21-76 And Noah, when he cried aforetime, so We answered him, and delivered him and his people from the great calamity.
وَنُوحًا إِذْ نَادَىٰ مِن قَبْلُ فَٱسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُۥ فَنَجَّيْنَـٰهُ وَأَهْلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلْكَرْبِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ (۷۶)
21-77 And We helped him against the people who rejected Our messages. Surely they were an evil people, so We drowned them all.
وَنَصَرْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ قَوْمَ سَوْءٍۢ فَأَغْرَقْنَـٰهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ (۷۷)
21-78 And David and Solomon, when they gave judgment concerning the field, when the people’s sheep strayed therein by night, and We were bearers of witness to their judgment.a
وَدَاوُۥدَ وَسُلَيْمَـٰنَ إِذْ يَحْكُمَانِ فِى ٱلْحَرْثِ إِذْ نَفَشَتْ فِيهِ غَنَمُ ٱلْقَوْمِ وَكُنَّا لِحُكْمِهِمْ شَـٰهِدِينَ (۷۸)
21-78a: نَفَشَتْ – نَفَش means to fluff wool until its strands become separated from one another, known as carding, used in Surah Al Qariyah: كَٱلْعِهْنِ ٱلْمَنفُوشِ as carded wool. It also means for sheep, camels, etc., to spread out and graze without the knowledge of the shepherd (LA).
Why the incident of the straying of the sheep is significant: This incident is specifically mentioned, although Prophet David and Prophet Solomon used to decide many important matters of state in their capacity as kings, and the straying of sheep at night during grazing is a trivial matter. The purpose is to draw attention to how those who are connected with Allah, even if they become kings, pay the same attention to solving the grievances of their poor subjects as they do to important matters of state. Similar examples can be found during the caliphates of the rightly directed caliphs and some other Islamic kings, where these rulers habitually undertook physical hardships to serve the poorest among their subjects. This is the spirit that Islam seeks to establish in its rulers, in which the lowest of the subjects have access to the highest in the land. In modern democracies, bureaucratic hurdles and restrictions obstruct access to help, even more than the forbidding culture of autocratic kings. Simplicity, which is the real pride of humanity, appears completely missing.
21-79 So We made Solomon to understand it. And to each (of them) We gave wisdom and knowledge. And We made the mountains, declaring (Our) glory, and the birds, subservient to David. And We were the Doers.a
فَفَهَّمْنَـٰهَا سُلَيْمَـٰنَ ۚ وَكُلًّا ءَاتَيْنَا حُكْمًۭا وَعِلْمًۭا ۚ وَسَخَّرْنَا مَعَ دَاوُۥدَ ٱلْجِبَالَ يُسَبِّحْنَ وَٱلطَّيْرَ ۚ وَكُنَّا فَـٰعِلِينَ (۷۹)
21-79a: So We made Solomon to understand it: although Solomon was not a prophet during the lifetime of Prophet David. It is possible for a non-prophet to sometimes understand a matter better than a prophet.
Mountains declaring glory: The mountains declared the glory of Allah along with Prophet David. According to some commentators this was a miracle, just like the glorification of pebbles in the hand of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) which was heard by other people. However, it is not mentioned as a miracle, which is a singular event, but as a matter of routine. The opinion of most people is that the glorification was heard only by Prophet David. Some have said that this glorification was not verbal but manifested by through nature. Although the language of the Quran does not include the birds in the glorification, some have opined that the birds also joined in.
Mountains and birds made subservient to Prophet David: An important point for reflection is that both here and in the Chapter Al-Saba, three things that are mentioned together:
- The subservience of the mountains, which means the mountains being used by Prophet David and their glorification of Allah.
- The birds serving Prophet David.
- The manufacture of coats of mail.
The relevant passage in Chapter Al-Saba is: يَـٰجِبَالُ أَوِّبِى مَعَهُۥ وَٱلطَّيْرَ ۖ وَأَلَنَّا لَهُ ٱلْحَدِيدَ أَنِ ٱعْمَلْ سَـٰبِغَـٰتٍۢ وَقَدِّرْ فِى ٱلسَّرْدِ : …O mountains, repeat praises with him, and the birds, and We made the iron pliant to him, Saying: Make ample (coats of mail), and assign a time to the making of coats of mail… (34:10-11).
These three things mentioned together in both places shows that there is a connection between them. The obvious use of coats of mail is in battles, and the Quran has further clarified this: لِتُحْصِنَكُم مِّنۢ بَأْسِكُمْ :…to protect you in your wars… (21:80). It is also known that there were lots of conquests under Prophet David which led to the kingdom of Israel becoming firmly established. Since the manufacture of coats of mail are clearly related to these conquests, it follows that the two other things must also relate to conquests, otherwise they would not be mentioned together.
Birds can have a connection with wars and conquests in two ways. Birds are known to have been used in wars for carrying messages and that is why birds are also mentioned in the narrative of Prophet Solomon. In my opinion, the subservience of the birds to Prophet David in the form of his putting them to use for carrying messages, is what is meant here. There is another way as well in which birds are associated with wars in Arabic poetry, as for example, in a verse by the poet Nalibga: اذا ماغَدا بالجیش حِلَّقَ فَوۡقَهٗ عصائِبُ طیر تَھۡتَدِی بعصائب When he marches out with his army, bands of birds form a circular canopy over him and move with him. The Bible also mentioned birds eating the fallen bodies of a defeated army: Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured (Ezekiel 39:4).
The subservience of the mountains and their glorification is the third point. In one way, everything in the earth and the heavens has been made subservient to humans. Accordingly, in another verse the subservience of the boats, rivers, the sun and the moon is mentioned, and it is even stated: وَسَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا مِّنْهُ : And He has made subservient to you whatsoever is in the heaven and whatsoever is in the earth, all from Himself (45:13). Also, everything glorifies Him: وَإِن مِّن شَىْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِۦ : And there is not a single thing but glorifies Him (17:44). The specific mention of the glorification by the mountains must have a significance. Keeping in mind its connection with coats of mail and birds, in my opinion the subservience of the mountains and their glorifying means that Prophet David’s rule was established in the mountains, and the mountainous tribes who began to follow his rule and develop spiritually, glorified Allah. Furthermore, it is obvious that just as the entire Creation has been made subservient to humans, in the same way the mountains and birds were made subservient to Prophet David. The entire Creation is subservient to humans in the sense that it assists them in their affairs. As humans acquire more knowledge and gain greater power over Nature, its subservience to humans increases. For example, the wind is subservient to all humans and is constantly benefiting them, however those who gain more knowledge of it can get greater benefit from it, such that the wind becomes specifically more subservient to them.
Hence, the meaning of the subservience of birds and mountains is nothing more than that Prophet David made use of, and derived more benefit from, the birds and mountains than his contemporaries, and thus received greater assistance from them. This is also indicated by كُنَّا فَـٰعِلِينَ We were the Doers at the end of the verse. Everything glorifies Allah in its own way. The mountains also declare the glory of Allah in the same way that everything declares His glory, وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ :…but you do not understand their glorification (17:44). However, if by mountains is meant the inhabitants of mountains, or the mountainous tribes, just as by town is sometimes meant the inhabitants of the town, or is taken metaphorically to refer to powerful men (refer to 13-31a) then undoubtedly their glorification will be like that of Prophet David.
21-80 And We taught him the making of coats of mail for you, to protect you in your wars; will you then be grateful?a
وَعَلَّمْنَـٰهُ صَنْعَةَ لَبُوسٍۢ لَّكُمْ لِتُحْصِنَكُم مِّنۢ بَأْسِكُمْ ۖ فَهَلْ أَنتُمْ شَـٰكِرُونَ (۸۰)
21-80a: لَبُوسٍۢ – لَبِسۡتُ means I wore and لَبَسۡتُ means I made it dubious or suspicious. لباس and لَبُوس are from the first derivation. What is worn is called مایُلَبَسُ . The meaning of لبوس is clothes but also weapons and it is the masculine noun. When coats of mail are meant, it is the feminine noun (LA).
Prophet David was taught to make coats of mail: All knowledge is given by Allah. It is not necessarily the first time coats of mail were used. Rather, as the commentators have written, they were further developed in the time of Prophet David. The meaning can also be that the use of coats of mail became more widespread in the reign of Prophet David. The commentators have also written that initially Prophet David received a stipend from the treasury for his living expenses, but later earned his living by selling coats of mail.
21-81 And to Solomon (We subdued) the wind blowing violent, pursuing its course by His command to the land which We had blessed, and We are ever Knower of all things.a
وَلِسُلَيْمَـٰنَ ٱلرِّيحَ عَاصِفَةًۭ تَجْرِى بِأَمْرِهِۦٓ إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلَّتِى بَـٰرَكْنَا فِيهَا ۚ وَكُنَّا بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَـٰلِمِينَ (۸۱)
21-81a: In وَلِسُلَيْمَـٰنَ ٱلرِّيحَ And to Solomon the wind has سخرنا subservience included in it, so it means the wind was made subservient to Prophet Solomon. Commentators write that the devils spread a mat, two and a half miles in length and two and a half miles in width, on the ground and Prophet Solomon along with his courtiers and other people would sit on it, while the birds would gather overhead to provide shade, and the wind would carry them to where they wanted. Others have described a strange structure which had thousands of houses that the devils lifted and then the wind would drive it. The Quran however is free of such elaborate stories. The wind being subservient to Prophet Solomon simply means that the wind assisted him in his work, in the same way that the wind normally assists. Probably تَجْرِى بِأَمْرِهِۦٓ travelling by his command refers to the winds assisting the boats in the sea or to the traveling of boats and it means that due to the favorable wind, the sail boats carried cargoes from distant lands to Syria, which is part of the Holy Land. The Jewish Encyclopedia narrates that the ships of Prophet Solomon journeyed between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Aqaba. This trade greatly increased wealth and gold in the kingdom and contributed to the magnificence and grandeur of Prophet Solomon. It is stated elsewhere in the Quran: وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ ٱلْفُلْكَ لِتَجْرِىَ فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ بِأَمْرِهِۦ : He has made the ships subservient to you to run their course in the sea by His command (14:32) and it is possible that بِأَمْرِهِ His command refers to the command of Allah. Here the wind is called عَاصِفَةًۭ violent and elsewhere in the Quran it is described as: تَجْرِى بِأَمْرِهِۦ رُخَآءً … running gently by his command… (38:36) showing that the violent wind was not destructive and despite its strength there was mildness in it.
21-82 And of the devils there were those who dived for him and did other work besides that; and We kept guard over them:a
وَمِنَ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينِ مَن يَغُوصُونَ لَهُۥ وَيَعْمَلُونَ عَمَلًۭا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ وَكُنَّا لَهُمْ حَـٰفِظِينَ (۸۲)
21:82a: شَّيَـٰطِينِ – Every arrogant, rebellious and disobedient being, whether jinn or man is called شیطان . Refer to 2-14a. Rebellious humans are meant here as is shown from the work they performed, such as being divers.
يَغُوصُونَ – غَوۡص means to dive to the bottom of the water and to bring something out of it, and derived from it a person who suddenly stumbles onto something hidden, whether an item or knowledge, and brings it out is called غائض. Someone who does this frequently is called غوّاص . Here by يَغُوصُونَ is meant the men performed uncommon works and other difficult tasks and is not limited to diving for pearls (R). Other actions they performed is mentioned in this verse as يَعْمَلُونَ عَمَلًۭا دُونَ did other work and their detail is given in another verse as: يَعْمَلُونَ لَهُۥ مَا يَشَآءُ مِن مَّحَـٰرِيبَ وَتَمَـٰثِيلَ وَجِفَانٍۢ كَٱلْجَوَابِ وَقُدُورٍۢ رَّاسِيَـٰتٍ : They made for him what he pleased of synagogues and images, and bowls (large) as watering-troughs and fixed cooking-pots… (34:13).
The شَّيَـٰطِينِ (devils) were divers and builders: It is very clear from the dictionary description of شیطان that this word is also used for rebellious humans and the use of شَّيَـٰطِينِ for humans is very clearly used in the Quran. In many places in the Quran, the commentators have unanimously taken شَّيَـٰطِينِ to mean leaders as in وَإِذَا خَلَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ شَيَـٰطِينِهِمْ :…and when they are alone with their devils… Even though deep sea divers are mentioned in the verse, work that has historically been done by humans and even now is done by them, the commentators insist that the reference here is to actual devils who were the deep-sea divers. As an explanation for كُنَّا لَهُمْ حَـٰفِظِينَ We kept guard over them the commentators insist that there was a party of angels and believing jinn that were appointed to guard them. Those devils also did the work of builders: وَٱلشَّيَـٰطِينَ كُلَّ بَنَّآءٍۢ وَغَوَّاصٍۢ And the devils, every builder and diver (38:37). If these commentators are to be believed, in that time all the tasks that are performed by humans currently, were performed by devils. Further, the devils during this period were not the instigators of evil, as if Allah only later formulated their function, described in the hadith: ان الشیطان یجری من ابن اٰدم مجری الدم Indeed the devil flows through the son of Adam like the flow of blood (Hadith Bukhari and Muslim). By making simple words of the Quran into something strange and introducing extraordinary narrations into the straightforward statements of the Quran, the greatness of the Quran is not enhanced and instead it is harmed. These workers are called شَّيَـٰطِينِ because they belonged to rebellious tribes that Solomon had conquered and subdued, and some of them were taken captives and made to work as prisoners, as is stated in: ءَاخَرِينَ مُقَرَّنِينَ فِى ٱلْأَصْفَادِ others fettered in chains (38:38) and this is the reason for the statement كُنَّا لَهُمْ حَـٰفِظِينَ We kept guard over them. Were it not for Allah’s protection, it would not have been easy to get them to work.
21-83 And Job, when he cried to his Lord: Distress has afflicted me! And Thou art the most Merciful of those who show mercy.a
وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنِّى مَسَّنِىَ ٱلضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ (۸۳)
21-83a: The distress afflicting Prophet Job: The Quran has not given any details about Job’s ضرّا distress. Commentators have garnered some information from the Bible and expanded upon it to come up with a story of extreme infirmity. Although this is possible, the reality is that the distress of prophets is of a different nature, which requires even greater patience than needed to deal with physical illnesses. According to these verses, and confirmed from other verses in the Quran, Prophet Job became separated from his family.
21-84 So We responded to him and removed the distress he had, and We gave him his people and the like of them with them: a mercy from Us and a reminder to the worshippers.a
فَٱسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُۥ فَكَشَفْنَا مَا بِهِۦ مِن ضُرٍّۢ ۖ وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ أَهْلَهُۥ وَمِثْلَهُم مَّعَهُمْ رَحْمَةًۭ مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْعَـٰبِدِينَ (۸۴)
21-84a: What is meant by giving Prophet Job his people and the like of them: It has been said that all the children of Prophet Job died, and Allah brought them back to life. This is how ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ أَهْلَهُgave him his people has been interpreted, but there is no mention in the Quran of their dying or coming back to life. Gave him simply means they were reunited. This is not all, Allah blessed him with even more progeny. Ibn Asakir has narrated from Ibn Abbas that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was asked about this, and he replied: رد اللّٰہ تعلیٰ امراتهٗ الیه و زاد فی شبابہا حتی ولدت لهٗ ستةً وعشرین ذکرا Allah returned his wife to him and extended her youthfulness so that she gave birth to twenty six sons for him (RM). The words at the end of the verse ذِكْرَىٰ لِلْعَـٰبِدِينَ reminder to the worshippers is meant to convey that Allah does not deprive those who worship Him from worldly blessings.
21-85 And Ishmael and Idris and Dhu-l-Kifl; all were of the patient ones;a
وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِدْرِيسَ وَذَا ٱلْكِفْلِ ۖ كُلٌّۭ مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ (۸۵)
21-85a: Who was Dhu-l-Kifl: There is difference of opinion about the identity of Dhu-l-Kifl. Among the names of prophets to whom this title is said to belong, are Zacharias, Elias, and Joshua Yusha bin Nun. Rodwell has written on the authority of a traveler that the Arabs call Ezekiel as Kifl. Commentators write that according to the Jews, by Dhu-l-Kifl is meant Prophet Ezekiel. In view of these two testimonies the identification of Dhu-l-Kifl as Prophet Ezekiel seems to be correct.
After the mention of Prophet Job who is an excellent exemplar of patience, other prophets are talked about who also exemplified patience in their own times. The crowning member of this group is Prophet Ishmael who put his neck under the knife even before he had reached adulthood. Prophet Ezekiel is also an excellent exemplar of patience, because he was raised when Jerusalem had been destroyed, and this was a period of great hardship for the Israelites.
21-86 And We admitted them to Our mercy; surely they were of the good ones.
وَأَدْخَلْنَـٰهُمْ فِى رَحْمَتِنَآ ۖ إِنَّهُم مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ (۸۶)
21-87 And Dhu-l-Nun, when he went away in wrath, and he thought that We would not straiten him, so he called out among afflictions: There is no God but Thou, glory be to Thee! Surely I am of the sufferers of loss.a
وَذَا ٱلنُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَـٰضِبًۭا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ أَن لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ (۸۷)
21-87a: ذَا ٱلنُّونِ – نُون means a big fish and Prophet Jonah is called ذَا ٱلنُّونِ Dhu-l-Nun because of a fish that took him into its mouth (R).
نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ – قَدۡر means to estimate, assess, value. The meaning of قَدَرۡتُ عَلَیۡهِ الشئَ is ضیّقتُه‘ to straiten him. Thus, this is a limitation of unlimited expansiveness, as in وَمَن قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُۥ : …and whoever has his means of subsistence straitened to him… (65:7); يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُ …amplifies and straitens provision for whom He pleases… (13:26). The meaning of أَن لَّن نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ is also not straiten him (R).
Prophet Jonah’s dispute with his nation and migration without permission: Prophet Jonah went away in anger, but who was he angry with? Almost all the major commentators have given preference to the interpretation that he was angry with his nation and left them. He was angry with the nation for whose guidance he was appointed, because they did not accept his message. It is completely incorrect to say that he went away because he was angry with Allah, since Allah had postponed the promised chastisement. Being angry with Allah is unworthy of an ordinary believer, let alone a prophet of Allah. Prophet Jonah’s leaving his nation meant he was migrating away from people that were under the threat of punishment for their disobedience of Allah, so he was certain that Allah would not punish him, but his mistake was that he had not yet been permitted by Allah to migrate (RM). Prophet Jonah should have waited for Allah’s permission before migration, and that is why it is stated elsewhere in the Quran while addressing the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): فَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلْحُوتِ : So wait patiently for the judgment of thy Lord, and be not like the Companion of the fish (68:48). The result was that his journey became perilous and full of difficulties for him. For the metaphorical meaning of ظلُمَـٰتِ darkness as afflictions, refer to 6-63a. The statement إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ Surely I am of the sufferer of loss shows that even a small mistake by a prophet, even though it is not a disobedience of any command of Allah, nor is it a sin, is a form of ظلم injustice, unfairness, inequity, wrong, tyranny, oppression because the meaning of ظلم has many nuances. Even an action like migration gets included in ظلم if it is undertaken without the permission of Allah. Refer to 2-35b. The details about the encounter with the fish are discussed elsewhere. It is stated in the Hadith with regards to Prophet Jonah’s supplication, that a believer who prays: لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ in his difficulties finds certain acceptance with Allah. This is indicated in the words of the next verse: وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُـۨجِى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ : And thus do We deliver the believers (21:88).
21-88 So We responded to him and delivered him from grief. And thus do We deliver the believers.
فَٱسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُۥ وَنَجَّيْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلْغَمِّ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُـۨجِى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ (۸۸)
21-89 And Zacharias, when he cried to his Lord: My Lord, leave me not alone! and Thou art the Best of inheritors.
وَزَكَرِيَّآ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥ رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِى فَرْدًۭا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ (۸۹)
21-90 So We responded to him and gave him John and made his wife fit for him. Surely they used to vie, one with another, in good
deeds and called upon Us, hoping and fearing; and they were humble before Us.a
فَٱسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُۥ وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥ يَحْيَىٰ وَأَصْلَحْنَا لَهُۥ زَوْجَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًۭا وَرَهَبًۭا ۖ وَكَانُوا۟ لَنَا خَـٰشِعِينَ (۹۰)
21-90a: أَصْلَحْنَا لَهُۥ زَوْجَهُ made his wife fit for him – Some commentators have taken اصلاح reform, fixing as an improvement in her manners and morals, but the defect that the Quran pointed out in another verse is her infertility. It is the removal of this defect, which is referred to as اصلاح here.
21-91 And she who guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her of Our inspiration, and made her and her son a sign for the nations.a
وَٱلَّتِىٓ أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهَا مِن رُّوحِنَا وَجَعَلْنَـٰهَا وَٱبْنَهَآ ءَايَةًۭ لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ (۹۱)
21-91a: What is meant by نفخ روح breathing spirit: Elsewhere in the Quran, it is said about Prophet Adam: نَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِى …breathed into him of My spirit… (38:72) and so if the meaning of نفخ روح is taken to be giving life, this life was put in Hazrat Mary even though she was alive at the time. To overcome this difficulty some commentators have adopted the explanation that a governing word is omitted, and the phrase means: نَفَخْنَا فِيهَا انبہا مِن رُّوحِنَا but this explanation is farfetched. Actually, by روح spirit/inspiration in this verse, is meant Divine revelation, for which refer to 2-87b. Allah’s words were breathed into her, or in other words, she received revelation. For making Hazrat Mary and her son a sign, refer to 23-50a.
21-92 Surely this your community is a single community, and I am your Lord, so serve Me.a
إِنَّ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ وَأَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمْ فَٱعْبُدُونِ (۹۲)
21-92a: أُمَّةًۭ – The meaning of أُمَّةًۭ is both community and religion, as in إِنَّا وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٍۢ …We found our fathers on a course… (43:22) (R). The word can be interpreted in both ways in this verse; the prophets and righteous are one community and just as one group was saved from enemies, the others were also saved. Furthermore, even in the future Allah would grant safety to His worshippers. If the meaning is taken as religion, it would mean: Islam with its core message of Divine Unity, is the true religion of everyone.
21-93 And they cut off their affair among them: to Us will all return.
وَتَقَطَّعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَهُم بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ كُلٌّ إِلَيْنَا رَٰجِعُونَ (۹۳)
Bayan-ul-Quran 