Surah Ar-Rahman 55:26-45 - Quran Translation Commentary

33. O assemblies of Jinn and men! If you are able to pass out of the borders of the heavens and the earth, then Pass out. You cannot Pass out but with authority.³¹

34. Then which of your Lord’s Signs will you deny!

35. Flames of fire and smoke will be sent against you.³² Then you will not be able to defend yourselves.³³

36. Then which of your Lord’s powerful marvels will you deny!

37. (How will it be) When the sky will split asunder and will become red like hide. ³⁴

38. Then which of your Lord’s phenomena will you deny!

39. That day neither man nor jinn will be asked about his sin.³⁵

40. Then which of your Lord’s mighty marvels will you deny!

41. The criminals will be recognized by their faces and they will be dragged by the forelocks and the feet.

42. Then which of the perfections of the power of your Lord will you deny!

43. This is the Hell which the criminals denied.

44. They will go on making rounds between it and boiling water.³⁶

45. Then which of the magnificence’s of your Lord’s might will you deny!

Commentary

24. In Arabic language the word ‘Man’ (who) used for animate things. What is meant is that all living creations on earth are to die and to perish day. It is another matter that, on the Day of Resurrection, Allah will enliven the dead and call both men and jinns before HIM to account for their deeds. This matter has been further clarified in the following ayah.

25. That is: ALLAH Who is Great and High is to exist forever. HIS existence is permanent and HE is not dependent on anyone else for remaining extant. Neither will there be any change in HIS Greatness and Honour. So far as the creation is concerned, its existence depends on their Lord’s strategy.

26. That is: the angels, the men, the jinns all are dependent on HIM for their needs. All of them ask of Him.

27. HE is in a new grandeur every moment; that HE fulfils multifarious needs of HIS creation. HE is so much constantly busy in the work of hearing their prayers, giving health to the ill, helping the week, answering the complaints of the oppressed, assisting the helpless, saving those who are in distress, removing their difficulties, easing their troubles, forgiving the faulters, guiding His slaves, bestowing His bounties and mercy on them and honouring them with victory and fame and innumerable similar functions that no day passes without HIS divine functioning.

28. “Thaqal” means a weighty, huge and nice thing. The famous Arabic dictionary, Al Qaamoos’ says:

“Thaqal”means every nice and preserved thing. This is the same meaning in which it is said in the hadith I am leaving for you two weighty things.” (Al Qaamoos, Vol. 3 P.353)

The Jinn (Genni) and ins (Humans) are two great groups that are distinct from all other creation. Hence they are termed ‘thaqalaan’.

29. This is said by way of warning what means WE will soon turn to you for taking you to account and to deal with you sternly.

30. On the Day of Judgment, when Almighty Allah will establish His court, and both the groups will present themselves, then you will see yourselves those of His wonders which you are denying now.

31. By the borders of skies and the earth is meant those limits of this universe within which both men and jinns are bound to remain. The jinns do fly in sky and now man also is flying in space. Yet this flight of theirs is not beyond the limits of this universe. They cannot go out of these limits. If at all they can go, they can go only when God grants them authority. In other words when they get a leave (passport) for this purpose, from Allah. Here the purport is to show the helplessness of men and jinns. When they are obliged to remain only in this universe of Allah, where else can they take shelter after rebelling against Him?

One more doubt should also be removed here. Let it not be imagined that by reaching the outer space man has succeeded in crossing the aqtaar (boundaries) of the earth. In the ayah a mention of skies is made before that of the earth and it is said:

“AQTAAR USSAMAAWAATI VAL ARD” (borders of the heavens and the earth). What is meant thereby is this universe (physical world) as a whole. Otherwise, if it meant only getting out of field of gravity of earth and reaching outer space, then this challenge would not apply to the jinns who were already flying there.

32. The meaning of ‘Nuhaas’ according to ‘Lisanul Arab’ is smoke (dukhaan). Most of the commentators have understood so and it is appropriate here.

33. This is a description of the happenings on the day of Resurrection, when flames of fire will be showered on hot-headed (rebellious) men and jinns. Smoke also will be let lose on them. How will you then deny the lashes of Allah?

34. On the Day of Qiyamah it will appear as if the sky has caught fire and its blue color has turned red. This hints at the terrible heavenly revolution when only fire would be seen above. How then man will remain in his senses? Man will, one day, also see this might of Allah. But today he is denying it and is thinking that this earth and this sky will always remain as they are.

35. This does not mean that the criminals will not be questioned. They will be, as asserted in clear terms elsewhere in the Quran, questioned very strictly. What is meant to be conveyed here is that in the ground of grand Assembly of Qiyamah there will be no need for anyone to ask the kind of crime committed by him or her. The signs of their criminality will become obvious on their faces. They will be recognized as criminals at first sight. This has been stated explicitly in ayah 41.

36. That is while burning in the Hell they will become very thirsty, they will run toward water. But the water will be boiling hot. Thus they will go round between fire and boiling water in Hell. The strange way Allah has made Hell a sign of His wrath and how it is full of terrible torments is also one of the wonders of Allah’s might.