English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 21: Al-Anbiya — The Prophets (Revealed at Makkah: 7 sections, 112 verses)
Section 4 (Verses 21:42–21:50): Allah Deals with People Mercifully
Translation:
قُلۡ مَنۡ یَّکۡلَؤُکُمۡ بِالَّیۡلِ وَ النَّہَارِ مِنَ الرَّحۡمٰنِ ؕ بَلۡ ہُمۡ عَنۡ ذِکۡرِ رَبِّہِمۡ مُّعۡرِضُوۡنَ ﴿۴۲﴾
21:42 Say: Who guards you by night and by day from the Beneficent?1 But they turn away at the mention of their Lord.
اَمۡ لَہُمۡ اٰلِہَۃٌ تَمۡنَعُہُمۡ مِّنۡ دُوۡنِنَا ؕ لَا یَسۡتَطِیۡعُوۡنَ نَصۡرَ اَنۡفُسِہِمۡ وَ لَا ہُمۡ مِّنَّا یُصۡحَبُوۡنَ ﴿۴۳﴾
21:43 Or, have they gods who can defend them against Us? They cannot help themselves, nor can they be defended from Us.
بَلۡ مَتَّعۡنَا ہٰۤؤُلَآءِ وَ اٰبَآءَہُمۡ حَتّٰی طَالَ عَلَیۡہِمُ الۡعُمُرُ ؕ اَفَلَا یَرَوۡنَ اَنَّا نَاۡتِی الۡاَرۡضَ نَنۡقُصُہَا مِنۡ اَطۡرَافِہَا ؕ اَفَہُمُ الۡغٰلِبُوۡنَ ﴿۴۴﴾
21:44 Indeed, We gave provision to these and their fathers, until life was prolonged to them. Do they not see then that We are visiting the land, curtailing it of its sides? Can they then prevail?
قُلۡ اِنَّمَاۤ اُنۡذِرُکُمۡ بِالۡوَحۡیِ ۫ۖ وَ لَا یَسۡمَعُ الصُّمُّ الدُّعَآءَ اِذَا مَا یُنۡذَرُوۡنَ ﴿۴۵﴾
21:45 Say: I warn you only by revelation; and the deaf do not hear the call when they are warned.
وَ لَئِنۡ مَّسَّتۡہُمۡ نَفۡحَۃٌ مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّکَ لَیَقُوۡلُنَّ یٰوَیۡلَنَاۤ اِنَّا کُنَّا ظٰلِمِیۡنَ ﴿۴۶﴾
21:46 And if a blast of the punishment of your Lord were to touch them, they would say: O woe to us! Surely we were unjust.
وَ نَضَعُ الۡمَوَازِیۡنَ الۡقِسۡطَ لِیَوۡمِ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ فَلَا تُظۡلَمُ نَفۡسٌ شَیۡئًا ؕ وَ اِنۡ کَانَ مِثۡقَالَ حَبَّۃٍ مِّنۡ خَرۡدَلٍ اَتَیۡنَا بِہَا ؕ وَ کَفٰی بِنَا حٰسِبِیۡنَ ﴿۴۷﴾
21:47 And We will set up a just balance on the day of Resurrection, so no soul will be wronged in the least. And if there were the weight of a grain of mustard seed, We will bring it. And Sufficient are We to take account.
وَ لَقَدۡ اٰتَیۡنَا مُوۡسٰی وَ ہٰرُوۡنَ الۡفُرۡقَانَ وَ ضِیَآءً وَّ ذِکۡرًا لِّلۡمُتَّقِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۴۸﴾
21:48 And certainly We gave Moses and Aaron the criterion and a light and a reminder for those who guard against evil,2
الَّذِیۡنَ یَخۡشَوۡنَ رَبَّہُمۡ بِالۡغَیۡبِ وَ ہُمۡ مِّنَ السَّاعَۃِ مُشۡفِقُوۡنَ ﴿۴۹﴾
21:49 who fear their Lord in secret and they are fearful of the Hour.
وَ ہٰذَا ذِکۡرٌ مُّبٰرَکٌ اَنۡزَلۡنٰہُ ؕ اَفَاَنۡتُمۡ لَہٗ مُنۡکِرُوۡنَ ﴿٪۵۰﴾
21:50 And this is a blessed Reminder, which We have revealed. Will you then deny it?
Commentary:
- That is, if Allah were not Beneficent to you and guarded you, there is none who could guard you. Or if He, despite His beneficence, were to punish you because of your persistence in evil to such a degree as to call for the wrath of even a Beneficent Master, there would be none to guard you against that punishment. ↩
- The criterion given to Moses was that he was delivered from the hands of a most powerful enemy. The last verse of the section predicts that a similar sign would be shown in the case of the Prophet Muhammad. ↩