17. Surah Al Isra
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
أَوْ خَلْقًا
مِّمَّا يَكْبُرُ
فِي صُدُورِكُمْ...
17: 51. "Or created matter which, in your minds, is hardest (to be raised up) -- (yet shall ye be raised up)!"
...فَسَيَقُولُونَ مَن يُعِيدُنَا ...
Then will they say: "Who will cause us to return?"
...قُلِ الَّذِي فَطَرَكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ...
Say: "He Who created you first!"
...فَسَيُنْغِضُونَ إِلَيْكَ رُؤُوسَهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَى هُوَ...
Then will they wag their heads towards thee, and say, "When will that be?"
C2235. The skeptic shifts his ground when he is cornered in argument. It is no longer tenable for him to say that it cannot happen or that there is no one who can bring him back to life and memory. He now gets shaky, and says, "Well, when is that going to happen?"
The actual time no man can tell. Indeed that event will be on a plane in which there will be no Time. Our relative ideas of time and place will have been completely overthrown, and it will appear to us then, not that it has been postponed too long, but that it has come too soon!
See the next verse and note.
...قُلْ عَسَى أَن يَكُونَ قَرِيبًا ﴿٥١﴾
Say, "Maybe it will be quite soon!
يَوْمَ
يَدْعُوكُمْ
فَتَسْتَجِيبُونَ
بِحَمْدِهِ...
17: 52. "It will be on a Day when He will call you, and ye will answer (His call) with (words of) His praise,
...وَتَظُنُّونَ ...
and ye will think
C2236. It may be that this verse should not be in the inverted commas governed by the verb "say", in the last clause of the last verse. In that case, the answer to the skeptic would be finished in the last verse, and this verse would be a general statement applying also to the righteous, who will rise up celebrating the praises of Allah.
But on the whole, I think it is better to take this verse as part of the answer to the skeptic referred to in the last verse.
... إِن لَّبِثْتُمْ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً ﴿٥٢﴾
that ye tarried but a little while!"
C2237. Whatever may have been your spiritual blindness in this life, the "new creation" will have opened your eyes to the Truth. No one will any longer be in any delusion as regards the Reality of Allah, and will be forced, by their new circumstances, to recognise the Truth and sing Allah's praises. And all will be surprised at the seemingly short flight of time since they had their little ephemeral life on this earth. They will now appraise its true worth.
Others version:
17: 51
Yusuf Ali "Or created matter which in your minds is hardest (to be raised up)--(yet shall ye be raised up)!" Then will they say: "Who will cause us to return?" Say: "He Who created you first!" Then will they wag their heads towards thee and say "When will that be?" Say "Maybe it will be quite soon!
Pickthall Or some created thing that is yet greater in your thoughts! Then they will say: Who shall bring us back (to life)? Say: He who created you at the first. Then will they shake their heads at thee, and say: When will it be? Say: It will perhaps be soon;
Yuksel 17:51 "Or a creation that is held dear in your chests." They will say, "Who will return us?" Say, "The One who initiated you the first time." They will shake their heads to you and say, "When is this?" Say, "Perhaps it is near."
Transliteration Au khalqam mimma_ yakburu fi sudu_rikum, fa sayaqu_lu_na may yu'iduna_, qulil lazi fatarakum awwala marrah(tin), fa sayungidu_na ilaika ru'u_sahum wa yaqu_lu_na mata_ huw(a), qul 'asa_ ayyaku_na qariba_(n).
17: 52
Yusuf Ali "It will be on a Day when He will call you and ye will answer (His call) with (words of) His praise and ye will think that ye tarried but a little while!"
Pickthall A day when He will call you and ye will answer with His praise, and ye will think that ye have tarried but a little while.
Yuksel 17:52 The day He calls you and you respond by His grace, and you think that you only stayed a little while.
Transliteration Yauma yad'u_kum fa tastajibu_na bi hamdihi wa tazunnu_na il labistum illa_ qalila_(n).
[[Ali’s notes - 2233 Note that the word used is "Sabilan" "a way", not "the way". In going astray they have lost the way; but never can they find any means of getting back to that way, or of justifying themselves or making good their wicked similes. (17.48)
2234 They do not realise that Allah Who created them once out of nothing can create them again, with memories of their past, in order to render to Him an account of how they used or misused the talents and opportunities which they were given. If it is to be a new Creation, what then? Bones and dust or ashes may yet retain something of the personality which was enshrined in them. But even if they were reduced to stones or iron or anything which their minds can conceive of as being most unlike them, yet there is nothing impossible to Allah! He has clearly sent a Message that we shall have to render an account of ourselves, and His Message is necessarily true. (17.49)
2235 The sceptic shifts his ground when he is cornered in argument. It is no longer tenable for him to say that it cannot happen or that there is no one who can bring him back to life and memory. He now gets shaky, and says, "Well, when is that going to happen?" The actual time no man can tell. Indeed that event will be on a plane in which there will be no Time. Our relative ideas of time and place will have been completely overthrown, and it will appear to us then, not that it has been postponed too long, but that it has come too soon! See the next verse and note. (17.51)
2236 It may be that this verse should not be in the inverted commas governed by the verb "say", in the last clause of the last verse. In that case, the answer to the sceptic would be finished in the last verse, and this verse would be a general statement applying also to the righteous, who will rise up celebrating the praises of Allah. But on the whole, I think it is better to take this verse as part of the answer to the sceptic referred to in the last verse. (17.52)
2237 Whatever may have been your spiritual blindness in this life, the "new creation" will have opened your eyes to the Truth. No one will any longer be in any delusion as regards the Reality of Allah, and will be forced, by their new circumstances, to recognise the Truth and sing Allah's praises. And all will be surprised at the seemingly short flight of time since they had their little ephemeral life on this earth. They will now appraise its true worth. (17.52) ]]