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 4 (Verses 47:29–47:38): An Exhortation
Translation:
اَمۡ حَسِبَ الَّذِیۡنَ فِیۡ قُلُوۡبِہِمۡ مَّرَضٌ اَنۡ لَّنۡ یُّخۡرِجَ اللّٰہُ اَضۡغَانَہُمۡ ﴿۲۹﴾
47:29 Or do those in whose hearts is a disease think that Allah will not bring forth their spite?
وَ لَوۡ نَشَآءُ لَاَرَیۡنٰکَہُمۡ فَلَعَرَفۡتَہُمۡ بِسِیۡمٰہُمۡ ؕ وَ لَتَعۡرِفَنَّہُمۡ فِیۡ لَحۡنِ الۡقَوۡلِ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ یَعۡلَمُ اَعۡمَالَکُمۡ ﴿۳۰﴾
47:30 And if We please, We could show them to you so that you should know them by their marks. And certainly you can recognize them by the tone of (their) speech. And Allah knows your deeds.
وَ لَنَبۡلُوَنَّکُمۡ حَتّٰی نَعۡلَمَ الۡمُجٰہِدِیۡنَ مِنۡکُمۡ وَ الصّٰبِرِیۡنَ ۙ وَ نَبۡلُوَا۠ اَخۡبَارَکُمۡ ﴿۳۱﴾
47:31 And certainly We shall try you, till We know those among you who strive hard, and the steadfast, and manifest your news.
اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا وَ صَدُّوۡا عَنۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ وَ شَآقُّوا الرَّسُوۡلَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَا تَبَیَّنَ لَہُمُ الۡہُدٰی ۙ لَنۡ یَّضُرُّوا اللّٰہَ شَیۡئًا ؕ وَ سَیُحۡبِطُ اَعۡمَالَہُمۡ ﴿۳۲﴾
47:32 Surely those who disbelieve and hinder (people) from Allah’s way and oppose the Messenger after guidance is quite clear to them, cannot harm Allah in any way, and He will make their deeds fruitless.
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اَطِیۡعُوا اللّٰہَ وَ اَطِیۡعُوا الرَّسُوۡلَ وَ لَا تُبۡطِلُوۡۤا اَعۡمَالَکُمۡ ﴿۳۳﴾
47:33 O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and do not make your deeds null.
اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا وَ صَدُّوۡا عَنۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ ثُمَّ مَاتُوۡا وَ ہُمۡ کُفَّارٌ فَلَنۡ یَّغۡفِرَ اللّٰہُ لَہُمۡ ﴿۳۴﴾
47:34 Surely those who disbelieve and hinder (people) from Allah’s way, then die disbelievers, Allah will not forgive them.
فَلَا تَہِنُوۡا وَ تَدۡعُوۡۤا اِلَی السَّلۡمِ ٭ۖ وَ اَنۡتُمُ الۡاَعۡلَوۡنَ ٭ۖ وَ اللّٰہُ مَعَکُمۡ وَ لَنۡ یَّتِرَکُمۡ اَعۡمَالَکُمۡ ﴿۳۵﴾
47:35 And do not be weak-hearted so as to cry for peace — and you are the uppermost — and Allah is with you, and He will not bring your deeds to nothing.
اِنَّمَا الۡحَیٰوۃُ الدُّنۡیَا لَعِبٌ وَّ لَہۡوٌ ؕ وَ اِنۡ تُؤۡمِنُوۡا وَ تَتَّقُوۡا یُؤۡتِکُمۡ اُجُوۡرَکُمۡ وَ لَا یَسۡـَٔلۡکُمۡ اَمۡوَالَکُمۡ ﴿۳۶﴾
47:36 This world’s life is only an idle sport and play, and if you believe and keep your duty He will give you your reward, and He does not ask of you your wealth.
اِنۡ یَّسۡـَٔلۡکُمُوۡہَا فَیُحۡفِکُمۡ تَبۡخَلُوۡا وَ یُخۡرِجۡ اَضۡغَانَکُمۡ ﴿۳۷﴾
47:37 If He should ask you for it and press you, you will be miserly, and He will bring forth your malice.1
ہٰۤاَنۡتُمۡ ہٰۤؤُلَآءِ تُدۡعَوۡنَ لِتُنۡفِقُوۡا فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ ۚ فَمِنۡکُمۡ مَّنۡ یَّبۡخَلُ ۚ وَ مَنۡ یَّبۡخَلۡ فَاِنَّمَا یَبۡخَلُ عَنۡ نَّفۡسِہٖ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ الۡغَنِیُّ وَ اَنۡتُمُ الۡفُقَرَآءُ ۚ وَ اِنۡ تَتَوَلَّوۡا یَسۡتَبۡدِلۡ قَوۡمًا غَیۡرَکُمۡ ۙ ثُمَّ لَا یَکُوۡنُوۡۤا اَمۡثَالَکُمۡ ﴿٪۳۸﴾
47:38 Look! you are those who are called to spend in Allah’s way, but some of you are miserly; and whoever is miserly, is miserly against his own soul. And Allah is Self-Sufficient and you are needy. And if you turn back He will bring in your place another people, then they will not be like you.
Commentary:
- At the end of v. 36, it is stated that God does not ask of people their wealth, while here they are told that if He should ask them for it, they would be miserly. The two statements do not contradict each other. V. 38 makes it clear that Allah, being Self-Sufficient, does not stand in need of people’s wealth, so He does not ask of them their wealth for His needs. Yet great stress is laid on spending wealth, as it is for man’s own good. This too is made clear in v. 38 — whoever is miserly, is miserly against his own soul. We are further told: You are needy. Man stands in need of making sacrifices for the good of his own soul and, if he does not make a sacrifice, he will suffer. There is no advancement in this world without a sacrifice, so if man has an urge for advancement, he must spend his wealth. ↩