English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 55: Ar-Rahman — The Beneficent (Revealed at Makkah: 3 sections, 78 verses)
Section 2 (Verses 55:26–55:45): Judgment of the Guilty
Translation:
کُلُّ مَنۡ عَلَیۡہَا فَانٍ ﴿ۚۖ۲۶﴾
55:26 Everyone on it passes away —
وَّ یَبۡقٰی وَجۡہُ رَبِّکَ ذُو الۡجَلٰلِ وَ الۡاِکۡرَامِ ﴿ۚ۲۷﴾
55:27 and there endures forever the person of your Lord, the Lord of glory and honour.
فَبِاَیِّ اٰلَآءِ رَبِّکُمَا تُکَذِّبٰنِ ﴿۲۸﴾
55:28 Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
یَسۡـَٔلُہٗ مَنۡ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ کُلَّ یَوۡمٍ ہُوَ فِیۡ شَاۡنٍ ﴿ۚ۲۹﴾
55:29 All those in the heavens and the earth ask of Him. Every moment He is in a state (of glory).
فَبِاَیِّ اٰلَآءِ رَبِّکُمَا تُکَذِّبٰنِ ﴿۳۰﴾
55:30 Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
سَنَفۡرُغُ لَکُمۡ اَیُّہَ الثَّقَلٰنِ ﴿ۚ۳۱﴾
55:31 Soon shall We apply Ourselves to you, O you two armies.1
فَبِاَیِّ اٰلَآءِ رَبِّکُمَا تُکَذِّبٰنِ ﴿۳۲﴾
55:32 Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
یٰمَعۡشَرَ الۡجِنِّ وَ الۡاِنۡسِ اِنِ اسۡتَطَعۡتُمۡ اَنۡ تَنۡفُذُوۡا مِنۡ اَقۡطَارِ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ فَانۡفُذُوۡا ؕ لَا تَنۡفُذُوۡنَ اِلَّا بِسُلۡطٰنٍ ﴿ۚ۳۳﴾
55:33 O assembly of jinn and people, if you are able to pass through the regions of the heavens and the earth, then pass through. You cannot pass through but with authority.2
فَبِاَیِّ اٰلَآءِ رَبِّکُمَا تُکَذِّبٰنِ ﴿۳۴﴾
55:34 Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
یُرۡسَلُ عَلَیۡکُمَا شُوَاظٌ مِّنۡ نَّارٍ ۬ۙ وَّ نُحَاسٌ فَلَا تَنۡتَصِرٰنِ ﴿ۚ۳۵﴾
55:35 Flames of fire and sparks of brass will be sent upon you, then you will not be able to defend yourselves.3
فَبِاَیِّ اٰلَآءِ رَبِّکُمَا تُکَذِّبٰنِ ﴿۳۶﴾
55:36 Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
فَاِذَا انۡشَقَّتِ السَّمَآءُ فَکَانَتۡ وَرۡدَۃً کَالدِّہَانِ ﴿ۚ۳۷﴾
55:37 So when the heaven is split apart, so it becomes red like red hide.
فَبِاَیِّ اٰلَآءِ رَبِّکُمَا تُکَذِّبٰنِ ﴿۳۸﴾
55:38 Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
فَیَوۡمَئِذٍ لَّا یُسۡـَٔلُ عَنۡ ذَنۡۢبِہٖۤ اِنۡسٌ وَّ لَا جَآنٌّ ﴿ۚ۳۹﴾
55:39 So on that day neither man nor jinn will be asked about his sin.
فَبِاَیِّ اٰلَآءِ رَبِّکُمَا تُکَذِّبٰنِ ﴿۴۰﴾
55:40 Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
یُعۡرَفُ الۡمُجۡرِمُوۡنَ بِسِیۡمٰہُمۡ فَیُؤۡخَذُ بِالنَّوَاصِیۡ وَ الۡاَقۡدَامِ ﴿ۚ۴۱﴾
55:41 The guilty will be known by their marks, so they shall be seized by the forelocks and the feet.
فَبِاَیِّ اٰلَآءِ رَبِّکُمَا تُکَذِّبٰنِ ﴿۴۲﴾
55:42 Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
ہٰذِہٖ جَہَنَّمُ الَّتِیۡ یُکَذِّبُ بِہَا الۡمُجۡرِمُوۡنَ ﴿ۘ۴۳﴾
55:43 This is the hell which the guilty deny.
یَطُوۡفُوۡنَ بَیۡنَہَا وَ بَیۡنَ حَمِیۡمٍ اٰنٍ ﴿ۚ۴۴﴾
55:44 Round about shall they go between it and hot, boiling water.
فَبِاَیِّ اٰلَآءِ رَبِّکُمَا تُکَذِّبٰنِ ﴿٪۴۵﴾
55:45 Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
Commentary:
- The two armies here are the believers and the disbelievers, and Allah’s applying Himself to them signifies the judging of their case so that each should have its reward or punishment. ↩
- The jinn and the people of this verse are the great and the small opponents of the Holy Prophet or the foreigners and the Arabs. (Editor’s Note: The words “You cannot pass through but with authority” may also be rendered as: “You cannot escape from the kingdom (of Allah)”. This may be a reference to man’s flights into space, the meaning being that man cannot escape the laws and judgment of God whether on the earth or anywhere beyond it.) ↩
- This seems to be a reference to the terrible weapons of modern warfare. See also 73:17–18. ↩