The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 885
CHAPTER 41 ḤĀ MĪM AS-SAJDAH (Revealed before Hijrah) Title and Time of Revelation The Surah bears the title of Ḥā Mīm As-Sajdah. It is also known as Fussilat. Being the second of the seven Surahs of Ḥā Mīm group, it possesses a very close resemblance with the Surah that goes before it and those that follow it, in style and subject matter, and like them it was revealed at Mecca when the opposition to Islam grew strong, determined and persistent. Connection with the Preceding Sūrah Whereas towards the close of the preceding Surah it was stated that when Divine punishment actually overtakes a people, belief and repentance are of no avail, as this is a fixed divine law which has known no change or deviation. In the beginning of the present Surah we are told that it is those people, who close the avenues of their hearts and persistently refuse to listen to the teaching of this Book which is full of wisdom and which has been revealed by the Gracious and Merciful God for their moral development and spiritual well-being, who render themselves deserving of Divine punishment, and that when punishment comes faith does not benefit such people. Subject Matter As stated above, the Surah opens with the declaration that Quran is a Book which embodies all that is necessary for the moral and spiritual development of man, and that it explains fully and completely all its tenets, teachings and principles in a most explicit, expressive and intelligible language. Its main purpose is to give glad tidings to the righteous and honest believers and to warn those who reject and oppose truth and who give themselves up to evil deeds, that a dreadful punishment will overtake them if they persisted in their disbelief and evil ways. But disbelievers have always chosen to reject the Divine Message and to say mockingly that it was too good and sublime to be understood by them! To this taunt of disbelievers the Holy Prophet is enjoined to return the reply that being a human like them, his Message was quite simple and easily comprehensible. The Surah then adduces as an argument the creation of the universe in six periods or stages to prove Divine Unity, and proceeds to say that all Prophets and heavenly Messengers brought the self-same message of Divine Unity. Even the Prophets of antiquity like Hūd and Ṣāliḥ preached the same doctrine, but their people rejected them and behaved arrogantly towards them and consequently were destroyed. So, if the Meccans did not give up their opposition to truth 2799