38. Surah Sad [88 verses]

Mecca Period 38

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَاذْكُرْ عِبَادَنَا إبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْحَقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ...

38: 45. And commemorate Our servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,

... أُوْلِي الْأَيْدِي وَالْأَبْصَارِ ﴿٤٥﴾

possessors of Power and Vision.

C4204. In the last Surah (37:83-113). Abraham and Isaac (and by implication Jacob) were mentioned as resisting Evil and winning through.

Here they are mentioned as men with spiritual power and vision. Israelite patriarchs, who bore witness to the Gospel of the Hereafter, and were therefore a blessing to their people, for they taught the Truth.

إِنَّا أَخْلَصْنَاهُم بِخَالِصَةٍ ذِكْرَى الدَّارِ ﴿٤٦﴾

38: 46. Verily We did chose them for a special (purpose) --

proclaiming the Message of the Hereafter.

وَإِنَّهُمْ عِندَنَا لَمِنَ الْمُصْطَفَيْنَ الْأَخْيَارِ ﴿٤٧﴾

38: 47. They were, in Our sight, truly, of the company of the Elect and the Good.

Asad’s Version:

38:45 AND CALL to mind Our servants Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, [all of them] endowed with inner strength and vision:

(38:46) for, verily, We purified them by means of a thought most pure: the remembrance of the life to come. 42

(38:47) And, behold, in Our sight they were indeed among the elect, the truly good

Yuksel’s version:

The Elite

38:45 Recall Our servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They were resourceful, and with vision.

38:46 We had chosen them to enforce awareness of the Hereafter.

38:47 They are with Us of the elite, the best.