English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 23: Al-Muminun — The Believers (Revealed at Makkah: 6 sections, 118 verses)
Section 4 (Verses 23:51–23:77): Higher Values of Life
Translation:
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الرُّسُلُ کُلُوۡا مِنَ الطَّیِّبٰتِ وَ اعۡمَلُوۡا صَالِحًا ؕ اِنِّیۡ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ عَلِیۡمٌ ﴿ؕ۵۱﴾
23:51 O messengers, eat of the good things and do good. Surely I am Knower of what you do.
وَ اِنَّ ہٰذِہٖۤ اُمَّتُکُمۡ اُمَّۃً وَّاحِدَۃً وَّ اَنَا رَبُّکُمۡ فَاتَّقُوۡنِ ﴿۵۲﴾
23:52 And surely this your community is one community, and I am your Lord, so keep your duty to Me.
فَتَقَطَّعُوۡۤا اَمۡرَہُمۡ بَیۡنَہُمۡ زُبُرًا ؕ کُلُّ حِزۡبٍۭ بِمَا لَدَیۡہِمۡ فَرِحُوۡنَ ﴿۵۳﴾
23:53 But they split apart their unity into sects, each faction rejoicing in what it had.
فَذَرۡہُمۡ فِیۡ غَمۡرَتِہِمۡ حَتّٰی حِیۡنٍ ﴿۵۴﴾
23:54 So leave them in their ignorance till a time.
اَیَحۡسَبُوۡنَ اَنَّمَا نُمِدُّہُمۡ بِہٖ مِنۡ مَّالٍ وَّ بَنِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۵۵﴾
23:55 Do they think that by the wealth and children with which We aid them,
نُسَارِعُ لَہُمۡ فِی الۡخَیۡرٰتِ ؕ بَلۡ لَّا یَشۡعُرُوۡنَ ﴿۵۶﴾
23:56 we are hastening to them good things? Rather, they do not perceive.
اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ مِّنۡ خَشۡیَۃِ رَبِّہِمۡ مُّشۡفِقُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۵۷﴾
23:57 Surely they who live in awe for fear of their Lord,
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ بِاٰیٰتِ رَبِّہِمۡ یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۵۸﴾
23:58 and those who believe in the messages of their Lord,
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ بِرَبِّہِمۡ لَا یُشۡرِکُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۵۹﴾
23:59 and those who set up no partner with their Lord,
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ یُؤۡتُوۡنَ مَاۤ اٰتَوۡا وَّ قُلُوۡبُہُمۡ وَجِلَۃٌ اَنَّہُمۡ اِلٰی رَبِّہِمۡ رٰجِعُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۶۰﴾
23:60 and those who give what they give while their hearts are full of fear that to their Lord they must return —
اُولٰٓئِکَ یُسٰرِعُوۡنَ فِی الۡخَیۡرٰتِ وَ ہُمۡ لَہَا سٰبِقُوۡنَ ﴿۶۱﴾
23:61 These hasten to good things and they are foremost in attaining them.
وَ لَا نُکَلِّفُ نَفۡسًا اِلَّا وُسۡعَہَا وَ لَدَیۡنَا کِتٰبٌ یَّنۡطِقُ بِالۡحَقِّ وَ ہُمۡ لَا یُظۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿۶۲﴾
23:62 And We do not impose on any soul a duty beyond its ability, and with Us is a book which speaks the truth, and they are not wronged.
بَلۡ قُلُوۡبُہُمۡ فِیۡ غَمۡرَۃٍ مِّنۡ ہٰذَا وَ لَہُمۡ اَعۡمَالٌ مِّنۡ دُوۡنِ ذٰلِکَ ہُمۡ لَہَا عٰمِلُوۡنَ ﴿۶۳﴾
23:63 But their hearts are in ignorance about it, and they have besides this other deeds which they do.
حَتّٰۤی اِذَاۤ اَخَذۡنَا مُتۡرَفِیۡہِمۡ بِالۡعَذَابِ اِذَا ہُمۡ یَجۡـَٔرُوۡنَ ﴿ؕ۶۴﴾
23:64 Until, when We seize those who lead easy lives among them with punishment, then they cry for help.
لَا تَجۡـَٔرُوا الۡیَوۡمَ ۟ اِنَّکُمۡ مِّنَّا لَا تُنۡصَرُوۡنَ ﴿۶۵﴾
23:65 Do not cry for help this day. Surely you will not be helped by Us.
قَدۡ کَانَتۡ اٰیٰتِیۡ تُتۡلٰی عَلَیۡکُمۡ فَکُنۡتُمۡ عَلٰۤی اَعۡقَابِکُمۡ تَنۡکِصُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۶۶﴾
23:66 My messages were indeed recited to you, but you used to turn back on your heels
مُسۡتَکۡبِرِیۡنَ ٭ۖ بِہٖ سٰمِرًا تَہۡجُرُوۡنَ ﴿۶۷﴾
23:67 haughtily, passing nights in talking nonsense about it.
اَفَلَمۡ یَدَّبَّرُوا الۡقَوۡلَ اَمۡ جَآءَہُمۡ مَّا لَمۡ یَاۡتِ اٰبَآءَہُمُ الۡاَوَّلِیۡنَ ﴿۫۶۸﴾
23:68 Do they not then ponder the Word? Or has there come to them something which did not come to their fathers of old?
اَمۡ لَمۡ یَعۡرِفُوۡا رَسُوۡلَہُمۡ فَہُمۡ لَہٗ مُنۡکِرُوۡنَ ﴿۫۶۹﴾
23:69 Or do they not recognize their Messenger, that they deny him?
اَمۡ یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ بِہٖ جِنَّۃٌ ؕ بَلۡ جَآءَہُمۡ بِالۡحَقِّ وَ اَکۡثَرُہُمۡ لِلۡحَقِّ کٰرِہُوۡنَ ﴿۷۰﴾
23:70 Or say they: There is madness in him? But he has brought them the Truth, and most of them hate the Truth.
وَ لَوِ اتَّبَعَ الۡحَقُّ اَہۡوَآءَہُمۡ لَفَسَدَتِ السَّمٰوٰتُ وَ الۡاَرۡضُ وَ مَنۡ فِیۡہِنَّ ؕ بَلۡ اَتَیۡنٰہُمۡ بِذِکۡرِہِمۡ فَہُمۡ عَنۡ ذِکۡرِہِمۡ مُّعۡرِضُوۡنَ ﴿ؕ۷۱﴾
23:71 And if the Truth follow their desires, the heavens and the earth and all those who are in them would perish. Indeed, We have brought them their reminder, but they turn away from their reminder.
اَمۡ تَسۡـَٔلُہُمۡ خَرۡجًا فَخَرَاجُ رَبِّکَ خَیۡرٌ ٭ۖ وَّ ہُوَ خَیۡرُ الرّٰزِقِیۡنَ ﴿۷۲﴾
23:72 Or do you ask them a recompense? But the recompense of your Lord is best, and He is the Best of providers.
وَ اِنَّکَ لَتَدۡعُوۡہُمۡ اِلٰی صِرَاطٍ مُّسۡتَقِیۡمٍ ﴿۷۳﴾
23:73 And surely you call them to a right way.
وَ اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ لَا یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِالۡاٰخِرَۃِ عَنِ الصِّرَاطِ لَنٰکِبُوۡنَ ﴿۷۴﴾
23:74 And surely those who do not believe in the Hereafter are deviating from the way.
وَ لَوۡ رَحِمۡنٰہُمۡ وَ کَشَفۡنَا مَا بِہِمۡ مِّنۡ ضُرٍّ لَّلَجُّوۡا فِیۡ طُغۡیَانِہِمۡ یَعۡمَہُوۡنَ ﴿۷۵﴾
23:75 And if We show mercy to them and remove the distress they have, they would persist in their inordinacy, blindly wandering on.
وَ لَقَدۡ اَخَذۡنٰہُمۡ بِالۡعَذَابِ فَمَا اسۡتَکَانُوۡا لِرَبِّہِمۡ وَ مَا یَتَضَرَّعُوۡنَ ﴿۷۶﴾
23:76 And already We seized them with punishment, but they were not submissive to their Lord, nor did they humble themselves.1
حَتّٰۤی اِذَا فَتَحۡنَا عَلَیۡہِمۡ بَابًا ذَا عَذَابٍ شَدِیۡدٍ اِذَا ہُمۡ فِیۡہِ مُبۡلِسُوۡنَ ﴿٪۷۷﴾
23:77 Until, when We open for them a door of severe punishment, then they are in despair at it.2
Commentary:
- The punishment referred to in this verse, and the distress, the removal of which is mentioned in the previous verse, probably refer to the famine which overtook the people of Makkah. ↩
- They do not take a warning from the milder punishment, so a severer punishment must follow. This overtook them in the form of battles, leading to their ultimate defeat. But the promise relates to the future as well. ↩