53:29 An-Najm (The Star)

ولما كان هذا دأب هؤلاء المذكورين أنهم لا غرض لهم في اتباع الحق، وإنما غرضهم ومقصودهم، ما تهواه نفوسهم، أمر الله رسوله بالإعراض عمن تولى عن ذكره، الذي هو الذكر الحكيم، والقرآن العظيم، والنبأ الكريم، فأعرض عن العلوم النافعة، ولم يرد إلا الحياة الدنيا، فهذا منتهى إرادته، ومن المعلوم أن العبد لا يعمل إلا للشيء الذي يريده،

أي أعرض عن الذي أعرض عن الحق واهجره. وقوله "ولم يرد إلا الحياة الدنيا" أي وإنما أكثر همه ومبلغ علمه الدنيا فذاك هو غاية ما لا خير فيه.

Refuting the Claim of the Idolators that the Angels are Allah's Daughters

Allah the Exalted admonishes the idolators for calling the angels female names and claiming that they are Allah's daughters. Allah is far removed from what they ascribe to Him. Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,

وَجَعَلُواْ الْمَلَـئِكَةَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عِبَادُ الرَّحْمَـنِ إِنَـثاً أَشَهِدُواْ خَلْقَهُمْ سَتُكْتَبُ شَهَـدَتُهُمْ وَيُسْـَلُونَ

(And they make females the angels, who themselves are servants of the Most Gracious. Did they witness their creation Their testimony will be recorded, and they will be questioned!)(43:19) Allah's statement here,

وَمَا لَهُم بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ

(But they have no knowledge thereof.) meaning, they have no correct knowledge testifying to their statements. What they say is all lies, falsehood, fake and utter atheism,

إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ الظَّنَّ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لاَ يُغْنِى مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئاً

(They follow but conjecture, and verily, conjecture is no substitute for the truth.) meaning, conjecture is of no benefit and never takes the place of truth. In a Hadith recorded in the Sahih, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظَّنَّ، فَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكْذَبُ الْحَدِيث»

(Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the most lying speech.)

The Necessity of turning away from the People of Misguidance

Allah's statement,

فَأَعْرِضْ عَن مَّن تَوَلَّى عَن ذِكْرِنَا

(Therefore withdraw from him who turns away from Our Reminder), means, stay away from those who turn away from the Truth and shun them,

وَلَمْ يُرِدْ إِلاَّ الْحَيَوةَ الدُّنْيَا

(and desires nothing but the life of this world.) meaning, whose aim and knowledge are concentrated on this life; this is the goal of those who have no goodness in them,

ذَلِكَ مَبْلَغُهُمْ مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ

(That is what they could reach of knowledge.) meaning, seeking this life and striving hard in its affairs is the best knowledge they have acquired. There is also the reported supplication:

«اللْهُمَّ لَا تَجْعَلِ الدُّنْيَا أَكْبَرَ هَمِّنَا، وَلَا مَبْلَغَ عِلْمِنَا»

(O Allah! Make not this life the greatest of our concerns nor the best knowledge that we can attain.) Allah's statement,

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اهْتَدَى

(Verily, your Lord is He, Who knows best him who goes astray from His path, and He knows best him who receives guidance.) meaning, He is the Creator of all creatures and He knows whatever benefits His servants. Allah is the One Who guides whom He wills and misguides whom He wills, and all of this indicates His power, knowledge and wisdom. Certainly, He is Just and never legislates or decrees unjustly.

So shun him who turns away from Our Remembrance that is from the Qur’ān and desires nothing but the life of this world — this was revealed before the command to struggle against the disbelievers.

Necessity of turning away from the Misguided People

فَأَعْرِ‌ضْ عَن مَّن تَوَلَّىٰ عَن ذِكْرِ‌نَا وَلَمْ يُرِ‌دْ إِلَّا الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا ذَٰلِكَ مَبْلَغُهُم مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ (So, turn away from him who turns away from Our advice, and seeks nothing but (pleasure of) the worldly life.... 53:29-30)

A Special Warning

The Qur'an here describes the condition of those unbelievers who denied the Hereafter and the Day of Judgment. Regretfully, nowadays the Muslims have characterized themselves by the same condition as a result of Western education and material needs and desires. All our attempts to make progress in the fields of various branches of knowledge, sciences and arts pivot on, or revolve around, economics. They do not think even by mistake about ma'adiyyat (matters relating to the Life Hereinafter). We believe in the Holy Prophet ﷺ and hope for his intercession. But Allah commands the Holy Prophet ﷺ to withdraw from the people of misguidance and shun them. We seek refuge in Allah from such misguidance!