Surah Muminun ayat 71 Tafsir Quran 23:71

﴿وَلَوِ اتَّبَعَ الْحَقُّ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ لَفَسَدَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ ۚ بَلْ أَتَيْنَاهُم بِذِكْرِهِمْ فَهُمْ عَن ذِكْرِهِم مُّعْرِضُونَ﴾
[ المؤمنون: 71]

23:71 But if the Truth had followed their inclinations, the heavens and the earth and whoever is in them would have been ruined. Rather, We have brought them their message, but they, from their message, are turning away.

And if the truth namely the Qur’ān had followed their desires and come to them with mention of what they fancied in the way of God having a partner and a child may God be exalted above such associations indeed the heavens and the earth and whoever is in them would have been corrupted they the heavens and the earth would have deviated from their observed order because contradictions would ensue as is usually the case when there is more than one ruler. Nay We have brought them their Remembrance namely the Qur’ān in which they are remembered and honoured but they are disregardful of their own Remembrance.

Indeed, if the truth were to accord with their desires, the heavens and the earth and all created beings, the animate and the inanimate therein would have gone to the bad and broken into corruption and fallen into disorder. But We have sent them the spirit of truth guiding into all truth and refers them directly to Allah. Yet they evade the troth. They are averse to admitting the truth and they shy off all that puts them in mind of the duties owed to Allah

Refutation and Condemnation of the Idolators Allah denounces the idolators for not understanding the Qur'an or contemplating its meaning, and for turning away from it, even though they had been addressed specifically in this Book which Allah did not reveal to any Messenger more perfect and noble, and especially since no Book or warner had come to their forefathers who had died during the Jahiliyyah.
What these people, upon whom the blessing had been bestowed, should have done, was to accept it and give thanks for it, and try to understand it and act in accordance with it night and day, as was done by the wise ones among them who became Muslim and followed the Messenger , may Allah be pleased with them. أَفَلَمْ يَدَّبَّرُواْ الْقَوْلَ ( Have they not pondered over the Word, ) Qatadah said, "Because, by Allah, if the people had pondered the meaning and understood it properly, they would have found in the Qur'an a deterrent to disobeying Allah.
But they only paid attention to the Ayat which are not entirely clear, and so they were destroyed because of that." Then Allah says, denouncing the disbelievers of the Quraysh: أَمْ لَمْ يَعْرِفُواْ رَسُولَهُمْ فَهُمْ لَهُ مُنكِرُونَ ( Or is it that they did not recognize their Messenger so they deny him ) means, `do they not recognize Muhammad and the honesty, trustworthiness and good character with which he grew up among them Can they deny that or argue against it' Ja`far bin Abi Talib said to An-Najashi, the king of Ethiopia: "O King, Allah has sent to us a Messenger whose lineage, honesty and trustworthiness are known to us." Al-Mughirah bin Shu`bah said something similar to the deputy of Kisra when he wanted to challenge him.
When the Byzantine ruler Heraclius asked Abu Sufyan Sakhr bin Harb and his companions -- who were still disbelievers and had not yet become Muslim -- about the characteristics, lineage, honesty and trustworthiness of the Prophet , they could only tell the truth and admit that he was indeed noble and truthful. أَمْ يَقُولُونَ بِهِ جِنَّةٌ ( Or they say: There is madness in him ) This is a narration of what the Quraysh said about the Prophet .
They said that he was making up the Qur'an by himself, or that he was crazy and did not know what he was saying.
Allah tells us that their hearts did not believe that, they knew that what they were saying about the Qur'an was falsehood, for it had come to them from the Words of Allah and could not be resisted or rejected.
So Allah challenged them and all the people of the world to produce something like it if they could -- but they could not and would never be able to do so.
So Allah says: بَلْ جَآءَهُمْ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لِلْحَقِّ كَـرِهُونَ ( Nay, but he brought them Al-Haqq, but most of them are averse to the truth. ) Truth does not follow Whims and Desires Allah says; وَلَوِ اتَّبَعَ الْحَقُّ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ لَفَسَدَتِ السَّمَـوَتُ وَالاٌّرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ ( And if Al-Haqq had followed their desires, verily, the heavens and the earth, and whosoever is therein would have been corrupted! ) Mujahid, Abu Salih and As-Suddi said, "Al-Haqq is Allah, may He be glorified." What is meant by the Ayah is that if Allah had responded to the desires in their hearts and prescribed things accordingly, the heavens and the earth and whosoever is therein, would have been corrupted, i.e., because of their corrupt and inconsistent desires.
As Allah says of them elsewhere: لَوْلاَ نُزِّلَ هَـذَا الْقُرْءَانُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ ( "Why is not this Qur'an sent down to some great man of the two towns" ) 43:31 Then He says: أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّكَ ( Is it they who would portion out the mercy of your Lord ) 43:32 And Allah says: قُل لَّوْ أَنتُمْ تَمْلِكُونَ خَزَآئِنَ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّى إِذًا لأمْسَكْتُمْ خَشْيَةَ الإِنفَاقِ ( Say: "If you possessed the treasure of the mercy of my Lord, then you would surely hold back for fear of spending it.
" ) 17:100, أَمْ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُلْكِ فَإِذاً لاَّ يُؤْتُونَ النَّاسَ نَقِيراً ( Or have they a share in the dominion Then in that case they would not give mankind even a Naqir. ) 4:53 All of this goes to show how incapable mankind is and how divergent and inconsistent their ideas and desires are.
Only Allah, may He be glorified, is Perfect in all His attributes, words, actions, laws, power and control of His creation, may He be exalted and sanctified.
There is no God but He and no Lord besides Him.
Then He says: بَلْ أَتَيْنَـهُمْ بِذِكْرِهِمْ ( Nay, We have brought them their reminder, ) meaning the Qur'an, فَهُمْ عَن ذِكْرِهِمْ مُّعْرِضُونَ ( but they turn away from their reminder. ) The Prophet does not ask for any payment, and he calls to the straight path. أَمْ تَسْأَلُهُمْ خَرْجاً ( Or is it that you ask them for some Kharj ) Al-Hasan said, "A reward." Qatadah said, "Some payment." فَخَرَاجُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ ( But the recompense of your Lord is better, ) means, you are not asking for any wages or payment or anything for calling them to right guidance, rather you are hoping for a great reward from Allah, as He says: قُلْ مَا سَأَلْتُكُم مِّن أَجْرٍ فَهُوَ لَكُمْ إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلاَّ عَلَى اللَّهِ ( Say: "Whatever wage I might have asked of you is yours.
My wage is from Allah only." ) 34:47 قُلْ مَآ أَسْـَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ وَمَآ أَنَآ مِنَ الْمُتَكَلِّفِينَ ( Say: "No wage do I ask of you for this, nor am I one of the pretenders." ) 38:86 قُل لاَّ أَسْـَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْراً إِلاَّ الْمَوَدَّةَ فِى الْقُرْبَى ( Say: "No reward do I ask of you for this except to be kind to me for my kinship with you." ) 42:23 وَجَآءَ مِنْ أَقْصَى الْمَدِينَةِ رَجُلٌ يَسْعَى قَالَ يقَوْمِ اتَّبِعُواْ الْمُرْسَلِينَ اتَّبِعُواْ مَن لاَّ يَسْـَلُكُمْ أَجْراً ( And there came a man running from the farthest part of the town.
He said: "O my people! Obey the Messengers.
Obey those who ask no wages of you, and who are rightly guided." ) 35:20-21 وَإِنَّكَ لَتَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ - وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ عَنِ الصِّرَطِ لَنَـكِبُونَ ( And certainly, you call them to the straight path.
And verily, those who believe not in the Hereafter are indeed deviating far astray from the path. ) The Situation of the Disbelievers وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ عَنِ الصِّرَطِ لَنَـكِبُونَ ( And verily, those who believe not in the Hereafter are indeed deviating far astray from the path. ) meaning, they have gone astray and deviated. ن ( And though We had mercy on them and removed the distress which is on them, still they would obstinately persist in their transgression, wandering blindly. ) Here Allah tells of their stubbornness in their disbelief, in that even if He had removed the calamity from them and made them understand the Qur'an, they still would not follow it; they would still persist in their disbelief and stubborn transgression.
This is like the Ayat: وَلَوْ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا لأَسْمَعَهُمْ وَلَوْ أَسْمَعَهُمْ لَتَوَلَّواْ وَّهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ ( Had Allah known of any good in them, He would indeed have made them listen; and even if He had made them listen, they would but have turned away with aversion. ) 8:23 وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُواْ عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُواْ يلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلاَ نُكَذِّبَ بِـَايَـتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَوْ رُدُّواْ لَعَـدُواْ لِمَا نُهُواْ عَنْهُ ( And if (Lauw ) you could but see when they will be held over the ( Hell ) Fire! They will say: "Would that we were but sent back ( to the world )! Then we would not deny the Ayat of our Lord, and we would be of the believers!" Nay, it has become manifest to them what they had been concealing before.
But if they were returned ( to the world ), they would certainly revert to that which they were forbidden.) 6:27-29 Until His statement: بِمَبْعُوثِينَ ( be resurrected ) This has to do with the knowledge of Allah.
He knows about some- thing that will not happen, but if it were to happen, He knows how it would be.
Ad-Dahhak reported from Ibn `Abbas: "Every- thing that is implied in the word: لَوْ ( If (Lauw )) is something that will never happen."

(23:71) -And had the Truth followed their lusts, the whole system of the heavens and the earth, and of all who dwell in them, would have been disrupted. *68 -Nay, We have brought them admonition for their own good, but they are turning away from it. *69

But if the Truth had followed their meaning

*68) This brief sentence expresses a great reality which should be understood well.
The foolish people in the world generally feel offended by a person who points out the Truth to them.
They do not like to hear and consider the Truth because it goes against their desires and interests but the Truth remains the Truth and cannot be changed after one's personal whims and wishes.
Man is subject to the eternal and unalterable laws operating in the universe and has therefore to adjust his thinking, desires and conduct accordingly and should try to discover the Truth and Reality through experience, reasoning and observation.
Only a foolish person can stick to and regard his personal whims, wishes and projudices to be the reality and refuse to hear and consider any argument, however rational and scientific, simply because it goes against them.

*69) Here the word zikr means:
( 1 ) Mention of human nature and its demands, ( 2 ) admonition, ( 3 ) esteem, honour and fame.

In the light of these, the full meaning of the verse will be: " Your rejection of the Qur'an is irrational, for it contains the mention of those things which develop the best in human nature: it is an admonition that will result in your own good and well-being, and it will bring esteem and honour for you in this world as well as in the Hereafter. "
 

Refutation and Condemnation of the Idolators Allah denounces the idolators for not understanding the Qur'an or contemplating its meaning, and for turning away from it, even though they had been addressed specifically in this Book which Allah did not reveal to any Messenger more perfect and noble, and especially since no Book or warner had come to their forefathers who had died during the Jahiliyyah.
What these people, upon whom the blessing had been bestowed, should have done, was to accept it and give thanks for it, and try to understand it and act in accordance with it night and day, as was done by the wise ones among them who became Muslim and followed the Messenger , may Allah be pleased with them. أَفَلَمْ يَدَّبَّرُواْ الْقَوْلَ ( Have they not pondered over the Word, ) Qatadah said, "Because, by Allah, if the people had pondered the meaning and understood it properly, they would have found in the Qur'an a deterrent to disobeying Allah.
But they only paid attention to the Ayat which are not entirely clear, and so they were destroyed because of that." Then Allah says, denouncing the disbelievers of the Quraysh: أَمْ لَمْ يَعْرِفُواْ رَسُولَهُمْ فَهُمْ لَهُ مُنكِرُونَ ( Or is it that they did not recognize their Messenger so they deny him ) means, `do they not recognize Muhammad and the honesty, trustworthiness and good character with which he grew up among them Can they deny that or argue against it' Ja`far bin Abi Talib said to An-Najashi, the king of Ethiopia: "O King, Allah has sent to us a Messenger whose lineage, honesty and trustworthiness are known to us." Al-Mughirah bin Shu`bah said something similar to the deputy of Kisra when he wanted to challenge him.
When the Byzantine ruler Heraclius asked Abu Sufyan Sakhr bin Harb and his companions -- who were still disbelievers and had not yet become Muslim -- about the characteristics, lineage, honesty and trustworthiness of the Prophet , they could only tell the truth and admit that he was indeed noble and truthful. أَمْ يَقُولُونَ بِهِ جِنَّةٌ ( Or they say: There is madness in him ) This is a narration of what the Quraysh said about the Prophet .
They said that he was making up the Qur'an by himself, or that he was crazy and did not know what he was saying.
Allah tells us that their hearts did not believe that, they knew that what they were saying about the Qur'an was falsehood, for it had come to them from the Words of Allah and could not be resisted or rejected.
So Allah challenged them and all the people of the world to produce something like it if they could -- but they could not and would never be able to do so.
So Allah says: بَلْ جَآءَهُمْ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لِلْحَقِّ كَـرِهُونَ ( Nay, but he brought them Al-Haqq, but most of them are averse to the truth. ) Truth does not follow Whims and Desires Allah says; وَلَوِ اتَّبَعَ الْحَقُّ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ لَفَسَدَتِ السَّمَـوَتُ وَالاٌّرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ ( And if Al-Haqq had followed their desires, verily, the heavens and the earth, and whosoever is therein would have been corrupted! ) Mujahid, Abu Salih and As-Suddi said, "Al-Haqq is Allah, may He be glorified." What is meant by the Ayah is that if Allah had responded to the desires in their hearts and prescribed things accordingly, the heavens and the earth and whosoever is therein, would have been corrupted, i.e., because of their corrupt and inconsistent desires.
As Allah says of them elsewhere: لَوْلاَ نُزِّلَ هَـذَا الْقُرْءَانُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ ( "Why is not this Qur'an sent down to some great man of the two towns" ) 43:31 Then He says: أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّكَ ( Is it they who would portion out the mercy of your Lord ) 43:32 And Allah says: قُل لَّوْ أَنتُمْ تَمْلِكُونَ خَزَآئِنَ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّى إِذًا لأمْسَكْتُمْ خَشْيَةَ الإِنفَاقِ ( Say: "If you possessed the treasure of the mercy of my Lord, then you would surely hold back for fear of spending it.
" ) 17:100, أَمْ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُلْكِ فَإِذاً لاَّ يُؤْتُونَ النَّاسَ نَقِيراً ( Or have they a share in the dominion Then in that case they would not give mankind even a Naqir. ) 4:53 All of this goes to show how incapable mankind is and how divergent and inconsistent their ideas and desires are.
Only Allah, may He be glorified, is Perfect in all His attributes, words, actions, laws, power and control of His creation, may He be exalted and sanctified.
There is no God but He and no Lord besides Him.
Then He says: بَلْ أَتَيْنَـهُمْ بِذِكْرِهِمْ ( Nay, We have brought them their reminder, ) meaning the Qur'an, فَهُمْ عَن ذِكْرِهِمْ مُّعْرِضُونَ ( but they turn away from their reminder. ) The Prophet does not ask for any payment, and he calls to the straight path. أَمْ تَسْأَلُهُمْ خَرْجاً ( Or is it that you ask them for some Kharj ) Al-Hasan said, "A reward." Qatadah said, "Some payment." فَخَرَاجُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ ( But the recompense of your Lord is better, ) means, you are not asking for any wages or payment or anything for calling them to right guidance, rather you are hoping for a great reward from Allah, as He says: قُلْ مَا سَأَلْتُكُم مِّن أَجْرٍ فَهُوَ لَكُمْ إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلاَّ عَلَى اللَّهِ ( Say: "Whatever wage I might have asked of you is yours.
My wage is from Allah only." ) 34:47 قُلْ مَآ أَسْـَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ وَمَآ أَنَآ مِنَ الْمُتَكَلِّفِينَ ( Say: "No wage do I ask of you for this, nor am I one of the pretenders." ) 38:86 قُل لاَّ أَسْـَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْراً إِلاَّ الْمَوَدَّةَ فِى الْقُرْبَى ( Say: "No reward do I ask of you for this except to be kind to me for my kinship with you." ) 42:23 وَجَآءَ مِنْ أَقْصَى الْمَدِينَةِ رَجُلٌ يَسْعَى قَالَ يقَوْمِ اتَّبِعُواْ الْمُرْسَلِينَ اتَّبِعُواْ مَن لاَّ يَسْـَلُكُمْ أَجْراً ( And there came a man running from the farthest part of the town.
He said: "O my people! Obey the Messengers.
Obey those who ask no wages of you, and who are rightly guided." ) 35:20-21 وَإِنَّكَ لَتَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ - وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ عَنِ الصِّرَطِ لَنَـكِبُونَ ( And certainly, you call them to the straight path.
And verily, those who believe not in the Hereafter are indeed deviating far astray from the path. ) The Situation of the Disbelievers وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ عَنِ الصِّرَطِ لَنَـكِبُونَ ( And verily, those who believe not in the Hereafter are indeed deviating far astray from the path. ) meaning, they have gone astray and deviated. ن ( And though We had mercy on them and removed the distress which is on them, still they would obstinately persist in their transgression, wandering blindly. ) Here Allah tells of their stubbornness in their disbelief, in that even if He had removed the calamity from them and made them understand the Qur'an, they still would not follow it; they would still persist in their disbelief and stubborn transgression.
This is like the Ayat: وَلَوْ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا لأَسْمَعَهُمْ وَلَوْ أَسْمَعَهُمْ لَتَوَلَّواْ وَّهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ ( Had Allah known of any good in them, He would indeed have made them listen; and even if He had made them listen, they would but have turned away with aversion. ) 8:23 وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُواْ عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُواْ يلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلاَ نُكَذِّبَ بِـَايَـتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَوْ رُدُّواْ لَعَـدُواْ لِمَا نُهُواْ عَنْهُ ( And if (Lauw ) you could but see when they will be held over the ( Hell ) Fire! They will say: "Would that we were but sent back ( to the world )! Then we would not deny the Ayat of our Lord, and we would be of the believers!" Nay, it has become manifest to them what they had been concealing before.
But if they were returned ( to the world ), they would certainly revert to that which they were forbidden.) 6:27-29 Until His statement: بِمَبْعُوثِينَ ( be resurrected ) This has to do with the knowledge of Allah.
He knows about some- thing that will not happen, but if it were to happen, He knows how it would be.
Ad-Dahhak reported from Ibn `Abbas: "Every- thing that is implied in the word: لَوْ ( If (Lauw )) is something that will never happen."

( And if the Truth had followed their desires ) if it was according to their whims such that there is a deity in the heavens and a deity in the earth, ( verily the heavens and the earth and whosoever is therein ) of created beings ( had been corrupted. Nay, We have brought them their Reminder ) We sent Gabriel to their Prophet with the Qur’an wherein lies their glory and honour, ( but from their Reminder ) but from their glory and honour ( they now turn away ) they disbelieve.

And if the truth had been in accordance with their desires, verily, the heavens and the earth, and whosoever is therein would have been corrupted! Nay, We have brought them their reminder, but they turn away from their reminder.

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