Surah 54. Al-Qamar

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Verses [Section]: 1-22[1], 23-40 [2], 41-55 [3]

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Quran Text of Verse 23-40كَذَّبَتْDeniedثَمُوْدُThamudبِالنُّذُرِ the warnings فَقَالُوْۤاAnd saidاَبَشَرًاIs (it) a human beingمِّنَّاamong usوَاحِدًاoneنَّتَّبِعُهٗۤ ۙ(that) we should follow himاِنَّاۤIndeed weاِذًاthenلَّفِیْ(will be) surely inضَلٰلٍerrorوَّ سُعُرٍ and madness ءَاُلْقِیَHas been sentالذِّكْرُthe Reminderعَلَیْهِto himمِنْۢfromبَیْنِنَاamong usبَلْNayهُوَheكَذَّابٌ(is) a liarاَشِرٌ insolent سَیَعْلَمُوْنَThey will knowغَدًاtomorrowمَّنِwhoالْكَذَّابُ(is) the liarالْاَشِرُ the insolent one اِنَّاIndeed Weمُرْسِلُوا(are) sendingالنَّاقَةِthe she-camelفِتْنَةً(as) a trialلَّهُمْfor themفَارْتَقِبْهُمْso watch themوَ اصْطَبِرْؗand be patient 54. Al-Qamar Page 530وَ نَبِّئْهُمْAnd inform themاَنَّthatالْمَآءَthe waterقِسْمَةٌۢ(is) to be sharedبَیْنَهُمْ ۚbetween themكُلُّeachشِرْبٍdrinkمُّحْتَضَرٌ attended فَنَادَوْاBut they calledصَاحِبَهُمْtheir companionفَتَعَاطٰیand he tookفَعَقَرَ and hamstrung فَكَیْفَSo howكَانَwasعَذَابِیْMy punishmentوَ نُذُرِ and My warnings اِنَّاۤIndeed Weاَرْسَلْنَا[We] sentعَلَیْهِمْupon themصَیْحَةًthunderous blastوَّاحِدَةًsingleفَكَانُوْاand they becameكَهَشِیْمِlike dry twig fragmentsالْمُحْتَظِرِ (used by) a fence builder وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyیَسَّرْنَاWe have made easyالْقُرْاٰنَthe Quranلِلذِّكْرِfor remembranceفَهَلْso is (there)مِنْanyمُّدَّكِرٍ who will receive admonition كَذَّبَتْDeniedقَوْمُ(the) peopleلُوْطٍۭ(of) Lutبِالنُّذُرِ the warnings اِنَّاۤIndeed Weاَرْسَلْنَا[We] sentعَلَیْهِمْupon themحَاصِبًاa storm of stonesاِلَّاۤexceptاٰلَ(the) familyلُوْطٍ ؕ(of) LutنَجَّیْنٰهُمْWe saved themبِسَحَرٍۙby dawn نِّعْمَةً(As) a favorمِّنْfromعِنْدِنَا ؕUsكَذٰلِكَThusنَجْزِیْWe rewardمَنْ(one) whoشَكَرَ (is) grateful وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyاَنْذَرَهُمْhe warned themبَطْشَتَنَا(of) Our seizureفَتَمَارَوْاbut they disputedبِالنُّذُرِ the warnings وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyرَاوَدُوْهُthey demanded from himعَنْthey demanded from himضَیْفِهٖhis guestsفَطَمَسْنَاۤso We blindedاَعْیُنَهُمْtheir eyesفَذُوْقُوْاSo tasteعَذَابِیْMy punishmentوَ نُذُرِ and My warnings وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyصَبَّحَهُمْseized them in the morningبُكْرَةًearlyعَذَابٌa punishmentمُّسْتَقِرٌّۚabiding فَذُوْقُوْاSo tasteعَذَابِیْMy punishmentوَ نُذُرِ and My warnings وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyیَسَّرْنَاWe have made easyالْقُرْاٰنَthe Quranلِلذِّكْرِfor remembranceفَهَلْso is (there)مِنْanyمُّدَّكِرٍ۠who will receive admonition

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Translation of Verse 23-40

23. Is there then anyone who will take admonition? Thamood also falsified the warning.²⁶

24. They said: what? Shall we follow a man who is from among us? Verily then we should fall on a wrong path and indulge in madness.²⁷

25. Has the ‘Zikr’ (admonition) been descended on him among us? ²⁸ No, but he is a great liar and a proud fellow. ²⁹

26. They will come to know tomorrow as to who is the great liar and the proud fellow.³⁰

27. We are sending a she-camel as test for them.³¹ So watch them and have patience.

28. And inform them that water will be distributed among them. Everyone has to come to water on the day of his turn.

29. But they called their comrade. And he came forward and hamstrung her.

30. Then how was My punishment and how were My warnings!

31. WE sent on them one frightening noise so they became like the powder of a fence man’s fence.³³

32. And WE have made the Quran easy for admonition, is there then anyone who will take admonition?

33. The community of Loot also falsified the warning.³⁴

34. WE sent on them a stone-raining wind.³⁵ Only the house hold of Loot remained safe from it.³⁶ WE delivered them at early dawn.³⁷

35. As a grace from us. Thus WE reward those who give thanks.³⁸

36. He had warned them of Our grip. But they doubted the warnings.

37. And when they attempted to restrain him from preserving the honour of his guests WE blinded their eyes³⁹ Taste My punishment and My warnings.

38. In the early morning a lasting punishment seized them ⁴⁰

39. Taste then of My punishment and My warnings.

40. And WE have made the Quran easy for admonition.

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Commentary

26. The story of Thamood has already been described in Surah Aaraaf, Surah Hood and other Surahs.

27. In their opinion the messenger should have been an angel and not a human being. The polytheists of Makka here also of the same view. The Thamood used to say that this man wants to lead astray in the name of guidance; that it will amount to bankruptcy of intelligence if we were to believe and follow him.

28. They were saying that if guidance was to descend from Allah why would it have descended on this fellow when there are better persons among us. In their thinking the criteria of being better was worldly pomp and not moral superiority.

29. They made the allegation of being mad and proud on a Prophet who is always an embodiment of virtue and whose character is always beyond doubt.

30.’Ghadan’ (Tomorrow) means the day of punishment as well as the day of resurrection which is so near as if it is to arrive tomorrow. On that day those who are making allegations against the Messenger will come to know who was liar and arrogant, the Messenger of God or they themselves.

31. This she-camel had appeared in the form of a miracle meant to try those people whether they follow the rule regarding drinking of water or not and whether they harm the animal or not. For further clarification please see Surah Shu’ra, Note:131.

32. It was not easy to kill a she-camel having a huge stature. Hence that unfortunate fellow cut down her feet in order to kill her. The Thamood had brought him forward for this purpose. Therefore the entire community was criminal and they invited Divine Punishment.

33. The owner of a fence makes a fence of shrubs which is a temporary provision. It soon dries up and becomes powder. Same was the fate of the Thamood. Allah’s wrath crushed them in such a manner that they became totally powerless.

34. The story of the people of Loot has been described in Surah Hood and other Surahs also.

35. The people of Loot were annihilated through a rain of stones. For explanation please see Surah Hood, Note:119.

36. The relatives of Loot who were believers.

37. ‘Sahar’ is the last phase of night. The relatives of Loot were saved in the last part of might. It is mentioned in hadith that Allah mostly showers His Mercy and accepts (responds to) prayers in the concluding part of night. As an attribute of the believers, it is mentioned in the Quran that:

“And were praying for forgiveness during the pre-dawn hours.’’ (Az-Zaariyaat: 18)

38. Means those who appreciate Allah’s bounties and Guidance.

39. The guests were angels who had come in the shape of men to take a test of the people of Loot. Prophet Loot had accommodated them in his house. But these evil fellows tried to kidnap them with an ulterior motive. When they attempted to enter the house of Loot, Almighty Allah made them blind. Thus they got the instant ‘reward’ of eying passionately the guests who must obviously have been both young and handsome.

40. Thereafter Divine punishment descended on the criminal community by day-break.