English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)

by Maulana Muhammad Ali

Chapter 25: Al-Furqan — The Criterion (Revealed at Makkah: 6 sections, 77 verses)

Section 4 (Verses 25:35–25:44): A Lesson in the Fate of Former People

Translation:

وَ لَقَدۡ اٰتَیۡنَا مُوۡسَی الۡکِتٰبَ وَ جَعَلۡنَا مَعَہٗۤ اَخَاہُ ہٰرُوۡنَ وَزِیۡرًا ﴿ۚۖ۳۵﴾

25:35 And certainly We gave Moses the Book and We appointed with him his brother Aaron, an aider.

فَقُلۡنَا اذۡہَبَاۤ اِلَی الۡقَوۡمِ الَّذِیۡنَ کَذَّبُوۡا بِاٰیٰتِنَا ؕ فَدَمَّرۡنٰہُمۡ تَدۡمِیۡرًا ﴿ؕ۳۶﴾

25:36 Then We said: Go, both of you, to the people who reject Our messages. So We destroyed them with utter destruction.

وَ قَوۡمَ نُوۡحٍ لَّمَّا کَذَّبُوا الرُّسُلَ اَغۡرَقۡنٰہُمۡ وَ جَعَلۡنٰہُمۡ لِلنَّاسِ اٰیَۃً ؕ وَ اَعۡتَدۡنَا لِلظّٰلِمِیۡنَ عَذَابًا اَلِیۡمًا ﴿ۚۖ۳۷﴾

25:37 And the people of Noah, when they rejected the messengers, We drowned them, and made them a sign for people. And We have prepared a painful punishment for the wrongdoers —

وَّ عَادًا وَّ ثَمُوۡدَا۠ وَ اَصۡحٰبَ الرَّسِّ وَ قُرُوۡنًۢا بَیۡنَ ذٰلِکَ کَثِیۡرًا ﴿۳۸﴾

25:38 And Ād and Thamūd and the dwellers of Rass and many generations in between.1

وَ کُلًّا ضَرَبۡنَا لَہُ الۡاَمۡثَالَ ۫ وَ کُلًّا تَبَّرۡنَا تَتۡبِیۡرًا ﴿۳۹﴾

25:39 And to each We gave examples and each did We destroy with utter destruction.2

وَ لَقَدۡ اَتَوۡا عَلَی الۡقَرۡیَۃِ الَّتِیۡۤ اُمۡطِرَتۡ مَطَرَ السَّوۡءِ ؕ اَفَلَمۡ یَکُوۡنُوۡا یَرَوۡنَہَا ۚ بَلۡ کَانُوۡا لَا یَرۡجُوۡنَ نُشُوۡرًا ﴿۴۰﴾

25:40 And indeed they pass by the town on which was rained an evil rain.3 Do they not see it? But they hope not to be raised again.

وَ اِذَا رَاَوۡکَ اِنۡ یَّتَّخِذُوۡنَکَ اِلَّا ہُزُوًا ؕ اَہٰذَا الَّذِیۡ بَعَثَ اللّٰہُ رَسُوۡلًا ﴿۴۱﴾

25:41 And when they see you, they take you only for a jest: Is this he whom Allah has raised to be a messenger?

اِنۡ کَادَ لَیُضِلُّنَا عَنۡ اٰلِہَتِنَا لَوۡ لَاۤ اَنۡ صَبَرۡنَا عَلَیۡہَا ؕ وَ سَوۡفَ یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ حِیۡنَ یَرَوۡنَ الۡعَذَابَ مَنۡ اَضَلُّ سَبِیۡلًا ﴿۴۲﴾

25:42 He had almost led us astray from our gods, if we had not adhered to them patiently! And they will know, when they see the punishment, who is more astray from the path.

اَرَءَیۡتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ اِلٰـہَہٗ ہَوٰىہُ ؕ اَفَاَنۡتَ تَکُوۡنُ عَلَیۡہِ وَکِیۡلًا ﴿ۙ۴۳﴾

25:43 Have you seen him who takes his low desire for his god?4 Will you be a guardian over him?

اَمۡ تَحۡسَبُ اَنَّ اَکۡثَرَہُمۡ یَسۡمَعُوۡنَ اَوۡ یَعۡقِلُوۡنَ ؕ اِنۡ ہُمۡ اِلَّا کَالۡاَنۡعَامِ بَلۡ ہُمۡ اَضَلُّ سَبِیۡلًا ﴿٪۴۴﴾

25:44 Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are only as the cattle; rather, they are farther astray from the path.

Commentary:

  1. According to some, Rass was a country in which a part of the tribe of Thamūd resided; others say that Rass is the name of a town in Yamāmah. ↩
  2. The meaning is that every one of these generations was warned of its doom by citing examples of those who had previously perished, but, not heeding the warning, was destroyed. ↩
  3. This town is Sodom, which was situated on the way to Syria. ↩
  4. This verse shows how broad is the idea of shirk or polytheism accord­ing to the Quran. It is not simply worship of idols that is condemned, but blindly following one’s desires is equally condemned. Many people who consider them­selves the servants of the One God really bow in submission before the greatest of their idols, i.e., their desire. The monotheistic doctrine has here been brought to a perfection not to be met with elsewhere. ↩

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