39 Surah Al Zumar

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:



39:1. The revelation of this Book is from Allah, the Exalted in Power, Full of Wisdom.

C4242. In connection with Revelation two qualities of Allah are mentioned:

1. that He is All-Powerful and can carry out His Will in spite of all opposition; and

2. that He is full of knowledge and wisdom.

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ...

39:2. Verily it is We Who have revealed the Book to thee in Truth:

... فَاعْبُدِ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ الدِّينَ ﴿٢﴾

so serve Allah, offering Him sincere devotion.

أَلَا لِلَّهِ الدِّينُ الْخَالِصُ...

39:3. Is it not to Allah that sincere devotion is due?

C4243. In the many Signs in Creation as described below, there yet is a clear indication of the unity of Plan, pointing to the Unity of the Creator. Worship or service is due to none but Him. And He wants exclusive and sincere devotion.

... وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاء...

But those who take for protectors other than Allah (say):

... مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَى...

"We only serve them in order that they may bring us nearer to Allah."

C4244. Worshippers of Idols or of deities other than Allah, e.g., saints or perhaps Wealth and Power, Science or Selfish Desire, may pretend that these are symbols that may get them nearer to their self-development, nearer to the goal of their life, nearer to Allah, but they are altogether on the wrong track.

... إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي مَا هُمْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ...

Truly Allah will judge between them in that wherein they differ.

C4245. This departure of theirs from true worship, this divergence from the right way, produces endless disputations and sects. Allah will judge between them. But if they are determined to go after falsehoods and forget the gratitude and service which they owe to Allah, and Allah alone, they are putting themselves on a Path where they will get no guidance. They are cutting themselves off from revealed Truth.

... إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ كَفَّارٌ ﴿٣﴾

But Allah guides not such as are false and ungrateful.

لَوْ أَرَادَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا لَّاصْطَفَى مِمَّا يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاء...

39:4. Had Allah wished to take to Himself a son, He could have chosen whom He pleased out of those whom He doth create:

C4246. It is blasphemy to say that Allah begot a son. If that were true, He should have had a wife (6:101), and His son would have been of the same kind as Himself; whereas Allah is one, with no one else like unto Him (112:4).

Begetting is an animal act which goes with sex. How can it be consistent with our conception of One Who is above all Creatures? If such a blasphemous thought were possible, as that Allah wanted some one else to help Him, He could have chosen the best of His creatures instead of lowering Himself to an animal act.

But glory to Allah! He is above such things! His Unity is the first thing that we have to learn about Him. As He is Omnipotent, He requires no creatures to help Him or bring other creatures to Him.

... سُبْحَانَهُ...

but Glory be to Him! (He is above such things.)

... هُوَ اللَّهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ ﴿٤﴾

He is Allah, the One, the Irresistible.


Asad’s Version:


In The Name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace:


39:1 THE BESTOWAL from on high of this divine writ issues from God, the Almighty, the Wise:


(39:2) for, behold, it is We who have bestowed this revelation upon thee from on high, setting forth the truth: so worship Him, sincere in thy faith in Him alone!


39:3 Is it not to God alone that all sincere faith is due? And yet, they who take for their protectors aught beside Him [are wont to say], "We worship them for no other reason than that they bring us nearer to God." 1 Behold, God will judge between them 2 [on Resurrection Day] with regard to all wherein they differ [from the truth]: for, verily, God does not grace with His guidance anyone who is bent on lying [to himself and is] stubbornly ingrate !


39:4 Had God willed to take unto Himself a son, He could have chosen anyone that He wanted out of whatever He has created - [but] limitless is He in His glory! 4 He is the One God, the One who holds absolute sway over all that exists!



[[Asad’s notes -

1 This relates not only to the worship of saints, angels and "deified" persons as such, but also to that of their symbolic representations (statues, pictures, relics, etc.) and, in the case of defunct human personalities, of their real or reputed tombs. Since all such practices are based on the worshipper's hope of "mediation" between himself and God, they obviously conflict with the concept of His omniscience and justice, and are, therefore - notwithstanding their widespread occurrence - utterly rejected by the Qur'an.


2 I.e., between those worshippers and the spiritual leaders who have led them astray (cf 34:31- 33).


3 Cf. 6:22-24 and the corresponding notes.


4 The implication is this: Since God is almighty, He can have or do anything that He wills; and so, if He wanted, He could "take unto Himself a son" (which is an allusion to the Christian doctrine of Jesus as 'the son of God"). Since, however, He is "limitless in His glory" - i.e., complete in His excellence and utterly remote from all imperfection - He is ipso facto remote from the incompleteness inherent in the need of, or desire for, progeny, which logically precludes the possibility of His having a "son". (Cf. the last sentence of 6:100 and the corresponding note 88.) ]]

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