The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 767
PT. 23 AȘ-ṢĀFFĀT CH. 37 شِهَابٌ ثَاقِب pursues him a piercing flame of fire. 3280 فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ أَهُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَمْ مَنْ خَلَقْنَا So ask them whether it is. 12 they who are harder to create, or conducted it well. therefore would mean, perpetual, constant, permanent (Lane & Aqrab). See also 16:53. 3280. Important Words: Reformer in the world, satans, to a certain extent, succeed in hoodwinking simple-minded people, but with the coming of a Prophet or a Divine Reformer their falsehood becomes exposed and people can may شهاب ثاقب. easily see the truth | ثقب. piercing) is derived from) ثاقب They sayi. e. he pierced the represent the Prophet of the day or thing, made a small hole in it. ☑the ever-living Prophet i. e. the Holy ✓ means, the star shone brightly Prophet, from among whose as though it pierced through the followers Divine Reformers continue darkness. means, his judgement to bring to naught the wicked designs was penetrating. ✓ means a star, a of "satans" seeking to tamper with the lamp, fire; a flame or a shooting star teachings of Islam. shining brightly or things piercing through the darkness and dispelling it (Lane & Aqrab). For see 15:19. Commentary: The words, "But he who snatches away something by stealth," signify that as long as the Word of God is preserved in the heavens it is quite safe and secure against all interference, stealing or snatching, but after it is revealed to a Prophet, "satans," or the enemies of God's Prophets, seek to misrepresent or misinterpret it by misquoting the Prophet or by tearing a passage out of his revelation and mixing falsehood with it, or they even try to represent the Prophet's teaching as their own. The expression, "then there pursues him a piercing flame of fire," The verse may also be taken as referring to the physical phenomenon of the falling of meteors at the time of the appearance of a Prophet or a great Divine Reformer. In the time of the Holy Prophet, meteors fell in such large numbers that disbelievers thought that both heaven and earth were about to fall asunder (Kathīr, under 72:9). From Ḥadīth, it appears that in the time of Jesus also meteors fell in unusually large numbers. With regard to his Second Coming the Gospels say: And there shall be the signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars (Matt. 24:29). Meteors also fell in exceptionally large numbers in 1885 when Ahmad, the Holy Founder of the Aḥmadiyya Movement, was about to announce his claim to be the Promised Messiah and Mahdi. For a detailed discussion شهاب ثاقب bright flame and) شهاب مبين signifies that during the time when of there is no Prophet or Divine 2681 (piercing flame) see 15:19.