| y_ali | asad | literal | tlt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. * | Closer and closer to mankind comes their Reckoning: yet they heed not and they turn away. | CLOSER DRAWS unto men their reckoning: and yet they remain stubbornly heedless [of its approach]. [Lit., "and yet in [their] heedlessness they are obstinate (muridun)".] | Their account/calculation neared/approached to the people, and they are in negligence/disregard objecting/opposing. | swr+ alanbya' bsm allh alrHmn alrHym aqtrb llnas Hsabhm whm fy Gfl+ m`rDwn | |||
| 2. * | Never comes (aught) to them of a renewed Message from their Lord, but they listen to it as in jest,-- | Whenever there comes unto them any new reminder from their Sustainer, they but listen to it with playful amusement, [Lit., "while they are playing".] | None from a remembrance/reminder initiated/originated from their Lord, comes to them except they heard/listened (to) it and (while) they are playing/amusing. | mayatyhm mn Xkr mn rbhm mHdx ala astm`wh whm yl`bwn | |||
| 3. * | Their hearts toying as with trifles. The wrong-doers conceal their private counsels, (saying), "Is this (one) more than a man like yourselves? Will ye go to witchcraft with your eyes open?" | their hearts set on passing delights; yet they who are [thus] bent on wrongdoing conceal their innermost thoughts [See next note.] [when they say to one another], "Is this [Muhammad] anything but a mortal like yourselves? Will you, then, yield to [his] spellbinding eloquence with your eyes open?" [As regards my occasional rendering of sihr (lit., "sorcery" or "magic") as "spellbinding eloquence", see 74:24, where this term occurs for the first time in the chronology of Quranic revelation. By rejecting the message of the Quran on the specious plea that Muhammad is but a human being endowed with "spellbinding eloquence", the opponents of the Quranic doctrine in reality "conceal their innermost thoughts": for, their rejection is due not so much to any pertinent criticism of this doctrine as, rather, to their instinctive, deep-set unwillingness to submit to the moral and spiritual discipline which an acceptance of the Prophet's call would entail.] | Their hearts/minds are being distracted and they kept the confidential talk secret, those who caused injustice/oppression, is that except (a) human similar/equal to you? Do you do the magic/sorcery and you are seeing/understanding? | lahy+ qlwbhm wasrwa alnjwi alXyn Zlmwa hl hXa ala b$r mxlkm aftatwn alsHr wantm tbSrwn | |||
| 4. * | Say: "My Lord knoweth (every) word (spoken) in the heavens and on earth: He is the One that heareth and knoweth (all things)." | Say: [According to the earliest scholars of Medina and Basrah, as well as some of the scholars of Kufah, this word is spelt qul, as an imperative ("Say"), whereas some of the Meccan scholars and the majority of those of Kufah read it as qala ("He [i.e., the Prophet] said"). In the earliest copies of the Quran the spelling was apparently confined, in this instance, to the consonants q-l: hence the possibility of reading it either as qul or as qala. However, as Tabari points out, both these readings have the same meaning and are, therefore, equally valid, "for, when God bade Muhammad to say this, he [undoubtedly] said it... Hence, in whichever way this word is read, the reader is correct (musib as-sawab) in his reading." Among the classical commentators, Baghawi and Baydawi explicitly use the spelling qul, while Zamakhshari's short remark that "it has also been read as qala" seems to indicate his own preference for the imperative qul.] "My Sustainer knows whatever is spoken in heaven and on earth; and He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing." | He said: "My Lord knows the saying/opinion and belief in the skies/space and the earth/Planet Earth, and He is the hearing/listening, the knowledgeable." | qal rby y`lm alqwl fy alsma' walarD whw alsmy` al`lym | |||
| 5. * | "Nay," they say, "(these are) medleys of dream!--Nay, He forged it!--Nay, He is (but) a poet! Let him then bring us a Sign like the ones that were sent to (Prophets) of old!" | "Nay," they say, "[Muhammad propounds] the most involved and confusing of dreams!" [Lit., "confusing medleys (adghath) of dreams".] "Nay, but he has invented [all] this!" - "Nay, but he is [only] a poet!" - [and,] "Let him, then, come unto us with a miracle, just as those [prophets] of old were sent [with miracles]?" | But they said: "A confused mixture of dreams with no basis, rather he fabricated/cut and split it, rather he is a poet, so he should come/bring us with a verse/evidence/sign, as/like the first/beginners were sent." | bl qalwa aDGax aHlam bl aftrah bl hw $a`r flyatna bay+ kma arsl alawlwn | |||
| 6. * | (As to those) before them, not one of the populations which We destroyed believed: will these believe? | Not one of the communities that We destroyed in bygone times [Lit., "before them".] would ever believe [their prophets]: will these, then, [be more willing to] believe? [The downfall of those communities of old - frequently referred to in the Quran - was invariably due to the fact that they had been resolved to ignore all spiritual truths which militated against their own, materialistic concept of life: is it, then (so the Quranic argument goes), reasonable to expect that the opponents of the Prophet Muhammad, who are similarly motivated, would be more willing to consider his message on its merits?] | None from a village/urban city before them believed, (that) We made it die/destroyed it, so are they believing? | ma amnt qblhm mn qry+ ahlknaha afhm yWmnwn | |||
| 7. * | Before thee, also, the apostles We sent were but men, to whom We granted inspiration: If ye realise this not, ask of those who possess the Message. | For [even] before thy time, [O Muhammad,] We never sent [as Our apostles] any but [mortal] men, whom We inspired - hence, [tell the deniers of the truth,] "If you do not know this, ask the followers of earlier revelation" -[Lit., "followers of the reminder" - i.e., of the Bible, which in its original, uncorrupted form represented one of Gods "reminders" to man.] | And We did not send before you except men, We inspire/transmit to them, so ask/question the reminder's/remembrance's people if you were not knowing. | wmaarslna qblk ala rjala nwHy alyhm fsAlwa ahl alXkr an kntm lat`lmwn | |||
| 8. * | Nor did We give them bodies that ate no food, nor were they exempt from death. | and neither did We endow them with bodies that could dispense with food nor were they immortal. [Lit., "neither did We fashion them [ie., those apostles] as bodies that ate no food", implying a denial of any supernatural quality in the prophets entrusted with God's message (cf. 5:75, 13:38 and 25:20, as well as the corresponding notes). The above is an answer to the unbelievers' objection to Muhammad's prophethood expressed in verse 3 of this surah.] | And We did not make/create them a body, they do not eat the food, and they were not immortal/eternal. | wmaj`lnahm jsda layaklwn alT`am wmakanwa Kaldyn | |||
| 9. * | In the end We fulfilled to them Our Promise, and We saved them and those whom We pleased, but We destroyed those who transgressed beyond bounds. | In the end, We made good unto them Our promise, and We saved them and all whom We willed [to save], [I.e., their believing followers.] and We destroyed those who had wasted their own selves. [As regards my rendering of al-musrifun as "those who had wasted their own selves", see note on the last sentence of 10:12.] | Then We were truthful to them (in) the promise, so We saved/rescued them and whom We will/want, and We destroyed the wasters/extravagators. | xm Sdqnahm alw`d fanjynahm wmn n$a' wahlkna almsrfyn | |||
| 10. * | We have revealed for you (O men!) a book in which is a Message for you: will ye not then understand? | [O MEN!] We have now bestowed upon you from on high a divine writ containing all that you ought to bear in mind: will you not, then, use your reason? [The term dhikr, which primarily denotes a "reminder" or a "remembrance", or, as Raghib defines it, the "presence (of something) in the mind", has also the meaning of "that by which one is remembered, i.e., with praise - in other words, "renown" or "fame" - and, tropically, "honour", "eminence" or "dignity". Hence, the above phrase contains, apart from the concept of a "reminder", an indirect allusion to the dignity and happiness to which man may attain by following the spiritual and social precepts laid down in the Quran. By rendering the expression dhikrukum as "all that you ought to bear in mind", I have tried to bring out all these meanings.] | We had descended to you a Book in it (is) your memory/mention, so do you not reason/understand? | lqd anzlna alykm ktaba fyh Xkrkm afla t`qlwn | |||
| 11. * | How many were the populations We utterly destroyed because of their iniquities, setting up in their places other peoples? | For, how many a community that persisted in evildoing have We dashed into fragments, and raised another people in its stead! [Lit., "after it".] | And how many from a village/urban city We destroyed/broke, (it) was unjust/oppressive, and We created/formed after it a nation (of) others. | wkm qSmna mn qry+ kant Zalm+ wan$ana b`dha qwma aKryn | |||
| 12. * | Yet, when they felt Our Punishment (coming), behold, they (tried to) flee from it. | And [every time,] as soon as they began to feel Our punishing might, lo! they tried to flee from it - | So when they felt with one of their physical senses Our might/power, then they are from it running (fleeing). | flma aHswa basna aXa hm mnha yrkDwn | |||
| 13. * | Flee not, but return to the good things of this life which were given you, and to your homes in order that ye may be called to account. | [and at the same time they seemed to hear a scornful voice]: "Do not try to flee, but return to all that [once] gave you pleasure and corrupted your whole being. [For an explanation of the phrase ma utriftum fihi, see surah 11:116.] and [return] to your homes, so that you might be called to account [for what you have done]!" [The Quran does not say whose words these are, but the tenor of this passage indicates, I believe, that it is the scornful, self-accusing voice of the sinners' own conscience: hence my interpolation, between brackets, at the beginning of this verse.] | Do not run, and return to what you were luxuriated/ungrateful and arrogant in it and your residences, maybe/perhaps you be asked/questioned. | latrkDwa warj`wa ali maatrftm fyh wmsaknkm l`lkm tsAlwn | |||
| 14. * | They said: "Ah! woe to us! We were indeed wrong-doers!" | And they could only cry: [Lit., "They said".] "Oh, woe unto us! Verily, we were wrongdoers!" | They said: "Oh our calam ity that we, we were unjust/oppressive." | qalwa yawylna ana kna Zalmyn | |||
| 15. * | And that cry of theirs ceased not, till We made them as a field that is mown, as ashes silent and quenched. | And that cry of theirs did not cease until We caused them to become [like] a field mown down, still and silent as ashes. | So it was still/continuing that it (was) their call/prayer until We made them uprooted (and) silent/dead. | fmazalt tlk d`wahm Hti j`lnahm HSyda Kamdyn | |||
| 16. * | Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and the earth and all that is between! | AND [know that] We have not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in mere idle play: [Lit., "playing" or "playfully", i.e., without meaning and purpose: see note on 10:5] | And We did not create the skies/space and the earth/Planet Earth and what (is) between them (B) playing/amusing | wmaKlqna alsma' walarD wmabynhma la`byn | |||
| 17. * | If it had been Our wish to take (just) a pastime, We should surely have taken it from the things nearest to Us, if We would do (such a thing)! | [for,] had We willed to indulge in a pastime, We would indeed have produced it from within Ourselves - if such had been Our will at all! [Lit., "if We had [ever] willed to do so": meaning that, had God ever willed to "indulge in a pastime" (which, being almighty and self-sufficient, He has no need to do). He could have found it within His Own Self, without any necessity to create a universe which would embody His hypothetical - and logically inconceivable - will to "please Himself", and would thus represent a "projection", as it were, of His Own Being. In the elliptic manner of the Quran, the above passage amounts to a statement of God's transcendence.] | If We wanted that We take a plaything/an amusement, We would have taken it from at Us, if We were making/doing. | lw ardna an ntKX lhwa latKXnah mn ldna an kna fa`lyn | |||
| 18. * | Nay, We hurl the Truth against falsehood, and it knocks out its brain, and behold, falsehood doth perish! Ah! woe be to you for the (false) things ye ascribe (to Us). | Nay, but [by the very act of creation] We hurl the truth against falsehood, [I.e., the truth of God's transcendence against the false idea of His existential immanence in or co-existence with, the created universe.] and it crushes the latter: and lo! it withers away. [The obvious fact that everything in the created universe is finite and perishable effectively refutes the claim that it could be a "projection" of the Creator, who is infinite and eternal.] But woe unto you for all your [attempts at] defining [God] - [Lit., "for all that you attribute [to God] by way of description" or "of definition" (cf. the last sentence of 6:100 and the corresponding note) - implying that the idea of God's "immanence" in His creation is equivalent to an attempt to define His Being.] | Rather We throw/hurl with the truth on the falsehood, so it nullifies/eliminates it (the falsehood), so then it(the falsehood) is vanishing/being destroyed, and for you (is) the grief/misfortune from what you describe/categorize. | bl nqXf balHq `li albaTl fydmGh faXa hw zahq wlkm alwyl mma tSfwn | |||
| 19. * | To Him belong all (creatures) in the heavens and on earth: Even those who are in His (very) Presence are not too proud to serve Him, nor are they (ever) weary (of His service): | for, unto Him belong all [beings] that are in the heavens and on earth; and those that are with Him are never too proud to worship Him and never grow weary [thereof]: [According to the classical commentators, this refers to the angels; but it is possible to understand the expression "those who are with Him" in a wider sense, comprising not only the angels but also all human beings who are truly God-conscious and wholly dedicated to Him. In either case, their "being with Him" is a metaphorical indication of their spiritual eminence and place of honour in God's sight, and does not bear any spatial connotation of "nearness" (Zamakhshari and Razi): obviously so, because God is limitless in space as well as in time. (See also 40:7 and the corresponding note.)] | And for Him whom (is) between the skies/space and the earth/Planet Earth, and whom (are) at Him do not be arrogant from worshipping Him, and they do not grieve/sadden. | wlh mn fy alsmawat walarD wmn `ndh laystkbrwn `n `badth wlaystHsrwn | |||
| 20. * | They celebrate His praises night and day, nor do they ever flag or intermit. | they extol His limitless glory by night and by day, never flagging [therein]. | They praise/glorify (during) the night and the daytime, they do not subside/abate. | ysbHwn allyl walnhar layftrwn | |||
| 21. * | Or have they taken (for worship) gods from the earth who can raise (the dead)? | And yet [As stressed by Zamakhshari, the particle am which introduces this sentence has not, as is so often the case, an interrogative sense ("is it that..."), but is used here in the sense of bal, which in this instance may be rendered as "and yet".] some people choose to worship certain earthly things or beings as deities [Lit., "they have taken unto themselves deities from the earth", i.e., from among the things or beings found on earth: an expression which alludes to all manner of false objects of worship - idols of every description, forces of nature, deified human beings, and, finally, abstract concepts such as wealth, power. etc.] that [are supposed to] resurrect [the dead; and they fail to realize that], | Or they took/received gods from the earth/Planet Earth, they are reviving/resurrecting. | am atKXwa alh+ mn alarD hm yn$rwn | |||
| 22. * | If there were, in the heavens and the earth, other gods besides Allah, there would have been confusion in both! but glory to Allah, the Lord of the Throne: (High is He) above what they attribute to Him! | had there been in heaven or on earth [Lit., "in those two [realms]", alluding to the first clause of verse 19 above.] any deities other than God, both [those realms would surely have fallen into ruin! But limitless in His glory is God, enthroned in His awesome almightiness [Lit., "the Sustainer (rabb) of the awesome throne of almightiness". (For this rendering of al-arsh, see note on 7:54.][far] above anything that men may devise by way of definition! [Cf. last sentence of verse 18 above and the corresponding note, as well as note on 6:100.] | If (there) was in them (B) (the skies and the Earth) gods, except God, they (B) would have been corrupted,so praise/glory (to) God, Lord (of) the throne about what they describe/categorize. | lw kan fyhma alh+ ala allh lfsdta fsbHan allh rb al`r$ `ma ySfwn | |||
| 23. * | He cannot be questioned for His acts, but they will be questioned (for theirs). | He cannot be called to account for whatever He does, whereas they will be called to account: | (He is) not to be asked/questioned about what He makes/does, and they are being asked/questioned. | laysAl `ma yf`l whm ysAlwn | |||
| 24. * | Or have they taken for worship (other) gods besides him? Say, "Bring your convincing proof: this is the Message of those with me and the Message of those before me." But most of them know not the Truth, and so turn away. | and yet, [See note on verse 21 above.] they choose to worship [imaginary] deities instead of Him! Say [O Prophet]: "Produce an evidence for what you are claiming: [Lit., "produce your evidence", i.e., for the existence of deities other than God, as well as for the intellectual and moral justification of worshipping anything but Him.] this is a reminder [unceasingly voiced] by those who are with me, just as it was a reminder [voiced] by those who came before me." [I.e., the earlier prophets, the purport of whose messages was always the stress on the oneness of God.] But nay, most of them do not know the truth, and so they stubbornly turn away [from it] [In other words, most people's obstinate refusal to consider a reasonable proposition on its merits is often due to no more than the simple fact that it is not familiar to them.] | Or they took/received from other than Him gods, say: "Bring/give your proof/evidence that (is a) reminder/mention what (is) with me, and (a) reminder/mention what (is) before me, but most of them do not know the truth, so they are objecting/opposing. | am atKXwa mn dwnh alh+ ql hatwa brhankm hXa Xkr mn m`y wXkr mn qbly bl akxrhm lay`lmwn alHq fhm m`rDwn | |||
| 25. * | Not an apostle did We send before thee without this inspiration sent by Us to him: that there is no god but I; therefore worship and serve Me. | and [this despite the fact that even] before thy time We never sent any apostle without having revealed to him that there is no deity save Me, - [and that,] therefore, you shall worship Me [alone]! | And We did not send from before you from a messenger, except (that) We inspire/transmit to him: "That He is no God except Me, so worship Me." | wmaarslna mn qblk mn rswl ala nwHy alyh anh laalh ala ana fa`bdwn | |||
| 26. * | And they say: "((Allah)) Most Gracious has begotten offspring." Glory to Him! they are (but) servants raised to honour. | And [yet,] some say, "The Most Gracious has taken unto Himself a son"! Limitless is He in His glory! [I.e., utterly remote from the imperfection implied in the concept of `offspring": see note on 19:92.] Nay, [those whom they regard as God's "offspring" are but His] honoured servants: [This alludes to prophets like Jesus, whom the Christians regard as "the son of God", as well as to the angels, whom the pre-Islamic Arabs considered to be "God's daughters" (since they were conceived of as females). | And they said: "The merciful took/received a child (son) His praise/glory but honoured worshippers/slaves." | wqalwa atKX alrHmn wlda sbHanh bl `bad mkrmwn | |||
| 27. * | They speak not before He speaks, and they act (in all things) by His Command. | they speak not until He has spoken unto them, and [whenever they act,] they act at His behest. [Lit., "they do not precede Him in speech - meaning that they proclaim only what He has revealed to them and bidden them to proclaim.] | They do not precede/race Him with the saying/opinion and belief, and they are with His order/command doing/working. | laysbqwnh balqwl whm bamrh y`mlwn | |||
| 28. * | He knows what is before them, and what is behind them, and they offer no intercession except for those who are acceptable, and they stand in awe and reverence of His (Glory). | He knows all that lies open before them and all that is hidden from them: [See note on 2:255.] hence, they cannot intercede for any but those whom He has [already] graced with His goodly acceptance, since they themselves stand in reverent awe of Him. [Cf. 19:87 and 20:109. Regarding the problem of intercession" as such, see note on 10:3.] | He knows what (is) between their hands and what (is) behind them, and they do not mediate except to who He accepted/approved, and they are from His fear are guarding/cautious. | y`lm mabyn aydyhm wmaKlfhm wlay$f`wn ala lmn artDi whm mn K$yth m$fqwn | |||
| 29. * | If any of them should say, "I am a god besides Him", such a one We should reward with Hell: thus do We reward those who do wrong. | And if any of them were to say, "Behold, I am deity beside Him" - that one We should requite with hell: thus do We requite all [such] evildoers. | And who says from them: "That I am a god from other than Him." So that/this, We reimburse him Hell, that is how We reimburse the unjust/oppressive." | wmn yql mnhm any alh mn dwnh fXlk njzyh jhnm kXlk njzy alZalmyn | |||
| 30. * | Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe? | ARE, THEN, they who are bent on denying the truth not aware that the heavens and the earth were [once] one single entity, which We then parted asunder? - [The above unmistakable reference to the unitary origin of the universe - metonymically described in the Quran as "the heavens and the earth" - strikingly anticipates the view of almost all modern astrophysicists that this universe has originated from one entity, which became subsequently consolidated through gravity and then separated into individual nebulae, galaxies and solar systems, with further individual parts progressively breaking away to form new entities in the shape of stars, planets etc. (Regarding the Quranic reference to the phenomenon described by the term "expanding universe", see 51:47 and the corresponding note.)] and [that] We made out of water every living thing? Will they not, then, [begin to] believe? [The statement that God "made out of water every living thing" expresses most concisely a truth that is nowadays universally accepted by science. It has a threefold meaning: 1 Water was the environment within which the prototype of all living matter originated; 2 among all the innumerable - existing or conceivable - liquids, only water has the peculiar properties necessary for the emergence and development of life; and 3 the protoplasm, which is the physical basis of every living cell - whether in plants or in animals - and represents the only form of matter in which the phenomena of life are manifested, consists overwhelmingly of water and is, thus, utterly dependent on it. Read together with the preceding statement, which alludes to the unitary origin of the physical universe, the emergence of life from and within an equally unitary element points to the existence of a unitary plan underlying all creation and, hence, to the existence and oneness of the Creator. This accent on the oneness of God and the unity of this creation is taken up again in verse 92 below.] | Did those who disbelieved not see that the skies/space and the earth/Planet Earth, they (B) were joined, so We split/ruptured them (B), and We made/created from the water every thing alive/living, so do they not believe? | awlm yr alXyn kfrwa an alsmawat walarD kanta rtqa fftqnahma wj`lna mn alma' kl $Y Hy aflayWmnwn | |||
| 31. * | And We have set on the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with them, and We have made therein broad highways (between mountains) for them to pass through: that they may receive Guidance. | And [are they not aware that] We have set up firm mountains on earth, lest it sway with them, [See 16:15 and the corresponding note.] and [that] We have appointed thereon broad paths, so that they might find their way, | And We made/created in the earth/Planet Earth anchors/mountains, that (E) it sways and leans/moves and unsettles with them, and We made/created in it wide mountain paths (as) roads/paths,maybe/perhaps they be guided. | wj`lna fy alarD rwasy an tmyd bhm wj`lna fyha fjaja sbla l`lhm yhtdwn | |||
| 32. * | And We have made the heavens as a canopy well guarded: yet do they turn away from the Signs which these things (point to)! | and [that] We have set up the sky as a canopy well-secured? [See note on the first sentence of 13:2, which seems to have a similar meaning.] And yet, they stubbornly turn away from [all] the signs of this [creation], | And We made/created the sky/space a protected/guarded roof/ceiling, and they are from its verses/evidences/signs objecting/opposing. | wj`lna alsma' sqfa mHfwZa whm `n ayatha m`rDwn | |||
| 33. * | It is He Who created the Night and the Day, and the sun and the moon: all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course. | and [fail to see that] it is He who has created the night and the day and the sun and the moon - all of them floating through space! | And He is who created the night and the daytime, and the sun and the moon, every/all in (an) orbit/circuit floating. | whw alXy Klq allyl walnhar wal$ms walqmr kl fy flk ysbHwn | |||
| 34. * | We granted not to any man before thee permanent life (here): if then thou shouldst die, would they live permanently? | AND [remind those who deny thee, O Prophet, that] [This relates to the objection of the unbelievers, mentioned in verse 3 of this surah, that Muhammad is "but a mortal like yourselves", and connects also with verses 7 - 8, which stress that all of God's apostles were but mortal men (cf. 3:144).] never have We granted life everlasting to any mortal before thee: [The obvious implication "and so We shall not grant it unto thee, either". Cf. 39:30 - "thou art bound to die".] but do they, perchance, hope that although thou must die, they will live forever?" [Lit., "but if, then, thou shouldst die, will they live forever?" - implying an assumption on their part that they would not be called to account on death and resurrection.] | And We did not make/create to a human from before you the immortality, so if you died so they are the immortals ? | wmaj`lna lb$r mn qblk alKld afaYn mt fhm alKaldwn | |||
| 35. * | Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. to Us must ye return. | Every human being is bound to taste death; and We test you [all] through the bad and the good [things of life] by way of trial: and unto Us you all must return. [Lit., "you shall be brought back", i.e., for judgment.] | Every self (is) tasting/experiencing the death/lifelessness, and We test you with the bad/harm and the good/generosity (as) a test, and to Us you are being returned. | kl nfs XaYq+ almwt wnblwkm bal$r walKyr ftn+ walyna trj`wn | |||
| 36. * | When the Unbelievers see thee, they treat thee not except with ridicule. "Is this," (they say), "the one who talks of your gods?" and they blaspheme at the mention of ((Allah)) Most Gracious! | But [thus it is:] whenever they who are bent on denying the truth consider thee, [Lit., "see thee": but since this verb has here obviously an abstract meaning, relating to the message propounded by the Prophet., it is best rendered as above.] they make thee but a target of their mockery, [saying to one another,] "Is this the one who speaks [so contemptuously] of your gods?" [Sc., "and dares to deny their reality although he is a mere mortal like ourselves?"] and yet, it is they themselves who, at [every] mention of the Most Gracious, are wont to deny the truth! [I.e., although they resent any aspersion cast on whatever things or forces they unthinkingly worship, they refuse to acknowledge God's planning will manifested in every aspect of His creation.] | And if those who disbelieved saw you, that they take you except mockingly/making fun, is that who mentions/remembers your gods? And they are with mentioning/remembering the merciful they are225disbelieving. | waXa rak alXyn kfrwa an ytKXwnk ala hzwa ahXa alXy yXkr alhtkm whm bXkr alrHmn hm kafrwn | |||
| 37. * | Man is a creature of haste: soon (enough) will I show you My Signs; then ye will not ask Me to hasten them! | Man is a creature of haste; [Lit., "is created out of haste" - i.e., he is by nature imbued with impatience: cf. last sentence of 17:11. In the present context this refers to man's impatience regarding things to come: in this case - as is obvious from the sequence - his hasty refusal to believe in God's coming judgment.] [but in time] I shall make obvious to you [the truth of] My messages: do not, then, ask Me to hasten [it]! [Cf. 16:1 - "God's judgment is [bound to] come: do not, then, call for its speedy advent!"] | The human/mankind was created from hurry/haste/speed, I will show you My verses/evidences, so do not hurry/hasten. | Klq alansan mn `jl sawrykm ayaty flatst`jlwn | |||
| 38. * | They say: "When will this promise come to pass, if ye are telling the truth?" | But they [who reject My messages are wont to] ask, "When is that promise [of God's judgment] to be fulfilled? [Answer this, O you who believe in it,] if you are men of truth!" [The Quranic answer to this question is given in 7:187.] | And they say: "When (is) that the promise if you were truthful?" | wyqwlwn mti hXa alw`d an kntm Sadqyn | |||
| 39. * | If only the Unbelievers knew (the time) when they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor yet from their backs, and (when) no help can reach them! | If they but knew - they who are bent on denying the truth - [that there will come] a time when they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor from their backs, and will not find any succour! | If those who disbelieved know when they do not prevent/stop the fire from their faces/fronts, and nor from their backs, and nor they, they be given victory/aid. | lw y`lm alXyn kfrwa Hyn laykfwn `n wjwhhm alnar wla`n Zhwrhm wlahm ynSrwn | |||
| 40. * | Nay, it may come to them all of a sudden and confound them: no power will they have then to avert it, nor will they (then) get respite. | Nay, but [the Last Hour] will come upon them of a sudden, and will stupefy them: and they will be unable to avert it, and neither wilt they be allowed any respite. | But it comes to them suddenly/unexpectedly, so it amazes/surprises them, so they are not able (of) its return/returning it, and nor they be given time. | bl tatyhm bGt+ ftbhthm fla ystTy`wn rdha wlahm ynZrwn | |||
| 41. * | Mocked were (many) apostle before thee; But their scoffers were hemmed in by the thing that they mocked. | And, indeed, [O Muhammad, even] before thy time have [God's] apostles been derided - but those who scoffed at them were [in the end] overwhelmed by the very thing which they had been wont to deride. [See 6:10 (which has exactly the same wording) and the corresponding note.] | And had been mocked/made fun of with messengers from before you, so surrounded with those who mocked from them, what they were with it mocking (so those who mocked were surrounded by their deeds). | wlqd asthzY brsl mn qblk fHaq balXyn sKrwa mnhm makanwa bh ysthzWwn | |||
| 42. * | Say: "Who can keep you safe by night and by day from (the Wrath of) ((Allah)) Most Gracious?" Yet they turn away from the mention of their Lord. | Say: "Who could protect you, by night or by day, from the Most Gracious?" [The reference to God, in this context, as "the Most Gracious" (ar-rahman) is meant to bring out the fact that He - and He alone - is the protector of all creation.] And yet, from a remembrance of their Sustainer do they stubbornly turn away! | Say: "Who guards/protects you by the night and the daytime from the merciful? But they are from mentioning/remembering their Lord objecting/opposing. | ql mn yklWkm ballyl walnhar mn alrHmn bl hm `n Xkr rbhm m`rDwn | |||
| 43. * | Or have they gods that can guard them from Us? They have no power to aid themselves, nor can they be defended from Us. | Do they [really think that they] have deities that could shield them from Us? Those [alleged deities] are not [even] able to succour themselves: hence, neither can they [who worship them hope to] be aided [by them] against Us. | Or (are) for them gods preventing/protecting them from other than/besides Us, (or are there Gods that protect them from Us), they are not able (of) victory/aid (to) themselves, and nor they are from Us being accompanied/befriended. | am lhm alh+ tmn`hm mn dwnna laystTy`wn nSr anfshm wlahm mna ySbHwn | |||
| 44. * | Nay, We gave the good things of this life to these men and their fathers until the period grew long for them; See they not that We gradually reduce the land (in their control) from its outlying borders? Is it then they who will win? | Nay, We have allowed these [sinners] - as [We allowed] their forebears - to enjoy the good things of life for a great length of time: [Lit., "until their lives (umur) grew long" - i.e., until they grew accustomed to the thought that their prosperity would last forever (Zamakhshari).] but then - have they never yet seen how We visit the earth [with Our punishment], gradually depriving it of all that is best thereon? [For an explanation. See the identical phrase in 13:41 and the corresponding notes.] Can they, then, [hope to] be the winners? | But We gave long life/made those enjoy, and their fathers, until the lifetime became long/lasted long on them, so do they not see/understand that We come/bring (to) the earth/Planet Earth, We reduce/decrease/lessen it from its ends/edges, so are they the defeaters/conquerors? | bl mt`na hWla' waba'hm Hti Tal `lyhm al`mr afla yrwn ana naty alarD nnqSha mn aTrafha afhm alGalbwn | |||
| 45. * | Say, "I do but warn you according to revelation": But the deaf will not hear the call, (even) when they are warned! | SAY [unto all men]: "1 but warn you on the strength of divine revelation!" But the deaf [of heart] will not hearken to this call, however often they are warned. [Lit., "whenever they are warned".] | Say: "Truly I warn/give you notice with the inspiration/transmission, and the deaf does not hear the call/prayer if they are being warned/given notice!." | ql anma anXrkm balwHy wlaysm` alSm ald`a' aXa maynXrwn | |||
| 46. * | If but a breath of the Wrath of thy Lord do touch them, they will then say, "Woe to us! we did wrong indeed!" | And yet, if but a breath of thy Sustainer's chastisement touches them, they are sure to cry, "Oh, woe unto us! Verily, we were evildoers!" | And if a blow/breath from your Lord's torture touched them, they will say (E): "Oh our calamity, we (E) were unjust/oppressive." | wlYn msthm nfH+ mn `Xab rbk lyqwln yawylnaana kna Zalmyn | |||
| 47. * | We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least, and if there be (no more than) the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it (to account): and enough are We to take account. | But We shall set up just balance-scales on Resurrection Day, and no human being shall be wronged in the least: for though there be [in him but] the weight of a mustard-seed [of good or evil], We shall bring it forth; and none can take count as We do! | And We put the scales/measures the just/equitable to the Resurrection Day, so a self does not be caused injustice to/oppressed a thing, and (even) if (it) was a seed's/grain's weight of mustard/an herb, We brought it and enough/sufficient with Us counting/calculating. | wnD` almwazyn alqsT lywm alqyam+ flatZlm nfs $yYa wan kan mxqal Hb+ mn Krdl atyna bha wkfi bna Hasbyn | |||
| 48. * | In the past We granted to Moses and Aaron the criterion (for judgment), and a Light and a Message for those who would do right,-- | AND, INDEED, We vouchsafed unto Moses and Aaron [Our revelation as] the standard by which to discern the true from the false, [See note on 2:53. The reference to the revelation bestowed on the earlier prophets as "the standard by which to discern the true from the false" (al-furqan) has here a twofold implication: firstly, it alludes to the Quranic doctrine - explained in note on 2:4 - of the historical continuity in all divine revelation, and, secondly, it stresses the fact that revelation - and revelation alone - provides an absolute criterion of all moral valuation. Since the Mosaic dispensation as such was binding on the children of Israel alone and remained valid only within a particular historical and cultural context, the term al-furqan relates here not to the Mosaic Law as such, but to the fundamental ethical truths contained in the Torah and common to all divine revelations.] and as a [guiding] light and a reminder for the God-conscious | And We had given/brought (to) Moses and Aaron the Separator of Right and Wrong/Proof, and light/illumination, and a reminder/remembrance to the fearing and obeying. | wlqd atyna mwsi wharwn alfrqan wDya' wXkra llmtqyn | |||
| 49. * | Those who fear their Lord in their most secret thoughts, and who hold the Hour (of Judgment) in awe. | who stand in awe of their Sustainer although He is beyond the reach of human perception, [For an explanation of the above rendering of the expression bi l-ghayb, see note on 2:3.] and who tremble at the thought of the Last Hour. | Those who fear their Lord with the unseen and they are from the Hour/Resurrection they are afraid/guarding. | alXyn yK$wn rbhm balGyb whm mn alsa`+ m$fqwn | |||
| 50. * | And this is a blessed Message which We have sent down: will ye then reject it? | And [like those earlier revelations,] this one, too, is a blessed reminder which We have bestowed from on high: will you, then, disavow it? | And that (is) a blessed reminder, We descended it, so are you to it denying/objecting ? | whXa Xkr mbark anzlnah afantm lh mnkrwn | |||
| 51. * | We bestowed aforetime on Abraham his rectitude of conduct, and well were We acquainted with him. | AND, INDEED, long before [the time of Moses] We vouchsafed unto Abraham his consciousness of what is right; [The possessive pronoun "his" affixed to the noun rushd (which, in this context, has the meaning of "consciousness of what is right") emphasizes the highly personal, intellectual quality of Abraham's progressive realization of God's almightiness and uniqueness (cf. 6:74 -79 as well as note on 6:83); while the expression min qabl - rendered by me as "long before [the time of Moses]" - stresses, once again, the element of continuity in man's religious insight and experience.] and We were aware of [what moved] him | And We had given Abraham his correct/right guidance from before, and We were with (about) him knowing. | wlqd atyna abrahym r$dh mn qbl wkna bh `almyn | |||
| 52. * | Behold! he said to his father and his people, "What are these images, to which ye are (so assiduously) devoted?" | when he said unto his father and his people, "What are these images to which you are so intensely devoted?" | When he said to his father and to his nation: "What (are) these the statues which you are to it devoting/dedicating ?" | aX qal labyh wqwmh mahXh altmaxyl alty antm lha `akfwn | |||
| 53. * | They said, "We found our fathers worshipping them." | They answered: "We found our forefathers worshipping them." | They said: "We found our fathers to it worshipping." | qalwa wjdna aba'na lha `abdyn | |||
| 54. * | He said, "Indeed ye have been in manifest error--ye and your fathers." | Said he: "Indeed, you and your forefathers have obviously gone astray!" | He said: "You had been, you and your fathers in clear/evident misguidance." | qal lqd kntm antm wabaWkm fy Dlal mbyn | |||
| 55. * | They said, "Have you brought us the Truth, or are you one of those who jest?" | They asked: "Hast thou come unto us [with this claim] in all earnest - or art thou one of those jesters?" | They said: "Did you come to us with the truth, or you are from the playing amusing ?"226 | qalwa ajYtna balHq am ant mn alla`byn | |||
| 56. * | He said, "Nay, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, He Who created them (from nothing): and I am a witness to this (Truth). | He answered: "Nay, but your [true] Sustainer is the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth - He who has brought them into being: and I am one of those who bear witness to this [truth]!" | He said: "But your Lord (is) the skies'/space's and the earth's/Planet Earth's Lord, who created them (B),and I am on that from the witnessing/testifying." | qal bl rbkm rb alsmawat walarD alXy fTrhn wana `li Xlkm mn al$ahdyn | |||
| 57. * | "And by Allah, I have a plan for your idols--after ye go away and turn your backs".. | And [he added to himself.] "By God, I shall most certainly bring about the downfall of your idols as soon as you have turned your backs and gone away!" | And by God, I will manipulate/fight/(destroy) (E) your idols/statues, after that you turn giving (your) backs. | wtallh lakydn aSnamkm b`d an twlwa mdbryn | |||
| 58. * | So he broke them to pieces, (all) but the biggest of them, that they might turn (and address themselves) to it. | And then he broke those [idols] to pieces, [all] save the biggest of them, so that they might [be able to] turn to it. [Sc., "for an explanation of what had happened".] | So he made them broken/pieces except a big/large (one) for them, maybe/perhaps to it they return. | fj`lhm jXaXa ala kbyra lhm l`lhm alyh yrj`wn | |||
| 59. * | They said, "Who has done this to our gods? He must indeed be some man of impiety!" | [When they saw what had happened,] they said: "Who has done this to our gods? Verily, one of the worst wrongdoers is he!" | They said: "Who made/did that with our Gods? That he is from (E) the unjust/oppressive." | qalwa mn f`l hXa balhtna anh lmn alZalmyn | |||
| 60. * | They said, "We heard a youth talk of them: He is called Abraham." | Said some [of them]: "We heard a youth speak of these [gods with scorn]: he is called Abraham." | They said: "We heard a youth/adolescent mentioning them, is said to him, Abraham." | qalwa sm`na fti yXkrhm yqal lh abrahym | |||
| 61. * | They said, "Then bring him before the eyes of the people, that they may bear witness." | [The others] said: "Then bring him before the peoples eyes, so that they might bear witness [against him]!" | They said: "So come/bring with him on the people's eyes/sights, maybe/perhaps they witness/testify." | qalwa fatwa bh `li a`yn alnas l`lhm y$hdwn | |||
| 62. * | They said, "Art thou the one that did this with our gods, O Abraham?" | [And when he came.] they asked: "Hast thou done this to our gods, O Abraham?" | They said: "Did you make/do this with our Gods, you Abraham?" | qalwa 'ant f`lt hXa balhtna yaabrahym | |||
| 63. * | He said: "Nay, this was done by--this is their biggest one! ask them, if they can speak intelligently!" | He answered: "Nay, it was this one, the biggest of them, that did it: but ask them [yourselves] - provided they can speak!" | He said: "But/rather their oldest/biggest, that, made/did it, so ask/question them, if they were speaking." | qal bl f`lh kbyrhm hXa fsAlwhm an kanwa ynTqwn | |||
| 64. * | So they turned to themselves and said, "Surely ye are the ones in the wrong!" | And so they turned upon one another, [Lit., "they turned to [or "upon"] themselves", i.e., blaming one another.] saying, "Behold, it is you who are doing wrong." [I.e., "you are doing wrong to Abraham by rashly suspecting him" (Tabari). | So they returned to themselves, so they said: "That you are, you are the unjust/oppressive." | frj`wa ali anfshm fqalwa ankm antm alZalmwn | |||
| 65. * | Then were they confounded with shame: (they said), "Thou knowest full well that these (idols) do not speak!" | But then they relapsed into their former way of thinking and said: [Lit., "they were turned upside down upon their heads": an idiomatic phrase denoting a "mental somersault" - In this case, a sudden reversal of their readiness to exonerate Abraham and a return to their former suspicion.] "Thou knowest very well that these [idols] cannot speak!" | Then they were turned upside down on their heads/tops, "You had known those do not speak." | xm nkswa `li rWwshm lqd `lmt mahWla' ynTqwn | |||
| 66. * | (Abraham) said, "Do ye then worship, besides Allah, things that can neither be of any good to you nor do you harm? | Said [Abraham]: "Do you then worship, instead of God, something that cannot benefit you in any way, nor harm you? | He said: "Do you worship from other than God what does not benefit you a thing, and nor harm you?" | qal aft`bdwn mn dwn allh malaynf`km $yYa wlayDrkm | |||
| 67. * | "Fie upon you, and upon the things that ye worship besides Allah. Have ye no sense?".. | Fie upon you and upon all that you worship instead of God! Will you not, then, use your reason?" | Ugh to you, and to what you worship from other than God, so do you not reason/comprehend ? | af lkm wlma t`bdwn mn dwn allh afla t`qlwn | |||
| 68. * | They said, "Burn him and protect your gods, If ye do (anything at all)!" | They exclaimed: "Burn him, and [thereby] succour your gods, if you are going to do [anything]!" | They said: "Burn him, and give victory/aid (to) your gods, if you were making/doing (that)." | qalwa Hrqwh wanSrwa alhtkm an kntm fa`lyn | |||
| 69. * | We said, "O Fire! be thou cool, and (a means of) safety for Abraham!" | [But] We said: O fire! Be thou cool, and [a source of] inner peace for Abraham!" [Nowhere does the Quran state that Abraham was actually, bodily thrown into the fire and miraculously kept alive in it: on the contrary, the phrase "God saved him from the fire" occurring in 29:24 points, rather, to the fact of his not having been thrown into it. On the other hand, the many elaborate (and conflicting) stories with which the classical commentators have embroidered their interpretation of the above verse can invariably be traced hack to Talmudic legends and may, therefore, be disregarded. What the Quran gives us here, as well as in 29:24 and 37:97, is apparently an allegorical allusion to the fire of persecution, which Abraham had to suffer, and which, by dint of its intensity, was to become in his later life a source of spiritual strength and inner peace (salam). Regarding the deeper implications of the term salam, see note on 5:16.] | We said: "You fire, be/become cool/cold and peaceful/safe on Abraham." | qlna yanar kwny brda wslama `li abrahym | |||
| 70. * | Then they sought a stratagem against him: but We made them the ones that lost most! | and whereas they sought to do evil unto him, We caused them to suffer the greatest loss: [Inasmuch as Abraham forsook - as shown in the next verse - his homeland, and thus abandoned his people to their spiritual ignorance.] | And they intended with him a plot/conspiracy/deceit, so We made them the most losers. | waradwa bh kyda fj`lnahm alaKsryn | |||
| 71. * | But We delivered him and (his nephew) Lut (and directed them) to the land which We have blessed for the nations. | for We saved him and Lot, [his brother's son, by guiding them] to the land which We have blessed for all times to come. [Lit., "for all the worlds" or "for all people": i.e., Palestine, which subsequently became the homeland of a long line of prophets. (Abraham's native place - and the scene of his early struggles against polytheism - was Ur in Mesopotamia.)] | And We saved/rescued him and Lot to the Earth/land which We blessed in it to the creations all together/(universes). | wnjynah wlwTa ali alarD alty barkna fyha ll`almyn | |||
| 72. * | And We bestowed on him Isaac and, as an additional gift, (a grandson), Jacob, and We made righteous men of every one (of them). | And We bestowed upon him Isaac and [Isaacs son] Jacob as an additional gift [I.e., in addition (nafilatan) to his eldest son Ishmael (Ismail) who had been born years before Isaac.] and caused all of them to be righteous men, | And We granted to him Isaac and Jacob gifts, each/all, We made correct/righteous. | wwhbna lh asHaq wy`qwb nafl+ wkla j`lna SalHyn | |||
| 73. * | And We made them leaders, guiding (men) by Our Command, and We sent them inspiration to do good deeds, to establish regular prayers, and to practise regular charity; and they constantly served Us (and Us only). | and made them leaders who would guide [others] in accordance with Our behest: for We inspired them [with a will] to do good works, and to be constant in prayer, and to dispense charity: and Us [alone] did they worship. | And We made them leaders/examples guiding with Our order/command, and We inspired/transmitted to them making/doing the goodnesses, and keeping up the prayers, and giving/bringing the charity/purification, and they were to Us worshipping. | wj`lnahm aYm+ yhdwn bamrna wawHyna alyhm f`l alKyrat waqam alSla+ wayta' alzka+ wkanwa lna `abdyn | |||
| 74. * | And to Lut, too, We gave Judgment and Knowledge, and We saved him from the town which practised abominations: truly they were a people given to Evil, a rebellious people. | AND UNTO Lot, too, We vouchsafed sound judgment and knowledge [of right and wrong], and saved him from that community which was given to deeds of abomination. [For the story of Lot, see 7:80 - 84, 11:77 - 83 and 15:58 - 76.] [We destroyed those people - forr,] verily, they were people lost in evil, depraved - | And Lot, We gave/brought him judgment/rule and knowledge, and We saved/rescued him from the village/urban city which was making/doing the bad/forbidden, that they truly were a bad/evil nation (of) debauchers. | wlwTa atynah Hkma w`lma wnjynah mn alqry+ alty kant t`ml alKbaYx anhm kanwa qwm sw' fasqyn | |||
| 75. * | And We admitted him to Our Mercy: for he was one of the Righteous. | whereas him We admitted unto Our grace: for, behold, he was among the righteous. | And We entered him in Our mercy, that he truly (is) from the correct/righteous. | wadKlnah fy rHmtna anh mn alSalHyn | |||
| 76. * | (Remember) Noah, when he cried (to Us) aforetime: We listened to his (prayer) and delivered him and his family from great distress. | AND [remember] Noah - [how,] when He called out [unto Us], long before [the time of Abraham and Lot], We responded to him and saved him and his household from that awesome calamity; [I.e., the Deluge. The story of Noah is mentioned several times in the Quran and particularly in 11:25 - 48. Regarding the Deluge itself, see surah 7:64.] | And Noah when he called/cried from before, so We saved/rescued him and his family/people from the grief, hardship and suffering, the great. | wnwHa aX nadi mn qbl fastjbna lh fnjynah wahlh mn alkrb al`Zym | |||
| 77. * | We helped him against people who rejected Our Signs: truly they were a people given to Evil: so We drowned them (in the Flood) all together. | and [how] We succoured him against the people who had given the lie to Our messages: verily, they were people lost in evil - and [so] We caused them all to drown. | And We saved/aided him from the nation, those who lied/denied/falsified with Our verses/evidences, that they truly were a bad/evil nation, so We drowned/sunk them, all/altogether. | wnSrnah mn alqwm alXyn kXbwa bayatna anhm kanwa qwm sw' faGrqnahm ajm`yn | |||
| 78. * | And remember David and Solomon, when they gave judgment in the matter of the field into which the sheep of certain people had strayed by night: We did witness their judgment. | AND [remember] David and Solomon - [how it was] when both of them gave judgment concerning the field into which some people's sheep had strayed by night and pastured therein, and [how] We bore witness to their judgment: [For an elucidation of the story - or, rather, legend - to which the above verse alludes, we must rely exclusively on the Companions of the Prophet, since neither the Quran nor any authentic saying of the Prophet spells it out to us. However, the fact that a good many Companions and their immediate successors {tabiun) fully agreed on the substance of the story, differing only in one or two insignificant details, seems to indicate that at that period it was already well-established in ancient Arabian tradition. According to this story, a flock of sheep strayed at night into a neighbouring field and destroyed its crop. The case was brought before King David for judicial decision. On finding that the incident was due to the negligence of the owner of the sheep, David awarded the whole flock - the value of which corresponded roughly to the extent of the damage - as an indemnity to the owner of the field. David's young son, Solomon, regarded this judgment as too severe, inasmuch as the sheep represented the defendant's capital, whereas the damage was of a transitory nature, involving no more than the loss of one years crop, i.e., of income. He therefore suggested to his father that the judgment should be altered: the owner of the field should have the temporary possession and usufruct of the sheep (milk, wool, newborn lambs, etc.), while their owner should tend the damaged field until it was restored to its former productivity, whereupon both the field and the flock of sheep should revert to their erstwhile owners; in this way the plaintiff would be fully compensated for his loss without depriving the defendant of his substance. David realized that his son's solution of the case was better than his own, and passed judgment accordingly; but since he, no less that Solomon, had been inspired by a deep sense of justice, God - in the words of the Quran "bore witness to their judgment".] | And David and Soliman when they (B) judge/rule in the agricultural land/plants, when the nation's sheep/goats grazed at night/spread in it, and We were to their judgment/rule witnessing/present. | wdawd wslyman aX yHkman fy alHrx aX nf$t fyh Gnm alqwm wkna lHkmhm $ahdyn | |||
| 79. * | To Solomon We inspired the (right) understanding of the matter: to each (of them) We gave Judgment and Knowledge; it was Our power that made the hills and the birds celebrate Our praises, with David: it was We Who did (all these things). | for, [though] We made Solomon understand the case [more profoundly] yet We vouchsafed unto both of them sound judgment and knowledge [of right and wrong]. [I.e., the fact that Solomon's judgment was more profound did not disprove the intrinsic justice of David's original judgment or deprive it of its merit.] And We caused [Lit., "We compelled".] the mountains to join David in extolling Our limitless glory, and likewise the birds: [A reference to the Psalms of David, which call upon all nature to extol the glory of God - similar to the Quranic verses, "The seven heavens extol His limitless glory, and the earth, and all that they contain" 17:44 , or "All that is in the heavens and on earth extols God's limitless glory" 57:1 .] for We are able to do [all things]. | So We made Soliman understand/realize it, and each/all We gave/brought judgment/rule and knowledge, and We manipulated/subjugated with David the mountains, they praise/glorify, and the birds, and We were making/doing.227 | ffhmnaha slyman wkla atyna Hkma w`lma wsKrna m` dawd aljbal ysbHn walTyr wkna fa`lyn | |||
| 80. * | It was We Who taught him the making of coats of mail for your benefit, to guard you from each other's violence: will ye then be grateful? | And We taught him how to make garments [of God- consciousness] for you, [O men,] so that they might fortify you against all that may cause you fear: but are you grateful [for this boon]? [The noun labus is synonymous with libas or libs, signifying "a garment" or "garments" (Qamus, Lisan al -.Arab). But since this term has occasionally been used by pre-Islamic Arabs in the sense of "mail" or "coats of mail" (ibid.), the classical commentators assume that it has this meaning in the above context as well; and in this they rely on the - otherwise unsupported - statement of the tabii Qatadah to the effect that "David was the first to make chain mail" (Tabari). Accordingly, they understand the term bas which occurs at the end of the sentence in it secondary sense of "war" or "warlike violence", and interpret the relevant part of the verse thus: `We taught him how to make coats of mail for you, so that they might fortify you against your [mutual acts of] violence", or "against [the effects of] your warlike violence". One should, however, bear in mind that bas signifies also "harm", "misfortune", "distress", etc., as well as "danger"; hence it denotes, it its widest sense, anything that causes distress or fear (Taj al-Arus). If we adopt this last meaning, the term labus may be understood in its primary significance of "garment" - in, this case, the metaphorical "garment of God-consciousness" (libas at-taqwa) of which the Quran speaks in 7:26. Rendered in this sense, the above verse expresses the idea that the Almighty taught David how to imbue his followers with that deep God-consciousness which frees men from all spiritual distress and all fears, whether it be fear of one another or the subconscious fear of the Unknown. The concluding rhetorical question, "but are you grateful [for this boon]?" implies that, as a rule, man does not fully realize - and, hence, is not really grateful for - the spiritual bounty thus offered him by God.] | And We taught/instructed him a trade/skill/craft (of) clothes/shields for you, to fortify/protect you from your hardship in war, so are you thankful/grateful? | w`lmnah Sn`+ lbws lkm ltHSnkm mn baskm fhl antm $akrwn | |||
| 81. * | (It was Our power that made) the violent (unruly) wind flow (tamely) for Solomon, to his order, to the land which We had blessed: for We do know all things. | And unto Solomon [We made subservient] the stormy wind, so that it sped at his behest towards the land which We had blessed: [This is apparently an allusion to the fleets of sailing ships which brought untold riches to Palestine ("the land which We had blessed") and made Solomon's wealth proverbial.] for it is We who have knowledge of everything. | And to Soliman the wind/breeze stormy/violent it flows/passes with His order/ command to the land/Earth that We blessed in (E), and We were with every thing knowledgeable. | wlslyman alryH `aSf+ tjry bamrh ali alarD alty barkna fyha wkna bkl $Y `almyn | |||
| 82. * | And of the evil ones, were some who dived for him, and did other work besides; and it was We Who guarded them. | And among the rebellious forces [which We made subservient to him] [My rendering, in this particular context, of shayatin (lit., "satans") as "rebellious forces" is based on the tropical use of the term shaytan in the sense of anything "rebellious", "inordinately proud" or "insolent" (cf. Lane IV, 1552) - in this case, possibly a reference to subdued and enslaved enemies or, more probably, to "rebellious" forces of nature which Solomon was able to tame and utilize; however, see also next note.] there were some that dived for him [into the sea] and performed other works, besides: but it was We who kept watch over them. [In this as well as in several other passages relating to Solomon, the Quran alludes to the many poetic legends which were associated with his name since early antiquity and had become part and parcel of Judaeo-Christian and Arabian lore long before the advent of Islam. Although it is undoubtedly possible to interpret such passages in a "rationalistic" manner, I do not think that this is really necessary. Because they were so deeply ingrained in the imagination of the people to whom the Quran addressed itself in the first instance, these legendary accounts of Solomon's wisdom and magic powers had acquired a cultural reality of their own and were, therefore, eminently suited to serve as a medium for the parabolic exposition of certain ethical truths with which this book is concerned: and so, without denying or confirming their mythical character, the Quran uses them as a foil for the idea that God is the ultimate source of all human power and glory, and that all achievements of human ingenuity, even though they may sometimes border on the miraculous, are but an expression of His transcendental creativity.] | And from the devils who dive for him, and they make/do a work/deed other than that, and We were for them protecting/observing. | wmn al$yaTyn mn yGwSwn lh wy`mlwn `mla dwn Xlk wkna lhm HafZyn | |||
| 83. * | And (remember) Job, when He cried to his Lord, "Truly distress has seized me, but Thou art the Most Merciful of those that are merciful." | AND [remember] Job, when he cried out to his Sustainer, "Affliction has befallen me: but Thou art the most merciful of the merciful!" [The story of Job (Ayyub in Arabic), describing his erstwhile happiness and prosperity, his subsequent trials and tribulations, the loss of all his children and his property, his own loathsome illness and utter despair and, finally, God's reward of his patience in adversity, is given in full in the Old Testament (The Book of Job). This Biblical, highly philosophical epic is most probably a Hebrew translation or paraphrase - still evident in the language employed - of an ancient Nabataean (i.e., North-Arabian) poem, for "Job, the author of the finest piece of poetry that the ancient Semitic world produced, was an Arab, not a Jew, as the form of his name (Iyyob) and the scene of his book, North Arabia, indicate" (Philip K. Hitti, History of the Arabs, London 1937, pp. 42 - 43). Since God "spoke" to him, Job ranks in the Quran among the prophets, personifying the supreme virtue of patience in adversity (sabr).] | And Job, when he called/cried (to) his Lord: "That I, the harm touched me, and you are most merciful (of) the merciful." | waywb aX nadi rbh any msny alDr want arHm alraHmyn | |||
| 84. * | So We listened to him: We removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his people to him, and doubled their number,--as a Grace from Ourselves, and a thing for commemoration, for all who serve Us. | whereupon We responded unto him and removed all the affliction from which he suffered; and We gave him new offspring, [Lit., "his family" i.e., new children in place of those who had died.] doubling their number as an act of grace from Us, and as a reminder unto all who worship Us. | So We answered/replied to him, so We removed/uncovered (relieved) what is with him from harm, and We gave/brought him his family/people and equal/alike to them with them, mercy from at Us, and a remembrance/reminder to the worshipping. | fastjbna lh fk$fna mabh mn Dr watynah ahlh wmxlhm m`hm rHm+ mn `ndna wXkri ll`abdyn | |||
| 85. * | And (remember) Isma'il, Idris, and Zul-kifl, all (men) of constancy and patience; | AND [remember] Ishmael and Idris [See surah 19:56] and every one who [like them] has pledged himself [unto God]: [Lit., "and him of the pledge". The expression dhu l-kifl is derived from the verb kafala - and especially the form takaffala - which signifies "he became responsible [for some- thing or someone]" or "pledged himself [to do something]". Although the classical commentators consider dhu l-kifl to be the epithet or the proper name of a particular prophet - whom they variously, more or less at random, identify with Elijah or Joshua or Zachariah or Ezekiel - I fail to see any reason whatever for such attempts at "identification", the more so since we have not a single authentic hadith which would mention, or even distantly allude to, a prophet by this name. I am, therefore, of the opinion that we have here (as in the identical expression in 38:48) a generic term applying to every one of the prophets, inasmuch as each of them pledged himself unreservedly to God and accepted the responsibility for delivering His message to man.] they all were among those who are patient in adversity, | And Ishmael, and Idris, and (owner) of the cloth saddle/harness/protection, each/all (are) from the patient. | wasma`yl wadrys wXaalkfl kl mn alSabryn | |||
| 86. * | We admitted them to Our mercy: for they were of the righteous ones. | and so We admitted them unto Our grace: behold, they were among the righteous! | And We entered them in Our mercy, that they truly (are) from the correct/righteous. | wadKlnahm fy rHmtna anhm mn alSalHyn | |||
| 87. * | And remember Zun-nun, when he departed in wrath: He imagined that We had no power over him! But he cried through the deptHs of darkness, "There is no god but thou: glory to thee: I was indeed wrong!" | AND [remember] him of the great fish [I.e., the Prophet Jonah, who is said to have been swallowed by a "great fish", as mentioned hi 37:139, and more fully narrated in the Old Testament (The Book of Jonah).] - when he went off in wrath, thinking that We had no power over him! [According to the Biblical account (which more or less agrees with the Quranic references to his story), Jonah was a prophet sent to the people of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. At first his preaching was disregarded by his people, and he left them in anger, thus abandoning the mission entrusted to him by God; in the words of the Quran 37:140, "he fled like a runaway slave". The allegory of his temporary punishment and his subsequent rescue and redemption is referred to elsewhere in the Quran (i.e., in 37:139 - 148) and explained in the corresponding notes. It is to that punishment, repentance and salvation that the present and the next verse allude. (The redemption of Jonah's people is mentioned in 10:98 and 37:47 - 148.)] But then heeded out in the deep darkness [of his distress]: "There is no deity save Thee! Limitless art Thou in Thy glory! Verily, I have done wrong!" [Lit., "I was among the wrongdoers".] | And (owner of) the whale/fish when he went away angrily, so he thought/assumed that We will never/not become capable on him, so he called/cried in the darknesses: "That (there is) no God except You, Your praise/glory, that I was from the unjust/oppressive." | wXa alnwn aX Xhb mGaDba fZn an ln nqdr `lyh fnadi fy alZlmat an laalh ala ant sbHank any knt mn alZalmyn | |||
| 88. * | So We listened to him: and delivered him from distress: and thus do We deliver those who have faith. | And so We responded unto him and delivered him from [his] distress: for thus do We deliver all who have faith. | So We answered/replied to him, and We saved/rescued him from the grief/sadness/depression, as/like that We save/rescue the believers. | fastjbna lh wnjynah mn alGm wkXlk nnjy almWmnyn | |||
| 89. * | And (remember) Zakariya, when he cried to his Lord: "O my Lord! leave me not without offspring, though thou art the best of inheritors." | AND [thus did We deliver] Zachariah when he cried out unto his Sustainer: "O my Sustainer! Leave me not childless! But [even if Thou grant me no bodily heir, I know that] Thou wilt remain when all else has ceased to be!" [Lit., "Thou art the best of inheritors - a phrase explained in note on 15:23. The words interpolated by me between brackets correspond to Zamakhshari's and Razi's interpretation of this phrase. For more detailed references to Zachariah, father of John the Baptist, see 3:37 and 19:2.] | And Zachary/Zacharias/Zachariah when he called/cried (to) his Lord: "My Lord do not leave me alone, and you are the heirs'/inheritants' best." | wzkrya aX nadi rbh rb latXrny frda want Kyr alwarxyn | |||
| 90. * | So We listened to him: and We granted him Yahya: We cured his wife's (Barrenness) for him. These (three) were ever quick in emulation in good works; they used to call on Us with love and reverence, and humble themselves before Us. | And so We responded unto him, and bestowed upon him the gift of John, having made his wife fit to bear him a child: [Lit., "for We had made his wife fit for him", i.e., after her previous barrenness.] [and,] verily, these [three] would vie with one another in doing good works, and would call unto Us in yearning and awe; and they were always humble before Us. | So We answered/replied to him, and We granted to him John/Yahya and We corrected/reconciliated for him his wife, that they truly were speeding/rushing in the goodnesses, and they call Us desiring/wishing and with awe/monastically, and they were for Us humble/submissive. | fastjbna lh wwhbna lh yHyi waSlHna lh zwjh anhm kanwa ysar`wn fy alKyrat wyd`wnna rGba wrhba wkanwa lna Ka$`yn | |||
| 91. * | And (remember) her who guarded her chastity: We breathed into her of Our spirit, and We made her and her son a sign for all peoples. | AND [remember] her who guarded her chastity, whereupon We breathed into her of Our spirit [This allegorical expression, used here with reference to Mary's conception of Jesus, has been widely - and erroneously - interpreted as relating specifically to his birth. As a matter of fact, the Quran uses the same expression in three other places with reference to the creation of man in general - namely in 15:29 and 38:72, "when I have formed him... and breathed into him of My spirit" and in 32:9, "and thereupon He forms [lit., "formed"] him fully and breathes [lit., "breathed"] into him of His spirit". In particular, the passage of which the last-quoted phrase is a part (i.e., 32:7 - 9) makes it abundantly and explicitly clear that God "breathes of His spirit" into every human being. Commenting on the verse under consideration, Zamakhshari states that "the breathing of the spirit [of God] into a body signifies the endowing it with life": an explanation with, which Razi concurs. (In this connection, see also note on 4:171.) As for the description of Mary as allati ahsanat farjaha, idiomatically denoting "one who guarded her chastity" (lit,, "her private parts") it is to be borne in mind that the term ihsan - lit., "[one's] being fortified [against any danger or evil]" - has the tropical meaning of "abstinence from what is unlawful or reprehen sible" (Taj al-Arus), and especially from illicit sexual intercourse, and is applied to a man as well as a woman: thus, for instance, the terms muhsan and muhsanah are used elsewhere in the Quran to describe, respectively, a man or a woman who is "fortified [by marriage] against unchastity". Hence, the expression allati ahsanat farjaha, occurring in the above verse as well as in 66:12 with reference to Mary, is but meant to stress her outstanding chastity and complete abstinence, in thought as well as in deed, from anything unlawful or morally reprehensible: in other words, a rejection of the calumny (referred to in 4:156 and obliquely alluded to in 19:27 - 28) that the birth of Jesus was the result of an "illicit union".] and caused her, together with her son, to become a symbol [of Our grace] unto all people. [For my rendering of the term ayah as "symbol", see surah 17:1 and surah 19:21.] | And who remained chaste/(protected) her genital parts, so We blew into her from Our Soul/Spirit, and We made/created her and her son (as) an evidence/sign to the creations all together/(universes). | walty aHSnt frjha fnfKna fyha mn rwHna wj`lnaha wabnha ay+ ll`almyn | |||
| 92. * | Verily, this brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore serve Me (and no other). | VERILY, [O you who believe in Me,] this community of yours is one single community, since I am the Sustainer of you all: worship, then, Me [alone]! [After calling to mind, in verses 48 - 91, some of the earlier prophets, all of whom stressed the oneness and uniqueness of God, the discourse returns to that principle of oneness as it ought to be reflected in the unity of all who believe in Him (See 23:51.)] | That this (is) your nation, one nation, and I am your Lord, so worship Me. | an hXh amtkm am+ waHd+ wana rbkm fa`bdwn | |||
| 93. * | But (later generations) cut off their affair (of unity), one from another: (yet) will they all return to Us. | But men have torn their unity wide asunder, [This is the meaning of the idiomatic phrase, taqatta u amrahum baynahum. As Zamakhshari points out, the sudden turn of the discourse from the second person plural to the third person is indicative of God's severe disapproval - His "turning away", as it were, from those who are or were guilty of breaking the believers' unity. (See also 23:53 and the corresponding note.)] [forgetting that] unto Us they all are bound to return. | And they separated/divided their matter/affair between them, all/each to Us are returning. | wtqT`wa amrhm bynhm kl alyna raj`wn | |||
| 94. * | Whoever works any act of righteousness and has faith,--His endeavour will not be rejected: We shall record it in his favour. | And yet, whoever does [the least] of righteous deeds and is a believer withal, his endeavour shall not be disowned: for, behold, We shall record it in his favour. [I.e., even a breach of religious unity may not be unforgivable so long as it does not involve a worship of false deities or false moral values (cf. verses 98 - 99 below): this is the meaning of the stress, in this context, on man's being "a believer withal" - an echo of the principle clearly spelt out in 2:62 and several other Quranic passages.] | So who makes/does from the correct/righteous deeds, and he is believing, so (there is) no cover/substitution (denial) for his striving/endeavor, We are for it/him writing/dictating. | fmn y`ml mn alSalHat whw mWmn fla kfran ls`yh wana lh katbwn | |||
| 95. * | But there is a ban on any population which We have destroyed: that they shall not return, | Hence, it has been unfailingly true of [Lit., "an inviolable law (haram) upon...", expressing the impossibility of conceiving anything to the contrary (Zamakhshari).] any community whom We have ever destroyed that they [were people who] would never turn back [from their sinful ways] [I.e., whenever God consigns a community to destruction, He does it not because of its people's occasional lapses but only because of their irremediable, conscious unwillingness to forsake their sinful ways.] | And forbidden on a village/urban city We made it die/destroyed it, that they do not return. | wHram `li qry+ ahlknaha anhm layrj`wn | |||
| 96. * | Until the Gog and Magog (people) are let through (their barrier), and they swiftly swarm from every hill. | until such a time as Gog and Magog are let loose [upon the world] and swarm down from every corner [of the earth], [I.e., until the Day of Resurrection, heralded by the allegorical break-through of "Gog and Magog" (see note on surah 18:98, especially the last sentence): for it is on that Day that even the most hardened sinner will at last realize his guilt, and be filled with belated remorse. The term hadab literally denotes "raised ground" or "elevation", but the expression min kulli hadabin is used here idiomatically, signifying "from all directions" or "from every corner [of the earth]": an allusion to the irresistible nature of the social and cultural catastrophes which will overwhelm mankind before the coming of the Last Hour.] | Until when Yagog and Magog was opened, and they are for every/each hard/elevated ground, they rush down/separate. | Hti aXa ftHt yajwj wmajwj whm mn kl Hdb ynslwn | |||
| 97. * | Then will the true promise draw nigh (of fulfilment): then behold! the eyes of the Unbelievers will fixedly stare in horror: "Ah! Woe to us! we were indeed heedless of this; nay, we truly did wrong!" | the while the true promise [of resurrection] draws close [to its fulfillment]. But then, lo! the eyes of those who [in their lifetime] were bent on denying the truth will stare in horror, [and they will exclaim:] "Oh, woe unto us! We were indeed heedless of this [promise of resurrection]! - nay, we were [bent on] doing evil!" [I.e., deliberately and without any excuse, since all the prophets had warned man of the Day of Resurrection and Judgment: cf. 14:44 - 45. The words "bent on" interpolated by me within brackets indicate intent, similar to the preceding expression alladhina kafaru, "those who were bent on denying the truth" (see also note on 2:6).] | And the promise, the truth, neared/approached, so then those who disbelieved's eye sights it is (are) staring at. "Oh our calamity, we had been in negligence/disregard from this, rather we were unjust/oppressors." | waqtrb alw`d alHq faXa hy $aKS+ abSar alXyn kfrwa yawylna qd kna fy Gfl+ mn hXa bl kna Zalmyn | |||
| 98. * | Verily ye, (unbelievers), and the (false) gods that ye worship besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell! to it will ye (surely) come! | [Then they will be told:] "Verily, you and all that you [were wont to] worship instead of God are but the fuel of hell: that is what you are destined for. [Lit., "you are bound to reach it". The expression "all that you have worshipped instead of God" comprises not merely all false religious imagery but also all false ethical values endowed with quasi-divine sanctity, all of which are but "the fuel of hell".] | That you, and what you worship from other than God, (are) Hell's stones/fire fuel, you are to it228nearing/approaching. | ankm wmat`bdwn mn dwn allh HSb jhnm antm lha wardwn | |||
| 99. * | If these had been gods, they would not have got there! but each one will abide therein. | If those [false objects of your worship] had truly been divine, they would not have been destined for it: but [as it is, you] all shall abide therein!" | If those were gods, they would not (have) neared/approached it, and each/all (is) in it immortal/eternal. | lw kan hWla' alh+ mawrdha wkl fyha Kaldwn | |||
| 100. * | There, sobbing will be their lot, nor will they there hear (aught else). | Moaning will be their lot therein, and nothing [else] will they hear therein. [Thus, spiritual "deafness" in the life to come will be the inexorable consequence of ones having remained deaf, in this world, to the voice of truth, just as "blindness" and oblivion will be part of the suffering of all who have been spiritually blind to the truth (cf. 20:124 - 126). | For them in it (is the) sound of blazing or roaring fire, and they (are) in it not hearing/listening. | lhm fyha zfyr whm fyha laysm`wn | |||
| 101. * | Those for whom the good (record) from Us has gone before, will be removed far therefrom. | [But,] behold, as for those for whom [the decree of] ultimate good has already gone forth from Us [I.e., those who have been promised paradise on account of their faith and their good deeds.] these will be kept far away from that [hell]: | That those whom the best/goodness from Us preceded for them, those are from it they are being kept far away. | an alXyn sbqt lhm mna alHsni awlYk `nha mb`dwn | |||
| 102. * | Not the slightest sound will they hear of Hell: what their souls desired, in that will they dwell. | no sound thereof will they hear; and they will abide in all that their souls have ever desired. | They do not hear its sound or noise, and they are in what their selves desired/craved immortal/eternal. | laysm`wn Hsysha whm fy maa$tht anfshm Kaldwn | |||
| 103. * | The Great Terror will bring them no grief: but the angels will meet them (with mutual greetings): "This is your Day,--(the Day) that ye were promised." | The supreme awesomeness [of the Day of Resurrection] will cause them no grief, since the angels will receive them with the greeting. "This is your Day [of triumph - the Day] which you were promised!" | The fright/terror the greatest/biggest does not sadden/make them grievous, and the angels receive/meet them (and they are told): "This (is) your day/time which you are being promised." | layHznhm alfz` alakbr wttlqahm almlaYk+ hXa ywmkm alXy kntm tw`dwn | |||
| 104. * | The Day that We roll up the heavens like a scroll rolled up for books (completed),--even as We produced the first creation, so shall We produce a new one: a promise We have undertaken: truly shall We fulfil it. | On that Day We shall roll up the skies as written scrolls are rolled up; [and] as We brought into being the first creation, so We shall bring it forth anew [See in this connection 14:48 and the corresponding note.] - a promise which We have willed upon Ourselves: for, behold, We are able to do [all things]! | A day/time We fold/coil the sky/space as/like the record/register book's folding/coiling to the books/scriptures (print); as/like We began/initiated (the) first/beginning creation, We repeat/return it, a promise on Us, We (E) were making/doing (it). | ywm nTwy alsma' kTy alsjl llktb kma bdana awl Klq n`ydh w`da `lyna ana kna fa`lyn | |||
| 105. * | Before this We wrote in the Psalms, after the Message (given to Moses): My servants the righteous, shall inherit the earth." | AND, INDEED, after having exhorted [man], [Lit., "after the reminder (adh-dhikr)". For the deeper implications of the Quranic term dhikr, see note on verse 10 of this surah.] We laid it down in all the books of divine wisdom that My righteous servants shall inherit the earth: [Zabur (lit., "scripture" or "book") is a generic term denoting any "book of wisdom": hence, any and all of the divine scriptures revealed by God to the prophets (Tabari). The statement that "My righteous servants shall inherit the earth" is obviously an echo of the promise, "You are bound to rise high if you are [truly] believers" | And We had written/decreed in The Book/Prophet David's Scripture from after the reminder/remembrance (could also be a sacred scripture or the Koran) that the earth/Planet Earth My worshippers/slaves the correct/righteous inherit it. | wlqd ktbna fy alzbwr mn b`d alXkr an alarD yrxha `bady alSalHwn | |||
| 106. * | Verily in this (Qur'an) is a Message for people who would (truly) worship Allah. | herein, behold, there is a message for people who [truly] worship God. | That in this (is) an information/communication to a nation worshipping. | an fy hXa lblaGa lqwm `abdyn | |||
| 107. * | We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures. | And [thus, O Prophet,] We have sent thee as [an evidence of Our] grace towards all the worlds. [I.e., towards all mankind. For an elucidation of this fundamental principle underlying the message of the Quran, see 7:158 and the corresponding note. The universality of the Quranic revelation arises from three factors: firstly, its appeal to all mankind irrespective of descent, race or cultural environment; secondly, the fact that it appeals exclusively to man's reason and, hence, does not postulate any dogma that could be accepted on the basis of blind faith alone; and, finally, the fact that - contrary to all other sacred scriptures known to history - the Quran has remained entirely unchanged in its wording ever since its revelation fourteen centuries ago and will, because it is so widely recorded, forever remain so in accordance with the divine promise, "it is We who shall truly guard it [from all corruption]" (cf. 15:9 and the corresponding note). It is by virtue of these three factors that the Quran represents the final stage of all divine revelation, and that the Prophet through whom it has been conveyed to mankind is stated to have been the last (in Quranic terminology, "the seal") of all prophets (cf. 33:40). | And We did not send you except (as) mercy to the creations all together/(universes). | wmaarslnak ala rHm+ ll`almyn | |||
| 108. * | Say: "What has come to me by inspiration is that your Allah is One Allah. will ye therefore bow to His Will (in Islam)?" | Say: "It has but been revealed unto me [Cf. the first sentence of verse 45 of this surah. This stress on divine revelation as the only source of the Prophet's knowledge referred to in the sequence is expressed, in Arabic, by means of the restrictive particle innama.] that your God is the One and Only God: will you, then, surrender yourselves unto Him?" | Say: "Indeed/but (it) is being transmitted/inspired to me, that your God, (is) one God, so are you submitters/surrenders/Moslems?" | ql anma ywHi aly anma alhkm alh waHd fhl antm mslmwn | |||
| 109. * | But if they turn back, Say: "I have proclaimed the Message to you all alike and in truth; but I know not whether that which ye are promised is near or far. | But if they turn away, say: "I have proclaimed this in equity unto all of you alike; [The expression ala sawa (lit., "in an equitable manner') comprises in this context two distinct concepts: that of fairness as regards the clarity and unambiguity of the above announcement, as well as of equality, implying that it is being made to all human beings alike; hence my composite rendering of this phrase.] but I do not know whether that [judgment] which you are promised [by God] is near or far [in time]. | So if they turned away, so say: "I informed you on equality/straightness, and I do not know is what you are being promised, near/close, or distant/far?" | fan twlwa fql aXntkm `li swa' wan adry aqryb am b`yd matw`dwn | |||
| 110. * | "It is He Who knows what is open in speech and what ye hide (in your hearts). | "Verily, He knows all that is said openly, just as He [alone] knows all that you would conceal. | That He truly knows the publicized/declared from the saying/opinion and belief, and He knows what you hide/conceal. | anh y`lm aljhr mn alqwl wy`lm matktmwn | |||
| 111. * | "I know not but that it may be a trial for you, and a grant of (worldly) livelihood (to you) for a time." | But [as for me,] I do not know whether, perchance, this [delay in God's judgment] is but a trial for you, and a [merciful] respite for a while." [Lit., "enjoyment [of life] for a while": i.e., a chance, mercifully granted by God, to attain to faith.] | And I do not know, maybe/perhaps it (is) a test/seduction for you and enjoyment to a time/period of time. | wan adry l`lh ftn+ lkm wmta` ali Hyn | |||
| 112. * | Say: "O my Lord! judge Thou in truth!" "Our Lord Most Gracious is the One Whose assistance should be sought against the blasphemies ye utter!" | Say: [See note on verse 4 of this surah.] "O my Sustainer! Judge Thou in truth!" - and [say]: "Our Sustainer is the Most GGracious, the One whose aid is ever to be sought against all your [attempts at] defining [Him]!" [Lit., "against (ala) all that you attribute [to Him] by way of description" or "of definition" (see note on the last sentence of 6:100): implying that only God's grace can save man from the blasphemous attempts - prompted by his inherent weakness - to bring God "closer" to his own, human understanding by means of humanly-conceived "definitions" of Him who is transcendent, infinite and unfathomable.] | Say: "My Lord, judge/rule with the correct/truth, and our Lord (is) the merciful, the seeked help/assistance from, on (about) what you describe/categorize."229 | qal rb aHkm balHq wrbna alrHmn almst`an `li matSfwn | |||