Surah 25. Al-Furqan

But those who do not believe that they are destined to meet Us¹⁸ are wont to say, "Why have no angels been sent down to us?" - or, "Why do we not see our Sustainer?" Indeed, they are far too proud of themselves, hav-ing rebelled [against God's truth] with utter disdain!

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "who do not hope for [i.e., expect] a meeting with Us": the implication being that they do not believe in resurrection and, consequently, do not expect to be judged by God in after-life.

Those who do not expect to meet Us on the Day of Judgement say: "Why are not the angels sent down to us or why do we not see our Rabb?" Certainly they are too proud of themselves, and have revolted in a great revolt.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And those who look not for a meeting with Us say: Why are angels not sent down unto us and (why) do we not see our Lord? Assuredly they think too highly of themselves and are scornful with great pride.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[Yet] on that Day - the Day on which they shall see the angels¹⁹ - there will be no glad tiding for those who were lost in sin; and they will exclaim, "By a forbidding ban [are we from God's grace debarred]!"-

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., on Judgment Day, when "all will have been decided" (cf. 6:8 ).

On the Day when they see the angels, it will not be a Day of rejoicing for the criminal; rather they will cry: "May there be a stone barrier between us and the angels of punishment."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

On the day when they behold the angels, on that day there will be no good tidings for the guilty; and they will cry: A forbidding ban!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

for We shall have turned towards all the [supposedly good] deeds they ever wrought, and shall have transformed them into scattered dust-

  - Mohammad Asad

Then We shall turn to the deeds which they did, based on their wrong opinions, and render them vain like blown dust.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And We shall turn unto the work they did and make it scattered motes.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[whereas] on that same Day those who are destined for paradise will be graced with the best of abodes and the fairest place of repose.²⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit.. "will be happiest as regards their abode, and best as regards their place of repose".

In contrast, the heirs of paradise shall have the best residence and finest lodging on that Day.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those who have earned the Garden on that day will be better in their home and happier in their place of noonday rest;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And on the Day on which the skies, together with the clouds, shall burst asunder, and the angels are made to descend in a mighty descent-

  - Mohammad Asad

On that Day when the heavens shall burst asunder with clouds and the angels will be sent down ranks after ranks,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

A day when the heaven with the clouds will be rent asunder and the angels will be sent down, a grand descent.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

on that Day [it will become obvious to all that] true sover-eignty belongs to the Most Gracious [alone]: hence, a Day of distress will it be for all who deny the truth,

  - Mohammad Asad

the real Kingdom on that Day will belong only to the Compassionate (Allah), a hard Day shall it be for the unbelievers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

The Sovereignty on that day will be the True (Sovereignty) belonging to the Beneficent One, and it will be a hard day for disbelievers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and a Day on which the evildoer will bite his hands [in despair], exclaiming: "Oh, would that I had followed the path shown to me by the apostle!²¹

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "taken a path with the apostle". The terms "the apostle" and "the evildoer" are here obviously used in their generic sense, applying to all of God's apostles and all who consciously reject their guidance. Similarly, the expression "so-and-so" (fulan) occurring in the next verse circumscribes any person or personified influence responsible for leading a human being astray.

On that Day the wrongdoer will bite his hands saying: "Oh! Would that I had only taken the pathway alongside the Rasool!

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

On the day when the wrongdoer gnaweth his hands, he will say: Ah, would that I had chosen a way together with the messenger (of Allah)!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Oh, woe is me! Would that I had not taken so-and-so for a friend!

  - Mohammad Asad

Oh! Would that I had never chosen so-and-so for my companion.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Alas for me! Ah, would that I had never taken such an one for friend!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Indeed, he led me astray from the remembrance [of God] after it had come unto me!" For [thus it is:] Satan is ever a betrayer of man.²²

  - Mohammad Asad

For the implication of the term "Satan" as used here, see note [10] on 2:14 , first half of note [16] on 15:17 , as well as note [31] on 14:22 .

He was the one who led me astray from the admonition even after it had reached me." Shaitan is ever treacherous to man.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He verily led me astray from the Reminder after it had reached me. Satan was ever man's deserter in the hour of need.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND [on that Day] the Apostle will say:²³ "O my Sustainer! Behold, [some of] my people have come to regard this Qur'an as something [that ought to be] discarded!" ²⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

My interpolation of the words "on that Day" and the (linguistically permissible) attribution of futurity to the past-tense verb qala is based on the identical interpretation of the above phrase by great commentators like Abu Muslim (as quoted by Razi) or Baghawi.

I.e., as mere wishful thinking and, therefore, of no account, or as something that in the course of time has "ceased to be relevant". Since many of those whom the message of the Qur'an has reached did and do regard it as a divine revelation and therefore as most "relevant" in every sense of the word, it is obvious that the expression "my people" cannot possibly denote here all of the Prophet's community (either in the national or in the ideological sense of this word), but signifies only such of his nominal followers as have lost all real faith in the Qur'anic message: hence the necessity of interpolating the (elliptically implied) words "some of" before "my people".

The Rasool will say: "O my Rabb! Surely my people took this Qur'an for foolish nonsense."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And the messenger saith: O my Lord! Lo! mine own folk make this Qur'an of no account.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

For so it is that against every prophet We have set up enemies from among those who are lost in sin:²⁵ yet none can guide and give succour as thy Sustainer does!

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. {6: 112}, which refers in very similar terms to the evil forces (shayatin) against which every prophet has had to contend. The "glittering half-truths meant to delude the mind" spoken of in that verse are exemplified in the present passage, prophetically, by the deceptive argument that the Qur'an, having been enunciated fourteen centuries ago, must now be considered "obsolete".

That is how We made for every Rasool an enemy among the criminals, but your Rabb is sufficient for you (O Muhammad) as a Guide and Helper.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Even so have We appointed unto every Prophet an opportent from among the guilty; but Allah sufficeth for a Guide and Helper.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Now they who are bent on denying the truth are wont to ask, "Why has not the Qur'an been bestowed on him from on high in one single re-velation?" ²⁶ [It has been revealed] in this manner so that We might strengthen thy heart thereby-for We have so arranged its component parts that they from one consistent whole.²⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "in one piece" or "as one statement" (jumlatan wahidatan) - implying, in the view of the opponents of Islam, that the gradual, step-by-step revelation of the Qur'an points to its having been "composed" by Muhammad to suit his changing personal and political requirements.

I.e., free of all inner contradictions (cf. 4:82 ). See also 39:23 , where the Qur'an is spoken of as "fully consistent within itself". The concise phrase rattalnahu tartilan comprises the parallel concepts of "putting the component parts [of a thing] together and arranging them well" as well as "endowing it with inner consistency". Inasmuch as full consistency and freedom from contradictions in a message spread over twenty-three years of a life as full of movement and drama as that of the Prophet does give a clear indication of its God-inspired quality, it is bound to strengthen the faith of every thinking believer: and herein lies, according to the Qur'an itself, the deepest reason for its slow, gradual revelation. (When applied to the reciting of the Qur'an - as in 73:4 - the term tartil refers to the measured diction and the thoughtful manner in which it ought to be enunciated.)

The unbelievers ask: "Why is not the Qur'an revealed to him all in a single revelation?" This method of slow, well arranged, piecemeal revelations is adopted to strengthen your heart.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And those who disbelieve say: Why is the Qur'an not revealed unto him all at once? (It is revealed) thus that We may strengthen thy heart therewith; and We have arranged it in right order.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and [that] they [who deny the truth] might never taunt thee with any deceptive half-truth²⁸ without Our conveying to thee the [full] truth and [providing thee] with the best explanation.²⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "come to thee with a parable (mathal)" - i.e., with all manner of seemingly plausible parabolic objections (exemplified in verses {7-8}, {21} and {32} of this surah as well as in many other places in the Qur'an) meant to throw doubt on Muhammad's claim to prophethood and, hence, on the God-inspired character of the Qur'anic message.

Sc., "of the problem or problems involved": an allusion to the self-explanatory character of the Qur'an. Throughout this section (verses {30-34}) the personal pronoun "thou" (in the forms "thy" and "thee") relates not only to the Prophet but also to every one of his followers at all times.

The other reason for this method is that any time they come to you with an argument, We reveal to you the Truth and properly explain it.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And they bring thee no similitude but We bring thee the Truth (as against it), and better (than their similitude) as argument.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[And so, tell those who are bent on denying the truth that] they who shall be gathered unto hell upon their faces³⁰ - it is they who [in the life to come] will be worst in station and still farther astray from the path [of truth]!³¹

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., in utter spiritual abasement (Razi, mentioning some other commentators as well).

Cf. 17:72 and the corresponding note [87].

Those who will be dragged headlong into hell shall have an evil place to dwell in, for they had lost the Way by taking an utterly wrong stand.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those who will be gathered on their faces unto Hell: such are worse in plight and further from the right road.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND, INDEED, [long before Muhammad] We vouchsafed revelation unto Moses, and appointed his brother Aaron to help him to bear his burden;³²

  - Mohammad Asad

For this rendering of the term wazlr, see note [18] on 20:29 . The mention, at this place, of Moses and Aaron - and of Noah, etc., in the following verses - is intended to remind us of the statement in verse {31} above that "against every prophet We have set up enemies from among those who are lost in sin".

We gave Musa (Moses) the Book and appointed his brother Haroon (Aaron) as a deputy with him,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

We verily gave Moses the Scripture and placed with him his brother Aaron as henchman.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall