Surah 42. Ash-Shura

Is it that they [who care for no more than this world] believe in forces supposed to have a share in God's divinity,²⁵ which enjoin upon them as a moral law something that God has never allowed?²⁶ Now were it not for [God's] decree on the final judgment,²⁷ all would indeed have been decided between them [in this world]:²⁸ but, verily, grievous suffering awaits the evildoers [in the life to come].

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "Is it that they have partners [of God]" - i.e., "do they believe that circumstantial phenomena like wealth, power, 'luck', etc., have something divine about them?" - the implication being that belief in such "forces" is usually at the root of men's pursuance of exclusively worldly ends. (For my above explanatory rendering of the term shuraka' - lit., "partners" or "associates" [of God] - see note [15] on 6:22 .)

I.e., which cause them to abandon themselves with an almost religious fervour to something of which God disapproves - namely, the striving after purely materialistic goals and a corresponding disregard of all spiritual and ethical values. For my rendering of din, in this context, as "moral law", see note [3] on 109:6 .

Lit., "word of decision", i.e., that His final judgment shall be postponed until the Day of Resurrection (see next note).

I.e., God would have made a clear-cut distinction, in this world, between those who look forward to the hereafter and those who care for no more than worldly success, by granting unlimited happiness to the former and causing the latter to suffer: but since it is only in the hereafter that man's life is to be truly fulfilled, God has willed to postpone this distinction until then.

Have they made shoraka' (partners with Allah) who, in the practice of their faith, have made lawful to them what Allah has not allowed? Had a decision of making the decision on the Day of Judgement not been issued already, the matter would have certainly been decided between them; surely the wrongdoers will have a painful punishment.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Or have they partners (of Allah) who have made lawful for them in religion that which Allah allowed not? And but for a decisive word (gone forth already), it would have been judged between them. Lo! for wrong-doers is a painful doom.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[In that life to come,] thou wilt see the evildoers full of fear at [the thought of] what they have earned: for [now] it is bound to fall back upon them. And in the flowering meadows of the gardens [of Paradise thou wilt see] those who have attained to faith and done righteous deeds: all that they might desire shall they have with their Sustainer: [and] this, this is the great bounty -

  - Mohammad Asad

You will see that the wrongdoers will be fearing the bad consequences of their deeds which will surely befall them. While those who believe and do good deeds shall dwell in the luxurious gardens of paradise, and shall receive from their Rabb all that they wish for; that will surely be the magnificent blessing.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Thou seest the wrong-doers fearful of that which they have earned, and it will surely befall them; while those who believe and do good works (will be) in flowering meadows of the Gardens, having what they wish from their Lord. This is the great preferment.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

that [bounty] whereof God gives the glad tiding to such of His servants as attain to faith and do righteous deeds. Say [O Prophet]: "No reward do I ask of you for this [message] other than [that you should] love your fellow-men.²⁹ For, if anyone gains [the merit of] a good deed, We shall grant him through it an increase of good: and, verily, God is much-forgiving, ever responsive to gratitude.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "love for those who are near (al-qurba)". Some commentators take this to mean "those who are near to me", i.e., Muhammad's kinsfolk: but quite apart from the objection that such a "personal" demand would conflict with the preceding assurance, "No reward do I ask of you", the deliberate ommission of any possessive pronoun in respect of the term al-qurba indicates that it is not limited to any personal relationship but, rather, alludes to a relationship common to all human beings: namely, the fellowship of man - a concept which implies the fundamental ethical postulate to care for one another's material and spiritual welfare.

Such a blessing is the good news which Allah gives to His servants who believe and do good deeds. O Prophet, say to them: "I do not ask you any recompense except your love for being my close relatives." He that does a good deed shall be repaid many times over. Surely Allah is oft-Forgiving, most Appreciative.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

This it is which Allah announceth unto His bondmen who believe and do good works. Say (O Muhammad, unto mankind): I ask of you no fee therefor, save loving kindness among kinsfolk. And whoso scoreth a good deed we add unto its good for him. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Responsive.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

DO THEY, perchance, say, "[Muhammad] has attributed his own lying inventions to God"? But then, had God so willed, He could have sealed thy heart [forever]: for God blots out all falsehood and by His words proves the truth to be true.³⁰ Verily, He has full knowledge of what is in the hearts [of men];

  - Mohammad Asad

See note [103] on 10:82 .

Do they say: "He has forged a falsehood against Allah?" But if Allah so willed, He could have sealed your heart. In fact Allah blots out falsehood and vindicates the truth by His words. Surely He knows everything that is hidden in your breast.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Or say they: He hath invented a lie concerning Allah? If Allah willed, He could have sealed thy heart (against them). And Allah will wipe out the lie and will vindicate the truth by His words. Lo! He is aware of what is hidden in the breasts (of men).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and it is He who accepts repentance from His servants, and pardons bad deeds, and knows all that you do,

  - Mohammad Asad

It is He Who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons their sins, and He knows whatever you do.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And He it is Who accepteth repentance from his bondmen, and pardoneth the evil deeds, and knoweth what ye do.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and responds unto all who attain to faith and do righteous deeds, and [it is He who, in the life to come,] will give them, out of His bounty, far more [than they will have deserved], whereas for the deniers of the truth there is [but] suffering severe in store.

  - Mohammad Asad

He answers the prayers of those who believe and do good deeds and gives them even more out of His bounty. As for the unbelievers, they shall have severe punishment.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And accepteth those who do good works, and giveth increase unto them of His bounty. And as for disbelievers, theirs will be an awful doom.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

For, if God were to grant [in this world] abundant sustenance to [all of] His servants, they would behave on earth with wanton insolence:³¹ but as it is, He bestows [His grace] from on high in due measure, as He wills: for, verily, He is fully aware of [the needs of] His creatures, and sees them all.

  - Mohammad Asad

This passage connects with, and elucidates, the statement in the preceding verse that God "responds unto all who attain to faith and do righteous deeds" - a statement which, at first glance, seems to be contrary to the fact that whereas many wrongdoers prosper and are happy, many righteous people suffer hurt and deprivation. In reply to this objection, the above verse points elliptically to man's innate "greed for more and more" (see 102:1 ), which often causes him to become "grossly overweening whenever he believes himself to be self-sufficient" ( 96:6 ). To counteract this tendency, the Qur'an stresses again and again that God's "response" to the righteous - as well as to wrongdoers - will become fully evident only in the life to come, and not necessarily in this world, which, after all, is only the first, short stage of man's existence.

Had Allah bestowed abundance upon His servants, they would have transgressed beyond bounds in the earth; that's why He sends down in due measure as He pleases; He is well aware and observant of His servants.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And if Allah were to enlarge the provision for His slaves they would surely rebel in the earth, but He sendeth down by measure as He willeth. Lo! He is Informed, a Seer of His bondmen.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And it is He who sends down rain after [men] have lost all hope, and unfolds His grace [thereby]:³² for He alone is [their] protector, the One to whom all praise is due.

  - Mohammad Asad

This reference to the symbol of life-giving rain connects with the preceding statement that "He bestows [His grace] in due measure, as He wills", and is a preamble, as it were, to the statement in the next verse that all creation is but a visible "sign" or "revelation" of God's existence and purposeful activity, as well as of the God-willed continuation of all life in the hereafter.

It is He Who sends down rain even after they have lost all hope, and spreads His Mercy. He Alone is the Praiseworthy Guardian.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And He it is Who sendeth down the saving rain after they have despaired, and spreadeth out His mercy. He is the Protecting Friend, the Praiseworthy.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And among His signs is the [very] creation of the heavens and the earth, and of all the living creatures which He has caused to multiply throughout them:³³ and [since He has created them,] He has [also] the power to gather them [unto Himself] whenever He wills.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "in both". In the Qur'an, the expression "the heavens and the earth" invariably denotes the universe in its entirety.

Among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the living creatures that He has spread in both of them: and He is capable of gathering them all together whenever He wants.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And of His portents is the creation of the heaven and the earth, and of whatever beasts He hath dispersed therein. And He is Able to gather them when He will.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Now whatever calamity may befall you [on Judgment Day] will be an outcome of what your own hands have wrought,³⁴ although He pardons much;

  - Mohammad Asad

This oft-recurring phrase is a Qur'anic metonym for man's doings and conscious attitudes in this world, meant to bring out the fact that these doings or attitudes are the "harvest" of a person's spiritual character and have, therefore, a definite influence on the quality of his life in the hereafter. Since the latter is but an organic continuation of earthly life, man's subsequent spiritual growth and bliss or, alternatively, spiritual darkness and suffering - symbolically circumscribed as God's "reward" and "chastisement" or "paradise" and "hell" - depend on, and are a result of, what one has previously "earned".

Whatever affliction befalls you is the result of what your own hands have done even though for many of your misdeeds He grants forgiveness.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Whatever of misfortune striketh you, it is what your right hands have earned. And He forgiveth much.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and you cannot elude Him on earth, and you will have none to protect you from God [in the life to come], and none to bring you succour.

  - Mohammad Asad

You cannot frustrate anything in earth and there is no protector or helper for you besides Allah.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Ye cannot escape in the earth, for beside Allah ye have no protecting friend nor any helper.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And among His signs³⁵ are the ships that sail like [floating] mountains through the seas:

  - Mohammad Asad

As is evident from the sequence, in this instance the term ayah (lit., "sign" or "[divine] message") is used in the sense of "parable". (See next note.)

Among His signs are the ships which look like mountains upon the ocean.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And of His portents are the ships, like banners on the sea;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

if He so wills, He stills the wind, and then they lie motionless on the sea's surface - [and] herein, behold, there are messages indeed for all who are wholly patient in adversity and deeply grateful [to God];

  - Mohammad Asad

If He wants, He can cause the wind to become still and leave them motionless on their backs - surely in this example there are signs for every such person who patiently endures and is grateful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

If He will He calmeth the wind so that they keep still upon its surface Lo! herein verily are signs for every steadfast grateful (heart).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

or else He may cause them to perish because of what they have wrought;³⁶ and [withal,] He pardons much.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., because of the evil which they have committed. The above passage is, I believe, a parabolical allusion to the three possible alternatives in the life to come: spiritual progress and happiness (symbolized by ships that sail freely through the sea); spiritual stagnancy (ships that lie motionless on the sea's surface); and spiritual disaster and suffering (summarized in the concept of perdition). The second of these three alternatives seems to point to the condition of those 'ala 'l-a'raf spoken of in 7:46 Cf. and explained in the corresponding note [37].

- Or He may cause them to drown in consequence of even a few of their misdeeds, though He forgives many of their misdeeds.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Or he causeth them to perish on account of that which they have earned And He forgiveth much--

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And let them know, those who call Our messages in question,³⁷ that for them there is no escape.

  - Mohammad Asad

For this rendering of yujadilun, see note [25] on 40:35 .

Those who dispute about Our revelations should know that there is no escape for them.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And that those who argue concerning Our revelations may know they have no refuge.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall