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 7 (Verses 22:49–22:57): Opposition to the Prophet
Translation:
قُلۡ یٰۤاَیُّہَا النَّاسُ اِنَّمَاۤ اَنَا لَکُمۡ نَذِیۡرٌ مُّبِیۡنٌ ﴿ۚ۴۹﴾
22:49 Say: O people, I am only a plain warner to you.
فَالَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ لَہُمۡ مَّغۡفِرَۃٌ وَّ رِزۡقٌ کَرِیۡمٌ ﴿۵۰﴾
22:50 So those who believe and do good, for them is forgiveness and an honourable sustenance.
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ سَعَوۡا فِیۡۤ اٰیٰتِنَا مُعٰجِزِیۡنَ اُولٰٓئِکَ اَصۡحٰبُ الۡجَحِیۡمِ ﴿۵۱﴾
22:51 And those who strive to oppose Our messages, they are the inmates of the flaming Fire.
وَ مَاۤ اَرۡسَلۡنَا مِنۡ قَبۡلِکَ مِنۡ رَّسُوۡلٍ وَّ لَا نَبِیٍّ اِلَّاۤ اِذَا تَمَنّٰۤی اَلۡقَی الشَّیۡطٰنُ فِیۡۤ اُمۡنِیَّتِہٖ ۚ فَیَنۡسَخُ اللّٰہُ مَا یُلۡقِی الشَّیۡطٰنُ ثُمَّ یُحۡکِمُ اللّٰہُ اٰیٰتِہٖ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ عَلِیۡمٌ حَکِیۡمٌ ﴿ۙ۵۲﴾
22:52 And We never sent a messenger or a prophet before you but when he desired, the devil made a suggestion in regard to his desire; but Allah annuls what the devil casts, then does Allah establish His messages. And Allah is Knowing, Wise1 —
لِّیَجۡعَلَ مَا یُلۡقِی الشَّیۡطٰنُ فِتۡنَۃً لِّلَّذِیۡنَ فِیۡ قُلُوۡبِہِمۡ مَّرَضٌ وَّ الۡقَاسِیَۃِ قُلُوۡبُہُمۡ ؕ وَ اِنَّ الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ لَفِیۡ شِقَاقٍۭ بَعِیۡدٍ ﴿ۙ۵۳﴾
22:53 that He may make what the devil casts a trial for those in whose hearts is a disease and the hard-hearted.2 And surely the wrongdoers are in severe opposition,
وَّ لِیَعۡلَمَ الَّذِیۡنَ اُوۡتُوا الۡعِلۡمَ اَنَّہُ الۡحَقُّ مِنۡ رَّبِّکَ فَیُؤۡمِنُوۡا بِہٖ فَتُخۡبِتَ لَہٗ قُلُوۡبُہُمۡ ؕ وَ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَہَادِ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اِلٰی صِرَاطٍ مُّسۡتَقِیۡمٍ ﴿۵۴﴾
22:54 and that those who have been given knowledge may know that it is the Truth from your Lord, so they should believe in it that their hearts may be lowly before Him. And surely Allah is the Guide of those who believe, into a right path.
وَ لَا یَزَالُ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا فِیۡ مِرۡیَۃٍ مِّنۡہُ حَتّٰی تَاۡتِیَہُمُ السَّاعَۃُ بَغۡتَۃً اَوۡ یَاۡتِیَہُمۡ عَذَابُ یَوۡمٍ عَقِیۡمٍ ﴿۵۵﴾
22:55 And those who disbelieve will not cease to be in doubt concerning it, until the Hour overtakes them suddenly, or the punishment of a destructive day comes to them.
اَلۡمُلۡکُ یَوۡمَئِذٍ لِّلّٰہِ ؕ یَحۡکُمُ بَیۡنَہُمۡ ؕ فَالَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ فِیۡ جَنّٰتِ النَّعِیۡمِ ﴿۵۶﴾
22:56 The kingdom on that day is Allah’s. He will judge between them. So those who believe and do good will be in Gardens of bliss.
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا وَ کَذَّبُوۡا بِاٰیٰتِنَا فَاُولٰٓئِکَ لَہُمۡ عَذَابٌ مُّہِیۡنٌ ﴿٪۵۷﴾
22:57 And those who disbelieve and reject Our messages, for them is a humiliating punishment.
Commentary:
- A false story is mentioned in connection with this verse, according to which the Holy Prophet on one occasion recognized that the idols worshipped by the Arabs could intercede with God on their behalf. See 53:21 footnote. This story has been rejected by all sound and reliable commentators. The words of this verse do not, and cannot, mean that when a prophet recites a revelation, the devil introduces his own words into his recitation. What every prophet desires is the establishing of the Truth that is revealed to him, and it is with this desire of every prophet that the devil interferes, instigating people, making suggestions to them, as stated here, to oppose the Truth. That this is the true meaning is also shown by the context, which deals with the establishing of the Truth and the desire of the opponents of Truth to annihilate it. ↩
- The devil’s strivings against the Prophet become a trial for the weak, who are unable to endure the severe persecutions of their enemies. ↩