14. Surah Ibrahim

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِرُسُلِهِمْ لَنُخْرِجَنَّـكُم مِّنْ أَرْضِنَآ أَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِي مِلَّتِنَا...   

14: 13.  And the Unbelievers said to their Messengers:

"Be sure we shall drive you out of our land, or ye shall return to our religion."

C1887. The arguments in a circle were explained in the last note. But Infidelity looks upon argument merely as an amusement. Its chief weapon is physical force.

As its only belief is in materialism, it thinks that threats of force will put down the righteous. It offers the choice between exile and violence against conformity to its own standards of evil, which it thinks to be good.

But Faith is not to be cowed down by Force. Its source of strength is Allah, and it receives the assurance that violence will perish ultimately by violence, and that Faith and Good must stand and be established. In fact the good must inherit the earth and the evil ones be blotted out.

...فَأَوْحَى إِلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ لَنُهْلِكَنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿١٣﴾  

But their Lord inspired (this Message) to them:

"Verily We shall cause the wrongdoers to perish!

وَلَنُسْكِنَنَّـكُمُ الأَرْضَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ...   

14: 14.  "And verily We shall cause you to abide in the land, and succeed them.

...ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامِي ...

This for such as fear the time when they shall stand before My tribunal --

C1888. "Fear" means here "have present before their minds something which should cause fear, so that they should shape their conduct in order to avoid the ill consequences of wickedness."

... وَخَافَ وَعِيدِ ﴿١٤﴾

such as fear the punishment denounced."

وَاسْتَفْتَحُواْ ...

14: 15.  But they sought victory and decision (there and then),

C1889. Cf. 8:19.

1 have assumed that "they" in this verse is the same as "them" in the preceding verse, i.e., the ungodly.

Hoping for victory they forced a decision, and they got it-against themselves.

Or they challenged a punishment, and it came in good time.

Some Commentators construe "they" here to mean "the Prophets": in that case the verse would mean:

"The Prophets prayed for a victory and decision, and the ungodly were frustrated in their efforts to suppress the Truth."

... وَخَابَ كُلُّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ ﴿١٥﴾

and frustration was the lot of every powerful obstinate transgressor.

C1890. Cf. 11:59.

مِّن وَرَآئِهِ جَهَنَّمُ وَيُسْقَى مِن مَّاء صَدِيدٍ ﴿١٦﴾

14: 16.  In front of such a one is Hell, and he is given, for drink, boiling fetid water.

يَتَجَرَّعُهُ وَلاَ يَكَادُ يُسِيغُهُ... 

14: 17.  In gulps will he sip it, but never well he be near swallowing it down his throat:

...وَيَأْتِيهِ الْمَوْتُ مِن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَمَا هُوَ بِمَيِّتٍ...

Death will come to him from every quarter, yet will he not die:

...وَمِن وَرَآئِهِ عَذَابٌ غَلِيظٌ ﴿١٧﴾

and in front of him will be a chastisement unrelenting.

C1891. A graphic and deterrent picture, from the preaching of the earlier Prophets, of unrelieved horror of the torments of Hell.

The door of escape by annihilation is also closed to them.

مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِرَبِّهِمْ...   

14: 18.  The parable of those who reject their Lord

...أَعْمَالُهُمْ كَرَمَادٍ اشْتَدَّتْ بِهِ الرِّيحُ فِي يَوْمٍ عَاصِفٍ...

is that their works are as ashes, on which the wind blows furiously on a tempestuous day:

C1892. Note the fullness of the parable.

The works of the ungodly are in themselves light and unsubstantial like ashes; they are the useless rubbish that remains out of the faculties and opportunities which they have misused by burning them up. Further, the ashes are blown about hither and thither by the wind: the ungodly have no compass, direction, or purpose that can stand. The wind, too, which blows on them is no ordinary wind, nor the day on which they seek to enjoy the fruits of their labours an ordinary tranquil day: a furious gale is blowing, for such is the Wrath of Allah.

They have neither internal peace nor external gain. In the scattering of the ashes they lose control even of such things as they might have earned but for their misdeeds. Their whole nature is contaminated. All their wishes go astray. They are carried so far, far away from what was in their minds. What did they aim at, and what did they achieve?

...لاَّ يَقْدِرُونَ مِمَّا كَسَبُواْ عَلَى شَيْءٍ...

No power have they over aught that they have earned:

...ذَلِكَ هُوَ الضَّلاَلُ الْبَعِيدُ ﴿١٨﴾

That is the straying far, far (from the goal).

Other versions:

14: 13 [Ibrahim, late Mecca 72]

Yusuf Ali And the Unbelievers said to their apostles: "Be sure we shall drive you out of our land or ye shall return to our religion." But their Lord inspired (this Message) to them: "Verily We shall cause the wrongdoers to perish!

Pickthall And those who disbelieved said unto their messengers: Verily we will drive you out from our land, unless ye return to our religion. Then their Lord inspired them, (saying): Verily We shall destroy the wrong-doers,

Transliteration Wa qa_lal lazina kafaru_ li rusulihim lanukhrijannakum min ardina_ au lata'u_dunna fi millatina_, fa auha_ ilaihim rabbuhum lanuhlikannaz za_limin(a).

14: 15

Yusuf Ali But they sought victory and decision (there and then) and frustration was the lot of every powerful obstinate transgressor.

Pickthall And they sought help (from their Lord) and every froward potentate was brought to naught;

Yuksel They sought victory, and every arrogant tyrant was then failed.

Transliteration Wa-staftahu_ wa kha_ba kullu jabba_rin 'anid(im),

14: 16

Yusuf Ali In front of such a one is Hell and he is given for drink boiling fetid water.

Pickthall Hell is before him, and he is made to drink a festering water,

Transliteration Miw wara_'ihi jahannamu wa yusqa_ mim ma_'in sadid(iy),

14: 17

Yusuf Ali In gulps will he sip it but never well he be near swallowing it down his throat: Death will come to him from every quarter yet will he not die: and in front of him will be a chastisement unrelenting.

Pickthall Which he sippeth but can hardly swallow, and death cometh unto him from every side while yet he cannot die, and before him is a harsh doom.

Yuksel He tries to drink it, but cannot swallow it, and death comes to him from everywhere, but he will not die; and after this is a powerful retribution.

Transliteration Yatajarra'uhu_ wa la_ yaka_du yusiguhu_ wa ya'tihil mautu min kulli maka_niw wa ma_ huwa bi mayyit(in), wa miw wara_'ihi 'aza_bun galiz(un).

14: 18

Yusuf Ali The parable of those who reject their Lord is that their works are as ashes on which the wind blows furiously on a tempestuous day: No power have they over aught that they have earned: That is the straying far far (from the goal).

Pickthall A similitude of those who disbelieve in their Lord: Their works are as ashes which the wind bloweth hard upon a stormy day. They have no control of aught that they have earned. That is the extreme failure.

Transliteration Masalul lazina kafaru_ bi rabbihim a'ma_luhum ka rama_din-isytaddat bihir rihu fi yaumin 'a_sif(in), la_ yaqdiru_na mimma_ kasabu_ 'ala_ syai'(in), za_lika huwad dala_lul ba'id(u).

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