سورة الأنبياء   


Surah Name: Al-Anbya Meaning: The Prophets-AS

  • Revealed at Makkah
  • Total Number of Rukū / Sections 7
  • Total Number of Āyāt / Parts 112
  • Sūrah / Chapter number 21
  • Rukū / Section 2 contains Āyāt / Parts 19
  • Siparah/ Volume 17

bismillah

وَكَمْ قَصَمْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍ كَانَتْ ظَالِمَةً وَأَنشَأْنَا بَعْدَهَا قَوْمًا آخَرِينَ

Wakam qasamna min qaryatin kanat thalimatan waanshana baAAdaha qawman akhareen(a)

How many a town did We-SWT overthrow which were doing wrong, and We-SWT caused to grow up thereafter another nation!

(21:11)


فَلَمَّا أَحَسُّوا بَأْسَنَا إِذَا هُم مِّنْهَا يَرْكُضُونَ

Falamma ahassoo basana itha hum minha yarkudoon(a)

Then when they perceived Our-SWT revenge, lo! They were from it fleeing.

(21:12)


لَا تَرْكُضُوا وَارْجِعُوا إِلَى مَا أُتْرِفْتُمْ فِيهِ وَمَسَاكِنِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْأَلُونَ

La tarkudoo wa(i)rjiAAoo ila ma otriftum feehi wamasakinikum laAAallakum tusaloon(a)

Flee not, and return to that wherein you luxuriated and your dwellings, perhaps you will be questioned.

(21:13)


قَالُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَالِمِينَ

Qaloo ya waylana inna kunna thalimeen(a)

They said: Woe be to us, surely we have been wrong-doers.

(21:14)


فَمَا زَالَت تِّلْكَ دَعْوَاهُمْ حَتَّى جَعَلْنَاهُمْ حَصِيدًا خَامِدِينَ

Fama zalat tilka daAAwahum hatta jaAAalnahum haseedan khamideen(a)

And this ceased not to be their cry, until We-SWT made them a harvest reaped, extinguished.

(21:15)


وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاء وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَاعِبِينَ

Wama khalaqna a(l)ssamaa wa(a)larda wama baynahuma laAAibeen(a)

And We-SWT created not the heavens and the earth and what is in-between in play.

(21:16)


لَوْ أَرَدْنَا أَن نَّتَّخِذَ لَهْوًا لَّاتَّخَذْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا إِن كُنَّا فَاعِلِينَ

Law aradna an nattakhitha lahwan la(i)ttakhathnahu min ladunna in kunna faAAileen(a)

Had We-SWT intended that We-SWT should choose a sport, surely We-SWT would choose it from before Us-SWT if We-SWT were going to do that.

(21:17)


بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِالْحَقِّ عَلَى الْبَاطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ وَلَكُمُ الْوَيْلُ مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ

Bal naqthifu bi(a)lhaqqi AAala albatili fayadmaghuhu faitha huwa zahiqun walakumu alwaylu mimma tasifoon(a)

Aye! We-SWT hurl truth against falsehood, so that it breaks it, and lo! It vanishes, and woe to you for what you utter!

(21:18)


وَلَهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَنْ عِندَهُ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَلَا يَسْتَحْسِرُونَ

Walahu man fee a(l)ssamawati wa(a)lardi waman AAindahu la yastakbiroona AAan AAibadatihi wala yastahsiroon(a)

His-SWT is whosoever is in the heavens and the earth and those near Him-SWT are not too proud to pay Him-SWT homage nor are they ever weary.

(21:19)


يُسَبِّحُونَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ لَا يَفْتُرُونَ

Yusabbihoona allayla wa(al)nnahara la yafturoon(a)

And they hallow Him-SWT night and, day, they flag not.

(21:20)


أَمِ اتَّخَذُوا آلِهَةً مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ هُمْ يُنشِرُونَ

Ami ittakhathoo alihatan mina alardi hum yunshiroon(a)

Have they taken gods from the earth, who rise up the dead?

(21:21)


لَوْ كَانَ فِيهِمَا آلِهَةٌ إِلَّا اللَّهُ لَفَسَدَتَا فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَرْشِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ

Law kana feehima alihatun illa Allahu lafasadata fasubhana Allahi rabbi alAAarshi AAamma yasifoon(a)

Had there been gods, besides  Allah-SWT , in-between the twain, surely the twain could have gone to ruin. Hallowed be Allah-SWT , the Rabb-SWT of the Throne, from what they utter!

(21:22)


لَا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ

La yusalu AAamma yafAAalu wahum yusaloon(a)

Questioned He-SWT shall be not as to what He-SWT does, while they shall be questioned.

(21:23)


أَمِ اتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِهِ آلِهَةً قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ هَذَا ذِكْرُ مَن مَّعِيَ وَذِكْرُ مَن قَبْلِي بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ الْحَقَّ فَهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ

Ami ittakhathoo min doonihi alihatan qul hatoo burhanakum hatha thikru man maAAiya wathikru man qablee bal aktharuhum la yaAAlamoona alhaqqa fahum muAAridoon(a)

Have they taken gods beside  Him-SWT ? Say you: Forth with your proof! This is an admonition to them with me and an admonition to those before me. But most of' them know not the truth. So they  are averters.

(21:24)


وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونِ

Wama arsalna min qablika min rasoolin illa noohee ilayhi annahu la ilaha illa ana fa(o)AAbudoon(i)

And We-SWT did not send any Messenger before you but We-SWT revealed to him: There is no god but I, so worship Me-SWT .

(21:25)


وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَنُ وَلَدًا سُبْحَانَهُ بَلْ عِبَادٌ مُّكْرَمُونَ

Waqaloo ittakhatha a(l)rrahmanu waladan subhanahu bal AAibadun mukramoon(a)

And they say: The Compassionate has taken a son. Hallowed be He-SWT ! Aye! They are bondmen honoured!

(21:26)


لَا يَسْبِقُونَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ وَهُم بِأَمْرِهِ يَعْمَلُونَ

La yasbiqoonahu bi(a)lqawli wahum biamrihi yaAAmaloon(a)

They precede Him-SWT not in word, and by His-SWT Command they work.

(21:27)


يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يَشْفَعُونَ إِلَّا لِمَنِ ارْتَضَى وَهُم مِّنْ خَشْيَتِهِ مُشْفِقُونَ

YaAAlamu ma bayna aydeehim wama khalfahum wala yashfaAAoona illa limani irtada wahum min khashyatihi mushfiqoon(a)

He knows whatsoever is before them and whatsoever is behind them, and they intcrccdc not| except for him whom He approves. And in awe of Him they are fearful.

(21:28)


وَمَن يَقُلْ مِنْهُمْ إِنِّي إِلَهٌ مِّن دُونِهِ فَذَلِكَ نَجْزِيهِ جَهَنَّمَ كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الظَّالِمِينَ

Waman yaqul minhum innee ilahun min doonihi fathalika najzeehi jahannama kathalika najzee a(l)ththalimeen(a)

And whosoever of them should say: Verily I am a god beside Him-SWT , such a one We-SWT will requite with Hell. Thus We-SWT requite the ungodly.

(21:29)


In The Name of Allah-SWT the Most Gracious, The Most Merciful
SECRETS OF REVELATION:

Many a settlements, preceding in time, were destroyed because of their misconduct. Their destruction created not a void in the world, which lived on. Allaah-SWT replaced them by other people. Witnessing the coming doom the transgressors had realized and panicked to find refuge. But who has ever escaped the grip of the Almighty? He-SWT declared that they need not try to run away from their homes and pleasures but look for their sympathizers instead. They confessed that it had been their utter misfortune whereby they opted for the path of transgression. So they screamed and wailed until crushed by Allah-SWT's Punishment just like a decimated field or a stubbed flame. Some of the Commentators suggest that this refers to the settlements of Yemen, but the Quran makes a general mention here. The traces of such ruins can be seen all over the earth as an admonition.

 

Allaah-SWT has not created the heavens and the earth and its most beautiful and meticulously perfected System in idle sport. Had He-SWT been interested in merriment .He-SWT would have created something befitting His-SWT Grace. What fun could a humble and mortal creation be for the Eternal, the Immortal Creator?

 

This vast network of the System, wherein there is life and death, provisions for everyone, colourful florescence and fruits, the sun, the moon and the stars, the smooth transition of days and nights, the weather cycle and a beautiful and well determined proportion in everything provides evidence to His-SWT Magnificence. All this serves as a source of His-SWT Cognition. These infidels should not persist in falsehood as everything has its limits, which when crossed, He-SWT makes truth stand up against it and a single stroke thereof destroys the falsehood. The angels whom the infidels call His-SWT children themselves worship Him-SWT and dare not raise their heads in His-SWT Court, nor step out of His-SWT obedience. They are constantly at His-SWT service without the slightest repose. Had they been His-SWT progeny, they too would have been similar in attributes and as such worthy of worship rather than being worshippers themselves. Or those whom the infidels take as their deities whether humans, the Jinn or the idols; can they give life to anyone? Certainly not. What then is the basis for taking them as gods? Have they no sense even to realize that had there been  two Gods, the systematic running of this universe could not have been possible. Rather its entire structure would have fallen apart, for the twain would not have agreed on everything. The smooth functioning of the System suggests that everything is subservient to a Single Sovereign Allah-SWT , Who-SWT is above all what they associate with Him-SWT and is the Sole Owner of the 'Arsh, the control center for the entire universe. He-SWT Alone is the Administrator of the entire System which is totally under His-SWT Command.

 

He-SWT is the Absolute Ruler, Who can do what He-SWT likes, and no one can dare question Him-SWT . All the creation is accountable before Him and is obliged to obey Him-SWT . Any neglect will call for reckoning. If they choose to take others as god, the Holy Prophet-SW must ask them to provide some proof, just as he has Allah-SWT's Book to support his beliefs. They should see this Book and also all the preceding Divine Books to discover for themselves that Allah-SWT Alone is worthy of worship. Unfortunately they suffer from ignorance. A majority amongst them do not even understand simple facts and walk away. Otherwise the celebrated group of Prophets-AS has over and over again emphasized the same realitythat He-SWT Alone is worthy of worship. Yet the infidels insist that Allah-SWT had sons; like the Jews do with regard to Prophet 'Uzair-AS and the Christians about Prophet Isa-ASAllaah-SWT is far too exalted, free of such absurd blames. These Prophets-AS are indeed His-SWT chosen and honoured servants. Whether it is the angels or the Prophets-AS, all are His-SWT creation who never falter in His-SWT worship and obedience and are ever ready to execute. His-SWT Commands. He-SWT is indeed Aware of the past, present and the future of each individual. They will only intercede for those duly permitted by Him-SWT , that is, for the believers while the infidels will remain deprived of it.

 

Candid Worship Generates His Awe; and Devotees are never proud of it


The noble souls despite their piety and resolute worship always remain in awe, They are overwhelmed by His-SWT Greatness, and dare not utter a word before Him-SWT without His-SWT Permission. And if anyone amongst them was to seek that he too be worshipped, he will be condemned to Hell, as no one is beyond His-SWT reach, And every transgressor is to be punished. In other words, while there is not the slightest possibility of any such desire by these sacred souls, yet the warning is there. How can then the infidels indulging in polytheism, a grave transgression, be spared?

previousnext