17.Surah Al Isra
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَنُنَزِّلُ
مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ
مَا هُوَ شِفَاء
وَرَحْمَةٌ
لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ...
17: 82. We send down (stage by stage) in the Qur'án that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe:
...وَلاَ يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ إَلاَّ خَسَارًا ﴿٨٢﴾
to the unjust it causes nothing but loss after loss.
C2282. In Allah's revelation there is healing for our broken spirits, hope for our spiritual future, and joy in the forgiveness of our sins. All who work in faith will share in these privileges.
It is only the rebels against Allah's Law who will suffer loss. The more they will oppose Truth, the deeper down will they go into the mire-the state of sin and Wrath, which is worse than destruction.
وَقُرْآناً
فَرَقْنَاهُ
لِتَقْرَأَهُ
عَلَى النَّاسِ
عَلَى مُكْثٍ...
17: 106. (It is) a Qur'án which We have divided (into parts from time to time), in order that thou mightest recite it to men at intervals:
...وَنَزَّلْنَاهُ تَنزِيلاً ﴿١٠٦﴾
We have revealed it by stages.
C2317. The marvel is that these parts, revealed at different times and in different circumstances, should fit together so closely and consistently as they do. All revelation is progressive.
The previous revelations were also progressive. Each of them marked a stage in the world's spiritual history.
Man's mind does not take in more than his spiritual state will have prepared him, for Allah's revelation comes as a light to illuminate our difficulties and show us the way in actual situations that arise.
Other versions:
17: 82
Wa nunazzilu minal qur'a_ni ma_ huwa syifa_'uw wa rahmatul lil mu'minin(a), wa la_ yaziduz za_limina illa_ khasa_ra_(n).
Asad Thus, step by step, We bestow from on high through this Quran all that gives health and is a grace unto those who believe, the while it only adds to the ruin of evildoers.
Pickthall And We reveal of the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy for believers though it increase the evil-doers in naught save ruin.
17: 106
Transliteration Wa qur'a_nan faraqna_hu litaqra'ahu_ 'alan na_si 'ala_ muksiw wa nazzalna_hu tanzila_(n).
Asad [bearing] a discourse which We have gradually unfolded, so that you might read it out to mankind by stages, seeing that We have bestowed it from on high step by step, as [one] revelation.
Pickthall And (it is) a Quran that We have divided, that thou may recite it unto mankind at intervals, and We have revealed it by (successive) revelation.
[Asad’s note 129: ……..and to the fact it is nevertheless one integral whole and can, therefore, be properly understood only if it is considered in its entirety – that is to say, if each of its passages is read in the light of all the other passages which it contains. [see also 20: 114 and the corresponding note 101]
54. Al-Qamar (The Moon)
Mecca Period 37
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
فَكَيْفَ
كَانَ عَذَابِي
وَنُذُرِ
﴿١٦﴾
54:16. But how (terrible) was My Penalty and My Warning?
C5142. While the Mercy of Allah is always prominently mentioned, we must not forget or minimize the existence of Evil, and the terrible Penalty it incurs if the Grace of Allah and His Warning are deliberately rejected.
وَلَقَدْ
يَسَّرْنَا
الْقُرْآنَ
لِلذِّكْرِ
...
54: 17. And We have indeed made the Qur'án easy to understand and remember:
C5143. While the Quran sums up the highest philosophy of the inner life, its simple directions for conduct are plain and easy to understand and act upon.
Is this not in itself a part of the Grace of Allah?
And what excuse is there for any one to fail in receiving admonition?
...فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ ﴿١٧﴾
then is there any that will receive admonition?
كَذَّبَتْ
عَادٌ فَكَيْفَ
كَانَ عَذَابِي
وَنُذُرِ
﴿١٨﴾
54: 18. The 'Ad (people) (too) rejected (Truth):
then how terrible was my Penalty and my Warning!
إِنَّا
أَرْسَلْنَا
عَلَيْهِمْ
رِيحًا صَرْصَرًا
فِي يَوْمِ
نَحْسٍ مُّسْتَمِرٍّ
﴿١٩﴾
54: 19. For We sent against them a furious wind, on a Day of violent Disaster,
C5144. Cf. 41:16.
How graphic is the description of the tornado that uprooted them! It must indeed be a dreadful tornado that plucks up the palm-trees by their deep tap- roots.
The "Day" is an indefinite period of time.
The wind that destroyed the 'Ad people lasted seven nights and eight days: 69:7.
تَنزِعُ
النَّاسَ كَأَنَّهُمْ
أَعْجَازُ
نَخْلٍ مُّنقَعِرٍ
﴿٢٠﴾
54: 20. Plucking out men as if they were roots of palm-trees torn up (from the ground).
فَكَيْفَ
كَانَ عَذَابِي
وَنُذُرِ
﴿٢١﴾
54: 21. Yea, how (terrible) was my Penalty and my Warning!
C5145. Repeated from verse 18 to heighten the description of the sin, the penalty, and the criminal negligence of the sinners in refusing the warnings on account of their self-complacent confidence in their own strength and stability! It is repeated again as a secondary refrain in 54:30 and (with slight modification) in 54:32 and 39.
وَلَقَدْ
يَسَّرْنَا
الْقُرْآنَ
لِلذِّكْرِ
فَهَلْ مِن
مُّدَّكِرٍ
﴿٢٢﴾
54: 22. But We have indeed made the Qur'án easy to understand and remember:
then is there any that will receive admonition?
Asad’s Version:
54:16 And how severe is the suffering which I inflict when My warnings are disregarded! 10
(54:17) Hence, indeed, We made this Qur'an easy to bear in mind:11 who, then, is willing to take it to heart?
54:18 TO THE TRUTH gave the lie [the tribe of] 'Ad: and how severe was the suffering which I inflicted when My warnings were disregarded!
(54:19) Behold, We let loose upon them a raging stormwind on a day of bitter misfortune:
(54:20) it swept the people away as though they were palm-trunks uprooted: 12
(54:21) for, how severe is the suffering which I inflict when My warnings are disregarded!
54:22 Hence, indeed,; We made this Qur'an easy to bear in mind: who, then, is willing to take it to heart?
[[Asad’s notes - 10 Lit., "how was My [causing] suffering (-adhabr) and My warnings" - i.e., after the warnings. Although this sentence is phrased in the past tense, its purport is evidently timeless.
1 1 The noun dhikr primarily denotes "remembrance", or - as defined by Raghib - the "presence [of something] in the mind". Conceptually, and as used in the above context as well as in verses 22, 32 and 40, this term comprises the twin notions of understanding and remembering, i.e., bearing something in mind.
12 As mentioned in 69:6-8, this wind - obviously an exceptionally violent sandstorm - raged without break for seven nights and eight days. For particulars of the tribe of 'Ad, see second half of note 48 on 7:65. ]]