The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 970
CHAPTER 45 AL-JĀTHIYAH (Revealed before Hijrah) General Remarks and Context This is the sixth of the seven Surahs belonging to the Ḥā Mīm group. Like other Surahs of this group, it was revealed at Mecca. No exact date can be assigned to its revelation, although Nöldeke places it immediately after the 41st chapter. Naturally, it differs little in its subject matter from other Surahs of this group. It derives its title from verse 29. Towards the close of the preceding Surah it was stated that righteous believers will reside in places of security where every kind of comfort will be at their disposal and they will enjoy eternal life, immune from death or degradation. The present Surah opens with the statement that just as timely rain gives new life to the dead earth; similarly, a Divine Prophet is raised when men become morally corrupt. As men had become corrupt, God had raised the Holy Prophet Muḥammad to regenerate them. He is a true Messenger of God and not a liar or a sinful forger of lies. Summary of Subject Matter Like the preceding five Surahs of the Ḥā Mīm group the present Surah also opens with the subject of Quranic revelation and Divine Unity which constitutes its main theme, and adduces the creation of man and all animal and vegetable life on earth, the coming down of timely rain from the clouds which quickens the dead earth, the marvellous creation of the universe and the complete and consummate design and order that pervade and permeate it, as great signs to establish the existence of an unerring and All-Powerful Being behind all this and proceeds to invite disbelievers to consider, how the Wise Being Who has made such wonderful provision for man's short and temporary life on earth, could have failed to make similar provision for his eternal life. This provision for man's spiritual sustenance has been made in the revelation that descends upon God's Messengers to lead him to the achievement of the goal of his life. The Surah then goes on to say that God does not allow the arrangement which He has made for the moral and spiritual regeneration of man to be interfered with. He does not allow a forger of lies to prosper. Sooner or later the impostor must come to grief. But the Holy Prophet's mission is making uniform progress. This is proof positive of the fact that he is not a liar but a true Messenger of God. If, in spite of such patent and invincible proofs, disbelievers proudly persist in their disbelief, they are warned that their rejection of truth will not go unpunished. 2884