37. Sūrat al-Ṣāffāt (4/4)

٣٧۔ سُورَةُ الصَّافات ص ٤

Qurʾān > Chapter 37
القرآن > كتاب ٣٧

Those drawn up in Ranks (Meccan)

quran:37:151 –

Unquestionably, it is out of their ˹invented˺ falsehood that they say,  

Lo! it is indeed out of their ˹own˺ mendacity, their ˹own˺ lies, that they say,
القرآن:٣٧:١٥١ –

أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ مِنْ إِفْكِهِمْ لَيَقُولُونَ  

{ألا أنهم من إفكهم} كذبهم {ليقولون} بقولهم الملائكة بنات الله.
quran:37:152 –

" Allah has begotten," and indeed, they are liars.  

‘God has begotten’, when they say that the angels are God’s daughters. And verily they are liars, in this ˹respect˺.
القرآن:٣٧:١٥٢ –

وَلَدَ اللَّهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ  

{ولد الله} بقولهم الملائكة بنات الله {وإنهم لكاذبون} فيه.
quran:37:153 –

Has He chosen daughters over sons?  

Has He preferred daughters to sons? (read a’stafā, ‘has He preferred’, indicating an interrogative ˹hamza˺, which stands in place of the omitted conjunctive hamza).
القرآن:٣٧:١٥٣ –

أَصْطَفَى الْبَنَاتِ عَلَى الْبَنِينَ  

{أصطفى} بفتح الهمزة للاستفهام واستغني بها عن همزة الوصل فحذفت، أي أختار {البنات على البنين}.
quran:37:154 –

What is ˹wrong˺ with you? How do you make judgement?  

What is wrong with you? How do you judge?, ˹how do you make˺ such a depraved judgement?
القرآن:٣٧:١٥٤ –

مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ  

{ما لكم كيف تحكمون} هذا الحكم الفاسد.
quran:37:155 –

Then will you not be reminded?  

Will you not then remember? (tadhakkarūna: the tā’ ˹of tatadhakkarūna˺ has been assimilated with the dhāl), that He, glory be to Him, is exalted above having a child?
القرآن:٣٧:١٥٥ –

أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ  

{أفلا تذَّكرون} بإدغام التاء في الذال، أنه سبحانه وتعالى منزه عن الولد.
quran:37:156 –

Or do you have a clear authority?  

Or do you have a clear warrant?, plain definitive proof that God has a child?
القرآن:٣٧:١٥٦ –

أَمْ لَكُمْ سُلْطَانٌ مُبِينٌ  

{أم لكم سلطان مبين} حجة واضحة أن لله ولدا.
quran:37:157 –

Then produce your scripture, if you should be truthful.  

Then produce your scripture, the Torah, and show Me this ˹as it is mentioned˺ in it, if you are being truthful, about this statement of yours.
القرآن:٣٧:١٥٧ –

فَأْتُوا بِكِتَابِكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ  

{فأتوا بكتابكم} التوراة فأروني ذلك فيه {إن كنتم صادقين} في قولكم ذلك.
quran:37:158 –

And they have claimed between Him and the jinn a lineage, but the jinn have already known that they ˹who made such claims˺ will be brought to ˹punishment˺.  

And they, namely, the idolaters, have set up between Him, exalted be He, and the jinn, namely, the angels (jinna: they are so called because they are hidden ˹ijtinān˺ from vision) a kinship, by saying that they are God’s daughters, while the jinn certainly know that they, that is, those who say this, shall indeed be arraigned, into the Fire, to be chastised therein.
القرآن:٣٧:١٥٨ –

وَجَعَلُوا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْجِنَّةِ نَسَبًا ۚ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمَتِ الْجِنَّةُ إِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ  

{وجعلوا} أي المشركون {بينه} تعالى {وبين الجنة} أي الملائكة لاجتنانهم عن الأبصار {نسبا} بقولهم إنها بنات الله {ولقد علمت الجنَّة إنهم} أي قائلي ذلك {لمحضرون} للنار يعذبون فيها.
quran:37:159 –

Exalted is Allah above what they describe,  

Glory be to God, affirming that He is exalted, above what they attribute, ˹to Him˺ in the way of His having a child,
القرآن:٣٧:١٥٩ –

سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ  

{سبحان الله} تنزيها له {عما يصفون} بأن لله ولدا.
quran:37:160 –

Except the chosen servants of Allah ˹who do not share in that sin˺.  

— ˹all˺ except God’s devoted servants, namely, believers (the exceptive clause here is discontinuous) in other words, ˹that is˺ because they declare that God transcends what such individuals attribute ˹to Him˺.
القرآن:٣٧:١٦٠ –

إِلَّا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ  

{إلا عباد الله المخلصين} أي المؤمنين استثناء منقطع أي فإنهم ينزهون الله تعالى عما يصفه هؤلاء.
quran:37:161 –

So indeed, you ˹disbelievers˺ and whatever you worship,  

For indeed you and what you worship, of idols,
القرآن:٣٧:١٦١ –

فَإِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ  

{فإنكم وما تعبدون} من الأصنام.
quran:37:162 –

You cannot tempt ˹anyone˺ away from Him  

— you cannot tempt, anyone, thereto, that is, to ˹incline to˺ your ˹worshipped˺ idols (‘alayhi, ‘thereto’, is semantically connected to His saying ˹bi-fātinīna˺, ‘you cannot tempt’),
القرآن:٣٧:١٦٢ –

مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ بِفَاتِنِينَ  

{ما أنتم عليه} أي على معبودكم عليه متعلق بقوله {بفاتنين} أي أحدا.
quran:37:163 –

Except he who is to ˹enter and˺ burn in the Hellfire.  

except him who will burn in Hell, in God’s knowledge, exalted be He.
القرآن:٣٧:١٦٣ –

إِلَّا مَنْ هُوَ صَالِ الْجَحِيمِ  

{إلا من هو صال الجحيم} في علم الله تعالى.
quran:37:164 –

˹The angels say˺, "There is not among us any except that he has a known position.  

Gabriel said to the Prophet (s): And there is not one of us, ˹us˺ the company of angels, but has a known station, in the heavens, in which he worships God and which he does not transgress.
القرآن:٣٧:١٦٤ –

وَمَا مِنَّا إِلَّا لَهُ مَقَامٌ مَعْلُومٌ  

قال جبريل للنبي ﷺ {وما منا} معشر الملائكة أحد {إلا له مقام معلوم} في السماوات يعبد الله فيه لا يتجاوزه.
quran:37:165 –

And indeed, we are those who line up ˹for prayer˺.  

And indeed it is we who are the rangers, of our feet in prayer.
القرآن:٣٧:١٦٥ –

وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الصَّافُّونَ  

{وإنا لنحن الصَّافون} أقدامنا في الصلاة.
quran:37:166 –

And indeed, we are those who exalt Allah."  

And indeed it is we who give glory, ˹it is we˺ who declare that God transcends what does not befit Him.
القرآن:٣٧:١٦٦ –

وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الْمُسَبِّحُونَ  

{وإنا لنحن المسبحون} المنزهون الله عما لا يليق به.
quran:37:167 –

And indeed, the disbelievers used to say,  

And indeed (in, is softened in place of the hardened one) they, the Meccan disbelievers, used to say,
القرآن:٣٧:١٦٧ –

وَإِنْ كَانُوا لَيَقُولُونَ  

{وإن} مخففة من الثقيلة {كانوا} أي كفار مكة {ليقولون}.
quran:37:168 –

"If we had a message from ˹those of˺ the former peoples,  

‘If we had but a reminder, a scripture, from the ancients, that is, from among the scriptures of past communities,
القرآن:٣٧:١٦٨ –

لَوْ أَنَّ عِنْدَنَا ذِكْرًا مِنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ  

{لو أن عندنا ذكرا} كتابا {من الأولين} أي من كتب الأمم الماضية.
quran:37:169 –

We would have been the chosen servants of Allah."  

we would have surely been God’s devoted servants’, ˹devoting˺ worship purely to Him.
القرآن:٣٧:١٦٩ –

لَكُنَّا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ  

{لكنا عباد الله المخلصين} العابدة له.
quran:37:170 –

But they disbelieved in it, so they are going to know.  

God, exalted be He, says: Yet they disbelieved in it, in other words, in the Book that came to them, namely, the Qur’ān, more glorious than ˹all˺ those other scriptures; but they will come to know, the consequences of their disbelief.
القرآن:٣٧:١٧٠ –

فَكَفَرُوا بِهِ ۖ فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ  

قال تعالى: {فكفروا به} بالكتاب الذي جاءهم وهو القرآن الأشرف من ذلك الكتب {فسوف يعلمون} عاقبة كفرهم.
quran:37:171 –

And Our word has already preceded for Our servants, the messengers,  

And verily Our Word, ˹containing the promise˺ of victory, has gone beforehand in favour of Our servants, the messengers: and that ˹Word˺ is, I shall assuredly prevail, I and My messengers ˹Q. 58:21˺ —
القرآن:٣٧:١٧١ –

وَلَقَدْ سَبَقَتْ كَلِمَتُنَا لِعِبَادِنَا الْمُرْسَلِينَ  

(ولقد سبقت كلمتنا) بالنصر (لعبادنا المرسلين) وهي "" لأغلبن أنا ورسلي "".
quran:37:172 –

˹That˺ indeed, they would be those given victory  

or it is His ˹following˺ saying — assuredly they shall be helped,
القرآن:٣٧:١٧٢ –

إِنَّهُمْ لَهُمُ الْمَنْصُورُونَ  

أو هي قوله {إنهم لهم المنصورون}.
quran:37:173 –

And ˹that˺ indeed, Our soldiers will be those who overcome.  

and assuredly Our hosts, namely, the believers, they will indeed be the victors, over the disbelievers by ˹their being given˺ the definitive proofs and assistance against them in this world. And if some of these ˹believers˺ are not victorious over them in this world, then assuredly in the Hereafter ˹they will be so˺.
القرآن:٣٧:١٧٣ –

وَإِنَّ جُنْدَنَا لَهُمُ الْغَالِبُونَ  

{وإن جندنا} أي المؤمنين {لهم الغالبون} الكفار بالحجة والنصرة عليهم في الدنيا، وإن لم ينتصر بعض منهم في الدنيا ففي الآخرة.
quran:37:174 –

So, ˹O Muhammad˺, leave them for a time.  

So leave them, in other words, shun the Meccan disbelievers, for a while, until ˹such time as˺ you are commanded to fight them;
القرآن:٣٧:١٧٤ –

فَتَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ حَتَّىٰ حِينٍ  

{فتول عنهم} أي أعرض عن كفار مكة {حتى حين} تؤمر فيه بقتالهم.
quran:37:175 –

And see ˹what will befall˺ them, for they are going to see.  

and watch them, when the chastisement is sent down on them; for they will ˹soon˺ see, the consequences of their disbelief.
القرآن:٣٧:١٧٥ –

وَأَبْصِرْهُمْ فَسَوْفَ يُبْصِرُونَ  

{وأبصرهم} إذ نزل بهم العذاب {فسوف يبصرون} عاقبة كفرهم.
quran:37:176 –

Then for Our punishment are they impatient?  

They then said in mockery, ‘When will this chastisement be sent down?’ God, exalted be He, threatens them by saying: Do they seek to hasten Our chastisement?
القرآن:٣٧:١٧٦ –

أَفَبِعَذَابِنَا يَسْتَعْجِلُونَ  

فقالوا استهزاء: متى نزول هذا العذاب؟ قال تعالى تهديدا لهم: {أفبعذابنا يستعجلون}.
quran:37:177 –

But when it descends in their territory, then evil is the morning of those who were warned.  

But when it descends in their courtyard — al-Farrā’ said that the Arabs find it sufficient to refer to a people by referring to ‘their courtyard’ — how awful, how terrible a morning, will be the morning for those who were warned (the overt noun ˹al-mundharīn˺ has replaced the ˹third person˺ pronominalisation ˹in sāhatihim˺).
القرآن:٣٧:١٧٧ –

فَإِذَا نَزَلَ بِسَاحَتِهِمْ فَسَاءَ صَبَاحُ الْمُنْذَرِينَ  

{فإذا نزل بساحتهم} بفنائهم قال الفراء: العرب تكتفي بذكر الساحة عن القوم {فَساء} بئس صباحا {صباح المنذَرين} فيه إقامة الظاهر مقام المضمر.
quran:37:179 –

And see, for they are going to see.  

and watch; for they will ˹soon˺ see — this ˹statement˺ is repeated in order to emphasise the threat made to them and to reassure the Prophet (s).
القرآن:٣٧:١٧٩ –

وَأَبْصِرْ فَسَوْفَ يُبْصِرُونَ  

{وأبصر فسوف يبصرون} كرر تأكيدا لتهديدهم وتسلية له ﷺ .
quran:37:180 –

Exalted is your Lord, the Lord of might, above what they describe.  

Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Might, of Triumph, ˹exalted is He˺ above what they allege!, in the way of His having a child.
القرآن:٣٧:١٨٠ –

سُبْحَانَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ  

{سبحان ربك رب العزة} الغلبة {عما يصفون} بأن له ولدا.
quran:37:181 –

And peace upon the messengers.  

And peace be to the messengers, who convey from God the Message of the Oneness ˹of God˺ and ˹His˺ Laws.
القرآن:٣٧:١٨١ –

وَسَلَامٌ عَلَى الْمُرْسَلِينَ  

{وسلام على المرسلين} المبلغين عن الله التوحيد والشرائع.
quran:37:182 –

And praise to Allah, Lord of the worlds.  

And praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, for granting these ˹messengers˺ victory and destroying the disbelievers. Meccan: it consists of 86 or 88 verses, revealed after ˹sūrat˺ al-Qamar.
القرآن:٣٧:١٨٢ –

وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ  

{والحمد لله رب العالمين} على نصرهم وهلاك الكافرين.