Surah 52. At-Tur

As for those who believe and whose descendants follow them in faith, We will elevate their descendants to their rank, never discounting anything 'of the reward' of their deeds. Every person will reap only what they sowed.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Meaning, no one will carry the burden of another’s sins.

And those who believe and whose families follow them in Faith to them shall We join their families: nor shall We deprive them (of the fruit) of aught of their works: (Yet) is each individual in pledge for his deeds. ^{5054 5055}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Zurriyat: literally, progeny, offspring, family; applied by extension to mean all near and dear ones. Love is unselfish, and works not merely, or chiefly, for Self, but for others; provided the others have Faith and respond according to their capacities or degrees, they will be joined together. Even though on individual merits their rank might be less.

As already explained in the last note, though the love poured out by Prophets, ancestors, descendants, friends, or good men and women, will secure for their loved ones the enjoyment of their society, it is an indispensable condition that the loved ones should also, according to their lights, have shown their faith and their goodness in deeds. Each individual is responsible for his conduct. In the kingdom of heaven there is no boasting of ancestors or friends. But it is part of the satisfaction of the good ones who poured out their love that those who were in any way worthy to receive their love should also be admitted to their society, and this satisfaction shall in no way be diminished to them.

And We will 'continually' provide them with whatever fruit or meat they desire.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And We shall bestow on them of fruit and meat anything they shall desire. ⁵⁰⁵⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

That is, their eternal Punishment in the Hereafter, as well as any punishment that may come to them in this life.

They will pass around to each other a drink 'of pure wine,' which leads to no idle talk or sinfulness.

  - Mustafa Khattab

They shall there exchange one with another a (loving) cup free of frivolity free of all taint of ill. ⁵⁰⁵⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Drinking or loving cups, in our life on this earth, are apt to be misused in two ways: (1) they may be occasions for mere frivolity or the wasting of time; (2) they may lead to evil thoughts, evil suggestions, evil talk, or evil deeds.

And they will be waited on by their youthful servants like spotless pearls.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Round about them will serve (devoted) to them youths (handsome) as Pearls well-guarded. ⁵⁰⁵⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Maknun: well-guarded, kept close, concealed from exposure: the beautiful nacreous lustre of Pearls is disfigured by exposure to gases, vapours, or acids; when not actually in use they are best kept in closed caskets, guarded from deteriorating agencies.

They will turn to one another inquisitively.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 It is assumed that they will ask each other about their lives in the world and what led them to Paradise.

They will advance to each other engaging in mutual enquiry. ⁵⁰⁵⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The third-and the highest-stage of Bliss, after individual Bliss and social Bliss, is the satisfaction of looking to the Past without its shadows and realising to the full in the Present the goodness of Allah. See n. 5050. This, again, is shared in mutual converse and confidence.

They will say, 'Before 'this reward' we used to be in awe 'of Allah' in the midst of our people.

  - Mustafa Khattab

They will say: "Aforetime We were not without fear for the sake of our people. ⁵⁰⁶⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

A man may be good, and may with limits have found goodness in his own spiritual life, but may have anxieties about his family or friends whom he loves. All such shadows are removed in heaven by the Grace of Allah, and he is free to dwell on it in his confidential converse with other men similarly circumstanced.

So Allah has graced us and protected us from the torment of 'Hell's' scorching heat.

  - Mustafa Khattab

"But Allah has been good to us and has delivered us from the Penalty of the Scorching Wind. ⁵⁰⁶¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"Us" includes the good man or woman and all whom he or she cared for. This would be an ever-expanding circle, until it includes all mankind through Teachers like the Chosen One.

Indeed, we used to call upon Him 'alone' before. He is truly the Most Kind, Most Merciful.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

"Truly we did call unto Him from of old: truly it is He the Beneficent the Merciful" ⁵⁰⁶²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

'Before this, we called upon Him, in faith that He is good: now we know in our inmost souls that He is indeed good-the Beneficent, the Merciful.' This is the climax of the description of Heaven.

So 'continue to' remind 'all, O Prophet'. For you, by the grace of your Lord, are not a fortune-teller or a madman.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Therefore proclaim thou the praises (of thy Lord): For by the Grace of thy Lord thou art no (vulgar) soothsayer nor art thou one possessed. ⁵⁰⁶³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The greatest of the Prophets was called a soothsayer, i.e., one who tells fortunes by divination, or a madman possessed of some evil spirit, or a poet singing spiteful satires. Much more may lesser men be called by such names because they proclaim the Truth. They should go on in spite of it all.

Or do they say, ''He is' a poet, for whom we 'eagerly' await an ill-fate!'?

  - Mustafa Khattab

Or do they say "A Poet! we await for him some calamity (hatched) by Time!" ⁵⁰⁶⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If a spiteful poet foretells evil calamities for men, men can afford to laugh at him, hoping that time will bring about its revenge, and spite will come to an evil end. For the various meanings of Raib, see n. 1884 to xiv. 9. Some Commentators suggest Death as the Calamity hatched by Time.

Say, 'Keep waiting! I too am waiting with you.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Say thou: "Await ye! I too will wait along with you!" ⁵⁰⁶⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. ix. 52. If the wicked wait or look for some calamity to befall the Prophet, the Prophet can with far more justice await the decision of the issue between him and his persecutors. For he stands for right, and Allah will support the right.

Or do their 'intelligent' minds prompt them to this 'paradox'?¹ Or are they 'just' a transgressing people?

  - Mustafa Khattab

 The pagan leaders claimed to be Mecca’s most intelligent minds. So this verse questions their intelligence, arguing that the Prophet (ﷺ) cannot be a madman and a poet at the same time.

Is it that their faculties of understanding urge them to this or are they but a people transgressing beyond bounds? ^{5066 5067}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It may be that the persecutors of Truth are ignorant, and their deficient faculties of understanding mislead them, but it is more often the case that they are perverse rebels against the law of Allah, defending their own selfish interests, and preventing those whom they oppress, from getting justice.

Cf. li. 53.

Or do they say, 'He made this 'Quran' up!'? In fact, they have no faith.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Or do they say "He fabricated the (Message)"? Nay they have no faith! ⁵⁰⁶⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

As an alternative to the charges of being a soothsayer or a madman or a disgruntled poet, there is the charge of a forger or fabricator applied to the prophet of Allah when he produces his Message. This implies that there can be no revelation or inspiration from Allah. Such an attitude negatives Faith altogether. But if this is so, can they produce a work of man that can compare with the inspired Word of Allah? They cannot. Cf. n. 37-39, and xvii. 88.

Let them then produce something like it, if what they say is true!¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Arab pagans were challenged in the Quran to produce its equivalent (52:34), or ten sûrahs (11:13), or at least one sûrah (2:23), but the challenge has never been met.

Let them then produce a recital like unto it if (it be) they speak the Truth!

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Or were they created by nothing, or are they 'their own' creators?

  - Mustafa Khattab

Were they created of nothing or were they themselves the creators? ⁵⁰⁶⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"Were they created of nothing?" Three possible alternative meanings are suggested by the Commentators, according to the meaning we give to the Arabic preposition min=of, by, with, for. (1) 'Were they created by nothing? Did they come into existence of themselves? Was it a mere chance that they came into being? (2) Were they created as men out of nothing? Was there not a wonderful seed, from which their material growth can be traced, as the handiwork of a wise and wonderful Creator? Must they not then seek His Will? (3) Were they created for nothing, to no purpose? If they were created for a purpose, must they not try to learn that purpose by understanding Allah's Revelation?