16. Sura al-Nahl

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَإِذَا بَدَّلْنَا آيَةً مَّكَانَ آيَةٍ وَاللّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يُنَزِّلُ...   

16: 101. When We substitute one revelation for another, and Allah knows best what He reveals (in stages),

C2140. See 2:106, and n. 107.

The doctrine of progressive revelation from age to age and time to time does not mean that Allah's fundamental Law changes.

It is not fair to charge a Prophet of Allah with forgery because the Message as revealed to him is in a different form from that revealed before, when the core of the Truth is the same, for it comes from Allah.

... قَالُواْ إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُفْتَرٍ... 

they say, "Thou art but a forger":

... بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿١٠١﴾

but most of them understand not.

قُلْ نَزَّلَهُ رُوحُ الْقُدُسِ مِن رَّبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ...   

16: 102. Say,

the Holy Spirit has brought the revelation from thy Lord in truth,

C2141. The title of the Angel Gabriel, through whom the revelations came down.

... لِيُثَبِّتَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ ...

in order to strengthen those who believe,

C2142. The People of the Book, if they had true faith, were themselves strengthened in their faith and cleared of their doubts and difficulties by the revelations brought by Al-Mustafa; and all whether People of the Book or not -who came within the fold of Islam, found the Quran a Guide and a Gospel, i.e., a substitute for the Mosaic Law and for the Christian Gospel, which had both been corrupted.

... وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَى لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ ﴿١٠٢﴾ 

and as a guide and Glad Tidings to Muslims.

Other versions:

16: 101

Pickthall And when We put a revelation in place of (another) revelation,--and Allah knoweth best what He revealeth--they say: Lo! thou art but inventing. Most of them know not.

Yuksel If We exchange a sign in place of another sign; and God is more aware of what He is revealing; they say, "You are making this up!" Alas, most of them do not know.

Transliteration Wa iza_ baddalna_ a_yatam maka_na a_yah(tin), walla_hu a'lamu bima_ yunazzilu qa_lu_ innama_ anta muftar(in), bal aksaruhum la_ ya'lamu_n(a).

16: 102

Pickthall Say: The holy Spirit hath revealed it from thy Lord with truth, that it may confirm (the faith of) those who believe, and as guidance and good tidings for those who have surrendered (to Allah).

Yuksel 16:102 Say, "The Holy Spirit has sent it down from your Lord with truth, so that those who acknowledge will be strengthened, and as a guidance and good news for those who have peacefully surrendered."

Transliteration Qul nazzalahu_ ru_hul qudusi mir rabbika bil haqqi liyusabbital lazina a_manu_ wa hudaw wa busyra_ lil muslimin(a).

=====================================

26.Ash-Shuara, Mecca 47

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَإِنَّهُ لَتَنزِيلُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿١٩٢﴾

26: 192. Verily this is a Revelation from the Lord of the Worlds:

C3223. The hostile reception of some of the previous Messengers having been mentioned, the special characteristics of the Qur-an are now referred to, to show

- that it is true, and

- that its rejection by the Makkan Pagans was of a piece with previous experience in the history of man:

vested interests resist Truth, but it conquers.

نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ ﴿١٩٣﴾

26: 193. With it came down the Spirit of Faith and Truth --

C3224. Ruh al Amin, the epithet of Gabriel, who came with the inspired Messages to the holy Prophet, is difficult to render in a single epithet in translation.

In n. 3187 to 26:107 I have described some of the various shades of meaning attached to the adjective Amin as applied to a Prophet.

A further signification as attached to the Spirit of Inspiration is that it is the very quintessence of Faith and Truth, unlike the lying spirits which delude men with falsehood.

On the whole, I think "the Spirit of Faith and Truth" will represent the original best here.

عَلَى قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنذِرِينَ ﴿١٩٤﴾

26: 194. To thy heart and mind that thou mayest admonish

C3225. Qalb (Heart) signifies not only the seat of the affections, but also the seat of the memory and understanding.

The process of inspiration is indicated by the impression of the divine Message on the inspired one's heart, memory, and understanding, from which it was promulgated in human speech to the world.

In this case the human speech was the perspicuous Arabic tongue, which would be plainly intelligible to the audience who would immediately hear it and be through them transmitted to all the world.

وَجُنُودُ إِبْلِيسَ أَجْمَعُونَ ﴿٩٥﴾

26:95. "And the whole hosts of Iblis together.

قَالُوا وَهُمْ فِيهَا يَخْتَصِمُونَ ﴿٩٦﴾

26:96. "They will say there in their mutual bickerings:

Asad’s Version:

26:192 NOW, BEHOLD, this [divine writ) has indeed been bestowed from on high by the Sustainer of all the worlds: 77

(26:193) trustworthy divine inspiration has alighted with it from on high

(26:194) upon thy heart, [O Muhammad] so that thou mayest be among those who preach

(26: 195) in the clear Arabic tongue. 82

[[Asad’s notes - 80 Thus the discourse returns to the theme enunciated at the beginning of this surah, namely, the phenomenon of divine revelation as exemplified in the Qur'an, and men's reactions to it.

81 According to almost all the classical commentators, the expression ar-ruh al-amin (lit., "the faithful [or "trustworthy"] spirit") is a designation of Gabriel, the Angel of Revelation, who, by virtue of his purely spiritual, functional nature, is incapable of sinning and cannot, therefore, be other than utterly faithful to the trust reposed in him by God (cf 16:50). On the other hand, since the term ruh is often used in the Qur'an in the sense of "divine inspiration" (see surah 2, note 71, and surah 16, note 2), it may have this latter meaning in the above context as well, especially tn view of the statement that it had "alighted from on high upon the heart" of the Prophet.

26:196 And, verily, [the essence of) this [revelation) is indeed found in the ancient books of divine wisdom [as well]. 85

Other versions:

[[Asad’s notes - 80 Thus the discourse returns to the theme enunciated at the beginning of this surah, namely, the phenomenon of divine revelation as exemplified in the Qur'an, and men's reactions to it.

81 According to almost all the classical commentators, the expression ar-ruh al-amin (lit., "the faithful [or "trustworthy"] spirit") is a designation of Gabriel, the Angel of Revelation, who, by virtue of his purely spiritual, functional nature, is incapable of sinning and cannot, therefore, be other than utterly faithful to the trust reposed in him by God (cf 16:50). On the other hand, since the term ruh is often used in the Qur'an in the sense of "divine inspiration" (see surah 2, note 71, and surah 16, note 2), it may have this latter meaning in the above context as well, especially tn view of the statement that it had "alighted from on high upon the heart" of the Prophet.