The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 305
PT. 13 AR-RA'D CH. 13 أَفَمَنْ هُوَ قَابِمُ عَلَى كُلِّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا Will then He, Who stands. 34 E كَسَبَتْ وَجَعَلُوْا لِلَّهِ شُرَكَاءَ قُلْ ?earns, let them go unpunished over every soul to note what it Yet, they ascribe partners to سَمُّوهُمْ أَمْ تُنَبِّئُونَهُ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ فِي Allah. Say, “Name them. ' Would you inform Him of what He الْأَرْضِ أَمْ بِظَاهِرٍ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ بَلْ زُيْنَ does not know in the earth? Or لِلَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا مَكْرُهُمْ وَصُدُّوا عَن is it a mere empty saying? Nay but the design of the dis- السَّبِيْلِ وَ مَنْ يُضْلِلِ الله فَمَا لَهُ believers has been made to مِنْ هَادٍ appear beautiful in their eyes, and they have been kept back from the right way. And he whom Allah lets go astray shall have no guide. 164 "6:101; 10:67; 13:17. 17:98; 39:24, 37. why punishment was not sent down upon them immediately, they are told that, as the sending down of punishment is postponed in order that disbelievers may have time to think and accept truth, the respite granted to them was no novel thing. The opponents of all the Prophets were given such respite with the same object in view, and former Prophets were also mocked at because of the delay in punishment, but that in no way injured their cause. The objection would have been justified if disbelievers had escaped punishment altogether; or if, when at last it came, it was not exemplary; or if its delay, during the intervening period, in any way, proved detrimental to the cause of truth. The postponement only served to fulfil its noble object for it afforded those, who were good at heart and were destined to believe, an opportunity to ponder over the truth and accept it. 1645. Commentary: The words, Who stands over every soul to note what it earns, contain another reason why God delays punishment. The argument is that as God is keeping close watch over every soul and nothing, however remote and secret, is hidden from His knowledge and He is also All- Powerful, He needs no hurry to punish the disbelievers; for if only punishment were the object, He could bring the offenders to book whenever He liked. The postponement of punishment is not therefore a thing to be scoffed or wondered at. The wonder rather is that disbelievers do not ponder over the fact that they are offenders against God's Kingdom and 1513