The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 423
PT. 7 AL-AN'ĀM b CH. 6 فَقُطِعَ دَابِرُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِيْنَ ظَلَمُوا So the last remnant of the. 46 people who did wrong was cut off; and all praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. 792 وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَلَمِينَ قُلْ أَرَعَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَخَذَ اللهُ سَمْعَكُمْ Say, "What think ye? If. 47 Allah should take away your وَأَبْصَارَكُمْ وَخَتَمَ عَلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ مَّنْ hearing and your sight, and seal up your hearts, who is the God اله غَيْرُ اللهِ يَأْتِيْكُمْ بِهِ أَنْظُرْ كَيْفَ other than Allah who could a7:73; 15:67. 2:8; 16:109; 45:24. Apparently, there is no occasion here for saying, All praise belongs to Allah, for these words are spoken on an occasion when one receives a favour from God and is thankful to Him. When, however, one is afflicted with a misfortune, then the words which suit the occasion and which Muslims are bidden to recite are, 792. Important Words: (last remnant) is derived from They say i. e. he followed behind his back; or he followed him with respect to place, time or rank. means, he went turning his back, or he turned back. means, the back or the hinder part; latter or the last part. means, person or thing following i. e. Surely to Allah we behind the back; last remains of a belong and to Him shall we return people; the root, stock, race, or the (2:157). The apparent incongruity is, like (Lane). however, easily explained. The words Commentary: (all praise belongs to Allah) الحمد لله the last) قطع دابر القوم The words remnant of the people was cut off) mean: (1) the people were cut off to the last man, i. e. the whole people were cut off; (2) the leaders of the people were cut off just as a tree is cut down to its roots, the leaders occupying the position of the roots; (3) the leaders' followers were cut off, i. e. the leaders were deprived of their political power, for it is on the strength of their followers that the political power of the depends. leaders 863 have been used here in order to point out that the cutting-off of what is injurious is in fact a thing to feel grateful for, and not a matter of regret. When a limb becomes diseased and is incurable, we get it amputated and cheerfully pay the fee to the surgeon for the operation, and also express our thanks to him. Just as a diseased limb is amputated to save the rest of the body, it sometimes becomes necessary to cut off that section of mankind which has become corrupt, so that the infection may not spoil all of humanity.