23. [al Muminun, Mecca 74]
Asad’s Version:
23:99
AS FOR THOSE who will not believe in the life to come, they go on lying to themselves] 5 ' until, when death approaches any of them, he prays: "O my Sustainer! Let me return, let me return 60 [to life],
(23:100) so that I might act righteously in whatever I have failed [aforetime]!"
Nay, it is indeed but a [meaningless] word that he utters: for behind those [who leave the world] there is a barrier [of death] until the Day when all will be raised from the dead!
23:101 Then, when the trumpet [of resurrection] is blown, no ties of kinship will on that Day prevail among them, and neither will they ask about one another.
(23: 102) And they whose weight [of righteousness] is heavy in the balance - it is they, they who will have attained to a happy state;
(23:103) whereas they whose weight is light in the balance - it is they who will have squandered their own selves, [destined] to abide in hell:
(23:104) the fire will scorch their faces, and they will abide therein with their lips distorted in pain.
23:105
[And God will say:] "Were not My messages conveyed unto you, and were you [not] wont to give them the lie?"
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
حَتَّى
إِذَا
جَاء أَحَدَهُمُ
الْمَوْتُ قَالَ
...
23: 99. (In Falsehood will they be) until, when death comes to one of them, he says:
C2936. This verse I think connects on with 23:90 above.
Though Allah proclaims His Truth everywhere, the wicked cling to Falsehood until they face the reality of Death.
... رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ ﴿٩٩﴾
"O my Lord! send me back (to life) --
C2937. The verb for "send me back" is in the plural in Arabic, which is construed either
- as an emphatic form, as if the singular were repeated, or
- as a plural of respect, though such a plural is not ordinarily used in addressing Allah, or
- as a plural addressed to the angels, after the address to Allah in "O my Lord!"
لَعَلِّي
أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا
فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ...
23:100. "In order that I may work righteousness in the things I neglected." --
C2938. The unrighteous will ask for another chance. But it will be too late then. The time for repentance will then have passed.
...كَلَّا ...
"By no means!
...إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا...
it is but a word he says,
C2939. Their request will mean nothing. It will be treated merely as an empty word of excuse.
They had plenty of chances in this life. Not only did they reject them, but they did not even believe in Allah or ask for His assistance.
...وَمِن وَرَائِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ ﴿١٠٠﴾
before them is a Partition till the Day they are raised up.
C2940. Barzakh:
- a partition,
- a bar or barrier;
- the place or state in which people will be after death and before Judgment.
Behind them is the barrier of death, and in front of them is the Barzakh, partition, a quiescent state until the judgment comes.
فَإِذَا
نُفِخَ فِي
الصُّورِ فَلَا
أَنسَابَ بَيْنَهُمْ
يَوْمَئِذٍ
وَلَا يَتَسَاءلُون
﴿١٠١﴾
َ
23:101. Then when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no more relationships between them that day, nor will one ask after another!
C2941. The old relationships of the world will then be dissolved. Each soul will stand on its merits.
فَمَن
ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ
فَأُوْلَئِكَ
هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
﴿١٠٢﴾
23:102. Then those whose balance (of good deeds) is heavy -- they will attain salvation:
C2942. Good and evil deeds will be weighed against each other.
If the good deeds prevail, the soul will attain falah, i.e., prosperity, well-being, bliss, or salvation;
if the contrary, there will be the misery and anguish of Hell.
وَمَنْ
خَفَّتْ
مَوَازِينُهُ
فَأُوْلَئِكَ
الَّذِينَ
خَسِرُوا
أَنفُسَهُمْ...
23:103. But those whose balance is light, will be those who have lost their souls;
C2943. The loss or perdition will not mean that they will die and feel no more: 14:17.
The punishment will mean nothing, if there was no sensibility, but total annihilation.
تَلْفَحُ
وُجُوهَهُمُ
النَّارُ وَهُمْ
فِيهَا كَالِحُونَ
﴿١٠٤﴾
23:104. The Fire will burn their faces, and they will therein grin, with their lips displaced.
C2944. That is to say, their faces will be disfigured with anguish, and their lips will quiver and fall out of place, exposing their teeth.
أَلَمْ
تَكُنْ آيَاتِي
تُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ
فَكُنتُم بِهَا
تُكَذِّبُونَ
﴿١٠٥﴾
23:105. "Were not My Signs rehearsed to you, and ye did but treat them as falsehoods?"