Sura-52[ At-Tur Mecca 76]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s version:

فَذَكِّرْ ...

52:29.  Therefore proclaim thou the praises (of thy Lord):

C5063. The greatest of the Prophets was called a soothsayer, i.e., one who tells fortunes by divination, or a madman possessed of some evil spirit, or a poet singing spiteful satires.

Much more may lesser men be called by such names because they proclaim the Truth. They should go on in spite of it all. (R).

... فَمَا أَنتَ بِنِعْمَتِ رَبِّكَ بِكَاهِنٍ وَلَا مَجْنُونٍ ﴿٢٩﴾

For by the Grace of thy Lord, thou art no (vulgar) soothsayer, nor art thou one possessed.

أَمْ يَقُولُونَ شَاعِرٌ نَّتَرَبَّصُ بِهِ رَيْبَ الْمَنُونِ ﴿٣٠﴾

52:30.  Or do they say -- "A Poet! we await for him some calamity (hatched) by Time!"

C5064. If a spiteful poet foretells evil calamities for men, men can afford to laugh at him, hoping that time will bring about its revenge, and spite will come to an evil end.

For the various meanings of Raib, see n. 1884 to 14:9.

Some Commentators suggest Death' as the Calamity hatched by Time.

قُلْ تَرَبَّصُوا فَإِنِّي مَعَكُم مِّنَ الْمُتَرَبِّصِينَ ﴿٣١﴾

52:31.  Say thou: "Await ye! I too will wait along with you!"

C5065. Cf. 9:52.

If the wicked wait or look for some calamity to befall the Prophet, the Prophet can with far more justice await the decision of the issue between him and his persecutors. For he stands for right, and Allah will support the right.

Asad’s Version:

52:29 EXHORT, then, [O Prophet, all men:] for, by thy Sustainer's grace, thou art neither a soothsayer nor a madman.

(52:30) Or do they say, "[He is but] a poet - let us await what time will do unto him"? 17 (52:31) Say thou: "Wait, [then,] hopefully; behold, I, too, shall hopefully

wait with you!" 18