Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AL HASYR [21]

21. Had We sent down this Qur'an on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rent asunder by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect. 22. He is Allah, beside Whom La ilaha illa Huwa, the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 23. He is Allah, beside Whom La ilaha illa Huwa, Al-Malik, Al-Quddus, As-Salam, Al-Mu`min, Al-Muhaymin, Al-`Aziz, Al-Jabbar, Al-Mutakabbir. Glory be to Allah! Above all that they associate as partners with Him. 24. He is Allah, Al-Khaliq, Al-Bari, Al-Musawwir. To Him belong the Best Names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorify Him. And He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. Allah the Exalted emphasizes the greatness of the Qur'an, its high status and of being worthy of making hearts humble and rent asunder upon hearing it, because of the true promises and sure threats that it contains,

(Had We sent down this Qur'an on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rent asunder by the fear of Allah.) If this is the case with a mountain which is hard and huge, that if it was made able to comprehend and understand this Qur'an, will feel humble and crumble from fear of Allah the Exalted, then what about you -- O mankind Why do your hearts not feel softness and humbleness from the fear of Allah, even though you understand Allah's command and comprehend His Book This is why Allah said,

(Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect.) There is a Hadith of the Mutawatir grade that states that the Messenger of Allah had someone make him a Minbar. Before that, he used to stand next to a tree trunk in the Masjid to deliver speeches. So, when the Minbar was made and placed in the Masjid, the Prophet came to deliver a speech and passed the tree trunk, headed towards the Minbar, the tree trunk started weeping, just like an infant. The tree trunk missed hearing the remembrance of Allah and the revelation that were being recited next to it. In one of the narrations for this Hadith, Al-Hasan Al-Basri said after narrating the Hadith, ”You - mankind -- are more worthy to miss the Messenger of Allah than the tree trunk!'' tLikewise, this honorable Ayah asks that if the solid mountains feel humble and are rent asunder from the fear of Allah, if it heard Allah's Speech and comprehended it, what about you -- O mankind -- who heard the Qur'an and understood it Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,

(And if there had been a Qur'an with which mountains could be moved, or the earth could be cloven asunder, or the dead could be made to speak.)(13:31) We mentioned the meaning of this Ayah as stating that, if there were a Qur'an that has these qualities, it would be this Qur'an. Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,

(And indeed, there are stones out of which rivers gush forth, and indeed, there are of them (stones) which split asunder so that water flows from them, and indeed, there are of them which fall down for fear of Allah.)(2:74)   Allah the Exalted said,

(He is Allah, beside Whom La ilaha illa Huwa, the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.) Allah states that He Alone is worthy of worship, there is no Lord or God for the existence, except Him. All that is being worshipped instead of Allah are false deities. Allah is the All-Knower in the unseen and the seen, He knows all that pertains to the creations that we see, and those we cannot see. Nothing in heaven or on earth ever escapes His knowledge, no matter how great or insignificant, big or small, including ants in darkness. Allah's statement,

(He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.) was duly explained before at the very beginning of this Tafsir, so it is not necessary to repeat it here, and it asserts that Allah is the Owner of the wide encompassing mercy that entails all of His creation. He is Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim of this life and the Hereafter. Allah the Exalted said in other Ayat,

(And My mercy embraces all things.)(7:156),

(Your Lord has written (prescribed) mercy for Himself.)(6:54), and,

(Say: ”In the bounty of Allah, and in His mercy; -- therein let them rejoice.'' That is better than what (the wealth) they amass.)(10:58) Allah the Exalted said,

(He is Allah, beside Whom La ilaha illa Huwa, Al-Malik.) Al-Malik, meaning ”The Owner and King of all things,'' Who has full power over them without resistance or hindrance. Allah's statement,

(Al-Quddus,) meaning ”The Pure,'' according to Wahb bin Munabbih, while Mujahid and Qatadah said that Al-Quddus means ”The Blessed.'' Ibn Jurayj said that Al-Quddus means ”He Whom the honorable angels glorify.''

(As-Salam,) meaning ”Free from any defects or shortcomings that lessen or decrease His perfect attributes and actions.'' Allah's statement,

(Al-Mu'min,) means ”Who has granted safety to His servants by promising that He will never be unjust to them, '' according to Ad-Dahhak who reported it from Ibn `Abbas. Qatadah said that Al-Mu'min means that ”Allah affirms that His statements are true,'' while Ibn Zayd said that it means, ”He attested to His faithful servants' having faith in Him.'' Allah's statement,

(Al-Muhaymin,) means, according to Ibn `Abbas and others, ”The Witness for His servants actions,'' that is, the Ever-Watcher over them. Allah said in similar Ayat,

(And Allah is Witness over all things.)(58:6),

(and moreover Allah is Witness over what they used to do.)(10:46), and,

(Is then He (Allah) Who takes charge (guards) of every person and knows all that he has earned)(13:33) Allah said,

(Al-`Aziz,) meaning that ”He is the Almighty, Dominant over all things.'' Therefore, His majesty is never violated, due to His might, greatness, irresistible power and pride. Allah said;

(Al-Jabbar, Al-Mutakabbir), meaning ”The Only One worthy of being the Compeller and Supreme.'' There is a Hadith in the Sahih Collection in which Allah said,

(Might is My Izar and pride is My Rida; if anyone disputes any one of them with Me, then I will punish him.) Allah the Exalted said,

(Glory be to Allah! (High is He) above all that they associate as partners with Him.), then He said,

(He is Allah, Al-Khaliq, Al-Bari, Al-Musawwir.) Al-Khaliq refers to measuring and proportioning, Al-Bari refers to inventing and bringing into existence what He has created and measured. Surely, none except Allah is able to measure, bring forth and create whatever He wills to come to existence. Allah's statement,

(Al-Khaliq, Al-Bari, Al-Musawwir.) means, if Allah wills something, He merely says to it ”be'' and it comes to existence in the form that He wills and the shape He chooses,

(In whatever form He willed, He put you together.)(82:8) Allah describing Himself as being Al-Musawwir, Who brings into existence anything He wills in the shape and form He decides. Allah the Exalted said,

(To Him belong Al-Asma' Al-Husna (the Best Names).) We explained the meaning of this Ayah in the Tafsir of Surat Al-A`raf. The Two Sahihs recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

(Allah the Exalted has ninety-nine Names, one hundred less one; whoever then preserves them, will enter Paradise. Allah is Witr (One) and He likes the Witr.) Allah's statement,

(All that is in the heavens and the earth glorify Him.) is similar to His other statement,

(The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein, glorify Him and there is not a thing but glorifies His praise. But you understand not their glorification. Truly, He is Ever Forbearing, Oft--Forgiving.)(17:44) Allah's statement,

(and He is Al-`Aziz) The Almighty, meaning, His greatness is never humbled,

(Al-Hakim) the All-Wise, in His legislation and decrees This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Hashr. All praise is due to Allah.