Surah 85. Al-Buruj

a sovereign doer of whatever He wills.

  - Mohammad Asad

and the executor of His own will.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Doer of what He will.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

HAS IT ever come within thy ken, the story of the [sinful] hosts

  - Mohammad Asad

Have you not heard the story of the warriors

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Hath there come unto thee the story of the hosts

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

of Pharaoh, and of [the tribe of] Thamud?⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

Sc., "both of which were destroyed because of their sins". The story of Pharaoh and his forces, and their destruction by drowning, is referred to many times in the Qur'an; for the story of the Thamud see, in particular, 7:73 ff. and the corresponding notes [56-62].

of Fir'on (Pharaoh) and of Thamud?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Of Pharaoh and (the tribe of) Thamud?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And yet, they who are bent on denying the truth persist in giving it the lie:

  - Mohammad Asad

Yet the unbelievers persist in denying the truth,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Nay, but those who disbelieve live in denial

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

but all the while God encompasses them [with His knowledge and might] without their being aware of it.¹⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "from behind them", an idiomatic phrase denoting a happening imperceptible to those whom it closely concerns.

although Allah has encircled them from all around.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And Allah, all unseen, surroundeth them.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Nay, but this [divine writ which they reject] is a discourse sublime,

  - Mohammad Asad

Surely this is a Glorious Qur'an,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Nay, but it is a glorious Qur'an

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

upon an imperishable tablet [inscribed].¹¹

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "upon a well-guarded tablet (lawh mahfuz)" - a description of the Qur'an to be found only in this one instance. Although some commentators take it in its literal sense and understand by it an actual "heavenly tablet" upon which the Qur'an is inscribed since all eternity, to many others the phrase has always had a metaphorical meaning: namely, an allusion to the imperishable quality of this divine writ. This interpretation is pointedly mentioned as justified by, e.g., Tabari, Baghawi, Razi or Ibn Kathir, all of whom agree that the phrase "upon a well-guarded tablet" relates to God's promise that the Qur'an would never be corrupted, and would remain free of all arbitrary additions, diminutions and textual changes. See in this connection also 15:9 and the corresponding note [10].

inscribed on an Imperishable Tablet.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

On a guarded tablet.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall