The surah that declares God’s love of all those believers who maintain the solid Ranks or lines of unreachable communal unity in selflessly and fearlessly defending God’s cause against aggression. It takes its name from verse 4, in whicn the word “ranks” (ṣa) occurs. The surah encouraging the believers to stick together in support of God’s cause and criticizes those who broke their word (verse 3) and those who argued against the faith (verse 7 .). Moses and Jesus are cited as examples of prophets whose communities were divided: the rebellious were left to stray and the faithful granted success (verse 5 . and verse 14). The rewards of those who strive in God’s cause are described in some detail (verse 11 .).The surah is also known as: Formations, Solid Lines, The Battle Array, The Solid Ranks.
1
سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ ما فِي السَّماواتِ وَما فِي الأَرضِ ۖ وَهُوَ العَزيزُ الحَكيمُ
sabbaḥa li-llāhi mā fī s-samāwāti wa-mā fī l-ʾarḍi wa-huwa l-ʿazīzu l-ḥakīmu
Whatever there is in the heavens glorifies Allahand whatever there is in the earth,and He is the All-mighty, the All-wise.
2
يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا لِمَ تَقولونَ ما لا تَفعَلونَ
yā-ʾayyuhā lladhīna ʾāmanū li-ma taqūlūna mā lā tafʿalūna
O you who have faith!Why do you say what you do not do?
3
كَبُرَ مَقتًا عِندَ اللَّهِ أَن تَقولوا ما لا تَفعَلونَ
kabura maqtan ʿinda llāhi ʾan taqūlū mā lā tafʿalūna
It is greatly outrageous to Allahthat you should say what you do not do.
4
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الَّذينَ يُقاتِلونَ في سَبيلِهِ صَفًّا كَأَنَّهُم بُنيانٌ مَرصوصٌ
ʾinna llāha yuḥibbu lladhīna yuqātilūna fī sabīlihī ṣaffan ka-ʾannahum bunyānun marṣūṣun
Indeed Allah loves thosewho fight in His way in ranks,as if they were a compact structure.
5
وَإِذ قالَ موسىٰ لِقَومِهِ يا قَومِ لِمَ تُؤذونَني وَقَد تَعلَمونَ أَنّي رَسولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيكُم ۖ فَلَمّا زاغوا أَزاغَ اللَّهُ قُلوبَهُم ۚ وَاللَّهُ لا يَهدِي القَومَ الفاسِقينَ
wa-ʾidh qāla mūsā li-qawmihī yā-qawmi li-ma tuʾdhūnanī wa-qad taʿlamūna ʾannī rasūlu llāhi ʾilaykum fa-lammā zāghū ʾazāgha llāhu qulūbahum wa-llāhu lā yahdī l-qawma l-fāsiqīna
When Moses said to his people,‘O my people! Why do you torment me,when you certainly knowthat I am Allah’s apostle to you?’So when they swerved [from the right path]Allah made their hearts swerve,and Allah does not guide the transgressing lot.
6
وَإِذ قالَ عيسَى ابنُ مَريَمَ يا بَني إِسرائيلَ إِنّي رَسولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيكُم مُصَدِّقًا لِما بَينَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوراةِ وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسولٍ يَأتي مِن بَعدِي اسمُهُ أَحمَدُ ۖ فَلَمّا جاءَهُم بِالبَيِّناتِ قالوا هٰذا سِحرٌ مُبينٌ
wa-ʾidh qāla ʿīsā bnu maryama yā-banī ʾisrāʾīla ʾinnī rasūlu llāhi ʾilaykum muṣaddiqan li-mā bayna yadayya mina t-tawrāti wa-mubashshiran bi-rasūlin yaʾtī min baʿdī smuhū ʾaḥmadu fa-lammā jāʾahum bi-l-bayyināti qālū hādhā siḥrun mubīnun
And when Jesus son of Mary said,‘O Children of Israel!Indeed I am the apostle of Allah to you,to confirm what is before me of the Torah,and to give the good news of an apostlewho will come after me,whose name is Aḥmad.’Yet when he brought them manifest proofs,they said, ‘This is plain magic.’
7
وَمَن أَظلَمُ مِمَّنِ افتَرىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ الكَذِبَ وَهُوَ يُدعىٰ إِلَى الإِسلامِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ لا يَهدِي القَومَ الظّالِمينَ
wa-man ʾaẓlamu mimmani ftarā ʿalā llāhi l-kadhiba wa-huwa yudʿā ʾilā l-ʾislāmi wa-llāhu lā yahdī l-qawma ẓ-ẓālimīna
And who is a greater wrongdoer than himwho fabricates falsehoods against Allah,while he is being summoned to Islam?And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing lot.
8
يُريدونَ لِيُطفِئوا نورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفواهِهِم وَاللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نورِهِ وَلَو كَرِهَ الكافِرونَ
yurīdūna li-yuṭfiʾū nūra llāhi bi-ʾafwāhihim wa-llāhu mutimmu nūrihī wa-law kariha l-kāfirūna
They desire to put out the light of Allahwith their mouths,but Allah shall perfect His lightthough the faithless should be averse.
9
هُوَ الَّذي أَرسَلَ رَسولَهُ بِالهُدىٰ وَدينِ الحَقِّ لِيُظهِرَهُ عَلَى الدّينِ كُلِّهِ وَلَو كَرِهَ المُشرِكونَ
huwa lladhī ʾarsala rasūlahū bi-l-hudā wa-dīni l-ḥaqqi li-yuẓhirahū ʿalā d-dīni kullihī wa-law kariha l-mushrikūna
It is He who has sent His Apostlewith the guidanceand the religion of truththat He may make it prevail over all religionsthough the polytheists should be averse.
10
يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا هَل أَدُلُّكُم عَلىٰ تِجارَةٍ تُنجيكُم مِن عَذابٍ أَليمٍ
yā-ʾayyuhā lladhīna ʾāmanū hal ʾadullukum ʿalā tijāratin tunjīkum min ʿadhābin ʾalīmin
O you who have faith!Shall I show you a dealthat will deliver you from a painful punishment?
11
تُؤمِنونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسولِهِ وَتُجاهِدونَ في سَبيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَموالِكُم وَأَنفُسِكُم ۚ ذٰلِكُم خَيرٌ لَكُم إِن كُنتُم تَعلَمونَ
tuʾminūna bi-llāhi wa-rasūlihī wa-tujāhidūna fī sabīli llāhi bi-ʾamwālikum wa-ʾanfusikum dhālikum khayrun lakum ʾin kuntum taʿlamūna
Have faith in Allah and His Apostle,and wage jihād in the way of Allahwith your possessions and your persons.That is better for you,should you know.
12
يَغفِر لَكُم ذُنوبَكُم وَيُدخِلكُم جَنّاتٍ تَجري مِن تَحتِهَا الأَنهارُ وَمَساكِنَ طَيِّبَةً في جَنّاتِ عَدنٍ ۚ ذٰلِكَ الفَوزُ العَظيمُ
yaghfir lakum dhunūbakum wa-yudkhilkum jannātin tajrī min taḥtihā l-ʾanhāru wa-masākina ṭayyibatan fī jannāti ʿadnin dhālika l-fawzu l-ʿaẓīmu
He shall forgive you your sinsand admit you into gardenswith streams running in them,and into good dwellingsin the Gardens of Eden.That is the great success.
13
وَأُخرىٰ تُحِبّونَها ۖ نَصرٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَفَتحٌ قَريبٌ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ المُؤمِنينَ
wa-ʾukhrā tuḥibbūnahā naṣrun mina llāhi wa-fatḥun qarībun wa-bashshiri l-muʾminīna
And other [blessings] you love:help from Allah and a victory near at hand.And give good news to the faithful.
14
يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا كونوا أَنصارَ اللَّهِ كَما قالَ عيسَى ابنُ مَريَمَ لِلحَوارِيّينَ مَن أَنصاري إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ قالَ الحَوارِيّونَ نَحنُ أَنصارُ اللَّهِ ۖ فَآمَنَت طائِفَةٌ مِن بَني إِسرائيلَ وَكَفَرَت طائِفَةٌ ۖ فَأَيَّدنَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا عَلىٰ عَدُوِّهِم فَأَصبَحوا ظاهِرينَ
yā-ʾayyuhā lladhīna ʾāmanū kūnū ʾanṣāra llāhi ka-mā qāla ʿīsā bnu maryama li-l-ḥawāriyyīna man ʾanṣārī ʾilā llāhi qāla l-ḥawāriyyūna naḥnu ʾanṣāru llāhi fa-ʾāmanat ṭāʾifatun min banī ʾisrāʾīla wa-kafarat ṭāʾifatun fa-ʾayyadnā lladhīna ʾāmanū ʿalā ʿaduwwihim fa-ʾaṣbaḥū ẓāhirīna
O you who have faith!Be Allah’s helpers,just as Jesus son of Mary saidto the disciples,‘Who will be my helpers for Allah’s sake?’The Disciples said,‘We will be Allah’s helpers!’So a group of the Children of Israel believed,and a group disbelieved.Then We strengthened the faithfulagainst their enemies,and they became the dominant ones.