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 6 (Verses 34:46–34:54): Truth will Prosper

Translation:

قُلۡ اِنَّمَاۤ اَعِظُکُمۡ بِوَاحِدَۃٍ ۚ اَنۡ تَقُوۡمُوۡا لِلّٰہِ مَثۡنٰی وَ فُرَادٰی ثُمَّ تَتَفَکَّرُوۡا ۟ مَا بِصَاحِبِکُمۡ مِّنۡ جِنَّۃٍ ؕ اِنۡ ہُوَ اِلَّا نَذِیۡرٌ لَّکُمۡ بَیۡنَ یَدَیۡ عَذَابٍ شَدِیۡدٍ ﴿۴۶﴾

34:46 Say: I exhort you only to one thing, that you rise up for Allah’s sake by twos and singly; then ponder! There is no madness in your companion. He is only a warner to you before a severe punishment.

قُلۡ مَا سَاَلۡتُکُمۡ مِّنۡ اَجۡرٍ فَہُوَ لَکُمۡ ؕ اِنۡ اَجۡرِیَ اِلَّا عَلَی اللّٰہِ ۚ وَ ہُوَ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ شَہِیۡدٌ ﴿۴۷﴾

34:47 Say: Whatever reward I ask of you, that is only for yourselves. My reward is only with Allah, and He is a Witness over all things.

قُلۡ اِنَّ رَبِّیۡ یَقۡذِفُ بِالۡحَقِّ ۚ عَلَّامُ الۡغُیُوۡبِ ﴿۴۸﴾

34:48 Say: Surely my Lord casts the Truth, the great Knower of the unseen.

قُلۡ جَآءَ الۡحَقُّ وَ مَا یُبۡدِئُ الۡبَاطِلُ وَ مَا یُعِیۡدُ ﴿۴۹﴾

34:49 Say: The Truth has come, and falsehood neither originates, nor reproduces.1

قُلۡ اِنۡ ضَلَلۡتُ فَاِنَّمَاۤ اَضِلُّ عَلٰی نَفۡسِیۡ ۚ وَ اِنِ اہۡتَدَیۡتُ فَبِمَا یُوۡحِیۡۤ اِلَیَّ رَبِّیۡ ؕ اِنَّہٗ سَمِیۡعٌ قَرِیۡبٌ ﴿۵۰﴾

34:50 Say: If I go astray, only to my own loss do I go astray; and if I go aright, it is because of what my Lord reveals to me. Surely He is Hearing, Near.

وَ لَوۡ تَرٰۤی اِذۡ فَزِعُوۡا فَلَا فَوۡتَ وَ اُخِذُوۡا مِنۡ مَّکَانٍ قَرِیۡبٍ ﴿ۙ۵۱﴾

34:51 And if only you could see when they become terrified, but (then) there will be no escape and they will be seized from a near place;2

وَّ قَالُوۡۤا اٰمَنَّا بِہٖ ۚ وَ اَنّٰی لَہُمُ التَّنَاوُشُ مِنۡ مَّکَانٍۭ بَعِیۡدٍ ﴿ۚۖ۵۲﴾

34:52 and they will say: We believe in it. And how can they attain (to faith) from a distant place?3

وَّ قَدۡ کَفَرُوۡا بِہٖ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۚ وَ یَقۡذِفُوۡنَ بِالۡغَیۡبِ مِنۡ مَّکَانٍۭ بَعِیۡدٍ ﴿۵۳﴾

34:53 And they indeed disbelieved in it before, and they utter conjectures with regard to the unseen from a distant place.4

وَ حِیۡلَ بَیۡنَہُمۡ وَ بَیۡنَ مَا یَشۡتَہُوۡنَ کَمَا فُعِلَ بِاَشۡیَاعِہِمۡ مِّنۡ قَبۡلُ ؕ اِنَّہُمۡ کَانُوۡا فِیۡ شَکٍّ مُّرِیۡبٍ ﴿٪۵۴﴾

34:54 And a barrier is placed between them and what they desire,5 as was done with their partisans before. Surely they are in a disquieting doubt.

Commentary:

  1. The Truth may stand for Unity and falsehood for polytheism, the significance being that idol-worship will never again find access to Makkah. Compare 17:81: “Say: The Truth has come and falsehood vanished. Surely false­hood is ever bound to vanish”. ↩
  2. In this world, they were seized upon at Badr and again at Makkah. ↩
  3. For death shall then have removed them into the other world. ↩
  4. Their conjectures that the Prophet will not be successful have no value, as they have no access to the unseen. ↩
  5. Indeed, no punishment is greater than failure to attain what a person desires most eagerly. This is the hell of this life. ↩

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