16. Surah an-Nahl

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَاللّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُسِرُّونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ ﴿١٩﴾

16: 19.  And Allah doth know what ye conceal, and what ye reveal.

وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللّهِ لاَ يَخْلُقُونَ شَيْئًا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ ﴿٢٠﴾

16: 20.  Those whom they invoke besides Allah create nothing and are themselves created.

C2043. Allah is the only Creator and the Ultimate Reality. Everything else is created by Him, and reflects His glory. How foolish then to worship any other than Allah!

أَمْواتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَاء...   

16: 21.  (They are things) dead, lifeless:

... وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ ﴿٢١﴾ 

nor do thy know when they will be raised up.

C2044. Idols are dead wood or stone. If men worship stars, or heroes, or prophets, or great men, they too have no life except that which was given by Allah.

In themselves, they are lifeless. If they worship figments of the imagination, they are reflections in a double degree, and have no life in themselves.

All these things will be raised up on the Last Day, in order that false worshippers may be confronted with them. But they themselves cannot tell when that Day will be.

Pickthall’s Version:

16: 19

Pickthall And Allah knoweth that which ye keep hidden and that which ye proclaim.

Transliteration Walla_hu ya'lamu ma_ tusirru_na wa ma_ tu'linu_n(a).

16: 20

Pickthall Those unto whom they cry beside Allah created naught, but are themselves created.

Transliteration Wallazina yad'u_na min du_nilla_hi la_ yakhluqu_na syai'aw wa hum yukhlaqu_n(a).

16: 21

Pickthall (They are) dead, not living. And they know not when they will be raised.

Transliteration Amwa_tun gairu ahya_'(in), wa ma_ yasy'uru_na ayya_na yub'asu_n(a).