The English translation of the introduction to chapters of the Holy Quran as given by Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IVrh is being presented for the benefit of our readers. This is the last instalment of this series.
101. al-Qari’ah
This Surah was revealed at Mecca, and, including the basmalah, it consists of 12 verses.
This Surah reiterates the warning of the preceding Surah that, in order to awaken Man from a sleep of ignorance, sometimes a thunderous sound will knock at their door. What is this knocking sound? Ponder again as to what this sound is, when, as a result of destructive and horrific wars, Man will be ruined like scattered locusts; and mountains will be rendered into crumbles like carded wool. Here, mountains signify major powers of the world, and surely it is not a reference to Judgement Day, as no mountains will be crumbled to pieces on that day. The nations with better war equipment will overpower, whereas nations with relatively lesser war equipment will bear the brunt of war. This is a blazing fire.
102. at-Takathur
This Surah was revealed at Mecca, and, including the basmalah, it consists of nine verses.
Man has been warned in this Surah that, as a result of their love for wealth, they will end up in graves. On the one hand, major powers have been warned here that the result of this race will be nothing but destruction. And some weaker nations have also been referred to here as saying that in order to fulfil their demand and passion for wealth, they will not abstain even from visiting graves. As a result of it, Man has been warned twice, i.e., worldly powers as well as religiously superstitious peoples, in that it will conclude at their acquisition of the knowledge of the fire that has been lighted for them. And then they will see it before their eyes. When they are thrown into it, they will be asked what they achieved by blindly following the desire for worldly possessions.
103. al-‘Asr
This Surah was revealed in the early period of Mecca, and, including the basmalah, it consists of four verses.
This Surah describes that, as a result of the kinds of people mentioned in the preceding Surahs and the mammon worship warned against, the entire world will testify that that Man is in a state of loss, except for the ones who believed and did righteous deeds, exhorted for truth by adhering to truth themselves, and exhorted for steadfastness by adhering to steadfastness themselves.
104. al-Humazah
This Surah was revealed at Mecca, and, including the basmalah, it consists of ten verses.
Surah al-‘Asr is followed by Surah al-Humazah, which is the strongest among all the warnings mentioned so far for those keen on worldly possessions. It states that big men of that age will believe that they have amassed so much wealth that they can spend it generously for their security as if now they have overpowered the world permanently. Beware! They will be thrown into a fire that has been locked up into very small particles; and what do you know as to what that fire is?
Naturally, a question arises as to how fire can be locked up in a small particle. Most surely, it is a reference to the fire that is enclosed in an atom. And the words حُطَمَة and “atom” match in sound. This is a fire that leaps at hearts, and to attack hearts, it has been closed in extended columns.
The whole of this scenario cannot be understood unless one has knowledge of the current atomic age. The atomic material that encloses the fire takes the form of عَمَدٍ مُّمَدَّدَةٍ (extended columns) before exploding. That is, it extends due to the increasing pressure inside; and before burning human bodies, its fire attacks the hearts, and the human heart stops throbbing. All the scientists testify that this is exactly what happens when an atomic bomb explodes. Before its explosive material reaches Man, extremely powerful radioactive waves stop the throbbing hearts.
Another meaning of this is that human body particles also contain a hidden fire; once it manifests, it will attack the human heart and render it useless.
105. al-Fil
This Surah was revealed in the early period of Mecca, and, including the basmalah, it consists of six verses.
The progress of worldly nations will come to an end at the culmination, when all the major powers will have been after Islam to bring it to an end. Relating a past incident, the Holy Quran states that earlier also apparently great and big powers had tried to destroy اُمّ الۡقُرٰي (the Mother of Towns), i.e., Mecca. They were اَصۡحٰبِ الۡفِيۡلِ i.e., the People of the Elephant. But before they reached Mecca, mounted on those big elephants, the swallows that nest in hollows of ocean rocks, showered upon them pebbles infected with smallpox. And the entire army was infected with that dangerous disease and in no time, they were rendered into piles of dead bodies like eaten-up, broken straws. The carrion-eating birds would strike their bodies against the soil. In the future as well, if any people, depending on their power, intended to desecrate and destroy Islam or Mecca, they too would be destroyed in a similar fashion.
106. Quraish
This Surah was revealed at Mecca, and, including the basmalah, it consists of five verses.
Immediately after Surah al-Fil, this glad tiding has been given in this Surah that, as prior to this incident, trading caravans of the people of Mecca used to move in summer and winter, and by all types of fruits they were secured against hunger and fear, this will continue in the future as well.
107. al-Ma’un
This Surah was revealed in the early period of Mecca, and, including the basmalah, it consists of eight verses.
The ostensible connection of this Surah with the preceding one seems to be that when Allah the Almighty will bless the Muslims with an abundance of bounties, then they will not hesitate to spend liberally in His cause and will not at all show off in the worship that was taught by the Lord of Kaaba, or else their prayers will become a source of ruin for them, as such prayers will be meant only to show off. Similarly, their spending will also be for showing off. They will spend huge amounts to increase their popularity, but will hesitate to give even very petty items to the poor for their needs.
108. al-Kauthar
This Surah was revealed at Mecca, and, including the basmalah, it consists of four verses.
Immediately after Surah al-Ma’un, the Holy Prophetsa has been given the good news of the bestowal of a never-ending Kauthar. One meaning of this is that the wealth they will spend in the cause of Allah-even if they spend without care-Allah the Almighty will continue to bestow more and more wealth on them. And the greatest good news is that the Prophetsa was granted the Quran, whose subject matters will continue to benefit mankind until the Day of Judgement like a never-ending treasure. None will be able to encompass its subject matters.
Further, it states that (the Prophetsa) should pray to his Lord and offer sacrifice in gratitude for this magnificent bounty. Surely, it is his enemy who shall be without issue, whereas his munificence will never come to an end.
109. al-Kafirun
This Surah was revealed at Mecca, and, including the basmalah, it consists of seven verses.
The disbelievers have once again been warned in the current Surah that neither will I (the Prophetsa) ever follow your religion nor will you ever follow that of mine. Therefore, you may continue following your religion, and I will continue following mine.
110. an-Nasr
This Surah was revealed at Medina, and, including the basmalah, it consists of four verses.
In this Surah, in fact, another form of the Kauthar has been presented. That is, just as the bounties of the Holy Quran will never cease to exist, similarly, the series of Islamic victories will also be never-ending. And surely a time is going to come when nations will join Islam in troops. Instead of blowing the trumpet, this will be a time of seeking forgiveness, because one must not give way to arrogance as a result of these victories. On the contrary, with all the more humility, one must believe with certainty that this was achieved by the sheer grace of Allah. Thus, on such an occasion, one must busy himself in seeking forgiveness all the more, and all the more one should sing the praises of Allah the Almighty.
111. al-Lahab
This is one of the earliest Surahs that were revealed at Mecca, and, including the basmalah, it consists of six verses.
Abu Lahab, the name of a paternal uncle of the Holy Prophetsa, always incited others to hatred against the Prophetsa. And his wife also assisted him with it. The Quran states: Both of his hands will be cut off. That is to say, inciters for war against Islam in the future as well, whether they belong to the rightists or the leftists, will meet only with humiliation and disgrace. And their submissive nations, who will assist them in providing fuel for war, will have nothing but gallows as their fate.
112. al-Ikhlas
This Surah was revealed at Mecca, and, including the basmalah, it consists of five verses.
Though it is a very brief Surah, magnificent victories have been promised in it, which will be granted to Islam against Christianity. And it has been disclosed that Allah had neither any father, nor any son. The entire building of Christianity is collapsed with this one sentence. That is, how did Allah the Almighty get the attributes to beget a son if He didn’t have a father? And why did Jesusas, who is considered a hypothetical son of God, not inherit the attributes from the father? And if the father had begotten a son, then why didn’t he (the son) beget further sons?
Further, (Allah) says that there is none like unto Allah the Almighty. Therefore, such futile statements will not result in anything save blasphemy against Allah of Magnificent Glory.
113. al-Falaq
This Surah was revealed at Medina, and, including the basmalah, it consists of six verses.
A warning has been given in this Surah that, as a result of every creation, evil also takes place along with good, and one should continue seeking refuge in Allah against their evil consequences. And also seek refuge in Allah Almighty from the dark night that is going to engulf the world once again. And also seek refuge from such peoples, who create dissensions and divides between one individual and another, as well as between one nation and another, as if they follow the principle of “divide and rule”. That is, one has to create dissension between nations if they want to rule. This is the summary of imperialism, which was to rule the world. In spite of this, Islam will make progress; otherwise, in a state of being annihilated, it cannot inspire jealousy. The subject of envy shows that Islam is making progress. And whenever it makes progress, its enemies will be jealous of it.
114. an-Nas
This Surah was revealed at Medina, and, including the basmalah, it consists of seven verses.
This Surah sums up all the collective endeavours of Judaism and Christianity, which, in a nutshell, will be that they will claim to be the Lord of mankind, i.e., they will control their economies as well. And along the same lines, they will claim to be their king, i.e., they will control their politics. And then, as if they themselves will become deities. And they will confer upon those who worship them and humiliate those who refuse to worship them.
The most dangerous weapon of theirs will be to whisper like Khannas, i.e., they will whisper into the hearts of others but themselves vanish from the scene. This will be the state of affairs of the major powers, i.e., capitalism, and the people’s power, i.e., communism, in the world at that time. Thus, whoso comes in the refuge of Allah the Almighty against all such things, Allah the Almighty will protect them.
The most dangerous weapon of theirs will be to whisper like Khannas, i.e., they will whisper into the hearts and themselves vanish from the scene. This will be the state of affairs of the major powers, i.e., capitalism, and the people’s power, i.e., communism, in the world at that time. Thus, whoso comes in the refuge of Allah Almighty against all such things, Allah the Almighty will protect them.
(Translated from the original introduction of chapters as presented in the Urdu translation of the Holy Quran by Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IVrh. Translated into English by Shahid Mahmood Ahmad, missionary in Ghana)