Surah Al-Furqan: The Criterion | Quran Study Guide

أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

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بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

The Surah · Seventy-Seven Verses

﴾١﴿ تَبَارَكَ ٱلَّذِى نَزَّلَ ٱلْفُرْقَانَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِۦ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَٰلَمِينَ نَذِيرًا

Tabaarakal lazi nazzalal Furqaana 'alaa 'abdihi li yakuna lil'aalamina nazira

Blessed is the One who sent down the Criterion upon His servant, so that he may be a warner to the worlds.

﴾٢﴿ ٱلَّذِى لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًۭا وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ شَرِيكٌۭ فِى ٱلْمُلْكِ وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍۢ فَقَدَّرَهُۥ تَقْدِيرًۭا

Allazi lahu mulkus samaawaati wal ardi wa lam yattakhiz waladanw wa lam yakul lahu sharikun filmulki wa khalaqa kulla shai'in faqaddarahu taqdiraa

To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He has taken no son, and He has no partner in dominion. He created everything and measured it precisely.

﴾٣﴿ وَٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ ءَالِهَةًۭ لَّا يَخْلُقُونَ شَيْـًۭٔا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ وَلَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ ضَرًّۭا وَلَا نَفْعًۭا وَلَا يَمْلِكُونَ مَوْتًۭا وَلَا حَيَوٰةًۭ وَلَا نُشُورًۭا

Wattakhazu min dunihie aahihatal laa yakhluquna shai'anw wa hum yukhlaquna wa laa yamlikuna li anfusihim darranw wa laa naf'anw wa laa yamlikuna mawtanw wa laa hayaatanw wa laa nushuraa

Yet they have taken gods besides Him who create nothing and are themselves created, who hold no harm or benefit for themselves, and hold no death, no life, and no resurrection.

﴾٤﴿ وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِنْ هَٰذَآ إِلَّآ إِفْكٌ ٱفْتَرَىٰهُ وَأَعَانَهُۥ عَلَيْهِ قَوْمٌ ءَاخَرُونَ ۖ فَقَدْ جَآءُو ظُلْمًۭا وَزُورًۭا

Wa qaalal lazina kafaruo in haazaaa illaaa ifkunif taraahu wa a'aanahu 'alaihi qawmun aakharuna faqad jaaa'u zulmanw wa zuraa

Those who disbelieve say, "This is nothing but a lie he invented, and other people helped him with it." They have come with injustice and falsehood.

﴾٥﴿ وَقَالُوٓا۟ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ ٱكْتَتَبَهَا فَهِىَ تُمْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ بُكْرَةًۭ وَأَصِيلًۭا

Wa qaaluo asaatirul awwalinak tatabahaa fahiya tumlaa 'alaihi bukratanw wa asilaa

And they say, "Tales of the ancients that he had written down, dictated to him morning and evening."

﴾٦﴿ قُلْ أَنزَلَهُ ٱلَّذِى يَعْلَمُ ٱلسِّرَّ فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ غَفُورًۭا رَّحِيمًۭا

Qul anzalhul lazi ya'lamus sirra fis samaawaati wal-ard; innahu kaana Ghafurar Rahimaa

Say, "It was sent down by the One who knows the secret in the heavens and the earth. He is Forgiving, Merciful."

﴾٧﴿ وَقَالُوا۟ مَالِ هَٰذَا ٱلرَّسُولِ يَأْكُلُ ٱلطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشِى فِى ٱلْأَسْوَاقِ ۙ لَوْلَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مَلَكٌۭ فَيَكُونَ مَعَهُۥ نَذِيرًا

Wa qaalu maa li haazar Rasuli yaakulut ta'aama wa yamshi fil aswaaq; law laaa unzila ilaihi malakun fa yakuna ma'ahu naziraa

And they say, "What is with this messenger, who eats food and walks in the markets? Why was an angel not sent down to him, to be a warner with him?

﴾٨﴿ أَوْ يُلْقَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِ كَنزٌ أَوْ تَكُونُ لَهُۥ جَنَّةٌۭ يَأْكُلُ مِنْهَا ۚ وَقَالَ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا رَجُلًۭا مَّسْحُورًا

Aw yulqaaa ilaihi kanzun aw takunu lahu jannatuny yaakulu minhaa; wa qaalaz zaalimuna in tattabi'una illaa rajulam mas huraa

Or why is a treasure not thrown down to him, or a garden he could eat from?" The wrongdoers say, "You are only following a man under a spell."

﴾٩﴿ ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ ضَرَبُوا۟ لَكَ ٱلْأَمْثَٰلَ فَضَلُّوا۟ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ سَبِيلًۭا

Unzur kaifa darabu lakal amsaala fadallu falaa yastati'una sabilaa

See how they have made comparisons for you, and gone astray, and cannot find a way.

﴾١٠﴿ تَبَارَكَ ٱلَّذِىٓ إِن شَآءَ جَعَلَ لَكَ خَيْرًۭا مِّن ذَٰلِكَ جَنَّٰتٍۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ وَيَجْعَل لَّكَ قُصُورًۢا

Tabaarakal lazie in shaaa'a ja'ala laka khairam min zaalika jannaatin tajri min tahtihal anhaaru wa yaj'al laka qusuraa

Blessed is the One who, if He willed, could give you better than that: gardens beneath which rivers flow, and He could give you palaces.

﴾١١﴿ بَلْ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِٱلسَّاعَةِ ۖ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِمَن كَذَّبَ بِٱلسَّاعَةِ سَعِيرًا

Bal kazzabu bis Saa'ati wa a'tadnaa liman kazzaba bis Saa'ati sa'iraa

Rather, they have denied the Hour, and We have prepared a blaze for whoever denies the Hour.

﴾١٢﴿ إِذَا رَأَتْهُم مِّن مَّكَانٍۭ بَعِيدٍۢ سَمِعُوا۟ لَهَا تَغَيُّظًۭا وَزَفِيرًۭا

Izaa ra'at hum mim ma kaanim ba'idin sami'u lahaa taghaiyuzanw wa zafiraa

When it sees them from a distant place, they will hear its rage and its roaring.

﴾١٣﴿ وَإِذَآ أُلْقُوا۟ مِنْهَا مَكَانًۭا ضَيِّقًۭا مُّقَرَّنِينَ دَعَوْا۟ هُنَالِكَ ثُبُورًۭا

Wa izaaa ulqu minhaa makaanan daiyiqam muqar ranina da'aw hunaalika suburaa

And when they are thrown into a narrow place in it, bound together, they will call there for destruction.

﴾١٤﴿ لَّا تَدْعُوا۟ ٱلْيَوْمَ ثُبُورًۭا وَٰحِدًۭا وَٱدْعُوا۟ ثُبُورًۭا كَثِيرًۭا

Laa tad'ul yawma suburanw waahidanw wad'u suburan kasiraa

Do not call today for one destruction. Call for many destructions.

﴾١٥﴿ قُلْ أَذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ أَمْ جَنَّةُ ٱلْخُلْدِ ٱلَّتِى وُعِدَ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ ۚ كَانَتْ لَهُمْ جَزَآءًۭ وَمَصِيرًۭا

Qul azaalika khairun am Jannatul khuldil lati wu'idal muttaqun; kaanat lahum jazaaa'anw wa masiraa

Say, "Is that better, or the Garden of eternity that was promised to those mindful of Allah? It is for them a reward and a destination."

﴾١٦﴿ لَّهُمْ فِيهَا مَا يَشَآءُونَ خَٰلِدِينَ ۚ كَانَ عَلَىٰ رَبِّكَ وَعْدًۭا مَّسْـُٔولًۭا

Lahum fihaa maa yashaaa'una khaalidin; kaana 'alaa Rabbika wa'dam mas'ulaa

They will have in it whatever they wish, remaining forever. It is a promise upon your Lord that is asked for.

﴾١٧﴿ وَيَوْمَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَيَقُولُ ءَأَنتُمْ أَضْلَلْتُمْ عِبَادِى هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ أَمْ هُمْ ضَلُّوا۟ ٱلسَّبِيلَ

Wa Yawma yahshuruhum wa maa ya'buduna min dunil lahi fa yaqulu 'a-antum adlaltum 'ibaadi haaa'ulaaa'i am hum dallus sabil

On the Day He gathers them and what they used to worship besides Allah, He will say, "Was it you who led these servants of Mine astray, or did they lose the way themselves?"

﴾١٨﴿ قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَٰنَكَ مَا كَانَ يَنۢبَغِى لَنَآ أَن نَّتَّخِذَ مِن دُونِكَ مِنْ أَوْلِيَآءَ وَلَٰكِن مَّتَّعْتَهُمْ وَءَابَآءَهُمْ حَتَّىٰ نَسُوا۟ ٱلذِّكْرَ وَكَانُوا۟ قَوْمًۢا بُورًۭا

Qaalu Subhaanaka maa kaana yambaghi lanaaa an nattakhiza min dunika min awliyaaa'a wa laakim matta'tahum wa aabaaa'ahum hattaa nasuz zikra wa kaanu qawmam buraa

They will say, "Glory to You. It was not right for us to take any protectors besides You. But You gave them and their fathers enjoyment until they forgot the reminder and became a ruined people."

﴾١٩﴿ فَقَدْ كَذَّبُوكُم بِمَا تَقُولُونَ فَمَا تَسْتَطِيعُونَ صَرْفًۭا وَلَا نَصْرًۭا ۚ وَمَن يَظْلِم مِّنكُمْ نُذِقْهُ عَذَابًۭا كَبِيرًۭا

Faqad kazzabukum bimaa taquluna famaa tastati'una sarfanw wa laa nasraa; wa mai yazlim minkum nuziqhu 'azaaban kabiraa

So they have denied what you say, and you cannot avert it or find help. Whoever among you does wrong, We will make him taste a great punishment.

﴾٢٠﴿ وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ مِنَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلَّآ إِنَّهُمْ لَيَأْكُلُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشُونَ فِى ٱلْأَسْوَاقِ ۗ وَجَعَلْنَا بَعْضَكُمْ لِبَعْضٍۢ فِتْنَةً أَتَصْبِرُونَ ۗ وَكَانَ رَبُّكَ بَصِيرًۭا

Wa maaa arsalnaa qablaka minal mursalina illaaa innahum la yaakulunat ta'aama wa yamshuna fil aswaaq; wa ja'alnaa ba'dakum liba'din fitnatan atasbirun; wa kaana Rabbuka Basira

We sent no messengers before you except that they ate food and walked in the markets. We have made some of you a test for others. Will you be patient? Your Lord is Seeing.

﴾٢١﴿ ۞ وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَآءَنَا لَوْلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ أَوْ نَرَىٰ رَبَّنَا ۗ لَقَدِ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَعَتَوْ عُتُوًّۭا كَبِيرًۭا

Wa qaalal lazina laa yarjuna liqaaa'anaa law laaa unzila 'alainal malaaa'ikatu awnaraa Rabbanaa; laqadistakbaru fie anfusihim wa 'ataw 'utuwwan kabiraa

Those who do not expect to meet Us say, "Why were angels not sent down to us, or why do we not see our Lord?" They have grown arrogant within themselves and have gone far in insolence.

﴾٢٢﴿ يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ لَا بُشْرَىٰ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ لِّلْمُجْرِمِينَ وَيَقُولُونَ حِجْرًۭا مَّحْجُورًۭا

Yawma yarawnal malaaa 'ikata laa bushraa Yawma'izil lilmujrimina wa yaquluna hijram mahjuraa

On the Day they see the angels, there will be no good news for the criminals that Day, and they will say, "A barrier, forbidden."

﴾٢٣﴿ وَقَدِمْنَآ إِلَىٰ مَا عَمِلُوا۟ مِنْ عَمَلٍۢ فَجَعَلْنَٰهُ هَبَآءًۭ مَّنثُورًا

Wa qadimnaaa ilaa maa 'amilu min 'amalin faja'alnaahu habaaa'am mansuraa

And We will turn to whatever deeds they did and make them scattered dust.

﴾٢٤﴿ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَيْرٌۭ مُّسْتَقَرًّۭا وَأَحْسَنُ مَقِيلًۭا

As haabul jannati yawma'izin khairum mustaqar ranw wa ahsanu maqila

The companions of the Garden that Day will have a better settlement and a finer resting place.

﴾٢٥﴿ وَيَوْمَ تَشَقَّقُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ بِٱلْغَمَٰمِ وَنُزِّلَ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ تَنزِيلًا

Wa Yawma tashaqqaqus samaaa'u bilghamaami wa nuzzilal malaaa'ikatu tanzila

On the Day the sky splits open with clouds, and the angels are sent down in succession,

﴾٢٦﴿ ٱلْمُلْكُ يَوْمَئِذٍ ٱلْحَقُّ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ ۚ وَكَانَ يَوْمًا عَلَى ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ عَسِيرًۭا

Almulku Yawma'izinil haqqu lir Rahmaan; wa kaana Yawman'alal kaafirina 'asiraa

the true dominion that Day belongs to the Most Gracious, and it will be a hard Day for the disbelievers.

﴾٢٧﴿ وَيَوْمَ يَعَضُّ ٱلظَّالِمُ عَلَىٰ يَدَيْهِ يَقُولُ يَٰلَيْتَنِى ٱتَّخَذْتُ مَعَ ٱلرَّسُولِ سَبِيلًۭا

Wa Yawma ya'adduz zaalimu 'alaa yadaihi yaqulu yaa laitanit takhaztu ma'ar Rasuli sabilaa

On the Day the wrongdoer bites his hands, saying, "If only I had taken a way with the Messenger.

﴾٢٨﴿ يَٰوَيْلَتَىٰ لَيْتَنِى لَمْ أَتَّخِذْ فُلَانًا خَلِيلًۭا

Yaa wailataa laitani lam attakhiz fulaanan khalilaa

Woe to me, if only I had not taken such a one as a close friend.

﴾٢٩﴿ لَّقَدْ أَضَلَّنِى عَنِ ٱلذِّكْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ جَآءَنِى ۗ وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ لِلْإِنسَٰنِ خَذُولًۭا

Laqad adallani 'aniz zikri ba'da iz jaaa'ani; wa kaanash Shaitaanu lil insaani khazulaa

He led me away from the reminder after it came to me." Satan is a betrayer of man.

﴾٣٠﴿ وَقَالَ ٱلرَّسُولُ يَٰرَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِى ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ هَٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ مَهْجُورًۭا

Wa qaalar Rasulu yaa Rabbi inna qawmit takhazu haazal Qur-aana mahjuraa

And the Messenger said, "My Lord, my people have taken this Quran as something abandoned."

﴾٣١﴿ وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِىٍّ عَدُوًّۭا مِّنَ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ هَادِيًۭا وَنَصِيرًۭا

Wa kazaalika ja'alnaa likulli Nabiyyin 'aduwwam minal mujrimin; wa kafaa bi Rabbika haadiyanw wa nasiraa

In the same way We appointed for every prophet an enemy from among the criminals. Your Lord is sufficient as a guide and a helper.

﴾٣٢﴿ وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ جُمْلَةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِۦ فُؤَادَكَ ۖ وَرَتَّلْنَٰهُ تَرْتِيلًۭا

Wa qaalal lazina kafaru law laa nuzzila 'alaihil Quraanu jumlatanw waahidah; kazaalika linusabbita bihi fu'aadaka wa rattalnaahu tartilaa

Those who disbelieve say, "Why was the Quran not sent down to him all at once?" It is so, that We may strengthen your heart with it, and We have recited it in a measured recitation.

﴾٣٣﴿ وَلَا يَأْتُونَكَ بِمَثَلٍ إِلَّا جِئْنَٰكَ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَأَحْسَنَ تَفْسِيرًا

Wa laa yaatunaka bimasainn illaa ji'naaka bilhaqqi wa ahsana tafsiraa

They do not bring you any argument except that We bring you the truth, and a better explanation.

﴾٣٤﴿ ٱلَّذِينَ يُحْشَرُونَ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمْ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ شَرٌّۭ مَّكَانًۭا وَأَضَلُّ سَبِيلًۭا

Allazina yuhsharuna 'alaa wujuhim ilaa jahannama ulaaa'ika sharrum makaananw wa adallu sabilaa )section 3)

Those who are gathered on their faces to Hell are in the worst position and the most astray in way.

﴾٣٥﴿ وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَجَعَلْنَا مَعَهُۥٓ أَخَاهُ هَٰرُونَ وَزِيرًۭا

Wa laqad aatainaa Musal Kitaaba wa ja'alnaa ma'ahuo akhaahu Haaruna waziraa

We gave Musa the Book and appointed his brother Harun with him as a helper.

﴾٣٦﴿ فَقُلْنَا ٱذْهَبَآ إِلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا فَدَمَّرْنَٰهُمْ تَدْمِيرًۭا

Faqulnaz habaaa ilal qawmil lazina kazzabu bi Aayaatinaa fadammarnaahum tadmiraa

We said, "Go to the people who denied Our signs." Then We destroyed them completely.

﴾٣٧﴿ وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍۢ لَّمَّا كَذَّبُوا۟ ٱلرُّسُلَ أَغْرَقْنَٰهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَٰهُمْ لِلنَّاسِ ءَايَةًۭ ۖ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلظَّٰلِمِينَ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًۭا

Wa qawma Nuhil lammaa kazzabur Rusula aghraqnaahum wa ja'alnaahum linnaasi Aayatanw wa a'tadnaa lizzaalimina 'azaaban alimaa

And the people of Nuh, when they denied the messengers, We drowned them and made them a sign for people. We have prepared a painful punishment for the wrongdoers.

﴾٣٨﴿ وَعَادًۭا وَثَمُودَا۟ وَأَصْحَٰبَ ٱلرَّسِّ وَقُرُونًۢا بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ كَثِيرًۭا

Wa 'Aadanw Samuda wa As haabar Rassi wa qurunam baina zaalika kasiraa

And Ad and Thamud and the companions of the well, and many generations between them.

﴾٣٩﴿ وَكُلًّۭا ضَرَبْنَا لَهُ ٱلْأَمْثَٰلَ ۖ وَكُلًّۭا تَبَّرْنَا تَتْبِيرًۭا

Wa kullandarabnaa lahul amsaala wa kullan tabbarnaa tatbira

For each We presented examples, and each We destroyed completely.

﴾٤٠﴿ وَلَقَدْ أَتَوْا۟ عَلَى ٱلْقَرْيَةِ ٱلَّتِىٓ أُمْطِرَتْ مَطَرَ ٱلسَّوْءِ ۚ أَفَلَمْ يَكُونُوا۟ يَرَوْنَهَا ۚ بَلْ كَانُوا۟ لَا يَرْجُونَ نُشُورًۭا

Wa laqad ataw 'alal qaryatil latie umtirat mataras saw'; afalam yakunu yarawnahaa; bal kaanu laa yarjuna nushuraa

They have passed by the town that was rained upon with an evil rain. Did they not see it? Rather, they were not expecting resurrection.

﴾٤١﴿ وَإِذَا رَأَوْكَ إِن يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا أَهَٰذَا ٱلَّذِى بَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ رَسُولًا

Wa izaa ra awka iny yattakhizunaka illaa huzuwan ahaazal lazi ba'asal laahu Rasulaa

When they see you, they take you only in mockery. "Is this the one Allah sent as a messenger?

﴾٤٢﴿ إِن كَادَ لَيُضِلُّنَا عَنْ ءَالِهَتِنَا لَوْلَآ أَن صَبَرْنَا عَلَيْهَا ۚ وَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ حِينَ يَرَوْنَ ٱلْعَذَابَ مَنْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا

In kaada la yudillunaa 'an aalihatinaa law laaa an sabarnaa 'alaihaa; wa sawfa ya'lamuna hina yarawnal 'azaaba man adallu sabila

He almost led us away from our gods, had we not been steadfast upon them." They will know, when they see the punishment, who is more astray in way.

﴾٤٣﴿ أَرَءَيْتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَٰهَهُۥ هَوَىٰهُ أَفَأَنتَ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ وَكِيلًا

Ara'aita manit takhaza ilaahahu hawaahu afa anta takunu 'alaihi wakilaa

Have you seen the one who takes his own desire as his god? Would you then be a guardian over him?

﴾٤٤﴿ أَمْ تَحْسَبُ أَنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ أَوْ يَعْقِلُونَ ۚ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا كَٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ ۖ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا

Am tahsabu annna aksarahum yasma'una aw ya''qilun; in hum illaa kal an'aami bal hum adallu sabilan

Or do you think that most of them hear or reason? They are only like cattle. Rather, they are more astray in way.

﴾٤٥﴿ أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ كَيْفَ مَدَّ ٱلظِّلَّ وَلَوْ شَآءَ لَجَعَلَهُۥ سَاكِنًۭا ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَا ٱلشَّمْسَ عَلَيْهِ دَلِيلًۭا

Alam tara ilaa Rabbika kaifa maddaz zilla wa law shaaa'a laja'alahu saakinan summa ja'alnash shamsa 'alaihe dalilaa

Have you not seen how your Lord extends the shadow? If He willed, He could have made it still. Then We made the sun an indication over it.

﴾٤٦﴿ ثُمَّ قَبَضْنَٰهُ إِلَيْنَا قَبْضًۭا يَسِيرًۭا

Summa qabadnaahu ilainaa qabdany yasiraa

Then We draw it toward Us with a gentle drawing.

﴾٤٧﴿ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلَّيْلَ لِبَاسًۭا وَٱلنَّوْمَ سُبَاتًۭا وَجَعَلَ ٱلنَّهَارَ نُشُورًۭا

Wa Huwal lazi ja'ala lakumul laila libaasanw wannawma subaatanw wa ja'alan nahaara nushuraa

He is the One who made the night a covering for you, and sleep a rest, and made the day a rising.

﴾٤٨﴿ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَرْسَلَ ٱلرِّيَٰحَ بُشْرًۢا بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَحْمَتِهِۦ ۚ وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۭ طَهُورًۭا

Wa Huwal lazie arsalar riyaaha bushram baina yadai rahmatih; wa anzalnaa minas samaaa'i maaa'an tahuraa

He is the One who sends the winds as good news before His mercy, and We send down pure water from the sky,

﴾٤٩﴿ لِّنُحْۦِىَ بِهِۦ بَلْدَةًۭ مَّيْتًۭا وَنُسْقِيَهُۥ مِمَّا خَلَقْنَآ أَنْعَٰمًۭا وَأَنَاسِىَّ كَثِيرًۭا

Linuhyiya bihi balda tam maitanw wa nusqiyahu mimmaa khalaqnaaa an'aa manw wa anaasiyya kasiraa

so that We may give life with it to a dead land, and give drink to many of what We created, cattle and people.

﴾٥٠﴿ وَلَقَدْ صَرَّفْنَٰهُ بَيْنَهُمْ لِيَذَّكَّرُوا۟ فَأَبَىٰٓ أَكْثَرُ ٱلنَّاسِ إِلَّا كُفُورًۭا

Wa laqad sarrafnaahu bainahum li yazzakkaru fa abaaa aksarun naasi illaa kufuraa

We have distributed it among them so that they may remember, but most people refuse anything but ingratitude.

﴾٥١﴿ وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَبَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍۢ نَّذِيرًۭا

Wa law shi'naa laba'asnaa fi kulli qar yatin naziraa

If We willed, We could send a warner to every town.

﴾٥٢﴿ فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ وَجَٰهِدْهُم بِهِۦ جِهَادًۭا كَبِيرًۭا

Falaa tuti'il kaafirina wa jaahidhum bihi jihaadan kabiraa

So do not obey the disbelievers, and strive against them with it, a great striving.

﴾٥٣﴿ ۞ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى مَرَجَ ٱلْبَحْرَيْنِ هَٰذَا عَذْبٌۭ فُرَاتٌۭ وَهَٰذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌۭ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخًۭا وَحِجْرًۭا مَّحْجُورًۭا

Wa Huwal lazi marajal bahraini haazaa 'azbun furaatunw wa haazaa milhun ujaaj; wa ja'ala bainahumaa barzakhanw wa hijram mahjuraa

He is the One who merged the two bodies of water, this one fresh and sweet, and this one salt and bitter, and placed between them a barrier and a firm partition.

﴾٥٤﴿ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ مِنَ ٱلْمَآءِ بَشَرًۭا فَجَعَلَهُۥ نَسَبًۭا وَصِهْرًۭا ۗ وَكَانَ رَبُّكَ قَدِيرًۭا

Wa Huwal lazi khalaqa minal maaa'i basharran fa ja'alahu nasaban wa sihraa; wa kaana Rabbuka Qadiraa

He is the One who created a human being from water and made for him lineage and marriage. Your Lord is Powerful.

﴾٥٥﴿ وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُهُمْ وَلَا يَضُرُّهُمْ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱلْكَافِرُ عَلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ ظَهِيرًۭا

Wa ya'buduna min dunil laahi maa laa yanfa'uhum wa laa yadurruhum; wa kaanal kaafiru 'alaa Rabbihi zahiraa

Yet they worship besides Allah what neither benefits them nor harms them. The disbeliever is a supporter against his Lord.

﴾٥٦﴿ وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَٰكَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرًۭا وَنَذِيرًۭا

Wa maa arsalnaaka illaa mubashshiranw wa naziraa

We sent you only as a bringer of good news and a warner.

﴾٥٧﴿ قُلْ مَآ أَسْـَٔلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ إِلَّا مَن شَآءَ أَن يَتَّخِذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ سَبِيلًۭا

Qul maaa as'alukum 'alaihi min ajrin illaa man shaaa'a ai yattakhiza ilaa Rabbihi sabilaa

Say, "I ask you no reward for it, except that whoever wishes may take a way to his Lord."

﴾٥٨﴿ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱلْحَىِّ ٱلَّذِى لَا يَمُوتُ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِهِۦ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِهِۦ بِذُنُوبِ عِبَادِهِۦ خَبِيرًا

Wa tawakkal 'alal Haiyil lazi laa yamutu wa sabbih bihamdih; wa kafaa bihi bizunubi 'ibaadihi khabiraa

And rely upon the Living who does not die, and glorify Him with His praise. He is sufficient as one Aware of the sins of His servants,

﴾٥٩﴿ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍۢ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ ۚ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ فَسْـَٔلْ بِهِۦ خَبِيرًۭا

Allazi khalaqas samaawaati wal arda wa maa bainahumaa fi sittati aiyaamin summmmastawaa 'alal 'Arsh; ar Rahmaanu fas'al bihi khabiraa

the One who created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six days, then established Himself above the Throne. The Most Gracious. Ask about Him one who is aware.

﴾٦٠﴿ وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ قَالُوا۟ وَمَا ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ أَنَسْجُدُ لِمَا تَأْمُرُنَا وَزَادَهُمْ نُفُورًۭا ۩

Wa izaa qila lahumus judu lir Rahmaani qaalu wa mar Rahmaanu anasjudu limaa taamurunaa wa zaadahum nufuraa

When it is said to them, "Prostrate to the Most Gracious," they say, "And what is the Most Gracious? Are we to prostrate to whatever you order us?" And it increases them in aversion.

﴾٦١﴿ تَبَارَكَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ بُرُوجًۭا وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا سِرَٰجًۭا وَقَمَرًۭا مُّنِيرًۭا

Tabaarakal lazi ja'ala fis samaaa'i burujanw wa ja'ala fihaa siraajanw wa qamaram muniraa

Blessed is the One who placed constellations in the sky, and placed in it a lamp and an illuminating moon.

﴾٦٢﴿ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ خِلْفَةًۭ لِّمَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يَذَّكَّرَ أَوْ أَرَادَ شُكُورًۭا

Wa huwal lazi ja'alal laila wannahaara khilfatal liman araada ai yazzakkara aw araadaa shukuraa

He is the One who made the night and the day in succession, for whoever wants to remember, or wants to be grateful.

﴾٦٣﴿ وَعِبَادُ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ هَوْنًۭا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ ٱلْجَٰهِلُونَ قَالُوا۟ سَلَٰمًۭا

Wa 'ibaadur Rahmaanil lazina yamshuna 'alal ardi hawnanw wa izaa khaata bahumul jaahiluna qaalu salaamaa

The servants of the Most Gracious are those who walk upon the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say peace.

﴾٦٤﴿ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّدًۭا وَقِيَٰمًۭا

Wallazina yabituna li Rabbihim sujjadanw wa qiyaamaa

And those who spend the night before their Lord, in prostration and standing.

﴾٦٥﴿ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا ٱصْرِفْ عَنَّا عَذَابَ جَهَنَّمَ ۖ إِنَّ عَذَابَهَا كَانَ غَرَامًا

Wallazina yaquluna Rabbanas rif 'annnaa 'azaaba Jahannama inn 'azaabahaa kaana gharaamaa

And those who say, "Our Lord, turn away from us the punishment of Hell. Its punishment is a lasting torment.

﴾٦٦﴿ إِنَّهَا سَآءَتْ مُسْتَقَرًّۭا وَمُقَامًۭا

Innahaa saaa'at mustaqarranw wa muqaamaa

It is an evil settlement and residence."

﴾٦٧﴿ وَٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَنفَقُوا۟ لَمْ يُسْرِفُوا۟ وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُوا۟ وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ قَوَامًۭا

Wallazina izaaa anfaqu lam yusrifu wa lam yaqturu wa kaana baina zaalika qawaamaa

And those who, when they spend, are neither wasteful nor stingy, but hold a balance between the two.

﴾٦٨﴿ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ ٱلنَّفْسَ ٱلَّتِى حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَّا بِٱلْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًۭا

Wallazina laa yad'una ma'al laahi ilaahan aakhara wa laa yaqtulunan nafsal lati harramal laahu illaa bilhaqqi wa laa yaznun; wa mai yaf'al zaalika yalqa asaamaa

And those who do not call upon another god with Allah, and do not kill the soul Allah has forbidden except by right, and do not commit unlawful intercourse. Whoever does that will meet a penalty.

﴾٦٩﴿ يُضَٰعَفْ لَهُ ٱلْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِۦ مُهَانًا

Yudaa'af lahul 'azaabu Yawmal Qiyaamati wa yakhlud fihi muhaanaa

The punishment will be doubled for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will remain in it humiliated,

﴾٧٠﴿ إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًۭا صَٰلِحًۭا فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ ٱللَّهُ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمْ حَسَنَٰتٍۢ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًۭا رَّحِيمًۭا

Illaa man taaba wa 'aamana wa 'amila 'amalan saalihan fa ulaaa'ika yubad dilul laahu saiyi aatihim hasanaat; wa kaanal laahu Ghafurar Rahimaa

except one who repents, believes and does righteous work. For those, Allah will replace their evil deeds with good ones. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

﴾٧١﴿ وَمَن تَابَ وَعَمِلَ صَٰلِحًۭا فَإِنَّهُۥ يَتُوبُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ مَتَابًۭا

Wa man taaba wa 'amila saalihan fa innnahu yatubu ilal laahi mataabaa

Whoever repents and does righteous work has truly turned to Allah in repentance.

﴾٧٢﴿ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ ٱلزُّورَ وَإِذَا مَرُّوا۟ بِٱللَّغْوِ مَرُّوا۟ كِرَامًۭا

Wallazina laa yash hadunaz zura wa izaa marru billaghwi marru kiraamaa

And those who do not bear false witness, and when they pass by idle talk, they pass by with dignity.

﴾٧٣﴿ وَٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّهِمْ لَمْ يَخِرُّوا۟ عَلَيْهَا صُمًّۭا وَعُمْيَانًۭا

Wallazina izaa zukkiru bi Aayaati Rabbihim lam yakhirru 'alaihaa summanw wa'umyaanaa

And those who, when they are reminded of the verses of their Lord, do not fall upon them deaf and blind.

﴾٧٤﴿ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَٰجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّٰتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍۢ وَٱجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا

Wallazina yaquluna Rabbanaa hab lanaa min azwaajinaa wa zurriyaatinaa qurrata a'yuninw waj 'alnaa lilmuttaqina Imaamaa

And those who say, "Our Lord, grant us comfort of the eyes from our spouses and our offspring, and make us leaders for those mindful of You."

﴾٧٥﴿ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ يُجْزَوْنَ ٱلْغُرْفَةَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا۟ وَيُلَقَّوْنَ فِيهَا تَحِيَّةًۭ وَسَلَٰمًا

Ulaaa'ika yujzawnal ghurfata bimaa sabaru wa yulaqqawna fihaa tahiyyatanw wa salaamaa

Those will be rewarded with the high chamber for their patience, and they will be met in it with greeting and peace,

﴾٧٦﴿ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ حَسُنَتْ مُسْتَقَرًّۭا وَمُقَامًۭا

Khaalidina fihaa; hasunat mustaqarranw wa muqaamaa

remaining in it. It is an excellent settlement and residence.

﴾٧٧﴿ قُلْ مَا يَعْبَؤُا۟ بِكُمْ رَبِّى لَوْلَا دُعَآؤُكُمْ ۖ فَقَدْ كَذَّبْتُمْ فَسَوْفَ يَكُونُ لِزَامًۢا

Qul maa ya'ba'u bikum Rabbi law laa du'aaa'ukum faqad kazzabtum fasawfa yakunu lizaamaa

Say, "My Lord would not care for you if not for your calling upon Him. But you have denied, so it will be binding."

The Tafsir · The Breakdown

What This Surah Means

Overview

The Criterion, and the Men It Produces.

Al-Furqan is named for the thing that separates. The surah spends sixty-two verses showing men who cannot tell one thing from another, and then, in the last fifteen, it describes the men who can. Verses 63 through 74 are the closest thing in the Quran to a full portrait of a finished man, given as a list of conducts rather than a list of beliefs. How he walks. What he says to someone trying to provoke him. What he does with the middle of the night. How he handles money. What he does when he passes something worthless. What he asks for concerning his wife and children. Everything before that list exists to explain why the list is necessary, and the surah ends in verse 77 with the shortest possible statement of what a man is worth without it.

Verses 1 to 34

He Eats Food and Walks in the Markets.

Verse 7 is the objection, and it is the most revealing complaint in the surah. What is with this messenger, who eats food and walks in the markets? They are not disputing the content. They are disputing that a man who buys his own groceries could be carrying it. Verse 8 completes the picture of what they wanted instead: a treasure thrown down to him, or a garden of his own. They expected the messenger of Allah to look like a wealthy man, because that is the only kind of authority they recognized. Verse 20 answers all of it in one line, and it does not apologize. We sent no messengers before you except that they ate food and walked in the markets. Then it adds the sentence that turns the whole thing on the reader. We have made some of you a test for others. Will you be patient? The people around a man are not an obstacle to the arrangement. They are the arrangement. Verse 23 is the verse that should frighten a productive man. We will turn to whatever deeds they did and make them scattered dust. Habaa'an manthura, the fine particles you only see in a shaft of light. Not deeds destroyed by an enemy. Deeds that were real, performed, completed, and then found to have nothing under them. Verses 27 through 29 give the scene at the far end. A man biting his own hands, and two regrets in a row. If only I had taken a way with the Messenger. If only I had not taken such a one as a close friend. He led me away from the reminder after it came to me. Khalil, a close friend, the intimate kind. This surah puts the wrong friendship at the center of a man's ruin, the same way As-Saffat and Az-Zukhruf do. Verse 30 is the sentence in this surah that should land hardest on anyone who owns a mushaf. And the Messenger said, “My Lord, my people have taken this Quran as something abandoned.” Mahjur. Not rejected. Abandoned, left, deserted. A book can sit in a house, respected, and be abandoned. Verse 32 then answers the complaint about gradual revelation, and the answer is about the man carrying it rather than about the text. It is so that We may strengthen your heart with it. It came down over twenty-three years because a heart is strengthened over time, not in one delivery.

Verses 35 to 62

The Man Who Made His Desire a God.

Verse 43 asks a question that has no comfortable answer. Have you seen the one who takes his own desire as his god? Ilahahu hawah. This is a description of a man who has not built a temple or carved anything. He simply resolves every question by what he wants, and the surah calls that arrangement a religion with a deity in it. Verse 44 follows with the hardest comparison in the Quran. Or do you think that most of them hear or reason? They are only like cattle. Rather, they are more astray. The livestock at least follows its nature. Verse 45 through verse 47 then turn to signs so ordinary that nobody argues with them. The shadow that moves and would have been still if He willed. The night made a covering, libas, a garment a man puts on. Sleep made a rest. The day made nushur, a rising, the same word used for the resurrection. Every man rehearses death and return every twenty-four hours and calls it a night's sleep. Verse 52 gives the instruction for the man carrying this. Do not obey the disbelievers, and strive against them with it, a great striving. The pronoun refers back to the Quran. In a Meccan surah, before any permission to fight, the great striving named here is done with the Book. Verse 62 closes the section with something merciful. He made the night and the day in succession, for whoever wants to remember, or wants to be grateful. Khilfah, each one following the other. Every man who missed it today is handed the same offer at sunset, and again at dawn.

Verses 63 to 71

The Servants of the Most Gracious.

The list opens with the way a man moves. Verse 63. They walk upon the earth in humility, hawnan, without weight or display in the walk. And when the ignorant address them, they say peace. Note that the provocation is assumed. The list does not describe a man nobody bothers. It describes a man who is bothered and answers with one word. Verse 64 gives the private half. Those who spend the night before their Lord, in prostration and standing. The public gentleness in verse 63 is funded by the private night in verse 64, in that order. A man who is soft in the street without the night behind it is just accommodating. Verse 65 and verse 66 show what they are asking for while standing there, and it is not promotion. Our Lord, turn away from us the punishment of Hell. Verse 67 is the money verse and it is precise in both directions. When they spend, they are neither wasteful nor stingy, but hold a balance between the two. Two failures are named, not one. Extravagance is condemned and so is holding on, and the standard is qawam, a middle that stands upright. Verse 68 names the three that break a man: another god, the forbidden killing, and unlawful intercourse. Then verses 69 and 70 do something remarkable in the middle of a list of qualities. After stating the doubled punishment, the surah opens a door: except one who repents, believes and does righteous work. For those, Allah will replace their evil deeds with good ones. Not erased. Replaced, converted, the record rewritten in the other direction. That is placed deliberately inside the portrait of the finished man, so that no reader concludes the list is for people who never fell.

Verses 72 to 77

They Pass By With Dignity.

Verse 72 covers two things a man does with his attention. They do not bear false witness, and when they pass by idle talk, they pass by with dignity. Kiraman, nobly. Not lecturing it, not joining it, not making a performance of the refusal. He passes. Anyone who has ever scrolled through something worthless knows exactly which half of that verse is harder. Verse 73 catches the more respectable failure. When they are reminded of the verses of their Lord, they do not fall upon them deaf and blind. It is possible to be present for the recitation, to nod, and to take in nothing. The verse treats that as a failure worth naming in a list of a man's virtues. Verse 74 is the last request on the list, and it is the one to memorize. Our Lord, grant us comfort of the eyes from our spouses and our offspring, and make us leaders for those mindful of You. Two things asked in one breath: that his household be a comfort to look at, and that he be out in front. Notice he does not ask to be led. He asks to be made an imam for the muttaqin, which is a request to carry weight, not to be relieved of it. Verse 75 gives what it is rewarded with and names the reason. They will be rewarded with the high chamber for their patience. Sabr, for all of it. The walk, the answer to the ignorant, the night, the balance in spending, the passing by. All of it is filed under patience. Then verse 77 ends the surah with a sentence that should be read alone. My Lord would not care for you if not for your calling upon Him. A man's whole standing is described as resting on the fact that he asks.

Structural Summary

Seventy-Seven Verses. They Walk Upon the Earth in Humility.

The surah answers men who could not accept a messenger who bought his own food, and warns that deeds can be real and still turn to dust. It records a man biting his hands over a friendship, and the Messenger's own complaint that his people had abandoned a Book they still owned. It names the god a man builds out of his own wants, and then, in the last fifteen verses, gives the full portrait of the servants of the Most Gracious: how they walk, what they answer, how they spend their nights and their money, what they do with worthless talk, and what they ask for concerning their families. It files all of it under patience, and closes by stating that a man's worth to his Lord rests on his calling upon Him.

The Practice

Take It Into the Week

Verse 30. Open the mushaf today for ten minutes. The verse is about a Book that is owned and not opened.

Verse 67. Look at your last thirty days of spending and find both failures, the wasteful and the withheld. Correct one of each.

Verse 74. Memorize the request and say it after every prayer this week.

آمِين

Prepared with discipline · Ameen

Verse-By-Verse · Test Yourself

The Quiz

Two questions per verse. Translation and a key Arabic word. Walk through it slow. The goal is comprehension, not speed.

Verse 71 / 12

The Verse

What objection is raised against the Messenger in verse 7?