330 Page Notes

21 Surah Al-Anbya (continued)

Page 330 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 330 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 330 of the standard Uthmani codex marks a profound transition in Surah Al-Anbya, covering verses 91 through 101.

This section begins with the miraculous virginal conception of Prophet Isa (Jesus) through Maryam (Mary), shifts into a warning about sectarian divisions in humanity, and culminates in a terrifying, vivid description of the breaking of the barrier of Yajuj and Majuj (Gog and Magog) at the end of time.

1. Hadith Context for Verse 91: The Status of Maryam

“And [mention] the one who guarded her chastity, so We blew into her through Our angel [Gabriel], and We made her and her son a sign for the worlds.” (Quran 21:91)

This verse praises Maryam for her absolute purity and protection of her virtue. The Sunnah places Maryam at the very pinnacle of human excellence, holding her up as a timeless role model.

• The Best Women of Mankind:
  Ali ibn Abi Talib reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
  "The best of the world's women [in her time] was Maryam, the daughter of 'Imran, and the best of the world's women [in her time] is Khadijah, the daughter of Khuwaylid."
  Source: Authentic (Sahih), Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of the Stories of the Prophets, Hadith 3432) and Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2430).

2. Hadith Context for Verses 96–97: The Breach of Gog and Magog

“Until, when [the dam of] Gog and Magog has been opened and they, from every elevation, are descending.” (Quran 21:96)

“And [then] the true promise has approached...” (Quran 21:97)

These verses contain one of the major eschatological (End Times) warnings in the Quran. Gog and Magog are a massive, destructive population currently trapped behind a physical barrier built by Dhul-Qarnayn. The Sunnah provides the precise, terrifying details of how this barrier will weaken.

• The Tear in the Barrier:
  Zaynab bint Jahsh narrated that the Prophet ﷺ awoke from his sleep one day with a flushed, red face, saying:
  "Woe to the Arabs from an evil that has drawn near! Today a hole like this has been opened in the barrier of Gog and Magog," and he made a circle with his thumb and index finger.
  Source: Authentic (Sahih), Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of Afflictions, Hadith 7059) and Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2880).

• Their Dynamic Descent:
  Verse 96 explicitly notes that they will swarm down "from every elevation" (min kulli hadabin yansilun). The Sunnah matches this linguistic description of sheer speed and overwhelming volume:
  The Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah will send Gog and Magog, and they will swarm down from every hillside. The first of them will pass by the Lake of Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) and drink all its water, and when the last of them passes, he will say: 'There used to be water here once...'"
  Source: Authentic (Sahih), Sahih Muslim (Book of Tribulations, Hadith 2937).

3. Hadith Context for Verses 98–101: The Fuel of Hell and the Saved Souls

“Indeed, you [disbelievers] and what you worship other than Allah are the fuel of Hell...” (Quran 21:98)

“Indeed, those for whom the best [reward] has preceded from Us – they are from it far removed.” (Quran 21:101)

The Debate Over Verse 98

When verse 98 was revealed stating that the pagans and whatever they worshiped would be thrown into Hell, a clever polytheist named Ibn al-Ziba’ra tried to trap the Prophet ﷺ in a logical paradox. He said: "If everything worshiped besides Allah is in Hell, then Jesus, Ezra, and the angels are also in Hell, because whole civilizations worshiped them!"

The Sunnah and classical historical commentaries record that Allah immediately revealed verse 101 as a direct legal clarification to shut down this argument.

• The Clarification for the Righteous:
  The Prophet ﷺ explained that verse 98 only applied to physical idols, or tyrants who desired and commanded people to worship them (like Pharaoh). For those holy figures who were worshiped against their will and lived lives of righteous devotion—like Prophet Isa (Jesus)—they are entirely safe.
  As Verse 101 establishes: "Indeed, those for whom the best reward has preceded from Us – they are from it [Hell] far removed."
  Source: Recorded by Imam Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir in their authoritative Tafsir (exegesis) compilations, tracing the historical reasons for revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul) back to the companions Ibn Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud.

References

• Al-Bukhari, M. I. (d. 870). Sahih al-Bukhari.

• Ibn Kathir, I. O. (d. 1373). Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim.

• Muslim, I. H. (d. 875). Sahih Muslim.