17. Surah Al Isra

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version: 

وَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرآنَ جَعَلْنَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالآخِرَةِ حِجَابًا مَّسْتُورًا ﴿٤٥﴾

17: 45.  When thou dost recite the Qur'án, We put, between thee and those who believe not in the Hereafter, a veil invisible:

C2230. Veil invisible: Some Commentators understand mastur here as equivalent to satir: a veil that makes invisible, a thick or dark veil.

But I think that the meaning of mastur (in the passive voice) as "hidden or invisible" is more consonant with the whole passage.

If all nature, external and within ourselves, declares Allah's glory, those unfortunate who cut themselves off from their better nature are isolated from the true servants of Allah and the revelation of Allah, because;

-        they are unfit for being in their company, and

-        because the servants of Allah and the revelation of Allah must be protected from the pain which blasphemy or rebellion must cause to their unsullied nature.

The veil is none the less real even though it is invisible. (R).

وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا...   

17: 46.  And We put coverings over their hearts (and minds) lest they should understand the Qur'án, and deafness into their ears:

C2231. The invisible veil being put against the ungodly on account of their deliberate rejection of Truth, the result is that their minds are fogged so that they cannot understand and their ears are clogged so that they cannot hear.

In other words the effects of Evil become cumulative in shutting out Allah's grace.

...وَإِذَا ذَكَرْتَ رَبَّكَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَحْدَهُ وَلَّوْاْ عَلَى أَدْبَارِهِمْ نُفُورًا ﴿٤٦﴾

when thou dost commemorate thy Lord -- and Him alone -- in the Qur'án, they turn on their backs, fleeing (from the Truth).

نَّحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَسْتَمِعُونَ بِهِ إِذْ يَسْتَمِعُونَ إِلَيْكَ ...

17: 47.  We know best why it is they listen, when they listen to thee;

C2232. See last note.

That being so, the only motive for the ungodly to listen to Allah's Truth is to scoff at it instead of to be instructed by it. They may make a show of listening, but when they meet together in private, they show themselves in their true colours. Cf. 2:14.

They cannot help seeing that there is singular charm and attractiveness in Allah's Word, and that it consoles, helps, and elevates many people who receive it in the right spirit. So they pretend that they are superior to such people and laugh at them for listening to some one who is only under the influence of something which they call magic!

... وَإِذْ هُمْ نَجْوَى إِذْ يَقُولُ الظَّالِمُونَ إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ رَجُلاً مَّسْحُورًا ﴿٤٧﴾

and when they meet in private conference,  Behold, the wicked say, "Ye follow none other than a man bewitched!"

Other versions:

17: 45

Pickthall And when thou recitest the Qu'ran We place between thee and those who believe not in the Hereafter a hidden barrier;

Transliteration Wa iza_ qara'tal qur'a_na ja'alna_ bainaka wa bainal lazina la_ yu'minu_na bil a_khirati hija_bam mastu_ra_(w),

17: 46

Pickthall And We place upon their hearts veils lest they should understand it, and in their ears a deafness; and when thou makest mention of thy Lord alone in the Qur'an, they turn their backs in aversion.

Yuksel We place shields over their hearts, that they should not understand it, and a deafness in their ears. If you mention your Lord in the Quran alone, they run away turning their backs in aversion.*

Transliteration Wa ja'alna_ 'ala_ qulu_bihim akinnatan ay yafqahu_hu wa fi a_za_nihim waqra_(n), wa iza_ zakarta rabbaka fil qur'a_ni wahdahu_ wallau 'ala_ adba_rihim nufu_ra_(n).

17: 47

Pickthall We are best aware of what they wish to hear when they give ear to thee and when they take secret counsel, when the evil doers say: Ye follow but a man bewitched.

Yuksel 17:47 We are fully aware of what they are listening to when they are listening to you, and when they conspire secretly the wicked say, "You are but following a bewitched man!"

Transliteration Nahnu a'lamu bima_ yastami'u_na bihi iz yastami'u_na ilaika wa iz hum najwa_ iz yaqu_luz za_limu_na in tattabi'u_na illa_ rajulam mashu_ra_(n).

[[ Ali’s notes - 2230 Veil invisible: Some Commentators understand mastur here as equivalent to satir: a veil that makes invisible, a thick or dark veil. But I think that the meaning of mastur (in the passive voice) as "hidden or invisible" is more consonant with the whole passage. If all nature, external and within ourselves, declares Allah's glory, those unfortunate who cut themselves off from their better nature are isolated from the true servants of Allah and the revelation of Allah, because (1) they are unfit for being in their company, and (2) because the servants of Allah and the revelation of Allah must be protected from the pain which blasphemy or rebellion must cause to their unsullied nature. The veil is none the less real even though it is invisible. (17.45)

2231 The invisible veil being put against the ungodly on account of their deliberate rejection of Truth, the result is that their minds are fogged so that they cannot understand and their ears are clogged so that they cannot hear. In other words the effects of Evil become cumulative in shutting out Allah's grace. (17.46)

2232 See last note. That being so, the only motive for the ungodly to listen to Allah's Truth is to scoff at it instead of to be instructed by it. They may make a show of listening, but when they meet together in private, they show themselves in their true colours. Cf. ii. 14. They cannot help seeing that there is singular charm and attractiveness in Allah's Word, and that it consoles, helps, and elevates many people who receive it in the right spirit. So they pretend that they are superior to such people and laugh at them for listening to some one who is only under the influence of something which they call magic! (17.47)

[[ Yuksel’s note - 017:046 Those who do not acknowledge the hereafter with certainty will not understand the Quran, and they will claim that the Quran is difficult or even impossible to understand on its own. See 54:17,22,32,40.

Traditional translations and commentaries somehow separate the word “Quran” from the adjective (wahdahu = alone, only) that follows it. They translate it as "Lord alone in the Quran." Though there are many verses emphasizing God's oneness (see 39:45), this verse could be understood as another one emphasizing that message. However, this could be only a secondary meaning of this particular verse, since the adjective wahdehu is used not after the word Rab (Lord) but after the word Quran. In Arabic if one wants to say ‘Quran alone,’ the only way of saying it is "Quranun wahdahu." The mathematical structure of the Quran too confirms our translation. For instance, the word wahdahu is used for God in 7:70; 39:45; 40:12,84 and 60:4. If we add these numbers we get 361, or 19x19. However, if we add 17:46, where the word wahdahu is used for the Quran, the total is not in harmony with the great mathematical system. ]]

Yuksel 17:48 See how they cite the examples for you. They have gone astray, and cannot come to the path.