Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning Muhammad Asad   Say: “O my Sustainer! Judge Thou in truth!” - and [say]: “Our Sustainer is the Most Gracious, the One whose aid is ever to be sought against all your [attempts at] defining [Him]!” &#x21E8 M. M. Pickthall   He saith: My Lord! Judge Thou with truth. Our Lord is the Beneficent, Whose help is to be implored against that which ye ascribe (unto Him). &#x21E8 Shakir   He said: O my Lord! judge Thou with truth; and our Lord is the Beneficent Allah, Whose help is sought against what you ascribe (to Him). &#x21E8 Yusuf Ali   Say: "O my Lord! judge Thou in truth!" "Our Lord Most Gracious is the One Whose assistance should be sought against the blasphemies ye utter!" &#x21E8 Wahiduddin Khan   Say, My Lord, judge with truth. Our Lord is Gracious One whose help we seek against what you utter. &#x21E8 [Al-Muntakhab]   And invoke Allah O Muhammad to give judgement upon your matter, thus: "Your Judgement O Allah, my Creator, is truth personified; judge O Allah, my Creator between me and those who rejected Your word". And say to them: "and Allah, AL- Rahman is He Whose present help is sought to endure with impunity the blashemies you utter against Him". &#x21E8 [Progressive Muslims]   He said: "My Lord, judge with truth. And our Lord, the Almighty, is sought for what you describe

[[Asad’s note - 1 06 See note 5 on verse 4 of this surah.

107 Lit., "against ['ala] all that you attribute [to Him) by way of description" or "of definition" (see note 88 on the last sentence of 6:100): implying that only God's grace can save man from the blasphemous attempts - prompted by his inherent weakness - to bring God "closer" to his own, human understanding by means of humanly-conceived "definitions" of Him who is transcendent, infinite and unfathomable. ]]

[[Ali’s notes - 112. Say:

C2767. See above, n. 2666 to 21:4.

The better reading is "Say" in the imperative, rather than "He (the Prophet) said (or says)" in the indicative mood.

Note that, on that construction, there are three distinct things which the Prophet is asked to say: viz.:

1.      the statement in verses 109-111, addressed to those who turn away from the Message;

2.      the prayer addressed to Allah in the first part of verse 112; and

3.     the advice given indirectly to the Believers, in the second part of verse 112 I have marked these divisions by means of inverted commas.

... رَبِّ احْكُم بِالْحَقِّ...

"O my Lord! judge Thou in truth!"

C2768. That is, Allah's judgment as between the Teacher and those who refuse his Message, or between the righteous and those who taunt them for their poverty, will be the true one, and both the Teacher and the Ummah must leave the judgment to Allah.

...وَرَبُّنَا الرَّحْمَنُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَى مَا تَصِفُونَ ﴿١١٢﴾

"Our Lord Most Gracious is the One Whose assistance should be sought against the blasphemies ye utter!"

C2769. Blasphemy is a dreadful sin. We must guard ourselves from it.

But as regards others, if we cannot prevent it, we must pray to Allah for assistance and not rely upon carnal weapons.]]

76. Al-Insan (Man)

Period Uncertain

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْآنَ تَنزِيلًا ﴿٢٣﴾    

76: 23.  It is We Who have sent down the Qur'án to thee by stages.

C5855. The Quran was being revealed stage by stage as the occasion demanded and at the date of this Sura it was still one of the earlier stages. Persecution, abuse, and false charges were being leveled against the man of Allah, but he is bidden to stand firm and do his duty. In a minor degree this applies to all of us who suffer in the cause of Truth.

فَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تُطِعْ مِنْهُمْ آثِمًا أَوْ كَفُورًا ﴿٢٤﴾    

76: 24.  Therefore be patient with constancy to the Command of thy Lord,

and hearken not to the sinner or the ingrate among them.

وَاذْكُرِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا ﴿٢٥﴾    

76: 25.  And celebrate the name of thy Lord morning and evening,

C5856. Three methods of Prayer and Devotion are mentioned:

1.     to remember and celebrate the holy name of Allah always;

2.     to spend a part of the night in humble prostration; and

3.     to glorify Him in the long hours of a weary night of waiting and watching.

As to 1, "morning and evening" means all the waking hours of our life, but in the special hours of morning and evening the physical world without us, and the inner world within us, combine to make us specially receptive of spiritual influences.

The "name" of Allah includes His attributes, as a locked golden casket might include priceless jewels. Any one may carry the casket, even though he may not be worthy to handle the jewels, If he carries the casket, he is in potential possession of the jewels, and he hopes some time to get the key which opens the jewels to him. So the tyro, who celebrates the holy name of Allah, hopes some day to see the "Face" of Allah and be blessed with the privilege of proximity to His Person.

For 2 and 3 see next note. (R).

وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَاسْجُدْ لَهُ وَسَبِّحْهُ لَيْلًا طَوِيلًا ﴿٢٦﴾    

76: 26.  And part of the night, prostrate thyself to Him;

and glorify Him a long night through.

C5857. See last note.

2 Humble prostration to Allah means some visible mode of dedication. That is best done at night, when the soul, free from worldly occupations, is alone with its God.

3 The weary hours of a long night are no longer weary, but become full of meaning when we join in concert with the whole Creation, which glorifies Allah: 57:1.

Asad’s Version:

76:23 VERILY, [O believer,] it is We who have bestowed from on high this Qur'an upon thee, step by step 21 - truly a bestowal from on high! (76:24) Await, then, in all patience thy Sustainer's judgment, 22 and pay no heed to any of them, who is a wilful sinner or an ingrate; (76:25) and bear in mind thy Sustainer's name 23 at morn and evening (76:26) and during some of the night, 24 and prostrate thyself before Him, and extol His limitless glory throughout the long night. 25