Surah Shuara ayat 4 Tafsir Quran 26:4

﴿إِن نَّشَأْ نُنَزِّلْ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ آيَةً فَظَلَّتْ أَعْنَاقُهُمْ لَهَا خَاضِعِينَ﴾
[ الشعراء: 4]

26:4 If We willed, We could send down to them from the sky a sign for which their necks would remain humbled.

If We will We will send down to them a sign from the heaven before which their necks will remain fa-zallat although grammatically in the past tense is being used in the sense of the imperfect tense bowed in humility and they will believe since ‘necks’ are described as ‘bowed in humility’ a status which in fact refers to those who possess them the adjectival form khādi‘ūn ‘bowed in humility’ used therein is the one normally used for rational beings.

If We will, We could easily send down to them from heaven a physical sign revealing to them Our Omnipotence and Authority, a sign to which they will have to bend their necks in subjugation and submission

Which was revealed in Makkah بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The Qur'an and the Disbelievers turning away; They could be compelled to believe if Allah so willed At the beginning of the explanation of Surat Al-Baqarah we discussed the letters which appear at the beginning of some Surahs.
Allah's saying: تِلْكَ ءايَاتُ الْكِتَـبِ الْمُبِينِ ( These are the Ayat of the Book Mubin. ) means, these are the verses of the Clear Qur'an, i.e.
the clear and unambiguous Book which distinguishes between truth and falsehood, misguidance and guidance. لَعَلَّكَ بَـخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ ( It may be that you are going Bakhi` yourself, ) means, destroy yourself -- because of your keenness that they should be guided and your grief for them. أَلاَّ يَكُونُواْ مُؤْمِنِينَ ( that they do not become believers. ) Here Allah is consoling His Messenger for the lack of faith of those among the disbelievers who do not believe in him.
This is like the Ayat: فَلاَ تَذْهَبْ نَفْسُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسَرَتٍ ( So destroy not yourself in sorrow for them ) ( 35:8 ). فَلَعَلَّكَ بَـخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ عَلَى ءَاثَـرِهِمْ إِن لَّمْ يُؤْمِنُواْ بِهَـذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَسَفاً ( Perhaps, you would Bakhi` yourself, over their footsteps, because they believe not in this narration ) ( 18:6 ).
Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Qatadah, `Atiyyah, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan and others said that: لَعَلَّكَ بَـخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ ( It may be that you are going Bakhi` yourself, ) means, `kill yourself.' Then Allah says: إِن نَّشَأْ نُنَزِّلْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ ءَايَةً فَظَلَّتْ أَعْنَـقُهُمْ لَهَا خَـضِعِينَ ( If We will, We could send down to them from the heaven a sign, to which they would bend their necks in humility. ) meaning, `if We so willed, We could send down a sign that would force them to believe, but We will not do that because We do not want anyone to believe except by choice.' Allah says: وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لآمَنَ مَن فِى الاٌّرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ جَمِيعًا أَفَأَنتَ تُكْرِهُ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَكُونُواْ مُؤْمِنِينَ ( And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together.
So, will you then compel mankind, until they become believers. ) ( 10:99 ) وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً ( And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely, have made mankind one Ummah... ) ( 11:118 ) But Allah's will has acted, His decree has come to pass, and His proof has been conveyed to mankind by mission of Messengers and the revelation of Books to them.
Then Allah says: وَمَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّن ذِكْرٍ مِّنَ الرَّحْمَـنِ مُحْدَثٍ إِلاَّ كَانُواْ عَنْهُ مُعْرِضِينَ ( And never comes there unto them a Reminder as a recent revelation from the Most Gracious, but they turn away therefrom. ) meaning, every time a Scripture comes from heaven to them, most of the people turn away from it.
As Allah says: وَمَآ أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ ( And most of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly. ) ( 12:103 ) يحَسْرَةً عَلَى الْعِبَادِ مَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ ( Alas for mankind! There never came a Messenger to them but they used to mock at him. ) ( 36:30 ) ثُمَّ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا تَتْرَى كُلَّ مَا جَآءَ أُمَّةً رَّسُولُهَا كَذَّبُوهُ ( Then We sent Our Messengers in succession.
Every time there came to a nation their Messenger, they denied him... ) ( 23:44 ).
Allah says here: فَقَدْ كَذَّبُواْ فَسَيَأْتِيهِمْ أَنبَـؤُا مَا كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ ( So, they have indeed denied, then the news of what they mocked at will come to them. ) meaning, they denied the truth that came to them, so they will come to know the news of the consequences of this denial after a while. وَسَيَعْلَمْ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ أَىَّ مُنقَلَبٍ يَنقَلِبُونَ ( And those who do wrong will come to know by what overturning they will be overturned ) ( 26:227 ).
Then Allah tells those who dared to oppose His Messenger and disbelieve in His Book, that He is the Subduer, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, Who created the earth and caused every good kind of crop, fruit and animal to grow therein.
Sufyan Ath-Thawri narrated from a man from Ash-Sha`bi that people are a product of the earth.
So whoever enters Paradise is good and noble, and whoever enters Hell is base and vile. إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ لآيَةً ( Verily, in this is an Ayah, ) meaning an evidence of the power of the Creator of all things.
He spread out the earth and raised the canopy of the heavens, yet despite that the majority of people do not believe, rather they deny Him, His Messengers, and His Books, and they go against His commands doing the things He had prohibited.
His saying: وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ ( And verily your Lord, He is truly the All-Mighty, ) means, the One Who has power over all things, to subdue and control them, الرَّحِيمِ ( the Most Merciful.
) means, towards His creation, for He does not hasten to punish the one who sins, but He gives him time to repent, and if he does not, then He seizes him with a mighty punishment.
Abu Al-`Aliyah, Qatadah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Ibn Ishaq said: "He is Almighty in His punishment of those who went against His commands and worshipped others besides Him." Sa`id bin Jubayr said: "He is Most Merciful towards those who repent to Him and turn to Him."

(26:4) If We will, We can send down from the sky a Sign before which they will bend down their necks in submission. *3

If We willed, We could send down meaning

*3) That is, " It is not at all difficult for Allah to send down a Sign which would make all the disbelievers yield and submit.
If, however, He does not send one, it does not mean that such a thing is beyond His powers, but the reason is that .
belief under compulsion is not acceptable to Him.
Allah wants that people should use their common-sense and recognize the Truth through the verses of the Divine Book and the Signs which are scattered all over the universe and are found even in their ownselves.
Then, when their hearts are satisfied that the message of the Prophets contains the Truth, and the beliefs and the creeds which are opposed to it, are false, they should willingly give up falsehood and adopt the Truth.
This voluntary belief, acceptance of the Truth and rejection of falsehood, is what Allah demands from man.
It is for this reason that Allah has bestowd upon man choice and free will, and freedom to follow any way, right or wrong, that he pleases.
For the same reason He has placed in his nature both the tendencies, towards good and towards evil, and opened up before him both the ways, to piety and to sin.
For the same purpose He has given Satan the freedom and respite to mislead him and has made arrangements of Prophethood, Revelation and invitation to goodness to guide him to the right way, and has placed man on trial to see whether he adopts the way of belief and obedience or of disbelief and sin.
On the other hand, if Allah had adopted a method of coercing people to believe and obey, it would have defeated the very purpose of the trial and test.
Then there was no need to send down the Signs for the purpose, but He would have created man with a pure nature, without any inclination for evil, disbelief and sin, and made him obedient by birth like the angels.
This has been referred at several places in the Qur'an, for instance in Yunus: 99: ` Had your Lord willed aII the dwellers of the earth would have believed in Him; " and in Hud: 118: '" Your Lord could have made mankind one community had He so willed, but now they will continue to follow different ways, but only those on whom Allah has His mercy ( escape wrong ways ).
It will be so because He has created them for this ( very freedom of choice and action ). " For further explanation, see E.N.'s 101,102 of Yunus and E.N.
116 of Hud.

 

Which was revealed in Makkah بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The Qur'an and the Disbelievers turning away; They could be compelled to believe if Allah so willed At the beginning of the explanation of Surat Al-Baqarah we discussed the letters which appear at the beginning of some Surahs.
Allah's saying: تِلْكَ ءايَاتُ الْكِتَـبِ الْمُبِينِ ( These are the Ayat of the Book Mubin. ) means, these are the verses of the Clear Qur'an, i.e.
the clear and unambiguous Book which distinguishes between truth and falsehood, misguidance and guidance. لَعَلَّكَ بَـخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ ( It may be that you are going Bakhi` yourself, ) means, destroy yourself -- because of your keenness that they should be guided and your grief for them. أَلاَّ يَكُونُواْ مُؤْمِنِينَ ( that they do not become believers. ) Here Allah is consoling His Messenger for the lack of faith of those among the disbelievers who do not believe in him.
This is like the Ayat: فَلاَ تَذْهَبْ نَفْسُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسَرَتٍ ( So destroy not yourself in sorrow for them ) ( 35:8 ). فَلَعَلَّكَ بَـخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ عَلَى ءَاثَـرِهِمْ إِن لَّمْ يُؤْمِنُواْ بِهَـذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَسَفاً ( Perhaps, you would Bakhi` yourself, over their footsteps, because they believe not in this narration ) ( 18:6 ).
Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Qatadah, `Atiyyah, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan and others said that: لَعَلَّكَ بَـخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ ( It may be that you are going Bakhi` yourself, ) means, `kill yourself.' Then Allah says: إِن نَّشَأْ نُنَزِّلْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ ءَايَةً فَظَلَّتْ أَعْنَـقُهُمْ لَهَا خَـضِعِينَ ( If We will, We could send down to them from the heaven a sign, to which they would bend their necks in humility. ) meaning, `if We so willed, We could send down a sign that would force them to believe, but We will not do that because We do not want anyone to believe except by choice.' Allah says: وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لآمَنَ مَن فِى الاٌّرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ جَمِيعًا أَفَأَنتَ تُكْرِهُ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَكُونُواْ مُؤْمِنِينَ ( And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together.
So, will you then compel mankind, until they become believers. ) ( 10:99 ) وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً ( And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely, have made mankind one Ummah... ) ( 11:118 ) But Allah's will has acted, His decree has come to pass, and His proof has been conveyed to mankind by mission of Messengers and the revelation of Books to them.
Then Allah says: وَمَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّن ذِكْرٍ مِّنَ الرَّحْمَـنِ مُحْدَثٍ إِلاَّ كَانُواْ عَنْهُ مُعْرِضِينَ ( And never comes there unto them a Reminder as a recent revelation from the Most Gracious, but they turn away therefrom. ) meaning, every time a Scripture comes from heaven to them, most of the people turn away from it.
As Allah says: وَمَآ أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ ( And most of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly. ) ( 12:103 ) يحَسْرَةً عَلَى الْعِبَادِ مَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ ( Alas for mankind! There never came a Messenger to them but they used to mock at him. ) ( 36:30 ) ثُمَّ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا تَتْرَى كُلَّ مَا جَآءَ أُمَّةً رَّسُولُهَا كَذَّبُوهُ ( Then We sent Our Messengers in succession.
Every time there came to a nation their Messenger, they denied him... ) ( 23:44 ).
Allah says here: فَقَدْ كَذَّبُواْ فَسَيَأْتِيهِمْ أَنبَـؤُا مَا كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ ( So, they have indeed denied, then the news of what they mocked at will come to them. ) meaning, they denied the truth that came to them, so they will come to know the news of the consequences of this denial after a while. وَسَيَعْلَمْ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ أَىَّ مُنقَلَبٍ يَنقَلِبُونَ ( And those who do wrong will come to know by what overturning they will be overturned ) ( 26:227 ).
Then Allah tells those who dared to oppose His Messenger and disbelieve in His Book, that He is the Subduer, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, Who created the earth and caused every good kind of crop, fruit and animal to grow therein.
Sufyan Ath-Thawri narrated from a man from Ash-Sha`bi that people are a product of the earth.
So whoever enters Paradise is good and noble, and whoever enters Hell is base and vile. إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ لآيَةً ( Verily, in this is an Ayah, ) meaning an evidence of the power of the Creator of all things.
He spread out the earth and raised the canopy of the heavens, yet despite that the majority of people do not believe, rather they deny Him, His Messengers, and His Books, and they go against His commands doing the things He had prohibited.
His saying: وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ ( And verily your Lord, He is truly the All-Mighty, ) means, the One Who has power over all things, to subdue and control them, الرَّحِيمِ ( the Most Merciful.
) means, towards His creation, for He does not hasten to punish the one who sins, but He gives him time to repent, and if he does not, then He seizes him with a mighty punishment.
Abu Al-`Aliyah, Qatadah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Ibn Ishaq said: "He is Almighty in His punishment of those who went against His commands and worshipped others besides Him." Sa`id bin Jubayr said: "He is Most Merciful towards those who repent to Him and turn to Him."

( If We will, We can send down on them from the sky a portent ) a sign ( so that their necks would remain bowed before it ) in humiliation.

If We will, We could send down to them from the heaven a sign, to which they would bend their necks in humility.

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