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1.  *     Praise be to Allah, to Whom belong all things in the heavens and on earth: to Him be Praise in the Hereafter: and He is Full of Wisdom, acquainted with all things.     ALL PRAISE is due to God, to whom all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth belongs; and to Him will be due all praise in the life to come. For He alone is truly wise, all-aware:     The praise/gratitude/thanks (is) to God who for Him (is) what (is) in the skies/space and the earth/Planet Earth, and for Him (is) the praise/gratitude/thanks in the end (other life), and He (is) the wise/judicious, the expert/experienced.     swr+ sba bsm allh alrHmn alrHym ? alHmd llh alXy lh mafy alsmawat wmafy alarD wlh alHmd fy alaKr+ whw alHkym alKbyr
 
2.  *     He knows all that goes into the earth, and all that comes out thereof; all that comes down from the sky and all that ascends thereto and He is the Most Merciful, the Oft-Forgiving.     He knows all that enters the earth, and all that comes out of it, as well as all that descends from the skies, and all that ascends to them. [This definition comprises things physical and spiritual: waters disappearing underground and reappearing; the metamorphosis of seed into plant, and of decaying plant into oil and coal; traces of old artifacts and entire civilizations buried in the earth and then reappearing within the sight and consciousness of later generations of men; the transformation of dead bodies of animals and men into elements of nourishment for new life; the ascent of earthy vapours towards the skies, and their descent as rain, snow or hail; the ascent towards the heavens of men's longings, hopes and ambitions, and the descent of divine inspiration into the minds of men, and thus a revival of faith and thought and, with it, the growth of new artifacts, new skills and new hopes: in short, the endless recurrence of birth, death and re-birth which characterizes all of God's creation.] And He alone is a dispenser of grace, truly-forgiving.     He knows what enters/penetrates in the earth/Planet Earth, and what appears/emerges from it, and what descends from the sky/space, and what ascends/zigzags in it, and He is the most merciful, the forgiving.     y`lm maylj fy alarD wmayKrj mnha wmaynzl mn alsma' wmay`rj fyha whw alrHym alGfwr
 
3.  *     The Unbelievers say, "Never to us will come the Hour": Say, "Nay! but most surely, by my Lord, it will come upon you;- by Him Who knows the unseen,- from Whom is not hidden the least little atom in the heavens or on earth: Nor is there anything less than that, or greater, but is in the Record Perspicuous:     And yet, they who are bent on denying the truth assert, "Never will the Last Hour come upon us!" [This assertion of the godless has a twofold meaning: 1 "The universe is without beginning and without end: it can only change, but can never cease to exist" - which amounts to a denial of the fact that God alone is eternal; and 2 "There is no resurrection and divine judgment as symbolized by the Last Hour" - which amounts to a denial of life after death and, hence, of all significance and purpose attaching to human life as such.] Say: "Nay, by my Sustainer! By Him who knows all that is beyond the reach of a created being's perception: it will most certainly come upon you!" Not an atom's weight [of whatever there is] in the heavens or on earth escapes His knowledge; and neither is there anything smaller than that, or larger, but is recorded in [His] clear decree,     And those who disbelieved said: "The Hour/Resurrection does not come to us," Say: "Yes/ certainly, and (by) my Lord it comes to you (E), knower (of) the unseen/absent, a weight (of) a smallest particle of anything in the universe does not be far, hidden and distant from Him in the skies/space and the earth/Planet Earth and nor smaller/littler than that, and nor greater except in a clear/evident Book."     wqal alXyn kfrwa latatyna alsa`+ ql bli wrby ltatynkm `alm alGyb lay`zb `nh mxqal Xr+ fy alsmawat wlafy alarD wlaaSGr mn Xlk wlaakbr ala fy ktab mbyn
 
4.  *     That He may reward those who believe and work deeds of righteousness: for such is Forgiveness and a Sustenance Most Generous."     to the end that He may reward those who believe and do righteous deeds: [for] it is they whom forgiveness of sins awaits, and a most excellent sustenance [See note on 8:4.] -     To reward/reimburse those who believed and made/did the correct/righteous deeds, those for them (is) a forgiveness and an honoured/generous provision.     lyjzy alXyn amnwa w`mlwa alSalHat awlYk lhm mGfr+ wrzq krym
 
5.  *     But those who strive against Our Signs, to frustrate them,- for such will be a Penalty,- a Punishment most humiliating.     whereas for those who strive against Our messages, seeking to defeat their purpose, there is grievous suffering in store as an outcome of [their] vileness. [The particle mim (lit., "out of") which precedes the noun rijz ("vileness" or "vile conduct") indicates that the suffering which awaits such sinners in the life to come is an organic consequence of their deliberately evil conduct in this world.]     And those who strived/endeavored in Our verses/evidences disabling/frustrating, those for them (is) a torture from painful filth.     walXyn s`w fy ayatna m`ajzyn awlYk lhm `Xab mn rjz alym
 
6.  *     And those to whom knowledge has come see that the (Revelation) sent down to thee from thy Lord - that is the Truth, and that it guides to the Path of the Exalted (in might), Worthy of all praise.     NOW THEY who are endowed with [innate] knowledge are well aware that whatever has been bestowed upon thee from on high by thy Sustainer is indeed the truth, and that it guides onto the way that leads to the Almighty, the One to whom all praise is due!     And those who were given/brought the knowledge see/understand what was descended to you from your Lord, it is the truth and it guides to the glorious'/mighty's, the praise worthy's/commendable's road/path.     wyri alXyn awtwa al`lm alXy anzl alyk mn rbk hw alHq wyhdy ali SraT al`zyz alHmyd
 
7.  *     The Unbelievers say (in ridicule): "Shall we point out to you a man that will tell you, when ye are all scattered to pieces in disintegration, that ye shall (then be raised) in a New Creation?     As against this, they who are bent on denying the truth say [unto all who are of like mind]: "Shall we point out to you a man who will tell you that [after your death,] when you will have been scattered in countless fragments, you shall - lo and behold! - be [restored to life] in a new act of creation?     And those who disbelieved said: "Do (should) we guide/lead you on (to) a man (he) informs you if you were torn/dispersed, every/each tearing/dispersing, that you are in (E) a new creation?"     wqal alXyn kfrwa hl ndlkm `li rjl ynbYkm aXa mzqtm kl mmzq ankm lfy Klq jdyd
 
8.  *     "Has he invented a falsehood against Allah, or has a spirit (seized) him?"- Nay, it is those who believe not in the Hereafter, that are in (real) Penalty, and in farthest error.     Does he [knowingly] attribute his own lying inventions to God - or is he a madman?" Nay, [there is no madness in this Prophet -] but they who will not believe in the life to come are [bound to lose themselves] in suffering and in a profound aberration. [Lit., "remote aberration". (For the Quranic use of the term dalal - lit., "error" or "going astray" - in the sense of "aberration", see 12:8 and 12:95.) The construction of this phrase points definitely to suffering in this world (in contrast with the suffering in the hereafter spoken of in verse 5 above): for whereas the concept of "aberration" is meaningless in the context of the life to come, it has an obvious meaning in the context of the moral and social confusion - and, hence, of the individual and social suffering - which is the unavoidable consequence of people's loss of belief in the existence of absolute moral values and, thus, in an ultimate divine judgment on the basis of those values.]     Did he fabricate on God lies/falsehood ? Or (is there) with him insanity/madness? But those who do not believe with (in) the end (other life) (are) in the torture and the far/distant misguidance.     aftri `li allh kXba am bh jn+ bl alXyn layWmnwn balaKr+ fy al`Xab walDlal alb`yd
 
9.  *     See they not what is before them and behind them, of the sky and the earth? If We wished, We could cause the earth to swallow them up, or cause a piece of the sky to fall upon them. Verily in this is a Sign for every devotee that turns to Allah (in repentance).     Are they, then, not aware of how little of the sky and the earth lies open before them, and how much is hidden from them? [Lit., "... not aware of what of the sky and the earth is between their hands, and what is behind them": an idiomatic phrase explained in surah 2:255. In the present context - as well as in 2:255 - the above phrase stresses the insignificance of the knowledge attained to by man, or accessible to him; hence, so the argument goes, how can anyone be so presumptuous as to deny the reality of resurrection and life after death, seeing that it is a phenomenon beyond man's experience, while, on the other hand, everything within the universe points to God's unlimited creative power?] - [or that,] if We so willed, We could cause the earth to swallow them, [I.e., in an earthquake.] or cause fragments of the sky to fall down upon them? [This allusion to unpredictable geological and cosmic occurrences - earthquakes, the fall of meteors and meteorites, cosmic rays, and so forth - reinforces the statement about "how little of the sky and the earth lies open before them, and how much is hidden from them", and contrasts man's insignificance with God's omniscience and almightiness.]     Do they not see/understand to what (is) between their hands and what (is) behind them, from the sky/space and the earth/Planet Earth? If We will/want We make the earth/Planet Earth sink down/disappear or We drop on them pieces from the sky/space, that truly in that (is) an evidence/sign (E) to every/each repenting/returning to God slave/worshipper.     aflm yrwa ali mabyn aydyhm wmaKlfhm mn alsma' walarD an n$a nKsf bhm alarD aw nsqT `lyhm ksfa mn alsma' an fy Xlk lay+ lkl `bd mnyb
 
10.  *     We bestowed Grace aforetime on David from ourselves: "O ye Mountains! Sing ye back the Praises of Allah with him! and ye birds (also)! And We made the iron soft for him;-     AND [thus], indeed, did We grace David with Our favour: [Lit., "did We bestow upon David a favour from Ourselves". This connects with the elliptic reference to repentance in the preceding verse: David is singled out for special mention in view of the allusion, in surah 38, to his having suddenly become aware that he had committed a sin, whereupon "he asked his Sustainer to forgive him his sin... and turned unto Him in repentance"     And We had (E) given/brought David grace/favour, from Us: "You mountains, return with him, and the birds/bird." And We softened/flexed/smoothened for him the iron.     wlqd atyna dawd mna fDla yajbal awby m`h walTyr walna lh alHdyd
 
11.  *     (Commanding), "Make thou coast of mail, balancing well the rings of chain armour, and work ye righteousness; for be sure I see (clearly) all that ye do."     [and inspired him thus:] "Do good deeds lavishly, without stint, and give deep thought to their steady flow." [The adjective sabigh (fem. sabighah) signifies anything that is "ample", "abundant" and "complete" (in the sense of being perfect). In its plural form sabighat it assumes the function of the noun which it is meant to qualify, and denotes, literally, "things [or "deeds"] ample and complete" or "perfect" - i.e., good deeds done abundantly and without stint: cf. the only other Quranic instance of the same stem in 31:20 - "[God] has lavished (asbagha) upon you His blessings". The noun sard, on the other hand, denotes something "carried on consecutively", or something the parts (or stages) whereof are "following one another steadily". i.e., are continued or repeated.] And [thus should you all, O believers,] do righteous deeds: for, verily, I see all that you do!     That (E) make/do/work complete/long signs or hooks the attack helmets (shields) and predestine/evaluate/measure in the plentiful/(armour) and make/do correct/righteous deeds, that I am with what you make/do seeing/knowing.     an a`ml sabGat wqdr fy alsrd wa`mlwa SalHa any bma t`mlwn bSyr
 
12.  *     And to Solomon (We made) the Wind (obedient): Its early morning (stride) was a month's (journey), and its evening (stride) was a month's (journey); and We made a Font of molten brass to flow for him; and there were Jinns that worked in front of him, by the leave of his Lord, and if any of them turned aside from our command, We made him taste of the Penalty of the Blazing Fire.     AND UNTO Solomon [We made subservient] the wind: its morning course [covered the distance of] a month's journey, and its evening course, a month's journey. [Cf. 21:81 and the corresponding note. For a more general explanation of the legends connected with the person of Solomon, see note on  21:82.] And We caused a fountain of molten copper to flow at his behest; [Lit., "for him": probably a reference to the many furnishings of copper and brass which, according to the Bible (cf. II Chronicles iv), Solomon caused to be made for his newly-built temple.] and [even] among the invisible beings there were some that had [been constrained] to labour for him by his Sustainer's leave [Lit., "between his hands", i.e., subject to his will: see 21:82 and the corresponding notes. For my rendering of jinn as "invisible beings", see Appendix III.]- and whichever of them deviated from Our command, him would We let taste suffering through a blazing flame -:     And to Soliman the wind/breeze its going early (for a) month and its departure (passing) (for a month), and We made the molten copper/brass/iron well flow/dissolve/melt for him, and from the Jinns who works between his hands with his Lord's permission/pardon, and who deviates/turns away from them from Our order/command, We make him taste/experience from the blazing's/inflamed's (inferno's) torture.     wlslyman alryH Gdwha $hr wrwaHha $hr waslna lh `yn alqTr wmn aljn mn y`ml byn ydyh baXn rbh wmn yzG mnhm `n amrna nXqh mn `Xab als`yr
 
13.  *     They worked for him as he desired, (making) arches, images, basons as large as reservoirs, and (cooking) cauldrons fixed (in their places): "Work ye, sons of David, with thanks! but few of My servants are grateful!"     they made for him whatever he wished of sanctuaries, and statues, and basins as [large as] great watering - troughs, and cauldrons firmly anchored. [I.e., because of their enormous size. Cf. II Chronicles iii, 10 - 13, where statues ("images") of cherubim are mentioned, as well as iv, 2 - 5, describing "a molten sea" (i.e., basin) of huge dimensions, resting upon twelve statues of oxen, and meant to contain water "for the priests to wash in" (ibid., iv, 6). The "sanctuaries" were apparently the various halls of the new temple.] [And We said:] "Labour, O David's people, in gratitude [towards Me]  [These words, ostensibly addressed to "the people" or "the family" of David, are in reality an admonition to all believers, at all times, since all of them are, spiritually, "David's people".] - and [remember that] few are the truly grateful [even] among My servants!" [I.e., even among those who consider themselves God's servants - for "truly grateful [to God] is only he who realizes his inability to render adequate thanks to Him" (Zamakhshari).]     They make/do for him what he wills/wants from the centers of the assemblies/sanctuaries and images/statues/pictures, and eye lids/fragments/pieces/small wells as the trough/tub, and pots anchors/firm (heavy) fixtures, David's family do/work/make thanking/gratefulness, and little/few from My worshippers/slaves (is) the thankful/grateful (E).     y`mlwn lh may$a' mn mHaryb wtmaxyl wjfan kaljwab wqdwr rasyat a`mlwa al dawd $kra wqlyl mn `bady al$kwr
 
14.  *     Then, when We decreed (Solomon's) death, nothing showed them his death except a little worm of the earth, which kept (slowly) gnawing away at his staff: so when he fell down, the Jinns saw plainly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have tarried in the humiliating Penalty (of their Task).     Yet [even Solomon had to die; but] when We decreed that he should die, nothing showed them that he was dead except an earthworm that gnawed away his staff. [This is yet another of the many Solomonic legends which had become an inalienable part of ancient Arabian tradition, and which the Quran uses as a vehicle for the allegorical illustration of some of its teachings. According to the legend alluded to above, Solomon died on his throne leaning forward on his staff, and for a length of time nobody became aware of his death: with the result that the jinn, who had been constrained to work for him, went on labouring at the heavy tasks assigned to them. Gradually, however, a termite ate away Solomon's staff, and his body, deprived of support, fell to the ground. This story - only hinted at in its outline - is apparently used here as an allegory of the insignificance and inherent brittleness of human life and of the perishable nature and emptiness of all worldly might and glory.] And when he fell to the ground, those invisible beings [subservient to him] saw clearly that, had they but understood the reality which was beyond the reach of their perception, [Al-ghayb, "that which is beyond the reach of [a created being's] perception", either in an absolute or - as in this instance - in a relative, temporary sense.] they would not have continued [to toil] in the shameful suffering [of servitude] [I.e., because they would have known that Solomon's sway over them had ended. In the elliptic manner so characteristic of the Quran, stress is laid here, firstly, on the limited nature of all empirical knowledge, including the result of deductions and inferences based on no more than observable or calculable phenomena, and, secondly, on the impossibility to determine correctly, on the basis of such limited fragments of knowledge alone, what course of action would be right in a given situation. Although the story as such relates to "invisible beings", its moral lesson (which may be summed up in the statement that empirical knowledge cannot provide any ethical guideline unless it is accompanied, and completed, by divine guidance) is obviously addressed to human beings as well.]     So when We ordered/accomplished on him the death/lifelessness, nothing guided/lead them on (to) his death/lifelessness except the land's/Earth's walker/creeper/crawler, eating his shepherd's staff/stick, so when he fell down the Jinns clarified/explained (to themselves) that (E) if they were knowing the absent/covered, they would not have stayed/remained/waited in the torture the disgracing/degrading.     flma qDyna `lyh almwt madlhm `li mwth ala dab+ alarD takl mnsath flma Kr tbynt aljn an lw kanwa y`lmwn alGyb malbxwa fy al`Xab almhyn
 
15.  *     There was, for Saba, aforetime, a Sign in their home-land - two Gardens to the right and to the left. "Eat of the Sustenance (provided) by your Lord, and be grateful to Him: a territory fair and happy, and a Lord Oft-Forgiving!     INDEED, in [the luxuriant beauty of] their homeland, the people of Sheba had an evidence [of God's grace] [This connects with the call to gratitude towards God in the preceding passage, and the mention, at the end of verse 13, that "few are the truly grateful" even among those who think of themselves as "God's servants". The kingdom of Sheba (Saba in Arabic) was situated in south-western Arabia, and at the time of its greatest prosperity (i.e., in the first millennium B.C.) comprised not only the Yemen but also a large part of Hadramawt and the Mahrah country, and probably also much of present-day Abyssinia. In the vicinity of its capital Marib - the Sabaeans had built in the course of centuries an extraordinary system of dams, dykes and sluices, which became famous in history, with astonishing remnants extant to this day. It was to this great dam that the whole country of Sheba owed its outstanding prosperity, which became proverbial throughout Arabia. (According to the geographer Al-Hamdani, who died in 334 H., the area irrigated by this system of dams stretched eastward to the desert of Sayhad on the confines of the Rub al-Khali). The flourishing state of the country was reflected in its people's intense trading activities and their control of the "spice road" which led from Marib northwards to Mecca, Yathrib and Syria, and eastwards to Dufar on the shores of the Arabian Sea, thus connecting with the maritime routes from India and China. The period to which the above Quranic passage refers is evidently much later than that spoken of in 27:22 - 44.] -- two [vast expanses of] gardens, to the right and to the left, [calling out to them, as it were:] "Eat of what your Sustainer has provided for you, and render thanks unto Him: a land most goodly, and a Sustainer much-forgiving!"     To Sheba (it) had been in their residence, an evidence/sign (of) two treed gardens from right and left, eat from your Lord's provision and thank/be grateful to Him, a good/beautiful/enjoyable country/land/place, and a forgiving Lord.     lqd kan lsba fy msknhm ay+ jntan `n ymyn w$mal klwa mn rzq rbkm wa$krwa lh bld+ Tyb+ wrb Gfwr
 
16.  *     But they turned away (from Allah., and We sent against them the Flood (released) from the dams, and We converted their two garden (rows) into "gardens" producing bitter fruit, and tamarisks, and some few (stunted) Lote-trees.     But they turned away [from Us], and so We let loose upon them a flood that overwhelmed the dams, [Lit., "the flooding of the dams" (sayl al-arim). The date of that catastrophe cannot be established with any certainty, but the most probable period of the first bursting of the Dam of Marib seems to have been the second century of the Christian era. The kingdom of Sheba was largely devastated, and this led to the migration of many southern (Qahtan) tribes towards the north of the Peninsula. Subsequently, it appears, the system of dams and dykes was to some extent repaired, but the country never regained its earlier prosperity; and a few decades before the advent of Islam the great dam collapsed completely and finally.] and changed their two [expanses of luxuriant] gardens into a couple of gardens yielding bitter fruit, and tamarisks, and some few [wild] lote-trees:     So they opposed/objected so We sent on (to) them the dam's/strong rain's flowage/flood/torrent, and We exchanged/replaced them with their two treed gardens two treed gardens with of (B) sour and bitter/weak crop and inedible food/fruits, and a thing from little sedre/lote-tree.     fa`rDwa farslna `lyhm syl al`rm wbdlnahm bjntyhm jntyn Xwaty akl KmT waxl w$Y mn sdr qlyl
 
17.  *     That was the Requital We gave them because they ungratefully rejected Faith: and never do We give (such) requital except to such as are ungrateful rejecters.     thus We requited them for their having denied the truth. But do We ever requite [thus] any but the utterly ingrate?  [Neither the Quran nor any authentic hadith tells us anything definite about the way in which the people of Sheba had sinned at the time immediately preceding the final collapse of the Dam of Marib (i.e.. in the sixth century of the Christian era). This omission, however, seems to be deliberate. In view of the fact that the story of Sheba's prosperity and subsequent catastrophic downfall had become a byword in ancient Arabia, it is most probable that its mention in the Quran has a purely moral purport similar to that of the immediately preceding legend of Solomon's death, inasmuch as both these legends, in their Quranic presentation, are allegories of the ephemeral nature of all human might and achievement. As mentioned above, the story of Sheba's downfall is closely linked with the phenomenon of men's recurrent ingratitude towards God. (See also verse 20 below.)]     That We reimbursed them because (of) what they disbelieved, and do We reimburse except the (insisting) disbeliever?     Xlk jzynahm bma kfrwa whl njazy ala alkfwr
 
18.  *     Between them and the Cities on which We had poured our blessings, We had placed Cities in prominent positions, and between them We had appointed stages of journey in due proportion: "Travel therein, secure, by night and by day."     Now [before their downfall,] We had placed between them and the cities which We had blessed [I.e., Mecca and Jerusalem, both of which lay on the caravan route much used by the people of Sheba.] [many] towns within sight of one another; and thus We had made travelling easy [for them, as if to say]: "Travel safely in this [land], by night or by day!"     And We made/put between them and between the villages/urban cities which We blessed in it apparent/visible villages/urban cities, and We predestined/evaluated in it the movement/ride, say: "Move/ride in it, nights and days/times safe/secure."     wj`lna bynhm wbyn alqri alty barkna fyha qri Zahr+ wqdrna fyha alsyr syrwa fyha lyaly wayama amnyn
 
19.  *     But they said: "Our Lord! Place longer distances between our journey- stages": but they wronged themselves (therein). At length We made them as a tale (that is told), and We dispersed them all in scattered fragments. Verily in this are Signs for every (soul that is) patiently constant and grateful.     But now they would say, "Long has our Sustainer made the distance between our journey- stages!" - for they had sinned against themselves. [In its generally-accepted spelling - based on the reading adopted by most of the early scholars of Medina and Kufah - the above phrase reads in the vocative rabbana and the imperative ba'id ("Our Sustainer! Make long the distances...", etc.), which, however, cannot be convincingly explained. On the other hand, Tabari, Baghawi and Zamakhshari mention, on the authority of some of the earliest Quran-commentators, another legitimate reading of the relevant words, namely, rabbuna (in the nominative) and ba'ada (in the indicative), which gives the meaning adopted by me: "Long has our Sustainer made the distances...", etc. To my mind, this reading is much more appropriate since (as pointed out by Zamakhshari) it expresses the belated regrets and the sorrow of the people of Sheba at the devastation of their country, the exodus of large groups of the population, and the resultant abandonment of many towns and villages on the great caravan routes.] And in the end We caused them to become [one of those] tales [of things long past], and scattered them in countless fragments. [An allusion to the mass-migration of South-Arabian tribes in all directions - particularly towards central and northern Arabia - subsequent to the destruction of the Dam of Marib.] Herein, behold, there are messages indeed for all who are wholly patient in adversity and deeply grateful [to God].     So they said: "Our Lord, make distant between our journeys/voyages." And they caused injustice/oppression (to) themselves, so We made them (as) information, and We tore/scattered them every/each tearing/scattering, that truly in that (are) evidences/signs (E) to every/each patient/endurer, thankful/grateful.     fqalwa rbna ba`d byn asfarna wZlmwa anfshm fj`lnahm aHadyx wmzqnahm kl mmzq an fy Xlk layat lkl Sbar $kwr
 
20.  *     And on them did Satan prove true his idea, and they followed him, all but a party that believed.     Now, indeed, Iblis did prove that his opinion of them had been right: [See 17:62, as well as the last sentence of 7:17, in which Iblis (i.e., Satan) says of the human race, "most of them wilt Thou find ungrateful".] for [when he called them,] they followed him - all but some of the believers [among them].     And Satan, his assumption/thought had been truthful on them, so they followed him except a group/party from the believers.     wlqd Sdq `lyhm ablys Znh fatb`wh ala fryqa mn almWmnyn
 
21.  *     But he had no authority over them,- except that We might test the man who believes in the Hereafter from him who is in doubt concerning it: and thy Lord doth watch over all things.     And yet, he had no power at all over them: [Cf. a similar phrase placed in the mouth of Iblis in 14:22 ("I had no power at all over you: I but called you - and you responded unto me"), and the corresponding note; also, see note on 15:39 - 40. Although, on the face of it, verses 20 - 21 of the present surah refer to the people of Sheba, their import is (as the sequence shows) much wider, applying to the human race as such.[for if We allow him to tempt man,] it is only to the end that We might make a clear distinction between those who [truly] believe in the life to come and those who are in doubt thereof: [See 15:41 and the corresponding note.] for thy Sustainer watches over all things.     And nothing from a power/authority/control was for him on them, except to know who believes with (in) the end (other life) than who he is from it in doubt/suspicion, and your Lord (is) on every thing (an) honest protector/observor.     wmakan lh `lyhm mn slTan ala ln`lm mn yWmn balaKr+ mmn hw mnha fy $k wrbk `li kl $Y HfyZ
 
22.  *     Say: "Call upon other (gods) whom ye fancy, besides Allah. They have no power,- not the weight of an atom,- in the heavens or on earth: No (sort of) share have they therein, nor is any of them a helper to Allah.     SAY: "Call upon those [beings] whom you imagine [to be endowed with divine powers] beside God: they have not an atom's weight of power either in the heavens or on earth, nor have they any share in [governing] either, nor does He [choose to] have any helper from among them." [I.e., anybody who would "mediate" between Him and any of His creatures. As is evident from the sequence (as well as from 17:56 - 57), this passage relates, in particular, to the attribution of divine or semi-divine qualities to saints and angels and to the problem of their "intercession" with God.]     Say: "Call those whom you claimed/purported from other than God, they do not own/possess a smallest particle of any thing's in the universe's weight in the skies/space, and nor in the earth/Planet Earth, and (there is) nothing for them in them (B) from a share/partnership, and nothing for Him from them from a supporter/helper (God has no help from their gods and nor does he need their support or help).     ql ad`wa alXyn z`mtm mn dwn allh laymlkwn mxqal Xr+ fy alsmawat wlafy alarD wmalhm fyhma mn $rk wmalh mnhm mn Zhyr
 
23.  *     "No intercession can avail in His Presence, except for those for whom He has granted permission. So far (is this the case) that, when terror is removed from their hearts (at the Day of Judgment, then) will they say, 'what is it that your Lord commanded?' they will say, 'That which is true and just; and He is the Most High Most Great'."     And, before Him, intercession can be of no avail [to any] save one in whose case He may have granted leave [therefor]: [See note on the first sentence of 10:31.] so much so that when the terror [of the Last Hour] is lifted from their hearts, they [who have been resurrected] will ask [one another], "What has your Sustainer decreed [for you]?" - [to which] the others will answer, "Whatever is true and deserved - for He alone is exalted, great!" [Lit., "the truth" - i.e., whatever God decides regarding His grant or refusal of leave for intercession (which is synonymous with His redemptive acceptance or His rejection of the human being concerned) will conform with the requirements of absolute truth and justice (see note on 19:87).]     And the mediation does not benefit/become useful at him except to whom He permitted/allowed to him, until when terror/panic (was) removed from their hearts/minds, they said: "What (did) your Lord say?" They said: "The truth, and He is the high and mighty/dignified, the great."308     wlatnf` al$fa`+ `ndh ala lmn aXn lh Hti aXa fz` `n qlwbhm qalwa maXa qal rbkm qalwa alHq whw al`ly alkbyr
 
24.  *     Say: "Who gives you sustenance, from the heavens and the earth?" Say: "It is Allah. and certain it is that either we or ye are on right guidance or in manifest error!"     Say: "Who is it that provides for you sustenance out of the heavens and the earth?" [See note on the first sentence of 10:31.] Say: "It is God. And, behold, either we [who believe in Him] or you [who deny His oneness] are on the right path, or have clearly gone astray!"     Say: "Who provides for you from the skies/space and the earth/Planet Earth?" Say: "God and that we or you (are) on (E) guidance, or in clear/evident misguidance."     ql mn yrzqkm mn alsmawat walarD ql allh wana aw ayakm l`li hdi awfy Dlal mbyn
 
25.  *     Say: "Ye shall not be questioned as to our sins, nor shall we be questioned as to what ye do."     Say: "Neither shall you be called to account for whatever we may have become guilty of, nor shall we be called to account for whatever you are doing."     Say: "You will not be questioned/asked about what we committed a crime/sin, and nor we be asked/questioned about what you make/do."     ql latsAlwn `ma ajrmna wlansAl `ma t`mlwn
 
26.  *     Say: "Our Lord will gather us together and will in the end decide the matter between us (and you) in truth and justice: and He is the one to decide, the One Who knows all."     Say: "Our Sustainer will bring us all together [on Judgment Day], and then He will lay open the truth between us, in justice - for He alone is the One who opens all truth, the All-Knowing!"     Say: "Our Lord gathers/collects between us, then He opens/judges between us with the truth, and He is the opener/judge, the knowledgeable."     ql yjm` bynna rbna xm yftH bynna balHq whw alftaH al`lym
 
27.  *     Say: "Show me those whom ye have joined with Him as partners: by no means (can ye). Nay, He is Allah, the Exalted in Power, the Wise."     Say: "Point out to me those [beings] that you have joined with Him [in your minds] as partners [in His divinity]! Nay - nay, but He [alone] is God, the Almighty, the Wise!"     Say: "Show me/make me understand those whom you joined with Him partners (with God), no but He is God, the glorious/mighty, the wise/judicious.     ql arwny alXyn alHqtm bh $rka' kla bl hw allh al`zyz alHkym
 
28.  *     We have not sent thee but as a universal (Messenger) to men, giving them glad tidings, and warning them (against sin), but most men understand not.     NOW [as for thee, O Muhammad,] We have not sent thee otherwise than to mankind at large, to be a herald of glad tidings and a warner; but most people do not understand [this],     And We did not send you except to the people all (as) an announcer and a warner/giver of notice, and but most of the people do not know.     wmaarslnak ala kaf+ llnas b$yra wnXyra wlkn akxr alnas lay`lmwn
 
29.  *     They say: "When will this promise (come to pass) if ye are telling the truth?"     and so they ask, "When is this promise [of resurrection and judgment] to be fulfilled? [Answer this, O you who believe in it,] if you are men of truth!" [The Quranic answer to this ironic question is found in 7:187.]     And they say: "When (is) that the promise if you where truthful?"     wyqwlwn mti hXa alw`d an kntm Sadqyn
 
30.  *     Say: "The appointment to you is for a Day, which ye cannot put back for an hour nor put forward."     Say: "There has been appointed for you a Day, which you can neither delay nor advance by a single moment." [For my rendering of sa'ah (lit., "hour") as "a single moment", see surah 7:34.]     Say: "For you (is) a day's/time's appointment you do not delay/lag behind an hour, and nor you advance/precede."     ql lkm my`ad ywm latstAKrwn `nh sa`+ wlatstqdmwn
 
31.  *     The Unbelievers say: "We shall neither believe in this scripture nor in (any) that (came) before it." Couldst thou but see when the wrong-doers will be made to stand before their Lord, throwing back the word (of blame) on one another! Those who had been despised will say to the arrogant ones: "Had it not been for you, we should certainly have been believers!"     And [yet,] those who are bent on denying the truth do say, "We shall never believe in this Quran, and neither in whatever there still remains of earlier revelations!" [For the rendering of ma bayna yadayhi, in relation to the Quran, as "whatever there still remains of earlier revelations", see surah 3:3. As is evident from the preceding and subsequent verses, the rejection by "those who are bent on denying the truth" of all revelation is motivated by their refusal to believe in resurrection and God's judgment, and, hence, to admit the validity of absolute moral standards as postulated by every higher religion.]  DIALOGUE BETWEEN LEADERS AND THEIR FOLLOWERS ON JUDGMENT DAY  But if thou couldst only see [how it will be on Judgment Day,] when these evildoers shall be made to stand before their Sustainer, hurling reproaches back and forth at one another! Those [of them] who had been weak [on earth] will say unto those who had gloried in their arrogance: [I.e., as the "intellectual leaders" of their community.] "Had it not been for you, we would certainly have been believers!"     And those who disbelieved said: "We will never/not believe with this the Koran, and nor with what (is) between its hands." And if you see/understand if the unjust/oppressive (were) made to stand/suspended at their Lord, some of them return to some the saying/words/opinion and belief, those who were weakened say to those who became arrogant: "Where it not for you, we would be believers/believing."     wqal alXyn kfrwa ln nWmn bhXa alqran wlabalXy byn ydyh wlw tri aX alZalmwn mwqwfwn `nd rbhm yrj` b`Dhm ali b`D alqwl yqwl alXyn astD`fwa llXyn astkbrwa lwla antm lkna mWmnyn
 
32.  *     The arrogant ones will say to those who had been despised: "Was it we who kept you back from Guidance after it reached you? Nay, rather, it was ye who transgressed.     [And] those who were wont to glory in their arrogance will say unto those who had been weak: "Why - did we keep you [forcibly] from following the right path after it had become obvious to you?  [Lit., "did we keep you away from guidance after it had come to you?"] Nay, it was but you [yourselves] who were guilty!"     Those who were arrogant said to those who were weakened: "Did we prevent/obstruct you from the guidance after when (it) came to you? But you were criminals/sinners."     qal alXyn astkbrwa llXyn astD`fwa anHn Sddnakm `n alhdi b`d aX ja'km bl kntm mjrmyn
 
33.  *     Those who had been despised will say to the arrogant ones: "Nay! it was a plot (of yours) by day and by night: Behold! Ye (constantly) ordered us to be ungrateful to Allah and to attribute equals to Him!" They will declare (their) repentance when they see the Penalty: We shall put yokes on the necks of the Unbelievers: It would only be a requital for their (ill) Deeds.     But those who had been weak will say unto those who had gloried in their arrogance: "Nay, [what kept us away was your] devising of false arguments, night and day, [against God's messages- as you did] [I.e., always, the term makr (lit., "a scheme" or "scheming") has here the connotation of "devising false arguments" against something that is true: in this case, as is shown in the first paragraph of verse 31 above, against God's messages (cf. a similar use of this term in 10:21 and 35:43; see also 86:15).] when you persuaded us to blaspheme against God and to claim that there are powers that could rival Him!" [Lit., "[that we should] give God compeers (andad)". For an explanation of this phrase and my rendering of it, see 2:22.] And when they see the suffering [that awaits them], they will [all] be unable to express [the full depth of] their remorse: [For a justification of this rendering of the phrase asarru `n-nadamah, see 10:54.] for We shall have put shackles around the necks of those who had been bent on denying the truth: [As pointed out by several of the classical commentators (e.g., Zamakhshari, Razi and Baydawi) in their explanations of similar phrases occurring in 13:5 and 36:8, the "shackles" (aghlal) which these sinners carry, as it were, "around their necks" in life, and will carry on Judgment Day, are a metaphor of the enslavement of their souls to the false values to which they had surrendered, and of the suffering which will be caused by that surrender.] [and] will this be aught but a [just] requital for what they were doing?  PURSUIT OF MATERIAL PROSPERITY AT THE EXPENSE OF MORALITY     And those who were weakened said to those who were arrogant: "But the night's and daytime's cheatery/deceit when you order/command us that (E) we disbelieve with (in) God, and we make/put/create for Him equals (idols)." And they kept the regret/remorse secret, when they saw the torture, and We made/put the leather or iron collars or hand cuffs in those who disbelieved's necks, are they reimbursed except (for) what they were making/doing ?     wqal alXyn astD`fwa llXyn astkbrwa bl mkr allyl walnhar aX tamrwnna an nkfr ballh wnj`l lh andada wasrwa alndam+ lma rawa al`Xab wj`lna alaGlal fy a`naq alXyn kfrwa hl yjzwn ala makanwa y`mlwn
 
34.  *     Never did We send a warner to a population, but the wealthy ones among them said: "We believe not in the (Message) with which ye have been sent."     For [thus it is:] whenever We sent a warner to any community, those of its people who had lost themselves entirely in the pursuit of pleasures would declare, [The term mutraf denotes "one who indulges in the pursuit of pleasures", i.e., to the exclusion of all moral considerations: cf. note on 11:116.] "Behold, we deny that there is any truth in [what you claim to be] your message!" -     And We did not send in a village/urban city from a warner/giver of notice except (that) its luxuriated ungrateful and arrogant said: "That we with what you were sent with it (are) disbelieving."     wmaarslna fy qry+ mn nXyr ala qal mtrfwha ana bma arsltm bh kafrwn
 
35.  *     They said: "We have more in wealth and in sons, and we cannot be punished."     and they would add, "Richer [than you] are we in wealth and in children, and [so] we are not going to be made to suffer!" [Implying, firstly, that the only thing that really counts in life is the enjoyment of material benefits; and, secondly, that a materially successful life is, by itself, an evidence of one's being "on the right way".]     And they said: "We (have) more properties/possessions/wealths and children, and we are not with being tortured."     wqalwa nHn akxr amwala wawlada wmanHn bm`Xbyn
 
36.  *     Say: "Verily my Lord enlarges and restricts the Provision to whom He pleases, but most men understand not."     Say: "Behold, my Sustainer grants abundant sustenance, or gives it in scant measure, unto whomever He wills: but most men do not understand [God's ways]." [Sc., "and foolishly regard riches and poverty as indications of God's favour or disfavour". Indirectly, this statement refutes the belief held by many people in the present as well as in the past that material prosperity is a justification of all human endeavour.]     Say: "That truly my Lord spreads/extends the provision to whom He wills/wants, and He is capable/able and but most of the people do not know."     ql an rby ybsT alrzq lmn y$a' wyqdr wlkn akxr alnas lay`lmwn
 
37.  *     It is not your wealth nor your sons, that will bring you nearer to Us in degree: but only those who believe and work righteousness - these are the ones for whom there is a multiplied Reward for their deeds, while secure they (reside) in the dwellings on high!     For, it is neither your riches nor your children that can bring you nearer to Us: only he who attains to faith and does what is right and just [comes near unto Us]; and it is [such as] these whom multiple recompense awaits for all that they have done; and it is they who shall dwell secure in the mansions [of paradise] -     And your properties/possessions/wealths, and nor your children (are) not with which near/approach you at Us, approachment/advancement except who believed and made/did correct/righteous deeds, so those for them (is) the double reward/reimbursement because (of) what they made/did, and they are in the chambers/elevated (stages/places) (are) safe/secure.     wmaamwalkm wlaawladkm balty tqrbkm `ndna zlfi ala mn amn w`ml SalHa fawlYk lhm jza' alD`f bma `mlwa whm fy alGrfat amnwn
 
38.  *     Those who strive against Our Signs, to frustrate them, will be given over into Punishment.     whereas all who strive against Our messages, seeking to defeat their purpose, shall be given over to suffering.     And those who strive/endeavor in Our verses/evidences disabling/frustrating, those are in the torture, they are made to be present/attend.309     walXyn ys`wn fi ayatna m`ajzyn awlYk fi al`Xab mHDrwn
 
39.  *     Say: "Verily my Lord enlarges and restricts the Sustenance to such of his servants as He pleases: and nothing do ye spend in the least (in His cause) but He replaces it: for He is the Best of those who grant Sustenance.     Say: "Behold, my Sustainer grants abundant sustenance, or gives it in scant measure, unto whomever He wills of His servants; [I.e., God's promise to the righteous that they would attain to happiness in the life to come neither precludes nor implies their being wealthy or poor in this world.] and whatever it be that you spend on others, He [always] replaces it: for He is the best of providers." [I.e., either with worldly goods, or with inner contentment, or with spiritual merit (Zamakhshari).]     Say: "That truly my Lord extends/spreads the provision to whom He wills/wants from His worshippers/slaves, and He is capable/able to it, and what you spent from a thing, so He reverses/replaces it, and He is best (of) the providers."     ql an rby ybsT alrzq lmn y$a' mn `badh wyqdr lh wmaanfqtm mn $Y fhw yKlfh whw Kyr alrazqyn
 
40.  *     One Day He will gather them all together, and say to the angels, "Was it you that these men used to worship?"     And [as for those who now deny the truth,] one Day He will gather them all together, and will ask the angels, "Was it you that they were wont to worship?" [This allegorical "question" - allegorical, because God is omniscient and has no need to "ask" - implies that many of "those who deny the truth" of God's messages delude themselves into believing that they are, nevertheless, worshipping spiritual forces, here comprised in the term "angels".]     And a day/time He gathers them all/all together then He says to the angels: "Are those (who) were (to) you worshipping?"     wywm yH$rhm jmy`a xm yqwl llmlaYk+ ahWla' ayakm kanwa y`bdwn
 
41.  *     They will say, "Glory to Thee! our (tie) is with Thee - as Protector - not with them. Nay, but they worshipped the Jinns: most of them believed in them."     They will answer: "Limitless art Thou in Thy glory! Thou [alone] art close unto us, not they! [Implying that they (the angels) would never have accepted that worship which is due to God alone.] Nay, [when they thought that they were worshipping us,] they were but [blindly] worshipping forces concealed from their senses; most of them believed in them." [In this instance, I believe, the term jinn has its primary meaning of "that which is concealed from [man's] senses" (see Appendix III), thus including all manner of unknown forces, both real and imaginary, believed to be inherent in what we describe as "nature". Hence, the answer of the angels implies that the sinners' alleged worship of them had never been more than a subconscious screen for their fear of the invisible forces of nature and, ultimately, of the yet deeper fear of the Unknown - that fear which sooner or later engulfs all who refuse to believe in the existence of God and, hence, cannot see any meaning or purpose in human life. (See also the last sentence of 10:28 and the corresponding note.)]     They said: "Your praise/glory; you are our guardian/ally from other than them, but they were worshipping the Jinns, most of them with them (are) believing."     qalwa sbHank ant wlyna mn dwnhm bl kanwa y`bdwn aljn akxrhm bhm mWmnwn
 
42.  *     So on that Day no power shall they have over each other, for profit or harm: and We shall say to the wrong-doers, "Taste ye the Penalty of the Fire,- the which ye were wont to deny!"     And [on that Day God will say]: "None of you [created beings] has today any power to benefit or to harm another!" And [then] We shall say unto those who had been bent on evildoing: "Taste [now] that suffering through fire which you were wont to call a lie!"     So the day/today some of you do not own/possess to some benefit/usefulness and nor harm, and We say to those who were unjust/oppressive: "Taste/experience the fire's torture which you were with it lying/denying/falsifying."     falywm laymlk b`Dkm lb`D nf`a wlaDra wnqwl llXyn Zlmwa Xwqwa `Xab alnar alty kntm bhatkXbwn
 
43.  *     When Our Clear Signs are rehearsed to them, they say, "This is only a man who wishes to hinder you from the (worship) which your fathers practised." And they say, "This is only a falsehood invented!" and the Unbelievers say of the Truth when it comes to them, "This is nothing but evident magic!"     For [thus it is:] whenever Our messages are conveyed unto them in all their clarity, they [who are bent on denying the truth] say [to one another], "This [Muhammad] is nothing but a man who wants to turn you away from what your forefathers were wont to worship!" And they say, "This [Quran] is nothing but a falsehood invented [by man]!" And [finally,] they who are bent on denying the truth speak thus of the truth when it comes to them: "This is clearly nothing but spellbinding eloquence!" [Lit., "sorcery" or "magic" - a term frequently used in the sense of "spellbinding eloquence" (cf. 74:24, the earliest instance in the chronology of Quranic revelation).]     And if Our evidences/verses are read/recited on (to) them evidences, they said: "That (is) not except a man, he wants/intends that he obstructs you from what your fathers were worshipping." And they said: "That (is) not except fabricated/cut and split lies/falsehood." And those who disbelieved said to (about) the truth when (it) came to them: "That truly this (is) except clear/evident magic/sorcery."     waXa ttli `lyhm ayatna bynat qalwa mahXa ala rjl yryd an ySdkm `ma kan y`bd abaWkm wqalwa mahXa ala afk mftri wqal alXyn kfrwa llHq lma ja'hm an hXa ala sHr mbyn
 
44.  *     But We had not given them Books which they could study, nor sent apostles to them before thee as Warners.     And yet, [O Muhammad,] never have We vouchsafed them any revelations which they could quote, and neither have We sent unto them any warner before thee. [Lit., "which they could study", i.e., in support of the blasphemous beliefs and practices inherited from their ancestors. Cf. 30:35, which expresses a similar idea.]     And what We give/bring them from books they study/memorize/read it, and what We sent them before you from a warner/giver of notice.     wmaatynahm mn ktb ydrswnha wmaarslna alyhm qblk mn nXyr
 
45.  *     And their predecessors rejected (the Truth); these have not received a tenth of what We had granted to those: yet when they rejected My apostles, how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)!     Thus, too, gave the lie to the truth [many of] those who lived before them; and although those [earlier people] had not attained to even a tenth of [the evidence of the truth] which We have vouchsafed unto these [late successors of theirs], yet when they gave the lie to My apostles, how awesome was My rejection! [Sc., "And how much worse will fare the deniers of the truth to whom so explicit and so comprehensive a divine writ as the Quran has been conveyed!" My rendering of the whole of this verse is based on Razi's interpretation, which differs from that of most of the other commentators.]     And those from before them lied/denied, and they did not reach one tenth what We gave/brought them, so they denied My messengers, so how was My severity/change (anger) ?     wkXb alXyn mn qblhm wmablGwa m`$ar ma atynahm fkXbwa rsly fkyf kan nkyr
 
46.  *     Say: "I do admonish you on one point: that ye do stand up before Allah,- (It may be) in pairs, or (it may be) singly,- and reflect (within yourselves): your Companion is not possessed: he is no less than a warner to you, in face of a terrible Penalty."     Say: "I counsel you one thing only: Be [ever conscious of] standing before God, whether you are in the company of others or alone; [Lit., "two by two (mathna) and singly (furada)". According to Razi, the expression mathna denotes, in this context, "together with another person" or "other persons": hence, the above phrase may be understood to refer to man's social behaviour - i.e., his actions concerning others - as well as to his inner, personal attitude in all situations requiring a moral choice.] and then bethink yourselves [that] there is no madness in [this prophet,] your fellow-man: [See note on 7:184.] he is only a warner to you of suffering severe to come."     Say: "Indeed/but I preach to/warn you with one (thing), that (E) you stand to God two twos/twos or singularly/one by one, then you think insanity/madness (is) not with your companion/friend (your messenger is not mad), that truly he is except a warner/giver of notice for you, between a severe torture's hands."     ql anma a`Zkm bwaHd+ an tqwmwa llh mxni wfradi xm ttfkrwa mabSaHbkm mn jn+ an hw ala nXyr lkm byn ydy `Xab $dyd
 
47.  *     Say: "No reward do I ask of you: it is (all) in your interest: my reward is only due from Allah. And He is witness to all things."     Say: "No reward have I ever asked of you [out of anything] that is yours: [I.e., no reward of a material nature: cf. 25:57 - "no reward other than that he who so wills may unto his Sustainer find a way".] my reward rests with none but God, and He is witness unto everything!"     Say: I did not ask/question you from a reward, so it is for you, that truly my reward (is) except on God, and He is on every thing (an) honest witness/testifier."     ql masaltkm mn ajr fhw lkm an ajry ala `li allh whw `li kl $Y $hyd
 
48.  *     Say: "Verily my Lord doth cast the (mantle of) Truth (over His servants),- He that has full knowledge of (all) that is hidden."     Say: "Verily, my Sustainer hurls the truth [against all that is false] [Cf. 21:18.] - He who fully knows all the things that are beyond the reach of a created being's perception!"     Say: "That truly my Lord throws/hurls with the truth, knower (of) the unseens/supernaturals."     ql an rby yqXf balHq `lam alGywb
 
49.  *     Say: "The Truth has arrived, and Falsehood neither creates anything new, nor restores anything."     Say: "The truth has now come [to light, and falsehood is bound to wither away]: [Cf. 17:81.] for, falsehood cannot bring forth anything new, nor can it bring back [what has passed away]." [I.e., in contrast to the creativeness inherent in every true idea, falsehood - being in itself an illusion - cannot really create anything or revive any values that may have been alive in the past.]     Say: "The truth came, and the falsehood does not start/initiate, and nor return/repeat."     ql ja' alHq wmaybdY albaTl wmay`yd
 
50.  *     Say: "If I am astray, I only stray to the loss of my own soul: but if I receive guidance, it is because of the inspiration of my Lord to me: it is He Who hears all things, and is (ever) near."     Say: "Were I to go astray, I would but go astray [due to my own self, and] to the hurt of myself; [According to Zamakhshari, the idea expressed by the interpolated words "due to my own self" is implied in the above, inasmuch as "everything that goes against [the spiritual interests of] oneself is caused by oneself". (See note on 14:4.)] but if I am on the right path, it is but by virtue of what my Sustainer reveals unto me: for, verily, He is all-hearing, ever-near!"     Say: "That if I became misguided so but I misguide on (to) my self, and if I was guided, so (it is) with what my Lord inspires/transmits to me, that He truly is hearing/listening, near/close."     ql an Dllt fanma aDl `li nfsy wan ahtdyt fbma ywHi aly rby anh smy` qryb
 
51.  *     If thou couldst but see when they will quake with terror; but then there will be no escape (for them), and they will be seized from a position (quite) near.     IF THOU couldst but see [how the deniers of the truth will fare on Resurrection Day,] when they will shrink in terror, with nowhere to escape - since they will have been seized from so close nearby [Lit., "from a place nearby" - i.e., from within their own selves: cf. 17:13 ("every human being's destiny have We tied to his neck") and the corresponding note. The same idea is expressed in 13:5 ("it is they who carry the shackles [of their own making] around their necks"), as well as in the second part of verse 33 of the present surah ("We shall have put shackles around the necks of those who had been bent on denying the truth"). See also 50:41 and the corresponding note.] -     And if you see/understand when/if they were frightened/panic stricken, so (there is) no passing/missing (escape), and they were taken/punished from a near/close place/position.     wlw tri aX fz`wa fla fwt waKXwa mn mkan qryb
 
52.  *     And they will say, "We do believe (now) in the (Truth)"; but how could they receive (Faith) from a position (so far off,-     and will cry, "We do [now] believe in it!" But how can they [hope to] attain [to salvation] from so far away, [Lit., "from a place far-away" - i.e., from their utterly different past life on earth.]     And they said: "We believed with (in) it." And from where/how to them (is) the skirmish/clash ? From a far/distant place/position.     wqalwa amna bh wani lhm altnaw$ mn mkan b`yd
 
53.  *     Seeing that they did reject Faith (entirely) before, and that they (continually) cast (slanders) on the unseen from a position far off?     seeing that aforetime they had been bent on denying the truth, and had been wont to cast scorn, from far away, on something that was beyond the reach of human perception? [The obvious implication is that man's fate in the hereafter will be a consequence of, and invariably conditioned by, his spiritual attitude and the manner of his life during the first, earthly stage of his existence. In this instance, the expression "from far away" is apparently used in a sense similar to sayings like "far off the mark" or "without rhyme or reason", and is meant to qualify as groundless and futile all negative speculations about what the Quran describes as al-ghayb ("that which is beyond the reach of human [or "a created being's"] perception"): in this case, life after death.]     And they had disbelieved with (in) Him from before, and they throw/hurl with the unseen/hidden from a far/distant place/position.     wqd kfrwa bh mn qbl wyqXfwn balGyb mn mkan b`yd
 
54.  *     And between them and their desires, is placed a barrier, as was done in the past with their partisans: for they were indeed in suspicious (disquieting) doubt.     And so, a barrier will be set between them and all that they had [ever] desired, [Thus, the impossibility of attaining to the fulfillment of any of their desires - whether positive or negative - sums up, as it were, the suffering of the damned in the life to come.] as will be done to such of their kind as lived before their time: for, behold, they [too] were lost in doubt amounting to suspicion. [I.e., a suspicion that all moral postulates were but meant to deprive them of what they considered to be the "legitimate advantages" of life in this world.]     And intervened between them and between what they lust/desire as was made/done with their groups/supporters from before, that they truly were in doubtful/ suspicious doubt/suspicion.310     wHyl bynhm wbyn may$thwn kma f`l ba$ya`hm mn qbl anhm kanwa fy $k mryb