19.Surah Maryam

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ إِلَّا بِأَمْرِ رَبِّكَ...   

19: 64.  (The angels say):

"We descend not but by command of thy Lord:

C2514. We are apt to be impatient of the evils we see around us. We may give of our best service to Allah, and yet see no results. In our human short-sightedness we may complain within ourselves. But we must not be impatient.

The angels of Grace come not haphazard, but by command of Allah according to His Universal Will and Purpose. Allah does not forget. If things are delayed, it is in accordance with a wise providence, which cares for all. Our plain duty is to be patient and constant in His service. (R).

...لَهُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا وَمَا خَلْفَنَا وَمَا بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ...

to Him belongeth what is before us, and what is behind us, and what is between:

...وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ نَسِيًّا ﴿٦٤﴾

and thy Lord never doth forget" --

رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا...   

19: 65.  "Lord of the heavens and of the earth, and of all that is between them:

...فَاعْبُدْهُ وَاصْطَبِرْ لِعِبَادَتِهِ ...

so worship Him, and be constant and patient in His worship:

...هَلْ تَعْلَمُ لَهُ سَمِيًّا ﴿٦٥﴾

knowest thou of any who is worthy of the same Name as He?"

C2515. The more we taste of the truth and mystery of life, the more do we realise that there is no one to be mentioned in the same breath as Allah.

He is above all names. But when we think of His beautiful qualities, and picture them to ourselves by names which give us some idea of Him, we can search the whole wide world of our imagination, and we shall not find another to be compared with Him in name or quality.

He is the One: praise be to Him!

Asad’s Version:

19:64

AND [the angels say]: "We do not descend [with revelation], again and again, other than by

thy Sustainer's command: unto Him belongs all that lies open before us and all that is hidden -

from us and all that is in-between." And never does thy Sustainer forget [anything] –

Others version:

(19:65)

25. Surah al-Furqan

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَالَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّدًا وَقِيَامًا ﴿٦٤﴾

25: 64. Those who spend the night in adoration of their Lord prostrate and standing;

C3124. Humble prayer brings them nearer to Allah.

وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اصْرِفْ عَنَّا عَذَابَ جَهَنَّمَ...

25: 65. Those who say,

"Our Lord! avert from us the Wrath of Hell,

... إِنَّ عَذَابَهَا كَانَ غَرَامًا ﴿٦٥﴾

for its Wrath is indeed an affliction grievous --

C3125. This is a prayer of humility:

such a person relies, not on any good works which he may have done, but on the Grace and Mercy of Allah; and he shows a lively sense of the Day of Judgment, when every action will weigh for or against a soul.

إِنَّهَا سَاءتْ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَمُقَامًا ﴿٦٦﴾

25: 66. "Evil indeed is it as an abode, and as a place to rest in;"

C3126. The misery which results from sin is not only grievous to live in ("an abode") but also grievous "to rest in" or "to stand in", if it be only for a short time.

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَنفَقُوا لَمْ يُسْرِفُوا وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُوا...

25: 67. Those who, when they spend, are not extravagant and not niggardly,

... وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ قَوَامًا ﴿٦٧﴾

but hold a just (balance) between those (extremes);

C3127. In ordinary spending this is a wise rule. But even in charity, in which we give of our best, it is not expected that we should be extravagant, i.e., that we should either do it for show, to impress other people, or do it thoughtlessly, which would be the case if we "rob Peter to pay Paul".

We should certainly not be niggardly, but we should remember everyone's rights, including our own, and strike a perfectly just balance between them.

وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ...

25: 68. Those who invoke not, with Allah, any other god,

وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ...

nor slay such life as Allah has made sacred, except for just cause,

not commit fornication --

C3128. Here three things are expressly condemned:

- false worship, which is a crime against Allah;

- the taking of life, which is a crime against our fellow-creatures; and

- fornication, which is a crime against our self-respect, against ourselves.

Every crime is against Allah, His creatures, and ourselves, but some may be viewed more in relation to one than to another.

The prohibition against taking life is qualified: "except for just cause,": e.g., in judicial punishment for murder, or in self-preservation, which may include not only self-defence in the legal sense, but also the clearing out of pests, and the provision of meat under conditions of Halal.- see n. 698 to 5:5. After this comes a long parenthesis, which ends with verse 71 below.

... وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا ﴿٦٨﴾

and any that does this (not only) meets punishment.

Asad’s Version:

25:63 [Asad] And the servants of (God) most gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, “Peace !”

(25:64) and who remember their Sustainer far into the night, prostrating themselves and standing;

(25:65) and who pray: "O our Sustainer, avert from us the suffering of hell - for, verily, the suffering caused by it is bound to be a torment dire:

(25:66) verily, how evil an abode and a station!" -;

(25:68) and who never invoke any [imaginary] deity side by side with God, and do not take any human being's life - [the life] which God has willed to be sacred - otherwise than in [the pursuit of] justice, 52 and do not commit adultery. And [know that] he who commits aught thereof 3 shall [not only] meet with a full requital

[[Asad’s note - 52 See surah 6, note 148. ]]