7. [al-Araf, Mecca 39]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَلاَ
تُفْسِدُواْ
فِي الأَرْضِ
بَعْدَ إِصْلاَحِهَا
...
7: 56. Do no mischief on the earth, after it hath been set in order,
C1034. The man who prays with humility and earnestness finds the ground prepared by Allah for his spiritual advancement. It is all set in order, and cleared of weeds. He does not, like the wicked, upset that order, to introduce evil or mischief into it.
... وَادْعُوهُ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا...
but call on Him with fear and longing (in your hearts):
C1035. Fear and longing: the fear of Allah is really a fear lest we should diverge from His Will, or do anything which would not be pleasing to Him:
unlike ordinary fear, it therefore brings us nearer to Allah, and in fact nourishes our longing and desire for Him.
...إِنَّ رَحْمَتَ اللّهِ قَرِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٥٦﴾
for the mercy of Allah is (always) near to those who do good.
7: 56
Asad hence, do not spread corruption on earth after it has been so well ordered. And call unto Him with fear and longing: verily, God’s grace is ever near unto the doers of good!
Pickthall Work not confusion in the earth after the fair ordering (thereof), and call on Him in fear and hope. Lo! the mercy of Allah is nigh unto the good.
Transliteration Wa la_ tufsidu_ fil ardi ba'da isla_hiha_ wad'u_hu khaufaw wa tama'a_(n), inna rahmatalla_hi qaribum minal muhsinin(a).
[[ Ruby’s comment – If human beings do not do mischief and comply with God’s moral laws, He/she would find this life and reality in good order and functions well. Only when humans do mischief and do not comply with God’s laws this reality become difficult and disorderly with disturbances and violence.]
It is also to note the reference of the physical things such as the creation of the heaven and the earth, night and day, moon, stars, wind, heavy clouds, etc mentioned before and after this verse seems to imply that it is human responsibility not to corrupt or disrupt the working of things with excessiveness and transgression of human action. Is this indicating the stewardship of the environment as human responsibility? ]
[[ Ali’s notes - 1034 The man who prays with humility and earnestness finds the ground prepared by Allah for his spiritual advancement. It is all set in order, and cleared of weeds. He does not, like the wicked, upset that order, to introduce evil or mischief into it. (7.56)
1035 Fear and longing: the fear of Allah is really a fear lest we should diverge from His Will, or do anything which would not be pleasing to Him: unlike ordinary fear, it therefore brings us nearer to Allah, and in fact nourishes our longing and desire for Him. (7.56)]]
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21. [al-Anbiyaa, Mecca 73]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَزَكَرِيَّا
إِذْ نَادَى
رَبَّهُ ...
21: 89. And (remember) Zakariya, when he cried to his Lord:
C2745. See 19:2-15, and 3:38-41.
Zakariya was a priest; both he and his wife were devout and punctilious in their duties. They were old, and they had no son. He was troubled in mind, not so much by the vulgar desire to have a son to carry on his line, but because he felt that his people were not unselfishly devout, and there would be no sincere work for Allah unless he could train up someone himself.
He was given a son Yahya (John the Baptist), who added to the devout reputation of the family, for he is called "noble, chaste, and a prophet," (3:39). All three, father, mother, and son, were made worthy of each other, and they repelled evil by their devout emulation in virtue.
... رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِي فَرْدًا...
"O my Lord! leave me not without offspring,
...وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْوَارِثِينَ ﴿٨٩﴾
though Thou art the best of inheritors.
C2746. 'It is not that I crave a personal heir to myself: all things go back to Thee, and Thou art the best of inheritors: but I see no one around me sincere enough to carry on my work for Thee; wilt Thou give me one whom I can train?'
فَاسْتَجَبْنَا
لَهُ وَوَهَبْنَا
لَهُ يَحْيَى
وَأَصْلَحْنَا
لَهُ زَوْجَهُ...
21: 90. So We listened to him: and We granted him Yahya:
We cured his wife's (barrenness) for him.
C2747. Aslaha: to improve to mend, to reform, to make better. Here, with reference to Zakariya's wife, the signification is twofold:
1. that her barrenness would be removed, so that she could become a mother; and
2. her spiritual dignity should be raised in becoming the mother of John the Baptist; and by implication his also, in becoming the father of John.
...إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًا وَرَهَبًا...
These three were ever quick in emulation in good works:
they used to call on Us with love and reverence,
...وَكَانُوا لَنَا خَاشِعِينَ ﴿٩٠﴾
and humble themselves before Us.
Asad’s Version:
21:89
AND [thus did We deliver] Zachariah when he cried out unto his Sustainer: "O my Sustainer! Leave me not childless! But [even if Thou grant me no bodily heir, I know that] Thou wilt remain when all else has ceased to be!" 85
(21:90)
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[[ Asad’s notes –
85 Lit., "Thou art the best of inheritors" - a phrase explained in note 22 on 15:23. The words interpolated by me between brackets correspond to Zamakhshari's and Razi's interpretation of this phrase. For more detailed references to Zachariah, father of John the Baptist, see 3:37
ff. and 19:2 if.
86 Lit., "for We had made his wife fit for him", i.e., after her previous barrenness. ]]
