42:5 Ash-Shura (Consultation)

{ تَكَادُ السَّمَاوَاتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْ فَوْقِهِنَّ } على عظمها وكونها جمادا، { وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ } الكرام المقربون خاضعون لعظمته، مستكينون لعزته، مذعنون بربوبيته. { يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ } ويعظمونه عن كل نقص، ويصفونه بكل كمال، { وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ } عما يصدر منهم، مما لا يليق بعظمة ربهم وكبريائه، مع أنه تعالى هو { الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ } الذي لولا مغفرته ورحمته، لعاجل الخلق بالعقوبة المستأصلة.وفي وصفه تعالى بهذه الأوصاف، بعد أن ذكر أنه أوحى إلى الرسل كلهم عموما، وإلى محمد - صلى الله عليهم أجمعين- خصوصا، إشارة إلى أن هذا القرآن الكريم، فيه من الأدلة والبراهين، والآيات الدالة على كمال الباري تعالى، ووصفه بهذه الأسماء العظيمة الموجبة لامتلاء القلوب من معرفته ومحبته وتعظيمه وإجلاله وإكرامه، وصرف جميع أنواع العبودية الظاهرة والباطنة له تعالى، وأن من أكبر الظلم وأفحش القول، اتخاذ أنداد للّه من دونه، ليس بيدهم نفع ولا ضرر، بل هم مخلوقون مفتقرون إلى الله في جميع أحوالهم.

قوله عز وجل "تكاد السماوات يتفطرن من فوقهن" قال ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما والضحاك وقتادة والسدي وكعب الأحبار أي فرقا من العظمة "والملائكة يسبحون بحمد ربهم ويستغفرون لمن في الأرض" كقوله جل وعلا "الذين يحملون العرش ومن حوله يسبحون بحمد ربهم ويؤمنون به ويستغفرون للذين آمنوا ربنا وسعت كل شيء رحمة وعلما" وقوله جل جلاله "ألا إن الله هو الغفور الرحيم" إعلام بذلك وتنويه به.

Which was revealed in Makkah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

The Revelation and Allah's Might

We have previously discussed the individual letters.

كَذَلِكَ يُوحِى إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكَ اللَّهُ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

(Likewise Allah, the Almighty, the All-Wise sends revelation to you as to those before you.) means, `just as this Qur'an has been revealed to you, so too the Books and Scriptures were revealed to the Prophets who came before you.'

اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ

(Allah, the Almighty) means, in His vengeance

الْحَكِيمُ

(the All-Wise) means, in all that He says and does. Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated that `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "Al-Harith bin Hisham asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , `O Messenger of Allah, how does the revelation come to you' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ  said:

«أَحْيَانًا يَأْتِينِي مِثْلَ صَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرَسِ، وَهُوَ أَشَدُّهُ عَلَيَّ فَيَفْصِمُ عَنِّي وَقَدْ وَعَيْتُ مَا قَالَ، وَأَحْيَانًا يَأْتِينِي الْمَلَكُ رَجُلًا فَيُكَلِّمُنِي فَأَعِي مَا يَقُول»

(Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a bell, which is the most difficult for me; then it goes away, and I understand what was said. And sometimes the angel comes to me in the image of a man, and he speaks to me and I understand what he says.)" `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "I saw him receiving the revelation on a very cold day, and when it departed from him, there were beads of sweat on his forehead." It was also reported in the Two Sahihs, and the version quoted here is that recorded by Al-Bukhari.

لَهُ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَت وَمَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ

(To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth,) means, everything is subject to His dominion and control.

وَهُوَ الْعَلِىُّ الْعَظِيمُ

(and He is the Most High, the Most Great.) This is like the Ayat:

الْكَبِيرُ الْمُتَعَالِ

(the Most Great, the Most High) (13:9), and

وَهُوَ الْعَلِىُّ الْكَبِيرُ

(He is the Most High, the Most Great) (22:62). And there are many similar Ayat.

تَكَادُ السَّمَـوَتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِن فَوْقِهِنَّ

(Nearly the heavens might be rent asunder from above them,) Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ka`b Al-Ahbar said, "Out of fear of His might."

وَالْمَلَـئِكَةُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِمَن فِى الاٌّرْضِ

(and the angels glorify the praises of their Lord, and ask for forgiveness for those on the earth.) This is like the Ayah:

الَّذِينَ يَحْمِلُونَ الْعَرْشَ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ رَبَّنَا وَسِعْتَ كُـلَّ شَىْءٍ رَّحْمَةً وَعِلْماً

(Those who bear the Throne and those around it glorify the praises of their Lord, and believe in Him, and ask forgiveness for those who believe (saying): "Our Lord! You comprehend all things in mercy and knowledge,") (40:7)

أَلاَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

(Lo! Verily, Allah is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.) This is a reminder, to take heed of this fact.

وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَآءَ

(And as for those who take as protecting friends others besides Him) This refers to the idolators,

اللَّهُ حَفِيظٌ عَلَيْهِمْ

(Allah is Hafiz over them.) meaning, He is Witness to their deeds, recording and enumerating them precisely, and He will requite them for them in full.

وَمَآ أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِوَكِيلٍ

(and you are not a trustee over them.) meaning, `you are just a warner, and Allah is the Trustee of all affairs.'

The heavens are well-nigh read yakādu or takādu rent asunder yanfatirna a variant reading has yatafattarna from above one another in other words well-nigh is each one torn away from above the one below it because of the magnitude of God exalted be He and the angels glorify with praise of their Lord in other words they are continuously engaged in praise of Him and ask forgiveness for those believers on earth. Verily God is the Forgiving to His friends the Merciful to them.

يَتَفَطَّرْ‌نَ (burst apart). It has been stated in the above hadith that the load of angels began producing such crackling sounds in the heavens as are produced when excessive load is placed on something. This tells us that angels have weight and this is not beyond reason, because it is confirmed that angels also have physical bodies, even though very light in weight. And even light bodies add up to a considerable load when they are in huge numbers. (Bayan-u1-Qur'an)

These angels in the heavens proclaim the perfection of their Lord and utter His praises. They also ask for forgiveness of the dwellers of this earth who do not give what is due to Allah's greatness, rather indulge in associating others with Him and in infidelity and hence become liable to suffer scourge. Their asking for forgiveness for disbelievers is for a limited period only and is a supplication that some severe worldly scourge may not befall the humans which may destroy all of them; their safety against ordinary punishments of this world and the real scourge of the Hereafter are not included in this supplication. And Allah, the Almighty accepts this supplication, and saves them from the general scourge in this world. It must be understood thoroughly that Allah and Allah alone is the forgiver and Merciful although this forgiveness of infidels is for a limited duration and is limited to this world only.