2. Surah Al Baqarah
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
خَتَمَ
اللّهُ عَلَى
قُلُوبِهمْ
وَعَلَى سَمْعِهِمْ
...
2: 7. Allah hath set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing,
C31. All actions are referred to Allah. Therefore, when we get the penalty of our deliberate sin, and our senses become impervious to good, the penalty is referred to the justice of Allah.
... وَعَلَى أَبْصَارِهِمْ غِشَاوَةٌ...
and on their eyes is a veil;
... وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عظِيمٌ ﴿٧﴾
great is the penalty they (incur).
C32. The penalty here is the opposite of the prosperity referred to in 2:5. As we go down the path of sin, our penalty gathers momentum, just as goodness brings its own capacity for greater goodness.
وَمِنَ
النَّاسِ مَن
يَقُولُ آمَنَّا
بِاللّهِ
وَبِالْيَوْمِ
الآخِرِ ...
2: 8. Of the people there are some who say:
"We believe in Allah and the Last Day,"
C33. We now come to a third class of people, the hypocrites.
They are untrue to themselves, and therefore their hearts, they soon pass into the category of those who deliberately reject light.
... وَمَا هُم بِمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٨﴾
but they do not (really) believe.
يُخَادِعُونَ
اللّهَ وَالَّذِينَ
آمَنُوا...
2: 2: 9. Fain would they deceive Allah and those who believe,
... وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إِلاَّ أَنفُسَهُم وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴿٩﴾
but they only deceive themselves and realize (it) not!
فِي
قُلُوبِهِم
مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَهُمُ
اللّهُ مَرَضاً...
2: 10. In their hearts is a disease; and Allah has increased their disease,
C34. The insincere man who thinks he can get the best of both worlds by compromising with good and evil only increased the disease of his heart, because he is not true to himself.
Even the good which comes to him he can pervert to evil. So the rain which fills out the ear of corn or lends fragrance to the rose also lends strength to the thorn or adds strength to the poison of the deadly nightshade.
... وَلَهُم عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْذِبُونَ ﴿١٠﴾
and grievous is the penalty they (incur), because they are false (to themselves).
وَإِذَا
قِيلَ لَهُمْ
لاَ تُفْسِدُواْ
فِي الأَرْضِ
...
2: 11. When it is said to them: "Make not mischief on the earth,"
... قَالُواْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ ﴿١١﴾
they say: "Why, we only want to make peace!"
أَلا
إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ
الْمُفْسِدُونَ
وَلَـكِن لاَّ
يَشْعُرُونَ
﴿١٢﴾
2: 12. Of a surety, they are the ones who make mischief, but they realize (it) not.
C35. Much mischief is caused (sometimes unwittingly) by people who think that they have a mission of peace, when they have not even a true perception of right and wrong.
By their blind arrogance they depress the good and encourage the evil.
Other versions:
2: 7
Asad [Thereupon the angels called out unto him:] “O Zachariah! We bring thee the glad tiding of [the birth of] a son whose name shall be John. [And God says,] “Never have We given this name to anyone before him.’”
Yusuf Ali (His prayer was answered): "O Zakariya! We give thee good news of a son: his name shall be Yahya: on none by that name have We conferred distinction before."
Pickthall (It was said unto him): O Zachariah! Lo! We bring thee tidings of a son whose name is John; We have given the same name to none before (him).
Transliteration Ya_ zakariy ya_ in na_ nubas siruka bighula_minis muhu_ yahya_ lam naj'al lahu_ min qablu samiy ya_
------------------------------------------
[ Asad’s note 7 - ……..The name ‘Yahya (John) signifies “he shall live”, i.e., he will be spiritually alive and will be remembered forever; and the fact that God Himself had chosen this name for him was a singular distinction, equivalent to a divine promise (kalimah, cf. note 28 on 3:39). ]
[ Ali’s note: 2461 This was John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus. In accordance with his father's prayer he, and Jesus for whom he prepared the way, renewed the Message of Allah, which had been corrupted and lost among the Israelites. The Arabic form Yahya suggests "Life". The Hebrew form is Johanan, which means "Jehovah has been Gracious". Cf. Hananan in verse 13 below. It does not mean that the name was given for the first time, for we read of a Johanan the son of Careah in II Kings, xxv. 23, an otherwise obscure man. It means that Allah had, for the first time, called one of His elect by that name. (19.7)]
--------------------------------------------
2: 8
Asad [Zachariah] exclaimed: “O my Sustainer! How can I have a son when my wife has always been barren and I have become utterly infirm through old age?”
Yusuf Ali He said: "O my Lord! how shall I have a son when my wife is barren and I have grown quite decrepit from old age?"
Pickthall He said: My Lord! How can I have a son when my wife is barren and I have reached infirm old age?
Transliteration Qa_la rab bi an na_ yaku_nu li ghula_muw wa ka_natim ra ati 'a_qiraw wa qad balaghtu minal kibari 'itiy ya_
2: 9
Asad Answered [the angel]: “Thus it is; [but] thy Sustainer says “This is easy for Me – even as I have created thee aforetime out of nothing.’”
Yusuf Ali He said: "So (it will be): thy Lord saith `That is easy for Me: I did indeed create thee before when thou hadst been nothing!' "
Pickthall He said: So (it will be). Thy Lord saith: It is easy for Me, even as I created thee before, when thou wast naught.
Transliteration Qa_la kadza_lik qa_la rab buka huwa 'alay ya hay yinuw wa qad khalaqtuka min qablu wa lam taku sai a_
[ Ruby’s note: This verse is stressing the truth about the ultimate origin of a human being or of anything else for that matter. This word “nothing” is related to the material existence of anything and everything: all material existence was non existent one time and God created the reality out of that state of “nothingness”.
This incomprehensible fact has been indicated in other verses: where it says God just says ‘Be” and “it is”. He is the PRIMARY Creator, his creation is not transforming something out of other things in existence. A human being is just a part of that reality.
A human being may seem to originate from a sperm and an egg coming together. However, the components of these two and the law they abide by to transform this union into a human were created out of an absolutely state of nothingness themselves. In the truest sense then a human being and all other things has its origin with God and finally will be returning to God.]
2: 10
Asad [Zachariah] prayed: “O my Sustainer! Appoint a sing for me!” Said [the angel]: :Thy sign shall be that for full three nights [and days] thou wilt not speak unto men.” [see 3:41 and the corresponding note29]
Yusuf Ali (Zakariya) said "O my Lord! give me a Sign." "Thy Sign" was the answer "shall be that thou shalt speak to no man for three nights although thou art not dumb."
Pickthall He said: My Lord! Appoint for me some token. He said: Thy token is that thou, with no bodily defect, shalt not speak unto mankind three nights.
Transliteration Qa_la rab bij'al li a_yah qa_la a_yatuka al la_ tukal liman na_sa tsala_tsa laya_lin sawiy ya_
2: 11
Yusuf Ali So Zakariya came out to his people from his chamber: he told them by signs to celebrate Allah's praises in the morning and in the evening.
Pickthall Then he came forth unto his people from the sanctuary, and signified to them: Glorify your Lord at break of day and fall of night.
Transliteration Fakhraja 'ala_ qaumihi minal mihra_bi fa auha_ ilaihim an sab bihu_ bukrataw wa asyiy ya_
2: 12
Asad [And when the son was born and grew up, he was told,] “O John! Hold fast unto the divine writ with [all thy] strength!” - - for We granted him wisdom while he was yet a little boy,
Yusuf Ali (To his son came the command): "O Yahya! take hold of the Book with might": and We gave him wisdom even as a youth.
Pickthall (And it was said unto his son): O John! Hold the Scripture. And We gave him wisdom when a child.
Transliteration Ya_ yahya_ khudzil kita_ba biquw wah wa a_taina_hul hukma sabiy ya_
19. Surah Maryam
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
قَالَ
إِنَّمَا أَنَا
رَسُولُ رَبِّكِ
لِأَهَبَ لَكِ
غُلَامًا
زَكِيًّا ﴿١٩﴾
19: 19. He said: "Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son."
C2472. Allah had destined her to be the mother of the Prophet Jesus Christ, and now had come the time when this should be announced to her.
وَنَادَيْنَاهُ
مِن جَانِبِ
الطُّورِ الْأَيْمَنِ
وَقَرَّبْنَاهُ
نَجِيًّا ﴿٥٢﴾
19: 52. And We called him from the right side of Mount (Sinai), and made him draw near to Us, for mystic (converse).
C2504. The incident here I think refers to the incidents described more fully in 20:9-36; a reference may also be made to Exod. 3:1-18 and 4:1-17.
The time is when Moses (with his family) was traveling and grazing the flocks of his father-in-law Jethro, just before he got his commission from Allah. The place is somewhere near Mount Sinai (Jabal Musa).
Moses sees a Fire in the distance, but when he goes there, he hears a voice that tells him it is sacred ground. Allah asked him to put off his shoes and to draw near, and when he went near, great mysteries were revealed to him. He was given his commission, and his brother Aaron was given to him to go with him and aid him. It is after that, that he and Aaron went and faced Pharaoh in Egypt, as narrated in 7:103-144, etc.
The right side of the mountain may mean that Moses heard the voice from the right side of the mountain as he faced it; or it may have the figurative meaning of "right" in Arabic, i.e., the side which was blessed or sacred ground. (R).
Other versions:
19: 19
Asad [The angel] answered: “I am but a messenger of thy Sustainer, [who says,] ‘I shall bestow upon thee the gift of a son endowed with purity.”
Yusuf Ali He said: "Nay I am only a messenger from thy Lord (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son."
Pickthall He said: I am only a messenger of thy Lord, that I may bestow on thee a faultless son.
Transliteration Qa_la in nama_ ana rasu_lu rab bik li ahaba laki ghula_man zakiy ya_
19: 51 [Maryam, Mecca 44 ]
Asad And call to mind, through this divine writ, Moses. Behold, he was a chosen one, and was an apostle [of God], a prophet.
Yusuf Ali Also mention in the Book (the story of) Moses: for he was specially chosen and he was an apostle (and) a prophet.
Pickthall And make mention in the Scripture of Moses. Lo! he was chosen, and he was a messenger (of Allah), a Prophet.
Transliteration Wadz kur fil kita_bi musa_ in nahu_ ka_na mukhlashaw wa ka_na rasu_lan nabiy ya_
[Asad’s note 37: The mention of Moses and other prophets in this context serves to reinforce the statement that all of them—like Jesus—were but mortal servants of God whom He had inspired with His message to man (cf. verse 30 above). As regards the distinction between the tems “prophet” and (nabi) and apostle (rasul), see the opening clause of 22:52 and the corresponding note 65: ( According to most of the commentators, the designation “ apostle” (rasul) is applied to bearers of divine revelations which comprise a new doctrinal system of dispensation; a “prophet” (nabi), on the other hand, is said to be one whom God has entrusted with the enunciation of ethical principle on the basis of an already-existing dispensation, or a of principles common to all divine dispensations. Hence, every apostle is a prophet as well, but not every prophet is an apostle.]
[ Ali’s notes: 2503 Moses was (1) especially chosen, and therefore prepared and instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, in order that he might free his people from Egyptian bondage; there may also be a reference to Moses's title of Kalimullah, the one to whom Allah spoke without the intervention of angels: see iv. 164, and n. 670; (2) he was a prophet (nabi), in that he received inspiration; and (3) he was a messenger (rasul) in that he had a Book of Revelation, and an Ummat or organized Community, for which he instituted laws. (19.51)
**********************************************