4. [an-Nisa, Medina 92]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
يَا
أَهْلَ
الْكِتَابِ
لاَ
تَغْلُواْ
فِي
دِينِكُمْ
وَلاَ
تَقُولُواْ
عَلَى
اللّهِ
إِلاَّ
الْحَقِّ
...
4: 171. O People of the Book! commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of Allah aught but truth.
C675. Just as a foolish servant may go wrong by excess of zeal for his master, so in religion people's excesses may lead them to blasphemy or a spirit the very opposite of religion.
The Jewish excesses in the direction of formalism, racialism, exclusiveness, and rejection of Christ Jesus have been denounced in many places. Here the Christian attitude is condemned, which raises Jesus to an equality with Allah: in some cases venerates Mary almost to idolatry: attributes a physical son to Allah: and invents the doctrine of the Trinity, opposed to all reason, which according to the Athanasian Creed, unless a man believes, he is doomed to hell for ever.
Let our Muslims also beware lest they fall into excesses either in doctrine or in formalism.
... إِنَّمَا الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ اللّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَاهَا إِلَى مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِّنْهُ...
Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a Messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a Spirit proceeding from Him:
... فَآمِنُواْ بِاللّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ ...
so believe in Allah and His Messengers.
... وَلاَ تَقُولُواْ ثَلاَثَةٌ انتَهُواْ خَيْرًا لَّكُمْ ...
Say not "Trinity": desist: it will be better for you:
C676. Christ's attributes are mentioned:
- that he was the son of a woman, Mary and therefore a man;
- but a messenger, a man with a mission from Allah, and therefore entitled to honour;
- a Word bestowed on Mary, for he was created by Allah's word "Be" (kun), and he was: 3:59;
- a spirit proceeding from Allah, but not Allah:
his life and his mission were more limited than in the case of some other Messengers, though we must pay equal honour to him as a Prophet of Allah.
The doctrines of Trinity, equality with Allah, and sonship, are repudiated as blasphemies. Allah is independent of all needs and has no need of a son to manage His affairs.
The Gospel of John (whoever wrote it) has put in a great deal of Alexandrian and Gnostic mysticism round the doctrine of the Word (Greek, Logos), but it is simply explained here. (R).
... إِنَّمَا اللّهُ إِلَـهٌ وَاحِدٌ سُبْحَانَهُ أَن يَكُونَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ...
for Allah is One Allah: glory be to Him: (for Exalted is He) above having a son.
... لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَات وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ...
To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth.
... وَكَفَى بِاللّهِ وَكِيلاً ﴿١٧١﴾
And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.
4:171
Asad O followers of the Gospel! Do not overstep the bounds in your religious beliefs, and do not say of God anything but the truth. The Christ Jesus, son of Mary, was but God’s Apostle – His promise which He had conveyed unto Mary – and a soul created by Him [note 181]. Believe, then, in God and His apostles, and do not say, “ [God is] a trinity”. Desist [from this assertion] for your own good. God is but One God; utterly remote is He, in His glory, from having a son: unto Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth; and none is as worthy of trust as God.
Pickthall 4: 171.......And God is sufficient as Defender.
[[ Asad’s note 181 - ……”the announcement (risalah) which God bade the angels to convey to Mary, and God’s glad tiding to her” (a reference to 3:45) – which justifies the rendering of “kalimatuha” as “[the fulfillment of] his promise”. (See also surah 3, note 28.) As regards the expression, “a soul from Him” or “created by Him”, it is to be noted that among the various meanings which the word ‘ruh’ bears in the Quran (e.g., “inspiration” in 2:87 and 253), it is alos used in its primary significance of “breath of life”, “soul”, or “spirit”: thus, for instance, in 32:9, where the ever-recurring evolution of the human embryo is spoken of: “and then He forms him [i.e., man]…and breathes into him of his spirit”……………]]
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16. Sura al-Nahl
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
يُنَزِّلُ
الْمَلآئِكَةَ
بِالْرُّوحِ
مِنْ أَمْرِهِ
عَلَى مَن يَشَاء
مِنْ عِبَادِهِ...
16: 2. He doth send down His angels with inspiration of His Command, to such of His servants as He pleaseth, (saying):
... أَنْ أَنذِرُواْ أَنَّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ أَنَاْ فَاتَّقُونِ ﴿٢﴾
"Warn (Man) that there is no god but I:
so do your duty unto Me."
C2020. The Pagans, with their multiplicity of gods and goddesses, good and evil, could play one off against another. That is mere mockery of religion. With such conceptions, man cannot understand the Unity of Design in the Universe nor realise the Power and Glory of the One True God, to Whom alone worship and service are due.
Other Versions:
16: 2
Asad He causes the angels to descend with this divine inspiration, [bestowed] at His behest upon whomever He wills of His servants: “Warn [all human beings] that there is no deity save Me: be, therefore, conscious of Me!
Pickthall He sendeth down the angels with the Spirit of His command unto whom He will of His bondmen, (saying): Warn mankind that there is no god save Me, so keep your duty unto Me.
Transliteration Yunazzilul mala_'ikata bir ru_hi min amrihi 'ala_ may yasya_'u min 'iba_dihi an anziru_ annahu_ la_ ila_ha illa_ ana fa-ttaqu_n(i).
[ Asad note 2: The term ‘ruh’ [lit., spirit, soul, or breath of life ] is often used in the Quran in the sense of ‘inspiration’ – and, more particularly, ‘divine inspiration’……..see 42:52…….. 97:4 ]