Surah 39. Az-Zumar

and thus God let them taste ignominy [even] in the life of this world.³² Yet [how] much greater will be the [sinners'] suffering in the life to come - if they [who now deny the truthl but knew it!

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. 16:26 , which contains the additional sentence, "God visited with destruction all that they had ever built ...", etc., which explains the present reference to their suffering and ignominy "in the life of this world".

So Allah made them taste humiliation in this worldly life, and the punishment in the life to come shall be even more terrible, if they but knew it.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Thus Allah made them taste humiliation in the life of the world, and verily the doom of the Hereafter will be greater if they did but know.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

THUS, INDEED, have We propounded unto men all kinds of parables in this Qur'an,³³ so that they might bethink themselves; [and We have revealed it]

  - Mohammad Asad

As in many other passages of the Qur'an, the use of the term "parable" (mathal) immediately or shortly after a description of men's condition - whether good or bad - in the hereafter is meant to remind us that all such descriptions relate to something that is "beyond the reach of a created being's perception" (al-ghayb), and cannot, therefore, be conveyed to man otherwise than by means of allegories or parables expressed in terms of human experience and therefore accessible, in a general sense, to human imagination.

We have cited for mankind every kind of parable in this Qur'an, so that they may learn a lesson.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And verily We have coined for mankind in this Qur'an all kinds of similitudes, that haply they may reflect;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

as a discourse in the Arabic tongue, free of all deviousness,³⁴ so that they might become conscious of God.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "without any deviousness ('iwaj) , i.e., which could obscure its meaning: see note [1] on 18:1 , where this term occurs in a slightly different phrasing. As regards the stress on the formulation of this divine writ "in the Arabic tongue", see 12:2 , 13:37 , 14:4 and 41:44 , as well as the corresponding notes.

This Qur'an is revealed in Arabic, which is free from any flaw, so that they may learn to be righteous.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

A Lecture in Arabic, containing no crookedness, that haply they may ward off (evil).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[To this end,] God sets forth a parable: A man who has for his masters several partners,³⁵ [all of them] at variance with one another, and a man depending wholly on one person: can these two be deemed equal as regards their condition?³⁶ [Nay,] all praise is due to God [alone]: but most of them do not understand this.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "with regard to whom there are [several] partners (shuraka')", i.e., as masters: a metaphor for belief in a plurality of divine powers.

The term mathal, which is usually rendered by me as "parable" (e.g., at the beginning of this verse as well as in verse {27}), primarily denotes a "likeness", i.e., of one thing to another; but sometimes it is used tropically as a synonym for sifah (the "quality", "intrinsic attribute" or "nature" of a thing) or halah (its "state" or "condition"). In the present instance, the last mentioned of these meanings is most appropriate, inasmuch as it alludes to man's condition arising from either of two contrasting attitudes: a belief in God's transcendental oneness and uniqueness on the one hand, and a readiness to ascribe divine powers and qualities to a variety of created beings or supposed "incarnations" of God, on the other.

Allah cites you a parable - there is a slave man who is shared by many masters, each pulling this man to himself (like the man who worship other deities along with Allah), and there is another slave man who entirely belongs to one master (like the man who worship Allah Alone)- are the two alike in comparison? Praise be to Allah! But most of them do not know.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Allah coineth a similitude: A man in relation to whom are several part owners, quarrelling, and a man belonging wholly to one man. Are the two equal in similitude? Praise be to Allah! But most of them know not.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Yet, verily, thou art bound to die, [O Muhammad,] and, verily, they, too, are bound to die:

  - Mohammad Asad

O Prophet, you shall die and they too shall die.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! thou wilt die, and lo! they will die;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and then, behold, on the Day of Resurrection you all shall place your dispute before your Sustainer.

  - Mohammad Asad

Then on the Day of Resurrection, your disputes shall be settled in the presence of your Rabb.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Then lo! on the Day of Resurrection, before your Lord ye will dispute.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And who could be more wicked than he who invents lies about God,³⁷ and gives the lie to the truth as soon as it has been placed before him? Is not hell the [proper] abode for all who deny the truth?³⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

In this instance, the "inventing of lies about God" alludes to the attribution of a share in His divinity to anyone or anything beside Him, whether it be a belief in a plurality of deities, or in an imaginary "incarnation" of God in human form, or in saints allegedly endowed with semi-divine powers.

Lit., "Is not in hell an abode ...", etc.: a rhetorical question indicating, firstly, that otherworldly suffering is the unavoidable destiny - symbolically, "an abode" - of all such sinners and, secondly, that in the concept and picture of "hell" we are given an allegory of that self-caused suffering.

Who could be more wicked than the one who invents a lie against Allah and rejects the truth when it comes to him? Is there not an abode in hell for such unbelievers?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And who doth greater wrong than he who telleth a lie against Allah, and denieth the truth when it reacheth him? Will not the home of disbelievers be in hell?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But he who brings the truth, and he who wholeheartedly accepts it as true - it is they, they, who are [truly] conscious of Him!

  - Mohammad Asad

And the one who comes with the truth and the one who confirms it - surely are the Godfearing.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And whoso bringeth the truth and believeth therein--Such are the dutiful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

All that they have ever yearned for awaits them with their Sustainer: such will be the reward of the doers of good.

  - Mohammad Asad

They shall have from their Rabb all that they wish for. Thus shall the righteous be rewarded.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They shall have what they will of their Lord's bounty. That is the reward of the good:

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And to this end, God will efface from their record the worst that they ever did, and give them their reward in accordance with the best that they were doing [in life].

  - Mohammad Asad

Allah will do away from their account their worst deeds and reward them according to their best deeds.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

That Allah will remit from them the worst of what they did, and will pay them for reward the best they used to do.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

IS NOT God enough for His servant? And yet, they would frighten thee with those [imaginary divine powers which they worship] beside Him!³⁹ But he whom God lets go astray can never find any guide,

  - Mohammad Asad

Or: "instead of Him". This relates not merely to false deities, but also to saints alive or dead, and even to certain abstract concepts which the popular mind endows with charismatic qualitieslike wealth, power, social status, national or racial pre-eminence, the idea of man's "selfsufficiency", etc. - and, finally, to all false values which are allowed to dominate man's thoughts and desires. The godless always stress the supposed necessity of paying attention to all these imaginary forces and values, and frighten themselves and their fellow-men by the thought that a neglect to do so might have evil consequences in their practical life.

Is Allah not all-sufficient for His servants? Yet they try to frighten you with others besides Him! For such whom Allah confounds, there can be no guide.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Will not Allah defend His slave? Yet they would frighten thee with those beside Him. He whom Allah sendeth astray, for him there is no guide.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

whereas he whom God guides aright can never be led astray. Is not God almighty, an avenger of evil?

  - Mohammad Asad

But the one to whom Allah guides, none can lead him astray. Is not Allah All-Mighty, the Lord of retribution?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And he whom Allah guideth, for him there can be no misleader. Is not Allah Mighty, Able to Requite (the wrong)?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And thus it is [with most people]: if⁴⁰ thou ask them, "Who is it that has created the heavens and the earth?"-they will surely answer, "God."⁴¹ Say: "Have you, then, ever considered what it is that you invoke instead of God? If God wills that harm should befall me, could those [imaginary powers] remove the harm inflicted by Him? Or, if He wills that grace should alight on me, could they withhold His grace [from me]?" Say: "God is enough for me! In Him [alone] place their trust all who have trust [in His existence]."

  - Mohammad Asad

For this rendering of la'in, see surah {11}, note [11].

See note [23] on 31:25 .

If you ask them: "who created the heavens and the earth?" They will surely say: "Allah." Ask them: "Do you think then, that if Allah intends to harm me, can they (your goddesses) - to whom you invoke besides Allah - save me from His harm or if He wants to bestow on me His blessings, can they withhold His blessings?" Tell them: "Allah is all-sufficient for me. On Him do the reliant rely."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And verily, if thou shouldst ask them: Who created the heavens and the earth? they will say: Allah. Say: Bethink you then of those ye worship beside Allah, if Allah willed some hurt for me, could they remove from me His hurt; or if He willed some mercy for me, could they restrain His mercy? Say: Allah is my all. In Him do (all) the trusting put their trust.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Say: "O my [truth-denying] people! Do yet all that may be within your power, [whereas] I, behold, shall labour [in God's way]: in time you will come to know

  - Mohammad Asad

Say: "O my people! If you do not believe me, then do whatever you want in your positions and so shall I. Soon you will find out

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Say: O my people! Act in your manner. I too am acting. Thus ye will come to know

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

who it is that shall be visited [in this world] by suffering which will cover him with ignominy,⁴² and upon whom long-lasting suffering shall alight [in the life to come]!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "suffering ('adhab) that will disgrace him": implying that surrender to false values inevitably leads to man's spiritual decay and, if persisted in by many, to social catastrophes and widespread suffering.

as to whom shall come the disgraceful scourge and who shall get the everlasting punishment."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Who it is unto whom cometh a doom that will abase him, and on whom there falleth everlasting doom.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall