It is derived frog the sentence, wa amru-hum shura baina hum, of verse 38, implying thereby that it is a Surah in which the word shura has occurred.
Although it could not be known from any authentic traditions, yet one feels after a study of its subject matter that this Surah might have been sent down consecutively after Ha-Miim As Sajdah, for it seems to be, in a way, a supplement to it. This will become clear to every person who first studies Surah Ha-Mim As Sajdah carefully and then goes through this Surah. He will see that in that Surah the Quraish chiefs had been taken to tack for their deaf and blind opposition so that anyone in Makkah and in its out-skirts, who had any sense of morality and nobility left in him, should know how unreasonably the chiefs of the people were opposing Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace), and as against them, how serious he was in everything he said, how rational was his standpoint and how noble his character and conduct. Immediately after that warning this Surah was sent down, which did full justice to teaching and instruction, and made the truth of the Holy Prophet's message plain in such an impressive way that anyone who had any element of the love of the truth in him and who had not been blinded by the errors of ignorance, could not help being influenced by it.
The discourse begins in a way as if to say:"Why are you expressing surprise and amazement at what Our Prophet is presenting before you?What he says is not new or strange, nor anything novel, which might have been presented for the first time in history: that Revelation should come down to a man from God and he should be given instructions for the guidance of mankind. Allah has been sending similar Revelations with similar instructions to the former Prophets before this. It is not surprising that the Owner of the Universe should be acknowledged as Deity and Ruler, but what is strange is that one should accept another as divine and deity in spite of being His subject and slave. You are being angry with him who is presenting Tauhid before you, where as the shirk that you are practicing with regard to the Master of the Universe is such a grave crime as may cause the heavens to break asunder. The angels are amazed at this boldness of yours and fear that the wrath of Allah might descend on you any moment."
After this the people have been told that a person's being appointed to Prophethood and his presenting himself as a Prophet does not mean that he has been made master of the people's destinies and he has come to the world with that very claim. Allah has kept the destinies in His own hand. The Prophet has come only to arouse the heedless and guide the strayed ones to the Right Path. To call to account those who do not listen to him and to punish or not to punish them is Allah's own responsibility. and not part of the Prophet's work. Therefore, they should take it out of their head that the Prophet has come with a claim similar to those that are made by their so called religious guides and saints to the effect that he who would not listen to them, or would behave insolently towards them, would be burnt to death: In this very connection, the people have also been told that the Prophet has not come to condemn them but he is their well wisher; he is warning them that the way they are following will only lead to their own destruction.
Then, an answer has been given to the question: Why didn't Allah make all human beings righteous by birth, and why did He allow the difference of viewpoint owing to which the people start following each and every way of thought and action?The answer given is this: Owing to this very fact has it become possible for man to attain to the special mercy of Allah, which is not meant for other dumb creatures, but is only meant for those endowed with power and authority, who should take Allah as Patron and Guardian not instinctively but consciously by willing choice. Allah supports the man who adopts this way and guides and helps him to do good and right and admits him into His special mercy. On the contrary, the man who misuses his option and makes his patron those who are not, in fact, the guardians, and cannot be, are deprived of divine mercy. In this connection, it has also been made clear that only Allah is the Patron of man and of all other creatures. Others are neither the patron nor have the power to do full justice to patronage. Man's success depends only on this that he should make no mistake in choosing a patron for himself by the use of his free choice, and should take only Him his Guide Who, in reality, is the real Patron.
After this, it has been explained what the Din being presented by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) really is:
Its primary basis that as Allah Almighty is the Creator, Master and real Patron of the Universe and Man, He alone is Man's Ruler, He alone has the right to give Man Faith (Din) and Law (system of belief and practice) and judge the disputes of man and tell what is Truth and what is falsehood. No other being has any right whatever to be man's lawgiver. In other words, like the natural sovereignty, the sovereignty with regard to lawmaking also is vested only in Allah. No man or creature, apart from Allah, can be the bearer of this sovereignty. And if a person does not recognize and accept this Divine rule of Allah, it is merely futile for him to recognize the natural sovereignty of Allah.
On this very basis has Allah ordained a Din (True Religion) for Man from the very beginning. It was one and the same Religion that was vouchsafed in every age to all the Prophets. No Prophet ever founded any separate religion of his own. The same one Religion has been enjoined by Allah for all Mankind since the beginning of creation, and all the Prophets have been following it and inviting others to follow it.
This Religion and Creed was not sent so that man may rest content only with believing in it, but it was sent with the purpose and intention that it alone should be introduced, established and enforced in the world, and no man made religion be made to prevail in Allah's earth apart from His Religion. The Prophets had not been appointed only to preach this Religion but to establish it particularly in the world.
This same was the original Religion of mankind, but after the death of the Prophets, selfish people created new creeds by creating schisms for vested interests due to self conceit, vanity and ostentation. All the different religions and creeds found in the world today have resulted from corruption of the original Divine Truth.
Now, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace,) has been sent so that he may present before the people the same and original Religion in place of the various practices and artificial creeds and man made religions, and may try to establish the same. On this, if instead of being grateful, you feel angry and come out to fight him, it is your folly; the Prophet will not abandon his mission only because of your foolishness. He has been enjoined to adhere to his faith at all costs and to carry out the mission to which he has been appointed. Therefore, the people should not cherish any false hope that in order to please thee he would cater to the same whims and superstitions of ignorance which has corrupted Allah's Religion before.
You do not understand how great an impudence it is against Allah to adopt a man made religion and law instead of the Religion and Law enjoined by Allah. You think it is an ordinary thing and there is nothing wrong with it. But in the sight of Allah it is the worst kind of shirk and a grave crime whose punishment will be imposed on all those who enforced their own religion on Allah's earth and those who adopted and followed their religion.
Thus, after presenting a clear and visible concept of Religion it is said:"The best possible method that could be employed for your instruction and for bringing you to the Right Path has already been employed. On the one hand, Allah has sent down His Book, which is teaching you the truth in a most impressive way in your own language; and on the other, the lives of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) and his Companions are present before you by which you can see for yourselves what kind of men are prepared by the guidance given in this Book. Even then if you do not accept this guidance, nothing else in the world can bring you to the Right Path. The only alternative, therefore, is that you should be allowed to persist in the same error in which you have remained involved for centuries, and made to meet with the same doom which has been destined by Allah for such wrongdoers."
While stating these truths, brief arguments have been given, here and there, for Tauhid and the Hereafter, the world worshipers have been warned of the evil consequences and their punishment in the life hereafter, and the disbelievers have been criticized for the moral weaknesses, which were the real cause of their deviation from the truth. The Surah has been concluded with two important themes.
First, that the Holy Prophet was wholly unaware of this concept of the "Book" or the True Faith during the first forty years of his life and then his sudden appearance before the people with those two things, is a manifest proof of his being a Prophet.
Secondly, his presenting his own teaching as the teaching of God does not mean that he claims to have spoken to God, face to face, but God has conveyed to him this Guidance, as in the case of all other Prophets, in three ways: He speaks to His Prophets either through Revelation, or from behind a veil, or He sends an angel with the message. This thing was clarified so that the opponents did not have an opportunity of accusing the Holy Prophet of claiming to have spoken to God, face to face, and the lovers of the truth should know by what methods Allah gave instruction to the man whom He had appointed to the mission of Prophethood.
En el nombre de Allah, el Misericordioso, el Compasivo.
Ḥa, Mim.
‘Ain, Sin, Qaf.
Así te inspira, como a los que hubo antes de ti, Allah, el Poderoso, el Sabio.
Suyo es cuanto hay en los cielos y en la Tierra y es el Excelso, el Inmenso.
A punto están de abrirse de arriba abajo los cielos y la Tierra y los ángeles glorifican a su Señor con la alabanza que Le es debida y piden perdón por los que están en la Tierra. ¿Acaso no es Allah el Perdonador, el Compasivo?
Y a los que han tomado protectores aparte de Él; Allah los vigila, tú no eres su guardián.
Y así es como te hemos inspirado una Recitación árabe para que advirtieras a la madre de las ciudades* y a quien hay a su alrededor y advirtieras del Día de la Concentración sobre el que no hay duda. Un grupo en el Jardín y un grupo en el Sair.
Y si Allah hubiera querido habría hecho una sola comunidad, sin embargo Él hace entrar en Su misericordia a quien quiere y los injustos no tendrán quien los proteja ni quien los auxilie.
¿O es que han tomado protectores aparte de Él? Allah es el Protector, Él da la vida y da la muerte y tiene poder sobre todas las cosas.
Todo aquello en lo que no estáis de acuerdo, su juicio se remite a Allah. Ése es Allah mi Señor, a Él me confío y a Él me vuelvo en todo.
El Originador de los cielos y de la Tierra, os ha dado, de vosotros mismos, esposas y ha hecho a los animales de rebaño también en parejas, así es como os multiplica. No hay nada como Él y Él es el que oye y el que ve.
Posee las llaves de los cielos y de la Tierra y expande y restringe la provisión a quien quiere. Realmente Él es el Conocedor de todas las cosas.
Os ha legislado, dentro de la práctica de Adoración, lo que encomendó a Nuḥ, lo que te hemos inspirado a ti y lo que encomendamos a Ibrahim, Musa e ‘Isa: que establecierais firmemente la práctica de Adoración y no os dividierais en ella. Les resulta excesivo a los asociadores aquello a lo que los llamáis. Allah elige para Sí a quien quiere y guía hacia Él a quien a Él se vuelve.
Y no se dividieron sino después de haberles llegado el conocimiento, por envidias entre ellos. Y si no hubiera sido por una palabra previa que establecía un plazo fijo, se habría decidido entre ellos. Y los que, después de ellos, han heredado el Libro están recelosos en la duda.
Por eso, extiende la llamada, sé recto como se te ha ordenado, no sigas sus deseos y di: Creo en los libros que Allah ha hecho descender y me ha sido ordenado hacer justicia entre vosotros. Allah es nuestro Señor y vuestro Señor, para nosotros serán nuestras obras y para vosotros las vuestras, no hay discusión entre nosotros, Allah nos reunirá y el retorno es hacia Él.
Los que cuestionan a Allah, después de la respuesta que ha tenido*, su argumento no tiene ninguna validez ante su Señor. Sobre ellos caerá la ira y tendrán un violento castigo.
Allah es Quien ha hecho descender el Libro con la verdad y la Balanza; y ¿quién sabe si la Hora estará próxima?
Los que no creen en ella están pidiendo que se adelante, pero los que creen están estremecidos por su causa y saben que es verdad. ¿Acaso los que discuten la Hora no están extraviados, muy lejos?
Allah es Sutil con Sus siervos, provee a quien quiere y es el Fuerte, el Irresistible.
Quien quiera cultivar la Última Vida, le daremos aumento en su cultivo, y quien quiera cultivar esta vida le daremos algo de ella, pero no tendrá parte en la Última.
¿O es que tienen asociados* que les han legitimado cosas en la práctica de Adoración que Allah no ha autorizado? Si no fuera por la sentencia definitiva*, se habría decidido ya entre ellos, realmente los injustos tendrán un doloroso castigo.
Verás a los injustos aterrados a causa de lo que se ganaron; se les vendrá encima. Y los que creyeron y practicaron las acciones de bien tendrán, en los vergeles de los Jardines, lo que quieran junto a su Señor. Ése es el gran favor.
Estas son las buenas noticias que Allah anuncia a Sus siervos que hayan creído y practicado las acciones de bien. Di: No os pido recompensa alguna por ello, sólo que seáis afectuosos con los parientes próximos. Quien adquiera en su haber una buena acción se la aumentaremos con un bien mucho mayor; es cierto que Allah es Perdonador, Agradecido.
¿O es que dicen: Ha inventado una mentira sobre Allah? Cuando, si Allah quisiera, sellaría tu corazón. Allah borra lo falso y confirma la verdad con Su palabra; realmente Él conoce lo que encierran los pechos.
Él es Quien se vuelve sobre Sus siervos pasando por alto sus malas acciones. Y sabe lo que hacéis*.
Él responde a los que creen y practican las acciones de bien y les aumenta Su favor. Pero los incrédulos tendrán un violento castigo.
Si Allah les hubiera dado a Sus siervos una provisión sin límites, se habrían excedido en la Tierra, sin embargo la hace descender en la proporción que Él quiere. Allah tiene pleno conocimiento de Sus siervos y los ve.
Él es Quien hace que caiga la lluvia cuando ellos ya han perdido la esperanza y hace Su misericordia extensa. Él es el Amigo, el Digno de alabanza.
Entre Sus signos está la creación de los cielos y de la Tierra y los animales que en ellos repartió; y Él tiene poder para reunirlos a todos cuando quiera.
Cualquier dolor que os aflija es a causa de lo que se buscaron vuestras manos, sin embargo Él pasa por alto muchas cosas.
No podréis escaparos de Él en la Tierra ni tendréis, aparte de Allah, quien os proteja ni defienda.
Y entre Sus signos están las naves, como hitos, en el mar.
Si quiere detiene los vientos y entonces se quedan inmóviles en la superficie, es cierto que en eso hay signos para todo el que tenga paciencia y sea agradecido.
O las hace naufragar porque ellos se lo buscaron. Y perdona muchas cosas.
Y conoce a los que discuten Nuestros signos, que no tendrán escapatoria.
Las cosas que se os dan son sólo disfrute de la vida de este mundo, pero lo que hay junto a Allah es, para los que creen y se abandonan en su Señor, mejor y más duradero.
Los que se apartan de las faltas graves y las indecencias y, cuando se enfadan, perdonan.
Y los que responden a su Señor, establecen el ṣalat, deciden sus asuntos consultándose mutuamente y dan de la provisión que les damos.
Y aquellos que cuando son víctimas de algún abuso se defienden.
La recompensa de una maldad es una maldad semejante a ella, pero quien pasa por alto y se reconcilia... su recompensa incumbe a Allah; es cierto que Él no ama a los injustos.
Y quien se defienda después de haber sufrido alguna injusticia... no hay razón para ir contra ellos.
Sólo la habrá contra los que abusen de los hombres y se excedan en la Tierra sin derecho; ésos tendrán un castigo doloroso.
Pero quien tenga paciencia y perdone... eso es parte de los asuntos que requieren determinación*.
A quien Allah extravía no tendrá a nadie que lo proteja aparte de Él. Y verás cuando los injustos vean el castigo y digan: ¿Hay alguna forma de volver atrás?
Verás cómo son expuestos ante él, humillados, con la mirada baja a causa de la humillación. Y dirán los que creyeron: Realmente los perdedores son los que se pierdan a sí mismos y a sus familias el Día del Levantamiento. ¿Acaso los injustos no estarán en un castigo permanente?
No tendrán amigos que los auxilien aparte de Allah. Y aquel al que Allah extravía no hay camino para él.
Responded a vuestro Señor antes de que os llegue un día en el que no haya vuelta atrás de parte de Allah. Ese día no tendréis ningún refugio ni podréis negar nada.
Y si se apartan... no te hemos enviado como guardián de ellos, a ti sólo te incumbe transmitir. Y es verdad que cuando al hombre le damos a probar una misericordia que viene de Nos, se alegra, pero si algún mal le afecta a causa de lo que sus manos hicieron, entonces el hombre es desagradecido.
De Allah es la soberanía de los cielos y de la Tierra. El crea lo que quiere, concediéndole a quien quiere hembras y a quien quiere varones.
O concediéndole parejas de varones y hembras. Y a quien quiere lo hace estéril. Realmente Él es Conocedor, Poderoso.
No es propio que Allah le hable a ningún ser humano, excepto por inspiración, o a través de un velo, o por medio de enviar a un Mensajero que le inspire con Su permiso lo que Él quiera. Verdaderamente Él es el Excelso, el Sabio.
Así mismo te hemos inspirado un espíritu que viene de Nuestra orden; antes no sabías qué era el Libro ni qué era creer, pero lo hemos hecho una luz con la que guiar a quien queremos de Nuestros siervos. Es cierto que tú guias hacia un camino recto.
El camino de Allah, a Quien pertenece cuanto hay en los cielos y en la Tierra. ¿Acaso no vuelven a Allah todas las cosas?