English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 56: Al-Waqiah — The Event (Revealed at Makkah: 3 sections, 96 verses)
Section 1 (Verses 56:1–56:38): Three Classes of People
Translation:
بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
اِذَا وَقَعَتِ الۡوَاقِعَۃُ ۙ﴿۱﴾
56:1 When the Event comes to pass1 —
لَیۡسَ لِوَقۡعَتِہَا کَاذِبَۃٌ ۘ﴿۲﴾
56:2 there is no denying its coming to pass —
خَافِضَۃٌ رَّافِعَۃٌ ۙ﴿۳﴾
56:3 degrading (some), exalting (others) —
اِذَا رُجَّتِ الۡاَرۡضُ رَجًّا ۙ﴿۴﴾
56:4 when the earth is shaken with a (severe) shaking,
وَّ بُسَّتِ الۡجِبَالُ بَسًّا ۙ﴿۵﴾
56:5 and the mountains are crumbled to pieces,2
فَکَانَتۡ ہَبَآءً مُّنۡۢبَثًّا ۙ﴿۶﴾
56:6 so they are as scattered dust,
وَّ کُنۡتُمۡ اَزۡوَاجًا ثَلٰثَۃً ؕ﴿۷﴾
56:7 and you are three sorts.
فَاَصۡحٰبُ الۡمَیۡمَنَۃِ ۬ۙ مَاۤ اَصۡحٰبُ الۡمَیۡمَنَۃِ ؕ﴿۸﴾
56:8 So those on the right hand; how (happy) are those on the right hand!
وَ اَصۡحٰبُ الۡمَشۡـَٔمَۃِ ۬ۙ مَاۤ اَصۡحٰبُ الۡمَشۡـَٔمَۃِ ؕ﴿۹﴾
56:9 And those on the left; how (wretched) are those on the left!
وَ السّٰبِقُوۡنَ السّٰبِقُوۡنَ ﴿ۚۙ۱۰﴾
56:10 And the foremost (in doing good) are the foremost (in reaping reward) —
اُولٰٓئِکَ الۡمُقَرَّبُوۡنَ ﴿ۚ۱۱﴾
56:11 these are drawn near (to Allah).
فِیۡ جَنّٰتِ النَّعِیۡمِ ﴿۱۲﴾
56:12 In Gardens of bliss.
ثُلَّۃٌ مِّنَ الۡاَوَّلِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۱۳﴾
56:13 A multitude from among the first,
وَ قَلِیۡلٌ مِّنَ الۡاٰخِرِیۡنَ ﴿ؕ۱۴﴾
56:14 and a few from among those of later times,3
عَلٰی سُرُرٍ مَّوۡضُوۡنَۃٍ ﴿ۙ۱۵﴾
56:15 on thrones well-woven,
مُّتَّکِـِٕیۡنَ عَلَیۡہَا مُتَقٰبِلِیۡنَ ﴿۱۶﴾
56:16 reclining on them, facing each other.
یَطُوۡفُ عَلَیۡہِمۡ وِلۡدَانٌ مُّخَلَّدُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۱۷﴾
56:17 Round about them will go youths never altering in age,4
بِاَکۡوَابٍ وَّ اَبَارِیۡقَ ۬ۙ وَ کَاۡسٍ مِّنۡ مَّعِیۡنٍ ﴿ۙ۱۸﴾
56:18 with goblets and ewers, and a cup of pure drink —
لَّا یُصَدَّعُوۡنَ عَنۡہَا وَ لَا یُنۡزِفُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۱۹﴾
56:19 they are not affected with headache by it, nor are they intoxicated,
وَ فَاکِہَۃٍ مِّمَّا یَتَخَیَّرُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۲۰﴾
56:20 and fruits that they choose,
وَ لَحۡمِ طَیۡرٍ مِّمَّا یَشۡتَہُوۡنَ ﴿ؕ۲۱﴾
56:21 and flesh of fowl that they desire,
وَ حُوۡرٌ عِیۡنٌ ﴿ۙ۲۲﴾
56:22 and pure, beautiful ones,
کَاَمۡثَالِ اللُّؤۡلُؤَ الۡمَکۡنُوۡنِ ﴿ۚ۲۳﴾
56:23 like hidden pearls.
جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا کَانُوۡا یَعۡمَلُوۡنَ ﴿۲۴﴾
56:24 A reward for what they did.
لَا یَسۡمَعُوۡنَ فِیۡہَا لَغۡوًا وَّ لَا تَاۡثِیۡمًا ﴿ۙ۲۵﴾
56:25 They hear therein no idle or sinful talk —
اِلَّا قِیۡلًا سَلٰمًا سَلٰمًا ﴿۲۶﴾
56:26 but only the saying, Peace! Peace!5
وَ اَصۡحٰبُ الۡیَمِیۡنِ ۬ۙ مَاۤ اَصۡحٰبُ الۡیَمِیۡنِ ﴿ؕ۲۷﴾
56:27 And those on the right hand; how (happy) are those on the right hand!
فِیۡ سِدۡرٍ مَّخۡضُوۡدٍ ﴿ۙ۲۸﴾
56:28 Amid thornless lote trees,
وَّ طَلۡحٍ مَّنۡضُوۡدٍ ﴿ۙ۲۹﴾
56:29 and clustered banana trees,
وَّ ظِلٍّ مَّمۡدُوۡدٍ ﴿ۙ۳۰﴾
56:30 and extensive shade,
وَّ مَآءٍ مَّسۡکُوۡبٍ ﴿ۙ۳۱﴾
56:31 and water gushing,
وَّ فَاکِہَۃٍ کَثِیۡرَۃٍ ﴿ۙ۳۲﴾
56:32 and abundant fruit,
لَّا مَقۡطُوۡعَۃٍ وَّ لَا مَمۡنُوۡعَۃٍ ﴿ۙ۳۳﴾
56:33 neither failing, nor forbidden,
وَّ فُرُشٍ مَّرۡفُوۡعَۃٍ ﴿ؕ۳۴﴾
56:34 and exalted couches.
اِنَّاۤ اَنۡشَاۡنٰہُنَّ اِنۡشَآءً ﴿ۙ۳۵﴾
56:35 Surely We have created them as a (new) creation,6
فَجَعَلۡنٰہُنَّ اَبۡکَارًا ﴿ۙ۳۶﴾
56:36 so We have made them virgins,
عُرُبًا اَتۡرَابًا ﴿ۙ۳۷﴾
56:37 loving, equals in age,7
لِّاَصۡحٰبِ الۡیَمِیۡنِ ﴿ؕ٪۳۸﴾
56:38 for those on the right hand.
Commentary:
- The Quran speaks of the Hour or the Event not only as signifying the Resurrection, but also very frequently as signifying the doom of its opponents. That doom was, in fact, a foretaste of what they would suffer in the life after death; this is made clear in v. 3. ↩
- The crumbling of the mountains signifies the fall of great opponents; see 20:105 footnote. ↩
- Those who accepted the Holy Prophet in the earlier stages of his mission, and had to make greater sacrifices, had a greater reward; but there were others who waited until Islam was established in the land and made no sacrifices. ↩
- Because there is no decay in the life after death. ↩
- After various blessings are enumerated, their true nature is depicted in one word, Peace. Peace in this world, and Peace in the Hereafter, such is the message of Islam. ↩
- These words show that the blessings of the next life, whether shades or trees or water or fruits, are all the fruits of deeds which have been created as a new creation. ↩
- As shown in 52:20 footnote, words primarily applicable to women are used to describe some blessings of the next life because womanhood stands as a symbol of purity and beauty. “Equals in age”, as already shown in 38:52 footnote, signifies that the growth of those blessings begins with the growth of spiritual life in a person. ↩