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Surah 14. Ibrahim

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14:11
قَالَتْ لَهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ إِن نَّحْنُ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَمُنُّ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ ۖ وَمَا كَانَ لَنَآ أَن نَّأْتِيَكُم بِسُلْطَـٰنٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ Q a lat lahum rusuluhum in na h nu ill a basharun mithlukum wal a kinna All a ha yamunnu AAal a man yash a o min AAib a dihi wam a k a na lan a an natiyakum bisul ta nin ill a bii th ni All a hi waAAal a All a hi falyatawakkali almuminoon a
Their apostles answered them: "True, we are nothing but mortal men like yourselves: but God bestows His favour upon whomever He wills of His servants. Withal, it is not within our power to bring you a proof [of our mission], unless it be by God's leave - and [so] it is in God that all believers must place their trust.14
  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., it is to the contents of the divine message propounded to them that all seekers after truth must turn for illumination (see 7:75 and 13:43 , as well as the corresponding notes). The Qur'an dwells in many places (e.g., in {6:109-111} or 13:31 ) on the futility - moral as well as intellectual-of the demand that the divine origin of a prophetic message should be proved by tangible, extraneous means: for, a morally valid and intellectually justifiable conviction of the intrinsic truth of such a message can be gained only through "conscious insight accessible to reason" ( 12:108 ).

Their Rasools said to them: "It is true that we are human like yourselves, but Allah bestows His grace of appointing a Rasool on such of His servants as He pleases. It is not in our power to bring you any sign except by Allah's permission, and in Allah let the believers put their trust.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Their messengers said to them, 'We are 'indeed' only humans like you, but Allah favours whoever He chooses of His servants. It is not for us to bring you any proof without Allah's permission. And in Allah let the believers put their trust.
  - Mustafa Khattab
Their messengers said unto them: We are but mortals like you, but Allah giveth grace unto whom He will of His slaves. It is not ours to bring you a warrant unless by the permission of Allah. In Allah let believers put their trust!
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Their apostles said to them: "True we are human like yourselves but Allah doth grant His grace to such of His servants as He pleases. It is not for us to bring you an authority except as Allah permits. And on Allah let all men of faith put their trust.
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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14:12
وَمَا لَنَآ أَلَّا نَتَوَكَّلَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ وَقَدْ هَدَىٰنَا سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَلَنَصْبِرَنَّ عَلَىٰ مَآ ءَاذَيْتُمُونَا ۚ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ Wam a lan a all a natawakkala AAal a All a hi waqad had a n a subulan a walana s biranna AAal a m a ath aytumoon a waAAal a All a hi falyatawakkali almutawakkiloon a
And how could we not place our trust in God, seeing that it is He who has shown us the path which we are to follow?15 "Hence, we shall certainly bear with patience whatever hurt you may do us: for, all who have trust [in His existence] must place their trust in God [alone]!"
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "guided us on our paths" - a plural indicating (as does the whole of the passage beginning with verse {9}) the fundamental identity of the message preached by all the prophets.

What reason do we have not to put our trust in Allah, when He has already guided us to the ways of our lives? We shall certainly endure your persecution patiently, and those who want to put their trust, should put their trust in Allah."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Why should we not put our trust in Allah, when He has truly guided us to 'the very best of' ways? Indeed, we will patiently endure whatever harm you may cause us. And in Allah let the faithful put their trust.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
How should we not put our trust in Allah when He hath shown us our ways? We surely will endure that hurt ye do us. In Allah let the trusting put their trust!
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
"No reason have we why we should not put our trust on Allah. Indeed He has guided us to the Ways we (follow). We shall certainly bear with patience all the hurt you may cause us: for those who put their trust should put their trust on Allah."
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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14:13
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِرُسُلِهِمْ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكُم مِّنْ أَرْضِنَآ أَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِى مِلَّتِنَا ۖ فَأَوْحَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ لَنُهْلِكَنَّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ Waq a la alla th eena kafaroo lirusulihim lanukhrijannakum min ar d in a aw lataAAoodunna fee millatin a faaw ha ilayhim rabbuhum lanuhlikanna a l thth a limeen a
But they who denied the truth spoke [thus] unto their apostles: "We shall most certainly expel you from our land, unless you return forthwith to our ways!"16 Whereupon their Sustainer revealed this to His apostles:17 "Most certainly shall We destroy these evildoers,
  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. {7:88-89}, where this alternative is placed before Shu'ayb.

Lit., "to them".

Finally the unbelievers said to their Rasools: "Return to our religion or we will expel you from our land." But their Rabb revealed His will to them: "We shall destroy the wrongdoers
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
The disbelievers then threatened their messengers, 'We will certainly expel you from our land, unless you return to our faith.' So their Lord revealed to them, 'We will surely destroy the wrongdoers,
  - Mustafa Khattab
And those who disbelieved said unto their messengers: Verily we will drive you out from our land, unless ye return to our religion. Then their Lord inspired them, (saying): Verily We shall destroy the wrong-doers,
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And the Unbelievers said to their apostles: "Be sure we shall drive you out of our land or ye shall return to our religion." But their Lord inspired (this Message) to them: "Verily We shall cause the wrongdoers to perish! 1887
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The arguments in a circle were explained in the last note. But Infidelity looks upon argument merely as an amusement. Its chief weapon is physical force. As its only belief is in materialism, it thinks that threats of force will put down the righteous. It offers the choice between exile and violence against conformity to its own standards of evil, which it thinks to be good. But Faith is not to be cowed down by Force. Its source of strength is Allah, and it receives the assurance that violence will perish ultimately by violence, and that Faith and Good must stand and be established. In fact the good must inherit the earth and the evil ones be blotted out.

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14:14
وَلَنُسْكِنَنَّكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامِى وَخَافَ وَعِيدِ Walanuskinannakumu alar d a min baAAdihim tha lika liman kh a fa maq a mee wakh a fa waAAeed i
and most certainly shall We cause you to dwell on earth [long] after they have passed away:18 this is [My promise] unto all who stand in awe of My presence, and stand in awe of My warning!"19
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "after them": implying a divine promise that the truth preached by the apostles would outlive its detractors (cf. {verse 9} above, "None knows them [now] save God"), and would triumph in the end.

As Zamakhshari points out, the divine promise expressed in the above verse is equivalent to the statement in 7:128 that "the future (al-'aqibah) belongs to the God-conscious".

and give you the land to dwell in after they are gone! This is the reward for the ones who dread My eminence and fear My threats."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
and make you reside in the land after them. This is for whoever is in awe of standing before Me and fears My warning.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
And verily We shall make you to dwell in the land after them. This is for him who feareth My Majesty and feareth My threats.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
"And verily We shall cause you to abide in the land and succeed them. This for such as fear the time when they shall stand before My tribunal such as fear the punishment denounced." 1888
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"Fear" means here "have present before their minds something which should cause fear, so that they should shape their conduct in order to avoid the ill consequences of wickedness."

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14:15
وَٱسْتَفْتَحُوا۟ وَخَابَ كُلُّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ Wa i stafta h oo wakh a ba kullu jabb a rin AAaneed in
And they prayed [to God] that the truth be made to triumph.20 And [thus it is:] every arrogant enemy of the truth shall be undone [in the life to come],
  - Mohammad Asad

Or: "they [i.e., the apostles] prayed for victory" or "for [God's] aid" - both these meanings being contained in the noun fath, with which the verbal form istaftahu, used here, is connected. It should be borne in mind that the primary significance of fataha is "he opened", and of istaftaha, "he sought to open [something]" or "he desired that it be opened". Thus, the above passage echoes, in a generalized form, Shu'ayb's prayer in 7:89 , "Lay Thou open (iftah) the truth between us and our people".

The Rasools called for judgement, (and when the judgement was passed) every tyrant opposer of the Truth was disappointed.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
And both sides called for judgment, so every stubborn tyrant was doomed.
  - Mustafa Khattab
And they sought help (from their Lord) and every froward potentate was brought to naught;
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
But they sought victory and decision (there and then) and frustration was the lot of every powerful obstinate transgressor. 1889 1890
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. viii. 19. 1 have assumed that "they" in this verse is the same as "them" in the preceding verse, i.e., the ungodly. Hoping for victory they forced a decision, and they got it-against themselves. Or they challenged a punishment, and it came in good time. Some Commentators construe "they" here to mean "the Prophets": in that case the verse would mean: "The Prophets prayed for a victory and decision, and the ungodly were frustrated in their efforts to suppress the Truth."

Cf. xi. 59.

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14:16
مِّن وَرَآئِهِۦ جَهَنَّمُ وَيُسْقَىٰ مِن مَّآءٍ صَدِيدٍ Min war a ihi jahannamu wayusq a min m a in s adeed in
with hell awaiting him;21 and he shall be made to drink of the water of most bitter distress,22
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "[with] hell beyond him", i.e., as his destiny. For my rendering of jabbar, in this context, as "enemy of the truth", see the first part of note [58] on 26:130 .

The word sadid is an infinitive noun of sadda, which in its primary meaning denotes "he turned away" or "was averse [from something]"; also - as noted in the Qamus and the Asas - "he cried out loudly" (i.e., by reason of his aversion to something). Since sadid signifies anything that is repulsive, it is also used tropically to describe the pus that flows from wounds or the viscous liquid that oozes from corpses. In his commentary on this verse, Razi suggests that the expression ma' sadid is here purely metaphorical, and should be understood as "water like [what is described as] sadid". It is in pursuance of this interpretation that I have rendered the above expression as "waters of most bitter distress" - a metaphor of the boundless suffering and bitter frustration which, in the life to come, awaits those who during their life in this world were bent on denying all spiritual truths. (Cf. the expression sharab min hamim -rendered by me as "a draught of burning despair" - occurring in several places and elucidated in note [62] on 6:70 .)

Hell is next for him wherein he will be given festering water to drink;
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Awaiting them is Hell, and they will be left to drink oozing pus,
  - Mustafa Khattab
Hell is before him, and he is made to drink a festering water,
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
In front of such a one is Hell and he is given for drink boiling fetid water.
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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14:17
يَتَجَرَّعُهُۥ وَلَا يَكَادُ يُسِيغُهُۥ وَيَأْتِيهِ ٱلْمَوْتُ مِن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَمَا هُوَ بِمَيِّتٍ ۖ وَمِن وَرَآئِهِۦ عَذَابٌ غَلِيظٌ YatajarraAAuhu wal a yak a du yuseeghuhu wayateehi almawtu min kulli mak a nin wam a huwa bimayyitin wamin war a ihi AAa tha bun ghalee th un
gulping it [unceasingly,] little by little, and yet hardly able to swallow it.23 And death will beset him from every quarter - but he shall not die: for [yet more] severe suffering lies ahead of him.
  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., to reconcile himself to this suffering.

he will sip, but never will be able to swallow. Death will surround him from all sides, yet he will not die; beyond that there will be horrible punishment.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
which they will sip with difficulty, and can hardly swallow. Death will overwhelm them from every side, yet they will not 'be able to' die. Awaiting them still is harsher torment.
  - Mustafa Khattab
Which he sippeth but can hardly swallow, and death cometh unto him from every side while yet he cannot die, and before him is a harsh doom.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
In gulps will he sip it but never well he be near swallowing it down his throat: Death will come to him from every quarter yet will he not die: and in front of him will be a chastisement unrelenting. 1891
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

A graphic and deterrent picture, from the preaching of the earlier Prophets, of unrelieved horror of the torments of Hell. The door of escape by annihilation is also closed to them.

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14:18
مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِرَبِّهِمْ ۖ أَعْمَـٰلُهُمْ كَرَمَادٍ ٱشْتَدَّتْ بِهِ ٱلرِّيحُ فِى يَوْمٍ عَاصِفٍ ۖ لَّا يَقْدِرُونَ مِمَّا كَسَبُوا۟ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلضَّلَـٰلُ ٱلْبَعِيدُ Mathalu alla th eena kafaroo birabbihim aAAm a luhum karam a din ishtaddat bihi a l rree h u fee yawmin AA as ifin l a yaqdiroona mimm a kasaboo AAal a shayin tha lika huwa a l dd al a lu albaAAeed u
[This, then, is] the parable of those who are bent on denying their Sustainer: all their works24 are as ashes which the wind blows about fiercely on a stormy day: [in the life to come,] they cannot achieve any benefit whatever from all [the good] that they may have wrought: for this [denial of God] is indeed the farthest one can go astray.25
  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., even the good ones (Razi).

Lit., "this, this is the straying far-away". The definite article in the expression ad-dalal al-ba'id, preceded by the pronouns dhalika huwa, is meant to stress the extreme degree of this "straying far-away" or "going astray": a construction that can be rendered in English only by a paraphrase, as above. It is to be noted that this phrase occurs in the Qur'an only twice - namely, in the above passage and in 22:12 - and refers in both cases to a denial, conscious or implied, of God's oneness and uniqueness.

The parable of the deeds of those who deny their Rabb is that their deeds are like ashes which the wind scatters on a stormy day; they will gain nothing from their deeds, and this is to stray far away from the goal of getting back to Paradise.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
The parable of the deeds of those who disbelieve in their Lord is that of ashes fiercely blown away by wind on a stormy day. They will gain nothing from what they have earned. That is 'truly' the farthest one can stray.
  - Mustafa Khattab
A similitude of those who disbelieve in their Lord: Their works are as ashes which the wind bloweth hard upon a stormy day. They have no control of aught that they have earned. That is the extreme failure.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
The parable of those who reject their Lord is that their works are as ashes on which the wind blows furiously on a tempestuous day: No power have they over aught that they have earned: That is the straying far far (from the goal). 1892
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Note the fullness of the parable. The works of the ungodly are in themselves light and unsubstantial like ashes; they are the useless rubbish that remains out of the faculties and opportunities which they have misused by burning them up. Further, the ashes are blown about hither and thither by the wind: the ungodly have no compass, direction, or purpose that can stand. The wind, too, which blows on them is no ordinary wind, nor the day on which they seek to enjoy the fruits of their labours an ordinary tranquil day: a furious gale is blowing, for such is the Wrath of Allah. They have neither internal peace nor external gain. In the scattering of the ashes they lose control even of such things as they might have earned but for their misdeeds. Their whole nature is contaminated. All their wishes go astray. They are carried so far, far away from what was in their minds. What did they aim at, and what did they achieve?

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14:19
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ وَيَأْتِ بِخَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ Alam tara anna All a ha khalaqa a l ssam a w a ti wa a lar d a bi a l h aqqi in yasha yu th hibkum wayati bikhalqin jadeed in
ART THOU NOT aware that God has created the heavens and the earth in accordance with [an inner] truth?26 He can, if He so wills, do away with you and bring forth a new mankind [in your stead]:27
  - Mohammad Asad

See note [11] on 10:5 .

Lit., "bring forth a new creation" or "new people", for it should be remembered that the term khalq denotes not merely "creation" or "act of creation" but also "people" or "mankind", which seems to be its meaning here (Ibn 'Abbas, as quoted by Razi).

Do you not see that Allah has based the creation of the heavens and the earth on Truth? That He can destroy you if He wills and bring into being a new creation?
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Have you not seen that Allah created the heavens and the earth for a reason? If He wills, He can eliminate you and produce a new creation.
  - Mustafa Khattab
Hast thou not seen that Allah hath created the heavens and the earth with truth? If He will, He can remove you and bring (in) some new creation.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Seest thou not that Allah created the Heavens and the earth in Truth? If He so will He can remove you and put (in your place) a new Creation? 1893
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Haqq: Truth, Right, Righteousness, True proportions, Reality. Allah's creation is not to be trifled with. It is built on righteousness, and those who do not obey its laws must give place to others who do. This warning is repeated again and again in history and in revelation. Cf. vi. 73.

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14:20
وَمَا ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ بِعَزِيزٍ Wam a tha lika AAal a All a hi biAAazeez in
nor is this difficult for God.
  - Mohammad Asad
That is not at all difficult for Allah.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
And that is not difficult for Allah 'at all'.
  - Mustafa Khattab
And that is no great matter for Allah.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Nor is that for Allah any great matter. 1894
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

'Aziz: great, mighty, excellent, powerful, rare, precious.

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14:21
وَبَرَزُوا۟ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًا فَقَالَ ٱلضُّعَفَـٰٓؤُا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوٓا۟ إِنَّا كُنَّا لَكُمْ تَبَعًا فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّغْنُونَ عَنَّا مِنْ عَذَابِ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَىْءٍ ۚ قَالُوا۟ لَوْ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُ لَهَدَيْنَـٰكُمْ ۖ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْنَآ أَجَزِعْنَآ أَمْ صَبَرْنَا مَا لَنَا مِن مَّحِيصٍ Wabarazoo lill a hi jameeAAan faq a la a l dd uAAaf a o lilla th eena istakbaroo inn a kunn a lakum tabaAAan fahal antum mughnoona AAann a min AAa tha bi All a hi min shayin q a loo law had a n a All a hu lahadayn a kum saw a on AAalayn a ajaziAAn a am s abarn a m a lan a min ma h ee s in
And all [mankind] will appear before God [on the Day of Judement]; and then the weak28 will say unto those who had gloried in their arrogance: "Behold, We were but your followers: can you, then, relieve us of something of God's chastisement?" [And the others] will answer: "If God would but show us the way [to salvation], we would indeed guide you [towards it].29 It is [now] all one, as far as we are concerned, whether we grieve impatiently or endure [our lot] with patience: there is no escape for us!"
  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., those who had sinned out of moral weakness and self-indulgence, relying on the supposedly superior wisdom of the so-called "leaders of thought", who are described in the sequence as having "gloried in their arrogance" (astakbaru) inasmuch as they refused to pay heed to God's messages (Tabari, on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas).

Sc., "but now it is too late for repentance". According to Tabari and Razi, this is the meaning of the above passage. Zamakhshari, however, prefers another interpretation, implying a reference not to the present but to the past, thus: "If God had guided us aright, we would have guided you [too] aright": in other words, he understands the phrase as an attempt on the part of the doomed to divest themselves of all responsibility, and to attribute their past sinning to God's "not having willed" to guide them aright. To my mind, the interpretation offered by Tabari and Razi is preferable because - all other considerations apart - it provides a logical connection between the request of "the weak" (see preceding note) and the reply of those who in their earthly life had "gloried in their arrogance", as well as with the latters' subsequent, despairing utterance, which can be summed up in the words, "too late!"

When all people appear before Allah, those who were weak in the world will say to those who thought themselves mighty: "We were your followers. Now! Can you do anything to relieve us from the punishment of Allah?" They will reply: "Had Allah given us guidance, we would have guided you. Now it makes no difference whether we panic or bear it with patience, for there is no escape for us."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
They will all appear before Allah, and the lowly 'followers' will appeal to the arrogant 'leaders', 'We were your 'dedicated' followers, so will you 'then' protect us from Allah's torment in any way?' They will reply, 'Had Allah guided us, we would have guided you. 'Now' it is all the same for us whether we suffer patiently or impatiently, there is no escape for us.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
They all come forth unto their Lord. Then those who were despised say unto those who were scornful: We were unto you a following, can ye then avert from us aught of Allah's doom? They say: Had Allah guided us, we should have guided you. Whether we rage or patiently endure is (now) all one for us: we have no place of refuge.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
They will all be marshalled before Allah together: then will the weak say to those who were arrogant "For us we but followed you; can ye then avail us at all against the wrath of Allah?" They will reply "If we had received the guidance of Allah we should have given it to you: to us it makes no difference (now) whether we rage or bear (these torments) with patience: for ourselves there is no way of escape." 1895 1896
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

When the time for judgment comes, there are two kinds of disillusionment waiting for the ungodly: (1) Those who were misled and failed to see that each soul bears its own personal responsibility (ii. 134) and cannot shift it on to others, will turn to those who misled them, in the hope that they might intercede for them or do something to help them. They receive a plain answer as in the latter part of this verse. (2) Those who relied on Satan, His answer (in xiv. 22 below) is frank, cynical and brutal.

Those whose power or specious intelligence or influence misled them-such as false priests or leaders-will find themselves in a parlous state. How can they help others? They themselves failed to profit from Allah's guidance, and they can with some justice retort that they put them in the wrong path as they followed it themselves!

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14:22
وَقَالَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ لَمَّا قُضِىَ ٱلْأَمْرُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَعَدَكُمْ وَعْدَ ٱلْحَقِّ وَوَعَدتُّكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُكُمْ ۖ وَمَا كَانَ لِىَ عَلَيْكُم مِّن سُلْطَـٰنٍ إِلَّآ أَن دَعَوْتُكُمْ فَٱسْتَجَبْتُمْ لِى ۖ فَلَا تَلُومُونِى وَلُومُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُم ۖ مَّآ أَنَا۠ بِمُصْرِخِكُمْ وَمَآ أَنتُم بِمُصْرِخِىَّ ۖ إِنِّى كَفَرْتُ بِمَآ أَشْرَكْتُمُونِ مِن قَبْلُ ۗ إِنَّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ Waq a la a l shshay ta nu lamm a qu d iya alamru inna All a ha waAAadakum waAAda al h aqqi wawaAAadtukum faakhlaftukum wam a k a na liya AAalaykum min sul ta nin ill a an daAAawtukum fa i stajabtum lee fal a taloomoonee waloomoo anfusakum m a an a bimu s rikhikum wam a antum bimu s rikhiyya innee kafartu bim a ashraktumooni min qablu inna a l thth a limeena lahum AAa tha bun aleem un
And when everything will have been decided, Satan will say: "Behold, God promised you something that was bound to come true!30 I, too, held out [all manner of] promises to you - but I deceived you. Yet I had no power at all over you: I but called you - and you responded unto me. Hence, blame not me, but blame yourselves.31 It is not for me to respond to your cries, nor for you to respond to mine:32 for, behold, I have [always] refused to admit that there was any truth in your erstwhile belief that I had a share in God's divinity."33 Verily, for all evildoers34 there is grievous suffering in store.
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "God promised you a promise of truth" - i.e., the promise of resurrection and last judgment.

In his commentary on this passage, Razi remarks: "This verse shows that the real Satan (ash-shaytan al-asli) is [man's own] complex of desires (an-nafs): for, Satan makes it clear [in the above] that it was only by means of insinuations (waswasah) that he was able to reach [the sinner's soul]; and had it not been for an already-existing [evil] disposition due to lusts, anger, superstition or fanciful ideas, these [satanic] insinuations would have had no effect whatsoever."

I.e., "I cannot respond to your call for help, just as you should not have, in your lifetime, responded to my call." The above sentence is often interpreted in another sense, namely, "I cannot succour you, just as you cannot succour me". However, in view of Satan's allegorical reference - in the preceding passages as well as in the next sentence - to the sinners' earthly past, the rendering adopted by me seems to be more suitable; moreover, it is closer to the primary meaning of the verb sarakha ("he cried out"), from which the form musrikh ("one who responds to a cry") is derived (Jawhari).

This is, to my mind, the meaning of the highly elliptical phrase kafartu bi-ma ashraktumuni min qabl, which could be literally - but most inadequately - translated thus: "I have refused to admit the truth of that whereby you associated me aforetime [with God]." The implication is that Satan, while endeavouring to lead men astray, never claims to be God's "equal" (cf. 7:20 , where he speaks of God, to Adam and Eve, as "your Sustainer", or 15:36 and {39}, where he addresses Him as "my Sustainer", or 8:48 and 59:16 , where he says, "behold, I fear God") but, rather, tries to make men's sinful doings "seem goodly to them" (cf. 6:43 , 8:48 , 16:63 , 27:24 , 29:38 ), i.e., persuades them that it is morally justifiable to follow one's fancies and selfish desires without any restraint. But while Satan himself does not make any claim to equality with God, the sinner who submits to Satan's blandishments attributes to him thereby, as it were, "a share in God's divinity". - It must be stressed, in this connection, that the Qur'anic expression shaytan is often used as a metaphor for every human impulse that is intrinsically immoral and, therefore, contrary to man's best - i.e., spiritual - interests.

I.e., all those who had consciously - either from intellectual arrogance or from moral weakness - responded to "Satan's call".

Once the matter has been decided, Shaitan will say: "In fact, the promises which Allah made to you were all true; I too made some promises to you but failed to keep any of them. However, I had no power over you. I just invited you, and you accepted my invitation. Now! Do not blame me, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor you can help me. I reject what you did before; that you associated me with Allah. Certainly such wrongdoers will have painful punishment."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
And Satan will say 'to his followers' after the judgment has been passed, 'Indeed, Allah has made you a true promise. I too made you a promise, but I failed you. I did not have any authority over you. I only called you, and you responded to me. So do not blame me; blame yourselves. I cannot save you, nor can you save me. Indeed, I denounce your previous association of me with Allah 'in loyalty'. Surely the wrongdoers will suffer a painful punishment.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
And Satan saith, when the matter hath been decided: Lo! Allah promised you a promise of truth; and I promised you, then failed you. And I had no power over you save that I called unto you and ye obeyed me. So blame me not, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can ye help me. Lo! I disbelieved in that which ye before ascribed to me. Lo! for wrong-doers is a painful doom.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And Satan will say when the matter is decided: "It was Allah Who gave you a promise of truth: I too promised but I failed in my promise to you. I had no authority over you except to call you but ye listened to me: then reproach not me but reproach your own souls. I cannot listen to your cries nor can ye listen to mine. I reject your former act in associating me with Allah. For wrongdoers there must be a Grievous Penalty." 1897 1898
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

After the Judgment, Evil declares itself in its true colours. Frankly it says: 'I deceived you. The promise of Allah was true, but you believed me rather than Allah. I had no power to force you. I had but to call you, and you came running after me. You must blame yourselves. Did you think I was equal with Allah? I know too well that I was not and never could be. If you did wrong, you must suffer the Penalty.'

See the last note. An alternative interpretation of this sentence may be: "I had already beforehand rebelled against Allah with Whom ye associated me."

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14:23
وَأُدْخِلَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ ۖ تَحِيَّتُهُمْ فِيهَا سَلَـٰمٌ Waodkhila alla th eena a manoo waAAamiloo a l ssa li ha ti jann a tin tajree min ta h tih a alanh a ru kh a lideena feeh a bii th ni rabbihim ta h iyyatuhum feeh a sal a m un
But those who shall have attained to faith and done righteous deeds will be brought into gardens through which running waters flow, therein to abide by their Sustainer's leave, and will be welcomed with the greeting, "Peace!"35
  - Mohammad Asad

As in 10:10 , this phrase reads literally, "their greeting therein [will be], 'Peace!' (salam)" - a term which has been explained in surah {5}, note [29].

Those who believe and do good deeds will be admitted to Paradise, beneath which rivers flow, to live therein forever with the permission of their Rabb, and their greetings therein will be: "Peace!"
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Those who believe and do good will be admitted into Gardens, under which rivers flow- to stay there forever by the Will of their Lord- where they will be greeted with 'Peace!'
  - Mustafa Khattab
And those who believed and did good works are made to enter Gardens underneath which rivers flow, therein abiding by permission of their Lord, their greeting therein: Peace!
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
But those who believe and work righteousness will be admitted to Gardens beneath which rivers flow to dwell therein for aye with the leave of their Lord: their greeting therein will be: "Peace!" 1899
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

How this contrasts with the misery and the mutual self-recriminations of the ungodly!

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14:24
أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرَةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ Alam tara kayfa d araba All a hu mathalan kalimatan t ayyibatan kashajaratin t ayyibatin a s luh a th a bitun wafarAAuh a fee a l ssam a i
ART THOU NOT aware how God sets forth the parable of a good word?36 [It is] like a good tree, firmly rooted, [reaching out] with its branches towards the sky,
  - Mohammad Asad

In its wider meaning, the term kalimah ("word") denotes any conceptual statement or proposition. Thus, a "good word" circumscribes any proposition (or idea) that is intrinsically true and - because it implies a call to what is good in the moral sense - is ultimately beneficent and enduring; and since a call to moral righteousness is the innermost purport of every one of God's messages, the term "good word" applies to them as well. Similarly, the "corrupt word" mentioned in verse {26} applies to the opposite of what a divine message aims at: namely, to every idea that is intrinsically false or morally evil and, therefore, spiritually harmful.

Do you not see how Allah gave the example of comparing a good word with a good tree, whose roots are firm and its branches are in the sky?
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Do you not see how Allah compares a good word to a good tree? Its root is firm and its branches reach the sky,
  - Mustafa Khattab
Seest thou not how Allah coineth a similitude: A goodly saying, as a goodly tree, its root set firm, its branches reaching into heaven,
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Seest thou not how Allah sets forth a parable? a goodly Word like a goodly tree whose root is firmly fixed and its branches (reach) to the heavens 1900
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"Goodly word" is usually interpreted as the Divine Word, the Divine Message, the True Religion. It may also be interpreted in a more general sense as a word of truth, a word of goodness or kindness, which follows from a true appreciation of Religion. For Religion includes our duty to Allah and our duty to man. The "evil word" is opposite to this: false religion, blasphemy, false speech, or preaching or teaching unkindness and wrong-doing.

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14:25
تُؤْتِىٓ أُكُلَهَا كُلَّ حِينٍۭ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا ۗ وَيَضْرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ Tutee okulah a kulla h eenin bii th ni rabbih a waya d ribu All a hu alamth a la li l nn a si laAAallahum yata th akkaroon a
yielding its fruit at all times by its Sustainer's leave. And [thus it is that] God propounds parables unto men, so that they might bethink themselves [of the truth].37
  - Mohammad Asad

See note [33] on the first clause of 39:27 .

It yields its fruits in every season by Allah's leave. Allah cites these examples for men so that they may learn a lesson from them.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
'always' yielding its fruit in every season by the Will of its Lord. This is how Allah sets forth parables for the people, so perhaps they will be mindful.
  - Mustafa Khattab
Giving its fruit at every season by permission of its Lord? Allah coineth the similitudes for mankind in order that they may reflect.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
It brings forth its fruit at all times by the leave of its Lord. So Allah sets forth parables for men in order that they may receive admonition. 1901
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The goodly tree is known for: (1) its beauty; it gives pleasure to all who see it; (2) its stability; it remains firm and unshaken in storms, because its roots are firmly fixed in the earth; (3) its wide compass; its branches reach high, and it catches all the sunshine from heaven, and gives shade to countless birds in its branches and men and animals beneath it, and (4) its abundant fruit, which it yields at all times. So is the Good Word. It is as beautiful as it is true. It abides in all the changes and chances of this life, and even beyond (see verse 27 below); it is never shaken by sorrow or what seems to us calamity; its roots are deep down in the bed-rock facts of life. Its reach is universal, above, around, below: it is illuminated by the divine light from heaven, and its consolation reaches countless beings of all grades of life. Its fruit-the enjoyment of its blessings-is not confined to one season or one set of circumstances; furthermore the fortunate man who is the vehicle of that word has no self-pride; he attributes all its goodness, and his act in spreading it, to the Will and Leave of Allah. Cf. the New Testament Parable of the Sower (Matt. iv. 14-20) or of the Mustard-seed (Matt. iv. 30- 32). In this Parable of the Qur-an there are fewer words and more spiritual meaning, and the emphasis is on more essential things.

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