English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 54: Al-Qamar — The Moon (Revealed at Makkah: 3 sections, 55 verses)
Section 2 (Verses 54:23–54:40): Thamud and Lot’s People
Translation:
کَذَّبَتۡ ثَمُوۡدُ بِالنُّذُرِ ﴿۲۳﴾
54:23 Thamūd rejected the warning.
فَقَالُوۡۤا اَبَشَرًا مِّنَّا وَاحِدًا نَّتَّبِعُہٗۤ ۙ اِنَّاۤ اِذًا لَّفِیۡ ضَلٰلٍ وَّ سُعُرٍ ﴿۲۴﴾
54:24 So they said: What! One single mortal from among us! Shall we follow him? We shall then be in sure error and distress.
ءَاُلۡقِیَ الذِّکۡرُ عَلَیۡہِ مِنۡۢ بَیۡنِنَا بَلۡ ہُوَ کَذَّابٌ اَشِرٌ ﴿۲۵﴾
54:25 Has the reminder been sent to him from among us? No, he is an insolent liar!
سَیَعۡلَمُوۡنَ غَدًا مَّنِ الۡکَذَّابُ الۡاَشِرُ ﴿۲۶﴾
54:26 Tomorrow they will know who is the liar, the insolent one.
اِنَّا مُرۡسِلُوا النَّاقَۃِ فِتۡنَۃً لَّہُمۡ فَارۡتَقِبۡہُمۡ وَ اصۡطَبِرۡ ﴿۫۲۷﴾
54:27 Surely We are going to send the she-camel as a trial for them; so watch them and have patience.
وَ نَبِّئۡہُمۡ اَنَّ الۡمَآءَ قِسۡمَۃٌۢ بَیۡنَہُمۡ ۚ کُلُّ شِرۡبٍ مُّحۡتَضَرٌ ﴿۲۸﴾
54:28 And inform them that the water is shared between them; (but) every share of the water shall be attended (by the she-camel).1
فَنَادَوۡا صَاحِبَہُمۡ فَتَعَاطٰی فَعَقَرَ ﴿۲۹﴾
54:29 But they called their companion, so he took (a sword) and hamstrung (her).
فَکَیۡفَ کَانَ عَذَابِیۡ وَ نُذُرِ ﴿۳۰﴾
54:30 How (terrible) was then My punishment and My warning!
اِنَّاۤ اَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَیۡہِمۡ صَیۡحَۃً وَّاحِدَۃً فَکَانُوۡا کَہَشِیۡمِ الۡمُحۡتَظِرِ ﴿۳۱﴾
54:31 Surely We sent upon them a single cry, so they were like dry fragments of wood that a fence-maker uses.2
وَ لَقَدۡ یَسَّرۡنَا الۡقُرۡاٰنَ لِلذِّکۡرِ فَہَلۡ مِنۡ مُّدَّکِرٍ ﴿۳۲﴾
54:32 And certainly We have made the Quran easy to remember, but is there anyone who will be mindful?
کَذَّبَتۡ قَوۡمُ لُوۡطٍۭ بِالنُّذُرِ ﴿۳۳﴾
54:33 The people of Lot rejected the warning.
اِنَّاۤ اَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَیۡہِمۡ حَاصِبًا اِلَّاۤ اٰلَ لُوۡطٍ ؕ نَجَّیۡنٰہُمۡ بِسَحَرٍ ﴿ۙ۳۴﴾
54:34 Surely We sent upon them a stone-storm,3 except Lot’s followers; We saved them a little before daybreak —
نِّعۡمَۃً مِّنۡ عِنۡدِنَا ؕ کَذٰلِکَ نَجۡزِیۡ مَنۡ شَکَرَ ﴿۳۵﴾
54:35 a favour from Us. Thus do We reward him who gives thanks.
وَ لَقَدۡ اَنۡذَرَہُمۡ بَطۡشَتَنَا فَتَمَارَوۡا بِالنُّذُرِ ﴿۳۶﴾
54:36 And certainly he warned them of Our violent seizure, but they disputed the warning.
وَ لَقَدۡ رَاوَدُوۡہُ عَنۡ ضَیۡفِہٖ فَطَمَسۡنَاۤ اَعۡیُنَہُمۡ فَذُوۡقُوۡا عَذَابِیۡ وَ نُذُرِ ﴿۳۷﴾
54:37 And certainly they endeavoured to turn him from his guests, but We blinded their eyes;4 so taste My punishment and My warning.
وَ لَقَدۡ صَبَّحَہُمۡ بُکۡرَۃً عَذَابٌ مُّسۡتَقِرٌّ ﴿ۚ۳۸﴾
54:38 And certainly a lasting punishment came upon them in the morning.
فَذُوۡقُوۡا عَذَابِیۡ وَ نُذُرِ ﴿۳۹﴾
54:39 So taste My punishment and My warning.
وَ لَقَدۡ یَسَّرۡنَا الۡقُرۡاٰنَ لِلذِّکۡرِ فَہَلۡ مِنۡ مُّدَّکِرٍ ﴿٪۴۰﴾
54:40 And certainly We have made the Quran easy to remember, but is there anyone who will be mindful?
Commentary:
- Water is here said to be shared between them, i.e., between the people themselves. “Every share of the water shall be attended” by the she-camel, signifies that the water shall not be withheld from her on account of its division. ↩
- The punishment was a severe earthquake which destroyed people and their houses. ↩
- It was a volcanic eruption. Stones mixed with ashes were rained upon them. ↩
- They endeavoured to prevent him taking his guests into his house, but were unable to see their way to it. ↩