Al-Ma'aarij (The Ascending Stairways)

36. What is the matter with the disbelievers who hasten to come to you,

37. In groups on the right and on the left expecting to be admitted to Paradise?

38. Does everyone of them aspire to enter the Paradise abounding in Divine Bounties?

39. No, that is not like that! We have created them out of that which they know!

The preceding Verses treated of the characteristics of the believers and the disbelievers and their fates. The blessed Verses in question deal with the disbelievers and their derision of sacred matters.

Some Qur’an exegetes maintain that these blessed Verses were revealed concerning some polytheists who upon hearing the Noble Prophet (S) reciting some Resurrection Verses to the Muslims in Mecca, gathered to utter that if there be Resurrection, they will enjoy a far better state in the Hereafter than those believing him, since they enjoy a further comfortable life compared to those believing in him.

The blessed Verses 36-38 respond to their claims saying:

“What is the matter with the disbelievers who hasten to come to you, in groups on the right and on the left expecting to be admitted to Paradise? Does every one of them aspire to enter the Paradise abounding in Divine Bounties?”

How do they expect to be admitted to Paradise with their unworthy deeds? The Arabic plural nominal form muhti‘in is the accusative plural form of muhti‘ denoting one walking hastily with his neck raised up in quest of something and at times walks with his neck raised up searching for intelligence.

The Arabic nominal form ‘izin is applied to scattered groups and at times to being related to others, since groups getting together are somehow related or they pursue one single goal, hence the application of the word ‘iza to a group.

At any rate, the vain polytheists produced numerous, similar, unfounded claims and regarded their comfortable life, consequent to their unlawful acts like plunder as their exalted rank before Divine Threshold resorting to baseless analogies as to their elevated ranks in the Hereafter.

It is true that they did not believe in Resurrection as reflected in the Holy Qur’an, but at times they treated of it as a possibility, saying that had there been Resurrection, they would have such and such exalted positions in the Hereafter. They might have aimed at deriding such beliefs.

The blessed Verse 39 responds to their false claims, saying:

“No, that is not like that! We have created them out of that which they know!”

Such response aims to shatter their vanity, since it is said that they know from what they were created: a worthless drop of semen. So, what is the reason behind their vanity?

Furthermore, the blessed Verse responds to those who deride the belief in Resurrection by saying that if they entertain doubts as to the veracity of Resurrection, they may accord attention to the fact that God Almighty creates perfect beings out of a worthless drop of semen that undergoes developments in womb each and every day and it is created anew each time.

The other point is that such people whose record of deeds abounds with sins may not expect to be admitted to Paradise, since a being created out of a worthless drop of semen is materially ignoble and nobilities are consequent to having faith and doing righteous good deeds which they lack. So, how do they expect to set foot in the Gardens of Paradise?