14. Surah Ibrahim
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
رَبِّ اجْعَلْنِي
مُقِيمَ الصَّلاَةِ
وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي...
14: 40. "O my Lord!
make me one who establishes regular Prayer, and also (raise such) among my offspring,
C1918. Abraham prays for both branches of his family, having a wider vision than some of the later Children of Israel.
...رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَاء ﴿٤٠﴾
O our Lord! and accept Thou my Prayer.
14: 41. "O our Lord!
C1919. Read again n. 1912 above.
Having prayed for his progeny, Abraham now prays for Allah's grace on himself, his parents, and the whole Brotherhood of Faith, irrespective of family or race or time, to be perfected in the ideal of Islam.
... اغْفِرْ لِي ...
cover (us) with Thy Forgiveness --
C1920. For the shades of meaning in the different words for Forgiveness, see n. 110 to 2:109.
... وَلِوَالِدَيَّ ...
me, my parents,
C1921. My parents. Abraham's father was an idolater (43:26; 6:74). Not only that, but he persecuted the Faith of Unity and threatened Abraham with stoning and exile (19:46); and he and his people cast him into the Fire to be burned (21:52, 68).
Yet Abraham's heart was tender, and he prayed for forgiveness for his father because of a promise which he had made (9:114), though he renounced the land of his fathers (Chaldea).
... وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْحِسَابُ ﴿٤١﴾
and (all) Believers, on the Day that the Reckoning will be established!"
C1922. At the final Reckoning, all that may seem inequality or injustice in this world will be redressed. But the merits of the best of us will need Allah's Grace to establish us in that lasting Felicity which is promised to the righteous. And Abraham, as the father of Prophecy, prayed for all,-for the Universal Faith perfected in Islam.
Others version:
14: 40 [Ibrahim, Mecca 72]
Yusuf Ali "O my Lord! make me one who establishes regular Prayer and also (raise such) among my offspring O our Lord! and accept Thou my Prayer.
Pickthall My Lord! Make me to establish proper worship, and some of my posterity (also); our Lord! and accept the prayer.
Transliteration Rabbi-j'alni muqimas sala_ti wa min zurriyyati, rabbana_ wa taqabbal du'a_'(i).
14: 41
Yusuf Ali "O our Lord! cover (us) with Thy Forgiveness me my parents and (all) Believers on the Day that the Reckoning will be established!"
Pickthall Our Lord! Forgive me and my parents and believers on the day when the account is cast.
Transliteration Rabbana-gfir li wa liwa_lidayya wa lil mu'minina yauma yaqu_mul hisa_b(u).
17. Surah Al Isra
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَكُلَّ
إِنسَانٍ
أَلْزَمْنَاهُ
طَآئِرَهُ فِي
عُنُقِهِ...
17: 13. Every man's fate We have fastened on his own neck:
C2187. Fate: Tair, literally a bird, hence an omen, an evil omen, fate.
Cf. 36:19.
The Arabs, like the ancient Romans, sought to read the mysteries of human fate from the flight of birds. And many of us in our own day seek to read our future fortunes by similar superstitions.
We read in the previous verse that there are Signs of Allah, but they are not meant to subserve the vulgar purpose of disclosing our future destiny in a worldly sense. They are meant for quite other purposes, as we have explained.
Our real fate does not depend upon birds or omens or stars. It depends on our deeds; good or evil, and they hang round our necks. (R).
...وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كِتَابًا يَلْقَاهُ مَنشُورًا ﴿١٣﴾
on the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a scroll, which he will see spread open.
C2188. These deeds, good or evil, will be embodied in a scroll which will be quite open to us in the light of the Day of Judgment, however much we may affect to be ignorant of it now or waste our energies in prying into mysteries that do not concern us.
اقْرَأْ
كَتَابَكَ كَفَى
بِنَفْسِكَ
الْيَوْمَ
عَلَيْكَ
حَسِيبًا ﴿١٤﴾
17: 14. (It will be said to him:) "Read thine (own) record: sufficient is thy soul this day to make out an account against thee."
C2189. Our true accusers are our own deeds.
Why not look to them instead of vainly prying into something superstitious which we call a book of fortune or a book of omens?
مَّنِ اهْتَدَى
فَإِنَّمَا
يَهْتَدي
لِنَفْسِهِ...
17: 15. Who receiveth guidance, receiveth it for his own benefit:
...وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا...
who goeth astray doth so to his own loss:
C2190. The doctrine of personal responsibility is insisted on, and the basis of ethics is shown to be our own good or evil as furthering or obstructing our highest development.
...وَلاَ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى...
no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another:
C2191. The doctrine of vicarious atonement is condemned. Salvation for the wicked cannot be attained by the punishment of the innocent.
One man cannot bear the burden of another: that would be unjust. Every man must bear his own personal responsibility. Cf. 6:164.
But Allah never visits His wrath on anyone until due warning is conveyed to him through an accredited messenger.
...وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاً ﴿١٥﴾
nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent a Messenger (to give warning).
Others version:
17: 13
Yusuf Ali Every man's fate We have fastened on his own neck: on the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a scroll which he will see spread open.
Pickthall And every man's augury have We fastened to his own neck, and We shall bring forth for him on the Day of Resurrection a book which he will find wide open.
Yuksel We have attached every human's deeds to his own neck, and We bring forth for him a book on the day of Resurrection which he will find on display.*
Transliteration Wa kulla insa_nin alzamna_hu ta_'irahu_ fi 'unuqih(i), wa nukhriju lahu_ yaumal qiya_mati kita_bay yalqa_hu mansyu_ra_(n).
17: 14
Yusuf Ali (It will be said to him:) "Read thine (own) record: sufficient is thy soul this day to make out an account against thee."
Pickthall (And it will be said unto him): Read thy book. Thy soul sufficeth as reckoner against thee this day.
Yuksel Read your book! Today, you suffice as a reckoner against yourself.
Transliteration Iqra' kita_bak(a), kafa_ bi nafsikal yauma 'alaika hasiba_(n).
17: 15
Yusuf Ali Who receiveth guidance receiveth it for his own benefit: who goeth astray doth so to his own loss: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent an apostle (to give warning).
Pickthall Whosoever goeth right, it is only for (the good of) his own soul that he goeth right, and whosoever erreth, erreth only to its hurt. No laden soul can bear another's load. We never punish until We have sent a messenger.
Yuksel Whoever is guided is guided for himself, and whoever is misguided is for his own loss. No person shall carry the load of another, and We were not to punish until We send a messenger.*
Transliteration Man-ihtada_ fa innama_ yahtadi li nafsih(i), wa man dalla fa innama_ yadillu 'alaiha_, wa la_ taziru wa_ziratuw wizra ukhra_, wa ma_ kunna_ mu'azzibina hatta_ nab'asa rasu_la_(n).
[[ Yuksel’s notes - 017:013 All our intentions, words, and actions are recorded in a record. We will be impeached by this record on the Day of Judgment. See 57:22.
017:015 This verse confirms the Biblical verse Ezekiel 18:20. However, the Bible also contains verses claiming collective punishment: Exodus 20:5; Lamentations 5:7; Psalms 109:9-10. ]]