Surah Ash-Shura (42) — Ayah 16

(Ayah 16) ➊ {وَ الَّذِيْنَ يُحَآجُّوْنَ فِي اللّٰهِ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ …: ’’ دَاحِضَةٌ ‘‘ ’’دَحَضَ يَدْحَضُ دَحْضًا و دُحُوْضًا ‘‘} (F) {’’دَحَضَتِ الْحُجَّةُ‘‘} The invalidity of the argument and the slipping of the foot. {’’دَحَضَتِ الرِّجْلُ‘‘} also means dispute and also argument. In the previous verse it was said: « لَا حُجَّةَ بَيْنَنَا وَ بَيْنَكُمْ » that "there is no dispute between us and you," because the truth was conveyed to you, now there is no benefit in arguing. In this verse it is said that when Allah's word has been accepted, its truth has become clear, so much so that many intelligent people have accepted it and many have acknowledged it in their hearts, yet people are still arguing about Allah without reason and, in their opinion, are bringing very strong arguments. Sometimes they argue about His oneness, as He said: « اَجَعَلَ الْاٰلِهَةَ اِلٰهًا وَّاحِدًا » [ صٓ : ۵ ] "Has he made all the gods into one God?" Sometimes they argue about His power to resurrect, as He said: «مَنْ يُّحْيِ الْعِظَامَ وَ هِيَ رَمِيْمٌ » [ یٰسٓ : ۷۸ ] "Who will give life to the bones when they are decayed?" Sometimes they argue about Him sending a human as a Messenger, as He said: « وَ قَالُوْا مَالِ هٰذَا الرَّسُوْلِ يَاْكُلُ الطَّعَامَ وَ يَمْشِيْ فِي الْاَسْوَاقِ » [الفرقان : ۷ ] "And they said, 'What is with this Messenger that he eats food and walks in the markets?'" Sometimes, to justify making partners with Him, they declare their deities as intercessors with Allah and as those who bring them near to Him, as He said: « هٰۤؤُلَآءِ شُفَعَآؤُنَا عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ» [ یونس : ۱۸ ] "These are our intercessors with Allah." And He said: « مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ اِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُوْنَاۤ اِلَى اللّٰهِ زُلْفٰى» [ الزمر : ۳ ] "We do not worship them except that they may bring us nearer to Allah." All these and similar supposed arguments of theirs are invalid and useless in the sight of Allah; they will gain nothing from this dispute.
➋ The tanween on { وَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ: ’’ غَضَبٌ ‘‘} is for magnification, meaning upon them is a great wrath.
➌ { وَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيْدٌ:} whose manifestation in this world was the fear imposed on the people of Makkah, famine, the Battle of Badr, and in other encounters, and whose severity on the Day of Resurrection was narrated by Nu'man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with them both) from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ أَهْوَنَ أَهْلِ النَّارِ عَذَابًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ لَرَجُلٌ تُوْضَعُ فِيْ أَخْمَصِ قَدَمَيْهِ جَمْرَةٌ يَغْلِيْ مِنْهَا دِمَاغُهُ ] [ بخاري، الرقاق، باب صفۃ الجنۃ والنار : ۶۵۶۱ ] "On the Day of Resurrection, the person among the people of the Fire with the lightest punishment will be the one in the soles of whose feet a burning coal will be placed, from which his brain will boil."