10. Surah Yunus

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

قُلْ مَن يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ السَّمَاء وَالأَرْضِ...   

10: 31.  Say:

"Who is it that sustains you (in life) from the sky and from the earth?

C1422. Sustenance may be understood in the sense of all the provision necessary for maintaining physical life as well as mental and spiritual development and well-being.

-        Examples of the former are light and rain from heaven and the produce of the earth and facilities of movement on land and sea and in air.

-        Examples of the latter are the moral and spiritual influences that come from our fellow-men, and from the great Teachers and Prophets.

...أَمَّن يَمْلِكُ السَّمْعَ والأَبْصَارَ...

Or who is it that has power over hearing and sight?

C1423. Just two of our ordinary faculties, hearing and sight, are mentioned, as examples of the rest.

All the gifts of Allah, physical and spiritual, are enjoyed and incorporated by us by means of the faculties and capacities with which He has endowed us.

وَمَن يُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ الْمَيَّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ...

And who is it that brings out the living from the dead and the dead from the living?

C1424. Cf. 3:27 and n. 371; 6:95 and n. 920 ; and 30:19.

...وَمَن يُدَبِّرُ الأَمْرَ...

And who is it that rules and regulates all affairs?"

C1425. This is the general summing-up of the argument. The government of the whole Creation and its maintenance and sustenance is in the hands of Allah.

How futile then would it be to neglect His true worship and go after false gods?

...فَسَيَقُولُونَ اللّهُ...

They will soon say, "Allah."

...فَقُلْ أَفَلاَ تَتَّقُونَ ﴿٣١﴾  

Say, "Will ye not then show piety (to Him)?"

فَذَلِكُمُ اللّهُ رَبُّكُمُ الْحَقُّ فَمَاذَا بَعْدَ الْحَقِّ إِلاَّ الضَّلاَلُ...

10: 32.  Such is Allah, your real Cherisher and Sustainer:

apart from Truth, what (remains) but error?

C1426. The wonderful handiwork and wisdom of Allah having been referred to, as the real Truth, as against the false worship and false gods that men set up, it follows that to disregard the Truth must lead us into woeful wrong, not only in our beliefs but in our conduct. We shall err and stray and be lost.

How then can we turn away from the Truth?

...فَأَنَّى تُصْرَفُونَ ﴿٣٢﴾

How then are ye turned away?

وَمَا يَتَّبِعُ أَكْثَرُهُمْ إِلاَّ ظَنًّا إَنَّ الظَّنَّ...   

10: 36.  But most of them follow nothing but fancy:

...لاَ يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا...

truly fancy can be of no avail against Truth.

...إِنَّ اللّهَ عَلَيمٌ بِمَا يَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٣٦﴾

Verily Allah is well aware of all that they do.

Other versions:

10: 31 [Yunus, Mecca 51]

Yusuf Ali Say: "Who is it that sustains you (in life) from the sky and from the earth? Or who is it that has power over hearing and sight? And who is it that brings out the living from the dead and the dead from the living? And who is it that rules and regulates all affairs?" They will soon say "Allah." Say "Will ye not then show piety (to Him)?"

Pickthall Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Who provideth for you from the sky and the earth, or Who owneth hearing and sight; and Who bringeth forth the living from the dead and bringeth forth the dead from the living; and Who directeth the course? They will say: Allah. Then say: Will ye not then keep your duty (unto Him)?

Transliteration Qul may yarzuqukum minas sama_'i wal ardi ammay yamlikus sam'a wal absa_ra wa may yukhrijul hayya minal mayyiti wa yukhrijul mayyita minal hayyi wa may yudabbirul amr(a), fa sayaqu_lu_nalla_h(u), fa qul afala_ tattaqu_n(a).

10: 32

Yusuf Ali Such is Allah your real Cherisher and Sustainer: apart from Truth what (remains) but error? How then are ye turned away?

Pickthall Such then is Allah, your rightful Lord. After the Truth what is there saving error? How then are ye turned away!

Transliteration Fa za_likumulla_hu rabbukumul haqq(u), fa ma_za_ ba'dal haqqi illad dala_l(u), fa anna_ tusrafu_n(a).

10: 36

Yusuf Ali But most of them follow nothing but fancy: truly fancy can be of no avail against Truth. Verily Allah is well aware of all that they do.

Pickthall Most of them follow naught but conjecture. Assuredly conjecture can by no means take the place of truth. Lo! Allah is Aware of what they do.

Yuksel Most of them only follow conjecture. While conjecture does not avail against the truth in anything. God is knower of what they do.

Transliteration Wa ma_ yattabi'u aksaruhum illa_ zanna_(n), innaz zanna la_ yugni minal haqqi syai'a_(n), innalla_ha 'alimum bima_ yaf'alu_n(a).