الرَّحْمَٰنُ
THE MOST GRACIOUS (1)
عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ
has imparted this Qur'ān [unto man]. (2)
خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ
He has created man: (3)
عَلَّمَهُ الْبَيَانَ
He has imparted unto him articulate thought and speech. (4)
الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ بِحُسْبَانٍ
[At His behest] the sun and the moon run their appointed courses; (5)
وَالنَّجْمُ وَالشَّجَرُ يَسْجُدَانِ
[before Him] prostrate themselves the stars and the trees. (6)
وَالسَّمَاءَ رَفَعَهَا وَوَضَعَ الْمِيزَانَ
And the skies has He raised high, and has devised [for all things] a measure, (7)
أَلَّا تَطْغَوْا فِي الْمِيزَانِ
so that you [too, O men,] might never transgress the measure [of what is right]: (8)
وَأَقِيمُوا الْوَزْنَ بِالْقِسْطِ وَلَا تُخْسِرُوا الْمِيزَانَ
weigh, therefore, [your deeds] with equity, and cut not the measure short! (9)
وَالْأَرْضَ وَضَعَهَا لِلْأَنَامِ
And the earth has He spread out for all living beings, (10)
فِيهَا فَاكِهَةٌ وَالنَّخْلُ ذَاتُ الْأَكْمَامِ
with fruit thereon, and palm trees with sheathed clusters [of dates], (11)
وَالْحَبُّ ذُو الْعَصْفِ وَالرَّيْحَانُ
and grain growing tall on its stalks, and sweet-smelling plants. (12)
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow? (13)
خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ كَالْفَخَّارِ
He has created man out of sounding clay, like pottery, (14)
وَخَلَقَ الْجَانَّ مِنْ مَارِجٍ مِنْ نَارٍ
whereas the invisible beings He has created out of a confusing flame of fire. (15)
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow? (16)
رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقَيْنِ وَرَبُّ الْمَغْرِبَيْنِ
[He is] the Sustainer of the two farthest points of sunrise, and the Sustainer of the two farthest points of sunset. (17)
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow? (18)
مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ
He has given freedom to the two great bodies of water, so that they might meet: (19)
بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لَا يَبْغِيَانِ
[yet] between them is a barrier which they may not transgress. (20)
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow? (21)
يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا اللُّؤْلُؤُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ
Out of these two [bodies of water] come forth pearls, both great and small. (22)
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow? (23)
وَلَهُ الْجَوَارِ الْمُنْشَآتُ فِي الْبَحْرِ كَالْأَعْلَامِ
And His are the lofty ships that sail like [floating] mountains through the seas. (24)
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow? (25)
- And the skies has He raised high, and has devised [for all things] a measure,3
- 3 The noun mizan, usually denoting a "balance", has here the more general connotation of "measure" or "measuring" by any means whatsoever (Zamakhshari), in both the concrete and abstract senses of the word. (Cf. also the parabolic use of the term mizan in 42:17 and 57:25.)
- And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the Balance (of Justice),5177
- 5177 The "balance of justice" in this verse is connected with "the Balance" in the next two verses, that men may act jusdy to each other and observe due balance in all their actions, following the golden mean and not transgressing due bounds in anything. But the Balance is also connected figuratively with the heavens above in three symbols: (1) Justice is a heavenly virtue; (2) the heavens themselves are sustained by mathematical balance; and (3) the constellation Libra (the Balance) is entered by the sun at the middle of the zodiacal year.
-
And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the Balance (of Justice),
— Abdullah Yusuf Ali -
And the sky He hath uplifted; and He hath set the measure,
— Marmaduke Pickthall -
And the heaven, He raised it high, and He made the balance
— M. Habib Shakir -
And the heaven He has raised high, and He has set up the Balance.
— Taqiuddin Hilali and M. Mohsin Khan -
And the heaven! He hath elevated it, and He hath set the balance.
— Abdul-Majid Daryabadi -
He raised the heaven on high and set the scale.
— Hasan Qaribullah and Ahmed Darwish -
And the heaven, He raised it high and set the Balance,
— Ayub Khan -
And the heaven He has raised high and set up the measure,
— Sher Ali -
And the skies has He raised high, and has devised [for all things] a measure,
— Muhammad Asad -
and heaven -- He raised it up, and set the Balance.
— Arthur Arberry -
and He has raised up the heaven and has set a balance{{7}}
— Abu'l Ala Maududi