4. Sura an-Nisa

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَرُسُلاً قَدْ قَصَصْنَاهُمْ عَلَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَرُسُلاً لَّمْ نَقْصُصْهُمْ عَلَيْكَ...   

4 ; 164. Of some Messengers We have already told thee the story; of others We have not;

... وَكَلَّمَ اللّهُ مُوسَى تَكْلِيمًا ﴿١٦٤﴾  

and to Moses Allah spoke direct.

C670. Allah spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. Hence the title of Moses in Muslim theology:

Kalim Allah: the one to whom Allah spoke.

Other versions:

4: 164

Asad and as [We inspired other] apostles whom We have mentioned to thee ere this [note 179], as well as apostles whom We have not mentioned to thee………….

Yusuf Ali Of some Apostles We have already told thee the story; of others We have not; and to Moses Allah spoke direct.

Pickthall And messengers We have mentioned unto thee before and messengers We have not mentioned unto thee; and Allah spoke directly unto Moses;

Transliteration Wa rusulan qad qasasna_hum'alaika min qablu wa rusulal lam naqsushum'alaik(a), wa kallamalla_hu mu_sa_ taklima_(n).

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).