56. Surah Al-Waqiah
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَأَصْحَابُ
الشِّمَالِ
مَا أَصْحَابُ
الشِّمَالِ
﴿٤١﴾
56: 41. The Companions of the Left Hand - -
what will be the Companions of the Left Hand?
56: 42. (They will be) in the midst of a fierce Blast of Fire and in Boiling Water,
C5242. Notice the parallelism in the contrast between those in Bliss and those in Misery. The description in each case pursues the idea of contrast. The fierce Blast of Fire and the Boiling Water are in contrast to the happy Lote-tree and the flowers and fruits in verses 28-29 above.
56: 43. And in the shades of Black Smoke:
C5243. Even the Shades get a different quality in the Abode of Misery: shades of black smoke in contrast to the cool and refreshing long extended shades of trees by brooks in verses 30-31 above.
لَّا
بَارِدٍ وَلَا
كَرِيمٍ
﴿٤٤﴾
56: 44. Nothing (will there be) to refresh, nor to please:
إِنَّهُمْ
كَانُوا قَبْلَ
ذَلِكَ مُتْرَفِينَ
﴿٤٥﴾
56: 45. For that they were wont to be indulged, before that, in wealth (and luxury).
We must read verses 45-46 together. They had wealth and the good things of life, but they used them in self-indulgence and shameless crime, and now they are in humiliation.
وَكَانُوا
يُصِرُّونَ
عَلَى الْحِنثِ
الْعَظِيمِ
﴿٤٦﴾
56: 46. And persisted obstinately in wickedness supreme!
C5244a. Wickedness supreme: i.e. their associating others with Allah in His divinity. [eds.]
وَكَانُوا
يَقُولُونَ
أَئِذَا مِتْنَا
وَكُنَّا تُرَابًا
وَعِظَامًا
...
56: 47. And they used to say,
"what! when we die and become dust and bones,
C5245. Their want of belief and ridicule of Allah's Message contrasts with the stern reality which they see around them now.
... أَئِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ ﴿٤٧﴾
shall we then indeed be raised up again? --
أَوَ
آبَاؤُنَا
الْأَوَّلُونَ
﴿٤٨﴾
56: 48. "(We) and our fathers of old?"
قُلْ
إِنَّ الْأَوَّلِينَ
وَالْآخِرِينَ
﴿٤٩﴾
56: 49. Say:
"Yea, those of old and those of later times,
لَمَجْمُوعُونَ
إِلَى مِيقَاتِ
يَوْمٍ مَّعْلُومٍ
﴿٥٠﴾
56: 50. "All will certainly be gathered together for the meeting appointed for a Day Well-known.
C5246. In 26:38 (see n. 3159) the phrase "a day well-known" is used for a solemn day of festival, when the multitude of people gather together.
The Day of Judgment is such a day in the supreme sense of the word.
ثُمَّ
إِنَّكُمْ
أَيُّهَا الضَّالُّونَ
الْمُكَذِّبُونَ
﴿٥١﴾
56: 51. "Then will ye truly, o ye that go wrong, and treat (Truth) as Falsehood!
لَآكِلُونَ
مِن شَجَرٍ مِّن
زَقُّومٍ
﴿٥٢﴾
56: 52. "Ye will surely taste of the Tree of Zaqqum.
C5247. This is the Cursed Tree mentioned in 17:60, where see n. 2250.
Cf. also 37:62, n. 4072; and 44:43-46 and n. 4722.
فَمَالِؤُونَ
مِنْهَا الْبُطُونَ
﴿٥٣﴾
56: 53. "Then will ye fill your insides therewith,
فَشَارِبُونَ
عَلَيْهِ مِنَ
الْحَمِيمِ
﴿٥٤﴾
56: 54. "And drink Boiling Water on top of it:
فَشَارِبُونَ
شُرْبَ الْهِيمِ
﴿٥٥﴾
56: 55. "Indeed ye shall drink like diseased camels raging with thirst!
هَذَا
نُزُلُهُمْ
يَوْمَ الدِّينِ
﴿٥٦﴾
56: 56. Such will be their entertainment on the Day of Requital!
Asad’s Version:
56:41 BUT AS FOR those who have persevered in evil - what of those who have persevered in evil? 17
(56:42) [They will find themselves] in the midst of scorching winds, and burning
despair, 18
(56:43) and the shadows of black smoke –
(56:44) [shadows] neither cooling nor soothing.
(56:45) For, behold, in times gone by they were wont to abandon themselves wholly to the pursuit of pleasures, 19
(56:46) and would persist in heinous sinning,
(56:47) and would say, "What! After we have died and become mere dust and bones, shall we, forsooth, be raised from the dead? –
(56:48) and perhaps, too, our forebears of old?"
56:49 Say: "Verily, those of olden times and those of later times
(56:50) will indeed be gathered together at an appointed time on a Day known [only to God]:
(56:51) and then, verily, O you who have gone astray and called the truth a lie, (56:52) you will indeed have to taste of the tree of deadly fruit, 20
(56:53) and will have to fill your bellies therewith,
(56:54) and will thereupon have to drink [many a draught] of burning despair –
(56:55) drink it as the most insatiably thirsty camels drink!"
56:56 Such will be their welcome on Judgment Day!
[[Asad’s notes - 17 I.e., until their death. Literally, the phrase reads, "those on the left hand" (see note 3 above).
18 For this rendering of hamim, see surah 6, note 62.
1 9 I.e„ to the exclusion of all moral considerations. For the meaning of the term mutraf, see surah 11, note 147.
20 See note 22 on 37:62. ]]