51. Adh-Dhariyat

By the [winds] scattering [dust], dispersing [it]

By the winds that scatter the dust

Consider those who scatter broadcast. (Individuals and communities that spread the Divine Word)

And the [clouds] carrying a load [of water]

and those that bear the burden [of the rain]

And those who carry a great burden of responsibility

And the ships sailing with ease

and those speeding along with ease

And those who glide gently (toward success)

And the [angels] apportioning [each] matter,

and distributing the command of God at His behest

And those who share the Command

Indeed, what you are promised is true.

What you are promised is certainly true

Behold, what you are promised will come to pass. (The Qur'an will prevail)

And indeed, the recompense is to occur.

the Judgement will surely come to pass

And verily, the Divine System will be established

By the heaven containing pathways,1

by the heaven full of tracks

Witness is the sky with starry orbits

Indeed, you are in differing speech.1

surely you are deeply at variance [as to what to believe]

Behold, it is you humans who deviate from your course

Deluded away from it [i.e., the Qur’ān] is he who is deluded.

he is turned away from [the truth] who is destined to be so turned away

Wanders in the wilderness of thought he who wills to wander

Destroyed are the misinformers1

May the conjecturers perish

Belittle themselves those who live by guesswork

Who are within a flood [of confusion] and heedless.

who flounder in the depths of ignorance

They know not that they know not

They ask, "When is the Day of Recompense?"

They ask, "When will the Day of Judgement come

They ask mockingly, "When is the Day of Judgment coming

[It is] the Day they will be tormented over the Fire.

It will be the Day when they are tormented at the Fire

It is the Day when they are tried at the Fire

[And will be told], "Taste your torment. This is that for which you were impatient."

Taste your trial. This is what you sought to hasten

Taste the trial that you brought upon yourselves. This is what you asked to hasten

Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and springs,

Surely the God-fearing will find themselves in the midst of gardens and springs

Behold, in the midst of Gardens and springs are those who walked aright

Accepting what their Lord has given them. Indeed, they were before that doers of good.

They shall receive what their Lord will bestow on them. They have done good works in the past

Enjoying all that their Lord grants them, for, behold, aforetime they used to benefit others

They used to sleep but little of the night,1

sleeping little in the night-time

And rarely did they fall asleep at night without reflection. ('Haju' = Fall asleep instantly like an exhausted horse)

And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness,

praying at dawn for God's pardon

And heartily sought to be guarded against their imperfections. ('Sahr' = Morning = Core of the heart (Lisanal Arab). 'Ghafarah' = Helmet = Guarding

And from their properties was [given] the right of the [needy] petitioner and the deprived.

and sharing their possessions with the beggars and the deprived

And in their wealth was the Divine Right of the requester and the deprived

And on the earth are signs for the certain [in faith]

On the earth, and in yourselves

And in the earth are signs for those who wish to attain conviction. (And its resources must remain open for all (15:20), (41:10)

And in yourselves. Then will you not see?

there are signs for firm believers. Do you not see then

And also in yourselves, your individual psyche and soma, your folk and the unity in diversity among your human communities. Can you not then use your inner vision? ('Anfusikum' entails all the meanings rendered here)

And in the heaven is your provision and whatever you are promised.

In heaven is your sustenance, and also that which you are promised

And in the heaven is all your providence and all that you are promised. (It is the Divine Laws that bestow upon you your physical and mental needs and promise you the just reward of your actions)

Then by the Lord of the heaven and earth, indeed, it is truth - just as [sure as] it is that you are speaking.

By the Lord of the heaven and the earth, it is certainly the truth. It is as true as your ability to speak

And by the Lord of the heavens and the earth, all that which is being said is as Real as your speaking to one another

Has there reached you the story of the honored guests of Abraham?1 -

Have you heard the story of Abraham's honoured guests

And (as a historical evidence) has the story of Abraham's honored guests reached you

When they entered upon him and said, "[We greet you with] peace." He answered, "[And upon you] peace; [you are] a people unknown."

When they came to him they said, "Peace!" He answered, "Peace!" [saying to himself]. "They are strangers

When they visited him greeting him with "Peace!" He answered, "Peace to you strangers

Then he went to his family and came with a fat [roasted] calf.

Then he turned quickly to his household, and brought a fatted calf

Then he went quietly to his household, and brought forth a well-bred roasted calf

And placed it near them; he said, "Will you not eat?"

and placed it before them. "Will you not eat?" he said

And placed it before them, saying, "Will you not eat

And he felt from them apprehension.1 They said, "Fear not," and gave him good tidings of a learned boy.

beginning to be afraid of them. But they said, "Don't be afraid"; and they gave him the good news of a son who would be endowed with knowledge

Then he felt apprehensive of them. They said, "Fear not!" And gave him the glad news of a son who would be endowed with knowledge. (Abraham was concerned, since people with aggressive designs used to refuse hospitality. But they were hurrying to Sodom (11:69-76), (15:50-55), (26)

And his wife approached with a cry [of alarm] and struck her face and said, "[I am] a barren old woman!"

Then his wife came forward, crying and beating her brow. She said, "I am surely a barren, old woman

Then his wife came forward with a loud cry and struck her face in astonishment and said, "An old barren woman

They said, "Thus has said your Lord; indeed, He is the Wise, the Knowing."

Such is the will of your Lord," they replied. "He is the Wise, the All Knowing

They said, "Thus it is. Your Lord has so decreed. Behold, He, He alone is all-Wise, all-Knowing

[Abraham] said, "Then what is your business [here], O messengers?"

Abraham asked, "What is your errand, O messengers

Abraham said, "And now what is your task, O Messengers

They said, "Indeed, we have been sent to a people of criminals1

They replied, "We have been sent to a sinful people

They replied, "Behold, We have been sent to a guilty folk who violate human rights

To send down upon them stones of clay,

so that we may bring down upon them a shower of stones of clay

That we may herald upon them a shower of hardened stones

Marked in the presence of your Lord for the transgressors."

which are marked by your Lord for the punishment of those guilty of excesses

Marked out by your Lord for those who have wasted their own 'Self

So We brought out whoever was in them [i.e., the cities] of the believers.

We saved all the faithful in the town

We then brought forth safe all believers that were in town

And We found not within them other than a [single] house of Muslims.1

We found in it only one household of true believers

But We found therein none but one Muslim household

And We left therein a sign for those who fear the painful punishment.

and We left therein a sign for those who fear a painful punishment

And so We left therein a Sign for those who fear a painful consequence (of their actions)

And in Moses [was a sign], when We sent him to Pharaoh with clear authority.1

There is another sign in Moses: We sent him to Pharaoh with clear authority

And in Moses too! Behold, We sent him to Pharaoh with a clear authority

But he turned away with his supporters and said, "A magician or a madman."

But he turned his back, he and his courtiers, and said, "This is a sorcerer or a madman

But he turned away in the pride of his might and said, "A wizard or a madman

So We took him and his soldiers and cast them into the sea, and he was blameworthy.

Then We seized him and his army and cast them all into the sea: he himself [Pharaoh] was to blame

So We seized him and his troops, and flung them in the sea, and he was blameworthy

And in ʿAad [was a sign], when We sent against them the barren wind.1

There is another sign in the [tribe of] 'Ad, when We sent against them a life-destroying wind

And in Aad! When We sent upon them the devastating wind

It left nothing of what it came upon but that it made it like disintegrated ruins.

and it destroyed everything over which it passed and reduced it to dust

It spared nothing that it blew on and smashed it to dust

And in Thamūd, when it was said to them, "Enjoy yourselves for a time."

In the Thamud [there was another sign], when they were told, "Make the most of your lives for a while

And in Thamud! Behold, they were told, "Enjoy life for a little while

But they were insolent toward the command of their Lord, so the thunderbolt seized them while they were looking on.

But they rebelled against the command of their Lord. So the thunderbolt overtook them while they looked on

But they defied their Lord's Commandment. Whereupon the thunder seized them while they looked on

And they were unable to arise, nor could they defend themselves.

they could not stand up again, nor could they defend themselves

And they were unable even to rise up and could not help themselves a bit

And [We destroyed] the people of Noah before; indeed, they were a people defiantly disobedient.

[We destroyed] the people of Noah before them. They were certainly a sinful people

And the people of Noah aforetime! Behold, they were a folk who drifted away from the Truth

And the heaven We constructed with strength,1 and indeed, We are [its] expander.

We built the universe with Our might, giving it its vast expanse

And it is We Who have built the Universe, and behold, We are steadily expanding it

And the earth We have spread out, and excellent is the preparer.

We have spread out the earth, how well We have spread it out

And We have spread out the earth, and how excellent a Spreader We are

And of all things We created two mates [i.e., counterparts]; perhaps you will remember.

and We created pairs of all things so that you might reflect

And all things We created in pairs and in opposites (such that one complements the other). This system has cause for you to reflect

So flee to Allāh.1 Indeed, I am to you from Him a clear warner.

Therefore hasten to God; truly, I am sent by Him to give you clear warning

(Say), "Hence, Rush unto Allah! Behold, I am a plain Warner unto you from Him." (To emphasize the urgency to do good in this unpredictable human life, the word 'say' in this verse is merged within 'Fafirru' = So, flee = Therefore, rush = Hence, go forth now)

And do not make [as equal] with Allāh another deity. Indeed, I am to you from Him a clear warner.

Do not set up another god, along with God. I come from Him to warn you plainly

And set up no god or Authority along with Allah. Behold, I am a plain Warner unto you from Him

Similarly, there came not to those before them any messenger except that they said, "A magician or a madman."

Likewise, there came no messenger to those before them, but they said, "He is a sorcerer or a madman

But, thus it is. No Messenger came to those before their time, but they said, "A wizard or a madman

Did they suggest it to them?1 Rather, they [themselves] are a transgressing people.

Have they handed this down to one another? They are certainly a people who exceed all bounds

Have they handed down this (behavior) as a last will from one to another? Nay, but they have been folk who wished to live without moral bounds

So leave them, [O Muḥammad], for you are not to be blamed.

so ignore them, you are not to blame

Turn, then, away from them, and you shall not be blameworthy

And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers.

but keep on exhorting them, for exhortation benefits the believers

Yet continue reminding, for, verily, the believers will benefit from it and gain eminence

And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.

I created the jinn and mankind only so that they might worship Me

And I have not created the nomads or the urban but to consciously and willingly live by My Laws. ('Ibadah', usually translated, as worship is better applicable in that sense to idol-worship. And since the Qur'an consistently promotes action over ritual, 'Ibadah' of Allah is better understood as serving Him by serving His creation. That is in conformity with my rendering, 'consciously and willingly live by)

I do not want from them any provision, nor do I want them to feed Me.

I seek no sustenance from them, nor do I want them to feed Me

No sustenance do I ever require of them, nor do I ask that they feed Me

Indeed, it is Allāh who is the [continual] Provider,1 the firm possessor of strength.

it is God who is the great Sustainer, the Mighty One, the Invincible

Verily, Allah! He it is Who is the Provider, the Lord of Might, Invincible

And indeed, for those who have wronged is a portion [of punishment] like the portion of their companions [i.e., predecessors], so let them not impatiently urge Me.

The wrongdoers will meet the same fate as their predecessors, let them not ask Me to hasten on [the punishment]

And behold, the violators of human rights trail behind in humanity as their comrades did in the past. So they should not ask Me to hasten their full recompense

And woe to those who have disbelieved from their Day which they are promised.

woe, then, to those who are bent on denying the truth, when the Day arrives which they have been promised

Then, anguish awaits the deniers of the Truth - anguish from that Day of theirs which they have been promised