38. Surah Sad [88 verses]

Mecca Period 38

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا مُنذِرٌ...

38: 65. Say:

"Truly am I a Warner:

... وَمَا مِنْ إِلَهٍ إِلَّا اللَّهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ ﴿٦٥﴾

no god is there but the One Allah,

Supreme and Irresistible --

C4219. Cf. 12:39, where Joseph preaches to the men in prison.

The one supreme Message of importance to mankind was (and is) the Unity of Allah:

- that He is the Creator and Sustainer of all:

- that His Will is supreme;

- that He can carry out His Will without question, and no powers of Evil can defeat it;

- and that He forgives by His grace again and again.

This Message the holy Prophet came to deliver, and he delivered it.

رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا...

38: 66. "The Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all between --

... الْعَزِيزُ ...

Exalted in Might, Able to enforce His will,

C4220. In n. 2818 to 22:40, 1 have explained the full import of 'Aziz as a title applied to Allah, and I have expressed two of the leading ideas involved, in the two lines here.

he argument in this Surah turns upon the contrast between earthly Power and the Divine Power: the one is impotent and the other is supreme.

... الْغَفَّارُ ﴿٦٦﴾

forgiving again and again."

C4221. Gaffar is the emphatic intensive form, and I have accordingly translated it as "forgiving again and again".

Cf. 20:82.

قُلْ هُوَ نَبَأٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿٦٧﴾

38: 67. Say:

"That is a Message supreme (above all) --

أَنتُمْ عَنْهُ مُعْرِضُونَ ﴿٦٨﴾

38: 68. "From which ye do turn away!

C4222. The Message which is of supreme import to mankind,-from that they turn away. Instead of profiting by it, they turn away to side issues, or unprofitable speculation: such as: what is the origin of Evil; when will Judgment come? etc.

Asad’s Version:

38:65 SAY [O Muhammad]: "I am only a warner; and there is no deity whatever save God, the One, who holds absolute sway over all that exists,

(38:66) the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, the Almighty, the All-Forgiving!"

38:67 Say: "This is a message tremendous:

(38:68) [how can] you turn away from it?"

Yuksel’s Version:

38:67 Say, "It is an awesome news."