Towards Understanding the Quran
With kind permission of Islamic Foundation UK
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Tafsirs: Maarif | Dawat | Ishraq | Clear
Surah Az-Zumar 39:71-75   Chapters ↕   Word for Word
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]
وَ سِیْقَAnd (will) be drivenالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْۤاdisbelieveاِلٰیtoجَهَنَّمَHellزُمَرًا ؕ(in) groupsحَتّٰۤیuntilاِذَاwhenجَآءُوْهَاthey reach itفُتِحَتْ(will) be openedاَبْوَابُهَاits gatesوَ قَالَand (will) sayلَهُمْto themخَزَنَتُهَاۤits keepersاَلَمْDid notیَاْتِكُمْcome to youرُسُلٌMessengersمِّنْكُمْfrom youیَتْلُوْنَrecitingعَلَیْكُمْto youاٰیٰتِ(the) Versesرَبِّكُمْ(of) your Lordوَ یُنْذِرُوْنَكُمْand warning youلِقَآءَ(of the) meetingیَوْمِكُمْ(of) your Dayهٰذَا ؕthisقَالُوْاThey (will) sayبَلٰیNay!وَ لٰكِنْButحَقَّتْhas been justifiedكَلِمَةُ(the) wordالْعَذَابِ(of) punishmentعَلَیagainstالْكٰفِرِیْنَ the disbelievers قِیْلَIt will be saidادْخُلُوْۤاEnterاَبْوَابَ(the) gatesجَهَنَّمَ(of) Hellخٰلِدِیْنَ(to) abide eternallyفِیْهَا ۚthereinفَبِئْسَand wretched isمَثْوَی(the) abodeالْمُتَكَبِّرِیْنَ (of) the arrogant وَ سِیْقَAnd (will) be drivenالَّذِیْنَthose whoاتَّقَوْاfearedرَبَّهُمْtheir LordاِلَیtoالْجَنَّةِParadiseزُمَرًا ؕ(in) groupsحَتّٰۤیuntilاِذَاwhenجَآءُوْهَاthey reach itوَ فُتِحَتْand (will) be openedاَبْوَابُهَاits gatesوَ قَالَand (will) sayلَهُمْto themخَزَنَتُهَاits keepersسَلٰمٌPeace beعَلَیْكُمْupon youطِبْتُمْyou have done wellفَادْخُلُوْهَاso enter itخٰلِدِیْنَ (to) abide eternally وَ قَالُواAnd they will sayالْحَمْدُAll praiseلِلّٰهِ(be) to AllahالَّذِیْWhoصَدَقَنَاhas fulfilled for usوَعْدَهٗHis promiseوَ اَوْرَثَنَاand has made us inheritالْاَرْضَthe earthنَتَبَوَّاُwe may settleمِنَinالْجَنَّةِParadiseحَیْثُwhereverنَشَآءُ ۚwe willفَنِعْمَSo excellent isاَجْرُ(the) rewardالْعٰمِلِیْنَ (of) the workers 39. Az-Zumar Page 467وَ تَرَیAnd you will seeالْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةَthe Angelsحَآفِّیْنَsurroundingمِنْ[from]حَوْلِaroundالْعَرْشِthe Throneیُسَبِّحُوْنَglorifyingبِحَمْدِ(the) praiseرَبِّهِمْ ۚ(of) their Lordوَ قُضِیَAnd (will) be judgedبَیْنَهُمْbetween themبِالْحَقِّin truthوَ قِیْلَand it will be saidالْحَمْدُAll praise beلِلّٰهِto Allahرَبِّ(the) Lordالْعٰلَمِیْنَ۠(of) the worlds

Translation

(39:71) (After the judgement has been passed) the unbelievers shall be driven in companies to Hell so that when they arrive there, its gates shall be thrown open81 and its keepers shall say to them: “Did Messengers from among yourselves not come to you, rehearsing to you the Signs of your Lord and warning you against your meeting of this Day?” They will say: “Yes indeed; but the sentence of chastisement was bound to be executed against the unbelievers.”

(39:72) It will be said: “Enter the gates of Hell. Herein shall you abide.” How evil is the abode of the vainglorious!

(39:73) And those who eschewed disobeying their Lord shall be driven in companies to Paradise so that when they arrive there its gates will have already been thrown open and its keepers shall say to them: “Peace be upon you; you have done well. So enter. Herein you shall abide.”

(39:74) They will say: “All thanks and praise be to Allah Who has made His promise to us come true, and Who gave us the earth to inherit.82 We may now dwell in Paradise wherever we please.”83 How excellent is the reward of those who laboured!84

(39:75) You shall see the angels surrounding the Throne, glorifying their Lord with His praise, and judgement will have been made among them with fairness, and it will be proclaimed: “All praise and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the whole Universe.” 85

Commentary

81. The gates of Hell will not be routinely open. Instead, they will be opened when the unbelievers arrive there. Once they have entered it, the gates will again be closed.

82. For further details see Ta Ha 20, nn. 83 and 106 and al-Anbiya’ 21, 7 n. 99, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. V, pp. 226, 237-40 and pp. # 299-302. 2

83. The dwellers of Paradise will own the part of it granted to them to abide and there they will enjoy full power and authority.

84. This may be the utterance of the dwellers of Paradise. Alternatively, it may be an additional observation made by God.

85. The entire universe will celebrate God’s glory.