| y_ali | asad | literal | tlt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. * | Ha Mim | Ha. Mim. [See Appendix II.] | H M. | swr+ Gafr bsm allh alrHmn alrHym ? Hm | |||
| 2. * | The revelation of this Book is from Allah, Exalted in Power, Full of Knowledge,- | THE BESTOWAL from on high of this divine writ issues from God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, | The Book's descent from God, the glorious/mighty, the knowledgeable. | tnzyl alktab mn allh al`zyz al`lym | |||
| 3. * | Who forgiveth sin, accepteth repentance, is strict in punishment, and hath a long reach (in all things). there is no god but He: to Him is the final goal. | forgiving sins and accepting repentance, severe in retribution, limitless in His bounty. There is no deity save Him: with Him is all journeys' end. | The crime's forgiver, and the repentances' acceptor, strong (severe in) the punishment, (owner) of the wealth/might, (there is) no God except Him, to Him (is) the end/destination. | Gafr alXnb wqabl altwb $dyd al`qab Xy alTwl laalh ala hw alyh almSyr | |||
| 4. * | None can dispute about the Signs of Allah but the Unbelievers. Let not, then, their strutting about through the land deceive thee! | NONE BUT THOSE who are bent on denying the truth would call God's messages in question. But let it not deceive thee that they seem to be able to do as they please on earth: | None argue/dispute in God's evidences/verses except those who disbelieved, so let not their turning/returning in the countries/lands deceive/tempt you. | mayjadl fy ayat allh ala alXyn kfrwa fla yGrrk tqlbhm fy alblad | |||
| 5. * | But (there were people) before them, who denied (the Signs),- the People of Noah, and the Confederates (of Evil) after them; and every People plotted against their prophet, to seize him, and disputed by means of vanities, therewith to condemn the Truth; but it was I that seized them! and how (terrible) was My Requital! | to the truth gave the lie, before their time, the people of Noah and, after them, all those [others] who were leagued together [against God's message-bearers]; [Cf. 38:12-14, where some of those who were "leagued together" (al-ahzab) are enumerated; also verses 30 ff. of this surah.] and each of those communities schemed against the apostle sent unto them, [Lit., "each community schemed against their apostle".] aiming to lay hands on him; and they contended [against his message] with fallacious arguments, so as to render void the truth thereby: but then I took them to task - and how awesome was My retribution! | Noah's nation lied/denied/falsified before them, and the groups/parties from after them, and every/each nation intended/began with their messenger to take/punish him, and they argued/disputed with the falsehood to nullify with it the truth, so I punished/took them so how was My punishment? | kXbt qblhm qwm nwH walaHzab mn b`dhm whmt kl am+ brswlhm lyaKXwh wjadlwa balbaTl lydHDwa bh alHq faKXthm fkyf kan `qab | |||
| 6. * | Thus was the Decree of thy Lord proved true against the Unbelievers; that truly they are Companions of the Fire! | And thus shall thy Sustainer's word come true against all who are bent on denying the truth: they shall find themselves in the fire [of hell]. | And like that, your Lord's word/expression became correct/true on those who disbelieved, that they are the fire's owners/company. | wkXlk Hqt klmt rbk `li alXyn kfrwa anhm aSHab alnar | |||
| 7. * | Those who sustain the Throne (of Allah. and those around it Sing Glory and Praise to their Lord; believe in Him; and implore Forgiveness for those who believe: "Our Lord! Thy Reach is over all things, in Mercy and Knowledge. Forgive, then, those who turn in Repentance, and follow Thy Path; and preserve them from the Penalty of the Blazing Fire! | THEY WHO BEAR [within themselves the knowledge of] the throne of [God's] almightiness, as well as all who are near it, extol their Sustainer's limitless glory and praise, and have faith in Him, and ask forgiveness for all [others] who have attained to faith: [Lit, "around it": cf. Zamakhshari's explanation of the expression hawlaha occurring in 27:8 in the sense of "near it". In his commentary on the verse which we are now considering, Baydawi states explicitly that the "bearing" of God's throne of almightiness (al-arsh - see note on 7:54) must be understood in a metaphorical sense: "Their carrying it and surrounding it [or "being near it"] is a metaphor of their being mindful of it and acting in accordance therewith (majaz an hifzihim wa-tadbirihim lahu), or a metonym (kinayah) for their closeness to the Lord of the Throne, their dignity in His sight, and their being instrumental in the realization of His will." My rendering of the above verse reflects Baydawi's interpretation. As regards the beings which are said to be close to the throne of God's almightiness, most of the classical commentators - obviously basing their view on the symbolic image of "the angels surrounding the throne of [God's] almightiness" on the Day of Judgment | Those who carry/lift the throne and who (is) around/surrounding it, they praise/glorify with their Lord's praise/gratitude/thanks, and they believe with (in) Him, and they ask for forgiveness to (for) those who believed; (say): "Our Lord, you extended/contained/ widened over every thing (with) mercy and knowledge, so forgive to those who repented and they followed Your way/path, and protect them (from) the Hell's torture." | alXyn yHmlwn al`r$ wmn Hwlh ysbHwn bHmd rbhm wyWmnwn bh wystGfrwn llXyn amnwa rbna ws`t kl $Y rHm+ w`lma faGfr llXyn tabwa watb`wa sbylk wqhm `Xab aljHym | |||
| 8. * | "And grant, our Lord! that they enter the Gardens of Eternity, which Thou hast promised to them, and to the righteous among their fathers, their wives, and their posterity! For Thou art (He), the Exalted in Might, Full of Wisdom. | "And, O our Sustainer, bring them into the gardens of perpetual bliss [See note on 38:50.] which Thou hast promised them, together with the righteous from among their forebears, and their spouses, and their offspring - for, verily, Thou alone art almighty, truly wise - | Our Lord, and enter them (into) treed gardens/paradises (as) eternal residence, which You promised them, and who was correct/repaired from their fathers/forefathers, and their spouses, and their descendants, that You are, You are the glorious/mighty, the wise/judicious. | rbna wadKlhm jnat `dn alty w`dthm wmn SlH mn abaYhm wazwajhm wXryathm ank ant al`zyz alHkym | |||
| 9. * | "And preserve them from (all) ills; and any whom Thou dost preserve from ills that Day,- on them wilt Thou have bestowed Mercy indeed: and that will be truly (for them) the highest Achievement". | and preserve them from [doing] evil deeds: for anyone whom on that Day [of Judgment] Thou wilt have preserved from [the taint of] evil deeds, him wilt Thou have graced with Thy mercy: and that, that will be the triumph supreme!" | And protect them (from) the sins/crimes; and whom You protect/preserve from the sins/crimes (on) that day, so You had mercy upon him, and that it is the winning/success, the great. | wqhm alsyYat wmn tq alsyYat ywmYX fqd rHmth wXlk hw alfwz al`Zym | |||
| 10. * | The Unbelievers will be addressed: "Greater was the aversion of Allah to you than (is) your aversion to yourselves, seeing that ye were called to the Faith and ye used to refuse." | [But,] behold, as for those who are bent on denying the truth - [on that same Day] a voice will call out unto them: [Lit., "they will be called" or "summoned".] "Indeed, greater than your [present] loathing of yourselves [I.e., "on realizing, belatedly, your past sinfulness".] was God's loathing of you [at the time] when you were called unto faith but went on denying the truth!" [Since it is impossible to attribute to God a purely human emotion, "God's loathing" of those sinners is obviously a metonym for His rejection of them (Razi), similar to the metonymic use of the expression "God's wrath (ghadab)" in the sense of His condemnation (see first sentence of note on 1:7).] | That truly those who disbelieved they are being called: "God's hatred/abhorrence (E) (is) greater than your hatred/abhorrence (to) yourselves if/when you are being called to the faith/belief so you disbelieve." | an alXyn kfrwa ynadwn lmqt allh akbr mn mqtkm anfskm aX td`wn ali alayman ftkfrwn | |||
| 11. * | They will say: "Our Lord! twice hast Thou made us without life, and twice hast Thou given us Life! Now have we recognised our sins: Is there any way out (of this)?" | [Whereupon] they will exclaim: "O our Sus tainer! Twice hast Thou caused us to die, just as twice Thou hast brought us to life! [I.e., "Thou hast brought us to life on earth, and then hast caused us to die; thereupon Thou hast resurrected us, and now hast condemned us to spiritual death in consequence of our willful spiritual blindness on earth."] But now that we have acknowledged our sins, is there any way out [of this second death]?" | They said: "Our Lord You made us die two (twice), and You revived us/gave us life two (twice), so we confessed/acknowledged with our crimes, so is (there) from a way/path to getting out/(an) exit?" | qalwa rbna amtna axntyn waHyytna axntyn fa`trfna bXnwbna fhl ali Krwj mn sbyl | |||
| 12. * | (The answer will be:) "This is because, when Allah was invoked as the Only (object of worship), ye did reject Faith, but when partners were joined to Him, ye believed! the Command is with Allah, Most High, Most Great!" | [And they will be told:] "This [has befallen you] because, whenever the One God was invoked, you denied this truth; whereas, when divinity was ascribed to aught beside Him, you believed [in it]! But all judgment rests with God, the Exalted, the Great!" [An answer to the sinners' question at the end of the preceding verse may be found in the following extremely well-authenticated, parabolic saying of the Prophet: "[On the Day of Judgment,] those who deserve paradise will enter paradise, and those who deserve the fire, the fire. Thereupon God, the Sublimely Exalted, will say, `Take out [of the fire] everyone in whose heart there was as much of faith [or, in some versions, "as much of good"] as a grain of mustard seed!' And so they will be taken out of it, already blackened, and will be thrown into the River of Life; and then they will come to life [lit., `sprout'] as a herb sprouts by the side of a stream: and didst thou not see how it comes out, yellow and budding?" (Bukhari, on the authority of Abu Said al-Khudri, in Kitab al-Iman and Kitab Bad al-Khalq; also Muslim, Nasai and Ibn Hanbal.) The characterization as "yellow and budding" - i.e., tender and of light colour - indicates the freshness of new life in the pardoned sinner. This, of course, has nothing to do with the sinners' futile and meaningless request on Judgment Day to be given a "second chance" on earth (Cf. 6:27-28 or 32:12). See also last but one sentence of 6:128 and the corresponding note.] | This is with that it is if God was called alone, you disbelieved, and if He be shared with/be made a partner with Him, you believe (with that), so the judgment/rule (is) to God, the high/elevated, the great. | Xlkm banh aXa d`y allh wHdh kfrtm wan y$rk bh tWmnwa falHkm llh al`ly alkbyr | |||
| 13. * | He it is Who showeth you his Signs, and sendeth down sustenance for you from the sky: but only those receive admonition who turn (to Allah.. | HE IT IS who shows you His wonders [in all nature], and sends down sustenance for you from the sky: but none bethinks himself [thereof] save those who are wont to turn to God. | He (is) who shows you/makes you understand His verses/evidences, and He descends for you from the sky provision, and none mentions/remembers except who repents/obeys. | hw alXy yrykm ayath wynzl lkm mn alsma' rzqa wmaytXkr ala mn ynyb | |||
| 14. * | Call ye, then, upon Allah with sincere devotion to Him, even though the Unbelievers may detest it. | Invoke, then, God, sincere in your faith in Him alone, however hateful this may be to those who deny the truth! | So call God faithful/loyal/devoted to him (in) the religion, and even if the disbelievers hated (it). | fad`wa allh mKlSyn lh aldyn wlw krh alkafrwn | |||
| 15. * | Raised high above ranks (or degrees), (He is) the Lord of the Throne (of Authority): by His Command doth He send the Spirit (of inspiration) to any of His servants he pleases, that it may warn (men) of the Day of Mutual Meeting,- | High above all orders [of being] is He, in almightiness enthroned. [Lit., "He of the throne of almightiness". For the meaning of the term arsh, see note on 7:54.] By His Own will does He bestow inspiration upon whomever He wills of His servants, so as to warn [all human beings of the coming] of the Day when they shall meet Him [Lit., "the Day of the Meeting". For my rendering of ar-ruh as "inspiration", see note on 16:2, as well as note on 2:87.] - | Raiser/honourer (of) the steps/stages/degrees, (owner) of the throne, He throws the Soul/Spirit from His order/command on (to) whom He wills/wants from His worshippers/slaves to warn/give notice (of) the Meeting Day/Resurrection Day. | rfy` aldrjat Xw al`r$ ylqy alrwH mn amrh `li mn y$a' mn `badh lynXr ywm altlaq | |||
| 16. * | The Day whereon they will (all) come forth: not a single thing concerning them is hidden from Allah. Whose will be the dominion that Day?" That of Allah, the One the Irresistible! | the Day when they shall come forth [from death], with nothing of themselves hidden from God. With whom will sovereignty rest on that Day? With God, the One who holds absolute sway over all that exists! | A day/time they are emerging/appearing, not a thing from them hides on (from) God; to whom (is) the kingdom/ownership the day/today? To God the one, the defeator/conqueror. | ywm hm barzwn layKfi `li allh mnhm $Y lmn almlk alywm llh alwaHd alqhar | |||
| 17. * | That Day will every soul be requited for what it earned; no injustice will there be that Day, for Allah is Swift in taking account. | On that Day will every human being be requited for what he has earned: no wrong [will be done] on that Day: verily, swift in reckoning is God! | The day/today every/each self is being reimbursed with what it gathered/acquired, no injustice/oppression the day/today, that truly God (is) quick/speedy (in) the account/calculation. | alywm tjzi kl nfs bma ksbt laZlm alywm an allh sry` alHsab | |||
| 18. * | Warn them of the Day that is (ever) drawing near, when the hearts will (come) right up to the throats to choke (them); No intimate friend nor intercessor will the wrong-doers have, who could be listened to. | Hence, warn them of that Day which draws ever nearer, when the hearts will chokingly come up to the throats: no loving friend will the evildoers have, nor any intercessor who would be heeded: [Regarding the problem of "intercession" (shafaah) and its meaning in the Quran, see note on 10:3.] | And warn/give notice (of) the Resurrection Day when the hearts/minds (are) at/by the larynxes/voice boxes (throats), holding/suppressing (themselves), (there is) no concerned (relative/friend), and nor a mediator (to) be obeyed to the unjust/oppressive. | wanXrhm ywm alazf+ aX alqlwb ldi alHnajr kaZmyn mallZalmyn mn Hmym wla$fy` yTa` | |||
| 19. * | ((Allah)) knows of (the tricks) that deceive with the eyes, and all that the hearts (of men) conceal. | [for] He is aware of the [most] stealthy glance, and of all that the hearts would conceal. [God's omniscience is shown here as the reason why there can be no "intercession" with Him in the commonly accepted sense of this term (cf. 10:18).] | He knows the eyes'/sights' betrayal/unfaithfulness (E), and what the chests (innermosts) hide. | y`lm KaYn+ ala`yn wmatKfy alSdwr | |||
| 20. * | And Allah will judge with (justice and) Truth: but those whom (men) invoke besides Him, will not (be in a position) to judge at all. Verily it is Allah (alone) Who hears and sees (all things). | And God will judge in accordance with truth and justice, whereas those [beings] whom they invoke beside Him cannot judge at all: for, verily, God alone is all-hearing, all-seeing. [I.e., saints, whether real or imaginary, or angels. (The pronoun alladhina is used only with reference to sentient beings endowed with reason.)] | And God passes judgment/orders with the truth, and those whom they call from other than Him, they do not pass judgment/order/accomplish with a thing, that truly God, He is the hearing/listening, the seeing/knowing. | wallh yqDy balHq walXyn yd`wn mn dwnh layqDwn b$Y an allh hw alsmy` albSyr | |||
| 21. * | Do they not travel through the earth and see what was the End of those before them? They were even superior to them in strength, and in the traces (they have left) in the land: but Allah did call them to account for their sins, and none had they to defend them against Allah. | Have they, then, never journeyed about the earth and beheld what happened in the end to those [deniers of the truth] who lived before their time? Greater were they in power than they are, and in the impact which they left on earth: but God took them to task for their sins, and they had none to defend them against God: | Do they not walk/move/ride in the land/Planet Earth, so they see/wonder about how was those who were from before them's end/turn (result)? They, they were, stronger than them (in) strength/power, and tracks/historical remains in the earth/Planet Earth, so God punished/took them because (of) their crimes, and (there) was not for them from a protector/preserver from God. | awlm ysyrwa fy alarD fynZrwa kyf kan `aqb+ alXyn kanwa mn qblhm kanwa hm a$d mnhm qw+ waxara fy alarD faKXhm allh bXnwbhm wmakan lhm mn allh mn waq | |||
| 22. * | That was because there came to them their apostles with Clear (Signs), but they rejected them: So Allah called them to account: for He is Full of Strength, Strict in Punishment. | this, because their apostles had come to them with all evidence of the truth, and yet they rejected it: and so God took them to task - for, verily, He is powerful, severe in retribution! | That (is) because they (E), their messengers were coming to them with the evidences, so they disbelieved, so God punished/took them, that He truly is strong, strong (severe in) the punishment. | Xlk banhm kant tatyhm rslhm balbynat fkfrwa faKXhm allh anh qwy $dyd al`qab | |||
| 23. * | Of old We sent Moses, with Our Signs and an authority manifest, | THUS, INDEED, did We send Moses with Our messages and a manifest authority [from Us] | And We had (E) sent Moses with Our verses/evidences/signs, and a clear/evident proof/power. | wlqd arslna mwsi bayatna wslTan mbyn | |||
| 24. * | To Pharaoh, Haman, and Qarun; but they called (him)" a sorcerer telling lies!"... | unto Pharaoh, and Haman, and Qarun; [As regards Qarun, who is said to have been a follower - and subsequently an opponent - of Moses, see 28:76 ff., as well as the corresponding note. For a discussion of the name "Haman", see note on 28:6.] but they [only] said, "A spellbinder is he, a liar!" | To Pharaoh, and Haman, and Qaroon/Korah, so they said: "A liar/falsifier, magician/sorcerer." | ali fr`wn whaman wqarwn fqalwa saHr kXab | |||
| 25. * | Now, when he came to them in Truth, from Us, they said, "Slay the sons of those who believe with him, and keep alive their females," but the plots of Unbelievers (end) in nothing but errors (and delusions)!... | Now [as for Pharaoh and his followers,] when he came to them, setting forth the truth from Us, they said, "Slay the sons of those who share his beliefs, [Lit., "those who have come to believe with him".] and spare [only] their women!" - but the guile of those deniers of the truth could not lead to aught but failure. | So when He came to them with the truth from at Us, they said: "Kill/fight (the) sons of those who believed with him, and shame/keep alive their women, and the disbelievers' plot/conspiracy (is) not except in misguidance." | flma ja'hm balHq mn `ndna qalwa aqtlwa abna' alXyn amnwa m`h wastHywa nsa'hm wmakyd alkafryn ala fy Dlal | |||
| 26. * | Said Pharaoh: "Leave me to slay Moses; and let him call on his Lord! What I fear is lest he should change your religion, or lest he should cause mischief to appear in the land!" | And Pharaoh said: "Leave it to me to slay Moses - and let him invoke his [alleged] sustainer! [My interpolation of the word "alleged" is necessitated by the obvious sarcasm of Pharaoh's remark.] Behold, I fear lest he cause you to change your religion, or lest he cause corruption to prevail in the land!" | And Pharaoh said: "Leave me (to) kill Moses, and he should call his Lord, that I, I fear that (E) he exchanges/replaces your religion, and that (E) he makes the corruption in the earth/Planet Earth apparent/visible." | wqal fr`wn Xrwny aqtl mwsi wlyd` rbh any aKaf an ybdl dynkm aw an yZhr fy alarD alfsad | |||
| 27. * | Moses said: "I have indeed called upon my Lord and your Lord (for protection) from every arrogant one who believes not in the Day of Account!" | But Moses said: "With [Him who is] my Sustainer as well as your Sustainer have I indeed found refuge from everyone who, immersed in false pride, will not believe in [the coming of] the Day of Reckon ing!" | And Moses said: "That I seeked protection with (from) my Lord, and your Lord, from every arrogant (that) does not believe, with (in) the Account Day/Resurrection Day." | wqal mwsi any `Xt brby wrbkm mn kl mtkbr layWmn bywm alHsab | |||
| 28. * | A believer, a man from among the people of Pharaoh, who had concealed his faith, said: "Will ye slay a man because he says, 'My Lord is Allah.?- when he has indeed come to you with Clear (Signs) from your Lord? and if he be a liar, on him is (the sin of) his lie: but, if he is telling the Truth, then will fall on you something of the (calamity) of which he warns you: Truly Allah guides not one who transgresses and lies! | At that, a believing man of Pharaoh's family, who [until then] had concealed his faith, exclaimed: [Cf. the parable of the believer in 36:20-27 and, in particular, the corresponding note.] "Would you slay a man because he says, `God is my Sustainer' - seeing, withal, that he has brought you all evidence of this truth from your Sustainer? Now if he be a liar, his lie will fall back on him; but if he is a man of truth, something [of the punishment] whereof he warns you is bound to befall you: for, verily, God would not grace with His guidance one who has wasted his own self by lying [about Him]. [Lit., "a liar". As regards my rendering of musrif as "one who wastes [or "has wasted"] his own self", see note on the last sentence of 10:12. Thus, the anonymous believer spoken of here argues that the message brought by Moses is so convincing that, by itself, it is a proof of his not being "one who wastes his own self" - i.e., destroys himself spiritually - by a spurious claim to divine inspiration.] | And a man believing from Pharaoh's family, he hides/conceals his faith/belief said: "Do you kill a man that (E) he says, my Lord is God? And he had come to you with the evidences from your Lord, and if he be a liar/falsifier so on him his lies/defiance/falsification, and if he be truthful, some of which he promises you strikes you,that truly God does not guide who he is (a) waster/extravagator, liar/denier/falsifier." | wqal rjl mWmn mn al fr`wn yktm aymanh atqtlwn rjla an yqwl rby allh wqd ja'km balbynat mn rbkm wan yk kaXba f`lyh kXbh wan yk Sadqa ySbkm b`D alXy y`dkm an allh layhdy mn hw msrf kXab | |||
| 29. * | "O my People! Yours is the dominion this day: Ye have the upper hand in the land: but who will help us from the Punishment of Allah, should it befall us?" Pharaoh said: "I but point out to you that which I see (myself); Nor do I guide you but to the Path of Right!" | "O my people! Yours is the dominion today, [and] most eminent are you on earth: but who will rescue us from God's punishment, once it befalls us?" Said Pharaoh: "I but want to make you see what I see myself; [Thus alluding to the reasons underlying his intention to kill Moses, expressed in verse 26.] and I would never make you follow any path but that of rectitude!" | You my nation, for you (is) the kingdom/ownership the day/today, conquering/defeating in the earth/Planet Earth, so who gives us victory/aid from God's courage/might/power, if (it) came to us? Pharaoh said: "I do not show you/make you understand except what I see/understand, and I do not guide you except the corrects/right guidance's way/path." | yaqwm lkm almlk alywm Zahryn fy alarD fmn ynSrna mn bas allh an ja'na qal fr`wn maarykm ala ma ari wma ahdykm ala sbyl alr$ad | |||
| 30. * | Then said the man who believed: "O my people! Truly I do fear for you something like the Day (of disaster) of the Confederates (in sin)!- | Thereupon exclaimed he who had attained to faith: "O my people! Verily, I fear for you the like of what one day befell those others who were leagued together [against God's truth] - | And who believed said: "You my nation, that I, I fear on (for) you, equal/alike to day (of) the groups/parties."342 | wqal alXy amn yaqwm any aKaf `lykm mxl ywm alaHzab | |||
| 31. * | "Something like the fate of the People of Noah, the 'Ad, and the Thamud, and those who came after them: but Allah never wishes injustice to his Servants. | the like of what happened to Noah's people, and to [the tribes of] Ad and Thamud and those who came after them! And, withal, God does not will any wrong for His creatures. [I.e., those sinners were not wronged by what befell them in this world: they had deserved it. The next two verses refer to the Day of Judgment.] | Equal/alike (to) Noah's, and Aad's, and Thamud's habit/affair, and those from after them, and God does not want injustice/oppression to the worshippers/slaves. | mxl dab qwm nwH w`ad wxmwd walXyn mn b`dhm wmaallh yryd Zlma ll`bad | |||
| 32. * | "And O my people! I fear for you a Day when there will be Mutual calling (and wailing),- | "And, O my people, I fear for you [the coming of] that Day of [Judgment - the Day when you will be] calling unto one another [in distress] - | And you my nation, that I, I fear on (for) you the Calling Day/Resurrection Day. | wyaqwm any aKaf `lykm ywm altnad | |||
| 33. * | "A Day when ye shall turn your backs and flee: No defender shall ye have from Allah. Any whom Allah leaves to stray, there is none to guide... | the Day when you will [wish to] turn your backs and flee, having none to defend you against God: for he whom God lets go astray can never find any guide. [See notes on 7:186 and 14:4.] | A day/time you turn away giving your backs, no protector/shelterer (is) for you from God, and whom God misguides, so (there is) no guide for him. | ywm twlwn mdbryn malkm mn allh mn `aSm wmn yDll allh fmalh mn had | |||
| 34. * | "And to you there came Joseph in times gone by, with Clear Signs, but ye ceased not to doubt of the (Mission) for which he had come: At length, when he died, ye said: 'No apostle will Allah send after him.' thus doth Allah leave to stray such as transgress and live in doubt,- | "And [remember:] it was to you that Joseph came aforetime with all evidence of the truth; but you never ceased to throw doubt on all [the messages] that he brought you - so much so that when he died, you said, `Never will God send any apostle [even] after him!' [Thus not only refusing to acknowledge Joseph's prophethood, but also denying the possibility of any prophet being sent by God (Zamakhshari). It would seem that Joseph had been accepted in Egypt as a prophet only by the ruling class, the Hyksos, who were of Arab origin, spoke a language closely related to Hebrew (cf. 12:43), and were, therefore, emotionally and culturally predisposed towards the spirit of Joseph's mission, while the rest of the population was and remained hostile to the faith preached by him.] "In this way God lets go astray such as waste their own selves by throwing suspicion [on His revelations] - | And Joseph had come to you from before with the evidences, so you are still continuing in doubt/suspicion from what he came to you with it, until when he perished/died, you said: 'God will never/not send from after him a messenger.' as/like that God misguides whom He is (a) waster/extravagator, doubtful/suspicious. | wlqd ja'km ywsf mn qbl balbynat fmazltm fy $k mma ja'km bh Hti aXa hlk qltm ln yb`x allh mn b`dh rswla kXlk yDl allh mn hw msrf mrtab | |||
| 35. * | "(Such) as dispute about the Signs of Allah, without any authority that hath reached them, grievous and odious (is such conduct) in the sight of Allah and of the Believers. Thus doth Allah, seal up every heart - of arrogant and obstinate Transgressors." | such as would call God's messages in question without having any evidence therefor: [Lit., "without any authority [or "evidence"] having come to them": i.e., without having any cogent evidence that would support their "denial" of the fact of revelation. The verb jadala primarily denotes "he argued"; followed by the particle fi ("with regard to" or "about") it has the meaning of "contesting" the truth of something, or "calling it in question".] [a sin] exceedingly loathsome in the sight of God and of those who have attained to faith. It is in this way that God sets a seal on every arrogant, self-exalting heart." [Lit., "on the heart of every arrogant, self-exalting [person]". For an explanation of God's "sealing" an inveterate sinner's heart, see note on 2:7.] | Those who argue/dispute in God's evidences/verses/signs without a proof/evidence (that) came to them, abhorrence/hatred became big at God, and at those who believed, as/like that God stamps/seals on every/each arrogant tyrant/merciless heart/mind. | alXyn yjadlwn fy ayat allh bGyr slTan atahm kbr mqta `nd allh w`nd alXyn amnwa kXlk yTb` allh `li kl qlb mtkbr jbar | |||
| 36. * | Pharaoh said: "O Haman! Build me a lofty palace, that I may attain the ways and means- | But Pharaoh said: "O Haman! Build me a lofty tower, that haply I may attain to the [right] means - | And Pharaoh said: "You Haman, build/construct a palace/towering building for me, maybe/perhaps I reach the reasons/motives." | wqal fr`wn yahaman abn ly SrHa l`ly ablG alasbab | |||
| 37. * | "The ways and means of (reaching) the heavens, and that I may mount up to the Allah of Moses: But as far as I am concerned, I think (Moses) is a liar!" Thus was made alluring, in Pharaoh's eyes, the evil of his deeds, and he was hindered from the Path; and the plot of Pharaoh led to nothing but perdition (for him). | the means of approach to the heavens - and that [thus] I may have a look at the god of Moses: [See notes on 28:6 and 28:38.] for, behold, I am indeed certain that he is a liar!" And thus, goodly seemed unto Pharaoh the evil of his own doings, and so he was barred from the path [of truth]: and Pharaoh's guile did not lead to aught but ruin. | The skies'/space's reasons/connections so I look/see to Moses' God, and that I think/suppose (E) him (to be) a liar/denier/falsifier. And as/like that (it) was decorated/beautified to Pharaoh, his deed's bad/evil,and he was prevention/obstruction from the way/path, and Pharaoh's plot/conspiracy is not except in destruction/loss. | asbab alsmawat faTl` ali alh mwsi wany laZnh kaXba wkXlk zyn lfr`wn sw' `mlh wSd `n alsbyl wmakyd fr`wn ala fy tbab | |||
| 38. * | The man who believed said further: "O my people! Follow me: I will lead you to the Path of Right. | Still, the man who had attained to faith went on: "O my people! Follow me: I shall guide you onto the path of rectitude! | And who believed said: "You my nation, follow me, I guide you the correct/right guidance's way/path." | wqal alXy amn yaqwm atb`wn ahdkm sbyl alr$ad | |||
| 39. * | "O my people! This life of the present is nothing but (temporary) convenience: It is the Hereafter that is the Home that will last. | "O my people! This worldly life is but a brief enjoyment, whereas, behold, the life to come is the home abiding. | You my nation, truly this the life the present/worldly life (is) enjoyment, and that truly the end (other life) it is the settlement's house/home. | yaqwm anma hXh alHya+ aldnya mta` wan alaKr+ hy dar alqrar | |||
| 40. * | "He that works evil will not be requited but by the like thereof: and he that works a righteous deed - whether man or woman - and is a Believer- such will enter the Garden (of Bliss): Therein will they have abundance without measure. | [There,] anyone who has done a bad deed will be requited with no more than the like thereof, whereas anyone, be it man or woman, who has done righteous deeds and is a believer withal - all such will enter paradise, wherein they shall be blest with good beyond all reckoning! [I.e., beyond any earthly imagination. The concept of rizq (expressed in the verb yurzaqun) has here its full significance of all that is good and of benefit to a living being, comprising things material as well as intellectual and spiritual; hence my rendering of yurzaqun (lit., "they will be given sustenance") as "they shall be blest with good".] | Who made/did a sin/crime so (he) will not be reimbursed except equal/alike to it, and who made/did correct/righteous deeds from a male or a female, and he is believing, so those they enter the Paradise, (they are) being provided for in it, without account/calculation. | mn `ml syY+ flayjzi ala mxlha wmn `ml SalHa mn Xkr aw anxi whw mWmn fawlYk ydKlwn aljn+ yrzqwn fyha bGyr Hsab | |||
| 41. * | "And O my people! How (strange) it is for me to call you to Salvation while ye call me to the Fire! | "And, O my people, how is it that I summon you to salvation, the while you summon me to the fire? [Lit., "what is the matter with me": an expression of astonishment at the incongruity of the two attitudes referred to in the sequence.] | And you my nation, why (is it) for me (that) I call you to the salvation/rescue, and you call me (E) to the fire. | wyaqwm maly ad`wkm ali alnja+ wtd`wnny ali alnar | |||
| 42. * | "Ye do call upon me to blaspheme against Allah, and to join with Him partners of whom I have no knowledge; and I call you to the Exalted in Power, Who forgives again and again!" | - [for] you call upon me to deny [the oneness of] God and to ascribe a share in His divinity to aught of which I cannot [possibly] have any knowledge the while I summon you to [a cognition of] the Almighty, the All-Forgiving! [I.e., because there is no reality whatsoever in those supposedly "divine" beings or forces (Zamakhshari).] | You call me (E) to disbelieve with God, and I share/make partners with Him, what is not for me with it knowledge, and I call you to the glorious/mighty, the forgiving often/forgiver. | td`wnny lakfr ballh wa$rk bh malys ly bh `lm wana ad`wkm ali al`zyz alGfar | |||
| 43. * | "Without doubt ye do call me to one who is not fit to be called to, whether in this world, or in the Hereafter; our return will be to Allah. and the Transgressors will be Companions of the Fire! | "There is no doubt that what you summon me to is something that has no claim to being invoked either in this world or in the life to come - as [there is no doubt] that unto God is our return, and that they who have wasted their own selves shall find themselves in the fire: | Undoutably/certainly that what you call me (E) to it, a call/request/prayer is not for him/it in the present world and nor in the end (other life), and that (E) our return (is) to God, and that (E) the wasters/extravagators, they are the fire's friends/company. | lajrm anma td`wnny alyh lys lh d`w+ fy aldnya wlafy alaKr+ wan mrdna ali allh wan almsrfyn hm aSHab alnar | |||
| 44. * | "Soon will ye remember what I say to you (now), My (own) affair I commit to Allah. for Allah (ever) watches over His Servants." | and at that time you will [have cause to] remember what I am telling you [now]. "But [as for me,] I commit myself unto God: for, verily, God sees all that is in [the hearts of] His servants." | So you will remember what I say to you, and I authorize/entrust/empower my matter/affair to God, that truly God (is) seeing/knowing/understanding with the worshippers/slaves. | fstXkrwn maaqwl lkm wafwD amry ali allh an allh bSyr bal`bad | |||
| 45. * | Then Allah saved him from (every) ill that they plotted (against him), but the burnt of the Penalty encompassed on all sides the People of Pharaoh. | And God preserved him from the evil of their scheming, whereas suffering vile was to encompass Pharaoh's folk: | So God protected/preserved him (from) what they plotted/conspired (in) sins/crimes, and was surrounded/encircled with Pharaoh's family, the torture's bad/evil/harm.343 | fwqah allh syYat mamkrwa wHaq bal fr`wn sw' al`Xab | |||
| 46. * | In front of the Fire will they be brought, morning and evening: And (the sentence will be) on the Day that Judgment will be established: "Cast ye the People of Pharaoh into the severest Penalty!" | the fire [of the hereafter - that fire] which they had been made to contemplate [in vain], morning and evening: [I.e., of which they had been warned, day-in and day-out, by prophets and believers like the one spoken of in this passage.] for on the Day when the Last Hour dawns [God will say], "Make Pharaoh's folk enter upon suffering most severe!" | The fire they are being displayed/exhibited on (to) it, (at) early morning and (at) evening/first darkness, and a day/time the Hour/Resurrection starts Pharaoh's family enter (in) the torture's strongest. | alnar y`rDwn `lyha Gdwa w`$ya wywm tqwm alsa`+ adKlwa al fr`wn a$d al`Xab | |||
| 47. * | Behold, they will dispute with each other in the Fire! The weak ones (who followed) will say to those who had been arrogant, "We but followed you: Can ye then take (on yourselves) from us some share of the Fire? | AND LO! They [who in life were wont to deny the truth] will contend with one another in the fire [of the hereafter]; and then the weak will say unto those who had gloried in their arrogance, "Behold, we were but your followers: can you, then, relieve us of some [of our] share of this fire?" [Cf. 14:21 and the corresponding notes.] - | And when they argue/quarrel in the fire, so the weak say to those who became arrogant: "That we, we were for you following, so are you enriching/sufficing from us a share from the fire ?" | waX ytHajwn fy alnar fyqwl alD`fa' llXyn astkbrwa ana kna lkm tb`a fhl antm mGnwn `na nSyba mn alnar | |||
| 48. * | Those who had been arrogant will say: "We are all in this (Fire)! Truly, Allah has judged between (his) Servants!" | [to which] they who had [once] been arrogant will reply, "Behold, we are all in it [together]! Verily, God has judged between His creatures!" | Those who became arrogant said: "We (E) all/each (are) in it, that truly God had judged/ruled between the worshippers/slaves." | qal alXyn astkbrwa ana kl fyha an allh qd Hkm byn al`bad | |||
| 49. * | Those in the Fire will say to the Keepers of Hell: "Pray to your Lord to lighten us the Penalty for a day (at least)!" | And they who are in the fire will say to the keepers of hell, [I.e., the angelic forces that are to watch over the suffering of the sinners in the hereafter: perhaps an allegory of the belated awakening of the latters' conscience.] "Pray unto your Sustainer that He lighten, [though it be] for one day [only], this suffering of ours!" | And those in the fire said to Hell's safe keepers: "Call your Lord, (to) reduce/lighten from us a day from the torture." | wqal alXyn fy alnar lKzn+ jhnm ad`wa rbkm yKff `na ywma mn al`Xab | |||
| 50. * | They will say: "Did there not come to you your apostles with Clear Signs?" They will say, "Yes". They will reply, "Then pray (as ye like)! But the prayer of those without Faith is nothing but (futile wandering) in (mazes of) error!" | [But the keepers of hell] will ask, "Is it not [true] that your apostles came unto you with all evidence of the truth?" Those [in the fire] will reply, "Yea, indeed." [And the keepers of hell] will say, "Pray, then!" - for the prayer of those who deny the truth cannot lead to aught but delusion. [According to the classical commentators, this answer implies no more than a refusal on the part of the "keepers of hell" to intercede for the doomed sinners, telling them, as it were, "Pray yourselves, if you can." It seems to me, however, that we have here an indirect allusion to the sinners' erstwhile, blasphemous devotion to false objects of worship and false values - the meaning being, "Pray now to those imaginary powers to which you were wont to ascribe a share in God's divinity, and see whether they can help you!" This interpretation finds support in the next sentence, which speaks of the delusion (dalal) inherent in the prayers of "those who deny the truth", i.e., during their life on earth - for, obviously, on the Day of Judgment all such delusions will have disappeared.] | They said: "Were your messengers not being coming to you with the evidences?" They said: "Yes/certainly." They said: "So call, and the disbelievers' call/prayer (is) not except in misguidance." | qalwa awlm tk tatykm rslkm balbynat qalwa bli qalwa fad`wa wmad`a' alkafryn ala fy Dlal | |||
| 51. * | We will, without doubt, help our apostles and those who believe, (both) in this world's life and on the Day when the Witnesses will stand forth,- | BEHOLD, We shall indeed succour Our apostles and those who have attained to faith, [both] in this world's life and on the Day when all the witnesses shall stand up [See note on 39:69.] - | We (E), We give victory/aid (to) Our messengers and those who believed in the life the present/worldly life, and a day/time the witnesses/testifiers stand/get up. | ana lnnSr rslna walXyn amnwa fy alHya+ aldnya wywm yqwm ala$had | |||
| 52. * | The Day when no profit will it be to Wrong-doers to present their excuses, but they will (only) have the Curse and the Home of Misery. | the Day when their excuses will be of no avail to the evildoers, seeing that their lot will be rejection from all that is good, and a woeful hereafter. [Lit., "the evil of the [otherworldly] abode". As regards the term lanah, its primary significance is "estrangement" or "rejection"; in Quranic terminology it denotes "rejection from all that is good" (Lisan al-Arab) and, specifically, "estrangement from God's grace" (Zamakhshari).] | A day/time, the unjust/oppressive, their apologies/excuses do not benefit (them), and for them (is) the curse/torture, and for them the house's/home's bad/evil/harm. | ywm laynf` alZalmyn m`Xrthm wlhm all`n+ wlhm sw' aldar | |||
| 53. * | We did aforetime give Moses the (Book of) Guidance, and We gave the book in inheritance to the Children of Israel,- | And, indeed, We bestowed aforetime [Our] guidance on Moses, and [thus] made the children of Israel heirs to the divine writ [revealed to him] | And We had (E) given Moses the guidance, and We made Israel's sons and daughters inherit The Book. | wlqd atyna mwsi alhdi wawrxna bny asraYyl alktab | |||
| 54. * | A Guide and a Message to men of Understanding. | as a [means of] guidance and a reminder for those who were endowed with insight: [Sc., "and thus, too, have We bestowed Our revelation upon Muhammad". This connects with the opening words of verse 51, "We shall indeed succour Our apostles and those who have attained to faith", thus explaining the purport of the preceding story of the believer who stood up for Moses. The reference to "those [of the children of Israel] who were endowed with insight" and therefore could benefit from the message of Moses, is undoubtedly meant to remind the followers of the Quran that this divine writ, too, is for "those who are endowed with insight" (ulu l-albab), for "people who think" (qawm yatafakkarun), and "people who use their reason" (qawm yaqi1un).] | Guidance and a remembrance/reminder to (owners) of the pure hearts/minds. | hdi wXkri lawly alalbab | |||
| 55. * | Patiently, then, persevere: for the Promise of Allah is true: and ask forgiveness for thy fault, and celebrate the Praises of thy Lord in the evening and in the morning. | hence, remain thou patient in adversity - for, verily, God's promise always comes true - and ask forgiveness for thy sins, and extol thy Sustainer's glory and praise by night and by day. [According to all classical commentators, the above passage is addressed in the first instance to the Prophet and, through him, to every believer. As regards the Prophet himself, see note on the last sentence of 24:31.] | So be patient that truly God's promise (is) true, and ask for forgiveness for your crime, and praise/glorify with your Lord's praise/gratitude at the evening/first darkness and the day breaks/early morning. | faSbr an w`d allh Hq wastGfr lXnbk wsbH bHmd rbk bal`$y walabkar | |||
| 56. * | Those who dispute about the signs of Allah without any authority bestowed on them,- there is nothing in their breasts but (the quest of) greatness, which they shall never attain to: seek refuge, then, in Allah. It is He Who hears and sees (all things). | Behold, as for those who call God's messages in question without having any evidence therefore [See note on verse 35 above.] - in their hearts is nothing but overweening self-conceit, which they will never be able to satisfy: seek thou, then, refuge with God - for, verily, He alone is all-hearing, all-seeing! [Lit., "which they will never [be able to] reach" or "fulfill". This is a reference to the conceit which makes many agnostics think that man is "self-sufficient" and that, therefore, there are no limits to what he may yet achieve, and no need to assume that he is responsible to a higher Power. Cf. in this connection 96:6-7, which is one of the earliest Quranic revelations: "Nay, verily, man becomes grossly overweening whenever he believes himself to be self-sufficient." And since this "self-sufficiency" is entirely illusory, those who build their world-view on it "will never be able to satisfy their overweening conceit". (Cf. also the reference to "arrogant, self-exalting hearts" in verse 35 above.)] | That truly those who argue/dispute in God's evidences/verses/signs without a proof/evidence/authority (that) came to them, that (E) in the chests (innermosts is) except arrogance/great sin/disbelief and sharing, they are not with reaching it, so seek protection by God, that He truly is the hearing/listening, the seeing/knowing. | an alXyn yjadlwn fy ayat allh bGyr slTan atahm an fy Sdwrhm ala kbr mahm bbalGyh fast`X ballh anh hw alsmy` albSyr | |||
| 57. * | Assuredly the creation of the heavens and the earth is a greater (matter) than the creation of men: Yet most men understand not. | Greater indeed than the creation of man is the creation of the heavens and the earth: yet most men do not understand [what this implies]. [I.e., of the universe as a whole. By stressing the fact that man is only a small, insignificant part of the universe, the Quran points out the absurdity of the man-centred world-view alluded to in the preceding verse.] | Creation (E) (of) the skies/space and the earth/Planet Earth (is) greater than the people's creation, and but most of the people do not know. | lKlq alsmawat walarD akbr mn Klq alnas wlkn akxr alnas lay`lmwn | |||
| 58. * | Not equal are the blind and those who (clearly) see: Nor are (equal) those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, and those who do evil. Little do ye learn by admonition! | But [then,] the blind and the seeing are not equal; and neither [can] they who have attained to faith and do good works and the doers of evil [be deemed equal]. How seldom do you keep this in mind! | And the blind, and the seeing do not become equal, and those who believed, and made/did the correct/righteous deeds, and nor the sinner/criminal, little (is) what you mention/remember. | wmaystwy ala`mi walbSyr walXyn amnwa w`mlwa alSalHat wlaalmsY qlyla mattXkrwn | |||
| 59. * | The Hour will certainly come: Therein is no doubt: Yet most men believe not. | Verily, the Last Hour is sure to come: of this there is no doubt; yet most men will not believe it. [I.e., refuse to admit to themselves that the world as they know it could ever come to an end: which is another aspect of the "overweening conceit" spoken of in verse 56 above.] | That truly the Hour/Resurrection is coming (E) no doubt/suspicion in it, and but most of the people do not believe. | an alsa`+ laty+ laryb fyha wlkn akxr alnas layWmnwn | |||
| 60. * | And your Lord says: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): but those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell - in humiliation!" | But your Sustainer says: "Call unto Me, [and] I shall respond to you! [Cf. 2:186.] Verily, they who are too proud to worship Me will enter hell, abased!" | And your Lord said: "Call Me, I answer/reply to you, that truly those who are being arrogant from worshipping Me they will enter Hell degraded/lowly." | wqal rbkm ad`wny astjb lkm an alXyn ystkbrwn `n `badty sydKlwn jhnm daKryn | |||
| 61. * | It is Allah Who has made the Night for you, that ye may rest therein, and the days as that which helps (you) to see. Verily Allah is full of Grace and Bounty to men: yet most men give no thanks. | IT IS GOD who has made the night for you, so that you might rest therein, and the day, to make [you] see. [See note on 27:86.] Behold, God is indeed limitless in His bounty unto man - but most men are ungrateful. | God (is) who made/created for you the night to be tranquil/settled in it, and the daytime to see (clearly lit), that truly God (is owner) of grace/favour/blessing on the people, and but most of the people do not thank/be grateful. | allh alXy j`l lkm allyl ltsknwa fyh walnhar mbSra an allh lXw fDl `li alnas wlkn akxr alnas lay$krwn | |||
| 62. * | Such is Allah, your Lord, the Creator of all things, there is no god but He: Then how ye are deluded away from the Truth! | Such is God, your Sustainer, the Creator of all that exists: there is no deity save Him. How perverted, then, are your minds! [Sc., "O you who deny this truth!" For my above rendering of tufakun, see note on the last sentence of 5:75.] | That (is) God, your Lord creator (of) every thing, (there is) no God except Him, so how/when (are) you being turned away ?344 | Xlkm allh rbkm Kalq kl $Y laalh ala hw fani tWfkwn | |||
| 63. * | Thus are deluded those who are wont to reject the Signs of Allah. | [For] thus it is: perverted are the minds of those who knowingly reject God's messages. | As/like that those who were with God's verses/evidences/signs disbelieving and denying are being turned away. | kXlk yWfk alXyn kanwa bayat allh yjHdwn | |||
| 64. * | It is Allah Who has made for you the earth as a resting place, and the sky as a canopy, and has given you shape- and made your shapes beautiful,- and has provided for you Sustenance, of things pure and good;- such is Allah your Lord. So Glory to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds! | It is God who has made the earth a resting- place for you and the sky a canopy, and has formed you - and formed you so well [I.e., in accordance with the exigencies of human life. See also note on the first sentence of 7:11.] - and provided for you sustenance out of the good things of life. Such is God, your Sustainer: hallowed, then, is God, the Sustainer of all the worlds! | God is who made/created for you, the earth/Planet Earth (as) a settlement, and the sky/space (a) structure, and He pictured/shaped you, so He did good (perfected in) your pictures/shapes/forms, and He provided you from the goodnesses, that (is) God, your Lord, so blessed (is) God the creations all together's/(universes') Lord. | allh alXy j`l lkm alarD qrara walsma' bna' wSwrkm faHsn Swrkm wrzqkm mn alTybat Xlkm allh rbkm ftbark allh rb al`almyn | |||
| 65. * | He is the Living (One): There is no god but He: Call upon Him, giving Him sincere devotion. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds! | He is the Ever-Living; there is no deity save Him: call, then, unto Him [alone], sincere in your faith in Him. All praise is due to God, the Sustainer of all the worlds! | He is the live/alive, (there is) no god except Him, so call Him faithful/loyal/devoted to him (in) the religion/faith, the praise/gratitude (is) to God the creations all together's/(universes') Lord. | hw alHy laalh ala hw fad`wh mKlSyn lh aldyn alHmd llh rb al`almyn | |||
| 66. * | Say: "I have been forbidden to invoke those whom ye invoke besides Allah,- seeing that the Clear Sings have come to me from my Lord; and I have been commanded to bow (in Islam) to the Lord of the Worlds." | Say: "Since all evidence of the truth has come to me from my Sustainer, I am forbidden to worship [any of] those beings whom you invoke instead of God; and I am bidden to surrender myself to the Sustainer of all the worlds." | Say: "That I, I was forbidden/prohibited that (E) I worship those whom you worship from other than God when the evidences came to me from my lord, and I was ordered/commanded that (E) I surrender/submit/become Moslem to the creations altogether's/(universes') Lord." | ql any nhyt an a`bd alXyn td`wn mn dwn allh lma ja'ny albynat mn rby wamrt an aslm lrb al`almyn | |||
| 67. * | It is He Who has created you from dust then from a sperm-drop, then from a leech-like clot; then does he get you out (into the light) as a child: then lets you (grow and) reach your age of full strength; then lets you become old,- though of you there are some who die before;- and lets you reach a Term appointed; in order that ye may learn wisdom. | It is He who creates you out of dust, [See note on 23:12.] and then out of a drop of sperm, and then out of a germ-cell; and then He brings you forth as children; and then [He ordains] that you reach maturity, and then, that you grow old - though some of you [He causes to] die earlier -: and [all this He ordains] so that you might reach a term set [by Him], [Or: "a term known [only to Him]" - cf. 6:2 and the corresponding note.] and that you might [learn to] use your reason. | He is who created you from dust/earth, then from a drop/male's or female's secretion, then from a blood clot/sperm/semen, then He brings you out (as) a child/children, then to reach your maturity/strength, then to be (E) old aged, and from you whom (is) made to die from before, and to reach a named/identified (specified) term/time, and maybe/perhaps you reason/comprehend. | hw alXy Klqkm mn trab xm mn nTf+ xm mn `lq+ xm yKrjkm Tfla xm ltblGwa a$dkm xm ltkwnwa $ywKa wmnkm mn ytwfi mn qbl wltblGwa ajla msmi wl`lkm t`qlwn | |||
| 68. * | It is He Who gives Life and Death; and when He decides upon an affair, He says to it, "Be", and it is. | It is He who grants life and deals death; and when He wills a thing to be, He but says unto it, "Be" - and it is. | He is who revives/makes alive, and makes die, so if He passed judgment (in) a matter/affair/order/ command, so but He says to it: "Be." So it becomes." | hw alXy yHyy wymyt faXa qDi amra fanma yqwl lh kn fykwn | |||
| 69. * | Seest thou not those that dispute concerning the Sings of Allah. How are they turned away (from Reality)?- | ART THOU NOT aware of how far they who call God's messages in question have lost sight of the truth? [Lit., "how they are turned away" - i.e., from the truth: in this case, from all the observable evidence of God's almightiness and creative activity.] | Do you not see/understand to those who argue/dispute in God's verses/evidences/signs, where/how (do) they be diverted/misguided ? | alm tr ali alXyn yjadlwn fy ayat allh ani ySrfwn | |||
| 70. * | Those who reject the Book and the (revelations) with which We sent our apostles: but soon shall they know,- | they who give the lie to this divine writ and [thus] to all [the messages] with which We sent forth Our apostles [of old]? [Since, as the Quran so often points out, the fundamental truths set forth in all divine revelations are the same, a rejection of the last of them amounts to a rejection of all the preceding ones.] But in time they will come to know [how blind they have been: they will know it on Judgment Day], | Those who lied/denied/falsified with The Book and with what We sent Our messengers with it, so they will know. | alXyn kXbwa balktab wbma arslna bh rslna fswf y`lmwn | |||
| 71. * | When the yokes (shall be) round their necks, and the chains; they shall be dragged along- | when they shall have to carry the shackles and chains [of their own making] around their necks, [For an explanation of the allegory of "shackles" and "chains", see note on 13:5, note on the last but one sentence of 34:33, and notes on 36:8.] | When the leather or iron collars or handcuffs (are) in their necks, and (with) the chains they be dragged on the ground. | aX alaGlal fy a`naqhm walslasl ysHbwn | |||
| 72. * | In the boiling fetid fluid: then in the Fire shall they be burned; | and are dragged into burning despair, and in the end become fuel for the fire [of hell]. [Thus Mujahid (as quoted by Tabari) explains the verb yusjarun. As regards my rendering of hamim as "burning despair", see the last note on 6:70.] | In the hot/cold water, then in the fire they overflow/burn and refuel. | fy alHmym xm fy alnar ysjrwn | |||
| 73. * | Then shall it be said to them: "Where are the (deities) to which ye gave part- worship- | And then they will be asked: "Where now are those [powers] to which you were wont to ascribe divinity | Then (it) was said to them: "Where (are) what you were sharing/making partners?" | xm qyl lhm ayn makntm t$rkwn | |||
| 74. * | "In derogation of Allah." They will reply: "They have left us in the lurch: Nay, we invoked not, of old, anything (that had real existence)." Thus does Allah leave the Unbelievers to stray. | side by side with God?" They will answer: "They have forsaken us - or, rather, what we were wont to invoke aforetime did not exist at all!" [Lit., "we have not been invoking aforetime any [real] thing": thus realizing, belatedly, the intrinsic nothingness of all those imaginary powers and values - including the belief in man's alleged self-sufficiency and greatness - to which they paid homage in life.] [And they will be told:] "It is thus that God lets the deniers of the truth go astray: [I.e., by allowing them to pursue illusions and foolish fancies in consequence of their unwillingness to acknowledge the self-evident truth of God's existence and uniqueness and of man's utter dependence on Him. For a discussion of the problem of God's "letting" a sinner go astray, see note on 14:4.] | From other than God? They said: "They were misguided from us, but we were not calling from before a thing." As/like that God misguides the disbelievers. | mn dwn allh qalwa Dlwa `na bl lm nkn nd`wa mn qbl $yYa kXlk yDl allh alkafryn | |||
| 75. * | "That was because ye were wont to rejoice on the earth in things other than the Truth, and that ye were wont to be insolent. | this is an outcome of your having arrogantly exulted on earth without any [concern for what is] right, and of your having been so full of self-conceit! | That (is) because (of) what you were being happy/rejoiceful/delighted in the earth/Planet Earth without the right/truth, and because (of) what you were being lively and joyful. | Xlkm bma kntm tfrHwn fy alarD bGyr alHq wbma kntm tmrHwn | |||
| 76. * | "Enter ye the gates of Hell, to dwell therein: and evil is (this) abode of the arrogant!" | Enter [now] the gates of hell, therein to abide: and how vile an abode for all who are given to false pride!" | Enter Hell's doors/entrances, immortally/eternally in it, so how bad (is) the arrogant's home/residence/dwelling? | adKlwa abwab jhnm Kaldyn fyha fbYs mxwi almtkbryn | |||
| 77. * | So persevere in patience; for the Promise of Allah is true: and whether We show thee (in this life) some part of what We promise them,- or We take thy soul (to Our Mercy) (before that),-(in any case) it is to Us that they shall (all) return. | HENCE, remain thou patient in adversity - for, verily, God's promise always comes true. And whether We show thee [in this world] something of what We hold in store for those [deniers of the truth], or whether We cause thee to die [ere that retribution takes place - know that, in the end], it is unto Us that they will be brought back. [See the almost identical passage in 10:46, as well as the corresponding notes.] | So be patient, that truly God's promise (is) true/truth, so either We show you/make you understand some of which We promise them, or We make you die, so to Us they be returned. | faSbr an w`d allh Hq fama nrynk b`D alXy n`dhm aw ntwfynk falyna yrj`wn | |||
| 78. * | We did aforetime send apostles before thee: of them there are some whose story We have related to thee, and some whose story We have not related to thee. It was not (possible) for any apostle to bring a sign except by the leave of Allah. but when the Command of Allah issued, the matter was decided in truth and justice, and there perished, there and then those who stood on Falsehoods. | And, indeed, [O Muhammad,] We sent forth apostles before thy time; some of them We have mentioned to thee, [I.e., in the Quran.] and some of them We have not mentioned to thee. And it was not given to any apostle to bring forth a miracle other than by God's leave. [See 6:109 - "Miracles are in the power of God alone" - and the corresponding note. Both passages (6:109 and the present one) relate to the futile demand of Muhammad's opponents to be shown a miracle in proof of the divine origin of the Quran - the implication being that it is not God's will to convince the deniers of the truth by means of what is commonly regarded as "miracles".] Yet when God's will becomes manifest, [Lit., "when God's command comes, i.e., whether it be in this world or on the Day of Judgment: a reference to the retribution spoken of in verse 77 above.] judgment will [already] have been passed in all justice, and lost will be, then and there, all who tried to reduce to nothing [whatever they could not understand]. [I.e., in this case, divine revelation as such. For the above rendering of al-mubtilun, see note on the last sentence of 29:48.] | And We had (E) sent messengers from before you, from them whom We relayed/informed on (to) you, and from them whom We did not relay/inform on (to) you; and (it) was not to a messenger that (E) He comes345with an evidence/verse/sign except with God's permission, so if God's order/command came, judgment was passed/ordered with the truth, and at that place and time the wasters/falsifiers lost. | wlqd arslna rsla mn qblk mnhm mn qSSna `lyk wmnhm mn lm nqSS `lyk wmakan lrswl an yaty bay+ alabaXn allh faXa ja' amr allh qDy balHq wKsr hnalk almbTlwn | |||
| 79. * | It is Allah Who made cattle for you, that ye may use some for riding and some for food; | It is God who [at all times works wonders for you: [I.e., by providing in a wondrous manner the means of man's subsistence, and by endowing him with the miracle of a creative intellect which enables him to make fruitful use of so many natural phenomena. (This passage connects with the statement implied in verse 78 that "miracles are in the power of God alone".)] thus, He] provides for you [all manner of] livestock, so that on some of them you may ride, and from some derive your food, | God (is) who made/created for you the camels/livestock to ride from it, and from it you eat. | allh alXy j`l lkm alan`am ltrkbwa mnha wmnha taklwn | |||
| 80. * | And there are (other) advantages in them for you (besides); that ye may through them attain to any need (there may be) in your hearts; and on them and on ships ye are carried. | and find [yet other] benefits in them; [The "other benefits" are both concrete and abstract in their nature: concrete benefits like wool, skins, etc., and abstract ones like beauty (cf. 16:6-8, as well as Solomon's reverence for the God-created beauty of horses expressed in 38:3 1-33) or the all-time companionship of man and dog symbolized in the legend of the Men of the Cave (18:18 and 22).] and that through them you may attain to the fulfillment of [many] a heartfelt need: [Lit., "a need in your bosoms" [or "hearts"]: i.e., a genuine need.] for on them, as on ships, you are borne [through life]. | And for you in it (are) benefits/uses, and to reach on it a need/necessity in your chests (innermosts), and on it and on the ship/ships you be carried/loaded. | wlkm fyha mnaf` wltblGwa `lyha Haj+ fy Sdwrkm w`lyha w`li alflk tHmlwn | |||
| 81. * | And He shows you (always) His Signs: then which of the Signs of Allah will ye deny? | And [thus] He displays His wonders before you: which, then, of God's wonders can you still deny? | And He shows/makes you understand His verses/signs/evidences, so which (of) God's verses/signs/evidences (do) you deny ? | wyrykm ayath fay ayat allh tnkrwn | |||
| 82. * | Do they not travel through the earth and see what was the End of those before them? They were more numerous than these and superior in strength and in the traces (they have left) in the land: Yet all that they accomplished was of no profit to them. | HAVE THEY, then, never journeyed about the earth and beheld what happened in the end to those [deniers of the truth] who lived before their time? More numerous were they, and greater in power than they are, and in the impact which they left on earth: but all that they ever achieved was of no avail to them - | Do they not walk/move in the earth/Planet Earth, so they see/wonder about how was those from before them's end/turn (result)? They were more than them, and stronger (in) strength/power and tracks/historical remains in the earth/Planet Earth, so what they were gaining/acquiring did not enrich/suffice from them (in a thing). | aflm ysyrwa fy alarD fynZrwa kyf kan `aqb+ alXyn mn qblhm kanwa akxr mnhm wa$d qw+ waxara fy alarD fma aGni `nhm makanwa yksbwn | |||
| 83. * | For when their apostles came to them with Clear Signs, they exulted in such knowledge (and skill) as they had; but that very (Wrath) at which they were wont to scoff hemmed them in. | for when their apostles came to them with all evidence of the truth, they arrogantly exulted in whatever knowledge they [already] possessed: [I.e., they were fully satisfied with their own empirically or speculatively acquired or inherited knowledge; and so, in their arrogant conviction that man is "self-sufficient" and, therefore, not in need of any guidance by a Power beyond the reach of human perception, they rejected whatever ethical and spiritual truths were offered them by the prophets.] and [so, in the end,] they were overwhelmed by the very thing which they were wont to deride. [I.e., the idea of God's existence and inescapable judgment: see 6:10 and the corresponding note.] | So when their messengers came to them with the evidences, they became happy/rejoiced/delighted with what (is) at them from the knowledge; and what they were with it mocking/making fun surrounded/afflicted with them. | flma ja'thm rslhm balbynat frHwa bma `ndhm mn al`lm wHaq bhm makanwa bh ysthzWwn | |||
| 84. * | But when they saw Our Punishment, they said: "We believe in Allah,- the one Allah - and we reject the partners we used to join with Him." | And then, when they [clearly] beheld Our punishment, [I.e., the God-willed, catastrophic breakdown of their society and civilization in consequence of their persistent rejection of all spiritual values.] they said: "We have come to believe in the One God, and we have renounced all belief in that to which we were wont to ascribe a share in His divinity!" [This evidently includes their past belief in man's supposedly "unlimited possibilities" and the illusory conviction that one day he would achieve "mastery over nature".] | So when they saw/understood Our might/power they said: "We believed with (in) God alone, and we disbelieved with what we were with Him sharing/making partners." | flma rawa basna qalwa amna ballh wHdh wkfrna bma kna bh m$rkyn | |||
| 85. * | But their professing the Faith when they (actually) saw Our Punishment was not going to profit them. (Such has been) Allah.s Way of dealing with His Servants (from the most ancient times). And even thus did the Rejecters of Allah perish (utterly)! | But their attaining to faith after they had beheld Our punishment could not possibly benefit them [I.e., firstly, because this belated faith could not unmake a reality which had already come into being, and, secondly, because it could not contribute to their spiritual growth inasmuch as it was not an outcome of free choice but had been, rather, forced on them by the shock of an irreversible calamity.] - such being the way of God that has always obtained for His creatures -: and so, then and there, lost were they who had denied the truth. [The "way of God" (sunnat Allah) is the Quranic term for the totality of natural laws instituted by the Creator: in this case, the law that faith has no spiritual value unless it arises out of a genuine, inner enlightenment.] | So their belief did not be beneficial (to) them when they saw/understood Our might/power, God's law/manner which had past in His worshippers/slaves, and the disbelievers lost at that place and time.346 | flm yk ynf`hm aymanhm lma rawa basna sn+ allh alty qd Klt fy `badh wKsr hnalk alkafrwn | |||