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Surah 55. Ar-Rahman

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55:31
سَنَفْرُغُ لَكُمْ أَيُّهَ ٱلثَّقَلَانِ Sanafrughu lakum ayyuh a a l ththaqal a n i
[ONE DAY] We shall take you to task,13 O you sin-laden two!14
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "We shall apply Ourselves to you".

I.e., "you sin-laden men and women" (see note [4] above). According to an interpretation quoted by Razi the designation thaqalan (the dual form of thaqal, "a thing of weight") signifies that both these categories of human beings are liable to, and therefore burdened with, sinning.

O you, the two burdens (jinns and mankind)! Soon We shall find the time to call you to account.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
We will soon attend to you 'for judgment', O two multitudes 'of jinn and humans'!
  - Mustafa Khattab
We shall dispose of you, O ye two dependents (man and jinn).
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Soon shall We settle your affairs O both ye worlds! 5193
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Thaqal: weight, something weighty, something weighed with something else. The two thaqals are Jinns and men who are burdened with responsibility or, as some commentators hold, with sin. They are both before Allah, and the affairs of both are conducted under His Command. If there are inequalities or apparent disturbances of balance, that is only for a season. Allah gives to both good and evil men a chance in this period of probation; but this period will soon be over, and Judgment will be established. To give you this chance, this probation, this warning, is itself a favour, by which you should profit, and for which you should be grateful.

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55:32
فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ Fabiayyi a l a i rabbikum a tuka thth ib a n i
Which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow?
  - Mohammad Asad
Then, O jinn and men, which of your Rabb’s favors will both of you deny?
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Then which of your Lord's favours will you both deny?
  - Mustafa Khattab
Which is it, of the favors of your Lord, that ye deny?
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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55:33
يَـٰمَعْشَرَ ٱلْجِنِّ وَٱلْإِنسِ إِنِ ٱسْتَطَعْتُمْ أَن تَنفُذُوا۟ مِنْ أَقْطَارِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱنفُذُوا۟ ۚ لَا تَنفُذُونَ إِلَّا بِسُلْطَـٰنٍ Y a maAAshara aljinni wa a linsi ini ista t aAAtum an tanfu th oo min aq ta ri a l ssam a w a ti wa a lar d i fa o nfu th oo l a tanfu th oona ill a bisul ta n in
O you who live in close communion with [evil] invisible beings and humans!15 If you [think that you] can pass beyond the regions of the heavens and the earth,16 pass beyond them! [But] you cannot pass beyond them, save by a sanction [from God]!17
  - Mohammad Asad

For an explanation of this rendering of ma'shar al-jinn wa-'l-ins, see note [112] on the first paragraph of 6:128 .

I.e., in order to escape God's judgment and chastisement.

I.e., "unless He wills to reprieve you": cf. the last paragraph of 6:128 and the corresponding note [114].

O you, the assembly of jinns and men! If you have the power to get away from the boundaries of the heavens and the earth (to escape from His punishment), then get away! You cannot get away except with Our Own authority.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
O assembly of jinn and humans! If you can penetrate beyond the realms of the heavens and the earth, then do so. 'But' you cannot do that without 'Our' authority.
  - Mustafa Khattab
O company of jinn and men, if ye have power to penetrate (all) regions of the heavens and the earth; then penetrate (them)! Ye will never penetrate them save with (Our) sanction.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
O ye assembly of Jinns and men! if it be ye can pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth pass ye! not without authority shall ye be able to pass! 5194
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. vi. 130, where the Jinns and men are addressed collectively. That whole passage, vi. 130-134, should be read as a commentary on this verse. 'If you think that because you do things in secret, or because some of your sins do not seem to meet their inevitable punishment or some of your good deeds seem to go unnoticed, do not be deceived. Judgment will soon come. You cannot possibly escape out of the zones in which your lives have been cast, without authority from Allah. Be grateful to Allah for the chances He has given you'. "All that hath been promised unto you will come to pass: nor can ye frustrate it in the least bit" (vi. 134).

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55:34
فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ Fabiayyi a l a i rabbikum a tuka thth ib a n i
Which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow?
  - Mohammad Asad
Then, O jinn and men, which of your Rabb’s authorities will both of you deny?
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Then which of your Lord's favours will you both deny?
  - Mustafa Khattab
Which is it, of the favors of your Lord, that ye deny?
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny? 5195
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Note how gradually we have been led up in the Argument. 'The Signs of Allah are all about you, in revelation, in your intelligence, and in nature around you. Your creation; the light and heat typified by the sun in all directions; the cycle of waters in the physical earth and of Knowledge in the world of Intelligence; the help and cherishing care of Allah Himself;-all these things should teach you the Truth and warn you about the Future, which is more particularly referred to in the remainder of the Sura.

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55:35
يُرْسَلُ عَلَيْكُمَا شُوَاظٌ مِّن نَّارٍ وَنُحَاسٌ فَلَا تَنتَصِرَانِ Yursalu AAalaykum a shuw a th un min n a rin wanu ha sun fal a tanta s ir a n i
A flash of fire will be let loose upon you, and smoke, and you will be left without succour!
  - Mohammad Asad
The flames of fire and molten brass will be unleashed on you both, jinn and men, and you will not be able to defend yourselves.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Flames of fire and 'molten' copper will be sent against you, and you will not be able to defend one another.
  - Mustafa Khattab
There will be sent, against you both, heat of fire and flash of brass, and ye will not escape.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
On you will be sent (O ye evil ones twain!) a flame of fire (to burn) and a smoke (to choke): No defence will ye have: 5196 5197
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Dual is with reference to the two worlds explained above in n. 5193.

We now come to the terrors of the Judgment on the evil ones.

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55:36
فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ Fabiayyi a l a i rabbikum a tuka thth ib a n i
Which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow?
  - Mohammad Asad
Then, O jinn and men, which of your Rabb’s favors will both of you deny?
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Then which of your Lord's favours will you both deny?
  - Mustafa Khattab
Which is it, of the favors of your Lord, that ye deny?
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny? 5198
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Here and in some of the verses that follow, (verses 40, 42, and 45 below), the refrain applies with an ironical meaning. It is as if it was said: 'You used to laugh at Revelation, and at the warnings which were given for your own benefit in order to draw you to repentance and Allah's Mercy; what do you find now? Is not all that was said to you true?' To reject Allah's Law is in itself to deny Allah's Mercies.

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55:37
فَإِذَا ٱنشَقَّتِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ فَكَانَتْ وَرْدَةً كَٱلدِّهَانِ Fai tha inshaqqati a l ssam a o fak a nat wardatan ka al ddih a n i
And when the sky is rent asunder and becomes red like [burning] oil18 -
  - Mohammad Asad

This is one of several legitimate interpretations of the term dihan (see Tabari); another is "freshly tanned [or "red"] leather" synonymous with adim (Zamakhshari); and yet another, "dregs of olive-oil" (Raghib). All these interpretations have one idea in common - namely, the sudden and surprising change (or changes) of colour to which the sky will be subject at the Last Hour.

When the heaven will burst and will become red like red hide.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
'How horrible will it be' when the heavens will split apart, becoming rose-red like 'burnt' oil!
  - Mustafa Khattab
And when the heaven splitteth asunder and becometh rosy like red hide
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
When the sky is rent asunder and it becomes red like ointment: 5199
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Melting away like grease or ointment. The red colour will be due to the flames and the heat. The whole of the world as we know it now will dissolve.

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55:38
فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ Fabiayyi a l a i rabbikum a tuka thth ib a n i
which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow?
  - Mohammad Asad
Then, O jinn and men, which of your Rabb’s favors will both of you deny?
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Then which of your Lord's favours will you both deny?
  - Mustafa Khattab
Which is it, of the favors of your Lord, that ye deny?
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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55:39
فَيَوْمَئِذٍ لَّا يُسْـَٔلُ عَن ذَنۢبِهِۦٓ إِنسٌ وَلَا جَآنٌّ Fayawmai th in l a yusalu AAan th anbihi insun wal a j a n nun
For on that Day neither man nor invisible being will be asked about his sins.19
  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., the sinners "will find all that they ever wrought [now] facing them" ( 18:49 ), and "their own tongues and hands and feet will bear witness against them by [recalling] all that they did" ( 24:24 ).

On that Day neither man nor jinn will need be asked about his sins.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
On that Day there will be no need for any human or jinn to be asked about their sins.1
  - Mustafa Khattab

 Since their sins are already known to Allah and written in perfect records, they will only be interrogated as a form of punishment.

On that day neither man nor jinn will be questioned of his sin.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
On that day no question will be asked of man or Jinn as to his sin. 5200
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This does not of course mean that they will not be called to account for their sin. They will certainly be called to account for all their deeds: xv. 92. The meaning of this whole passage is that their personal responsibility will be enforced. But their own tongues and hands and feet will bear witness against them as to their actions: xxiv. 24. Every man will bear marks on his person, showing his classification in the Final Account: vii 48. After these Marks are affixed, everyone's position and status in the Final Account will be known to everyone. As to the Judge on the Throne of Judgment, He will of course know all before Judgment is set up. But to give every chance to the accused, his record will be produced and shown to him (lxix. 19, 25, xviii. 49), and he will be given a chance to plead (vii. 53), but if a sinner, he will be in confusion (xxviii. 66).

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55:40
فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ Fabiayyi a l a i rabbikum a tuka thth ib a n i
Which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow?
  - Mohammad Asad
Then, O jinn and men, which of your Rabb’s favors will both of you deny?
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Then which of your Lord's favours will you both deny?
  - Mustafa Khattab
Which is it, of the favors of your Lord, that ye deny?
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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55:41
يُعْرَفُ ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ بِسِيمَـٰهُمْ فَيُؤْخَذُ بِٱلنَّوَٰصِى وَٱلْأَقْدَامِ YuAArafu almujrimoona biseem a hum fayukha th u bi al nnaw as ee wa a laqd a m i
All who were lost in sin shall by their marks be known, and shall by their forelocks and their feet be seized!20
  - Mohammad Asad

This is an allusion to their utter humiliation and disgrace. When the ancient Arabs wanted to stress someone's subjection to another person, they would say, "His forelock is in the hand of so-and-so." (See also {96:15-16} and the corresponding note [8].)

Because the sinners will be recognized by their faces and they shall be seized by their forelocks and their feet.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
The wicked will be recognized by their appearance, then will be seized by 'their' forelocks and feet.
  - Mustafa Khattab
The guilty will be known by their marks, and will he taken by the forelocks and the feet.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
(For) the sinners will be known by their Marks: and they will be seized by their forelocks and their feet. 5201
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

By their Marks: see last note.

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55:42
فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ Fabiayyi a l a i rabbikum a tuka thth ib a n i
Which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow?
  - Mohammad Asad
Then, O jinn and men, which of your Rabb’s favors will both of you deny?
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Then which of your Lord's favours will you both deny?
  - Mustafa Khattab
Which is it, of the favors of your Lord, that ye deny?
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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55:43
هَـٰذِهِۦ جَهَنَّمُ ٱلَّتِى يُكَذِّبُ بِهَا ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ H ath ihi jahannamu allatee yuka thth ibu bih a almujrimoon a
This will be the hell which those who are lost in sin [now] call a lie:
  - Mohammad Asad
It will be said to them: "This is the hell which the culprits denied."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
'They will be told,' 'This is the Hell which the wicked denied.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
This is Hell which the guilty deny.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
This is the Hell which the Sinners deny. 5202
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It will then become too real to them. "Oh! that this too, too solid flesh would melt", as Hamlet said to his Queen-Mother (Hamlet, i. 2. 129).

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55:44
يَطُوفُونَ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَ حَمِيمٍ ءَانٍ Ya t oofoona baynah a wabayna h ameemin a n in
between it and [their own] burning-hot despair will they wander to and fro!21
  - Mohammad Asad

For my rendering of hamim as "burning despair", see note [62] on the last sentence of 6:70 . The allegorical nature of all Qur'anic descriptions of "rewards" and "punishments" in the hereafter is clearly hinted at in the phrasing of the above verse, which speaks of the sinners' "wandering to and fro" between hell and burning despair (baynaha wa-bayna hamim) - i.e., tossed between factual suffering and the despair of vain regrets.

They shall wander to and fro between fire and hot boiling water.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
They will alternate between its flames and scalding water.
  - Mustafa Khattab
They go circling round between it and fierce, boiling water.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
In its midst and in the midst of boiling hot water will they wander round! 5203
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They will apparently have no rest. The fire will burn but not consume them, and their drink will be only boiling water.

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55:45
فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ Fabiayyi a l a i rabbikum a tuka thth ib a n i
Which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow?
  - Mohammad Asad
Then, O jinn and men, which of your Rabb’s warnings will both of you deny?
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Then which of your Lord's favours will you both deny?1
  - Mustafa Khattab

 Warning of the punishment in Hell is listed as a favour just like the promise of the reward in Paradise. Think of this as a road sign: the latter is like a sign about food, gas, etc., and the former is like a cautionary sign about an accident ahead or something hazardous. Both signs benefit people.

Which is it, of the favors of your Lord, that ye deny?
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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