2. Surah Al Baqarah

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ لَوْلاَ يُكَلِّمُنَا اللّهُ ...

2: 118. Say those without knowledge:

"Why speaketh not Allah unto Us?

... أَوْ تَأْتِينَا آيَةٌ ...

Or why cometh not unto us a sign?"

... كَذَلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ تَشَابَهَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ...

So said the people before them, words of similar import. Their hearts are alike.

... قَدْ بَيَّنَّا الآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ ﴿١١٨﴾

We have indeed made clear the signs unto any people who hold firmly to faith (in their hearts).

Other versions:

2: 118

Asad And [only] those who are devoid of knowledge say, “Why does God not speak unto us, nor is a [miraculous] sign shown to us?” Even thus, like unto what they say, spoke those who lived before their time: their hearts are all alike. Indeed, We have made all the signs manifest unto people who are endowed with inner certainty.

Yusuf Ali Say those without knowledge: "Why speaketh not Allah unto Us? Or why cometh not unto Us a sign?" So said the people before them words of similar import. Their hearts are alike. We have indeed made clear the signs unto any people who hold firmly to faith (in their hearts).

Pickthall And those who have no knowledge say: Why doth not Allah speak unto us, or some sign come unto us? Even thus, as they now speak, spake those (who were) before them. Their hearts are all alike. We have made clear the revelations for people who are sure.

Transliteration Wa qa_lal lazina la_ ya'lamu_na lau la_ yukallimunalla_hu au ta'tina_ a_yah(tun), kaza_lika qa_lal lazina min qablihim misla qaulihim, tasya_bahat qulu_buhum, qad bayyannal a_ya_ti li qaumiy yu_qinu_n(a).

[Ruby’s note 1 : God communicates directly with the human heart if it chooses to tune itself to such messages. This tuning involves humility, appreciation and a sincere desire to know to fulfill one’s mission in life. The Quran says, God is nearest, He pervades the reality, He listens to prayers, He knows what is in anyone’s mind, He changes a person’s reality only when he/she chooses to change the inner-self [soul] or ‘nafs’, ALL THESE PROPOUNDS THAT GOD IS CONSTANTLY AND INTENSELY INTERACTIVE WITH A HUMAN BEING.]

Ruby’s note 2: What is conveyed here I believe is the mindset that distinguishes between the people who see sings in the entire creation from the ones who do not. The ones who see a better picture and become wise are those who take the entire reality into consideration and know that this cannot be just a coincidence. Their desire and sincerity then emanate from that feeling of awe, appreciation and humility to seek help and guidance from their Creator.

On the other hand those who ignore all these messages coming from reality and harbor arrogance and confidence in their won self, want more proof about their Creator.

God created them and sustains them in life, if they are little mindful they can see that their existence and day to day survival all are due to the Grace of God, a little thing happens like a clot in the brain and they are dead, a little deviation happens in the process and here comes a crippled human being, how intricately the human body and the entire universe are working, billions of unrelated factors are synchronizing with billion others to render this reality where human beings function. How arrogant and willful negligence to understand is this to demand proof of the Creator when one is created and sustained by Him.

At the fundamental level, these two are making very different choices: one attempts to see the whole thing and become humble, the other considers only selected things and justifies their arrogance. At the root of these two groups is the choice of humility versus arrogance, wisdom versus ignorance, and sincerity in faith versus rejection of truth. ]

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