Surah 15. Al-Hijr

Alif. Lam. Ra.¹ THESE ARE MESSAGES of revelation - of a discourse clear in itself and clearly showing the truth.²

  - Mohammad Asad

See Appendix II.

Regarding this lengthy rendering of the participial adjective mubin, see surah {12}, note [2]. In the above context, the term qur'an (which, whenever it appears without the definite article al denotes a solemn "recital" or "discourse") is preceded by the conjunction wa, which, in its simplest connotation, signifies "and"; but since it is used here to stress the present, particular instance of the divine writ (al-kitab), it can be omitted in the translation without affecting the meaning of the sentence.

Alif L'am Ra. These are the verses of the Divine Book, the Glorious Qur'an which makes the things clear.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Alif-Lãm-Ra. These are the verses of the Book; the clear Quran.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Alif. Lam. Ra. These are verses of the Scripture and a plain Reading.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Alif Lam Ra. These are the Ayats of Revelation of a Qur'an that makes things clear. ^{1932 1933 1934}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

For these letters, see Appendix 1.

Cf. x. 1. and n. 1382.

Note how appropriately the different phrases in which the Qur-an is characterised bring out its different aspects as a Revelation. Let us just consider the phrases used at the beginning of the six A.L.M. Suras of which this is the last in order of arrangement. In x.1 we read, "Ayats (or verses or Signs) of the Book of Wisdom", the theme being the wonders of Allah's creation, and its relation to His Revelation. In xi. 1 we read, "a Book, with verses basic or fundamental, further explained in detail": the theme is Allah's Justice and punishment, to preserve the fundamental scheme of His Laws. In xii. 1 we read, "The Symbols verses of the Perspicuous Book"; the wonderful unfolding of Allah's Plan is explained in Joseph's story. In xiii. 1 we read, "The Signs (or verses) of the Book": the contrasts in the modes of Allah's Revelation and its reception by man are pointed out, but not illustrated by detailed examples as in Joseph's perspicuous story. In xiv. 1 we read, "A Book revealed to lead out of darkness into light": the theme being Abraham's prayer for man to be rescued from the darkness of false worship into the light of Unity. Here,in xv.1 we read, "Ayats (or verses) of Revelation,-of a Qur-an that makes things clear (or perspicuous)": the theme being an explanation of evil, and how Allah's Truth is protected from it.

And it will come to pass that those who are [now] bent on denying this truth will wish that they had surrendered themselves to God [in their lifetime].³

  - Mohammad Asad

Since this revelation - i.e., the Qur'an - is clear in itself and clearly shows the truth, those who deliberately reject it now will have no excuse on Resurrection Day. As so often in the Qur'an, the past tense in the expression alladhina kafaru is indicative of conscious intent (see surah {2} note [6]).

The Day will come when the unbelievers will wish that they were Muslims.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'The day will come when' the disbelievers will certainly wish they had submitted 'to Allah'.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 lit., had been Muslims.

It may be that those who disbelieve wish ardently that they were Muslims.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Again and again will those who disbelieve wish that they had bowed (to Allah's Will) in Islam. ¹⁹³⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The time must inevitably come when those who allow themselves to be deceived by falsehood or deliberately break Allah's Law will find themselves in a terrible plight. They will then wish, ardently and again and again, that they had sought Allah's Will and walked in the light of Truth. That time may be early or late,-in this life, or at death, or at the Day of Judgment, but it must come. Man's own highest interest requires that he should awake to the Reality before it is too late for repentance.

Leave them alone; let them eat and enjoy themselves the while the hope [of vain delights] beguiles them: for in time they will come to know [the truth].

  - Mohammad Asad

Leave them alone to eat and enjoy themselves and be deluded by false hopes, for soon they will find out the Truth.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'So' let them eat and enjoy themselves and be diverted by 'false' hope, for they will soon know.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Let them eat and enjoy life, and let (false) hope beguile them. They will come to know!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Leave them alone to enjoy (the good things of this life) and to please themselves: let (false) Hope amuse them: soon will knowledge (undeceive them). ^{1936 1937}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Literally, "to eat", Cf. v. 66 and n. 776.

The foolish and the wicked set great store by the pleasures of this world. In their pride they think they have all knowledge. In the fulness of knowledge they will see how wrong they were. Meanwhile those who have received the Light should not for a single moment wonder at the apparent prosperity of the ungodly in this world. They should leave them alone, confident in the goodness and justice of Allah.

And never have We destroyed any community [for its wrongdoing] unless a divine writ had [previously] been made known to it;⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "unless it [the community] had a known divine writ (kitab ma'lum)" - i.e., unless the people in question had been shown through a divine writ the meaning of right and wrong, and had deliberately rejected this divine guidance: cf. the statement, in 26:208 , that "never have We destroyed any community unless it had had its warners", or in 6:131 , that God "would never destroy a community for its wrongdoing so long as its people are still unaware [of the meaning of right and wrong]".

Never did We destroy a town whose term of life was not ordained beforehand.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

We have never destroyed a society without a destined term.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And We destroyed no township but there was a known decree for it.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Never did We destroy a population that had not a term decreed and assigned beforehand. ¹⁹³⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Kitabun ma'lum: literally, "a writing known". There are many shades of meaning implied, (1) For every people, as for every individual, there is a definite Term assigned: their faculty of choice gives them the opportunity of moulding their will according to Allah's Will, and thus identifying themselves with Allah's Universal Law. During that Term they will be given plenty of rope; after that Term is past, there will be no opportunity for repentance. (2) Neither the righteous nor the ungodly can hasten or delay the doom: Allah's Will must prevail, and He is All-Wise. (3) The destruction of a people is not an arbitrary punishment from Allah: the people bring it on themselves by their own choice; for the fixed Law or Decree of Allah is always made known to them beforehand, and in many ways.

[but remember that] no community can ever forestall [the end of] its term - and neither can they delay [it].⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., every community - and, in the widest sense of this term, every civilization - has a God-willed, organic span of life resembling in this respect all other living organisms, destined to grow, to reach maturity and ultimately to decay. For the ethical implications of this law of nature and its bearing on the passage that follows, see 7:34 and the corresponding note [25].

No people can forestall their doom, nor can they postpone it.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

No people can advance their doom, nor can they delay it.

  - Mustafa Khattab

No nation can outstrip its term nor can they lag behind.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Neither can a people anticipate its Term nor delay it. ¹⁹³⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. vii. 34. Also see the last note.