55. Sūrat al-Raḥmān (1/2)

٥٥۔ سُورَةُ الرَّحمن ص ١

Qurʾān > Chapter 55
القرآن > كتاب ٥٥

The Beneficent (Medinan)

quran:55:1 – In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

The Most Merciful  

The Compassionate One, God, exalted be He,
القرآن:٥٥:١ – بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

الرَّحْمَٰنُ  

{الرحمن} الله تعالى.
quran:55:2 –

Taught the Qur'an,  

has taught, whomever He will, the Qur’ān.
القرآن:٥٥:٢ –

عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ  

{علَّم} من شاء {القرآن}.
quran:55:4 –

˹And˺ taught him eloquence.  

teaching him the ˹coherent˺ speech, utterance.
القرآن:٥٥:٤ –

عَلَّمَهُ الْبَيَانَ  

{علَّمه البيان} النطق.
quran:55:5 –

The sun and the moon ˹move˺ by precise calculation,  

The sun and the moon follow a reckoning, they move according to a ˹strict˺ calculation,
القرآن:٥٥:٥ –

الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ بِحُسْبَانٍ  

{الشمس والقمر بحسبان} يجريان.
quran:55:6 –

And the stars and trees prostrate.  

and the grass, all stalkless vegetation, and the trees, that ˹vegetation˺ which possesses stalk, prostrate, comply with what is required of them.
القرآن:٥٥:٦ –

وَالنَّجْمُ وَالشَّجَرُ يَسْجُدَانِ  

{والنجم} ما لا ساق له من النبات {والشجر} ما له ساق {يسجدان} يخضعان لما يراد منهما.
quran:55:7 –

And the heaven He raised and imposed the balance  

And He has raised the heaven and set up the balance, He has established justice,
القرآن:٥٥:٧ –

وَالسَّمَاءَ رَفَعَهَا وَوَضَعَ الْمِيزَانَ  

{والسماء رفعها ووضع الميزان} أثبت العدل.
quran:55:8 –

That you not transgress within the balance.  

˹declaring˺ that you should not contravene, that is to say, so that you may not do wrong, with regard to the balance, that ˹instrument˺ with which one weighs.
القرآن:٥٥:٨ –

أَلَّا تَطْغَوْا فِي الْمِيزَانِ  

{ألا تطغوا} أي لأجل أن لا تجوروا {في الميزان} ما يوزن به.
quran:55:9 –

And establish weight in justice and do not make deficient the balance.  

And observe the weights with justice, fairly, and do not skimp the balance, ˹do not˺ decrease ˹the value of˺ what is being weighed.
القرآن:٥٥:٩ –

وَأَقِيمُوا الْوَزْنَ بِالْقِسْطِ وَلَا تُخْسِرُوا الْمِيزَانَ  

{وأقيموا الوزن بالقسط} بالعدل {ولا تخسروا الميزان} تنقصوا الموزون.
quran:55:10 –

And the earth He laid ˹out˺ for the creatures.  

And the earth, He placed it, He fixed it ˹in place˺, for ˹all˺ creatures: man, jinn and others.
القرآن:٥٥:١٠ –

وَالْأَرْضَ وَضَعَهَا لِلْأَنَامِ  

{والأرض وضعها} أثبتها {للأنام} للخلق الإنس والجن وغيرهم.
quran:55:11 –

Therein is fruit and palm trees having sheaths ˹of dates˺  

In it are fruits and, the familiar, date-palms with sheaths, the spathes containing its flowers,
القرآن:٥٥:١١ –

فِيهَا فَاكِهَةٌ وَالنَّخْلُ ذَاتُ الْأَكْمَامِ  

{فيها فاكهة والنخل} المعهود {ذات الأكمام} أوعية طلعها.
quran:55:12 –

And grain having husks and scented plants.  

and grain, such as wheat and barley, with husk, and fragrant herb.
القرآن:٥٥:١٢ –

وَالْحَبُّ ذُو الْعَصْفِ وَالرَّيْحَانُ  

{والحب} كالحنطة والشعير {ذو العصف} التين {والريحان} الورق المشموم.
quran:55:13 –

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?  

So which of your Lord’s favours, graces, will you deny? (tukadhdhibān is mentioned thirty one times; the interrogative is meant ˹to be understood˺ as an affirmative, judging by what al-Hākim ˹al-Naysābūrī˺ reported ˹by way of an isnād˺ from Jābir ˹b. ‘Abd Allāh al-Ansārī˺, who said, ‘The Messenger of God (s) was reciting surāt al-Rahmān to us, and when he completed it, he said, “What is wrong with you that you have been silent ˹throughout˺? Verily the jinn are more responsive than you. Not once did I recite this verse to them — So which of your Lord’s favours will you deny? — but that they said, ‘Not one of your graces, our Lord, do we deny, for ˹all˺ praise belongs to You’ ”).
القرآن:٥٥:١٣ –

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ  

(فبأي آلاء) نعم (ربكما) أيها الإنس والجن (تكذبان) ذكرت إحدى وثلاثين مرة، والاستفهام فيها للتقرير لما روي الحاكم عن جابر قال: "" قرأ علينا رسول الله ﷺ سورة الرحمن حتى ختمها، ثم قال: مالي أراكم سكوتا، لَلْجن كانوا أحسن منكم ردا ما قرأت عليهم هذه الآية من مرة (فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان) إلا قالوا: ولا بشيء من نعمك ربنا نكذب فلك الحمد "".
quran:55:14 –

He created man from clay like ˹that of˺ pottery.  

He created man, Adam, of dry clay (salsāl, a dry hollow mud producing an echo if tapped), resembling the potter’s (fakhkhār, clay that has been baked),
القرآن:٥٥:١٤ –

خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ كَالْفَخَّارِ  

{خلق الإنسان} آدم {من صلصال} طين يابس يسمع له صلصلة، أي صوت إذا نقر {كالفخار} وهو ما طبخ من الطين.
quran:55:15 –

And He created the jinn from a smokeless flame of fire.  

and He created the Jann, the father of the jinn, namely, Iblīs, of a smokeless flame of fire.
القرآن:٥٥:١٥ –

وَخَلَقَ الْجَانَّ مِنْ مَارِجٍ مِنْ نَارٍ  

{وخلق الجان} أبا الجن وهو إبليس {من مارج من نار} هو لهبها الخالص من الدخان.
quran:55:16 –

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?  

So which of your Lord’s favours will you deny?
القرآن:٥٥:١٦ –

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ  

{فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان}.
quran:55:17 –

˹He is˺ Lord of the two sunrises and Lord of the two sunsets.  

Lord of the two Easts, ˹the points of˺ the winter sunrise and the summer sunrise, and Lord of the two Wests: likewise ˹the two points of sunset˺.
القرآن:٥٥:١٧ –

رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقَيْنِ وَرَبُّ الْمَغْرِبَيْنِ  

{رب المشرقين} مشرق الشتاء ومشرق الصيف {ورب المغربين} كذلك.
quran:55:18 –

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?  

So which of your Lord’s favours will you deny?
القرآن:٥٥:١٨ –

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ  

{فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان}.
quran:55:19 –

He released the two seas, meeting ˹side by side˺;  

He has loosed the two waters, the sweet and the salty; ˹and so˺ they meet, in the perception of the eye.
القرآن:٥٥:١٩ –

مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ  

{مرج} أرسل {البحرين} العذب والملح {يلتقيان} في رأي العين.
quran:55:20 –

Between them is a barrier ˹so˺ neither of them transgresses.  

Between them there is a barrier, by His power, exalted be He. They do not overstep, neither of the two encroaches upon the other to become mixed with it.
القرآن:٥٥:٢٠ –

بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لَا يَبْغِيَانِ  

{بينهما برزخ} حاجز من قدرته تعالى {لا يبغيان} لا يبغي واحد منهما على الآخر فيختلط به.
quran:55:21 –

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?  

So which of your Lord’s favours will you deny?
القرآن:٥٥:٢١ –

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ  

{فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان}.
quran:55:22 –

From both of them emerge pearl and coral.  

From ˹both of˺ them, from the point at which they ˹seem to˺ meet — but which is actually from ˹only˺ one of the two, and that is, the salt water — is brought forth (yukhraju, passive, may also be read as active, yakhruju, ‘emerge’) the pearl and the coral (marjān, these are red pieces of shell, or small pearls).
القرآن:٥٥:٢٢ –

يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا اللُّؤْلُؤُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ  

{يَُخرج} بالبناء للمفعول والفاعل {منهما} من مجموعهما الصادق بأحدهما وهو الملح {اللؤلؤ المرجان} خرز أحمر أو صغار اللؤلؤ.
quran:55:23 –

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?  

So which of your Lord’s favours will you deny?
القرآن:٥٥:٢٣ –

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ  

{فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان}.
quran:55:24 –

And to Him belong the ships ˹with sails˺ elevated in the sea like mountains.  

His are the crafted ships ˹that sail˺ in the sea ˹appearing˺ like landmarks, like mountains in their tremendous size and height.
القرآن:٥٥:٢٤ –

وَلَهُ الْجَوَارِ الْمُنْشَآتُ فِي الْبَحْرِ كَالْأَعْلَامِ  

{وله الجوار} السفن {المنشآت} المحدثات {في البحر كالأعلام} كالجبال عظما وارتفاعا.
quran:55:25 –

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?  

So which of your Lord’s favours will you deny?
القرآن:٥٥:٢٥ –

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ  

{فبأي آلاء تكذبان}.
quran:55:26 –

Everyone upon the earth will perish,  

Everyone who is on it, that is, ˹on˺ the earth, of animal beings, will perish (man, ‘who’, is used to indicate predominance of rational beings);
القرآن:٥٥:٢٦ –

كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ  

{كل من عليها} أي الأرض من الحيوان {فان} هالك وعبر بمن تغليبا للعقلاء.
quran:55:27 –

And there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.  

yet there will remain the countenance of your Lord, His Essence, ˹the countenance˺ of majesty, magnificence, and munificence, towards believers, through His graces to them.
القرآن:٥٥:٢٧ –

وَيَبْقَىٰ وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ  

{ويبقى وجه ربك} ذاته {ذو الجلال} العظمة {والإكرام} للمؤمنين بأنعمه عليهم.
quran:55:28 –

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?  

So which of your Lord’s favours will you deny?
القرآن:٥٥:٢٨ –

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ  

{فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان}.
quran:55:29 –

Whoever is within the heavens and earth asks Him; every day He is bringing about a matter.  

All that is in the heavens and the earth implore Him, either by way of speech or by their very state ˹of dependence on Him˺, for the strength which they require for worship, ˹for˺ provision, forgiveness and other things. Every day, ˹all the˺ time, He is upon some matter, something that He manifests in accordance with what He has decreed since pre-eternity, such as the giving of life, the bringing of death, exalting and abasing ˹individuals˺, giving abundantly and withholding, responding to a supplicating person and giving the one requesting ˹something˺ and so on and so forth.
القرآن:٥٥:٢٩ –

يَسْأَلُهُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ  

{يسأله من في السماوات والأرض} بنطق أو حال: ما يحتاجون إليه من القوة على العبادة والرزق والمغفرة وغير ذلك {كل يوم} وقت {هو في شأن} أمر يُظهره على وفق ما قدره في الأزل من إحياء و إماتة وإعزاز وإذلال وإغناء وإعدام وإجابة داع وإعطاء سائل وغير ذلك.
quran:55:30 –

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?  

So which of your Lord’s favours will you deny?
القرآن:٥٥:٣٠ –

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ  

{فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان}.
quran:55:31 –

We will attend to you, O prominent beings.  

We will attend to you, We shall turn to reckon with you, O you two heavy ones!, mankind and jinn.
القرآن:٥٥:٣١ –

سَنَفْرُغُ لَكُمْ أَيُّهَ الثَّقَلَانِ  

{سنفرغ لكم} سنقصد لحسابكم {أيها الثقلان} الإنس والجن.
quran:55:32 –

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?  

So which of your Lord’s favours will you deny?
القرآن:٥٥:٣٢ –

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ  

{فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان}.
quran:55:33 –

O company of jinn and mankind, if you are able to pass beyond the regions of the heavens and the earth, then pass. You will not pass except by authority ˹from Allah˺.  

O company of jinn and humans, if you are able to pass through, to exit from, the confines, the regions, of the heavens and the earth, then pass through! — a command ˹meant˺ to challenge them to what they are incapable of ˹doing˺. You will not pass through except with a sanction, ˹except˺ with some power, and you have no power for such a thing.
القرآن:٥٥:٣٣ –

يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ أَنْ تَنْفُذُوا مِنْ أَقْطَارِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ فَانْفُذُوا ۚ لَا تَنْفُذُونَ إِلَّا بِسُلْطَانٍ  

{يا معشر الجن والإنس إن استطعتم أن تنفذوا} تخرجوا {من أقطار} نواحي {السماوات والأرض فانفذوا} أمر تعجيز {لا تنفذون إلا بسلطان} بقوة ولا قوة لكم على ذلك.
quran:55:34 –

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?  

So which of your Lord’s favours will you deny?
القرآن:٥٥:٣٤ –

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ  

{فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان}.
quran:55:35 –

There will be sent upon you a flame of fire and smoke, and you will not defend yourselves.  

Against you will be unleashed a heat of fire (shuwāz, can either mean that the flame thereof has no smoke or ˹that it does have it˺ with it) and a flash of brass, without any flame, and you will not be able to seek help, you will not be able to defend yourselves against this, nay, it will drive you to the site of the Gathering.
القرآن:٥٥:٣٥ –

يُرْسَلُ عَلَيْكُمَا شُوَاظٌ مِنْ نَارٍ وَنُحَاسٌ فَلَا تَنْتَصِرَانِ  

{يرسل عليكما شواظ من نار} هو لهبها الخالص من الدخان أو معه {ونحاس} أي دخان لا لهب فيه {فلا تنتصران} تمتنعان من ذلك بل يسوقكم إلى المحشر.
quran:55:36 –

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?  

So which of your Lord’s favours will you deny?
القرآن:٥٥:٣٦ –

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ  

{فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان}.
quran:55:37 –

And when the heaven is split open and becomes rose-colored like oil -  

And when the heaven is split open, when it becomes open with ˹many˺ gates ˹in preparation˺ for the descent of the angels, and it turns crimson (wardatan, ˹literally, ‘a rose’˺, in other words, red like this ˹rose˺), like tanned leather, red skins, in contrast to its ˹the heaven’s˺ usual appearance (the response to idhā, ‘when’, is ˹along the lines of˺ fa-mā a‘zama’l-hawli, ‘How great will be the terror then!’).
القرآن:٥٥:٣٧ –

فَإِذَا انْشَقَّتِ السَّمَاءُ فَكَانَتْ وَرْدَةً كَالدِّهَانِ  

{فإذا انشقت السماء} انفرجت أبوابا لنزول الملائكة {فكانت وردة} أي مثلها محمرة {كالدهان} كالأديم الأحمر على خلاف العهد بها وجواب إذا فما أعظم الهول.
quran:55:38 –

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? -  

So which of your Lord’s favours will you deny?
القرآن:٥٥:٣٨ –

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ  

{فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان}.
quran:55:39 –

Then on that Day none will be asked about his sin among men or jinn.  

Thus on that day no man will be questioned about his sin, nor any jinn, about his sin; but they are questioned on some other occasion: By your Lord, We shall question them all ˹Q.15:92˺ (al-jānn in this instance and in what will follow denotes the jinn, and also in both cases al-ins denotes human beings).
القرآن:٥٥:٣٩ –

فَيَوْمَئِذٍ لَا يُسْأَلُ عَنْ ذَنْبِهِ إِنْسٌ وَلَا جَانٌّ  

{فيومئذ لا يُسأل عن ذنبه إنس ولا جان} عن ذنبه ويُسألون في وقت آخر (فوربك لنسألنَّهم أجمعين) والجان هنا وفيما سيأتي بمعنى الجن والإنس فيهما بمعنى الإنسي.
quran:55:40 –

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?  

So which of your Lord’s favours will you deny?
القرآن:٥٥:٤٠ –

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ  

{فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان}.
quran:55:41 –

The criminals will be known by their marks, and they will be seized by the forelocks and the feet.  

The guilty will be recognised by their mark: blackened faces and bruised eyes; so they will be seized by the forelocks and the feet.
القرآن:٥٥:٤١ –

يُعْرَفُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ بِسِيمَاهُمْ فَيُؤْخَذُ بِالنَّوَاصِي وَالْأَقْدَامِ  

{يعرف المجرمون بسيماهم} سواد الوجوه وزرقة العيون {فيؤخذ بالنواصي الأقدام}.
quran:55:42 –

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?  

So which of your Lord’s favours will you deny?
القرآن:٥٥:٤٢ –

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ  

{فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان} تضم ناصية كل منهم إلى قدميه من خلف أو قدام ويلقى في النار ويقال لهم.
quran:55:43 –

This is Hell, which the criminals deny.  

‘This is Hell which the guilty ˹were wont to˺ deny!’
القرآن:٥٥:٤٣ –

هَٰذِهِ جَهَنَّمُ الَّتِي يُكَذِّبُ بِهَا الْمُجْرِمُونَ  

{هذه جهنم التي يكذب بها المجرمون}.
quran:55:44 –

They will go around between it and scalding water, heated ˹to the utmost degree˺.  

They shall pass round, they shall pace, between it and boiling hot water, ˹water˺ of extreme temperature, which they are given to drink every time they call to be rescued from the heat of the Fire (ānin is defective, like qādin).
القرآن:٥٥:٤٤ –

يَطُوفُونَ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَ حَمِيمٍ آنٍ  

{يطوفون} يسعون {بينها وبين حميم} ماء حار {آن} شديد الحرارة يسقونه إذا استغاثوا من حر النار، وهو منقوص كقاض.
quran:55:45 –

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?  

So which of your Lord’s favours will you deny?
القرآن:٥٥:٤٥ –

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ  

{فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان}.
quran:55:46 –

But for he who has feared the position of his Lord are two gardens -  

But for those who feared, that is, for every one of them, or for all of them together, the station of their Lord, the standing before Him for the Reckoning and therefore refrained from being disobedient to Him, there will be two gardens.
القرآن:٥٥:٤٦ –

وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَانِ  

{ولمن خاف} أي لكل منهم أو لمجموعهم {مقام ربه} قيامه بين يديه للحساب فترك معصيته {جنتان}.
quran:55:47 –

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? -  

So which of your Lord’s favours will you deny?
القرآن:٥٥:٤٧ –

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ  

{فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان}.
quran:55:48 –

Having ˹spreading˺ branches.  

Both with (dhawātā, the dual form of the regular form dhawāt, with its lām ˹its third consonant˺ is changed into a yā’) ˹abundant˺ branches (afnān is the plural of fanan, similar ˹in pattern˺ to talal ˹atlāl˺).
القرآن:٥٥:٤٨ –

ذَوَاتَا أَفْنَانٍ  

{ذواتا} تثنية ذوات على الأصل ولامها ياء {أفنان} أغصان جمع فنن كطلل.
quran:55:49 –

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?  

So which of your Lord’s favours will you deny?
القرآن:٥٥:٤٩ –

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ  

{فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان}.
quran:55:50 –

In both of them are two springs, flowing.  

In both of them there are two flowing springs.
القرآن:٥٥:٥٠ –

فِيهِمَا عَيْنَانِ تَجْرِيَانِ  

{فيهما عينان تجريان}.