Verse 39:20 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

16 لَهُم مِّن فَوۡقِهِمۡ ظُلَلࣱ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ وَمِن تَحۡتِهِمۡ ظُلَلࣱۚ ذَ ٰلِكَ یُخَوِّفُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ عِبَادَهُۥۚ یَـٰعِبَادِ فَٱتَّقُونِ ۝١٦ lahum min fawqihim ẓulalun mina l-nāri wamin taḥtihim ẓulalun dhālika yukhawwifu l-lahu bihi ʿibādahu yāʿibādi fa-ittaqūn They will have layers of Fire above them and below.’ This is how God puts fear into His servants: My servants, beware of Me 17 وَٱلَّذِینَ ٱجۡتَنَبُوا۟ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ أَن یَعۡبُدُوهَا وَأَنَابُوۤا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ لَهُمُ ٱلۡبُشۡرَىٰۚ فَبَشِّرۡ عِبَادِ ۝١٧ wa-alladhīna ij'tanabū l-ṭāghūta an yaʿbudūhā wa-anābū ilā l-lahi lahumu l-bush'rā fabashir ʿibād There is good news for those who shun the worship of false gods and turn to God, so [Prophet] give good news to My servant 18 ٱلَّذِینَ یَسۡتَمِعُونَ ٱلۡقَوۡلَ فَیَتَّبِعُونَ أَحۡسَنَهُۥۤۚ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ ٱلَّذِینَ هَدَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمۡ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ ۝١٨ alladhīna yastamiʿūna l-qawla fayattabiʿūna aḥsanahu ulāika alladhīna hadāhumu l-lahu wa-ulāika hum ulū l-albāb who listen to what is said and follow what is best. These are the ones God has guided; these are the people of understanding 19 أَفَمَنۡ حَقَّ عَلَیۡهِ كَلِمَةُ ٱلۡعَذَابِ أَفَأَنتَ تُنقِذُ مَن فِی ٱلنَّارِ ۝١٩ afaman ḥaqqa ʿalayhi kalimatu l-ʿadhābi afa-anta tunqidhu man fī l-nār What about the one who has been sentenced to punishment? Can you [Prophet] rescue those already in the Fire

20 لَـٰكِنِ ٱلَّذِینَ ٱتَّقَوۡا۟ رَبَّهُمۡ لَهُمۡ غُرَفࣱ مِّن فَوۡقِهَا غُرَفࣱ مَّبۡنِیَّةࣱ تَجۡرِی مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُۖ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ لَا یُخۡلِفُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمِیعَادَ ۝٢٠ lākini alladhīna ittaqaw rabbahum lahum ghurafun min fawqihā ghurafun mabniyyatun tajrī min taḥtihā l-anhāru waʿda l-lahi lā yukh'lifu l-lahu l-mīʿād But those who are mindful of their Lord will have lofty dwellings built for them, one above the other, graced with flowing streams. This is a promise from God: God does not break His promise

21 أَلَمۡ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَاۤءِ مَاۤءࣰ فَسَلَكَهُۥ یَنَـٰبِیعَ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ثُمَّ یُخۡرِجُ بِهِۦ زَرۡعࣰا مُّخۡتَلِفًا أَلۡوَ ٰنُهُۥ ثُمَّ یَهِیجُ فَتَرَىٰهُ مُصۡفَرࣰّا ثُمَّ یَجۡعَلُهُۥ حُطَـٰمًاۚ إِنَّ فِی ذَ ٰلِكَ لَذِكۡرَىٰ لِأُو۟لِی ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ ۝٢١ alam tara anna l-laha anzala mina l-samāi māan fasalakahu yanābīʿa fī l-arḍi thumma yukh'riju bihi zarʿan mukh'talifan alwānuhu thumma yahīju fatarāhu muṣ'farran thumma yajʿaluhu ḥuṭāman inna fī dhālika ladhik'rā li-ulī l-albāb Have you not considered that God sends water down from the sky, guides it along to form springs in the earth, and then, with it, brings forth vegetation of various colours, which later withers, turns yellow before your eyes, and is crumbled to dust at His command? There is truly a reminder in this for those who have understanding 22 أَفَمَن شَرَحَ ٱللَّهُ صَدۡرَهُۥ لِلۡإِسۡلَـٰمِ فَهُوَ عَلَىٰ نُورࣲ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦۚ فَوَیۡلࣱ لِّلۡقَـٰسِیَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مِّن ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِۚ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ فِی ضَلَـٰلࣲ مُّبِینٍ ۝٢٢ afaman sharaḥa l-lahu ṣadrahu lil'is'lāmi fahuwa ʿalā nūrin min rabbihi fawaylun lil'qāsiyati qulūbuhum min dhik'ri l-lahi ulāika fī ḍalālin mubīni What about the one whose heart God has opened in devotion to Him, so that he walks in light from his Lord? Alas for those whose hearts harden at the mention of God! They have clearly lost their way 23 ٱللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحۡسَنَ ٱلۡحَدِیثِ كِتَـٰبࣰا مُّتَشَـٰبِهࣰا مَّثَانِیَ تَقۡشَعِرُّ مِنۡهُ جُلُودُ ٱلَّذِینَ یَخۡشَوۡنَ رَبَّهُمۡ ثُمَّ تَلِینُ جُلُودُهُمۡ وَقُلُوبُهُمۡ إِلَىٰ ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِۚ ذَ ٰلِكَ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ یَهۡدِی بِهِۦ مَن یَشَاۤءُۚ وَمَن یُضۡلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِنۡ هَادٍ ۝٢٣ al-lahu nazzala aḥsana l-ḥadīthi kitāban mutashābihan mathāniya taqshaʿirru min'hu julūdu alladhīna yakhshawna rabbahum thumma talīnu julūduhum waqulūbuhum ilā dhik'ri l-lahi dhālika hudā l-lahi yahdī bihi man yashāu waman yuḍ'lili l-lahu famā lahu min hādi God has sent down the most beautiful of all teachings: a Scripture that is consistent and draws comparisons; that causes the skins of those in awe of their Lord to shiver. Then their skins and their hearts soften at the mention of God: such is God’s guidance. He guides with it whoever He will; no one can guide those God leaves to stray 24 أَفَمَن یَتَّقِی بِوَجۡهِهِۦ سُوۤءَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ یَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِیَـٰمَةِۚ وَقِیلَ لِلظَّـٰلِمِینَ ذُوقُوا۟ مَا كُنتُمۡ تَكۡسِبُونَ ۝٢٤ afaman yattaqī biwajhihi sūa l-ʿadhābi yawma l-qiyāmati waqīla lilẓẓālimīna dhūqū mā kuntum taksibūn What about the one who will only have his bare face to protect him from his terrible suffering on the Day of Resurrection? It will be said to the evildoers, ‘Taste what you have earned.’