022 - Sūrat al-Hajj

In the name of Allah (who is) Rahmān (and) Rahīm.

[For explanation, see Sūrat al-Fātiha: 1]

1

O mankind, that is, the inhabitants of Mecca and others: fear your Rabb, that is, of His punishment, by being obedient to Him. Surely the earthquake of the Hour [of Doom], that is, the violent quaking of the earth after which the sun will rise from the west, [something] which will be near [the time of] the Hour, is a tremendous thing, in the way it will distress people - this itself being a sort of punishment.

2

On the day when you behold it, every, actually, nursing female,¹ on account of this [tremendous day], will neglect her suckling, that is, she will forget it; and every pregnant female will deliver her burden, and you will see mankind [as though] drunk, because of the severity of [their] fear, yet they will not be drunk, because of any drink; but Allah’s chastisement is severe, and so they will be terrified of it.

3

The following was revealed regarding al-Nadr b. al-Hārith and his companions: And among mankind are those who dispute about Allahu ta’ālā without any knowledge - they would say, 'The angels are Allah’s daughters, and the Qur'ān [a collection of] the fables of the ancients'. In addition, they would deny resurrection and the bringing back to life of those who had become dust - and [those who] follow, in their manner of disputing, every rebellious devil,

4

about whom it has been decreed, in other words, it has been decreed with regards to a devil, that whoever takes him for a friend, that is, [whoever] follows him, he will make him go astray and will lead him, summon him, to the chastisement of the Blaze, namely, to the Fire.

5

O mankind, in other words, [O] people of Mecca, if you are in doubt about the Resurrection, then lo! [consider that] We have created you, that is, [We have created] your origin - Adam - from dust then, We created his progeny, from a drop, a sperm-drop, then from a clot, congealed blood, then from a [little] lump of flesh (mudgha), a piece of flesh, the size of what one would [be able to] chew (mā yumdagh), partly formed, shaped, complete in form, and partly unformed, that is, uncomplete in form, that We may make clear to you, the perfect nature of Our power, that you might [then] infer from this initial act of creation, the [reality of its future] restoration. And We establish (nuqirru, marks a new [grammatically independent] sentence) in the wombs whatever We wish for a specified time, that is, until the time for it to come out, then We bring you forth, from the bellies of your mothers, as infants, and then, We extend your life, that you may come of age (ashuddakum), that is to say, [your] prime and strength, which is [that age] between thirty and forty years. And there are some of you who are taken away, by death, before coming of age, and there are some of you who are relegated to the most abject time of life, its most despicable [state] of decrepitude and senility, so that after [having had] some knowledge, he no longer knows anything - 'Ikrima said, 'Whoever recites the Qur'ān, such a state will not befall him'. And you see the earth torpid, barren, yet when We send down water upon it, it stirs, it moves, and swells, it rises and grows, and grows [plants of] (anbatat min, min is extra) every delightful, fair, kind, species.

6

That, which is mentioned, from the commencement of man's creation to the end of [the description of] the earth being revived, is because Allahu ta’ālā, He is the Truth, the Constant, the Permanent, and because He revives the dead and has power over all things;

7

and because the Hour will come, whereof there is no doubt, uncertainty; and because Allahu ta’ālā will resurrect those who are in the graves.

8

The following was revealed regarding Abū Jahl: And among mankind there are some who dispute about Allahu ta’ālā without [any] knowledge or guidance, [being] with him, or an enlightening Scripture, one containing light, [being] with him,

9

turning aside (thāniya 'itfihi, a circumstantial qualifier, meaning 'turning his neck aside in disdain of belief; al-ītf means 'a side', and can be either the left or the right) to go astray (read li-yadilla; or li-yudilla, 'to lead [others] astray') from the way of Allahu ta’ālā, that is, [from] His religion. For him there will be ignominy, chastisement, in this world - thus he [Abū Jahl] was slain on the day of Badr - and on the Day of Resurrection We shall make him taste the chastisement of the burning, that is, [the chastisement of] being burnt in the Fire, and it shall be said to him:

10

That is [the chastisement] for what your hands have sent ahead, in other words, what you have offered [in the way of deeds] - He refers to him with reference to the two [hands] as opposed to other [parts], because most actions are effected through them - and because Allahu ta’ālā is not unjust to His servants', chastising them without [their having committed] any sin.

11

And among mankind there are those who worship Allahu ta’ālā on a knife-edge: that is, with uncertainty in his worship - such [a person] has been likened the [knife-] edge of a mountain in his precariousness - if good [fortune] befalls him, [so that he enjoys] health and security with respect to his own self and his property, he is reassured by it; but if an ordeal befalls him, a trial or ill-health with regard to himself or his property, he makes a turnabout, that is, he reverts to disbelief, losing both this world, when what he had hoped for in it has eluded him, and the Hereafter, by [his] disbelief. That is the manifest loss.

12

He calls on, he worships, besides Allahu ta’ālā, in the way of idols, that which could not hurt him, should he refrain from worshipping it, and that which could not profit him, if were to worship it. Such, a call, is extreme error, from the truth.

13

He calls on him (the lām [of la-man] is extra) whose harm, when worshipped, is likelier than his benefit, even if he were to have any benefit, as he imagines [him to have]. Truly an evil patron, is he, that is, [an evil] helper, and an evil friend, [an evil] companion is he. After the mention of 'the doubter' and [his being in manifest] 'loss' [above, verse 11] there follows [the mention of] the believers and [their] reward, as follows:

14

Truly Allahu ta’ālā shall admit those who believe and perform righteous deeds, in the way of obligatory and supererogatory acts [of worship], into gardens underneath which rivers flow. Indeed Allahu ta’ālā does whatever He desires, in the way of showing beneficence to those who obey Him and degrading those who disobey Him.

15

Whoever supposes that Allahu ta’ālā will not help him, namely, Muhammad "sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam" His Prophet, in this world and the Hereafter, let him extend a rope to the ceiling, [to] the roof of his house, fixing it there and [tying it] to his neck, and let him hang himself, that is, let him choke to death because of it, by severing his soul from [any existence on] the earth, as [reported] in the [various] Sahīh compilations.² Then let him see whether his strategy, against the Prophet being helped, dispels that which enrages him, about it. In other words, let him choke to death with rage because of it, for it is inevitable.³

16

So, just as We revealed the previous verse, We revealed it, that is, the remainder of the Qur'ān, as clear signs, manifest [signs] (bayyināt, 'clear signs', is a circumstantial qualifier) and indeed Allahu ta’ālā guides whomever He desires, that he be guided (wa-anna'llāha yahdī man yurīdu, a supplement to the [suffixed pronoun] hā', 'it', of anzalnāhu, 'We revealed it').

17

Truly those who believe, and those of Jewry, namely, the Jews, and the Sabaeans, a sect from among them, and the Christians, and the Magians and the polytheists - Allahu ta’ālā will indeed judge between them on the Day of Resurrection, by admitting the believers into Paradise, and all others into the Fire. Assuredly Allahu ta’ālā, over all things, [the things] which they do, is Witness, Knowing them a knowledge of direct vision ('ilm mushāhada).

18

Have you not seen, [have you not] realised, that to Allahu ta’ālā prostrate whoever is in the heavens and whoever is in the earth, together with the sun and the moon, and the stars and the mountains, and the trees and the animals, that is, how they are submissive to Him in what He wills of them, as well as many of mankind?, namely, the believers, [who prostrate to Him] in addition to their submissiveness [to Him] when prostrating in prayer. And for many the chastisement has become due, and these are the disbelievers, for they refuse to prostrate, [an action] which is contingent on belief. And he whom Allahu ta’ālā abases, [he whom] He makes unprosperous, there is none to give him honour, [none] to make him fortunate. Indeed Allahu ta’ālā does whatever He wishes, in the way of abasing or giving honour.

19

These twain are two contenders, that is, the believers constitute one contending party, and the five [categories of] disbelievers⁴ constitute the other contending party (the term [khasm, 'contender'] may be used to refer to one or many) who contend concerning their Rabb, that is to say, concerning His religion. As for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be cut out for them, [garments] which they will wear - meaning that the Fire will encompass them - and boiling water will be poured over their heads, [hamīm is] water that has reached an extreme temperature,

20

whereby will be melted that which is in their bellies, of fats and otherwise, and, whereby will be grilled, their skins.

21

And there will be hooked rods of iron for them, for their heads to be beaten with.

22

Whenever they desire to exit from it, that is, [from] the Fire, on account of [their] anguish, they are made to return into it, they are driven back into it with the hooked rods, and, it shall be said to them: 'Taste the chastisement of the burning!', namely, the one that has reached ultimate [degree of] combustion.

23

And He [Allahu ta’ālā] says of the believers: Indeed Allahu ta’ālā shall admit those who believe and perform righteous deeds into gardens underneath which rivers flow; adorned therein with bracelets of gold and pearl (read wa-lu'lu'in, genitive, to mean [bracelets] made of both [elements], so that the pearls are set in gold; or read wa-lu'lu'an, accusative, as a supplement to the [syntactical] locus of min asāwira, 'bracelets');⁵ and their raiment therein will be silk, namely, the one forbidden for men to wear in this world.

24

And they shall be guided, in this world, to wholesome words, namely, 'There is no god except Allahu ta’ālā', and they shall be guided to the path of the Praised, that is, to the praiseworthy way of Allahu ta’ālā and His religion.

25

Truly those who disbelieve, and who bar from the way of Allahu ta’ālā, [from] obedience to Him, and, from, the Sacred Mosque, which We have assigned, as a [holy] rite and a place of devotion, for mankind, equally for the dweller, the one who resides, therein and the visitor, the passer-by; and whoever seeks [to commit] sacrilege therein (the bā' [of bi-ilhādin, 'sacrilege'] is extra) by doing wrong, in other words, for such a reason, committing what is forbidden, even if he should curse the [Mosque's] attendant, We shall make him taste a painful chastisement, that is, some such [chastisement] (from this [last clause] one may derive the predicate of [the introductory particle] inna, 'truly', and it is this: 'We shall make them taste a painful chastisement'.⁶

26

And, mention, when We settled, [when] We pointed out, for Abraham the site of the House, that he may build it - for it [the House] had been raised [to heaven] at the time of the Flood - and We commanded him, [saying]: 'Do not ascribe any partner to Me and purify My House, of graven images, for those who circumambulate it and those who are resident, staying therein, and those who bow and prostrate ([al-rukka' and al-sujūd] are the plural forms of rāki' and sājid [respectively]), those praying.

27

And announce, call out, among the people the [season for] Pilgrimage. Thus he cried out from [the top of] the mountain of Abū Qubays, 'O people, your Rabb has built a House and has made pilgrimage to it an obligation upon you, so respond to [the call of] your Rabb', turning his face to the right and to the left, to the east and to the west; and every one of those for whom the performance of the pilgrimage had been preordained [by Allahu ta’ālā] from among the loins of men and the wombs of women, responded to him [thus]: 'At Your service, our Rabb, [we are] at Your service' (labbayk a'llāhumma labbayk). The response to the command [clause] is [the following]: and they shall come to you on foot, walking (rijāl, plural of rājil, similar [in pattern] to qā'im, 'standing', and [its plural] qiyām) and, riding, on every lean camel, that is, [on] every emaciated camel (dāmir, [this term] may be used to refer to both male and female [camels]). They shall come, that is, the lean camels (by grammatical agreement with the [feminine verb] form) from every deep ravine, [from every] distant route,

28

that they may witness, that they may be present before, things that are of benefit to them, in this world, such as commerce, or [of benefit] in the Hereafter, or in both - all [of which are [valid alternative] opinions - and mention Allah’s Name on appointed days, namely, the ten days of Dhū'l-Hijja, or the Day of 'Arafa, or from the Day of Immolation up to al-yawm al-ākher (the Last Day)s of tashrīq⁷ - all of which are [valid alternative] opinions - over the livestock which He has provided them, such as the camels, cows and sheep immolated on the Day of the 'īd, and any subsequent offerings or sacrifices. " So eat thereof, if it be recommended,⁸ and feed the wretched poor " , that is, the one in dire poverty.

29

Then let them do away with their self-neglect, that is to say, [let them] remove any dirt or unkemptness, such as [any] long fingernails, and let them fulfil (read wa'l-yūfū or wa'l-yuwaffū) their vows, in the way of offerings and sacrifices, and perform the circumambulation, the circumambulation following the egress [from 'Arafa], of the Ancient House', that is, the Old one, because it was the first House founded for mankind.

30

[That is] that (dhālika, the predicate of an implied subject, in other words: 'the matter' or 'the affair' is 'that which has been mentioned'). And whoever venerates the sacraments of Allahu ta’ālā, namely, those things whose violation is forbidden, that, veneration of them, shall be better for him with his Rabb, in the Hereafter. And cattle are lawful for you, to consume, after [their] slaughter, except for that which has been recited to you, as being unlawful, in [the verse]: Forbidden to you is carrion … [Q. 5:3]. The exceptive clause [above] is a discontinuous one; but it could also be [taken as] continuous, so that the prohibition is of that which has died and so on. So avoid the abomination of idols (mina'l-awthān: min here is explicative [as opposed to partitive], in other words, '[avoid abomination], namely, idols'), and avoid false speech, that is to say, ascribing partners to Allahu ta’ālā in your [uttering of the] talbiya, or [avoid] bearing false witness;

31

being hanīfs to Allahu ta’ālā, [being] of those who have submitted [to Allahu ta’ālā], inclining away from every religion except His religion, not ascribing partners to Him (this [clause] emphasises the preceding one, both [clauses] being circumstantial qualifiers referring to the [third person plural indicator] wāw [of ijtanibū, 'avoid']). For whoever ascribes partners to Allahu ta’ālā, it is as though he had fallen from the heaven and been snatched away by [vulture] birds, that is, [as though] they had seized him swiftly, or [as though] the wind had blown him, dropped him, into a far-off place, so that there is no hope of his being saved.

32

That (dhālika, an implied subject, al-amru, 'the matter [is]', is taken to precede this [predicate]). And whoever venerates the sacraments of Allahu ta’ālā, then that, in other words, then that veneration of them - namely, [of] the beasts of sacrifice offered in the Sanctuary, after the best of them have been selected and fattened - derives from the piety of the hearts, of those individuals. These [sacraments] are called sha'ā'ir because they are marked out [ish'ār] with something to indicate that they are offerings, such as having a hump pierced with a piece of metal.

33

You may benefit from them, such as riding on them and carrying your loads on them in a way that does not harm them, until a specified time, the time for its immolation. Thereafter its lawful sacrifice, that is, the site where its immolation becomes due, is by the Ancient House, meaning, the entire [Meccan] Sanctuary.

34

And for every community, that is, [for every] believing group that came before you, We have appointed a [holy] rite (read mansakan as the verbal noun ['ritual'], or mansikan as a noun denoting the site [for a rite]) in other words, [for every community We have appointed] a sacrificial slaughter or the site for such [a ritual], that they might mention Allah’s Name over the livestock that He has provided them, at the point of slaughtering them. For your God is One God, so submit, yield, to Him. And give good tidings to the humbly obedient,

35

who, when Allahu ta’ālā is mentioned, their hearts tremble, fear, and who endure [patiently] whatever may befall them, of ordeals, and who observe prayer, at its appointed times, and who, from that which We have provided them, expend, [from it] give voluntary alms.

36

And [as for] the sacrificial camels (al-budn, plural of badana, which are 'camels') - We have appointed them for you as one of Allah’s sacraments, the [ritual] ceremonies of His religion. There is good for you in them, benefit for you in this world, as already mentioned, and a reward in the Hereafter. So mention Allah’s Name over them, at the point of immolating them, when they are lined up, standing on three legs, with the left foreleg hobbled. Then, when their flanks have collapsed, fallen to the ground after immolation - which is the time when one may eat of them - eat of them, if you wish, and feed the [self-contained] beggar (al-qāni', [a beggar] who is content with what he is given, neither asking nor approaching [people]) and the suppliant (al-mu'tarr, [a beggar] who asks [for charity] or approaches [people for that purpose]). So, that is, similar to such a disposal, We have disposed them for you, that it may be immolated or ridden - for otherwise it would not have been possible - that perhaps you might be thankful, for My graces to you.

37

Neither their flesh nor their blood shall reach Allahu ta’ālā, that is, neither of these shall be raised up to Him; rather it is your piety that shall reach Him, that is, it is your righteous action, performed purely for Him, together with [your] faith, that shall be raised up to Him. Thus has He disposed them for you, that you may magnify Allahu ta’ālā for His guiding you, for His pointing out to you the [ritual] ceremonies of His religion and the rites of His pilgrimage. And give good tidings to the virtuous, namely, those who affirm the Oneness [of Allahu ta’ālā].

38

Indeed Allahu ta’ālā protects those who believe, against the [ruinous] misguidance of idolaters. Indeed Allahu ta’ālā does not love the treacherous, with regard to what is entrusted to him, the ungrateful, for His grace - these are the idolaters -in other words, He will punish them.

39

Permission is granted to those who fight, namely, to the believers, to fight back - this was the first verse to be revealed regarding the struggle [in the way of Allahu ta’ālā] (jihād), because they have been wronged, as a result of the wrong done to them by the disbelievers. And Allahu ta’ālā is truly able to help them;

40

they are, those who were expelled from their homes without right, for their expulsion; they were expelled, only because they said, that is, because of their saying: 'Our Rabb is Allahu ta’ālā', alone: such a saying is 'right', and so then to be expelled for [saying] it is to be expelled without right. Were it not for Allah’s causing some people (ba'dahum, 'some', substitutes for al-nāsa, 'people') to drive back others, destruction would have befallen (read la-huddimat to emphasise a great number [of destructions]; or read la-hudimat) the monasteries, (sawāmi') is for monks, and churches, (kanā'is) are for Christians, and synagogues, (salawāt) is the Hebrew term for Jewish houses of worship (kanā'is), and mosques, (masājid) are for Muslims, in which, that is, in which mentioned places, Allah’s Name is mentioned greatly, and with such destruction acts of worship cease. Assuredly Allahu ta’ālā will help those who help Him, that is, [who] help His religion. Allahu ta’ālā is truly Strong, overpowering His creation, Mighty, Invincible in terms of His dominion and power;

41

those who, if We empower them in the land, by granting them victory over their enemies, maintain the prayer, and pay the alms, and enjoin decency and forbid indecency (this [last] is the response to the conditional clause, which together with the response constitute a relative clause of the relative noun ['those who']; hum, 'they [are]', may be taken as the implied subject before this).⁹ And with Allahu ta’ālā rests the outcome of all matters, in other words, to Him these [matters] return in the Hereafter.

42

And if they deny you - these [words] to the end [of the statement] are meant to comfort the Prophet "sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam" - the people of Noah denied before them (kadhdhabat, in the feminine person on the basis of the [overall] import),¹⁰ and 'ād, the people of Hūd, and Thamūd, the people of Sālih,

43

as well as the people of Abraham, and the people of Lot,

44

and the inhabitants of Midian, the people of Shu'ayb, and Moses was also denied: he was denied by the [native] Egyptians (al-qibt), and not by his people, the Children of Israel. In other words, [all of] those [people] denied their messengers (rusul), so take them [these messengers (rusul)] as a good example [of constancy]. And I granted the disbelievers respite, I postponed [dealing with] them by deferring their requital, then I seized them, with chastisement, and how [terrible] was My abhorrence! (nakīr), that is to say, My rebuke (inkār) of them for their denial, by My destroying them (the interrogative is meant as an affirmative, in other words,: it [My chastisement] was well-placed).

45

How many a town I have destroyed (ahlaktuhā, a variant reading has ahlaknāhā, 'We have destroyed', while it was doing wrong, that is, while its inhabitants were [doing wrong] by being disbelievers, but now it lies fallen down, collapsed, on its roofs and, how many, a neglected well, abandoned because of the death of its owners, and a lofty palace, stands empty because of the death of its residents.

46

Have they, namely, the disbelievers of Mecca, not travelled in the land so that they may have hearts with which to comprehend, what befell deniers before them, or ears with which to hear?, the stories of how they were destroyed and their dwelling-places were ruined, and so take heed? Indeed it is not the eyes that turn blind, but it is the hearts that turn blind within the breasts (allatī fī'l-sudūr, for emphasis).

47

And they ask you to hasten the chastisement, even though Allahu ta’ālā would never break His promise, of sending down the chastisement [upon them] - and so He sent it down on the day of Badr. And truly a day with your Rabb, of the days of the Hereafter, on account of the [severity of the] chastisement, is like a thousand years of your counting (read ta'uddūna, or ya'uddūna, 'their counting'), in this world.

48

To how many a town did I give respite while it was doing wrong; [but] then I seized it, meaning, [I seized] its inhabitants, and with Me lies the journey's end, the [final] return.

49

Say: 'O mankind, that is, [O] people of Mecca, I am only a manifest warner to you', one whose warning is plain; but also I am a giver of good tidings to the believers.

50

And so those who believe and perform righteous deeds - for them there shall be forgiveness, of their sins, and a glorious provision, namely, Paradise.

51

But those who strive against Our signs, namely, the Qur'ān, in order to invalidate them, seeking to incapacitate (mu'ajjizīna) those who follow the Prophet ([this meaning of mu'ajjizīna] being derived from their assumption that these [followers] are incapable individuals) and impeding them from [practising their] faith; or [mu'ajjizīna means] supposing Us to be incapable against them (a variant reading [of mu'ajjizīna] has mu'ājizīna, meaning, 'contending with Us') that is to say, they suppose that they will [be able to] elude Us by denying resurrection and requital - those, they shall be the inhabitants of hell-fire.

52

And We did not send before you any Messenger (rasūl) (rasūl) - this is a prophet who has been commanded to deliver a Message - or prophet (nabī) - one who has not been commanded to deliver anything - but that when he recited [the scripture] Satan cast into his recitation, what is not from the Qur'ān, but which those to whom he [the prophet] had been sent would find pleasing.¹¹ The Prophet "sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam" had, during an assembly of the [men of] Quraysh, after reciting the [following verses from] sūrat al-Najm, Have you considered Lāt and 'Uzzā? And Manāt, the third one? [53:19-20] added, as a result of Satan casting them onto his tongue without his [the Prophet's] being aware of it, [the following words]: 'those are the high-flying cranes (al-gharānīq al-'ulā) and indeed their intercession is to be hoped for', and so they [the men of Quraysh] were thereby delighted. Gabriel, however, later informed him [the Prophet] of this that Satan had cast onto his tongue and he was grieved by it; but was [subsequently] comforted with this following verse that he might be reassured [of Allah’s pleasure]: thereat Allahu ta’ālā abrogates, nullifies, whatever Satan had cast, then Allahu ta’ālā confirms His revelations. And Allahu ta’ālā is Knower, of Satan's casting of that which has been mentioned, Wise, in His enabling him [Satan] to do such things, for He does whatever He wishes.

53

That He may make what Satan has cast a trial, a test, for those in whose hearts is a sickness, dissension and hypocrisy, and those whose hearts are hardened, namely, the idolaters, [hardened] against acceptance of the truth. For truly the evildoers, the disbelievers, are [steeped] in extreme defiance, [in] a protracted feud with the Prophet "sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam" and the believers, for his tongue uttered mention of their gods in a way that pleased them, and yet this was later nullified.

54

And that those who have been given knowledge, [of] Allah’s Oneness and the Qur'ān, may know that it, the Qur'ān, is the truth from your Rabb, so that they may believe therein, and their hearts may find reassurance in it. And assuredly Allahu ta’ālā guides those who believe to a straight path, [a straight] route, namely, the religion of Islam.

55

And those who disbelieve will not cease to be in doubt of it, that is, the Qur'ān - because of what Satan had cast onto the tongue of the Prophet "sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam" and what had thereafter been nullified - until the Hour comes upon them unawares, that is, the Hour of their death or [of] resurrection, [comes upon them] suddenly, or there come upon them the chastisement of a day of desolation ('aqīm), namely, the day of Badr, which held nothing of good for disbelievers, much like a sterile wind (rīh 'aqīm) that bears no good; or it means, the Day of Resurrection, [referred to as 'desolate'] because thereafter there will be no more night.¹²

56

Sovereignty on that day, namely, on the Day of Resurrection, will be Allah’s, alone (the [sense of Allah’s] 'consolidation' [of sovereignty on that Day] suggested by the clause renders the adverbial qualifier [yawma'idhin, 'on that day'] into [accusative] dependent status). He will judge between them, between believers and disbelievers in the way that He explains next: Then those who believed and performed righteous deeds will be in Gardens of Bliss, as a bounty from Allahu ta’ālā.

57

while those who disbelieved and denied Our verses, for them will be a humiliating chastisement, a severe [one], because of their disbelief.

58

And those who emigrated in the way of Allahu ta’ālā, that is, in obedience to Him, from [emigrating from] Mecca to Medina, and then were slain, or died, Allahu ta’ālā shall provide them with a good provision, namely, the provision of Paradise. Truly Allahu ta’ālā is the best of providers, the most excellent of givers.

59

Assuredly He will admit them into a place (read mudkhalan or madkhalan, [respectively] signifying the means of entry, or the place [entered]) that is pleasing to them, and that is Paradise. And truly Allahu ta’ālā is Knowing, of their intentions, Forbearing, in refraining from punishing them.

60

That, which We have related to you, [is so]. And whoever retaliates, [whoever] from among the believers requites, with the like of what he was made to suffer, at the hands of the idolaters wrongfully: that is whoever fights against them if they fight against him during the sacred month, and then is [again] made to suffer aggression, by them, that is to say, he is [again] wronged, by being expelled from his house, Allahu ta’ālā will surely help him. Indeed Allahu ta’ālā is Pardoning, to believers, Forgiving, them their engaging in combat during the sacred month.

61

That, help, is because Allahu ta’ālā makes the night pass into the day and makes the day pass into the night, that is to say, He makes each enter into the other by increasing the one [and decreasing the other], which is a sign of His power, exalted be He, [the same power] that produces [His] help, and because Allahu ta’ālā is Hearer, of the supplications of believers, Seer, of them, giving them faith and responding to their supplications.

62

That, help, also, is because Allahu ta’ālā, He is the Truth, the Established [Truth], and what they call on (yad'ūna; also read tad'ūna, 'you call on'), [what] they worship, besides Him, namely, idols, that is the False, the transient, and because Allahu ta’ālā, He is the High, the One [supreme] above all things in His power, the Great, besides Whom all things are insignificant.

63

Have you not seen, realised, that Allahu ta’ālā sends down water, rain, from the heaven whereupon the earth turns green, with plants - and this [too] is a sign of His power. Indeed Allahu ta’ālā is Subtle, in dealing with His servants, when He brings forth plants through water, Aware, of what is in their hearts when the rain is delayed.

64

To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, in terms of ownership. Surely Allahu ta’ālā, He is Independent, of His servants, Praiseworthy, to His friends.

65

Have you not seen, realised, that Allahu ta’ālā has disposed for you all that is in the earth, of beasts, and [that] the ships run upon the sea, for transport and to carry loads, by His command, by His leave, and He holds back the heaven lest it should fall on the earth, save [when it may do so] by His leave, and you are destroyed. Surely Allahu ta’ālā is, with mankind, Gentle, Merciful, in disposing [things for them] and holding [others] back [from them].

66

And He it is Who gave you life, by originating you, then He will cause you to die, upon the conclusion of your terms [of life], then He will give you life [again], at the Resurrection. Truly man, that is, [truly] the idolater, is very ungrateful, for Allah’s graces by neglecting to affirm His Oneness.

67

For every community We have appointed a [holy] rite (read mansakan or mansikan) a [Holy] Law, which they are to observe, which they are to implement. So do not let them dispute with you, the intended meaning is 'do not dispute with them', about the matter, namely, the matter of the slaughter animal, when they said, 'What Allahu ta’ālā has killed is worthier for you to eat than what you killed';¹³ but summon [people] to your Rabb, [to] His religion. Indeed you follow a straight guidance, [a straight] religion.

68

And if they dispute with you, in the matter of religion, say, 'Allahu ta’ālā knows best what you do, and will requite you for it - this was [revealed] before the command to fight [them].

69

Allahu ta’ālā will judge between you, O believers and disbelievers, on the Day of Resurrection concerning that wherein you used to differ', when each of the two parties would say the opposite of what the other said.

70

Do you not know (the interrogative here is meant as an affirmative) that Allahu ta’ālā knows all that is in the heaven and the earth? Truly that, which has been mentioned, is [recorded] in a Book, namely, the Preserved Tablet (al-lawh al-mahfūz). Indeed that, namely, the knowledge of what has been mentioned, is easy for Allahu ta’ālā.

71

And they, the idolaters, worship besides Allahu ta’ālā that, namely, idols, for which He has never revealed any warrant, [any] definitive proof, and that of which they have no knowledge, [when they claim] that these are gods. And those who do evil, by way of [practising] idolatry, shall have no helper, to protect them against Allah’s chastisement.

72

And when Our verses, in the Qur'ān, are recited to them, [though they are] clear, manifest, signs (bayyinātin, a circumstantial qualifier) you perceive on the faces of those who disbelieve denial, that is to say, denial of these [verses], in other words [you perceive] the effect of such [denial] in the way of aversion and frowning. They would almost pounce upon those who recite Our verses to them, that is, [they would almost] fall upon them in assault. Say: 'Shall I inform you about something worse than that?, something more repulsive to you than the Qur'ān that is being recited to you? It is, The Fire! Allahu ta’ālā has promised it to the disbelievers, in that their journey's end shall be to it. And it is an evil journey's end!'

73

O mankind, that is to say, [O] people of Mecca, a similitude is being struck, so listen to it, and it is that: truly those on whom you call, [whom] you worship, besides Allahu ta’ālā, that is, other than Him, and these are the idols, will never create a fly (dhubāb is a generic noun, the singular of which is dhubāba, for both the masculine and the feminine) even if they rallied together to do so, to create it. And if a fly should take away something from them, [such as a drop] of the scents or the saffron in which they drench themselves, they would not be able to recover that from it, because of their [complete] incapacity: so how can they worship those [whom they suppose to be] partners of Allahu ta’ālā, exalted be He? An odd thing - which He has expressed by striking a similitude. Feeble is the seeker, the worshipper, and the [thing] sought, the [thing] worshipped!

74

They do not esteem Allahu ta’ālā, exalt Him, with the esteem He deserves, with the exaltedness [He deserves], for they ascribe to Him partners who can neither protect themselves from a fly, nor retaliate against it. Truly Allahu ta’ālā is Strong, Mighty, Victor.

75

Allahu ta’ālā chooses from the angels messengers (rusul) and [also chooses] from mankind, messengers (rusul) - this was revealed after the idolaters said, Has the Remembrance been revealed to him out of [all of] us? [Q. 38:8]. Truly Allahu ta’ālā is Hearer, of what they say, Seer, of those whom He chooses as messengers (rusul), such as Gabriel, Michael, Abraham, Muhammad "sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam" and others, may Allahu ta’ālā bless them and grant them peace.

76

He knows that which is before them and that which is behind them, in other words, what they have offered [in the way of deeds] and what they have left behind, and what they have done and what they will do next; and to Allahu ta’ālā all matters are returned.

77

O you who believe, bow down and prostrate yourselves, in other words, perform prayer, and worship your Rabb, affirm His Oneness, and do good, such as [showing] kindness to kin and [the adoption of] noble traits, that perhaps you may be prosperous, [that perhaps] you may secure everlasting life in Paradise.

78

And struggle in the way of Allahu ta’ālā, in order to establish His religion, a struggle worthy of Him, by expending all effort therein (haqqa is in the accusative because it is a verbal noun). He has elected you, He has chosen you for His religion, and has not laid upon you in your religion any hardship, that is, [any] constraint, for He has facilitated [adherence to] it during times of difficulty, such as [His permitting you] to shorten prayers, to seek ritual purification from earth, to eat of carrion, and to break the fast during illness or travel - the creed of your father (millata is in the accusative because the genitive preposition kāf [sc. ka-millati, 'like the creed of'] has been omitted) Abraham (Ibrāhīma, an explicative supplement). He, that is, Allahu ta’ālā, named you Muslims before, that is, before [the revelation of] this Book, and in this, that is, [in] the Qur'ān, so that the Messenger (rasūl) might be a witness against you, on the Day of Resurrection, that he delivered the Message to you, and that you might be witnesses against mankind, that their messengers (rusul) delivered the Message to them. So maintain prayer, observe it regularly, and pay the alms, and hold fast to Allahu ta’ālā, trust in Him. He is your Patron, your Helper and the Guardian (wakīl) of your affairs. An excellent Patron, is He, and an excellent Helper, for you.