55. Ar-Rah Man


The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:



يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنسِ ...

55: 33.  O ye assembly of Jinns and men!

C5194. Cf. 6:130, where the Jinns and men are addressed collectively. That whole passage, 6:130-134, should be read as a commentary on this verse.

'If you think that because you do things in secret, or because some of your sins do not seem to meet their inevitable punishment or some of your good deeds seem to go unnoticed, do not be deceived. Judgment will soon come. You cannot possibly escape out of the zones in which your lives have been cast, without authority from Allah. Be grateful to Allah for the chances He has given you'.

"All that hath been promised unto you will come to pass: nor can ye frustrate it in the least bit" (6:134).

... إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ أَن تَنفُذُوا مِنْ أَقْطَارِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ فَانفُذُوا ...

if it be ye can pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth, pass ye!

... لَا تَنفُذُونَ إِلَّا بِسُلْطَانٍ ﴿٣٣﴾

not without authority shall ye be able to pass!

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ ﴿٣٤﴾

55: 34.  Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?

C5195. Note how gradually we have been led up in the Argument.

'The Signs of Allah are all about you,

all these things should teach you the Truth and warn you about the Future, which is more particularly referred to in the remainder of the Surah.

C.233 (The running Commentary, in Rhythmic Prose)

(55:35-78)

Let not Evil think that it will escape

Justice: its telltale Mark is on those

Who follow it, and it must meet its reward

In the final adjustment. But the Good,

The Righteous, must reach their Fulfilment

In the Gardens of Bliss, where every Delight

Will be theirs in Beauty and Dignity.

How can such Delights be pictured in words?

In symbols subjective let each take his choice.

For Good can there ever be any Reward

Other than Good? Beautiful sights

And sounds, delicious fruits to nourish

The soul, and Companionship where Grace

Is mingled with Love, may figure forth our Bliss.

Blessed be Allah, full of Majesty and Bounty.

Allah's creatures! What favours of Allah will ye deny?

 

يُرْسَلُ عَلَيْكُمَا شُوَاظٌ مِّن نَّارٍ ...

55: 35.  On you will be sent (O ye evil ones twain!) a flame of fire (to burn)

C5196. The Dual is with reference to the two worlds explained above in n. 5193.

... وَنُحَاسٌ فَلَا تَنتَصِرَانِ ﴿٣٥﴾

and a smoke (to choke): No defence will ye have:

C5197. We now come to the terrors of the Judgment on the evil ones.

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ ﴿٣٦﴾

55: 36.  Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?

C5198. Here and in some of the verses that follow, (verses 40, 42, and 45 below), the refrain applies with an ironical meaning. It is as if it was said: 'You used to laugh at Revelation, and at the warnings which were given for your own benefit in order to draw you to repentance and Allah's Mercy; what do you find now? Is not all that was said to you true?' To reject Allah's Law is in itself to deny Allah's Mercies.

 

فَإِذَا انشَقَّتِ السَّمَاء فَكَانَتْ وَرْدَةً كَالدِّهَانِ ﴿٣٧﴾

55: 37.  When the sky is rent asunder, and it becomes red like ointment:

C5199. Melting away like grease or ointment. The red colour will be due to the flames and the heat. The whole of the world as we know it now will dissolve.

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ ﴿٣٨﴾

55: 38.  Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?


Asad’s Version:


(55:33) O you who live in close communion with [evil] invisible beings and humans! 15 If you [think that you] can pass beyond the regions of the heavens and the earth," pass beyond them! [But] you cannot pass beyond them, save by a sanction [from God]! 17

(55:34) Which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow?

55:35 A flash of fire will be let loose upon you, and smoke, and you will be left without succour!

(55:36) Which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow?

(55:37) And when the sky is rent asunder and becomes red like [burning] oil. 18 -

(55:38) which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow? [[ Is this a description of rocket launching and penetration of the sku?]


`

Pickthall O company of jinn and men, if ye have power to penetrate (all) regions of the heavens and the earth; then penetrate (them)! Ye will never penetrate them save with (Our) sanction.


[[Asad’s note - 15 For an explanation of this rendering of ma'shar al-jinn wa-'l-ins, see note 112 on the first paragraph of6:128.


16 I.e., in order to escape God's judgment and chastisement.


17 I.e., "unless He wills to reprieve you": cf the last paragraph of 6:128 and the corresponding note 114. ]]




Yuksel’s version

55:33 O tribes of Jinn and humans, if you can penetrate the diameters of the heavens and the earth, then go ahead and penetrate. You will not penetrate without authority.

55:34 So which of your Lord's favors will you deny?






29. Surah Al 'Ankabut [spider]


The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:




قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانظُرُوا كَيْفَ بَدَأَ الْخَلْقَ...

29: 20. Say:

"Travel through the earth and see how Allah did originate creation:

C3441. Travel through the earth: again, literally as well as symbolically.

If we actually go through this wide earth, we shall see the wonderful things in His Creation;

- the Grand Canyon and the Niagaras in America,

- beautiful harbors like that at Sydney in Australia,

- mountains like Fujiyama, the Himalayas, and Elburz in Asia,

- the Nile with its wonderful cataracts in Africa, the Fiords of Norway, the Geysers of Iceland,

- the city of the midnight sun in Tromsoe,

- and innumerable wonders everywhere.

But wonders upon wonders are disclosed in the constitution of matter itself, the atom, and the forces of energy, as also in the instincts of animals, and the minds and capacities of man. And there is no limit to these things.

Worlds upon worlds are created and transformed every moment, within and presumably beyond man's vision. From what we know we can judge of the unknown.

...ثُمَّ اللَّهُ يُنشِئُ النَّشْأَةَ الْآخِرَةَ...

so will Allah produce a later creation:

...إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿٢٠﴾

for Allah has power over all things.

يُعَذِّبُُ مَن يَشَاء وَيَرْحَمُ مَن يَشَاء...

29: 21. "He punishes whom He pleases, and He grants mercy to whom He pleases,

...وَإِلَيْهِ تُقْلَبُونَ ﴿٢١﴾

and towards Him are ye turned.

C3442. I think ilaihi tuqlabun is better translated "towards Him are ye turned" than "towards Him will be your return", as it implies not only the return of man to Allah in the Hereafter (turja'un in verse 17 above) but also the fact explained in verse 22 that man's needs are always to be obtained from Allah:

man cannot frustrate Allah's designs, and can have no help or protection except from Allah: man has always to face Allah, whether man obeys Allah or tries to ignore Allah.

Man will never be able to defeat Allah's Plan. According to His wise Will and Plan, He will grant His grace or withhold it from man.

وَمَا أَنتُم بِمُعْجِزِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاء...

29: 22. "Not on earth nor in heaven will ye be able (fleeing) to frustrate (His plan),

...وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ ﴿٢٢﴾

nor have ye, besides Allah, any protector or helper."



Asad’s Version:


(29:20) Say: "Go all over the earth and behold how [wondrously) He has created [man) in the first instance: 15 and thus, too, will God bring into being your second life - for, verily, God has the power to will anything!


29:21 "He causes to suffer whomever He wills, and bestows His mercy on whomever He wills; and unto Him you shall be made to return:

(29:22) and never - not on earth and not in the skies - can you (hope to) elude Him; and you have none to protect you from God, and none to bring

you succour."



[[ Ruby’s note – This verse in a period when humans had no ability to travel in the sky indicates that one day humans may occupy space and still would not be able to frustrate God’s design or bypass his Will]]


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