As-Saffat 37:30
Those who set the Ranks · Juz 23 · Page 447
وَمَا كَانَ لَنَا عَلَيۡكُم مِّن سُلۡطَٰنِۭۖ بَلۡ كُنتُمۡ قَوۡمٗا طَٰغِينَ ٣٠
And we had over you no authority, but you were a transgressing people.
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 37:28–32
Commentary
When the leading elders among disbelievers who had misled their common adherents appear before their followers on the plains of resurrection, they would, rather than help each other, start arguing among themselves. The present verses carry a sampling of the same mutual argumentation between the contesting parties as well as the sad end they will have to face. Two things are noteworthy here:
1. The word: يَمِينِ (yamin) in:إِنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَأْتُونَنَا عَنِ الْيَمِينِ (You were the ones who used to come to [ mislead ] us forcefully.- 37:28) may have several meanings. One possible meaning of the expression: عَنِ الْيَمِينِ ('ani'l-yamin) is 'powerfully' or 'forcefully'. The translation given in the text above is based on this meaning, which seems to be fairly clear and cloudless. In addition to that, 'yamin' is also used to mean oath. Some commentators have explained it as: 'you came to us with oaths,' that is, 'you made us believe on oath that our creed is correct and the teaching of the messenger of Allah is, God forbid, false.' In terms of the words of the Qur'an, both these explanations are possible and acceptable comfortably.
Page 447
37:25
مَا لَكُمۡ لَا تَنَاصَرُونَ ٢٥
[They will be asked], "What is [wrong] with you? Why do you not help each other?"
37:26
بَلۡ هُمُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ مُسۡتَسۡلِمُونَ ٢٦
But they, that Day, are in surrender.
37:27
وَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ ٢٧
And they will approach one another asking [i.e., blaming] each other.
37:28
قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّكُمۡ كُنتُمۡ تَأۡتُونَنَا عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ ٢٨
They will say, "Indeed, you used to come at us from the right."1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., from our position of strength, oppressing us. Or from where we would have grasped the truth, preventing us. ↩
37:29
قَالُواْ بَل لَّمۡ تَكُونُواْ مُؤۡمِنِينَ ٢٩
They [i.e., the oppressors] will say, "Rather, you [yourselves] were not believers,
37:30
وَمَا كَانَ لَنَا عَلَيۡكُم مِّن سُلۡطَٰنِۭۖ بَلۡ كُنتُمۡ قَوۡمٗا طَٰغِينَ ٣٠
And we had over you no authority, but you were a transgressing people.
37:31
فَحَقَّ عَلَيۡنَا قَوۡلُ رَبِّنَآۖ إِنَّا لَذَآئِقُونَ ٣١
So the word [i.e., decree] of our Lord has come into effect upon us; indeed, we will taste [punishment].
37:32
فَأَغۡوَيۡنَٰكُمۡ إِنَّا كُنَّا غَٰوِينَ ٣٢
And we led you to deviation; indeed, we were deviators."
37:33
فَإِنَّهُمۡ يَوۡمَئِذٖ فِي ٱلۡعَذَابِ مُشۡتَرِكُونَ ٣٣
So indeed they, that Day, will be sharing in the punishment.
37:34
إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَفۡعَلُ بِٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ ٣٤
Indeed, that is how We deal with the criminals.
37:35
إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُوٓاْ إِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمۡ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ يَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ ٣٥
Indeed they, when it was said to them, "There is no deity but Allāh," were arrogant
37:36
وَيَقُولُونَ أَئِنَّا لَتَارِكُوٓاْ ءَالِهَتِنَا لِشَاعِرٖ مَّجۡنُونِۭ ٣٦
And were saying, "Are we to leave our gods for a mad poet?"
37:37
بَلۡ جَآءَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَصَدَّقَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ ٣٧
Rather, he [i.e., the Prophet (ﷺ)] has come with the truth and confirmed the [previous] messengers.
37:38
إِنَّكُمۡ لَذَآئِقُواْ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡأَلِيمِ ٣٨
Indeed, you [disbelievers] will be tasters of the painful punishment,
37:39
وَمَا تُجۡزَوۡنَ إِلَّا مَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ٣٩
And you will not be recompensed except for what you used to do -
37:40
إِلَّا عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِينَ ٤٠
But not the chosen servants of Allāh.
37:41
أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمۡ رِزۡقٞ مَّعۡلُومٞ ٤١
Those will have a provision determined -
37:42
فَوَٰكِهُ وَهُم مُّكۡرَمُونَ ٤٢
Fruits;1 and they will be honored
1 translator’s note
- Meaning everything delicious. ↩
37:43
فِي جَنَّٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ ٤٣
In gardens of pleasure
37:44
عَلَىٰ سُرُرٖ مُّتَقَٰبِلِينَ ٤٤
On thrones facing one another.
37:45
يُطَافُ عَلَيۡهِم بِكَأۡسٖ مِّن مَّعِينِۭ ٤٥
There will be circulated among them a cup [of wine] from a flowing spring,
37:46
بَيۡضَآءَ لَذَّةٖ لِّلشَّٰرِبِينَ ٤٦
White and delicious to the drinkers;
37:47
لَا فِيهَا غَوۡلٞ وَلَا هُمۡ عَنۡهَا يُنزَفُونَ ٤٧
No bad effect is there in it, nor from it will they be intoxicated.
37:48
وَعِندَهُمۡ قَٰصِرَٰتُ ٱلطَّرۡفِ عِينٞ ٤٨
And with them will be women limiting [their] glances,1 with large, [beautiful] eyes,
1 translator’s note
- i.e., chaste and modest, looking only at their mates. ↩
37:49
كَأَنَّهُنَّ بَيۡضٞ مَّكۡنُونٞ ٤٩
As if they were [delicate] eggs, well-protected.
37:50
فَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ ٥٠
And they will approach one another, inquiring of each other.
37:51
قَالَ قَآئِلٞ مِّنۡهُمۡ إِنِّي كَانَ لِي قَرِينٞ ٥١
A speaker among them will say, "Indeed, I had a companion [on earth].