14. Surah Ibrahim

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَبَأُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ...   

14: 9.     Has not the story reached you, (O people!), of those who (went) before you? --

of the people of Noah, and 'Ad, and Thamud? --

...وَالَّذِينَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلاَّ اللّهُ...

and of those who (came) after them?

None knows them but Allah.

C1882. Even the names of all the Prophets are not known to men, much less the details of their story. If some "news" of them (for the word translated "story" may also be translated "news") reaches us, it is to give us spiritual instruction for our own lives.

...جَاءتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَرَدُّواْ أَيْدِيَهُمْ فِي أَفْوَاهِهِمْ...

To them came Messengers with Clear (Signs); but they put their hands up to their mouths,

C1883. That is, either that the Unbelievers metaphorically put their hands up to the mouths of the Prophets to try to prevent them from proclaiming their Message, or

that the Unbelievers put up their fingers to their own mouths, as much as to say "Don't listen to them," or bite their own fingers in token of incontinent rage.

Whatever construction we adopt, the meaning is that they were intolerant of their prophets even as the Quraish were intolerant of Al Mustafa and did all they could to suppress Allah's Truth.

...وَقَالُواْ إِنَّا كَفَرْنَا بِمَا أُرْسِلْتُم بِهِ...

and said:

"We do deny (the mission) on which ye have been sent,

...وَإِنَّا لَفِي شَكٍّ مِّمَّا تَدْعُونَنَا إِلَيْهِ مُرِيبٍ ﴿٩﴾

and we are really in suspicious (disquieting) doubt as to that to which ye invite us."

C1884. Cf. 11:62.

The distinction between Shakk and raib may be noted.

Shakk is intellectual doubt, a doubt as to fact; is it so, or is it not?

Raib is something more than intellectual doubt; a suspicion that there is fraud or deception; something that upsets your moral belief and causes a disquiet in your soul.

In 52:30, it is used as equivalent to "calamity" or "disaster", some punishment or evil. Both kinds of doubts and suspicions are hinted at against Prophets of Allah.

Other versions:

14: 9 [Ibrahim, Mecca 72]

Yusuf Ali Has not the story reached you (O people!) of those who (went) before you? of the people of Noah and `Ad and Thamud? and of those who (came) after them? None knows them but Allah. To them came apostles with Clear (Signs); but they put their hands up to their mouths and said: "We do deny (the mission) on which ye have been sent and we are really in suspicious (disquieting) doubt as to that to which ye invite us."

Pickthall Hath not the history of those before you reached you: the folk of Noah. and (the tribes of) Aad and Thamud, and those after them? None save Allah knoweth them. Their messengers came unto them with clear proofs, but they thrust their hands into their mouths, and said: Lo! we disbelieve in that wherewith ye have been sent, and lo! we are in grave doubt concerning that to which ye call us.

Yuksel Did not news come to you of those before you: the people of Noah, and Aad, and Thamud. Those after them, whom none know but God? Their messengers came to them with proof, but they placed their hands to their mouths and said, "We are rejecting what you have been sent with, and we are in grave doubt as to what you are inviting us to."

Transliteration Alam ya'tikum naba'ul lazina min qablikum qaumi nu_hiw wa 'a_diw wa samu_d(a), wallazina mim ba'dihim, la_ ya'lamuhum illalla_h(u), ja_'athum rusuluhum bil bayyina_ti fa raddu_ aidiyahum fi afwa_hihim wa qa_lu_ inna_ kafarna_ bima_ ursiltum bihi wa inna_ lafi syakkim mimma_ tad'u_nana_ ilaihi murib(in).

7. Sura al-Araf

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

تِلْكَ الْقُرَى نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنبَآئِهَا...

7: 101. Such were the towns whose story We (thus) relate unto thee:

... وَلَقَدْ جَاءتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَمَا كَانُواْ لِيُؤْمِنُواْ بِمَا كَذَّبُواْ مِن قَبْلُ...

there came indeed to them their Messengers with clear (signs): but they would not believe what they had rejected before.

C1070. Those who have heard the Message and rejected it find it more difficult afterwards to retrace their steps. Evil has blocked the channels of Allah's grace to them. It begins with their breaking their Covenant with Allah; with each step afterwards they fall deeper and deeper into the mire.

...كَذَلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللّهُ عَلَىَ قُلُوبِ الْكَافِرِينَ ﴿١٠١﴾

Thus doth Allah seal up the heart of those who reject faith.

وَمَا وَجَدْنَا لأَكْثَرِهِم مِّنْ عَهْدٍ...

7: 102. Most of them We found not men (true) to their covenant:

...وَإِن وَجَدْنَا أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَفَاسِقِينَ ﴿١٠٢﴾

but most of them We found rebellious and disobedient.

Asad’s Version:

7: 101 Unto those communities – some of whose stories We relate unto you – there had indeed come apostles of their own with all evidence of the truth; but they would not believe in anything to which they had once given the lie: thus it is that God seals the hearts of those who deny the truth;

7: 102 and in most of them We found no bond with anything that is right – and most of them We found to be iniquitous indeed.

[Asad note 82: Lit., “to which they had given the lie”: an allusion to the instinctive unwillingness of most people to give up the notion – positive or negative – to which

they are accustomed.]

7: 101

Yusuf Ali Such were the towns whose story We (thus) relate unto thee: there came indeed to them their apostles with clear (signs): but they would not believe what they had rejected before. Thus doth Allah seal up the heart of those who reject faith.

Pickthall Such were the townships. We relate some tidings of them unto thee (Muhammad). Their messengers verily came unto them with clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty), but they could not believe because they had before denied. Thus doth Allah print upon the hearts of disbelievers (that they hear not).

Transliteration Tilkal qura_ naqussu 'alaika min amba_iha_, wa laqad ja_'athum rusuluhum bil bayyina_t(i), fama_ ka_nu_ liyu'minu_ bima_ kazzabu_ min qabl(u), kaza_lika yatba'ulla_hu 'ala_ qulu_bil ka_firin(a).