13-32 And messengers before thee were certainly mocked, but I gave respite to those who disbelieved, then I seized them. How (awful) was then My requital!a
وَلَقَدِ ٱسْتُهْزِئَ بِرُسُلٍۢ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَأَمْلَيْتُ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهُمْ ۖ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عِقَابِ (۳۲)
13-32a: The mocking of the disbelievers is mentioned here because when they were promised punishment, they would laugh thinking how a man no one paid any heed to and had no power could humble and defeat them.
13-33 Is, then, He Who watches every soul as to what it earns —? And yet they ascribe partners to Allah! Say: Name them. Would you inform Him of that which He knows not in the earth, or of an outward saying? Rather, their plan is made fair-seeming to those who disbelieve, and they are kept back from the path. And whom Allah leaves in error, he has no guide.a
أَفَمَنْ هُوَ قَآئِمٌ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ نَفْسٍۭ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ ۗ وَجَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ قُلْ سَمُّوهُمْ ۚ أَمْ تُنَبِّـُٔونَهُۥ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَم بِظَـٰهِرٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْقَوْلِ ۗ بَلْ زُيِّنَ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مَكْرُهُمْ وَصُدُّوا۟ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ ۗ وَمَن يُضْلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِنْ هَادٍۢ (۳۳)
13-33a: مَنْ هُوَ قَآئِمٌ – The meaning of قَآئِمٌ here is حافظ guardian, preserver, vindicator because قیام also takes on the meaning of مُرَاعَاۃ observing, adherence, compliance with, abidance by (R). The meaning of He Who watches is that Allah is a witness or observer Who preserves the acts or deeds and determines the reward and punishment. Hence Allah rewards or punishes a person for everything the person does. He does not waste any act or deed. This is the majesty of Allah and not withstanding this, the disbelievers have set up partners with Him.
Refutation of polytheism: The objective here is to make people reflect on whether the partners they associate with Allah can punish or reward people according to their actions. Do they have any ability to observe the actions of people and then determine their reward and punishment? Commentators consider کمن لیس کذٰلك to be the omitted subject of مَنْ هُوَ قَآئِمٌ so that the beginning of the verse becomes: Can he (the partner) be like He who watches every soul as to what it earns? There is also an indication in قَآئِمٌ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ نَفْسٍۭ watches every soul that Allah is recording their planning against the Holy Prophet, and this is further clarified at the end of the verse in مَكْرُهُمْ their plan is made fair seeming.
سَمُّوهُمْ –سَمّاہُ means he gave something a name (اسم ) or mark of identity (عَلم.) In the words سَمَّيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ named it Mary (3:36), Maryam is the proper noun (or mark of identity). اسم is that by which the named object becomes known and is recognized from it. Therefore, it is also used for the attributes or qualities of a thing. In لَيُسَمُّونَ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ تَسْمِيَةَ (53:27), the words they name the angels with female names do not mean that they suggest some female names for the angels, but that they attribute the female gender to angels and consider the angels as daughters of Allah.
In هَلْ تَعْلَمُ لَهُۥ سَمِيًّۭا Knowest thou any one equal to Him (19:65) by سمی or namesake is meant one equal to Him, one who has the attributes of Allah and truly deserves those attributes. This is not about someone literally named Allah or having His other attributive names because many people have such names. Similarly, in سَمُّوهُمْ the command سمی name them does not mean: tell us what their names are, e.g. Lat or Uzza. The meaning is tell us about those whom you call gods, whether they justify being described by these names (R). Some have interpreted this as meaning that they are not even worth mentioning (RM).
False deities: أَمْ تُنَبِّـُٔونَهُۥ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَم بِظَـٰهِرٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْقَوْلِ : Would you inform Him of that which He knows not in the earth, or of an outward saying, means that Allah has no knowledge of such partners. They create partners that have no reality and no existence and then do they try to tell Allah that there is something that He does not know? The meaning of بِظَـٰهِرٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْقَوْلِ is taken to be what is false, something that has no reality. Another meaning taken is: Has Allah revealed any Book in which things being worshipped are called gods? (RM). Based on the context another meaning can be: Allah witnesses every act and do you then make partners with Him and inform Him through these partners of something that He does not know, or do you think that there are certain hidden matters that Allah is not aware of, and He gets to know of these matters through these partners, or do you think that Allah does not get to know certain manifest and open things and these things reach Him through the partners?
13-34 For them is chastisement in this world’s life, and the chastisement of the Hereafter is certainly more grievous. And they have no protector against Allah.
لَّهُمْ عَذَابٌۭ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَشَقُّ ۖ وَمَا لَهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَاقٍۢ (۳۴)
13-35 A parable of the Garden which is promised to those who keep their duty: Therein flow rivers. Its fruits are perpetual and its plenty. Such is the end for those who keep their duty; and the end for the disbelievers is the Fire.a
مَّثَلُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ٱلَّتِى وُعِدَ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ ۖ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۖ أُكُلُهَا دَآئِمٌۭ وَظِلُّهَا ۚ تِلْكَ عُقْبَى ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوا۟ ۖ وَّعُقْبَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ٱلنَّارُ (۳۵)
13-35a: مَّثَلُ – مَثَل and مِثۡل, according to some also means an attribute and a parable (R). Most commentators have taken it to mean الصفة الغریبة that is its singular features, but when the Quran and authentic hadith have stated that the blessings of Paradise are such that no eyes have seen, no ears have heard, and no heart has conceived, then narrating them in terms of the things of this world can only be a parable meant for a better understanding. This is why the Quran has used the word مَثَل or parable in its literal sense here and in Surah Muhammad (47:15), indicating that the people who have accepted the truth may obtain these blessings in some form or another in this world as well, but unless the acceptance of truth is transformed into practical actions in a person’s life, the fruits of faith do not manifest fully.
ظل –is translated here as prosperity and happiness because the glory of paradise is such that: لَا يَرَوْنَ فِيهَا شَمْسًۭا : they will not see therein (excessive heat of) sun (76:13). For this meaning of ظل see 4:57a.
13-36 And those to whom We have given the Book rejoice in that which has been revealed to thee, and of the confederates are some who deny a part of it. Say: I am commanded only to serve Allah and not associate anything with Him. To Him do I invite (you), and to Him is my return.a
وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَمِنَ ٱلْأَحْزَابِ مَن يُنكِرُ بَعْضَهُۥ ۚ قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ ٱللَّهَ وَلَآ أُشْرِكَ بِهِۦٓ ۚ إِلَيْهِ أَدْعُوا۟ وَإِلَيْهِ مَـَٔابِ (۳۶)
13-36a: ٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ: those to whom We have given the Book– Based on the context, this meant the Companions of the Holy Prophet or the believers and by أَحْزَابِ are meant the Jews and Christians (IJ).
13-37 And thus have We revealed it, a true judgment, in Arabic. And if thou follow their low desires after that which has come to thee of knowledge, thou wouldst have against Allah no guardian nor protector.
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ حُكْمًا عَرَبِيًّۭا ۚ وَلَئِنِ ٱتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَآءَهُم بَعْدَ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّۢ وَلَا وَاقٍۢ (۳۷)
13-37a: عَرَبِي – The meaning of عَرَبِي taken here is manifest or clear, for which see 12:2a.
Bayan-ul-Quran 