The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

a
Some of the Arabs dismissed the Qur
an as poetry.
b
This is a classical meaning of yanbaghi.
The Qur
an
36: 69
284

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37. RANGED IN ROWS
a
The central point of this Meccan sura is the unity of God (verses 
4 and 180–2)
and the refutation of the pagan belief that the angels were daughters of God
and worthy of worship. The angels themselves are quoted to refute this (verses
164–6). The prophethood of Muhammad, is affirmed, as is the Hereafter.
There are two supporting sections: the scenes in the Hereafter (verses 
19–68)
and the stories of earlier prophets (verses 
75–148).
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
1By those [angels] ranged in rows, 2who rebuke reproachfully 3and
recite God’s word, 
4truly your God is One, 5Lord of the heavens and
earth and everything between them, Lord of every sunrise. 
6We have
adorned the lowest heaven with stars, 
7and made them a safeguard
against every rebellious devil: 
8they cannot eavesdrop on the Higher
Assembly
b
–– pelted from every side, 
9driven away, they will have
perpetual torment ––
10if any [of them] stealthily snatches away a
fragment,
c
he will be pursued by a piercing 
flame.
11So [Prophet], ask the disbelievers: is it harder to create them
than other beings We have created?
d
We created them from sticky
clay. 
12You marvel as they scoff, 13take no heed when they are
warned, 
14and resort to ridicule when they see a sign, 15saying, ‘This
is no more than blatant sorcery.’ 
16‘What! After we have died and
become dust and bones, shall we really be raised up again, 
17along
with our forefathers?’ 
18Say, ‘Yes indeed, and you will be humili-
ated.’ 
19Just one blast and––lo and behold!––they will look 20and say,
‘Woe to us! This is the Day of Judgement.’ 
21[It will be said], ‘This is
the Day of Decision, which you used to deny. 
22[Angels], gather
together those who did wrong, and others like them, as well as what-
ever they worshipped 
23beside God, lead them all to the path of Hell,
24and halt them for questioning: 25“Why do you not support each
other now?” ’ ––
26no indeed! They will be in complete submission
on that Day ––
27and they will turn on one another accusingly.
a
Cf. 
37: 165–6; 78: 38.
b
Of angels.
c
Of something he overheard.
d
Cf. 
40: 57.

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28They will say, ‘You came to us from a position of power.’
a
29They
will say, ‘No! It was you who would not believe –
–
30we had no power
over you –
– and you were already exceeding all limits. 
31Our Lord’s
sentence on us is just and we must all taste the punishment. 
32We led
you astray as we ourselves were astray.’
33On that Day they will all
share the torment: 
34this is how We deal with the guilty. 35Whenever
it was said to them, ‘There is no deity but God,’ they became arro-
gant, 
36and said, ‘Are we to forsake our gods for a mad poet?’ 37‘No:
he brought the truth and con
firmed the earlier messengers; 38you
will taste the painful torment, 
39and be repaid only according to your
deeds.’
40Not so God’s true servants. 41They will have familiar provi-
sions
b
––
42fruits–– and will be honoured 43in gardens of delight;
44seated on couches, facing one another. 45A drink will be passed
round among them from a 
flowing spring: 46white, delicious to those
who taste it, 
47causing no headiness or intoxication. 48With them will
be spouses –
– modest of gaze and beautiful of eye –
–
49like protected
eggs.
c
50They will turn to one another with questions: 51one will say, ‘I
had a close companion on earth 
52who used to ask me, “Do you really
believe that 
53after we die and become dust and bone, we shall be
brought for judgement?”’
54Then he will say, ‘Shall we look for
him?’
55He will look down and see him in the midst of the Fire, 56and
say to him, ‘By God, you almost brought me to ruin! 
57Had it not
been for the grace of my Lord, I too would have been taken to Hell.’
58Then he will say [to his blessed companions], ‘Are we never to die
again after our earlier death? 
59Shall we never suffer? 60This truly is
the supreme triumph!’
61Everyone should strive to attain this. 62Is
this the better welcome, or the tree of Zaqqum, 
63which we have
made a test for the evildoers? 
64This tree grows in the heart of the
blazing Fire,
d
65and its fruits are like devils’ heads. 66They will fill
their bellies eating from it; 
67then drink scalding water on top of it;
a
The Arabic expression ‘from the right-hand side’ conveys the meaning of being in
the right or approaching from the most honourable angle, or with power and in
fluence
(see verse 
30).