English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 18: Al-Kahf — The Cave (Revealed at Makkah: 12 sections, 110 verses)
Section 6 (Verses 18:45–18:49): The Guilty are Brought to Judgment
Translation:
وَ اضۡرِبۡ لَہُمۡ مَّثَلَ الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا کَمَآءٍ اَنۡزَلۡنٰہُ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ فَاخۡتَلَطَ بِہٖ نَبَاتُ الۡاَرۡضِ فَاَصۡبَحَ ہَشِیۡمًا تَذۡرُوۡہُ الرِّیٰحُ ؕ وَ کَانَ اللّٰہُ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ مُّقۡتَدِرًا ﴿۴۵﴾
18:45 And set forth to them the likeness of the life of this world as water which We send down from the cloud, so the vegetation of the earth becomes luxuriant by it, then it becomes dry, broken into pieces which the winds scatter. And Allah is the Holder of power over all things.
اَلۡمَالُ وَ الۡبَنُوۡنَ زِیۡنَۃُ الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا ۚ وَ الۡبٰقِیٰتُ الصّٰلِحٰتُ خَیۡرٌ عِنۡدَ رَبِّکَ ثَوَابًا وَّ خَیۡرٌ اَمَلًا ﴿۴۶﴾
18:46 Wealth and children are an adornment of the life of this world; but the ever-abiding, the good works, are better with your Lord in reward and better in hope.
وَ یَوۡمَ نُسَیِّرُ الۡجِبَالَ وَ تَرَی الۡاَرۡضَ بَارِزَۃً ۙ وَّ حَشَرۡنٰہُمۡ فَلَمۡ نُغَادِرۡ مِنۡہُمۡ اَحَدًا ﴿ۚ۴۷﴾
18:47 And the day when We cause the mountains to pass away, and you see the earth a levelled plain and We gather them together and leave none of them behind.1
وَ عُرِضُوۡا عَلٰی رَبِّکَ صَفًّا ؕ لَقَدۡ جِئۡتُمُوۡنَا کَمَا خَلَقۡنٰکُمۡ اَوَّلَ مَرَّۃٍۭ ۫ بَلۡ زَعَمۡتُمۡ اَلَّنۡ نَّجۡعَلَ لَکُمۡ مَّوۡعِدًا ﴿۴۸﴾
18:48 And they are brought before your Lord in ranks. Now certainly you have come to Us as We created you at first. But you thought that We had not made an appointment for you.
وَ وُضِعَ الۡکِتٰبُ فَتَرَی الۡمُجۡرِمِیۡنَ مُشۡفِقِیۡنَ مِمَّا فِیۡہِ وَ یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ یٰوَیۡلَتَنَا مَالِ ہٰذَا الۡکِتٰبِ لَا یُغَادِرُ صَغِیۡرَۃً وَّ لَا کَبِیۡرَۃً اِلَّاۤ اَحۡصٰہَا ۚ وَ وَجَدُوۡا مَا عَمِلُوۡا حَاضِرًا ؕ وَ لَا یَظۡلِمُ رَبُّکَ اَحَدًا ﴿٪۴۹﴾
18:49 And the book is placed, and you see the guilty fearing for what is in it, and they say: O woe to us! What a book is this! It leaves out neither a small thing nor a great one, but numbers them (all), and they find what they did confronting them. And your Lord does not wrong anyone.2
Commentary:
- Making the earth a levelled plain indicates the removal of all those mighty obstacles which stood in the way of the advancement of Truth, and these are the mountains which are made to pass away; see 20:105–107. ↩
- This comprehensive book is the same as is spoken of in 17:13–14. There is not the slightest action, good or bad, which does not leave its effect behind. ↩