Alim - Islamic software for Quran and Hadith
Back arrow Back
Bookmark iconBookmarks
Bookmark iconTranslation settings
Bookmark iconArabic font settings
Bookmark iconEnglish font settings
Bookmark iconReset global font settings
  • Al-Qur'anKids Qur'anAl Qur'an RecitersAl Qur'an VideosAl Qur'an TranslationsAl Qur'an Compare TranslationAl Qur'an TafsirAl-Quran Surah InformationAppendix
  • Hadith CollectionAl-Muwatta HadithFiqh-us-SunnahSahih Bukhari HadithSahih Muslim HadithNawawi HadithAl-TirmidhiHadith QudsiSunan of Abu Dawood HadithSunan an-Nasai HadithSunan Ibn Majah Hadith
  • Islamic HistoryAbout IslamKhalifa Abu BakrKhalifa Umar bin al-KhattabKhalifa Uthman ibn AffanKhalifa Ali bin Abu TalibProphet CompanionsStories of ProphetsHistory TimelineIslam PostersIslamic Terms DictionaryProphet's Last SermonPilgrimage
  • Duas CollectionQur'anic DuasMasnoon (Prophetic) DuasRamadan Days
  • Discussions
  • Search
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
What's new Donate Contact Us Alim Mobile App
mobile app svg

Surah 23. Al-Muminun

Home ➜
Al-Qur'an ➜
Previous Next
Your browser does not support the audio element.

Qur'an

Translation

Home ➜
Al-Qur'an ➜
Alim - Islamic software for Quran and Hadith
Loding surahs.
Loding juz list.
Loding page list.

Your search did not yield any results.

Print
23:51
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلرُّسُلُ كُلُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ وَٱعْمَلُوا۟ صَـٰلِحًا ۖ إِنِّى بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ Yaaa aiyuhar Rusulu kuloo minat taiyibaati wa'maloo saalihan innee bimaa ta'maloona 'Aleem
O YOU APOSTLES! Partake of the good things of life,27 and do righteous deeds: verily, I have full knowledge of all that you do.
  - Mohammad Asad

This rhetorical apostrophe to all of God's apostles is meant to stress their humanness and mortality, and thus to refute the argument of the unbelievers that God could not have chosen "a mortal like ourselves" to be His message-bearer: an argument which overlooks the fact that only human beings who themselves "partake of the good things of life" are able to understand the needs and motives of their fellow-men and, thus, to guide them in their spiritual and social concerns.

O Rasools! Eat of pure things and do good deeds, certainly I have knowledge of all your actions.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
O messengers! Eat from what is good and lawful, and act righteously. Indeed, I fully know what you do.
  - Mustafa Khattab
O ye messengers! Eat of the good thing, and do right. Lo! I am Aware of what ye do.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
O ye apostles! enjoy (all) things good and pure and work righteousness: for I am well-acquainted with (all) that ye do. 2908
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Literally, "eat". See n. 776 to v. 69. The prophets of Allah do not pose as ascetics, but receive gratefully all Allah's gifts, and show their gratitude by their righteous lives.

No translation has been selected yet. Please click on the (Compare) link at the top and enable the translations of your choice.

Print
23:52
وَإِنَّ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَٰحِدَةً وَأَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمْ فَٱتَّقُونِ Wa inna haaziheee ummatukum ummatanw waahidatanw wa Ana Rabbukum fattaqoon
And, verily, this community of yours is one single community, since I am the Sustainer of you all: remain, then, conscious of Me!28
  - Mohammad Asad

As in 21:92 , the above verse is addressed to all who truly believe in God, whatever their historical denomination. By the preceding reference to all of God's apostles the Qur'an clearly implies that all of them were inspired by, and preached, the same fundamental truths, notwithstanding all the differences in the ritual or the specific laws which they propounded in accordance with the exigencies of the time and the social development of their followers. (See notes [66-68] on the second paragraph of 5:48 .)

In fact, your religion is one religion, and I am your only Rabb: so fear Me Alone.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Surely this religion of yours is 'only' one, and I am your Lord, so fear Me 'alone'.
  - Mustafa Khattab
And lo! this your religion is one religion and I am your Lord, so keep your duty unto Me.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And verily this Brotherhood of yours is a single Brotherhood and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore fear Me (and no other). 2909
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xxi. 92-93. All prophets form one Brotherhood: their message is one, and their religion and teaching are one; they serve the One True God, Who loves and cherishes them; and they owe their duty to Him and Him alone.

No translation has been selected yet. Please click on the (Compare) link at the top and enable the translations of your choice.

Print
23:53
فَتَقَطَّعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَهُم بَيْنَهُمْ زُبُرًا ۖ كُلُّ حِزْبٍۭ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ فَرِحُونَ Fataqatta'ooo amrahum bainahum zuburaa; kullu hizbim bimaa ladaihim farihoon
But they [who claim to follow you] have torn their unity wide asunder,29 piece by piece, each group delighting in [but] what they themselves possess [by way of tenets].30
  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. 21:93 .

Lit.; "in what they have [themselves]". In the first instance, this verse refers to the various religious groups as such: that is to say, to the followers of one or another of the earlier revelations who, in the course of time, consolidated themselves within different "denominations", each of them jealously guarding its own set of tenets, dogmas and rituals and intensely intolerant of all other ways of worship (manasik, see 22:67 ). In the second instance, however, the above condemnation applies to the breach of unity within each of the established religious groups; and since it applies to the followers of all the prophets, it includes the latter-day followers of Muhammad as well, and thus constitutes a prediction and condemnation of the doctrinal disunity prevailing in the world of Islam in our times -cf. the well-authenticated saying of the Prophet quoted by Ibn Hanbal, Abu Da'ud, Tirmidhi, and Darimi: "The Jews have been split up into seventy-one sects, the Christians into seventy-two sects, whereas my community will be split up into seventy-three sects." (It should be remembered that in classical Arabic usage the number "seventy" often stands for "many" - just as "seven" stands for "several" or "various" - and does not necessarily denote an actual figure; hence, what the Prophet meant to say was that the sects and divisions among the Muslims of later days would become many, and even more numerous than those among the Jews and the Christians.

Yet people have divided themselves into factions and each faction rejoices in its own doctrines
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Yet the people have divided it into different sects, each rejoicing in what they have.
  - Mustafa Khattab
But they (mankind) have broken their religion among them into sects, each sect rejoicing in its tenets.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
But people have cut off their affair (of unity) between them into sects: each party rejoices in that which is with itself. 2910
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The people who began to trade on the names of the prophets cut off that unity and made sects; and each sect rejoices in its own narrow doctrine, instead of taking the universal teaching of Unity from Allah. But this sectarian confusion is of man's making. It will last for a time, but the rays of Truth and Unity will finally dissipate it.

No translation has been selected yet. Please click on the (Compare) link at the top and enable the translations of your choice.

Print
23:54
فَذَرْهُمْ فِى غَمْرَتِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ حِينٍ Fazarhum fee ghamratihim hattaa heen
But leave them alone, lost in their ignorance, until a [future] time.31
  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., until they themselves realize their error. This sentence is evidently addressed to the last of the apostles, Muhammad, and thus to all who truly follow him.

- well! Leave them in their heedlessness for an appointed time.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
So leave them 'O Prophet' in their heedlessness for a while.
  - Mustafa Khattab
So leave them in their error till a time.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
But leave them in their confused ignorance for a time.
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

No translation has been selected yet. Please click on the (Compare) link at the top and enable the translations of your choice.

Print
23:55
أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُم بِهِۦ مِن مَّالٍ وَبَنِينَ A-yahsaboona annnamaa numiduhum bihee mimmaalinw wa baneen
Do they think that by all the wealth and offspring with which We provide them
  - Mohammad Asad
Do they think that, in giving them wealth and children,
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Do they think, since We provide them with wealth and children,
  - Mustafa Khattab
Think they that in the wealth and sons wherewith We provide them
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Do they think that because We have granted them abundance of wealth and sons
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

No translation has been selected yet. Please click on the (Compare) link at the top and enable the translations of your choice.

Print
23:56
نُسَارِعُ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ ۚ بَل لَّا يَشْعُرُونَ Nusaari'u lahum fil khairaat; bal laa yash'uroon
We [but want to] make them vie with one another in doing [what they consider] good works?32 Nay, but they do not perceive [their error]!
  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., "Do they think that by bestowing on them worldly prosperity God but wants them to vie with one another in their race after material goods and comforts, which they mistakenly identify with 'doing good works'?" Another - linguistically permissible - rendering of the above two verses would be: "Do they think that by all the wealth and offspring with which We provide them We [but] hasten on [the coming] to them of all that is good?" Either of these two renderings implies, firstly, that worldly prosperity is not the ultimate good, and, secondly, that the breach of the unity spoken of in the preceding passage was, more often than not, an outcome of mere worldly greed and of factional striving after power.

We are eager for their welfare? By no means! They do not understand the reality of the matter.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
that We hasten to 'honour' them 'with' all kinds of good? No! They are not aware.
  - Mustafa Khattab
We hasten unto them with good things? Nay, but they perceive not.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
We would hasten them on in every good? Nay they do not understand. 2911
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Worldly wealth, power, and influence may be but trials. Let not their possessors think that they are in themselves things that will necessarily bring them happiness.

No translation has been selected yet. Please click on the (Compare) link at the top and enable the translations of your choice.

Print
23:57
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ Inna alla th eena hum min khashyati rabbihim mushfiqoon a
Verily, [only] they who stand in reverent awe of their Sustainer,
  - Mohammad Asad
Surely those who live cautiously for fear of their Rabb,
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Surely those who tremble in awe of their Lord,
  - Mustafa Khattab
Lo! those who go in awe for fear of their Lord,
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Verily those who live in awe for fear of their Lord;
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

No translation has been selected yet. Please click on the (Compare) link at the top and enable the translations of your choice.

Print
23:58
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ Wa a lla th eena hum bi a y a ti rabbihim yuminoon a
and who believe in their Sustainer's messages,
  - Mohammad Asad
who believe in the revelations of their Rabb;
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
and who believe in the revelations of their Lord,
  - Mustafa Khattab
And those who believe in the revelations of their Lord,
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Those who believe in the Signs of their Lord;
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

No translation has been selected yet. Please click on the (Compare) link at the top and enable the translations of your choice.

Print
23:59
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِرَبِّهِمْ لَا يُشْرِكُونَ Wa a lla th eena hum birabbihim l a yushrikoon a
and who do not ascribe divinity to aught but their Sustainer,
  - Mohammad Asad
who do not commit shirk with their Rabb,
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
and who associate none with their Lord,
  - Mustafa Khattab
And those who ascribe not partners unto their Lord,
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Those who join not (in worship) partners with their Lord;
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

No translation has been selected yet. Please click on the (Compare) link at the top and enable the translations of your choice.

Print
23:60
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْتُونَ مَآ ءَاتَوا۟ وَّقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ رَٰجِعُونَ Wa a lla th eena yutoona m a a taw waquloobuhum wajilatun annahum il a rabbihim r a jiAAoon a
and who give whatever they [have to] give33 with their hearts trembling at the
  - Mohammad Asad

This is an allusion to the giving of what one is morally obliged to give, whether it be in charity or in satisfaction of rightful claims on the part of one's fellow-men, including such intangible "gifts" as the dispensing of justice.

who give to charity whatever they can give, and their hearts are full of fear by the very idea that they shall have to return to their Rabb,
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
and who do whatever 'good' they do with their hearts fearful, 'knowing' that they will return to their Lord1-
  - Mustafa Khattab

 It is reported in an authentic narration collected by At-Tirmiⱬi that ’Ȃishah, the Prophet’s wife, asked him (ﷺ) if this verse refers to those who steal or drink ˹alcohol˺. The Prophet (ﷺ) answered, “No, it refers to those who pray, fast, and donate, but are afraid that their deeds are rejected because they are not good enough.” Then he (ﷺ) recited the last part of the verse: “It is they who race to do good deeds, always taking the lead.”

And those who give that which they give with hearts afraid because they are about to return unto their Lord,
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And those who dispense their charity with their hearts full of fear because they will return to their Lord 2912
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Their hearts are full of reverence for Allah and fear lest their charity or their hearts be not good enough for acceptance before their Lord; for they have the certainty of a future life, in which they will stand before the Judgment Seat. They fear for their own worthiness, but they hope in Faith.

No translation has been selected yet. Please click on the (Compare) link at the top and enable the translations of your choice.

Print
23:61
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ وَهُمْ لَهَا سَـٰبِقُونَ Ol a ika yus a riAAoona fee alkhayr a ti wahum lah a s a biqoon a
it is they who vie with one another in doing good works, and it is they who outrun [all others] in attaining to them!
  - Mohammad Asad
it is they who rush in doing good deeds and try to be the first in attaining them.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
it is they who race to do good deeds, always taking the lead.
  - Mustafa Khattab
These race for the good things, and they shall win them in the race.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
It is these who hasten in every good work and these who are foremost in them.
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

No translation has been selected yet. Please click on the (Compare) link at the top and enable the translations of your choice.

Print
23:62
وَلَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۖ وَلَدَيْنَا كِتَـٰبٌ يَنطِقُ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ Wal a nukallifu nafsan ill a wusAAah a waladayn a kit a bun yan t iqu bi a l h aqqi wahum l a yu th lamoon a
And [withal,] We do not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear: for with Us is a record that speaks the truth [about what men do and can dol; and none shall be wronged.
  - Mohammad Asad
We charge no soul with more than it can bear; We have a Book of record which shall clearly tell the truth, and they shall not be treated unjustly.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
We never require of any soul more than what it can afford. And with Us is a record which speaks the truth. None will be wronged.
  - Mustafa Khattab
And We task not any soul beyond its scope, and with Us is a Record which speaketh the truth, and they will not be wronged.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
On no soul do We place a burden greater than it can bear: before Us is a record which clearly shows the truth: they will never be wronged. 2913 2914
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. ii. 286 and n. 339.

The record speaks clearly, and shows exactly what each soul has done and thought, and what is due to it in justice. The worst will receive full justice. The best will receive far more than their due: xxviii. 84.

No translation has been selected yet. Please click on the (Compare) link at the top and enable the translations of your choice.

Print
23:63
بَلْ قُلُوبُهُمْ فِى غَمْرَةٍ مِّنْ هَـٰذَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْمَـٰلٌ مِّن دُونِ ذَٰلِكَ هُمْ لَهَا عَـٰمِلُونَ Bal quloobuhum fee ghamratin min h atha walahum aAAm a lun min dooni tha lika hum lah a AA a miloon a
NAY, [as for those who have torn asunder the unity of faith-] their hearts are lost in ignorance of all this!34 But apart from that [breach of unity] they have [on their conscience even worse] deeds;35 and they will [continue to] commit them
  - Mohammad Asad

This passage obviously connects with the last sentence of verse {56} - "Nay, but they do not perceive [their error!''-and. hence, refers to the people spoken of in verse {54} as being "lost in their ignorance" (fi ghamratihim ).

Namely, actions and dogmatic assertions which utterly contradict the teachings of the very apostles whom they claim to follow, like ascribing divine qualities to beings other than God, worshipping saints, or rejecting divine revelations which do not accord with their own likes and dislikes or with their customary mode of thinking.

But their hearts are blind to all this; and their deeds are also different from the believers. They will continue doing their misdeeds
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
But the hearts of those 'who disbelieve' are oblivious to 'all of' this,1 and they have other 'evil' deeds, opposite to this, in which they are engrossed.
  - Mustafa Khattab

 This refers to the believers’ good deeds mentioned in 23:57-62.

Nay, but their hearts are in ignorance of this (Qur'an), and they have other works, besides, which they are doing;
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
But their hearts are in confused ignorance of this; and there are besides that deeds of theirs which they will (continue) to do 2915 2916
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This is said of the Unbelievers who rejected Faith and rejoiced in the vanities of this world. In spite of the proclamation of Truth, they are doubtful of the future Life and Judgment.

In addition to their rejection of Faith, they have against them positive deeds of wrong-doing, from which, on account of their contempt of the Light from Allah, they will not desist until they are sharply pulled up for punishment: and then repentance will be too late!

No translation has been selected yet. Please click on the (Compare) link at the top and enable the translations of your choice.

Print
23:64
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَخَذْنَا مُتْرَفِيهِم بِٱلْعَذَابِ إِذَا هُمْ يَجْـَٔرُونَ H att a i tha akha th n a mutrafeehim bi a lAAa tha bi i tha hum yajaroon a
until - after We shall have taken to task, through suffering, those from among them who [now] are lost in the pursuit of pleasures36 - they cry out in [belated] supplication.
  - Mohammad Asad

See surah {17}, note [22]. The particular reference, in this context, to people "who [at present] are lost in the pursuit of pleasures" contains an allusion to verse {55} above (see my explanation in note [32], especially the last sentence). The "taking to task through suffering" spoken of here may refer to the Day of Judgment or - as in 17:16 - to the inevitable social ruin which, in the long run, wrong beliefs and actions bring with themselves in this world.

until when We seize those of them who live in comfort with punishment; lo! Then they start crying for help in supplication.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
But as soon as We seize their elite with torment, they start to cry for help.
  - Mustafa Khattab
Till when We grasp their luxurious ones with the punishment, behold! they supplicate.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Until when We seize in Punishment those of them who received the good things of this world behold they will groan in supplication!
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

No translation has been selected yet. Please click on the (Compare) link at the top and enable the translations of your choice.

Print
23:65
لَا تَجْـَٔرُوا۟ ٱلْيَوْمَ ۖ إِنَّكُم مِّنَّا لَا تُنصَرُونَ L a tajaroo alyawma innakum minn a l a tun s aroon a
[But they will be told:] "Cry not in supplication today: for, behold, you shall not be succoured by Us!
  - Mohammad Asad
We shall say: "Do not cry for help this Day, for surely from Us you shall receive no help.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
'They will be told,' 'Do not cry for help today. Surely you will never be saved from Us.
  - Mustafa Khattab
Supplicate not this day! Assuredly ye will not be helped by Us.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
It will be said: "Groan not in supplication this day; for ye shall certainly not be helped by Us.
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

No translation has been selected yet. Please click on the (Compare) link at the top and enable the translations of your choice.

Previous Next

Tafsir

Al-Muminun

Loading tafsir.

Comments for Surah 23

Loading Comments.

Your Notes

Please wait...

Grammar

Al-Muminun

Scroll to top arrow

Do you want to resume from last visited ayah?

Do you want to resume tafsir of surah

Alim logo

Related Islamic Resources

Loading...

Resources

Insights

  • Funeral Services
  • Arabic Playhouse
  • Collaborations
  • Alim Mobile App
  • Get Involved
  • Ad Plans
  • Blog Pricing
  • Blogs
  • Insight of the Day
  • Hadith of the Day
  • Infographics
  • References
  • FAQ
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us