سورة الصف
Surah As-Saff
The Ranks
Surah As-Saff (The Ranks) is the 61st surah of the Quran. It has 14 verses and is a Medinan surah. Below is the complete Arabic text with an English translation and transliteration, verse by verse.
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَ مَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ۖ وَ هُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ﴿١﴾
Sabbaha lillahi ma fee alssamawati wama fee alardi wahuwa alʿazeezu alhakeemu
Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth exalts Allāh, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفۡعَلُونَ﴿٢﴾
Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo lima taqooloona ma la tafʿaloona
O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do?
كَبُرَ مَقۡتًا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَن تَقُولُواْ مَا لَا تَفۡعَلُونَ﴿٣﴾
Kabura maqtan ʿinda Allahi an taqooloo ma la tafʿaloona
Greatly hateful in the sight of Allāh is that you say what you do not do.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِهِۦ صَفࣰّا كَأَنَّهُم بُنۡيَٰنࣱ مَّرۡصُوصࣱ﴿٤﴾
Inna Allaha yuhibbu allatheena yuqatiloona fee sabeelihi saffan kaannahum bunyanun marsoosun
Indeed, Allāh loves those who fight in His cause in a row as though they are a [single] structure joined firmly.
وَ إِذۡ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوۡمِهِۦ يَٰقَوۡمِ لِمَ تُؤۡذُونَنِي وَ قَد تَّعۡلَمُونَ أَنِّي رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيۡكُمۡ ۖ فَلَمَّا زَاغُوٓاْ أَزَاغَ ٱللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمۡ ۚ وَ ٱللَّهُ لَا يَهۡدِي ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلۡفَٰسِقِينَ﴿٥﴾
Waith qala moosa liqawmihi ya qawmi lima tuthoonanee waqad taʿlamoona annee rasoolu Allahi ilaykum falamma zaghoo azagha Allahu quloobahum waAllahu la yahdee alqawma alfasiqeena
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when Moses said to his people, "O my people, why do you harm me while you certainly know that I am the messenger of Allāh to you?" And when they deviated, Allāh caused their hearts to deviate. And Allāh does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.
وَ إِذۡ قَالَ عِيسَى ٱبۡنُ مَرۡيَمَ يَٰبَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ إِنِّي رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيۡكُم مُّصَدِّقࣰا لِّمَا بَيۡنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ ٱلتَّوۡرَىٰةِ وَ مُبَشِّرَۢا بِرَسُولࣲ يَأۡتِي مِنۢ بَعۡدِي ٱسۡمُهُۥٓ أَحۡمَدُ ۖ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ قَالُواْ هَٰذَا سِحۡرࣱ مُّبِينࣱ﴿٦﴾
Waith qala ʿeesa ibnu maryama ya banee israeela innee rasoolu Allahi ilaykum musaddiqan lima bayna yadayya mina alttawrati wamubashshiran birasoolin yatee min baʿdee ismuhu ahmadu falamma jaahum bialbayyinati qaloo hatha sihrun mubeenun
And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, "O Children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allāh to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Aḥmad." But when he came to them with clear evidences, they said, "This is obvious magic."
وَ مَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡكَذِبَ وَ هُوَ يُدۡعَىٰٓ إِلَى ٱلۡإِسۡلَٰمِ ۚ وَ ٱللَّهُ لَا يَهۡدِي ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ﴿٧﴾
Waman athlamu mimmani iftara ʿala Allahi alkathiba wahuwa yudʿa ila alislami waAllahu la yahdee alqawma alththalimeena
And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allāh untruth while he is being invited to Islām. And Allāh does not guide the wrongdoing people.
يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطۡفِـُٔواْ نُورَ ٱللَّهِ بِأَفۡوَٰهِهِمۡ وَ ٱللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِۦ وَ لَوۡ كَرِهَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ﴿٨﴾
Yureedoona liyutfioo noora Allahi biafwahihim waAllahu mutimmu noorihi walaw kariha alkafiroona
They want to extinguish the light of Allāh with their mouths, but Allāh will perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it.
هُوَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَرۡسَلَ رَسُولَهُۥ بِٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَ دِينِ ٱلۡحَقِّ لِيُظۡهِرَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلدِّينِ كُلِّهِۦ وَ لَوۡ كَرِهَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكُونَ﴿٩﴾
Huwa allathee arsala rasoolahu bialhuda wadeeni alhaqqi liyuthhirahu ʿala alddeeni kullihi walaw kariha almushrikoona
It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion, although those who associate others with Allāh dislike it.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ هَلۡ أَدُلُّكُمۡ عَلَىٰ تِجَٰرَةࣲ تُنجِيكُم مِّنۡ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمࣲ﴿١٠﴾
Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo hal adullukum ʿala tijaratin tunjeekum min ʿathabin aleemin
O you who have believed, shall I guide you to a transaction that will save you from a painful punishment?
تُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَ رَسُولِهِۦ وَ تُجَٰهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ بِأَمۡوَٰلِكُمۡ وَ أَنفُسِكُمۡ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمۡ خَيۡرࣱ لَّكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ﴿١١﴾
Tuminoona biAllahi warasoolihi watujahidoona fee sabeeli Allahi biamwalikum waanfusikum thalikum khayrun lakum in kuntum taʿlamoona
[It is that] you believe in Allāh and His Messenger and strive in the cause of Allāh with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you, if you only knew.
يَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ ذُنُوبَكُمۡ وَ يُدۡخِلۡكُمۡ جَنَّٰتࣲ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ وَ مَسَٰكِنَ طَيِّبَةࣰ فِي جَنَّٰتِ عَدۡنࣲ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ﴿١٢﴾
Yaghfir lakum thunoobakum wayudkhilkum jannatin tajree min tahtiha alanharu wamasakina tayyibatan fee jannati ʿadnin thalika alfawzu alʿatheemu
He will forgive for you your sins and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence. That is the great attainment.
وَ أُخۡرَىٰ تُحِبُّونَهَا ۖ نَصۡرࣱ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَ فَتۡحࣱ قَرِيبࣱ ۗ وَ بَشِّرِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ﴿١٣﴾
Waokhra tuhibboonaha nasrun mina Allahi wafathun qarreebun wabashshiri almumineena
And [you will obtain] another [favor] that you love - victory from Allāh and an imminent conquest; and give good tidings to the believers.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُونُوٓاْ أَنصَارَ ٱللَّهِ كَمَا قَالَ عِيسَى ٱبۡنُ مَرۡيَمَ لِلۡحَوَارِيِّـۧنَ مَنۡ أَنصَارِيٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ ٱلۡحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحۡنُ أَنصَارُ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَـَٔامَنَت طَّآئِفَةࣱ مِّنۢ بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ وَ كَفَرَت طَّآئِفَةࣱ ۖ فَأَيَّدۡنَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ عَلَىٰ عَدُوِّهِمۡ فَأَصۡبَحُواْ ظَٰهِرِينَ﴿١٤﴾
Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo koonoo ansara Allahi kama qala ʿeesa ibnu maryama lilhawariyyeena man ansaree ila Allahi qala alhawariyyoona nahnu ansaru Allahi faamanat taifatun min banee israeela wakafarat taifatun faayyadna allatheena amanoo ʿala ʿaduwwihim faasbahoo thahireena
O you who have believed, be supporters of Allāh, as when Jesus, the son of Mary, said to the disciples, "Who are my supporters for Allāh?" The disciples said, "We are supporters of Allāh." And a faction of the Children of Israel believed and a faction disbelieved. So We supported those who believed against their enemy, and they became dominant.
Translation: Saheeh International · Transliteration
About this surah
Name
The Surah derives its name from the sentence yuqatiluna fi sabil-i- hlsaff-an of verse 4; thereby implying that it is a Surah in which the word saff occurred.
Period of Revelation
It could not be known from any reliable tradition, but a study of its subject-matter shows that this Surah probably was sent down in the period closely following the Battle of Uhud, for by reading between the lines perceives a clear description of the conditions that prevailed in that period.
Theme and Subject Matter
Its theme is to exhort the Muslims to adopt sincerity in Faith and to struggle with their lives in the cause of Allah. It is addressed to the Muslims with weak faith as well as those who had entered Islam with a false profession of the Faith and also those who were sincere in their profession. Some verses are addressed to the first two groups, some only to the hypocrites, and some only to the sincere Muslims. The style itself shows where one particular group has been addressed and where the other.
At the outset the believers have been warned to the effect; "Allah indeed hates those people who say one thing and do another, and He indeed loves. those who fight in the cause of the Truth, standing like a solid structure, against the enemies of Allah."'
In vv. 5-7 the people of the Holy Prophet's community have been warned that their attitude towards their Messenger and their Religion should not be like the attitude that the Israelites had adopted towards the Prophets Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them). In spite of acknowledging the Prophet Moses as a Messenger of God they continued to malign him as long as he lived, and in spite of witnessing clear signs from the Prophet Jesus they denied him without any hesitation. Consequently, the Israelites became perverse, incapable of benefiting from divine guidance. This is certainly not an enviable state which another nation should imitate.
Then, in vv. 8-9 a proclamation has been made with the challenge:"The Jews and the Christians, and the hypocrites, who are conspiring with them, may try however hard they may to extinguish this Light of Allah, it will shine forth and spread in the world in all its fullness, and the Religion brought by the true Messenger of Allah shall prevail over every other religion however hateful it may be to the pagans and polytheists.
In vv. 10-13, the believers have been told that the way to success both here and in the Hereafter is only one: that they should believe in Allah and His Messenger sincerely and should exert their utmost in Allah's Way with their selves and their wealth. As a reward for this they will earn immunity from Allah's punishment, forgiveness of their sins and the eternal Paradise in the Hereafter, and will be blessed with Allah's good pleasure, succor and victory in the world.
In conclusion, the believers have been exhorted to' the effect that just as the disciples of the Prophet Jesus had helped him in the cause of Allah, so should they also become "helpers of Allah", so that they too are blessed with the same kind of good pleasure and approval of Allah as had been the believers before them against the disbelievers.
Source: Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Quran