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 3 (Verses 34:22–34:30): A Victory for the Muslims

Translation:

قُلِ ادۡعُوا الَّذِیۡنَ زَعَمۡتُمۡ مِّنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ ۚ لَا یَمۡلِکُوۡنَ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّۃٍ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ لَا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ وَ مَا لَہُمۡ فِیۡہِمَا مِنۡ شِرۡکٍ وَّ مَا لَہٗ مِنۡہُمۡ مِّنۡ ظَہِیۡرٍ ﴿۲۲﴾

34:22 Say: Call upon those whom you assert (as gods) besides Allah; they do not control the weight of an atom in the heavens or in the earth, nor have they any partnership in either, nor has He a helper among them.1

وَ لَا تَنۡفَعُ الشَّفَاعَۃُ عِنۡدَہٗۤ اِلَّا لِمَنۡ اَذِنَ لَہٗ ؕ حَتّٰۤی اِذَا فُزِّعَ عَنۡ قُلُوۡبِہِمۡ قَالُوۡا مَاذَا ۙ قَالَ رَبُّکُمۡ ؕ قَالُوا الۡحَقَّ ۚ وَ ہُوَ الۡعَلِیُّ الۡکَبِیۡرُ ﴿۲۳﴾

34:23 And intercession does not avail with Him, except of one whom He permits. Until when fear is removed from their hearts, they say: What is it that your Lord said? They say: The Truth. And He is the Most High, the Great.

قُلۡ مَنۡ یَّرۡزُقُکُمۡ مِّنَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ قُلِ اللّٰہُ ۙ وَ اِنَّاۤ اَوۡ اِیَّاکُمۡ لَعَلٰی ہُدًی اَوۡ فِیۡ ضَلٰلٍ مُّبِیۡنٍ ﴿۲۴﴾

34:24 Say: Who gives you sustenance from the heavens and the earth? Say: Allah. And surely we or you are on a right way or in manifest error.2

قُلۡ لَّا تُسۡـَٔلُوۡنَ عَمَّاۤ اَجۡرَمۡنَا وَ لَا نُسۡـَٔلُ عَمَّا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ ﴿۲۵﴾

34:25 Say: You will not be asked of what we are guilty, nor shall we be asked of what you do.

قُلۡ یَجۡمَعُ بَیۡنَنَا رَبُّنَا ثُمَّ یَفۡتَحُ بَیۡنَنَا بِالۡحَقِّ ؕ وَ ہُوَ الۡفَتَّاحُ الۡعَلِیۡمُ ﴿۲۶﴾

34:26 Say: Our Lord will gather us together, then He will judge between us with truth. And He is the Best Judge, the Knower.3

قُلۡ اَرُوۡنِیَ الَّذِیۡنَ اَلۡحَقۡتُمۡ بِہٖ شُرَکَآءَ کَلَّا ؕ بَلۡ ہُوَ اللّٰہُ الۡعَزِیۡزُ الۡحَکِیۡمُ ﴿۲۷﴾

34:27 Say: Show me those whom you join with Him as partners. By no means (can you)! Indeed, He is Allah, the Mighty, the Wise.

وَ مَاۤ اَرۡسَلۡنٰکَ اِلَّا کَآفَّۃً لِّلنَّاسِ بَشِیۡرًا وَّ نَذِیۡرًا وَّ لٰکِنَّ اَکۡثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿۲۸﴾

34:28 And We have not sent you but as a bearer of good news and as a warner to all mankind, but most people do not know.4

وَ یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ مَتٰی ہٰذَا الۡوَعۡدُ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ صٰدِقِیۡنَ ﴿۲۹﴾

34:29 And they say: When will this promise be (fulfilled), if you are truthful?

قُلۡ لَّکُمۡ مِّیۡعَادُ یَوۡمٍ لَّا تَسۡتَاۡخِرُوۡنَ عَنۡہُ سَاعَۃً وَّ لَا تَسۡتَقۡدِمُوۡنَ ﴿٪۳۰﴾

34:30 Say: You have the appointment of a day which you cannot postpone by an hour, nor bring it forward.5

Commentary:

  1. It refers to the helplessness of the supposed gods to assist their votaries when distress overtakes them. ↩
  2. The meaning is that as surely as you are in manifest error, so surely are we on a right way. ↩
  3. This is a prophecy which was fulfilled in the first decisive battle which clearly decided the issue between the Muslims and their opponents. The question in v. 29 — when will this promise be fulfilled? — makes it quite clear. ↩
  4. The Prophet is repeatedly spoken of as having been sent as a messen­ger to all people, in the earliest as well as the later revelations. He is called “A warner to the nations” (25:1), “A mercy to the nations” (21:107), and so on. In one place, his being sent to people is qualified by the word jamī‘-an (7:158), which means all. Here it is qualified by the word kāffah, which means all without an exception. ↩
  5. The first encounter between the Muslims and their enemies took place in the battle of Badr, after the first year of the Flight had passed away. Elsewhere the same question is answered by the words: “Maybe somewhat of what you seek to hasten has drawn near to you” (27:72). ↩

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