26. Surah Al Shu'ara'

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَى الْأَرْضِ كَمْ أَنبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ زَوْجٍ كَرِيمٍ ﴿٧﴾

26: 7. Do they not look at the earth -- how many noble things of all kinds we have produced therein?

C3142. If evil has a little run in this life, let them not run away with the notion that the world is for evil. They have only to look round at the physical and moral world around them, and they would be undeceived.

But they are blind and without the Faith (the Light) which would open their eyes.

إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَةً...

26: 8. Verily, in this is a Sign:

...وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٨﴾

but most of them do not believe.

وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴿٩﴾

26: 9. And verily, thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.

C3143. One Who is able to carry out all His Will and Plans.

See n. 2818 to 22:40.

Asad’s Version:

26:7 Have they, then, never considered the earth - how much of every noble kind [of life] We have caused to grow thereon?

(26:8) In this, behold, there is a message [unto men], even though most of them will not believe [in it). 26:9 But, verily, thy Sustainer - He alone - is almighty, a dispenser of grace! 6

26:9 Your Lord is the Noble, the Compassionate.

[[ Asad’s notes - 6 The above two verses appear eight times in this surah. Apart from the present instance, they conclude, like a refrain, each of the subsequent seven stories of earlier

prophets, which - by means of their, in places, almost identical phrasing - are meant to stress the essential identity of the ethical teachings of all the prophets, as well as to illustrate the statement, in verse 5, that a rejection of God's messages is a recurrent phenomenon in the history of mankind despite the fact that His existence is clearly manifested in all living creation. ]]