Verse 47:20 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

16 وَمِنۡهُم مَّن یَسۡتَمِعُ إِلَیۡكَ حَتَّىٰۤ إِذَا خَرَجُوا۟ مِنۡ عِندِكَ قَالُوا۟ لِلَّذِینَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلۡعِلۡمَ مَاذَا قَالَ ءَانِفًاۚ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ ٱلَّذِینَ طَبَعَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمۡ وَٱتَّبَعُوۤا۟ أَهۡوَاۤءَهُمۡ ۝١٦ wamin'hum man yastamiʿu ilayka ḥattā idhā kharajū min ʿindika qālū lilladhīna ūtū l-ʿil'ma mādhā qāla ānifan ulāika alladhīna ṭabaʿa l-lahu ʿalā qulūbihim wa-ittabaʿū ahwāahu Some of these people listen to you [Prophet], but, once they leave your presence, they sneer at those who have been given knowledge, saying, ‘What was that he just said?’ These are the ones whose hearts God has sealed, those who follow their own desires 17 وَٱلَّذِینَ ٱهۡتَدَوۡا۟ زَادَهُمۡ هُدࣰى وَءَاتَىٰهُمۡ تَقۡوَىٰهُمۡ ۝١٧ wa-alladhīna ih'tadaw zādahum hudan waātāhum taqwāhu God has increased the guidance of those who follow the right path, and given them their awareness [of Him] 18 فَهَلۡ یَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا ٱلسَّاعَةَ أَن تَأۡتِیَهُم بَغۡتَةࣰۖ فَقَدۡ جَاۤءَ أَشۡرَاطُهَاۚ فَأَنَّىٰ لَهُمۡ إِذَا جَاۤءَتۡهُمۡ ذِكۡرَىٰهُمۡ ۝١٨ fahal yanẓurūna illā l-sāʿata an tatiyahum baghtatan faqad jāa ashrāṭuhā fa-annā lahum idhā jāathum dhik'rāhu What are the disbelievers waiting for, other than the Hour which will come upon them unawares? Its signs are already here, but once the Hour has actually arrived, what use will it be then to take heed 19 فَٱعۡلَمۡ أَنَّهُۥ لَاۤ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لِذَنۢبِكَ وَلِلۡمُؤۡمِنِینَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتِۗ وَٱللَّهُ یَعۡلَمُ مُتَقَلَّبَكُمۡ وَمَثۡوَىٰكُمۡ ۝١٩ fa-iʿ'lam annahu lā ilāha illā l-lahu wa-is'taghfir lidhanbika walil'mu'minīna wal-mu'mināti wal-lahu yaʿlamu mutaqallabakum wamathwāku So [Prophet], bear in mind that there is no god but God, and ask forgiveness for your sins and for the sins of believing men and women. God knows whenever any of you move, and whenever any of you stay still

20 وَیَقُولُ ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَوۡلَا نُزِّلَتۡ سُورَةࣱۖ فَإِذَاۤ أُنزِلَتۡ سُورَةࣱ مُّحۡكَمَةࣱ وَذُكِرَ فِیهَا ٱلۡقِتَالُ رَأَیۡتَ ٱلَّذِینَ فِی قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضࣱ یَنظُرُونَ إِلَیۡكَ نَظَرَ ٱلۡمَغۡشِیِّ عَلَیۡهِ مِنَ ٱلۡمَوۡتِۖ فَأَوۡلَىٰ لَهُمۡ ۝٢٠ wayaqūlu alladhīna āmanū lawlā nuzzilat sūratun fa-idhā unzilat sūratun muḥ'kamatun wadhukira fīhā l-qitālu ra-ayta alladhīna fī qulūbihim maraḍun yanẓurūna ilayka naẓara l-maghshiyi ʿalayhi mina l-mawti fa-awlā lahu Those who believe ask why no sura [about fighting] has been sent down. Yet when a decisive sura [that mentions fighting] is sent down, you can see the sick at heart looking at you [Prophet] and visibly fainting at the prospect of death- better for the

21 طَاعَةࣱ وَقَوۡلࣱ مَّعۡرُوفࣱۚ فَإِذَا عَزَمَ ٱلۡأَمۡرُ فَلَوۡ صَدَقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَكَانَ خَیۡرࣰا لَّهُمۡ ۝٢١ ṭāʿatun waqawlun maʿrūfun fa-idhā ʿazama l-amru falaw ṣadaqū l-laha lakāna khayran lahu would be obedience and fitting words; it would also be better for them to be true to God when the decision to fight has been made 22 فَهَلۡ عَسَیۡتُمۡ إِن تَوَلَّیۡتُمۡ أَن تُفۡسِدُوا۟ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَتُقَطِّعُوۤا۟ أَرۡحَامَكُمۡ ۝٢٢ fahal ʿasaytum in tawallaytum an tuf'sidū fī l-arḍi watuqaṭṭiʿū arḥāmaku ‘If you turn away now, could it be that you will go on to spread corruption all over the land and break your ties of kinship?’ 23 أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ ٱلَّذِینَ لَعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ فَأَصَمَّهُمۡ وَأَعۡمَىٰۤ أَبۡصَـٰرَهُمۡ ۝٢٣ ulāika alladhīna laʿanahumu l-lahu fa-aṣammahum wa-aʿmā abṣārahu These are the ones God has rejected, making their ears deaf and their eyes blind 24 أَفَلَا یَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ أَمۡ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقۡفَالُهَاۤ ۝٢٤ afalā yatadabbarūna l-qur'āna am ʿalā qulūbin aqfāluh Will they not contemplate the Quran? Do they have locks on their hearts