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 3 (Verses 56:75–56:96): Judgment is Inevitable
Translation:
فَلَاۤ اُقۡسِمُ بِمَوٰقِعِ النُّجُوۡمِ ﴿ۙ۷۵﴾
56:75 But indeed, I swear by revelation of portions (of the Quran)!1 —
وَ اِنَّہٗ لَقَسَمٌ لَّوۡ تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ عَظِیۡمٌ ﴿ۙ۷۶﴾
56:76 and it is a great oath indeed, if you knew —
اِنَّہٗ لَقُرۡاٰنٌ کَرِیۡمٌ ﴿ۙ۷۷﴾
56:77 surely it is a bountiful Quran,
فِیۡ کِتٰبٍ مَّکۡنُوۡنٍ ﴿ۙ۷۸﴾
56:78 in a book that is protected,
لَّا یَمَسُّہٗۤ اِلَّا الۡمُطَہَّرُوۡنَ ﴿ؕ۷۹﴾
56:79 which none touches but the purified ones.2
تَنۡزِیۡلٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّ الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ ﴿۸۰﴾
56:80 A revelation from the Lord of the worlds.
اَفَبِہٰذَا الۡحَدِیۡثِ اَنۡتُمۡ مُّدۡہِنُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۸۱﴾
56:81 Is it this announcement that you disdain?
وَ تَجۡعَلُوۡنَ رِزۡقَکُمۡ اَنَّکُمۡ تُکَذِّبُوۡنَ ﴿۸۲﴾
56:82 And make your denial your means of subsistence.3
فَلَوۡ لَاۤ اِذَا بَلَغَتِ الۡحُلۡقُوۡمَ ﴿ۙ۸۳﴾
56:83 Then why not, when (the soul) comes up to the throat,
وَ اَنۡتُمۡ حِیۡنَئِذٍ تَنۡظُرُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۸۴﴾
56:84 and you at that time look on —
وَ نَحۡنُ اَقۡرَبُ اِلَیۡہِ مِنۡکُمۡ وَ لٰکِنۡ لَّا تُبۡصِرُوۡنَ ﴿۸۵﴾
56:85 and We are nearer to it than you, but you do not see —
فَلَوۡ لَاۤ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ غَیۡرَ مَدِیۡنِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۸۶﴾
56:86 then why do you not, if you are not held under authority,
تَرۡجِعُوۡنَہَاۤ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ صٰدِقِیۡنَ ﴿۸۷﴾
56:87 send it back, if you are truthful?4
فَاَمَّاۤ اِنۡ کَانَ مِنَ الۡمُقَرَّبِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۸۸﴾
56:88 So if he is one of those drawn near (to Allah),
فَرَوۡحٌ وَّ رَیۡحَانٌ ۬ۙ وَّ جَنَّتُ نَعِیۡمٍ ﴿۸۹﴾
56:89 then (he has) happiness and bounty and a Garden of bliss.
وَ اَمَّاۤ اِنۡ کَانَ مِنۡ اَصۡحٰبِ الۡیَمِیۡنِ ﴿ۙ۹۰﴾
56:90 And if he is one of those on the right hand,
فَسَلٰمٌ لَّکَ مِنۡ اَصۡحٰبِ الۡیَمِیۡنِ ﴿ؕ۹۱﴾
56:91 then peace to you from those on the right hand.
وَ اَمَّاۤ اِنۡ کَانَ مِنَ الۡمُکَذِّبِیۡنَ الضَّآلِّیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۹۲﴾
56:92 But if he is one of the rejectors, the ones in error,
فَنُزُلٌ مِّنۡ حَمِیۡمٍ ﴿ۙ۹۳﴾
56:93 he has an entertainment of boiling water,
وَّ تَصۡلِیَۃُ جَحِیۡمٍ ﴿۹۴﴾
56:94 and burning in hell.
اِنَّ ہٰذَا لَہُوَ حَقُّ الۡیَقِیۡنِ ﴿ۚ۹۵﴾
56:95 Surely this is a certain truth.
فَسَبِّحۡ بِاسۡمِ رَبِّکَ الۡعَظِیۡمِ ﴿٪۹۶﴾
56:96 So glorify the name of your Lord, the Incomparably Great.
Commentary:
- The meaning adopted suits the context. See 53:1 footnote, where it is shown that the word najm meaning star, used here as the plural nujūm, means also a portion of the Quran. The significance of the oath is that every portion of the Quran bears evidence to its own truth. ↩
- The Quran is called karīm (bounteous or bountiful) on account of the benefit which it brought to humanity. V. 78 speaks of it as being protected, by which is meant not only that it will be protected against all attempts to destroy it, but also that it will be protected in all its purity in writing. V. 79 states that it can be touched only by those purified by God. This shows that an understanding of the Quran is granted only to those who are pure in heart. It also shows that the Quran should not be touched by one who is impure. Hence the companions were forbidden to carry the Quran to an enemy’s country (Bukhari, 56:129). This further shows that the Quran existed in a written form, as a book, from the first. ↩
- The meaning is that you are bent upon giving the lie to the Quran to such an extent as if to give it the lie were your means of subsistence, without which you could not live. ↩
- The meaning is that if you are your own masters, and not subject to the authority of a Higher Power, why can you not resist death when it comes to you? ↩