Verse 42:17 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

13 ۞ شَرَعَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّینِ مَا وَصَّىٰ بِهِۦ نُوحࣰا وَٱلَّذِیۤ أَوۡحَیۡنَاۤ إِلَیۡكَ وَمَا وَصَّیۡنَا بِهِۦۤ إِبۡرَ ٰهِیمَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَعِیسَىٰۤۖ أَنۡ أَقِیمُوا۟ ٱلدِّینَ وَلَا تَتَفَرَّقُوا۟ فِیهِۚ كَبُرَ عَلَى ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِینَ مَا تَدۡعُوهُمۡ إِلَیۡهِۚ ٱللَّهُ یَجۡتَبِیۤ إِلَیۡهِ مَن یَشَاۤءُ وَیَهۡدِیۤ إِلَیۡهِ مَن یُنِیبُ ۝١٣ sharaʿa lakum mina l-dīni mā waṣṣā bihi nūḥan wa-alladhī awḥaynā ilayka wamā waṣṣaynā bihi ib'rāhīma wamūsā waʿīsā an aqīmū l-dīna walā tatafarraqū fīhi kabura ʿalā l-mush'rikīna mā tadʿūhum ilayhi l-lahu yajtabī ilayhi man yashāu wayahdī ilayhi man yunīb In matters of faith, He has laid down for you [people] the same commandment that He gave Noah, which We have revealed to you [Muhammad] and which We enjoined on Abraham and Moses and Jesus: ‘Uphold the faith and do not divide into factions within it’- what you [Prophet] call upon the idolaters to do is hard for them; God chooses whoever He pleases for Himself and guides towards Himself those who turn to Him 14 وَمَا تَفَرَّقُوۤا۟ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَاۤءَهُمُ ٱلۡعِلۡمُ بَغۡیَۢا بَیۡنَهُمۡۚ وَلَوۡلَا كَلِمَةࣱ سَبَقَتۡ مِن رَّبِّكَ إِلَىٰۤ أَجَلࣲ مُّسَمࣰّى لَّقُضِیَ بَیۡنَهُمۡۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِینَ أُورِثُوا۟ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ لَفِی شَكࣲّ مِّنۡهُ مُرِیبࣲ ۝١٤ wamā tafarraqū illā min baʿdi mā jāahumu l-ʿil'mu baghyan baynahum walawlā kalimatun sabaqat min rabbika ilā ajalin musamman laquḍiya baynahum wa-inna alladhīna ūrithū l-kitāba min baʿdihim lafī shakkin min'hu murībi They divided, out of rivalry, only after knowledge had come to them, and, if it had not been for a decree already passed by your Lord to reprieve them until an appointed time, they would already have been judged. Those after them, who inherited the Scripture, are in disquieting doubt about it 15 فَلِذَ ٰلِكَ فَٱدۡعُۖ وَٱسۡتَقِمۡ كَمَاۤ أُمِرۡتَۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعۡ أَهۡوَاۤءَهُمۡۖ وَقُلۡ ءَامَنتُ بِمَاۤ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِن كِتَـٰبࣲۖ وَأُمِرۡتُ لِأَعۡدِلَ بَیۡنَكُمُۖ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّكُمۡۖ لَنَاۤ أَعۡمَـٰلُنَا وَلَكُمۡ أَعۡمَـٰلُكُمۡۖ لَا حُجَّةَ بَیۡنَنَا وَبَیۡنَكُمُۖ ٱللَّهُ یَجۡمَعُ بَیۡنَنَاۖ وَإِلَیۡهِ ٱلۡمَصِیرُ ۝١٥ falidhālika fa-ud'ʿu wa-is'taqim kamā umir'ta walā tattabiʿ ahwāahum waqul āmantu bimā anzala l-lahu min kitābin wa-umir'tu li-aʿdila baynakumu l-lahu rabbunā warabbukum lanā aʿmālunā walakum aʿmālukum lā ḥujjata baynanā wabaynakumu l-lahu yajmaʿu baynanā wa-ilayhi l-maṣīr So [Prophet] call people to that faith and follow the straight path as you have been commanded. Do not go by what they desire, but say, ‘I believe in whatever Scripture God has sent down. I am commanded to bring justice between you. God is our Lord and your Lord- to us our deeds and to you yours, so let there be no argument between us and you- God will gather us together, and to Him we shall return.’ 16 وَٱلَّذِینَ یُحَاۤجُّونَ فِی ٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا ٱسۡتُجِیبَ لَهُۥ حُجَّتُهُمۡ دَاحِضَةٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ وَعَلَیۡهِمۡ غَضَبࣱ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابࣱ شَدِیدٌ ۝١٦ wa-alladhīna yuḥājjūna fī l-lahi min baʿdi mā us'tujība lahu ḥujjatuhum dāḥiḍatun ʿinda rabbihim waʿalayhim ghaḍabun walahum ʿadhābun shadīdu As for those who argue about God after He has been acknowledged, their argument has no weight with their Lord: anger will fall upon them and agonizing torment awaits them

17 ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِیۤ أَنزَلَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَٱلۡمِیزَانَۗ وَمَا یُدۡرِیكَ لَعَلَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ قَرِیبࣱ ۝١٧ al-lahu alladhī anzala l-kitāba bil-ḥaqi wal-mīzāna wamā yud'rīka laʿalla l-sāʿata qarību It is God who has sent down the Scripture with Truth and the Balance. How can you tell? The Last Hour may well be near

18 یَسۡتَعۡجِلُ بِهَا ٱلَّذِینَ لَا یُؤۡمِنُونَ بِهَاۖ وَٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مُشۡفِقُونَ مِنۡهَا وَیَعۡلَمُونَ أَنَّهَا ٱلۡحَقُّۗ أَلَاۤ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِینَ یُمَارُونَ فِی ٱلسَّاعَةِ لَفِی ضَلَـٰلِۭ بَعِیدٍ ۝١٨ yastaʿjilu bihā alladhīna lā yu'minūna bihā wa-alladhīna āmanū mush'fiqūna min'hā wayaʿlamūna annahā l-ḥaqu alā inna alladhīna yumārūna fī l-sāʿati lafī ḍalālin baʿīdi those who do not believe in it seek to hasten it, but the believers stand in awe of it. They know it to be the Truth; those who argue about the Hour are far, far astray 19 ٱللَّهُ لَطِیفُۢ بِعِبَادِهِۦ یَرۡزُقُ مَن یَشَاۤءُۖ وَهُوَ ٱلۡقَوِیُّ ٱلۡعَزِیزُ ۝١٩ al-lahu laṭīfun biʿibādihi yarzuqu man yashāu wahuwa l-qawiyu l-ʿazīz God is most subtle towards His creatures; He provides [bounti-fully] for whoever He will; He is the Powerful, the Almighty 20 مَن كَانَ یُرِیدُ حَرۡثَ ٱلۡءَاخِرَةِ نَزِدۡ لَهُۥ فِی حَرۡثِهِۦۖ وَمَن كَانَ یُرِیدُ حَرۡثَ ٱلدُّنۡیَا نُؤۡتِهِۦ مِنۡهَا وَمَا لَهُۥ فِی ٱلۡءَاخِرَةِ مِن نَّصِیبٍ ۝٢٠ man kāna yurīdu ḥartha l-ākhirati nazid lahu fī ḥarthihi waman kāna yurīdu ḥartha l-dun'yā nu'tihi min'hā wamā lahu fī l-ākhirati min naṣībi If anyone desires a harvest in the life to come, We shall increase it for him; if anyone desires a harvest in this world, We shall give him a share of it, but in the Hereafter he will have no share 21 أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَـٰۤؤُا۟ شَرَعُوا۟ لَهُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّینِ مَا لَمۡ یَأۡذَنۢ بِهِ ٱللَّهُۚ وَلَوۡلَا كَلِمَةُ ٱلۡفَصۡلِ لَقُضِیَ بَیۡنَهُمۡۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِینَ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِیمࣱ ۝٢١ am lahum shurakāu sharaʿū lahum mina l-dīni mā lam yadhan bihi l-lahu walawlā kalimatu l-faṣli laquḍiya baynahum wa-inna l-ẓālimīna lahum ʿadhābun alīmu How can they believe in others who ordain for them things which God has not sanctioned in the practice of their faith? If it were not for God’s decree concerning the final Decision, judgement would already have been made between them. The evildoers will have a grievous punishment