004:079

The Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                                 004:079

اَيۡنَ مَا تَكُوۡنُوۡا يُدۡرِكْكُّمُ الۡمَوۡتُ وَلَوۡ كُنۡتُمۡ فِىۡ بُرُوۡجٍ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ‌  ؕ  وَاِنۡ تُصِبۡهُمۡ حَسَنَةٌ يَّقُوۡلُوۡا هٰذِهٖ مِنۡ عِنۡدِ اللّٰهِ‌ ۚ  وَاِنۡ تُصِبۡهُمۡ سَيِّئَةٌ يَّقُوۡلُوۡا هٰذِهٖ مِنۡ عِنۡدِكَ‌  ؕ   قُلۡ كُلٌّ مِّنۡ عِنۡدِ اللّٰهِ‌ ؕ   فَمَالِ ھٰٓؤُلَۤاءِ الۡقَوۡمِ لَا يَكَادُوۡنَ يَفۡقَهُوۡنَ حَدِيۡثًا‏

Aina-maa-ta-koo-noo-yood-ray-ko-mool-mao-to                                                                      Wa-lao-koon-toom-fee-bo-roo-jim-mo-shuy-ya-dah

Wa-in-to-sib-hoom-ha-sa-na-toon-ya-qoo-loo-haa-zay-he-min-in-dil-laa-hay              Wa-in-to-sib-hoom-suy-yay-aa-ton-ya-qoo-loo-haa-zay-he-min-in-day-ka                          Qool-kool-loon-min-in-dil-laa-hay

Fa-maa-lay-haa-o-laa-il-qao-may                                                                                                Laa-ya-kaa-do-na-yuf-qa-hoo-na-ha-de-thaa

Whatever you have been, the death will reach you                                                      And even if you have been in strong fortresses

And if a goodness reaches them, they say, “This is from Allah.”                              And if a bad thing reaches them. they say, “This is from you.”                              Say, “All this is from Allah.”

So what is wrong with these people that                                                                    They don’t come close to understand a clear message

• اَيۡنَمَا — Aina-maa — Whatever  **   (= This phrase is a combination of two words. The first word is  اَيۡنَ  (= aina) that has two meanings.  Firstly, in re a person it means what, whatever, whatsoever, who, whoever, whoso or whosoever.  Secondly, in re a place it means where, wither or whichever direction, origin or destination. The second word is مَاۤ  (= maa) and means what, whatever, whatsoever, when, any time or at such time. The combination اَيۡنَ مَا retains the meanings of its components and means what, whatever, whatsoever,  who, whoever, whoso, where or wherever. A/t/a, ‘Whosoever’ and ‘Wherever’ )
• تَكُوۡنُوۡآ — Ta-koo-noo — You have been (= v., past., pl., 2^nd person. You have been or grow to be. This verb shows the stated action has been happening or occurring since the past or present that will go on continuing into the future. A/t/a, ‘you are,’ ‘you may be,’ ‘ye are,’ ‘ye may be’ and ‘you be’)
• يُدۡرِكْ — Yood-ray-ko — Will reach (= v., pres., m., 3^rd person. Arrive; come; get to; land on. A/t/a, ‘will find .. out’ and ‘overtake’)
• كُمُ — Ko-mo(ol) — You (= pro., pl., m., 2^nd person., You. The Holy Qor-aan states that way when addressing both men and women jointly)
• الۡمَوۡتُ — Mao-to — Death (= n., After life has ended; downfall; end of life on earth; extinction; stupor. Total desolateness, demolition, destruction or ruin)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but; also; more over; though; when; while; yet)
• لَوۡ — Lao — If (= In case; under the circumstances; wish; would. A/t/a, ‘though’ and ‘even though’)
• كُنۡتُمۡ — Koon-toom — You have been (= pro., pl., m., 2^nd person. You have been since the past; were continuously + The Holy Qor-aan states this way when addressing both men and women jointly. A/t/a, ‘are,’ ‘be’ and ‘you put yourself’)
• فِىۡ  — Fee — In (= Inside a duration, event, place, period, person, etc. Also, about; concerning, etc. See Note at 002:028)
• بُرُوۡجٍ — Bo-roo-j..(im) — Fortresses (= n., pl. Castles. A/t/a, ‘towers’ and ‘fortresses’)
• مُّشَيَّدَة — Mo-shuy-ya-dah — Strong (= Adj. Lofty; secure; superior; towering; high ceilinged.  A/t/a, ‘raised high,’ ‘strongly built,’ ‘built up strong and high,’ ‘lofty’ and ‘fortified’)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• اِنۡ — In — If (= In case; under the circumstances; when; when situation arises; whenever)
• تُصِبۡ — To-sib — Reaches (= v., pres., f., 3^rd person. Affects; afflicts; arrives; befalls;  comes; engulfs; falls on; gets to; gets hold of; hits; lands upon; is delivered; overcomes; overpowers; overtakes; reaches; smites; strikes; touches. A/t/a, ‘befalls,’ ‘befalleth,’ ‘occurs to,’ ‘reaches,’ ‘are blessed with’ and ‘have’)   
• هُمۡ‌ — Hoom — Them (= pro., pl., m., 3 ^rd person. Refers to aforesaid people)
• حَسَنَةٌ — Ha-sa-na-toon — A goodness (= n., Achievement; anything good; the best thing in the best of forms; blessing; good fortune; success; lucky break; lucky chance. A/t/a, ‘good,’ ‘some good,’ ‘happy thing’ and ‘good fortune’)
• يَّقُوۡلُوۡا — Ya-qoo-loo — They say (= v., pres, pl, m, 3^rd person. Announce; call; broadcast; convey; declare; explain; elaborate; expound; inform; mutter; preach; profess; specify; state; tell; utter)
• هٰذِهِ — Ha-zat-h…(il) — This (= This particularly pointed out; present right here; what is in front of you)
• مِنۡ — Min — From (= Among, from or out of the class or category of several
• عِنۡدِ — In-di(l) — From (= At; close at hand; from; in; in close proximity of; with. In the counting, esteem; estimate, eyes, front or near. Within the presence, precincts, seeing or sight of)
• اللّٰهِ — Laa-hay — Allah (= The One and the Only One Almighty God)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• اِنۡ — In — If (= In case; under the circumstances; when; when situation arises; whenever)
• تُصِبۡ — To-sib — Reaches (= v., pret., f., 3^rd person. Affects. See  تُصِبۡ  above. A/t/a, ‘befalls’)
• هُمۡ‌ — Hoom — Their (= pro., pl., m., 3 ^rd person. Refers to aforesaid people)
• سَيِّئَةٌ — Suy-yay-aa-toon — A bad thing (= n., s., Evil; ill; misdeed; misfortune; mistake; wrong occurrence)
• يَّقُوۡلُوۡا — Ya-quo-loo — They say (= v., pest, pl, m, 3^rd person. Announce. See يَّقُوۡلُوۡا above)
• هٰذِهٖ — Ha-zay-he — This thing (= Present right here; what is in front of you)
• مِنۡ — Min — From (= Among, from or out of the class or category of several
• عِنۡدِ — In-day — From (= At; close at hand; from; in; in close proximity of; with. In the counting, esteem; estimate, eyes, front or near. Within the presence, precincts, seeing or sight of)
• كَ — Ka — You (= pro., s., m., 2^nd person. You single male. The addressee of this divine message is initially the Holy Prophet  s.a.w. See the Note under 002:005. A/t/a, ‘thee,’ ‘thee’ (O Prophet),’ ‘Thy doing (O Muhammad)’ and ‘fault was yours’)
• قُلۡ — Qool — You say (= v., s, 2^nd person. Announce, assert; convey, counter; declare; explain; inform, insist; maintain, persist; state; tell. See  يَّقُوۡلُوۡا  above. A/t/a, ‘Say unto them’)
• كُلٌّ — Kool-loon — All (= All things; everyone; everything. A/t/a, ‘all is’)
• مِنۡ — Min — From (= Among, from or out of the class or category of several
• عِنۡدِ — In-di(l) — From (= At; close at hand; from; in; in close proximity of; with. In the counting, esteem; estimate, eyes, front or near. Within the presence, precincts, seeing or sight of)
• اللّٰهِ — Laa-hay — Allah (= The One and the Only One Almighty God)
• فَ — Fa — So (= As  last resort; at the end; finally, hence, in conclusion, resultantly, then, thereafter, therefore or thus)
• مَاۤ — Maa — What (= What; whatever; whatsoever; at such time; when)
• لِ — Lay — For (= Belonging to; to; towards; reason of; intended for; on account of; regarding; relative to.  A/t/a, ‘what is the  matter,’ ‘what is amiss,’ ‘what ails,’ ‘has happened to,’ ‘What has come to’ and ‘What has come over’)
• هٰٓؤُلَآءِ — Haa-o-laa-i(l) — All these (= pl., All these. Refers to the aforesaid)
• الۡقَوۡمِ — Qao -may — People (= n., s., Addressees; attendees; fellows; followers; folks; group; nation; party; people; tribe. A/t/a, ‘men’)
• لَا — Laa — No (= Naught; neither; never; none; nor; not at all; absolute denial and total negation without exception)
• يَكَادُوۡن — Ya-kaa-do-na — Come close (= v. pres., m., pl., 3^rd person. About; come near; get to.  A/t/a, ‘make no effort,’ ‘would not try,’ ‘even approach,’ ‘come not nigh,’ ‘fail to,’  ‘hardly,’ ‘they should show such lack of’ and ‘they do not try’)
• يَفۡقَهُوۡنَ — Yuf-qa-hoo-na — Understand (= v. pres., m., pl., 3^rd person. Comprehending; realizing. A/t/a, ‘to understand’ and ‘understanding’)
• حَدِيۡثًا — Ha-de-thaa — Clear message (= n., A clear, good, common sense and intelligent message. Account; conversation; discourse; excuse; explanation; history; narration; news; proclamation; report; saying; story; tale; talk; tiding. A/t/a, ‘anything,’ ‘A single fact,’ ‘a happening,’ ‘the reality’ and ‘any word’)

** Note 004:079. The phrase well-built castles that comes in the verse further on implies that the simple and straightforward translation of this section is whatever or whoever you may have been.

However, some authors have translated this section as whoever you are and wherever you have been.