English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)

by Maulana Muhammad Ali

Chapter 27: Al-Naml — The Naml (Revealed at Makkah: 7 sections, 93 verses)

Section 5 (Verses 27:59–27:66): The Faithful will be Exalted

Translation:

قُلِ الۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰہِ وَ سَلٰمٌ عَلٰی عِبَادِہِ الَّذِیۡنَ اصۡطَفٰی ؕ آٰللّٰہُ خَیۡرٌ اَمَّا یُشۡرِکُوۡنَ ﴿ؕ۵۹﴾

27:59 Say: Praise be to Allah and peace on His servants whom He has chosen! Is Allah better, or what they set up as partners (with Him)?

 اَمَّنۡ  خَلَقَ  السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضَ وَ اَنۡزَلَ لَکُمۡ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً ۚ فَاَنۡۢبَتۡنَا بِہٖ حَدَآئِقَ ذَاتَ بَہۡجَۃٍ ۚ مَا کَانَ  لَکُمۡ  اَنۡ تُنۡۢبِتُوۡا  شَجَرَہَا ؕ ءَ اِلٰہٌ  مَّعَ اللّٰہِ ؕ بَلۡ ہُمۡ قَوۡمٌ  یَّعۡدِلُوۡنَ ﴿ؕ۶۰﴾

Part 2027:60 Or, Who created the heavens and the earth, and sends down for you water from the cloud? Then with it We cause to grow beautiful gardens — it is not possible for you to make their trees to grow. Is there a god with Allah? Indeed, they are a people who deviate!

اَمَّنۡ جَعَلَ الۡاَرۡضَ قَرَارًا وَّ جَعَلَ خِلٰلَہَاۤ اَنۡہٰرًا وَّ جَعَلَ لَہَا رَوَاسِیَ وَ جَعَلَ بَیۡنَ الۡبَحۡرَیۡنِ حَاجِزًا ؕ ءَ اِلٰہٌ مَّعَ اللّٰہِ ؕ بَلۡ اَکۡثَرُہُمۡ لَا یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿ؕ۶۱﴾

27:61 Or, Who made the earth a resting-place, and made in it rivers, and raised on it mountains, and placed between the two seas a barrier?1 Is there a god with Allah? Indeed, most of them do not know!

اَمَّنۡ یُّجِیۡبُ الۡمُضۡطَرَّ اِذَا دَعَاہُ وَ یَکۡشِفُ السُّوۡٓءَ وَ یَجۡعَلُکُمۡ خُلَفَآءَ الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ ءَ اِلٰہٌ مَّعَ اللّٰہِ ؕ قَلِیۡلًا مَّا تَذَکَّرُوۡنَ ﴿ؕ۶۲﴾

27:62 Or, Who answers the distressed one when he calls upon Him and removes the evil, and will make you successors in the earth?2 Is there a god with Allah? Little mindful are you!

اَمَّنۡ یَّہۡدِیۡکُمۡ فِیۡ ظُلُمٰتِ الۡبَرِّ وَ الۡبَحۡرِ وَ مَنۡ یُّرۡسِلُ الرِّیٰحَ بُشۡرًۢا بَیۡنَ یَدَیۡ رَحۡمَتِہٖ ؕ ءَ اِلٰہٌ مَّعَ اللّٰہِ ؕ تَعٰلَی اللّٰہُ عَمَّا یُشۡرِکُوۡنَ ﴿ؕ۶۳﴾

27:63 Or, Who guides you in the darkness of the land and the sea, and Who sends the winds as good news before His mercy? Is there a god with Allah? Exalted be Allah above what they set up as partners (with Him)!

اَمَّنۡ یَّبۡدَؤُا الۡخَلۡقَ ثُمَّ یُعِیۡدُہٗ وَ مَنۡ یَّرۡزُقُکُمۡ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ ءَ اِلٰہٌ مَّعَ اللّٰہِ ؕ قُلۡ ہَاتُوۡا بُرۡہَانَکُمۡ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ صٰدِقِیۡنَ ﴿۶۴﴾

27:64 Or, Who originates the creation, then reproduces it, and Who gives you sustenance from the heaven and the earth? Is there a god with Allah? Say: Bring your proof, if you are truthful.

قُلۡ لَّا یَعۡلَمُ مَنۡ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ الۡغَیۡبَ اِلَّا اللّٰہُ ؕ وَ مَا یَشۡعُرُوۡنَ اَیَّانَ یُبۡعَثُوۡنَ ﴿۶۵﴾

27:65 Say: No one in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen but Allah; and they do not know when they will be raised.

بَلِ ادّٰرَکَ عِلۡمُہُمۡ فِی الۡاٰخِرَۃِ ۟ بَلۡ ہُمۡ فِیۡ شَکٍّ مِّنۡہَا ۫۟ بَلۡ ہُمۡ مِّنۡہَا عَمُوۡنَ ﴿٪۶۶﴾

27:66 No, their knowledge does not reach the Hereafter. Indeed, they are in doubt about it. Indeed, they are blind to it.3

Commentary:

  1. See 25:53. ↩
  2. The manifestation of the marvellous power of God in nature, the crea­tion of the heavens and the earth, the sending down of rain, the making of rivers and mountains — all these wonderful signs of the existence of the Great Creator are here followed by another equally wonderful sign of the existence of God, the manifestation of His marvellous power in man. But mark the contrast. This mani­festation of the existence of God is not to be sought in the greatness and power of man as the conqueror of the forces of nature, but in his weakness in his great distress when, unable to find help from any source, he throws himself on the Divine threshold and seeks help from God. But what is more, this manifestation of God’s power is beautifully mingled with prophecy — and He will make you successors in the earth. The distressed ones here are no other than the Muslims, who were being cruelly persecuted and tortured, and they are told that the mani­festation of God’s power in making them rulers of the earth would be as great as it was in His creation of the heavens and the earth. This also shows the purpose underlying the narration of the histories of David and Solomon. ↩
  3. Human knowledge cannot reach the life after death and God has given this knowledge to man through His revelation. But people are in doubt about it; in fact, they shut their eyes to it. ↩

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