21. Surah Al Anbiya'

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ ...

21: 105. Before this We wrote in the Psalms,

C2759. Zabur: the Book of the Psalms of David.

The name of David is expressly mentioned in connection with the Zabur in 4:163 and 17:55, although there the indefinite article is applied to the word as meaning a Book of Scripture.

See Psalms 25:13, "his seed shall inherit the earth";

37:11, "the meek shall inherit the earth" (quoted by Jesus in Matt. 5:3); and

37:29, "the righteous shall inherit the land." (R).

... مِن بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ...

after the Message (given to Moses):

C2760. The same promise occurs in the Pentateuch, Exod. 32:13. "they shall inherit it (the land) forever."

...أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ ﴿١٠٥﴾

My servants, the righteous, shall inherit the earth."

Other versions:

21:105 [al-anbiya, Mecca 73]

Walaqad katabna fee alzzaboori min baAAdi alththikri anna al-arda yarithuha AAibadiya alssalihoona &#x21E8

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning Muhammad Asad   AND, INDEED, after having exhorted [man], We laid it down in all the books of divine wisdom that My righteous servants shall inherit the earth: &#x21E8 M. M. Pickthall   And verily we have written in the Scripture, after the Reminder: My righteous slaves will inherit the earth: &#x21E8 Shakir   And certainly We wrote in the Book after the reminder that (as for) the land, My righteous servants shall inherit it. &#x21E8 Yusuf Ali   Before this We wrote in the Psalms, after the Message (given to Moses): My servants the righteous, shall inherit the earth." &#x21E8 Wahiduddin Khan   We have already written in the Psalms following the Reminder, My righteous servants shall inherit the earth. &#x21E8 [Al-Muntakhab]   And We decreed and reduced to writing in the AL-Zabur (Psalms) what is in harmony with the text in AL-Tawrah (Torah) that the earth shall be inherited by My devout worshippers who imprint their deeds with wisdom and piety and their hearts with the image of religious and spiritual virtues. &#x21E8 [Progressive Muslims]   And We have written in the Psalms: "After the remembrance, that the Earth will be inherited by My servants who do good."

[[Asad’s notes- 100 Lit., "after the reminder (adh-dhikr)". For the deeper implications of the Qur'anic term dhikr, see note 1 3 on verse 1 of this surah.

101 Zabar (lit., "scripture" or "book") is a generic term denoting any "book of wisdom": hence, any and all of the divine scriptures revealed by God to the prophets [Tabari]. The statement that "My righteous servants shall inherit the earth" is obviously an echo of the promise, "You are bound to rise high if you are (truly] believers" (3:139) - the implication being that it is only through faith in God and righteous behaviour on earth that man can reach the heights envisaged for him by his Creator's grace.

[[Ali’s notes - 105. Before this We wrote in the Psalms,

C2759. Zabur: the Book of the Psalms of David.

The name of David is expressly mentioned in connection with the Zabur in 4:163 and 17:55, although there the indefinite article is applied to the word as meaning a Book of Scripture.

See Psalms 25:13, "his seed shall inherit the earth";

37:11, "the meek shall inherit the earth" (quoted by Jesus in Matt. 5:3); and

37:29, "the righteous shall inherit the land." (R).

... مِن بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ...

after the Message (given to Moses):

C2760. The same promise occurs in the Pentateuch, Exod. 32:13. "they shall inherit it (the land) forever."

...أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ ﴿١٠٥﴾

My servants, the righteous, shall inherit the earth."

إِنَّ فِي هَذَا لَبَلَاغًا لِّقَوْمٍ عَابِدِينَ ﴿١٠٦﴾ ]]

Asad's notes -