لَكَانَ بِإِمْكَانِهِمْ بِالتَّأْكِيدِ أَنْ يَنْجُوا مِنَ النَّارِ وَمِنْ كُلِّ عَذَابٍ، لَوْ أَنَّهُمْ فَتَحُوا قُلُوبَهُمْ لِلْقُرْآنِ وَلَمْ يُعَارِضُوا الْحَقَّ الَّذِي يُقَرِّرُهُ. وَقَدْ ضَرَبَ اللهُ لَهُمْ كُلَّ أَنْوَاعِ الْأَمْثَالِ، شَامِلَةً لِجَمِيعِ الْأَحْوَالِ وَالظُّرُوفِ:
They could certainly have escaped the fire and all punishment, had they only opened their hearts to the Qur’ān and not opposed the truth it lays down. God certainly gave them all sorts of examples, covering all situations and circumstances:
لقد صرّفنا في هذا القرآن لِلنّاسِ مِن كُلِّ مَثَلٍ، ولكنَّ الإنسانَ أكثرُ شيءٍ جدلًا. يصفُ السورةُ الإنسانَ هنا بأنّه «شيء»، وتقديرُ هذه الجملةِ حرفيًّا: «ولكنّ الإنسانَ أكثرُ الأشياءِ جدلًا». وقد اختارتْ هذا التعبيرَ لتحثَّ الإنسانَ على ألّا يكونَ متكبِّرًا، وليشعرَ بأنّه واحدٌ من مخلوقاتِ اللهِ الكثيرةِ التي لا تُحصى، وإن كان هو أشدَّ الخلقِ جدلًا وخصومةً، بعدَ أن أقامَ اللهُ الحجّةَ القاطعةَ الدامغةَ، المبيَّنةَ بوضوحٍ في القرآنِ الكريم.
“We have indeed given in this Qur’ān many facets to every kind of lesson for mankind. But man is, above all else, always given to contention.” (Verse 54) The sūrah describes man here as ‘a thing’. The literal translation of the above sentence reads: “But of all things, man is the most contentious.” It chooses such expression in order to encourage man to be less arrogant and to feel that he is one of God’s countless creatures, although he is the worst in argument and contention, after God has given solid, irrefutable argument, clearly expounded in the Qur’ān.
تُوثِّقُ السُّورَةُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الحُجَجَ الباطِلَةَ الَّتِي سَاقَهَا الكافِرُونَ، وَهُمْ أَكْثَرُ الناسِ.
The sūrah then documents the false arguments which the unbelievers, who represent the majority of mankind, have sought to provide:
وَمَا مَنَعَ النَّاسَ أَن يُؤْمِنُوا إِذْ جَاءَهُمُ الْهُدَىٰ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّهُمْ إِلَّا أَن تَأْتِيَهُمْ سُنَّةُ الْأَوَّلِينَ أَوْ يَأْتِيَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ قُبُلًا
What is there to keep people from accepting the faith now that guidance has come to them, and from seeking forgiveness from their Lord, unless it be that they are waiting for the fate of the [sinful] people of ancient times to befall them as well, or for the suffering to be brought before their eyes? (Verse 55)
لقد جاءهم من الهداية ما يكفي لأن يؤمنوا ويتبعوا أوامر الله، ولكنهم طلبوا لأنفسهم من العذاب ما حلّ بالأمم السابقة. وكانوا يطلبون ذلك ظانّين أن عقاب الله لن يصيبهم أبدًا، أو كانوا يفعلون ذلك على سبيل الاستهزاء. وأحيانًا كانوا يعدّلون مطالبهم، فيسألون أن يُريَهم الله العذاب عيانًا.
They have received guidance in plenty, which should have been sufficient for them to believe and follow God’s orders. But they demanded for themselves the sort of suffering that befell nations of old. They made such a demand thinking that God’s punishment would never overtake them, or they did so in mockery. Sometimes they modified their demands, asking for the punishment to be shown directly to them.
وقالوا إنّ ذلك سيُثبت ما بلّغه الأنبياء، وعندئذٍ سيؤمنون بهم.
That, they argued, would prove what the Prophets preached and then they would believe in them.
ولیس الجواب على هذه المطالب من شأن رسل الله أن يقرّروه، فإن سنّة الله التي جرت على الأمم السابقة أنه إذا أُعطيت المعجزات ثم استمر الناس على التكذيب أُهلكوا. أما إيقاع ذلك أو إنزال العذاب على الناس فهو من الأمور التي يقضي بها الله وحده. أما رسله فلهم وظيفة أخرى، وهي تبشير الناس وإنذارهم: ﴿وَمَا نُرْسِلُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ ۖ وَيُجَادِلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِالْبَاطِلِ لِيُدْحِضُوا بِهِ الْحَقَّ ۖ وَاتَّخَذُوا آيَاتِي وَمَا أُنذِرُوا هُزُوًا﴾ (الآية 56)
Answering such demands is not a matter for God’s messengers to decide. God’s rule that applied to past communities meant that when miracles were given and people continued to disbelieve, they were destroyed. To do this or to cause a scourge to overwhelm people are matters which only God determines. His messengers have a different duty, which is to bring happy news and to warn: “We send Our messengers only as bearers of good news and as warners. But with false arguments the unbelievers seek to confute the truth. They make My revelations and warnings a target for their mockery.” (Verse 56)
الحقُّ واضحٌ، لكنَّ الكافرين لجؤوا إلى حججٍ باطلةٍ، يحاولون بها دحضَ الحق. وكان موقفُهم منحرفًا، فإنهم حتى حين طلبوا المعجزاتِ أو استعجلوا عذابَ الله، لم يكونوا يريدون أن يقتنعوا.
The truth is clear, but the unbelievers resorted to false arguments, trying to disprove the truth. Their attitude was perverted, because even when they demanded miracles or hastened God’s punishment, they still did not wish to be convinced.
إنَّهم كانوا في حقيقة الأمر لا يسخرون إلا من آيات الله، ويستهزئون برسله.
Essentially they were only ridiculing God’s revelations and mocking His messengers.
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ ذُكِّرَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِ فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا وَنَسِيَ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ ۚ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَنْ يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا ۚ وَإِنْ تَدْعُهُمْ إِلَى الْهُدَىٰ فَلَنْ يَهْتَدُوا إِذًا أَبَدًا
Who could be more wicked than one who, when reminded of his Lord’s revelations, turns away from them and forgets what his own hands have done? Over their hearts We have cast veils which prevent them from grasping the truth, and into their ears, deafness. Even if you call them to the right path, they shall never be guided. (Verse 57)
أولئك الذين يستهزئون بما أنزل الله من الوحي ويسخرون من تحذيراته لا يستطيعون فهم القرآن أو إدراك رسالته، ولذلك يضع الله على قلوبهم أغطية تمنعهم من فهمه، ويجعل في آذانهم نوعًا من الصمم فلا يسمعونه.
These people who treat what God has bestowed from on high with mockery and who ridicule His warnings cannot understand the Qur’ān or comprehend its message. Hence, God places over their hearts screens which prevent them from understanding it. In their ears He causes a sort of deafness so that they cannot hear it.
وَقَدْ قَضَى أَيْضًا أَنَّهُمْ، بِسَبَبِ إِعْرَاضِهِمُ المُتَعَمَّدِ وَصَدِّهِمُ الإِرَادِيِّ عَنْ هُدَاهُ، لَنْ يُهْدَوْا أَبَدًا. فَكَيْ يَنْفُذَ الهُدَى إِلَى قُلُوبِ النَّاسِ، لا بُدَّ أَنْ تَكُونَ تِلْكَ القُلُوبُ مُنْفَتِحَةً أَوَّلًا لِاسْتِقْبَالِهِ.
He has also willed that, because of their deliberate refusal and wilful turning away from His guidance, they will never be guided. For guidance to penetrate people’s hearts, such hearts must be open to receive it in the first place.
وَرَبُّكَ الْغَفُورُ ذُو الرَّحْمَةِ، لَوْ يُؤَاخِذُهُمْ بِمَا كَسَبُوا لَعَجَّلَ لَهُمُ الْعَذَابَ (الآية ٥٨)
“Your Lord is Most Forgiving, limitless in His grace. Were He to take them now to task for whatever they do, He would indeed bring about their speedy punishment.” (Verse 58)
بل إنه يُمهلهم ويُؤخرهم، لأنه رحيمٌ كريم، يريد أن يُعطيهم كل فرصة حتى يتبيّن لهم الأمر بوضوح. وهو لا يُعجّل لهم العذاب كما يطلبون. ومع ذلك فلن يتركهم تمامًا ويدعهم بلا عقاب: ﴿بَلْ لَهُمْ مَوْعِدٌ لَّن يَجِدُوا مِن دُونِهِ مَوْئِلًا﴾ (الآية ٥٨). فلهم في هذه الحياة أجلٌ سيبلغونه، وخلال هذه المدة يُنزَل بهم جزءٌ من عقابهم. ولهم في الآخرة وقتٌ محدد يُوفَّى فيه كل ما استحقّوه كاملًا.
Rather, He gives them respite and allows them time, because He is Kind and Merciful. He wishes to allow them every chance so that they can see the issues clearly. He does not hasten their punishment as they demand. However, He will not abandon them completely and leave them unpunished: “But they have an appointed time which they cannot evade.” (Verse 58) They have a term in this life which they will fulfil. During this time a portion of their punishment will be inflicted on them. And they have a time appointed in the hereafter when whatever they have deserved will be given in full.
فَقَدْ ظَلَمُوا وَتَجَاوَزُوا الْحَدَّ، فَهُمْ يَسْتَحِقُّونَ الْعِقَابَ، بل الْهَلَاكَ كَمَا هَلَكَتِ الْأُمَمُ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ. غَيْرَ أَنَّ اللهَ بِرَحْمَتِهِ قَدْ قَضَى أَنْ يُمْهِلَهُمْ طِوَالَ مُدَّةِ بَقَائِهِمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ. وَذَلِكَ لِيُحَقِّقَ غَايَةً أَرَادَهَا بِحِكْمَتِهِ. فَهُوَ يُعَامِلُهُمْ مُعَامَلَةً مُخْتَلِفَةً، وَيُمْهِلُهُمْ إِلَى الْأَجَلِ الْمُسَمَّى لَهُمْ، وَلَا مَفَرَّ لَهُمْ مِنْهُ:
They have done wrong and they have been unjust. Hence they deserve punishment, or even destruction in the same way as communities of old. However, God in His mercy has determined to give them a chance for the full duration of their term on earth. That is to fulfil a purpose which He, in His wisdom, wishes to be accomplished. Therefore, He treats them differently and allows them respite until the time appointed for them, which they cannot evade:
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرَىٰ لَمَّا ظَلَمُوا، وَجَعَلْنَا لِمَهْلِكِهِم مَّوْعِدًا۔ (الآية ٥٩)
The same applied to other communities which We destroyed when they persisted in wrongdoing. For We had set a time for their destruction. (Verse 59)
لَا يَغْتَرَّنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِتَقَلُّبِهِمْ فِي الْبِلَادِ، فَإِنَّ أَجَلَهُمْ آتٍ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ. وَإِنَّ سُنَنَ اللهِ الَّتِي قَدَّرَهَا لَا تَتَخَلَّفُ أَبَدًا، وَلَا يُخْلِفُ اللهُ وَعْدَهُ.
They must not be deluded by the respite they are given. Their time will inevitably come. The rules God has made applicable will never fail, and He does not leave any promise unfulfilled.