Surah 23. Al-Mu'minun

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Verses [Section]: 1-22[1], 23-32 [2], 33-50 [3], 51-77 [4], 78-92 [5], 93-118 [6]

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Quran Text of Verse 93-118قُلْSayرَّبِّMy Lord!اِمَّاIfتُرِیَنِّیْYou should show meمَاwhatیُوْعَدُوْنَۙthey are promised رَبِّMy Lordفَلَاthen (do) notتَجْعَلْنِیْplace meفِیamongالْقَوْمِthe peopleالظّٰلِمِیْنَ the wrongdoers وَ اِنَّاAnd indeed WeعَلٰۤیonاَنْthatنُّرِیَكَWe show youمَاwhatنَعِدُهُمْWe have promised themلَقٰدِرُوْنَ surely able اِدْفَعْRepelبِالَّتِیْby thatهِیَwhichاَحْسَنُ(is) bestالسَّیِّئَةَ ؕthe evilنَحْنُWeاَعْلَمُknow bestبِمَاof whatیَصِفُوْنَ they attribute وَ قُلْAnd sayرَّبِّMy Lord!اَعُوْذُI seek refugeبِكَin Youمِنْfromهَمَزٰتِ(the) suggestionsالشَّیٰطِیْنِۙ(of) the evil ones وَ اَعُوْذُAnd I seek refugeبِكَin YouرَبِّMy Lord!اَنْLestیَّحْضُرُوْنِ they be present with me حَتّٰۤیUntilاِذَاwhenجَآءَcomesاَحَدَهُمُ(to) one of themالْمَوْتُthe deathقَالَhe saysرَبِّMy Lord!ارْجِعُوْنِۙSend me back لَعَلِّیْۤThat I mayاَعْمَلُdoصَالِحًاrighteous (deeds)فِیْمَاin whatتَرَكْتُI left behindكَلَّا ؕNoاِنَّهَاIndeed, itكَلِمَةٌ(is) a wordهُوَheقَآىِٕلُهَا ؕspeaks itوَ مِنْand before themوَّرَآىِٕهِمْand before themبَرْزَخٌ(is) a barrierاِلٰیtillیَوْمِ(the) Dayیُبْعَثُوْنَ they are resurrected فَاِذَاSo whenنُفِخَis blownفِیinالصُّوْرِthe trumpetفَلَاۤthen notاَنْسَابَ(there) will be relationshipبَیْنَهُمْamong themیَوْمَىِٕذٍthat Dayوَّ لَاand notیَتَسَآءَلُوْنَ will they ask each other فَمَنْThen (the one) whoseثَقُلَتْ(are) heavyمَوَازِیْنُهٗhis scalesفَاُولٰٓىِٕكَthen thoseهُمُtheyالْمُفْلِحُوْنَ (are) the successful وَ مَنْBut (the one) whoseخَفَّتْ(are) lightمَوَازِیْنُهٗhis scalesفَاُولٰٓىِٕكَthen thoseالَّذِیْنَthey [who]خَسِرُوْۤاhave lostاَنْفُسَهُمْtheir soulsفِیْinجَهَنَّمَHellخٰلِدُوْنَۚthey (will) abide forever تَلْفَحُWill burnوُجُوْهَهُمُtheir facesالنَّارُthe Fireوَ هُمْand theyفِیْهَاin itكٰلِحُوْنَ (will) grin with displaced lips 23. Al-Mu'minun Page 349اَلَمْWere notتَكُنْWere notاٰیٰتِیْMy Versesتُتْلٰیrecitedعَلَیْكُمْto youفَكُنْتُمْand you used (to)بِهَاdeny themتُكَذِّبُوْنَ deny them قَالُوْاThey (will) sayرَبَّنَاOur Lord!غَلَبَتْOvercameعَلَیْنَا[on] usشِقْوَتُنَاour wretchednessوَ كُنَّاand we wereقَوْمًاa peopleضَآلِّیْنَ astray رَبَّنَاۤOur Lord!اَخْرِجْنَاBring us outمِنْهَاfrom itفَاِنْthen ifعُدْنَاwe returnفَاِنَّاthen indeed weظٰلِمُوْنَ (would be) wrongdoers قَالَHe (will) sayاخْسَـُٔوْاRemain despisedفِیْهَاin itوَ لَاand (do) notتُكَلِّمُوْنِ speak to Me اِنَّهٗIndeedكَانَ(there) wasفَرِیْقٌa partyمِّنْofعِبَادِیْMy slavesیَقُوْلُوْنَ(who) saidرَبَّنَاۤOur Lord!اٰمَنَّاWe believeفَاغْفِرْso forgiveلَنَاusوَ ارْحَمْنَاand have mercy on usوَ اَنْتَand Youخَیْرُ(are) bestالرّٰحِمِیْنَۚۖ(of) those who show mercy فَاتَّخَذْتُمُوْهُمْBut you took themسِخْرِیًّا(in) mockeryحَتّٰۤیuntilاَنْسَوْكُمْthey made you forgetذِكْرِیْMy remembranceوَ كُنْتُمْand you used (to)مِّنْهُمْat themتَضْحَكُوْنَ laugh اِنِّیْIndeed Iجَزَیْتُهُمُhave rewarded themالْیَوْمَthis Dayبِمَاbecauseصَبَرُوْۤا ۙthey were patientاَنَّهُمْindeed theyهُمُ[they]الْفَآىِٕزُوْنَ (are) the successful ones قٰلَHe will sayكَمْHow longلَبِثْتُمْdid you remainفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthعَدَدَ(in) numberسِنِیْنَ (of) years قَالُوْاThey will sayلَبِثْنَاWe remainedیَوْمًاa dayاَوْorبَعْضَa partیَوْمٍ(of) a dayفَسْـَٔلِbut askالْعَآدِّیْنَ those who keep count قٰلَHe will sayاِنْNotلَّبِثْتُمْyou stayedاِلَّاbutقَلِیْلًاa littleلَّوْifاَنَّكُمْonly youكُنْتُمْ[you]تَعْلَمُوْنَ knew اَفَحَسِبْتُمْThen did you thinkاَنَّمَاthatخَلَقْنٰكُمْWe created youعَبَثًاuselesslyوَّ اَنَّكُمْand that youاِلَیْنَاto Usلَاnotتُرْجَعُوْنَ will be returned فَتَعٰلَیSo exalted isاللّٰهُAllahالْمَلِكُthe Kingالْحَقُّ ۚthe Truthلَاۤ(There is) noاِلٰهَgodاِلَّاexceptهُوَ ۚHimرَبُّ(the) Lordالْعَرْشِ(of) the Throneالْكَرِیْمِ Honorable وَ مَنْAnd whoeverیَّدْعُinvokesمَعَwithاللّٰهِAllahاِلٰهًاgodاٰخَرَ ۙotherلَاnoبُرْهَانَproofلَهٗfor himبِهٖ ۙin itفَاِنَّمَاThen onlyحِسَابُهٗhis accountعِنْدَ(is) withرَبِّهٖ ؕhis LordاِنَّهٗIndeed [he]لَاnotیُفْلِحُwill succeedالْكٰفِرُوْنَ the disbelievers وَ قُلْAnd sayرَّبِّMy Lord!اغْفِرْForgiveوَ ارْحَمْand have mercyوَ اَنْتَand Youخَیْرُ(are the) Bestالرّٰحِمِیْنَ۠(of) those who show mercy

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Translation of Verse 93-118

93. Pray: “My Lord! If you should show me that which they are promised,”

94. “My Lord! then do not put me among the wrong-doing people.”⁸⁴

95. And indeed We have power to let you show what they are promised.

96. Repel evil with that which is best. We are fully aware of all (the slanders) that they talk.⁸⁵

97. And pray: “My Lord ! I seek refuge in You from the promptings of the devils”.⁸⁶

98. And I seek refuge in You, my Lord! from their presence.”⁸⁷

99. ( Their condition will continue to be the same) Until death comes to one of them, he will say: “My Lord! Send me back,

100. ”That I may do virtuous act in that which I left behind.” But Nay it is but a word that he speaks,⁸⁸ and behind them is a barrier (Barzakh)⁸⁹ until the day when they shall be raised.

101. And when the trumpet is blown, there will be no kinship among them that day, nor will they ask of one another.⁹⁰

102. Then those whose scales will be heavy will be successful.⁹¹

103. And those whose scales will be light will only be those who had put themselves into loss,⁹² abiding in Hell for ever.

104. The fire will scorch their faces, and they will be distorted.⁹³

105. “Were not My revelations recited to you, and did you not use to deny them?”

106. They will say: “Our Lord ! Our evil fortune overcame us and we went astray.⁹⁴

107. “Our Lord! Take us out from here. If we repeat (our sin), then we will be surely wrongdoers.”

108. He will say: “Remain therein in ignominy, and speak not to Me.”⁹⁵

109. Verily among our slaves there was a group of people who said: “Our Lord! We believe, therefore forgive us and have mercy on us: You are the Best of the Merciful.”⁹⁶

110. But you took them for the butt of your laughter, until it caused you to forget remembrance of Me, while you laughed at them.

111. Verily today I have rewarded them for their fortitude,⁹⁷ for it is they who have triumphed.

112. He will ask⁹⁸: “How many years did you live on earth?”⁹⁹

113. They will reply: “A day or part of a day. Ask those who keep count.”¹⁰⁰

114. He will say: “You lived but a little if you only knew.¹⁰¹

115. ”Did you think that We had created you in vain and you would not be returned to Us ?”¹⁰²

116. So (from all such things) Exalted is Allah, the True King!¹⁰³ There is no god but Him, the Lord of the Gracious Throne (Arsh)?¹⁰⁴

117. He who invokes any other god along with Allah, for which there is no proof with him, his reckoning is only with his Lord. Verily disbelievers will not be successful.¹⁰⁵

118. And pray: “My Lord! Forgive and have mercy. You are the Best of those that show mercy.”¹⁰⁶

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Commentary

84. The Prophet was taught this prayer so that he might always remain in fear of Allah’s punishment, for that is the grandeur of worship.

85.That is: Do not get rattled by the fun that they make of you. Employ the best possible method of repelling their evil mischief. It is obvious that it can only be reformative and constructive.

86.It hints at the fact that the storm of evil against the truth that has risen is the result of Satan’s mischief mongering. He is the enemy of truth and also the enemy of mankind, therefore, he prompts men to rise against truth, and those who are influenced by him turn out to be only His Master’s Voice, that is, they speak the language of their patron. Their objections against Qur’an, the Prophet and the Hereafter that have been quoted have been made by the promptings from Satan, the divine revelation has warned man that Satan is his enemy from the very first day of this world, therefore, any one who wants to be safe from the evils of Satan should be wary of his mischief, and should seek refuge in Allah from him.

87. This is the prayer to seeks that Satan should not come near him. Extreme hatred of the evils only becomes the means of saving men from their mischief and evil.

“My Lord! I seek refuge in You from the promptings of the devils. And I seek refuge in You, my Lord! from their presence.”

If a man of faith utters these words with full consciousness then he places himself in the secure shelter of Allah, and when a person places himself in His refuge, then there is no reason why Allah would not provide the necessary security to him.

This guidance cannot help those who do not believe in the existence of Satan. The magic of Satan has so influenced these materialists that their own existence is everything for them, what is the need for them to recognise the existence of Satan.

88.That is: This is mere talk, for if he is again sent in the world, he would repeat doing whatever he did earlier. For further explanation, see Surah An’am Note No.48.

89.Barzakh means barrier, where spirits are transferred after death a world between the world and the Hereafter, it is an obstacle or a barrier between the two worlds. And in the hadith the events through which the spirit has to pass after death are termed as the events of the grave, as it is an effective interpretation according to the human psychology, otherwise it would mean that a person who was buried in the grave would pass through these events, and the person whose dead body was cremated or was disposed of in some other way or it was preserved as a mummy, had not to pass through these events.

After death man has to live in the world or Barzakh until the Day of Resurrection. On the Day of Resurrection he will be raised again with his body and this will be the world of the Hereafter! where he will have to live ever after.

Transfer of the spirits in the world of Barzakh after death is the clear refutation of the theory that after death man’s spirit roams in the world in one form or the other, that is the theory of Transmigration of soul, which is baseless, unreasonable and defective

90. It means that on the Day of Resurrection no kinship will be of any avail to any person: neither any father will be of any help to his son, nor a son to his father, nor any other relation will be helpful to anybody. None will inquire of any other person’s condition nor would anybody sympathies with one another. Everybody will be anxious about his or her own salvation, none will have the time for helping others. In other words on the Day of Resurrection all relations of kinships will be useless.

What will help in salvation will be faith and virtuous acts as is clear from the ayah that follows.

91. For explanation, see Surah Qari’ah. Note No.6.

92. For explanation, see Surah Qari’ah, Note No.7.

93. What a painful and humiliating punishment will it be! If man ponders, he will seek refuge in Allah from its devastation.

94. That is: After being thrown in Hell these infidels will admit of their going astray and will be sorry for what they did in the world.

95.That is: None will hear their tale of woes. The opportunity which they had in the world to do righteous acts was lost to them. Now it was the time for receiving punishment for their misdeeds.

96.This is a heart-felt prayer which came out of the lips of the men of faith when the idolaters were subjecting them to inhuman sufferings. They did not complain to the merciless arrogant people, but turned to their own Lord and prayed to Him for succour.

97. Here ‘Sabr’ (fortitude and patience) means being steadfast in Truth, bearing sufferings with fortitude and keeping patient in difficult situations.

98. That is: Allah will ask them this question, as is apparent from the context.

99. That is: How many years you spent in the world ?

100. On the Day of Resurrection the world in which they will step in will be quite different from this world. At that time they will feel that the time they spent in this world was very short. It was at the most one day or even less than that. It will be difficult for them to correctly estimate it. Therefore, they will say that the true knowledge of the time spent by them will be known only to those who keep count of the time

101. That is : If you had known this in the world that the time that you would spend in the world will be very short compared to the life in the Hereafter, your life would have been quite different, and you would not have wasted your valuable time.

102. This question of Qur’an is directed till the end of the world, to all those persons who do not believe in the life of the Hereafter. Let them say: what is the purpose of creating creatures that have moral sensitivity and are conscious of their responsibility, if the Hereafter and the ultimate reward and punishment are not the realities of the future?

If there is no purpose in creating man, then all his activity, hustle and bustle, fuss and turmoil are useless. If after death, man is to turn to dust, then what is the use in living ? In the world man undergoes various kinds of trials and tribulations, and if he is not to get the fruit of his patience, then why live a life of such sufferings? Why should he not end his own life ? Great thinkers and intellectuals of the world have devoted and are devoting their time and energy in discussing and pondering over problems of life, but they are negligent of its most basic problem, that is to ascertain its real purpose, and in this regard they do not use their common sense and intelligence in the right way.

103. Allah’s Being is above the act of doing a purposeless thing. To imagine that Allah has created a highly intelligent and developed creature like man without any purpose is to imagine Allah to be less than what is His due. Allah is the True King, then how is it possible that He would not desire that the creature on whom He has placed such a responsibility should not appear before Him for giving an account of his good and bad deeds ?

104. That is: His Throne (Arsh) is truly magnificent and He is ruling over the universe with His full grandeur, and therefore, there cannot be disorder in the act of His ruling.

105.The Surah had begun with the statement that the men of faith were successful, and it ends with the words that the idolaters cannot be successful. This beginning and end fix the central theme of the Surah.

106.In the end the direction to pray is a hint of the fact that this prayer

(Rabbighfir, Warham, Wa Anta Khairur- Rahimeen) is the prayer that will open the path of success and good fortune.