18. Surah al-Kahf, Mecca 69
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَاضْرِبْ لَهُم
مَّثَلَ الْحَيَاةِ
الدُّنْيَا...
18: 45. Set forth to them the similitude of the life of this world:
... كَمَاء أَنزَلْنَاهُ مِنَ السَّمَاء فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الْأَرْضِ...
it is like the rain which We send down from the skies: the earth's vegetation absorbs it,
... فَأَصْبَحَ هَشِيمًا تَذْرُوهُ الرِّيَاحُ...
but soon it becomes dry stubble, which the winds do scatter:
C2386. Rain-water is a good thing in itself, but it does not last, and you can build no solid foundations on it.
It is soon absorbed in the earth, and produces the flourishing appearance of grass and vegetation-for a time. Soon these decay, and become as dry stubble, which the least wind from any quarter will blow about like a thing of no importance.
The water is gone, and so is the vegetation to which it lent a brave show of luxuriance temporarily. Such is the life of this world, contrasted with the inner and real Life, which looks to the Hereafter.
Allah is the only enduring Power we can look to, supreme over all.
... وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُّقْتَدِرًا ﴿٤٥﴾
it is (only) Allah Who prevails over all things.
الْمَالُ
وَالْبَنُونَ
زِينَةُ الْحَيَاةِ
الدُّنْيَا...
18: 46. Wealth and sons are allurements of the life of this world:
... وَالْبَاقِيَاتُ الصَّالِحَاتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًا ﴿٤٦﴾
but the things that endure, Good Deeds, are best in the sight of thy Lord, as rewards, and best as (the foundation for) hopes.
C2387. Other things are fleeting: but Good Deeds have a lasting value in the sight of Allah. They are best as (or for) rewards in two ways:
1. they flow from us by the Grace of Allah, and are themselves rewards for our Faith:
2. they become the foundation of our hopes for the highest rewards in the Hereafter.
وَيَوْمَ نُسَيِّرُ
الْجِبَالَ
وَتَرَى الْأَرْضَ
بَارِزَةً...
18: 47. One Day We shall remove the mountains, and thou wilt see the earth as a level stretch,
C2388. On the Day of Judgment none of our present landmarks will remain.
... وَحَشَرْنَاهُمْ فَلَمْ نُغَادِرْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا ﴿٤٧﴾
and We shall gather them, all together, nor shall We leave out any one of them.
وَعُرِضُوا
عَلَى رَبِّكَ
صَفًّا...
18: 48. And they will be marshalled before thy Lord in ranks, (with the announcement),
... لَّقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا كَمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ...
"Now have ye come to Us (bare) as We created you first:
C2389. We shall stand as we were created, with none of the adventitious possessions that we collected in this life, which will all have vanished.
... بَلْ زَعَمْتُمْ أَلَّن نَّجْعَلَ لَكُم مَّوْعِدًا ﴿٤٨﴾
aye, ye thought We shall not fulfil the appointment made to you to meet (Us)!":
C2390. The skeptics will now at length be convinced of the Reality which will be upon them.
وَوُضِعَ
الْكِتَابُ
فَتَرَى الْمُجْرِمِينَ
مُشْفِقِينَ
مِمَّا فِيهِ...
18: 49. And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein;
... وَيَقُولُونَ يَا وَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ...
they will say,
"Ah! woe to us! what a book is this!
... لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّا أَحْصَاهَا...
It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof!"
... وَوَجَدُوا مَا عَمِلُوا حَاضِرًا...
They will find all that they did, placed before them:
... وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا ﴿٤٩﴾
and not one will thy Lord treat with injustice.
C2391. Personal responsibility, for all deeds in this life will then be enforced. But it will be done with perfect justice.
Expressed in the forms of this world, it will amount to a clear statement of all we did in this life; the record will be put before us to convince us.
As it will be a perfect record, with no omissions and no wrong entries, it will be perfectly convincing. Where there is punishment, it has been earned by the wrong-doer's own deeds, not imposed on him unjustly.
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا
لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ
اسْجُدُوا
لِآدَمَ ...
18: 50. Behold! We said to the angels, "Bow down to Adam":
C2392. Cf. 2:34, where the story is told of the fall of mankind through Adam.
Here the point is referred to in order to bring home the individual responsibility of the erring soul.
Iblis is your enemy; you have been told his history; will you prefer to go to him rather than to the merciful Allah, your Creator and Cherisher?
What a false exchange you would make!'
... فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ...
they bowed down except Iblis.
... كَانَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِ...
He was one of the Jinns, and he broke the Command of his Lord.
C2393. Cf. 6:100, .
... أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُ أَوْلِيَاء مِن دُونِي ...
Will ye then take him and his progeny as protectors rather than Me?
C2394. Satan's progeny: we need not take the epithet only in a literal sense.
All his followers are also his progeny. (R).
... وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ...
And they are enemies to you!
... بِئْسَ لِلظَّالِمِينَ بَدَلًا ﴿٥٠﴾
Evil would be the exchange for the wrongdoers!
C2395. Out of the limited free-will that man has, if he were to choose Evil instead of Good, Satan instead of Allah, what a dreadful choice it would be!
It would really be an evil exchange. For man is Allah's creature, cared for and cherished by Him. He abandons his Cherisher to become the slave of his enemy!
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18:45 Give them the parable of this worldly life, like a water which We have sent down from the sky, so that the plants of the earth mix with it and it turns dry twigs scattered by the wind. God is capable of all things.
18:46 Wealth and buildings are the attraction of this life. But the good deeds that remain behind are better at your Lord for a reward, and better for hope.
18:47 The day We move the mountains, and you see the earth barren, and We gather them, not leaving out anyone of them.
18:48 They are displayed before your Lord as a column: "You have come to Us as We had created you the first time. No, you claimed We would not make an appointment for you!"
18:49 The book was displayed, so you see the criminals fearful of what is in it. They say, "Woe to us!, what is wrong with this book that it does not leave out anything small or large except that it has counted it." They found what they had done present. Your Lord does not wrong anyone.
Do not Follow Your Ardent Enemy
18:50 When We said to the angels: "Submit to Adam." They all submitted except for Satan, he was of the Jinn, so he disobeyed the order of his Lord. "Will you take him and his progeny as allies besides Me, while they are your enemy?" Miserable for the wicked is the substitute!*
