37.Surah as saffat

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ يَتَسَاءلُونَ ﴿٥٠﴾

37: 50. Then they will turn to one another and question one another.

C4066. Cf. above, 37:27, where the same phrase is used in the reverse conditions.

In each case there is a going back to the earlier memories or experiences of this life.

قَالَ قَائِلٌ مِّنْهُمْ إِنِّي كَانَ لِي قَرِينٌ ﴿٥١﴾

37: 51. One of them will start the talk and say:

"I had an intimate companion (on the earth),

C4067. This companion was a skeptic, who laughed at Religion and a Hereafter. How the tables are now turned! The devout man backed up his Faith with a good life and is now in Bliss: the other was a cynic and made a mess of his life, and is now burning in the Fire. (R).

يَقُولُ أَئِنَّكَ لَمِنْ الْمُصَدِّقِينَ ﴿٥٢﴾

37: 52. "Who used to say,

'What! art thou amongst those who bear witness to the truth (of the Message)?

أَئِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًا وَعِظَامًا أَئِنَّا لَمَدِينُونَ ﴿٥٣﴾

37: 53. "'When we die and become dust and bones, shall we indeed receive rewards and punishments?'"

قَالَ هَلْ أَنتُم مُّطَّلِعُونَ ﴿٥٤﴾

37: 54. (A voice) said: "Would ye like to look down?"

فَاطَّلَعَ فَرَآهُ فِي سَوَاء الْجَحِيمِ ﴿٥٥﴾

37: 55. He looked down and saw him in the midst of the Fire.

C4068. He is allowed a peep into the state which he so narrowly escaped by the grace of Allah.

Asad’s Version:

37:50 And they will all turn to one another, asking each other [about their past lives]. 21

(37:51) One of them speaks thus: "Behold, I had [on earth] a close companion

(37:52) who was wont to ask [me], 'Why - art thou really one of those who believe it to be true

(37:53) [that] after we have died and become mere dust and bones we shall, forsooth, be brought to judgment?'"

37:54 [And] he adds: "Would you like to look [and see him]?" –

(37:55) and then he looks and sees that [companion of his] in the midst of the blazing fire,