Worship God and trust me, I do not ask any reward from you, my reward is with God,
26. Surah Al Shu'ara', Mecca 47
Moses, Noah, Lot, Shuaib,
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
كَذَّبَتْ
قَوْمُ نُوحٍ
الْمُرْسَلِينَ
﴿١٠٥﴾
26: 105. The people of Noah rejected the messengers.
إِذْ
قَالَ لَهُمْ
أَخُوهُمْ نُوحٌ
أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ
﴿١٠٦﴾
26: 106. Behold, their brother Noah said to them:
"Will ye not fear (Allah)?
C3186. Noah's generation had lost all faith and abandoned themselves to evil. They had rejected the Message of messengers previously sent to the world.
Noah was sent to them as one of themselves ("their brother"). His life was open before them: he had proved himself pure in heart and conduct (like the holy Prophet of Islam long after him), and worthy of every trust.
Would they fear Allah and follow his advice?
They could see that he had no ends of his own to serve. Would they not listen to him?
إِنِّي
لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ
أَمِينٌ ﴿١٠٧﴾
26: 107. "I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust:
C3187. Amin= one to whom a trust has been given, with several shades of meaning implied: e.g.,
- worthy of trust,
- bound to deliver his trust, as a prophet is bound to deliver his Message,
- bound to act entirely as directed by the trust, as a prophet is bound to give only the Message of Allah, and not add anything of his own, and
- not seeking any interest of his own.
فَاتَّقُوا
اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
﴿١٠٨﴾
26: 108. "So fear Allah, and obey me.
وَمَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ...
26: 109. "No reward do I ask of you for it:
...إِنْ
أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا
عَلَى رَبِّ
الْعَالَمِينَ
﴿١٠٩﴾
my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds:
فَاتَّقُوا
اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
﴿١١٠﴾
26: 110. "So fear Allah, and obey me."
C3188. Note how the repetition rounds off the argument.
See n. 3186 above.
كَذَّبَتْ
عَادٌ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
﴿١٢٣﴾
26: 123. The 'Ad (people) rejected the messengers.
C3194. See n. 1040 to 7:65 for the 'Ad people and their location.
Here the emphasis is on the fact that they were materialists believing in brute force, and felt secure in their fortresses and resources, but were found quite helpless when Allah's Message came and they rejected it.
إِذْ
قَالَ لَهُمْ
أَخُوهُمْ هُودٌ
أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ
﴿١٢٤﴾
26: 124. Behold, their brother Hud said to them:
"Will ye not fear (Allah)?
إِنِّي
لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ
أَمِينٌ ﴿١٢٥﴾
26: 125. "I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust.
C3195. See n. 3187 to 26:107 above.
فَاتَّقُوا
اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
﴿١٢٦﴾
26: 126. "So fear Allah and obey me.
وَمَا
أَسْأَلُكُمْ
عَلَيْهِ مِنْ
أَجْرٍ...
26: 127. "No reward do I ask of you for it:
...إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿١٢٧﴾
my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds.
أَتَبْنُونَ
بِكُلِّ رِيعٍ
آيَةً تَعْبَثُونَ
﴿١٢٨﴾
26: 128. "Do ye build a landmark on every high place to amuse yourselves?
C3196. Any merely material civilisation prides itself on show and parade. Its votaries scatter monuments for all sorts of things in conspicuous places-monuments which commemorate deeds and events which are forgotten in a few generations!
Cf. Shelley's poem on Ozymandias:
"I am Ozymandias, King of Kings!
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair! ....
Boundless and bare the lonely and level sands stretch far away!"
وَتَتَّخِذُونَ
مَصَانِعَ
لَعَلَّكُمْ
تَخْلُدُونَ
﴿١٢٩﴾
26: 129. "And do ye get for yourselves fine buildings in the hope of living therein (forever)?
وَإِذَا
بَطَشْتُم
بَطَشْتُمْ
جَبَّارِينَ
﴿١٣٠﴾
26: 130. "And when ye exert your strong hand, do ye do it like men of absolute power?
C3197. "Without any responsibility or consideration for those who come within your power?"
كَذَّبَتْ
ثَمُودُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
﴿١٤١﴾
26: 141. The Thamud (people) rejected the messengers.
C3203. For the Thamud people see n. 1043 t0 7:73.
They were great builders in stone and a people with agricultural wealth, but they were an exclusive people and oppressed the poor.
The point emphasised here is:
"How long will your wealth last, especially if you depress your own people and dishonour Allah's Signs by sacrilege?"
The inscriptions on the Thamud remains of rock-cut buildings in Al-Hijr are described in the Appendix VII at the end of this Surah.
إِذْ
قَالَ لَهُمْ
أَخُوهُمْ
صَالِحٌ أَلَا
تَتَّقُونَ
﴿١٤٢﴾
26: 142. Behold, their brother Salih said to them:
"Will you fear (Allah)?
إِنِّي
لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ
أَمِينٌ ﴿١٤٣﴾
26: 143. "I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust.
فَاتَّقُوا
اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
﴿١٤٤﴾
26: 144. "So fear Allah, and obey me.
وَمَا
أَسْأَلُكُمْ
عَلَيْهِ مِنْ
أَجْرٍ...
26: 145. "No reward do I ask of you for it:
...إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿١٤٥﴾
my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds.
أَتُتْرَكُونَ
فِي مَا هَاهُنَا
آمِنِينَ ﴿١٤٦﴾
26: 146. "Will ye be left secure, in (the enjoyment of) all that ye have here? --
فِي
جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ
﴿١٤٧﴾
26: 147. "Gardens and Springs,
وَزُرُوعٍ
وَنَخْلٍ طَلْعُهَا
هَضِيمٌ ﴿١٤٨﴾
26: 148. "And corn-fields and date-palms with spathes near breaking (with the weight of fruit)?
C3204. The date palm flowers on a long spathe: when the flowers develop into fruit, the heavy ones hang with the load of fruit.
The Thamud evidently were proud of their skill in producing corn and fruit and in hewing fine dwellings out of rocks, like the later dwellings of Roman times in the town of Petra.
وَتَنْحِتُونَ
مِنَ الْجِبَالِ
بُيُوتًا فَارِهِينَ
﴿١٤٩﴾
26: 149. "And ye carve house out of (rocky) mountains with great skill.
فَاتَّقُوا
اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
﴿١٥٠﴾
26: 150. "But fear Allah and obey me;
وَلَا
تُطِيعُوا
أَمْرَ الْمُسْرِفِينَ
﴿١٥١﴾
26: 151. "And follow not the bidding of those who are extravagant --
C3205. They are told:
"All your skill is very well; but cultivate virtue and do not follow the ways of those who put forward extravagant claims for men's powers and material resources, or who lead lives of extravagance in luxury and self-indulgence; that makes mischief: but the door of repentance is open: win you repent?"
الَّذِينَ
يُفْسِدُونَ
فِي الْأَرْضِ
وَلَا يُصْلِحُونَ
﴿١٥٢﴾
26: 152. "Who make mischief in the land, and mend not (their ways)."
كَذَّبَتْ
قَوْمُ لُوطٍ
الْمُرْسَلِينَ
﴿١٦٠﴾
26: 160. The people of Lut rejected the messengers.
C3209. The story of Lut (Lot) will be found in 7:80-84: see n. 1049.
Here the point is that the people of the Cities of the Plain were shamelessly addicted to vice against nature, and Lut's warning only exasperated them, until they were destroyed by a shower of brimstone.
إِذْ
قَالَ لَهُمْ
أَخُوهُمْ لُوطٌ
أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ
﴿١٦١﴾
26: 161. Behold, their brother Lut said to them:
"Will ye not fear (Allah)?
إِنِّي
لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ
أَمِينٌ ﴿١٦٢﴾
26: 162. "I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust.
فَاتَّقُوا
اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
﴿١٦٣﴾
26: 163. "So fear Allah and obey me.
وَمَا
أَسْأَلُكُمْ
عَلَيْهِ مِنْ
أَجْرٍ...
26: 164. "No reward do I ask of you for it:
...إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿١٦٤﴾
my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds.
أَتَأْتُونَ
الذُّكْرَانَ
مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ
﴿١٦٥﴾
26: 165. "Of all the creatures in the world, will ye approach males.
وَتَذَرُونَ
مَا خَلَقَ
لَكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ
مِنْ أَزْوَاجِكُم...
26: 166. "And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your mates?
...بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ عَادُونَ ﴿١٦٦﴾
Nay, ye are a people transgressing (all limits)!"
كَذَّبَ
أَصْحَابُ
الْأَيْكَةِ
الْمُرْسَلِينَ
﴿١٧٦﴾
26: 176. The Companions of the Wood rejected the messengers.
C3214. See n. 2000 to 15:78.
إِذْ
قَالَ لَهُمْ
شُعَيْبٌ ...
26: 177. Behold, Shuaib said to them:
C3215. For Shu'ayb see n. 1054 to 7:85.
... أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ ﴿١٧٧﴾
"Will ye not fear (Allah)?
إِنِّي
لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ
أَمِينٌ ﴿١٧٨﴾
26: 178. "I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust.
فَاتَّقُوا
اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
﴿١٧٩﴾
26: 179. "So fear Allah and obey me.
وَمَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ...
26: 180. "No reward do I ask of you for it:
...إِنْ
أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا
عَلَى رَبِّ
الْعَالَمِينَ
﴿١٨٠﴾
my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds.
أَوْفُوا
الْكَيْلَ وَلَا
تَكُونُوا مِنَ
الْمُخْسِرِينَ
﴿١٨١﴾
26: 181. "Give just measure, and cause no loss (to others by fraud).
C3216. They were a commercial people, but they were given to fraud, injustice, and wrongful mischief (by intermeddling with others).
They are asked to fear Allah and follow His ways: it is He Who also created their predecessors among mankind, who never prospered by fraud and violent wrong-doing, but only justice and fair dealing.
وَزِنُوا
بِالْقِسْطَاسِ
الْمُسْتَقِيم
﴿١٨٢﴾
ِ
26: 182. "And weigh with scales true and upright.
وَلَا
تَبْخَسُوا
النَّاسَ
أَشْيَاءهُمْ...
26: 183. "And withhold not things justly due to men,
...وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ ﴿١٨٣﴾
nor do evil in the land, working mischief.
وَاتَّقُوا
الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ
وَالْجِبِلَّةَ
الْأَوَّلِينَ
﴿١٨٤﴾
26: 184. "And fear Him Who created you and (Who created) the generations before (you).
قَالُوا
إِنَّمَا أَنتَ
مِنَ الْمُسَحَّرِينَ
﴿١٨٥﴾
26: 185. They said:
"Thou art only one of those bewitched!
وَمَا
أَنتَ إِلَّا
بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا...
26: 186. "Thou art no more than a mortal like us,
...وَإِن نَّظُنُّكَ لَمِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ ﴿١٨٦﴾
and indeed we think thou art a liar!
C3217. They deny that he is a prophet or that they are doing wrong, or that any former generations behaved differently. They think they are the true exponents of human nature, and that such as he-idealists-are mere madmen.
Asad’s Version:
26:105
THE PEOPLE of Noah [too] gave the lie to [one of God's] message-bearers
(26:106) when their brother Noah said unto them: "Will you not be conscious of God? (26: 107) Behold, I am an apostle [sent by Him] to you, [and therefore] worthy of your trust:
(26:108) be, then, conscious of God, and pay heed unto me!
26:109 "And no reward whatever do I ask of you for it: my reward rests with none but the Sustainer of all the worlds.
(26: 110) Hence, remain conscious of God, and pay heed unto me! "
26:123 [AND the tribe of] Ad gave the lie to [one of God's] message-bearers
(26:124) when their brother Hud 55 said unto them: "Will you not be conscious of God? (26:125) Behold, I am an apostle [sent by Him] to you, [and therefore] worthy of your trust:
(26:126) be, then, conscious of God, and pay heed unto me!
26:127 "And no reward whatever do I ask of you for it: my reward rests with none but the Sustainer of all the worlds.
(26:128) "Will you, in your wanton folly, build [idolatrous] altars on every
height, 56
(26:129) and make for yourselves mighty castles, [hoping] that you might become immortal? 57
(26: 130) And will you [always], whenever you lay hand [on others], lay hand [on them) cruelly, without any restraint? 58
26:141 [AND the tribe of) Thamud gave the lie to [one of God's) message-bearers
(26:142) when
their brother Salih 62 said unto them: "Will you not be conscious of God?
(26: 143) Behold, I am an apostle [sent by Him] to you, [and therefore) worthy of your trust: (26:144) be, then, conscious of God, and pay heed unto me!
26:145 "And no reward whatever do I ask of you for it: my reward rests with none but the Sustainer of all the worlds.
(26: 146) "Do you think that you will be left secure [forever] in the midst of
what you have here and now?" –
(26:147) amidst [these] gardens and springs
(26:148) and fields, and [these] palm-trees with slender spathes? –
(26:149) and that you will [always be able to] hew dwellings out of the mountains with [the same] great skill?"
26:150 "Be, then, conscious of God, and pay heed unto me,
(26:151) and pay no heed to the counsel of those who are given to excesses –
(26:152) those who spread corruption on earth instead of setting things to rights
26:160 [AND] the people of Lot 70 gave the lie to [one of God's] message-bearers
(26:161) when their brother Lot said unto them: "Will you not be conscious of God?
(26:162) Behold, I am an apostle [sent by Him] to you, [and therefore] worthy of your trust:
(26:163) be, then, conscious of God, and pay heed unto me!
26:164 "And no reward whatever do I ask of you for it: my reward rests with none but the Sustainer of all the worlds.
(26:165) "Must you, of all people, [lustfully] approach men,
(26:166) keeping yourselves aloof from all the [lawful] spouses whom your Sustainer has created for you? Nay, but you are people who transgress all bounds of what is right!"
26:176 [AND] the dwellers of the wooded dales [of Madyan] gave the lie to [one of God's] message- bearers
(26:177) when their brother Shu'ayb 74 said unto them: "Will you not be conscious of God?
(26:178) Behold, I am an apostle [sent by Him] to you, [and therefore] worthy of your
trust:
(26:179) be, then, conscious of God, and pay heed unto me!
(26:180) "And no reward
whatever do I ask of you for it: my reward rests with none but the Sustainer of all the worlds.
26:181 "[Always] give full measure, and be not among those who [unjustly] cause loss [to others];
(26:182) and [in all your dealings] weigh with a true balance,
(26:183) and do not deprive people of what is rightfully theirs; 75 and do not act wickedly on earth by spreading corruption,
(26:184) but be conscious of Him who has created you just as [He created] those countless generations of old!" 76