52. At-Tur (Mount Sinai)

Mecca Period 76

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ فَإِنَّكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا...

52: 48.  Now await in patience the command of thy Lord: for verily thou art in our eyes:

C5081. The messenger of Allah must strive his utmost to proclaim the Message of Allah: as for results, it is not for him to command them. He must wait patiently, in the knowledge that he is not forgotten by Allah, but is constantly under Allah's eyes,-Under His loving care and protection. And he must glorify Allah's name, as he is a standard- bearer of Allah's Truth.

...وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ ﴿٤٨﴾

and celebrate the praises of thy Lord the while thou standest forth.

C5082. The translators and Commentators nearly all understand taqumu in the sense of rising up from sleep. But the rendering I have given is consistent with Quranic usage.

In 26:218, we have the same two words hina taqumu, meaning "standing forth (in prayer)".

In 57:25, we have "li-yaqum an-nasu bil-qisti", which obviously means "that men may stand forth in justice," i.e., do all their business in justice.

In 78:38, we have yaqumu used for the angels standing forth in ranks.

On my rendering the meaning will be:

'celebrate Allah's praises when you stand forth in prayer, or at all times when you go about your business; but also for part of the night and at early dawn when worldly life is at a standstill.'

وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ ...

52: 49.  And for part of the night

C5083. It is not necessary to understand this for any particular canonical prayers. It is good to spend a part of the night in prayer and praise: Cf. 73:6.

And the Dawn is a daily recurring miracle, full of spiritual influences and "testimony": Cf. 17:78-79.

... فَسَبِّحْهُ وَإِدْبَارَ النُّجُومِ ﴿٤٩﴾

also praise thou Him -- and at the retreat of the stars!

C5084. Idbar-un-nujum: the setting of the stars: the glorious hour of early dawn.

In 113:1, we seek Allah's protection as "Lord of the Dawn".

Asad’s Version:

(52:48) And so, await in patience thy Sustainer's judgment, for thou art well within Our sight. 28 And extol thy Sustainer's limitless glory and praise whenever thou rise up,

(52:49) and extol His glory at night, and at the time when the stars retreat.

[[Asad’s note - 28 I.e., "under Our protection".]]