English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 35: Al-Fatir — The Originator (Revealed at Makkah: 5 sections, 45 verses)
Section 5 (Verses 35:38–35:45): Punishment due to Evil Deeds
Translation:
اِنَّ اللّٰہَ عٰلِمُ غَیۡبِ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ اِنَّہٗ عَلِیۡمٌۢ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُوۡرِ ﴿۳۸﴾
35:38 Surely Allah is the Knower of the unseen in the heavens and the earth. Surely He is Knower of what is in the hearts.
ہُوَ الَّذِیۡ جَعَلَکُمۡ خَلٰٓئِفَ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ فَمَنۡ کَفَرَ فَعَلَیۡہِ کُفۡرُہٗ ؕ وَ لَا یَزِیۡدُ الۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ کُفۡرُہُمۡ عِنۡدَ رَبِّہِمۡ اِلَّا مَقۡتًا ۚ وَ لَا یَزِیۡدُ الۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ کُفۡرُہُمۡ اِلَّا خَسَارًا ﴿۳۹﴾
35:39 He it is Who made you successors in the earth. So whoever disbelieves, his disbelief is against himself. And their disbelief increases the disbelievers with their Lord only in hatred; and their disbelief increases the disbelievers in nothing but loss.
قُلۡ اَرَءَیۡتُمۡ شُرَکَآءَکُمُ الَّذِیۡنَ تَدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ ؕ اَرُوۡنِیۡ مَاذَا خَلَقُوۡا مِنَ الۡاَرۡضِ اَمۡ لَہُمۡ شِرۡکٌ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ ۚ اَمۡ اٰتَیۡنٰہُمۡ کِتٰبًا فَہُمۡ عَلٰی بَیِّنَتٍ مِّنۡہُ ۚ بَلۡ اِنۡ یَّعِدُ الظّٰلِمُوۡنَ بَعۡضُہُمۡ بَعۡضًا اِلَّا غُرُوۡرًا ﴿۴۰﴾
35:40 Say: Have you seen your associate-gods which you call upon besides Allah? Show me what they have created of the earth! Or have they any share in the heavens? Or, have We given them a Book so that they follow a clear argument from it? No, the wrongdoers hold out promises to one another only to deceive.
اِنَّ اللّٰہَ یُمۡسِکُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضَ اَنۡ تَزُوۡلَا ۬ۚ وَ لَئِنۡ زَالَتَاۤ اِنۡ اَمۡسَکَہُمَا مِنۡ اَحَدٍ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِہٖ ؕ اِنَّہٗ کَانَ حَلِیۡمًا غَفُوۡرًا ﴿۴۱﴾
35:41 Surely Allah upholds the heavens and the earth or they would come to naught. And if they come to naught, none can uphold them after Him. Surely He is ever Forbearing, Forgiving.
وَ اَقۡسَمُوۡا بِاللّٰہِ جَہۡدَ اَیۡمَانِہِمۡ لَئِنۡ جَآءَہُمۡ نَذِیۡرٌ لَّیَکُوۡنُنَّ اَہۡدٰی مِنۡ اِحۡدَی الۡاُمَمِ ۚ فَلَمَّا جَآءَہُمۡ نَذِیۡرٌ مَّا زَادَہُمۡ اِلَّا نُفُوۡرَۨا ﴿ۙ۴۲﴾
35:42 And they swore by Allah, their strongest oaths, that, if a warner came to them, they would be better guided than any of the nations. But when a warner came to them, it increased them only in aversion,1
اسۡتِکۡـبَارًا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ وَ مَکۡرَ السَّیِّیَٔ ؕ وَ لَا یَحِیۡقُ الۡمَکۡرُ السَّیِّیُٔ اِلَّا بِاَہۡلِہٖ ؕ فَہَلۡ یَنۡظُرُوۡنَ اِلَّا سُنَّتَ الۡاَوَّلِیۡنَ ۚ فَلَنۡ تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ اللّٰہِ تَبۡدِیۡلًا ۬ۚ وَ لَنۡ تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ اللّٰہِ تَحۡوِیۡلًا ﴿۴۳﴾
35:43 behaving proudly in the land and planning evil. And the evil plan engulfs none but the authors of it. So they wait only for the way of the ancients. But you will find no alteration in the course of Allah; and you will find no change in the course of Allah.
اَوَ لَمۡ یَسِیۡرُوۡا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ فَیَنۡظُرُوۡا کَیۡفَ کَانَ عَاقِبَۃُ الَّذِیۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِہِمۡ وَ کَانُوۡۤا اَشَدَّ مِنۡہُمۡ قُوَّۃً ؕ وَ مَا کَانَ اللّٰہُ لِیُعۡجِزَہٗ مِنۡ شَیۡءٍ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ لَا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ اِنَّہٗ کَانَ عَلِیۡمًا قَدِیۡرًا ﴿۴۴﴾
35:44 Have they not travelled in the land and seen what was the end of those before them — and they were stronger than those in power? And Allah is not such that anything in the heavens or the earth can escape Him. Surely He is ever Knowing, Powerful.
وَ لَوۡ یُؤَاخِذُ اللّٰہُ النَّاسَ بِمَا کَسَبُوۡا مَا تَرَکَ عَلٰی ظَہۡرِہَا مِنۡ دَآبَّۃٍ وَّ لٰکِنۡ یُّؤَخِّرُہُمۡ اِلٰۤی اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّی ۚ فَاِذَا جَآءَ اَجَلُہُمۡ فَاِنَّ اللّٰہَ کَانَ بِعِبَادِہٖ بَصِیۡرًا ﴿٪۴۵﴾
35:45 And if Allah were to punish people for what they earn, He would not leave on the back of it any creature,2 but He gives them respite till an appointed term; so when their doom comes, then surely Allah is ever Seer of His servants.
Commentary:
- There were Jews and Christians in Arabia who were as corrupt as the idolaters of Arabia. The Arabs, therefore, said that, if a prophet came to them as prophets came to other people, they would follow him, and set an example of goodness. ↩
- Similar words occur in 16:61: “And if Allah were to destroy people for their wrongdoing, He would not leave on it a single creature”. Evidently by creature here are meant people bent low on earth, people ignorant of the higher or spiritual values of life, or the wrongdoers; see 27:82 and 34:14. ↩