English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 19: Maryam — Mary (Revealed at Makkah: 6 sections, 98 verses)
Section 5 (Verses 19:66–19:82): How the Opponents were Dealt With
Translation:
وَ یَقُوۡلُ الۡاِنۡسَانُ ءَ اِذَا مَا مِتُّ لَسَوۡفَ اُخۡرَجُ حَیًّا ﴿۶۶﴾
19:66 And says man: When I am dead, shall I truly be brought forth alive?
اَوَ لَا یَذۡکُرُ الۡاِنۡسَانُ اَنَّا خَلَقۡنٰہُ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ وَ لَمۡ یَکُ شَیۡئًا ﴿۶۷﴾
19:67 Does not man remember that We created him before, when he was nothing?
فَوَ رَبِّکَ لَنَحۡشُرَنَّہُمۡ وَ الشَّیٰطِیۡنَ ثُمَّ لَنُحۡضِرَنَّہُمۡ حَوۡلَ جَہَنَّمَ جِثِیًّا ﴿ۚ۶۸﴾
19:68 So by your Lord! We shall certainly gather them together and the devils,1 then shall We bring them around hell on their knees.
ثُمَّ لَنَنۡزِعَنَّ مِنۡ کُلِّ شِیۡعَۃٍ اَیُّہُمۡ اَشَدُّ عَلَی الرَّحۡمٰنِ عِتِیًّا ﴿ۚ۶۹﴾
19:69 Then We shall draw forth from every group those most rebellious against the Beneficent.
ثُمَّ لَنَحۡنُ اَعۡلَمُ بِالَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ اَوۡلٰی بِہَا صِلِیًّا ﴿۷۰﴾
19:70 Again, We certainly know best those who deserve most to be burned in it.
وَ اِنۡ مِّنۡکُمۡ اِلَّا وَارِدُہَا ۚ کَانَ عَلٰی رَبِّکَ حَتۡمًا مَّقۡضِیًّا ﴿ۚ۷۱﴾
19:71 And there is not one of you but shall come to it.2 This is an unavoidable decree of your Lord.
ثُمَّ نُنَجِّی الَّذِیۡنَ اتَّقَوۡا وَّ نَذَرُ الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ فِیۡہَا جِثِیًّا ﴿۷۲﴾
19:72 And We shall deliver those who guard against evil,3 and leave the wrongdoers in it on their knees.
وَ اِذَا تُتۡلٰی عَلَیۡہِمۡ اٰیٰتُنَا بَیِّنٰتٍ قَالَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا لِلَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا ۙ اَیُّ الۡفَرِیۡقَیۡنِ خَیۡرٌ مَّقَامًا وَّ اَحۡسَنُ نَدِیًّا ﴿۷۳﴾
19:73 And when Our clear messages are recited to them, those who disbelieve say to those who believe: Which of the two groups is better in position and better assembled?4
وَ کَمۡ اَہۡلَکۡنَا قَبۡلَہُمۡ مِّنۡ قَرۡنٍ ہُمۡ اَحۡسَنُ اَثَاثًا وَّ رِءۡیًا ﴿۷۴﴾
19:74 And how many a generation have We destroyed before them, who had better possessions and appearance!
قُلۡ مَنۡ کَانَ فِی الضَّلٰلَۃِ فَلۡیَمۡدُدۡ لَہُ الرَّحۡمٰنُ مَدًّا ۬ۚ حَتّٰۤی اِذَا رَاَوۡا مَا یُوۡعَدُوۡنَ اِمَّا الۡعَذَابَ وَ اِمَّا السَّاعَۃَ ؕ فَسَیَعۡلَمُوۡنَ مَنۡ ہُوَ شَرٌّ مَّکَانًا وَّ اَضۡعَفُ جُنۡدًا ﴿۷۵﴾
19:75 Say: As for him who is in error, the Beneficent will prolong his length of days; until they see what they were threatened with, either the punishment or the Hour.5 Then they will know who is worse in position and weaker in forces.6
وَ یَزِیۡدُ اللّٰہُ الَّذِیۡنَ اہۡتَدَوۡا ہُدًی ؕ وَ الۡبٰقِیٰتُ الصّٰلِحٰتُ خَیۡرٌ عِنۡدَ رَبِّکَ ثَوَابًا وَّ خَیۡرٌ مَّرَدًّا ﴿۷۶﴾
19:76 And Allah increases in guidance those who go aright. And the ever-abiding, the good works, are better with your Lord in reward and yield better return.
اَفَرَءَیۡتَ الَّذِیۡ کَفَرَ بِاٰیٰتِنَا وَ قَالَ لَاُوۡتَیَنَّ مَالًا وَّ وَلَدًا ﴿ؕ۷۷﴾
19:77 Have you seen him who disbelieves in Our messages and says: I shall certainly be given wealth and children?7
اَطَّلَعَ الۡغَیۡبَ اَمِ اتَّخَذَ عِنۡدَ الرَّحۡمٰنِ عَہۡدًا ﴿ۙ۷۸﴾
19:78 Has he gained knowledge of the unseen, or received a promise from the Beneficent?
کَلَّا ؕ سَنَکۡتُبُ مَا یَقُوۡلُ وَ نَمُدُّ لَہٗ مِنَ الۡعَذَابِ مَدًّا ﴿ۙ۷۹﴾
19:79 By no means! We write down what he says, and We shall lengthen to him the length of the punishment,
وَّ نَرِثُہٗ مَا یَقُوۡلُ وَ یَاۡتِیۡنَا فَرۡدًا ﴿۸۰﴾
19:80 and We shall inherit from him what he says, and he will come to Us alone.8
وَ اتَّخَذُوۡا مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ اٰلِہَۃً لِّیَکُوۡنُوۡا لَہُمۡ عِزًّا ﴿ۙ۸۱﴾
19:81 And they have taken gods besides Allah, that they should be to them a source of strength —
کَلَّا ؕ سَیَکۡفُرُوۡنَ بِعِبَادَتِہِمۡ وَ یَکُوۡنُوۡنَ عَلَیۡہِمۡ ضِدًّا ﴿٪۸۲﴾
19:82 By no means! They will soon deny their worshipping them, and be their adversaries.
Commentary:
- The devils here are clearly those humans who lead others to evil. ↩
- The wicked only are spoken of, as the context shows clearly. That the righteous will not go to hell is made clear further on: “The day when We gather the dutiful to the Beneficent to receive honours, and drive the guilty to hell, as thirsty beasts” (v. 85–86). According to 21:102, the righteous will not hear the faintest sound of hell. ↩
- The word thumma, the first word of this verse, frequently means and, besides its meaning of then. It is wrong to suppose that the righteous will be first cast into hell and then delivered. ↩
- That is, they are proud of their great wealth and numerous forces. ↩
- The Hour signifies the hour of doom, when their power will be utterly destroyed. In comparison with this is the lighter “punishment”. ↩
- In these words it is clearly indicated that the time will come when they will find themselves in an evil condition, and their forces weaker than the forces of Truth. ↩
- They have no eye for the higher values of life; all they want is wealth and children or followers. ↩
- The reference is to his saying in v. 77: “I shall certainly be given wealth and children”. God’s inheriting thus means that their wealth and children will be taken away from them and ultimately be a source of strength to Islam. ↩