About the Surah

In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

Ha-Mim (Only Allah knows their meanings).

The revelation of this Book (the Quran) is from Allah, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise (Hence, you should listen to its messages attentively).

Indeed, in the heavens and the earth are the signs (of the Oneness of Allah) for the believers (since only they pay attention to the message).

And in your own creation and in the creation of other living creatures which He scatters (in the land) are signs (of the Oneness and Power of Allah) for the people who have firm faith.

And in the alternation of the night and the day, and the (means of) provision (i.e. rain) which Allah sends down from the sky and revives the earth with after its death, and in the changes in the wind (in its direction and nature) are signs (of the Oneness and Power of Allah) for the people who have sound understanding.

These are the Verses of Allah, which We recite to you [O Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)!] with truth (which proves your Prophethood clearly. But they deny this miraculous proof). Then, after Allah and His Verses, in which speech will they believe? 

Woe to every sinful liar.

Who hears the Verses of Allah being recited to him, yet persists in his arro-gance as if he did not hear them. So inform him that there is a painful torment for him.

And when he learns something of Our revelations, he makes fun of it. There is a humiliating torment for such people.

(For such persons) there is Hell-Fire (on the Day of Judgement). And their (worldly) deeds will not benefit them a bit nor those whom they have made their protectors besides Allah. And there will be a great torment for them.

This (the Quran) is (full of) guidance. And, those who dis-believe in the rev-elations of their Creator, there will be an extremely painful torment.

Allah has (by His Power) made the sea serve you, so that ships may sail in it by His Command, and hence you may seek (your livelihood) from His Bounty and (hopefully) that you may be thankful to Allah (for His Favours).

And He has made all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth serve you as a favour from Him. Indeed, there are signs (of the Power of Allah) in this for the people who ponder over them.

[O Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)!] Say to the believers to forgive those (disbelievers) who don’t believe in the events (which show the Power of Allah) so that He may punish the people for what they used to do. (This initial command was cancelled after the permission for Jihad).

(Since Allah’s rule is) whoever does good deeds, it is to his advantage and whoever does evil deeds, he will suffer for it. Then you will be made to return to your Creator.

(Prophethood is nothing new. Hence, it should not be denied). And, indeed, We gave the Children of Israel the Scripture, the kingdom and Prophethood (i.e. made many Prophets in them), and We gave them good things to eat, and We preferred them (in certain matters) among the people of their time (e.g. splitting of the sea, shade of cloud etc).

And We gave them clear proofs in (religious) matters. (It was expected that they will be very obedient due to those Favours of Allah). But they differed due to their mutual jealousy even after the knowledge had come to them. Indeed, your Creator will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection in what they used to differ.

[O Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)!] Then We put you on a clear Path of religion (which leads to the truth). Hence, you follow this (Path) and don’t follow the desires of those who have no (beneficial) knowledge.

Indeed, they cannot benefit you a bit against Allah (hence, don’t follow their de-sires). And, indeed, the wrong-doers are helpers of one another, and Allah is the helper of the pious people.

This (the Quran) is full of wisdom for the (general) public and is a guidance and a mercy for the people who have firm belief.

Do the evil-doers think that We shall make them equal to those who believe and do good deeds and the living and dying of both groups will be equal (too)? It is a terrible judgement, what they make.

And Allah has created the heavens and the earth with wisdom. (One of the wisdom is) so that every person be rewarded according to his deeds and they will not be wronged. (Since just reward cannot be served in this world, hence the Hereafter is a must to reward justly).

(After knowing these clear proofs of the Oneness of Allah and of the Here-after) Have you seen the condition of that person who made his vain desires as his god and Allah had left him astray inspite of his knowledge. He (Allah) sealed his hearing and his heart and put a cover on his sight. Who will guide him after Allah? Don’t you learn a lesson from it? (Also see Surah Al-Araf:186)

(Those who deny the Here-after) and they say: “Our life is only the worldly life. We die and live and nothing destroys us except time (with weakness of body etc). In fact, they have no knowledge of it. Indeed, they are just guessing.”

And when Our clear Verses are recited to them, they have no other argument except that they say: “Bring back our (dead) forefathers if you are truthful in your claim (this argument indicates their shallowness).”

[As an answer to them, O Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)!] Say: Allah gives you life (as long as He likes), then makes you die (when He wills), and then will gather you all on the Day of Resurrection about which there is no doubt: (i.e. claim here is to raise you alive in the Hereafter and not to raise you alive again in this worldly life). But most of the people don’t understand.

Allah is the Sovereign of the heavens and the earth (He can very easily gath-er you all). And when the Day of Judgement comes, on that Day the disbelievers will be in a great loss.

And (on that Day) you will see each nation humbled on its knees (due to horrors of that Day), and every group will be called to its Record (of deeds). On that Day you will be rewarded according to what you used to do.

(It will be said to them): “This is Our Book which speaks about you with truth. Indeed, We used to get all your deeds written (by the angels in your worldly life).” (Also see Surah Al-Kahf:49)

So those who believed and did good deeds, then Allah would shower His Mercy on them. That will be an obvious success.

And those who disbelieved, (it will be said to them): “Were not Our Verses recited to you? But you were arrogant and criminal people.”

When it was said to you: “Indeed, Allah’s Promise (of Resur-rection and reward and punish-ment) is true, and there is no doubt in the occurrence of the Day of Resurrection,” you said (carelessly): “We don’t know what is the Day of Resurrection, we consider it only a conjecture (or a guess), and we do not have firm belief in it.”

(At that time) the evils of their deeds will appear in front of them, and they will be entrapped by that (the torment) which they used to mock. 

(It will be said to them): “This Day We will forget you (i.e. remove you from Our Mercy), as you forgot the Meeting of this Day of yours. And you will reside in the Fire and there is none to help you.”

This (punishment) is because you used to make fun of the revelations of Al-lah and the worldly life deceived you. So this Day they shall not be taken out from Hell, nor shall they be given a chance to please Allah by repentance.

Hence, all praise and thanks are due to Allah Alone, the Creator of the heav-ens and the Creator of the earth; the Creator of the universe.

And His (Alone) is the Majesty and Greatness in the heavens and the earth, and He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.