Al-Ahqaf (The Dunes)
Verse 1 - 3
Table of Contents
Section (juz’): 26
Number of Verses: 35
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Placed at the beginning of the twenty sixth section of the Qur’an and revealed in Mecca, the Chapter consists of thirty five Verses. The word ahqaf is used in the sense of curved sand hills piled up due to the action of the wind. The land of the people of ‘Ad was covered by sand hills, hence the designation of Ahqaf.
The word appears in Verse 21 wherein the story of prophet Hud (Hod) and the people of ‘Ad are being mentioned. The Chapter is the last one among the seven Chapters beginning with detached or abbreviated letters Ha-Meem (HM) followed by the revelation and significance of the Qur’an.
Merits of the Chapter
According to a narration narrated by Imam Sadiq (as):
“One who recites Surah al-Ahqaf every night or every week is vouchsafed against the fears of this world and the world to come.”
Surah al-Ahqaf - Verses 1-3
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ حم (1) تَنْزِيلُ الْكِتابِ مِنَ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ (2) ما خَلَقْنَا السَّماواتِ وَ الْأَرْضَ وَ ما بَيْنَهُما إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ وَ أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّی وَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا عَمَّا أُنْذِرُوا مُعْرِضُونَ (3)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1. Ha-Meem.
2. The revelation of [this] Book is from Allah, the Omnipotent, the All-Wise.
3. We created neither the heavens nor the earth nor all that is between them except with truth and for an appointed term. But those who disbelieve turn away from that whereof they are warned.
Seven Chapters, namely Ghafir1 , Fussilat2 , Shura3 , Zukhruf4 , Dukhan5 , Jathiya6 , and Ahqaf7 open with the detached letters Ha-Meem (HM) and are well known as the Seven Ha-Meems.
The reiteration of
“Ha-Meem the revelation of [this] Book”
in a series of recurrent Chapters bears testimony to the fact that fundamental and significant issues are to be reiterated. Divine Glory (‘Izza) is one of the attributes of Allah, His Book8 , His Messenger (S), and believers9 . Divine Creation is based on Wisdom and Truth.
Encountering things of whose existential mysteries we are unaware may not affect the Creator but it stems from the restrictions of our knowledge as it is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an:
“We have not created the heavens, the earth, and all that is between them for mere play. We created them not except with truth; however, most of them know not”10 .
A meager attempt at attending to the verses following the detached letters Ha-Meem (HM) leads us to the fact that the Qur’an is from the springhead of Divine Omniscience, Glory, Omnipotence, and Wisdom. It is the source of Blessing, Bounty, and Grace. It is Illuminating and pondering on it leads one to intellection. The revelation of the Qur’an is merely possible from Omnipotent and All-Wise God, lying beyond the limited human power.
The second Verse, besides the Book of Compilation (tadwin), deals with the Book of Creation, making mention of the glory and truth of the heavens and the earth saying:
“We created neither the heavens nor the earth nor all that is between them except with truth.”
There is no single untrue word in His Book nor is there any unharmonious and untrue thing in His System of Creation. Everything is well calculated and stands in perfect harmony according to truth.
However, the world of creation has an end as it has a beginning.
In this vein, the Verse further adds:
“We have appointed a term for it,”
upon which the transient world will come to its end. Since this world is true and purposeful, there should naturally exist another world in which deeds be recompensed. Therefore, the truthfulness of this world bears testimony to the existence of resurrection, or else it would have been vain and abounding in wrong and oppression.
Despite the Truth of the Qur’an and the creation of the world,
“those who disbelieve turn away from that whereof they are warned.”
On the one hand, Qur’anic Verses recurrently warn them of the Great Tribunal awaiting them and on the other hand, the world of creation, with certain orders of its, warns the negligent that everything shall be reckoned; nonetheless, they heed neither of the twain warnings.
The present participle mu’ridhun “turning away,” from the root ‘-r-dh, demonstrates that attending to the Ayat (“Verses; Signs”) of creation and compilation may enable one to comprehend the Truth; however, they turn away from Truth lest that it may not affect their passions and lusts.”