The Immense Reward Awaiting the Believers in the Hereafter

The Noble Quran English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Qalam Ayah 34-43

68:34 Indeed, for the God-fearing shall be Gardens of Bliss with their Lord.

68:35 Shall We make those who submit like the evildoers? 

68:36 What is the matter with you, how do you judge? 

68:37 Or have you a book wherein you read,

68:38 and wherein you have what you choose?

68:39 Or have you oaths binding upon Us until the Day of Judgment that you shall surely have what you ordain? 

6840 Ask them which of them will guarantee that! 

68:41 Or have they partners? Then let them bring their partners if they are truthful.

68:42 The day the Shin will be laid bare, and they will be called to prostrate, but they will not be able.

68:43 Humbled shall be their eyes, and humiliation will cover them. And they were called to prostrate when they were sound. 

Relationship with the Previous Part

In the previous part, the disbelievers are warned of the punishment in the life of this world and the Hereafter. Then, this part mentions the immense reward awaiting the believers in Allah’s Oneness in the Hereafter. It also refutes the claims of the disbelievers, who maintain that they will be equal to the believers in the Hereafter, which is a sheer lie and baseless hope.

Tafsir

68:34 Indeed, for the God-fearing shall be Gardens of Bliss with their Lord.

For those who fear Allah by believing in His Oneness, obeying His commands, and avoiding His prohibitions shall be Gardens of Bliss in the Hereafter with their Lord. Allah, Exalted be He. He will reward them immensely for their righteousness.

68:35 Shall We make those who submit like the evildoers? 

The interrogation is for negation and condemnation.

Shall Allah make those who submit to Him by believing in His Oneness and obeying His commands like the evildoers, who disbelieve in His Oneness and disobey His commands? No, the end of the righteous will never be like that of the evildoers. Allah is just and He will recompense each party according to their deeds. 

68:36 What is the matter with you, how do you judge? 

Reproaching the disbelievers, Allah, Exalted be He, says, ‘What is the matter with you, O disbelievers? How do you judge? How dare you make equal the believers and the disbelievers, and the good-doers to the evildoers? No, they will never be equal. The believers will be rewarded immensely and the disbelievers will be punished severely.

68:37 Or have you a book wherein you read,

68:38 and wherein you have what you choose?

After reproaching the disbelievers for their ignorance in the previous ayah, they are reprimanded for their lies. 

O disbelievers, do you have a book wherein you read that the believers will be equal to the disbelievers, and from which you have chosen the rules you want? No, there is no divine or non-divine book, which says that the believers will be equal to the disbelievers.  Rather, you say and believe false judgments that have nothing to do with the truth.

68:39 Or have you oaths binding upon Us until the Day of Judgment that you shall surely have what you ordain? 

O disbelievers, do you have oaths that are binding upon Allah until the Day of Judgment that you shall surely have what you ordain? Do you have solemn oaths that are binding upon Allah until the Day of Judgment that Allah will make the believers equal to the disbelievers? If you have such oaths, present them before people.

Undoubtedly, the disbelievers have no confirmed oaths from Allah that support their claims. The intended meaning is to expose their lie and to confirm that they can never bring anything affirming their false claims. 

68:40 Ask them which of them will guarantee that! 

O noble Messenger Muhammad, ask the disbelievers, ‘Whom of them will guarantee on the Day of Judgment that they will have what they claim in the life of this world, namely, they will be equal to the believers? 

68:41 Or have they partners? Then let them bring their partners if they are truthful.

Do the disbelievers have partners, who agree with them on their unfounded rules that they will be equal to the believers in the Hereafter? Then, let them bring their partners to testify with them if they are truthful in their claim. The partners, which are mentioned in the ayah refer to the false gods of the disbelievers, which they worship besides Allah, Exalted be He.

The disbelievers will never be able to bring any partner, who can support their false claim.

68:42 The day the Shin will be laid bare, and they will be called to prostrate, but they will not be able.

68:43 Humbled shall be their eyes, and humiliation will cover them. And they were called to prostrate when they were sound. The ayah mentions some of the horrors of the Day of Judgment and portrays the conditions of the disbelievers on that day.

O noble Messenger, mention to your people when the Day of Judgment will take place, and its horrors overwhelm people, Allah, Exalted be He, will come and uncover His Shin before all creatures. Then, people will be called to prostrate, and believers will prostrate, but the disbelievers and the hypocrites will be unable to prostrate. The eyes of the disbelievers and the hypocrites will be humbled and cast down with humiliation. They were called to prostrate in the life of this world when they were able to do so, but they arrogantly refuse to prostrate. 

Abu Sa’id, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that Messenger Muhammad [peace be upon him] said, ‘Our Lord will uncover His Shin. Then, every believer, man, and woman, will prostrate before Him. And it will remain those who used to prostrate for showing off in the worldly life, and they will try to prostrate, but their backs will be stiff as if they were made of one bone.’ 

Abdul Allah Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, ‘[And they were called to prostrate when they were sound.] Those are the disbelievers. They were called to prostrate before Allah in the life of this world while they were safe. On the Day of Judgment, they will be called to prostrate before Allah while they are frightened.’ 

In sum, the disbelievers will be called to prostrate before Allah on the Day of Judgment to reprimand and reproach them because they refused to prostrate in the worldly life when they were safe and able to do so. Therefore, they will be punished by asking them to do the act that they refused to do, but they will be unable to do it.

Learned Lessons from Surah Al-Qalam Ayah 34-43

• The believers, who believe in Allah’s Oneness, obey His commands, and avoid His prohibition will enter Paradise on the Day of Judgment and enjoy its lasting reward and happiness.

• The disbelievers will never be equal to the believers on the Day of Judgment. Whoever claims that the disbelievers will be rewarded like the believers is wrong.

• The disbelievers have no proof whatsoever supporting their claim that they will be equal to the believers on the Day of Judgment. 

• The horrors of the Day of Judgment are great. Allah, Exalted be He, will come to judge among the creatures, and He will uncover His Shin. The believers will prostrate before Allah, but the disbelievers and the hypocrites will be unable to prostrate, which is a fitting recompense for their refusal to prostrate in the worldly life when they were called to do so. 

The Noble Quran English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Qalam

English Translation of Tafsir Ibn Kathir Surah Al-Qalam

The Noble Quran English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Qalam

The Noble Quran Surah Yusuf English Translation and Tafsir 

The Story of the Owners of the Garden

 

The Noble Quran English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Qalam Ayah 17-33  

68:17 Verily, We have tried them, as We tried the owners of the garden when they swore they would pluck its fruit in the morning.

68:18 And they made no reservation.  

68:19 Then, a visitation from your Lord visited it while they were asleep. 

68:20 Then, it became as if it were a dark night. 

68:21 Then, they called one another in the morning,

68:22 ‘Go early to your crop if you want to pluck the fruit.’

68:23 Then, they set forth, whispering to one another, 

68:24 ‘No needy man shall enter your garden today.’ 

68:25 And they went forth early, determined upon their purpose. 

68:26 Then, when they saw it, they said, ‘Surely we are astray;

68:27 rather, we are deprived.’ 

68:28 The most moderate of them said, ‘Did I not say to you, ‘Why do you not glorify Allah’? 

68:29 They said, ‘Glory be to our Lord! Indeed, we were unjust.’

68:30 Then, they turned to one another, reproaching each other.

68:31 They said, ‘Woe to us! Indeed, we were transgressors.

68:32 It may be that our Lord will give us one better than it; truly, we turn to our Lord with hope.’

68:33 Such is the punishment and the punishment of the Hereafter is greater if they but knew. 

Relationship with the Previous Part 

The previous part mentions that the disbelievers deny Allah’s blessings on them though He is the Giver of all blessings, they also become insolent and arrogant because of the wealth and children they have. Then, this part mentions an example that illustrates the attitude of the wealthy toward the needy. Allah has given them wealth and commanded them to give the needy their rights in it; however, they disregard Allah’s command. The result of which is loss in the life of this world and the Hereafter, if they do not repent of their sins, ask Allah for forgiveness, and perform righteous deeds for Allah’s sake.

Tafsir

68:17 Verily, We have tried them, as We tried the owners of the garden when they swore they would pluck its fruit in the morning.

 Imam Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, said, ‘This is an example that Allah mentions for the disbelievers of Quraysh concerning the great blessing that He gave them by sending Muhammad as His Prophet and Messenger to them to invite them to worship Him alone. However, their attitude was hostile. They disbelieved in Messenger Muhammad and the message that Allah revealed to him as well as they met him with abuse and aggression. Therefore, Allah says, [Verily, We have tried them], namely, the disbelievers of Quraysh, [as We tried the owners of the garden], the owners of the Garden. 

The scholars of Tafsir mention that there was a man, who owned a garden, in Yemen, and he was a believer. He used to take his need from the product of the garden and give the reminder as charity to the needy. Then, he died and left the garden for his three sons. They said, ‘Bay Allah, indeed, the wealth is meager and our children are many. Our father used to give some of his wealth as a charity because his wealth was considerable and his children were few.’ Now, we cannot do as he used to do. Thus, they decided to deprive the needy of their rights. They swore to go to their garden early in the morning and harvest its product before the coming of the needy. 

68:17 Verily, We have tried them, as We tried the owners of the garden when they swore they would pluck its fruit in the morning.

Verily, Allah has tried the disbelievers of Makkah by afflicting them with drought and famine because they disbelieved in His Oneness and His Messenger Muhammad, as He tried the owners of the garden. Allah destroyed their garden because of their greediness and refusal to give the needy their rights that Allah made obligatory on them to give. 

The owner of the garden swore that they would pluck the fruit of their garden early in the morning so that they would be able to gather the crops before the coming of the needy. 

It appears that the disbelievers of Makkah knew the story of the owners of the garden.  Therefore, Allah, Exalted be He, mentions it so that they might learn lessons from it. 

The similarity between the people of Makkah and the owners of the garden is that Allah gave both parties great blessings, but they met them with ingratitude and ungratefulness. 

In other words, Allah tried the people of Makkah by afflicting them with adversity, just as He tried the owners of the garden, who made a solemn oath to pluck the harvest of their garden in the morning to deprive the needy of their rights. 

68:18 And they made no reservation.  

When the owners of the garden swore to harvest the fruit of their garden early in the morning, they made no reservation of some of the product to the needy and they even did not say, ‘We shall harvest the fruit, God willing.’ They were highly confident and acted as if they would be able to carry out their scheme as they planned and no obstacle would hinder it. 

68:19 Then, a visitation from your Lord visited it while they were asleep. 

68:20 Then, it became as if it were a dark night. 

The owners of the garden made a solemn oath to harvest the fruit of the garden early in the morning so that the needy would find nothing when they should come.   However, the divine scheme is greater than that of the created beings. They reaped the evil consequence of their evil intention. A visiting of punishment from Allah came to the garden and destroyed it. The garden became a burned land and nothing could be found on its surface. After the garden was green and beautiful, it became black like a dark night so that nothing can be seen through its darkness. Thus, there remained nothing; no garden, no tree, and no fruits. 

It is an extremely terrifying scene. In the twinkling of an eye, the garden with its beautiful and abundant harvest was destroyed. Indeed, Allah’s punishment is severe. Verily, Allah’s punishment will befall the wrongdoers. 

The Quran does not mention what kind of punishment befell the garden and how it befell it. This agrees with the unique style of the Quran that focuses on the most important information in the stories and leaves unnecessary details to the imagination of the reader. It aims to bring home the intended lesson and skip insignificant information. 

Imam Al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy on him, said, ‘Ayah 19 & 20 is evidence that one will be called to account for his deliberate intention. That is because the owners of the gardens deliberately intended to take a certain action. Thus, they were punished for it.’ 

68:21 Then, they called one another in the morning,

68:22 ‘Go early to your crop if you want to pluck the fruit.’

The Quran eloquently portrays how the owners of the gardens carried out their evil plan to deprive the needy of their rights in the harvest of the garden. It vividly describes their feelings and movements that makes one feels as if he sees them determent to carry out their scheme. 

The owners of the garden called one another early in the morning so that no one would hear or see them. They said, ‘Go early to your crop to pluck it early in the morning so no one can see us.’ 

Then, the context of the ayat continues mocking them and depicts them as they were walking and whispering to one another so no one could hear their plan to harvest the fruit early in the morning and deprive the needy of their rights in it.

68:23 Then, they set forth, whispering to one another, 

68:24 ‘No needy man shall enter your garden today.’ 

The owners of the garden set forth to their garden, whispering to one another. They said to one another, ‘Beware of letting any needy man enter your garden while you are harvesting its fruits.’ 

68:25 And they went forth early, determined upon their purpose. 

The owners of the garden went forth early to their garden, determined upon their purpose to deprive the needy of their rights. They were certain that they would be able to carry out their scheme because they took all necessary measures to fulfill it, namely, setting forth to the garden early before the arrival of the needy. Thus, they thought that nothing could stop them and prevent them from carrying out their plan. 

Greediness blinded the hearts of the owner of the garden so that they could not understand that they were not depriving the needy of their rights; rather, they were depriving themselves of the blessing that they would attain when they would give the needy their rights. 

68:26 Then, when they saw it, they said, ‘Surely we are astray;

68:27 rather, we are deprived.’ 

The owners of the garden saw the surprise awaiting them. They saw that their garden was destroyed and became like a dark night and nothing can be seen through its darkness. The surprise was dramatic. Therefore, they thought that they lost their way to their garden and said, ‘Surely, we are astray and this ruined garden is not ours. Our garden is full of ripe fruits.’ 

After a moment, they began to realize that it was their garden and that it was destroyed. Therefore, they said, ‘Rather, we are deprived of our garden and its fruits because of our insistence on depriving the needy of their rights that Allah has given them.’  

68:28 The most moderate of them said, ‘Did I not say to you, ‘Why do you not glorify Allah’? 

After the owners of the garden saw the destruction that befell their garden, one of them spoke. It is as if he disagreed with their opinion, but he was compelled to yield to their opinion and did not insist on his viewpoint when he saw that his opinion was unpopular among his brothers. Therefore, he reminded his brothers of his advice, which they disregarded. 

The most moderate and most righteous of the brothers said to them, ‘I told you that your intention to deprive the needy of their rights that Allah gave them was wrong. I told you to reserve some of the garden’s fruit for the needy and say that you would harvest it if God willed that would happen. I told you to fear Allah and refrain from carrying out your plan, and do as our father used to do by giving the needy their rights, but you ignored my advice. Thus, you see the evil consequence of ignoring my advice. Our garden is destroyed and we are deprived of its fruit. You see the negative fruit of your evil scheme.’ 

68:29 They said, ‘Glory be to our Lord! Indeed, we were unjust.’

Just as most people realize the value of something they had after losing it, the owners of the garden admitted their wrongdoing. Therefore, they said, ‘Glory be to our Lord! His punishment, namely, destroying our garden, is just and we deserve it. Indeed, we were unjust when we determined to deprive the needy of their rights. We wronged ourselves by withholding Allah’s right from those who deserve it.’

68:30 Then, they turned to one another, reproaching each other.

Just as the partners disclaim responsibility for the losses of their partnership and blame one another for incurring the loss, the owners of the garden began to blame and reproach one another for the evil consequence of their unrighteous plan. 

68:31 They said, ‘Woe to us! Indeed, we were transgressors.

68:32 It may be that our Lord will give us one better than it; truly, we turn to our Lord with hope.’

After denial and blaming one another, the owners of the garden, admitted their wrongdoing and sought Allah’s forgiveness. They said, ‘Woe to us! Indeed, we were transgressors by transgressing Allah’s limits. We disobeyed His commands and were determined to deprive the needy of their rights that Allah gave them instead of thanking Him for His blessings by giving some of the fruits of our garden to the needy. We hope that Allah will forgive us our sins and give us a better garden than the ruined one. Truly, we turn to our Lord, hoping for His bounty, and we turn to Him in repentance of our sins.’

68:33 Such is the punishment and the punishment of the Hereafter is greater if they but knew. 

The story of the owners of the garden is concluded with mentioning the learned lesson from it.

Such is the punishment of Allah, with which He punished the owners of the garden, namely, destroying their gardens because they denied Allah’s blessings on them and refused to give the needy their rights that Allah assigned for them. Such is the punishment of Allah that will befall those who disobey His commands and are ungrateful for His countless blessings. And the punishment of the Hereafter is greater and severer than that of the punishment that befell the owners of the gardens if the disbelievers knew that. If the disbelievers had sound understanding, they would know that Allah's punishment is severe, so they would fear it, believe in His Oneness, and obey His commands. However, the disbelievers are heedless. And they will understand the evil fruits of their disbelief when it is too late.  

Reflecting on the story of the owners of the garden, one finds that it wonderfully shows some aspects of the human soul. It depicts the condition of the human soul when it is rich and poor, when it is endowed with blessings, and when it loses it. In addition, the story of the owners of the garden mentions the end of those who are ungrateful for Allah’s blessings. Indeed, unthankfulness and heedlessness lead to loss in the life of this world and the Hereafter. 

Learned Lessons from Surah Al-Qalam Ayah 17-33

• The life of this world is the home of affliction and testing. Allah, Exalted be He, afflicted and tested the owners of the garden and people of Makkah. He gave them blessings to thank Him, and not to be arrogant. Hence, when they became ungrateful for Allah’s blessings, He punished them.

• Affliction may take the form of a happy or miserable condition. The happiest people are those who are thankful at times of comfort and patient at times of affliction.

• It is worthwhile to remind of the stories of those who were afflicted and enjoyed comfortable life to learn from them how to be thankful and patient.

• The righteousness of parents benefits their believing children. The owners of the garden benefited from the righteousness of their father, who used to give some of the fruits of the garden to the needy as charity. A sign of benefiting from his righteousness is that they repented of their sin and amended their way. 

• It is recommended to say, ‘God willing’ when taking an oath to be on the safe side and protect one from any negative consequence in case he fails to fulfill his oath.

• It is a good practice to give those, who may attend harvesting crops, some of it to please them and attain Allah’s blessing. 

• Man will be called to account if he determines to sin. The owners of the garden determined to deprive the needy of their rights. Therefore, they were punished by destroying their garden.

• No matter how intelligent man may be, he is weak when it comes to his opinion and planning. The owners of the garden carefully planned to deprive the needy of the fruits of their garden. They were certain that their scheme would be successful, but Allah’s plan is unsurpassable. They were surprised when they found that their garden was destroyed and their scheme vanished like a speck of dust vanish in a twinkling of an eye. 

• When the owners of the garden realized that their garden was ruined, they understood their mistake and knew that their plan to deprive the needy of their rights was wrong, but it was too late.

• The owners of the garden disregarded the advice of their moderate brother, who advised them to glorify Allah, thank Him for His blessings, and repent to Him of their sins.

• Partners of unrighteous scheme usually blame one another when their plan fails. 

• The owners of the garden admitted their mistake, repented to Allah of their sin, and sought His forgiveness. 

• Allah’s punishment is severe. He will punish the wrongdoers in the life of this world and the Hereafter. 

The Noble Quran English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Qalam

English Translation and Tafsir of Tafsir Ibn Kathir Surah Al-Qalam

The Noble Quran English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Qalam

The Noble Quran Surah Maryam English Translation and Tafsir

The Sublime Character of Messenger Muhammad

 

The Noble Quran English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Qalam Ayah 1-16 

68:1 Nun. By the pen and what they write,  

68:2 You are not, by the Blessing of your Lord, a madman. 

68:3 And verily for you will be a reward, never-ending. 

68:4 And truly, you are of an exalted character. 

68:5 Hence, you will see, and they will see,

68:6, which of you is afflicted with madness. 

68:7 Surely your Lord knows best those who stray from His path, and He knows best those who are rightly guided.

68:8 Hence, do not obey the deniers. 

68:9 They wish that you should compromise, then they would compromise.

68:10 And do not obey every mean swearer, 

68:11 backbiter, going about with slander, 

68:12 preventer of good, transgressor, sinful, 

68:13 cruel, after all that ignoble. 

68:14 Because he has wealth and sons,  

68:15 when our ayat are recited to him, he says, ‘Fables of the ancients.’

68:16 We shall brand him on his nose! 

Tafsir 

68:1 Nun. By the pen and what they write,  

Surah Al-Qalam begins with the word ‘Nun’, which is one of the separated letters ‘al-Muqatta letters’ found at the beginning of twenty-nine surahs of the noble Quran. The scholars differ about their meanings. Their opinions can be summarized as follows: 

a) These letters have meanings; however, they differ about specifying their meanings whether they are names of Allah or names of the surahs, or that they refer to how long the nation of Messenger Muhammad will remain, and so on. 

b) They are alphabetical letters and do not have meanings.

c) They have meanings, which only Allah knows. 

d) Refraining from giving any opinion.

The most correct opinion is (b), i.e. they are alphabetical letters and do not have meanings. This opinion is based on the fact that the Quran was revealed in the Arabic language, and its alphabetic letters do not have meanings. Similarly, these separated letters at the beginning of some surahs of the Quran do not have meanings. 

The wisdom behind these letters, according to the scholars who say that they do not have meanings, is that the separated letters demonstrate the inimitability of the Quran. That is because it has not brought words or letters that are beyond the reach of man. Rather, these letters are some of the letters that are used in people’s speech; however, they cannot bring something like the Quran. 

Furthermore, beginning some surahs of the noble Quran with these separated letters draws the attention of those who reject to listen to it and reflect on its meaning when it is recited to them. That is because listening to these unfamiliar letters makes them concentrate and try to understand them, which may cause them to embrace Islam, and Allah knows best. 

According to those who maintain that these separated letters have meanings, the scholars mention the following: 1) Nun means the pen. 2) It is the name of the whale that appeared on earth. 3) Nun is the name of a tablet made of light. 4) It is the name of a river in Paradise. 

68:1 Nun. By the pen and what they write,  

68:2 You are not, by the Blessing of your Lord, a madman. 

By the pen that the writers use and by what they write, you are not by the blessing of your Lord a madman, O noble Messenger Muhammad. 

Abdul Allah Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, said, ‘The first thing that Allah created was the pen, and He commanded it to write everything that will happen in this universe, which it did.’ 

O noble Messenger Muhammad, how could you be a madman though Allah, your Lord, blessed you with prophethood and wisdom? 

The intended meaning is to console Messenger Muhammad for the abuse that he suffered at the hands of the disbelievers of Makkah, refute their baseless claims, and confirm that he is Allah’s Prophet and Messenger. 

Allah, Exalted be He, swore by the pen to indicate its high rank and great benefits. The pen is used to write beneficial knowledge and the divine Scriptures were written with the pen. 

Allah can swear by whatever thing of His creatures, but the created being can only swear by Allah. 

The ayah negates that Messenger Muhammad [peace be upon him] is mad; rather, Allah has blessed him with the blessing of prophethood and wisdom. 

In the previous ayah, Allah addresses His beloved Prophet and Messenger Muhammad by saying, ‘your Lord,’ which reveals a great love and care for him, and a strong negation of the false claims of the disbelievers, who accuse him of madness and magic.

68:3 And verily for you will be a reward, never-ending. 

O noble Messenger Muhammad, a never-ending reward will be for you with your Lord, Allah. You will be rewarded immensely because you patiently fulfilled the requirements of prophethood and were patient with the hardship you faced to do so. Your reward will be great and continuous. 

68:4 And truly, you are of an exalted character. 

Allah, Exalted be He, praises His beloved Prophet and Messenger by using the most beautiful and pleasant compliment. 

O noble Messenger Muhammad, you truly have exalted character and sound personality in all your statements, deeds, and affairs. 

O noble Messenger Muhammad, you have patiently endured the abuse of the disbelievers and hardship to carry out the message of Islam. You are characterized by the noblest character that makes you ignore whatever ill-treatment of the enemies of Islam without even trying to revenge for yourself.

Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, was asked about the character of Messenger Muhammad. She said, ‘His character was the Quran.’  In other words, Messenger Muhammad used to comply with all the sublime ethics mentioned in the Quran and avoid all that the Quran prohibits.

68:5 Hence, you will see, and they will see,

68:6, which of you is afflicted with madness. 

O noble Messenger Muhammad, We have confirmed that you are never as the disbelievers accuse you; rather, you have a high rank with your Lord. Hence, you will see and know and the disbelievers will see and know, which of you is afflicted with madness. You will see and know who of you follow the path of guidance and who of you follow the path of misguidance.

Abdul Allah Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, said the following about [68:5 Hence, you will see, and they will see…]: ‘You and they will know on the Day of Judgment.’ 

68:7 Surely your Lord knows best those who stray from His path, and He knows best those who are rightly guided.

O noble Messenger Muhammad, your Lord knows best those who stray from the straight path and turn away from the path of guidance, and He knows best those who are rightly guided and follow the path of guidance. Hence, go ahead on your path. The happy end will be for you and your followers. As for the followers of the path of misguidance, let them go aimlessly until they face the evil end of their arrogance and stubbornness. 

Then, Allah, Exalted be He, informs His beloved Messenger about the evil behaviors of the disbelievers and their abominable characters. He, Exalted be He, also warns him of agreeing to any of their suggestions.

68:8 Hence, do not obey the deniers. 

68:9 They wish that you should compromise, then they would compromise.

O noble Messenger Muhammad, noting of your conditions and that of the disbelievers is hidden from your Lord. Hence, beware to obey the disbelievers or to agree to any of their suggestions. Indeed, they hope that you should accept some of their proposals. They wish that you should compromise concerning their suggestions, and then they would compromise with you and cease to abuse you and your followers. 

This ayah refers to some half-measures that the disbelievers offered Messenger Muhammad [peace be upon him] to convince him to stop condemning worshipping false gods besides Allah. 

Mujahid, may Allah have mercy on him, said about [68:8 Hence, do not obey the deniers.] ‘The disbelievers wish that you accept their false gods and stop following the truth, and then they would compromise with you.’ 

After mentioning the opinions of the scholars, Imam Muhammad Ibn Jarir at-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him, said, ‘The correct opinion is the following: O Muhammad, the disbelievers wish that you should relent and accept their proposals to worship their gods; hence, they would accept worshipping your God.’ 

68:10 And do not obey every mean swearer, 

68:11 backbiter, going about with slander, 

68:12 preventer of good, transgressor, sinful, 

68:13 cruel, after all that ignoble. 

O noble Messenger Muhammad, do not obey every mean swearer, who lies when he swears. He is a backbiter and likes to go about among people with slander. He aims to cause dissension among people. He also strongly prevents any good thing to happen or reach even those who deserve it, especially, if they are believers. He transgresses all acceptable boundaries of conduct by extremely loving to harm people and cause them problems and insists on sinning without feeling the least degree of remorse. Moreover, He is cruel and hardhearted, and after having all these detestable characteristics, he is ignoble and of low birth. 

68:14 Because he has wealth and sons,  

68:15 when our ayat are recited to him, he says, ‘Fables of the ancients.’ 

The ayah mentions some drives and manifestations of the disbeliever’s arrogance and disbelief. 

The disbeliever rejects believing in Allah’s Oneness and His Messenger Muhammad because he has wealth and children. Allah has bestowed these blessings on him; however, instead of thanking Allah for these blessings, he meets them with ingratitude and disbelief in Allah’s Oneness. However, his wealth and children will not benefit him when he stands before Allah, Exalted be He, on the Day of Judgment for reckoning.

When Allah’s revelation is recited to this disbeliever, he says, ‘These ayat are fables of the ancients and are taken from their books, and Allah has not revealed them.’

68:16 We shall brand him on his nose! 

This is a warning to the disbeliever, who is characterized by these hideous attributes. 

Allah will brand this disbeliever and put a clear mark on his nose so that people can easily recognize him. 

The scholars of Tafsir mention the following opinions about the meaning of ayah [16]: 1) His nose will be branded with a sword that will remain as long as he lives. 2) He will be branded with a permanent brand. 3) His face will be black.  

Branding the face implies defamation as it includes deformation and humiliation. That is because the branding will be on the nose, which lies on the upper part of the face. Hence, the branding will be clear.

Moreover, these aforementioned ayat imply a consolation to Messenger Muhammad and the believers for the great abuse they suffered at the hands of the disbelievers. It is as if the ayat say to them, ‘The disbelievers will reap the evil consequences of their evil deeds.’ 

Learned Lessons from Surah Al-Qalam Ayah 1-16

• Allah, Exalted be He, swears by the pen and what is written with the pen, which indicates their lofty ranks and benefits in the fields of knowledge, learning, and civilization. 

• The oath by the pen and what is written with it is to negate that Messenger Muhammad [peace be upon him] is mad, as the disbelievers claim. It also confirms that Allah will give Messenger Muhammad a never-ending reward, and affirms that Messenger Muhammad enjoys the most sublime character, which is abiding by the teachings of the Quran by obeying Allah’s commands and avoiding Allah’s prohibitions mentioned in the Quran.

• Having a noble character and sound mind contradicts the accusations of the disbelievers that Messenger Muhammad is a madman or magician.

• A noble character is a natural disposition that makes one perform righteous deeds easily. 

• The disbelievers are warned that they will surely know who follows the right path and who follows the wrong path in the life of this world and the Hereafter.  

• The believers are prohibited to compromise with the disbelievers. The disbelievers wished that Messenger Muhammad [peace be upon him] should compromise with them by refraining from condemning their worship of the false gods, and they were willing to compromise with Messenger Muhammad concerning his message to worship Allah alone. Thus, Allah commanded His beloved Messenger Muhammad to reject their offer.

• Some of the hideous characteristics of the disbelievers are lying when swearing, meanness, backbiting, slandering, transgressing, sinning, cruelty, and ignobleness. 

• The disbelievers deny Allah’s blessings on them. Instead of thanking Him for the wealth and children, He has given them, they disbelieve in His Oneness and are arrogant to obey Him.

• The disbelievers claim that the Quran contains fables of the ancients, which is a sheer lie; rather, Allah revealed the Quran to His Messenger Muhammad and it contains all that man needs to achieve happiness in the life of this world and the Hereafter.

The Noble Quran English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Qalam

English Translation and Tafsir of Tafsir Ibn Kathir Surah Al-Qalam

The Noble Quran English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Qalam

The Noble Quran Surah Hud English Translation and Tafsir

 

Introduction to English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Qalam

 

Name of the Surah 

This surah is called Al-Qalam because it begins with swearing by al-Qalam, namely, the pen whereby people write. Swearing by the pen indicates its high status as it has many great benefits. Surah Al-Qalam was revealed in Makkah. It contains fifty-two ayah. 

Relationship between Surah Al-Mulk and Al-Qalam 

Surah Al-Mulk comes before surah Al-Qalam according to the written copy of the Quran, al-Mushaf. 

At the end of surah Al-Mulk, Allah, Exalted be He has warned the disbelievers of making their water sink away so that they cannot obtain it.

67:30 Say, ‘Tell me, if your water were to sink away, who then can bring you water, flowing.’

Surah Al-Qalam refers to another example confirming Allah’s perfect ability, namely, destroying the garden that its owner could not find any trace of it.

68:19 Then, a visitation from your Lord visited it while they were asleep. 

68:20 Then, it became as if it were a dark night. 

Surah Al-Mulk mentions some proofs affirming Allah’s perfect ability and knowledge, and confirms that the Day of Judgment will certainly take place. Moreover, the disbelievers are warned of Allah’s severe punishment in this world and the Hereafter and are commanded to believe in Allah’s Oneness and His Messengers. Then, surah Al-Qalam mentions that Messenger Muhammad [peace be upon him] is free from all false accusations of the disbelievers, such as their claim that he is a madman or magician.

Most Important Topics Discussed in Surah Al-Qalam

• Surah Al-Qalam takes care of clarifying principles of the Islamic creed just like all surahs that are revealed in Makkah. It speaks about confirming the prophethood of Messenger Muhammad, the resurrection on the Day of Judgment, and the end of the believers and the disbelievers in Allah’s Oneness.

• Surah Al-Qalam begins by referring to the pen to affirm its rank and benefit and negates all false accusations of the disbelievers against Messenger Muhammad. It confirms that he is characterized by the greatest moral character. 

68:1 Nun. By the pen and what they write,  

68:2 You are not, by the Blessing of your Lord, a madman. 

68:3 And verily for you will be a reward, never-ending. 

68:4 And truly, you are of an exalted character.

• The surah refers to some base characteristics of the disbelievers and mentions that they fabricate lies against Messenger Muhammad.

68:8 Hence, do not obey the deniers. 

68:9 They wish that you should compromise, then they would compromise.

68:10 And do not obey every mean swearer, 

68:11 backbiter, going about with slander, 

68:12 preventer of good, transgressor, sinful, 

68:13 cruel, after all that ignoble.

• Surah Al-Qalam mentions an example that likens the disbelievers of Makkah to the owners of the garden, which was destroyed because its owners denied Allah’s blessing on them and were determined to prevent the needy from their rights.

68:17 Verily, We have tried them, as We tried the owners of the garden when they swore they would pluck its fruit in the morning.

68:18 And they made no reservation.  

• Surah Al-Qalam compares the believers and the disbelievers. It also rebukes the disbelievers for their wrong judgments, refutes their groundless claims, establishes proofs against them, and reveals how their conditions will be on the Day of Judgment.

68:35 Shall We make those who submit like the evildoers? 

68:36 What is the matter with you, how do you judge? 

68:37 Or have you a book wherein you read,

68:38 and wherein you have what you choose?

• The surah warns the disbelievers of severe punishment for their disbelieving in the Quran.

68:44 Hence, leave Me with him, who disbelieves in this discourse. We shall gradually draw them from where they perceive not.

• Surah Al-Qalam is concluded with commanding Messenger Muhammad [peace be upon him] to be patient with the abuse of the disbelievers and warns him of boredom concerning conveying the Islamic message to people. It also mentions that the Quran is a reminder to all people.

68:48 Hence, be patient with the decree of your Lord and be not as the companion of the whale when called while he was in distress. 

68:52 And it is nothing but a Reminder to the worlds. 

The Noble Quran English Translation of Surah Al-Qalam 

The Noble Quran Tafsir Ibn Kathir Surah Al-Qalam

The Noble Quran Surah Hud English Translation and Tafsir

The Noble Quran English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Mulk Ayah 16-18 Some warnings and Threats

Warning of the Horrors of the Day of Judgment

 

The Noble Quran English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Mulk Ayah 23-30 

67:23 Say, ‘He is the One Who has brought you into being and made for you hearing, sight, and hearts; little thanks you give!’

67:24 Say, ‘He is the One Who has spread you throughout the earth, and to Him, you shall be gathered.’

67:25 And they say, ‘When shall this promise come to pass if you are truthful?’ 

67:26 Say, ‘The knowledge thereof is only with Allah and I am only a clear warner.’

67:27 Then, when they see it close, the faces of those who disbelieve will turn gloomy and it will be said, ‘This is what you were asking for.’ 

67:28 Say, ‘Tell me, if Allah destroys me and those with me, or He has mercy on us, then who will protect the disbelievers from a painful torment?’ 

67:29 Say, ‘He is the All-Merciful. We believe in Him, and in Him, we put our trust. So, you will know who is in error, manifest.’

67:30 Say, ‘Tell me, if your water were to sink away, who then can bring you water, flowing.’

Relationship with the Previous Part

The previous part refers to Allah’s perfect ability in creation the birds and enabling them to fly easily in the sky. Then, this part mentions other proofs confirming Allah’s perfect ability, namely, creating human beings and giving them the senses, procreation of human beings and spreading them on earth, and gathering them for reckoning on the Day of Judgment. It also warns the disbelievers of Allah’s severe punishment. 

Tafsir

67:23 Say, ‘He is the One Who has brought you into being and made for you hearing, sight, and hearts; little thanks you give!’

O noble Messenger Muhammad, say to the disbelievers, as a means of establishing proofs confirming Allah’s Oneness and perfect ability, ‘Allah, the All-Merciful, is the One Who has brought you into being and made for you hearing by which you can hear sounds, sight by which you can see things, and hearts by which you can discern things. Allah has given you all these blessings, but you give little thanks to Him. You do not use these blessings for the purpose that they are created. The true gratitude is to use these blessings to worship Allah alone and obey His commands.’

The ayah says that people give little thanks to Allah’s blessings to motivate them to give more and more thanks to Allah by worshipping Him alone and avoiding worshipping false gods besides Him.

67:24 Say, ‘He is the One Who has spread you throughout the earth, and to Him, you shall be gathered.’

O noble Messenger, remind the disbelievers of another blessing of Allah on them. Say to them, ‘Allah, the Giver of all blessings, has created you on earth and multiplied your number. Then, He has spread you throughout it. On the Day of Judgment, you will be gathered to Allah for reckoning and recompense.’ 

67:25 And they say, ‘When shall this promise come to pass if you are truthful?’ 

The disbelievers insisted on their stubbornness and arrogance. They mocked Messenger Muhammad [peace be upon him] and demanded him to define a specific appointment for the occurrence of the Day of Judgment.

The disbelievers say, ‘When shall the Day of Judgment, which you have promised us that it will take place, come to pass if you are truthful? You have said that the Day of Judgment will certainly come and that we shall be punished for our disbelief in it. O Muhammad, if you are truthful about its occurrence, tell us when will it come.

67:26 Say, ‘The knowledge thereof is only with Allah and I am only a clear warner.’

O noble Messenger Muhammad, say to the disbelievers, who demand the swift occurrence of the Day of Judgment, ‘The knowledge of the appointed time for the occurrence of the Day of Judgment is only with Allah, the All-Knowing. I am only a clear warner, who warns you of the evil consequences of disbelieving in Allah’s Oneness and disobeying His commands.’

67:27 Then, when they see it close, the faces of those who disbelieve will turn gloomy and it will be said, ‘This is what you were asking for.’ 

When the disbelievers see Allah’s severe punishment on the Day of Judgment and that is about to befall them, their faces will turn gloomy because of the great fear that they will be experiencing. 

The disbelievers demanded the occurrence of the Day of Judgment in the worldly life and did not fear the evil consequences of their disbelief in Allah’s Oneness and disobeying His commands. They will suffer the evil outcome of their evildoing on the Day of Judgment when they will be punished in Hell. 

And it will be said, ‘This is what you were asking for. 

The disbelievers will be reproached when Allah’s punishment befalls them. It will be said to them, ‘This is the punishment that you used to demand its occurrence in the worldly life. You used to mock Allah’s Messengers when they warned you of it. Thus, it occurs and you can never escape it.

67:28 Say, ‘Tell me, if Allah destroys me and those with me, or He has mercy on us, then who will protect the disbelievers from a painful torment?’ 

O noble Messenger Muhammad, say to the disbelievers among your people, ‘O people, tell me, if Allah destroys me and the believers, who follow me, or He has mercy on us, out of His generosity and mercifulness, then, who will protect the disbelievers from the painful torment of the Day of Judgment? Who will protect the disbelievers when Allah’s severe punishment befalls them on the Day of Judgment?

Undoubtedly, no one can protect the disbelievers from Allah’s punishment when it befalls them on the Day of Judgment.

Destruction is the ayah means death, and mercifulness means enjoying happy life and victory. 

Allah, the Generous, has given His beloved Messenger Muhammad a blessed life. He died after he conveyed Allah’s Message to people and a great number of them embraced Islam and he was victorious over his enemies. 

67:29 Say, ‘He is the All-Merciful. We believe in Him, and in Him we put our trust. So, you will know who is in error, manifest.’

Allah commanded Messenger Muhammad [peace be upon him] to make clear to the disbelievers that he and the believers worship Allah alone and put their trust only in Him.

O noble Messenger, say to the disbelievers, who deny believing in Allah’s Oneness, ‘You disbelieve in Allah’s Oneness, but we believe in His Oneness. We believe in Allah, the All-Merciful, and put our trust in Him alone. You will certainly know who is in manifest error. You will know who follows the path of guidance and who follows the path of misguidance when the Day of Judgment occurs and you are severely punished for your evildoing. 

67:30 Say, ‘Tell me, if your water were to sink away, who then can bring you water, flowing.’

Allah, Exalted be He, commanded Messenger Muhammad to remind the disbelievers of the blessing of water.

O noble Messenger, say to the disbelievers, ‘Tell me, if your water were to sink away that it disappears completely, who then can bring you fresh and flowing water that you can use for carrying out your needs.’ 

Unquestionably, no one can bring the disbelievers water, but Allah, Exalted be. Thus, they must believe in His Oneness, obey His commands, and thank Him for all His blessings. 

Learned Lessons from Surah Al-Mulk Ayah 23-30

• Allah is the Giver of All blessings. He gives people the blessing of hearing, seeing, and heart. Thus, they must thank Him by using these blessings in a manner that pleases Him. 

• Most people do not thank Allah for His blessings.

• Allah is the Creator, to whom sincere worship is due. 

• Confirming that people will be resurrected for reckoning and recompense on the Day of Judgment.

• Insolence and haughtiness make the disbelievers demand the occurrence of the Day of Judgment, which will be against their interest if it takes place.

• Only Allah knows when the Day of Judgment will occur. Allah’s Messengers are only required to warn people of the severe punishment awaiting those who disbelieve in Allah’s Oneness when it occurs.

• Argumentation is permissible if clarifying the truth is intended.

• When the Day of Judgment takes place, the disbelievers will know the evil end awaiting them.

• The disbelievers will gain nothing if Messenger Muhammad and the believers die or if Allah bestows His mercy on them. They should concern themselves with their affairs. They should believe in Allah’s Oneness and obey His commands since no one will protect them from Allah’s punishment on the Day of Judgment.

• The believers must put their trust in Allah and rely on Him concerning all their affairs. Only Allah can take care of them and provide them with all their needs. However, they must do necessary causes that are required to achieve their goals and that are within their control after depending on Allah alone.

• Only Allah can provide people with all sustenance and water. Allah, out of His generosity, provides them with their needs though some of them disbelieve in His Oneness and disobey His commands.

The Noble Quran English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Mulk

English Translation of Tafsir Ibn Kathir Surah Al-Mulk

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The Noble Quran English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Mulk Ayah 12-15 Promise of Allah’s Forgiveness to the Believers