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Towards Understanding the Quran - Tafheem ul Quran

Quran Translation & Commentary by Abul ala Maududi, English render by Zafar Ishaq Ansari
(Surah 1-46, 66-114),
Muhammad Akbar & A. A Kamal
(Surah 47-65)

Quran Translation
Word for Word by
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh
& Kausar Khatri

Introduction
1. Al-Fatihah
2. Al-Baqarah
3. Al-Imran
4. Al-Nisa
5. Al-Maidah
6. Al-Anam
7. Al-Araf
8. Al-Anfal
9. Al-Taubah
10. Yunus
11. Hud
12. Yusuf
13. Al-Rad
14. Ibrahim
15. Al-Hijr
16. Al-Nahl
17. Bani Israil
18. Al-Kahf
19. Maryam
20. Ta-Ha
21. Al-Anbiya
22. Al-Hajj
23. Al-Muminun
24. An-Nur
25. Al-Furqan
26. Ash-Shuara
27. An-Naml
28. Al-Qasas
29. Al-Ankabut
30. Ar-Rum
31. Luqman
32. As-Sajdah
33. Al-Ahzab
34. Saba
35. Fatir
36. Yasin
37. As-Saffat
38. Saad
39. Az-Zumar
40. Al-Mumin
41. Ha-Meem-As-Sajdah
42. AShura
43. Az-Zukhruf
44. Ad-Dukhan
45. Al-Jathiyah
46. Al-Ahqaf
47. Muhammad
48. Al-Fath
49. Al-Hujurat
50. Al-Qaf
51. Adh-Dhariyat
52. At-Tur
53. An-Najm
54. Al-Qamar
55. Al-Rahman
56. Al-Waqiah
57. Al-Hadid
58. Al-Mujadalah
59. Al-Hashr
60. Al-Mumtahinah
61. As-Saff
62. Al-Jumuah
63. Al-Munafiqun
64. Al-Taghabun
65. At-Talaq
66. At-Tahrim
67. Al-Mulk
68. Al-Qalam
69. Al-Haqqah
70. Al-Maarij
71. Nuh
72. Al-Jinn
73. Al-Muzzammil
74. Al-Muddhththir
75. Al-Qiyamah
76. Ad-Dahr
77. Al-Mursalat
78. An-Naba
79. An-Naziat
80. Abas
81. At-Takwir
82. Al-Infitar
83. At-Tatfif
84. Al-Inshiqaq
85. Al-Buruj
86. At-Tariq
87. Al-Ala
88. Al-Ghashiyah
89. Al-Fajr
90. Al-Balad
91. Ash-Shams
92. Al-Lail
93. Ad-Duha
94. Al-Inshirah
95. At-Tin
96. Al-Alaq
97. Al-Qadr
98. Al-Bayyinah
99. Az-Zilzal
100. Al-Adiyat
101. Al-Qariah
102. At-Takathur
103. Al-Asr
104. Al-Humazah
105. Al-Fil
106. Al-Quraish
107. Al-Maun
108. Al-Kauthar
109. Al-Kafirun
110. An-Nasr
111. Al-Lahab
112. Al-Ikhlas
113. Al-Falaq
114. An-Nas
Surah 18. Al-Kahf
Verses [Section]: 1-12[1], 13-17 [2], 18-22 [3], 23-31 [4], 32-44 [5], 45-49 [6], 50-53 [7], 54-59 [8], 60-70 [9], 71-82 [10], 83-101 [11], 102-110 [12]

Quran Text of Verse 102-110
اَفَحَسِبَDo then thinkالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْۤاdisbelieveاَنْthatیَّتَّخِذُوْاthey (can) takeعِبَادِیْMy servantsمِنْbesides Meدُوْنِیْۤbesides Meاَوْلِیَآءَ ؕ(as) protectorsاِنَّاۤIndeed, WeاَعْتَدْنَاWe have preparedجَهَنَّمَHellلِلْكٰفِرِیْنَfor the disbelieversنُزُلًا (as) a lodging قُلْSayهَلْShallنُنَبِّئُكُمْWe inform youبِالْاَخْسَرِیْنَof the greatest losersاَعْمَالًاؕ(as to their) deeds اَلَّذِیْنَThoseضَلَّis lostسَعْیُهُمْtheir effortفِیinالْحَیٰوةِthe lifeالدُّنْیَا(of) the worldوَ هُمْwhile theyیَحْسَبُوْنَthinkاَنَّهُمْthat theyیُحْسِنُوْنَ(were) acquiring goodصُنْعًا (in) work اُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseالَّذِیْنَ(are) the ones whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelieveبِاٰیٰتِin the Versesرَبِّهِمْ(of) their Lordوَ لِقَآىِٕهٖand the meeting (with) HimفَحَبِطَتْSo (are) vainاَعْمَالُهُمْtheir deedsفَلَاso notنُقِیْمُWe will assignلَهُمْfor themیَوْمَ(on) the Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ(of) the Resurrectionوَزْنًا any weight ذٰلِكَThatجَزَآؤُهُمْ(is) their recompenseجَهَنَّمُHellبِمَاbecauseكَفَرُوْاthey disbelievedوَ اتَّخَذُوْۤاand tookاٰیٰتِیْMy Versesوَ رُسُلِیْand My Messengersهُزُوًا (in) ridicule اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْاbelievedوَ عَمِلُواand didالصّٰلِحٰتِrighteous deedsكَانَتْfor them will beلَهُمْfor them will beجَنّٰتُGardensالْفِرْدَوْسِ(of) the Paradiseنُزُلًاۙ(as) a lodging خٰلِدِیْنَAbiding foreverفِیْهَاin itلَاNotیَبْغُوْنَthey will desireعَنْهَاfrom itحِوَلًا any transfer قُلْSayلَّوْIfكَانَwereالْبَحْرُthe seaمِدَادًاinkلِّكَلِمٰتِfor (the) Wordsرَبِّیْ(of) my Lordلَنَفِدَsurely (would be) exhaustedالْبَحْرُthe seaقَبْلَbeforeاَنْ[that]تَنْفَدَ(were) exhaustedكَلِمٰتُ(the) Wordsرَبِّیْ(of) my Lordوَ لَوْeven ifجِئْنَاWe broughtبِمِثْلِهٖ(the) like (of) itمَدَدًا (as) a supplement قُلْSayاِنَّمَاۤOnlyاَنَاIبَشَرٌ(am) a manمِّثْلُكُمْlike youیُوْحٰۤیHas been revealedاِلَیَّto meاَنَّمَاۤthatاِلٰهُكُمْyour Godاِلٰهٌ(is) Godوَّاحِدٌ ۚOneفَمَنْSo whoeverكَانَisیَرْجُوْاhopingلِقَآءَ(for the) meetingرَبِّهٖ(with) his Lordفَلْیَعْمَلْlet him doعَمَلًاdeedsصَالِحًاrighteousوَّ لَاand notیُشْرِكْassociateبِعِبَادَةِin (the) worshipرَبِّهٖۤ(of) his Lordاَحَدًا۠anyone
Translation of Verse 102-110

(18:102) Do the unbelievers,74 then, believe that they can take any of My creatures as their guardians beside Me?75 Verily We have prepared Hell to welcome the unbelievers.

(18:103) Say, (O Muhammad): "Shall We tell you who will be the greatest losers in respect of their works?

(18:104) It will be those whose effort went astray76 in the life of the world and who believe nevertheless that they are doing good.

(18:105) Those are the ones who refused to believe in the revelations of their Lord and that they are bound to meet Him. Hence, all their deeds have come to naught, and We shall assign no weight to them on the Day of Resurrection.77

(18:106) Hell is their recompense for disbelieving and their taking My revelations and My Messengers as objects of jest.

(18:107) As for those who believe and do good works, the Gardens of Paradise shall be there to welcome them;

(18:108) there they will abide for ever, with no desire to be removed from there."78

(18:109) Say: "If the sea were to become ink to record the Words79 of my Lord, indeed the sea would be all used up before the Words of my Lord are exhausted, and it would be the same even if We were to bring an equal amount of ink."

(18:110) Say (O Muhammad): "I am no more than a human being like you; one to whom revelation is made: 'Your Lord is the One and Only God.' Hence, whoever looks forward to meet his Lord, let him do righteous works, and let him associate none with the worship of his Lord."


Commentary

74. This is the conclusion of the whole sarah. In order to comprehend the context of this conclusion, one should not only consider the story of Dhu al-Qarnayn, but also the contents of the surah as a whole.

The central point of the surah is that the Prophet (peace be on him) called upon his people to give up polytheism and to embrace monotheism in its place; to give up excessive devotion to the world and to base their conduct on a strong belief in the Hereafter. The Makkan chiefs — thanks to the intoxication caused by their riches and eminence — spurned this call. Additionally, they persecuted and humiliated those righteous people who had accepted the Prophet's call. It is in this context that we ought to view the entire discourse of this surah, for these three stories which the Prophet (peace be on him) is asked about by his opponents by way of a test are narrated beautifully, and are so interwoven as to constitute an integral part of the overall discourse. With this the three stories end, and the discourse reverts to the main subject mentioned at the outset of the surah (see verses 24-59).

75. Do the unbelievers still think, despite all they have been told, that it will do them any good to take God’s creatures rather than God as their patrons and gaurdians?

76. This verse may be interpreted in two ways, one of which is reflected in our translation above. The other meaning could be that the efforts of the unbelievers were exclusively devoted to this worldly life. In other words, whatever they did was for the purpose of gaining worldly goods and they paid "no heed to God and the Hereafter. They mistook worldly life as their true ‘objective and they set their eyes on worldly success alone. Even if they believed in the existence of God, they did not care enough to find out what would please Him. Nor did they care for the fact that one day they would return to God and would be required to render their account to Him. They considered themselves no different from animals, albeit endowed with rationality, animals possessed of absolute freedom, unencumbered with any responsibility; animals whose term in life had only one purpose — to enjoy worldly life to its full.

77. No matter how great the unbelievers’ worldly attainments might be they are bound to come to an end with the end of the world itself. All that man 1s intensely proud of — his grand palaces and splendid mansions, his universities and libraries, his grand highways and wondrous vehicles of transportation, his great inventions and staggering industries, his magnificent arts and sciences, his impressive museums and art galleries— will all be left behind at the time of man’s death and will have absolutely no weight in God’s scale. If anything is to be of enduring benefit to man in the Next Life it will be the good deeds that he has performed, acts performed according to God’s directives and with the intent of seeking God’s pleasure alone.

Now, if someone’s objectives are confined to this worldly life and he wishes to see his efforts bear fruit in the present world alone, then it is quite obvious that all his acts will vanish with the extinction of the world. If he seeks any recompense in the Hereafter, then obviously he should seek it with regard to those acts which were performed to please God and to attain good results in the Hereafter, and which were in consonance with God’s command if a person did nothing of the sort, then all his striving in this world would have gone to waste.

78. For an explanation of this see al-Mu’minun 23, n. 10.

79. The inmates of Paradise could never even think of going anywhere else since one cannot imagine a better state than that of Paradise.