10-11 And if Allah were to hasten for men the (consequences of) evil, as they would hasten on the good, their doom would certainly have been decreed for them. But We leave those alone, who have no hope of meeting with Us, in their inordinacy, blindly wandering on.a
وَلَوْ يُعَجِّلُ ٱللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ ٱلشَّرَّ ٱسْتِعْجَالَهُم بِٱلْخَيْرِ لَقُضِىَ إِلَيْهِمْ أَجَلُهُمْ ۖ فَنَذَرُ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَآءَنَا فِى طُغْيَـٰنِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ (۱۱)
10-11a: اجل – Literally it means a predetermined period and it also means death because with it the period of a person’s life in this world comes to an end (R). Since the mention here is of a nation, the meaning is the destruction of the nation.
Prohibition to ask for evil: When the disbelievers were warned of punishment because of their wickedness, their reply was to question why the calamity does not come, and they repeatedly asked: متی ھذالوعد (When will this promise come?) and متی ھذالفتح and in one place it is stated: ٱللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَـٰذَا هُوَ ٱلْحَقَّ مِنْ عِندِكَ فَأَمْطِرْ عَلَيْنَا حِجَارَةًۭ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ أَوِ ٱئْتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍۢ (O Allah if this is indeed the truth from Thee, then rain down on us stones from heaven or inflict on us a painful chastisement) (8:32). They asked repeatedly to be punished and Allah’s response in this verse is that He is not hasty in sending afflictions and sufferings although man, in his stupidity, wants to hasten it just as he likes to hasten good. The disbelievers certainly desired to hasten on the chastisement but the condition of the Muslims today is that on small disagreements they ask that calamities befall their kith and kin. Sometimes when parents are unhappy with their children, they ask for their death and if someone has a disagreement with his brother, he maledicts him. Allah desires that people should ask for His Mercy and not desire difficulties and afflictions for themselves.
10-12 And when affliction touches a man, he calls on Us, whether lying on his side or sitting or standing; but, when We remove his affliction from him, he passes on as though he had never called on Us on account of an affliction that touched him. Thus is what they do, made fair-seeming to the extravagant.
وَإِذَا مَسَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ ٱلضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنۢبِهِۦٓ أَوْ قَاعِدًا أَوْ قَآئِمًۭا فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهُۥ مَرَّ كَأَن لَّمْ يَدْعُنَآ إِلَىٰ ضُرٍّۢ مَّسَّهُۥ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ (۱۲)
10-12a: It is conveyed in this verse that disbelievers ask for affliction but when calamities afflict them, they call upon God. It is also stated that Allah sends calamities so that man may reform himself, but man tends to forget and returns to wrongdoing.
10-13 And certainly We destroyed generations before you when they did wrong, and their messengers came to them with clear arguments, yet they would not believe. Thus do We recompense the guilty people.
وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا ٱلْقُرُونَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَمَّا ظَلَمُوا۟ ۙ وَجَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ لِيُؤْمِنُوا۟ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ (۱۳)
10-14 Then We made you rulers in the land after them, so that We might see how you act.
ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ خَلَـٰٓئِفَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ لِنَنظُرَ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ (۱۴)
10-15 And when Our clear messages are recited to them, those who have no hope of meeting with Us say: Bring a Qur’an other than this or change it. Say: It is not for me to change it of my own accord. I follow naught but what is revealed to me. Indeed I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the chastisement of a grievous day.
وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَاتُنَا بَيِّنَـٰتٍۢ ۙ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَآءَنَا ٱئْتِ بِقُرْءَانٍ غَيْرِ هَـٰذَآ أَوْ بَدِّلْهُ ۚ قُلْ مَا يَكُونُ لِىٓ أَنْ أُبَدِّلَهُۥ مِن تِلْقَآئِ نَفْسِىٓ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ ۖ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّى عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍۢ (۱۵)
10-15a: نشأۃ ثانیة is the second life in which every action will be requited. One should keep this in mind when undertaking any action because there will be a reckoning for it. This is not acceptable to those who worship this life and do not want to elevate themselves above their human desires. This is the reason why they say that this Quran, which lays so much emphasis on the next life, is unacceptable. They want the Holy Prophet to act just as their soothsayers who explained things of the next world in accordance with their wishes. Further, they desired that he should not interfere with their eating, drinking, lustful ways, love of the world, and not criticize their idol worshipping ways. The reply given is exquisite. The Holy Prophet is told to say that he himself only follows what is revealed and if this was something he had made, why would he act according to it. This also goes to show that the Holy Prophet followed every command of the Quran and did not follow anything else except what was revealed to him. Hence even in giving the details of the shariah he only followed the Divine revelation.
10-16 Say: If Allah had desired, I would not have recited it to you, nor would He have made it known to you. I have lived among you a lifetime before it. Do you not then understand?a
قُل لَّوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا تَلَوْتُهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَآ أَدْرَىٰكُم بِهِۦ ۖ فَقَدْ لَبِثْتُ فِيكُمْ عُمُرًۭا مِّن قَبْلِهِۦٓ ۚ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ (۱۶)
10-16a: أَدْرَىٰكُم – The meaning of دَرَیۡتُ is I obtained knowledge of it, and the meaning of اَدۡرَیۡتُه is I gave him knowledge of it اَدۡراہ به اَعَلمَه (LA). Examples are: لَا تَدْرِى لَعَلَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحْدِثُ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ أَمْرًۭا (Thou knowest not that Allah may after that bring about an event) (65:1); وَإِنْ أَدْرِى لَعَلَّهُۥ فِتْنَةٌۭ لَّكُمْ (And I know not if this may be a trial for you) (21:111); وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ (And what will make thee comprehend) (77:14); وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ (And what will make thee comprehend) (33:63). Derived from the same root is مداراۃ which means a good disposition and gentle.
Truthfulness and trustworthiness of the Holy Prophet recognized: The purport here is that Allah desires to take the disbelievers out from depravity and to exalt them in this life and the next. It is for this reason that He has revealed the Quran. The statement I have lived among you a lifetime before it is in response to the demand of the disbelievers to bring a Quran other than this or to change it. The purport is that the Holy Prophet does not fabricate and the Holy Prophet’s life of forty years which he had spent in Makkah before receiving the revelations is presented as testimony. His truthfulness, honesty and trustworthiness were recognized by his compatriots and never challenged. He showed such an example of truthfulness and righteousness for forty years that the people of Arabia bestowed on him the title of Al-Amin (The Trustworthy). How is it possible for a person who for such a long time has never spoken a lie, to start spewing out such a great falsehood against Allah. This would require him to spin lies day and night and attribute them to Allah, not once, not twice but over and over again for years on end. This testimony for the Arabs who were familiar with the Holy Prophet’s morals and habits was such that it had a great impact on their heart. A hadith in Bukhari narrates that when the Roman Emperor Heraclius enquired about the Holy Prophet from Abu Sufyan who at the time was an ardent opponent of the Holy Prophet and asked him: ھل کنتم تتھمونه بالکذب قبل ان یقول ما قال (Did you ever accuse him of lying before he made this claim?) Abu Sufyan admitted that no such charge was ever made. Heraclius reasoned from this that it is not possible to tell lies about Allah by a person who is so righteous that he never speaks a lie in his dealing with the people. Similarly, Abu Jaffar advanced this testimony in the court of Najashi, the Ethiopian Emperor and the Quraish delegation could not rebut it and admitted: نعرف صدقه و نسبه وامانته (We recognize his (Holy Prophet’s) honesty, noble birth and trustworthiness). Many right natured persons when they came to meet the Holy Prophet would look at his countenance and cry out: لیس بوجه رجل کذاب (This is not the face of a liar). This subject is further expanded in the next verse where it is stated: فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا (Who is then more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah) (10:17). A person who does not lie to people how can he be guilty of fabricating lies against Allah. The mention here is not about the excellence of the Quran.
10-17 Who is then more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah or gives the lie to His messages? Surely the guilty never succeed.a
فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ (۱۷)
10-17a: The prophecy that a liar and a fabricator of falsehood cannot succeed and its fulfilment: Right from the time of his Makkan life the Holy Prophet faced great difficulties. People were not willing to listen to what he was saying. A few people who believed were either facing great hardships or had dispersed but the Holy Prophet’s conviction about his truth, righteousness and the perfect attributes of Allah was so strong that he made the claim that out of the two groups, that is the Holy Prophet on one side and his opponents who called him a fibber on the other, the group that is unjust and a wrongdoer will not succeed because the unjust do not succeed. He said that if he has fabricated a lie against Allah, then there is no one more unjust than him, but if it is his opponents who are calling the words of Allah as lies, then there is none more unjust than them. These words uttered at a time of complete helplessness proved true. Despite the severe opposition of the disbelievers, no earthly power could stop the inexorable march of truth and justice, and all opposition was swept away. Allah showed the Arabs the opposite scenario as well when Musailamah and Aswad who falsely claimed to be prophets and fabricated a lie against Allah met a sorry end.
10-18 And they serve besides Allah that which can neither harm them nor profit them, and they say: These are our intercessors with Allah. Say: Would you inform Allah of what He knows not in the heavens and the earth? Glory be to Him, and supremely exalted is He above what they set up (with Him)!a
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ شُفَعَـٰٓؤُنَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ قُلْ أَتُنَبِّـُٔونَ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَلَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَـٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ (۱۸)
10-18a: The idol worshippers of Arabia considered their idols as intercessors with Allah. Their claim was that they could not directly reach Allah and the idols are a means of reaching Him. In exactly the same way, many Muslims consider Pirs as their intercessors and think that they are not worthy of standing in the presence of Allah or to supplicate to Him and their Pirs will be their intercessors. The common tenet of Hinduism is very superficial, but their philosophical doctrine is very similar. They consider God to have transmigrated into their idols and so they focus their attention on the idols. They say that the real purpose is not to worship the idols but to worship God. They contend that they cannot focus their attention on a noncorporeal, spiritual entity and hence the idols are placed in the front for spiritual concentration. This is exactly what the idol worshippers of Arabia used to say as well: مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ زُلْفَىٰٓ (We serve them only that they may bring us nearer to Allah) (39:3).To those who profess belief in Allah but present such reasoning, it is stated whether they know certain things that Allah is not aware of. Allah has not told any prophet as part of His teachings to make someone else an intercessor and to worship him. On the contrary, Divine revelation has always stated that a person should walk on the path that Allah has informed to achieve a position of nearness to Allah. It is conveyed in لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ (neither harm them nor profit them) that when the idols cannot benefit them in this world, how can they benefit them in the presence of Allah. The Christians too have accepted Jesus as such an intercessor.
10-19 And (all) people are but a single nation, then they disagree. And had not a word already gone forth from thy Lord, the matter would have certainly been decided between them in respect of that wherein they disagree.
وَمَا كَانَ ٱلنَّاسُ إِلَّآ أُمَّةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ فَٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ ۚ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌۭ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُمْ فِيمَا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ (۱۹)
10-19a: The permanent law of opposing the truth: For وَمَا كَانَ ٱلنَّاسُ إِلَّآ أُمَّةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ see 2-213a. The purport is that those who oppose the Holy Prophet are like those who opposed the previous prophets. They too opposed the truth just as the Holy Prophet’s detractors are opposing the truth. For this meaning of اختلاف see 2-186a. The purport of كَلِمَةٌۭ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ (a word already gone forth from thy Lord) is that a time has been fixed for their punishment. They want to hasten it but it will come at its proper time. This is the subject of this section. Quite apart from this, Allah’s mercy outstrips his anger as stated in سبقت رحمتی غضبی .
10-20 And they say: Why is not a sign sent to him from his Lord? Say: The unseen is only for Allah, so wait; surely I too with you am of those who wait.a
وَيَقُولُونَ لَوْلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَةٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ ۖ فَقُلْ إِنَّمَا ٱلْغَيْبُ لِلَّهِ فَٱنتَظِرُوٓا۟ إِنِّى مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْمُنتَظِرِينَ (۲۰)
10-20a: اٰيَةٌۭ – The indication in ءَايَةٌ is to the destruction of the opponents, and their asking for a sign is to try the Almighty. Hence the reply is given that the sign will definitely come, and they should wait just as the Holy Prophet is waiting. However, it cannot be said on what date and at which time it will come because only Allah knows all the details of the future.
Bayan-ul-Quran 