In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
15-1 I, Allah, am the Seer. These are the verses of the Book and (of) a Qur’an that makes manifest.a
الٓر ۚ تِلْكَ ءَايَـٰتُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَقُرْءَانٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ (۱)
15-1a: The apposition of the manifest Quran here is ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ , or the Book. By ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ is also meant the Quran but the reason for making this clear by bringing Quran after ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ is that “the book” is a generic word that has been used for other books as well. There is also an indication in the use of ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ that just as Books were revealed to previous prophets, this too is a revelation from Allah. By juxtaposing Quran with ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ it is made known that this is the Book that will be widely read in the world. Another attribute of the Quran mentioned is: this Book explains all those matters manifestly that are given only in an abridged form in the previous scriptures. The use of “the book” along with the Quran is a testimonial to its greatness.
15-2 Often will those who disbelieve wish that they were Muslims.a
رُّبَمَا يَوَدُّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ مُسْلِمِينَ (۲)
15-2a: رُبَمَا – It means to nurture. The meaning of اَرَبَّتِ السحَابَّةُ is the clouds stayed forever. Besides providing nourishment for vegetation, the meaning includes an element of staying power. Hence رَبّ has a meaning of constancy, stability and independence. رُبّ and رُبَمَا are spoken for a thing that occurs repeatedly.
The disbelievers’ wish that they were Muslims: When will they wish so? It is obvious that they will do so on the Day of Judgment when the truth becomes fully manifest to them. According to Dahak it will also happen in this world at the time of death. Ibn Masud is of the opinion that this verse is about the Quraish disbelievers and their wishing that they were Muslims transpired on the Day of Badr when they saw the supremacy of the Muslims (RM). It is obvious that this is a prophecy and the use of the word رُّبَمَا indicates that this will occur repeatedly on different occasions. This will be their desire whenever Islam will gain ascendancy over them, till the time comes for the complete triumph of Islam. This interpretation fits the context because at the end of the last surah there is a prediction that the disbelievers will be overwhelmed. The indication here is to a time when the disbelievers will see themselves defeated and wish that they were Muslims. This is also the subject of the next verse where it is clearly stated that a mistaken yearning has kept them unmindful of the truth. The verses that follow mention the coming down of angels which occurred during the Muslim battles, and supports this interpretation. The disbelievers did not see anything wrong in Islam, but they were so arrogant, just as the opponents of Islam are today, that they could not see themselves submitting to a new order and decided to destroy it. So, every time they were defeated, they felt regret as to why they had not accepted Islam. When the final victory of Islam took place with the conquest of Makkah, they finally did accept Islam. Even so they must have felt some lingering regret as to why they opposed the truth for no good reason and deprived themselves of this blessing for a long time.
15-3 Leave them to eat and enjoy themselves, and let (false) hope beguile them, for they will soon know.
ذَرْهُمْ يَأْكُلُوا۟ وَيَتَمَتَّعُوا۟ وَيُلْهِهِمُ ٱلْأَمَلُ ۖ فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ (۳)
15-4 And never did We destroy a town but it had a decree made known.
وَمَآ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍ إِلَّا وَلَهَا كِتَابٌۭ مَّعْلُومٌۭ (۴)
15-5 No people can hasten on their doom, nor can they postpone (it).
مَّا تَسْبِقُ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلَهَا وَمَا يَسْتَـْٔخِرُونَ (۵)
15-6 And they say: O thou to whom the Reminder is revealed, thou art indeed mad.
وَقَالُوا۟ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِى نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ ٱلذِّكْرُ إِنَّكَ لَمَجْنُونٌۭ (۶)
15-7 Why bringest thou not the angels to us, if thou art of the truthful?
لَّوْ مَا تَأْتِينَا بِٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ (۷)
15-8 We send not angels but with truth, and then they would not be respited.a
مَا نُنَزِّلُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ إِلَّا بِٱلْحَقِّ وَمَا كَانُوٓا۟ إِذًۭا مُّنظَرِينَ (۸)
15-8a: بِٱلْحَقِّ – It means in accordance with the dictates of wisdom (See 2-42a). The reason for sending angels is that the angels will be sent to punish the opponents of Islam and hence it is stated that when the angels come, it will be for chastising them. The coming of the angels and the chastisement are not two separate things. All these verses paint a picture of their doom. The statement in verse 15-6 that thou art indeed mad shows that the opponents of Islam felt that it was madness to talk about the destruction of their power, when all the strength was on their side and all the weakness on the side of the Muslims.
15-9 Surely We have revealed the Reminder, and surely We are its Guardian.
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا ٱلذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُۥ لَحَـٰفِظُونَ (۹)
15-9a: ٱلذِّكْرَ – It is one of the names of the Quran. See 2-151a and 3-58a. ٱلذِّكْرَ here stands for the Quran as has been made clear in verse 15:6 by the statement نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ ٱلذِّكْرُ :to whom the Reminder is revealed. The context shows that this verse is about safeguarding the Quran because the disbelievers exulted in their apparent power and the last section details how they are designing to destroy the truth. It is now revealed that regardless of the hegemony of the disbelievers, they will never be able to erase the truth which has been revealed in the form of the Quran. Not only will they not be able to destroy it, but also there will not be any tampering with the text of the Quran, and neither will anything be added or subtracted from it because Allah has taken it upon Himself to safeguard the Quran. This is in contrast with the other Divine scriptures whose safeguarding was entrusted to their followers, as is clear from: بِمَا ٱسْتُحْفِظُوا۟ مِن كِتَـٰبِ ٱللَّهِ :because they were required to guard the Book of Allah (5:44).
Safeguarding the Quran means that there will not be any addition, subtraction, changes or tampering with the text of the Quran. This is a claim whose truth is conceded even by the opponents. Muir states: “there is probably in the world no other book which has remained twelve centuries with so pure a text” and he quotes Von Hammer, “That we hold the Coran to be as surely Mahomet’s word, as the Mahometans hold it to be the word of God”. Events further substantiate this. The revelation was written down as it came from on High, multiple copies were published in every nation as the Quran spread from the east to the west. In none of these millions of copies, including the most ancient texts, is there any variation of a word or even in a punctuation mark. Researchers among the Shia sect also subscribe to the purity of the Quranic text and those who contend otherwise cannot explain, if something had been left out, why didn’t Caliph Ali restore and preserve the Quran during his caliphate. The safeguarding of the Quran is an extensive subject that I (Muhammad Ali) have researched and published in my book, “Collection of Quran”. I cannot discuss the topic in its entirety in this note.
15-10 And certainly We sent (messengers) before thee among the sects of yore.a
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ فِى شِيَعِ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ (۱۰)
15-11 And there never came a messenger to them but they mocked him.
وَمَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ (۱۱)
15-12 Thus do We make it enter the hearts of the guilty—
كَذَٰلِكَ نَسْلُكُهُۥ فِى قُلُوبِ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ (۱۲)
15-12a: نَسْلُكُ – سُلُوك means النَّفَاذُ فی الطریق is following a particular way as in this verse and in: مَا سَلَكَكُمْ فِى سَقَرَ :What has brought you into Hell (74:42).
In the previous verse it is stated that rejecters mock every messenger. By starting this verse with كَذَٰلِكَ or thus, it is conveyed that as a result of their mockery Allah makes them tread a path that does not lead them to believe. Allah making them follow a path is because of their own actions. Allah only makes those people who mock walk on the path of disbelief, because one who mocks does not reflect and without reflection, it is not possible to reach the right conclusion.
15-13 They believe not in it; and the example of the ancients has gone before.a
لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِۦ ۖ وَقَدْ خَلَتْ سُنَّةُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ (۱۳)
15-13a: سُنَّةُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ – It means Allah’s rule of conduct with the previous nations; those people who persisted with mockery always remained deprived of following the truth.
15-14 And even if We open to them a gate of heaven, and they keep on ascending into it,a
وَلَوْ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَابًۭا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَظَلُّوا۟ فِيهِ يَعْرُجُونَ (۱۴)
15-14a: يَعْرُجُونَ – Mostly يَعْرُجُونَ has been taken to refer to the disbelievers that they will begin to ascend to the heaven, but Qatadah and Ibn Abbas are of the opinion that the reference is to the angels (RM). The context requires the latter interpretation because the demand of the disbelievers was to bring angels to them. Accordingly, it is stated that even if the gate of heaven is opened and the angels come down and after punishing the disbelievers ascend again, they will not accept. In the case of the first interpretation, the ascending is not to be taken literally as ascension to heaven but must be interpreted metaphorically. The ascension would mean that even if they begin to understand some heavenly truths, they will discard such ideas on the pretext that they are being hoodwinked. It is the extreme opponents who are referenced here.
15-15 They would say: Only our eyes have been covered over, rather we are an enchanted people.a
لَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَا سُكِّرَتْ أَبْصَـٰرُنَا بَلْ نَحْنُ قَوْمٌۭ مَّسْحُورُونَ (۱۵)
15-15a: سُكِّرَتْ – سَکۡر means حَبۡس الماء to stop the water and it is also a state of inebriation in which a person’s intelligence is clouded (R). Hence the meaning of سُکِّر بَصَرُہٗ is a covering was thrown over him. Another way this is interpreted here is that they were stopped from seeing (LA).
مَسْحُور – For سِحۡر see 2-102c. مَّسْحُورُونَ means we are unable to identify correctly because we have been enchanted (R).
In this verse and the previous one we are told that when a person makes this physical life and its distractions the purpose of his life, he remains unaffected even when manifest signs are shown to him.
Bayan-ul-Quran 