Surah 37. As-Saffat

Or have you, perchance, a clear evidence [for your assertions]?

  - Mohammad Asad

Or do you have any proof of what you are saying?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Or do you have 'any' compelling proof?

  - Mustafa Khattab

Or have ye a clear warrant?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Or have ye an authority manifest?

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Produce, then, that divine writ of yours, if you are speaking the truth!

  - Mohammad Asad

Show us your scriptures if you are truthful!

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Then bring 'us' your scripture, if what you say is true!

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then produce your writ, if ye are truthful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Then bring ye your Book (of authority) if ye be truthful!

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And some people⁶⁶ have invented a kinship between Him and all manner of invisible forces⁶⁷ -although [even] these invisible forces know well that, verily, they [who thus blaspheme against God] shall indeed be arraigned [before Him on Judgment Day:⁶⁸ for]

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "they".

See Appendix III. Whereas most of the classical commentators are of the opinion that the term al-jinnah denotes here the angels, since they - like all beings of this category - are im-perceptible to man's senses, I believe that the above verse refers to those intangible forces of nature which elude all direct observation and manifest themselves only in their effects: hence their designation, in this context, by the plural noun al-jinnah, which primarily denotes "that which is concealed from [man's] senses". Inasmuch as people who refuse to believe in God often tend to regard those elemental forces as mysteriously endowed with a purposeful creative power (cf. Bergson's concept of the elan vital), the Qur'an states that their votaries invent a "kinship" between them and God, i.e., attribute to them qualities and powers similar to His.

For this metaphorical attribution of "knowledge" to the elemental forces of nature, see verses {164-166} and the corresponding note [71].

They assert blood-relationship between Him and the jinns; and the jinns know quite well that they will be called to account.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They have also established a 'marital' relationship between Him and the jinn. Yet the jinn 'themselves' know well that such people will certainly be brought 'for punishment'.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Or “Yet the jinn know well that they themselves will be brought ˹for judgment˺.” This is based on the claim of some pagan Arabs that the angels are Allah’s daughters through female jinn.

And they imagine kinship between him and the jinn, whereas the jinn know well that they will be brought before (Him).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And they have invented a blood-relationship between Him and the Jinns: but the Jinns know (quite well) that they have indeed to appear (before His judgment-seat)! ⁴¹³²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The angels are at least pure beings engaged in the service of Allah. But the Pagan superstitions not only connect them with Allah as daughters but even connect Allah by relationship with all kinds of spirits, good or evil! In some mythologies the most evil powers are gods or goddesses as if they belonged to the family of Allah the Creator and had some semblance of equality with Him! This, too, is repudiated in the strongest terms. For Jinns see n. 929 to vi. 100.

limitless is God in His glory, above anything that men may devise by way of definition!⁶⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

See note [88] on the last sentence of 6:100 .

Glory be to Allah! He is free from what they ascribe to Him

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Glorified is Allah far above what they claim!

  - Mustafa Khattab

Glorified be Allah from that which they attribute (unto Him),

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Glory to Allah! (He is free) from the things they ascribe (to Him)!

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Not thus, however, [behave] God's true ser-vants:

  - Mohammad Asad

except His sincere devotees who do not attribute such things to Him.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But not the chosen servants of Allah.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Save single-minded slaves of Allah.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Not (so do) the servants of Allah sincere and devoted. ⁴¹³³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Those sincere in devotion to Allah never ascribe such degrading ideas to Allah.

for, verily, neither you [blasphemers] nor the objects of your worship

  - Mohammad Asad

Therefore neither you nor those whom you worship

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Surely you 'pagans' and whatever 'idols' you worship

  - Mustafa Khattab

Lo! verily, ye and that which ye worship,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

For verily neither ye nor those ye worship

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

can cause anyone to fall prey to your temptation

  - Mohammad Asad

can deceive anyone about Allah

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

can never lure 'anyone' away from Him

  - Mustafa Khattab

Ye cannot excite (anyone) against Him

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Can lead (any) into temptation concerning Allah ⁴¹³⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Evil has no power over faith, truth, and sincerity. Such power as it has is over those who deliberately put themselves in the way of Destruction. It is their own will that leads them astray. If they were fortified against Evil by Faith, Patience, and Constancy, Evil would have no power to hurt them. Allah would protect them.

unless it be such as rushes towards the blazing fire [of his own accord]!⁷⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

True belief in God precludes all temptation to define Him who is undefinable, or to associate, conceptually, anyone or anything with Him; conversely, the blasphemy inherent in such attempts destroys the potential value of one's belief in God and, thus, brings about the spiritual ruin of the person concerned.

except him who is destined for hell.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

except those 'destined' to burn in Hell.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Save him who is to burn in hell.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Except such as are (themselves) going to the blazing Fire!

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

[All forces of nature praise God and say:⁷¹ ] "Among us, too, there is none but has a place assigned to it [by Him];

  - Mohammad Asad

The metaphorical "saying" that follows is in tune with many other Qur'anic passages which speak of even inanimate objects as "praising God", e.g., "The seven heavens extol His limitless glory, and the earth, and all that they contain" ( 17:44 ), or "We caused the mountains to join David in extolling Our glory" ( 21:79 ), or "O you mountains! Sing with him the praise of God!" ( 34:10 ); similarly, even the shadows of material things are spoken of as "prostrating themselves before God" ( 16:48 ).

The angels in fact say: "We each have our appointed place.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'The angels respond,' 'There is not one of us without an assigned station 'of worship'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

There is not one of Us but hath his known position.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

(Those ranged in ranks say): "Not one of us but has a place appointed ⁴¹³⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

To round off the argument of the Sura we go back to the idea with which it began. Those who range themselves in ranks for the united service of Allah (see above, xxxvii. I and n. 4031)-whether angels or men of God-are content to keep their ranks and do whatever service is assigned to them. It is not for them to question Allah's Plan, because they know that it is good and that it will ultimately triumph. Any seeming delays or defeats do not worry them. Nor do they ever break their ranks.

and, verily, we too are ranged [before Him in worship];

  - Mohammad Asad

We range ourselves in ranks for His service

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

We are indeed the ones lined up in ranks 'for Allah'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Lo! We, even We are they who set the ranks.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"And we are verily ranged in ranks (for service):

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

and, verily, we too extol His limitless elory!"

  - Mohammad Asad

and we are surely those who declare His glory."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And we are indeed the ones 'constantly' glorifying 'His praise'.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Lo! We, even We are they who hymn His praise

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"And we are verily those who declare (Allah's) glory!"

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

AND, INDEED, they [who deny the truth] have always been wont to say,

  - Mohammad Asad

Before this, the same disbelievers used to say:

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They certainly used to say,

  - Mustafa Khattab

And indeed they used to say:

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And there were those who said ⁴¹³⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

There were the sceptics or Unbelievers,-primarily the Pagan Arabs, but in a more extended sense, all who doubt Allah's providence or revelation.

"If only we had a tradition Ito this effectl from our forebears,⁷²

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "a reminder (dhikr) from those of old": see note [27] on verses {69-70} above. Most of the commentators assume that the term dhikr connotes here, as so often in the Qur'an, a "divine writ". In my opinion, however, it is far more probable - because more in tune with the context - that in this case it signifies an ancestral tradition bearing on the (to them astonishing) message of God's oneness and uniqueness as promulgated by the Qur'an.

"If we had received a reminder which the earlier people had received,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'If only we had a Reminder like 'those of' earlier peoples,¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 The “Reminder” mentioned here refers to Scriptures such as the Torah and the Gospel. It is commonly used in the Quran as another name for Islam’s holy book.

If we had but a reminder from the men of old

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"If only we had had before us a message from those of old.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

we would certainly be true servants of God."

  - Mohammad Asad

We certainly would have been sincere devotees of Allah."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

we would have truly been Allah's devoted servants.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

We would be single-minded slaves of Allah.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"We should certainly have been servants of Allah sincere (and devoted)!" ⁴¹³⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Such men take refuge in ancestral tradition. 'If our forefathers had had an inkling of Revelation or miracles, or had worshipped as we are now taught to worship, we should gladly have accepted. Or if they had had anything of the miracles which other nations of old are said to have received, we could then have accepted.' But now stronger and more convincing proofs have come to them in the Qur-an in their own tongue, and they doubt and reject it.

And yet, [now that this divine writ has been placed before them,] they refuse to acknowledge it as true! In time, however, they will come to know [what it was that they had rejected]:

  - Mohammad Asad

But now that the Qur'an has come, they reject it: but soon they will find out the consequences of this attitude.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But 'now' they reject it, so they will soon know.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Yet (now that it is come) the, disbelieve therein: but they will come to know.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But (now that the Qur'an has come) they reject it: but soon will they know! ⁴¹³⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Allah's Truth will manifest itself against all odds, and the whole world will see.