Surah At-Tur (52): Read Online and Download - English Translation

Affirming Tawhid and annulling the Plots of the Idolators. This is the position where Tawhid of Allah's Lordship andDivinity are affirmed

Allah the Exalted said,

(Or were they created by nothing Or were they themselves the creators) Allah asks them, were they created without a maker or did they create themselves Neither is true. Allah is the One Who created them and brought them into existence after they were nothing. Al-Bukhari recorded that Jubayr bin Mut`im said, "I heard the Prophet recite Surat At-Tur in Al-Maghrib prayer and when he reached this Ayah,

(Or were they created by nothing Or were they themselves the creators Or did they create the heavens and the earth Nay, but they have no firm belief. Or are with them the treasures of your Lord Or are they the tyrants with the authority to do as they like), I felt my heart would fly away." This Hadith is collected in the Two Sahihs using various chains of narration. Jubayr bin Mut`im went to the Messenger of Allah after the battle of Badr to ransom the captured idolators. At that time, he was still an idolator. Hearing the Prophet recite this Ayah was one of the reasons that he later embraced Islam. Allah the Exalted said, o

(Or did they create the heavens and the earth Nay, but they have no firm belief.) meaning, Allah is censuring the idolators for their idolatry, while asking them if they created the heavens and earth. They knew that Allah Alone is the Creator without partners with Him. However, they fell into idolatry because they had no firm belief,

(Or are with them the treasures of your Lord Or are they the tyrants with the authority to do as they like) meanings, do they have the authority to do whatever they will in His kingdom Do they hold the keys to His treasures in their hands

(or are they the tyrants with the authority to do as they like) meanings, are they the tyrants who would hold the creation to account Never, Allah the Exalted and Most Honored is the Only King and Owner of the existence and He does what He wills. Allah the Exalted said,

(Or have they a stairway, by means of which they listen.) meaning, do they have a stairway to heaven (to the place where the angels are),

(Then let their listener produce some manifest proof.) meaning, let their listener produce evidence to the truth of their actions and statements. They will never be able to do so and therefore, they have nothing and have no evidence for their stance. Allah admonishes them regarding their claim that He has daughters and that the angels are females! The pagans chose for themselves male offspring and preferred them instead of females, and when one of them would be brought the good news of a daughter being born, his face would turn dark on account of his suppressed anger! Yet, they made the angels Allah's daughters and worshipped them besides Allah,

(Or has He only daughters and you have sons) Allah sends a strong warning and stern admonition to them in this Ayah and a sure promise. Allah said,

(Or is it that you ask a wage from them) meaning, `as a remuneration for your preaching Allah's Message to them Nay, you, do not ask them for a wage,'

(so that they are burdened with a load of debt), meaning, for in this situation, one will complain of the least bothersome thing and feel it difficult and burdensome for him,

(Or that the Unseen is with them, and they write it down) means, they do not have knowledge of the Unseen, for none in the heavens or earth knows the Unseen except Allah,

(Or do they intend a plot But those who disbelieve are themselves plotted against!) Allah the Exalted is asking, `Do these people who utter such statements about the Messenger and his religion seek to deceive the people and plot against the Messenger and his Companions If they do, then let them know that their plots will only harm them. Therefore, they are being plotted against rather than being the plotters!'

(Or have they a god other than Allah Glorified be Allah from all that they ascribe as partners (to Him).) This Ayah contains harsh refutation directed at the idolators for worshipping the idols and calling upon rivals along with Allah. Allah next glorifies His Most Honorable Self from what they ascribe to Him, their lies and idolatry,

(Glorified be Allah from all that they ascribe as partners (to Him).)

The Stubbornness of the Idolators; Their Punishment

Allah the Exalted reaffirms the stubbornness of the idolators and their ignorance of what goes around them,

(And if they were to see a piece of the heaven falling down,) meaning, on them as punishment, they would not believe it is coming their way, saying that, these are layers of clouds on top of each other. Allah the Exalted said in other Ayat,

(And even if We opened to them a gate from the heaven and they were to keep on ascending thereto (all day long), they would surely say (in the evening): "Our eyes have been dazzled. Nay, we are a people bewitched.")(15:14-15) Allah the Exalted said,

(So leave them alone), `O Muhammad,'

(till they meet their Day, in which they will sink into a fainting.) on the Day of Resurrection,

(The Day when their plotting shall not avail them at all, ) meaning, on the Day of Resurrection, their deceit and plots they planned in this life shall not help them in the least,

(nor will they be helped.) Allah the Exalted said,

(And verily, for those who do wrong, there is another punishment before this;) meaning, that of being the torment in this world. Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,

(And verily, We will make them taste of the near torment prior to the supreme torment (in the Hereafter), in order that they may return.)(32:21) Allah said;

(but most of them know not.) meaning, `We will torment them in the life of the world and test them with various hardships, so that they might go back and repent. However, they do not understand what is happening to them or why, because when the torment is removed, they revert to committing the worst of what they used to do before.' A Hadith states that,

Ordering the Prophet to have Patience and to glorify Allah

Allah the Exalted said,

(So wait patiently for the decision of your Lord, for verily, you are under Our Eyes;) meaning, `be patient in the face of their annoyance and do not be concerned about it, for you are under Our Eyes and Protection, and We will surely protect you from the people,'

(and glorify the praises of your Lord when you get up.) Ad-Dahhak said, "Meaning to stand for the Salah (and say): "Glorious are You and with Your praise, Hallowed be Your Name, Exalted be Your majesty, and there is no God (worthy of worship) except You." In his Sahih, Muslim recorded that `Umar used to recite this supplication when he began Salah. Ahmad and the Sunan compilers recorded this Hadith from Abu Sa`id and other Companions, who stated that the Prophet used to say that. Abu Al-Jawza' commented on the Ayah;

(and glorify the praises of your Lord when you get up.) "From your sleep, from your bed." And this is the view chosen by Ibn Jarir. Suporting this view is the Hadith that Imam Ahmad recorded that `Ubadah bin As-Samit said that the Messenger of Allah said,

(Whoever gets up at night and says: `La ilaha illallah, He is One without partners. For Him is the kingdom and all praise is due to Him. He has power over all things. Glory be to Allah, and all praise is due to Allah, and La illaha illallah and Allah is Greater. There is neither might nor power except Allah.' And then says, `O Lord! Forgive me.' Or invokes (Allah), he will be responded to it, and if he intends and performs ablution and prays, his prayer will be accepted.) Al-Bukhari and the Sunan compilers also recorded this Hadith. Ibn Abi Najih reported that Mujahid commented on the Ayah,

(and glorify the praises of your Lord when you get up.) saying, "From every gathering you sit in." Ath-Thawri said that Abu Ishaq narrated that Abu Al-Ahwas said that,

(and glorify the praises of your Lord when you get up.) "When a person wants to stand from a gathering, he says: `Glory be to You, O Allah, and with Your praise."' Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said,

(Whoever sits in a gathering in which he speaks idle excessively, but says before he stands up to depart that gathering, `Glory be to You O Allah , and with Your praise, I testify that there is no God (worthy of worship) except You, I seek Your forgiveness, and I repent to You.' Then, Allah will forgive him what he has said in that gathering.) This was recorded by At-Tirmidhi, and this is his wording, and it was also recorded by An-Nasa'i in `Amal Al-Yawm wal-Laylah. At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih." It was also recorded by Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, and he said, "Its chain meets the criteria of Muslim." Allah the Exalted said;

(And in the nighttime also glorify His praises), meaning remember and worship Allah by reciting the Qur'an and praying at night. Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,

(And in some of the night, offer Tahajjud in it as an additional (prayer) for you. It may be that your Lord will raise you to Maqam Mahmud.)(17:79) Allah said;

(and at the setting of the stars.) is in reference to the two voluntary Rak`ahs before the Dawn prayer, according to a Hadith from Ibn `Abbas. These two Rak`ahs are an established Sunnah performed before the stars are about to set. It is confimred in the Two Sahihs from `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said, "The Prophet was never more regular and particular in offering any voluntary prayer than the two (Sunnah) Rak`ahs of the Fajr prayer." In another narration collected by Muslim, the Prophet said,

(Two (Sunnah) Rak`ahs before Fajr are better than this life and all that in it.)This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat At-Tur, all praise and gratitude is due to Allah.