19. Surah Maryam

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ إِدْرِيسَ...   

19: 56.  Also mention in the Book the case of Idris:

C2508. Idris is mentioned twice in the Quran, viz.; here and in 21:85, where he is mentioned among those who patiently persevered.

His identification with the Biblical Enoch, who "'walked with God' (Gen. 5:21-24), may or may not be correct. Nor are we justified in interpreting verse 57 here as meaning the same thing as in Gen. 5:24("God took him"), that he was taken up without passing through the portals of death.

All we are told is that he was a man of truth and sincerity, and a prophet, and that he had a high position among his people. It is this point which brings him in the series of men just mentioned; he kept himself in touch with his people, and was honoured among them.

Spiritual progress need not cut us off from our people, for we have to help and guide them. He kept to truth and piety in the highest station.

...إِنَّهُ كَانَ صِدِّيقًا نَّبِيًّا ﴿٥٦﴾

he was a man of truth (and sincerity), (and) a prophet:

وَرَفَعْنَاهُ مَكَانًا عَلِيًّا ﴿٥٧﴾

19: 57.  And We raised him to a lofty station.

Other versions:

19: 56 [Maryam, mecca 44]

Asad And call to mind, through this divine writ, Idris. Behold he was a man of truth, a prophet,

Yusuf Ali Also mention in the Book the case of Idris: he was a man of truth (and sincerity) (and) a prophet:

Pickthall And make mention in the Scripture of Idris. Lo! he was a saint, a Prophet;

Transliteration Wadz kur fil kita_bi idris in nahu_ ka_na shid diqan nabiy ya_

19: 57

Asad whom We exalted onto a lofty station.

Yusuf Ali And We raised him to a lofty station.

Pickthall And We raised him to high station.

Transliteration Wa rafa'na_hu maka_nan 'aliy ya_

[See Asad’s note 41

note 42 As regards my rendering of ‘rafanahu’ as “whom We exalted”, see 3:55 and 4:158, where the same expression is used with reference to Jesus,………..]