50. Surah Qaf

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُم مِّن قَرْنٍ هُمْ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُم بَطْشًا...

50: 36.  But how many generations before them did We destroy (for their Sins), stronger in power than they?

C4973. While virtue and righteousness will accomplish their final goal, what will be the End of Sin?

Let the past tell its story. Many powerful and arrogant generations were swept away, to stray in the paths of misery, without any way of escape from the consequences of their sin. This was already seen in the life of this world. In the world to come, it will be worse, as already stated in verses 24-26 above.

...فَنَقَّبُوا فِي الْبِلَادِ هَلْ مِن مَّحِيصٍ ﴿٣٦﴾

Then did they wander through the land: Was there any place of escape (for them)?

إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَذِكْرَى لِمَن كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ أَوْ أَلْقَى السَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ ﴿٣٧﴾

50: 37.  Verily in this is a Message for any that has a heart and understanding or who gives ear and earnestly witnesses (the truth).

C4974. As Christ said (Matt. 11:15), "he that hath ears to hear, let him hear".

These are matters of high moment. Many spiritual lessons can be learnt from these things by any one who has the heart and understanding to apply to Allah's teaching and can give genuine thought to what he sees, as a witness does who has to swear to the facts on his oath.

Asad’s Version:

50:36 AND HOW MANY a generation have We destroyed before those [who now deny the truth] 25 - people of greater might than theirs -: but [when Our chastisement befell them,] they became wanderers on the face of the earth, seeking no more than a place of refuge. 26

50:37 In this, behold, there is indeed a reminder for everyone whose heart is wide-awake 27 - that is, [everyone who] lends ear with a conscious mind 28 –

Yuksel’s version

50:36 How many a generation before them have We destroyed? They were stronger in power, and they had dominated the land. Did they find any sanctuary?

50:37 In this is a reminder for whoever has a heart, or cares to listen while he is heedful.

[[ Asad’s notes - 25 This connects with verses 12-14 above. It should be borne in mind that in ancient Arabic usage the term qani - here rendered as "generation" - often denotes "a period of time succeeding another": hence, a "century", or "people of one and the same period" and, finally, a "civilization" in the historical sense of this word, That this last significance is intended here becomes evident from the sequence.

26 Lit., "they wandered searching (naqqabu) in the lands: Is there any place of refuge?" - implying that after the destruction of their civilization they could do no more than strive for bare survival.

27 Thus Zamakhshari; literally, the phrase reads, "who has a heart".

28 Lit., "or lends ear and is withal a witness (wa-huwa shahid)", which latter phrase Zamakhshari explains as meaning "is present with his intellect", i.e., with a conscious mind. (Cf the same use of the term shahid in verse 21 .) The conjunctive particle "or" (aw) which precedes the above clause does not signify an alternative but has - as is often the case in Qur'anic usage - an explanatory function, similar to phrases like "that is" or "in other words", followed by an amplification of what was said before. ]]