24. Surah an-Nur

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُزْجِي سَحَابًا ثُمَّ يُؤَلِّفُ بَيْنَهُ ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُهُ رُكَامًا...

24: 43. Seest thou not that Allah makes the clouds move gently, then joins them together, then makes them into a heap? --

...فَتَرَى الْوَدْقَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ خِلَالِهِ...

then wilt thou see rain issue forth from their midst.

C3019. Artists, or lovers of nature, or observers of clouds will appreciate this description of cloud effects-

thin clouds floating about in fantastic shapes, joining together and taking body and substance, then emerging as heavy clouds heaped up, which condense and pour forth their rain. Then the heavy dark clouds in the upper regions, that bring hail,-

how distinct and yet how similar!

They are truly like mountain masses! And when the hailstones fall, how local their area! It hits some localities and leaves free others almost interlaced!

And the lightning- how blinding flashes come from thunderous clouds!

In this Book of Nature can we not see the hand of the powerful and beneficent Allah?

...وَيُنَزِّلُ مِنَ السَّمَاء مِن جِبَالٍ فِيهَا مِن بَرَدٍ...

And He sends down from the sky mountain masses (of clouds) wherein is hail:

...فَيُصِيبُ بِهِ مَن يَشَاء وَيَصْرِفُهُ عَن مَّن يَشَاء...

He strikes therewith whom He pleases and He turns it away fro whom He pleases.

...يَكَادُ سَنَا بَرْقِهِ يَذْهَبُ بِالْأَبْصَارِ ﴿٤٣﴾

The vivid flash of His lightning well-nigh blinds the sight.

Asad’s Version:

24:43

Art thou not aware that it is God who causes the clouds to move onward, then joins them

together, then piles them up in masses, until thou canst see rain come forth from their midst? And He it is who sends down from the skies, by degrees, mountainous masses [of clouds] charged with hail, striking therewith whomever He wills and averting it from whomever He wills, [the while] the flash of His lightning well-nigh deprives [men of their] sight!