English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)

by Maulana Muhammad Ali

Chapter 14: Ibrahim — Abraham (Revealed at Makkah: 7 sections, 52 verses)

Section 7 (Verses 14:42–14:52): The End of Opposition

Translation:

وَ لَا تَحۡسَبَنَّ اللّٰہَ غَافِلًا عَمَّا یَعۡمَلُ الظّٰلِمُوۡنَ ۬ؕ اِنَّمَا یُؤَخِّرُہُمۡ لِیَوۡمٍ تَشۡخَصُ فِیۡہِ الۡاَبۡصَارُ ﴿ۙ۴۲﴾

14:42 And do not think Allah to be heedless of what the unjust do. He only gives them respite to a day when the eyes will stare (in terror),

مُہۡطِعِیۡنَ مُقۡنِعِیۡ رُءُوۡسِہِمۡ لَا یَرۡتَدُّ اِلَیۡہِمۡ طَرۡفُہُمۡ ۚ وَ اَفۡـِٕدَتُہُمۡ ہَوَآءٌ ﴿ؕ۴۳﴾

14:43 hastening forward, their heads upraised, their gaze not returning to them, and their hearts vacant.1

وَ اَنۡذِرِ النَّاسَ یَوۡمَ یَاۡتِیۡہِمُ الۡعَذَابُ فَیَقُوۡلُ الَّذِیۡنَ ظَلَمُوۡا رَبَّنَاۤ اَخِّرۡنَاۤ اِلٰۤی اَجَلٍ قَرِیۡبٍ ۙ نُّجِبۡ دَعۡوَتَکَ وَ نَتَّبِعِ الرُّسُلَ ؕ اَوَ لَمۡ تَکُوۡنُوۡۤا اَقۡسَمۡتُمۡ مِّنۡ قَبۡلُ مَا لَکُمۡ مِّنۡ زَوَالٍ ﴿ۙ۴۴﴾

14:44 And warn people of a day when the punishment will come to them, then the wrongdoers will say: Our Lord, grant us respite for a short while, we will respond to Your call and follow the messengers. Did you not swear before, that there will be no passing away for you?

وَّ سَکَنۡتُمۡ فِیۡ مَسٰکِنِ الَّذِیۡنَ ظَلَمُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَہُمۡ وَ تَبَیَّنَ لَکُمۡ کَیۡفَ فَعَلۡنَا بِہِمۡ وَ ضَرَبۡنَا لَکُمُ الۡاَمۡثَالَ ﴿۴۵﴾

14:45 And you dwell in the abodes of those who wronged themselves, and it is clear to you how We dealt with them and We made (them) examples for you.

وَ قَدۡ مَکَرُوۡا مَکۡرَہُمۡ وَ عِنۡدَ اللّٰہِ مَکۡرُہُمۡ ؕ وَ اِنۡ کَانَ مَکۡرُہُمۡ لِتَزُوۡلَ مِنۡہُ الۡجِبَالُ ﴿۴۶﴾

14:46 And they have indeed planned their plan, and their plan is with Allah, though their plan is such that the mountains should be moved by it.2

فَلَا تَحۡسَبَنَّ اللّٰہَ مُخۡلِفَ وَعۡدِہٖ رُسُلَہٗ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ عَزِیۡزٌ ذُو انۡتِقَامٍ ﴿ؕ۴۷﴾

14:47 So do not think that Allah will fail in His promise to His messengers. Surely Allah is Mighty, the Lord of retribution.

یَوۡمَ تُبَدَّلُ الۡاَرۡضُ غَیۡرَ الۡاَرۡضِ وَ السَّمٰوٰتُ وَ بَرَزُوۡا لِلّٰہِ الۡوَاحِدِ الۡقَہَّارِ ﴿۴۸﴾

14:48 On the day when the earth will be changed into a different earth, and the heavens (as well),3 and they will come forth to Allah, the One, the Supreme.

وَ تَـرَی الۡمُجۡرِمِیۡنَ یَوۡمَئِذٍ مُّقَرَّنِیۡنَ فِی الۡاَصۡفَادِ ﴿ۚ۴۹﴾

14:49 And you will see the guilty on that day linked together in chains4 —

سَرَابِیۡلُہُمۡ مِّنۡ قَطِرَانٍ وَّ تَغۡشٰی وُجُوۡہَہُمُ النَّارُ ﴿ۙ۵۰﴾

14:50 their shirts made of pitch, and fire covering their faces,

لِیَجۡزِیَ اللّٰہُ کُلَّ نَفۡسٍ مَّا کَسَبَتۡ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ سَرِیۡعُ الۡحِسَابِ ﴿۵۱﴾

14:51 that Allah may repay each soul what it has earned. Surely Allah is Swift in reckoning.

ہٰذَا بَلٰغٌ لِّلنَّاسِ وَ لِیُنۡذَرُوۡا بِہٖ وَ لِیَعۡلَمُوۡۤا اَنَّمَا ہُوَ اِلٰہٌ وَّاحِدٌ وَّ لِیَذَّکَّرَ اُولُوا الۡاَلۡبَابِ ﴿٪۵۲﴾

14:52 This is a message for the people and that they may be warned by it, and that they may know that He is One God, and that those who have understanding may be mindful.

Commentary:

  1. The striking of terror into the hearts of those who opposed the Prophet was witnessed in this very life, when the Prophet advanced on Makkah. The vacancy or blankness of the heart indicates a state of great terror. ↩
  2. The reference is to the plan of the Quraish to put an end to the Prophet’s life, when he was left almost alone in Makkah. The words their plan is with Allah signify that their plan is controlled by Allah, Who will make it ineffec­tive. A wonderful prophecy indeed in the mouth of a man whose only chance of saving himself now lay in escaping from his enemies, while they were taking every precaution not to allow him to escape, having decided to put him to death! ↩
  3. The transformation wrought by the Holy Prophet no doubt changed the earth into a different earth and the heaven into a new heaven. The Arabia at the birth of the Prophet was not the Arabia at his death. Beliefs, usages, and prac­tices, which had baffled all attempts at reformation for centuries, were swept away, and the ignorant, superstitious, and warring tribes had become a single nation, holding aloft the torch of knowledge and civilization to the whole world. Idolatry was blotted out of existence so completely that no vestige of it could be found among a people who had remained addicted to it for centuries. And that great change must now come over the whole world. But the spiritual resurrection is only an indication of the great day of Resurrection. ↩
  4. The powerful opponents of the Prophet were brought before him linked together in chains in this very life, at the battle of Badr. These promises were fulfilled in this life to show that they were equally true as regards the next. ↩

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