Quran: Surah 10- Yunus - Jonah

From: http://www.quranexplained.co.uk/

(Author's note) This is the 10th Surah of the Qur'an. It has 109 verses. Prophet Jonah was sent to Nineveh, the capital of Ancient Assyria around 700 BC. Nineveh was located by the East Bank of the Tigris River, and had a population of just over 100,000. Granting a period of Respite to nations, in which they can mend their ways, is one of the eternal Divine Laws. With the Glorious Name of Allah, the Instant and Sustaining Source of all Mercy and Kindness.

10:1 A.L.R. Alif. Laam. RA. Allah Aleem the Knower, Raheem the Merciful, announces that these are the Verses of a Book that is full of Wisdom. 10:2 Is it too much of a wonder for people that We reveal Our Message to a man among them? "You shall warn mankind, and give good news to those who attain belief that they have a sure footing with their Lord." Those who are bent upon denying the Truth, say, "This man is an obvious wizard." (He is gifted with spellbinding eloquence). 10:3 But, your Lord (Who sent this Book) is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six stages, and is established on the Throne of His Almightiness in Supreme Control. He, the Director of all directions, Issuer of all decrees, runs the Universe according to His Laws. No intercessor can stand in His Court but as a witness of Law (2:255), (16:111)). Such is Allah, your Sustainer. You shall serve Him. Won't you use your intellect and reasoning? 10:4 To Him is your ultimate return, all of you. Allah's Promise is the unwavering Truth. He creates the first creation, and He will create it again so that every action may have its Just Recompense. Those who attained belief and worked to augment the society will have their just reward. And those who rejected the Truth, for them will be a burning draught of despair and a painful doom because of their persistent refusal to acknowledge the Truth. (A consequence of their own doings (33:24), (34:3-4), (45:22), (53:31)). 10:5 He it is, Who appointed the sun as a splendid glow, and the moon as a cool light. He appointed stages for the moon, in due measure. You make your calculations and calendars accordingly (6:97), (17:12). Allah has created the Universe as the Absolute Reality and for a Purpose. (It is neither a dream, nor a reflection of the world of ideas). Allah details His Verses for those who wish to learn. 10:6 In the difference of day and night, and all that Allah has created in the heavens and the earth, there are signs for those who wish to walk aright. 10:7 Those who expect not to meet Us, and content themselves with the petty delights of the worldly life, do not look beyond it, and neglect Our Messages, 10:8 Their home will be the Fire that they have earned (ignited) with their own actions. I0:9 Those who attain to faith, and help people, their Lord guides them by their conviction (that no action goes waste). He shows and walks them the way to the Gardens of delight, beneath which rivers flow. 10:10 Their prayer therein will be, "Glory be to You, O Allah!" Their greeting to one another will be, "Peace!" The conclusion of their prayer will be, "Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds!" (And so shall be the peaceful Ideal Society on earth. They will realize that the good of one is the good of another and see how Praiseworthy the Giver of such Blissful Guidance is). 10:11 If Allah hastened requital for people as they hasten for immediate delights, their respite would have already expired. (It is Allah's Mercy that His Law of Requital does not grasp them instantly. He gives them time to mend their ways). Those who do not entertain the hope of meeting with Us, We leave them wandering in their rebellion. 10:12 When affliction befalls man, he cries unto Us, whether he be lying, or sitting or standing. But when We have relieved him of the affliction, he goes his way as if he had never cried unto Us for what afflicted him. Those who trespass the Divine Laws, lose discernment and even their ill deeds then seem fair to them. 10:13 We annihilated many nations before you for their violation of human rights. Their Messengers had come to them with clear evidence of the Truth, but they refused to believe them. Thus do We reward those who steal the fruit of others' labor. 10:14 Now, We have made you their successors in the land, to behold how you behave. 10:15 When Our Messages are conveyed to them in all clarity, those who hope not that they are destined to meet with Us, (want to strike a deal with the Messenger). They say, "Bring us a Qur'an other than this or make some changes in it." Say (O Prophet), "It is not conceivable that I would alter it myself. I only follow what is revealed to me. I cannot disobey my Lord, for I fear the retribution of a Mighty Day." 10:16 Say, "If Allah wanted otherwise, I would have not recited and conveyed this to you, nor would have made you aware of it. Indeed, a whole lifetime have I dwelt among you before this. (You have always called me Al-Amin, the trustworthy). Will you not, then, use your reason?" 10:17 Who does a greater wrong than the one who himself forges a lie, then ascribes it to Allah, or falsifies His Revelations, or denies them? Those who steal the fruit of others' labor under any pretense, certainly do not prosper. 10:18 They worship and obey besides Allah, deities that can neither harm nor benefit them. They say, "These are our intercessors with Allah." Say, "Are you informing Allah of what He knows not in the heavens and the earth? Glory to Him! (39:3). He is High, Exalted above all that they associate with Him." 10:19 All mankind were but one community (and are meant to be so); then they differed (2:213). Had not your Lord decreed the Law of free will for humans, He would have judged their disputes immediately (2:30), (2:256), (11:118), (16:9), (76:2-3). 10:20 And they say, "Why was not a miracle sent down upon him from his Lord?" Then answer (O Prophet), "The Unseen is known to Allah alone. Wait for the results of my Program. Indeed, I shall be waiting with you." (That will be the best sign for all of us to behold). 10:21 When We cause people to taste of Mercy after they have suffered a hardship, they start scheming to defy Our Commands. Say, "Allah is more Swift in planning. Our couriers write down what you plot." 10:22 He it is Who enables you to travel in the land and the sea. When you board the ships, the ships sail with the voyagers with a favorable breeze. And they rejoice therein. If a stormy wind comes and the waves surround them, they think they are overwhelmed. Then they implore God, in all sincerity turning to His Universal Laws, saying, "If You only save us this time, we will truly show our gratitude." 10:23 Yet as soon as He has saved them, they return to land in their behavior of rebellion against the Divine Laws. O Mankind! Remember that your rebellion is only against your own "Self" (91:9-10). Enjoyment of the worldly life with disregard of Eternity, is but a fleeting delight. Then unto Us is your return, and We shall make you understand what you truly accomplished. 10:24 Those who do not invest in the life to come must consider a similitude: The life of the world is a passing delight: We send down water from the height to produce with it all kinds of plants from the earth, provision for humans and animals. Then, just as the earth has taken its ornament and is perfectly adorned, and its people think that they are in control, Our Command arrives by night or by day, leaving it completely barren, as if nothing existed there yesterday. The only way to inherit the fruit of your labor in the Hereafter is to live by Our Laws. We expound Our Revelations and Signs in Nature for those who use their intellect. 10:25 Allah calls to the Lasting Abode of Peace, and leads men and women to the Straight Path. This Guidance can only be achieved according to His Laws (4:88). 10:26 Those who benefit humanity get rewarded manifold. No dust of sadness and no trace of humiliation will overshadow their faces. Such are the rightful dwellers of the Garden; they will abide therein. 10:27 And those who are unjust to others in their daily lives, will fail to balance their own personalities. They will spend their lives in sadness and humiliation, a linear result of their own actions. There will be no one to protect them from Allah's Law. They will wander as if the darkness of night had covered their faces. They are the ones who have built their Hell and they will inherit it in the Eternity. 10:28 One Day We will gather all of them together. We will say to those who acknowledged false deities, "Stay back, you and your pretended partners of Allah!" We will have the leaders and their followers confront each other. Their leaders will say, "It was not us you worshiped." 10:29 And such false deities (as Prophets, angels, saints, and the Universal forces) will say, "Allah suffices as a Witness between us and you, that we were not even aware of your worship." (They worshiped the intrinsic and extrinsic projections of their own desires and fantasies). 10:30 Therein every person will experience exactly what he or she did before. Then they are returned to Allah, their MAULA, the True Lord Supreme, and all their false imagery leaves them in the lurch. (There is no MAULANA but Allah). 10:31 (Now is the time for them to think.) Say (O Messenger), "Who is it that provides for you from the heaven and the earth, or who is it that has full power over your hearing and sight? And who is it that brings forth the living from the dead, and the dead from the living? And who is it that directs the Order of the Universe?" They will say, "Allah." Say, "Will you not then be mindful of His Laws?" 10:32 Such is Allah, your Rightful Lord. After the Truth what is there but error? How could you then turn away? 10:33 The Word of your Lord is justified that those who drift away from Reason will not accept the Truth. 10:34 Ask them, "Can any of your 'partner gods' originate Creation and carry them through evolution?" Say, "Allah originates Creation and carries them through evolution. How are you then so misled?" 10:35 Say, "Of your 'partners' is there any that can lead you to the Truth?" Say, "Allah leads to the Truth. So, who is more worthy of being followed? The One Who shows you the Way or he who finds no way unless he is guided? What is amiss with you? How do you judge?" 10:36 The majority of the people follow nothing but conjecture. Surely, conjecture can never at all be a substitute for the Truth. Allah is Knower of how they act (and forge). 10:37 Now this Qur'an could not possibly have been devised by anyone except Allah. Nay indeed, it is a confirmation of the Divine Origin of the earlier Revelations, and a clear exposition of the Eternal Law. Without any trace of doubt, this Book is from the Lord of the Worlds. (While it confirms the surviving Truth in the previous Revelations, it is a Watcher over them and ignores and, where necessary, corrects the human touch in them (5:48)). 10:38 Or, do they say, "He has invented it?" Tell them, "Bring one Surah like this and call for help everyone you can besides Allah, if you are truthful." (2:23), (11:13). (One chapter like this in beauty, eloquence and wisdom. And "besides Allah" would mean, without copying phrases and sentences from the Qur'an). 10:39 Nay, they deny it without grasping the profound knowledge therein. And they have yet to see the benevolent transformation it can bring about in the making of humanity. Generations before them rejected Divine Revelation. Then see what was the consequence for those who thus wronged themselves! 10:40 And of them is he who believes in this (Qur'an), and of them is he who does not believe in it. And your Lord is best Aware of those who are bent upon denial and want corruption and disorder to go on. 10:41 If they keep denying you (O Prophet), say, "I have my work, and you have your work. You are innocent of what I do and I am innocent of what you do." (109:1-6). 10:42 Among them are those who apparently listen to you. (But their thoughts are wandering). Can you make those deaf to hear who do not use reason? (47:16). 10:43 And among them you will find those who look at you without seeing. (Their mind is roaming elsewhere). Can you show the way to those who are blind of the heart? (7:198). 10:44 Allah is never unjust to human beings; but people wrong themselves. (Failing to use the God-given faculties is the first wrong one can commit. It brings the humans down to subhuman levels (7:179)). 10:45 On the Day when He will gather them, they will think as if they lived in this world for one hour of the day. Others will think it was a day or a few days (20:103-104). They will recognize one another as they did yesterday. Lost are those who used to deny that they were destined to meet Allah, face His Law of Requital, and thus remained unguided. 10:46 Whether We let you (O Messenger), behold something of what We promise them, or cause you to die, unto Us is their return (and the Law of Requital is ever vigilant). Allah is the Watcher over what they do. 10:47 For every nation there has been a Messenger. And he always explained to them the distinction between justice and injustice. The Law of Requital has never unjustly dealt with any nation. 10:48 They say, "When will the promise be fulfilled, if you believers are truthful?" 10:49 Say (O Messenger), "I have no power even to avert any harm to myself, or benefit myself contrary to the Laws of Allah. Every nation determines its own rise and fall. When the time comes, they can neither delay, nor hasten the Requital." 10:50 Say, "Have you thought, when His retribution comes to you suddenly by night, or in the bustling day, what portion of it would the guilty wish to hasten?"10:51 "Would you then profess belief in it at last, when it comes to pass! Ah! Now? And you wanted to hasten it on." (But the period of Respite has been over). 10:52 It will be said to the oppressors and violators of human rights, "Taste the eternal torment, the exact reward of what you earned." 10:53 They keep asking you (O Prophet), "Is it really true?" Say, "Yes indeed, by my Lord, it is really true. And you cannot defy His Laws." 10:54 Whoever oppresses people, has wronged his own "Self". Even if they possessed everything on earth, they would readily present it as ransom. But they will be ashamed within themselves, when they see the doom. They will be judged fairly and no wrong shall be done to them. 10:55 Oh, verily, To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. His Promise is unwaveringly True but most of them never learn. 10:56 He it is Who gives life and death. You and your actions will be returned to Him. 10:57 O Mankind! There has now come to you Enlightenment from your Sustainer, and a healing for everything that troubles your hearts, and Guidance, and Grace to all who embrace it. 10:58 Say, "In this Bounty of Allah and in His Grace - in this, then, let them rejoice. It is better than all the treasures that they may amass." 10:59 Say, "Have you considered how Allah sends down to you all kinds of provisions for your minds and bodies? Then you render some of them unlawful and some lawful?" (You go after man-made dogmas thus tampering with the revealed Word of God and declare unlawful His Bounties of sustenance, food, clothing, ornament of life and things of aesthetic beauty such as art). Say, "Has Allah permitted you to do this? Or do you invent lies and attribute them to Allah?" (7:32). 10:60 Does it ever occur to the people who tamper with religion and invent lies concerning Allah, that they will have to face Him on the Resurrection Day? Allah is Infinitely Bountiful toward mankind, but the majority of them do not show gratitude in word and action. 10:61 In whatever condition you may find yourself (O Prophet), and whatever of the Qur'an you are reciting and preaching, and whatever work or business you believers are occupied with, remember that We are your Witness from the moment you enter upon it. Not an atom's weight in the Low nor in the Height escapes your Lord's knowledge. Nor, a thing smaller or bigger, everything in the Universe is recorded in His Clear Decree. 10:62 Remember that people who strive to establish the Divine System, become the friends of Allah. They will have nothing to fear, nor shall they grieve. 10:63 They accepted His Message, followed His Commands, and walked aright. 10:64 There is good news for them in this world and in the life to come. (This is Allah's Word). Allah's Words never change. (And changeless are His Laws (33:62), (35:43), (48:23). And you will never find even a slight turn in His Laws (17:77)). Success in the world and in the life to come is the Supreme Triumph. 10:65 Let not their utterances sadden you (O Prophet!) To Allah wholly belong all Authority, Might and Honor. He is the Hearer, the Knower. (No power, glory or honor is attainable contrary to His Laws). 10:66 Behold! Verily, all creatures in the heavens and all creatures in the earth belong to Allah. (All are His subjects). So, what do they follow who call upon "partners" of Allah? They follow nothing but the conjecture of others, and themselves do nothing but guess. 10:67 He it is Who made night for you to rest in, and made the day lighted to make things visible to you. These are Signs for those who are willing to listen and think. 10:68 And yet they assert, "God has taken unto Himself a son!" Glory to Him! Self-sufficient is He. Unto Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. No evidence whatever you have for this assertion! Would you ascribe to God something you really don't know? 10:69 Say, "Verily, They who attribute their lying inventions to Allah, will see the crops of their false imagery burning to ashes." 10:70 They get their fleeting share in this world, but then unto Us is their return. Our Law of Requital will have them effectively taste a dreadful doom, for they chose to live in the darkness of falsehood. 10:71 (People have been fabricating falsehood since ancient times.) Relate to them the history of Noah. Behold! He said, "O My People! If my presence among you and my announcement of Allah's Messages are hard on you, well, I have put my trust in Allah. Decide then upon what you are going to do against me, and call to your aid your "partners". And once you have chosen your course of action, let no hesitation deflect you from it. Then have a go at me and give me no respite." 10:72 But if you change your mind and turn away from hostility, do so for your own good. I have asked of you no wage. My wage is with Allah alone, and I am commanded to be of those who surrender to Him." 10:73 But, they persisted in their denial, and We saved Noah and his companions who boarded the ship, and made them successors in the land. (The deniers thought of the flood warning as a laughing matter. The Tigris and the Euphrates rivers flooded with torrential rains) and We drowned those who had rejected Our Messages. See then what happened to those who had been given sufficient warning. 10:74 Then after him We sent many Messengers to their respective nations and they brought them clear evidence of the Truth. They preemptively refused to accept the Message. And they were not the kind of people who would rethink their decisions. Our Law puts a seal on the hearts of those who trespass the bounds of reason. 10:75 Then, after them, We sent Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh and his chiefs, with Our Messages. But they were a folk arrogant and they were used to thriving on the fruit of others' toil. 10:76 When the Truth from Us came to them, they said, "This is clearly nothing but magic." 10:77 Moses said, "This is what you say about the Truth when it has come to you! Is this magic? Those who deceive people with lies and claims of magic, never succeed." 10:78 They said, "Have you come to turn us away from our ancestral ways, and so that you two become prominent in the country? However, we will not believe in you two." 10:79 Pharaoh said, "Bring all eloquent debaters to me." 10:80 And when they came, Moses said to them, "Begin with your presentation." 10:81 When they finished with their arguments, Moses said, "Your reasoning is totally flawed. Allah's Laws annihilate the political and social systems that promote corruption, disorder and bloody feuds. 10:82 Allah will always vindicate the Truth by His Laws. Societies will flourish only when they embrace the Permanent Value System. Even though, the guilty that are used to thriving on the toil of others, will hate equity." 10:83 Only a few of the Egyptians, some youngsters, could proclaim belief in Moses because of the fear of Pharaoh and his chiefs. Pharaoh was indeed a great tyrant on earth. He used to cross all bounds of human behavior. 10:84 Moses said, "O My people! If you have believed in Allah and surrendered to Him, then be steadfast in your resolve and action by putting your trust in Him. 10:85 They responded, "In Allah we trust. O Our Lord! Save us from the oppression of the oppressor." 10:86 "Save us with Your Mercy from these ruthless disbelieving folk." 10:87 We commanded Moses and his brother, "Maintain your homes in Egypt, and turn them into places of worship to remember God. Establish the Commandments in your lives and give good news to the believers." 10:88 (Moses promised to proceed on these lines.) He prayed, "Our Lord! You have given Pharaoh and his chiefs a life of luxury and abundance. Our Lord! With their resources and might they continue with their oppression and lead people astray from Your Path. Our Lord! Destroy their riches and make their faculties incapable of contriving their oppressive designs. They will not see the Truth unless they face an awful suffering." 10:89 Allah said, "Your prayer is heard. Both of you shall remain determined. And you both shall not follow the path of those who act without knowledge." (20:36), (20:42). 10:90 We brought the Children of Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh with his armies pursued them in rage and bitter enmity. When Pharaoh was drowning, he cried out, "I believe that there is no god but the One in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of those who surrender." 10:91 What? Now! You rebelled ardently all your life. You committed bloody crimes on earth. 10:92 Nay, but this day We will only save you in your body so that you may remain a lesson for generations to come. A great many of mankind remain heedless of Our Signs. 10:93 Thereafter indeed, We assigned to the Children of Israel an honorable dwelling place, and gave them decent provision. But they began to hold divergent views and divided among themselves despite the knowledge (of Revelation). Your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection regarding wherein they differed. 10:94 (O Prophet), If you ever think whether the Revelation We send to you could be an inspiration from your heart, ask the angels who bring it. They read it before you read it. Verily the Truth has come to you from your Lord. Be not of those who waver. 10:95 (Those who consider Our Revelations as intrinsic inspiration, in fact deny them.) Be not of those who deny Our Revelations and become losers. 10:96 Verily, they who violate your Lord's Law of Guidance, will not believe (4:88). 10:97 Though every evidence may come to them, till they see the painful doom. 10:98 For, alas, there has never yet been any community that attained belief, and benefited by its belief, except the nation of Jonah. When they embraced belief, We removed from them the suffering of disgrace, and let them enjoy their term. (37:147-148). (They used to live in humiliation at Nineveh. When they accepted the Divine Message, they prospered for about two centuries between 800-612 B.C. Then the Midyans conquered them. After the demise of Jonah, his people had been fast ignoring the Divine Word revealed to Jonah, and leaning towards the resurging priest class. The invaders set on fire the wonderful town of Nineveh. The spacious 60 mile wide, and beautiful town was reduced to ashes. The king of Assyria got himself burnt alive in the palace, and that was the end of the Assyrian dynasty). 10:99 If your Lord willed, all men and women on earth would have believed. Would you compel people to believe? (2:256), (76:4-6). 10:100 None can attain conviction contrary to Allah's Laws. And those who do not use their intellect are made to carry loads of confusion on their minds. 10:101 Say, "Behold what is in the heavens and the earth! No miracles and no warnings will help those who are bent upon denying the Truth. (2:6-7), (41:53). 10:102 Can they expect other than the days of calamity that befell those who passed away before them? Say, "Wait then! I shall wait with you." 10:103 (At the time of Requital) We save Our Messengers and the community of believers as in the old times. It is incumbent upon Us to save the community of true believers. 10:104 Say, "O Mankind! If you have any doubt about the System that I am trying to establish, and if you believe that other parallel systems can be of avail to you, let us go ahead with our programs. I worship not and obey not those whom you worship and obey instead of Allah. But I obey Allah Who causes you do die (and Who controls the Laws of life and death of individuals and nations). I have been commanded to be of the believers." 10:105 (O Prophet) Set your purpose resolutely for the Upright System of life and do not be of those who associate anyone with Allah in any form. 10:106 Do not ever call on deities besides Allah. They have no control over your harm or benefit. If you expected help outside the Laws of Allah, you will be among the wrongdoers. 10:107 If Allah's Law afflicts you, there is none who can remove it contrary to His Laws. And when He blesses you, no power can hinder His Grace. He bestows His Grace upon His servants according to His Laws. And He is Forgiving, Merciful. 10:108 Say, "O Mankind! Now has come to you the Truth from your Lord. So whoever chooses to follow the right path, follows it for his own "Self". And whoever chooses to go astray, goes astray to his own hurt. And I am not a guardian over you." 10:109 (O Messenger), Follow what is revealed to you and be steadfast in adversity until Allah issues His Judgment. And He is the Best of judges.