18-102 Do those who disbelieve think that they can take My servants to be friends besides Me? Surely We have prepared hell as an entertainment for the disbelievers.a
أَفَحَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَن يَتَّخِذُوا۟ عِبَادِى مِن دُونِىٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ ۚ إِنَّآ أَعْتَدْنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ نُزُلًۭا (۱۰۲)
18-102a: عِبَادِى servants – Generally by عِبَادِى Prophet Jesus and the angels are taken (IJ) but as the following verses show, Prophet Jesus is specifically referred to here and the disbelievers mentioned are the Christians.
This chapter is concluded with the ultimate condition of the Christians, and it is conveyed that the worshippers of Prophet Jesus should not think that his worship will save them from the punishment of rejecting the truth, or that they will achieve true success by worshipping him. نُزُلً is the first thing prepared for a guest. There is a reference in the word جَهَنَّمَ hell to the punishment in this world, as immoderate desires ultimately make life a living hell.
18-103 Say: Shall We inform you who are the greatest losers in respect of deeds?
قُلْ هَلْ نُنَبِّئُكُم بِٱلْأَخْسَرِينَ أَعْمَـٰلًا (۱۰۳)
18-104 Those whose effort goes astray in this world’s life, and they think that they are making good manufactures.a
ٱلَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعًا (۱۰۴)
18-104a: صُنْع – صَنۡعَة is work done by hand as in: وَيَصْنَعُ ٱلْفُلْكَ : And he began to make the ark (11:38); وَٱصْنَعِ ٱلْفُلْكَ : And make the ark (11:37); وَعَلَّمْنَـٰهُ صَنْعَةَ لَبُوسٍۢ لَّكُمْ : And We taught him the making of coats of mail for you (21:80) (LA). The meaning of صُنْع is اِجَادۃ الفِعۡل to do something with great skill. Hence every صُنْع skilled deed is a فعل act but every فعل act is not صُنْع skilled deed. The word فعل is general and can be applied to the actions of animals (R). The Quran, for example, says: صُنْعَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَتْقَنَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ : the handiwork of Allah, Who has made everything thoroughly (27:88).
Manufacturing by the Christian nations: Ibn Abbas, Saad bin Abi Waqqas and Mujahid all state that the people meant here are the Jews and Christians (RM), and the truth is that these words do not fit any nation the way they fit the current condition of the Christian nations. These are the nations whose entire effort is dedicated to the life of this world and this desire pervades their entire society to the extent that even the objective of their clergy is to have worldly domination over other nations. It can be safely said that a great majority of the Christian nations of Europe and America are completely absorbed in worldly endeavors and are constantly worried about how to get ahead and ways to get rich. Their effort is called ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا effort goes astray in this world because these things have no connection with ethics and morality. What survives is the development and the impact of a person’s morals, whereas material luxuries are not long-lasting. The word صُنْع has a dual purpose. It refers to the manufacturing skills of the Christian nations with which they have dominated the world, and it also alerts them of their mistaken assumption that utter engrossment in worldly pursuits is worthwhile and commendable.
18-105 Those are they who disbelieve in the messages of their Lord and meeting with Him, so their works are vain. Nor shall We set up a balance for them on the day of Resurrection.a
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَلِقَآئِهِۦ فَحَبِطَتْ أَعْمَـٰلُهُمْ فَلَا نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ وَزْنًۭا (۱۰۵)
18-105a: A balance will not be set up for them on the day of Resurrection because the balance is set up for deeds that are done to ٱبْتِغَآءَ مَرْضَاتِ ٱللَّهِ seek Allah’s pleasure (2:205).
18-106 That is their reward — hell, because they disbelieved and held My messages and My messengers in mockery.
ذَٰلِكَ جَزَآؤُهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ بِمَا كَفَرُوا۟ وَٱتَّخَذُوٓا۟ ءَايَـٰتِى وَرُسُلِى هُزُوًا (۱۰۶)
18-107 As for those who believe and do good deeds, for them are Gardens of Paradise, an entertainment,a
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ كَانَتْ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتُ ٱلْفِرْدَوْسِ نُزُلًا (۱۰۷)
18-107a: فِرْدَوْسِ – Some consider this word a derivation of Persian and others consider it Arabic in origin. کَرۡمٌ مُفَرۡدَسٌ means مُعَرَّشٌ , growing on a trellis. According to some it simply means gardens or a green valley, or a garden complete with all the things found in gardens (LA). In a hadith of the Holy Prophet, found in both Bukhari and Muslim, it is called وَسَطُ الجنّة the best part of paradise and اَعۡلٰے الجّنة the highest level of paradise (RM).
18-108 To abide therein; they will not desire removal therefrom.
خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا لَا يَبْغُونَ عَنْهَا حِوَلًۭا (۱۰۸)
18-109 Say: If the sea were ink for the words of my Lord, the sea would surely be exhausted before the words of my Lord were exhausted, though We brought the like of it to add (thereto).
قُل لَّوْ كَانَ ٱلْبَحْرُ مِدَادًۭا لِّكَلِمَـٰتِ رَبِّى لَنَفِدَ ٱلْبَحْرُ قَبْلَ أَن تَنفَدَ كَلِمَـٰتُ رَبِّى وَلَوْ جِئْنَا بِمِثْلِهِۦ مَدَدًۭا (۱۰۹)
18-109a: مِدَاد – مَدّ means to pull or to elongate. See 15-88a. مِداد is ink used for writing, and مَدَّ الدَّ واۃ and اَمَدَّھا both mean to put ink in the inkpot or to top up the ink. Some opinions say ink is called مِداد because it helps the writer (LA).
Prophet Jesus is a word from the infinite words of Allah: The theme is that those who take Prophet Jesus as God are in error, and by way of contrast the believers are mentioned. What is the relevance of saying that Allah’s words are limitless? According to Ruh al Ma’ani the words of Allah mean the knowledge Allah has, but knowledge does not necessarily require speech. The meaning of کلمة is speech or talk. Refer to 2-27a. Further, the Quran states: إِنَّمَآ أَمْرُهُۥٓ إِذَآ أَرَادَ شَيْـًٔا أَن يَقُولَ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ : His command, when He intends anything, is only to say to it, Be, and it is (36:82), which shows that everything in Allah’s creation comes into being by His word. So, when Prophet Jesus is called کلمة, the real purpose is to show that Prophet Jesus is His creation and not God or a Creator. Since Christians have been seriously misled by the statement that Prophet Jesus is a word and they consider the word to be synonymous with God as in: “the Word was God” (John 1:1), Allah has clarified that, not only Prophet Jesus, but His entire creation is His word and that His creation is so numerous that even if the seas were to become ink, it would not be sufficient to list everything. Hence, this verse shows the error of the Christian religion, and in this regard, the mortality of the Holy Prophet is mentioned in the next verse.
18-110 Say: I am only a mortal like you — it is revealed to me that your God is one God. So whoever hopes to meet his Lord, he should do good deeds, and join no one in the service of his Lord.a
قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ بَشَرٌۭ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌۭ وَٰحِدٌۭ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ لِقَآءَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًۭا صَـٰلِحًۭا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَحَدًۢا (۱۱۰)
18-110a: The refutation of Christianity and glad tidings for humanity: This chapter is ended with a verse that not only topples the foundation of Christianity but also presents a wide vista before humans for their spiritual development. It gives the glad tidings that humans can ascend to the loftiest stages of spirituality and it gives them the courage to scale these heights. The argument being made is: I am a mortal like you. You can follow in my footsteps, but how can you follow someone who, according to your belief, is not a mortal like yourself. The advent of an immortal exemplar is meaningless for you, since a human can follow in the footsteps of a human, but a human cannot follow in the footsteps of God.
There are glad tidings for believers in the statement بَشَرٌۭ مِّثْلُكُمْ only a mortal like you, since it implies that they too can, according to their abilities, achieve similar high levels of spirituality as the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, achieved, because he was a mortal like them. A mortal can follow in the footsteps of another mortal. Every person can, according to their abilities and conditions, reach the highest spiritual levels. However, what is granted by spiritual grace, such as prophethood, cannot be achieved by human striving because it is a gift, not a level one can ascend to.
Bayan-ul-Quran 