37. Surah As-Saffat (Those Ranged In Ranks)

Mecca 56 [182 verses]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:



وَلَقَدْ نَادَانَا نُوحٌ...

37: 75. (In the days of old), Noah cried to Us,

C4080. Cf. 21:76-77.

The story of Noah occurs in many places: here the point is that when men gird themselves against evil, Allah protects them, and Evil cannot triumph against Allah's Plan.

...فَلَنِعْمَ الْمُجِيبُونَ ﴿٧٥﴾

and We are the Best to hear prayer.

وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ مِنَ الْكَرْبِ الْعَظِيمِ ﴿٧٦﴾

37: 76. And We delivered him and his people from the Great Calamity.

C4081. The Deluge, the Flood of Noah. The main story will be found in 11:25-48.

وَجَعَلْنَا ذُرِّيَّتَهُ هُمْ الْبَاقِينَ ﴿٧٧﴾

37: 77. And made his progeny to endure (on this earth);

C4082. Noah's posterity survived the Flood in the Ark, while the rest perished.

وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِي الْآخِرِينَ ﴿٧٨﴾

37: 78. And We left (this blessing) for him among generations to come in later times:

C4083. His name is remembered for ever, commencing a new era in religious history.

Note that the words in verses 78-81, with slight modifications, form a sort of refrain to the following paragraphs about Abraham, Moses, and Elias, but not about Lut and Jonah.

Lut was a nephew of Abraham, and may be supposed to belong to the story of Abraham. Jonah's career nearly ended in a tragedy for himself, and his people got a further lease of power "for a time" (37:148). And both Lut and Jonah belong to a limited local tradition,

سَلَامٌ عَلَى نُوحٍ فِي الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿٧٩﴾

37: 79. "Peace and salutation to Noah among the nations!"

C4084. The story of the Flood is found in some form or other among all nations, and not only among those who follow the Mosaic tradition.

إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٨٠﴾

37: 80. Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.

إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٨١﴾

37: 81. For he was one of Our believing Servants.

ثُمَّ أَغْرَقْنَا الْآخَرِينَ ﴿٨٢﴾

37: 82. Then the rest We overwhelmed in the Flood.

وَإِنَّ مِن شِيعَتِهِ لَإِبْرَاهِيمَ ﴿٨٣﴾

37: 83. Verily among those who followed his Way was Abraham.

C4085. The main story will be found in 16:51-73; but the episode about his readiness and that of his son to submit to the most extreme form of self-sacrifice under trial (in verses 102-107 below) is told here for the first time, as this Surah deals with the theme, "Not my will, but Thine be done!"

In "followed his way", the pronoun "his" refers to Noah, "he", of verse 81 above.

إِذْ جَاء رَبَّهُ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ ﴿٨٤﴾

37: 84. Behold, He approached his Lord with a sound heart.

C4086. A sound heart: qalb salim: a heart that is pure, and unaffected by the diseases that afflict others.

As the heart in Arabic is taken to be not only the seat of feelings and affections, but also of intelligence and resulting action, it implies the whole character.

Cf. Abraham's title of Hanif (the True): 2:135 and n. 134.

Cf. also 26:89: "only he will prosper who brings to Allah a sound heart."

إِذْ قَالَ لِأَبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ مَاذَا تَعْبُدُونَ ﴿٨٥﴾

37: 85. Behold, he said to his father and to his people,

"What is that which ye worship?

أَئِفْكًا آلِهَةً دُونَ اللَّهِ تُرِيدُونَ ﴿٨٦﴾

37: 86. "Is it a Falsehood -- gods other than Allah -- that ye desire?

C4087. False worship-worship of idols or stars or symbols, or Mammon or Self-is due either to false and degrading conceptions of Allah, or to a sort of make-believe, where practice is inconsistent with knowledge or ignores the inner promptings of Conscience. Abraham's challenge to his people is: 'Are you fools or hypocrites?'

فَمَا ظَنُّكُم بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿٨٧﴾

37: 87. "Then what is your idea about the Lord of the Worlds?"

C4088. 'Do you not realise that the real Creator is One-above all the forms and superstitions that you associate with Him?'

فَنَظَرَ نَظْرَةً فِي النُّجُومِ ﴿٨٨﴾

37: 88. Then did he cast a glance at the stars.

فَقَالَ إِنِّي سَقِيمٌ ﴿٨٩﴾

37: 89. And he said, "I am indeed sick (at heart)!"

C4089. The grief was really preying on his mind and soul, that he should be associated with such falsehoods.

His father himself was among the chief supporters of such falsehoods, and his people were given up wholly to them. He could not possibly share in their mummeries, and they left him in disgust. Then he made his practical protest in the manner narrated in 21:56-64.

فَتَوَلَّوْا عَنْهُ مُدْبِرِينَ ﴿٩٠﴾

37: 90. So they turned away from him, and departed.

فَرَاغَ إِلَى آلِهَتِهِمْ فَقَالَ...

37: 91. Then did he turn to their gods and said,

...أَلَا تَأْكُلُونَ ﴿٩١﴾

"Will ye not eat (of the offerings before you)?...

مَا لَكُمْ لَا تَنطِقُونَ ﴿٩٢﴾

37: 92. "What is the matter with you that ye speak not (intelligently)?"

فَرَاغَ عَلَيْهِمْ ...

37: 93. Then did he turn upon them,

C4090. See the reference in the last note.

... ضَرْبًا بِالْيَمِينِ ﴿٩٣﴾

striking (them) with the right hand.

C4091. With the right hand: as the right hand is the hand of power, the phrase means that he struck them with might and main and broke them.

فَأَقْبَلُوا إِلَيْهِ يَزِفُّونَ ﴿٩٤﴾

37: 94. Then came (the worshippers) with hurried steps and faced (him).

قَالَ أَتَعْبُدُونَ مَا تَنْحِتُونَ ﴿٩٥﴾

37: 95. He said:

"Worship ye that which ye have (yourselves) carved?

C4092. His action was a challenge, and he drives home the challenge now with argument. 'Do you worship your own handiwork?

Surely worship is due to Him Who made you and made possible your handiwork!'

وَاللَّهُ خَلَقَكُمْ وَمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٩٦﴾

37: 96. "But Allah has created you and your handiwork!"

قَالُوا ابْنُوا لَهُ بُنْيَانًا...

37: 97. They said:

"Build him a furnace,

فَأَلْقُوهُ فِي الْجَحِيمِ ﴿٩٧﴾

and throw him into the blazing fire!"

C4093. The argument of Abraham was so sound that it could not be met by argument. In such cases Evil resorts to violence, or secret plotting. Here there was both violence and secret plotting.

The violence consisted in throwing him into a blazing Furnace. But by the mercy of Allah the fire did not harm him (21:69), and so they resorted to plotting. But the plotting, as the next verse (37:98) shows, was a boomerang that recoiled on their own heads.

فَأَرَادُوا بِهِ كَيْدًا...

37: 98. (This failing), they then sought a stratagem against him,

C4094. Cf. 21:71.

Their plot against the righteous Abraham failed. Abraham migrated from the country (Chaldea, Babylon, and Assyria) and prospered in Syria and Palestine. It was his persecutors that suffered humiliation.

...فَجَعَلْنَاهُمُ الْأَسْفَلِينَ ﴿٩٨﴾

but We made them the ones most humiliated!

وَقَالَ إِنِّي ذَاهِبٌ إِلَى رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ ﴿٩٩﴾

37: 99. He said:

"I will go to my Lord! He will surely guide me!

C4095. This was the Hijrah of Abraham. He left his people and his land, because the Truth was dearer to him than the ancestral falsehoods of his people. He trusted himself to Allah, and under Allah's guidance he laid the foundations of great peoples.

See n. 2725 to 21:69.

رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ ﴿١٠٠﴾

37: 100. "O my Lord! grant me a righteous (son)!"

فَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِغُلَامٍ حَلِيمٍ ﴿١٠١﴾

37: 101. So We gave him the good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear.

C4096. This was in the fertile land of Syria and Palestine. The boy thus born was, according to Muslim tradition, the first-born son of Abraham, viz., Ismail. The name itself is from the root Samia, to hear, because Allah had heard Abraham's prayer (verse 100).

Abraham's age when Ismail was born was 86 (Gen 16:16).

C4097. The boy's character was to be Halim, "forbearing".

This title is also applied to Abraham (in 9:114 and 11:75).

It refers to the patient way in which both father and son cheerfully offered to suffer any self-sacrifice in order to obey the Command of Allah.

See next verse.

فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْيَ...

37: 102. Then, when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him,

...قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَى فِي الْمَنَامِ ...

he said:

"O my son! I see in vision...

C4098. Where did this vision occur?

- The Muslim view is that it was in or near Makkah.

- Some would identify it with the valley of Mina, six miles north of Makkah, where a commemoration sacrifice is annually celebrated as a rite of the Hajj on the tenth of Dhu al Hijjah, the 'Id of Sacrifice, in Memory of this Sacrifice of Abraham and Ismail (see n. 217 to 2:197).

- Others say that the original place of sacrifice was near the hill of Marwa (the companion hill to Safa, 2:158), which is associated with the infancy of Ismail.

... أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ...

... that I offer thee in sacrifice:

C4099. At what stage in Abraham's history did this occur?

See n. 2725 to 21:69.

It was obviously after his arrival in the land of Cannan and after Ismail had grown up to years of discretion.

Was it before or after the building of the Ka'bah ( 2:127)?

There are no data on which this question can be answered. But we may suppose it was before that event, and that event may itself have been commemorative.

...فَانظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَى...

now see what is thy view!"

...قَالَ يَا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ...

(The son) said:

"O my father! do as thou art commanded:

...سَتَجِدُنِي إِن شَاء اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِينَ ﴿١٠٢﴾

thou will find me, if Allah so wills, one practicing Patience and Constancy!"

فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَا ...

37: 103. So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah),

C4100. Note that the sacrifice was demanded of both Abraham and Ismail. It was a trial of the will of the father and the son. By way of trial the father had the command conveyed to him in a vision. He consulted the son. The son readily consented, and offered to stand true to his promise if his self-sacrifice was really required.

The whole thing is symbolical. Allah does not require the flesh and blood of animals (22:37), much less of human beings. But he does require the giving of our whole being to Allah, the symbol of which is that we should give up something very dear to us, if Duty requires that sacrifice. (R).

... وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ ﴿١٠٣﴾

and He had laid Him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice),

C4101. Our version may be compared with the Jewish-Christian version of the present Old Testament.

The Jewish tradition, in order to glorify the younger branch of the family, descended from Isaac, ancestor of the Jews, as against the elder branch, descended from Ismail, ancestor of the Arabs, refers this sacrifice to Isaac (Gen. 12:1-18).

Now Isaac was born when Abraham was 100 years old (Gen. 21:5), while Ismail was born to Abraham when Abraham was 86 years old (Gen. 16:16). Ismail was therefore 14 years older than Isaac.

During his first 14 years Ismail was the only son of Abraham; at no time was Isaac the only son of Abraham. Yet, in speaking of the sacrifice, the Old Testament says (Gen. 22:2): "And He said, Take now thy son, thine only son Issac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah: and offer him there for a burnt offering..."

This slip shows at any rate which was the older version, and how it was overlaid, like the present Jewish records, in the interests of a tribal religion. The "land of Moriah" is not clear: it was three days' journey from Abraham's place (Gen. 22:4). There is less warrant for identifying it with the hill of Moriah on which Jerusalem was afterwards built than with the hill of Marwa which is identified with the Arab tradition about Ismail.

وَنَادَيْنَاهُ أَنْ يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ ﴿١٠٤﴾

37: 104. We called out to him,

"O Abraham!

C4102. In the Biblical version Isaac's consent is not taken; in fact Isaac asks, 'where is the lamb for sacrifice?' and is told that 'God would provide it'. It is a complete human sacrifice like those to Moloch.

In our version it is as much a sacrifice by the will of Ismail as by that of Abraham. And in any case it is symbolic:

"this was obviously a trial": "thou hast already fulfilled by vision": etc.

قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْيَا...

37: 105. "Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!" --

...إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿١٠٥﴾

thus indeed do We reward those who do right.

إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ الْبَلَاء الْمُبِينُ ﴿١٠٦﴾

37: 106. For this was obviously a trial --

وَفَدَيْنَاهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍ ﴿١٠٧﴾

37: 107. And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice:

C4103. The adjective qualifying "sacrifice" here, 'azim, (great, momentous) may be understood both in a literal and a figurative sense.

- In a literal sense it implies that a fine sheep or ram was substituted symbolically.

- The figurative sense is even more important. It was indeed a great and momentous occasion, when two men, with concerted will, "ranged themselves in the ranks" of those to whom self-sacrifice in the service of Allah was the supreme thing in life. In this sense, said Jesus, "he that loseth his life for my sake shall it". (Matt, 10:39). (R).

وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِي الْآخِرِينَ ﴿١٠٨﴾

37: 108. And We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times:

C4104. Cf. above, 37:78-81 and n. 4083.

سَلَامٌ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ ﴿١٠٩﴾

37: 109. "Peace and salutation to Abraham!"

كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿١١٠﴾

37: 110. Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.

إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١١١﴾

37: 111. For he was one of Our believing Servants.

وَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِإِسْحَقَ نَبِيًّا مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ ﴿١١٢﴾

37: 112. And We gave him the good news of Isaac -- a prophet -- one of the Righteous.

C4105. Isaac was Abraham's second son, born of Sarah, when Abraham was 100 years of age. See n. 4101.

He was also blessed and became the ancestor of the Jewish people. See next note.

وَبَارَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى إِسْحَقَ...

37: 113. We blessed him and Isaac:

...وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا مُحْسِنٌ وَظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ مُبِينٌ ﴿١١٣﴾

but of their progeny are (some) that do right, and (some) that obviously do wrong, to their own souls.

C4106. So long as the Children of Israel upheld the righteous banner of Allah, they enjoyed Allah's blessing, and their history is a portion of sacred history. When they fell from grace, they did not stop Allah's Plan: they injured their own souls.

وَلَقَدْ مَنَنَّا عَلَى مُوسَى وَهَارُونَ ﴿١١٤﴾

37: 114. Again, (of old,) We bestowed Our favor on Moses and Aaron.

C4107. The story of Moses is told in numerous passages of the Quran. The passages most illustrative of the present passage will be found in 28:4 (oppression of the Israelites in Egypt) and 20:77-79 (the Israelites triumphant over their enemies when the latter were drowned in the Red Sea).

وَنَجَّيْنَاهُمَا وَقَوْمَهُمَا مِنَ الْكَرْبِ الْعَظِيمِ ﴿١١٥﴾

37: 115. And We delivered them and their people from (their) Great Calamity;

C4108. What could have been a greater calamity to them than that they should have been held in slavery by the Egyptians, that their male children should have been killed and their female children should have been saved alive for the Egyptians?

وَنَصَرْنَاهُمْ فَكَانُوا هُمُ الْغَالِبِينَ ﴿١١٦﴾

37: 116. And We helped them, so they overcame (their troubles);

C4109. The Israelites were delivered by three steps mentioned in verses 114, 115, and 116 respectively; but the consummation of Allah's favour on them was (verses 117-118) the Revelation given to them, which guided them on the Straight Way, so long as they preserved the Revelation intact and followed its precepts.

The three steps were:

1. the divine commission to Moses and Aaron:

2. the deliverance from bondage; and

3. the triumphant crossing of the Red Sea and the destruction of Pharaoh's army.

وَآتَيْنَاهُمَا الْكِتَابَ الْمُسْتَبِينَ ﴿١١٧﴾

37: 117. And We gave them the Book which helps to make things clear;

C4110. Mustabin has a slightly different force from Mubin.

I have translated the former by "which helps to make things clear", and the latter by "which makes things clear",-apt descriptions as applied to the Tawrah and the Quran.

وَهَدَيْنَاهُمَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ ﴿١١٨﴾

37: 118. And We guided them to the Straight Way.

وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِمَا فِي الْآخِرِينَ ﴿١١٩﴾

37: 119. And We left (this blessing) for them among generations (to come) in later times:

C4111. See above, 37:78-81 and n. 4083.

سَلَامٌ عَلَى مُوسَى وَهَارُونَ ﴿١٢٠﴾

37: 120. "Peace and salutation to Moses and Aaron!"

إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿١٢١﴾

37: 121. Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.

إِنَّهُمَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١٢٢﴾

37: 122. For they were two of Our believing Servants.

وَإِنَّ إِلْيَاسَ لَمِنْ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ﴿١٢٣﴾

37: 123. So also was Elias among those sent (by us).

C4112. See n. 905 to 6:85.

Elias is the same as Elijah, whose story will be found in the Old Testament in I Kings 17-19. and 2 Kings 1-2.

Elijah lived in the reign of Ahab (B.C. 896-874) and Ahaziah (B.C. 874-872), kings of the (northern) kingdom of Israel or Samaria. He was a prophet of the desert, like John the Baptist,-unlike our holy Prophet, who took part in, controlled, and guided all the affairs of his people. Both Ahab and Azariah were prone to lapse into the worship of Baal, the sun-god worshipped in Syria. That worship also included the worship of nature-powers and procreative powers, as in the Hindu worship of the Lingam, and led to many abuses.

King Ahab had married a princess of Sidon, Jezebel, a wicked woman who led her husband to forsake Allah and adopt Baal-worship.

Elijah denounced all Ahab's sins as well as the sins of Ahaziah and had to flee for his life. Eventually, according to the Old Testament (4 Kings, 2:11) he was taken up in a whirlwind to heaven in a chariot of fire after he had left his mantle with Elisha the prophet. (R).

إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ ﴿١٢٤﴾

37: 124. Behold, he said to his people,

"Will ye not fear (Allah)?

أَتَدْعُونَ بَعْلًا...

37: 125. "Will ye call upon Baal

C4113. For Baal-worship see last note.

وَتَذَرُونَ أَحْسَنَ الْخَالِقِينَ ﴿١٢٥﴾

and forsake the Best of Creators --

وَاللَّهَ رَبَّكُمْ وَرَبَّ آبَائِكُمُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ﴿١٢٦﴾

37: 126. "Allah, your Lord and Cherisher and the Lord and Cherisher of your fathers of old?"

فَكَذَّبُوهُ...

37: 127. But they rejected him,

C4114. They persecuted him and he had to flee for his life. Eventually he disappeared mysteriously;

see n. 4112.

...فَإِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ ﴿١٢٧﴾

and they will certainly be called up (for punishment) --

إِلَّا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ ﴿١٢٨﴾

37: 128. Except the sincere and devoted Servants of Allah (among them).

وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِي الْآخِرِينَ ﴿١٢٩﴾

37: 129. And We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times:

C4115. See above, 37:78-81, and n. 4083.

سَلَامٌ عَلَى إِلْ يَاسِينَ ﴿١٣٠﴾

37: 130. "Peace and salutation to such as Elias!"

C4115a. Ilyasin may be an alternative form of Ilyas: Cf. Sainaa (23:20) and Sinin (95:2).

Or it may be the plural of Ilyas, meaning "such people as Ilyas'.


Other versions:



Noah [Yuksel version]

37:75 Noah had called upon Us, for We are the best to respond.

37:76 We saved him and his family from the great disaster.

37:77 We made his progeny the one that remained.

37:78 We kept his history for those who came later.

37:79 Peace be upon Noah among the worlds.

37:80 It is such that We reward the righteous.

37:81 He is of Our acknowledging servants.

37:82 Then We drowned the others.

Abraham and His Dream

37:83 From among his descendants was Abraham.

37:84 For he came to his Lord with a pure heart.

37:85 When he said to his father and his people: "What are you serving?"

37:86 "Is it fabricated gods, instead of God, that you want?"

37:87 "What do you say of the Lord of the worlds?"

37:88 Then he looked towards the stars.*

37:89 He said, "I am ill!"

37:90 So they turned away from him and departed.

37:91 He then went to their idols and said, "Can you not eat?"

37:92 "What is the matter, you do not speak?"

37:93 So he then turned on them, striking with his hand.

37:94 Then they approached him outraged.

37:95 He said, "Do you serve what you carve?"

37:96 "While God has created you, and all that you make!"

37:97 They said, "Build for him a structure, and then throw him into its fire."

37:98 So they wanted to harm him, but We made them the losers.

37:99 He said, "I am going to my Lord; He will guide me."

37:100 "My Lord, grant me from among the righteous."

37:101 So We gave him good news of a compassionate child.

37:102 When he grew enough to work with him, he said, "My son, I am seeing in a dream that I am sacrificing you. What do you think?" He said, "O my father, do what you are commanded to do. You will find me, God willing, patient."

37:103 So when they both had peacefully surrendered, and he put his forehead down.

37:104 We called him: "O Abraham,"

37:105 "You have acknowledged the vision." It was such that We rewarded the righteous.*

37:106 Surely, this was an exacting test.

37:107 We ransomed him with a great animal sacrifice.

37:108 We kept his history for those who came later.

37:109 Peace be upon Abraham.

37:110 It is thus that We reward the righteous.

37:111 He was of Our acknowledging servants.

37:112 We gave him the good news of the coming of Isaac, a prophet from among the righteous.

37:113 We blessed him and Isaac. From among their progeny, some are righteous, and some are clearly wicked.

Moses and Aaron

37:114 Indeed, We have given Our grace to Moses and Aaron.

37:115 We saved them and their people from the great disaster.

37:116 We supported them, so that they became the winners.

37:117 We gave both the clear book.

37:118 We guided them to the straight path.

37:119 We kept their history for those who came later.

37:120 Peace be upon Moses and Aaron.

37:121 We thus reward the righteous.

37:122 Both of them were among Our acknowledging servants.

Elias

37:123 And Elias was one of the messengers.

37:124 When he said to his people: "Would you not be righteous?"

37:125 "Would you call on Baal and forsake the best Creator?"

37:126 "God is your Lord, and the Lord of your fathers of old!"

37:127 But they denied him. Thus they were called to account.

37:128 Except for God's devoted servants.

37:129 We kept his history for those who came later.

37:130 Peace be upon the family of Elias.

37:131 We thus reward the righteous.

37:132 He was one of our acknowledging servants.

Lot

37:133 And Lot was one of the messengers.

37:134 When We saved him and all his family.

37:135 Except an old woman who remained.

37:136 Then, We destroyed the rest.

37:137 You pass by their ruins in the morning;

37:138 In the night. Do you not understand?

Jonah and the Fish

37:139 And Jonah was one of the messengers.

37:140 When he escaped to the charged ship.

37:141 He was guilty, so he became among the losers.

37:142 Thus a whale swallowed him, and he was the one to blame.

37:143 Had it not been that he was one of those who implored,

37:144 He would have stayed in its belly until the day of resurrection.

37:145 So We threw him on the shore while he was sick.

37:146 We caused seaweed to grow on him.

37:147 We sent him to a hundred thousand, or more.

37:148 They acknowledged, so We gave them enjoyment for a time.




Thus, verily, do We reward the doers of good:


(37: 106) for, behold, all this was indeed a trial, clear in itself 42


(37:107) And We ransomed him with a tremendous sacrifice, 43


(37:108) and left him thus to be remembered among later generations: 44


(37: 109) "Peace be upon Abraham!"



37:110 Thus do We reward the doers of good –


(37: 1 1 1) for he was truly one of our believing servants

(37:112) And [in time] We gave him the glad tiding of Isaac, [who, too, would be] a prophet, one of the righteous;


(37: 1 13) and We blessed him and Isaac: but among the offspring of these two there were [destined] to be both doers of good and such as would glaringly sin against themselves. 45



37:114 THUS, INDEED, did We bestow Our favour upon Moses and Aaron; 46


(37: 1 15) and We saved them and their people from the awesome calamity [of bondage], (37: 1 16) and succoured them, so that [in the end] it was they who achieved victory.


37:117 And We gave them the divine writ that made [right and wrong] distinct, 47


(37: 118) and guided them the straight way, (37: 1 19) and left them thus to be remembered among later generations:


(37:120) "Peace be upon Moses and

Aaron!"


(37:121) Thus do We reward the doers of good -


(37: 122) for those two were truly among Our believing servants.


37:123 AND, BEHOLD, Elijah [too] was indeed one of Our message-bearers 48


(37:124) when he spoke[thus] to his people: "Will you not remain conscious of God?


(37:125) Will you invoke Baal and forsake [God,] the best of artisans 49 –


(37: 126) God, your Sustainer and the Sustainer of your forebears of old?"


45 I.e., commit evil. With this prediction the Qur'an refutes, as in so many other places, the spurious contention of the Jews that they are 'the chosen people" by virtue of their descent from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and therefore a priori 'assured", as it were, of God's acceptance. In other words, God's blessing a prophet or a saint does not, by itself, imply the conferment of any special status on his descendants.


37:127


But they gave him the lie: and therefore they will most surely be arraigned [on Judgment Day],


(37: 128) excepting only [those who were] God's true servants;


(37: 129) and him We left thus to be remembered among later generations:


(37:130) "Peace be upon Elijah and his followers!" 50