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Surah 34. Saba

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34:31
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانِ وَلَا بِٱلَّذِى بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ۗ وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ مَوْقُوفُونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يَرْجِعُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ٱلْقَوْلَ يَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتُضْعِفُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ لَوْلَآ أَنتُمْ لَكُنَّا مُؤْمِنِينَ Waq a la alla th eena kafaroo lan numina bih atha alqur a ni wal a bi a lla th ee bayna yadayhi walaw tar a i th i a l thth a limoona mawqoofoona AAinda rabbihim yarjiAAu baAA d uhum il a baAA d in alqawla yaqoolu alla th eena istu d AAifoo lilla th eena istakbaroo lawl a antum lakunn a mumineen a
And [yet,] those who are bent on denying the truth do say, "We shall never believe in this Qur'an, and neither in whatever there still remains of earlier revelations!"38 But if thou couldst only see [how it will be on Judgment Day,] when these evildoers shall be made to stand before their Sustainer, hurling reproaches back and forth at one another! Those [of them] who had been weak [on earth] will say unto those who had gloried in their arrogance:39 "Had it not been for you, we would certainly have been believers!"
  - Mohammad Asad

For the rendering of ma bayna yadayhi, in relation to the Qur'an, as "whatever there still remains of earlier revelations", see surah {3}, note [3]. As is evident from the preceding and subsequent verses, the rejection by "those who are bent on denying the truth" of all revelation is motivated by their refusal to believe in resurrection and God's judgment, and, hence, to admit the validity of absolute moral standards as postulated by every higher religion.

I.e., as the "intellectual leaders" of their community.

The disbelievers say: "We shall never believe in this Qur'an, nor in the scriptures which came before it." If you could only see when these wrongdoers will be made to stand before their Rabb, tossing accusing words on one another! Those who had been despised as weaklings will say to the arrogant: "If it were not for you, we would certainly have been believers."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
The disbelievers vow, 'We will never believe in this Quran, nor in those 'Scriptures' before it.' If only you could see when the wrongdoers will be detained before their Lord, throwing blame at each other! The lowly 'followers' will say to the arrogant 'leaders', 'Had it not been for you, we would certainly have been believers.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
And those who disbelieve say: We believe not in this Qur'an nor in that which was before it; but oh, if thou couldst see, when the wrong doers are brought up before their Lord, how they cast the blame one to another; how those who were despised (in the earth) say unto those who were proud: But for you, we should have been believers.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
The Unbelievers say: "We shall neither believe in this scripture nor in (any) that (came) before it." Couldst thou but see when the wrong-doers will be made to stand before their Lord throwing back the word (of blame) on one another! Those who had been despised will say to the arrogant ones: "Had it not been for you we should certainly have been believers!" 3834 3835 3836
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

To the Pagans all scriptures are taboo, whether it be the Qur-an or any Revelation that came before it. The people of the Book despised the Pagans, but in their arrogant assumption of superiority, prevented them, by their example, from accepting the latest and most universal Scripture when it came in the form of the Qur-an. This relative position, of men who fancy themselves on their knowledge, and men whom they depise but exploit and mislead, always exists on this earth. I have mentioned the people of the Book and the Pagan Arabs merely by way of illustration.

One disbelief is as bad as another. There is little to choose between them. But when the final account will be taken, there will be mutual recriminations between the one and the other.

The Pagans will naturally say to the people of the Book: "You misled us; you had previous Revelations, and you should have known how Allah sent His Messengers; had it not been for your bad example, we should have received Allah's Revelation and become Believers." Or the humble followers will say this to their leaders, or those less gifted will say to those by whom they were misled and exploited. The dichotomy is between such as pretentiously held their heads high in the world and such as they profited by but held in contempt.

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34:32
قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسْتُضْعِفُوٓا۟ أَنَحْنُ صَدَدْنَـٰكُمْ عَنِ ٱلْهُدَىٰ بَعْدَ إِذْ جَآءَكُم ۖ بَلْ كُنتُم مُّجْرِمِينَ Q a la alla th eena istakbaroo lilla th eena istu d AAifoo ana h nu s adadn a kum AAani alhud a baAAda i th j a akum bal kuntum mujrimeen a
[And] those who were wont to glory in their arrogance will say unto those who had been weak: "Why - did we keep you [forcibly] from following the right path after it had become obvious to you?40 Nay, it was but you [yourselves] who were guilty!"
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "did we keep you away from guidance after it had come to you?"

The arrogant will say to those despised weaklings: "Did we block you off from guidance when it came to you? Nay! Rather you yourselves were guilty."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
The arrogant will respond to the lowly, 'Did we ever hinder you from guidance after it came to you? In fact, you were wicked 'on your own'.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
And those who were proud say unto those who were despised: Did we drive you away from the guidance after it had come unto you? Nay, but ye were guilty.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
The arrogant ones will say to those who had been despised: "Was it we who kept you back from Guidance after it reached you? Nay rather it was ye who transgressed." 3837
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In the mutual reproaches between the misleaders and the misled ones, there will be a grain of truth on both sides, and yet both were guilty in not realising their own personal responsibility.

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34:33
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتُضْعِفُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ بَلْ مَكْرُ ٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذْ تَأْمُرُونَنَآ أَن نَّكْفُرَ بِٱللَّهِ وَنَجْعَلَ لَهُۥٓ أَندَادًا ۚ وَأَسَرُّوا۟ ٱلنَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا رَأَوُا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلْأَغْلَـٰلَ فِىٓ أَعْنَاقِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ۚ هَلْ يُجْزَوْنَ إِلَّا مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ Waq a la alla th eena istu d AAifoo lilla th eena istakbaroo bal makru allayli wa al nnah a ri i th tamuroonan a an nakfura bi A ll a hi wanajAAala lahu and a dan waasarroo a l nnad a mata lamm a raawoo alAAa tha ba wajaAAaln a alaghl a la fee aAAn a qi alla th eena kafaroo hal yujzawna ill a m a k a noo yaAAmaloon a
But those who had been weak will say unto those who had gloried in their arrogance: "Nay, [what kept us away was your] devising of false arguments, night and day,41 [against God's messages - as you did] when you persuaded us to blaspheme against God and to claim that there are powers that could rival Him !42 And when they see the suffering [that awaits them], they will [all] be unable to express [the full depth of] their remorse:43 for We shall have put shackles around the necks of those who had been bent on denying the truth:44 [and] will this be aught but a [just] requital for what they were doing?
  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., always. The term makr (lit., "a scheme" or "scheming") has here the connotation of "devising false arguments" against something that is true: in this case, as is shown in the first paragraph of verse {31} above, against God's messages (cf. a similar use of this term in 10:21 and 35:43 ; see also 86:15 ).

Lit., "[that we should] give God compeers (andad)". For an explanation of this phrase and my rendering of it, see surah {2}, note [13].

For a justification of this rendering of the phrase 'asarru 'n-nadamah, see surah {10}, note [77].

As pointed out by several of the classical commentators (e.g., Zamakhshari, Razi and Baydawi) in their explanations of similar phrases occurring in 13:5 and 36:8 , the "shackles" (aghlal) which these sinners carry, as it were, "around their necks" in life, and will carry on Judgment Day, are a metaphor of the enslavement of their souls to the false values to which they had surrendered, and of the suffering which will be caused by that surrender.

Those despised weaklings will say to the arrogant: "No! It was you who plotted day and night, bidding us to disbelieve in Allah and to set up equals with Him," - They will feel ashamed once they see the punishment, and We shall put yokes on the necks of those disbelievers; can there be any other reward except for what they did?
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
The lowly will say to the arrogant, 'No! It was your plotting by day and night- when you ordered us to disbelieve in Allah and to set up equals with Him.' They will 'all' hide 'their' remorse when they see the torment. And We will put shackles around the necks of the disbelievers. Will they be rewarded except for what they used to do?
  - Mustafa Khattab
Those who were despised say unto those who were proud: Nay but (it was your) scheming night and day, when ye commanded us to disbelieve in Allah and set up rivals unto Him. And they are filled with remorse when they behold the doom; and We place carcans on the necks of those who disbelieved. Are they requited aught save what they did?
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Those who had been despised will say to the arrogant ones: "Nay! it was a plot (of yours) by day and by night. Behold! ye (constantly) ordered us to be ungrateful to Allah and to attribute equals to Him!" They will declare (their) repentance when they see the Penalty: We shall put yokes on the necks of the Unbelievers: it would only be a requital for their (ill) deeds. 3838 3839 3840
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The more intelligent ones who exploit the weaker ones are constantly plotting night and day to keep the latter ignorant and under their thumb. They show them the ways of Evil, because by that means they are more in their power.

If all men worshipped the true God, and none but Him, they could not on the one hand be trampled upon, and on the other hand they could not be unjust. It is in the worship of false ideals or false gods that alluring structures of fraud and injustice are built up.

Cf. x. 54, and n. 1445. All these mutual recriminations would be swallowed up in the general realisation of the Truth by both sides in the Hereafter. They would be prepared openly to declare their repentance, but it would be too late. The yoke of slavery to Evil will be on their necks. Allah's justice put it there, but what else could it do? Their own sins will cry out against them and hold them under their yokes.

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34:34
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا فِى قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَآ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلْتُم بِهِۦ كَـٰفِرُونَ Wam a arsaln a fee qaryatin min na th eerin ill a q a la mutrafooh a inn a bim a orsiltum bihi k a firoon a
For [thus it is:] whenever We sent a warner to any community, those of its people who had lost themselves entirely in the pursuit of pleasures45 would declare, "Behold, we deny that there is any truth in [what you claim to be] your message!"-
  - Mohammad Asad

The term mutraf denotes "one who indulges in the pursuit of pleasures", i.e., to the exclusion of all moral considerations: cf. note [147] on 11:116 .

Whenever We have sent a Warner to a town, its wealthy residents have said: "We surely disbelieve in what you are sent with".
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Whenever We sent a warner to a society, its elite would say, 'We truly reject what you have been sent with.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
And We sent not unto any township a warner, but its pampered ones declared: Lo! we are disbelievers in that which ye bring unto Us.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Never did We send a Warner to a population but the wealthy ones among them said: "We believe not in the (message) with which ye have been sent." 3841
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Whenever the Message of Allah comes, the vested interests range themselves against it. Worldly power has made them arrogant; worldly pleasures have deadened their sensibility to Truth. They reject the Message because it attacks their false position.

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34:35
وَقَالُوا۟ نَحْنُ أَكْثَرُ أَمْوَٰلًا وَأَوْلَـٰدًا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ Waq a loo na h nu aktharu amw a lan waawl a dan wam a na h nu bimuAAa thth abeen a
and they would add, "Richer [than you] are we in wealth and in children, and [so] we are not going to be made to suffer!"46
  - Mohammad Asad

Implying, firstly, that the only thing that really counts in life is the enjoyment of material benefits; and, secondly, that a materially successful life is, by itself, an evidence of one's being "on the right way".

They say: "We have more wealth and children, which indicates that our gods are happy with us so we shall never be punished."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Adding, 'We are far superior 'to the believers' in wealth and children, and we will never be punished.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
And they say: We are more (than you) in wealth and children. We are not the punished!
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
They said: "We have more in wealth and in sons and we cannot be punished." 3842
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Their arrogance is openly based on their worldly power and position, their family influence, and the strength of their man-power. Turn back again to the contrast drawn between the arrogant ones and those whom they despised, in verses 31-33.

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34:36
قُلْ إِنَّ رَبِّى يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ Qul inna rabbee yabsu t u a l rrizqa liman yash a o wayaqdiru wal a kinna akthara a l nn a si l a yaAAlamoon a
Say: "Behold, my Sustainer grants abundant sustenance, or gives it in scant measure, unto whomever He wills: but most men do not understand [God's ways]."47
  - Mohammad Asad

Sc., "and foolishly regard riches and poverty as indications of God's favour or disfavour". Indirectly, this statement refutes the belief held by many people in the present as well as in the past that material prosperity is a justification of all human endeavour.

O Prophet tell them: "Surely my Rabb gives abundantly to whom He wills and sparingly to whom He pleases, but most people do not understand this."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Say, 'O Prophet,' 'Surely 'it is' my Lord 'Who' gives abundant or limited provisions to whoever He wills. But most people do not know.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
Say (O Muhammad): Lo! my Lord enlargeth the provision for whom He will and narroweth it (for whom He will). But most of mankind know not.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Say: "Verily my Lord enlarges and restricts the provision to whom He pleases but most men understand not." 3843
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Provision (or Sustenance): good things of all kinds in this life, material goods as well as power, opportunities, influence, mental gifts, etc. These do not necessarily all go to the good, nor is their denial to be interpreted to mean that it is a withdrawal of Allah's favour. Very often the contrary is the case. Their distribution is in accordance with the Universal Plan and Purpose, which is all-wise and all-good. But ignorant people cannot understand this.

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34:37
وَمَآ أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَـٰدُكُم بِٱلَّتِى تُقَرِّبُكُمْ عِندَنَا زُلْفَىٰٓ إِلَّا مَنْ ءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ جَزَآءُ ٱلضِّعْفِ بِمَا عَمِلُوا۟ وَهُمْ فِى ٱلْغُرُفَـٰتِ ءَامِنُونَ Wam a amw a lukum wal a awl a dukum bi a llatee tuqarribukum AAindan a zulf a ill a man a mana waAAamila sa li h an faol a ika lahum jaz a o a l dd iAAfi bim a AAamiloo wahum fee alghuruf a ti a minoon a
For, it is neither your riches nor your children that can bring you nearer to Us: only he who attains to faith and does what is right and just [comes near unto Us]; and it is [such as] these whom multiple recompense awaits for all that they have done; and it is they who shall dwell secure in the mansions [of paradise] -
  - Mohammad Asad
It is neither your wealth nor your children which bring you closer to Us even one jot, but those who believe and do good deeds; for them, there will be a double reward for their deeds and in high mansions shall they live in peace.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
It is not your wealth or children that bring you closer to Us. But those who believe and do good- it is they who will have a multiplied reward for what they did, and they will be secure in 'elevated' mansions.
  - Mustafa Khattab
And it is not your wealth nor your children that will bring you near unto Us, but he who believeth and doeth good (he draweth near). As for such, theirs will be twofold reward for what they did, and they will dwell secure in lofty halls.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
It is not your wealth nor your sons that will bring you nearer to Us in degree: but only those who believe and work Righteousness these are the ones for whom there is a multiplied Reward for their deeds while secure they (reside) in the dwellings on high! 3844 3845 3846
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The true test of progress in spiritual life is to be measured by other things than material wealth and influence. What we have to ask ourselves is: are we the least bit nearer to Allah?

Cf. xxx. 39. All worldly good is but a shadow that will pass away. Its intrinsic and eternal value is small. But those who work righteousness in Faith are on the true path of self-development. The reward they will get will be infinitely more than their merits entitle them to. For they will partake of the boundless Bounties of Allah.

Their happiness will not only be great in quantity ("multiplied"), but it will be of a specially sublime quality ("dwellings on high"), and it will endure without any chance of its loss or diminution ("secure they reside").

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34:38
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَسْعَوْنَ فِىٓ ءَايَـٰتِنَا مُعَـٰجِزِينَ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ فِى ٱلْعَذَابِ مُحْضَرُونَ Wa a lla th eena yasAAawna fee a y a tin a muAA a jizeena ol a ika fee alAAa tha bi mu hd aroon a
whereas all who strive against Our messages, seeking to defeat their purpose, shall be given over to suffering.
  - Mohammad Asad
As for those who strive in opposing Our revelations, they shall be brought for punishment.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
As for those who strive to discredit Our revelations, it is they who will be confined in punishment.
  - Mustafa Khattab
And as for those who strive against Our revelations, challenging, they will be brought to the doom.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Those who strive against Our Signs to frustrate them will be given over into Punishment. 3847
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xxxiv. 5, where the argument was urged that human efforts to defeat Allah's Plan will only bring humiliation to those who indulge in them. Here the argument is rounded off by the statement that such efforts, besides their failure, will land them in an abyss of punishment contrasted with the "dwellings on high" of the blessed ones.

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34:39
قُلْ إِنَّ رَبِّى يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَقْدِرُ لَهُۥ ۚ وَمَآ أَنفَقْتُم مِّن شَىْءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُۥ ۖ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ ٱلرَّٰزِقِينَ Qul inna rabbee yabsu t u a l rrizqa liman yash a o min AAib a dihi wayaqdiru lahu wam a anfaqtum min shayin fahuwa yukhlifuhu wahuwa khayru a l rr a ziqeen a
Say: "Behold, my Sustainer grants abundant sustenance, or gives it in scant measure, unto whomever He wills of His servants;48 and whatever it be that you spend on others, He [always] replaces it:49 for He is the best of providers."
  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., God's promise to the righteous that they would attain to happiness in the life to come neither precludes nor implies their being wealthy or poor in this world.

I.e., either with worldly goods, or with inner contentment, or with spiritual merit (Zamakhshari).

O Prophet tell them: "Surely my Rabb gives abundantly to whom He pleases and sparingly to whom He wills. Whatever you spend in charity, He will pay you back. He is the best of those who provide sustenance.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Say, 'O Prophet,' 'Surely 'it is' my Lord 'Who' gives abundant or limited provisions to whoever He wills of His servants. And whatever you spend in charity, He will compensate 'you' for it. For He is the Best Provider.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
Say: Lo! my Lord enlargeth the provision for whom He will of His bondmen, and narroweth (it) for him. And whatsoever ye spend (for good) He replaceth it. And He is the Best of Providers.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Say: "Verily my Lord enlarges and restricts the Sustenance to such of His servants as He pleases: and nothing do ye spend in the least (in his cause) but He replaces it: for He is the Best of those Who grant Sustenance. 3848 3849
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xxxiv. 36 above, and n. 3843.

Even in the seeming inequality of distribution of the good things of life, Allah has a wise and merciful purpose; for nothing arises by chance. He is the best to give us, now and evermore, just those things which subserve our real needs and advance our inner development.

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34:40
وَيَوْمَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يَقُولُ لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ أَهَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِيَّاكُمْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْبُدُونَ Wayawma ya h shuruhum jameeAAan thumma yaqoolu lilmal a ikati ah a ol a i iyy a kum k a noo yaAAbudoon a
And [as for those who now deny the truth,] one Day He will gather them all together, and will ask the angels, "Was it you that they were wont to worship?"50
  - Mohammad Asad

This allegorical "question" - allegorical, because God is omniscient and has no need to "ask" - implies that many of "those who deny the truth" of God's messages delude themselves into believing that they are, nevertheless, worshipping spiritual forces, here comprised in the term angels".

One Day He will gather them all together and ask the angels: "Was it you that these people used to worship?"
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
And 'consider' the Day He will gather them all together, and then ask the angels, 'Was it you that these 'polytheists' used to worship?'
  - Mustafa Khattab
And on the day when He will gather them all together, He will say Unto the angels: Did these worship you?
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
One day He will gather them all together and say to the angels "Was it you that these men used to worship?" 3850
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Here we have the case of the worship of angels or supposed Powers of Allah, or supposed beneficent spirits that men turn to instead of worshipping the true God. In fact these are mere names to the false worshippers. It is not the Good that they worship but the Evil, which leads them astray.

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34:41
قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ أَنتَ وَلِيُّنَا مِن دُونِهِم ۖ بَلْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْبُدُونَ ٱلْجِنَّ ۖ أَكْثَرُهُم بِهِم مُّؤْمِنُونَ Q a loo sub ha naka anta waliyyun a min doonihim bal k a noo yaAAbudoona aljinna aktharuhum bihim muminoon a
They will answer: "Limitless art Thou in Thy glory! Thou [alone] art close unto us, not they!51 Nay, [when they thought that they were worshipping us,] they were but [blindly] worshipping forces concealed from their senses; most of them believed in the,52
  - Mohammad Asad

Implying that they (the angels) would never have accepted that worship which is due to God alone.

In this instance, I believe, the term jinn has its primary meaning of "that which is concealed from [man's] senses" (see Appendix III), thus including all manner of unknown forces, both real and imaginary, believed to be inherent in what we describe as "nature". Hence, the answer of the angels implies that the sinners' alleged worship of them had never been more than a subconscious screen for their fear of the invisible forces of nature and, ultimately, of the yet deeper fear of the Unknown - that fear which sooner of later engulfs all who refuese to believe in the existence of God and, hence, cannot see any meaning or purpose in human life. (See also the last sentence of 10:28 and the corresponding note [46.])

They will respond: "Glory be to You! Our tie is with You - as a protector - not with them; but they used to worship the jinns and it was them in whom most of these people believed."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
They will say, 'Glory be to You! Our loyalty is to You, not them. In fact, they 'only' followed the 'temptations of evil' jinn,1 in whom most of them had faith.'
  - Mustafa Khattab

 i.e., the devils.

They will say: Be Thou glorified. Thou art our Protector from them! Nay, but they worshipped the jinn; most of them were believers in them.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
They will say "Glory to thee! Our (tie) is with thee as Protector not with them. Nay but they worshipped the Jinns: most of them believed in them." 3851 3852
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Wali in Arabic may mean Friend either in the sense of Protector and Benefactor or in the sense of the Beloved. The tie of benevolence, confidence, and friendship is implied, either active or passive. The angels first proclaim their dependence on Allah and their need of His protection, and then disclaim any idea of their having protected or encouraged the false worshippers to worship beings other than Allah. They go further, and suggest that when men pretended to worship angels, they worshipped, not angels, but Jinns. See next note.

Jinns: see vi. 100 and n. 929. The false worshippers pretended to worship the bright and radiant angels of good, but in reality worshipped the dark and hidden forces of evil,-in the life around them. They trusted and believed in such forces of evil, although such forces of evil had really no power.

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34:42
فَٱلْيَوْمَ لَا يَمْلِكُ بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ نَّفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا وَنَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ ذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ ٱلَّتِى كُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ Fa a lyawma l a yamliku baAA d ukum libaAA d in nafAAan wal a d arran wanaqoolu lilla th eena th alamoo th ooqoo AAa tha ba a l nn a ri allatee kuntum bih a tuka thth iboon a
And [on that Day God will say]: "None of you [created beings] has today any power to benefit or to harm another!" And [then] We shall say unto those who had been bent on evildoing: "Taste [now] that suffering through fire which you were wont to call a lie!"
  - Mohammad Asad
On that Day you will be helpless to profit or harm one another. To the wrongdoers We shall say: "Taste the punishment of the fire which you persistently denied."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
So Today neither of you can benefit or protect each other. And We will say to the wrongdoers, 'Taste the torment of the Fire, which you used to deny.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
That day ye will possess no use nor hurt one for another. And We shall say unto those who did wrong: Taste the doom of the Fire which ye used to deny.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
So on that day no power shall they have over each other for profit or harm: and We shall say to the wrong-doers "Taste ye the penalty of the Fire the which ye were wont to deny!" 3853
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The supposed "rivals" of Allah-the false things whereon men set their hopes and fears-will have no power whatever when true values are restored; and the Fire-the Penalty-which they doubted or derided, will become the dominating real thing in their experience.

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34:43
وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتُنَا بَيِّنَـٰتٍ قَالُوا۟ مَا هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا رَجُلٌ يُرِيدُ أَن يَصُدَّكُمْ عَمَّا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ ءَابَآؤُكُمْ وَقَالُوا۟ مَا هَـٰذَآ إِلَّآ إِفْكٌ مُّفْتَرًى ۚ وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِلْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ Wai tha tutl a AAalayhim a y a tun a bayyin a tin q a loo m a h atha ill a rajulun yureedu an ya s uddakum AAamm a k a na yaAAbudu a b a okum waq a loo m a h atha ill a ifkun muftaran waq a la alla th eena kafaroo lil h aqqi lamm a j a ahum in h atha ill a si h run mubeen un
For [thus it is:] whenever Our messages are conveyed unto them in all their clarity, they [who are bent on denying the truth] say [to one another], "This [Muhammad] is nothing but a man who wants to turn you away from what your forefathers were wont to worship!" And they say, "This [Qur'an] is nothing but a falsehood invented [by man]!" And [finally,] they who are bent on denying the truth speak thus of the truth when it comes to them: "This is clearly nothing but spellbinding eloquence!"53
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "sorcery" or "magic" - a term frequently used in the sense of "spellbinding eloquence" (cf. 74:24 , the earliest instance in the chronology of Qur'anic revelation).

Today when Our clear revelations are recited to them, they say: "This man only wants to turn you away from those gods to whom your forefathers have been worshipping." Others say: "This Qur'an is nothing but an invented falsehood." While yet others, who deny the truth when it comes to them, say: "This is nothing but plain magic."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
When Our clear revelations are recited to them, they say, 'This is only a man who wishes to hinder you from what your forefathers used to worship.' They also say, 'This 'Quran' is no more than a fabricated lie.' And the disbelievers say of the truth when it has come to them, 'This is nothing but pure magic.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
And if Our revelations are recited unto them in plain terms, they say: This is naught else than a man who would turn you away from what your fathers used to worship; and they say: This is naught else than an invented lie. Those who disbelieve say of the truth when it reacheth them: This is naught else than mere magic.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
When Our Clear Signs are rehearsed to them they say "This is only a man who wishes to hinder you from the (worship) which your fathers practiced." And they say "This is only a falsehood invented!" And the Unbelievers say of the Truth when it comes to them "This is nothing but evident magic!" 3854
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Apart from the worship of Evil in the guise of the Powers of Light, there is another form of false worship, which depends on ancestral tradition. "Why" it is said "should we not do as our fathers did?" They reject a new prophet of Truth simply because his teaching does not agree with the ways of their ancestors. The answer to this is given in verse 44 below. But meanwhile the rejectors' objection to new Truth is stated in three forms: (1) our ancestors knew nothing of this; (2) the story of inspiration is false; it is merely an invention; we do not believe in inspiration; (3) when in some particular points, the new Truth does work wonders in men's hearts, they account for it by saying it is magic. The third objection is merely traditional. What is magic? If it was merely deception, surely the Truth has proved itself to be above deception. The second objection is answered by the fact that the Messenger who comes with new spiritual Truth is acknowledged to be truthful in other relations of life: why should he be false where his preaching brings him no gain but much sorrow and persecution? For the ancestral objection see next note.

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34:44
وَمَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُم مِّن كُتُبٍ يَدْرُسُونَهَا ۖ وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْهِمْ قَبْلَكَ مِن نَّذِيرٍ Wam a a tayn a hum min kutubin yadrusoonah a wam a arsaln a ilayhim qablaka min na th eer in
And yet, [O Muhammad,] never have We vouchsafed them any revelations which they could quote,54 and neither have We sent unto them any warner before thee.
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "which they could study", i.e., in support of the blasphemous beliefs and practices inherited from their ancestors. Cf. 30:35 , which expresses a similar idea.

In fact, neither had We given them books to study, nor had We sent to them any Warner before you.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
'They say so even though' We had never given them any scriptures to study, nor did We ever send them a warner before you 'O Prophet'.
  - Mustafa Khattab
And We have given them no Scriptures which they study, nor sent We unto them, before thee, any warner.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
But We had not given them Books which they could study nor sent apostles to them before thee as Warners. 3855
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The ancestors (as in the case of the Arabs of the Times of Ignorance) had received no revelation of the clear kind which a messenger and a Book bring them. This is a reason for welcoming, not for rejecting new Truth.

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34:45
وَكَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَمَا بَلَغُوا۟ مِعْشَارَ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمْ فَكَذَّبُوا۟ رُسُلِى ۖ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ Waka thth aba alla th eena min qablihim wam a balaghoo miAAsh a ra m a a tayn a hum faka thth aboo rusulee fakayfa k a na nakeer i
Thus, too, gave the lie to the truth [many of] those who lived before them; and although those [earlier people] had not attained to even a tenth of [the evidence of the truth] which We have vouch-safed unto these [late successors of theirs], yet when they gave the lie to My apostles, how awesome was My rejection!55
  - Mohammad Asad

Sc., "And how much worse will fare the deniers of the truth to whom so explicit and so comprehensive a divine writ as the Qur'an has been conveyed!" My rendering of the whole of this verse is based on Razi's interpretation, which differs from that of most of the other commentators.

Those who have gone before them also denied - these Arabs have not received one tenth of what We had granted them - yet when they denied My Rasools, see how terrible was My scourge.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Those 'destroyed' before them denied as well- and these 'Meccans' have not attained even one-tenth of what We had given their predecessors.1 Yet 'when' they denied My messengers, how severe was My response!
  - Mustafa Khattab

 Like the people of Pharaoh, ’Ȃd, and Thamûd.

Those before them denied, and these have not attained a tithe of that which We bestowed on them (of old); yet they denied My messengers. How intense then was My abhorrence (of them)!
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And their predecessors rejected (the Truth); these have not received a tenth of what We had granted to those: yet when they rejected My apostles how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)! 3856
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Passing to Peoples before the immediate ancestors, the People of the Book, or the People of Saba and 'Ad and Thamud, had received favours and gifts, power and wealth, ten times more than were enjoyed by the Pagan Quraish. Yet when they turned away from Allah's Truth, Allah turned away from them, and what terrible consequences descended on them when they lost Allah's Grace! This should make everyone humble, not least the posterity of Muhammad the Messenger if they forsake Allah's Truths! For they have received a higher Teaching!

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