Surah Fussilat, Ayah 41

The Punishment of the Deniers and the Description of the Qur'an

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِى ءَايَـتِنَا

(Verily, Yulhiduna Fi Our Ayat) Ibn `Abbas said, "Al-Ilhad means putting words in their improper places." Qatadah and others said, "It means disbelief and obstinate behavior."

لاَ يَخْفَوْنَ عَلَيْنَآ

(are not hidden from Us.) This is a stern warning and dire threat, stating that He, may He be exalted, knows who denies His signs, Names and attributes, and He will punish them for that. He says:

أَفَمَن يُلْقَى فِى النَّارِ خَيْرٌ أَم مَّن يَأْتِى ءَامِناً يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ

(Is he who is cast into the Fire better or he who comes secure on the Day of Resurrection) means, are these two equal They are not equal. Then Allah warns the disbelievers:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُ‌وا بِالذِّكْرِ‌ لَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ ۖ وَإِنَّهُ لَكِتَابٌ عَزِيزٌ لَّا يَأْتِيهِ الْبَاطِلُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَلَا مِنْ خَلْفِهِ (Surely those who have rejected the advice, when it came to them [ are the ones who go crooked and are not hidden from Us ]. And surely, it is an unassailable book that cannot be approached by falsehood, neither from its front, nor from its behind. - 41:41-42) Most Exegetes have stated that the ` advice' in this verse refers to the Qur'an, and the sentence "those who have rejected the advice when it came to them" is a complement of the former phrase "those who go crooked about Our verse" and hence, according to Arabic grammar, is subject to the same predicate, and thus the meaning is that these people cannot be hidden from Us, and consequently cannot escape the scourge. Further on is stated that the Qur'an is protected by Allah. إِنَّهُ لَكِتَابٌ عَزِيزٌ (And surely, it is an unassailable book) meaning that Allah Almighty holds this Book dear and fully protected; no falsehood can enter this Book. (Narrated by Ibn ` Abbas - Mazhari)

The phenomena of rains soaking dry land and thereafter greenery sprouting from it are a regular occurence. This is an allegorical reference to an inner reality. In this way man is informed that God has made extensive and elaborate arrangements in this world to refresh and invigorate his dry existence. The soil absorbs the water and allows it to percolate downwards, making the rain water a source of revitalization for it. Similarly, if man allows God’s guidance to permeate his existence, he too will become reanimated upon receiving it. The main reason for a man’s not benefitting from God’s guidance is that he distorts God’s message. When God’s guidance comes to him, he does not take it as it is, instead he tries to ferret out some points in it which he may misrepresent. In this way, God’s guidance does not become a part of his mind. It does not nourish his soul. For those who accept God’s guidance as it is, there is the reward of paradise, and for those who distort its real meaning, there is the punishment of hell.