وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَقْدِمِينَ مِنكُمْ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَأْخِرِينَوَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَقْدِمِينَ مِنكُمْ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَأْخِرِينَ And well do We know those of you who have gone before and those who are to come later. (Al-Hijr 15:24) To know the past as a whole proves the existence of Destiny and God’s...
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِن صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ Assuredly, We have created humankind from dried, sounding clay, from molded dark mud. (Al-Hijr 15:26) Putridity of the mud, which humankind was first shaped with, may have been because of the bacteria in the mud. Humanity was formed from, “molded dark mud,” which...
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ God enjoins justice (and right judgment in all matters), and devotion to doing good and excellence in worship, and generosity towards relatives, and He forbids you indecency, wickedness, and...
وَكُلَّ إِنسَانٍ أَلْزَمْنَاهُ طَائِرَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ ۖ وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كِتَابًا يَلْقَاهُ مَنشُورًا Every human being’s fate We have fastened around his neck, and We will bring forth for him on the Day of Resurrection a book which he will see spread open. (Al-Isrā’ 17:13) This verse...
نَّحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ نَبَأَهُم بِالْحَقِّ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ آمَنُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنَاهُمْ هُدًى وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُوا فَقَالُوا رَبُّنَا رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَن نَّدْعُوَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلَـٰهًا ۖ لَّقَدْ قُلْنَا إِذًا شَطَطًا It is We who relate to you their (the People of the Cave’s) exemplary...
نَّحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ نَبَأَهُم بِالْحَقِّ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ آمَنُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنَاهُمْ هُدًى وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُوا فَقَالُوا رَبُّنَا رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَن نَّدْعُوَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلَـٰهًا ۖ لَّقَدْ قُلْنَا إِذًا شَطَطًا It is We who relate to you their (the People of the Cave’s) exemplary...
وَكَلْبُهُم بَاسِطٌ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِالْوَصِيدِ ۚ لَوِ اطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوَلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارًا وَلَمُلِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًا And, their dog lay outstretching its two forelegs on the threshold. Had you come upon them unprepared, you would certainly have turned away from them in flight, and would certainly have been...
وَكَذَٰلِكَ بَعَثْنَاهُمْ لِيَتَسَاءَلُوا بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ قَالَ قَائِلٌ مِّنْهُمْ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ ۖ قَالُوا لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ ۚ قَالُوا رَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثْتُمْ فَابْعَثُوا أَحَدَكُم بِوَرِقِكُمْ هَـٰذِهِ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ فَلْيَنظُرْ أَيُّهَا أَزْكَىٰ طَعَامًا فَلْيَأْتِكُم بِرِزْقٍ مِّنْهُ Such being their state, We raised them (the People of...
وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ إِذَا نَسِيتَ وَقُلْ عَسَىٰ أَن يَهْدِيَنِ رَبِّي لِأَقْرَبَ مِنْ هَـٰذَا رَشَدًا And remember and mention your Lord (straightaway) should you forget (to do so when expressing an intention for the future). And say: “I hope that my Lord will guide me to what is...
وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ ۖ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا And keep yourself patient along with those who invoke their Lord morning and evening...
أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِن دُونِي وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ ۚ بِئْسَ لِلظَّالِمِينَ بَدَلًا Will you, then, take him (Satan) and his offspring for guardians (to rely on and refer your affairs to) rather than Me, when they are an enemy to you? How evil an exchange for...
فَأَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا One such way he (Dhu’l-Qarnayn) followed. (Al-Kahf 18:85) Dhu’l-Qarnayn was granted both the power and ability of accomplish-ment and the power and ability to surmount hardships with consummate ease. He was favored with all the means and possibilities to overcome easily the hardships and obstacles invented...
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَطْلِعَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَطْلُعُ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ لَّمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُم مِّن دُونِهَا سِتْرًا Then he (Dhu’l-Qarnayn) followed another way until, when he reached the rising-place of the sun and found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no shelter against it. (Al-Kahf...
قَالُوا يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجًا عَلَىٰ أَن تَجْعَلَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ سَدًّا They (a people who lived in a place before two mountain-barriers) said: “O Dhu’l-Qarnayn! Gog and Magog are causing disorder in this land. May we pay...
قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ Say: “I am but a mortal like you, but it is revealed to me that your God is the One and Only God…” (Al-Kahf 18:110) There is no difference between human beings in their having been...
وَإِنِّي خِفْتُ الْمَوَالِيَ مِن وَرَائِي وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتِي عَاقِرًا فَهَبْ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّا (Zachariah invoked his Lord,) “I have fears in regard to my kinsmen after me, and my wife is barren. So bestow upon me a successor out of Your grace!” (Maryam 19:5) It is not accurate...
فَاتَّخَذَتْ مِن دُونِهِمْ حِجَابًا فَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا Thus, she (Mary) kept herself in seclusion from people. Then, We sent to her Our spirit, and it appeared before her in the form of a perfect man. (Maryam 19:17) Mary, may God be pleased with her,...
يَا لَيْتَنِي مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَـٰذَا وَكُنتُ نَسْيًا مَّنسِيًّا She (Mary) said: “Would that I had died before this, and had become a thing forgotten, completely forgotten!” (Maryam 19:23) Everybody uses particular expressions for the things that they overly emphasize. For instance, Abū Bakr is reported—even though not so...
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَيَجْعَلُ لَهُمُ الرَّحْمَـٰنُ وُدًّا Surely those who believe and do good, righteous deeds, the All-Merciful will assign for them love…(Maryam 19:96) Those for whom God the All-Merciful has promised to assign love among the inhabitants of the earth and heavens need not...
God Almighty says, following the verse under discussion: “We make it (this Qur’ān) in your tongue easy (to recite and understand) so that you may thereby give glad tidings to the God-revering, pious ones, and warn thereby a people given to contention” (Maryam 19:97). The verse mentions “a mysterious...
وَأَنَا اخْتَرْتُكَ فَاسْتَمِعْ لِمَا يُوحَىٰ I have chosen you (to be My Messenger), so listen to what is revealed (to you). (Tā-Hā 20:13) Moses’ being chosen as a Messenger to the Children of Israel was both a great honor and a trial for him. He received this noble...
اذْهَبَا إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغَىٰ فَقُولَا لَهُ قَوْلًا لَّيِّنًا لَّعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَىٰ Go, both of you, to the Pharaoh, for he has exceedingly rebelled. But speak to him with gentle words, so that he might reflect and be mindful or feel some awe (of...
فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّكَ بِسِحْرٍ مِثْلِه۪ فَاجْعَلْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكَ مَوْعِدًا لَا نُخْلِفُهُ نَحْنُ وَلَۤا أَنْتَ مَكَانًا سُوًىقَالَ مَوْعِدُكُمْ يَوْمُ الزّ۪ينَةِ وَأَنْ يُحْشَرَ النَّاسُ ضُحًى (The Pharaoh said,) “Then, we will most certainly produce before you sorcery like it. So appoint a meeting between us and you, which neither we...
لَقَدْ أَنْزَلْنَۤا إِلَيْكُمْ كِتَابًا ف۪يهِ ذِكْرُكُمْ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ Now We send down to you a Book which contains what you must heed in life for your honor and happiness. Will you not, then, reason and understand? (Al-Anbiyā’ 21:10) The addressee of the Divine Message, “We send down to you...
فَنَادَىٰ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَن لَّا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ But eventually he (Jonah) called out in the veils of darkness: “There is no deity but You, All-Glorified are You (in that You are absolutely above having any defects). Surely I have been...
فَنَادَىٰ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَن لَّا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ But eventually he (Jonah) called out in the veils of darkness: “There is no deity but You, All-Glorified are You (in that You are absolutely above having any defects). Surely I have been...
إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ أَنتُمْ لَهَا وَارِدُونَ You and all the things you deify and worship apart from God are but firewood for Hell. You are bound to arrive in it. (Al-Anbiyā’ 21:98) First of all, the polytheists will be thrown into Hellfire together...
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ حَرْفٍ ۖ فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُ خَيْرٌ اطْمَأَنَّ بِهِ ۖ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ انقَلَبَ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِ خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ Among people there are also many who worship God on the borderline (of faith) in expectation of only...
اَللّٰهُ نُورُ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. (An-Nūr 24:35) It is God Who has brought and brings everything into the Light of existence from the darkness of non-existence and has made the universe an exhibition and a book to be mediated...
اَللّٰهُ نُورُ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. (An-Nūr 24:35) To sum up, everything has come into existence, everything occurs as a result of the manifestation of His Light. And everything develops through the manifestation of His Light as well. Light, in the...
فَلَمَّا تَرَاءَى الْجَمْعَانِ قَالَ أَصْحَابُ مُوسَىٰ إِنَّا لَمُدْرَكُونَ قَالَ كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ When the two hosts came in view of each other, the companions of Moses said: “We are certainly overtaken!” He (Moses) replied: “Certainly not. My Lord is surely with me; He...
وَاجْعَلْ ل۪ي لِسَانَ صِدْقٍ فِي الْاٰخِر۪ينَۙ وَاجْعَلْن۪ي مِنْ وَرَثَةِ جَنَّةِ النَّع۪يمِ And grant me a most true and virtuous renown among posterity. And make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of bounty and blessing. (Ash-Shu‘arā’ 26:84–85) Prophet Abraham, upon him be peace, was a man who...
إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ صَالِحٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ (Recall) when their brother Sālih said to them: “Will you not keep from disobedience to God in reverence for Him and seek refuge with His protection?” (Ash-Shu‘arā’ 26:142) It is not only Prophet Sālih, upon him be peace, whom God mentions...
اَلَّذ۪ي يَرٰيكَ ح۪ينَ تَقُومُۙوَتَقَلُّبَكَ فِي السَّاجِد۪ينَ (God is) He Who sees you when you rise (in the Prayer, and in readiness to carry out Our commands), as well as your strenuous efforts in prostration among those who prostrate. (Ash-Shu‘arā’ 26:218–219) The word “taqallub,” translated here as “strenuous efforts,” is an infinitive in...
وَالشُّعَرَۤاءُ يَتَّبِعُهُمُ الْغَاوُۧونَۘأَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّهُمْ ف۪ي كُلِّ وَادٍ يَه۪يمُونَۙوَأَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ مَا لَا يَفْعَلُونَۙإِلَّا الَّذ۪ينَ اٰمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَذَكَرُوا اللّٰهَ كَث۪يرًا وَانْتَصَرُوا مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا ظُلِمُوا As for poets, only the misguided follow them. Do you not see that they roam confusedly through all the valleys (of...
وَالشُّعَرَۤاءُ يَتَّبِعُهُمُ الْغَاوُۧونَۘأَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّهُمْ ف۪ي كُلِّ وَادٍ يَه۪يمُونَۙوَأَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ مَا لَا يَفْعَلُونَۙإِلَّا الَّذ۪ينَ اٰمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَذَكَرُوا اللّٰهَ كَث۪يرًا وَانْتَصَرُوا مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا ظُلِمُوا As for poets, only the misguided follow them. Do you not see that they roam confusedly through all the valleys (of...
فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِكًا مِنْ قَوْلِهَا (Solomon) smiled at her (the ant’s) words. (An-Naml 27:19) Obviously, the verb “dahk” in the verse above expresses smiling not laughing. A miraculous conversation occurred between Prophet Solomon, upon him be peace, and the queen ant. This was an illustrious blessing granted to him by God....
فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِكًا مِنْ قَوْلِهَا (Solomon) smiled at her (the ant’s) words.(An-Naml 27:19) Another fine point worth mentioning here is that both the ant whose words Solomon heard and the Queen of Sheba from whom the hoopoe brought news were female beings. Being female represents or signifies reproduction....
The father of Solomon was Prophet David, upon them be peace. As for David, he was a Messenger who attained a highest position along the way of Abraham. He was one of the Prophets whom the Qur’ān praises with being “one ever-turning to God in contrition”...
قَالَ نَكِّرُوا لَهَا عَرْشَهَا نَنظُرْ أَتَهْتَدِي أَمْ تَكُونُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ Solomon said: “Disguise her throne, and let us see whether she (the Queen of Sheba) is able to recognize it, or remains one of those who cannot recognize.” (An-Naml 27:41) While the Queen of Sheba was...