Surah 35. Fatir

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Verses [Section]: 1-7[1], 8-14 [2], 15-26 [3], 27-37 [4], 38-45 [5]

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Quran Text of Verse 38-45اِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahعٰلِمُ(is the) Knowerغَیْبِ(of the) unseenالسَّمٰوٰتِ(of) the heavensوَ الْاَرْضِ ؕand the earthاِنَّهٗIndeed, Heعَلِیْمٌۢ(is the) All-Knowerبِذَاتِof what (is) in the breastsالصُّدُوْرِ of what (is) in the breasts 35. Fatir Page 439هُوَHeالَّذِیْ(is) the One Whoجَعَلَكُمْmade youخَلٰٓىِٕفَsuccessorsفِیinالْاَرْضِ ؕthe earthفَمَنْAnd whoeverكَفَرَdisbelievesفَعَلَیْهِthen upon himكُفْرُهٗ ؕ(is) his disbeliefوَ لَاAnd notیَزِیْدُincreaseالْكٰفِرِیْنَthe disbelieversكُفْرُهُمْtheir disbeliefعِنْدَnearرَبِّهِمْtheir Lordاِلَّاexceptمَقْتًا ۚ(in) hatredوَ لَاand notیَزِیْدُincreaseالْكٰفِرِیْنَthe disbelieversكُفْرُهُمْtheir disbeliefاِلَّاexceptخَسَارًا (in) loss قُلْSayاَرَءَیْتُمْHave you seenشُرَكَآءَكُمُyour partnersالَّذِیْنَthose whomتَدْعُوْنَyou callمِنْbesidesدُوْنِbesidesاللّٰهِ ؕAllahاَرُوْنِیْShow Meمَا ذَاwhatخَلَقُوْاthey have createdمِنَfromالْاَرْضِthe earthاَمْorلَهُمْfor themشِرْكٌ(is) a shareفِیinالسَّمٰوٰتِ ۚthe heavensاَمْOrاٰتَیْنٰهُمْhave We given themكِتٰبًاa Bookفَهُمْso theyعَلٰی(are) onبَیِّنَتٍa clear proofمِّنْهُ ۚtherefromبَلْNayاِنْnotیَّعِدُpromiseالظّٰلِمُوْنَthe wrongdoersبَعْضُهُمْsome of themبَعْضًا(to) othersاِلَّاexceptغُرُوْرًا delusion اِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahیُمْسِكُupholdsالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضَand the earthاَنْlestتَزُوْلَا ۚ۬they ceaseوَ لَىِٕنْAnd ifزَالَتَاۤthey should ceaseاِنْnotاَمْسَكَهُمَاcan uphold themمِنْanyاَحَدٍoneمِّنْۢafter Himبَعْدِهٖ ؕafter HimاِنَّهٗIndeed, HeكَانَisحَلِیْمًاMost Forbearingغَفُوْرًا Oft-Forgiving وَ اَقْسَمُوْاAnd they sworeبِاللّٰهِby Allahجَهْدَ(the) strongestاَیْمَانِهِمْ(of) their oathsلَىِٕنْthat ifجَآءَهُمْcame to themنَذِیْرٌa warnerلَّیَكُوْنُنَّsurely they would beاَهْدٰیmore guidedمِنْthanاِحْدَیanyالْاُمَمِ ۚ(of) the nationsفَلَمَّاBut whenجَآءَهُمْcame to themنَذِیْرٌa warnerمَّاnotزَادَهُمْit increased themاِلَّاbutنُفُوْرَاۙ(in) aversion ِ۟اسْتِكْبَارًا(Due to) arroganceفِیinالْاَرْضِthe landوَ مَكْرَand plottingالسَّیِّئِ ؕ(of) the evilوَ لَاbut notیَحِیْقُencompassesالْمَكْرُthe plotالسَّیِّئُ(of) the evilاِلَّاexceptبِاَهْلِهٖ ؕits own peopleفَهَلْThen doیَنْظُرُوْنَthey waitاِلَّاexceptسُنَّتَ(the) wayالْاَوَّلِیْنَ ۚ(of) the former (people)فَلَنْBut neverتَجِدَyou will findلِسُنَّتِin (the) wayاللّٰهِ(of) Allahتَبْدِیْلًا ۚ۬any changeوَ لَنْand neverتَجِدَyou will findلِسُنَّتِin (the) wayاللّٰهِ(of) Allahتَحْوِیْلًا any alteration اَوَ لَمْHave they notیَسِیْرُوْاtraveledفِیinالْاَرْضِthe landفَیَنْظُرُوْاand seenكَیْفَhowكَانَwasعَاقِبَةُ(the) endالَّذِیْنَ(of) those whoمِنْ(were) before themقَبْلِهِمْ(were) before themوَ كَانُوْۤاAnd they wereاَشَدَّstrongerمِنْهُمْthan themقُوَّةً ؕ(in) powerوَ مَاBut notكَانَisاللّٰهُAllahلِیُعْجِزَهٗthat can escape (from) Himمِنْanyشَیْءٍthingفِیinالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ لَاand notفِیinالْاَرْضِ ؕthe earthاِنَّهٗIndeed, HeكَانَisعَلِیْمًاAll-Knowerقَدِیْرًا All-Powerful 35. Fatir Page 440وَ لَوْAnd ifیُؤَاخِذُAllah (were to) punishاللّٰهُAllah (were to) punishالنَّاسَthe peopleبِمَاfor whatكَسَبُوْاthey have earnedمَاnotتَرَكَHe would leaveعَلٰیonظَهْرِهَاits backمِنْanyدَآبَّةٍcreatureوَّ لٰكِنْButیُّؤَخِّرُهُمْHe gives them respiteاِلٰۤیtillاَجَلٍa termمُّسَمًّی ۚappointedفَاِذَاAnd whenجَآءَcomesاَجَلُهُمْtheir termفَاِنَّthen indeedاللّٰهَAllahكَانَisبِعِبَادِهٖof His slavesبَصِیْرًا۠All-Seer

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Translation of Verse 38-45

(35:38) Surely Allah knows the Unseen in the heavens and the earth. He even knows the secrets hidden in people's breasts.

(35:39) It is He Who made you vicegerents in the earth.⁶⁴ So whoever disbelieves will bear the burden of his unbelief.⁶⁵ The unbelievers' unbelief adds nothing but Allah's wrath against them. The unbelievers' unbelief adds nothing but their own loss.

(35:40) Say to them (O Prophet): “Have you ever seen those of your associates ⁶⁶ upon whom you call apart from Allah? Show me what have they created in the earth? Or do they have any partnership (with Allah) in the heavens? Or have We given them a Book so that they have a clear proof (for associating others with Allah in His Divinity)?”⁶⁷ Nay, what these wrong-doers promise each other is nothing but delusion.⁶⁸

(35:41) Surely Allah holds the heavens and the earth, lest they should be displaced there, for if they were displaced none would be able to hold them after Him.⁶⁹Surely He is Most Forbearing, Most Forgiving.⁷⁰

(35:42) Swearing by Allah their strongest oaths they claimed that if a warner came to them they would be better-guided than any other people.⁷¹ But when a warner did come to them, his coming only increased their aversion (to the Truth).

(35:43) They began to wax even more proud on earth and contrived evil designs although the contriving of evil designs only overtakes their authors. Are they waiting, then, for anything except what happened to the nations before them?⁷² You shall not find any change in the Way of Allah; and you shall not find anything that can ever alter the Way of Allah.

(35:44) Have they not journeyed in the earth to behold the end of those who went before them though they were stronger than them in might? Nothing in the heavens nor on earth can frustrate Him in the least. He is All-Knowing, All-Powerful.

(35:45) If Allah were to take people to task for their deeds, He would not leave any living creature on earth, but He grants them respite to an appointed time. When their appointed time comes to an end, surely Allah fully observes His servants.

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Commentary

64. This has two possible meanings:

(i) That God settled them in the land after the passing away of the earlier generations and nations.

(ii) They enjoyed authority not as owners and masters, but as vicegerents of the True Lord on earth.

65. If the earlier statement is understood to mean that the Muslims were made successors of earlier nations, then this statement means the following: those who do not draw any lesson from the tragic end of past nations and persist in the same unbelief that brought those nations to their catastrophic ends, they will eventually witness the same tragic end that overtook these iniquitous nations of the past.

This statement can also mean that those who disregard their position as God’s vicegerents, who arrogate sovereign authority to themselves, and who worship others besides the One True Lord will face terrible consequences for their defiance.

66. The expression used here is “your associates”. The significance of this seems to be that in point of fact these deities are not God’s associates, rather, it is the polytheists who falsely set them up as God’s associates.

67. The polytheists and unbelievers are pointedly asked whether they have any written sanction from God indicating that He had, for instance, granted certain people the power to cure the sick, or to provide jobs to the unemployed, or to meet the needs of those in distress? No, God has not conferred any such authority upon them. They can neither make nor mar anyone’s fate. God has not directed mankind to invoke them or to make offerings to them. They are, therefore, asked to produce evidence in support of their beliefs, if they have any. Now, since they cannot produce such, they had better reconsider their polytheistic beliefs and practices.

They are asked to come forward with specific proofs indicating that their idols are indeed God’s associates. They, however, have nothing to put forward for there is nothing in any Scripture that lends support to such a notion. Nor do these idols possess any authority from God on the basis of which they have been ascribed special powers. If they have nothing to support their position, they might as well ask themselves: did they own Godhead that made it possible for them to go about lavishing God’s powers on whomsoever they wished?

68. These misguided religious leaders, so-called saints and clergymen, preachers, soothsayers and their accomplices exploit the common people.

They invent false stories in order to convince them that their devotion to such an idol will carry them to success in this world and to salvation in the Hereafter.

69. It is God Who keeps the universe intact. No angel, or jinn, no Messenger or saint oversees the workings of the universe. Far from sustaining the universe, those mentioned above cannot maintain even themselves. For, everyone is totally dependent upon God for everything, even as regards his birth and survival. It is thus sheer folly and deception to consider anyone to be God’s partner either in His attributes or authority.

70. This underscores God's great forbearance whereby He does not instantly punish the guilty even if they adopt a blasphemous posture towards Him.

71. This was the Arabs’ usual comment, especially the Quraysh’s, relating to the moral degeneration of the Jews and Christians in pre- Islamic days. Such statements by them are also recorded in Surah al-An‘am 6:156-157 and Surah al-Saffat 37:167-169.

72. This law is applicable to them in so far as every nation that rejects its Prophet is destroyed.