تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَالَمِينَ نَذِيرًا
HALLOWED is He who from on high, step by step, has bestowed upon His servant the standard by which to discern the true from the false, so that to all the world it might be a warning: (1)
الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي الْمُلْكِ وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَقَدَّرَهُ تَقْدِيرًا
He to whom the dominion over the heavens and the earth belongs, and who begets no offspring, and has no partner in His dominion: for it is He who creates every thing and determines its nature in accordance with [His own] design. (2)
وَاتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ آلِهَةً لَا يَخْلُقُونَ شَيْئًا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ وَلَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ ضَرًّا وَلَا نَفْعًا وَلَا يَمْلِكُونَ مَوْتًا وَلَا حَيَاةً وَلَا نُشُورًا
And yet, some choose to worship, instead of Him, [imaginary] deities that cannot create anything but are themselves created, and have it not within their power to avert harm from, or bring benefit to, themselves, and have no power over death, nor over life, nor over resurrection! (3)
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا إِفْكٌ افْتَرَاهُ وَأَعَانَهُ عَلَيْهِ قَوْمٌ آخَرُونَ فَقَدْ جَاءُوا ظُلْمًا وَزُورًا
Moreover, those who are bent on denying the truth are wont to say, "This [Qur'ān] is nothing but a lie which he [himself] has devised with the help of other people, who thereupon have perverted the truth and brought a falsehood into being." (4)
وَقَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ اكْتَتَبَهَا فَهِيَ تُمْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا
And they say, "Fables of ancient times which he has caused to be written down, so that they might be read out to him at morn and evening!" (5)
قُلْ أَنْزَلَهُ الَّذِي يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا
Say [O Muhammad]: "He who knows all the mysteries of the heavens and the earth has bestowed from on high this [Qur'ān upon me]! Verily, He is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!" (6)
وَقَالُوا مَالِ هَٰذَا الرَّسُولِ يَأْكُلُ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشِي فِي الْأَسْوَاقِ لَوْلَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ فَيَكُونَ مَعَهُ نَذِيرًا
Yet they say: "What sort of apostle is this [man] who eats food [like all other mortals] and goes about in the market-places? Why has not an angel [visibly] been sent down unto him, to act as a warner together with him?" (7)
أَوْ يُلْقَىٰ إِلَيْهِ كَنْزٌ أَوْ تَكُونُ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ يَأْكُلُ مِنْهَا وَقَالَ الظَّالِمُونَ إِنْ تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا رَجُلًا مَسْحُورًا
Or: "[Why has not] a treasure been granted to him [by God]?" Or: "He should [at least] have a [bountiful] garden, so that he could eat thereof [without effort]!" And so these evildoers say [unto one another], "If you were to follow [Muhammad, you would follow] but a man bewitched!" (8)
انْظُرْ كَيْفَ ضَرَبُوا لَكَ الْأَمْثَالَ فَضَلُّوا فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ سَبِيلًا
See to what they liken thee, [O Prophet, simply] because they have gone astray and are now unable to find a way [to the truth]! (9)
- HALLOWED is He who from on high, step by step, has bestowed upon His servant the standard by which to discern the true from the false,1 so that to all the world it might be a warning:
- 1 Almost all the commentators give this meaning to the term al-furqan. In the above context it denotes the Qur'an as well as the phenomenon of divine revelation as such. (For an amplified interpretation of this term by Muhammad 'Abduh, see note 38 on 2:53.) The verbal form nazzala implies gradualness both in time ("successively") and in method ("step by step").
- Blessed3052 is He who sent down the Criterion3053 to His servant, that it3054 may be an admonition to all creatures;-
- 3052 Tabaraka: the root meaning is "increase" or "abundance." Here that aspect of Allah's dealing with His creatures is emphasised, which shows his abundant goodness to all His creatures, in that He sent the Revelation of His Will, not only in the unlimited Book of Nature, but in a definite Book in human language, which gives clear directions and admonitions to all. The English word "blessed" hardly conveys that meaning, but I can find no other without departing far from established usage. To emphasise the meaning I have explained, I have translated "Blessed is . . .", but "Blessed be . . ." is also admissible, as it brings out another shade of meaning, that we praise and bless His Holy Name.
- 3053 That by which we can judge clearly between right and wrong. Here the reference is to the Qur'an, which has already been symbolised by Light This symbol is continued here, and many contrasts are shown, in the midst of which we can distinguish between the true and false by Allah's Light, especially the contrast between righteousness and sin.
- 3054 The pronoun in yakuna may refer to Furqan (the Criterion) or the 'Abd (the Holy Prophet). In either case the ultimate meaning is the same. The Qur'an is the standing Criterion for judgement between right and wrong.
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Blessed is He who sent down the criterion to His servant, that it may be an admonition to all creatures;-
— Abdullah Yusuf Ali -
Blessed is He Who hath revealed unto His slave the Criterion (of right and wrong), that he may be a warner to the peoples.
— Marmaduke Pickthall -
Blessed is He Who sent down the Furqan upon His servant that he may be a warner to the nations;
— M. Habib Shakir -
Blessed be He Who sent down the criterion (of right and wrong, i.e. this Qur'an) to His slave (Muhammad SAW) that he may be a warner to the 'Alamin (mankind and jinns).
— Taqiuddin Hilali and M. Mohsin Khan -
Blest be He who hath revealed the Criterion unto His bondman thathe may be unto the worlds a warner.
— Abdul-Majid Daryabadi -
Blessed is He who has sent down the Criterion to His worshiper (Prophet Muhammad), that he is a warner to all mankind;
— Hasan Qaribullah and Ahmed Darwish -
Blessed be He who has sent down the Criterion on His Servant, that he may be a warner to all people;
— Ayub Khan -
Blessed is He who has sent down Al-Furq?n to His servant, that he may be a Warner to all the worlds -
— Sher Ali -
HALLOWED is He who from on high, step by step, has bestowed upon His servant the standard by which to discern the true from the false, so that to all the world it might be a warning:
— Muhammad Asad -
Blessed be He who has sent down the Salvation upon His servant, that he may be a warner to all beings;
— Arthur Arberry -
Highly blessed{{1}} is He, Who has sent down Al-Furqan,{{2}} {{3}} to His servant so that it may be a warner to all mankind:{{4}}
— Abu'l Ala Maududi