2. Surah Al Baqarah
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
كَيْفَ
تَكْفُرُونَ
بِاللَّهِ ...
2: 28. How can ye reject the faith in Allah?
C46. In the preceding verses Allah has used various arguments.
- He has recalled His goodness (2:21-22);
- resolved doubts (2:23);
- plainly set forth the penalty of wrong-doing (2:24);
- given glad tidings (2:25);
- shown how misunderstandings arise from a deliberate rejection of the light and breach of the Covenant (2:26-27).
Now (2:28-29) He pleads with His creatures and appeals to their own subjective feelings.
- He brought you into being.
- The mysteries of life and death are in His hands.
- When you die on this earth, that is not the end. You were of Him, and you must return to Him.
- Look around you and realize your own dignity; it is from Him.
The immeasurable depths of space above and around you may stagger you. They are part of His plan. What you have imagined as the seven firmaments (and any other scheme you may construct) bears witness to His design of order and perfection, for His knowledge (unlike yours) is all- comprehending.
And yet will you deliberately reject or obscure or deaden the faculty of Faith which has been put into you?
... وَكُنتُمْ أَمْوَاتاً فَأَحْيَاكُمْ ...
Seeing that ye were without life, and He gave you life;
... ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ﴿٢٨﴾
then will He cause you to die, and will again bring you to life; and again to Him will ye return.
هُوَ
الَّذِي خَلَقَ
لَكُم مَّا فِي
الأَرْضِ جَمِيعاً...
2: 29. It is He who hath created for you all things that are on earth;
... ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَاء فَسَوَّاهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ...
moreover His design comprehended the heavens, for He gave order and perfection to the seven firmaments;
... وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ ﴿٢٩﴾
and of all things he hath perfect knowledge
Other versions:
2: 28 [al-Baqarah, Mecca 87 ]
Asad How can you refuse to acknowledge God, seeing that you were lifeless and He gave you life, and that He will cause you to die and then will bring you again to life, whereupon unto Him you will be brought back?
Yusuf Ali How can ye reject the faith in Allah? Seeing that ye were without life and He gave you life; then will He cause you to die and will again bring you to life; and again to Him will ye return.
Pickthall How disbelieve ye in Allah when ye were dead and He gave life to you! Then he will give you death, then life again, and then unto Him ye will return.
Transliteration Kaifa takfuru_na billa_hi wa kuntum amwa_tan fa ahya_kum, summa yumitukum summa yuhyikum summa ilaihi turja'u_n(a).
2: 29
Asad He it is who has created for you all that is on earth, and has applied His design to the heavens and fashioned them into seven heavens; and He alone has full knowledge of everything.
Yusuf Ali It is He who hath created for you all things that are on earth; moreover His design comprehended the heavens for He gave order and perfection to the seven firmaments; and of all things he hath perfect knowledge.
Pickthall He it is Who created for you all that is in the earth. Then turned He to the heaven, and fashioned it as seven heavens. And He is Knower of all things.
Transliteration Huwal lazi khalaqa lakum ma_ fil ardi jami'an summas tawa_ ilas sama_'i fasawwa_hunna sab'a sama_wa_t(in), wa huwa bikulli syai'in 'alim(un).
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
اللّهُ
الَّذِي رَفَعَ
السَّمَاوَاتِ
بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍ
تَرَوْنَهَا...
13: 2. Allah is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that ye can see;
C1800. Should we construe the clause "that ye can see" to refer to "pillars" or "to the heavens"?
Either is admissible, but I prefer the former.
The heavens are supported on no pillars that we can see. What we see is the blue vault of heaven, but there are invisible forces or conditions created by Allah, which should impress us with His power and glory.
...ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ ...
is firmly established on the Throne (of Authority);
C1801. Cf. 10:3 , and n. 1386.
We must not think that anything came into being by itself or carries out its functions by itself. Allah is the Creator from Whom everything has its life and being and through Whom everything is maintained and supported, even though fixed laws are established for its regulation and government.
... وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ...
He has subjected the sun and the moon (to His law)!
...كُلٌّ يَجْرِي لأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى...
each one runs (its course) for a term appointed.
The "term appointed" limits the duration of their functioning: its ultimate return is to Allah, as its beginning proceeded from Allah.
...يُدَبِّرُ الأَمْرَ ...
He doth regulate affairs,
Where the laws of nature are fixed, and everything runs according to its appointed course, the government and regulation behind it is still that of Allah.
Where there is limited free will as in man, yet the ultimate source of man's faculties is Allah.
Allah cares for His creatures. He does not, as in the idea of polytheistic Greece, sit apart on Olympus, careless of His creatures.
... يُفَصِّلُ الآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُم بِلِقَاء رَبِّكُمْ تُوقِنُونَ ﴿٢﴾
explaining the Signs in detail, that ye may believe with certainty in the meeting with your Lord.
C1803. One manifestation of His caring for His creatures, even where a limited amount of free-will is granted for their development, is that He is careful to explain His Signs both in nature and in express and detailed revelation through His Messengers, lest man should have any doubts whether he has to return ultimately to his Lord and account for all his actions during the "term appointed," when he was given some initiative by way of trial and preparation.
If man attends carefully to the Signs, he should have no doubt whatever.
وَهُوَ
الَّذِي مَدَّ
الأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ
فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ
وَأَنْهَارًا...
13: 3. And it is He Who spread out the earth, and set thereon mountains standing firm, and (flowing) rivers:
...وَمِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ جَعَلَ فِيهَا زَوْجَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ...
and fruit of every kind He made in pairs, two and two:
C1804. I think that this refers to sex in plants, and I see M Pickthalls has translated accordingly.
Plants like animals have their reproductive apparatus, -male stamens and female pistils. In most cases the same flower combines both stamens and pistils, but in some cases these organs are specialized in separate flowers, and in some cases, even in separate trees. The date-palm of Arabia and the Papaya of India, are instances of fruit trees which are unisexual.
...يُغْشِي اللَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ...
He draweth the Night as a veil o'er the Day.
C1805. Cf. 7:54 and n. 1032. The whole passage there may be compared with the whole passage here.
Both their similarity and their variation show how closely reasoned each argument is, with expressions exactly appropriate to each occasion.
...إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٣﴾
Behold, verily in these things there are Signs for those who consider!
Other versions:
13: 2 [ar-R’ad, Medina 96]
Yusuf Ali Allah is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that ye can see; is firmly established on the throne (of authority); He has subjected the sun and the moon (to His law)! each one runs (its course) for a term appointed. He doth regulate affairs explaining the Signs in detail that ye may believe with certainty in the meeting with your Lord.
Pickthall Allah it is who raised up the heavens without visible supports, then mounted the Throne, and compelled the sun and the moon to be of service, each runneth unto an appointed term; He ordereth the course; He detaileth the revelations, that haply ye may be certain of the meeting with your Lord.
Yuksel God, Who raised the skies without any pillars that you can see, then He established the authority, and He commissioned the sun and the moon; each running to a fixed destiny. He manages all affairs, and He details the signs so that you will be aware of the meeting with your Lord.
Transliteration Alla_hul lazi rafa'as sama_wa_ti bi gairi 'amadin taraunaha_ summa-stawa_ 'alal 'arsyi wa sakhkharasy syamsa wal qamar(a), kulluy yajri li ajalim musamma_(n), yudabbirul amra yufassilul a_ya_ti la'allakum biliqa_'i rabbikum tu_qinu_n(a).
13: 3
Yusuf Ali And it is He Who spread out the earth and set thereon mountains standing firm and (flowing) rivers: and fruit of every kind He made in pairs two and two: He draweth the Night as a veil o'er the Day. Behold verily in these things there are Signs for those who consider!
Pickthall And He it is who spread out the earth and placed therein firm hills and flowing streams, and of all fruits be placed therein two spouses (male and female). He covereth the night with the day. Lo! herein verily are portents for people who take thought.
Yuksel He is the One who stretched out the land, made in it stabilizers and rivers, and from every fruit He made a pair of two; the night covers the day. In that are signs for a people who will think.
Transliteration Wa huwal lazi maddal arda wa ja'ala fiha_ rawa_siya wa anha_ra_(n), wa min kullis samara_ti ja'ala fiha_ zaujaini-snaini yugsyil lailan naha_r(a), inna fi za_lika la a_ya_til liqaumiy yatafakkaru_n(a).
16.Sura al-Nahl
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَمِن
ثَمَرَاتِ
النَّخِيلِ
وَالأَعْنَابِ
تَتَّخِذُونَ
مِنْهُ سَكَرًا
وَرِزْقًا
حَسَنًا...
16: 67. And from the fruit of the date-palm and the vine, ye get out wholesome drink and food:
C2096. There are wholesome drinks and foods that can be got out of the date-palm and the vine: e.g., non-alcoholic drinks from the date and the grape, vinegar, date-sugar, grape-sugar, and dates and grapes themselves for eating.
If sakar is taken in the sense of fermented wine, it would refer to the time before intoxicants were prohibited, for this is a Makkan Surah and the prohibition came in Madinah. In such a case it would imply a subtle disapproval of the use of intoxicants and mark the first of a series of steps that in time culminated in total prohibition. (R).
... إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٦٧﴾
behold, in this also is a Sign for those who are wise.
وَأَوْحَى رَبُّكَ
إِلَى النَّحْلِ
أَنِ اتَّخِذِي
مِنَ الْجِبَالِ
بُيُوتًا وَمِنَ
الشَّجَرِ...
16: 68. And thy Lord taught the Bee to build its cells in hills, on trees,
C2097. Auha: wahyan ordinarily means inspiration, the Message put into the mind or heart by Allah.
Here the Bee's instinct is referred to Allah's teaching, which it undoubtedly is. In 99:5, it is applied to the earth; we shall discuss the precise meaning when we come to that passage.
The honey-comb, itself, with its hexagonal cells, geometrically perfect, is a wonderful structure, and is well called buyut, homes. And the way the bee finds out inaccessible places, in the hills, in the trees, and even among the habitations of men, is one of the marvels of Allah's working in His Creation.
... وَمِمَّا يَعْرِشُونَ ﴿٦٨﴾
and in (men's) habitations;
ثُمَّ
كُلِي مِن
كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ ...
16: 69. Then to eat of all the produce (of the earth),
C2098. The bee assimilates the juice of various kinds of flowers and fruit, and forms within its body the honey which it stores in its cells of wax.
The different kinds of food from which it makes its honey give different colours to the honey, e.g., it is dark-brown, light-brown, yellow, white, and so on. The taste and flavour also varies, as in the case of heather honey, the honey formed from scented flowers, and so on. As food it is sweet and wholesome, and it is used in medicine.
Note that while the instinctive individual acts are described in the singular number, the produce of "their bodies"is described in the plural, as the result of their collective effort.
... فَاسْلُكِي سُبُلَ رَبِّكِ ذُلُلاً...
and find with skill the spacious paths of its Lord:
C2099. Zululan: two meanings are possible;
- ways easy and spacious, referring to the unerring way in which bees find their way from long distances to their combs; and
- the idea of humility and obedience in them.
From both we can derive a metaphorical and spiritual meaning.
... يَخْرُجُ مِن بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ فِيهِ شِفَاء لِلنَّاسِ...
there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colors, wherein is healing for men:
... إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٦٩﴾
verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought.
يُنبِتُ
لَكُم بِهِ
الزَّرْعَ
وَالزَّيْتُونَ
وَالنَّخِيلَ
وَالأَعْنَابَ
وَمِن كُلِّ
الثَّمَرَاتِ...
16: 11. With it He produces for you corn, olives, date-palms, grapes, and every kind of fruit:
... إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿١١﴾
verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought.
C2030. The least thought and study of nature will show you Allah's wise and benign Providence in making the processes of nature subserve man's use and refined life.
A higher degree of intelligence and study is required ("men who are wise") to understand Allah's Signs to man in the processes connected with the heavenly bodies (verse 12).
And a still higher spiritual understanding ("men who celebrate His praises" with gratitude) to realise the marvelous gradations, colours, and nuances in the creatures on this little globe of ours (verse 13), Reason this out carefully.
بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ
وَالزُّبُرِ...
16: 44. (We sent them) with Clear Signs and Scriptures;
C2070. As the People of the Book had received "Clear Signs" and inspired Books before, so also Allah's Message came to the Prophet Muhammad through the Quran, which superseded the earlier revelations, already corrupted in the hands of their followers. (R).
... وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ...
and We have sent down unto thee (also) the Message; that thou mayest explain clearly to men what is sent for them,
... وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٤٤﴾
and that they may give thought.
Other versions:
16: 67 [an-Nahl, Mecca 70]
Asad And from the fruit of date-palms and vines: from it you derive intoxicants as well as wholesome sustenance – in this, behold, there is a message indeed for people who use their reason!
Yusuf Ali And from the fruit of the date-palm and the vine ye get out wholesome drink and food: behold in this also is a Sign for those who are wise.
Pickthall And of the fruits of the date palm, and grapes, whence ye derive strong drink and (also) good nourishment. Lo! therein, is indeed a portent for people who have sense.
Yuksel From the fruits of the palm trees and the grapes you make wine as well as a good provision. In that is a sign for a people who reason.*
Transliteration Wa min samara_tin nakhili wal a'na_bi tattakhizu_na minhu sakaraw wa rizqan hasana_(n), inna fi za_lika la a_yatal liqaumiy ya'qilu_n(a).
16: 68
Yusuf Ali And thy Lord taught the Bee to build its cells in hills on trees and in (men's) habitations;
Pickthall And thy Lord inspired the bee, saying: Choose thou habitations in the hills and in the trees and in that which they thatch;
Yuksel Your Lord inspired to the bee: "You shall take homes of the mountains and of the trees and of what they erect."
Transliteration Wa auha_ rabbuka ilan nahli an-ittakhizi minal jiba_li buyu_taw wa minasy syajari wa mimma_ ya'risyu_n(a).
16: 69
Yusuf Ali Then to eat of all the produce (of the earth) and find with skill the spacious paths of its Lord: there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colors wherein is healing for men: verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought.
Pickthall Then eat of all fruits, and follow the ways of thy Lord, made smooth (for thee). There cometh forth from their bellies a drink diverse of hues, wherein is healing for mankind. Lo! herein is indeed a portent for people who reflect.
Yuksel Then you shall eat from every fruit, so seek the path your Lord has made easy. From its stomachs will emerge a liquid that has different colors, wherein there is a healing for the people. In that is a sign for a people who will think.*
Transliteration Summa kuli min kullis samara_ti fa-sluki subula rabbiki zulula_(n), yakhruju mim butu_niha_ syara_bum mukhtalifun alwa_nuh(u_), fihi syifa_'ul lin na_s(i), inna fi za_lika la a_yatal liqaumiy yatafakkaru_n(a).
[[Yuksel’s Notes - 016:067 It is up to us to benefit from God's blessings or get harmed by abusing them. We can use nuclear energy to destroy cities or to generate electricity; we can burn our hands in fire or cook our food with it. The Quran pulls our attention to the importance of our choices, by comparing alcoholic beverages to fruit juice. While fruit juice is a healthy nutrition, by fermenting them, we transform it into a very harmful substance.
016:069 Besides containing numerous vitamins and nutrients, honey is also considered a medicine for some allergies. Pure natural honey is known to be the only food that will never spoil; thus it is called "miracle food." In low humidity, no organism can live in it and it never decomposes. If it crystallizes, warming it up and mixing it will restore its original texture. Bees are superb architects and engineers; they design and manufacture their honeycomb in hexagonal shapes, which provide optimal efficiency in using wax. Bees are brilliant pharmacists; they produce medicine called honey and poison made of acid and alkaline in their labs. Bees are excellent navigators and talented choreographers; they communicate the distance, the amount, and the direction of flowers, by dancing. Bees are admirable citizens; they work together with thousands of other bees in overpopulated hives in peace and harmony. Bees have great work ethics; they work hard and do not cheat each other. Bees are both pilots and suicide stinger jets; they strike bravely those who occupy their territories. (Fortunately, they are incapable of protecting their hard-earned product from being stolen by us). This little insect, with so many qualities bestowed by its Creator, provides us with many signs and lessons.
The Bible contains numerous references to honey and bees. It is found in rocks, (Deuteronomy 32:13; Psalms 81:16); woods (1 Samuel 14:25-26); and strangely, in carcasses of dead animals (Judges 14:8). Its sweetness and nutritional value is praised (Proverbs 16:24; 24:13; 25:16,27); was eaten together with other nutrients, including locusts (Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6); was used as a religious offering (2Chronthians 31:5); and honey was likened to wisdom and nice words (Proverbs 16:24; Proverbs 24:13-14); to the word of God (Psalms 19:10; 119:103); and to the lips of a strange woman (Proverbs 5:3). Also, see Leviticus 2:11; Genesis 43:11; 1Kings 14:3; Ezekiel 27:17 ]]
[[ Ali’s notes 2093 The spiritual sustenance which Allah gives is typified by the wonderful ways of sustenance in the physical world, which figure forth Allah's providence and loving care for His creation. And the wonderful transformations in the physical world, which all tend to the benefit of man, are also Signs of His supreme wisdom. In the previous verse rain was mentioned, which gives new life to dead nature. In this and the following two verses our attention is drawn to milk, the products of the date and the vine, and honey. (16.66)
2094 Their; in the Arabic, it is "its", in the singular number, for two reasons: (1) cattle is the generic plural, and may be treated as a singular noun; (2) the instructive Sign is in cattle collectively, but the milk is the product of each single individual. (16.66)
2095 Milk is a secretion in the female body, like other secretions, but more specialised. Is it not wonderful that the same food, eaten by males and females, produces in the latter, when they have young, the wholesome and complete food, known as milk? Then, when cattle are tamed and specially bred for milk, the supply of milk is vastly greater than is necessary for their young and lasts for a longer time than during the period they give suck to their young. And it is a wholesome and agreeable diet for man. It is pure, as typified by its whiteness. Yet it is a secretion like other secretions, between the excretions which the body rejects as worthless and the precious blood-stream which circulates within the body and is the symbol of life itself to the animal which produces it. (16.66)
2096 There are wholesome drinks and foods that can be got out of the date-palm and the vine: e.g., non-alcoholic drinks from the date and the grape, vinegar, date-sugar, grape-sugar, and dates and grapes themselves for eating. If sakar is taken in the sense of fermented wine, it would refer to the time before intoxicants were prohibited, for this is a Makkan Sura and the prohibition came in Madinah. In such a case it would imply a subtle disapproval of the use of intoxicants and mark the first of a series of steps that in time culminated in total prohibition. (16.67)
2097 Auha: wahyun ordinarily means inspiration, the Message put into the mind or heart by Allah. Here the Bee's instinct is referred to Allah's teaching, which it undoubtedly is. In xcix. 5, it is applied to the earth; we shall discuss the precise meaning when we come to that passage. The honey-comb, itself, with its hexagonal cells, geometrically perfect, is a wonderful structure, and is well called buyut, homes. And the way the bee finds out inaccessible places, in the hills, in the trees, and even among the habitations of men, is one of the marvels of Allah's working in His Creation. (16.68)
2098 The bee assimilates the juice of various kinds of flowers and fruit, and forms within its body the honey which it stores in its cells of wax. The different kinds of food from which it makes its honey give different colours to the honey, e.g., it is dark-brown, light-brown, yellow, white, and so on. The taste and flavour also varies, as in the case of heather honey, the honey formed from scented flowers, and so on. As food it is sweet and wholesome, and it is used in medicine. Note that while the instinctive individual acts are described in the singular number, the produce of "their bodies" is described in the plural, as the result of their collective effort. (16.69)
2099 Zululan: two meanings are possible; (1) ways easy and spacious, referring to the unerring way in which bees find their way from long distances to their combs; and (2) the idea of humility and obedience in them. (16.69)
16: 11 [an-Nahl]
Asad By virtue thereof He causes crops to grow for you, and olive trees, and date-palms, and grapes, and all kinds of fruit: in this, behold, there is a message indeed for people who think!
Yusuf Ali With it He produces for you corn olives date-palms grapes and every kind of fruit: verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought.
Pickthall Therewith He causeth crops to grow for you, and the olive and the date palm and grapes and all kinds of fruit. Lo! herein is indeed a portent for people who reflect.
Transliteration Yumbitu lakum bihiz zar'a waz zaitu_na wan nakhila wal a'na_ba wa min kullis samara_t(i), inna fi za_lika la a_yatal liqaumiy yatafakkaru_n(a).
16: 44
Asad with all evidence of the truth and with books of divine wisdom. And upon you have We bestowed from on high this reminder, so that you may make clear unto mankind all that has ever been thus bestowed upon them, and that they might take thought.
Yusuf Ali (We sent them) with Clear Signs and Books of dark prophecies; and We have sent down unto thee (also) the Message; that thou mayest explain clearly to men what is sent for them and that they may give thought.
Pickthall With clear proofs and writings; and We have revealed unto thee the Remembrance that thou mayst explain to mankind that which hath been revealed for them, and that haply they may reflect.
Transliteration Bil bayyina_ti waz zubur(i), wa anzalna_ ilaikaz zikra litubayyina lin na_si ma_ nuzzila ilaihim wa la'allahum yatafakkaru_n(a).
[see Asad and Ali’s notes]
16: 43 [an-Nahl, Mecca 70]
Asad And before your time, [O Muhammad] We never sent [as Our apostles] any but [mortal] men, whom We inspired: and if you have not [yet] realized this, ask the followers of [earlier] revelation,
Yusuf Ali And before thee also the apostles We sent were but men to whom We granted inspiration: if ye realize this not ask of those who possess the Message.
Pickthall And We sent not (as Our messengers) before thee other than men whom We inspired--Ask the followers of the Remembrance if ye know not!--
Transliteration Wa ma_ arsalna_ min qablika illa_ riju_lan nu_hi ilaihim fas'alu_ ahlaz zikri in kuntum la_ ta'lamu_n(a),
[see Asad and Ali’s notes]
[[ Ali’s notes -2068 Allah's prophets were always men, not angels; and their distinction was the inspiration they received. (16.43)
2069 If the Pagan Arabs, who were ignorant of religious and other history, wondered how a man from among themselves could receive inspiration and bring a Message from Allah, let them ask the Jews, who had also received Allah's Message earlier through Moses, whether Moses was a man, or an angel, or a god. They would learn that Moses was a man like themselves, but inspired by Allah. "Those who possess the Message" may also mean any men of Wisdom, who were qualified to have an opinion in such matters. (16.43)
2070 As the People of the Book had received "Clear Signs" and inspired Books before, so also Allah's Message came to the Prophet Muhammad through the Qur-an, which superseded the earlier revelations, already corrupted in the hands of their followers. (16.44) ]]
34.Surah Saba'
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
قُلْ
إِنَّمَا أَعِظُكُم
بِوَاحِدَةٍ...
34: 46. Say:
"I do admonish you on one point:
... أَن تَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ مَثْنَى وَفُرَادَى ثُمَّ تَتَفَكَّرُوا...
that ye do stand up before Allah -- (it may be) in pairs, or (it may be) singly -- and reflect (within yourselves):
C3857. A crowd mentality is not the best for the perception of the final spiritual truths. For these, it is necessary that each soul should commune within itself with earnest sincerity as before Allah: if it requires a Teacher, let it seek out one, or it may be that it wants the strengthening of the inner convictions that dawn on it, by the support of a sympathizer or friend. But careful and heart-felt reflection is necessary to appraise the higher Truths.
... مَا بِصَاحِبِكُم مِّن جِنَّةٍ...
your Companion is not possessed:
C3858. Note that in verses 46, 47, 48, 49 and 50, arguments are suggested to the Prophet, by which he can convince any right-thinking man of his sincerity and truth.
Here the argument is that he is not possessed or out of his mind. If he is different from ordinary men, it is because he has to give a warning of a terrible spiritual danger to the men whom he loves but who will not understand his Message.
... إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ لَّكُم بَيْنَ يَدَيْ عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ ﴿٤٦﴾
Other versions:
34 : 46
Yusuf Ali Say: "I do admonish you on one point: that ye do stand up before Allah--(it may be) in pairs or (it may be) singly and reflect (within yourselves): your Companion is not possessed: he is no less than a Warner to you in face of a terrible Penalty."
Pickthall Say (unto them, O Muhammad): I exhort you unto one thing only: that ye awake, for Allah's sake, by twos and singly, and then reflect: There is no madness in your comrade. He is naught else than a warner unto you in face of a terrific doom.
Yuksel 34:46 Say, "I advise you to do one thing: that you stand to God, in pairs or as individuals, then reflect. There is no madness in your friend, he is only a warner to you in the face of a severe retribution."
Transliteration Qul in nama_ aizukum biwa_hidah an taqu_mu_ lil la_hi matsna_ wa fura_da_ sum ma tatafak karu_ ma_ bisha_hibikum min jin nah in huwa il la_ nasirul lakum baina yadai aza_bin sadid
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Buruj – Great Constellations
25.Surah Al Furqan
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
تَبَارَكَ
الَّذِي
جَعَلَ فِي
السَّمَاء
بُرُوجًا وَجَعَلَ
فِيهَا سِرَاجًا
وَقَمَرًا
مُّنِيرًا
﴿٦١﴾
25:61. [Ali] Blessed is He Who made Constellations in the skies, and placed therein a Lamp and a Moon giving light;
C3121. The glorious Lamp of the skies is the Sun; and next to him is the Moon, which gives borrowed light.
The Constellations of course include the Signs of the Zodiac, which mark the path of the planets in the heavens.
وَهُوَ
الَّذِي جَعَلَ
اللَّيْلَ
وَالنَّهَارَ
خِلْفَةً...
25:62. [Ali] And it is He Who made the Night and the Day to follow each other:
... لِّمَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يَذَّكَّرَ أَوْ أَرَادَ شُكُورًا ﴿٦٢﴾
for such as have the will to celebrate His praises or to show their gratitude.
C3122. The scenes of the phenomenal world are Signs of the Self-Revelation of Allah, for those who understand and who have the will to merge their wills in His. This they do;
- by praising Him, which means understanding something of His nature, and
- by gratitude to Him, which means carrying out His Will, and doing good to their fellow-creatures.
These two attitudes of mind and heart give rise to various consequences in their lives, which are detailed in the following verse.
Asad’s Version:
25:61 [al-Furqan, Mecca 42]Asad
HALLOWED is He who has set up in the skies great constellations, and has placed among them a [radiant] lamp and a light-giving moon. 48
(25:62) And He it is who causes the night and the day to succeed one another, [revealing Himself in His works] unto him who has the will to
take thought - that is," has the will to be grateful.
[[ Asad’s note - 48 See 10:5, where the sun if spoken of as "a (source of) radiant light", explained in the corresponding note 10. For my rendering of buruj as "great constellations", see note 15 on 15:16. ]]
30. Surah Ar-Rum (The Byzantines)
Mecca Period [614-615, 6-7 years before Hijra]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَعْدَ
اللَّهِ...
30: 6 [Ali]. (It is) the promise of Allah.
C3510. The promise refers to the Decision of all things by the Command of Allah, Who will remove all troubles and difficulties from the path of His righteous Believers, and help them to rejoice over the success of their righteous Cause.
This refers to all times and all situations. The righteous should not despair in their darkest moments, for Allah's help will come.
Ordinarily men are puffed up if they score a seeming temporary success against the righteous, and do not realize that Allah's Will can never be thwarted.
... لَا يُخْلِفُ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٦﴾
Never does Allah depart from His promise: but most men understand not.
يَعْلَمُونَ
ظَاهِرًا مِّنَ
الْحَيَاةِ
الدُّنْيَا...
30: 7. They know but the outer (things) in the life of this world:
C3511. Men are misled by the outward show of things, though the inner reality may be quite different.
Many seeming disasters are really godsends if we only understood.
... وَهُمْ عَنِ الْآخِرَةِ هُمْ غَافِلُونَ ﴿٧﴾
but of the End of things they are heedless.
C3512. Akhirat: may refer to the End of things or enterprises in history as well as the Hereafter in the technical theological sense.
أَوَلَمْ
يَتَفَكَّرُوا
فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ...
30: 8. Do they not reflect in their own minds?
... مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى...
Not but for just ends and for a term appointed, did Allah create the heavens and the earth, and all between them:
C3513. Cf. 15:85.
Here the argument is about the ebb and flow of worldly power, and the next clause is appropriately added, "and for a term appointed". Let not any one who is granted worldly power or advantage run away with the notion that it is permanent. It is definitely limited in the high Purpose of Allah, which is just and true. And an account will have to be given of it afterwards on basis of strict personal responsibility.
... وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ بِلِقَاء رَبِّهِمْ لَكَافِرُونَ ﴿٨﴾
yet are there truly many among men who deny the meeting with their Lord (at the Resurrection)!
C3514. It is therefore all the more strange that there should be men who not only forget themselves but even deny that there is a return to Allah or an End or Hereafter, when a full reckoning will be d this period of probation.
They are asked to study past history, as in the next verse
Asad’s Version:
30:6 [Asad] [This is] God's promise. Never does God fail to fulfil His promise - but most people know [it] not:
(30:7) they know but the outer surface of this world's life, whereas of the ultimate things they are utterly unaware. 4
(30:8) Have they never learned to think for themselves? 5
God has not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them without [an inner] truth and a term set [by Him]: 6 and yet, behold, there are many people who stubbornly deny the truth that they are destined to meet their Sustainer!
[[Asad Notes- 4 The term al-akhirah circumscribes, in this context, both the inner reality of this world's life and the ultimate reality of the hereafter.
5 Lit., "Have they never thought within themselves?"
6 I.e., in contrast to God, who is eternal and unlimited, everything created is limited and subject to change and termination. As regards my rendering of ilia bi'1-haqq (lit., "otherwise than with [or "in"] truth") as "without [an inner] truth", see note 1 1 on the second sentence of 10:5. ]]
.
34. Surah Saba-(Sheba) Mecca 58 [54 verses]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَمَا
آتَيْنَاهُم
مِّن كُتُبٍ
يَدْرُسُونَهَا...
34: 44. But We had not given them Books which they could study,
... وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ قَبْلَكَ مِن نَّذِيرٍ ﴿٤٤﴾
nor sent messengers to them before thee as Warners.
C3855. The ancestors (as in the case of the Arabs of the Times of Ignorance) had received no revelation of the dear kind which a messenger and a Book bring them. This is a reason for welcoming, not for rejecting new Truth.
وَكَذَّبَ
الَّذِينَ مِن
قَبْلِهِمْ...
34: 45. And their predecessors rejected (the Truth);
... وَمَا بَلَغُوا مِعْشَارَ مَا آتَيْنَاهُمْ فَكَذَّبُوا رُسُلِي...
these have not received a tenth of what We had granted to those: yet when they rejected My messengers,
C3856. Passing to Peoples before the immediate ancestors, the People of the Book, or the People of Saba and 'Ad and Thamud, had received favours and gifts, power and wealth, ten times more than were enjoyed by the Pagan Quraish. Yet when they turned away from Allah's Truth, Allah turned away from them, and what terrible consequences descended on them when they lost Allah's Grace! This should make everyone humble, not least the posterity of Muhammad the Messenger if they forsake Allah's Truths! For they have received a higher Teaching!
... فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ ﴿٤٥﴾
how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)!
قُلْ
إِنَّمَا أَعِظُكُم
بِوَاحِدَةٍ...
34: 46. Say:
"I do admonish you on one point:
... أَن تَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ مَثْنَى وَفُرَادَى ثُمَّ تَتَفَكَّرُوا...
that ye do stand up before Allah -- (it may be) in pairs, or (it may be) singly -- and reflect (within yourselves):
C3857. A crowd mentality is not the best for the perception of the final spiritual truths. For these, it is necessary that each soul should commune within itself with earnest sincerity as before Allah: if it requires a Teacher, let it seek out one, or it may be that it wants the strengthening of the inner convictions that dawn on it, by the support of a sympathizer or friend. But careful and heart-felt reflection is necessary to appraise the higher Truths.
... مَا بِصَاحِبِكُم مِّن جِنَّةٍ...
your Companion is not possessed:
C3858. Note that in verses 46, 47, 48, 49 and 50, arguments are suggested to the Prophet, by which he can convince any right-thinking man of his sincerity and truth.
Here the argument is that he is not possessed or out of his mind. If he is different from ordinary men, it is because he has to give a warning of a terrible spiritual danger to the men whom he loves but who will not understand his Message.
... إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ لَّكُم بَيْنَ يَدَيْ عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ ﴿٤٦﴾
he is no less than a Warner to you, in face of a terrible Penalty."
Asad’s Version:
34:44 And yet, [O Muhammad,] never have We vouchsafed them any revelations which they could quote, 54 and neither have We sent unto them any warner before thee.
(34:45) Thus, too, gave the lie to the truth [many of] those who lived before them; and although those [earlier people] had not attained to even a tenth of [the evidence of the truth] which We have vouchsafed unto these [late successors of theirs], yet when they gave the lie to My apostles, how awesome was My rejection! 55
34:46 Say: "I counsel you one thing only: Be [everconscious of] standing before God, whether you are in the company of others or alone; 56 and then bethink yourselves [that] there is no madness in [this prophet,] your fellow -man: 57 he is only a warner to you of suffering severe to come."
[[ Asad’s notes - 56 Lit., "two by two (mathna) and singly (furada)". According to Razi, the expression mathna denotes, in this context, "together with another person" or "other persons": hence, the above phrase may be understood to refer to maris social behaviour - i.e., his actions concerning others - as well as to his inner, personal attitude in all situations requiring a moral choice.
57 See note 150 on 7:184. ]]
59. Surah Al-Hashr (The Gathering)
Medina Period [101]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا
هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ
عَلَى جَبَلٍ ...
59: 21. Had We sent down this Qur'án on a mountain ....
C5398. There are two ideas associated in men's minds with a mountain:
one is its height,
and the other that it is rocky, stony, hard, Now comes the metaphor.
The Revelation of Allah is so sublime that even the highest mountains humble themselves before it. The Revelation is so powerful and convincing that even the hard rock splits asunder under it.
Will man then be so arrogant as to consider himself superior to it, or so hard-hearted as not to be affected by its powerful Message?
The answer is
"No" for unspoilt man;
"Yes" for man when degraded by sin to be the vilest of creatures.
... لَّرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ ...
.. verily, thou would have seen it humble itself and cleave asunder for fear of Allah,
C5399. Cf. 7:143, and n. 1103, where, in the story of Moses, the Mount became as dust "when the Lord manifested His Glory".
Also cf. 33:72, and n. 3778, where the mountains are mentioned as an emblem of stability, but as refusing to accept the Trust (Amanat) because they felt themselves to be too humble to be equal to such a tremendous Trust. (R).
وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٢١﴾
such are the similitudes which We propound to men, that they may reflect.
Asad’s Version:
59:21 HAD WE bestowed this Qur'an from on high upon a mountain, thou wouldst indeed see it humbling itself, breaking asunder for awe of M And [all] such parables We propound unto men, so that they might [learn to] think.