17. Surah Al Isra

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:



 

وَإِن مَّن قَرْيَةٍ إِلاَّ نَحْنُ مُهْلِكُوهَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُوهَا عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا...   

17: 58.  There is not a population but We shall destroy it before the Day of Judgment or punish it with a dreadful Penalty:

C2244. These verses are a commentary on the last clause of the last verse. "The Wrath of thy Lord is something to take heed of."

The godless thoughtlessly challenge Allah's Wrath, but do they realise its nature?

Even the best of us must be moved with terror when we think of its consequences, were it not for His unbounded Mercy.

Those who deny the Hereafter fail to realise its terrible Portents. They ask for Portents and Miracles now, but do they realise that their coming means destruction and misery to those who reject faith? They will come soon enough. The whole world will be convulsed before the Day of Judgment. The part of the wise is to prepare for it.

...كَانَ ذَلِك فِي الْكِتَابِ مَسْطُورًا ﴿٥٨﴾

that is written in the (eternal) Record.


Other versions:


17: 58

Asad And there is no community which We will not destroy before the Day of Resurrection, or chastise [even earlier, if it proves sinful,] with suffering severe: all this is laid down in Our decree.

Yusuf Ali There is not a population but We shall destroy it before the Day of Judgment or punish it with a dreadful Penalty: that is written in the (eternal) Record.

Pickthall There is not a township but We shall destroy it ere the Day of Resurrection, or punish it with dire punishment. That is set forth in the Book (of Our decrees).


Yuksel There is not a town before the day of Resurrection that We will not destroy it, or punish it a severe punishment. This has been written in the record.


Transliteration Wa im min qaryatin illa_ nahnu muhliku_ha_ qabla yaumil qiya_mati au mu'azzibu_ha_ 'aza_ban syadida_(n), ka_na za_lika fil kita_bi mastu_ra_(n).

[quryatin – small settlement or town or city, village, smaller community, hidden meaning is all those township who received message and reject.

Kitabi mastur ]

[Asad note 69: I.e., since everything in this world is ephemeral and bound to perish, man ought to be conscious of the life to come.

Asad note 70: Lit., “in the decree” – i.e., in accordance with the immutable laws which God has laid down for His creation. ]



52. Surah At-Tur (Mount Sinai)

Mecca Period 76


The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:




وَالطُّورِ ﴿١﴾

52: 1.    By the Mount (of Revelation);

C5037. The adjuration is by five things which we shall presently explain. An appeal is made to these five Signs in verses 1 to 6, and the certainty of future events is asserted in the most emphatic terms in verses 7 to 28, in three parts, viz.,

-        the coming of judgment and the passing away of this phenomenal world (verses 7-10);

-        the future ill consequences of ill-deeds done (verses 11-16);

-        and future attainment of bliss and complete realisation of Allah's love and mercy (verses 17-28).

وَكِتَابٍ مَّسْطُورٍ ﴿٢﴾

52: 2.     By a Decree Inscribed,

C5038. See last note.

The five Signs to which appeal is made are:

-         the Mount (of Revelation), verse 1;

-         the Book Inscribed, verses 2-3;

-         The Much-frequented House, verse 4;

-         the Canopy Raised High, verse 5; and

-         the Ocean filled with Swell, verse 6.

Let us examine these in detail. Each of them has a figurative meaning.

In the case of Moses it is typified by Mount Sinai: Cf. 95:2, where it is mentioned in juxtaposition to the sacred territory of Makkah, 95:3.

In the case of Jesus it is the Mount of Olives: Cf. 95:1, and also Matt. 24:3-51, where Jesus made his striking pronouncement about the Judgment to come.

In the case of Muhammad it is the Mountain of Light, where he first received the revelation: Cf. n. 11

فِي رَقٍّ مَّنشُورٍ ﴿٣﴾

52: 3.     In a Scroll unfolded;

it is further described as "in a parchment unfolded", that is, spread out so that everyone who has the will can seek its guidance.


Asad’s Version:



52:1 CONSIDER Mount Sinai! 1


(52:2) Consider [God's] revelation, inscribed


(52:3) on wide-open scrolls. 2

[[ Asad’s notes -

1 For my rendering of the adjurative particle wa as "Consider", see first half of note 23 on 74:32. The expression at-tur (lit., "the mountain") is used in the Qur'an exclusively to denote Mount Sinai, on which Moses received his decisive revelation. In the present context it signifies, metonymically, revelation as such, to which the next verse calls attention.


2 I.e., always open to maris understanding (Razi). ]]



10. Surah Yunus

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:



وَمَا تَكُونُ فِي شَأْنٍ وَمَا تَتْلُو مِنْهُ مِن قُرْآنٍ...   

10: 61.  In whatever business thou mayest be, and whatever portion thou mayest be reciting from the Qur'án --

...وَلاَ تَعْمَلُونَ مِنْ عَمَلٍ إِلاَّ كُنَّا عَلَيْكُمْ شُهُودًا إِذْ تُفِيضُونَ فِيهِ...

and whatever deed ye (mankind) may be doing --

We are Witnesses thereof when ye are deeply engrossed therein.

...وَمَا يَعْزُبُ عَن رَّبِّكَ مِن مِّثْقَالِ ذَرَّةٍ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلاَ فِي السَّمَاء...

Nor is hidden from thy Lord (so much as) the weight of an atom on the earth or in heaven.

...وَلاَ أَصْغَرَ مِن ذَلِكَ وَلا أَكْبَرَ إِلاَّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴿٦١﴾

And not the least and not the greatest of these things but are recorded in a clear Record.

C1450. There is nothing that men can do but Allah is a witness to it. We may be deeply engrossed in some particular thing and for the time being be quite unconscious of other things. But Allah's knowledge not only comprehends all things, but has all things actively before it.

Nothing is hidden from Him. And His knowledge has another quality which human knowledge has not.

Human knowledge is subject to time, and is obliterated by time. Allah's knowledge is like a Record and endures for ever. And His Record has a further quality which human records have not. The most permanent human record may be quite intelligible to those who make it but may be ambiguous to others and may become unintelligible with the progress of time, as happens almost invariably to the most enduring inscriptions from very ancient times: but in Allah's "Record" or knowledge there is no ambiguity, for it is independent of time, or place, This is the force of Mubin ("clear") here.


Other versions:


10: 61 [Yunus, Mecca 51]

Yusuf Ali In whatever business thou mayest be and whatever portion thou mayest be reciting from the Qur'an and whatever deed ye (mankind) may be doing We are Witnesses thereof when ye are deeply engrossed therein. Nor is hidden from thy Lord (so much as) the weight of an atom on the earth or in heaven. And not the least and not the greatest of these things but are recorded in a clear Record.

Pickthall And thou (Muhammad) art not occupied with any business and thou recitest not a lecture from this (Scripture), and ye ( mankind) perform no act, but We are Witness of you when ye are engaged therein. And not an atom's weight in the earth or in the sky escapeth your Lord, nor what is less than that or greater than that, but it is (written) in a clear Book.

Yuksel You do not engage in any business, nor do you recite any from the Quran, nor do you do any work; without us being witnesses over you when you undertake it. Nothing is hidden from your Lord, not even an atom’s weight on earth or in the heavens, nor smaller than that nor larger, but is in a clear book.



Transliteration Wa ma_ taku_nu fi sya'niw wa ma_ tatlu_ minhu min qur'a_niw wa la_ ta'malu_na min 'amalin illa_ 'alaikum syuha_dan iz tufidu_na fih(i), wa ma_ ya'zubu 'ar rabbika mim misqa_li zarratin fil ardi wa la_ fis sama_'i wa la_ asgara min za_lika wa la_ akbara illa_ fi kita_bim mubin(in).







11.Surah Hud

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:



وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ فِي الأَرْضِ إِلاَّ عَلَى اللّهِ رِزْقُهَا...   

11: 6.     There is no moving creature on earth but its sustenance dependeth on Allah:

C1498. Cf. 6:59.

Nothing happens in Creation except by the Word of Allah and with the knowledge of Allah. Not a leaf stirs but by His Will, Its maintenance in every sense is dependent on His Will.

...وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا ...

He knoweth the time and place of its temporary deposit:

C1499. Mustaqarr:  definite abode; where a thing stops or stays for some time, where it is established.

Mustauda: where a thing is laid up or deposited for a little while. Referring to animals,

-        the former denotes its life on this earth;

-        the latter its temporary pre-natal existence in the egg or the womb and its after-death existence in the tomb or whatever state it is in until its resurrection.

... كُلٌّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴿٦﴾

all is in a clear Record.

C1500. Cf. 6:59 and n. 880, and 10:61 and n. 1450.


Other versions:



11: 6 [Hud, Mecca 52]

Asad ……….all [this is laid down in [His] clear decree.

Yusuf Ali There is no moving creature on earth but its sustenance dependeth on Allah: He knoweth the time and place of its temporary deposit: all is in a clear Record.

Pickthall And there is not a beast in the earth but the sustenance thereof dependeth on Allah. He knoweth its habitation and its repository. All is in a clear record.

Yuksel There is not a creature on earth except that its provision is due from God. He knows their habitat and their depository. All is in a clear record.*


Transliteration Wa ma_ min da_bbatin fil ardi illa_ 'alalla_hi rizquha_ wa ya'lamu mustaqarraha_ wa mustauda'aha_, kullun fi kita_bim mubin(in).


[[ Asad’s note 9 – For this rendering of mustaqarr and mustawda, see note 83 on 6:98. The above reference to God’s all-embracing knowledge….]]


011:006 Starvation and famine are the consequences of ignorance, wars, laziness, monopoly, myopic selfishness, dictatorship, wasting natural resources, injustice, and apathy. Communities that follow God's system have little chance of experiencing famine and starvation. See 17:31. ]]


The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:


Other versions:



12: 1 [Yusuf, Mecca 53]

Yusuf Ali Alif Lam Ra. These are the Symbols (or Verses) of the Perspicuous Book.

Pickthall Alif. Lam. Ra. These are verses of the Scripture that maketh plain.


Yuksel A1L30R200. These are the signs of the clarifying book.*


Transliteration Alif La_m Ra_, tilka a_ya_tul kita_bil mubin(i).



[[ Yuksel’s Note - 012:001 A1L30R200. These letters/numbers play an important role in the mathematical system of the Quran based on code 19. See 74:1-56; 1:1; 2:1; 13:38; 27:82; 38:1-8; 40:28-38; 46:10; 72:28.