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Welcome Friends: Ahlan wa sahlan!
Yesterday’s Reading was SO interesting!
It ended by giving us one reason why God sent Messengers to mankind; our Lord would NOT bring about the break-down of any township while its people were unaware of right and wrong.
COMMENTS:
1. Today’s Reading continues, indicating the importance of our deeds and their results IN LIFE:
Verse 132 shows us literally, that from what we have done, (مما عملنا) our standards (in life) are built![i]
Although these ‘standards’ also feature in the Hereafter, they seem to refer in this instance to Life, as in HQ6:165; 43:32.
There seems to be a misconception amongst us, which always postpones the benefits of our good deeds to the afterlife. Why should we not expect some tangible benefits now?
For Yusuf Ali’s translation:
For Muhammad Asad’s translation:
Isn’t it wonderful to read these translations so easily? Did you notice how Asad added the words ‘shall be judged,’ which are not in the Arabic at all?
I just added a new icon in the side-bar, which takes us to THIS wonderful website with its multi-lingual translations and MANY other useful English and Arabic references! Click English as ‘Language,’ then choose your Translator in ‘work,’ and choose your Sura on the left. If you wish to read the entire Sura, verse after verse (without translator’s notes and commentary) keep the Verse no. ‘Undefined.’ If you wish to read each verse with its commentary, you have to put in the verse number.
Back to our subject:
2. Verses 133-134 indicate to Doubters the Self-Sufficiency of their Lord versus their own temporary existence on earth, and that what they are promised shall indeed come to pass.
In Verse 135 the Messenger is commanded to tell them to continue working in their position, on their standard, without change… while HE is WORKING (present continuous), and they shall indeed know! (This verse seems to validate our interpretation of verse 132.)
3. Verses 136, 138-139 discuss several customs among the idol-worshipping tribes of the time, related to their animal sacrifices: The verses begin, according to Yusuf Ali:
“Out of what God hath produced in abundance in tilth and in cattle, they assigned Him a share: they say, according to their fancies: "This is for God, and this" - for our "partners"! but the share of their" partners "reacheth not God, whilst the share of God reacheth their "partners" ! evil (and unjust) is their assignment!”
Read his note 958, and Asad’s note 120 (it’s so easy now!).
4. Verses 137, 140 tell us about their human sacrifices, how slaughtering their own children was ‘embellished’ زُيِّن or ‘made alluring’ to the Associate-rs (the idol-worshippers who ‘associated partners’ with God).
5. Verse 141:
“For it is He Who raised[ii] gardens –with climbing canopies[iii] and without– and palms, and plants of different edibles/flavors, and the olive, and the pomegranate- both similar and dissimilar. Eat of its fruit when it bears fruit, and give its due (to the needy) on the day of harvest, and do not commit excess; indeed, He loves not those who commit excess!”
What a beautiful verse, which tells us what we were given on one hand, and how to enjoy it by sharing with others, and not committing excess (either by wasting the bounty, or by overindulgence).
6. Our last verse in today’s Reading goes back to the subject of Livestock, An’aam, which are also of His bounty given to us for their use and their meat. Verse 142 indicates that, of these Livestock, some are for burden and some are for their meat or wool, and that we should eat of what God has provided and not follow the footsteps of the Deviant/Sheytaan, for he is, to us, an open enemy.
To see what the Qur’an considers ‘the footsteps of the Deviant/Sheytaan’ copy + paste تتبعوا خطوات الشيطان in Tanzil (topmost image).
Enough said!
Our next Reading is from HQ6:143-151
Peace unto all!
[i] (درج) يدلُّ على مُضِيِّ الشّيءِ والمُضيِّ في الشّيء. من ذلك قولُهم دَرَجَ الشّيءُ، إذا مَضَى لسبيله. ورجَع فُلانٌ أدراجَه، إذا رَجع في الطّريق الذي جاء منه. ودَرَج الصَّبيُّ، إذا مَشَى مِشْيته.. ومَدَارج الأكمَة: الطُّرق المعترِضة فيها. فأمّا الدُّرج لبعض الأصوِنة والآلات، فإن كان صحيحاً فهو أصلٌ آخَرُ يدلُّ على سَترٍ وتَغْطية. من ذلك أدْرَجْتُ الكتابَ، وأدْرَجْتُ الحَبْل.
[ii] (نشأ) يدلُّ على ارتفاعٍ في شيء وسموّ. ونَشَأَ السَّحابُ: ارتفع. وأنْشَأَه الله: رفَعه. ومنه: {إنَّ نَاشِئَةَ اللَّيْلِ} [المزمل 6]، يراد بها والله أعلمُ القيامُ والانتصابُ للصَّلاة. ومن الباب: النَّشْءُ والنَّشَأ: أحداث النّاس. ونشأَ فلانٌ في بني فلانٍ. والنَّاشئ: الشَّابُّ الذي نشأ وارتفَعَ وعلا. وأنشأ فلانٌ حديثاً.
[iii] (عرش) يدلُّ على ارتفاعٍ في شيء مبنيّ، ثم يستعارُ في غير ذلك. من ذلك العَرْش، قال الخليل: العرش: سرير الملِك. وهذا صحيحٌ، قال الله تعالى: {وَرَفَعَ أبَوَيْهِ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ} [يوسف 100]، ثم استُعير ذلك فقيل لأمر الرّجُل وقِوامه: عرش. وإذا زال ذلك عنه قيل: ثُلَّ عَرشُه. ومن الباب: تعريش الكَرْم، لأنّه رفعه والعريش: بناءٌ من قُضبانٍ يُرفَع ويوثَّق حتَّى يظلّل. وقيل للنبيّ صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم يومَ بدرٍ: "ألاَ نَبْنِي لك عريشاً". وكلُّ بناء يُستَظَلُّ به عَرْشٌ وعَريش. ويقال لسَقْف البَيْت عَرْش. قال الله تعالى: {فَهي خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَى عُرُوشِها} [الحج 45]، والمعنى أنَّ السَّقف يسقُط ثم يتَهافت عليه الجُدرانُ ساقطةً. ومن الباب العَرِيش، وهو شِبْه الهَوْدَجِ يُتَّخَذ للمرأة تقعُد فيه على بعيرها. ومن الباب: عَرَشْتُ الكرم وعَرَّشْتُه. يقال: اعتَرش العنبُ، إذا علا على العَرش. ويقال: العُرُوش: الخِيام من خشبٍ، واحدُها عريش.
1 comment:
Again you prove to be the best at what you do; comparative Koranic literature. I love how you catch people who add verses when they should be just translating. I realize why they do it, but it is so temporal while the Koran is eternal. Keep up the good work, though I would love to see you translate with more synchronicity. But, then you will be accused by myself (and others like you) of adding stuff, just as I mentioned in the above sentence. It's tough.
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