Surah 18. Al-Kahf

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Verses [Section]: 1-12[1], 13-17 [2], 18-22 [3], 23-31 [4], 32-44 [5], 45-49 [6], 50-53 [7], 54-59 [8], 60-70 [9], 71-82 [10], 83-101 [11], 102-110 [12]

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Quran Text of Verse 45-49وَ اضْرِبْAnd presentلَهُمْto themمَّثَلَthe exampleالْحَیٰوةِ(of) the lifeالدُّنْیَا(of) the worldكَمَآءٍlike waterاَنْزَلْنٰهُwhich We send downمِنَfromالسَّمَآءِthe skyفَاخْتَلَطَthen minglesبِهٖwith itنَبَاتُ(the) vegetationالْاَرْضِ(of) the earthفَاَصْبَحَthen becomesهَشِیْمًاdry stalksتَذْرُوْهُit (is) scatteredالرِّیٰحُ ؕ(by) the windsوَ كَانَAnd AllahاللّٰهُAnd Allahعَلٰیoverكُلِّeveryشَیْءٍthingمُّقْتَدِرًا (is) All Able 18. Al-Kahf Page 299اَلْمَالُThe wealthوَ الْبَنُوْنَand childrenزِیْنَةُ(are) adornmentالْحَیٰوةِ(of) the lifeالدُّنْیَا ۚ(of) the worldوَ الْبٰقِیٰتُBut the enduringالصّٰلِحٰتُgood deedsخَیْرٌ(are) betterعِنْدَnearرَبِّكَyour Lordثَوَابًا(for) rewardوَّ خَیْرٌand betterاَمَلًا (for) hope وَ یَوْمَAnd the DayنُسَیِّرُWe will cause (to) moveالْجِبَالَthe mountainsوَ تَرَیand you will seeالْاَرْضَthe earthبَارِزَةً ۙ(as) a leveled plainوَّ حَشَرْنٰهُمْand We will gather themفَلَمْand notنُغَادِرْWe will leave behindمِنْهُمْfrom themاَحَدًاۚanyone وَ عُرِضُوْاAnd they will be presentedعَلٰیbeforeرَبِّكَyour Lordصَفًّا ؕ(in) rowsلَقَدْCertainlyجِئْتُمُوْنَاyou have come to UsكَمَاasخَلَقْنٰكُمْWe created youاَوَّلَthe firstمَرَّةٍۭ ؗtimeبَلْNayزَعَمْتُمْyou claimedاَلَّنْthat notنَّجْعَلَWe madeلَكُمْfor youمَّوْعِدًا an appointment وَ وُضِعَAnd (will) be placedالْكِتٰبُthe Bookفَتَرَیand you will seeالْمُجْرِمِیْنَthe criminalsمُشْفِقِیْنَfearfulمِمَّاof whatفِیْهِ(is) in itوَ یَقُوْلُوْنَand they will sayیٰوَیْلَتَنَاOh woe to us!مَالِWhat (is) forهٰذَاthisالْكِتٰبِ[the] Bookلَاnotیُغَادِرُleavesصَغِیْرَةًa smallوَّ لَاand notكَبِیْرَةًa greatاِلَّاۤexceptاَحْصٰىهَا ۚhas enumerated itوَ وَجَدُوْاAnd they will findمَاwhatعَمِلُوْاthey didحَاضِرًا ؕpresentedوَ لَاAnd notیَظْلِمُdeals unjustlyرَبُّكَyour Lordاَحَدًا۠(with) anyone

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Translation of Verse 45-49

(18:45) (O Prophet), propound to them the parable of the present life: it is like the vegetation of the earth which flourished luxuriantly when it mingled with the water that We sent down from the sky, but after that the same vegetation turned into stubble which the winds blew about. Allah alone has the power over all things.⁴¹

(18:46) Wealth and children are an adornment of the life of the world. But the deeds of lasting righteousness are the best in the sight of your Lord in reward, and far better a source of hope.

(18:47) Bear in mind the Day when We shall set the mountains in motion⁴² and you will find the earth void and bare.⁴³ On that Day We shall muster all men together, leaving none of them behind.⁴⁴

(18:48) They shall be brought before your Lord, all lined up, and shall be told: "Now, indeed, you have come before Us in the manner We created you in the first instance,⁴⁵ although you thought that We shall not appoint a tryst (with Us)."

(18:49) And then the Record of their deeds shall be placed before them and you will see the guilty full of fear for what it contains, and will say: "Woe to us! What a Record this is! It leaves nothing, big or small, but encompasses it." They will find their deeds confronting them. Your Lord wrongs no one.⁴⁶

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Commentary

41. God grants life as well as death. He enables people to rise as well as causes them to fall. He causes the blossoming of the spring, and also ordains that it will be followed by autumn. Hence, if someone happens to flourish and enjoy prosperity, he ought not to be deluded into believing that this state would necessarily last forever. It is God Who has granted man all bounties and he will be instantly deprived of them the moment God so wills.

42. This refers to the time when the present order of things will be disrupted. The earth will lose its gravitational pull and the mountains will float about as clouds. The same point has been made elsewhere in the Qur’an: ‘And you see the mountains and think that they are firmly fixed, but they shall pass by like clouds’ (al-Naml 27: 88).

43, The earth will become devoid of all vegetation and of every structure. It will turn into a barren, desolate mass of land. This virtually reiterates what was said earlier in this surah:

Surely, We have made all that is on the earth an embellishment for it in order to test people as to who of them is better in conduct. In the ultimate, We shall reduce all that is on the earth to a barren plain (verses 7-8).

44, This includes all human beings that have ever been born from the very early beginnings till the very last moment before the Day of Resurrection. This includes even those infants who may have lived after birth for no more than a single breath. All human beings who ever existed will be resurrected and will be brought together at the same time.

45. At that moment it will be impressed on all those who had denied the Hereafter that what the Messengers had informed them had indeed come about. ‘The Prophets had told people that God Who had created them in the first instance would bring them back to life. There were many who had refused to accept this, and it is they who will be asked on the Day of Resurrection whether what they had been told by the Messengers of God about being raised back to life after death had been proven true or not.

46. No one will be wronged. It will not happen that sins which a person did not commit will find a way to his record. Nor will a person be punished in excess of his actual misdeeds. And, of course, no one who is innocent will be seized and punished without justification.