English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 15: Al-Hijr — The Rock (Revealed at Madinah: 6 sections, 99 verses)
Section 6 (Verses 15:80–15:99): Dwellers of the Rock and a Warning
Translation:
وَ لَقَدۡ کَذَّبَ اَصۡحٰبُ الۡحِجۡرِ الۡمُرۡسَلِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۸۰﴾
15:80 And the dwellers of the Rock indeed rejected the messengers;1
وَ اٰتَیۡنٰہُمۡ اٰیٰتِنَا فَکَانُوۡا عَنۡہَا مُعۡرِضِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۸۱﴾
15:81 and We gave them Our messages, but they turned away from them;
وَ کَانُوۡا یَنۡحِتُوۡنَ مِنَ الۡجِبَالِ بُیُوۡتًا اٰمِنِیۡنَ ﴿۸۲﴾
15:82 and they carved houses in the mountains, in security.
فَاَخَذَتۡہُمُ الصَّیۡحَۃُ مُصۡبِحِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۸۳﴾
15:83 So the cry overtook them in the morning;
فَمَاۤ اَغۡنٰی عَنۡہُمۡ مَّا کَانُوۡا یَکۡسِبُوۡنَ ﴿ؕ۸۴﴾
15:84 and what they earned did not avail them.
وَ مَا خَلَقۡنَا السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضَ وَ مَا بَیۡنَہُمَاۤ اِلَّا بِالۡحَقِّ ؕ وَ اِنَّ السَّاعَۃَ لَاٰتِیَۃٌ فَاصۡفَحِ الصَّفۡحَ الۡجَمِیۡلَ ﴿۸۵﴾
15:85 And We did not create the heavens and the earth and all that is between them but with truth. And the Hour is surely coming, so turn away with kindly forgiveness.2
اِنَّ رَبَّکَ ہُوَ الۡخَلّٰقُ الۡعَلِیۡمُ ﴿۸۶﴾
15:86 Surely your Lord — He is the Creator, the Knower.
وَ لَقَدۡ اٰتَیۡنٰکَ سَبۡعًا مِّنَ الۡمَثَانِیۡ وَ الۡقُرۡاٰنَ الۡعَظِیۡمَ ﴿۸۷﴾
15:87 And certainly We have given you seven oft-repeated (verses) and the grand Quran.3
لَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَیۡنَیۡکَ اِلٰی مَا مَتَّعۡنَا بِہٖۤ اَزۡوَاجًا مِّنۡہُمۡ وَ لَا تَحۡزَنۡ عَلَیۡہِمۡ وَ اخۡفِضۡ جَنَاحَکَ لِلۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ ﴿۸۸﴾
15:88 Do not strain your eyes (with desire) at what We have given certain classes of them to enjoy, nor grieve for them, and make yourself gentle to the believers.4
وَ قُلۡ اِنِّیۡۤ اَنَا النَّذِیۡرُ الۡمُبِیۡنُ ﴿ۚ۸۹﴾
15:89 And say: I am indeed the plain warner.
کَمَاۤ اَنۡزَلۡنَا عَلَی الۡمُقۡتَسِمِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۹۰﴾
15:90 Like as We sent down on them who took oaths,
الَّذِیۡنَ جَعَلُوا الۡقُرۡاٰنَ عِضِیۡنَ ﴿۹۱﴾
15:91 those who divided the Quran into parts.
فَوَ رَبِّکَ لَنَسۡـَٔلَنَّہُمۡ اَجۡمَعِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۹۲﴾
15:92 So, by your Lord! We shall question them all,
عَمَّا کَانُوۡا یَعۡمَلُوۡنَ ﴿ٙ۹۳﴾
15:93 as to what they did.
فَاصۡدَعۡ بِمَا تُؤۡمَرُ وَ اَعۡرِضۡ عَنِ الۡمُشۡرِکِیۡنَ ﴿۹۴﴾
15:94 Therefore declare openly what you are commanded, and turn away from those who set up partners (with Allah).
اِنَّا کَفَیۡنٰکَ الۡمُسۡتَہۡزِءِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۹۵﴾
15:95 Surely We are sufficient for you against the scoffers —
الَّذِیۡنَ یَجۡعَلُوۡنَ مَعَ اللّٰہِ اِلٰہًا اٰخَرَ ۚ فَسَوۡفَ یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿۹۶﴾
15:96 those who set up another god with Allah; so they will come to know.
وَ لَقَدۡ نَعۡلَمُ اَنَّکَ یَضِیۡقُ صَدۡرُکَ بِمَا یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۹۷﴾
15:97 And We know indeed that your heart is distressed at what they say;
فَسَبِّحۡ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّکَ وَ کُنۡ مِّنَ السّٰجِدِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۹۸﴾
15:98 so celebrate the praise of your Lord, and be of those who prostrate (before Him).
وَ اعۡبُدۡ رَبَّکَ حَتّٰی یَاۡتِیَکَ الۡیَقِیۡنُ ﴿٪۹۹﴾
15:99 And serve your Lord, until there comes to you what is certain.5
Commentary:
- The dwellers of the Rock are the people of Thamūd; see 7:73 note 1. ↩
- Just one of many instances of the Holy Prophet’s forgiveness was at the conquest of Makkah, when, having captured the city which had most tyrannically driven him out with his followers, and whose people were guilty of shedding the innocent blood of the Muslims, he forgave all. ↩
- The Holy Prophet is reported to have said that the “seven oft-repeated verses” were the seven verses of the Fātiḥah, the first chapter of the Quran. (Bukhari, 65:1). According to the same hadith, the Fātiḥah is called the grand Quran. It is so called because it contains the essence of the whole of the Quran. ↩
- The riches and embellishments of this life had no temptation for the Holy Prophet. The unequalled simplicity of his life from the time that he married a rich widow to the time that he ruled Arabia may be guessed from the last scene of his life, when he ordered the last penny in his house to be given to the poor. The verse, moreover, draws a picture of the utmost kindness and gentleness which he showed to his followers. The straining of the eyes signifies looking desirously. ↩
- What is certain is here generally taken to mean death (Bukhari, 65.15:5), because it is the one thing which is certain to come to every creature. ↩