15. Surah Al Hijr
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
لَّوْ
مَا تَأْتِينَا
بِالْمَلائِكَةِ
إِن كُنتَ مِنَ
الصَّادِقِينَ ﴿٧﴾
15:7. "Why bringest thou not angels to us if it be that thou hast the Truth?"
C1941. Cf. 6:8-9, and notes 840, 841.
On the part of the unbelievers, this is a mere taunt. They neither believe in Allah nor in angels nor in revelation nor in any but material things. It is ridiculous to suppose that they could be taken seriously.
مَا نُنَزِّلُ
الْمَلائِكَةَ
إِلاَّ بِالحَقِّ...
15:8. We send not the angels down except for just cause:
C1942. Angels are not sent down to satisfy the whim or curiosity of the unbelievers. They are sent to bring inspiration to Allah's messengers and to execute Allah's decrees.
...وَمَا كَانُواْ إِذًا مُّنظَرِينَ ﴿٨﴾
if they came (to the ungodly), behold! no respite would they have!
C1943. If the angels were to appear before the ungodly, it would mean that they came to execute just punishment, and then there would be no hope of respite possible for the ungodly.
إِنَّا
نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا
الذِّكْرَ
وَإِنَّا لَهُ
لَحَافِظُونَ ﴿٩﴾
15:9. We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).
C1944. The purity of the text of the Quran through fourteen centuries is a foretaste of the eternal care with which Allah's Truth is guarded through all ages.
All corruptions, inventions, and accretions pass away, but Allah's pure and holy Truth will never suffer eclipse even though the whole world mocked at it and were bent on destroying it. (R).
وَلَقَدْ
أَرْسَلْنَا
مِن قَبْلِكَ
فِي شِيَعِ
الأَوَّلِينَ ﴿١٠﴾
15:10. We did send Messengers before thee amongst the religious sects of old:
C1945. Shiya'un, plural of Shi'atun:: a sect, a religious division.
Mankind sees fragments of Truth at a time, and is apt to fall into fragments and divisions. All true messengers of Allah come to reconcile these fragments or divisions, for they preach the true Gospel of Unity.
So came Al-Mustafa to bring back to Unity the many jarring sects among the Jews, Christians, and Pagans. His mission was held up to ridicule, but so was the mission of his predecessors. Mockery itself should not discourage the preachers of Truth.
وَمَا
يَأْتِيهِم
مِّن رَّسُولٍ
إِلاَّ كَانُواْ
بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِؤُونَ ﴿١١﴾
15:11. But never came a Messenger to them but they mocked him.
كَذَلِكَ
نَسْلُكُهُ
فِي قُلُوبِ
الْمُجْرِمِينَ ﴿١٢﴾
15:12. Even so do We let it creep into the hearts of the sinners --
C1946. If evil and disbelief exist in the world, we must not be impatient or lose our faith. We must recognise that if such things are permitted, they are part of the Universal Plan and purpose of Allah, Who is All-Wise and All-Good, but Whose wisdom and goodness we cannot fully fathom.
One consolation we have, and that is stated in the next verse and the next note.
Other versions:
15: 7 [al-Hijr, Mecca 54]
Yusuf Ali "Why bringest thou not angels to us if it be that thou hast the Truth?"
Pickthall Why bringest thou not angels unto Us, if thou art of the truthful?
Transliteration Lau ma_ ta'tina_ bil mala_'ikati in kunta minas sa_diqin(a).
15: 8
Yusuf Ali We send not the angels down except for just cause: if they came (to the ungodly) behold! no respite would they have!
Pickthall We send not down the angels save with the Fact, and that case (the disbelievers) would not be tolerated.
Transliteration Ma_ nunazzilul mala_'ikata illa_ bil haqqi wa ma_ ka_nu_ izam munzarin(a).
15: 9
Yusuf Ali We have without doubt sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).
Pickthall Lo! We, even We, reveal the Reminder, and lo! We verily are its Guardian.
Transliteration Inna_ nahnu nazzalnaz zikra wa inna_ lahu_ laha_fizu_n(a).
15: 10 [al-Hijr, Mecca 54]
Yusuf Ali We did send apostles before thee amongst the religious sects of old:
Pickthall We verily sent (messengers) before thee among the factions of the men of old.
Transliteration Wa laqad arsalna_ min qablika fi syiya'il awwalin(a).
15: 11
Yusuf Ali But never came an apostle to them but they mocked him.
Pickthall And never came there unto them a messenger but they did mock him.
Transliteration Wa ma_ ya'tihim mir rasu_lin illa_ ka_nu_ bihi yastahzi'u_n(a).
15: 12
Yusuf Ali Even so do We let it creep into the hearts of the sinners
Pickthall Thus do We make it traverse the hearts of the guilty:
Transliteration Kaza_lika naslukuhu_ fi qulu_bil mujrimin(a),