Surah Sad: Thematic English Translation (Mustafa Çevik)

Sad! By this noble Quran, which comes to you with clear counsel and warnings in the sounds (letters) of the language in which you write, speak, and understand one another: those who stubbornly reject the call being made through it oppose it with senseless pride and hatred.

Before them, too, We destroyed many generations with Our punishment and brought them to ruin because of such obsessions and hatred. Faced with what befell them, they cried out at the last moment and begged for help, but it was of no use, for the time when they could have been saved had long passed.

And now these people, unable to bring themselves to accept that the Prophet, one of their own, is calling them to the truth with counsel and warnings, accuse him of lying.

And they say, “He is trying to overthrow and wreck our order by reducing our gods, who have guided our lives until now and determined our system and morality, to one single god! Is he out of his mind?”

Then the leaders of the community at once took action and tried to stir up the people, saying, “We must stand up for our religion, the way of life that has continued since our forefathers; we must protect our order and not allow it to be changed. Never until now have we heard, even from our forefathers, that Allah alone should be taken as God and the other gods abandoned.”

Then they began to say, “What, was there no one else among us to be given prophethood, that it was given to him? He is simply making this up himself!” Their real aim is to reject a system of life in which Allah alone is accepted as God. Without thinking of the punishment that befell those before them, and without relying on any knowledge or proof, they keep on talking.

Or are the treasures of mercy of Allah, the possessor of absolute power and grace, in their hands, so that it is they who will decide what is to be given to whom, who deserves what, and who will be a prophet?

Or do the ownership and governance of the heavens, the earth, and all that is between them belong to them? If they have such power, let them use every means, take the seat of authority, and try to govern.

The coming together of this ungrateful, transgressing rabble, who do not know their place, never look back at their own creation, and do not know Allah well enough, has no importance, value, or power at all; their strength is a match only for one another. They are doomed to suffer Allah’s punishment, to be defeated and to perish.

Before them, too, the people of Noah and of Ad, who tried to cover up the truth that Allah is God and waged war on His call and on those who called to it, Pharaoh, owner of the lofty columns (pyramids), Thamud, the people of Lot, and the People of the Thicket (Ayka) accused their prophets of lying, and so they were struck with the punishment they deserved.

And now these people who associate partners with Allah are trying to bring Allah’s punishment down upon themselves. Know well that when its time comes, Allah’s punishment is never postponed; a single cry of calamity will seize them too and destroy them. It is because they have not sufficiently grasped this truth that they say mockingly, “Our Lord, show us now, before the Day of Reckoning, our share of the punishment, so that we may see it.”

Be patient with what they say out of their ignorance, and remember and reflect on David, who had a very strong will in his submission to Us! He always turned to Allah with patience and took refuge in Him.

In his submission to Allah, David would yield to the reason for his creation as the mountains do, and stand firm as a rock. Like the birds, too, he would act in keeping with the reason for his creation, and morning and evening he would reflect on Allah’s boundless power, His order in the universe, and the perfection of His sovereignty, and obey Him wholeheartedly.

In return for this submission of David’s, We strengthened his rule and granted him knowledge, wisdom, keen understanding and insight, and a gift for effective speech.

Have you heard about the two litigants who climbed over the wall into David’s chamber?

When David suddenly saw them before him, he was frightened and alarmed. They said to David, “Do not be afraid; we are just two brothers in dispute with each other. We have come to you so that you may judge between us with justice; do justice between us without any wrong.”

One of the two began and said, “This is my brother; he has ninety-nine sheep, and I have only one sheep. Even so, my brother has set his eyes on it, and by using his power he will somehow take that from me too.”

Thereupon David said, “This man has truly wronged you by wanting to add your sheep to his own. Indeed, most people, sadly, commit such injustice and wrongs against one another. Only the believers who think and live with Allah at the center keep away from such wrong and injustice and do what is right and good, but how very few they are.” And as he said this, he was also reflecting on his own deeds; he understood that We were warning him through this event, and at once he bowed his head to the ground and, bent double, turned to his Lord asking forgiveness. So We forgave him. He has a fine place and standing with Us, and a fine end awaits him in the Hereafter.

Allah had said to David: “O David! We created you (like all human beings) to be a vicegerent on earth, and because of your effort and merit We made you ruler over your people. So judge between people with justice. Never follow your own whims and fancies, nor the whims and fancies of other people. If you follow them, they will lead you astray from the justice that the divine system and morality require. A severe punishment awaits in the Hereafter those who disregard Allah’s path and go astray.”

We did not create the heavens, the earth, and all that is between them without purpose and in vain. Those who do not want to think about or acknowledge that they have responsibilities toward Allah, nor to fulfill them, accuse their prophets of lying. In the end they will enter the fire of Hell they deserve.

Allah will certainly not treat those who believe in His call and fulfill their responsibilities the same as those who turn their backs.

O Prophet! We are sending down to you this divine book so that people may know and learn the reason for their creation, reflect on it, and reach what is right. Those of untainted reason who wish to reach what is right take counsel from it and follow the call.

As a reward to David, who believed and fulfilled his responsibilities, We gave Solomon as a gift. He too was a servant who constantly turned to Us.

One late afternoon, as Solomon was examining and watching the noble racehorses being brought and shown to him, he was saying to himself, “Everything beautiful reminds me of my Lord, and I love them.” When at last the horses began to run, Solomon kept proclaiming the greatness of his Lord until they had disappeared from sight; and then, telling them to bring the horses back to him, he had them brought to him and tenderly stroked their legs and necks.

We had placed a lifeless body on Solomon’s throne, warning him that he must not forget death, and showing him that sovereignty, wealth, and beauty in this world are passing means of testing. Thereupon he came to himself and recovered.

Then Solomon prayed, “My Lord, forgive me, and grant me a kingdom such as no one after me will attain, and grant me to live the life to which You invite, for You are the possessor of infinite grace, the Generous.”

So We accepted his prayer and made the wind in his land subservient to his service, so that Solomon could sail the ships under his command wherever he wished.

With the power We granted him, Solomon captured some master builders who were as arrogant and headstrong as devils, some people skilled in seafaring, and divers, put them in chains, brought them to his land, and placed them at his command, to use them in his service.

Then We revealed to Solomon: “That all these people are under your command is owing to the authority and power We have granted you. So set them free if you wish, or keep them if you wish; that is for you to decide.”

Solomon has a standing with Us and a fine place in the Hereafter.

Remember Our servant Job, too! He also, long ago (having begun to feel tired, weary, and ill because of his people’s opposition and resistance to the call he made in Allah’s name, and the torments they inflicted), had prayed: “My Lord! Satan is truly making me feel an indescribable weariness and a sense of abandonment, and its pain. I am like a sick man whose strength is exhausted; help me.” Thereupon We revealed to him: “Pull yourself together, get moving, stand up and set out on your way. Wash in the cold water you come upon, and drink of it, and recover.”

So he pulled himself together and, stronger than before and with patience, began to invite his people, in Allah’s name, to the life that is the reason for their creation. Before long, his family, who had long turned their backs on him, and many people around him responded to his call, rallied around him and stood united; and so, by Allah’s grace, their numbers steadily grew.

(Before this, Job had sworn to punish his family, who would not accept the call he made in Allah’s name.) And We told him to take in his hand a bundle of twigs, strike them with it, and so fulfill his oath without breaking it. We found Job very patient in the face of difficulties and hardships. He was a fine servant who always turned to Allah and submitted to Him.

Remember, too, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, among Our chosen servants, who possessed strong will and keen insight! They too were among Our virtuous and morally excellent servants who submitted to Allah’s call and lived with patience and uncompromising effort, always mindful of the Hereafter.

Do not forget Ishmael, Elisha, and Dhu al-Kifl either! They too were good and sincere servants of Ours who invited people to live by the system and morality that is the reason for their creation, and who carried out their duties undaunted by difficulties.

What has been told here is a reminder and a warning for those who are aware of their responsibilities toward Allah.

Those who carry a sense of responsibility toward Allah and strive with their lives and their wealth to fulfill what it requires are awaited, with its gates open, by Paradise, the home of lasting beauty and happiness.

There they will find peace, recline and rest in peace, and receive every kind of food and drink they desire; and beside them they will find gentle-natured spouses of their own age, whose eyes are turned to their own spouse alone.

This is the fulfillment of the promise Allah has given to those who do their utmost to fulfill consciously their responsibilities toward Allah. And there is no danger of His blessings running out.

In Hell, those who deserve the punishment and those who led them will be told, “This is the punishment that you and those who fell in behind you deserve.”

Those who led others into shirk (associating partners with Allah) and disbelief say to their followers who blame them, “Surely, because you came running blindly to our call, you too are among those who deserve this punishment, just as we do.” Then those who followed their leaders will turn to them and say, “It is you who are really responsible for our coming here; it was you who set up the systems of shirk and imposed them on us. Our Lord! Give double punishment to these people who put these systems before us and invited us to follow them.” And there the punishment of them all will be boiling water and pus.

Then those in Hell turn to one another and begin to say, “We cannot see here those whom we looked down on and mocked while we were in the world; or are they not here?”

That is how the people of Hell will keep quarreling among themselves.

O Prophet! Say: “I am only a warner! Allah, the All-Subduing (al-Qahhar), is the one and true God. He is the Owner of the heavens, the earth, and all that is between them.” He is most mighty, and He alone knows whom He will forgive.

Say: “Although the Quran makes known to you the certain truth, you turn away from it, take one another as gods, and serve fellow human beings.”

Say this to them as well: “About Allah’s decision to create the human being, and what was said in that place where Iblis, too, was present along with the angels, I have no knowledge beyond what has been made known to me.”

What has been made known to me is that our Lord said to the angels, “I am going to create a human being from clay; after giving him his shape, I will breathe the spirit into him, grant him the ability to tell right from wrong, and place responsibility upon him. Then be ready to serve him,” and that, upon this command, the angels (except Iblis) made known that they would carry out His command by prostrating to Allah.

Iblis grew arrogant, did not obey this command of Allah, and did not prostrate. Thereupon, when Allah said, “O Iblis! Why do you refuse to follow the command I gave you to serve this human being whom I created by My power? Or do you consider yourself superior to everyone?”, Iblis said, “Yes, I am superior to that human being, for You created me from fire and him from clay.”

In the face of Iblis’s insolent attitude, Allah said, “You are not worthy to be in such a station; get out, for you have now fallen from favor and deserve to be cast out. My curse will be upon you until the Day of Resurrection.”

This time Iblis said, “My Lord, then grant me respite until the Day when people will be raised to life again.”

And Allah said to him, “Very well, you are among those granted respite until that Day of Resurrection and Reckoning, whose time I alone have determined and know.”

Thereupon Iblis said, “By Your majesty and Your power, I for my part will drive those who are not responsive to Your call and pay it no heed still further into transgression, and see to it that they rebel against You. But over those servants of Yours who take You alone as Lord and God and believe in Your call I can have no influence and no power to compel; they will not fall into my traps.”

Allah said to Iblis, “That is indeed the truth. And I swear that I will fill Hell with those like you and with those who follow you all.”

O Prophet! Say: “I neither ask nor expect any reward from you for conveying to you these truths revealed to me; nor am I someone who has come forward of my own accord claiming to be a prophet.”

“This Quran being sent through me is a book that invites all people to live the Allah-centered life that is the reason for their creation; one day you will surely understand how important its call is.”