Surah 39. Az-Zumar

---

Verses [Section]: 1-9[1], 10-21 [2], 22-31 [3], 32-41 [4], 42-52 [5], 53-63 [6], 64-70 [7], 71-75 [8]

---

Quran Text of Verse 32-4139. Az-Zumar Page 462فَمَنْThen whoاَظْلَمُ(is) more unjustمِمَّنْthan (one) whoكَذَبَliesعَلَیagainstاللّٰهِAllahوَ كَذَّبَand deniesبِالصِّدْقِthe truthاِذْwhenجَآءَهٗ ؕit comes to himاَلَیْسَIs (there) notفِیْinجَهَنَّمَHellمَثْوًیan abodeلِّلْكٰفِرِیْنَ for the disbelievers وَ الَّذِیْAnd the one whoجَآءَbroughtبِالصِّدْقِthe truthوَ صَدَّقَand believedبِهٖۤin itاُولٰٓىِٕكَthoseهُمُ[they]الْمُتَّقُوْنَ (are) the righteous لَهُمْFor themمَّا(is) whatیَشَآءُوْنَthey wishعِنْدَwithرَبِّهِمْ ؕtheir LordذٰلِكَThatجَزٰٓؤُا(is the) rewardالْمُحْسِنِیْنَۚۖ(of) the good-doers لِیُكَفِّرَThat Allah will removeاللّٰهُThat Allah will removeعَنْهُمْfrom themاَسْوَاَ(the) worstالَّذِیْ(of) whatعَمِلُوْاthey didوَ یَجْزِیَهُمْand reward themاَجْرَهُمْtheir dueبِاَحْسَنِfor (the) bestالَّذِیْ(of) whatكَانُوْاthey used (to)یَعْمَلُوْنَ do اَلَیْسَIs notاللّٰهُAllahبِكَافٍsufficientعَبْدَهٗ ؕ(for) His slaveوَ یُخَوِّفُوْنَكَAnd they threaten youبِالَّذِیْنَwith thoseمِنْbesides Himدُوْنِهٖ ؕbesides Himوَ مَنْAnd whoeverیُّضْلِلِAllah lets go astrayاللّٰهُAllah lets go astrayفَمَاthen notلَهٗfor himمِنْanyهَادٍۚguide وَ مَنْAnd whoeverیَّهْدِAllah guidesاللّٰهُAllah guidesفَمَاthen notلَهٗfor himمِنْanyمُّضِلٍّ ؕmisleaderاَلَیْسَIs notاللّٰهُAllahبِعَزِیْزٍAll-MightyذِیAll-Able of retributionانْتِقَامٍ All-Able of retribution وَ لَىِٕنْAnd ifسَاَلْتَهُمْyou ask themمَّنْwhoخَلَقَcreatedالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضَand the earthلَیَقُوْلُنَّSurely, they will sayاللّٰهُ ؕAllahقُلْSayاَفَرَءَیْتُمْThen do you seeمَّاwhatتَدْعُوْنَyou invokeمِنْbesidesدُوْنِbesidesاللّٰهِAllahاِنْifاَرَادَنِیَAllah intended for meاللّٰهُAllah intended for meبِضُرٍّharmهَلْareهُنَّtheyكٰشِفٰتُremoversضُرِّهٖۤ(of) harm (from) Himاَوْorاَرَادَنِیْif He intended for meبِرَحْمَةٍmercyهَلْareهُنَّtheyمُمْسِكٰتُwithholdersرَحْمَتِهٖ ؕ(of) His mercyقُلْSayحَسْبِیَSufficient (is) Allah for meاللّٰهُ ؕSufficient (is) Allah for meعَلَیْهِupon Himیَتَوَكَّلُput trustالْمُتَوَكِّلُوْنَ those who trust قُلْSayیٰقَوْمِO my people!اعْمَلُوْاWorkعَلٰی(according) toمَكَانَتِكُمْyour positionاِنِّیْindeed I amعَامِلٌ ۚworkingفَسَوْفَthen soonتَعْلَمُوْنَۙyou will know مَنْ(Upon) whomیَّاْتِیْهِwill comeعَذَابٌa punishmentیُّخْزِیْهِdisgracing himوَ یَحِلُّand descendsعَلَیْهِon himعَذَابٌa punishmentمُّقِیْمٌ everlasting 39. Az-Zumar Page 463اِنَّاۤIndeed WeاَنْزَلْنَاWe revealedعَلَیْكَto youالْكِتٰبَthe Bookلِلنَّاسِfor [the] mankindبِالْحَقِّ ۚin truthفَمَنِSo whoeverاهْتَدٰیaccepts guidanceفَلِنَفْسِهٖ ۚthen (it is) for his soulوَ مَنْand whoeverضَلَّgoes astrayفَاِنَّمَاthen onlyیَضِلُّhe straysعَلَیْهَا ۚagainst his (soul)وَ مَاۤAnd notاَنْتَyouعَلَیْهِمْ(are) over themبِوَكِیْلٍ۠a manager

---

Translation of Verse 32-41

(39:32) Who, then, can be more unjust than he who lied against Allah and denied the Truth when it came to him, calling it a lie? Is there no room for such unbelievers in Hell?

(39:33) But he who brought the Truth, and those who confirmed it as true, such are the ones who shall be guarded against the chastisement.⁵²

(39:34) They shall have from their Lord all that they wish for.⁵³ That is the reward of those that do good,

(39:35) so that Allah may remit their worst deeds and reward them according to the best of their deeds.⁵⁴

(39:36) (O Prophet), does Allah not suffice for His servant? They frighten you with others apart from Him,⁵⁵ although he whom Allah lets go astray, none can guide him to the Right Way.

(39:37) And he whom Allah guides to the Right Way, none can lead him astray. Is not Allah the Most Mighty, the Lord of Retribution?⁵⁶

(39:38) If you ask them: “Who created the heavens and the earth?” they will surely answer: “Allah.” Tell them: “What do you think, then, of the deities whom you call upon instead of Allah? If Allah should will that an affliction befall me, will those deities remove the harm inflicted by Him? Or if Allah should will that I receive (His) Mercy, will they be able to withhold His Mercy from me?” Say: “Allah is sufficient for me; those who have to put their trust, let them put their trust in Him.⁵⁷

(39:39) Tell them: “My people, continue to work in your position as you will, I too will continue with my work.⁵⁸ Soon you shall know

(39:40) whom the degrading chastisement will visit and upon whom the everlasting chastisement will alight.

(39:41) (O Prophet), We revealed to you the Book with the Truth for all mankind. So he who follows the Right Way does so to his own benefit, and he who goes astray, shall hurt only himself by straying. You are not accountable on their behalf.⁵⁹

---

Commentary

52. They are told as to who will be punished after being tried on the Day of Judgement. It is the wrongdoers who invent false beliefs, associate others with God in His essence, attributes, powers and rights, and who reject the truth who are destined for the worst punishment in the Next Life. An even more outrageous iniquity of theirs is that they decried for lying the person who presented the truth to them. As for the person who brought the truth (peace be on him) to them and those who affirmed the veracity of his message, it is simply out of the question that they will be condemned to punishment.

53. Note that this verse does not make any reference to Paradise.

Rather, it is stated that the pious will receive all that they desire from their Lord. Obviously, each person will return to his Lord immediately after death. It seems, therefore, that the pious will be treated kindly from the moment of their death through their entry into Paradise. The pious will naturally desire to be spared torment in barzakh, the rigors on the Day of Judgement, stringent interrogation, and humiliation in the Grand Assembly and punishment for their lapses. They will desire all this and God will fulfil all these desires.

54. Those who embraced faith at the hands of the Prophet (peace be on him) had committed serious sins in matters of belief and practice in pre- Islamic days. After accepting Islam, they not only gave up all their false beliefs but also faithfully followed the truth propounded by the Prophet (peace be on him). With regard to morality, worship and relationship with others, their conduct was excellent. God, therefore, promises that the sins committed by them in pre-Islamic time (Jahiliyah) will be removed from their Record and they will be rewarded in accordance with the very best of their deeds in their Record of conduct.

55. The Makkan unbelievers threatened the Prophet (peace be on him) with dire consequences as a sequel to his opposition to their idols.

Indeed, they thought that their idols were so immensely powerful that anyone who insulted them would simply be devastated.

56. The unbelievers are devoid of God’s guidance. Therefore, they place great premium on the power and glory of their gods. So doing, they fail to recognize that God is supreme and that their blasphemous attitude to Him as evident from their polytheism amounts to inviting His wrath upon them.

57. Ibn Abi Hatim has narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas that the Prophet (peace be on him) said: ‘He who desires to be the most powerful among men should repose his trust in God. He who desires to be the richest should have greater trust in what is in God’s possession than in what he himself possesses. Likewise, he who desires to be the most respected man, should fear Almighty God.’ (Ibn Abi Hatim, Tafsir on Surah al-Zumar 39: 38 and comments on Surah al-Talaq 65: 2.)

58. The unbelievers are being sarcastically asked to persist in their bid to harm the Prophet (peace be on him) and to spare no effort in that regard.

59. The Prophet (peace be on him) has not been mandated to compel people to follow the Straight Way. All he is requited to do is to clearly expound that Straight Way. However, if people still prefer error, it is they who will be held accountable for it while the Prophet (peace be on him) will be absolved of his responsibility if they continue to wallow in error after he has fulfilled his part of the duty.