Surah 64. At-Taghabun

this, because time and again there came unto them their apostles⁵ with all evidence of the truth, but they [always] replied, "Shall mere mortal men be our guides?"⁶ And so they denied the truth and turned away. But God was not in need [of them]: for God is self-sufficient, ever to be praised.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., apostles from their own midst, entrusted with divine messages specifically meant for them. The expression "time and again" is conditioned by the phrase kanat ta'atihim, which implies repetition and duration.

Lit., "guide us". This negative response is characteristic of people who, in result of their own estrangement from all moral standards, are instinctively, and deeply, distrustful of all things human and cannot, therefore, accept the idea that a divine message could manifest itself through mere human beings that have nothing "supernatural" about them.

That is because, when their Rasools came to them with clear revelations, they said: "Are human beings going to guide us?" So they disbelieved and paid no heed. Allah has no need of such people. Allah is free of all needs, worthy of all praise.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

That was because their messengers used to come to them with clear proofs, but they said 'mockingly', 'How can humans be our guides?' So they persisted in disbelief and turned away. And Allah was not in need 'of their faith'. For Allah is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.

  - Mustafa Khattab

That was because their messengers (from Allah) kept coming unto them with clear proofs (of Allah's sovereignty), but they said: Shall mere mortals guide us? So they disbelieved and turned away, and Allah was independent (of them). Allah is Absolute, Owner of Praise.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

That was because there came to them apostles with Clear Signs but they said: "Shall (mere) human beings direct us?" So they rejected (the Message) and turned away. But Allah can do without (them): and Allah is free of all needs worthy of all praise. ^{5485 5486}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This is referred to in a more expanded form in xiv. 9-11, which see.

Their obedience is not necessary to Allah, nor will their rejection of Truth affect the validity of Truth or injure the progress of Truth. Allah is free of all needs or dependence on any circumstance whatever. He sends His Message for the good of mankind, and it is man who suffers by ignoring, rejecting, or opposing it.

They who are bent on denying the truth claim that they will never be raised from the dead!⁷ Say: "Yea, by my Sustainer! Most surely will you be raised from the dead, and then, most surely, will you be made to understand what you did [in life]! For, easy is this for God!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Their refusal to believe in resurrection and a life to come implies a conviction that no one will be called upon, after death, to answer for what he did in life.

The unbelievers claim that they shall not be raised to life again. Tell them: "Indeed, by my Rabb, you shall surely be raised to life again! Then you shall be told of all that you have done, and that is easy for Allah."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

The disbelievers claim they will not be resurrected. Say, 'O Prophet,' 'Yes, by my Lord, you will surely be resurrected, then you will certainly be informed of what you have done. And that is easy for Allah.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Those who disbelieve assert that they will not be raised again. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Yea, verily, by my Lord! ye will be raised again and then ye will be informed of what ye did; and that is easy for Allah.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

The Unbelievers think that they will not be raised up (for Judgment). Say: "Yea by my Lord ye shall surely be raised up: then shall ye be told (the truth) of all that ye did. And that is easy for Allah." ⁵⁴⁸⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In other words, they think that there is no future life, and no responsibility for our actions beyond what we see in the present life. If that were true, all the profits of fraud and roguery, which remain unpunished in this world-and many do remain unpunished in this world-will remain with the wicked; and all the losses and pain suffered by integrity and righteousness, if they find no compensation in this life, will never find any compensation. This would be an odd result in a world of justice. We are taught that this is not true,-that it is certain that the balance will be redressed in a better future world; that there will be a resurrection of what we call the dead; and that on that occasion the full import of all we did will be made plain to us, and our moral and spiritual responsibility will be fully enforced.

Believe, then, [O men,] in God and His Apostle, and in the light [of revelation] which We have bestowed [on you] from on high! And God is fully aware of all that you do.

  - Mohammad Asad

Therefore, believe in Allah and His Rasool, and in the Light which We have revealed. Allah is well aware of all your actions.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

So believe in Allah and His Messenger and in the Light¹ We have revealed. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 i.e., the Quran.

So believe in Allah and His messenger and the light which We have revealed. And Allah is Aware of what ye do.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Believe therefore in Allah and His Apostle and in the Light which We have sent down. And Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do. ⁵⁴⁸⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"The Light which We have sent down": i.e., the light of Revelation, the fight of conscience, the light of reason, and every kind of true light by which we may know Allah and His Will. If we play false with any such lights, it is fully known to Allah.

[Think of⁸] the time when He shall gather you all together unto the Day of the [Last] Gathering - that Day of Loss and Gain! For, as for him who shall have believed in God and done what is just and right, He will [on that Day] efface his bad deeds, and will admit him into gardens through which running waters flow, therein to abide beyond the count of time: that will be a triumph supreme!

  - Mohammad Asad

This or a similar interpolation is necessary in view of the mansub form of the subsequent noun, yawma (lit., "day"), which I am rendering in this context as "the time".

The Day when He will gather you all; will be the Day of Assembly, which shall be the Day of mutual loss and gain among the people. Those who believe in Allah and do good deeds, He will remove from them their sins and admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, to live therein forever, and that will be the supreme achievement.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'Consider' the Day He will gather you 'all' for the Day of Gathering- that will be the Day of mutual loss and gain. So whoever believes in Allah and does good, He will absolve them of their sins and admit them into Gardens under which rivers flow, to stay there for ever and ever. That is the ultimate triumph.

  - Mustafa Khattab

The day when He shall gather you unto the Day of Assembling, that will be a day of mutual disillusion. And whoso believeth in Allah and doeth right, He will remit from him his evil deeds and will bring him into Gardens underneath which rivers flow, therein to abide for ever. That is the supreme triumph.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

The Day that He assembles you (all) for a day of Assembly that will be a day of mutual loss and gain (among you). And those who believe in Allah and work righteousness He will remove from them their ills and He will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow to dwell therein forever: that will be the Supreme Achievement. ^{5489 5490 5491}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Day of Judgment will truly be "a Day of Mutual Loss and Gain", as the title of this Sura indicates. Men who thought they were laying up riches will find themselves paupers in the Kingdom of Heaven. Men who thought they were acquiring good by wrong-doing will find their efforts were wasted; xviii. 104. On the other hand the meek and lowly of this life will acquire great dignity and honour in the next; the despised ones doing good here will be the accepted ones there; the persecuted righteous will be in eternal happiness. The two classes will as it were change their relative positions.

"Remove from them their ills". The ills may be sins, faults, mistakes, or evil tendencies; Allah will of His grace cover them up, and blot out the account against them; or they may be sorrows, sufferings, or disappointments: Allah may even change the evil of such persons into good, their apparent calamities into opportunities for spiritual advancement: xxv. 70. This is because of their sincere Faith as evidenced by their repentance and amendment.

"Gardens" the place of the highest Bliss, see ii. 25, n. 44; xiii. 35; xlvii. 15.

But as for those who are bent on denying the truth and on giving the lie to Our messages - they are destined for the fire, therein to abide: and how vile a journey's end!

  - Mohammad Asad

As for those who disbelieved and deny Our revelations, they will become the inmates of hell, wherein they shall live forever, and that is an evil abode.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

As for those who disbelieve and reject Our revelations, they will be the residents of the Fire, staying there forever. What an evil destination!

  - Mustafa Khattab

But those who disbelieve and deny Our revelations, such are owners of the Fire; they will abide therein a hapless journey's end!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But those who reject Faith and treat Our Signs as falsehoods they will be Companions of the Fire to dwell therein for aye: and evil is that Goal.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

NO CALAMITY can ever befall [man] unless it be by God's leave: hence, whoever believes in God guides his [own] heart [towards this truth];⁹ and God has full knowledge of everything.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., in the words of Razi, "towards self-surrender to God's will...[and so] towards gratitude in times of ease, and patience in times of misfortune". It is also possible - as some of the commentators do - to understand the phrase in another sense, namely, "if anyone believes in God, He [i.e., God] guides his heart". However, the rendering adopted by me seems to be preferable inasmuch as it stresses the idea that consious belief in God impels man's reason to control and direct his emotions and inclinations in accordance with all that this belief implies.

No affliction can ever befall except by the leave of Allah. He that believes in Allah, his heart is guided to the Right Way. Allah has knowledge of all things.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

No calamity befalls 'anyone' except by Allah's Will. And whoever has faith in Allah, He will 'rightly' guide their hearts 'through adversity'. And Allah has 'perfect' knowledge of all things.

  - Mustafa Khattab

No calamity befalleth save by Allah's leave. And whosoever believeth in Allah, He guideth his heart. And Allah is Knower of all things.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

No kind of calamity can occur except by the leave of Allah: and if anyone believes in Allah (Allah) guides his heart (aright): for Allah knows all things. ⁵⁴⁹²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

What we consider calamities may be blessings in disguise. Pain in the body is often a signal of something wrong, which we can cure by remedial measures. So in the moral and spiritual world, we should in all circumstances hold firmly to the faith that nothing happens without Allah's knowledge and leave; and therefore there must be some justice and wisdom according to His great universal Plan. Our duty is to find out our own shortcomings and remedy them. If we try to do so in all sincerity of heart, Allah will give us guidance.

Pay heed, then, unto God, and pay heed unto the Apostle; and if you turn away, [know that] Our Apostle's only duty is a clear delivery of this message:

  - Mohammad Asad

Obey Allah and obey His Rasool; but if you pay no heed, then you should know that Our Rasool's responsibility is nothing but to convey the message plainly.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Obey Allah and obey the Messenger! But if you turn away, then Our Messenger's duty is only to deliver 'the message' clearly.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Obey Allah and obey His messenger; but if ye turn away, then the duty of Our messenger is only to convey (the message) plainly.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

So obey Allah and obey His Apostle; but if ye turn back the duty of Our Apostle is but to proclaim (the Message) clearly and openly. ⁵⁴⁹³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Messenger comes to guide and teach, not to force and compel. The Messenger's teaching is clear and unambiguous, and it is open and free to all. Cf. also v. 95.

God - there is no deity save Him!¹⁰ In God, then, let the believers place their trust.

  - Mohammad Asad

The above construction of this passage makes it clear, firstly, that a realisation of God's existence, oneness and almightiness is the innermost purport - and, thus, the beginning and the end - of God's message to man; and, secondly, that His prophets can do no more than deliver and expound this message, leaving it to man's reason and free choice to accept or reject it.

Allah! There is no god but Him, therefore, in Allah Alone let the believers put their trust.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Allah- there is no god 'worthy of worship' except Him. So in Allah let the believers put their trust.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Allah! There is no God save Him. In Allah, therefore, let believers put their trust.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Allah! there is no god but He: and on Allah therefore let the Believers put their trust.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O YOU who have attained to faith! Behold, some of your spouses¹¹ and your children are enemies unto you: so beware of them!¹² But if you pardon [their faults], and forbear, and forgive - then, behold, God will be much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., "sometimes, your spouses...", etc. Since, in the teachings of the Qur'an, all moral duties are binding on women as well as on men, it is obvious that the term azwajikum must not be rendered as "your wives", but is to be understood - according to classical Arabic usage - as applying equally to both the male and the female partners in a marriage.

Love of his or her family may sometimes tempt a believer to act contrary to the demands of conscience and faith; and, occasionally, one or another of the loved ones - whether wife or husband or child - may consciously try to induce the person concerned to abandon some of his or her moral commitments in order to satisfy some real or imaginary "family interest", and thus becomes the other's spiritual "enemy". It is to this latter eventuality that the next sentence alludes.

O believers! Surely among your wives and your children there are some who are your enemies: so beware of them. But if you pardon, overlook and forgive their faults, then know that Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O believers! Indeed, some of your spouses and children are enemies to you,¹ so beware of them. But if you pardon, overlook, and forgive 'their faults', then Allah is truly All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 This verse was revealed when some early Muslims were prevented from emigrating to Medina by their own spouses and children, so they could not join the Prophet (ﷺ) and the rest of the believers to practice their faith freely.

O ye who believe! Lo! among your wives and your children there are enemies for you, therefor beware of them. And if ye efface and overlook and forgive, then lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

O ye who believe! truly among your wives and your children are (some that are) enemies to yourselves: so beware of them! But if ye forgive and overlook and cover up (their faults) verily Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful. ^{5494 5495}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In some cases the demands of families, i.e., wife and children may conflict with a man's moral and spiritual convictions and duties. In such cases he must guard against the abandonment of his convictions, duties, and ideals to their requests or desires. But he must not treat them harshly. He must make reasonable provision for them, and if they persist in opposing his clear duties and convictions, he must forgive them and not expose them to shame or ridicule, while at the same time holding on to his clear duty. Such cases occurred when godly men undertook exile from their native city of Makkah to follow the Faith in Madinah. In some cases their families murmured, but all came right in the end.

For the different words for "forgiveness", see n. 110 to ii. 109.

Your worldly goods and your children are but a trial and a temptation¹³ whereas with God there is a tremendous reward.

  - Mohammad Asad

For an explanation, see note [28] on 8:28 , which is almost identical with the present passage.

Your wealth and your children are but a trial. It is Allah with Whom is the greatest reward.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Your wealth and children are only a test, but Allah 'alone' has a great reward.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Your wealth and your children are only a temptation, whereas Allah! with Him is an immense reward.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Your riches and your children may be but a trial: but in the Presence of Allah is the highest Reward. ⁵⁴⁹⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Children may be a "trial" in many senses: (1) their different ways of looking at things may cause you to reflect, and to turn to the highest things of eternal importance; (2) their relationship with you and with each other may confront you with problems far more complicated than those in separate individual lives, and thus become a test of your own strength of character and sense of responsibility; (3) their conflict with your ideals (see n. 5494 above) may vex your spirit, but may at the same time search out your fidelity to Allah; and (4) their affection for you and your affection for them, may be a source of strength for you if it is pure, just as it may be a danger if it is based on selfish or unworthy motives. So also riches and worldly goods have their advantages as well as dangers.

Remain, then, conscious of God as best you can, and listen [to Him], and pay heed. And spend in charity for the good of your own selves: for, such as from their own covetousness are saved - it is they, they that shall attain to a happy state!¹⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. last sentence of 59:9 and the corresponding note [14].

Therefore, fear Allah as much as you can, listen to His message attentively, be obedient, and be charitable, this is for your own good. Those who are saved from the covetousness of their own souls, it is they who are truly successful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

So be mindful of Allah to the best of your ability, hear and obey, and spend in charity- that will be best for you. And whoever is saved from the selfishness of their own souls, it is they who are 'truly' successful.

  - Mustafa Khattab

So keep your duty to Allah as best ye can, and listen, and obey, and spend; that is better for your souls. And whoso is saved from his own greed, such are the successful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

So fear Allah as much as ye can; listen and obey; and spend in charity for the benefit of your own souls: and those saved from the covetousness of their own souls they are the ones that achieve prosperity. ^{5497 5498 5499}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"Fear Allah" combined with "as much as you can" obviously means: "lead lives of self-restraint and righteousness": the usual meaning of Taqwa: see n. 26 to ii. 2.

Charity is meant to help and do good to other people who need it. But it has the highest subjective value for the person who gives it. Like mercy "it blesseth him that gives and him that takes". It purifies the giver's soul: the affection that he pours out is for his own spiritual benefit and progress. Cf. Coleridge: "He prayeth best who loveth best all things both great and small, for the Great God Who loveth us, Who made and loveth all".

Cf. lix. 9. Our worst enemy is within ourselves,-the grasping selfishness which would deprive others of their just rights or seize things which do not properly belong to it. If we can get over this covetous selfishness, we achieve real Prosperity in justice and truth.

If you offer up to God a goodly loan, He will amply repay you for it, and will forgive you your sins: for God is ever responsive to gratitude, forbearing,

  - Mohammad Asad

If you lend to Allah a goodly loan, He will pay you back manifold, and will forgive you your sins. Allah is Appreciative and Forbearing to those who are grateful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

If you lend to Allah a good loan, He will multiply it for you and forgive you. For Allah is Most Appreciative, Most Forbearing.

  - Mustafa Khattab

If ye lend unto Allah a goodly loan, He will double it for you and will forgive you, for Allah is Responsive, Clement,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

If ye loan to Allah a beautiful loan He will double it to your (credit) and He will grant you Forgiveness: for Allah is most Ready to appreciate (service) Most Forbearing ^{5500 5501}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. ii. 245 and n. 276. Our Charity or Love is called a loan to Allah, which not only increases our credit account manifold, but obtains for us the forgiveness of our sins, and the Capacity for increased service in the future.

Cf. xiv. 5, n. 1877; and xxxv. 30, n. 3917. Allah's appreciation of our service or our love goes far deeper than its intrinsic merits or its specific expression on our side. His reward is beyond our deserts, and passes over out defects. He judges by our motives, which He can read through and through: see next verse.

knowing all that is beyond the reach of a created being's perception as well as all that can be witnessed by a creature's senses or mind¹⁵ - the Almighty, the Wise!

  - Mohammad Asad

See surah {6}, note [65].65_1 The plural "you" indicates that the whole community is thus addressed.

He has the knowledge of the unseen and the seen, He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'He is the' Knower of the seen and unseen- the Almighty, All-Wise.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Knower of the invisible and the visible, the Mighty, the Wise.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Knower of what is hidden and what is open exalted in Might Full of Wisdom. ⁵⁵⁰²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Allah's Appreciation and Forbearing Kindness can reach so far beyond our merits, because (1) His universal knowledge comprehends hidden motives, which others cannot see in us; (2) His power is so great that He can afford to reward even the unworthy; and (3) His Wisdom is so great that He can turn even our weakness into our strength.