Meccan · Surah 21 of 114

Al-Anbiyaa 21:18

The Prophets · ayah 18 of 112

بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِٱلْحَقِّ عَلَى ٱلْبَٰطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُۥ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌۭ ۚ وَلَكُمُ ٱلْوَيْلُ مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ

Bal naqthifu bilhaqqiAAala albatili fayadmaghuhu fa-itha huwa zahiqunwalakumu alwaylu mimma tasifoon

"Rather, We dash the truth upon falsehood, and it destroys it, and thereupon it departs. And for you is destruction from that which you describe."

Saheeh International translation

Recitation by Mishary Alafasy

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Other English translations

Abdel Haleem (Oxford)+

"No! We hurl the truth against falsehood, and truth obliterates it- see how falsehood vanishes away! Woe to you [people] for the way you describe God!"

Pickthall (classic)+

"Nay, but We hurl the true against the false, and it doth break its head and lo! it vanisheth. And yours will be woe for that which ye ascribe (unto Him)."

Yusuf Ali (classic)+

"Nay, We hurl the Truth against falsehood, and it knocks out its brain, and behold, falsehood doth perish! Ah! woe be to you for the (false) things ye ascribe (to Us)."

Tafsīr · classical commentary

Ibn Kathir

Abridged English, public domain

Creation was made with Justice and Wisdom

Allah tells us that He created the heavens and the earth in truth, i.e. with justice.

لِيَجْزِىَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُواْ بِمَا عَمِلُواْ وَيِجْزِى الَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُواْ بِالْحُسْنَى

(that He may requite those who do evil with that which they have done, and reward those who do good, with what is best.) 53:31. He did not create all that in vain or for (mere) play:

وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَآءَ وَالاٌّرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا بَـطِلاً ذَلِكَ ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنَ النَّارِ

(And We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between them without purpose! That is the consideration of those who disbelieve! Then woe to those who disbelieve from the Fire!) 38:27

لَوْ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نَّتَّخِذَ لَهْواً لاَّتَّخَذْنَـهُ مِن لَّدُنَّآ إِن كُنَّا فَـعِلِينَ

(Had We intended to take a pastime, We could surely have taken it from Us, if We were going to do (that).) Ibn Abi Najih said, narrating from Mujahid:

لَوْ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نَّتَّخِذَ لَهْواً لاَّتَّخَذْنَـهُ مِن لَّدُنَّآ

(Had We intended to take a pastime, We could surely have taken it from Us,) "Meaning, `From Ourself,' He is saying, `We would not have created Paradise or Hell or death or the resurrection or the Reckoning."'

إِن كُنَّا فَـعِلِينَ

(if We were going to do (that). ) Qatadah, As-Suddi, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i and Mughirah bin Miqsam said: "This means, `We will not do that."' Mujahid said, every time the word

أَنْ

(if) is used in the Qur'an, it is a negation.

بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِالْحَقِّ عَلَى الْبَـطِلِ

(Nay, We fling the truth against the falsehood,) means, `We explain the truth and thus defeat falsehood.' Allah says:

فَيَدْمَغُهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ

(so it destroys it, and behold, it disappears.) it is fading and vanishing.

وَلَكُمُ الْوَيْلُ

(And woe to you) O you who say that Allah has offspring.

مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ

(for that which you ascribe.) that which you say and fabricate. Then Allah informs of the servitude of the angels, and how they persevere in worship night and day:

Everything belongs to Allah and serves Him

وَلَهُ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَمَنْ عِنْدَهُ

(To Him belongs whosoever is in the heavens and on earth. And those who are near Him) i.e., the angels,

لاَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ

(are not too proud to worship Him,) they do not feel proud and do not refuse to worship Him. This is like the Ayah:

لَّن يَسْتَنكِفَ الْمَسِيحُ أَن يَكُونَ عَبْداً للَّهِ وَلاَ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ وَمَن يَسْتَنْكِفْ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَيَسْتَكْبِرْ فَسَيَحْشُرُهُمْ إِلَيهِ جَمِيعاً

(Al-Masih will never be proud to reject being a servant of Allah, nor the angels who are the near. And whosoever rejects His worship and is proud, then He will gather them all together unto Himself.) 4:172

وَلاَ يَسْتَحْسِرُونَ

(nor are they weary.) means, they do not get tired or feel bored.

يُسَبِّحُونَ الْلَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ لاَ يَفْتُرُونَ

(They glorify His praises night and day, they never slacken.) They persist in their worship night and day, obeying Allah to the utmost, and they are able to do this, as Allah says:

لاَّ يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ

(who do not disobey Allah in what He commands them, but do what they are commanded) 66:6

Tafsir Saʿdi

English translation, public domain

Всевышний поведал о том, что Он взял на себя ответственность утвердить истину и сокрушить ложь. И всякий раз, когда люди начинают препираться и отстаивать ложь, Аллах ниспосылает истину, знание и разъяснения, которые разбивают ложь вдребезги. Она исчезает, и каждый человек убеждается в ее порочности. Это можно отнести ко всем религиозным и духовным вопросам. Стоит приверженцам лжи посеять среди людей сомнения, связанные с логическими размышлениями или священными текстами, для того, чтобы провозгласить ложь и опровергнуть истину, как люди находят ниспосланные Аллахом неопровержимые логические аргументы и священные тексты, которые убедительно опровергают эти ошибочные воззрения, благодаря чему окружающие получают возможность убедиться в их порочности. Это ясно каждому, кто последовательно и внимательно изучает религиозные вопросы. А затем Аллах обратился к тем, кто приписывает Ему недостойные качества, приобщает к Нему сотоварищей или верит в существование у Него Сына и Супруги. Ваши злодеяния закончатся тем, что вас постигнет горе, разочарование и великий убыток. Ваши слова не принесут вам никакой пользы, и ваши ожидания не оправдаются. Вы не добьетесь того, ради чего вы трудились и к чему вы стремились. Более того, все произойдет наоборот. Вашим уделом будут лишения и разочарование. Затем Аллах поведал о том, что власть над небесами, землей и всем, что находится между ними, принадлежит Ему одному. Все обитающие на них творения являются Его рабами. Они не обладают никакой властью и даже малой толикой власти. Они ничем не могут помочь Аллаху и не имеют право даже ходатайствовать перед Ним без Его позволения. Почему же тогда многобожники превращают эти творения в божества и приписывают Аллаху детей?!

Maʿārif al-Qur'ān

Mufti Shafi Usmani, English

بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِالْحَقِّ عَلَى الْبَاطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ (Instead, We launch the truth against the falsehood, which smashes it, and in no time it is nothing. - 21:18) The literal meaning of قَذَف is to throw horizontally which has been translated above as launching) یدمَغُ means to hit on the head (to smash it) and زَاھِق means something which is gone or vanishes without leaving a trace.

This verse explains that Allah has not created this marvelous universe with earth and the sky for amusement. This creation is the result of a carefully thought out plan which aims at distinguishing right from wrong. Observation of Nature's creations leads people along the righteous path and protects them from evil. This idea is conveyed in the verse by saying that virtue is hurled against evil and smashes its head so completely that it disappears without a trace.

Tafsīr sourced from quran.com's open API. These are classical commentaries; for personal rulings consult a qualified scholar.

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