Ranks al-Ṣaff ( الصف )

14 verses • revealed at Medinan

»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

, in whicn the word “ranks” (ṣaff) occurs. The surah encouraging the believers to stick together in support of God’s cause and criticizes those who broke their word () and those who argued against the faith ( ff.). Moses and Jesus are cited as examples of prophets whose communities were divided: the rebellious were left to stray and the faithful granted success ( ff. and ). The rewards of those who strive in God’s cause are described in some detail (

ff.).«
The surah is also known as Formations, Solid Lines, The Battle Array, The Solid Ranks

بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمٰنِ الرَّحيمِ

Transliteration: bi-smi llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīmⁱ

Translation: In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful.

1

سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ ما فِي السَّماواتِ وَما فِي الأَرضِ ۖ وَهُوَ العَزيزُ الحَكيمُ

Transliteration

sabbaḥa li-llāhi mā fī s-samāwāti wa-mā fī l-ʾarḍi wa-huwa l-ʿazīzu l-ḥakīm^u

Translation

Whatever there is in the heavens glorifies Allah and 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

Transliteration

yā-ʾayyuhā lladhīna ʾāmanū li-ma taqūlūna mā lā tafʿalūn^a

Translation

O you who have faith! Why do you say what you do not do?

3

كَبُرَ مَقتًا عِندَ اللَّهِ أَن تَقولوا ما لا تَفعَلونَ

Transliteration

kabura maqtan ʿinda llāhi ʾan taqūlū mā lā tafʿalūn^a

Translation

It is greatly outrageous to Allah that you should say what you do not do.

4

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الَّذينَ يُقاتِلونَ في سَبيلِهِ صَفًّا كَأَنَّهُم بُنيانٌ مَرصوصٌ

Transliteration

ʾinna llāha yuḥibbu lladhīna yuqātilūna fī sabīlihī ṣaffan ka-ʾannahum bunyānun marṣūṣ^un

Translation

Indeed Allah loves those who 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

Transliteration

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-fāsiqīn^a

Translation

When Moses said to his people, ‘O my people! Why do you torment me, when you certainly know that 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

Transliteration

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 mubīn^un

Translation

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 apostle who 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

Transliteration

wa-man ʾaẓlamu mimmani ftarā ʿalā llāhi l-kadhiba wa-huwa yudʿā ʾilā l-ʾislāmi wa-llāhu lā yahdī l-qawma ẓ-ẓālimīn^a

Translation

And who is a greater wrongdoer than him who 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

Transliteration

yurīdūna li-yuṭfiʾū nūra llāhi bi-ʾafwāhihim wa-llāhu mutimmu nūrihī wa-law kariha l-kāfirūn^a

Translation

They desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah shall perfect His light though the faithless should be averse.

9

هُوَ الَّذي أَرسَلَ رَسولَهُ بِالهُدىٰ وَدينِ الحَقِّ لِيُظهِرَهُ عَلَى الدّينِ كُلِّهِ وَلَو كَرِهَ المُشرِكونَ

Transliteration

huwa lladhī ʾarsala rasūlahū bi-l-hudā wa-dīni l-ḥaqqi li-yuẓhirahū ʿalā d-dīni kullihī wa-law kariha l-mushrikūn^a

Translation

It is He who has sent His Apostle with the guidance and the religion of truth that He may make it prevail over all religions though the polytheists should be averse.

10

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا هَل أَدُلُّكُم عَلىٰ تِجارَةٍ تُنجيكُم مِن عَذابٍ أَليمٍ

Transliteration

yā-ʾayyuhā lladhīna ʾāmanū hal ʾadullukum ʿalā tijāratin tunjīkum min ʿadhābin ʾalīmⁱⁿ

Translation

O you who have faith! Shall I show you a deal that will deliver you from a painful punishment?

11

تُؤمِنونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسولِهِ وَتُجاهِدونَ في سَبيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَموالِكُم وَأَنفُسِكُم ۚ ذٰلِكُم خَيرٌ لَكُم إِن كُنتُم تَعلَمونَ

Transliteration

tuʾminūna bi-llāhi wa-rasūlihī wa-tujāhidūna fī sabīli llāhi bi-ʾamwālikum wa-ʾanfusikum dhālikum khayrun lakum ʾin kuntum taʿlamūn^a

Translation

Have faith in Allah and His Apostle, and wage jihād in the way of Allah with 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

Transliteration

yaghfir lakum dhunūbakum wa-yudkhilkum jannātin tajrī min taḥtihā l-ʾanhāru wa-masākina ṭayyibatan fī jannāti ʿadnin dhālika l-fawzu l-ʿaẓīm^u

Translation

He shall forgive you your sins and admit you into gardens with streams running in them, and into good dwellings in the Gardens of Eden. That is the great success.

13

وَأُخرىٰ تُحِبّونَها ۖ نَصرٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَفَتحٌ قَريبٌ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ المُؤمِنينَ

Transliteration

wa-ʾukhrā tuḥibbūnahā naṣrun mina llāhi wa-fatḥun qarībun wa-bashshiri l-muʾminīn^a

Translation

And other [blessings] you love: help from Allah and a victory near at hand. And give good news to the faithful.

14

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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

Transliteration

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 ẓāhirīn^a

Translation

O you who have faith! Be Allah’s helpers, just as Jesus son of Mary said to 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 faithful against their enemies, and they became the dominant ones.