Surah 32. As-Sajdah

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Verses [Section]: 1-11[1], 12-22 [2], 23-30 [3]

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Quran Text of Verse 23-30وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyاٰتَیْنَاWe gaveمُوْسَیMusaالْكِتٰبَthe Scriptureفَلَاso (do) notتَكُنْbeفِیْinمِرْیَةٍdoubtمِّنْaboutلِّقَآىِٕهٖreceiving itوَ جَعَلْنٰهُAnd We made itهُدًیa guideلِّبَنِیْۤfor the Childrenاِسْرَآءِیْلَۚof Israel وَ جَعَلْنَاAnd We madeمِنْهُمْfrom themاَىِٕمَّةًleadersیَّهْدُوْنَguidingبِاَمْرِنَاby Our Commandلَمَّاwhenصَبَرُوْا ؕ۫they were patientوَ كَانُوْاand they wereبِاٰیٰتِنَاof Our Versesیُوْقِنُوْنَ certain اِنَّIndeedرَبَّكَyour Lordهُوَ[He]یَفْصِلُwill judgeبَیْنَهُمْbetween themیَوْمَ(on the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ(of) Resurrectionفِیْمَاin whatكَانُوْاthey used (to)فِیْهِ[in it]یَخْتَلِفُوْنَ differ اَوَ لَمْDoes it notیَهْدِguideلَهُمْ[for] themكَمْ(that) how manyاَهْلَكْنَاWe have destroyedمِنْbefore themقَبْلِهِمْbefore themمِّنَofالْقُرُوْنِthe generationsیَمْشُوْنَthey walk aboutفِیْinمَسٰكِنِهِمْ ؕtheir dwellingsاِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَاٰیٰتٍ ؕsurely, are SignsاَفَلَاThen do notیَسْمَعُوْنَ they hear اَوَ لَمْDo notیَرَوْاthey seeاَنَّاthat Weنَسُوْقُdriveالْمَآءَwaterاِلَیtoالْاَرْضِthe landالْجُرُزِ[the] barrenفَنُخْرِجُthen We bring forthبِهٖtherebyزَرْعًاcropsتَاْكُلُeatمِنْهُfrom itاَنْعَامُهُمْtheir cattleوَ اَنْفُسُهُمْ ؕand they themselvesاَفَلَاThen do notیُبْصِرُوْنَ they see وَ یَقُوْلُوْنَAnd they sayمَتٰیWhen (will be)هٰذَاthisالْفَتْحُdecisionاِنْifكُنْتُمْyou areصٰدِقِیْنَ truthful قُلْSayیَوْمَ(On the) Dayالْفَتْحِ(of) the Decisionلَاnotیَنْفَعُwill benefitالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْۤاdisbelieveاِیْمَانُهُمْtheir beliefوَ لَاand notهُمْtheyیُنْظَرُوْنَ will be granted respite فَاَعْرِضْSo turn awayعَنْهُمْfrom themوَ انْتَظِرْand waitاِنَّهُمْIndeed theyمُّنْتَظِرُوْنَ۠(are) waiting

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Translation of Verse 23-30

(32:23) Verily We bestowed the Book upon Moses. So entertain no doubt if (the Prophet Muhammad) received the same.³⁵ We had made that Book a guidance for the Children of Israel,³⁶

(32:24) and when they remained steadfast and firmly believed in Our Signs, We created among them leaders who guided people by Our command.³⁷

(32:25) Surely your Lord will judge among them on the Day of Resurrection concerning the matters about which the Children of Israel used to differ.³⁸

(32:26) Did (these historical events) not make them realise that We destroyed many nations before them amidst whose dwellings they now move about?³⁹ Surely there are many Signs in this. Are they unable to hear?

(32:27) Have they not seen that We drive water to the parched land, thereby bringing forth crops which they and their cattle eat? Are they unable to see?⁴⁰

(32:28) They say: “If you are truthful, (tell us) when will the Judgement come?”⁴¹

(32:29) Tell them: “If the unbelievers were to believe on the Day of Judgement that will not avail them. For then they will be granted no respite.”⁴²

(32:30) So (leave them to themselves and) turn away from them and wait; they too are waiting.

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Commentary

35. This message, although apparently addressed to the Prophet (peace be on him), is meant to be directed to those who had doubts about his being God’s Messenger and the recipient of His Book. - From here on the discourse turns to the theme broached in the opening verses (vv. 2-3) of this surah. The Makkan unbelievers flatly denied that any Scripture had been granted by God to the Prophet (peace be on him). Rather, they accused him of having forged something which he subsequently ascribed to God. This is clearly refuted in the opening verses of the surah.

Here, a further answer to this objection is provided. The unbelievers had expressed astonishment at the very idea that God revealed any Book to the Prophet (peace be on him), dismissing such a notion as patently impossible. They wanted that all others should either deny this or at least consider it a doubtful proposition. However, the fact is that there was nothing unusual about God’s revelation of a heavenly Book to His Prophets. This was, after all, not the first instance of a Book being revealed.

Many Prophets had received Scriptures in the past, the best known example being the grant of the Torah to Moses (peace be on him). Hence, if a Scripture of the same kind was made available to the people of Arabia through the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), what was there that _ was so novel or weird about this to give rise to doubt and skepticism?

36. In the same way that the Torah was meant to guide the Children of Israel - a point already made in verse 3 of this surah — a Scripture has now been sent to guide the people of Arabia.

This statement can be better appreciated if it is viewed in its proper historical context. It is a fact of history - a fact with which the Makkan unbelievers were well acquainted — that the Children of Israel had been subjected to a life of great hardship and indignity for several centuries during their existence in Egypt. Then, God raised among them the Prophet Moses (peace be on him) and through him they were emancipated from the yoke of slavery. God also revealed His Book to Moses (peace be on him) and thanks to its blessings the Children of Israel rose, under its guidance, to become an illustrious nation. By alluding to this historical fact, the people of Arabia are being told that the Qur’an was their Book of guidance in the same way that the Torah had been revealed to provide guidance to the Children of Israel.

37. True, the Torah changed the course of the Israelites’ history. All this was not because a Heavenly Book was sent to them for the Book was not some kind of amulet that the Israelites wore around their necks and no sooner than they did so did they begin to scale the heights of greatness and glory. Instead, the fact is that the Israelites owed their historical achievements to the fact that they chose to believe in the teachings of God's Book that had come to them and because they followed its teaching with patience and perseverance. Furthermore, the leadership of the Israelites was entrusted to those who truly believed in the Scripture and who were not obsessed with the pursuit of worldly gain and pleasure. On the contrary, they resolutely braved every danger and endured every loss and suffering which came their way because of their devotion to the Truth. They vigorously resisted the promptings of carnal desires within themselves and valiantly fought against the enemies of the true faith without. It is only after they had done so that they were granted world leadership.

The purpose of highlighting all this is to warn the Arabian unbelievers that in the same way that the revelation of God’s Book to the Israelites determined their destiny, so too the destiny of the Arabian unbelievers would be determined by the revelation of God’s Book to them. Leadership would henceforth go to those who believed in God’s Book and who followed the Truth with patience and perseverance. As for those who turned away from it, their future was doomed.

38. This alludes to the rise of schisms, sectarian dissensions and bickering among the Children of Israel. This characterized their collective existence after they had lost firm religious faith, abandoned following their pious leaders, and immersed themselves in crass worldliness. One of the changes that came about among the Israelites is evident to the whole world— the ignominy and humiliation to which they were subjected in their long history. There is also another consequence of their back-sliding of which the world is not so much aware; this will only come to light on the Day of Judgement.

39. The unbelieving Arabs are evaluated to learn from the long historical record of the Israelites. It should have been abundantly clear to them that the fate of every nation among whom a Messenger is raised is contingent on the attitude it adopts towards him. Never was a nation that rejected its Messenger and called him a liar able to escape God's scourge. It is only the believers who escape God’s chastisement. As for — the unbelievers, they are always reduced to the level of an example to be learned from.

40. The context indicates that this was not put forward by way of an argument to confirm the Hereafter, though the Qur’an often employs it for that purpose. Instead, it was stated here to drive home the following point: a man who observes a sterile patch of land can hardly imagine that one day it will be in full bloom. Yet just one powerful downpour can change all that. In like manner, the unbelievers had dismissed Islam as a non-starter. Yet if God so wills, His power can make it flourish in the same way that a sterile patch of land flourishes, bringing forth abundant luxuriant vegetation.

41. The unbelievers persistently asked the Prophet (peace be on him) about when God’s help would come to him and when they would be annihilated. In effect, they asked: when will God judge between the believers and the unbelievers?

42. The unbelievers are told that God’s punishment is not something they should eagerly look forward to. Rather, they should avail themselves of the respite that they presently have, one that they can enjoy until they are confronted with God's punishment. For once this strikes them, there will be no escape. If they decide to follow faith after confronting God’s punishment, this is all too late and of no avail.