13-38 And certainly We sent messengers before thee and appointed for them wives and children. And it is not in (the power of) a messenger to bring a sign except by Allah’s permission. For every term there is an appointment.
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًۭا مِّن قَبْلِكَ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ أَزْوَٰجًۭا وَذُرِّيَّةًۭ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَن يَأْتِىَ بِـَٔايَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ لِكُلِّ أَجَلٍۢ كِتَابٌۭ (۳۸)
13-39 Allah effaces what He pleases and establishes (what He pleases), and with Him is the basis of the Book.a
يَمْحُوا۟ ٱللَّهُ مَا يَشَآءُ وَيُثْبِتُ ۖ وَعِندَهُۥٓ أُمُّ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ (۳۹)
13-39a: كِتَـٰبِ – According to Raghib, كِتَـٰبِ or Book, is sometimes used in the sense of to create and to destroy and he gives this verse as an example of this meaning. He interprets لِكُلِّ أَجَلٍۢ كِتَابٌۭ as meaning that some things are being created with an appointed term and others are being destroyed at the end of their term – all as part of a wise plan. This is what is meant by أُمُّ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ : the basis of the Book, and this is in accordance with what is stated elsewhere in: كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِى شَأْنٍ : Every moment He is in a state (of glory) (55:29) (R).
The first part of this verse refutes the mocking of the disbelievers by stating that having a family by no means detracts from the mission of a messenger. Previous messengers also had wives and children. Then the sign that the disbelievers demanded repeatedly are mentioned, and they are told that even the previous messengers did not have the authority to destroy their opponents on their own, as and when they willed. This authority belongs to Allah Who can do whatever He likes and whenever He likes. After this, the general Divine law is mentioned that there is an appointed term for a nation at the end of which it is destroyed, and another nation is raised in its stead. Another interpretation of أُمُّ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ is that it refers to لَوْحٍۢ مَّحْفُوظٍۭ : guarded tablet, which is the knowledge of Allah in which all His commands are present. In a note in Ruh al-Maani, it is stated that by أُمُّ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ is meant the fundamental principles of religion that are never changed. The word أُمُّ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ has been used in this sense in another place in the Quran as well, namely: ءَايَـٰتٌۭ مُّحْكَمَـٰتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ : some of its verses are decisive – they are the basis of the Book (3:7).
يَمْحُوا۟ ٱللَّهُ مَا يَشَآءُ وَيُثْبِتُ – Allah effaces what He pleases and establishes (what He pleases). This also provides evidence that if Allah desires, He may change what is decreed. This is a fact and is indicated in وَٱللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْرِهِۦ : And Allah has full control over His affairs (12:21). Accordingly, it is stated very clearly in the next verse that some promised chastisements can be cancelled if Allah desires. Not inflicting the promised chastisements is the result of the extensive forgiveness and kindness of Allah which defies human comprehension. Allah does not let a person despair under any condition.
13-40 Whether We let thee see part of that which We promise them, or cause thee to die, thine is but the delivery of the message, and Ours to call (them) to account.
وَإِن مَّا نُرِيَنَّكَ بَعْضَ ٱلَّذِى نَعِدُهُمْ أَوْ نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ ٱلْبَلَـٰغُ وَعَلَيْنَا ٱلْحِسَابُ (۴۰)
13-41 See they not that We are visiting the land, curtailing it of its sides? And Allah pronounces a doom — there is no repeller of His decree. And He is Swift in calling to account.a
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّا نَأْتِى ٱلْأَرْضَ نَنقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَا ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ لَا مُعَقِّبَ لِحُكْمِهِۦ ۚ وَهُوَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ (۴۰)
13-41a: أَطْرَافِ – It is the plural of طرف , and refer to 3-127a for its meaning. The meaning of طَرَفُ الۡقَوم means their chief or headman and أَطْرَافِ means the noblemen of a nation. Accordingly, the meaning of curtailing it of its sides is taken to mean the death of scholars, or the death of their capable persons, and the diminution of their fruits. اَطۡرافُ الرِجال also means the nobility (LA), which Mujahid has taken to be the meaning here of curtailing it of its sides (IJ).
The acceptance of truth is a clear sign of its final supremacy: Mention is made earlier of the failure of the disbelievers, and they are told that the infliction of chastisement is in the hands of Allah. Then in the previous verse it is stated that even if the Holy Prophet dies, Allah is the One who will hold them to account. In this verse, the disbelievers are told that if only they would reflect, they would see that the signs of their final defeat are already emerging in the form of the land being curtailed for them from all sides. Thus, the men of note among them are progressively diminishing, and Islam is spreading even in the far-flung areas of Arabia. The diminishing of their men of note is not only through their battlefield losses and natural deaths but also through conversion to Islam. Thus, people of the caliber of Abu Bakr, Umar, Usman, and Hamza had joined the fold of Islam. However, the most significant success, which we can relate to our times, is the spread of Islam in Madinah and the manifestation of Islam’s acceptance in certain other areas of Arabia. These manifest signs constitute the curtailing of land on all sides. A miracle of Islam during this period is that just as the opposition to Islam intensified, proportionately its impact on the hearts of people grew stronger and the means to spread Islam to distant lands kept on arising. Even as it appeared that the forward march of Islam had been stopped in Makkah, it was spreading in other parts of Arabia. In another place, it is stated أَفَلَا يَرَوْنَ أَنَّا نَأْتِى ٱلْأَرْضَ نَنقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَآ ۚ أَفَهُمُ ٱلْغَـٰلِبُونَ : See they not then that We are visiting the land, curtailing it of its sides? Can they then prevail? (21:44). Thus, the spread of Islam in the land is a sign of the demise of disbelief. This clearly shows that in the referenced verse, as elsewhere in the Quran, attention is drawn to the final humiliation of disbelief. The disbelievers can visualize their failure by the way in which Islam is influencing the hearts of their noblemen. In fact, there is no greater testimony of the final victory of the truth, than how Islam influences the hearts of its opponents.
One wishes that the Muslims could see how the truth of Islam and the Holy Prophet is entering the hearts of the Europeans. Muslims should learn a lesson from this success and expend their resources to convert them to Islam, chasing despair away.
In the last part of the verse, attention is drawn to the failure of the opponents which has been already decreed by Allah. He is quick to take account, so they will be punished in this world for their evil deeds and malicious plotting.
13-42 And those before them planned indeed, but all planning is Allah’s. He knows what every soul earns. And the disbelievers will come to know for whom is the (good) end of the Abode.a
وَقَدْ مَكَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَلِلَّهِ ٱلْمَكْرُ جَمِيعًۭا ۖ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَكْسِبُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ ۗ وَسَيَعْلَمُ ٱلْكُفَّـٰرُ لِمَنْ عُقْبَى ٱلدَّارِ (۴۲)
13-42a: It is stated with the utmost clarity in this verse that the disbeliever’s plans and schemes against Islam and the Holy Prophet will result in failure. اللّٰہ ٱلْمَكْرُ جَمِيعًۭا : all planning is Allah’s, means that the success or failure of their schemes is in the control of Allah, but in يَعْلَمُ مَا تَكْسِبُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ : He knows what every soul earns, Allah explains His law that the death or continued existence of nations depends upon their actions, and the disbelievers will soon know who will be successful. While reading such words, one should keep in mind the condition under which they were said. It was a time of great difficulties for the Holy Prophet and his followers, and failure seemed to surround them on all sides. In the use of the word مَكَرَ there is an indication that the plans by the disbelievers against the Holy Prophet were escalating at the time of the revelation of this surah, which was in the period just before migration.
13-43 And those who disbelieve say: Thou art not a messenger. Say: Allah is sufficient for a witness between me and you and whoever has knowledge of the Book.a
وَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَسْتَ مُرْسَلًۭا ۚ قُلْ كَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدًۢا بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَمَنْ عِندَهُۥ عِلْمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ (۴۳)
13-43a: Why did the Arabs finally accept Islam? The testimony of Allah manifests itself in a practical form. When these prophecies that were narrated to the Arabs with such clarity were fulfilled in due course, the majority of Arabia bowed down before Islam. This was the testimony of Allah in favor of the truth of the Holy Prophet. Because the testimony of Allah is narrated in these prophecies, hence the name of those who had the Book and the knowledge of the prophecies is added. This is what is meant by مَنْ عِندَهُۥ عِلْمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ : whoever has knowledge of the Book, as opined in ای علم القران (RM). Some have taken مَنْ عِندَهُۥ عِلْمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ to mean those who have the knowledge of previous scriptures and their prophecies.
Bayan-ul-Quran 