23. Sūrat al-Muʾminūn

٢٣۔ سُورَةُ المُؤمنون

Qurʾān > Chapter 23 > Section 9
القرآن > كتاب ٢٣ > باب ٩

23.9 God has not charged any soul with more than it can bear. End of disbelievers; Why are they not following the truth?

٢٣۔٩ مقطع في سُورَةُ المُؤمنون

quran:23:62 –

And We charge no soul except ˹with that within˺ its capacity, and with Us is a record which speaks with truth; and they will not be wronged.  

And We do not task any soul beyond its capacity, what it can bear — thus he who is not able to pray standing, let him pray sitting down and he who is not able to fast, let him eat; and with Us is a Record that speaks the truth, regarding what it ˹a soul˺ has done — and this ˹Record˺ is the Preserved Tablet (al-lawh al-mahfūz), wherein deeds are written down; and they, namely, the souls in their acts, will not be wronged, in a single thing thereof, and so nothing is diminished of the reward for good deeds, nor is anything ˹extra˺ added to the evil deeds.
القرآن:٢٣:٦٢ –

وَلَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۖ وَلَدَيْنَا كِتَابٌ يَنْطِقُ بِالْحَقِّ ۚ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ  

{ولا نكلف نفسا إلا وسعها} طاقتها فمن لم يستطع أن يصلي قائما فليصل جالسا، ومن لم يستطع أن يصوم فليأكل {ولدينا} عندنا {كتاب ينطق بالحق} بما عملته وهو واللوح المحفوظ تسطر فيه الأعمال {وهم} أي النفوس العاملة {لا يظلمون} شيئا منها فلا ينقص من ثواب أعمال الخيرات ولا يزاد في السيئات.
quran:23:63 –

But their hearts are covered with confusion over this, and they have ˹evil˺ deeds besides disbelief which they are doing,  

Nay, but their hearts, that is, ˹the hearts of˺ the disbelievers, are in ignorance of this, Qur’ān, and they have other deeds which they will perpetrate besides, the ones mentioned, against the believers, and they will therefore be chastised for them.
القرآن:٢٣:٦٣ –

بَلْ قُلُوبُهُمْ فِي غَمْرَةٍ مِنْ هَٰذَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْمَالٌ مِنْ دُونِ ذَٰلِكَ هُمْ لَهَا عَامِلُونَ  

{بل قلوبهم} أي الكفار {في غمره} جهالة {من هذا} القرآن {ولهم أعمال من دون ذلك} المذكور للمؤمنين {هم لها عاملون} فيعذبون عليها.
quran:23:64 –

Until when We seize their affluent ones with punishment, at once they are crying ˹to Allah˺ for help.  

Indeed (hattā is for inceptiveness) when We seize their affluent ones, their wealthy and their leaders, with chastisement, ˹with˺ the sword, on the day of Badr, behold! they are supplicating loudly, clamouring ˹in supplication˺. It is ˹then˺ said to them:
القرآن:٢٣:٦٤ –

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا أَخَذْنَا مُتْرَفِيهِمْ بِالْعَذَابِ إِذَا هُمْ يَجْأَرُونَ  

{حتى} ابتدائية {إذا أخذنا مترفيهم} أغنياءهم ورؤساءهم {بالعذاب} أي السيف يوم بدر {إذا هم يجأرون} يضجون يقال لهم.
quran:23:65 –

Do not cry out today. Indeed, by Us you will not be helped.  

‘Do not supplicate ˹out loud˺ on this day! Truly you will not receive help, you will not be protected, against Us.
القرآن:٢٣:٦٥ –

لَا تَجْأَرُوا الْيَوْمَ ۖ إِنَّكُمْ مِنَّا لَا تُنْصَرُونَ  

{لا تجأروا اليوم إنكم منا لا تنصرون} لا تمنعون.
quran:23:66 –

My verses had already been recited to you, but you were turning back on your heels  

Verily My signs, in the Qur’ān, used to be recited to you, but you used to take to your heels, falling back in retreat,
القرآن:٢٣:٦٦ –

قَدْ كَانَتْ آيَاتِي تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فَكُنْتُمْ عَلَىٰ أَعْقَابِكُمْ تَنْكِصُونَ  

{قد كانت آياتي} من القرآن {تتلى عليكم فكنتم على إعقابكم تنكصون} ترجعون القهقرى.
quran:23:67 –

In arrogance regarding it, conversing by night, speaking evil.  

disdainful, of ˹embracing˺ faith, because of it, that is, because of the ˹Sacred˺ House or the ˹Meccan˺ Sanctuary and their being inhabitants thereof, secure, in contrast to ˹the situation with˺ all ˹other˺ peoples in their hometowns, while in ˹your˺ night sessions (sāmiran is a circumstantial qualifier,) in other words, they come together to converse at night around the ˹Sacred˺ House, you talked nonsense’ (˹if read as˺ tahjurūna, the third form ˹from hajara˺ means ˹while˺ ‘you disregarded’ the Qur’ān; ˹but if read˺ as the fourth form ˹tuhjirūna, from ahjara˺ it means ˹while˺ ‘you speak falsehood’ about the Prophet and the Qur’ān).
القرآن:٢٣:٦٧ –

مُسْتَكْبِرِينَ بِهِ سَامِرًا تَهْجُرُونَ  

{مستكبرين} عن الإيمان {به} أي بالبيت أو الحرم بأنهم أهله في أمن بخلاف سائر الناس في مواطنهم {سامرا} حال أي جماعة يتحدثون بالليل حول البيت {تهجرون} من الثلاثي تتركون القرآن، ومن الرباعي أي تقولن غير الحق في النبي والقرآن قال تعالى.
quran:23:68 –

Then have they not reflected over the Qur'an, or has there come to them that which had not come to their forefathers?  

God, exalted be He, says: Have they not contemplated (yaddabbarū should actually be yatadabbarū, but the tā’ has been assimilated with the dāl) the discourse, namely, the Qur’ān that is proof of the Prophet’s sincerity, or has there come upon them that which has not come upon their forefathers?
القرآن:٢٣:٦٨ –

أَفَلَمْ يَدَّبَّرُوا الْقَوْلَ أَمْ جَاءَهُمْ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِ آبَاءَهُمُ الْأَوَّلِينَ  

{أفلم يدَّبروا} أصله يتدبروا فأدغمت التاء في الدال {القول} أي القرآن الدال على صدق النبي {أم جاءهم ما لم يأت آباءهم الأولين}.
quran:23:69 –

Or did they not know their Messenger, so they are toward him disacknowledging?  

Or is it that they do not recognise their ˹own˺ Messenger and so they reject him?
القرآن:٢٣:٦٩ –

أَمْ لَمْ يَعْرِفُوا رَسُولَهُمْ فَهُمْ لَهُ مُنْكِرُونَ  

{أم لم يعرفوا رسولهم فهم له منكرون}.
quran:23:70 –

Or do they say, "In him is madness?" Rather, he brought them the truth, but most of them, to the truth, are averse.  

Or do they say, ‘There is a madness in him’? — this interrogative is meant as an affirmation of the truth of the Prophet’s sincerity, and ˹of the fact˺ that messengers did come to past communities, and ˹of the fact˺ that they ˹do indeed˺ recognise their Messenger to be truthful and trustworthy, and ˹of the fact˺ that there is no madness in him. Nay (bal is for transition), he has brought them the truth, namely, the Qur’ān that comprises ˹affirmations of˺ the Oneness ˹of God˺ and the Laws of Islam; but most of them are averse to the truth.
القرآن:٢٣:٧٠ –

أَمْ يَقُولُونَ بِهِ جِنَّةٌ ۚ بَلْ جَاءَهُمْ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لِلْحَقِّ كَارِهُونَ  

{أم يقولون به جنَّة} الاستفهام للتقرير بالحق من صدق النبيّ ومجيء الرسل للأمم الماضية ومعرفة رسولهم بالصدق والأمانة وأن لا جنون به {بل} للانتقال {جاءهم بالحق} أي القرآن المشتمل على التوحيد وشرائع الإسلام {وأكثرهم للحق كارهون}.
quran:23:71 –

But if the Truth had followed their inclinations, the heavens and the earth and whoever is in them would have been ruined. Rather, We have brought them their message, but they, from their message, are turning away.  

And if the truth, namely, the Qur’ān, had followed their desires, and come to them with ˹mention of˺ what they fancied in the way of God having a partner and a child, may God be exalted above such ˹associations˺, indeed the heavens and the earth and whoever is in them would have been corrupted, they ˹the heavens and the earth˺ would have deviated from their observed order, because contradictions would ensue, as is usually the case, when there is more than one ruler. Nay, We have brought them their Remembrance, namely, the Qur’ān, in which they are remembered and honoured, but they are disregardful of their ˹own˺ Remembrance.
القرآن:٢٣:٧١ –

وَلَوِ اتَّبَعَ الْحَقُّ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ لَفَسَدَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ ۚ بَلْ أَتَيْنَاهُمْ بِذِكْرِهِمْ فَهُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِهِمْ مُعْرِضُونَ  

{ولو اتبع الحق} أي القرآن {أهواءهم} بأن جاء بما يهوونه من الشريك والولد لله، تعالى الله عن ذلك: {لفسدت السماوات والأرض ومن فيهن} خرجت عن نظامها المشاهد لوجود التمانع في الشيء عادة عند تعدد الحاكم {بل أتيناهم بذكرهم} أي القرآن الذي فيه ذكرهم وشرفهم {فهم عن ذكرهم معرضون}.
quran:23:72 –

Or do you, ˹O Muhammad˺, ask them for payment? But the reward of your Lord is best, and He is the best of providers.  

Or do you ask them for any recompense?, any remuneration, in return for the faith that you have brought them? Yet the recompense of your Lord is, His remuneration, His reward and His provision ˹are˺, better (one reading has kharjan, ‘recompense’, in both instances ˹sc. kharjan fa-kharju˺; another has kharājan in both ˹sc. kharājan fa-kharāju˺) and He is the best of providers, the best of givers and remunerators.
القرآن:٢٣:٧٢ –

أَمْ تَسْأَلُهُمْ خَرْجًا فَخَرَاجُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ ۖ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ  

{أم تسألهم خرجا} أجرا على ما جئتهم به من الإيمان {فخراج ربك} أجره وثوابه ورزقه {خير} وفي قراءة خرجا في الموضعين وفي قراءة أخرى خراجا فيهما {وهو خير الرازقين} أفضل من أعطى وآجر.
quran:23:73 –

And indeed, you invite them to a straight path.  

And truly you summon them to a straight path, a ˹straight˺ route, that is, the religion of Islam.
القرآن:٢٣:٧٣ –

وَإِنَّكَ لَتَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ  

{وإنك لتدعوهم إلى صراط} طريق {مستقيم} أي دين الإسلام.