بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Bismi Allahi alrrahmani alrraheemi
In the name of God, the Gracious, the Compassionate.
In the name of God, the Almighty, the Merciful.
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace:
In the name of GOD, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. ,
All praise is due to God, the Lord/Cherisher/Sustainer of the Universe and everything therein.
Bismillâhir rahmânir rahîm.
Rahman, Rahim Allah'ın ismiyle
Rahman ve Rahim Allah'ın adıyla...
RAHMÂN, RAHÎM ALLAH ADINA
Rahman ve Rahim olan Allah'ın adıyla
53:1 Waalnnajmi itha hawa
53:1 As the star collapsed.1
Note 1
The extraordinary event told in these verses, as it appears, is a miraculous experience. Is the falling of stars an apparent perception because of traveling among galaxies faster than speed of light? What were the signs Muhammed witnessed? Did Muhammed meet God or Gabriel? 20:114.
53:1 And as the star fell away.
53:1 CONSIDER this unfolding [of God's message], as it comes down from on high!1
Note 1
Or: "Consider the star when it sets" - an interpretation which for some reason has the preference of the majority of the commentators. However, almost all of them admit that the term najm - derived from the verb najama, "it appeared", "began", "ensued", or "proceeded" - denotes also the "unfolding" of something that comes or appears gradually, as if by installments. Hence, this term has from the very beginning been applied to each of the gradually-revealed parts (nujum) of the Qur'an and, thus, to the process of its gradual revelation, or its "unfolding", as such. This was, in fact, the interpretation of the above verse given by Abd Allah ibn Abbas (as quoted by Tabari; in view of the sequence, this interpretation is regarded as fully justified by Raghib, Zamakhshari , Razi, Baydawi, Ibn Kathir and other authorities. Raghib and Ibn Kathir, in particular, point to the phrase mawaqi an-nujum in 56:75, which undoubtedly refers to the step-by-step revelation of the Qur'an. As regards my rendering of the adjective particle wa as "Consider", see surah 74 note 23.
53:1 As the stars fell away.,1
Note 1
Muhammad was summoned to the highest universe to receive this Quran into his heart. The stars fell away as he traveled through them at millionsof times the speed of light. Subsequently, the Quran was gradually releasedto his memory. Please seeAppendix 28.
53:1 Witness are the Stars that set along a course appointed.1
Note 1
This is the 53rd Surah of the Qur’an. It has 62 verses. We find the Qur’an at the heights of eloquence here. Very brief yet expressive verses abound herein. It is one of the most challenging Surahs to render into any language. Another fact of great import is the misinterpretation it has gone through over centuries. Translators and exponents in general, and especially in this instance, have been influenced by spurious accounts of Hadith and the Bible, confining God to a throne in the heights, conceiving of Him as a physical being. According to the Qur’an, God is Omnipresent, He is closer to us than our Vena cava and He is the Light of the heavens and earth. So, anyone going up to the heavens to meet with Him is out of the question.
With the Glorious Name of God, the Instant and Sustaining Source of all Mercy and Kindness
They never misguide you. He Who commands them, commands the Messenger 6:98, 56:75. Wa = And = Consider = Witness = For = By. Najm is singular as well as plural in the form of a galaxy
53:2 Ma dalla sahibukum wamaghawa
53:2 Your friend was not astray, nor was he deceived.2
Note 2
Centuries after Muhammed, he and his companions became idols. Muslims started considering the prophet's companions (sahaba) or anyone who met him as a Muslim, to be almost infallible. The word Saheb, Sahaba, and its plural Ashab are usually used in a negative context. For instance, out of the 77 occurrence of Ashab, and one occurrence of "Ashabahum" (their comrades), only 27 are used positively, such as, "Ashab ul-Jannah" (People of the Paradise) or "Ashab ul-Yameen" (People of the Right). Excluding the few neutral usages of the word, the word "Ashab" is usually used to denote disbelievers and hypocrites. None of these Ashab, the PLURAL of Sahaba, refers to muslims who lived during time of prophet Muhammed. In only one case, the plural Ashab refers to people with Moses (26:61), and we learn from the Quran that most of them were not true believers (7:138; 20:83).
The Quran informs us about the quality of Muhammed's comrades in numerous verses. What we see is not a depiction of perfect holy people, but ordinary people, with weaknesses and shortcomings.
Among the 12 occurrences of the singular and dual form, sahib, only five describe a relationship between a prophet and his friends. And, out of these five occurrences, only one of them has a positive connotation. Before quoting the verses, I want to remind you that the word sahib (companion, friend) is about a mutual relationship; if someone is your companion, you are their companion too, and vice versa. In four occurrences, the addressees are disbelievers or polytheists (34:46, 53:2, 81:22; 12:39). The only positive usage of the word sahib, as a companion of a prophet is in 9:40.
In sum, according to the Quranic usage, the words sahib (companion, friend), or ashab, (companions, friends) by themselves do not denote any positive meaning. In three verses, Muhammed is described as the sahib (companion) of disbelievers, and in only one verse, he was the sahib of a believer. Thus, statistically speaking, the word ashab refers to hypocrites and polytheists 75% of the time.
According to the books of hadith, Abdullah Ibn Masood was one of the top companions of the prophet Muhammed. His hadith narrations are among Sunni Muslims’ most cherished sources of jurisprudence. Many hadith and narration books, including Bukhary and Ibn Hanbal, report that Ibn Masood had a personal copy of the Quran and that he did not put the last two chapters in it. According to those books, he claimed that those two chapters did not belong in the Quran.
Apparently, another companion of the prophet, Ubayy Ibn Kaab, also had a different personal Quran. He added two chapters called "Sura Al-Hafd" and "Sura Al-Khal," and claimed that these were from the Quran (These "chapters" are still being recited by Hanafis in the "sala al-witr," after night prayers.)
For the prophecy of the Quran regarding the words hadith, sunna, ijma, sharia, and salaf, see 33:38.
53:2 Your friend was not astray, nor was he deceived.
53:2 This fellow-man of yours has not gone astray, nor is he deluded,2
53:2 Your friend (Muhammad) was not astray, nor was he deceived.,
53:2 Your honored companion is neither in error, nor is he misled.
53:3 Wama yantiqu AAani alhawa
53:3 Nor does he speak from personal desire.3
Note 3
Meccan idol worshipers claimed that Muhammed was the author of the Quran (25:5; 68:15). The beginning of Chapter 53 is about the revelation of the Quran. It states that "the Quran is from Him." It is not Muhammed's personal claim; it is a divine statement. Therefore, claiming that the pronoun "it" in the verse 53:4 refers to the words of Muhammed, not of God, is an obvious distortion. According to the above verse, "it" is revelation, without exception. This can be valid only for the Quran. It is nonsense to claim that Muhammed's daily conversation was entirely revelation. For example, God firmly criticizes Muhammed's words to Zayd (33:37). Obviously, the criticism was not about revelation. The beginning phrase of Chapter 97 informs us about the revelation of the Quran: "We revealed it in the Night of Destiny." The "it" in this verse is the same as the "it" in 53:4. . .
53:3 Nor does he speak from personal desire.
53:3 and neither does he speak out of his own desire:
53:3 Nor was he speaking out of a personal desire.,
53:3 Nor does he utter the Word out of his desire.
53:4 In huwa illa wahyun yooha
53:4 It is a divine inspiration.
53:4 It is a divine inspiration.
53:4 that [which he conveys to you] is but [a divine] inspiration with which he is being inspired
53:4 It was divine inspiration.,
53:4 This (Qur’an) is but a revelation that is being revealed to him.
53:5 AAallamahu shadeedu alquwa
53:5 He has been taught by One mighty in power.
53:5 He has been taught by the One mighty in power.
53:5 something that a very mighty one3 has imparted to him:
Note 3
I.e., the Angel of Revelation, Gabriel.
53:5 Dictated by the Most Powerful.,
53:5 He has been taught by the One Mighty in Powers.
53:6 Thoo mirratin faistawa
53:6 Possessor of ultimate wisdom; he became stable.
53:6 Free from any defect, he became stable.
53:6 [an angel] endowed with surpassing power, who in time manifested himself in his true shape and nature,
53:6 Possessor of all authority. From His highest height.,
53:6 The Owner of authority and wisdom established him (the Prophet).
53:7 Wahuwa bial-ofuqi al-aAAla
53:7 While he was at the highest horizon.
53:7 While he was at the highest horizon.
53:7 appearing in the horizon's loftiest part,4
Note 4
Cf. 81:23 and the corresponding note 8. According to the Qur'an and the testimony of authentic Traditions, the Prophet had no more than twice in his lifetime a vision of this angelic force "manifested in its true shape and nature" (which, as pointed out by Zamakhshari , is the meaning of the expression istawa in this context): once after the period called fatrat al-wahy (see introductory note to surah 74), and another time, as alluded to in verses 13-18, in the course of his mystic vision known as the "Ascension" (see Appendix IV).
53:7 At the highest horizon.,
53:7 At the highest horizon, [81:23]
53:8 Thumma dana fatadalla
53:8 Then he drew nearer by moving down.
53:8 Then he drew nearer by moving down.
53:8 and then drew near, and came close,
53:8 He drew nearer by moving down.,
53:8 Of human wisdom and knowledge as he drew near and approached (the point where the human intellect comes to a halt),
53:9 Fakana qaba qawsayni aw adna
53:9 Until he became as near as two bow-lengths or nearer.
53:9 Until he became as near as two bow-lengths or nearer.
53:9 until he was but two bow-lengths away, or even nearer.5
Note 5
This graphic "description" of the angel's approach, based on an ancient Arabian figure of speech, is meant to convey the idea that the Angel of Revelation became a clearly perceptible, almost tangible, presence.
53:9 Until He became as close as possible.,
53:9 Till he was but two bow-lengths away, or even closer.2
Note 2
The Divine will and the will of the Messenger merged together, like the two of you join your bows as a token of friendship. 8:17
53:10 Faawha ila AAabdihi maawha
53:10 He then conveyed the inspiration to His servant what was to be revealed.
53:10 He then inspired to His servant what He inspired.
53:10 And thus did [God] reveal unto His servant whatever He deemed right to reveal.6
Note 6
Lit., "whatever He revealed": an allusion to the exceptional manifestation of the angel "in his true shape and nature" as well as to the contents of divine revelation as such. In its deeper sense the above phrase implies that even to His chosen prophets God does not entirely unveil the ultimate mysteries of existence, of life and death, of the purpose for which He has created the universe, or of the nature of the universe itself.
53:10 He then revealed to His servant what was to be revealed.,
53:10 And thus He revealed to His servant what He revealed.
53:11 Ma kathaba alfu-adu maraa
53:11 The heart did not invent what it saw.
53:11 The heart did not invent what it saw.
53:11 The [servant's] heart did not give the lie to what he saw:7
Note 7
Inasmuch as the Prophet was fully aware of the spiritual character of his experience, there was no conflict between his conscious mind and his intuitive perception (the "vision of the heart") of what is normally not perceptible.
53:11 The mind never made up what it saw.,
53:12 Afatumaroonahu AAala mayara
53:12 Do you doubt him in what he saw?
53:12 Do you doubt him in what he saw?
53:12 will you, then, contend with him as to what he saw?8
Note 8
Thus the Qur'an makes it clear that the Prophet's vision of the angel was not a delusion but a true spiritual experience: but precisely because it was purely spiritual in nature, it could be conveyed to others only by means of symbols and allegories, which skeptics all too readily dismiss as fancies, "contending with him as to what he saw".
53:12 Are you doubting what he saw?,
53:12 Will you, then, contend with him concerning what he has learned (that you have not)?
53:13 Walaqad raahu nazlatan okhra
53:13 Indeed, he saw him in another descent.
53:13 And indeed, he saw him in another descent.
53:13 And, indeed, he saw him9 a second time
Note 9
I.e., he saw the angel "manifested in his true shape and nature".
53:13 He saw him in another descent.,
53:13 He has recalled the revelation (on his heart) once again. [2:185]
53:14 AAinda sidrati almuntaha
53:14 At the ultimate point.
53:14 At the ultimate point.
53:14 by the lote-tree of the farthest limit,10
Note 10
I.e., on the occasion of his mystic experience of the "Ascension" (mi'raj). Explaining the vision conveyed in the expression sidrat al-muntaha, Raghib suggests that owing to the abundance of its leafy shade, the sidr or sidrah (the Arabian lote-tree) appears in the Qur'an as well as in the Traditions relating to the Ascension as a symbol of the "shade" - i.e., the spiritual peace and fulfillment - of paradise. One may assume that the qualifying term al-muntaha ("of the utmost [or "farthest"] limit") is indicative of the fact that God has set a definite limit to all knowledge accessible to created beings, as pointed out in the Nihayah: implying, in particular, that human knowledge, though potentially vast and penetrating, can never - not even in paradise (the "garden of promise" mentioned in the next verse) - attain to an understanding of the ultimate reality, which the Creator has reserved for Himself (cf. note 6 above).
53:14 At the ultimate point.,
53:14 At the Ultimate Mark.4
Note 4
Sidratil muntaha = The last Lote-tree = The state of bewilderment = The point where the human intellect is left with nothing but astonishment!
53:15 AAindaha jannatu alma/wa
53:15 Next to the eternal Paradise.
53:15 Near it is the eternal Paradise.
53:15 near unto the garden of promise.
53:15 Where the eternal Paradise is located.,
53:15 Near the Garden of Abode.5
Note 5
The revelation tells the Messenger how to establish a Paradise on earth
53:16 Ith yaghsha alssidratama yaghsha
53:16 The whole place was overwhelmed.
53:16 The whole place was overwhelmed.
53:16 with the lote-tree veiled in a veil of nameless splendour .11
Note 11
Lit., "when the lote-tree was veiled with whatever veiled [it]": a phrase deliberately vague (mubham), indicative of the inconceivable majesty and splendour attaching to this symbol of paradise "which no description can picture and no definition can embrace" (Zamakhshari ).
53:16 The whole place was overwhelmed.,
53:16 Overwhelming is the spectacle at the overwhelming Ultimate Mark!
53:17 Ma zagha albasaru wamatagha
53:17 The eyes did not waver, nor go blind.
53:17 The eyes did not waver, nor go blind.
53:17 [And withal,] the eye did not waver, nor yet did it stray:
53:17 The eyes did not waver, nor go blind.,
53:17 Yet, his sight wavered not and wandered not.
53:18 لقد راى من ءايت ربه الكبرى
53:18 Laqad raa min ayatirabbihi alkubra
53:18 He has seen from the great signs of his Lord.
53:18 He has seen from the great signs of his Lord.
53:18 truly did he see some of the most profound of his Sustainer's symbols.12
Note 12
Lit., "[some] of the greatest of his Sustainer's symbols (ayat)". For this specific rendering of the term ayah, see note 2 on 17:1, which refers to the same mystic experience, namely, the Ascension. In both these Quranic allusions the Prophet is said to have been "made to see" (i.e., given to understand) some, but not all, of the ultimate truths (cf. also 7:187); and this, too, serves to explain the idea expressed in verse 10 above.
53:18 He saw great signs of his Lord.,
53:19 Afaraaytumu allata waalAAuzza
The Meccan Idols Were False Attributes53:19 Have you considered Allaat and Aluzzah?4
Note 4
Meccan polytheists had an abstract concept of idols. Embracing Abraham's legendary rejection of statues, they discovered new ways of associating partners with God. Meccan polytheists who considered themselves to be the followers of Abraham were commemorating the names of their dead saints for intercession (39:3) and still considered themselves to be monotheists (6:23; 16:35). Those who idolized Muhammed, his companions and numerous "saints" (awliya) and commemorate their names for intercession, wanted to cover the similarities between their religion and the religion of Meccan polytheists. Thus, they ventured into fabricating tangible differences; they therefore made up many statues and ascribed them to the Meccan polytheists. Expectedly, they narrated contradictory accounts of their physical shapes (See Al-Kalbi's Kitab ul-Asnam). According to the Quran, Meccan mushriks (polytheists) were praying in the Sacred Masjid, practicing pilgrimage, and were also fasting (8:35; 9:19; 2:199).
53:19 Have you considered Allaat and Al-`Uzzah?
53:19 HAVE YOU, then, ever considered [what you are worshipping in] Al-Lat and Al-Uzza,
The Flimsy Idols53:19 Compare this with the female idols Allaat and Al-`Uzzah.,
53:19 Have you thought about Lat, and ‘Uzza,
53:20 Wamanata alththalithataal-okhra
53:20 And Manaat, the third one?
53:20 And Manaat, the third one?
53:20 as well as [in] Manat, the third and last [of this triad]?13
Note 13
After pointing out that the Prophet was granted true insight into some of the most profound verities, the Qur'an draws our attention to the "false symbols" which men so often choose to invest with divine qualities or powers: in this instance - by way of example - to the blasphemous imagery of the Propheet's pagan contemporaries epitomized in the triad of Al-Lat, Manat and Al-Uzza. These three goddesses - regarded by the pagan Arabs as "God's daughters" side by side with the angels (who, too, were conceived of as females) - were worshipped in most of pre-Islamic Arabia , and had several shrines in the Hijaz and in Najd . The worship of Al-Lat was particularly ancient and almost certainly of South-Arabian origin; she may have been the prototype of the Greek semi-goddess Leto, one of the wives of Zeus and mother of Apollo and Artemis.
53:20 And Manaat, the third one.,
53:20 And Manat the third other?7
Note 7
Three goddesses of yours
53:21 Alakumu alththakaru walahual-ontha
53:21 Do you have the males, while He has the females?
53:21 Do you have the males, while He has the females?
53:21 Why - for yourselves [you would choose only] male offspring, whereas to Him [you assign] female:14
Note 14
In view of the contempt which the pagan Arabs felt for their female offspring (cf. 16:57 and 62, as well as the corresponding notes), their attribution of "daughters" to God was particularly absurd and self-contradictory: for, quite apart from the blasphemous belief in God's having "offspring" of any kind, their ascribing to Him what they themselves despised gave the lie to their alleged "reverence for Him whom they, too, regarded as the Supreme Being - a point which is stressed with irony in the next sentence.
53:21 Do you have sons, while He has these as daughters?,
53:21 Why – for yourselves you would prefer only sons, whereas to Him you assign daughters!
53:22 Tilka ithan qismatun deeza
53:22 What a strange distribution!
53:22 What a strange distribution!
53:22 that, lo and behold, is an unfair division!
53:22 What a disgraceful distribution!,
53:22 This indeed is a very unfair division (that you worship female idols and resent having daughters).
53:23 ان هى الا اسماء سميتموها انتم وءاباؤكم ما انزل الله بها من سلطن ان يتبعون الا الظن وما تهوى الانفس ولقد جاءهم من ربهم الهدى
53:23 In hiya illa asmaonsammaytumooha antum waabaokum maanzala Allahu biha min sultanin inyattabiAAoona illa alththanna wamatahwa al-anfusu walaqad jaahum min rabbihimu alhuda
53:23 These are but names/attributes that you made up, you and your forefathers. God never authorized such. They only follow conjecture, and wishful thinking, while the guidance has come to them from their Lord.
53:23 These are but names that you made up, you and your forefathers. God never authorized such. They only follow conjecture, and personal desire, while the guidance has come to them from their Lord.
53:23 These [allegedly divine beings] are nothing but empty names which you have invented - you and your forefathers - [and] for which God has bestowed no warrant from on high.15 They [who worship them] follow nothing but surmise and their own wishful thinking - although right guidance has now indeed come unto them from their Sustainer.16
Note 16
An allusion to the pagan idea that those goddesses, as well as the angels, would act as "mediators" between their worshippers and God: a wishful idea which lingers on even among adherents of higher religions in the guise of a veneration of saints and deified persons.
53:23 These are but names that you made up, you and your forefathers. GOD never authorized such a blasphemy. They follow conjecture, and personal desire, when the true guidance has come to them herein from their Lord.,
53:23 They are but names that you have named, you and your ancestors, for which God has revealed no authority. They follow nothing but conjecture and their fantasies. Now the guidance from their Lord has come to them (hence, they have no excuses). [7:71-72]
53:24 Am lil-insani ma tamanna
53:24 Or shall the human being have what he wishes?
53:24 Or shall man have what he wishes?
53:24 Does man imagine that it is his due to have17 all that he might wish for,
Note 17
Lit., "Is it for man to have ", etc.
53:24 What is it that the human being desires?,
53:24 Nay, should man get all that he covets and fancies?
53:25 Falillahi al-akhiratu waal-oola
53:25 To God belongs the Hereafter, and the world.
53:25 To God belongs the end, and the beginning.
53:25 despite the fact that [both] the life to come and this present [one] belong to God [alone]?18
Note 18
I.e., despite the fact (which is the meaning of the particle fa in this context) that God is omnipotent and omniscient and does not, therefore, require any "mediator" between Himself and His creatures.
53:25 To GOD belongs both the Hereafter, and this world.,
53:26 وكم من ملك فى السموت لا تغنى شفعتهم شيا الا من بعد ان ياذن الله لمن يشاء ويرضى
53:26 Wakam min malakin fee alssamawatila tughnee shafaAAatuhum shay-an illa minbaAAdi an ya/thana Allahu liman yashao wayarda
53:26 There are many controllers in heaven, who have no power to intercede, except after God gives permission for whom He wishes and is satisfied with him.5
53:26 And there are many an angel in the heavens, whose intercession does not benefit in the least, unless God gives permission for whom He wishes and is pleased with him.
53:26 For, however many angels there be in the heavens, their intercession can be of no least avail [to anyone] - except after God has given leave [to intercede] for whomever He wills and with whom He is well-pleased.19
53:26 Not even the angels in heaven possess authority to intercede. The only ones permitted by GOD are those who act in accordance with His will and His approval.,
53:26 And how many forces there are in the Universe whose company avails not except whom God permits. This is so, because such a person works by His laws and thus obtains His approval.9
53:27 ان الذين لا يؤمنون بالءاخرة ليسمون الملئكة تسمية الانثى
53:27 Inna allatheena la yu/minoonabial-akhirati layusammoona almala-ikatatasmiyata al-ontha
The Ironi in the Religious Doctrine of Misogynists53:27 Those who reject the Hereafter have given the controllers feminine names.
53:27 Those who disbelieve in the Hereafter name the angels with feminine names.
53:27 Behold, it is [only] such as do not [really] believe in the life to come that regard the angels as female beings;20
Note 20
Lit., "that name the angels with a female name" - i.e., think of them as being endowed with sex and/or as being "God's daughters". As the Qur'an points out in many places, the people spoken of in this context do believe in life after death, inasmuch as they express the hope that the angels and the imaginary deities which they worship will "mediate" between them and God, and will "intercede" for them. However, their belief is far too vague to make them realize that the quality of man's life in the hereafter does not depend on such outside factors but is causally, and directly, connected with the manner of his life in this world: and so the Qur'an declares that their attitude is, for all practical purposes, not much different from the attitude of people who reject the idea of a hereafter altogether.
53:27 Those who disbelieve in the Hereafter have given the angels feminine names.,
53:27 Only those who do not believe in the Hereafter consider the forces in Nature as flying female beings and name them with female names.10
Note 10
Even many Muslims, under the influence of fabricated Hadith, think of angels as beautiful physical beings flying on wings here and there. Moreover they imagine that these beings pray for them, prompt them to do good as opposed to ‘Satan’, the selfish desires, and that they will intercede on their behalf. Such people have practically denied the Hereafter since people’s outcome depends on their actions. See 2:30
53:28 وما لهم به من علم ان يتبعون الا الظن وان الظن لا يغنى من الحق شيا
53:28 Wama lahum bihi min AAilmin inyattabiAAoona illa alththanna wa-innaalththanna la yughnee mina alhaqqishay-an
53:28 While they had no knowledge about this; they only followed conjecture. Conjecture is no substitute for the truth.
53:28 While they had no knowledge about this; they only followed conjecture. And conjecture is no substitute for the truth.
53:28 and [since] they have no knowledge whatever thereof,21 they follow nothing but surmise: yet, behold, never can surmise take the place of truth.
Note 21
Namely, of the real nature and function of the category of beings spoken of in the Qur'an as angels, inasmuch as they belong to the realm of al-ghayb, "that which is beyond the reach of human perception". Alternatively, the pronoun in bihi may relate to God, in which case the phrase could be rendered as "they have no knowledge whatever of Him" - implying that both the attribution of "progeny" to Him and the belief that His judgment depends on, or could be influenced by, "mediation" or "intercession" is the result of an anthropomorphic concept of God and, therefore, far removed from the truth.
53:28 They had no knowledge about this; they only conjectured. Conjecture is no substitute for the truth.,
53:28 They have no knowledge about it. They follow nothing but guesswork. But guesswork can never free anyone from the reality of things. [6:149]
53:29 فاعرض عن من تولى عن ذكرنا ولم يرد الا الحيوة الدنيا
53:29 FaaAArid AAan man tawalla AAanthikrina walam yurid illa alhayataalddunya
53:29 So disregard he who turns away from Our reminder, and only desires this worldly life.
53:29 So disregard he who turns away from Our reminder, and only desires this worldly life.
53:29 Avoid thou, therefore, those who turn away from all remembrance of Us and care for no more than the life of this world,
Choose Your Friends Carefully53:29 You shall disregard those who turn away from our message, and become preoccupied with this worldly life.,
53:29 Therefore, shun those who turn away from Our Reminder and desire nothing but the life of the world.11
Note 11
Another shade of meaning: The prefer to blindly follow the false imageries prevalent in the society, disregarding Divine revelation
53:30 ذلك مبلغهم من العلم ان ربك هو اعلم بمن ضل عن سبيله وهو اعلم بمن اهتدى
53:30 Thalika mablaghuhum mina alAAilmiinna rabbaka huwa aAAlamu biman dalla AAan sabeelihiwahuwa aAAlamu bimani ihtada
53:30 This is the extent of their knowledge. Your Lord is fully aware of those who strayed away from His path, and He is fully aware of those who are guided.
53:30 This is the extent of their knowledge. Your Lord is fully aware of those who strayed away from His path, and He is fully aware of those who are guided.
53:30 which, to them, is the only thing worth knowing.22 Behold, thy Sustainer is fully aware as to who has strayed from His path, and fully aware is He as to who follows His guidance.
Note 22
Lit., "that is their sum-total [or "goal"] of knowledge".
53:30 This is the extent of their knowledge. Your Lord is fully aware of those who strayed away from His path, and He is fully aware of those who are guided.,
53:30 Such is the sum-total of their knowledge. Your Lord knows best him who strays from His way, and He knows best who goes right.
53:31 ولله ما فى السموت وما فى الارض ليجزى الذين اسوا بما عملوا ويجزى الذين احسنوا بالحسنى
53:31 Walillahi ma fee alssamawatiwama fee al-ardi liyajziya allatheena asaoobima AAamiloo wayajziya allatheena ahsanoobialhusna
53:31 To God belongs everything in the heavens and everything on earth. He will requite those who commit evil for their works, and will reward the righteous for their righteousness.
53:31 And to God belongs everything in the heavens and everything on the earth. He will requite those who commit evil for their works, and will reward the righteous for their righteousness.
53:31 Indeed, unto God belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth: and so He will reward those who do evil in accordance with what they did, and will reward those who do good with ultimate good.23
Note 23
I.e., whereas good deeds will be rewarded with far more than their merits may warrant, evil will be recompensed with no more than its equivalent (cf. 6:160); and either will be decided by the Almighty without the need of "mediation" or "intercession".
53:31 To GOD belongs everything in the heavens and everything on earth. He will requite those who commit evil for their works, and will reward the righteous for their righteousness.,
53:31 To God belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. He will reward those who do evil according to their works. And He will give excellent reward to those who do good to others.12
53:32 الذين يجتنبون كبئر الاثم والفوحش الا اللمم ان ربك وسع المغفرة هو اعلم بكم اذ انشاكم من الارض واذ انتم اجنة فى بطون امهتكم فلا تزكوا انفسكم هو اعلم بمن اتقى
53:32 Allatheena yajtaniboona kaba-iraal-ithmi waalfawahisha illa allamama innarabbaka wasiAAu almaghfirati huwa aAAlamu bikum ithanshaakum mina al-ardi wa-ith antum ajinnatun feebutooni ommahatikum fala tuzakkoo anfusakumhuwa aAAlamu bimani ittaqa
53:32 They avoid major sins and lewdness, except for minor offences. Your Lord is with vast forgiveness. He has been fully aware of you since He initiated you from the earth, and while you were fetuses in your mothers' wombs. Therefore, do not acclaim yourselves; He is fully aware of the righteous.6
53:32 They avoid major sins and immorality, except for minor offences. Your Lord is with vast forgiveness. He has been fully aware of you since He initiated you from the earth, and while you were embryos in the wombs of your mothers. Therefore, do not ascribe purity to yourselves; He is fully aware of the righteous.
53:32 As for those who avoid the [truly] grave sins and shameful deeds - even though they may sometimes stumble24 behold, thy Sustainer is abounding in forgiveness. He is fully aware of you25 when He brings you into being out of dust,26 and when you are still hidden in your mothers' wombs: do not, then, consider yourselves pure - [for] He knows best as to who is conscious of Him.27
Note 24
Lit., "save for a touch [thereof]": a phrase which may be taken to mean "an occasional stumbling into sin" - i.e., not deliberately - followed by sincere repentance (Baghawi, Razi, Ibn Kathir).
Note 25
Sc., "and of your inborn weakness" - an implied echo of the statement that "man has been created weak" (4:28) and, therefore, liable to stumble into sinning.
Note 27
I.e., "never boast about your own purity", but remain humble and remember that "it is God who causes whomever He wills to remain pure" ( 4:49 ).
53:32 They avoid gross sins and transgressions, except for minor offenses. Your Lord's forgiveness is immense. He has been fully aware of you since He initiated you from the earth, and while you were embryos in your mothers' bellies. Therefore, do not exalt yourselves; He is fully aware of the righteous.,
53:32 Those who abstain from the greater transgressions that deplete the communal energy, and from shameful deeds and stinginess, even though they may sometimes waver, your Lord is of limitless forgiveness. He knows you best since He brings you into being from the earth, and when you were still hidden in the bellies of your mothers. Therefore, claim not piety for yourselves. He knows best as to who is righteous.13
53:33 Afaraayta allathee tawalla
53:33 Have you noted the one who turned away?
53:33 Have you noted the one who turned away?
53:33 HAST THOU, then, ever considered him who turns away [from remembering Us, and cares for no more than the life of this world],
53:33 Have you noted the one who turned away?,
53:33 Have you, then, noticed him who turns away (from good deeds),
53:34 WaaAAta qaleelan waakda
53:34 He gave very little, and then he stopped.
53:34 And he gave very little, then he stopped.
53:34 and gives so little [of himself for the good of his soul], and so grudgingly?28
Note 28
My rendering of the above two verses (together with the two interpolations between brackets) is based on Razi's convincing interpretation of this passage as a return to the theme touched upon in verses 29-30.
53:34 Rarely did he give to charity, and then very little.,
53:34 Gives a little, and so grudgingly?
53:35 aAAindahu AAilmu alghaybi fahuwa yara
53:35 Did he possess knowledge of the future? Could he see it?
53:35 Did he possess knowledge of the future? Could he see it?
53:35 Does he [claim to] have knowledge of something that is beyond the reach of human perception, so that he can see [it clearly]?29
Note 29
I.e., "How can he be so sure that there is no life in the hereafter, and no judgment?"
53:35 Did he possess knowledge of the future? Could he see it?,
53:35 What! Does he have the knowledge of the unseen (the future that he sees unfolded before him)?
53:36 ام لم ينبا بما فى صحف موسى
53:36 Am lam yunabba/ bima fee suhufimoosa
53:36 Or was he not informed of the teachings in the book of Moses?
53:36 Or was he not informed of the teachings in the scripts of Moses?
53:36 Or has he never yet been told of what was [said] in the revelations of Moses,
53:36 Was he not informed of the teachings in the scripture of Moses?,
53:36 Nay, did he never hear of what was in the Scrolls of Moses?
53:37 Wa-ibraheema allathee waffa
53:37 Of Abraham who fulfilled?
53:37 And of Abraham who fulfilled?
53:37 and of Abraham, who to his trust was true:30
Note 30
Cf. 2:124 and the corresponding note 100. It is obvious that the names of Abraham and Moses are cited here only by way of example, drawing attention to the fact that all through human history God has entrusted His elect, the prophets, with the task of conveying certain unchangeable ethical truths to man.
53:37 And Abraham who fulfilled?,
53:37 And (the Scrolls) of Abraham who fulfilled his obligations.14
Note 14
The Divine message has essentially been the same. Herein are mentioned some of those laws, Twelve Maxims of intense beauty from the Scrolls of Abraham
53:38 Alla taziru waziratun wizraokhra
53:38 None can carry the burdens of another.
53:38 None can carry the burdens of another.
53:38 that no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another's burden;31
Note 31
This basic ethical law appears in the Qur'an five times - in 6:164, 17:15, 35:18, 39:7, as well as in the above instance, which is the oldest in the chronology of revelation. Its implication is threefold: firstly, it expresses a categorical rejection of the Christian doctrine of the "original sin" with which every human being is allegedly burdened from birth; secondly, it refutes the idea that a person's sins could be "atoned for" by a saint's or a prophet's redemptive sacrifice (as evidenced, for instance, in the Christian doctrine of Jesus' vicarious atonement for mankind's sinfulness, or in the earlier, Persian doctrine of man's vicarious redemption by Mithras); and, thirdly, it denies, by implication, the possibility of any "mediation" between the sinner and God.
53:38 No soul bears the sins of another soul.,
53:38 i No laden one shall bear the load of another. [6:164, 39:7, 65:7]
53:39 وان ليس للانسن الا ما سعى
53:39 Waan laysa lil-insani illa masaAAa
53:39 The human being will have what he sought.
53:39 And man will have what he sought.
53:39 and that nought shall be accounted unto man but what he is striving for;32
Note 32
Cf. the basic, extremely well-authenticated saying of the Prophet, "Actions will be [judged] only according to the conscious intentions [which prompted them]; and unto everyone will be accounted only what he consciously intended", i.e., while doing whatever he did. This Tradition is quoted by Bukhari in seven places - the first one as a kind of introduction to his Sahih - as well as by Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Da'ud, Nasa'i (in four places), Ibn Majah, Ibn Hanbal, and several other compilations. In this connection it is to be noted that in the ethics of the Qur'an, the term "action" (amal) comprises also a deliberate omission of actions, whether good or bad, as well as a deliberate voicing of beliefs, both righteous and sinful: in short, everything that man consciously aims at and expresses by word or deed.
53:39 Every human being is responsible for his own works.,
53:39 ii Every human being shall be responsible for his own works and compensated for his labor.
53:40 Waanna saAAyahu sawfa yura
53:40 His works will be shown.
53:40 And his works will be shown.
53:40 and that in time [the nature of] all his striving will be shown [to him in its true light],33
Note 33
Lit., "his striving will be seen", i.e., on the Day of Judgment, when - as the Qur'an states in many places - God "will make you [truly] understand all that you were doing [in life]".
53:40 And everyone's works will be shown.,
53:40 iii And soon, his effort (and not the results) will be seen.
53:41 Thumma yujzahu aljazaa al-awfa
53:41 Then he will be paid fully for such works.
53:41 Then he will be paid fully for such works.
53:41 whereupon he shall be requited for it with the fullest requital;
53:41 Then they will be paid fully for such works.,
53:41 iv Then he will be fully rewarded for it.
53:42 Waanna ila rabbika almuntaha
53:42 To your Lord is the final destiny.
53:42 And to your Lord is the final destiny.
53:42 and that with thy Sustainer is the beginning and the end [of all that exists];34
Note 34
Lit., "the utmost limit" or "goal", circumscribing the beginning and the end of the universe both in time and in space, as well as the source from which everything proceeds and to which everything must return.
53:42 To your Lord is the final destiny.,
53:42 v To your Lord is the final destination.15
53:43 Waannahu huwa adhaka waabka
God: The Ultimate Cause53:43 He is the One who makes laughter and tears.7
53:43 And He is the One who makes laughter and tears.
53:43 and that it is He alone who causes [you] to laugh and to weep;
53:43 He is the One who makes you laugh or cry.,
53:43 vi He is the One Who causes you to laugh, and to cry.16
Note 16
The basic principles that cause nations to live in prosperity versus misery, are being mentioned here
53:44 Waannahu huwa amata waahya
53:44 He is the One who takes life and gives it.
53:44 And He is the One who takes life and gives it.
53:44 and that it is He alone who deals death and grants life;
53:44 He is the One who controls death and life.,
53:44 vii He is the One Who gives death and gives life.17
Note 17
The rise and fall of nations follow His laws. And these laws are most excellently expounded in the Qur’an
53:45 وانه خلق الزوجين الذكر والانثى
53:45 Waannahu khalaqa alzzawjayni alththakarawaal-ontha
53:45 He is the One who created the pair, male and female.8
53:45 And He is the One who has created the pair, the male and the female.
53:45 and that it is He who creates the two kinds - the male and the female
The Husband Determines The Baby's Gender53:45 He is the One who created the two kinds, male and female,
53:45 viii He is the One Who creates the two companions, the male and the female (pairs and opposites among His creation),
53:46 Min nutfatin itha tumna
53:46 From a seed that is put forth.
53:46 From a seed that is put forth.
53:46 out of a [mere] drop of sperm as it is poured forth,
53:46 from a tiny drop of semen.,
53:46 From gametes that unite.
53:47 Waanna AAalayhi alnnash-ata al-okhra
53:47 He will effect the recreation.
53:47 And He will effect the recreation.
53:47 and that [therefore] it is within His power to bring about a second life;35
Note 35
Lit., "that upon Him rests the other [or "second"] coming to life (nash'ah)", i.e., resurrection.
53:47 He will effect the recreation.,
53:47 ix He has promised to bring about a second life (for ultimate accountability).
53:48 Waannahu huwa aghna waaqna
53:48 He is the One who makes you rich or poor.
53:48 And He is the One who makes you rich or poor.
53:48 and that it is He alone who frees from want and causes to possess;
53:48 He is the One who makes you rich or poor.,
53:48 x He is the One Who gives wealth and contentment (according to His laws).
53:49 Waannahu huwa rabbu alshshiAAra
53:49 He is the Lord of Sirius.
53:49 And He is the Lord of Sirius.
53:49 and that it is He alone who sustains the brightest star;36
Note 36
Lit., "who is the Sustainer of Sirius (ash-shi'ra)", a star of the first magnitude, belonging to the constellation Canis Major. Because it is the brightest star in the heavens, it was widely worshipped in pre-Islamic Arabia . Idiomatically, the phrase rabb ash-shi'ra is used as a metonym for the Creator and Upholder of the universe.
53:49 He is the Lord of the galaxies.,
53:49 xi He is the One Who is the Lord of the brightest star, the human intellect.18
Note 18
Shi'ra= Sha'oor = Intellect. Shi'ra is also the Arabic name of the brightest star Sirius in the constellation Canis Major. It was widely worshiped in ancient Middle East
53:50 Waannahu ahlaka AAadan al-oola
53:50 He is the One who destroyed Aad the first.
53:50 And He is the One who destroyed `Aad the first.
53:50 and that it is He who destroyed the ancient [tribes of] Ad
53:50 He is the One who annihilated ancient `Aad.,
53:50 xii He is the One Who annihilated the former tribe of ‘Aad.19
Note 19
They were men of intellect but refused to establish the Divine System. God never changes His laws, therefore, a wrong system, however smartly run, is bound to collapse
53:51 Wathamooda fama abqa
53:51 Of Thamud He left nothing.
53:51 And from Thamud He left none.
53:51 and Thamud, leaving no trace [of them],37
53:51 And wiped out Thamoud.,
53:51 And the tribe of Thamud, sparing no one. [7:65, 7:73]
53:52 وقوم نوح من قبل انهم كانوا هم اظلم واطغى
53:52 Waqawma noohin min qablu innahum kanoohum athlama waatgha
53:52 The people of Noah before that; they were evil transgressors.
53:52 And the people of Noah before that; they were evil transgressors.
53:52 as well as the people of Noah before them - [since,] verily, they all had been most willful in their evildoing and most overweening
53:52 Also the people of Noah before that; they were evil transgressors.,
53:52 And the people of Noah before them. They were even more unjust and more rebellious.
53:53 Waalmu/tafikata ahwa
53:53 The evil communities were the lowliest.
53:53 And the overthrown city was made to fall.
53:53 just as He thrust into perdition those cities that were overthrown
53:53 The evil communities (of Sodom and Gomorrah) were the lowliest.,
53:53 And He (His Law of Requital) annihilated the cities that were overthrown.20
53:54 Faghashshaha ma ghashsha
53:54 Consequently, they utterly vanished.
53:54 So it was covered by that which covers.
53:54 and then covered them from sight forever.38
Note 38
Lit., "so that there covered them that which covered": a reference to Sodom and Gomorrah , the cities of " Lot 's people" (see, in particular, 11:77).
53:54 Consequently, they utterly vanished.,
53:54 So that there covered each of them what covered.21
Note 21
Covered them from sight for ever. Sodom and Gomorrah were buried under the Dead Sea. Also applies to other townships covered with Doom
53:55 Fabi-ayyi ala-i rabbika tatamara
53:55 So which of your Lord's marvels can you deny?
53:55 So which powers of your Lord do you doubt?
53:55 About which, then, of thy Sustainer's powers canst thou [still] remain in doubt?39
Note 39
This rhetorical question is evidently addressed to the type of man spoken of in verses 33-35. For the reason of my rendering of ala (lit., "blessings" or "bounties") as "powers", see second half of note 4 on 55:13.
53:55 Which of your Lord's marvels can you deny?,
53:55 Then, which facet of your Lord’s Power will you doubt or deny?
53:56 هذا نذير من النذر الاولى
53:56 Hatha natheerun mina alnnuthurial-oola
53:56 This is a warning like the former ones.
53:56 This is a warning like the old warnings.
53:56 THIS IS a warning like those warnings of old:40
Note 40
Lit., "a warning of [or "from among"] the warnings of old" - implying that the revelation granted to Muhammad does not aim at establishing a "new" religion but, on the contrary, continues and confirms the basic message entrusted to the earlier prophets - in this particular instance alluding to the certainty of the coming of the Last Hour and of God's ultimate judgment.
53:56 This is a warning like the older ones.,
53:56 This Prophet is a warner like the previous warners.
53:57 Azifati al-azifatu
53:57 The final judgment draws near.
53:57 That which is inevitable draws near.
53:57 that [Last Hour] which is so near draws ever nearer,
53:57 The inevitable is imminent.,
53:57 The Inevitable is now imminent.22
Note 22
The opponents of the Prophet S will soon be subdued
53:58 ليس لها من دون الله كاشفة
53:58 Laysa laha min dooni Allahi kashifatun
53:58 None beside God can relieve it.
53:58 None besides God can unveil it.
53:58 [although] none but God can unveil it....
53:58 None beside GOD can relieve it.,
53:58 None but God can dispel it.23
Note 23
Stop attacking the System
53:59 Afamin hatha alhadeethitaAAjaboona
53:59 Are you surprised by this hadith?
53:59 Are you surprised by this narrative?
53:59 Do you, perchance, find this tiding strange?
53:59 Are you questioning this matter?,
53:59 Do you, then, wonder at this statement?
53:60 Watadhakoona wala tabkoona
53:60 You are laughing, instead of crying?
53:60 And you are laughing, while you should be crying?
53:60 And do you laugh instead of weeping,
53:60 Are you laughing, instead of crying?,
53:60 And will you laugh and not weep?
53:61 Waantum samidoona
53:61 You are insisting on your ways?
53:61 And you are indulging yourselves?
53:61 and divert yourselves all the while?
53:61 Are you insisting on your ways?,
53:61 Just amusing yourselves!
53:62 Faosjudoo lillahi waoAAbudoo
53:62 You shall prostrate to God, and serve.
53:62 So, prostrate yourselves to God, and serve.
53:62 [Nay,] but prostrate yourselves before God, and worship [Him alone]!
53:62 You shall fall prostrate before GOD, and worship.,
53:62 Nay, rather humble yourselves before God and serve Him.