21-42 Say: Who guards you by night and by day from the Beneficent? Nay, they turn away at the mention of their Lord.a
قُلْ مَن يَكْلَؤُكُم بِٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ مِنَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ۗ بَلْ هُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ رَبِّهِم مُّعْرِضُونَ (۴۲)
21-42a: يَكْلَؤُ – کِلَاءۃ means to guard and preserve (R).
مِنَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ – means from the punishment of the Beneficent indicating that had it not been for the Beneficence of Allah, the disbelievers would have been punished immediately for their evil actions. Even so, not all of them turn towards Allah.
21-43 Or, have they gods who can defend them against Us? They cannot help themselves, nor can they be defended from Us.a
أَمْ لَهُمْ ءَالِهَةٌۭ تَمْنَعُهُم مِّن دُونِنَا ۚ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَا هُم مِّنَّا يُصْحَبُونَ (۴۳)
21-43a: يُصْحَبُونَ – صَحِبَهٗ means عاشرہٗ associated with him. اَصۡحَبَ الرجل means defended him and this is the meaning here: یَصۡحبونَ بالِاجارۃ. According to Qatadah لا یصحبون من اللّٰہ بخیر and اَصۡحَبَ الرجل means صنعتهٗ defended him, and صَحِبَك اللّٰہ also means حفظك اللّٰہ may Allah protect you (LA). It can also mean: they will not receive support through contentment, gentleness and blessings, which are given to the friends of Allah.
Those who are worshipped besides Allah cannot even save themselves when confronted by others, as is shown in account of Prophet Abraham given in the next section. When the time of punishment comes, the protection of the Beneficent will be withdrawn, hence they will have no means to save themselves.
21-44 Nay, We gave provision to these and their fathers, until life was prolonged to them. See they not then that We are visiting the land, curtailing it of its sides? Can they then prevail?a
بَلْ مَتَّعْنَا هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ وَءَابَآءَهُمْ حَتَّىٰ طَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْعُمُرُ ۗ أَفَلَا يَرَوْنَ أَنَّا نَأْتِى ٱلْأَرْضَ نَنقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَآ ۚ أَفَهُمُ ٱلْغَـٰلِبُونَ (۴۴)
21-44a: When Allah does not punish a nation for a long time, they begin to think that they will live forever and can do whatever they like. They cease to reflect and contemplate. By عُمُرُ here is meant the age of the nation, and by curtailing it of its sides is meant the effect Islam was having on the hearts of the disbelievers. For details, refer to 13-41a. This verse states that the signs of the dominance of Islam are clear.
21-45 Say: I warn you only by revelation; and the deaf hear not the call when they are warned.
قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أُنذِرُكُم بِٱلْوَحْىِ ۚ وَلَا يَسْمَعُ ٱلصُّمُّ ٱلدُّعَآءَ إِذَا مَا يُنذَرُونَ (۴۵)
21-45a: I warn you only by revelation means, I say this not as a conjecture, rather the source of this news is fully reliable and what I say is certain.
21-46 And if a blast of the chastisement of thy Lord were to touch them, they would say: O woe to us! Surely we were unjust.a
وَلَئِن مَّسَّتْهُمْ نَفْحَةٌۭ مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّكَ لَيَقُولُنَّ يَـٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِينَ (۴۶)
21-46a: نَفْحَةٌۭ – نفح الریح means the wind blew or the breeze started and نفح الطِیۡبُ means the musk released fragrance. نفحة is a blast of wind whether good or bad (LA).
21-47 And We will set up a just balance on the day of Resurrection, so no soul will be wronged in the least. And if there be the weight of a grain of mustard seed, We will bring it. And Sufficient are We to take account.a
وَنَضَعُ ٱلْمَوَٰزِينَ ٱلْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ فَلَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌۭ شَيْـًۭٔا ۖ وَإِن كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍۢ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِنَا حَـٰسِبِينَ (۴۷)
21-47a: خَرْدَلٍ – The singular is خردلة and it means mustard. For میزان , refer to 7-8a. قِسْطَ justice is an attribute of مَوَٰزِينَ balance and because it is a verbal noun, it is brought in as a singular or it means ذوات القسط . This shows that Allah’s just balance is such that even an action as small as a grain of mustard seed, will not be left out of the accounting.
21-48 And certainly We gave Moses and Aaron the criterion and a light and a reminder for those who keep from evil,a
وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ وَهَـٰرُونَ ٱلْفُرْقَانَ وَضِيَآءًۭ وَذِكْرًۭا لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ (۴۸)
21-48a: فُرْقَانَ – ضیاء – ذکر can all be attributive names of the Torah. فُرْقَانَ is distinguishing between truth and falsehood, ضیاء by removing all kinds of ignorance and replacing it with the light of knowledge and ذکر because it spiritually elevated its followers to amazing heights. Another interpretation is that فُرْقَانَ are the miracles that differentiated between truth and falsehood, ضیاء are the logical arguments that supported the teachings and ذکر is the teachings themselves. These three things were given both to Prophet Moses and Prophet Aaron.
21-49 Who fear their Lord in secret and they are fearful of the Hour.a
ٱلَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلْغَيْبِ وَهُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّاعَةِ مُشْفِقُونَ (۴۹)
21-49a: بِٱلْغَيْبِ – in secret either refers to the direct object, meaning they fear Allah although He is hidden, or it refers to the doer, indicating they fear Allah when they are alone or hidden from others.
21-50 And this is a blessed Reminder, which We have revealed. Will you then deny it?a
وَهَـٰذَا ذِكْرٌۭ مُّبَارَكٌ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ ۚ أَفَأَنتُمْ لَهُۥ مُنكِرُونَ (۵۰)
21-50a: The Quran is called blessed in comparison with the Torah. Refer to 6-92a for further details.
Bayan-ul-Quran 