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*30 Here mumin (believer) and fasiq (sinner) have been used as two contrasting terms. Mumin is he who believes in Allah as his lord and the One and only deity and adopts obedience of the law which Allah has sent down through His Prophets. Contrary to this, fasiq is he who adopts the attitude of fisq (disobedience, rebellion, independence and obedience to others than Allah). *31 That is, “They can neither have the same way of thinking and life in the world nor can they be treated alike by God in the Hereafter .” 19. As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, for them are the Gardens of Retreat.*32 A welcome (in reward) for what they used to do.
*32 That is, “The Gardens will not merely be a means of entertainment for them, but the same will be their dwelling-places in which they will live for ever.” 20. And as for those who disobeyed, so their refuge is the Fire. Whenever they desire to get out of it, they are brought back into it, and it will be said to them: “Taste the punishment of the Fire that which you used to deny.”
21. And surely We will make them taste of the nearer punishment before the greater punishment, perhaps that they will return.*33
*33 “The greater punishment” is the torment of the Hereafter , which will be imposed on the guilty ones in consequence of disbelief and disobedience. “Nearer punishment”, in contrast, implies those calamities which afflict man even in this world, e.g., diseases in the life of individuals, deaths of the near and dear ones, serious accidents, losses, failures, etc. and storms, earthquakes, floods, epidemics, famines, riots, wars and many other disasters, in collective life, which affect hundreds of thousands of the people simultaneously. The reason given for sending these calamities is that the people should take heed even before they are involved in the “greater torment” and give up the attitude and way of life in consequence of which they will have to suffer the greater torment ultimately. In other words, it means this: Allah has not kept man in perfect security in the world so that he may live in full peace, and become involved in the misunderstanding that there is no power above him, which can cause him harm. But Allah has so arranged things that He sends disasters and calamities on individuals as well as on nations and countries from time to time, which give man the feeling that he is helpless and that there is about him an All-Powerful Sovereign Who is ruling His universal kingdom. These calamities remind each individual and groups and nation that there is another Power above them Who is controlling their destinies. Everything has not been placed at man’s disposal. The real Power is in the hand of the Sovereign. When a calamity from Him descends on man, you can neither avert it by any artifice, nor can escape from it by invoking a jinn, or a spirit, or a god or goddess, or a prophet or saint. Considered in this light, these calamities are not mere calamities but warnings of God, which are sent to make man conscious of the reality and to remove his misunderstandings. If man learns a lesson from these and corrects his belief and conduct here in the world, he will not have to face the greater torment of God in the Hereafter . 22. And who does greater wrong than him who is reminded of the signs of his Lord, then he turns away from them.*34 Indeed, We shall take vengeance on the criminals.
*34 “The signs of his Lord” include all kinds of the signs. A perusal of all the Quranic verses in this regard shows that these signs are of the following six kinds: (1) The signs which are found in everything from the earth to the heavens. (2) The sign which are found in man’s own creation and in his constitution and body. (3) The signs which are found in man’s intuition, his unconscious and subconscious mind and in his moral concepts. (4) The signs which are found in the continuous experience of human history. (5) The signs which are found in the coming down of the earthly and heavenly calamities on man. (6) And, over and above all these, the revelations which Allah sent through His Prophets so that man may be made conscious in a rational way of those realities, which are pointed out by all the above-mentioned signs. All these signs proclaim consistently and clearly: “O man, you are neither without God, nor the servant of many gods, but your God is only One God: no other way of life is correct for you except the way of His service and obedience. You have not been left to live a free and independent and irresponsible life in this world, but you have to appear before yow God and render an account of your deeds after your life-activity here has come to an end, and be rewarded or punished accordingly. Therefore, it is in yow own interest that you should follow the guidance which your God has sent through His Prophets and His Books for your instruction and desist from an independent way of lift.” Now, obviously, the man who has been warned in so many different ways, for whose admonition countless different signs have been provided, and who has been blessed with the eyes to see and the ears to hear and the mind to think, and yet he closes his eyes to all these signs, and closes his ears to the admonitions of his well-wishers, and uses his mind for inventing stupid and blind philosophies only can be a wretched and wicked person. He only deserves to be given full punishment for rebellion when he appears before his God after the expiry of the period of test in the world. 23. And certainly, We gave Moses the Book, so do not be in doubt of his receiving it,*35 and We appointed it a guidance for the Children of Israel.*36
*35 The address apparently is to the Prophet (peace be upon him)), but the real addressees are the people who doubted his prophethood and the revelation of the divine book to him. From here the discourse turns to the same theme that was mentioned in the beginning of the Surah (Ayats 2-3). The disbelievers of Makkah were saying: “No book has come down to muhammad (peace be upon him)) from Allah. He has himself forged it, but claims that it has been sent down by Allah.” The first answer to this was given in the initial verses. This is the second answer. The first thing said in this regard is: “O Prophet, these ignorant people regard it as impossible that a book should be sent down to you, and want that every other person also should at least be involved in suspicion about it even if he does not reject it altogether. But the revelation of a book to a servant from Allah is not a novel and new event, which might have occurred for the first time today in human history. Before this, Books have been sent down to several Prophets, the most well-known among these being the book which was sent down to the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him)). A book of the same nature has been sent down to you now. Therefore, there is nothing odd and strange in this, which may cause doubts in the minds of the people.” *36 That is, “That book was made a means of guidance for the children of Israel, and this Book, likewise, has been sent down for your guidance.” As has already been elucidated in Ayat 3, the full meaning of this verse can be understood only if one keeps in view the historical background. History bears evidence, and the disbelievers of Makkah also were not unaware, that the children of Israel had been passing miserable lives for centuries in Egypt. At such a Juncture, Allah raised the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him)) among them, and delivered them from bondage. Then He sent down the book to them, because of which the same very suppressed and subdued nation received guidance and became a prominent nation in the world. Alluding to this historical background, the Arabs are being told: “Just as that book was sent for the guidance of the Israelites, so has this book been sent for your guidance.” 24. And We made from among them leaders, guiding by Our command when they were patient.*37 And they used to believe with certainty in Our signs.
*37 That is, “Whatever progress the children of Israel made and whatever heights they attained by that Book, was not simply due to the reason that a book had been sent among them. It was not an amulet that they might have hung around their necks and they might have started ascending the steps of glory under its good and protective influence. But the glory was the direct result of their firm faith in the revelations of Allah, and of the patience and perseverance that they showed in following the divine commandments. Among the Israelites, the leadership also belonged to only those who were true believers of the book of Allah and were not tempted at all by the greed of worldly gains and enjoyments. When in their love of the truth they stood firm against every danger, endured every loss and affliction, and exerted their utmost against every hostile force, from the lusts of their own selves to the external enemies of the true faith, then only did they become the leaders of the world. The object is to warn the disbelievers of Arabia that just as the coming of the book of Allah had decided the destinies of the children of Israel, so will this book decide the destinies among you. Now only those people will become the leaders, who will believe in it and follow the truth presented by it patiently and resolutely. Those who turn away from it are destined to end up in failure and wretchedness. 25. Indeed, your Lord, He will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection about that wherein they used to differ.*38
*38 The allusion is to the differences and schisms in which the children of Israel were involved after they became deprived of the faith and belief and gave up obedience of their righteous leaders and were given to the worship of the world. One result of this is obvious and before the whole world: they suffer from disgrace and infamy and misfortune; the other result is that which is not known, to the world: it will appear on the Day of Resurrection. 26. Is it not a guidance for them, how many of the generations We have destroyed before them, amid whose dwelling places they do walk.*39 Indeed, in that are signs. Will they not then listen.
*39 That is, “Have they not learned any lesson from this continuous experience of history that to whichever nation a messenger came, the decision of its destiny became dependent upon the attitude it adopted with regard to him? If it rejected its messenger, it could not escape its doom. The only people to escape were those who believed in the messenger. Those who disbelieved became an object of warning for ever and ever.” 27. Have they not seen how We drive the water to the barren land, then therewith bring forth crops from which their cattle eat, and they themselves. Will they not then see.*40
*40 Keeping the context in view it becomes obvious that this thing has not been mentioned here for the sake of providing an argument for the life-after-death, as generally found in the Quran, but in this context its object is different. This, in fact, contains a subtle allusion to this effect: “Just as a person seeing a barren land cannot imagine that it will ever bloom and swell with vegetation, but a single shower of the rain sent by God changes its color altogether, so is the case with the message of Islam at this juncture. People think that it is not going to gain ground, but a single manifestation of Allah's power and grace will cause it to gain such glory that people will be amazed at its progress.” 28. And they say: “When will be this judgment, if you should be truthful.”*41
*41 That is, “You say that Allah’s succor will at last reach you and your rejectors will be struck down by His wrath. Then, tell us: When will this happen? When will judgment be passed between you and us?” 29. Say: “On the day of the judgment, no benefit will it be to those who disbelieve, (if then) they believe, neither will they be reprieved.”*42
*42 That is, “It is not a thing for which you should feel so impatient and restless. When the torment of Allah comes, you will get no time to mend your ways. Make the best of the time which is available before the coming of the torment. If you will believe only when you see the torment, it will not avail you anything then.” 30. So withdraw from them (O Muhammad), and await. Indeed, they are waiting (too).