7. Sura al-Araf

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَإِذَا قُرِىءَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُواْ لَهُ وَأَنصِتُواْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ ﴿٢٠٤﴾

7: 204. When the Qur'án is read, listen to it with attention, and hold your peace:

that ye may receive Mercy.

وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ فِي نَفْسِكَ تَضَرُّعاً وَخِيفَةً...

7: 205. And do thou (O reader!) bring thy Lord to remembrance in thy (very) soul, with humility and in reverence,

...وَدُونَ الْجَهْرِ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالآصَالِ...

without loudness in words, in the mornings and evenings;

...وَلاَ تَكُن مِّنَ الْغَافِلِينَ ﴿٢٠٥﴾

and be not thou of those who are unheedful.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ عِندَ رَبِّكَ لاَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ...

7: 206.Those who are near to thy Lord, disdain not to do him worship:

C1176. The higher you are in spiritual attainment, the more is your desire and your opportunity to serve and worship your Lord and Cherisher and the Lord and Cherisher of all the worlds: and the greater is your pride in that service and that worship.

...وَيُسَبِّحُونَهُ وَلَهُ يَسْجُدُونَ ﴿٢٠٦﴾

they celebrate His praises, and bow down before Him.

C1177. At this stage a Sajdah or prostration is indicated, as a sign of our humble acceptance of the privilege of serving and worshipping Allah, - a fitting close to Surah in which we are led, through a contemplation of the stories of the Messengers of Allah, to the meaning of revelation and its relation to our moral and spiritual progress.

Other versions:

7: 204

Asad Hence, when the Quran is voiced, hearken unto it, and listen in silence, so that you might be graced with [God’s] mercy.”

Pickthall And when the Qur'an is recited, give ear to it and pay heed, that ye may obtain mercy.

Transliteration Wa iza_ quri'al qur'a_nu fastami'u_ lahu_ wa ansitu_ la'allakum turhamu_n(a).

7: 205

Asad And bethink yourself of your Sustainer humbly and with awe, and without raising your voice, at morn and at evening; and do not allow yourself to be heedless.

Pickthall And do thou [O Muhammad) remember thy Lord within thyself humbly and with awe, below thy breath, at morn and evening. And be thou not of the neglectful.

Transliteration Wazkur rabbaka fi nafsika tadarru'aw wa khifataw wa du_nal jahri minal qauli bil guduwwi wal a_sa_li wa la_ takun minal ga_filin(a).

7: 206

Asad Behold, those who are near unto your Sustainer [note 168] are never too proud to worship Him; and they extol His limitless glory, and prostrate themselves before His [alone].

Pickthall Lo! those who are with thy Lord are not too proud to do Him service, but they praise Him and adore Him.

Transliteration Innallazina 'inda rabbika la_ yastakbiru_na 'an 'iba_datihi wa yusabbihu_nahu_ wa lahu_ yasjudu_n(a).

[[ Asad’s note 168 – Lit., “those who are with your Sustainer”: a metaphorical description of utter God-conscuousness.]]

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8. al-Anfal, Medina 88, after Badr 2 H

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ...   

8: 20.  O ye who believe!

obey Allah and His Messenger,

...وَلاَ تَوَلَّوْا عَنْهُ وَأَنتُمْ تَسْمَعُونَ ﴿٢٠﴾  

and turn not away from him when ye hear (him speak).

وَلاَ تَكُونُواْ كَالَّذِينَ قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَهُمْ لاَ يَسْمَعُونَ ﴿٢١﴾

8: 21.  Nor be like those who say,

"We hear," but listen not:

C1194. Cf. 2:93.

8: 20

Asad [Hence,] O you who have attained to faith, pay heed unto God and His Apostle, and do not turn away from Him now that you hear [His message];

Pickthall O ye who believe! Obey Allah and His messenger, and turn not away from him when ye hear (him speak).

Transliteration Ya_ ayyuhal lazina a_manu_ ati'ulla_ha wa rasu_lahu_ wa la_ tawallau 'anhu wa antum tasma'u_n(a).

8: 21

Asad and be not like those who say, “We have heard”, the while they do not hearken [note 22].

Pickthall Be not as those who say, We hear, and they hear not.

Transliteration Wa la_ taku_nu_ kal lazina qa_lu_ sami'na_ wa hum la_ yasma'u_n(a).

[ Asad’s note 22 – See 2:93 and 4:46, and the corresponding notes. While in the above-mentioned two instances the Jews are alluded to, the present allusion is more general, and relates to all people who have come to know and understand the message of the Quran, but pay no heed to it.]]