قُلْ Say رَّبِّ My Lord! اِمَّا If تُرِیَنِّیْ You should show me مَا what یُوْعَدُوْنَۙ they are promised رَبِّ My Lord فَلَا then (do) not تَجْعَلْنِیْ place me فِی among الْقَوْمِ the people الظّٰلِمِیْنَ the wrongdoers وَ اِنَّا And indeed We عَلٰۤی on اَنْ that نُّرِیَكَ We show you مَا what نَعِدُهُمْ We have promised them لَقٰدِرُوْنَ surely able اِدْفَعْ Repel بِالَّتِیْ by that هِیَ which اَحْسَنُ (is) best السَّیِّئَةَ ؕ the evil نَحْنُ We اَعْلَمُ know best بِمَا of what یَصِفُوْنَ they attribute وَ قُلْ And say رَّبِّ My Lord! اَعُوْذُ I seek refuge بِكَ in You مِنْ from هَمَزٰتِ (the) suggestions الشَّیٰطِیْنِۙ (of) the evil ones وَ اَعُوْذُ And I seek refuge بِكَ in You رَبِّ My Lord! اَنْ Lest یَّحْضُرُوْنِ they be present with me حَتّٰۤی Until اِذَا when جَآءَ comes اَحَدَهُمُ (to) one of them الْمَوْتُ the death قَالَ he says رَبِّ My Lord! ارْجِعُوْنِۙ Send me back لَعَلِّیْۤ That I may اَعْمَلُ do صَالِحًا righteous (deeds) فِیْمَا in what تَرَكْتُ I left behind كَلَّا ؕ No اِنَّهَا Indeed, it كَلِمَةٌ (is) a word هُوَ he قَآىِٕلُهَا ؕ speaks it وَ مِنْ and before them وَّرَآىِٕهِمْ and before them بَرْزَخٌ (is) a barrier اِلٰی till یَوْمِ (the) Day یُبْعَثُوْنَ they are resurrected فَاِذَا So when نُفِخَ is blown فِی in الصُّوْرِ the trumpet فَلَاۤ then not اَنْسَابَ (there) will be relationship بَیْنَهُمْ among them یَوْمَىِٕذٍ that Day وَّ لَا and not یَتَسَآءَلُوْنَ will they ask each other فَمَنْ Then (the one) whose ثَقُلَتْ (are) heavy مَوَازِیْنُهٗ his scales فَاُولٰٓىِٕكَ then those هُمُ they الْمُفْلِحُوْنَ (are) the successful وَ مَنْ But (the one) whose خَفَّتْ (are) light مَوَازِیْنُهٗ his scales فَاُولٰٓىِٕكَ then those الَّذِیْنَ they [who] خَسِرُوْۤا have lost اَنْفُسَهُمْ their souls فِیْ in جَهَنَّمَ Hell خٰلِدُوْنَۚ they (will) abide forever تَلْفَحُ Will burn وُجُوْهَهُمُ their faces النَّارُ the Fire وَ هُمْ and they فِیْهَا in it كٰلِحُوْنَ (will) grin with displaced lips 23. Al-Mu'minun Page 349 اَلَمْ Were not تَكُنْ Were not اٰیٰتِیْ My Verses تُتْلٰی recited عَلَیْكُمْ to you فَكُنْتُمْ and you used (to) بِهَا deny them تُكَذِّبُوْنَ deny them قَالُوْا They (will) say رَبَّنَا Our Lord! غَلَبَتْ Overcame عَلَیْنَا [on] us شِقْوَتُنَا our wretchedness وَ كُنَّا and we were قَوْمًا a people ضَآلِّیْنَ astray رَبَّنَاۤ Our Lord! اَخْرِجْنَا Bring us out مِنْهَا from it فَاِنْ then if عُدْنَا we return فَاِنَّا then indeed we ظٰلِمُوْنَ (would be) wrongdoers قَالَ He (will) say اخْسَـُٔوْا Remain despised فِیْهَا in it وَ لَا and (do) not تُكَلِّمُوْنِ speak to Me اِنَّهٗ Indeed كَانَ (there) was فَرِیْقٌ a party مِّنْ of عِبَادِیْ My slaves یَقُوْلُوْنَ (who) said رَبَّنَاۤ Our Lord! اٰمَنَّا We believe فَاغْفِرْ so forgive لَنَا us وَ ارْحَمْنَا and have mercy on us وَ اَنْتَ and You خَیْرُ (are) best الرّٰحِمِیْنَۚۖ (of) those who show mercy فَاتَّخَذْتُمُوْهُمْ But you took them سِخْرِیًّا (in) mockery حَتّٰۤی until اَنْسَوْكُمْ they made you forget ذِكْرِیْ My remembrance وَ كُنْتُمْ and you used (to) مِّنْهُمْ at them تَضْحَكُوْنَ laugh اِنِّیْ Indeed I جَزَیْتُهُمُ have rewarded them الْیَوْمَ this Day بِمَا because صَبَرُوْۤا ۙ they were patient اَنَّهُمْ indeed they هُمُ [they] الْفَآىِٕزُوْنَ (are) the successful ones قٰلَ He will say كَمْ How long لَبِثْتُمْ did you remain فِی in الْاَرْضِ the earth عَدَدَ (in) number سِنِیْنَ (of) years قَالُوْا They will say لَبِثْنَا We remained یَوْمًا a day اَوْ or بَعْضَ a part یَوْمٍ (of) a day فَسْـَٔلِ but ask الْعَآدِّیْنَ those who keep count قٰلَ He will say اِنْ Not لَّبِثْتُمْ you stayed اِلَّا but قَلِیْلًا a little لَّوْ if اَنَّكُمْ only you كُنْتُمْ [you] تَعْلَمُوْنَ knew اَفَحَسِبْتُمْ Then did you think اَنَّمَا that خَلَقْنٰكُمْ We created you عَبَثًا uselessly وَّ اَنَّكُمْ and that you اِلَیْنَا to Us لَا not تُرْجَعُوْنَ will be returned فَتَعٰلَی So exalted is اللّٰهُ Allah الْمَلِكُ the King الْحَقُّ ۚ the Truth لَاۤ (There is) no اِلٰهَ god اِلَّا except هُوَ ۚ Him رَبُّ (the) Lord الْعَرْشِ (of) the Throne الْكَرِیْمِ Honorable وَ مَنْ And whoever یَّدْعُ invokes مَعَ with اللّٰهِ Allah اِلٰهًا god اٰخَرَ ۙ other لَا no بُرْهَانَ proof لَهٗ for him بِهٖ ۙ in it فَاِنَّمَا Then only حِسَابُهٗ his account عِنْدَ (is) with رَبِّهٖ ؕ his Lord اِنَّهٗ Indeed [he] لَا not یُفْلِحُ will succeed الْكٰفِرُوْنَ the disbelievers وَ قُلْ And say رَّبِّ My Lord! اغْفِرْ Forgive وَ ارْحَمْ and have mercy وَ اَنْتَ and You خَیْرُ (are the) Best الرّٰحِمِیْنَ۠ (of) those who show mercy
(23:93) Pray, (O Muhammad): "My Lord, if You should bring the scourge of which they had been warned in my presence,
(23:94) then do not include me, my Lord, among these wrong-doing people."87
(23:95) Surely We are able to show you what We warn them against.
(23:96) (O Muhammad)! Repel evil in the best manner. We are well aware of all that they say about you.
(23:97) And pray: "My Lord! I seek Your refuge from the suggestions of the evil ones;
(23:98) I even seek Your refuge, my Lord, lest they should approach me."88
(23:99) (They shall persist in their deeds) until when death comes to anyone of them he will say: "My Lord, send me back to the world89
(23:100) that I have left behind. I am likely to do good."90 Nay,91 it is merely a word that he is uttering.92 There is a barrier behind all of them (who are dead) until the Day93 when they will be raised up.
(23:101) And then no sooner the Trumpet is blown than there will remain no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask one another.94
(23:102) It will be an Hour when those whose scales are heavy,95 they alone will attain success;
(23:103) and those whose scales are light, those will be the ones who will have courted loss.96 They will abide in Hell.
(23:104) The Fire shall scorch their faces, exposing their jaws.97
(23:105) "Are you not those to whom My revelations were recited, and you dubbed them as lies?"
(23:106) They will say: "Our Lord! Our misfortune prevailed over us. We were indeed an erring people.
(23:107) Our Lord! Take us out of this. Then if we revert (to evil-doing) we shall indeed be wrongdoers."
(23:108) Allah will say: "Away from Me; stay where you are and do not address Me.98
(23:109) You are those that when a party of My servants said: 'Our Lord, we believe, so forgive us, and have mercy on us, for You are the Best of those that are merciful,'
(23:110) you made a laughingstock of them and your hostility to them caused you to forget Me, and you simply kept laughing.
(23:111) Lo! I have rewarded them this Day for their steadfastness, so that they, and they alone, are triumphant."99
(23:112) Then Allah will ask them: "For how many years did you stay on earth?"
(23:113) They will say: "We stayed for a day or part of a day.100 Ask of those who keep count of this."
(23:114) He will say: "You stayed only for a while, if you only knew that.101
(23:115) Did you imagine that We created you without any purpose,102 and that you will not be brought back to Us?"
(23:116) So, exalted be Allah,103 the True King! There is no god but He, the Lord of the Great Throne.
(23:117) He who invokes any other god along with Allah " one for whom he has no evidence"104 his reckoning is with his Lord alone.105 Indeed, these unbelievers shall not prosper.106
(23:118) And say, (O Muhammad): "My Lord, forgive us and have mercy on us, for You are the Best of those that are merciful."107
87. This, of course, does not mean that there. was any danger that. the Prophet (peace be on him) would become one of the wrong-doers. Nor was there any possibility that he would succumb to iniquity if he did not make the Prayer mentioned here. Rather, the point that is made emphasizes that God’s punishment is something to be dreaded. It is certainly not something that a person should invite upon himself. Additionally, if God defers His punishment, as a result of His Mercy and Forbearance, this should not prompt a person to persist with impunity in acts of iniquity and disobedience against God. God’s punishment is so horrendous that even the righteous will seek refuge from it, this despite all the good deeds they might have done, so what hope is there for the sinners? This also indicates that when God’s punishment comes upon a people as retribution for their collective misdeeds, it is not only the evil-doers but also the righteous who are often struck by it. Hence, the righteous who live in a misguided and wicked milieu should always seek God’s refuge from His punishment. For one never knows when God’s scourge will seize the wrongdoers, and whom it will include.
88. For further elaboration see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol II. al-An‘am 6, nn. 71-2, pp. 262-3; vol. II, al-A ‘raf 7, nn. 138 and 150-3, pp. 101-2 and 112-15; vol. IV, Yunus 10, n. 39, p. 32; al-Hijr 15, n. 48, p. 302; and al-Nahl 16, nn. 122-4, pp. 375-7; and vol. V, Bani Isra'il 7 hn 38, 63, pp. 51-3. Also see Fussilat 41, nn. 36-41.
89. The expression has a plural form. One possible meaning is that the plural of respect adopted here addresses one who is worthy of it. The use of the plural form as a show of respect is common to virtually all languages. The other possible reason for use of the plural might be to emphasize that this Prayer was to be made over and over again. In other words, it conveys the idea that they should pray repeatedly: ‘Send me back; send me back. Additionally, some commentators have expressed the opinion that in the first part of this sentence the words ‘My Lord!’ are addressed to God whereas the second part of the sentence (‘send me back’) is a pleading addressed to those angels who seize the soul of a sinner. In other words, the verse would mean: O my Lord! [O angels!] send me back
90. That sinners would constantly pray to God to grant them another chance, right from the time of their death until they are hurled into Hell on the Day of Judgement, is a recurrent idea in the Qur’an. In fact, they will continue to so plead even after they have been consigned to Hell, but if their plea is heard, they will never disobey God but from thereon in follow the Right Path instead. (For further elaboration see al-An‘am 6: 27-8; al- A‘raf 7: 53; Ibrahim 14: 44-5, al-Mu’minun 23: 105-15; al-Shu‘ara’ 26: 102; al-Sajdah 32: 12-14; al-Fatir 35: 37; al-Zumar 39: 58-9; al-Mu’min 40: 10; al-Shu’ra 42: 44, along with the relevant notes.)
91. Despite their pleading, the sinners will not be sent back to the world. No one will be allowed to start his life afresh. The reason being that if a person is granted a fresh lease of life for the same purpose, that is, to test him, one of two conditions will obtain. Either all that he witnessed after his death will remain preserved in his memory or he will be restored to life devoid of any memory as was the case at the time of his first birth. In the former situation, the whole purpose of testing him would be lost. For this test consists in whether one discovers the truth by appropriately using one’s mental faculties and accepts it or not; or whether without directly observing ultimate realities, one chooses obedience rather than disobedience even though one has had the freedom to choose between the two. But once the ultimate realities are- shown to man and he witnesses the dire consequences of his disobedience, then this almost amounts to depriving him of the opportunity to disobey. Once man observes with his own eyes the horrible consequences of disobedience, how is it possible that he would not believe and not be obedient? Let us now consider the second possibility, namely that man is recreated exactly as he was before, that is, bereft of any memory of past misdeeds and without having directly observed the ultimate consequences of disobedience to God. This would be tantamount to repeating something unnecessarily.
For if someone failed the test earlier, what point is there in subjecting them to the same test again, for they are bound to perform exactly as previously? (For further elaboration see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. I, al- Baqarah 2, n. 228, pp. 163-4; vol. II, al-An‘am 6, n. 6, pp. 217-18 and nn. 139-40, pp. 296-7; and vol. IV, Yunus 10, n. 26, pp. 24-5.)
92. It may, alternatively, be translated as: ‘It is a statement he is now bound to make.’ In other-words, his utterance is not worth considering. For, faced with God’s punishment, he is bound to say so. Yet, given another chance, he would behave exactly as he did earlier. Hence, his utterance merits no attention and he need not be sent back to life.
93. The word barzakh is an Arabized form of the Persian word pardah (signifying a barrier). According to this verse, there is presently a barrier between those who are dead and the present world. This barrier prevents the dead from returning to life, and so they will stay where they are till the Day of Judgement.
94. This does not mean that a father will cease to be a father, and a son cease to be a son. Rather, it means that neither a father will be of any avail to his son, nor a son of any avail to his father. Everyone will be too engrossed in their own plight to be able to think of their kindred, let alone show them any sympathy or aid. This state of affairs is mentioned at several places in the Qur'an:
No friend shall inquire about another friend (al-Ma ‘arij 70: 10).
To redeem himself from the torment of that day the sinner will gladly sacrifice his children, his wife, his brother, his kindred who had provided him shelter, and all the people of the earth (al-Ma‘arij 70: 11-14).
On that Day each person shall flee from his own brother, and from his mother and his father, and from his wife and his children. Each one of them, that Day, will have enough concern of his own to make him indifferent to the others (‘Abasa 80: 34-7).
95. This is a reference to those whose good deeds will outweigh their evil ones.
96. These verses should be read in conjunction with the Qur’anic account of true prosperity and failure as outlined in the opening verses (1 ff.) and verses 51 ff. of the present surah.
97. The word used here is kalihun, signifying those whose face is so scorched that their skin is tattered and their teeth are protruding just as though they are the burnt head of a goat. Someone asked ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘ud the meaning of the root word k-l-h. To this he replied: ‘Have you not seen the burnt head of an animal?’
98. The unbelievers are told not to plead to.be free; nor to put forth any excuses. This does not mean, however, that they will become mute and disabled from such pleading for themselves. True, some traditions suggest that this will be their very last utterance. But this view is, however, discordant with the Qur’anic account. For the Qur’an subsequently recounts the conversation that will take place between the unbelievers and God in the Next Life (see verse | 12 ff. below — Ed.). Obviously, either these traditions are untrue or they mean that thereafter the unbelievers will not be able to plead for their redemption, (rather, they will be unable to speak altogether. — Ed.).
99. Once again the Qur’anic concepts pertaining to success and failure are being clearly stated in the present verse.
100. For details see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. V, Ta Ha 20, n. 80, pp. 224-5.
101. The Messengers used to tell the unbelievers that the life of the world was meant merely to test them. It was a life so ephemeral that they should not consider it to be their real life. They were told in unequivocal terms that the real abode will be in the World to Come wherein they will remain forever.
They were, therefore, counselled not to engage in deeds which whilst yielding some transient pleasure, will nonetheless destroy all their prospects in the eternal life of the Hereafter. Yet the unbelievers did not pay any heed to the Messengers. They were bent on denying the Hereafter and believed that the Next Life was simply a figment of the Messengers’ imaginations.
They suffered from the illusion that the life of the world was all that there was and, hence, is ought to be enjoyed to the maximum. The unbelievers’ remorse later on though will be to no avail. They should have realized while they were alive that the After-Life is a reality. Instead, they wasted the opportunity that was made available to them, totally ruining their prospects in the never-ending life of the Hereafter for the sake of the advantages and pleasures of the present life.
102. The word ‘abathan used here may be taken to mean either ‘by way of sport and play’ or ‘for the sake of sport and play’. In the former sense, the verse means: ‘Do you believe that man was created simply by way of jest and amusement, that his creation was devoid of any purpose, and that God had dispersed a species on earth without requiring it to achieve any object?’ If the word ‘abathan is understood in the latter sense, it means: ‘Do you think that you have been created merely to devote all your time to frivolous things such as sport, play and entertainment, to activities that lead to no worthwhile results?’
103. That is, He is far too exalted to do anything that is purposeless. Also, He is far too exalted to make it possible for any of His creatures to partake of His Divinity.
104. An alternative rendering of the above could be: ‘He who invokes any other God along with Allah has no sanction to do so.’
105. That is, there will be no way for such people to escape from being. called to account, from. being questioned about their deeds.
106. This is a reiteration of the point made earlier; a statement about those who will truly prosper and those who will be the losers. (See, for example, verses 102-3 above Ed.)
107. The subtlety of this supplication should not be missed. It was earlier pointed out that God would not pardon those who had made a laughing-stock of the Prophet (peace be on him) and the believers when they made this Prayer (see verses 105-10). Now the Prophet (peace be on him) and by implication the Companions, are also being directed to make the same Prayer mentioned above. The implication being that if the unbelievers persist in this mocking of them, they will earn strong evidence against themselves in the Hereafter. This despite the clear warning they have been given here.