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Towards Understanding the Quran - Tafheem ul Quran

Quran Translation & Commentary by Abul ala Maududi, English render by Zafar Ishaq Ansari
(Surah 1-46, 66-114),
Muhammad Akbar & A. A Kamal
(Surah 47-65)

Quran Translation
Word for Word by
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh
& Kausar Khatri

Introduction
1. Al-Fatihah
2. Al-Baqarah
3. Al-Imran
4. Al-Nisa
5. Al-Maidah
6. Al-Anam
7. Al-Araf
8. Al-Anfal
9. Al-Taubah
10. Yunus
11. Hud
12. Yusuf
13. Al-Rad
14. Ibrahim
15. Al-Hijr
16. Al-Nahl
17. Bani Israil
18. Al-Kahf
19. Maryam
20. Ta-Ha
21. Al-Anbiya
22. Al-Hajj
23. Al-Muminun
24. An-Nur
25. Al-Furqan
26. Ash-Shuara
27. An-Naml
28. Al-Qasas
29. Al-Ankabut
30. Ar-Rum
31. Luqman
32. As-Sajdah
33. Al-Ahzab
34. Saba
35. Fatir
36. Yasin
37. As-Saffat
38. Saad
39. Az-Zumar
40. Al-Mumin
41. Ha-Meem-As-Sajdah
42. AShura
43. Az-Zukhruf
44. Ad-Dukhan
45. Al-Jathiyah
46. Al-Ahqaf
47. Muhammad
48. Al-Fath
49. Al-Hujurat
50. Al-Qaf
51. Adh-Dhariyat
52. At-Tur
53. An-Najm
54. Al-Qamar
55. Al-Rahman
56. Al-Waqiah
57. Al-Hadid
58. Al-Mujadalah
59. Al-Hashr
60. Al-Mumtahinah
61. As-Saff
62. Al-Jumuah
63. Al-Munafiqun
64. Al-Taghabun
65. At-Talaq
66. At-Tahrim
67. Al-Mulk
68. Al-Qalam
69. Al-Haqqah
70. Al-Maarij
71. Nuh
72. Al-Jinn
73. Al-Muzzammil
74. Al-Muddhththir
75. Al-Qiyamah
76. Ad-Dahr
77. Al-Mursalat
78. An-Naba
79. An-Naziat
80. Abas
81. At-Takwir
82. Al-Infitar
83. At-Tatfif
84. Al-Inshiqaq
85. Al-Buruj
86. At-Tariq
87. Al-Ala
88. Al-Ghashiyah
89. Al-Fajr
90. Al-Balad
91. Ash-Shams
92. Al-Lail
93. Ad-Duha
94. Al-Inshirah
95. At-Tin
96. Al-Alaq
97. Al-Qadr
98. Al-Bayyinah
99. Az-Zilzal
100. Al-Adiyat
101. Al-Qariah
102. At-Takathur
103. Al-Asr
104. Al-Humazah
105. Al-Fil
106. Al-Quraish
107. Al-Maun
108. Al-Kauthar
109. Al-Kafirun
110. An-Nasr
111. Al-Lahab
112. Al-Ikhlas
113. Al-Falaq
114. An-Nas
Surah 43. Az-Zukhruf
Verses [Section]: 1-15[1], 16-25 [2], 26-35 [3], 36-45 [4], 46-56 [5], 57-67 [6], 68-89 [7]

Quran Text of Verse 36-45
وَ مَنْAnd whoeverیَّعْشُturns awayعَنْfromذِكْرِ(the) remembranceالرَّحْمٰنِ(of) the Most GraciousنُقَیِّضْWe appointلَهٗfor himشَیْطٰنًاa devilفَهُوَthen heلَهٗ(is) to himقَرِیْنٌ a companion وَ اِنَّهُمْAnd indeed theyلَیَصُدُّوْنَهُمْsurely turn them awayعَنِfromالسَّبِیْلِthe Pathوَ یَحْسَبُوْنَand they thinkاَنَّهُمْthat theyمُّهْتَدُوْنَ (are) guided حَتّٰۤیUntilاِذَاwhenجَآءَنَاhe comes to Usقَالَhe saysیٰلَیْتَO would thatبَیْنِیْbetween meوَ بَیْنَكَand between youبُعْدَ(were the) distanceالْمَشْرِقَیْنِ(of) the East and the WestفَبِئْسَHow wretched isالْقَرِیْنُ the companion! وَ لَنْAnd will neverیَّنْفَعَكُمُbenefit youالْیَوْمَthe Dayاِذْwhenظَّلَمْتُمْyou have wrongedاَنَّكُمْthat youفِی(will be) inالْعَذَابِthe punishmentمُشْتَرِكُوْنَ sharing اَفَاَنْتَThen can youتُسْمِعُcause to hearالصُّمَّthe deafاَوْorتَهْدِیguideالْعُمْیَthe blindوَ مَنْand (one) whoكَانَisفِیْinضَلٰلٍan errorمُّبِیْنٍ clear فَاِمَّاAnd whetherنَذْهَبَنَّWe take you awayبِكَWe take you awayفَاِنَّاthen indeed, Weمِنْهُمْfrom themمُّنْتَقِمُوْنَۙ(will) take retribution اَوْOrنُرِیَنَّكَWe show youالَّذِیْthat whichوَعَدْنٰهُمْWe have promised themفَاِنَّاthen indeed Weعَلَیْهِمْover themمُّقْتَدِرُوْنَ have full power فَاسْتَمْسِكْSo hold fastبِالَّذِیْۤto that whichاُوْحِیَis revealedاِلَیْكَ ۚto youاِنَّكَIndeed youعَلٰی(are) onصِرَاطٍa Pathمُّسْتَقِیْمٍ Straight وَ اِنَّهٗAnd indeed itلَذِكْرٌ(is) surely a Reminderلَّكَfor youوَ لِقَوْمِكَ ۚand your peopleوَ سَوْفَand soonتُسْـَٔلُوْنَ you will be questioned وَ سْـَٔلْAnd askمَنْ(those) whomاَرْسَلْنَاWe sentمِنْbefore youقَبْلِكَbefore youمِنْofرُّسُلِنَاۤOur Messengersاَجَعَلْنَاdid We makeمِنْbesidesدُوْنِbesidesالرَّحْمٰنِthe Most Graciousاٰلِهَةًgodsیُّعْبَدُوْنَ۠to be worshipped
Translation of Verse 36-45

(43:36) He who is negligent to remember the Merciful One,34 to him We assign a satan as his boon companion,

(43:37) and these satans hinder them from the Right Path, while he still reckons himself to be rightly-guided.

(43:38) But when he comes to Us, he will say (to his satan): “Would that there had been between me and you the distance as between the East and the West. How evil a companion you were!”

(43:39) (He will then be told): “Today it will not benefit you the least that after your wrong-doing you and your satans now share the chastisement.”35

(43:40) Can you, (O Prophet), then make the deaf hear, or direct to the Right Way the blind or one lost in manifest error?36

(43:41) We shall inflict retribution on them, whether We take you away from the world (before We do that),

(43:42) or make you see the end that We had promised them, for We have full power over them.37

(43:43) So hold fast to what has been revealed to you. Surely you are on the Straight Way.38

(43:44) Verily it is a great source of eminence for you and your people, and soon you will be called to account concerning that.39

(43:45) Ask all Our Messengers whom We sent before you whether We had appointed any deities beside the Merciful One to be worshipped.40


Commentary

34. Dhikr al-Rahman has a wide-ranging significance. Apart from its f literal meaning, ‘remembrance of God,’ it also signifies ‘exhortation’ from God as well as the Qur’an.

35. That is, there should be no cause for consolation in the fact that those who led them astray are being chastised. This because those who succumbed to misguidance, and not only those who led them astray, will be chastised.

36. The Prophet (peace be on him) is directed to focus his attention on those who are disposed to pay heed to the Truth and who are not blind to it. He should better not waste his time and energy on trying to guide those that are spiritually and morally blind and deaf. Nor should he consume himself with grief for his kith and kin who are averse to following the Right Way and thereby invite God’s punishment on themselves.

37. In order to understand this it is necessary to bear in mind the actual context in which it was said. The Makkan unbelievers regarded the Prophet (peace be on him) as a nuisance. They thought that once he was removed from the scene, they would enjoy peace and tranquility.

Thanks to this misgiving, they constantly deliberated among themselves as to how they could get rid of him. They believed that if they could do only this, then, things would be fine thereafter. At this point, God turns His attention away from the unbelievers and addresses the Prophet (peace be on him), impressing upon him that his presence or absence in Makkah makes little difference. He will witness their grievous doom if he is alive at the time when they are afflicted by it. However, if he dies before this, the evil ones will still encounter their doom even if after the lapse of some time. What is beyond any doubt is that the unbelievers have incurred God’s wrath and that they cannot escape being seized by it.

38. The Prophet (peace be on him) should not unduly concern himself with questions about when those who resort to dishonest and oppressive measures in opposing the Truth will be punished, nor with what kind of punishment will be meted out to them. Nor should he bother himself _ about whether Islam will flourish during his own lifetime or thereafter.

Instead, he should be satisfied with the fact that he is following the Right Way. He should, therefore, carry out his duty without being excessively concerned about its outcome. He should leave it to God to bring the unbelievers to disgrace during his lifetime or, if He so wishes, at a later date.

39. The highest honor imaginable for a man is that God should choose him to be His Prophet and reveal His Book to him. By the same token, it is the good fortune of a people that a Prophet is born among them and the honor of conveying God’s message is thereby conferred upon them. If the Quraysh and the rest of the Arabs fail to appreciate this honor, they will be held accountable for it in due course.

40. To ask ‘all Our Messengers’ means to refer to the Books revealed to them. The Qur’anic directive that disputes should be referred to God and His Messenger (see al-Nisa’ 4: 59), is obviously not to be taken literally. What it rather means is that all disputes should be resolved in the light of the Book of God and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be on him). Likewise, to ask the earlier Messengers does not mean literally to go to those Messengers (who, in any case, are no longer alive) and pose questions to them. What is rather meant is to consult those Messengers’ teachings. In other words, let people go and explore if any of the earlier Messengers had ever taught people to worship any other than the One True God.