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32: The Adoration (Al-Sajdah)

Revealed at Makkah

The name of this chapter is taken from v. 15 where the faithful are spoken of as falling down in adoration, or prostrating, when the Divine messages are recited to them. The chapter foretells the establishment of Islam, the punishment for the opponents in this very life and the raising of the dead earth to life. Chapters 29 to 32 form one group revealed near the close of the early period at Makkah.

Section 1 (Verses 32:1–32:11): Islam will be Established

32:1

الٓـمّٓ ۚ﴿۱﴾

I, Allah, am the Best Knower.

Note 32:1

For explanation, see 2:1 footnote.

32:2

تَنۡزِیۡلُ الۡکِتٰبِ لَا رَیۡبَ فِیۡہِ مِنۡ رَّبِّ الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ ؕ﴿۲﴾

The revelation of the Book, in which there is no doubt, is from the Lord of the worlds.

32:3

اَمۡ یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ افۡتَرٰىہُ ۚ بَلۡ ہُوَ الۡحَقُّ مِنۡ رَّبِّکَ لِتُنۡذِرَ قَوۡمًا مَّاۤ اَتٰہُمۡ مِّنۡ نَّذِیۡرٍ مِّنۡ قَبۡلِکَ لَعَلَّہُمۡ یَہۡتَدُوۡنَ ﴿۳﴾

Or do they say: He has forged it? No, it is the Truth from your Lord that you may warn a people to whom no warner has come before you that they may walk aright.

Note 32:3

Makkah had not seen a prophet before the advent of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, who was the only Prophet raised among the descendants of Ishmael.

32:4

اَللّٰہُ الَّذِیۡ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضَ وَ مَا بَیۡنَہُمَا فِیۡ سِتَّۃِ اَیَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسۡتَوٰی عَلَی الۡعَرۡشِ ؕ مَا لَکُمۡ مِّنۡ دُوۡنِہٖ مِنۡ وَّلِیٍّ وَّ لَا شَفِیۡعٍ ؕ اَفَلَا تَتَذَکَّرُوۡنَ ﴿۴﴾

Allah is He Who created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six periods, and He is established on the Throne of Power. You have not besides Him a guardian or an intercessor. Will you not then be mindful?

32:5

یُدَبِّرُ الۡاَمۡرَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ اِلَی الۡاَرۡضِ ثُمَّ یَعۡرُجُ اِلَیۡہِ فِیۡ یَوۡمٍ کَانَ مِقۡدَارُہٗۤ اَلۡفَ سَنَۃٍ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّوۡنَ ﴿۵﴾

He orders the Affair from the heaven to the earth; then it will ascend to Him in a day the measure of which is a thousand years as you count.

Note 32:5

Al-Amr or the Affair is the Affair of Islam, and its ordering or regulation from heaven to earth means that it comes from heaven and will be established firmly on earth. Then we are told that it will ascend to God in a day, the measure of which is a thousand years according to human reckoning, which means that it will receive a set-back for a thousand years. As regards the period of its firmness, we are told by the Holy Prophet Muhammad that it will retain its purity for three centuries: “The best of the generations is my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them, then after them will come people who will pride themselves in abundance of wealth and love plumpness” (Tirmidhi, 31:39). That there is a prophecy here is shown by the next verse, which says, Such is the Knower of the unseen and the seen. This prophecy was made known at a time when there was not the least indication that Islam would be established in the earth. At that time the Prophet was told that Islam would be firmly established at first. That the cause would go on advancing for three centuries is made clear by the Prophet’s saying. After that the cause of Islam would be chequered and it would have its set-backs, which would continue for a thousand years. The limitation of the period of chequering shows clearly that, after that, the advancement of Islam will again be unhampered.

32:6

ذٰلِکَ عٰلِمُ الۡغَیۡبِ وَ الشَّہَادَۃِ الۡعَزِیۡزُ الرَّحِیۡمُ ۙ﴿۶﴾

Such is the Knower of the unseen and the seen, the Mighty, the Merciful,

32:7

الَّذِیۡۤ اَحۡسَنَ کُلَّ شَیۡءٍ خَلَقَہٗ وَ بَدَاَ خَلۡقَ الۡاِنۡسَانِ مِنۡ طِیۡنٍ ۚ﴿۷﴾

Who made beautiful everything that He created, and He began the creation of man from dust.

Note 32:7

See 23:12–14, where the various stages through which man passes in his creation are spoken of in detail. The wonderful beauty of creation from the atom to the most brilliant star in the realm of matter, and from the smallest ant to the most developed form of life in man, could not have been known to an Arabian of the 7th century who could neither read nor write, yet he sees, as stated here, that everything that was created was beautiful. This beauty in creation undoubtedly emanated from the same Source, from the Great Creator Who, according to the Quran, has the “most beautiful names” (17:110, 20:8, 59:24).

32:8

ثُمَّ جَعَلَ نَسۡلَہٗ مِنۡ سُلٰلَۃٍ مِّنۡ مَّآءٍ مَّہِیۡنٍ ۚ﴿۸﴾

Then He made his progeny of an extract, of worthless seeming water.

32:9

ثُمَّ سَوّٰىہُ وَ نَفَخَ فِیۡہِ مِنۡ رُّوۡحِہٖ وَ جَعَلَ لَکُمُ السَّمۡعَ وَ الۡاَبۡصَارَ وَ الۡاَفۡـِٕدَۃَ ؕ قَلِیۡلًا مَّا تَشۡکُرُوۡنَ ﴿۹﴾

Then He made him complete and breathed into him of His spirit, and gave you ears and eyes and hearts; little thanks you give!

Note 32:9

This verse shows that the spirit of God is breathed into every human being. This points to a mystical relation between human nature and Divine nature. It is due to this spirit Divine that he rules the creation and it is due to the same Divine spirit in him that he receives a new life after death — a life in which he lives in God and with God — the meeting with God or liqā Allāh, as it is called in v. 10.

32:10

وَ قَالُوۡۤا ءَ اِذَا ضَلَلۡنَا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ ءَ اِنَّا لَفِیۡ خَلۡقٍ جَدِیۡدٍ ۬ؕ بَلۡ ہُمۡ بِلِقَآیِٔ رَبِّہِمۡ کٰفِرُوۡنَ ﴿۱۰﴾

And they say: When we are lost in the earth, shall we then be in a new creation? Indeed, they are disbelievers in the meeting with their Lord.

32:11

قُلۡ یَتَوَفّٰىکُمۡ مَّلَکُ الۡمَوۡتِ الَّذِیۡ وُکِّلَ بِکُمۡ ثُمَّ اِلٰی رَبِّکُمۡ تُرۡجَعُوۡنَ ﴿٪۱۱﴾

Say: The angel of death, who is given charge of you, will cause you to die, then to your Lord you will be returned.

Section 2 (Verses 32:12–32:22): Believers and Disbelievers — a Comparison

32:12

وَ لَوۡ تَرٰۤی اِذِ الۡمُجۡرِمُوۡنَ نَاکِسُوۡا رُءُوۡسِہِمۡ عِنۡدَ رَبِّہِمۡ ؕ رَبَّنَاۤ اَبۡصَرۡنَا وَ سَمِعۡنَا فَارۡجِعۡنَا نَعۡمَلۡ صَالِحًا اِنَّا مُوۡقِنُوۡنَ ﴿۱۲﴾

And if only you could see when the guilty hang their heads before their Lord: Our Lord, we have seen and heard, so send us back, we will do good; we are (now) certain.

32:13

وَ لَوۡ شِئۡنَا لَاٰتَیۡنَا کُلَّ نَفۡسٍ ہُدٰىہَا وَ لٰکِنۡ حَقَّ الۡقَوۡلُ مِنِّیۡ لَاَمۡلَـَٔنَّ جَہَنَّمَ مِنَ الۡجِنَّۃِ وَ النَّاسِ اَجۡمَعِیۡنَ ﴿۱۳﴾

And if We had pleased, We could have given every soul its guidance, but the word from Me was just: I will certainly fill hell with jinn and people, all together.

Note 32:13

God’s word, as the Quran says so often, is that the right way has been pointed out to man but he is given the choice to accept or reject it, and that those who rejected that word and did not forsake evil ways would go to hell. The reference in if We had pleased is to the fact that man is not compelled to submit to the Divine law. His superiority lies in the fact that he has been given a choice. If he exercises that choice rightly, he attains to eminence; if he exercises it wrongly, he must taste the evil consequences of his deeds.

32:14

فَذُوۡقُوۡا بِمَا نَسِیۡتُمۡ لِقَآءَ یَوۡمِکُمۡ ہٰذَا ۚ اِنَّا نَسِیۡنٰکُمۡ وَ ذُوۡقُوۡا عَذَابَ الۡخُلۡدِ بِمَا کُنۡتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ ﴿۱۴﴾

So taste, because you forgot the meeting of this Day of yours; surely We forsake you; and taste the abiding punishment for what you did.

32:15

اِنَّمَا یُؤۡمِنُ بِاٰیٰتِنَا الَّذِیۡنَ اِذَا ذُکِّرُوۡا بِہَا خَرُّوۡا سُجَّدًا وَّ سَبَّحُوۡا بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّہِمۡ وَ ہُمۡ لَا یَسۡتَکۡبِرُوۡنَ ﴿ٛ۱۵﴾

Only they believe in Our messages who, when they are reminded of them, fall down prostrate and celebrate the praise of their Lord, and they are not proud.

32:16

تَتَجَافٰی جُنُوۡبُہُمۡ عَنِ الۡمَضَاجِعِ یَدۡعُوۡنَ رَبَّہُمۡ خَوۡفًا وَّ طَمَعًا ۫ وَّ مِمَّا رَزَقۡنٰہُمۡ یُنۡفِقُوۡنَ ﴿۱۶﴾

They forsake (their) beds, calling upon their Lord in fear and in hope, and spend (on good works) out of what We have given them.

Note 32:16

The literal significance of the original words for they forsake is their sides draw away from, showing that they are restless in their beds. These are the foundations of the culture of Islam, passing part of the night in remembering Allah, and passing the day in earning wealth to spend in the way of Allah for the benefit of humanity.

32:17

فَلَا تَعۡلَمُ نَفۡسٌ مَّاۤ اُخۡفِیَ لَہُمۡ مِّنۡ قُرَّۃِ اَعۡیُنٍ ۚ جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا کَانُوۡا یَعۡمَلُوۡنَ ﴿۱۷﴾

So no soul knows what joy of the eyes is hidden for them: a reward for what they did.

Note 32:17

This is a true description of what the blessings of paradise are: No soul knows what joy of the eyes is hidden for them. These blessings are hidden from the physical eye of man, and therefore their description in words which convey an idea of the blessings of this life is metaphorical. Words cannot reveal to us the real nature of those blessings. The Holy Prophet’s own comment on these words shows this, for he is reported to have said: “Allah says, I have prepared for My righteous servants that which no eye has seen and no ear has heard, and which the heart of man cannot conceive” (Bukhari, 59:8).

32:18

اَفَمَنۡ کَانَ مُؤۡمِنًا کَمَنۡ کَانَ فَاسِقًا ؕؔ لَا یَسۡتَوٗنَ ﴿۱۸﴾؃

Is he then, who is a believer, like him who is a transgressor? They are not equal.

32:19

اَمَّا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ فَلَہُمۡ جَنّٰتُ الۡمَاۡوٰی ۫ نُزُلًۢا بِمَا کَانُوۡا یَعۡمَلُوۡنَ ﴿۱۹﴾

As for those who believe and do good deeds, for them are Gardens, a refuge — an entertainment for what they did.

32:20

وَ اَمَّا الَّذِیۡنَ فَسَقُوۡا فَمَاۡوٰىہُمُ النَّارُ ؕ کُلَّمَاۤ اَرَادُوۡۤا اَنۡ یَّخۡرُجُوۡا مِنۡہَاۤ اُعِیۡدُوۡا فِیۡہَا وَ قِیۡلَ لَہُمۡ ذُوۡقُوۡا عَذَابَ النَّارِ الَّذِیۡ کُنۡتُمۡ بِہٖ تُکَذِّبُوۡنَ ﴿۲۰﴾

And as for those who transgress, their refuge is the Fire. Whenever they desire to go forth from it, they are brought back into it, and it is said to them: Taste the punishment of the Fire, which you called a lie.

32:21

وَ لَنُذِیۡقَنَّہُمۡ مِّنَ الۡعَذَابِ الۡاَدۡنٰی دُوۡنَ الۡعَذَابِ الۡاَکۡبَرِ لَعَلَّہُمۡ یَرۡجِعُوۡنَ ﴿۲۱﴾

And certainly We will make them taste the nearer punishment before the greater punishment, that perhaps they may turn.

Note 32:21

By the nearer punishment is meant the earthly punishment, which might serve as a warning against the greater punishment of the Hereafter. The opponents of Truth are thus told that they must taste a punishment in this life, too, and the description of it given in the previous verse — whenever they desire to go forth from it, they are brought back into it — manifestly applies to modern world conditions, when materialism has taken hold of the minds of people. The wars raging in the world are the fire of this life, and, however much the warring nations may desire to get out of them, they are brought back into them.

32:22

وَ مَنۡ اَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنۡ ذُکِّرَ بِاٰیٰتِ رَبِّہٖ ثُمَّ اَعۡرَضَ عَنۡہَا ؕ اِنَّا مِنَ الۡمُجۡرِمِیۡنَ مُنۡتَقِمُوۡنَ ﴿٪۲۲﴾

And who is more unjust than he who is reminded of the messages of his Lord, then he turns away from them? Surely We exact retribution from the guilty.

Section 3 (Verses 32:23–32:30): Dead Earth will Receive Life

32:23

وَ لَقَدۡ اٰتَیۡنَا مُوۡسَی الۡکِتٰبَ فَلَا تَکُنۡ فِیۡ مِرۡیَۃٍ مِّنۡ لِّقَآئِہٖ وَ جَعَلۡنٰہُ ہُدًی لِّبَنِیۡۤ اِسۡرَآءِیۡلَ ﴿ۚ۲۳﴾

And We indeed gave Moses the Book — so do not doubt the meeting with Him — and We made it a guide for the Children of Israel.

Note 32:23

To bring about the meeting with God — to make humans live in God — is the real aim of religion, and here it is pointed out that to make people attain this object a Book was given to Moses for the Israelites, as a Book is now given for the whole world. This object will be attained despite opposition, which will be brought to naught, as made clear in v. 26.