Surah 39. Az-Zumar

Say: "O God! Originator of the heavens and the earth! Knower of all that is beyond the reach of a created being's perception, as well as of all that can be witnessed by a creature's senses or mind!⁵⁰ It is Thou who wilt judge between Thy servants [on Resurrection Day] with regard to all olt which they were wont to differ!"

  - Mohammad Asad

See surah {6}, note [65].

Pray: "O Allah! Creator of the heavens and the earth, Who has the knowledge of the unseen and the seen! You Alone can judge the disputes of your servants concerning those matters in which they differ."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Say: O Allah! Creator of the heavens and the earth! Knower of the invisible and the visible! Thou wilt judge between Thy slaves concerning that wherein they used to differ.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But if those who are bent on evildoing possessed all that is on earth, and twice as rnuch,⁵¹ they would surely offer it as ransom from the awful suffering [that will befall them] on the Day of Resurrection:⁵² for, something with which they had not reckoned before will [by then] have been made obvious to them by God;⁵³

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "and the like of it with it".

Cf. 3:91 and the corresponding note [71].

Lit., "will have become obvious to them (bada lahum) from God" - i.e., the fact that man's attitudes and actions in this world determine his state and further development in the hereafter: in other words, that happiness or suffering in the life to come (allegorically described as "paradise" or "hell", and "reward" or "chastisement") are but natural consequences of the use which man makes in this life of his capabilities, endowments and opportunities.

If the wrongdoers possessed all the treasures of the earth and as much more besides it, they would gladly offer it to redeem themselves from the painful punishment on the Day of Resurrection. For Allah will show them what they would have never imagined.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And though those who do wrong possess all that is in the earth, and therewith as much again, the verily will seek to ransom themselves therewith on the Day of Resurrection from the awful doom; and there will appear unto them, from their Lord, that wherewith they never reckoned.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and obvious to them will have become the evil that they had wrought [in life]: and thus shall they be overwhelmed by the very truth which they were wont to deride.⁵⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "that which they were wont to deride will enfold them" or "will have enfolded them": i.e., the reality of life after death and of the spiritual truths preached by God's prophets will overwhelm them.

The evils result of their deeds will become manifest to them and they will be completely encircled by the very thing they used to mock at.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And the evils that they earned will appear unto them, and that whereat they used to scoff will surround them.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

NOW [thus it is:] when affliction befalls man, he cries out unto Us for help; but when We bestow upon him a boon by Our grace, he says [to himself], "I have been given [all] this by virtue of [my own] wisdom!"⁵⁵ Nay, this [bestowal of grace] is a trial: but most of them understand it not!

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "knowledge" - i.e., "my prosperity is due to my own ability and shrewdness": see the first sentence of 28:78 and the corresponding note. But whereas there this "saying" or thought is attributed to the legendary Qarun, in the present instance - which is by far the earlier in the chronology of Qur'anic revelation - it is said to be characteristic of man as such (see, e.g., {7:189-190}, where this tendency is referred to in connection with the experience of parenthood).

Man is such that when he is in trouble he appeals to Us; but when We bestow Our favor upon him, he says: "This has been given to me because of certain knowledge I possess." Nay! It is but a test, yet most of them do not know.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Now when hurt toucheth a man he crieth unto Us, and afterward when We have granted him a boon from Us, he saith: Only by force of knowledge I obtained it. Nay, but it is a test. But most of them know not.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

The same did say [to themselves many of] those who lived before their time; but of no avail to them was all that they had ever achieved:

  - Mohammad Asad

The same was said by those who passed before them, but they gained nothing from what they did

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those before them said it, yet (all) that they had earned availed them not;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

for all the evil deeds that they had wrought fell [back] upon them. And [the same will happen to] people of the present time who are bent on wrongdoing:⁵⁶ all the evil deeds that they have ever wrought will fall [back] upon them, and never will they be able to elude [God]!

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "those who are bent on wrongdoing (alladhina zalamu) from among these here".

and the evil consequences of their deeds overtook them. Very soon, the wrongdoers among these people will also be overtaken by the evil consequences of their misdeeds and they will not be able to escape.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But the evils that they earned smote them; and such of these as do wrong, the evils that they earn will smite them; they cannot escape.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Are they, then, not aware that it is God who grants abundant sustenance, or gives it in scant measure, unto whomever He wills? In this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who will believe!

  - Mohammad Asad

Do they not know that Allah enlarges the provision for whom He pleases and restricts it from whom He wills? Surely there are signs in this for those who believe.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Know they not that Allah enlargeth providence for whom He will, and straiteneth it (for whom He will). Lo! herein verily are portents for people who believe.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

SAY: "[Thus speaks God:⁵⁷ ] 'O you servants of Mine who have transgressed against your own selves! Despair not of God's mercy: behold, God forgives all sins⁵⁸ -for, verily, He alone is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!'"

  - Mohammad Asad

See note [16] on the opening words of verse {10} of this surah {11}.

Sc.. "whenever the sinner repents and turns to Him": cf., for instance, 6:54 - "Your Sustainer has willed upon Himself the law of grace and mercy - so that if any of you does a bad deed out of ignorance, and thereafter repents and lives righteously, He shall be [found] muchforgiving, a dispenser of grace"; or 4:110 - "he who does evil or [otherwise] sins against himself, and thereafter prays God to forgive him, shall find God much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace".

Allah says: "O My servants who have transgressed against their souls, do not despair of Allah's mercy, for Allah forgives all sins. It is He Who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Say: My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Hence, turn towards your Sustainer [alone] and surrender yourselves unto Him ere the suffering [of death and resurrection] comes upon you, for then you will not be succoured.⁵⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. 4:18 - "repentance shall not be accepted from those who do evil deeds until their dying hour, and then say, 'Behold, I now repent'; nor from those who die as deniers of the truth".

Turn in repentance to your Rabb, and submit to Him before there comes to you the scourge: for then, there shall be none to help you.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Turn unto Him repentant, and surrender unto Him, before there come unto you the doom, when ye cannot be helped.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And ere that suffering comes upon you of a sudden, without your being aware [of its approach], follow the most goodly [teaching] that has been revealed unto you by your Sustainer,

  - Mohammad Asad

Follow the best way that is revealed to you by your Rabb before the scourge comes to you all of a sudden while you do not even perceive it.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And follow the better (guidance) of that which is revealed unto you from your Lord, before the doom cometh on you suddenly when ye know not,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

lest any human being⁶⁰ should say [on Judgment Day], "Alas for me for having been remiss in what is due to God, and for having been indeed one of those who scoffed let the truthl!"-

  - Mohammad Asad

Whenever there is no clear indication that the term nafs has another meaning, it signifies a "human being"; hence, the personal pronouns relating to this term (which is feminine in Arabic) are masculine in my rendering.

Lest someone should say: 'Alas! I neglected my duty towards Allah and I was one of those who mocked at His revelations.'

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lest any soul should say Alas, my grief that I was unmindful of Allah, and I was indeed among the scoffers!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

or lest he should say, "If God had but guided me, I would surely have been among those who are conscious of Him!"-

  - Mohammad Asad

Or lest he should say: `If Allah had guided me, I would have been one of the righteous.'

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Or should say: if Allah had but guided me I should have been among the dutiful!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

or lest he should say, when he becomes aware of the suffering [that awaits him], "Would that I had a second chance [in life], so that I could be among the doers of good!"⁶¹

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. 2:167 and 26:102 , as well as {6:27-28} and the corresponding note [19].

Or lest he should say upon seeing the punishment: `I wish I had another chance, I would certainly be among the righteous.'"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Or should say, when it seeth the doom: Oh, that I had but a second chance that I might be among the righteous!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[But God will reply:] "Yea, indeed! My messages did come unto thee; but thou gayest them the lie, and wert filled with false pride, and wert among those who deny the truth!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Then Allah will say to him: "My revelations did come to you; but you denied them, were arrogant and you were among the disbelievers."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

(But now the answer will be): Nay, for My revelations came unto thee, but thou didst deny them and wast scornful and wast among the disbelievers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And [so,] on the Day of Resurrection thou wilt see all who invented lies about God [with] their faces darkened [by grief and ignominy].⁶² Is not hell the [proper] abode for all who are given to false pride?⁶³

  - Mohammad Asad

The phrase iswadda wajhuhu (lit., "his face became black", or "dark") is used idiomatically to describe a face expressive of grief or ignominy (cf. 16:58 ), just as its opposite, ibyadda wajhuhu (lit., "his face became white" or "shining") describes a countenance expressive of happiness or justified pride: cf. 2:106 - "some faces will shine [with happiness] and some faces will be dark [with grief]". Apart from this, both phrases have also a tropical significance namely "he became [or "felt"] disgraced", resp. "honoured". - As regards the "inventing of lies about God" spoken of in this verse, see note [37] above.

See note [38] on the last sentence of verse {32} of this surah.

On the Day of Judgement you shall see that the faces of those who uttered falsehood against Allah shall be darkened. Is there not an abode in hell for such arrogant?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And on the Day of Resurrection thou (Muhammad) seest those who lied concerning Allah with their faces blackened. Is not the home of the scorners in hell?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall