Surah 67. Al-Mulk

HALLOWED be He in whose hand all dominion rests, since He has the power to will anything:

  - Mohammad Asad

Blessed be He in Whose hands is the Kingdom of the universe and has power over all things.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Blessed is the One in Whose Hands rests all authority. And He is Most Capable of everything.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Blessed is He in Whose hand is the Sovereignty, and He is Able to do all things.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Blessed be He in Whose hands is Dominion: and He over all things Hath Power ^{5554 5555}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

What do we mean when we bless the name of Allah, or proclaim (in the optative mood) that the whole Creation should bless the name of the Lord? We mean that we recognise and proclaim His beneficence to us; for all increase and happiness is through Him, "in His hands',-in the hands of Him Who also holds Dominion or Power. In our human affairs we sometimes see the separation of Dominion or Power from Goodness or Beneficence: in the divine nature we recognise that there is no separation or antithesis.

Mulk: Dominion, Lordship, Sovereignty, the Right to carry out His Will, or to do all that He wills. Power (in the clause following) is the Capacity to carry out His Will, so that nothing can resist or neutralise it. Here is beneficence completely identified with Lordship and Power; and it is exemplified in the verses following. Note that "Mulk" here has a different shade of meaning from Malakut in xxxvi. 83. Both words are from the same root, and I have translated both by the word "Dominion". But Malakut refers to Lordship in the invisible World, while Mulk to Lordship in the visible World. Allah is Lord of both.

He who has created death as well as life,¹ so that He might put you to a test [and thus show] which of you is best in conduct, and [make you realize that] He alone is almighty, truly forgiving.

  - Mohammad Asad

Since what is termed "death" is stated here to have been created, it cannot be identical with "non-existence", but obviously must have a positive reality of its own. To my mind, it connotes, firstly, the inanimate state of existence preceding the emergence of life in plants or animated beings; and, secondly, the state of transition from life as we know it in this world to the - as yet to us unimaginable - condition of existence referred to in the Qur'an as "the hereafter" or "the life to come" (al-akhirah).

The One Who created death and life, so that He may put you to test, to find out which of you is best in deeds: He is the All-Mighty, the All-Forgiving.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'He is the One' Who created death and life in order to test which of you is best in deeds. And He is the Almighty, All-Forgiving.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Who hath created life and death that He may try you, which of you is best in conduct; and He is the Mighty, Forgiving,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

He Who created Death and Life that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might Oft-Forgiving ^{5556 5557 5558}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"Created Death and Life." Death is here put before Life, and it is created. Death is therefore not merely a negative state. In ii. 28 we read: "Seeing that ye were without life (literally, dead), and He gave you life: then will He cause you to die, and will again bring you to life; and again to Him will ye retum." In liii. 44, again, Death is put before Life. Death, then, is (1) the state before life began, which may be non-existence or existence in some other form: (2) the state in which Life as we know it ceases, but existence does not cease; a state of Barzakh (xxiii. 100), or Barrier or Partition, after our visible Death and before Judgment; after that will be the new Life, which we conceive of under the term Eternity.

Creation, therefore, is not in mere sport, or without a purpose with reference to man. The state before our present life, or the state after, we can scarcely understand. But our present Life is clearly given to enable us to strive by good deeds to reach a nobler state.

All this is possible, because Allah is so Exalted in Might that He can perfectly carry out His Will and Purpose, and that Purpose is Love, Mercy, and Goodness to His creatures.

[Hallowed be] He who has created seven heavens in full harmony with one another:² no fault wilt thou see in the creation of the Most Gracious. And turn thy vision [upon it] once more: canst thou see any flaw?

  - Mohammad Asad

Or: "conforming [with one another]", this being the primary significance of tibaq (sing. tabaq). For the meaning of the "seven heavens", see surah {2}, note [20].

The One Who created the seven heavens, one above another, you will not see any flaw in the creation of the Compassionate. Look once again, do you see any flaw?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'He is the One' Who created seven heavens, one above the other. You will never see any imperfection in the creation of the Most Compassionate.¹ So look again: do you see any flaws?

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Some may point to birth defects, genetic mutations, etc. and say these are flaws. This verse means that, in the grand scheme of creation, everything created has its place, form, and purpose, and that it does exactly what Allah ordained for it.

Who hath created seven heavens in harmony. Thou (Muhammad) canst see no fault in the Beneficent One's creation; then look again: Canst thou see any rifts?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

He Who created the seven heavens one above another; no want of proportion wilt thou see in the Creation of (Allah) Most Gracious so turn thy vision again: Seest thou any flaw? ⁵⁵⁵⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. lxv. 12, and n. 5526-27. The heavens as they appear to our sight seem to be arranged in layers one above another, and ancient astronomy accounted for the motions of the heavenly bodies in an elaborate scheme of spheres. What we are concerned with here is the order and beauty of the vast spaces and the marvellous bodies that follow regular laws of motion in those enormous spaces in the visible world. From these we are to form some conception of the vastly greater Invisible World, for which we want special spiritual vision.

Yea, turn thy vision [upon it] again and yet again: [and every time] thy vision will fall back upon thee, dazzled and truly defeated....³

  - Mohammad Asad

Sc., in its endeavour to encompass the mysteries of the universe.

Then look still another time, yet again your sight will come back bewildered, and feel exhausted.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Then look again and again- your sight will return frustrated and weary.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then look again and yet again, thy sight will return unto thee weakened and made dim.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Again turn thy vision a second time; (thy) vision will come back to thee dull and discomfited in a state worn out. ⁵⁵⁶⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Reverting to the indication of the external or visible world, we are asked to observe and study it again and again, and as minutely as our powers will allow. However closely we observe it, we shall find no flaw in it. Indeed the region of enquiry is so vast and stretches so far beyond our ken, that our eyes, aided with the most powerful telescopes, will confess themselves defeated in trying to penetrate to the ultimate mysteries. We shall find no defect in Allah's handiwork: it is our own powers that we shall find fail to go beyond a certain compass.

And, indeed, We have adorned the skies nearest to the earth with lights,⁴ and have made them the object of futile guesses for the evil ones [from among men]:⁵ and for them have We readied suffering through a blazing flame -

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "lamps" - i.e., stars: cf. 37:6 "We have adorned the skies nearest to the earth with the beauty of stars".

For the wider meaning of shayatin - a term which in this context points specifically to "the satans from among mankind, that is, the astrologers" (Baydawi) - see surah {15}, note [16]. As regards the term rajm (pl. rujum), which literally denotes the "throwing [of something] like a stone," - i.e., at random - it is often used metaphorically in the sense of "speaking conjecturally" or "making [something] the object of guesswork" (Jawhari, Raghib - the latter connecting this metaphor explicitly with the above verse -, Lisan al-'Arab, Qamus, Taj al-'Arus, etc.). Cf. also {37:6-10}.

We have decorated the heaven of this world with lamps and We made them as missiles for pelting the shaitans and thus prepared for them the scourge of flames.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And indeed, We adorned the lowest heaven with 'stars like' lamps, and made them 'as missiles' for stoning 'eavesdropping' devils, for whom We have also prepared the torment of the Blaze.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 See 72:8-10.

And verily We have beatified the world's heaven with lamps, and We have made them missiles for the devils, and for them We have prepared the doom of flame.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And We have (from of old) adorned the lowest heaven with Lamps and We have made such (Lamps) (as) missiles to drive away the Evil Ones and have prepared for them the Penalty of the Blazing Fire. ^{5561 5562}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"Lowest (or nearest) heaven": see n. 4035 to xxxvii. 6.

The phenomenon of the shooting stars has been, explained in xv. 16-18, notes 1951-54; and in xxxvii. 6-10, and notes thereon.

for, suffering in hell awaits all who are [thus] bent on blaspheming against their Sustainer:⁶ and how vile a journey's end!

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., by presuming to know what will happen in the future - a knowledge which rests with God alone. This connects with the statement in verse {4} that man can never truly unravel the mysteries of cosmic space ("the heavens"), which in its turn implies that he should not presume to foretell terrestrial events from the position and the aspects of the stars. Since only God knows "that which is beyond the reach of a created being's perception" (al-ghayb), any such attempt is a blasphemy (kufr).

As for those who disbelieve their Rabb, there will be the punishment of hell, which is an evil abode.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those who disbelieve in their Lord will suffer the punishment of Hell. What an evil destination!

  - Mustafa Khattab

And for those who disbelieve in their Lord there is the doom of hell, a hapless journey's end!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

For those who reject their Lord (and Cherisher) is the Penalty of Hell: and evil is (such) destination. ⁵⁵⁶³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

We have seen how the fire in the stars can suggest the beauty and order of the external world; and yet, when it meets with resistance and disharmony, it can burn and destroy. So in the moral and spiritual world. What can be a greater sign of evil, disharmony, and rebellion than to reject the Cherisher and Sustainer, on Whom our life depends, and from Whom we receive nothing but goodness? The Punishment, then, is Fire in its fiercest intensity, as typified in the next two verses.

When they are cast into that [hell], they will hear its breath indrawing as it boils up,

  - Mohammad Asad

When they will be plunged into its fire, they shall hear its roaring and boiling

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

When they are tossed into it, they will hear its roaring as it boils over,

  - Mustafa Khattab

When they are flung therein they hear its roaring as it boileth up,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

When they are cast therein they will hear the (terrible) drawing in of its breath even as it blazes forth. ⁵⁵⁶⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

For shahiq see n. 1607 to xi. 106. There shahiq (sobs) was contrasted with zafir (sighs): in the one case it is the drawing in of breath, and in the other the emission of a deep breath. Here the latter process is represented by the verb fara, to swell, to blaze forth, to gush forth. In xi. 40, the verb fara was applied to the gushing forth of the waters of the Flood; here the verb is applied to the blazing forth of the Fire of Punishment. Fire is personified: in its in-take it has a fierce appetite; in the flames which it throws out, it has a fierce aggressiveness. And yet in ultimate result evil meets the same fate, whether typified by water or fire.

well-nigh bursting with fury; [and] every time a host [of such sinners] is flung into it, its keepers will ask them, "Has no warner ever come to you?"

  - Mohammad Asad

as though bursting with rage. Every time a group is plunged therein, its guards will ask: "Did not a Warner come to you?"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

almost bursting in fury. Every time a group is cast into it, its keepers will ask them, 'Did a warner not come to you?'

  - Mustafa Khattab

As it would burst with rage. Whenever a (fresh) host flung therein the wardens thereof ask them: Came there unto you no warner?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Almost bursting with fury: every time a Group is cast therein its Keepers will ask "Did no Warner come to you?" ⁵⁵⁶⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xxxix. 71, n. 4348. "Every time": it may not be the same angels who are guarding the gates of Hell every time new inmates come in. The pure, innocent angel nature does not know the crookedness of human evil, and is surprised at so many human beings coming in for punishment: it wonders if no warning was conveyed to men, whereas in fact men have a warning in Clear Signs during all the period of their probation. The Clear Signs come from Revelation, from their own conscience, and from all nature around them.

They will reply: "Yea, a warner did indeed come unto us, but we gave him the lie and said, 'Never has God sent down anything [by way of revelation]! You [self-styled warners] are but lost in a great delusion!'"⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "You are in nothing but a great error (dalal)" - thus denying the reality of divine revelation as such.

They will answer: "Yes indeed, a Warner did come to us, but we rejected him and said, Allah has revealed nothing - you are merely in gross error."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They will reply, 'Yes, a warner did come to us, but we denied and said, 'Allah has revealed nothing. You are extremely astray.''

  - Mustafa Khattab

They say: Yea, verily, a warner came unto us; but we denied and said: Allah hath naught revealed; ye are in naught but a great error.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

They will say: "Yes indeed: a Warner did come to us but we rejected him and said `Allah never sent down any (Message): ye are in nothing but an egregious delusion!' " ⁵⁵⁶⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Allah's Signs were not only rejected or defied, but their very existence was denied. Nay, more, even their possibility was denied, and alas! righteous people and Prophets were persecuted or mocked (xxxvi. 30). They were called fools or madmen, or men under a delusion!

And they will add: "Had we but listened [to those warnings], or [at least] used our own reason, we would not [now] be among those who are destined for the blazing flame!"⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

Reason, properly used, must lead man to a cognition of God's existence and, thus, of the fact that a definite plan underlies all His creation. A logical concomitant of that cognition is the realisation that certain aspects of the divine plan touching upon human life - in particular, the distinction between right and wrong - are being continuously disclosed to man through the medium of the revelation which God bestows on His chosen message-bearers, the prophets. This innate "bond with God" (referred to in 2:27 and explained in the corresponding note [19]) may be broken only at the expense of man's spiritual future, with suffering in the life to come as the inevitable alternative.

They will further say: "Had we only listened or used our intelligence, we would have not been among the inmates of the blazing fire."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And they will lament, 'If only we had listened and reasoned, we would not be among the residents of the Blaze!'

  - Mustafa Khattab

And they say: Had we been wont to listen or have sense, we had not been among the dwellers in the flames.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

They will further say: "Had we but listened or used our intelligence we should not (now) be among the Companions of the Blazing Fire!" ⁵⁵⁶⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Man has himself the power given to him to distinguish good from evil, and he is further helped by the teachings of the great Messengers or World Teachers. Where such Teachers do not come into personal contact with an individual or a generation, the true meaning of their teaching can be understood by means of the Reason which Allah has given to every human soul to judge by. It is failure to follow a man's light sincerely that leads to his degradation and destruction.

Thus will they come to realize their sins: but [by that time,] remote will have become all good from those who are destined for the blazing flame.

  - Mohammad Asad

Thus shall they confess their sin; so away from the mercy of Allah will be the dwellers of hell.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And so they will confess their sins. So away with the residents of the Blaze!

  - Mustafa Khattab

So they acknowledge their sins; but far removed (from mercy) are the dwellers in the flames.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

They will then confess their sins: but far will be (Forgiveness) from the Companions of the Blazing Fire! ⁵⁵⁶⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The will then have passed through the fire of Judgment and will now be in the fire of Punishment. The Reality will not only now be clear to them, but after the questionings of the angels they cannot even pretend to make any excuses. They will freely confess, but that is not repentance, for repentance implies amendment, and the time for repentance and amendment will have long been past.

[As against this,] behold, for those who stand in awe of God although He is beyond the reach of their perception,⁹ there is forgiveness in store and a great reward.

  - Mohammad Asad

For this rendering of the expression bi'l-ghayb, see surah {2}, note [3].

As for those who fear their Rabb, although they have not seen Him, shall have forgiveness and a great reward.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Indeed, those in awe of their Lord without seeing Him¹ will have forgiveness and a mighty reward.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 This can also mean that they are in awe of their Lord as much in private as they are in public.

Lo! those who fear their Lord in secret, theirs will be forgiveness and a great reward.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

As for those who fear their Lord unseen for them is Forgiveness and a great Reward. ⁵⁵⁶⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

See n. 3902 to xxxv. 18. Read "unseen" adverbially. To fear the Lord is to love Him so intensely that you fear to do anything which is against His Will, and you do it because you realise Him intensely in your hearts, though you do not see Him with your bodily senses. Nor is it of any consequences whether other people see your love or the consequences that flow from your love, for your good deeds are for the love of Allah and not for show in the eyes of men. Such intensity of love obtains forgiveness for any past, and is indeed rewarded with Allah's love, which is immeasurably precious beyond any merits you may possess.

AND [know, O men, that] whether you keep your beliefs¹⁰ secret or state them openly, He has full knowledge indeed of all that is in [your] hearts.¹¹

  - Mohammad Asad

While the primary significance of the noun qawl is "a saying" or "an utterance", it is often used tropically in the sense of "a statement", i.e., of a belief, an opinion, a teaching, a doctrine, etc. In the present context it evidently relates to man's beliefs in general, be they affirmative or negative: hence the plural form in my rendering of this term.

I.e., He knows why one person believes in Him and another rejects this belief; hence, He takes man's innermost motivations, abilities and inabilities fully into account.

Whether you speak in secret or aloud, surely He is aware of all that is in the breasts.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Whether you speak secretly or openly- He surely knows best what is 'hidden' in the heart.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And keep your opinion secret or proclaim it, lo! He is Knower of all that is in the breasts (of men).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And whether ye hide your word or publish it He certainly has (full) knowledge of the secrets of (all) hearts.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

How could it be that He who has created [all] should not know [all]?¹² Yea, He alone is unfathomable [in His wisdom], all-aware!¹³

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "Does He not know, [He] who has created?"

See surah {6}, note [89].

Would He not know, Who has created them? He is the Knower of finest mysteries, and aware of everything.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

How could He not know His Own creation? For He 'alone' is the Most Subtle, All-Aware.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Should He not know what He created? And He is the Subtile, the Aware.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Should He not know He that created? And He is the One that understands the finest mysteries (and) is well-acquainted (with them). ⁵⁵⁷⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

He Who creates must necessarily know His own handiwork. But lest we should measure His knowledge by such imperfect knowledge as we possess. His knowledge is further characterised as understanding the finest mysteries and being well acquainted with them (Latif and Khabir): see xxii. 63. n. 2844.

He it is who has made the earth easy to live upon:¹⁴ go about, then, in all its regions, and partake of the sustenance which He provides: but [always bear in mind that] unto Him you shall be resurrected.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "who has made the earth submissive (dhalulan) to you": i.e., yielding to the intelligence with which He has endowed man.

It is He Who has made the earth subservient to you, to walk through its tracts and eat of His provided sustenance. To Him is the return at resurrection.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He is the One Who smoothed out the earth for you, so move about in its regions and eat from His provisions. And to Him is the resurrection 'of all'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

He it is Who hath made the earth subservient unto you, so walk in the paths thereof and eat of His providence. And unto Him will be the resurrection (of the dead).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

It is He Who has made the earth manageable for you so traverse ye through its tracts and enjoy of the Sustenance which He furnishes: but unto Him is the Resurrection. ^{5571 5572}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Zalal is used in ii. 71 for an animal trained and tractable: here it is used to qualify the earth, and I have translated 'manageable'. Man has managed to make paths through deserts and over mountains: through rivers and seas by means of ships; through the air by means of airways; he has made bridges and tunnels and other means of communication. But this he has only been able to do because Allah has given him the necessary intelligence and has made the earth tractable to that intelligence.

In describing Allah's gifts and mercies and watchful care in this our temporary sojourn on this earth, it is made clear that the ultimate end is the Hereafter. The real Beyond, which is the goal, is the life after the Resurrection.