Surah 37. As-Saffat

For the like of this, then, let them labour, those who labour [in God's way]!

  - Mohammad Asad

For such an end, let every one strive who wish to strive.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

For the like of this, then, let the workers work.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Is such [a paradise] the better welcome - or the [hellish] tree of deadly fruit?²²

  - Mohammad Asad

According to the lexicographers, the noun zaqqum (which occurs, apart from the present instance, in 44:43 and in 56:52 as well) denotes any "deadly food"; hence, the expression shajarat az-zaqqukm, a symbol of hell, may be appropriately rendered as "the tree of deadly fruit" (undoubtedly identical with "the tree cursed in this Qur'an", mentioned in 17:60 ), symbolizing the fact that the otherworldly sufferings which the Qur'an describes as "hell" are but the fruit - i.e., organic consequence - of one's evil deeds done on earth.

Is this a better entertainment or the tree of Zaqqum?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Is this better as a welcome, or the tree of Zaqqam?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Verily, We have caused it to be a trial for evildoers:²³

  - Mohammad Asad

It cannot be often enough repeated that all Qur'anic references to hell and paradise - and, for that matter, all descriptions of men's conditions in the hereafter - are, of necessity, highly allegorical (see Appendix I) and therefore liable to be grossly misunderstood if one takes them in their literal sense or, conversely, interprets them in an arbitrary manner (cf. 3:7 and the corresponding notes [5], [7] and [8]): and this, to my mind, explains why the symbol of the "tree of deadly fruit" - one of the metonyms for the suffering of the sinners in the hereafter - has become "a trial (fitnah) for evildoers" (or "for men" in 17:60 ). See in this connection 74:31 , which is the earliest Qur'anic instance of this concept of "trial".

Surely We have made this tree a trial for the wrongdoers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! We have appointed it a torment for wrong-doers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

for, behold, it is a tree that grows in the very heart of the blazing fire [of hell],

  - Mohammad Asad

Surely it is a tree that grows in the bottom of the hellfire,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! it is a tree that springeth in the heart of hell

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

its fruit [as repulsive] as satans' heads;²⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

According to Zamakhsharl, "this purely verbal metaphor (isti'arah lafziyyah) is meant to express the ultimate in repulsiveness and ugliness ... inasmuch as Satan is considered to be the epitome of all that is evil".

bearing fruits as if they were heads of shaitans,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Its crop is as it were the heads of devils

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and they [who are lost in evil] are indeed bound to eat thereof, and to fill their bellies therewith.

  - Mohammad Asad

on it they shall feed and with it they shall fill their bellies.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And lo! they verily must eat thereof, and fill (their) bellies therewith.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And, behold, above all this they will be confounded with burning des-pair!²⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "and upon it, behold, they will have an admixture [or "confusion"] of hamim". (For my rendering of the last term as "burning despair", see surah {6}, note [62].)

Then on top of that, they will be given a concoction made from boiling water.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And afterward, lo! thereupon they have a drink of boiling water

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And once again:²⁶ Verily, the blazing fire is their ultimate goal -

  - Mohammad Asad

See surah {6}, note [31].

Then to hellfire they shall be returned.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And afterward, lo! their return is surely unto hell.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

for, behold, they found their forebears on a wrong way,

  - Mohammad Asad

In fact, they found their fathers on the wrong path,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They indeed found their fathers astray,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and [now] they make haste to follow in their footsteps!²⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., blind imitation (taqlid) of the - obviously absurd - beliefs, valuations and customs of one's erring predecessors, and disregard of all evidence of the truth supplied by both reason and divine revelation, is here shown to be the principal cause of the suffering referred to in the preceding passage (Zamakhshari).

and they are eagerly following their footsteps.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But they make haste (to follow) in their footsteps.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Thus, indeed, most of the people of old went astray before them,

  - Mohammad Asad

Most of the ancient went astray before them,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And verily most of the men of old went astray before them,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

although, verily, We had sent warners unto them:

  - Mohammad Asad

though We had sent Warners towards them.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And verily We sent among them warners.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and behold what happened in the end to those that had been warned [to no avail]!

  - Mohammad Asad

See what was the end of those who had been forewarned: they all perished,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Then see the nature of the consequence for those warned,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

EXCEPT for God's true servants, [most people are apt to go astray].²⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

Sc., "and are, therefore, in need of prophetic guidance": which explains the subsequent mention of stories relating to several of the prophets. The story of Noah, which is briefly referred to here, appears in greater detail in {11:25-48}.

except the sincere devotees of Allah.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Save single-minded slaves of Allah.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And, indeed, [it was for this reason that] Noah cried unto Us - and how excellent was Our response:

  - Mohammad Asad

Nuh prayed to Us; see how excellent was Our response to his prayer!

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And Noah verily prayed unto Us, and gracious was the Hearer of his prayer

  - Marmaduke Pickthall