(Revealed before Hijrah)

Date of Revelation and Context
Like the preceding one this Surah was revealed early in the Holy Prophet's ministry at Mecca. Noldeke assigns its revelation to the fourth year of the Call. The preceding Surah had dealt with two resurrections-a spiritual resurrection which was to be brought about by the teachings of the Qur'an and the Final Resurrection in the Life after death, the former resurrection having been cited as an argument in support of the latter. The Surah opens with an important prophecy that a body of highly righteous men would come into existence through the influence of the Quranic teaching. Like moisture-laden clouds which give rain to vast areas of parched and burnt land and make them blossom into new life, this holy band of righteous believers, having themselves awakened to a new spiritual life, would carry the Quranic Message to the ends of the earth, sweeping all opposition before their onward march. The prediction, seemingly impossible of fulfillment, would constitute, when turned into a palpable reality, an invincible argument in support of the fact of the Final Resurrection.

The Surah, further, says that whenever a Divine Messenger appears in the world to tell his people that there is a life beyond the grave in which they will have to account for their deeds they laugh him to scorn, and oppose and persecute him; and cites the case of the people of Lot who were punished for their iniquities and unnatural and immoral practices. It also briefly refers to the punishment that overtook Pharaoh, 'Ad, Thamud and the people of Noah, and towards the end draws pointed attention to the supreme object of man's creation which is that he should cultivate and demonstrate in himself Divine attributes and should discharge fully and faithfully his obligations to God and his fellow-beings.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيم
[51:1] In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.

وَالذَّارِيَاتِ ذَرْوًا
[51:2] By[2823] the winds that scatter seeds with a true scattering[2823A],

فَالْحَامِلاَتِ وِقْرًا
[51:3] Then by the clouds that carry the load of moisture,

فَالْجَارِيَاتِ يُسْرًا
[51:4] Then by the rivers that flow gently,

فَالْمُقَسِّمَاتِ أَمْرًا
[51:5] And then by the angels that finally administer and execute affairs[2824],

إِنَّمَا تُوعَدُونَ لَصَادِقٌ
[51:6] Surely, that which you are promised is true;

وَإِنَّ الدِّينَ لَوَاقِعٌ
[51:7] And the Judgment will surely come to pass.

وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الْحُبُكِ
[51:8] And by the heaven full of tracks[2825],

إِنَّكُمْ لَفِي قَوْلٍ مُخْتَلِفٍ
[51:9] Truly you are discordant[2826] in your utterances.

يُؤْفَكُ عَنْهُ مَنْ أُفِكَ
[51:10] He alone is turned away from the truth who is destined[2827] to be thus turned away.

قُتِلَ الْخَرَّاصُونَ
[51:11] Cursed be the liars,

الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي غَمْرَةٍ سَاهُونَ
[51:12] Who are heedless in the depth of ignorance[2828].

يَسْأَلُونَ أَيَّانَ يَوْمُ الدِّينِ
[51:13] They ask: ‘When will be the Day of Judgment?’

يَوْمَ هُمْ عَلَى النَّارِ يُفْتَنُونَ
[51:14] It will be the day when they will be tormented at the Fire.

ذُوقُوا فِتْنَتَكُمْ هَذَا الَّذِي كُنتُمْ بِهِ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ
[51:15] ‘Taste ye your torment. This is what you would hasten.’

إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ
[51:16] But surely the righteous will be in the midst of gardens and springs,

آخِذِينَ مَا آتَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ مُحْسِنِينَ
[51:17] Receiving what their Lord will give them; for they used to do good before that[2829].

كَانُوا قَلِيلاً مِنْ اللَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ
[51:18] They used to sleep but a little of the night;

وَبِالأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ
[51:19] And at the dawn of the day they sought forgiveness;

وَفِي أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ لِلسَّائِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِ
[51:20] And in their wealth was a share for one who asked for help and for one who could not[2830].

وَفِي الأَرْضِ آيَاتٌ لِلْمُوقِنِينَ
[51:21] And in the earth are Signs for those who have certainty of faith,

وَفِي أَنفُسِكُمْ أَفَلاَ تُبْصِرُونَ
[51:22] And also in your own selves. Will you not then see?

وَفِي السَّمَاءِ رِزْقُكُمْ وَمَا تُوعَدُونَ
[51:23] And in heaven is your sustenance, and also that which you are promised[2831].

فَوَرَبِّ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ إِنَّهُ لَحَقٌّ مِثْلَ مَا أَنَّكُمْ تَنطِقُونَ
[51:24] And by the Lord of the heaven and the earth, it is certainly the truth, even as it is true that you speak[2832].

هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ ضَيْفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ
[51:25] Has the story of Abraham’s honoured guests reached thee?

إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا سَلاَمًا قَالَ سَلاَمٌ قَوْمٌ مُنكَرُونَ
[51:26] When they entered upon him and said, ‘Peace!’ he said, ‘Peace!’ They were all strangers[2833].

فَرَاغَ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ فَجَاءَ بِعِجْلٍ سَمِينٍ
[51:27] And he went quietly to his household, and brought a fatted calf,

فَقَرَّبَهُ إِلَيْهِمْ قَالَ أَلاَ تَأْكُلُونَ
[51:28] And he placed it before them. He said, ‘Will you not eat?’

فَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةً قَالُوا لاَ تَخَفْ وَبَشَّرُوهُ بِغُلاَمٍ عَلِيمٍ
[51:29] And he felt a fear on account of them. They said, ‘Fear not.’ And they gave him glad tidings of the birth of a son possessing knowledge[2834].

فَأَقْبَلَتْ امْرَأَتُهُ فِي صَرَّةٍ فَصَكَّتْ وَجْهَهَا وَقَالَتْ عَجُوزٌ عَقِيمٌ
[51:30] Then his wife came forward crying[2835] and smote her face and said, ‘A barren old woman!’

قَالُوا كَذَلِكِ قَالَ رَبُّكِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْعَلِيمُ
[51:31] They said, ‘Even so has thy Lord said. Surely, He is the Wise, the All- Knowing.’

قَالَ فَمَا خَطْبُكُمْ أَيُّهَا الْمُرْسَلُونَ
[51:32] Abraham said, ‘Now what is your errand, O ye messengers?’

قَالُوا إِنَّا أُرْسِلْنَا إِلَى قَوْمٍ مُجْرِمِينَ
[51:33] They said, ‘We have been sent to a sinful people,

لِنُرْسِلَ عَلَيْهِمْ حِجَارَةً مِنْ طِينٍ
[51:34] ‘That we may send down upon them stones of clay,

مُسَوَّمَةً عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ
[51:35] ‘Marked, with thy Lord, for those guilty of excesses.’

فَأَخْرَجْنَا مَنْ كَانَ فِيهَا مِنْ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
[51:36] And We brought forth therefrom such of the believers as were there,

فَمَا وَجَدْنَا فِيهَا غَيْرَ بَيْتٍ مِنْ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
[51:37] And We found not there except only one house of Muslims.

وَتَرَكْنَا فِيهَا آيَةً لِلَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ الْعَذَابَ الأَلِيمَ
[51:38] And We left therein a Sign for those who fear the painful punishment.

وَفِي مُوسَى إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَاهُ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ بِسُلْطَانٍ مُبِينٍ
[51:39] And We left another Sign in Moses when We sent him to Pharaoh with clear authority,

فَتَوَلَّى بِرُكْنِهِ وَقَالَ سَاحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ
[51:40] But he turned away from Moses in his pride of power[2836], and said, ‘A sorcerer, or a madman.’

فَأَخَذْنَاهُ وَجُنُودَهُ فَنَبَذْنَاهُمْ فِي الْيَمِّ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ
[51:41] So We seized him and his hosts and threw them into the sea; and he himself was to blame.

وَفِي عَادٍ إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّيحَ الْعَقِيمَ
[51:42] And there was a Sign in the tribe of ‘Ad, when We sent against them the destructive wind.

مَا تَذَرُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ أَتَتْ عَلَيْهِ إِلاَّ جَعَلَتْهُ كَالرَّمِيمِ
[51:43] It left nothing whatever that it visited, but made it like a rotten bone.

وَفِي ثَمُودَ إِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَمَتَّعُوا حَتَّى حِينٍ
[51:44] And a Sign there was in the tribe of Thamud when it was said to them, ‘Enjoy yourselves for a while.’

فَعَتَوْا عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَخَذَتْهُمْ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَهُمْ يَنظُرُونَ
[51:45] But they rebelled against the command of their Lord. So the thunderbolt overtook them while they gazed;

فَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا مِنْ قِيَامٍ وَمَا كَانُوا مُنتَصِرِينَ
[51:46] And they were not able to rise again, nor could they defend themselves.

وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ مِنْ قَبْلُ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمًا فَاسِقِينَ
[51:47] And We destroyed the people of Noah before them; they were a disobedient people.

وَالسَّمَاءَ بَنَيْنَاهَا بِأَيْيدٍ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ
[51:48] And We have built the heaven with Our own hands[2837], and verily We have vast powers[2837A].

وَالأَرْضَ فَرَشْنَاهَا فَنِعْمَ الْمَاهِدُونَ
[51:49] And the earth We have spread out, and how excellently do We prepare things!

وَمِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَا زَوْجَيْنِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
[51:50] And of everything have We created pairs[2838], that you may reflect.

فَفِرُّوا إِلَى اللَّهِ إِنِّي لَكُمْ مِنْهُ نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ
[51:51] Flee ye therefore unto Allah. Surely, I am a plain Warner unto you from Him.

وَلاَ تَجْعَلُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ إِنِّي لَكُمْ مِنْهُ نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ
[51:52] And do not set up another God along with Allah. Surely, I am a plain Warner unto you from Him.

كَذَلِكَ مَا أَتَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلاَّ قَالُوا سَاحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ
[51:53] Even so there came no Messenger to those before them, but they said, ‘A sorcerer, or a madman!’

أَتَوَاصَوْا بِهِ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ طَاغُونَ
[51:54] Have they made it a legacy[2839] to one another? Nay, they are all a rebellious people.

فَتَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ فَمَا أَنْتَ بِمَلُومٍ
[51:55] So turn away from them; and there will be no blame on thee.

وَذَكِّرْ فَإِنَّ الذِّكْرَى تَنفَعُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
[51:56] And keep on exhorting; for verily, exhortation benefits those who would believe.

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالإِنسَ إِلاَّ لِيَعْبُدُونِ
[51:57] And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship[2840] Me.

مَا أُرِيدُ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ رِزْقٍ وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ يُطْعِمُونِ
[51:58] I desire no sustenance from them, nor do I desire that they should feed[2841] Me.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ
[51:59] Surely, it is Allah Himself Who is the Great Sustainer, the Powerful, the Strong.

فَإِنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا ذَنُوبًا مِثْلَ ذَنُوبِ أَصْحَابِهِمْ فَلاَ يَسْتَعْجِلُونِ
[51:60] And for those who do wrong there is a share[2842] of comfort like the share enjoyed by their fellows of the earlier times; so let them not ask Me to hasten on the punishment.

فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ يَوْمِهِمْ الَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ
[51:61] Woe, then, to those who disbelieve, because of that day of theirs which they have been promised!

2823. See 2465.

2823A.  For a collective note on this and the next three verses see 2824.

2824. From a phenomenon in physical nature, the four verses (2-5) draw attention to a parallel spiritual phenomenon. The parallelism is very striking. The four words -al-Dhariyat (those that scatter), al-Hamilat (those that carry), al-Jariyat (those that speed lightly along) and al-Muqassimat (those that distribute)-when pointing to the physical phenomenon, may stand for winds that scatter far and wide, the vapors that rise from the oceans, carry the clouds laden with rain-water, blow gently and then cause rain to fall on dry, parched and burnt land and turn it into a smiling, blooming and blossoming piece of earth, full of verdure, beautiful flowers and sweet fruits. Spiritually speaking, these four words may stand for that
band of righteous men, who drinking deep at the spiritual fountain that the Holy Prophet caused to flow, and who, after assimilating and being impregnated with the beautiful and life-giving Quranic teaching, went forth to the remote corners of Arabia and afterwards to far-off lands, carrying their blessed load and scattering the revealed Word of God in countries, reeking with polytheistic beliefs and immoral practices, not with the sword but with love and peace, like winds that blow gently and carry rain to withered lands.

2825. Tracks or paths of heaven are the orbits of planets, comets, and stars with which the vault of heaven is strewn. These celestial bodies float in their respective orbits performing their allotted tasks regularly, punctually and unerringly, without trespassing on one another's sphere of action and all united forming a glorious harmony of structure and motion. That the heaven is full of such tracks on which planets and stars travel; was a discovery made to the world by the Qur'an; at a time when it was believed that the heavens were solid in their formation.

2826. The great astronomical truth revealed in the preceding verse leads to the inference that the Qur'an is God's own revealed Word and that there exists a unity of purpose and harmony in Divine work, and yet the materialistic philosophers coin far-fetched theories, groping and floundering in ill-founded surmises and conjectures, not believing in God's Word and in His Prophet.

2827. The words may also mean. 'he who himself would turn away.'

2828. Ghamrah means, depth of ignorance; error; obstinacy and perplexity; overwhelming heedlessness; a state of obstinate perseverance in a vain and false thing (Lane).

2829. A Muttaqi is one who discharges his obligations faithfully and fully to God and man, and a Muhsin is he who does more good to others than the good he receives from them and acts and behaves as though he is actually seeing God, or; in a lesser degree, he is conscious of God watching over him. Thus a Muhsin is a person of higher spiritual stature and caliber than a Muttaqi.

2830. In the wealth of a rich Muslim, according to Islam , those who can express their needs, as also those who cannot, have a share; as of right. Thus a Muslim's wealth is a trust to the benefit of which the poor are also entitled. So when he satisfies the need of a poor brother, he, in fact, does him no favor but only discharges the obligation he owes to him and returns to him what was his due. The word, al Mahrum; not only includes in its connotation those poor people who, from a sense of self-respect or a feeling of shame, do not ask for alms (2:274), but also dumb animals. The word has been taken here as signifying a person who is debarred from earning his livelihood due to physical infirmity or some other similar cause.

2831. Promises of triumph and prosperity to believers and warnings to disbelievers.

2832. The fact mentioned in the preceding verse is neither wishful thinking on the Holy Prophet's part, nor is it a figment of his imagination, but is solid and hard truth as sure and true as it is true 'that you speak.' Or, the verse may mean that the Qur'an is as undoubtedly God's own revealed Word as 'you speak.'

2833. See 11:70,71.

2834. In the present verse as also in 1554 'the promised son,' has been described as 'a son endowed with knowledge,' while in 37:102 he has been called 'a forbearing son.' In the former verse the reference is to Isaac and in the latter to Ishmael.

2835. Sarrah means a most vehement clamor of crying; vehemence of grief, heat or anxiety; a contraction and moroseness of the face by reason of dislike or hatred or shame; a fit (Lane).

2836. Rukn means; a stay or support; power, might and resistance; a man's kinsfolk or clan, his people or party; persons by whom he is aided and strengthened; a noble or high person (Lane & Mufradat).

2837. Yad signifies, (1) favor; (2) power; dignity; (3) protection; (4) wealth; (5) arm; etc. (Aqrab). Thus the expression in the text means: 'We have created the heaven with power and might,' or 'We have made the heaven as a manifestation of Our power and might,' i.e., in the creation of the heavens and the earth there is proof of many Divine attributes, the prominent being God's Glory, Might and Majesty.

2837A.  Musi'un also means, 'We go on expanding.'

2838. God has created all things in pairs. There are pairs not only in animal life, but also in vegetables, and even in inanimate things. There are pairs also in spiritual things. Even heaven and earth together make a pair.

2839. So strikingly similar are the charges leveled against Divine Reformers by their opponents in all ages that it seems that the disbelievers of one age bequeath it as a legacy to their successors to go on repeating those accusations.

2840. The primary signification of the word 'Ibadah is to subject oneself to a rigorous spiritual discipline, working with all one's inherent powers and capacities to their fullest scope; in perfect harmony with and in obedience to Divine commandments, so as to receive God's impress and thus to be able to assimilate and manifest in oneself His attributes. This is, as stated in the verse, the great and noble aim and object of man's creation and this is exactly what worship of God means. The external and internal endowments of human nature give us clearly to understand that of God-given faculties the highest is the one which awakens in man the urge to search after God and incites in him the noble desire completely to submit himself to His Will.

2841. If the spiritual wayfarer pursues his course towards the noble object of his life steadfastly and with perseverance, he does no good to God, or to anybody else, but himself profits by it and attains the object of his quest.

2842. Dhanub means, fate, lot, share or portion; requital; a day of prolonged evil (Lane).