37.Surah as saffat

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

بَلْ هُمُ الْيَوْمَ مُسْتَسْلِمُونَ ﴿٢٦﴾

37: 26. Nay,

but that day they shall submit (to Judgment);

C4051. All the previous arrogance of this life will be gone, but they will face each other, and those who were given a false lead, as in the story of Pharaoh (Cf. 20:79), will question their misleaders as in the following verses.

وَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ يَتَسَاءلُونَ ﴿٢٧﴾

37: 27. And they will turn to one another, and question one another.

قَالُوا إِنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَأْتُونَنَا عَنِ الْيَمِينِ ﴿٢٨﴾

37: 28. They will say: "It was ye who used to come to us from the right hand (of power and authority)!"

C4052. This is the mutual recrimination of the sinners-those who sinned, against those whose instigation or evil example led them into sin.

The misleaders in the life here below often used their power and influence to spread evil.

The "right hand" is the hand of power and authority. Instead of using it for righteous purposes, they used it for evil selfishly for their own advantage, and mischievously for the degradation of others.

قَالُوا بَل لَّمْ تَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٢٩﴾

37: 29. They will reply:

"Nay, ye yourselves had no faith!

C4053. But the fact that others mislead, or that their evil example is before us, does not justify us in falling from right conduct. Faith should save us from the fall.

But if we have ourselves no Faith-in righteousness, or a future life, or the reality of Allah's Law, how can we blame others?

The misleaders can well say, "You will be judged according to your misdeeds!"

The responsibility is personal, and cannot be shifted on to others. The others may get a double punishment,-for their own evil, and for misleading their weaker brethren. But the weaker brethren cannot go free from responsibility for their own deeds; for evil means a personal rebellion against Allah, if we believe in a personal God.

Evil has no authority over us, except in so far as we deliberately choose it.

وَمَا كَانَ لَنَا عَلَيْكُم مِّن سُلْطَانٍ...

37: 30. "Nor had we any authority over you.

...بَلْ كُنتُمْ قَوْمًا طَاغِينَ ﴿٣٠﴾

Nay, it was ye who were a people in obstinate rebellion!

فَحَقَّ عَلَيْنَا قَوْلُ رَبِّنَا...

37: 31. "So now has been proved true, against us, the Word of our Lord

C4054. Allah's decree of justice requires that every soul should taste the consequences of its own sins, and that decree must be fulfilled.

No excuses can serve. It is only Allah's mercy that can save.

...إِنَّا لَذَائِقُونَ ﴿٣١﴾

that we shall indeed (have to) taste (the punishment of our sins):

فَأَغْوَيْنَاكُمْ إِنَّا كُنَّا غَاوِينَ ﴿٣٢﴾

37: 32. "We led you astray:

for truly we were ourselves astray."

C4055. Further, the misleaders can well urge against those who reproach them for misleading them:

"How could you expect anything better from us?

You were already warned by Allah's Message that we were astray."

فَإِنَّهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ فِي الْعَذَابِ مُشْتَرِكُونَ ﴿٣٣﴾

37: 33. Truly, that day, they will (all) share in the Penalty.

إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَفْعَلُ بِالْمُجْرِمِينَ ﴿٣٤﴾

37: 34. Verily that is how We shall deal with Sinners.

Asad’s Version:

37:26 Nay, but on that Day they would willingly surrender [to God];

(37:27) but [since it will be too late,] they will turn upon one another, demanding of each other [to relieve them of the burden of their past sins]. 11

(37:28) Some [of them] will say: "Behold, you were wont to approach us [deceptively] from the right!" 12

(37:29) [To which] the others will reply: "Nay, you yourselves were bereft of all faith!

(37:30) Moreover, we had no power at all over you: nay, you were people filled with overweening arrogance!

(37:31) But now our Sustainer's word has come true against us [as well]: verily, we are bound to taste [the fruit of our sins].

(37:32) So then, [if it be true that] we have caused you to err grievously - behold, we ourselves had been lost in grievous error!" 13 And, verily, on that Day they all will share in their common suffering.

(37:34) Verily, thus shall We deal with all who were lost in sin: