English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 72: Al-Jinn — The Jinn (Revealed at Makkah: 2 sections, 28 verses)
Section 2 (Verses 72:20–72:28): Protection of Revelation
Translation:
قُلۡ اِنَّمَاۤ اَدۡعُوۡا رَبِّیۡ وَ لَاۤ اُشۡرِکُ بِہٖۤ اَحَدًا ﴿۲۰﴾
72:20 Say: I only call upon my Lord, and I do not set up any partner with Him.
قُلۡ اِنِّیۡ لَاۤ اَمۡلِکُ لَکُمۡ ضَرًّا وَّ لَا رَشَدًا ﴿۲۱﴾
72:21 Say: I do not control evil nor good for you.
قُلۡ اِنِّیۡ لَنۡ یُّجِیۡرَنِیۡ مِنَ اللّٰہِ اَحَدٌ ۬ۙ وَّ لَنۡ اَجِدَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِہٖ مُلۡتَحَدًا ﴿ۙ۲۲﴾
72:22 Say: None can protect me against Allah, nor can I find any refuge besides Him;
اِلَّا بَلٰغًا مِّنَ اللّٰہِ وَ رِسٰلٰتِہٖ ؕ وَ مَنۡ یَّعۡصِ اللّٰہَ وَ رَسُوۡلَہٗ فَاِنَّ لَہٗ نَارَ جَہَنَّمَ خٰلِدِیۡنَ فِیۡہَاۤ اَبَدًا ﴿ؕ۲۳﴾
72:23 (my duty is) but to deliver (the command) of Allah and His messages. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, surely for him is the Fire of hell, to abide in it for a long time,
حَتّٰۤی اِذَا رَاَوۡا مَا یُوۡعَدُوۡنَ فَسَیَعۡلَمُوۡنَ مَنۡ اَضۡعَفُ نَاصِرًا وَّ اَقَلُّ عَدَدًا ﴿۲۴﴾
72:24 till when they see what they are promised, they will know who is weaker in helpers and smaller in numbers.1
قُلۡ اِنۡ اَدۡرِیۡۤ اَقَرِیۡبٌ مَّا تُوۡعَدُوۡنَ اَمۡ یَجۡعَلُ لَہٗ رَبِّیۡۤ اَمَدًا ﴿۲۵﴾
72:25 Say: I do not know whether what you are promised is near or if my Lord will appoint for it a distant term.
عٰلِمُ الۡغَیۡبِ فَلَا یُظۡہِرُ عَلٰی غَیۡبِہٖۤ اَحَدًا ﴿ۙ۲۶﴾
72:26 The Knower of the unseen, so He makes His secrets known to none,
اِلَّا مَنِ ارۡتَضٰی مِنۡ رَّسُوۡلٍ فَاِنَّہٗ یَسۡلُکُ مِنۡۢ بَیۡنِ یَدَیۡہِ وَ مِنۡ خَلۡفِہٖ رَصَدًا ﴿ۙ۲۷﴾
72:27 except a messenger whom He chooses.2 For surely He makes a guard to go before him and behind him,
لِّیَعۡلَمَ اَنۡ قَدۡ اَبۡلَغُوۡا رِسٰلٰتِ رَبِّہِمۡ وَ اَحَاطَ بِمَا لَدَیۡہِمۡ وَ اَحۡصٰی کُلَّ شَیۡءٍ عَدَدًا ﴿٪۲۸﴾
72:28 that He may know that they have truly delivered the messages of their Lord; and He encompasses whatever is with them, and He keeps account of all things.3
Commentary:
- As a human being left to himself without a friend, without helper, rejected at home and elsewhere (as he was rejected at Ta’if at this time), the Holy Prophet had thus poured out his heart, in this state of utter helplessness: “O Lord, I make my complaint to You of my helplessness and frailty and of my insignificance before mankind…”. Now contrast with it the revelation which he received just then, which speaks of the opponents of Truth who would soon be brought low — “they will know who is weaker in helpers and smaller in numbers”. The source of the Holy Prophet’s revelation was other than his own heart, for the same heart could not simultaneously vent feelings of utter helplessness and weakness and those of unbounded confidence in his ultimate triumph. ↩
- That the overthrow of opposition to the great message of Truth was certain is stated in v. 24. Then v. 25 states that the Prophet did not know whether this overthrow would come soon or in the distant future, but Truth must triumph. And the law is stated now that God makes known His will, the unseen, the Truth, by His messenger, to convey that Truth to other people. It is God’s message and it must be delivered in spite of all opposition. The Divine purpose is accomplished by sending a guard, before and after the messenger, to protect him against all onslaughts, as is made clear in the words that follow. ↩
- Note the firm tone of these revelations under the disheartening circumstances to which attention has been drawn in v. 24 footnote. Such words could not proceed from any but a Divine source — the message must be delivered, Allah encompasses all, nothing is out of His reach. ↩