20 Sura Taha
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
يَوْمَئِذٍ
لَّا تَنفَعُ
الشَّفَاعَةُ
إِلَّا مَنْ
أَذِنَ لَهُ
الرَّحْمَنُ
وَرَضِيَ لَهُ
قَوْلًا ﴿١٠٩﴾
20:109. On that Day shall no intercession avail except for those for whom permission has been granted by (Allah) Most Gracious and whose word is acceptable to Him.
C2634. Cf. 2:255 in the Verse of the Throne.
Here man is in the accusative case governed by tanfa'u, and it is better to construe as I have done. That is, intercession will benefit no one except those for whom Allah has granted permission, and whose word (of repentance) is true and sincere, and therefore acceptable to Allah.
Others construe: no intercession will avail, except by those to whom Allah has granted permission, and whose word (of intercession) is acceptable to Allah.
In that case the two distinct clauses have no distinct meanings.
يَعْلَمُ
مَا بَيْنَ
أَيْدِيهِمْ
وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ...
20:110. He knows what (appears to His creatures as) before or after or behind them:
The slight difference in phraseology (which I have tried to preserve in the Translation) will be understood as a beauty when we reflect that here our attention is directed to the Day of Judgment, and in 2:255 the wording is general, and applies to our present state also.
...وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْمًا ﴿١١٠﴾
but they shall not compass it with their knowledge.
Other versions:
20:109
On that Day, intercession shall be of no avail [to any] save him in whose case the Most Gracious will have granted leave therefor, and whose word [of faith) He will have accepted:' 2
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[[ Asad’s note - 92 Regarding the Qur'anic concept of "intercession" on the Day of Judgment, see note 7 on 10:3.
The "word [of faith]" referred to towards the end of the above verse is - according to Ibn 'Abbas
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The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ
اللّهُ الَّذِي
خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالأَرْضَ
فِي سِتَّةِ
أَيَّامٍ...
10:3. Verily your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days,
C1385. See n. 1031 to 7:54.
...ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ ...
then He established Himself on the Throne (of authority),
C1386. Istawa, with the preposition ila after it, means He turned to or He directed Himself by His will to as in 2:29.
With the preposition 'ala after it, as here and in 7:54 and elsewhere, the meaning seems to be "to mount or ascend," and to be firmly established, to sit firm and unshaken, beyond question.
The Throne represents many ideas: e.g.,
1. that God is high above all His Creation;
2. that He regulates and governs it, as a king does, whose authority is unquestionably recognised;
3. that He is not, therefore, like the gods of Greece, and paganism, who were imagined to be in a world apart, careless of mankind, or jealous of mankind, but on the contrary.
4. He disposes of their affairs and all affairs continuously and with justice;
5. that the authority of His prophets, ministers, and messengers is derived from Him, and such intercession as they can make is by His will and permission. (R).
... يُدَبِّرُ الأَمْرَ...
regulating and governing all things.
...مَا مِن شَفِيعٍ إِلاَّ مِن بَعْدِ إِذْنِهِ...
No intercessor (can plead with Him) except after His leave (hath been obtained).
...ذَلِكُمُ اللّهُ رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ...
This is Allah your Lord; Him therefore serve ye:
...أَفَلاَ تَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿٣﴾
will ye not receive admonition ?
C1387. Cf. 6:80.
Asad’s Version:
10:3
VERILY, your Sustainer is God, who has created the heavens and the earth in six aeons, and is established on the throne of His almightiness, 6 governing all that exists. There is none that could intercede with Him unless He grants leave
therefor. 7
7 Lit., "there is no intercessor whatever, save after His leave [has been granted]". Cf 2:255 - "Who is there that could intercede with Him, unless it be by His leave?" Thus, the Qur'an rejects the popular belief in unqualified "intercession" by living or dead saints or prophets. As is shown elsewhere in the Qur'an (e.g., in 20:109, 21:28 or 34:23), God will grant to His prophets on Judgment Day the permission to intercede", symbolically, for such of the sinners as will have already achieved His redemptive acceptance (rida 1 ) by virtue of their repentance or basic goodness (see 19:87 and the corresponding note 74): in other words, the right of "intercession" thus granted to the prophets will be but an expression of God's approval of the latter. Furthermore, the above denial of the possibility of unqualified intercession stresses, indirectly, not only God's omniscience - which requires no "mediator" - but also the immutability of His will: and thus it connects with the preceding mention of His almightiness. (See also note 27 below.) ]]
(20:110) [for] He knows all that lies open before men and all that is hidden from them,' 3 whereas they cannot encompass Him with their knowledge.
