Surah 10. Yunus

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-20 [2], 21-30 [3], 31-40 [4], 41-53 [5], 54-60 [6], 61-70 [7], 71-82 [8], 83-92 [9], 93-103 [10], 104-109 [11]

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Quran Text of Verse 31-40قُلْSayمَنْWhoیَّرْزُقُكُمْprovides for youمِّنَfromالسَّمَآءِthe skyوَ الْاَرْضِand the earthاَمَّنْOr whoیَّمْلِكُcontrolsالسَّمْعَthe hearingوَ الْاَبْصَارَand the sightوَ مَنْAnd whoیُّخْرِجُbrings outالْحَیَّthe livingمِنَfromالْمَیِّتِthe deadوَ یُخْرِجُand brings forthالْمَیِّتَthe deadمِنَfromالْحَیِّthe livingوَ مَنْAnd whoیُّدَبِّرُdisposesالْاَمْرَ ؕthe affairsفَسَیَقُوْلُوْنَThen they will sayاللّٰهُ ۚAllahفَقُلْThen sayاَفَلَاThen will notتَتَّقُوْنَ you fear (Him) فَذٰلِكُمُFor thatاللّٰهُ(is) Allahرَبُّكُمُyour Lordالْحَقُّ ۚthe trueفَمَا ذَاSo what (can be)بَعْدَafterالْحَقِّthe truthاِلَّاexceptالضَّلٰلُ ۖۚthe errorفَاَنّٰیSo howتُصْرَفُوْنَ (are) you turned away كَذٰلِكَThusحَقَّتْ(is) proved trueكَلِمَتُ(the) Wordرَبِّكَ(of) your Lordعَلَیuponالَّذِیْنَthose whoفَسَقُوْۤاdefiantly disobeyedاَنَّهُمْthat theyلَا(will) notیُؤْمِنُوْنَ believe 10. Yunus Page 213قُلْSayهَلْIs (there)مِنْofشُرَكَآىِٕكُمْyour partnersمَّنْ(any) whoیَّبْدَؤُاoriginatesالْخَلْقَthe creationثُمَّthenیُعِیْدُهٗ ؕrepeats itقُلِSayاللّٰهُAllahیَبْدَؤُاoriginatesالْخَلْقَthe creationثُمَّthenیُعِیْدُهٗrepeats itفَاَنّٰیSo howتُؤْفَكُوْنَ you are deluded قُلْSayهَلْIs (there)مِنْofشُرَكَآىِٕكُمْyour partnersمَّنْ(any) whoیَّهْدِیْۤguidesاِلَیtoالْحَقِّ ؕthe truthقُلِSayاللّٰهُAllahیَهْدِیْguidesلِلْحَقِّ ؕto the truthاَفَمَنْIs then (he) whoیَّهْدِیْۤguidesاِلَیtoالْحَقِّthe truthاَحَقُّmore worthyاَنْthatیُّتَّبَعَhe should be followedاَمَّنْor (he) whoلَّا(does) notیَهِدِّیْۤguideاِلَّاۤunlessاَنْ[that]یُّهْدٰی ۚhe is guidedفَمَاThen whatلَكُمْ ۫(is) for youكَیْفَhowتَحْكُمُوْنَ you judge وَ مَاAnd notیَتَّبِعُfollowاَكْثَرُهُمْmost of themاِلَّاexceptظَنًّا ؕassumptionاِنَّIndeedالظَّنَّthe assumptionلَا(does) notیُغْنِیْavailمِنَagainstالْحَقِّthe truthشَیْـًٔا ؕanythingاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahعَلِیْمٌۢ(is) All-Knowerبِمَاof whatیَفْعَلُوْنَ they do وَ مَاAnd notكَانَisهٰذَاthisالْقُرْاٰنُthe Quranاَنْthatیُّفْتَرٰی(it could be) producedمِنْbyدُوْنِother than Allahاللّٰهِother than Allahوَ لٰكِنْbutتَصْدِیْقَ(it is) a confirmationالَّذِیْ(of that) whichبَیْنَ(was) before itیَدَیْهِ(was) before itوَ تَفْصِیْلَand a detailed explanationالْكِتٰبِ(of) the Bookلَا(there is) noرَیْبَdoubtفِیْهِin itمِنْfromرَّبِّ(the) Lordالْعٰلَمِیْنَ۫(of) the worlds اَمْOrیَقُوْلُوْنَ(do) they sayافْتَرٰىهُ ؕHe has invented itقُلْSayفَاْتُوْاThen bringبِسُوْرَةٍa Surahمِّثْلِهٖlike itوَ ادْعُوْاand callمَنِwhoeverاسْتَطَعْتُمْyou canمِّنْbesides Allahدُوْنِbesides Allahاللّٰهِbesides Allahاِنْifكُنْتُمْyou areصٰدِقِیْنَ truthful بَلْNayكَذَّبُوْاthey deniedبِمَاwhatلَمْnotیُحِیْطُوْاthey could encompassبِعِلْمِهٖ(of) its knowledgeوَ لَمَّاand notیَاْتِهِمْhas come (to) themتَاْوِیْلُهٗ ؕits interpretationكَذٰلِكَThusكَذَّبَdeniedالَّذِیْنَthoseمِنْbefore themقَبْلِهِمْbefore themفَانْظُرْthen seeكَیْفَhowكَانَwasعَاقِبَةُ(the) endالظّٰلِمِیْنَ (of) the wrongdoers وَ مِنْهُمْAnd of themمَّنْ(is one) whoیُّؤْمِنُbelievesبِهٖin itوَ مِنْهُمْand of themمَّنْ(is one) whoلَّا(does) notیُؤْمِنُbelieveبِهٖ ؕin itوَ رَبُّكَAnd your Lordاَعْلَمُ(is) All-Knowerبِالْمُفْسِدِیْنَ۠of the corrupters

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Translation of Verse 31-40

(10:31) Ask them: 'Who provides you with sustenance out of the heavens and the earth? Who holds mastery over your hearing and sight? Who brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living? Who governs all affairs of the universe?' They will surely say: 'Allah.' Tell them: 'Will you, then, not shun (going against reality)?"

(10:32) Such, then, is Allah, your true Lord.³⁸ And what is there after truth but error? How, then, are you being turned away?³⁹

(10:33) Thus the word of your Lord is fulfilled concerning the transgressors that they shall not believe.⁴⁰

(10:34) Ask them: 'Is there any among those whom you associate with Allah in His divinity who brings about the creation of all beings in the first instance and will then repeat it?' Tell them: 'It is Allah Who brings about the creation of all beings and will then repeat it.⁴¹ How are you, then, being misled?⁴²

(10:35) Ask them: 'Are there among ones whom you associate with Allah in His divinity those who can guide to the truth?⁴³ Say: 'It is Allah alone Who guides to the truth.' Then, who is more worthy to be followed - He Who guides to the truth, or he who cannot find the right way unless others guide him to it? What is wrong with you? How ill do you judge!

(10:36) Most of them only follow conjectures;⁴⁴ and surely conjecture can be no substitute for truth. Allah is well aware of whatever they do.

(10:37) And this Qur'an is such that it could not be composed by any unless it be revealed from Allah. It is a confirmation of the revelation made before it and a detailed exposition of the Book.⁴⁵ Beyond doubt it is from the Lord of the universe.

(10:38) Do they say that the Messenger has himself composed the Qur'an? Say: 'In that case bring forth just one surah like it and call on all whom you can, except Allah, to help you if you are truthful.⁴⁶

(10:39) In fact they arbitrarily rejected as false whatever they failed to comprehend and whose final sequel was not apparent to them.⁴⁷ Likewise had their predecessors rejected the truth, declaring it falsehood. Do observe, then, what was the end of the wrong-doers.

(10:40) Of those some will believe and others will not. Your Lord knows best the mischief-makers.⁴⁸

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Commentary

38. Since it is God Alone Who has the power to do all that has been mentioned here — the provision of livelihood, the bestowing of vision and hearing, the granting of life and causing death, and since even the unbelievers affirmed that it is Allah alone Who causes all that, then it is obvious that He alone deserves to be held as the true Lord, Provider and Master of man, arid hence the Only One Who deserves to be worshipped. How, then, can any others than Allah — those who have no share in any of the things mentioned above — be considered to have any share in His Lordship?

39. Addressing the generality of the unbelievers, the Qur’an inquires: ‘How, then, are you, being turned away?’ The question that is posed here makes it clear that it is not the unbelievers themselves who are guilty of turning away, rather they are being made to turn away from the right way and that this is happening under the influence of some person or group who is engaged in misleading people. It is for this reason that in effect people are being asked: ‘Why should they go about blindly following those who are out to mislead people? Why should they not use their brains and think for themselves why they are being turned in a direction which is contrary to reality?’ This mode of questioning, with some modifications, appears on a number of occasions in the Qur’an. On all such occasions the question has been asked in the passive voice. This was presumably to avoid a pointed reference to those who were actually engaged in misleading people. This should make it possible for people who had held these leaders of misguidance in considerable esteem to consider the matter dispassionately. Such a mode should also spare them any provocation that might impair their capacity to think about the issue coolly. For it is quite obvious that pointed references to specific persons might have been exploited so as to provoke people by pointing out that their venerated forefathers and religious mentors were being maliciously criticized and attacked.

This manner of address — the use of the passive rather than the active voice and the avoidance of pointed references to specific persons as the ringleaders of misguidance and mischief — embodies a valuable piece of wisdom for those who seek to invite others to accept the Message of Islam.

40. Even though God’s Message has been elaborated with the help of clear and easy-to-understand arguments, those who have already made up their minds against it will continue in their stubbornness and will simply refuse to accept it.

41. The unbelievers did acknowledge that God alone had brought everything into existence in the first instance, that none of those who had been associated with God in His divinity had any part in it. As for resurrection, which simply amounts to repeating the initial act of creation, it is quite evident that He Who has the power to create, also has the power to repeat, anything else would be inconceivable. All this is so reasonable and clear that in their heart of hearts even rank polytheists were convinced of its truth. Yet they were hesitant to affirm it for if they did so, it would make it difficult for them to deny the existence of the Hereafter.

It is for this reason that in response to the earlier question (see verse 31 above) it has been mentioned that the unbelievers acknowledge that God alone brought about the creation. But with regard to the question of repeating that creation, it is the Prophet (peace be on him) who has been asked here to proclaim that it is God Alone Who brought about the original creation and it is He Who will create again.

42. The unbelievers are being asked to see reason. For on the one hand they themselves recognize that it is Allah alone Who causes their birth and death, and on the other, they are being misdirected by their so-called religious leaders into believing that they ought to worship and adore others than Allah.

43. This verse raises an important issue which should be grasped well.

Man's necessities in his worldly life are not confined to subsistence, to the provision of shelter and clothing, to protection from calamities, hardships and losses. Man also needs something else, and this is his direst need. This is the need to know how to five in the world; how he should relate with himself and the powers and potentialities with which he has been endowed; how he should relate with the resources of the world which have been placed under his control, with the innumerable human beings with whom he comes into contact, and with the order of the universe as a whole within which, willy-nilly, he has to operate.

Man needs to know all this so as to ensure the achievement of overall success in his life and to see to it that his energies and efforts do not count for naught. To ensure that his energies and efforts are not misdirected or employed in a manner that would lead to his destruction. This right way — the way that provides guidance concerning all the above questions — constitutes ‘the truth’, and the guidance which directs man to this truth is ‘the true guidance’. Now, the Quran asks the unbelievers, who had rejected the Prophet's Message, whether any of their deities whom they worshipped besides God, could direct them to ‘the truth’? The answer to this question is obviously in the negative. In order to understand this it must be remembered that the deities they worshipped besides God can be divided into two broad categories:

1. The first category consists of the gods and goddesses, and those living or dead persons, whom people worship. People turn to them believing that they are capable of satisfying their needs in a supernatural way and of protecting them from calamities. But as far as guiding people to the right way is concerned, it is quite obvious that false gods had never provided any such guidance. Even the worshippers of those gods had never sought such guidance from them, nor did the polytheists ever claim that those gods taught them anything relating to morality, social conduct, culture, economy, polity, law and justice.

2. The second category consists of those outstanding people who lay down the principles and laws which others follow. Such persons are doubtlessly leaders of others. But are they really those who lead people to the truth? Does the knowledge of any of those leaders encompass all that needs to be known in order to lay down sound principles for the guidance of mankind? Do any of them possess the breadth of vision that takes into account the whole gamut of issues relating to human life? Can any one of them claim to be free of those biases, those personal or national pre-occupations, those interests and desires, inclinations and predilections which prevent people from laying down perfectly just laws for human society? As it is, since the answer to these questions is in the negative — and since the answer of any sensible person to these questions could never be in the positive — how can any of those human beings be considered to be dependable sources of guidance to the truth? It is for this reason that the Qur’an asks people whether any of their gods could lead them to the truth? This question, combined with the previous ones, helps man to arrive at a definitive conclusion concerning the whole question of religion. If one were to face the question with a clear mind, it is evident that man stands in a dire need of One to Whom he could look up to as his Lord; One in Whom he could seek refuge and Whose protection he could solicit; One Who might answer his prayer and grant his supplication, One to Whom, notwithstanding the undependable nature of the worldly means of support, he could turn to for effective help and support. The questions posed above inevitably lead to the conclusion that this need can be met by none other than God.

In addition, man also stands in need of a guide who might teach him the principles of righteous conduct, who might teach him the laws that he might follow with full confidence. Even here it is quite clear that God alone can meet this need of man. Once these matters become clear, there remains no justification to adhere either to polytheistic religions or to secular principles of morality, culture and polity.

44, Those who, in disregard of God’s guidance, invented religions, developed philosophies and prescribed laws to govern human life did not do this with the help of any definite knowledge that they possessed, rather, it would be the result of their conjecture and fancy. Likewise, those who followed their religious and worldly leaders did so not because they fully knew and fully understood all that the latter espoused. Rather, they followed those leaders merely on the gratuitous assumption that whatever was being taught by those great people, and whatever had been recognized as ‘right’ by their own forefathers, must indeed be true.

45. The statement that it is a confirmation of the revelation made before it underscores that the Qur’an lays no claim of introducing anything novel, of coming forth with any innovation at variance with the fundamental teachings already communicated to man through the Prophets (peace be on them). The Qur’anic claim merely consists of confirming and authenticating those teachings. Had the Qur’an been the product of the imagination of the founder of an altogether new religion, the outcome of a creative brain, it would have borne traces of novelty in order to emphasize its distinctiveness.

The second part of the statement, namely that the Qur’an is a ‘detailed exposition of the Book’ is equally significant. What this means is that the Qur’an elaborates those fundamental teachings which constitute the core and essence of all the scriptures (al-kitab), that is, those teachings which have been sufficiently elucidated in the Qur’an so that they might be grasped by people and penetrate their hearts; and additionally, it has been shown how those teachings could be applied to practical life.

46. It is generally believed that the challenge embodied in this verse has a reference merely to the eloquence, rhetoric and other literary qualities of the Qur’an. Were one to read the writings of Muslim scholars in connection with the explanation of this verse, it is not surprising that people should entertain such a misunderstanding.

However, the Qur’an is far above claiming its uniqueness and inimitability merely on the grounds of its literary merits. Although there can be no doubt about the literary excellence of the Qur’an, the main ground on which it is claimed that no human being could produce a book like ‘t has to do with its contents and teaching. The Qur’an alludes, in many places, to those characteristics of its inimitability which could not have been conferred upon it by man, thus hinting that those characteristics could have no other source but God Himself. We have explained, in the course of this work, all such allusions in the Qur’an. In order to avoid repetition, we would like at this stage to avoid engaging in any discussion on that subject. (For further explanation see al-Tur 52, nn. 26-7.)

47. There can only be two justifiable grounds for those who wish to reject the Qur’an as a false scripture: either they should have definite knowledge to the effect that it is a fabrication or they should be able to demonstrate that the statements made by, or the information contained in it, are false. But as things stand, neither of these two reasons is available. For none can contend, on the basis of definite knowledge, that the Book had been authored by someone who, in his turn, falsely attributed it to God. Nor has anyone been able to penetrate the realms of the supersensory world and claim, on that basis, that they know for sure that this Book contains false information; that whereas in fact there are several gods, this Book claims that there is none other than the One God; that all its statements about matters such as the existence of God and angels are counter to reality. Nor has anyone returned to life after having suffered death to contend that the Qur’anic statement about the reckoning and reward and punishment in the Next Life is false. Those who continue to decry the Qur’an as false are in fact doing so merely on grounds of conjecture, even though they do this with an air of confidence which at times creates the impression that statements about the fakeness and falsity of the Qur’anic teachings are scientifically established facts.

48. The statement that ‘Your Lord knows best the mischief-makers’ underscores an important fact about-unbelievers. Those unbelievers could certainly silence others into not carrying the discussion any further by openly admitting that they had failed to grasp the teaching of the Qur’an and hence it was not possible for them to sincerely believe in it. God, however, is well aware even of the things that are hidden, even those that are in the deepest recesses of their hearts and minds. He knows how each person has sealed his mind and heart against accepting any truth; how he has sought to immerse himself in heedlessness; how he has managed to suppress his conscience; how he has prevented the testimony of the truth from affecting his heart; how he has destroyed the innate capacity of his mind to accept the truth; how he has heard the call of the truth and has turned a deaf ear to it; and how, despite his ability to understand the Message of God, he has made no effort to do so. Such people cherish their biases and prejudices, their lusts and desires, their worldly advantages and the interests which can be procured only by supporting falsehood, much more than by accepting the truth. Such people can hardly be considered to have innocently succumbed to a ‘mistake’. On the contrary, they are rank ‘mischief-makers’.