Surah 50. Qaf

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Verses [Section]: 1-15[1], 16-29 [2], 30-45 [3]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-1550. Qaf Page 51850. Qafبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِقٓ ۚ۫Qafوَ الْقُرْاٰنِBy the Quranالْمَجِیْدِۚthe Glorious بَلْNayعَجِبُوْۤاthey wonderاَنْthatجَآءَهُمْhas come to themمُّنْذِرٌa warnerمِّنْهُمْfrom themفَقَالَSo sayالْكٰفِرُوْنَthe disbelieversهٰذَاThisشَیْءٌ(is) a thingعَجِیْبٌۚamazing ءَاِذَاWhat! Whenمِتْنَاwe dieوَ كُنَّاand have becomeتُرَابًا ۚdustذٰلِكَThatرَجْعٌۢ(is) a returnبَعِیْدٌ far قَدْCertainlyعَلِمْنَاWe knowمَاwhatتَنْقُصُdiminishesالْاَرْضُthe earthمِنْهُمْ ۚof themوَ عِنْدَنَاand with Usكِتٰبٌ(is) a Bookحَفِیْظٌ guarded بَلْNayكَذَّبُوْاthey deniedبِالْحَقِّthe truthلَمَّاwhenجَآءَهُمْit came (to) themفَهُمْso theyفِیْۤ(are) inاَمْرٍa stateمَّرِیْجٍ confused اَفَلَمْThen do notیَنْظُرُوْۤاthey lookاِلَیatالسَّمَآءِthe skyفَوْقَهُمْabove themكَیْفَhowبَنَیْنٰهَاWe structured itوَ زَیَّنّٰهَاand adorned itوَ مَاand notلَهَاfor itمِنْanyفُرُوْجٍ rifts وَ الْاَرْضَAnd the earthمَدَدْنٰهَاWe have spread it outوَ اَلْقَیْنَاand castفِیْهَاthereinرَوَاسِیَfirmly set mountainsوَ اَنْۢبَتْنَاand We made to growفِیْهَاthereinمِنْofكُلِّeveryزَوْجٍۭkindبَهِیْجٍۙbeautiful تَبْصِرَةًGiving insightوَّ ذِكْرٰیand a reminderلِكُلِّfor everyعَبْدٍslaveمُّنِیْبٍ who turns وَ نَزَّلْنَاAnd We have sent downمِنَfromالسَّمَآءِthe skyمَآءًwaterمُّبٰرَكًاblessedفَاَنْۢبَتْنَاthen We made to growبِهٖtherebyجَنّٰتٍgardensوَّ حَبَّand grainالْحَصِیْدِۙ(for) the harvest وَ النَّخْلَAnd the palms treesبٰسِقٰتٍtallلَّهَاfor itطَلْعٌ(are) layersنَّضِیْدٌۙarranged رِّزْقًاA provisionلِّلْعِبَادِ ۙfor the slavesوَ اَحْیَیْنَاand We give lifeبِهٖtherewithبَلْدَةً(to) a landمَّیْتًا ؕdeadكَذٰلِكَThusالْخُرُوْجُ (will be) the coming forth كَذَّبَتْDeniedقَبْلَهُمْbefore themقَوْمُ(the) peopleنُوْحٍ(of) Nuhوَّ اَصْحٰبُand (the) companionsالرَّسِّ(of) Ar-Raasوَ ثَمُوْدُۙand Thamud وَ عَادٌAnd Aadوَّ فِرْعَوْنُand Firaunوَ اِخْوَانُand (the) brothersلُوْطٍۙ(of) Lut وَّ اَصْحٰبُAnd (the) companionsالْاَیْكَةِ(of) the woodوَ قَوْمُand (the) peopleتُبَّعٍ ؕ(of) TubbaكُلٌّAllكَذَّبَdeniedالرُّسُلَthe Messengersفَحَقَّso was fulfilledوَعِیْدِ My Threat اَفَعَیِیْنَاWere We then tiredبِالْخَلْقِwith the creationالْاَوَّلِ ؕthe firstبَلْNayهُمْtheyفِیْ(are) inلَبْسٍdoubtمِّنْaboutخَلْقٍa creationجَدِیْدٍ۠new

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Translation of Verse 1-15 In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

1. Quaaf.¹ By the Glorious Quran.²

2. But these people wondered that a warner came to them from among themselves. So the disbelievers said: This is rather a strange thing.³

3. What! When we will die and will become dust shall we be made alive again? This returning is far (from intellect).⁴

4. We know what the earth curtails from their bodies and WE have a Book which preserves every thing.⁵

5. But they denied the Truth when it came to them. Therefore, they are in a state of confusion.⁶

6. Have they not observed the sky above them as to how WE have made it and adorned it and there is no rift in it.⁷

7. And the earth WE have spread out and cast therein mountains and caused every kind of good looking greenery grow therein.⁸

8. An insight and a reminding for every slave who turns (Toward his Lord).⁹

9. And We sent down from the sky blessed water ¹⁰ whereby We produced gardens and grain for harvests.¹¹

10. And tall date-palms with shoots of fruit-stalks, piled one over another.¹²

11. For sustenance of the slaves. And WE enlivened dead land with this (water). Similar will be the coming out after death.¹³

12. Before them the people of Nooh, the companions of the Rass ¹⁴ and the Thamood had denied (the Truth).

13. And also the Aad, the Firaun and the brethren of Loot. ¹⁵

14. And the people of Aikah ¹⁶ and the folk of Tubbah too.¹⁷ All of them falsified the Prophets, therefore, My warning fell on them.¹⁸

15. Are WE then wearied with the first creation? (No) But these people are in doubt about the new creation. ¹⁹

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Commentary

1. For the explanation of these separate letters please see Note 1 of Surah Baqarah and Note 1 of Surah Yunus.

In this Surah (Quaaf) points to Quran the grandeur of which has been described in the first ayah and the instruction to obtain guidance where from has been given in the last ayah. In making of this Surah begin with this letter there is also rhythmic aspect also. This letter (its sound) is fully in rhythm with the whole of this Surah. Its pronunciation alerts the hearer that something very important is about to be disclosed and thus it makes him or her attentive.

2.“Majeed” (glorious) is the adjective used for Quran which means having majesty and prominence. As clarified earlier, swearing, in Arabic, comes in the meaning of witness. Here, this quality of the holy Quran, that it is glorious and prominent, is being presented as a witness to the holy prophet’s prophethood. It means that the person who is presenting it is not the possessor of it but that it has been revealed to him by Allah who has sent him as His messenger so that he may warn the people that they will be raised after their deaths and that they will be made to stand in the presence of Allah to get their reward or punishment.

3. That is: After seeing its glory and majesty, these people, instead of recognizing the Quran as the Word of Allah and acknowledging its presenter as the Messenger of Allah, wondered as to how a man who was just like them became a prophet; presuming that only a superhuman being could be a messenger of Allah.

4. What astonished them more was that the Quran and the prophet were informing them that they would be made to rise up after they had died. They were thinking how is it at all possible when a dead body after decadence mixes with dust? So when the body is no more how it can be made to rise up? They said it was very far from intellect.

5. That is: Allah has full knowledge of each and every particle of human body which mixes up. with dust. HE has kept a full record of every element. So on HIS Order every human being will rise up instantaneously with his or her original body.

6. That is: The truth about what is going to happen after death is that what Quran disclosed. But when these people falsified the Quranic truth they fell in doubt about the life after death and started to talk in contradictory and confusing manners.

When man denies truth he deprives himself of any foundation of confidence. Thereafter he talks inconsistently and confusingly A clear example of this is the belief in transmigration of souls which is a mixture of contradictory ideas which drowns man into the worst kind of confusion. Contrary to it, the things Quran invites us to believe in are clear, precise, unambiguous, explicit and quite comprehensive and intelligible truths which appeal human hearts and create confidence that they are bound to occur inevitably.

7. Had these deniers observed the sky with an intention of recognizing its Creator, they would have definitely discerned the hand of an absolutely powerful being. They would have perceived both HIS Glory and HIS Grace. And when he would have perceived this knowledge about the Creator of the Universe, he would have, never wondered at the truth about man’s resurrection after death. Nor would they have thought it impossible, because, HE has already done far more wonderful things like creating such a vast sky, beautifying it with innumerable stars and strengthening it in such a solid way that it has not developed even a slight rift during such a long span of time. Is this not a great sign of HIS Power, unlimited? Moreover, modern science has uncovered many more minute details of the wonders in the outer space. But, alas, man only gains an increase in his physical knowledge and detracts his attention from the truth about the Great and the Mighty ONE Who has created all this and who manage all these affairs flawlessly.

8. Just as the wonders of Almighty Allah’s might can be seen in the skies so can they be observed in earth also. Making the surface of the earth so vast that billions of human beings can live thereon, to install huge mountains on it to maintain its balance and to supply man with various utilities and benefit, to grow eyecatching greenery in it can be the skill only of an Omnipotent, Grand and Graceful Being.

9. These wonders in the heavens and the earth are enough to open the eyes of man. A mindful observance thereof brings forth an aspect of good counsel, provided, man sincerely wants to turn toward Allah.

10. Means the rain which makes the earth open up treasures of gold and give innumerable benefits to man.

11. It is the rain which grows corns which are being harvested, and stored for human consumption.

12. The fine pettals of date bud which are arranged one over another under cover present the best kind of art and craft. And this is only one of the wonders of the vegetable world consisting of various buds and flowers and fruits which make man spellbound. When man observes such things all around him then he is able to recognize both the perfection and the beauty and might of Allah.

13. The water which rains from the sky is both the source of provision for Allah’s slaves and also a sign of HIS Might which makes dead soil become-alive. Just as HE can make dead earth alive so can HE cause dead bodies come out of the earth.

14. For clarification please see Surah Furqan, Note: 51.

15. Prophet Loot was sent as a Messenger toward the residents of Sadoom and Amoorah situated on the shores of the Dead Sea. Since he was not born in that community they have been termed ‘Ikhwan-o-Loot” (Brother of Loot).

16. For explanation please see Surah Hijr, Note: 77.

17. This point has been explained in Surah Dukhan, Note: 39.

18. In these ayah the description of those communities is given who were destroyed because of falsifying the prophets so that those who are falsifying the prophet of the Quran may also think of their future.

19. Allah has not become tired after the first creation of the universe thereby making it difficult to recreate it once again. After seeing the first creation there is no proper reason to doubt about the second creation.