Surah Az-Zumar Ayat 67 (39:67 Quran) With Tafsir

Ala-Maududi

(39:67) They did not recognise the true worth of Allah.^[75] (Such is Allah’s power that) on the Day of Resurrection the whole earth will be in His grasp, and the heavens shall be folded up in His Right Hand.^[76] Glory be to Him! Exalted be He from all that they associate with Him.^[77]

75. That is, they have no conception of the greatness and glory of Allah; they have never tried to understand how high is the position of the Lord of the Universe and how insignificant are the beings whom these foolish people have made associates in Godhead and worthy of their worship.

76. This is a figurative way of describing the complete control and authority of Allah over the earth and heavens. Just as a man encloses a small ball in the hollow of his hand with perfect ease, or a person rolls up an handkerchief in his hand without any difficulty, so will all men (who fail to conceive the greatness and glory of Allah) see with their own eyes, on the Day of Resurrection, that the earth and the heavens are like an ordinary ball and a small scroll in the hand of Allah. Traditions have been related in Musnad Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim, Nasai, Ibn Majah, Ibn Jarir and others, on the authority of Abdullah bin Umar and Abu Hurairah, that once during a sermon the Prophet (peace be upon him) recited this verse and then said: Allah will hold the heavens and the earths (i.e. the planets) in His grasp and will roll them about in such a way as a child rolls a ball, and will say: I am God, the One: I am the King: I am the All-Mighty, Owner of glory: Where are the kings of the world? Where are the tyrants? Where are the arrogant? Saying these words he started so shaking that we feared that he might topple over along with the pulpit.

77. That is, there is no comparison whatever between Allah’s greatness and glory and the insignificance of those who are associated with Him in Godhead.

Ibn-Kathir

67. They made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him. And on the Day of Resurrection the whole of the earth will be grasped by His Hand and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand. Glorified be He, and High be He above all that they associate as partners with Him!

(They made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him.) means, the idolators did not give Allah His due when they worshipped others alongside Him. He is the Almighty, and there is none mightier than Him; He is the One Who is able to do all things; He is the Owner of all things and everything is under His control and power. Mujahid said, “This was revealed concerning Quraysh.” As-Suddi said, “They did not venerate Him as He deserves to be venerated.” Muhammad bin Ka`b said, “If they had made a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him, they would not have lied.” `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

(They made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him.) “These are the disbeliever who did not believe that Allah had power over them. Whoever believes that Allah is able to do all things, has made a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him, and whoever does not believe that, has not made a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him.” Many Hadiths have been narrated concerning this Ayah and how it and other Ayat like it are to be interpreted and accepted without any attempts to twist or change the meaning. Concerning the Ayah,

(They made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him. ) Al-Bukhari recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “One of the rabbis came to the Messenger of Allah and said, `O Muhammad! We learn that Allah will put the heavens on one finger, the earths on one finger, the trees on one finger, the water and dust on one finger, and the rest of creation on one finger, then He will say: I am the King.’ The Messenger of Allah smiled so broadly that his molars could be seen, in confirmation of what the rabbi had said. Then the Messenger of Allah recited:

(They made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him. And on the Day of Resurrection the whole of the earth will be grasped by His Hand).” Al-Bukhari also recorded this in other places of his Sahih. It was also recorded by Imam Ahmad and Muslim, and by At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa’i in the (books of) Tafsir in their Sunans. Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah say:

(Allah will grasp the earth and roll up the heavens in His Right Hand, then He will say: “I am the King, where are the kings of the earth”)” This version was recorded only by Al-Bukhari; Muslim recorded another version. Al-Bukhari also recorded from Ibn `Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah said:

(On the Day of Resurrection, Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, will grasp the earth with one finger, and the heavens will be in His Right Hand, then He will say, “I am the King.”) This version was also recorded by Al-Bukhari It is recorded that Ibn `Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “The Messenger of Allah recited this Ayah on the Minbar one day:

(They made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him. On the Day of Resurrection the whole earth will be grasped by His Hand and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand. Glorified be He, and High be He above all that they associate as partners with Him!) The Messenger of Allah said while moving his hand forward and backward:

(And the Lord will glorify Himself, saying “I am Compeller, I am the Proud, I am the King, I am the Mighty, I am the Most Generous.”) And the Minbar shook so much that we feared that the Messenger of Allah would fall.” This was also recorded by Muslim, An-Nasa’i and Ibn Majah.