In the Shade of the Qur'an by Sayyid Qutb

This surah deals with the major issues of truth and falsehood, faith and unfaith, the message and those who reject it, as well as unjustifiable tyranny and how God smites tyrants who seek to impose their will on others. It also refers to the position of believers who follow Divine guidance and obey God’s commandments. It mentions how the angels pray that they may be forgiven their sins, and how God answers their prayers. It also speaks about the reward awaiting them in the life to come.

Such being its subject matter, the whole atmosphere of the surah is one of a battle, the battle between truth and falsehood, faith and tyranny. This is interspersed with an air of grace and mercy whenever the believers are mentioned. The general atmosphere is generated through a description of how earlier communities were destroyed as a result of their opposition to Divine faith, as well as several images of the Day ofJudgement. All in all, these awesome images suit the sombre air of the surah.

Fittingly, the opening of the surah uses short phrases that carry a distinctive beat: 'who forgives sins; accepts repentance; is severe in retribution; limitless in bounty; there is no deity other than Him; to Him is the ultimate return" (Verse 3) These phrases sound like hammers striking in unison, with harmony between meaning and rhythm. Note also that words like ‘might’ and ‘power’ are frequently used in the surah.

As a whole, the surah has a powerful effect on us, portraying as it does scenes of the Day of Judgement and images of the fate of earlier communities. At times, it softens its rhythm so as to gently touch our hearts, showing us images of the angels who carry God’s throne, as well as those around it, praying to God to bestow His grace on His devoted servants. The same may be said regarding the verses that refer to universal scenes or to the finer elements of the human soul, as both provide evidence in support of the truth of faith. Here, then, are some examples of the verses that generate these feelings:

1. In reference to earlier communities and their fate: “Before their time the people ofNoah rejected the truth, as did other groups and communities after them. Each ofthese communities schemed against the messenger sent to them, aiming to lay their hands on him.

With false argument they strove to refute the truth, but then I took them to task. How awesome was My punishment? (Verse 5)

“Have they, then, never travelled through the land and beheld what happened in the end to those who lived before them? Greater were they in power than they are, and in the impact which they left on earth. God, however, took them to task for their sins, and they had none to defend them against God. That was because their messengers came to them with all the evidence of the truth, yet they rejected it. So God took them to task. He is powerful, stern in retribution? (Verses 21-22)

2. In reference to the Day of Resurrection: “ Warn them ofthe Day that is ever drawing near, when people's hearts will chokingly come up to the throats. The wrongdoers will have neither intimatefriend nor intercessor to be heeded? (Verse 18) “Do you not see how those who dispute God's revelations are turned away from the truth?

Those who reject the Book and the messages We sent through Our messengers. They will certainly come to know when, with chains and shackles round their necks, they will be dragged into scalding water, and then burnt in the fire ofhell? (Verses 69-72)

3. A softer touch is provided in the scene of those who carry Gods throne, devoted as they are in humble prayer: “ Those who bear the Throne and those around it extol their Lord's limitless glory and praise, and have faith in Him, and pray for the forgiveness of all believers: Our Lord! You embrace all things with [Your] grace and knowledge. Forgive, then, those who turn to You in repentance and follow Your path, and shield them from the suffering in the blazingfire. And, our Lord, admit them to the gardens ofperpetual bliss You have promised them, together with the righteous from among their ancestors, spouses and offspring. You alone are the Almighty, the Wise. Shield them from all evil. Anyone whom on that day You shall shield from evil, You shall have graced with mercy. That will be the supreme triumph.”' (Verses 7-9)

4. Inspirational touches are achieved in the portrayals of miraculous phenomena in the universe and within the human soul: “It is He who creates you out of dust, then out of a gamete, then out of a clinging cell mass; and then He brings you forth as infants. He then lets you reach maturity, and then grow old - although some ofyou die earlier. [All this He ordains] so that you may reach your appointed term, andyou may use your reason. It is He who ordains life and death. When He wills something to be, He only says to it, ‘Be, and it is." (Verses 67-68) “It is God who has made for you the night in which to rest, and the day to make you see. God is limitless in His bounty to man, but most people do not give thanks.

Such is God, your Lord, the Creator ofall that exists: there is no deity other than Him. How deluded can you be?' Wettes 61-62)

“It is God who has made the earth a resting place for you and the sky a canopy. He has mouldedyou into a comely shape andprovided you with wholesome things. Such is God, your Lord. So glory be to God, the Lord ofall the worlds." (Verse 64)

In all these images there is evident harmony and consistency, the whole ambience perfectly fitting the surah's subject matter.

The surah may be divided into four parts. The first begins with two separate letters: “Ha. Mim. The revelation ofthis book is from God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing." (Verses 1-2) This is followed by the short phrases with their distinctive beat, to which we referred earlier. The surah then states that the whole universe submits to God and obeys Him.

Only the unbelievers dispute Gods revelations, thus they separate themselves from the rest of the universe. Therefore, the Prophet should pay no attention to them, no matter how affluent and well pleased they appear to be. They will inevitably face the same fate suffered by earlier communities of unbelievers. God smote them with a stem punishment.

Nevertheless, more suffering awaits them in the life to come. By contrast, the angels carrying Gods throne, as well as those surrounding it, declare their belief in their Lord, address their worship to Him alone, and pray for the forgiveness of the believers among the dwellers of the earth, as well as for their success and prosperity.

At the same time, the surah gives an image of the unbelievers when the entire universe, which believes in God, calls out to them on the Day of Resurrection, saying: “Indeed, greater than your present loathing of yourselves is God's Loathing ofyou when you were called to the faith and you rejected it." (Verse 10) In their position of humiliation, which contrasts with their arrogance in this present life, they admit their faults and acknowledge their Lord, but such realization is now of no use to them. They are only reminded of what they used to do when they associated partners with God and arrogantly turned from His guidance.

This image of the hereafter is followed by one presenting peoples situation in this present life: “He it is who shows you His signs and sends down sustenance from the sky for you." (Verse 13) They are so reminded in order that they may turn to their Lord and declare their belief in Him as the only God: “Pray to God, then, sincere in your faith in Him alone, however hatefill this may be to the unbelievers." (Verse 14) The surah then adds a strong warning of that fearful day, and follows this with an image of how they stand on that day: “the Day when they shall come forth, with nothing about them concealed from God." (Verse 16) Those who are arrogant, tyrannical or disputant will all disappear into insignificance: “ With whom does sovereignty rest today? With God, the One who holds absolute sway over all that exists." (Verse 16) The surah goes on to give further images of that day when judgement over all belongs to God alone. All those worshipped instead or alongside Him are nowhere to be seen.

The second part begins with a reference to the fate suffered by some past communities. This serves as a prelude to the narration about certain events from Moses’ life history and specifically his encounter with Pharaoh, Haman and Korah or Qarun. These events, representing tyrants’ attitude to the message of truth, are only told in this surah.

There is no reference to them anywhere else in the Qur’an. They tell us of a believer from Pharaoh’s own household, who concealed the fact that he believed in Moses’ message. He tries first to protect Moses against Pharaoh’s attempt to kill him. He states the word of truth, putting it cautiously at first, then ultimately declaring it openly and clearly. In his argument with Pharaoh, this believer presents strong and clear evidence for the truth, warns Pharaoh and his people of the Day ofJudgement, describes some images of the day in an inspirational way and reminds them of their attitude and that of generations before them to Joseph and his message. The story is developed in such a way as to link it, eventually, to the life to come, and we see them all there, disputing among themselves as they suffer in hell. The dialogue occurs between the weak elements of society and their arrogant leaders, on the one side, and another takes place between them all and the angels in charge of hell, trying to find a way out when there is none. In the light of this last scene, the surah directs the Prophet Muhammad to remain patient in adversity, to have full trust that God’s promise will come true, and to glorify and praise Him.

The third part starts with a statement that those who dispute God’s revelations without providing any sound argument in support of what they say are only motivated by a quest for greatness. Yet they are too insignificant to attain this. The surah then directs people’s hearts to reflect on the great universe God has created, which is far greater than all mankind. This reminder may perhaps make those who are arrogant better appreciate the greatness of God’s creation, rather than remaining blind to it: “ The creation ofthe heavens and the earth is indeed greater than the creation of man; yet most people do not understands (Verse 57) It reminds them of the approach of the Last Hour and directs them to pray to God, for He responds to those who pray to Him.

Those who choose to remain arrogant will inevitably enter hell in complete humiliation. Here the surah portrays some of the universal signs that they ignore. We see the night portrayed as a time for rest and the day is given eyes, while the earth is shown as a resting place and the sky a canopy. In relation to themselves, the surah also reminds them to reflect on the pleasing shape and form God has given them. It directs them to submit to God with sincerity. It instructs the Prophet to distance himself from what they worship, declare Gods order to him to reject their deities and to submit to the Lord of all the worlds. It seeks to make their hearts more responsive by mentioning that God, the Creator of the universe, is the One who originated them from dust first, then , from a gamete. It is He who gives life and deals death. Again the surah makes the Prophet wonder at those who argue about God, warning them against punishment in the hereafter, and portrays a very powerful image of such punishment: “ They will certainly come to know when, with chains and shackles round their necks, they will be dragged into scalding water, and then burnt in the fire ofhell.” (Verses 70-72) Indeed, those whom they worshipped will disown their worship, while they themselves deny having ever worshipped anyone. Ultimately, they end up in hell, as they are told: “Enter now the gates of hell, where you shall abide. Evil indeed is the abode ofthe arrogant.” (Verse 76) Again, in the light of this scene the Prophet is instructed to remain patient in adversity, and to trust in the fulfilment of God s promise, whether he remains alive to see some of what this promise involves or he is made to die before its fulfilment. The promise will come true at the time appointed for it.

The surah's fourth and final part is closely linked with its third. As the Prophet is directed to wait patiently, he is told that God sent many messengers before him: “No messenger could bring a sign except by God's leave.” (Verse 78) Still, there are many signs in the universe, and there are also plenty of signs that people ignore. Who, for example made cattle subservient to man? Furthermore, the ships that carry them on the sea are a sign they see with their eyes. The fate of past communities should also serve as an admonition to them. The surah then concludes with a powerful image coupled with strong rhythm, showing a community of unbelievers faced with God s might. They declared their belief, but it was too late: “But accepting the faith after they had seen Our might was not going to benefit them at all. This has always been God's way ofdealing with His creatures. There and then the unbelievers will be lost.” (Verse 85) This is a fitting ending, one that depicts the fate of those who are arrogant.