SURAH AL-AHQAF

The Sandhills

(Maccie, Surah # 46, Verses 35)

46:1 Ha, Meem.

46:2 The revelation of this Book is from Allah—the Almighty, All-Wise.

46:3 We only created the heavens and the earth and everything in between for a purpose and an appointed term. Yet the disbelievers are turning away from what they have been warned about.

ASK IF THEY HAVE ANY PROOF WHY THEY WORSHIP IDOLS BESIDE ALLAH

46:4 Ask ˹them, O  Prophet˺, “Have you considered whatever ˹idols˺ you invoke besides Allah? Show me what they have created on earth! Or do they have a share in ˹the creation of˺ the heavens? Bring me a scripture ˹revealed˺ before this ˹Quran or any other proof based on knowledge to support your belief, if indeed you are truthful".

46:5 And who could be more astray than those who call upon others besides Allah—˹others˺ that cannot respond to them until the Day of Judgment, and are ˹even˺ unaware of their calls?

46:6 And when mankind is gathered (on the Day of Resurrection), they (false deities) will become enemies for them and will deny their worship.

46:7 And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidence, those who disbelieve say of the truth when it has come to them, "This is obvious magic."

46:8 Or say they: "He (Muhammad SAW) has fabricated it." Say: "If I have fabricated it, still you have no power to support me against Allah. He knows best of what you say among yourselves concerning it (i.e. this Quran)! Sufficient is He for a witness between me and you! And He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

46:9Say, “I am not the first messenger ever sent, nor do I know what will happen to me or you. I only follow what is revealed to me. And I am only sent with a clear warning.”

THEY DO NOT BELIEVE IN QURAN

46:10Say: "Tell me! If this (Quran) is from Allah, and you deny it, and a witness from among the Children of Israel ('Abdullah bin Salam) testifies that this Quran is from Allah [like the Taurat], so he believed while you are too proud (to believe)." Verily! Allah guides not the people who are Zalimun.

46:11 The disbelievers have said about the believers, "Had there been anything good in it (Quran), they could not have accepted it before us" Since they do not benefit from its guidance, they say, "It (Quran) is only a fabricated legend".

46:12 Before this (Quran), the Book of Moses was a guide and a blessing. This Book confirms the Torah. It is in the Arabic language so that it may warn the unjust people, and give glad news to the righteous ones.

AND WHO BELIEVE

46:13 Surely those who say, “Our Lord is Allah,” and then remain steadfast—there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.

46:14 It is they who will be the residents of Paradise, staying there forever, as a reward for what they used to do.

WHEN YOU REACH THE AGE OF FORTY

46:15We have commanded people to honor their parents. Their mothers bore them in hardship and delivered them in hardship. Their ˹period of˺ bearing and weaning is thirty months. In time, when the child reaches their prime at the age of forty, they pray, 

قَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِىٓ أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَىَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَىَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَـٰلِحًۭا تَرْضَىٰهُ وَأَصْلِحْ لِى فِى ذُرِّيَّتِىٓ ۖ إِنِّى تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِنِّى مِنَ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ

“My Lord! Inspire me to ˹always˺ be thankful for Your favors which You blessed me and my parents with, and to do good deeds that please You. And make my offspring righteous. I truly repent to You, and I truly submit ˹to Your Will˺.”

46:16 These are the ones from whom We accept righteous deeds and ignore their bad deeds. They will be among the dwellers of Paradise. It is the true promise which was given to them.

DISBELIEVING CHILD OF A BELIEVING PARENT

46:17 But some scold their parents, “Enough with you! Are you warning me that I will be brought forth ˹from the grave˺, while many generations had already perished before me ˹for good˺?” The parents cry to Allah for help, ˹and warn their child,˺ “Pity you. Have faith! Surely Allah’s promise is true.”But he says: "This is nothing but the tales of the ancient."

46:18 They are those against whom the Word (of torment) is justified among the previous generations of jinns and mankind that have passed away. Verily! They are ever the losers.

46:19 Each ˹of the two groups˺ will be ranked according to what they have done so He may fully reward all. And none will be wronged.

PLEASURE OF WORLDLY LIFE

46:20Watch for˺ the Day ˹when˺ the disbelievers will be exposed to the Fire. ˹They will be told,˺ “You ˹already˺ exhausted your ˹share of˺ pleasures during your worldly life, and ˹fully˺ enjoyed them. So Today you will be rewarded with the torment of disgrace for your arrogance throughout the land with no right, and for your rebelliousness.”

PEOPLE OF AD

46:21 And remember (Hud) the brother of 'Ad, when he warned his people in Al-Ahqaf (the curved sand-hills in the southern part of Arabian Peninsula). And surely, there have passed away warners before him and after him (saying): "Worship none but Allah; truly, I fear for you the torment of a mighty Day."

46:22 They argued, “Have you come to turn us away from our gods? Bring us then whatever you threaten us with, if what you say is true.”

46:23 He said, "Only Allah has the knowledge (of the coming of such torment). I preach to you the message that I have brought, but I can see that you are an ignorant people".

46:24Then when they saw the torment as a ˹dense˺ cloud approaching their valleys, they said ˹happily˺, “This is a cloud bringing us rain.” ˹But Hûd replied,˺ “No, it is what you sought to hasten: a ˹fierce˺ wind carrying a painful punishment!”

46:25 It destroyed everything by the command of its Lord, leaving nothing visible except their dwellings. This is how We reward the wicked people.

46:26 We had established them more firmly in the land than you (Quraish) are. We had given them ears, eyes, and hearts but none of their ears, eyes, and hearts proved to be of any benefit to them; they rejected the revelations of Allah and the torment which they mocked brought upon them utter destruction.

46:27We destroyed some towns around you and showed you the evidence (of the Truth) so that perhaps you would turn (to God).

46:28 Why did the idols, whom they worshiped as a means of pleasing God, not help them? In fact, they proved to be the cause of their going astray and it were lies which they had falsely invented.

JINN BELIEVED WHEN THEY HEARD QURAN

46:29 Remember, O  Prophet,˺ when We sent a group of jinn your way to listen to the Quran. Then, upon hearing it, they said ˹to one another˺, “Listen quietly!” Then when it was over, they returned to their fellow jinn as warners.

46:30 They declared, “O’ our fellow jinn! We have truly heard a scripture revealed after Moses, confirming what came before it. It guides to the truth and the Straight Way.

46:31 O’ our fellow jinn! Respond to the caller of Allah and believe in him, He will forgive your sins and protect you from a painful punishment.

46:32 And whoever does not respond to the caller of Allah will have no escape on earth, nor will they have any protectors against Him. It is they who are clearly astray.”

46:33 Have they not seen that Allah has created the heavens and the earth and that He experienced no fatigue in doing this. He has the power to bring the dead back to life. Certainly He has power over all things.

46:34 And on the Day the disbelievers will be exposed to the Fire, ˹they will be asked,˺ “Is this ˹Hereafter˺ not the truth?” They will cry, “Absolutely, by our Lord!” It will be said, “Then taste the punishment for your disbelief.”

AS IF WE STAYED ON EARTH AN HOUR OR SINGLE DAY? 

46:35 Therefore be patient (O Muhammad) as did the Messengers of strong will and be in no haste about them (disbelievers). On the Day when they will see that (torment) with which they are promised as if they had not stayed more than an hour in a single day. (O mankind! This Quran is sufficient as) a clear Message But shall any be destroyed except the people who are Al-Fasiqun.

Online Sources: Citations

https://quran.com/1

https://corpus.quran.com/translation.jsp?chapter=1&verse=1

https://noblequran.com/