Surah 57. Al-Hadid

IS IT NOT time that the hearts of all who have attained to faith should feel humble at the remembrance of God and of all the truth that has been bestowed [on them] from on high,²² lest they become like those who were granted revelation aforetime,²³ and whose hearts have hardened with the passing of time so that many of them are [now] depraved?²⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., "Should not the remembrance of God and His revelation make them humble rather than proud?" This is an emphatic warning against all smugness, self-righteousness and false pride at having "attained to faith" - a failing which only too often attains to such as consider themselves "pious".

This is apparently an allusion to the spiritually arrogant among the Jews, who regard themselves as "God's chosen people" and, therefore, as predestined for His acceptance.

I.e., so that now they act contrary to the ethical precepts of their religion: implying that the purpose of all true faith is to make man humble and God-conscious rather than self-satisfied, and that a loss of that spiritual humility invariably results in moral degeneration.

Has not the time arrived for the believers to submit with fervent hearts to Allah's warning and to the truth He has revealed, so that they may not become like those who were given the Book before this, even though their term was prolonged for them but their hearts became hardened? Today most among them are transgressors.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Is not the time ripe for the hearts of those who believe to submit to Allah's reminder and to the truth which is revealed, that they become not as those who received the Scripture of old but the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened, and many of them are evil-livers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[But] know that God gives life to the earth after it has been lifeless!²⁵ We have indeed made Our messages clear unto you, so that you might use your reason.

  - Mohammad Asad

According to most of the commentators - and, particularly, Zamakhshari, Razi and Ibn Kathir - this is a parabolic allusion to the effect of a re-awakening of God-consciousness in hearts that had become deadened by self-satisfaction and false pride.

You should know that Allah restores the earth to life after its death. We have spelled out Our revelations for you, so that you may understand.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Know that Allah quickeneth the earth after its death. We have made clear Our revelations for you, that haply ye may understand.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Verily, as for the men and women who accept the truth as true,²⁶ and who [thus] offer up unto God a goodly loan, they will be amply repaid,²⁷ and shall have a noble reward [in the life to come].

  - Mohammad Asad

Or: "who give in charity" - depending on the vocalization of the consonants sad and dal. In view of the sequence, the sense given in my rendering seems preferable (and is, indeed, stressed by Zamakhshari), although in the reading of Hafs ibn Sulayman al-Asadi, on which this translation is based, the relevant nouns appear in the spelling mussaddiqin and mussaddiqat, "men and women who give in charity".

See verse {11} above.

Surely the charitable men and the charitable women, and those who give a goodly loan to Allah, shall be repaid manifold, and also be given a liberal reward besides it.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! those who give alms, both men and women, and lend unto Allah a goodly loan, it will be doubled for them, and theirs will be a rich reward.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

For, they who have attained to faith in God and His Apostle - it is they, they who uphold the truth, and they who bear witness [thereto] before God:²⁸ [and so] they shall have their reward and their light! But as for those who are bent on denying the truth and on giving the lie to Our messages - it is they who are destined for the blazing fire!

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., by their readiness for any sacrifice.

Those who believe in Allah and His Rasool, they are the truthful and the true witnesses in the sight of their Rabb; they shall have their reward and their light. But those who disbelieve and reject Our revelations; they shall be the inmates of hellfire.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And those who believe in Allah and His messengers, they are the loyal; and the martyrs are with their Lord; they have their reward and their light; while as for those who disbelieve and deny Our revelations, they are owners of hell fire.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

KNOW [O men] that the life of this world is but a play and a passing delight, and a beautiful show, and [the cause of] your boastful vying with one another, and [of your] greed for more and more riches and children.²⁹ Its parable is that of³⁰ [life-giving] rain: the herbage which it causes to grow delights the tillers of the soil;³¹ but then it withers, and thou canst see it turn yellow; and in the end it crumbles into dust. But [the abiding truth of man's condition will become fully apparent] in the life to come: [either] suffering severe, or³² God's forgiveness and His goodly acceptance: for the life of this world is nothing but an enjoyment of self-delusion.

  - Mohammad Asad

Commenting at length on this passage, Razi makes it clear that life as such is not to be despised, inasmuch as it has been created by God: cf. 38:27 - "We have not created heaven and earth and all that is between them without meaning and purpose"; and 23:115 - "Did you think that We have created you in mere idle play?" But whereas life in itself is a positive gift of God and - as Razi points out - the potential source of all blessings, it loses this positive quality if it is indulged in recklessly, blindly and with disregard of spiritual values and considerations: in brief, if it is indulged in without any thought of the hereafter.

Lit., "[It is] like the parable of...", etc.

This is the sole instance in the Qur'an where the participial noun kafir (in its plural form kuffar) has its original meaning of "tiller of the soil". For the etymology of this meaning, see note [4] on 74:10 , where the term kafir (in the sense of "denier of the truth") appears for the first time in the sequence of Qur'anic revelation.

According to Tabari, the conjunction wa has here the meaning of aw ("or").

You should know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, a show and boasting among yourselves, a quest for greater riches and more children. Its similitude is that of vegetation that flourish after rain: the growth of which delights the tillers, then it withers and you see it turn yellow, soon it becomes dry and crumbles away. In the hereafter there will be either severe punishment or forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure. The life of this world is nothing but an illusion.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Know that the life of this world is only play, and idle talk, and pageantry, and boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the growth is pleasing to the husbandman, but afterward it drieth up and thou seest it turning yellow then it becometh straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous punishment, and (also) forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure, whereas the life of the world is but matter of illusion.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[Hence,] vie with one another in seeking to attain to your Sustainer's forgiveness,³³ and [thus] to a paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth, which has been readied for those who have attained to faith in God and His Apostle:³⁴ such is the bounty of God which He grants unto whomever He wills - for God is limitless in His great bounty.

  - Mohammad Asad

Sc., "rather than in striving for glory and worldly possessions": implying elliptically that no man is free from faults and transgressions, and hence everyone is in need of God's forgiveness. (Cf. note [41] on 24:31 .)

For a further qualification of the humility which characterizes true believers, see {3:133-135}.

Therefore, hastenly strive for the forgiveness of your Rabb and for the paradise which is as vast as the heaven and the earth, prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Rasools. Such is the grace of Allah, which He bestows on whom He pleases, and Allah is the Owner of mighty grace.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Race one with another for forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden whereof the breadth is as the breadth of the heavens and the earth, which is in store for those who believe in Allah and His messengers. Such is the bounty of Allah, which He bestoweth upon whom He will, and Allah is of infinite bounty.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

NO CALAMITY can ever befall the earth, and neither your own selves,³⁵ unless it be [laid down] in Our decree before We bring it into being: verily, all this,³⁶ is easy for God.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., "the earth or mankind as a whole, or any of you individually": an allusion to natural as well as man-made catastrophes, and to individual suffering through illness, moral or material deprivation, etc.

I.e., God's decreeing an event and bringing it into being.

No affliction can happen on earth nor to your souls, which is not recorded in a Book, before We bring it into existence; surely that is easy for Allah.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Naught of disaster befalleth in the earth or in yourselves but it is in a Book before We bring it into being--Lo! that is easy for Allah--

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[Know this,] so that you may not despair over whatever [good] has escaped you nor exult [unduly] over whatever [good] has come to you:³⁷ for, God does not love any of those who, out of self-conceit, act in a boastful manner³⁸ -

  - Mohammad Asad

Thus, the knowledge that whatever has happened had to happen - and could not have not happened - because, obviously, it had been willed by God in accordance with His unfathomable plan, ought to enable a true believer to react with conscious equanimity to whatever good or ill comes to him.

I.e., attributing their good fortune to their own merit or "luck".

This is done so that you may not grieve for the things that you miss, or be overjoyed at what you gain; for Allah does not love any vainglorious boaster,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

That ye grieve not for the sake of that which hath escaped you, nor yet exult because of that which hath been given. Allah loveth not all prideful boasters,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

those who are niggardly [with God's bounty] and bid others to be niggardly!³⁹ And he who turns his back [on this truth⁴⁰ ought to know that], verily, God alone is self-sufficient, the One to whom all praise is due!

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. last sentence of 4:36 and the whole of verse {37}.

I.e., does not want to admit that whatever has happened must have been willed by God.

nor those who, being stingy themselves, enjoin others to be stingy also. He that gives no heed should know that Allah is free of all needs, worthy of all praises.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Who hoard and who enjoin upon the people avarice. And whosoever turneth away, still Allah is the Absolute, the Owner of Praise.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Indeed, [even aforetime] did We send forth Our apostles with all evidence of [this] truth; and through them⁴¹ We bestowed revelation from on high, and [thus gave you] a balance [wherewith to weigh right and wrong], so that men might behave with equity; and We bestowed [upon you] from on high [the ability to make use of] iron, in which there is awesome power as well as [a source of] benefits for man:⁴² and [all this was given to you] so that God might mark out those who would stand up for him and His Apostle,⁴³ even though He [Himself] is beyond the reach of human perception.⁴⁴ Verily, God is powerful, almighty!

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "with them".

Side by side with enabling man to discriminate between right and wrong (which is the innermost purpose of all divine revelation), God has endowed him with the ability to convert to his use the natural resources of his earthly environment. An outstanding symbol of this ability is man's skill, unique among all animated beings, in making tools; and the primary material for all tool-making - and, indeed, for all human technology - is iron: the one metal which is found abundantly on earth, and which can be utilized for beneficial as well as destructive ends. The "awesome power" (ba's shadid) inherent in iron manifests itself not merely in the manufacture of weapons of war but also, more subtly, in man's every-growing tendency to foster the development of an increasingly complicated technology which places the machine in the foreground of all human existence and which, by its inherent - almost irresistible - dynamism, gradually estranges man from all inner connection with nature. This process of growing mechanization, so evident in our modern life, jeopardizes the very structure of human society and, thus, contributes to a gradual dissolution of all moral and spiritual perceptions epitomized in the concept of "divine guidance". It is to warn man of this danger that the Qur'an stresses - symbolically and metonymically - the potential evil (ba's) of "iron" if it is put to wrong use: in other words, the danger of man's allowing his technological ingenuity to run wild and thus to overwhelm his spiritual consciousness and, ultimately, to destroy all possibility of individual and social happiness.

Lit., "those who succour Him and His Apostle", i.e., those who stand up for the cause of God and His Apostle. The meaning is that only they who put God's spiritual and material gifts to right use can be described as "true believers".

See note [3] on 2:3 .

Surely We sent Our Rasools with clear signs, and sent down with them the Book and the Scales of Justice, so that men may conduct themselves with fairness. We also sent down Iron, with its mighty strength and diverse uses for mankind, so that Allah may know those who will help Him, though unseen, and help His Rasools. Surely Allah is All-Powerful, All-Mighty.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

We verily sent Our messengers with clear proofs, and revealed with them the Scripture and the Balance, that mankind may observe right measure; and He revealed iron, wherein is mighty power and (many) uses for mankind, and that Allah may know him who helpeth Him and His messengers, though unseen. Lo! Allah is Strong, Almighty.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And, indeed, [to the same end⁴⁵] We sent forth Noah and Abraham [as Our message-bearers], and established prophethood and revelation among their descendants; and some of them were on the right way, but many were iniquitous.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., to give man a balance wherewith to weigh right and wrong, and so to enable him to behave with equity (see preceding verse).

We sent Nuh (Noah) and Ibrahim (Abraham), and bestowed among their descendants Prophethood and the Book. Some of them adopted the right guidance, but most of them were transgressors.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And We verily sent Noah and Abraham and placed the Prophethood and the Scripture among their seed, and among them there is he who goeth right, but many of them are evil-livers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And thereupon We caused [other of] Our apostles to follow in their footsteps; and [in the course of time] We caused them to be followed by Jesus, the son of Mary, upon whom We bestowed the Gospel;⁴⁶ and in the hearts of those who [truly] followed him We engendered compassion and mercy. But as for monastic asceticism⁴⁷ - We did not enjoin it upon them: they invented it themselves out of a desire for God's goodly acceptance.⁴⁸ But then, they did not [always] observe it as it ought to have been observed:⁴⁹ and so We granted their recompense unto such of them as had [truly] attained to faith, whereas many of them became iniquitous.⁵⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

See surah {3}, note [4].

The term rahbaniyyah combines the concepts of monastic life with an exaggerated asceticism, often amounting to a denial of any value in the life of this world - an attitude characteristic of early Christianity but disapproved of in Islam (cf. 2:143 - "We have willed you to be a community of the middle way" - and the corresponding note [118]).

Or: "they invented it themselves, [for] We did not enjoin it upon them: [We enjoined upon them] only the seeking of God's goodly acceptance". Both these interpretations are equally legitimate, and are accepted as such by most of the classical commentators. The rendering adopted by me corresponds to the interpretation given by Sa'id ibn Jubayr and Qatadah (both of them cited by Tabari and Ibn Kathir).

I.e., not all of them observed it in the right spirit (Tabari, Zamakhshari, Ibn Kathir), inasmuch as in the course of time many of them - or, rather, many of those who came after the early ascetics (Tabari) - corrupted their devotions by accepting the ideas of Trinity and of God's incarnation in Jesus, and by lapsing into empty formalism (Razi).

Sc., "and were deprived of Our grace".

After them We sent other Rasools, one after the other, and followed them with Isa (Jesus) the son of Maryam. We gave him The Injeel (Gospel), and put compassion and mercy into the hearts of his followers. As for monasticism, they instituted it themselves - for We did not enjoin it on them - in order to seek the good pleasure of Allah, but they did not observe it as it should have been observed. Yet We rewarded those among them who were true believers, but most of them are transgressors.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Then We caused Our messengers to follow in their footsteps; and We caused Jesus, son of Mary, to follow, and gave him the Gospel, and placed compassion and mercy in the hearts of those who followed him. But monasticism they invented. We ordained it not for them. Only seeking Allah's pleasure, and they observed it not with right observance. So We give those of them who believe their reward, but many of them are evil-livers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

O YOU who have attained to faith!⁵¹ Remain conscious of God, and believe in His Apostle, [and] He will grant you doubly of His grace, and will light for you a light wherein you shall walk, and will forgive you [your past sins]: for God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.

  - Mohammad Asad

As is evident from the preceding passage as well as from verse {29}, the people thus addressed are the followers of earlier revelation (ahl al-kitab), and in particular the true - i.e., unitarian - followers of Jesus.

O believers! Fear Allah and believe in His Rasool (Muhammad, peace be upon him). He will grant you a double share of His mercy, provide for you a light to walk with and forgive you your sins. Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O ye who believe! Be mindful of your duty to Allah and put faith in His messenger. He will give you twofold of His mercy and will appoint for you a light wherein ye shall walk, and will forgive you. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And the followers of earlier revelation should know⁵² that they have no power whatever over any of God's bounty,⁵³ seeing that all bounty is in God's hand [alone]: He grants it unto whomever He wills for God is limitless in His great bounty.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "so that the followers of earlier revelation [i.e., the Bible] may know".

I.e., that they have no exclusive claim to any of God's bounty - which latter term relates, in the present context, to a bestowal of divine revelation. This is addressed in the first instance to the Jews, who reject the revelation granted to Muhammad in the belief that the office of prophethood is an exclusive "preserve" of the children of Israel, as well as to the Christians who, as followers of the Bible, implicitly accept this unwarranted claim.

You should adopt this way so that the people of the Book may know that they do not have the sole right to the grace of Allah, and that His grace is entirely in His own hands, which He bestows on whomever He wills: and Allah is the Owner of mighty grace.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

That the People of the Scripture may know that they control naught of the bounty of Allah, but that the bounty is in Allah's hand to give to whom He will. And Allah is of infinite bounty.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall