Chapter 39-54
The Throngs (Surah Al-Zumar)
(75 verses in total; revealed in Makkah, beginning of Middle Period – Middle Makkan 5th or 6th year)
This chapter refers to the fact that groups of believers and groups of disbelievers will be driven on the Day of Judgment toward Paradise and Hell respectively as a consequence of their pursuits and activities in this life.
Key themes in this chapter are as follows:
· The scripture and the guidance are sent to help human being to be devoted to God and to find the truth
· God prefers gratefulness from His creation and the denial of God is the ultimate form of ungratefulness
· Servants of God are those who listen to the guidance and attempts to follow its best meanings as best as they can
· The Qur’an is sent in Arabic so to be easy to understand and with consistency and good examples to relate to and take guidance from
· Believers are asked not to despair God’s blessing, even in the face of adversity but to double down in devotion and commitment to truth and justice
In the name of God, the God of Mercy, the Endower of Mercy!
The revelation of the Scripture is from Allah, the Mighty, the Wise! We have revealed the Book to you with the truth; therefore, serve God with sincerity and complete devotion – true devotion is due to God alone! Those who choose patrons besides God, and say, “We only serve them to be closer to God,” God will judge them regarding their differing positions. God does not guide the one who is a liar and ungrateful. (v. 1-3)
If God were to take on a son, God could have chosen any, as God pleases, out of all that God had created. God is above such assertions. God is One, the Most Powerful! God created the heavens and the earth with a purpose1. God makes the night stretches over the day and the day over the night. God had
ordained the moon and the sun to follow a prescribed path and timing. Now God is Mighty, Forgiving! (v. 4-5)
God created you from a single being and made its mate of the same kind. God sent down eight heads of cattle, in pairs. God creates you in the womb of your mothers – stage after stage – in triple layers of darkness. Such is God, your Sustainer – controller of the Kingdom! There is no god but God! How can you turn away? (v. 6)
If you deny God, then know that God is not in any need from you. God does not like ungratefulness from the creation and if you are grateful, God prefers it from you. No soul shall bear another soul’s burden. You will all be returned to God, Who will inform you of your activities – all that you did. God knows even what is in your inner consciousness. (v. 7)
When distress afflicts humankind, it calls on its Creator, inclining towards God but when God grants it a favor, in response to its calling, it sets up partners with God and causes others to deviate from God’s way. Say, “Enjoy your ungratefulness for a while – your destiny is the fire.” But how about another humankind who is devoted to God during the long hours of the night - prostrating and standing – wishing for security in the hereafter and hoping for God’s mercy? Say, “Are those who know and those who are ignorant, the same?” Only people of understanding are mindful! (v. 8-9)
Say (God says), “O My servants (ya-ibadi), if you believe, then be responsive to your Sustainer! Those who do good in this world, it is good (for them) and God’s earth is vast! Those who are patient and those who persevere, will be rewarded beyond measure.” (v. 10)
Say (Prophet), “I am commanded to serve God, being sincere and committed in my servitude. I am commanded to be the first of those who submit. If I fail to serve, I fear the consequence of a difficult day. It is God Whom I serve, being sincere and committed. (v. 11-14)
Say, “Serve then whom you will serve besides God. The real unfortunate ones are those who will be lost on the day of Resurrection! Now, that is a loss for sure!” They will have covering of fire from above and from beneath. This is how God makes the humankind heed the call – “O My servants, act responsibly! (fa-attaqun)” (v. 15-16)
Those who refrain from worshipping false gods and turn to God – for them in the good news. So give such good news to My servants, who listen to the Word and tries to follow its best understanding. Such are the people guided by God and are people of understanding. (v. 17-18)
One against whom the sentence of dire consequence is already due – how can you save when one is already in the fire? (v. 19)
But those who acts responsibly in the eye of God – they will have lofty dwellings, rising one above the other, connected by flowing streams. This is a promise from God – a promise that God never fails to execute! (v. 20)
Do you see how - God sends down water from clouds, make them enter the earth to flow as streams and then brings forth vegetations of various colors. But these turns yellow and withers away as dry fragments eventually? In these there are insights for people who wish to understand. (v. 21)
How about the person whose hearts has been opened to peace and submission (Islam) such that he sees and follows a light from God? Unfortunates are those whose hearts are negligent of God’s remembrance – they have clearly lost their ways! (v. 22)
God has revealed the best narrative, a book consistent and with examples such that their spirit2 is shaken at the very mention of God - their hearts and their spirit awaken to the remembrance of God. Such is the effect of God’s guidance and God guide whom God wills. Whoever God leaves in error he will find no guide. (v. 23)
How about the person who will have only his own person to protect against the evil consequences on the Day of Resurrection? The unjust will be addressed thus, “Taste what you have strived for!” People before them also denied and so their consequences caught up with them while they were unprepared and unaware! God made them face the humiliation in this life and the consequences in the Hereafter are even more severe – only if they could comprehend. (v. 24-26)
God has set forth every kind of examples for people in this Qur’an so that they may be mindful; a Qur’an in Arabic (in their own language) without any inconsistency so that they may develop a sense of responsibility. Here is how God sets an example – a person owing allegiance to several partners who differ among themselves and a person who is devoted to one person – are these two conditions the same? Praise be to God – how most of them do not recognize! (v. 27-29)
Surely you (Prophet) will die and so will they and then they will argue with one another before God on the Day of Resurrection. Who is more blamable than one who utters falsehood against God and denies the truth when it comes to them? Should there not be a place in Hell for such deniers? (v. 30-32)
Whereas the responsible one is he who accepts the truth when it comes to them. They will have whatever they desire from their Sustainer – rewards for those who do good! God protects them from the effects of their bad deeds and rewards them for their good deeds! (v. 33-35)
Is not God sufficient for the servants? They attempt to frighten you (Prophet) with deities they worship besides God. Indeed, whoever God leaves astray, there is no guide for them. On the other hand, whom God guides, none can lead astray! Is not God Mighty, Able to take retribution? (v. 36-37)
If you ask them, “Who created the heavens and the earth?”, they will reply, “God”. Say, “Can you not see that those that you worship besides God – if God were to afflict me with harms, could they remove such harms? Or, if God were to shower mercy, could they withhold such mercy? Say, “God is sufficient for me. On God let the reliant rely!” Say, “People, you work in your place, and I too am a worker. You will come to know – who is made to suffer a humiliating chastisement (in this life) and who will face the lasting chastisement (of the hereafter).” (v. 38-40)
God had revealed the book to you (Prophet) with truth for the good of mankind. Whoever then follow the right course, it is for their own good and whoever stray, it is for their own peril. You (Prophet) are not their custodian! (v. 41)
God takes the souls of humankind at the time of their death, and for the living, during their sleep - God then withholds the souls of those who death has been decreed, while for others, their souls are sent back until their terms come which have been set already. Indeed, there is evidence in these for people who wish to reflect! (v. 42)
Yet, they take intermediaries besides God. Say, “Why? Even though these have no power nor understanding? All intersessions are God’s alone! Kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs to God and to God you will be returned. (v. 43-44)
Those who deny the Hereafter, their hearts, when God alone is mentioned, shrink whereas when deities besides God are mentioned they rejoice! Say, “O God – You are the Originator of the heavens and the earth, You are the Knower of what is hidden and what is exposed, and You judge among your creations as to what they differ and disagree.” On the Day of Resurrection when faced with the evil of the consequences that lie ahead, those who did wrong will offer up, if they could, all that the earth contains and more of it to avoid the evils of impending chastisement. What they never thought of will become plain to them from God – the evils of what they have done will become clear and what they used to mock will now surround them. (v. 45-48)
When humankind is afflicted with any harm, they call on Us! But when We give them reprieve and blessings, they say, “We have secured it only by means of knowledge.” No, it is a trial but most of them do not comprehend. Even those before them did say the same but what they earned was of no use in the end – their evils caught up with them. Among the contemporaries, who are unjust and ungrateful, their evils will similarly fall on them – there is no escape for anyone! Do you not know that God gives abundantly to some and sparingly to others, as God pleases? In all of these, there is guidance for the faithful! (v. 49-52)
Say, “O My servants – if you have been overly lax about your soul, do not despair of God’s mercy. It is God Who forgives all sins – as God is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful! Turn to your God and secure peace before the chastisement catches up with you, at which point you can’t be helped. Follow the best teachings and guidance that have come from God before the chastisement comes to you suddenly, while you were unmindful. This is so, lest a soul should cry out – ‘Shame on me that I failed to fulfil my commitment to God and was one of those who rejected and mocked.’ Or it says, ‘Had God guided me, I would have certainly followed.’ Or it should say, when facing the consequence, ‘If I have another chance, I will certainly be a doer of good.’ Ah, but My Message was there for you; but you rejected, became arrogant and was a party to the disbelievers!” (v. 53-59)
If you could see, those who denied God their faces grim on the Day of Resurrection. Do the arrogant deserve anything other than hell? While God delivers the reward to those who kept their commitment – no evil will touch them, nor will they grieve! God is the Creator of all things and God oversees all affairs. The treasure of the heavens and the earth belong to God. Those who reject the messages from God will be the ultimate losers! (v. 60-63)
Say, “O ignorant people, do you bid me to serve others besides God? Whereas, it has been revealed to you and those before you that if you serve others besides God, your work will come to nothing, and you would be a failure. Therefore, serve none but God and be thankful! (v. 64-66)
They do not esteem God is God’s true glory – the whole earth will be in God’s direct control on the Day of Resurrection and the heavens will be rolled up according to God’s command3. God be exalted! God is above anything they assign as God’s partner! (v. 67)
The trumpet is sounded – all that is on earth and in heavens will fall down senseless, except whom God will spare. Then with the second blow of the trumpet, lo! – they will rise and wait! The earth will shine with the glory of God, the books4 will be laid open and the prophets and the witnesses will be presented so that judgment can be rendered with pure justice – no one will be misjudged! Every soul will be compensated according to its earnings – God knows best what they did! (v. 68-70)
Those who disbelieved are driven towards Hell in groups (zumaran). As they come to the door, it is flung open and its keepers5 ask, “Did not messengers – from your own community – come to you to convey the messages from God and to warn of this appointment of yours for this Day?” Their answers will be, “Yes”, but the word of consequence has already proven to be true for them. It will be announced, “Enter the gates of Hell and stay in there – evil is the residence of those who are arrogant!” (v. 71-72)
Those who were mindful of God and acted responsibly will be led to the Garden in groups. As they come to its door, it will fling open and the keepers will say, “Peace be to you! You led pure life – so enter this place to reside. The faithful will respond, “Praise be to God! – Who fulfilled the promise made to us and let us inherit the earth. Now we live in this Garden, as we please. Such is the blessings for good work!” They see the angels going around the presence6 of God, glorifying! All are judged with sublime justice, and it is announced, “Praise be to God, the Cherisher of the universe!” (v. 73-75)
1Literally in truth (haqq)
2Actual work used is skin (zulud)
3In God’s right hand – since God has no human attributes of arms and limbs, I have rendered as God’s command
4Books – in this instance implies records of our activities during our earthly life – something we care less than our twitter accounts. We aught to rethink, while we are still alive!
