الم
Alif. Lām. Mīm. (1)
تَنْزِيلُ الْكِتَابِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ مِنْ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
THE BESTOWAL from on high of this divine writ issues, beyond any doubt, from the Sustainer of all the worlds: (2)
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ بَلْ هُوَ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ لِتُنْذِرَ قَوْمًا مَا أَتَاهُمْ مِنْ نَذِيرٍ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ
and yet, they [who are bent on denying the truth] assert, "[Muhammad] has invented it!" Nay, but it is the truth from thy Sustainer, enabling thee to warn [this] people to whom no warner has come before thee, so that they might follow the right path. (3)
اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلَا شَفِيعٍ أَفَلَا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ
IT IS GOD who has created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six aeons, and is established on the throne of His almightiness. You have none to protect you from God, and none to intercede for you [on Judgment Day]: will you not, then, bethink yourselves? (4)
يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ مِمَّا تَعُدُّونَ
He governs all that exists, from the celestial space to the earth; and in the end all shall ascend unto Him [for judgment] on a Day the length whereof will be [like] a thousand years of your reckoning. (5)
ذَٰلِكَ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ
Such is He who knows all that is beyond the reach of a created being's perception, as well as all that can be witnessed by a creature's senses or mind: the Almighty, the Dispenser of Grace, (6)
الَّذِي أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ الْإِنْسَانِ مِنْ طِينٍ
who makes most excellent everything that He creates. Thus, He begins the creation of man out of clay; (7)
ثُمَّ جَعَلَ نَسْلَهُ مِنْ سُلَالَةٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ مَهِينٍ
then He causes him to be begotten out of the essence of a humble fluid; (8)
ثُمَّ سَوَّاهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِهِ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ قَلِيلًا مَا تَشْكُرُونَ
and then He forms him in accordance with what he is meant to be, and breathes into him of His spirit: and [thus, O men,] He endows you with hearing, and sight, and feelings as well as minds: [yet] how seldom are you grateful! (9)
وَقَالُوا أَإِذَا ضَلَلْنَا فِي الْأَرْضِ أَإِنَّا لَفِي خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ بَلْ هُمْ بِلِقَاءِ رَبِّهِمْ كَافِرُونَ
For [many are] they [who] say, "What! After we have been [dead and] lost in the earth, shall we indeed be [restored to life] in a new act of creation?" Nay, but [by saying this] they deny the truth that they are destined to meet their Sustainer! (10)
قُلْ يَتَوَفَّاكُمْ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ الَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُونَ
Say: "[One day,] the angel of death who has been given charge of you will gather you, and then unto your Sustainer you will be brought back." (11)
- and then He forms him in accordance with what he is meant to be, and breathes into him of His spirit:9 and [thus, O men,] He endows you with hearing, and sight, and feelings as well as minds:10 [yet] how seldom are you grateful!
- 9 As in 15:29 and 38:72, God's "breathing of His spirit into man" is a metaphor for the divine gift of life and consciousness, or of a "soul" (which, as pointed out in surah 4, note 181, is one of the meanings of the term ruh). Consequently, "the soul of every human being is of the spirit of God" (Razi). Regarding the verb sawwahu - rendered by me as "He forms him in accordance with what he is meant to be" - see note 1 on 87:2 and note 5 on 91:7.
- 10 Lit., "hearts" (af idah), which in classical Arabic is a metonym for both "feelings" and "minds"; hence my composite rendering of this term.
- But He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him something of3639 His spirit. And He gave you (the faculties of) hearing and sight and feeling3640 (and understanding): little thanks do ye give!
- 3639 The third stage is indicated by "fashioned him in due proportion". Cf. 15:29. After the fertilisation of the ovum by the sperm, an individual life conies into existence, and it is gradually fashioned into shape; its limbs are formed; its animal life begins to function; all the beautiful adaptations come into play. The fourth stage here mentioned is that of distinctive Man, into whom Allah's spirit is breathed. Then he rises higher than animals.
- 3640 As a complete man he gets the higher faculties. The five animal senses I understand to be included in the third stage. But in the fourth stage he rises higher and is addressed in the second person, "you," instead of the third person "him". He has now the spiritual counterpart of hearing (i.e., the capacity to hear Allah's Message) and seeing (i.e., the inner vision), and feeling the nobler heights of love and understanding the bearings of the inner life (both typified by the Heart). Yet with all these gifts, what thanks does unregenerate or corrupted man give to Allah? (Cf. 23:12-14 and 32:7-9)
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But He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him something of His spirit. And He gave you (the faculties of) hearing and sight and feeling (and understanding): little thanks do ye give!
— Abdullah Yusuf Ali -
Then He fashioned him and breathed into him of His Spirit; and appointed for you hearing and sight and hearts. Small thanks give ye!
— Marmaduke Pickthall -
Then He made him complete and breathed into him of His spirit, and made for you the ears and the eyes and the hearts; little is it that you give thanks.
— M. Habib Shakir -
Then He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him the soul (created by Allah for that person), and He gave you hearing (ears), sight (eyes) and hearts. Little is the thanks you give!
— Taqiuddin Hilali and M. Mohsin Khan -
Then He fashioned him and breathed into him something of a spirit from Him; and He ordained for you hearing and sight and hearts. Little is the thanks ye return.
— Abdul-Majid Daryabadi -
Then He created him and (caused the angel to) breathe into him his (created) spirit. He gave you eyes and ears, and hearts, yet little do you thank.
— Hasan Qaribullah and Ahmed Darwish -
then He shaped him, and breathed in him of His Spirit, and made for you ears, eyes, and heart; little thanks you show.
— Ayub Khan -
Then He endowed him with perfect faculties and breathed into him of His spirit. And He has given you ears, and eyes, and hearts. But little thanks do you give!
— Sher Ali -
and then He forms him in accordance with what he is meant to be, and breathes into him of His spirit: and [thus, O men,] He endows you with hearing, and sight, and feelings as well as minds: [yet] how seldom are you grateful!
— Muhammad Asad -
then He shaped him, and breathed His spirit in him. And He appointed for you hearing, and sight, and hearts; little thanks you show.
— Arthur Arberry -
then He duly proportioned him,{{15}} and breathed into him of His spirit,{{16}} and bestowed upon you ears and eyes and hearts.{{17}} And yet, little thanks do you give.{{18}}
— Abu'l Ala Maududi