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 2 (Verses 51:24–51:46): The Fate of Previous Nations
Translation:
ہَلۡ اَتٰىکَ حَدِیۡثُ ضَیۡفِ اِبۡرٰہِیۡمَ الۡمُکۡرَمِیۡنَ ﴿ۘ۲۴﴾
51:24 Has the story of Abraham’s honoured guests reached you?1
اِذۡ دَخَلُوۡا عَلَیۡہِ فَقَالُوۡا سَلٰمًا ؕ قَالَ سَلٰمٌ ۚ قَوۡمٌ مُّنۡکَرُوۡنَ ﴿ۚ۲۵﴾
51:25 When they came to him, they said: ‘Peace!’ ‘Peace!’ said he. Strangers!
فَرَاغَ اِلٰۤی اَہۡلِہٖ فَجَآءَ بِعِجۡلٍ سَمِیۡنٍ ﴿ۙ۲۶﴾
51:26 Then he turned aside to his family and brought a fat calf.
فَقَرَّبَہٗۤ اِلَیۡہِمۡ قَالَ اَلَا تَاۡکُلُوۡنَ ﴿۫۲۷﴾
51:27 So he placed it before them. He said: Will you not eat?
فَاَوۡجَسَ مِنۡہُمۡ خِیۡفَۃً ؕ قَالُوۡا لَا تَخَفۡ ؕ وَ بَشَّرُوۡہُ بِغُلٰمٍ عَلِیۡمٍ ﴿۲۸﴾
51:28 So he conceived a fear of them. They said: Do not fear. And they gave him the good news of a boy possessing knowledge.
فَاَقۡبَلَتِ امۡرَاَتُہٗ فِیۡ صَرَّۃٍ فَصَکَّتۡ وَجۡہَہَا وَ قَالَتۡ عَجُوۡزٌ عَقِیۡمٌ ﴿۲۹﴾
51:29 Then his wife came up in grief, and she struck her face and said: A barren old woman!
قَالُوۡا کَذٰلِکِ ۙ قَالَ رَبُّکِ ؕ اِنَّہٗ ہُوَ الۡحَکِیۡمُ الۡعَلِیۡمُ ﴿۳۰﴾
51:30 They said: So says your Lord. Surely He is the Wise, the Knowing.
قَالَ فَمَا خَطۡبُکُمۡ اَیُّہَا الۡمُرۡسَلُوۡنَ ﴿۳۱﴾
Part 2751:31 He said: What is your errand, messengers!
قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّاۤ اُرۡسِلۡنَاۤ اِلٰی قَوۡمٍ مُّجۡرِمِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۳۲﴾
51:32 They said: We have been sent to a guilty people
لِنُرۡسِلَ عَلَیۡہِمۡ حِجَارَۃً مِّنۡ طِیۡنٍ ﴿ۙ۳۳﴾
51:33 that we may send upon them stones of clay,
مُّسَوَّمَۃً عِنۡدَ رَبِّکَ لِلۡمُسۡرِفِیۡنَ ﴿۳۴﴾
51:34 marked from your Lord for those who commit excesses.2
فَاَخۡرَجۡنَا مَنۡ کَانَ فِیۡہَا مِنَ الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ ﴿ۚ۳۵﴾
51:35 Then We brought forth such believers as were there.
فَمَا وَجَدۡنَا فِیۡہَا غَیۡرَ بَیۡتٍ مِّنَ الۡمُسۡلِمِیۡنَ ﴿ۚ۳۶﴾
51:36 And We found there only one house of Muslims.3
وَ تَرَکۡنَا فِیۡہَاۤ اٰیَۃً لِّلَّذِیۡنَ یَخَافُوۡنَ الۡعَذَابَ الۡاَلِیۡمَ ﴿ؕ۳۷﴾
51:37 And We left there a sign for those who fear the painful punishment.
وَ فِیۡ مُوۡسٰۤی اِذۡ اَرۡسَلۡنٰہُ اِلٰی فِرۡعَوۡنَ بِسُلۡطٰنٍ مُّبِیۡنٍ ﴿۳۸﴾
51:38 And in Moses (was another sign), when We sent him to Pharaoh with clear authority.
فَتَوَلّٰی بِرُکۡنِہٖ وَ قَالَ سٰحِرٌ اَوۡ مَجۡنُوۡنٌ ﴿۳۹﴾
51:39 But he turned away on account of his might and said: An enchanter or a madman!
فَاَخَذۡنٰہُ وَ جُنُوۡدَہٗ فَنَبَذۡنٰہُمۡ فِی الۡیَمِّ وَ ہُوَ مُلِیۡمٌ ﴿ؕ۴۰﴾
51:40 So We seized him and his armies and hurled them into the sea, and he was blameable.
وَ فِیۡ عَادٍ اِذۡ اَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَیۡہِمُ الرِّیۡحَ الۡعَقِیۡمَ ﴿ۚ۴۱﴾
51:41 And in Ād, when We sent upon them the destructive wind.
مَا تَذَرُ مِنۡ شَیۡءٍ اَتَتۡ عَلَیۡہِ اِلَّا جَعَلَتۡہُ کَالرَّمِیۡمِ ﴿ؕ۴۲﴾
51:42 It spared nothing that it came against, but it made it like ashes.
وَ فِیۡ ثَمُوۡدَ اِذۡ قِیۡلَ لَہُمۡ تَمَتَّعُوۡا حَتّٰی حِیۡنٍ ﴿۴۳﴾
51:43 And in Thamūd, when it was said to them: Enjoy yourselves for a while.
فَعَتَوۡا عَنۡ اَمۡرِ رَبِّہِمۡ فَاَخَذَتۡہُمُ الصّٰعِقَۃُ وَ ہُمۡ یَنۡظُرُوۡنَ ﴿۴۴﴾
51:44 But they revolted against the commandment of their Lord, so the punishment overtook them, while they saw.4
فَمَا اسۡتَطَاعُوۡا مِنۡ قِیَامٍ وَّ مَا کَانُوۡا مُنۡتَصِرِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۴۵﴾
51:45 So they were unable to rise up, nor could they defend themselves;
وَ قَوۡمَ نُوۡحٍ مِّنۡ قَبۡلُ ؕ اِنَّہُمۡ کَانُوۡا قَوۡمًا فٰسِقِیۡنَ ﴿٪۴۶﴾
51:46 and the people of Noah before. Surely they were a transgressing people.
Commentary:
- See 11:69 footnote. ↩
- For the punishment sent on Lot’s people, see 7:84 footnote. The stones were marked, i.e., they were destined for them. ↩
- It is said to be the house of Lot himself. A Muslim is one who submits himself to God, and in this sense all prophets and their righteous followers were Muslims. ↩
- See 7:78. ↩