39. Surah Az-Zumar

The Quranic text and Ali’s version

وَأَشْرَقَتِ الْأَرْضُ بِنُورِ رَبِّهَا...

39:69. And the Earth will shine with the glory of its Lord:

C4344. It will be a new Earth. All traces of injustice or inequality, darkness or evil, will have gone.

There will be the one universal Light, the Glory of Allah, which will now illuminate all.

Falsehood, pretence, and illusion will have disappeared. Everything will be seen in its true light.

... وَوُضِعَ الْكِتَابُ وَجِيءَ بِالنَّبِيِّينَ وَالشُّهَدَاء...

the Record (of Deeds) will be placed (open);

the prophets and the witnesses will be brought forward:

... وَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُم بِالْحَقِّ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ ﴿٦٩﴾

and a just decision pronounced between them; and they will not be wronged (in the least).

C4345. It is in such a scene of Reality that Judgment will be held. Before the Throne of Allah, the book of each man's deeds and motives will be placed wide open, which all may see; the Prophets and Preachers of Truth and the martyrs who gave their lives or made their real sacrifices in the cause of Truth, will be in the Court, to give evidence; and the decision pronounced will be absolutely just, for the Judge will not only be just, but He will know every fact and circumstance, and His wisdom will give due weight to everything, great or small. (R).

وَوُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ...

39: 70. And to every soul will be paid in full (the fruit) of its deeds;

... وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٧٠﴾

and (Allah) knoweth best all that they do.

C4346. In an earthy court, a decision may possibly go wrong because the judge is deceived; here no deceit or mistake will be possible, for Allah knows all, and knows it better than any one else can. (R).

Asad’s version

39:69 And the earth will shine bright with her Sustainer's light. 6 ' And the record [of everyone's deeds] will be laid bare, 70 and all the prophets will be brought forward, and all [other] witnesses; 71 and judgment will be passed on them all injustice. And they will not be wronged,

(39:70) for every human being will be repaid in full for whatever [good or evil] he has done: 72 and He is fully aware of all that they do.

[[Asad’s notes :-

69 I.e., with a clear revelation of His will. See also 14:48, where it is stated that on Resurrection Day "the earth shall be changed into another earth, as shall be the heavens" . A further allusion to this transformation (and not annihilation) of the universe is found in 20:105-107.

70 Cf. 17:13-14 (and the corresponding note 18); also 18:49.

71 See 4:41 and the corresponding note 52. Accordingly, the above phrase may well have the meaning of "all the prophets as witnesses", i.e., for or against those to whom they conveyed God's message. In all probability, however, the term shuhada' (or ashhad in 40:51) signifies here - as its singular shahid obviously does in 50:21 - maris newly-awakened consciousness, which will compel him to bear witness against himself on Judgment Day (cf. 6: 130, 17:14,24:24, 36:65, 41:20 ff).

72 Cf. 99:7-8, "he who shall have done an atom's weight of good, shall behold it; and he who shall have done an atom's weight of evil, shall behold it". ]]

[[Asad’s version 20:105

AND THEY WILL ask thee about [what will happen to] the mountains [when this world comes to an end]. Say, then: "My Sustainer will scatter them far and wide,

(20: 106) and leave the earth 81 ' level and bare,

(20:107) [so that] thou wilt see no curve thereon, and no ruggedness."' ]]