21. [al-Anbiyaa, Mecca 73]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:



إِنَّ هَذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً ...

21: 92.  Verily, this Brotherhood of yours is a single Brotherhood,

C2749. Ummah: this is best translated by Brotherhood here.

"Community", "race", and "nation." and "people" are words which import other ideas and do not quite correspond to "Ummah".

"Religion" and "Way of Life" are derived meanings, which could be used in other passages, but are less appropriate here.

Our attention has been drawn to people of very different temperaments and virtues, widely different in time, race, language, surroundings, history, and work to be performed, but forming the closest brotherhood as being men and women united in the highest service of Allah. They prefigure the final and perfected Brotherhood of Islam.

... وَأَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُونِ ﴿٩٢﴾

and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore serve Me (and no other).

وَتَقَطَّعُوا أَمْرَهُم بَيْنَهُمْ...  

21: 93.  But (later generations) cut off their affair (of unity), one from another:

C2750. Allah's Message was and ever is one; and His Messengers treated it as one. It is people of narrower views who come later and trade on the earlier names, that break up the Message and the Brotherhood into jarring camps and sects.

...كُلٌّ إِلَيْنَا رَاجِعُونَ ﴿٩٣﴾

(yet) will they all return to Us.


Others version:


(21:93]



But men have torn their unity wide asunder, 90 [forgetting that] unto Us they all are bound to return.

Arabic Source and Roman Transliteration

Arabic

 

وَتَقَطَّعُوا أَمْرَهُم بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ كُلٌّ إِلَيْنَا رَاجِعُونَ

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Transliteration

 

WataqattaAAoo amrahum baynahum kullun ilayna rajiAAoona

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Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning

Muhammad Asad

 

But men have torn their unity wide asunder, [forgetting that] unto Us they all are bound to return.

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M. M. Pickthall

 

And they have broken their religion (into fragments) among them, (yet) all are returning unto Us.

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Shakir

 

And they broke their religion (into sects) between them: to Us shall all come back.

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Yusuf Ali

 

But (later generations) cut off their affair (of unity), one from another: (yet) will they all return to Us.

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Wahiduddin Khan

 

But they divided themselves into factions, but to Us they shall all return.

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[Al-Muntakhab]

 

Yet people according to their desires and irreligious viewpoints set themselves at variance, but all shall inevitably return to Us.

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[Progressive Muslims]

 

And they disputed in the matter amongst themselves. Each of them will be returned to Us.





[[ Asad’s notes - 89 After calling to mind, inverses 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 ff.)


90 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 30.) ]]


[[ Ruby’s notes – I disagree with Asad in his interpretation that what is meant here is disunity among believers. I believe the way these few verses sequenced it definitely means those who seek division and dissentions among humanity. There is One God and one humanity, there should be unity in the fundamental ideas of living and society and the pursuit of doing the right things and purpose. The divisions are created often on the smallest of issues or relatively unimportant issues.]]



[[ See the previous verse ]]


21:92 [al-Anbiyaa, Mecca 73]

Arabic Source and Roman Transliteration

Arabic

 

إِنَّ هَٰذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَأَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُونِ

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Transliteration

 

Inna hathihi ommatukum ommatan wahidatan waana rabbukum faoAAbudooni

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Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning

Muhammad Asad

 

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]!

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M. M. Pickthall

 

Lo! this, your religion, is one religion, and I am your Lord, so worship Me.

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Shakir

 

Surely this Islam is your religion, one religion (only), and I am your Lord, therefore serve Me.

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Yusuf Ali

 

Verily, this brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore serve Me (and no other).

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Wahiduddin Khan

 

This community of yours is one community and I am your Lord, so worship Me.

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[Al-Muntakhab]

 

This is the religion eminently professed by all the previous Prophets, the one and only system of faith and worship established by Allah and I am Allah your Creator, therefore, worship Me and adore Me with the appropriate acts and rites.

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[Progressive Muslims]

 

This is your nation, one nation, and I am your Lord so serve Me.

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Abdel Haleem

 

[Messengers], this community of yours is one single community and I am your Lord, so serve Me.

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Abdul Majid Daryabadi

 

Verily this community of yours is a single community, and I am your Lord; so worship Me.

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Ahmed Ali

 

That this (is) your nation, one nation, and I am your Lord, so worship Me.

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Aisha Bewley

 

This nation of yours is one nation and I am your Lord, so worship Me.

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Ali Ünal

 

So, this community of yours (which all the Messengers and their followers have formed) is one single community of the same faith, and I am your Lord (Who creates, sustains, and protects you); so worship Me alone.

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Ali Quli Qara'i

 

Indeed this community of yours is one community, and I am your Lord. So worship Me.

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Amatul Rahman Omar

 

(Mankind!) surely, this your religion is the one single religion (of all the Prophets), and I am your Lord, so worship Me.

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Hamid S. Aziz

 

Verily, this your religion (or brotherhood) is a single religion (brotherhood); and I am your Lord, so serve Me.

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Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali

 

Surely this nation of yours is one nation, and I am your Lord, so worship Me.

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Muhammad Sarwar

 

People, you are one nation and I am your Lord. Worship Me.

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Muhammad Taqi Usmani

 

Surely, this is the fraternity of your Faith, a single Faith, and I am your Lord; so worship Me.

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Shabbir Ahmed

 

Verily, O Mankind! This community of yours is one single community, since I am the Sustainer of you all. So, serve Me alone! (23:52).

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Syed Vickar Ahamed

 

Surely, this brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood (of prophets) and I am your Lord and Cherisher: Therefore worship Me (and no other).

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Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)

 

Indeed this, your religion, is one religion, and I am your Lord, so worship Me.

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Farook Malik

 

Verily this brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood and I am your only Lord, therefore worship Me Alone.

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Dr. Munir Munshey

 

Listen! This human race of yours is really a single nation and I am your Lord, so worship Me exclusively!

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Tahir-ul-Qadri Mohammad

 

Indeed, yourreligion is one religion, andIamyourLord, so worship Me.

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