English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 13: Al-Rad — The Thunder (Revealed at Makkah: 6 sections, 43 verses)
Section 3 (Verses 13:19–13:26): Good and Evil Bring their Own Reward
Translation:
اَفَمَنۡ یَّعۡلَمُ اَنَّمَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ اِلَیۡکَ مِنۡ رَّبِّکَ الۡحَقُّ کَمَنۡ ہُوَ اَعۡمٰی ؕ اِنَّمَا یَتَذَکَّرُ اُولُوا الۡاَلۡبَابِ ﴿ۙ۱۹﴾
13:19 Is he who knows that what is revealed to you from your Lord is the truth, like him who is blind? Only those who have understanding are mindful —
الَّذِیۡنَ یُوۡفُوۡنَ بِعَہۡدِ اللّٰہِ وَ لَا یَنۡقُضُوۡنَ الۡمِیۡثَاقَ ﴿ۙ۲۰﴾
13:20 those who fulfil the pact of Allah, and do not break the covenant,
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ یَصِلُوۡنَ مَاۤ اَمَرَ اللّٰہُ بِہٖۤ اَنۡ یُّوۡصَلَ وَ یَخۡشَوۡنَ رَبَّہُمۡ وَ یَخَافُوۡنَ سُوۡٓءَ الۡحِسَابِ ﴿ؕ۲۱﴾
13:21 and those who join what Allah has ordered to be joined1 and have awe of their Lord, and fear the evil reckoning.
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ صَبَرُوا ابۡتِغَآءَ وَجۡہِ رَبِّہِمۡ وَ اَقَامُوا الصَّلٰوۃَ وَ اَنۡفَقُوۡا مِمَّا رَزَقۡنٰہُمۡ سِرًّا وَّ عَلَانِیَۃً وَّ یَدۡرَءُوۡنَ بِالۡحَسَنَۃِ السَّیِّئَۃَ اُولٰٓئِکَ لَہُمۡ عُقۡبَی الدَّارِ ﴿ۙ۲۲﴾
13:22 And those who are steadfast seeking the pleasure of their Lord, and keep up prayer and spend (on good works) out of what We have given them, secretly and openly, and repel evil with good;2 theirs is the (happy) issue of the abode —
جَنّٰتُ عَدۡنٍ یَّدۡخُلُوۡنَہَا وَ مَنۡ صَلَحَ مِنۡ اٰبَآئِہِمۡ وَ اَزۡوَاجِہِمۡ وَ ذُرِّیّٰتِہِمۡ وَ الۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃُ یَدۡخُلُوۡنَ عَلَیۡہِمۡ مِّنۡ کُلِّ بَابٍ ﴿ۚ۲۳﴾
13:23 Gardens of perpetuity, which they will enter along with those who do good from among their fathers and their spouses3 and their offspring; and the angels will enter in upon them from every gate.
سَلٰمٌ عَلَیۡکُمۡ بِمَا صَبَرۡتُمۡ فَنِعۡمَ عُقۡبَی الدَّارِ ﴿ؕ۲۴﴾
13:24 Peace be on you, because you were constant — how excellent is then the final abode!
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ یَنۡقُضُوۡنَ عَہۡدَ اللّٰہِ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مِیۡثَاقِہٖ وَ یَقۡطَعُوۡنَ مَاۤ اَمَرَ اللّٰہُ بِہٖۤ اَنۡ یُّوۡصَلَ وَ یُفۡسِدُوۡنَ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ ۙ اُولٰٓئِکَ لَہُمُ اللَّعۡنَۃُ وَ لَہُمۡ سُوۡٓءُ الدَّارِ ﴿۲۵﴾
13:25 And those who break the covenant of Allah after its confirmation, and cut apart what Allah has ordered to be joined, and make mischief in the land, for them is the curse, and theirs is the evil end of the abode.
اَللّٰہُ یَبۡسُطُ الرِّزۡقَ لِمَنۡ یَّشَآءُ وَ یَقۡدِرُ ؕ وَ فَرِحُوۡا بِالۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا ؕ وَ مَا الۡحَیٰوۃُ الدُّنۡیَا فِی الۡاٰخِرَۃِ اِلَّا مَتَاعٌ ﴿٪۲۶﴾
13:26 Allah amplifies provision for whom He pleases, and restricts (it also). And they rejoice in this world’s life. And this world’s life, compared with the Hereafter, is only a temporary enjoyment.
Commentary:
- While the previous verse deals with people’s duty to their Maker, this refers to relations with His creatures. “What Allah has ordered to be joined” includes all those ties of love and relationship which Allah has taught human beings to observe and keep inviolate. ↩
- Evil is a thing which is by all means to be repelled, and hence good for evil is recommended only in cases when evil would be repelled by that good. Unconditionally requiting evil with good would abolish all safeguards; evildoers who received nothing but good for every evil they committed would most assuredly establish a condition of anarchy by their evil deeds. Elsewhere it is said: whoever forgives and brings about reform (42:40). ↩
- The Quran is full of clear statements that women shall enjoy the bliss of paradise. Azwāj is the plural of zauj, which means either husband or wife, and hence I have rendered it as spouses. ↩