Surah 39. Az-Zumar

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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]

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Quran Text of Verse 64-70قُلْSayاَفَغَیْرَIs (it) other thanاللّٰهِAllahتَاْمُرُوْٓنِّیْۤyou order meاَعْبُدُ(to) worshipاَیُّهَاOالْجٰهِلُوْنَ ignorant ones وَ لَقَدْAnd verilyاُوْحِیَit has been revealedاِلَیْكَto youوَ اِلَیand toالَّذِیْنَthose whoمِنْ(were) before youقَبْلِكَ ۚ(were) before youلَىِٕنْifاَشْرَكْتَyou associate (with Allah)لَیَحْبَطَنَّsurely, will become worthlessعَمَلُكَyour deedsوَ لَتَكُوْنَنَّand you will surely beمِنَamongالْخٰسِرِیْنَ the losers بَلِNayاللّٰهَBut worship AllahفَاعْبُدْBut worship Allahوَ كُنْand beمِّنَamongالشّٰكِرِیْنَ the thankful ones وَ مَاAnd notقَدَرُواthey appraisedاللّٰهَAllahحَقَّ(with) trueقَدْرِهٖ ۖۗappraisalوَ الْاَرْضُwhile the earthجَمِیْعًاentirelyقَبْضَتُهٗ(will be) in His Gripیَوْمَ(on the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ(of) the Resurrectionوَ السَّمٰوٰتُand the heavensمَطْوِیّٰتٌۢ(will be) foldedبِیَمِیْنِهٖ ؕin His Right HandسُبْحٰنَهٗGlory be to Him!وَ تَعٰلٰیAnd High is Heعَمَّاabove whatیُشْرِكُوْنَ they associate (with Him) 39. Az-Zumar Page 466وَ نُفِخَAnd (will) be blownفِی[in]الصُّوْرِthe trumpetفَصَعِقَthen (will) fall deadمَنْwhoeverفِی(is) inالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ مَنْand whoeverفِی(is) onالْاَرْضِthe earthاِلَّاexceptمَنْwhomشَآءَAllah willsاللّٰهُ ؕAllah willsثُمَّThenنُفِخَ(it will) be blownفِیْهِ[in it]اُخْرٰیa second timeفَاِذَاand beholdهُمْTheyقِیَامٌ(will be) standingیَّنْظُرُوْنَ waiting وَ اَشْرَقَتِAnd (will) shineالْاَرْضُthe earthبِنُوْرِwith (the) lightرَبِّهَا(of) its Lordوَ وُضِعَand (will) be placedالْكِتٰبُthe Recordوَ جِایْٓءَand (will) be broughtبِالنَّبِیّٖنَthe Prophetsوَ الشُّهَدَآءِand the witnessesوَ قُضِیَand it (will) be judgedبَیْنَهُمْbetween themبِالْحَقِّin truthوَ هُمْand theyلَاwill not be wrongedیُظْلَمُوْنَ will not be wronged وَ وُفِّیَتْAnd (will) be paid in fullكُلُّeveryنَفْسٍsoulمَّاwhatعَمِلَتْit didوَ هُوَand Heاَعْلَمُ(is the) Best-Knowerبِمَاof whatیَفْعَلُوْنَ۠they do

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Translation of Verse 64-70

(39:64) (O Prophet), say: “Ignorant people! Do you bid me to serve any other beside Allah?”

(39:65) (Tell them clearly that) it was revealed to you and to all Prophets before you: “If you associate any others with Allah in His Divinity, your works will surely come to naught⁷⁴ and you will certainly be among the losers.”

(39:66) Therefore, serve Allah alone and be among those who give thanks.

(39:67) They did not recognise the true worth of Allah.⁷⁵ (Such is Allah's power that) on the Day of Resurrection the whole earth will be in His grasp, and the heavens shall be folded up in His Right Hand.⁷⁶ Glory be to Him! Exalted be He from all that they associate with Him.⁷⁷

(39:68) And the Trumpet shall be blown⁷⁸ and all who are in the heavens and the earth shall fall down dead save those whom Allah wills. Then the Trumpet shall be blown again, and lo! all of them will be standing and looking on.⁷⁹

(39:69) The earth shall shine with the light of its Lord, and the Scroll (of deeds) shall be set in place, and the Prophets and all witnesses⁸⁰ shall be brought, and judgement shall be justly passed among them, and they shall not be wronged;

(39:70) and everyone shall be paid in full for all that he did. Allah is best aware of all that they do.

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Commentary

74. If someone engages in polytheism, none of his deeds will be accepted as good deeds. He will not be rewarded for any of the deeds that he performs as good deeds because of his polytheism. In view of this basic error, his own life will simply be one of utter loss and futility.

75. The unbelievers are unaware of God’s glory and greatness. They have never fully appreciated His exalted status that makes the deities they worship pale into absolute insignificance. Astonishingly, however, such people look upon the objects which they themselves have made into God’s associates and partners and then consider them to be worthy objects of worship.

76. In order to emphasize God’s absolute control over the heavens and the earth, the Qur’an has recourse to the metaphor ‘and the heavens shall be folded up in His Right Hand’. Just as it is easy for someone to hold a ball in his palm, and doing so does not weary him, so it will be on the Day of Judgement when the heavens and the earth will be rolled up in God’s Hand. This image is especially presented to the unbelievers who are ignorant of God’s greatness and glory so as to impress on them that for God the universe is no greater than a ball or a handkerchief.

We find traditions in Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Bukhari, Muslim, Nasa‘i, Ibn Majah and Ibn Jarir al-Tabari on the authority of ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah to the effect that once when the Prophet (peace be on him) was delivering a sermon from the pulpit he recited this particular verse, adding: God will rotate the heavens and the earths [that is, planets] in His palm, as a child rotates a ball. He will pronounce: ‘I am the One God. I am the King. I am the Irresistible. All greatness belongs to Me. Where are the earthly kings? Where are the tyrants? Where are the mighty ones?’ While recounting these words, the Prophet (peace be on him) shook so violently that the Companions feared that he would collapse on the pulpit. (Bukhari, Kitab Tafsir al-Qur’an, Bab Qawlihi: ‘Wa al-ard jamian qabdatuhu’; Muslim, Kitab Sifat al-Qiyamah wa al-Jannah wa al-Nar; Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, narrated by ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar; Tabari, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-Zumar 39: 67.)

77. On the one hand is God’s infinite glory. Just bear that in mind and then bring to mind the pettiness of holding other objects as associates with Him in His Godhead.

78. For an elaboration of the Trumpet, see al-An’‘am 6, n. 48, Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. II, p. 244; Ibrahim 14, n. 57, vol. IV, pp. 276-7; Ta Ha 20, n. 78, vol. V, pp. 223-4; and al-Hajj 22, n. 1, vol. VI pp. 5-6.

79. The present verse states that the Trumpet will be blown twice.

In Surah al-Naml 27: 58, however, there is reference to a blowing of the Trumpet preceding which all creatures will fall dead with dread and awe.

Ahadith, therefore, speak of the blowing of the Trumpet thrice: (i) The first | such occasion will fill everyone with awe and dread. (ii) The second will; cause everyone’s death. (iii) The third will bring about resurrection. All [ the dead will rise from their graves to appear before their Lord.

80. Included in this are those witnesses who will testify that they had conveyed God's message to mankind. There will also be those witnesses who will bear testimony to the deeds of people. These latter witnesses may not necessarily be human beings. The angels, the jinn, the animals the limbs of a person’s own body, the physical environment and the trees and stones may also testify to men’s deeds, each in its peculiar manner.