Surah 46. Al-Ahqaf

And yet, We had established them securely in a manner in which We have never established you, people of later times;]²⁹ and We had endowed them with hearing, and sight, and [knowledgeable] hearts:³⁰ but neither their hearing, nor their sight, nor their hearts were of the least avail to them, seeing that they went on rejecting God's messages; and [in the end] they were overwhelmed³¹ by the very thing which they had been wont to deride.

  - Mohammad Asad

This relates in the first instance to the pagan contemporaries of the Prophet, but applies to later generations as well. - The tribe of 'Ad were the unchallenged lords in the vast region in which they lived (cf. 89:8 - "the like of whom has never been reared in all the land"). Moreover, the social conditions of their time were so simple and so free of the many uncertainties and dangers which beset people of higher civilizations that they could be regarded as more "securely established" on earth than people of later, more complex times.

I.e., intellect and feeling, both of which are comprised in the noun fu'ad.

Lit.. "enfolded".

We had established them much better than We have established you, O Qureysh of Makkah, and endowed them with the faculties of hearing, seeing, and intellect. Yet their faculties of hearing, sight and intellect avail them nothing since they denied the revelations of Allah; and they were completely hemmed in by the same thing that they used to mock at.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And verily We bad empowered them with that where with We have not empowered you, and had assigned them ears and eyes and hearts; but their ears and eyes and hearts availed them naught since they denied the revelations of Allah; and what they used to mock befell them.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Thus have We destroyed many a [sinful] community living round about you;³² and yet, [before destroying them,] We had given many facets to [Our warning] messages, so that they might turn back [from their evil ways].

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., "close to you in space as well as in time". In its wider sense, this phrase denotes "all the rest of the world".

We have destroyed the towns which were once flourished around you - and We repeatedly sent them Our revelations so that they may turn to the Right Way.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And verily We have destroyed townships round about you, and displayed (for them) Our revelation, that haply they might return.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But, then, did those [beings] whom they had chosen to worship as deities beside God, hoping that they would bring them nearer [to Him],³³ help them [in the end]? Nay, they forsook them: for that [alleged divinity] was but an outcome of their self-delusion and all their false imagery.³⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

This clause gives the meaning of the expression qurbanan, which contains an allusion not merely to false deities but also to the deification of saints,living or dead, who allegedly act as mediators between man and the transcendental Supreme Being.

Lit., "that was their lie and all that they were wont to invent .

- Then Why did not those whom they worshipped besides Allah helped them who they regarded as a means of attaining nearness to Him? But those deities utterly forsake them, because those were nothing but their lies and their false inventions.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Then why did those whom they had chosen for gods as a way of approach (unto Allah) not help them? Nay, but they did fail them utterly. And (all) that was their lie, and what they used to invent.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND Lo!³⁵ We caused a group of unseen beings to incline towards thee, [O Muhammad,]³⁶ so that they might give ear to the Qur'an; and so, as soon as they became aware of it,³⁷ they said [unto one another], "Listen in silence!" And when [the recitation] was ended, they returned to their people as warners.³⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

See surah {2}, note [21]. The connection between this passage and the preceding one apparently lies in the fact that whereas "those who are lost in sin" (of whom the tribe of 'Ad is given as an example) refuse to heed God's messages, the "unseen beings" spoken of in the sequence immediately perceived their truth and accepted them.

The term nafar signifies a group of more than three and up to ten persons. The occurrence mentioned in this passage - said to have taken place in the small oasis of Nakhlah, on the way leading from Mecca to Ta'if (Tabari) - is evidently identical with that described in {72:1-15}; for a tentative explanation, see note [1] on 72:1 .

Lit., "as soon as they attended to it", i.e., to its recitation by the Prophet.

I.e., as preachers of the Qur'anic creed. The expression "as warners" connects with the preceding references to "warning messages".

Tell them how We brought to you a group of jinns, who when they reached the place where you were reciting and listened to the Qur'an, said to each other: "Be silent." When the recitation was over, they returned to their people as warners.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And when We inclined toward thee (Muhammad) certain of the Jinn, who wished to hear the Qur'an and, when they were in its presence, said: Give ear! and, when it was finished, turned back to their people, warning.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

They said: "O our people! Behold, we have been listening to a revelation bestowed from on high after [that of] Moses, confirming the truth of whatever there still remains [of the Torah]:³⁹ it guides towards the truth, and onto a straight way.

  - Mohammad Asad

For an explanation of this rendering of the phrase ma bayna yadayhi, see surah {3}, note [3]. - As pointed out in note [1] on 72:1 , this reference to the Qur'an as revealed "after Moses", omitting any mention of Jesus, seems to indicate that the speakers were followers of the Jewish faith; hence my interpolation of the words "of the Torah".

They said "O our people! We have just listened to a Book that has been revealed after Musa which is confirming that what came before it, and it guides to the truth and to the Right Way.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They said: O our people! Lo! we have heard a Scripture which hath been revealed after Moses, confirming that which was before it, guiding unto the truth and a right road.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"O our people! Respond to God's call, and have faith in Him: He will forgive you [whatever is past] of your sins, and deliver you from grievous suffering [in the life to come].

  - Mohammad Asad

O our people, answer the one who is calling you towards Allah and believe in him! Allah will forgive you your sins and save you from a painful punishment.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O our people! respond to Allah's summoner and believe in Him. He will forgive you some of your sins and guard you from a painful doom.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But he who does not respond to God's call can never elude [Him] on earth, nor can he have any protector against Him [in the life to come]: all such are most obviously lost in error."⁴⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

See note [11] on 72:15 .

He that does not answer the one who is calling towards Allah, shall neither escape in the earth, nor shall have any to protect from Him. Surely such people are in manifest error."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And whoso respondeth not to Allah's summoner he can nowise escape in the earth, and ye (can find) no protecting friends instead of Him. Such are in error manifest.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

ARE, THEN, they [who deny the life to come] not aware that God, who has created the heavens and the earth and never been wearied by their creation,⁴¹ has [also] the power to bring the dead back to life? Yea, verily, He has the power to will anything!

  - Mohammad Asad

This is apparently an allusion to the Qur'anic doctrine that God's creative activity is continuous and unending.

Do they not see that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth and was not wearied by their creation, has the power to raise the dead to life? Why not! Surely He has the power over everything.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Have they not seen that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth and was not wearied by their creation, is Able to give life to the dead? Aye, He verily is Able to do all things.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And so, on the Day when those who were bent on denying the truth will be brought within sight of the fire [and will be asked], "Is not this the truth?" - they will answer, "Yea, by Our Sustainer!" [And] He will say: "Taste, then, this suffering as an outcome of your denial of the truth!"

  - Mohammad Asad

On the Day when the unbelievers will be brought before the fire, Allah will ask: "Is this not real?" "Yes, by our Rabb!" They will answer. "Well, then taste the punishment now," Will He reply, "in consequence of your disbelieve."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And on the day when those who disbelieve are exposed to the Fire (they will be asked): Is not this real? They will say: Yea, by our Lord. He will say: Then taste the doom for that ye disbelieved. .

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

REMAIN, then, [O believer,] patient in adversity, just as all of the apostles, endowed with firmness of heart, bore themselves with patience. And do not ask for a speedy doom of those [who still deny the truth]: on the Day when they see [the fulfilment of] what they were promised,⁴² [it will seem to them] as though they had dwelt [on earth] no longer than one hour of [an earthly] day!⁴³ [This is Our] message. Will, then, any be [really] destroyed save iniquitous folk?⁴⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., the reality of life after death.

In this parabolic manner the Qur'an points to the illusory concept of "time" as experienced by the human mind - a concept which has no bearing on the ultimate reality to be unfolded in the hereafter.

Cf. the last sentence of 6:47 and the corresponding note [37].

Therefore, bear with them with patience, as did the Rasools endowed with firmness of purpose before you, and do not be in haste about them. On the Day when they shall see that which they are being threatened with, their life on earth will seem to them as if they had lived no more than an hour of a day. The Message of forewarning has been conveyed. Shall any be destroyed except the transgressors?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Then have patience (O Muhammad) even as the stout of heart among the messengers (of old) had patience, and seek not to hasten on the doom for them. On the day when they see that which they are promised (it will seem to them) as though they had tarried but an hour of daylight. A clear message. Shall any be destroyed save evil living folk?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall