The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 14
CH. 1 AL-FATIHAH power to deal with it as one likes God, Master of (Aqrab). (Day) means (1) time absolutely, whether day or night, short or long; (2) day from sunrise till sunset; (3) present time or now; (4) a means, God's favours and punishments (Aqrab & Lane). The Quran says: Verily a day with thy Lord is as a thousand years of what you reckon (22:48). At another place (70:5) the Quran uses the word to indicate fifty thousand years. At yet another place the Quran says: i. e. Now have I perfected your religion for you (5:4). Here simply means 'now. ' دین (Judgement) is derived from They say meaning: he rewarded or recompensed him; he became his master and set him to any task he liked; he judged him; he obeyed him. means: he adopted Islam as his religion (Aqrab). Thus the word is used in several different senses, e. g. (1) recompense requital; (2) judgement or reckoning; (3) dominion or government; (4) obedience; (5) religion (Lane). The word has been used in the Quran in all these different senses: 37:54; 24:3; 12:77; 5:4; 4:126. Commentary: or see Generally, this verse is understood to mean that God is the Master of the Day of Judgement. But it has a wider significance; for although the last and the perfect reckoning will take place on the Day of Judgement, the process of requital is going on even in this life. In its wider significance, therefore, the verse would mean that 14 the Day of Judgement, is also Master of the period and process of reckoning in this life as well as in the next. There is, however, one difference. In this life human actions are often also judged and rewarded by other men- kings, rulers, superiors, etc. ; and there is, therefore, always the possibility of error. On the Day of Judgement, however, the mastery of God will be exclusive and absolute and the work of requital will lie entirely in His hands. There will be no error, no undue punishments, and no undue rewards. The verse points out that in spite of the fact that God is the Master of the time of requital, both in this world and the world to come, He has been spoken of in this verse as the Master of the Day of Judgement so that it may be emphasized that on the Day of Judgement He will be the Sole Master. The use of the word U. (Master) in the verse is also intended to point to the fact that God is not like a judge who is bound to give his judgement strictly in accordance with a pres- cribed law. But, being Master, He can forgive and show mercy wherever and in whatever manner He may like. The use of the word "Master" thus serves a twofold purpose. On the one hand, it encourages a person who has, in a moment of weakness, committed a sin, not to despair because God, being his Master, has the power to forgive. On the other hand, it serves as a warning against taking undue advantage of God's mercy. For if as God, the Master could, and no doubt