In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

31- Everything in the heavens and Earth belong to God alone (li-l-lah) that He may repay (li-yajzi) those who do evil according to their deeds, and that He may reward those who do good with goodness.

32- As for those who avoid (yajtanibu) major sins (ithm) and shameful deeds, only (falling into) lesser offences (al-lamam), then surely your Lord is ample in forgiveness. He is best aware of you (from the time) when He created you from dust, and you were hidden (ajinnah) in the bellies of your mothers. Therefore, ascribe not purity unto yourselves. He is best aware of him who wards off (evil).

33- Did you [O Muhammad] observe him who turned away (from Islam):

34- he only gave a little, and then withholds (akda)?

35- Does he have knowledge of the Unseen that he can see?

36- Or has he not been informed of what was written in the books (sahifah) of Moses,

37- and Abraham, who fulfilled (wafa) his duty?

38- That no soul shall bear the burden of another;

39- That a human shall have nothing but what he strives for;

40- That (the fruit of) his striving will soon be seen;

41- That he will be fully rewarded for it;

42- That the final end is with your Lord;

43- That it is He Who makes people laugh and weep;

44- That it is He Who gives death and life;

45- That He created the two spouses, the male and the female;

46- From a drop of fluid when emitted;

47- That He will undertake the second creation;

48- That it is He Who gives wealth and contentment (iqna);

49- That He is the Lord of Sirius (Shi?ra);

50- That He destroyed the former (al-ula’) (tribe of) ‘Ad;

51- And the (tribe of) Thamud He did not spare;

52. And before them, the people of Noah, for that they were (all) most unjust and most insolent transgressors,

53- And He brought down the ruined cities (of the people of Lot);

54- So that (the ruins) covered them up.

55- Then which of the bounties of God can you deny?

56- This [Prophet] is a warner like the former warners.

57- The imminent Hour (al-Azifah) has drawn near;

58- None besides God can disclose (kashf) it.

59- Marvel then at this statement,

60- And you laugh and do not weep,

61- While you waste your time in vanities (samid)?

62- Rather, prostrate yourselves before God and serve (or worship) Him.

[53:31] Everything in the heavens and Earth belong to God alone (li-l-lāh) that He may repay (li-yajzī) those who do evil according to their deeds, and that He may reward those who do good with goodness.
The predicate, “To God alone(li-l-lāh)” signifies exclusivity. The Qur’an repeatedly emphasizes this idea, for it is one of the central pillars of monotheism (tawhīd).
Everyone will come face-to-face with the results of his/her actions in the Hereafter. The letterlām(ل) in li yajzī is purposive in that it explains creation’sultimate purpose: God placed the heavens and Earth at humanity’s disposal so that we may, through ourown efforts and activities, attain mastery over the natural world and take possession of the material realm. This suggests that at some point in the future humanity will obtain full control over the world. At first glance this might seem unbelievable.But just look at how far we have advanced in the last thousand years and how much control we now exercise over nature. Just as ourknowledge and understanding of the world increases daily, so too does ourmastery and dominion over land, sea, and the skies.
Natural and man-made disasters are on the rise, and it is fareasier for us to exercise control over nature than before. Today we send people into outer space andstudy the possibility of living on other worlds. The Qur’an proclaims the existence of “a paradise as vast as the heavens and Earth” (3:133).And so one day humanity willinherit the treasures of the heavens and Earth, forthis is the reason why God created the cosmos.But this reward is only for those who do righteous deeds: “Indeed, My righteous servants shall inherit the Earth” (21:105).

[53:32] As for those who avoid(yajtanibū) major sins(ithm) and shameful deeds, only (falling into) lesser offences(al-lamam), then surely your Lord is ample in forgiveness. He is best aware of you (from the time) when He created you from dust, and you were hidden(ajinnah) in the bellies of your mothers. Therefore, ascribe not purity unto yourselves. He is best aware of him who wards off (evil).
And who are these righteous servants? “Those who avoid major sins and shameful deeds.” Avoid (yajtanibū) appears in the present tense to denote that their behavior in this regard is continuous, for this is how they live their lives. Althoughithmanddhanbhave the same meaning,in reality ithmrefers to the root of all sins, which means not only a sin but one whose heart is narrow.Thus, it is opposed to birr (goodness), which implies the breadth, expanse, and openness of a person’s heart. The people of birr are generous, large-hearted, and magnanimous, whereas the people of ithm are narrow-minded, selfish, and egotistical. They see things only in relation to themselvesand their desires and whims. This is the root of all sins, forevery sin emanates from such attitudes.Those who manage to put such things aside actually put aside the very root and wellspring of sin.
Al-lamam means sins that are minor in severity and few in number. This is one exception. Some commentators have said that this refers to sins that are thought about but not committed.Those who sin but then feel troubled and ashamed have not yet become accustomed to sinning and wrongdoing. However, remember that the more a sin is repeated the less unpleasant it seems, and eventually it becomes a habit that no longer troubles the person.Sometimes our personality is the source of these slips. In any case, some people contend that if we just focus on avoiding the major sins, God will overlook the minor ones.
Human beings are made from dust and conceived by our parents’ seeds, which are made from the food they obtained from the soil and the seas. God is aware of all the stages of human growth and development, of a human being’s progress from nothingness to existence. When a person is still in his mother’s womb as an unformed seed, God is already aware and knows his/her fate.In short, He knows us better than we could ever know ourselves.
Notice that God says that before they are born, people are ajinnah(the plural of jinn). This is one of those places in the Qur’an that allows us to discern what God means when He uses the term jinn: hidden and concealed.
Human beingshave no right to consider themselves pure and without fault. Based on this verse, the Qur’an explicitly prohibitsself-praise.
Notice that God does not say that He knows “who knows more about jurisprudence (fiqh),” or “about the Qur’an,” or even “who is more learned.” Instead, He says He knows “who has more taqwā.” This shows that only taqwāguarantees human happiness, for every human moral virtue or excellence is rooted in it. It is derived from W-Q-Y, which means to protect or to control oneself. So long as the human being can exercise self-control, whether in a state of financial hardship or affluence, and control his or her anger and carnal desires, thehope of salvation remains.As long as a person’s acts are rooted intaqwā, then that action can bring him or hercloser to God. The Qur’an says that God knows best which one of you is better at restraining his or her soul from base desires. Therefore, you should never consideryourself pure and free from fault.

[53:33] Did you [O Muhammad] observe him who turned away (from Islam):
The reference is to the one who pays no heed to these words and turns away.

[53:34] he only gave a little, and then withholds (akdā)?
In other words, this person turns away from both the truth and other people. Those who are so self-centered that they refuse to help those in need have, in effect, turned their back on them. Those who rarelyhelp others and horde their wealth will not be saved. Akdā is derived from ikdā, which means to come upon hard and rocky soil. People digging a wellmay find that this type of soil will prevent them from digging any deeper. This is what akdārefers to here.

[53:35] Does he have knowledge of the Unseen that he can see?
Do such peopleperceive realities that others do not? You might say that they act as if they have already taken a peep and seen that there is nothing on the other side.Those who spend nothing in charity and feel no inclination or need to help their fellow human beings must know something or have seen something that others have not.One explanation for such behavior is their “discovery” that this world will never have a reckoning.

[53:36] Or has he not been informed of what was written in the books (sahīfah) of Moses,
This is another rhetorical quip.Dothesestingy people know something that others do not, something that makes themimmune to these rules, or are they merely unawareof the earlier prophets’ teachings? In other words, the Prophet’s teachings are nothing new, for all prophets have taught the same thing. Of course, asahīfah is not merely a scroll of paper; it can refer to any tablet or surface upon which people write.

[53:37] and Abraham, who fulfilled(wafā) his duty?
According to the chronology of the Qur’an’s revelation, this is the first verse sent down about prophet Abraham. Hisscripture hasbeen referencedtwice, but not his name.Note that the first quality with which he is invested is “fulfillment” (wafā), meaning that he fulfilled his mission by delivering and acting upon it.This is a critical point, for: “And (remember) when his Lord tested Abraham with certain words, and he fulfilled them, He said, ‘I am making you an imām for humanity’” (2:124). An imāmmeans an exemplar, a model for others. Abraham received this distinction because hedid exactly what God told him to doand thereby attained an extremely lofty spiritual rank. The Qur’an frequently refers to millat Ibrāhīm (the Creed of Abraham). Millah refers to a religion or faith and, out of all the prophets mentioned in the Qur’an, is unique to Abraham. His Creed is the religion of tawhīd(monotheism), of which hewas the founder. Therefore, all later prophets are described as following his creed: “Then We revealed to you: ‘Follow the creed of Abraham’” (16:123), the hanīf (upright) religion founded upon absolute truthfulness and complete submission to God. Abraham was motivated by his conscience’s desire to act in accord with the truth, for “he was not one of the polytheists.”
TheQur’anpresents Abraham as the perfect exemplar for human beings.Each time this great prophet is mentioned – sixty-nine times in all – a particular aspect of his personality is revealed, dependingupon the chapter’s main concern.This moral paragon displays thehighest and most sublime human qualities. In fact, the annual rite of hajj can be traced to his actionsin Makkah.Throughthese rituals, which so perfectly encapsulate Abraham’s obedience and devotion to God, we must come to better know the man himself. This is the real hajj. However, the sad fact is that today we rarely give any thought to this rite’s latent symbolism or remember that its associated rituals are a manifestation of the original religion of tawhīd. If the Muslim ummah really knew who Abraham was and what he stood for, itwould not be afflicted by the polytheistic practices and attitudes we see today.
So,to what are these two verses referring?In reply, the following verses lay out eleven very important points one after the other with the particle “that” (anna) repeatedly appearing at the beginning of each of these verses.

[53:38] That no soul shall bear the burden of another;
First: Each person, without exception,is responsible only for his or her own sins.The Qur’an statesthis fact which has been proclaimed to humanity ever since Abraham’s time.Only you are responsible – not your mother or father, not your people or your clan – only you. Even prophet Noah could not save his wayward son, for God rejected his intercession. When Noah objects: “But God, it was you who said my family would be saved,” God admonishes him: “So do not be one of the ignorant” (6:35) and “Said He, ‘O Noah. Indeed, He is not of your family, [for] his conduct is evil. So do not ask Me somethingof which you have no knowledge. I advise you, lest you should be among the ignorant’” (11:46).Note that God does not beat around the bush,even with His prophets.Rememberprophet Lot’s wife, who perished along with her husband’s people. An authentic narration from the Prophet records his advice to his daughter Fatimah: “My daughter,do good deeds in this world because tomorrow, on the Day of Resurrection,I can do nothing for you.”And yet we continue touse every trick in the book to reassure ourselves that when we come to the bridge (sirāt) in the Hereafter, we will be sent directly to paradise even while everyone else is being questioned. But here, the Qur’an announcesthat according to Abraham, the patriarch of the prophets,no one will bear the burden of another’s sins.

[53:39] That a human shall have nothing but what he strives for;
Second: We will be given only what we have earned.

[53:40] That (the fruit of) his striving will soon be seen;

[53:41] That he will be fully rewarded for it;
Third: We will soon see the reality of our actions and on what we have spent our life.

[53:42] That the final end is with your Lord;
Fourth: But, ultimately, where will we go? Toward that from whence we came into this worldby His will, namely, to the Lord.Everything will return to Him, for that is where its end lies.

[53:43] That it is He Who makes people laugh and weep;
Fifth: This similitude means that all happiness and sadness should be attributed only to His will.Some commentators have interpreted this verse as meaning that the heavens “weep”(i.e., pour rain) by His leave and that the soil shakes and “laughs” as a result (e.g., plants and flowers spring up). However, it appears that itsmeaning is more encompassing. For instance, when the people are presented with the record of their deeds, some will laugh and some will cry. Other commentators posit that this verse is supposed to highlight the difference between human beings and animals, in that the latter cannotlaugh or cry, or at least not in a way that we can recognize. Perhaps this is why human beings are extremely sensitive in their emotions when compared to animals. On the other hand, maybethis verse means that all of our inner thoughts and feelings, from which happiness (laughter) and sadness (tears) spring, are really in God’s hands, for each feeling depends upon God’s will for your life. Therefore, if you want a happy and contented life, seek it from God.

[53:44] That it is He Who gives death and life;
Sixth: Death and life, two processes in the cosmos that never stop, are also in His hands.

[53:45] That He created the two spouses, the male and the female;
Seventh: He created the two genders, male and female, which are found in humanity and many of the world’s creatures. This reality is a relatively new phenomenon, in terms of our planet’s overall age, one that has caused the process of natural evolution to accelerate dramatically. The verse says that God is the originator of this phenomenon.

[53:46]From a drop of fluid when emitted;
This fluid allows the genetic material to be combined from the male and female of a species, a process that leads to increased biodiversity through the production of countless genetic combinations.

[53:47] That He will undertake the second creation;
Eighth: “The second creation” refers to a new cosmos that is yet to be made, namely, the Hereafter, God’s remaking of the present universe.

[53:48] That it is He Who gives wealth and contentment(iqnā);
Ninth: He alone gives prosperity, bestows wealth, and fulfills our needs. Our Lord providesall that we need to exist: air, food, and a thousand other things. Some commentators understand iqnāas satisfying a person’s ongoing long-term (as opposed to temporary or occasional) needs (e.g., having a homeand a job), which are continuous and necessary for their survival. Other commentators say that iqnārefers to providing the greatest sources of happiness in a person’s life, such as being endowed with various talents and abilities. In reality, these are justone type of each person’s long-term needs. Therefore, God is the one who meets all of our needs with His blessings, whether they are short-term or long-term, in this world or in the Hereafter.

[53:49] That He is the Lord of Sirius (Shiʿrā);
Tenth: Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, is naturally the first one to become visible in the evening. The Arabs called this very large starShiʿrā Yamānī, because it appears from the south (and, hence, in the direction of Yemen relative to the Hejaz). In those days, it was commonly sighted during the summer. Now, it is more frequently sighted during the winter. When we see it, we are seeing what it was like ten years ago becauseit takes that long for its light to reach us. Consider what wonders God has placed in the cosmos from billions of years ago that we are only just beginning to understand today.
Once again, recall that this chapter began with the oath: “By the star when it ‘falls.’”Sirius is a massive star that has“fallen,” collapsed into itself, one of the great wonders upon whichGod deemsit suitable to take an oath. Today, advances in astronomy enable us to witness the astonishing phenomena taking place in the vastness of space, events that earlier generationscould not even imagine. Therefore, do not think that God is merely your Lord or the Lord of your planet; He is also the Lord of Sirius and of the entire cosmos.

[53:50] That He destroyed the former (al-ūlā’) (tribe of) ‘Ād;

[53:51] And the (tribe of) Thamūd He did not spare;
Eleventh: The implication here is that if you (the Prophet’s contemporaries) continue to deny and to go astray, your fate – as befits your behavior in the natural order, according to which God has set this world in motion – will be the same as of those earlier disobedient people. Do not think that this means God will oppress you. On the contrary, the cosmos has been created in such a way that you will suffer the consequences of your actions. Remember what happened to the people of ʿĀd. According to some commentators,al-ūlā (the first) indicates that this refers to the earliest days of human history; others positthat two historical nations have borne the name ʿĀd, and this adjective clarifies that the first one is meant here. The people of Thamūd also perished. The Qur’an relates the stories of these two peoples in detail later on,as well as what happened to them.

[53:52] And before them, the people of Noah. Surely, they were more unjust and rebellious;
Noah, who preached for 950 years, opened the door for them to be guided;however,they did not heed him.

[53:53] And He brought down the ruined cities (of the people of Lot);

[53:54] So that (the ruins) covered them up.
This is an allusion to Sodom and Gomorrah, which were turned upside down by an earthquake and volcanic eruption.Thousands were buried beneath the burning ash and molten lava.

[53:55] Then which of the bounties of God can you deny?
These accounts of earlier events, which are intended to give you cause for reflection, are actually a blessing for you.

[53:56] This [Prophet] is a warner like the former warners.
Muhammad is the last of these messengers who have been sent throughout history to warn humanity.His religion is just another link in the chain of the divine religion conveyed by his predecessors.

[53:57] The imminent Hour(al-Azifah) has drawn near;
The human being’s resurrection is near at hand, although in our eyes it seems far away. Imam Ali has stated: “Everything expected is approaching, and everything that approaches is near at hand.” One day our life will run out, for“each and every breath that a man takes is just another step toward death.” Therefore, we are already and alwaysdrawing closer to our death, and one day we will meet it. However long the road might seem, even if it lasts for a hundred years, it is not equivalent to even the blink of an eye when compared to the limitless time of eternity stretching beyond ourdeath.
Al-Azifah (The Imminent) is one of the other names for the Resurrection. Being prisoners of time, we might not think that it is close at hand. On the other hand, giventhat God is the creator of time and thus is not bound by it, He sees the Resurrection as near: “Humanity’s reckoning has drawn near, [and] yet they turn away in heedlessness.Whenever a new reminder comes to them from their Lord, they listen to it while playing around” (21:1-2) – meaning that they ignore it, that theywillfully neglect the important realities connected to their eternal fate. Some might be oblivious because they are unaware; however, this refers to those who are aware of this fact but intentionally turn away from it.

[53:58] None besides God can disclose (kashf) it.
To uncover something (kashf) means to draw back the curtain concealing it. On the Day of Resurrection, God will unveil the problems and punishments that result from the actions of human beings. However, kashf can also mean to relieve someone of something, and who besides God is capable of enveloping us with forgiveness? In one of his supplications, Abraham is reported to have entreated God: “Do not disgrace me on the Day that all will be resurrected, the Day when neither wealth nor children can help, but onlyhewho comes to God with a sound heart” (26:87-89).

[53:59] Marvel then at this statement,

[53:60] And you laugh and do not weep,

[53:61] While you waste your time in vanities (sāmid)?
Are you not concerned about the Day of Resurrection and being heldaccountable for your deeds? Will you occupy yourself with falsehood and diversion? Sāmid refers to a camel that lifts its head up, just as some people turn up their noses out of arrogance and pride; they walk with their chins held high, drunk on power. But sinners and wrongdoers should bow their heads in embarrassment and contrition. Here God asks them: Do you honestly think that your actions entitle you to such pride? Even with all yoursins, do you still regardyourself so highly?

[53:62] Rather, prostrate yourselves before God and serve (or worship) Him.
Of course, prostration (sajdah) here does not merely mean placing one’s head on the ground. This is a universal symbol, or else it would be impossible to speak of the mountains, the Sun, the Moon, the stars, and all of the beings in the cosmos as bowing down to God. Thus, to prostrate to God means to serve and live in harmony with the cosmic order. To worship (ʿibādah) means to place the entirety of your existence atHis service. Therefore, prostration means to pay full attention to God, to act according to His edicts and teachings, to submit to His will, and to obey Him in all situations.

Translator: Alexander Hainy (Khaleeli)
Editor: Hamid Mavani