Winnowing Winds (Az-Zâriyât)

In the name of Allah, Gracious, Merciful.

¹By the winds that scatter broadcast;

²And those that lift and bear away heavy weights;

³And those that flow with ease and gentleness;

⁴And those that distribute and apportion by command

⁵Verily, that which you are promised is true;

⁶And verily, judgment and justice must indeed come to pass.

⁷By the sky with its numerous paths¹

⁸Truly you are in a doctrine discordant.

⁹Through which are deluded, such as would be deluded.

¹⁰Woe to the falsehood mongers.

¹¹Those who flounder heedless in a flood of confusion:

¹²They ask “when will be the day of judgment and justice?”

¹³A day when they will be tried over the fire!

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

¹Wazariyati zarwan

²Falhamilati wiqran

³Faljariyati yusran

⁴Falmuqasimati amran

⁵Innama tuaduna lasadiq

⁶Wa inna dina lawaqi

⁷Wa samai zatil hubuk

8Innakum lafi qaulim mukhtalif

⁹Yufaku anhu man ufik

¹⁰Qutilal karasun

¹¹Allazina hum fi gamratin sahun

¹²Yas aluna ayyana yaumud din

¹³Yauma hum alan nari yuftanun

1. The numerous paths in the sky or heaven are understood to be the orbits of the various planets according to both Muhammad Ali and Yusuf Ali. Although Muhammad Ali claims that this truth was not known to the world 1,300 years ago.

[Commentary continues below.]

¹⁴“Taste your trial! this is what you used to ask to be hastened!”

¹⁵As to the righteous, they will be in the midst of gardens and springs.

¹⁶Taking joy in the things which their Lord gives them because, before then they lived a good life.

¹⁷They were in the habit of sleeping but little by night.

¹⁸And in the hours of early dawn, They were found praying for forgiveness;

¹⁹And in their wealth and possessions was remembered the right of the needy, him who asked and him who for some reason was prevented from asking.

²⁰On the earth are signs for those of assured faith.

21As also in your own selves: will you not then see?

²²And in heaven is your sustenance as also that which you are promised.

¹⁴Zuqu fitnatakum hazal lazi kuntum bihi tastajilun

¹⁵Innal mutaqina fi jannati wa uyun

¹⁶Akhizina ma atahum rabbuhum innahum kanu qabla zalika muhsinin

¹⁷Kanu qalilam minal laili ma yahjaun

¹⁸Wa bil asharihum yastagfirun

¹⁹Wa fi amwalihim haqqul lisa ili wal mahrum

²⁰Wa filardi ayatul lil muqinin

²¹Wa fi anfusikum afala tubsirun

²²Wa fi samai rizqukum wa ma tu adun

[Commentary continues below.]

²³Then by the Lord of heaven and earth this is the very truth as much as the fact that you can speak intelligently to each other.

²⁴Has the story reached you of the honored guests of Abraham?

²⁵Behold they entered His presence and said: “Peace!” He said “Peace!” and thought “these seem unusual people.”

²⁶Then he turned quickly to his household, brought out a fatted calf.

²⁷And placed it before them. He said “Will you not eat?”

²⁸He conceived a fear of them. They said “Fear not” and they gave him glad tidings of a son endowed with knowledge.

²⁹But his wife came forward laughing aloud: she smote her forehead and said: “a barren old woman!”

²³Fawarab bi sama I wal ardi innahu lahaq qum mitsla ma annakum tantiqun

²⁴Hal ataka hadisi daifi Ibrahimal mukramin

²⁵Iz dakalu alaihi faqalu salama qala salamun qaumum munkarun

²⁶Faraga ila ahlihi faja a biijlin samin

²⁷Faqar rabahu ilaihim qala ala takulun

²⁸Fa aujasa minhum khifah qalu la takhaf wa basaruhu bigulamin alim

²⁹Fa aqbalatim ra atuhu fi saratin fasak kat wajaha wa qalat ajuzun aqim

[Commentary continues below.]

³⁰They said “Even so has your Lord spoken: and He is full of wisdom and knowledge.”²

³¹He said: “And what, O messengers, is your errand?”

³²They said “We have been sent to a people in sin.

³³“To bring on them a shower of stones of clay.

³⁴“Marked as from your Lord for those who trespass beyond bounds.”

³⁵Then We evacuated those of the believers who were there.

³⁶But We found not there any just persons except in one house:³

³⁷And We left there a sign for such as fear the grievous penalty.

³⁸And in Moses was another sign: Behold We sent him to Pharaoh with authority manifest.

³⁰Qalu kazalika qala rabbuk innahu huwal hakimul alim

³¹Qala fama katbukum ayyuhal mursalun

³²Qalu inna ursilna ila qaumim mujrimin

³³Linursila alaihim hijaratam mintin

³⁴Musaw wamatan inda rabbika lilmusrifin

³⁵Fa akhrajna man kana fiha minal muminin

³⁶Fama wajadna fiha gaira baitim minal muslimin

³⁷Wa tarakna fiha ayatal lillazina yakafunal azabal alim

³⁸Wa fi Musa iz arsalnahu ila Firauna bisultanim mubin

2. Please for notes on V.24- 35, refer to Qur’an And the end of Qur’an for more on the subject of the visitors.

3. Muslim in this context means one who is righteous. As adherents of religion Muslims as we know them today did not come into till 610 when Muhammad had an encounter with the spirit/angel.

³⁹But he turned back with his chiefs and said “A sorcerer or one possessed!”

⁴⁰So We took him and his forces and threw them into the sea: and his was the blame.⁴

41And in the Ad was another sign, behold, We sent against them the devastating wind:

⁴²It left nothing whatever that it came up against but reduced it to ruin and rottenness.

⁴³And in the Thamud was another sign: Behold they were told “Enjoy your brief day for a little while!”⁵

⁴⁴But they insolently defied the command of their Lord: so the stunning noise seized them even while they were looking on.

⁴⁵Then they could not even stand on their feet nor could they help themselves.

⁴⁶So were the people of Noah before them: for they wickedly transgressed.

³⁹Fatawal la biruknihi wa qala sahirun au majnun

⁴⁰Fa ahaznahu wa junudahu fanabaznahum fil yam mi wa huwa mulim

⁴¹Wafi adin iz arsalna alaihimur rihal aqim

⁴²Ma tazaru min syaiin atat alaihi illa jaalat hu kar ramim

⁴³Wa fi Samuda iz qila lahum tama tau hata hin

⁴⁴Faatau an amri rabbihim fa akha zathumush shaiqatu wa hum yan zhurun

⁴⁵Famas tathau min qiyami wa ma kanu muntashirin

⁴⁶Wa qauma Nuhum min qaht innahum kanu qauman tasiqun

4. The story of Moses is told in Qur’an 20, please refer to the end of the chapter for notes about the ministry of Moses.

5. For more on Ad and Thamud please see the Glossary.

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⁴⁷With the power and skill did We construct the firmament: for it is We who create the vastness of space.

⁴⁸And We have spread out the spacious earth: how excellently We do spread out!

⁴⁹And of everything We have created pairs: that you may receive instruction.

⁵⁰Hasten you then at once to Allah: I am from Him a warner to you clear and open!

⁵¹And make not another an object of worship with Allah, I am from Him a warner to you, clear and open!

⁵²Similarly no apostle came to the peoples before them, but they said of him in like manner “A sorcerer or one possessed”!

⁵³Is this the legacy they have transmitted one to another? No, they are themselves a people transgressing beyond bounds!

⁵⁴So turn away from them: not thine is the blame.

⁴⁷Wa sama a banainaha bi aidi wa inna lamusiun

⁴⁸Wal ardha farasynaha fanimal mahi dun

⁴⁹Wamin kulli syaiin khataqna zau jaini la allakum tazak karun

⁵⁰Fafir ru ilallah innu lakum minhu nadzurum muhun

⁵¹Wa la tajalun maal lahi ilahan akhai innu lakum minhu nazurum mubun

⁵²Kazalika ma atallazina min qabli him mirasulin illa qalu sahirun au majnun

⁵³Atwasau bihi bal hum qaumun taghun

⁵⁴Fatawal la anhum fama anta bimalum

[Commentary continues below.]

⁵⁵And teach your message: for teaching benefits the believers.

⁵⁶And I have only created jinns and men that they may serve Me.⁶

⁵⁷No sustenance do I require of them nor do I require that they should feed Me.

⁵⁸For Allah is He who gives all sustenance, Lord of power, steadfast for ever.

⁵⁹For the wrongdoers their portion is like unto the portion of their fellows of earlier generations: then let them not ask Me to hasten that portion!

⁶⁰Woe then to the unbelievers on account of that day of theirs which they have been promised!

⁵⁵Wa zakir fa innazikra tanfaul muminin

⁵⁶Wa ma halaqtul jinna wal insa illa liyabudun

⁵⁷Ma uridu minhum mirizqi wa ma uridu ayyutimun

⁵⁸Innal laha huwa razaqu zul quwatil matin

⁵⁹Fa innal lillazina zalamu zanubam mitsla zanubi ashabihim fala yastajilun

⁶⁰Fawailul lil lazina kafaru mi yaumihimul lazi yuadun

6. Islam teaches that man is the slave of Allah, for this reason Muslims cannot accept the concept of man being the child of God Almighty under any circumstance. It is for this same reason that believing in Jesus as the Son of God Almighty is tantamount to blasphemy. But though God created us and consequently we are His creation, yet those who believe in Christ are elevated a step above the unbelievers, they become the Children of God Almighty by adoption not by birth.