English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 32: Al-Sajdah — The Adoration (Revealed at Makkah: 3 sections, 30 verses)
Section 3 (Verses 32:23–32:30): Dead Earth will Receive Life
Translation:
وَ لَقَدۡ اٰتَیۡنَا مُوۡسَی الۡکِتٰبَ فَلَا تَکُنۡ فِیۡ مِرۡیَۃٍ مِّنۡ لِّقَآئِہٖ وَ جَعَلۡنٰہُ ہُدًی لِّبَنِیۡۤ اِسۡرَآءِیۡلَ ﴿ۚ۲۳﴾
32:23 And We indeed gave Moses the Book — so do not doubt the meeting with Him — and We made it a guide for the Children of Israel.1
وَ جَعَلۡنَا مِنۡہُمۡ اَئِمَّۃً یَّہۡدُوۡنَ بِاَمۡرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُوۡا ۟ؕ وَ کَانُوۡا بِاٰیٰتِنَا یُوۡقِنُوۡنَ ﴿۲۴﴾
32:24 And We made from among them leaders to guide by Our command when they were patient. And they were certain of Our messages.
اِنَّ رَبَّکَ ہُوَ یَفۡصِلُ بَیۡنَہُمۡ یَوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ فِیۡمَا کَانُوۡا فِیۡہِ یَخۡتَلِفُوۡنَ ﴿۲۵﴾
32:25 Surely your Lord will judge between them on the day of Resurrection in that in which they differed.
اَوَ لَمۡ یَہۡدِ لَہُمۡ کَمۡ اَہۡلَکۡنَا مِنۡ قَبۡلِہِمۡ مِّنَ الۡقُرُوۡنِ یَمۡشُوۡنَ فِیۡ مَسٰکِنِہِمۡ ؕ اِنَّ فِیۡ ذٰلِکَ لَاٰیٰتٍ ؕ اَفَلَا یَسۡمَعُوۡنَ ﴿۲۶﴾
32:26 Is it not clear to them, how many of the generations, in whose abodes they go about, We destroyed before them? Surely there are signs in this. Will they not then hear?
اَوَ لَمۡ یَرَوۡا اَنَّا نَسُوۡقُ الۡمَآءَ اِلَی الۡاَرۡضِ الۡجُرُزِ فَنُخۡرِجُ بِہٖ زَرۡعًا تَاۡکُلُ مِنۡہُ اَنۡعَامُہُمۡ وَ اَنۡفُسُہُمۡ ؕ اَفَلَا یُبۡصِرُوۡنَ ﴿ؓ۲۷﴾
32:27 Do they not see that We drive the water to a land having no vegetation, then We bring forth with it seed-produce, of which their cattle and they themselves eat. Will they not then see?
وَ یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ مَتٰی ہٰذَا الۡفَتۡحُ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ صٰدِقِیۡنَ ﴿۲۸﴾
32:28 And they say: When will this victory come, if you are truthful?2
قُلۡ یَوۡمَ الۡفَتۡحِ لَا یَنۡفَعُ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡۤا اِیۡمَانُہُمۡ وَ لَا ہُمۡ یُنۡظَرُوۡنَ ﴿۲۹﴾
32:29 Say: On the day of victory the faith of those who (now) disbelieve will not benefit them, nor will they be given respite.
فَاَعۡرِضۡ عَنۡہُمۡ وَ انۡتَظِرۡ اِنَّہُمۡ مُّنۡتَظِرُوۡنَ ﴿٪۳۰﴾
32:30 So turn away from them and wait, surely they too are waiting.
Commentary:
- To bring about the meeting with God — to make humans live in God — is the real aim of religion, and here it is pointed out that to make people attain this object a Book was given to Moses for the Israelites, as a Book is now given for the whole world. This object will be attained despite opposition, which will be brought to naught, as made clear in v. 26. ↩
- The question makes it clear that the above verses speak of the triumph of Islam over all opposition, then and now, in metaphorical language; hence they ask, when will the victory come? The driving of the water to a dead land, a land having no vegetation, is a clear hint that the dead earth will receive life. ↩