The Ranks (Al-Saffat) الصافات 167–175
167
وَإِنْ كَانُوا لَيَقُولُونَ
They say,
168
لَوْ أَنَّ عِندَنَا ذِكْرًا مِّنْ الْأَوَّلِينَ
‘If we had had with us a Book like that of the people of old,
169
لَكُنَّا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ
we would surely have been God’s chosen servants,’
170
فَكَفَرُوا بِهِ فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ
but they have rejected it, [the Quran] and they shall soon learn!
171
وَلَقَدْ سَبَقَتْ كَلِمَتُنَا لِعِبَادِنَا الْمُرْسَلِينَ
And surely Our word has gone forth respecting Our servants, the messengers:
172
إِنَّهُمْ لَهُمُ الْمَنصُورُونَ
that it is certainly they who will be helped;
173
وَإِنَّ جُندَنَا لَهُمُ الْغَالِبُونَ
and that it is Our host that would certainly triumph.
174
فَتَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ حَتَّى حِينٍ
So turn away from them for a while.
175
وَأَبْصِرْهُمْ فَسَوْفَ يُبْصِرُونَ
Watch them: they will soon see.
No class discussions published for this verse group yet.
(a) In ancient times, when the Arabs heard that the Jews and other peoples had rejected their prophets, they used to proudly say, ‘These people are unfortunate. If a prophet had come to us, we would have appreciated him and supported him.’ But, when God did send a prophet among them, they rejected him just as others had rejected their prophets. The Truth which affects others is readily seen by a man, but the Truth which affects him personally, seldom catches his eye. Throughout history, people have ignored the call of the preachers of Truth. They forget that the preachers of Truth endeavour to spread God’s word which will in any case reign supreme, however much the unbelievers may oppose them.