Atheists in Quran (49) they came to eradicate Islam

The Atheists announced that they came from Makkah to Al-Madinah to kill the Prophet Muhammad and eradicate Islam and Muslims from the face of the Earth.

See what happened to them and what the Angels have done to them!

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Background of the verses 8:50-51

Date: more than 1400 years ago

Place: nearby Al-Madinah in the Arabia

Event: the first battle between the Atheists among the Arabs and the believers

The name of the battle: the Day of “Badr”

Situation: The Atheists were about 1000 well-armed men

                The believers were 300 weakly armed men

Media: the Atheists announced that they came from Makkah to Al-Madinah to kill the Prophet Muhammad and eradicate Islam and Muslims from the face of the Earth

Result: Muslims won and the Atheists severely lost the battle. About 100 Atheists killed, another 100 captivated and the rest flee from the shock of such result.

Was this the only fate of the Atheists?

No

The meanings of the verses 8:50-51

If you could see O Muhammad and believers how the angels, on the Day of Badr, take away the Atheists’ souls, smiting their faces and their backs and saying unto them:

Taste the severe punishment of burning.

This chastisement is for what your hands have done while you were unbelieving know that Allah is just to His servants, such that he would not punish them for no sin.

Know that Allah is not a tyrant to His servants such that He would take them to task without them having committed a crime.

Allah’s Justice is for all

We see the angels acting on Allah’s instructions and by His permission, reproaching the unbelievers and meting out punishment to them. They gather their souls in a very harsh manner and dole out to them the sort of treatment that befits their arrogance and conceit. Even in the most difficult of times, they remind them of their evil deeds and tell them of their inevitable destiny. There is no injustice in what they are about to suffer. It is only what they deserve.

The verse makes it clear that punishing the unbelievers for their misdeeds is a constant law that Allah has set into operation:

The two verses, however, may also be taken as a reference to a continuing situation that applies whenever the angels gather the souls of unbelievers.

In this case the opening phrase, “if you could but see”, may be understood as an address to anyone with eyes to see. This type of address is used frequently to direct attention to certain matters that need to be contemplated.

The verses portray a fearful picture of the unbelievers as the angels gather their souls, adding humiliation to their misery and combining physical suffering with death:

“If you could but see how the angels gather up the souls of the unbelievers. They strike them on their faces and their backs.”

The mode of expression then changes from that of reporting to an address:

“Taste the punishment of burning.”

This serves to bring the sight blooming as though it is happening now in front of our eyes. We almost see the fire of hell and how it burns them fiercely.

The unbelievers are severely reproached as they are pushed into it:

“[this is] in return for what your own hands have committed.”

It is all a fitting recompense. You deserve it all on account of what you have done:

“Never does Allah do any injustice to His servants.”

The infliction of suffering and humiliation on the unbelievers is a permanent law that does not change.

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The verses 8:50-51 in different translations:

QARIB:

50-If you could see the angels when they carry off the souls of the unbelievers, beating their faces and their backs, saying: ‘taste the punishment of burning!

51-That is for what your hands have forwarded, Allah is not unjust to his worshipers. ‘

SHAKIR:

50-And had you seen when the angels will cause to die those who disbelieve, smiting their faces and their backs, and (saying): taste the punishment of burning

51-This is for what your own hands have sent on before, and because Allah is not in the least unjust to the servants;

PICKTHAL:

50-If thou couldst see how the angels receive those who disbelieve, smiting faces and their backs and (saying): taste the punishment of burning!

51-This is for that which your own hands have sent before (to the judgment), and (know) that Allah is not a tyrant to his slaves.

YUSUFALI:

50-If thou couldst see, when the angels take the souls of the unbelievers (at death), (how) they smite their faces and their backs, (saying): “taste the penalty of the blazing fire-

51-“Because of (the deeds) which your (own) hands sent forth; for Allah is never unjust to his servants:

Atheists in Quran (19) Travel and broaden your mind

The Quran says to the Atheists: Travel in the land, take admonition from the nature of the sequel for the unbelievers; and read the History to realize how the end of the Atheists was!

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The meanings of the verses 27:66-69:

Has the Atheists’ knowledge come to comprise and attained the Hereafter?

Such that they have reason to ask about the time of its coming.

Their knowledge is in consensus that there is no Hereafter

Nay, for they are in doubt of it.

Rather they are heart-blind to it

Linguistically, this Quranic statement is more powerful than the preceding one

The Atheists say, also in rejecting the idea of resurrection:

What! When our fathers and we are dust shall we indeed be brought forth again to life from the graves?

Shall we verily be brought forth (again)) given life again and brought out of the graves?

Our fathers and we have been already promised this before. Nevertheless these are just the legendary fables of the ancients; these are but lies.

We were promised this, which you are promising us, before us.

All this, which you are promising us, O Muhammad, is naught but fables tales (of the men of old.

Could it be true that after life has departed from us, and our bodies have decomposed and been reduced to dust and ashes, we will be brought back to life? Is it true that we and our forefathers, who died long before us, will be raised up from the earth when we have become part of its dust?

This physical image acts as a barrier preventing them from accepting the possibility of future life. They forget that they have been brought into this life from nothing.

Say: ‘Travel in the land and see how the sequel was for the criminals’, because of their denials — and this [sequel] is that they were destroyed with punishment.

Allah commanded,

Say O Muhammad, to the Atheists:

Travel in the land and see.

Travel in the land take admonition from the nature of the sequel for the guilty

Travel in the land and see how the end of the Atheists was!

In other word, read the History to realize how the end of the Atheists was!

At this point, the Quran directs the Atheists to turn their minds to the end met by earlier communities, which, like them, denied the warnings given by Allah’s messengers

The Atheists are described here as the guilty ones

What happened to those who were guilty in the past may happen to the guilty in later generations, because the divine laws admit no favoritism. Travelling about the land was certain to inform them of experiences, and these would contain a lesson for them. It would open their minds and hearts to light. The Quran directs people to learn of the operation of the divine laws to broaden their vision and give wider dimension to their lives.

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The verses 27:66-69 in different translations:

QARIB:

66- No, their knowledge fails them as to the everlasting life; no, they are in doubt about it, no, they are blind to it.

67- The unbelievers say: ‘when we and our fathers are turned to dust, shall we be brought forth?

68- We were promised this before, and so were our fathers. it is but the fictitious story of the ancients. ‘

69-Say: ‘journey in the land and see what was the end of the sinners. SHAKIR:

66- Nay, their knowledge respecting the hereafter is slight and hasty; nay, they are in doubt about it; nay, they are quite blind to it

67- And those who disbelieve say: what! when we have become dust and our fathers (too), shall we certainly be brought forth?

68-We have certainly been promised this, we and our fathers before; these are naught but stories of the ancients

69-Say: travel in the earth, then see how was the end of the guilty

PICKTHAL:

66- Nay, but doth their knowledge reach to the hereafter? nay, for they are in doubt concerning it. Nay, for they cannot see it.

67- Yet those who disbelieve say: when we have become dust like our fathers, shall we verily be brought forth (again)?

68-We were promised this, forsooth, we and our fathers. (all) this is naught but fables of the men of old.

69-Say (unto them, o Muhammad): travel in the land and see the nature of the sequel for the guilty!

YUSUFALI:

66- Still less can their knowledge comprehend the hereafter: nay, they are in doubt and uncertainty thereanent; nay, they are blind thereunto!

67- The unbelievers say: “what! When we become dust, – we and our fathers, – shall we really be raised (from the dead)?

68-“it is true we were promised this, – we and our fathers before (us): these are nothing but tales of the ancients.”

69-Say: “go ye through the earth and see what has been the end of those guilty (of sin).”