وَ اذۡکُرۡ فِی الۡکِتٰبِ اِسۡمٰعِیۡلَ ۫ اِنَّہٗ کَانَ صَادِقَ الۡوَعۡدِ وَ کَانَ رَسُوۡلًا نَّبِیًّا ﴿ۚ۵۵﴾
وَٱذۡكُرۡ فِي ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ إِسۡمَٰعِيلَۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ صَادِقَ ٱلۡوَعۡدِ وَكَانَ رَسُولٗا نَّبِيّٗا
1782. After Moses, mention has been made of Ishmael. His account is introduced with the words 'and relate' which shows that one chapter of religious history—that of the House of Israel, is closed and a new one, that of the House of Ishmael, has begun. (close)
God was well pleased with Abraham. He chose him and his seed for the bestowal of His special favours and blessings and for that purpose He established a covenant with him. The covenant is given in the Bible as follows:
And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation (Gen. 17:19, 20).
The covenant began with Isaac and in fulfilment of it God raised a long line of Prophets among his descendants, and also gave them worldly dominion, power and wealth. The covenant found its highest fulfilment in Moses. When, however, the long line of Prophets who came after Moses as his successors terminated with Jesus, the second part of the covenant which was to be fulfilled through Ishmael came into operation and prophethood passed from the House of Israel to that of Ishmael and this was quite in harmony with the covenant which God had established with Abraham regarding the conferring of His favour upon him and his progeny. This is why after Moses’ mention has been made of Ishmael. The account of Ishmael is introduced with the words واذکر (and relate) which shows that one chapter of religious history—that of the House of Israel, is closed and a new one has begun. The Christians have been further told in this verse that the divine covenant has not terminated with Jesus but in keeping with the promise of God with Abraham has only been transferred to the progeny of Ishmael. (close)
وَ کَانَ یَاۡمُرُ اَہۡلَہٗ بِالصَّلٰوۃِ وَ الزَّکٰوۃِ ۪ وَ کَانَ عِنۡدَ رَبِّہٖ مَرۡضِیًّا ﴿۵۶﴾
وَكَانَ يَأۡمُرُ أَهۡلَهُۥ بِٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَٱلزَّكَوٰةِ وَكَانَ عِندَ رَبِّهِۦ مَرۡضِيّٗا
b. 20:133; 33:34. (close)
a. 20:133; 33:34. (close)
Ishmael was the progenitor of the Holy Prophet of Islam, and in Islam very great stress has been laid on the observance of the five daily Prayers and on alms-giving. (close)
وَ اذۡکُرۡ فِی الۡکِتٰبِ اِدۡرِیۡسَ ۫ اِنَّہٗ کَانَ صِدِّیۡقًا نَّبِیًّا ﴿٭ۙ۵۷﴾
وَٱذۡكُرۡ فِي ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ إِدۡرِيسَۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ صِدِّيقٗا نَّبِيّٗا
1783. Most Commentators of the Qur’an are of the opinion that Idris is Enoch of the Bible, The words Hanuk (Enoch) and Idris closely resemble each other in their meanings and significations. Whereas Idris means one who reads much or instructs much, Hanuk means instruction or dedication (Enc. Bib.). Moreover, the account of Enoch as given in the Bible and in Jewish religious literature closely resembles that of Idris as given in the Qur’an. See also "The Larger Edition of the Commentary," pp. 1597, 1598. (close)
2199. Important Words:
إدریس (Idris) is derived from أدرس which is the transitive form of درس. They say أدرس الکتاب i.e. he read the book or he read it repeatedly so as to remember it; or he made it easy to remember by much reading; or he learned or studied it. درسه الکتاب(darrasahul-kitab) or ادرسه means, he taught him the book (Lane). إدریس which means, one who reads much or teaches much is derived from ادرس as یعقوب is from عقب and اضحاک is from ضحک and یسوع is from ساع and as اسماعیل is the combination of سمع and ایل (meaning God heard) and اسرائیل is the, combination of یسر and ایل (meaning the warrior of God).
Much difference of opinion exists among lexicologists about the origin of the word إدریس. According to Lisan it is a non-Arabic proper noun. According to Asma‘i, Qurtubi and Ibn Hayyan, it is not Arabic. Ibn Sikkit, however, is of the opinion that إدریس (Idris) is an Arabic name. He says that it is derived from أدرس as ابلیس is derived from أبلس. But whatever the difference of opinion the Arabs were familiar with this name even before Islam.
Now who is this Idris? Most of the commentators of the Quran are of the opinion that he is Enoch of the Bible.حنوکand إدریس closely resemble each other in their meanings and significations. Whereas إدریس means one who reads much or instructs much, حنوک means instruction or dedication (Enc. Bib.). Moreover, the account of Enoch given in the Bible and in Jewish religious literature closely resembles that of Idris as given in the Quran. In the Bible we have: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him (Gen. 5:24). In Targum, a famous book of Jewish traditions he has been called a holy man of God whom He gave the titles of "Safra Rabba" and "Metatron"(both words meaning a learned man or religious savant) and took up to heaven (Jew. Enc.). In the Jewish book named "Sefer Hanok" (the book of Hanuk) it is written that inhabitants of the earth became wicked, therefore God took up Hanuk to heaven and made him a guardian of the heavenly treasures and the chief of angels. In another book named "Hayye Hanok" it is written that he was a holy and righteous priest whom God sent to the world for its reformation, but when it became full of sins, God raised him up to heaven (Jew. Enc.). This account of Enoch resembles very much the picture of Idris as given in the Quran in the words: He was a truthful man and a Prophet and We exalted him to a lofty station. These commendatory expressions about Idris serve to demolish the false notions held about Jesus. The godhead of Jesus, more than anything else, rests on the belief that he was taken up to heaven alive. Now if, as Christians believe, God took up Jesus to heaven according to the present verse, Idris too was exalted to a very high station in heaven, and according to the Bible Enoch (Idris) also walked with God and was taken up to heaven (Gen. 5:24). If Jesus could be regarded as Divine and is entitled to a special spiritual status on the assumption of his having been taken up to heaven, then Idris of the Quran or Enoch of the Bible, on that very score is entitled to even a higher spiritual station. If Jesus has been called son of God in the Bible, Enoch has been called the father of the sons of God in Jewish literature. The Book of Enoch which was originally written in Hebrew and later on was translated into Greek and then into Latin contains a full account of Enoch’s life. Its translation in Russian makes very useful and interesting reading.
Ishmael and Idris have been mentioned together in the verse under comment and in 21:86, the only two places where mention has been made of Idris in the Quran. It is so because Ishmael bears a very close resemblance to him. According to the Quran Ishmael was a truthful man and so was Idris. God had raised Idris to a lofty spiritual station and so had He raised Ishmael. About Enoch we read in the Bible that God walked with him (Gen. 5:24) and about Ishmael the Bible says: "Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!" (Gen. 17:18). (close)
وَّ رَفَعۡنٰہُ مَکَانًا عَلِیًّا ﴿۵۸﴾
وَرَفَعۡنَٰهُ مَكَانًا عَلِيًّا
c. 2:254; 4:159. (close)
a. 2:254; 4:159. (close)
اُولٰٓئِکَ الَّذِیۡنَ اَنۡعَمَ اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِمۡ مِّنَ النَّبِیّٖنَ مِنۡ ذُرِّیَّۃِ اٰدَمَ ٭ وَ مِمَّنۡ حَمَلۡنَا مَعَ نُوۡحٍ ۫ وَّ مِنۡ ذُرِّیَّۃِ اِبۡرٰہِیۡمَ وَ اِسۡرَآءِیۡلَ ۫ وَ مِمَّنۡ ہَدَیۡنَا وَ اجۡتَبَیۡنَا ؕ اِذَا تُتۡلٰی عَلَیۡہِمۡ اٰیٰتُ الرَّحۡمٰنِ خَرُّوۡا سُجَّدًا وَّ بُکِیًّا ﴿ٛ۵۹﴾
أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنۡعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡهِم مِّنَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ مِن ذُرِّيَّةِ ءَادَمَ وَمِمَّنۡ حَمَلۡنَا مَعَ نُوحٖ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّةِ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسۡرَـٰٓءِيلَ وَمِمَّنۡ هَدَيۡنَا وَٱجۡتَبَيۡنَآۚ إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَايَٰتُ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ خَرُّواْۤ سُجَّدٗاۤ وَبُكِيّٗا۩
d. 1:7; 4:70; 5:21; 57:20. (close)
1784. Some Commentators of the Qur’an think that the words, of the posterity of Adam, refer to Idris, and, whom We carried in the Ark with Noah, refer to Abraham, and the words, of the posterity of Abraham, refer to Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob; and the words, of the posterity of, are understood before the word Israel and refer to Moses, Aaron, Zachariah, Yahya and Jesus, all of whom have been mentioned in the preceding verses of the present Surah. (close)
a. 17:108, 110; 32:16. (close)
b. 1:7; 4:70; 5:21; 57:20. (close)
c. 17:108,110; 32:16. (close)
This verse explains two things:(1) The Prophets whose names have been mentioned in it were righteous and holy men. But in spite of the very exalted position they held they were ordinary mortals. Jesus, like them, too, was a Prophet of God and like them a mere mortal. There was nothing in him that could entitle him to some special position. (2) These righteous and holy men were Divine Prophets and as such sinless. The Jews in the Old Testament (Gen. 9:21-23; 19:31-38; 20:2; Exod. 32:1-4); and Christians in the New Testament (John 10:8) hurled at these paragons of piety and righteousness very filthy charges, the former in order to screen their own crimes and the latter in order to establish the exclusive sinlessness of Jesus. Special stress has been laid on their holiness in the verse under comment and it is in order to clear them completely of the charges attributed to them and also to demolish the wrong notion of the exclusive sinlessness of Jesus that the words "whom We guided and chose" have been used about them.
Some commentators of the Quran think that the words 'of the posterity of Adam' refer to Idris, and whom we carried in the Ark with Noah to Abraham, and the words, of the posterity of Abraham, refer to Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob, and the words, of the posterity of, understood before the word Israel, to Moses, Aaron, Zachariah, Yahya and Jesus, all of whom have been mentioned in the preceding verses of the present Surah. (close)
فَخَلَفَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِہِمۡ خَلۡفٌ اَضَاعُوا الصَّلٰوۃَ وَ اتَّبَعُوا الشَّہَوٰتِ فَسَوۡفَ یَلۡقَوۡنَ غَیًّا ﴿ۙ۶۰﴾
۞فَخَلَفَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ خَلۡفٌ أَضَاعُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَٱتَّبَعُواْ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِۖ فَسَوۡفَ يَلۡقَوۡنَ غَيًّا
b. 7:170. (close)
1785. In fact, negligence and remissness in observing Prayers make a person ignorant of Divine attributes and kill in him the desire to establish his connection with his Creator which in turn throws him into the clutches of the Devil. And whereas negligence in invoking Divine mercy and in praying to God leads to failure, the pursuit of evil desires results in apathy towards true knowledge and indulgence in obscenities and idle pursuits; and all these things combined together bring about complete moral and spiritual ruin of a person. (close)
a. 7:170. (close)
2201. Important Words:
غیاً (destruction) is derived from غوی which means, he erred; he deviated from the right way or course; he persisted in ignorance, he failed in attaining his desire; he acted ignorantly from misbelief; he perished (Lane & Aqrab). See also 7:17.
In fact negligence and remissness in observing prayers makes a person ignorant of Divine attributes and kills in him the desire to establish his connection with the Creator which in turn throws him into the clutches of the Devil. And whereas negligence in invoking Divine mercy and praying to God leads to failure, the pursuit of evil desires results in apathy towards true knowledge and indulgence in obscenities and idle pursuits; and all these things combined together bring about complete moral and spiritual ruin. (close)
اِلَّا مَنۡ تَابَ وَ اٰمَنَ وَ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَاُولٰٓئِکَ یَدۡخُلُوۡنَ الۡجَنَّۃَ وَ لَا یُظۡلَمُوۡنَ شَیۡئًا ﴿ۙ۶۱﴾
إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَٰلِحٗا فَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ يَدۡخُلُونَ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ وَلَا يُظۡلَمُونَ شَيۡـٔٗا
c. 6:49; 18:89; 25:71; 34:38. (close)
1786. The epithet "good deeds" is more applicable to such acts as are done at the proper occasion and suit the exigencies of time than to mere devotional acts, as is generally understood. (close)
b. 6:49; 18:89; 25:71; 34:38. (close)
The epithet عمل صالح is more applicable to such acts as are done at the proper occasion and suit the exigencies of time than mere devotional acts, as is generally understood. (close)
جَنّٰتِ عَدۡنِ ۣالَّتِیۡ وَعَدَ الرَّحۡمٰنُ عِبَادَہٗ بِالۡغَیۡبِ ؕ اِنَّہٗ کَانَ وَعۡدُہٗ مَاۡتِیًّا ﴿۶۲﴾
جَنَّـٰتِ عَدۡنٍ ٱلَّتِي وَعَدَ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ عِبَادَهُۥ بِٱلۡغَيۡبِۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ وَعۡدُهُۥ مَأۡتِيّٗا
a. 9:72; 13:24; 61:13. (close)
1787. The expression, Bil Ghaib, may also signify that the Faithful will get "Gardens of Eternity" because they believed in things which they did not see—God, angels, Hereafter, etc. (close)
c. 9:72; 13:24; 61:13. (close)
The words جنات عدن signify divine favours and blessings which know no end or diminution.
The expression بالغیب signifies that the faithful will get gardens of eternity because they believed in things which they did not see—God, angels, Hereafter etc. Or it may signify that they will get gardens when there will be no apparent signs of their ever getting them.
The word مأتیاً (must come to pass) signifies that the fulfilment of the Divine promise is as sure as if it has already come to pass. It may also signify that the Faithful will be given gardens of eternity without any wish or desire on their part. (close)
لَا یَسۡمَعُوۡنَ فِیۡہَا لَغۡوًا اِلَّا سَلٰمًا ؕ وَ لَہُمۡ رِزۡقُہُمۡ فِیۡہَا بُکۡرَۃً وَّ عَشِیًّا ﴿۶۳﴾
لَّا يَسۡمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغۡوًا إِلَّا سَلَٰمٗاۖ وَلَهُمۡ رِزۡقُهُمۡ فِيهَا بُكۡرَةٗ وَعَشِيّٗا
b. 52:24; 56:26; 78:36. (close)
a. 52:24; 56:26; 78:36. (close)
الا (but) is used here either as استثناء متصل or استثناء منقطع. In the former case the verse would mean that the apparently superfluous talk would also be productive of peace and will result in something useful and beneficial. In the latter case it would mean that the believers will hear nothing vain and useless but will live in perfect peace because there will be peace all round them. They will live in the presence of God Who is peace (59:24) and reside in the abode of peace (6:128) and angels will enter upon them with greetings of peace (13:25). For a full discussion about استثناء منقطع see 2:35.
The verse may also signify that the believers will attain such a high stage of righteousness in the gardens of eternity that they will hear no disparaging talk about one another i.e. there will be found absolutely no suspicion of any kind.
The sentence, They will have their sustenance therein, morning and evening, means that the believers will constantly hear the sweet voice of God, enjoy His sight and will receive the message of eternal peace. The word "sustenance" covers and applies to all these things. (close)
تِلۡکَ الۡجَنَّۃُ الَّتِیۡ نُوۡرِثُ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا مَنۡ کَانَ تَقِیًّا ﴿۶۴﴾
تِلۡكَ ٱلۡجَنَّةُ ٱلَّتِي نُورِثُ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا مَن كَانَ تَقِيّٗا
c. 7:44; 43:73; 52:18. (close)
b. 7:44; 43:73; 52:18. (close)
The word نورث signifies that the believers being God’s own beloved children will get Paradise as of right. The word incidentally implies permanence of the gifts of Paradise and constitutes a refutation of any exclusive title of Jesus to be the son of God. (close)