English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)

by Maulana Muhammad Ali

اِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِیۡنَ عِنۡدَ رَبِّہِمۡ جَنّٰتِ النَّعِیۡمِ ﴿۳۴﴾

68:34 Surely the dutiful have with their Lord Gardens of bliss.

اَفَنَجۡعَلُ الۡمُسۡلِمِیۡنَ کَالۡمُجۡرِمِیۡنَ ﴿ؕ۳۵﴾

68:35 Shall We then make those who submit as the guilty?

مَا لَکُمۡ ٝ کَیۡفَ تَحۡکُمُوۡنَ ﴿ۚ۳۶﴾

68:36 What is the matter with you? How do you judge?

اَمۡ لَکُمۡ کِتٰبٌ فِیۡہِ تَدۡرُسُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۳۷﴾

68:37 Or do you have a book in which you read

اِنَّ لَکُمۡ فِیۡہِ لَمَا تَخَیَّرُوۡنَ ﴿ۚ۳۸﴾

68:38 that you shall surely have in it whatever you choose?

اَمۡ لَکُمۡ اَیۡمَانٌ عَلَیۡنَا بَالِغَۃٌ اِلٰی یَوۡمِ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ ۙ اِنَّ لَکُمۡ لَمَا تَحۡکُمُوۡنَ ﴿ۚ۳۹﴾

68:39 Or do you have covenants from Us on oath, extending to the day of Resurrection, that you shall surely have whatever you judge?

سَلۡہُمۡ اَیُّہُمۡ بِذٰلِکَ زَعِیۡمٌ ﴿ۚۛ۴۰﴾

68:40 Ask them which of them will vouch for that.

اَمۡ لَہُمۡ شُرَکَآءُ ۚۛ فَلۡیَاۡتُوۡا بِشُرَکَآئِہِمۡ اِنۡ کَانُوۡا صٰدِقِیۡنَ ﴿۴۱﴾

68:41 Or do they have associate-gods? Then let them bring their associate-gods, if they are truthful.

یَوۡمَ یُکۡشَفُ عَنۡ سَاقٍ وَّ یُدۡعَوۡنَ اِلَی السُّجُوۡدِ فَلَا یَسۡتَطِیۡعُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۴۲﴾

68:42 On the day when there is a severe affliction, and they are called upon to prostrate themselves, but they are not able —

خَاشِعَۃً اَبۡصَارُہُمۡ تَرۡہَقُہُمۡ ذِلَّۃٌ ؕ وَ قَدۡ کَانُوۡا یُدۡعَوۡنَ اِلَی السُّجُوۡدِ وَ ہُمۡ سٰلِمُوۡنَ ﴿۴۳﴾

68:43 their looks cast down, humiliation will cover them. And they were indeed called upon to prostrate themselves, while yet they were safe.

فَذَرۡنِیۡ وَ مَنۡ یُّکَذِّبُ بِہٰذَا الۡحَدِیۡثِ ؕ سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُہُمۡ مِّنۡ حَیۡثُ لَا یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۴۴﴾

68:44 So leave Me alone with him who rejects this announcement. We shall overtake them by degrees, from where they do not know.

وَ اُمۡلِیۡ لَہُمۡ ؕ اِنَّ کَیۡدِیۡ مَتِیۡنٌ ﴿۴۵﴾

68:45 And I bear with them, surely My plan is firm.

اَمۡ تَسۡـَٔلُہُمۡ اَجۡرًا فَہُمۡ مِّنۡ مَّغۡرَمٍ مُّثۡقَلُوۡنَ ﴿ۚ۴۶﴾

68:46 Or do you ask from them a reward, so that they are burdened with debt?

اَمۡ عِنۡدَہُمُ الۡغَیۡبُ فَہُمۡ یَکۡتُبُوۡنَ ﴿۴۷﴾

68:47 Or is (the knowledge of) the unseen with them so that they write (it) down?¹

فَاصۡبِرۡ لِحُکۡمِ رَبِّکَ وَ لَا تَکُنۡ کَصَاحِبِ الۡحُوۡتِ ۘ اِذۡ نَادٰی وَ ہُوَ مَکۡظُوۡمٌ ﴿ؕ۴۸﴾

68:48 So wait patiently for the judgment of your Lord, and do not be like the Companion of the fish,² when he cried while he was in distress.

لَوۡ لَاۤ اَنۡ تَدٰرَکَہٗ نِعۡمَۃٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّہٖ لَنُبِذَ بِالۡعَرَآءِ وَ ہُوَ مَذۡمُوۡمٌ ﴿۴۹﴾

68:49 If favour from his Lord had not reached him, he would certainly have been cast down on naked ground, while he was blamed.

فَاجۡتَبٰہُ رَبُّہٗ فَجَعَلَہٗ مِنَ الصّٰلِحِیۡنَ ﴿۵۰﴾

68:50 Then his Lord chose him, and He made him one of the righteous.

وَ اِنۡ یَّکَادُ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا لَیُزۡلِقُوۡنَکَ بِاَبۡصَارِہِمۡ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا الذِّکۡرَ وَ یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ اِنَّہٗ لَمَجۡنُوۡنٌ ﴿ۘ۵۱﴾

68:51 And those who disbelieve would almost strike you down with their eyes when they hear the Reminder, and they say: Surely he is mad!³

وَ مَا ہُوَ اِلَّا ذِکۡرٌ لِّلۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ ﴿٪۵۲﴾

68:52 And it is nothing but a Reminder for the nations.

Writing is always mentioned in connection with the knowledge of the unseen, because it is writing alone that makes the truth of a prophecy sure. This is proof that the Quran itself, containing numerous prophecies, was written from the first, otherwise a challenge to the opponents in these early revelations to write down the knowledge of the future which they had through their diviners would be meaningless. ↩
The Prophet Jonah is here called the Companion of the fish because of the incident mentioned in 37:142. ↩
The chapter ends with the same allegation by the disbelievers as the one with which it opened. The last verse, and it is nothing but a Reminder for the nations, sums up the arguments against that allegation. Note that even as early as this revelation, the Prophet’s message is declared to be meant for all nations. ↩