Surah 68. Al-Qalam

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Verses [Section]: 1-33[1], 34-52 [2]

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Quran Text of Verse 34-52اِنَّIndeedلِلْمُتَّقِیْنَfor the righteousعِنْدَwithرَبِّهِمْtheir Lordجَنّٰتِ(are) Gardensالنَّعِیْمِ (of) Delight اَفَنَجْعَلُThen will We treatالْمُسْلِمِیْنَthe Muslimsكَالْمُجْرِمِیْنَؕlike the criminals مَاWhatلَكُمْ ۥ(is) for youكَیْفَHowتَحْكُمُوْنَۚ(do) you judge اَمْOrلَكُمْ(is) for youكِتٰبٌa bookفِیْهِwhereinتَدْرُسُوْنَۙyou learn اِنَّThatلَكُمْfor youفِیْهِthereinلَمَاwhatتَخَیَّرُوْنَۚyou choose اَمْOrلَكُمْ(do) you haveاَیْمَانٌoathsعَلَیْنَاfrom usبَالِغَةٌreachingاِلٰیtoیَوْمِ(the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ ۙ(of) the ResurrectionاِنَّThatلَكُمْfor youلَمَا(is) whatتَحْكُمُوْنَۚyou judge سَلْهُمْAsk themاَیُّهُمْwhich of themبِذٰلِكَfor thatزَعِیْمٌۚۛ(is) responsible اَمْOrلَهُمْ(do) they haveشُرَكَآءُ ۛۚpartnersفَلْیَاْتُوْاThen let them bringبِشُرَكَآىِٕهِمْtheir partnersاِنْifكَانُوْاthey areصٰدِقِیْنَ truthful یَوْمَ(The) Dayیُكْشَفُwill be uncoveredعَنْfromسَاقٍthe shinوَّ یُدْعَوْنَand they will be calledاِلَیtoالسُّجُوْدِprostrateفَلَاbut notیَسْتَطِیْعُوْنَۙthey will be able 68. Al-Qalam Page 566خَاشِعَةًHumbledاَبْصَارُهُمْtheir eyesتَرْهَقُهُمْwill cover themذِلَّةٌ ؕhumiliationوَ قَدْAnd indeedكَانُوْاthey wereیُدْعَوْنَcalledاِلَیtoالسُّجُوْدِprostrateوَ هُمْwhile theyسٰلِمُوْنَ (were) sound فَذَرْنِیْSo leave Meوَ مَنْand whoeverیُّكَذِّبُdeniesبِهٰذَاthisالْحَدِیْثِ ؕStatementسَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْWe will progressively lead themمِّنْfromحَیْثُwhereلَاnotیَعْلَمُوْنَۙthey know وَ اُمْلِیْAnd I will give respiteلَهُمْ ؕto themاِنَّIndeedكَیْدِیْMy planمَتِیْنٌ (is) firm اَمْOrتَسْـَٔلُهُمْyou ask themاَجْرًاa paymentفَهُمْso theyمِّنْfromمَّغْرَمٍ(the) debtمُّثْقَلُوْنَۚ(are) burdened اَمْOrعِنْدَهُمُ(is) with themالْغَیْبُthe unseenفَهُمْso theyیَكْتُبُوْنَ write it فَاصْبِرْSo be patientلِحُكْمِfor (the) decisionرَبِّكَ(of) your Lordوَ لَاand (do) notتَكُنْbeكَصَاحِبِlike (the) companionالْحُوْتِ ۘ(of) the fishاِذْwhenنَادٰیhe called outوَ هُوَwhile heمَكْظُوْمٌؕ(was) distressed لَوْ لَاۤIf notاَنْthatتَدٰرَكَهٗovertook himنِعْمَةٌa Favorمِّنْfromرَّبِّهٖhis Lordلَنُبِذَsurely he would have been thrownبِالْعَرَآءِonto (the) naked shoreوَ هُوَwhile heمَذْمُوْمٌ (was) blamed فَاجْتَبٰىهُBut chose himرَبُّهٗhis Lordفَجَعَلَهٗand made himمِنَofالصّٰلِحِیْنَ the righteous وَ اِنْAnd indeedیَّكَادُwould almostالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelieveلَیُزْلِقُوْنَكَsurely make you slipبِاَبْصَارِهِمْwith their eyesلَمَّاwhenسَمِعُواthey hearالذِّكْرَthe Messageوَ یَقُوْلُوْنَand they sayاِنَّهٗIndeed heلَمَجْنُوْنٌۘ(is) surely mad وَ مَاAnd notهُوَit (is)اِلَّاbutذِكْرٌa Reminderلِّلْعٰلَمِیْنَ۠to the worlds

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Translation of Verse 34-52

34. Indeed, the righteous will have the Gardens of Bliss with their Lord.

35. Should We then treat those who have submitted like the wicked?

36. What is the matter with you? How do you judge?

37. Or do you have a scripture, in which you read

38. that you will have whatever you choose?

39. Or do you have oaths binding on Us until the Day of Judgment that you will have whatever you decide?

40. Ask them ˹O Prophet˺ which of them can guarantee all that.

41. Or do they have associate-gods ˹supporting this claim˺? Then let them bring forth their associate-gods, if what they say is true.

42. ˹Beware of˺ the Day the Shin ˹of Allah˺ will be bared, ¹²²⁴ and the wicked will be asked to prostrate, but they will not be able to do so,

43. with eyes downcast, totally covered with disgrace. For they were ˹always˺ called to prostrate ˹in the world˺ when they were fully capable ˹but they chose not to˺.

44. So leave to Me ˹O Prophet˺ those who reject this message. We will gradually draw them to destruction in ways they cannot comprehend.

45. I ˹only˺ delay their end for a while, but My planning is flawless.

46. Or are you asking them for a reward ˹for the message˺ so that they are overburdened by debt?

47. Or do they have access to ˹the Record in˺ the unseen, so they copy it ˹for all to see˺?

48. So be patient with your Lord's decree, and do not be like ˹Jonah,˺ the Man of the Whale, who cried out ˹to Allah˺, in total distress. ¹²²⁵

49. Had he not been shown grace by his Lord, he would have certainly been cast onto the open ˹shore˺, still blameworthy.

50. Then his Lord chose him, making him one of the righteous.

51. The disbelievers would almost cut you down with their eyes when they hear ˹you recite˺ the Reminder, ¹²²⁶ and say, "He is certainly a madman."

52. But it is simply a reminder to the whole world.

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Commentary

1224. Like the Face and the Hands, the Shin is believed by many to be one of the qualities of Allah, in a way befitting His Majesty and Greatness. Since baring the shin in the Arab culture is associated with the heat of battle, some interpret the verse metaphorically, so the meaning would be: "˹Beware of˺ the Day when horror sets in."

1225. While inside the whale. See 21:87 and 37:139-148.

1226. This is one of the names of the Quran.