Surah 36. Yasin

so that you may warn a people whose forefathers were not warned, and so are heedless.

  - Mustafa Khattab

In order that thou mayest admonish a people whose fathers had received no admonition and who therefore remain heedless (of the Signs of Allah). ³⁹⁴⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Quraish had received no Prophet before, and therefore one of themselves was made the vehicle for the universal Message to the whole world.

The decree 'of torment' has already been justified against most of them, for they will never believe.

  - Mustafa Khattab

The Word is proved true against the greater part of them; for they do not believe. ³⁹⁴⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. vii. 30, and n. 1012; also xvii. 16, and n. 2193. If people deliberately and obstinately refuse "to believe", i.e., to receive guidance and admonition, the result must be that Allah's grace and mercy are withdrawn from them. Their own perversity inevitably blocks up all channels for their correction.

'It is as if' We have put shackles around their necks up to their chins, so their heads are forced up,

  - Mustafa Khattab

We have put yokes round their necks right up to their chins so that their heads are forced up (and they cannot see). ³⁹⁴⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Man's misdeeds inevitably call forth the operation of Allah's Law. The result of man's wilful disobedience is now described in a series of metaphors. (1) Refusal of Allah's Light means less and less freedom of action for man: the yoke of sin is fastened round man's neck, and it gets more and more tightened, right up to the chin. (2) The head is forced up and kept in a stiff position, so that the mind becomes befogged. Moral obliquity taints the intellect. According to the Sanskrit proverb, "When destruction comes near, understanding is turned upside down." According to the Latin proverb, "Whom God wishes to destroy, He first makes demented." In other words, iniquity not only is folly, but leads deeper and deeper into folly, narrowness of vision, and blindness to the finer things of life. (3) This state of deprivation of Grace leads to such a decline in spiritual vitality that the victim can neither progress nor turn back, as explained in the next verse.

and have placed a barrier before them and a barrier behind them and covered them 'all' up, so they fail to see 'the truth'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And We have put a bar in front of them and a bar behind them and further We have covered them up; so that they cannot see. ³⁹⁴⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Their retreat is cut off and their progress is impossible. Further the Light that should come from above is cut off, so that they become totally devoid of any hope, and the last gleam of any spiritual understanding is extinguished in them.

It is the same whether you warn them or not- they will never believe.

  - Mustafa Khattab

The same is it to them whether thou admonish them or thou do not admonish them: they will not believe. ³⁹⁵⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

When the stage just described is reached, revelation or spiritual teaching ceases to have any value for them. Why then preach? The answer is given in the verses following.

You can only warn those who follow the Reminder¹ and are in awe of the Most Compassionate without seeing Him.² So give them good news of forgiveness and an honourable reward.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 The Reminder is another name for the Quran.

 See footnote for 35:18.

Thou canst but admonish: such a one as follows the Message and fears the (Lord) Most Gracious unseen: give such a one therefore good tidings of Forgiveness and a Reward most generous. ^{3951 3952 3953}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xxxv. 18. As far as those are concerned, who have obstinately delivered themselves to evil, the preaching of Allah's Message has no appeal, because their own will shuts them out. But there are others who are anxious to hear Allah's Message and receive Allah's grace. They love Allah and fear to offend against His holy Law, and their fear is not merely superficial but deep-seated: for while they do not yet see Allah, nor do other people see them, they have the same sense of Allah's presence as if they saw Him, and their religion is not a mere pose, "to be seen of men".

See n. 3902 to xxxv. 18. Unseen is here adverbial: their reverence for Allah is unaffected by the fact that they do not see Him, or that other people do not observe them, because their attitude arises out of a genuine love for Allah.

To such persons the Message of Allah comes as a gospel or good news: because it shows them the way of forgiveness for anything wrong in their past, and it gives them the promise of a full reward in the future,-generous beyond any deserts of their own, but arising out of Allah's unbounded Bounty.

It is certainly We Who resurrect the dead, and write what they send forth and what they leave behind. Everything is listed by Us in a perfect Record.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 See footnote for 35:11.

Verily We shall give life to the dead and We record that which they sent before and that which they leave behind and of all things have We taken account in a clear Book (of evidence). ^{3954 3955 3956}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

All this is possible, because there is the assurance of a Hereafter, in which Allah will be all-in-all, and evil will no longer bestride the world, as the term of its respite will have expired.

Our deeds, good and bad, go to Allah before us. They will of course be brought to our account; but our account will also be swelled by the example we left behind us and the consequences of our deeds, that will come into play or continue to operate after our earthly life has ceased. Our moral and spiritual responsibility is therefore much wider than as affects our own person.

Cf. ii. 124 and n. 124. All our account will be exactly preserved as in a book of record.

Give them an example 'O Prophet' of the residents of a town, when the messengers came to them.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Set forth to them by way of a parable the (story of) the Companions of the City. Behold there came apostles to it. ³⁹⁵⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Many of the classical Commentators have supposed that the City referred to was Antioch. Now Antioch was one of the most important cities in North Syria in the first century of the Christian era. It was a Greek city founded by Seleucus Nicator, one of the successors of Alexander, about 300 B.C. in memory of his father Antiochus. It was close to the sea, and had its sea-port at Seleucia. Soon after Christ his disciples successfully preached there, and they "were called Christians first in Antioch": Acts, xi. 26. It afterwards became the seat of a most important Bishopric of the Christian Church. In the story told here "by way of a parable", the City rejected the Message, and the City was destroyed: xxxvi. 29. Following Ibn Kathir, I reject the identification with Antioch decisively. No name, or period, or place is mentioned in the text. The significance of the story is in the lessons to be derived from it as a parable, for which see the next note. That is independent of name, time, or place.

We sent them two messengers, but they rejected both. So We reinforced 'the two' with a third, and they declared, 'We have indeed been sent to you 'as messengers'.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

When We (first) sent to them two apostles they rejected them: but We strengthened them with a third: they said "Truly we have been sent on a mission to you." ³⁹⁵⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Allah sends His messengers or teachers of Truth by ones and twos, and where the opposition is great and He considers it necessary, he supports them with others. Their mission is divine, but they do not claim to be more than men. This is used by the unjust and the ungodly as if it were a reproach, whereas it should commend them to men, for mankind is glorified by such commission and by Allah's Self-revelation. The Message is clearly expressed in human language, but because it exposes all evil, men think it unlucky, as it checks their selfishness. It is often the poorest and most despised of mankind, from the outskirts or "farthest parts of the City", that accept the Message and are willing to work and die for it. The stiff-necked resist and accomplish their own destruction.

The people replied, 'You are only humans like us, and the Most Compassionate has not revealed anything. You are simply lying!'

  - Mustafa Khattab

The (people) said: "Ye are only men like ourselves; and (Allah) Most Gracious sends no sort of revelation: Ye do nothing but lie." ^{3959 3960}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. Acts, xiv. 15, where Paul and Barnabas say, in the city of Lystra near the modern Konia, "We also are men with like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should tum from these vanities..."

They not only reject the mission of the particular messengers, but they deny the possibility of Allah's sending such mission. Note how they convict themselves of inconsistency by using Allah's name "Most Gracious", even though they may mean it ironically!

The messengers responded, 'Our Lord knows that we have truly been sent to you.

  - Mustafa Khattab

They said: "Our Lord doth know that we have been sent on a mission to you: ³⁹⁶¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Just as a Messenger whose credentials are doubted can refer to the authority granted by his Principal, as the highest proof of his mission, so these messengers of Allah invoke the authority of Allah in proof of their mission. In effect they say: "The knowledge of Allah is perfect, and He knows that our mission is from Him; if you do not, it is your own misfortune."

And our duty is only to deliver 'the message' clearly.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

"And Our duty is only to proclaim the clear Message." ³⁹⁶²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Then they proceed to explain what their mission is. It is not to force them but to convince them. It is to proclaim openly and clearly Allah's Law, which they were breaking,-to denounce their sins and to show them the better path. If they were obstinate, it was their own loss. If they were rebellious against Allah, the punishment rested with Allah.

The people replied, 'We definitely see you as a bad omen for us. If you do not desist, we will certainly stone you 'to death' and you will be touched with a painful punishment from us.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

The (people) said: "for us We augur an evil omen from you: if ye desist not we will certainly stone you and a grievous punishment indeed will be inflicted on you by us." ³⁹⁶³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Tair means a bird. Like the Roman augurs, the Arabs had a superstition about deriving omens from birds. Cf. the English word "auspicious", from the Latin avis, a bird, and specio, I see. From Tair (bird) came ta-taiyara, or ittaiyara, to draw evil omens. Because the prophets of Allah denounced evil, the evil-doers thought that they brought ill-luck to them. As a matter of fact any evil that happened to them was the result of their own ill-deeds. Cf. vii. 131, where the Egyptians ascribed their calamities to the ill-luck brought by Moses: and xxvii. 47, where the Thamud ascribed ill-luck to the preaching of Salih.

The messengers said, 'Your bad omen lies within yourselves. Are you saying this because you are reminded 'of the truth'? In fact, you are a transgressing people.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

They said: "Your evil omens are with yourselves: (deem ye this an evil omen) if ye are admonished? Nay but ye are a people transgressing all bounds!" ^{3964 3965}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

'What ye call omens arise from your own iii-deeds. Do you suppose that a man who comes to warn you and teach you the better way brings you ill-luck? Fie upon you!'

To call Good evil and accuse of falsehood men of truth who come unselfishly to bring the message of the beneficent Mercy of Allah, is the very height of extravagance and transgression.

Then from the farthest end of the city a man came, rushing. He advised, 'O my people! Follow the messengers.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then there came running from the farthest part of the City a man saying "O my people! obey the apostles: ³⁹⁶⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

While the wealthy, influential, and fashionable men in the city were doubtful of Allah's providence and superstitiously believed in Chance and evil omens, the Truth was seen by a man in the outskirts of the City, a man held in low esteem by the arrogant. He had believed, and he wanted his City to believe. So, in Arabia, when the arrogant chiefs of the Quraish exiled the holy Prophet, it was men from Madinah and from the outskirts, who welcomed him, believed in him, and supported his mission in every way.