Surah 35. Fatir

If He so wills, He can do away with you and bring forth a new mankind [in your stead]:¹⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

See note [27] on 14:19 .

If He wants, He can destroy you and replace you with a new creation;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

If He willed, He could eliminate you and produce a new creation.

  - Mustafa Khattab

If He will, He can be rid of you and bring (instead of you) some new creation.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

If He so pleased He could blot you out and bring in a New Creation:

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

nor is this difficult for God.

  - Mohammad Asad

and this is not at all difficult for Allah.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And that is not difficult for Allah 'at all'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

That is not a hard thing for Allah.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Nor is that (at all) difficult for Allah. ³⁸⁹⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

There is no limit to Allah's creative power, nor is His creative energy anything rare or unusual. This is the force of the word 'aziz here. Allah's creative energy is exercised every moment, and it is the normal condition in the universe.

AND NO BEARER of burdens shall be made to hear another's burden;¹⁵ and if one weighed down by his load calls upon [another] to help him carry it, nothing thereof may be carried [by that other], even if it be one's near of kin.¹⁶ Hence, thou canst [truly] warn only those who stand in awe of their Sustainer although He is beyond the reach of their perception,¹⁷ and are constant in prayer, and [know that] whoever grows in purity, attains to purity but for the good of his own self, and [that] with God is all journeys' end.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., on Judgment Day - for "whatever [wrong] any human being commits rests upon him alone" ( 6:164 , which is followed by a sentence identical with the one above).

Thus, any transfer of moral responsibility from one person to another is shown to be impossible. Whereas the first part of the above statement implies a negation of the Christian doctrine of "original sin" with which mankind is supposedly burdened, the second part categorically refutes the doctrine of the "vicarious atonement" of that sin by Jesus. (See also 53:38 and the corresponding note [31].)

For an explanation of this rendering of bi'l-ghayb, see surah {2}, note [3]. The meaning is that only those "who believe in the existence of that which is beyond the reach of human perception" can really benefit by the "warning" inherent in the preceding statement. (See also {27:8-81} and {30:52-53}.)

No bearer of a burden will bear another's burden, and if a heavy laden person cries out for help, none will come forward to share the least of his burden, even though he be a close relative. O Prophet! You can only admonish those who fear their Rabb - though they cannot see Him - and establish Salah. He that purifies himself does so for his own good. To Allah is the destination of all.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

No soul burdened with sin will bear the burden of another. And if a sin-burdened soul cries for help with its burden, none of it will be carried- even by a close relative. You 'O Prophet' can only warn those who stand in awe of their Lord without seeing Him¹ and establish prayer. Whoever purifies themselves, they only do so for their own good. And to Allah is the final return.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 This can also mean that they are in awe of their Lord as much in private as they are in public.

And no burdened soul can bear another's burden, and if one heavy laden crieth for (help with) his load, naught of it will be lifted even though he (unto whom he crieth) be of kin. Thou warnest only those who fear their Lord in secret, and have established worship. He who groweth (in goodness), groweth only for himself, (he cannot by his merit redeem others). Unto Allah is the journeying.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Nor can a bearer of burdens bear another's burden. If one heavily laden should call another to (bear) his load not the least portion of it can be carried (by the other) even though he be nearly related. Thou canst but admonish such as fear their Lord unseen and establish regular Prayer and whoever purifies himself does so for the benefit of his own soul; and the destination (of all) is to Allah. ^{3900 3901 3902 3903}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Bearer: hamilatun: feminine in Arabic, as referring to the soul (nafs), as in vi. 164.

Natural relationship may be considered as a reasonable cause or opportunity for bearing each other's burdens. For example, a mother or a father might offer to die for her or his child, and vice versa. But this does not apply to spiritual matters. There the responsibility is strictly personal and cannot be transferred to another. In xxix. 13 we are told that the misleaders "will bear other burdens along with their own"; but the context shows that the "other" burdens are the burdens of deluding others with their falsehoods. Both sins are their own, viz., their original sin, and the sin of deluding the others. But the responsibility will be doubled.

Bil-gaibi: unseen in the adverbial sense. The man, who, though he does not see Allah, so realises Allah's Presence in himself as if he saw Him, is the man of genuine Faith, and for him Allah's Revelation comes through many channels and is always fruitful.

Prayer is one of the means of purifying ourselves of lower motives in life, for in prayer we seek the Presence of Allah. But the purity which we seek is for our own souls: we confer no favour on Allah or on any Power in the spiritual world, as some imagine who make "gifts" to Allah. In any case the destination of all is to Allah.

For [thus it is:] the blind and the seeing are not equal;

  - Mohammad Asad

The blind and the seeing are not alike;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those blind 'to the truth' and those who can see are not equal,

  - Mustafa Khattab

The blind man is not equal with the seer;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

The blind and the seeing are not alike; ³⁹⁰⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Now we are offered some contrasts between those who obey Allah's Law and are thus citizens of Allah's Kingdom and those who are rebels against Allah's Kingdom and are thus outlaws. How can they be considered alike? The godly are like those who see, as contrasted with those who are blind; and their motives and actions are like the purest and highest Light, contrasted with the depths of darkness; or, to take another metaphor, their lives are like the genial and warmth-giving heat of the sun, which benefits all who come within its influence, contrasted with the chilly shadows of gloom in which no vegetation flourishes.

nor are the depths of darkness and the light;

  - Mohammad Asad

nor the darkness and the Light;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

nor are the darkness and the light,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Nor is darkness (tantamount to) light;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Nor are the depths of Darkness and the Light;

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

nor the [cooling] shade and the scorching heat:

  - Mohammad Asad

nor the shade and the heat;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

nor the 'scorching' heat and the 'cool' shade.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 This implies Hell and Paradise.

Nor is the shadow equal with the sun's full heat;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Nor are the (chilly) shade and the (genial) heat of the sun:

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

and neither are equal the living and the dead [of heart]. Behold, [O Muhammad,] God can make hear whomever He wills, whereas thou canst not make hear such as are [dead of heart like the dead] in their graves:

  - Mohammad Asad

nor the living and the dead. Certainly Allah can make anyone hear if He so wills; but, O Prophet, you cannot make those who are in the graves hear you.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Nor are the dead and the living equal. Indeed, Allah 'alone' makes whoever He wills hear, but you 'O Prophet' can never make those in the graves hear 'your call'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Nor are the living equal with the dead. Lo! Allah maketh whom He will to hear. Thou canst not reach those who are in the graves.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Nor are alike those that are living and those that are dead. Allah can make any that He wills to hear; but thou canst not make those to hear who are (buried) in graves. ³⁹⁰⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The final contrast is between the Living and the Dead; those whose future has in it the promise of growth and fulfilment, and those who are inert and on the road to perish. With Allah everything is possible: He can give Life to the Dead. But the human Teacher should not expect that people who are (spiritually) dead and buried will by any chance hear his call.

thou art nothing but a warner.

  - Mohammad Asad

You are nothing but a Warner.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

You are only a warner.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Thou art but a warner.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Thou art no other than a warner. ³⁹⁰⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The function of a Prophet is to preach Allah's Truth, to point out the right Way, to show men the need of repentance, and to warn them against the dangers which they incur by living a life of evil. He cannot compel them to accept the Truth or listen to the Message.

Verily, We have sent thee with the truth, as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner: for there never was any community but a warner has [lived and] passed away in its midst.¹⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

One of the meanings of the term ummah (preferred by Zamakhshari in his commentary on the above verse) is "people of one time" or "age"; another, "people of one kind", i.e., "a nation" or "a community" (which is adopted by me in this context). Taking into consideration a third, well-established meaning, namely, "a [particular] way of life" or "of behaviour" (Jawhari), the term "community" comes, in this instance, close to the modern concept of "civilization" in its historical sense. - The stress on the warners' (i.e., prophets) having "passed away" is meant to emnhasize the humanness and mortality of each and all of them.

Certainly We have sent you (O Muhammad) with the Truth as a bearer of good news and as a Warner, for there has not been a nation which has not had a Warner.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

We have surely sent you with the truth as a deliverer of good news and a warner. There is no community that has not had a warner.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 According to a Prophetic narration collected by Ibn Ḥibbân, the total number of prophets sent around the world, from Adam (ﷺ) to Muḥammad (ﷺ), is 124 000—of which only twenty-five are mentioned in the Quran.

Lo! We have sent thee with the Truth, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner; and there is not a nation but a warner hath passed among them.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Verily We have sent thee in truth as a bearer of glad tidings and as a warner: and there never was a people without a warner having lived among them (in the past). ³⁹⁰⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It is Allah Who sends the Revelation. While there is warning in it for the heedless, there is good news for those who listen and repent. The warning always came to all peoples before punishment.

And if they give thee the lie - even so gave the lie to the truth [many of] those who lived before their time, [when] there came unto them their apostles with all evidence of the truth, and with books of divine wisdom, and with light-giving revelation;

  - Mohammad Asad

If they disbelieve you, know that their predecessors also disbelieved their Rasools who came to them with clear signs, scriptures and light-giving Book.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

If they deny you, so did those before them. Their messengers came to them with clear proofs, divine Books, and enlightening Scriptures.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 i.e., the Torah, the Gospel, and Psalms.

And if they deny thee: those before them also denied. Their messengers came unto them with clear proofs (of Allah's sovereignty), and with the Psalms and the Scripture giving light.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And if they reject thee so did their predecessors to whom came their apostles with Clear Signs Books of Dark Prophecies and the Book of Enlightenment. ³⁹⁰⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The three things here mentioned are also mentioned in iii. 184, where I have explained the meaning in n. 490. All spiritual teaching centres round the evidences of Allah in our lives, the sublime teaching of Prophets of Allah, and the rules and laws which guide holy living.

[but] in the end I took to task all those who were bent on denying the truth: and how awesome was My rejection!

  - Mohammad Asad

But in the end I seized the disbelievers, and behold, how terrible was My disapproval!

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Then I seized those who persisted in disbelief. How severe was My response!

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then seized I those who disbelieved, and how intense was My abhorrence!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

In the end did I punish those who rejected Faith: and how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)! ³⁹⁰⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xxii. 44 and xxxiv. 45. The rejecters of Allah hardly realise the terrible consequences to them individually and collectively, if Allah's grace is withdrawn from them and they are left to perish in their own sins and wrong-doing.

ART THOU NOT aware that God sends down water from the skies wherehv We bring forth fruits of many hues - just as in the mountains there are streaks of white and red of various shades, as well as [others] raven-black,

  - Mohammad Asad

Do you not see that Allah sends down rain from the sky with which We bring forth fruits of various colors? Similarly, in the mountains there are streaks of various shades including white, red, jet-black rocks.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Do you not see that Allah sends down rain from the sky with which We bring forth fruits of different colours? And in the mountains are streaks of varying shades of white, red, and raven black;

  - Mustafa Khattab

Hast thou not seen that Allah causeth water to fall from the sky, and We produce therewith fruit of divers hues; and among the hills are streaks white and red, of divers hues, and (others) raven black;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Seest thou not that Allah sends down rain from the sky? With it We then bring out produce of various colors. And in the mountains are tracts white and red of various shades of color and black intense in hue. ^{3910 3911}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Everyone can see how Allah's artistry produces from rain the wonderful variety of crops and fruits-golden, green, red, yellow, and showing all the most beautiful tints we can think of. And each undergoes in nature the gradual shading off in its transformation from the raw stage to the stage of maturity.

These wonderful colours and shades of colours are to be found not only in vegetation but in rocks and mineral products. There are the white veins of marble and quartz or of chalk, the red laterite, the blue basaltic rocks, the ink-black flints, and all the variety, shade, and gradation of colours. Speaking of mountains, we think of their "azure hue" from a distance, due to atmospheric effects, and these atmospheric effects lead our thoughts to the glories of clouds, sunsets, the zodiacal light, the aurora borealis, and all kinds of Nature's gorgeous pageantry.

and [as] there are in men, and in crawling beasts, and in cattle, too, many hues?¹⁹ Of all His servants, only such as are endowed with [innate] knowledge²⁰ stand [truly] in awe of God: [for they alone comprehend that,] verily, God is almighty, much-forgiving.

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. 16:13 , where the splendour of nature ("the beauty of many hues") is spoken of as an evidence of God's creative power.

I.e., spiritual knowledge, born of the realization that the phenomena which can be observed do not comprise the whole of reality, inasmuch as there is "a realm beyond the reach of a created being's perception" (cf. surah {2}, note [3]).

Likewise men, beasts and cattle have their different colors. In fact, only those among His servants who possess knowledge fear Allah; surely Allah is All-Mighty, All-Forgiving.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

just as people, living beings, and cattle are of various colours as well. Of all of Allah's servants, only the knowledgeable 'of His might' are 'truly' in awe of Him. Allah is indeed Almighty, All-Forgiving.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And of men and beasts and cattle, in like manner, divers hues? The erudite among His bondsmen fear Allah alone. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Forgiving.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And so amongst men and crawling creatures and cattle are they of various colors. Those truly fear Allah among His Servants who have knowledge: for Allah is Exalted in Might Oft-Forgiving. ^{3912 3913}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In the physical shapes of human and animal life, also, we see variations in shades and gradations of colours of all kinds. But these variations and gradations, marvellous though they be, are as nothing compared with the variations and differences in the inner or spiritual world. See next note.

In outer nature we can, through colours, understand and appreciate the finest shades and gradations. But in the spiritual world that variation or gradation is even more subtle and more comprehensive. Who can truly understand it? Only Allah's servants, who know, i.e., who have the inner knowledge which comes through their acquaintance with the spiritual world,-it is such people who truly appreciate the inner world, and it is they who know that the fear of Allah is the beginning of wisdom. For such fear is akin to appreciation and love,-appreciation of all the marvellous beauties of Allah's outer and inner world ("Allah is Exalted in Might") and love because of His Grace and Kindness ("Oft-Forgiving"). But Allah's forgiveness extends to many who do not truly understand Him.

[It is] they who [truly] follow God's revelation and are constant in prayer, and spend on others, secretly and openly, out of what We provide for them as sustenance-it is they who may look forward to a bargain that can never fail,

  - Mohammad Asad

Surely those who recite the Book of Allah, establish Salah, spend out of what We have given them, secretly and openly, may hope for imperishable gain.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Surely those who recite the Book of Allah, establish prayer, and donate from what We have provided for them- secretly and openly- 'can' hope for an exchange that will never fail,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Lo! those who read the Scripture of Allah, and establish worship, and spend of that which We have bestowed on them secretly and openly, they look forward to imperishable gain,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Those who rehearse the Book of Allah establish regular Prayer and spend (in Charity) out of what We have provided for them secretly and openly hope for a Commerce that will never fail: ^{3914 3915}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The man of God takes Allah's Revelation ("the Book") to heart, ever seeks to get closer and closer to Allah ("regular Prayer"), and in doing so, is moved more and more to practical Charity for his fellow-creatures. He is not ashamed of his Charity ("openly"), but he does not do it to be seen by men ("secretly"): he just does what is necessary for his fellow-creatures, whether people talk about it or not.

Here is a metaphor from commerce. The good man's Charity comes not merely out of superfluities, but out of "what Allah has provided" for him. He therefore recognises two things: (1) that his wealth (literal and metaphorical) is not his absolutely, but that it is given to him by Allah; and (2) that he must deny himself the use of some of it, as a merchant puts by some of his wealth to invest as capital. Only, the godly man's commerce will never fail or fluctuate; because Allah guarantees him the return, and even adds something to the return out of His own Bounty. That is, Allah gives more than ever our merits deserve.

since He will grant them their just rewards, and give them yet more out of His bounty: for, verily, He is much-forgiving, ever-responsive to gratitude.

  - Mohammad Asad

That He may pay them back their full reward and give them even more out of His grace; surely He is Forgiving and Appreciative of His devotees.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

so that He will reward them in full and increase them out of His grace. He is truly All-Forgiving, Most Appreciative.

  - Mustafa Khattab

That He will pay them their wages and Increase them of His grace. Lo! He is Forgiving, Responsive.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

For He will pay them their meed nay He will give them (even) more out of His Bounty; for He is Oft-Forgiving Most Ready to appreciate (service). ^{3916 3917}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

No man is perfect. Everyone has his fault. But when a man tries his best in the service of Allah, his faults are blotted out, and he is treated as if he had committed no faults: "for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, and ready to appreciate service".

Cf. xiv. 5, and n. 2877 for shakur. Allah is ready to recognise, appreciate, and reward the smallest service, without regard to the defects in that service. His gracious acceptance is compared to "gratitude" among men.