Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Furqan Verse 1

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Glorious is the One who has revealed the Criterion to His servant, so that he may be a warner to all the worlds,

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Blessed is the One Who sent down the Standard[[ Al-Furqân, which is one of names of the Quran, means the standard to distinguish between right and wrong.]] to His servant,[[ Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ). ]] so that he may be a warner to the whole world.[[ For both humans and jinn. ]]

Ruwwad Translation Center

Blessed is the One Who has sent down the Criterion to His slave, so that he may be a warner to the worlds,

A. J. Arberry

Blessed be He who has sent down the Salvation upon His servant, that he may be a warner to all beings;

Abdul Haleem

Exalted is He who has sent the Differentiator down to His servant so that it may be a warning to all people.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Blest be He who hath revealed the Criterion unto His bondman thathe may be unto the worlds a warner.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Blessed is He who sent down the criterion to His servant, that it may be an admonition to all creatures;-

Abul Ala Maududi

Highly blessed is He, Who has sent down Al-Furqan, to His servant so that it may be a warner to all mankind:

Ahmed Ali

BLESSED IS HE who revealed the Criterion (of right and wrong) to His votary that it may be a warning for the world, --

Ahmed Raza Khan

Most Auspicious is He Who has sent down the Furqan (the Criterion – the Holy Qur’an) upon His chosen bondman for him to be a Herald of Warning to the entire world. (Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him – is the Prophet towards all mankind.)

Ali Quli Qarai

Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion to His servant that he may be a warner to all the nations.

Ali Ünal

Blessed and Supreme is He Who sends down the Criterion in parts on His servant so that he may be a warner to all conscious beings (against the consequences of misguidance).

Amatul Rahman Omar

Blessed is He Who revealed Al-Furqân (- this Qur´ân) to His servant that he may be a Warner to all the peoples.

English Literal

Blessed (is) Who descended the Separator of Right and Wrong/Koran/Torah on (to) His worshipper/slave to be a warning/notice to the creations all together/(universes).

Faridul Haque

Most Auspicious is He Who has sent down the Furqan (the Criterion – the Holy Qur’an) upon His chosen bondman for him to be a Herald of Warning to the entire world. (Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him – is the Prophet towards all mankind.)

Hamid S. Aziz

Verily, to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. He knows their condition, and the Day when they shall be returned unto Him so that He may inform them of what they did. Allah is Knower of all things.

Hilali & Khan

Blessed be He Who sent down the criterion (of right and wrong, i.e. this Quran) to His slave (Muhammad SAW) that he may be a warner to the 'Alamin (mankind and jinns).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

now surely Allah’s is whatever is in the heavens and the earth. He knows indeed your condition. And on the day when they are returned to Him, He will inform them of what they did. And Allah is Knower of all things.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Blessed is He Who sent down the Furqan upon His servant that he may be a warner to the nations;

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Blessed is He Who hath revealed unto His slave the Criterion (of right and wrong), that he may be a warner to the peoples.

Muhammad Sarwar

Blessed is He who has revealed the criteria (for discerning truth from falsehood) to His servant so that He could warn mankind.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Blessed is He who has sent down the Criterion to His worshiper (Prophet Muhammad), that he is a warner to all mankind;

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Blessed be He Who sent down (Nazzala) the criterion to His servant that he may be a warner to all nations.

Wahiduddin Khan

Blessed be He who has revealed the criterion [the Quran] to His servant that he may warn the nations.

Talal Itani

Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His servant, to be a warning to humanity.

Tafsir jalalayn

Blessed, exalted, is He Who revealed the Criterion (al-furqn), the Qur'n -- called thus [al-furqn] because it has discriminated (faraqa) between truth and falsehood -- to His servant, Muhammad (s), that he may be to all the worlds, [to] mankind and the jinn, but not the angels, a warner, a threatening of God's chastisement.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Blessed be Allah

Allah says while praising Himself;

تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَالَمِينَ نَذِيرًا




Blessed be He Who sent down (Nazzala) the criterion to His servant that he may be a warner to all nations.

Here Allah praises Himself for the Noble Qur'an He has revealed to His noble Messenger.

This is like the Ayat;

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِى أَنْزَلَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَـبَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُ عِوَجَا

قَيِّماً لِّيُنْذِرَ بَأْسًا شَدِيدًا مِّن لَّدُنْهُ وَيُبَشِّرَ الْمُوْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّـلِحَاتِ

All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has sent down to His servant the Book, and has not placed therein any crookedness. (He has made it) straight to give warning of a severe punishment from Him, and to give glad tidings to the believers, who do righteous deeds... (18;1-2)

Here Allah says;

تَبَارَكَ

Blessed be He.

The verbal form used here implies an ongoing, permanent, eternal blessing.

الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ

Who sent down the criterion,

The verb Nazzala is a form which implies something done a great deal and often. This is like the Ayah;

وَالْكِتَـبِ الَّذِى نَزَّلَ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَـبِ الَّذِى أَنَزلَ مِن قَبْلُ

And the Book which He (Nazzala) sent down to His Messenger, and the Scripture which He (Anzala) sent down to those before (him). (4;136)

Each of the previous Books was sent down at one time, but the Qur'an was revealed gradually, in stages, Ayat after Ayat, rulings after rulings, Surahs after Surahs. This is more eloquent and indicative of greater care for the one to whom it is revealed, as Allah says later in this Surah;

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْانُ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً كَذَلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُوَادَكَ وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلً


وَلَا يَأْتُونَكَ بِمَثَلٍ إِلاَّ جِيْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَحْسَنَ تَفْسِيرًا


And those who disbelieve say;"Why is not the Qur'an revealed to him all at once!" Thus, that We may strengthen your heart thereby. And We have revealed it to you gradually, in stages. And no example or similitude do they bring, but We reveal to you the truth, and the better explanation thereof. (25;32-33)

This Surah was named Al-Furqan, because it is the criterion that decides between truth and falsehood, guidance and misguidance, right and wrong, lawful and unlawful.

عَلَى عَبْدِهِ

to His servant,

This description is one of praise and commendation, because here Allah is connecting him to Himself, describing him as His servant.

Allah also described him in this manner when referring to the noblest of events, the Night of theIsra', as He said;

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِى أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلً

Glorified be He Who took His servant for a journey by night. (17;1)

Allah also described him in this way when He described how he stood and called to Him;

وَأَنَّهُ لَّمَا قَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَدْعُوهُ كَادُواْ يَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِ لِبَداً

And when the servant of Allah stood up invoking Him in prayer they (the Jinn) just made round him a dense crowd as if sticking one over the other (in order to listen to the Prophet's recitation). (72;19)

This description is also used here when Allah describes how the Book is revealed to him and how the angel comes down to him;

تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَالَمِينَ نَذِيرًا

Blessed be He Who sent down the criterion to His servant that he may be a warner to all nations.

لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَالَمِينَ نَذِيرًا

that he may be a warner to all nations.

means, he alone has been blessed with this great, detailed, clear Book which,

لااَّ يَأْتِيهِ الْبَـطِلُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَلَا مِنْ خَلْفِهِ تَنزِيلٌ مِّنْ حَكِيمٍ حَمِيدٍ

Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it, (it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise (Allah). (41;42)

The One Who made it the mighty criterion, singled him out to convey it to those who seek the shade of trees and to those who live on the land (i.e., to all of mankind, nomad and settled alike), as the Prophet said;

بُعِثْتُ إِلَى الاَْحْمَرِ وَالاَْسْوَد

I have been sent to the red and the black.

And he said;

إِنِّي أُعْطِيتُ خَمْسًا لَمْ يُعْطَهُنَّ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الاَْنْبِيَاءِ قَبْلِي

I have been given five things which no Prophet before me was given.

Among them he mentioned;

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ يُبْعَثُ إِلَى قَوْمِهِ خَاصَّةً وَبُعِثْتُ إِلَى النَّاسِ عَامَّة

(Before me) a Prophet was sent only to his own people, but I have been sent to all of mankind.

And Allah says;

قُلْ يَأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا

Say;"O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah..." (7;158),

meaning, the One Who has sent me is the Sovereign of the heaven and the earth, who merely says to a thing "Be!" and it is. He is the one who gives life and causes death.

Allah says here