| y_ali | asad | literal | tlt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. * | A. L. M. | Alif. Lam. Mim. [See Appendix II.] | A L M. | swr+ alrwm bsm allh alrHmn alrHym ? alm | |||
| 2. * | The Roman Empire has been defeated-- | Defeated have been the Byzantines | The Romans were defeated/conquered. | Glbt alrwm | |||
| 3. * | In a land close by; but they, (even) after (this) defeat of theirs, will soon be victorious- | in the lands close-by; yet it is they who, notwithstanding this their defeat, shall be victorious | In the land's/planet Earth's nearest, and they, from after their defeat they will conquer. | fy adni alarD whm mn b`d Glbhm syGlbwn | |||
| 4. * | Within a few years. With Allah is the Decision, in the past and in the Future: on that Day shall the Believers rejoice- | within a few years: [for] with God rests all power of decision, first and last. [Lit., "before and after". The defeats and victories spoken of above relate to the last phases of the centuries-long struggle between the Byzantine and Persian Empires. During the early years of the seventh century the Persians conquered parts of Syria and Anatolia, "the lands close-by", i.e., near the heartland of the Byzantine umpire; in 613 they took Damascus and it 614, Jerusalem; Egypt fell to them in 615-16, and at the same time they laid siege to Constantinople itself. At the time of the revelation of this surah - about the seventh year before the hijrah, corresponding to 615 or 616 of the Christian era - the total destruction of the Byzantine Empire seemed imminent. The few Muslims around the Prophet were despondent on hearing the news of the utter discomfiture of the Byzantines, who were Christians and, as such, believed in the One God. The pagan Quraysh, on the other hand, sympathized with the Persians who, they thought, would vindicate their own opposition to the One-God idea. When Muhammad enunciated the above Quran-verses predicting a Byzantine victory "within a few years", this prophecy was received with derision by the Quraysh. Now the term bid (commonly rendered as "a few") denotes any number between three and ten; and, as it happened, in 622 - i.e., six or seven years after the Quranic prediction - the tide turned in favour of the Byzantines. In that year, Emperor Heraclius succeeded in defeating the Persians at Issus, south of the Taurus Mountains, and subsequently drove them out of Asia Minor. By 624, he carried the war into Persian territory and thus put the enemy on the defensive: and in the beginning of December, 626, the Persian armies were completely routed by the Byzantines.] And on that day will the believers [too, have cause to] rejoice | In (a) few years (between 3-9), to God (is) the matter/order from before and from after, and (on) that day the believers rejoice/delight. | fy bD` snyn llh alamr mn qbl wmn b`d wywmYX yfrH almWmnwn | |||
| 5. * | With the help of Allah. He helps whom He will, and He is exalted in might, most merciful. | in God's succour: [This is a prediction of the battle of Badr, which was to take place eight or nine years later, in the month of Ramadan, | With God's victory/aid, He gives victory/aid (to) whom He wills/wants, and He (is) the glorious/mighty, the merciful. | bnSr allh ynSr mn y$a' whw al`zyz alrHym | |||
| 6. * | (It is) the promise of Allah. Never does Allah depart from His promise: but most men understand not. | [This is] God's promise. Never does God fail to fulfill His promise - but most people know [it] not: | God's promise, God does not break His promise and but most of the people do not know. | w`d allh layKlf allh w`dh wlkn akxr alnas lay`lmwn | |||
| 7. * | They know but the outer (things) in the life of this world: but of the End of things they are heedless. | they know but the outer surface of this world's life, whereas of the ultimate things they are utterly unaware. [The term al-akhirah circumscribes, in this context, both the inner reality of this world's life and the ultimate reality of the hereafter.] | They know (what is) apparent/visible from the life the present/worldly life, and they are from the end (other life), they are ignoring/disregarding. | y`lmwn Zahra mn alHya+ aldnya whm `n alaKr+ hm Gaflwn | |||
| 8. * | Do they not reflect in their own minds? Not but for just ends and for a term appointed, did Allah create the heavens and the earth, and all between them: yet are there truly many among men who deny the meeting with their Lord (at the Resurrection)! | Have they never learned to think for themselves? [Lit., "Have they never thought within themselves?"] God has not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them without [an inner] truth and a term set [by Him]: [I.e., in contrast to God, who is eternal and unlimited, everything created is limited and subject to change and termination. As regards my rendering of illa bil-haqq (lit., "otherwise than with [or "in"] truth) as without [an inner] truth", see note on the second sentence of 10:5.] and yet, behold, there are many people who stubbornly deny the truth that they are destined to meet their Sustainer! | Did they not think in themselves God did not create the skies/space and the earth/Planet Earth, and what (is) between them (B) except with the truth and a named/identified (specified) term/time, and that many from the people with their Lord's meeting (they are) disbelieving. | awlm ytfkrwa fy anfshm maKlq allh alsmawat walarD wmabynhma ala balHq wajl msmi wan kxyra mn alnas blqa' rbhm lkafrwn | |||
| 9. * | Do they not travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those before them? They were superior to them in strength: they tilled the soil and populated it in greater numbers than these have done: there came to them their apostles with Clear (Signs). (Which they rejected, to their own destruction): It was not Allah Who wronged them, but they wronged their own souls. | 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 they left a stronger impact on the earth, and built it up even better [Lit., "more". The phrase can also be rendered as "peopled it [or "dwelt in it"] in great numbers".] than these [are doing]; and to them [too] came their apostles with all evidence of the truth: and so, [when they rejected the truth and thereupon perished,] it was not God who wronged them, but it was they who had wronged themselves. | Do they not walk/move/ride in the earth/Planet Earth, so they look/wonder about how was those from before them's end/turn (result)? They were stronger than them (in) strength/power, and they erupted and spread/plowed the earth/Planet Earth and they inhabited/built it more than what they inhabited/built it, and their messengers came to them with the evidences, so God was not to cause injustice to/oppress them, and but they were themselves causing injustice/oppression. | awlm ysyrwa fy alarD fynZrwa kyf kan `aqb+ alXyn mn qblhm kanwa a$d mnhm qw+ waxarwa alarD w`mrwha akxr mma `mrwha wja'thm rslhm balbynat fma kan allh lyZlmhm wlkn kanwa anfshm yZlmwn | |||
| 10. * | In the long run evil in the extreme will be the End of those who do evil; for that they rejected the Signs of Allah, and held them up to ridicule. | And once again: [For this particular rendering of thumma, see 6:38.] evil is bound to be the end of those who do evil by giving the lie to God's messages and deriding them. | Then (the) end/turn (result of) those who did bad/evil/harm (is) the bad/evil/harm/fire, that (is because) they denied/falsified with God's signs/verses/evidences, and they were with it mocking/making fun. | xm kan `aqb+ alXyn asaWwa alsw' an kXbwa bayat allh wkanwa bha ysthzWwn | |||
| 11. * | It is Allah Who begins (the process of) creation; then repeats it; then shall ye be brought back to Him. | GOD CREATES [man] in the first instance, and then brings him forth anew: [I.e., He will bring him forth anew: cf. 10:4 and the corresponding note. (A more general formulation of the same statement is found in verse 27 of this surah.)] and, in the end, unto Him you all will be brought back. | God begins/initiates the creation then He returns/repeats it, then to Him you are being returned. | allh ybdW alKlq xm y`ydh xm alyh trj`wn | |||
| 12. * | On the Day that the Hour will be established, the guilty will be struck dumb with despair. | And when the last Hour dawns, those who were lost in sin will be broken in spirit | And a day/time the Hour/Resurrection starts the criminals/sinners become confused/dumbfounded. | wywm tqwm alsa`+ ybls almjrmwn | |||
| 13. * | No intercessor will they have among their "Partners" and they will (themselves) reject their "Partners". | for they will have no intercessors in the beings to whom they were wont to ascribe a share in God's divinity, [Lit., "among their [God-] partners" (see 6:22).] seeing that [by then] they themselves will have ceased to believe in their erstwhile blasphemous fancies. [Lit., "they will have rejected those [God-] partners of theirs".] | And (there) were not for them from their partners (with God) mediators, and they were with their partners (with God) disbelievers. | wlm ykn lhm mn $rkaYhm $f`a' wkanwa b$rkaYhm kafryn | |||
| 14. * | On the Day that the Hour will be established,- that Day shall (all men) be sorted out. | And when the Last Hour dawns - on that Day will all [men] be sorted out: | And a day/time the Hour/Resurrection starts, (on) that day they separate. | wywm tqwm alsa`+ ywmYX ytfrqwn | |||
| 15. * | Then those who have believed and worked righteous deeds, shall be made happy in a Mead of Delight. | as for those who attained to faith and did righteous deeds, they shall be made happy in a garden of delight; | So but those who believed and made/did the correct/righteous deeds, so they are in a garden/meadow,being rejoiceful/delighted. | fama alXyn amnwa w`mlwa alSalHat fhm fy rwD+ yHbrwn | |||
| 16. * | And those who have rejected Faith and falsely denied our Signs and the meeting of the Hereafter,- such shall be brought forth to Punishment. | but as for those who refused to acknowledge the truth and gave the lie to Our messages - and (thus) to the announcement [See note on 7:147.] of a life to come - they will be given over to suffering. | And but those who disbelieved and lied/denied/falsified with Our verses/evidences, and the end's (other life's) meeting, so those are in the torture, they are made to be present/made to attend. | wama alXyn kfrwa wkXbwa bayatna wlqa' alaKr+ fawlYk fy al`Xab mHDrwn | |||
| 17. * | So (give) glory to Allah, when ye reach eventide and when ye rise in the morning; | EXTOL, then, God's limitless glory when you enter upon the evening hours, and when you rise at morn; | So God's praise/glory when you enter into the evening and when you become (awaken) in the morning. | fsbHan allh Hyn tmswn wHyn tSbHwn | |||
| 18. * | Yea, to Him be praise, in the heavens and on earth; and in the late afternoon and when the day begins to decline. | and [seeing that] unto Him is due all praise in the heavens and on earth, [glorify Him] in the afternoon as well, and when you enter upon the hour of noon. [I.e., "remember God at all times". Apart from this general exhortation, the hours mentioned above circumscribe the times of the five daily prayers incumbent upon a Muslim. The "evening hours" indicate the prayer after sunset (maghrib) as well as that after nightfall (isha).] | And to Him (is) the praise/gratitude in the skies/space and the earth/Planet Earth, and (at) evening/first darkness when you cooperate/support/help. | wlh alHmd fy alsmawat walarD w`$ya wHyn tZhrwn | |||
| 19. * | It is He Who brings out the living from the dead, and brings out the dead from the living, and Who gives life to the earth after it is dead: and thus shall ye be brought out (from the dead). | He [it is who] brings forth the living out of that which is dead, and brings forth the dead out of that which is alive, and gives life to the earth after it had been lifeless: and even thus will you be brought forth [from death to life] | He brings out/emerges the live/alive from the dead, and He brings out/emerges the dead from the live/alive, and He revives the Earth/land after its death/lifelessness, and like that/that is how you are brought out. | yKrj alHy mn almyt wyKrj almyt mn alHy wyHyy alarD b`d mwtha wkXlk tKrjwn | |||
| 20. * | Among His Signs in this, that He created you from dust; and then,- behold, ye are men scattered (far and wide)! | And among His wonders is this: He creates you out of dust - [See second half of note on 3:59, and note on 23:12.] and then, lo! you become human beings ranging far and wide! | And from His verses/evidences/signs, that (E) He created you from dust/earth, then you were humans spreading out/extending. | wmn ayath an Klqkm mn trab xm aXa antm b$r tnt$rwn | |||
| 21. * | And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect. | And among His wonders is this: He creates for you mates out of your own kind. [Lit., "from among yourselves" (see 4:1).] so that you might incline towards them, and He engenders love and tenderness between you: in this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who think! | And from His evidences/signs that (E) He created for you from yourselves spouses to be tranquil/secure to it, and He made/created between you love/affection/friendship and mercy, that (E) in that (are) evidences/signs (E) to a nation thinking. | wmn ayath an Klq lkm mn anfskm azwaja ltsknwa alyha wj`l bynkm mwd+ wrHm+ an fy Xlk layat lqwm ytfkrwn | |||
| 22. * | And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colours: verily in that are Signs for those who know. | And among his wonders is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the diversity of your tongues and colours: for in this, behold, there are messages indeed for all who are possessed of [innate] knowledge! | And from His evidences/signs (are) the skies'/space's and the earth's/Planet Earth's creation, and your tongue's/speech's, and your colour's difference, that (E) in that (are) evidences/signs (E) to the creations all together/(universes). | wmn ayath Klq alsmawat walarD waKtlaf alsntkm walwankm an fy Xlk layat ll`almyn | |||
| 23. * | And among His Signs is the sleep that ye take by night and by day, and the quest that ye (make for livelihood) out of His Bounty: verily in that are signs for those who hearken. | And among His wonders is your sleep, at night or in daytime, as well as your [ability to go about in] quest of some of His bounties: in this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who [are willing to] listen! | And from His evidences/signs (is) your sleep/dream at the night, and the daytime, and your wishing/desiring from His grace/favour/blessing, that (E) in that (are) evidences/signs (E) to a nation hearing/listening. | wmn ayath mnamkm ballyl walnhar wabtGaWkm mn fDlh an fy Xlk layat lqwm ysm`wn | |||
| 24. * | And among His Signs, He shows you the lightning, by way both of fear and of hope, and He sends down rain from the sky and with it gives life to the earth after it is dead: verily in that are Signs for those who are wise. | And among His wonders is this: He displays before you the lightning, giving rise to [both] fear and hope, [I.e., hope of rain - an oft-recurring Quranic symbol of faith and spiritual life (cf. 13:12).] and sends down water from the skies, giving life thereby to the earth after it had been lifeless: in this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who use their reason! | And from His evidences/signs, He shows you/makes you understand the lightning, fearfully and coveting/desirous, and He descends from the sky water so He revives with it the Earth/land after its death/lifelessness, that (E) in that (are) evidences/signs (E) to a nation reasoning/comprehending. | wmn ayath yrykm albrq Kwfa wTm`a wynzl mn alsma' ma' fyHyy bh alarD b`d mwtha an fy Xlk layat lqwm y`qlwn | |||
| 25. * | And among His Signs is this, that heaven and earth stand by His Command: then when He calls you, by a single call, from the earth, behold, ye (straightway) come forth. | And among His wonders is this: the skies and the earth stand firm at His behest. [Cf. 13:2, where God is spoken of as having "raised the skies without any supports that you could see" - a phrase explained in the corresponding note.] [Remember all this: for] in the end, when He will call you forth from the earth with a single call - lo! you will [all] emerge [for judgment]. | And from His evidences/signs (is) that (E) the sky/space and the earth/Planet Earth stand/keep up with His matter/order, then if He called you a call/request from the earth/Planet Earth, then you are, you are emerging/appearing. | wmn ayath an tqwm alsma' walarD bamrh xm aXa d`akm d`w+ mn alarD aXa antm tKrjwn | |||
| 26. * | To Him belongs every being that is in the heavens and on earth: all are devoutly obedient to Him. | For, unto Him belongs every being that is in the heavens and on earth; all things devoutly obey His will. | And to Him what (is) in the skies/space and the earth/Planet Earth, each/all (are) to Him obeying/worshipping humbly. | wlh mn fy alsmawat walarD kl lh qantwn | |||
| 27. * | It is He Who begins (the process of) creation; then repeats it; and for Him it is most easy. To Him belongs the loftiest similitude (we can think of) in the heavens and the earth: for He is Exalted in Might, full of wisdom. | And He it is who creates [all life] in the first instance, and then brings it forth anew: [Although this statement is phrased in almost exactly the same words as in verse 11 above (as well as in 10:4), it evidently has here a more general purport, relating not only to man and mans individual resurrection but to the creation and constant re-creation of all life.] and most easy is this for Him, since His is the essence of all that is most sublime in the heavens and on earth, and He alone is almighty, truly wise. [Primarily, the term mathal denotes a "likeness" or "similitude", and hence is often used in the Quran (e.g., in the next verse) in the sense of "parable". Occasionally, however, it is synonymous with sifah, which signifies the intrinsic "attribute", "quality" or "nature" of a thing, concept or living being (cf. the reference to "the nature of Jesus" and "the nature of Adam" in 3:59). With reference to God, who is sublimely exalted above anything that men may devise by way of definition (see 6:100 and the corresponding note), the expression mathal clearly points to a quality of being entirely different from all other categories of existence, inasmuch as there is "nothing like unto Him" | And He is who begins/initiates the creation, then He returns/repeats it, and it is easier/lighter on Him, and for Him (is) the example/proverb the highest/mightiest/most dignified in the skies/space and the earth/Planet Earth, and He is the glorious/mighty, the wise/judicious. | whw alXy ybdW alKlq xm y`ydh whw ahwn `lyh wlh almxl ala`li fy alsmawat walarD whw al`zyz alHkym | |||
| 28. * | He does propound to you a similitude from your own (experience): do ye have partners among those whom your right hands possess, to share as equals in the wealth We have bestowed on you? Do ye fear them as ye fear each other? Thus do we explain the Signs in detail to a people that understand. | He propounds unto you a parable drawn from your own life: [Lit., "a parable (mathal) from yourselves".] Would you [agree to] have some of those whom your right hands possess [I.e., slaves or persons otherwise subject to ones authority.] as [full-fledged] partners in whatever We may have bestowed upon you as sustenance, so that you [and they] would have equal shares in it, and you would fear [to make use of it without consulting] them, just as you might fear [the more powerful of] your equals? [Lit., "yourselves" - i.e., "those who are equal to you in status". The question is, of course, rhetorical, and must be answered in the negative. But if (so the implied argument goes) a human master would not willingly accept his slaves as full-fledged partners - even though master and slave are essentially equal by virtue of the humanness common to both of them (Zamakhshari) - how can man regard any created beings or things as equal to Him who is their absolute Lord and Master, and is beyond comparison with anything that exists or could ever exist? (Parables with a similar purport are found in 16:75-76.) Thus clearly do We spell out these messages unto people who use their reason. | He gave for you an example/proverb from your selves, are (there) for you from what your right (hands) owned/possessed from partners in what We provided for you (are your servants etc. equal partners in your wealth)? So you are (all) in it equal/alike? You fear them as you are fearing yourselves, (if you do not accept this for yourselves how could you make equal partners to God)? Like that We detail/explain the verses/evidences/signs to a nation reasoning/comprehending. | Drb lkm mxla mn anfskm hl lkm mn mamlkt aymankm mn $rka' fy marzqnakm fantm fyh swa' tKafwnhm kKyftkm anfskm kXlk nfSl alayat lqwm y`qlwn | |||
| 29. * | Nay, the wrong-doers (merely) follow their own lusts, being devoid of knowledge. But who will guide those whom Allah leaves astray? To them there will be no helpers. | But nay - they who are bent on evildoing follow but their own desires, without having any knowledge (of the truth). [In this instance, the phrase alladhina zalamu ("they who are bent on evildoing") relates to those who deliberately ascribe divinity or divine powers to anyone or anything beside God, thus yielding to a desire for divine or semi-divine "mediators" between themselves and Him. Inasmuch as such a desire offends against the concept of God's omniscience and omnipresence, its very existence shows that the person concerned does not really believe in Him and, therefore, does not have the least knowledge of the truth.] And who could guide those whom God has [thus] let go astray, and who (thereupon) have none to succour them? [For an explanation of God's "letting man go astray", see note on the second sentence of 14:4, as well as note on 2:7.] | But/rather those who caused injustice/oppression followed their self attractions for desires without knowledge, so who guides whom God misguided? And (there are) none from victoriors/saviors for them. | bl atb` alXyn Zlmwa ahwa'hm bGyr `lm fmn yhdy mn aDl allh wmalhm mn naSryn | |||
| 30. * | So set thou thy face steadily and truly to the Faith: (establish) Allah.s handiwork according to the pattern on which He has made mankind: no change (let there be) in the work (wrought) by Allah. that is the standard Religion: but most among mankind understand not. | AND SO, set thy face steadfastly towards the [one ever-true] faith, [I.e., "surrender thy whole being"; the term "face" is often used metonymically in the sense of one's "whole being".] turning away from all that is false, [For this rendering of hanif, see note on 2:135.] in accordance with the natural disposition which God has instilled into man: [See 7:172 and the corresponding note. The term fitrah, rendered by me as "natural disposition", connotes in this context man's inborn, intuitive ability to discern between right and wrong, true and false, and, thus, to sense God's existence and oneness. Cf. the famous saying of the Prophet, quoted by Bukhari and Muslim: "Every child is born in this natural disposition; it is only his parents that later turn him into a `Jew', a `Christian', or a `Magian'." These three religious formulations, best known to the contemporaries of the Prophet, are thus contrasted with the "natural disposition" which, by definition, consists in man's instinctive cognition of God and self-surrender (Islam) to Him. (The term "parents" has here the wider meaning of "social influences" or "environment").] [for,] not to allow any change to corrupt what God has thus created [Lit., "no change shall there be [or "shall be made"] in God's creation (khalq)". i.e., in the natural disposition referred to above (Zamakhshari). In this context, the term tabdil ("change") obviously comprises the concept of "corruption".] - this is the [purpose of the one] ever-true faith; but most people know it not. | So keep up your face/front to the religion, (as) a submitter/Moslem/Unifier of God, God's nature/manner/religion which He created/originated the people on it, (there is) no289replacement/substitution to God's creation, that (is) the religion the straight/valuable, and but most of the people do not know. | faqm wjhk lldyn Hnyfa fTr+ allh alty fTr alnas `lyha latbdyl lKlq allh Xlk aldyn alqym wlkn akxr alnas lay`lmwn | |||
| 31. * | Turn ye back in repentance to Him, and fear Him: establish regular prayers, and be not ye among those who join gods with Allah,- | [Turn, then, away from all that is false,] turning unto Him [alone]; and remain conscious of Him, and be constant in prayer, and be not among those who ascribe divinity to aught beside Him, | Returning to God/repenting/obeying to Him, and fear and obey Him, and keep up/start the prayers, and do not be from the sharers/takers of partners (with God). | mnybyn alyh watqwh waqymwa alSla+ wlatkwnwa mn alm$rkyn | |||
| 32. * | Those who split up their Religion, and become (mere) Sects,- each party rejoicing in that which is with itself! | [or] among those who have broken the unity of their faith and have become sects, each group delighting in but what they themselves hold [by way of tenets]. [See 6:159, 21:92 - 93 and 23:52 - 53, as well as the corresponding notes.] | From those who separated (in) their religion, and they were groups/parties (sects), each/every group/party (sect) with what (is) at them they are happy/rejoiced. | mn alXyn frqwa dynhm wkanwa $y`a kl Hzb bma ldyhm frHwn | |||
| 33. * | When trouble touches men, they cry to their Lord, turning back to Him in repentance: but when He gives them a taste of Mercy as from Himself, behold, some of them pay part-worship to other god's besides their Lord,- | NOW [thus it is:] when affliction befalls men, they cry out unto their Sustainer, turning unto Him [for help]; but as soon as He lets them taste of His grace, lo! some of them [begin to] ascribe to other powers a share in their Sustainer's divinity, [see note on 16:54.] | And if harm touched the people, they called their Lord returning repenting/obeying to Him, then if He made them taste/experience from Him mercy, then a group/party/flock from them (are) with their Lord sharing/making partners. | waXa ms alnas Dr d`wa rbhm mnybyn alyh xm aXa aXaqhm mnh rHm+ aXa fryq mnhm brbhm y$rkwn | |||
| 34. * | (As if) to show their ingratitude for the (favours) We have bestowed on them! Then enjoy (your brief day); but soon will ye know (your folly). | [as if] to prove their ingratitude for all that We have granted them! Enjoy, then, your [brief] life: but in time you will come to know [the truth]! | To disbelieve with what We gave/brought them, so live long/enjoy, so you will/shall know. | lykfrwa bmaatynahm ftmt`wa fswf t`lmwn | |||
| 35. * | Or have We sent down authority to them, which points out to them the things to which they pay part-worship? | Have We ever bestowed upon them from on high a divine writ [Lit., "a warrant" or "authority" (sultan), in this context obviously denoting a revelation.] which would speak [with approval] of their worshipping aught beside Us? [Lit., "of that which they were wont to associate [with Us]". Cf. second paragraph of 35:43 and the corresponding note.] | Or We descended on them a proof/evidence, so he/it converses/speaks with what they were with Him sharing/making partners. | am anzlna `lyhm slTana fhw ytklm bma kanwa bh y$rkwn | |||
| 36. * | When We give men a taste of Mercy, they exult thereat: and when some evil afflicts them because of what their (own) hands have sent forth, behold, they are in despair! | And [thus it is:] when we let men taste [Our] grace, they rejoice in it; but if evil befalls them as an outcome of what their own hands have wrought [See 4:79 and the corresponding note.] - lo! they lose all hope! | And if We made the people taste/experience mercy, they became happy/delighted with it, and if a sin/crime (harm) hits/strikes them because (of) what their hands advanced/introduced, then they, they despair. | waXa aXqna alnas rHm+ frHwa bha wan tSbhm syY+ bma qdmt aydyhm aXa hm yqnTwn | |||
| 37. * | See they not that Allah enlarges the provision and restricts it, to whomsoever He pleases? Verily in that are Signs for those who believe. | Are they, then, not aware that it is God who grants abundant sustenance, or gives it in scant measure, unto whomever He wills? In this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who will believe! | Do they not see/understand that God spreads/extends the provision to whom He wills/wants, and He is capable/able ? That in that (are) evidences/signs (E) to a nation believing. | awlm yrwa an allh ybsT alrzq lmn y$a' wyqdr an fy Xlk layat lqwm yWmnwn | |||
| 38. * | So give what is due to kindred, the needy, and the wayfarer. That is best for those who seek the Countenance, of Allah, and it is they who will prosper. | Hence, give his due to the near of kin, as well as to the needy and the wayfarer; [Cf. 17:26.] this is best for all who seek God's countenance: for it is they, they that shall attain to a happy state! | So give/bring the relatives/relations/near his right/share, and the poorest of poor/poor oppressed, and the traveler/stranded traveler, that (is) best to those who want God's face/front/direction, and those are the successful/winners. | fat Xa alqrbi Hqh walmskyn wabn alsbyl Xlk Kyr llXyn yrydwn wjh allh wawlYk hm almflHwn | |||
| 39. * | That which ye lay out for increase through the property of (other) people, will have no increase with Allah. but that which ye lay out for charity, seeking the Countenance of Allah, (will increase): it is these who will get a recompense multiplied. | And [remember:] whatever you may give out in usury so that it might increase through [other] people's possessions will bring [you] no increase in the sight of God [This is the earliest mention of the term and concept of riba in the chronology of Quranic revelation. In its general, linguistic sense, this term denotes an "addition" to or an "increase" of a thing over and above its original size or amount; in the terminology of the Quran, it signifies any unlawful addition, by way of interest, to a sum of money or goods lent by one person or body of persons to another. Considering the problem in terms of the economic conditions prevailing at or before their time, most of the early Muslim jurists identified this "unlawful addition" with profits obtained through any kind of interest-bearing loans irrespective of the rate of interest and the economic motivation involved. With all this - as is evidenced by the voluminous juridical literature on this subject - Islamic scholars have not yet been able to reach an absolute agreement on the definition of riba: a definition, that is, which would cover all conceivable legal situations and positively respond to all the exigencies of a variable economic environment. In the words of Ibn Kathir (in his commentary on 2:275), "the subject of riba is one of the most difficult subjects for many of the scholars (ahl al-ilm)". It should be borne in mind that the passage condemning and prohibiting riba in legal terms (2:275 - 281) was the last revelation received by the Prophet, who died a few days later (cf. note on 2:281); hence, the Companions had no opportunity to ask him about the shari implications of the relevant injunction - so much so that even Umar ibn al-Khattabb is reliably reported to have said: "The last [of the Quran] that was revealed was the passage [lit.. "the verse"] on riba; and, behold, the Apostle of God passed away without [lit., "before"] having explained its meaning to us" (Ibn Hanbal, on the authority of Said ibn al-Musayyab). Nevertheless, the severity with which the Quran condemns riba and those who practice it furnishes - especially when viewed against the backgground of mankind's economic experiences during the intervening centuries - a sufficiently clear indication of its nature and its social as well as moral implications. Roughly speaking, the opprobrium of riba (in the sense in which this term is used in the Quran and in many sayings of the Prophet) attaches to profits obtained through interest-bearing loans involving an exploitation of the economically weak by the strong and resourceful: an exploitation characterized by the fact that the lender, while retaining full ownership of the capital loaned and having no legal concern with the purpose for which it is to be used or with the manner of its use, remains contractually assured of gain irrespective of any losses which the borrower may suffer in consequence of this transaction. With this definition in mind, we realize that the question as to what kinds of financial transactions fall within the category of riba is, in the last resort, a moral one, closely connected with the socio-economic motivation underlying the mutual relationship of borrower and lender; and, stated in purely economic terms, it is a question as to how profits and risks may be equitably shared by both partners to a loan transaction. It is, of course, impossible to answer this double question in a rigid, once-for-all manner: our answers must necessarily vary in accordance with the changes to which mans social and technological development - and, thus, his economic environment - is subject. Hence, while the Quranic condemnation of the concept and practice of riba is unequivocal and final, every successive Muslim generation is faced with the challenge of giving new dimensions and a fresh economic meaning to this term which, for want of a better word, may be rendered as "usury". In the present instance (which, as I have mentioned, is the earliest in the history of the Quran), no clear-cut prohibition is as yet laid down; but the prohibition appearing in 2:275 ff. is already foreshadowed by the reference to the immoral hope of increasing one's own substance "through [other] people's possessions", i.e., through the exploitation of others.] - whereas all that you give out in charity, seeking God's countenance, [will be blessed by Him:] [Cf. 2:276.] for it is they, they [who thus seek His countenance] that shall have their recompense multiplied! | And what you gave/brought from a growth/increase/any interest (mortgages etc.) to grow/increase in the people's properties/wealths, so (it) does not grow/increase at God, and what you gave/brought from charity/purification, you want/intend God's face/front/direction, so those, they are the doublers/multipliers. | wmaatytm mn rba lyrbw fy amwal alnas fla yrbw `nd allh wmaatytm mn zka+ trydwn wjh allh fawlYk hm almD`fwn | |||
| 40. * | It is Allah Who has created you: further, He has provided for your sustenance; then He will cause you to die; and again He will give you life. Are there any of your (false) "Partners" who can do any single one of these things? Glory to Him! and high is He above the partners they attribute (to him)! | IT IS GOD who has created you, and then has provided you with sustenance, and then will cause you to die, and then will bring you to life again. Can any of those beings or powers to whom you ascribe a share in His divinity [Lit., "any of your [God-] partners". Cf. note on 6:22.] do any of these things? Limitless is He in His glory, and sublimely exalted above anything to which men may ascribe a share in His divinity! | God (is) who created you, then He provided for you, then He makes you die, then He revives/makes you alive, are (there) from your partners (with God) who makes/does from that from a thing? His praise/glory and (He is) high, mighty, exalted and dignified about what they share/make partners (with Him). | allh alXy Klqkm xm rzqkm xm ymytkm xm yHyykm hl mn $rkaYkm mn yf`l mn Xlkm mn $Y sbHanh wt`ali `ma y$rkwn | |||
| 41. * | Mischief has appeared on land and sea because of (the meed) that the hands of men have earned, that ((Allah)) may give them a taste of some of their deeds: in order that they may turn back (from Evil). | [Since they have become oblivious of God,] corruption has appeared on land and in the sea as an outcome of what men's hands have wrought: and so [The prefix li in li-yudhiqahum does not indicate here a purport or intent ("so that" or "in order that"), but is a lam al-aqibah, i.e., a prefix expressing a factual consequence (best rendered as "thereupon" or "and so").] He will let them taste [the evil of] some of their doings, so that they might return [to the right path]. [Thus, the growing corruption and destruction of our natural environment, so awesomely - if as yet only partially - demonstrated in our time, is here predicted as "an outcome of what men's hands have wrought", i.e., of that self-destructive - because utterly materialistic - inventiveness and frenzied activity which now threatens mankind with previously unimaginable ecological disasters: an unbridled pollution of land, air and water through industrial and urban waste, a progressive poisoning of plant and marine life, all manner of genetic malformations in men's own bodies through an ever widening use of drugs and seemingly "beneficial" chemicals, and the gradual extinction of many animal species essential to human well-being. To all this may be added the rapid deterioration and decomposition of man's social life, the all-round increase in sexual perversion, crime and violence, with, perhaps, nuclear annihilation as the ultimate stage: all of which is, in the last resort, an outcome of man's oblivion of God and, hence, of all absolute moral values, and their supersession by the belief that material "progress" is the only thing that matters.] | The corruption/disorder appeared/became visible in the shore/land and sea/ocean because (of) what the people's hands earned/gained/acquired to make them taste/experience some/part of what they made/did, maybe/perhaps they return. | Zhr alfsad fy albr walbHr bma ksbt aydy alnas lyXyqhm b`D alXy `mlwa l`lhm yrj`wn | |||
| 42. * | Say: "Travel through the earth and see what was the end of those before (you): Most of them worshipped others besides Allah." | Say: "Go all over the earth, and behold what happened in the end to those [sinners] who lived before [you]: most of them were wont to ascribe divine qualities to things or beings other than God." [I.e., they worshipped material comfort and power, and thus lost sight of all spiritual values and, in the end, destroyed themselves.] | Say: "Walk/move/ride in the earth/Planet Earth, so see/wonder about how was those from before's end/turn (result), most of them were sharers/takers of partners (with God)." | ql syrwa fy alarD fanZrwa kyf kan `aqb+ alXyn mn qbl kan akxrhm m$rkyn | |||
| 43. * | But set thou thy face to the right Religion before there come from Allah the Day which there is no chance of averting: on that Day shall men be divided (in two). | Set, then, thy face steadfastly towards the one ever-true faith, [See verse 30 above, as well as the corresponding notes; also 3:19 - "the only [true] religion in the sight of God is [man's] self-surrender unto Him".] ere there come from God a Day [of reckoning - the Day] which cannot be averted. On that Day all will be sundered: | So keep up your face/front/direction to the religion, the straight/valuable, from before that a day/time comes, (there is) no return to it from God, (on) that day they declare openly/separate. | faqm wjhk lldyn alqym mn qbl an yaty ywm lamrd lh mn allh ywmYX ySd`wn | |||
| 44. * | Those who reject Faith will suffer from that rejection: and those who work righteousness will spread their couch (of repose) for themselves (in heaven): | he who has denied the truth will have to bear [the burden of] his denial, whereas all who did what is right and just will have made goodly provision for themselves, | Who disbelieved, so on him (is) his disbelief, and who made/did correct/righteous deeds, so to them selves they are preparing/paving.290 | mn kfr f`lyh kfrh wmn `ml SalHa flanfshm ymhdwn | |||
| 45. * | That He may reward those who believe and work righteous deeds, out of his Bounty. For He loves not those who reject Faith. | so that He might reward, out of His bounty, those who have attained to faith and done righteous deeds. Verily, He does not love those who refuse to acknowledge the truth - | To reward/reimburse those who believed and made/did the correct/righteous deeds from His grace/blessing, that He truly does not love/like the disbelievers. | lyjzy alXyn amnwa w`mlwa alSalHat mn fDlh anh layHb alkafryn | |||
| 46. * | Among His Signs is this, that He sends the Winds, as heralds of Glad Tidings, giving you a taste of His (Grace and) Mercy,- that the ships may sail (majestically) by His Command and that ye may seek of His Bounty: in order that ye may be grateful. | for among His wonders is this: He sends forth [His messages as He sends forth] the winds that bear glad tidings, [The mention of God's messages, interpolated by me between brackets, is justified by the verses which precede and follow this passage. Moreover, it is only by means of such an interpolation that the symbolic purport of the above reference to "the winds that bear glad tidings" can be made fully obvious.] so that He might give you a taste of His grace [through life-giving rains], and that ships might sail at His behest, and that you might go about in quest of some of His bounties, and that you might have cause to be grateful. | And from His evidences/signs that He sends the winds/breezes announcers of good news, and to make you taste/experience from His mercy, and the ship/ships to flow/pass with His order/command, and ask/wish/desire from His grace/favour/blessing, and maybe/perhaps you thank/be grateful. | wmn ayath an yrsl alryaH mb$rat wlyXyqkm mn rHmth wltjry alflk bamrh wltbtGwa mn fDlh wl`lkm t$krwn | |||
| 47. * | We did indeed send, before thee, apostles to their (respective) peoples, and they came to them with Clear Signs: then, to those who transgressed, We meted out Retribution: and it was due from Us to aid those who believed. | And indeed, [O Muhammad, even] before thee did We send forth apostles - each one unto his own people [Lit., "did We send apostles to their [own] people": see note on 10:74.] - and they brought them all evidence of the truth: and then, [by causing the believers to triumph,] We inflicted Our retribution upon those who [deliberately] did evil: for We had willed it upon Ourselves to succour the believers. | And We had sent from before you messengers to their nation, so they came to them with the evidences, so We revenged/punished from those who committed crimes/sins, and (it) was truly/deservedly on Us the believers' victory/aid. | wlqd arslna mn qblk rsla ali qwmhm fjaWwhm balbynat fantqmna mn alXyn ajrmwa wkan Hqa `lyna nSr almWmnyn | |||
| 48. * | It is Allah Who sends the Winds, and they raise the Clouds: then does He spread them in the sky as He wills, and break them into fragments, until thou seest rain-drops issue from the midst thereof: then when He has made them reach such of his servants as He wills behold, they do rejoice!- | It is God who sends forth the winds [of hope], [As in verse 46 above, the reference to "the winds" has here a symbolic significance, namely, spiritual life and hope; hence my interpolation.] so that they raise a cloud - whereupon He spreads it over the skies as He wills, and causes it to break up so that thou seest rain issue from within it: and as soon as He causes it to fall upon whomever He wills of His servants - lo! they rejoice, | God is who sends the winds/breezes so it spreads/agitates clouds, so He spreads/extends it in the sky how He wills/wants, and He makes it pieces, so you see the rain appears/emerges from in between and around it, so when He struck with it whom He wills/wants from His worshippers/slaves, then they are announcing good news/cheerful. | allh alXy yrsl alryaH ftxyr sHaba fybsTh fy alsma' kyf y$a' wyj`lh ksfa ftri alwdq yKrj mn Klalh faXa aSab bh mn y$a' mn `badh aXa hm ystb$rwn | |||
| 49. * | Even though, before they received (the rain) - just before this - they were dumb with despair! | even though a short while ago, [just] before it was sent down upon them, they had abandoned all hope! | And that truly they were from before that (E) it be made to descend on them, from before it, confused/dumbfounded (E). | wan kanwa mn qbl an ynzl `lyhm mn qblh lmblsyn | |||
| 50. * | Then contemplate (O man!) the memorials of Allah.s Mercy!- how He gives life to the earth after its death: verily the same will give life to the men who are dead: for He has power over all things. | Behold, then, [O man,] these signs of God's grace - how He gives life to the earth after it had been lifeless! Verily, this Selfsame [God] is indeed the One that can bring the dead back to life: for He has the power to will anything! | So look/wonder about to God's mercy's tracks/marks/signs, how He revives/makes alive the Earth/land after its death/lifelessness, that truly that (is) reviving the deads, and He is on every thing capable/able. | fanZr ali axar rHm+ allh kyf yHyy alarD b`d mwtha an Xlk lmHyy almwti whw `li kl $Y qdyr | |||
| 51. * | And if We (but) send a Wind from which they see (their tilth) turn yellow,- behold, they become, thereafter, Ungrateful (Unbelievers)! | But thus it is: if [The particle la in (lit., "indeed, if ...") is often used in the Quran to express the recurrent, typical character of the attitude or situation referred to in the sequence; in all such cases it may be suitably rendered as "thus it is: if ...", etc.] We send a wind [that scorches their land], and they see it turn yellow, they begin, after that [erstwhile joy], to deny the truth [of Our almightiness and grace]! [For a full explanation of this verse, see 11:9 and the corresponding notes.] | And if (E) We sent a wind/breeze so they saw it yellow/yellowish, they would have continued/remained from after it disbelieving. | wlYn arslna ryHa frawh mSfra lZlwa mn b`dh ykfrwn | |||
| 52. * | So verily thou canst not make the dead to hear, nor canst thou make the deaf to hear the call, when they show their backs and turn away. | And, verily, thou canst not make the dead hear: and [so, too,] thou canst not make the deaf [of heart] hear this call when they turn their backs [on thee] and go away, | So that you do not make the deads hear/listen, and nor make the deaf hear/listen the call/prayer, if they turned away giving (their) backs. | fank latsm` almwti wlatsm` alSm ald`a' aXa wlwa mdbryn | |||
| 53. * | Nor canst thou lead back the blind from their straying: only those wilt thou make to hear, who believe in Our signs and submit (their wills in Islam). | just as thou canst not lead the blind [of heart] out of their error: none canst thou make hear [thy call] save such as [are willing to] believe in Our messages, and thus surrender themselves unto Us. [Cf. the identical passage in 27:80-81 and the corresponding note.] | And you are not with guiding the blind/misguided from their misguidance, you make none hear/listen except who believes with (in) Our verses/evidences, so they are Moslems/submitters. | wmaant bhad al`my `n Dlalthm an tsm` ala mn yWmn bayatna fhm mslmwn | |||
| 54. * | It is Allah Who created you in a state of (helpless) weakness, then gave (you) strength after weakness, then, after strength, gave (you weakness and a hoary head: He creates as He wills, and it is He Who has all knowledge and power. | IT IS GOD who creates you [all in a states of weakness, and then, after weakness, ordains strength [for you], and then, after [a period of] strength, ordains [old-age] weakness and grey hair. [In the original, this sentence is formulated in the past tense ("has created you" and "has ordained"), stressing the recurrent character of man's life-phases. In translation, this recurrence can be suitably expressed by using the present tense.] He creates what He wills; and He alone is all-knowing, infinite in His power. | God (is) who created you from weakness then He created/put from after weakness power/strength, then He created/put from after power/strength weakness, and white or gray (old aged), He creates what He wills/wants, and He is the knowledgeable, the capable/able. | allh alXy Klqkm mn D`f xm j`l mn b`d D`f qw+ xm j`l mn b`d qw+ D`fa w$yb+ yKlq may$a' whw al`lym alqdyr | |||
| 55. * | On the Day that the Hour (of Reckoning) will be established, the transgressors will swear that they tarried not but an hour: thus were they used to being deluded! | [He it is who will cause you to die, and in time will resurrect you.] [This interpolation - the meaning of which is elliptically implied here - shows the connection of the present passage with the preceding one, as well as with verses 11-16 and 27.] And when the Last Hour dawns, those who had been lost in sin will swear that they had not tarried [on earth] longer than an hour: thus were they wont to delude themselves [all their lives]! [The illusory character of man's earthbound concept of "time" is brought out in the Quran in several places. In the above context stress is laid, firstly, on the relativity of this concept - i.e., on the infinitesimal shortness of our life on earth as compared with the timeless duration of life in the hereafter (cf., for instance, 10:45 or 17:52) - and, secondly, on the resurrected sinners' self-deluding excuse that their life on earth had been too short to allow them to realize their errors and mend their ways. It is to this second aspect of the problem that the Quran alludes in the words, "thus were they wont to delude themselves" (lit., "to be turned away", i.e., from the truth). For an explanation of the verb yu fikun, see the second note on 5:75.] | And a day/time the Hour/Resurrection starts the criminals/sinners swear/make oath (that) they did stay/remain except an hour, as/like that, they were being lied to/turned away. | wywm tqwm alsa`+ yqsm almjrmwn malbxwa Gyr sa`+ kXlk kanwa yWfkwn | |||
| 56. * | But those endued with knowledge and faith will say: "Indeed ye did tarry, within Allah.s Decree, to the Day of Resurrection, and this is the Day of Resurrection: but ye - ye were not aware!" | But those who [in their lifetime] were endowed with knowledge [See the last note on 16:27.] and faith will say: "Indeed, you have been tardy in [accepting as true] what God has revealed, [Lit., "with regard to (fi) God's revelation (kitab)", i.e., that the dead shall be resurrected and judged by Him. It is to be noted that the verb labitha signifies "he waited [for something] or he was tardy [with regard to something]" as well as "he stayed [in a place]" or "he remained". Evidently, in verse 55 ma labithu has the meaning of "they had not stayed" or "remained", while in verse 56 labithtum denotes "you have been tardy" or "you have waited".] [and you have waited] until the Day of Resurrection: this, then, is the Day of Resurrection: but you - you were determined not to know it! [Lit., "you were wont not to know" - i.e., "you persistently closed your mind to this promise".] | And those who were given/brought the knowledge and the faith/belief said: "You had stayed/remained in God's term/fate/destiny Book to the Revival Day/Resurrection Day, so this (is) the Revival Day/Resurrection Day, and but you were not knowing. | wqal alXyn awtwa al`lm walayman lqd lbxtm fy ktab allh ali ywm alb`x fhXa ywm alb`x wlknkm kntm lat`lmwn | |||
| 57. * | So on that Day no excuse of theirs will avail the transgressors, nor will they be invited (then) to seek grace (by repentance). | And so, on that Day their excuse will be of no avail to those who were bent on evildoing, nor will they be allowed to make amends. | So (on) that day those who caused injustice/oppression, their apologies/excuses do not benefit (them), and nor they, they be allowed to offer reconciliation/appeasement. | fywmYX laynf` alXyn Zlmwa m`Xrthm wlahm yst`tbwn | |||
| 58. * | verily We have propounded for men, in this Qur'an every kind of Parable: But if thou bring to them any Sign, the Unbelievers are sure to say, "Ye do nothing but talk vanities." | AND, INDEED, We have propounded unto men all kinds of parables in this Quran. [See note on the first clause of 39:27.] But thus it is: if thou approach them with any [such] message, those who are bent on denying the truth are sure to say, "You are but making false claims!" | And We had (E) given to the people in this the Koran from every example/proverb, and if (E) you came to them with a verse/evidence/sign those who disbelieved will say (E) : "That truly you are except wasters/annulers." | wlqd Drbna llnas fy hXa alqran mn kl mxl wlYn jYthm bay+ lyqwln alXyn kfrwa an antm ala mbTlwn | |||
| 59. * | Thus does Allah seal up the hearts of those who understand not. | In this way does God seal the hearts of those who do not [want to] know [the truth]. [For an explanation of God's "sealing" the hearts of such people, see note on 2:7.] | As/like that God stamps/seals on those who do not knows' hearts/minds.291 | kXlk yTb` allh `li qlwb alXyn lay`lmwn | |||
| 60. * | So patiently persevere: for verily the promise of Allah is true: nor let those shake thy firmness, who have (themselves) no certainty of faith. | Remain, then, patient in adversity: verily, Gods promise [of resurrection] is true indeed - so let not those who are devoid of all inner certainty disquiet thy mind! | So be patient, that truly God's promise (is) truth, and (let) not those who (are) not being sure/certain mislead/fool you 292 | faSbr an w`d allh Hq wlaystKfnk alXyn laywqnwn | |||