| y_ali | asad | literal | tlt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. * | Ya Sin. | O THOU human being! [Whereas some of the classical commentators incline to the view that the letters y-s (pronounced ya sin) with which this surah opens belong to the category of the mysterious letter-symbols (al-muqatta at) introducing a number of Quranic chapters (see Appendix II), Abd Allah ibn Abbas states that they actually represent two distinct words, namely the exclamatory particle ya ("O") and sin, which in the dialect of the tribe of Tayy is synonymous with insan ("human being" or "man"): hence, similar to the two syllables ta ha in surah 20, ya sin denotes "O thou human being!" This interpretation has been accepted by Ikrimah, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan al-Basri, Said ibn Jubayr, and other early Quran-commentators (see Tabari, Baghawi, Zamakhshari, Baydawi, Ibn Kathir. etc.). According to Zamakhshari, it would seem that the syllable sin is an abbreviation of unaysin, the diminutive form of insan used by the Tayy in exclamations. (It is to be borne in mind that in classical Arabic a diminutive is often expressive of no more than endearment: e.g., ya bunayya, which does not necessarily signify "O my little son" but, rather, "my dear son" irrespective of the son's age.) On the whole, we may safely assume that the words ya sin apostrophize the Prophet Muhammad, who is explicitly addressed in the sequence, and are meant to stress - as the Quran so often does - the fact of his and all other apostles' humanness.] | Y S. | swr+ ys bsm allh alrHmn alrHym ? ys | |||
| 2. * | By the Qur'an, full of Wisdom,- | Consider this Quran full of wisdom: | And the Koran, the wise/judicious. | walqran alHkym | |||
| 3. * | Thou art indeed one of the apostles, | verily, thou art indeed one of God's message-bearers, [This statement explains the adjurative particle wa (rendered by me as "Consider") at the beginning of the preceding verse - namely: "Let the wisdom apparent in the Quran serve as an evidence of the fact that thou art an apostle of God". As regards my rendering of al-Quran al-Hakim as "this Quran full of wisdom", see note on 10:1.] | That you are from (E) the messengers. | ank lmn almrslyn | |||
| 4. * | On a Straight Way. | pursuing a straight way | On a straight/direct/balanced road/way. | `li SraT mstqym | |||
| 5. * | It is a Revelation sent down by (Him), the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful. | by [virtue of] what is being bestowed from on high by the Almighty, the Dispenser of Grace, [Cf. 34:50 - "if I am on the right path, it is but by virtue of what my Sustainer reveals unto me".] | Descent (from) the glorious/mighty, the merciful. | tnzyl al`zyz alrHym | |||
| 6. * | In order that thou mayest admonish a people, whose fathers had received no admonition, and who therefore remain heedless (of the Signs of Allah.. | [bestowed upon thee] so that thou mayest warn people whose forefathers had not been warned, and who therefore are unaware [of the meaning of right and wrong]. [Cf. 6:131-132. In the wider sense of this expression, the "forefathers" may be a metonym for a community's cultural past: hence, the reference to those "forefathers" not having been "warned" (i.e., against evil) evidently alludes to the defectiveness of the ethical heritage of people who have become estranged from true moral values.] | To warn/give notice (E) (to) a nation, their fathers were not warned/given notice, so they are ignoring/neglecting/disregarding. | ltnXr qwma maanXr abaWhm fhm Gaflwn | |||
| 7. * | The Word is proved true against the greater part of them: for they do not believe. | Indeed, the word [of God's condemnation] is bound to come true [Lit., "has come true", the past tense indicating the inevitability of its "coming true" - i.e., taking effect.] against most of them: for they will not believe. | The saying/word had been (E) true/deserved on most of them, so they do not believe. | lqd Hq alqwl `li akxrhm fhm layWmnwn | |||
| 8. * | We have put yokes round their necks right up to their chins, so that their heads are forced up (and they cannot see). | Behold, around their necks We have put shackles, [Zamakhshari: "[This is] an allegory of their deliberate denial of the truth." See notes on 13:5 and 34:33.] reaching up to their chins, so that their heads are forced up; [Sc., "and they cannot see the right way" (Razi); their "forced-up heads" symbolize also their arrogance. On the other hand, God's "placing shackles" around the sinners' necks is a metaphor similar to His "sealing their hearts and their hearing", spoken of in 2:7 and explained in the corresponding note. The same applies to the metaphor of the "barriers" and the "veiling" mentioned in the next verse.] | We (E) put/made in their necks leather/iron collars or handcuffs, so it is to the chins/beards, so they are being forced to raise their heads while lowering their eyes from humility. | ana j`lna fy a`naqhm aGlala fhy ali alaXqan fhm mqmHwn | |||
| 9. * | And We have put a bar in front of them and a bar behind them, and further, We have covered them up; so that they cannot see. | and We have set a barrier before them and a barrier behind them, and We have enshrouded them in veils so that they cannot see: [Sc., "so that they can neither advance nor go back": a metaphor of utter spiritual stagnation.] | And We put/made from between their hands a barrier, and from behind them a barrier, so We covered/afflicted them, so they do not see/look/understand. | wj`lna mn byn aydyhm sda wmn Klfhm sda faG$ynahm fhm laybSrwn | |||
| 10. * | The same is it to them whether thou admonish them or thou do not admonish them: they will not believe. | thus, it is all one to them whether thou warnest them or dost not warn them: they will not believe. | And (it is) equal/alike on (to) them had you warned/given them notice, or you did not warn/give them notice, they do not believe. | wswa' `lyhm 'anXrthm am lm tnXrhm layWmnwn | |||
| 11. * | Thou canst but admonish such a one as follows the Message and fears the (Lord) Most Gracious, unseen: give such a one, therefore, good tidings, of Forgiveness and a Reward most generous. | Thou canst [truly] warn only him who is willing to take the reminder to heart, [Lit., "who is following the reminder".] and who stands in awe of the Most Gracious although He is beyond the reach of human perception: unto such, then, give the glad tiding of [God's] forgiveness and of a most excellent reward! | But/truly you warn/give notice (to) whom followed the reminder/remembrance and feared the merciful with the unseen/hidden, so announce good news to him with forgiveness, and (an) honored/generous reward. | anma tnXr mn atb` alXkr wK$y alrHmn balGyb fb$rh bmGfr+ wajr krym | |||
| 12. * | Verily We shall give life to the dead, and We record that which they send before and that which they leave behind, and of all things have We taken account in a clear Book (of evidence). | Verily, We shall indeed bring the dead back to life; and We shall record whatever [deeds] they have sent ahead, and the traces [of good and evil] which they have left behind: for of all things do We take account in a record clear. | We (E), We, We revive/make alive the deads and We write/dictate what they advanced/introduced, and their tracks/marks/signs, and every thing We counted/controlled/calculated it in a clear/evident example (model/guide). | ana nHn nHy almwti wnktb maqdmwa waxarhm wkl $Y aHSynah fy amam mbyn | |||
| 13. * | Set forth to them, by way of a parable, the (story of) the Companions of the City. Behold!, there came apostles to it. | AND SET FORTH unto them a parable - [the story of how] the people of a township [behaved] when [Our] message-bearers came unto them. | And give for them an example/proverb (of) the village's/urban city's owners/company, when the messengers came to them. | waDrb lhm mxla aSHab alqry+ aX ja'ha almrslwn | |||
| 14. * | When We (first) sent to them two apostles, they rejected them: But We strengthened them with a third: they said, "Truly, we have been sent on a mission to you." | Lo! We sent unto them two [apostles], and. they gave the lie to both; and so We strengthened [the two] with a third; and thereupon they said: "Behold, we have been sent unto you [by God]!" [As is usual with such passages, the commentators advance various speculations as to the "identity" of the town and the apostles. Since, however, the story is clearly described as a parable, it must be understood as such and not as an historical narrative. It seems to me that we have here an allegory of the three great monotheistic religions, successively propounded by Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, and embodying, essentially, the same spiritual truths. The "township" (qaryah) mentioned in the parable represents, I think, the common cultural environment within which these three religions appeared. The apostles of the first two are said to have been sent "together", implying that the teachings of both were - and are - anchored in one and the same scripture, the Old Testament of the Bible. When, in the course of time, their impact proved insufficient to mould the ethical attitude of the people or peoples concerned, God "strengthened" them by means of His final message, conveyed to the world by the third and last of the apostles, Muhammad.] | When We sent to them two, so they denied/falsified them (B), so We strengthened/ supported with a third, so they said: "We (E) (are) sent/being sent to you." | aX arslna alyhm axnyn fkXbwhma f`zzna bxalx fqalwa ana alykm mrslwn | |||
| 15. * | The (people) said: "Ye are only men like ourselves; and ((Allah)) Most Gracious sends no sort of revelation: ye do nothing but lie." | [The others] answered: "You are nothing but mortal men like ourselves; moreover, the Most Gracious has never bestowed aught [of revelation] from on high. You do nothing but lie!" [Cf. 6:91 - "no true understanding of God have they when they say, "Never has God revealed anything unto man." See also 34:31 and the corresponding note. Both these passages, as well as the one above, allude to people who like to think of themselves as "believing" in God without, however, allowing their "belief" to interfere in the practical concerns of their lives: and this they justify by conceding to religion no more than a vaguely emotional role, and by refusing to admit the fact of objective revelation - for the concept of revelation invariably implies a promulgation, by God, of absolute moral values and, thus, a demand for one's self-surrender to them.] | They said: "You are not except humans equal/alike to us, and the merciful did not descend from a thing, that truly you are except lying/denying/falsifying." | qalwa maantm ala b$r mxlna wmaanzl alrHmn mn $Y an antm ala tkXbwn | |||
| 16. * | They said: "Our Lord doth know that we have been sent on a mission to you: | Said [the apostles]: "Our Sustainer knows that we have indeed been sent unto you; | They said: "Our Lord knows, that we are to you sent/messengers (E)." | qalwa rbna y`lm ana alykm lmrslwn | |||
| 17. * | "And our duty is only to proclaim the clear Message." | but we are not bound to do more than clearly deliver the message [entrusted to us]." | And nothing (is) on us except the information/communication, the clear/evident. | wma`lyna ala alblaG almbyn | |||
| 18. * | The (people) said: "for us, we augur an evil omen from you: if ye desist not, we will certainly stone you. And a grievous punishment indeed will be inflicted on you by us." | Said [the others]: "Truly, we augur evil from you! [For an explanation of the phrase tatayyarna bikum, see surah 7:131.] Indeed, if you desist not, we will surely stone you, and grievous suffering is bound to befall you at our hands!" | They said: "That we, we had a bad omen with you (you are a bad omen to us) if (E) you did not end/terminate/stop we will stone you (E), and a painful torture from us will touch you (E)." | qalwa ana tTyrna bkm lYn lm tnthwa lnrjmnkm wlymsknm mna `Xab alym | |||
| 19. * | They said: "Your evil omens are with yourselves: (deem ye this an evil omen). If ye are admonished? Nay, but ye are a people transgressing all bounds!" | [The apostles] replied: "Your destiny, good or evil, is [bound up] with yourselves! [Cf. 17:13 - "every human being's destiny (ta ir) have We tied to his neck" - and the corresponding note.] [Does it seem evil to you] if you are told to take [the truth] to heart? Nay, but you are people who have wasted their own selves!" [For this rendering of musrifun (sing. musrif), see note on the last sentence of 10:12.] | They said: "Your omen (fate/future is) with you, (even if you) are, you were reminded, but you are a nation (of) wasters/extravagators." | qalwa TaYrkm m`km aYn Xkrtm bl antm qwm msrfwn | |||
| 20. * | Then there came running, from the farthest part of the City, a man, saying, "O my people! Obey the apostles: | At that, a man came running from the farthest end of the city, [and] exclaimed: "O my people! Follow these message-bearers! | And from (the) farthest of the city/town came a man walking quickly he said: "You my nation, follow the messengers." | wja' mn aqSa almdyn+ rjl ys`i qal yaqwm atb`wa almrslyn | |||
| 21. * | "Obey those who ask no reward of you (for themselves), and who have themselves received Guidance. | Follow those who ask no reward of you, and themselves are rightly guided! | Follow who does not ask/question you (for) a reward/wage/fee, and they are guided. | atb`wa mn laysAlkm ajra whm mhtdwn | |||
| 22. * | "It would not be reasonable in me if I did not serve Him Who created me, and to Whom ye shall (all) be brought back. | "[As for me,] why should I not worship Him who has brought me into being, and to whom you all will be brought back? | And why for me (that) I not worship who created me/brought me into being, and to him you are being returned. | wmaly laa`bd alXy fTrny walyh trj`wn | |||
| 23. * | "Shall I take (other) gods besides Him? If ((Allah)) Most Gracious should intend some adversity for me, of no use whatever will be their intercession for me, nor can they deliver me. | Should I take to worshipping [other] deities beside Him? [But then,] if the Most Gracious should will that harm befall me, their intercession could not in the least avail me, nor could they save me: | Do I take from other than Him gods, if the merciful wants/intends me with harm, (so) their mediation does not enrich/suffice me from me a thing, and they do not rescue/save me. | 'atKX mn dwnh alh+ an yrdn alrHmn bDr latGn `ny $fa`thm $yYa wlaynqXwn | |||
| 24. * | "I would indeed, if I were to do so, be in manifest Error. | and so, behold, I would have indeed, most obviously, lost myself in error! | That I am then in (E) clear/evident misguidance. | any aXa lfy Dlal mbyn | |||
| 25. * | "For me, I have faith in the Lord of you (all): listen, then, to me!" | "Verily, [O my people,] in the Sustainer of you all have I come to believe: listen, then, to me!" | That I believed with (in) your Lord, so hear/listen to me. | any amnt brbkm fasm`wn | |||
| 26. * | It was said: "Enter thou the Garden." He said: "Ah me! Would that my People knew (what I know)!- | [And] he was told, [I.e., by the apostles or, more probably (in view of the allegorical character of this story), by his own insight. The intervention of the man who "came running from the farthest end of the city" is evidently a parable of the truly believing minority in every religion, and of their desperate, mostly unavailing endeavours to convince their erring fellow-men that God-consciousness alone can save human life from futility.] "[Thou shalt] enter paradise!" - [whereupon] he exclaimed: "Would that my people knew | (It) was/is said: "Enter the Paradise." He said: "Oh if only my nation know." | qyl adKl aljn+ qal yalyt qwmy y`lmwn | |||
| 27. * | "For that my Lord has granted me Forgiveness and has enrolled me among those held in honour!" | how my Sustainer has forgiven me [the sins of my past], and has placed me among the honoured ones!" | With what my Lord forgave for me, and He made/put me from the honoured. | bma Gfr ly rby wj`lny mn almkrmyn | |||
| 28. * | And We sent not down against his People, after him, any hosts from heaven, nor was it needful for Us so to do. | And after that, no host out of heaven did We send down against his people, nor did We need to send down any: | And We did not descend on his nation from after him from soldiers/warriors from the sky/space, and We were not sent descending. | wmaanzlna `li qwmh mn b`dh mn jnd mn alsma' wmakna mnzlyn | |||
| 29. * | It was no more than a single mighty Blast, and behold! they were (like ashes) quenched and silent. | nothing was [needed] but one single blast [of Our punishment] - and lo! they became as still and silent as ashes. | That (E) (it) was except one loud strong cry/torture raid so then they are still/silent/dead. | an kant ala SyH+ waHd+ faXa hm Kamdwn | |||
| 30. * | Ah! Alas for (My) Servants! There comes not an apostle to them but they mock him! | OH, THE REGRETS that [most] human beings will have to bear! [Lit., "Oh, the regrets upon the bondmen" (al-ibad) - since all human beings, good or bad, are God's "bondmen". This phrase alludes to the Day of Judgment - which is described in 19:39 as "the Day of Regrets" - as well as to the fact, repeatedly stressed in the Quran, that most human beings choose to remain deaf to the voice of truth, and thus condemn themselves to spiritual death.] Never has an apostle come to them without their deriding him! | Oh grief/sorrow on the slaves/servants, none from a messenger comes to them, except (that) they were with him mocking/making fun. | yaHsr+ `li al`bad mayatyhm mn rswl ala kanwa bh ysthzWwn | |||
| 31. * | See they not how many generations before them we destroyed? Not to them will they return: | Are they not aware of how many a generation We have destroyed before their time, [and] that those [that have perished] will never return to them, [I.e., to the people now living. As in many other Quranic passages, the term qarn, which literally signifies a "generation" or "people living at the same period", has in this context the wider meaning of "society" or "civilization" in the historical connotation of these terms. Thus, the downfall and utter disappearance of past societies and civilizations is here linked to their spiritual frivolity and consequent moral failure. A further lesson to be drawn from this parable is the implied conclusion that the majority of people in every society, at all times (our own included), refuse to be guided by moral considerations, regarding them as opposed to their conventional mode of life and their pursuit of materialistic values - with the result that "never has an apostle come to them without their deriding him".] | Do they not see/understand how many We destroyed before them from the generations/peoples of eras/centuries, that they, to them they do not return? | alm yrwa km ahlkna qblhm mn alqrwn anhm alyhm layrj`wn | |||
| 32. * | But each one of them all - will be brought before Us (for judgment). | and [that] all of them, all together, will [in the end] before Us be arraigned? | And that (E) each/all (E) all/all together (are) at/by Us, they are made to be present/made to attend. | wan kl lma jmy` ldyna mHDrwn | |||
| 33. * | A Sign for them is the earth that is dead: We do give it life, and produce grain therefrom, of which ye do eat. | And [yet,] they have a sign [of Our power to create and to resurrect] in the lifeless earth which We make alive, and out of which We bring forth grain, whereof they may eat; | And an evidence/sign for them (is) the land/Earth the dead, We revived it, and We brought out from it seeds/grains, so from it they eat. | way+ lhm alarD almyt+ aHyynaha waKrjna mnha Hba fmnh yaklwn | |||
| 34. * | And We produce therein orchard with date-palms and vines, and We cause springs to gush forth therein: | and [how] We make gardens of date-palms and vines [grow] thereon, and cause springs to gush [forth] within it, | And We made/put in it treed gardens from palm trees and grapes, and We caused to flow/burst in it from the water springs/water wells. | wj`lna fyha jnat mn nKyl wa`nab wfjrna fyha mn al`ywn | |||
| 35. * | That they may enjoy the fruits of this (artistry): It was not their hands that made this: will they not then give thanks? | so that they may eat of the fruit thereof, though it was not their hands that made it. Will they not, then, be grateful? | To eat from its fruit, and what their hands made/did/worked it, so do they not thank/be grateful? | lyaklwa mn xmrh wma`mlth aydyhm afla y$krwn | |||
| 36. * | Glory to Allah, Who created in pairs all things that the earth produces, as well as their own (human) kind and (other) things of which they have no knowledge. | Limitless in His glory is He who has created opposites in whatever the earth produces, and in men's own selves, and in that of which [as yet] they have no knowledge. [Lit., "who has created all the pairs out of whatever the earth produces, and out of themselves, and out of that of which they have no knowledge": a reference to the polarity evident in all creation, both animate and inanimate, which expresses itself in the existence of antithetic and yet complementary forces, like the sexuality in human beings, animals and plants, light and darkness, heat and cold, positive and negative magnetism and electricity, the positive and negative charges (protons and electrons) in the structure of the atom, and so forth. (It is to be borne in mind that the noun zawj denotes both "a pair" and "one of a pair", as explained in note on 13:3.) The mention of "that of which they have no knowledge" evidently relates to things or phenomena not yet understood by man but potentially within the range of his comprehension: hence my interpolation, between brackets, of the words "as yet".] | Praise/glory (to) who created the pairs/kinds all of it, from what the land/Earth prouts/grows, and from themselves and from what they do not know. | sbHan alXy Klq alazwaj klha mma tnbt alarD wmn anfshm wmma lay`lmwn | |||
| 37. * | And a Sign for them is the Night: We withdraw therefrom the Day, and behold they are plunged in darkness; | And [of Our sway over all that exists] they have a sign in the night: We withdraw from it the [light of] day - and lo! they are in darkness. | And an evidence/sign for them (is) the night, We skin off/uncover from it the daytime, so then they are darkened/in darkness. | way+ lhm allyl nslK mnh alnhar faXa hm mZlmwn | |||
| 38. * | And the sun runs his course for a period determined for him: that is the decree of (Him), the Exalted in Might, the All-Knowing. | And [they have a sign in] the sun: it runs in an orbit of its own [In the generally-accepted reading, this phrase is spelled li-mustaqarrin laha, which may be rendered as above or, more conventionally, as "to its point of rest", i.e., the time (or point) of the daily sunset (Razi). However, Abd Allah ibn Masud is reliably reported to have read these words as la mustaqarra laha (Zamakhshari), which gives us the meaning of "it runs [on its course] without having any rest", i.e., unceasingly.] - [and] that is laid down by the will of the Almighty, the All-Knowing; | And the sun passes/orbits to an establishment/affixation to it, that (is) the glorious'/mighty's predestination/evaluation. | wal$ms tjry lmstqr lha Xlk tqdyr al`zyz al`lym | |||
| 39. * | And the Moon,- We have measured for her mansions (to traverse) till she returns like the old (and withered) lower part of a date-stalk. | and [in] the moon, for which We have determined phases [which it must traverse] till it becomes like an old date-stalk, dried-up and curved: [This is, in a condensed form, the meaning of the noun urjun - the raceme of the date-palm, which, when old and dry, becomes slender and curves like a crescent (cf. Lane V, 1997).] | And the moon We predestined/evaluated it (in) sequences/descents until it returned as/like the palm tree's branch/date bunch, the old. | walqmr qdrnah mnazl Hti `ad kal`rjwn alqdym | |||
| 40. * | It is not permitted to the Sun to catch up the Moon, nor can the Night outstrip the Day: Each (just) swims along in (its own) orbit (according to Law). | [and] neither may the sun overtake the moon, nor can the night usurp the time of day, [Lit., "nor does the night outrun [or "outstrip"] the day".] since all of them float through space [in accordance with Our laws]. MAN'S INGENUITY AS DIRECT MANIFESTATION OF GOD'S CREATIVENESS | The sun should not (be) to it that it catches up/overtakes/reaches the moon, and nor the night (is) surpassing/preceding the daytime, and each (is) in (an) orbit/circuit floating. | laal$ms ynbGy lha an tdrk alqmr wlaallyl sabq alnhar wkl fy flk ysbHwn | |||
| 41. * | And a Sign for them is that We bore their race (through the Flood) in the loaded Ark; | And [it ought to be] a sign for them that We bear their offspring [over the seas] in laden ships, [Lit., "in the laden ship": a generic singular with a plural significance. The term "offspring" denotes here the human race as a whole (cf. the recurring expression "children of Adam").] | And an evidence/sign for them (is) that We, We carried/loaded their descendants in the ship/ships, the full/loaded.318 | way+ lhm ana Hmlna Xrythm fy alflk alm$Hwn | |||
| 42. * | And We have created for them similar (vessels) on which they ride. | and [that] We create for them things of a similar kind, on which they may embark [in their travels]; [Cf. 16:8 and the corresponding note. In both of these passages man's ingenuity is shown to be a direct manifestation of God's creativeness.] | And We created for them from similar/equal/alike to it, what they ride/board. | wKlqna lhm mn mxlh mayrkbwn | |||
| 43. * | If it were Our Will, We could drown them: then would there be no helper (to hear their cry), nor could they be delivered, | and [that,] if such be Our will, We may cause them to drown, with none to respond to their cry for help: and [then] they cannot be saved, | And if We will/want We drown/sink them, so (there be) no cries for help/aiders for them, and nor they be rescued/saved. | wan n$a nGrqhm fla SryK lhm wlahm ynqXwn | |||
| 44. * | Except by way of Mercy from Us, and by way of (world) convenience (to serve them) for a time. | unless it be by an act of mercy from Us and a grant of life for a [further span of] time. | Except mercy from Us, and a long life/enjoyment to a time. | ala rHm+ mna wmta`a ali Hyn | |||
| 45. * | When they are told, "Fear ye that which is before you and that which will be after you, in order that ye may receive Mercy," (they turn back). | And [yet,] when they are told, "Beware of [God's insight into] all that lies open before you and all that is hidden from you, [For an explanation of this rendering of the above phrase, see surah 2:255. In the present instance it apparently denotes men's conscious doings as well as their unconscious or half-conscious motivations.] so that you might be graced with His mercy," [most men choose to remain deaf;] | And if (it) was said to them: "Fear and obey what (is) between your hands and what (is) behind you, maybe/perhaps you attain mercy." | waXa qyl lhm atqwa mabyn aydykm wmaKlfkm l`lkm trHmwn | |||
| 46. * | Not a Sign comes to them from among the Signs of their Lord, but they turn away therefrom. | and no message of their Sustainer s messages ever reaches them without their turning away from it. [Or: "no sign of their Sustainer's signs" - since the noun ayah, repeated several times in the preceding passage, denotes "a message" as well as "a sign".] | And none from an evidence/sign/verse from their Lord's evidences/signs/verses comes to them except they were from it objecting/opposing/turning away. | wmatatyhm mn ay+ mn ayat rbhm ala kanwa `nha m`rDyn | |||
| 47. * | And when they are told, "Spend ye of (the bounties) with which Allah has provided you," the Unbelievers say to those who believe: "Shall we then feed those whom, if Allah had so willed, He would have fed, (Himself)?- Ye are in nothing but manifest error." | Thus, when they are told, "Spend on others out of what God has provided for you as sustenance," [In Quranic usage, the verb anfaqa (lit., "he spent") invariably signifies one's spending on others, or for the good of others, whatever the motive. The ethical importance of this "spending on others" is frequently stressed in the Quran, and is embodied in the concept of zakah, which denotes "purifying dues" or, in its broader sense, "charity" (see note on 2:43).] those who are bent on denying the truth say unto those who believe, "Shall we feed anyone whom, if [your] God had so willed, He could have fed [Himself]? Clearly, you are but lost in error!" | And if (it) was said to them: "Spend from what God provided for you." Those who disbelieved said to those who believed: "Do we feed whom if God wanted/willed He fed him? That truly you are in except clear/evident misguidance." | waXa qyl lhm anfqwa mma rzqkm allh qal alXyn kfrwa llXyn amnwa anT`m mn lw y$a' allh aT`mh an antm ala fy Dlal mbyn | |||
| 48. * | Further, they say, "When will this promise (come to pass), if what ye say is true?" | And they add, "When is this promise [of resurrection] to be fulfilled? [Answer this] if you are men of truth!" | And they say: "When (is) that the promise, if you were truthful?" | wyqwlwn mti hXa alw`d an kntm Sadqyn | |||
| 49. * | They will not (have to) wait for aught but a single Blast: it will seize them while they are yet disputing among themselves! | [And they are unaware that] nothing awaits them beyond a single blast [of God's punishment], [Lit., "they wait for nothing but a single blast...", etc.] which will overtake them while they are still arguing - [against resurrection]: | They do not wait except (for) one loud strong cry/torture raid (that) punishes/punishes them, and (while) they are disputing/controverting with each other. | maynZrwn ala SyH+ waHd+ taKXhm whm yKSmwn | |||
| 50. * | No (chance) will they then have, by will, to dispose (of their affairs), nor to return to their own people! | and so [sudden will be their end that] no testament will they be able to make, - nor to their own people will they return! | So they are not being able (of) direction/influence, and nor to their families they return. | fla ystTy`wn twSy+ wlaali ahlhm yrj`wn | |||
| 51. * | The trumpet shall be sounded, when behold! from the sepulchres (men) will rush forth to their Lord! | And [then] the trumpet [of resurrection] will be blown - and lo! out of their graves towards their Sustainer will they all rush forth! | And (it) was blown in the horn/bugle so then they are from the graves to their Lord they drop/rush down. | wnfK fy alSwr faXa hm mn alajdax ali rbhm ynslwn | |||
| 52. * | They will say: "Ah! Woe unto us! Who hath raised us up from our beds of repose?"... (A voice will say:) "This is what ((Allah)) Most Gracious had promised. And true was the word of the apostles!" | They will say: "Oh, woe unto us! Who has roused us from our sleep [of death]?" [Whereupon they will be told:] "This is what the Most Gracious has promised! And His message-bearers spoke the truth!" | They said: "Oh our calamity/scandal who sent/woke us up from our place of sleep? That (is) what the merciful promised and the messengers were truthful." | qalwa yawylna mn b`xna mn mrqdna hXa maw`d alrHmn wSdq almrslwn | |||
| 53. * | It will be no more than a single Blast, when lo! they will all be brought up before Us! | Nothing will there have been but one single blast - and lo! before Us will all of them be arraigned [and be told]: | That truly (it) was except one loud strong cry/torture raid, so then they are all/all together at Us, they are made to be present/made to attend. | an kant ala SyH+ waHd+ faXa hm jmy` ldyna mHDrwn | |||
| 54. * | Then, on that Day, not a soul will be wronged in the least, and ye shall but be repaid the meeds of your past Deeds. | "Today, then, no human being shall be wronged in the least, nor shalt you be requited for aught but what you were doing [on earth]. | So the day/today no self be caused injustice to/be oppressed a thing, and you are not being reimbursed except (for) what you were making/doing. | falywm latZlm nfs $yYa wlatjzwn ala makntm t`mlwn | |||
| 55. * | Verily the Companions of the Garden shall that Day have joy in all that they do; | "Behold, those who are destined for paradise shall today have joy in whatever they do: | That the Paradises' friends/company the day/today (are) in work/occupation/function enjoying/joyful/humorous. | an aSHab aljn+ alywm fy $Gl fakhwn | |||
| 56. * | They and their associates will be in groves of (cool) shade, reclining on Thrones (of dignity); | in happiness will they and their spouses on couches recline; [In the Quranic descriptions of paradise, the term zill ("shade") and its plural zilal is often used as a metaphor for "happiness" - thus, for instance, in 4:57, where zill zilal signifies "happiness abounding" (see surah 4:57) - while the "couches" on which the blessed are to recline are obviously a symbol of inner fulfillment and peace of mind, as pointed out by Razi in his comments on 18:31 and 55:54.] | They and their spouses (are) in shades on the luxurious beds/couches leaning on/reclining on. | hm wazwajhm fy Zlal `li alaraYk mtkYwn | |||
| 57. * | (Every) fruit (enjoyment) will be there for them; they shall have whatever they call for; | [only] delight will there be for them, and theirs shall be all that they could ask for: | For them in it (are) fruits, and for them what they call/wish/desire. | lhm fyha fakh+ wlhm mayd`wn | |||
| 58. * | "Peace!" - a word (of salutation) from a Lord Most Merciful! | peace and fulfillment through the word of a Sustainer who dispenses all grace. [This composite expression is, I believe, the nearest approach in English to the concept of salam in the above context. For a further explanation of this term, see note on 5:16, where salam is rendered as "salvation".] | A greeting/safety/security, a word/saying from a merciful Lord. | slam qwla mn rb rHym | |||
| 59. * | "And O ye in sin! Get ye apart this Day! | "But stand aside today, O you who were lost in sin! | And be distinguished/separated the day/today, oh you, the criminals/sinners. | wamtazwa alywm ayha almjrmwn | |||
| 60. * | "Did I not enjoin on you, O ye Children of Adam, that ye should not worship Satan; for that he was to you an enemy avowed?- | Did I not enjoin on you, O you children of Adam, that you should not worship Satan - since, verily, he is your open foe [For the meaning of what the Quran describes as "worship of Satan", see note on 19:44.] - | Did I not entrust/make a contract to you, Adam's sons and daughters, that do not worship the devil,that he truly is for you a clear/evident enemy? | alm a`hd alykm yabny adm an lat`bdwa al$yTan anh lkm `dw mbyn | |||
| 61. * | "And that ye should worship Me, (for that) this was the Straight Way? | and that you should worship Me [alone]? This would have been a straight way! | And that (E) worship Me, that (is) a straight/direct road/way? | wan a`bdwny hXa SraT mstqym | |||
| 62. * | "But he did lead astray a great multitude of you. Did ye not, then, understand? | And [as for Satan -] he had already led astray a great many of you: could you not, then, use your reason? | And he (the devil) had (E) misguided many nations/creations from you, were you not being understanding/comprehending ? | wlqd aDl mnkm jbla kxyra aflm tkwnwa t`qlwn | |||
| 63. * | "This is the Hell of which ye were (repeatedly) warned! | "This, then, is the hell of which you were warned again and again: 31 The phrase "This, then, is the hell" points to the fact that the sinners' realization of their having gone astray despite repeated warnings by the prophets will, in itself, be a source of intense suffering (adhab) in the life to come. The element of repetition or persistence is implied in the use of the auxiliary verb kuntum both here and in the next verse.] | This (is) Hell which you were being promised. | hXh jhnm alty kntm tw`dwn | |||
| 64. * | "Embrace ye the (fire) this Day, for that ye (persistently) rejected (Truth)." | endure it today as an outcome of your persistent denial of the truth!" | The day/today roast/suffer/burn (from) it because (of) what you were disbelieving.319 | aSlwha alywm bma kntm tkfrwn | |||
| 65. * | That Day shall We set a seal on their mouths. But their hands will speak to us, and their feet bear witness, to all that they did. | On that Day We shall set a seal on their mouths- but their hands will speak unto Us, and their feet will bear witness to whatever they have earned [in life]. [A metaphor for their being unable really to excuse or defend their past actions and attitudes.] | The day/today We seal off/stamp on their mouths, and their hands converse/speak to Us, and their feet witness/testify with what they were earning/acquiring. | alywm nKtm `li afwahhm wtklmna aydyhm wt$hd arjlhm bma kanwa yksbwn | |||
| 66. * | If it had been our Will, We could surely have blotted out their eyes; then should they have run about groping for the Path, but how could they have seen? | NOW HAD IT BEEN Our will [that men should not be able to discern between right and wrong], We could surely have deprived them of their sight, [Lit., "We could surely have effaced their eyes": a metaphor for "We could have created them morally blind" and, thus, devoid of all sense of moral responsibility - which, in its turn, would constitute a negation of all spiritual value in human life as such. (Cf. 2:20 - "if God so willed, He could indeed take away their hearing and their sight".)] so that they would stray forever from the [right] way: for how could they have had insight [into what is true]? [In this instance - as, e.g., in 20:96 - the verb basura ("he became seeing" or "he saw") is obviously used in its tropical sense of "perceiving [something] mentally". According to Ibn Abbas as quoted by Tabari, the phrase anna yubsirun signifies "how could they perceive the truth".] | And if We will/want We would have wiped out/destroyed on their eyes/sights, so they raced/surpassed/preceded the road/way, so how (do) they see/understand ? | wlw n$a' lTmsna `li a`ynhm fastbqwa alSraT fani ybSrwn | |||
| 67. * | And if it had been Our Will, We could have transformed them (to remain) in their places; then should they have been unable to move about, nor could they have returned (after error). | And had it been Our will [that they should not be free to choose between right and wrong], We could surely have given them a different nature [Lit., "transformed [or "transmuted"] them".] [and created them as beings rooted] in their places, so that they would not be able to move forward, and could not turn back.] [I.e., if it had been God's will that men should have no freedom of will or moral choice, He would have endowed them from the very beginning with a spiritually and morally stationary nature, entirely rooted in their instincts ("in their places"), devoid of all urge to advance, and incapable either of positive development or of retreat from a wrong course.] | And if We will/want We would have transformed them to worse shape/metamorphosed them on their capacity/place/position, so they were not able (of) passing/preceding/completing, and nor they return. | wlw n$a' lmsKnahm `li mkanthm fma astTa`wa mDya wlayrj`wn | |||
| 68. * | If We grant long life to any, We cause him to be reversed in nature: Will they not then understand? | But [let them always remember that] if We lengthen a human being's days, We also cause him to decline in his powers [when he grows old]: will they not, then, use their reason? [I.e., man should never postpone his exercise of moral choice - for if human beings are superior creatures inasmuch as they have been endowed with the faculty of discernment and a wide measure of free will, let them also remember that "man has been created weak" | And whom We grant him long life We reverse him (make him senile) in the creation, do they not reason/understand ? | wmn n`mrh nnksh fy alKlq afla y`qlwn | |||
| 69. * | We have not instructed the (Prophet) in Poetry, nor is it meet for him: this is no less than a Message and a Qur'an making things clear: | AND [thus it is:] We have not imparted to this [Prophet the gift of] poetry, nor would [poetry] have suited this [message]: [This passage resumes the theme enunciated in the opening verses of this surah, namely, the revelation of the Quran. As in 26:224, we have here an allusion to the allegation of Muhammad's opponents, in his own as well as in later times, that what he described as divine revelation was in reality an outcome of his own poetic invention. This the Quran refutes by alluding to the fundamental difference between poetry - especially Arabic poetry - and divine revelation as exemplified by the Quran: whereas in the former the meaning is often subordinated to the rhythm and the melody of language, in the Quran the exact opposite is the case, inasmuch as here the choice of words, their sound and their position in the sentence - and, hence, its rhythm and melody - are always subordinated to the meaning intended. (Cf. also 26:225 and the corresponding note.)] it is but a reminder and a [divine] discourse, clear in itself and clearly showing the truth, [For this composite rendering of the adjective mubin, see surah 12:1. Literally, the above phrase reads, "a reminder and a [divine] discourse...", etc., with the conjunctive particle wa ("and") being used here, as in 15:1, to point out that the Quran is an integral element in the process of divine revelation.] | And We did not teach/instruct him the poetry, and (it) should not (be) for him that it is except (a) reminder and (a) clear/evident Koran. | wma`lmnah al$`r wmaynbGy lh an hw ala Xkr wqran mbyn | |||
| 70. * | That it may give admonition to any (who are) alive, and that the charge may be proved against those who reject (Truth). | to the end that it may warn everyone who is alive [of heart], and that the word [of God] may bear witness against all who deny the truth. [Lit., "may come [or "be proved"] true", i.e., on the Day of Judgment (cf. verse 7 of this surah).] | To warn/give notice to who was/is alive and the opinion and belief/saying/word becomes deserved/truth on the disbelievers. | lynXr mn kan Hya wyHq alqwl `li alkafryn | |||
| 71. * | See they not that it is We Who have created for them - among the things which Our hands have fashioned - cattle, which are under their dominion?- | Are they, then, not aware that it is for them that We have created, among all the things which Our hands have wrought, [I.e., "which We alone have or could have created" (Zamakhshari and Razi). The above metaphorical expression is based on the concept of "handiwork" in its widest sense, abstract as well as concrete.] the domestic animals of which they are [now] masters? - | Did they not see/understand that We created for them from what Our hands made/did camels/livestock, so they are for it owning/possessing? | awlm yrwa ana Klqna lhm mma `mlt aydyna an`ama fhm lha malkwn | |||
| 72. * | And that We have subjected them to their (use)? of them some do carry them and some they eat: | and that We have subjected them to men's will, [Lit., "made them submissive (dhallalnaha) to them": implying also that man is morally responsible for the manner in which he uses or misuses them.] so that some of them they may use for riding and of some they may eat, | And We manipulated/eased it for them, so from it (is) their riding, and from it they eat? | wXllnaha lhm fmnha rkwbhm wmnha yaklwn | |||
| 73. * | And they have (other) profits from them (besides), and they get (milk) to drink. Will they not then be grateful? | and may have [yet other] benefits from them, and [milk] to drink? Will they not, then, be grateful? | And for them in it (are) benefits/uses and drinking places, so do they not thank/be grateful? | wlhm fyha mnaf` wm$arb afla y$krwn | |||
| 74. * | Yet they take (for worship) gods other than Allah, (hoping) that they might be helped! | But [nay,] they take to worshipping deities other than God, [Or: "other deities beside God" - alluding, in either case, to objects of worship consciously conceived as such - i.e., idols, imaginary deities, deified persons, saints, etc. - as well as to abstract concepts like power, wealth or "luck", which may not be consciously "worshipped" but are nevertheless often revered in an almost idolatrous fashion. The verb ittakhadhu (lit., "they took [or "have taken"] for themselves"), used in the Quran in this and in similar contexts, is particularly suited for the wide range of meanings alluded to inasmuch as it bears the connotation of adopting something - whether it be concrete or abstract - for one's own use or adoration.] [hoping] to be succoured [by them, and not knowing that] | And they took from other than God, gods, maybe/perhaps they be given victory/aid. | watKXwa mn dwn allh alh+ l`lhm ynSrwn | |||
| 75. * | They have not the power to help them: but they will be brought up (before Our Judgment-seat) as a troop (to be condemned). | they are unable to succour their devotees, [Lit., "them".] even though to them they may [appear to] be hosts drawn up [for succour]. | They are not being able (of) giving them victory/aiding them, and they are for them soldiers/warriors being made to be present/attend. | laystTy`wn nSrhm whm lhm jnd mHDrwn | |||
| 76. * | Let not their speech, then, grieve thee. Verily We know what they hide as well as what they disclose. | However, be not grieved by the sayings of those [who deny the truth]: verily, We know all that they keep secret as well as all that they bring into the open. | So let not their word/opinion and belief to sadden/make you grievous, that We know what they keep secret and what they declare/publicize. | fla yHznk qwlhm ana n`lm maysrwn wmay`lnwn | |||
| 77. * | Doth not man see that it is We Who created him from sperm? yet behold! he (stands forth) as an open adversary! | IS MAN, then, not aware that it is We who create him out of a [mere] drop of sperm - whereupon, lo! he shows himself endowed with the power to think and to argue? [See similar passage in 16:4, as well as the corresponding note. Completing the interpretation advanced in his (and Zamakhshari's) commentary on the above-mentioned verse, Razi equates here the term khasim (lit., "contender in argument") with the highest manifestation of what is described as natiq ("articulate [or "rational"] being").] | Does not the human/mankind see/understand that We created him from a drop/male's or female's secretion, so then he is a clear/evident disputer/adversary/arguer? | awlm yr alansan ana Klqnah mn nTf+ faXa hw KSym mbyn | |||
| 78. * | And he makes comparisons for Us, and forgets his own (origin and) Creation: He says, "Who can give life to (dry) bones and decomposed ones (at that)?" | And [now] he [argues about Us, and] thinks of Us in terms of comparison, [Lit., "he coins for Us a simile (mathal)" - an elliptic allusion to the unwillingness of "those who deny the truth" to conceive of a transcendental Being, fundamentally different from all that is graspable by man's senses or imagination, and having powers beyond all comparison with those which are available to any of the created beings. (Cf. 42:11, "there is nothing like unto Him", and 112:4, "there is nothing that could be compared with Him".) Since they are enmeshed in a materialistic outlook on life, such people deny - as the sequence shows - all possibility of resurrection, which amounts to a denial of God's creative powers and, in the final analysis, of His existence.] and is oblivious of how he himself was created! [And so] he says, "Who could give life to bones that have crumbled to dust?" | And he gave to us an example/proverb, and he forgot his creation, he said: "Who revives/makes alive the bones and (while) it is decayed/decomposed?" | wDrb lna mxla wnsy Klqh qal mn yHyy al`Zam why rmym | |||
| 79. * | Say, "He will give them life Who created them for the first time! for He is Well-versed in every kind of creation!- | Say: "He who brought them into being in the first instance will give them life [once again], seeing that He has full knowledge of every act of creation: | Say: "Revives/makes it alive (God) who created/originated it (the) first/beginning time, and He is with every/each creation knowledgeable." | ql yHyyha alXy an$aha awl mr+ whw bkl Klq `lym | |||
| 80. * | "The same Who produces for you fire out of the green tree, when behold! ye kindle therewith (your own fires)! | He who produces for you fire out of the green tree, so that, lo! you kindle [your fires] therewith." [Cf. the ancient Arabian proverb, "In every tree there is a fire" (Zamakhshari): evidently an allusion to the metamorphosis of green - i.e., water-containing - plants into fuel, be it through desiccation or man-made carbonization (charcoal), or by a millennial, subterranean process of decomposition into oil or coal. In a spiritual sense, this "fire" seems also to symbolize the God-given warmth and light of human reason spoken of in verse 77 above.] | Who created/made/put for you from the trees the green a fire, so then you are from it igniting/kindling. | alXy j`l lkm mn al$jr alaKDr nara faXa antm mnh twqdwn | |||
| 81. * | "Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create the like thereof?" - Yea, indeed! for He is the Creator Supreme, of skill and knowledge (infinite)! | Is, then, He who has created the heavens and the earth not able to create [anew] the like of those [who have died]? Yea, indeed - for He alone is the all-knowing Crea tor: | Or is not who created the skies/space and the earth/Planet Earth, with capable on that He creates equal/alike to them. Yes/certainly and He is the creator, the knowledgeable. | awlys alXy Klq alsmawat walarD bqadr `li an yKlq mxlhm bli whw alKlaq al`lym | |||
| 82. * | Verily, when He intends a thing, His Command is, "be", and it is! | His Being alone is such that when He wills a thing to be, He but says unto it, "Be" -- and it is. [This is the meaning of the phrase innama amruhu - the term amr being synonymous, in this instance, with shan ("state [or "manner"] of being"). The exclusiveness of God's creative Being is stressed by the restrictive particle innama.] | But/truly His order/command if He wanted/willed a thing, (is) that He says to it: "Be." so it becomes. | anma amrh aXa arad $yYa an yqwl lh kn fykwn | |||
| 83. * | So glory to Him in Whose hands is the dominion of all things: and to Him will ye be all brought back. | Limitless, then, in His glory is He in whose hand rests the mighty dominion over all things; and unto Him you all will be brought back! | So praise/glory (to) who with His hands (are) every thing's ownership/might and power, and to Him you are being returned.320 | fsbHan alXy bydh mlkwt kl $Y walyh trj`wn | |||