52- Surat Altuor

52- Surat Altuor

49 Verses Meccan (revealed in Mecca)

A'auzu Bellahi mena alshytani alrajim

I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan

Bismi Ellahi Alrhmani Alrahim

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Wa altuor (1).

By Altuor.

Wa ketabin mastuor (2).

And by the written book.

Fee raqqin manshuor (3).

In spread out pages.

Wa albaiyti alma'muor (4). 

And by Albaiyt Alma'muor.

Wa alsaqfi almarfuo' (5).

And by the elevated roof.

Wa albahri almasjuor (6).

And by the overflowing sea.

Inna azaba Rabbika la-waqe' (7).

Indeed, the punishment of Your Lord will occur. 

Ma lahuo men dafe' (8).

Of it there is no preventer.

Yawma tamuruo alsama-uo mawra (9).

The day when the heaven will shake with violent shake.

Wa taseeruo aljebaluo saiyra (10).

And the mountains will move with a fast movement. 

Fa-waillun yawmma izin lel-mukazibeen (11).

So woe that day to the deniers.

Allazina hum fee khawdin yal'buon (12).

Who are indulged in vain talk, playing.

Yawma yuda'uona ela nari jahannama da'a (13).

The day they will be thrust into the fire of Hell with a thrust. 

Hazehi alnaruo allati kuntum beha toukazzebuon (14).

This is the Fire which you used to deny.

Afa-sehrun haza am antum la tubseruon (15).

Then is this magic or do you not see?.

Eslawha fas-beruo aww la tas-beruo sawa-on alaiykum innama tujzawna ma kuntum ta'maluon (16).

Burn in it, then be patient or do not be patient, it is the same for you, you are recompensed for what you used to do. 

Inna Almuttaqeena fee jannatin wa na'eem (17). 

Indeed, the righteous will be in gardens and bliss.

Fakeheena bema atahum Rabbuhum wa waqahum Rabbuhum azaba aljaheem (18).

Luxuriating in what their Lord has given them, and their Lord saved them from the punishment of Hellfire.

Kuluo wa-shrabuo hanee-an bema kuntum ta'maluon (19). 

Eat and drink blissfully for what you used to do.

Muttake-ena ala sururin masfufatin wa zawwajnahum be-Hurin Ain (20).

Reclining on lined up thrones, and We will marry them to Hur Ain.

Wa Allazina amanuo wa-ttaba'at-hum zurriyyatuhum be-imanin alhaqna behim zurriyyatahum wa alatnahum men amalehim men shay-in kulluo emre-in bema kasaba raheen (21).

And those who believed and their descendants followed them in faith, We will join their descendants with them, and We will not deprive them from their deeds in anything, every person for what he has earned is held hostage.   

Wa amdadnahum be-fakehatin wa lahmin memma yashtahuon (22).

And We will provide them with fruits and meat from whatever they desire.

Yatanaza-uona feeha ka'san la laghwun feeha wala ta'theem (23).

They will pass one to another a cup therein, neither vain speech nor sinful talk therein.

Wa yatufuo alaiyhim ghelmanun lahum ka-annahum lu'lu'on maknuon (24).

And will circulate among them boys for them as if they were pearls, well protected.

Wa aqbala ba'duhum ala ba'din yatasa'luon (25).

And some of them will approach others, asking one another.

Qaluo inna kunna qabluo fee ahlena mushfeqeen (26).

They will say, indeed we were before fearful in our families.

Fa-manna Allahu alaiyna wa waqana azaba alsamuom (27).

So Allah bestowed us, and protected us from the punishment of the scorching fire.

Inna kunna men qabluo nad-uhuo innahu huwa Albarruo Alraheem (28).

Indeed, we used to supplicate him before, indeed, He is the Source of all Goodness, the Most Merciful.

Fa-zakkir fama anta bene'mati Rabbika be-kahenin wa la majnuon (29). 

So remind, for by the grace of Your Lord You are neither a soothsayer nor a madman.

Am yaquluona sha'irun natarrabasuo behi raiyba almanuon (30). 

Or do they say a poet, for whom we are wait a misfortune of time.

Qul tarabbasuo fa-inni ma'akum mena almutarabbisin (31). 

Say wait for indeed I am with you among those who wait.

Am ta'muruhum ahlamuhum be-haza am hum qawmun taghuon (32).

Or do their minds command them to this, or are they a tyrant people.

Am yaquluona taqawwalahuo bal la you'menuon (33).

Or do they say He has fabricated it, but they do not believe.

Falya'tuo be-hadethin methlehi in kanuo sadeqeen (34).

So let them bring a statement like it, if they are truthful.

Am khulequo men ghaiyri shay-in am humuo alkhalequon (35).

Or they were created of nothing, or are they the creators?.

Am khalaquo alsamawati wa alarda bal la youqenuon (36).

Or have they created the heavens and the earth, but they are not sure.

Am endahum khaza-inuo Rabbika am humuo almusaiyteruon (37).

Or do they have the treasures of your Lord, or are they the dominators. 

Am lahum sullamun yastame-uona feehi falya'ti mustame-uhum be-sultanin mubeen (38).

Or do they have a stairway they listen therewith, then let their listener bring a manifest authority?.

Am lahuo albanatuo wa lakum albanuon (39).

Or does He have daughters and you have sons.

Am tasa'luhum ajran fa-hum men maghramin muthqaluon (40).

Or do You ask them a wage, so they are burdened from the debt?.

Am endahumuo alghaiybuo fa-hum yaktubuon (41).

Or do they have the unseen, so they write.

Am youreduona kaiydan fal-lazina kafaruo humuo almakeduon (42).

Or do they intend a plot, but those who disbelieve are in a plot.

Am lahum ilahun ghaiyruo allahi subhana allahi amma youshrekuon (43).

Or do they have a god other than Allah, Glory to be Allah from what they associate.

Wa inn yaraww kesafan mena alsama-ee saqetan yaquluo sahabun marquom (44).

And if they see a fragment from the sky falling, they will say accumulated clouds.

Fa-zarhum hatta youlaquo yawmahumu allazi feehi yousa'quon (45).

So leave them until they meet their day in which they will be struck by a thunderbolt.

Yawma la youghni anhum kaiyduhum shay-an wa la hum younsaruon (46).

The day their plotting will not avail them anything, nor will they be helped.

Wa inna lel-lazina zalamuo azaban duona zaleka wa lakenna aktharahum la ya'lamuon (47).

And indeed, for those who wronged a punishment before this, but most of them do not know.

Wa-ssber lehukmi Rabbika fa-innaka bea'ayuonena wa-sabbeh be-hamdi Rabbika heena taquom (48).

And be patient for the judgement of Your Lord, Indeed you are in Our Eyes, and glorify with the praise of Your Lord when you arise.

Wa mena al-laili fasa-bbehhuo wa edbara alnujuom (49).

And from the night glorify Him and after the stars.

Simplified interpretation: 

 Surat Altuor, like Surat Almursalaat, begins with five oaths to confirm that the day of resurrection will inevitably happen, then Allah describes two of its scenes, and He threatens the deniers with a painful punishment in the hereafter, and gives glad tidings of the garden of eternal bliss for the righteous. The Messenger of Allah Muhammad (PBUH) prayed Almaghrib prayer with Surat Altuor as narrated by Jubair Bin Mut'im: ''I heard the Prophet reciting Surat Altuor in Almaghrib prayer, and Um Salama said ''I complied to Allah's Messenger that I was sick, so He said ''Perform the Tawaf while riding behind the people, so I performed the Tawaf while Allah's Messenger was offering the prayer by the side of Alka'bah and was reciting ''By Altuor, and by the written book".

 Allah says in the first eight verses "By Altuor, and by the written book, in spread out pages, and by Albaiyt Alma'muor, and by the elevated roof, and by the overflowing sea, indeed, the punishment of Your Lord will occur, of it there is no preventer", that is, Allah swears by His creatures that indicates His great power, where He swears by the mount of Altuor in Sinai (Egypt), which is the mount on which Allah spoke to His Prophet Moses and He also swears by it in Aya (2) of Surat Altin "And by Altour of Sinai", He swears by the book that was written in spread out pages, He swears by Albait Alma'muor which is the Oft frequented House in the seventh heaven and Our Prophet said about it in narration of Malik Bin Sa'sa'ah "Then I was taken up to Albait Alma'muor, and I asked Gabriel About it, and He said: this is Albait Alma'muor in which seventy thousand Angels pray everyday, and when they leave it they never come back", He swears by the sky which is the elevated roof of the earth, and He swears by the sea that overflowed.

 Allah has sworn by what the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and heard on the night journey (Alme'raj journey), as if Allah says to Him as you have seen from the signs of Your Lord, You will also see His punishment that will inevitably befall the disbelievers, and then there will be no one to save them from that punishment. Altuor refers to the Prophet Moses whom the Prophet Muhammad saw on the night journey, where Allah did not swear by anyone except by the Prophet Muhammad in Surat Alhijr Aya (72), and He was taken to such a height where He heard the scraping of the pens which refers to the written book, He also saw Albait Alma'muor as mentioned above, and He pierced the sky which is the elevated roof from one to the other, and He saw four rivers flow from Sidrat Almuntaha including two manifest rivers and two hidden rivers, where Allah's Messenger said in narration of Ana bin Malik from Abu Dhar: "While I was at Mecca, the roof of my house was opened and Gabriel descended, He opened my chest, and washed it with Zamzam water, then He brought a golden tray full of wisdom and faith, and poured its contents into My chest, He closed it, then He took My hand and ascended with Me to the nearest heaven, when I reached the nearest heaven, Gabriel said to the gatekeeper of the heaven Open, the gatekeeper asked Who is it?, Gabriel answered Gabriel, He asked is there anyone with You?, Gabriel replied yes Muhammad is with Me, he asked Has He been sent?, Gabriel said yes, so the gate was opened and We went over the nearest heaven and there we saw a man sitting with some people on his right and some on his left, when he looked towards his right, he laughed, and when he looked towards his left, he wept, then he said welcome! O pious Prophet, and pious son, I asked Gabriel Who is he?, He replied He is Adam and the people on His right and left are the souls of His offspring, those on His right are the people of Paradise, and those on His left are the people of Hell, and when He looks towards His right He laughs and when He looks towards His left, He weeps.

Then He ascended with Me till He reached the second  heaven, and He said to its gatekeeper Open, the gatekeeper said to Him the same as the gatekeeper of the first heaven had said, and He opened the gate. Anas said Abu Dhar added that the Prophet met Adam, Idris, Moses, Jesus, and Abraham, but he did not mention on which heaven they were, but he mentioned that the Prophet met Adam on the nearest heaven and Abraham on the sixth heaven, Anas said when Gabriel along with Prophet passed by Idris, the latter said welcome! O pious Messenger and pious brother, the Prophet asked Who is He?, Gabriel replied He is Idris, the Prophet added I passed By Moses, and He said Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious brother, I asked Gabriel Who is He?, Gabriel replied He is Moses, then I passed by Jesus and and He said Welcome! O pious brother and Pious Prophet, I asked Who is He?, Gabriel replied He is Jesus, then I passed by Abraham, and He said Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious sons, I asked  Gabriel Who is He,?, Gabriel replied He is Abraham, the Prophet added, then Gabriel ascended with Me to a place where I heard the creaking of the pens, Ibn Hazem  and Anas bin Malik said the Prophet said then Allah enjoined fifty prayers on My followers, when I returned with this order to Allah, I passed by Moses who asked Me What Allah has enjoined on Your followers, I replied He has enjoined fifty prayers on them, Moses said Go back to your Lord for your followers will not be able to bear it?. 

So I went back to Allah and requested for reduction, and He reduced  it to half, when I passed by Moses again and informed Him about it, He said Go back to your Lord and ask your followers, so I returned to Allah and requested for further reduction and half of it was reduced, I again passed by Moses, and He said to Me return to Your Lord for your followers will not be able to bear it, So I returned to Allah and He said These are five prayers, and they are all equal to fifty for My word does not change, I returned to Moses and He told Me to go back once again, I replied Now I feel shy of asking My Lord again, then Gabriel took Me till We reached Sidrat Almuntaha (The Lot tree) which was shrouded in colors, indescribable, then I was admitted into Paradise were I found small walls of pearls, and its earth was of musk" (Sahih Albukhari 349). And Anas bin Malik said in another narration from Malik bin sa'sa'ah that the Messenger of Allah saw four rivers which flowed from the root of the Lot tree of the farthest limit, two manifest rivers and two hidden rivers, and Allah's Messenger said Gabriel! What are these rivers?, He replied the two Hidden rivers are the rivers of Paradise, and as regards the two manifest ones, they are the Nile and the Euphrates (Sahih Muslim 164 a). 

 The punishment will befall the disbelievers on the day of resurrection, and Allah describes two scenes of that day in the next two verses (9,10) "The day when the heaven will shake with violent shake, and the mountains will move with a fast movement", where the sky will shake and split up as mentioned in Surat Alinshiqaq Aya (1), and the mountains will move from its places and it will crumble, disappear, and become like flying dust as mentioned in Surat Alwaqi'ah Ayat (5,6).

 Then Allah threatens the infidels in the next six verses (11-16) and says "So woe that day to the deniers, who are indulged in vain talk, playing, the day they will be thrust into the fire of Hell with a thrust, this is the Fire which you used to deny, then is this magic or do you not see?, burn in it, then be patient or do not be patient, it is the same for you, you are  recompensed for what you used to do", that is, Allah threatens the deniers with a painful torment and assures that their recompense will be Hellfire on the day of resurrection where the word woe (Wail) idiomatically carries the meaning of destruction and perishing and means that the torment will be theirs as a recompense for their deeds

 And Allah describes the deniers that they were engaging in denial, refusing to accept the truth, playing in the worldly life, and denying Allah's punishment, so that they will be thrown into Hellfire by force on the day of resurrection, and it will be said to them as a kind of reprimand "This is the Fire which you used to deny, then is this magic or do you not see?", that is, what you used to deny has become a reality before your eyes, and it is not magic but you did not give reason in the worldly life, therefore, burn in the Hellfire as a recompense for your evil deeds, and whether you are patient with its pain and torment or not, it is the same for you, where there is no salvation for you.

 Contrary to the torment that the infidels will face, the righteous will be in eternal bliss where Allah says in the next four verses (17-20) "Indeed, the righteous will be in gardens and bliss, luxuriating in what their Lord has given them, and their Lord saved them from the punishment of Hellfire, eat and drink blissfully for what you used to do, reclining on lined up thrones, and We will marry them to Hur Ain", that is because the righteous obeyed their Lord, and avoided disobeying Him, they deserved the eternal bliss, and they will be luxurious in the blessings that Allah has given them, and Allah will save them from the punishment of Hellfire, and it will be said to them on the day of resurrection "Eat and drink blissfully for what you used to do", and they will recline on lined up thrones, and Allah will marry them to Alhur Alain (Houris) who are so white, pure, and beautiful like well-protected pearls as mentioned in Surat Alwaqi'ah Ayat (22,23).

 Then Allah says in the next eight verses (21-28) "And those who believed and their descendants followed them in faith, We will join their descendants with them, and We will not deprive them from their deeds in anything, every person for what he has earned is held hostage, and We will provide them with fruits and meat from whatever they desire, they will pass one to another a cup therein, neither vain speech nor sinful talk therein, and will circulate among them boys for them as if they were pearls, well protected, and some of them will approach others, asking one another, they will say, indeed we were before fearful in our families, so Allah bestowed us, and protected us from the punishment of the scorching fire, indeed, we used to supplicate him before, indeed, He is the Source of all Goodness, the Most Merciful", That is, those who believed in Allah and His Messenger, and their descendants followed them in faith, Allah will gather the children with their fathers in Paradise as an honor from Allah for their fathers, and nothing will be detracted from the reward of the fathers where every person is held hostage for what he has done, for nothing will be detracted from his deeds, but rather Allah will reward those who do good with the best as mentioned in Surat Alnajm Aya (31). 

 Allah will provide the believers with fruits and meat from whatever they desire, and they will pass one to another a cup of pure wine which does not cause a headache or intoxication as mentioned in Aya (19) of Surat Alwaqi'ah, and they will hear in Paradise neither falsehood, nor what leads them to sin, and there will be boys like well-protected pearls in their beauty and cleanliness to serve them, and some of them will ask each others about their conditions in the worldly life, so that they will say that we were among our families afraid from Allah's punishment, and Allah honored us with His grace, saved us from the punishment of Hellfire, and admitted us to Paradise, as we used to supplicate Him in the worldly life to grant us forgiveness for He is the Source of all Goodness, and He is the Most Merciful.

 Then Allah addresses His Messenger in the next six verses (29-34) "So remind, for by the grace of Your Lord You are neither a soothsayer nor a madman, Or do they say a poet, for whom we are wait a misfortune of time?, Say wait for indeed I am with you among those who wait, Or do their minds command them to this, or are they a tyrant people?, Or do they say He has fabricated it, but they do not believe, so let them bring a statement like it, if they are truthful", where Allah commanded His Messenger to remind His people of the Holy Quran which is the grace of Allah that He has bestowed upon Him, and Allah assures that Muhammad is neither a soothsayer making the Holy Quran up without revelation nor is a madman saying baseless statement. But they say that Muhammad is a poet, and Allah denies this accusation in Surat Yaseen Aya (69) "And We did not teach Him poetry, nor is it befitting for him, it is nothing but a message and a clear Quran". They wish that He would be perished and they wait for a misfortune to befall Him, so they can rest from Him, thereupon, Allah commanded His Messenger to say to them "Wait for indeed I am with you among those who wait" that is, we will see which of us will be punished.

 Their minds commanded them to accuse Muhammad of falsehood for they are a transgressor people, and to say that He forged the Holy Quran for they do not believe that it is the truth from their Lord. If the Holy Quran is the saying of a human being, so let them bring the like of it, and Allah has challenged them in Aya (88) of Surat Alisraa that they can not bring the like of it, where He says "Say, if mankind and the Jinn gathered in order to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like of it, even if they were to each other assistants".  

 Then Allah directs nine questions to them as a kind of sarcasm, and it is an evidence of His Lordship in the next nine verses (35-43) "Or they were created of nothing, or are they the creators?, Or have they created the heavens and the earth, but they are not sure, Or do they have the treasures of your Lord, or are they the dominators, Or do they have a stairway they listen therewith, then let their listener bring a manifest authority?, Or does He have daughters and you have sons, Or do You ask them a wage, so they are burdened from the debt?, Or do they have the unseen, so they write, Or do they intend a plot, but those who disbelieve are in a plot, Or do they have a god other than Allah, Glory to be Allah from what they associate", where Allah sarcastically asks them if they were created without a creator or they are the creators, if they created the heavens and the earth and despite of the fact that there must be a creator of them but they are not certain of the truth, if they have the keys of the treasures of Allah or they are the dominators who disposes all things, if they have a stairway to the heaven by which they listen to unseen and revelation, and if they can do so, then let their listener bring a clear authority to prove that he is right, if Allah have daughters and they have sons, where they said that the Angels are the daughters of Allah and named them the name of female as mentioned in Aya (27) of Surat Alnajm "Indeed, those who do not believe in the Hereafter name the Angels names of female".

 Or do Muhammad (PBUH) ask them a wage, so they are burdened from the debt?, Or do they have the unseen, so they write, that is, Allah says to His Prophet that He did not ask them a wage for conveying the message of Allah, and they did not pay Him anything to be burdened from the debt, so why are they running away from the way of the truth?. Or do they have the unseen which informing them that they will be in a better position than the believers and these two verses are the same of Ayat (46,47) of Surat Alqalam. Or do these people want to plot against the Prophet and His companions, so their plots only return against themselves where they already in a plot, and or do they have a God other than Allah who created them and provided them, so that Allah ends this sarcasm by exalting Himself where He says "Glory to be Allah from what they associate".

 Then Allah says in the next four verses (44-47) "And if they see a fragment from the sky falling, they will say accumulated clouds, so leave them until they meet their day in which they will be struck by a thunderbolt, the day their plotting will not avail them anything, nor will they be helped, and indeed, for those who wronged a punishment before this, but most of them do not know", that is, if the disbelievers see a portion from the sky falling in order to torment them they will say, out of their arrogance and stubbornness, that it is accumulated clouds, and they will not turn away from the error they are in. So that Allah commanded His Messenger to leave them until they meet the day of resurrection, the day their plotting which they plotted in the worldly life will not avail them from Allah's punishment, and they will have no helper besides Allah, and Allah will punish them in the worldly life and will afflict them with calamities so that they may repent but most of them will not know and will not understand what is meant by these calamities.

 Allah says in the last two verses (48,49) "And be patient for the judgement of Your Lord, Indeed you are in Our Eyes, and glorify with the praise of Your Lord when you arise, And from the night glorify Him and after the stars", that is, Allah commanded His Prophet to be patient for Allah's judgement in conveying the message, and Allah reassures Him that He is in His protection and in His Eyes, then Allah commanded Him to glorify with the praise of Allah when He arise, and it may be arise from sleep or arise from any council, where our Prophet said in narration of Abu Hurayrah "Whoever sits in a council and engages in meaningless speech and then says "Subhanaka Allahumma wa behamdeka, Ashhaduo an la illaha ella anta astaghferuka wa atubuo elaiyka" Glory to be You, O Allah, and praise be to You, I testify that there is no God but You, I seek Your forgiveness, and I repent to You, whatever occurred in that council would be forgiven to him". And Allah commanded His Prophet in the last verse to glorify Him and to pray at night where Allah says in Surat Alisraa Aya (79) ''And from the night, pray with it as a voluntary prayer for you, perhaps Your Lord will raise you to a praised position", Allah also commanded Him to pray after the stars have passed away, which are the two rak'ahs before the dawn prayer, so that our Prophet, as narrated by Aisha, was not so much particular about observing supererogatory rak'ahs as in case of the two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer, and He said about them, also in narration of Aisha, "The two rak'ahs at dawn are better than the worldly life and what it contains".

No one Knows its interpretation except Allah