وَكَذَٰلِكَAnd likewiseقَوْلُthe sayingمِنْofقَالَsaid::((أَوْ)(or)بِمَعْنَىmeaningالْوَاوِthe 'waw'أَوْorلِتَشْكِيكِto doubtالْمُخَاطَبِينَthe addressees،,أَوْorالإِبْهَامِthe ambiguityعَلَيْهِمْ)upon them)
And likewise, the saying of those who said: "(or) meaning the 'waw' or to doubt the addressees, or the ambiguity upon them," is nothing.
لَيْسَis notبِشَيءٍ،something,فَإِنَّfor indeedاللّهَAllahيُرِيدُwantsبِالْأَمْثَالِwith the examplesالْبَيَانَthe clarificationوَالتَّفْهِيمِ،and the understanding,لَاnotيُرِيدُwantsالتَّشْكِيكَthe doubtوَالإِبْهَامَ.and the ambiguity.
It is nothing; for indeed Allah wants with the examples the clarification and the understanding, He does not want the doubt and the ambiguity.
وَالْمَقْصُودَAnd the aimتَفْهِيمَis to understandالْمُؤْمِنِينَthe believersحَالَهُمْ،their condition,وَيَدُلُّand it indicatesعَلَىthatذَٰلِكَthatأَنَّهُHe saidفِيinالْمَثَلِthe first exampleالأَوَّلِfirst:
And the aim is to make the believers understand their condition, and it indicates that He said in the first example:
صُمٌّDeafبُكْمٌand dumbعُمْيٌblindness]]الْبَقَرَةَ:(Al-Baqarah: 18),وَقَالَand He saidفِيinالثَّانِيthe second:
"Deaf, dumb, and blind" (Al-Baqarah: 18), and He said in the second:
يَجْعَلُونَThey putأَصَبْعَهُمْtheir fingersفِيinمَاذَانِهِمَtheir earsمِنَfromالصَّوَاعِقِthe thunderboltsحَذَرَin fear ofالْمَوْتِdeathوَاللّهُAnd Allahيُحِيطُencompassesبِالْكَافِرِينَthe disbelieversيَكَادُalmostالْبَرْقُthe lightningيَخْطَفُsnatchesأَبْصَارَهُمْtheir sightكُلَّمَاwheneverأَضَاءَlightsلَهُمْfor themمَشَوْاthey walkفِيهِin itوَإِذَاand whenأَظْلَمَdarkensعَلَيْهِمْupon themقَامُواthey standوَلَوْand ifشَاءَwilledاللّهُAllahلَذَهَبَHe would have taken awayبِسَمْعِهِمْtheir hearingوَأَبْصَارِهِمْand their sight.إِنَّIndeedاللّهَAllahعَلَىis overكُلِّallشَيْءٍthingsقَدِيرٌis Able.﴾)
"They put their fingers in their ears from the thunderbolts in fear of death, and Allah encompasses the disbelievers. The lightning almost snatches their sight; whenever it lights for them, they walk in it; and when it darkens upon them, they stand. And if Allah had willed, He would have taken away their hearing and their sight. Indeed, Allah is capable over all things." (Al-Baqarah).
فَبَيَّنَSo He clarifiedفِيinالْمَثَلِthe second,الثَّانِي،the second,أَنَّهُمْthat theyيَسْمَعُونَhearوَيُبْصِرُونَ،and see,وَلَوْand ifشَاءَHe willedاللّهُAllahلَذَهَبَHe would have taken awayبِسَمْعِهِمْtheir hearingوَأَبْصَارِهِمْ،and their sight.وَفِيAnd inالأَوَّلِthe firstكَانُواthey wereيُبْصِرُونَ،seeing,ثُمَّthenصَارُواbecameفِيinظُلْمَاتٍdarknessلَاnotيُبْصِرُونَ،seeing,صُمٌّdeafبُكْمٌand dumbعُمْيٌ،blind,وَفِيAnd inالثَّانِيthe secondإِذَاifأَصَابَهُمُstrikes themالْبَرْقُthe lightningمَشَوْاthey walkفِيْهِ،in it,وَإِذَاand whenأَظْلَمَdarkensعَلَيْهِمْupon themقَامُواthey stand.فَلَهُمْFor themحَالَانِtwo statesحَالٌa stateضِيَاءٍ،of light,وَحَالٌand a stateظَلَامٍ،of darkness,وَالْأَوَّلُونَand the first onesبَقُواremainedفِيinالظُّلْمَةِ،the darkness,فَالْأَوَّلُso the first is a stateحَالٌofمَنْone who isكَانَwasفِيinضَوْءٍ،light,فَصَارَthen becameفِيinظُلْمَةٍ،darkness,وَالثَّانِيوَالثَّانِيحَالٌis a stateمَنْof one who did notيَسْتَقِرَّsettleلَاneitherفِيinضَوْئٍlightوَلَاnorفِيinظُلْمَةٍ،darkness,بَلْbutتَخْتَلِفُvariesعَلَيْهِمْupon themالأَحْوَالُthe statesالَّتِيwhichتُوجِبُrequireمَقَامَهُhis statusوَاسْتِرَابَهُand suspicion.
He clarified in the second example that they hear and see, and if Allah had willed, He would have taken away their hearing and their sight. In the first, they were seeing, then they became in darkness without seeing, deaf, dumb, and blind. In the second, if the lightning strikes them, they walk in it, and when it darkens upon them, they stand. They have two states: a state of light and a state of darkness; and the first ones remained in darkness. The first is the state of one who was in light, then became in darkness, and the second is the state of one who has not settled neither in light nor in darkness, but rather various states that require his status and suspicion.
سُوءُbadعَمَلِهِ،his deeds,رَدَاهُdestroyed him.
His bad deeds destroyed him.
يُبَيِّنُThis clarifiesهَذَاthatأَنَّهُHeسُبْحَانَهُExaltedضَرَبَstruckلِلْكَافِرِينَfor the disbelieversأَيْضًاalsoمَثَلَيْنِtwo examplesبِحَرْفٍwith the letter«أَوْ»‘or’فَقَالَHe said:وَالَّذِينَAnd those whoكَفَرُواdisbelievedأَعْمَالُهُمْtheir deedsكَمَثَلِare likeسَرَابٍmirageبِقِيَاعَةٍin a plainيَحْسَبُهُthey think it isالظَّمْأَىthe thirstyمَاءًwater.حَتَّىUntilإِذَاwhenجَاءَهُhe comes to it,لَمْhe findsيَجِدْهُit.شَيْئًاanything.وَوَجَدَAnd he findsاللّهَAllahعِندَهُwith him.فَوَقَعَهُSo He found itحِسَابًاaccountingوَاللّهُand Allahسَرِيعُswiftالْحِسَابِaccounting.أَوْorكَظُلُمَةٍlike darknessفِيinبَحْرٍthe seaلَّيَغْشَاهُenveloped byمَوْجٌa wave.مِّنَfromفَوْقِهِabove himمَوْجٌa waveمِّنَfromفَوْقِهِ،above him.سَحَابٌclouds.ظُلُمَاتٌDarkness.بَعْضُهَاSome of itفَوْقَaboveبَعْضٍsome.إِذَاWhenأَخْرَجَhe brings outيَدَهُhis hand,لَمْhe would notيَكَدْhardlyيَارَاهَاsee it.وَمَنAnd whoeverلَمْdid notيَجْعَلِmakeاللّهُAllahلَهُfor himنُورًاlight,فَمَاthen he has noلَهُfor himمِنْofنُورٍlight.﴾)
This clarifies that He, Exalted, struck for the disbelievers also two examples with the letter 'or'. He said: "And those who disbelieved, their deeds are like a mirage in a plain; they think it is water until when he comes to it, he finds it nothing. And he finds Allah with him, so He found it accounting, and Allah is swift in accounting. Or like darkness in a sea that is overwhelmed by a wave from above it, a wave from above it, and clouds; darkness, some of it above some. When he brings out his hand, he would hardly see it. And whoever Allah did not make for him light, then he has no light."
فَالْأَوَّلُSo the firstمَثَلٌexampleلِلْكُفْرِof disbeliefالَّذِيthatيُحَسِّبُis assumedصَاحِبَهُfor its possessorأَنَّهُthat he isعَلَىuponحَقٍّ،the truth,وَهُوَand he isعَلَىuponبَاطِلٍ،false,كَمنlike one whoزُيِّنَwas beautifiedلَهُto him.
So the first example of disbelief is that which is assumed for its possessor to be upon the truth, while he is upon falsehood, like one who has been beautified for him.
حَسَارٌGoodفَاطِرٌ:(Fatir: 8)
Good (Fatir: 8).
فَإِنَّهُIndeed, itلَاdoes notيَعْلَمُknowوَلَاand notيَعْلَمُknowأَنَّهُthat heلَاdoes notيَعْلَمُ،know,فَلِهَذَاfor this reasonمَثَلٌis an exampleبِسَرَابٍof a mirage.
Indeed, it does not know and does not know that he does not know, for this reason, it is an example of a mirage.
وَالثَّانِيAnd the secondمَثَلٌexampleلِلْكُفْرِof disbeliefالَّذِيthatلَاdoes notيَعْتَقِدُbelieveصَاحِبَهُits possessorشَيْئًا،in anything,بَلْbutهُوَheفِيinظُلُمَاتٍdarknessبَعْضَهاsome of itفَوْقَaboveبَعْضٍ،some,مِنْ عَظَمَةِof greatnessجَهْلِهِof his ignorance.لَمْHe neverيَكُنwasمَعَهُwith him.
And the second example of disbelief is one who does not believe in anything, but is in darkness, some of it above others, from the greatness of his ignorance.
بَلْRather,لَمْdid notيَزَلْceaseجَاهِلًاbeing ignorant.ضَالًاmisguided.فِيinظُلُمَاتٍdarknessمَتَرَاكِمَةٍ.accumulated.
Rather, he did not cease being ignorant and misguided in accumulated darkness.
وَأَيْضًا،And also,فَقَدْthere may beالْمُنَافِقُthe hypocriteوَالْكَافِرُand the disbelieverتَارَةًsometimesمُتَّصِفًاcharacterizedبِهَذَاwith thisالْوَصْفِ،description,فَيَكُونُso there isالتَّقْسِيمُthe divisionفِيinالْمَثَلَيْنِthe two examplesلِتَنَوُّعِfor the variationالأَشْخَاصِ،of persons,وَلِتَنَوُّعِand for the variationأَحْوَالِهِمof their conditions.وَبِكُلِّAnd in everyحَالٍsituationفَلَيْسَit is notمَاthat whichضَرَبَHe struckلَهُfor him.
And also, there may be the hypocrite and the disbeliever sometimes characterized by this description, so the classification in the two examples is for the variation of persons, and for the variation of their conditions. And in every situation, it is not that which He struck for them.