Surah 18. Al-Kahf

those whose eyes had been veiled against any remembrance of Me because they could not bear to listen [to the voice of truth]!

  - Mohammad Asad

who had turned a blind eye to My admonition and a deaf ear to My warning.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those whose eyes were hoodwinked from My reminder, and who could not bear to hear.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Do they who are bent on denying the truth think, perchance, that they could take [any of] My creatures for protectors against Me?¹⁰² Verily, We have readied hell to welcome all who [thus] deny the truth!¹⁰³

  - Mohammad Asad

This is an allusion not only to the worship of created beings or forces of nature, but also to the popular belief that saints, whether alive or dead, could eflfectively "intercede" with God in behalf of anyone whom He has rejected.

I.e., of God's oneness and uniqueness, and hence of the fact that no created being can have any "influence" on God's judgment.

Do the unbelievers think that they can take my servants as protectors, to save themselves from Hell, instead of Me? Certainly We have prepared Hell for the entertainment of such unbelievers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Do the disbelievers reckon that they can choose My bondmen as protecting friends beside Me? Lo! We have prepared hell as a welcome for the disbelievers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Say: "Shall we tell you who are the greatest losers in whatever they may do?

  - Mohammad Asad

O Muhammad tell them: "Should we tell you the worst kind of losers relating to their deeds?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Say: Shall We inform you who will be the greatest losers by their works?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"[It is] they whose labour has gone astray in [the pursuit of no more than] this world's life, and who nonetheless think that they are doing good works:

  - Mohammad Asad

Those whose all efforts in this worldly life had gone astray from the Right Way, but all along they were under the delusion that they were doing good deeds;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those whose effort goeth astray in the life of the world, and yet they reckon that they do good work.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

it is they who have chosen to deny their Sustainer's messages and the truth that they are destined to meet Him." Hence, all their [good] deeds come to nought, and no weight shall We assign to them on Resurrection Day.¹⁰⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

Although each of their good actions will be taken into account on Judgment Day in accordance with the Qur'anic statement that "he who shall have done an atom's weight of good, shall behold it" ({99: 7}), the above verse implies that whatever good such sinners may do is far outweighed by their godlessness (Al-Qadi 'Iyad, as quoted by Razi).

they are the ones who are disregarding the revelations of their Rabb and the fact that they will meet Him for accountability of their deeds in the Hereafter, so their deeds will become null and will not carry any weight on the Day of Judgment.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those are they who disbelieve in the revelations of their Lord and in the meeting with Him. Therefore their works are vain, and on the Day of Resurrection We assign no weight to them.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

That will be their recompense - [their] hell - for having denied the truth and made My messages and My apostles a target of their mockery.

  - Mohammad Asad

Thus the reward of such people will be Hell; because they had no faith and because they took My revelations and My Rasools as a joke.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

That is their reward: hell, because they disbelieved, and made a jest of Our revelations and Our messengers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[But,] verily, as for those who attain to faith and do righteous deeds - the gardens of paradise will be there to welcome them;

  - Mohammad Asad

However, those who believe and do good deeds, they will be entertained with the Gardens of Paradise

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! those who believe and do good works, theirs are the Gardens of Paradise, for welcome,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

therein will they abide, [and] never will they desire any change therefrom.

  - Mohammad Asad

to live therein for ever and they will never desire to go anywhere else.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Wherein they will abide, with no desire to be removed from thence.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

SAY: "If all the sea were ink for my Sustainer's words, the sea would indeed be exhausted ere my Sustainer's words are exhausted! And [thus it would be] if we were to add to it sea upon sea." ¹⁰⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "if We were to produce the like of it [i.e., of the sea] in addition". It is to be noted that, as pointed out by Zamakhshari, the term al-bahr ("the sea") is used here in a generic sense, comprising all the seas that exist: hence, the expression "the like of it" has been rendered by me as "sea upon sea". (See also 31:27 ).

O Muhammad tell them: "If the ocean were ink with which to write the words of my Rabb, the ocean would surely be consumed before the words of my Rabb are finished, even if We brought similar quantity of ink to replenish it.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Say: Though the sea became ink for the Words of my Lord, verily the sea would be used up before the Words of my Lord were exhausted, even though We brought the like thereof to help.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Say [O Prophet]: "I am but a mortal man like all of you. It has been revealed unto me that your God is the One and Only God. Hence, whoever looks forward [with hope and awe] to meeting his Sustainer [on Judgment Day], let him do righteous deeds, and let him not ascribe unto anyone or anything a share in the worship due to his Sustainer!"

  - Mohammad Asad

O Muhammad, tell them: "I am but a human being like you; the revelation is sent to me to declare that your God is One God; therefore, whoever hopes to meet his Rabb, let him do good deeds and join no other deity in the worship of his Rabb."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Say: I am only a mortal like you. My Lord inspireth in me that your God is only One God. And whoever hopeth for the meeting with his Lord, let him do righteous work, and make none sharer of the worship due unto his Lord.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall