English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 39: Az-Zumar — The Companies (Revealed at Makkah: 8 sections, 75 verses)
Section 6 (Verses 39:53–39:63): Divine Mercy
Translation:
قُلۡ یٰعِبَادِیَ الَّذِیۡنَ اَسۡرَفُوۡا عَلٰۤی اَنۡفُسِہِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُوۡا مِنۡ رَّحۡمَۃِ اللّٰہِ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ یَغۡفِرُ الذُّنُوۡبَ جَمِیۡعًا ؕ اِنَّہٗ ہُوَ الۡغَفُوۡرُ الرَّحِیۡمُ ﴿۵۳﴾
39:53 Say: O My servants who have been reckless against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah; surely Allah forgives sins altogether. He is indeed the Forgiving, the Merciful.1
وَ اَنِیۡبُوۡۤا اِلٰی رَبِّکُمۡ وَ اَسۡلِمُوۡا لَہٗ مِنۡ قَبۡلِ اَنۡ یَّاۡتِیَکُمُ الۡعَذَابُ ثُمَّ لَا تُنۡصَرُوۡنَ ﴿۵۴﴾
39:54 And turn to your Lord and submit to Him before punishment comes to you, then you will not be helped.
وَ اتَّبِعُوۡۤا اَحۡسَنَ مَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ اِلَیۡکُمۡ مِّنۡ رَّبِّکُمۡ مِّنۡ قَبۡلِ اَنۡ یَّاۡتِیَکُمُ الۡعَذَابُ بَغۡتَۃً وَّ اَنۡتُمۡ لَا تَشۡعُرُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۵۵﴾
39:55 And follow the best that has been revealed to you from your Lord2 before punishment comes to you all of a sudden, while you do not perceive —
اَنۡ تَقُوۡلَ نَفۡسٌ یّٰحَسۡرَتٰی عَلٰی مَا فَرَّطۡتُّ فِیۡ جَنۡۢبِ اللّٰہِ وَ اِنۡ کُنۡتُ لَمِنَ السّٰخِرِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۵۶﴾
39:56 that a soul should say: O woe is me! that I fell short of my duty to Allah, and surely I was one of those who scoffed;
اَوۡ تَقُوۡلَ لَوۡ اَنَّ اللّٰہَ ہَدٰىنِیۡ لَکُنۡتُ مِنَ الۡمُتَّقِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۵۷﴾
39:57 or it should say: If Allah had guided me, I should have been dutiful,
اَوۡ تَقُوۡلَ حِیۡنَ تَرَی الۡعَذَابَ لَوۡ اَنَّ لِیۡ کَرَّۃً فَاَکُوۡنَ مِنَ الۡمُحۡسِنِیۡنَ ﴿۵۸﴾
39:58 or it should say, when it sees the punishment: If I had another chance I should be a doer of good.
بَلٰی قَدۡ جَآءَتۡکَ اٰیٰتِیۡ فَکَذَّبۡتَ بِہَا وَ اسۡتَکۡبَرۡتَ وَ کُنۡتَ مِنَ الۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ ﴿۵۹﴾
39:59 Yes, My messages did come to you, but you rejected them, and were proud and were among the disbelievers.
وَ یَوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ تَرَی الَّذِیۡنَ کَذَبُوۡا عَلَی اللّٰہِ وُجُوۡہُہُمۡ مُّسۡوَدَّۃٌ ؕ اَلَیۡسَ فِیۡ جَہَنَّمَ مَثۡوًی لِّلۡمُتَکَبِّرِیۡنَ ﴿۶۰﴾
39:60 And on the day of Resurrection you will see those who lied against Allah, their faces will be darkened. Is there not in hell an abode for the proud?
وَ یُنَجِّی اللّٰہُ الَّذِیۡنَ اتَّقَوۡا بِمَفَازَتِہِمۡ ۫ لَا یَمَسُّہُمُ السُّوۡٓءُ وَ لَا ہُمۡ یَحۡزَنُوۡنَ ﴿۶۱﴾
39:61 And Allah delivers those who keep their duty with their achievement — harm does not touch them, nor do they grieve.
اَللّٰہُ خَالِقُ کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ ۫ وَّ ہُوَ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ وَّکِیۡلٌ ﴿۶۲﴾
39:62 Allah is the Creator of all things and He has charge over everything.
لَہٗ مَقَالِیۡدُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا بِاٰیٰتِ اللّٰہِ اُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الۡخٰسِرُوۡنَ ﴿٪۶۳﴾
39:63 His are the treasures of the heavens and the earth. And those who disbelieve in the messages of Allah, such are the losers.
Commentary:
- Stress is laid on the mercy and love of Allah in all religions, but these great Divine attributes find their true and final expression in Islam. This verse discloses the all-comprehensive mercy of Allah, before which the sins of people become quite insignificant. ↩
- Best stands for the revelation of the Quran. God has ever been revealing His will to mankind, but the Quran, being the final expression of His will, is the best revelation that has been sent to people. ↩