Surah 79. An-Naziat

His Lord called him in the sacred valley of Ṭuwa,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Behold thy Lord did call to him in the sacred valley of Tuwa ⁵⁹²⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xx. 12.

'commanding,' 'Go to Pharaoh, for he has truly transgressed 'all bounds'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

"Go thou to Pharaoh for he has indeed transgressed all bounds. ⁵⁹²⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xx. 24.

And say, 'Would you 'be willing to' purify yourself,

  - Mustafa Khattab

"And say to him `Wouldst thou that thou shouldst be purified (from sin)?

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

and let me guide you to your Lord so that you will be in awe 'of Him'?''

  - Mustafa Khattab

"`And that I guide thee to thy Lord so thou shouldst fear Him?' " ⁵⁹³⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Even for such a one as Pharaoh, intoxicated with his own power and greatness, guidance and grace were offered through Moses.

Then Moses showed him the great sign,¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 The staff turning into a snake. See 20:17-23.

Then did (Moses) show him the Great Sign. ⁵⁹³¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

What was the Great Sign? Some Commentators understand by it the "White Shining Hand": see n. 2550 to xx. 22-23. Others think it was the miracle of the rod that became a "snake active in motion": see xx. 20, n. 2549. These were among the Greater Signs: xx. 23. In xvii. 101 there is a reference to nine Clear Signs given to Moses, and these are specified in detail in n. 1091 to vii. 133. The fact is, there were many Signs given, "openly self-explained," but Pharaoh and his men "were steeped in arrogance,-a people given to sin" (vii. 133). The preeminently Great Sign was therefore the fact of Moses being sent to Pharaoh, which subsequently converted the magicians and the more learned Egyptians to the true God (xx. 70-73), though Pharaoh and his Chiefs resisted and suffered for their sins.

but he denied and disobeyed 'Allah',

  - Mustafa Khattab

But (Pharaoh) rejected it and disobeyed (guidance);

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

then turned his back, striving 'against the truth'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Further he turned his back striving hard (against Allah).

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Then he summoned 'his people' and called out,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then he collected (his men) and made a proclamation

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

saying, 'I am your lord, the most high!'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Saying "I am your Lord Most High."

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

So Allah overtook him, making him an example in this life and the next.

  - Mustafa Khattab

But Allah did punish him (and made an) example of him in the Hereafter as in this life. ⁵⁹³²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

See xx. 78-79, also vii. 135-137.

Surely in this is a lesson for whoever stands in awe of 'Allah'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Verily in this is an instructive warning for whosoever feareth (Allah): ⁵⁹³³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xxiv. 44.

Which is harder to create: you or the sky?¹ He built it,

  - Mustafa Khattab

 This is from a human perspective. Otherwise, both the creation of the universe and the resurrection of humans are easy for Allah.

What! are ye the more difficult to create of the heaven (above)? (Allah) hath constructed it: ⁵⁹³⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If man grows arrogant or forgets his accountability to Allah, in his ignorance or thoughtlessness, he is reminded that he is only an insignificant speck in Allah's spacious Creation. All the excellence that man acquires is the gift of Allah. Who has bestowed on him a high Destiny if he fulfils the purpose of his creation: ii. 30-39. Then follows a nature passage, pointing to the glory of the heavens and the earth, and how they are both made to subserve the life of man.

raising it high and forming it flawlessly.

  - Mustafa Khattab

On high hath He raised its canopy and He hath given it order and perfection. ⁵⁹³⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. ii. 29. The mystery of the heavens with their countless stars and the planets obeying the laws of motion, and the sun and moon influencing the temperature and climates of the earth from thousands or millions of miles, illustrate the order and perfection which Allah has given to His Creation. Can man then remain exempt from his responsibility for his deeds, endowed as he is with a will, or deny the Day of Sorting Out, which is the Day of Judgment?

He dimmed its night, and brought forth its daylight.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Its night doth He endow with darkness and its splendor doth He bring out (with light). ⁵⁹³⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Its of course refers to the starry heaven. Both the Night and the Day have each its own beauty and its utility for man, as has been frequently pointed out in the Qur-an. The night is a period of darkness, but it has also its splendours of light in the moon, or the planets Jupiter or Venus, or stars like Sirius or the Milky Way. These countless lights of night have their own beauty, and by day there is the splendour of the sun for us, which in Creation as a whole, is just one of countless stars.

As for the earth, He spread it out as well,¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 The Arabic verb daḥa also suggests that the earth is egg-shaped. The noun form diḥya is still used in some Arab dialects to mean an egg. Based on 2:29, 41:9-12, and 79:27-33, Allah ordained both realms, then formed the earth and created its provisions, then formed the heaven into seven heavens—all in six ˹heavenly˺ Days. See footnote for 7:54.

And the earth moreover; hath He extended (to a wide expanse): ⁵⁹³⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Moreover: or, more literally, after that. See n. 4475 to xli. 11.

bringing forth its water and pastures

  - Mustafa Khattab

He draweth out therefrom its moisture and its pasture; ⁵⁹³⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The underground springs and wells of water as well as rivers and glaciers in northren climates are due to the different levels of highlands not lowlands. They spread the moisture evenly as wanted, and give corn, fruits, and vegetables to man, and pastures and feeding grounds to beasts of the fields. For the wonderful circuit or cycle of water between heaven and earth, see notes 3106 (xxv. 49) and 3111 (xxv. 53).

and setting the mountains firmly 'upon it'-

  - Mustafa Khattab

And the mountains hath He firmly fixed ⁵⁹³⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

See n. 2038 to xvi. 15. The "eternal hills" are the main reservoirs for the storage and gradual distribution of water, the very basis of the life of man and beast.

all as 'a means of' sustenance for you and your animals.

  - Mustafa Khattab

For use and convenience to you and your cattle. ⁵⁹⁴⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This clause I construe to apply to verses 30, 31, and 32 above. Everything on earth has, by Allah's bountiful providence, been arranged to subserve the use and convenience of man and the lower life which depends upon him. The intermediary between Allah's providence and the actual use made of Allah's other gifts is man's own intelligence and initiative, which are also gifts of Allah.

But, when the Supreme Disaster¹ comes to pass-

  - Mustafa Khattab

 This is the second Blast which will cause the dead to come to life for judgment. See 39:68.

Therefore when there comes the great overwhelming (Event) ⁵⁹⁴¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Judgment, the time for sorting out all things according to their true, intrinsic, and eternal values.

the Day every person will remember all 'their' striving,

  - Mustafa Khattab

The Day when Man shall remember (all) that he strove for ⁵⁹⁴²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Judgment will be not only for his acts but for his motives, "all he strove for". In this life he may forget his ill-deeds, but in the new conditions he will not only remember them, but the Fire of Punishment will be plainly visible to him, and not only to him, but it will be "for all to see". This will add to the sinner's humiliation.