11-1 I, Allah, am the Seer. A Book, whose verses are characterized by wisdom, then they are made plain, from One Wise, Aware:a
الٓر ۚ كِتَـٰبٌ أُحْكِمَتْ ءَايَـٰتُهُۥ ثُمَّ فُصِّلَتْ مِن لَّدُنْ حَكِيمٍ خَبِيرٍ (۱)
11-1a: أُحْكِمَتْ – One of the meanings of اَحۡکَمَ and حَکَمَ is مَنَعَهٗ عن الفَسادِ (saved it from corruption) and so one of the interpretations here is that the verses are safeguarded from falsity. The meaning of اَحۡکَم الامر is اَتۡقَنَهٗ (strengthened, solidified it) and the meaning of اَحۡکَمۡتهٗ التجارِب is that the life experiences made him wise, that is one having wisdom (LA). It appears that it is in the sense of the last meaning that the word اُحۡکِم is used here because corresponding to أُحْكِمَتْ ءَايَـٰتُهُ (characterized by wisdom) is Allah’s attribute of حَكِيمٍ (Wise) and corresponding to فُصِّلَتْ (plain) is Allah’s attribute of خَبِيرٍ (Aware).
Necessary knowledge imparted in Quranic rules and derived doctrines: In the first verse of the last chapter the Quran is referred to as ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ ٱلْحَكِيمِ (a Book full of wisdom) but in the first verse of this chapter, this is further supplemented by ثُمَّ فُصِّلَتْ (then they are made plain) possibly to indicate that the same subject in the last chapter is expanded with more details in this chapter. The real purport in the use of the word احکام is that the entire Quran is full of wisdom and its foundation rests on knowledge, and at the same time, all the necessary details are present in it. There is no aspect of human need which is not discussed in it. As stated elsewhere: تِبْيَـٰنًۭا لِّكُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ (explaining all things) (16:89), which means that its rules are perfect and complete, as too are the doctrines derived from it.
11-2 That you should serve none but Allah. Surely I am to you from Him a warner and a giver of good news.
أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّنِى لَكُم مِّنْهُ نَذِيرٌۭ وَبَشِيرٌۭ (۲)
11-3 And ask forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him. He will provide you with a goodly provision to an appointed term, and will bestow His grace on every one endowed with grace. And if you turn away, I fear for you the chastisement of a great day.
وَأَنِ ٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ يُمَتِّعْكُم مَّتَـٰعًا حَسَنًا إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍۢ مُّسَمًّۭى وَيُؤْتِ كُلَّ ذِى فَضْلٍۢ فَضْلَهُۥ ۖ وَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍۢ كَبِيرٍ (۳)
11-3a: In the first part of the verse, it is stated that a person who asks forgiveness and turns to God does not have to give up this world and in fact gets the good things of this life. In the second part of the verse by ذِى فَضْلٍۢ is meant one who does good deeds abundantly and the personal pronoun in فَضْلَهُ either refers to Allah and the meaning is that Allah gives him out of His grace or it refers to the doer of the good and the meaning is his good works, that is the reward for his good work.
11-4 To Allah is your return, and He is Possessor of power over all things.
إِلَى ٱللَّهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ ۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌ (۴)
11-5 Now surely they cover up their breasts to conceal (their enmity) from Him. Now surely, when they put their garments as a covering, He knows what they hide and what they make public. Surely He is Knower of what is in the breasts.a
أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ يَثْنُونَ صُدُورَهُمْ لِيَسْتَخْفُوا۟ مِنْهُ ۚ أَلَا حِينَ يَسْتَغْشُونَ ثِيَابَهُمْ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيمٌۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ (۵)
11-5a: يَثْنُونَ – The meaning of ثنَی الشئَ is to to double one part over the other or to fold. Another meaning is to twist or turn. The meaning of يَثْنُونَ صدورھم is to show their love and it also means to conceal malice in their breast (LA). Mujahid has interpreted its meaning as suspicion and enmity (IJ), or the purport is eschewing the truth because when a person takes a thing, his chest is pointing towards the front and the one who eschews a thing turns his back to it (RM).
يَسْتَخْفُوا۟ مِنْهُ – The personal pronoun in it stands for Allah and the purport is that they want to hide from Allah their enmity with truth.
يَسْتَغْشُونَ ثِيَابَهُمْ – It means to wrap the clothes, and the meaning is either that they wrap their clothes over their ears, that is they eschew hearing the truth or it is a metaphor for running away just as شَمَّرَ ذیۡلاً and القیٰ ثَوۡبَهٗ are also metaphors for running away (R), as in: وَإِنِّى كُلَّمَا دَعَوْتُهُمْ لِتَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ جَعَلُوٓا۟ أَصَـٰبِعَهُمْ فِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَٱسْتَغْشَوْا۟ ثِيَابَهُمْ (And whenever I call to them that Thou mayest forgive them, they thrust their fingers in their ears and cover themselves with their garments) (71:7). These are the two possible meanings here. The interpretation made by some people that they wrap themselves at the time of sleeping (RM) is not applicable here, or the meaning could be simply that they hide themselves.
11-6 And there is no animal in the earth but on Allah is the sustenance of it, and He knows its resting-place and its depository. All is in a clear record.
وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍۢ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا ۚ كُلٌّۭ فِى كِتَـٰبٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ (۶)
11-6a: For the meaning of دَآبَّةٍۢ see 2-164a, and for the meaning of مُسْتَقَرّ and مُسْتَوْدَعَ see 6-98a.
The meaning of on Allah is the sustenance of it is that Allah has created all kinds of things for sustenance. The meaning is not that a person should not have any concern for his livelihood or sustenance. The purport of this verse is like verse 11:3, that is that by turning to Allah one is not deprived of worldly goods. One can earn sustenance having any kind of moral condition and sustenance does not cease just because a person turns good. This revelation is taking place when the disbelievers were subjecting Muslims to all kinds of cruelty and a little before this revelation, they had besieged the Muslims in Sheeb Abi Talib and prevented any provisions from reaching them. In the previous verse, the enmity of the disbelievers is mentioned, and so in this verse the Muslims are comforted that the disbelievers cannot seize the sustenance from them. This verse certainly does not mean that one should just sit at home with the hope that sustenance will be delivered. To interpret it as such is erroneous. Every animal ventures forth in search of their sustenance from the ants to the birds. Allah of course has created provisions for them and also for humans. The reference here is to دَآبَّةٍۢ that is for animates. The difference between animate and inanimate objects, like vegetation, is that animates have to find their sustenance from the things created by Allah because Allah has enabled them to move around while vegetation etcetera finds its sustenance in the place where they are. There is an indication in the statement at the end of the verse that He knows its resting place and its depository to the two lives which is further elucidated in the next verse.
11-7 And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods; and His Throne of Power is ever on water that He might manifest (the good qualities in) you, whoever of you is best in deeds. And if thou sayest, You shall surely be raised up after death, those who disbelieve say: This is nothing but clear deceit.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍۢ وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْمَآءِ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًۭا ۗ وَلَئِن قُلْتَ إِنَّكُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ٱلْمَوْتِ لَيَقُولَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ (۷)
11-7a: For the creation of heaven and earth in six periods see 7-54a. Ibn Jarir has narrated from Dahak and Kaab that the period referenced in this verse was of a thousand years but the reality is, as mentioned in the referenced note, that the six periods are actually six conditions and only Allah knows the duration that passed between one stage and the next.
وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْمَآءِ – For the meaning of عرش see 7-54b. Commentators have taken this to mean that prior to creation, Allah’s Throne of Power was on water. A hadith in Muslim states: کان اللّٰه تعالیٰ و لم یکن معه شئ و کان عرشه علی الماء and in its interpretation Ibn al Kamal writes that by عرش is meant Allah’s Self-Subsistence and مَآءِ indicates the attribute of Living (RM). As far as عرش is concerned, it has been shown with authentic arguments in 7-54b that, just as by کرسی is meant knowledge, by عرش is meant Divine power. So, what is meant by عرش or the enforcement of Divine power being on water? In another place in the Quran, it is stated: وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلْمَآءِ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ (We made from water everything living) (21:30). In the previous verse, there is a mention of دَآبَّةٍۢ (animals). So, an ordered system requires that a mention of the creation of heavens and earth also have a mention of the creation of animals. So, from this an indication is made of human life and it is stated لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًۭا (He might manifest (the good qualities in) you, whoever of you is best in deeds). Some commentators have taken this to ordain: وخلقکم لیبلوکم that is, the purpose of your creation is to manifest which of you does good actions. So, the indication in وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْمَآءِ is to the start of human life. It is now established in the scientific community that life began from water. The real purport here is to show that He who created life by such a fine mechanism will raise you again after death. Why then is there so much amazement at the disclosure that there will be a second life that the disbelievers say this is clear deceit. Here it is not some enchantment that is called سِحْرٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ but it is the statement that people will be raised after death which is called سِحْرٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ, by which is meant that this is clear deceit because how can it be so.
11-8 And if We delay for them the chastisement for a stated period, they will certainly say: What prevents it? Now surely on the day when it will come to them, it will not be averted from them, and that which they scoffed at will beset them.a
وَلَئِنْ أَخَّرْنَا عَنْهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابَ إِلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٍۢ مَّعْدُودَةٍۢ لَّيَقُولُنَّ مَا يَحْبِسُهُۥٓ ۗ أَلَا يَوْمَ يَأْتِيهِمْ لَيْسَ مَصْرُوفًا عَنْهُمْ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ (۸)
11-8a: أُمَّةٍۢ – See 2-128a for its meaning. Apart from the meaning mentioned therein, this word is used in several other senses as well and one of its meanings is time (LA). Thus, it is the period of existence of a nation or group (IJ). This is the meaning here. Some commentators have taken أُمَّةٍۢ مَّعْدُودَةٍۢ to be a group of people, that is the chastisement is postponed from one group until another group takes its place but such transference of punishment is against the laws of Allah.
By chastisement here is clearly meant the chastisement of this world. Some have stated it to be the chastisement of the disbelievers at the battle of Badr but the purport is all that befell the disbelievers.
Bayan-ul-Quran 