| | Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur'an al-Karim rendition of Surah The Prophets(al-Anbiya`)
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| 21:1 | | Peoples' Day of Judgement is approaching, yet they pay no attention, unwilling to receive it with consenting minds nor agree to consider it the one fact that destroys fiction |
| 21:2 | | No fresh divine message or a warning comes to them from Allah, their Creator, but they listen to it mockingly and laugh it to scor |
| 21:3 | | Their hearts' ears are closed for revelation but open for mockery and amusement -the happiness of those who cannot think- Being wrongful of actions, they say in their secret counsel: "Is he Muhammad not human like yourselves, and so will you accede to the magic he is able to manifest in his discourse when you have insight of the mind and eyesight of the body" |
| 21:4 | | -Having known by inspiration the conclusion of their secret counsel- the Prophet said: "Allah, my Creator, knows all that is being said or discoursed in the heavens and on earth; He is AL-Sami' (the Omnipresent with unlimited audition and AL-'Alim (the Omniscient)" |
| 21:5 | | They -the infidels- went further and fared worse -in their description of the Quran and of the Prophet They said: "confused dreams, no, but he forged it, no, but he is a poet; he must present us with a miraculous sign like those with which were equipped the prophets of old" |
| 21:6 | | -In response to their insolence and defiance-, Allah says: Miraculous signs were presented to generations before them whom We reduced to a useless form on account of their rejection and denial of divine truth, therefore, what chance is there that these infidels will recognize Allah and in Him they will believe |
| 21:7 | | We never sent and inspired before you O Muhammad but men chosen from among the town dwellers whose deeds were natural to man, therefore, you -infidels- may ask those who are well versed in the antecedent Scriptures -Jews and Christians- if indeed you do not know |
| 21:8 | | Nor did We make their material being -the body- able to survive without consuming food nor were they destined to escape death or last forever |
| 21:9 | | And We fulfilled Our promise to them and delivered them out of danger together with whom We willed and We reduced the transgressors to a useless from |
| 21:10 | | And We have sent down to you people a Book -the Quran- serving as a reminder to you in every respect and in due time will it praise your name to fame that you will be mentioned by others with admiration, adoration, and commendation; will you not understand |
| 21:11 | | And think but this: how many towns, whose inhabitants were wrongful of actions, did We destroy and replace by other people |
| 21:12 | | And when they sensed Our wrath approaching, in vain for their life, they fled to other places |
| 21:13 | | -In irony they were told-: do not flee but go back to your lustful life and to your dwellings; you may have much to answer for |
| 21:14 | | There and then they exclaimed, thus: Woe betide us, we were indeed wrongful of actions |
| 21:15 | | They kept bewailing their misfortune until We reduced them to a useless form like reaped field of corn |
| 21:16 | | We never created the heavens and the earth and all that is between just for fun |
| 21:17 | | Had We purposed to have fun or diversion We would have had recourse to what We have in Our heaven's realm if indeed We meant to do so |
| 21:18 | | But what befits Our Supremacy is to dash fiction and falsehood with truth so that it is erased and vanished wherefore woe betide you for what you insolently ascribe to Allah |
| 21:19 | | And to Allah alone belong all that is in the heavens and on earth, and those serving in His realm of heaven do not pride themselves nor show inordinate self- esteem for serving Him and prostrating to Him in adoration nor do they ever grow weary |
| 21:20 | | They .celebrate and glorify their Creator and extol His glorious attributes night and day and they never lose vigour, grow dull nor do they lose interest |
| 21:21 | | Could it be that they- the idolaters-have taken earthly objects of worship who can raise the dead and restore them to life |
| 21:22 | | Indeed, if there be Ilahs other than Allah or sharing His divine nature and attributes, the heavens and the earth would have become corrupt and been ruined. Therefore, praise be to Allah and extolled are His glorious attributes the sole Sovereign of the Supreme Throne. He is far above what they ascribe to Him |
| 21:23 | | He is never questioned or examined judicially for whatever He does, whereas they as a whole shall have much to answer for |
| 21:24 | | Or have they taken besides Allah, the Creator, other gods which were indicated to them in previous Scriptures? if so, say to them O Muhammad: "Give us convincing evidence to this effect. This Quran is the message followed by my fellows in faith and before it were the Scriptures followed by those of old. And no where do we final but monotheisms" But indeed most of them fail to comprehend the truth and so they do not receive it with consenting minds |
| 21:25 | | Nor did We send a Messenger before you O Muhammad but We inspired him with the truth clearly indicating that there is no Ilah but I the Creator, therefore worship Me and adore Me with appropriate acts and rites and regard Me with extreme devotion |
| 21:26 | | And they blasphemously say: " Allah has taken up, adopted or begotten a son. Glory be to Him and extolled are His glorious attributes, They -the angels- are but honoured and distinguished worshippers" |
| 21:27 | | Never do they speak before Him unless permitted or commanded to do so; similarly conditioned are their acts |
| 21:28 | | He knows all that is before them and all that is behind them and they never intercede on behalf of anyone except on behalf of those approved by Him, those to whom He intends to be gracious. The angels- keep in awe of Him on account of the deep veneration and the profound reverence dutiful to Him |
| 21:29 | | And should any of them -angels or- men- claim god-ship besides Allah, then he is bound to Hell, for thus do We requite the wrongful of actions |
| 21:30 | | Do the infidels who deny Allah not see into the creation of the universe - the heavens and the earth-! Both were one mass and We split them asunder* and We made every living being dependent upon water**. We made it an essential component or constituent of every living cell. Will they -the infidels- not be brought to their senses and realize that there is a Creator |
| 21:31 | | And We furnished the earth with firm stays Mountains* placed in a certain setting, fixed as with an anchor, to stabilize it lest it should sway you from side to side or in all directions and We furnished it with paths, roads, channels, routes by land and water and between mountains so that they may be guided in their journeys between the different places |
| 21:32 | | And We made the heavens with their spheres and regions which resemble a vast vault or canopy overarching and protecting the earth*, being itself protected, maintained, safeguarded and well preserved. Yet they are oblivious of their marvels –stability, regularity, precision, immensity, and what it confers of protection- and fail to ascribe them to their maker Who is Allah |
| 21:33 | | And He is it Who created the night and the day, the sun and the moon, each describing its own orbit |
| 21:34 | | And never did We destine a human being before you O Muhammad to escape death or live forever -you are no exception-. Is it then that when you die they shall live forever |
| 21:35 | | Every Soul -no exception- shall taste death and We test you -people- by wedding you to calamities and by making Our grace abound in you to determine your true belief and inclination, your spiritual and moral attributes, your accomplishments, attainments and your way and course of acting, then in the end shall all of you be brought back to Us |
| 21:36 | | And when the infidels see you O Muhammad they receive you with nothing but disdain and scorn which ride sparkling in their eyes and they say: "Is this the one who blasphemes your gods! And when Al Rahman is mentioned, their countenances speak blasphemy against Him |
| 21:37 | | Man has been created with the innate propensity to be unduly hasty of spirit; I will exhibit to you My acts and My marvels serving to demonstrate divine power and authority, therefore, do not ask Me to hasten them on |
| 21:38 | | And yet they -the infidels- ask the Muslims: "When shall that promised punishment come to pass if indeed you declare the truth!" |
| 21:39 | | If only these infidels who deny Allah knew that there shall come a time when they shall not be able to avert the blazing fire from their faces nor from their backs nor shall they be afforded help |
| 21:40 | | It shall surprise them. Pale and dumb, they shall stand confused and confounded unable to avert it nor shall they be granted respite |
| 21:41 | | Messengers who were sent before you O Muhammad were also bombarded with foul epithets, the infidels mocked them and gave them a lick with the rough side of their tongues and called them everything they could lay their tongues to. In consequence were the mockers beset on all sides by the same material and immaterial things they had turned in to ridicule |
| 21:42 | | Say to them: "Who can defend you by night and/or by day from AL- Rahman if His wrath speaks thunder". But they are unwilling to listen to divine Revelation nor to Allah's warning and they are habitually opposed to the mention of His attributes |
| 21:43 | | Or have they gods, besides Him, who can defend them! They -the gods- are themselves unable to hold their own nor can they defend themselves, let alone defending others should We decide that they perish |
| 21:44 | | We granted these people together with their fathers comfort and enjoyment and all that advantaged them of Our blessings in life as long as they lived. Do they not see that We reduce their territories and straiten their outlying borders -by rapid progress of Islam-. is it then they who are the winners or the conquerors |
| 21:45 | | Say to them O Muhammad: "I only warn you of the promised punishment of which I have been informed by the inspired revelation. But those who counsel deaf are oblivious of Allah's warning). Their hearts' ears are closed to the cautionary advice |
| 21:46 | | And if afflicted with a slight touch of your Creator's retributive punishment they -the infidels- shall say: "Woe betide us, we were indeed wrongful of actions" |
| 21:47 | | And We set the scales even in Day of Judgement admitting of no deviation and We judge with absolute justice and accordingly no soul shall ever be wronged in the least. Every deed, good or bad, will We present with precision even if it be as light or as little as a mustard seed. Enough are We in putting the law in execution |
| 21:48 | | And We gave Mussa and Harun the canon imparting the soundness of judgement in the choice of means and ends and in the choice of what is morally good, honest and straight-forward, serving as an illumination and enlightenment besides being a divine light and a constant reminder of Allah to those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him |
| 21:49 | | Who stand in awe of Allah albeit they cannot apprehend Him by sight and think of the Day of Resurrection dreading the Final Hour of Judgement |
| 21:50 | | And this -Quran- is a blessed Book We have revealed to guide into all truth; will you -infidels- reject and deny what is good and advantageous to attain and possess |
| 21:51 | | Aforetime, We directed Ibrahim to reasoning and to employ the faculty of reason in forming conclusions and We were fully aware of his thoughts and of his innermost being |
| 21:52 | | He asked his father and his people: "what are these statues and images you regard with reverence and veneration" |
| 21:53 | | They said: "we found our fathers revering them and adoring them with appropriate acts and rites" |
| 21:54 | | "But you and your fathers", said Ibrahim, "were erroneous indeed in your system of faith and worship" |
| 21:55 | | "Have you brought us the truth," they asked, "or are you one of those who make this the object of a joke" |
| 21:56 | | "But your Allah", said Ibrahim, is the Creator of the heavens and the earth Who generated them and brought them into existence and to this effect I sincerely bear witness" |
| 21:57 | | "And, by Allah", said Ibrahim, "I will plot down your idols to dethrone them after you have gone and turned your backs" |
| 21:58 | | And so he reduced them -the idols- into a useless form except their biggest, so that they might turn to it for information |
| 21:59 | | And when they returned, they exclaimed: "He who has done this to our gods is indeed wrongful of actions" |
| 21:60 | | Some of them said: "we heard a young man by the name of Ibrahim cursing them and calling them names" |
| 21:61 | | "Bring him here before the people", they said, "so that they may witness with their own eyes the consequence, for he -Ibrahim- has much to answer for" |
| 21:62 | | And when he was brought over, they asked him: "Was it you Ibrahim who did this to our gods" |
| 21:63 | | "But it was their chief who did it", Said Ibrahim; ask them if they are able to talk!" |
| 21:64 | | And there, they blamed themselves saying: "You are indeed the wrongful of actions" |
| 21:65 | | But, overturned by imprudence in their minds and by subversion of reason, they said to him: "You knew very well that these idols do not talk!" |
| 21:66 | | "Do you worship besides Allah," ask Ibrahim, "objects neither profit you nor can do you harm," |
| 21:67 | | "Fie on you and on those objects you worship besides Allah; can you not think in a sensible and logical manner and employ the faculty of reason in forming conclusions!" |
| 21:68 | | "Nevertheless", they said, "burn him and uphold your gods if indeed you intend to maintain our system of faith and worship and sustain it against criticism" |
| 21:69 | | We said: "O fire! be cool and maintain your coolness and afford Ibrahim safety and security" and We graced him with peace of mind |
| 21:70 | | So conditioned, they thought of contriving against him, but We made them the losers who lost the most |
| 21:71 | | And We rescued him together with Lut (Lot). -his nephew- and delivered them to the land We had blessed -Aram or Syria and Can'an or Palestine- the land where many divine messages were revealed for all- |
| 21:72 | | And We bestowed on him Ishaq (Isaac) and in addition We graced him with Ya'cob (Jacob) -a grand son- each of whom We characterized by virtue and righteousness |
| 21:73 | | And We made them leaders of faith guiding people into all truth as We willed and We inspired to them the deeds of wisdom and piety and the act of worship and alms giving. They were exclusively devoted to serving Our purpose and they worshipped Us alone |
| 21:74 | | And to Lut, We imparted wisdom, sovereignty and divine knowledge and We rescued him and delivered him out of the town whose inhabitants established the most evil and abominable and abnormal sexual practice. They were perverse people given to shameful deeds and immorality |
| 21:75 | | And We admitted him to the domain of Our mercy. He was one of those characterized by justice and uprightness and he was morally right |
| 21:76 | | And Nuh (Noah) who invoked Us aforetime and We responded favourably to his invocation and rescued him and delivered him together with his family from the distressful and overwhelming inundation |
| 21:77 | | And We rescued him from the people who rejected Our divine signs and denied Our Omnipotence and Authority; they were people who bode ill and were given to evil, and in consequence We drowned them al |
| 21:78 | | And Dawud (David) and Sulayman (Solomon) who passed judgement -not inspired- upon the owners of the sheep which escaped from their cote and strayed in people field, and We were witnesses of their Judgement*. * David's decision centered on compensation- |
| 21:79 | | But We inspired Sulayman with the insight of the matter** -therefore, his inspired decision, in addition to being compensatory, was constructive and promotive of work and advancement- and to each one of them We imparted wisdom and correct judgement, knowledge and intellectual acquaintance with the truth. And We subdued the mountains as well as the birds to join David in praising Allah and in extolling His glorious attributes, and We have always been Omnipotent enough to accomplish what we will. **The prosecutor makes use of the sheep until the defender makes the necessary repairs and restores the field to the original state, then each takes back his property |
| 21:80 | | And We taught Dawud the art of making coats of arms for people's protection to defend you from injury and to shield you from the violence exercised against each other. And now will you impel yourselves to the feeling of gratitude and gratefulness |
| 21:81 | | And to Sulayman We subdued the wind raging and blowing tempestuously to flow at his command to the blessed land We had marked with grace -his influence extended over a vast territory, Palestine, Syria, Arabia, Ethiopia,- and We were 'Alimin (Omniscient)of all things and all affairs |
| 21:82 | | Those among the Jinn characterized with satanic attributes were also subdued to him to dive into the waters -after the treasures-pearls, corals,- in addition to other jobs and We were watching over them -not to slow down nor escape- |
| 21:83 | | And Ayub (Job) who invoked Allah, his Creator, for relief. He said: "O Allah, my Creator, I have suffered long lasting tribulation and You are the Most Merciful of all who show mercy." |
| 21:84 | | And We responded favourably to his invocation and relieved him and freed it him from all tribulation and We compensated to him a progeny to replace those he had lost .We doubled their number (grand children), a mercy extended to him from Us and a great event to be happily remembered by those who are constant |
| 21:85 | | Also Ismail, Idris -possibly Ozoris- and Zut-kifl -Dhoukefl-, possibly - Ezchiel each of whom faced hardship and tribulations with perseverance, patience and endurance |
| 21:86 | | We admitted them in the domain of Our mercy, for they were of those characterized by justice and uprightness and were morally right |
| 21:87 | | And Zun-nun -Yunus-, who met the opposition of the people to whom he was sent with impatience. Moved by anger he renounced them and left them thinking that We would not reprove him for such a behaviour. -He went on board ship and in the crossing it was decided by the crew that he was one too many and must be got rid of-. In the sea he was swallowed by the fish wherein he was constrained. In the depth of darkness he called on Allah and invoked His mercy, he said: "O Allah, there is no Ilah but You, glory be to You and extolled are Your glorious attributes. I have been rongful of actions." |
| 21:88 | | And there, We responded favourably to him and delivered him from the sorrow and the distress, for thus do We save those whose hearts reflect the image of religious and spiritual virtues |
| 21:89 | | And Zakariya -Zacharias- when he invoked Allah, his Creator, and said: "O Allah, my Creator, leave me not childless, a quality imparting the feeling of loneliness -a child not to inherit me but to pursue the same line of action so that Your word may have a free course-. When it comes to inheritance You are indeed the Only and the best heir Who shall inherit the whole and all in all" |
| 21:90 | | We responded to him favourably and bestowed on him Yahya ( John), having rendered his wife fruitful. These were people who hastened to doing all that is good, useful, reliable for a purpose, efficient in function and in pursuit of faith, and they invoked Us expressing their due affectionate devotion keeping in awe of Us and hopeful of Our mercy, and they humbled themselves before Us and were indeed submissive to Us alone |
| 21:91 | | And Maryam (Mary) who guarded herself from being supposed and maintained the flower of faith and chastity, and so We sent to her Our Messenger -the Spirit Gabriel-, to breathe life into her and animate a soul in her womb, and We made her and her son Isa (Jesus) an emblem of Our Omnipotence and Authority to be pondered by all people |
| 21:92 | | This is the religion eminently professed by all the previous Prophets, the one and only system of faith and worship established by Allah and I am Allah your Creator, therefore, worship Me and adore Me with the appropriate acts and rites |
| 21:93 | | Yet people according to their desires and irreligious viewpoints set themselves at variance, but all shall inevitably return to Us |
| 21:94 | | Therefore, he who imprints his deeds with wisdom and piety while his heart reflects the image of religious and spiritual virtues shall be the recipient of Our mercy; his deeds and his endeavour shall not be undermined nor denied and We record his endeavour to his advantage |
| 21:95 | | It is not the end; the punishment We inflict on any town to reduce it to a useless form is certainly not the end nor does it mean that they will not rise again. They will rise, they have much to answer for and pay for their sinful deeds Hereafter |
| 21:96 | | (And when the gates of evil are widely open) and Gog and Magog overflow from everywhere overcoming all barriers and ramparts |
| 21:97 | | And the promised Event approaches, there and then shall the infidels' eyes be wide open gazing fixedly in horror and they express their thoughts in words, thus: "Woe betide us ", they shall say, "we were not only oblivious of this event but We were also wrongful of actions" |
| 21:98 | | And there, they are told: "You and those you worshipped besides Allah are the fuel of Hell to which you shall now proceed" |
| 21:99 | | "Had these objects of worship you incorporated with Allah been gods who shared His divine nature they would not have companioned you therein. "And now all and each of you shall be imprisoned within its grim confines for that vast and endless forever" |
| 21:100 | | There within, shall they pant, emitting with difficulty a deep breath and drawing with more difficulty a long breath heaving sighs and giving sobs, and the painful emotion compounded of loathing and fear and the feeling excited by fright shall deafen their ears that they cannot hear |
| 21:101 | | But those in whom Allah's grace has abounded beforehand are those who shall be kept far away from hence |
| 21:102 | | They do not hear the sharp continual hissing sound its flames emit; to the contrary, they shall be swimming in the eternal ecstasy of joy of what their souls had always desired |
| 21:103 | | Nor shall they be disturbed, grieved nor shocked by the overwhelming terror -of The Day of Judgement- and they shall be received with a hearty welcome by the angels who put their minds at rest and say to them: "this is the happy day you were promised" |
| 21:104 | | This is the Day when We fold the heavens the way the scribe rolls together the scrolls that are ready for the publishing of books, so that as We effected the first creation so will We effect recreation* a promise that We are Omnipotent enough to fulfill and bring to an end |
| 21:105 | | And We decreed and reduced to writing in the AL-Zabur (Psalms) what is in harmony with the text in AL-Tawrah (Torah) that the earth shall be inherited by My devout worshippers who imprint their deeds with wisdom and piety and their hearts with the image of religious and spiritual virtues |
| 21:106 | | This proclamation is made evident in this Book -the Quran- and stands as a declaration to people who adore Allah with the appropriate acts and rites |
| 21:107 | | We did not send you O Muhammad for a reason other than to symbolize, and serve as an embodiment of mercy which Allah has extended to all His creatures |
| 21:108 | | Therefore, say to the people: "it is a fact that I am being divinely inspired that your Allah is absolutely One Ilah; will you then conform your will to His will in Islam! to Him alone" |
| 21:109 | | And should they turn their backs, then say to them: "I have done my duty and I have proclaimed to you all alike the word of Allah and warned you of the consequences". "And I just do not know whether what you have been promised -good or bad- is close at hand or far and distant" |
| 21:110 | | "He -Allah- knows what is avowed openly and the open course of action, and He knows what the breasts forge and what they store of thoughts and feelings and all that is suggested secretly to the mind. He .knows all that you do out of sight" |
| 21:111 | | "Nor do I know the reason for the respite granted to you people, it may be a trial to test your true belief and inclination or to give you enough rope to allow you free scope of action up to a predetermined point of time in order that you may commit yourselves -or relent and be brought to your senses-" |
| 21:112 | | And invoke Allah O Muhammad to give judgement upon your matter, thus: "Your Judgement O Allah, my Creator, is truth personified; judge O Allah, my Creator between me and those who rejected Your word". And say to them: "and Allah, AL- Rahman is He Whose present help is sought to endure with impunity the blashemies you utter against Him" |
