Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ma'arij Verse 40

Mufti Taqi Usmani

So, I swear by the Lord of the points of sunrise and those of sunset, We are powerful

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

So, I do swear by the Lord of ˹all˺ the points of sunrise and sunset[[ The daily points of sunrise and sunset, caused by the earth’s rotation around its own axis. ]] that We are truly capable

Ruwwad Translation Center

I swear by the Lord of the sunrises and sunsets that We are surely Capable

A. J. Arberry

No! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and Wests, surely We are able

Abdul Haleem

and, by the Lord of every sunrise and sunset, We have the power

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

I swear by the Lord of the easts and the wests, that, vierly We are Able.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Now I do call to witness the Lord of all points in the East and the West that We can certainly-

Abul Ala Maududi

I swear by the Lord of the easts and the wests that We have the power

Ahmed Ali

So I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests that We are certainly able

Ahmed Raza Khan

So I swear by the Lord of every East and every West, that We are indeed Able.

Ali Quli Qarai

So I swear by the Lord of the easts and the wests that We are able

Ali Ünal

So, I swear by the Lord of the points of sunrise and sunset, that surely We are able

Amatul Rahman Omar

But nay! I call to witness the Lord of the easts and the wests. We are certainly Powerful

English Literal

So I do not swear/make oath with the sun rises`/easts` , and the sunsets`/wests` Lord, that We are capable/able (E) .

Faridul Haque

So I swear by the Lord of every East and every West, that We are indeed Able.

Hamid S. Aziz

But nay! I swear by (or call to witness) the Lord of all points of the rising and setting places East and West that We are certainly Able

Hilali & Khan

So I swear by the Lord of all [the three hundred and sixty (360)] points of sunrise and sunset in the east and the west that surely We are Able

Maulana Mohammad Ali

So leave them alone to plunge in vain talk and to sport, until they come face to face with that day of theirs which they are promised --

Mohammad Habib Shakir

But nay! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests that We are certainly able

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

But nay! I swear by the Lord of the rising-places and the setting-places of the planets that We verily are Able

Muhammad Sarwar

I do not need to swear by the Lord of the eastern and western regions that We have certainly all the power

Qaribullah & Darwish

No, I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests that We have the ability

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

But no! I swear by the Lord of the easts and the wests that surely We are Able

Wahiduddin Khan

But nay! I call to witness the Lord of the Easts and the Wests, that We have the power

Talal Itani

I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests, that We are Able.

Tafsir jalalayn

For verily (fa-l; l is extra) I swear by the Lord of the rising-places and the setting-places, of the sun, the moon and all the stars, that We are able

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

فَلَ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَارِقِ وَالْمَغَارِبِ

But no!

I swear by the Lord of the easts and the wests.

meaning, the One Who created the heavens and the earth and made the east and the west. He is the One Who subjected the stars causing them to appear in the eastern parts of the sky and vanish in the western parts of it.

The point of this statement is that the matter is not as the disbelievers claim;that there is no final return, no reckoning, no resurrection and no gathering. Rather all of this will occur and come to pass. There is no way of avoiding it. This is the reason that Allah has stated a negation at the beginning of this oath. This shows that He is swearing by a denial of their claim. This is a refutation of their false claim of rejecting the Day of Judgement. They already witnessed the greatness of Allah's power in what is more convincing than the Day of Judgement, that is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the subjection of the creatures in them, the animals, the inanimate objects and the other types of creatures that exist.

This is why Allah says,

لَخَلْقُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ أَكْـبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْـثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

The creation of the heavens and the earth is indeed greater than the creation of mankind; yet, most of mankind know not. (40;57)

Allah also says,

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِى خَلَقَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَلَمْ يَعْىَ بِخَلْقِهِنَّ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَى أَن يُحْىِ الْمَوْتَى بَلَى إِنَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Do they not see that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, and was not wearied by their creation, is able to give life to the dead?

Yes, He surely is Able to do all things. (46;33)

Allah says in another Ayah,

أَوَلَـيْسَ الَذِى خَلَقَ السَّمَـوتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ بِقَـدِرٍ عَلَى أَن يَخْلُقَ مِثْلَهُم بَلَى وَهُوَ الْخَلَّـقُ الْعَلِيمُ

إِنَّمَأ أَمْرُهُ إِذَا أَرَادَ شَيْياً أَن يَقُولَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ

Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth, able to create the like of them?

Yes, indeed! He is the All-Knowing Supreme Creator.

Verily, His command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, "Be!"-- and it is! (36;81,82)

So here He says,

فَلَ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَارِقِ وَالْمَغَارِبِ إِنَّا لَقَادِرُونَ