Surah 14. Ibrahim

---

Verses [Section]: 1-6[1], 7-12 [2], 13-21 [3], 22-27 [4], 28-34 [5], 35-41 [6], 42-52 [7]

---

Quran Text of Verse 42-52وَ لَاAnd (do) notتَحْسَبَنَّthinkاللّٰهَ(that) Allahغَافِلًا(is) unawareعَمَّاof whatیَعْمَلُdoالظّٰلِمُوْنَ ؕ۬the wrongdoersاِنَّمَاOnlyیُؤَخِّرُهُمْHe gives them respiteلِیَوْمٍto a Dayتَشْخَصُwill stareفِیْهِin itالْاَبْصَارُۙthe eyes 14. Ibrahim Page 261مُهْطِعِیْنَRacing aheadمُقْنِعِیْraised upرُءُوْسِهِمْtheir headsلَاnotیَرْتَدُّreturningاِلَیْهِمْtowards themطَرْفُهُمْ ۚtheir gazeوَ اَفْـِٕدَتُهُمْand their heartsهَوَآءٌؕ(are) empty وَ اَنْذِرِAnd warnالنَّاسَthe mankindیَوْمَ(of) a Dayیَاْتِیْهِمُ(when) will come to themالْعَذَابُthe punishmentفَیَقُوْلُthen will sayالَّذِیْنَthose whoظَلَمُوْاdid wrongرَبَّنَاۤOur LordاَخِّرْنَاۤRespite usاِلٰۤیforاَجَلٍa termقَرِیْبٍ ۙshortنُّجِبْwe will answerدَعْوَتَكَYour callوَ نَتَّبِعِand we will followالرُّسُلَ ؕthe Messengersاَوَ لَمْHad notتَكُوْنُوْۤاyouاَقْسَمْتُمْswornمِّنْbeforeقَبْلُbeforeمَاnotلَكُمْfor youمِّنْanyزَوَالٍۙend وَّ سَكَنْتُمْAnd you dweltفِیْinمَسٰكِنِthe dwellingsالَّذِیْنَ(of) those whoظَلَمُوْۤاwrongedاَنْفُسَهُمْthemselvesوَ تَبَیَّنَand it had become clearلَكُمْto youكَیْفَhowفَعَلْنَاWe dealtبِهِمْwith themوَ ضَرَبْنَاand We put forthلَكُمُfor youالْاَمْثَالَ the examples وَ قَدْAnd indeedمَكَرُوْاthey plannedمَكْرَهُمْtheir planوَ عِنْدَbut withاللّٰهِAllahمَكْرُهُمْ ؕ(was) their planوَ اِنْeven ifكَانَwasمَكْرُهُمْtheir planلِتَزُوْلَthat should be movedمِنْهُby itالْجِبَالُ the mountains فَلَاSo (do) notتَحْسَبَنَّthinkاللّٰهَ(that) Allahمُخْلِفَwill failوَعْدِهٖ(to) keep His Promiseرُسُلَهٗ ؕ(to) His MessengersاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahعَزِیْزٌ(is) All-MightyذُوOwner (of) RetributionانْتِقَامٍؕOwner (of) Retribution یَوْمَ(On the) Dayتُبَدَّلُwill be changedالْاَرْضُthe earthغَیْرَ(to) other (than)الْاَرْضِthe earthوَ السَّمٰوٰتُand the heavensوَ بَرَزُوْاand they will come forthلِلّٰهِbefore Allahالْوَاحِدِthe Oneالْقَهَّارِ the Irresistible وَ تَرَیAnd you will seeالْمُجْرِمِیْنَthe criminalsیَوْمَىِٕذٍ(on) that Dayمُّقَرَّنِیْنَbound togetherفِیinالْاَصْفَادِۚthe chains سَرَابِیْلُهُمْTheir garmentsمِّنْofقَطِرَانٍtarوَّ تَغْشٰیand will coverوُجُوْهَهُمُtheir facesالنَّارُۙthe Fire لِیَجْزِیَSo that Allah may recompenseاللّٰهُSo that Allah may recompenseكُلَّeachنَفْسٍsoulمَّا(for) whatكَسَبَتْ ؕit earnedاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahسَرِیْعُ(is) Swiftالْحِسَابِ (in) the reckoning هٰذَاThisبَلٰغٌ(is) a Messageلِّلنَّاسِfor the mankindوَ لِیُنْذَرُوْاthat they may be warnedبِهٖwith itوَ لِیَعْلَمُوْۤاand that they may knowاَنَّمَاthat onlyهُوَHeاِلٰهٌ(is) One Godوَّاحِدٌ(is) One Godوَّ لِیَذَّكَّرَand that may take heedاُولُواmenالْاَلْبَابِ۠(of) understanding

---

Translation of Verse 42-52

(14:42) Do not think Allah is heedless of the evil deeds in which the evil-doers are engaged. He is merely granting them respite until a Day when their eyes shall continue to stare in horror,

(14:43) when they shall keep pressing ahead in haste, their heads lifted up, their gaze directed forward,⁵⁴ unable to look away from what they behold, their hearts utterly void.

(14:44) (O Muhammad), warn mankind of the Day when a severe chastisement shall overtake them, and the wrong-doers will say: "Our Lord, grant us respite for a short while; we shall respond to Your call and will follow Your Messengers." (But they will be clearly told): "Are you not the same who swore earlier that they shall never suffer decline?"

(14:45) You said so even though you had lived in the dwellings of those who had wronged themselves (by sinning), and you were aware how We dealt with them, and We had even explained to you all this by giving examples.

(14:46) Indeed the unbelievers contrived their plan, but it is in Allah's power to nullify their plan, even though their plans were such that would move even mountains.⁵⁵

(14:47) So, do not think, (O Prophet), that Allah will go back upon His promise to His Messengers.⁵⁶ Surely Allah is Mighty, Lord of retribution.

(14:48) (Do warn them of the) Day when the heavens and the earth shall be altogether changed;⁵⁷ when all will appear fully exposed before Allah, the One, the Irresistible!

(14:49) On that Day you shall see the guilty ones secured in chains;

(14:50) their garments shall be black⁵⁸ as if made out of pitch, and flames of the Fire shall cover their faces

(14:51) so that Allah may requite each person for his deeds. Allah is swift in reckoning.

(14:52) This is a proclamation for all mankind that they may be warned by it, and that they may know that their God is none but the One True God, and that men of understanding may take heed.

---

Commentary

54. The harrowing spectacle of the Day of Judgement will cast a spell on the unbelievers. They will continuously gaze, unable to blink or turn their eyes away from the terrible scene. It will seem.as though their eyes have been petrified.

55. The nations of the past resorted to all sorts of contriving to evade the consequences of having denied God’s laws and to defeating the mission of God’s Messengers. But it is well known that just one move from God checkmated them. Despite this, the unbelievers have not ceased their contriving, fancying that their efforts will ultimately meet with success.

56. Though this statement is apparently addressed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), it is in fact meant for his enemies. They are being told that all the promises which God had made to His earlier Messengers were fulfilled and caused their enemies to be vanquished. In view of this, it is quite evident that the promise that God made to Muhammad (peace be on him) will also come true, and all those who oppose him will be totally destroyed.

57. The present verse as well as several allusions to the subject at different places in the Qur’an indicate that the present heavens and earth will not be totally destroyed. It seems that it is only the present physical order of things that will be disrupted: Between the first and the second blowing of the Trumpet there will be a time gap the duration of which is known only to God. During this intervening period the present form of the heavens and the earth will be transformed. A new physical order will be created along with a different set of natural laws. This will mark the advent-of the Hereafter. Also, with the second blowing of the Trumpet, all human beings created since Adam till the Day of Judgement will be resurrected and will be made to stand before God. This is what the Qur’an calls hashr (‘the gathering’). It becomes evident from the allusions in the Qur’an and explicit statements in the Hadith that people will be gathered together on this very earth and will stand before God’s judgement. It is on the earth that God will take stock of people’s deeds. It is also on the earth that God’s scale will be fixed to weigh men’s actions. It is also on the earth that God’s judgement will be made.

The teachings of the Qur’4n and the Hadith also make it clear that the Next Life will not be merely one of a spiritual nature. Men will be resurrected both physically and spiritually, exactly as they are today. Everyone will assume the same personality which he held in the present world.

58. Some translators and commentators of the Qur’an have interpreted qatiran as arsenic and others in the sense of molten brass. However, in Arabic usage it refers to pitch or coal-tar.