Ayah 67:
ولو نشاء لمسخناهم على مكانتهم فما استطاعوا مضيّا ولا يرجعون
And if We willed, We could have deformed them, [paralyzing them] in their places so they would not be able to proceed, nor could they return.
Similarly, Allaah says that He could have disfigured them Himselves. They would have been completely mutilated, destroyed where they stood. They wouldn't be able to go forward. They wouldn't have the ability to move on, nor could they ever go back.
All their faculties were completely taken away to leave raw pieces of meat. That is very powerful. It's a graphic and disturbing image. That's the point – at the end of the day, it's not fun and games. They played with their own situations. They put themselves in harm's way.
The mercy in this, however, is that it is being told to us now. This is no surprise. It's right here, right now. Read it and fix it. Change things for yourselves.
The scholars point out that Allaah says law nashaa – if We wished. These people actually get opportunity and chance after chance. They have the opportunity to turn back and realize their purpose in life. If they, however, continue to ignore the signs around and even within them and the message relayed to them, they are digging their own pits in the Hellfire. If this came to pass, this would happen. Yet, on that Day they will be taken to recompense for their choices.
Ayah 68:
This is somewhat a conclusion for this passage. It also serves as a transition to the following passage.
ومن نعمره ننكسه في الخلق أفلا يعقلون
And he to whom We grant long life We reverse in creation; so will they not understand?
{And whomsoever We grant extended life to, We cause him to regress in his overall condition; so don't they process this?}
These are very sophisticated words.
Wa man| Word Analysis
This presents a hypothetical situation.
Nu'ammirhu| Word Analysis
'Umar means age and the verb category means to grant extended age. The verb pattern here has the implication of something happening little-by-little, step-by-step, stage-by-stage. This is like anzal (all at once) or tanzil (little-by-little).
Nunakkishu| Word Analysis
This comes from naks literally means to flip something over from head to tail. It is used metaphorically to speak of something regressing backwards. This person is turned backwards, his faculties are flipped, in creation.
As the people begin to age, their bodies begin to slow down; their minds slow down; emotionally, they slow down. This is also pointed out in (30, 54)
الله الذي خلقكم من ضعف ثم جعل من بعد ضعف قوة ثم جعل من بعد قوة ضعفا وشيبة يخلق ما يشاء وهو العليم القدير
Allaah is the one Who created you from weakness, then made after weakness strength, then made after strength weakness and white hair. He creates what He wills, and He is the Knowing , the Competent.
Da'af (weakness) refers to infancy. Then from it comes strength – you get older and become competent until you are independent. Then from it comes weakness and eventually old age. As a person ages, he regresses. To the point where it becomes so detrimental (22, 5)
"O people, if you should be in doubt about the resurrection, then [consider that] indeed, We created you from dust, then from a sperm-drop, them from a clinging clot, and then from a lump of flesh, formed and unformed – that We may show you. And We settle in the wombs whom We will for a specified term, then We bring you out as a child, and then [We develop you] that you may reach your [time of] maturity. And among you is he who is taken in [early] death, and among you is he who is returned to the most decrepit [old] age so that he knows, after [once having] knowledge, nothing. And you see the earth barren, but when We send down upon it rain, it quivers and swells and grows [something] of every beautiful kind."
He is returned to the worst period of life – from knowing something to knowing nothing at all. Think of Alzheimer's Disease – they wake up and don't even recognize people.
In and of itself, this verse is powerfully reminding us of the blessings we have. The people denied and rejected risalah/Prophethood, then tawhid/Oneness, then akhirah/Day of Judgement. So what allows a person to continue being arrogant in this manner? It is the capability this person has. Their strength and faculties can cloud their judgment. So realize and understand that this delusion is temporary. Time is what we all crave. As time goes on, however, life's challenges come with it. You may have more time, but everything you pride yourself for is withering away.
So won't you wake up? This isn't hypothetical anymore. This is very real and around us all. Everyone sees that age.
The mufassirun have much discussion over how this ties in with the previous discourse (Verses 65-67). There are a few opinions.
1. The two hypotheticals (law nashaa ...) were supported with evidence with this example. The diminishing is happening at a lower level around us all. These people do fall to the stage of being mere flesh seated before us. Allaah could speed the process and make it happen faster.
2. Allaah can flip the situation for people (nunakkis). They may have all that pomp and glory which is providing them with the arrogance to deny and belie the message and warnings, but their situation can so easily be turned around. And it will be so easily turned around.
3. This is an evidence for being resurrected. The person can go from being helpless to strong to helpless again just like Allaah can bring about the situation of life to death and to life again.
4. In the last two verses, Allaah said law nashaa (if We had willed), but He didn't do it to them. Why didn't He do that? Rather, what did He do to them? That would have brought a quick end to things and only suffered in the hereafter. They will also, however, pay for their crime in this world. For their arrogance and crime. They will be humiliated in this life. They will grow old, they won't be as loud or smart as they once were. Not only are they now lacking that upper hand, but they are old and feeble.
Abu Lahab was very arrogant. There were some who met a quick end like Abu Jahl, but Abu Lahab had a very ill end where his body was almost rotting. His family literally locked him up and cast him to the side. His last days were spent far from being that handsome man, but being a deteriorated person. They didn't even realize he was dead until days had passed. Eventually, they had to pay slaves to dispose of his body. He wasn't even buried properly, but was left for some birds or animals to eat. Look at the torture they experience for the boastfulness they have.
So won't they wake up and use their minds for the reality that is presented before them?
Ayah 69:
We begin a new passage here. The surah concludes with the same issues with which it opened.
It began by swearing by the profound wisdom of the Qur'aan; it will end by emphasizing the power, validity and substance of the Qur'aan. It is not like poetry which loses substance if it focuses upon style and loses style if it focuses upon substance.
Then it will focus upon that substance being the greatest proof for the validity of the messengership of the Messenger of Allaah pbuh. It then focuses upon telling the Messenger of Allaah pbuh that only a person whose decency is still intact will express any interest in the message being spread. Those who reject it are only doing it because of a problem lying within themselves and not a problem with the message itself. Then it will focus on the signs around us. Next, it will conclude by focusing upon shukr/thankfulness as reflection upon the aayaat.
Finally, it will given consolation to the Messenger of Allaah pbuh for his frustration with the people who continue to reject, refuse and deny the message and criticize him. Allaah tells him that these people have the audacity to talk ill of Allaah Himself; they are so blatantly disobedient, arrogant and even stupid, so why would you be surprised that they speak ill of you? They have no decency left in them. So leave them to Allaah for He can handle them most appropriately.
وما علمناه الشعر وما ينبغي له إن هو إلا ذكر وقرآن مبين
And We did not given him [Prophet Muhammad] knowledge of poetry, nor is it befitting for him. It is not but a message and a clear Qur'aan.
Allaah is refuting the very obvious go-to criticism of anyone refusing the Messenger of Allaah pbuh. Their easiest cop out was (21, 5)
بل قالوا أضغاث أحلام بل افتراه بل هو شاعر فليأتنا بآية كما أرسل الأولون
But they say, "[The revelation is but] a mixture of false dreams; rather, he has invented it; rather he is a poet. So let him bring us a sign just as the previous [messengers] were sent [with miracles]."
Allaah refutes this in a very intelligent and comprehensive manner. Allaah did not say that "he does not speak in poetry", but rather he connects the source of the knowledge to Himself. If he were to learn poetry, he would have learned it from Us, but We did not teach him poetry. The only source of knowledge for Prophet Mohammed pbuh was Allaah Himself. He does not deliver from someone or something else. The claims of academic research papers that he pbuh learned from others and then came up with the Qur'aan – yet, if only they read the sirah/Prophets Biography, they would see the errors of their claims. (The Prophet pbuh did not know how to read or write).
Yanbaghi| Word Analysis
And it was not befitting for him. It was not fit for him to be a poet or to engage in poetry. It is literally just not right.
In Surat'l-Shu'araa (26), Allaah tells us three problems with poetry or poets. This is not to condemn poetry, but when comparing it to divine revelation.
1. Poets are more concerned with style and adoration of people. It is important to them, how their entertainment and art is critiqued and received. Divine revelation, however, is more concerned with the substance and living up to what they are presenting.
2. Poetry can contradict itself; it can say one thing and defy it in the next line. The Qur'aan issues this challenge for itself.
3. People who usually become obsessed with poets and their work and poetry are those who lack focus in life. A lot of people who follow their poetry very closely don't really know what they're doing. Today, they are usually the musicians and may even be stoners. Divine revelation, prophets and messengers and their followers, however, are people of great intelligence and purpose. They are integral contributors to humanity. You'd be embarrassed to look back at it years from now, but never will that happen for divine revelation.
The Messenger of Allaah pbuh for this reason had a dislike for pushing patterns unnaturally. His pbuh's statements were natural, they were inspiration. He pbuh condemned to sit and make up supplications which had patterns (e.g. rhythm) within them. Be sincere, substance is what matters. What will add acceptability to your prayers? To humble yourself, as if groveling, before Allaah. If you are so humbled that you are stumbling over yourself and cannot even be coherent, that is heavier than the most eloquent and practiced supplication.
Even when speaking to people, don't speak over a teleprompter. Be sincere in your communication because it will hit home harder. It will be more effective.
So if it's not poetry and it's not even befitting for him to be carrying poetry to people, then what is it? It is nothing but dhikrun (a reminder).
Dhikrun| Word Analysis
It is a reminder, in the common form to emphasize that it is a reminder of many, many things.
1. The reality of life
2. Fitrah – their true innate nature
3. The history of humanity. What's happened to the people of before, the messengers and prophets, those who denied them, those who followed them.
4. The outcome, the consequences of their choices in this life and in the hereafter.
It's remarkable that we are told to look to these aayaat to find the evidences for Allaah, yet proclaimed academics like Hawking's new work say that they point to evidence against God. There are, however, other academics who make such profound statements against this argument. They say it is because Hawking is obsessed with the question "How?", but he cannot ask himself nor answer the question "Why?" If he were to ask, "Why?", then he would never arise at this conclusion. So that we may come to shukr.
Mubin| Word Analysis
This is nothing but a reminder and mubin. It is a clear, self-evident Qur'aan. This word has repeated itself throughout Ya-Sin – the message of the prophets, the open error of the townspeople, the animosity of Shaytaan. It proves itself. It doesn't require any philosopher to explain it.
It can mean that thing in and of itself is clear (intransitive), but that it verifies, is a verifying force (transitive). Like glasses that are foggy which you clean. We have a lot of distraction around us, but the Qur'aan brings that clarity. Just build it into your life and everything will begin to make sense.
This is not new information, it is reminding us of something we may have merely lost focus about. It is reminding us of that reality all around us.
But if the Messenger pbuh is not a poet, then what is his job?