الر تِلْكَ آيَاتُ الْكِتَابِ الْمُبِينِ
lif. Lām. Rā. THESE ARE MESSAGES of a revelation clear in itself and clearly showing the truth: (1)
إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
behold, We have bestowed it from on high as a discourse in the Arabic tongue, so that you might encompass it with your reason. (2)
نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ الْقَصَصِ بِمَا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ لَمِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ
In the measure that We reveal this Qur'ān unto thee, [O Prophet,] We explain it to thee in the best possible way, seeing that ere this thou wert indeed among those who are unaware [of what revelation is]. (3)
إِذْ قَالَ يُوسُفُ لِأَبِيهِ يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ رَأَيْتُهُمْ لِي سَاجِدِينَ
LO! Thus spoke Joseph unto his father: "O my father! Behold, I saw [in a dream] eleven stars, as well as the sun and the moon: I saw them prostrate themselves before me!" (4)
قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ لَا تَقْصُصْ رُؤْيَاكَ عَلَىٰ إِخْوَتِكَ فَيَكِيدُوا لَكَ كَيْدًا إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ عَدُوٌّ مُبِينٌ
[Jacob] replied: "O my dear son! Do not relate thy dream to thy brothers lest [out of envy] they devise an evil scheme against thee; verily, Satan is man's open foe! (5)
وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَجْتَبِيكَ رَبُّكَ وَيُعَلِّمُكَ مِنْ تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ وَيُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ يَعْقُوبَ كَمَا أَتَمَّهَا عَلَىٰ أَبَوَيْكَ مِنْ قَبْلُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
For, [as thou hast been shown in thy dream,] even thus will thy Sustainer elect thee, and will impart unto thee some understanding of the inner meaning of happenings, and will bestow the full measure of His blessings upon thee and upon the House of Jacob – even as, aforetime, He bestowed it in full measure upon thy forefathers Abraham and Isaac. Verily, thy Sustainer is all-knowing, wise!" (6)
- Alif. Lam. Ra.1 THESE ARE MESSAGES of a revelation clear in itself and clearly showing the truth:2
- 1 See Appendix II.
- 2 The participial adjective mubin may denote an attribute of the noun which it qualifies ("clear", "manifest", "obvious", etc.) as well as its function ("making clear" or "manifesting", i.e., the truth), either of which meanings is dictated by its context. In the consensus of authoritative opinion, both these meanings are comprised in the above instance; consequently, a compound phrase is necessary in order to render the term appropriately.
- A.L.R.1627 These are the Symbols1628 (or Verses) of the perspicuous Book.1629
- 1627 For the meaning of these mystic letters, see Introduction to S. 10.
- 1628 Ayat Signs, Symbols, verses of the Qur'an. The Symbolic meaning is particularly appropriate here, as the whole of Joseph's story is a Sign or a Miracle? a working exposition of the Plan and Purpose of Allah.
- 1629 Cf. 5:15, n. 716. The predominant meaning of Mubin here is: one that explains or makes things clear.
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A.L.R. These are the symbols (or Verses) of the perspicuous Book.
— Abdullah Yusuf Ali -
Alif. Lam. Ra. These are verse of the Scripture that maketh plain.
— Marmaduke Pickthall -
Alif Lam Ra. These are the verses of the Book that makes (things) manifest.
— M. Habib Shakir -
Alif-Lam-Ra. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur'an, and none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings]. These are the Verses of the Clear Book (the Qur'an that makes clear the legal and illegal things, legal laws, a guidance and a blessing).
— Taqiuddin Hilali and M. Mohsin Khan -
Alif. Lam. Ra. These are the verses of a Book luminous.
— Abdul-Majid Daryabadi -
AlifLaamRa. Those are the verses of the Clear Book.
— Hasan Qaribullah and Ahmed Darwish -
Alif Lam Ra (A.L.R.); these are the Signs of the Manifest Book.
— Ayub Khan -
Alif Lam Ra. These are verses of the clear Book.
— Sher Ali -
lif. Lām. Rā.
THESE ARE MESSAGES of a revelation clear in itself and clearly showing the truth:
— Muhammad Asad -
Alif Lam Ra. Those are the signs of the Manifest Book.
— Arthur Arberry -
Alif. Lam. Ra'. These are the verses of a Book that clearly expounds the truth.
— Abu'l Ala Maududi