The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 208
CH. 21 AL-ANBIYA' scrolls by a scribe. "As We began the first creation, so shall We repeat it-a promise binding upon Us; We shall certainly perform it. 2430 106. And already have written in the Book of David, after the exhortation, that My righteous servants shall inherit the land. 2431 PT. 17 وَعْدًا عَلَيْنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا فَعِلِينَ وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ انَّ We الْأَرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصُّلِحُوْنَ 2430. Commentary: a 20:56; 29:20; 30:12. a The verse purports to say that at that time the great empires will be rolled up like the rolling up of written scrolls by a scribe i. e. they shall be destroyed. But taken in a metaphorical sense it may signify that through the Holy Prophet complete transformation will come about and the old heaven will be rolled up and in its place a new heaven and a new earth will be created. And so it came to pass. The old order died and with the Holy Prophet a new and better order came into being. Never had heaven witnessed such a complete transformation in the lives of a people as it did in the Holy Prophet's time. The expression (so shall We repeat it) implies that the order brought into being by the Holy Prophet will receive a setback through the material outlook on life created by the godless and mechanistic Western civilization. But this setback will be temporary and a new spiritual awakening will be brought about by the selfless efforts of a great follower of the Holy his devoted followers, and Islam will Prophet (the Promised Messiah) and again emerge triumphant. The verse may also mean that at the time to which reference has been made in the preceding verses, great empires will be reduced to ashes and powerful nations will rise to power in their place. nations will be destroyed and other 2431. Commentary: the land) is) الارض By meant Palestine. It is worthy of note that Christian commentators themselves have interpreted the phrase 'inherit the land' or 'inherit the earth' in the Psalms as meaning, 'inherit Canaan, the pledge of God's covenant. ' ("Commentary on the Old Testament," published by The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, London, notes on Ps. 37:3, 9). The reference in the words, "in the Book of David" is to Psalms 37:9,11,18,22 & 29, where it is stated: 2122 For evildoers shall be cut off; but those that wait upon the Lord, they