Verses 1–8

يُسَبِّحُ لِلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلْمَلِكِ ٱلْقُدُّوسِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْحَكِيمِ ۝١

62:1 Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth declares the glory of Allah, the King, the Holy, the Mighty, the Wise.

38:137The word al-tasbīḥ means “considering or declaring something transcendent, and ascribing it to purity and integrity from defects, faults, and shortcomings (thereby declaring it to be free of or transcending every impurity, imperfection, and everything derogatory; glorifying and exalting it above what is imputed to it of imperfection).” The expression of this concept in this verse by means of the present tense verb yusabbiḥu indicates continuity. This is while the word al-malik (the King) means “the authority and specialization to control and govern a social system,” and the word al-quddūs (the Holy), which is an exaggerated form of the word al-quds, means “transcendence and purity.” The word al-ʿazīz (the Mighty) is a reference to one whom no conqueror conquers or overcomes, and (finally) the word al-ḥakīm (the Wise) is a reference to one who is perfect in his deeds and so does not do anything aimlessly or due to ignorance.

This verse serves as evidentiary introduction to what the next verse says, which is He it is Who raised among the unlettered ones, a Messenger from among themselves, who recites to them His communications and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom, although they were before certainly in clear error (62:2). 62:1 serves as evidentiary introduction to 62:2 for what 62:2 says regarding the sending forth of the Messenger (Muḥammad), which was for the sake of perfecting humankind, rendering them happy and blessed, and guiding them after they had been in manifest error.

This is as follows: The existents of the heavens and the earth glorify and declare God transcendent due to what they themselves suffer, of deficiency and imperfection, which He completes and perfects, as well as what they suffer of needs, which He fulfils. Thus there is no deficiency or imperfection save that it is anticipated and expected that He shall complete and perfect it, and there is no need save that it is anticipated and expected that He shall fulfil it. Consequently, He is the one glorified, praised, and declared transcendent of every deficiency, imperfection, and need. Therefore, it is His prerogative to rule and hold sway over the system of creation as He wishes, and it is His prerogative to administer, regulate, and hold sway over the system of legislation among His servants as He intends. Why not? When He is the King (al-malik)! It is His prerogative to reign over those who exist in His realm while it is their duty to obey Him.

Thus when He decreed and enacted a religion for them, it was not due to His need of their worship of Him or due to a deficiency in Him which He sought to complete by means of their worship of Him. This is because He is pure, transcendent, and free of every defect and need (al-quddūs). Yet when He decreed and enacted a religion and conveyed it to them in particular, while He was in no need of doing so, and He called them to it by means of His messengers, they (His creatures) did not respond to His call positively, rather they disobeyed and revolted against His obedience. But that was not due to them rendering Him incapable and helpless! This is because He is unconquerable, powerful, and mighty (al-ʿazīz). No vanquisher can overcome Him as he likes!

38:138Moreover, what He decreed and enacted of a religion, since He is the king (al-malik), the pure, the transcendent (al-quddūs), and the mighty (al-ʿazīz), is not void, erroneous, frivolous, or ineffectual, for He is absolutely wise and perfect (al-ḥakīm). Whatever He does is but for a benefit and an advantage (for His creatures), nor does He demand from His creatures what He demands of them save for a benefit that returns to them, and for the goodness that they partake of, due to which their conditions and circumstances become upright in this world and in the hereafter.

In sum total, His enacting a religion and revealing the book by means of a messenger who conveys it to His creatures by reciting out to them His verses, and purifies them and teaches them, is a favor from Him and a grace, just as He says He it is Who raised among the unlettered ones, a Messenger from among themselves, who recites to them His communications and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom, although they were before certainly in clear error (62:2). (Consequently, He is the one glorified, praised, and declared transcendent of every deficiency, imperfection, and need, and most worthy and deserving of such glory and praise).

هُوَ ٱلَّذِى بَعَثَ فِى ٱلْأُمِّيِّـۧنَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا۟ مِن قَبْلُ لَفِى ضَلَـٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ ۝٢

62:2 He it is Who raised among the unlettered ones, a Messenger from among themselves, who recites to them His communications and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom, and they were before certainly in clear error.

The word ummiyyīn in this verse is the plural of ummiyy, which means “one who does not read and write,” which is understood to refer to the Arabs according to one suggestion. This is due to the paucity of those among them who could read and write. The Prophet Muḥammad was from them, which means he was from their kind and race (jins) (that is, from the Arab race), but that does not mean he was sent (only) to them for (in fact) he was from them but sent to the entirety of mankind.

It is held that the word ummiyyīn refers to people who do not have a revealed scripture and therefore are not of the People of the Book (ahl al-kitab), such as what God recounts (in the Qur’an) the Jews to have said (regarding them) ...this is because they say: There is not upon us in the matter of the ummiyyīn any way (to reproach); and they tell a lie against Allah while they know (3:75). However, such identification for the word ummiyyīn does not sit well with the part of 62:2 which reads ...who recites to them His communications... (for it would mean that the Prophet recited God’s communications only to people who do not have a revealed scripture) while the Prophet did not specify the non-Arabs and those who did not have a revealed scripture with any part of his call that he did not also present to them (that is, to the Arabs and the People of the Book).

38:139It is also held that the word ummiyyīn refers to the Meccans because they (the Arabs at the time) used to call Mecca ‘umm al-qurā’ (mother (or centre) of villages/small towns), however this identification does not sit well with the Medinan provenance of this chapter for it misleadingly renders the two plural suf x pronouns him and hum (meaning: them) (in yuzakkīhim (purifies them) and yuʿallimuhum (teaches them)) as appertaining to the Meccan emigrants, and whoever became Muslim from the Meccans after the conquest of Mecca, and those after them, which is far from Qur’anic sentiment.

There is no contradiction between the Prophet Muḥammad being from the unlettered ones, raised among them, and being sent to them and to others, which is clear. This is while his reciting to them God’s communications and purifying and teaching them the book and wisdom was due to its revelation in their language, which was the first stage of the Prophet’s mission. Thereafter, when his mission and call became established to an extent, the Prophet began to call the Jews, the Christians, and the Magians, and wrote letters to kings and chiefs.

The supplication of Abraham and Ishmael, which God narrates in the Qur’an, is likewise: Our Lord! And make us both submissive to Thee and (raise) from our offspring a nation submitting to Thee (2:128). Our Lord! And raise up in them a Messenger from among them who shall recite to them Thy communications and teach them the Book and the wisdom, and purify them; surely Thou art the Mighty, the Wise (2:129) in that it includes the totality of Ishmael’s descendants from the Arabs of the Muḍar, which is more general and encompassing than the inhabitants of Mecca and beyond them, and it does not contradict him being sent to them and to others.

The statement, ...who recites to them His communications... means the communications of God’s book, despite the Prophet being unlettered, which serves as a description or attribute of the Prophet. The next part of this verse reads ...and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom... The word al-tazkiya is a verbal noun of the second form of Arabic verbal forms and is (derived) from al-zakāh, which means “wholesome, pure, and righteous growth and development which accompanies goodness and blessings.” Thus the Prophet’s purification of them means his causing their growth and development, one that is wholesome, pure, and righteous, which he does by habituating them to virtuous morals and righteous deeds, thereby allowing them to complete and perfect their humanity, and thereby rendering their worldly and hereafterly situation upright and wholesome, allowing them to live a blessed life and die a blessed death.

38:140‘Teaching the book’ means enunciating the words that constitute its verses, and explaining and interpreting what is ambiguous and obscure of these verses. Corresponding to it is the teaching of wisdom which is the actual and real knowledge contained in the Qur’an. This is while expressing the Qur’an at times by using the word ‘communications’ (āyāt) and at other times by the word ‘the book’ (al-kitāb) is in order to indicate that the Qur’an is, by means of both these expressions, a blessing and a boon that God has granted—as it is suggested.

In 62:2, mention of ‘wholesome and pure growth and development’ (altazkiya) precedes mention of ‘teaching the book and wisdom’ (taʿlīm al-kitāb wa al-ḥikma). This is in contrast to how their sequence occurs in Abraham’s supplication in (2:129). The reason for the difference is because 62:2 describes the Prophet’s act of nurturing and bringing up the believers who make up his community. Purification takes precedence in the process of nurturing and upbringing to teaching true knowledge and wisdom. As for Abraham’s supplication, it is an invocation where he beseeches that such purity and wholesome growth, as well as knowledge of the book and wisdom take place or is actualized and comes true in his progeny. At the stage of actualization and characterization, knowledge and wisdom take precedence in terms of order, and are superior in terms of degree to purity and wholesome growth, which refers to deeds and morals.

The concluding statement ...and they were before certainly in clear error (wa in kānū min qablu lafī ḍalālin mubīn) has the particle in at its inception. It is the contracted form of inna, (in terms of pronunciation, and has the effect of lending emphasis to the context). The purport is to convey that ‘they certainly were, before the sending forth of the Messenger, in clear error’. Thus this verse serves as praise after the glorification (in the first verse) and it occurs in the context of invoking gratitude as it shall soon be made clear.

وَءَاخَرِينَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوا۟ بِهِمْ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ۝٣

63:3 And others from among them who have not yet joined them;

and He is the Mighty, the Wise.

This verse is a conjunction to the previous verse where it is understood to join it after the mention of ‘the unlettered ones’. The masculine third person plural pronominal suf x hum (them) in minhum (from among them) refers to the ummiyyīn—unlettered ones—while the preposition min (from) has the meaning of partitiveness (al-tabʿīḍ—denoting something being a part of something or part of a whole). Hence the meaning obtained is: “He it is Who raised among the unlettered ones (62:2), and among others from among them (that is, from among the unlettered ones) who have not yet joined them, and He is the Mighty who is not overcome in His intentions and desires, the Wise who does not act foolishly or aimlessly.”¹

ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ ۝٤

38:14162:4 That is Allah’s grace; He grants it to whom He pleases, and

Allah is the Lord of mighty grace.

The masculine singular demonstrative pronoun dhālika (that) at the beginning of this verse refers to the sending forth of the Messenger Muḥammad (mentioned in 62:2-3). God has aggrandized the matter of the sending forth of the Prophet by using the demonstrative pronoun dhālika (that), which is a demonstrative pronoun of distance. Thus the Prophet Muḥammad is rendered special by ‘God’s grace’. And so, the meaning of this verse is: “that sending forth of the Messenger where he recites God’s communications, purifies mankind, and teaches them the book and wisdom is from God’s grace and His bestowal. He bestows it on whomsoever His wills, and He willed to bestow it on Muḥammad, and God is the possessor of mighty grace.” This is how the Qur’an commentators have explained this verse.

But it is possible that the reference of the demonstrative pronoun dhālika in this verse, while being a reference to the matter of the sending forth of the messenger, is in respect of the relationship the phenomenon of ‘the sending forth’ has with its terminal points, in the meaning of ‘the one sent forth as a messenger (al-mursal)’ and ‘those to whom the messenger was sent (al-mursal ilayhim)’. Consequently, the meaning of this verse would be: ‘that sending forth of the Messenger where he recites God’s communications, purifies mankind, and teaches them the book and wisdom is from the grace of God. He grants it to whoever He wishes and He wished to favor Muḥammad with this grace, and so He chose him as a messenger sent forth (al-mursal), and He chose to favor his (Muḥammad’s) community with this grace, and so chose them for that. Consequently, He rendered the Prophet from among them and sent him to them (al-mursal ilayhim)’.

38:142This verse and the two verses preceding it (that is, 62:2-4 altogether) occur in the context of invoking gratitude.

مَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ حُمِّلُوا۟ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوهَا كَمَثَلِ ٱلْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَارًۢا ۚ بِئْسَ مَثَلُ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ۝٥

62:5 The likeness of those who were charged with the Torah, then they did not observe it, is as the likeness of the ass bearing books, evil is the likeness of the people who belie the communications of

Allah; and Allah does not guide the unjust people.

Al-Rāghib writes that the word al-safr, when spelt thus, means ‘removing the cover or the veil; unveiling/uncovering/stripping off, and it pertains to (certain acts of) the nobles (or to those who belong to the upper echelons of society) such as (a man) unwinding or stripping off the turban from the head (thereby uncovering it) or (a woman) removing the veil from the face (thereby uncovering it)’. He then writes: This is while the word al-sifr (pl: al-asfār, which is the word that occurs in this verse), when spelt thus, means the book which uncovers the realities (or brings them to light) or unveils the truth (thereby bringing it to light)’. (Al-Rāghib then cites 62:5 as a relevant example of this word as follows): God says ...is as the likeness of the ass bearing books (asfārā)...

The phrase ...charged with the Torah... in this verse means “(charged with) its teachings” while the meaning of the part of this verse that says ... observe it... means “to act on it” in light of what the context advocates (and so therefore then they did not observe it means “then they did not act on it” (that is, on its teachings)). This meaning is also attested by the part of this verse that says ...evil is the likeness of the people who belie the communications of Allah... The identity of ...those who were charged with the Torah, then they did not observe it is the Jews. God revealed the Torah to their messenger Moses who taught them its contents, consisting of wisdom and laws, but they abandoned the Torah and did not act according to it. Thus they were charged with the Torah but they did not observe it and as a result God struck a simile about them which is that they were like a donkey carrying books. The donkey does not know what the books contain of knowledge, wisdom, and realities. Thus it does not gain anything from carrying them save fatigue due to the burden of its weight.

The perspective by which this verse is related to the verses before it is as follows: God began His speech (at the beginning of this chapter) by mentioning His favors to the Muslims, which was sending forth an unlettered prophet from among the unlettered ones who recites to them the verses of His book, purifies them, and teaches them the book and wisdom, thereby drawing them out from the darkness of misguidance to the light of guidance, and from the depths of ignorance to the apex of knowledge and wisdom. (This was similar to how He had sent the Prophet Moses to his own people (the Israelites/Jews) with the Torah.) And then at the end of this chapter, God mentions His rebuke and censure of what the Muslims had done in terms of breaking up and scattering off, rushing to trade and amusement while the Prophet was standing preaching to them on Friday; an act which constituted underestimating and belittling what was one of the greatest religious rituals, and manifested that the Muslims did not appreciate it as it deserved nor did they give it its due (which resembled what the Jews had done in terms of failing to observe the teachings of the Torah and belying it).

38:143And so therefore, God objected to that (deed of the Muslims) by means of this simile, and reminded the Muslims of the condition of the Jews whence they were charged with the Torah but then did not bear its responsibility well. Thus they proved to be like donkeys carrying books, and they did not benefit from what was in it of knowledge and wisdom. Therefore, it was incumbent on the Muslims to pay attention to and to take care of the matters of their faith, and to fear God in every situation; to esteem, revere, and honor His Messenger and not to belittle or underestimate the teachings he came forth with. Further, they should beware that they may come to merit God’s wrath as did the Jews when the latter failed to act on what they knew (just as the Muslims had failed to appreciate and honor the teaching of the Friday ritual prayer, ṣalāt al-jumuʿa). Consequently, God labelled the Jews ignorant and oppressive and likened them to donkeys carrying books.

On the other hand, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī (al-Ālūsī) is of the opinion that the perspective by which this verse is related to those preceding it is in the allusion it contains to the messenger sent forth by God. God had sent him forth with what He had described him in the Torah and on the tongues of the prophets of the Children of Israel, as if it was said: ‘God is the One who sent forth the one foretold in the Torah, the one described in it as an unlettered prophet sent to an unlettered people, hence the similitude of one who came to know the prophet’s description in the Torah and recognized him but then did not believe in him (thereby belying him), is as the similitude of the donkey (carrying books)’. This is where his interpretation terminates and you (the reader) are proficient enough to judge how arbitrary this interpretation is at best, and has no basis from the point of view of the context.

قُلْ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ هَادُوٓا۟ إِن زَعَمْتُمْ أَنَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ لِلَّهِ مِن دُونِ ٱلنَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا۟ ٱلْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ ۝٦

38:14462:6 Say: O you who are Jews, if you think that you are the favorites of Allah to the exclusion of other people, then invoke death If you are truthful.

This verse serves as a remonstration against the Jews; a remonstration by which the falsity of their claim becomes apparent. This was the claim that they were the favorites of God and His beloveds. God has related their speech in the Qur’an which demonstrates such a belief among them, such as And the Jews and the Christians say: We are the sons of Allah and His beloved ones (5:18). Say: If the future abode with Allah is especially for you to the exclusion of the people... (2:94) (which suggests that such a view was prevalent among them). And they say: None shall enter the garden (or paradise) except he who is a Jew or a Christian (2:111).

Thus the meaning of this verse is that the Prophet is instructed: ‘Say to the Jews, addressing them: “O Jews, if you truly believe that you are the favorites of God to the exclusion of all mankind, and if you are truthful in your claim, then invoke/desire death.”’ This is because one, who loves another, desires to meet the latter; a lover always desires to meet his/her beloved. And whoever is certain that he is the beloved of God undoubtedly deserves paradise (which metaphorically represents meeting God), and the only obstacle between him and paradise (or meeting God) is death. Such a person (therefore) loves death and desires that it overtakes him so that he may enter the abode of dignity and esteem (that is, the abode of paradise and the abode of the meeting with God) and be rid of this world which only consists of troubles, sorrows, misfortunes, and adversities.

It is suggested that the manner in which this verse mentions “the favorites of God” in Arabic, which is by means of the phrase awliyāʾu lillāhi (literally: favorites for God) rather than by means of a possessive construct phrase, which would be awliyāʾullāhi (literally: favorites of God/God’s favorites) indicates that their statement was a mere claim from them without any reality (or support from God).

وَلَا يَتَمَنَّوْنَهُۥٓ أَبَدًۢا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌۢ بِٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ۝٧

62:7 And they will never invoke it because of what their hands have sent before; and Allah is Cognizant of the unjust.

In this verse, God informs His Prophet, after having had instructed him to propose to them (that is, his Jewish interlocutors)² to invoke death that they will never ever invoke death. God has explained the reason they will never invoke death, and that reason is ...what their hands have sent before... which is a reference to oppression, injustice, and evil. Thus this verse means: “They will never ever invoke/desire death due to what their hands had sent forth of oppression and injustice. So they were unjust and oppressive while God is cognizant of the unjust. He knows that they do not desire meeting Him for they are His enemies and there is no friendship or love lost between them.”

38:145Verses 62:6 and 62:7 are in the meaning of the following two verses, respectively. Say: If the future abode with Allah is especially for you to the exclusion of the people, then invoke death if you are truthful (2:94); And they will never invoke it on account of what their hands have sent before, and Allah knows the unjust (2:95).

قُلْ إِنَّ ٱلْمَوْتَ ٱلَّذِى تَفِرُّونَ مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهُۥ مُلَـٰقِيكُمْ ۖ ثُمَّ تُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَـٰلِمِ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ۝٨

62:8 Say: (As for) the death from which you flee, that will surely overtake you, then you shall be sent back to the Knower of the unseen and the seen, and He will inform you of that which you did.

The letter fa in fa-innahu mulāqīkum (that will surely overtake you) indicates that (the ensuing phrase) is the outcome of a conditional sentence (jawāb al-sharṭ), implying a threat to them (the Jews) in that the death which they abhor so utterly, detesting it for it would lead to their punishment, (a punishment) occasioned by their evil deeds, will surely and undoubtedly overtake them. Then they will be sent back to their Lord, the One from whose worship and obedience they had strayed due to their injustice, the One whom they had opposed by their deeds while He knew well the reality of their deeds, the apparent of it and the hidden of it. This is because He is the knower of the unseen and seen. Consequently, He will inform them of the reality of their deeds, and its evil consequences, which are the different forms of punishments.

Thus this verse declares several things to them (the Jews). First, it declares to them that their attempt at fleeing death is an error for it will certainly meet and overtake them. Second, their detesting God’s meeting is another error for they shall undoubtedly be returned to Him and shall be subjected to accountability for their evil deeds, and third, God does not have anything hidden from Him of their deeds, its apparent or hidden aspects while their deception does not overwhelm or fool Him for He is the knower of the unseen and the seen!

Therefore, this verse points to several things. First it points to the fact that death is true and inevitable just as God says Every soul must taste of death... (21:35) and as He says We have ordained death among you and We are not to be overcome... (56:60). Second, returning to God to give an account of deeds done is true, and there is no doubt in it. Third, they shall be informed of the reality of their deeds and they shall be made to pay for it in full. Fourth, nothing of their deeds is hidden from God, and in order to emphasize and point it out, God’s name of majesty (Allah) (which occurs in the previous verse) was substituted for the phrase ...the Knower of the unseen and the seen...