6. [al-Anam, Cattle Mecca 55]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
لاَّ
تُدْرِكُهُ
الأَبْصَارُ
وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ
الأَبْصَارَ...
6: 103. No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision:
...وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ ﴿١٠٣﴾
He is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things.
6: 103
Asad No human vision can encompass Him, whereas He encompasses all human vision: for He alone is unfathomable, all-aware [note 89].
Pickthall Vision comprehendeth Him not, but He comprehendeth (all) vision. He is the Subtile, the Aware.
Transliteration La_ tudrikuhul absa_ru wa huwa yudrikul absa_r(a), wa huwal latiful khabir(u).
***********************************
[ Asad’s note:
89 – The term “latif” denotes something that is extremely subtle in quality, and therefore intangible and unfathomable. Wherever this term occurs in the Quran with reference to God in conjunction with the adjective “khabir” (“all-aware”), it is invariably used to express the idea of His inaccessibility to human perception, imagination or comprehension, as contrasted with His Own all-awareness (see, apart for mthe above verse, all 22:63, 31:16, 33:34 and 67:14). In the two instances where the combination of ‘latif’ and ‘khabir’ carries the definite article al (6:103 and 67:14), the expression huwa ‘l-latif” has the meaning of “He alone is unfathomable” – implying that this quality of His is unique and absolute.]
[ Ali’s note –
931 Latif: fine, subtle, so fine and subtle as to be invisible to the physical eye; so fine as to be imperceptible to the senses; figuratively, so pure as to be above the mental or spiritual vision of ordinary men. The active meaning should also be understood: 'One who understands the finest mysteries': Cf. xxii. 63, and n. 2844. (6.103) ]]