English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)

by Maulana Muhammad Ali

Chapter 47: Muhammad — Muhammad (Revealed at Madinah: 4 sections, 38 verses)

Section 2 (Verses 47:12–47:19): Oppressors Shall be Brought Low

Translation:

اِنَّ اللّٰہَ یُدۡخِلُ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ جَنّٰتٍ تَجۡرِیۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِہَا الۡاَنۡہٰرُ ؕ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا یَتَمَتَّعُوۡنَ وَ یَاۡکُلُوۡنَ کَمَا تَاۡکُلُ الۡاَنۡعَامُ وَ النَّارُ مَثۡوًی لَّہُمۡ ﴿۱۲﴾

47:12 Surely Allah will make those who believe and do good enter Gardens in which rivers flow. And those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as cattle eat, and the Fire is their abode.

وَ کَاَیِّنۡ مِّنۡ قَرۡیَۃٍ ہِیَ اَشَدُّ قُوَّۃً مِّنۡ قَرۡیَتِکَ الَّتِیۡۤ اَخۡرَجَتۡکَ ۚ اَہۡلَکۡنٰہُمۡ فَلَا نَاصِرَ لَہُمۡ ﴿۱۳﴾

47:13 And how many a town (there were), more powerful than your town which has driven you out — We destroyed them, so there was no helper for them.1

اَفَمَنۡ کَانَ عَلٰی بَیِّنَۃٍ مِّنۡ رَّبِّہٖ کَمَنۡ زُیِّنَ لَہٗ سُوۡٓءُ عَمَلِہٖ وَ اتَّبَعُوۡۤا اَہۡوَآءَہُمۡ ﴿۱۴﴾

47:14 Is then he who has a clear argument from his Lord like him to whom his evil conduct is made to seem good; and they follow their low desires.

مَثَلُ الۡجَنَّۃِ الَّتِیۡ وُعِدَ الۡمُتَّقُوۡنَ ؕ فِیۡہَاۤ اَنۡہٰرٌ مِّنۡ مَّآءٍ غَیۡرِ اٰسِنٍ ۚ وَ اَنۡہٰرٌ مِّنۡ لَّبَنٍ لَّمۡ یَتَغَیَّرۡ طَعۡمُہٗ ۚ وَ اَنۡہٰرٌ مِّنۡ خَمۡرٍ لَّذَّۃٍ لِّلشّٰرِبِیۡنَ ۬ۚ وَ اَنۡہٰرٌ مِّنۡ عَسَلٍ مُّصَفًّی ؕ وَ لَہُمۡ فِیۡہَا مِنۡ کُلِّ الثَّمَرٰتِ وَ مَغۡفِرَۃٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّہِمۡ ؕ کَمَنۡ ہُوَ خَالِدٌ فِی النَّارِ وَ سُقُوۡا مَآءً حَمِیۡمًا فَقَطَّعَ اَمۡعَآءَہُمۡ ﴿۱۵﴾

47:15 A parable of the Garden which the dutiful are promised: In it are rivers of water not altering for the worse, and rivers of milk whose taste does not change, and rivers of wine delicious to the drinkers, and rivers of honey clarified;2 and they shall have in it all fruits and protection from their Lord. (Are these) like those who abide in the Fire and who are made to drink boiling water, so it tears their bowels apart?

وَ مِنۡہُمۡ مَّنۡ یَّسۡتَمِعُ اِلَیۡکَ ۚ حَتّٰۤی اِذَا خَرَجُوۡا مِنۡ عِنۡدِکَ قَالُوۡا لِلَّذِیۡنَ اُوۡتُوا الۡعِلۡمَ مَاذَا قَالَ اٰنِفًا ۟ اُولٰٓئِکَ الَّذِیۡنَ طَبَعَ اللّٰہُ عَلٰی قُلُوۡبِہِمۡ وَ اتَّبَعُوۡۤا اَہۡوَآءَہُمۡ ﴿۱۶﴾

47:16 And some of them seek to listen to you, till, when they go forth from you, they say to those who have been given knowledge: What was it that he said just now? These are they whose hearts Allah has sealed and they follow their low desires.

وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اہۡتَدَوۡا زَادَہُمۡ ہُدًی وَّ اٰتٰہُمۡ تَقۡوٰىہُمۡ ﴿۱۷﴾

47:17 And those who follow guidance, He increases them in guidance and grants them their observance of duty.

فَہَلۡ یَنۡظُرُوۡنَ اِلَّا السَّاعَۃَ اَنۡ تَاۡتِیَہُمۡ بَغۡتَۃً ۚ فَقَدۡ جَآءَ اَشۡرَاطُہَا ۚ فَاَنّٰی لَہُمۡ اِذَا جَآءَتۡہُمۡ ذِکۡرٰىہُمۡ ﴿۱۸﴾

47:18 Do they wait only for the Hour, that it should come upon them suddenly? Now tokens of it have already come.3 But how, when it comes upon them, will their reminder benefit them?

فَاعۡلَمۡ اَنَّہٗ لَاۤ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللّٰہُ وَ اسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لِذَنۡۢبِکَ وَ لِلۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ وَ الۡمُؤۡمِنٰتِ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ یَعۡلَمُ مُتَقَلَّبَکُمۡ وَ مَثۡوٰىکُمۡ ﴿٪۱۹﴾

47:19 So know that there is no god but Allah and ask protection for your sin and for the believing men and the believing women.4 And Allah knows your moving about and your staying (in a place).5

Commentary:

  1. The opponents of Islam in Makkah were not destroyed when their final overthrow came, nor did the Holy Prophet punish them for their crimes against the Muslims. They were dealt with very mercifully — so mercifully that history does not present another instance of such merciful treatment of a con­quered nation of oppressors. By their destruction was thus meant the overthrow of their power. ↩
  2. The description given does not mention the actual blessings of para­dise, for they are blessings “which no eye has seen, nor has any ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man to conceive them” (Bukhari, 59:8). The blessings mentioned here are plainly called a parable, an example which shows what they are like. ↩
  3. By the Hour is to be understood the hour of their doom, the overthrow of their power, which is clearly spoken of in the previous verses. Tokens of it had already appeared, for they had seen how Islam was daily advancing, and how all their efforts to check its progress had ended in failure. ↩
  4. Not only the Prophet but every believer is told here to keep praying to God for being protected from sins, for himself and for all the believers, men as well as women. See also 40:55, 48:2, and footnotes there. ↩
  5. Moving about refers to people’s going to and fro for the transaction of their affairs, and staying indicates taking rest. ↩

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