Surah As-Sajdah 32:12-22 - Quran Translation Commentary

12. And if you could only see the guilty hanging their heads before their Lord (and saying) “Our Lord! We have seen and heard, so send us back, we will act righteously, we are firm believers”.¹⁹

13. Had we willed, We could have given every soul its guidance,²⁰ but My word has been fulfilled: ‘I will fill the Hell with jinn and men all together’. ²¹

14. So taste (the punishment) for forgetting the meeting of your this day; verily, We have ( also ) forgotten you;²² so taste the eternal punishment for what you used to do.

15. Only those believe in Our revelation, who, when they are reminded of them, prostrate themselves (before God) and recite the praises of their Lord and they are not proud.²³

16. Who forsake their beds to invoke their Lord in fear and hope, and give in charity what We have bestowed on them.²⁴

17. No soul knows what is hidden for them of cool comfort for their eyes, as a reward for what they used to do.²⁵

18. Can he then who is a believer be like he, who is an evil-doer?²⁶ Surely they are not alike.²⁷

19. As for those who believed and performed good acts---for them are Garden- Houses.²⁸ a reward²⁹ for what they have done.

20. And as for those who do evil,³⁰ their abode is the Fire. Whenever they try to get out from there, they are thrown back there, and they are told: Taste the punishment of Fire, which you have been denying.

21. And verily we will make them taste the lighter punishment (of this world) before the heavier punishment (of the next world) so that they may return(to the right path).³¹

22. And who is a greater wrong-doer than he who is reminded of the revelations of his Lord, then turns away from them. Verily we will punish the guilty.

Commentary

19. The realities which Quran invites them to accept are being denied by them today, but on the Day of Resurrection when they will themselves see them they will be sorry for their past attitude, and they will request the Lord to send them back to the world again so that they may become virtuous. What they are denying today, they will be accepting it on the Day of Resurrection. This is a glimpse of what will be the condition of the guilty on the Day of Resurrection, which is presented in this ayah so that people may take heed and by denying the Hereafter may not become guilty.

20. After seeing the reality, there remains no opportunity for giving the test. Therefore, what is the use of sending you to the world now? If the faith were desired in this way, then there would have been no test of the intellect, then Allah would have given faith and guidance to every man and it would not have been possible for him to deny it or deviate from it.

21. Means those men and jinn who follow Satan. In Surah Saad it has been clarified:

“With you and your followers from these, with all, I will fill in the Hell.” -(Surah Saad,85).

22. Being forgotten by Allah means that Allah will not show mercy to them, and they will be left in their adverse condition.

23. As against the deniers this is the description of those who are not proud and vain, nor have they forgotten their natural sense of being Allah’s slave. When such people are made to hear the revelations of Allah, they are so much impressed that they spontaneously prostrate themselves before Him in humility, and words of His praise and glory come out from their mouths. Such people come forward and accept the call of the Prophet and believe in the revelations of Allah.

This is the ayah of sajdah and on its recitation one should perform sajdah (prostrate himself before God).

24.These are the attributes of the people of faith, which are developed in them because of their faith. Neither do they neglect remembering Allah in the night nor in the day, so much so that during the night they leave their beds and engage themselves in worshipping Allah; they pray to Allah with fear and hope, i.e. they are in fear of Allah’s punishment and hopeful of His mercy. Thus their days are reserved for earning their livelihood but it is also spent in making provision for the next world. Accordingly they also spend in the way of Allah from whatever Allah grants them as livelihood.

Can he then who is a believer be like he, who is an evil-doer? Surely they are not alike. As for those who believed and performed good acts---for them are Garden-Houses. a reward for what they have done. (AL-Quran)

25. In this ayah the glad tidings that has been given to the holders of the said attributes is so invigorating that its concept provides tranquillity to the heart and cool comfort to the eyes. The introduction of Paradise in the Quran is merely a glimpse of that beautiful place in words, otherwise the blessings of the Paradise cannot be imagined in this world. The best explanation of this ayah is given in this hadith:

“Allah (T.W.T.) states: I have kept ready for My slaves such blessings which no eye has seen, nor ear has heard and no idea regarding it passed through a man’s heart (mind).”-(Bukhari-Kitabut Tafseer).

26.Fasiq means disobedient. This word has occurred here against the word Momin, therefore, it means infidel or disbeliever, who is totally disobedient to Allah.

27.When the deeds of both are not alike, then how can their ends be alike?

28.That is: Such Gardens where they will be staying.

29.These Gardens will be granted to them with such honour and grace as if they are the guests of Allah and these are the provision for their consumption and entertainment.

30. Means disbelievers who remain disobedient to Allah.

31. Means worldly troubles in which the disbelievers will be involved so that they may get an installment of their punishment in this world also, so that they be shaken and may return to the right path.

In the modern times catastrophes are also occurring in new style. The accidents of rail, buses, and aeroplanes are very tragic. Then there is plenty of accidents or disasters or bombing and arson, and man has to taste the punishment of his evil deeds at the hands of man only. But the people have become so stone hearted that they see such heart rending scenes and yet are not moved to turn to Allah.