21-11 And how many a town which was iniquitous did We demolish, and We raised up after it another people!a
وَكَمْ قَصَمْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍۢ كَانَتْ ظَالِمَةًۭ وَأَنشَأْنَا بَعْدَهَا قَوْمًا ءَاخَرِينَ (۱۱)
21-11a: Sign of prophets’ relationship with Allah: قَصَمْنَا – قَصۡم means to pound something, to smash a hard thing, to kil,l or to annihilate (LA). In these few verses, it is explained that even though prophets eat and drink like normal people, their relationship with Allah is manifested from the fact that even when powerful tribes and nations stand up in opposition, they are not able to hurt the prophets and instead they get destroyed. How is it possible for a single person to overcome powerful nations, unless he has a special relationship with that Holy Being who controls all the powers of heaven and earth? In the latter part of this section, the relationship of prophets with Allah is discussed.
21-12 So when they felt Our might, lo! they began to flee from it.a
فَلَمَّآ أَحَسُّوا۟ بَأْسَنَآ إِذَا هُم مِّنْهَا يَرْكُضُونَ (۱۲)
21-12a: يَرْكُضُونَ – رَکۡض means to kick and if it is used in reference to a rider it means to gallop the hors,e and if the reference is to a person on foot, it means to walk, run, or race, as in ٱرْكُضْ بِرِجْلِكَ : Urge with thy foot (38:42). The meaning in this verse is to run away (R).
21-13 Flee not and return to the easy lives which you led, and to your dwellings, that you may be questioned.
لَا تَرْكُضُوا۟ وَٱرْجِعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ مَآ أُتْرِفْتُمْ فِيهِ وَمَسَـٰكِنِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْـَٔلُونَ (۱۳)
21-13a: Return to your luxuries and abundance to face questioning about what transpired with you, or it means, you will be questioned about your deeds.
21-14 They said: O woe to us! Surely we were unjust.
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِينَ (۱۴)
21-15 And this cry of theirs ceased not till We made them cut off, extinct.
فَمَا زَالَت تِّلْكَ دَعْوَىٰهُمْ حَتَّىٰ جَعَلْنَـٰهُمْ حَصِيدًا خَـٰمِدِينَ (۱۵)
21-15a: خَـٰمِدِين – خَمَدت النّار means the flame died but the embers kept smoldering and ھَمَدت means the embers died (LA), as in وَتَرَى ٱلْأَرْضَ هَامِدَةًۭ : …And thou seest the earth barren… (22:5).
حَصِيد – Refer to 10-24a.
What is meant by the destruction of nations: The final condition of a nation is presented by the two metaphors of being cut off and becoming extinct. A nation is compared to a field to represent an initial flourishing, but that field has been cut down. The metaphor of becoming extinct is a fire whose flame has died out, referring to anger and rage that has been extinguished. If the worldly grandeur of a nation declines, that too is its destruction of sorts and its raging against the truth gets extinguished, which sometimes happens because opponents leave the opposition and accept the truth.
21-16 And We created not the heaven and the earth and what is between them for sport.a
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَـٰعِبِينَ (۱۶)
21-16a: Denial of reward and punishment renders the Divine system without purpose: لَعۡب (Refer to 5-58a) is an action without any useful purpose. So, it is conveyed that every creation whether in the earth or heaven has a purpose, and there is no action of Allah that is devoid of wisdom. Therefore, a person who denies the reward and punishment for actions regards the creation of Allah as purposeless, and thinks that he will not be punished for his evil actions.
21-17 Had We wished to take a pastime, We would have taken it from before Ourselves; by no means would We do (so).a
لَوْ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نَّتَّخِذَ لَهْوًۭا لَّٱتَّخَذْنَـٰهُ مِن لَّدُنَّآ إِن كُنَّا فَـٰعِلِينَ (۱۷)
21-17a: Many commentators have taken the meaning of لھو in this verse as زوجة spouse and ولد son (IJ) but, the similarity with لَعۡب in the previous verse shows that this is a continuation of the previous theme. For the difference between لَعۡب and لھو refer to 6-32a. The verse means that it is not the wish of Allah that anything should be devoid of purpose. In إِن كُنَّا فَـٰعِلِينَ the إِن negatives the topic that follows, showing that it is contrary to the glory of Allah to do so.
21-18 Nay, We hurl the Truth against falsehood, so it knocks out its brains, and lo! it vanishes. And woe to you for what you describe!a
بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِٱلْحَقِّ عَلَى ٱلْبَـٰطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُۥ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌۭ ۚ وَلَكُمُ ٱلْوَيْلُ مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ (۱۸)
21-18a: يَدْمَغ – دَمۡغ means to smash the brain (R).
This verse gives the conclusion of what is stated in the previous two verses. Allah creates everything with a true purpose and so when the truth comes, it smashes the head of falsehood despite all of its power. In a similar manner, monotheism will eradicate polytheism from the world and falsehood will flee before the truth.
21-19 And to Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And those who are with Him are not too proud to serve Him, nor are they weary.
وَلَهُۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَمَنْ عِندَهُۥ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِۦ وَلَا يَسْتَحْسِرُونَ (۱۹)
21-20 They glorify (Him) night and day: they flag not.a
يُسَبِّحُونَ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ لَا يَفْتُرُونَ (۲۰)
21-20a: For حَسۡر refer to 2-167a and استحسار expresses the same idea with more eloquence.
For فتور refer to 5-19a and the meaning of يَفْتُرُونَ is given as لا یَسۡکُنُوۡنَ عن نِشاطِہِم فی العبادۃ They feel such joy in worshipping that they do not refrain (from prayers) (R). In this verse, مَنْ عِندَهُۥ those who are with Him is generally taken to mean angels but these words are also applicable to the pious servants of Allah, for they too glorify Allah day and night, continuously glorifying through their words and actions. They never weary of worshipping Allah, deriving great pleasure from it, so they are not lazy in their worship. Another interpretation is, just as carrying messages does not stop the angels from glorifying Allah, being a messenger does not prevent humans from glorifying Allah. Prophets are the مَنْ عِندَهُۥ, because the fact that they are honorable people who have a connection with Allah, is being established in this chapter. Initially this connection was manifested by stating that mighty nations crumble when opposing a prophet, and now the high status of prophets in the presence of Allah is explained. A manifest sign of their connection with Allah is that they derive great joy in worshipping Allah, and never get weary of worshipping or serving His creation. Despite great opposition, they cheerfully soldier on.
21-21 Or have they taken gods from the earth who give life?a
أَمِ ٱتَّخَذُوٓا۟ ءَالِهَةًۭ مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ هُمْ يُنشِرُونَ (۲۱)
21-21a: يُنشِرُون – For نشور and نشر refer to 18-16a. The meaning of نَشَرَ الۡمَیِّتُ is the dead person came to life. انشرہ اللّٰہ means Allah gave life to the dead and نَشَرَہُ اللّٰہ has the same meaning. A hadith states: لا وَضّاع الا ما انشر اللحم و انبت العظم in which انشر اللحم is taken to mean strengthening the flesh and giving it power from اِنۡشار which means احیاء life (LA). For this reason, some commentators have taken the verse to mean giving life to the dead and others have taken the meaning only as یخلقون created. This second meaning is more appropriate because the Quran has repeatedly asserted that these false gods have created nothing, as in خَلَقُوا۟ كَخَلْقِهِۦ فَتَشَـٰبَهَ ٱلْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ : …who have created creation like His, so that what is created became confused to them? (13:16); أَمْ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰلِقُونَ : Or are they the creators (52:35).
21-22 If there were in them gods besides Allah, they would both have been in disorder. So glory be to Allah, the Lord of the Throne, being above what they describe!a
لَوْ كَانَ فِيهِمَآ ءَالِهَةٌ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ لَفَسَدَتَا ۚ فَسُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَرْشِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ (۲۱)
21-22a: This is a proof of the Unity of God, and the reason for placing this argument here is explained very clearly in 21-25, where it is stated that all the prophets came with the same teaching of Divine Unity, and it is through their teachings that the Oneness of Allah spread throughout the world. If there was more than one God, the system of the Universe would collapse because one god would want to run things one way, and the second god another way. The Universe exists because it is operating according to one law. If there were multiple gods, there would be multiple laws, and the system of the Universe would get destroyed. In the next verse, the statement لَا يُسْـَٔلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ : He cannot be questioned as to what He does… (21:23) refers to this law, and states that everyone has to operate under it. If someone were above this law, they would have the right to question. Mortals are subject to fines if they violate even minor laws of the land. In both verses, the question is presented as an action to analyze.
21-23 He cannot be questioned as to what He does, and they will be questioned.
لَا يُسْـَٔلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْـَٔلُونَ (۲۳)
21-24 Or, have they taken gods besides Him? Say: Bring your proof. This is the reminder of those with me and the reminder of those before me. Nay, most of them know not the Truth, so they turn away.a
أَمِ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ ءَالِهَةًۭ ۖ قُلْ هَاتُوا۟ بُرْهَـٰنَكُمْ ۖ هَـٰذَا ذِكْرُ مَن مَّعِىَ وَذِكْرُ مَن قَبْلِى ۗ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٱلْحَقَّ ۖ فَهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ (۲۴)
21-24a: Second proof of the Unity of God: ذِكْرُ مَن مَّعِىَ means the reminder of the Muslim nation and ذِكْرُ مَن قَبْلِى means the reminder of the past generations. The Oneness of Allah is the reminder given to the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s (peace and blessing be upon him) companions, and this was the reminder given to the previous generations; they were all rooted in Divine Unity. This is further emphasized in the next verse: previous prophets also received the same revelation that there is only one God. So, on the one hand there is the testimony of the Holy Prophet and his Companions on the Unity of Allah and on the other, this is also the testimony of all previous truthful teachers of righteousness. The disbelievers are asked to produce their proofs for polytheism. It is strange that among the polytheists, every nation has its own brand of polytheism, and they do not corroborate or confirm the polytheism of the other. The worshippers of Prophet Jesus do not accept the dualistic doctrine of Zoroastrianism, or the three hundred and thirty million deities of Hinduism, and the Zoroastrians and Hindus do not recognize Prophet Jesus as God. Unity is found when partners are left to worship One Creator.
21-25 And We sent no messenger before thee but We revealed to him that there is no God but Me, so serve Me.a
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِىٓ إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱعْبُدُونِ (۲۵)
21-25a: Third proof of the Unity of God: All the prophets who preached in the world taught about the Oneness of God with singular focus. This is a very strong argument in support of Divine Unity, because despite the great changes that their teachings have undergone, the message of Oneness is intact. If there had been another god, evidence would have been found in at least one prophet’s teachings, but that is not the case.
21-26 And they say: The Beneficent has taken to Himself a son. Glory be to Him! Nay, they are honoured servants—
وَقَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ وَلَدًۭا ۗ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥ ۚ بَلْ عِبَادٌۭ مُّكْرَمُونَ (۲۶)
21-27 They speak not before He speaks, and according to His command they act.a
لَا يَسْبِقُونَهُۥ بِٱلْقَوْلِ وَهُم بِأَمْرِهِۦ يَعْمَلُونَ (۲۷)
21-27a: Verses 21:26 – 29 are generally considered to apply to angels but contextual evidence shows clearly that they refer to prophets, because the doctrine of sonship is about prophets. 1. ٱتَّخَذَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ وَلَدًۭا ۗ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥ : The Beneficent has taken to Himself a son. Glory be to Him! is generally taken to be a refutation of the Christian belief about Prophet Jesus being the son of God, though others may be included. The word عباد is used because apart from Prophet Jesus, other people have also been made sons of God, for example, Uzair who is mentioned in the Quran (9:30). Other similar doctrines have also prevailed.
2. As mentioned above, no prophet has been taught that others besides Allah are worthy of worship. This proves that the messengers are referred to in this verse.
3. Verse 21:29 states وَمَن يَقُلْ مِنْهُمْ إِنِّىٓ إِلَـٰهٌۭ: and whoever of them should say, I am a god besides Him… It is obvious that angels do not come to people and claim divinity; it is only a person who can make such statements. There have been people who have claimed divinity, but it is not possible for an angel to make such a claim, nor has it ever happened. Commentators have reasoned that Iblis claimed divinity, but that is not contrary to the facts, and, moreover, Iblis is not from the angels. So, the pronoun in مِنْهُمْ among them can only stand for humans.
4. In: مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤْتِيَهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحُكْمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا۟ عِبَادًۭا لِّى مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَـٰكِن : It is not for a mortal that Allah should give him the Book and the judgment and the prophethood, then he should say to men: Be my servants besides Allah’s… (3:79) clearly mentions the same topic, and these two passages support each other.
5. The final words of the last verse كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ : Thus We reward the unjust (21:29) show clearly that humans are being talked about because an angel cannot act unjustly.
Hence this verse is a statement about the high status of prophets and is evidence of their sinlessness. They seek precedence over Allah neither verbally nor in their actions: they pass on exactly the same teaching as they receive from Allah, and their actions are in full accordance with the commands of Allah. Thus, neither in words nor deeds can they deviate even an iota from the commands of Allah, which is a state of true sinlessness. This verse provides definitive proof of the sinlessness of prophets.
21-28 He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they intercede not except for him whom He approves, and for fear of Him they tremble.a
يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يَشْفَعُونَ إِلَّا لِمَنِ ٱرْتَضَىٰ وَهُم مِّنْ خَشْيَتِهِۦ مُشْفِقُونَ (۲۸)
21-28a: In his commentary of مَنِ ٱرْتَضَىٰ whom He approves, Ibn Abbas says:
شہادۃ ان لا الٰه الا اللّٰہ their bearing witness is that there is no deity but Allah and their intercession is asking for protection on earth and in the Hereafter (RM). In fact, the intercession of the prophets for their followers is to pray for their protection, and Allah covers up some of the shortcomings of a nation as a result of their prayers.
21-29 And whoever of them should say, I am a god besides Him, such a one We recompense with hell. Thus We reward the unjust.
وَمَن يَقُلْ مِنْهُمْ إِنِّىٓ إِلَـٰهٌۭ مِّن دُونِهِۦ فَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِيهِ جَهَنَّمَ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ (۲۹)
Bayan-ul-Quran 