َإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ جَعَلْنَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ حِجَابًا مَّسْتُورً
45. And when you recite the Qur'an, We put between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter a concealed partition.
Allah says: the seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein, meaning the creatures that dwell therein, sanctify Him, exalt Him, venerate Him, glorify Him and magnify Him far above
﴿تَكَادُ السَّمَـوَتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ وَتَنشَقُّ الاٌّرْضُ وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدّاً - أَن دَعَوْا لِلرَّحْمَـنِ وَلَداً ﴾
(Whereby the heavens are almost torn, and the earth is split asunder, and the mountains fall in ruins, That they ascribe child to the Most Beneficent) (19:90-91).
﴿وَإِن مِّن شَىْءٍ إِلاَّ يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدَهِ﴾
(and there is not a thing but glorifies His praise.) there is no created being that does not celebrate the praises of Allah.
﴿وَلَـكِن لاَّ تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ﴾
(But you understand not their glorification.) means, `You do not understand them, O mankind, because it is not like your languages.' This applies to all creatures generally, animal, inanimate and botanical. This is the better known of the two opinions according to the most reliable of two opinions. It was reported in Sahih Al-Bukhari that Ibn Mas`ud said: "We used to hear the Tasbih of the food as it was being eaten. '' Imam Ahmad recorded that ﴿Mu`adh bin Anas said that﴾ the Messenger of Allah came upon some people who were sitting on their mounts and talking to one another. He said to them:
«ارْكَبُوهَا سَالِمَةً وَدَعُوهَا سَالِمَةً، وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوهَا كَرَاسِيَّ لِأَحَادِيثِكُمْ فِي الطُّرُقِ وَالْأَسْوَاقِ، فَرُبَّ مَرْكُوبَةٍ خَيْرٌ مِنْ رَاكِبِهَا، وَأَكْثَرُ ذِكْرًااِللهِ مِنْه»
(Ride them safely then leave them safely. Do not use them as chairs for you to have conversations in the streets and marketplaces, because the one that is ridden may be better than the one who rides it, and may remember Allah more than he does.) An-Nasa'i recorded in his Sunan that `Abdullah bin `Amr said: "The Messenger of Allah forbade us from killing frogs.''
﴿إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا﴾
(Truly, He is Ever Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving.) means, He does not hasten to punish those who disobey Him, rather He gives them time and waits, then if they persist in their stubborn Kufr, He seizes them with a punishment of the All-Mighty, All-Capable. It was recorded in the Two Sahihs that:
«إِنَّ اللهَ لَيُمْلِي لِلظَّالِمِ حَتَّى إِذَا أَخَذَهُ لَمْ يُفْلِتْه»
(Allah will let the wrongdoer carry on until, when He does seize him, He will never let him go.) Then the Messenger of Allah recited:
﴿وَكَذلِكَ أَخْذُ رَبِّكَ إِذَا أَخَذَ الْقُرَى وَهِىَ ظَـلِمَةٌ﴾
(Such is the punishment of your Lord when He seizes the (population of) towns while they are doing wrong. ) ﴿11:02﴾ Allah says:
﴿وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَمْلَيْتُ لَهَا وَهِىَ ظَـلِمَةٌ﴾
(And many a township did I give respite while it was given to wrongdoing.) ﴿22:45﴾ until the end of two Ayat.
﴿فَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَـهَا وَهِىَ ظَالِمَةٌ﴾
(And many a township did We destroy while they were given to wrongdoing.) ﴿22:48﴾ Whoever gives up his disbelief and disobedience, and turns back to Allah in repentance, Allah will accept his repentance, as He says:
﴿وَمَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءاً أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ﴾
(And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness) ﴿4:110﴾ Here, Allah says:
﴿إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا﴾
(Truly, He is Ever Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving.) At the end of Surah Fatir, He says:
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمْسِكُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ أَن تَزُولاَ وَلَئِن زَالَتَآ إِنْ أَمْسَكَهُمَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّن بَعْدِهِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيماً غَفُوراً ﴾
(Verily, Allah grasps the heavens and the earth lest they should move away from their places, and if they were to move away from their places, there is not one that could grasp them after Him. Truly, He is Ever Most Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving...) until His saying;
﴿وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ﴾
(And if Allah were to punish men)(35:41-45)
﴿وَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرءَانَ جَعَلْنَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ حِجَابًا مَّسْتُورًا - وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِى ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا وَإِذَا ذَكَرْتَ رَبَّكَ فِى الْقُرْءَانِ وَحْدَهُ وَلَّوْاْ عَلَى أَدْبَـرِهِمْ نُفُوراً ﴾
(45. And when you recite the Qur'an, We put between you and those who believe not in the Hereafter, an invisible veil.) (46. And We have put Akinnah over their hearts, lest they should understand it, and in their ears deafness. And when you make mention of your Lord Alone in the Qur'an, they turn on their backs, fleeing in extreme dislike.)
وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا ۚ وَإِذَا ذَكَرْتَ رَبَّكَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَحْدَهُ وَلَّوْا عَلَىٰ أَدْبَارِهِمْ نُفُورًا
46. And We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And when you mention your Lord alone in the Qur'an, they turn back in aversion.
Allah says to His Messenger Muhammad : `When you recite Qur'an to these idolators, We put an invisible veil between you and them.' Qatadah and Ibn Zayd said, "It is coverings over their hearts,'' as Allah says:
﴿وَقَالُواْ قُلُوبُنَا فِى أَكِنَّةٍ مِمَّا تَدْعُونَا إِلَيْهِ وَفِى ءَاذانِنَا وَقْرٌ وَمِن بَيْنِنَا وَبَيْنِكَ حِجَابٌ﴾
(And they say: "Our hearts are under coverings (screened) from that to which you invite us; and in our ears is deafness, and
﴿حِجَابًا مَّسْتُورًا﴾
(an invisible veil.) meaning something which covers, or that cannot be seen, so there is a barrier between them and guidance. This is the interpretation that Ibn Jarir (may Allah have mercy on him) thought was correct. Al-Hafiz Abu Ya`la Al-Mawusili recorded that Asma' bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "When the Ayah,
﴿تَبَّتْ يَدَآ أَبِى لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ ﴾
(Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab and perish he!) (111:1) was revealed, the one-eyed woman Umm Jamil ﴿the wife of Abu Lahab﴾ came with a stone pestle in her hand, screaming, `What was sent to us is somebody blameworthy, or, we reject somebody blameworthy ﴿Abu Musa - one of the narrators - said, it is I who am not sure what was said﴾; we shun his religion and disobey whatever he commands!' The Messenger of Allah was sitting with Abu Bakr by his side. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said, `This woman has come and I am afraid she will see you.' The Prophet said,
«إِنَّهَا لَنْ تَرَانِي»
(Certainly she will not see me.) and he recited Qur'an through which he was protected from her:
﴿وَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرءَانَ جَعَلْنَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ حِجَابًا مَّسْتُورًا ﴾
(And when you recite the Qur'an, We put between you and those who believe not in the Hereafter, an invisible veil). She came and found Abu Bakr, but she did not see the Prophet . She said, `O Abu Bakr, I have heard that your companion is lampooning me.' Abu Bakr said, `No, by the Lord of this House ﴿the Ka`bah﴾, he is not lampooning you.' Then she went away, saying, `The Quraysh know that I am the daughter of their master.'''
﴿وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً﴾
(And We have put coverings over their hearts,) Akinnah (coverings) is the plural of Kinan, which covers the heart.
﴿أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ﴾
(lest they should understand it,) means, lest they should understand the Qur'an.
﴿وَفِى ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا﴾
(and in their ears deafness) something that will stop them from hearing the Qur'an in such a way that they will understand it and be guided by it.
﴿وَإِذَا ذَكَرْتَ رَبَّكَ فِى الْقُرْءَانِ وَحْدَهُ﴾
(And when you make mention of your Lord Alone in the Qur'an,) means, when you declare Allah to be One in your recitation, and say La Ilaha Illallah,
﴿وَلَّوْاْ﴾
(they turn) means they turn away
﴿عَلَى أَدْبَـرِهِمْ نُفُوراً﴾
(on their backs, fleeing in extreme dislike.) As Allah says:
﴿وَإِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ اشْمَأَزَّتْ قُلُوبُ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ﴾
(And when Allah Alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who believe not in the Hereafter are filled with disgust (from the Oneness of Allah).) ﴿39:45﴾ z
﴿وَإِذَا ذَكَرْتَ رَبَّكَ فِى الْقُرْءَانِ﴾
(And when you make mention of your Lord Alone in the Qur'an,) Commenting on this Ayah, Qatadah said that when the Muslims said La Ilaha Illallah, the idolators disliked this and found it intolerable. Iblis and his troops hated it, but Allah insisted on supporting it so that it would prevail over those who opposed it. Whoever uses it against his opponent will prevail, and whoever fights for it will be victorious. Only the Muslims of the Arabian Peninsula, which can be traversed by a rider in a few nights, knew it and accepted it, out of all mankind.
﴿نَّحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَسْتَمِعُونَ بِهِ إِذْ يَسْتَمِعُونَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِذْ هُمْ نَجْوَى إِذْ يَقُولُ الظَّـلِمُونَ إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ رَجُلاً مَّسْحُورًا - انْظُرْ كَيْفَ ضَرَبُواْ لَكَ الاٌّمْثَالَ فَضَلُّواْ فَلاَ يَسْتَطِيعْونَ سَبِيلاً ﴾
(47. We know best of what they listen to, when they listen to you. And when they take secret counsel, then the wrongdoers say: "You follow none but a bewitched man.'') (48. See what examples they have put forward for you. So they have gone astray, and never can they find a way.)
