Surah 39. Az-Zumar

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Verses [Section]: 1-9[1], 10-21 [2], 22-31 [3], 32-41 [4], 42-52 [5], 53-63 [6], 64-70 [7], 71-75 [8]

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Quran Text of Verse 10-21قُلْSayیٰعِبَادِO My slavesالَّذِیْنَ[those] whoاٰمَنُواbelieve!اتَّقُوْاFearرَبَّكُمْ ؕyour LordلِلَّذِیْنَFor those whoاَحْسَنُوْاdo goodفِیْinهٰذِهِthisالدُّنْیَاworldحَسَنَةٌ ؕ(is) goodوَ اَرْضُand the earthاللّٰهِ(of) Allahوَاسِعَةٌ ؕ(is) spaciousاِنَّمَاOnlyیُوَفَّیwill be paid back in fullالصّٰبِرُوْنَthe patientاَجْرَهُمْtheir rewardبِغَیْرِwithoutحِسَابٍ account 39. Az-Zumar Page 460قُلْSayاِنِّیْۤIndeed Iاُمِرْتُ[I] am commandedاَنْthatاَعْبُدَI worshipاللّٰهَAllahمُخْلِصًا(being) sincereلَّهُto Himالدِّیْنَۙ(in) the religion وَ اُمِرْتُAnd I am commandedلِاَنْthatاَكُوْنَI beاَوَّلَ(the) firstالْمُسْلِمِیْنَ (of) those who submit قُلْSayاِنِّیْۤIndeed Iاَخَافُ[I] fearاِنْifعَصَیْتُI disobeyرَبِّیْmy Lordعَذَابَ(the) punishmentیَوْمٍ(of) a Dayعَظِیْمٍ great قُلِSayاللّٰهَI worship AllahاَعْبُدُI worship Allahمُخْلِصًا(being) sincereلَّهٗto Himدِیْنِیْۙ(in) my religion فَاعْبُدُوْاSo worshipمَاwhatشِئْتُمْyou willمِّنْbesides Himدُوْنِهٖ ؕbesides HimقُلْSayاِنَّIndeedالْخٰسِرِیْنَthe losersالَّذِیْنَ(are) those whoخَسِرُوْۤا(will) loseاَنْفُسَهُمْthemselvesوَ اَهْلِیْهِمْand their familiesیَوْمَ(on the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ ؕ(of) the ResurrectionاَلَاUnquestionablyذٰلِكَthatهُوَitالْخُسْرَانُ(is) the lossالْمُبِیْنُ the clear لَهُمْFor themمِّنْfromفَوْقِهِمْabove themظُلَلٌcoveringsمِّنَofالنَّارِthe Fireوَ مِنْand fromتَحْتِهِمْbelow themظُلَلٌ ؕcoveringsذٰلِكَ(With) thatیُخَوِّفُthreatensاللّٰهُAllahبِهٖ[with it]عِبَادَهٗ ؕHis slavesیٰعِبَادِO My slaves!فَاتَّقُوْنِ So fear Me وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoاجْتَنَبُواavoidالطَّاغُوْتَthe false godsاَنْlestیَّعْبُدُوْهَاthey worship themوَ اَنَابُوْۤاand turnاِلَیtoاللّٰهِAllahلَهُمُfor themالْبُشْرٰی ۚ(is) the glad tidingفَبَشِّرْSo give glad tidingsعِبَادِۙ(to) My slaves الَّذِیْنَThose whoیَسْتَمِعُوْنَthey listen (to)الْقَوْلَthe Wordفَیَتَّبِعُوْنَthen followاَحْسَنَهٗ ؕthe best thereofاُولٰٓىِٕكَthoseالَّذِیْنَ(are) they whomهَدٰىهُمُAllah has guided themاللّٰهُAllah has guided themوَ اُولٰٓىِٕكَand thoseهُمْare [they]اُولُواthe men of understandingالْاَلْبَابِ the men of understanding اَفَمَنْThen is (one) whoحَقَّbecame dueعَلَیْهِon himكَلِمَةُthe wordالْعَذَابِ ؕ(of) the punishmentاَفَاَنْتَThen can youتُنْقِذُsaveمَنْ(one) whoفِی(is) inالنَّارِۚthe Fire لٰكِنِButالَّذِیْنَthose whoاتَّقَوْاfearرَبَّهُمْtheir Lordلَهُمْfor themغُرَفٌ(are) lofty mansionsمِّنْabove themفَوْقِهَاabove themغُرَفٌlofty mansionsمَّبْنِیَّةٌ ۙbuilt highتَجْرِیْflowمِنْfromتَحْتِهَاbeneath themالْاَنْهٰرُ ؕ۬the riversوَعْدَ(The) Promiseاللّٰهِ ؕ(of) AllahلَاNotیُخْلِفُAllah failsاللّٰهُAllah failsالْمِیْعَادَ (in His) promise اَلَمْDo notتَرَyou seeاَنَّthatاللّٰهَAllahاَنْزَلَsends downمِنَfromالسَّمَآءِthe skyمَآءًwaterفَسَلَكَهٗand He makes it flowیَنَابِیْعَ(as) springsفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthثُمَّthenیُخْرِجُHe producesبِهٖwith itزَرْعًاcropsمُّخْتَلِفًا(of) differentاَلْوَانُهٗcolorsثُمَّthenیَهِیْجُthey witherفَتَرٰىهُand you see themمُصْفَرًّاturn yellowثُمَّthenیَجْعَلُهٗHe makes themحُطَامًا ؕdebrisاِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَذِكْرٰیsurely, (is) a reminderلِاُولِیfor those of understandingالْاَلْبَابِ۠for those of understanding

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Translation of Verse 10-21

10.Say: “O My slaves who believe! fear your Lord. Those who do good acts in this world will receive a good reward. And Allah’s earth is vast.³⁵ Those who patiently persevere will be requited without measure.”³⁶

11.Say: “Verily, I am commanded to worship Allah, making religion (obedience and devotion) pure for Him only.”

12.“And I am commanded to be the first of the Muslims³⁷(who surrender to Him).”

13.Say: “If I disobey my Lord, I fear the punishment of the Great ³⁸ Day.”

14.Say: “It is Allah I worship, making my religion (devotion and humility) pure for Him only.³⁹”

15.“Then worship ⁴⁰ what you will beside Him.” Say: “The losers are those who lose themselves and their family people on the Day of Resurrection. Lo! That will be the manifest loss.⁴¹

16.“For them there will be layers of fire above them and beneath them also⁴² will be layers (of fire). With this does Allah frighten His slaves ⁴³.” O My slaves! So fear me. ⁴⁴

17. And those who keep away from worshipping false gods ⁴⁵ and turned to Allah, for them is glad tidings. So give glad tidings ⁴⁶ to My slaves,

18. Those who listen to My word attentively, and follow its best meaning. These are they whom Allah has guided, and these are they who are endued with understanding.⁴⁷

19. (Can anyone save) him, against whom the decree of punishment has been passed? Can you save him who has been destined to go to Hell?⁴⁸

20.But those who fear their Lord, for them are lofty mansions, with lofty mansions above them built (for them), beneath which rivers flow. It is Allah’s promise. Allah never fails His promise.

21.Do you not see that Allah sends down water from the sky and causes it to penetrate and gather in springs beneath? He brings forth plants of many colours. Then they wither, and you see them turn yellow; then He makes them chaff. Verily, herein is a reminder ⁴⁹ for men of understanding.

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Commentary

35. It is a hint at the fact that if disbelievers are obstructing Muslims from worshipping their only God and to live a life fearing Him, then in order to protect their religion and faith they can migrate to other countries. His land is not limited to anyone country. It is very vast. And for religion country can be left, but for country religion cannot be left.

It may be noted that in those days the way for migration was open, but in the present day if the migration from one country to the other presents difficulties, then the times have also changed considerably. In the olden days there was no freedom of belief and religion. In the event of giving up the religion of the tribe or the community one had to face violence, but in the present times everyone has the freedom of faith and religion legally, and on account of change of religion one has not to face violence essentially. Therefore, the necessity of migration does not arise or rarely arises, especially in secular states where freedom to propagate religion is also available.

36. By patient people is meant those who remain steadfast on the religion and those who bear the burden of the difficulties and sufferings of treading on the path of right guidance with equanimity. By reward without measure means reward without any limits, a reward whose magnitude cannot be estimated.

This is the significance of patience and Quran stresses its followers to develop such attributes, and narrates great significance of these attributes. But weak and invented hadith have narrated such big rewards for very small virtues that people busied themselves in performing those easy-going virtue, and become negligent of these attributes. It resulted in great imbalance in the matter of their belief and religion. It disturbed the balance established by Quran. This is the price the Muslim Ummah is paying for attaching itself to the weak and invented hadith instead of to the Quran.

37. That is: I have been commanded that anybody may or may not submit himself to Allah but I have to submit to Him first. Muslim means he who has accepted the religion of Allah, Islam and surrendered or submitted himself completely to Him.

38. Means the Day of Resurrection.

39. In the ayah No.8 the Prophet, Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam, was given the command of performing pure and sincere worship of Allah. In this ayah the mention of its having been observed is made.

40. That is: If you do not want to worship Allah sincerely, then worship whomsoever you like, and be prepared for the adverse consequences.

41. The worldly benefits are temporary, and those who ignore the Hereafter and spend their lives obtaining those benefits are trading for a great losing deal, that is, they are trading for the temporary benefits of this world with the deprivation of the everlasting advantages. But such people are under a deception that they are leading a very successful life, and that they have not to face any loss after death. They lead their family folk also to live in the same way, and generally they also follow the same path. Therefore, on the Day of Resurrection their family people will also be ruined along with them.

42. Layers of fire will be from above and also from beneath. Thus they will be totally surrounded by fire.

43. That is: Frightens them from this fate.

44. If you do not want to be confronted with this fate, then avoid adopting the attitude of disobeying Allah.

45. The word ‘Taghoot’ used here has been explained by Imam Raghib, who is the imam of Quranic language, in this way:

“Taghoot means every person that goes out of his limits, and every other deity beside Allah ……… magician, soothsayer, rebel jinn, and one who misleads from the path of righteousness is said to be Taghoot.” -(Mufarridat-e-Raghib, page 307) For further explanation, please see Surah Nahl, Note No.55.

46. Good news is given to those who would turn to Allah, that they have saved themselves from worshipping others beside Allah.

47. Wisdom lies in listening attentively to the word of Allah, and taking its best meaning and sense and following it. The path of guidance opens up for such people. And such people have been given the good news of success. As against this, those who do not listen to the word of God with attention, and leaving aside its best meaning and sense, give it some other meaning, they get involved in discussions, and prove themselves to be unwise. This results in their deprivation from right guidance.

This ayah provides us a guideline that if a word has more than one different meaning, then we must think that wherever that word has occurred in Quran which best meaning and sense it is expressing, for Allah’s word can only be excellent in its meaning and sense.

48. That is: Kafir or disbeliever for whom the decision for punishment has been given, who can save him from punishment? Safety lies in people taking help of their intelligence and commonsense, and follow the word which Allah’s Messenger is presenting before them.

49. Reminder of the fact that this world is not everlasting. It will not remain in blossom always, but one day it will succumb to autumn. Therefore, wisdom lies in not making the glamour of the world a centre of one’s attention, and not falling prey to its attractions, but in making the Hereafter his goal and living a responsible life in the world, realizing that the real and everlasting blessings are of the next world only.