- (By) Ha Meem (46:1).
Note: The statement in 46:1 is an oath of God consisting of Arabic letters ‘Ha’ and ‘Meem’ known as Quranic initials at the very beginning of the surah affirms subsequent statements. However, the quranic initials being signs of this book have multiple roles including the lower level physical proofs of the numerical structure of Quran, and the total occurrence of these letters ‘Ha’ and ‘Meem’ in the Arabic text of 7 surahs 40 through 46 is a multiple of 19 => 292 (Ha) + 1855 (Meem) = 2147 = 19 x 113.
Source: H.M. count obtained from https://www.masjidtucson.org/publications/books/vp/fact31.pdf
- A revelation of the scripture is from God – the Almighty, the Wise (46:2). We have not created the heavens and the earth, and what is between both of them except with the truth and for an appointed term, and those who have disbelieved are averse from what they have been warned (46:3).
Note: By taking oath God has confirmed that He has revealed the scripture, and has created the heavens and the earth as well as what is between them for an appointed term, while the disbelievers fail to reflect to the warning.
- Say, “Have you seen what you call on other than God? Show me what have they created from the earth, or is there a share for them in the heavens? Bring me of a scripture apart from this, or a trace of knowledge, if you have been truthful ones.” (46:4). And who is more astray than one who calls on other than God who will not respond to him until a Day of the Resurrection, and they are the unaware from their calls! (46:5). And when has been gathered the people, they have been enemies for them and have been deniers of their worshiping (46:6).
Note: Those who have disbelieved call on other than God, those are powerless and are not able to respond to their calls even they wait until a day of the Resurrection, while on a day of the Resurrection they will be their enemies and deniers of their worshiping; thus, they are losers on a day of the Judgment.
- And when it is recited our clear revelations to them, said those who have disbelieved to the truth when it has come to them: “This is a clear magic!” (46:7). Or they say, “He has fabricated it.” Say, “If I had fabricated it, then you do not have power for me in anything against God. He is a Knower of what you say in it. He has sufficed with it as a Witness between myself and yourselves, and He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (46:8). Say, “I have not been an exception from the messengers, and I do not know what will be done with me nor with you. I do not follow except what is revealed to me and I am not but a clear warner.” (46:9).
Note: The majority people deny the truth from God when it comes to them through His messengers and become disbelievers considering it either magic or man-made fabrication while the role of all messengers is the same just being warners. The commandment of not to make any distinction between any of God’s messengers is further clarified including Muhammad. Hence, the teachings that we see around us focusing on His messengers instead of His messages or giving higher rank to any of His messengers are the teachings against the Quran.
- Say, “Have you seen if it has been from God and you have disbelieved in it, and has testified a witness from Children of Israel to like of it, then he has believed, while you have turned arrogant? Indeed, God does not guide the wicked people.” (46:10). And said those who have disbelieved to those who have believed: “If it had been good, they would have not preceded us to it.” And when they are not guide with it, then they will say: “This is an ancient lie!” (46:11). And before of it, a scripture of Moses was a guide and mercy, and this scripture is confirming in Arabic language to warn those who have done wrong and a good news for the good-doers (46:12).
Note: There are enough evidences to believe that the Quran is from God but the arrogant never see them. Thus, the rejecters rejected it saying that there is no good in it except old fabrication. However, it is a guide and a mercy in Arabic language like the scripture of Musa to warn the wrong-doers and to give good news to the good-doers. Hence, the basic teaching in any divine scripture is warning and guidance. This is another instance which indicates that prophet Muhammad was a messenger like prophet Musa and this is a fact as Musa preceded Muhammad.
- Indeed, those who have said, “Our Lord is God;” then they have been straight, then there is no fear on them, nor do they grieve (46:13). Those are the dwellers of Paradise, are abiding therein forever, a reward for what they have done to accomplish (46:14).
Note: Just believing in God is not enough to be eligible for a reward from God without being steadfast while steadfastness is one of the traits of believers that qualifies them to enter Paradise as a reward for their devotion, i.e., for doing good works being only loyal to God.
- And we have enjoined the human being goodness with his parents. His mother has carried him with hardship, and has given birth to him with hardship, and carrying of him as well as weaning of him until thirty-month. When he has reached his maturity and has reached forty-year, he said: “My Lord, grant me that I can appreciate Your favor which you have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I can do as righteous You like it, and make righteous in my offspring for me; indeed, I have turned to You and indeed, I am among the submitters.” (46:15). Those are whom we accept from them best of what they have done, and we overlook of their evil deeds among the dwellers of Paradise. The true promise, which they have done, are promised (46:16).
Note: God has made it requirement for all of us to honor our parents. We are not just to take care of our parents but we should also follow their feet steps if they are righteous. There is opportunity for our forgiveness if we repent for the mistakes that we made in the past and submit to God at the age of 40 when we are not only physically strong but also mentally matured to take responsibility as well as to distinguish between right and wrong to lead a righteous life. God has confirmed that He will accept their good works and will overlook their past sins, and they will be among the dwellers of Paradise but there is no mention of what will happen if anyone dies or gets killed before the age of 40 in any of the above two verses.
- And the one who says to his parents, “Fie to you! Are you promising me that I will be resurrected, when the generations who died before me never came back?” And they will implore God, “Woe to you, believe! For God’s promise is the truth.” But he says, “This is nothing but tales from the past!”(46:17). These are the ones who have justified the punishment against them in nations who had come before them of humans and Jinn; indeed, they are the losers(46:18).
Note: There are those among us who will neither repent nor submit to God at the age of 40 nor will they follow the feet steps of their righteous parents, but disbelieve in the resurrection saying that this is nothing but the tales from the past are the losers from both of humans and jinns.
- And they all attain status in accordance with their works, and He will compensate them for their works, and no injustice is to be done to them (46:19). The day when those who disbelieved will be exposed to the Fire: “You have misused the blessings given to you during your worldly life while you took pleasure in them. So, today you will be recompensed with a shameful retribution for your arrogance on earth without justification as well as for your disobedience.” (46:20).
Note: Everyone will attain status according to their works while the disbelievers will be recompensed with a painful retribution on the promised day for their arrogance on the earth without justification as well as for their disobedience.
- Recall that the brother of Aad warned his people at the dunes – numerous warnings were delivered before him and after him: “You shall not worship except God. I fear for you the retribution of a great day.” (46:21). They said, “Have you (Hud) come to us to turn us away from our gods? Then bring us of what you threaten us, if you have been truthful.” (46:22). He said, “The knowledge about this is with God; I only convey to you what I have been sent with, but I see you are an ignorant people.” (46:23). When they saw a cloud approaching towards their valleys, they said, “This cloud is bringing us rain.” No, this is what you were asking to be hastened; a wind wherein there is a painful retribution(46:24). It destroyed everything, by the command of its Lord. Then they became such that nothing was seen except their homes. Thus, we recompense the guilty people(46:25). We had established them in the same way as we established you, and provided them with hearing, vision and hearts. But their hearing, vision and hearts did not help them at all. Since they rejected God’s revelations, they were encompassed by that what they used to ridicule (46:26).
Note: The key message that all messengers delivered is “You shall not worship except God. I fear for you the retribution on the promised day.” Hud, the brother of `Ãd did the same but his people asked him to bring the retribution that he threatened with. Although they were established with hearing, vision and hearts but that did not work for them because of their ignorance, and were destroyed by the painful wind and the destruction was such that nothing was seen except their homes. Such was the consequence of those who rejected God’s revelations in the past that may serve as a warning for us to make our utmost efforts to follow God’s revelations, i.e., the Quran in our case. It is also noteworthy that the people of Ad were famous for tall building in the city of Iram, which was discovered in 1992 after 4800 years of the destruction and disappearance of the city of Iram in Umman with the help of the Challenger spaceship equipped with SIR-B radars that could see under the sand.
- We destroyed the towns around you while we have shown the various signs that they may return (46:27). Then why has not helped them those whom they had taken other than God as a way of approaching gods? Nay, they had lost from them, and that was their falsehood and what they had done to invent (46:28).
Note: Many towns were destroyed when they failed to see the signs given to them. However, those signs did not work for them as they had taken gods other than God, which was falsehood and innovation.
- When we directed a number of jinns to you, in order to listen to the Quran, they attended it, and said, “Listen quietly.” As soon as it was over, they returned back to their people as warners (46:29). They said, “O our people; indeed, we have heard a scripture has been sent down after Moses, confirming that which was before of it to guide to the truth and to a path is straight (46:30). O our people, respond to God’s caller, and believe in Him. He will then forgive your sins, and will protect you from a painful retribution.” (46:31). And whoever does not respond to God’s caller, then he cannot escape on the earth, and he will not have any protectors other than Him. These are in far astray (46:32). And do they not see that God who has created the heavens and the earth, while He does not tire of their creation, being Able over to give life to the dead? Yes indeed, He has power over every thing (46:33). The day those who have disbelieved are exposed to the Fire: “Has not it been this of the truth?” They will answer, “Yes, by our Lord.” He will say, “Then taste the retribution that you have done to disbelieve.” (46:34).
Note: Prophet Muhammad was a messenger like prophet Musa, who delivered the Quran confirming the previous scripture and containing guidance to the truth and the right path. A number of jinns was directed to listen to it, who warned their fellow jinns to believe in God to protect them from the painful retribution as there is no any protector other than Him. God has created the heavens and the earth with the least effort as He possesses infinite power and is able to do all things. However, the disbelievers who do not respond to God’s caller will taste the retribution for what they used to disbelieve.
- So you (prophet) shall be patient like had been patient of the messengers, possessors of the determination, and you do not seek to hasten for them. As if that for them, a day they will see what they are promised – not to remain except for an hour of a day. There is a proclamation that is there anyone destroyed except the people who were the disobedient?” (46:35).
Note: The prophet is commanded to possess strength like messengers before him and to be patient to see the retribution that will come to the disbelievers. The day they see it, they will realize that they have lasted one hour of the day on the earth indicating the end of the world. However, what has been confirmed is none but the wicked people were destroyed.
Conclusion
The surah begins with a statement of God’s oath consisting of two Quranic initials Ha and Meem, and the true believers can only realize how awesome the God’s oath is! This oath affirms that the Quran is from God – the Almighty, the Wise, while the creation of the heavens and the earth for an appointed term. But the disbelievers fail to reflect to the warning. However, the quranic initials are also the lower level physical proofs of the numerical structure of Quran, and the total occurrence of these letters ‘Ha’ and ‘Meem’ in the Arabic text of 7 surahs: 40 through 46 is a multiple of 19 => 292 (Ha) + 1855 (Meem) = 2147 = 19 x 113.
There are 35 verses in surah Al-Ahqaaf and the most significant aspects that are covered in the surah under oath are: (1) creation of heavens and earth for an appointed term, (2) disbelievers fail to reflect that the heavens and the earth will exist for an appointed term, (3) the disbelievers call on other than God are in far astray, (4) disbelievers deny the truth from God, (5) consequence of rejecters of Quran, (6) prophet Muhammad was a messenger like prophet Musa, (7) Paradise is to be granted to a steadfast, while they are believing in God, (8) commandment of honoring parents (9) compensation of repenting and submitting to God at the age of 40, (10) Consequence of those who do not follow their righteous parents, (11) fair judgment on a day of the Judgment, (12) destruction of the people of dunes by storm, (13) taking anything as god other than God is falsehood and invention, (14) Quran is the guidance for both human and jinn being, (15) Prophet is enjoined to be patient to see the retribution of the disbelievers.
There is a concept around us in light of the verse 46:15 that those who die or get killed before the age of forty will go to Heaven as the Quran sets the age of responsibility at 40. If the person nourishes his soul while believing in God will go to High Heaven otherwise he will go to Lower Heaven. But it is a mystery to many that what will happen to the people who have committed horrendous crimes but die or get killed or hanged because of justice before the age of 40, while the Quran teaches us that God forgives lesser offenses but not the greater ones. The logic that is given to clarify it that God knows who deserve Paradise or Hell, and He terminates our life on earth, so such criminals will not die or get killed before the age of 40. However, we should not hasten if we are not clear in any matter but should be patient and implore God to increase our knowledge to understand it better on our way.
Quran has confirmed that taking anything as god other than God is falsehood and innovation, and those who call on other than God are in far astray. It contains warnings for the transgressors and guidance for the righteous while it is guidance for both humans and jinns. It is a guide and a mercy in Arabic language like the scripture of Musa to warn the transgressors as well as to give good news to the righteous which indicates that prophet Muhammad was a messenger like prophet Musa. There are enough evidences to believe that the Quran is from God but the arrogant never see them except old fabrication. Hence, the focus on His messengers instead of message or to give higher rank to any of His messengers is the violation of teaching in the Quran, and we wish we will not be among them who violate His laws and teaching to avoid the painful retribution on the promised day.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (7/15/2016).