Towards Understanding the Quran
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Surah Maryam 19:66-82   Chapters ↕   Word for Word
Verses [Section]: 1-15[1], 16-40 [2], 41-50 [3], 51-65 [4], 66-82 [5], 83-98 [6]
وَ یَقُوْلُAnd saysالْاِنْسَانُ[the] manءَاِذَاWhat! WhenمَاWhat! WhenمِتُّI am deadلَسَوْفَsurely willاُخْرَجُI be brought forthحَیًّا alive اَوَ لَاDoes notیَذْكُرُrememberالْاِنْسَانُ[the] manاَنَّاthat WeخَلَقْنٰهُWe created himمِنْbeforeقَبْلُbeforeوَ لَمْwhile notیَكُhe wasشَیْـًٔا anything فَوَرَبِّكَSo by your Lordلَنَحْشُرَنَّهُمْsurely We will gather themوَ الشَّیٰطِیْنَand the devilsثُمَّthenلَنُحْضِرَنَّهُمْsurely We will bring themحَوْلَaroundجَهَنَّمَHellجِثِیًّاۚbent (on) knees ثُمَّThenلَنَنْزِعَنَّsurely We will drag outمِنْfromكُلِّeveryشِیْعَةٍsectاَیُّهُمْthose of themاَشَدُّ(who were) worstعَلَیagainstالرَّحْمٰنِthe Most Graciousعِتِیًّاۚ(in) rebellion ثُمَّThenلَنَحْنُsurely Weاَعْلَمُknow bestبِالَّذِیْنَ[of] those whoهُمْ[they]اَوْلٰی(are) most worthyبِهَاthereinصِلِیًّا (of) being burnt وَ اِنْAnd (there is) notمِّنْكُمْ(any) of youاِلَّاbutوَارِدُهَا ۚ(will be) passing over itكَانَ(This) isعَلٰیuponرَبِّكَyour Lordحَتْمًاan inevitabilityمَّقْضِیًّاۚdecreed ثُمَّThenنُنَجِّیWe will deliverالَّذِیْنَthose whoاتَّقَوْاfeared (Allah)وَّ نَذَرُand We will leaveالظّٰلِمِیْنَthe wrongdoersفِیْهَاthereinجِثِیًّا bent (on) knees وَ اِذَاAnd whenتُتْلٰیare recitedعَلَیْهِمْto themاٰیٰتُنَاOur Versesبَیِّنٰتٍclearقَالَsayالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedلِلَّذِیْنَto those whoاٰمَنُوْۤا ۙbelievedاَیُّWhichالْفَرِیْقَیْنِ(of) the two groupsخَیْرٌ(is) betterمَّقَامًا(in) positionوَّ اَحْسَنُand bestنَدِیًّا (in) assembly وَ كَمْAnd how manyاَهْلَكْنَاWe destroyedقَبْلَهُمْbefore themمِّنْofقَرْنٍa generationهُمْtheyاَحْسَنُ(were) betterاَثَاثًا(in) possessionsوَّ رِءْیًا and appearance قُلْSayمَنْWhoeverكَانَisفِیinالضَّلٰلَةِ[the] errorفَلْیَمْدُدْthen surely will extendلَهُfor himالرَّحْمٰنُthe Most Graciousمَدًّا ۚ۬an extensionحَتّٰۤیuntilاِذَاwhenرَاَوْاthey seeمَاwhatیُوْعَدُوْنَthey were promisedاِمَّاeitherالْعَذَابَthe punishmentوَ اِمَّاorالسَّاعَةَ ؕthe Hourفَسَیَعْلَمُوْنَthen they will knowمَنْwhoهُوَ[he]شَرٌّ(is) worstمَّكَانًا(in) positionوَّ اَضْعَفُand weakerجُنْدًا (in) forces وَ یَزِیْدُAnd Allah increasesاللّٰهُAnd Allah increasesالَّذِیْنَthose whoاهْتَدَوْاaccept guidanceهُدًی ؕ(in) guidanceوَ الْبٰقِیٰتُAnd the everlastingالصّٰلِحٰتُgood deedsخَیْرٌ(are) betterعِنْدَnearرَبِّكَyour Lordثَوَابًا(for) rewardوَّ خَیْرٌand betterمَّرَدًّا (for) return 19. Maryam Page 311اَفَرَءَیْتَThen have you seenالَّذِیْhe whoكَفَرَdisbelievedبِاٰیٰتِنَاin Our Versesوَ قَالَand saidلَاُوْتَیَنَّSurely I will be givenمَالًاwealthوَّ وَلَدًاؕand children اَطَّلَعَHas he lookedالْغَیْبَ(into) the unseenاَمِorاتَّخَذَhas he takenعِنْدَfromالرَّحْمٰنِthe Most Graciousعَهْدًاۙa promise كَلَّا ؕNayسَنَكْتُبُWe will recordمَاwhatیَقُوْلُhe saysوَ نَمُدُّand We will extendلَهٗfor himمِنَfromالْعَذَابِthe punishmentمَدًّاۙextensively وَّ نَرِثُهٗAnd We will inherit (from) himمَاwhatیَقُوْلُhe saysوَ یَاْتِیْنَاand he will come to Usفَرْدًا alone وَ اتَّخَذُوْاAnd they have takenمِنْbesides Allahدُوْنِbesides Allahاللّٰهِbesides Allahاٰلِهَةًgodsلِّیَكُوْنُوْاthat they may beلَهُمْfor themعِزًّاۙan honor كَلَّا ؕNayسَیَكْفُرُوْنَthey will denyبِعِبَادَتِهِمْtheir worship (of them)وَ یَكُوْنُوْنَand they will beعَلَیْهِمْagainst themضِدًّا۠opponents

Translation

(19:66) Man is prone to say: "Shall I be raised to life after I die?"

(19:67) Does man not remember that We created him before when he was nothing?

(19:68) By your Lord, We will surely muster them and the devils together.42 Then We will surely bring them all, on their knees, around Hell,

(19:69) and then We will draw aside from each party those who were most rebellious against the Most Compassionate Lord,43

(19:70) and then We shall know well all those most worthy to be cast in Hell.

(19:71) There is not one of you but shall pass by Hell.44 This is a decree which your Lord will fulfil.

(19:72) Then We shall deliver those that feared Allah and leave the wrong-doers there on their knees.

(19:73) When Our clear revelations are recited to those who deny the Truth they are wont to say to those who have faith: "Which of the two groups has a better status and whose assemblies are grander?"45

(19:74) How numerous are the peoples We destroyed before them - those that were more resourceful and grander in outward appearance!

(19:75) Say: "The Most Compassionate Lord grants respite to those who stray into error, until they behold what they had been threatened with, either God's chastisement (in the world) or the Hour (of Resurrection)" - then they fully know whose station is worse, and who is weaker in hosts!

(19:76) (On the contrary), Allah increases in guidance those who follow the Right Way.46 Lasting acts of righteousness are better in the sight of your Lord as reward and conducive to a better end.

(19:77) Have you seen him who rejected Our signs and said: "Surely I shall continue to be favoured with riches and children."47

(19:78) Has he obtained knowledge of the Unseen, or has he taken a covenant with the Most Compassionate Lord?

(19:79) By no means! We shall write down all what he says;48 and We shall greatly prolong his chastisement,

(19:80) and We shall inherit all the resources and hosts of which he boasts, and he will come to Us all alone.

(19:81) They have taken other gods instead of Allah that they may be a source of strength for them.49

(19:82) By no means! They shall soon deny their worship50 and shall become their adversaries instead.

Commentary

42. This refers to those devils under whose evil influence the unbelievers regarded the life in this world as the only life and thereby denied the Next Life where all will be called to account.

43. This alludes to the leaders of the groups that defied God’s commands.

44. The word warid, according to some traditions, signifies ‘one who enters’. (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 3, pp. 328-9 — Ed.) These traditions, however, are not backed up by a chain of authentic narrations going back to the Prophet (peace be on him). Moreover, this interpretation is contrary to the teachings of the Qur’an and a large number of authentic traditions which exclude righteous believers from entering Hell. Furthermore, this view is not supported by lexical evidence for indeed warud does not mean entrance. What is meant by this verse, therefore, is that everyone will pass by Hell; yet, as stated in-the following verse, the pious will be saved from entering it, while the wrong-doers will be hurled into it. (See al- Tirmidhi, Sunan, K. Tafsir al-Qur’ an, ‘Bab wa min Surat Maryam’ Muslim, K. al- Iman, ‘Bab Adna Ahl al-Jannah Manzilatan fi ha’ — Ed.)

45. This was a fallacious argument which the unbelievers often put forward, claiming that it was they rather than the believers upon whom God’s bounties were lavished. They audaciously asked: ‘Who has more stately "houses to live in — the believers or us? Who enjoy higher standards of living — the believers or us? Whose assemblies are more splendid and grandiose — the believers or ours? How is it possible, they asked, that those who follow the truth suffer such a miserable lot whilst those who follow falsehood as you fancy — prosper? (For details, see al-Kahf 18, nn. 37-8 above.)

46. That is, that whenever adherents to the truth are put to the test, God grants them the ability to judge correctly and to follow the right path. God also protects them from evil and from error. They are constantly helped by God’s guidance which enables them to proceed ahead along the right path.

47. This represents the-characteristic mode of thinking of the unbelievers who happen to be well-off and prosperous. Such people tend to impress upon believers that no matter what they claim about the waywardness of unbelievers or say about them being struck down by God’s punishment, the fact remains that they seem better-off than the believers. Such people also contend that there is every reason to believe that what is happening to them — the unbelievers of ' the present — will also happen in the future. These people are wont to say “exultantly: ‘Look at my riches, at my power and position, at the eminence achieved by my offspring: do these show that I have been cursed by God? Such thoughts were not merely those of just a few stray Makkan unbelievers, ‘but rather such illusions were entertained by every tribal chief, by every eminent Makkan.

48. Such boastful remarks will further compound his crimes, and he will have to pay the price for such outrageous utterances.

49. The word used in this verse is ‘izzah which conveys the meaning of ‘bringing honor and glory. According to Arabic usage, the word denotes one -who is so powerful that none will dare try to harm him. (See ‘izz in Ibn Manzur, - Lisan al-Arab — Ed.) The idea that someone can be the cause of honor and glory for another person means that the former is so effective a supporter of the other that no enemy will even entertain evil designs against him.

50. On the Day of Judgement the gods which men have contrived will be utterly powerless and they will declare that they never asked anyone to worship them; they will also say that they were not even aware of the existence of those who were foolish enough to worship them.