English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 50: Qaf — Qaf (Revealed at Makkah: 3 sections, 45 verses)
Section 2 (Verses 50:16–50:29): The Resurrection — Consequences made Manifest
Translation:
وَ لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا الۡاِنۡسَانَ وَ نَعۡلَمُ مَا تُوَسۡوِسُ بِہٖ نَفۡسُہٗ ۚۖ وَ نَحۡنُ اَقۡرَبُ اِلَیۡہِ مِنۡ حَبۡلِ الۡوَرِیۡدِ ﴿۱۶﴾
50:16 And certainly We created man, and We know what his mind suggests to him — and We are nearer to him than his life-vein.
اِذۡ یَتَلَقَّی الۡمُتَلَقِّیٰنِ عَنِ الۡیَمِیۡنِ وَ عَنِ الشِّمَالِ قَعِیۡدٌ ﴿۱۷﴾
50:17 When the two receivers receive, sitting on the right and on the left,
مَا یَلۡفِظُ مِنۡ قَوۡلٍ اِلَّا لَدَیۡہِ رَقِیۡبٌ عَتِیۡدٌ ﴿۱۸﴾
50:18 he does not utter a word but there is by him a watcher at hand.1
وَ جَآءَتۡ سَکۡرَۃُ الۡمَوۡتِ بِالۡحَقِّ ؕ ذٰلِکَ مَا کُنۡتَ مِنۡہُ تَحِیۡدُ ﴿۱۹﴾
50:19 And the stupor of death comes in truth; that is what you would try to avoid.
وَ نُفِخَ فِی الصُّوۡرِ ؕ ذٰلِکَ یَوۡمُ الۡوَعِیۡدِ ﴿۲۰﴾
50:20 And the trumpet is blown. That is the day of threatening.
وَ جَآءَتۡ کُلُّ نَفۡسٍ مَّعَہَا سَآئِقٌ وَّ شَہِیۡدٌ ﴿۲۱﴾
50:21 And every soul comes, with it a driver and a witness.2
لَقَدۡ کُنۡتَ فِیۡ غَفۡلَۃٍ مِّنۡ ہٰذَا فَکَشَفۡنَا عَنۡکَ غِطَآءَکَ فَبَصَرُکَ الۡیَوۡمَ حَدِیۡدٌ ﴿۲۲﴾
50:22 You were indeed heedless of this, but now We have removed from you your veil, so your sight is sharp this day.3
وَ قَالَ قَرِیۡنُہٗ ہٰذَا مَا لَدَیَّ عَتِیۡدٌ ﴿ؕ۲۳﴾
50:23 And his companion will say: This is what is ready with me.4
اَلۡقِیَا فِیۡ جَہَنَّمَ کُلَّ کَفَّارٍ عَنِیۡدٍ ﴿ۙ۲۴﴾
50:24 Cast into hell every ungrateful, rebellious one,
مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلۡخَیۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ مُّرِیۡبِۣ ﴿ۙ۲۵﴾
50:25 forbidder of good, exceeder of limits, doubter,
الَّذِیۡ جَعَلَ مَعَ اللّٰہِ اِلٰـہًا اٰخَرَ فَاَلۡقِیٰہُ فِی الۡعَذَابِ الشَّدِیۡدِ ﴿۲۶﴾
50:26 who sets up another god with Allah, so cast him into severe punishment.
قَالَ قَرِیۡنُہٗ رَبَّنَا مَاۤ اَطۡغَیۡتُہٗ وَ لٰکِنۡ کَانَ فِیۡ ضَلٰلٍۭ بَعِیۡدٍ ﴿۲۷﴾
50:27 His companion will say: Our Lord, I did not cause him to rebel but he himself went far in error.
قَالَ لَا تَخۡتَصِمُوۡا لَدَیَّ وَ قَدۡ قَدَّمۡتُ اِلَیۡکُمۡ بِالۡوَعِیۡدِ ﴿۲۸﴾
50:28 He will say: Do not dispute in My presence, and indeed I gave you warning beforehand.
مَا یُبَدَّلُ الۡقَوۡلُ لَدَیَّ وَ مَاۤ اَنَا بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلۡعَبِیۡدِ ﴿٪۲۹﴾
50:29 My sentence cannot be changed, nor am I in the least unjust to the servants.
Commentary:
- The three verses 16–18 impress upon man that all his deeds and words bear fruit, that nothing is said or done in vain. ↩
- The driver signifies the impeller to evil, and the witness the caller to the truth. ↩
- This verse shows clearly that the consequences of evil actions which remain hidden from the human eye in this life are made manifest after death. This is the significance of the sight being made sharp, so that man will then see what he is unable to see here. Such is hell, according to the teachings of the Quran, namely, the hidden consequences of evil deeds, when made manifest to a person, become his hell. ↩
- The evil companion or the devil is meant, at whose suggestion a person commits evil deeds. What is ready is the record of man’s evil deeds, which will be palpably manifest to him on the day of Resurrection. ↩