al-Quran | Page 403 | Juz 21 | Surah 29 Ayat 53 – 63 | Sheikh Muhammad Siddiq al-Minshawi المنشاوي

Tafsir: Man’s deeds make his Paradise and his deeds make his Hell too. Were it possible to view the consequences of the deeds of one who had adopted the way of denial and insolence, it would be seen that his apparently great deeds actually signalled the punishment which he merited and which lay in wait for him. Death is but to come and dispatch him to the world he has built for himself. Most of a man’s arrogance is nothing more than the result of his ignorance of the reality pertaining to his own existence. If this ignorance were to be replaced by knowledge, he would become a completely different man. Sometimes a change is necessary in the mode of performing a task. This may require a change in the sphere of influence, in the way that the Hudaybiyah Pact shifted the scene of action from the battlefield to the field of missionary work. But more often, it requires a major step, like migration, for example, the migration of the Prophet from Makkah to Madinah. In these verses the faithful living in Makkah were told that if the people of Makkah were harassing them, they should leave Makkah, migrate to some other place, and carry on God’s worship there. This shows that the exercise of patience and trust means being steadfast in prayer and not persisting in clashing with enemies. Had it been God’s will that they should engage in hostilities under any circumstances, then the instructions would have been to continue fighting with their opponents and not in any event to move away. Creating the earth and the sky was such a major event that only Almighty God could perform it. The movement of the sun and moon, the falling of rain and the sprouting of greenery from the soil of the earth are phenomena too great to have been brought into existence by anybody other than God. Those who indulge in polytheism do not themselves believe that they have brought these great wonders into existence. In spite of this, many people worship beings others than God in the hope that they will increase their worldly blessings. However, when all powers are vested in God, who else but He can exert influence on the distribution of the daily sustenance?