SURA
34 SHEBA. S.34 requires much concentration on the part of the
reader. In vv. 10'18, there are two unconnected stories about David and Solomon
and the queen of Sheba. The text consists of early and late exhortations and
“Say passages. ” The main themes are the Day of Judgment and the uniqueness of
God. Their meaning is better grasped by a deeply religious person whose eyes
have been unveiled, and whose mind has been opened to Knowledge. Striking
comparisons illustrate the nature of man and his relation to God.
Meccan, 54
verses
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful!
1.
Praised be
God, the Owner of everything
in Heavens and earth! Praise be to Him in the Hereafter!
He is the Wise, the All-Knowing.
2.
He knows
what seeps down into the earth and what comes out of it,
what descends from the sky and what ascends to it.
He is the Merciful, the Forgiving.
“The Hour will never come for us!”
Say:
“By my Lord, it will certainly come!
[God] knows the Unseen, and
nothing in Heaven or on earth can be hidden from Him, even the lightest
particle.
There’s nothing smaller or bigger
than it that isn’t recorded in the lucid Book.
4* This is to reward those who believed and did right: there’s
forgiveness for them and a generous sustenance.”
1. Those who work against Our Signs and strive to
subvert them
shall receive a
painful retribution.
2. Those who have received the Knowledge sent down
to you from your Lord perceive in it the Truth that guides
on the path of the
Almighty, the Praise-Worthy.
7* The
disbelievers say:
“Shall
We show you a man who says that after you’re scattered like dust, you’ll become
a new Creation?
8* Is he slandering God or is he possessed?” Yes! A penalty is
looming upon those who do not believe in the Hereafter and are far astray.
9. Do they not see the sky and the earth before
them and behind them?
If
We wished, We could make the earth swallow them, or We could drop upon them a
piece of the sky.
Verily,
there is a Sign in this for every servant turning [to God].
10. We have bestowed Our Grace upon David:
— O mountains, sing praises with him, and you, o birds!
We made iron soft for him:
11. — Make [coats of mail] and adjust the armor! Do
good works, for I see everything you do!
12* And to Solomon [We have given] the wind that [covers] a month’s
[journey] in the morning and a month’s in the evening.
We
gave him a fountain of molten brass. Some Jinn worked for him by permission of
his Lord. If anyone of them disobeyed Our command, We made him taste the
punishment of the Fire.
13. They made whatever he desired: altars, adornments, bowls like
cisterns, and cauldrons too heavy to move.
—
O family of David! Toil and be grateful! But so few are grateful among My
servants!
14* When We decreed his death, nothing signalled his passing away,
except a creature from the soil, which had been gnawing at his staff. When [the
staff] collapsed, the Jinn understood that had they known the Unseen, they
would not have suffered a humiliating punishment.
15* The dwellers of Sheba had a Sign: two gardens, one to the right
and one to the left.
— Eat of what your
Lord provides you with
and be grateful to
Him:
indeed, fertile is
this land and forgiving is your Lord!
16* But they
turned away,
and
We sent upon them a flood that even dams [failed to contain].
We
replaced their gardens by two gardens with bitter fruit, tamarisks, and a few
thorny [trees].
17* Such was Our reward for their disbelief — indeed, We punish only
the disbelievers!
18. Between them
and the towns We had blessed
We
have placed [a few] prominent towns, and We measured the roads between them.
— Travel on them
safely by night and by day!
19* But they said:
“O our Lord!
Increase the
distances between our stations!”
By doing so they
wronged themselves.
We
left of them nothing but memories, and We scattered them to all winds.
Verily,
there are Signs in this for the patient and grateful!
20*What Iblis had planned for them proved to be true: they all
followed him, except a few believers
21* over whom he
had no authority.
Indeed,
We discern the one who believes in the Hereafter from the one who has doubts
about it.
Your Lord keeps
guard over everything!
“You can call upon
[those]
whom you recognize
besides God,
but
even the lightest particle in Heavens and earth is not under their control.
They have no part
in that
and [God] has no
helper among them.”
23* Intercession before Him would not help anyone, except those who
get His permission.
After
their hearts recover from fright, they shall say: “What did your Lord say?”
[The Angels] shall
say:
“The Truth! He is
the Highest, the Greatest.”
“Who
gives you sustenance from Heavens and earth?”
Say:
“God!
It’s as obvious as [the truth] that some of us are on the right way, and the
others in manifest error.”
“You shall not be
asked about our sins,
and we shall not
be asked about your deeds.”
“Our
Lord will bring us together, and He will judge between us in Truth.
He is the Judge,
the All-Knowing.”
“Show me the
partners you’ve associated with Him.
But no! He’s God,
the Almighty, the Wise.”
28* We have sent
you to all the people
as
a Carrier of good news and a Warner, but most people do not know [it].
“When
will this promise come true if you’re telling the truth?”
“There is a Day
appointed for you
that you can
neither postpone nor advance by one hour.”
“We’ll believe
neither in this Koran
nor in whatever
came before it.”
If
you could only see the sinners accusing one another as they are lined up before
their Lord!
The submissive
shall say to the arrogant:
“Had it not been
for you, we would’ve surely believed!”
30. The arrogant shall say to the submissive:
“Have we turned
you away from the Guidance
when it came to
you? No, you were the transgressors!”
31. The submissive shall say to the arrogant:
“Not
at all, it was you who plotted night and day, pressuring us to disbelieve in
God and to associate others to Him!”
But
they will strongly repent when they see their punishment!
We
will put shackles ’round the disbelievers’ necks in retribution for their
deeds!.
32. Each time We sent a Warner to a town, the
wealthy said:
“We reject what
you’re sent with.”
“We’re
superior in wealth and in sons, therefore, we cannot be punished!”
“Verily, my Lord
increases or reduces
the
provision to anyone He wills, but most people don’t know [it].”
35. Neither your possessions nor your sons
will
bring you closer to Us.
But
those who believed and did good works shall receive a double reward for their
deeds and shall dwell in peace in [lofty] Chambers.
36. And those who vilify Our Signs shall be dragged
off to punishment.
“Verily,
My Lord increases or decreases the provision to those He wills among His
servants.
He
will compensate you for everything you give away — indeed, He’s the best of
providers!”
38. On that Day He will gather them all together
and say to the Angels:
— Is it not you
that they worshiped?
“Glory to You!
You’re our Protector, not they!
No!
They worshiped the Jinn — indeed, most of them believed in them!”
40. But on that Day, nobody shall be able to help
or to harm anyone else.
We shall say to
the sinners:
— Taste of the
punishment by the Fire you used to deny!
41. When Our clear Verses are read to them, they
say: “He’s just a man who wants to seduce you away from what your fathers used
to worship.”
They say:
“These are just
fabrications and deceptions!”
And when the Truth
comes to them,
the disbelievers
say:
“This’s just
obvious magic!”
44*We had not
given them any Books to study,
and We had not
sent to them any Warner before you.
45*They have not received even the tenth part of what we had given
to their predecessors. Yet, when [the latter] rejected My Messengers, how
[terrible] was My condemnation!
“I’m asking you
only one thing:
to stand before
God singly or in pairs
and to consider
that your companion isn’t possessed.
He’s just warning
you of the forecoming stern punishment!”
“I’m not asking
you for a reward — keep it for yourselves.
My reward is only
with God, the Witness to everything!”
“Verily,
my Lord conquers by the Truth, and He knows the Unseen.”
“When
the Truth comes, falsehood won’t appear and won’t return!”
“If I’m in error, I’m in error to my detriment,
but if I accept Guidance,
it’s by inspiration from my Lord —
verily, He’s hearing, He’s close by!”
51* If you could only see how they will tremble
when they will find no way to escape
and will be seized from a place close by!
“We do believe in Him!”
But how will they be able to return from a place far
away?
53.
They used
to deny Him before,
and they slandered the Unseen from a place far away!
54* But there is a barrier between them and their wishes.
And so it was in the past with
their supporters who also dwelled in oppressive doubt!
Vv. 4-5: Man will be rewarded for his good deeds and
punished for his transgressions. Clearly, predestination depends on how he
discharges his own responsibility.
V. 7: “A new Creation” or “in a new Creation.”
V. 8: “[Possessed] by a Jinni” — majnoon, meaning
“crazy.”
V. 14: Unaware of the purpose of their work, the Jinn
took work for punishment. They saw that the staff was weakened, but being spiritually
blind, they did not foresee its collapse. Spiritual blindness is what made
Iblis and his kind repudiate Adam: they saw him in his flesh and not in his
spirit.
V. 15: Not much is known about the dwellers of Sheba or
Saba.
They apparently came from Mesopotamia with the Patriarch
Abraham. While Abraham and his son Ishmael stayed in Mecca, the sons of Ishmael
moved South to Yemen. There, their successors are supposed to have founded the
dynasty of Himyarites which ruled over the kingdom of Saba.
V. 16: “A flood that even dams [failed to contain],” or
“the flood of ’Irim,” if ’Irim is the name of a locality. This could be the dam
of Ma'rib (its ruins still stand in southern Arabia).
The two gardens remind the duality expressed in S.55 and
the destruction of two gardens in S.18:32-34.
The “thorny [trees]” — “lotetrees,” growing in the Middle
East (the crown ofJesus at his trial was made of twigs from this tree).
V. 17: There are three degrees of disbelief: denial of
God, association of idols with God, and ungratitude to God.
V. 19: Apparently, they tried to increase their territory
at the expense of their neighbors.
V. 20: Iblis seduces people without much effort since
people are light-minded and prone to do evil.
V. 21: “Your Lord keeps guard over all things” (cf. vv.
28 and 36). Such phrases do reinforce the rhyme, but they are far from being
void of content: they are introduced for rhetorical and stylistic purposes to
enhance the emotional appeal of the chanted text. When repeated in a haunting
tone, they sound like an impetuous refrain and help connect the verses together
rather than separate them. Without them, many suras would seem flat, lifeless,
even purposeless (cf. S.26:21). All the words in the Koran contribute to its
clarity and expression.
The most sublime form of poetry is the praise of God, the
communication with the holy. With this definition of poetry, one can say that
the Koran is poetry of the most elevated kind. A good translation treats the
Koran with respect, but it does not convert it into a simulacrum of poetry by
introducing rhythms and rimes that are alien to the Arabic language and by
carving the text into unnatural lines that do not correspond to the Arabic
spirit. One can foresee a serious problem if attempts are made at an artistic
chanting of the Koran in English.
V. 23: The words of the righteous may belong to the
Angels, and those of the Angels, — to the righteous.
V. 33: “They will strongly repent” or, according to a
another translation: “they will conceal their repentance.
V. 44: The Prophet Muhammad was the first Messenger to
bring a Scripture to the Arab people.
V. 45: The people of Saba, Thamood and ’Ad belonged to
“the People of the Scripture.” They received many gifts from God, and yet, they
rejected Him. Muhammad’s contemporaries, the Quraishites, were idolaters and,
therefore, were receiving fewer gifts from God.
Vv. 51, 53: A “place close by” or “a place far away”
denote degrees of nearness to God; however, there is no compromise in faith,
and all those who distance themselves from God are guilty to the same extent.
Those who “will tremble when they will have no way to
escape” are either the transgressors in general or the enemies of the Prophet
in particular.
V. 54: Two ideas are combined here: how goodness will
overcome evil and how Islam will overcome the confederation of enemies.
IV.
Attitude Toward the Other
Religions
Sura 25 Salvation. S. 25 supports the Prophet Muhammad and
warns the idolaters and the disbelievers of their punishment. It is made mostly
of Warning and Sign passages and it ends with a lengthy glorification of God
(vv. 45f) and some uplifting words for the believers (vv. 63-76). The
comforting tone of this sura is enhanced by the frequent occurrence of God's
names “the Compassionate” and “the Forgiving.” Occasionally, this sura is
called “the Koran. ”
Meccan, 77
verses
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful!
1* Blessed is the One, Who
sent Salvation to His servant, making it a warning to the worlds.
2.
The
Sovereign of Heavens and earth has not taken a son for Himself,
and He has no partner in His
Dominion. He has created all things and proportioned them well.
3.
Yet you
have taken to some gods besides Him
who didn’t create anything
and have been created themselves.
They can neither hurt nor benefit themselves,
They have no control over death, life, and resurrection.
4* The disbelievers say:
“It’s just a fabrication he has contrived
with the help of other people.”
But th ey are the ones who brought out evil
and falsehood!
“These are tales of the old,
written at his request, that are read to him mornings and evenings.”
“[The
Koran] has been sent down by the One, Who knows the secret of Heavens and
earth.
Verily, He’s
forgiving and merciful!”
“What
kind of a Messenger is he, if he eats food and walks the markets?
And
why wasn’t an Angel sent down to join him in warning?
8. [Why] wasn’t he given a treasure or a garden,
which would’ve fed him?”
The wrong-doers
[also] say:
“The one you
follow is nothing but a man bewitched!”
9. See, to whom they are comparing you!
They have gone
astray and cannot find a way out!
10* Blessed be the One, Who, if He willed, could give you something
better — gardens under which the rivers flow, or build castles for you!
9. But no, they deny the Hour [ofJudgment], and
for those who deny the Hour We have prepared a blazing Fire.
10. When it spots them from afar, they will hear
its raging howl.
11. They shall be thrown into it, chained together,
in a narrow space where they will wish to die.
14* On that Day, you will wish to die not only once, you will wish
to die several times!
15* Say:
“Is
this better than the eternal Garden promised to the God-fearing,
which is going to
be their reward and destination?
16. They’ll receive there whatever they wish;
they’ll abide
there for ever,
as your Lord has
promised them
in response to
their prayers.”
17. On the Day He gathers them together with those
they have been
serving besides God, He will say to them:
— Are you the ones who led My
servants astray, or they have lost their way themselves?
18. They shall say: “Glory to You!
We shouldn’t have
taken protectors besides You!
But
you allowed their fathers to enjoy [life] for so long that they forgot the
Warning and became a lost people.”
19. — Now that it became clear that your words are
lies,
you
will not be able to avert [punishment] nor receive help. To those of you who
committed evil, We will give a taste of the great punishment.
20*We had never sent Messengers before you who would not eat food
and walk the markets. Of some of you We made a test for the others, but will
you have enough patience?
Indeed, your Lord
sees [everything]!
8. Those who do not hope to meet with Us, say:
“If only Angels
had been sent down to us,
or if we could see
our Lord [with our own eyes]!”
They are so
swollen with pride
that they have
rebelled in a great rebellion!
22* The Day they see the Angels, that Day shall not be good news for
the sinners. [The Angels] shall say: “You’re facing a barrier you won’t be able
to surmount!”
20. Then We will consider their deeds and scatter
them like dust!
21. But on that Day, the dwellers of the Garden
shall be in the best abode, the best resting place.
25* On that Day the sky and the clouds shall be rent asunder, and
the Angels shall descend in ranks.
26. On that Day the Dominion of Truth
shall belong to
the Compassionate.
Harsh shall be
that Day for the disbelievers!
27* On that Day the wrong-doer shall bite his hands and say: “Oh,
woe to me! It would’ve been better
if I had followed
the way of the Messenger!
26. Oh, woe to me! If had never had such a friend!
27. When the Warning came to me, Satan led me
astray.
Surely he is a
traitor to man!”
28. And the Messenger shall say: “O my Lord!
My people have
indeed taken this Koran for nonsense!”
29. Thus to every Prophet We gave a foe from among
the sinners; but sufficient is your Lord as a Guide and a Helper!
“Why wasn’t the
Koran revealed to him in its entirety?”
— We have recited
it in stages to brace your heart.
31. No sooner they ask you a question
that We bring you
the Truth and its best explanation.
32. And those who will be dragged face down to
Hellfire shall be in the worst place and the deepest delusion.
35* We have sent
the Scripture to Moses
and made his
brother, Aaron, his assistant.
— Go to the people
who rejected Our Signs!
Later on We
exterminated them completely.
33. After the people of Noah had rejected the
Messengers,
We drowned them
all and made of them a Sign for mankind.
We have prepared a
painful punishment for the sinners,
38* and also for ’Ad, Thamood, the dwellers of Ar-rass, and many
intervening generations.
37. We had taught each of them by examples, and
then We utterly destroyed all of them.
40*And now, as they are passing by their town that had been pelted
by an evil rain,
do they not notice
anything?
No! They do not
dread the Resurrection!
41. — [O Muhammad!] As soon as they see you, you
become the object of their derision:
“Is he the one
that God has sent to us as a Messenger?
42. He would have surely separated us from our gods
if we hadn’t held fast unto them!”
But
at the sight of the punishment they shall know who is the farthest astray!
43. Have you seen the one who worships his passion?
Would you be his guarantor?
44. Do you think that most of them can listen and
understand? No! They are like cattle, only farther astray!
45. Do you not see how your Lord lengthens a
shadow? Had He willed it, He would have made it stationary. We allow the sun to
regulate it,
46. and then We gradually pull it to Ourselves.
47. He is the One, Who made for you the night as a
cover, the sleep to rest, and the day to be awake.
48. He is the One, Who sends you the winds
as messengers of
the good tidings of His mercy.
We are sending you
pure water from the sky
49. to let it revive the dead land and quench the
thirst of Our creatures — a multitude of cattle and men.
50. We distribute it among them to let them
remember [Us], yet most people reject everything, except disbelief!
We would have sent
a Warner to each town.
52. So, do not give in to the disbelievers, but
fight a big fight against them!
53. He is the One, Who let two bodies of water flow
freely: one pleasant and sweet, the other one salty and bitter. He separated
them by a dam, a forbidding barrier.
54. He is the One, Who has created man from water
and instituted the ties of blood and marriage, for mighty is your Lord!
55. Yet, besides God, they worship what can neither
help nor harm them.
A disbeliever is a
helper against his Lord!
56. We have sent you only as a Herald and a Warner.
“I’m not asking
you for a fee,
I only want anyone
who wills to take the path to his Lord!”
58. Put your trust in the One,
Who lives and does
not die, and glorify Him!
Sufficient is He
to know the sins of His servants.
59. He is the One, Who has created in six days
the
Heavens and the earth, and what is in between, and then established Himself on
the Throne.
He is the
Compassionate. Ask about Him anyone who knows!
60*They have been
told:
“Bow to the
Compassionate!”
Yet they say:
“And who is the
Compassionate?
Why
should we bow to anyone at your command?” And it further increases their
aversion!
61. Blessed be the One, Who has set constellations
in the sky and has placed in it a light and a shining moon.
62. He is the One, Who alternates night and day for
those who wish to remember, for those who wish to be thankful.
63. The servants of the Compassionate are those who
walk modestly upon the earth
and say: “Peace!”
to the ignorant who address them.
64. They spend nights before their Lord, standing
or bowing.
“Our
Lord! Divert from us the punishment of Hellfire, for such a punishment is a
torment that never ends!
66. It’s a terrible abode and resting place.”
67. They are not profligate or stingy, but keep to
the middle.
68. They do not call to other gods besides God.
They
kill a soul guilty of murder only for a just cause, and they do not commit fornication.
Whoever acts
otherwise shall be punished,
69. and his punishment shall be doubled On
Resurrection Day — he shall be humiliated for ever,
70* unless he repents, believes, and does righteous works. Then God
will replace his bad deeds by good ones — indeed, God is forgiving and
merciful!
71. Those who repent and do right,
who repent to God
in sincere repentance,
72. who do not give false testimony, who pass by
idle talk with dignity,
73. who, when reminded of the Signs of their Lord,
do not lose
attention, as if they were deaf and blind,
“O
our Lord! Give us wives and offspring who will comfort our eyes. Make of us an
example for the God-fearing.”
75. They are the ones who, for their patience,
shall be rewarded with the highest abode.
There they shall
be met with welcome and peace
76. and they shall stay therein for ever.
What a good
dwelling and resting place!
77. Say [to the disbelievers]:
“It
makes no difference to my Lord if you pray or do not pray to Him.
But
if you’ve rejected [Him], the Inevitable shall soon come [upon you]!”
V. 1: “Salvation” (furqan)
is “discernment between evil and good.” It has several other meanings —
deliverance, illumination, inerrant judgment, spiritual Knowledge, or the Koran
itself.
V. 4: The disbelievers accuse the Prophet of plagiarism
and hint at his presumed illiteracy, but he does not contradict them. V. 10:
“Gardens under which the rivers flow” — running water represents movement,
life, renewal, and purity. According to legend, when Agar with her son Ishmael
was chased to the desert by the wife of Abraham, Sarah, Zamzam, a spring
with curative waters, sprung at her feet. According to another legend, when
Mary gave birth to Jesus, a spring flowed beneath her. Water also appeared
under the feet of Job (S.38:42). The Koran repeatedly refers to rivers flowing
in Paradise under houses and gardens.
V. 14: “You will wish to die numerous times” or “will
wish the death of the many.” The sinners want to die, but in vain.
V. 15: The word “reward” is often a figure of speech. The
reward of the righteous is in their righteousness.
V. 20: “Will you have [enough] patience?” — the same
question was addressed to Moses by the wise man (S.18:67).
V. 22: “The impassable barrier” — it could be their past.
V. 25: The sky and the clouds limit visibility. They must
be rent asunder to allow the spiritual eye to focus on the infinite and to
understand the mystery of the Universe. The mention of the battle of Badr (2 H)
is probably a late addition.
V. 33: According to this verse, God has been anticipating
the questions that would be asked by the readers of the Koran and He provided
them with the appropriate answers.
V. 35: “His assistant” or “his Vizier.”
V. 38: Ar-rass was already mentioned in S.50:12.
V. 50: “We distribute it among them” (it is
water), or “We distribute [the Reminder] among them” in agreement with v. 52:
“fight [with the Reminder] a big fight against them.”
V. 40: The evil rain is taken from the story of Lot.
V. 60: The confusion about the Compassionate (ar-Rahman)
may have been due to the existence of a pre-Islamic god by this name.
V. 70: In His compassion, God is willing to pardon the
disbelievers, provided they mend their ways.
Sura 3(I) The House of
'Imran.
Starting with this
sura, the pace and the content of the Koranic verses undergo some changes. A
part of S.3 is an appraisal of the situation at the time when the Prophet was
well established in Medina, but had to fight hostile factions besieging the
city. Among them were the leaders of Mecca who were defeated at Badr and
theJewish tribes that supported them.
The House of Imran for
which S3 is named is the family ofJesus. The first half of S.3 (vv. 1'109)
deals with the attitude of the Muslims towards Judaism and Christianity. In the
second half (vv. 110'200) it deals with the military actions of Islam, and thus
belongs to Part VII. The Fight in the Cause of God.
Such a division of S.3 sura
into two parts is appropriate and reasonable. The Holy Book itself recommends
to use reason in the interpretation of the Koran. In v. 7 it states that the
Verses are either didactic or allegorical. The first ones are “the essence of
the Book” and are meant to teach people, whereas the interpretation of
allegorical Verses can lead to dissent because man cannot understand what is
accessible only to God.
In S3(I) a short invocation is followed by 1) a medley
of Warning, Sign and Saypassages (vv. 2-32); 2) the story of Mary and Jesus
(vv. 33-61); 3) a section on Abraham, the progenitor of the Arabs (vv. 65-68);
4) some Warnings to the Jews (vv. 69-84); and 5) some Warnings to
thenon-committedMuslims (vv. 85-109).
3.
T H E H
O U S E OF 'I M R A N
Medinan,
200 verses
Part I. (Vv.
1-109)
In the Name of
God, the Compassionate, the Merciful!
2. God! There is no god besides Him,
He is the Living,
the Self-Existing!
3* He has sent down to you the Scripture with the Truth, confirming
what had been sent before it. Earlier He had sent the Torah and the Evangel as
a Guidance for the people.
And He had sent
down the Salvation.
4. Verily, those who reject the Signs of God shall
receive a severe punishment — God is mighty and vengeful!
5. Verily, nothing is hidden from God on earth or
in Heaven.
6. He is the One, Who forms you in the wombs, as
He wills.
There is no god
but Him, the Mighty, the Wise.
7* He is the One,
Who has sent down to you
the Scripture with
prescriptive Verses,
which are the
essence of the Book.
There are other,
allegorical ones.
Those
with impure hearts follow the allegorical [Verses], interpreting them and thus
inciting dissent.
But their meaning
is known only to God!
The steadfast in
Knowledge say:
“We believe in
[the Scripture] —
it’s entirely from
our Lord,
but only those
with insight remember [it].
Don’t let our
hearts go astray after You’ve guided us,
and provide us
from Your mercy — verily, You’re the Giver.
You will round up
the people
on that Day about
which there’s no doubt.
Verily, God will
never fail [His] promise!”
10. Neither their wealth nor their children
shall protect the
disbelievers from God.
They are no more
than fuel for the Fire!
11. They are not better than the house of Pharaoh
and those who were before them.
They
denied Our Signs, and God seized them for their sins, for God is stern in
punishment.
“You
shall soon be overthrown and gathered in Hell — evil will be this bedding!”
13* You’ve already been given a Sign in the clash between the two
armies:
one fought in the
cause of God, the other — against it.
Then
the enemies saw with their eyes twice as many [Muslims] as they actually were.
Thus God supports by His help those He wills — verily, there is a lesson in
this for those who can see.
14. People are consumed by passions for women and sons, for hoarded
kintars of gold and silver, for branded horses, for cattle, and for cultivated
fields, but these are only some enjoyments of the present life — the best
calling is nearness to God.
15* Say:
“Shall
I tell you what’s better for the God-fearing? It’s nearness to their Lord in
Gardens under which the rivers flow.
By
the Grace of God, they shall stay there for ever with their pure spouses. God
is observing [His] servants
’O
our Lord! We’ve truly believed! Forgive us our sins and save us from the
punishment by the Fire.’
17. But this is only for the patient and the
truthful, the devout and the generous
who pray for
forgiveness from early morning.”
This
is witnessed by God and the Angels, and those who possess Knowledge and uphold
justice. There is no god but Him, the Mighty, the Wise.
19* Verily, in
God’s sight, religion is Islam!
After
receiving Knowledge, the People of the Scripture dissented from it out of
enmity to one another.
But
for those who reject the Signs of God, God is quick to settle the account!
20. If they start arguing with you, say: “I’ve
totally submitted myself to God, and so have those who followed me.” Tell the
People of the Scripture and the unenlightened ones: “Have you submitted
yourselves [to God]?” If they have submitted themselves,
they
are on the right path, but if they have turned away, then your duty is to
convey [the Message].
God is observant
of [His] servants!
21. Verily, announce a painful punishment to those
who reject the Signs of God, wrongfully slay the Prophets,
and kill the
people who call to justice.
22.
Their
works shall amount to nothing both in this world and the Hereafter, and nobody
shall help them!
who have received
a portion of the Scripture?
When
called to judgment by the Divine Scripture, some of them refuse to comply and
turn away.
“If
the Fire touched us, it would be only for a few days.” By their lies about
religion they deceive only themselves!
25. And what will happen when We gather them on the
Day, which cannot be doubted, when each soul
shall be paid in
full for what she has deserved?
“O God! O Lord
of Sovereignty!
You
give power to whom You will and withdraw it from whom You will.
You
exalt whom You will and abase whom You will.
All
goodness is in Your hand and you’ve power over everything!
27* You allow the night to catch up the day and the day to catch up
the night.
You
bring forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living.
You provide
without reckoning for everyone You will.”
28* Do not let the believers befriend disbelievers in preference to
believers, except for safety, otherwise, God will not help them.
God
cautions you against Himself, indeed, to God is [your] return!
29. Say: “God knows what you conceal in your souls
and what you reveal.
He
knows everything in Heavens and earth — indeed, God has power over all things!
30. On that Day, every soul shall be confronted
with all the good she has done
and
all the evil she has done.
Then
she will wish [evil] to depart from her far away. God cautions you against
Himself, but God is full of good will for [His] servants!
“Follow
me if you love God, then God will love you and forgive your sins, for God is
forgiving and merciful!”
“Obey God and the
Messenger!”
But if they turn
around,
then, verily, God
doesn’t love the disbelievers!
33. God chose Adam and Noah, the house of Abraham,
and the house of
’Imran over all the people of the world —
34. all in the same line of descent.
God is hearing and
knowing!
35* The wife of
’Imran said:
“O
my Lord! I dedicate to You what’s in my womb to freely [serve You].
Accept it from me,
for you’re the Hearing, the Knowing.”
36. After delivery
she said:
“O my Lord! I’ve
delivered a girl!”
But
God knew well whom she had delivered, the male being unlike the female.
[She said]:
“I
named her Mary. I’m putting her and her progeny under Your protection from
Satan, the stoned one.”
37* God gave her a gracious reception, provided her with good
upbringing, and entrusted her to Zechariah.
Each
time he entered [her] sanctuary, he found some provisions with her and said: “O
Mary! Where does it come from?” She said:
“It’s from God,
for God provides
without reckoning anyone He wills!”
38. Calling from there to his Lord, Zechariah said:
“O
my Lord! Give me a good progeny from Yourself, indeed, You listen to prayers!”
39. As he was praying in the sanctuary, the Angels
announced to him: “Confirming the Truth of the Word of God, God brings to you
the good tidings
of the [birth of
your son] John,
an abstinent
Prophet among the righteous!”
“O
my Lord! How can I have a son if I’ve reached old age and my wife is barren?”
[God] said:
— God does what He
wills!
“O my Lord! Give
me a Sign!”
[God] said:
— Your Sign is
that for three days you shall communicate with people only by signs. Remember
your Lord oftentimes and glorify [Him] evenings and mornings.
“O
Mary! God has selected you, purified you, and put you above the women of the
Worlds.
43.
O Mary!
Worship your Lord, prostrate yourself, and bow with those who bow!”
44*This is one of
the events of the Unseen
that
We are inspiring you with.
You
were not with them when they cast writing reeds, [divining] who will take
charge of Mary, and you were not with them when they argued among themselves.
45*The Angels
said:
“O
Mary! God announces to you the glad tidings of the Word from Himself,
whose name is the
Messiah Jesus, son of Mary.
[He]’ll
be revered in [this] world and in the Hereafter as one of the nearest [to God].
46* He shall speak to the people from his crib and in maturity, and
he will be one of the upright.”
47* [Mary] said:
“O my Lord! How can I have a
child if I haven’t been touched by a man?” [God] said:
— God creates what
He wills.
When He rules upon
some matter,
He says to it: —
Be! And there it is!
48. [God] will teach him the Scripture and the Wisdom, the Torah and
the Evangel,
49*and he will be
a Messenger to the Children of Israel.
[And Jesus will
say]:
‘I’m coming to you
with a Sign from your Lord.
I’ll
shape for you the likeness of a bird from clay, then I’ll breathe into it,
and with God’s
permission it’ll become a bird.
With
God’s permission, I’ll heal the blind and the lepers, and bring the dead to
life.
I’ll
tell you what you may eat, and what you may keep in your houses. There is a
Sign for you in this if you believe.
50* I’m confirming what I had already known of the Torah, and I’m
allowing you a part
of what had been
forbidden to you before.
I’m
coming to you with a Sign from your Lord, so fear God and obey me!
51. God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him — this is the
straight path’.”
52* Feeling that they were inclined to disbelief,
Jesus said:
“Who are my
helpers in [the cause of] God?”
His disciples
said:
“We
are God’s helpers. We’ve believed in God, so vouch for us that we’re Muslims.
53* O our Lord! We believe in Your Revelation and we’re following
the Messenger, so write us down as confessors!”
54* [The disbelievers] have plotted; and God has plotted, but truly
God is the best at plotting!
55* God said:
—
O Jesus! I will let you die, then I will raise you to Myself and purify you
from the disbelievers.
I
shall put those who follow you above those who will not believe till
Resurrection Day. And when you return to Me,
I shall resolve
your disputes.
56. I will inflict a stern retribution upon the
disbelievers both in this life and in the Hereafter,
and they will find
nobody to help them!
57. And to those who believed and did good works,
I
will give a full reward, indeed, God does not love the sinners!
58. — [O Muhammad!] This is what We are reading to
you from the Verses and the wise Reminder.
59* Verily, for God Jesus is like Adam, whom He created from dust
and to whom He said:
— Be! And there he
was!
60. Truth is from your Lord, so do not be of those
who doubt!
61* If anyone argues with you about this after Knowledge has come to
you, say: “Let’s gather our sons and your sons, our women and your women, our
people and your people, and let’s pray and invoke the curse of God on the
liars!”
62. Verily, this is a true story!
There
is no god besides God — verily, God is the Mighty, the Wise.
63. And if they turn away, God is fully aware of
the corrupt!
“O
People of the Scripture!
Let’s
agree to worship only God, not to ascribe any partner to Him, and not to
associate with God any lords from our midst.”
If they turn away,
say:
“Be witnesses that
we are Muslims!”
65* O People of
the Scripture!
How
can you argue about Abraham if the Torah and the Evangel have been sent down
after his time?
Do
you not understand?
66. You used to argue before about something you knew, so why do you
argue now about something you do not know?
God knows, but you
do not know!
67* Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian: he was a Hanif who
submitted himself to God; and he was not an Associator.
68. Verily, the closest to Abraham are his
followers — this Prophet and those who have believed.
God is the
Protector of [all] the believers!
69. A faction of the People of the Scripture would
like to lead you astray,
but
they are leading astray only themselves, without even realizing [it]!
70. O People of the Scripture!
Why
do you reject the Signs of God if you are witnessing them?
71. O People of the Scripture!
Why do you wrap
Truth in falsehood,
and why do you
conceal the Truth if you know it?
72. Some of the People of the Scripture say:
“Believe in the morning
in
what has been revealed to the believers and deny it in the evening — perhaps
they’ll deny it as well.
73* And don’t believe anyone who does not follow your religion!”
Say:
“Verily,
Guidance is God’s teaching.
It’s
given to others, as it’s given to you, so why would they argue with you before
your Lord?” Say:
“Verily,
Grace is in God’s hand, and He bestows it upon anyone He wills.” God is
generous and all-knowing!
74. He distinguishes by His mercy anyone He wills. To God belongs a
boundless Grace!
75* Some of the People of the Scripture are such that if you trusted
them with a qintar [of gold], they will return it to you.
But
some others, if you trusted them with a dinar, will not return it to you,
unless you pressure them.
They say:
“We
don’t have any obligations toward the ignorant.” But they lie against God, and
they know [it]!
76* And the one who fulfills his pledge and fears God... verily, God
loves the God-fearing!
77. Verily, those who sell for a small price their
oaths to God and their pledges, shall have no part in the Hereafter.
On
Resurrection Day God will not speak to them, He will not even look at them!
He
will not purify them [from sin], and they shall receive a painful retribution.
78. Some of them distort the Scripture with their
tongues. You might think that something is in the Scripture, but it is not in
the Scripture at all.
They say:
“It’s from God.”
But it is not from
God —
they are their fabrications about God, and they know [it] 79* How
can a man who has received from God
the
Scripture, the Wisdom, and the Prophetic Gift, say to the people:
“Serve me and not
God,” instead of:
“Stand
by the Lord for you have taught the Scripture and have studied it yourselves.”
80. [God] would not command you
to
make lords out of Angels and Prophets; he would not command you to disbelieve
after you have submitted yourselves to Him.
81. God made a Covenant with the Prophets:
— I am giving you
the Scripture and the Wisdom.
Then
a Messenger will come to you to confirm what you have received.
Trust him and help
him! And He said:
— Do you accept My
Covenant as your obligation?
They said: “We do
accept [it]!”
[God] said:
— Then be
witnesses, and I will be a Witness with you.
82. And those who will turn away are corrupt!
83. Why do they aspire to a religion other than
God’s after everything in Heavens and earth
has
submitted itself to Him, willingly or unwillingly? Indeed, to Him is their
return!
84*Say:
“We
believe in God and in the Revelation
that
has been sent down to us,
and
in what had been sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the
Patriarchs, and in what had been given by their Lord
to Moses, Jesus,
and the Prophets.
We
make no distinction between them, and We’re all Muslims!”
85.
If any one
chooses a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him
and in the
Hereafter he shall be among the losers.
86. How can God show the way to a people
who had believed
at first and testified
that the Messenger
was true,
that
the Proofs have reached them, and then disbelieved later on?
God does not guide
sinful people!
87.
God, the
Angels, and the people will reward them with a curse
88. under which they shall abide for ever.
Their punishment
shall not be reduced
and they shall not
get a reprieve,
89. except those who have repented later on and
made amends.
Verily, God is
forgiving and merciful!
90. Repentance shall not be accepted
from those who believed,
then disbelieved,
and persisted in
their disbelief,
for they are
really astray.
91* Those who
disbelieved and died disbelieving
shall not ransom
themselves with all the gold on earth.
There
is a painful punishment for them, and nobody shall help them.
92. You shall not be upright until you begin
contributing from what is dear to you.
Whatever you
contribute, verily, God will know about it!
93. The Children of Israel were allowed all kinds
of food, except what Israel had made unlawful for itself before the Torah was
revealed.
Say:
“Bring
out the Torah and read it if you’re telling the truth.”
94. After that those who fabricate lies about God —
they are the sinners!
“God
speaks the Truth, so follow the creed of Abraham, the Hanif who was not an
Associator.”
96* Verily, the first House
[of worship] for people was established in Mecca.
In it are the
blessings and the guidance for the Worlds.
97. There are
clear Signs in it — one of them
is the spot where
Abraham used to stand.
Whoever enters it
enjoys security.
Pilgrimage
to this House is a duty before God for anyone who has the means to travel.
But if anyone
disbelieves...
verily, God has no
need for the Worlds.
“O People of the
Scripture!
Why
do you reject the Signs of God if God is Witness to all your deeds?”
“O
People of the Scripture! If you are witnesses, why do you turn the believers
away from God’s path and try to make it crooked?
Indeed, God isn’t
unmindful of what you do.”
100.O you who have
believed!
If
you listened to some of the people who had received the Scripture, they would
turn you into disbelievers after you have believed.
101. How can you
deny faith
when
the Verses of God are recited to you, and when His Messenger is with you?
Whoever
holds firmly onto God will be guided to the straight path.
102.O you who have
believed!
Fear God as He should be feared, and die only as Muslims. 103*Hold
onto God’s Covenant in one body and do not split up!
Remember the
goodness of God towards you.
You
were enemies indeed, but He has joined your hearts, and you became brothers by
His Grace.
You
stood at the edge of the Fire Pit, and He rescued you from it.
This
is how God makes His Signs clear to you — perhaps you will accept Guidance!
104*Let you form a community that invites to the good, enjoins the
honorable, and restrains from the disreputable.
They are the only
ones who will succeed!
105*Do not emulate those who received the Proofs and then split up
and fell into discord.
A great punishment
is [in store] for them!
106.On that Day some faces shall brighten and some others shall
darken.
Those with
darkened faces [will hear]:
— Have you not
disbelieved after you had believed?
Then, taste the
punishment for your disbelief!
107. But those with brightened faces will be in God’s mercy for
ever.
108.Such are the
Verses of God
that We recite to
you in Truth.
God does not want
injustice to the Worlds!
109.Everything in the Heavens and earth belongs to God. And to God
all the matters return!
V. 3: Salvation — the furqan of S.25:1.
V. 7: “[Verses] that are allegorical” or “[Verses] with
hidden meaning.” The Koran addresses itself not only to the intelligence of the
listener, but also to his imagination. Thus any discussion of the historicity
of events in the Koran is irrelevant.
According to Islamic symbolism, the human heart comprises
four sites: in addition to sadr, qalb, and fu'ad mentioned
on p. 187, there is the deepest recess of the heart (sirr or lubb),
which is the site of the full understanding of God in his Unity and Glory
(S.3:190).
V. 13: A reference to the battle of Badr (S.25:23).
V. 15: “The Grace of God” (ridwan).
V. 19: “The People of the Scripture” are the Jews.
“Knowledge” is understanding the Koran (S.102) or the Koran itself.
V. 27: Night and day remind of darkness and light. Darkness
is ignorance and spiritual death; light is knowledge and spiritual growth.
V. 28: In these formative years, the Muslims were advised
to stay away from outsiders, especially from the renegades.
V. 35: In this verse, ’Imran is Moses’s father and Mary
is ’Imran’s daughter, and thus, the sister of Moses and Aaron. Therefore, Jesus
is ’Imran’s grandson and Moses’s nephew. In Luke 1:5, Zecharias’s wife
Elisabeth “was of the daughters of Aaron.” Genealogical searches are futile as
family relations may be metaphors.
The “Family” or the “House” of ’Imran might be a
collective name for all the Jewish Prophets from Moses to Jesus.
V. 37: “Sanctuary” (mihrab). Mary has been raised
by Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist (Yahia).
V. 44: There seems to have been a disagreement concerning
Mary’s guardianship. The situation was resolved by casting lots: the
contenders wrote their names on writing reeds and cast them into the river. The
winner was the one whose reed stayed afloat the longest.
V. 45: “Word” is kalima in Arabic and logos
in Greek. That this passage connects to John 1:1 is speculative.
”The nearest to God” (muqarribin), as in S.56:11.
V. 47: The Koran does not mention that Mary was married
to Joseph.
V. 46: Jesus spoke from the cradle in the apocryphal “The
First Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ,” 1:2.
V. 49: A bird symbolizes the fate of a man.
V. 50: According to Islam, some of the Jewish dietary
laws were too restrictive. These restrictions have been lifted by Jesus (cf.
Mark 7:18-19, where it is stated that all food is clean).
V. 52: “A Helper” (ansar) is a supporter of Islam
in Medina.
V. 53: “Confessors,” “Witnesses,” or “Martyrs for faith.”
V. 54: “Plotted” (makara) or “made plans.”
V. 55: The Muslims believe that Jesus died a natural death.
He will return at the end of the world to slay “The Beast.” Then he will die
and will be raised again with all humankind.
The problem with the Christians was that by worshiping
Jesus as son of God, they were defying the basic concept of monotheism. The
Muslims do not believe in the suffering and resurrection of Jesus; therefore,
in his redemption of mankind from both Adam’s disobedience and the
transgressions of the sinners. They revere Jesus as a Prophet and as the
precursor of the last Messenger, the Prophet Muhammed. The problem with the
Jews was that many of them refused to consider the Koran as the culmination of
the Bible. Both Muslims and Jews were monotheists, and their differences were
mostly cultural: for example, the Jews stood by some food restrictions that
Muslims considered unjustified.
Islam teaches that man is weak, but his soul is free of
any “original sin.” Man can achieve spiritual harmony by his faith and works.
He must fear God’s punishment only for his own sins and not for the transgressions
of Adam and other people. In contrast, the Christians believe that man is born
in sin, and cannot be saved without the sacrifice of Jesus and baptism. The
concept of a Church as an institution that brings man in communication with God
is not acceptable for Muslims. Unacceptable for them are the confession to a
priest and communion; in marriage they see a formal contract that is fully
described in the Koran.
V. 59: Both Adam and Jesus were not fathered by a man.
V. 61: The Shi’ites believe that this call was addressed
to ’Ali, to his sons Hassan and Hussein, and to his wife Fatima.
Vv. 65f: Both Arabs and Jews descend from Abraham: the
Arabs from his elder son Ishmael, and the Jews from Isaac.
V. 67: Abraham was a righteous man, a hanif (S.10:105).
V. 72: According to the Jews, one must believe in the
older Scriptures and reject the new one (the Koran); then, the Muslims might
repent and return to the belief in the old Scriptures.
V. 75: A rebuke to the Jewish leaders. “Ignorant” or
“simple [folks],” or “unlettered people” are probably the pagan Arabs.
V. 76: Everyone must fulfill his promises. All people
past and present are bound by the Mosaic Covenant.
V. 79: “Stand by the Lord” or be the Lord’s worshipers;”
the latter are called here rab- baniyin.
V. 84: The Koran enjoins the Muslims to respect all the
Scriptures and to consider that all the Prophets are equal.
V. 91: “For all the gold on earth” or “the weight of the
earth in gold.”
V. 96: “In Mecca” or Bacca in a local dialect. It
is also the ancient name of Mecca.
V. 97: The pilgrimage to Mecca is incontestably the most
important spiritual event in the life of a Muslim. The trip to Arabia requires
much exertion and funds. Some pilgrims save money for decades with the only
purpose of going to Mecca. This is not only the fulfillment of an obligation to
God, but also the unique religious experience of socializing with millions of
people united in aspiration and effort. The pilgrimage is not only a total
immersion in the religious ritual for ten consecutive days, but a one or even
two year commitment away from home, depending on the length of the trip that is
often done on foot. Upon their return home the pilgrims are feted by their
relatives and neighbors and receive the honorific title of hajji which
ensures a dignified position in their society.
Muslims believe that pilgrimage was instituted by
Abraham. Pilgrims flocked to Mecca long before Islam. The focus of the
pilgrimage was a sanctuary dedicated to the One God, but later desecrated by
the introduction of literally hundreds of shrines and idols dedicated to local
gods and goddesses. Islam can be seen as the return under the leadership of the
Prophet Muhammad to the monotheism of Abraham that started with Adam who knew
only one God.
V. 103: “To God’s Covenant,” or “to the rope [stretched]
by God.” The reference is to the Medinans who had not rallied to the Prophet
yet.
V. 104: “Community” or “nation” — umma.
V. 105: The reference is to the Jews and the Christians.
Sura 21 The Prophets. S.21 is mixed in subject and composition,
and it may present difficulties in reading and comprehending. The sura begins
with accusations directed at the Meccans for not supporting the Prophet
Muhammad and his mission. The usual introductory verses are followed by several
unconnected passages (vv. 11'48), one of which examines the nature of Angels
(vv. 26'29). The second part (vv. 48'93) brings up the Biblical prophets:
Moses, Abraham, Lot, Noah, David and Solomon, Job, Jonas and others. The main
story, that of Abraham, is targeted against polytheism. The themes of John the
Baptist, (Yahia), and Jesus'Christ are briefly presented at the end (vv.
89'91).
Like the preceding sura, S.21 is strongly
critical of the “People of the Scripture, ” i.e., the Jews and the Christians.
Meccan, 112
verses
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful!
1.
Reckoning
is coming closer to men, but being mindless, they turn away.
2.
No new
Revelation comes to them from their Lord that they do not listen to without mockery.
3* Frivolous are their hearts!
The wrong-doers say in their secret [meetings]:
“Isn’t [Muhammad] a man like us?
Would you yield to magic with open eyes?”
“My Lord knows about [every] word in Heavens and earth.
He’s the Hearer, the Knowing.”
“No, [these are] only bundles of dreams,
He contrived them himself! Indeed, he’s a poet!
Let him bring us [at least] one Sign
like the ones that were sent in old times!”
6.
Would th
ey believe, if not a single town
We had destroyed before them, had believed?
7* — And before [you, o Muhammad],
We used to send only men We had inspired.
If you do not know it,
ask those who have received the Revelation!
8* We did not give them
bodies that do not require food, and they were not immortal.
9. We fulfilled Our promise to them:
We
saved those We pleased, and We destroyed those who were given to excesses.
10. We have sent down upon you a Scripture with a
Reminder. So why do you not understand?
11. How many towns We have destroyed for their
iniquity! We have settled other people in their place,
12. but sensing the approach of Our retribution,
they ran away from it.
13* Do not run away, return to good life and your dwellings —
perhaps you will be called to account!
14. They said:
“Woe to us! Truly
We have transgressed!”
15* They didn’t stop their lamentations until We changed them into a
devastated field.
16. We have not created the Heaven and the earth
and what is in between on a whim.
17. Were We looking for a pastime and had We wished
for it, We would have found it in Ourselves.
18. When We use Truth to eradicate falsehood, We
smash it to pieces and it disappears.
Woe to you for
what you associate!
19* Everything in Heavens and earth belongs to [God]. Those who are
with Him are proud to serve Him — that never tires them out!
20. They glorify Him night and day without
interruption.
really able to
bring [the dead] back to life?
22. How confused everything would have been if
there were other gods besides God! Praised be God, the Lord of the Throne!
Exalted He is
above what they ascribe [to Him]!
23. [God] cannot be questioned about His works; but
they shall be questioned.
24. Have they really taken other gods besides
[God]?
Say:
“Then
bring out your proofs!
This
is a Revelation for those who are with me and a Revelation for those who
preceded me.” But most of them ignore the Truth and turn away.
25. And before your time, We have never sent a
Messenger without first inspiring him
that there is no
god, except Me. So, worship Me!
26* They say:
“The
Compassionate has taken children for Himself!” Glory to Him! They are just
honored servants [of His]
27. who do not speak before He speaks and follow
His command.
28.
He knows
what was before them and what will be after them. Intercession is only for
those He approves of,
and they tremble in fear before Him.
“I’m a god equal to Him,”
he’ll be punished by Hellfire —
such is Our reward for the wrong-doers!
30.
And the
disbelievers, do they not realize
that the Heavens and the earth were connected
before We pulled them apart,
and that We made all living things from water?
Why will they not believe?
31* We have placed mountains
on the earth as firm supports, lest it quakes under them,
We have traced gaps between them
to pass through — perhaps they will accept Guidance!
32.
We have
made the sky as a protected dome, yet they still turn away from its Signs.
33.
He is the
One, Who created the night and the day, the sun and the moon, and everything
that sails in the firmament.
34.
— [O
Muhammad!] We have never made any person immortal before you.
Should you die, then would [others] live for ever?
35.
Every soul
shall taste death.
We test you by evil and virtue — to Us is your return!
36.
Seeing
you, the disbelievers mock you:
“Is he not the one who keeps
reminding you of your gods?” They repudiate faith at the mention of the
Compassionate!
37* Man is a creature of
haste, but let him not hurry: soon I will show you My Signs!
“When will the threat come upon
us if you’re telling the truth?”
39.
If only
the disbelievers knew how helpless they will be when they will be unable to
shield
their faces and their backs from the Fire!
40.
Yes! It
shall catch them unawares and shall confuse them — they will not avert it or
get a respite!
41.
Many
Messengers have been ridiculed before you, but the scoffers were caught
in what they had been sneering at.
“Who will protect you from the
Compassionate night or day?” But at the mention of their Lord, they turn away.
43.
Do they
have any gods capable of protecting them from Us? They cannot help themselves
or save themselves from Us.
44.
Yes, We
allowed them and their fathers
to enjoy themselves till their life became quite long.
Do they not see how We go over [their] land,
shrinking its
boundaries? Then, are they the winners?
“I’m warning you
by the Revelation.”
But can the deaf
hear the call, when they are warned?
46. If only a whiff of their Lord’s wrath touched
them, they would say:
“Woe to us for the
wrong we have done!”
47* On Resurrection Day We shall set an exact balance, and no soul
shall be wronged in the least.
We
will take everything into account down to the weight of a mustard seed.
Sufficient We are for accounting!
48* In the past We
gave to Moses and Aaron
Salvation, Light,
and a Reminder for the God-fearing
49. who fear their Lord in secret and dread the
Hour.
50. Blessed is the Reminder sent down by Us — then
why do you reject it?
51. In the past We gave rectitude to Abraham,
indeed, We knew him well.
52. Once he said to his father and to his people:
“What are these
images you worship?”
“We found out that
our fathers had been worshiping them.”
“You and your
fathers were in plain error!”
“Have you brought
us the Truth,
or are you one of
those who want to have fun?”
“No!
Your Lord is the Lord of Heavens and earth, their Creator, and I’m a witness to
it.
57. By God! I’m determined to do something to your
idols as soon as you turn around and go away.”
58. And he broke all of them to pieces,
except the biggest
one, to let [the people] speak to it.
“The one who did
that to our gods is surely evil!”
“We heard a youth
called Abraham talking about them.”
“Then
bring him before the people, and let them all see him:
there might be
some witnesses!”
“O Abraham! Is it
you who did that to our gods?”
“No! It’s the
biggest of them who did it!
Ask them if they
can talk!”
64. Turning to one another they said:
“Actually, the
wrong-doers are you!”
65* But then, coming back on their words, they said: “But you know
that they can’t talk!”
“So, instead of
God you worship
what can neither
benefit you in anything nor harm you!
67. Fie upon you and upon whatever you worship
besides God!
Why don’t you
think?”
“Protect
your gods and burn him if you want to do something!”
— O Fire! Be cool
and safe to Abraham!
but We made them
sustain the greatest losses!
71. We saved him and Lot in the land that We had
blessed for the Worlds.
72. To [Abraham] We gave Isaac, then We granted him
Jacob, and made them both righteous.
73. We made them leaders to guide under Our
command. We inspired them to do good works,
to establish the
prayer, and to pay the zakat.
They were devoted
to worshiping Us.
74. To Lot We gave Wisdom and Knowledge.
We
saved him from [the dwellers of] a town who practiced abominations — they were
really evil and perverse people.
75. We brought him into Our mercy, for he was one
of the righteous.
76. And earlier Noah called upon Us. We responded
to him and saved him and his family from a great disaster.
77. We protected him against the people who
rejected Our Signs: indeed, they were evil people, and We drowned them all.
78* When David and Solomon sat in judgement about a field that was
damaged at night by the sheep of some folks, We were present at the trial.
79. We gave Solomon the Insight
and to both of
them Wisdom and Knowledge.
We
made mountains and birds join David in glorifying Us. We did it so!
80. We taught [David] how to make coats-of-mail for
your protection against mutual violence.
Will you ever be
grateful?
81. To Solomon We subjected the hurricane wind to
make it blow at his command
to
the land We have blessed — indeed, We are aware of all things!
82. There were [a few] Satans who dived for him
and performed
other work, while We kept watch over them.
83. And Job called to his Lord:
“I’m beset by
adversity,
but You’re the
Most Compassionate of the compassionate!”
84. We heard him and freed him from adversity.
We
gave him his family back, doubling it as a mercy from Us and as a reminder for
those who serve Us.
85* And Ishmael,
Idris and Dhul-Kifl, all of them were patient.
86. We took them into Our mercy: indeed, they were
all upright.
87* Jonas left in
anger, assuming that We had no power over him.
But
then he called to Us from darkness:
“There’s
no god but You! Glory to You! Indeed, I was among the wrong-doers!”
88. We listened to him and rescued him from
distress — this is how We save the believers!
89. And Zechariah called to his Lord:
“O my Lord! Don’t
leave me alone!
You’re the best of
bequeathers!”
90. We listened to him, healed his wife, and gave
him John.
They
were keen to do good works, and they used to call upon Us with love and fear.
They were humble
before Us.
91* And also
[Mary], who kept her chastity.
We breathed of Our
Spirit into her
and made of her
and her son a Sign for the Worlds.
92. Verily, your nation is one nation, and I am your Lord! So
worship Me!
93* They shall all
return to Us even if they go separate ways.
94. He who does good work and believes, his efforts
shall not be in vain —
We will write it
to his credit.
95. There is a ban on repenting in [every] town We
destroyed 96* until Gog and Magog are released
and rush down from
every hill.
97. When the true promise approaches, you will see
the eyes of the disbelievers bulging from terror: “Oh, woe to us for forgetting
about it!
Yes, we were in
the wrong!”
98. And you, and what you worship besides God
shall be firewood
for Hellfire — such is your destination!
99. If they were really gods, none of them
would have gotten
into it to abide therein for ever,
100. where they shall hear nothing but their own groans!
101.
Verily,
the ones for whom We have decreed better things
shall be far from it.
102.
They shall
not hear the slightest sound [of Hellfire].
They shall dwell for ever among what their souls desire,
103.
and the
Great Terror shall not sadden them!
The Angels shall greet them:
“This is your promised Day!”
104.On that Day We will roll up the heaven like a scroll.
As We came up with the first Creation, We shall repeat
it.
Such is Our promise, and We shall fulfill it for sure!
105.
We have
written in the Psalms
after the Revelation [came to Moses]
that My righteous servants shall inherit the earth.
106.
Verily,
there is a message in that
for those who worship [Us].
107.
And you,
We have sent you as a mercy to the Worlds.
108.Say:
“It has been revealed to me that your God is one God.
Will you then become Muslims!”
109.
But if
they turn away, say:
“I’ve warned you all alike, but I don’t know
if what has been promised to you is nearby or far away.
110.
But He
knows what is said openly,
and He knows what you conceal.
111.
I don’t
know, it might be a trial for you
and enjoyment [of life] for some time.”
112*Say:
“O my Lord! You judge according to the Truth!
You are our Lord, the Compassionate,
You are Our Helper against everything they contrive!”
V. 7: “Those who have received the Revelation”: the
“People of the Scripture” — the Jews, the “Children of Israel” (S.3:19), and by
extension, both the Jews and the Christians.
V. 8: The Messengers were not Angels.
V. 13: The advice given in this verse is ironical, and so
is the answer given by Abraham to the idolaters in v.63.
V. 15: “Their lamentations” is said with irony.
Lamentations and mourning are not in the spirit of the Koran.
V. 19: Here, the talk is about the Angels.
V. 26: That the chief deity can have children is a pagan
idea. “The honored servants” are the Angels or Jesus and Mary.
V. 31: “Under them” — under the people or the
disbelievers.
V. 37: “A creature of haste” — How true of modern man!
V. 47: Here ends the first part of the sura consisting of
loosely bound passages. The heterogeneity of composition is due to the
abundance of ideas, the alternation between direct and indirect speech, and the
combination of poetic passages with stern warnings.
V. 48: For the concept of Salvation, furqan, see
S.25:1.
V. 65: “Coming back on their words” or “reversing their belief,” lit.,
“standing on their heads.”
V. 78: The stories
attributed to David and Solomon are mostly mythical and do not appear in the
Bible (cf. SS. 38, 27, 34).
V. 85: Idris is
Enoch; Dhul-Kifl is probably Iezekiel.
V. 87: Jonas or
“the one with the fish” (Dhun-Nun). According to the Bible, when a storm
hit the ship on which he was sailing, he was cast into the sea where a big fish
swallowed him.
V. 91: Reference
to the Virgin Mary and the birth ofJesus.
V. 93: The Koran
attributes the feuds between the Jewish and Christian factions to the weakness
of their religious and moral convictions.
V. 96: Gog and
Magog will arrive at world’s end (S.18:94).
V. 112: “Against
everything they contrive” or “against what you are ascribing [to Him].”
Sura 19 Mary. The sura starts with detailed stories of the
birth of John the Baptist (vv. 2'15), based on the Gospel according to Luke,
and the birth ofJesus (vv. 16' 34), based on the apocryphal Gospel according to
James. One notices the respect accorded to John the Baptist and to Jesus and
Mary. These stories are followed by a reminder about the ancestors of the Arabs
— Abraham, and Ishmael (Ismail), as well as about Moses and other Prophets. The
second part of the sura deals with appeals to monotheism and to con' version to
Islam.
S19 and others, where God is repeatedly called the
Compassionate (Ar'rahman) form the group of so'called “Ar'rahman suras. ”
Meccan, 98
verses
In the Name of
God, the Compassionate, the Merciful!
1* Kaf ha ya ’ain
sad.
2. In memory of your Lord’s mercy to His servant
Zechariah.
3. He called to his Lord in secret
“O
my Lord! My bones have weakened and my head has been lit up with grey, but in
my prayers to You, o my Lord, I’ve never been unsuccessful.
5* I’m worried about the fate of my relatives after I pass away.
Although my wife
is barren, give me a heir from Yourself.
6. Make him my heir and the heir of the House ofJacob, and make him,
o my Lord, agreeable [to You].”
7* — O Zechariah!
We
are announcing to you [the birth] of your son John, the first one We are
calling by this name.
8. [Zechariah]
said:
“O my Lord! How
can I have a son if my wife is barren,
and I’ve reached
old age?”
9* [The Spirit]
said:
“It will be as
your Lord has announced:
— Easy it is for Me!
Indeed, you were nothing before I created you!”
10* [Zechariah] said:
“O my Lord! Give me a Sign!”
[God] said:
— Your Sign is that, while not
being mute, you will not speak to the people for three nights.
11. Coming out to his people from the sanctuary,
[Zechariah] enjoined them by signs
to glorify [God] mornings and evenings.
12.
— O John!
Hold fast to the Scripture!
From childhood We granted him Wisdom,
13* compassion from Us, and purity. He was devout,
14.
kind to
his parents, and not oppressive or rebellious.
15. Let peace be on him the day he was born, the
day he dies, and the Day he is raised!
16* Mention Mary in the Scripture.
She left her family for a place in the east
17* and retired from them behind a curtain.
We sent her Our Spirit,
[who] came to her in the full guise of a person.
“If you aren’t God-fearing,
I’ll find refuge from you with the Compassionate.”
“I’m your Lord’s Envoy — He bestows upon you a pure son.”
“How can I have a son
if no man has ever touched me, and I’m not unchaste?”
21.
Then [the
Spirit] announced:
“Your Lord has said:
— Easy it is for Me!
We will make him a Sign for the
people and a mercy from Us. Let it be so!”
22* She carried a child and retired with him to a remote
place.
23.
The pains
brought her to the trunk of a palm-tree.
She said:
“Oh! Why haven’t I died before, forsaken and forgotten!”
24.
A voice
[was heard] from under her:
“Don’t grieve! Your Lord has run a stream beneath you,
25. and [if] you shake the palm-tree that stands
over you, you’ll be showered with fresh ripe [fruit].
26.
Eat,
drink, and freshen your eyes.
And if you see someone, say:
‘I’ve vowed to fast to the
Compassionate and today I won’t speak to anyone.’”
27.
When she
returned to her family, they told her:
“O Mary! What happened to you is a thing unheard of!
28* O sister of Aaron! Your father was not a wicked man and your
mother was not unchaste!”
29. And when she pointed to [her son], they said: “How can we talk
to a child who is still in his cradle?”
30* [The child]
said:
“I am a servant of
God.
He gave me a
Scripture and made me a Prophet.
31. He made me blessed wherever I go.
He enjoined on me
prayer and charity for as long as I live,
32. and also kindness to my mother.
He didn’t make me
oppressive or miserable.
33. Let peace be on me the day I was born, the day
I die, and the Day I’m raised.”
34. Such was Jesus, the son of Mary.
This Word is true,
though many dispute it.
35. It is not proper for God to beget a son for
Himself. Glory to Him! When He decides something,
He just says: —
Be! And there it is!
36. God is my Lord and your Lord,
so worship Him:
this is the right way!
37* But their factions continue to argue among themselves. Woe to
the disbelievers when the Great Day comes!
38. How clearly shall they hear and see
on
the Day when they appear before Us! Today the wrong-doers are in manifest
error!
39. — [O Muhammad!] Warn them about the Day of
Sorrow when [their] fate shall be decided —
they are still
heedless and do not believe!
40. We are the heirs to the earth and to those who
dwell on it, to Us is their return!
41. Mention Abraham in the Scripture.
Verily, he was a
righteous Prophet.
“O
my father! Why do you worship something that doesn’t hear and see,
and doesn’t
benefit you in any way?
43.
O my
father! I’ve received Knowledge that hadn’t come to you, so follow me, and I’ll
guide you on the smooth path.
44. O my father! Don’t worship Satan
because Satan rebelled against the Compassionate.
45.
O my
father! I fear that you’ll be touched by punishment from the Compassionate, and
that you’ll become Satan’s friend.”
“O Abraham! What
makes you hate my gods?
If you don’t stop, I’ll surely stone you!
Go away from me for a long time.”
“Peace
be upon you! I’ll pray my Lord to forgive you, for He is gracious to me.
48. I’ll leave you and whatever you worship besides
God, and I’ll call upon my Lord —
perhaps my Lord will not reject my prayer.”
49.
After
[Abraham] turned away from them
and from whatever they worshiped besides God,
We gave him Isaac and Jacob, making each of them a
Prophet.
50* We bestowed Our mercy
upon them, and We granted them the high word of Truth.
51. Mention Moses in the Scripture.
He was chosen as a Messenger and a Prophet.
52* We called him from the
right side of the mountain and let him approach for a spiritual [communion].
53.
By Our
Mercy We gave him his brother Aaron, a Prophet.
54.
Mention
Ishmael in the Scripture.
He fulfilled [his] promises
and was a Messenger and a Prophet.
55. He enjoined on his family prayer and
almsgiving, and he was agreeable to his Lord.
56* Mention Idris in the Scripture,
a man of Truth, a Prophet,
57.
whom We
lifted up to a high place.
58.
These are
some of the Prophets
to whom God has granted [His] Grace.
They are of the posterity of Adam
whom We rescued together with Noah.
They are of the posterity of
Abraham and Israel whom We have guided and chosen.
When the Verses of the
Compassionate were recited to them, they used to prostrate themselves and bow
in tears.
59.
But they
have been followed by a posterity
which
neglected the prayer and pursued [their] lusts. Soon they shall face their
destruction,
60. except those who repented, believed, and did
good works: these shall not be wronged in any way!
They shall enter Paradise —
61* the Gardens of Eden,
promised by the Compassionate to His servants in the Unseen.
His promise shall truly come to pass!
62. Therein they shall not hear any babble, but
only “Peace”. Therein they shall have provisions morning and evening.
63. Such is Paradise! We give it in inheritance to
those of Our servants who fear God.
64* [The Angels
say]:
“We
descend only by your Lord’s command who owns everything in the future, the
past, and in between. Your Lord never forgets!
65. He’s the Lord of Heavens and earth
and what is in
between.
So worship Him and
serve Him with patience.
Do you know anyone
else going by His Name?”
“Shall I really be
raised after I die?”
67. Does not man remember he was nothing before We
created him?
We
will certainly gather them together with the Satans and put them all on their
knees around Hell.
69. Then, from each faction, We will certainly
pluck
the most obstinate
rebels against the Compassionate.
who deserves the
most to be burned in [Hell].
71* None of you
shall be exempt from passing through it.
Such is the
irrevocable decree of your Lord!
72. We will rescue the God-fearing
and leave the
wrong-doers [standing] on their knees.
73. When Our Verses are read to them as clear
Proofs, the disbelievers say to the believers:
“Which of the two
sides
is better in
position and stronger in influence?”
74. But how many generations We have destroyed
before them that outdid them in outfit and appearance!
75* Say:
“The
Compassionate will extend the life of the sinners, until they see what they are
threatened with: the punishment or the Hour. Then they will realize whose position
is worse and whose forces are weaker.
76. God increases Guidance to those who seek
Guidance.
With your Lord the
lasting good deeds
are best in reward
and best in fruition.”
77. Have you seen the one who rejects Our Signs and
says:
“I’m sure I’ll be
given both wealth and children!”
or did he make a
covenant with the Compassionate?
79. Of course not! We will record his words and
keep adding to his punishment.
80*We will take into account what he says, and he shall appear
before Us all alone.
81. They took to other gods besides God in the hope
of boosting their glory.
82. But no! The [idols] shall reject their worship
and become their opponents.
83* Do you not see that We have sent Satans
against the disbelievers to incite them to rebellion?
84.
So, do not
hurry against them,
for We keep an exact count of their days!
85.
On that
Day We shall assemble the God-fearing
as envoys before the Compassionate.
86.
And We
shall drive the wrong-doers to Hell
like cattle to water —
87.
they shall
all be bereft of intercession, except those to whom it has been promised by the
Compassionate.
“The Compassionate has begotten a son!”
89.
Your
allegation is so outrageous
90.
that it
makes the skies ready to explode,
the earth to split,
and the mountains to crumble to pieces.
91.
How can
they ascribe a son to the Compassionate
92.
when it
does not befit the Compassionate to have a son!
93.
There is
no creature in Heavens and earth
that shall not approach the Compassionate as a servant.
94.
He has
numbered them, He has counted them accurately!
95.
On Judgment
Day they shall come to Him one by one,
96* and the Compassionate
will take into His affection those who believed and did good works.
97.
We have
made [the Koran] easy in your tongue
to let you bring good tidings to the God-fearing
and to let you warn people given to discord!
98.
We have
destroyed many generations before them!
Do you perceive a single one of
them, do their whispers reach you?
V. 1: The five letters that begin this sura are
considered by some to be abbreviations of the names of Zechariah, Yahia (John),
Mariam (Mary), ’Issa (Jesus), and Ibrahim (Abraham). An alternate suggestion is
that these letters represent five of the Names of God. The other “lettered”
suras do not yield to such speculations (see the Introduction to S.44, p.76).
V. 5: Zechariah wanted an adopted child (S.3:37,
C.21:89).
V. 7: John was the first by this name in the family of
Zechariah to be chosen by God (cf. Luke 1:61).
V. 9: If the words “So will it be!” are translated as
“How can it be!” then, they could be Zechariah’s words. The one who “said” is
either the Angel or God.
V. 10: Here it is “three nights.” Elsewhere it is “three
days” (S.3:41). In both cases three 24hour periods are meant.
V. 13: Comp. Luke, 11:41: “But rather give alms of such
things as you have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.”
V. 16: On the eastern side of the Temple.
V. 17: The Spirit is the Angel Gabriel (S.53:5).
V. 22: “A remote
location”: it could be Nazareth, 70 miles north from Bethlehem, or a remote
corner of the Temple as in v.16.
V. 28: Mary is identified with her namesake, the sister
of Aaron and Moses (S.3:35).
V. 30: Jesus is “a servant of God” like all the
righteous.
V. 37: The “factions”: Jewish or Christian sects
(S:40:5).
V. 50: Cf. S.26:85. A man of Truth is a saddiq.
V. 52: The mountain is Mount Sinai.
V. 56: Idris is Enoch (Gen. 5:21-24), cf. C.21:85.
V. 61: “Gardens of Eden” or “Eternity.” Islam teaches
that spiritual perceptions are real in the Unseen and deceiving on earth.
Knowledge is the perception of the spiritual essence of everything, and God is
the totality of everything.
V. 64: “What is in the future, in the past, and in
between” or “what is before us, behind us, and in between.”
V. 71: There is a belief that after death people will
have to pass over Hell on a hair-thick bridge.
V. 75: To extend the life, lit., “to stretch a rope.”
V. 80: “We will take into account what he says,” lit.:
“We
will inherit what he says.”
V. 83: Satan seduces the disbelievers with God’s
permission (S.15:28-44; S.7:16-18).
V. 96: “Love” (wad) is goodwill between people.
This feeling is more elevated than ordinary love (hob).
Sura 43 The Ornaments. This sura is composed of passages that
belong to both the Meccan and Medinan periods. That we are entering a
transitional period in the development of Islam is shown by the frequent use of
the word Prophet for Messenger and by a more open criticism of the Christians
andJews. A short segment on Abraham is followed bypassages about Moses and
Jesus's place among the other Prophets.
The sura is directed
against polytheism that was denounced by Abraham, Moses, andJesus, and against
material wealth that causes spiritual decline. Frivolous people are often taken
in by their ornaments: the rich people dream of houses made of silver and gold,
and Pharaoh scorns Moses because he does not wear golden bracelets.
One can find still other
themes in the sura; however, its character and dynamics depend on the poetic
drive, unusual images, repetitions, and digressions. Like many other suras — if
not the whole Koran — S.43 is meant to be read in a religious meditative mood
with the critical faculties temporarily disconnected.
Meccan, 89
verses
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful!
3.
We have
made it an Arabic Koran — perhaps you will understand it!
4* Verily, it is for us the
mother of Scripture, exalted and wise.
5. Shall We withhold the Reminder from you for
being a people who transgressed all limits?
6. We sent so many Prophets to the first generations,
7. but not a single Prophet has ever come to them
without them laughing at him!
albeit they were
greater in power than these ones.
Such is the
example of the first people.
9* But had you
asked them,
Who
has created the Heavens and earth, they would have certainly said:
“They’ve been
created by the Almighty, the Knowing.”
10. He is the One, Who has spread out the earth for
you and has traced roads upon it —
perhaps, you will
follow the right way!
11. He is the One Who in due measure pours down the
rain from the sky.
We shall revive
you just as We revive a dead land!
12. He is the One, Who has created everything in
pairs.
He gave you ships
to sail and beasts to ride.
13. When you sit squarely on their backs, you
remember the favors of your Lord.
Sitting upon them,
you say:
“Glory
to Him, who made this for our use, indeed, we wouldn’t have ever achieved it
ourselves.
14. And we’ll surely return to our Lord!”
15* Yet, they made of some of His servants a part of Himself.
Verily, stubborn is man in his disbelief!
16. Is it possible
that from all He has created,
He took daughters
for Himself, and He gave sons to you?
17* Although they ascribe [daughters] to the Compassionate, when a
man receives the news of the [birth of a daughter], his face darkens, and he
can hardly contain his rage.
18* How can one
[associate to God those]
who grew among
trinkets and are unskilled in debates?
19* And the Angels who serve the Compassionate, they mistake for
females!
Have they
witnessed their creation?
Their
testimony shall be recorded and they shall be called to account!
20*They say:
“Had
the Compassionate willed it, we wouldn’t have worshiped them!”
But
they do not know anything about them — they are only their own fabrications!
21. Have We not given them a Scripture before, to which they should
have been holding fast?
“We’ve
found that our fathers have been following a certain creed, and we’re following
in their tracks.”
23. — And before you, [o Muhammad!], whenever We
sent a Warner to a town, the most notable of the dwellers said: “We’ve found
that our fathers had a creed, and we’re following in their tracks.”
24. [The Prophet] said to them:
“And
what if the Guidance that I brought you is better than the one you’ve found
with your fathers?” They said:
“We deny [the Message]
you’ve been sent with!”
25. — And We took revenge upon them: consider the
fate of those who denied!
26. Abraham said to his father and to his people:
“I’m staying clear of what you’re worshiping.
27. [I worship] only the One, Who has created me —
He’ll certainly show me the way.”
28. He left these words to his posterity, hoping
that perhaps they will repent.
29. — Yes, I let them and their fathers enjoy life
until the Truth and a Messenger
came to them with
clear explanations.
30. But when the Truth came to them, they said:
“This is just
magic! We won’t ever believe it!”
31* And they also
said:
“Why
wasn’t this Koran sent to a man of influence in either of the two cities?”
32* Are they the ones who apportion the favors of your Lord? No, We
are apportioning the provisions in this life. We raise some of them in rank
above the others to allow some of them to take others in their employ.
But God’s mercy is
better than what they have amassed!
33* If [all] the people were one nation, then to those who rejected
the Compassionate We should have given silver roofs for their houses, and steps
leading upstairs,
34. and doors in their homes, and couches to
recline upon,
But
these are only amenities of the present life, while the Hereafter is with your
Lord, ready for the God-fearing.
36* To him who refuses to remember the Compassionate, We shall
assign a Satan for companion
37. to lead him astray from the [right] path,
while he thinks that he is guided aright.
38.
When he
comes before Us, he will say:
“It would’ve been better for us
to be as far apart as the east is from the west!”
Yes, what a wretched companion he
is!
39.
Nothing
will help you if you were doing wrong — today you are companions in punishment!
40.
— [O
Muhammad!] You cannot force the deaf to hear, as you cannot lead on the
straight path
the blind or someone in deep error.
41* But We will retaliate
against them, when We take you away
42.
or show
you what We have promised them.
Verily, We shall prevail!
43.
Hold fast
onto what We are inspiring you with — verily, you are on the straight path!
44.
Verily,
this Reminder is for you and your people — soon you shall all be brought to
account!
45.
Inquire
about Our Messengers
whom We had sent before you:
have We appointed for them other gods
to be worshiped instead of the Compassionate?
46.
We sent
Moses with Our Signs to Pharaoh and his court. He said:
“I’m a Messenger from the Lord of the Worlds.”
47.
And he
showed them Our Signs,
but they only laughed at them,
albeit each of Our Signs was more compelling than the preceding one.
We seized them with punishment,
hoping that they might turn [to Us].
“O Magician! Pray to your Lord in our behalf
as He’d promised you —
then we’ll surely accept Guidance.”
50.
But
they broke their pledge
as soon as We lifted their punishment.
51.
Then
Pharaoh addressed his people, saying:
“O my people! Isn’t Egypt in my
power as surely as the rivers that flow at my feet? Don’t you see it?
52.
And am
I not better than this measly fellow who can hardly express himself?
53.
Why
doesn’t he wear golden bracelets and [why] isn’t he accompanied by Angels?
54.
This
is how he made fools of his people to keep them in submission.
Verily, these people were dissolute!
55.
Since
they had angered Us,
We took revenge upon them: We drowned them all!
56. We made this
people of the past an example for future generations.
57* When the son of Mary is given as an example, your people are in
turmoil.
“Who’s better, our
gods or he?”
They
bring this up only to argue with you — indeed, how obstinate these people are!
59. But [Jesus] was just a servant [of God] to whom
We bestowed Our mercy
and whom We set as
an example to the Sons of Israel.
60. Had We so willed, We would have made some of
you Angels, coming one after the other upon the earth.
61* Verily, he is a Sign of the Hour — have no doubts about it and
follow Me: this is the straight path!
62. Do not allow Satan to restrain you, for he is
your open foe!
63. Jesus came with the Proofs and said:
“I come to you
with Wisdom
to explain to you
a part
of what you’re
arguing about.
So fear God and
obey me!
64. Verily, God is my Lord and your Lord.
Therefore, worship
Him: this is the straight path.”
65. But their factions continued to argue among
themselves.
Woe to the
wrong-doers
because of the
punishment of the painful Day!
66. Let them only wait for the Hour, which shall
dawn upon them so suddenly that they shall not recover their senses.
67. On that Day friends shall become mutual
enemies, but not those who fear God.
On that Day you
shall have no fear and no grief
69. if you believe in Our Signs and surrender [to
God]:
70* — Enter the
Garden with your wives and be happy!
71. You shall be served therein with golden dishes
and bowls. Everything shall be there to your soul’s desire
and for your eyes’
delight!
And you shall
dwell therein for ever!
72. Such is the Garden that you shall inherit for
your deeds.
73* It is full of
abundant fruit for you to enjoy.
74. But the sinners shall abide
in the torments of
Hellfire for ever
75. with no relief, deep in despair.
76. We will not be unjust to them —
they were unjust to themselves.
77* They will call:
“O Malik! Let your Lord put an end to us!”
He shall say: “No! You’re [here] to stay!”
78* We have brought you the Truth,
but most of you hate the Truth!
79.
Have they
arranged anything by themselves?
No! We are the arrangers!
80.
Or do they
think that We are not aware
of their secrets and private encounters?
Our Envoys are at their side, keeping a complete record.
“If the Compassionate had a son,
I would’ve been be the first to worship him!”
82.
Glory to
the Lord of Heavens and earth,
the Lord of the Throne!
[Exalted He is] above what they ascribe [to Him]!
83.
Let them
babble and play until they meet the promised Day.
84.
He is the
One, Who is God in Heaven and God on earth,
the Wise, the All-knowing.
85.
Blessed be
the Sovereign of Heaven and earth,
and what is in between.
He knows the Hour [ofJudgment], and to Him is your
return.
86* And those they invoke beside [God]
will not intercede [in their behalf].
Only a witness to the Truth can do it, they know it!
87.
If you ask
them Who has created them,
they shall certainly say:
“God!”
Then why are they turning away?
“O my Lord! Verily, these people will never believe!”
89.
So turn
away from them and say: “Peace!”
And soon they shall know!
V. 4: “The Mother of the Scripture” is the origin or
proto-type of the Scripture, or the sum of all Revelations.
V. 9: These words refer to those who believe in God, the
Creator, but deny that He cares for His creatures.
Vv. 15f: The attribution of a son or a daughter to God is
a blasphemous fantasy of the polytheists.
V. 17: The birth of a daughter instead of a son was
deemed to be a disgrace by the Arabs (S.108, S.16:57-59).
V. 18: This seems to be a condemnation of effeminate and
confused people in general and not specifically of women. According to the
Koran, men and women are equal before God. However, the role of women in
different societies depends on tradition. Polygamy in early Muslim society
allowed many women to lead an honorable life. Without polygamy, given the
numerical preponderance of women over men, many women
would have been left without shelter and a family.
V. 19: The idols the Prophet was opposed to, were the
female Angels (S.53:19-28).
V. 20: The disbelievers accuse God of not preventing them
from becoming idolaters.
V. 31: The two cities are probably Mecca and Taif.
V. 32: Full social equality is impossible in any society.
Vv. 33f: “If [all] the people were one nation,” i.e., if
all the people were disbelievers.
Vv. 36, 38: “The companion” is the Qarina, the evil
persona of a man (S.50:23, S.7:202).
V. 41: “Whether We take you away” — comp. S.10:46.
Vv. 57-59: Jesus was a Prophet and a servant of God like
all the other Messengers.
V. 61: This verse seems to be about the second coming of
Jesus before the Judgment Day, when he’ll unite all mankind under Islam. The
idea of messianism — the coming of a savior (Mahdi) before the end of
the world — is not alien to Islam. It is believed that the Conciliator (Shiloh)
of the Bible (Gen. 49:10) is the Prophet Muhammad. As for the Shi’a, they
believe in the return of the lost twelfth Imam, who will establish an exemplary
order on earth for some time when all the rules of Islam are complied with.
V. 70: Believing women will be admitted to Paradise along
with their husbands (S.36:56).
V. 73: The fruit — the good deeds of man.
V. 77: Malik (the owner) is the guardian Angel of
Hell. Non-existence is better than eternal suffering.
V. 78: The word Truth stands out in the
Koran like a guiding light. “ We have bro ugh t you the Truth is
one of the most important declarations in the Koran (cf. vv. 29-30). The tragic
heroes of the greatest writings of the world, Oedipus, Hamlet, Don Quixote,
Alyosha Karamazov, as well as such extraordinary men as Jesus and Buddha were
all seekers of the Truth, and the Prophets sought the Truth often with tragic
consequences for themselves.
V. 86: “And they know [it]” has no object. The
intercessor might be the Prophet Muhammad or Jesus, the subject of vv. 57-64,
or the savior Mahdi (cf. note to v.61).
Sura 23 The Believers. Most of this deeply poetic sura is typically
Meccan. A description of the believers (vv. 1-11) is followed by the story of
Noah (vv. 2330) and of an unnamed Messenger, who typifies all the Prophets
(vv. 31-41). The sura contains a short segment on Moses and some other
Prophets, and Warnings to Jews and Christians. Vv. 1-16 are among the most
beautiful of the Koran by form and content.
Meccan, 118
verses
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful!
1.
Successful
shall be the believers
5.
who
restrain themselves in sex,
6* except with
their wives and their slaves — they are blameless in that —
7. (but those who go beyond that are sinners),
8. who keep their covenants and pledges,
11* who shall inherit Paradise and dwell in it for ever.
12. We have
created man from the purest clay.
13* Then We placed
him in a safe place as a drop.
14* From the drop
We made a clot of blood.
Inside
the clot We made bones and clothed them with flesh, and from that We produced
another creature. Blessed be God, the best of Creators!
15. Time goes by and you shall die,
16. and then you shall be raised on Resurrection
Day.
17. We have created seven [heavenly] paths above
you. We have never neglected Our Creation!
18. From the sky We send down the rain in due
measure and let it seep into the ground,
and then We are
able to retrieve it!
19. With it We grow for you groves of palm-trees
and vine orchards with abundant fruit that you eat,
20. and the tree originating from Mount Sinai that
produces oil and relish for consumers,
21. and the cattle in which there is a lesson for
you.
We let you drink
what is in their bellies.
They have another
use: you eat them,
22. and they carry you like ships.
23. We sent Noah to his people.
He said:
“O my people!
Worship God.
You have no other
god but Him.
So why don’t you
fear Him?”
24. The leaders of the disbelievers among his
people said: “He’s a man like us, but he wants to dominate you. Were it God’s
will, He’d have sent us Angels.
We’ve never heard
anything like that from our forefathers.
25. Verily, this man is demented,
but let us bear
with him for a little while.”
“O my Lord! Help
me: they call me a liar!”
27* We inspired him:
— Build an ark in
Our sight and under Our Guidance.
When
We issue Our Command, and the waters overflow, bring into [the ark all] the
creatures in pairs, male and female, as well as your family,
except those who
have already been condemned.
Do not speak to Me
for the sinners — they shall be drowned.
28. After settling on the ark with your company,
say:
“Praised be God
who saved us from sinful people!”
“O
my Lord! Grant me a blessed landing, for You’re the best at landing!”
30. Verily, there are Signs in this —
this is how We
submit [people] to trial!
31. After them We raised another generation.
32. We sent them a Messenger from their midst [who
said]: “Worship God! You have no other god, but Him,
so why don’t you
fear Him?”
33. But the leaders of his people who had disbelieved
and had denied the meeting in the Hereafter, though We gave them many amenities
in this life, said: “He’s a man just like you:
he eats what you
eat and drinks what you drink.
34. If you obeyed a man from your midst, you’d
surely sustain losses.
35. Didn’t he promise you that you’ll be raised
after you die and are reduced to dust and bones?
36. But what has been promised to you is far, far
away,
37. and there is nothing in the world, except our
life.
We live and we
die, but We’ll [never] be raised!
38. He’s just a man who lies against God, We’ll
never believe him!”
“O my Lord! Help
me against their charges of lying!”
40. Soon they shall regret [it]
41. when the Shout overtakes them, and We turn them
into rubbish. Away with the people of sinners!
42. After them We have brought up other
generations, 43* but no community can rush or postpone its term.
44. We had been sending Our Messengers in
succession, but each time a Messenger came to a community, they accused him of
lying.
Then
We began replacing the nations, making some of them examples [for others].
Away
with the people who disbelieve!
45. We sent Moses and his brother Aaron
with Our Signs and
manifest power
46. to Pharaoh and his attendants
who were arrogant
and made much of themselves.
“Why
should we believe these two men if they are like us, and their people are our
slaves?”
48. Thus they rejected the two [Messengers]
and shared the
fate of those who were destroyed.
49. As to Moses, We gave him the Scripture
to make him lead
[his people] on the straight path.
50. We made a Sign of Mary and her son.
We gave them a
safe shelter by a hill with a spring.
Enjoy what is good
and do good deeds.
I am aware of
[everything] you do!
52. Your brotherhood is one brotherhood, and I am
your Lord, so fear Me!
53. But they split their creed into factions,
and each faction
exulted in what it possessed.
54. Leave them to their ignorance for a while!
55. Do they think that if We gave them wealth and
children,
56. We would hasten [other] favors to them?
No, they do not
understand!
57. Verily, those who live in fear before their
Lord,
58. who believe in the Signs of their Lord
59. and do not associate [anyone] to their Lord,
60. and those who give alms — their hearts tremble
because they shall return to their Lord.
61. They hasten in good works and are foremost in
them.
62. We do not load any soul more than she can bear.
We
possess the Scripture that tells the Truth — and nobody shall be wronged!
63. But there is an abyss between [the Truth] and
what is in their hearts,
and they are still
engaged in [wrong] deeds.
64. But those who are spoiled by the amenities of
life, how loudly they shall wail
when We hit them
with punishment!
65. Do not wail today: no help is forthcoming from
Us!
66. When My Signs were recited to you, you used to
turn around on your heels
67* in your
arrogance, and you talked idly about [the Koran] like the story-tellers at
night.
68. Why would they not ponder the Word [of God]?
Or
did they learn something their forefathers had not known?
69. Failing to recognize their Messenger, have they
not rejected him?
70* They said he
is possessed, but he brought them the Truth. Yes, most of them hate the Truth.
71. But if the Truth justified their passions, the
Heaven and the earth would collapse with all their contents.
We
came to them with a Reminder, but they turned away from the Reminder!
72. Perhaps you ask them for a reward,
but
the reward of your Lord is much better. He is the best of providers!
73. Verily, you call them to the straight path,
74. but those who do not believe in the Hereafter
will stray far away from this path.
75. Even if We pardoned them and freed them from
the distress that looms over them,
they
would persist in their error and would wander around in confusion.
76* We hit them with punishment, but they did not submit to their
Lord and they did not turn [to Him].
77. Soon We will open before them the gate to a
stiff punishment — then they shall sink in despair!
78. He is the One, Who has created for you hearing,
sight, feeling, and understanding — but how small is your gratitude!
79. He is the One, Who multiplied you on earth, and
to Him you shall be returned!
80. He is the One, Who dispenses life and death and
alternates night and day.
Then, why do you
not understand?
81. Talking like those who preceded them,
“Is
it possible that we’ll be raised after we died and turned into dust and bones?
83. This has been promised to us, as to our fathers
before,
yet it’s nothing
but fables of the old!”
84*Say:
“Do you know who
owns the earth and those who are on it?”
Say:
“Then why won’t
you come to your senses?”
“Who’s the Lord of
the seven skies
and the Lord of
the supreme Throne?”
Say:
“Then why aren’t
you scared?”
“Do
you know in Whose hands is power over everything, Who protects and doesn’t need
protection Himself?”
Say:
“Then, why are you
deluding yourselves?”
90. Yes, We have sent them the Truth, but they
continued to lie.
91. God has not begotten a son, and there is no god
besides Him,
otherwise
each god would have taken what he had created, and some of them would have
subjugated the others. Glory to God, He is above whatever they attribute to
Him!
92. He knows the hidden and the manifest.
He is high above
whatever they ascribe to Him!
“O
my Lord, if You show me what is promised to them,
94. then, o my Lord, don’t leave me among the
people who do wrong!”
95. — Verily, it is in Our power to show you what
has been promised to them.
96. So repel evil with what is better.
We know best what
they associate.
“O
my Lord! I seek refuge with You against the temptations of Satans.
98. O my Lord! I seek refuge with You, lest they
approach me!”
99. When death comes to one of them, he says: “O my
Lord! Return me [to life]
100*to let me
add some goodness to the deeds I’ve left behind.” — No, by no means! These are
no more than empty words! There will be a barrier behind them till the Day they
are raised up.
101. On that Day
when the trumpet resounds, the family ties between them shall dissolve, and
they shall stop asking about one another.
102.Successful shall be the ones whose
scales are heavy,
103.but the ones with light scales shall lose their
souls and shall abide in Hell for ever.
104.The Fire shall scorch their faces and distort
their features!
105.Did you not reject My Verses when they were
recited to you?
“O
our Lord! Misfortunes have overcome us, and we’ve lost our way!
107. O our Lord! Get us out of here!
If
we return [to sin], indeed, we’ll be the transgressors!”
— Get lost
therein, and do not talk to Me anymore!
109.
This is
how some of My servants prayed:
“O our Lord!
We do believe, so forgive us and have mercy upon us —
indeed, You’re the best of the merciful!”
110.
— And you
were so busy ridiculing them
that while laughing at them, you forgot My Reminder.
111.
On that
Day I shall reward them for their patience.
Verily, they shall be successful!
— How many years have you stayed on earth?
“We stayed one day or a part of a day,
but better ask those who kept time.”
— Short was your stay, if you only knew!
115.
Did you
think that We have created you on a whim, and that you will not be returned to
Us?
116.
Exalted be
God, the King of Truth!
There is no god but Him,
the Lord of the glorious Throne!
117.
Whoever
calls to another god besides God
does it without evidence,
and is accountable only to his Lord.
Verily, the disbelievers shall not be successful!
“O my Lord! Forgive and have mercy!
You’re the best of the merciful!”
V. 6: “Slaves,” lit.: “those in their right hands.”
V. 11: Here, Paradise is called in Farsi Firdus,
from which the word “Paradise” is derived (S.18:107).
V. 13: “A drop” of semen.
V. 14: It is said that the Prophet’s scribe, ’Abdullah
bin Sagada exclaimed at this point “Blessed be God, the best of the Creators!”
and the Prophet made these words part of the record.
V. 27: “And the waters overflow,” or “and the oven
boils.”
Vv. 43, 44: Umma — “community,” later on, “nation”
(S.3:104).
V. 67: Apparently, like modern Arabs, the Prophet’s
contemporaries enjoyed competing in wit during nocturnal revels.
V, 70: Cf. S.43:78.
Vv. 76-77: Two punishments — one on earth and one in
Hell.
Vv. 84-90: A repetition of what has been said in S.43:9.
V. 100: “A barrier” — the transition between death and
resurrection, or between this world and the Unseen (cf. S.7).
SURA 98 CLEAR EVIDENCE. The purpose of this short sura is to invite theJews and the Associators
to accept the basic tenets of Islam.
Mecca n, 8
verses
In the Name of
God, the Compassionate, the Merciful!
1* The disbelievers among the People of the Scripture and the
Associators would not have changed if clear Evidence had not been brought to
them
2. by a Messenger of God who read to them from
sacred scrolls
4. The People of the Book did not split [into
factions] until clear Evidence came to them.
5. They were commanded to worship God
as
sincerely as the Hanifs, to pray, and to pay the zakat. This is the true
religion!
6. Verily, the People of the Scripture and the
Associators who have rejected faith shall abide in Hellfire for ever — they are
the worst of creatures.
7. But those who have believed and have done right
are the best of creatures.
8. Their reward is with their Lord:
the
Gardens of Eden under which the rivers flow where they shall abide for ever.
God
is satisfied with them, and they are satisfied with Him. This is for those who
fear their Lord!
V. 1: “Clear Evidence” is the Koran or the Prophet who
brings the Evidence. At first, the Prophet tried to win over his tribe, the
Quraish, and other Arabian idolaters. Then he fought against Jews and
Christians. The three faiths agree that 1) God is One and eternal; 2) man was
created by God; 3) the dead will be raised and judged; 4) the Angels and Satan
influence man’s life; 5) God knows the fate of each man; 6) the Scripture is a
divine Revelation; 7) God has promised a Savior or Comforter. The Christians
believe that the Savior is Jesus, the Muslims that he will be the long-awaited
Mahdi, and the Jews are still waiting for his coming.
’’Clear Evidence” is the nearest translation of bayina.
The title of a sura is not considered to be a part of the sacred text and some
authors complicate the matter by replacing traditional names by newly invented
names like “The Testament” for S.98 (TC).
Sura 39 T he Crowds. The title of sura S.39 “al-zoomar” (crowds
or groups) comes from vv. 71 and 73, which announce that people will enter the
Hereafter in troops. Addressed to polytheists and, particularly to Christian
sects, the sura proclaims the unity and perfection of God's Design.
39. T H E C R O W D S
Meccan, 75 verses
In the Name of
God, the Compassionate, the Merciful!
1. This Scripture
is from God, the Mighty, the Wise.
2* We have sent down to you the Scripture in Truth, so worship God
with sincere devotion.
3. Is not sincere devotion due to God?
But
those who seek other protectors, say:
“We
worship them only to let them bring us closer to God!” Verily, God will judge
their differences, God will not guide the liars and the renegades.
4. Had God wished a son for Himself,
He
would have surely chosen the one He wanted from among those He had created.
Glory to Him! He
is God, the One, the Victorious.
5. He has created the Heavens and the earth in
Truth.
He
wraps the night around the day and the day around the night.
He
has subjected to Himself the sun and the moon, and they both complete their
course in a definite time. Is He not the Mighty, the Forgiving?
6* He has created you from one soul, and from her He drew out her
mate.
He
has sent down to you eight heads of cattle in pairs.
He
has created you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation in three
layers of darkness. Such is God, your Lord, the Sovereign of the Kingdom. There
is no god but Him — then, why are you turning away?
7* If you
disbelieve, then, verily, God does not need you!
He
does not approve of disbelief among His servants, but He does accept your
gratitude.
No
one carrying a burden should carry someone else’s burden.
At
the end you shall return to your Lord and He will tell you the truth about your
deeds. Verily, He knows what is in the hearts!
8. When harm touches a man, he calls to his Lord in repentance.
But
as soon as [God] grants him His favor, he forgets that he used to pray to Him
and sets up rivals to God, leading [others] away from His path.
Say:
“Enjoy
your disbelief a little longer: verily, you’ll be dwelling in the Fire!”
9. But not the one who worships in the hours of
the night, prostrating himself or standing up,
who cares about
the Hereafter
and hopes for the
mercy of his Lord.
Say:
“Do
those who know resemble those who do not know?” This is a Reminder for those
who understand!
“O believing
servants, fear your Lord!
Goodness
is due to those who do goodness in this world. Wide is the land of God, but
only those who persevere shall receive a reward without measure!”
“I’m ordered to
worship God with sincere devotion.
12. I’m ordered to be the first among Muslims!”
“If I disobeyed my
Lord,
I’d fear the
punishment of the great Day!”
“I worship God
with sincere devotion,
15. but you may worship whatever you wish besides
Him.” Say:
“Verily,
on Judgment Day the losers will be those who lose their souls and their kin —
that will be a great loss!”
16. There will be layers of Fire above and beneath
them. This is how God warns His servants:
— O My servants!
Fear Me!
17* There will be good news for those who spurn the idols, and turn
to God instead of worshiping them.
So announce the good news to My servants — 18* to those who listen
to the Word
and follow the
best of it,
to those whom God
has guided and who can understand.
19. Can you save someone who has been sentenced to
punishment and is already in the Fire?
20. But for those who are fearful of their Lord,
there are mansions built upon mansions with rivers flowing underneath.
Such
is God’s promise to them, and God does not break His promises!
21. Do you not see how God sends water down from
the sky and makes it reappear from under the soil in springs, how He produces
with its help crops of different colors which wither and turn yellow before
your eyes,
and which He
finally turns to dry stubble.
Verily,
there is a Reminder in this for those who understand!
22*The one whose heart God has opened to Islam receives the Light of
his Lord.
But woe to those,
whose hearts are hardened
against the
remembrance of God — they are in deep error!
23* God has sent
down this Scripture
as the best narrative
made of similar and repeated parts.
It makes the skin
of the God-fearing creep!
But
at the remembrance of God, their skins and their hearts relax.
Such
is God’s way and He leads on it anyone He wills. But the one God allows to go
astray will be left without a guide.
24. [Woe to] the one who on Resurrection Day will
meet the evil punishment face to face! The wrong-doers will be told:
— Have a taste of
what you have deserved!
25* Indeed, others before them had disbelieved, and punishment came
upon them from whence they least expected.
26. God lets them taste humiliation in this life,
but
harsher will be the punishment in the Hereafter, if they [only] knew!
27* We bring up in this Koran all kinds of analogies for the people
— perhaps they will remember.
28. [This is] an Arabic Koran with no crookedness in it — perhaps
they will fear God!
29* God gives the
example of two men:
one
has several masters who contend with each other, and the other has only one
master.
Are they equal in
this example?
Thank God, no! But
most of them do not know [it].
30. — [O Muhammad!] Truly, you will die, and truly,
they will die.
31. And truly, on Resurrection Day,
you shall continue
to argue in your Lord’s Presence.
32. Who does more evil than the one who lies about
God
and rejects the
Truth when it comes to him?
Is there not
enough space in Hell for all the disbelievers?
33. But those who come with the Truth
and support it are
the God-fearing.
34. They shall receive from their Lord everything
they want — such is the reward for those who do good!
35. God will absolve them from the worst of their
deeds and reward them for the best of their deeds.
36. Is not God sufficient for His servant?
They try to scare
you by other [gods] besides Him!
Those whom God has
allowed to stray will not have a guide.
37. But of those who are guided by God, no one
shall go astray! Then is not God almighty, the Lord of Retribution?
“Who has created
the Heavens and the earth?”
they would surely
say:
“God.”
Say:
“Then
think, are those you call to besides God capable of protecting me against God’s
punishment if God decided to chastise me?
Or
are they able to delay His Grace if God decided to grant me a favor?” Say:
“God is sufficient
for me. Let all the trustful trust Him!”
“O my people! Do
what you want,
and I’ll do [what
I want], but soon you’ll know
40. to whom shall come a humiliating punishment,
upon whom an everlasting retribution shall descend!”
41. — [O Muhammed!] We have sent down to you
a
Scripture with the Truth [as a Guidance] for the people. Whoever accepts Guidance,
benefits from it, and whoever goes astray, harms himself.
And you are not
their caretaker!
42*God calls to Himself the souls that leave their bodies and
retains those destined to die.
He returns the
others till the appointed term.
Verily, there are Signs
in this for the people who think.
43. How can they take protectors besides God?
Say:
“Especially
as [these protectors] don’t own anything and have no understanding!”
“God is the
omnipotent Intercessor.
To
Him belongs the Dominion of Heavens and earth, and to Him will be your return.”
45. The hearts of those who do not believe in the
Hereafter constrict at the mention of One God,
but
at the mention of other [gods] besides Him, they are filled with joy.
“O
God! The Creator of Heavens and earth, Who knows the Hidden and the revealed:
only You can judge
the disputes between Your servants!”
47. If the wrong-doers owned everything on earth
and
even twice as much, they would have offered it all as ransom for the evil
punishment on Resurrection Day.
But they shall
receive from God
something they do
not expect!
48. They shall see the evil of their actions, and
they shall be engulfed
by what they have
been laughing at.
49. When an affliction touches a man, he calls to
Us, but after receiving a favor from Us, he says: “I’ve received it for my
Knowledge!”
No!
This is just to test them, and most of them do not understand [it].
50. Their predecessors used to speak like them,
but they did not
benefit from what they had amassed.
51. The evil of their deeds came crashing upon
them.
The evil of their
deeds shall crash
upon the sinners
among them — they shall not elude [it]!
52. Do they not know that God increases or
restricts the provisions of anyone He wills?
Verily,
there are Signs in this for the people who believe!
“O
servants [of God]!
If
you’ve sinned against your souls, don’t despair of the mercy of God — verily,
God forgives all sins.
He’s the
Forgiving, the Merciful.
54. Turn to your Lord and become Muslims before the
punishment comes upon you, and you’re left without help!
55. Follow the best of what your Lord
has
revealed to you before retribution hits you so suddenly that you are caught
unawares.
56. Then [your] soul won’t have to say: ‘Woe to me
for being heedless of God and for joining the scoffers!’
57. Then you won’t have to say:
‘Had God guided
me, I would’ve feared God!’
58. Then you won’t have to say
at the sight of
the punishment:
‘If I were brought
back, I’d be among those who do good!’”
59. Yes! My Signs have already reached you, but you
rejected them and in your pride you have joined the disbelievers!
60. On Resurrection Day you will see the faces of
those who repudiated God turning black. Will there not be enough space in Hell
for [all] the
arrogant?
61* God will lead the God-fearing to their place of salvation. Evil
shall not touch them, and they shall not grieve.
62. God is the Creator of everything, the Caretaker
of all affairs,
63. Who holds the keys to Heavens and earth.
Those who reject
the Signs of God shall be the losers.
“How can you urge
me to worship someone besides God?
O you, ignorant
people!”
65. Has it not been inspired to you and to your
predecessors that if you became Associators,
then
fruitless would be your work and you would be among the losers!
66. So worship God and be grateful [to Him]!
67. They do not appreciate God at His true worth,
yet,
on
Judgment Day He will hold the whole earth in His fist, and the Heavens will be
rolled up in His right hand! Glory to Him! Exalted He is above whatever they
associate!
68. When the trumpet is blown,
everyone
in Heavens and earth shall pass out, everyone, except those for whom God rules
[otherwise]. Another blow, and they will stand up and look around.
69. The earth shall glow with the Light of its
Lord, and the Book [of Records] shall be opened.
The
Prophets and the witnesses shall be brought forth, and judgment shall be
pronounced between them in Truth — they shall not be wronged!
70. Each soul shall be paid in full for what she
had done. [God] is fully aware of their deeds.
71. The disbelievers shall be driven to Hell in
crowds. When they arrive, its gates shall be opened wide, and its Keepers shall
say:
“Haven’t
any Messengers from your midst come to you to recite the Verses of your Lord
and warn you about the meeting of this Day?” They will say:
“Yes, [they did]!”
But the punitive
sentence
will have already
been passed upon the disbelievers.
— Enter the gates
of Hell and stay therein for ever!
Bad shall be this
abode for the arrogant!
shall be escorted
to Paradise in crowds.
When
they arrive, its gates shall be opened wide, and its Keepers shall say:
“Peace upon you!
You have fared well!
Come inside and
stay here for ever!”
“Praised be God!
He
kept His promise by letting us inherit the earth. Now we’ll settle in Paradise
as we please.
What an excellent
reward for those who have toiled!”
75* You shall see the Angels surrounding the Throne,
singing praises to their Lord!
Judging will be by the Truth, and it shall be proclaimed:
“Praised be God, the Lord of the Worlds!”
V. 2: The expression bil-haqq (in Truth, truly,
verily) is an enhancer akin to an oath.
V. 6: The four kinds of animals are camels, cows, sheep
and goats. The three layers of darkness around the fetus are the abdomen, the
uterus, and the fetal membrane.
V. 7: The Koran insists that every man must carry his
burden (his responsibilities and his sins) himself without the help of others.
The New Testament is not clear on this point: comp. “Bear ye one another’s
burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:2), and then: “For every man
shall bear his own burden.” (Gal. 6:5).The idea of an intermediate between man
and his Creator is foreign to Islam, be the go-between a “saint” or a priest.
Therefore, confession of sins in exchange for redemption is not legitimate:
nobody on earth can lift the burden of sins in the name of God, the only
intercessor being God Himself (v. 44).
V. 17: The Koran calls this idol (or idols) Taghut.
This word can also stand for idolatry itself.
Man is free to choose between right and wrong, provided
his choice does not conflict with God’s Design.
V. 18: Besides its direct meaning, God’s Word has another
connotation that can be understood only by those who are highly developed
spiritually.
V. 22: Similarly, in the New Testament God gives Light to
the people. “Then Jesus said unto them: Yet a little while is the light with
you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you, for he that
walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While you have light, believe
in the light...” (John, 22: 35-36). Apparently, Jesus knew that the light would
not last very long.
V. 23: The Koran says about itself that it is made of
similar and repeated parts, but its reality resides in its totality.
If a single word in it is changed or replaced, it will
cease to be the Holy Koran. The Koran is known only in one version, the
original Arabic one, that will never change even if the last person to know
Arabic disappears from the face of earth. The Koran was revealed at a definite
place and time, and its assessment of other religions is valid for the time of
its promulgation and not necessarily for our time. It is considered that Islam
is for ever, but other religions appear and disappear.
V. 25: What have they denied, the Message or the
Prophets?
V. 27: “Analogies” — examples, comparisons, or similes.
V. 29: It is better to worship one God than several gods
who could fight among themselves, just as it is better to serve one master
than several masters ad odds with one another.
V. 42: The soul leaves a person during sleep and returns,
sometimes enriched by dreams and visions, when the person wakes up.
V. 61: “Salvation” or “place of victory” (mafazat).
V. 75: Cf. the first words of the Koran (S.1:2).
SURA 62 The ASSEMBLY. This short sura blames theJews for refusing to join Islam.
It prescribes a weekly
communal prayer and exhorts the believers to take their religion seriously.
62. T H E A S S E M B L Y
Meccan, 11 verses
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful!
I.
Everything
in Heavens and earth
glorifies God — the Sovereign,
the Holy One, the Mighty, the Wise.
2* He is the One, Who has sent to common folks
a Messenger from their midst
to read them His Verses, to
purify them, and to teach them the Scripture and Wisdom.
Indeed, they were in obvious error before,
3.
like the
others who had not joined them yet.
He is the Mighty, the Wise.
which He grants to anyone He wills:
indeed, God is the owner of great mercy.
5* And what about those
who have been trusted with the
Torah and failed to follow it?
They are like asses loaded with
books!
Demeaning is this likeness for
the people
who reject the Signs of God.
God does not guide the people who do wrong!
6* Say:
“O you who have rallied to the Jews!
If you pretend to be the only
people close to God, then wish to die if you’re telling the truth!”
7.
But they
will never wish it,
knowing what their hands have
brought forth. God knows well those who do wrong!
“Death that you’re trying to avoid
shall surely overtake you,
and you’ll returned to the One,
Who knows the concealed and the revealed,
and He’ll tell you what you have done!”
9* O you who believe!
At the call to the assembly for
the Friday prayer, leave [your] trade and hasten to the remembrance of God.
If you only knew how beneficial
it is for you!
10.
Disperse
in the land after the prayer
to search for God’s bounty, and
remember God oftentimes — perhaps you will be successful!
II.
But as
soon as they see some bargain or some fun, they rush into it, leaving you
standing where you stood!
Say:
“What is with God is better than
fun or bargain, indeed, God is the best of providers!”
V. 2: “Common folks” or “ignorant people” who lived
before the advent of Islam.
V. 5: An ass can carry books, but books cannot add to its
wisdom.
V. 6: If you’re so close to God, why don’t you try to
meet Him as soon as possible? Or, if you’re so certain of your salvation, why
do you cling to life on earth?
V. 9: In Arabic “Friday” means “assembly.” Friday is a
special day: the last day of Creation was Friday, and it was on Friday that the
Prophet Muhammad entered Medina (mid-April 622). Most Muslims hold their
communal weekly prayer in mosques on Friday morning.
Prayer — one of the pillars of Islam — is a serious duty for
all Muslims. The weekly communal prayer is announced by the call (izan)
of the muezzin. The faithful report to the mosque or to an open space and range
themselves in rows facing the direction of Mecca. At the prompt of the man who
leads the prayer (imam), the congregation performs a combination of acts
such as standing, bowing, and prostrating, while reciting the obligatory
sacramental invocations. These acts are done in unison to symbolize the unity
of spirit and purpose among the faithful.
Participation in the Friday prayer requires that the
worshiper be in a state of spiritual purity. To achieve it, he must meditate
before the prayer on the generosity of God and the splendor of His Creation,
and perform a full-body ritual ablution (ghusl) that can be reduced to
washing the face, hands and feet in some situations. The giving of alms also
contributes to ritual purification.
Sura 32 Adoration. S.32is short and simple. It admonishes those
who doubt the Koran and criticizes theJews without mentioning the Associators.
Meccan, 30
verses
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful!
2.
[This is]
the Revelation of a Scripture
which cannot be doubted —
it is from the Lord of the Worlds.
“[Muhammad] invented it!”
No! It is the Truth from your Lord to warn a people
that no Warner had ever visited before —
perhaps they will accept Guidance!
4.
God
created the Heavens and earth
and what is between in six days;
then He sat on the Throne.
You have no helper and no
intercessor besides Him, why do you not remember [it]?
5* He manages all affairs from Heaven to earth.
They ascend to Him in a Day that
lasts a thousand years by your count.
6. He knows the hidden and the open, He is the
Mighty, the Compassionate.
7. He brings everything He creates to perfection.
First He created man from clay,
from an extract of a lowly fluid.
9* Then He proportioned him
and breathed into him of His Spirit.
He gave you hearing, sight and a
heart, but how small is your gratitude!
10. They say:
“Is it possible that after the
earth consumes us, we’ll return in a new Creation?”
This is how they deny the meeting
with their Lord!
“The Angel of death responsible for you
will receive your souls,
and you’ll be returned to your Lord.”
12.
If you
could see how the sinners hanging their heads before their Lord:
“O our Lord! We saw and we heard everything.
Send us back, and we’ll be acting
uprightly, for [now] we are convinced!”
— Had We so willed, We would have guided every soul.
But My Word will come true,
and I will fill Hell with all of you, both Jinn and men!
14.
Let you
taste [of it] for having forgotten
the meeting of this Day of yours!
And now We will forget you, so
taste the everlasting punishment for your deeds!
15* Those who believe in Our Verses
prostrate themselves
when they are read to them.
They praise their Lord and do not
bristle with pride.
16.
They raise
their sides from their couches
and call onto their Lord with fear and hope.
They contribute from what We have given to them.
17.
No soul
can know what delight for their eyes is prepared as a reward for their deeds!
18.
Is a
believer like a reprobate?
No! They are not alike!
19.
Those who
believed and did good works will receive Gardens as a haven
for what they had done,
20. but the reprobates shall abide in the Fire!
Each time they
will try to escape from it,
they shall be
returned with the words:
— Taste the
punishment!
This is the Fire
you used to deny!
21. We will make them taste a punishment in this
life before the greater punishment [in Hell] — perhaps they will repent!
22. Who does a greater wrong than the one
who turns away
from the Verses of his Lord
when they are
recited to him.
Verily, We will
retaliate against the sinners!
23* In the past We
gave the Scripture to Moses.
We made it a
Guidance for the Sons of Israel.
So have no doubts
about your meeting with Him.
24. As long as they were patient
and believed in
Our Signs,
We have been
appointing imams from their midst
who guided them
under Our command.
25. Verily, on Resurrection Day
your Lord will
judge their disagreements!
26. Is it not a lesson for them
that We had
destroyed many generations in the past?
Do they not walk
in [the ruins of] their houses?
Verily, there are
Signs in this —
so why do they not
listen?
27. Do they not see how We irrigate the barren land
and how We use
water to produce crops
that feed them and
their cattle?
Do they not see
[it]?
“When is the
Decision due if you’re telling the truth?”
“When the
disbelievers will believe on Decision Day,
it’ll be too late
for their faith to help them,
and they shall
receive no reprieve!”
30* So turn away from them and wait, and let them wait [as well]!
V. 5: Time has a
different meaning and a different duration in the Unseen and in this world
(S.56:4, S.44:17). Cf. “That which hath been is now; and that which is to be
hath already been; and God required that which is past” (Eccl. 3:15). Being an
absolute reality, God is outside any relative dimension of time and space.
V. 9: He “breathed into him of His Spirit.
He gave yo u hearing, sight and a heart.” Before it receives the
Spirit, the embryo is spoken of in the third person; after that it becomes a
human being and is addressed to in the second person.
V. 15: Signs can be displayed as events or
sights, or recited as Verses (S.7:73, S.86:33).
V. 23: “Have no doubts about your meeting with Him.”
Other possible variants: “Have no doubts about it reaching you or “reaching him
[Moses].”