Surah 39. Az-Zumar

Do you not see that Allah sends down rain from the sky- channelling it through streams in the earth- then produces with it crops of various colours, then they dry up and you see them wither, and then He reduces them to chaff? Surely in this is a reminder for people of reason.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Seest thou not that Allah sends down rain from the sky and leads it through springs in the earth? Then He causes to grow therewith produce of various colors: then it withers; thou wilt see it grow yellow; then He makes it dry up and crumble away. Truly in this is a Message of remembrance to men of understanding. ⁴²⁷³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The circuit of water, by which the rain falls from the clouds, is absorbed through the earth, and flows through rivers or underground streams to the sea, where it again rises as vapour and forms clouds, was explained in notes 3111-12 to xxv 53. Here our attention is drawn to one portion of the process. The rain fructifies the soil and the seeds. Produce of various kinds is raised. The harvest ripens and is gathered in. The plants wither, dry up, and crumble away. Men and animals are fed. And the circuit starts again in another season. Here is a Sign of the Grace and Goodness of Allah, clear to those who understand.

Can 'the misguided be like' those whose hearts Allah has opened to Islam, so they are enlightened by their Lord? So woe to those whose hearts are hardened at the remembrance of Allah! It is they who are clearly astray.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Is one whose heart Allah has opened to Islam so that he has received enlightenment from Allah (no better than one hard-hearted)? Woe to those whose hearts are hardened against celebrating the praises of Allah! They are manifestly wandering (in error)! ^{4274 4275}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Those who listen to Allah's Message find at each stage Allah's Grace helping them more and more to expand their spiritual understanding and to receive Allah's light, so that they travel farther and farther to their Goal in the Path of Truth and Righteousness. They are not to be compared to those who shut out Allah's Light from their hearts. See next note.

Just as there is spiritual progress for those who seek Allah, so there is more and more spiritual retrogression for those who close their hearts to Allah. Their hearts get hardened, and they allow less and less Allah's Grace to penetrate within. But it is obvious that they flounder on the Way, and cannot walk with the firm steps of those of assured Faith.

'It is' Allah 'Who' has sent down the best message- a Book of perfect consistency and repeated lessons- which causes the skin 'and hearts' of those who fear their Lord to tremble, then their skin and hearts soften at the mention of 'the mercy of' Allah. That is the guidance of Allah, through which He guides whoever He wills. But whoever Allah leaves to stray will be left with no guide.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Allah has revealed (from time to time) the most beautiful message in the form of a Book consistent with itself (Yet) repeating (its teaching in various aspects): the skins of those who fear their Lord tremble thereat; then their skins and their hearts do soften to the celebration of Allah's praises. Such is the guidance of Allah: He guides therewith whom He pleases but such as Allah leaves to stray can have none to guide. ^{4276 4277 4278 4279}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Is Mutashabih here to be understood in the same sense as in iii. 7? See n. 347. The better opinion is that there is a slightly different shade of meaning here, as suggested by the context. In the earlier passage, it was opposed to Muhkam: here it is contrasted or compared to Mathani. The root meaning is: 'having something similar; working by analogy or allegory, or parable; having its parts consistent with each other'. The last meaning I adopt here. The Qur-an was revealed in parts at different times. And yet its parts all conform to each other. There is no contradiction or inconsistency anywhere.

Mathani: Cf. xv. 87, where we have translated "oft-repeated": "the seven oft- repeated (verses)". See n. 2008 to that passage. Here the meaning is similar, but the context gives a different colour to it, as is seen in the translation.

The skin is the outer integument of the body. It receives the first shock from the impact of anything unusual, and it trembles and its hair stands on end under excitement. So in spiritual matters the first stimulation from Allah's Message is external. Those who receive Faith do it as it were with tremor and not with apathy. But the next stage is that it penetrates their outer nature and goes right into their hearts. Their whole nature is "softened" to receive the beneficent Message, and it transforms them through and through.

"Whom He pleases" and "leaves to stray" are explained fully in n. 2133 to xvi. 93. See also xiv. 4 and n. 1875.

Are those who will only have their 'bare' faces to shield themselves from the awful torment on Judgment Day 'better than those in Paradise'? It will 'then' be said to the wrongdoers: 'Reap what you sowed!'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Is then one who has to fear the brunt of the Penalty on the Day of Judgement (and receive it) on his face (like one guarded therefrom)? It will be said to the wrongdoers: "Taste ye (the fruits of) what ye earned!" ^{4280 4281}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The unrepentant Sinners will receive the full Penalty on the Day of Judgment. They will receive it full in the face, i.e., their whole being will be affected by it. Their hands will be tied, and they cannot therefore use their hands to ward off the Penalty of the Fire: in any case their hands will not have the power to ward it off. Are such helpless people to be compared for a moment with people who have received Grace and are therefore guarded from all harm and danger? Certainly not. To the evil the fruit of their deed, and to the good the grace of their Lord!

That is, of all their misdeeds, all the evil which they did in the world.

Those before them 'also' rejected 'the truth', then the torment came upon them from where they least expected.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Those before them (also) rejected (revelation) and so the Punishment came to them from directions they did not perceive. ⁴²⁸²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xvi. 26. They will be punished from quarters or in ways they do not perceive. From their Unbelief and Rebellion they think they derive great advantages, but they suddenly find out, when too late, that that which they exulted in was the cause of their own undoing.

So Allah made them taste humiliation in this worldly life, but far worse is the punishment of the Hereafter, if only they knew.

  - Mustafa Khattab

So Allah gave them a taste of humiliation in the present life but greater is the Punishment of the Hereafter if they only knew! ⁴²⁸³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. ii. 114. Sin often brings disgrace and humiliation in this life, but the greater and truer punishment is in the Hereafter. But men often do not know the inwardness of this matter. If they flourish here for a time, they think they will escape the real consequences in the Hereafter. Or if they suffer little harm here, they think that will make up the Penalty, and they will escape the Hereafter. Both ideas are wrong.

We have certainly set forth every 'kind of' lesson for people in this Quran, so perhaps they will be mindful.

  - Mustafa Khattab

We have put forth for men in this Qur'an every kind of Parable in order that they may receive admonition. ⁴²⁸⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Men can only understand high spiritual truths by parables and similitudes and these are given abundantly in the Qur-an. The object is, not merely to tell stories, but to teach lessons of spiritual wisdom.

'It is' a Quran 'revealed' in Arabic without any crookedness, so perhaps they will be conscious 'of Allah'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

(It is) a Qur'an in Arabic without any crookedness (therein): in order that they may guard against Evil. ^{4285 4286}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Previous revelations had been in other languages. Now the revelation was given in Arabia in Arabic itself, the language of the country which all could understand. And it is a beautiful language, straight and flexible, and fit to be the vehicle of sublime truths.

See xviii. I and n. 2326. Cf. also vii. 45, n. 1024; and xix. 36, n. 2488.

Allah sets forth the parable of a slave owned by several quarrelsome masters, and a slave owned by only one master. Are they equal in condition?¹ Praise be to Allah! In fact, most of them do not know.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 The slave owned by several quarrelsome masters will always be confused because their masters will always give them conflicting orders—similarly, one who worships multiple gods will never find peace between them. This parable is a logical argument against the existence of multiple gods, since each god would try to covet what it created. See 23:91 for a similar argument.

Allah puts forth a Parable a man belonging to many partners at variance with each other and a man belonging entirely to one master: are those two equal in comparison? Praise be to Allah! But most of them have no knowledge. ^{4287 4288}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The difference between the creed of Polytheism and the Gospel of Unity is explained by the analogy of two men. One belongs to many masters; the masters disagree among themselves, and the poor man of many masters has to suffer from the quarrel of his many masters; it is an impossible and unnatural position. The other serves only one master, his master is good, and does all he can for his servant; the servant can concentrate his attention on his service; he is happy himself and his service is efficiently performed. Can there be any doubt as to (1) which of them is the happier, and (2) which of them is in a more natural position? No man can serve two, still less numerous, masters.

Allah is praised that He has put us, not under gods many and lords many, but has, out of Hiis infinite Mercy, allowed us direct approach to Him, the One, the True, the Eternal.

You 'O Prophet' will certainly die, and they will die too.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Truly thou wilt die (one day) and truly they (too) will die (one day). ⁴²⁸⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Even the prophets are not exempt from bodily death, much less the righteous, but they live in their beneficent work and the memories they leave behind them. All men have to die, good and bad alike. But there is a life after death, and in that life all the unexplained things about which people dispute in this world will be made clear in the presence of Allah.

Then on the Day of Judgment you will 'all settle your' dispute before your Lord.

  - Mustafa Khattab

In the end will ye (all) on the Day of Judgement settle your disputes in the presence of your Lord. ⁴²⁹⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

See last note.

Who then does more wrong than those who lie about Allah and reject the truth after it has reached them? Is Hell not a 'fitting' home for the disbelievers?

  - Mustafa Khattab

Who then doth more wrong than one who utters a lie concerning Allah and rejects the truth when it comes to him? Is there not in Hell an abode for blasphemers? ^{4291 4292}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

When the creature deliberately adopts and utters falsehoods against his own Creator, in spite of the Truth being brought, as it were, to his very door by Allah's Signs, what offence can we imagine more heinous than this? In Christian theology this is the blasphemy "against the Holy Ghost" spoken of in Matt. xii. 31-32: "whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man", (Christ), "it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come".

Cf. iii. 151; xvi. 29.

And the one who has brought the truth and those who embrace it- it is they who are the righteous.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And he who brings the Truth and he who confirms (and supports) it such are the men who do right. ⁴²⁹³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This is true of the Prophet, and all Prophets of God and all righteous persons. Any one who preaches the Truth and brings home Allah's Signs to men is performing the duty of a right and noble life. In this he confirms the teaching of all previous Prophets of Allah. Any one who supports and confirms such a teacher is also doing his duty and on the right way.

They will have whatever they desire with their Lord. That is the reward of the good-doers.

  - Mustafa Khattab

They shall have all that they wish for in the presence of their Lord: such is the reward of those who do good: ⁴²⁹⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

At that stage their wills will have been purified. If an earthly king gives a decoration, how much greater is the honour when the investiture takes place by the king himself personally?

As such, Allah will absolve them of 'even' the worst of what they did and reward them according to the best of what they used to do.

  - Mustafa Khattab

So that Allah will turn off from them (even) the worst in their deeds and give them their reward according to the best of what they have done. ⁴²⁹⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The conjunction (lam in Arabic, translated "so that") indicates here the results, not the purpose. Allah's Reward is so bounteous, that if we truly and sincerely put our will into His keeping, He will remove the consequences not only of our minor faults but of the worst of our sins, and judge us according to the very best of our deeds.