The Holy Qur'an (Maulana Muhammad Ali)/39. The Companies

39. The Companies (Al-Zumar)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

The revelation of the Book is from Allah, the Mighty, the Wise. 

Surely We have revealed to thee the Book with truth, so serve Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience. 

Now surely sincere obedience is due to Allah (alone). And those who choose protectors besides Him (say): We serve them only that they may bring us nearer to Allah. Surely Allah will judge between them in that in which they differ. Surely Allah guides not him who is a liar, ungrateful. 

If Allah desired to take a son to Himself, He could have chosen those He pleased out of those whom He has created -- Glory be to Him He is Allah, the One, the Subduer (of all). 

He has created the heavens and the earth with truth; He makes the night cover the day and makes the day overtake the night, and He has made the sun and the moon subservient; each one moves on to an assigned term. Now surely He is the Mighty, the Forgiver. 

He created you from a single being, then made its mate of the same (kind). And He sent down for you eight of the cattle in pairs. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers -- creation after creation -in triple darkness. That is Allah, your Lord; His is the kingdom. There is no God but He. How are you then turned away? 

If you are ungrateful, then surely Allah is above need of you. And He likes not ungratefulness in His servants. And if you are grateful, He likes it for you. And no bearer of a burden will bear another's burden. Then to your Lord is your return, then will He inform you of what you did. Surely He is Knower of what is in the breasts. 

And when distress afflicts a man he calls upon his Lord, turning to Him; then when He grants him a favour from Him, he forgets that for which he called upon Him before, and sets up rivals to Allah that he may cause (men) to stray from His path. Say: Enjoy thine ungratefulness for a little, surely thou art of the companions of the Fire. 

<section begin="39:9"/>Is he who is obedient during hours of the night, prostrating himself and standing, taking care of the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord --? Say: Are those who know and those who know not alike? Only men of understanding mind. <section end="39:9"/>

<section begin="39:10"/>Say: O My servants who believe; keep your duty to your Lord. For those who do good in this world is good, and Allah's earth is spacious. Truly the steadfast will be paid their reward without measure. <section end="39:10"/>

<section begin="39:11"/>Say: I am commanded to serve Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience, <section end="39:11"/>

<section begin="39:12"/>And I am commanded to be the first of those who submit. <section end="39:12"/>

<section begin="39:13"/>Say: I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the chastisement of a grievous day. <section end="39:13"/>

<section begin="39:14"/>Say: Allah I serve, being sincere to Him in my obedience. <section end="39:14"/>

<section begin="39:15"/>Serve then what you will beside Him. Say: The losers surely are those who lose themselves and their people on the day of Resurrection. Now surely that is the manifest loss <section end="39:15"/>

<section begin="39:16"/>They shall have coverings of fire above them and coverings beneath them. With that Allah makes His servants to fear; so keen your duty to Me, O My servants. <section end="39:16"/>

<section begin="39:17"/>And those who eschew the worship of the idols and turn to Allah, for them is good news. So give good news to My servants, <section end="39:17"/>

<section begin="39:18"/>Who listen to the Word, then follow the best of it. Such are they whom Allah has guided, and such are the men of understanding. <section end="39:18"/>

<section begin="39:19"/>He against whom the sentence of chastisement is due -- canst thou save him who is in the Fire? <section end="39:19"/>

<section begin="39:20"/>But those who keep their duty to their Lord, for them are high places, above them higher places, built (for them), wherein rivers flow. (It is) the promise of Allah. Allah fails not in (His) promise. <section end="39:20"/>

<section begin="39:21"/>Seest thou not that Allah sends down water from the clouds, then makes it go down into the earth in springs, then brings forth therewith herbage of various hues; then it withers so that thou seest it turn yellow, then He makes it chaff? Surely there is a reminder in this for men of understanding. <section end="39:21"/>

<section begin="39:22"/>Is he whose breast Allah has opened to Islam so that he follows a light from his Lord --? So woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah! Such are in clear error. <section end="39:22"/>

<section begin="39:23"/>Allah has revealed the best announcement, a Book consistent, repeating (its injunctions), whereat do shudder the skins of those who fear their Lord, then their skins and their hearts soften to Allah's remembrance. This is Allah's guidance -- He guides with it whom He pleases. And he whom Allah leaves in error, there is no guide for him. <section end="39:23"/>

<section begin="39:24"/>Is then he who has to guard himself with his own person against the evil chastisement on the Resurrection day --? And it will be said to the iniquitous: Taste what you earned. <section end="39:24"/>

<section begin="39:25"/>Those before them denied, so the chastisement came to them from whence they perceived not. <section end="39:25"/>

<section begin="39:26"/>So Allah made them taste disgrace in this world's life, and certainly the chastisement of the Hereafter is greater. Did they but know! <section end="39:26"/>

<section begin="39:27"/>And certainly We have set forth for men in this Qur'an similitudes of every sort that they may mind. <section end="39:27"/>

<section begin="39:28"/>An Arabic Qur'an without any crookedness, that they may guard against evil. <section end="39:28"/>

<section begin="39:29"/>Allah sets forth a parable: A man belonging to partners differing with one another, and a man (devoted) wholly to one man. Are the two alike in condition? Praise be to Allah! Nay, most of them know not. <section end="39:29"/>

<section begin="39:30"/>Surely thou wilt die and they (too) will die; <section end="39:30"/>

<section begin="39:31"/>Then surely on the day of Resurrection you will contend one with another before your Lord. <section end="39:31"/>

<section begin="39:32"/>Who is then more unjust than he who utters a lie against Allah and denies the truth, when it comes to him? Is there not in hell an abode for the disbelievers? <section end="39:32"/>

<section begin="39:33"/>And he who brings the truth and accepts the truth -- such are the dutiful. <section end="39:33"/>

<section begin="39:34"/>They shall have with their Lord what they please. Such is the reward of the doers of good -- <section end="39:34"/>

<section begin="39:35"/>That Allah may ward off from them the worst of what they did, and give them their reward for the best of what they did. <section end="39:35"/>

<section begin="39:36"/>Is not Allah sufficient for His servant? And they seek to frighten thee with those besides Him. And whomsoever Allah leaves in error, there is no guide for him. <section end="39:36"/>

<section begin="39:37"/>And whom Allah guides, there is none that can lead him astray. Is not Allah Mighty, the Lord of retribution? <section end="39:37"/>

<section begin="39:38"/>And if thou ask them, Who created the heavens and the earth? They will say: Allah. Say: See you then that those you call upon besides Allah, would they, if Allah desire to afflict me with harm, remove His harm? Or if He desire to show me mercy, could they withhold His mercy? Say: Allah is sufficient for me. On Him do the reliant rely. <section end="39:38"/>

<section begin="39:39"/>Say: O my people, work in your place. Surely I am a worker, so you will come to know, <section end="39:39"/>

<section begin="39:40"/>Who it is to whom there comes a chastisement abasing him, and on whom falls a lasting chastisement. <section end="39:40"/>

<section begin="39:41"/>Surely We have revealed to thee the Book with truth for (the good of) men. So whoever follows the right way, it is for his own soul, and whoever errs, he errs only to its detriment. And thou art not a custodian over them. <section end="39:41"/>

<section begin="39:42"/>Allah takes (men's) souls at the time of their death, and those that die not, during their sleep. Then He withholds those on whom He has passed the decree of death and sends the others back till an appointed term. Surely there are signs in this for a people who reflect. <section end="39:42"/>

<section begin="39:43"/>Or, take they intercessors besides Allah? Say: What! Even though they control naught, nor do they understand. <section end="39:43"/>

<section begin="39:44"/>Say: Allah's is the intercession altogether. His is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. Then to Him you will be returned. <section end="39:44"/>

<section begin="39:45"/>And when Allah alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who believe not in the Hereafter shrink, and when those besides Him are mentioned, lo! they are joyful. <section end="39:45"/>

<section begin="39:46"/>Say: O Allah, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, Thou judgest between Thy servants as to that wherein they differ. <section end="39:46"/>

<section begin="39:47"/>And had those who do wrong all that is in the earth and the like of it with it, they would certainly offer it as ransom from the evil of the chastisement on the day of Resurrection. And what they never thought of shall become plain to them from Allah. <section end="39:47"/>

<section begin="39:48"/>And the evil of what they wrought will become plain to them, and that which they mocked at will beset them. <section end="39:48"/>

<section begin="39:49"/>So when harm afflicts a man he calls upon Us; then, when We give him a boon from Us, he says: I have been given it only by means of knowledge. Nay, it is a trial, but most of them know not. <section end="39:49"/>

<section begin="39:50"/>Those before them did say it indeed, but what they earned availed them not. <section end="39:50"/>

<section begin="39:51"/>So there befell them the evil which they had earned. And those who are unjust from among these, there shall befall them the evil which they earn, and they shall not escape. <section end="39:51"/>

<section begin="39:52"/>Know they not that Allah gives ample subsistence to whom He pleases, and He straitens; surely there are signs in this for a people who believe. <section end="39:52"/>

<section begin="39:53"/>Say: O My servants who have been prodigal regarding their souls, despair not of the mercy of Allah; surely Allah forgives sins altogether. He is indeed the Forgiving, the Merciful. <section end="39:53"/>

<section begin="39:54"/>And turn to your Lord and submit to Him before chastisement comes to you, then you will not be helped. <section end="39:54"/>

<section begin="39:55"/>And follow the best that has been revealed to you from your Lord before chastisement comes to you all of a sudden, while you perceive not -- <section end="39:55"/>

<section begin="39:56"/>Lest a soul should say: O woe is me, that I fell short of my duty to Allah! and surely I was of those who laughed to scorn; <section end="39:56"/>

<section begin="39:57"/>Or it should say: Had Allah guided me, I should have been dutiful; <section end="39:57"/>

<section begin="39:58"/>Or it should say, when it sees the chastisement: Had I another chance I should be a doer of good. <section end="39:58"/>

<section begin="39:59"/>Aye! My communications came to thee, but thou didst reject them, and wast proud and wast of the disbelievers. <section end="39:59"/>

<section begin="39:60"/>And on the day of resurrection thou wilt see those who lied against Allah, their faces will be blackened. Is there not in hell an abode for the proud? <section end="39:60"/>

<section begin="39:61"/>And Allah delivers those who keep their duty with their achievement -- evil touches them not, nor do they grieve. <section end="39:61"/>

<section begin="39:62"/>Allah is the Creator of all things and He has charge over everything. <section end="39:62"/>

<section begin="39:63"/>His are the treasures of the heavens and the earth. And those who disbelieve in the messages of Allah, such are the losers. <section end="39:63"/>

<section begin="39:64"/>Say: Do you bid me serve others than Allah, O ye ignorant ones? <section end="39:64"/>

<section begin="39:65"/>And certainly, it has been revealed to thee and to those before thee: If thou associate (with Allah), thy work would certainly come to naught and thou wouldst be a loser. <section end="39:65"/>

<section begin="39:66"/>Nay, but serve Allah alone and be of the thankful. <section end="39:66"/>

<section begin="39:67"/>And they honour not Allah with the honour due to Him; and the whole earth will be in His grip on the day of Resurrection and the heavens rolled up in His right hand. Glory be to Him! and highly exalted is He above what they associate (with Him). <section end="39:67"/>

<section begin="39:68"/>And the trumpet is blown, so all those in the heavens and all those in the earth will swoon, except such as Allah please. Then it will be blown again, when lo! they stand up, awaiting. <section end="39:68"/>

<section begin="39:69"/>And the earth beams with the light of its Lord, and the Book is laid down, and the prophets and the witnesses are brought up, and judgment is given between them with justice, and they are not wronged. <section end="39:69"/>

<section begin="39:70"/>And every soul is paid back fully for what it did, and He knows best what they do. <section end="39:70"/>

<section begin="39:71"/>And those who disbelieve are driven to hell in companies; until, when they come to it, its doors are opened, and the keepers of it say to them: Did not there come to you messengers from among you reciting to you the messages of your Lord and warning you of the meeting of this day of yours? They say: Yea. But the word of punishment proved true against the disbelievers. <section end="39:71"/>

<section begin="39:72"/>It is said: Enter the gates of hell to abide therein; so evil is the abode of the proud. <section end="39:72"/>

<section begin="39:73"/>And those who keep their duty to their Lord are conveyed to the Garden in companies until when they come to it, and its doors are opened and the keepers of it say to them Peace be to you! you led pure lives so enter it to abide. <section end="39:73"/>

<section begin="39:74"/>And they say: Praise be to Allah Who has made good to us His promise, and He has made us inherit the land; we abide in the Garden where we please. So goodly is the reward of the workers. <section end="39:74"/>

<section begin="39:75"/>And thou seest the angels going round about the Throne of Power, glorifying their Lord with praise. And they are judged with justice, and it is said: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds! <section end="39:75"/>