يس
O THOU human being! (1)
وَالْقُرْآنِ الْحَكِيمِ
Consider this Qur'ān full of wisdom: (2)
إِنَّكَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
verily, thou art indeed one of God's message-bearers, (3)
عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ
pursuing a straight way (4)
تَنْزِيلَ الْعَزِيزِ الرَّحِيمِ
by [virtue of] what is being bestowed from on high by the Almighty, the Dispenser of Grace, (5)
لِتُنْذِرَ قَوْمًا مَا أُنْذِرَ آبَاؤُهُمْ فَهُمْ غَافِلُونَ
[bestowed upon thee] so that thou mayest warn people whose forefathers had not been warned, and who therefore are unaware [of the meaning of right and wrong]. (6)
لَقَدْ حَقَّ الْقَوْلُ عَلَىٰ أَكْثَرِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
Indeed, the word [of God's condemnation] is bound to come true against most of them: for they will not believe. (7)
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا فِي أَعْنَاقِهِمْ أَغْلَالًا فَهِيَ إِلَى الْأَذْقَانِ فَهُمْ مُقْمَحُونَ
Behold, around their necks We have put shackles, reaching up to their chins, so that their heads are forced up; (8)
وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ سَدًّا وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ سَدًّا فَأَغْشَيْنَاهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ
and We have set a barrier before them and a barrier behind them, and We have enshrouded them in veils so that they cannot see: (9)
وَسَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَأَنْذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنْذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
thus, it is all one to them whether thou warnest them or dost not warn them: they will not believe. (10)
إِنَّمَا تُنْذِرُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الذِّكْرَ وَخَشِيَ الرَّحْمَٰنَ بِالْغَيْبِ فَبَشِّرْهُ بِمَغْفِرَةٍ وَأَجْرٍ كَرِيمٍ
Thou canst [truly] warn only him who is willing to take the reminder to heart, and who stands in awe of the Most Gracious although He is beyond the reach of human perception: unto such, then, give the glad tiding of [God's] forgiveness and of a most excellent reward! (11)
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ وَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَدَّمُوا وَآثَارَهُمْ وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَاهُ فِي إِمَامٍ مُبِينٍ
Verily, We shall indeed bring the dead back to life; and We shall record whatever [deeds] they have sent ahead, and the traces [of good and evil] which they have left behind: for of all things do We take account in a record clear. (12)
- Thou canst [truly] warn only him who is willing to take the reminder to heart,9 and who stands in awe of the Most Gracious although He is beyond the reach of human perception: unto such, then, give the glad tiding of [God's] forgiveness and of a most excellent reward.
- 9 Lit., "who is following the reminder".
- Thou canst but admonish3951 such a one as follows the Message and fears the (Lord) Most Gracious, unseen:3952 give such a one, therefore,3953 good tidings, of Forgiveness and a Reward most generous.
- 3951 Cf. 35:18. As far as those are concerned, who have obstinately delivered themselves to evil, the preaching of Allah's Message has no appeal, because their own will shuts them out. But there are others who are anxious to hear Allah's Message and receive Allah's grace. They love Allah and fear to offend against His Holy Law, and their fear is not merely superficial but deep-seated: for while they do not yet see Allah, nor do other people see them, they have the same sense of Allah's presence as if they saw Him, and their religion is not a mere pose, 'to be seen of men'.
- 3952 See n. 3902 to 35:18. Unseen is here adverbial: their reverence for Allah is unaffected by the fact that they do not see him, or that other people do not observe them, because their attitude arises out of a genuine love for Allah.
- 3953 To such persons the Messenger of Allah comes as a gospel or good news: because it shows them the way of forgiveness for anything wrong in their past, and it gives them the promise of a full reward in the future-generous beyond any deserts of their own, but arising out of Allah's unbounded Bounty.
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Thou canst but admonish such a one as follows the Message and fears the (Lord) Most Gracious, unseen: give such a one, therefore, good tidings, of Forgiveness and a Reward most generous.
— Abdullah Yusuf Ali -
Thou warnest only him who followeth the Reminder and feareth the Beneficent in secret. To him bear tidings of forgiveness and a rich reward.
— Marmaduke Pickthall -
You can only warn him who follows the reminder and fears the Beneficent Allah in secret; so announce to him forgiveness and an honorable reward.
— M. Habib Shakir -
You can only warn him who follows the Reminder (the Qur'an), and fears the Most Beneficent (Allah) unseen. Bear you to such one the glad tidings of forgiveness, and a generous reward (i.e. Paradise).
— Taqiuddin Hilali and M. Mohsin Khan -
Thou canst warn only him who followeth the admonition and feareth the Compassionate, unseen. So bear thou Unto him the glad tidings of forgiveness and a generous hire.
— Abdul-Majid Daryabadi -
You only warn he who follows the Remembrance and fears the Merciful in the Unseen. Give to him glad tidings of forgiveness and a generous wage.
— Hasan Qaribullah and Ahmed Darwish -
Thou only warnest him who follows the Remembrance and fears the All-merciful without seeing; so give him the good news of forgiveness and a generous wage.
— Ayub Khan -
Thou canst warn only him who would follow the Reminder and fear the Gracious God in secret. So give him the glad tidings of forgiveness and a noble reward.
— Sher Ali -
Thou canst [truly] warn only him who is willing to take the reminder to heart, and who stands in awe of the Most Gracious although He is beyond the reach of human perception: unto such, then, give the glad tiding of [God's] forgiveness and of a most excellent reward!
— Muhammad Asad -
Thou only warnest him who follows the Remembrance and who fears the All-merciful in the Unseen; so give him the good tidings of forgiveness and a generous wage.
— Arthur Arberry -
You can warn only him who follows the Admonition and fears the Merciful Lord without seeing Him. Give such a one good tidings of forgiveness and a generous reward.
— Abu'l Ala Maududi