26. Sūrat al-Shuʿarāʾ (5/5)

٢٦۔ سُورَةُ الشُّعَرَاء ص ٥

The Poets (Meccan)

quran:26:201

They will not believe in it until they see the painful punishment.  

They will not believe in it until they behold the painful chastisement,
القرآن:٢٦:٢٠١

لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ حَتَّىٰ يَرَوُا الْعَذَابَ الْأَلِيمَ  

{لا يؤمنون به حتى يروا العذاب الأليم}.
quran:26:202

And it will come to them suddenly while they perceive ˹it˺ not.  

so that it will come upon them suddenly while they are not aware.
القرآن:٢٦:٢٠٢

فَيَأْتِيَهُمْ بَغْتَةً وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ  

{فيأتيهم بغتة وهم لا يشعرون}.
quran:26:203

And they will say, "May we be reprieved?"  

Thereupon they will say, ‘Shall we be granted any respite?’, that we might become believers?; and it shall be said to them, ‘No!’, and they will say, ‘When will this chastisement be?’ God, exalted be He, says:
القرآن:٢٦:٢٠٣

فَيَقُولُوا هَلْ نَحْنُ مُنْظَرُونَ  

{فيقولوا هل نحن منظرون} لنؤمن فيقال لهم: لا قالوا: متى هذا العذاب، قال تعالى.
quran:26:204

So for Our punishment are they impatient?  

So do they ˹seek to˺ hasten Our chastisement?
القرآن:٢٦:٢٠٤

أَفَبِعَذَابِنَا يَسْتَعْجِلُونَ  

{أفبعذابنا يستعجلون}.
quran:26:205

Then have you considered if We gave them enjoyment for years  

Consider ˹this˺ then — inform Me: If We were to let them enjoy ˹life˺ for ˹many˺ years,
القرآن:٢٦:٢٠٥

أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ مَتَّعْنَاهُمْ سِنِينَ  

{أفرأيت} أخبرني {إن متَّعناهم سنين}.
quran:26:206

And then there came to them that which they were promised?  

then there were to come on them that which they have been promised, of chastisement,
القرآن:٢٦:٢٠٦

ثُمَّ جَاءَهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يُوعَدُونَ  

{ثم جاءهم ما كانوا يوعدون} من العذاب.
quran:26:207

They would not be availed by the enjoyment with which they were provided.  

in what way (mā here is interrogative) would that enjoyment which they were given avail them?, in averting the chastisement or mitigating it? It would be of no avail!
القرآن:٢٦:٢٠٧

مَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يُمَتَّعُونَ  

{ما} إستفهامية بمعنى: أي شيء {أغنى عنهم ما كانوا يمتعون} في دفع العذاب أو تخفيفه أي: لم يغن.
quran:26:208

And We did not destroy any city except that it had warners  

And We have not destroyed any town but it had warners, messengers to warn its inhabitants;
القرآن:٢٦:٢٠٨

وَمَا أَهْلَكْنَا مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ إِلَّا لَهَا مُنْذِرُونَ  

{وما أهلكنا من قرية إلا لها منذرون} رسل تنذر أهلها.
quran:26:209

As a reminder; and never have We been unjust.  

as a reminder, an admonition for them; for We were never unjust, for We destroy them ˹only˺ after they have been warned. The following was revealed to refute what the idolaters were saying:
القرآن:٢٦:٢٠٩

ذِكْرَىٰ وَمَا كُنَّا ظَالِمِينَ  

{ذكرى} عظة لهم {وما كنا ظالمين} في إهلاكهم بعد إنذارهم ونزل ردا لقول المشركين.
quran:26:210

And the devils have not brought the revelation down.  

It, the Qur’ān, has not been brought down by the devils.
القرآن:٢٦:٢١٠

وَمَا تَنَزَّلَتْ بِهِ الشَّيَاطِينُ  

{وما تنزلت به} بالقرآن {الشياطين}.
quran:26:211

It is not allowable for them, nor would they be able.  

Neither would it behove, befit, them, to bring it down, nor are they capable, ˹of doing˺ that.
القرآن:٢٦:٢١١

وَمَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُمْ وَمَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ  

{وما ينبغي} يصلح {لهم} أن ينزلوا به {وما يستطيعون} ذلك.
quran:26:212

Indeed they, from ˹its˺ hearing, are removed.  

Truly they are barred, restrained with blazing stars, from the hearing, of the sayings of the angels.
القرآن:٢٦:٢١٢

إِنَّهُمْ عَنِ السَّمْعِ لَمَعْزُولُونَ  

{إنهم عن السمع} لكلام الملائكة {لمعزولون} بالشهب.
quran:26:213

So do not invoke with Allah another deity and ˹thus˺ be among the punished.  

So do not invoke any other god with God, lest you be among the chastised — if you were to do what they call you to.
القرآن:٢٦:٢١٣

فَلَا تَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ فَتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُعَذَّبِينَ  

{فلا تدع مع الله إلها آخر فتكون من المعذبين} إن فعلت ذلك الذي دعوك إليه.
quran:26:214

And warn, ˹O Muhammad˺, your closest kindred.  

And warn the nearest of your kinsfolk, namely, the Banū Hāshim and the Banū al-Muttalib: ‘He ˹the Prophet˺ warned them publicly …’, as reported by al-Bukhārī and Muslim.
القرآن:٢٦:٢١٤

وَأَنْذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الْأَقْرَبِينَ  

(وأنذر عشيرتك الأقربين) وهم بنو هاشم وبنو عبد المطلب "" وقد أنذرهم جهارا "" رواه البخاري ومسلم.
quran:26:215

And lower your wing to those who follow you of the believers.  

And lower your wing, show your gentle side, to the believers, the affirmers of God’s Oneness, who follow you.
القرآن:٢٦:٢١٥

وَاخْفِضْ جَنَاحَكَ لِمَنِ اتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ  

{واخفض جناحكْ} ألن جانبك {لمن اتبعك من المؤمنين} الموحدين.
quran:26:216

And if they disobey you, then say, "Indeed, I am disassociated from what you are doing."  

But if they, your kinsfolk, disobey you, say, to them: ‘I am absolved of what you do’, in worshipping ˹gods˺ other than God.
القرآن:٢٦:٢١٦

فَإِنْ عَصَوْكَ فَقُلْ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ  

{فإن عصوك} عشيرتك {فقل} لهم {إني بريء مما تعملون} من عبادة غير الله.
quran:26:217

And rely upon the Exalted in Might, the Merciful,  

And put your trust (wa-tawakkal, or read fa-tawakkal, ‘then put your trust’) in the Mighty, the Merciful, God, in other words, entrust Him with all your affairs,
القرآن:٢٦:٢١٧

وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى الْعَزِيزِ الرَّحِيمِ  

{وتوكل} بالواو والفاء {على العزيز الرحيم} الله أي فوض إليه جميع أمورك.
quran:26:218

Who sees you when you arise  

Who sees you when you stand, for prayer,
القرآن:٢٦:٢١٨

الَّذِي يَرَاكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ  

{الذي يراك حين تقوم} إلى الصلاة.
quran:26:219

And your movement among those who prostrate.  

and your movements — in ˹performing˺ the ˹various˺ parts of prayer: standing, sitting, bowing and prostrating — among those who prostrate, those who perform the prayers.
القرآن:٢٦:٢١٩

وَتَقَلُّبَكَ فِي السَّاجِدِينَ  

{وتقلبك} في أركان الصلاة قائما وقاعدا وراكعا وساجدا {في الساجدين} المصلين.
quran:26:220

Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing.  

Truly He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
القرآن:٢٦:٢٢٠

إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ  

{إنه هو السميع العليم}.
quran:26:221

Shall I inform you upon whom the devils descend?  

Shall I inform you, O disbelievers of Mecca, upon whom the devils descend? (tanazzalu: one of the tā’ letters in the original ˹tatanazzalu˺ has been omitted).
القرآن:٢٦:٢٢١

هَلْ أُنَبِّئُكُمْ عَلَىٰ مَنْ تَنَزَّلُ الشَّيَاطِينُ  

{هل أنبئكم} يا كفرا مكة {على من تنزل الشياطين} بحذف إحدى التاءين من الأصل.
quran:26:222

They descend upon every sinful liar.  

They descend upon every sinful, profligate, liar, such as Musaylama and other soothsayers.
القرآن:٢٦:٢٢٢

تَنَزَّلُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ أَفَّاكٍ أَثِيمٍ  

{تنزل على كل أفاك} كذاب {أثيم} فاجر مثل مسيلمة وغيره من الكهنة.
quran:26:223

They pass on what is heard, and most of them are liars.  

They, the devils, report the heard ˹sayings˺, what they hear from the angels ˹they report˺ to the soothsayers, but most of them are liars, adding much that is false to what they hear — this was ˹revealed˺ before the devils were barred from the heaven.
القرآن:٢٦:٢٢٣

يُلْقُونَ السَّمْعَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ كَاذِبُونَ  

{يلقون} الشياطين {السمع} ما سمعوه من الملائكة إلى الكهنة {وأكثرهم كاذبون} يضمنون إلى المسموع كذبا وكان هذا قبل أن حجبت الشياطين عن السماء.
quran:26:224

And the poets - ˹only˺ the deviators follow them;  

As for the poets, ˹only˺ the perverse follow them, in their poetry, propounding it and reciting it on their behalf to others; they are thus reprehensible.
القرآن:٢٦:٢٢٤

وَالشُّعَرَاءُ يَتَّبِعُهُمُ الْغَاوُونَ  

{والشعراء يتبعهم الغاوون} في شعرهم فيقولن به ويرونه عنهم فهم مذمومون.
quran:26:225

Do you not see that in every valley they roam  

Have you not noticed that — are you not aware that — in every valley, of the valleys of rhetoric and the art thereof, they rove, overstepping the bounds ˹of decency˺ in ˹their˺ eulogies and diatribes,
القرآن:٢٦:٢٢٥

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّهُمْ فِي كُلِّ وَادٍ يَهِيمُونَ  

{ألم تر} تعلم {أنهم في كل واد} من أودية الكلام وفنونه {يهيمون} يمضون فيجازون الحد مدحا وهجاء.
quran:26:226

And that they say what they do not do? -  

and that they say, we do, what they do not do?, in other words, that they lie.
القرآن:٢٦:٢٢٦

وَأَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ مَا لَا يَفْعَلُونَ  

{وأنهم يقولون} فعلنا {مالا يفعلون} يكذبون.
quran:26:227

Except those ˹poets˺ who believe and do righteous deeds and remember Allah often and defend ˹the Muslims˺ after they were wronged. And those who have wronged are going to know to what ˹kind of˺ return they will be returned.  

Save those, poets, who believe and perform righteous deeds and remember God frequently, in other words, ˹those whom˺ poetry does not distract from the remembrance ˹of God˺, and vindicate themselves, by lampooning the disbelievers, after they have been wronged, by the disbelievers’ reviling of them ˹as belonging˺ together with all believers — such ˹individuals˺ are not reprehensible. God, exalted be He, says: God does not like the utterance of evil words out loud, unless a person has been wronged ˹Q. 4:148˺; He, exalted be He, also says: so whoever commits aggression against you, commit aggression against him in the manner that he committed against you ˹Q. 2:194˺; and those, poets and others, who are wrongdoers will soon know the reversal, the return, with which they will meet, ˹by which˺ they will return, after death. Meccan; it consists of 93, 94, or 95 verses revealed after sūrat al-Shu‘arā’.
القرآن:٢٦:٢٢٧

إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَذَكَرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَانْتَصَرُوا مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا ظُلِمُوا ۗ وَسَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَيَّ مُنْقَلَبٍ يَنْقَلِبُونَ  

{إلا الذين آمنوا وعملوا الصالحات} من الشعراء. {وذكروا الله كثيرا} لم يشغلهم الشعر عن الذكر {وانتصروا} بهجوهم الكفار {من بعد ما ظلموا} بهجو الكفار لهم في جملة المؤمنين فليسو مذمومين قال الله تعالى: (لا يحب الله الجهر بالسوء من القول إلا من ظلم) وقال تعالى (فمن اعتدى عليكم فاعتدوا عليه بمثل ما اعتدي عليكم) {وسيعلم الذين ظلموا} من الشعراء وغيرهم {أي منقلب} مرجع {ينقلبون} يرجعون بعد الموت.