(The Spider)
Period Uncertain
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
قَالَ
رَبِّ انصُرْنِي
عَلَى الْقَوْمِ
الْمُفْسِدِينَ
﴿٣٠﴾
29: 30. He said: "O my Lord! Help Thou me against people who do mischief!"
وَلَمَّا
جَاءتْ رُسُلُنَا
إِبْرَاهِيمَ
بِالْبُشْرَى
...
29: 31. When Our Messengers came to Abraham with the good news,
C3452. See 11:69-76.
The angels, who were coming on the mission to destroy the people who were polluting the earth with their crimes, called on their way on Abraham to give the good news of the birth of a son to him in his old age.
When they told him their destination, he feared for his nephew who he knew was there. They reassured him and then came on to Lut.
... قَالُوا إِنَّا مُهْلِكُو أَهْلِ هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةِ...
they said: "We are indeed going to destroy the people of this township:
C3453. By translating "township" I imply the two neighbouring populations of Sodom and Gomorrah, who had already gone too far in their crime, their shamelessness, and their defiance, to profit by any mercy from Allah.
...إِنَّ أَهْلَهَا كَانُوا ظَالِمِينَ ﴿٣١﴾
for truly they are (addicted to) crime."
قَالَ
إِنَّ فِيهَا
لُوطًا...
29: 32. He said: "But there is Lut there."
...قَالُوا نَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن فِيهَا...
They said:
"Well do we know who is there:
...لَنُنَجِّيَنَّهُ وَأَهْلَهُ إِلَّا امْرَأَتَهُ كَانَتْ مِنَ الْغَابِرِينَ ﴿٣٢﴾
we will certainly save him and his following, except his wife:
she is of those who lag behind!"
C3454. She was not loyal to her husband.
Tradition says that she belonged to the wicked people, and was not prepared to leave them. She had no faith in the mission either of her husband or of the angels who had come as his guests.
وَلَمَّا
أَن جَاءتْ
رُسُلُنَا
لُوطًا سِيءَ
بِهِمْ وَضَاقَ
بِهِمْ ذَرْعًا...
29: 33. And when Our Messengers came to Lut, he was grieved on their account, and felt himself powerless (to protect) them:
C3455. This part of the story may be read in greater detail in 11:77-83.
...وَقَالُوا لَا تَخَفْ وَلَا تَحْزَنْ...
but they said
"Fear thou not, nor grieve:
...إِنَّا مُنَجُّوكَ وَأَهْلَكَ إِلَّا امْرَأَتَكَ كَانَتْ مِنَ الْغَابِرِينَ ﴿٣٣﴾
we are (here) to save thee and thy following, except thy wife:
she is of those who lag behind."
إِنَّا
مُنزِلُونَ
عَلَى أَهْلِ
هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةِ
رِجْزًا مِّنَ
السَّمَاء...
29: 34. "For we are going to bring down on the people of this township a Punishment from heaven,
C3456. The Punishment was a rain of brimstone, which completely overwhelmed the Cities, with possibly an earthquake and a volcanic eruption (see 11:82).
...بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ ﴿٣٤﴾
because they have been wickedly rebellious."
وَلَقَد
تَّرَكْنَا
مِنْهَا آيَةً
بَيِّنَةً
لِّقَوْمٍ
يَعْقِلُونَ
﴿٣٥﴾
29: 35. And We have left thereof an evident Sign, for any people who (care to) understand.
C3457. The whole tract on the east side of the Dead Sea (where the Cities were situated) is covered with sulphureous salts and is deadly to animal and plant life.
The Dead Sea itself is called in Arabic the Bahr Lut (the sea of Lut). It is a scene of utter desolation, that should stand as a Symbol of the Destruction that awaits Sin.
Asad’s Version:
29:30 [And] he prayed: "O my Sustainer! Succour Thou me against these people who spread corruption!"
(29:31) And so, when Our [heavenly] messengers came to Abraham with the glad tiding [of the birth of Isaac], 25 they [also] said, "Behold, we are about to destroy the people of that land, 26 for its people are truly evildoers!"
29:32 [And when Abraham] exclaimed, "But Lot lives there!" - they answered: "We know fully well who is there; most certainly we shall save him and his household - all but his wife: she will indeed be among those that stay behind." 27
(29:33) And when Our messengers came unto Lot, he was sorely grieved on their account, seeing that it was beyond his power to shield them; 28 but they said: "Fear not, and grieve not! Behold, we shall save thee and thy household - all but thy wife: she will indeed be among those that stay behind.
(29:34) Verily, we shall bring down upon the people of this land a horror from heaven in requital of all their iniquitous doings! "
29:35 And [so it happened; and] thereof, indeed, We have left a clear sign for people who use their reason. 29
[[Asad’s note - 25 See 1 1 :69 if., as well as the first half of the corresponding note 99.
26 The term qaryah has here, as so often in classical Arabic, the connotation of "land", in this instance comprising the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah.
27 See note 66 on 7 : 83 and note 113 on 11:81. In the present instance, as well as in the next verse, the past-tense auxiliary verb kanat is meant to stress the inevitability of the future event referred to: hence, "she will indeed be..., etc.
28 See note 107 on 41:77.
29 This is an allusion to the Dead Sea - known to this day as Bahr Lut ("The Sea of Lot") - which covers most of the region in which Sodom and Gomorrah were once situated. Its waters contain so high a percentage of sulphur and potash that no fish or plants can live in them.]]
51 Adh-Dhariyat (The Dust-Scattering Winds)
Mecca Period 67
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
هَلْ
أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ
ضَيْفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ
الْمُكْرَمِينَ
﴿٢٤﴾
51:24. Has the story reached thee, of the honored guests of Abraham?
C5005. Cf. 9:69-73 and notes, where further details of the story will be found.
Cf. also 15:51-56.
إِذْ
دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ
فَقَالُوا
سَلَامًا...
51: 25. Behold, they entered His presence, and said: "Peace!"
C5006. They were angels, who appeared suddenly before him at his tent-door in the guise of men, and saluted him with the salutation of peace. He returned the salutation, but felt, from their appearance and their manner, that they were unusual, not ordinary, strangers.
...قَالَ سَلَامٌ...
He said, "Peace!"
(and thought, "these seem) unusual people."
C5007. Munkar: unknown, uncommon, unusual, not customary, (hence by derived meaning, not applicable here, not fair or just);
opposite in both primary and secondary meanings to maraf, well-known, usual, customary, just. Cf. 15:62.
فَرَاغَ
إِلَى أَهْلِهِ
فَجَاء بِعِجْلٍ
سَمِينٍ
﴿٢٦﴾
51: 26. Then he turned quickly to his household, brought out a fatted calf.
C5008. They seemed unusual strangers, but he said nothing and quietly proceeded to perform the rites of hospitality. He brought a roast fatted calf and placed it before them to eat. But the strangers did not eat (11:70).
This disconcerted him. According to the laws of hospitality, a stranger under your roof is under your protection, but if he refuses to eat, he refuses your hospitality and keeps himself free from any ties of guest and host.
"What were their designs?" thought Abraham, and he felt some distrust. But they were angels and could not cat. They declared themselves, and announced the birth to Abraham of a son endowed with wisdom,-in other words that Abraham was to be the head of a long line of Prophets! (15:53).
فَقَرَّبَهُ
إِلَيْهِمْ
قَالَ أَلَا
تَأْكُلُونَ
﴿٢٧﴾
51: 27. And placed it before them...
He said, "Will ye not eat?"
فَأَوْجَسَ
مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةً...
51: 28. (When they did not eat), He conceived a fear of them.
...قَالُوا لَا تَخَفْ وَبَشَّرُوهُ بِغُلَامٍ عَلِيمٍ ﴿٢٨﴾
They said, "Fear not,"
and they gave him glad tidings of a son endowed with knowledge.
فَأَقْبَلَتِ
امْرَأَتُهُ
فِي صَرَّةٍ
فَصَكَّتْ
وَجْهَهَا
وَقَالَتْ
عَجُوزٌ عَقِيمٌ
﴿٢٩﴾
51: 29. But his wife came forward (laughing) aloud: she smote her forehead and said:
"a barren old woman!"
C5009. Abraham's wife Sarah was old and barren. This news seemed to her too good to be true. She came forward, clamoured (11:71), struck her forehead with her hands, indicative of her amusement and incredulity as "a barren old woman": 11:72.
قَالُوا
كَذَلِكَ قَالَ
رَبُّكِ...
51: 30. They said, "Even so has thy Lord spoken:
C5010. The angels said:
"What may sound improbable to human beings will yet come to pass if Allah commands. And Allah thy Lord has spoken. So shall it be. For all His promises are full of wisdom and knowledge."
So the angels on that occasion. But the application is for all time and to all human affairs. Never despair. However much Truth may be in the shade, it will shine with full splendour. And the Judgment will come, when good will come to its own!
إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْعَلِيمُ ﴿٣٠﴾
and He is full of Wisdom and Knowledge."
قَالَ
فَمَا خَطْبُكُمْ
أَيُّهَا
الْمُرْسَلُونَ
﴿٣١﴾
51: 31. (Abraham) said: "And what, o ye Messengers, is your errand (now)?"
قَالُوا
إِنَّا أُرْسِلْنَا
إِلَى قَوْمٍ
مُّجْرِمِينَ
﴿٣٢﴾
51: 32. They said,
"We have been sent to a people (deep) in sin --
لِنُرْسِلَ
عَلَيْهِمْ
حِجَارَةً مِّن
طِينٍ
﴿٣٣﴾
51: 33. "To bring on, on them (a shower of) stones of clay (brimstone),
C5011. Cf. 11:82, and n. 1052 to 7:84.
The angels' errand of mercy to Abraham (to announce the succession of godly men in his line) was coupled with their errand of justice and punishment to the people of Lut, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, who were deep in the most abominable and unnatural sins.
So Allah's Mercy and Justice go hand in hand in all human affairs. Faith has nothing to fear, and wickedness has only to turn and repent, to obtain Allah's Mercy.
مُسَوَّمَةً
عِندَ رَبِّكَ
لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ
﴿٣٤﴾
51: 34. "Marked as from thy Lord for those who trespass beyond bounds."
C5012. Cf. 11:83, and n. 1580.
Every crime has its due punishment as marked out in the decrees of Allah.
فَأَخْرَجْنَا
مَن كَانَ فِيهَا
مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
﴿٣٥﴾
51: 35. Then We evacuated those of the Believers who were there.
C5013. The only just or righteous persons found in Sodom and Gomorrah (Cities of the Plain by the Dead Sea) were in the house of Lut, who was the Prophet sent to call them to repentance. He and his believing family and adherents were told to leave in due time, and the wicked were destroyed in a shower of brimstone.
فَمَا
وَجَدْنَا
فِيهَا غَيْرَ
بَيْتٍ مِّنَ
الْمُسْلِمِينَ
﴿٣٦﴾
51: 36. But We found not there any just (Muslim) persons except in one house:
C5014. That was the house of Lut; and even there, his wife had no faith: she disobeyed the Command and perished: 11:81, n. 1577.
وَتَرَكْنَا
فِيهَا آيَةً
لِّلَّذِينَ
يَخَافُونَ
الْعَذَابَ
الْأَلِيمَ
﴿٣٧﴾
51: 37. And We left there a Signs for such as fear the Grievous Penalty.
C5015. The Grievous Chastisement: that is, the Final Judgment.
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in this life is taken as the type of the Final Judgment. The vestiges can be seen-as a Sign and a Warning-in the sulphury plain round the Dead Sea: Cf. xv. 79.
Asad’s Version:
51:24 AND HAS the story of Abraham's honoured guests ever come within thy ken?"
(51:25) When those [heavenly messengers] came unto him and bade him peace, he answered, "[And upon you be) peace!" - [saying to himself,] "They are strangers."17
(51:26) Then he turned quietly to his household, and brought forth a fat [roasted] calf,
(51:27) and placed it before them, saying, "Will you not eat?"
(51:28) [And when he saw that the guests would not eat, he became apprehensive of them; 18 [but) they said, "Fear not" - and gave him the glad tiding of [the birth of] a son who would be endowed with deep knowledge."
51:29 Thereupon his wife approached [the guests] with a loud cry, and struck her face [in astonishment] and exclaimed: "A barren old woman [like me]!"
(51:30) They answered: "Thus has thy Sustainer decreed; and, verily, He alone is truly wise, all-knowing!"
(51:31) Said [Abraham): "And what [else] may you have in view, O you [heavenly] messengers?"
(51:32) They answered: "Behold, we have been sent unto a people lost in sin, 20
(51:33) to let loose upon them stone-hard blows of chastisement, 21
(51:34) marked out in thy Sustainer's sight for [the punishment of) such as have wasted their own selves." 22
51:35 And in the course of time 25 We brought out [of Lot's city] such [few) believers as were there:
(51:36) for apart from one [single] house 24 We did not find there any who had surrendered themselves to Us.
(51:37) And so We left therein a message for those who fear the grievous suffering [which awaits all evildoers).
[[ Asad’s notes - 17 Lit., "unknown people" - i.e., not realizing that they were angels.
18 See note 101 on 11:70.
19 I.e., with prophethood (cf 15:53).
20 I.e., Lot's people.
21 Lit., "stones of clay" - the noun "clay" (tin) is, according to Zamakhshari, identical with the term sijjil mentioned in 1 1 :82 and tentatively explained in the corresponding note 1 14 as signiflying "chastisement pre-ordained".
22 For an explanation of this rendering of the term musrifin, see note 21 on 10:12.
23 Lit., "And then", i.e., after the events described in 1 1 :77 ff. and 15:61 ff.
24 I.e., Lot's family. ]]