The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 318
PT. 18 بَلْ قَالُوا مِثْلَ مَا قَالَ الْاَوَّلُونَ ) CH. 23 AL-MU'MINUN and day. Will you not then understand?2566 82. But they say like what the former people said. 2567 are dead and have become mere dust and bones, shall we indeed be raised up again? قَالُواءَ إِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُو They say, “What! When we. 83 تُرَابًا وَعِظَامًا ء إِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ لَقَدْ وُعِدْنَا نَحْنُ وَآبَاؤُنَا هَذَا مِنْ قَبْلُ This is what we have been. 84 إن هذا إِلَّا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ promised before, we and our fathers. This is nothing but fables of the ancients. " قُل لِّمَنِ الْأَرْضُ وَمَنْ فِيْهَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ Say, “To whom belongs the. 85 تَعْلَمُونَ earth and whosoever is therein, if you know?'2568 2566. Commentary: "17:99; 27:68; 37:17; 56:48. 27:69. This verse embodies another argument in support of the theme touched in the preceding verse. It alludes to the phenomenon of the rise and fall of nations. At one time a people rise to power and eminence and the sun of progress and prosperity shines upon them, at another time decadence and death overtake them as a consequence of their evil deeds. The verse under comment seems to convey a warning to disbelievers that the sun of their power and grandeur is about to set and another people—the Muslims, who are now weak and powerless, are destined to rise to greatness. The coming to pass of this apparently impossible phenomenon, will prove the truth of another phenomenon viz. that there is a life after the present life. 2567. Commentary: The verse purports to say that disbelievers continue to harp on the old tune that after they are reduced to dust, their coming to life again was an impossible thing and that it was an old story which they and their forebears had been hearing from very old times. 2568. Commentary: With this verse the Surah reverts to the subject of the Unity of God and draws particular attention to God's attributes of creation, Lordship and Sovereignty in support of this doctrine. It purports to say that when God alone is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe and to Him alone belongs the kingdom and sovereignty of the heavens and the earth it is foolish to associate anyone 2232