Surah 25. Al-Furqan

1.

Blessed is the One Who sent down the Standard¹ to His servant,² so that he may be a warner to the whole world.³

 Al-Furqân, which is one of names of the Quran, means "the standard to distinguish between right and wrong."

 Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ).

 For both humans and jinn.

2.

'Allah is' the One to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, Who has never had 'any' offspring, nor does He have a partner in 'governing' the kingdom. He has created everything, ordaining it precisely.

3.

Yet they have taken besides Him gods who cannot create anything but are themselves created. Nor can they protect or benefit themselves. Nor can they control life, death, or resurrection.

4.

The disbelievers say, 'This 'Quran' is nothing but a fabrication which he¹ made up with the help of others.' Their claim is totally unjustified and untrue!

 The Prophet (ﷺ).

5.

And they say, ''These revelations are only' ancient fables which he has had written down, and they are rehearsed to him morning and evening.'¹

 Some Arab pagans claimed that the Prophet (ﷺ) had been taught the Bible by some non-Arab Christians. The Quran itself (16:103) refutes this claim by arguing that a non-Arab could not come up with an eloquent Arabic scripture like the Quran when eloquent Arabs failed to produce something like it. For more details, see the Introduction.

6.

Say, 'O Prophet,' 'This 'Quran' has been revealed by the One Who knows the secrets of the heavens and the earth. Surely He is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'¹

 He forgives those who repent, and gives a grace period to those who do not.

7.

And they say 'mockingly', 'What kind of messenger is this who eats food and goes about in market-places 'for a living'? If only an angel had been sent down with him to be his co-warner,

8.

or a treasure had been cast down to him, or he had had a garden from which he may eat!' And the wrongdoers say 'to the believers', 'You are only following a bewitched man.'

9.

See 'O Prophet' how they call you names!¹ So they have gone so 'far' astray that they cannot find the 'Right' Way.

 i.e., a magician, a poet, a fabricator, and a madman.

10.

Blessed is the One Who- if He wills- can give you far better than 'all' that: gardens under which rivers flow, and palaces as well.

11.

In fact, they deny the Hour.¹ And for the deniers of the Hour, We have prepared a blazing Fire.

 What they have said about you are only excuses to justify their denial of the Hereafter.

12.

Once it sees them from a distance, they will hear it fuming and growling.

13.

And when they are tossed into a narrow place inside 'Hell', chained together, then and there they will cry out for 'instant' destruction.

14.

'They will be told,' 'Do not cry only once for destruction, but cry many times over!'

15.

Say, 'O Prophet,' 'Is this better or the Garden of Eternity which the righteous have been promised, as a reward and 'an ultimate' destination?

16.

There they will have whatever they wish for, forever. That is a promise 'to be sought after', binding on your Lord.'

17.

'Watch for' the Day He will gather them along with what they used to worship besides Allah, and ask 'the objects of worship',¹ 'Was it you who misled these servants of Mine, or did they stray from the Way 'on their own'?'

 e.g., Jesus and the angels.

18.

They will say, 'Glory be to You! It was not right for 'others like' us to take any lords besides You,¹ but You allowed enjoyment for them and their forefathers 'for so long' that they forgot 'Your' remembrance and became a doomed people.'

 Another possible translation: “They will say, ‘Glory be to You! We would not dare to take other lords besides You ˹so how can we claim to be lords?˺’”

19.

'The doomed will be told', 'Your gods have clearly denied your claims. So now you can neither ward off 'the punishment' nor get any help.' And whoever of you does wrong, We will make them taste a horrible punishment.

20.

We never sent any messenger before you 'O Prophet', who did not eat food and go about in market-places. We have made some of you a trial for others. Will you 'not then' be patient? And your Lord is All-Seeing.

21.

Those who do not expect to meet Us say, 'If only the angels were sent down to us, or we could see our Lord!' They have certainly been carried away by their arrogance and have entirely exceeded all limits.

22.

'But' on the Day they will see the angels, there will be no good news for the wicked, who will cry, 'Keep away! Away 'from us'!'¹

 Another possible translation: “And the angels will say, ‘All good is forbidden to you!’”

23.

Then We will turn to whatever 'good' deeds they did, reducing them to scattered dust.¹

 The good deeds of the disbelievers (like charity) will have no weight on Judgment Day.

24.

'But' on that Day the residents of Paradise will have the best settlement and the finest place to rest.

25.

'Watch for' the Day the heavens will burst with clouds, and the angels will be sent down in successive ranks.

26.

True authority on that Day will belong 'only' to the Most Compassionate.¹ And it will be a hard day for the disbelievers.

 Some people (like kings and rulers) have some sort of authority in this world. But on Judgment Day Allah will be the sole authority.

27.

And 'beware of' the Day the wrongdoer will bite his nails 'in regret' and say, 'Oh! I wish I had followed the Way along with the Messenger!

28.

Woe to me! I wish I had never taken so-and-so as a close friend.

29.

It was he who truly made me stray from the Reminder after it had reached me.' And Satan has always betrayed humanity.

30.

The Messenger has cried, 'O my Lord! My people have indeed received this Quran with neglect.'

31.

Similarly, We made enemies for every prophet from among the wicked, but sufficient is your Lord as a Guide and Helper.

32.

The disbelievers say, 'If only the Quran had been sent down to him all at once!' 'We have sent it' as such 'in stages' so We may reassure your heart with it. And We have revealed it at a deliberate pace.

33.

Whenever they bring you an argument, We come to you with the right refutation and the best explanation.

34.

Those who will be dragged into Hell on their faces will be in the worst place, and are 'now' farthest from the 'Right' Way.

35.

We certainly gave Moses the Book and appointed his brother Aaron as his helper.

36.

We had ordered 'them', 'Go to the people who would deny Our signs.' Then We annihilated the deniers entirely.

37.

And when the people of Noah rejected the messengers,¹ We drowned them, making them an example to humanity. And We have prepared a painful punishment for the wrongdoers.

 lit., messengers, because denying Noah was equal to denying all of Allah’s messengers.

38.

Also 'We destroyed' 'Ȃd, Thamûd, and the people of the Water-pit,¹ as well as many peoples in between.

 Ar-Rass means “well” or “water-pit”. This refers to a pagan people, along with Midian, to whom Allah sent Prophet Shu’aib.

39.

For each We set forth 'various' lessons, and We ultimately destroyed each.

40.

They have certainly passed by the city 'of Sodom', which had been showered with a dreadful rain 'of stones'. Have they not seen its ruins? But they do not expect to be resurrected.

41.

When they see you 'O Prophet', they only make fun of you, 'saying,' 'Is this the one that Allah has sent as a messenger?

42.

He would have almost tricked us away from our gods, had we not been so devoted to them.' 'But' soon they will know, when they face the punishment, who is far astray from the 'Right' Way.

43.

Have you seen 'O Prophet' the one who has taken their own desires as their god? Will you then be a keeper over them?

44.

Or do you think that most of them listen or understand?¹ They are only like cattle- no, more than that, they are astray from the 'Right' Way!²

 They neither pay attention, nor think for themselves. They only follow others blindly.

 Generally, animals are obedient and loyal to their masters who care for them and they seem to know their way, whereas Meccan pagans are disobedient and ungrateful to their Lord and Sustainer, choosing to stray from the right path.

45.

Have you not seen how your Lord extends the shade- He could have simply made it 'remain' still if He so willed- then We make the sun its guide,

46.

causing the shade to retreat gradually?¹

 This means that one of the great miracles of Allah is that He allows the sun to rise in the morning, causing darkness to retreat. He could have stopped the sun and the earth from rotating, so half of the world would be engulfed in complete darkness, leading to an imbalance in the earth’s eco-systems and endangering life on the planet.

47.

He is the One Who has made the night for you as a cover, and 'made' sleep for resting, and the day for rising.

48.

And He is the One Who sends the winds ushering in His mercy, and We send down pure rain from the sky,

49.

giving life to a lifeless land, and providing water for countless animals and humans of Our Own creation.

50.

We certainly disperse it among them so they may be mindful, but most people persist in ungratefulness.

51.

Had We willed, We could have easily sent a warner to every society.

52.

So do not yield to the disbelievers, but strive diligently against them with this 'Quran'.

53.

And He is the One Who merges the two bodies of water: one fresh and palatable and the other salty and bitter, placing between them a barrier they cannot cross.¹

 This refers to estuaries where salt and fresh waters meet forming brackish water. Although both waters mix together, each still keeps its distinctive qualities.

54.

And He is the One Who creates human beings from a 'humble' liquid,¹ then establishes for them bonds of kinship and marriage. For your Lord is Most Capable.

 The mixture of sperm and egg.

55.

Yet they worship besides Allah what can neither benefit nor harm them. And the disbeliever always collaborates against their Lord.

56.

And We have sent you 'O Prophet' only as a deliverer of good news and a warner.

57.

Say, 'I do not ask you for any reward for this 'message', but whoever wishes, let them pursue the Way to their Lord.'

58.

Put your trust in the Ever-Living, Who never dies, and glorify His praises. Sufficient is He as All-Aware of the sins of His servants.

59.

'He is' the One Who created the heavens and the earth and everything in between in six Days,¹ then established Himself on the Throne. 'He is' the Most Compassionate! Ask 'none other than' the All-Knowledgeable about Himself.

 See footnote for 7:54.

60.

When it is said to them, 'Prostrate to the Most Compassionate,' they ask 'in disgust', 'What is 'the Most Compassionate'? Will we prostrate to whatever you order us to?' And it only drives them farther away.

61.

Blessed is the One Who has placed constellations in the sky, as well as a 'radiant' lamp¹ and a luminous moon.

 The sun.

62.

And He is the One Who causes the day and the night to alternate, 'as a sign' for whoever desires to be mindful or to be grateful.

63.

The 'true' servants of the Most Compassionate are those who walk on the earth humbly, and when the foolish address them 'improperly', they only respond with peace.

64.

'They are' those who spend 'a good portion of' the night, prostrating themselves and standing before their Lord.

65.

'They are' those who pray, 'Our Lord! Keep the punishment of Hell away from us, for its punishment is indeed unrelenting.

66.

It is certainly an evil place to settle and reside.'

67.

'They are' those who spend neither wastefully nor stingily, but moderately in between.

68.

'They are' those who do not invoke any other god besides Allah, nor take a 'human' life- made sacred by Allah- except with 'legal' right,¹ nor commit fornication. And whoever does 'any of' this will face the penalty.

 For example, in retaliation for intentional killing through legal channels.

69.

Their punishment will be multiplied on the Day of Judgment, and they will remain in it forever, in disgrace.

70.

As for those who repent, believe, and do good deeds, they are the ones whose evil deeds Allah will change into good deeds. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

71.

And whoever repents and does good has truly turned to Allah properly.

72.

'They are' those who do not bear false witness, and when they come across falsehood, they pass 'it' by with dignity.

73.

'They are' those who, when reminded of the revelation of their Lord, do not turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to it.

74.

'They are' those who pray, 'Our Lord! Bless us with 'pious' spouses and offspring who will be the joy of our hearts, and make us models for the righteous.'

75.

It is they who will be rewarded with 'elevated' mansions 'in Paradise' for their perseverance, and will be received with salutations and 'greetings of' peace,

76.

staying there forever. What an excellent place to settle and reside!

77.

Say, 'O Prophet,' 'You 'all' would not 'even' matter to my Lord were it not for your faith 'in Him'. But now you 'disbelievers' have denied 'the truth', so the torment is bound to come.'