سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ ONE who is minded to ask might ask about the suffering which [in the hereafter] is bound to befall (1) لِلْكَافِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ those who deny the truth.
[Know, then, that] nothing can ward it off, (2) مِنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ [since it will come] from God, unto whom there are many ways of ascent: (3) تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ all the angels and all the inspiration [ever granted to man] ascend unto Him [daily,] in a day the length whereof is [like] fifty thousand years.... (4) فَاصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا Therefore, [O believer,] endure all adversity with goodly patience: (5) إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُ بَعِيدًا behold, men look upon that [reckoning] as something far away (6) وَنَرَاهُ قَرِيبًا but We see it as near! (7) يَوْمَ تَكُونُ السَّمَاءُ كَالْمُهْلِ [It will take place] on a Day when the sky will be like molten lead, (8) وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ and the mountains will be like tufts of wool, (9) وَلَا يَسْأَلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا and [when] no friend will ask about his friend, (10) |
Abdullah Yusuf Ali A questioner asked5675 about a Penalty to befall- (Translation) 5675. Any one might ask. When will Judgement come? That question usually implies doubt. The answer is: the mystery of Time is beyond man's comprehension. But there is something which touches him closely and concerns his conduct and his future welfare; and that is explained in four propositions: (1) Judgement is sure to come, and none can ward it off; (2) it will exact a dreadful Penalty from Unbelievers, but the righteous have nothing to fear; (3) it will be a Penalty from Allah, the Lord of both Justice and Mercy, it will not be merely a blind calamity of fate; and (4) further we are reminded of another title of Allah. "Lord of the Ways of Ascent"; which means that though He sits high on His Throne of Glory, He is not inaccessible, but in His infinite Mercy has provided ways of ascent to Him; see next note. Buy this commentary from Amazon  .Other Translations of Verse : • A questioner asked about a Penalty to befall- (Abdullah Yusuf Ali) • A questioner questioned concerning the doom about to fall (Mohamed Marmaduke Pickthall) • One demanding, demanded the chastisement which must befall (M. H. Shakir) • A questioner asked concerning a torment about to befall (Taqiuddin Hilali and Muhammad Muhsin Khan) • There hath asked an asker for the torment about to befall. (Abdul-Majid Daryabadi) • A caller supplicated about a punishment to fall on (Hassan Qaribullah and Ahmed Darwish) • A questioner asked of a punishment about to befall (Muhammad Ayub Khan) • An inquirer inquires concerning the punishment about to befall (Sher Ali) • ONE who is minded to ask might ask about the suffering which [in the hereafter] is bound to befall (Muhammad Asad) • A questioner asked of a chastisement about to fall (Arthur John Arberry) |