Surah 21. Al-Anbiya

AND [remember] her who guarded her chastity, whereupon We breathed into her of Our spirit⁸⁷ and caused her, together with her son, to become a symbol [of Our grace] unto all people.⁸⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

This allegorical expression, used here with reference to Mary's conception of Jesus, has been widely - and erroneously - interpreted as relating specifically to his birth. As a matter of fact, the Qur'an uses the same expression in three other places with reference to the creation of man in general - namely in {15 :29} and 38:72 , "when I have formed him... and breathed into him of My spirit"; and in 32:9 , "and thereupon He forms [lit., "formed"] him fully and breathes [lit., "breathed"] into him of His spirit". In particular, the passage of which the last-quoted phrase is a part (i.e., {32:7-9}) makes it abundantly and explicitly clear that God "breathes of His spirit" into every human being. Commenting on the verse under consideration, Zamakhshari states that "the breathing of the spirit [of God] into a body signifies the endowing it with life": an explanation with which Razi concurs. (In this connection, see also note [181] on 4:171 .) As for the description of Mary as allati ahsanat farjaha, idiomatically denoting "one who guarded her chastity" (lit., "her private parts"), it is to be borne in mind that the term ihsan - lit., "[one's] being fortified [against any danger or evil]" - has the tropical meaning of "abstinence from what is unlawful or reprehensible" (Tarj al-'Arus), and especially from illicit sexual intercourse, and is applied to a man as well as a woman: thus, for instance, the terms muhsan and muhsanah are used elsewhere in the Qur'an to describe, respectively, a man or a woman who is "fortified [by marriage] against unchastity". Hence, the expression allati ahsanat farjaha, occurring in the above verse as well as in {66: 12} with reference to Mary, is but meant to stress her outstanding chastity and complete abstinence, in thought as well as in deed, from anything unlawful or morally reprehensible: in other words, a rejection of the calumny (referred to in 4:156 and obliquely alluded to in {19:27-28}) that the birth of Jesus was the result of an "illicit union".

For my rendering of the term ayah as "symbol", see surah {17}, note [2], and surah {19}, note [16].

And We blessed the woman (Maryam), who guarded her chastity, We breathed into her of Our Spirit and We made her and her son a sign for the whole world.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And she who was chaste, therefor We breathed into her (something) of Our spirit and made her and her son a token for (all) peoples.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

VERILY, [O you who believe in Me,] this communIty of yours is one single community, since I am the Sustainer of you all: worship, then, Me [alone]!⁸⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

After calling to mind, in verses {48-91}, some of the earlier prophets, all of whom stressed the oneness and uniqueness of God, the discourse returns to that principle of oneness as it ought to be reflected in the unity of all who believe in Him. (See {23: 51} ff.)

Verily this brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood and I am your only Rabb, therefore worship Me Alone.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! this, your religion, is one religion, and I am your Lord, so worship Me.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But men have torn their unity wide asunder,⁹⁰ [forgetting that] unto Us they all are bound to return.

  - Mohammad Asad

This is the meaning of the idiomatic phrase, taqatta'u amrahum baynahum. As Zamakhshari points out, the sudden turn of the discourse from the second person plural to the third person is indicative of God's severe disapproval-His "turning away", as it were, from those who are or were guilty of breaking the believers' unity. (See also 23:53 and the corresponding note [30].)

But the people have divided their religion into sects between them- to Us they shall all return.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And they have broken their religion (into fragments) among them, (yet) all are returning unto Us.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And yet, whoever does [the least] of righteous deeds and is a believer withal, his endeavour shall not be disowned: for, behold, We shall record it in his favour.⁹¹

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., even a breach of religious unity may not be unforgivable so long as it does not involve a worship of false deities or false moral values (cf. verses {98-99} below): this is the meaning of the stress, in this context, on man's being "a believer withal" -an echo of the principle clearly spelt out in 2:62 and several other Qur'anic passages.

Whoever shall do good deeds, provided he is a believer, his endeavor will not be rejected: We are recording it all for him.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Then whoso doeth good works and is a believer, there will be no rejection of his effort. Lo! We record (it) for him.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Hence, it has been unfailingly true of⁹² any community whom We have ever destroyed that they [were people who] would never turn back [from their sinful ways]⁹³

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "an inviolable law (haram) upon ...", expressing the impossibility of conceiving anything to the contrary (Zamakhshari).

I.e., whenever God consigns a community to destruction, He does it not because of its people's occasional lapses but only because of their irremediable, conscious unwillingness to forsake their sinful ways.

It is not possible that a nation which We have destroyed may rise again.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And there is a ban upon any community which We have destroyed: that they shall not return,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

until such a time as Gog and Magog are let loose [upon the world] and swarm down from every corner [of the earth],⁹⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., until the Day of Resurrection, heralded by the allegorical break-through of "Gog and Magog" (see surah {18}, note [100], especially the last sentence): for it is on that Day that even the most hardened sinner will at last realize his guilt and be filled with belated remorse.-The term hadab literally denotes "raised ground" or "elevation", but the expression min kulli hadabin is used here idiomatically, signifying "from all directions" or "from every corner [of the earth]": an allusion to the irresistible nature of the social and cultural catastrophes which will overwhelm mankind before the coming of the Last Hour.

Until, when Gog and Magog will be let loose and they will swiftly swarm from every height,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Until, when Gog and Magog are let loose, and they hasten out of every mound.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

the while the true promise [of resurrection] draws close [to its fulfilment].But then, lo! the eyes of those who [in their lifetime] were bent on denying the truth will stare in horror, [and they will exclaim:] "Oh, woe unto us! We were indeed heedless of this [promise of resurrection] - nay, we were [bent on] doing evil!"⁹⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., deliberately and without any excuse, since all the prophets had warned man of the Day of Resurrection and Judgment: cf. {14:44-45}. The words "bent on" interpolated by me within brackets indicate intent, similar to the preceding expression alladhina kafaru, "those who were bent on denying the truth" (see also note [6] on 2:6 ).

and the time of fulfillment for the True Promise will draw near, then behold! The eyes of the unbelievers will fixedly stare in horror: "O woe to us! We were indeed heedless of this warning; nay we were wrongdoers."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And the True Promise draweth nigh; then behold them, staring wide (in terror), the eyes of those who disbelieve! (They say): Alas for us! We (lived) in forgetfulness of this. Ah, but we were wrong doers!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[Then they will be told:] "Verily, you and all that you [were wont to] worship instead of God are but the fuel of hell: that is what you are destined for.⁹⁶

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "you are bound to reach it". The expression "all that you have worshipped instead of God" comprises not merely all false religious imagery but also all false ethical values endowed with quasi-divine sanctity, all of which are but "the fuel of hell".

Surely you (O mushrikin) and your deities that you worship besides Allah shall be the fuel of hell; therein you shall all enter.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! ye (idolaters) and that which ye worship beside Allah are fuel of hell. Thereunto ye will come.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

If those [false objects of your worship] had truly been divine, they would not have been destined for it: but [as it is, you] all shall abide therein!"

  - Mohammad Asad

If those deities would have been true gods, they would not have gotten there; but there they shall abide forever.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

If these had been Gods they would not have come thither, but all wilt abide therein.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Moaning will be their lot therein, and nothing [else] will they hear therein.⁹⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

Thus, spiritual "deafness" in the life to come will be the inexorable consequence of one's having remained deaf, in this world, to the voice of truth, just as "blindness" and oblivion will be part of the suffering of all who have been spiritually blind to the truth (cf. {20:124-126}).

In there, sobbing will be their lot, and they will not be able to hear anything else.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Therein wailing is their portion, and therein they hear not.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[But,] behold, as for those for whom [the decree of] ultimate good has already gone forth from Us⁹⁸ - these will be kept far away from that [hell]:

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., those who have been promised paradise on account of their faith and their good deeds. 99 See in this connection 14:48 and the corresponding note [63].

Certainly those for whom the good reward from Us has preceded them will be kept far away from it.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! those unto whom kindness hath gone forth before from Us, they wilt be far removed from thence.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

no sound thereof will they hear; and they will abide in all that their souls have ever desired.

  - Mohammad Asad

They shall not hear even its slightest sound, and they shall dwell forever in the midst of whatever their souls desire.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They will not hear the slightest sound thereof, while they abide in that which their souls desire.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

The supreme awesomeness [of the Day of Resurrection] will cause them no grief, since the angels will receive them with the greeting, "This is your Day [of triumph - the Day] which you were promised!"

  - Mohammad Asad

The time of Great Terror (Day of Judgement) will not grieve them, and the angels will receive them with greetings: "This is your Day that you were promised."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

The Supreme Horror will not grieve them, and the angels will welcome them, (saying): This is your Day which ye were promised;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

On that Day We shall roll up the skies as written scrolls are rolled up; [and] as We brought into being the first creation, so We shall bring it forth anew⁹⁹ - a promise which We have willed upon Ourselves: for, behold, We are able to do fall things]!

  - Mohammad Asad

On that Day We shall roll up the heavens like a scroll of writings; just as We originated the first creation, so shall We produce it again - that is Our promise, and We will fulfill it.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

The Day when We shall roll up the heavens and a recorder rolleth up a written scroll. As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it. (It is) a promise (binding) upon Us. Lo! We are to perform it.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND, INDEED, after having exhorted [man],¹⁰⁰ We laid it down in all the books of divine wisdom that My righteous servants shall inherit the earth :¹⁰¹

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "after the reminder (adh-dhikr)". For the deeper implications of the Qur'anic term dhikr, see note [13] on verse {10} of this surah.

Zabur (lit., "scripture" or "book") is a generic term denoting any "book of wisdom": hence, any and all of the divine scriptures revealed by God to the prophets (Tabari). The statement that "My righteous servants shall inherit the earth" is obviously an echo of the promise, "You are bound to rise high if you are [truly] believers" ({3: 139}) - the implication being that it is only through faith in God and righteous behaviour on earth that man can reach the heights envisaged for him by his Creator's grace.

We wrote this in The Zaboor (Psalms xxxvii, 29) after the reminder (Torah given to Musa): that as for the land, My righteous servants shall inherit it."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And verity We have written in the Scripture, after the Reminder: My righteous slaves will inherit the earth:

  - Marmaduke Pickthall