22. [al-Hajj, Medina 103]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:


أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ...

Alam tara anna Allaha sakhkhara lakum ma fee al-ardi

22:65. Seest thou not that Allah has made subject to you (men) all that is on the earth,

...وَالْفُلْكَ تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِأَمْرِهِ...

waalfulka tajree fee albahri bi-amrihi

and the ships that sail through the sea by His command?

C2846. Land and sea have been made subject to man by Allah's command, so that man can develop his life freely on earth.

...وَيُمْسِكُ السَّمَاء أَن تَقَعَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ...

wayumsiku alssamaa an taqaAAa AAala al-ardi illa bi-ithnihi



He withholds the sky (rain) from falling on the earth except by His leave:

C2847. Sama means

1. something high,

2. a roof, a ceiling,

3. the sky, the canopy of heaven.

4. cloud or rain.

I understand the last meaning here, though most authorities seem to render it by some such words as "sky".

If we understand rain here, we have a complete picture of the three elements in which man lives-land, air and sea. Rain is also appropriate for mention with Allah's kindness and mercy. He regulates the rain for man's benefit.




إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِالنَّاسِ لَرَؤُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٦٥﴾

inna Allaha bialnnasi laraoofun raheemun



for Allah is Most Kind and Most Merciful to man.


Asad’s Version:


22:64

Unto Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth; and, verily, God - He alone

may not fall upon the earth otherwise than by His leave? 81

Verily, God is most compassionate towards men, a dispenser of grace –



[[Asad’s notes - 79 I.e., "has enabled you to benefit from all...", etc. (cf. surah 14, note 46).


80 Lit., "the sky" - used here as a metonym for the stars and planets, which are held on their courses by the God- willed laws of cosmic movement (Maraghi XVII, 137).


81 I.e., at the Last Hour, which - as the Qur'an so often states - will manifest itself in a universal cosmic catastrophe. ]]


Other Versions:



22:65

Transliteration


Alam tara anna Allaha sakhkhara lakum ma fee al-ardi waalfulka tajree fee albahri bi-amrihi wayumsiku alssamaa an taqaAAa AAala al-ardi illa bi-ithnihi inna Allaha bialnnasi laraoofun raheemun

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Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning

Muhammad Asad


Art thou not aware that it is God who has made subservient to you all that is on earth, and the ships that sail through the sea at His behest - and [that it is He who] holds the celestial bodies [in their orbits], so that they may not fall upon the earth otherwise than by His leave? Verily, God is most compassionate towards men, a dispenser of grace –

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M. M. Pickthall


Hast thou not seen how Allah hath made all that is in the earth subservient unto you? And the ship runneth upon the sea by His command, and He holdeth back the heaven from falling on the earth unless by His leave. Lo! Allah is, for mankind, Full of Pity, Merciful.

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Shakir


Do you not see that Allah has made subservient to you whatsoever is in the earth and the ships running in the sea by His command? And He withholds the heaven from falling on the earth except with His permission; most surely Allah is Compassionate, Merciful to men.

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Yusuf Ali


Seest thou not that Allah has made subject to you (men) all that is on the earth, and the ships that sail through the sea by His Command? He withholds the sky (rain) from failing on the earth except by His leave: for Allah is Most Kind and Most Merciful to man.

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Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar


Hast thou not considered that God caused to be subservient to you what is in and on the earth? And the boats run through the sea by His command. And He holds back the heaven so that it not fall on the earth, but by His permission. Truly, to humanity God is Gentle, Compassionate.

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Wahiduddin Khan


Do you not see, how God has subjected everything on the earth to you, and the ships that sail on the sea by His command. He holds back the sky from falling down on the earth, except with His permission. God is most compassionate and most merciful to mankind

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T.B.Irving


Have you not seen how God has subjected whatever is on earth to you, and the ships that sail at sea by His command? He holds back the sky from falling down on the earth except with His permission. God is so Gentle, Merciful towards mankind.

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[Al-Muntakhab]


Do you not see that Allah reduced for you al! that is on earth to a state of subservienacy, and the ships move on the surface of the sea by His invisible acting force producing their buoyance and their motion ! And tIe sustains and support the heavens -their contents- and keeps them from falling on the earth unless it be permitted by Him -meteorites, shooting stars, fire balls-. Indeed, Allah displays kindness to all people, -those who serve Him and those who do not. His mercy is extended to all

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[Progressive Muslims]


Did you not see that God commits to you what is in the land, and the ships which sail in the sea by His leave And He holds the sky so that it would not collapse upon the Earth, except by His leave. Indeed, God is Kind towards mankind, Merciful