Surah 44. Ad-Dukhan

like the boiling of burning despair.²⁶

  - Mohammad Asad

For this tropical meaning of the term hamim, see surah {6}. note [62].

like the boiling of scalding water.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

like the boiling of hot water.

  - Mustafa Khattab

As the seething of boiling water.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Like the boiling of scalding water.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

[And the word will be spoken:] "Seize him, [O you forces of hell,] and drag him into the midst of the blazing fire:

  - Mohammad Asad

A voice will be heard: "Seize him and drag him into the depth of the hell,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'It will be said,' 'Seize them and drag them into the depths of the Hellfire.

  - Mustafa Khattab

(And it will be said): Take him and drag him to the midst of hell,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

(A voice will cry:) "Seize ye him and drag him into the midst of the Blazing Fire!

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

then pour over his head the anguish of burning despair!

  - Mohammad Asad

then pour scalding water over his head,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Then pour over their heads the torment of boiling water.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then pour upon his head the torment of boiling water.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"Then pour over his head the Penalty of Boiling Water;

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Taste it - thou who [on earth] hast considered thyself so mighty, so noble!²⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "for, behold, thou wert . . .", etc. - thus alluding to the sin of arrogance due to disbelief in a continuation of life after death and, hence, in man's ultimate responsibility to God. (Cf. {96} "Verily, man becomes grossly overweening whenever he believes himself to be self-sufficient" - and the corresponding note [4].)

then the voice will say: "Taste it; you were such a powerful noble!

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'The wicked will be told,' 'Taste this. You mighty, noble one!¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Abu Jahl, a Meccan pagan leader, met the warning of punishment in the Hereafter by exclaiming, “How can I be punished when I am the mighty, noble one!”

(Saying): Taste! Lo! thou wast forsooth the mighty, the noble!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"Taste thou (this)! Truly wast thou Mighty full of honor! ⁴⁷²³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In this particular Sura the besetting sin we are considering is the arrogance born of place or power, wealth or honour, as understood in this world. The punishment of ignominy looks back to the kind of sin which is to be punished.

This is the very thing which you [deniers of the truth] were wont to call in question!"²⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., the continuation of life after death.

This is the punishment which you use to doubt."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

This is truly what you 'all' used to doubt.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Lo! this is that whereof ye used to doubt.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"Truly this is what ye used to doubt!" ⁴⁷²⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

When the Punishment becomes a realised fact, how foolish will those look who doubted whether there would be a Hereafter?

[As against this -] verily, the God-conscious will find themselves in a state secure,

  - Mohammad Asad

4 As for the righteous, they will be in a secure place;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Indeed, the righteous will be in a secure place,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Lo! those who kept their duty will be in a place secure

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

As to the Righteous (they will be) in a position of Security ⁴⁷²⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

There will be no uncertainty, as on this earth; no danger of discontinuance: no possibility of their satisfaction being terminated.

amid gardens and springs,

  - Mohammad Asad

among gardens and springs,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

amid Gardens and springs,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Amid gardens and water springs,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Among Gardens and Springs;

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

wearing [garments] of silk and brocade, facing one another [in love].²⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

For these particular allegories of life in paradise, see note [41] on 18:31 .

dressed in fine silk and rich brocade, sitting face to face.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

dressed in fine silk and rich brocade, facing one another.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Attired in silk and silk embroidery, facing one another.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Dressed in fine silk and in rich brocade they will face each other; ^{4726 4727}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xvifi: 31, and n. 2373.

Everything will be open and in social companionship: for all the petty feelings of jealousy or exclusiveness will have passed away.

Thus shall it be. And We shall pair them with companions pure, most beautiful of eye.³⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

For the rendering of hur 'in as "companions pure, most beautiful of eye", see surah {56}, notes [8] and [13]. It is to be noted that the noun zawj (lit., "a pair" or - according to the context - "one of a pair") applies to either of the two sexes, as does the transitive verb zawaja, "he paired" or "joined", i.e., one person with another.

Such shall be their place! And We shall wed them to Hourin-Ayn (damsels with beautiful big and lustrous eyes).

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

So it will be. And We will pair them to maidens with gorgeous eyes.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Even so (it will be). And We shall wed them unto fair ones with wide, lovely eyes.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

So; and We shall Join them to Companions with beautiful big and lustrous eyes. ^{4728 4729}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Maidens, like the scene, the dress, the outlook, and the fruit, will be beautiful. There will be life, but free from all earthly grossness. The women as well as the men of this life will attain to this indescribable bliss.

Hur implies the following ideas: (1) purity, (2) beauty, especially of eyes, where the intense white of the eye-balls stands out against the intense black of the pupil, thus giving the appearance of lustre, and intense feeling, as opposed to dullness or want of expression; and (3) truth and goodwill.

In that [paradise] they shall [rightfully] claim all the fruits [of their past deeds],³¹ resting in security;

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. 43:73 .

There, in full peace, they shall call for every kind of fruit;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

There they will call for every fruit in serenity.

  - Mustafa Khattab

They call therein for every fruit in safety.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

There can they call for every kind of fruit in peace and security; ⁴⁷³⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The signification is explained in n. 4671 to xliii. 73.

and neither shall they taste death there after having passed through their erstwhile death.³² Thus will He have preserved them from all sufferging through the blazing fire -

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "except [or "beyond"] the first [i.e., erstwhile] death" (cf. {37:58-59}).

and after having prior death in the world, they shall taste death no more; and He (Allah) will protect them from the torment of hell

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

There they will never taste death, beyond the first death. And He will protect them from the punishment of the Hellfire-

  - Mustafa Khattab

They taste not death therein, save the first death. And He hath saved them from the doom of hell,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Nor will they there taste Death except the first Death; and He will preserve them from the Penalty of the Blazing Fire ^{4731 4732}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

First Death: the ordinary natural death from this life, which brought them to the Garden of Felicity: there will be no further death after that. Cf. xxxvii. 59, and n. 4071.

In Islam we are taught that salvation is not possible by our unaided efforts. Certainly, striving on our part is an indispensable condition: but it is the Mercy of Allah which comes to our help and keeps us from the Fire of final Punishment. This is mentioned last as the foundation on which is built our etemal felicity and our positive spiritual joys.

an act of thy Sustainer's favour:³³ and that, that will be the triumph supreme!

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., by His having offered them guidance, of which they availed themselves: thus, the attainment of ultimate felicity is the result of an interaction between God and man, and of man's communion with Him.

as a grace from your Rabb, and that will be the supreme achievement.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

as 'an act of' grace from your Lord. That is 'truly' the ultimate triumph.

  - Mustafa Khattab

A bounty from thy Lord. That is the supreme triumph.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

As a Bounty from thy Lord! That will be the supreme achievement! ⁴⁷³³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This is our idea of Salvation; the negative avoidance of all the consequences of evil, and the positive attainment of all-and more than all-that our hearts could possibly desire. For Allah's Bounty outstrips anything that our eyes have seen, or our ears have heard of, or our imagination can conceive.

THUS, THEN, [O Prophet,] have We made this [divine writ] easy to understand, in thine own [human] tongue, so that men might take it to heart.³⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

See note [81] on 19:97 .

Surely We have made this Qur'an easy by revealing in your own language so that they may take heed.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Indeed, We have made this 'Quran' easy in your own language 'O Prophet' so perhaps they will be mindful.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And We have made (this Scripture) easy in thy language only that they may heed.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Verily We have made this (Qur'an) easy in thy tongue in order that they may give heed. ⁴⁷³⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Easy: not only to understand, being in the Arabic tongue; but mellifluous, whose rhythm carries off our spirits to a higher spiritual plane. In another sense, it is difficult; for to get to its deepest meaning, we shall have to strive hard, as the contents of this Sura alone will show.

So wait thou [for what the future will bring]: behold, they, too, are waiting.³⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., whether they know it or not, God's will shall be done.

If they do not accept the admonition then wait; surely they too are waiting.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Wait then! They too are certainly waiting.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Wait then (O Muhammad). Lo! they (too) are waiting.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

So wait thou and watch; for they (too) are waiting.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali