Surah 42. Ash-Shura

Ha. Mim.

  - Mohammad Asad

Ha M'im.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Ha-Mim.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Ha. Mim.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Ha Mim; ⁴⁵²⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

See Introduction to S. xi.

'Ayn. Sin. Qaf.¹

  - Mohammad Asad

See Appendix II.

'Ain Sin Qaf.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Ain-Sin-Qaf.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Ain. Sin. Qaf.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

`Ain Sin Qaf. ⁴⁵²⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This Sura has a double set of Abbreviated Letters, one in the first verse, and one in this second verse. No authoritative explanation of this second set is available, and I refrain from speculation. See Appendix I.

THUS has God, the Almighty, the Wise, revealed [the truth] unto thee, [O Muhammad,] and unto those who preceded thee:²

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., the basic truth propounded in the Qur'anic revelation - some of which are summarized in the sequence - are the same as those revealed to all the earlier prophets.

Thus, Allah All-Mighty, the All-Wise sends His revelation to you, O Muhammad, as He sent to other Rasools before you.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And so you 'O Prophet' are sent revelation, just like those before you, by Allah- the Almighty, All-Wise.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Thus Allah the Mighty, the Knower inspireth thee (Muhammad) as (He inspired) those before thee.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Thus doth (He) send Inspiration to thee as (He did) to those before thee Allah Exalted in Power full of Wisdom. ⁴⁵²⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Inspiration is full of Power and Wisdom, and both these qualities are derived from the Power and Wisdom of Allah. Unlike human power, this Power is necessarily good and merciful; unlike human wisdom, this Wisdom is necessarily complete and indisputable.

His is all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth; and most exalted, tremendous is He.

  - Mohammad Asad

To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. He is the Supreme, the Great.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And He is the Most High, the Greatest.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Unto Him belongeth all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, and He is the Sublime, the Tremendous.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth: and He is Most High Most Great. ⁴⁵²⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

We cannot conceive the distance which separates the Most High from the highest of His creatures, Allah Most Great from the greatest of the beings that we can imagine. The highest heavens are mentioned in the next verse, as well as the noblest creatures that we can imagine, the angels.

The uppermost heavens are well-nigh rent asunder [for awe of Him]; and the angels extol their Sustainer's limitless glory and praise, and ask forgiveness for all who are on earth.³ Oh, verily, God alone is truly-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., all human beings (as indicated by the relative pronoun man, which always refers to beings endowed with conscious intelligence). The implication is that whereas all humans - whether believers or unbelievers - are liable to err and to sin, God "is full of forgiveness unto men despite all their evildoing" ( 13:6 ). See also the first sentence of 10:11 and the corresponding note [17].

The heavens might have almost broken apart from above those who are elevating Allah's creatures to His rank, if the angels would have not been glorifying their Rabb with His praise and begging forgiveness for those on earth. Behold! Surely it is Allah Who is the oft-Forgiving, most Merciful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

The heavens nearly burst, one above the other, 'in awe of Him'. And the angels glorify the praises of their Lord, and seek forgiveness for those on earth. Surely Allah alone is the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Almost might the heavens above be rent asunder while the angels hymn the praise of their Lord and ask forgiveness for those on the earth. Lo! Allah is the Forgiver, the Merciful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

The heavens are almost rent asunder from above them (by His Glory): and the angels celebrate the Praises of their Lord and pray for forgiveness for (all) beings on earth: Behold! Verily Allah is He the Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful. ^{4530 4531}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

How can we conceive of sublimity and greatness in a higher degree than this, that the highest heavens are almost ready to burst asunder by His Glory, which is higher than all?

The angels are the noblest and purest beings of whom we can conceive. They reflect on the one side Allah's Glory and Praise, and on the other, two other attributes of Allah, that look towards His erring creatures, viz., Forgiveness and Mercy. The two sets of attributes are complementary. They thus proclaim in their own being and in their prayers the Greatness and unbounded Goodness of Allah.

NOW AS FOR those who take aught beside Him for their protectors - God watches them, and thou art not responsible for their conduct.1

  - Mohammad Asad

Those who take others as their guardians besides Him, Allah Himself is watching them; and O Prophet, you are not the disposer of their affairs.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

As for those who take other protectors besides Him, Allah is Watchful over them. And you 'O Prophet' are not a keeper over them.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And as for those who choose protecting friends beside Him, Allah is Warden over them, and thou art in no wise a guardian over them.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And those who take as protectors others besides Him Allah doth watch over them; and thou art not the disposer of their affairs. ⁴⁵³²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

We now come to the contrast, the folly and ingratitude of man. But that cannot escape its final doom in the Universal Plan of Allah. Only Judgment rests with Allah. A Prophet is not responsible for the conduct of men, in a system which permits some limited free-will and personal responsibility.

[Thou art but entrusted with Our message:] and so We have revealed unto thee a discourse in the Arabic tongue⁴ in order that thou mayest warn the foremost of all cities and all who dwell around it⁵ - to wit, warn [them] of the Day of the Gathering, [the coming of] which is beyond all doubt: [the Day when] some shall find themselves in paradise, and some in the blazing flame.

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. 14:4 - "never have We sent forth any apostle otherwise than [with a message] in his own people's tongue"; see also note [72] on the first sentence of 13:37 .

I.e., all mankind (Tabari, Baghawi, Razi). As regards the designation of Mecca as "the foremost of all cities", see note [75] on the identical phrase in 6:92 .

Thus have We revealed to you this Qur'an in Arabic, so that you may warn the residents of the Mother City (Makkah) and its suburbs, and forewarn them of the Day of assembly about which there is no doubt: when some will go to paradise and others to the blazing fire.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And so We have revealed to you a Quran in Arabic, so you may warn the Mother of Cities¹ and everyone around it, and warn of the Day of Gathering- about which there is no doubt- 'when' a group will be in Paradise and another in the Blaze.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 “The Mother of Cities” is an honorary title given to the city of Mecca because of its great religious significance as the home of Allah’s first house of worship ever built on earth, and perhaps because of its central location as well.

 “The Mother of Cities” is an honorary title given to the city of Mecca because of its great religious significance as the home of Allah’s first house of worship ever built on earth, and perhaps because of its central location as well.

And thus we have inspired in thee a Lecture in Arabic, that thou mayest warn the mother town and those around it, and mayest warn of a day of assembling whereof there is no doubt. A host will be in the Garden, and a host of them in the Flame.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Thus have We sent by inspiration to thee an Arabic Qur'an: that thou mayest warn the Mother of Cities and all around her and warn (them) of the Day of Assembly of which there is no doubt: (when) some will be in the Garden and some in the Blazing Fire. ^{4533 4534 4535}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The point of the Qur-an being in Arabic is that it is plain and intelligible to the people through whom and among whom it was promulgated; see next clause.

The City of Makkah. See n. 913 to vi. 92. This is undoubtedly a Makkan verse. Even apart from the Qibla, Makkah is the centre of Islam, and "all around her" is the whole world.

The contrast is again emphasised, as explained in the Summary.

Now had God so willed, He could surely have made them all one single community:⁶ none the less, He admits unto His grace him that wills [to be admitted]⁷ - whereas the evildoers shall have none to protect them and none to succour them [on Judgment Day].

  - Mohammad Asad

The implication being, "but He has not willed it": see second paragraph of 5:48 and the corresponding notes [66] and [67]; 16:93 and note [116]; also note [29] on 10:19 .

Or: "He admits whomever He wills unto His grace" - similar to the double meaning inherent in the oft-recurring phrase, Allahu yahdi man yasha'u wa-yudillu man yasha'u, which can be understood either as "God guides whomever He wills and lets go astray whomever He wills", or, alternatively, as "God guides him that wills [to be guided] and let go astray him that wills [to go astray]". See, in particular, Zamakhshari's elaborate comment on this problem quoted in note [4] on the second half of 14:4 .

If Allah wanted, He could have made all of them a single nation; but He admits to His mercy whom He pleases; as for the wrongdoers, they will have no protector nor helper.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Had Allah willed, He could have easily made all 'humanity' into a single community 'of believers'. But He admits into His mercy whoever He wills. And the wrongdoers will have no protector or helper.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Had Allah willed, He could have made them one community, but Allah bringeth whom He will into His mercy. And the wrong-doers have no friend nor helper.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

If Allah had so willed He could have made them a single people; but He admits whom He will to His Mercy; and the wrongdoers will have no protector nor helper. ⁴⁵³⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. v. 51, and n. 761. It is one of the Signs of Allah that He has made us different, that we may be tried in the exercise of our will, and that we may reach, through righteousness and Faith, our highest development, and enjoy His gifts of Mercy and Grace. But we must not become contentious, and fall into evil: we must understand our own limitations. Otherwise we shall lose His grace and protection.

Did they, perchance, [think that they could] choose protectors other than Him? But God alone is the Protector [of all that exists], since it is He alone who brings the dead to life, and He alone who has the power to will anything.

  - Mohammad Asad

Have they set up other guardians beside Him, while Allah Alone is the Guardian? It is He Who gives life to the dead and it is He Who has power over all things.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

How can they take protectors besides Him? Allah alone is the Protector. He 'alone' gives life to the dead. And He 'alone' is Most Capable of everything.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Or have they chosen protecting friends besides Him? But Allah, He (alone) is the Protecting Friend. He quickeneth the dead, and He is Able to do all things.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

What! Have they taken (for worship) protectors besides Him? But it is Allah He is the Protector and it is He Who gives life to the dead: it is He Who has power over all things. ⁴⁵³⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

There can be no greater ingratitude or blasphemy than to worship false gods, or to seek protection from things that have no power, when Allah-Who has power over all things-is always seeking to protect and cherish His creatures, and placing in their way all the means for attaining the best in them.

AND ON WHATEVER you may differ, [O believers,] the verdict thereon rests with God.⁸ [Say, therefore:] "Such is God, my Sustainer: in Him have I placed my trust, and unto Him do I always turn!"

  - Mohammad Asad

This, connecting with the first sentence of verse 8 above, evidently relates to problems of faith and religious law (Baghawi, Zamakhshari). The above verse has provided some of the great exponents of Islamic Law - Ibn Hazm among them - with one of the main arguments against the acceptance of deductions by analogy (qiyas) as a means to "establish" points of religious law not formulated as such in the nass - i.e., the self-evident (zahir) wording of the Qur'an and, by obvious implication, of the Prophet's commandments. This, as Razi points out, is the meaning of the phrase "on whatever you may differ, the verdict (hukm) thereon rests with God". (See in this connection note [120] on 5:101 ; also the section on "The Scope of Islamic Law" in my State and Government, pp. 11-15.)

O Prophet tell them: Whatever the subject of your dispute is, its judgement belongs to Allah: Such is Allah my Rabb, in Him I have put my trust, and to Him I turn in repentance.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'Say to the believers, O Prophet,' 'Whatever you may differ about, its judgment rests with Allah. That is Allah- my Lord. In Him I put my trust, and to Him I 'always' turn.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

And in whatsoever ye differ, the verdict therein belongeth to Allah. Such is my Lord, in Whom I put my trust, and unto Whom I turn.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Whatever it be wherein ye differ the decision thereof is with Allah: Such is Allah my Lord: in Him I trust and to Him I turn. ⁴⁵³⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In the highest issues of life men may see things differently. If their differences arise merely from selfish motives, or narrowness of vision, they are sinning against their own souls. If their differences arise from sincere but mistaken notions, their proper course is not to form divisions and sects, or to increase contention and hatred among men, but to leave all things to Allah, trusting in Him and turning to Him in all difficulties. The final decision in all things is with Him.