English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)

by Maulana Muhammad Ali

Chapter 20: Ta Ha — Ta Ha (Revealed at Makkah: 8 sections, 135 verses)

Section 6 (Verses 20:105–20:115): The Prophet’s Opponents

Translation:

وَ یَسۡـَٔلُوۡنَکَ عَنِ الۡجِبَالِ فَقُلۡ یَنۡسِفُہَا رَبِّیۡ نَسۡفًا ﴿۱۰۵﴾ۙ

20:105 And they ask you about the mountains.1 Say: My Lord will scatter them, as scattered dust,

فَیَذَرُہَا قَاعًا صَفۡصَفًا ﴿۱۰۶﴾ۙ

20:106 then leave it a plain, smooth, level,

لَّا تَرٰی فِیۡہَا عِوَجًا وَّ لَاۤ اَمۡتًا ﴿۱۰۷﴾ؕ

20:107 on which you see no crookedness nor unevenness.

یَوۡمَئِذٍ یَّتَّبِعُوۡنَ الدَّاعِیَ لَا عِوَجَ لَہٗ ۚ وَ خَشَعَتِ الۡاَصۡوَاتُ لِلرَّحۡمٰنِ فَلَا تَسۡمَعُ اِلَّا ہَمۡسًا ﴿۱۰۸﴾

20:108 On that day they will follow the Inviter, in whom is no crookedness; and the voices are low before the Beneficent God, so that you hear nothing but a soft sound.2

یَوۡمَئِذٍ لَّا تَنۡفَعُ الشَّفَاعَۃُ اِلَّا مَنۡ اَذِنَ لَہُ الرَّحۡمٰنُ وَ رَضِیَ لَہٗ قَوۡلًا ﴿۱۰۹﴾

20:109 On that day no intercession avails except of him whom the Beneficent allows, and whose word He is pleased with.

یَعۡلَمُ مَا بَیۡنَ اَیۡدِیۡہِمۡ وَ مَا خَلۡفَہُمۡ وَ لَا یُحِیۡطُوۡنَ بِہٖ عِلۡمًا ﴿۱۱۰﴾

20:110 He knows what is before them and what is behind them, while they cannot encompass it in knowledge.

وَ عَنَتِ الۡوُجُوۡہُ لِلۡحَیِّ الۡقَیُّوۡمِ ؕ وَ قَدۡ خَابَ مَنۡ حَمَلَ ظُلۡمًا ﴿۱۱۱﴾

20:111 And faces shall be humbled before the Living, the Self-subsistent. And he who bears wrongdoing is indeed undone.

وَ مَنۡ یَّعۡمَلۡ مِنَ الصّٰلِحٰتِ وَ ہُوَ مُؤۡمِنٌ فَلَا یَخٰفُ ظُلۡمًا وَّ لَا ہَضۡمًا ﴿۱۱۲﴾

20:112 And whoever does good works, and is a believer, has no fear of injustice nor of the withholding of what is (his) due.

وَ کَذٰلِکَ اَنۡزَلۡنٰہُ قُرۡاٰنًا عَرَبِیًّا وَّ صَرَّفۡنَا فِیۡہِ مِنَ الۡوَعِیۡدِ لَعَلَّہُمۡ یَتَّقُوۡنَ اَوۡ یُحۡدِثُ لَہُمۡ ذِکۡرًا ﴿۱۱۳﴾

20:113 And thus have We sent it down an Arabic Quran, and have distinctly set forth in it some threats that they may guard against evil, or that it may be a reminder for them.

فَتَعٰلَی اللّٰہُ الۡمَلِکُ الۡحَقُّ ۚ وَ لَا تَعۡجَلۡ بِالۡقُرۡاٰنِ مِنۡ قَبۡلِ اَنۡ یُّقۡضٰۤی اِلَیۡکَ وَحۡیُہٗ ۫ وَ قُلۡ رَّبِّ زِدۡنِیۡ عِلۡمًا ﴿۱۱۴﴾

20:114 Supremely exalted then is Allah, the King, the Truth. And do not make haste with the Quran before its revelation is made complete to you, and say: My Lord, increase me in knowledge.3

وَ لَقَدۡ عَہِدۡنَاۤ اِلٰۤی اٰدَمَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ فَنَسِیَ وَ لَمۡ نَجِدۡ لَہٗ عَزۡمًا ﴿۱۱۵﴾٪

20:115 And certainly We gave a commandment to Adam before, but he forgot; and We found in him no resolve (to disobey).4

Commentary:

  1. The word jabal means a mountain, as well as the lord or chief of a people. That the latter significance is intended here is shown by the context; see in particular v. 108: “On that day they will follow the Inviter”. Verses 106–107 are to be taken in the same sense: they point to the removal of all obstacles that hindered the advance of Truth. ↩
  2. The Inviter in whom there is no crookedness is no other than the Holy Prophet, as is clearly stated elsewhere: “Praise be to Allah, Who revealed the Book to His servant, and did not allow in it any crookedness” (18:1). The whole verse clearly points to a time when Islam would be completely established, and instead of opposition the voices would be low before the Beneficent. The low­ness of the voice indicates submission. ↩
  3. The Holy Prophet no doubt desired that it should be made clear to him how the great transformation would be brought about and when the severe opposition which he was facing would come to an end. He is here told that he should not make haste with regard to what was promised in the Quran. The pro­cess will be gradual and meanwhile he should pray for more and more knowledge, for it was through knowledge that this great transformation was to be brought about. Even today a spiritual transformation can be brought about by spreading knowledge of the Quran, which is the greatest spiritual force that the world has ever seen, and it is only on account of being ignorant of this great spiritual force that the world remains in darkness. ↩
  4. This makes it clear that there was no intention on Adam’s part to disobey God’s command, or no resolve to disobey. ↩

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