اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ
READ in the name of thy Sustainer, who has created – (1)
خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ
created man out of a germ-cell! (2)
اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ
Read – for thy Sustainer is the Most Bountiful One (3)
الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ
who has taught [man] the use of the pen – (4)
عَلَّمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ
taught man what he did not know! (5)
كَلَّا إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَيَطْغَىٰ
Nay, verily, man becomes grossly overweening (6)
أَنْ رَآهُ اسْتَغْنَىٰ
whenever he believes himself to be self-sufficient: (7)
إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ الرُّجْعَىٰ
for, behold, unto thy Sustainer all must return. (8)
أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يَنْهَىٰ
HAST THOU ever considered him who tries to prevent (9)
عَبْدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰ
a servant [of God] from praying? (10)
أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ
Hast thou considered whether he is on the right way, (11)
أَوْ أَمَرَ بِالتَّقْوَىٰ
or is concerned with God-consciousness? (12)
أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
Hast thou considered whether he may [not] be giving the lie to the truth and turning his back [upon it]? (13)
أَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَرَىٰ
Does he, then, not know that God sees [all]? (14)
كَلَّا لَئِنْ لَمْ يَنْتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًا بِالنَّاصِيَةِ
Nay, if he desist not, We shall most surely drag him down upon his forehead – (15)
نَاصِيَةٍ كَاذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ
the lying, rebellious, forehead! – (16)
فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُ
and then let him summon [to his aid] the counsels of his own [spurious] wisdom, (17)
سَنَدْعُ الزَّبَانِيَةَ
[the while] We shall summon the forces of heavenly chastisement! (18)
كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِبْ ۩
Nay, pay thou no heed to him, but prostrate thyself [before God] and draw close [unto Him]! (19)
- Seest thou if6211 he is on (the road of) Guidance?-
- 6211 Man's insolence leads to two results: (1) self-destruction through selfmisleading; (2) a false example or false guidance to others. The righteous man must therefore test human example or human guidance by the question, "Is there Allah's guidance behind it?" And risible light would be thrown on it by the question, "Does it lead to righteousness?" A flouting of Allah and Allah's truth answers the first question in the negative, and conduct which turns back from the eternal principles of Right answers the second.
-
Seest thou if he is on (the road of) Guidance?-
— Abdullah Yusuf Ali -
Hast thou seen if he relieth on the guidance (of Allah)
— Marmaduke Pickthall -
Have you considered if he were on the right way,
— M. Habib Shakir -
Tell me, if he (Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) is on the guidance (of Allah)?
— Taqiuddin Hilali and M. Mohsin Khan -
Bethinkest thou, if he is himself guided,
— Abdul-Majid Daryabadi -
Have you seen if he was upon guidance
— Hasan Qaribullah and Ahmed Darwish -
Hast thou seen, if he were on guidance,
— Ayub Khan -
Tell me if Our servant follows the guidance,
— Sher Ali -
Hast thou considered whether he is on the right way,
— Muhammad Asad -
What thinkest thou? If he were upon guidance
— Arthur Arberry -
Did you consider: what if he is on the Right Way,
— Abu'l Ala Maududi