Surah 35. Fatir

nor the 'scorching' heat and the 'cool' shade.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 This implies Hell and Paradise.

Nor are the (chilly) shade and the (genial) heat of the sun:

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Nor are the dead and the living equal. Indeed, Allah 'alone' makes whoever He wills hear, but you 'O Prophet' can never make those in the graves hear 'your call'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Nor are alike those that are living and those that are dead. Allah can make any that He wills to hear; but thou canst not make those to hear who are (buried) in graves. ³⁹⁰⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The final contrast is between the Living and the Dead; those whose future has in it the promise of growth and fulfilment, and those who are inert and on the road to perish. With Allah everything is possible: He can give Life to the Dead. But the human Teacher should not expect that people who are (spiritually) dead and buried will by any chance hear his call.

You are only a warner.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Thou art no other than a warner. ³⁹⁰⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The function of a Prophet is to preach Allah's Truth, to point out the right Way, to show men the need of repentance, and to warn them against the dangers which they incur by living a life of evil. He cannot compel them to accept the Truth or listen to the Message.

We have surely sent you with the truth as a deliverer of good news and a warner. There is no community that has not had a warner.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 According to a Prophetic narration collected by Ibn Ḥibbân, the total number of prophets sent around the world, from Adam (ﷺ) to Muḥammad (ﷺ), is 124 000—of which only twenty-five are mentioned in the Quran.

Verily We have sent thee in truth as a bearer of glad tidings and as a warner: and there never was a people without a warner having lived among them (in the past). ³⁹⁰⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It is Allah Who sends the Revelation. While there is warning in it for the heedless, there is good news for those who listen and repent. The warning always came to all peoples before punishment.

If they deny you, so did those before them. Their messengers came to them with clear proofs, divine Books, and enlightening Scriptures.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 i.e., the Torah, the Gospel, and Psalms.

And if they reject thee so did their predecessors to whom came their apostles with Clear Signs Books of Dark Prophecies and the Book of Enlightenment. ³⁹⁰⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The three things here mentioned are also mentioned in iii. 184, where I have explained the meaning in n. 490. All spiritual teaching centres round the evidences of Allah in our lives, the sublime teaching of Prophets of Allah, and the rules and laws which guide holy living.

Then I seized those who persisted in disbelief. How severe was My response!

  - Mustafa Khattab

In the end did I punish those who rejected Faith: and how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)! ³⁹⁰⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xxii. 44 and xxxiv. 45. The rejecters of Allah hardly realise the terrible consequences to them individually and collectively, if Allah's grace is withdrawn from them and they are left to perish in their own sins and wrong-doing.

Do you not see that Allah sends down rain from the sky with which We bring forth fruits of different colours? And in the mountains are streaks of varying shades of white, red, and raven black;

  - Mustafa Khattab

Seest thou not that Allah sends down rain from the sky? With it We then bring out produce of various colors. And in the mountains are tracts white and red of various shades of color and black intense in hue. ^{3910 3911}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Everyone can see how Allah's artistry produces from rain the wonderful variety of crops and fruits-golden, green, red, yellow, and showing all the most beautiful tints we can think of. And each undergoes in nature the gradual shading off in its transformation from the raw stage to the stage of maturity.

These wonderful colours and shades of colours are to be found not only in vegetation but in rocks and mineral products. There are the white veins of marble and quartz or of chalk, the red laterite, the blue basaltic rocks, the ink-black flints, and all the variety, shade, and gradation of colours. Speaking of mountains, we think of their "azure hue" from a distance, due to atmospheric effects, and these atmospheric effects lead our thoughts to the glories of clouds, sunsets, the zodiacal light, the aurora borealis, and all kinds of Nature's gorgeous pageantry.

just as people, living beings, and cattle are of various colours as well. Of all of Allah's servants, only the knowledgeable 'of His might' are 'truly' in awe of Him. Allah is indeed Almighty, All-Forgiving.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And so amongst men and crawling creatures and cattle are they of various colors. Those truly fear Allah among His Servants who have knowledge: for Allah is Exalted in Might Oft-Forgiving. ^{3912 3913}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In the physical shapes of human and animal life, also, we see variations in shades and gradations of colours of all kinds. But these variations and gradations, marvellous though they be, are as nothing compared with the variations and differences in the inner or spiritual world. See next note.

In outer nature we can, through colours, understand and appreciate the finest shades and gradations. But in the spiritual world that variation or gradation is even more subtle and more comprehensive. Who can truly understand it? Only Allah's servants, who know, i.e., who have the inner knowledge which comes through their acquaintance with the spiritual world,-it is such people who truly appreciate the inner world, and it is they who know that the fear of Allah is the beginning of wisdom. For such fear is akin to appreciation and love,-appreciation of all the marvellous beauties of Allah's outer and inner world ("Allah is Exalted in Might") and love because of His Grace and Kindness ("Oft-Forgiving"). But Allah's forgiveness extends to many who do not truly understand Him.

Surely those who recite the Book of Allah, establish prayer, and donate from what We have provided for them- secretly and openly- 'can' hope for an exchange that will never fail,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Those who rehearse the Book of Allah establish regular Prayer and spend (in Charity) out of what We have provided for them secretly and openly hope for a Commerce that will never fail: ^{3914 3915}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The man of God takes Allah's Revelation ("the Book") to heart, ever seeks to get closer and closer to Allah ("regular Prayer"), and in doing so, is moved more and more to practical Charity for his fellow-creatures. He is not ashamed of his Charity ("openly"), but he does not do it to be seen by men ("secretly"): he just does what is necessary for his fellow-creatures, whether people talk about it or not.

Here is a metaphor from commerce. The good man's Charity comes not merely out of superfluities, but out of "what Allah has provided" for him. He therefore recognises two things: (1) that his wealth (literal and metaphorical) is not his absolutely, but that it is given to him by Allah; and (2) that he must deny himself the use of some of it, as a merchant puts by some of his wealth to invest as capital. Only, the godly man's commerce will never fail or fluctuate; because Allah guarantees him the return, and even adds something to the return out of His own Bounty. That is, Allah gives more than ever our merits deserve.

so that He will reward them in full and increase them out of His grace. He is truly All-Forgiving, Most Appreciative.

  - Mustafa Khattab

For He will pay them their meed nay He will give them (even) more out of His Bounty; for He is Oft-Forgiving Most Ready to appreciate (service). ^{3916 3917}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

No man is perfect. Everyone has his fault. But when a man tries his best in the service of Allah, his faults are blotted out, and he is treated as if he had committed no faults: "for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, and ready to appreciate service".

Cf. xiv. 5, and n. 2877 for shakur. Allah is ready to recognise, appreciate, and reward the smallest service, without regard to the defects in that service. His gracious acceptance is compared to "gratitude" among men.

The Book We have revealed to you 'O Prophet' is the truth, confirming what came before it.¹ Surely Allah is All-Aware, All-Seeing of His servants.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 See previous footnote.

That which We have revealed to thee of the Book is the Truth confirming what was (revealed) before it: for Allah is assuredly with respect to his servants well acquainted and fully-Observant. ³⁹¹⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

All Revelation is one. The Qur-an therefore confirms the main and uncorrupted features of previous revelations. It must be so, because Allah is fully cognisant of the needs of every age and people; and therefore His Message, while it meets those needs, must in essence be the same. His Messengers did not meet each other as men; but their contact with Allah through inspiration unified their Message. And He cares for and watches over all men, and He knows fully what their needs are, even better than they know themselves.

Then We granted the Book to those We have chosen from Our servants. Some of them wrong themselves, some follow a middle course, and some are foremost in good deeds by Allah's Will. That is 'truly' the greatest bounty.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then We have given the Book for inheritance to such of Our servants as We have chosen: but there are among them some who wrong their own souls; some who follow a middle course; and some who are by Allah's leave foremost in good deeds; that is the highest Grace. ^{3919 3920}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The force of "then" is that of finality. The Qur-an is that last Book revealed. Or it may be here to point the contrast between "to thee" in the last verse, i.e., the holy Prophet, in contradistinction to the People of Islam, who inherited the Book after him.

The custodians of the Qur-an after the holy Prophet were the People of Islam. They were chosen for the Book, not in any narrow sense, but in the sense that the Book was given for their age and they were charged to obey it and preserve and propagate it, so that all mankind should receive the Message. But it does not follow that they are all true and faithful to their charge, as indeed we see too painfully around us to-day. Just as mankind was chosen collectively to be Vicegerents and yet some among mankind fell into evil,-even so, some in the house of Islam fail to follow the Light given to them, and thus "wrong their own souls". But some follow a middle course: in their case "the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak": their intentions are good, but they have much to learn yet of the true Muslim life and Muslim virtues. Then there is a third class: they may not indeed be perfect, but both their intentions and their conduct are sound, and they form an example to other men: they are "foremost" in every good deed. They are so, not by their own merits, but by the Grace of Allah. And they have reached the highest Achievement,- the salvation.

They will enter the Gardens of Eternity, where they will be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls, and their clothing will be silk.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Gardens of Eternity will they enter: therein will they be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls; and their garments there will be of silk. ^{3921 3922}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"The Garden" signifies their environment: all they see about them will give them comfort, rest, and satisfaction, and a feeling of beauty and dignity. The jewels and clothes signify their personal external state: here, again, everything will give them a sense of beauty and dignity, comfort, rest, and satisfaction. And finally, most important of all, comes their internal state, where again they will have the same sense of beauty, dignity, comfort, rest, and satisfaction: this is indicated by their words of Praise (verses 34-35).

Cf. xviii. 31 and xxii. 23.

And they will say, 'Praise be to Allah, Who has kept away from us all 'causes of' sorrow. Our Lord is indeed All-Forgiving, Most Appreciative.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And they will say: "Praise be to Allah Who has removed from us (all) sorrow: for Our Lord is indeed Oft-Forgiving Ready to appreciate (service): ³⁹²³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. above. xxxv. 30. Note how beautifully the argument is rounded off. In verse 30 they were told that "Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Ready to appreciate service". Now they have reached the Goal, and they have found the Promise profoundly true. All their hopes are fulfilled, and their sorrows ended.

'He is the One' Who- out of His grace- has settled us in the Home of Everlasting Stay, where we will be touched by neither fatigue nor weariness.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

"Who has out of His bounty settled us in a Home that will last: no toil nor sense of weariness shall touch us therein." ³⁹²⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In case it should be thought that perpetual happiness might cloy or be dull, as would be the case in this life, it is added-as the experience of those who attain that state-that it is not so on that plane of existence. Not only is there Joy, but it remains fresh and leads to no weariness.