39 Az-Zumar (The Throngs)
Mecca Period 59 [75 verses]
39:53 [Asad] SAY: "[Thus speaks God: 57 ] "O you servants of Mine who have transgressed againstyour own selves! Despair not of God's mercy: behold, God forgives all sins 58 - for, verily, He alone is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!'"
قُلْ
يَا
عِبَادِيَ
الَّذِينَ
أَسْرَفُوا
عَلَى
أَنفُسِهِمْ
لَا
تَقْنَطُوا
مِن
رَّحْمَةِ
اللَّهِ...
39:53. Say:
"O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah:
... إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا...
for Allah forgives all sins:
C4324. Forgives all sins: i.e., on sincere repentance and amendment of conduct.
... إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴿٥٣﴾
for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Yuksel’s version
Never Despair; Always Be an Optimist
39:53 Say, "O My servants who transgressed against themselves, do not despair of God's mercy. For God forgives all sins. He is the Forgiver, the Compassionate."*
[[ Yuksel’s note - 039:053 Associating partners with God (shirk), is a different category than sin (zanb); it is an unforgivable crime. See 4:48,116; Also, see 12:87; 15:56; 30:36; 41:49, and 39:10. The pronoun in "my servant" refers to God, since according to numerous verses only God can be the master. This sudden shift in pronouns is called iltifat (conversion, turning one's face to someone) in Arabic literature, which is defined as "the change of speech from one mode to another, for the sake of freshness and variety for the listener, to renew his interest, and to keep his mind from boredom and frustration, through having the one mode continuously at his ear." On this and other literary aspects of the Quran, I recommend Neal Robinson's book: Discovering The Qur'ān: A Contemporary Approach To A Veiled Text (1996, SCM Press Ltd.). For other examples of iltifat, see 35:9; 69:41-47; 16:1-2; 39:15-16; 89:25-30; 20:113-114; 67:18-19; 5:44; 20:124; 75:1-3; 2:38; 11:37; 50:45; 1:2-5; 19:88; 52:17-19; 16:72; 45:35; 30:38; and 70:39-4; 17:1-3; 17:95; 39:53; 10:22. ]]
[[ Asad’s note - 58 Sc, "whenever the sinner repents and turns to Him": cf, for instance, 6:54 - "Your Sustainer has willed upon Himself the law of grace and mercy - so that if any of you does a bad deed out of ignorance, and thereafter repents and lives righteously, He shall be [found] much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace"; or 4:1 10 - "he who does evil or [otherwise] sins against himself, and thereafter prays God to forgive him, shall find God much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace". ]]
11: 107
Asad therein to abide as long as the heavens and the earth endure – unless your Sustainer wills it otherwise [note 134]; for, verily, your Sustainer is a sovereign doer of whatever He wills.
Yusuf Ali They will dwell therein for all the time that the heavens and the earth endure except as thy Lord wills: for thy Lord is the (sure) Accomplisher of what He planneth.
Pickthall Abiding there so long as the heavens and the earth endure save for that which thy Lord willeth. Lo! thy Lord is Doer of what He will.
Yuksel They will abide in it as long as the heavens and earth exist, except for what your Lord wishes. Your Lord does as He pleases.
Transliteration Kha_lidina fiha_ ma_ da_matis sama_wa_tu wal ardu illa_ ma_ sya_'a rabbuk(a), inna rabbaka fa''a_lul lima_ yurid(u).
[[ Ali’s note - 1608 Khalidin: This is the word which is usually translated "dwell for ever" or "dwell for aye". Here it is definitely connected with two conditions, viz: (1) as long as the heavens and the earth endure, and (2) except as Allah wills. Some Muslim theologians deduce from this the conclusion that the penalties referred to are not eternal, because the heavens and the earth as we see them are not eternal, and the punishments for the deeds of a life that will end should not be such as will never end. The majority of Muslim theologians reject this view. They hold that the heavens and the earth here referred to are not those we see now, but others that will be eternal. They agree that Allah's Will is unlimited in scope and power, but that It has willed that the rewards and punishments of the Day of Judgment will be eternal. (11.107)]]
[[ Asad’s note – I.e., unless God wills to reprieve them (cf. the last paragraph of 6:128 and the corresponding note 114, as well as note 10 on 40:12). The phrase “as long as the heavens and the earth endure” has causes some perplexity to most of the classical commentators in view of the many Quranic statements to the effect that the world as well know it will come to an end on the Last Day, which is synonymous with the Day of Resurrection. …..were used metonymically in the sense of “time beyond count”….See also 20:105-107 and the corresponding note 90, as well note 63 on 14:48.]]
11: 108
Yusuf Ali And those who are blessed shall be in the Garden: they will dwell therein for all the time that the heavens and the earth endure except as thy Lord willeth: a gift without break.
Pickthall And as for those who will be glad (that day) they will be in the Garden, abiding there so long as the heavens and the earth endure save for that which thy Lord willeth: a gift unfailing.
Yuksel As for those who are fortunate, they will be in paradise; in it they will abide as long as the heavens and earth exist, except for what your Lord wishes, a giving without end.*
Transliteration Wa ammal lazina su'idu_ fa fil jannati kha_lidina fiha_ ma_ da_matis sama_wa_tu wal ardu illa_ ma_ sya_'a rabbuk(a), 'ata_'an gaira majzu_z(in).
[[ Yuksel’s note - 011:108 After the end of the world, the earth together with the universe will be recreated anew (14:48).]]