English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)

by Maulana Muhammad Ali

Chapter 22: Al-Hajj — The Pilgrimage (Revealed at Makkah: 10 sections, 78 verses)

Section 1 (Verses 22:1–22:10): The Judgment

Translation:

بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

یٰۤاَیُّہَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوۡا رَبَّکُمۡ ۚ اِنَّ زَلۡزَلَۃَ السَّاعَۃِ شَیۡءٌ عَظِیۡمٌ ﴿۱﴾

22:1 O people, keep your duty to your Lord; surely the shock of the Hour is a grievous thing.1

یَوۡمَ تَرَوۡنَہَا تَذۡہَلُ کُلُّ مُرۡضِعَۃٍ عَمَّاۤ اَرۡضَعَتۡ وَ تَضَعُ کُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمۡلٍ حَمۡلَہَا وَ تَرَی النَّاسَ سُکٰرٰی وَ مَا ہُمۡ بِسُکٰرٰی وَ لٰکِنَّ عَذَابَ اللّٰہِ شَدِیۡدٌ ﴿۲﴾

22:2 The day you see it, every woman giving suck will forget her suckling and every pregnant one will lay down her burden, and you will see people as drunken, yet they will not be drunken, but the punishment of Allah will be severe.

وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنۡ یُّجَادِلُ فِی اللّٰہِ بِغَیۡرِ عِلۡمٍ وَّ یَتَّبِعُ کُلَّ شَیۡطٰنٍ مَّرِیۡدٍ ۙ﴿۳﴾

22:3 And some people dispute about Allah without knowledge, and follow every rebellious devil2 —

کُتِبَ عَلَیۡہِ اَنَّہٗ مَنۡ تَوَلَّاہُ فَاَنَّہٗ یُضِلُّہٗ وَ یَہۡدِیۡہِ اِلٰی عَذَابِ السَّعِیۡرِ ﴿۴﴾

22:4 For him it is written that whoever takes him for a friend, he will lead him astray and conduct him to the punishment of the burning Fire.

یٰۤاَیُّہَا النَّاسُ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ فِیۡ رَیۡبٍ مِّنَ الۡبَعۡثِ فَاِنَّا خَلَقۡنٰکُمۡ مِّنۡ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِنۡ نُّطۡفَۃٍ ثُمَّ مِنۡ عَلَقَۃٍ ثُمَّ مِنۡ مُّضۡغَۃٍ مُّخَلَّقَۃٍ وَّ غَیۡرِ مُخَلَّقَۃٍ لِّنُبَیِّنَ لَکُمۡ ؕ وَ نُقِرُّ فِی الۡاَرۡحَامِ مَا نَشَآءُ اِلٰۤی اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّی ثُمَّ نُخۡرِجُکُمۡ طِفۡلًا ثُمَّ لِتَبۡلُغُوۡۤا اَشُدَّکُمۡ ۚ وَ مِنۡکُمۡ مَّنۡ یُّتَوَفّٰی وَ مِنۡکُمۡ مَّنۡ یُّرَدُّ اِلٰۤی اَرۡذَلِ الۡعُمُرِ لِکَیۡلَا یَعۡلَمَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ عِلۡمٍ شَیۡئًا ؕ وَ تَرَی الۡاَرۡضَ ہَامِدَۃً فَاِذَاۤ اَنۡزَلۡنَا عَلَیۡہَا الۡمَآءَ اہۡتَزَّتۡ وَ رَبَتۡ وَ اَنۡۢبَتَتۡ مِنۡ کُلِّ زَوۡجٍۭ بَہِیۡجٍ ﴿۵﴾

22:5 O people, if you are in doubt about the Resurrection,3 then surely We created you from dust,4 then from a small life-germ, then from a clot, then from a lump of flesh, complete in make and incomplete, that We may make clear to you.5 And We cause what We please to remain in the wombs till an appointed time, then We bring you forth as babies, then that you may attain your maturity. And some of you are caused to die, while some of you are brought back to the worst part of life,6 knowing nothing after having knowledge. And you see the earth barren, but when We send down water upon it, it stirs and swells and brings forth a beautiful (growth) of every kind.7

ذٰلِکَ بِاَنَّ اللّٰہَ ہُوَ الۡحَقُّ وَ اَنَّہٗ یُحۡیِ الۡمَوۡتٰی وَ اَنَّہٗ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ قَدِیۡرٌ ۙ﴿۶﴾

22:6 That is because Allah, He is the Truth, and He gives life to the dead, and He is Powerful over all things,

وَّ اَنَّ السَّاعَۃَ اٰتِیَۃٌ لَّا رَیۡبَ فِیۡہَا ۙ وَ اَنَّ اللّٰہَ یَبۡعَثُ مَنۡ فِی الۡقُبُوۡرِ ﴿۷﴾

22:7 and the Hour is coming, there is no doubt about it; and Allah will raise up those who are in the graves.8

وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنۡ یُّجَادِلُ فِی اللّٰہِ بِغَیۡرِ عِلۡمٍ وَّ لَا ہُدًی وَّ لَا کِتٰبٍ مُّنِیۡرٍ ۙ﴿۸﴾

22:8 And some people dispute about Allah without knowledge, and without guidance, and without an illuminating Book,

ثَانِیَ عِطۡفِہٖ لِیُضِلَّ عَنۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ ؕ لَہٗ فِی الدُّنۡیَا خِزۡیٌ وَّ نُذِیۡقُہٗ یَوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ عَذَابَ الۡحَرِیۡقِ ﴿۹﴾

22:9 (such a person) turning away haughtily to lead (others) astray from the way of Allah. For him is disgrace in this world, and on the day of Resurrection We shall make him taste the punishment of burning.

ذٰلِکَ بِمَا قَدَّمَتۡ یَدٰکَ وَ اَنَّ اللّٰہَ لَیۡسَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلۡعَبِیۡدِ ﴿٪۱۰﴾

22:10 This is for what your two hands have sent ahead, and Allah is not in the least unjust to the servants.

Commentary:

  1. In the Quran, al-sā‘ah or the Hour does not necessarily imply the day of Judgment. It often implies the time of judgment in this life, the time when the threatened doom overtakes a people, and this seems to be the significance here. Some consider that a severe shaking of the earth is meant as a sign of the approach of the great judgment, but even in that case it might imply any terrible calamity, such as a great war. ↩
  2. The devil here is, as frequently in the Quran, the devil in human form. ↩
  3. The word ba‘th (raising, or as “resurrection” here) is used in three senses in the Quran: (1) the raising of the dead to life according to their good or evil deeds on the Judgment day; (2) the raising of the spiritually dead to life by the prophets; and (3) the raising up of prophets by Allah for the guidance of man­kind. The word as used here may include the denial of all these three cases. The argument contained in this and the following verses is equally applicable to all, but it most prominently refers to the spiritual resurrection of the dead. ↩
  4. These words explain the meaning of Adam’s or man’s creation from dust, which is frequently referred to in the Quran, for all people are here spoken of as being created from dust. Man’s creation from dust implies the ultimate spring­­ing of all life from earth. ↩
  5. The various stages through which every human child passes are spoken of here, showing how humble is his origin. Or, the reference may be to the various stages through which man has passed in his evolution to the present stage of perfection. Attention is thus drawn to the fact that, just as the physical evolu­tion of man is gradual, so is his spiritual growth and development. ↩
  6. By the worst part of life is meant dotage and decrepitude. ↩
  7. The stirring and swelling of the earth means its stirring and swelling with the growth of herbage. Compare 41:39. The illustration draws attention to the fact that revelation quickens dead hearts as rain quickens dead earth. ↩
  8. Compare 35:22: “Surely Allah makes whom He pleases hear, and you cannot make those hear who are in the graves”. The significance is that even the incorrigible will be raised to a spiritual life. ↩

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