Surah 41. Fussilat

WHOEVER does what is just and right, does so for his own good; and whoever does evil, does so to his own hurt: and never does God do the least wrong to His creatures.

  - Mohammad Asad

He who does good deeds, does it for his own soul; and he who commits evil does so at his own peril: Your Rabb is never unjust to His servants.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Whoever does good, it is to their own benefit. And whoever does evil, it is to their own loss. Your Lord is never unjust to 'His' servants.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Whoso doeth right it is for his soul, and whoso doeth wrong it is against it. And thy Lord is not at all a tyrant to His slaves.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Whoever works righteousness benefits his own soul; whoever works evil it is against his own soul: nor is thy Lord ever unjust (in the least) to His servants.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In Him alone is vested the knowledge of when the Last Hour will come. And no fruit bursts forth from its calyx, and no female ever conceives, nor ever gives birth, save with His knowledge. And so, on the Day when He shall call out to them, "Where, now, are those [alleged] partners of Mine?" - they will [surely] answer, "We confess unto Thee that none of us can bear witness [to anyone's having a share in Thy divinity]!"

  - Mohammad Asad

He Alone has the knowledge of the Hour of Doom. No fruit comes out of its sheath, nor does a female conceive, nor she gives birth but with His knowledge. On the Day of Judgement when Allah will ask the unbelievers: "Where are those partners that you associated with Me?" They will answer: "We confess that none of us can vouch for them."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

With Him 'alone' is the knowledge of the Hour. No fruit comes out of its husk, nor does a female conceive or deliver without His knowledge. And 'consider' the Day He will call to them, 'Where are My 'so-called' associate-gods?' They will cry, 'We declare before you that none of us testifies to that 'any longer'.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Unto Him is referred (all) knowledge of the Hour. And no fruits burst forth from their sheaths, and no female carrieth or bringeth forth but with His knowledge. And on the day when He calleth unto them: Where are now My partners? they will say: We confess unto Thee, not one of us is a witness (for them).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

To Him is referred the Knowledge of the Hour (of Judgment: He knows all): no date-fruit comes out of its sheath nor does a female conceive (within her womb) nor bring forth (young) but by His Knowledge. The Day that (Allah) will propound to them the (question) "Where are the partners (ye attributed) to Me?" They will say "We do assure thee not one of us can bear witness!" ^{4519 4520}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

There are profound mysteries which the knowledge of man cannot fathom but which are all open knowledge to Allah, because He plans, guides and controls all things. The precise time of the Hour of Judgment is one of these. We are not to dispute about matters like these, which are matters of speculation as far as human intelligence is concerned. Such speculations ruined the Ummat of Moses, and set them on the arid path of doubts and controversies. Our task is to do our duty and love Allah and man (see the last two verses). Cf. also xxi. 4.

When the final restoration of true values comes, all falsehood will be exposed openly and publicly. The false gods will vanish, and their falsehood will be acknowledged by those who had lapsed from true worship. But it will be too late then for repentance.

And so, all that they were wont to invoke aforetime will have forsaken them; and they shall know for certain that there is no escape for them.

  - Mohammad Asad

Those deities whom they used to invoke will vanish from them and they shall realize that there is no escape.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Whatever 'idols' they used to invoke besides Allah will fail them. And they will realize that they will have no escape.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And those to whom they used to cry of old have failed them, and they perceive they have no place of refuge.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

The (deities) they used to invoke aforetime will leave them in the lurch and they will perceive that they have no way of escape.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

MAN NEVER TIRES of asking for the good [things of life]; and if evil fortune touches him, he abandons all hope,⁴² giving himself up to despair.

  - Mohammad Asad

See note [17] on 11:9 .

Man is never tired of praying for good, but when any evil befalls him, he loses hope and is in despair.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

One never tires of praying for good. And if touched with evil, they become desperate and hopeless.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Man tireth not of praying for good, and if all toucheth him, then he is disheartened, desperate.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Man does not weary of asking for good (things) but if ill touches him he gives up all hope (and) is lost in despair. ⁴⁵²¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Not only is man prone to doubts and speculations in matters beyond his ken, thus disturbing the even tenor of his spiritual life: he is apt to run into opposite extremes in his daily experiences in this life. He is always hankering after the good things of this life. They are not all good for him. If he receives a little check, even though it may be to bring him to his bearings and turn his thoughts to higher things, he is apt to fall into despair.

Yet whenever We let him taste some of Our grace after hardship has visited him, he is sure to say, "This is but my due!" - and, "I do not think that the Last Hour will ever come:⁴³ but if [it should come, and] I should indeed be brought back unto my Sustainer, then, behold, the ultimate good awaits me with Him!⁴⁴ But [on the Day of Judgment] We shall most certainly give those who were bent on denying the truth⁴⁵ full understanding of all that they ever did, and shall most certainly give them [thereby] a taste of suffering severe.⁴⁶

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., man is, as a rule, so blinded by his love of this world that he cannot imagine its ever coming to an end. Implied in this statement is a doubt as to whether there will really be an afterlife, and whether man will really be judged by God on resurrection.

Being fully convinced of his own merit (as expressed in the words, "This is but my due"), he is confident that - in case there should really be a life after death - his own flattering view of himself will be confirmed by God.

I.e., the truth of resurrection and of God's judgment.

I.e., the realization of the spiritual blindness in which they spent their life will in if self be a source of their suffering in the hereafter: cf. 17:72 - "whoever is blind [of heart] in this [worldl will be blind in the life to come [as well]".

And if after affliction We vouchsafe him a favor from Ourself, he is sure to say: "I deserve this, I do not think that the Hour will ever come; and even if I am brought back to my Rabb, I would still get good treatment from Him." The fact, however, is that We shall tell the disbelievers the truth of all that they had done and We shall make them taste a severe punishment.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And if We let them taste a mercy from Us after being touched with adversity, they will certainly say, 'This is what I deserve. I do not think the Hour will 'ever' come. And if in fact I am returned to my Lord, the finest reward with Him will definitely be mine.' But We will surely inform the disbelievers of what they used to do. And We will certainly make them taste a harsh torment.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And verily, if We cause him to taste mercy after some hurt that hath touched him, he will say: This is my own; and I deem not that the Hour will ever rise, and if I am brought back to my Lord, I surely shall be better off with Him--But We verily shall tell those who disbelieve (all) that they did, and We verily shall make them taste hard punishment.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

When We give him a taste of some mercy from Ourselves after some adversity has touched him he is sure to say "This is due to my (merit): I think not that the Hour (of Judgment) will (ever) be established; but if I am brought back to my Lord I have (much) good (stored) in His sight!" But We will show the Unbelievers the truth of all that they did and We shall give them the taste of a severe Penalty. ⁴⁵²²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

When men entertain false ideas of values in life, there are two or three possible attitudes they may adopt in reaction to their experiences. In the first place, their desire may be inordinate for the good things of this life, and any little check brings them into a mood of despair. See last note. In the second place, if their desire is granted, they are puffed up, and think that everything is due to their own cleverness or merit, and they forget Allah. Not only that, but they go a step further, and begin to doubt a Hereafter at all! If by chance they have a faint glimmering of the Hereafter, which they cannot help recognising, they think themselves "favoured of Heaven", because of some small favours given to them in this life by way of trial. Thus they turn all things, good or evil, away from their real purpose, because they are devoted to falsehood.

And, too, when We bestow Our blessings upon man, he tends to turn aside and keep aloof [from remembering Us]; but as soon as evil fortune touches him he is full of wordy prayers!⁴⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "wide [i.e., prolonged or diffuse] prayers".

When We bestow favors on man, he turns away and drifts off to another side; and when an evil befalls him, he comes with lengthy supplications.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

When We show favour to someone, they turn away, acting arrogantly. And when touched with evil, they make endless prayers 'for good'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

When We show favor unto man, he withdraweth and turneth aside, but when ill toucheth him then he aboundeth in prayer.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

When We bestow favors on man he turns away and gets himself remote on his side (instead of coming to Us); and when Evil seizes him (he comes) full of prolonged prayer! ^{4523 4524}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The last verse and note dealt with men's distortion of the values of life. Here we come to men's ingratitude and hypocrisy. If they receive good, they go farther away from Allah, instead of coming nearer to him. If they suffer ill, they call on Allah and offer prolonged prayers, but it is not sincere devotion and therefore worthless.

Cf. xvii. 83. A) An argument is now addressed, of a most searching nature. Examine your own souls. See if you do not really find something unusual in Allah's Revelation! If you do, and yet you reject it, what a terrible responsibility fastens itself on you? Could anything be more foolish or more misguided than to reject a Message which is transforming the whole world? B) 'If you resist the convictions of the whole world, you are only forming a Cave or a narrow obscure sect or schism, which serves no purpose, and is unfit to live in the broad light of Universal Religion.' Cf. ii. 176, n. 176. C) Allah's Truth always spreads, in its own good time, across to the uttermost ends of the earth, as it did in the case of Islam. But its intensive spread in the hearts and souls of people is even more remarkable than its extensive spread over large areas. Men like the four Companions of the Prophet-and many more-became leaders of men and arbiters of the world's fate. Madinah from being a focus of jarring tribes and factions that hated each other, became the seat of heroic actions and plans and the nursery of great and noble heroic deeds that resounded throughout the world. It makes no difference what men may say or do. Allah's Truth must prevail, and He knows who obstruct and who help.

HAVE YOU given thought [to how you will fare] if this be truly [a revelation] from God, the while you deny its truth? Who could be more astray than one who places himself [so] deeply in the wrong?⁴⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

According to Razii, this is an implied allusion to the attitude of people who - as mentioned in verses {4} and {5} of this surah - "turn away" from the message of the Qur'an, saying, as it were: "Our hearts are veiled from whatever thou callest us to, [O Muhammad,] and in our ears is deafness, and between us and thee is a barrier."

O Prophet, ask them: "Have you ever considered: if this Qur'an is really from Allah and you deny it, who can be more astray than you who has gone too far in defying Him?"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Ask 'them, O Prophet', 'Imagine if this 'Quran' is 'truly' from Allah and you deny it: who can be more astray than those who have gone too far in opposition 'to the truth'?'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Bethink you: If it is from Allah and ye reject it--Who is further astray than one who is at open feud (with Allah)?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Say: "See ye if the (Revelation) is (really) from Allah and yet do ye reject it? Who is more astray than one who is in schism far (from any purpose)?"

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In time We shall make them fully understand⁴⁹ Our messages [through what they perceive] in the utmost horizons [of the universe] and within themselves,⁵⁰ so that it will become clear unto them that this [revelation] is indeed the truth. [Still,] is it not enough [for them to know] that thy Sustainer is witness unto everything?⁵¹

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "We will show them" or "make them see".

I.e., through a progressive deepening and widening of their insight into the wonders of the universe as well as through a deeper understanding of man's own psyche - all of which points to the existence of a conscious Creator.

I.e., that He is almighty and all-seeing: a fundamental truth which, by itself, should be enough to remind man of his responsibility before Him.

Soon shall We show them Our signs in the universe and in their own souls, until it becomes clear to them that this Qur'an is indeed the truth. Is it not enough that your Rabb is a witness over everything?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

We will show them Our signs in the universe and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that this 'Quran' is the truth. Is it not enough that your Lord is a Witness over all things?

  - Mustafa Khattab

We shall show them Our portents on the horizons and within themselves until it will be manifest unto them that it is the Truth. Doth not thy Lord suffice, since He is Witness over all things?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Soon will We show them Our Signs in the (furthest) regions (of the earth) and in their own souls until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that thy Lord doth witness all things?

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Oh, verily, they are in doubt as to whether they will meet their Sustainer [on Judgment Day]! Oh, verily, He encompasses everything!

  - Mohammad Asad

Still they are in doubt about meeting their Rabb! Yet it is He Who encompasses everything.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They are truly in doubt of the meeting with their Lord! 'But' He is indeed Fully Aware of everything.

  - Mustafa Khattab

How! Are they still in doubt about the meeting with their Lord? Lo! Is not He surrounding all things?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Ah indeed! are they in doubt concerning the Meeting with their Lord? Ah indeed! it is He that doth encompass all things! ⁴⁵²⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Short-sighted people may like to think that there may be no Judgment. But Judgment is inevitable and cannot be escaped, for Allah "doth encompass all things."