27:63 An-Naml (The Ant)

أي: من هو الذي يهديكم حين تكونون في ظلمات البر والبحر، حيث لا دليل ولا معلم يرى ولا وسيلة إلى النجاة إلا هدايته لكم، وتيسيره الطريق وجعل ما جعل لكم من الأسباب التي تهتدون بها، { وَمَنْ يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَاحَ بُشْرًا بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَحْمَتِهِ } أي: بين يدي المطر، فيرسلها فتثير السحاب ثم تؤلفه ثم تجمعه ثم تلقحه ثم تدره، فيستبشر بذلك العباد قبل نزول المطر. { أَإِلَهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ } فعل ذلك؟ أم هو وحده الذي انفرد به؟ فلم أشركتم معه غيره وعبدتم سواه؟ { تَعَالَى اللَّهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ } تعاظم وتنزه وتقدس عن شركهم وتسويتهم به غيره.

"أمن يهديكم في ظلمات البر والبحر" أي بما خلق من الدلائل السماوية والأرضية كما قال تعالى "وعلامات وبالنجم هم يهتدون" وقال تعالى "وهو الذي جعل لكم النجوم لتهتدوا بها في ظلمات البر والبحر" الآية "ومن يرسل الرياح بشرا بين يدي رحمته" أي بين يدي السحاب الذي فيه مطر يغيث الله به عباده المجدبين الأزلين القنطين "أإله مع الله تعالى الله عما يشركون".

أَمَّن يَهْدِيكُمْ فِى ظُلُمَـتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ

(Is not He Who guides you in the darkness of the land and the sea,) meaning, by means of what He has created of heavenly and earthly signposts. This is like the Ayah,

وَعَلامَـتٍ وَبِالنَّجْمِ هُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ

(And landmarks and by the stars, they guide themselves.) (16:16)

وَهُوَ الَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ النُّجُومَ لِتَهْتَدُواْ بِهَا فِى ظُلُمَـتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ

(It is He Who has set the stars for you, so that you may guide your course with their help through the darkness of the land and the sea...) (6:97)

وَمَن يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَاحَ بُشْرًاَ بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَحْمَتِهِ

(and Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings, going before His mercy) meaning, ahead of the clouds which bring rain, by means of which Allah shows His mercy to His servants who are suffering drought and despair.

أَءِلَـهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى اللَّهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

(Is there any god with Allah Exalted be Allah above all that they associate as partners!)

Or He Who guides you shows you the way to your destinations in the darkness of the land and the sea by the stars at night and by the various landmarks during the day and Who sends forth the winds as harbingers of His mercy ahead of the rain. Is there a god with God? Exalted be God high above what others they associate with Him!

Commentary

أَمَّن يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ‌ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ

(Or the One who responds to a helpless when he prays to Him and removes distress - 27:62)

Word الْمُضْطَرَّ‌ (Mudtar) is derived from اِضطِرَار (Idtirar), which means to be helpless and restless under some necessity, and that happens when someone does not have any support and friends. Hence, مُضْطَرَّ‌Mudtar is that person who has lost all hopes from everyone and has turned to Allah as the sole redresser of his woes. This explanation of Mudtar is adopted by Suddi, Dhun-nun Al-Misri, Sahl ibn ` Abdullah etc. (Qurtubi). The Holy Prophet ﷺ has advised that such a person should supplicate in the following manner.

اللَّھُمَّ رحمَتَکَ اَرجُوا، فلا تَکِلنِی اِلٰی نَفسِی طَرفَۃَ عَین، وَاَصلِح لِی شَأنِی کُلَّہُ ، لَآ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اَنتَ

` O Allah, I am an aspirant of your grace. So, please do not leave me at the mercy of myself for a moment, and set right all my matters on Your own. There is no god except You'. (Qurtubi)

Supplication of a Mudtar is surely accepted because of its sincerity

Imam Qurtubi (رح) has said that Allah Ta` ala has taken upon Himself to accept the supplication of a Mudtar. He has made declaration to this effect in this verse. The main reason for it is that by divorcing all mundane supports and connections, beseeching from Allah, while regarding Him as the sole redresser is the sincerity at its best. Sincerity has a special position before Allah Taala. Whoever evinces sincerity, no matter if he is a believer or an infidel, a pious or a sinner, because of the auspiciousness of sincerity the divine favour gets attentive towards him. Allah Ta` ala Himself elaborates this point while describing the traits of the infidels. He has said that when they are in water and the boat is caught in storm, and they are sure of their death, they call out to Allah with all sincerity, saying that they would be thankful to Him forever if He would save their lives. But when Allah Ta` ala rescues them and brings them to land by accepting their supplication, they again indulge in associating Him with gods دَعَوُا اللَّـهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ فَلَمَّا نَجَّاهُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ‌ إِذَا هُمْ يُشْرِ‌كُونَ.

A Sahih hadith of the Holy Prophet ﷺ says that ` Three supplications are surely accepted, in which there is no room for doubt. One, from an oppressed person, two, by a traveler, and three, from a father against his children'. After citing this hadith, Qurtubi has commented that in all these three cases the situation is the same as the supplication of a Mudtar, because when an oppressed person calls Allah after having been frustrated from mundane support and help, his condition is no different than that of a MOW. Similarly, a traveler is away from his dear ones, hence helpless, while in journey. Likewise, a father cannot plead for something against his children because of his paternal love and affection for them, unless he is totally dejected and heart-broken, and calls Allah to save himself from the misery of sufferings. ` Ajurri, a scholar of hadith, has quoted on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Dharr4 that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said ` Allah Ta` ala has pronounced that He shall never reject an appeal from an oppressed person, even if it is made by an infidel'. (Qurtubi) If a Mudtar or an oppressed person or a traveler has a feeling that his appeal to Allah has not been accepted, he should not be dejected and be skeptical, because sometimes the request is accepted but its manifestation is delayed due to some expediency and divine wisdom. As an alternative, such a person should search his soul to find out if there was any deficiency in his sincerity or concentration while praying to Allah Ta` ala. (Only Allah knows best) Surah An-Naml : 27:65 – 75