English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 51: Al-Dhariyat — The Scatterers (Revealed at Makkah: 3 sections, 60 verses)
Section 1 (Verses 51:1–51:23): Falsehood is Doomed
Translation:
بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
وَالذّٰرِیٰتِ ذَرۡوًا ۙ﴿۱﴾
51:1 By those scattering far and wide!
فَالۡحٰمِلٰتِ وِقۡرًا ۙ﴿۲﴾
51:2 And those bearing the load!
فَالۡجٰرِیٰتِ یُسۡرًا ۙ﴿۳﴾
51:3 And those running easily!
فَالۡمُقَسِّمٰتِ اَمۡرًا ۙ﴿۴﴾
51:4 And those distributing the Affair! —
اِنَّمَا تُوۡعَدُوۡنَ لَصَادِقٌ ۙ﴿۵﴾
51:5 What you are promised is surely true,
وَّ اِنَّ الدِّیۡنَ لَوَاقِعٌ ؕ﴿۶﴾
51:6 and the Judgment will surely come to pass.1
وَ السَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ الۡحُبُکِ ۙ﴿۷﴾
51:7 By the heaven full of paths!2
اِنَّکُمۡ لَفِیۡ قَوۡلٍ مُّخۡتَلِفٍ ۙ﴿۸﴾
51:8 Surely you are of varying opinion —
یُّؤۡفَکُ عَنۡہُ مَنۡ اُفِکَ ﴿ؕ۹﴾
51:9 he is turned away from it who would (himself) be turned away.3
قُتِلَ الۡخَرّٰصُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۱۰﴾
51:10 Cursed be the liars,
الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ فِیۡ غَمۡرَۃٍ سَاہُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۱۱﴾
51:11 who are in an abyss, neglectful;
یَسۡـَٔلُوۡنَ اَیَّانَ یَوۡمُ الدِّیۡنِ ﴿ؕ۱۲﴾
51:12 they ask: When is the day of Judgment?
یَوۡمَ ہُمۡ عَلَی النَّارِ یُفۡتَنُوۡنَ ﴿۱۳﴾
51:13 (It is) the day when they are tried at the Fire.
ذُوۡقُوۡا فِتۡنَتَکُمۡ ؕ ہٰذَا الَّذِیۡ کُنۡتُمۡ بِہٖ تَسۡتَعۡجِلُوۡنَ ﴿۱۴﴾
51:14 Taste your persecution! This is what you would hasten on.4
اِنَّ الۡمُتَّقِیۡنَ فِیۡ جَنّٰتٍ وَّ عُیُوۡنٍ ﴿ۙ۱۵﴾
51:15 Surely the dutiful are amidst Gardens and fountains,
اٰخِذِیۡنَ مَاۤ اٰتٰہُمۡ رَبُّہُمۡ ؕ اِنَّہُمۡ کَانُوۡا قَبۡلَ ذٰلِکَ مُحۡسِنِیۡنَ ﴿ؕ۱۶﴾
51:16 taking what their Lord gives them. Surely they were before that the doers of good.
کَانُوۡا قَلِیۡلًا مِّنَ الَّیۡلِ مَا یَہۡجَعُوۡنَ ﴿۱۷﴾
51:17 They used to sleep but little at night.
وَ بِالۡاَسۡحَارِ ہُمۡ یَسۡتَغۡفِرُوۡنَ ﴿۱۸﴾
51:18 And in the morning they asked (Divine) protection.
وَ فِیۡۤ اَمۡوَالِہِمۡ حَقٌّ لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَ الۡمَحۡرُوۡمِ ﴿۱۹﴾
51:19 And in their wealth there was a due share for the beggar and for one who is deprived (of good).5
وَ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ اٰیٰتٌ لِّلۡمُوۡقِنِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۲۰﴾
51:20 And in the earth are signs for those who are sure,
وَ فِیۡۤ اَنۡفُسِکُمۡ ؕ اَفَلَا تُبۡصِرُوۡنَ ﴿۲۱﴾
51:21 and in yourselves — do you not see?
وَ فِی السَّمَآءِ رِزۡقُکُمۡ وَ مَا تُوۡعَدُوۡنَ ﴿۲۲﴾
51:22 And in the heavens is your sustenance and what you are promised.6
فَوَ رَبِّ السَّمَآءِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ اِنَّہٗ لَحَقٌّ مِّثۡلَ مَاۤ اَنَّکُمۡ تَنۡطِقُوۡنَ ﴿٪۲۳﴾
51:23 So by the Lord of the heavens and the earth! It is surely the truth, just as you speak.7
Commentary:
- In verses 1–4, attention is called to certain facts by means of an oath, for which see 37:1, while verses 5–6 indicate the conclusion to which those facts lead. V. 1 refers to the winds that raise up dust before the coming of a cloud; v. 2 to the clouds that carry rain; v. 3 to the winds that carry the clouds along, and v. 4 to the winds that distribute the rain. This indicates a similar arrangement in the spiritual world by which Truth gradually advances. Attention is drawn here to the scattering of Truth broadcast through the Holy Prophet and his faithful followers, which led to some bearing the load of it as if they had become pregnant with Truth, while others ran easily towards its acceptance. But they were not satisfied with mere acceptance; they went to and fro to deliver to others the Truth and the Light which they had received. In the existence of these workers in the cause of Truth there was a clear sign that the triumph of Islam would soon take place. ↩
- The description of heaven as full of paths is a scientific truth certainly unknown to the world at the time of the revelation of the Quran. ↩
- Only those are turned away from the Truth who themselves turn away. ↩
- Tasting of persecution signifies receiving punishment for their persecution of the Muslims. ↩
- The word maḥrūm, “deprived”, is understood by some to mean a poor man who does not beg, and by others, one who has not the faculty of speech, like the dog and the cat. Note that the poor are here spoken of as having a share in the wealth of the rich. The State is bound to take that share and make it over to the poor. But it is only a share, not the whole. ↩
- What is promised may mean the spiritual sustenance as contrasted with physical sustenance. Or, it may refer to the Judgment, of which they were warned again and again. ↩
- Note the high degree of certainty, the unshakable faith in the ultimate triumph of the Truth at this early period. Just as people’s speaking to each other is a reality, even so is God’s speaking to man. ↩