34 Saba-(Sheba) Mecca 58 [54 verses]

The Quranic text and Ali’s version

قُلِ ادْعُوا الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ...

34: 22. Say:

"Call upon other (gods) whom ye fancy, besides Allah:

C3822. Other objects of worship, such as Self, or Money, or Power, or things we imagine will bring us luck or prosperity, though they can do nothing of the kind.

... لَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ...

they have no power -- not the weight of an atom -- in the heavens or on earth;

C3823. The false gods have no power whatever either in heaven or on earth, either in influencing our spiritual life or our ordinary worldly life.

To suppose that they have some share, or that they can give some help to Allah, even though Allah is Supreme, is both false and blasphemous.

Allah is One and Supreme, without sharer, helper, or equal.

... وَمَا لَهُمْ فِيهِمَا مِن شِرْكٍ وَمَا لَهُ مِنْهُم مِّن ظَهِيرٍ ﴿٢٢﴾

no (sort of) share have they therein,

nor is any of them a helper to Allah.

وَلَا تَنفَعُ الشَّفَاعَةُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا لِمَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ...

23. "No intercession can avail in His Presence except for those for whom He has granted permission.

C3824. Cf. 20:109, n. 2634, where I have explained the two possible modes of interpretation.

Each soul is individually and personally responsible. And if there is any intercession, it can only be by Allah's gracious permission. For the Day of judgment will be a terrible Day, or Day of Wrath (Dies Irae) according to the Latin hymn, when the purest souls will be stupefied at the manifestation of Allah's Power.

See next note.

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Asad’s version

34:22 SAY: "Call upon those [beings] whom you imagine [to be endowed with divine powers] beside God: they have not an atom's weight of power either in the heavens or on earth, nor have they any share in [governing] either, nor does He [choose to] have any helper from among them." 32

34:23 And, before Him, intercession can be of no avail [to any] save one in whose case He may have granted leave [therefor]: 33 so much so that when the terror [of the Last Hour] is lifted from their hearts, they [who have been resurrected) will ask [one another], "What has your Sustainer decreed [for you]?" - [to which) the others will answer, "Whatever is true and deserved 34 - for He alone is exalted, great!"

[[Asad’s notes –

32 I.e., anybody who would "mediate" between Him and any of His creatures. As is evident from the sequence (as well as from 17:56-57), this passage relates, in particular, to the attribution of divine or semi-divine qualities to saints and angels and to the problem of their "intercession"

with God.

33 Regarding the Qur'anic concept of "intercession", see note 7 on 10:3. Cf also 19:87 and 20:109.

34 Lit., "the truth" - i.e., whatever God decides regarding His grant or refusal of leave for intercession (which is synonymous with His redemptive acceptance or His rejection of the human being concerned) will conform with the requirements of absolute truth and justice (see note 74 on 1 9:87).]]