بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Bismi Allahi alrrahmani alrraheemi
In the name of God, the Gracious, the Compassionate.
In the name of God, the Almighty, the Merciful.
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace:
In the name of GOD, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. ,
All praise is due to God, the Lord/Cherisher/Sustainer of the Universe and everything therein.
Bismillâhir rahmânir rahîm.
Rahman, Rahim Allah'ın ismiyle
Rahman ve Rahim Allah'ın adıyla...
RAHMÂN, RAHÎM ALLAH ADINA
Rahman ve Rahim olan Allah'ın adıyla
68:1 Noon waalqalami wama yasturoona
68:1 N50, the pen, and what they write.1
Note 1
N50. This letter/number plays an important role in the mathematical system of the Quran based on code 19. For the meaning of this letter, see 74:1; 1:1; 2:1; 13:38; 27:82; 38:1; 40:28; 46:10; 72:28.
Ibn Kathir is a popular commentary of the Quran, which is respected because of its reliance on hadith to "explain" verses of the Quran. Ibn Kathir (d. 1372), in the classic commentary carrying his name, makes the following remarks on verses 2:29 and 68:1. For this commentary, he relies mainly on a hadith from Abu Dawud (d. 888), one of the so-called authentic Sunni holy hadith books:
Ibn Abbas told all of you by Wasil b. Abd al-Ala al-Asadi- Muhammed b. Fudayl- al-Amash- abu Zabyan- ibn Abbas: the first thing God created is the pen. God then said to it: write!, Whereupon the pen asked: what shall I write, my lord! God replied: write what is predestined! He continued: and the pen proceeded to (write) whatever is predestined and going to be to the coming of the hour. God then lifted up the water vapor and split the heavens off from it. Then God created the fish (nun), and the earth was spread out upon its back. The fish became agitated, with the result that the earth was shaken up. It was steadied by means of the mountains, for they indeed proudly (tower) over the earth.
After learning the intellectual level of the “believers,” collectors, narrators, and commentators of the above hadith, such as Abu Dawud (d. 888), al-Tabari (d. 1516), and Ibn al-Baz (1995), it becomes clear why Muhammed would utter the words in 25:30. See 21:33; 27:88; 36:40; 39:5; 79:30.
68:1 N, the pen, and what they write.
68:1 Nun.1 CONSIDER the pen, and all that they write [therewith]!2
Note 1
Chronologically, this is the first appearance of any of the "disjointed" [i.e., single] letters (al-muqatta'at) which precede a number of the surahs of the Qur'an: for the various theories relating to these letters, see Appendix II. The supposition of some of the early commentators (extensively quoted by Tabari) that the letter n, pronounced nun, represents here an abbreviation of the identically-pronounced noun which signifies both "great fish" and "inkwell" has been convincingly rejected by some of the most outstanding authorities (e.g., Zamakhshari and Razi) on grammatical grounds.
Note 2
For the meaning of the adjurative particle wa at the beginning of this sentence, see first half of note 23 on 74:32. The mention of "the pen" is meant to recall the earliest Qur'anic revelation, namely, the first five verses of surah 96 ("The Germ-Cell"), and thus to stress the fact of Muhammad's prophethood. As regards the symbolic significance of the concept of "the pen", see 96:3 and the corresponding note 3.
68:1 NuN1 , the pen, and what they (the people) write.,
Note 1
``NuN'' is unique among the Quran's miraculous initials. See Appendix 1.
68:1 N. Noon. The Inkpot and the Pen, and all that they write, stand witness. (The high domain of knowledge will bear out that),1
Note 1
This is the 68th Surah of the Qur’an. It has 52 brief verses.
No Messenger ever asked of his people any wages.
God in His Infinite mercy, grants the individuals and nations a period of respite to mend their behavior before they meet chastisement.
Verses 68:10 are traditionally made to refer to a particular enemy of the exalted Prophet. But the Qur’anic verses are timeless and must not be tied, and thus limited, to the conjecture of Shaan-e-Nuzool (Circumstances of the revelation of a particular verse). This practice not only limits the message but, furthermore, becomes an issue of futile argumentation among the exponents.
This Qur’an is a Reminder that can give eminence to any nation that, consciously or unconsciously, follows its laws.
With the Glorious Name of God, the Instant and Sustaining Source of all Mercy and Kindness
68:2 Ma anta biniAAmati rabbika bimajnoonin
68:2 You are not, by the blessing of your Lord, crazy.
68:2 You are not, by the blessing of your Lord, crazy.
68:2 Thou art not, by thy Sustainer's grace, a madman!3
Note 3
This is an allusion to the taunt with which most of Muhammad's contemporaries greeted the beginning of his preaching, and with which they continued to deride him for many years. In its wider sense, the above passage relates - as is so often the case in the Qur'an - not merely to the Prophet but also to all who followed or will follow him: in this particular instance, to all who base their moral valuations on their belief in God and in life after death.
68:2 You have attained a great blessing from your Lord; you are not crazy.,
68:2 You (O Messenger), by the grace of your Lord, are not a madman.
68:3 Wa-inna laka laajran ghayra mamnoonin
68:3 You will have a reward that is well deserved.
68:3 And you will have a reward that will not end.
68:3 And, verily, thine shall be a reward neverending
68:3 You have attained a recompense that is well deserved.,
68:3 And yours will be an everlasting reward.
68:4 Wa-innaka laAAala khuluqin AAatheemin
68:4 You are on a high moral standard.
68:4 And you are of a high moral character.
68:4 for, behold, thou keepest indeed to a sublime way of life;4
Note 4
The term khuluq, rendered by me as "way of life", describes a person's "character", "innate disposition" or "nature" in the widest sense of these concepts, as well as "habitual behaviour" which becomes, as it were, one's "second nature" (Taj al-'Arus). My identification of khuluq with "way of life" is based on the explanation of the above verse by Abd Allah ibn Abbas (as quoted by Tabari), stating that this term is here synonymous with din: and we must remember that one of the primary significances of the latter term is "a way [or "manner"] of behaviour" or "of acting" (Qamus). More over, we have several well-authenticated Traditions according to which Muhammad's widow A'ishah, speaking of the Prophet many years after his death, repeatedly stressed that "his way of life (khuluq) was the Qur'an." (Muslim, Tabari and Hakim, on the authority of Sa'id Ibn Hisham; Ibn Hanbal, Abu Da'ud and Nasa'i, on the authority of Al-Hasan al-Basri; Tabari, on the authority of Qatadah and Jubayr ibn Nufayl; and several other compilations).
68:4 You are blessed with a great moral character.,
68:4 For, you have sublime morals.
68:5 Fasatubsiru wayubsiroona
68:5 So you will see, and they will see.
68:5 So you will see, and they will see.
68:5 and [one day] thou shalt see, and they [who now deride thee] shall see,
68:5 You will see, and they will see.,
68:5 And soon you will see and they will see.
68:6 Bi-ayyikumu almaftoonu
68:6 Which of you are tormented.
68:6 Which of you are condemned.
68:6 which of you was bereft of reason.
68:6 Which of you are condemned.,
68:6 Which of you is the demented.2
Note 2
Superb knowledge and sublime character can only indicate a great man
68:7 ان ربك هو اعلم بمن ضل عن سبيله وهو اعلم بالمهتدين
68:7 Inna rabbaka huwa aAAlamu biman dallaAAan sabeelihi wahuwa aAAlamu bialmuhtadeena
68:7 Your Lord is fully aware of those who strayed off His path, and He is fully aware of those who are guided.
68:7 Your Lord is fully aware of those who strayed off His path, and He is fully aware of those who are guided.
68:7 Verily, thy Sustainer alone is fully aware as to who has strayed from His path, Just as He alone is fully aware of those who have found the right way.
68:7 Your Lord is fully aware of those who strayed off His path, and He is fully aware of those who are guided.,
68:7 Your Lord knows best him who strays from His way, and He knows best those who are rightly guided.
68:8 Fala tutiAAi almukaththibeena
68:8 So do not obey those who deny.
68:8 So do not obey those who deny.
68:8 Hence, defer not to [the likes and dislikes of] those who give the lie to the truth:
68:8 Do not obey the rejectors.,
68:8 So, pay no heed to the rejecters.
68:9 Waddoo law tudhinu fayudhinoona
68:9 They wish that you compromise, so they too can compromise.
68:9 They wish that you compromise, so they too can compromise.
68:9 they would like thee to be soft [with them], so that they might be soft [with thee].5
Note 5
I.e., "they would like thee to be conciliatory in the matter of ethical principles and moral valuations, whereupon they would reciprocate and desist from actively opposing thee"
68:9 They wish that you compromise, so they too can compromise.,
68:10 Wala tutiAA kulla hallafinmaheenin
Bad Character68:10 Do not obey every lowly swearer.
68:10 And do not obey every lowly swearer.
68:10 Furthermore,6 defer not to the contemptible swearer of oaths,
Note 6
Lit., "And". The subsequently enumerated types of moral deficiency are, of course, mentioned only as examples of the type of man to whose likes or dislikes no consideration whatever should be shown.
68:10 Do not obey every lowly swearer.,
68:10 Do not yield to any feeble oath-monger.4
Note 4
Repeated swearing hurts the credibility of a person
68:11 Hammazin mashsha-in binameemin
68:11 A slanderer, a backbiter.
68:11 A slanderer, a backbiter.
68:11 [or to] the slanderer that goes about with defaming tales,
68:11 A slanderer, a backbiter.,
68:11 Or to a defamer that goes about spreading slander.
68:12 MannaAAin lilkhayri muAAtadin atheemin
68:12 Forbidder of charity, a transgressor, a sinner.
68:12 Forbidder of charity, a transgressor, a sinner.
68:12 [or] the withholder of good, [or] the sinful aggressor,
68:12 Forbidder of charity, a transgressor, a sinner.,
68:12 Hinderer of the good, transgressing beyond limits, harming the community.
68:13 AAutullin baAAda thalika zaneemin
68:13 Ignoble, and additionally, mischievous.
68:13 Unappreciative, and greedy.
68:13 [or] one who is cruel, by greed possessed,7 and, in addition to all this, utterly useless [to his fellow-men].8
Note 7
The term utul - derived from the verb atala, "he dragged [someone or something] in a rough and cruel manner" - is used to describe a person combining within himself the attributes of cruelty and greed; hence the composite rendering adopted by me.
Note 8
The commentators give the most divergent interpretations to the term zanim, which is evidently derived from the noun zanamah, denoting either of the two wattles, or fleshy skin protuberances, hanging below the ears of a goat. Since these wattles do not seem to have any physiological function, the term zanim has come to signify "someone [or "something"] not needed" (Taj al-'Arus): in other words, redundant or useless. It is, therefore, logical to assume that in the above context this term describes a person who is entirely useless in the social sense.
68:13 Unappreciative, and greedy.,
68:13 Or to one greedy to the extent of insensitivity, and who has also made himself worthless to the society.5
Note 5
Zanama= Folds of skin beneath the ears of a goat that serve no known practical purpose. Zaneem = A man who makes himself worthless to the society
68:14 An kana tha malinwabaneena
68:14 Because he possessed money and children.
68:14 Because he possessed money and sons.
68:14 Is it because he is possessed of worldly goods and children
68:14 Even though he possessed enough money and children.,
68:14 Or he who, because of his riches and party,
68:15 اذا تتلى عليه ءايتنا قال اسطير الاولين
68:15 Itha tutla AAalayhi ayatunaqala asateeru al-awwaleena
68:15 When Our signs are recited to him, he says: "Tales from the past!"
68:15 When Our revelations are recited to him, he says: "Fictional tales of old!"
68:15 that, whenever Our messages are conveyed to him, such a one says, "Fables of ancient times"?9
Note 9
The term banun (lit., "children" or "sons") is often used in the Qur'an metonymically, denoting "popular support" or "many adherents"; in conjunction with the term mal ("worldly goods") it is meant to illustrate a certain mentality which attributes a pseudo-religious significance to wealth and influence, and regards these visible signs of worldly success as a post-factum evidence of the "righteousness" of the person concerned and, hence, of his not being in need of further guidance.
68:15 When our revelations are recited to him, he says, "Tales from the past!",
68:15 Says, “Fables of ancient times”, whenever Our messages are conveyed to him.
68:16 Sanasimuhu AAala alkhurtoomi
68:16 We will mark him on the path.
68:16 We will mark him on the path.
68:16 [For this] We shall brand him with indelible disgrace!10
Note 10
Lit., "We shall brand him on the snout" (khurtum). All commentators point out that this, idiomatic phrase has a strictly metaphorical meaning, namely, "We shall stigmatize him with indelible disgrace" (cf. Lane II, 724, quoting both Raghib and Taj al-'Arus).
68:16 We will mark his face.,
68:16 We shall brand such a person with manifest disgrace!6
Note 6
'Branding the snout' = Bringing to clear disgrace one who chooses to live at the subhuman level
68:17 انا بلونهم كما بلونا اصحب الجنة اذ اقسموا ليصرمنها مصبحين
68:17 Inna balawnahum kamabalawna as-haba aljannati ith aqsamoolayasrimunnaha musbiheena
68:17 We have tested them like We tested those who owned the farms, when they swore that they will harvest it in the morning.
68:17 We have tested them like We tested those who owned the farm, when they swore that they will harvest it in the morning.
68:17 [As for such sinners,] behold, We [but] try them11 as We tried the owners of a certain garden who vowed that they would surely harvest its fruit on the morrow,
Note 11
I.e., by bestowing on them affluence out of all proportion to their moral deserts.
68:17 We have tested them like we tested the owners of the garden who swore that they will harvest it in the morning.,
68:17 We have tried such people as We tried the owners of the garden who swore that they would pluck its fruit in the morning. [18:32-44]
68:18 Wala yastathnoona
68:18 They were without doubt.
68:18 They were without doubt.
68:18 and made no allowance [for the will of God]:12
Note 12
I.e., they resolved upon their objective without the reservation, "if God so wills"; which points to the first lesson to be derived from this parable, as well as to its connection with the rhetorical question in verses 14-15 above.
68:18 They were so absolutely sure.,
68:18 And made no exception (for the needy poor).
68:19 فطاف عليها طائف من ربك وهم نائمون
68:19 Fatafa AAalayha ta-ifunmin rabbika wahum na-imoona
68:19 So a passing sent from your Lord came to it while they all were asleep.
68:19 So a passing sent from your Lord came to it while they all were asleep.
68:19 whereupon a visitation for thy Sustainer came upon that [garden] while they were asleep,
68:19 A passing (storm) from your Lord passed by it while they were asleep.,
68:19 Then a tornado from your Lord struck it while they slept.
68:20 Faasbahat kaalssareemi
68:20 Thus, it became barren.
68:20 Thus, it became barren.
68:20 so that by the morrow it became barren and bleak.
68:20 By morning, it was barren.,
68:20 So that by the morning it was barren, bleak.
68:21 Fatanadaw musbiheena
68:21 They called on one another when they awoke.
68:21 They called on one another when they awoke.
68:21 Now when they rose at early morn, they called unto one another,
68:21 They called on each other in the morning.,
68:21 In the morning, they called out one another.
68:22 ان اغدوا على حرثكم ان كنتم صرمين
68:22 Ani ighdoo AAala harthikum inkuntum sarimeena
68:22 "Let us go this morning to harvest the crop."
68:22 "Let us go this morning to harvest the crop."
68:22 "Go early to your tilth if you want to harvest the fruit!"
68:22 "Let us harvest the crop.",
68:22 "Go early to your field if you want to pick the fruit."
68:23 Faintalaqoo wahum yatakhafatoona
68:23 So they went, while conversing.
68:23 So they went, while conversing.
68:23 Thus they launched forth, whispering unto one another,
68:23 On their way, they confided to each other.,
68:23 So they went off whispering to one another.
68:24 ان لا يدخلنها اليوم عليكم مسكين
68:24 An la yadkhulannaha alyawmaAAalaykum miskeenun
68:24 "Let not a poor person come to your presence today."
68:24 That from today, none of them would ever be poor.
68:24 "Indeed, no needy person shall enter it today [and come] upon you [unawares],"13
Note 13
Ever since Biblical times it has been understood that the poor have a right to a share in the harvest of the fields and gardens owned by their more fortunate fellow-men (cf. 6:141 - "give [unto the poor] their due on harvest-day"). The determination of the "owners of the garden" to deprive the poor of this right is the second type of sin to which the above parable points: and inasmuch as it is a social sin, it connects with verses 10-13.
68:24 That from then on, none of them would be poor.,
68:24 "Let not a single poor come near you today."
68:25 Waghadaw AAala hardin qadireena
68:25 They went, ready to harvest.
68:25 And they went, ready to harvest.
68:25 and early they went, strongly bent upon their purpose.
68:25 They were so absolutely sure of their harvest.,
68:25 And early they went strong in their resolve (to keep the poor away).
68:26 فلما راوها قالوا انا لضالون
68:26 Falamma raawha qalooinna ladalloona
68:26 But when they saw it, they said, "We have gone astray!"
68:26 But when they saw it, they said: "We have gone astray!"
68:26 But as soon as they beheld [the garden and could not recognize] it, they exclaimed, "Surely we have lost our way!"
68:26 But when they saw it, they said, "We were so wrong!,
68:26 But when they saw it, they said, "Oh, we have lost our way.”
68:27 Bal nahnu mahroomoona
68:27 "Now, we have nothing!"
68:27 "Now, we have nothing!"
68:27 - [and then,] "Nay, but we have been rendered destitute!"
68:27 "Now, we have nothing!",
68:27 (Then they realized), "Ah! Now we are destitute."
68:28 قال اوسطهم الم اقل لكم لولا تسبحون
68:28 Qala awsatuhum alam aqul lakumlawla tusabbihoona
68:28 The best among them said, "If only you had glorified!"
68:28 The best among them said: "If only you had glorified!"
68:28 Said the most right-minded among them: "Did I not tell you, 'Will you not extol God's limitless glory?'"14
Note 14
This is obviously a reference to their failure to realize that nothing can come about unless the Almighty so wills (verse 18).
They Should Have Said: "God Willing."68:28 The righteous among them said, "If only you had glorified (God)!",
68:28 The most balanced among them said, "Did I not tell you? Why did you not strive (to help the poor)?"7
Note 7
Sabh = Swim in strides = Work hard = Labor for a noble cause
68:29 قالوا سبحن ربنا انا كنا ظلمين
68:29 Qaloo subhana rabbinainna kunna thalimeena
68:29 They said, "Glory be to our Lord. We have transgressed."
68:29 They said: "Glory be to our Lord. We have transgressed."
68:29 They answered: "Limitless in His glory is our Sustainer! Verily, we were doing wrong!"
68:29 They said, "Glory be to our Lord. We have transgressed.",
68:29 They said, "Glorified is our Lord! It is we who have been offenders.”8
Note 8
Refusing the Divinely ordained right of the needy
68:30 فاقبل بعضهم على بعض يتلومون
68:30 Faaqbala baAAduhum AAala baAAdinyatalawamoona
68:30 Then they started to blame each other.
68:30 Then they started to blame each other.
68:30 - and then they turned upon one another with mutual reproaches.
68:30 They started to blame each other.,
68:30 And then they confronted one another, blaming.
68:31 قالوا يويلنا انا كنا طغين
68:31 Qaloo ya waylana innakunna tagheena
68:31 They said, "Woe to us. We sinned."
68:31 They said: "Woe to us. We sinned."
68:31 [In the end] they said: "Oh, woe unto us! Verily, we did behave outrageously!
68:31 They said, "Woe to us. We sinned.,
68:31 They said, "Sorry for us! We have rebelled (against our own ‘self’)."
68:32 عسى ربنا ان يبدلنا خيرا منها انا الى ربنا رغبون
68:32 AAasa rabbuna an yubdilanakhayran minha inna ila rabbina raghiboona
68:32 "Perhaps our Lord will grant us better than it. We repent to our Lord."
68:32 "Perhaps our Lord will grant us better than it. We repent to our Lord."
68:32 [But] it may be that our Sustainer will grant us something better instead:15 for, verily, unto our Sustainer do we turn with hope!"
Note 15
Namely, His forgiveness.
68:32 "May our Lord grant us a better one. We repent to our Lord.",
68:32 It may be that our Lord grants us something better than this. We turn to our Lord with hope.9
Note 9
This was an example that only the System of Life based on collective good shall endure. God does not punish people out of rage, and reward and punishment are built-in our own actions
68:33 كذلك العذاب ولعذاب الءاخرة اكبر لو كانوا يعلمون
68:33 Kathalika alAAathabu walaAAathabual-akhirati akbaru law kanoo yaAAlamoona
68:33 Such was the punishment. But the retribution of the Hereafter is far worse, if they only knew.
68:33 Such was the punishment. But the retribution of the Hereafter is far worse, if only they knew.
68:33 SUCH is the suffering [with which We try some people in this world];16 but greater by far will be the suffering [which sinners shall have to bear] in the life to come - if they but knew it!
Note 16
This connects with the first clause of verse 17 above, which, in its turn, contains an allusion to the mentality spoken of in verses 14-15.
68:33 Such was the requital. But the retribution of the Hereafter is far worse, if they only knew.,
68:33 Such is the suffering! But far greater is the suffering of the Hereafter - if they knew it.
68:34 ان للمتقين عند ربهم جنت النعيم
68:34 Inna lilmuttaqeena AAinda rabbihim jannatialnnaAAeemi
68:34 The righteous have deserved, at their Lord, paradises of bliss.
68:34 The righteous have deserved, at their Lord, gardens of bliss.
68:34 For, behold, it is the God-conscious [alone] whom gardens of bliss await with their Sustainer:
68:34 The righteous have deserved, at their Lord, gardens of bliss.,
68:34 For the righteous are Gardens of bliss with their Lord.
68:35 افنجعل المسلمين كالمجرمين
68:35 AfanajAAalu almuslimeena kaalmujrimeena
A Prophetic Description of the Followers of Hadith68:35 Should We treat the ones who peacefully surrendered the same as those who are criminals?
68:35 Should We treat those who submitted the same as those who are criminals?
68:35 or should We, perchance, treat those who surrender themselves unto Us17 as [We would treat] those who remain lost in sin?
Note 17
This is the earliest occurrence of the term muslimun (sing. muslim) in the history of Qur'anic revelation. Throughout this work, I have translated the terms muslim and islam in accordance with their original connotations, namely, "one who surrenders [or "has surrendered"] himself to God", and "man's self-surrender to God"; the same holds good of all forms of the verb aslama occurring in the Qur'an. It should be borne in mind that the "institutionalized" use of these terms - that is, their exclusive application to the followers of the Prophet Muhammad - represents a definitely post-Qur'anic development and, hence, must be avoided in a translation of the Qur'an.
68:35 Shall we treat the Submitters like the criminals?,
68:35 Shall We then treat the Muslims like the criminals?
68:36 Ma lakum kayfa tahkumoona
68:36 What is wrong with you, how do you judge?
68:36 What is wrong with you, how do you judge?
68:36 What is amiss with you?18 On what do you base your judgment [of right and wrong]?
Note 18
Sc., "O you sinners".
68:36 What is wrong with your logic?,
68:36 What is the matter with you? How do you judge (the right and wrong and their logical consequences)?
68:37 Am lakum kitabun feehi tadrusoona
68:37 Or do you have another book which you study?
68:37 Or do you have a book which you study?
68:37 Or have you, perchance, a [special] divine writ which you study,
68:37 Do you have another book to uphold?,
68:37 Or do you have a scripture wherein you learn -
68:38 Inna lakum feehi lama takhayyaroona
68:38 In it, you can find what you wish?
68:38 In it, you can find what you wish?
68:38 and in which you find all that you may wish to find?19
Note 19
Lit., "so that in it you [may] have all that you choose [to have]" - i.e., a moral justification of the claim that whatever is considered "expedient" is eo ipso right.
68:38 In it, do you find anything you want?,
68:38 That you shall have through it whatever you choose?
68:39 ام لكم ايمن علينا بلغة الى يوم القيمة ان لكم لما تحكمون
68:39 Am lakum aymanun AAalayna balighatunila yawmi alqiyamati inna lakum lama tahkumoona
68:39 Or do you have an oath from Us, extending until the day of resurrection, that you can judge as you please?
68:39 Or do you have an oath from Us, extending until the Day of Resurrection, that you can judge as you please?
68:39 Or have you received a solemn promise, binding on Us till Resurrection Day, that yours will assuredly be whatever you judge [to be your rightful due]?
68:39 Or, have you received solemn assurances from us that grant you whatever you wish on the Day of Resurrection?,
68:39 Or do you have a solemn oath, binding on Us until the Resurrection Day, that you shall have all that you demand?
68:40 Salhum ayyuhum bithalika zaAAeemun
68:40 Ask them: "Who of them will make such a claim?"
68:40 Ask them: "Who of them will make such a claim?"
68:40 Ask them which of them is able to vouch for this!
68:40 Ask them, "Who guarantees this for you?",
68:40 Ask them which of them guarantees it.
68:41 ام لهم شركاء فلياتوا بشركائهم ان كانوا صدقين
68:41 Am lahum shurakao falya/too bishuraka-ihimin kanoo sadiqeena
68:41 Or do they have partners? Then let them bring their partners, if they are truthful.2
68:41 Or do they have partners? Then let them bring their partners, if they are truthful.
68:41 Or have they, perchance, anys ages to support their views?20 Well, then, if they are sincere in this their claim, let them produce those supporters of theirs
Note 20
Lit., "Or have they any associates?" - i.e., wise people ('uqala) who would share their views and their way of life (Zamakhshari and Razi). Accordingly, the expression shuraka'uhum in the next sentence has been rendered as "those supporters of theirs".
68:41 Do they have idols? Let their idols help them, if they are truthful.,
68:41 Do they have 'partners'? Then let them bring their 'partners' if they are truthful.
68:42 يوم يكشف عن ساق ويدعون الى السجود فلا يستطيعون
68:42 Yawma yukshafu AAan saqin wayudAAawnaila alssujoodi fala yastateeAAoona
68:42 The day will come when they will be exposed, and they will be required to prostrate, but they will be unable to.3
Note 3
Commentaries relying heavily on hadith have distorted the meaning of this verse. According to a hadith reported by Bukhari thrice, in order to prove His identity, God will uncover his leg showing it to the prophets!
68:42 The Day will come when they will be exposed, and they will be required to prostrate, but they will be unable to.
68:42 on the Day when man's very being shall be bared to the bone,21 and when they [who now deny the truth] shall be called upon to prostrate themselves [before God],22 and shall be unable to do so:
Note 21
Lit., "when the shin[-bone] shall be bared": i.e., when man's innermost thoughts, feelings and motivations will be laid bare. The implication is that their erstwhile claim that whatever is "expedient" is morally justifiable (see note 19 above), shall be revealed in all its nakedness - namely, as something indefensible and spiritually destructive.
Note 22
I.e., willingly, gladly humbling themselves before Him.
68:42 The day will come when they will be exposed, and they will be required to fall prostrate, but they will be unable to.,
68:42 On the Day when they are confronted with the stark reality and are summoned to submit, they shall not be able to show sincere submission.10
Note 10
It will be too late
68:43 خشعة ابصرهم ترهقهم ذلة وقد كانوا يدعون الى السجود وهم سلمون
68:43 KhashiAAatan absaruhumtarhaquhum thillatun waqad kanoo yudAAawna ilaalssujoodi wahum salimoona
68:43 With their eyes subdued, humiliation will cover them. They were invited to prostrate when they were whole and able.
68:43 With their eyes subdued, humiliation will cover them. They were invited to prostrate when they were whole and able.
68:43 downcast will be their eyes, with ignominy overwhelming them - seeing that they had been called upon [in vain] to prostrate themselves [before Him] while they were yet sound [and alive].
68:43 With their eyes subdued, humiliation will cover them. They were invited to fall prostrate when they were whole and able.,
68:43 Their eyes drooping, humiliation will overwhelm them. And they had been repeatedly invited to submit when they were able.
68:44 فذرنى ومن يكذب بهذا الحديث سنستدرجهم من حيث لا يعلمون
68:44 Fatharnee waman yukaththibubihatha alhadeethi sanastadrijuhum min haythula yaAAlamoona
68:44 Therefore, let Me deal with those who reject this hadith; We will entice them from where they do not perceive.
68:44 Therefore, let Me deal with those who reject this narrative; We will entice them from where they do not perceive.
68:44 Hence, leave Me alone with such as give the lie to this tiding.23 We shall bring them low, step by step, without their perceiving how it has come about:24
Note 23
I.e., to divine revelation in general, and to the tiding of resurrection and judgment, in particular - the implication being that God alone has the right to decide whether or how to chastise them.
Note 24
Lit., "without their knowing whence [it comes]". The above sentence, as well as the next, (verse 45), are found in exactly the same formulation in 7:182
68:44 Therefore, let Me deal with those who reject this Hadith; we will lead them on whence they never perceive.,
68:44 So leave his affair to Me, him who denied this message. We shall lead them step by step to a reprisal from directions they had never conceived. [39:23]
68:45 Waomlee lahum inna kaydee mateenun
68:45 I will lead them on; for My scheming is formidable.
68:45 And I will lead them on; for My planning is formidable.
68:45 for, behold, though I may give them rein for a while, My subtle scheme is exceedingly firm!25
Note 25
The term "subtle scheme" (kayd) evidently circumscribes here God's unfathomable plan of creation of which man can glimpse only isolated fragments and never the totality: a plan in which every thing and happening has a definite function, and nothing is accidental. (See in this connection note 11 on 10:5 - "None of this has God created without [an inner] truth".) Indirectly, the above passage alludes to the question as to the reason why God allows so many evil persons to enjoy their lives to the full, while so many of the righteous are allowed to suffer: the answer being that during his life in this world man cannot really understand where apparent happiness and unhappiness ultimately lead to, and what role they play in God's "subtle scheme" of creation.
68:45 I will give them enough rope; My scheming is formidable.,
68:45 Though I give them respite, My Plan is unwavering.
68:46 ام تسلهم اجرا فهم من مغرم مثقلون
68:46 Am tas-aluhum ajran fahum min maghraminmuthqaloona
68:46 Or did you ask them for a wage, so they are burdened by the fine?
68:46 Or do you ask them for a wage, so they are burdened by the fine?
68:46 Or is it that [they fear lest] thou ask them for a reward, [O Prophet,] so that they would be burdened with debt [if they listened to thee]?
68:46 Are you asking them for money, so they are burdened by the fine?,
68:46 Or is it that you ask them any reward so that they are burdened?
68:47 ام عندهم الغيب فهم يكتبون
68:47 Am AAindahumu alghaybu fahum yaktuboona
68:47 Or do they know the future? So they have it recorded?
68:47 Or do they know the future? So they have it recorded?
68:47 Or [do they think] that the hidden reality [of all that exists] is within their grasp, so that [in time] they can write it down?26
Note 26
Sc., "and that, therefore, they need not listen to divine revelation." For the real significance of the term al-ghayb - of which the above is undoubtedly the earliest instance in the chronology of Qur'anic revelation - see surah 2, note 3. Its use in the above context is meant to elucidate and further develop the idea already touched upon in 96:6 - "man becomes grossly overweening whenever he believes himself to be self-sufficient". More particularly, the present passage points to the fallacy of the arrogant belief that the solution of all the mysteries of the universe is "just around the corner" and that man-centred science - epitomized in the reference to its being "written down" - can and will teach its adepts how to "conquer nature" and to attain to what they regard as the good life.
68:47 Do they know the future? Do they have it recorded?,
68:47 Or is it that theirs is the future that they have written down?
68:48 فاصبر لحكم ربك ولا تكن كصاحب الحوت اذ نادى وهو مكظوم
68:48 Faisbir lihukmi rabbikawala takun kasahibi alhooti ith nadawahuwa makthoomun
The Companion of the Fish68:48 You shall be patient for the judgment of your Lord. Do not be like the companion of the fish who called out while he was in sorrow.4
68:48 You shall be patient for the judgment of your Lord. And do not be like the companion of the whale who called out while he was in sorrow.
68:48 BEAR THEN with patience thy Sustainer's will and be not like him of the great fish, who cried out [in distress] after having given in to anger.27
Note 27
This is a reference to the Prophet Jonah - see 21:87 and the corresponding notes 82 and 83. As mentioned in 37:140, "he fled like a runaway slave" from the task with which he had been entrusted by God, because his people did not all at once accept his preaching as valid: and so Muhammad is exhorted not to give in to despair or anger at the opposition shown to him by most of his contemporaries in Mecca, but to persevere in his prophetic mission.
68:48 You shall steadfastly persevere in carrying out the commands of your Lord. Do not be like (Jonah) who called from inside the fish.,
68:48 (O Prophet) go ahead steadfastly in establishing your Lord’s command. And be not like him (Jonah) of the fish who cried out in distress. [21:87, 37:139]
68:49 لولا ان تدركه نعمة من ربه لنبذ بالعراء وهو مذموم
68:49 Lawla an tadarakahu niAAmatunmin rabbihi lanubitha bialAAara-i wahuwa mathmoomun
68:49 Had it not been for his Lord's grace, he would be ejected to the shore, in disgrace.
68:49 Had it not been for the grace of his Lord, he would have remained trapped, while he was to be blamed.
68:49 [And remember:] had not grace from his Sustainer reached him,28 he would indeed have been cast forth upon that barren shore in a state of disgrace:29
Note 28
Cf. 37:143 - "had he not been of those who [even in the deep darkness of their distress are able to] extol God's limitless glory": i.e., who always remember God and pray for His forgiveness.
Note 29
Lit., "while he was still blameworthy", i.e., burdened with sin and unredeemed by repentance: implying that but for God's grace he would have died as a sinner.
68:49 If it were not for his Lord's grace, he would have been ejected into the desert as a sinner.,
68:49 If it were not for the bliss of his Lord, he would have been cast into the wilderness and in the wilderness of thought. [37:146]
68:50 فاجتبه ربه فجعله من الصلحين
68:50 Faijtabahu rabbuhu fajaAAalahumina alssaliheena
68:50 But his Lord blessed him, and made him righteous.
68:50 But his Lord blessed him, and made him righteous.
68:50 but [as it was,] his Sustainer had elected him and placed him among the righteous.
68:50 But his Lord blessed him, and made him righteous.,
68:50 But his Lord elected him and included him among those who worked for reform, and thus, actualized their own ‘self’.
68:51 وان يكاد الذين كفروا ليزلقونك بابصرهم لما سمعوا الذكر ويقولون انه لمجنون
68:51 Wa-in yakadu allatheenakafaroo layuzliqoonaka bi-absarihim lamma samiAAooalththikra wayaqooloona innahu lamajnoonun
68:51 Those who have rejected almost attack you with their eyes when they hear the reminder, and they say, "He is crazy!"
68:51 And those who have rejected almost attack you with their eyes when they hear the Reminder, and they say: "He is crazy!"
68:51 Hence, [be patient,] even though they who are bent on denying the truth would all but kill thee with their eyes whenever they hear this reminder, and [though] they say, "[As for Mubammad,] behold, most surely he is a madman!"
68:51 Those who disbelieved show their ridicule in their eyes when they hear the message and say, "He is crazy!",
68:51 Those who deny the truth, attack you (O Prophet) with their eyes when they hear the Reminder. And they say, "He is a madman."
68:52 Wama huwa illa thikrunlilAAalameena
68:52 It is but a reminder for the worlds.
68:52 And it is but a reminder for the worlds.
68:52 [Be patient:] for this is nought else but a reminder [from God] to all mankind.
68:52 It is in fact a message to the world.,
68:52 Nay, this is no less than a Reminder for all people (and a giver of eminence to them).11