In the name of God, the Lord of Grace, the Ever Merciful
They swear by God with their most solemn oaths that if a warner should ever come to them, they would follow his guidance better than some other community, but when a warner did come to them, they turned away with increased aversion, behaving arrogantly in the land and plotting evil. Yet such evil scheming will engulf none but its authors. Can they expect anything but the way of those unbelievers of old times? No change will you ever find in God’s ways; no deviation will you ever find there.
Have they not traveled in the land and seen what happened in the end to those before them, even though they were much mightier than them? God can never be foiled by anything whatever in the heavens and the earth. He is All-Knowing, infinite in His power.
If God were to punish people (at once) for the wrongs they do, He would not leave a single living creature on the surface of the earth. However, He grants them respite for a term set (by Him). When their term comes to an end, (they realize that) God has all His servants in His sight.
(The Originator, Fatir, 35: 42-45)
The surah first speaks about the unbelievers and how they swear that they would do better than other communities if only they would have had a warner. It then reveals what they did when God gave them what they wished for, sending them a messenger to warn them: “But when a warner did come to them, they turned away with increased aversion, behaving arrogantly in the land and plotting evil.”
Needless to say, only a foul people would swear so strongly and then behave with such arrogance and evil. The surah exposes them, recording their behavior, before adding to their disgrace a warning to all who emulate such actions: “Yet such evil scheming will engulf none but its authors.” Thus, their evil will harm none but themselves. It will engulf and ruin them.
This being the case, what are they waiting for? They cannot wait for anything other than the fate that engulfed those who rejected the truth in the past. They are well aware of that fate. Hence, they can await for nothing other than the operation of God’s law which will never change: “Can they expect anything but the way of those unbelievers of old times? No change will you ever find in God’s ways; no deviation will you ever find there.”
Things never move haphazardly and life does not move aimlessly. There are constant laws that allow no change. The Qur’an states this truth and wants people to learn it so that they do not look at any event in isolation, overlooking the operation of God’s law. It draws their attention to the links and relations in life and the laws of existence, making it clear that these will always remain true. This present round gives an example of how the Qur’an draws people’s attention to this fact, after having confirmed that God’s laws remain constant: “Have they not traveled in the land and seen what happened in the end to those before them, even though they were much mightier than them? God can never be foiled by anything whatever in the heavens and the earth. He is All-Knowing, infinite in His power.”
When we travel with open eyes and alert minds, looking at the fates of earlier communities and how they perished after having commanded strength and power, this should give us clear inspiration and awaken our God-fearing sense. It is for this reason that the Qur’an often directs people to travel, look around and reflect. Unless people do so, they will remain oblivious of the truth, and they will not draw lessons from the fates of past communities. Nor will they link such events to the universal laws that apply to them. Yet this is the quality that distinguishes man from animals. By contrast, the whole of the human race is one unit vis-à-vis the unity of the system and the universal law that applies to all.
While they are made to contemplate the fates of earlier communities, whose greater power availed them of nothing, they are reminded of God’s might. It is He who sealed the fate of those communities, for nothing can withstand His power: “God can never be foiled by anything whatever in the heavens and the earth.” This is a truism, which is supported by clear explanation: “He is All-Knowing, infinite in His power.” His knowledge encompasses everything in the heavens and on earth. When His power is added to His perfect and absolute knowledge, nothing escapes Him or stands up to Him. Hence, nothing in the universe can foil His purpose. There is no way that anyone can escape His power or hide from His knowledge.
The last verse in the surah speaks of God’s forbearance and compassion, juxtaposing these with His power and knowledge. It emphasizes that people are given a chance, not punished immediately, but that this does not affect the eventual accurate reckoning of their deeds or the fairness of the results at the end. All this is an aspect of His grace: “If God were to punish people (at once) for the wrongs they do, He would not leave a single living creature on the surface of the earth. However, He grants them respite for a term set (by Him). When their term comes to an end, (they realize that) God has all His servants in His sight.”
People commit all sorts of bad actions, showing ingratitude for God’s favors, spreading evil and corruption on earth, committing all manner of injustices and excesses. Were God to mete out fair punishment to people for their actions, His punishment would have gone beyond them to include every living thing on the face of the earth. The whole planet would then be unsuitable for any type of life, not merely human life.
This highlights the terrible nature of what people perpetrate as a destructive force that could end life in its entirety. However, God does not take people to task straightaway; He forbears and gives them chances: “However, He grants them respite for a term set (by Him).” He grants respite to individuals until the end of their lives on earth, and gives communities respite to fulfill their responsibility in performing the task He has assigned mankind to build human life on earth, until they hand over to the next generation. He also grants respite to the human race until the end of human life in this world when the Last Hour arrives. He provides us with all these chances so that we mend our ways and improve our actions.
“When their term comes to an end...” when the time for work and earning reward is over; when it is time for reckoning and administering reward; God will not begrudge them anything of their reward. On the contrary, He will be fair to all: “God has all His servants in His sight.” The fact that He has them all in His sight ensures that they will be fairly requited for whatever they have done in their lives. Nothing serious or trivial will be discounted for or against them.
