Nabi and Rasul according to Asad

22. Sura al-Hajj

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ وَلَا نَبِيٍّ...

22: 52. Never did We send a Messenger or a Prophet before thee,

...إِلَّا إِذَا تَمَنَّى أَلْقَى الشَّيْطَانُ فِي أُمْنِيَّتِهِ...

but, when he framed a desire, Satan threw some (vanity) into his desire:

C2831. Prophets and messengers (the distinction is explained in n. 2503 to 19:51) are but human. Their actions are righteous and their motives pure. But in judging things from a human point of view, the suggestion may come to their mind (from Satan) that it would be good to have power or wealth or influence for furthering Allah's cause, or that it may be good to conciliate some faction which may be irreconcilable.

In fact, in Allah's Plan, it may be the opposite. Allah, in His mercy and inspiration, will cancel any false or vain suggestions of this kind, and confirm and strengthen His own Commands and make known His Will in His Signs or revelations.

...فَيَنسَخُ اللَّهُ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ...

but Allah will cancel anything (vain) that Satan throws in,

...ثُمَّ يُحْكِمُ اللَّهُ آيَاتِهِ...

and Allah will confirm (and establish) His Signs:

...وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ ﴿٥٢﴾

for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom:

C2832. This clause and the similar clause at the end of the next verse are parenthetical.

Asad’s Version:

22:52

Yet whenever We sent forth any apostle or prophet before thee, and he was hoping 65 [that his

warnings would be heeded], Satan would cast an aspersion on his innermost aims:" but God

renders null and void whatever aspersion Satan may cast; and God makes His messages clear

in and by themselves 67 - for God is all-knowing, wise.

65 Lit., "We never sent any apostle or prophet before thee without that, when he was hoping

(tamanna)...", etc. According to most of the commentators, the designation "apostle" (rasul)

is applied to bearers of divine revelations which comprise a new doctrinal system or

dispensation;

a prophet" (nabi), on the other hand, is said to be one whom God has entrusted with the

enunciation

of ethical principles on the basis of an already-existing dispensation, or of principles common

to all divine dispensations.

Hence, every apostle is a prophet as well, but not every prophet is

an apostle.