English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 43: Az-Zukhruf — Gold (Revealed at Makkah: 7 sections, 89 verses)
Section 4 (Verses 43:36–43:45): Opposition to Truth is Punished
Translation:
وَ مَنۡ یَّعۡشُ عَنۡ ذِکۡرِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ نُقَیِّضۡ لَہٗ شَیۡطٰنًا فَہُوَ لَہٗ قَرِیۡنٌ ﴿۳۶﴾
43:36 And whoever turns himself away from the remembrance of the Beneficent, We appoint for him a devil, so he is his associate.1
وَ اِنَّہُمۡ لَیَصُدُّوۡنَہُمۡ عَنِ السَّبِیۡلِ وَ یَحۡسَبُوۡنَ اَنَّہُمۡ مُّہۡتَدُوۡنَ ﴿۳۷﴾
43:37 And surely they hinder them from the (right) path, and they think that they are guided aright.
حَتّٰۤی اِذَا جَآءَنَا قَالَ یٰلَیۡتَ بَیۡنِیۡ وَ بَیۡنَکَ بُعۡدَ الۡمَشۡرِقَیۡنِ فَبِئۡسَ الۡقَرِیۡنُ ﴿۳۸﴾
43:38 Until when he comes to Us, he says: If only between me and you there were the distance of the East and the West! And evil is the associate!
وَ لَنۡ یَّنۡفَعَکُمُ الۡیَوۡمَ اِذۡ ظَّلَمۡتُمۡ اَنَّکُمۡ فِی الۡعَذَابِ مُشۡتَرِکُوۡنَ ﴿۳۹﴾
43:39 And as you did wrong, it will not benefit you at all this day that you are sharers in the punishment.
اَفَاَنۡتَ تُسۡمِعُ الصُّمَّ اَوۡ تَہۡدِی الۡعُمۡیَ وَ مَنۡ کَانَ فِیۡ ضَلٰلٍ مُّبِیۡنٍ ﴿۴۰﴾
43:40 Can you then make the deaf to hear or guide the blind and him who is in clear error?
فَاِمَّا نَذۡہَبَنَّ بِکَ فَاِنَّا مِنۡہُمۡ مُّنۡتَقِمُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۴۱﴾
43:41 So if We take you away, still We shall exact retribution from them,
اَوۡ نُرِیَنَّکَ الَّذِیۡ وَعَدۡنٰہُمۡ فَاِنَّا عَلَیۡہِمۡ مُّقۡتَدِرُوۡنَ ﴿۴۲﴾
43:42 or We shall show you what We promise them — surely We are Powerful over them.2
فَاسۡتَمۡسِکۡ بِالَّذِیۡۤ اُوۡحِیَ اِلَیۡکَ ۚ اِنَّکَ عَلٰی صِرَاطٍ مُّسۡتَقِیۡمٍ ﴿۴۳﴾
43:43 So hold fast to what has been revealed to you; surely you are on the right path.
وَ اِنَّہٗ لَذِکۡرٌ لَّکَ وَ لِقَوۡمِکَ ۚ وَ سَوۡفَ تُسۡـَٔلُوۡنَ ﴿۴۴﴾
43:44 And surely it is a reminder for you and your people, and you will be questioned.
وَ سۡـَٔلۡ مَنۡ اَرۡسَلۡنَا مِنۡ قَبۡلِکَ مِنۡ رُّسُلِنَاۤ اَجَعَلۡنَا مِنۡ دُوۡنِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ اٰلِـہَۃً یُّعۡبَدُوۡنَ ﴿٪۴۵﴾
43:45 And ask those of Our messengers whom We sent before you: Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Beneficent?
Commentary:
- As v. 37 shows, the devil here is the evil companion who leads man to evil. ↩
- V. 41 describes the general law of the punishment of the wicked; even if the Prophet dies, the wicked will meet their doom. But the general statement should not give rise to any misconception, so we are immediately told that the Prophet would see the discomfiture of his enemies with his own eyes. ↩