Surah 22. Al-Hajj

Have they, then, never journeyed about the earth, letting their hearts gain wisdom, and causing their ears to hear?⁶¹ Yet, verily, it is not their eyes that have become blind - but blind have become the hearts that are in their breasts!

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "whereupon they would have hearts wherewith they might understand, or ears whereby they might hear".

Have they not traveled through the land? Have they no hearts to learn wisdom, or ears to hear the Truth? Certainly it is not their eyes which are blind, but it is the hearts in their breasts which are blind.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Have they not travelled throughout the land so their hearts may reason, and their ears may listen? Indeed, it is not the eyes that are blind, but it is the hearts in the chests that grow blind.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Have they not travelled in the land, and have they hearts wherewith to feel and ears wherewith to hear? For indeed it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts, which are within the bosoms, that grow blind.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Do they not travel through the land so that their hearts (and mind) may thus learn wisdom and their ears may thus learn to hear? Truly it is not their eyes that are blind but their hearts which are in their breasts. ²⁸²⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The word for "heart" in Arabic speech imports both the seat of intelligent faculties and understanding as well as the seat of affections and emotions. Those who reject Allah's Message may have their physical eyes and ears, but their hearts are blind and deaf. If their faculties of understanding were active, would they not see the Signs of Allah's Providence and Allah's Wrath in nature around them and in the cities and ruins if they travel intelligently?

And [so, O Muhammad,] they challenge thee to hasten the coming upon them of [God's] chastisement:⁶² but God never fails to fulfil His promise - and, behold, in thy Sustainer's sight a day is like a thousand years of your reckoning.⁶³

  - Mohammad Asad

For an explanation, see 6:57 , 8:32 and 13:6 , as well as the corresponding notes.

I.e., what men conceive of as "time" has no meaning with regard to God, because He is timeless, without beginning and without end, so that "in relation to Him, one day and a thousand years are alike" (Razi). Cf. 70:4 , where in the same sense, a "day" is said to be equal to "fifty thousand years", or the well-authenticated saying of the Prophet' "God says, 'I am Time Absolute (ad-dahr)'."

These people ask you to hasten the threatened punishment. Well, Allah will never go back on His promise. In fact a day of your Rabb (time period in which Allah's decision is executed) is equal to a thousand years of your calculation.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They challenge you 'O Prophet' to hasten the torment. And Allah will never fail in His promise. But a day with your Lord is indeed like a thousand years by your counting.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And they will bid thee hasten on the Doom, and Allah faileth not His promise, but lo! a Day with Allah is as a thousand years of what ye reckon.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Yet they ask thee to hasten on the Punishment! But Allah will not fail in His promise. Verily a day in the sight of thy Lord is like a thousand years of your reckoning. ²⁸²⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If Allah gives respite, those to whom it is given have a real chance of repentance and amendment. He will not curtail His promise of respite. But on the other hand He has promised to call everyone to account for his deeds, and this involves justice and punishment for sin. This promise will also come true. It is foolish to try to hasten it. Time with Him is nothing. We keep count of time for our relative calculations. His existence is absolute, and not conditioned by Time or Place. What we call a thousand years may be nothing more than a day or a minute to Him.

And to how many a community that was im-mersed in evildoing have I given rein for a while! But then I took it to task: for with Me is all journeys' end!

  - Mohammad Asad

There have been many townships teeming with wrong doings, to whom at first I gave respite and at the end I smote them. Towards Me is the destination of all.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Many are the societies whose end We delayed while they did wrong, then seized them. And to Me is the final return.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And how many a township did I suffer long though it was sinful! Then I grasped it. Unto Me is the return.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And to how many populations did I give respite which were given to wrong-doing? In the end I punished them. To Me is the destination (of all). ²⁸²⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The argument begun in xxii. 45 is now rounded off and closed.

SAY [O Muhammad]: "O men! I am but a plain warner [sent by God] unto you!"

  - Mohammad Asad

O Muhammad, tell them: "O mankind! I am merely a plain Warner to you;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Say, 'O Prophet,' 'O humanity! I am only sent to you with a clear warning.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Say: O mankind! I am only a plain warner unto you.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Say: "O men! I am (sent) to you only to give a clear warning: ²⁸²⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It is the Messenger's duty to convey the warning in the clearest terms to the wicked. It is no part of his duty to coerce them or judge them, or bring on the Punishment for them. That only rests with Allah. But the warning itself is full of Mercy: for it gives the highest hope to the repentant sinner who turns and comes to Allah.

And [know that] those who attain to faith and do righteous deeds shall be granted forgiveness of sins and a most excellent sustenance;⁶⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

See 8:4 and the corresponding note [5].

Those who accept the true faith and do good deeds shall be forgiven and provided honorable sustenance;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

So those who believe and do good will have forgiveness and an honourable provision.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Those who believe and do good works, for them pardon and a rich provision;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"Those who believe and work righteousness for them is forgiveness and a sustenance most generous. ²⁸²⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The "sustenance" must be construed in the widest sense, spiritual as well as intellectual and physical. The reward of righteousness is far more generous than any merit there may be in the creature following the Will of his Creator.

whereas those who strive against Our messages, seeking to defeat their purpose - they are destined for the blazing fire.

  - Mohammad Asad

but those who strive against Our revelations shall be the inmates of flaming fire."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But those who strive to discredit Our revelations, they will be the residents of the Hellfire.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

While those who strive to thwart Our revelations, such are rightful owners of the Fire.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"But those who strive against Our Signs to frustrate them they will be Companions of the Fire." ²⁸³⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It will not be in their power to frustrate Allah's Plan; all they will do is to go further and further down in their spiritual state, deeper and deeper in their Hell.

Yet whenever We sent forth any apostle or prophet before thee, and he was hoping⁶⁵ [that his warnings would be heeded], Satan would cast an asper-sion on his innermost aims:⁶⁶ but God renders null and void whatever aspersion Satan may cast; and God makes His messages clear in and by themselves⁶⁷ - for God is all-knowing, wise.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "We never sent any apostle or prophet before thee without that, when he was hoping (tamanna)...", etc. According to most of the commentators, the designation "apostle" (rasul) is applied to bearers of divine revelations which comprise a new doctrinal system or dispensation; a "prophet" (nabi), on the other hand, is said to be one whom God has entrusted with the enunciation of ethical principles on the basis of an already-existing dispensation, or of principles common to all divine dispensations. Hence, every apostle is a prophet as well, but not every prophet is an apostle.

I.e., insinuating that the innermost aim (umniyyah, lit., "longing" or "hope") of the message-bearer in question was not the spiritual improvement of his community but, rather, the attainment of personal power and influence: cf. 6:112 -"against every prophet We have set up as enemies the evil forces (shayatin) from among humans as well as from among invisible beings (al-jinn)" - a statement which is explained in surah {6}, note [98].

Lit., "and God makes His messages clear in and by themselves". This is the meaning of the phrase yuhkimu ayatahu (cf. the expression uhkimat ayatuhu in 11:1 ): i.e., God causes His messages to speak for themselves, so that any insinuation as to the prophet's "hidden motives" is automatically disproved. The conjunction thumma at the beginning of this clause does not connote a sequence in time but a coordination of activities, and is best rendered by the simple conjunction "and".

Never have We sent a Rasool or a prophet before you, O Muhammad, with whose wishes Shaitan did not tamper; but Allah abrogates the interjections of Shaitan and confirms His own revelations, for Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Whenever We sent a messenger or a prophet before you 'O Prophet' and he recited 'Our revelations', Satan would influence 'people's understanding of' his recitation. But 'eventually' Allah would eliminate Satan's influence. Then Allah would 'firmly' establish His revelations. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Never sent We a messenger or a Prophet before thee but when He recited (the message) Satan proposed (opposition) in respect of that which he recited thereof. But Allah abolisheth that which Satan proposeth. Then Allah establisheth His revelations. Allah is Knower, Wise;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Never did We send an apostle or a prophet before thee but when he framed a desire Satan threw some (vanity) into his desire: but Allah will cancel anything (vain) that Satan throws in and Allah will confirm (and establish) His Signs: for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom: ^{2831 2832}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Prophets and messengers (the distinction is explained in n. 2503 to xix. 51) are but human. Their actions are righteous and their motives pure. But in judging things from a human point of view, the suggestion may come to their mind (from Satan) that it would be good to have power or wealth or influence for furthering Allah's cause, or that it may be good to conciliate some faction which may be irreconcilable. In fact, in Allah's Plan, it may be the opposite. Allah, in His mercy and inspiration, will cancel any false or vain suggestions of this kind, and confirm and strengthen His own Commands and make known His Will in His Signs or revelations.

This clause and the similar clause at the end of the next verse are parenthetical.

[And He allows doubts to arise] so that He might cause whatever aspersion Satan may cast [against His prophets] to become a trial for all in whose hearts is disease⁶⁸ and all whose hearts are hardened: for, verily, all who are [thus] sinning [against themselves⁶⁹ are most deeply in the wrong.

  - Mohammad Asad

See 2:10 and the corresponding note.

Lit., "all [such] evildoers".

He makes Shaitan's interjections a temptation for those whose hearts suffer from the disease of hypocrisy and whose hearts are hardened - that's why the wrongdoers are in such an extreme dissension

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

All that so He may make Satan's influence a trial for those 'hypocrites' whose hearts are sick and those 'disbelievers' whose hearts are hardened. Surely the wrongdoers are totally engrossed in opposition.

  - Mustafa Khattab

That He may make that which the devil proposeth a temptation for those in whose hearts is a disease, and those whose hearts are hardened--Lo! the evil-doers are in open schism--

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

That He may make the suggestions thrown in by Satan but a trial for those in whose hearts is a disease and who are hardened of heart: verily the wrongdoers are in a schism far (from the Truth): ^{2833 2834}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If any suggestion comes to the human mind that is not in accordance with Allah's Will and Plan, it has two opposite effects: to evil minds it is a trial and temptation from the satan but to the mind well-instructed in Faith, it stands self-condemned at once, and becomes a means of strengthening the Faith and stimulating redoubled efforts to conform to the Will of Allah.

Cf. ii. 10. I understand the "disease in the heart" to be an earlier state of curse, which leads in an intensified form to a complete "hardening of the heart".

And [God renders Satan's aspersions null and void] so that they who are endowed with [innate] knowledge might know that this [divine writ] is the truth from thy Sustainer, and that they might believe in it, and that their hearts might humbly submit unto Him. For, behold, God does guide onto a straight way those who have attained to faith -

  - Mohammad Asad

- so that those who are endowed with knowledge may realize that this (Qur'an) is the Truth from your Rabb and thus believe in it and humble their hearts towards Him, and surely Allah will guide the believers to the Straight Way.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'This is' also so that those gifted with knowledge would know that this 'revelation' is the truth from your Lord, so they have faith in it, and so their hearts would submit humbly to it. And Allah surely guides the believers to the Straight Path.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And that those who have been given knowledge may know that it is the truth from thy Lord, so that they may believe therein and their hearts may submit humbly unto Him. Lo! Allah verily is guiding those who believe unto a right path.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And that those on whom knowledge has been bestowed may learn that the (Qur'an) is the Truth from thy Lord and that they may believe therein and their hearts may be made humbly (open) to it: for verily Allah is the Guide of those who believe to the Straight Way. ²⁸³⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The last clause in the last verse was parenthetical. Treat this clause as parallel with the first clause in verse 53, "that he may make", etc. Both will then connect with "Allah will confirm (and establish) His Signs" in verse 52. See n. 2833 above.

whereas those who are bent on denying the truth will not cease to be in doubt about Him until the Last Hour comes suddenly upon them and [supreme] suffering befalls them on a Day void of all hope.⁷⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "or [until] there comes upon them the chastisement [or "suffering] of a barren Day", i.e., the Day of Judgment, which will offer no hope to those who, until their death, failed to realize the existence of God or to submit to His guidance.

As for the unbelievers, they will never cease to doubt the revelation, until the Hour of Doom overtakes them suddenly or there comes on them the punishment of the Day of Disaster.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Yet the disbelievers will persist in doubt about this 'revelation' until the Hour takes them by surprise, or the torment of a terminating¹ Day comes to them.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 The Day ˹of Judgment˺ is described as ’aqîm (lit., barren) because it will terminate all forms of life on earth and no new day will be born.

And those who disbelieve will not cease to be in doubt thereof until the Hour come upon them unawares, or there come unto them the doom of a disastrous day.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Those who reject Faith will not cease to be in doubt concerning (Revelation) until the Hour (of Judgment) comes suddenly upon them or there comes to them the Penalty of a Day of Disaster. ²⁸³⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The penalty of deliberately rejecting Faith is that the person doing so closes the channels of Mercy that flow from Allah. He will always be subject to doubts and superstitions, until the time comes when all earthly scales fall from his spiritual eyes. But then there will be no time for Repentance: it will be too late to profit by the guidance of Allah given through Revelation.

On that Day, all dominion shall [visibly] belong to God. He shall judge [all men and make a distinction] between them: thus, all who had attained to faith and did righteous deeds shall find themselves in gardens of bliss,

  - Mohammad Asad

On that Day the Kingdom will be that of Allah's; He will judge between them; so those who have embraced the true faith and done good deeds shall enter the gardens of delight;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

All authority on that Day is for Allah 'alone'.¹ He will judge between them. So those who believe and do good will be in the Gardens of Bliss.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Allah grants authority to some of His servants in this world, but none will have authority on Judgment Day except Him. See 3:26.

The Sovereignty on that day will be Allah's. He will judge between them. Then those who believed and did good works will be in Gardens of Delight,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

On that Day the Dominion will be that of Allah: He will judge between them: so those who believe and work righteous deeds will be in Gardens of Delight. ²⁸³⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Such power as Evil has over those who yield to it (xvii. 62-64) will then be gone, as the respite granted to Satan be over, and Allah's Kingdom will be established.

whereas for those who were bent on denying the truth and gave the lie to Our messages, there shall be shameful suffering in store.

  - Mohammad Asad

but the unbelievers who have denied Our revelations shall receive a disgraceful punishment.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But those who disbelieve and deny Our revelations, it is they who will suffer a humiliating punishment.

  - Mustafa Khattab

While those who disbelieved and denied Our revelations, for them will be a shameful doom.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And for those who reject Faith and deny Our Signs there will be a humiliating Punishment.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

AND AS FOR those who forsake the domain of evil⁷¹ [and strive] in God's cause, and then are slain or die - God will most certainly provide for them a goodly sustenance [in the life to come]: for, verily, God - He alone - is the best of providers;

  - Mohammad Asad

For this rendering of the phrase alladhina hajaru, see note [203] on 2:218 . The subsequent mention of "those who strive in God's cause, and then are slain or die" connects with the reference, in verses {39-40}, to God's permission to the believers to fight in defence of their faith and liberty. The extreme merit of the self-sacrifice involved is stressed in several Qur'anic passages, and particularly in {4:95-96}; hence, it has also a bearing on the Day of Judgement spoken of in the preceding passage.

As for those who migrated for the sake of Allah and afterwards were killed or died, Allah will make a generous provision for them; certainly Allah is the One Who is the best Provider.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

As for those who emigrate in the cause of Allah and then are martyred or die, Allah will indeed grant them a good provision. Surely Allah is the Best Provider.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Those who fled their homes for the cause of Allah and then were slain or died, Allah verily will provide for them a good provision. Lo! Allah, He verily is Best of all who make provision.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Those who leave their homes in the cause of Allah and are then slain or die on them will Allah bestow verily a goodly Provision: truly Allah is He Who bestows the best Provision. ²⁸³⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Rizq: sustenance, provision. I have preferred the latter word here, because after death we can only think of rizq in a large metaphorical sense. i.e., all the provision necessary to equip the person for a full and happy Future Life, and also, I think, a provision for his dependents and near and dear ones in this life.

[and] He will most certainly cause them to enter upon a state [of being] that shall please them well :⁷² for, verily, God is all-knowing, most forbearing.

  - Mohammad Asad

Or: "cause them to enter [upon their life after death] in a manner that will please them well" (cf. note [40] on the last clause of 4:31 ) - thus implying that by sacrificing their lives in God’s cause they will have obtained His forgiveness of whatever sins they may have previously committed.

He will admit them to a place with which they shall be well pleased; for Allah is All-Knowing, Most Lenient.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He will certainly admit them into a place they will be pleased with. For Allah is truly All-Knowing, Most Forbearing.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Assuredly He will cause them to enter by an entry that they will love. Lo! Allah verily is Knower, Indulgent.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Verily He will admit them to a place with which they shall be well pleased: for Allah is All-Knowing Most Forbearing. ²⁸³⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Martyrdom is the sacrifice of life in the service of Allah. Its reward is therefore even greater than that of an ordinarily good life. The martyr's sins are forgiven by the very act of martyrdom, which implies service and self-surrender in the highest sense of the word. Allah knows all his past life but will forbear from calling him to account for things that should strictly come into his account.

Thus shall it be. And as for him who responds to aggression only to the extent of the attack levelled against him,⁷³ and is thereupon [again] treacherously attacked - God will most certainly succour him: for, behold, God is indeed an absolver of sins, much-forgiving.⁷⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "who has retaliated with the like of what he had been afflicted with" - i.e., has acted only in self-defence and done to his enemy no more than the enemy had done to him. (A similar phrase, relating to retaliation in argument, is found in 16:126 and explained in the corresponding note [150].)

While the opening sentence of this verse stresses the principle of self-defence as the only justification of war (cf. 2:190 and {192-193}) - with the proviso that retaliation must not exceed the injury initially suffered - the concluding part of the verse implies that in case of repeated, unprovoked aggression the believers are allowed to wage an all-out war with a view to destroying completely the enemy's military power. Since such an all-out war might seem to conflict with the principle of limited retaliation alluded to above, the Qur'an states that God absolves the believers of what otherwise might have been a sin, since it is they "against whom war is being wrongfully waged" (verse {39}) by repeated acts of aggression.

Thus shall it be! He that retaliates equal to the infliction he received and then is wronged again, will most certainly be helped by Allah; surely Allah is the One Who is All-Forbearing, Most Forgiving.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

That is so. And whoever retaliates in equivalence to the injury they have received, and then are wronged 'again', Allah will certainly help them. Surely Allah is Ever-Pardoning, All-Forgiving.

  - Mustafa Khattab

That (is so). And whoso hath retaliated with the like of that which he was made to suffer and then hath (again) been wronged, Allah will succour him. Lo! Allah verily is Mild, Forgiving.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

That (is so). And if one has retaliated to no greater extent than the injury he received and is again set upon inordinately Allah will help him: for Allah is One that blots out (sins) and forgives (again and again). ²⁸⁴⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Ordinarily Muslims are enjoined to bear injuries with patience and return good for evil (xxiii. 96). But there are occasions when human feelings get the better of our wise resolutions, or when, in a state of conflict or war, we return "as good as we get". In that case our retaliation is permissible, provided the injury we inflict is not greater than that we receive. After such retaliation we are even, but if the other side again acts aggressively and goes beyond all bounds in attacking us, we are entitied to protection from Allah in spite of all our faults; for Allah is One that blots out our sins, and forgives again and again.