• None Shall Bear The Burden Of The Other

• God (Alone) Is The Ultimate End Of Every One

• The Omnipotence Of God

• Reference To The Fate Of The People Of The Previous Prophets For Their Disbelief

• All Shall Prostrate In Obeisance To God The Lord Of Everything, Of The Whole Universe

An-Najm Verses 33 - 62

أَفَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي تَوَلَّىٰ

“Hast thou then seen him who hath turned his back” (53:33)

وَأَعْطَىٰ قَلِيلًا وَأَكْدَىٰ

“And giveth he a little and withholdeth (his hand)” (53:34)

أَعِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ الْغَيْبِ فَهُوَ يَرَىٰ

“What! Is with him the know-ledge of the unseen that he seeth” (53:35)

أَمْ لَمْ يُنَبَّأْ بِمَا فِي صُحُفِ مُوسَىٰ

“Or hath he not been told of what is in the scriptures of Moses?” (53:36)

وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ الَّذِي وَفَّىٰ

“And of Abraham who fully discharged (his mission)?” (53:37)

لَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ

“That no bearer of a burden shall bear the burden of another1“ (53:38)

وَأَنْ لَيْسَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ

“And that there is not for man (aught) save what he striveth for2“ (53:39)

وَأَنَّ سَعْيَهُ سَوْفَ يُرَىٰ

“And that his striving shall soon be seen3“ (53:40)

ثُمَّ يُجْزَاهُ الْجَزَاءَ الْأَوْفَىٰ

“Then shall he be recompensed to the fullest measure” (53:41)

وَأَنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ الْمُنْتَهَىٰ

“And that unto thy Lord is the end (of all)4“ (53:42)

وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَضْحَكَ وَأَبْكَىٰ

“And verily He it is Who causeth (one) to laugh and causeth (him) to weep” (53:43)

وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَمَاتَ وَأَحْيَا

“And that He it is Who causeth death and causeth life” (53:44)

وَأَنَّهُ خَلَقَ الزَّوْجَيْنِ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنْثَىٰ

“And He it is Who createth pairs, the male and the female” (53:45)

مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ إِذَا تُمْنَىٰ

“From the sperm when it is discharged” (53:46)

وَأَنَّ عَلَيْهِ النَّشْأَةَ الْأُخْرَىٰ

“And that on Him (alone) is the raising for a second time” (53:47)

وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَغْنَىٰ وَأَقْنَىٰ

“And that He it is Who enricheth and bestoweth contention” (53:48)

وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ رَبُّ الشِّعْرَىٰ

“And that He it is Who is the Lord of Sirius5“ (53:49)

وَأَنَّهُ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا الْأُولَىٰ

“And that He did destroy (the powerful) ‘Ad of the ancient (times)6“ (53:50)

وَثَمُودَ فَمَا أَبْقَىٰ

“And Thamood, and He spared not (one to survive)” (53:51)

وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ مِنْ قَبْلُ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا هُمْ أَظْلَمَ وَأَطْغَىٰ

“And the people of Noah before; Verily they, they were the most unjust and the most transgressing” (53:52)

وَالْمُؤْتَفِكَةَ أَهْوَىٰ

“And the cities overthrown (it is) He (Who) did overthrow” (53:53)

فَغَشَّاهَا مَا غَشَّىٰ

“So covered them what did cover” (53:54)

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارَىٰ

“Which then of the bounties of thy Lord wilt thou dispute about?” (53:55)

هَٰذَا نَذِيرٌ مِنَ النُّذُرِ الْأُولَىٰ

“This (Our Apostle Muhammad) is a Warner of the warners of old7“ (53:56)

أَزِفَتِ الْآزِفَةُ

“Draweth nigh the (Hour of Reckoning which is) ever drawing nigh” (53:57)

لَيْسَ لَهَا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ كَاشِفَةٌ

“None there is for it other than God to lay it bare8“ (53:58)

أَفَمِنْ هَٰذَا الْحَدِيثِ تَعْجَبُونَ

“What! Wonder ye then at this statement?” (53:59)

وَتَضْحَكُونَ وَلَا تَبْكُونَ

“And laugh ye and not weep?” (53:60)

وَأَنْتُمْ سَامِدُونَ

“And yet sport ye (negligently)” (53:60)

فَاسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ وَاعْبُدُوا ۩

“Therefore, prostrate ye in obeisance unto God and worship Him (alone)” (53:60)

Wajib Sajdah i.e., Compulsory Prostration after this Verse.

Commentary

Verses 33 - 34

“He who turns back” refers to those who forsake the faith like those who left the Holy Prophet in the midst of danger and ran away from the battles of Uhud and Hunayn.

According to Minhaj us-Sadiqin Uthman bargained with Abdullah Ibn Ubay for a camel load of merchandise if Abdullah would take upon himself the sins of Uthman. After giving the merchandise Uthman put a stop to alms giving relying upon Abdullah's undertaking. Then these verses were revealed. If we accept Islam, we must accept it whole-heartedly and not look back to pagan superstitions. No man can bargain about spiritual matters, for he cannot see what his end will be in the hereafter. It is the unchangeable law of Allah in every age that no bearer of burden can bear the burden of another (M.S.).

Verse 35

The question is to say that the one who believed in Abdullah’s undertaking the responsibility of his sins and stopped his charity did not have the knowledge of the hidden, i.e., whether what Abdullah claimed to hold himself responsible for the other man’s sins, had any truth in it or not.

Verse 38

The verse 38 answers the question asked in Verse 35.

For further details, see the commentary of 2:48; 2:123; 2:254; 6:165; 17:15; 35:18.

Verse 39

Note the individual responsibility every man and woman is charged with to work goodness and shun evil as much as one could do it and thus make this world itself a blissful place to live in.

Verse 49

The constellation beyond the Zodiac line which was the object of some star worshippers. (A.P.)

Verse 55

The minutest functions in the universe are subject to Allah's sovereignty, so the whole universe is before Him in a single view at every moment (A.P.).

Verse 57

According to Ibn al-‘Arabi in his commentary, it may refer to the advent of the Last Mahdi, Muhammad Ibn al-Hasan al-Mahdi - the last Imam, and the partial resurrection and it can also refer to the Total Resurrection (A.P.).

Verse 62

Prostration is compulsory at the recitation of this verse for there is the command of the Lord to do it and it must immediately be obeyed then and there and the later part of the Verse is to obey them, i. e., to serve Him, which means to mould the life as a whole as desired by the Lord and actuate it accordingly and not as forced by one’s passions.

• 1. No one shall bear the burden of another. Refer to Verses 2:48; 2:123; 2:254; 17:15; 35:18.
• 2. Refer to Verse 52:21.
• 3. Refer to Verse 52:21.
• 4. Refer to Verses 79:42-44.
• 5. A deity of the heathens - zosh-shara was represented in Petra by a quadrangular block of unhewn black stone 4’ high and 2’ wide - associated with the idol ‘Manat’ - Sirius was also worshipped by the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans.
• 6. Refer to Verses 7:65; 89:6.
• 7. In the line of.
• 8. To remove it, to avert it