Surah Al-Furqaan (25): Read Online and Download - English Translation

Evidence of the existence of the Creator and the extent of His Power

Here Allah begins explaining the evidence for His existence and His perfect power to create various things and pairs of opposites. Allah says:

(Have you not seen how your Lord spread the shadow.) Ibn `Abbas, Ibn `Umar, Abu Al-`Aliyah, Abu Malik, Masruq, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, An-Nakha`i, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, As-Suddi and others said, "This refers to the period from the beginning of the dawn until the sun rises."

(If He willed, He could have made it still) meaning, immobile, never changing. This is like the Ayat:

(Say : "Tell me! If Allah made the night continuous for you...") (28:71)

(but We have made the sun its guide.) means, were it not for the sun rising, it would not be there, for a thing can only be known in contrast to its opposite. Qatadah and As-Suddi said, "The sun is a guide which follows the shade until the shade disappears. "

(Then We withdraw it towards Ourselves -- a gradual withdrawal.) This refers to the shade.

(gradual) meaning slowly. As-Suddi said: "A gentle, concealed, withdrawal until there is no shade left on earth except under a roof or a tree, and the sun is shining on whatever is above it."

(a gradual withdrawal.) Ayyub bin Musa said: "Little by little.

(And it is He Who makes the night a covering for you,) It covers and conceals all things. This is like the Ayah:

(By the night as it envelops) (92:1).

(and the sleep a repose,) means, a halt to movement so that bodies may rest. For the faculties and limbs get tired from their constant movement during the day when one goes out to earn a living. When night comes, and it becomes quiet, they stop moving, and rest; so sleep provides a rejuvenation for both the body and the soul.

(and makes the day Nushur) meaning, people get up and go out to earn a living and attend to their business. This is like the Ayah:

(It is out of His mercy that He has made for you the night and the day that you may rest therein and that you may seek of His bounty...) (28:73)

This is also part of His complete power and supreme authority:

Allah sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings, i.e., they bring the clouds behind them. The winds are of many different types, depending on the purpose for which they are sent. Some of them form the clouds, others carry the clouds or drive them, and others come ahead of the clouds as heralds announcing their coming. Some of them come before that to stir up the earth, and some of them fertilize or "seed" the clouds to make it rain. Allah says:

(and We send down pure water from the sky), meaning, as a means of purifying it. Abu Sa`id said, "It was said: "O Messenger of Allah, can we perform Wudu' with the water of the well of Buda`ah For it is a well in which rubbish and the flesh of dogs are thrown. He said:

(Water is pure and nothing makes it impure.) This was recorded by Ash-Shafi`i and Ahmad, who graded it Sahih, and also by Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi, who graded it Hasan, and by An-Nasa'i. His saying:

(That We may give life thereby to a dead land,) means, a land that waited a long time for rain. It is devoid of vegetation or anything at all. When the rain comes to it, it becomes alive and its hills are covered with all kinds of colorful flowers, as Allah says:

(but when We send down water to it, it is stirred to life and growth...) (41:39). His saying:

(and We give to drink thereof many of the cattle and men that We had created. ) means, so that animals such as cattle can drink from it, and people who are in desperate need of water can drink from it and water their crops and fruits. This is like the Ayah:

(And He it is Who sends down the rain after they have despaired,) (42:28)

(Look then at the effects of Allah's mercy, how He revives the earth after its death.) (30:50) His saying:

(And indeed We have distributed it among them in order that they may remember) means, `We cause rain to fall on this land and not on that, and We cause the clouds to pass over one land and go to another, where We cause sufficient rain to fall so that its people have plenty, but not one drop falls on the first land.' There is a reason and great wisdom behind this. Ibn `Abbas and Ibn Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with them said: "One year does not have more rain than another, but Allah distributes the rain as He wills. Then he recited this Ayah:

(And indeed We have distributed it (rain or water) amongst them in order that they may remember the grace of Allah, but most men refuse (out of) ingratitude. )" meaning, so that they may be reminded, when Allah brings the dead earth back to life, that He is able to bring the dead and dry bones back to life, or that those from whom rain is withheld are suffering this because of some sin they have committed, so that they may give it up.

(but most men refuse (out of) ingratitude.) `Ikrimah said, "This refers to those who say that rain comes because of such and such a star." This view of `Ikrimah is similar to the authentic Hadith recorded in Sahih Muslim; one day after a night's rain, the Messenger of Allah said to his Companions:

(Do you know what your Lord says) They said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said:

(He says: "This morning some of My servants became believers in Me, and some became disbelievers. As for the one who said, `We have been given rain by the mercy and grace of Allah,' he is a believer in Me and a disbeliever in the stars. As for the one who said, `We have been given rain by such and such a star,' he is a disbeliever in Me and a believer in the stars.")

The universality of the Prophet's Message, how He was supported in His Mission and Allah's Blessings to Mankind

Allah says:

(And had We willed, We would have raised a warner in every town.) `Calling them to Allah, but We have singled you out, O Muhammad, to be sent to all the people of earth, and We have commanded you to convey the Qur'an,'

(that I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach) (6:19).

(but those of the sects that reject it, the Fire will be their promised meeting place) (11:17).

(that you may warn the Mother of the Towns and all around it) (42:7).

(Say: "O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah...") (7:158). In the Two Sahihs (it is reported that the Prophet said:)

(I have been sent to the red and the black. ) And:

(...A Prophet would be sent to his own people, but I have been sent to all of mankind.) Allah says:

(So obey not the disbelievers, but strive hard against them with it.) meaning, with the Qur'an. This was the view of Ibn `Abbas.

(with the utmost endeavour.) This is like the Ayah,

(O Prophet! Strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites,) (9:73)

(And it is He Who has let free the two seas, this is palatable and sweet, and that is salty and bitter;) means, He has created the two kinds of water, sweet and salty. The sweet water is like that in rivers, springs and wells, which is fresh, sweet, palatable water. This was the view of Ibn Jurayj and of Ibn Jarir, and this is the meaning without a doubt, for nowhere in creation is there a sea which is fresh and sweet. Allah has told us about reality so that His servants may realize His blessings to them and give thanks to Him. The sweet water is that which flows amidst people. Allah has portioned it out among His creatures according to their needs; rivers and springs in every land, according to what they need for themselves and their lands.

(and that is salty and bitter;) meaning that it is salty, bitter and not easy to swallow. This is like the seas that are known in the east and the west, the Atlantic Ocean and the Straits that lead to it, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Persian Gulf, the China Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and so on, all the seas that are stable and do not flow, but they swell and surge in the winter and when the winds are strong, and they have tides that ebb and flow. At the beginning of each month the tides ebb and flood, and when the month starts to wane they retreat until they go back to where they started. When the crescent of the following month appears, the tide begins to ebb again until the fourteenth of the month, then it decreases. Allah, may He be glorified, the One Whose power is absolute, has set these laws in motion, so all of these seas are stationary, and He has made their water salty lest the air turn putrid because of them and the whole earth turn rotten as a result, and lest the earth spoil because of the animals dying on it. Because its water is salty, its air is healthy and its dead are good (to eat), hence when the Messenger of Allah was asked whether sea water can be used for Wudu', he said:

(Its water is pure and its dead are lawful.) This was recorded by Malik, Ash-Shafi`i and Ahmad, and by the scholars of Sunan with a good Jayyid chain of narration.

(and He has set a barrier and a complete partition between them. ) meaning, between the sweet water and the saltwater.

(a barrier) means a partition, which is dry land.

(and a complete partition) means, a barrier, to prevent one of them from reaching the other. This is like the Ayat:

(He has let loose the two seas meeting together. Between them is a barrier which none of them can transgress. Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny) (55:19-21)

(Is not He Who has made the earth as a fixed abode, and has placed rivers in its midst, and placed firm mountains therein, and set a barrier between the two seas Is there any god with Allah Nay, but most of them know not!) (27:61)

(And it is He Who has created man from water,) means, He created man from a weak Nutfah, then gave him shape and formed him, and completed his form, male and female, as He willed.

(and has appointed for him kindred by blood, and kindred by marriage.) in the beginning, he is someone's child, then he gets married and becomes a son-in-law, then he himself has sons-in-law and other relatives through marriage. All of this comes from a despised liquid, Allah says:

(And your Lord is Ever All-Powerful to do what He wills.)

The Ignorance of the Idolators

Allah tells us how ignorant the idolators are; instead of worshipping Allah, they worship idols which do not possess the power either to harm or benefit. They do this with no evidence or proof; the only thing that led them to do this was their own whims and desires. So they take these idols as protectors and fight for their sake, and they oppose Allah and His Messenger and the believers for their sake. Similarly Allah says:

(and the disbeliever is ever a helper against his Lord.) meaning, he is a supporter of Shaytan against the party of Allah, but the party of Allah are the ones who will prevail, as Allah says:

(And they have taken besides Allah gods, hoping that they might be helped. They cannot help them, but they will be brought forward as a troop against those who worshipped them.) (36:74-75) meaning, the gods which they worshipped instead of Allah cannot help them. These ignorant people are troops for the idols and are ready to fight for their sake and protect their sanctuaries, but in the end the victory will be for Allah and His Messenger and the believers, in this world and the Hereafter.

(and the disbeliever is ever a helper against his Lord. ) Mujahid said: "He supports and helps the Shaytan in disobedience towards Allah.

The Messenger brings Glad Tidings and Warnings

Then Allah tells His Messenger:

(And We have sent you only as a bearer of good news and a warner.) meaning, a bringer of good news to the believers, a warner to the disbelievers; bringing good news of Paradise to those who obey Allah, and bringing warnings of a dreadful punishment for those who go against the commandments of Allah.

(Say: "No reward do I ask of you for this...") `for conveying this message and this warning, I do not ask for any reward from your wealth; I am only doing this for the sake of Allah, may He be exalted.'

(To whomsoever among you who wills to walk straight) (81:28).

(save that whosoever wills, may take a path to his Lord.) means, a way and a methodology to be followed.

The Command to the Messenger to put his Trust in Allah, and someof His Qualities

Then Allah says:

(And put your trust in the Ever Living One Who dies not,) meaning, in all your affairs, put your trust in Allah, the Ever-Living Who never dies, the One Who

(is the First and the Last, the Most High and the Most Near. And He is the All-Knower of everything) (57:3). The Eternal, Ever-Lasting, Ever-Living, Self-Sufficient One, the Lord and Sovereign of all things, the One to Whom you should always turn. Allah is the One in Whom you should put your trust and to Whom you should turn for refuge, He will be sufficient for you and will be your helper and supporter, and will cause you to prevail. As Allah says:

(O Messenger! Proclaim which has been sent down to you from your Lord. And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message. Allah will protect you from mankind) (5:67).

(and glorify His praises,) means, combine praising Him with glorifying Him. Hence the Messenger of Allah used to say:

(Glory be to You, O Allah, and with Your praise.) So the Ayah means: be sincere in worshipping Him and putting your trust in Him. This is like the Ayat:

(The Lord of the east and the west; there is no God but He. So take Him as a Trustee.) (73:9)

(So worship Him and put your trust in Him) (11:123).

(Say: "He is the Most Gracious, in Him we believe, and in Him we put our trust.") (67:29)

(and sufficient is He as the All-Knower of the sins of His servants) means, by His perfect knowledge nothing is hidden from Him nor can anything be hidden from Him, not even a speck of dust's weight.

(Who created the heavens and the earth...) means, He is the Ever-Living Who never dies, He is the Creator, Sustainer and Sovereign of all things, Who by His might and power created the seven heavens with their vast height and width, and the seven earths with their great depths and density.

(in six Days. Then He rose over the Throne.) means, He is running all affairs and He decrees according to the truth, and He is the best of those who decide.

(Then He rose over (Istawa) the Throne. The Most Gracious! Ask Him, as He is the All-Knower.) meaning, find out about Him from one who knows most about Him, and follow him and take him as your example. It is known that there is no one who knows more about Allah than His servant and Messenger Muhammad , the absolute leader of the sons of Adam in this world and the Hereafter, who does not speak of his own desire, but conveys revelation revealed to him. What he says is true, and he is the leader whose decision counts; when there is a dispute, people are obliged to refer to him, and whatever is in accordance with his words and deeds is right, and whatever goes against them should be rejected no matter who says or does it. Allah says:

((And) if you differ in anything among yourselves...) (4:59).

(And in whatsoever you differ, the decision thereof is with Allah) (42:10).

(And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice) (6: 115). meaning, He has spoken the truth and is fair and just in His commands and prohibitions. Allah says here:

(Ask Him, as He is Al-Knower.)

Condemnation of the Idolators

Then Allah rebukes the idolators who prostrate to idols and rivals instead of Allah:

(And when it is said to them: "Prostrate yourselves to Ar-Rahman!" They say: "And what is Ar-Rahman") meaning: we do not know Ar-Rahman. They did not like to call Allah by His Name Ar-Rahman (the Most Gracious), as they objected on the day of (the treaty of) Al-Hudaybiyyah, when the Prophet told the scribe:

(Write: "In the Name of Allah, Ar-Rahman (the Most Gracious), Ar-Rahim (the Most Merciful).") They said, "We do not know Ar-Rahman or Ar-Rahim. Write what you used to write: `Bismika Allahumma (in Your Name, O Allah)."' So Allah revealed the words:

(Say: "Invoke Allah or invoke Ar-Rahman, by whatever name you invoke Him (it is the same), for to Him belong the Best Names) (17:110). meaning, He is Allah and He is the Most Gracious. And in this Ayah, Allah said:

(And when it is said to them: "Prostrate yourselves to Ar-Rahman!" They say: "And what is the Ar-Rahman") meaning: we do not know or approve of this Name.

(Shall we fall down in prostration to that which you command us) means, "Just because you tell us to"

(And it increases in them only aversion.) As for the believers, they worship Allah Who is the Most Gracious, Most Merciful, and they attribute divinity to Him Alone and prostrate to Him. The scholars, agree that it is allowed and approved for the reader and the listener to prostrate when he reaches this mention of prostration in Surat Al-Furqan, and Allah knows best.