جُندٞ مَّا هُنَالِكَ مَهۡزُومٞ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَحۡزَابِ 11

11        This is a (small) defeated group from among the big armies (defeat-ed in the past). (This was the prediction and promise of Allah about the defeat of these disbelievers in Badr and in Makkah).

كَذَّبَتۡ قَبۡلَهُمۡ قَوۡمُ نُوحٖ وَعَادٞ وَفِرۡعَوۡنُ ذُو ٱلۡأَوۡتَادِ 12

12        The people of Nuh ( peace be upon him ), A’d and Firaun, and the man of nails, denied before them. [Man of nails means (i) powerful man, or (ii) who punished others by putting nails through their hands, feet and head].

وَثَمُودُ وَقَوۡمُ لُوطٖ وَأَصۡحَٰبُ لۡ‍َٔيۡكَةِۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ ٱلۡأَحۡزَابُ 13

13        And the Thamud (people) and the people of Lut ( peace be upon him ), and the Residents of Wood [i.e. the people of Shuaib ( peace be upon him )]. These were the big armies.

إِن كُلٌّ إِلَّا كَذَّبَ ٱلرُّسُلَ فَحَقَّ عِقَابِ 14

14        Every one of them denied their messengers; hence My punishment was justified for them.

وَمَا يَنظُرُ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِلَّا صَيۡحَةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ مَّا لَهَا مِن فَوَاقٖ 15

15        And they are waiting for only a single shout (i.e. blowing of the second Trumpet) and there will be no pause (or delay) in it. (The Day of Resurrection will occur instantly at this single shout.)

وَقَالُواْ رَبَّنَا عَجِّل لَّنَا قِطَّنَا قَبۡلَ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡحِسَابِ 16

16        (On hearing this warning of the Day of Resurrection, they mock it) And they say: “Our Creator! Give us our portion (i.e. record of deeds with the accompanying punish-ment) right now (in this worldly life) before the Day of Resurrection.” 

ٱصۡبِرۡ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَٱذۡكُرۡ عَبۡدَنَا دَاوُۥدَ ذَا ٱلۡأَيۡدِۖ إِنَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابٌ 17

17        [O Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)!] Be patient about what they say, and remember Our slave, Dawud ( peace be upon him ) who was very powerful. Indeed, he was always returning to his Creator in repentance.

إِنَّا سَخَّرۡنَا ٱلۡجِبَالَ مَعَهُۥ يُسَبِّحۡنَ بِٱلۡعَشِيِّ وَٱلۡإِشۡرَاقِ 18

18        We did put the mountains under his control to glorify Our Praises with him in the evening and in the morning.

وَٱلطَّيۡرَ مَحۡشُورَةٗۖ كُلّٞ لَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابٞ 19

19        And (similarly) the birds assembled and all of them obeyed him too (in Glorifying Allah with him).

وَشَدَدۡنَا مُلۡكَهُۥ وَءَاتَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَفَصۡلَ ٱلۡخِطَابِ 20

20        And We made his kingdom strong (by material and spiritual means) and gave him Prophethood and decisive speech.

۞وَهَلۡ أَتَىٰكَ نَبَؤُاْ ٱلۡخَصۡمِ إِذۡ تَسَوَّرُواْ ٱلۡمِحۡرَابَ 21

21        And did you receive the news of the persons who had a dispute, when they climbed over the wall to reach a praying place (or private chamber).

إِذۡ دَخَلُواْ عَلَىٰ دَاوُۥدَ فَفَزِعَ مِنۡهُمۡۖ قَالُواْ لَا تَخَفۡۖ خَصۡمَانِ بَغَىٰ بَعۡضُنَا عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ فَٱحۡكُم بَيۡنَنَا بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَلَا تُشۡطِطۡ وَٱهۡدِنَآ إِلَىٰ سَوَآءِ ٱلصِّرَٰطِ 22

22        When they reached Dawud ( peace be upon him ), he was somewhat terrified of them. They said: “Don’t fear. We have a dispute between us. One of us has wronged the other. So judge between us with justice and don’t be unjust to us, and guide us to the Right Way.”

إِنَّ هَٰذَآ أَخِي لَهُۥ تِسۡعٞ وَتِسۡعُونَ نَعۡجَةٗ وَلِيَ نَعۡجَةٞ وَٰحِدَةٞ فَقَالَ أَكۡفِلۡنِيهَا وَعَزَّنِي فِي ٱلۡخِطَابِ 23

23        (Please listen). Indeed, this is my brother (in religion). He has ninety-nine ewes (female sheep), while I have only one ewe, so he says: “Hand over yours to me, and he is very hard on me in his conversation.”

قَالَ لَقَدۡ ظَلَمَكَ بِسُؤَالِ نَعۡجَتِكَ إِلَىٰ نِعَاجِهِۦۖ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡخُلَطَآءِ لَيَبۡغِي بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٍ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ وَقَلِيلٞ مَّا هُمۡۗ وَظَنَّ دَاوُۥدُ أَنَّمَا فَتَنَّٰهُ فَٱسۡتَغۡفَرَ رَبَّهُۥ وَخَرَّۤ رَاكِعٗاۤ وَأَنَابَ۩ 24

24        Dawud ( peace be upon him ) said: “He has, indeed, wronged you by demanding your ewe to be added to his ewes, and, indeed, most partners do wrong each other, except those who believe and do good deeds, and there are very few people like that. And Dawud ( peace be upon him ) thought that it was a trial for him. So he sought forgiveness of his Creator, and he fell down prostrate and turned (to Allah) in repentance.

فَغَفَرۡنَا لَهُۥ ذَٰلِكَۖ وَإِنَّ لَهُۥ عِندَنَا لَزُلۡفَىٰ وَحُسۡنَ مَ‍َٔابٖ 25

25        So We forgave him his fault. And, indeed he has nearness to Us and has an excellent place of (final) return (i.e. Paradise).

يَٰدَاوُۥدُ إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَٰكَ خَلِيفَةٗ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱحۡكُم بَيۡنَ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰ فَيُضِلَّكَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَضِلُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٞ شَدِيدُۢ بِمَا نَسُواْ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡحِسَابِ 26

26        O Dawud ( peace be upon him )! We have made you a caliph (successor) on the earth, so you should judge between people with truth (and justice) and don’t follow your vain desires, since it will make you go astray from the Path of Allah. Indeed, those who go astray from the Path of Allah shall have a severe torment, because they forgot the Day of Judgement.

وَمَا خَلَقۡنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَا بَٰطِلٗاۚ ذَٰلِكَ ظَنُّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْۚ فَوَيۡلٞ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ 27

27        And We did not create the heavens and the earth and all that is between them (e.g. plasma) without purpose (and wisdom). That is the thinking of the disbelievers. Hence woe to the disbelievers in the Hell-Fire. (Also see 15:85, 19:65, 20:6, 21:16, 25:59, 29:8, 30:8 and 32:4.)

أَمۡ نَجۡعَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ كَٱلۡمُفۡسِدِينَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَمۡ نَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ كَٱلۡفُجَّارِ 28

28        Shall We treat those who believe and do good deeds like those who (always) spread mischief in the land? Or shall We treat the pious persons like the impious persons?

كِتَٰبٌ أَنزَلۡنَٰهُ إِلَيۡكَ مُبَٰرَكٞ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوٓاْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ 29

29        (This is) a Book (i.e. the Quran) which We have sent down to you [O Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)!], full of blessing, so that they may reflect on its Verses and the people of understanding may seek reminders from it.

وَوَهَبۡنَا لِدَاوُۥدَ سُلَيۡمَٰنَۚ نِعۡمَ ٱلۡعَبۡدُ إِنَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابٌ 30

30        And to Dawud ( peace be upon him ), We granted Sulaiman ( peace be upon him ) (as a son). What a wonderful slave! Indeed, he always returned to Us in repentance.