English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 65: At-Talaq — Divorce (Revealed at Madinah: 2 sections, 12 verses)
Section 2 (Verses 65:8–65:12): Makkah Warned
Translation:
وَ کَاَیِّنۡ مِّنۡ قَرۡیَۃٍ عَتَتۡ عَنۡ اَمۡرِ رَبِّہَا وَ رُسُلِہٖ فَحَاسَبۡنٰہَا حِسَابًا شَدِیۡدًا ۙ وَّ عَذَّبۡنٰہَا عَذَابًا نُّکۡرًا ﴿۸﴾
65:8 And how many a town there was which rebelled against the commandment of its Lord and His messengers, so We called it to severe account and We punished it with a stern punishment!
فَذَاقَتۡ وَبَالَ اَمۡرِہَا وَ کَانَ عَاقِبَۃُ اَمۡرِہَا خُسۡرًا ﴿۹﴾
65:9 So it tasted the evil consequences of its conduct, and the end of its affair was ruin.
اَعَدَّ اللّٰہُ لَہُمۡ عَذَابًا شَدِیۡدًا ۙ فَاتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ یٰۤاُولِی الۡاَلۡبَابِ ۬ۚۖۛ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا ؕ۟ۛ قَدۡ اَنۡزَلَ اللّٰہُ اِلَیۡکُمۡ ذِکۡرًا ﴿ۙ۱۰﴾
65:10 Allah has prepared for them severe punishment, so keep your duty to Allah, you people of understanding, who believe. Allah has indeed sent down to you a Reminder —
رَّسُوۡلًا یَّتۡلُوۡا عَلَیۡکُمۡ اٰیٰتِ اللّٰہِ مُبَیِّنٰتٍ لِّیُخۡرِجَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ مِنَ الظُّلُمٰتِ اِلَی النُّوۡرِ ؕ وَ مَنۡ یُّؤۡمِنۡۢ بِاللّٰہِ وَ یَعۡمَلۡ صَالِحًا یُّدۡخِلۡہُ جَنّٰتٍ تَجۡرِیۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِہَا الۡاَنۡہٰرُ خٰلِدِیۡنَ فِیۡہَاۤ اَبَدًا ؕ قَدۡ اَحۡسَنَ اللّٰہُ لَہٗ رِزۡقًا ﴿۱۱﴾
65:11 a Messenger who recites to you the clear messages of Allah, so that he may bring forth those who believe and do good deeds from darkness into light. And whoever believes in Allah and does good deeds, He will make him enter Gardens in which rivers flow, to abide in them forever. Allah has indeed given him a goodly sustenance.
اَللّٰہُ الَّذِیۡ خَلَقَ سَبۡعَ سَمٰوٰتٍ وَّ مِنَ الۡاَرۡضِ مِثۡلَہُنَّ ؕ یَتَنَزَّلُ الۡاَمۡرُ بَیۡنَہُنَّ لِتَعۡلَمُوۡۤا اَنَّ اللّٰہَ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ قَدِیۡرٌ ۬ۙ وَّ اَنَّ اللّٰہَ قَدۡ اَحَاطَ بِکُلِّ شَیۡءٍ عِلۡمًا ﴿٪۱۲﴾
65:12 Allah is He Who created seven heavens, and of the earth the like of them (in number). The command descends among them, that you may know that Allah is Powerful over all things, and that Allah encompasses all things in (His) knowledge.1
Commentary:
- The statement made here, that there are “seven heavens, and of the earth the like of them”, throws light upon what is meant by heavens where the number seven is mentioned. The seven heavens are elsewhere called the seven ways (23:17) and the seven earths may therefore be the seven major planets of the solar system, the earth itself being the eighth, their orbits being spoken of as the seven heavens or seven ways. It should, however, be borne in mind that the heavens are often referred to without a limitation of number, and include the whole of the starry creation. Another point worth noting is that the mention of seven heavens does not preclude the existence of more. For the application of the word seven and for further discussion, see 2:29 footnote 2. The descending of the command among these is interpreted by some as meaning the existence of life and death in them. ↩