يُؤَخِّرُونَThey delayالصَّلَاةَthe prayerعَنْfromوَقْتِهَاits timeالْأَوَّلِthe firstإِلَىtoصَفَرِthe yellowingالْمَوْتَىof the dead.
They delay the prayer from its earliest time until the yellowing of the sun (just before sunset).
فَالصُّبْحُSo the morningعِنْدَatطُلُوعِthe risingالشَّمْسِof the sun,وَالْعَصْرُand the afternoonعِنْدَatالْغُرُوبِthe sunset,وَيُنَقِّرُونَهَاand they peck itنَقْرَlike the peckingالْغُرَابِof the crow.
So the morning prayer is at the rising of the sun, and the afternoon prayer is at the sunset, and they peck it like the pecking of a crow.
إِذْWhenهِيَit isصَلَاةُa prayerالْأَبْدَانِof the bodiesلَاnotصَلَاةُa prayerالْقُلُوبِof the hearts,
When it is a prayer of the bodies, not a prayer of the hearts,
وَيَلْتَفِتُونَand they turnفِيهَاin itالْتِفَاتَةَlike the turningالثَّعْلَبِof the fox,إِذْwhenيَتَيَقَّنُhe is certainأَنَّهُthat he isمُطَارَدٌpursuedمَطْلُوبٌwanted.
and they turn in it like the turning of a fox, when he is certain that he is pursued and wanted.
وَلَاAnd notيَشْهَدُونَthey witnessالْجَمَاعَةَthe congregation,بَلْratherإِنْifصَلَّىpraysأَحَدُهُمْone of themفَفِيthen inالْبَيْتِthe houseأَوْorالدُّكَانِthe shop,
And they do not attend the congregation, but if one of them prays, it is in the house or the shop,
وَإِذَاand ifخَاصَمَhe disputesفَجَرَhe acts unjustly,وَإِذَاand ifعَاهَدَhe makes a promiseغَدَرَhe betrays,وَإِذَاand ifحَدَّثَhe speaksكَذَبَhe lies,وَإِذَاand ifوَعَدَhe promisesأَخْلَفَhe breaks,وَإِذَاand ifائْتُمِنَhe is entrustedخَانَhe betrays.
And if he disputes, he acts unjustly; and if he makes a covenant, he betrays; and if he speaks, he lies; and if he promises, he breaks it; and if he is entrusted, he betrays.
هَذِهِTheseمُعَامَلَتُهُمْare their dealingsلِلْخَلْقِwith the creation,وَتِلْكَand thoseمُعَامَلَتُهُمْare their dealingsلِلْخَالِقِwith the Creator.
These are their dealings with the creation, and those are their dealings with the Creator.
فَخُذْSo takeوَصْفَهُمْtheir descriptionمِنْfromأَوَّلِthe beginning ofالْمُطَفِّفِينَAl-Mutaffifinوَآخِرِand the end ofوَالسَّمَاءِAs-Sama'وَالطَّارِقِWa-Tariq,فَلَاfor noneيُنَبِّئُكَinforms youعَنْofأَوْصَافِهِمْtheir attributesمِثْلُlikeخَبِيرٍan Expert.
So take their description from the beginning of Surah Al-Mutaffifin and the end of Surah At-Tariq, for none can inform you of their attributes like the All-Aware.
يَاOأَيُّهَاyouالنَّبِيُّProphet,جَاهِدِstrive againstالْكُفَّارَthe disbelieversوَالْمُنَافِقِينَand the hypocrites,وَاغْلُظْand be harshعَلَيْهِمْwith them,وَمَأْوَاهُمْand their refugeجَهَنَّمُis Hell,وَبِئْسَand wretched isالْمَصِيرُthe destination.
O Prophet, strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh with them. Their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the destination.
فَمَاHowأَكْثَرَهُمْmany they are!وَهُمُAnd theyالْأَقَلُّونَare the few.
How many they are, yet they are the few!
وَمَاHowأَجْبَرَهُمْpowerful they seem!وَهُمُAnd theyالْأَذِلَّةُare the humiliated.
How mighty they appear, yet they are the humiliated!
وَمَاHowأَجْهَلَهُمْignorant they are!وَهُمُAnd theyالْمُتَعَالِمُونَare the pretenders of knowledge.
How ignorant they are, yet they pretend to have knowledge!
وَمَاHowأَغَرَّهُمْdeceived themبِاللَّهِregarding Allah,إِذْwhenهُمْtheyبِعَظَمَتِهِof His majestyجَاهِلُونَare ignorant!
How deceived they are regarding Allah, when they are entirely ignorant of His majesty!
وَيَحْلِفُونَAnd they swearبِاللَّهِby Allahإِنَّهُمْthat they areلَمِنْكُمْof you,وَمَاand they areهُمْnotمِنْكُمْof you,وَلَكِنَّهُمْbut they areقَوْمٌa peopleيَفْرَقُونَwho are afraid.
And they swear by Allah that they are of you, while they are not of you; but they are a people who are afraid.
إِنْIfأَصَابَbefallsأَهْلَthe people ofالْكِتَابِthe Bookوَالسُّنَّةِand the Sunnahعَافِيَةٌwell-beingوَنَصْرٌand victory,سَاءَهُمْthat saddensذَلِكَthemوَغَمَّهُمْand grieves them;وَإِنْand ifأَصَابَهُمْbefalls themابْتِلَاءٌa trialمِنَfromاللَّهِAllahوَامْتِحَانٌand a testيُمَحِّصُthat purifiesبِهِtherebyذُنُوبَهُمْtheir sinsوَيُكَفِّرُand expiatesبِهِtherebyعَنْهُمْfrom themسَيِّئَاتِهِمْtheir misdeeds,سَرَّهُمْthat delights them.
If the people of the Book and the Sunnah experience well-being and victory, that saddens and grieves them; and if they are afflicted with a trial from Allah and a test that purifies their sins and expiates their misdeeds, that delights them.