Sura -7 [Al-Araf, Mecca 39]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s version
هُوَ
الَّذِي
خَلَقَكُم
مِّن
نَّفْسٍ
وَاحِدَةٍ
وَجَعَلَ
مِنْهَا
زَوْجَهَا
لِيَسْكُنَ
إِلَيْهَا...
7:189. It is He who created you from a single person, and made his mate of like nature, in order that he might dwell with her (in love).
C1162. Cf. 4:1, and n. 504, where the construction is explained.
...فَلَمَّا تَغَشَّاهَا حَمَلَتْ حَمْلاً خَفِيفًا فَمَرَّتْ بِهِ...
When they are united, she bears a light burden and carries it about (unnoticed).
...فَلَمَّا أَثْقَلَت دَّعَوَا اللّهَ رَبَّهُمَا ...
When she grows heavy, they both pray to Allah their Lord, (saying):
C1163. The mystery of the physical birth of man, as it affects the father and the mother, only touches the imagination of the parents in the later stages when the child is yet unborn and yet the life stirs within the body of the expectant mother.
The coming of the new life is a solemn thing, and is fraught with much hope as well as much unknown risk to the mother herself.
The parents in their anxiety turn to Allah. If this feeling of solemnity, hope, and looking towards Allah were maintained after birth, all would be well for the parents as well as for the rising generation. But the attitude changes, as the verses following show.
... لَئِنْ آتَيْتَنَا صَالِحاً لَّنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ ﴿١٨٩﴾
"If Thou givest us a goodly child, we vow we shall (ever) be grateful."
C1164. Goodly: salih: includes the following ideas:
- sound in body and mind;
- healthy;
- righteous;
- of good moral disposition.
Asad Version:
It is He who has created you out of one living entity, and out of it brought into being its mate, so that man might incline [with love] towards woman [note 155]. ………
Yusuf Ali It is He who created you from a single person and made his mate of like nature in order that he might dwell with her (in love). When they are united she bears a light burden and carries it about (unnoticed). When she grows heavy they both pray to Allah their Lord (saying): "if Thou givest us a goodly child we vow we shall (ever) be grateful."
Pickthall He it is who did create you from a single soul, and there from did make his mate that he might take rest in her. And when he covered her she bore a light burden, and she passed (unnoticed) with it, but when it became heavy they cried unto Allah, their Lord, saying: If thou givest unto us aright we shall be of the thankful.
Transliteration Huwal lazi khalaqakum min nafsiw wa_hidatiw wa ja'ala minha_ zaujaha_ liyaskuna ilaiha_, falamma_ tagasysya_ha_ hamalat hamlan khafifan fa marrat bih(i), falamma_ asqalat da'awalla_ha rabbahuma_ la'in a_taitana_ sa_lihal lanaku_nanna minasy sya_kirin(a).
[[ Asad’s note 155 – Lit., “so that he might incline towards her”, For an explanation of the terms “one living entity” and “its mate”, see 4:1, and the corresponding note.]]
[[ Ali’s notes - 1162 Cf. iv. 1, and n. 504, where the construction is explained. (7.189)
1163 The mystery of the physical birth of man, as it affects the father and the mother, only touches the imagination of the parents in the later stages when the child is yet unborn and yet the life stirs within the body of the expectant mother. The coming of the new life is a solemn thing, and is fraught with much hope as well as much unknown risk to the mother herself. The parents in their anxiety turn to Allah. If this feeling of solemnity, hope, and looking towards Allah were maintained after birth, all would be well for the parents as well as for the rising generation. But the attitude changes, as the verses following show. (7.189)
1164 Goodly: salih: includes the following ideas: sound in body and mind; healthy; righteous; of good moral disposition. (7.189)
Sura 35 [Al-Fatir Mecca 43]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s version
وَاللَّهُ
خَلَقَكُم مِّن
تُرَابٍ ...
35:11 And Allah did create you from dust;
C3884. Cf. 18:37 and n. 2379; 22:5 and n. 2773; and 30:20, and n. 3524.
Here the argument is that
- man's physical origin is lowly:
- his physical body is but dust;
- his life-sperm issues from a part of his body which he hides and considers as a place of shame; and
- the mystery of sex shows that no one individual among mankind is sufficient in himself.
Glory and power and knowledge are not in him, but in Allah, from Whom alone he derives any glory, or power, or knowledge that he possesses.
... ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا...
then from a sperm-drop;
then He made you in pairs.
C3885. "Then" in this and the following clause refers, not to stages of time, but to stages in the argument.
It is almost equivalent to "further", "also", and "in addition".
... وَمَا تَحْمِلُ مِنْ أُنثَى وَلَا تَضَعُ إِلَّا بِعِلْمِهِ...
And no female conceives, or lays down (her load), but with His knowledge.
... وَمَا يُعَمَّرُ مِن مُّعَمَّرٍ وَلَا يُنقَصُ مِنْ عُمُرِهِ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ...
Nor is a man long-lived granted length of days, nor is a part cut off from his life, but is in a Decree (ordained).
C3886. Things that appear most secret and mysterious to man are all known and ordained by Allah. They are all subject to Allah's Laws and Decrees.
The mystery of human birth (see n. 3625 to 31:34), the mystery of sex, the mystery of Life and Death and many other things, seem to man inexplicable. But they are all ordained by Allah, and their reasons are fully known to Him.
... إِنَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ ﴿١١﴾
All this is easy for Allah.
C3887. Man's knowledge may be acquired laboriously and may be a burden to him. Allah's knowledge is different; it is not task or burden to Him. Cf. 33:19 and 30.
Asad Version:
(35:11) [Asad] And [remember:] God creates [every one of] you out of dust, 8 then out of a drop of sperm; and then He fashions you into either of the two sexes.' And no female conceives or gives birth unless it be with His knowledge; and none that is long-
lived has his days lengthened - and neither is aught lessened of his days - unless it be thus laid down in [God's] decree: for, behold, all this is easy for God.
[[ Asad’s note - 8 See second half of note 47 on 3:59, and note 4 on 23:12.]]
Sura-42 [Ash Mecca 53]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s version
وَمَا
اخْتَلَفْتُمْ
فِيهِ
مِن
شَيْءٍ
فَحُكْمُهُ
إِلَى
اللَّهِ...
42:10. Whatever it be wherein ye differ, the decision thereof is with Allah:
C4538. In the highest issues of life men may see things differently. If their differences arise merely from selfish motives, or narrowness of vision, they are sinning against their own souls.
If their differences arise from sincere but mistaken notions, their proper course is not to form divisions and sects, or to increase contention and hatred among men, but to leave all things to Allah, trusting in Him and turning to Him in all difficulties. The final decision in all things is with Him.
...ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبِّي عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ ﴿١٠﴾
Such is Allah my Lord: in Him I trust, and to Him I turn.
فَاطِرُ
السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالْأَرْضِ...
فَاطِرُ
السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالْأَرْضِ...
42:11. (He is) the Creator of the heavens and the earth:
...جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا وَمِنَ الْأَنْعَامِ أَزْوَاجًا يَذْرَؤُكُمْ فِيهِ...
He has made for you pairs from among yourselves, and pairs among cattle: by this means does He multiply you:
C4539. The mystery of sex has not only its physical aspects, but its moral and spiritual aspects, and therefore mankind is in this respect differentiated from the lower animals, and among mankind the grades and qualities are suggested by the phrase "from among yourselves".
As regards cattle, they are specially mentioned among the animals, as having special relations with man and specially subserving his needs, not only in the physical sphere, but also in the matter of transport, which is the key to all civilization and culture:
Cf. 36:71-73;
also 23:21-22, where they are compared to ships, the symbol of international intercourse.
...لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ ﴿١١﴾
there is nothing whatever like unto Him, and He is the One that hears and sees (all things).
Asad Version:
42:10 AND ON WHATEVER you may differ, [O believers,] the verdict thereon rests with God. 8 [Say, therefore:] "Such is God, my Sustainer: in Him have I placed my trust, and unto Him do I always turn!"
(42:11) The Originator [is He] of the heavens and the earth. He has given you mates of your own kind' - just as [He has willed that] among the beasts [there be] mates - to multiply you thereby: [but) there is nothing like unto Him, and He alone is all-hearing, all- seeing. 10
[[Asad’s note - 10 The preceding allusion to the God- willed function of sex and, hence, to the polarity and multiplicity evident in all animated nature - man and animal alike - is meant to stress the above statement of the oneness and absolute uniqueness of God. The phrase "there is nothing like unto Him" implies that He is fundamentally - and not merely in His attributes - "different" from anything that exists or could exist, or anything that man can conceive or imagine or define (see note 88 on 6:100); and since "there is nothing that could be compared with Him" (1 12:4), even the "how" of His being "different" from everything else is beyond the categories of human thought. ]]