Surah 21. Al-Anbya

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-29 [2], 30-41 [3], 42-50 [4], 51-75 [5], 76-93 [6], 94-112 [7]

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Quran Text of Verse 11-2921. Al-Anbya Page 323وَ كَمْAnd how manyقَصَمْنَاWe (have) shatteredمِنْofقَرْیَةٍa townكَانَتْ(that) wasظَالِمَةًunjustوَّ اَنْشَاْنَاand We producedبَعْدَهَاafter themقَوْمًاanother peopleاٰخَرِیْنَ another people فَلَمَّاۤThen whenاَحَسُّوْاthey perceivedبَاْسَنَاۤOur tormentاِذَاbeholdهُمْtheyمِّنْهَاfrom itیَرْكُضُوْنَؕwere fleeing لَاFlee notتَرْكُضُوْاFlee notوَ ارْجِعُوْۤاbut returnاِلٰیtoمَاۤwhatاُتْرِفْتُمْyou were given luxuryفِیْهِin itوَ مَسٰكِنِكُمْand to your homesلَعَلَّكُمْso that you mayتُسْـَٔلُوْنَ be questioned قَالُوْاThey saidیٰوَیْلَنَاۤO woe to us!اِنَّاIndeed [we]كُنَّاwe wereظٰلِمِیْنَ wrongdoers فَمَاThen notزَالَتْceasedتِّلْكَ[this]دَعْوٰىهُمْtheir cryحَتّٰیuntilجَعَلْنٰهُمْWe made themحَصِیْدًاreapedخٰمِدِیْنَ extinct وَ مَاAnd notخَلَقْنَاWe createdالسَّمَآءَthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضَand the earthوَ مَاand whatبَیْنَهُمَا(is) between themلٰعِبِیْنَ (for) playing لَوْIfاَرَدْنَاۤWe intendedاَنْthatنَّتَّخِذَWe takeلَهْوًاa pastimeلَّاتَّخَذْنٰهُsurely We (could have) taken itمِنْfromلَّدُنَّاۤ ۖۗUsاِنْifكُنَّاWe wereفٰعِلِیْنَ doers بَلْNayنَقْذِفُWe hurlبِالْحَقِّthe truthعَلَیagainstالْبَاطِلِ[the] falsehoodفَیَدْمَغُهٗand it breaks its headفَاِذَاbeholdهُوَit (is)زَاهِقٌ ؕvanishingوَ لَكُمُAnd for youالْوَیْلُ(is) destructionمِمَّاfor whatتَصِفُوْنَ you ascribe وَ لَهٗAnd to Him (belongs)مَنْwhoeverفِی(is) inالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضِ ؕand the earthوَ مَنْAnd (those) whoعِنْدَهٗ(are) near Himلَاnotیَسْتَكْبِرُوْنَthey are arrogantعَنْtoعِبَادَتِهٖworship Himوَ لَاand notیَسْتَحْسِرُوْنَۚthey tire یُسَبِّحُوْنَThey glorify (Him)الَّیْلَ[the] nightوَ النَّهَارَand [the] dayلَاnotیَفْتُرُوْنَ they slacken اَمِOrاتَّخَذُوْۤا(have) they takenاٰلِهَةًgodsمِّنَfromالْاَرْضِthe earthهُمْtheyیُنْشِرُوْنَ raise (the dead) لَوْIfكَانَ(there) wereفِیْهِمَاۤin both of themاٰلِهَةٌgodsاِلَّاbesidesاللّٰهُAllahلَفَسَدَتَا ۚsurely they (would) have been ruinedفَسُبْحٰنَSo glorifiedاللّٰهِ(is) AllahرَبِّLordالْعَرْشِ(of) the Throneعَمَّا(above) whatیَصِفُوْنَ they attribute لَاNotیُسْـَٔلُHe (can) be questionedعَمَّاabout whatیَفْعَلُHe doesوَ هُمْbut theyیُسْـَٔلُوْنَ will be questioned اَمِOrاتَّخَذُوْا(have) they takenمِنْbesides Himدُوْنِهٖۤbesides Himاٰلِهَةً ؕgodsقُلْSayهَاتُوْاBringبُرْهَانَكُمْ ۚyour proofهٰذَاThisذِكْرُ(is) a Reminderمَنْ(for those) whoمَّعِیَ(are) with meوَ ذِكْرُand a Reminderمَنْ(for those) whoقَبْلِیْ ؕ(were) before meبَلْButاَكْثَرُهُمْmost of themلَا(do) notیَعْلَمُوْنَ ۙknowالْحَقَّthe truthفَهُمْso theyمُّعْرِضُوْنَ (are) averse 21. Al-Anbya Page 324وَ مَاۤAnd notاَرْسَلْنَاWe sentمِنْbefore youقَبْلِكَbefore youمِنْanyرَّسُوْلٍMessengerاِلَّاbutنُوْحِیْۤWe reveal(ed)اِلَیْهِto himاَنَّهٗthat [He]لَاۤ(There is) noاِلٰهَgodاِلَّاۤexceptاَنَاMeفَاعْبُدُوْنِ so worship Me وَ قَالُواAnd they sayاتَّخَذَHas takenالرَّحْمٰنُthe Most Graciousوَلَدًاa sonسُبْحٰنَهٗ ؕGlorified is He!بَلْNayعِبَادٌ(they are) slavesمُّكْرَمُوْنَۙhonored لَاNotیَسْبِقُوْنَهٗthey (can) precede Himبِالْقَوْلِin wordوَ هُمْand theyبِاَمْرِهٖby His commandیَعْمَلُوْنَ act یَعْلَمُHe knowsمَاwhatبَیْنَ(is) before themاَیْدِیْهِمْ(is) before themوَ مَاand whatخَلْفَهُمْ(is) behind themوَ لَاand notیَشْفَعُوْنَ ۙthey (can) intercedeاِلَّاexceptلِمَنِfor whomارْتَضٰیHe approvesوَ هُمْAnd theyمِّنْfromخَشْیَتِهٖfear of Himمُشْفِقُوْنَ stand in awe وَ مَنْAnd whoeverیَّقُلْsaysمِنْهُمْof themاِنِّیْۤIndeed, I amاِلٰهٌa godمِّنْbesides Himدُوْنِهٖbesides HimفَذٰلِكَThen thatنَجْزِیْهِWe will recompenseجَهَنَّمَ ؕ(with) HellكَذٰلِكَThusنَجْزِیWe recompenseالظّٰلِمِیْنَ۠the wrongdoers

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Translation of Verse 11-29

11. ˹Imagine˺ how many societies of wrongdoers We have destroyed, raising up other people after them!

12. When the wrongdoers sensed ˹the arrival of˺ Our torment, they started to run away from their cities.

13. ˹They were told,˺ "Do not run away! Return to your luxuries and your homes, so you may be questioned ˹about your fate˺."

14. They cried, "Woe to us! We have surely been wrongdoers."

15. They kept repeating their cry until We mowed them down, ˹leaving them˺ lifeless. ⁶²¹

16. We did not create the heavens and the earth and everything in between for sport.

17. Had We intended to take ˹some˺ amusement, We could have found it in Our presence, if that had been Our Will.

18. In fact, We hurl the truth against falsehood, leaving it crushed, and it quickly vanishes. And woe be to you for what you claim! ⁶²²

19. To Him belong all those in the heavens and the earth. And those nearest to Him are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they tire.

20. They glorify ˹Him˺ day and night, never wavering.

21. Or have they taken gods from the earth, who can raise the dead?

22. Had there been other gods besides Allah in the heavens or the earth, both ˹realms˺ would have surely been corrupted. So Glorified is Allah, Lord of the Throne, far above what they claim.

23. He cannot be questioned about what He does, but they will ˹all˺ be questioned.

24. Or have they taken other gods besides Him? Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ "Show ˹me˺ your proof. Here is ˹the Quran,˺ the Reminder for those with me; along with ˹earlier Scriptures,˺ the Reminder for those before me." ⁶²³ But most of them do not know the truth, so they turn away.

25. We never sent a messenger before you ˹O Prophet˺ without revealing to him: "There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Me, so worship Me ˹alone˺."

26. And they say, "The Most Compassionate has offspring!" ⁶²⁴ Glory be to Him! In fact, those ˹angels˺ are only ˹His˺ honoured servants,

27. who do not speak until He has spoken, ˹only˺ acting at His command.

28. He ˹fully˺ knows what is ahead of them and what is behind them. They do not intercede except for whom He approves, and they tremble in awe of Him.

29. Whoever of them were to say, "I am a god besides Him," they would be rewarded with Hell by Us. This is how We reward the wrongdoers.

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Commentary

621. lit., extinguished like ashes.

622. That Allah has a partner and children.

623. The Prophet ( ﷺ ) is ordered to challenge the pagans to produce logical and scriptural proofs for the existence of other gods beside Allah. The verses then argue that if there is more than one god, the different gods would have fought among themselves for domination, and the whole universe would have been ruined. The Quran, the Torah, and the Gospel are all in agreement that there is only One God.

624. Some pagans claimed that the angels are Allah's daughters.