In the name
of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful |
SECTION: 1
Praise be to Allah to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens
and the earth! To Him be praise in the hereafter. He is the
Wise, the Aware.[1] He has the knowledge of all that goes into
the earth and that which comes out of it; and all that comes
down from heaven and that ascends to it. He is the Merciful, the
Forgiving.[2] The unbelievers say: “The Hour of Doom will
never come to us.” Tell them: “Nay! By my Rabb, the Knower of
the unseen, it shall certainly come upon you. Nothing, even
equal an atom, in the heavens or the earth is hidden from Him;
nor there is anything smaller or greater than that, but is
recorded in the Clear Book.[3] The Hour is going to come and
the Day of Judgement shall be established, to reward those
who have believed and done good deeds; it is they for whom there
is forgiveness and an honorable sustenance."[4] As for those who
strive to discredit Our revelations, there will be a humiliating
painful punishment.[5]
34:[1-5] |
The
Hour is surely going to come and Judgement shall be established
to reward the believers and punish those who discredit Allah's
revelations |
Those to whom knowledge has been given can
see that the revelations sent down to you from your Rabb are the
Truth and it guides to the Way of the Almighty, the Praise
Worthy.[6] The unbelievers say to the people: “Shall we point
out to you a man who claims that when your body will
disintegrate and crumble into dust you shall be raised to
life again?[7] Has he forged a lie against Allah or is he mad?”
Nay! In fact those who do not believe in the Hereafter are
doomed, for they are in gross error.[8] Do they not see the sky
and the earth that surrounds them from front and from behind? If
We want, We can cave in the earth to swallow them up or let the
fragments of the sky fall upon them. Surely there is a sign in
this for every devotee that turns to Allah in
repentance.[9]
34:[6-9] |
Those
who do not believe in the hereafter are doomed |
SECTION: 2
We bestowed Our blessings on Dawőőd and commanded: “O mountains!
Join him in singing My praise,” and a similar command was given
to the birds. We made iron soft for him[10] saying: “make coats
of armor measuring out the links in mail and O people of
Dawőőd, do good deeds; surely I am watching over all of your
actions.”[11] And We made the winds subservient to
Sulaimăn, which made a month’s journey in the morning and a
month’s journey in the evening; and We made a fountain of molten
copper to flow for him; and subdued Jinns for him who worked in
front of him by the leave of his Rabb; and if any of them turned
aside from Our command, We made Him taste the punishment of the
blazing fire.[12] They worked for him as he desired: making
arches, images, basins as large as reservoirs and built-in
cooking cauldrons. We said: “O Family of Dawőőd! Work
gratefully.” Only a few of My devotees are truly grateful.[13]
When We decreed Sulaimăn’s death he was leaning on his staff.
The Jinns did not know that he was dead until the termite ate
away his staff and he fell down. Thus it became clear to the
Jinns that if they had known the unseen, they would not have
continued in the humiliating punishment of their task.[14]
34:[10-14] |
The mountains and birds used to sing Allah's praise with the
Prophet Dawőőd
Allah subjected the winds and Jinns to the Prophet Sulaimăn
Allah subjected the winds and Jinns to the Prophet Sulaimăn
Claim of people that Jinns know the unseen is wrong |
For the people of Sabă (Sheba, presently a
town in Yeman) there was indeed a sign in their dwelling
place: two gardens - one to the right and one to the left. It
was said to them: “Eat of what your Rabb has given you and
render thanks to Him. Pleasant is your land and forgiving is
your Rabb.”[15] But they gave no heed. So We let loose upon them
the waters of the dam (called Ma'arib) and We converted
their two gardens into the gardens producing bitter fruit,
tamarisks and a few lote bushes.[16] Thus did We requite them
for their disbelief; and never do We punish any but the
ungrateful![17] Between them and the towns which We had blessed
(Syria and Palestine), We placed other towns in prominent
positions so that they could journey to and fro in measured
stages. We said: “Travel through them by day and night in
complete security.”[18] But they prayed: “Our Rabb! Make our
journeys longer.” Thereby they wronged their souls and We made
them merely a tale that is told and dispersed them in scattered
fragments. Surely there is a sign in this for every patient,
grateful person.[19] In their case, Iblees' (Satan’s)
suspicions proved true, as they all followed him except a small
group of the believers,[20] even though he had no authority over
them. It all happened because We wanted to see who among them
believed in the hereafter and who is in doubt concerning it.
Your Rabb is watching over all things.[21]
34:[15-21] |
The
people of Sabă rejected Allah's blessings and disbelieved in the
hereafter, so Allah made them merely a tale of the past
|
SECTION: 3
O Prophet, say to the mushrikďn: “Call on those deities
to whom you pray besides Allah - they do not have power over an
atom’s weight of anything in the heavens or earth, nor have they
any share in either, nor is any of them a helper to Allah.”[22]
No intercession before Allah can avail anyone except for
the one for whom He permits. Until when terror will be removed
from their hearts, they shall ask the intercessors: “What
has your Rabb ordained?” They will answer: "The Truth," He is
the Most High, the Great.[23] O Prophet, ask them: “Who provides
your sustenance from the heavens and the earth?” If they do
not answer, then say: “It is Allah! Certainly one of us;
either we or you are rightly guided or in manifest
error.”[24] Further, tell them: “You shall not be questioned
about our errors nor shall we be questioned about your
actions.”[25] Say: “Our Rabb will bring us all together, then He
will rightly judge between us. He is the Judge Who knows
everything.”[26] Say: “Show me those whom you have made
associate gods with Him. Nay! By no means can you do it.
Allah Alone is the Almighty, the Wise.”[27] O Prophet, We have
sent you to the entire mankind, to give them good news and
forewarn them, but most men do not know.[28] They ask you: “When
will this promise of resurrection be fulfilled, if you
are telling the truth?”[29] Tell them: “For you the appointment
of a day is fixed, which you can neither postpone for a moment
nor bring it early.”[30]
34:[22-30] |
No
intercession before Allah can avail anyone except for whom He
permits it
The Prophet Muhammad is sent for the entire mankind |
SECTION: 4
The disbelievers say: “We shall never believe in this Qur’an,
nor in the scriptures which came before it.” If you could only
see when these wrongdoers will be made to stand before their
Rabb, tossing accusing words on one another! Those who had been
despised as weaklings will say to the arrogant: “If it were not
for you, we would certainly have been believers.”[31] The
arrogant will say to those despised weaklings: “Did we block you
off from guidance when it came to you? Nay! Rather you
yourselves were guilty.”[32] Those despised weaklings will say
to the arrogant: “No! It was you who plotted day and night,
bidding us to disbelieve in Allah and to set up equals with
Him,” - They will feel ashamed once they see the punishment, and
We shall put yokes on the necks of those disbelievers; can there
be any other reward except for what they did?[33] Whenever We
have sent a Warner to a town, its wealthy residents have said:
“We surely disbelieve in what you are sent with.”[34] They say:
“We have more wealth and children, which indicates that our
gods are happy with us so we shall never be punished.”[35]
O Prophet tell them: “Surely my Rabb gives abundantly to
whom He wills and sparingly to whom He pleases, but most people
do not understand this.”[36]
34:[31-36] |
Those who disbelieve in the Qur'an and prior scriptures, will
have yokes placed around their necks before being tossed into
hell
Wealth and children are not the indications of Allah's pleasure
|
SECTION: 5
It is neither your wealth nor your children which bring you
closer to Us even one jot, but those who believe and do good
deeds; for them, there will be a double reward for their deeds
and in high mansions shall they live in peace.[37] As for those
who strive in opposing Our revelations, they shall be brought
for punishment.[38] O Prophet tell them: “Surely my Rabb
gives abundantly to whom He pleases and sparingly to whom He
wills. Whatever you spend in charity, He will pay you back. He
is the best of those who provide sustenance.[39] One Day He will
gather them all together and ask the angels: “Was it you that
these people used to worship?”[40] They will respond: “Glory be
to You! Our tie is with You - as a protector - not with them;
but they used to worship the Jinns and it was them in whom most
of these people believed.”[41] On that Day you will be helpless
to profit or harm one another. To the wrongdoers We shall say:
“Taste the punishment of the fire which you persistently
denied.”[42] Today when Our clear revelations are recited
to them, they say: “This man only wants to turn you away from
those gods whom your forefathers have been worshipping.”
Others say: “This Qur’an is nothing but an invented
falsehood.” While yet others, who deny the truth when it comes
to them, say: “This is nothing but plain magic.”[43] In fact,
neither had We given them books to study, nor had We sent to
them any Warner before you.[44] Those who have gone before them
also denied - these Arabs have not received one tenth of what We
had granted them - yet when they denied My Rasools, see how
terrible was My scourge.[45]
34:[37-45] |
It is
belief that brings you close to Allah, not the wealth or
children
Whatever you spend in charity, Allah will pay you back
Unbeliever's statements about the Prophet and Al-Qur'an
|
SECTION: 6
O Prophet say: “I would ask you one thing. For Allah’s sake!
Think individually or consult one another and ponder whether
your companion Muhammad is really mad? You yourself
will come to the conclusion that he is nothing but a Warner
to you to forewarn you of a severe punishment.”[46] Tell them:
“I do not ask you for any recompense, even though what I
preach is all in your interest. My reward is only due from
Allah and He is a witness over everything.”[47] Say: “In fact my
Rabb reveals to me the truth, and He is the Knower of all
hidden realities.”[48] Say: “The truth has arrived and falsehood
neither originates nor restores anything.”[49] Say: “If I am in
error, the loss is surely mine and if I am right, it is because
of what my Rabb has revealed to me. Surely He hears all and is
very close.”[50]
34:[46-50] |
The unbelievers are asked to ponder upon their wrong statements
The truth has come, falsehood neither originates nor restores
anything |
If you could only see the disbelievers on
the Day of Judgement when they will be in a state of
confusion! On that Day there will be no escape; and they
will be seized from a nearby place.[51] Then they will say: “We
believe in it (the Truth brought by the Prophet”: but how
could they attain the Faith from such a far distant
place.[52] They had disbelieved in it before - and they had
sneered at the unseen when they were far away during their
life on earth?[53] A barrier will be placed between them and
what they desired to have as was done with the similar people
before them; for they were indeed involved in a misleading
suspicion.[54]
34:[51-54] |
On
the Day of Judgement the unbelievers will want to believe but it
will be of no avail to them |
Major Issues, Divine
Law and Guidance:
* The Day of Resurrection is sure to come
for Allah’s Judgement to reward the believers and punish the
disbelievers.
* Those who do not believe in the hereafter are doomed.
* The mountains and birds used to sing Allah's praises with the
Prophet Dawőőd.
* Allah subjected the winds and Jinns to the Prophet Sulaimăn.
* Intercession before Allah can not avail anyone except for whom
He permits.
* Muhammad (pbuh) is sent as a Rasool for the whole of mankind.
* Wealth and children are a test to whom they are given.
* Whatever you spend in charity, Allah will pay you back in
full.
* The truth has come, falsehood neither originates nor restores
anything.
* On the Day of Judgement disbelievers will wish that they were
believers.
This Sürah deals with those objections of
the disbelievers which they were raising against the Prophet’s
message of Tawhďd and the Hereafter, and about his Prophethood,
mostly in the form of allegations, taunts and mockery. These
objections have been answered in the form of instructions,
admonition and warning about the evil consequences of their
stubbornness. The stories of the Sabians and the Prophets David
and Solomon have been cited as to say: “You have both these
historical precedents before you. On the one hand, there were
the Prophets David and Solomon, who had been blessed by Allah
with great powers and such grandeur and glory as had been
granted to hardly any one of the like before them. In spite of
this, they were not proud and arrogant, but remained grateful
servants of their Rabb. On the other hand, were the people of
Sabă, who, when blessed by Allah, became proud, and were
consequently so thoroughly destroyed and dispersed that they
were remembered only in myths and legends. With these precedents
in view, you may see and judge for yourselves as to which type
of life is better: the one which is built on belief in Tawhďd,
the Hereafter and the attitude of gratefulness to Allah, or the
one which is based on disbelief, shirk, denial of the Hereafter
and the worship of materialism.” |
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