English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 46: Al-Ahqaf — The Sandhills (Revealed at Makkah: 4 sections, 35 verses)
Section 4 (Verses 46:27–46:35): A Warning
Translation:
وَ لَقَدۡ اَہۡلَکۡنَا مَا حَوۡلَکُمۡ مِّنَ الۡقُرٰی وَ صَرَّفۡنَا الۡاٰیٰتِ لَعَلَّہُمۡ یَرۡجِعُوۡنَ ﴿۲۷﴾
46:27 And certainly We destroyed the towns round about you,1 and We repeat the messages that they may turn (to the guidance).
فَلَوۡ لَا نَصَرَہُمُ الَّذِیۡنَ اتَّخَذُوۡا مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ قُرۡبَانًا اٰلِـہَۃً ؕ بَلۡ ضَلُّوۡا عَنۡہُمۡ ۚ وَ ذٰلِکَ اِفۡکُہُمۡ وَ مَا کَانُوۡا یَفۡتَرُوۡنَ ﴿۲۸﴾
46:28 Then why did those whom they took for gods besides Allah to draw (them) near (to Him) not help them? No, they failed them. And this was their lie and what they forged.
وَ اِذۡ صَرَفۡنَاۤ اِلَیۡکَ نَفَرًا مِّنَ الۡجِنِّ یَسۡتَمِعُوۡنَ الۡقُرۡاٰنَ ۚ فَلَمَّا حَضَرُوۡہُ قَالُوۡۤا اَنۡصِتُوۡا ۚ فَلَمَّا قُضِیَ وَلَّوۡا اِلٰی قَوۡمِہِمۡ مُّنۡذِرِیۡنَ ﴿۲۹﴾
46:29 And when We turned towards you a group of the jinn, who listened to the Quran; so when they were in its presence, they said: Be silent. Then when it was finished, they turned back to their people warning (them).2
قَالُوۡا یٰقَوۡمَنَاۤ اِنَّا سَمِعۡنَا کِتٰبًا اُنۡزِلَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مُوۡسٰی مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَیۡنَ یَدَیۡہِ یَہۡدِیۡۤ اِلَی الۡحَقِّ وَ اِلٰی طَرِیۡقٍ مُّسۡتَقِیۡمٍ ﴿۳۰﴾
46:30 They said: Our people, we have heard a Book revealed after Moses, verifying what is (already) before it, guiding to the truth and to a right path.
یٰقَوۡمَنَاۤ اَجِیۡبُوۡا دَاعِیَ اللّٰہِ وَ اٰمِنُوۡا بِہٖ یَغۡفِرۡ لَکُمۡ مِّنۡ ذُنُوۡبِکُمۡ وَ یُجِرۡکُمۡ مِّنۡ عَذَابٍ اَلِیۡمٍ ﴿۳۱﴾
46:31 Our people, accept the Inviter to Allah and believe in Him. He will forgive you some of your sins and protect you from a painful punishment.
وَ مَنۡ لَّا یُجِبۡ دَاعِیَ اللّٰہِ فَلَیۡسَ بِمُعۡجِزٍ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ وَ لَیۡسَ لَہٗ مِنۡ دُوۡنِہٖۤ اَوۡلِیَآءُ ؕ اُولٰٓئِکَ فِیۡ ضَلٰلٍ مُّبِیۡنٍ ﴿۳۲﴾
46:32 And whoever does not accept the Inviter to Allah, he cannot escape in the earth, nor has he protectors besides Him. These are in clear error.
اَوَ لَمۡ یَرَوۡا اَنَّ اللّٰہَ الَّذِیۡ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضَ وَ لَمۡ یَعۡیَ بِخَلۡقِہِنَّ بِقٰدِرٍ عَلٰۤی اَنۡ یُّحۡیَِۧ الۡمَوۡتٰی ؕ بَلٰۤی اِنَّہٗ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ قَدِیۡرٌ ﴿۳۳﴾
46:33 Do they not see that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth and was not tired by their creation, is Able to give life to the dead? Indeed, He is surely Powerful over all things.
وَ یَوۡمَ یُعۡرَضُ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا عَلَی النَّارِ ؕ اَلَیۡسَ ہٰذَا بِالۡحَقِّ ؕ قَالُوۡا بَلٰی وَ رَبِّنَا ؕ قَالَ فَذُوۡقُوا الۡعَذَابَ بِمَا کُنۡتُمۡ تَکۡفُرُوۡنَ ﴿۳۴﴾
46:34 And on the day when those who disbelieve are brought before the Fire: Is it not true? They will say: Indeed, by our Lord! He will say: Then taste the punishment, because you disbelieved.
فَاصۡبِرۡ کَمَا صَبَرَ اُولُوا الۡعَزۡمِ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ وَ لَا تَسۡتَعۡجِلۡ لَّہُمۡ ؕ کَاَنَّہُمۡ یَوۡمَ یَرَوۡنَ مَا یُوۡعَدُوۡنَ ۙ لَمۡ یَلۡبَثُوۡۤا اِلَّا سَاعَۃً مِّنۡ نَّہَارٍ ؕ بَلٰغٌ ۚ فَہَلۡ یُہۡلَکُ اِلَّا الۡقَوۡمُ الۡفٰسِقُوۡنَ ﴿٪۳۵﴾
46:35 So have patience (O Prophet), as men of resolution, the messengers, had patience, and do not seek to hasten on for them (their doom). On the day when they see what they are promised, (it will be) as if they had remained only an hour of the day. (Your duty is) to deliver. Shall then any be destroyed except the transgressing people?
Commentary:
- The cities of Ād, Thamūd and Sheba lay on the borders of Arabia; thus the people living in the metropolis are told how those living around them were destroyed previously, and they should take a lesson from their fate. ↩
- The jinn spoken of here seem to be the leaders of certain Jewish tribes, because they are spoken of in the next verse as believers in Moses. In fact, they are of the same class as those mentioned in 72:1. ↩