Tafseer of The Originator · Faatir · 35:43
[Due to] arrogance in the land and plotting of evil; but the evil plot does not encompass except its own people. Then do they await except the way of the former peoples? But you will never find in the way of Allah any change, and you will never find in the way of Allah any alteration.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
His word اسْتِكْبَارًا فِي الأرْضِ ("out of arrogance on earth") — He says: they fled away out of arrogance on earth and out of evil scheming, and that was because they restrained the weak from following him, in addition to their disbelief in him. And the scheming (al-makr) here is: the ascribing of partners to Allah (al-shirk).
As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: وَمَكْرَ السَّيِّئِ ("and the evil scheming") — and that is shirk. The scheming is annexed to "the evil" (al-sayyiʾ), while "the evil" is a qualification of the scheming, just as it is said إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ حَقُّ الْيَقِينِ ("Indeed, this is the true certainty"). And it has been said: that occurs in the recitation of ʿAbd Allāh as وَمَكْرًا سَيِّئًا, and therein lies the confirmation of the statement we have made, namely that "the evil" is in meaning a qualification of the scheming. The reciters of the cities recited it — with the exception of al-Aʿmash and Ḥamza — with a vowelled hamza in the genitive. And al-Aʿmash and Ḥamza recited it with a hamza and with the silencing of the hamza, reasoning that, when the vowel-movements in it became many, it became heavy, so they silenced the hamza, as the poet said:
"When they become crooked, I say: companion, make straight" (1)
wherein he silenced the bāʾ on account of the abundance of vowel-movements.
And the correct of the recitations is that to which the reciters of the cities adhere, namely the vowelling of the hamza to the genitive. And it is not permissible in the Qurʾān that one recite with everything that is permissible in Arabic, because the recitation is only that with which the past imams recited and what the predecessors (al-salaf) transmitted in the manner in which they took it from those who preceded them.
And His word وَلا يَحِيقُ الْمَكْرُ السَّيِّئُ إِلا بِأَهْلِهِ ("and the evil scheming befalls none but its practitioners") — He says: and the evil scheming descends only upon its practitioners, that is, upon those who devise it; and what is meant is only that the evil of that scheming which these mushrikūn devised descends only upon themselves.
And Qatāda said concerning it what Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: وَلا يَحِيقُ الْمَكْرُ السَّيِّئُ إِلا بِأَهْلِهِ — and that is shirk.
And His word فَهَلْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلا سُنَّةَ الأوَّلِينَ ("do they then await anything but the way [dealt with] the former peoples?") — He, exalted is His mention, says: do these mushrikūn from among your people, O Muḥammad, await anything but Allah's way with them in the near [life] of this world on account of their disbelief in Him, namely the painful punishment? He says: do these await anything but that I bring upon them — on account of My vengeance for their ascribing partners to Me and their denial of My Messenger — the like of that which I brought upon their likes among the communities that preceded them?
As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, His word فَهَلْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلا سُنَّةَ الأوَّلِينَ — that is to say: the punishment of the former peoples; فَلَنْ تَجِدَ لِسُنَّةِ اللَّهِ تَبْدِيلا ("and you will never find any alteration in the way of Allah") — He says: you will not find, O Muḥammad, any change in the way of Allah.
And His word وَلَنْ تَجِدَ لِسُنَّةِ اللَّهِ تَحْوِيلا ("and you will never find any deflection in the way of Allah") — He says: and you will not find, in the way of Allah regarding His creatures, any change. He says: no one will alter that nor change it, for there is no turning away from His decree.
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Footnotes:
(1) The verse belongs to the evidentiary verses of al-Farrāʾ in Maʿānī al-Qurʾān (folio 267). He said: and His word مكر السيئ: the scheming is annexed to "the evil," while it is the same thing, just as He said: إن هذا لهو حق اليقين. And the confirmation of that lies in the narration of ʿAbd Allāh: ومكرًا سيئًا. And in His word مكر السيئ the hamza in al-sayyiʾ is in the genitive, but al-Aʿmash and Ḥamza congealed (silenced) it on account of the abundance of vowel-movements, just as He said: لا يحزنهم الفزع الأكبر; the poet said:
"When they become crooked, I say: companion, make straight"
he means: O companion, make straight, wherein he congealed the bāʾ on account of the abundance of vowel-movements. Al-Farrāʾ said: al-Ruwāsī related to me, on the authority of Abū ʿAmr ibn al-ʿAlāʾ: لا يحزنهم in congealed (silenced) form. End.
