English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 69: Al-Haqqah — The Sure Truth (Revealed at Makkah: 2 sections, 52 verses)
Section 2 (Verses 69:38–69:52): False Allegations Refuted
Translation:
فَلَاۤ اُقۡسِمُ بِمَا تُبۡصِرُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۳۸﴾
69:38 But no! I swear by what you see,
وَ مَا لَا تُبۡصِرُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۳۹﴾
69:39 and what you do not see!
اِنَّہٗ لَقَوۡلُ رَسُوۡلٍ کَرِیۡمٍ ﴿ۚۙ۴۰﴾
69:40 Surely, it is the word of an honoured Messenger,
وَّ مَا ہُوَ بِقَوۡلِ شَاعِرٍ ؕ قَلِیۡلًا مَّا تُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۴۱﴾
69:41 and it is not the word of a poet. Little do you believe!
وَ لَا بِقَوۡلِ کَاہِنٍ ؕ قَلِیۡلًا مَّا تَذَکَّرُوۡنَ ﴿ؕ۴۲﴾
69:42 Nor the word of a soothsayer. Little are you mindful!
تَنۡزِیۡلٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّ الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ ﴿۴۳﴾
69:43 It is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds.
وَ لَوۡ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَیۡنَا بَعۡضَ الۡاَقَاوِیۡلِ ﴿ۙ۴۴﴾
69:44 And if he had fabricated against Us certain sayings,
لَاَخَذۡنَا مِنۡہُ بِالۡیَمِیۡنِ ﴿ۙ۴۵﴾
69:45 We would certainly have seized him by the right hand,
ثُمَّ لَقَطَعۡنَا مِنۡہُ الۡوَتِیۡنَ ﴿۫ۖ۴۶﴾
69:46 then cut off his heart’s vein.
فَمَا مِنۡکُمۡ مِّنۡ اَحَدٍ عَنۡہُ حٰجِزِیۡنَ ﴿۴۷﴾
69:47 And not one of you could have withheld Us from him.1
وَ اِنَّہٗ لَتَذۡکِرَۃٌ لِّلۡمُتَّقِیۡنَ ﴿۴۸﴾
69:48 And surely it is a Reminder for the dutiful.
وَ اِنَّا لَنَعۡلَمُ اَنَّ مِنۡکُمۡ مُّکَذِّبِیۡنَ ﴿۴۹﴾
69:49 And We certainly know that some of you are rejectors.
وَ اِنَّہٗ لَحَسۡرَۃٌ عَلَی الۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ ﴿۵۰﴾
69:50 And it is indeed a (source of) grief to the disbelievers.2
وَ اِنَّہٗ لَحَقُّ الۡیَقِیۡنِ ﴿۵۱﴾
69:51 And surely it is the certain Truth.3
فَسَبِّحۡ بِاسۡمِ رَبِّکَ الۡعَظِیۡمِ ﴿٪۵۲﴾
69:52 So glorify the name of your Lord, the incomparably Great.
Commentary:
- Verses 44–47 show that one who fabricates Divine revelation does not prosper. Compare Deut. 18:20, where the prophecy of the advent of a Prophet like Moses is followed by the words: “But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die”. Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:19: “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire”, after comparing a false prophet with a corrupt tree that does not bring forth good fruit, point to a like effect. ↩
- Because the punishment of which it warns them must overtake them. ↩
- The ḥaqq al-yaqīn, true certainty or certain truth of this verse, is the same as al-ḥāqqah of the opening verse. The ultimate triumph of Truth is a certain truth. ↩