30.

Sura Rum (or The Roman Empire)

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

The Roman Empire (people of the Book), in the land nearby (Syria,
Palestine, Jerusalem), has been defeated (by pagan Persians). But even after
their defeat, they will be victorious within (03 to 09) years. But the true
Decision is with God alone, Who will make the righteous rejoice. He helps
whomso He wills, and He is the Dominant, the Merciful. This is the Promise
of God, and He does not violate His Promise. Men may see, just the outward
crust of things, but in truth the end of things is all-in-all. At His Own pleasure,
He will separate good from evil: Praise and glory to Him for ever and is
Exalted in Might, Most Merciful. Do they not reflect that God has not created
the heavens and the earth and all between them for a just purpose and a fixed
period? But some of the people deny the meeting with the Lord. Have they not
travelled on the earth so as to observe the tragic end of those infidels before
them. They were stronger in might, flourished in number and prosperity than
these infidels. There came to them apostles with clear Signs, but they rejected
them; rebelled against their Lord and wronged their own souls. Hence, they
were destroyed as evil in the extreme will be the end of those who do the evil.

God is the lone Creator of the universe, He has the power to once again
create them after their death on the Day of Resurrection. That Day will make
the disbelievers realize that they were in the wrong and their prophets were
right. Since no repentance will be acceptable they will be in the despair and
have to suffer the punishment. They will then appeal to their concocted
partners with God to intercede with God for their sake. But such will disown
them altogether. Soon after the resurrection the mankind would be divided in
two major groups – the righteous believers and the disbelievers. The believers
with righteous deeds shall be honourably rendered happy in the Garden while
the disbelievers will be thrown into the Hell of Fire. So glorify God in the
evening, in the morning, in the afternoon. To Him alone is due all the praise in
the universe. It is He Who brings out the living from the dead and the dead
from the living and He enlivens the earth after its death; and likewise you will
also be brought out of the earth.

God’s Signs are many, and so are His mysteries. Yet each does point to
His Unity, Goodness, Power, and Mercy. Among His Signs are that He created
man from dust and then turned him into a living being. For his tranquility and
comfort He created his mates out of him. God then put love and tenderness in
them for each other. Thus He originates the creation, then repeats it and that is
most easy to Him. Among His Signs are also the creation of the heavens, the
earth, the dissimiliarity of languages and colour the sleep during and day,
seeking of one’s bounty, the exhibition of lightening from the clouds, bring
fear as well as hope (of rain), and sends down rain and enlivens therewith the
earth after its virtual death; and the stability of the heavens and the earth. On
the Day of Resurrection, He will call all the human beings and shall be present
before Him. Everything is obedient to His Command.

In respect of blasphemy about partnership, God has cited a similitude

and posed a question to the Meccan infidels: Would you accept some of your
slaves to share equally with you the God-given possessions on the basis of
legal partnership, and thereby forcing you to consult them in all matters, and
creating in you the fear of their frequent interference, occational disagreement
and annoyance and eventual seizure of your share of property as is possible in
the case of bonifide partners?” Naturally the reply would be in negative. Thus
God explains the Signs in detail to a people that understand. But those who do
wrong and follow their own desires: who can guide them whom God has
caused astray? Accordingly, set your face unflinchingly to the true and
standard religion; stick to the natural pattern according to which God has
created mankind. Turn to Him in repentance; and be not of those who have
sectioned their religion or are polytheists: fear God and establish regular
prayer. And when trouble befalls on people, they piteously invoke their Lord.
But when it is removed by His Mercy, some among them become ungrateful.
They associate partners with their Lord for which they have no authority from
their Lord. Let them enjoy their brief period! But soon they will return to Us
and then they will realize their own folly. There are some who when taste the
Mercy of their Lord, they are elated with it; and if an evil befalls them due to
what they have sent in advance, they are in despair! Are they not aware of the
fact that God enlarges the provisions for whomso He wills and curtails
whomso He wills? It is God who has created everyone, gives provisions, then
causes death; and then re-enlivens the mankind (on the Day). Is there any of
the, so called ‘partners’ of the infidels have power to do all this? Blessed and
Exalted is He. So give what is due to your relatives, the needy and the
wayfarers. That is best for those who seek His manifestation on the Day of
Judgement. And it is they who are to prosper. Further, any increase in the
wealth sought at other peoples expense, such as usury, is illegal and unlawful.

The result of Evil is Evil. So mischief spreads, but God will restore the
balance in the end. O men! Travel through the earth to see what was the
ultimate end of the unbelievers, polytheist before them. Accordingly, believe
in the standard religion (Islam) before the unevitable Day comes which will
divide the people in two groups. Those who rejected their apostles will suffer
while the righteous shall be in the houses of bliss in the Hereafter. Truly, God
does not love the disbelievers. And among His Signs are the winds – bearers
of His Blessings and Mercy; and that boats sail at His Command for the
mankind to seek His bounty and be grateful to Him. Certainly before you (O
Muhammad) We sent apostles to the people with Our Signs. It is God who
spreads in the sky clouds which drop rain at His will. The people who were
pessimistic earlier, rejoice as He enlivens earth which was dead earlier! Truly
it is He Who will bring in life the dead and has Power over all things. If God
wishes He can blow a wind which turn yellow – a waste – their lush green
fields.

God created the mankind in a state of weakness. Then steadly gave him
strength and then to feeble old age with hoary head. He creates as He wills and
He is alone with all Knowledge and Power. The Hour of Reckoning will be
established – indeed so quickly that the Transgressors will be taken by
surprise. They were deluded by the fact that what they took to be their triumph
or their freedom to do what they liked was only a reprieve for a fixed time-
period, in which they could repent and amend and get God’s Mercy. Failing
this, they will then be up against the Penalties which they thought they had
evaded or defied. The men of knowledge and faith knew all along of the true
values of the things of this ephemeral life and the things that will endure and
face them at the End, – unlike the wrong-doers who were content with
falsehoods and were taken by surprise, like ignorant men, when they faced the
Realities. No excuse of the Transgressors shall be of any use to them and it
would be unreasonable to suppose that they would then be asked to seek Grace
by repentance. It will then be too late. All the parables cited in the Qur-an for
the guidance of its readers have been elucidated, but the infidels still rejected
the Qur-an as the Holy Scripture. The fact of the matter was that they were so
much prejudiced against Islam and its Prophet, that even if a sign of God, as
stipulated by them, were shown to them, they would not believe in it. Thus
God has sealed the minds of those who have no understanding.