Surah 26. Ash-Shuara

Ta. Sin. Mim.¹

  - Mohammad Asad

The letters ta, sin and mim are among the mysterious, disjointed letter-symbols (al-muqatta'at) preceding some of the chapters of the Qur'an (see Appendix II).

Tua Sin M'im.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Ta. Sin. Mim.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

THESE ARE MESSAGES of the divine writ, clear in itself and clearly showing the truth ²

  - Mohammad Asad

See surah {12}, note [2].

These are verses of the Glorious Book.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

These are revelations of the Scripture that maketh plain.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Wouldst thou, perhaps, torment thyself to death [with grief] because they [who live around thee] refuse to believe [in it]?³

  - Mohammad Asad

See notes [3] and [4] on 18:6 .

O Muhammad, you will perhaps fret yourself to death with grief because they do not believe.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

It may be that thou tormentest thyself (O Muhammad) because they believe not.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Had We so willed, We could have sent down unto them a message from the skies, so that their necks would Ibe forced tol bown down before it in humility.⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

Inasmuch as the spiritual value of man's faith depends on its being an outcome of free choice and not of compulsion, the visible or audible appearance of a "message from the skies" would, by its very obviousness, nullify the element of free choice and, therefore, deprive man's faith in that message of all its moral significance.

If We wanted, We could send down upon them a sign from the heaven before which they would bend their necks in submission, but that is not what We want.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

If We will, We can send down on them from the sky a portent so that their necks would remain bowed before it.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[But We have not willed it:] and so, whenever there comes unto them any fresh reminder from the Most Gracious, they [who are blind of heart] always turn their backs upon it:

  - Mohammad Asad

They have been turning their backs on each fresh warning that comes to them from the Compassionate (Allah).

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Never cometh there unto them a fresh reminder from the Beneficent One, but they turn away from it.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

thus, indeed, have they given the lie [to this message as well]. But [in time] they will come to understand what it was that they were wont to deride!⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

See {6:4-5} and the corresponding note [4].

But now that they have neglected the warning, they will soon come to know the reality of what they have been mocking at.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Now they have denied (the Truth); but there will come unto them tidings of that whereat they used to scoff.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Have they, then, never considered the earth-how much of every noble kind [of life] We have caused to grow thereon?

  - Mohammad Asad

Have they not looked at the earth to see how We have caused all kinds of noble pairs to grow in it?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Have they not seen the earth, how much of every fruitful kind We make to grow therein?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

In this, behold, there is a message [unto men], even though most of them will not believe [in it].

  - Mohammad Asad

Surely in this there is a sign; yet most of them do not believe.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! herein is indeed a portent; yet most of them are not believers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But, verily, thy Sustainer- He alone - is almighty, a dispenser of grace!⁶

  - Mohammad Asad

The above two verses appear eight times in this surah. Apart from the present instance, they conclude, like a refrain, each of the subsequent seven stories of earlier prophets, which - by means of their, in places, almost identical phrasing - are meant to stress the essential identity of the ethical teachings of all the prophets, as well as to illustrate the statement, in verse {5}, that a rejection of God's messages is a recurrent phenomenon in the history of mankind despite the fact that His existence is clearly manifested in all living creation.

In fact your Rabb is the Mighty as well as the Merciful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And lo! thy Lord! He is indeed the Mighty, the Merciful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

HENCE, [remember how it was] when thy Sustainer summoned Moses: "Go unto those evildoing people,

  - Mohammad Asad

Remind them of the story when your Rabb called Musa (Moses) and said: "Go to the wicked people

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And when thy Lord called Moses, saying: Go unto the wrongdoing folk,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall