61. Sūrat al-Ṣaff

٦١۔ سُورَةُ الصَّف

Qurʾān > Chapter 61
القرآن > كتاب ٦١

The Ranks (Medinan)

quran:61:1 – In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth exalts Allah, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.  

All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth glorifies God, that is to say, ˹everything˺ proclaims His transcendence (the lām ˹of li’Llāhi˺ is extra, and mā has been used instead of min in order to indicate the predominance ˹of non-rational creatures˺) and He is the Mighty, in His kingdom, the Wise, in His actions.
القرآن:٦١:١ – بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ  

{سبح لله ما في السماوات وما في الأرض} أي نزهه فاللام مزيدة وجيء بما دون من تغليبا للأكثر {وهو العزيز} في ملكه {الحكيم} في صنعه.
quran:61:2 –

O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do?  

O you who believe, why do you say, in demanding ˹to participate in˺ the struggle, what you do not do?, for you retreated at Uhud.
القرآن:٦١:٢ –

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ  

{يا أيها الذين آمنوا لم تقولون} في طلب الجهاد {ما لا تفعلون} إذ انهزمتم بأُحد.
quran:61:3 –

Great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.  

It is greatly loathsome (maqtan is for specification) to God that you say (an taqūlū constitutes the agent of ˹the verb˺ kabura, ‘it is great˹ly˺’) what you do not do.
القرآن:٦١:٣ –

كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَنْ تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ  

{كبر} عظم {مقتا} تمييز {عند الله أن تقولوا} فاعل كبر {ما لا تفعلون}.
quran:61:4 –

Indeed, Allah loves those who fight in His cause in a row as though they are a ˹single˺ structure joined firmly.  

Indeed God loves, He assists and honours, those who fight for His cause in ranks (saffan is a circumstantial qualifier, in other words ˹understand it as˺ sāffīna), as if they were a solid structure, with all of its parts compacted together, firm.
القرآن:٦١:٤ –

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِهِ صَفًّا كَأَنَّهُمْ بُنْيَانٌ مَرْصُوصٌ  

{إن الله يحب} ينصر ويكرم {الذين يقاتلون في سبيله صفا} حال، أي صافين {كأنهم بنيان مرصوص} ملزق بعضه إلى بعض ثابت.
quran:61:5 –

And ˹mention, O Muhammad˺, when Moses said to his people, "O my people, why do you harm me while you certainly know that I am the messenger of Allah to you?" And when they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.  

And, mention, when Moses said to his people, ‘O my people, why do you harm me — ˹for˺ they had said that he had a hernia in his testicles, which he did not have, and they denied him — when certainly (qad is for confirmation) you know that I am the messenger of God to you?’ (annī rasūlu’Llāhi ilaykum: this sentence is a circumstantial qualifier) and ˹when you know that˺ messengers ought to be respected. So when they deviated, when they swerved away from the truth by harming him, God caused their hearts to deviate: He turned them away from guidance, in accordance to what He had preordained since pre-eternity, and God does not guide the immoral folk, those who, in His knowledge, are disbelievers.
القرآن:٦١:٥ –

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ يَا قَوْمِ لِمَ تُؤْذُونَنِي وَقَدْ تَعْلَمُونَ أَنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا زَاغُوا أَزَاغَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ ۚ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ  

{و} اذكر {إذ قال موسى لقومه يا قوم لم تؤذونني} قالوا: إنه آدر، أي منتفخ الخصية وليس كذلك، وكذبوه {وقد} للتحقيق {تعلمون أني رسول الله إليكم} الجملة حال، والرسول يحترم {فلما زاغوا} عدلوا عن الحق بإيذائه {أزاغ الله قلوبهم} أمالها عن الهدى على وفق ما قدره في الأزل {والله لا يهدي القوم الفاسقين} الكافرين في علمه.
quran:61:6 –

And ˹mention˺ when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, "O children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad." But when he came to them with clear evidences, they said, "This is obvious magic."  

And, mention, when Jesus son of Mary said, ‘O Children of Israel — he did not say ‘O my people’ ˹as did Moses˺ because he was not related to them in any way — I am indeed God’s messenger to you, confirming what is before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger who will come after me, whose name is Ahmad.’ God, exalted be He, says: Yet when he brought them, ˹when˺ Ahmad brought the disbelievers, the clear signs, the revelations and the indications, they said, ‘This, namely, what has been brought, is manifest sorcery!’ (sihrun: a variant reading has sāhirun, ‘a sorcerer’, meaning the one who has brought them ˹is a manifest sorcerer˺).
القرآن:٦١:٦ –

وَإِذْ قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ ۖ فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ قَالُوا هَٰذَا سِحْرٌ مُبِينٌ  

{و} اذكر {إذ قال عيسى ابن مريم يا بني إسرائيل} لم يقل: يا قوم لأنه لم يكن له فيهم قرابة {إني رسول الله إليكم مصدقا لما بين يديَّ} قبلي {من التوراة ومبشرا برسول يأتي من بعدي اسمه أحمد} قال تعالى {فلما جاءهم} جاء أحمد الكفار {بالبينات} الآيات والعلامات {قالوا هذا} أي المجيء به {سحر} وفي قراءة ساحر، أي الجائي به {مبين} بيِّن.
quran:61:7 –

And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allah untruth while he is being invited to Islam. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.  

And who does — that is to say, none does — greater wrong than he who invents lies against God, by ascribing a partner and a child to Him and describing His signs as being sorcery, when he is ˹actually˺ being summoned to submission ˹to God˺? And God does not guide the wrongdoing folk, the disbelieving ˹folk˺.
القرآن:٦١:٧ –

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُوَ يُدْعَىٰ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ  

{ومن} أي لا أحد {أظلم} أشد ظلما {ممن افترى على الله الكذب} بنسبة الشريك والولد إليه ووصف آياته بالسحر {وهو يدعى إلى الإسلام والله لا يهدي القوم الظالمين} الكافرين.
quran:61:8 –

They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it.  

They desire to extinguish (li-yutfi’ū is in the subjunctive form because of an implicit an ˹sc. an yutfi’ū˺, the lām being extra) the light of God, His Law and His proofs, with their mouths, with their sayings, that this is sorcery, or poetry or soothsaying; but God will perfect, He will manifest, His light (mutimmun nūrahu: some have read this in the form of a genitive annextation, mutimmu nūrihi) though the disbelievers be averse, to this.
القرآن:٦١:٨ –

يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ  

{يريدون ليطفئوا} منصوب بأن مقدرة واللام مزيدة {نور الله} شرعه وبراهينه {بأفواههم} بأقوالهم إنه سحر وشعر وكهانة {والله متمٌّ} مظهر {نورهُ} وفي قراءة بالإضافة {ولو كره الكافرون} ذلك.
quran:61:9 –

It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion, although those who associate others with Allah dislike it.  

It is He Who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it prevail, that He may raise it, over all ˹other˺ religions, ˹over˺ all the religions which oppose it, though the disbelievers be averse, to this.
القرآن:٦١:٩ –

هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ  

{هو الذي أرسل رسوله بالهدى ودين الحق ليظهره} يعليه {على الدين كله} جميع الأديان المخالفة له {ولو كره المشركون} ذلك.
quran:61:10 –

O you who have believed, shall I guide you to a transaction that will save you from a painful punishment?  

O you who believe, shall I show you a commerce that will deliver you (read tunjīkum or tunajjīkum) from a painful chastisement? It is as if they had replied, ‘Yes’, so that He then says:
القرآن:٦١:١٠ –

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ تِجَارَةٍ تُنْجِيكُمْ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ  

{يا أيها الذين آمنوا هل أدلكم على تجارة تنجيكم} بالتخفيف والتشديد {من عذاب أليم} مؤلم، فكأنهم قالوا نعم فقال:
quran:61:11 –

˹It is that˺ you believe in Allah and His Messenger and strive in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you, if you should know.  

You should believe, you should maintain faith, in God and His Messenger and struggle for the cause of God with your possessions and your lives. That is better for you, should you know, that it is better for you, then do it.
القرآن:٦١:١١ –

تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَتُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ  

{تؤمنون} تدومون على الإيمان {بالله ورسوله وتجاهدون في سبيل الله بأموالكم وأنفسكم ذلكم خير لكم إن كنتم تعلمون} أنه خير لكم فافعلوه.
quran:61:12 –

He will forgive for you your sins and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence. That is the great attainment.  

He will ˹then˺ forgive you (yaghfir is the response to an implied conditional, that is to say, ‘if you do this, He will then forgive you’) your sins and admit you into gardens underneath which rivers flow and pleasant dwellings in the Gardens of Eden, as a residence. That is the supreme triumph.
القرآن:٦١:١٢ –

يَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَيُدْخِلْكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ وَمَسَاكِنَ طَيِّبَةً فِي جَنَّاتِ عَدْنٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ  

{يغفر} جواب شرط مقدر، أي إن تفعلوه يغفر {لكم ذنوبكم ويدخلكم جنات تجري من تحتها الأنهار ومساكن طيبة في جنات عدن} إقامة {ذلك الفوز العظيم}.
quran:61:13 –

And ˹you will obtain˺ another ˹favor˺ that you love - victory from Allah and an imminent conquest; and give good tidings to the believers.  

And, He will give you, another, grace, which you love: help from God and a victory near at hand. And give good tidings to the believers, of assistance and victory.
القرآن:٦١:١٣ –

وَأُخْرَىٰ تُحِبُّونَهَا ۖ نَصْرٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَفَتْحٌ قَرِيبٌ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ  

{و} يؤتكم {أُخرى تحبونها نصر من الله وفتح قريب وبشر المؤمنين} بالنصر والفتح.
quran:61:14 –

O you who have believed, be supporters of Allah, as when Jesus, the son of Mary, said to the disciples, "Who are my supporters for Allah?" The disciples said, "We are supporters of Allah." And a faction of the Children of Israel believed and a faction disbelieved. So We supported those who believed against their enemy, and they became dominant.  

O you who believe, be helpers of God, of His religion (a variant reading ˹of ansāran li’Llāhi˺ has the genitive annexation ansāra’Llāhi) just as said (kamā qāla to the end ˹of the statement˺ means ‘just as the disciples were so’, as is indicated by ˹what follows˺) Jesus son of Mary to the disciples, ‘Who will be my helpers unto God?’, that is to say, who ˹of you˺ will be helpers alongside me turning to help God? The disciples said, ‘We will be God’s helpers!’ ˹These˺ al-hawāriyyūn ˹were˺ the intimates of Jesus, for they were the first to believe in him. They were twelve men of pure white complexion (hawar); but it is also said that ˹their epithet derives from the fact that˺ they were bleachers (qassārūn) who bleached (yuhawwirūna) clothes. So a group of the Children of Israel believed, in Jesus, saying: ‘He is ˹indeed˺ the servant of God, ˹who has been˺ raised to heaven’, while a group disbelieved, because they said that he was the son of God, whom He had raised unto Himself. Thus the two groups waged war against one another. Then We strengthened those who believed, of the two groups, against their enemy, the disbelieving groups, and so they became the triumphant, the victors. Medinese, consisting of 11 verses.
القرآن:٦١:١٤ –

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا أَنْصَارَ اللَّهِ كَمَا قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ لِلْحَوَارِيِّينَ مَنْ أَنْصَارِي إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنْصَارُ اللَّهِ ۖ فَآمَنَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَكَفَرَتْ طَائِفَةٌ ۖ فَأَيَّدْنَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا عَلَىٰ عَدُوِّهِمْ فَأَصْبَحُوا ظَاهِرِينَ  

{يا أيها الذين آمنوا كونوا أنصارا لله} لدينه وفي قراءة بالإضافة {كما قال} الخ المعنى: كما كان الحواريون كذلك الدال عليه قال {عيسى ابن مريم للحواريين من أنصاري إلى الله} أي من الأنصار الذين يكونون معي متوجها إلى نصرة الله {قال الحواريون نحن أنصار الله} والحواريون أصفياء عيسى وهم أول من آمن به وكانوا اثني عشر رجلا من الحور وهو البياض الخالص وقيل كانوا قصارين يحورون الثياب، أي يبيضونها {فآمنت طائفة من بني إسرائيل} بعيسى وقالوا إنه عبد الله رُفِع إلى السماء {وكفرت طائفة} لقولهم إنه ابن الله رفعه إليه فاقتتلت الطائفتان {فأيدنا} قوينا {الذين آمنوا} من الطائفتين {على عدوهم} الطائفة الكافرة {فأصبحوا ظاهرين} غالبين.