِن فَضْلِهِ لَا يَمَسُّنَا فِيهَا نَصَبٌ وَلَا يَمَسُّنَا فِيهَا لُغُوبٌ

[37] 36. وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَهُمْ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ لَا يُقْضَى عَلَيْهِمْ فَيَمُوتُوا وَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُم مِّنْ عَذَابِهَا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي كُلَّ كَفُورٍ

[38] 37. وَهُمْ يَصْطَرِخُونَ فِيهَا رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَالِحًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ أَوَلَمْ نُعَمِّرْكُم مَّا يَتَذَكَّرُ فِيهِ مَن تَذَكَّرَ وَجَاءكُمُ النَّذِيرُ فَذُوقُوا فَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِن نَّصِيرٍ

[39] 38. إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَالِمُ غَيْبِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ

[40] 39. هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَكُمْ خَلَائِفَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَمَن كَفَرَ فَعَلَيْهِ كُفْرُهُ وَلَا يَزِيدُ الْكَافِرِينَ كُفْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَّا مَقْتًا وَلَا يَزِيدُ الْكَافِرِينَ كُفْرُهُمْ إِلَّا خَسَارًا

[41] 40. قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ شُرَكَاءكُمُ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَرُونِي مَاذَا خَلَقُوا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ أَمْ لَهُمْ شِرْكٌ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ أَمْ آتَيْنَاهُمْ كِتَابًا فَهُمْ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّنْهُ بَلْ إِن يَعِدُ الظَّالِمُونَ بَعْضُهُم بَعْضًا إِلَّا غُرُورًا

[42] 41. إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمْسِكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ أَن تَزُولَا وَلَئِن زَالَتَا إِنْ أَمْسَكَهُمَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّن بَعْدِهِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا

[43] 42. وَأَقْسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ لَئِن جَاءهُمْ نَذِيرٌ لَّيَكُونُنَّ أَهْدَى مِنْ إِحْدَى الْأُمَمِ فَلَمَّا جَاءهُمْ نَذِيرٌ مَّا زَادَهُمْ إِلَّا نُفُورًا

[44] 43. اسْتِكْبَارًا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَكْرَ السَّيِّئِ وَلَا يَحِيقُ الْمَكْرُ السَّيِّئُ إِلَّا بِأَهْلِهِ فَهَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا سُنَّتَ الْأَوَّلِينَ فَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ اللَّهِ تَبْدِيلًا وَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ اللَّهِ تَحْوِيلًا

[45] 44. أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَكَانُوا أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعْجِزَهُ مِن شَيْءٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَلِيمًا قَدِيرًا

[46] 45. وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ بِمَا كَسَبُوا مَا تَرَكَ عَلَى ظَهْرِهَا مِن دَابَّةٍ وَلَكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى فَإِذَا جَاء أَجَلُهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِ بَصِيرًا