Surah 27. An-Naml

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Verses [Section]: 1-14[1], 15-31 [2], 32-44 [3], 45-58 [4], 59-66 [5], 67-82 [6], 83-93 [7]

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Quran Text of Verse 83-93وَ یَوْمَAnd (the) DayنَحْشُرُWe will gatherمِنْfromكُلِّeveryاُمَّةٍnationفَوْجًاa troopمِّمَّنْof (those) whoیُّكَذِّبُdenyبِاٰیٰتِنَاOur Signsفَهُمْand theyیُوْزَعُوْنَ will be set in rows حَتّٰۤیUntilاِذَاwhenجَآءُوْthey comeقَالَHe will sayاَكَذَّبْتُمْDid you denyبِاٰیٰتِیْMy Signsوَ لَمْwhile notتُحِیْطُوْاyou encompassedبِهَاthemعِلْمًا(in) knowledgeاَمَّا ذَاor whatكُنْتُمْyou used (to)تَعْمَلُوْنَ do وَ وَقَعَAnd (will be) fulfilledالْقَوْلُthe wordعَلَیْهِمْagainst themبِمَاbecauseظَلَمُوْاthey wrongedفَهُمْand theyلَا(will) notیَنْطِقُوْنَ speak اَلَمْDo notیَرَوْاthey seeاَنَّاthat Weجَعَلْنَا[We] have madeالَّیْلَthe nightلِیَسْكُنُوْاthat they may restفِیْهِin itوَ النَّهَارَand the dayمُبْصِرًا ؕgiving visibilityاِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَاٰیٰتٍsurely (are) Signsلِّقَوْمٍfor a peopleیُّؤْمِنُوْنَ who believe وَ یَوْمَAnd (the) Dayیُنْفَخُwill be blownفِی[in]الصُّوْرِthe trumpetفَفَزِعَand will be terrifiedمَنْwhoeverفِی(is) inالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ مَنْand whoeverفِی(is) inالْاَرْضِthe earthاِلَّاexceptمَنْwhomشَآءَAllah willsاللّٰهُ ؕAllah willsوَ كُلٌّAnd allاَتَوْهُ(will) come to Himدٰخِرِیْنَ humbled وَ تَرَیAnd you seeالْجِبَالَthe mountainsتَحْسَبُهَاthinking themجَامِدَةًfirmly fixedوَّ هِیَwhile theyتَمُرُّwill passمَرَّ(as the) passingالسَّحَابِ ؕ(of) the cloudsصُنْعَ(The) Workاللّٰهِ(of) AllahالَّذِیْۤWhoاَتْقَنَperfectedكُلَّallشَیْءٍ ؕthingsاِنَّهٗIndeed Heخَبِیْرٌۢ(is) All-Awareبِمَاof whatتَفْعَلُوْنَ you do 27. An-Naml Page 385مَنْWhoeverجَآءَcomesبِالْحَسَنَةِwith the goodفَلَهٗthen for himخَیْرٌ(will be) betterمِّنْهَا ۚthan itوَ هُمْand theyمِّنْfromفَزَعٍ(the) terrorیَّوْمَىِٕذٍ(of) that Dayاٰمِنُوْنَ (will be) safe وَ مَنْAnd whoeverجَآءَcomesبِالسَّیِّئَةِwith the evilفَكُبَّتْwill be cast downوُجُوْهُهُمْtheir facesفِیinالنَّارِ ؕthe FireهَلْAreتُجْزَوْنَyou recompensedاِلَّاexceptمَا(for) whatكُنْتُمْyou used (to)تَعْمَلُوْنَ do اِنَّمَاۤOnlyاُمِرْتُI am commandedاَنْthatاَعْبُدَI worshipرَبَّ(the) Lordهٰذِهِ(of) thisالْبَلْدَةِcityالَّذِیْthe One Whoحَرَّمَهَاmade it sacredوَ لَهٗand to Him (belongs)كُلُّallشَیْءٍ ؗthingsوَّ اُمِرْتُAnd I am commandedاَنْthatاَكُوْنَI beمِنَofالْمُسْلِمِیْنَۙthe Muslims وَ اَنْAnd thatاَتْلُوَاI reciteالْقُرْاٰنَ ۚthe QuranفَمَنِAnd whoeverاهْتَدٰیaccepts guidanceفَاِنَّمَاthen onlyیَهْتَدِیْhe accepts guidanceلِنَفْسِهٖ ۚfor himselfوَ مَنْand whoeverضَلَّgoes astrayفَقُلْthen sayاِنَّمَاۤOnlyاَنَاI amمِنَofالْمُنْذِرِیْنَ the warners وَ قُلِAnd sayالْحَمْدُAll praise (be)لِلّٰهِto AllahسَیُرِیْكُمْHe will show youاٰیٰتِهٖHis Signsفَتَعْرِفُوْنَهَا ؕand you will recognize themوَ مَاAnd your Lord is notرَبُّكَAnd your Lord is notبِغَافِلٍunawareعَمَّاof whatتَعْمَلُوْنَ۠you do

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Translation of Verse 83-93

(27:83) Just imagine the Day when We shall muster from every nation a large group of those who gave the lie to Our Signs, and they shall be duly arranged in ranks

(27:84) until, when all of them have arrived, Allah will say: "Did you give the lie to My Signs even without encompassing them with your knowledge?¹⁰² If that is not so, what did you do?"¹⁰³

(27:85) And the Word will come to pass against them because of their wrong-doing: they will then be able to utter nothing.

(27:86) Did they not perceive that We had made the night so that they may repose in it and made the day clear and shining.¹⁰⁴ Surely there are Signs in this for those who believe.¹⁰⁵

(27:87) The Day when the Trumpet will be blown all those who are in the heavens and on the earth shall be terror stricken¹⁰⁶ - all except those whom Allah wills - and everyone shall come to Him utterly abject.

(27:88) You now see the mountains and consider them firmly fixed, but then they shall pass away even as clouds pass away. That will be the handiwork of Allah Who has created everything with perfect wisdom. He is well aware of what you do.¹⁰⁷

(27:89) Whosoever comes with good will receive a reward better than his deed,¹⁰⁸ and they will be made secure from the terror of that Day.

(27:90) And whosoever comes with evil, they will be flung upon their faces into the Fire. Will you be recompensed for aught other than what you do?¹⁰⁹

(27:91) (Tell them, O Muhammad): "I have been commanded only to serve the Lord of this city that He has made inviolable, to serve Him to Whom all things belong.¹¹⁰ I have been commanded to be of those that submit to Allah,

(27:92) and to recite the Qur'an." So, whosoever is guided, his guidance will be to his own good. As for those who stray, tell them: "I am none but a warner."

(27:93) And say: "All praise be to Allah, Who will soon show you His Signs that you will recognize." Your Lord is not unaware of what you do.

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Commentary

102. The reason for their calling the lie to God’s signs was not that they had come to know through scientific means that those signs were false. In fact, they had rejected them quite arbitrarily, there being no worthwhile ‘reason in doing so.

103. If that was not so, could they prove that they had discovered, after thorough research, that what had been expressed it in these verses was contrary to Reality.

104, Out of countless signs, there were two which they always witnessed and from which they constantly benefited. These were known even to those who were deaf, dumb and blind. Why did they think that the night, which provides them with comfort and repose, and the day, from which they derive numerous practical benefits, were not part of a Wise Designer’s plan? A Designer Who established a certain relationship between the sun and the earth and that.it was not Something that happened by accident? All this shows wisdom, purpose and planning which could ensue neither from any blind laws nor be the work of several gods. This whole system was established by God, Who is the sole Creator, Owner and Designer of the entire Universe and it is He Who governs and controls the earth, the moon, the sun, the stars and the planets. Had people pondered, they would have found that what God had told them through His Prophet (peace be on him) and the Book was, in fact, being corroborated and reinforced by the alternation of day and night.

105. This was not at all difficult because others among them who were just like them — their own kith and kin, their own fellow tribesmen, their compatriots — had accepted the Truth after observing these signs and had reached the conclusion that the doctrine of tawhid (holding God to be One and Unique) to which the Prophet (peace be on him) invited them, was true.

106. For a detailed discussion of the blowing of the Trumpet, see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, Vol. II, al-An‘am 6: n. 48, p. 244, Vol. V, Ta Ha 20: n. 78, pp. 223-4 and Vol.VI, al-Hajj 22: n. 1, pp. 5-6.

107. Do not fancy that God, Who gave you the intelligence and the ability to discern and the power to exercise the authority given to you, will be unaware of your deeds and how you used the powers bestowed upon you.

108. The reward will be better in two ways: (i) it will be better than what a person actually deserves-for his good deeds, and (ii) it will be forever although the good deeds were circumscribed by time and their effects limited to a certain period.

109. The horrors of the Resurrection will stun and confound the unbelievers but the believers will remain calm and satisfied because what will happen will be in accordance with their expectations. They would have already known, as told by God and His Prophets, that the Resurrection and the Next Life are a reality, and, therefore, they will neither be bewildered nor alarmed like those who denied these as long as they lived. They will also be calm and satisfied because, having believed in it, they will have prepared themselves for this Day and would have carried some provision for it. They would be unlike those who did not believe in it and who spent all they had in pursuit of worldly gains and never even thought that there would be a Hereafter for which they should prepare themselves. Unlike the unbelievers, these believers will also be satisfied because the Day for which they had been preparing and for which they had sacrificed the pleasures and unlawful advantages and benefits and for whose sake they had endured so many difficulties during their worldly life had eventually arrived. They will feel reassured that their hard work has not gone to waste.

109a. The Qur’an mentions, over and over again, that in the Hereafter the reward for an evil deed will be equal to that evil deed itself but the reward for good deeds will be multiplied many fold. For more examples, see Yunus 10:26- 7; al-Qasas 28:84; al-‘Ankabut 29:7; Saba’ 34:37-8 and al-Mu'min 40:40.

110. Since this surah was revealed at a time when the Prophet’s mission was still limited to Makka and the audience were Makkans, the words of this verse are: “I have been commanded only to serve the Lord of this city.” This is followed by one of the Attributes of this Lord ~ that He made this city inviolate. This carries a warning for the Makkan unbelievers, who are in effect told: “You are ungrateful to God Who favored you with a city of peace in the midst of a strife ridden land. If you so wish, you may give thanks.to Him; thanks to Whose favor your city has become the center of veneration throughout Arabia. As for me, I will not be ungrateful to Him; I will worship Him and glorify Him. I have been commanded to bow down before Him. None of your deities had the power to make this city inviolate or to force the rebellious tribes of Arabia to hold it in due respect it. It is also impossible for me to bow down before those deities who have done me no favor in disregard of my True Benefactor.”