سُوْرَةُ الشَّمْسِ
Surah Ash-Shams (91) — Ayah 8
فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا ﴿8﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Then He showed him what is wrong for him and what is right for him.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَأَلْهَمَهَا
fa-alhamahā
And He inspired it
فُجُورَهَا
fujūrahā
(to distinguish) its wickedness
وَتَقْوَىٰهَا
wataqwāhā
and its righteousness
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
8. Then inspired it with its wickedness and its righteousness [8].
[8]
The Difference Between Ilham and Revelation:
﴿فَاَلْهَمَهَا﴾: Ilham means that matter which is placed into the heart directly from Allah Almighty or from the Exalted Assembly without any intermediary, and it also means to grant understanding and insight, to give ability. Ilham can also be from Satan when it is against the clear texts of Shariah. The fundamental difference between revelation (wahy) and ilham is that ilham applies only to those with intellect, whereas revelation is general. The second difference is that ilham is related to doing or not doing a particular action, whereas revelation is much broader.
The Three Forms of Ilham:
There are several forms of ilham. One form is what we can call natural revelation. For example, Allah Almighty has taught a bird’s chick to fly in the air as soon as it is born, or taught a fish to swim in water, or taught the honeybee to build such an amazing hive, or taught a human baby to move towards the mother’s breasts and suck milk. If Allah Almighty had not placed these things in nature, there would have been no way to teach such things to the ignorant newborn. The second form of ilham is the sudden understanding of something that cannot be the result of human mental effort. Thus, all the discoveries and inventions of science have not come as a result of human mental effort, but have come into existence as a result of such ilham. The third form of ilham is related only to morals, and this is what is mentioned in this verse, that is, the distinction between good and evil has been placed in the nature of every human being. Then a person’s conscience constantly warns him, due to which he often feels intense remorse upon doing something wrong, and feels happy after doing good to someone. This sense and distinction is a universal reality, on the basis of which there has never been any human society in the world devoid of the concept of good and evil.
[8]
The Difference Between Ilham and Revelation:
﴿فَاَلْهَمَهَا﴾: Ilham means that matter which is placed into the heart directly from Allah Almighty or from the Exalted Assembly without any intermediary, and it also means to grant understanding and insight, to give ability. Ilham can also be from Satan when it is against the clear texts of Shariah. The fundamental difference between revelation (wahy) and ilham is that ilham applies only to those with intellect, whereas revelation is general. The second difference is that ilham is related to doing or not doing a particular action, whereas revelation is much broader.
The Three Forms of Ilham:
There are several forms of ilham. One form is what we can call natural revelation. For example, Allah Almighty has taught a bird’s chick to fly in the air as soon as it is born, or taught a fish to swim in water, or taught the honeybee to build such an amazing hive, or taught a human baby to move towards the mother’s breasts and suck milk. If Allah Almighty had not placed these things in nature, there would have been no way to teach such things to the ignorant newborn. The second form of ilham is the sudden understanding of something that cannot be the result of human mental effort. Thus, all the discoveries and inventions of science have not come as a result of human mental effort, but have come into existence as a result of such ilham. The third form of ilham is related only to morals, and this is what is mentioned in this verse, that is, the distinction between good and evil has been placed in the nature of every human being. Then a person’s conscience constantly warns him, due to which he often feels intense remorse upon doing something wrong, and feels happy after doing good to someone. This sense and distinction is a universal reality, on the basis of which there has never been any human society in the world devoid of the concept of good and evil.
