9. [at-Tawbah, Medina 113, 9H after Tabuk]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
إِنَّ اللّهَ
لَهُ مُلْكُ
السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالأَرْضِ
يُحْيِـي
وَيُمِيتُ...
116. Unto Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth.
He giveth life and He taketh it.
... وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلاَ نَصِيرٍ ﴿١١٦﴾
Except for Him ye have no protector nor helper.
Pickthall’s Version:
9: 116
Pickthall Lo! Allah! Unto Him belongeth the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. He quickeneth and He giveth death. And ye have, instead of Allah, no protecting friend nor helper.
Transliteration Innalla_ha lahu_ mulkus sama_wa_ti wal ard(i), yuhyi wa yumit(u), wa ma_ lakum min du_nilla_hi miw waliyyiw wa la_ nasir(in).
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13. Surah Ar Ra'd, Medina 96
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
لَهُ
مُعَقِّبَاتٌ
مِّن بَيْنِ
يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ
خَلْفِهِ
يَحْفَظُونَهُ
مِنْ أَمْرِ
اللّهِ...
13: 11. For each (such person) there are (angels) in succession, before and behind him:
they guard him by command of Allah.
C1816. See last verse.
Every person, whether he conceals or reveals his thoughts, whether he skulks in darkness or goes about by day, -all are under Allah's watch and ward. His grace encompasses everyone, and again and again protects him, if he will only take the protection, from harm and evil.
If in his folly he thinks he can secretly take some pleasure or profit, he is wrong, for recording angels record all his thoughts and deeds.
...إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ...
Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls).
C1817. Allah is not intent on punishment. He created man virtuous and pure; he gave him intelligence and knowledge; he surrounded him with all sorts of instruments of His grace and mercy.
If, in spite of all this, man distorts his own will and goes against Allah's Will, yet is Allah's forgiveness open to him if he will take it.
It is only when he has made his own sight blind and changed his own nature or soul away from the beautiful mould in which Allah formed it, that Allah's Wrath will descend on him and the favourable position in which Allah placed him will be changed.
When once the punishment comes, there is no turning it back. None of the things which he relied upon- other than Allah-can possibly protect him.
...وَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللّهُ بِقَوْمٍ سُوءًا فَلاَ مَرَدَّ لَهُ...
But when (once) Allah willeth a people's punishment, there can be no turning it back,
...وَمَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِ مِن وَالٍ ﴿١١﴾
nor will they find, besides Him, any to protect.
قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ
السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالأَرْضِ...
13: 16. Say: "Who is the Lord and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth?"
C1828. The meaning of "Rabb" is explained in n. 20, to 1:2.
...قُلِ اللّهُ...
Say: "It is Allah."
...قُلْ أَفَاتَّخَذْتُم مِّن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاء لاَ يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ نَفْعًا وَلاَ ضَرًّا...
Say: "Do ye then take (for worship) protectors other than Him, such as have no power either for good or for harm to themselves?"
C1829. Cf. 5:76.
...قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الأَعْمَى وَالْبَصِيرُ...
Say:
"Are the blind equal with those who see?
...أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِي الظُّلُمَاتُ وَالنُّورُ...
Or the depths of darkness equal with Light?"
...أَمْ جَعَلُواْ لِلّهِ شُرَكَاء خَلَقُواْ كَخَلْقِهِ فَتَشَابَهَ الْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ...
Or do they assign to Allah partners who have created (anything) as He has created, so that the creation seemed to them similar?
C1830. This verse may be analyzed into six parts, each two parts going together like question and answer. Each except the fifth part is introduced by the word "Say", which is equivalent in old Arabic to inverted commas.
The fifth part, "or do they assign .... similar?" is not introduced by "Say", because it is in the indirect form.
- Who is the Lord and Sustainer of the Worlds?
It is Allah,
- And yet you worship other gods?
No, no one can be equal to Him, any more than darkness is equal to light.
- Your other gods have created nothing by which you can be misled?
No indeed; He is the only Creator, the One and Supreme.
...قُلِ اللّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ ﴿١٦﴾
Say:
"Allah is the Creator of all things:
He is the One, the Supreme and Irresistible."
وَكَذَلِكَ
أَنزَلْنَاهُ
حُكْمًا عَرَبِيًّا...
13: 37. Thus have We revealed it to be a judgment of authority in Arabic.
C1859. The Quran is in Arabic; therefore the Arabs, among whom it was promulgated, could have no difficulty in understanding its precepts and using it in judging of right and wrong in all their affairs.
But it is also universal; therefore no one should give preference to his own vain fancies against this authoritative declaration.
...وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءهُم بَعْدَ مَا جَاءكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ...
Wert thou to follow their (vain) desires after the knowledge which hath reached thee,
...مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلاَ وَاقٍ ﴿٣٧﴾
then wouldst thou find neither protector nor defender against Allah.
C1860. Cf. 2:120.
The variation is in the single word "Waq" here in place of "Nasir" in 2:120. In each case the apt word is chosen not only for the rhythm in its own passage but for the general meaning in the argument.
13: 11
Asad he has hosts of helpers –both such as can be perceived by him and as such as are hidden from him – that could preserve him from whatever God may have willed. Verily, God does not change men’s condition unless they change their inner selves; …….
Pickthall For him are angels ranged before him and behind him who guard him by Allah's command. Lo! Allah changeth not the condition of a folk until they (first) change that which is in their hearts; and if Allah willeth misfortune for a folk there is none that can repel it, nor have they a defender beside Him.
Transliteration Lahu_ mu'aqqiba_tum mim baini yadaihi wa min khalfihi yahfazu_nahu_ min amrilla_h(i), innalla_ha la_ yugayyiru ma_ bi qaumin hatta_ yugayyiru_ ma_ bi anfusihim, wa iza_ ara_dalla_hu bi qaumin sa_'an fala_ maradda lah(u_), wa ma_ lahum min du_nihi miw wa_l(in).
13: 16
Asad ………Say: “God is the Creator of all things; and He is the One who holds absolute sway over all that exists.”
Pickthall Say (O Muhammad): Who is Lord of the heaven and the earth? Say: Allah! Say: Take ye then (others) beside Him for protectors, which, even for themselves, have neither benefit nor hurt? Say: Is the blind man equal to the seer, or is darkness equal to light? Or assign they unto Allah partners Who created the like of His creation so that the creation (which they made and His creation) seemed alike to them? Say: Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Almighty.
Transliteration Qul mar rabbus sama_wa_ti wal ard(i), qulilla_h(u), qul afa-ttakhaztum min du_nihi auliya_'a la_ yamliku_na li anfusihim naf'aw wa la_ darra_(n), qul hal yastawil a'ma_ wal basir(u), am hal tastawiz zuluma_tu wan nu_r(u), am ja'ala_ lilla_hi syuraka_'a khalaqa_ ka khalqihi fa tasya_bahal khalqu 'alaihim, qulilla_hu kha_liqu kulli syai'iw wa huwal wa_hidul qahha_r(u).
13: 37
Asad Thus, then, have We bestowed from on high this [divine writ] as an ordinance in the Arabic tongue. …….after all the knowledge that has come unto thee,……..none to protect thee from God, and none to shield thee.
Pickthall Thus have We revealed it, a decisive utterance in Arabic and if thou shouldst follow their desires after that which hath come unto thee of knowledge, then truly wouldst thou have from Allah no protecting friend nor defender.
Transliteration Wa kaza_lika anzalna_hu hukman 'arabiyya_(n), wa la'in-ittaba'ta ahwa_'ahum ba'da ma_ ja_'aka minal 'ilm(i), ma_ laka minalla_hi miw waliyyiw wa la_ wa_q(in).
[see Asad ntoe 72: …in this connection 14:4, where it is stated that every one of God’s prophets was entrusted with a message “in this own people’s tongue, so that he might make [the truth] clear unto them”.…..7:158, “ Say [ O Prophet ]: ‘O mankind! I am an apostle of God to all of you.” ]
Afa amintum ay yakhsifa bikum ja_nibal barri au yursila 'alaikum ha_siban summa la_ tajidu lakum wakila_(n),
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17. [al-Israa, Mecca 50 ]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
أَفَأَمِنتُمْ
أَن يَخْسِفَ
بِكُمْ جَانِبَ
الْبَرِّ أَوْ
يُرْسِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ
حَاصِبًا...
17: 68. Do ye then feel secure that He will not cause you to be swallowed up beneath the earth when ye are on land, or that He will not send against you a violent tornado (with showers of stones)
C2263. Man is safe neither on land nor at sea except by the grace and mercy of Allah.
How forcibly this is brought home to us by the Quetta earthquake of 31st May 1935, when tens of thousands of men, women, and children, perished in a few moments, by night, buried in debris!
The stories of violent destructive tornadoes in such areas as the southern United States are equally impressive.
The destruction is so sudden that the victims have no time to arrange anything. They are simply wiped out.
...ثُمَّ لاَ تَجِدُواْ لَكُمْ وَكِيلاً ﴿٦٨﴾
so that ye shall find no one to carry out your affairs for you?
أَمْ أَمِنتُمْ
أَن يُعِيدَكُمْ
فِيهِ تَارَةً
أُخْرَى...
17: 69. Or do ye feel secure that He will not send you back a second time to sea
...فَيُرْسِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ قَاصِفا مِّنَ الرِّيحِ فَيُغْرِقَكُم بِمَا كَفَرْتُمْ...
and send against you a heavy gale to drown you because of your ingratitude,
C2264. If a man flees from the Wrath of Allah, there is no place secure for him.
He may flee from sea to land, and back again from land to sea. But his life depends on the Disposer of all affairs. He may go again and again to sea, and perhaps finally end by being drowned.
...ثُمَّ لاَ تَجِدُواْ لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا بِهِ تَبِيعًا ﴿٦٩﴾
so that ye find no helper therein against Us?
Pickthall’s Version:
17: 68
Pickthall Feel ye then secure that He will not cause a slope of the land to engulf you, or send a sandstorm, upon you, and then ye will find that ye have no protector?
Transliteration Am amintum ay yu'idakum fihi ta_ratan ukhra_ fayursila 'alaikum qa_sifam minar rihi fayugriqakum bima_ kafartum, summa la_ tajidu lakum'alaina_ bihi tabi'a_(n).
17: 69
Pickthall Or feel ye secure that He will not return you to that (plight) a second time, and send against you a hurricane of wind and drown you for your thanklessness, and then ye will not find therein that ye have any avenger against Us?