Quran is an Insight from Sustainer
7. Al-Araf, Mecca 39
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَإِذَا
لَمْ تَأْتِهِم
بِآيَةٍ قَالُواْ
لَوْلاَ اجْتَبَيْتَهَا...
7: 203. If thou bring them not a revelation, they say: "Why hast thou not got it together?"
C1174. "Ayah" here, I think, means specially an Ayah of the Holy Quran.
The infidels did not believe in revelation, and used to taunt the Holy Prophet, as much as to say that he used to put together words and promulgate them as revelation. The answer is contained in the sentence that follows.
No human composition could contain the beauty, power, and spiritual insight of the Quran. Without inspiration it is impossible to suppose that a man, with or without literary and philosophic training could produce such a book as the Quran.
...قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَتَّبِعُ مَا يِوحَى إِلَيَّ مِن رَّبِّي ...
Say:
"I but follow what is revealed to me from my Lord:
...هَـذَا بَصَآئِرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ ...
This is (nothing but) lights from your Lord,
C1175. "Lights": eyes, faculty of spiritual insight.
The revelation is for us
1. spiritual eyes,
2. guidance, and
3. mercy,
- 1 is the highest in degree:
just as a blind man, if he is given eyes and the faculty of sight, is at once removed into an entirely new world, so those who can reach the stage of spiritual insight pass into and become citizens of a wholly new spiritual World,
- 2 is next in degree;
the man of the world can act up to the teaching about right conduct and prepare for the Hereafter,
- 3 is the Mercy of Allah, free to every one, saint and sinner, who sincerely believes and puts his trust in Allah.
...وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿٢٠٣﴾
and guidance, and mercy, for any who have faith.
7: 203
Asad And yet, when you [O Prophet] does not produce any miracle for them, some [people] say, “Why do you not seek to obtain it [from God] (note 167)? Say: “I only follow whatever is being revealed to me by my Sustainer: this [revelation] is a means of insight from your Sustainer, and a guidance and grace unto people who will believe.
Pickthall And when thou bringest not a verse for them they say: Why hast thou not chosen it? Say: I follow only that which is inspired in me from my Lord. This (Qur'an) is insight from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy for a people that believe.
Transliteration Wa iza_ lam ta'tihim bi a_yatin qa_lu_ lau lajtabaitaha_, qul innama_ attabi'u ma_ yu_ha_ ilayya mir rabbi, ha_za_ basa_'iru mir rabbikum wa hudaw wa rahmatul liqaumiy yu'minu_n(a).
[[ Asad’s note 167 – Sc., “if you are really His apostle” (cf. 6:37 and 109, and the corresponding notes). Some of the commentators assume that the term ‘ayah’ – translated by me as “miracle” – denotes here a verbal “message” which would answer the objections of those who did not believe in the Prophet. ……………the demand of the unbelievers must have related to some particular manifestation or “proof” of his divinely inspired mission: namely, to a concrete miracle which would establish the truth of his claim in supposedly “objective” manner. ………………]
[[ Ali’s notes - 1174 "Ayat" here, I think, means specially an Ayat of the Holy Qur-an. The infidels did not believe in revelation, and used to taunt the Holy Prophet, as much as to say that he used to put together words and promulgate them as revelation. The answer is contained in the sentence that follows. No human composition could contain the beauty, power, and spiritual insight of the Qur-An. Without inspiration it is impossible to suppose that a man, with or without literary and philosophic training could produce such a book as the Qur-an. Commentators of the Qur-An, however, consider Ayah here to refer to miracle as the context seems to evidence. (7.203)
1175 "Lights": eyes, faculty of spiritual insight. The revelation is for us (1) spiritual eyes, (2) guidance, and (3) mercy, (1) is the highest in degree: just as a blind man, if he is given eyes and the faculty of sight, is at once removed into an entirely new world, so those who can reach the stage of spiritual insight pass into and become citizens of a wholly new spiritual World, (2) is next in degree; the man of the world can act up to the teaching about right conduct and prepare for the Hereafter, (3) is the Mercy of Allah, free to every one, saint and sinner, who sincerely believes and puts his trust in Allah. (7.203)]]
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6. [al-Anam, Cattle, Mecca 55]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
قَدْ
جَاءكُم بَصَآئِرُ
مِن رَّبِّكُمْ...
6: 104. "Now have come to you, from your Lord, proofs to open your eyes:
...فَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ عَمِيَ فَعَلَيْهَا...
if any will see, it will be for (the good of) his own soul;
if any will be blind, it will be to his own (harm):
...وَمَا أَنَاْ عَلَيْكُم بِحَفِيظٍ ﴿١٠٤﴾
I am not (here) to watch over your doings."
C932. I understand "Say" to be understood in the beginning of this verse. The words would then be the words of the Prophet, as in fact is suggested in verse 107 below. That is why I have enclosed them in inverted commas.
وَكَذَلِكَ
نُصَرِّفُ
الآيَاتِ...
6: 105. Thus do We explain the Signs by various (symbols):
...وَلِيَقُولُواْ دَرَسْتَ وَلِنُبَيِّنَهُ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿١٠٥﴾
that they may say "Thou hast taught us diligently,"
and that We may make the matter clear to those who know.
C934. The teaching in the Quran explains things by various symbols, parables, narratives, and appeals to nature. Each time, a new phase of the question is presented to our minds. This is what a diligent and earnest teacher would do, such as was Muhammad Mustafa.
Those who were in search of knowledge and had thus acquired some knowledge of spiritual things were greatly helped to understand more clearly the things of which, before the varied explanations, they had only one-sided knowledge.
Other Versions:
6: 104
Asad Means of insight have now come unto you from your Sustainer [through this divine writ].
Pickthall Proofs have come unto you from your Lord, so whoso sees, it is for his own good, and whoso is blind is blind to his own hurt. And I am not a keeper over you.
Transliteration Qad ja_'akum basa_'iru mir rabbikum, faman absara fa linafsih(i), wa man 'amiya fa 'alaiha_, wa ma_ ana'alaikum bi hafiz(in).
6: 105
Asad And thus do We give many facets to Our messages. And to the end that they might say, “You have taken [all this] well to heart,” [note 90] and We might make it clear unto people of [innate] knowledge,
Pickthall Thus do We display Our revelations that they may say (unto thee, Muhammad): "Thou hast studied," and that We may make (it) clear for people who have knowledge.
Transliteration Wa kaza_lika nusarriful a_ya_ti wa liyaqu_lu_ darasta wa linubayyinahu_ liqaumiy ya'lamu_n(a).