3. [al-i-Imran, Medina 89 ]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
تُولِجُ
اللَّيْلَ
فِي
الْنَّهَارِ
وَتُولِجُ
النَّهَارَ
فِي
اللَّيْلِ...
3: 27. "Thou causest the Night to gain on the Day, and Thou causest the Day to gain on the Night;
C370. True in many senses.
In every twenty-four hours, night merges into day, and day into night, and there is no clear boundary between them.
In every solar year, the night gains on the day after the summer solstice, and the day gains on the night after the winter solstice.
But further, if light and darkness are viewed as symbols of;
a. knowledge and ignorance,
b. happiness and misery,
c. spiritual insight and spiritual blindness,
Allah's Plan or Will works here too as in the physical world, and in His hand is all Good.
...وَتُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَتُخْرِجُ الَمَيَّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ...
Thou bringest the Living out of the Dead, and thou bringest the Dead out of the Living;
C371. We can interpret Dead and Living in even more senses than Day and Night: death physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual.
Life and Death may also apply to collective, group, or national life. And who has ever solved the mystery of Life? But Faith refers it to Allah's Will and Plan.
...وَتَرْزُقُ مَن تَشَاء بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ ﴿٢٧﴾
and Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou pleasest without measure."
C372. Again true in all the senses suggested in the two previous notes. The only Eternal Reality is Allah. All else has its basis and sustenance in Him. Lest our little minds create fear out of "nicely calculated less or more", we are told at once that Allah's bounty is without measure or account.
Pickthall’s Version:
3: 27
Pickthall Thou causest the night to pass into the day, and Thou causest the day to pass into the night. And Thou bringest forth the living from the dead, and Thou bringest forth the dead from the living. And Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou choosest, without stint.
Transliteration Tu_lijul laila fin naha_ri wa tu_lijun naha_ra fil laili wa tukhrijul hayya minal mayyiti wa tukhrijul mayyita minal hayyi wa tarzuqu man tasya_'u bi gairi hisa_b(in).
[ Ruby’s note – This verse indicates a profound process through which the dead materials such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen etc. are brought together and organized to make a living thing, and when that living organism or being dies, the whole disintegrates into the individual dead components. In this amazing process of living out of dead materials and dead materials out of a living organism, no one can truly define and understand the mystery of ‘life’. Neither organic structuring or synthesis or growth can help understand ‘life’. I believe it is a part of God Himself that originates and sustains ‘life’, whereas dead materials are not part of God, these are created by God and distinctly different from a ‘life’.]
[ Ali’s notes - 370 True in many senses. In every twenty-four hours, night merges into day, and day into night, and there is no clear boundary between them. In every solar year, the night gains on the day after the summer solstice, and the day gains on the night after the winter solstice. But further, if light and darkness are viewed as symbols of (a) knowledge and ignorance, (b) happiness and misery, (c) spiritual insight and spiritual blindness, Allah's Plan or Will works here too as in the physical world, and in His hand is all Good. (3.27)
371 We can interpret Dead and Living in even more senses than Day and Night: death physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual. Life and Death may also apply to collective, group, or national life. And who has ever solved the mystery of Life? But Faith refers it to Allah's Will and Plan. (3.27)
272 Verses 238-39 are parenthetical, introducing the subject of prayer in danger. This is more fully dealt with in iv. 101-03. (3.27) ]
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16. [an_nahl, Mecca 70]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَاللّهُ أَنزَلَ
مِنَ الْسَّمَاء
مَاء فَأَحْيَا
بِهِ الأَرْضَ
بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا...
16: 65. And Allah sends down rain from the skies, and gives therewith life to the earth after its death:
... إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَسْمَعُونَ ﴿٦٥﴾
verily in this is a Sign for those who listen.
C2092. When the earth with all its vegetation is well-nigh dead, parched and shriveled up, a vivifying shower of rain from above gives it new life.
This natural phenomenon is a sign of Allah's infinite power, especially of His power to resurrect the dead, and thereafter muster them for judgment. [Eds.]
Pickthall’s Version:
16: 65
Pickthall Allah sendeth down water from the sky and therewith revives the earth after her death! Lo! herein is indeed a portent for a folk who hear.
Transliteration Walla_hu anzala minas sama_'i ma_'an fa ahya_ bihil arda ba'da mautiha_, inna fi za_lika la a_yatal liqaumiy yasma'u_n(a).