Sūrat al-Sajda

سورۃ السجدہ

(Closing note from the previous discussion:) The truth is that many things in this world are beyond the reach of human conviction — indeed, a person often denies in public what he himself does not know. The fear of God is the root of all good and the repeller of all evil. It is the fear of God which keeps a person from acting on every base desire. The armies of any power are driven principally by fear; fear is what most commonly keeps people from abandoning bad actions. And this godly fear (khashyat) is the thing that brings the presence of God most powerfully to the conscience, day and night. Do not be deceived by the illusory flame of this world — another comes after it in the shape of oil; every moment this flame dies and another takes its form. Our bodies are sustained by breath — our lives are a few breaths — and there is no certainty about what comes next. Mortality, finitude, and annihilation (fanāʾ) are our constant companions. The answer to God and the accounting before Him are thus a matter of the most urgent necessity — and heedlessness of God is the supreme misfortune!

The Opening of Sūrat al-Sajda

This surah was revealed in Mecca. It contains thirty (30) verses and three (3) sections (rukūʿ).

بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Bismillāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm.

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful."

الٓمٓ

Alif Lām Mīm.

(Alif Lām Mīm — Allah knows best its intended meaning.) (al-Sajda 32:1)

تَنزِيلُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ لَا رَيۡبَ فِيهِ مِن رَّبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

Tanzīlu-l-kitābi lā rayba fīhi min rabbi-l-ʿālamīn.

"The sending down of the Book — in which there is no doubt — is from the Lord of all the worlds." (al-Sajda 32:2)

Tanzīlu-l-kitāb — this is a Book sent down; this is the revealed, descended scripture. Lā rayba fīh — there is no doubt whatsoever in it; no room for any suspicion or hesitation. Min rabbi-l-ʿālamīn — it is from the Lord of all the worlds — from the One who created the entire universe; none can harbour any suspicion about its being from anyone else, for without doubt He it was who sent it down.

Translation: This is a Book sent down — in which there is no doubt of any kind (neither about its being from God nor about its contents) — from the Lord of all the worlds.

أَمۡ يَقُولُونَ ٱفۡتَرَىٰهُۚ بَلۡ هُوَ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ لِتُنذِرَ قَوۡمًا مَّآ أَتَىٰهُم مِّن نَّذِيرٍ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَهۡتَدُونَ

Am yaqūlūna-ftarāh; bal huwa-l-ḥaqqu min rabbika li-tundhira qawman mā atāhum min nadhīrin min qablika laʿallahum yahtadūn.

"Or do they say: 'He has fabricated it'? Rather, it is the truth from your Lord, that you may warn a people to whom no warner has come before you — perhaps they will be guided." (al-Sajda 32:3)

Am yaqūlūna-ftarāh — or do these people say that he has fabricated and invented it himself? Bal huwa-l-ḥaqq — No, indeed — rather it is the pure and absolute truth from your Lord; min rabbik — from your Lord Himself. Li-tundhira qawman — so that you may warn this people — mā atāhum min nadhīrin min qablik — to whom no warner came before you: no messenger had previously reached them; laʿallahum yahtadūn — so that they may perchance find guidance and come onto the right path.

Translation: Or do they say that he has fabricated it? No — rather it is the truth from your Lord, that you may warn a people to whom no warner had come before you — so that they may find guidance (and follow the straight path and attain right guidance).

ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلۡعَرۡشِۖ مَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلَا شَفِيعٍۚ أَفَلَا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ

Allāhu-lladhī khalaqa-s-samāwāti wa-l-arḍa wa-mā baynahumā fī sittati ayyāmin thumma-stawā ʿala-l-ʿarsh; mā lakum min dūnihi min waliyyin wa-lā shafīʿ; a-fa-lā tatadhdhakarūn.

"Allah — it is He who created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six days, then He established Himself upon the Throne. You have no protector or intercessor apart from Him. Will you not then reflect?" (al-Sajda 32:4)

A-llāhu-lladhī khalaqa-s-samāwāti wa-l-arḍ — Allah is He who created the heavens and the earth wa-mā baynahumā — and all that lies between them — fī sittati ayyām — in six days (that is, within a week, each day representing a stage of cosmic creation). Thumma-stawā ʿala-l-ʿarsh — then He established His sovereignty upon the Throne of creation. Mā lakum min dūnihi min waliyy wa-lā shafīʿ — Other than Him, you have no protector, no guardian, no intercessor — a-fa-lā tatadhdhakarūn — Will you not then take heed? Do you still not reflect and understand?

Translation: Allah it is who created the heavens and the earth and all between them in six days — then He established Himself upon the Throne. You have no protector and no intercessor apart from Him — will you not then reflect?

يُدَبِّرُ ٱلۡأَمۡرَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ إِلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ثُمَّ يَعۡرُجُ إِلَيۡهِ فِي يَوۡمٍ كَانَ مِقۡدَارُهُۥٓ أَلۡفَ سَنَةٍ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ

Yudabbiru-l-amra mina-s-samāʾi ila-l-arḍi thumma yaʿruju ilayhi fī yawmin kāna miqdāruhu alfa sanatin mimmā taʿuddūn.

"He directs the command from heaven to earth; then it ascends to Him in a day whose measure is a thousand years of what you count." (al-Sajda 32:5)

Yudabbiru-l-amr — He governs and administers all affairs — mina-s-samāʾi ila-l-arḍ — from the heavens down to the earth; His divine management descends from above to encompass the earth. Thumma yaʿruju ilayh — then it ascends back to Him. Fī yawmin kāna miqdāruhu alfa sanatin mimmā taʿuddūn — in a day whose measure is a thousand years of your reckoning: that day — the Day of Resurrection and Judgement — when all things shall return to Him, its extent in your counting is a thousand years.

Translation (continued): He governs the command from the heaven down to the earth — then it ascends back to Him on a day whose measure equals a thousand years by your reckoning.

ذَٰلِكَ عَٰلِمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ

Dhālika ʿālimu-l-ghaybi wa-sh-shahādati-l-ʿazīzu-r-raḥīm.

"That is the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, the Almighty, the Merciful." (al-Sajda 32:6)

Dhālika ʿālimu-l-ghayb — That is the One who knows the unseen and the visible — the hidden and the manifest — who has knowledge of the inner and outer alike. Al-ʿAzīzu — He is the Mighty One, Irresistible; ar-Raḥīm — and the Merciful.

Translation: He is the Knower of the unseen and the seen — the Exalted in Might and the Ever-Merciful.

ٱلَّذِيٓ أَحۡسَنَ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍ خَلَقَهُۥ وَبَدَأَ خَلۡقَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنِ مِن طِينٍ

Alladhī aḥsana kulla shayʾin khalaqahu wa-badaʾa khalqa-l-insāni min ṭīn.

"He who perfected everything He created and began the creation of the human being from clay." (al-Sajda 32:7)

Alladhī aḥsana kulla shayʾin khalaqahu — He who has made excellent, perfected, and created well every single thing that He has created — ḥusn here means goodness, proper form, and the fullness of all that is appropriate to the created nature of each thing. Wa-badaʾa khalqa-l-insāni min ṭīn — and He began the creation of the human being from clay — from earth; consider then: from what has Man come to be, and where do his nourishment, plants, and animals come from?

Translation: He who fashioned everything He created in the best manner, and began the creation of the human being from clay (earth).

ثُمَّ جَعَلَ نَسۡلَهُۥ مِن سُلَٰلَةٍ مِّن مَّآءٍ مَّهِينٍ

Thumma jaʿala naslahu min sulālatin min māʾin mahīn.

"Then He made his progeny from an extract of a humble fluid." (al-Sajda 32:8)

Thumma jaʿala naslah — then He created his offspring and progeny — min sulālatin — from an extract — the essence; min māʾin mahīn — from a base, humble fluid. The word sulāla derives from the root salla — meaning to draw out, to extract — that is, a refined essence. And māʾun mahīn — a contemptible, humble water — meaning the semen: a despised, lowly fluid.

Translation: Then He made his progeny from an extract of humble fluid (i.e., the insignificant drop of semen).

ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِهِۦ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمۡعَ وَٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرَ وَٱلۡأَفۡـِٔدَةَۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَشۡكُرُونَ

Thumma sawwāhu wa-nafakha fīhi min rūḥihi wa-jaʿala lakumu-s-samʿa wa-l-abṣāra wa-l-afʾidah; qalīlan mā tashkurūn.

"Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His Spirit, and He made for you hearing, sight, and hearts. Little is the gratitude you show." (al-Sajda 32:9)

Thumma sawwāhu — then He proportioned and shaped him harmoniously — He fashioned the body to its proper form and put it in balance; wa-nafakha fīhi min rūḥih — and breathed into him from His Spirit — that divine spirit, the rūḥ, was breathed into this formed body; wa-jaʿala lakumu-s-samʿa wa-l-abṣāra wa-l-afʾidah — and He made for you hearing (the sense of hearing), sight (the power of vision), and hearts (the intellect and the capacity for understanding and feeling). Qalīlan mā tashkurūn — yet how little you give thanks! You are very much ungrateful — most of you, alas, are extremely unthankful and ungrateful.

Translation: Then He fashioned him (the body) in due proportion and breathed into him His Spirit — and gave you hearing, sight, and hearts. Yet how little gratitude you show (how greatly ungrateful you are).

وَقَالُوٓاْ أَءِذَا ضَلَلۡنَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَءِنَّا لَفِي خَلۡقٍ جَدِيدٍۭۚ بَلۡ هُم بِلِقَآءِ رَبِّهِمۡ كَٰفِرُونَ

Wa-qālū a-idhā ḍalalnā fi-l-arḍi a-innā la-fī khalqin jadīd; bal hum bi-liqāʾi rabbihim kāfirūn.

"And they say: 'When we are lost in the earth, shall we really be in a new creation?' Rather, they are disbelievers in the meeting with their Lord." (al-Sajda 32:10)

Wa-qālū — and these people say: a-idhā ḍalalnā fi-l-arḍ — when we have decayed and been lost within the earth — when we are buried and become nothing, vanished in the soil — a-innā la-fī khalqin jadīd — shall we truly be in a new creation? Will we really be raised again as a new form of existence? Bal hum bi-liqāʾi rabbihim kāfirūn — Rather, they are complete deniers of the meeting with their Lord. They do not acknowledge the meeting with God; they reject it and deny it.

Translation: They say: "When we are (buried and) dissolved in the earth, will we really be brought forth in a new creation?" The truth is that these people are the very ones who deny the meeting with their Lord.

قُلۡ يَتَوَفَّىٰكُم مَّلَكُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِ ٱلَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمۡ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمۡ تُرۡجَعُونَ

Qul yatawaffākum malaku-l-mawti-lladhī wukkila bikum thumma ilā rabbikum turjaʿūn.

"Say: The angel of death who is set over you will take you fully, then you will be returned to your Lord." (al-Sajda 32:11)

Qul — Say, O Prophet ﷺ: yatawaffākum malaku-l-mawt — the angel of death will take you — alladhī wukkila bikum — the one who has been appointed and entrusted with the task of taking your souls; thumma ilā rabbikum turjaʿūn — then after that you will be returned to your Lord. He is your ultimate destination and final abode.

Translation: Say (O Prophet ﷺ!): The angel of death who has been appointed over you will take you fully — and then you will be returned to your Lord (and that is your final destination).

On the Necessity of Fearing Allah and Answering to Him

The author — Bahrul Uloom Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadeer Siddiqui Rahmatullah Alaih — here adds an extended personal reflection:

Dear friends! There are certain things which render the denial of God and life after death simply inconceivable in a just accounting. Consider: a person who does not acknowledge the reckoning before God, godly fear, and accountability — such a person abandons all restraint. Fear is the root of all that is good; the fear of God keeps people from evil. The armies of every state rest ultimately on fear; fear is the primary reason that most people refrain from evil. But once this fear is lost, nothing restrains. Every moment of this worldly life is like a flame that dies and another springs up; our bodies are sustained by breath; and within us live, breathe, die, and decay innumerable micro-organisms with every breath. Mortality, finitude, and annihilation (fanāʾ) are our perpetual companions. Accounting before God is therefore an urgent and primary necessity — and heedlessness of God is a supreme and devastating misfortune!

وَلَوۡ تَرَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُونَ نَاكِسُواْ رُءُوسِهِمۡ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ رَبَّنَآ أَبۡصَرۡنَا وَسَمِعۡنَا فَٱرۡجِعۡنَا نَعۡمَلۡ صَٰلِحًا إِنَّا مُوقِنُونَ

Wa-law tarā idhi-l-mujrimūna nākisū ruʾūsihim ʿinda rabbihim; rabbanā abṣarnā wa-samiʿnā fa-rjiʿnā naʿmal ṣāliḥā innā mūqinūn.

"And if only you could see when the criminals hang their heads before their Lord: 'Our Lord! We have now seen and heard — so return us to the world and we will do righteous deeds. Indeed we are now certain.'" (al-Sajda 32:12)

Wa-law tarā — and O reader, if you could see — idhi-l-mujrimūna nākisū ruʾūsihim ʿinda rabbihim — when the criminals and wrongdoers will hang their heads low before their Lord in shame and humiliation. They will say: Rabbanā abṣarnā wa-samiʿnā — O our Lord! We have now seen and heard clearly — our eyes have opened and our ears have received the truth, and we have come to know the reality as it truly is. Fa-rjiʿnā naʿmal ṣāliḥā — so send us back — return us to the world — we will perform righteous deeds; innā mūqinūn — for we are now certain believers.

Translation: And if only you could see (O reader!) what an astonishing spectacle will be: when the criminals will stand before God with bowed heads (and will say): O our Lord! We have now seen and heard — return us so we may do righteous deeds. Now we are indeed certain.

وَلَوۡ شِئۡنَا لَءَاتَيۡنَا كُلَّ نَفۡسٍ هُدَىٰهَا وَلَٰكِنۡ حَقَّ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ مِنِّي لَأَمۡلَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنَ ٱلۡجِنَّةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ أَجۡمَعِينَ

Wa-law shiʾnā la-ātaynā kulla nafsin hudāhā wa-lākin ḥaqqa-l-qawlu minnī la-amlaʾanna jahannama mina-l-jinnati wa-n-nāsi ajmaʿīn.

"And had We willed, We could have given every soul its guidance — but the word from Me has come true: I will surely fill Hell with jinn and people, all together." (al-Sajda 32:13)

Wa-law shiʾnā la-ātaynā kulla nafsin hudāhā — Had We so willed, We could have given every single soul its guidance — We would have put every person on the right path and given them their guidance; wa-lākin ḥaqqa-l-qawlu minnī — but My word has been established and proven true — la-amlaʾanna jahannama mina-l-jinnati wa-n-nāsi ajmaʿīn — I will assuredly fill Hell from among the jinn and humankind altogether.

Translation: Had We willed, We could have given every soul its guidance — but My word has now come to pass: I will certainly fill Hell from jinn and human beings altogether.

فَذُوقُواْ بِمَا نَسِيتُمۡ لِقَآءَ يَوۡمِكُمۡ هَٰذَآۖ إِنَّا نَسِينَٰكُمۡ وَذُوقُواْ عَذَابَ ٱلۡخُلۡدِ بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ

Fadhūqū bi-mā nasītum liqāʾa yawmikum hādhā; innā nasīnākum wa-dhūqū ʿadhāba-l-khuldi bi-mā kuntum taʿmalūn.

"So taste — because you forgot the meeting of this your Day. We have forgotten you — so taste the punishment of eternity for what you used to do." (al-Sajda 32:14)

Fadhūqū — Taste then! Bi-mā nasītum — because of your forgetting and neglecting — liqāʾa yawmikum hādhā — the meeting of this your Day of Judgement: you forgot today's encounter. Innā nasīnākum — We have now forgotten you (in the sense of: We are no longer paying attention to you, no longer granting you mercy and care); wa-dhūqū ʿadhāba-l-khuldi — taste the eternal punishment — bi-mā kuntum taʿmalūn — on account of what you used to do. Taste now the fruit of your own deeds — the recompense for your own actions.

Translation: So taste (the punishment) — because you forgot the meeting of this Day (We too have now forgotten you). Taste the eternal punishment for what you used to do.

إِنَّمَا يُؤۡمِنُ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُواْ بِهَا خَرُّواْ سُجَّدًاۤ وَسَبَّحُواْ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَهُمۡ لَا يَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ

Innamā yuʾminu bi-āyātinā-lladhīna idhā dhukkirū bihā kharrū sujjadā wa-sabbaḥū bi-ḥamdi rabbihim wa-hum lā yastakbirūn.

"Only those truly believe in Our signs who, when they are reminded of them, fall prostrate and exalt with the praise of their Lord, and they are not arrogant." (al-Sajda 32:15)

Innamā yuʾminu bi-āyātinā — Only those people truly believe in Our signs — alladhīna idhā dhukkirū bihā — who, when they are reminded of these signs, when the verses of the Qurʾān are brought to mind before them and recited: kharrū sujjadā — they fall down in prostration; they go down in sajda. Wa-sabbaḥū bi-ḥamdi rabbihim — and they glorify with the praise of their Lord, declaring His purity; wa-hum lā yastakbirūn — and they are not arrogant; they do not consider themselves too great to prostrate. Note: this is a verse of obligatory prostration (sajdat al-tilāwa) — upon reaching it one performs a prostration.

Translation: Only those truly believe in Our signs who, when reminded of them, fall prostrate and glorify their Lord with praise — and they are never arrogant.

تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلۡمَضَاجِعِ يَدۡعُونَ رَبَّهُمۡ خَوۡفًا وَطَمَعًا وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنَٰهُمۡ يُنفِقُونَ

Tatajāfā junūbuhum ʿani-l-maḍājiʿi yadʿūna rabbahum khawfan wa-ṭamaʿan wa-mimmā razaqnāhum yunfiqūn.

"Their sides draw away from their beds; they call upon their Lord in fear and longing; and they spend from what We have provided them." (al-Sajda 32:16)

Tatajāfā junūbuhum — their sides turn away — ʿani-l-maḍājiʿ — from their beds and sleeping places; that is, they rise from their beds to stand in the night prayer (tahajjud). Yadʿūna rabbahum khawfan wa-ṭamaʿan — they call upon their Lord in fear and in hope — out of some fear of His punishment and some hope in His mercy; wa-mimmā razaqnāhum yunfiqūn — and from what We have given them they spend in the way of Allah. They give: Allah is the giver and the servant is only the distributor.

Translation: Their sides draw away from their beds — they call upon their Lord in fear and hope — and they spend from what We have provided them (in Allah's way).

فَلَا تَعۡلَمُ نَفۡسٌ مَّآ أُخۡفِيَ لَهُم مِّن قُرَّةِ أَعۡيُنٍ جَزَآءَۢ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ

Fa-lā taʿlamu nafsun mā ukhfiya lahum min qurrati aʿyunin jazāʾan bi-mā kānū yaʿmalūn.

"And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort of eyes as reward for what they used to do." (al-Sajda 32:17)

Fa-lā taʿlamu nafsun — no soul whatsoever knows — mā ukhfiya lahum min qurrati aʿyun — what delights and comforts of the eyes have been concealed and stored in reserve for them — jazāʾan bi-mā kānū yaʿmalūn — as the recompense and reward for the deeds they used to perform. The rewards of their righteous works are beyond description.

Translation: No soul knows what has been hidden away for them — the comfort and delight of their eyes — as a reward for their righteous deeds. (Why? Why has this been kept hidden from us?)

أَفَمَن كَانَ مُؤۡمِنًا كَمَن كَانَ فَاسِقًاۚ لَّا يَسۡتَوُونَ

A-fa-man kāna muʾminan ka-man kāna fāsiqā; lā yastawūn.

"Is then one who is a believer like one who is a sinner? They are not equal." (al-Sajda 32:18)

A-fa-man kāna muʾminan — Can one who is a believer — ka-man kāna fāsiqā — be equal to one who is a sinner and transgressor? Lā yastawūn — they are not equal; they can never be equivalent.

Translation: Can a believer be equated with a sinner? They can never be equal.

أَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ فَلَهُمۡ جَنَّٰتُ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ نُزُلًۢا بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ

Ammā-lladhīna āmanū wa-ʿamilū-ṣ-ṣāliḥāti fa-lahum jannātu-l-maʾwā nuzulan bi-mā kānū yaʿmalūn.

"As for those who believe and do righteous deeds — for them are the Gardens of Refuge as a hospitality for what they used to do." (al-Sajda 32:19)

Ammā-lladhīna āmanū — As for those who hold to true faith — wa-ʿamilū-ṣ-ṣāliḥāt — and do righteous and good deeds — fa-lahum jannātu-l-maʾwā — for them are the Gardens of Refuge: the Gardens of Paradise as their abode and dwelling — nuzulan bi-mā kānū yaʿmalūn — as a hospitable welcoming and recompense for all that they used to do.

Translation: As for those who believe and do righteous deeds — for them are the Gardens of Refuge, as a generous welcome and recompense for their deeds.

وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ فَسَقُواْ فَمَأۡوَىٰهُمُ ٱلنَّارُ كُلَّمَآ أَرَادُوٓاْ أَن يَخۡرُجُواْ مِنۡهَآ أُعِيدُواْ فِيهَا وَقِيلَ لَهُمۡ ذُوقُواْ عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ ٱلَّذِي كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ

Wa-ammā-lladhīna fasaqū fa-maʾwāhumu-n-nār; kullamā arādū an yakhrujū minhā uʿīdū fīhā wa-qīla lahum dhūqū ʿadhāba-n-nāri-lladhī kuntum bihi tukadhdhibūn.

"And as for those who were transgressors, their refuge is the Fire. Every time they wish to leave it they will be returned into it, and it will be said to them: Taste the punishment of the Fire which you used to deny." (al-Sajda 32:20)

Wa-ammā-lladhīna fasaqū — and as for those who were disobedient transgressors and sinners — fa-maʾwāhumu-n-nār — their abode and refuge is the Fire of Hell. Kullamā arādū an yakhrujū minhā — every time they wish to escape from the Fire and desire to come out of it — uʿīdū fīhā — they will be forced back into it; they will be returned and made to re-enter it. Wa-qīla lahum dhūqū ʿadhāba-n-nār — and it will be said to them: Taste the punishment of the Fire! Alladhī kuntum bihi tukadhdhibūn — that which you used to deny and dismiss with ridicule!

Translation: And as for those who were sinners — their abode is the Fire. Every time they try to come out, they will be forced back in — and it will be said to them: Taste the punishment of the Fire that you used to deny (and mock).

وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡأَدۡنَىٰ دُونَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡأَكۡبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ

Wa-la-nudhīqannahum mina-l-ʿadhābi-l-adnā dūna-l-ʿadhābi-l-akbari laʿallahum yarjiʿūn.

"And We will surely make them taste something of the nearer punishment short of the greater punishment — that perhaps they will repent." (al-Sajda 32:21)

Wa-la-nudhīqannahum mina-l-ʿadhābi-l-adnā — And We will certainly make them taste the lesser punishment — the worldly punishments and tribulations — dūna-l-ʿadhābi-l-akbar — before the greater punishment of the Hereafter; laʿallahum yarjiʿūn — so that perchance they may repent and turn back.

Translation: And We will certainly make them taste something of the lesser punishment (worldly punishment) before the greater punishment (of the Hereafter) — so that perhaps they may repent and return.

وَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِّمَّن ذُكِّرَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّهِۦ ثُمَّ أَعۡرَضَ عَنۡهَآۚ إِنَّا مِنَ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ مُنتَقِمُونَ

Wa-man aẓlamu mimman dhukkira bi-āyāti rabbihi thumma aʿraḍa ʿanhā; innā mina-l-mujrimīna muntaqimūn.

"And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the signs of his Lord but then turns away from them? Indeed We will take retribution from the criminals." (al-Sajda 32:22)

Wa-man aẓlamu — and who can be a greater wrongdoer than — mimman dhukkira bi-āyāti rabbih — one who is reminded of the signs of his Lord, to whom the Divine Signs are brought before him — thumma aʿraḍa ʿanhā — and then he turns away from them and refuses to heed. Innā mina-l-mujrimīna muntaqimūn — Verily We are retributors against the criminals; We are certainly going to take vengeance on those criminals and requite them for their crimes.

Translation: And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of his Lord's signs and then turns away from them? Indeed We will take retribution from the criminals.

The author — Bahrul Uloom Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadeer Siddiqui Rahmatullah Alaih — interjects here with a personal observation: Dear friends! This world is continuously beset by calamities — but we are unmindful of them. No admonishment is taken, and worldly pursuits are pursued in place of the lasting abode. The worldly punishment of the Hereafter is an enlarge (extension) of earthly chastisement. Today the alarm bells are ringing — yet those who hear and do not heed will be the very ones who face the full consequence. Repent; perform righteous works; and make preparation before death makes the Hereafter's accounting impossible. Allah Most High declares: We will exact retribution from the criminals. May Allah grant us His forgiveness — Astaghfiru-llāha-l-ʿaẓīm!

وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا مُوسَى ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ فَلَا تَكُن فِي مِرۡيَةٍ مِّن لِقَآئِهِۦ وَجَعَلۡنَٰهُ هُدًى لِبَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰءِيلَ

Wa-laqad ātaynā Mūsā-l-kitāba fa-lā takun fī miryatin min liqāʾih; wa-jaʿalnāhu hudān li-banī Isrāʾīl.

"And We certainly gave Moses the Book, so do not be in doubt about the meeting with Him; and We made it a guidance for the Children of Israel." (al-Sajda 32:23)

Wa-laqad ātaynā Mūsā-l-kitāb — And indeed We gave Moses the scripture — so do not be in any doubt about its meeting with truth. Wa-jaʿalnāhu hudān li-banī Isrāʾīl — and We made that scripture a guidance for the Children of Israel.

Translation: And indeed We gave Moses the Book — so do not be in any doubt about meeting with it — and We made it a guidance for the Children of Israel.

وَجَعَلۡنَا مِنۡهُمۡ أَئِمَّةً يَهۡدُونَ بِأَمۡرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُواْ وَكَانُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ

Wa-jaʿalnā minhum aʾiimmatan yahduna bi-amrinā lammā ṣabarū wa-kānū bi-āyātinā yūqinūn.

"And We made from among them leaders guiding by Our command when they were steadfast and were certain of Our signs." (al-Sajda 32:24)

Wa-jaʿalnā minhum aʾiimma — and We made from among them leaders and imams — yahduna bi-amrinā — who guided people according to Our command — lammā ṣabarū — when they were steadfast and patient under Our rulings; wa-kānū bi-āyātinā yūqinūn — and they were firmly convinced and certain of Our signs; they held to Our verses with unshakeable faith.

Translation: And We made from among them leaders who guided others by Our command when they were patient and steadfast — and they were certain of Our signs.

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ يَفۡصِلُ بَيۡنَهُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخۡتَلِفُونَ

Inna rabbaka huwa yafṣilu baynahum yawma-l-qiyāmati fīmā kānū fīhi yakhtalifūn.

"Indeed your Lord will decide between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that wherein they used to differ." (al-Sajda 32:25)

Inna rabbaka huwa yafṣilu baynahum — Verily your Lord will pass judgement and decide between them — yawma-l-qiyāma — on the Day of Resurrection — fīmā kānū fīhi yakhtalifūn — concerning the matters about which they used to differ.

Translation: Indeed your Lord will decide between them on the Day of Resurrection in the matters wherein they used to differ.

أَوَلَمۡ يَهۡدِ لَهُمۡ كَمۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّنَ ٱلۡقُرُونِ يَمۡشُونَ فِي مَسَٰكِنِهِمۡۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَـلِكَ لَءَايَٰتٍۚ أَفَلَا يَسۡمَعُونَ

A-wa-lam yahdi lahum kam ahlaknā min qablihim mina-l-qurūni yamshūna fī masākinihim; inna fī dhālika la-āyāt; a-fa-lā yasmaʿūn.

"Has it not guided them — how many generations We destroyed before them, in whose dwellings they now walk? Indeed in that are signs — will they not then hear?" (al-Sajda 32:26)

A-wa-lam yahdi lahum — Has it not been a guidance for these people — kam ahlaknā min qablihim mina-l-qurūn — how many generations before them We destroyed — yamshūna fī masākinihim — and they walk through the very dwellings and ruins of those former peoples? Inna fī dhālika la-āyāt — Indeed in that there are manifest signs and lessons — a-fa-lā yasmaʿūn — will they then not hear? Will they not let these lessons reach their ears?

Translation: Has it not served as a guide for them — how many generations We destroyed before them, in whose very dwellings they now walk? Indeed in that are lessons and signs — will they not then hear (will they not let any word reach their ears)?

أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ أَنَّا نَسُوقُ ٱلۡمَآءَ إِلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ٱلۡجُرُزِ فَنُخۡرِجُ بِهِۦ زَرۡعًا تَأۡكُلُ مِنۡهُ أَنۡعَٰمُهُمۡ وَأَنفُسُهُمۡۚ أَفَلَا يَبۡصِرُونَ

A-wa-lam yaraw anna nāsūqu-l-māʾa ila-l-arḍi-l-juruzi fa-nukhrijū bihi zarʿan taʾkulu minhu anʿāmuhum wa-anfusuhum; a-fa-lā yubṣirūn.

"Have they not seen that We drive water to barren land and bring forth thereby crops from which their livestock and they themselves eat? Will they not then see?" (al-Sajda 32:27)

A-wa-lam yaraw anna nāsūqu-l-māʾa ila-l-arḍ — Have they not seen that We drive water — We send rain and direct water — ila-l-arḍi-l-juruz — toward barren, dry, parched land — and We channel it to the stony earth toward verdant valleys; fa-nukhrijū bihi zarʿan — and then cause to grow from it crops and vegetation; taʾkulu minhu anʿāmuhum wa-anfusuhum — from which their livestock eat and they themselves eat. A-fa-lā yubṣirūn — Will they not then see? Is there no perception or vision in them?

Translation: Have they not seen that We drive water to barren land and bring forth crops by which their animals and they themselves eat? Will they not then see (have they no vision or insight)?

وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَىٰ هَٰذَا ٱلۡفَتۡحُ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ

Wa-yaqūlūna matā hādha-l-fatḥu in kuntum ṣādiqīn.

"And they say: When will this opening come, if you are truthful?" (al-Sajda 32:28)

Wa-yaqūlūna — and they say: matā hādha-l-fatḥ — When will this opening (the decisive judgement) come? Tell us this, and let this matter be settled. In kuntum ṣādiqīn — if you are truthful.

Translation: And they say: When will this opening (the decisive day of judgement) come — tell us, if you are truthful.

قُلۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡفَتۡحِ لَا يَنفَعُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِيمَٰنُهُمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يُنظَرُونَ

Qul yawma-l-fatḥi lā yanfaʿu-lladhīna kafarū īmānuhum wa-lā hum yunẓarūn.

"Say: On the day of opening, the faith of those who disbelieved will not benefit them, nor will they be given any respite." (al-Sajda 32:29)

Qul yawma-l-fatḥ — Say: On the day of the decisive opening and judgement — lā yanfaʿu-lladhīna kafarū īmānuhum — the faith of those who disbelieved will not benefit them at all; their believing at the last moment will be of no use — wa-lā hum yunẓarūn — nor will they be given any reprieve or delay.

Translation: Say (O Prophet ﷺ!): On the day of the decisive opening, the faith of those who disbelieved will not benefit them — and they will be given no reprieve or delay.

فَاَعۡرِضۡ عَنۡهُمۡ وَٱنتَظِرۡ إِنَّهُمۡ مُنتَظِرُونَ

Fa-aʿriḍ ʿanhum wa-ntaẓir; innahum muntaẓirūn.

"So turn away from them and wait. Indeed they are waiting." (al-Sajda 32:30)

This is the final verse of Sūrat al-Sajda. Fa-aʿriḍ ʿanhum — then turn away from them, O Prophet ﷺ; turn your attention aside from their obduracy — wa-ntaẓir — and wait; be patient and await Allah's command. Innahum muntaẓirūn — Indeed they are also waiting — without doubt they are themselves waiting (for the outcome).

Translation: Then turn away from them (O Prophet ﷺ!) and wait — for they too are waiting.