The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 312
CH. 13 AR-RA'D PT. 13 أَوْ نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَاغُ things with which We threaten them or whether We make thee die, it makes little difference, for "on thee lies only the delivery of the Message, and on Us the reckoning, 1651 42. Do they not see that "We are visiting the land, reducing it وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ أوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا نَأْتِي الْأَرْضَ نَنْقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَا وَاللهُ يَحْكُمُ لَا مُعَب from its outlying borders And لِحُكْمِهِ وَهُوَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ Allah judges; there is none to reverse His judgement. And He is swift at reckoning. 1652 "3:21; 5:93; 16:83. 21:45. opponent today may become staunch supporter tomorrow. 1651. Commentary: a The verse purports to say that when the object of signs of punishment is the reformation and reclamation of the people, the postponement or cancellation of some of them cannot reasonably be criticized. The real object of the advent of the Prophets is to deliver the Divine Message to men, and the fulfilment or postponement or revocation of a prophecy is only a secondary thing, being subordinate to this supreme purpose. It should, therefore, occasion no surprise if, in harmony with the fulfilment of this purpose and of the Divine decree, a prophecy is cancelled or revoked, particularly when all people have to appear before God on the Day of Reckoning when the whole truth will come to light. This verse is important inasmuch as it lays down a fundamental divine principle about 1520 signs of punishment. To think that as signs of punishment proceed from God they must always happen as foretold is simply absurd and, besides clashing with the Divine attribute of mercy, belies the very purpose for which Prophets of God are raised. 1652. Commentary: This verse strongly refutes those critics of the Holy Prophet who allege that he showed no sign. Do they not see, says the verse, that God is gradually reducing and curtailing the land from its sides? Is not that a sign of the triumph of Islam? It is making inroads into every home and into all sections and stations of society the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the slave and the master. Is not this a sign sufficient to convince all fair-minded critics? The word also refer to "the land of Arabia," in which case the verse would mean that Islam is fast spreading throughout the (land) may