Surah 23. Al-Muminun

Say: "Who is it that sustains the seven heavens and is enthroned in His awesome almightiness?"⁴⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "who is the Sustainer (rabb) of the seven heavens"- see note [20] on 2:29 - "and the Sustainer of the awesome throne of almightiness": cf. 9:129 as well as note [43] on 7:54 .

Say: "Who is the Rabb of the seven heavens and the Rabb of the Glorious Throne?"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'And' ask 'them', 'Who is the Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the Mighty Throne?'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Say: Who is Lord of the seven heavens, and Lord of the Tremendous Throne?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Say: "Who is the Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the Throne (of Glory) Supreme?" ²⁹²⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. ix. 129.

[And] they will reply: "[All this power belongs] to God. Say: "Will you not, then, remain conscious of Him?"

  - Mohammad Asad

Right away they will say: "Allah." Ask them: "Then why you don't fear Him?"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They will reply, 'Allah.' Say, 'Will you not then fear 'Him'?'

  - Mustafa Khattab

They will say: Unto Allah (all that belongeth). Say: Will ye not then keep duty (unto Him)?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

They will say "(They belong) to Allah." Say: "Will ye not then be filled with awe?" ²⁹²⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

See n. 2927 above. 'If this great and glorious Universe inspires you with awe, surely the Power behind is more worthy of your awe, especially if you compare your dependence and its dependence upon Him.'

Say: "In whose hand rests the mighty dominion over all things, and who is it that protects, the while there is no protection against Him? [Tell me this] if you happen to know [the answer]!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Say: "In whose hands is the sovereignty of all things, protecting all, while against Him there is no protection? Tell me if you know."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Ask 'them also,' 'In Whose Hands is the authority over all things, protecting 'all' while none can protect against Him, if you 'really' know?'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Say: In Whose hand is the dominion over all things and He protecteth, while against Him there is no protection, if ye have knowledge?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Say: "Who is it in whose hands is the governance of all things who protects (all) but is not protected (of any)? (Say) if ye know."

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

[And] they will reply: "[All this power belongs] to God."Say: "How, then, can you be so deluded?"⁵⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

Sc., "as to deny the prospect of resurrection".

Quickly they will reply: "Allah." Ask them: "Then how you can be so bewitched?"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They will reply, 'Allah.' Say, 'How are you then so deluded?'

  - Mustafa Khattab

They will say: Unto Allah (all that belongeth). Say: How then are ye bewitched?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

They will say "(It belongs) to Allah." Say: "Then how are ye deluded?" ²⁹³⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

'The order and unity of purpose in the Universe argue unity of design and goodness in its Maker. Is it not then sheer madness for you to run after fancies and fail to understand and obey His Will? It is delusion in you to seek other than Allah.'

Nay, We have conveyed unto them the truth: and yet, behold, they are intent on Iying [to them-selves]!⁵¹

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "they are indeed liars" - i.e., they deceive themselves by asserting that they believe in God and, at the same time, rejecting the idea of a life after death, which - in view of the fact that many wrongdoers prosper in this world while many righteous lead a life of suffering - is insolubly bound up with the concept of divine justice. Apart from this, a denial of the possibility of resurrection implies a doubt as to God’s unlimited power and, thus, of His Godhead in the true sense of this concept. This latter doubt often finds its expression in the mystic belief in a multiplicity of divine powers: and it is to this erroneous belief that the next verse alludes.

The fact of the matter is that We have brought them the Truth, and undoubtedly these people are liars.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

In fact, We have brought them the truth, and they are certainly liars.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Nay, but We have brought them the Truth, and lo! they are liars.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

We have sent them the Truth: but they indeed practice Falsehood!

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Never did God take unto Himself any offspring,⁵² nor has there ever been any deity side by side with Him: [for, had there been any,] lo! each deity would surely have stood apart [from the others] in whatever it had created,⁵³ and they would surely have [tried to] overcome one another! Limitless in His glory is God, [far] above anything that men may devise by way of definition.⁵⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

This allusion to the pre-Islamic Arabian belief in angels as "God’s daughters" and the Christian dogma of Jesus’ "sonship of God" connects with the statement "they are intent on lying [to themselves]", which has been explained in the preceding note.

This is how almost all the classical commentators explain the phrase la-dhahaba bi-ma khalaqa (lit., "would surely have taken away whatever he had created"), implying that in such a hypothetical case each of the gods would have been concerned only with his own sector of creation, thus causing complete confusion in the universe.

See note [88] on 6:100 .

Never has Allah begotten a son, nor is there any god besides Him. Had it been so, each god would govern his own creation, and each would have tried to overpower the others. Exalted be Allah, above the sort of things they attribute to Him!

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Allah has never had 'any' offspring, nor is there any god besides Him. Otherwise, each god would have taken away what he created, and they would have tried to dominate one another. Glorified is Allah above what they claim!

  - Mustafa Khattab

Allah hath not chosen any son, nor is there any God along with Him; else would each God have assuredly championed that which he created, and some of them would assuredly have overcome others. Glorified be Allah above all that they allege.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

No son did Allah beget nor is there any god along with Him: (if there were many gods) behold each god would have taken away what he had created and some would have lorded it over others! Glory to Allah (He is free) from the (sort of) things they attribute to Him! ²⁹³¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xvii. 42. The multiplicity of gods is intellectually indefensible, considering the unity of Design and Purpose in His wonderful Universe.

knowing all that is beyond the reach of a created being's perception as well as all that can be witnessed by a creature's senses or mind⁵⁵ - and, hence, sublimely exalted is He above anything to which they may ascribe a share in His divinity!

  - Mohammad Asad

See surah {6}, note [65].

He knows what is hidden and what is open: far above is He from the shirk of these people.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'He is the' Knower of the seen and unseen. Exalted is He above what they associate 'with Him'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Knower of the invisible and the visible! and exalted be He over all that they ascribe as partners (unto Him)!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

He knows what is hidden and what is open: too high is He for the partners they attribute to Him! ²⁹³²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

To suppose that Allah has a son or family or partners or companions is to have a low idea of Allah, Who is high above all such relationships. He is the One True God, and there can be none to compare with Him.

SAY: "O my Sustainer! If it be Thy will to let me witness⁵⁶ [the fulfilment of] whatever they [who blaspheme against Thee] have been promised [to suffer] -

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "to show me" [sc., "in my lifetime"]. According to Zamakhshari, the combination of the conditional particle in ("if") with ma ("that which" or "whatever") - spelt and pronounced imma - endows the verb turini (lit., "Thow wilt show me") with the quality of intrinsic necessity - thus: "If it is inevitable (la budd) that Thou show me [or "let me witness"]...", etc. In translation, this particular phrasing is best rendered as above, since anything that is God’s will becomes eo ipso inevitable.

Pray: "O my Rabb! If You inflict that punishment with which they are being threatened in my lifetime,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Say, 'O Prophet,' 'My Lord! Should You show me what they¹ are threatened with,

  - Mustafa Khattab

 The Meccan pagans.

Say: My Lord! If thou shouldst show me that which they are promised,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Say: "O my Lord! if Thou wilt show me (in my lifetime) that which they are warned against ²⁹³³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In the first instance, this applied to the holy Prophet. His subsequent Hijrat from Makkah and the eventual overthrow of the Makkan oligarchy amply prove the fulfilment of the prophecy. But in general meaning it applies to all. We are taught that evil will be visited with a terrible punishment, not only in a future life, but in this very life when its cup is full and the time comes for punishment in Allah's Plan. If it has to come while we are still on the scene of this life, we are asked to pray that we may not be found in the company of those who draw such punishment on themselves. In other words we must eschew the society of evil ones.

do not, O my Sustainer, let me be one of those evildoing folk!"

  - Mohammad Asad

then O Rabb, do not include me amongst these unjust people."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

then, my Lord, do not count me among the wrongdoing people.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

My Lord! then set me not among the wrongdoing folk.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"Then O my Lord! put me not amongst the people who do wrong!"

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

[Pray thus-] for, behold, We are most certainly able to let thee witness [the fulfilment, even in this world, of] whatever We promise them!

  - Mohammad Asad

Surely We have the power to let you see the punishment with which they are being threatened.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

We are indeed able to show you what We have threatened them with.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And verily We are Able to show thee that which We have promised them.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And We are certainly able to show thee (in fulfillment) that against which they are warned.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

[But whatever they may say or do,] repel the evil [which they commit] with something that is better:⁵⁷ We are fully aware of what they attribute [to Us].

  - Mohammad Asad

See surah {13}, note [44]. In the present context, the evil referred to consists - as the next clause shows - in blasphemous attempts at "defining" God (cf. verse {91}); but the ethical principle implied in the above injunction is the same as that expressed in the last clause of 13:22 as well as in 41:34 - namely, that evil must not be countered with another evil but, rather, repelled by an act of goodness.

Repel evil with good - We are fully aware of their slanders

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Respond to evil with what is best. We know well what they claim.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Their claims that there are many gods, and that the Prophet is a liar, a poet, etc.

Repel evil with that which is better. We are best Aware of that which they allege.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Repel evil with that which is best: We are well-acquainted with the things they say. ²⁹³⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Whether people speak evil of you, in your presence or behind your back, or they do evil to you in either of those ways, all is known to Allah. It is not for you to punish. Your best course is not to do evil in your tum, but to do what will best repel the evil. Two evils do not make a good. Cf. xli. 34, n. 4504.

And say: "O my Sustainer! I seek refuge with Thee from the promptings of all evil impulses;⁵⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "of the satans" or "satanic forces": see note [10] on 2:14 .

- and say, "O my Rabb! I seek refuge in You from the prompting of the shaitans,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And say, 'My Lord! I seek refuge in You from the temptations of the devils.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And say: My Lord! I seek refuge in Thee from suggestions of the evil ones,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And say: "O my Lord! I seek refuge with Thee from the suggestions of the Evil Ones; ²⁹³⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

But in any case, shun evil for yourself, and you cannot do this without seeking the help and protection of Allah. Not only must you shun all promptings of evil, but you must shun its proximity. It may be that in retaliating on evil, or even in your curiosity to discover what evil is, you may fall into evil yourself. You should avoid going near it or anything which brings it near to you. And in this matter you should seek Allah's help.

and I seek refuge with Thee, O my Sustainer, lest they come near unto me!"

  - Mohammad Asad

and O Rabb! I seek refuge in You even from their coming near me."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And I seek refuge in You, my Lord, that they 'even' come near me.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

And I seek refuge in Thee, my Lord, lest they be present with me,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"And I seek refuge with Thee O my Lord! lest they should come near me."

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

[AS FOR THOSE who will not believe in the life to come, they go on lying to themselves⁵⁹ ] until, when death approaches any of them, he prays: "O my Sustainer! Let me return, let me return⁶⁰ [to life],

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. verses {74} and {90} above, with which the present passage connects.

Most of the commentators regard the plural form of address in the verb irji'uni ("let me return") as an expression of reverence. Since, however, the Qur'an offers no other instance of God's being addressed in the plural (in contrast with the frequent use of the plural in His speaking of Himself), Baydawi suggests - on the strength of examples from pre-Islamic poetry - that this plural form of address is equivalent to an emphatic repetition of the singular form irji'ni: hence the repetition of this phrase in my rendering.

These people will never refrain from wrongdoing until when death comes to anyone of them, he will say: "O Rabb! Send me back,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

When death approaches any of them, they cry, 'My Lord! Let me go back,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Until, when death cometh unto one of them, he saith: My Lord! Send me back,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

(In Falsehood will they be) until when death comes to one of them he says: "O my Lord! send me back (to life) ^{2936 2937}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This verse I think connects on with xxiii. 90 above. Though Allah proclaims His Truth everywhere, the wicked cling to Falsehood until they face the reality of Death.

The verb for "send me back" is in the plural in Arabic, which is construed either (1) as an emphatic form, as if the singular were repeated, or (2) as a plural of respect, though such a plural is not ordinarily used in addressing Allah, or (3) as a plural addressed to the angels, after the address to Allah in "O my Lord!"

so that I might act righteously in whatever I have failed [aforetime]!"⁶¹ Nay, it is indeed but a [meaningless] word that he utters: for behind those [who leave the world] there is a barrier [of death] until the Day when all will be raised from the dead!

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "in respect of that which (fi-ma) I have left", comprising both the omission of good and the commission of bad deeds.

so that I may do good deeds in the world that I have left behind." Never! This is just a statement which carries no value, it will be too late because there will be a barrier between them and the world they have just left till the Day they are raised to life again.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

so I may do good in what I left behind.' Never! It is only a 'useless' appeal they make. And there is a barrier behind them until the Day they are resurrected.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Meaning, once they are dead, they will never return to the world.

That I may do right in that which I have left behind! But nay! It is but a word that he speaketh; and behind them is a barrier until the day when they are raised.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"In order that I may work righteousness in the things I neglected." "By no means! it is but a word he says before them is a Partition till the Day they are raised up. ^{2938 2939 2940}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The unrighteous will ask for another chance. But it will be too late then. The time for repentance will then have passed.

Their request will mean nothing. It will be treated merely as an empty word of excuse. They had plenty of chances in this life. Not only did they reject them, but they did not even believe in Allah or ask for His assistance.

Barzakh: a partition, a bar or barrier; the place or state in which people will be after death and before Judgment. Cf. xxv. 53 and Iv. 20. Behind them is the barrier of death, and in front of them is the Barzakh, partition, a quiescent state until the judgment comes.