Surah 68. Al-Qalam

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Verses [Section]: 1-33[1], 34-52 [2]

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Quran Text of Verse 34-52اِنَّIndeedلِلْمُتَّقِیْنَfor the righteousعِنْدَwithرَبِّهِمْtheir Lordجَنّٰتِ(are) Gardensالنَّعِیْمِ (of) Delight اَفَنَجْعَلُThen will We treatالْمُسْلِمِیْنَthe Muslimsكَالْمُجْرِمِیْنَؕlike the criminals مَاWhatلَكُمْ ۥ(is) for youكَیْفَHowتَحْكُمُوْنَۚ(do) you judge اَمْOrلَكُمْ(is) for youكِتٰبٌa bookفِیْهِwhereinتَدْرُسُوْنَۙyou learn اِنَّThatلَكُمْfor youفِیْهِthereinلَمَاwhatتَخَیَّرُوْنَۚyou choose اَمْOrلَكُمْ(do) you haveاَیْمَانٌoathsعَلَیْنَاfrom usبَالِغَةٌreachingاِلٰیtoیَوْمِ(the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ ۙ(of) the ResurrectionاِنَّThatلَكُمْfor youلَمَا(is) whatتَحْكُمُوْنَۚyou judge سَلْهُمْAsk themاَیُّهُمْwhich of themبِذٰلِكَfor thatزَعِیْمٌۚۛ(is) responsible اَمْOrلَهُمْ(do) they haveشُرَكَآءُ ۛۚpartnersفَلْیَاْتُوْاThen let them bringبِشُرَكَآىِٕهِمْtheir partnersاِنْifكَانُوْاthey areصٰدِقِیْنَ truthful یَوْمَ(The) Dayیُكْشَفُwill be uncoveredعَنْfromسَاقٍthe shinوَّ یُدْعَوْنَand they will be calledاِلَیtoالسُّجُوْدِprostrateفَلَاbut notیَسْتَطِیْعُوْنَۙthey will be able 68. Al-Qalam Page 566خَاشِعَةًHumbledاَبْصَارُهُمْtheir eyesتَرْهَقُهُمْwill cover themذِلَّةٌ ؕhumiliationوَ قَدْAnd indeedكَانُوْاthey wereیُدْعَوْنَcalledاِلَیtoالسُّجُوْدِprostrateوَ هُمْwhile theyسٰلِمُوْنَ (were) sound فَذَرْنِیْSo leave Meوَ مَنْand whoeverیُّكَذِّبُdeniesبِهٰذَاthisالْحَدِیْثِ ؕStatementسَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْWe will progressively lead themمِّنْfromحَیْثُwhereلَاnotیَعْلَمُوْنَۙthey know وَ اُمْلِیْAnd I will give respiteلَهُمْ ؕto themاِنَّIndeedكَیْدِیْMy planمَتِیْنٌ (is) firm اَمْOrتَسْـَٔلُهُمْyou ask themاَجْرًاa paymentفَهُمْso theyمِّنْfromمَّغْرَمٍ(the) debtمُّثْقَلُوْنَۚ(are) burdened اَمْOrعِنْدَهُمُ(is) with themالْغَیْبُthe unseenفَهُمْso theyیَكْتُبُوْنَ write it فَاصْبِرْSo be patientلِحُكْمِfor (the) decisionرَبِّكَ(of) your Lordوَ لَاand (do) notتَكُنْbeكَصَاحِبِlike (the) companionالْحُوْتِ ۘ(of) the fishاِذْwhenنَادٰیhe called outوَ هُوَwhile heمَكْظُوْمٌؕ(was) distressed لَوْ لَاۤIf notاَنْthatتَدٰرَكَهٗovertook himنِعْمَةٌa Favorمِّنْfromرَّبِّهٖhis Lordلَنُبِذَsurely he would have been thrownبِالْعَرَآءِonto (the) naked shoreوَ هُوَwhile heمَذْمُوْمٌ (was) blamed فَاجْتَبٰىهُBut chose himرَبُّهٗhis Lordفَجَعَلَهٗand made himمِنَofالصّٰلِحِیْنَ the righteous وَ اِنْAnd indeedیَّكَادُwould almostالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelieveلَیُزْلِقُوْنَكَsurely make you slipبِاَبْصَارِهِمْwith their eyesلَمَّاwhenسَمِعُواthey hearالذِّكْرَthe Messageوَ یَقُوْلُوْنَand they sayاِنَّهٗIndeed heلَمَجْنُوْنٌۘ(is) surely mad وَ مَاAnd notهُوَit (is)اِلَّاbutذِكْرٌa Reminderلِّلْعٰلَمِیْنَ۠to the worlds

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Translation of Verse 34-52

(68:34) Surely¹⁹ the God-fearing shall have Gardens of bliss with their Lord.

(68:35) What! Shall We treat those who have submitted (to Our command) like those who have acted as criminals?

(68:36) What is the matter with you? How ill do you judge!²⁰

(68:37) Or do you have a Book²¹ wherein you read

(68:38) that (in the Hereafter) you shall have all that you choose for yourselves?

(68:39) Or have We sworn a covenant with you which We are bound to keep till the Day of Resurrection, (a covenant requiring that whatever you ordain for yourselves shall be yours)?

(68:40) Ask them: “Which of them can guarantee that?²²

(68:41) Or has something been guaranteed by any of those whom they associate with Allah in His Divinity?” If so, let them bring forth their associates, if they are truthful.²³

(68:42) On the Day when the dreadful calamity will unfold,²⁴ when people will be summoned to prostrate themselves, and yet they will not be able to prostrate.

(68:43) Their eyes shall be downcast and ignominy shall overwhelm them. For when they were safe and sound, they were summoned to prostrate themselves, (and they refused).²⁵

(68:44) So leave Me, (O Prophet), to deal with him who gives the lie to this Discourse.²⁶ We shall draw them little by little (to their undoing) in a way that they will not know.²⁷

(68:45) I am giving them a respite. Great is My scheme!²⁸

(68:46) Or are you asking them for some compensation so that they feel burdened with debt?²⁹

(68:47) Or do they have any knowledge of the Unseen which they are now writing down?³⁰

(68:48) So bear with patience until the Judgement of your Lord³¹ comes, and do not belike the man in the fish (i.e., Jonah)³² who called out, choking with grief:³³

(68:49) had his Lord not bestowed His favour upon him, he would have been cast upon that barren shore (and would have remained there) in disgrace.³⁴

(68:50) But his Lord exalted him, and included him among His righteous servants.

(68:51) When the unbelievers hear this Exhortation, they look at you as though they would knock you off your feet with their (hostile) glances.³⁵ They say: “Surely he is afflicted with madness”;

(68:52) although this is nothing but an Exhortation (to goodness) for everyone in the world.

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Commentary

19. This is a rejoinder to the Makkan nobility who teased the Muslims by saying that they enjoyed a great many blessings in the world, thereby indicating that they were God’s favorites. Conversely, the Muslims’ lot was a miserable one, which only proved that God was angry with them. They further argued that if there were life after the present one, it would be they, the disbelievers, who would enjoy bliss in much the same way that they did in the present world. As for the Muslims, they would suffer in the Hereafter. The present verses as well as the verses that follow refute this claim.

20. It is patently illogical that God will not differentiate between those who obeyed Him and those who rebelled against Him. The disbelievers are asked why they suffer from the delusion that this universe is ruled by some blind force that does not draw any line of demarcation between the devout and the culprits. There are some who faithfully follow divine commands and shun all evil. In contrast, there are some who brazenly indulge in every type of sin and commit all sorts of crimes and excesses, without ever thinking of God. They are acutely aware of their opulence and the adversity of the believers. However, they are blind to the vast difference in the morals and conduct of believers and disbelievers. That is why they unhesitatingly pass judgement that the believers will be treated by God like the culprits, whereas the disbelievers will be rewarded with Paradise.

21. i.e., the Book revealed by God.

22. Za’im in Arabic refers to a guarantor or spokesperson of a community. The disbelievers are asked to identify their representative, if any, who claims that God has made such a promise and obligation for them.

23. There is no basis whatsoever for the disbelievers above stance. It is against reason and no Book of God contains any such promise. Nor can anyone among the disbelievers claim that God has pledged to do so. None of their idols can guarantee that they will get admitted to Paradise.

Given this, what has deluded them into thinking so?

24. As to the Qur’anic statement, yawma yukshafu ‘an saq, some Companions and Successors maintain that, according to Arabic idiom, such an expression figuratively describes hard times or a calamity. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas endorses the above interpretation and cites some examples from Arabic poetry. However, another report, based on the authority of the same ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas and Rabi’ ibn Anas, holds that the reference is to the unfolding of the truth. (Tasfir of al-Tabari, 23, 186-196 and Tafsir of Ibn Kathir, 8, 199) In other words, the allusion is to the Day of Judgement when all truths will become manifest and everyone's record of deeds will be made public.

25. On the Day of Judgement, it will be made public knowledge as to who was a devout person and who was not. For this reason, all mankind will be summoned to prostrate before God. The devout ones, habitual of prostrating, will immediately fall into prostration. However, those who had refused to bow down to God throughout their lives will be unable to prostrate. They will not be able to make even a false exhibition of their devotion to God. They will remain standing, overtaken by disgrace and remorse.

26. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is advised not to worry about the disbelievers’ ultimate end. God will deal with them.

27. The disbelievers do not realize how God leads them to loss and destruction. For that purpose, those who oppose the truth and do injustice in this life may be blessed by God with all material bounties, including good health, wealth, children, and other worldly gains. This deludes them into believing that they are on the right track and there is nothing wrong with their deeds. Thus, they become steeped in their opposition to truth and indulgence in injustice and rebellion. It does not occur to them that the bounties bestowed upon them are not some sort of reward, but in fact a means of their destruction.

28. Kayd refers to a secret move or scheme. In itself such a move is not evil. It is blameworthy when this scheme aims at harming someone unjustly. It is perfectly all right if a scheme is drawn against someone who deserves to be punished.

29. The question is apparently put to the Prophet (peace be upon him).

However, it is actually directed against his opponents who had crossed all limits. They are asked whether God’s Messenger wants any material benefit from them in return. Why are they so enraged? They know it well that he is a selfless person. His message is in their own interest. They are totally free not to accept his message. Then why are they becoming so violently furious over the message he is giving? (For further details see Surah al-Tur 52: 31.)

30. This second question too, though addressed to the Prophet (peace be upon him), is aimed at his detractors. They are asked whether they have gained some knowledge of the Unseen. How then does it make them so confident to think that he is not God’s Messenger and the truths related by him and his message? Why are they so dogmatic and insistent in rejecting him as false? (For further details see Surah al-Tur 52: 32.)

31. It will take some time for God to declare the Prophet's victory and his opponents’ defeat. Until then, he should bear with perseverance all the hardships and afflictions he may encounter in the cause of preaching faith.

32. The directive is that one should not behave with the impatience that was displayed by the Prophet Jonah (peace be upon him), for, it was on account of the Prophet Jonah’s impatience that he was consigned to the belly of a fish. The exhortation is immediately followed by the advice to the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he should not be like the Prophet Jonah (peace be upon him). This underscores the assumption that the latter had committed some act impatiently before the divine decree was issued. As a result, he incurred God’s displeasure. (For details see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. IV, Surah Yunus 10: 98, n. 99, pp. 66-67; vol. V, Surah al-Anbiya’ 21: 87-88, nn. 82-85, p. 292; vol. IX, Surah al-Saffat 37: 139-148, nn. 78-85, pp. 316-321).

33. Itis clarified in Surah al-Anbiya’ that while inside the belly of the fish and in the darkness of the sea, the Prophet Jonah (peace be upon him) had cried out: “There is no god but You. Glory be to You! Indeed, I have done wrong.” (Surah al-Anbiya’ 21: 87) God listened to his supplication and rescued him from his grief. (Ibid. 21: 87-88)

34. On studying this verse together with verses 142-146 of Surah al- Saffat, it appears that when he was placed in the belly of the fish, he was under divine reproach. However, as he prayed to and glorified Allah and confessed his fault, he was rescued from the belly of the fish and was delivered to a bare tract of land, though he was in ill health. However, he was no longer under divine reproach. Out of His mercy, God caused a creeping plant to grow there, providing him with both shade and food.

35. Reference is to the disbelievers’ menacing looks. Verses 73-77 of Surah Bani Isra’il portray a similar scene of the Makkan disbelievers’ fury and hostility against the Prophet (peace be upon him).