8. Ola-ika ma/wahumu alnnaru bima kanoo yaksiboona

Their enduring abode will be the fire by way of requital for that which they used to earn!

10 : 9

9. Inna allatheena amanoo waAAamiloo alssalihati yahdeehim rabbuhum bi-eemanihim tajree min tahtihimu al-anharu fee jannati alnnaAAeemi

As for those who believe and perform righteous deeds, their Lord will give them His Guidance by virtue of their faith and (will take them) where rivers flow beneath them - in Gardens laden with His Benefactions -

10 : 10

10. DaAAwahum feeha subhanaka allahumma watahiyyatuhum feeha salamun waakhiru daAAwahum ani alhamdu lillahi rabbi alAAalameena  

Wherein their prayer will be : 'Glory be to you, O Allah!' and the blissful prologue of their greetings to one another will be : 'Peace!' and the epilogue of their prayer will be : 'Praise be to Allah who is the Lord of the Worlds!' (R)

(In verses 3 to 6, we are reminded of Allah's benefactions to mankind, beginning with the Creation of the heavens and the earth, then moving on to His assumption of authority symbolized by His occupying the Throne and taking charge of devising the scheme of things, eliminating the need for intercessors between Him and His creation save those whom He allows, and declaring Himself to be the Lord of the Worlds and therefore the only One who has the right to receive worship from His creation. We are also reminded that, at the end of the term, when the show draws to a close and the curtain comes down, we all must return to Him after He has reproduced the Creation again in order to reward the righteous and to requite the guilty; that He it is who has created the sun and the moon for mankind so that they may keep track of time, and that in the succession of nights and days, and in everything visible or invisible to the naked eye, there are clear portents of His Hegemony for those who introspect.

While verses 7 and 8 contain a warning to those who refuse to believe in facing their Lord on the Day of Resurrection, reject the concept of accountability and hold His revelations in contempt that for them awaits the torment of the Fire, verses 9 and 10 contain precisely the opposite of it : glad tidings to those who believe in Him, willingly surrender to His hegemony and perform righteous deeds that for them awaits celestial Gardens underneath which flow tranquil rivers and wherein they shall abide forever!)

OTHER TRANSLATIONS BY MUHSIN, YUSUFALI, PICKTHAL AND SHAKIR:

MUHSIN:

1. Alif-Lâm-Râ. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur'ân, and none but Allâh (Alone) knows their meanings]. These are the Verses of the Book (the Qur'ân) Al-Hakîm [showing lawful and unlawful things, explaining Allâh's (Divine) Laws for mankind, leading them to eternal happiness by ordering them to follow the true Islâmic Monotheism, - worshipping none but Allâh Alone - that will guide them to Paradise and save them from Hell].

2. Is it wonder for mankind that We have sent Our Inspiration^[] to a man from among themselves (i.e. Prophet Muhammad SAW) (saying): "Warn mankind (of the coming torment in Hell), and give good news to those who believe (in the Oneness of Allâh and in His Prophet Muhammad SAW) that they shall have with their Lord the rewards of their good deeds?" (But) the disbelievers say: "This is indeed an evident sorcerer (i.e. Prophet Muhammad SAW and the Qur'ân)!

3. Surely, your Lord is Allâh Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days and then Istawâ (rose over) the Throne (really in a manner that suits His Majesty), disposing the affair of all things. No intercessor (can plead with Him) except after His Leave. That is Allâh, your Lord; so worship Him (Alone). Then, will you not remember?

4. To Him is the return of all of you. The Promise of Allâh is true. It is He Who begins the creation and then will repeat it, that He may reward with justice those who believed (in the Oneness of Allâh - Islâmic Monotheism) and did deeds of righteousness. But those who disbelieved will have a drink of boiling fluids and painful torment because they used to disbelieve.

5. It is He Who made the sun a shining thing and the moon as a light and measured out its (their) stages, that you might know the number of years and the reckoning. Allâh did not create this but in truth. He explains the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) in detail for people who have knowledge.

6. Verily, in the alternation of the night and the day and in all that Allâh has created in the heavens and the earth are Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) for those people who keep their duty to Allâh, and fear Him much.

7. Verily, those who hope not for their meeting with Us, but are pleased and satisfied with the life of the present world, and those who are heedless of Our Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.),

8. Those, their abode will be the Fire, because of what they used to earn.

9. Verily, those who believe [in the Oneness of Allâh along with the six articles of Faith, i.e. to believe in Allâh, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, Day of Resurrection, and Al-Qadar (Divine Preordainments) - Islâmic Monotheism], and do deeds of righteousness, their Lord will guide them through their Faith; under them will flow rivers in the Gardens of delight (Paradise).

10. Their way of request therein will be Subhânaka Allâhumma (Glory to You, O Allâh!) and Salâm (peace, safe from each and every evil) will be their greetings therein (Paradise)! and the close of their request will be: Al-Hamdu Lillâhi Rabbil-'Alamîn [All the praises and thanks are to Allâh, the Lord of 'Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists)].

010.001
YUSUFALI: A.L.R. These are the ayats of the Book of Wisdom.
PICKTHAL: Alif. Lam. Ra. These are verses of the Wise Scripture.
SHAKIR: Alif Lam Ra. These are the verses of the wise Book.
010.002
YUSUFALI: Is it a matter of wonderment to men that We have sent Our inspiration to a man from among themselves?- that he should warn mankind (of their danger), and give the good news to the Believers that they have before their Lord the lofty rank of truth. (But) say the Unbelievers: "This is indeed an evident sorcerer!"
PICKTHAL: Is it a wonder for mankind that We have inspired a man among them, saying: Warn mankind and bring unto those who believe the good tidings that they have a sure footing with their Lord? The disbelievers say: Lo! this is a mere wizard.
SHAKIR: What! is it a wonder to the people that We revealed to a man from among themselves, saying: Warn the people and give good news to those who believe that theirs is a footing of firmness with their Lord. The unbelievers say: This is most surely a manifest enchanter.
010.003
YUSUFALI: Verily your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and is firmly established on the throne (of authority), regulating and governing all things. No intercessor (can plead with Him) except after His leave (hath been obtained). This is Allah your Lord; Him therefore serve ye: will ye not receive admonition?
PICKTHAL: Lo! your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days, then He established Himself upon the Throne, directing all things. There is no intercessor (with Him) save after His permission. That is Allah, your Lord, so worship Him. Oh, will ye not remind?
SHAKIR: Surely your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods, and He is firm in power, regulating the affair, there is no intercessor except aher His permission; this is Allah, your Lord, therefore serve Him; will you not then mind?
010.004
YUSUFALI: To Him will be your return- of all of you. The promise of Allah is true and sure. It is He Who beginneth the process of creation, and repeateth it, that He may reward with justice those who believe and work righteousness; but those who reject Him will have draughts of boiling fluids, and a penalty grievous, because they did reject Him.
PICKTHAL: Unto Him is the return of all of you; it is a promise of Allah in truth. Lo! He produceth creation, then reproduceth it, that He may reward those who believe and do good works with equity; while, as for those who disbelieve, theirs will be a boiling drink and painful doom because they disbelieved.
SHAKIR: To Him is your return, of all (of you); the promise of Allah (made) in truth; surely He begins the creation in the first mstance, then He reproduces it, that He may with justice recompense those who believe and do good; and (as for) those who disbelieve, they shall have a drink of hot water and painful punishment because they disbelieved.
010.005
YUSUFALI: It is He Who made the sun to be a shining glory and the moon to be a light (of beauty), and measured out stages for her; that ye might know the number of years and the count (of time). Nowise did Allah create this but in truth and righteousness. (Thus) doth He explain His Signs in detail, for those who understand.
PICKTHAL: He it is Who appointed the sun a splendour and the moon a light, and measured for her stages, that ye might know the number of the years, and the reckoning. Allah created not (all) that save in truth. He detaileth the revelations for people who have knowledge.
SHAKIR: He it is Who made the sun a shining brightness and the moon a light, and ordained for it mansions that you might know the computation of years and the reckoning. Allah did not create it but with truth; He makes the signs manifest for a people who
010.006
YUSUFALI: Verily, in the alternation of the night and the day, and in all that Allah hath created, in the heavens and the earth, are signs for those who fear Him.
PICKTHAL: Lo! in the difference of day and night and all that Allah hath created in the heavens and the earth are portents, verily, for folk who ward off (evil).
SHAKIR: Most surely in the variation of the night and the day, and what Allah has created in the heavens and the earth, there are signs for a people who guard (against evil).
010.007
YUSUFALI: Those who rest not their hope on their meeting with Us, but are pleased and satisfied with the life of the present, and those who heed not Our Signs,-
PICKTHAL: Lo! those who expect not the meeting with Us but desire the life of the world and feel secure therein, and those who are neglectful of Our revelations,
SHAKIR: Surely those who do not hope in Our meeting and are pleased with this world's life and are content with it, and those who are heedless of Our communications:
010.008
YUSUFALI: Their abode is the Fire, because of the (evil) they earned.
PICKTHAL: Their home will be the Fire because of what they used to earn.
SHAKIR: (As for) those, their abode is the fire because of what they earned.
010.009
YUSUFALI: Those who believe, and work righteousness,- their Lord will guide them because of their faith: beneath them will flow rivers in gardens of bliss.
PICKTHAL: Lo! those who believe and do good works, their Lord guideth them by their faith. Rivers will flow beneath them in the Gardens of Delight,
SHAKIR: Surely (as for) those who believe and do good, their Lord will guide them by their faith; there shall flOw from beneath them rivers in gardens of bliss.
010.010
YUSUFALI: (This will be) their cry therein: "Glory to Thee, O Allah!" And "Peace" will be their greeting therein! and the close of their cry will be: "Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds!"
PICKTHAL: Their prayer therein will be: Glory be to Thee, O Allah! and their greeting therein will be: Peace. And the conclusion of their prayer will be: Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds!
SHAKIR: Their cry in it shall be: Glory to Thee, O Allah! and their greeting in it shall be: Peace; and the last of their cry shall be: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
  

Section 2.

Context of Revelation : The following verse was revealed when a disbeliever put a curse upon himself that, if Islam was really a true religion of Allah, then may He send upon him a shower of pebbles!

10 : 11

 11. Walaw yuAAajjilu Allahu lilnnasi alshsharra istiAAjalahum bialkhayri laqudiya ilayhim ajaluhum fanatharu allatheena la yarjoona liqaana fee tughyanihim yaAAmahoona

Had Allah hastened misfortune on mankind as quickly as they urge Him to hasten good fortune on them, their reprieve would have already come to an end! But We lend a long rope to those who do not anticipate a meeting with Us so that they blindly meander around in the maze of their petulance!

(The verse is also aimed at those who, in times of stress and desperation, resort to cursing their business partners, their troublesome colleagues, their implacable bosses, even their wives and children, without intending any harm, assuring them that Allah does not react with haste to unintentional words of anger, and that, had He hastened upon mankind harm at the same speed at which He hastens well being, life for us would have turned into a bed of thorns a long time ago)

*    *    *

10 : 12

12. Wa-itha massa al-insana alddurru daAAana lijanbihi aw qaAAidan aw qa-iman falamma kashafna AAanhu durrahu marra kaan lam yadAAuna ila durrin massahu kathalika zuyyina lilmusrifeena ma kanoo yaAAmaloona

If adversity befalls a man, he appeals to Us for help, whether he is lying down or sitting back or standing up! But as soon as We remove his adversity, he goes away as if he never turned to Us for help on account of the adversity which had smitten him! Thus have We made their deeds seem fair to those who transgress!

(The verse makes a general observation about the ethos of men that, when matters do not live up to expectations, or they are threatened by adverse circumstances, those whose faith is shaky run out of patience at once, beseech Him for help without waiting and then, once the crisis has blown over, forget all about it, including their own prayers and His answer to their prayers; but those whose faith in their Lord is unshakeable resort to patience in the wake of crisis and gratitude in times of ease and gladly submit to the Will of Allah whether or not their prayers are answered!).

10 : 13

13. Walaqad ahlakna alquroona min qablikum lamma thalamoo wajaat-hum rusuluhum bialbayyinati wama kanoo liyu/minoo kathalika najzee alqawma almujrimeena

And We destroyed many a community before you when they committed solecism, and their messengers brought with them definitive portents, but they did not believe in them! Thus do We punish the wicked!

10 : 14

14. Thumma jaAAalnakum khala-ifa fee al-ardi min baAAdihim linanthura kayfa taAAmaloona

Then, after their extinction, We set you upon the earth as Our regents to see how you fare!

*    *    *

Context of Revelation : The following verses were revealed when the disbelievers said to the Prophet that, if he expected them to embrace Islam, he should either produce a Scripture which ratified their idols too, or alter the Qur'aan in such a way that it ratified them.

10 : 15

15. Wa-itha tutla AAalayhim ayatuna bayyinatin qala allatheena la yarjoona liqaana i/ti biqur-anin ghayri hatha aw baddilhu qul ma yakoonu lee an obaddilahu min tilqa-i nafsee in attabiAAu illa ma yooha ilayya innee akhafu in AAasaytu rabbee AAathaba yawmin AAatheemin

And when Our clear revelations are recited to them, those who are not convinced of a meeting with Us say : 'Bring a different Scripture or alter its contents!' Say to them (O Mohammed) : 'It is not for me to change it according to how I choose! I follow only that which has been inspired in me. And if I disobey my Lord, I fear the doom of an awesome Day!'

10 : 16

16. Qul law shaa Allahu ma talawtuhu AAalaykum wala adrakum bihi faqad labithtu feekum AAumuran min qablihi afala taAAqiloona

Say : 'If Allah had so willed, I would not have recited them to you nor would He have made them manifest to you! I spent an entire lifetime in your midst before they were revealed to me! So, have you no sense?'

10 : 17

17. Faman athlamu mimmani iftara AAala Allahi kathiban aw kaththaba bi-ayatihi innahu la yuflihu almujrimoona

Who commits a greater sin than him that invents lies against Allah or repudiates His revelations? Verily the invidious will never succeed!

(When the Prophet recited to the citizens of Mecca the revelations inspired in him by the Archangel, it staggered them. They had known the Prophet for a long time; they knew that he belonged to a tribe whose reputation for honesty was above board; that he was a trustworthy person employed by a wealthy business woman on account of his sincerity and loyalty and that, whatever else he may be, he was not a literate or an intellectual by reason of his academic pursuits. He was a simple and unobtrusive man who never caused trouble, gave sound advice to those who sought it of him and minded his own business. Yet when they heard him recite the verses of the Qur'aan containing an irresistible invitation to renounce the path of error in favour of the path of righteousness to pave the way for attaining everlasting bliss in the Abode of the Hereafter, they simply could not believe their ears.

The only viable explanation which occurred to them was that he was probably pulling a stunt; it was all a hoax aimed at making a fast buck, in collaboration with other men who were capable of coming up with such a charismatic work of literature in order to create dissension among them and then fish in troubled waters. It could happen; there was no shortage of literary skills in Arabia; there were poets and writers galore, always on the look out for making a killing in exchange for their talent; it was not altogether impossible to break the hold of a few vulnerable idols on a thriving community, introduce into the complex arena of faith and dedication a new player to play a new role; a new God in opposition to the old gods, invisible to the eye and hence unavailable either to be challenged or authenticated, feared by the meek, obeyed by the weak, followed by the 'lost' and espoused by the crafty!

With this in mind, a delegation of Meccan idolaters approached the Prophet to persuade him to change his tone, turn off the heat a little, scrap the derogatory references made to their revered idols either by altering the text himself or by negotiating with whoever was at its source to replace the Qur'aan with something less disparaging, and draw a formal truce in the War of the Gods he had triggered off, but deep down their hearts trying to test his veracity so that, if he succumbed to their persuasion and altered the text, they would know that behind the garb of respectability he was nothing but a fraud and a hoax; and behind the facade of Divinity, the religion he was seeking to launch was nothing but a travesty.

The rebuttal from Allah contained in the above verses was sharp, clinical, unequivocal and unambiguous. They were told in no uncertain terms that the Qur'aan was from none other than Allah Himself; that Mohammed was chosen as His messenger to deliver His message to all mankind; that the message was non-negotiable and unchangeable; that the duty of a messenger was only to deliver the message and not to arbitrate between its 'author' and its 'recipients'; that if the Prophet made any attempt to compromise its text by tampering with it, his punishment for so doing would be the same as anyone else; that there is no sin greater in magnitude than of imputing Him with lies, prevaricating His message and worshipping false deities instead of worshipping Him.

When the idolaters heard this, they immediately realized that Mohammed was going to be too painful a thorn in their flesh to be taken for granted; that he had the potential to become a serious adversary to the long practised and much cherished religion of their forefathers; that if they did not take steps to contain the threat heading their way soon, they could be in for a wholesale war rather than just a localized battle).

*    *    *

10 : 18

18. WayaAAbudoona min dooni Allahi ma la yadurruhum wala yanfaAAuhum wayaqooloona haola-i shufaAAaona AAinda Allahi qul atunabbi-oona Allaha bima la yaAAlamu fee alssamawati wala fee al-ardi subhanahu wataAAala AAamma yushrikoona

And they worship beside Allah other entities which neither hurt them nor profit them and then they say : 'These are the partners of Allah for us!' Say to them : 'Are you informing Allah of something either in the heavens or upon the earth of which He has no knowledge? May He transcend above the blasphemy with which they impute Him!

10 : 19

19. Wama kana alnnasu illa ommatan wahidatan faikhtalafoo walawla kalimatun sabaqat min rabbika laqudiya baynahum feema feehi yakhtalifoona

All mankind was one community until they broke up into schisms; and had it not been for a word already conceded by your Lord, they would have already been judged concerning that over which they differed!

(The word mentioned in the verse refers either to the term which has been appointed for every nation and entered in the Book of Decrees, or the Judgement and its outcome already deferred until the Day of Resurrection.

10 : 20

20. Wayaqooloona lawla onzila AAalayhi ayatun min rabbihi faqul innama alghaybu lillahi faintathiroo innee maAAakum mina almuntathireena  

They say : 'Why has not a miracle been sent down for him by his Lord?' Say to them (O Mohammed) : 'Allah alone has the discretion over the Unseen, so wait! Verily I too am waiting.' (R)

(The issue of 'miracles' has already been repeatedly covered in previous commentaries. Suffice it to say here that the demand for miracles made by idolaters and other repudiators was merely to divert the attention of people who were inclined to pay attention to the Prophet by making it sound as though, if he was unable to produce one to convince them, he could not be a true Prophet of Allah, overlooking the greatest miracle of all which he had already performed by bringing to them the Qur'aan, a matchless and unsurpassable Exposition, otherwise impossible to be produced, except if it was inspired by the Divine Will!)

OTHER TRANSLATIONS BY MUHSIN, YUSUFALI, PICKTHAL AND SHAKIR:

MUHSIN:

11. And were Allâh to hasten for mankind the evil (they invoke for themselves and for their children, etc. while in a state of anger) as He hastens for them the good (they invoke) then they would have been ruined. So We leave those who expect not their meeting with Us, in their trespasses, wandering blindly in distraction. (Tafsir At-Tabarî; Vol. 11, Page 91)

12. And when harm touches man, he invokes Us, lying down on his side, or sitting or standing. But when We have removed his harm from him, he passes on his way as if he had never invoked Us for a harm that touched him! Thus it seems fair to the Musrifûn^[] that which they used to do.

13. And indeed, We destroyed generations before you, when they did wrong while their Messengers came to them with clear proofs, but they were not such as to believe! Thus do We requite the people who are Mujrimûn (disbelievers, polytheists, sinners, criminals, etc.).

14. Then We made you follow after them, generations after generations in the land, that We might see how you would work!

15. And when Our Clear Verses are recited unto them, those who hope not for their meeting with Us, say: Bring us a Qur'ân other than this, or change it."Say (O Muhammad SAW): "It is not for me to change it on my own accord; I only follow that which is revealed unto me. Verily, I fear if I were to disobey my Lord, the torment of the Great Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)."

16. Say (O Muhammad SAW): "If Allâh had so willed, I should not have recited it to you nor would He have made it known to you. Verily, I have stayed amongst you a life time before this. Have you then no sense?"

17. So who does more wrong than he who forges a lie against Allâh or denies His Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.)? Surely, the Mujrimûn (criminals, sinners, disbelievers and polytheists) will never be successful!

18. And they worship besides Allâh things that hurt them not, nor profit them, and they say: "These are our intercessors with Allâh." Say: "Do you inform Allâh of that which He knows not in the heavens and on the earth?" Glorified and Exalted be He above all that which they associate as partners with Him!

19. Mankind were but one community (i.e. on one religion - Islâmic Monotheism), then they differed (later), and had not it been for a Word that went forth before from your Lord, it would have been settled between them regarding what they differed^[].

20. And they say: "How is it that not a sign is sent down on him from his Lord?" Say: "The unseen belongs to Allâh Alone, so wait you, verily I am with you among those who wait (for Allâh's Judgement)."

010.011
YUSUFALI: If Allah were to hasten for men the ill (they have earned) as they would fain hasten on the good,- then would their respite be settled at once. But We leave those who rest not their hope on their meeting with Us, in their trespasses, wandering in distraction to and fro.
PICKTHAL: If Allah were to hasten on for men the ill (that they have earned) as they would hasten on the good, their respite would already have expired. But We suffer those who look not for the meeting with Us to wander blindly on in their contumacy.
SHAKIR: And if Allah should hasten the evil to men as they desire the hastening on of good, their doom should certainly have been decreed for them; but We leave those alone who hope not for Our meeting in their inordinacy, blindly wandering on.
010.012
YUSUFALI: When trouble toucheth a man, He crieth unto Us (in all postures)- lying down on his side, or sitting, or standing. But when We have solved his trouble, he passeth on his way as if he had never cried to Us for a trouble that touched him! thus do the deeds of transgressors seem fair in their eyes!
PICKTHAL: And if misfortune touch a man he crieth unto Us, (while reclining) on his side, or sitting or standing, but when We have relieved him of the misfortune he goeth his way as though he had not cried unto Us because of a misfortune that afflicted him. Thus is what they do made (seeming) fair unto the prodigal.
SHAKIR: And when affliction touches a man, he calls on Us, whether lying on his side or sitting or standing; but when We remove his affliction from him, he passes on as though he had never called on Us on account of an affliction that touched him; thus that which they do is made fair-seeming to the extravagant.
010.013
YUSUFALI: Generations before you We destroyed when they did wrong: their messengers came to them with clear-signs, but they would not believe! thus do We requite those who sin!
PICKTHAL: We destroyed the generations before you when they did wrong; and their messengers (from Allah) came unto them with clear proofs (of His Sovereignty) but they would not believe. Thus do We reward the guilty folk.
SHAKIR: And certainly We did destroy generations before you when they were unjust, and their messengers had come to them with clear arguments, and they would not believe; thus do We recompense the guilty people.
010.014
YUSUFALI: Then We made you heirs in the land after them, to see how ye would behave!
PICKTHAL: Then We appointed you viceroys in the earth after them, that We might see how ye behave.
SHAKIR: Then We made you successors in the land after them so that We may see how you act.
010.015
YUSUFALI: But when Our Clear Signs are rehearsed unto them, those who rest not their hope on their meeting with Us, Say: "Bring us a reading other than this, or change this," Say: "It is not for me, of my own accord, to change it: I follow naught but what is revealed unto me: if I were to disobey my Lord, I should myself fear the penalty of a Great Day (to come)."
PICKTHAL: And when Our clear revelations are recited unto them, they who look not for the meeting with Us say: Bring a Lecture other than this, or change it. Say (O Muhammad): It is not for me to change it of my accord. I only follow that which is inspired in me. Lo! if I disobey my Lord I fear the retribution of an awful Day.
SHAKIR: And when Our clear communications are recited to them, those who hope not for Our meeting say: Bring a Quran other than this or change it. Say: It does not beseem me that I should change it of myself; I follow naught but what is revealed to me; surely I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the punishment of a mighty day.
010.016
YUSUFALI: Say: "If Allah had so willed, I should not have rehearsed it to you, nor would He have made it known to you. A whole life-time before this have I tarried amongst you: will ye not then understand?"
PICKTHAL: Say: If Allah had so willed I should not have recited it to you nor would He have made it known to you. I dwelt among you a whole lifetime before it (came to me). Have ye then no sense?
SHAKIR: Say: If Allah had desired (otherwise) I would not have recited it to you, nor would He have taught it to you; indeed I have lived a lifetime among you before it; do you not then understand?
010.017
YUSUFALI: Who doth more wrong than such as forge a lie against Allah, or deny His Signs? But never will prosper those who sin.
PICKTHAL: Who doeth greater wrong than he who inventeth a lie concerning Allah and denieth His revelations? Lo! the guilty never are successful.
SHAKIR: Who is then more unjust than who forges a lie against Allah or (who) gives the lie to His communications? Surely the guilty shall not be successful.
010.018
YUSUFALI: They serve, besides Allah, things that hurt them not nor profit them, and they say: "These are our intercessors with Allah." Say: "Do ye indeed inform Allah of something He knows not, in the heavens or on earth?- Glory to Him! and far is He above the partners they ascribe (to Him)!"
PICKTHAL: They worship beside Allah that which neither hurteth them nor profiteth them, and they say: These are our intercessors with Allah. Say: Would ye inform Allah of (something) that He knoweth not in the heavens or in the earth? Praised be He and High Exalted above all that ye associate (with Him)!
SHAKIR: And they serve beside Allah what can neither harm them nor profit them, and they say: These are our intercessors with Allah. Say: Do you (presume to) inform Allah of what He knows not in the heavens and the earth? Glory be to Him, and supremely exalted is He above what they set up (with Him).
010.019
YUSUFALI: Mankind was but one nation, but differed (later). Had it not been for a word that went forth before from thy Lord, their differences would have been settled between them.
PICKTHAL: Mankind were but one community; then they differed; and had it not been for a word that had already gone forth from thy Lord it had been judged between them in respect of that wherein they differ.
SHAKIR: And people are naught but a single nation, so they disagree; and had not a word already gone forth from your Lord, the matter would have certainly been decided between them in respect of that concerning which they disagree.
010.020
YUSUFALI: They say: "Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?" Say: "The Unseen is only for Allah (to know), then wait ye: I too will wait with you."
PICKTHAL: And they will say: If only a portent were sent down upon him from his Lord! Then say, (O Muhammad): The Unseen belongeth to Allah. So wait! Lo! I am waiting with you.
SHAKIR: And they say: Why is not a sign sent to him from his Lord? Say: The unseen is only for Allah; therefore wait-- surely I too, with you am of those who wait.
 

Section 3.

10 : 21

21. Wa-itha athaqna alnnasa rahmatan min baAAdi darraa massat-hum itha lahum makrun fee ayatina quli Allahu asraAAu makran inna rusulana yaktuboona ma tamkuroona

Whenever We give mankind a taste of Our mercy after they suffered a set-back, they begin to hatch their plots against Our revelations. Say to them : 'Allah is more swift at plotting!'  Verily Our messengers are recording all your cabals!'

(The reference is to the seven successive years of drought inflicted on the Meccans in retaliation for their abhorrence of the preaching of the Prophet, which had a devastating effect upon their general well being and economy, resulting in loss of life, of crops and cattle. It did bring them to their knees and forced them into relaxing their persecution of the believers, but as soon as a gesture of mercy was shown by the Lord and the drought receded, the rains came, the land revived, the crops flourished, their warehouses inundated with grain stocks and their trade picked up momentum, they forgot all about their tribulations of the recent past and returned to their old ways, so clearly reminiscent of others before them who had done the same thing and fallen foul of Allah's retribution.

Towards the end, the verse contains a dire warning that their evil ways cannot escape the attention of their guardian angels who are constantly keeping a written record of their evil deeds, nor would they escape the attention of their Lord who is also constantly watching them!)

10 : 22

22. Huwa allathee yusayyirukum fee albarri waalbahri hatta itha kuntum fee alfulki wajarayna bihim bireehin tayyibatin wafarihoo biha jaat-ha reehun AAasifun wajaahumu almawju min kulli makanin wathannoo annahum oheeta bihim daAAawoo Allaha mukhliseena lahu alddeena la-in anjaytana min hathihi lanakoonanna mina alshshakireena

He it is Who enables you to travel on the land and on the oceans; and when you board the ships and they set sail in favourable winds, you are happy; but as soon as a stormy squall arrives and the hostile waves surround you on all sides and you feel threatened, you appeal to Allah for help, making your faith pure for Him alone, saying : 'If You deliver us from this, then verily we will be forever grateful to You!'

10 : 23

23. Falamma anjahum itha hum yabghoona fee al-ardi bighayri alhaqqi ya ayyuha alnnasu innama baghyukum AAala anfusikum mataAAa alhayati alddunya thumma ilayna marjiAAukum fanunabbi-okum bima kuntum taAAmaloona

Yet when He delivers them, they at once resort to unjustifiable persecution in the land. O mankind! Your persecution is a toll upon your own souls! Enjoy the comforts of this life while they last, for thereafter your returning is to Us and We shall recount to you all that you used to do!

(In the above verses Allah warns man never to become boastful of his ingenuity which enabled him to build lofty ships that conquer the oceans and travel from one corner of the earth to another because his versatile brain is also a gift of Allah given to him out of His Grace, but to remember that, no matter how sturdy the vessels he designed, how well built and how well equipped, how effectively powered and how expertly navigated, how cautiously controlled and how skilfully manoeuvred, they will always be at the mercy of the elements, the strength of the waves, the direction of the winds, the whims of the whirlpools, the ferocity of the storms, the chaos of the doldrums, - beyond the control of man but subservient to none but their Lord! When the tide turns against the ship, the waves heave and toss it around as if it were a toy built of straw, the oceanic winds rage and drive it off course, the hapless traveller goes down on his knees, begging His Lord for deliverance, in humble submission to His will and in total surrender to His Might, no longer the innovator, no longer the engineer, no longer the navigator!)

10 : 24

24. Innama mathalu alhayati alddunya kama-in anzalnahu mina alssama-i faikhtalata bihi nabatu al-ardi mimma ya/kulu alnnasu waal-anAAamu hatta itha akhathati al-ardu zukhrufaha waizzayyanat wathanna ahluha annahum qadiroona AAalayha ataha amruna laylan aw naharan fajaAAalnaha haseedan kaan lam taghna bial-amsi kathalika nufassilu al-ayati liqawmin yatafakkaroona 

The semblance of life of this world is similar to the water We send down from sky because of which the earth grows everything consumed by humans and beasts in great profusion; but as soon as the earth has put on her ornaments and embellished herself, and her owners think they have subdued her, a Command comes forth from Us either by night or by day and We reduce it into a field the harvest of which has already been reaped, as if it had never flourished on the previous day! And thus do We elucidate our revelations for people who introspect!

(The similitude contained in this verse is aimed at people who are so totally wrapped up in the terrestrial comforts that they have no time for the longer lasting and more enduring rewards of the Hereafter, giving them a stark reminder that life here is nothing more than a shadowy illusion which disappears without trace as soon as the glare of reality switches itself on. Just like a harvest on the brink of being reaped could so easily be destroyed without a trace by an unexpected whirlwind or a random hailstorm, leaving behind it not even any vague vestiges of its erstwhile glamour, the transient luxuries of the life of this world also stand on fragile foundations that cannot withstand the toll of time!

Note how the warning given to man in verse 23 about the state of affairs on water is echoed once again in this verse, concerning the state of affairs on land, to the effect that, no matter how hard man tries to raise a good harvest from his crops or a bumper yield from his gardens; no matter how consistently he energizes his land with fertilizers or how regularly he irrigates it, it takes no more than just a passing storm or an unexpected twister or a random flood to raze it to the ground on the eve of reaping his harvest and wipe it out without any trace, - stirred up by the forces of nature at the behest of Allah!)

10 : 25

25. WaAllahu yadAAoo ila dari alssalami wayahdee man yashao ila siratin mustaqeemin

Allah beckons you towards the threshold of peace and guides whom He will on to the righteous path!

(The reminder contained in verse 24 about the short-lived comforts of this life is followed up in the above verse by reiterating that Allah invites mankind towards the threshold of peace, - which obviously implies the Abode of the Hereafter, filled with comforts and bliss that never come to an end, - and promises that He will lead towards it only those whom He will, leaving the initiative in our hands that if we aspire to enter it, then we should make ourselves worthy of His attention!)

10 : 26

26. Lillatheena ahsanoo alhusna waziyadatun wala yarhaqu wujoohahum qatarun wala thillatun ola-ika as-habu aljannati hum feeha khalidoona

Those who do good, their reward will be good and much more, and their faces will not be tainted with the hue of guilt nor of opprobrium, for they shall inherit paradise and in it shall they abide forever!

10 : 27

27. Waallatheena kasaboo alssayyi-ati jazao sayyi-atin bimithliha watarhaquhum thillatun ma lahum mina Allahi min AAasimin kaannama oghshiyat wujoohuhum qitaAAan mina allayli muthliman ola-ika as-habu alnnari hum feeha khalidoona

But those who amassed evil, the requital for their evil will be its equivalent, and they shall be trounced with shame and they shall have no one to protect them against Allah and their faces shall look as though they are veiled by the ebony of the dark night, for they shall inherit hell and in it shall they abide forever!

(The above verses are in conformity with the ethos of the Qur'aan which places the rewards for the righteous alongside punishment for the evil for purposes of comparison and contrast, making it crystal clear that whilst the reward for the virtuous will be much more than what they earned, - a significant gesture of generosity by the most Compassionate of all, - the punishment for the wicked will be equal to the evil they perpetrated, - a significant gesture of equity by the most Dispassionate of all!

According to a 'Hadith' of our blessed Prophet, after the righteous have been entered in the Garden as a reward for their seemly deeds, Allah will ask : 'Is there anything else you cherish?' The dwellers of the Garden will say to Him : 'O our Lord! Have You not given us radiant faces? Have You not blessed us with the Everlasting Abode? Have You not averted from us the torment of Fire? What more can we ask for!! - at which point, the curtain will rise and reveal the Lord Himself to the worshipful eyes of His guests, - the richest of rewards which surpasses every other reward gained!)
 

10 : 28

28. Wayawma nahshuruhum jameeAAan thumma naqoolu lillatheena ashrakoo makanakum antum washurakaokum fazayyalna baynahum waqala shurakaohum ma kuntum iyyana taAAbudoona

And on the Day when We raise the dead, We will say to those who ascribed partners to Us : 'Stay where you are - you and the partners you ascribed to Us!' And when We segregate them from the (believers) their pretentious partners will say to them : 'You never worshipped us! -

10 : 29

29. Fakafa biAllahi shaheedan baynana wabaynakum in kunna AAan AAibadatikum laghafileena

'Allah suffices as a witness between us and you that we were never aware of having been worshipped by you!'

(The false deities mentioned in this verse do refer to the idols carved in stone by man's own hand and worshipped as gods in the place of Allah, but there are many others whom men have deified either out of sheer ignorance or out of excessive reverence, such as angels, oracles, sages, saints, holy men, i.e., Rishis, Maharshis, Dalai Lamas, Saibabas and others, not to mention Jesus himself whom the Christians have turned into a symbol of worship and put him on the pedestal of Gods. When they are brought before the Lord on the Day of Judgement and questioned, not only will they put a safe distance between themselves and their alleged worshippers, they will also deny any knowledge of having been apotheosised, naming Allah Himself to be a witness for them).

10 : 30

30. Hunalika tabloo kullu nafsin ma aslafat waruddoo ila Allahi mawlahumu alhaqqi wadalla AAanhum ma kanoo yaftaroona  

Here is where every soul will confront that which it performed in the past, after they are returned to Allah, who is their truthful Lord, and whatever they fabricated has let them down! (R)

OTHER TRANSLATIONS BY MUHSIN, YUSUFALI, PICKTHAL AND SHAKIR:

MUHSIN:

21. And when We let mankind taste of mercy after some adversity has afflicted them, behold! They take to plotting against Our Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.)! Say: "Allâh is more Swift in planning!" Certainly, Our Messengers (angels) record all of that which you plot.^[]

22. He it is Who enables you to travel through land and sea, till when you are in the ships and they sail with them with a favourable wind, and they are glad therein, then comes a stormy wind and the waves come to them from all sides, and they think that they are encircled therein, they invoke Allâh, making their Faith pure for Him Alone, saying: "If You (Allâh) deliver us from this, we shall truly be of the grateful."^[]

23. But when He delivered them, behold! They rebel (disobey Allâh) in the earth wrongfully. O mankind! Your rebellion (disobedience to Allâh) is only against your ownselves, - a brief enjoyment of this worldly life, then (in the end) unto Us is your return, and We shall inform you that which you used to do.

24. Verily the likeness of (this) worldly life is as the water (rain) which We send down from the sky, so by it arises the intermingled produce of the earth of which men and cattle eat until when the earth is clad with its adornments and is beautified, and its people think that they have all the powers of disposal over it, Our Command reaches it by night or by day and We make it like a clean-mown harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday! Thus do We explain the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, laws, etc.) in detail for the people who reflect.

25. Allâh calls to the home of peace (i.e. Paradise, by accepting Allâh's religion of Islâmic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds and abstaining from polytheism and evil deeds) and guides whom He wills to a Straight Path.

26. For those who have done good is the best (reward, i.e. Paradise) and even more (i.e. having the honour of glancing at the Countenance of Allâh Ìá ÌáÇáå) Neither darkness nor dust nor any humiliating disgrace shall cover their faces. They are the dwellers of Paradise, they will abide therein forever.

27. And those who have earned evil deeds, the recompense of an evil deed is the like thereof, and humiliating disgrace will cover them (their faces). No defender will they have from Allâh. Their faces will be covered, as it were, with pieces from the darkness of night. They are dwellers of the Fire, they will abide therein forever.

28. And the Day whereon We shall gather them all together, then We shall say to those who did set partners in worship with Us: "Stop at your place! You and your partners (whom you had worshipped in the worldly life)." then We shall separate them, and their (Allâh's so-called) partners shall say: "It was not us that you used to worship."

29. "So sufficient is Allâh for a witness between us and you, that We indeed knew nothing of your worship of us."

30. There! Every person will know (exactly) what (all) he had earned before, and they will be brought back to Allâh, their rightful Lord (Maula), and their invented false deities will vanish from them.

010.021
YUSUFALI: When We make mankind taste of some mercy after adversity hath touched them, behold! they take to plotting against Our Signs! Say: "Swifter to plan is Allah!" Verily, Our messengers record all the plots that ye make!
PICKTHAL: And when We cause mankind to taste of mercy after some adversity which had afflicted them, behold! they have some plot against Our revelations. Say: Allah is more swift in plotting. Lo! Our messengers write down that which ye plot.
SHAKIR: And when We make people taste of mercy after an affliction touches them, lo ! they devise plans against Our communication. Say: Allah is quicker to plan; surely Our messengers write down what you plan.
010.022
YUSUFALI: He it is Who enableth you to traverse through land and sea; so that ye even board ships;- they sail with them with a favourable wind, and they rejoice thereat; then comes a stormy wind and the waves come to them from all sides, and they think they are being overwhelmed: they cry unto Allah, sincerely offering (their) duty unto Him saying, "If thou dost deliver us from this, we shall truly show our gratitude!"
PICKTHAL: He it is Who maketh you to go on the land and the sea till, when ye are in the ships and they sail with them with a fair breeze and they are glad therein, a storm-wind reacheth them and the wave cometh unto them from every side and they deem that they are overwhelmed therein; (then) they cry unto Allah, making their faith pure for Him only: If Thou deliver us from this, we truly will be of the thankful.
SHAKIR: He it is Who makes you travel by land and sea; until when you are in the ships, and they sail on with them in a pleasant breeze, and they rejoice, a violent wind overtakes them and the billows surge in on them from all sides, and they become certain that they are encompassed about, they pray to Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience: If Thou dost deliver us from this, we will most certainly be of the grateful ones.
010.023
YUSUFALI: But when he delivereth them, behold! they transgress insolently through the earth in defiance of right! O mankind! your insolence is against your own souls,- an enjoyment of the life of the present: in the end, to Us is your return, and We shall show you the truth of all that ye did.
PICKTHAL: Yet when He hath delivered them, behold! they rebel in the earth wrongfully. O mankind! Your rebellion is only against yourselves. (Ye have) enjoyment of the life of the world; then unto Us is your return and We shall proclaim unto you what ye used to do.
SHAKIR: But when He delivers them, lo! they are unjustly rebellious in the earth. O men! your rebellion is against your own souls-- provision (only) of this world's life-- then to Us shall be your return, so We will inform you of what you did.
010.024
YUSUFALI: The likeness of the life of the present is as the rain which We send down from the skies: by its mingling arises the produce of the earth- which provides food for men and animals: (It grows) till the earth is clad with its golden ornaments and is decked out (in beauty): the people to whom it belongs think they have all powers of disposal over it: There reaches it Our command by night or by day, and We make it like a harvest clean-mown, as if it had not flourished only the day before! thus do We explain the Signs in detail for those who reflect.
PICKTHAL: The similitude of the life of the world is only as water which We send down from the sky, then the earth's growth of that which men and cattle eat mingleth with it till, when the earth hath taken on her ornaments and is embellished, and her people deem that they are masters of her, Our commandment cometh by night or by day and We make it as reaped corn as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do we expound the revelations for people who reflect.
SHAKIR: The likeness of this world's life is only as water which We send down from the cloud, then the herbage of the earth of which men and cattle eat grows luxuriantly thereby, until when the earth puts on its golden raiment and it becomes garnished, and its people think that they have power over it, Our command comes to it, by night or by day, so We render it as reaped seed; produce, as though it had not been in existence yesterday; thus do We make clear the communications for a people who reflect.
010.025
YUSUFALI: But Allah doth call to the Home of Peace: He doth guide whom He pleaseth to a way that is straight.
PICKTHAL: And Allah summoneth to the abode of peace, and leadeth whom He will to a straight path.
SHAKIR: And Allah invites to the abode of peace and guides whom He pleases into the right path.
010.026
YUSUFALI: To those who do right is a goodly (reward)- Yea, more (than in measure)! No darkness nor shame shall cover their faces! they are companions of the garden; they will abide therein (for aye)!
PICKTHAL: For those who do good is the best (reward) and more (thereto). Neither dust nor ignominy cometh near their faces. Such are rightful owners of the Garden; they will abide therein.
SHAKIR: For those who do good is good (reward) and more (than this); and blackness or ignominy shall not cover their faces; these are the dwellers of the garden; in it they shall abide.
010.027
YUSUFALI: But those who have earned evil will have a reward of like evil: ignominy will cover their (faces): No defender will they have from (the wrath of) Allah: Their faces will be covered, as it were, with pieces from the depth of the darkness of night: they are companions of the Fire: they will abide therein (for aye)!
PICKTHAL: And those who earn ill-deeds, (for them) requital of each ill-deed by the like thereof; and ignominy overtaketh them - They have no protector from Allah - as if their faces had been covered with a cloak of darkest night. Such are rightful owners of the Fire; they will abide therein.
SHAKIR: And (as for) those who have earned evil, the punishment of an evil is the like of it, and abasement shall come upon them-- they shall have none to protect them from Allah-- as if their faces had been covered with slices of the dense darkness of night; these are the inmates of the fire; in it they shall abide.
010.028
YUSUFALI: One day shall We gather them all together. Then shall We say to those who joined gods (with Us): "To your place! ye and those ye joined as 'partners' We shall separate them, and their "Partners" shall say: "It was not us that ye worshipped!
PICKTHAL: On the day when We gather them all together, then We say unto those who ascribed partners (unto Us): Stand back, ye and your (pretended) partners (of Allah)! And We separate them, the one from the other, and their (pretended) partners say: It was not us ye worshipped.
SHAKIR: And on the day when We will gather them all together, then We will say to those who associated others (with Allah): Keep where you are, you and your associates; then We shall separate them widely one from another and their associates would say: It was not us that you served:
010.029
YUSUFALI: "Enough is Allah for a witness between us and you: we certainly knew nothing of your worship of us!"
PICKTHAL: Allah sufficeth as a witness between us and you, that we were unaware of your worship.
SHAKIR: Therefore Allah is sufficient as a witness between us and you that we were quite unaware of your serving (us).
010.030
YUSUFALI: There will every soul prove (the fruits of) the deeds it sent before: they will be brought back to Allah their rightful Lord, and their invented falsehoods will leave them in the lurch.
PICKTHAL: There doth every soul experience that which it did aforetime, and they are returned unto Allah, their rightful Lord, and that which they used to invent hath failed them.
SHAKIR: There shall every soul become acquainted with what it sent before, and they shall be brought back to Allah, their true Patron, and what they devised shall escape from them.
 

Section 4.

10 : 31

31. Qul man yarzuqukum mina alssama-i waal-ardi amman yamliku alssamAAa waal-absara waman yukhriju alhayya mina almayyiti wayukhriju almayyita mina alhayyi waman yudabbiru al-amra fasayaqooloona Allahu faqul afala tattaqoona

Say to them (O Mohammed) : 'Who is it that provides for you from the sky and from the earth? To whom do your ears and your eyes belong? Who brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living? And who orchestrates the scheme of all the events?' They are bound to say : 'Allah!' So say to them : 'Why then do you not revere Him?'

(Who sends down life bearing rain water from above and life supporting vegetation from below? Who brings forth man from a drop of seed and a drop of seed from man? Who brings forth the bird from the egg and the egg from the bird? Stretching the same logic farther, who brings forth a believer who is thriving with life from a disbeliever who is as good or dead; the literate from the illiterate; the sagacious from the ignoramus and vice versa? Allah and none but Allah!)

10 : 32

32. Fathalikumu Allahu rabbukumu alhaqqu famatha baAAda alhaqqi illa alddalalu faanna tusrafoona

Such is Allah, your rightful Lord! What else is there beyond this truth except error? Why then are you turning away?

10 : 33

33. Kathalika haqqat kalimatu rabbika AAala allatheena fasaqoo annahum la yu/minoona

Thus is the word of your Lord vindicated about those who commit error that they will never believe!

10 : 34

34. Qul hal min shuraka-ikum man yabdao alkhalqa thumma yuAAeeduhu quli Allahu yabdao alkhalqa thumma yuAAeeduhu faanna tu/fakoona

Say to them : 'Are you aware of one out of the Partners you ascribe to Allah who can produce this Creation and then reproduce it after its extinction?' and then say to them : 'Allah produced this Creation and He will reproduce it again after its extinction!' Why then are you turning away from Him?

10 : 35

35. Qul hal min shuraka-ikum man yahdee ila alhaqqi quli Allahu yahdee lilhaqqi afaman yahdee ila alhaqqi ahaqqu an yuttabaAAa amman la yahiddee illa an yuhda fama lakum kayfa tahkumoona

Say to them : 'Are you aware of one out of these Partners you ascribe who can guide you to the Truth?' then say : 'Allah can guide you to the Truth!' Is He who can guide you to the Truth more deserving that He be followed or he who cannot guide himself but relies on others to guide him?

10 : 36

36. Wama yattabiAAu aktharuhum illa thannan inna alththanna la yughnee mina alhaqqi shay-an inna Allaha AAaleemun bima yafAAaloona

Most of them do not follow any course other than conjecture although conjecture can never be a substitute for Truth! Verily Allah is cognizant of all their deeds!

(The above verses contain a series of arguments to convince the inherently erroneous men and women who renounce Allah in favour of the impotent deities they have made with their own hands or elevated to the status of Divinity by their own free will or for their own good reasons that their devotion is ill placed and that their faith in them is blind by drawing sharp comparisons between the Real and the fake, the True and the false, the Omnipotent and the impotent; between Him Who brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living; Who devices and conducts the scheme of things without moving from His Throne; Who has blessed man with his vital organs and given him his daily bread; Who has produced creation in a matter of days and will reproduce it all over again after its extinction and Who guides mankind towards the Truth, - and them who have no authority to create, no ability to guide, no strength to move, no voice to intervene, no power to intercede, no share in the Divine Kingdom of Allah and no status of any kind whatsoever!)

10 : 37

37. Wama kana hatha alqur-anu an yuftara min dooni Allahi walakin tasdeeqa allathee bayna yadayhi watafseela alkitabi la rayba feehi min rabbi alAAalameena

The Qur'aan is not a Tractate that could be concocted by anyone without its having been revealed by Allah! Not only does it confirm the previous revelations but it also elucidates everything recorded in the Book of Decrees for all mankind. There is no question of doubt that it is a revelation from the Lord of the Worlds!

10 : 38

38. Am yaqooloona iftarahu qul fa/too bisooratin mithlihi waodAAoo mani istataAAtum min dooni Allahi in kuntum sadiqeena

Or do they say : 'He has made it all up?'  Say to them : 'Then you make up one single verse similar to it and bring with you anyone other than Allah to vouch for it, if you are truthful!'

10 : 39

39. Bal kaththaboo bima lam yuheetoo biAAilmihi walamma ya/tihim ta/weeluhu kathalika kaththaba allatheena min qablihim faonthur kayfa kana AAaqibatu alththalimeena

But nay! They have repudiated it because they could not comprehend the erudition contained in it nor have they encountered the consequences of repudiation! Others before them also repudiated it so behold the grim consequences that befell them!

(Verses 37 to 39 aim to repudiate the persistent imputations which the disbelievers of Mecca used to level against the Qur'aan that it was a man-made concoction prepared by the Prophet in collusion with certain anonymous pedagogues of Jewish and Christian persuasion by reviving the challenge so often made in it to produce a single verse comparable to it in substance, in standard, in style, in span, in spirituality, in proclivity and in propensity. But no one ever did; no one came forward to claim any share in the laurels which the Prophet gathered on the strength of the Qur'aan, much less a share in his phenomenal success, or in the fruits which the tree of faith planted by him bore, or in the kingdom without frontiers which he established at His behest!

Apart from the unique distinction of the Qur'aan on its own merits, there are many compelling arguments why it could not have been a product of human endeavour or an outcome of conspiracy hatched by people in order to execute a hidden agenda. We should remember that, when Allah chose Moses to be His messenger and sent him to Pharaoh to deliver the Children of Israel from his clutches, He did not arm him with the Torah to accomplish his mission; He armed him with a Sceptre with which he could create visual illusions to subdue his adversaries in a contest that was enacted within the relatively limited perimeters of the Egyptian Royal Court; He armed him with a hand that emitted glow to overwhelm a small proportion of the Egyptian populace who had assembled in its galleries as spectators to watch the show. The Ten Commandments of Allah came later; they were revealed to him for teaching his people the academics of right and wrong; they were intended to be distinct milestones on the road to spiritual emancipation; their objective was to lay the foundation stones for the framework on which a free and unencumbered Israeli community was to re-structure itself in the future.

In the case of Jesus too the situation was more or less similar; when Allah chose him as His messenger and entrusted him with the responsibility of retrieving the Children of Israel who had strayed away from the righteous path, He did not arm him with the Gospel; he armed him with the power to raise the dead, to cure the blind and to heal the lepers by the Will and Command of Allah; he armed him with a tongue so sweet that he could move even the stone hearted to tears with his inspirational sermons; He armed  him with a temperament so endearing that he could turn his worst of enemies into his best of friends; He armed him with a behaviour so disarming that it inspired empathy in all those who surrounded him; his birth to the Blessed Virgin was in itself a miracle which made him unique amongst the whole of mankind.  The Gospel arrived later; it was revealed to him to lead mankind out of darkness and into light; to teach those who believed in him how to attain the propinquity of their Lord and to impress upon them that tolerance is better than inflexibility; that forgiveness is more desirable than being vindictive; that turning the other cheek is quite often more forceful than hitting back.

But in the case of the blessed Prophet the situation was entirely different. Born in an Arabian tribe which had little else to boast about other then a good social standing and modest means of livelihood, orphaned at a young age and brought up by his uncle who could afford to give him very little except a decent upbringing, he had never sat face to face with a teacher ins a class-room in his entire life on account of which his horizons had narrowed and his potential was curbed. That was why, when the Archangel visited him for the first time while he sat meditating in the Cave of Hira saying : 'Read! In the name of your Lord Who created!' he could not believe his eyes and thought he was hexed or that it was all some sort of an optical delusion because, whatever be the rest of his virtues, reading and writing was not one of them!

Unlike Moses and Jesus who received the Torah and the Gospel after they had already made a mark upon their folks, the Prophet was given the Qur'aan first before he could even recite it and then asked to preach it to an increasingly hostile community midst whom he lived. It not only included the powerful idolaters of Mecca who were obsessed with their idols, but also the Jews and the Christians who resented being labelled as Peoples of the Scriptures who had gone astray and needed to be 'Reminded' of their past and 'warned' about their future! Among them were men of letters, men of wisdom and of knowledge who surpassed the limited knowledge of the Prophet, brought to him by the Archangel through periodic Divine revelations. For him, the Qur'aan was a weapon with which to fight them as well as a shield to defend himself. It was his only miracle, his only recourse, his only proof and his only portent. It enabled him to respond effectively when he was grilled by the combined opposition in matters beyond the scope of his knowledge; it enabled him to win every argument raised in order to prevaricate him and his new religion; it enabled him to win the hearts of those who saw the sense in what he preached and inclined towards him; it enabled him to win the battles which he had to wage in order to put across his message; it enabled him to make new friends, to silence old adversaries, to promote the Cause of Allah, to propagate His religion, to perpetuate His worship and to promulgate His ordinances.

Were it not for its Divine pervasion, its profusion, its profundity, its magnitude, its erudition, its vast dimensions and its incontrovertible inferences, no mortal could by himself have accomplished what the Prophet accomplished! The pure religion of Allah, first launched by its precursor Abraham, re-established by the Last Prophet of Allah as Al-Islam, rose tall on the firm foundations of true faith, stretched beyond the frontiers of the Great Desert and took its rightful place alongside its sister religions of Judaism and Christianity and has since flourished and prospered as one out of the three religions based upon Divine Revelations beyond any question of doubt.

No doubt, there are those who try to put a blemish upon the priceless pearls of Wisdom that have been sewn together into this spectacular garland called the Qur'aan that it is an aberration of the Scriptures which preceded it, or that it emulates the principles already contained in them, or that it borrows the 'tales of men of old' which have already been narrated in them and is therefore superficial. Far from it, the Holy Qur'aan confirms their contents, complements and consummates them, and wherever the 'hand of man' has been used for altering the 'word of God', it supersedes and overtakes them.

As for those who reject it regardless, they do so because their limited comprehension prevents them from grasping its meaning; their minds have no span to encompass its intensity and their eyes have no vision to perceive its extensity. In their share is the same plight as had fallen into the share of others before them who suffered from similar limitations and paid the penalties accruing from their ignorance!)
 

10 : 40

40. Waminhum man yu/minu bihi waminhum man la yu/minu bihi warabbuka aAAlamu bialmufsideena

And among them is he who believes in it and among them is he who does not believe in it and your Lord is well aware of those who create the rifts! (R)

OTHER TRANSLATIONS BY MUHSIN, YUSUFALI, PICKTHAL AND SHAKIR:

MUHSIN:

 31. Say (O MuhammadSAW ): "Who provides for you from the sky and from the earth? Or who owns hearing and sight? And who brings out the living from the dead and brings out the dead from the living? And who disposes the affairs?" They will say: "Allâh." Say: "Will you not then be afraid of Allâh's Punishment (for setting up rivals in worship with Allâh)?"

32. Such is Allâh, your Lord in truth. So after the truth, what else can there be, save error? How then are you turned away?

33. Thus is the Word of your Lord justified against those who rebel (disobey Allâh) that they will not believe (in the Oneness of Allâh and in Muhammad SAW as the Messenger of Allâh).

34. Say: "Is there of your (Allâh's so-called) partners one that originates the creation and then repeats it?" Say: "Allâh originates the creation and then He repeats it. Then how are you deluded away (from the truth)?"

35. Say: "Is there of your (Allâh's so-called) partners one that guides to the truth?" Say: "It is Allâh Who guides to the truth. Is then He, Who gives guidance to the truth, more worthy to be followed, or he who finds not guidance (himself) unless he is guided? Then, what is the matter with you? How judge you?"

36. And most of them follow nothing but conjecture. Certainly, conjecture can be of no avail against the truth. Surely, Allâh is All-Aware of what they do.

37. And this Qur'ân is not such as could ever be produced by other than Allâh (Lord of the heavens and the earth), but it is a confirmation of (the revelation)^[] which was before it [i.e. the Taurât (Torah), and the Injeel (Gospel), etc.], and a full explanation of the Book (i.e. laws and orders, etc, decreed for mankind) - wherein there is no doubt from the the Lord of the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinns,and all that exists).

38. Or do they say: "He (Muhammad SAW) has forged it?" Say: "Bring then a Sûrah (chapter) like unto it, and call upon whomsoever you can, besides Allâh, if you are truthful!"

39. Nay, they deny that; the knowledge whereof they could not compass and whereof the interpretation has not yet come unto them. Thus those before them did deny. Then see what was the end of the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.)!

40. And of them there are some who believe therein, and of them there are some who believe not therein, and your Lord is All-Aware of the Mufsidûn (evil-doers, liars, etc.).

010.031
YUSUFALI: Say: "Who is it that sustains you (in life) from the sky and from the earth? or who is it that has power over hearing and sight? And who is it that brings out the living from the dead and the dead from the living? and who is it that rules and regulates all affairs?" They will soon say, "Allah". Say, "will ye not then show piety (to Him)?"
PICKTHAL: Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Who provideth for you from the sky and the earth, or Who owneth hearing and sight; and Who bringeth forth the living from the dead and bringeth forth the dead from the living; and Who directeth the course? They will say: Allah. Then say: Will ye not then keep your duty (unto Him)?
SHAKIR: Say: Who gives you sustenance from the heaven and the earth? Or Who controls the hearing and the sight? And Who brings forth the living from the dead, and brings forth the dead from the living? And Who regulates the affairs? Then they will say: Allah. Say then: Will you not then guard (against evil)?
010.032
YUSUFALI: Such is Allah, your real Cherisher and Sustainer: apart from truth, what (remains) but error? How then are ye turned away?
PICKTHAL: Such then is Allah, your rightful Lord. After the Truth what is there saving error? How then are ye turned away!
SHAKIR: This then is Allah, your true Lord; and what is there after the truth but error; how are you then turned back?
010.033
YUSUFALI: Thus is the word of thy Lord proved true against those who rebel: Verily they will not believe.
PICKTHAL: Thus is the Word of thy Lord justified concerning those who do wrong: that they believe not.
SHAKIR: Thus does the word of your Lord prove true against those who transgress that they do not believe.
010.034
YUSUFALI: Say: "Of your 'partners', can any originate creation and repeat it?" Say: "It is Allah Who originates creation and repeats it: then how are ye deluded away (from the truth)?"
PICKTHAL: Say: Is there of your partners (whom ye ascribe unto Allah) one that produceth Creation and then reproduceth it? Say: Allah produceth Creation, then reproduceth it. How then, are ye misled!
SHAKIR: Say: Is there any one among your associates who can bring into existence the creation in the first instance, then reproduce it? Say: Allah brings the creation into existence, then He reproduces it; how are you then turned away?
010.035
YUSUFALI: Say: "Of your 'partners' is there any that can give any guidance towards truth?" Say: "It is Allah Who gives guidance towards truth, is then He Who gives guidance to truth more worthy to be followed, or he who finds not guidance (himself) unless he is guided? what then is the matter with you? How judge ye?"
PICKTHAL: Say: Is there of your partners (whom ye ascribe unto Allah) one that leadeth to the Truth? Say: Allah leadeth to the Truth. Is He Who leadeth to the Truth more deserving that He should be followed, or he who findeth not the way unless he (himself) be guided. What aileth you? How judge ye?
SHAKIR: Say: Is there any of your associates who guides to the truth? Say: Allah guides to the truth. Is He then Who guides to the truth more worthy to be followed, or he who himself does not go aright unless he is guided? What then is the matter with you; how do you judge?
010.036
YUSUFALI: But most of them follow nothing but fancy: truly fancy can be of no avail against truth. Verily Allah is well aware of all that they do.
PICKTHAL: Most of them follow not but conjecture. Assuredly conjecture can by no means take the place of truth. Lo! Allah is Aware of what they do.
SHAKIR: And most of them do not follow (anything) but conjecture; surely conjecture will not avail aught against the truth; surely Allah is cognizant of what they do.
010.037
YUSUFALI: This Qur'an is not such as can be produced by other than Allah; on the contrary it is a confirmation of (revelations) that went before it, and a fuller explanation of the Book - wherein there is no doubt - from the Lord of the worlds.
PICKTHAL: And this Qur'an is not such as could ever be invented in despite of Allah; but it is a confirmation of that which was before it and an exposition of that which is decreed for mankind - Therein is no doubt - from the Lord of the Worlds.
SHAKIR: And this Quran is not such as could be forged by those besides Allah, but it is a verification of that which is before it and a clear explanation of the book, there is no doubt in it, from the Lord of the worlds.
010.038
YUSUFALI: Or do they say, "He forged it"? say: "Bring then a Sura like unto it, and call (to your aid) anyone you can besides Allah, if it be ye speak the truth!"
PICKTHAL: Or say they: He hath invented it? Say: Then bring a surah like unto it, and call (for help) on all ye can besides Allah, if ye are truthful.
SHAKIR: Or do they say: He has forged it? Say: Then bring a chapter like this and invite whom you can besides Allah, if you are truthful.
010.039
YUSUFALI: Nay, they charge with falsehood that whose knowledge they cannot compass, even before the elucidation thereof hath reached them: thus did those before them make charges of falsehood: but see what was the end of those who did wrong!
PICKTHAL: Nay, but they denied that, the knowledge whereof they could not compass, and whereof the interpretation (in events) hath not yet come unto them. Even so did those before them deny. Then see what was the consequence for the wrong-doers!
SHAKIR: Nay, they reject that of which they have no comprehensive knowledge, and the final sequel of it has not yet come to them; even thus did those before them reject (the truth); see then what was the end of the unjust.
010.040
YUSUFALI: Of them there are some who believe therein, and some who do not: and thy Lord knoweth best those who are out for mischief.
PICKTHAL: And of them is he who believeth therein, and of them is he who believeth not therein, and thy Lord is Best Aware of the corrupters.
SHAKIR: And of them is he who believes in it, and of them is he who does not believe in it, and your Lord best knows the mischief-makers.
 

 Section 5.

10 : 41

41. Wa-in kaththabooka faqul lee AAamalee walakum AAamalukum antum baree-oona mimma aAAmalu waana baree-on mimma taAAmaloona

And if they refute you say to them : 'In my share is the outcome of my deeds and in your share is the outcome of your deeds; you are not accountable for what I do and I am not accountable for what you do!'

(The above verse contains a straightforward admonition to the Prophet that, even after being so clearly explained everything, if they persisted with their repudiations, let them know that they are answerable to their Lord for their actions and convictions in the same way as he is for his own deeds and his convictions).

10 : 42

42. Waminhum man yastamiAAoona ilayka afaanta tusmiAAu alssumma walaw kanoo la yaAAqiloona

Amongst them are some who lend you an ear. But can you really make the deaf hear, whether or not they understand what you say?

10 : 43

43. Waminhum man yanthuru ilayka afaanta tahdee alAAumya walaw kanoo la yubsiroona

And among them are some who lend you their eyes. But can you really make the blind see, whether or not they have the capacity to follow guidance?

10 : 44

44. Inna Allaha la yathlimu alnnasa shay-an walakinna alnnasa anfusahum yathlimoona

Verily Allah does not wrong mankind in any way; mankind wrong their own souls!

(It takes all kinds of people to make this world! There are some among the Meccans who believe in the Qur'aan; there are others among them who refuse to believe in it; there are some among them who lend him their ear and there are others among them who lend him their eyes, but no one knows what goes on in their minds and in their hearts except Allah! Of what use are their eyes to them, if they contain no vision? Of what use are their ears to them, if their drums are pierced by the ruction of disbelief and inflexibility? No one can make the blind see; no one can make the deaf hear; no one can make the mute speak; no one can enlighten those who refuse to emerge from the voids of ignorance; no one can straighten the path for those who are unable to stand firm on their feet and no one can set up a goal for those whose fate it is to be lost in darkened labyrinths!

It is not Allah who wrongs them; they knowingly resort to evil-doing; they sin because they have no conscience to prevail over their judgement; they stray away in forbidden pastures because they have wilfully parted company from their shepherd; they throw away the opportunities Allah has provided for them to introspect and to ameliorate; they slip and they fall and they make no effort to get back on their feet and thus they wrong themselves!)

10 : 45

45. Wayawma yahshuruhum kaan lam yalbathoo illa saAAatan mina alnnahari yataAAarafoona baynahum qad khasira allatheena kaththaboo biliqa-i Allahi wama kanoo muhtadeena

On the Day when He will raise the dead, it will seem to them as if their sojourn on earth lasted no longer than just one hour of that day! They will recognize each other and will realize that those who refuted a meeting with Allah and did not follow the guidance (were wrong and had) emerged as the worst of losers!

(The above verse contains yet another crystalline glimpse of the state of affairs which would prevail on the Day of Judgement when mankind is raised to face their Lord. When they emerge from graves, shedding the stupor of death and wide awake, it would seem to them that the long life they wasted away in doing just about everything else except the one thing that could have stood them in good stead, - worship of and obedience to Allah - lasted for no more than a handful of moments, which they could have spent wisely and constructively but had thrown away; they would recognize their companions of the past who were their partners in sin; who never gave them the right guidance and let them trounce in wilderness, and realize that those who denied the inevitability of confronting their Lord one Day and ignored guidance have turned out to be the worst of losers)

10 : 46

46. Wa-imma nuriyannaka baAAda allathee naAAiduhum aw natawaffayannaka fa-ilayna marjiAAuhum thumma Allahu shaheedun AAala ma yafAAaloona

And whether We show you (O Mohammed) a glimpse of the castigation promised to them in your lifetime, or We cause you to die before it is shown to you, in any event to Us is their returning and Allah Himself will be a witness to their deeds.

(It can be inferred from this verse that Allah would demonstrate to the Prophet many an example of the chastisement set aside for the disbelievers in retaliation for their evil deeds before his death, - which was evidenced in the famines they suffered, the battles they lost, the blood spilled towards their lost causes, the losses in they incurred in their trade, the betrayals by friends and allies they endured, - as well as the torment of fire on the Day of Resurrection, which he would witness after his death)

10 : 47

47. Walikulli ommatin rasoolun fa-itha jaa rasooluhum qudiya baynahum bialqisti wahum la yuthlamoona

And for every nation there has been a messenger; and on the Day of Judgement when their messengers lead them, they will be adjudicated fairly, and none will be wronged!

(It was a promise of Allah to Adam that from time to time He would send guidance to mankind so that He may reward those who followed it by giving them an Everlasting Abode in the Hereafter and punish those who ignored it with an everlasting torment of the Fire. Hence, whenever mankind strayed too far away from the righteous path, Allah raised a Prophet for every nation from their own midst to retrieve them and bring them back to the path from which they had strayed away, arming them with a variety of portents and signs and miracles to authenticate their credentials and to strengthen them.

According to commentators, the verse means that on the Day of Resurrection, every community will wait behind their respective messengers appointed by Allah to deliver to them His message, and after their messengers vouchsafe to Him who followed it and who repudiated it, they will be dealt with accordingly and no one shall be wronged)

*    *    *

Context of Revelation : The following verses were revealed when the disbelievers dared the Prophet to bring on the punishment of which he had been warning them or to name the date on which it was supposed to land.

10 : 48

48. Wayaqooloona mata hatha alwaAAdu in kuntum sadiqeena

They say : 'When will this promise of punishment come to pass, if you are truthful?'

10 : 49

49. Qul la amliku linafsee darran wala nafAAan illa ma shaa Allahu likulli ommatin ajalun itha jaa ajaluhum fala yasta/khiroona saAAatan wala yastaqdimoona

Say to them : 'I have no power to harm myself nor benefit myself save that which Allah wills! Every nation has an appointed term; and when that term runs out, no one will be able to take it backwards nor bring it forwards by a fraction of a moment!

10 : 50

50. Qul araaytum in atakum AAathabuhu bayatan aw naharan matha yastaAAjilu minhu almujrimoona

Say to them : 'Tell me this : When His chastisement catches up with you during the quiet night or during the hectic day, what is its redeeming feature which makes those who err want to hasten it on?

10 : 51

51. Athumma itha ma waqaAAa amantum bihi al-ana waqad kuntum bihi tastaAAjiloona

'Is it only after it has landed on you that you would believe it? You will believe it then, when thus far you were hastening it on because you did not believe it?

10 : 52

52. Thumma qeela lillatheena thalamoo thooqoo AAathaba alkhuldi hal tujzawna illa bima kuntum taksiboona

Then will the repudiators be told : 'Taste now the flavour of lasting torment, for you will not be requited for anything other than that which you yourself earned!

10 : 53

53. Wayastanbi-oonaka ahaqqun huwa qul ee warabbee innahu lahaqqun wama antum bimuAAjizeen

And then will they ask you : 'Is this for real? ' Say : 'By my Lord! Verily it is for real and you shall not avert it! (R)

(The audacity of disbelievers in asking the Prophet the spurious questions stemmed from the revelation in verse 46 that, even if the Prophet passed away before he saw the instances of castigation set aside for disbelievers, he would be shown these on the Day of Judgement without fail.

In response to the challenges, the Prophet was asked to make it clear to them that he had no control over the chain of events which Allah as arranged for His creatures; he has no discretion over determining who is punished and who is absolved; who rise from their graves with radiant faces and who rise with soiled faces; who get the deposition of their deeds in the right hand and who gets it in the left hand; who is hurt and who is spared and who wins and who looses; that a term has been decided by Allah for every nation and already entered in the Book of Decrees which can neither be extended nor curtailed; that when Allah's punishment catches up with them, either by night when they are plunged in slumber or by day when they are engrossed in earning their livelihood, it would do them no good if they believed in it after it arrived. At that stage, once the finalities have been drawn and the judgement is passed, there would be no recourse for them except 'tasting the flavour of lasting torment in retaliation for their deeds).

OTHER TRANSLATIONS BY MUHSIN, YUSUFALI, PICKTHAL AND SHAKIR:

MUHSIN:

41. And if they belie you, say: "For me are my deeds and for you are your deeds! You are innocent of what I do, and I am innocent of what you do!"

42. And among them are some who listen to you, but can you make the deaf to hear, even though they apprehend not?

43. And among them are some who look at you, but can you guide the blind, even though they see not?

44. Truly! Allâh wrongs not mankind in aught; but mankind wrong themselves.

45. And on the Day when He shall gather (resurrect) them together, (it will be) as if they had not stayed (in the life of this world and graves, etc.) but an hour of a day. They will recognise each other. Ruined indeed will be those who denied the meeting with Allâh, and were not guided.

46. Whether We show you (in your lifetime, O Muhammad SAW) some of what We promise them (the torment), - or We cause you to die, - still unto Us is their return, and moreover Allâh is Witness over what they used to do.

47. And for every Ummah (a community or a nation), there is a Messenger; when their Messenger comes, the matter will be judged between them with justice, and they will not be wronged.

48. And they say: "When will be this promise (the torment or the Day of Resurrection), - if you speak the truth?"

49. Say (O Muhammad SAW): "I have no power over any harm or profit to myself except what Allâh may will. For every Ummah (a community or a nation), there is a term appointed; when their term is reached, neither can they delay it nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment)." (Tafsir Al-Qurtubî).

50. Say: "Tell me, - if His torment should come to you by night or by day, - which portion thereof would the Mujrimûn (disbelievers, polytheists, sinners, criminals) hasten on ?"

51. Is it then, that when it has actually befallen, that you will believe in it? What! Now (you believe)? And you used (aforetime) to hasten it on!"

52. Then it will be said to them who wronged themselves: "Taste you the everlasting torment! Are you recompensed (aught) save what you used to earn?"

53. And they ask you (O Muhammad SAW) to inform them (saying): "Is it true (i.e. the torment and the establishment of the Hour; - the Day of Resurrection)?" Say: "Yes! By my Lord! It is the very truth! and you cannot escape from it!"

010.041
YUSUFALI: If they charge thee with falsehood, say: "My work to me, and yours to you! ye are free from responsibility for what I do, and I for what ye do!"
PICKTHAL: And if they deny thee, say: Unto me my work, and unto you your work. Ye are innocent of what I do, and I am innocent of what ye do.
SHAKIR: And if they call you a liar, say: My work is for me and your work for you; you are clear of what I do and I am clear of what you do.
010.042
YUSUFALI: Among them are some who (pretend to) listen to thee: But canst thou make the deaf to hear,- even though they are without understanding?
PICKTHAL: And of them are some who listen unto thee. But canst thou make the deaf to hear even though they apprehend not?
SHAKIR: And there are those of them who hear you, but can you make the deaf to hear though they will not understand?
010.043
YUSUFALI: And among them are some who look at thee: but canst thou guide the blind,- even though they will not see?
PICKTHAL: And of them is he who looketh toward thee. But canst thou guide the blind even though they see not?
SHAKIR: And there are those of them who look at you, but can you show the way to the blind though they will not see?
010.044
YUSUFALI: Verily Allah will not deal unjustly with man in aught: It is man that wrongs his own soul.
PICKTHAL: Lo! Allah wrongeth not mankind in aught; but mankind wrong themselves.
SHAKIR: Surely Allah does not do any injustice to men, but men are unjust to themselves.
010.045
YUSUFALI: One day He will gather them together: (It will be) as if they had tarried but an hour of a day: they will recognise each other: assuredly those will be lost who denied the meeting with Allah and refused to receive true guidance.
PICKTHAL: And on the day when He shall gather them together, (when it will seem) as though they had tarried but an hour of the day, recognising one another, those will verily have perished who denied the meeting with Allah and were not guided.
SHAKIR: And on the day when He will gather them as though they had not stayed but an hour of the day, they will know each other. They will perish indeed who called the meeting with Allah to be a lie, and they are not followers of the right direction.
010.046
YUSUFALI: Whether We show thee (realised in thy life-time) some part of what We promise them,- or We take thy soul (to Our Mercy) (Before that),- in any case, to Us is their return: ultimately Allah is witness, to all that they do.
PICKTHAL: Whether We let thee (O Muhammad) behold something of that which We promise them or (whether We) cause thee to die, still unto Us is their return, and Allah, moreover, is Witness over what they do.
SHAKIR: And if We show you something of what We threaten them with, or cause you to die, yet to Us is their return, and Allah is the bearer of witness to what they do.
010.047
YUSUFALI: To every people (was sent) a messenger: when their messenger comes (before them), the matter will be judged between them with justice, and they will not be wronged.
PICKTHAL: And for every nation there is a messenger. And when their messenger cometh (on the Day of Judgment) it will be judged between them fairly, and they will not be wronged.
SHAKIR: And every nation had a messenger; so when their messenger came, the matter was decided between them with justice and they shall not be dealt with unjustly.
010.048
YUSUFALI: They say: "When will this promise come to pass,- if ye speak the truth?"
PICKTHAL: And they say: When will this promise be fulfilled, if ye are truthful?
SHAKIR: And they say: When will this threat come about, if you are truthful?
010.049
YUSUFALI: Say: "I have no power over any harm or profit to myself except as Allah willeth. To every people is a term appointed: when their term is reached, not an hour can they cause delay, nor (an hour) can they advance (it in anticipation)."
PICKTHAL: Say: I have no power to hurt or benefit myself, save that which Allah willeth. For every nation there is an appointed time. When their time cometh, then they cannot put it off an hour, nor hasten (it).
SHAKIR: Say: I do not control for myself any harm, or any benefit except what Allah pleases; every nation has a term; when their term comes, they shall not then remain behind for an hour, nor can they go before (their time).
010.050
YUSUFALI: Say: "Do ye see,- if His punishment should come to you by night or by day,- what portion of it would the sinners wish to hasten?
PICKTHAL: Say: Have ye thought: When His doom cometh unto you as a raid by night, or in the (busy) day; what is there of it that the guilty ones desire to hasten?
SHAKIR: Say: Tell me if His punishment overtakes you by night or by day! what then is there of it that the guilty would hasten on?
010.051
YUSUFALI: "Would ye then believe in it at last, when it actually cometh to pass? (It will then be said): 'Ah! now? and ye wanted (aforetime) to hasten it on!'
PICKTHAL: Is it (only) then, when it hath befallen you, that ye will believe? What! (Believe) now, when (until now) ye have been hastening it on (through disbelief)?
SHAKIR: And when it comes to pass, will you believe in it? What! now (you believe), and already you wished to have it hastened on.
010.052
YUSUFALI: "At length will be said to the wrong-doers: 'Taste ye the enduring punishment! ye get but the recompense of what ye earned!'"
PICKTHAL: Then will it be said unto those who dealt unjustly Taste the torment of eternity. Are ye requited aught save what ye used to earn?
SHAKIR: Then it shall be said to those who were unjust: Taste abiding chastisement; you are not requited except for what you earned.
010.053
YUSUFALI: They seek to be informed by thee: "Is that true?" Say: "Aye! by my Lord! it is the very truth! and ye cannot frustrate it!"
PICKTHAL: And they ask thee to inform them (saying): Is it true? Say: Yea, by my Lord, verily it is true, and ye cannot escape.
SHAKIR: And they ask you: Is that true? Say: Aye! by my Lord! it is most surely the truth, and you will not escape.

 Section 6.

10 : 54

 54. Walaw anna likulli nafsin thalamat ma fee al-ardi laiftadat bihi waasarroo alnnadamata lamma raawoo alAAathaba waqudiya baynahum bialqisti wahum la yuthlamoona

If to each guilty soul belonged all that which is there on the earth, it would have given away everything in order to reprieve itself! Only when they face retribution do they furtively feel remorse. But by then they would have already been judged with fairness and no one will be wronged!

10 : 55

55. Ala inna lillahi ma fee alssamawati waal-ardi ala inna waAAda Allahi haqqun walakinna aktharahum la yaAAlamoona

Know that to Allah belongs everything in the heavens and on the earth and note that the promise of Allah will surely come to pass, though most of them realize it not!

10 : 56

56. Huwa yuhyee wayumeetu wa-ilayhi turjaAAoona

He it is who bestows life and inflicts death - and to Him is the returning of all!

10 : 57

57. Ya ayyuha alnnasu qad jaatkum mawAAithatun min rabbikum washifaon lima fee alssudoori wahudan warahmatun lilmu/mineena

O mankind! There has come to you from your Lord an incentive, an invigoration for the heart and a guidance and a mercy for those who believe!

(In this verse, which contains an eclectic observation, the spotlight is on the Qur'aan, eulogized as a Divine Tractate containing four important elements for the good of all mankind : an incentive to avoid evil-doing and incline towards righteousness, a healing which cures the heart of its emotional and spiritual diseases, a mercy which purifies the soul and regenerates its essence and a guidance displaying the right sign-boards on the cross-roads of life)

10 : 58

58. Qul bifadli Allahi wabirahmatihi fabithalika falyafrahoo huwa khayrun mimma yajmaAAoona

Say : 'Let them rejoice in Allah's Grace and Mercy, for these are more precious than all the treasures of this world put together!'

(The key word 'Farah' connotes the joy we experience when the most cherished of our aspirations and expectations bear fruit. It is only when we extract such a subliminal level of joy in the gifts of our Lord to us that we realize how precious they truly are in comparison to all the terrestrial treasures surrounding us!

According to some commentators, Allah's grace refers to Islam and His mercy to the Qur'aan, while according to others, His grace refers to the Qur'aan and His mercy to the Ahadith of our Prophet).

10 : 59  

59. Qul araaytum ma anzala Allahu lakum min rizqin fajaAAaltum minhu haraman wahalalan qul allahu athina lakum am AAala Allahi taftaroona

Say to them : 'Has it occurred to you that, of the provisions which Allah has made for you, some you have deemed unlawful and some lawful with your own will?' Say : 'Has Allah given you His consent for it, or wish you to ascribe to Him yet more lies?'

10 : 60

60. Wama thannu allatheena yaftaroona AAala Allahi alkathiba yawma alqiyamati inna Allaha lathoo fadlin AAala alnnasi walakinna aktharahum la yashkuroona  

And what expectations do those who assign a lie to Allah harbour about their wretched plight on the Day of Resurrection? Allah is favourably disposed towards mankind, though most of them do not acknowledge gratitude! (R)

(Although verse 60 refers initially to the customs observed by the Pagan Arabs who used to deem unlawful the cattle they had set free in the names of their idols contrary to the list of lawful and unlawful food as contained in the Qur'aan, or cattle which fell into certain forbidden categories according to their own time-honoured rituals, it has a much wider implication in the lives of modern day Muslims who quite often tend to overlap their own version of what is lawful and unlawful over that which the Qur'aan imposed. For instance, paying interests which has been outlawed by the Qur'aan is gradually becoming a part of our lifestyle in most western countries, albeit out of necessity, because mortgages and hire purchases are unavoidable for buying houses in which we live and other goods we depend upon . Apart from these, Bank loans, overdrafts, Credit Cards, Insurance policies, making videos, watching movies, participating in music performances, in ballroom dancing, women's liberation, performing wudu without removing lipstick and nail varnish, using alcohol based perfumes, taking part in hunger strikes etc., they all go against the very fabric of the preaching of the Qur'aan and are yet becoming standard to our way of life, many of them not falling in the categories of extenuating circumstances and therefore not qualifying for special dispensation.

On the other side of the spectrum, good things such as laying wreaths at the tombs of holy Saints, offering Fateha, giving sweets as a symbolic gesture of goodwill and hospitality, taking part in religious assemblies to commemorate important events such as Miladun Nabi or the martyrdom of many of the Prophet's close family during the Battle of Karbala are quite often treated by certain sections of Muslims as corrupt practices and undesirable deviations.

The verse makes it clear in no uncertain terms that deeming things lawful or unlawful contrary to the teachings of the Qur'aan amounts to blasphemy against Allah and warns those who assign lies to Him of severe consequences on the Day of Resurrection).

OTHER TRANSLATIONS BY MUHSIN, YUSUFALI, PICKTHAL AND SHAKIR:

MUHSIN:

54. And if every person who had wronged (by disbelieving in Allâh and by worshipping others besides Allâh), possessed all that is on earth, and sought to ransom himself therewith (it will not be accepted), and they would feel in their hearts regret when they see the torment, and they will be judged with justice, and no wrong will be done unto them.^[]

55. No doubt, surely, all that is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allâh. No doubt, surely, Allâh's Promise is true. But most of them know not.

56. It is He Who gives life, and causes death, and to Him you (all) shall return.

57. O mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord (i.e. the Qur'an, ordering all that is good and forbidding all that is evil), and a healing for that (disease of ignorance, doubt, hypocrisy and differences, etc.) in your breasts, - a guidance and a mercy (explaining lawful and unlawful things, etc.) for the believers.

58. Say: "In the Bounty of Allâh, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islâm and the Qur'ân); -therein let them rejoice." That is better than what (the wealth) they amass.

59. Say (O Muhammad SAW to these polytheists): "Tell me, what provision Allâh has sent down to you! And you have made of it lawful and unlawful." Say (O Muhammad SAW): "Has Allâh permitted you (to do so), or do you invent a lie against Allâh?"

60. And what think those who invent lies against Allâh, on the Day of Resurrection? [i.e. Do they think that they will be forgiven and excused! Nay, they will have an eternal punishment in the Fire of Hell]. Truly, Allâh is full of Bounty to mankind, but most of them are ungrateful.

010.054
YUSUFALI: Every soul that hath sinned, if it possessed all that is on earth, would fain give it in ransom: They would declare (their) repentance when they see the penalty: but the judgment between them will be with justice, and no wrong will be done unto them.
PICKTHAL: And if each soul that doeth wrong had all that is in the earth it would seek to ransom itself therewith; and they will feel remorse within them, when they see the doom. But it hath been judged between them fairly and they are not wronged.
SHAKIR: And if every soul that has done injustice had all that is in the earth, it would offer it for ransom, and they will manifest regret when they see the chastisement and the matter shall be decided between them with justice and they shall not be dealt with unjustly.
010.055
YUSUFALI: Is it not (the case) that to Allah belongeth whatever is in the heavens and on earth? Is it not (the case) that Allah's promise is assuredly true? Yet most of them understand not.
PICKTHAL: Lo! verily all that is in the heavens and the earth is Allah's. Lo! verily Allah's promise is true. But most of them know not.
SHAKIR: Now surely Allah's is what is in the heavens and the earth; now surely Allah's promise is true, but most of them do not know.
010.056
YUSUFALI: It is He Who giveth life and who taketh it, and to Him shall ye all be brought back.
PICKTHAL: He quickeneth and giveth death, and unto Him ye will be returned.
SHAKIR: He gives life and causes death, and to Him you shall be brought back.
010.057
YUSUFALI: O mankind! there hath come to you a direction from your Lord and a healing for the (diseases) in your hearts,- and for those who believe, a guidance and a Mercy.
PICKTHAL: O mankind! There hath come unto you an exhortation from your Lord, a balm for that which is in the breasts, a guidance and a mercy for believers.
SHAKIR: O men! there has come to you indeed an admonition from your Lord and a healing for what is in the breasts and a guidance and a mercy for the believers.
010.058
YUSUFALI: Say: "In the bounty of Allah. And in His Mercy,- in that let them rejoice": that is better than the (wealth) they hoard.
PICKTHAL: Say: In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy: therein let them rejoice. It is better than what they hoard.
SHAKIR: Say: In the grace of Allah and in His mercy-- in that they should rejoice; it is better than that which they gather.
010.059
YUSUFALI: Say: "See ye what things Allah hath sent down to you for sustenance? Yet ye hold forbidden some things thereof and (some things) lawful." Say: "Hath Allah indeed permitted you, or do ye invent (things) to attribute to Allah?"
PICKTHAL: Say: Have ye considered what provision Allah hath sent down for you, how ye have made of it lawful and unlawful? Hath Allah permitted you, or do ye invent a lie concerning Allah?
SHAKIR: Say: Tell me what Allah has sent down for you of sustenance, then you make (a part) of it unlawful and (a part) lawful. Say: Has Allah commanded you, or do you forge a lie against Allah?
010.060
YUSUFALI: And what think those who invent lies against Allah, of the Day of Judgment? Verily Allah is full of bounty to mankind, but most of them are ungrateful.
PICKTHAL: And what think those who invent a lie concerning Allah (will be their plight) upon the Day of Resurrection? Lo! Allah truly is Bountiful toward mankind, but most of them give not thanks.
SHAKIR: And what will be the thought of those who forge lies against Allah on the day of resurrection? Most surely Allah is the Lord of grace towards men, but most of them do not give thanks.

 
  Section 7.

10 : 61  

 61. Wama takoonu fee sha/nin wama tatloo minhu min qur-anin wala taAAmaloona min AAamalin illa kunna AAalaykum shuhoodan ith tufeedoona feehi wama yaAAzubu AAan rabbika min mithqali tharratin fee al-ardi wala fee alssama-i wala asghara min thalika wala akbara illa fee kitabin mubeenun

And no task which you (O Mohammed) are executing, and no part from this Qur'aan which you are reciting, and no deeds which you (believers) are performing, We bear witness to it while you are engaged in them! And not even an atom's worth upon the earth or in the heavens escapes your Lord,  - not a thing less than that nor a thing more than that, but it is recorded in the Book of Decrees!

(Such is the all pervasive span of our Lord's knowledge that nothing we do, nothing we think, nothing we feel and nothing we speak escapes His attention; if two of us have assembled, He is the third; if four of us have assembled, He is the fifth; He bears witness to the death of an ant which gets trampled underneath our footfalls; He bears witness to the spiders whom we wash down the bathroom sink; He bears witness to the silent conversation which ensues between two secret sweethearts through the medium of their eyes; He bears witness to the lacerations that land on our hearts by the betrayal of our trustworthy friends; He bears witness when we invite a hungry destitute to our house and share a meal with him. There is nothing on the earth nor in the heavens which has been omitted from the Book of Decrees, - nothing big, nothing small, nothing hidden, nothing exposed! He knows everything, He hears everything and is present everywhere! Once we become aware of and acknowledge His Omnipotence, His Omnipresence and His Ubiquity, we have nothing to fear from, nothing to run away from, nothing to evade, nothing to circumvent and nothing to obviate, as is made clear in the next few verses!)

10 : 62  

62. Ala inna awliyaa Allahi la khawfun AAalayhim wala hum yahzanoona

Verily the Friends of Allah are those whom neither fear besets nor grief daunts!

10 : 63

63. Allatheena amanoo wakanoo yattaqoona

For those who are firm in belief and abstemious in disposition, -

10 : 64  

64. Lahumu albushra fee alhayati alddunya wafee al-akhirati la tabdeela likalimati Allahi thalika huwa alfawzu alAAatheemu

There are blithesome tidings in the life of this world as well as in the Hereafter that the dictates of Allah are unalterable!  And that, no doubt, is the ultimate triumph!

(There are many interpretations offered by various commentators about the 'Friends of Allah' mentioned in the above three verses. In the main, these are the believers who have attained the propinquity of Allah through the performance of righteous deeds; whose minds are constantly engrossed in subservience to Him and whose hearts are always aglow with His resplendence. They open their eyes only to see the portents of His Glory reflected in everything they look at; they open their ears only to listen to His words; they open their mouths only to offer praises to Him; they move their limbs only to obey His command; they strive only towards performing the tasks which attain them His propinquity; they never tire of saying His name and they never see anything other than His countenance through their mind's eye! When a believer reaches such a state of total absorption and self-surrender, Allah becomes his Guardian, his Guide and his Protecting friend, and he becomes His Friend.

'The blithesome tidings mentioned in verse 64 refer either to the tidings which Allah has repeatedly asked the Prophet to convey to those who believe in Him and perform seemly deeds about the Everlasting Abode in the Hereafter; or to the inspirational dreams which they are shown because their hearts as well as their souls are constantly engrossed in paying tributes to their Lord, as a prelude to their sojourn in the Garden. While some commentators opine the good news in this life means status and fame conferred upon the Saints by their devotees during their own lifetime, others contend that the good news given to the righteous while they are still alive refers to news of their absolution delivered to them by the Angels who come to gather their souls, and news given to them in the Hereafter is that which the Angels deliver to them about the Garden after their death.

The verse concludes with a summary reassurance to all those who put their trust in Him that His promise to them is unalterable and its outcome the Supreme Triumph).

10 : 65

65. Wala yahzunka qawluhum inna alAAizzata lillahi jameeAAan huwa alssameeAAu alAAaleemu

Let not their affronts distress you (O Mohammed), for verily status belongs wholly to Allah and He hears everything and He knows everything!

10 : 66  

66. Ala inna lillahi man fee alssamawati waman fee al-ardi wama yattabiAAu allatheena yadAAoona min dooni Allahi shurakaa in yattabiAAoona illa alththanna wa-in hum illa yakhrusoona

Verily to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is upon the earth and those who follow the (so-called) partners of Allah, follow nothing but conjecture and pursue nothing but presumptions!

10 : 67

67. Huwa allathee jaAAala lakumu allayla litaskunoo feehi waalnnahara mubsiran inna fee thalika laayatin liqawmin yasmaAAoona

He it is Who has created the darkness of the night for you to sleep in peace and has created the brightness of the day for you to see! Verily there are clear portents in this for those who introspect!

10 : 68

68. Qaloo ittakhatha Allahu waladan subhanahu huwa alghaniyyu lahu ma fee alssamawati wama fee al-ardi in AAindakum min sultanin bihatha ataqooloona AAala Allahi ma la taAAlamoona

They say : 'Allah has begotten for Himself a son!'  Glory be to Him Who transcends the (mundane), for to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and on the earth! You have no warrant for this; dare you impute a thing about Allah of which you have no knowledge?

10 : 69

69. Qul inna allatheena yaftaroona AAala Allahi alkathiba la yuflihoona

Say to them : 'Verily those who impugn Allah with lies will never flourish!

10 : 70

70. MataAAun fee alddunya thumma ilayna marjiAAuhum thumma nutheequhumu alAAathaba alshshadeeda bima kanoo yakfuroona

Theirs is but a portion in the comforts of this life! After that, to Us is their returning when We shall give them a taste of chastisement in retaliation for their agnosticism! (R)

(In verses 65 to 70, the Prophet is exhorted not to become distressed by the affronts of the disbelievers because, He Who has the power to exalt or debase is behind him; He Who hears everything and knows everything is behind him; He to Whom belongs the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth is behind him; He Who has created the nights so that mankind may recuperate and the days so that mankind my exert for livelihood is behind him; He Who is the owner of Praise, Who transcends all earthly needs and Who is the Lord of the Worlds is behind Him!

In verse 68, an emphatic reference is made to the stupidity of those who impute that Allah has begotten for Himself a son and questions their sanity on the basis of three clear premises: that He transcends all earthly bonds which are for the humans and not for God; that He transcends earthly needs such as offspring which are for the weak who draw strength from them, or the poor who rely on them, or for the vain who take pride in them; and that when the entire Creation itself belongs to Him, He has no need as such to indulge in procuring for Himself sons and daughters!

Finally, verses 69 and 70 once again repeat the same dire warning that those who dare to impute lies against Allah will never flourish, and even if they seem to flourish in the life of this world for a short while, they will have to leave behind all their short-lived comforts and proceed in the same direction in which the rest of mankind proceeds!)

OTHER TRANSLATIONS BY MUHSIN, YUSUFALI, PICKTHAL AND SHAKIR:

MUHSIN:

61. Whatever you (O Muhammad SAW) may be doing, and whatever portion you may be reciting from the Qur'ân, - and whatever deed you (mankind) may be doing (good or evil), We are Witness thereof, when you are doing it. And nothing is hidden from your Lord (so much as) the weight of an atom (or small ant) on the earth or in the heaven. Not what is less than that or what is greater than that but is (written) in a Clear Record. (Tafsir At-Tabarî. Vol.11, Page 129).

62. No doubt! Verily, the Auliyâ' of Allâh [i.e. those who believe in the Oneness of Allâh and fear Allâh much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which he has forbidden), and love Allâh much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)], no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve^[], -

63. Those who believed (in the Oneness of Allâh - Islâmic Monotheism), and used to fear Allâh much (by abstaining from evil deeds and sins and by doing righteous deeds).

64. For them are glad tidings, in the life of the present world^[] (i.e. righteous dream seen by the person himself or shown to others), and in the Hereafter. No change can there be in the Words of Allâh, this is indeed the supreme success.

65. And let not their speech grieve you (O Muhammad SAW), for all power and honour belong to Allâh. He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.

66. No doubt! Verily, to Allâh belongs whosoever is in the heavens and whosoever is in the earth. And those who worship and invoke others besides Allâh, in fact they follow not the (Allâh's so-called) partners, they follow only a conjecture and they only invent lies.

67. He it is Who has appointed for you the night that you may rest therein, and the day to make things visible (to you). Verily, in this are Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) for a people who listen (i.e. those who think deeply).

68. They (Jews, Christians and pagans) say: "Allâh has begotten a son (children)." Glory be to Him! He is Rich (Free of all wants). His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. No warrant you have for this. Do you say against Allâh what you know not.^[]

69. Say: "Verily, those who invent lie against Allâh will never be successful" -

70. A brief enjoyment in this world! - and then unto Us will be their return, then We shall make them taste the severest torment because they used to disbelieve [in Allâh, belie His Messengers, deny and challenge His Ayât (proofs, signs, verses, etc.)].

010.061
YUSUFALI: In whatever business thou mayest be, and whatever portion thou mayest be reciting from the Qur'an,- and whatever deed ye (mankind) may be doing,- We are witnesses thereof when ye are deeply engrossed therein. Nor is hidden from thy Lord (so much as) the weight of an atom on the earth or in heaven. And not the least and not the greatest of these things but are recorded in a clear record.
PICKTHAL: And thou (Muhammad) art not occupied with any business and thou recitest not a Lecture from this (Scripture), and ye (mankind) perform no act, but We are Witness of you when ye are engaged therein. And not an atom's weight in the earth or in the sky escapeth your Lord, nor what is less than that or greater than that, but it is (written) in a clear Book.
SHAKIR: And you are not (engaged) in any affair, nor do you recite concerning it any portion of the Quran, nor do you do any work but We are witnesses over you when you enter into it, and there does not lie concealed from your Lord the weight of an atom in the earth or in the heaven, nor any thing less than that nor greater, but it is in a clear book.
010.062
YUSUFALI: Behold! verily on the friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve;
PICKTHAL: Lo! verily the friends of Allah are (those) on whom fear (cometh) not, nor do they grieve?
SHAKIR: Now surely the friends of Allah-- they shall have no fear nor shall they grieve.
010.063
YUSUFALI: Those who believe and (constantly) guard against evil;-
PICKTHAL: Those who believe and keep their duty (to Allah).
SHAKIR: Those who believe and guarded (against evil):
010.064
YUSUFALI: For them are glad tidings, in the life of the present and in the Hereafter; no change can there be in the words of Allah. This is indeed the supreme felicity.
PICKTHAL: Theirs are good tidings in the life of the world and in the Hereafter - There is no changing the Words of Allah - that is the Supreme Triumph.
SHAKIR: They shall have good news in this world's life and in the hereafter; there is no changing the words of Allah; that is the mighty achievement.
010.065
YUSUFALI: Let not their speech grieve thee: for all power and honour belong to Allah: It is He Who heareth and knoweth (all things).
PICKTHAL: And let not their speech grieve thee (O Muhammad). Lo! power belongeth wholly to Allah. He is the Hearer, the Knower.
SHAKIR: And let not their speech grieve you; surely might is wholly Allah's; He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
010.066
YUSUFALI: Behold! verily to Allah belong all creatures, in the heavens and on earth. What do they follow who worship as His "partners" other than Allah? They follow nothing but fancy, and they do nothing but lie.
PICKTHAL: Lo! is it not unto Allah that belongeth whosoever is in the heavens and whosoever is in the earth? Those who follow aught instead of Allah follow not (His) partners. They follow only a conjecture, and they do but guess.
SHAKIR: Now, surely, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is Allah's; and they do not (really) follow any associates, who call on others besides Allah; they do not follow (anything) but conjectures, and they only lie.
010.067
YUSUFALI: He it is That hath made you the night that ye may rest therein, and the day to make things visible (to you). Verily in this are signs for those who listen (to His Message).
PICKTHAL: He it is Who hath appointed for you the night that ye should rest therein and the day giving sight. Lo! herein verily are portents for a folk that heed.
SHAKIR: He it is Who made for you the night that you might rest in it, and the day giving light; most surely there are signs in it for a people who would hear.
010.068
YUSUFALI: They say: "Allah hath begotten a son!" - Glory be to Him! He is self-sufficient! His are all things in the heavens and on earth! No warrant have ye for this! say ye about Allah what ye know not?
PICKTHAL: They say: Allah hath taken (unto Him) a son - Glorified be He! He hath no needs! His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Ye have no warrant for this. Tell ye concerning Allah that which ye know not?
SHAKIR: They say: Allah has taken a son (to Himself)! Glory be to Him: He is the Self-sufficient: His is what is in the heavens and what is in the earth; you have no authority for this; do you say against Allah what you do not know?
010.069
YUSUFALI: Say: "Those who invent a lie against Allah will never prosper."
PICKTHAL: Say: Verily those who invent a lie concerning Allah will not succeed.
SHAKIR: Say: Those who forge a lie against Allah shall not be successful.
010.070
YUSUFALI: A little enjoyment in this world!- and then, to Us will be their return, then shall We make them taste the severest penalty for their blasphemies.
PICKTHAL: This world's portion (will be theirs), then unto Us is their return. Then We make them taste a dreadful doom because they used to disbelieve.
SHAKIR: (It is only) a provision in this world, then to Us shall be their return; then We shall make them taste severe punishment because they disbelieved.

Section 8.

10 : 71

 71. Waotlu AAalayhim nabaa noohin ith qala liqawmihi ya qawmi in kana kabura AAalaykum maqamee watathkeeree bi-ayati Allahi faAAala Allahi tawakkaltu faajmiAAoo amrakum washurakaakum thumma la yakun amrukum AAalaykum ghummatan thumma iqdoo ilayya wala tunthirooni

Recite to them the story of Noah when he said to his people : 'O my people! If my sojourn in your midst and my reminding you of Allah's ordinances has caused you offence, in Allah do I put my trust! So choose your recourse, you and your partners, and spare nothing in your task. Then do whatever you like with me and give me no respite!

10 : 72

72. Fa-in tawallaytum fama saaltukum min ajrin in ajriya illa AAala Allahi waomirtu an akoona mina almuslimeena

'But if you reject me, (then remember) I have asked you for no recompense, for my recompense is the concern of Allah alone and I am commanded to be of those who surrender to His will!

10 : 73

73. Fakaththaboohu fanajjaynahu waman maAAahu fee alfulki wajaAAalnahum khala-ifa waaghraqna allatheena kaththaboo bi-ayatina faonthur kayfa kana AAaqibatu almunthareena

But they rejected him, so We delivered him and those who were in the Ark along with him and made them Our emissaries on the earth, while those who repudiated Our ordinances We caused them to be drowned! So behold the plight of those who were warned!

(The events surrounding Noah's efforts to turn around the fortunes of his people and cleanse them of their solecism are covered at length in Surah 11 but briefly mentioned here in the context of how other nations in the past trifled with their messengers and what became of them, - to teach a lesson to those who were causing distress to the Prophet.

When Noah preached to his people about the futility of apotheosising false deities and assigning them as partners to Allah, they were so furious they hatched a plot to do away with him. But unperturbed by their hostility, he challenged them to choose their recourse and to take him on, sparing him no scruples, giving him no respite and making him no concessions, in the firm belief that Allah would come to his rescue in the moment of his need.

He did, by delivering him and the believers who rallied to his side in the Ark and drowning the disbelievers in the catastrophic deluge which engulfed their townships and making the believers inherit the land which belonged to them, in conformity with the ethos of Divine Justice).

10 : 74

74. Thumma baAAathna min baAAdihi rusulan ila qawmihim fajaoohum bialbayyinati fama kanoo liyu/minoo bima kaththaboo bihi min qablu kathalika natbaAAu AAala quloobi almuAAtadeena

Then, after him, We sent many messengers to their descendants and they brought with them clear portents, but those to whom they preached were not willing to believe in that which they once abjured. And thus do We seal up the hearts of the defiant!

(Notable amongst them being Huud, Saleh, Abraham, Lot and Sho'abe, all of whom brought with them clear portents of their Prophethood together with the message of Allah, which fell on deaf years and was ignored and rejected, resulting in grievous ramifications for those who rejected. The events surrounding these Prophets are also dealt with at length in future Surahs and have been broached upon here in the same context as above, to highlight how, when the foolish begin to revel in their folly, Allah muffles their ears, gags their mouths, draws a blindfold over their eyes and shuts out the truth from them so that they are deprived of it forever).

10 : 75

75. Thumma baAAathna min baAAdihim moosa waharoona ila firAAawna wamala-ihi bi-ayatina faistakbaroo wakanoo qawman mujrimeena

Then, after them, We sent Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh and his warlords with Our portents, but they were scornful towards them because they were a sinful folk -

10 : 76

76. Falamma jaahumu alhaqqu min AAindina qaloo inna hatha lasihrun mubeenun

For, when the Truth was delivered to them from Us, they said : 'This is nothing but sheer sorcery!'

(When Allah sent Moses and Aaron to Egypt, entrusting them with the tough mission of confronting Pharaoh and his nefarious warlords and force them to free the Children of Israel whom they had enslaved and were exploiting, magic and sorcery was the order of the times. The cunning warlocks whom Pharaoh harboured had taken advantage of the vulnerability of the Children of Israel and the Egyptian gentiles and were deceiving them by giving their man-made Craft the cloak of religion, there being a very subtle difference between illusions and miracles. After Moses emerged on the scene armed with Divine Miracles rather than hobgoblins and showed them the astounding powers with which Allah had blessed him, they dismissed him as one more in the midst of many a wizard, though the wizards themselves clearly recognized the hand of God behind the spectacular feats of wonder which he performed).

10 : 77

77. Qala moosa ataqooloona lilhaqqi lamma jaakum asihrun hatha wala yuflihu alssahiroona

Moses said : 'Say you so about the Truth when it has come to you? Do you think this is Sorcery, though sorcerers seldom prosper?'

10 : 78

78. Qaloo aji/tana litalfitana AAamma wajadna AAalayhi abaana watakoona lakuma alkibriyao fee al-ardi wama nahnu lakuma bimu/mineena

They said : 'Have you come here to make us renounce the faith to which our ancestors adhered so that the two of you may reign supreme in the land? We are not inclined to believe you!

10 : 79

79. Waqala firAAawnu i/toonee bikulli sahirin AAaleemin

And Pharaoh said : 'Bring me every learned warlock who lives in my realm!'

10 : 80

80. Falamma jaa alssaharatu qala lahum moosa alqoo ma antum mulqoona

And when the warlocks gathered, Moses said to them : 'Cast your spells!'

10 : 81

81. Falamma alqaw qala moosa ma ji/tum bihi alssihru inna Allaha sayubtiluhu inna Allaha la yuslihu AAamala almufsideena

And when they cast their spells, Moses said : 'Whatever you have brought with you are mere illusions! Verily Allah will render them futile, for Allah does not sustain the work of those who make mischief!

10 : 82

82. Wayuhiqqu Allahu alhaqqa bikalimatihi walaw kariha almujrimoona

'By His word Allah will vindicate the Truth, no matter how inimical the invidious be towards it! (R)

(Magic and miracles may well be confused for one another, especially by the gullible, but magic can never substitute for miracles nor can magicians for messengers of Allah. Incantations are impotent, illusions are transient, mesmerism is short-lived and will soon wear out, whereas the words of Allah are enduring, the power of His miracles convincing and His hold on those who believe in Him everlasting).

OTHER TRANSLATIONS BY MUHSIN, YUSUFALI, PICKTHAL AND SHAKIR:

MUHSIN:

71. And recite to them the news of Nûh (Noah). When he said to his people: "O my people, if my stay (with you), and my reminding (you) of the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allâh is hard on you, then I put my trust in Allâh. So devise your plot, you and your partners, and let not your plot be in doubt for you. Then pass your sentence on me and give me no respite.

72. "But if you turn away [from accepting my doctrine of Islâmic Monotheism, i.e. to worship none but Allâh], then no reward have I asked of you, my reward is only from Allâh, and I have been commanded to be one of the Muslims (those who submit to Allâh's Will)."

73. They denied him, but We delivered him, and those with him in the ship, and We made them generations replacing one after another, while We drowned those who belied Our Ayât (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.). Then see what was the end of those who were warned.

74. Then after him We sent Messengers to their people, they brought them clear proofs, but they would not believe what they had already rejected beforehand. Thus We seal the hearts of the transgressors (those who disbelieve in the Oneness of Allâh and disobey Him).

75. Then after them We sent Mûsa (Moses) and Hârûn (Aaron) to Fir'aun (Pharaoh) and his chiefs with Our Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.). But they behaved arrogantly and were Mujrimûn (disbelievers, sinners, polytheists, criminals, etc.) folk.

76. So when came to them the truth from Us, they said: "This is indeed clear magic."

77. Mûsa (Moses) said: "Say you (this) about the truth when it has come to you? Is this magic? But the magicians will never be successful."

78. They said: "Have you come to us to turn us away from that (Faith) we found our fathers following, - and that you two may have greatness in the land? We are not going to believe you two!"

79. And Fir'aun (Pharaoh) said: "Bring to me every well-versed sorcerer."

80. And when the sorcerers came, Mûsa (Moses) said to them: "Cast down what you want to cast!"

81. Then when they had cast down, Mûsa (Moses) said: "What you have brought is sorcery, Allâh will surely make it of no effect. Verily, Allâh does not set right the work of Al-Mufsidûn (the evil-doers, corrupts, etc.).

82. "And Allâh will establish and make apparent the truth by His Words, however much the Mujrimûn (criminals, disbelievers, polytheists, sinners, etc.) may hate it."

010.071
YUSUFALI: Relate to them the story of Noah. Behold! he said to his people: "O my people, if it be hard on your (mind) that I should stay (with you) and commemorate the signs of Allah,- yet I put my trust in Allah. Get ye then an agreement about your plan and among your partners, so your plan be on to you dark and dubious. Then pass your sentence on me, and give me no respite.
PICKTHAL: Recite unto them the story of Noah, when he told his people: O my people! If my sojourn (here) and my reminding you by Allah's revelations are an offence unto you, in Allah have I put my trust, so decide upon your course of action you and your partners. Let not your course of action be in doubt for you. Then have at me, give me no respite.
SHAKIR: And recite to them the story of Nuh when he said to his people: O my people! if my stay and my reminding (you) by the communications of Allah is hard on you-- yet on Allah do I rely-- then resolve upon your affair and (gather) your associates, then let not your affair remain dubious to you, then have it executed against me and give me no respite:
010.072
YUSUFALI: "But if ye turn back, (consider): no reward have I asked of you: my reward is only due from Allah, and I have been commanded to be of those who submit to Allah's will (in Islam)."
PICKTHAL: But if ye are averse I have asked of you no wage. My wage is the concern of Allah only, and I am commanded to be of those who surrender (unto Him).
SHAKIR: But if you turn back, I did not ask for any reward from you; my reward is only with Allah, and I am commanded that I should be of those who submit.
010.073
YUSUFALI: They rejected Him, but We delivered him, and those with him, in the Ark, and We made them inherit (the earth), while We overwhelmed in the flood those who rejected Our Signs. Then see what was the end of those who were warned (but heeded not)!
PICKTHAL: But they denied him, so We saved him and those with him in the ship, and made them viceroys (in the earth), while We drowned those who denied Our revelations. See then the nature of the consequence for those who had been warned.
SHAKIR: But they rejected him, so We delivered him and those with him in the ark, and We made them rulers and drowned those who rejected Our communications; see then what was the end of the (people) warned.
010.074
YUSUFALI: Then after him We sent (many) messengers to their peoples: they brought them Clear Signs, but they would not believe what they had already rejected beforehand. Thus do We seal the hearts of the transgressors.
PICKTHAL: Then, after him, We sent messengers unto their folk, and they brought them clear proofs. But they were not ready to believe in that which they before denied. Thus print We on the hearts of the transgressors.
SHAKIR: Then did We raise up after him messengers to their people, so they came to them with clear arguments, but they would not believe in what they had rejected before; thus it is that We set seals upon the hearts of those who exceed the limits.
010.075
YUSUFALI: Then after them sent We Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh and his chiefs with Our Signs. But they were arrogant: they were a people in sin.
PICKTHAL: Then, after them, We sent Moses and Aaron unto Pharaoh and his chiefs with Our revelations, but they were arrogant and were a guilty folk.
SHAKIR: Then did We send up after them Musa and Haroun to Firon and his chiefs with Our signs, but they showed pride and they were a guilty people.
010.076
YUSUFALI: When the Truth did come to them from Us, they said: "This is indeed evident sorcery!"
PICKTHAL: And when the Truth from Our presence came unto them, they said: Lo! this is mere magic.
SHAKIR: So when the truth came to them from Us they said: This is most surely clear enchantment!
010.077
YUSUFALI: Said Moses: "Say ye (this) about the truth when it hath (actually) reached you? Is sorcery (like) this? But sorcerers will not prosper."
PICKTHAL: Moses said: Speak ye (so) of the Truth when it hath come unto you? Is this magic? Now magicians thrive not.
SHAKIR: Musa said: Do you say (this) of the truth when it has come to you? Is it magic? And the magicians are not successful.
010.078
YUSUFALI: They said: "Hast thou come to us to turn us away from the ways we found our fathers following,- in order that thou and thy brother may have greatness in the land? But not we shall believe in you!"
PICKTHAL: They said: Hast thou come unto us to pervert us from that (faith) in which we found our fathers, and that you two may own the place of greatness in the land? We will not believe you two.
SHAKIR: They said: Have you come to us to turn us away from what we found our fathers upon, and (that) greatness in the land should be for you two? And we are not going to believe in you.
010.079
YUSUFALI: Said Pharaoh: "Bring me every sorcerer well versed."
PICKTHAL: And Pharaoh said: Bring every cunning wizard unto me.
SHAKIR: And Firon said: Bring to me every skillful magician.
010.080
YUSUFALI: When the sorcerers came, Moses said to them: "Throw ye what ye (wish) to throw!"
PICKTHAL: And when the wizards came, Moses said unto them: Cast your cast!
SHAKIR: And when the magicians came, Musa said to them: Cast down what you have to cast.
010.081
YUSUFALI: When they had had their throw, Moses said: "What ye have brought is sorcery: Allah will surely make it of no effect: for Allah prospereth not the work of those who make mischief.
PICKTHAL: And when they had cast, Moses said: That which ye have brought is magic. Lo! Allah will make it vain. Lo! Allah upholdeth not the work of mischief-makers.
SHAKIR: So when they cast down, Musa said to them: What you have brought is deception; surely Allah will make it naught; surely Allah does not make the work of mischief-makers to thrive.
010.082
YUSUFALI: "And Allah by His words doth prove and establish His truth, however much the sinners may hate it!"
PICKTHAL: And Allah will vindicate the Truth by His words, however much the guilty be averse.
SHAKIR: And Allah will show the truth to be the truth by His words, though the guilty may be averse (to it).
 
 

 Section 9.

10 : 83

 83. Fama amana limoosa illa thurriyyatun min qawmihi AAala khawfin min firAAawna wamala-ihim an yaftinahum wa-inna firAAawna laAAalin fee al-ardi wa-innahu lamina almusrifeena

But none believed in the message Moses brought except a few descendants of his own tribe despite their fears that Pharaoh and his warlords might target them for vendetta on account of their beliefs. Verily Pharaoh was a ruthless tyrant in the land and was indeed a transgressor!

(Apart from its relevance to the events that transpired in Egypt after Moses defeated the warlocks in front of the populace, this verse also comforts the Prophet who used to be distressed by the continued refusal of his own folks to accept the message of Allah, pointing out that, even after Moses demonstrated such a spectacular and convincing display of Divine Miracles, it had an impact upon very few people and only some of the descendants of his own tribe crossed over to him.

According to many commentators, 'his own tribe' refers to the Children of Israel; but there are others who say that the reference is to the offspring of the Israelites who used to give away their new-born sons to their Egyptian neighbours or friends in order to protect them from being slain by Pharaoh's soldiers; when they saw Moses outwit the wizards in the Royal Court, they were convinced of his Prophethood and hence became believers despite having grown up with Egyptian families).

10 : 84

84. Waqala moosa ya qawmi in kuntum amantum biAllahi faAAalayhi tawakkaloo in kuntum muslimeena

And Moses said : 'O my people! If you have believed in Allah, then put your trust in Him, provided you have truly surrendered to His will!

10 : 85

85. Faqaloo AAala Allahi tawakkalna rabbana la tajAAalna fitnatan lilqawmi alththalimeena

They said : 'We put our trust in Allah! Our Lord! Do not make us a target for those who perpetrate evil!

10 : 86

86. Wanajjina birahmatika mina alqawmi alkafireena

'And show Your mercy to us by delivering us from the clutches of these disbelieving folk!'

10 : 87

87. Waawhayna ila moosa waakheehi an tabawwaa liqawmikuma bimisra buyootan waijAAaloo buyootakum qiblatan waaqeemoo alssalata wabashshiri almu/mineena

And then We inspired Moses and his brother saying : 'Let there be dwellings built for your people in Egypt and make your home a place of worship and establish worship and give good tidings to the believers!'

10 : 88

88. Waqala moosa rabbana innaka atayta firAAawna wamalaahu zeenatan waamwalan fee alhayati alddunya rabbana liyudilloo AAan sabeelika rabbana itmis AAala amwalihim waoshdud AAala quloobihim fala yu/minoo hatta yarawoo alAAathaba al-aleema

Moses prayed, saying: 'Our Lord! You have given Pharaoh and his folks pomp and glory in the life of this world! Our Lord! This enables them to send men astray from Your path. Our Lord! Deprive them of their affluence and make their hearts hard so that they never believe until they catch a glimpse of Your grievous castigation!'

10 : 89

89. Qala qad ojeebat daAAwatukuma faistaqeema wala tattabiAAanni sabeela allatheena la yaAAlamoona

He said : 'Your prayers have been heard! So be you resolute in your purpose and do not follow the path of those who are devoid of knowledge!'

(Though his prayer was heard and acknowledged by Allah, there was a gap of forty years before its outcome was seen because of which several of his folks began to show signs of doubt and impatience. But Moses was asked to stand firm in his faith and not to waver along with those who were bereft of it).

10 : 90

90. Wajawazna bibanee isra-eela albahra faatbaAAahum firAAawnu wajunooduhu baghyan waAAadwan hatta itha adrakahu algharaqu qala amantu annahu la ilaha illa allathee amanat bihi banoo isra-eela waana mina almuslimeena

And We brought the Children of Israel across the sea while Pharaoh and his armies pursued them with arrogance and ruthlessness until the deluge caught up with them. Only then did he say: 'I believe there is no God except Him in whom the Children of Israel believe and I surrender to Him!

(As has been made clear in the Qur'aan, laying down their arms and surrendering to Allah after the battle for faith has been lost is of no consequence either to the victor or to the vanquished. By the time Pharaoh realized the Might of Him Who is the Mightiest of all, it was too late for him to redress the wrong, balance the scales and turn back the clocks. The emissaries of Allah had already arrived, bearing glimpses of the opprobrium that awaited him and were waiting to gather his soul.

In this connection it is said that once Angel Gabriel approached Pharaoh in the guise of a complainant and asked him what should be the punishment for a slave who has been treated well by his master, fed and clothed and housed to the highest standards, given a decent status and held in deep affection, and yet when an opportunity arose to trounce such a good master, he rebelled against him, overthrew him and then declared himself to be the real master. Pharaoh said that such an unworthy slave should be dragged over to the ocean and drowned in it until he choked to death. So, as he struggled to bail himself out of the unrelenting waves of the ocean , the Archangel confronted him and said : 'Drown, O Pharaoh drown, for this is the very punishment you prescribed for yourself whilst you sat on your mighty throne!')

10 : 91

91. Al-ana waqad AAasayta qablu wakunta mina almufsideena

What! Now? When until now you have been so defiant and so malicious??

10 : 92

92. Faalyawma nunajjeeka bibadanika litakoona liman khalfaka ayatan wa-inna katheeran mina alnnasi AAan ayatina laghafiloona

'This day We shall preserve your body so that you become a portent for those who follow you! Yet verily most of mankind disregard Our portents! (R)

(Many commentators and historians say that Pharaoh's body was never found and it is the will of Allah that he remain sunk in his watery grave until the Day of Resurrection, then brought before his Lord not only to answer for himself but also for those tens of thousands of Egyptians whom he misguided by virtue of his undisputed authority and had forced them into offering him worship as the unopposed God of Egypt).

OTHER TRANSLATIONS BY MUHSIN, YUSUFALI, PICKTHAL AND SHAKIR:

MUHSIN:

83. But none believed in Mûsa (Moses) except the offspring of his people, because of the fear of Fir'aun (Pharaoh) and his chiefs, lest they should persecute them; and verily, Fir'aun (Pharaoh) was arrogant tyrant on the earth, he was indeed one of the Musrifûn (polytheists, sinners and transgressors, those who give up the truth and follow the evil, and commit all kinds of great sins).

84. And Mûsa (Moses) said: "O my people! If you have believed in Allâh, then put your trust in Him if you are Muslims (those who submit to Allâh's Will)."

85. They said: "In Allâh we put our trust. Our Lord! Make us not a trial for the folk who are Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doing) (i.e. do not make them overpower us).

86. "And save us by Your Mercy from the disbelieving folk."

87. And We inspired Mûsa (Moses) and his brother (saying): "Take dwellings for your people in Egypt, and make your dwellings as places for your worship, and perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and give glad tidings to the believers."

88. And Mûsa (Moses) said: "Our Lord! You have indeed bestowed on Fir'aun (Pharaoh) and his chiefs splendour and wealth in the life of this world, our Lord! That they may lead men astray from Your Path. Our Lord! Destroy their wealth, and harden their hearts, so that they will not believe until they see the painful torment."

89. Allâh said: "Verily, the invocation of you both is accepted. So you both keep to the Straight Way (i.e. keep on doing good deeds and preaching Allâh's Message with patience), and follow not the path of those who know not (the truth i.e. to believe in the Oneness of Allâh, and also to believe in the Reward of Allâh: Paradise, etc.)."

90. And We took the Children of Israel across the sea, and Fir'aun (Pharaoh) with his hosts followed them in oppression and enmity, till when drowning overtook him, he said: "I believe that Lâ ilâha illa (Huwa): (none has the right to be worshipped but) He," in Whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am one of the Muslims (those who submit to Allâh's Will)."

91. Now (you believe) while you refused to believe before and you were one of the Mufsidûn (evil-doers, corrupts, etc.).

92. So this day We shall deliver your (dead) body (out from the sea) that you may be a sign to those who come after you! And verily, many among mankind are heedless of Our Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs , revelations, etc.).

010.083
YUSUFALI: But none believed in Moses except some children of his people, because of the fear of Pharaoh and his chiefs, lest they should persecute them; and certainly Pharaoh was mighty on the earth and one who transgressed all bounds.
PICKTHAL: But none trusted Moses, save some scions of his people, (and they were) in fear of Pharaoh and their chiefs, that he would persecute them. Lo! Pharaoh was verily a tyrant in the land, and lo! he verily was of the wanton.
SHAKIR: But none believed in Musa except the offspring of his people, on account of the fear of Firon and their chiefs, lest he should persecute them; and most surely Firon was lofty in the land; and most surely he was of the extravagant.
010.084
YUSUFALI: Moses said: "O my people! If ye do (really) believe in Allah, then in Him put your trust if ye submit (your will to His)."
PICKTHAL: And Moses said: O my people! If ye have believed in Allah then put trust in Him, if ye have indeed surrendered (unto Him)!
SHAKIR: And Musa said: O my people! if you believe in Allah, then rely on Him (alone) if you submit (to Allah).
010.085
YUSUFALI: They said: "In Allah do we put out trust. Our Lord! make us not a trial for those who practise oppression;
PICKTHAL: They said: In Allah we put trust. Our Lord! Oh, make us not a lure for the wrongdoing folk;
SHAKIR: So they said: On Allah we rely: O our Lord! make us not subject to the persecution of the unjust people:
010.086
YUSUFALI: "And deliver us by Thy Mercy from those who reject (Thee)."
PICKTHAL: And, of Thy mercy, save us from the folk that disbelieve.
SHAKIR: And do Thou deliver us by Thy mercy from the unbelieving people.
010.087
YUSUFALI: We inspired Moses and his brother with this Message: "Provide dwellings for your people in Egypt, make your dwellings into places of worship, and establish regular prayers: and give glad tidings to those who believe!"
PICKTHAL: And We inspired Moses and his brother, (saying): Appoint houses for your people in Egypt and make your houses oratories, and establish worship. And give good news to the believers.
SHAKIR: And We revealed to Musa and his brother, saying: Take for your people houses to abide in Egypt and make your houses places of worship and keep up prayer and give good news to the believers.
010.088
YUSUFALI: Moses prayed: "Our Lord! Thou hast indeed bestowed on Pharaoh and his chiefs splendour and wealth in the life of the present, and so, Our Lord, they mislead (men) from Thy Path. Deface, our Lord, the features of their wealth, and send hardness to their hearts, so they will not believe until they see the grievous penalty."
PICKTHAL: And Moses said: Our Lord! Lo! Thou hast given Pharaoh and his chiefs splendour and riches in the life of the world, Our Lord! that they may lead men astray from Thy way. Our Lord! Destroy their riches and harden their hearts so that they believe not till they see the painful doom.
SHAKIR: And Musa said: Our Lord! surely Thou hast given to Firon and his chiefs finery and riches in this world's life, to this end, our Lord, that they lead (people) astray from Thy way: Our Lord! destroy their riches and harden their hearts so that they believe not until they see the painful punishment.
010.089
YUSUFALI: Allah said: "Accepted is your prayer (O Moses and Aaron)! So stand ye straight, and follow not the path of those who know not."
PICKTHAL: He said: Your prayer is heard. Do ye twain keep to the straight path, and follow not the road of those who have no knowledge.
SHAKIR: He said: The prayer of you both has indeed been accepted, therefore continue in the right way and do not follow the path of those who do not know.
010.090
YUSUFALI: We took the Children of Israel across the sea: Pharaoh and his hosts followed them in insolence and spite. At length, when overwhelmed with the flood, he said: "I believe that there is no god except Him Whom the Children of Israel believe in: I am of those who submit (to Allah in Islam)."
PICKTHAL: And We brought the Children of Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh with his hosts pursued them in rebellion and transgression, till, when the (fate of) drowning overtook him, he exclaimed: I believe that there is no Allah save Him in Whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of those who surrender (unto Him).
SHAKIR: And We made the children of Israel to pass through the sea, then Firon and his hosts followed them for oppression and tyranny; until when drowning overtook him, he said: I believe that there is no god but He in Whom the children of Israel believe and I am of those who submit.
010.091
YUSUFALI: (It was said to him): "Ah now!- But a little while before, wast thou in rebellion!- and thou didst mischief (and violence)!
PICKTHAL: What! Now! When hitherto thou hast rebelled and been of the wrong-doers?
SHAKIR: What! now! and indeed you disobeyed before and you were of the mischief-makers.
010.092
YUSUFALI: "This day shall We save thee in the body, that thou mayest be a sign to those who come after thee! but verily, many among mankind are heedless of Our Signs!"
PICKTHAL: But this day We save thee in thy body that thou mayst be a portent for those after thee. Lo! most of mankind are heedless of Our portents.
SHAKIR: But We will this day deliver you with your body that you may be a sign to those after you, and most surely the majority of the people are heedless to Our communications.

   Section 10.

10 : 93

 93. Walaqad bawwa/na banee isra-eela mubawwaa sidqin warazaqnahum mina alttayyibati fama ikhtalafoo hatta jaahumu alAAilmu inna rabbaka yaqdee baynahum yawma alqiyamati feema kanoo feehi yakhtalifoona

We gave the Children of Israel an enviable station and blessed them with salubrious provision and they differed with each other only after knowledge came to them. Verily your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection in matters over which they differed.

(The 'enviable station' given to the Children of Israel refers either to Egypt itself where they took over the wealth and lands left behind by the Egyptians when they too were wiped out of existence along with Pharaoh, or Syria which had some of the richest and the most fertile land in the territory.

Opinions of commentators are divided regarding 'knowledge' which came to them but resulted in causing breaches in their fraternity, some saying that it refers to the Torah which was followed by a few but was either tampered with or renounced altogether by others; and some saying that it refers to our Prophet who was mentioned in the Torah as the Last of the Prophets of Allah, with which they whole-heartedly agreed in the beginning, but when it emerged that he hailed from among the Children of Ishmael rather than from the Children of Israel, they differed from one another and broke up into 'schisms' once again).

10 : 94

94. Fa-in kunta fee shakkin mimma anzalnna ilayka fais-ali allatheena yaqraoona alkitaba min qablika laqad jaaka alhaqqu min rabbika fala takoonanna mina almumtareena

And if you are in any doubt over that which We revealed to you, then ask those who received the Scripture before you! The Truth from your Lord has, indeed, come to you so be not of those who vacillate -

10 : 95

95. Wala takoonanna mina allatheena kaththaboo bi-ayati Allahi fatakoona mina alkhasireena

Nor of those who vituperate the revelations of Allah, lest you too are relegated to the dispossessed!

10 : 96

96. Inna allatheena haqqat AAalayhim kalimatu rabbika la yu/minoona

Those about whom the word of your Lord has already come to pass, they would never believe -

10 : 97

97. Walaw jaat-hum kullu ayatin hatta yarawoo alAAathaba al-aleema

Even if a myriad tokens of Allah's ascendancy are revealed to them, until they are brought face to face with their doom!

(In the above verses, mankind in general and the disbelievers of Mecca in particular are exhorted never to question, altercate with or prevaricate the Qur'aan which has been revealed by Allah; but if they are in doubt, they should first seek counsel from those who have the right knowledge, - such as Abdallah ben Salam, a renowned Jewish scholar who was an authority on the original Torah and could enlighten them with the real truth, - and only then decide whether to acknowledge it or to abjure it. At the same time, they also contain the warning that those who repudiate the word of Allah would be the worst of losers in the end; and that, those about whom the verdict of Allah has already taken effect, they are doomed never to ameliorate themselves and attain redemption, even if a million portents of Allah are brought to them, until they come face to face with their castigation, by which time it would be too late for regrets or penitence).

10 : 98

98. Falawla kanat qaryatun amanat fanafaAAaha eemanuha illa qawma yoonusa lamma amanoo kashafna AAanhum AAathaba alkhizyi fee alhayati alddunya wamattaAAnahum ila heenin

If only there had been one township out of the many that We destroyed who became believers before their doom so that they benefited from it, as it happened in the case of Jonah's folks. They became believers so We abated for them the torment of opprobrium in the life of this world and let them enjoy its comforts for a short while!

(The story of Jonah is narrated at length in Surah 37 but a passing reference is made to him and his folks here by way of an example of those who were pardoned by Allah despite their intransigence because they realized their error while there was still time to abandon solecism and reform themselves, in order to impress upon the Prophet's tormentors that Allah's pardon can be attained at any time and at any stage, so long as remorse was felt and penitence offered before the onset of doom.

Jonah was sent to the city of Ninevah, situated in the vicinity of Mosul, because its residents had forgotten the name of Allah, set up their own gods in their lavish temples and had plunged into a life of moral depredation. But when Jonah invited them to renounce their idols, give up their evil ways and return into the fold of Allah's mercy, they rejected him because of which a dire warning of Divine wrath was delivered to them at the behest of the Lord.

Since they had never known Jonah to lie about anything, they held a citizens' forum to decide upon the course of action to pursue and decided that, if Jonah remained in the township that night, it could be taken to mean that the threat of punishment was not true; but if he left town, the signs would be ominous and they should then take all necessary steps to avert the catastrophe.

That night, Jonah did leave town. By morning, the signs of danger became manifest; the sky turned dark with dense clouds and obliterated the sun completely; thick layers of fog advanced into the township and covered it from all sides in which they could barely manage to see each other. Wives became separated from their husbands and parents from children, throwing them into a state of panic. Realizing that they were going to be swamped in Divine wrath, they set out in search of Jonah to help them avert the doom and lead them to the path of righteousness.

But Jonah was not to be found anywhere. Abandoning their homes and the gods for whom they had built such lavish temples, they went en masse to the outlying forest along with their livestock, got down on their knees, confessed to their solecism and swore to renounce the idols and return to the fold of Allah's mercy.

Their penance was accepted by Allah; the clouds dispersed, the fog lifted, the son lit up the sky, the winds abated and the catastrophe was averted because their penitence was sincere, their promise was true, their resolve to put their faith in Allah alone firm and their apologies made in time, - before the doom landed on them and not after it did).

10 : 99

99. Walaw shaa rabbuka laamana man fee al-ardi kulluhum jameeAAan afaanta tukrihu alnnasa hatta yakoonoo mu/mineena

Had your Lord so willed, all those who inhabit the earth would have become believers! But is it desirable (O Mohammed) to coerce people into becoming believers?

10 : 100  

100. Wama kana linafsin an tu/mina illa bi-ithni Allahi wayajAAalu alrrijsa AAala allatheena la yaAAqiloona

No soul has the power to become a believer except by the command of Allah! And the toll of punishment is imposed upon those who are devoid of sense.

10 : 101

101. Quli onthuroo matha fee alssamawati waal-ardi wama tughnee al-ayatu waalnnuthuru AAan qawmin la yu/minoona

Say : 'Cast your eyes on what is there in the heavens and on the earth! But neither revelations nor warnings avail those who are bereft of faith!

10 : 102

102. Fahal yantathiroona illa mithla ayyami allatheena khalaw min qablihim qul faintathiroo innee maAAakum mina almuntathireena

Await they for what except such bad times as befell the others who came before them! Say to them : 'Then wait, for I too will wait along with you!'

10 : 103

103. Thumma nunajjee rusulana waallatheena amanoo kathalika haqqan AAalayna nunjee almu/mineena

When they do befall, it is Our messengers and the believers whom We will rescue, as We did in the past, for it is incumbent upon Us to protect the believers! (R)

(It always was the ardent desire of the Prophet that the people to whom he preached the message of Allah benefited from his toils, recognized the truth, took advantage of the golden opportunity of ameliorating themselves and attaining redemption of their sin ridden souls which he had brought to them, making him sad when he saw them throw it away out of sheer arrogance and ignorance.

The above verses contain words of reassurance aimed at elevating his dwindling spirits to the effect that, if such was the will of Allah, He would not have allowed Satan to succeed in demolishing Adam's integrity; He would not have let some of his seed deviate from the righteous path; He would not have separated right from wrong and tested mankind; He would not have permitted the eternal battle between truth and falsehood to carry on unhampered! Instead; He would have eradicated turpitude, effaced darkness, ended grief, obviated sin, put out the fires of hell and widened the frontiers of Paradise!

But such was not His will. He deliberately created two antipodes called good and bad, right and wrong, true and false, virtue and solecism and gave man the discretion to choose one of these by his own free will. Adam made his choice and capitulated; Cane and Abel made their choices and capitulated; Pharaoh, Kora, Hamaan, Samiri, Abu Jehl and Abu Lahab, they all made their choices and they all capitulated!

Allah has reiterated in these verses to comfort the Prophet that whereas believing or not believing is a matter of man's choice, giving him the inclination to believe is the choice of Allah with which He graces only those whom He will; that no soul on earth has the power to seek redemption unless He has decreed it in its favour; that faith is like a fountain that has to gush forth from within and not sprinkled from above; that there is no use forcing people to believe, if they were not convinced of the difference which believing and not believing makes; that no matter how many portents of Allah's ascendancy are shown to them, the eyes of those who were bereft of conviction would not transmit the images they see to their brains! So what is the point in trying to save those who have no wish to save themselves? What is the purpose of grieving for those who do not deserve to be grieved over?

All said and done, these verses end on a very optimistic note that, when the moment of trepidation lands on them and the curtains begin to sway, Allah will assuredly stand by His promise that He will protect His messengers and those who believed in them, as He protected Noah and the believers who were with him in the Ark; as he protected Moses and the Children of Israel from the drowning and as He protected each and every one of His Prophets from each and every pestilence that was inflicted on those who refuted and prevaricated them!)

OTHER TRANSLATIONS BY MUHSIN, YUSUFALI, PICKTHAL AND SHAKIR:

MUHSIN:

93. And indeed We settled the Children of Israel in an honourable dwelling place (Shâm and Misr), and provided them with good things, and they differed not until the knowledge came to them. Verily, Allâh will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection in that in which they used to differ.

94. So if you (O Muhammad SAW) are in doubt concerning that which We have revealed unto you, [i.e. that your name is written in the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] then ask those who are reading the Book [the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] before you. Verily, the truth has come to you from your Lord. So be not of those who doubt (it)^[].

95. And be not one of those who belie the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allâh, for then you shall be one of the losers.

96. Truly! Those, against whom the Word (Wrath) of your Lord has been justified, will not believe.

97. Even if every sign should come to them, - until they see the painful torment.

98. Was there any town (community) that believed (after seeing the punishment), and its Faith (at that moment) saved it (from the punishment)? (The answer is none,) - except the people of Yûnus (Jonah); when they believed, We removed from them the torment of disgrace in the life of the (present) world, and permitted them to enjoy for a while.

99. And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together. So, will you (O Muhammad SAW) then compel mankind, until they become believers.

100. It is not for any person to believe, except by the Leave of Allâh, and He will put the wrath on those who are heedless.

101. Say: "Behold all that is in the heavens and the earth," but neither Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) nor warners benefit those who believe not.

102. Then do they wait for (anything) save for (destruction) like the days of the men who passed away before them? Say: "Wait then, I am (too) with you among those who wait."

103. Then (in the end) We save Our Messengers and those who believe! Thus it is incumbent upon Us to save the believers.

010.093
YUSUFALI: We settled the Children of Israel in a beautiful dwelling-place, and provided for them sustenance of the best: it was after knowledge had been granted to them, that they fell into schisms. Verily Allah will judge between them as to the schisms amongst them, on the Day of Judgment.
PICKTHAL: And We verily did allot unto the Children of Israel a fixed abode, and did provide them with good things; and they differed not until the knowledge came unto them. Lo! thy Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that wherein they used to differ.
SHAKIR: And certainly We lodged the children of Israel in a goodly abode and We provided them with good things; but they did not disagree until the knowledge had come to them; surely your Lord will judge between them on the resurrection day concerning that in which they disagreed.
010.094
YUSUFALI: If thou wert in doubt as to what We have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the Book from before thee: the Truth hath indeed come to thee from thy Lord: so be in no wise of those in doubt.
PICKTHAL: And if thou (Muhammad) art in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto thee, then question those who read the Scripture (that was) before thee. Verily the Truth from thy Lord hath come unto thee. So be not thou of the waverers.
SHAKIR: But if you are in doubt as to what We have revealed to you, ask those who read the Book before you; certainly the truth has come to you from your Lord, therefore you should not be of the disputers.
010.095
YUSUFALI: Nor be of those who reject the signs of Allah, or thou shalt be of those who perish.
PICKTHAL: And be not thou of those who deny the revelations of Allah, for then wert thou of the losers.
SHAKIR: And you should not be of those who reject the communications of Allah, (for) then you should be one of the losers.
010.096
YUSUFALI: Those against whom the word of thy Lord hath been verified would not believe-
PICKTHAL: Lo! those for whom the word of thy Lord (concerning sinners) hath effect will not believe,
SHAKIR: Surely those against whom the word of your Lord has proved true will not believe,
010.097
YUSUFALI: Even if every Sign was brought unto them,- until they see (for themselves) the penalty grievous.
PICKTHAL: Though every token come unto them, till they see the painful doom.
SHAKIR: Though every sign should come to them, until they witness the painful chastisement.
010.098
YUSUFALI: Why was there not a single township (among those We warned), which believed,- so its faith should have profited it,- except the people of Jonah? When they believed, We removed from them the penalty of ignominy in the life of the present, and permitted them to enjoy (their life) for a while.
PICKTHAL: If only there had been a community (of all those that were destroyed of old) that believed and profited by its belief as did the folk of Jonah! When they believed We drew off from them the torment of disgrace in the life of the world and gave them comfort for a while.
SHAKIR: And wherefore was there not a town which should believe so that their belief should have profited them but the people of Yunus? When they believed, We removed from them the chastisement of disgrace in this world's life and We gave them provision till a time.
010.099
YUSUFALI: If it had been thy Lord's will, they would all have believed,- all who are on earth! wilt thou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe!
PICKTHAL: And if thy Lord willed, all who are in the earth would have believed together. Wouldst thou (Muhammad) compel men until they are believers?
SHAKIR: And if your Lord had pleased, surely all those who are in the earth would have believed, all of them; will you then force men till they become believers?
010.100
YUSUFALI: No soul can believe, except by the will of Allah, and He will place doubt (or obscurity) on those who will not understand.
PICKTHAL: It is not for any soul to believe save by the permission of Allah. He hath set uncleanness upon those who have no sense.
SHAKIR: And it is not for a soul to believe except by Allah's permission; and He casts uncleanness on those who will not understand.
010.101
YUSUFALI: Say: "Behold all that is in the heavens and on earth"; but neither Signs nor Warners profit those who believe not.
PICKTHAL: Say: Behold what is in the heavens and the earth! But revelations and warnings avail not folk who will not believe.
SHAKIR: Say: Consider what is it that is in the heavens and the earth; and signs and warners do not avail a people who would not believe.
010.102
YUSUFALI: Do they then expect (any thing) but (what happened in) the days of the men who passed away before them? Say: "Wait ye then: for I, too, will wait with you."
PICKTHAL: What expect they save the like of the days of those who passed away before them? Say: Expect then! I am with you among the expectant.
SHAKIR: What do they wait for then but the like of the days of those who passed away before them? Say: Wait then; surely I too am with you of those who wait.
010.103
YUSUFALI: In the end We deliver Our messengers and those who believe: Thus is it fitting on Our part that We should deliver those who believe!
PICKTHAL: Then shall We save Our messengers and the believers, in like manner (as of old). It is incumbent upon Us to save believers.
SHAKIR: Then We deliver Our messengers and those who believe-- even so (now), it is binding on Us (that) We deliver the believers.

   Section 11

10 : 104

104. Qul ya ayyuha alnnasu in kuntum fee shakkin min deenee fala aAAbudu allatheena taAAbudoona min dooni Allahi walakin aAAbudu Allaha allathee yatawaffakum waomirtu an akoona mina almu/mineena

Say to them : 'O mankind! If you are in any doubt about my religion, then know that I will not worship those whom you worship in the place of Allah; but I worship Allah Who has it within His means to cause you to die and Who has commanded me to be of the believers!

10 : 105

105. Waan aqim wajhaka lilddeeni haneefan wala takoonanna mina almushrikeena

And (O Mohammed) : 'Set your mind resolutely upon your religion to the exclusion of all else and be not of those who assign partners to Allah!

10 : 106

106. Wala tadAAu min dooni Allahi ma la yanfaAAuka wala yadurruka fa-in faAAalta fa-innaka ithan mina alththalimeena

'And do not invoke in the place of Allah those who neither help you nor harm you, for if you do, then you too will surely be of those who are sinful!

10 : 107

107. Wa-in yamsaska Allahu bidurrin fala kashifa lahu illa huwa wa-in yuridka bikhayrin fala radda lifadlihi yuseebu bihi man yashao min AAibadihi wahuwa alghafooru alrraheemu

Allah inflicts upon you something untoward, there is no one who can expunge it except Him; and if He bestows upon you something auspicious, there is none who can restrain His bounties! He extends them to whom He will of His creatures! He is Magnanimous and Merciful!

10 : 108

108. Qul ya ayyuha alnnasu qad jaakumu alhaqqu min rabbikum famani ihtada fa-innama yahtadee linafsihi waman dalla fa-innama yadillu AAalayha wama ana AAalaykum biwakeelin

Say to them : 'O mankind! The truth has come to you from your Lord, so those who follow His guidance do so for the betterment of their own souls, and those who stray away do so to their own detriment! I am not your chaperon!!

10 : 109

109. WaittabiAA ma yooha ilayka waisbir hatta yahkuma Allahu wahuwa khayru alhakimeena

And follow that (O Mohammed) which has been inspired in you and be patient until the judgement of Allah comes to pass and know that He is the best of judges! (R)

(Verses 104 to 109 serve the purpose of an epilogue to this Surah in which the Prophet is required to make clear to the rest of mankind that, whether they believe in Allah or not, whether they deem Islam to be the only valid religion or not, whether they submit to Allah to the exclusion of all other deities or not, whether they strive to return from the path of error to the righteous path or not, whether they accept the concept of accountability to their Lord or not, whether they acknowledge the existence of hell and heaven or not, he will believe in Allah, receive His messages, deliver them to those for whom they are intended, give them guidance, forbid solecism and enjoin righteousness, because that is what his religion is and that is where his duty lay.

They also call upon the Prophet to stand firm in his faith, never to vacillate because of the rigors of his tough mission nor seek refuge in anyone other than Allah and to remind mankind that, if Allah decides to help them, no one can cheat them out of it; and if Allah decides to hurt them, no one can protect them against it; if they perform seemly deeds, they do so for the betterment of their own souls; if they perpetrate evil deeds, they do so to the detriment of their own souls. What can be simpler and fairer than that!)

104. Say (O Muhammad SAW): "O you mankind! If you are in doubt as to my religion (Islâm), then (know that) I will never worship those whom you worship, besides Allâh. But I worship Allâh Who causes you to die, I am commanded to be one of the believers.

105. "And (it is inspired to me): Direct your face (O Muhammad SAW) entirely towards the religion Hanifa (Islâmic Monotheism, i.e. to worship none but Allâh Alone), and never be one of the Mushrikûn (those who ascribe partners to Allâh, polytheists, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allâh, and those who worship others along with Allâh).

106. "And invoke not besides Allâh, any that will neither profit you, nor hurt you, but if (in case) you did so, you shall certainly be one of the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers).^[]"

107. And if Allâh touches you with hurt, there is none who can remove it but He; and if He intends any good for you, there is none who can repel His Favour which He causes it to reach whomsoever of His slaves He will. And He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

108. . Say: "O you mankind! Now truth (i.e. the Qur'ân and Prophet Muhammad SAW), has come to you from your Lord. So whosoever receives guidance, he does so for the good of his own self, and whosoever goes astray, he does so to his own loss, and I am not (set) over you as a Wakîl (disposer of affairs to oblige you for guidance)."

109. And (O Muhammad SAW), follow the inspiration sent unto you, and be patient till Allâh gives judgement. And He is the Best of judges.

010.104
YUSUFALI: Say: "O ye men! If ye are in doubt as to my religion, (behold!) I worship not what ye worship, other than Allah! But I worship Allah - Who will take your souls (at death): I am commanded to be (in the ranks) of the Believers,
PICKTHAL: Say (O Muhammad): O mankind! If ye are in doubt of my religion, then (know that) I worship not those whom ye worship instead of Allah, but I worship Allah Who causeth you to die, and I have been commanded to be of the believers.
SHAKIR: Say: O people! if you are in doubt as to my religion, then (know that) I do not serve those whom you serve besides Allah but I do serve Allah, Who will cause you to die, and I am commanded that I should be of the believers.
010.105
YUSUFALI: "And further (thus): 'set thy face towards religion with true piety, and never in any wise be of the Unbelievers;
PICKTHAL: And, (O Muhammad) set thy purpose resolutely for religion, as a man by nature upright, and be not of those who ascribe partners (to Allah).
SHAKIR: And that you should keep your course towards the religion uprightly; and you should not be of the polytheists.
010.106
YUSUFALI: "'Nor call on any, other than Allah;- Such will neither profit thee nor hurt thee: if thou dost, behold! thou shalt certainly be of those who do wrong.'"
PICKTHAL: And cry not, beside Allah, unto that which cannot profit thee nor hurt thee, for if thou didst so then wert thou of the wrong-doers.
SHAKIR: And do not call besides Allah on that which can neither benefit you nor harm you, for if you do then surely you will in that case be of the unjust.
010.107
YUSUFALI: If Allah do touch thee with hurt, there is none can remove it but He: if He do design some benefit for thee, there is none can keep back His favour: He causeth it to reach whomsoever of His servants He pleaseth. And He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
PICKTHAL: If Allah afflicteth thee with some hurt, there is none who can remove it save Him; and if He desireth good for thee, there is none who can repel His bounty. He striketh with it whom He will of his bondmen. He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
SHAKIR: And if Allah should afflict you with harm, then there is none to remove it but He; and if He intends good to you there is none to repel His grace; He brings it to whom He pleases of His servants; and He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
010.108
YUSUFALI: Say: "O ye men! Now Truth hath reached you from your Lord! those who receive guidance, do so for the good of their own souls; those who stray, do so to their own loss: and I am not (set) over you to arrange your affairs."
PICKTHAL: Say: O mankind! Now hath the Truth from your Lord come unto you. So whosoever is guided, is guided only for (the good of) his soul, and whosoever erreth erreth only against it. And I am not a warder over you.
SHAKIR: Say: O people! indeed there has come to you the truth from your Lord, therefore whoever goes aright, he goes aright only for the good of his own soul, and whoever goes astray, he goes astray only to the detriment of it, and I am not a custodian over you.
010.109
YUSUFALI: Follow thou the inspiration sent unto thee, and be patient and constant, till Allah do decide: for He is the best to decide.
PICKTHAL: And (O Muhammad) follow that which is inspired in thee, and forbear until Allah give judgment. And He is the Best of Judges.
SHAKIR: And follow what is revealed to you and be patient till Allah should give judgment, and He is the best of the judges.