38. Surah Saad

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاء وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا بَاطِلًا...

38: 27. Not without purpose did We create heaven and earth and all between!

C4179. Cf. 3:191.

Unbelief is the subjective negation of a belief in Order, Beauty, Purpose, and Eternal Life. Unbelief is to Faith as Chaos is to Cosmos, as the Fire of Misery is to the Garden of Bliss.

... ذَلِكَ ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا...

That were the thought of Unbelievers!

... فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنَ النَّارِ ﴿٢٧﴾

But woe to the Unbelievers because of the Fire (of Hell)!

أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ كَالْمُفْسِدِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ...

38: 28. Shall We treat those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, the same as those who do mischief on earth?

C4180. The reference to the Hereafter at the end of verse 26 above is of a piece with the whole tenor of this Surah, which deals with the superiority of the spiritual kingdom and the Hereafter.

If there were no Hereafter, how could you reconcile the inequalities of this world?

Would not the Unbelievers be right in acting as if all Creation and all life were futile?

But there is a Hereafter and Allah will not treat the Good and Evil alike. He is just and will fully restore the balance disturbed in this life.

... أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الْمُتَّقِينَ كَالْفُجَّارِ ﴿٢٨﴾

Shall We treat those who guard against evil, the same as those who turn aside from the right?

كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ...

38: 29. (Here is) a Book which We have sent down unto thee, full of blessings,

C4181. Revelation is not a mere chance or haphazard thing. It is a real blessing-among the greatest that Allah has bestowed on man.

... لِّيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ ...

that they may meditate on its Signs,

By meditation on it in an earnest spirit man may learn of himself, and his relation to nature around him and to Allah the Author of all.

... وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُوْلُوا الْأَلْبَابِ ﴿٢٩﴾

and that men of understanding may receive admonition.

Men of understanding may, by its help, resolve all genuine doubts that there may be in their minds, and learn the true lessons of spiritual life.

Asad’s Version:

38:27 AND [thus it is:] We have not created heaven and earth and all that is between them without meaning and purpose, as is the surmise of those who are bent on denyin the truth: 25 but then, woe from the fire [of hell] unto all who are bent on denying the truth! 26

(38:28) [For,] would We treat those who have attained to faith and do righteous deeds in the same manner as [We shall treat] those who spread corruption on earth? Would We treat the God-conscious in the same manner as the wicked? 27

38:29 [All this have We expounded in this] blessed divine writ which We have revealed unto thee, [O Muhammad,] so that men may ponder over its messages, and that those who are endowed with insight may take them to heart.