504 Page Notes

46 Surah Al-Ahqaf (continued)

Page 504 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 504 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Surah Al-Ahqaf (Chapter 46), verses 15 through 20, provides a profound contrast between the behavior of a righteous person—who honors their parents and repents to Allah—and the behavior of an ungrateful child who mocks the promise of resurrection.

1. Kindness to Parents (Verse 15)

Verse 15 is one of the most significant Quranic passages regarding parental rights. It details the mother's struggle (pregnancy, childbirth, and weaning) and sets the period of pregnancy and weaning at thirty months.

• Connection to Sunnah: This verse is frequently linked to a famous Hadith that elevates the status of the mother. When a man asked the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), "Who among people is most deserving of my fine treatment?", the Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Your mother," and repeated this three times before saying, "Then your father" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5971; Sahih Muslim 2548).

• Legal Significance: Classical scholars, including Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA), used this verse in conjunction with others (2:233 and 31:14) to deduce that the minimum period of human gestation is six months. This legal deduction is well-documented in the works of Tafsir and Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh).

2. The Righteous Child (Verse 15–16)

The verses describe a person who, upon reaching the age of maturity (forty years), prays for the ability to be grateful for the favors bestowed upon them and their parents, and to perform righteous deeds that please Allah.

• The Reward: Allah promises that He will accept the "best of their deeds and overlook their evil deeds," ensuring their place among the people of Paradise. This highlights the importance of maturity, reflection, and continuous repentance (tawbah) in the life of a believer.

3. The Rebellious Child (Verse 17–18)

In sharp contrast, verses 17–18 depict a child who says "Uff" (an expression of contempt/impatience) to their parents, mocks the concept of the Resurrection, and dismisses divine truth as "fables of the ancients."

• The Consequence: These verses warn that such individuals, who are ungrateful to their parents and defiant toward God, will be among the "losers" along with the generations of jinn and men who passed away before them.

• Exegesis: While some early reports linked verse 17 to specific individuals (such as Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr before he embraced Islam, though this is debated among scholars), most commentators treat it as a parable for a universal type of person: the arrogant youth who rejects the guidance offered by their believing parents and falls into materialistic disbelief.

Summary for Reflection

• The Mother's Triple Right: The Quran emphasizes that the mother's sacrifice—pregnancy, birth, and weaning—creates a unique obligation for the child, a point the Prophet (ﷺ) reinforced as a cornerstone of family ethics.

• The Milestone of Forty: Verse 15 highlights the age of forty as a pivotal time of transition and reflection, where one should pivot toward gratitude, righteousness, and securing a legacy of faith for one's own offspring.

• The Futility of Arrogance: The "Uff" mentioned in verse 17 is a warning against any expression of disrespect toward parents, as such ingratitude often mirrors a deeper rebellion against the Creator.

Page 504 of the Holy Quran contains Surah Al-Ahqaf (Chapter 46), Verses 15 through 20. This page opens with one of the most celebrated and emotionally stirring passages in the Quran regarding the rights of parents—detailing the immense sacrifices of the mother and providing a beautiful blueprint for a prayer of gratitude when reaching maturity. It then draws a sharp contrast by describing an ungrateful, rebellious child who mocks the resurrection, and concludes with the final accounting of the disbelievers as they face the Hellfire for squandering their blessings in the worldly life.

Classical Tafsir (including Ibn Kathir, Al-Qurtubi, and Al-Tabari) connects several foundational Hadiths and Sunnah narratives to these verses:

1. The Right of Parents and the Sacrifice of the Mother (Verse 15)

“And We have enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship, and his bearing and weaning is thirty months...”

The Utmost Station of the Mother

While this verse commands goodness to both parents, it explicitly highlights the unique physical hardships endured by the mother (“carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship”). The authentic Sunnah mirrors this exact emphasis, elevating the mother's right to companionship above all others.

Abu Hurayrah reported that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and asked:

"O Messenger of Allah, who among the people is most deserving of my good companionship?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Your mother." The man asked, "Then who?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Your mother." The man asked, "Then who?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Your mother." The man asked, "Then who?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Then your father." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 5971; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2548)

The Timeline of Pregnancy and Weaning

Verse 15 states that the combined duration of carrying (pregnancy) and weaning the child is thirty months ($30$ months).

Classical commentators note a famous legal decree from the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs involving Ali ibn Abi Talib and Umar ibn al-Khattab. A woman gave birth to a child after only six months of marriage, and Umar was about to penalize her, assuming adultery. Ali intervened by referencing this verse alongside Surah Al-Baqarah (2:233), which states: “Mothers may breastfeed their children two complete years [24 months].” By subtracting $24$ months of weaning from the $30$ months mentioned here in Surah Al-Ahqaf, Ali deduced that the minimum biological duration for a viable human pregnancy is six months. Umar praised his profound understanding and rescinded the penalty. (Recorded in Tafsir Ibn Kathir and Al-Bayhaqi’s Sunan al-Kubra)

2. Reaching Full Maturity and the Prayer of Gratitude (Verse 15)

“...until, when he reaches maturity and reaches [the age of] forty years, he says, 'My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to work righteousness of which You approve and make righteous for me my offspring. Indeed, I have repented to You, and indeed, I am of the Muslims.'”

Context of Revelation: Abu Bakr al-Siddiq

Major scholars of Tafsir, including Ibn Abbas, state that while this verse applies to all believers, it was specifically revealed concerning the Prophet's closest companion, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq.

Abu Bakr is uniquely celebrated in Islamic history because he was the only major companion of his stature whose entire direct lineage accepted Islam—his parents (Abu Quhafa and Umm al-Khair), himself, his children (including Aisha and Asma), and his grandchildren. When Abu Bakr reached $40$ years of age, he made this exact supplication. Allah answered it by guiding his entire family to righteousness, fulfilling the promise of the subsequent verse (Verse 16): “Those are the ones from whom We will accept the best of what they did...” (Recorded in Tafsir al-Qurtubi and Tafsir al-Baghawi)

3. The Tragedy of the Rebellious Child (Verse 17)

“But one who says to his parents, 'Uff to you! Do you promise me that I will be brought forth [from the earth] when lanes before me have already passed [into oblivion]?' while they call to Allah for help [and say to their child], 'Woe to you! Believe! Indeed, the promise of Allah is truth.' But he says, 'This is not but legends of the former peoples'”

Contextual Clarification via Aisha

A fascinating historical event recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari provides crucial context for this verse, correcting a historical political smear.

During the Umayyad dynasty, the governor of Medina, Marwan ibn al-Hakam, attempted to force the allegiance of the people to Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah. When Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr (the son of Abu Bakr) publicly protested against this hereditary rule, Marwan tried to discredit him by claiming from the pulpit: "This is the man about whom Allah revealed the verse: 'But one who says to his parents, Uff to you!...'"

When this reached Mother of the Believers Aisha, she fiercely defended her brother from the palace pulpit, setting the historical record straight:

"Marwan has lied! By Allah, this was not revealed about him. If I wished to name the person about whom it was revealed, I could name him. Rather, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not receive any verses specifically condemning our family line..." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 4827)

Note: Commentators clarify that the verse applies broadly to any arrogant disbeliever who breaks the bonds of parent-child respect and denies the Resurrection.

4. Consuming All Blessings in the Dunya (Verse 20)

“And the Day those who disbelieved are exposed to the Fire [it will be said], 'You exhausted your good things during your worldly life and enjoyed them, so today you will be awarded the punishment of [extreme] humiliation because you were arrogant upon the earth without right and because you were defiantly disobedient.'”

The Sunnah of Voluntary Restraint

This verse serves as a terrifying warning to those who indulge mindlessly in luxury, consuming all their good things (Tayyibatikum) in the temporary life, leaving nothing for their scale of deeds in the Hereafter.

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) lived a lifestyle of intense material minimalism specifically to protect himself from this spiritual vulnerability. The Sahabah took this teaching so deeply to heart that they would actively weep or refuse excessive luxuries out of fear that they might inadvertently fall under the scope of this verse.

• Jabir bin Abdullah narrated that Umar ibn al-Khattab once saw a man carrying meat and asked what it was. The man said, "I purchased meat because I craved it." Umar responded by reminding him of this exact concept, warning: "Does any of you want to expand his stomach at the expense of his neighbor or cousin? Beware of this verse: 'You exhausted your good things during your worldly life...'" (Recorded in Imam Malik’s Al-Muwatta, Book 49, Hadith 36; Tafsir Ibn Kathir)