6. [al-Anam, Cattle Mecca 55]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَإِذَا
رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ
يَخُوضُونَ
فِي آيَاتِنَا
فَأَعْرِضْ
عَنْهُمْ...
6: 68. When thou seest men engaged in vain discourse about Our Signs, turn away from them
...حَتَّى يَخُوضُواْ فِي حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِ...
unless they turn to a different theme.
C891. Cf. 4:140.
If in any gathering truth is ridiculed, we must not sit in such company. If we find ourselves in it, as soon as we realize it, we must show our disapproval by leaving.
...وَإِمَّا يُنسِيَنَّكَ الشَّيْطَانُ فَلاَ تَقْعُدْ بَعْدَ الذِّكْرَى مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿٦٨﴾
If Satan ever makes thee forget, then after recollection, sit not thou in the company of the ungodly.
Pickthall’s Version:
6: 68
Pickthall And when thou seest those who meddle with Our revelations, withdraw from them until they meddle with another topic. And if the devil cause thee to forget, sit not, after the remembrance, with the congregation of wrong doers.
Transliteration Wa iza_ ra'aital lazina yakhu_du_na fi a_ya_tina_ fa a'rid 'anhum hatta_ yakhu_du_ fi hadisin gairih(i), wa imma_ yunsiyannakasy syaita_nu fala_ taq'ud ba'daz zikra_ ma'al qaumiz za_limin(a).
===================================
12. Surah Yusuf (Joseph)
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَقَالَ
لِلَّذِي ظَنَّ
أَنَّهُ
نَاجٍ
مِّنْهُمَا
اذْكُرْنِي
عِندَ
رَبِّكَ...
12: 42. And of the two, to that one whom he considered about to be saved, he said:
"Mention me to thy lord."
C1697. Joseph never mentioned himself in interpreting the dream, nor ever thought of himself in his kindness to his fellow-sufferers in prison.
It was afterwards, when the cup-bearer's dream came true, and he was being released on being restored to favour, that we can imagine him taking an affectionate leave of Joseph, and even asking him in his elation if he could do anything for Joseph. Joseph had no need of earthly favours,- least of all, from kings or their favorites. The divine grace was enough for him. But he had great work to do, which he could not do in prison-work for Egypt and her king, and the world at large.
If the cup-bearer could mention him to the king, not by way of recommendation, but because the king's own justice was being violated in keeping an innocent man in prison, perhaps that might help to advance the cause of the king and of Egypt. And so he said, "Mention me to Pharaoh."
...فَأَنسَاهُ الشَّيْطَانُ ذِكْرَ رَبِّهِ...
But Satan made him forget to mention him to his lord:
C1698. The eternal Plan does not put Allah's Prophets under obligations to men commanding mere worldly favour or earthly power. If they are given a chance, the obligation is on the worldly men, however highly placed ...
In this case, the poor cup-bearer was but human. When he was in the midst of the Court, he forgot the poor fellow- prisoner languishing in prison. In this he yielded to the lower part of his nature, which is guided by Satan. (R).
...فَلَبِثَ فِي السِّجْنِ بِضْعَ سِنِينَ ﴿٤٢﴾
and (Joseph) lingered in prison a few (more) years.
C1699. A few (more) years: bid' in Arabic signifies a small indefinite number, say up to 3, 5, 7 or 9 years.
Pickthall’s Version:
12: 42
Pickthall And he said unto him of the twain who he knew would be released: Mention me in the presence of thy lord. But Satan caused him to forget to mention it to his lord, so he (Joseph) stayed in prison for some years.
Transliteration Wa qa_lal maliku inni ara_ sab'a baqara_tin sima_niy ya'kuluhunna sab'un 'ija_fuw wa sab'a sumbula_tin khudriw wa ukhara ya_bisa_t(in), ya_ ayyuhal mala'u aftu_ni fi ru'ya_ya in kuntum lir ru'ya_ ta'buru_n(a).
===================================
18. Surah al-Kahf, Mecca 69
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَإِذْ
قَالَ مُوسَى
لِفَتَاهُ...
18: 60. Behold, Moses said to his attendant,
C2404. This episode in the story of Moses is meant to illustrate four points.
1. Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. Even so that wisdom did not comprehend everything, even as the whole stock of the knowledge of the present day, in the sciences and the arts, and in literature, (if it could be supposed to be gathered in one individual), does not include all knowledge. Divine knowledge, as far as man is concerned, is unlimited.
Even after Moses received his divine mission, his knowledge was not so perfect that it could not receive further additions.
2. Constant effort is necessary to keep our knowledge square with the march of time, and such effort Moses is shown to be making.
3. The mysterious man he meets (18:65 and n. 2411), to whom Tradition assigns the name of Khidhar (literally, Green), is the type of that knowledge which is ever in contact with life as it is actually lived.
4. There are paradoxes in life;
apparent loss may be real gain;
apparent cruelty may be real mercy; returning good for evil may really be justice and not generosity (18:79-82).
Allah's wisdom transcends all human calculation. (R).
... لَا أَبْرَحُ حَتَّى أَبْلُغَ مَجْمَعَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ ...
"I will not give up until I reach the junction of the two seas
C2405. The most probable geographical location (if any is required in a story that is a parable) is where the two arms of the Red Sea join together, viz., the Gulf of 'Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez.
They enclose the Sinai Peninsula, in which Moses and the Israelites spent many years in their wanderings.
There is also authority (see Baydawi’s note) for interpreting the two seas as the two great streams of knowledge, which were to meet in the persons of Moses and Khidr.
... أَوْ أَمْضِيَ حُقُبًا ﴿٦٠﴾
or (until) I spend years and years in travel."
C2406. Huqub means a long but indefinite space of time. Sometimes it is limited to 80 years.
18: 61. But when they reached the Junction,
C2407. literally, 'the Junction of (the space) between the two,' i.e., the point at which the two seas were united.
... بَيْنِهِمَا نَسِيَا حُوتَهُمَا...
they forgot (about) their Fish,
C2408. Moses was to go and find a servant of Allah, who would instruct him in such knowledge as he had not already got. He was to take a fish with him.
The place where he was to meet his mysterious Teacher would be indicated by the fact that the fish would disappear when he got to that place.
The fish is the emblem of the fruit of secular knowledge, which merges itself in divine knowledge at the point where human intelligence is ready for the junction of the two. But the mere merger of secular knowledge does not in itself produce divine knowledge. the latter has to be sought patiently.
... فَاتَّخَذَ سَبِيلَهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ سَرَبًا ﴿٦١﴾
which took its course through the sea (straight) as in a tunnel.
فَلَمَّا
جَاوَزَا قَالَ
لِفَتَاهُ
آتِنَا غَدَاءنَا...
18: 62. When they had passed on (some distance), Moses said to his attendant:
"Bring us our early meal;
... لَقَدْ لَقِينَا مِن سَفَرِنَا هَذَا نَصَبًا ﴿٦٢﴾
truly we have suffered much fatigue at this (stage of) our journey."
C2409. When they came to the Junction of the Seas, Moses forgot about the fish, and his attendant forgot to tell him of the fact that he had seen the fish escaping into the sea in a marvelous way.
They passed on, but the stages now became heavier and heavier, and more fatiguing to Moses.
So when our old knowledge is exhausted, and we come to the brink of new knowledge, we have a feeling of strangeness, heaviness, and difficulty, especially when we want to pass the new knowledge by and do not make it our own.
Some refreshment, even if it be in our old traditional way, is required to sustain us. But we must retrace our steps, and seek the accredited repository of the knowledge which is our quest. It is our business to seek him out. We shall not find him without efforts.
قَالَ
أَرَأَيْتَ
إِذْ أَوَيْنَا
إِلَى الصَّخْرَةِ
فَإِنِّي نَسِيتُ
الْحُوتَ...
18: 63. He replied:
"Sawest thou (what happened) when we betook ourselves to the rock?
I did indeed forget (about) the Fish:
... وَمَا أَنسَانِيهُ إِلَّا الشَّيْطَانُ أَنْ أَذْكُرَهُ...
none but Satan made me forget to tell (you) about it:
C2410. The attendant actually saw the fish swimming away in the sea, and yet "forgot" to tell his master. In his case the "forgetting" was more than forgetting. Inertia had made him refrain from telling the important news. In such matters inertia is almost as bad as active spite, the suggestion of Satan.
So new knowledge or spiritual knowledge is not only passed by in ignorance, but sometimes by culpable negligence.
... وَاتَّخَذَ سَبِيلَهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ عَجَبًا ﴿٦٣﴾
it took its course through the sea in a marvelous way!"
Yuksel’s Version:
An Angel Teaches Lessons to Moses
18:60 Moses said to his youth: "I will not stop until I reach the junction of the two seas, or I spend a lifetime trying."
18:61 But when they did reach the junction between, they forgot their fish, and it was able to make its way back to the sea in a stream.
18:62 When they had passed further on, he said to his youth: "Bring us our lunch; we have found much fatigue in this journey of ours."
18:63 He said, "Do you remember when we rested upon the rock? I forgot the fish, and it was the devil that made me forget to remember it. It made its way back to the sea amazingly!"
Pickthall’s Version:
18: 63
Pickthall He said: Didst thou see, when we took refuge on the rock, and I forgot the fish and none but Satan caused me to forget to mention it, it took its way into the waters by a marvel.
Transliteration Qa_ ara'aita iz awaina_ ilas sakhrati fa inni nasitul hu_t(a), wa ma_ ansa_nihu illasy syaita_nu anazkurah(u_), wa-ttakhaza sabilahu_ fil bahri 'ajaba_(n).