| y_ali | asad | literal | tlt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. * | Ha Mim: | Ha. Mim. [See Appendix II.] | H M. | swr+ fSlt bsm allh alrHmn alrHym ? Hm | |||
| 2. * | A Revelation from ((Allah)), Most Gracious, Most Merciful;- | THE BESTOWAL from on high [of this revelation] issues from the Most Gracious, the Dispenser of Grace: | Descent from the merciful, the most merciful. | tnzyl mn alrHmn alrHym | |||
| 3. * | A Book, whereof the verses are explained in detail;- a Qur'an in Arabic, for people who understand;- | a divine writ, the messages whereof have been clearly spelled out as a discourse in the Arabic tongue^ for people of [innate] knowledge, [See 12:2 and the corresponding note.] | A Book its verses were detailed/explained/clarified, an Arabic Koran to a nation reasoning/comprehending/knowing. | ktab fSlt ayath qrana `rbya lqwm y`lmwn | |||
| 4. * | Giving good news and admonition: yet most of them turn away, and so they hear not. | to be a herald of glad tidings as well as a warning. And yet, [whenever this divine writ is offered to men,] most of them turn away, so that they cannot hear [its message]; [The "people of [innate] knowledge" mentioned in the preceding verse are obviously those who understand the spiritual purport of this divine writ and, therefore, submit to its guidance: hence, it cannot be "most of them" who are referred to in the above phrase and in the next verse but, on the contrary, people who are devoid of such knowledge and to whom, in consequence, the Quran is meaningless. This elliptically implied differentiation - overlooked by almost all of the commentators (with perhaps the sole exception of Ibn Kathir) - can only be brought out by means of an interpolation at the beginning of the sentence.] | An announcer of good news and a warner/giver of notice, so most of them objected/opposed, so they do not hear/listen. | b$yra wnXyra fa`rD akxrhm fhm laysm`wn | |||
| 5. * | They say: "Our hearts are under veils, (concealed) from that to which thou dost invite us, and in our ears in a deafness, and between us and thee is a screen: so do thou (what thou wilt); for us, we shall do (what we will!)" | and so they say, [as it were:] "Our hearts are veiled from whatever thou callest us to, [O Muhammad,] and in our ears is deafness, and between us and thee is a barrier. [For this rendering of the term hijab, see note on the first sentence of 7:46. See also 6:25. The "saying" of those who turn away from the message of the Quran is, of course, figurative, describing only their attitude.] Do, then, [whatever thou wilt, whereas,] behold, we shall do [as we have always done]!" | And they said: "Our hearts/minds (are) in covers/protections from what you call us to it, and in our ears (is a) weight/deafness, and from between us and between you (is) a divider/partition, so make/do, that we truly are making/doing." | wqalwa qlwbna fy akn+ mma td`wna alyh wfy aXanna wqr wmn bynna wbynk Hjab fa`ml anna `amlwn | |||
| 6. * | Say thou: "I am but a man like you: It is revealed to me by Inspiration, that your Allah is one Allah. so stand true to Him, and ask for His Forgiveness." And woe to those who join gods with Allah,- | Say thou, [O Prophet:] "I am but a mortal like you. [Cf. 6:50 and the corresponding note.] It has been revealed to me that your God is the One God: go, then, straight towards Him and seek His forgiveness!" And woe unto those who ascribe divinity to aught beside Him, | Say: "But/truly I am a human equal/alike to you (it) is being transmitted/revealed to me that your Lord (is) one God, so be straight/direct to Him, and ask Him for forgiveness, and calamity/Hell to the sharers/takers of partners (with God)." | ql anma ana b$r mxlkm ywHi aly anma alhakm alh waHd fastqymwa alyh wastGfrwh wwyl llm$rkyn | |||
| 7. * | Those who practise not regular Charity, and who even deny the Hereafter. | [and] those who do not spend in charity: for it is they, they who [thus] deny the truth of the life to come! [Belief in God's oneness and charitableness towards one's fellow-men are two cardinal demands of Islam. Conversely, a deliberate offence against either of these two demands amounts to a denial of man's responsibility before God and hence, by implication, of a continuation of life in the hereafter. (For my rendering of zakah, in this context, as "charity", see note on 2:43. It is to be borne in mind that the application of this term to the obligatory tax incumbent on Muslims dates from the Medina period, whereas the present surah is a Meccan revelation.)] | Those who do not give/bring the charity/purification, and they are with the end (other life), they are disbelieving. | alXyn layWtwn alzka+ whm balaKr+ hm kafrwn | |||
| 8. * | For those who believe and work deeds of righteousness is a reward that will never fail. | [But,] verily, they who have attained to faith and do good works shall have a reward unending! | That truly those who believed and made/did the correct/righteous deeds, for them (is) a reward/wage not interrupted/weakened (continuous). | an alXyn amnwa w`mlwa alSalHat lhm ajr Gyr mmnwn | |||
| 9. * | Say: Is it that ye deny Him Who created the earth in two Days? And do ye join equals with Him? He is the Lord of (all) the Worlds. | SAY: "Would you indeed deny Him who has created the earth in two aeons? [For the above rendering of the term yawm (lit., "day"), as "aeon", see last third of note on 7:54. As in so many verses of the Quran which relate to cosmic events, the repeated mention of the "six aeons" during which the universe was created - "two" of which, according to the above verse, were taken by the evolution of the inorganic universe, including the earth - has a purely allegorical import: in this case, I believe, an indication that the universe did not exist "eternally" but had a definite beginning in time, and that it required a definite time-lapse to evolve to its present condition.] And do you claim that there is any power that could rival Him, the Sustainer of all the worlds?" [Lit., "do you give Him compeers (andad)?" For an explanation, see note on 2:22.] | Say: "Do you disbelieve (E) with who created the earth/Planet Earth in two days, and you make/put for Him equals (idols), that (is) the creations all together's/(universes') Lord. | ql aYnkm ltkfrwn balXy Klq alarD fy ywmyn wtj`lwn lh andada Xlk rb al`almyn | |||
| 10. * | He set on the (earth), mountains standing firm, high above it, and bestowed blessings on the earth, and measure therein all things to give them nourishment in due proportion, in four Days, in accordance with (the needs of) those who seek (Sustenance). | For He [it is who, after creating the earth,] placed firm mountains on it, [towering] above its surface, and bestowed [so many] blessings on it, and equitably apportioned * its means of subsistence to all who would seek it: [I.e., in accordance with divine justice, and not with human concepts of "equity" or "need".] [and all this He created] in four aeons. [Almost all the classical commentators agree in that these "four aeons include the "two" mentioned in the preceding verse: hence my interpolation of the words "and all this He created". Together with the "two aeons of verse 12, the entire allegorical number comes to six.] | And He made/put in it anchors/fixtures/mountains from above it, and He blessed in it, and He predestined/evaluated in it its provision in four days, straight/equal to the askers/questioners. | wj`l fyha rwasy mn fwqha wbark fyha wqdr fyha aqwatha fy arb`+ ayam swa' llsaYlyn | |||
| 11. * | Moreover He comprehended in His design the sky, and it had been (as) smoke: He said to it and to the earth: "Come ye together, willingly or unwillingly." They said: "We do come (together), in willing obedience." | And [Whenever the particle thumma is used, as in the above instance, to link parallel statements - i.e., statements not necessarily indicating a sequence in time - it has the function of a simple conjunction, and may be rendered as "and".] He [it is who] applied His design to the skies, which were [yet but] smoke; [I.e., a gas - evidently hydrogen gas, which physicists regard as the primal element from which all material particles of the universe have evolved and still evolve. For the meaning of the term sama ("sky" or "skies" or "heaven") in its cosmic connotation, see note on 2:29.] and He [it is who] said to them and to the earth, "Come [into being], both of you, willingly or unwillingly!" - to which both responded, "We do come in obedience." [Explaining this passage, Zamakhshari observes: "The meaning of God's command to the skies and the earth to `come', and their submission [to His command] is this: He willed their coming into being, and so they came to be as He willed them to be and this is the kind of metaphor (majaz) which is called `allegory' (tamthil). Thus, the purport [of this passage] is but an illustration (taswir) of the effect of His almighty power on all that is willed [by Him], and nothing else." (It is obvious that Zamakhshari's reasoning is based on the oft-repeated Quranic statement, "When God wills a thing to be, He but says unto it, `Be' - and it is.") Concluding his interpretation of the above passage, Zamakhshari adds: "If I am asked about the meaning of [the words] `willingly or unwillingly', I say that it is a figurative expression (mathal) indicating that His almighty will must inevitably take effect."] | Then He aimed/tended to the sky/space and it is smoke/fumes, so He said to it and to the earth/Planet Earth: "You (B) come voluntarily or forcefully/involuntarily." They (B) said: "We came obedient." | xm astwi ali alsma' why dKan fqal lha wllarD aYtya Tw`a aw krha qalta atyna TaY`yn | |||
| 12. * | So He completed them as seven firmaments in two Days, and He assigned to each heaven its duty and command. And We adorned the lower heaven with lights, and (provided it) with guard. Such is the Decree of (Him) the Exalted in Might, Full of Knowledge. | And He [it is who] decreed that they become seven heavens in two aeons, and imparted unto each heaven its function. [I.e., a multiplicity of cosmic systems (cf. note on 2:29).] And We adorned the skies nearest to the earth with lights, and made them secure: [Cf. 15:16-18 and the corresponding notes; also 37:6ff.] such is the ordaining of the Almighty, the All-Knowing. | So He ordered/accomplished them (as) seven skies/space(s) in two days, and He inspired/transmitted in every/each sky/space its matter/affair/order/command, and We decorated/beautified the present world's sky/space with lights/stars and a protection/ observation, that (is) the glorious'/mighty's, the knowledgeable's predestination/ evaluation. | fqDahn sb` smwat fy ywmyn wawHi fy kl sma' amrha wzyna alsma' aldnya bmSabyH wHfZa Xlk tqdyr al`zyz al`lym | |||
| 13. * | But if they turn away, say thou: "I have warned you of a stunning Punishment (as of thunder and lightning) like that which (overtook) the 'Ad and the Thamud!" | BUT IF they turn away, say: [This connects with the opening sentence of verse 9 above: "Would you indeed deny Him who has created...", etc.] "I warn you of [the coming of] a thunderbolt of punishment [See note on 2:55.] like the thunderbolt [that fell upon the tribes] of Ad and Thamud!" [For the story of these two ancient tribes, see 7:65-79 and the corresponding notes; also 26:123-158.] | So if they objected/opposed, so say: "I warned/gave you notice (of) a fire falling from the sky accompanied by thunderous noise/destructive torture equal/alike to Aad and Thamud's fire falling from the sky accompanied by thunderous noise/destructive torture." | fan a`rDwa fql anXrtkm Sa`q+ mxl Sa`q+ `ad wxmwd | |||
| 14. * | Behold, the apostles came to them, from before them and behind them, (preaching): "Serve none but Allah." They said, "If our Lord had so pleased, He would certainly have sent down angels (to preach). Now we reject your mission (altogether)." | Lo! There came unto them [God's] apostles, speaking of what lay open before them and what was [still] beyond their ken, [and calling unto them,] "Worship none but God!" [Lit., "from between their hands and from behind them": i.e., reminding them of something that was known to them - namely, what happened to sinners like themselves who lived before their time - and warning them of what was bound to happen in the future to them, too, if they persisted in their denial of the truth (Al-Hasan al-Basri, as quoted by Zamakhshari). However, it is possible to understand the above phrase (which has been explained in note on 2:255) in yet another, more direct way: God's message-bearers pointed out to those sinning communities something that should have been obvious to them (lit., "between their hands") - namely, their patently wrong attitude in their worldly, social concerns and moral concepts - as well as the unreasonableness of their denying something that was still beyond their ken (lit., "behind them"): namely, life after death and God's ultimate judgment.] They answered: "If our Sustainer had willed [us to believe in what you say], He would have sent down angels [as His message-bearers]. [Cf. 6:8-9 and 15:7.] As it is, behold, we deny that there is any truth in what you [claim to] have been sent with!" | When the messengers came to them from between their hands and from behind them: "That do not worship except God." They said: "If our Lord wanted/willed, He would have descended angels, so we are with what you were sent with it disbelieving." | aX ja'thm alrsl mn byn aydyhm wmn Klfhm alat`bdwa ala allh qalwa lw $a' rbna lanzl mlaYk+ fana bma arsltm bh kafrwn | |||
| 15. * | Now the 'Ad behaved arrogantly through the land, against (all) truth and reason, and said: "Who is superior to us in strength?" What! did they not see that Allah, Who created them, was superior to them in strength? But they continued to reject Our Signs! | Now as for [the tribe of] Ad, they walked arrogantly on earth, [offending] against all right, and saying, "Who could have a power greater than ours?" Why - were they, then, not aware that God, who created them, had a power greater than theirs? But they went on rejecting Our messages; | So but Aad they became arrogant in the earth/Planet Earth without the right/truth, and they said: "Who (is) stronger than us (in) strength/power?" Do they not see/understand that (E) God (is) who created them, He is stronger than them (in) strength/power, and they were with Our evidences/verses/signs disbelieving and deny ing | fama `ad fastkbrwa fy alarD bGyr alHq wqalwa mn a$d mna qw+ awlm yrwa an allh alXy Klqhm hw a$d mnhm qw+ wkanwa bayatna yjHdwn | |||
| 16. * | So We sent against them a furious Wind through days of disaster, that We might give them a taste of a Penalty of humiliation in this life; but the Penalty of a Hereafter will be more humiliating still: and they will find no help. | and thereupon We let loose upon them a storm wind raging through days of misfortune, [See 69:6-8.] so as to give them, in the life of this world, a foretaste of suffering through humiliation: but [their] suffering in the life to come will be far more humiliating, and they will have none to succour them. | So We sent on (to) them a severely cold/roaring wind/breeze in unlucky/miserable days/times, to make them taste/experience the shame's/scandal's/disgrace's torture in the life the present/worldly life, and the end's (other life's) torture (E) (is) more shameful/scandalous/disgraceful, and they are not being given victory/aid. | farslna `lyhm ryHa SrSra fy ayam nHsat lnXyqhm `Xab alKzy fy alHya+ aldnya wl`Xab alaKr+ aKzi whm laynSrwn | |||
| 17. * | As to the Thamud, We gave them Guidance, but they preferred blindness (of heart) to Guidance: so the stunning Punishment of humiliation seized them, because of what they had earned. | And as for [the tribe of] Thamud, We offered them guidance, but they chose blindness in preference to guidance: and so the thunderbolt of shameful suffering fell upon them as an outcome of all [the evil] that they had wrought; | And but Thamud, so We guided them so they loved/liked the blindness/misguidance more, over the guidance, so the torture the humiliating/disgraceful cry of torture/destructive torture punished/took them because of what they were gaining/acquiring. | wama xmwd fhdynahm fastHbwa al`mi `li alhdi faKXthm Sa`q+ al`Xab alhwn bma kanwa yksbwn | |||
| 18. * | But We delivered those who believed and practised righteousness. | and We saved [only] those who had attained to faith and were conscious of Us. | And We saved/rescued those who believed and were fearing and obeying. | wnjyna alXyn amnwa wkanwa ytqwn | |||
| 19. * | On the Day that the enemies of Allah will be gathered together to the Fire, they will be marched in ranks. | Hence, [warn all men of] the Day when the enemies of God shall be gathered together before the fire, and then shall be driven onward, | And a day/time God's enemies be gathered to the fire, so they are being restrained/held back. | wywm yH$r a`da' allh ali alnar fhm ywz`wn | |||
| 20. * | At length, when they reach the (Fire), their hearing, their sight, and their skins will bear witness against them, as to (all) their deeds. | till, when they come close to it, their hearing and their sight and their [very] skins will bear witness against them, speaking of what they were doing [on earth]. | Until when they came to it! Their hearing/listening, and their eye sights/understanding, and their skins testified/witnessed on them because (of) what they were making/doing. | Hti aXa majaWwha $hd `lyhm sm`hm wabSarhm wjlwdhm bma kanwa y`mlwn | |||
| 21. * | They will say to their skins: "Why bear ye witness against us?" They will say: "(Allah) hath given us speech,- (He) Who giveth speech to everything: He created you for the first time, and unto Him were ye to return. | And they will ask their skins, "Why did you bear witness against us?" - [and] these will reply: "God, who gives speech to all things, has given speech to us [as well]: for He [it is who] has created you in the first instance - and unto Him you are [now] brought back. | And they said to their skins: "Why (did) you witness/testify on us?" They said: "God who made every thing speak, made us speak, and He created you (the) first/beginning time, and to Him you are being returned." | wqalwa ljlwdhm lm $hdtm `lynh qalwa anTqna allh alXy anTq kl $Y whw Klqkm awl mr+ walyh trj`wn | |||
| 22. * | "Ye did not seek to hide yourselves, lest your hearing, your sight, and your skins should bear witness against you! But ye did think that Allah knew not many of the things that ye used to do! | And you did not try to hide [your sins] lest your hearing or your sight or your skins bear witness against you: nay, but you thought that God did not know much of what you were doing - | And you were not covering/hiding yourselves that (E) your hearing/listening, and nor your eye sights/understanding, and nor your skins witnesses/testifies on (against) you, and but you thought/assumed that (E) God does not know much from what you made/do. | wmakntm tsttrwn an y$hd `lykm sm`km wlaabSarkm wlajlwdkm wlkn Znntm an allh lay`lm kxyra mma t`mlwn | |||
| 23. * | "But this thought of yours which ye did entertain concerning your Lord, hath brought you to destruction, and (now) have ye become of those utterly lost!" | and that very thought which you thought about your Sustainer has brought you to perdition, and so now you find yourselves among the lost!" | And that (is) your thought/assumption which you thought/assumed with your Lord, He made you fall/ruin so you became from the losers. | wXlkm Znkm alXy Znntm brbkm ardakm faSbHtm mn alKasryn | |||
| 24. * | If, then, they have patience, the Fire will be a home for them! and if they beg to be received into favour, into favour will they not (then) be received. | And then, [even] if they endure [their lot] in patience, the fire will still be their abode; [Sc., "unless God wills to reprieve them": see the last paragraph of 6:128 and the corresponding note; also the hadith quoted in note on 40:12.] and if they pray to be allowed to make amends, they will not be allowed to do so: [Lit., "they will not be of those who are allowed to make amends": an allusion to the request of the doomed, on the Day of Judgment, to be granted a "second chance" on earth, and to God's refusal of this request (cf. 6:27-28 and 32:12).] | So if they be patient so the fire (is a) residence/dwelling for them, and if they offer reconciliation, so they are not from the permitted to offer reconciliation. | fan ySbrwa falnar mxwi lhm wan yst`tbwa fmahm mn alm`tbyn | |||
| 25. * | And We have destined for them intimate companions (of like nature), who made alluring to them what was before them and behind them; and the sentence among the previous generations of Jinns and men, who have passed away, is proved against them; for they are utterly lost. | for [when they became oblivious of Us,] We assigned to them [their own evil impulses as their] other selves, [Or: "soul-mates" (cf. 4:38). The verb qarana, from which the noun qarin is derived, signifies "he linked" or "intimately associated" or "yoked together [one thing with another]". Cf. 43:36 - "as for anyone who chooses to remain blind to the remembrance of the Most Gracious, to him We assign an [enduring] evil impulse [lit., "a Satan"], to become his other self".] and these made appear goodly to them whatever lay open before them and whatever was beyond their ken. [Lit., "that which was between their hands and that which was behind them": i.e., their own evil impulses (which had become their "other selves", as it were) made alluring to them the unrestrained enjoyment, without any moral discrimination, of all the worldly attractions which lay open before them, causing them, at the same time, to dismiss as an illusion the idea of resurrection and of God's judgment - thus giving them a false sense of security with regard to something that was beyond their ken.] And so, the sentence [of doom] will have fallen due upon them together with the [other sinful] communities of invisible beings [For this rendering - and the meaning - of the term jinn, see Appendix III.] and humans that passed away before their time: verily, they [all] will indeed be lost! | And We predestined/assigned for them companions, so they decorated/beautified for them what (is) between their hands, and what (is) behind them, and the saying/words became true/truth on them in nations (that) had passed from before them from the Jinns, and the human/mankind, that they truly were losers. | wqyDna lhm qrna' fzynwa lhm mabyn aydyhm wmaKlfhm wHq `lyhm alqwl fy amm qd Klt mn qblhm mn aljn walans anhm kanwa Kasryn | |||
| 26. * | The Unbelievers say: "Listen not to this Qur'an, but talk at random in the midst of its (reading), that ye may gain the upper hand!" | NOW THOSE who are bent on denying the truth say [unto one another]: "Do not listen to this Quran, but rather talk frivolously about it, so that you might gain the upper hand!" [This is an allusion to efforts aimed at discrediting the Quran by describing it as "invented" by Muhammad for his own - personal and political - ends, as a series of "misunderstood quotations" from earlier scriptures, as the result of "hallucinations", and so forth: all of which implies that the opponents of the Quranic message instinctively feel its force, realizing at the same time that it endangers their self-complacent, materialistic outlook on life and ought, therefore, to be combated. This explains the statement, at the end of verse 28, that they "knowingly reject" God's messages.] | And those who disbelieved said: "Do not hear/listen to that the Koran, and cancel/abolish/nullify in it, maybe/perhaps you defeat/conquer." | wqal alXyn kfrwa latsm`wa lhXa alqran walGwa fyh l`lkm tGlbwn | |||
| 27. * | But We will certainly give the Unbelievers a taste of a severe Penalty, and We will requite them for the worst of their deeds. | But We shall most certainly give those who are [thus] bent on denying the truth a taste of suffering severe, and We shall most certainly requite them according to the worst of their deeds! | So We will make those who disbelieved taste/experience (E) a strong (severe) torture, and We will reimburse them (the) worst deeds (of) what they were making/doing. | flnXyqn alXyn kfrwa `Xaba $dyda wlnjzynhm aswa alXy kanwa y`mlwn | |||
| 28. * | Such is the requital of the enemies of Allah,- the Fire: therein will be for them the Eternal Home: a (fit) requital, for that they were wont to reject Our Sings. | That requital of God's enemies will be the fire [of the hereafter]: in it will they have an abode of immeasurable duration as an outcome of their having knowingly rejected Our messages. [For the above rendering of the verb jahada, see the third note on 29:47.] | That (is) God's enemies' reimbursement, the fire, for them in it (is) the immortality's/eternity's house/home (permanent residence), reimbursement because (of) what they were with Our verses/evidences/signs disbelieving and denying | Xlk jza' a`da' allh alnar lhm fyha dar alKld jza' bma kanwa bayatna yjHdwn | |||
| 29. * | And the Unbelievers will say: "Our Lord! Show us those, among Jinns and men, who misled us: We shall crush them beneath our feet, so that they become the vilest (before all)." | And they who [in their life on earth] were bent on denying the truth will [thereupon] exclaim: "O our Sustainer! Show us those of the invisible beings and humans that have led us astray: [See 6:112 - "against every prophet We have set up as enemies the evil forces (shayatin) from among humans as well as from among invisible beings" - and the corresponding note.] we shall trample them underfoot, so that they shall be the lowest of all!" [Cf. 7:38.] | And those who disbelieved said: "Our Lord, show us those (B) who misguided us from the Jinns and the human/mankind, we make/put them (B) below/under our feet, to be (B) from the lowest/meanest."349 | wqal alXyn kfrwa rbna arna alXyn aDlana mn aljn walans nj`lhma tHt aqdamna lykwna mn alasflyn | |||
| 30. * | In the case of those who say, "Our Lord is Allah., and, further, stand straight and steadfast, the angels descend on them (from time to time): "Fear ye not!" (they suggest), "Nor grieve! but receive the Glad Tidings of the Garden (of Bliss), the which ye were promised! | [But,] behold, as for those who say, "Our Sustainer is God," and then steadfastly pursue the right way - upon them do angels often descend, [saying:] "Fear not and grieve not, but receive the glad tiding of that paradise which has been promised to you! | That truly those who said: "Our Lord (is) God." Then they became straight/direct, the angels descend on them (and say): "That you do not fear and nor be saddened/grieved, and be announced good news to with (about) the Paradise which you were being promised." | an alXyn qalwa rbna allh xm astqamwa ttnzl `lyhm almlaYk+ ala tKafwa wlatHznwa wab$rwa baljn+ alty kntm tw`dwn | |||
| 31. * | "We are your protectors in this life and in the Hereafter: therein shall ye have all that your souls shall desire; therein shall ye have all that ye ask for!- | We are close unto you in the life of this world and [will be so] in the life to come; and in that [life to come] you shall have all that your souls may desire, and in it you shall have all that you ever prayed for, | We are your guardians/allies in the life the present/worldly life and in the end (other life), and for you in it what yourselves desire/crave, and for you in it what you call/wish/desire. | nHn awlyaWkm fy alHya+ aldnya wfy alaKr+ wlkm fyha mat$thy anfskm wlkm fyha matd`wn | |||
| 32. * | "A hospitable gift from one Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful!" | as a ready welcome from Him who is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!" | Descent from a forgiver, merciful. | nzla mn Gfwr rHym | |||
| 33. * | Who is better in speech than one who calls (men) to Allah, works righteousness, and says, "I am of those who bow in Islam"? | And who could be better of speech than he who calls [his fellow-men] unto God, and does what is just and right, and says, "Verily, I am of those who have surrendered themselves to God"? | And who (is) better (in) a word/opinion and belief than who called to God and made/did correct/righteous deeds, and he said: "That I am (E) from the Moslems/submitters/surrenderers." | wmn aHsn qwla mmn d`a ali allh w`ml SalHa wqal anny mn almslmyn | |||
| 34. * | Nor can goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better: Then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and intimate! | But [since] good and evil cannot be equal, repel thou [evil] with something that is better [See note on 13:22. In the present instance, the injunction to "repel [evil] with something that is better" relates to scurrilous objections to, and hostile criticism of, the Quran. The whole of this passage (verses 33 ff.) connects with verse 26.] - and lo! he between whom and thyself was enmity [may then become] as though he had [always] been close [unto thee], a true friend! [You foil hatred with love and liberate those from sin and make them your true friends.] | And the good/goodness does not become equal/alike and nor the sin/crime, pay/push/repel with which it is best, so then who (is) between you and between him animosity as though/as if he (is a) concerned guardian/ally. | wlatstwy alHsn+ wlaalsyY+ adf` balty hy aHsn faXa alXy bynk wbynh `daw+ kanh wly Hmym | |||
| 35. * | And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint,- none but persons of the greatest good fortune. | Yet [to achieve] this is not given to any but those who are wont to be patient in adversity: it is not given to any but those endowed with the greatest good fortune! | And none receives/finds it except those who were patient, and none receives/finds it except (owners) of great luck/fortune. | wmaylqaha ala alXyn Sbrwa wmaylqaha ala Xw HZ `Zym | |||
| 36. * | And if (at any time) an incitement to discord is made to thee by the Evil One, seek refuge in Allah. He is the One Who hears and knows all things. | Hence, if it should happen that a prompting from Satan stirs thee up [to blind anger], seek refuge with God: behold, He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing! [I.e., He alone sees what is in the hearts of men, and He alone understands the innermost motivations, of which they themselves are unconscious, of those who criticize the Quran adversely. See 7:199-200 and the corresponding notes.] | And if from the devil an urge to spoil/do evil urges you to spoil/do evil (E), so seek protection by God, that He truly, He is the hearing/listening, the knowledgeable. | wama ynzGnk mn al$yTan nzG fast`X ballh anh hw alsmy` al`lym | |||
| 37. * | Among His Sings are the Night and the Day, and the Sun and the Moon. Adore not the sun and the moon, but adore Allah, Who created them, if it is Him ye wish to serve. | Now among His signs are the night and the day, as well as the sun and the moon: [hence,] adore not the sun or the moon, but prostrate yourselves in adoration before God, who has created them - if it is Him whom you [really] worship. [This, according to Razi, connects with the phrase "calling [one's fellow-men] unto God" in verse 33 above. God is the sole cause and source of all that exists; and whatever exists is but a wondrous sign of His creative power. Hence, it is a blasphemy - apart from being unreasonable - to ascribe real power (which is the meaning of "adoration" in this context) to anything created, whether it be a concrete phenomenon, or an abstract force of nature, or a set of circumstances, or even an idea.] | And from His verses/evidences/signs (are) the night and the daytime and the sun and the moon, do not prostrate to the sun and nor to the moon, and prostrate to God who created them (B), if you were/are (only) Him worshipping. | wmn ayath allyl walnhar wal$ms walqmr latsjdwa ll$ms wla llqmr wasjdwa llh alXy Klqhn an kntm ayah t`bdwn | |||
| 38. * | But is the (Unbelievers) are arrogant, (no matter): for in the presence of thy Lord are those who celebrate His praises by night and by day. And they never flag (nor feel themselves above it). | And though some be too proud [to listen to this call], they who [in their hearts] are with thy Sustainer extol His limitless glory by night and by day, and never grow weary [thereof]. | So if they became arrogant, so those who (are) at your Lord they praise/glorify to Him by the night and the daytime, and they do not get bored/tired. | fan astkbrwa falXyn `nd rbk ysbHwn lh ballyl walnhar whm laysAmwn | |||
| 39. * | And among His Signs in this: thou seest the earth barren and desolate; but when We send down rain to it, it is stirred to life and yields increase. Truly, He Who gives life to the (dead) earth can surely give life to (men) who are dead. For He has power over all things. | For among His signs is this: thou seest the earth lying desolate - and lo! when We send down water upon it, it stirs and swells [with life]! Verily, He who brings it to life can surely give life to the dead [of heart as well]: for, behold, He has the power to will anything. [Although the allusion to the reviving earth often occurs in the Quran as a parable of man's ultimate resurrection, in the present context (and in tune with the entire passage comprising verses 33-39) it appears to be an illustration of God's power to bestow spiritual life upon hearts that have hitherto remained closed to the truth of His existence and omnipotence. Hence, it implies a call to the believer never to abandon the hope that "those who deny the truth" may one day grasp the truth of the Quranic message.] | And from His verses/evidences/signs, that you see the earth/Planet Earth humble/submissive, so if/when We descended on it the water, it shook/moved and it grew/increased, that truly who revived it (is) reviving (E) the deads, that He truly (is) on every thing capable/able. | wmn ayath ank tri alarD Ka$`+ faXa anzlna `lyha alma' ahtzt wrbt an alXy aHyaha lmHyy almwti anh `li kl $Y qdyr | |||
| 40. * | Those who pervert the Truth in Our Signs are not hidden from Us. Which is better?- he that is cast into the Fire, or he that comes safe through, on the Day of Judgment? Do what ye will: verily He seeth (clearly) all that ye do. | VERILY, they who distort the meaning of Our messages are not hidden from Us: hence, which [of the two] will be in a better state - he that is [destined to be] cast into the fire, or he that shall come secure [before Us] on Resurrection Day? Do what you will: verily, He sees all that you do. | That truly those who deviate, insult and defame God in Our verses/evidences/signs, they are not hidden on (from) Us. Is who is being thrown in the fire better or who comes safe/secure (on) the Resurrection Day? Make/do what you willed/wanted, that He truly is with what you make/do seeing/knowing. | an alXyn ylHdwn fy ayatna layKfwn `lyna afmn ylqi fy alnar Kyr am mn yaty amna ywm alqyam+ a`mlwa ma$Ytm anh bma t`mlwn bSyr | |||
| 41. * | Those who reject the Message when it comes to them (are not hidden from Us). And indeed it is a Book of exalted power. | Verily, they who are bent on denying the truth of this reminder as soon as it comes to them - [they are the losers]: for, behold, it is a sublime divine writ: | That truly those who disbelieved with the reminder/remembrance when (it) came to them, and that it truly is a glorious/mighty Book (E). | an alXyn kfrwa balXkr lma ja'hm wanh lktab `zyz | |||
| 42. * | No falsehood can approach it from before or behind it: It is sent down by One Full of Wisdom, Worthy of all Praise. | no falsehood can ever attain to it openly, and neither in a stealthy manner, [since it is] bestowed from on high by One who is truly wise, ever to be praised. [Lit., "neither from between its hands, nor from behind it", i.e., it cannot be openly changed by means of additions or omissions (Razi), and neither surreptitiously, by hostile or deliberately confusing interpretations. The above is one of the Quranic passages on which the great commentator Abu Muslim al-Isfahani (as quoted by Razi) bases his absolute rejection of the theory of "abrogation" (for which see note on 2:106). Since the "abrogation" of any Quran-verse would have amounted to its ibtal - that is, to an open or implied declaration that it was henceforth to be regarded as null and void - the verse in question would have to be considered "false" (batil) in the context of the Quran as it is before us: and this, as Abu Muslim points out, would clearly contradict the above statement that "no falsehood (batil) can ever attain to it".] | The falsehood does not come to it from between its hand and nor from behind it, descent from (the) wise/judicious, praiseworthy/commendable. | layatyh albaTl mn byn ydyh wlamn Klfh tnzyl mn Hkym Hmyd | |||
| 43. * | Nothing is said to thee that was not said to the apostles before thee: that thy lord has at his Command (all) forgiveness as well as a most Grievous Penalty. | [And as for thee, O Prophet,] nothing is being said to thee but what was said to all [of God's] apostles before thy time. [This is an allusion to the allegation of the Prophet's opponents that he himself was the "author" of what he claimed to be a divine revelation, as well as to their demand that he should "prove" the truth of his prophetic mission by producing a miracle: a scornful attitude with which all the earlier prophets had been confronted at one time or another, and which is epitomized in the "saying" of the unbelievers mentioned in verse 5 of this surah.] Behold, thy Sustainer is indeed full of forgiveness - but He has also the power to requite most grievously! | (It) is not said to you except what had been said to the messengers from before you, that truly your Lord (is owner) of (E) a forgiveness and (owner) of a painful punishment. | mayqal lk ala maqd qyl llrsl mn qblk an rbk lXw mGfr+ wXw `qab alym | |||
| 44. * | Had We sent this as a Qur'an (in the language) other than Arabic, they would have said: "Why are not its verses explained in detail? What! (a Book) not in Arabic and (a Messenger an Arab?" Say: "It is a Guide and a Healing to those who believe; and for those who believe not, there is a deafness in their ears, and it is blindness in their (eyes): They are (as it were) being called from a place far distant!" | Now if We had willed this [divine writ] to be a discourse in a non-Arabic tongue, they [who now reject it] would surely have said, "Why is it that its messages have not been spelled out clearly? [Sc., "in a tongue which we can understand". Since the Prophet was an Arab and lived in an Arabian environment, his message had to be expressed in the Arabic language, which the people to whom it was addressed in the first instance could understand: see in this connection note on the first sentence of 13:37, as well as the first half of 14:4 - "never have We sent forth any apostle otherwise than [with a message] in his own people's tongue, so that he might make [the truth] clear unto them". Had the message of the Quran been formulated in a language other than Arabic, the opponents of the Prophet would have been justified in saying, "between us and thee is a barrier" (verse 5 of this surah).] Why - [a message in] a non-Arabic tongue, and [its bearer] an Arab?" Say: "Unto all who have attained to faith, this [divine writ] is a guidance and a source of health; but as for those who will not believe - in their ears is deafness, and so it remains obscure to them: they are [like people who are] being called from too far away. [Lit., "from a far-off place": i.e., they only hear the sound of the words, but cannot understand their meaning.] | And if We made it a non-Arabic/Persian Koran, they would have said: "If only its verses were detailed/explained. Is (it) a non-Arabic/Persian (Koran) and an Arab (messenger)?" Say: "It is to those who believed guidance and a cure/recovery/healing; and those who do not believe, in their ears (is a) weight/heaviness and it is on them blindness/confusion, those, they are being called, from a far/distant place/position."350 | wlw j`lnah qrana a`jmya lqalwa lwla fSlt ayath 'a`jmy w`rby ql hw llXyn amnwa hdi w$fa' walXyn layWmnwn fy aXanhm wqr whw `lyhm `mi awlYk ynadwn mn mkan b`yd | |||
| 45. * | We certainly gave Moses the Book aforetime: but disputes arose therein. Had it not been for a Word that went forth before from thy Lord, (their differences) would have been settled between them: but they remained in suspicious disquieting doubt thereon. | Thus, too, have We vouchsafed revelation unto Moses aforetime, and thereupon disputes arose about it. [As was and is the case with the Quran, some people accepted the divine message revealed to Moses, and some rejected it (Zamakhshari, Razi), while others disagreed about the import and application of its tenets (Tabari).] And [then, as now,] had it not been for a decree that had already gone forth from thy Sustainer, all would indeed have been decided between them [from the outset]. [For an explanation of this passage, as well as of the above parallel between men's attitudes towards the earlier scriptures and the Quran, see the second sentence of 10:19 and the corresponding note.] As it is, behold, they [who will not believe in this divine writ] are in grave doubt, amounting to suspicion, about what it portends. [Lit., "about it", i.e., doubts as to whether the Quranic approach to problems of man's spirit and body - and, in particular, its stress on the essential unity of these twin aspects of human life (cf. note on the first sentence of 2:143) - is justified or not. In a wider sense, these doubts of the deniers of the truth relate to the question of whether religion as such is "beneficial" or "injurious" to human society - a question which is posed and answered by them with a strong bias against all religious faith.] | And We had given/brought Moses The Book, so it was disputed in it, and where it not for a word (that) proceeded from your Lord, (it) would have been executed between them, and that they truly are in doubtful/suspicious doubt/suspicion from it. | wlqd atyna mwsi alktab faKtlf fyh wlwla klm+ sbqt mn rbk lqDy bynhm wanhm lfy $k mnh mryb | |||
| 46. * | Whoever works righteousness benefits his own soul; whoever works evil, it is against his own soul: nor is thy Lord ever unjust (in the least) to His Servants. | WHOEVER does what is just and right, does so for his own good; and whoever does evil, does so to his own hurt: and never does God do the least wrong to His creatures. | Who made/did correct/righteous deeds, so for himself, and who did bad/evil/harm so on (for) it, and your Lord (is) not with an unjust/oppressor to the worshippers. | mn `ml SalHa flnfsh wmn asa' f`lyha wmarbk bZlam ll`byd | |||
| 47. * | To Him is referred the Knowledge of the Hour (of Judgment: He knows all): No date-fruit comes out of its sheath, nor does a female conceive (within her womb) nor bring forth the Day that ((Allah)) will propound to them the (question), "Where are the partners (ye attributed to Me?" They will say, "We do assure thee not one of us can bear witness!" | In Him alone is vested the knowledge of when the Last Hour will come. And no fruit bursts forth from its calyx, and no female ever conceives, nor ever gives birth, save with His knowledge. And so, on the Day when He shall call out to them, "Where, now, are those [alleged] partners of Mine?" - they will [surely] answer, "We confess unto Thee that none of us can bear witness [to anyone's having a share in Thy divinity]!" | To Him the Hour's/Resurrection's knowledge be returned, and none emerges from fruits from its buds/covers from which they emerge, and none from a female conceives/(is) pregnant with/carries, and nor gives birth/drops except with His knowledge, and a day/time He calls them: "Where (are) my p artners?" They said: "We took your leave, we informed you, none from an honest witness/testifier is from us." | alyh yrd `lm alsa`+ wmatKrj mn xmrat mn akmamha wmatHml mn anxi wlatD` ala b`lmh wywm ynadyhm ayn $rkaYy qalwa aXnak mamna mn $hyd | |||
| 48. * | The (deities) they used to invoke aforetime will leave them in the lurch, and they will perceive that they have no way of escape. | And so, all that they were wont to invoke aforetime will have forsaken them; and they shall know for certain that there is no escape for them. | And what they were calling from before misguided/lost from them, and they thought/assumed nothing from (an) escape/diversion (is) for them (there is no escape for them). | wDl `nhm makanwa yd`wn mn qbl wZnwa malhm mn mHyS | |||
| 49. * | Man does not weary of asking for good (things), but if ill touches him, he gives up all hope (and) is lost in despair. | MAN NEVER TIRES of asking for the good [things of life]; and if evil fortune touches him, he abandons all hope, giving himself up to despair. [See note on 11:9.] | The human/mankind does not get bored/tired from the goodness' call/request/prayer, and if the bad/evil/harm touched him, so he is despairing/hopeless despaired. | laysAm alansan mn d`a' alKyr wan msh al$r fyWws qnwT | |||
| 50. * | When we give him a taste of some Mercy from Ourselves, after some adversity has touched him, he is sure to say, "This is due to my (merit): I think not that the Hour (of Judgment) will (ever) be established; but if I am brought back to my Lord, I have (much) good (stored) in His sight!" But We will show the Unbelievers the truth of all that they did, and We shall give them the taste of a severe Penalty. | Yet whenever We let him taste some of Our grace after hardship has visited him, he is sure to say, "This is but my due!" - and, "I do not think that the Last Hour will ever come: [I.e., man is, as a rule, so blinded by his love of this world that he cannot imagine its ever coming to an end. Implied in this statement is a doubt as to whether there will really be an afterlife, and whether man will really be judged by God on resurrection.] but if [it should come, and] I should indeed be brought back unto my Sus tainer, then, behold, the ultimate good awaits me with Him! [Being fully convinced of his own merit (as expressed in the words, "This is but my due"), he is confident that - in case there should really be a life after death - his own flattering view of himself will be confirmed by God.] But [on the Day of Judgment] We shall most cer tainly give those who were bent on denying the truth [I.e., the truth of resurrection and of God's judgment.] full understanding of all that they ever did, and shall most certainly give them [thereby] a taste of suffering severe. [I.e., the realization of the spiritual blindness in which they spent their life will in itself be a source of their suffering in the hereafter: cf. 17:72 - "whoever is blind [of heart] in this [world] will be blind in the life to come (as well)".] | And if (E) We made him taste/experience mercy from Us, from after calamity/disastrous distress touched him, he will say (E): "That (is) for me, and I do not think/assume the Hour/Resurrection (is) starting, and if (E) I was returned to my Lord, that truly for me at Him (is) the best/most beautiful/goodness (E)." So We will inform those who disbelieved with what they made/did, and We will make them taste/experience (E) from a strong/rough torture. | wlYn aXqnah rHm+ mna mn b`d Dra' msth lyqwln hXa ly wmaaZn alsa`+ qaYm+ wlYn rj`t ali rby an ly `ndh llHsny flnnbYn alXyn kfrwa bma `mlwa wlnXyqnhm mn `Xab GlyZ | |||
| 51. * | When We bestow favours on man, he turns away, and gets himself remote on his side (instead of coming to Us); and when evil seizes him, (he comes) full of prolonged prayer! | And, too, when We bestow Our blessings upon man, he tends to turn aside and keep aloof [from remembering Us]; but as soon as evil fortune touches him, he is full of wordy prayers! [Lit., "wide (i.e., prolonged or diffuse) prayers".] | And if We blessed/comforted and eased on the human/mankind he objected/opposed and he went far with his side/direction, and if the bad/evil/harm touched him, so (he is owner) of (a) wide/broad call/request/prayer. | waXa an`mna `li alansan a`rD wnAi bjanbh waXa msh al$r fXw d`a' `ryD | |||
| 52. * | Say: "See ye if the (Revelation) is (really) from Allah, and yet do ye reject it? Who is more astray than one who is in a schism far (from any purpose)?" | HAVE YOU given thought [to how you will fare] if this be truly [a revelation] from God, the while you deny its truth? Who could be more astray than one who places himself [so] deeply in the wrong? [According to Razi, this is an implied allusion to the attitude of people who - as mentioned in verses 4 and 5 of this surah - "turn away" from the message of the Quran, saying, as it were: "Our hearts are veiled from whatever thou callest us to, [O Muhammad,] and in our ears is deafness, and between us and thee is a barrier.] | Say: "Did you see/understand if (it) was from at God, then you disbelieved with (in) it, who (is) more misguided than who he is in far/distant defiance/animosity." | ql araytm an kan mn `nd allh xm kfrtm bh mn aDl mmn hw fy $qaq b`yd | |||
| 53. * | Soon will We show them our Signs in the (furthest) regions (of the earth), and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that thy Lord doth witness all things? | In time We shall make them fully understand [Lit., "We will show them" or "make them see".] Our messages [through what they perceive] in the utmost horizons [of the universe] and within themselves, [I.e., through a progressive deepening and widening of their insight into the wonders of the universe as well as through a deeper understanding of man's own psyche - all of which points to the existence of a conscious Creator.] so that it will become clear unto them that this [revelation] is indeed the truth. [Still,] is it not enough [for them to know] that thy Sustainer is witness unto everything? [I.e., that He is almighty and all-seeing: a fundamental truth which, by itself, should be enough to remind man of his responsibility before Him.] | We will show them/make them understand Our verses/signs/evidences in the horizons/directions and in their selves, until (it) becomes clear/explained for them that it (is) the truth. Is (it) not enough/sufficient with your Lord, that He truly is on every thing witnessing/testifying? | snryhm ayatna fy alafaq wfy anfshm Hti ytbyn lhm anh alHq awlm ykf brbk anh `li kl $y' $hyd | |||
| 54. * | Ah indeed! Are they in doubt concerning the Meeting with their Lord? Ah indeed! It is He that doth encompass all things! | Oh, verily, they are in doubt as to whether they will meet their Sustainer [on Judgment Day]! Oh, verily, He encompasses everything! | Is (it) not that they truly are in doubt from meeting their Lord? Is (it) not that He truly is with every thing surrounding/encircling?351 | ala anhm fy mry+ mn lqa' rbhm ala anh bkl $Y mHyT | |||