English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)

by Maulana Muhammad Ali

Quran: Search & listen

Chapter 7: Al-Araf — The Elevated Places (Revealed at Makkah: 24 sections, 206 verses)

Section 23 (Verses 7:182–7:188): The Coming of the Doom

Translation:

وَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَذَّبُوۡا بِاٰیٰتِنَا سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُہُمۡ مِّنۡ حَیۡثُ لَا یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿۱۸۲﴾ۚۖ

7:182 And those who reject Our messages — We lead them (to destruction) step by step from where they do not know.

وَ اُمۡلِیۡ لَہُمۡ ؕ۟ اِنَّ کَیۡدِیۡ مَتِیۡنٌ ﴿۱۸۳﴾

7:183 And I grant them respite. Surely My scheme is effective.1

اَوَ لَمۡ یَتَفَکَّرُوۡا ٜ مَا بِصَاحِبِہِمۡ مِّنۡ جِنَّۃٍ ؕ اِنۡ ہُوَ اِلَّا نَذِیۡرٌ مُّبِیۡنٌ ﴿۱۸۴﴾

7:184 Do they not reflect (that) there is no madness in their companion? He is only a plain warner.

اَوَ لَمۡ یَنۡظُرُوۡا فِیۡ مَلَکُوۡتِ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ وَ مَا خَلَقَ اللّٰہُ مِنۡ شَیۡءٍ ۙ وَّ اَنۡ عَسٰۤی اَنۡ یَّکُوۡنَ قَدِ اقۡتَرَبَ اَجَلُہُمۡ ۚ فَبِاَیِّ حَدِیۡثٍۭ بَعۡدَہٗ یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ ﴿۱۸۵﴾

7:185 Do they not consider the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and what things Allah has created, and that it may be that their doom has drawn near? In what announcement after this will they then believe?

مَنۡ یُّضۡلِلِ اللّٰہُ فَلَا ہَادِیَ لَہٗ ؕ وَ یَذَرُہُمۡ فِیۡ طُغۡیَانِہِمۡ یَعۡمَہُوۡنَ ﴿۱۸۶﴾

7:186 Whomsoever Allah leaves in error, there is no guide for him. And He leaves them alone in their inordinacy, blindly wandering on.

یَسۡـَٔلُوۡنَکَ عَنِ السَّاعَۃِ اَیَّانَ مُرۡسٰہَا ؕ قُلۡ اِنَّمَا عِلۡمُہَا عِنۡدَ رَبِّیۡ ۚ لَا یُجَلِّیۡہَا لِوَقۡتِہَاۤ اِلَّا ہُوَ ؕۘؔ ثَقُلَتۡ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ لَا تَاۡتِیۡکُمۡ اِلَّا بَغۡتَۃً ؕ یَسۡـَٔلُوۡنَکَ کَاَنَّکَ حَفِیٌّ عَنۡہَا ؕ قُلۡ اِنَّمَا عِلۡمُہَا عِنۡدَ اللّٰہِ وَ لٰکِنَّ اَکۡثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿۱۸۷﴾

7:187 They ask you about the Hour,2 when will it take place? Say: Its knowledge is with my Lord only. None but He will manifest it at its time. It is momentous in the heavens and the earth. It will not come to you but suddenly. They ask you as if you could find out about it (by effort). Say: Its knowledge is with Allah only, but most people do not know.

قُلۡ لَّاۤ اَمۡلِکُ لِنَفۡسِیۡ نَفۡعًا وَّ لَا ضَرًّا اِلَّا مَا شَآءَ اللّٰہُ ؕ وَ لَوۡ کُنۡتُ اَعۡلَمُ الۡغَیۡبَ لَاسۡتَکۡثَرۡتُ مِنَ الۡخَیۡرِۚۖۛ وَ مَا مَسَّنِیَ السُّوۡٓءُ ۚۛ اِنۡ اَنَا اِلَّا نَذِیۡرٌ وَّ بَشِیۡرٌ لِّقَوۡمٍ یُّؤۡمِنُوۡنَ ﴿۱۸۸﴾٪

7:188 Say: I do not control benefit nor harm for myself except as Allah please. And if I had known the unseen, I should have much of good, and no evil would touch me. I am but a warner and the giver of good news to a people who believe.3

Commentary:

  1. The word kaid (scheme), in relation to God, indicates skill in the management or ordering of affairs. ↩︎
  2. That is, the Hour with which they are threatened as being the hour of their doom. The word sa‘ah or the hour is used in the Quran to indicate both the doom of the guilty in this life and the time when a perfect manifestation of re­wards and punishments will take place in the Hereafter. ↩︎
  3. The simplicity and nobility of this statement as indicating the mission of a prophet is unsurpassed. He gives glad news of triumph to those who believe, warns the evil-doers of the evil consequences of their deeds in this life as well as in the next, but he does not claim the possession of Divine powers. ↩︎

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