The Dunes (Al-Ahqâf)

In the name of Allah, Gracious, Merciful.

¹H. M.¹

²The revelation of the book is from Allah, the exalted in power, full of wisdom.

³We created not the heavens and the earth and all between them but for just ends and for a term appointed: but those who reject faith turn away from that whereof they are warned.

⁴Say: “Do you see what it is you invoke besides Allah? Show me what it is they have created on earth or have they a share in the heavens? Bring me a book before this or any remnant of knowledge if you are telling the truth!”

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

¹Ha mim

²Tanzilul kitabi minal lahil azizil hakim

³Ma halaqna samawati walarda wa ma bainahuma illa bil haqqi wa ajalim musam ma wal lazina kafaru amma unziru muridun

⁴Qul ara aitum ma taduna min dunil lahi aruni maza halaqu minal ardi am lahum sirkun fi samawati luni bikitabim min qabli haza au asaratim min ilmin inkuntum sadiqin

1. This is what the editors of “The Noble Qur’an” Drs Muhammad Taqi-ud Din Al-Hilali and Muhammad Mushin Khan refer to as a miracle of the Qur’an because, they claim, no one knows the meaning of these two-letter words but Allah. However, both Ghulam Farid and Maulana Muhammad Ali say that it is a divine saying which expels danger at night when one is attacked. They claim it means Allahumma or O Allah, that this is the great name of Allah. How and where did these two gentlemen find the meaning of what others have claimed to be a miracle without any human interpretation? I know from the Bible that God Almighty says that whatever is hidden is His but what ever is revealed is for mankind. Deuteronomy 29:29 reads:

The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

If the Qur’an was revealed to educate us, how come portions of it still remain secrets to us. Or is it that those expression are borrowed from other cultures and not necessarily Arabic in the Quraish dialect of Muhammad? This is what Muhammad himself says about Ha Mim as recorded in the hadith.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2149 narrated by AbuHurayrah; Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “If someone recites Ha Mim ad-Dukhan any night, seventy thousand angels will ask forgiveness for him in the morning.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying that this is a gharib tradition and that Umar ibn AbuKhath’am the transmitter is declared to be weak. Muhammad, i.e. Bukhari, said his traditions were rejected.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2591 narrated by A man who heard the Prophet; Al-Muhallab ibn AbuSufrah said: A man who heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: If the enemy attacks you at night, let your war cry be Ha-Mim. They will not be helped.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith Hadith 2144 narrated by AbuHurayrah; Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “If anyone recites in the morning Ha-Mim al-Mu’min to ‘to Him is the final goal, and the Throne Verse, he will be guarded by them till the evening, and if anyone recites them in the evening he will be guarded by them till the morning.” So you see, the words are not as mysterious as some of the commentators would have us believe.

⁵And who is more astray than one who invokes besides Allah such as will not answer him to the day of judgment, and who in fact are unconscious of their call to them?

⁶And when mankind are gathered together they will be hostile to them and reject their worship altogether!

⁷When Our clear signs are rehearsed to them, the unbelievers say of the truth when it comes to them: “This is evident sorcery!”

⁸Or do they say “He has forged it”? Say: “Had I forged it, then can you obtain no single blessing for me from Allah. He knows best of that whereof you talk so glibly! Enough is He for a witness between me and you! And He is always forgiving, most merciful.”

⁵Wa man adhal lu mim ma yadu min dunil lahi mal la yastajibu lahu ila yaumil qiyamati wa hum an du a ihim gafilun

⁶Wa iza husyiran nasu kanu lahum ada awwa kanu biibadatihim kafirin

⁷Wa iza tutla alaihim ayatuna ba yinatin qalal lazina kafaru lilhaq qi lam ma ja ahum haza sihrum mubin

⁸Am yaqulunaf tarah qul inif taraituhu fala tamikuna li minal lahi sai a huwa alamu bima tufiduna fih kafa bihi sahidan bainu wa bainakum wa huwal gafuru rahim

 [Commentary continues below.]

⁹Say: “I am no bringer of new fangled doctrine among the apostles, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I follow but that which is revealed to me by inspiration: I am but a warner open and clear.”²

¹⁰Say: “Do you see? If this teaching be from Allah and you reject it and a witness from among the Children of Israel testifies to its similarity and has believed while you are arrogant how unjust you are! truly Allah guides not a people unjust.”

¹¹And the unbelievers say of those who believe: “If this message were a good thing, such men would not have gone to it first before us!” and seeing that they guide not themselves thereby they will say “This is an old falsehood!”

⁹Qul ma kuntu bidam mina rusuli wa ma adri ma yufalu bi wa la bikum in atabiu illa ma yuha ila ya wa ma ana illa nazirum mubin

¹⁰Qul ara aitum inkana min indil lahi wa kafartum bihi wa sahida sahidum min bani Israila ala mitslihi fa amana wastakbartum innal laha layahdil qauma zalinin

¹¹Wa qalal lazina kafaru lil lazina amanu lau kana kairam ma sabaquna ilaih wa iz lam yahtadu bihi fayaquluna haza ifkun qadim

2. Faith and assurance of salvation go hand in hand, with religion one is assured a better place to spend eternity after death. With Muhammad’s confession that he does not know what will be done with him raises questions about if indeed God Almighty called and commissioned him. There are a great number of assurances in the New Testament for the one who believes in Christ such as John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 14:1-3; Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

For Muhammad not to know about what will be done with him, according to George Sale in the hereafter, means that he had no assurance of his own salvation, let alone the salvation of his followers. The Qur’an states that whoever commits an evil deed will be thrown into the fire. Qur’an 27:90, And if any do evil their faces will be thrown headlong into the Fire: “Do ye receive a reward other than that which ye have earned by your deeds?”

Muhammad is guilty of evil deeds which is why he was asked to confess his sins, Qur’an 40:55, 47:19 (20) and 48:12. It is for this reason that he could not be sure of what will be done with him in the hereafter. 

¹²And before this was the book of Moses as a guide and a mercy; and this book confirms it in the Arabic tongue; to admonish the unjust and as glad tidings to those who do right.³

¹³Verily, those who say “Our Lord is Allah” and remain firm on that path, on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve.

¹⁴Such shall be companions of the garden dwelling therein: a recompense for their deeds.

¹²Wa min qablihi kitabu Musa imama wa rahmah wa haza kitabum mushad diqul lisanan arabi yal liyunziral lazina zalamu wa busra lilmuhsinin

¹³Innal lazina qalu rabbunal lahu summas taqamu fala kaufun alaihim wa la hum yahzanun

¹⁴Ulaika ashabul jannati halidina fiha jazaan bima kanu yamalun

3. Please refer to verse 12. In other words, this Qur’an is the Arabic version of the Book of Moses. The Book of Moses starts with Genesis, about the beginning of the this world, the call of Abraham, the birth of Moses, the passover, the receiving of the decalogue, the commissioning of the priesthood office of the Levites and so on and so forth. It is chronologically arranged. The Qur’an has no chronology, in fact even the first book to be revealed is now numbered 96. The actual history behind Qur’an 1 is not known, but even that does not follow a chronological order. So to even suggest that the Qur’an is or that it confirms the Book of Moses in Arabic is another way of saying that both Allah and the Qur’an cannot be trusted.

¹⁵And We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents: in pain did his mother bear him and in pain did she give him birth. The carrying of the child to his weaning is a period of thirty months. At length when he reaches the age of full strength and attains forty years he says “O my Lord! grant me that I may be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon both my parents and that I may work righteousness such as You may approve; and be gracious to me in my issue. Truly have I turned to You and truly do I bow in Islam.”

¹⁶Such are they from whom We shall accept the best of their deeds and pass by their ill deeds: they shall be among the companions of the garden: a promise of truth which was made to them.

¹⁵ Wa was sainal insana biwalidaihi ihsana hamalat hu umuhu kurha wa wadaathu kurha wa hamluhu wa fisaluhu salasuna sahra hata iza balaga asyudahu wa balaga arbaina sanatan qala rabbi auzini an askura nimatakal lati anamta ala ya wa ala walida ya wa an amala salihan tardahu wa aslih li fi zuriyati inni tubtu ilaika wa inni minal muslimin

¹⁶Ulaikal lazina nataqabalu anhum ahsana ma amilu wa natajawazu an sa yi atihim fi ashabil jannah wada sidqil lazi kanu yuadun

 [Commentary continues below.]

¹⁷But there is one who says to his parents “Fie on you! Do you hold out the promise to me that I shall be raised up even though generations have passed before me? “ And they too seek Allah’s aid: “Woe to you! have faith! For the promise of Allah is true.” But he says “This is nothing but tales of the ancients!”

¹⁸Such are they against whom is proved the sentence among the previous generations of jinns and men that have passed away; for they will be lost.⁴

¹⁹And to all are degrees according to the deeds which they have done, and in order that Allah may recompense their deeds and no injustice be done to them.

¹⁷Wal lazi qala liwalidaihi ufil lakuma ataidanini an uhraja wa qad halatil qurunu min qabli wa huma yastagnisanil laha wailaka amin inna wadal lahi haqqun fayaqulu ma haza illa asatirul aw walin

¹⁸Ulaikal lazina haqqa alaihimul qaulu fi umamin qad halat min qablihim minal jinni wal in innahum kanu hasirin

¹⁹Wa likullin darajatum mim ma amilu wa liyuwa fiyahum amalahum wa hum la yuzlamun

4. For commentary on the Jinns please refer to Qur’an 72.

 [Commentary continues below.]

²⁰And on the day that the unbelievers will be placed before the fire, it will be said to them: “You received your good things in the life of the world and you took your pleasure out of them: but today shall you be recompensed with a penalty of humiliation: for that you were arrogant on earth without just cause and that you transgressed.”

²¹And mention one of `Ad’s brethren: behold he warned his people about the winding sand tracts: but there have been warners before him and after him: “Worship none other than Allah: truly I fear for you the penalty of a mighty day.”

²²They said: “Have you come in order to turn us aside from Our gods? Then bring upon us the calamity with which you do threaten us if you are telling the truth!”

²³He said: “The knowledge is only with Allah: I proclaim to you the mission on which I have been sent: but I see that you are a people in ignorance!”

²⁰Wa yauma yuradul lazina kafaru alan nari az habtum tayibatikum fi hayatikumud dunya wastamtatum biha fal yauma tujzauna azabal huni bima kuntum tastak biruna filardi bigairil haqqi wa bima kuntum tafsuqun

²¹Wazkur akha ad iz anzara qau mahu bil ahqafi wa qad halatin nuzuru min baini yadaihi wa min halfihi alla tabudu ilal lah inni akhafu alaikum azaba yaumin azim

²²Qalu ajitana litafikana an alihatina fatina bima taiduna inkunta mina sadiqin

²³Qala innamal ilmu indal lahi wa ubal ligukum ma ursiltu bihi wa lakin ni arakum qauman tajhalun

 [Commentary continues below.]

²⁴Then when they saw the penalty in the shape of a cloud traversing the sky coming to meet their valleys they said “This cloud will give us rain!” “No it is the calamity you were asking to be hastened! a wind wherein is a grievous penalty!

²⁵“Everything will it destroy by the command of its Lord!” Then by the morning nothing was to be seen but their houses! Thus do We recompense those given to sin!

²⁶And We had firmly established them in a prosperity and power which We have not given to you. And We had endowed them with hearing, seeing, heart, and intellect: but of no profit to them were their hearing, sight, and heart, and intellect when they went on rejecting the signs of Allah; and they were encircled by that which they used to mock at!

²⁴Falam ma ra auhu aridam mustaqbila audiyatihim qalu haza aridum mumtiruna hal huwa mastajaltum bihi rihun fiha azabun alim

²⁵Tudam miru kul la sai inni amri ra biha fa asbahu la yura illa masakinuhum kazalika najzil qaumal mujrimin

²⁶Wa laqad mak kannahum fima imma kanakum fihi wa jaalna lahum sama wa absara wa af idah fama agna anhum samuhum wa la absaruhum wa la af idatuhum min saiin iz kanu yajhaduna bi ayatil la_hi wa haqa bihim ma kanu bihi yastahziun

 [Commentary continues below.]

²⁷And We destroyed before populations round about you; and We have shown the signs in various ways that they may turn to Us.

²⁸Why then was no help forthcoming to them from those whom they worshiped as gods besides Allah as a means of access to Allah? No, they left them in the lurch: but that was their falsehood and their invention.

²⁹And behold We turned towards you a company of jinns listening to the Qur’an: when they stood in the presence thereof they said “Listen in silence!” When the reading was finished they returned to their people to warn them of their sins.⁵

³⁰They said “O our people! We have heard a book revealed after Moses confirming what came before it: it guides men to the truth and to a straight path.

²⁷Wa laqad ahlakna ma haulakum minal qura wa sar rafnal ayatil la alahum yarjiun

²⁸Falaula nasarahumul lazina takhazu min dunil lahi qurbanan alihah bal dallu anhum wa zalika ifkuhum wa ma kanu yaftarun

²⁹Wa iz zarafna ilaika nafaram minal jinni yastamiunal quran falam ma hadaruhu qalu ansitu falam ma qudiya wal lau ila qaimihim munzirin

³⁰Qalu ya qaumana inna samina kitaban unzila min badi Musa mushad diqal lima baina yadaihi yahdi ilal haqqi wa ila tariqim mustaqim

5. Jinns are not people, they are the fallen angels, the fate is sealed and they cannot repent or be saved because they rebelled with Satan against God Almighty.

³¹“O our people, hearken to the one who invites you to Allah and believe in him: He will forgive you your faults and deliver you from a penalty grievous.

³²“And if any does not hearken to the one who invites to Allah he cannot frustrate Allah’s plan on earth and no protectors can he have besides Allah, such men wander in manifest error.”

³³Do they not see that Allah who created the heavens and the earth and never wearied with their creation is able to give life to the dead? Yes, verily, He has power over all things.

³¹Ya qaumana ajibu daiyal lahi wa aminu bihi yagfir lakum min zunubikum wa yujirkum min aza bin alim

³²Wa malla yujib da iyal lahi falaisa bimujizin filardi wa laisa lahu min dunihi auliya ukaika fi dalalim mubin

³³Awalam yarau annal lahal lazi halaqa samawati walarda wa lam yaya bikalqihin na biqadirin ala ay yuhyiyal mauta bala innahu ala kulli saiin qadir

³⁴And on the day that the unbelievers will be placed before the fire they will be asked “Is this not the truth? “ They will say “Yes, by our Lord!” One will say: “Then taste the penalty for that you were known to deny!”

³⁵Therefore patiently persevere as did all apostles of inflexible purpose; and be in no haste about the unbelievers. On the day that they see the punishment promised them, it will be as if they had not tarried more than an hour in a single day. Yours is but to proclaim the message: but shall any be destroyed except those who transgress?

³⁴Wa yauma yuradul lazina kafaru alan nar alaisa haza bil haqqalu bala wa rabbina qala fazuqul azaba bima kuntum takfurun

³⁵Fasbir kama sabara ulul azmi minar rusuli wa la tasta jil lahum ka an nahum yauma yarauna ma yuaduna lam yalbatsu illa saatam min nahar balagun fahal yuhlaku illal qaumul fasiqun