الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ عِوَجًا
ALL PRAISE is due to God who has bestowed this divine writ from on high upon His servant, and has not allowed any deviousness to obscure its meaning: (1)
قَيِّمًا لِيُنْذِرَ بَأْسًا شَدِيدًا مِنْ لَدُنْهُ وَيُبَشِّرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا حَسَنًا
[a divine writ] unerringly straight, meant to warn [the godless] of a severe punishment from Him, and to give unto the believers who do good works the glad tiding that theirs shall be a goodly reward (2)
مَاكِثِينَ فِيهِ أَبَدًا
[a state of bliss] in which they shall dwell beyond the count of time. (3)
وَيُنْذِرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ وَلَدًا
Furthermore, [this divine writ is meant] to warn all those who assert, "God has taken unto Himself a son." (4)
مَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ وَلَا لِآبَائِهِمْ كَبُرَتْ كَلِمَةً تَخْرُجُ مِنْ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ إِنْ يَقُولُونَ إِلَّا كَذِبًا
No knowledge whatever have they of Him, and neither had their forefathers: dreadful is this saying that comes out of their mouths, [and] nothing but falsehood do they utter! (5)
فَلَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَفْسَكَ عَلَىٰ آثَارِهِمْ إِنْ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَٰذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَسَفًا
But wouldst thou, perhaps, torment thyself to death with grief over them if they are not willing to believe in this message? (6)
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا مَا عَلَى الْأَرْضِ زِينَةً لَهَا لِنَبْلُوَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا
Behold, We have willed that all beauty on earth be a means by which We put men to a test, [showing] which of them are best in conduct; (7)
وَإِنَّا لَجَاعِلُونَ مَا عَلَيْهَا صَعِيدًا جُرُزًا
and, verily, [in time] We shall reduce all that is on it to barren dust! (8)
أَمْ حَسِبْتَ أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيمِ كَانُوا مِنْ آيَاتِنَا عَجَبًا
[AND SINCE the life of this world is but a test,] dost thou [really] think that [the parable of] the Men of the Cave and of [their devotion to] the scriptures could be deemed more wondrous than any [other] of Our messages? (9)
إِذْ أَوَى الْفِتْيَةُ إِلَى الْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا
When those youths took refuge in the cave, they prayed: "O our Sustainer! Bestow on us grace from Thyself, and endow us, whatever our [outward] condition, with consciousness of what is right!" (10)
فَضَرَبْنَا عَلَىٰ آذَانِهِمْ فِي الْكَهْفِ سِنِينَ عَدَدًا
And thereupon We veiled their ears in the cave for many a year, (11)
ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاهُمْ لِنَعْلَمَ أَيُّ الْحِزْبَيْنِ أَحْصَىٰ لِمَا لَبِثُوا أَمَدًا
and then We awakened them: [and We did all this] so that We might mark out [to the world] which of the two points of view showed a better comprehension of the time-span during which they had remained in this state. (12)
- Behold, We have willed that all beauty on earth be a means by which We put men to a test,5 [showing] which of them are best in conduct;
- 5 Lit., "We have made all that exists on earth as its adornment in order that We might put them [i.e., all human beings] to a test": meaning that God lets them reveal their real characters in their respective attitudes - moral or immoral - towards the material goods and benefits which the world offers them. In further analysis, this passage implies that the real motive underlying men's refusal to believe in God's spiritual message (see preceding verse) is almost always their excessive, blind attachment to the good of this world, combined with a false pride in what they regard as their own achievements (cf. 16:22 and the corresponding note 15).
- That which is on earth we have made but as a glittering show for the earth,2332 in order that We may test them - as to which of them are best in conduct.
- 2332 This world's goods-worldly power, glory, wealth, position, and all that men scramble for-are but a fleeting show. The possession or want of them does not betoken a man's real value or position in the spiritual world, the world which is to endure. Yet they have their uses. They test a man's sterling quality. He who becomes their slave loses rank in the spiritual world. He who uses them if he gets them, and does not fall into despair if he does not get them, shows his true mettle and quality. His conduct proclaims him.
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That which is on earth we have made but as a glittering show for the earth, in order that We may test them - as to which of them are best in conduct.
— Abdullah Yusuf Ali -
Lo! We have placed all that is on the earth as an ornament thereof that We may try them: which of them is best in conduct.
— Marmaduke Pickthall -
Surely We have made whatever is on the earth an embellishment for it, so that We may try them (as to) which of them is best in works.
— M. Habib Shakir -
Verily! We have made that which is on earth as an adornment for it, in order that We may test them (mankind) as to which of them are best in deeds. [i.e.those who do good deeds in the most perfect manner, that means to do them (deeds) totally for Allah's sake and in accordance to the legal ways of the Prophet SAW ].
— Taqiuddin Hilali and M. Mohsin Khan -
Verily We have made whatsoever is on the earth as an adornment thereof, that We may prove them - which of them is best in work.
— Abdul-Majid Daryabadi -
We have appointed all that is on the earth an adornment for it, in order that We try which of them is finest in works.
— Hasan Qaribullah and Ahmed Darwish -
We have made all that is on the earth for its adornment, that we may try them which of them is best in works.
— Ayub Khan -
Verily, We have made all that is on the earth an ornament for it, that We may try them as to which of them is the best in conduct.
— Sher Ali -
Behold, We have willed that all beauty on earth be a means by which We put men to a test, [showing] which of them are best in conduct;
— Muhammad Asad -
We have appointed all that is on the earth for an adornment for it, and that We may try which of them is fairest in works;
— Arthur Arberry -
Surely We have made all that is on the earth an embellishment for it in order to test people as to who of them is better in conduct.
— Abu'l Ala Maududi