2. Surah Al Baqarah

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَلَمَّا جَاءهُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ...

2: 101. And when came to them a Messenger from Allah, confirming what was with them,

نَبَذَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ كِتَابَ اللّهِ وَرَاء ظُهُورِهِمْ ...

a party of the People of the Book threw away the Book of Allah behind their backs,

C102. I think that by "the Book of Allah" here is meant, not the Quran, but the Book which the People of the Book had been given, viz., the previous Revelations.

The argument is that Muhammad's Message was similar to Revelations which they had already received, and if they had looked into their own Books honestly and sincerely, they would have found proofs in them to show that the new Message was true and from Allah. But they ignored their own Books or twisted or distorted them according to their own fancies. Worse, they followed somethings which was actually false and mischievous and inspired by the evil one. Such was the belief in magic and sorcery.

These are described in the next verse in terms referring to the beliefs and practices of the "People of the Book."

... كَأَنَّهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿١٠١﴾

as if (it had been something) they did not know!

Other versions:

2: 101 [ Ruby’s comment - This is more general in its meaning, apply to all revelations of God which confirms earlier messages, AS GOD’S MESSAGE REMAIN SAME for all His messengers ]

Yusuf Ali And when came to them an Apostle from Allah confirming what was with them a party of the people of the Book threw away the Book of Allah behind their backs as if (it had been something) they did not know!

Pickthall And when there cometh unto them a messenger from Allah, confirming that which they possess, a party of those who have received the Scripture fling the Scripture of Allah behind their backs as if they knew not,

Wa lamma_ ja_'ahum rasu_lum min 'indilla_hi musaddiqul lima_ ma'ahum nabaza fariqum minal lazina u_tul kita_b(a), kita_balla_hi wara_'a zuhu_rihim ka'annahum la_ ya'lamu_n(a).

[ Ali’s note: 102 I think that by "the Book of God" here is meant, not the Qur-an, but the Book which the People of the Book had been given, viz., the previous Revelations. The argument is that Muhammad's Message was similar to Revelations which they had already received, and if they had looked into their own Books honestly and sincerely, they would have found proofs in them to show that the new Message was true and from God. But they ignored their own Books or twisted or distorted them according to their own fancies. Worse, they followed something which was actually false and mischievous and inspired by the evil one. Such was the belief in magic and sorcery. These are described in the next verse in terms referring to the beliefs and practices of the "People of the Book." (2.101) ]

3. Sura al-Imran

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

اللّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ﴿٢﴾

3: 2. Allah! there is no Allah but He, the Living, the Self-Subsisting, Eternal.

C343. Cf. 2:255.

نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ...

3: 3. It is He Who sent down to thee (step by step), in truth, the Book, confirming what went before it;

... وَأَنزَلَ التَّوْرَاةَ وَالإِنجِيلَ ﴿٣﴾

and He sent down Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus).

C344. In some editions the break between verses 3 and 4 occurs here in the middle of the sentence, but in the edition of Hafiz Uthman, followed by the Egyptian Concordance Fath-ur-Rahman, the break occurs at the word Furqan.

In verse-divisions our classicists have mainly followed rhythm. As the word Furqan from this point of view is parallel to the word Intiqam, which ends the next verse. I have accepted the verse-division at Furqan as more in consonance with Quranic rhythm. It makes no real difference to the numbering of the verses, as there is only a question of whether one line should go into verse 3 or verse 4. (R).

Other versions:

3: 2 [ al-Imran, Medina 89 Badr, Najran, Uhud]

Yusuf Ali Allah! there is no god but He the Living the Self-Subsisting Eternal.

Pickthall Allah! There is no God save Him, the Alive, the Eternal.

Transliteration Alla_hu la_ ila_ha illa_ huwal hayyul qayyu_m(u).

3: 3

Yusuf Ali It is He Who sent down to thee (step by step) in truth the Book confirming what went before it; and He sent down Law (Of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this as a guide to mankind and He sent down the Criterion (of judgment between right and wrong).

Pickthall He hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture with truth, confirming that which was (revealed) before it, even as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel

Transliteration Nazzala 'alaikal kita_ba bil haqqi musaddiqal lima_ baina yadaihi wa anzalat taura_ta wal injil.