In the Shade of the Qur'an by Sayyid Qutb

The previous passage finished with permission granted to fight unbelievers in order to protect and preserve faith and worship, coupled with God’s promise to grant victory to those who fulfil their responsibilities towards faith and implement the divine law in life. Now that the task entrusted to the community of believers has been clearly spelt out, the sūrah reassures the Prophet that God’s power will intervene to provide him with the help he needs ensuring the failure of his enemies.

The same power intervened in the past to support earlier prophets and messengers, and to punish those who denied and opposed them. The unbelievers are directed to reflect on the doom suffered by earlier communities; even though such reflection benefits only hearts and minds that are open and receptive. It is not only eyes that can be blind, for real blindness is that of the heart.

The Prophet is also reassured on another count, namely that God protects His messengers from Satan’s wicked scheming, just like He protects them from their opponents’ plots. He renders all Satan’s attempts futile, keeps His revelations pure and clear, so that people with sound mind reflect on them. Those that are sick at heart and those who deny the true faith will continue to be in doubt, and their doubts will lead them to the worst destiny anyone can ever have. Thus, this new passage is a study of how God’s power plays a vital role in the fortunes of the advocates of His message.

If they accuse you of falsehood, before their time, the people of Noah, the `Ād and Thamūd similarly accused [their prophets] of falsehood, as did the people of Abraham and the people of Lot, and the dwellers of Madyan; and so too was Moses accused of falsehood. [In every case] I gave rein, for a while, to the unbelievers, but then I took them to task. How awesome was the way I rejected them. (Verses 42-44)

It is the same pattern seen over and over again, in all past messages up to the final one. Messengers are given signs and revelations, and there will always be those who deny the truth. Thus, when the idolaters in Makkah denied the message of the Prophet Muhammad, it was by no means a new trend nor did the Prophet experience an unknown pattern of hostility. However, the outcome is well known, and what happened with earlier communities is bound to happen again: “The people of Noah, the `Ād and Thamūd similarly accused [their prophets] of falsehood, as did the people of Abraham and the people of Lot, and the dwellers of Madyan.” (Verses 42-44)

Moses, however, is mentioned on his own as though the reference to him constitutes a special paragraph: “And so too was Moses accused of falsehood.” (Verse 44)

Unlike other messengers, Moses was not accused of falsehood by his own people. It was Pharaoh and his chiefs that opposed Moses, levelling all sorts of accusations on him. Moreover, Moses was given very clear and numerous signs. Nevertheless, in all these cases, God granted the unbelievers respite for a while, in the same way as He now gave the Quraysh, the Prophet’s own people who fiercely opposed him, time to reflect. He then punished all those past communities very severely.

This is followed by a rhetorical question that stresses the frightening effect of God’s punishment: “How awesome was the way I rejected them?” (Verse 44) The Arabic word, nakīr, used here for ‘rejection’, carries added connotations of violent change.

The question needs no answer, as it is well known: it was a rejection demonstrated through great floods, destruction, earthquakes, fearful hurricanes, and the like.

Having made this very quick reference to the fate suffered by those communities, the sūrah adds a general reference to past communities which suffered because of their attitude to the divine message: “How many a township have We destroyed because it had been immersed in evildoing. Now they lie in desolate ruin. How many a well lies abandoned, and how many a proud palace lies empty.” (Verse 45) Numerous indeed were those towns and cities which suffered their inevitable doom as a result of their evildoing. Their fate is shown here most effectively: “Now they lie in desolate ruin.” Roofs are caved in as walls are made to collapse, leaving a depressing sight of total, lifeless ruin. The scene invites contemplation, because ruins have a very strong effect on people, causing them to reflect.

Next to these desolate remains of destroyed cities lie abandoned wells, reminding visitors of past days when people gathered around them for fresh water. And next to these are deserted palaces that once stood proudly in the past, but which now lie empty, evoking only images and memories of a glorious past.

As the sūrah portrays these scenes, it adds another rhetorical question about their effects on unbelievers:

Have they never journeyed through the lands, letting their hearts gain wisdom, and their ears hear? It is not eyes that go blind; but blind indeed become the hearts that are in people’s breasts. (Verse 46)

Emphasis is here placed on the location of hearts in people’s bodies, which serves to amplify the blindness of those hearts in particular. Had those hearts been able to reflect on the scenes portrayed, they would have remembered and people’s eyes would have been tearful. They would have moved towards faith, at least as a result of fearing an end like the ones that befell other communities.

But the Quraysh unbelievers did not wish to reflect on such scenes demonstrating God’s punishment. Instead they tried to hasten their own punishment which God had delayed until a particular point in time known only to Him:

They challenge you to hasten the coming upon them of God’s punishment; but God never fails to fulfil His promise. Well, in your Lord’s sight a day is like a thousand years of your reckoning. (Verse 47)

It is the same story with the unbelievers in all generations. They see with their eyes the ruins of cities destroyed for their wrongdoing, and they hear their histories, but they, nevertheless, follow in their footsteps overlooking their fate. If they are reminded of what happened to earlier communities, they nonetheless consider it unlikely that they will suffer the same fate. But if God grants them respite to test them further, they grow arrogant and heedless. They even ridicule anyone reminding them that they could suffer as people before them suffered. What is more they add to such ridicule a request for their punishment to be hastened. Here they are told that ‘God never fails to fulfil His promise.’ Such a promise or warning will inevitably come to pass at the time God, in His infinite wisdom, determines. If people hasten its fulfilment, it will not be made to come before its appointed time, because its delay is for a purpose known to God, and that purpose will not fail so as to grant human beings their ignorant wishes. Moreover, time is calculated differently by God:

“In your Lord’s sight a day is like a thousand years of your reckoning.” (Verse 47)

He gave respite to many past communities, but such respite did not save them from punishment when they persisted in their wrongdoing. This is a rule which God has set in operation and it cannot fail: “To how many a township that was immersed in evildoing have I given rein for a while! But then I took it to task. With Me is the end of all journeys.” (Verse 48) Why would the Arab unbelievers, then, hasten their own punishment and deride God’s warning when it is only a temporary respite that God grants such people?

At this point in the narrative describing the fate of past communities, and outlining the rule concerning those who persist in denying God’s messages, the sūrah addresses the Prophet instructing him to warn people and explain the inevitable outcome:

Say: Mankind, I am but a plain warner, sent to you!’ Those who believe and do righteous deeds shall be granted forgiveness of sins and a most excellent sustenance; whereas those who strive against Our revelations, seeking to defeat their purpose, are destined for the blazing fire. (Verses 49-51)

We note that in this context, the Prophet’s task is clearly stated as one of giving people a clear and plain warning, that leaves no room for ambiguity. This fits the immediate situation of stubborn rejection of God’s message that makes people hasten their own doom.

The final destiny is clearly stated. Those who believe and put their faith into practice, so as to ‘do righteous deeds’ will have their reward which consists of forgiveness by their Lord of all sins that they may have committed or duties they may have omitted to do. Such forgiveness is coupled with ‘a most excellent sustenance’ that they receive with dignity.

Those who endeavour to stop God’s revelations from addressing people’s hearts, and God’s laws from being implemented in their life, will be the ones to suffer in the blazing fire. The expression the sūrah uses makes them the owners of this fire, which is in stark contrast with the excellent sustenance the believers receive.

God always protects His message from the wicked designs of unbelievers who try to prevent its implementation. Similarly, He protects it from Satan’s scheming and his attempts to manoeuvre his way into the hopes entertained by God’s messengers who are, after all, human. Although God’s messengers are given immunity from Satan, their human nature makes them hope that their efforts in advocating divine faith will be enough to remove all impediments and ensure a speedy victory. Satan tries to exploit these hopes in order to force the message out of its fundamental principles and proper methods. But God renders all Satan’s schemes futile, preserves His message, making its principles and values clear, perfects His revelations and removes all doubt that may surround its values and method of action.

Whenever We sent forth a messenger or a prophet before you, and he was hoping for something, Satan would throw some aspersion on his wishes. But God renders null and void whatever aspersion Satan may cast; and God makes His messages clear in and by themselves. God is All-Knowing, Wise. He may cause whatever aspersion Satan may cast to become a trial for all in whose hearts is disease and all whose hearts are hardened. Indeed, all who are thus sinning are most deeply in the wrong. And those who are endowed with knowledge may realize that this [Qur’ān] is the truth from your Lord, and thus they may believe in it, and their hearts may humbly submit to Him. God will surely guide those who believe to a straight path. (Verses 52-54)

There are many reports about the events leading to the revelation of these verses, but Ibn Kathīr describes all these reports as lacking in authenticity. The most detailed of these reports is attributed to al-Zuhrī, a leading Ĥadīth scholar of the generation that followed the Prophet’s Companions. It mentions that Sūrah 53, The Star, was revealed at a time when some idolaters said to one another that they would leave Muhammad and his Companions alone if only he would say a good word about the idols they worshipped. The report goes as follows:

They felt that the Prophet did not criticize the Jews and Christians who opposed him in the same way as he denounced the practices of the idolaters. The Prophet was very grieved by their continued denial of his message and the persecution they inflicted on his Companions. He still hoped that they would be able to recognize divine guidance. God then revealed the sūrah, The Star, including the following verses: ‘Have you ever considered al-Lāt and al- `Uzzā, as well as Manāt, the third and last [of this triad]? Why [would you choose] for yourselves only male offspring, whereas to Him [you assign] females?’ (53: 19-21) At this mention of the Quraysh’s worshipped idols, Satan added the words, ‘these are the sublime birds, whose intercession is to be hoped for.’ These were nothing but the rhyming words of Satan’s invention, but they touched the hearts of all idolaters in Makkah who kept repeating them and expressing their delight to one another, claiming that Muhammad had returned to his old religion, practised by his people.

When the Prophet completed the recitation of the sūrah, he prostrated himself, and all those present, Muslims and idolaters alike, also prostrated themselves. The only exception was al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah, an old man, who took a handful of dust and placed his forehead over it. Both parties were amazed at this common prostration when the Prophet prostrated himself. Muslims were amazed that the idolaters should prostrate themselves when they did not believe in God, particularly because they were unaware of what Satan made the idolaters hear. The idolaters, on the other hand, were reassured by what Satan had introduced through the Prophet’s hopes and implied to them that the Prophet read those words as he recited the sūrah.

Hence, they prostrated themselves because their idols were praised.

All this was soon widely known, and Satan helped to circulate it. Before long, the news travelled to Abyssinia, where some Muslims had sought refuge, including `Uthmān ibn Maż`ūn. They were told that the people of Makkah had embraced Islam and prayed with the Prophet. They also came to know of al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah’s gesture of prostration on a handful of dust he raised to his forehead. They felt that Muslims were now safe in Makkah, which prompted some of them to speedily return. But then God nullified Satan’s aspersion and made His revelation clear and perfect, preserving it from Satanic fabrication. It was as God said: Whenever We sent forth a messenger or a prophet before you, and he was hoping for something, Satan would throw some aspersion on his wishes. But God renders null and void whatever aspersion Satan may cast; and God makes His messages clear in and by themselves. God is All-Knowing, Wise. He may cause whatever aspersion Satan may cast to become a trial for all in whose hearts is disease and all whose hearts are hardened Indeed, all who are thus sinning are most deeply in the wrong.” (Verses 52-53) When God made His judgement clear and purged from it the Satanic rhyme, the idolaters of the Quraysh increased their persecution of the Muslims.

In his commentary on the Qur’ān, Ibn Kathīr says that al-Baghawī includes several versions consolidated from reports by Ibn `Abbās, Muhammad ibn Ka`b and others, giving similar accounts. He then asks: “How could this take place, given that God guaranteed the Prophet’s infallibility in conveying His message?” He then quotes answers to this question by different people. One of the most interesting is that Satan could only delude the idolaters into thinking that they heard these words from the Prophet when it was not so in reality. It was all Satan’s work, not the words of God’s Messenger.

Al-Bukhārī reports Ibn `Abbās’s explanation, making the Arabic word, umniyyatih, rendered in translation as ‘on his wishes’, as meaning ‘his discourse’. Thus the verse means that when the Prophet spoke, Satan added something into his speech, but God causes Satan’s efforts to be futile and makes His own message clear. Mujāhid, on the other hand, explains the reference to any of God’s messengers ‘hoping for something’ as meaning his speech, or his recitation. Al-Baghawī says that most commentators say that it means his reading of God’s revelations. It is in his recitation that Satan may add something. Ibn Jarīr describes this explanation as an exercise in giving special meaning to words.

This is a summary of this story which is known as ‘The story of the birds, or gharānīq.’ From the point of view of its transmission, the story is very flimsy. Ĥadīth scholars maintain that it was not reported by anyone who may be graded as an accurate reporter; nor was it ever related with an uninterrupted chain of reliable transmitters. Al-Bazzār says: “We do not know that this ĥadīth was ever reported with a chain of transmitters worth mentioning, and leading to the Prophet. From the viewpoint of its subject matter, it is in conflict with a fundamental principle of faith, which is the infallibility of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the impossibility of Satan being able to introduce anything into the delivery of his message.” Orientalists and opponents of Islam 9 have taken up this report, circulated it and decorated it with much importance. The fact is that it is a false report that cannot hold its own in discussion. Indeed, it is unworthy of even being a subject of debate.

The Qur’ānic text itself contains what refutes the claim, namely that such a single event was the reason for the revelation of these verses, which clarify a rule applicable to all divine messages and all God’s messengers: “Whenever We sent forth a messenger or a prophet before you, and he was hoping for something, Satan would throw some aspersion on his wishes. But God renders null and void whatever aspersion Satan may cast; and God makes His messages clear in and by themselves.” (Verse 52) This statement refers to a general rule indicating a characteristic common to all messengers who are, after all, human beings. This rule is not, for certain, contrary to the principle of the messengers’ infallibility.

When God’s messengers are entrusted with delivering His message to mankind, they love nothing better than to see people flock to them and realize that all the goodness they advocate comes from God, so that they accept it. But there are numerous impediments that stand in their way. God’s messengers are human beings, with a limited lifespan. They know this fact well. Hence, they hope to persuade people to accept their message without delay. They may wish to give people a period of grace in respect of habits and traditions that are close to their hearts. They may think that if they can attract people to accept divine guidance while giving them this period of grace, they will then be able to wean them off such useless rituals, habits and traditions. They may also wish to compromise with them over a small portion of their desires so as to attract them to the faith, and hope to subsequently eliminate such lingering desires through education.

They may entertain other wishes concerning the spread of their message and its gaining supremacy. But God wants His message to follow its own principles and to be guided by its own values. People can choose to believe or not. According to divine standards, which are not subject to human weaknesses and mistakes, the divine message makes its true gains by following its own principles and values, even though it may lose individuals at the start. Strict adherence to principles and values inevitably wins over those people, or others better than them. What is more is that the message remains pure, intact and faultless.

Satan may find in such hopes and wishes, as well as their expressions, a chance to plot against the message and force it out of its tried and tested method. He endeavours to raise doubts in people’s minds about its integrity. But God makes all Satan’s endeavours come to nothing. He spells out the final ruling on people’s words and actions, instructing His messengers to make His verdict clear to people, including what the messengers themselves might have done by mistake. This was the case with regard to some actions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which were subject to clear verdicts in the Qur’ān.

Thus does God foil Satan’s scheming and make His revelations clear so that the right course to be followed is clearly mapped. “God is All-Knowing, Wise.” Those with sickness and disbelief in their hearts and minds find in such situations fertile ground for controversy: “All who are thus sinning are most deeply in the wrong.” (Verse 53) At the opposite end, people endowed with true knowledge and wisdom are reassured by God’s clear verdict: “And those who are endowed with knowledge may realize that this [Qur’ān] is the truth from your Lord, and thus they may believe in it, and their hearts may humbly submit to Him. God will surely guide those who believe to a straight path.” (Verse 54)

We find some examples during the Prophet’s life and in Islamic history to confirm this. Thus there is no need for the sort of unsupported interpretation reported by some scholars.

One such example is that of the incident involving Ibn Umm Maktūm, a poor and blind Companion of the Prophet. He once went to the Prophet and asked him repeatedly to teach him something of what he had been taught by God. The Prophet was very busy speaking to al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah and a number of Quraysh notables, entertaining hopes that they might accept Islam. Ibn Umm Maktūm did not know that the Prophet was busy, but the Prophet was unhappy about his repeated request, and this was clear on his face. This was the subject of a strong reproach of the Prophet by God: “He frowned and turned away when the blind man came to him. How could you tell? He might have sought to purify himself. He might have been reminded and the reminder might have profited him. But to the one who considered himself self-sufficient you were all attention. Yet the fault would not be yours if he remained uncleansed. As to him who comes to you with zeal, and with a feeling o f fear in his heart, him you ignore. No indeed! This is an admonition. Let him who will, bear it in mind.” (80: 1-12)

Thus, God set the message back on its right course, holding on to its proper standard and appropriate values. The Prophet’s behaviour in this incident was also corrected. His motive was his desire to see those Quraysh notables become Muslims, because that would have ensured that large numbers of their followers would do likewise. But God explained to the Prophet that maintaining the proper Islamic values in addressing the message to people is far more important than gaining a few notables to the cause. Satan’s attempts to divert the advocacy of the message through the Prophet’s hopes was thus rendered futile. God made His message clear, and the believers were reassured.

Subsequently, the Prophet treated Ibn Umm Maktūm very kindly, welcomed him whenever he saw him, saying: “Welcome to the man on whose account God reproached me.” The Prophet would ask him if he could help him in any way.

Furthermore, the Prophet chose Ibn Umm Maktūm to deputize for him in Madīnah more than once when he was away on a journey or expedition. 10

Another incident is related by Muslim in his collection of authentic aĥādīth. “Sa`d ibn Abī Waqqāş reports: Six of us were with the Prophet when some unbelievers asked him to turn us away so that they could have his full attention. With me was `Abdullāh ibn Mas`ūd, a man from the Hudhayl tribe, Bilāl and two other men whose names I have forgotten. The Prophet felt whatever he might have felt, and thoughts occurred to him. But God revealed to him the verse that says: “Do not drive away those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking only to win His pleasure.” (6: 52)

Again in this incident, God sets the message back on its proper course, rendering futile Satan’s attempts to divert it by agreeing to the wishes of the Quraysh elders.

They wanted to retain their position of distinction and not mix with the poor and weak. To maintain proper Islamic values is far more important than those notables, even though they might have accepted Islam, together with thousands others of their followers. God knows best the source of strength for His message. Such strength is derived from maintaining proper values that brook no compromise based on personal preference or social tradition.

A third example may be seen in the case of Zaynab bint Jaĥsh, the Prophet’s cousin whom he married to Zayd ibn Ĥārithah. Prior to Islam, Zayd was the Prophet’s adopted son. But God wanted to stop adoption altogether, giving Qur’ānic orders that forbade calling someone the son or daughter of anyone other than their own parents: “He never made your adopted sons truly your sons ... Call them by their real fathers’ names: this is more equitable in God’s sight.” (33: 4-5) Zayd was very dear to the Prophet. This is why he chose his own cousin to be Zayd’s wife, but their life together was not smooth.

Prior to Islam, the Arabs did not approve of a man marrying the divorcee of his adopted son. But God wanted to put an end to this, as He stopped calling a son or daughter after anyone other than their real fathers. He told His Messenger to marry Zaynab after Zayd had divorced her, so that his marriage might be the practical action that put an end to the effects of adoption. But the Prophet concealed this when Zayd complained to him that his life with Zaynab could not go on. He told him to hold on to his wife, thinking of what people would say when he married her after Zayd had divorced her. He continued to keep this whole thing to himself, until Zayd actually divorced his wife. God then revealed in the Qur’ān what thoughts were in the Prophet’s mind, making clear the rules He wished to put in place on this whole issue: “You said to the one to whom God had shown favour and to whom you had shown favour, ‘Hold on to your wife, and remain God-fearing!’ Thus would you hide within yourself something that God was about to bring to light – for you feared [what] people [might think], whereas it was God alone of whom you should stand in awe! Then, when Zayd had come to the end of his union with her, We gave her to you in marriage, so that no blame should attach to the believers for [marrying] the spouses of their adopted children when the latter have come to the end of their union with them. Thus, God’s will was done.” (33: 37)

`Ā’ishah was right when she said: “Had Muhammad concealed anything God revealed to him in His book, he would have suppressed the statement: “Thus would you hide within yourself something that God was about to bring to light – for you feared [what] people [might think], whereas it was God alone of whom you should stand in awe”11

(33: 37)

Thus God made His law very clear, exposing the thoughts entertained by His own Messenger, concerning people’s dislike of his marriage to the divorcee of his former adopted son. But Satan’s attempts to achieve gain in this way were brought to nothing. Yet those with sick or hardened hearts will continue to exploit this event in their attempts to show Islam in a bad light.

Such is the meaning we feel these verses convey. It is God who gives guidance and shows the right way.

Enthusiasm may also be an important factor with advocates of the divine message, in all generations. Their long cherished desire to see the message spread and triumph may encourage them to try to win over certain individuals or influential people, even if this requires them to initially overlook some requirements that they may think to be of no great importance. They may even try to accommodate some of these practices so that people do not adopt a hostile attitude to the divine message.

In their keenness to achieve success for their cause, they may go even further and adopt means and methods that are inconsistent with the strict standards of Islam or with its line of action. They link their haste with what they consider to be the interests of Islam. But these are truly served only by strict adherence to the approach and method of action adopted by Islam. Future results are known only to God.

Hence, the advocates of Islam must not concern themselves with such results, as they are not accountable for them. Their duty is to follow the proper Islamic approach and clear line of action. They must leave the results to be determined by God, knowing that they can only be good and serve the interests of His cause.

These Qur’ānic verses provide a warning for the advocates of Islam, making it clear that Satan will try to exploit their hasty hopes to undermine their very cause.

God has protected His messengers and prophets, bringing to nothing all Satan’s schemes to exploit their natural human keenness. Others, however, who are not similarly infallible, must take extra care so that they leave no room for Satan to exploit their sincere desires to ensure success for God’s message, or what they may term ‘the interests of the cause’. This phrase must be removed from their lexicon, because it is a trap which Satan sets for them when he is unable to deceive them through their personal interests. Indeed, in some situations, ‘the interests of the cause’ may become an idol worshipped by its advocates who tend then to forget the proper Islamic method of operation. The advocates of Islam must always follow its own method, regardless of what such adherence brings about of results that may seem to involve risks for them and what they advocate. The only danger they must try hard to avoid is that of deviation from the Islamic method of action, even a minor one, for whatever reason. God knows best what serves the interests of His cause.

They are not required to look after such interests. What they are required to ensure is that they do not deviate from the method and line of action shown to them by God’s Messenger.

The sūrah adds a comment on the fact that God protects His message against Satan’s scheming, emphasizing that those who reject it will be vanquished, and that humiliating torture awaits them.

Yet the unbelievers will not cease to be in doubt about Him until the Last Hour comes suddenly upon them, or suffering befalls them on a day with no more [days] to follow.

On that day, all dominion shall belong to God. He shall judge between them. Thus, all who believe and do righteous deeds shall find themselves in gardens of bliss, whereas for the unbelievers who have denied Our revelations there shall be shameful suffering in store. (Verses 55-57)

Such is the unbelievers’ attitude to the Qur’ān in general. It is mentioned here as it closely relates to their attitude to whatever aspersion Satan may try to cast in the hopes of God’s prophets and messengers, i.e., the two situations are inter-linked.

They continue to have doubts about the Qur’ān because their hearts have not felt the sort of pleasure and happiness it imparts so that they appreciate the truth it advocates. They continue to be in such state of doubt “until the Last Hour comes suddenly upon them, or suffering befalls them on a day with no more [days] to follow.” (Verse 55) Such suffering befalls them on the Day of Judgement, which is described in the Qur’ānic text as `aqīm, or sterile, in the sense that it is not followed by any other day.

On that day, no one other than God will have any dominion, not even the superficial type that people in this world tend to cherish. Judgement on that day is also exercised by God alone, who gives every party its just deserts: “Thus, all who believe and do righteous deeds shall find themselves in gardens of bliss, whereas for the unbelievers who have denied Our revelations there shall be shameful suffering in store.” (Verses 56-57) Such suffering is the right recompense for their scheming against the divine faith, denying God’s clear revelations, and for their wilful refusal to obey Him.