42 . Ash-Shura (Consultation)

Mecca Period 53

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ خَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَثَّ فِيهِمَا مِن دَابَّةٍ...

42: 29. And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the living creatures that He has scattered through them:

C4568. Dabbatun: beasts, living, crawling creatures of all kinds: see n. 166 to 2:164.

Similarly in 24:45, and other passages, the word is used for living creatures of all kinds, life generally, whose material basis is the mysterious thing which science calls protoplasm. The more our biological knowledge increases, the more do we marvel at the unity of Life on the one hand, and its diversity on the other.

C4569. Life is not confined to our one little Planet. It is a very old speculation to imagine some life like human life on the planet Mars. Though no scientific demonstration is possible, it is reasonable to suppose that Life in some form or other is scattered through some of the millions of heavenly bodies scattered through space. What a wonderful Sign of Allah! The Almighty Who created such countless beings has surely the power to bring them together.

...وَهُوَ عَلَى جَمْعِهِمْ إِذَا يَشَاء قَدِيرٌ ﴿٢٩﴾

and He has power to gather them together when He wills.

The Almighty Who created such countless beings has surely the power to bring them together.

Asad’s Version:

42:29 And among His signs is the [very] creation of the heavens and the earth, and of all the living creatures which He has caused to multiply throughout them: 33 and [since He has created them,] He has [also] the power to gather them [unto Himself] whenever He wills.