68. Al-Qalam (The Pen)

Mecca Period 2

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:




فَلَا تُطِعِ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ ﴿٨﴾

68:8.     So hearken not to those who deny (the Truth).

C5598. The enemies of Allah's truth are sometimes self-deceived. But quite often they have a glimmering of the truth in spite of their desire to shut their eyes. Then they compromise, and they would like the preachers of inconvenient truths to compromise with them. On those terms there would be mutual laudation. This easy path of making the best of both worlds is a real danger or temptation to the best of us, and we must be on our guard against it if we would really enter into the company of the Righteous who submit their wills to the Will of Allah. Abu Jahl freely offered impossible compromises to the holy Prophet.

 

وَدُّوا لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ ﴿٩﴾

68:9.     Their desire is that thou shouldst be pliant; so would thy be pliant.

وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ ﴿١٠﴾

68:10.  Heed not the type of despicable man -- ready with oaths.

C5599. The type of each of these hatful qualities is not uncommon, though the combination of all in one man makes him peculiarly despicable, as was Walid ibn Mugaira, who was a ringleader in calumniating our Prophet and who came to an evil end not long after the battle of Badr, in which he received injuries.

C5600. It is only liars who swear on all occasions, small or great, because their word is not believed in. The true man's word, according to the proverb, is as good as his bond.

هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّاء بِنَمِيمٍ ﴿١١﴾

68:11.  A slanderer, going about with calumnies.

مَنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ ﴿١٢﴾

68:12.   (Habitually) hindering (all) good, transgressing beyond bounds, deep in sin.

عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ زَنِيمٍ ﴿١٣﴾

68:13.  Violent (and cruel) -- with all that, base-born --

C5601. Besides the self-deceiver and the easy-going man, there is a third type, even more degraded. He has no idea of truth or sincerity. He is ready to swear friendship with every one and fidelity to every cause. But at the same moment he will slander and backbite, and cause mischief even between good but credulous persons. Evil seems to be his goal, and good his evil. He will not only pursue evil courses himself but prevent other people from doing right. When checked, he resorts to violence. In any case, he will intrude where he has no right, claiming relationship or power or consideration in circles which would gladly disown him. He is vain of his wealth or because he has a large following at his beck and call. Religion is to him merely old-fashioned superstition.

أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ ﴿١٤﴾

68:14.  Because he possesses wealth and (numerous) sons.

C5602. "Because may connect with heed not" in verse 10, or with "violent and cruel" in verse 13.

In the former case, we construe: 'Pay no attention to despicable men of the character described, simply because they happen to have wealth or influence, or much backing in man-power.

In the latter case, we construe: the fellow is violent and cruel, he is puffed up with his wealth or riches or backing in man-power'.

In the eyes of Allah such a man is in any case branded and marked out as a sinner.

إِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِ آيَاتُنَا ...

68:15.  When to him are rehearsed Our Signs,

C5603. Allah's Signs, by which He calls us, are everywhere-in nature and in our very heart and soul. In Revelation, every verse is a Sign, for it stands symbolically for far more than it says. "Sign" (Ayat) thus becomes a technical term for a verse of the Quran.

... قَالَ أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ﴿١٥﴾

"Tales of the Ancients," he cries.

C5604. Cf. 6:25.

سَنَسِمُهُ عَلَى الْخُرْطُومِ ﴿١٦﴾

68:16.  Soon shall We brand (the beast) on the snout!

C5605. literally, proboscis, the most sensitive limb of the elephant. The sinner makes himself a beast and can only be controlled by his snout.

 

إِنَّا بَلَوْنَاهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَا أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ ...

68:17.  Verily We have tried them as We tried the people of the Garden

C5606. "Why do the wicked flourish?" is a question asked in all ages. The answer is not simple. It must refer to

All these points are illustrated in the remarkable Parable of the People of the Garden, which also illustrates the greed, selfishness, and heedlessness of man, as well as his tendency to throw the blame on others if he can but think of a scapegoat.

All these foibles are shown, but the Mercy of Allah is boundless, and even after the worst sins and punishments, there may be hope of an even better orchard than the one lost, if only the repentance is true, and there is complete surrender to Allah's Will. But if, in spite of ail this, there is no surrender of the will, then, indeed, the punishment in the Hereafter is something incomparably greater than the little calamities in the Parable.

... إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ ﴿١٧﴾

when they resolved to gather the fruits of the (garden) in the morning.

وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُونَ ﴿١٨﴾

68:18.  But made no reservation, ("If it be Allah's Will").

C5607. We must always remember, in all our plans, that they depend for their success on how far they accord with Allah's Will and Plan. His universal Will is supreme over all affairs.

These foolish men had a secret plan to defraud the poor of their just rights, but they were put into a position where they could not do so. In trying to frustrate others, they were themselves frustrated.

فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَائِفٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ ...

68:19.  So there came, on the (garden) a visitation from thy from thy Lord,

C5608. It was a terrible storm that blew down and destroyed the fruits and the trees. The whole place was changed out of all recognition.

... وَهُمْ نَائِمُونَ ﴿١٩﴾

(which swept away) all around, while they were asleep.

فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَالصَّرِيمِ ﴿٢٠﴾

68:20.  So the (garden) became, by the morning, like a dark and desolate spot, (whose fruit had been gathered).

 

فَتَنَادَوا مُصْبِحِينَ ﴿٢١﴾

68:21.  As the morning broke, they called out, one to another --

أَنِ اغْدُوا عَلَى حَرْثِكُمْ ...

68:22.  "Go ye to your tilth (betimes) in morning, ....

C5609. Awaking from sleep, they were not aware that the garden had been destroyed by the storm overnight. They were in their own selfish dreams: by going very early, they thought they could cheat the poor of their share. See next note.

... إِن كُنتُمْ صَارِمِينَ ﴿٢٢﴾

.. if ye would gather the fruits."

فَانطَلَقُوا وَهُمْ يَتَخَافَتُونَ ﴿٢٣﴾

68:23.  So they departed, conversing in secret low tones, (saying) --

أَن لَّا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُم مِّسْكِينٌ ﴿٢٤﴾

68:24.  "Let not a single indigent person break in upon you into the (garden) this day."

C5610. The poor man has a right in the harvest-whether as a gleaner or as an artisan or a menial in an Eastern village. The rich owners of the orchard in the Parable wanted to steal a march at an early hour and defeat this right, but their greed was punished, so that it led to a greater loss to themselves. They wanted to cheat but had not the courage to face those they cheated, and by being in the field before any one was up they wanted to make it appear to the world that they were unconscious of any rights they were trampling on.

وَغَدَوْا عَلَى حَرْدٍ قَادِرِينَ ﴿٢٥﴾

68:25.  And they opened the morning, strong in an (unjust) resolve.

فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُوا إِنَّا لَضَالُّونَ ﴿٢٦﴾

68:26.  But when they saw the (garden), they said:

"We have surely lost our way:

C5611. Their fond dreams were dispelled when they found that the garden had been changed out of all recognition. It was as if they had come to some place other than their own smiling garden. Where they had expected to reap a rich harvest, there was only a howling wilderness. They reflected. Their first thought was of their own personal loss, the loss of their labour and the loss of their capital. They had plotted to keep out others from the fruits: now, as it happened, the loss was their own.

بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ ﴿٢٧﴾

68:27.  "Indeed we are shut out (of the fruits of our labor)!"

C5612. Cf. 56:67. Also see last note.

قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ ...

68:28.  Said one of them, more just (than the rest):

C5613. This was not necessarily a righteous man, but there are degrees in guilt. He had warned them, but he had joined in their unjust design.

... أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ ﴿٢٨﴾

"Did I not say to you, 'Why not glorify (Allah)?' "

قَالُوا سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَالِمِينَ ﴿٢٩﴾

68:29.  They said:

"Glory to our Lord!

Verily we have been doing wrong!"

 

فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ يَتَلَاوَمُونَ ﴿٣٠﴾

68:30.  Then they turned, one against another, in reproach.

C5614. When greed or injustice is punished people are ready to throw the blame on others. In this case, one particular individual may have seen the moral guilt of defying the Will of Allah and the right of man, but if he shared in the enterprise in the hope of profit, he could not get out of all responsibility.

قَالُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا طَاغِينَ ﴿٣١﴾

68:31.  They said:

"Alas for us!

We have indeed transgressed!

عَسَى رَبُّنَا أَن يُبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًا مِّنْهَا إِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا رَاغِبُونَ ﴿٣٢﴾

68:32.  "It may be that our Lord will give us in exchange a better (garden) than this:

for we do turn to Him (in repentance)!"

C5615. If the repentance was true, there was hope. For Allah often turns a great evil to our good. If not true, they only added hypocrisy to their other sins.

The Parable presupposes that the garden came into the possession of selfish men, who were so puffed up with their good fortune that they forgot Allah. That meant that they also became harsh to their fellow-creatures. In their arrogance they plotted to get up early and defeat the claims of the poor at harvest time. They found their garden destroyed by a storm. Some reproached others, but those who sincerely repented obtained mercy.

The "better garden" may have been the same garden, flourishing in a future season under Allah's gift of abundance.

كَذَلِكَ الْعَذَابُ ...

68:33.  Such is the Punishment (in this life);

... وَلَعَذَابُ الْآخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ ...

but greater is the Punishment in the Hereafter --

C5616. Even in this life the punishment for heedless or selfish arrogance and sin comes suddenly when we least expect it. But there is always room for Allah's Mercy if we sincerely repent. If the Punishment in this fife seems to us so stupefying, how much worse will it be in the Hereafter, when the Punishment will not be only for a limited time, and the time for repentance will have passed?

... لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٣٣﴾

if only they knew!


Asad’s Version:


(68:8) Hence, defer not to [the likes and dislikes of] those who give the lie to the truth:

(68:9) they would like thee to be soft [with them], so that they might be soft [with thee]. 5


68:10 Furthermore, 6 defer not to the contemptible swearer of oaths,

(68: 1 1) [or to] the slanderer that goes about with defaming tales,

(68:12) [or] the withholder of good, [or] the sinful aggressor,

(68:13) [or] one who is cruel, by greed possessed, 7 and, in addition to all this, utterly useless [to his fellow -men]. 8


68:14 Is it because he is possessed of worldly goods and children

(68:15) that, whenever Our messages are conveyed to him, such a one says, "Fables of ancient times"?' (68: 16) [For this] We shall brand him with indelible disgrace! 10 (68:17) [As for such sinners,] behold, We [but] try them 11 as We tried the owners of a certain garden who vowed that they would surely harvest its fruit on the morrow,

(68: 18) and made no allowance [for the will of God]: 12

(68: 19) whereupon a visitation for thy Sustainer came upon that [garden] while they were asleep,

(68:20) so that by the morrow it became barren and bleak.


68:21 Now when they rose at early morn, they called unto one another,

(68:22) "Go early to your tilth if you want to harvest the fruit!"

(68:23) Thus they launched forth, whispering unto one another,

(68:24)"Indeed, no needy person shall enter it today [and come] upon you[unawares]," 13 (68:25) and early they went, strongly bent upon their purpose.


68:26 But as soon as they beheld [the garden and could not recognize] it, they exclaimed, "Surely we have lost our way!"

(68:27) - [and then,] "Nay, but we have been rendered destitute!"

(68:28) Said the most right-minded among them: "Did I not tell you, 'Will you not extol God's limitless glory?'""


68:29 They answered: "Limitless in His glory is our Sustainer! Verily, we were doing wrong!"

(68:30) - and then they turned upon one another with mutual reproaches.

(68:31) [In the end] they said: "Oh, woe unto us! Verily, we did behave outrageously!

(68:32) [But] it may be that our Sustainer will grant us something better instead: 15 for, verily, unto our Sustainer do we turn with hope!"



Yuksel’s version

68:7 Your Lord is fully aware of those who strayed off His path, and He is fully aware of those who are guided.

68:8 So do not obey those who deny.

68:9 They wish that you compromise, so they too can compromise.

Bad Character

68:10 Do not obey every lowly swearer.

68:11 A slanderer, a backbiter.

68:12 Forbidder of charity, a transgressor, a sinner.

68:13 Ignoble, and additionally, mischievous.

68:14 Because he possessed money and children.

68:15 When Our signs are recited to him, he says: "Tales from the past!"

68:16 We will mark him on the path.

68:17 We have tested them like We tested those who owned the farms, when they swore that they will harvest it in the morning.

68:18 They were without doubt.

68:19 So a passing sent from your Lord came to it while they all were asleep.

68:20 Thus, it became barren.

68:21 They called on one another when they awoke.

68:22 "Let us go this morning to harvest the crop."

68:23 So they went, while conversing.

68:24 "Let not a poor person come to your presence today."

68:25 They went, ready to harvest.

68:26 But when they saw it, they said, "We have gone astray!"

68:27 "Now, we have nothing!"

68:28 The best among them said, "If only you had glorified!"

68:29 They said, "Glory be to our Lord. We have transgressed."

68:30 Then they started to blame each other.

68:31 They said, "Woe to us. We sinned."

68:32 "Perhaps our Lord will grant us better than it. We repent to our Lord."

68:33 Such was the punishment. But the retribution of the Hereafter is far worse, if they only knew.




[[Asad’s notes - 5 I.e., "they would like thee to be conciliatory in the matter of ethical principles and moral valuations, whereupon they would reciprocate and desist from actively opposing thee"


6 Lit., "And". The subsequently enumerated types of moral deficiency are, of course, mentioned only as examples of the type of man to whose likes or dislikes no consideration whatever should be shown.


7 The term utul - derived from the verb 'atala, "he dragged [someone or something] in a rough and cruel manner" - is used to describe a person combining within himself the attributes of cruelty and greed; hence the composite rendering adopted by me.


8 The commentators give the most divergent interpretations to the term zanim, which is evidently derived from the noun zanamah, denoting either of the two wattles, or fleshy skin protuberances, hanging below the ears of a goat. Since these wattles do not seem to have any physiological function, the term zanim has come to signify "someone [or "something"] not needed" (Taj al-'Arus): in other words, redundant or useless. It is, therefore, logical to assume that in the above context this term describes a person

who is entirely useless in the social sense.


9 The term banun (lit., "children" or "sons") is often used in the Qur'an metonymically, denoting "popular support" or "many adherents" ; in conjunction with the term mal ("worldly goods") it is meant to illustrate a certain mentality which attributes a pseudo-religious significance to wealth and influence, and regards these visible signs of worldly success as a post- factum evidence of the "righteousness"

of the person concerned and, hence, of his not being in need of further guidance.


10 Lit., "We shall brand him on the snout" (khurtum). All commentators point out that this, idiomatic phrase has a strictly metaphorical meaning, namely, "We shall stigmatize him with indelible disgrace" (cf Lane II, 724, quoting both Raghib and Taj al-'Arus).


11 I.e., by bestowing on them affluence out of all proportion to their moral deserts.


12 I.e., they resolved upon their objective without the reservation, "if God so wills"; which points to the first lesson to be derived from this parable, as well as to its connection with the rhetorical question inverses 14-15 above.


1 3 Ever since Biblical times it has been understood that the poor have a right to a share in the harvest of the fields and gardens owned by their more fortunate fellow-men (cf. 6:141 - "give [unto the poor] their due on harvest-day"). The determination of the "owners of the garden" to deprive the poor of this right is the second type of sin to which the above parable points: and inasmuch as it is a social sin, it connects with verses 10-13. ]]