Surah 55. Ar-Rahman

Every being on earth is bound to perish.

  - Mustafa Khattab

All that is on earth will perish;

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Only your Lord Himself,¹ full of Majesty and Honour, will remain 'forever'.²

  - Mustafa Khattab

 lit., your Lord’s Face.

 Death is listed as one of Allah’s favours since it puts an end to tyrants, ends the suffering of the oppressed, makes all people equal, ushers in judgment and the enforcement of justice, and leads the believers to eternal joy and peace in Paradise.

But will abide (forever) the Face of thy Lord full of Majesty Bounty and Honor. ^{5189 5190}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The most magnificent works of man-such as they are-are but fleeting. Ships, Empires, the Wonders of Science and Art, the splendours of human glory or intellect, will all pass away. The most magnificent objects in outer Nature-the mountains and valleys, the sun and moon, the Constellation Orion and the star Sirius-will also pass away in their appointed time. But the only One that will endure for ever is the "Face" of Allah.

Ikram; two ideas are prominent in the word, (1) the idea of generosity, as proceeding from the person whose attribute it is, and (2) the idea of honour, as given by others to the person whose attribute it is. Both these ideas are summed up in "nobility". To make the meaning quite clear, I have employed in the translation the two words "Bounty and Honour" for the single word Ikram. The same attributes recur in the last verse of this Sura. In the Fact of Allah's Eternity is the Hope of our Future.

Then which of your Lord's favours will you both deny?

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

All those in the heavens and the earth are dependent on Him. Day in and day out He has something to bring about.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Giving life and causing death, making some rich and others poor, elevating some and debasing others, etc.

Of Him seeks (its needs) every creature in the heavens and on earth: every day in (new) Splendor doth He (shine)! ^{5191 5192}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Every single creature depends on Allah for its needs: of all of them the Cherisher and Sustainer is Allah. Seek (its needs): does not necessarily mean 'seek them in words': what is meant is the dependence: the allusion is to the Source of supply.

Shan: state, splendour; aim, work, business, momentous affair. Allah's is still the directing hand in all affairs. He does not sit apart, careless of mankind or of any of His creatures. But His working shows new Splendour every day, every hour, every moment.

Then which of your Lord's favours will you both deny?

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

We will soon attend to you 'for judgment', O two multitudes 'of jinn and humans'!

  - Mustafa Khattab

Soon shall We settle your affairs O both ye worlds! ⁵¹⁹³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Thaqal: weight, something weighty, something weighed with something else. The two thaqals are Jinns and men who are burdened with responsibility or, as some commentators hold, with sin. They are both before Allah, and the affairs of both are conducted under His Command. If there are inequalities or apparent disturbances of balance, that is only for a season. Allah gives to both good and evil men a chance in this period of probation; but this period will soon be over, and Judgment will be established. To give you this chance, this probation, this warning, is itself a favour, by which you should profit, and for which you should be grateful.

Then which of your Lord's favours will you both deny?

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O assembly of jinn and humans! If you can penetrate beyond the realms of the heavens and the earth, then do so. 'But' you cannot do that without 'Our' authority.

  - Mustafa Khattab

O ye assembly of Jinns and men! if it be ye can pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth pass ye! not without authority shall ye be able to pass! ⁵¹⁹⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. vi. 130, where the Jinns and men are addressed collectively. That whole passage, vi. 130-134, should be read as a commentary on this verse. 'If you think that because you do things in secret, or because some of your sins do not seem to meet their inevitable punishment or some of your good deeds seem to go unnoticed, do not be deceived. Judgment will soon come. You cannot possibly escape out of the zones in which your lives have been cast, without authority from Allah. Be grateful to Allah for the chances He has given you'. "All that hath been promised unto you will come to pass: nor can ye frustrate it in the least bit" (vi. 134).

Then which of your Lord's favours will you both deny?

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny? ⁵¹⁹⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Note how gradually we have been led up in the Argument. 'The Signs of Allah are all about you, in revelation, in your intelligence, and in nature around you. Your creation; the light and heat typified by the sun in all directions; the cycle of waters in the physical earth and of Knowledge in the world of Intelligence; the help and cherishing care of Allah Himself;-all these things should teach you the Truth and warn you about the Future, which is more particularly referred to in the remainder of the Sura.

Flames of fire and 'molten' copper will be sent against you, and you will not be able to defend one another.

  - Mustafa Khattab

On you will be sent (O ye evil ones twain!) a flame of fire (to burn) and a smoke (to choke): No defence will ye have: ^{5196 5197}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Dual is with reference to the two worlds explained above in n. 5193.

We now come to the terrors of the Judgment on the evil ones.

Then which of your Lord's favours will you both deny?

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny? ⁵¹⁹⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Here and in some of the verses that follow, (verses 40, 42, and 45 below), the refrain applies with an ironical meaning. It is as if it was said: 'You used to laugh at Revelation, and at the warnings which were given for your own benefit in order to draw you to repentance and Allah's Mercy; what do you find now? Is not all that was said to you true?' To reject Allah's Law is in itself to deny Allah's Mercies.

'How horrible will it be' when the heavens will split apart, becoming rose-red like 'burnt' oil!

  - Mustafa Khattab

When the sky is rent asunder and it becomes red like ointment: ⁵¹⁹⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Melting away like grease or ointment. The red colour will be due to the flames and the heat. The whole of the world as we know it now will dissolve.

Then which of your Lord's favours will you both deny?

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

On that Day there will be no need for any human or jinn to be asked about their sins.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Since their sins are already known to Allah and written in perfect records, they will only be interrogated as a form of punishment.

On that day no question will be asked of man or Jinn as to his sin. ⁵²⁰⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This does not of course mean that they will not be called to account for their sin. They will certainly be called to account for all their deeds: xv. 92. The meaning of this whole passage is that their personal responsibility will be enforced. But their own tongues and hands and feet will bear witness against them as to their actions: xxiv. 24. Every man will bear marks on his person, showing his classification in the Final Account: vii 48. After these Marks are affixed, everyone's position and status in the Final Account will be known to everyone. As to the Judge on the Throne of Judgment, He will of course know all before Judgment is set up. But to give every chance to the accused, his record will be produced and shown to him (lxix. 19, 25, xviii. 49), and he will be given a chance to plead (vii. 53), but if a sinner, he will be in confusion (xxviii. 66).

Then which of your Lord's favours will you both deny?

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali