22. Al-Hajj/The Annual Pilgrimage to Makkah

I/We begin by the Blessed Name of Allah

The Immensely Merciful to all, The Infinitely Compassionate to everyone.

22:01
O The People of the World!
Be conscious of your Rabb - The Lord - in reverence, awe, and piety.
Indeed, the earthquake of the Last Hour is going to be a dreadful thing!

22:02
The Time when you all will see it, every nursing mother will be distracted in dread from whom she is nursing, and
every pregnant female will abort her burden of pregnancy prematurely, and
you will see the people as if they were drunk - gone out of their senses because of ensuing fear, while, in fact, they will not be drunk.
They will have been overwhelmed by the dread of Allah’s intense punishment.

22:03
Even still, some from the people dispute Allah, without any knowledge of HIM,
and follow every defiant Satan - satanic impulse with deviant thoughts.

22:04
It is already been decreed that -
Whoever takes him as an ally, i.e., follows any such Satanic impulse,
he will surely mislead him, and guide him to the punishment of the Blazing Fire.

22:05
O The People of the World!
If you are in any doubt about truth of the Resurrection, then consider the fact that,
WE first created you out of dust/earth - as Adam - and
then as his progeny, out of a small drop of male’s and female’s secretion, then from a clinging thing, and then from a lump, formed and unformed, so that WE may make it clear to you.
WE plant in the womb what WE Please – male or female – for an appointed time, then WE bring you out as infants, and then WE Provide for you so that you may reach maturity.
Among you, some die young, and among you, some are reduced to live to the most degrading
time of old age -
so that he knows nothing after having had known everything.
And you also see the land lifeless,

yet when WE send down rain water upon it, it swells to life and blossoms every kind and pair of vegetation.

22:06
This is so because Allah – HE is The Absolute Truth!
And HE alone gives life to the lifeless,
and indeed HE alone Manifests Sovereignty over all existence.

22:07
And because the Last Hour is sure to come - this is beyond any doubt;
and because Allah will definitely resurrect all those lying dead in the graves to a new dimension of existence.

22:08
a. And yet some among the people argue about Allah
- without any knowledge of HIM, or
- without any true guidance, or
- without any enlightening Divine Scripture.

22:09
Turning away in contempt from the Truth to mislead others from the Path of Allah.
He will have disgrace in this world,
and WE are going to make him experience the agony of punishment of the Blaze/Blazing Fire during the Time of Final Judgment.

22:10
And he will be told:
‘That is the end result of what your own hands have committed and forwarded of worldly deeds and dealings for judgment.
And Allah is Never Unfair to HIS servants.’

22:11
And some people among them submit to Allah in worship on the borderline of faith.
So when something good befalls him, he is satisfied with it and considers the faith as
beneficial and thus is joyful;
but when an ordeal afflicts him, he is over-turned on his face in disappointment and
disbelief - considering that faith is not beneficial;
thus losing in both this world as well as the Hereafter.
And, indeed, that is the most obvious loss!

22:12
He calls on some entity instead of Allah for good luck and fortune -
which can neither harm him nor can benefit him.
This – this is indeed straying the farthest!

22:13
In fact, he calls on some entity whose harm is more likely than his benefit - even if he were
to have any benefit, as he imagines him to have.
Evil indeed is that kind of an entity/patron, and
evil indeed is that kind of a follower!

22:14
Allah will certainly admit - those who believe and practice righteousness - into Paradise beneath which rivers/streams flow.
Surely, Allah does whatever HE wants.

22:15
Whoever of those who worship Allah on the border line of faith thinks that Allah is not going to help him – The Prophet – with success in this world and in the Hereafter,
then he should reach out to the sky to prevent HIS help to the Prophet, and cut off Allah’s help by himself if he thinks it will dispel that which enrages him.

22:16
And it is in the face of such rage and malice that WE send it – the Qur’an - down with
Clear Messages,
and, it is Allah WHO guides whoever wishes so to be guided.

22:17
Truly, the Muslim Faithful, and those who have Judaized, and the Sabeans, and the
Christians, and the Magians and those who are polytheists,
Allah will certainly judge among them during the Time of Final Judgment.
Surely Allah is a Witness to everything.

22:19
These are two opposing groups - believers and disbelievers - disputing about their Rabb -
The Lord.
As for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be cut out just for them in the Hereafter,
and buckets of fiercely boiling water will be poured on them from above their heads.

22:20
a. With the temperature melting there with all that is within their bodies as well as their skins
– to disintegrate the interior and exterior of their bodies.

22:21
a. And, for beating them up there will also be hooked rods of iron.

22:22
Whenever they will seek to escape, from their agony, they will be pushed back into it, and
told:
‘Taste the agony of the Raging Fire!’

22:23
As against this, Allah will certainly admit those who believe, and practice righteousness into the Paradise beneath which rivers/streams flow.
They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and pearls,
and where silken will be their garments.

22:24
And in the worldly life, they had been guided to Best of the Word of Faith, i.e., the Qur’an,
and, consequently, they were guided there towards the Path of the All-Praiseworthy –
Allah.

22:25
Surely those who:
disbelieve, and
prevent others from the Path of Allah, and
obstruct people from the Grand Sacred Masjid, which WE have set open to all people
alike - both residents and pilgrims as a place of devotion/worship.
And whoever seeks to violate it with wrong doing -
WE shall make him experience very painful suffering.

22:26
And remind them of the time when WE showed the site/location of the Sacred House for Abraham, directing him:
‘Do not associate anything/anyone with ME in worship and divinity.
And purify MY House for those who will circle around it in worshipful devotion,
as well as for those who will stand in Prayers before it,
and for those who will kneel down,
and who will prostrate.’

22:27
And WE asked Abraham to proclaim the obligation of Hajj to all believing people.
They will come to you on foot as well as on every kind of lean camel and other riding animals.
They will come from every distant mountain pass -

22: 28
so that they may witness and experience the benefits for themselves: spiritual, social, and commercial,
and pronounce the Blessed Name of Allah over whatever the livestock HE may have
provided them for the sacrifice during certain well-known days.
So you may eat, then, of these sacrificed cattle and feed those who are in desperate need
and poor.

22:29
Thereafter, perform their acts of cleansing, and,
fulfill their vows which they may have made,
and circle around the Sacred Ancient House of Ka’bah in worshipful devotion.

22:30
That is it - the origin and purpose of the Hajj.
And whoever honors the Sacred Commandments of Allah - it will be then better for him
with his Rabb - The Lord.

And the livestock have been made lawful by Divine Decree to you for sacrifice and food,
except for what is specified to you as unlawful.
So keep away from all that Allah has forbidden and, most of all, the idolatrous beliefs and practices,
and keep away from fabricating falsehood - ascribing partners to Allah, false testimony and false words/perjury.

22:31
Devote yourself to Allah!
And never ascribe anyone in worship to HIM.
For whoever ascribes anyone to Allah it is as though one has fallen from heights of the sky, shattering into fragments, and snatched/consumed by the vulture birds, or as though flung away by the wind to some far-off place in the wilderness.

22:32
Thus it is.
And also bear in mind that whoever honors the sanctity of Emblems of Allah
for these - Emblems - establish a link with piety of their hearts.

22:33
You will have benefits in them - sacrificial livestock - for up to an appointed time when they are to be slaughtered,
and then their place of sacrifice is by the Sacred Ancient House of Ka’bah.

22:34
And for every religious community, WE have prescribed sacrifice as an act of worship:
that they should pronounce the Blessed Name of Allah over whatever heads of the livestock HE may have provided for them.
Remember that your Elah/Allah is the One and Only Elah/Allah.
So submit to HIM in worship, awe, and reverence.
And give good news to those who are humble.

22:35
They are the ones
whose hearts are filled with awe whenever Allah is mentioned,
and they always remain steadfast and patient whatever afflicts them,
and they establish the Salat/Prayers,
and they spend on the needy, without grudging, out of what WE provide for them.

22:36
And the sacrificial livestock - WE have made them for you as among Emblems of Allah; there are benefits in them for you.
So pronounce the Blessed Name of Allah over them as they are lined up for sacrifice,
and once fallen on their sides after slaughter, eat of their flesh, and feed the needy and the beggar.
This is how WE have subjected them to your needs so that you can be grateful for OUR Grace.

22:37
But bear in mind:
It is neither their flesh nor their blood of the sacrificed livestock that ever reaches up to Allah
as HE has no need of them;

rather it is your piety that will reach up to HIM.
Thus HE has subjected them to your needs,
so that you may glorify Allah for having guided you to true belief.
And give good news to those who do their best at whatever they do.

22:38
Surely Allah defends those who believe.
For sure, Allah has no love for all those who are treacherous and ungrateful to HIM for not being appreciative of the blessings that they have been given.

22:39
Permission to fight back against disbelievers is given to those believers who are fought against, for they have been treated unjustly - oppressed and persecuted.
And, for sure, Allah is Able to help them to victory.

22:40
They are those who have been driven out of their homelands without any justification -
usurping their basic human rights - only because of their saying:
‘Our Rabb - The Lord is Allah!’
Were it not that Allah repels the ambitions of some people by others, surely many monasteries, and churches, and synagogues and mosques/places of prayer –
wherein the Blessed Name of Allah is frequently and abundantly extolled – would indeed have been destroyed.
And Allah will definitely help whoever helps HIM in the Service of HIS Cause.
For sure, Allah is All-Overpowering, Almighty.

22:41
The true Faithful are the ones who, as and when WE will empower them in the land with a position of authority, set up an institutionalized system for:
establishment of the Salat/Prayers, and
paying out the Zakat/annual charity, and
promotion of doing of what is right, fair, and moral, and
prevention of doing of what is wrong, unfair, and immoral.
And to Allah belongs the outcome of all affairs.

22:42
And if they belie and deny you - O The Prophet - then let it be so,
as also before them, the People of Noah belied and denied him, and
so did the tribes of ‘Ad and Thamud;

22:43
a. as did the People of Abraham, and the People of Lot,

22:44
and the People of Midian -
and so too was Moses belied and denied.
In every case initially, I spared the disbelievers but then I seized them.
So how awful was MY Punishment!

22:45
And how many habitations did WE destroy while they persisted in doing evil -
so now these lie in desolate ruin!

And how many wells of water and fountains lie abandoned,
and how many lofty mansions and fortified castles lie in ruin!

22:46
Why do they not travel through the lands of archaeological sites where ruins of earlier nations lie so that their hearts contemplate these scenes with an eye to learn lessons, and their ears hear the punishment stories of the past?
In fact, it is not the eyes that go blind, rather, it is the hearts - that are within their chests – that go blind!

22:47
Yet they are asking you to hurry the punishment upon them.
Tell them that Allah will never break HIS Promise of punishment.
In fact, the perception of time is different with HIM -
for a day with your Rabb - The Lord is like a thousand years of your count.

22:48
And how many habitations have I spared while they were steeped in evil-doing!
But, then, I seized them as they persisted in disbelief and injustice.
And to ME all are to return for judgment and reward.

22:49
Say O The Prophet:
‘O The People of the World!
In fact, I am assigned by Allah as a Clear Warner for you!’

22:50
So those who believe and practice righteousness in their deeds and dealings,
for them will be forgiveness of their past oversights and sinful offenses,
and a splendid reward in the Hereafter.

22:51
Whereas those who strive against OUR Messages - seeking to frustrate and prevent them from achieving their purpose,
they will be People of the Hellfire!

22:52
And, in fact, WE never assigned any Messenger before you - O The Prophet - nor any Prophet from times of Adam to Jesus, who would not face situations -
where he would recite the Message, the Satan would attempt to cause aspersion in it and pervert the meaning of the Message.
But Allah annuls whatever aspersion the Satan may cause;
then Allah affirms HIS Messages.
And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

22:53
So that HE may make Satan’s aspersion a test for those in whose hearts is a sickness, and whose hearts are thus hardened.
and surely the evildoers are indeed in extreme defiance.

22:54
As for those whom knowledge has been given, may realize that this Qur’an is the Truth from your Rabb - The Lord,

and thus believe in it, and humble their hearts towards it.
Surely Allah is the Guide of those who believe in a Straight Path.

22:55
Yet those who disbelieve will continue to be in doubt about it – the Qur’an - until the Time
of death descends upon them all of a sudden,
or some punishment of a Desolate Time comes upon them.

22:56
The Sovereignty over the entire existence at that Time will belong to Allah.
HE is going to judge among them.
Those who believe and practice righteousness will be in Paradise of Bliss.

22:57
Whereas those who deny and belie OUR Messages,
it is they - for them will be a humiliating punishment.

22:58
As for those who migrate to strive in the Cause of Allah, and then are slain in service of the Cause or die,
Allah is certainly going to provide them with splendid provisions in the Hereafter.
And surely Allah – HE is the Best Provider of all providers.

22:59
HE will certainly admit them to an admittance/life that will please them.
And Allah is definitely All-Knowing of their intentions, and Most Forbearing in refraining from punishing them.

22:60
Thus it is – going to be their reward!
And whoever is treated unjustly and takes retaliation equal to/the same extent of the retaliation one was made to suffer, and
then is again unjustly made to suffer,
Then in such situations, Allah will definitely help him.
Indeed, Allah is All-Pardoning, All-Forgiving.

22:61
Thus it is – within HIS Power to do so!
Because Allah makes the night pass into the day and makes the day pass into the night,
and Allah is All-Listening, All-Watching over all things.

22:62
Thus it is– within HIS Power to do so!
Because Allah - HE is the Absolute Truth!
And because what they call on entities apart from HIM, that is sheer falsehood, non- existents,
and Allah is definitely All-Exalted, All-Supreme.

22:63
Do you not realize that Allah sends down rain water from the sky-clouds whereupon the land turns green?
Surely, Allah is All-Kind, All-Aware.

22:64
Whatever is within the celestial realm and whatever is within the terrestrial world belongs to HIM.
And surely, Allah is All-Sufficient beyond every need and All-Praiseworthy.

22:65
Do you not realize that Allah has made everything within the terrestrial world subservient to you,
and the ships that sail through the sea by HIS Command?
And HE holds the celestial bodies in their orbits lest they fall on the earth by way of collision of meteors - only by HIS Permission.
Yet human being remains oblivious to Allah’s favors which he enjoys by night and by day.
Surely, Allah is Most-Compassionate to the people and Infinitely Compassionate.

22:66
And it is HE WHO gives you life,
then HE will cause you to die, and
then HE will give you life once again in a new dimension of existence.
Indeed, human being is truly ungrateful.

22:67
WE have appointed different systems and acts of devotional worship for every religious
community which they are to follow.
Therefore, do not let them dispute with you in this matter;
but keep advocating and calling them to your Rabb - The Lord,
for you are definitely following the path of right guidance.

22:68
And if they keep disputing with you in the matter of religion, then say:
‘Allah Knows best about what you do.’

22:69
a. For, indeed, Allah will judge and resolve between you during the Time of Final Judgment your differences.

22:70
Do you not know that Allah Knows whatever is within the celestial realm as well as the terrestrial world?
Surely, this is all in a Book of Record.
And definitely, this is all easy for Allah.

22:71
Even still, they submit in worship to entities instead of Allah for what HE has not sent down any authority,
and about which they have no true knowledge as well.
And there will be no one to help such evildoers.

22:72
And whenever OUR Clear Messages are read out to them, you will see signs of disapproval
and defiance on faces of those who disbelieve.
It is as if they will almost attack those who read out OUR Messages to them.
Tell them:

‘Should I, then, tell you about something far worse than that hatred which you harbor against us?
It is the Fire -
that Allah has promised it to those who disbelieve.
And it will be a miserable destination.’
22:73
O The People of the World!
Here is an illustration for you, so listen to it attentively!
Surely those entities you call upon apart from Allah, will never be able to create as much as a housefly, even if they joined together their forces to do so.
And more so if a housefly were to take away something from them, they would never be able to get it back from it!
Weak and powerless are the seeker and the sought alike.
22:74
They – the polytheists - never truly value Allah as HE must be valued.
For, Allah is All-Powerful, Almighty!
22:75
Allah chooses Messengers from among the angels as well as from among the human beings.
Surely, Allah is All-Listening to what they say, All-Observing of those whom HE assigns as Messengers.
22:76
HE Knows their future and their past.
And all matters are to be returned to Allah for judgment and award.

22:78
And strive in upholding the Cause of Allah in a manner worthy of that striving.
HE has chosen you especially for this task, and
has not imposed any hardship on you in the matter of religion:
it is the religion of your forefather Abraham.
It is HE WHO named you The Muslims, both before - in the former Divine Scriptures, and
now in this Qur’an –
so that the Messenger Muhammad may be a witness over you, and that you be witnesses over other people.
So,
establish the Salat/Prayers, and
pay out the Zakat/annual charity, and
hold firmly to Allah by holding on to the Qur’an.
HE is your Protector:
How Excellent is the Protector, and
How Excellent is the Helper!