The Meaning of the Glorious Qur’án (Pickthall), Unknown
The Meaning of the Glorious Qur’án (Pickthall)
Category: Islam
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The Qur’án is the holy book of Islam, believed to be the word of God revealed to the prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel. This text matches the 1930 Alfred A. Knopf publication of Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall’s translation, except that verse numbers have been updated to match the standard verse numbering of today, and transliterations have been updated.

The Meaning of the Glorious Qur’án

Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdu’llah

The Meaning of the Glorious Qur’án (Pickthall)

Translation by Muḥammad Marmaduke Pickthall

The Meaning of the Glorious Qur’án (Pickthall)

1.
Al-Fatiha: The Opening

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds,
The Beneficent, the Merciful.

Master of the Day of Judgment,
Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help.

Show us the straight path,
The path of those whom Thou hast favoured; Not the (path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray.

2.
Al-Baqarah: The Cow

In the name of Alláh, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Alif. Lám. Mím.

This is the Scripture whereof there is no doubt, a guidance unto those who ward off (evil).

Who believe in the Unseen, and establish worship, and spend of that We have bestowed upon them;

And who believe in that which is revealed unto thee (Muḥammad) and that which was revealed before thee, and are certain of the Hereafter.

These depend on guidance from their Lord. These are the successful.

As for the Disbelievers, Whether thou warn them or thou warn them not it is all one for them; they believe not.

Alláh hath sealed their hearing and their hearts, and on their eyes there is a covering. Theirs will be an awful doom.

And of mankind are some who say: We believe in Alláh and the Last Day, when they believe not.

They think to beguile Alláh and those who believe, and they beguile none save themselves; but they perceive not.

In their hearts is a disease, and Alláh increaseth their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie.

And when it is said unto them: Make not mischief in the earth, they say: We are peacemakers only.

Are not they indeed the mischief-makers? But they perceive not.

And when it is said unto them: believe as the people believe, they say: shall we believe as the foolish believe? Are not they indeed the foolish? But they know not.

And when they fall in with those who believe, they say: We believe; but when they go apart to their devils they declare: Lo! we are with you; verily we did but mock.

Alláh (Himself) doth mock them, leaving them to wander blindly on in their contumacy.

These are they who purchase error at the price of guidance, so their commerce doth not prosper, neither are they guided.

Their likeness is as the likeness of one who kindleth fire, and when it sheddeth its light around him Alláh taketh away their light and leaveth them in darkness, where they cannot see,

Deaf, dumb and blind; and they return not.

Or like a rainstorm from the sky, wherein is darkness, thunder and the flash of lightning. They thrust their fingers in their ears by reason of the thunder-claps, for fear of death, Alláh encompasseth the disbelievers (in His guidance, His omniscience and His omnipotence).

The lightning almost snatcheth away their sight from them. As often as it flasheth forth for them they walk therein, and when it darkeneth against them they stand still. If Alláh willed, He could destroy their hearing and their sight. Lo! Alláh is able to do all things.

O mankind! worship your Lord, Who hath created you and those before you, so that ye may ward off (evil).

Who hath appointed the earth a resting-place for you, and the sky a canopy; and causeth water to pour down from the sky, thereby producing fruits as food for you. And do not set up rivals to Alláh when ye know (better).

And if ye are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto Our slave (Muḥammad), then produce a surah of the like thereof, and call your witness beside Alláh if ye are truthful.

And if ye do it not—and ye can never do it—then guard yourselves against the Fire prepared for disbelievers, whose fuel is of men and stones.

And give glad tidings (O Muḥammad) unto those who believe and do good works; that theirs are Gardens underneath which rivers flow; as often as they are regaled with food of the fruit thereof, they say: this is what was given us aforetime; and it is given to them in resemblance. There for them are pure companions; there for ever they abide.

Lo! Alláh disdaineth not to coin the similitude even of a gnat. Those who believe know that it is the truth from their Lord; but those who disbelieve say: What doth Alláh wish (to teach) by such a similitude? He misleadeth many thereby, and He guideth many thereby; and He misleadeth thereby only miscreants;

Those who break the covenant of Alláh after ratifying it, and sever that which Alláh ordered to be joined, and (who) make mischief in the earth: Those are they who are the losers.

How disbelieve ye in Alláh when ye were dead and He gave life to you! Then He will give you death, then life again, and then unto Him ye will return.

He it is Who created for you all that is in the earth. Then turned He to the heaven, and fashioned it as seven heavens. And He is knower of all things.

And when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to place a viceroy in the earth, they said: Wilt thou place therein one who will do harm therein and will shed blood, while we, we hymn Thy praise and sanctify Thee? He said: Surely I know that which ye know not.

And He taught Adam all the names, then showed them to the angels, saying: Inform Me of the names of these, if ye are truthful.

They said: Be glorified! We have no knowledge saving that which Thou hast taught us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Knower, the Wise.

He said: O Adam! Inform them of their names, and when he had informed them of their names, He said: Did I not tell you that I know the secret of the heavens and the earth? And I know that which ye disclose and which ye hide.

And when We said unto the angels: Prostrate yourselves before Adam, they fell prostrate, all save Iblis. He demurred through pride, and so became a disbeliever.

And We said: O Adam! Dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden, and eat ye freely (of the fruits) thereof where ye will; but come not nigh this tree lest ye become wrong-doers.

But Satan caused them to deflect therefrom and expelled them from the (happy) state in which they were; and We said: Fall down, one of you a foe unto the other! There shall be for you on earth a habitation and provision for a time.

Then Adam received from his Lord words (of revelation), and He relented toward him. Lo! He is the Relenting, the Merciful.

We said: Go down, all of you, from hence; but verily there cometh unto you from Me a guidance; and whoso followeth My guidance, there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.

But they who disbelieve, and deny Our revelations, such are rightful Peoples of the Fire. They will abide therein.

O Children of Israel! Remember My favour wherewith I favoured you, and fulfil your (part of the) covenant, I shall fulfil My (part of the) covenant, and fear Me.

And believe in that which I reveal, confirming that which ye possess already (of the Scripture), and be not first to disbelieve therein, and part not with My revelations for a trifling price, and keep your duty unto Me.

Confound not truth with falsehood, nor knowingly conceal the truth.

Establish worship, pay the poor-due, and bow your heads with those who bow (in worship).

Enjoin ye righteousness upon mankind while ye yourselves forget (to practise it)? And ye are readers of the Scripture! Have ye then no sense?

Seek help in patience and prayer; and truly it is hard save for the humble-minded,

Who know that they will have to meet their Lord, and that unto Him they are returning.

O Children of Israel! Remember My favour wherewith I favoured you and how I preferred you to (all) creatures.

And guard yourselves against a day when no soul will in aught avail another, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will compensation be received from it, nor will they be helped.

And (remember) when We did deliver you from Pharaoh’s folk, who were afflicting you with dreadful torment, slaying your sons and sparing your women: that was a tremendous trial from your Lord.

And when We brought you through the sea and rescued you, and drowned the folk of Pharaoh in your sight.

And when We did appoint for Moses forty nights (of solitude), and then ye chose the calf, when he had gone from you, and were wrong-doers.

Then, even after that, We pardoned you in order that ye might give thanks.

And when We gave unto Moses the Scripture and the criterion (of right and wrong), that ye might be led aright.

And when Moses said unto his people: O my people! Ye have wronged yourselves by your choosing of the calf (for worship) so turn in penitence to your Creator, and kill (the guilty) yourselves. That will be best for you with your Creator and He will relent toward you. Lo! He is the Relenting, the Merciful.

And when ye said: O Moses! We will not believe in thee till we see Alláh plainly; and even while ye gazed the lightning seized you.

Then We revived you after your extinction, that ye might give thanks.

And We caused the white cloud to overshadow you and sent down on you the manna and the quails, (saying): Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you—they wronged Us not, but they did wrong themselves.

And when We said: Go into this township and eat freely of that which is therein, and enter the gate prostrate, and say: “Repentance.” We will forgive you your sins and will increase (reward) for the right-doers.

But those who did wrong changed the word which had been told them for another saying, and We sent down upon the evil-doers wrath from heaven for their evil-doing.

And when Moses asked for water for his people, We said: Smite with thy staff the rock. And there gushed out therefrom twelve springs (so that) each tribe knew their drinking-place. Eat and drink of that which Alláh hath provided, and do not act corruptly, making mischief in the earth.

And when ye said: O Moses! We are weary of one kind of food; so call upon thy Lord for us that He bring forth for us of that which the earth groweth - of its herbs and its cucumbers and its corn and its lentils and its onions. He said: Would ye exchange that which is higher for that which is lower? Go down to settled country, thus ye shall get that which ye demand. And humiliation and wretchedness were stamped upon them and they were visited with wrath from Alláh. That was because they disbelieved in Alláh’s revelations and slew the prophets wrongfully. That was for their disobedience and transgression.

Lo! Those who believe (in that which is revealed unto thee, Muḥammad), and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabaeans—whoever believeth in Alláh and the Last Day and doeth right—surely their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.

And (remember, O Children of Israel) when We made a covenant with you and caused the mount to tower above you, (saying): Hold fast that which We have given you, and remember that which is therein, that ye may ward off (evil).

Then, even after that, ye turned away, and if it had not been for the grace of Alláh and His mercy ye had been among the losers.

And ye know of those of you who broke the Sabbath, how We said unto them: Be ye apes, despised and hated!

And We made it an example to their own and to succeeding generations, and an admonition to the God-fearing.

And when Moses said unto his people: Lo! Alláh commandeth you that ye sacrifice a cow, they said: Dost thou make game of us? He answered: Alláh forbid that I should be among the foolish!

They said: Pray for us unto thy Lord that He make clear to us what (cow) she is. (Moses) answered: Lo! He saith, Verily she is a cow neither with calf nor immature; (she is) between the two conditions; so do that which ye are commanded.

They said: Pray for us unto thy Lord that He make clear to us of what colour she is. (Moses) answered: Lo! He saith: Verily she is a yellow cow. Bright is her colour, gladdening beholders.

They said: Pray for us unto thy Lord that He make clear to us what (cow) she is. Lo! cows are much alike to us; and Lo! if Alláh wills, we may be led aright.

(Moses) answered: Lo! He saith: Verily she is a cow unyoked; she plougheth not the soil nor watereth the tilth; whole and without mark. They said: Now thou bringest the truth. So they sacrificed her, though almost they did not.

And (remember) when ye slew a man and disagreed concerning it and Alláh brought forth that which ye were hiding.

And We said: Smite him with some of it. Thus Alláh bringeth the dead to life and showeth you His portents so that ye may understand.

Then, even after that, your hearts were hardened and became as rocks, or worse than rocks, for hardness. For indeed there are rocks from out which rivers gush, and indeed there are rocks which split asunder so that water floweth from them. And indeed there are rocks which fall down for the fear of Alláh. Alláh is not unaware of what ye do.

Have ye any hope that they will be true to you when a party of them used to listen to the word of Alláh, then used to change it, after they had understood it, knowingly?

And when they fall in with those who believe, they say: We believe. But when they go apart one with another they say: Prate ye to them of that which Alláh hath disclosed to you that they may contend with you before your Lord concerning it? Have ye then no sense?

Are they then unaware that Alláh knoweth that which they keep hidden and that which they proclaim?

Among them are unlettered folk who know the Scripture not except from hearsay. They but guess.

Therefore woe be unto those who write the Scripture with their hands and then say, “This is from Alláh,” that they may purchase a small gain therewith. Woe unto them for that their hands have written, and woe unto them for that they earn thereby.

And they say: The Fire (of punishment) will not touch us save for a certain number of days. Say: Have ye received a covenant from Alláh—truly Alláh will not break His covenant—or tell ye concerning Alláh that which ye know not?

Nay, but whosoever hath done evil and his sin surroundeth him; such are rightful owners of the Fire; they will abide therein.

And those who believe and do good works: such are rightful owners of the Garden. They will abide therein.

And (remember) when We made a covenant with the Children of Israel, (saying): Worship none save Alláh (only), and be good to parents and to kindred and to orphans and the needy, and speak kindly to mankind; and establish worship and pay the poor-due. Then, after that, ye slid back, save a few of you, being averse.