Surah 11. Hud

Alif. Lam. Ra.¹ A DIVINE WRIT [is this], with messages that have been made clear in and by themselves, and have been distinctly spelled out as well² - [bestowed upon you] out of the grace of One who is wise, all-aware,

  - Mohammad Asad

See Appendix II. In the somewhat strange opinion of Sibawayh (cf. Manar XII, 3) and of Razi in his commentary on this verse, the letters Alif-Lam-Ra represent the title of this surah and ought therefore to be read in conjunction with the following sentence, thus: "Alif-Lam-Ra is a divine writ...", etc. However, this opinion conflicts sharply with that of several earlier authorities of great standing, e.g., Az-Zajjaj (quoted by Razi), and is, moreover, unacceptable in view of the fact that a number of other surahs are preceded by such letter-symbols without any syntactic possibility of their being regarded as "titles".

According to Zamakhshari and Razi, the conjunction thumma at the beginning of the clause thumma fussilat (lit., "and then have been distinctly spelled out") does not denote a sequence in time but, rather, a coordination of qualities or conditions; therefore my rendering. As regards my translation of the phrase uhkimat ayatuhu as "messages that have been made clear in and by themselves", see the first sentence of 3:7 as well as the corresponding note [5], which explains the expression ayat muhkamat. Rashid Rida' interprets this phrase in the same sense (see Manar XII, 3f.).

Alif Lam Ra. This Book, whose verses are perfected and issued in detail by the One Who is All-Wise, All-Aware.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Alif. Lam. Ra. (This is) a Scripture the revelations whereof are perfected and then expounded. (It cometh ) from One Wise, Informed,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

so that you may worship none but God. [Say, O Prophet:] "Behold, I come unto you from Him [as] a warner and a bearer of glad tidings:³

  - Mohammad Asad

The conjunction an ("that") preceding the next sentence ("that you shall...", etc.) is in this rendering expressed by means of a colon. The interpolation, between brackets, of the words "Say, O Prophet" is necessitated by the first-person construction of this sentence. The subsequent passage - up to the end of verse {4} - outlines both the "warning" and the "glad tidings" referred to above, and thus circumscribes elliptically the whole of the message entrusted to the Prophet.

Teaches that you should worship none but Allah - indeed I am a Warner and bearer of good news from Him to you.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

(Saying): Serve none but Allah. Lo! I am Unto you from Him a warner and a bringer of good tidings.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Ask your Sustainer to forgive you your sins, and then turn towards Him in repentance - [whereupon] He will grant you a goodly enjoyment of life [in this world] until a term set [by Him is fulfilled];⁴ and [in the life to come] He will bestow upon everyone possessed of merit [a full reward for] his merit.⁵ But if you turn away, then, verily, I dread for you the suffering [which is bound to befall you] on that awesome Day!⁶

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., "till the end of your lives" (for an explanation of the term ajal musamma, see note [2] on 6:2 ). Since God, in His unfathomable wisdom, does not always grant worldly happiness and material benefits to everyone who believes in Him and lives righteously, it is only reasonable to assume - as Rashid Rida' does in Manar XII, 7 ff. - that the "goodly enjoyment of life" (i.e., in this world) promised in the above sentence relates to the community of the believers as a whole, and not necessarily to individuals. (Cf. 3:139 - "you are bound to rise high if you are [truly] believers".)

The noun fadl, when used with reference to God, invariably denotes "bounty" or "favour"; in its reference to man, is usually signifies "merit" or, occasionally, "eminence". The above verse makes it clear that, in contrast to the partial and often only moral rewards and punishments in the life of this world, God will, in the life to come, bestow the full measure of His favours upon everyone who has acquired merit by virtue of his faith and his actions. (Cf. 3:185 - "only on the Day of Resurrection will you be requited in full for whatever you have done".)

Lit., "the suffering of a great Day". See in this connection 9:128 .

You should seek forgiveness of your Rabb and turn to Him in repentance; He will grant you good provisions till an appointed term, and bestow His grace on everyone who has merit! But if you turn away (pay no heed), I fear for you the punishment of a Great Day.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And (bidding you) : Ask pardon of your Lord and turn to Him repentant. He will cause you to enjoy a fair estate until a time appointed. He giveth His bounty unto every bountiful one. But if ye turn away, Lo! (then) I fear for you the retribution of an awful Day.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Unto God you all must return; and He has the power to will anything."

  - Mohammad Asad

To Allah you shall all return and He has power over everything.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Unto Allah is your return, and He is able to do all things.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Oh, verily, they [who are bent on denying the truth of this divine writ] are enshrouding their hearts in order to hide from Him.⁷ Oh, verily, [even] when they cover themselves with their garments [in order not to see or hear],⁸ He knows all that they keep secret as well as all that they bring into the open - for, behold, He has full knowledge of what is in the hearts [of men].

  - Mohammad Asad

Since the people referred to in this verse obviously do not believe in the divine origin of Muhammad's message, their "hiding from God" can have, in this context, only one meaning - namely, that of a metaphor for their unwillingness to listen to the truth which emanates from Him: and this also explains the statement that they are "enshrouding their hearts" (lit., "bosoms", as at the end of this verse), i.e., are allowing their hearts and minds to remain wrapped-up in prejudices, thus making them impervious to spiritual perception. See in this connection 8:55 and the corresponding note [58].

The above interpolation corresponds to the meaning given to the preceding phrase by most of the lexicographers (cf. Lane VI, 2262).

Behold! They cover up their chests to conceal their thoughts from Him! Beware! Even when they cover themselves with their garments, He knows what they conceal and what they reveal; for He knows even the inmost secrets of the chests.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! now they fold up their breasts that they may hide (their thoughts) from Him. At the very moment when they cover themselves with their clothing, Allah knoweth that which they keep hidden and that which they proclaim. Lo! He is Aware of what is in the breasts (of men).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And there is no living creature on earth but depends for its sustenance on God; and He knows its time-limit [on earth] and its resting-place [after death]:⁹ all [this] is laid down in [His] clear decree.

  - Mohammad Asad

For this rendering of mustaqarr and mustawda', see note [83] on 6:98 . The above reference to God's all-embracing knowledge connects with the end of the preceding verse ("He has full knowledge of all that is in the hearts of men").

There is no moving creature on Earth whose sustenance is not provided by Allah. He knows its living and its resting place, and all that is recorded in a glorious Book.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And there is not a beast in the earth but the sustenance thereof dependeth on Allah. He knoweth its habitation and its repository. All is in a clear record.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And He it is who has created the heavens and the earth in six aeons; and [ever since He has willed to create life,] the throne of His almightiness has rested upon water.¹⁰ [God reminds you of your dependence on Him] in order to test you [and thus to make manifest] which of you is best in conduct. For thus it is: if¹¹ thou sayest [unto men], "Behold, you shall be raised again after death!" - they who are bent on denying the truth are sure to answer, "This is clearly nothing but an enchanting delusion!"¹²

  - Mohammad Asad

As regards my rendering of ayyam (lit., "days") as "aeons" and 'arsh as the "throne of [God's] almightiness", see surah {7}, note [43]. The symbolic reference to "the throne of His almightiness resting upon water" would seem to point to the God-willed evolution of all life out of water - a fact clearly brought out by the Qur'an (see 21:30 and the corresponding note [39]) and in modern times confirmed by biological research. This tentative interpretation is strengthened by the mention, in the preceding verse, of "living creatures". My interpolation, between brackets, of the phrase "ever since He has willed to create life" is in accordance with the views advanced by Rashid Rida' in his lengthy commentary on this verse (Manar XII, 16ff.).

The expression la'in (lit., "indeed, if...") appearing here as well as in each of the next three verses is meant to stress the typical - i.e., recurrent - character of the situation to which it refers. In my opinion, it is best rendered as "thus it is: if...", etc.

The term sihr, which is often used in the sense of "sorcery" or "magic", denotes, primarily, "the turning of something from its proper [i.e., natural] condition of being into another condition" (Taj al-'Arus); hence, it signifies any act which causes something that is false or unreal to assume the appearance of reality. Since, however, the Qur'anic statement that "you shall be raised again after death" is not - as has been pointed out by Razi - an "act" in the proper connotation of this word, it would be illogical to assume that this statement could be characterized as "sorcery" even by those who do not believe in it. On the other hand, it is obvious that they dismiss it contemptuously as a mere "enchanting delusion" intended to prevent those who are able to do so from enjoying their worldly life to the full (Razi) or, alternatively, to induce the poor and unfortunate to remain passively satisfied with their miserable lot on earth: and this is the meaning of sihr in the above context. (Cf. 10:2 , where the epithet sahir - in the sense of "spellbinder" - is applied by unbelievers to the Prophet Muhammad.)

He is the One Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods - at the time when His Throne was rested on the water - so that He may test to find out which of you is the best in deeds. Now if you tell them:" You shall indeed be raised up after death," the unbelievers would certainly say: "This is nothing but sheer magic!"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days and His Throne was upon the water that He might try you, which of you is best in conduct. Yet if thou (O Muhammad) sayest: Lo! ye will be raised again after death! those who disbelieve will surely say: This is naught but mere magic.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And thus it is: if We defer their suffering until a time-limit set [by Us],¹³ they are sure to say, "What is preventing it [from coming now]?"¹⁴ Oh, verily, on the Day when it befalls them there will be nothing to avert it from them; and they shall be overwhelmed by the very thing which they were wont to deride.¹⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "a time computed [by Us]", i.e., the Day of Judgment: a reference to the last sentence of verse {3} above, where the Prophet is made to say, "I dread for you the suffering [which is bound to befall you] on that awesome Day!" Among the several meanings which the noun ummah comprises, that of "time" or "a period of time" is the most appropriate here (Zamakhshari, Ibn Kathir and other classical commentators).

For an explanation of this allusion to the attitude of the unbelievers, see 8:32 and 10:50 , as well as the corresponding notes; cf. also {6:57-58}. The repeated Quranic references to the above derisive query are evidently meant to show that the attitude of mind responsible for it is not restricted to an isolated historic incident (see surah {8}, note [32]) but is symptomatic of most, if not all, people "who are bent on denying the truth".

Lit., "that which they were wont to deride enfolded them (haqa bihim)". According to almost all the commentators, the use of the past tense in the verb haqa, despite the fact that it refers to the future, has the syntactic value of a stress, implying the inevitability of the happening to which it relates. (See also note [9] on 6:10 .)

And if We put off their punishment till an appointed time, they are sure to ask: "What is holding it back?" Beware! When the Day of that punishment comes, nothing will hold it back from them and they will be completely encircled by that which they are ridiculing.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And if We delay for them the doom until a reckoned time, they will surely say: What withholdeth it? Verily on the day when it cometh unto them, it cannot be averted from them, and that which they derided will surround them.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And thus it is: if We let man taste some of Our grace,¹⁶ and then take it away from him - behold, he abandons all hope,¹⁷ forgetting all gratitude [for Our past favours].

  - Mohammad Asad

The sequence makes it clear that the generic term "man" referred to in this and the next verse applies, primarily, to the agnostics who are either unconvinced of the existence of God or are "bent upon denying the truth"; in its wider implication, however, it applies also to those who, while believing in God, are weak in faith and therefore easily swayed by external circumstances, and particularly by whatever happens to themselves.

Lit., "he is [or "becomes"] utterly hopeless" or "despairing" (ya'us), inasmuch as he attributes his past happy state to a merely accidental chain of causes and effects - in short, to what is commonly regarded as "luck" - and not to God's grace. Hence, the term ya'us, in its Qur'anic usage, is indicative of spiritual nihilism.

If We let man taste any mercy from Us, then withdraw it from him, he becomes despairing, ungrateful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And if We cause man to taste some mercy from Us and afterward withdraw it from him, lo! he is despairing, thankless.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And thus it is: if We let him taste ease and plenty¹⁸ after hardship has visited him, he is sure to say, "Gone is all affliction from me!" - for, behold, he is given to vain exultation, and glories only in himself.¹⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

This combination of two words is necessary to bring out the full meaning of the noun na'ma' which occurs in this form in the Qur'an only once. For my rendering of la'in as "thus it is: if...", etc., see note [11] above.

Lit., "he is exultant beyond all measure, excessively self-glorifying" - i.e., he usually attributes the turn of fortune to his own good qualities and his supposed "good luck".

But if We let him taste any favor after adversity has afflicted him, then he says: "All my sorrows are gone from me," and he becomes jubilantly arrogant.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And if We cause him to taste grace after some misfortune that had befallen him, he saith: The ills have gone from me. Lo! he is exultant, boastful;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall