English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 34: Al-Saba — The Saba (Revealed at Makkah: 6 sections, 54 verses)
Section 1 (Verses 34:1–34:9): Judgment is Certain
Translation:
بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
اَلۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰہِ الَّذِیۡ لَہٗ مَا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ وَ لَہُ الۡحَمۡدُ فِی الۡاٰخِرَۃِ ؕ وَ ہُوَ الۡحَکِیۡمُ الۡخَبِیۡرُ ﴿۱﴾
34:1 Praise be to Allah, Whose is whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and to Him be praise in the Hereafter! And He is the Wise, the Aware.
یَعۡلَمُ مَا یَلِجُ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ وَ مَا یَخۡرُجُ مِنۡہَا وَ مَا یَنۡزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ وَ مَا یَعۡرُجُ فِیۡہَا ؕ وَ ہُوَ الرَّحِیۡمُ الۡغَفُوۡرُ ﴿۲﴾
34:2 He knows what goes down into the earth and what comes out of it, and what comes down from heaven and what goes up to it. And He is the Merciful, the Forgiving.
وَ قَالَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا لَا تَاۡتِیۡنَا السَّاعَۃُ ؕ قُلۡ بَلٰی وَ رَبِّیۡ لَتَاۡتِیَنَّکُمۡ ۙ عٰلِمِ الۡغَیۡبِ ۚ لَا یَعۡزُبُ عَنۡہُ مِثۡقَالُ ذَرَّۃٍ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ لَا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ وَ لَاۤ اَصۡغَرُ مِنۡ ذٰلِکَ وَ لَاۤ اَکۡبَرُ اِلَّا فِیۡ کِتٰبٍ مُّبِیۡنٍ ٭ۙ﴿۳﴾
34:3 And those who disbelieve say: The Hour will never come to us. Say: Indeed, by my Lord, the Knower of the unseen, it will certainly come to you! Not an atom’s weight escapes Him in the heavens or in the earth, nor is there less than that nor greater, but (all) is in a clear book,1
لِّیَجۡزِیَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ ؕ اُولٰٓئِکَ لَہُمۡ مَّغۡفِرَۃٌ وَّ رِزۡقٌ کَرِیۡمٌ ﴿۴﴾
34:4 that He may reward those who believe and do good. For them is forgiveness and an honourable sustenance.
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ سَعَوۡ فِیۡۤ اٰیٰتِنَا مُعٰجِزِیۡنَ اُولٰٓئِکَ لَہُمۡ عَذَابٌ مِّنۡ رِّجۡزٍ اَلِیۡمٌ ﴿۵﴾
34:5 And those who strive hard in opposing Our Messages, for them is a painful punishment of an evil kind.
وَ یَرَی الَّذِیۡنَ اُوۡتُوا الۡعِلۡمَ الَّذِیۡۤ اُنۡزِلَ اِلَیۡکَ مِنۡ رَّبِّکَ ہُوَ الۡحَقَّ ۙ وَ یَہۡدِیۡۤ اِلٰی صِرَاطِ الۡعَزِیۡزِ الۡحَمِیۡدِ ﴿۶﴾
34:6 And those who have been given knowledge see that what is revealed to you from your Lord, is the Truth and it guides into the path of the Mighty, the Praised.
وَ قَالَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا ہَلۡ نَدُلُّکُمۡ عَلٰی رَجُلٍ یُّنَبِّئُکُمۡ اِذَا مُزِّقۡتُمۡ کُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ ۙ اِنَّکُمۡ لَفِیۡ خَلۡقٍ جَدِیۡدٍ ۚ﴿۷﴾
34:7 And those who disbelieve say: Shall we show you a man who informs you that, when you are scattered the utmost scattering, you will then be in a new creation?
اَفۡتَرٰی عَلَی اللّٰہِ کَذِبًا اَمۡ بِہٖ جِنَّۃٌ ؕ بَلِ الَّذِیۡنَ لَا یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِالۡاٰخِرَۃِ فِی الۡعَذَابِ وَ الضَّلٰلِ الۡبَعِیۡدِ ﴿۸﴾
34:8 Has he forged a lie against Allah or is there madness in him? No, those who do not believe in the Hereafter are in torment and in far error.
اَفَلَمۡ یَرَوۡا اِلٰی مَا بَیۡنَ اَیۡدِیۡہِمۡ وَ مَا خَلۡفَہُمۡ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ اِنۡ نَّشَاۡ نَخۡسِفۡ بِہِمُ الۡاَرۡضَ اَوۡ نُسۡقِطۡ عَلَیۡہِمۡ کِسَفًا مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ ؕ اِنَّ فِیۡ ذٰلِکَ لَاٰیَۃً لِّکُلِّ عَبۡدٍ مُّنِیۡبٍ ٪﴿۹﴾
34:9 Do they not see what is before them and what is behind them of the heaven and the earth? If We please, We can make them low in the land or bring down upon them a portion of heaven. Surely there is a sign in this for every servant turning (to Allah).2
Commentary:
- The verse states the immutable law that every deed is followed by a consequence, and nothing should be looked upon as too small to produce an effect. The two verses that follow are an illustration of this law; good meets with a good reward and evil with an evil punishment. ↩
- This is the ever-recurring argument of the Quran. The disbelievers deny the last Resurrection, the life after death, the sublime principle of the accountability of human actions, which forms the only basis of high morals, and they are told that, as a proof of the truth of the Resurrection, they will be brought low in this very life for standing in the way of the advancement of Truth. It is compared with the coming of a portion from heaven because they would not be able to avert it. ↩