37: Those Who Set the Ranks

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37: Those Who Set The Ranks
37:1 By those who set the ranks in battle order
37:2 And those who drive away (the wicked) with reproof
37:3 And those who read (the Word) for a reminder,
37:4 Lo! thy Lord is surely One;
37:5 Lord of the heavens and of the earth and all that is between them, and Lord of the sun's risings.
37:6 Lo! We have adorned the lowest heaven with an ornament, the planets;
37:7 With security from every froward devil.
37:8 They cannot listen to the Highest Chiefs for they are pelted from every side,
37:9 Outcast, and theirs is a perpetual torment;
37:10 Save him who snatcheth a fragment, and there pursueth him a piercing flame.
37:11 Then ask them (O Muhammad): Are they stronger as a creation, or those (others) whom we have created ? Lo! We created them of plastic clay.
37:12 Nay, but thou dost marvel when they mock
37:13 And heed not when they are reminded,
37:14 And seek to scoff when they behold a portent.
37:15 And they say: Lo! this is mere magic;
37:16 When we are dead and have become dust and bones, shall we then, forsooth, be raised (again) ?
37:17 And our forefathers ?
37:18 Say (O Muhammad): Ye, in truth; and ye will be brought low.
37:19 There is but one Shout, and lo! they behold,
37:20 And say: Ah, woe for us! This is the Day of Judgment.
37:21 This is the Day of Separation, which ye used to deny.
37:22 (And it is said unto the angels): Assemble those who did wrong, together with their wives and what they used to worship (37:22-23)
Those who "did wrong" will go to hell, and their wives will go to hell with them (no matter how they behaved).
Hell in the Quran
37:23 Instead of Allah, and lead them to the path to hell;
37:24 And stop them, for they must be questioned.
37:25 What aileth you that ye help not one another ?
37:26 Nay, but this day they make full submission.
37:27 And some of them draw near unto others, mutually questioning.
37:28 They say: Lo! ye used to come unto us, imposing, (swearing that ye spoke the truth).
37:29 They answer: Nay, but ye (yourselves) were not believers.
37:30 We had no power over you, but ye were wayward folk.
37:31 Now the Word of our Lord hath been fulfilled concerning us. Lo! we are about to taste (the doom). (31-38)
"Taste the painful doom."
Those who refuse to believe in Muhammad's revelations will face a painful doom.
Doom in the Quran
For disbelievers a painful doom
37:32 Thus we misled you. Lo! we were (ourselves) astray.
37:33 Then lo! this day they (both) are sharers in the doom.
37:34 Lo! thus deal We with the guilty.
37:35 For when it was said unto them, There is no God save Allah, they were scornful
37:36 And said: Shall we forsake our gods for a mad poet ? (37:36) "Shall we forsake our gods for a mad poet?"
Muhammad's critics thought he was "a mad poet."
37:37 Nay, but he brought the Truth, and he confirmed those sent (before him).
37:38 Lo! (now) verily ye taste the painful doom -
37:39 Ye are requited naught save what ye did -
37:40 Save single-minded slaves of Allah; (37:40-48) But the single-minded slaves of Allah will enjoy a Garden filled with lovely-eyed virgins.
37:41 For them there is a known provision,
37:42 Fruits. And they will be honoured
37:43 In the Gardens of delight,
37:44 On couches facing one another;
37:45 A cup from a gushing spring is brought round for them,
37:46 White, delicious to the drinkers,
37:47 Wherein there is no headache nor are they made mad thereby.
37:48 And with them are those of modest gaze, with lovely eyes,
37:49 (Pure) as they were hidden eggs (of the ostrich).
37:50 And some of them draw near unto others, mutually questioning.
37:51 A speaker of them saith: Lo! I had a comrade
37:52 Who used to say: Art thou in truth of those who put faith (in his words) ?
37:53 Can we, when we are dead and have become mere dust and bones - can we (then) verily be brought to book ?
37:54 He saith: Will ye look ?
37:55 Then looketh he and seeth him in the depth of hell.
"Then looketh he and seeth him in the depth of hell."
Hell in the Quran
37:56 He saith: By Allah, thou verily didst all but cause my ruin,
37:57 And had it not been for the favour of my Lord, I too had been of those haled forth (to doom).
If you're not favored by Allah, you're doomed.
Doom in the Quran
For disbelievers a painful doom
37:58 Are we then not to die
37:59 Saving our former death, and are we not to be punished ?
37:60 Lo! this is the supreme triumph.
37:61 For the like of this, then, let the workers work.
37:62 Is this better as a welcome, or the tree of Zaqqum ? (37:62-68)
"And afterward ... a drink of boiling water"
Those in hell must eat from a tree with the heads of devils, and then drink boiling water. After that they return to hell.
Hell in the Quran
37:63 Lo! We have appointed it a torment for wrong-doers.
37:64 Lo! it is a tree that springeth in the heart of hell.
37:65 Its crop is as it were the heads of devils
37:66 And lo! they verily must eat thereof, and fill (their) bellies therewith.
37:67 And afterward, lo! thereupon they have a drink of boiling water
37:68 And afterward, lo! their return is surely unto hell.
37:69 They indeed found their fathers astray,
37:70 But they make haste (to follow) in their footsteps.
37:71 And verily most of the men of old went astray before them,
37:72 And verily We sent among them warners.
37:73 Then see the nature of the consequence for those warned,
37:74 Save single-minded slaves of Allah.
37:75 And Noah verily prayed unto Us, and gracious was the Hearer of his prayer Did one of Noah's sons die in the flood?
37:76 And We saved him and his household from the great distress,
37:77 And made his seed the survivors,
37:78 And left for him among the later folk (the salutation):
37:79 Peace be unto Noah among the peoples!
37:80 Lo! thus do We reward the good.
37:81 Lo! he is one of Our believing slaves.
37:82 Then We did drown the others. Allah drowned everyone except Noah and his family in the flood.
37:83 And lo! of his persuasion verily was Abraham
37:84 When he came unto his Lord with a whole heart;
37:85 When he said unto his father and his folk: What is it that ye worship ?
37:86 Is it a falsehood - gods beside Allah - that ye desire ?
37:87 What then is your opinion of the Lord of the Worlds ?
37:88 And he glanced a glance at the stars
37:89 Then said: Lo! I feel sick!
37:90 And they turned their backs and went away from him.
37:91 Then turned he to their gods and said: Will ye not eat ?
37:92 What aileth you that ye speak not ?
37:93 Then he attacked them, striking with his right hand.
37:94 And (his people) came toward him, hastening.
37:95 He said: Worship ye that which ye yourselves do carve
37:96 When Allah hath created you and what ye make ?
37:97 They said: Build for him a building and fling him in the red-hotfire.
37:98 And they designed a snare for him, but We made them the undermost.
37:99 And he said: Lo! I am going unto my Lord Who will guide me.
37:100 My Lord! Vouchsafe me of the righteous.
37:101 So We gave him tidings of a gentle son.
37:102 And when (his son) was old enough to walk with him, (Abraham) said: O my dear son, I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice thee. So look, what thinkest thou ? He said: O my father! Do that which thou art commanded. Allah willing, thou shalt find me of the steadfast. (37:102) "When (his son) was old enough to walk with him, (Abraham) said: O my dear son, I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice thee. So look, what thinkest thou? He said: O my father! Do that which thou art commanded. Allah willing, thou shalt find me of the steadfast."
When Abraham's son, Ishmael, was old enough to walk, Allah told Abraham in a dream to sacrifice Ishmael. So Abraham asked Ishmael if it'd be OK with him, and Ishmael said, "Sure thing, Dad, go ahead and kill me for God. I won't even flinch."
37:103 Then, when they had both surrendered (to Allah), and he had flung him down upon his face,
37:104 We called unto him: O Abraham!
37:105 Thou hast already fulfilled the vision. Lo! thus do We reward the good.
37:106 Lo! that verily was a clear test.
37:107 Then We ransomed him with a tremendous victim.
37:108 And We left for him among the later folk (the salutation):
37:109 Peace be unto Abraham!
37:110 Thus do We reward the good.
37:111 Lo! he is one of Our believing slaves.
37:112 And we gave him tidings of the birth of Isaac, a prophet of the righteous.
37:113 And We blessed him and Isaac. And of their seed are some who do good, and some who plainly wrong themselves.
37:114 And We verily gave grace unto Moses and Aaron,
37:115 And saved them and their people from the great distress,
37:116 And helped them so that they became the victors.
37:117 And We gave them the clear Scripture
37:118 And showed them the right path.
37:119 And We left for them among the later folk (the salutation):
37:120 Peace be unto Moses and Aaron!
37:121 Lo! thus do We reward the good.
37:122 Lo! they are two of Our believing slaves.
37:123 And lo! Elias was of those sent (to warn),
37:124 When he said unto his folk: Will ye not ward off (evil) ?
37:125 Will ye cry unto Baal and forsake the Best of creators,
37:126 Allah, your Lord and Lord of your forefathers ?
37:127 But they denied him, so they surely will be haled forth (to the doom) (37:127-8)
Only the "single-minded slaves of Allah" will be saved from the doom.
Doom in the Quran
For disbelievers a painful doom
37:128 Save single-minded slaves of Allah.
37:129 And we left for him among the later folk (the salutation):
37:130 Peace be unto Elias!
37:131 Lo! thus do We reward the good.
37:132 Lo! he is one of our believing slaves.
37:133 And lo! Lot verily was of those sent (to warn).
37:134 When We saved him and his household, every one,
37:135 Save an old woman among those who stayed behind;
37:136 Then We destroyed the others.
Allah killed everyone in Sodom except for Lot and his family.
37:137 And lo! ye verily pass by (the ruin of) them in the morning
37:138 And at night-time; have ye then no sense ?
37:139 And lo! Jonah verily was of those sent (to warn)
37:140 When he fled unto the laden ship,
37:141 And then drew lots and was of those rejected;
37:142 And the fish swallowed him while he was blameworthy; (37:142) "And the fish swallowed him."
Jonah was swallowed by a fish.
37:143 And had he not been one of those who glorify (Allah)
37:144 He would have tarried in its belly till the day when they are raised;
37:145 Then We cast him on a desert shore while he was sick;
37:146 And We caused a tree of gourd to grow above him;
37:147 And We sent him to a hundred thousand (folk) or more
37:148 And they believed, therefor We gave them comfort for a while.
37:149 Now ask them (O Muhammad): Hath thy Lord daughters whereas they have sons ?
37:150 Or created We the angels females while they were present ?
37:151 Lo! it is of their falsehood that they say:
37:152 Allah hath begotten. Allah! verily they tell a lie.
37:153 (And again of their falsehood): He hath preferred daughters to sons.
37:154 What aileth you ? How judge ye ?
37:155 Will ye not then reflect ?
37:156 Or have ye a clear warrant ?
37:157 Then produce your writ, if ye are truthful.
37:158 And they imagine kinship between him and the jinn, whereas the jinn know well that they will be brought before (Him).
37:159 Glorified be Allah from that which they attribute (unto Him),
37:160 Save single-minded slaves of Allah.
37:161 Lo! verily, ye and that which ye worship,
37:162 Ye cannot excite (anyone) against Him.
No one is against Allah, except those who burn in hell.
Hell in the Quran
37:163 Save him who is to burn in hell.
37:164 There is not one of us but hath his known position. The words, "There is not one of us ... " could not have been spoken by Allah. So how is Allah the author of the Quran?
37:165 Lo! we, even we are they who set the ranks,
37:166 Lo! we, even we are they who hymn His praise
37:167 And indeed they used to say:
37:168 If we had but a reminder from the men of old
37:169 We would be single-minded slaves of Allah. "We would be single-minded slaves of Allah."
Just what the world needs: a few more single-minded slaves of Allah!
37:170 Yet (now that it is come) they disbelieve therein; but they will come to know.
37:171 And verily Our word went forth of old unto Our bondmen sent (to warn)
37:172 That they verily would be helped,
37:173 And that Our host, they verily would be the victors.
37:174 So withdraw from them (O Muhammad) awhile,
37:175 And watch, for they will (soon) see.
37:176 Would they hasten on Our doom? (37:176-9)
Just wait a while and watch. The unbelievers will soon be destroyed in the doom.
Doom in the Quran
For disbelievers a painful doom
37:177 But when it cometh home to them, then it will be a hapless morn for those who have been warned.
37:178 Withdraw from them awhile
37:179 And watch, for they will (soon) see.
37:180 Glorified be thy Lord, the Lord of Majesty, from that which they attribute (unto Him)
37:181 And peace be unto those sent (to warn).
37:182 And praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds!
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