30. Ar-Rum (The Byzantines)

Mecca Period [6-7 years before Hijra]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَلَهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ...

30: 26. To Him belongs every being that is in the heavens and on earth:

...كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَانِتُونَ ﴿٢٦﴾

all are devoutly obedient to Him.

C3532. All nature in Creation not only obeys Allah, but devoutly obeys Him, i.e., glories in its privilege of service and obedience.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ...

30:27 It is He Who begins (the process of) creation;

C3533. Cf. 30:11 above, where the same phrase began the argument about the beginning and end of all things being with Allah.

This has been illustrated by reference to various Signs in Creation, and now the argument is rounded off with the same phrase.

... ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِ...

then repeats it; and for Him it is most easy.

...وَلَهُ الْمَثَلُ الْأَعْلَى فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ...

To Him belongs the loftiest similitude (We can think of) in the heavens and the earth:

C3534. Allah's glory and Allah's attributes are above any names we can give to them. Human language is not adequate to express them. We can only form some idea of them at our present stage by means of Similitudes and Parables.

But even so, the highest we can think of falls short of the true Reality. For Allah is higher and wiser than the highest and wisest we can think of.

...وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ﴿٢٧﴾

for He is Exalted in Might, Full of Wisdom.

Asad’s Version:

30:26 For, unto Him belongs every being that is in the heavens and on earth; all things devoutly obey His will.

(30:27) And He it is who creates [all life] in the first instance, and then brings it forth anew: 18 and most easy is this for Him, since His is the essence of all that is most sublime in the heavens and on earth, 19 and He alone is almighty, truly wise.

[[ Asad’s notes - 1 8 Although this statement is phrased in almost exactly the same words as in verse 1 1 above (as well as in 10:4), it evidently has here a more general purport, relating not only to man and maris individual resurrection but to the creation and constant re-creation of all life.

19 Primarily, the term mathal denotes a "likeness" or "similitude", and hence is often used in the Qur'an (e.g., in the next verse) in the sense of "parable". Occasionally, however, it is synonymous with sifah, which signifies the intrinsic "attribute", "quality" or "nature" of a thing, concept or living being (cf the reference to "the nature of Jesus" and "the nature of Adam" in 3:59). With reference to God, who is "sublimely exalted above anything that men may devise by way of definition"

(see 6 : 1 00 and the corresponding note 88), the expression mathal clearly points to a quality of being entirely different from all other categories of existence, inasmuch as there is "nothing like unto Him" (42: 1 1) and "nothing that could be compared With Him" (1 12:4): hence, the rendering of mathal as 'essence" is most appropriate in this context. ]]