English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)

by Maulana Muhammad Ali

Quran: Search & listen

Chapter 28: Al-Qasas — The Narrative (Revealed at Makkah: 9 sections, 88 verses)

Section 6 (Verses 28:51–28:60): The Truth of Revelation

Translation:

وَ لَقَدۡ وَصَّلۡنَا لَہُمُ الۡقَوۡلَ لَعَلَّہُمۡ یَتَذَکَّرُوۡنَ ﴿ؕ۵۱﴾

28:51 And certainly We have made the Word to have many connections for their sake, so that they may be mindful.1

اَلَّذِیۡنَ اٰتَیۡنٰہُمُ الۡکِتٰبَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِہٖ ہُمۡ بِہٖ یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ ﴿۵۲﴾

28:52 Those to whom We gave the Book before it, they are believers in it.2

وَ اِذَا یُتۡلٰی عَلَیۡہِمۡ قَالُوۡۤا اٰمَنَّا بِہٖۤ اِنَّہُ الۡحَقُّ مِنۡ رَّبِّنَاۤ اِنَّا کُنَّا مِنۡ قَبۡلِہٖ مُسۡلِمِیۡنَ ﴿۵۳﴾

28:53 And when it is recited to them they say: We believe in it; surely it is the Truth from our Lord; we were indeed, before this, submitting ones.

اُولٰٓئِکَ یُؤۡتَوۡنَ اَجۡرَہُمۡ مَّرَّتَیۡنِ بِمَا صَبَرُوۡا وَ یَدۡرَءُوۡنَ بِالۡحَسَنَۃِ السَّیِّئَۃَ وَ مِمَّا رَزَقۡنٰہُمۡ یُنۡفِقُوۡنَ ﴿۵۴﴾

28:54 These will be granted their reward twice, because they are steadfast, and they repel evil with good and spend (on good works) out of what We have given them.3

وَ اِذَا سَمِعُوا اللَّغۡوَ اَعۡرَضُوۡا عَنۡہُ وَ قَالُوۡا لَنَاۤ اَعۡمَالُنَا وَ لَکُمۡ اَعۡمَالُکُمۡ ۫ سَلٰمٌ عَلَیۡکُمۡ ۫ لَا نَبۡتَغِی الۡجٰہِلِیۡنَ ﴿۵۵﴾

28:55 And when they hear idle talk, they turn aside from it and say: For us are our deeds and for you your deeds. Peace be on you! We do not desire the ignorant.

اِنَّکَ لَا تَہۡدِیۡ مَنۡ اَحۡبَبۡتَ وَ لٰکِنَّ اللّٰہَ یَہۡدِیۡ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ ۚ وَ ہُوَ اَعۡلَمُ بِالۡمُہۡتَدِیۡنَ ﴿۵۶﴾

28:56 Surely you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases; and He knows best those who walk aright.4

وَ قَالُوۡۤا اِنۡ نَّتَّبِعِ الۡہُدٰی مَعَکَ نُتَخَطَّفۡ مِنۡ اَرۡضِنَا ؕ اَوَ لَمۡ نُمَکِّنۡ لَّہُمۡ حَرَمًا اٰمِنًا یُّجۡبٰۤی اِلَیۡہِ ثَمَرٰتُ کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ رِّزۡقًا مِّنۡ لَّدُنَّا وَ لٰکِنَّ اَکۡثَرَہُمۡ لَا یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿۵۷﴾

28:57 And they say: If we follow the guidance with you, we should be carried off from our country. Have We not settled them in a safe, sacred territory to which fruits of every kind are drawn? A sustenance from Us — but most of them do not know.5

وَ کَمۡ اَہۡلَکۡنَا مِنۡ قَرۡیَۃٍۭ بَطِرَتۡ مَعِیۡشَتَہَا ۚ فَتِلۡکَ مَسٰکِنُہُمۡ لَمۡ تُسۡکَنۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِہِمۡ اِلَّا قَلِیۡلًا ؕ وَ کُنَّا نَحۡنُ الۡوٰرِثِیۡنَ ﴿۵۸﴾

28:58 And how many a town have We destroyed which exulted in its means of subsistence! So those are their abodes: they have not been dwelt in after them except a little. And We are ever the Inheritors.6

وَ مَا کَانَ رَبُّکَ مُہۡلِکَ الۡقُرٰی حَتّٰی یَبۡعَثَ فِیۡۤ اُمِّہَا رَسُوۡلًا یَّتۡلُوۡا عَلَیۡہِمۡ اٰیٰتِنَا ۚ وَ مَا کُنَّا مُہۡلِکِی الۡقُرٰۤی اِلَّا وَ اَہۡلُہَا ظٰلِمُوۡنَ ﴿۵۹﴾

28:59 And your Lord never destroyed the towns, until He had raised in their metropolis a messenger, reciting to them Our messages, and We never destroyed the towns except when their people were wrongdoers.

وَ مَاۤ اُوۡتِیۡتُمۡ مِّنۡ شَیۡءٍ فَمَتَاعُ الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا وَ زِیۡنَتُہَا ۚ وَ مَا عِنۡدَ اللّٰہِ خَیۡرٌ وَّ اَبۡقٰی ؕ اَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُوۡنَ ﴿٪۶۰﴾

28:60 And whatever things you have been given are only a provision of this world’s life and its adornment, and whatever is with Allah is better and more lasting. Do you not then understand?

Commentary:

  1. What is implied here is that the word of Allah, as contained in the Quran, is made to have many points of connection with previous revelation, so that it may be the easier for them to be reminded of its truth. Even if they did not believe in previous revelation, the broad points of likeness in the principles of two different prophets appearing at such a distance of time from each other, among entirely different nations, and under totally different circumstances, and the fulfil­ment of the prophecies uttered by one in the other, afforded conclusive evidence of the truth of them both. ↩
  2. It is not meant that all those who have previously been given the Scriptures believe in the Quran. The verse only draws attention to the fact that all believe in the truth of revelation from Allah, and they cannot deny the points of connection between the two revelations, the truth of the fundamental principles and the fulfilment of prophecies. But only those would believe who have sub­mitted themselves already to Allah, as the verse that follows shows. ↩
  3. The reason for a double reward — which only means a greater reward — is given in the words that follow. They had to suffer persecution, and not only did they remain steadfast in these great trials, but they repelled the evil of their persecutors with good, and in addition to all this made great sacrifices by spend­ing in the cause of Truth. For double reward, see also 33:31 and 57:28. ↩
  4. It is related that when Abu Talib was on his deathbed, the Holy Prophet asked him to believe in Divine Unity. Abu Jahl, being by him at the time, dissuaded him from doing so, saying that he should not desert the religion of his fathers. Abu Talib died an unbeliever, and the words you cannot guide whom you love were a comfort to the Prophet (Bukhari, 65.28:1). But the words are true in a general sense as well. The Prophet wished that all people should accept the Truth and better their lives. But all this was to be brought about gradually. ↩
  5. The verse speaks first of the unfounded fears of those who thought that the weakness of the Muslims would result in the seizure, death, or expulsion of those who accepted the faith of Islam. In reply they are told that the prophecies which declare Makkah to be a safe and sacred territory, to which people will flock in all ages, must come to fulfilment, and Makkah will ultimately be theirs for whose sake these prophecies were uttered. ↩
  6. That is, even now the Divine kingdom will be established, and the true believers in God will be made masters of the country. ↩

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