صفوة التفاسير محمد علي الصابوني The Premier Exegeses - Muhammad Ali al Sabooni
I figured that a good way to ensure that I understand some of the chapters of the Quran is to see if I can translate some basic tafsirs. So here's my first installation.
The translation of the Quran is from Pickthal, which I realized is pretty good at getting the a literal translation.
Enjoy:
Verses 1 - 8
The chapter of “The Pen” is from the Meccan Chapters that deal with the principles of belief and creed.
The chapter is composed of three fundamental subjects:
1) The theme of prophethood and the Meccan Pagan's accusations against the mission of Muhammad ibn Abdullah .
2) The story of the companions of the garden, which illustrates the outcome of disbelief and rejection of God’s bounties.
3) The Hereafter, the events surrounding it, its hardships and what God has prepared for the two parties, the believers and the disbelievers.
However the axis this chapter revolves around the theme of affirming Muhammad’s prophethood.
The chapter begins by taking an oath to confirm the great ability and aptitude of the Prophet, his nobility and innocence from that which the pagans accusations against his personality- in particular their charge (and God forbid) of madness. With clarity this chapter describes his grand character and elevated traits.
“Nun. By the pen and that which they write (therewith), Thou art not, for thy Lord's favour unto thee, a madman. And lo! thine verily will be a reward unfailing. And lo! thou art of a tremendous nature…”
Then the chapter turns to the malefactors’ stance concerning the Messenger's call and what God has prepared for them in punishment and torture.
Then a parable is struck whereby the Meccan disbelievers' rejection of God’s greatest bounty, raising the final Messenger amongst them, is compared to the story of the Companions of the Garden who revolted in the face of God's blessings and forbade the rights of the poor and destitute. God burned down their garden and made their story an example for those who contemplate.
“Lo! We have tried them as We tried the owners of the garden when they vowed that they would pluck its fruit next morning, And made no exception (for the Will of Allah); Then a visitation from thy Lord came upon it while they slept. And in the morning it was as if plucked….”
Then the chapter compares the Faithful and the Infidels in method often used by the Quran by grouping between الترهيب and الترغيب, between admonition and inciting desire.
“Shall We then treat those who have surrendered as We treat the guilty?”
The great chapter then turns to the Resurrection and its terrible events. It mentions the place of the guilty disbelievers on the day when they will be called upon to prostrate to the Lord of the Universe, but they will will be unable.
“On the day when it befalleth in earnest, and they are ordered to prostrate themselves but are not able…”
The chapter concludes by ordering the Prophet to be steadfast in the face of the Pagan offences , and to free himself from the exasperation from the trials he will face on the path of calling others towards God just as Jonas faced when he left his people and rushed to the sea.
“But wait thou for thy Lord's decree, and be not like him of the fish, who cried out in despair…”
Language
يَسْطُرُونَ -They write. When someone does the act of سطر to some knowledge it means they write it with a pen.
مَمْنُونٍ -Cut off, severed. One can say, that some one has done the act of من to a rope if he cuts it.
عُتُلٍّ - العتل (with a dammah on the ع) is rough, crude hash, and brutish, quick to evil. The word comes from the العتل (with a fatha on the ع) which is pulling.
خُذُوهُ فَغُلُّوهُ “Take him and fetter him”. In the Jauhari’s lexicon, Sihah, we find “someone will do the act of عتل to another if he pulls the other with a stern pulling.
زَنِيمٍ - Someone who is attached to a group of people, but he is not from them. He is an illegitimate child whose father is not known. The poet said:
بغي الأم ذو حسب لئيم
زنيم ليس يعرف من أبوه
“Illegitimate, whose father is not known
A loose mother with a rebukeable account. (1)
صَارِمِينَ -A thing that has the act of صرم done to it is severed. When this is done to a palm tree, its fruits have been cut off.
حَرْدٍ -Endeavor and determination.
زَعِيمٌ - Liable and responsible.
مَكْظُومٌ -Filled with fury and grief.
Tafsir
Nun. By the pen and that which they write (therewith),
Nun is one of the Huruf Maqtuah, separated letters that appear at the beginning of some chapters of the Quran. It is used here to bring attention to the inimitable nature of the Quran. God swears by the pen which man used to inscribe knowledge and science. The pen is the fraternal companion to the tongue, and is from the bounty of al-Rahman provides his servants.
The meaning of the verse is: "I swear by the pen and what the writers write with it, concerning the truth of Muhammad. That he is free from the madness that the guilty infidels ascribe to him." In swearing by the pen and what is written, we get a sense of mangitude and praiseworthiness of reading and writing. Man is alone from amongst all other creatures who has been selected with the knowledge of writing which allows him to articulate what he finds within himself. “Who teacheth by the pen, Teacheth man that which he knew not.” (2)
Sufficient evidence of the pen’s nobility is that God swore by it in this chapter, and thus glorifying the station of writers and elevating the station of those of knowledge. In the pen there is expression just as with the tongue. With it knowledge and science is sustained. Ibn Kathir said: “Apparent from God’s saying By the pen and that which they write is that “the pen” is the genus of pens (the idea of Pen). God, the Exalted, swears by the pen to bring to His creation’s attention His Blessings, namely teaching them writing by which they can attain knowledge." (3)
Thou art not, for thy Lord's favour unto thee, a madman
Oh Muhammad, by God’s blessings and His favour of Prophethood, you are not mad like the ignorant claim. You are, and Praise be to God, wise and not as they claim: “…O thou unto whom the Reminder is revealed, lo! thou art indeed a madman!” (4). Ibn Atiyah says: “this verse is the answer to what is being swear upon. [i.e. I swear by the pen and that which they write that you are not a madman.] And His saying “for thy Lord's favour unto thee” is an objection or rebuttal . Just as you may say to someone “You are, with the praise of God, gracious”(5) .
And lo! thine verily will be a reward unfailing.
That is, for you there is reward,without any cease or limitation, for enduring the harm found on the path of delivering God’s invitation.
And lo! thou art of a tremendous nature.
You are, Oh Muhammad, refined and noble in behoavior beyond enumeration. For God has collected within you virtue and perfection. No man has been able to properly appreciate his nature for the Lord of might, Elevated and Sublime, has characterized Muhammad with such venerated characteristics.
From his nature was knowledge and gentleness, intense modesty, abundance of worship and generosity, patientnce and thankfulness, humility and asceticism, mercy and sympathy, and perfection of companionship and manners (6). How great was the saying of the poet,
إذا الله أثنى بالذي أهله
فما مقدار ما تمدح الورى عليك
“If God described you with what befits you,
then what is the weight of what mankind praises you with?”
And thou wilt see and they will see
That is, you shall see, Oh Muhammad, and your people and those that oppose you, shall see when the punishment will befall them.
Which of you is the demented.
That is, which one of you has been tormented with madness? Is it as they claim? Or is it them with their disbelief and their turning away from guidance?
Qurtabi says: “المفتون is the demented who has been tormented by the devil. Most of this surah has been revealed in relation to al-Walid ibn al-Mugirah and Abi Jahl. The pagans would say “Indeed Muhammad is a devil”. It was this by which they meant by mad – المجنون. So God says, they will know tomorrow which one of them is mad, that is, which is the devil from whose touch madness and manipulation of the mind occurs.” (7)
Lo! thy Lord is Best Aware of him who strayeth from His way, and He is Best Aware of those who walk aright.
It is He, Glorified, who knows who is evil minded and deviant from God's religion and the path of guidance. And He it is who knows the righteous and those guided to the true religion.
This is the justification of what is before it and is assurance for that which is promised. It is as if He is saying: “Truly they as the ones that are mad and not you. For they had intellects that they never benefited from or never used to protect and truely give themsleves delight.
Therefor obey not thou the rejecters
That is, do not obey the leaders of disbelief and deviation who have belied your message and the Quran by in taking heed to their call.
Al-Razi says: “The people of Mecca called him to the religion of their fathers and God forbade him from obeying them. This was إلهام inspiration from God and a threatening command to oppose them.
__________________________________
[1] Tafsir Qurtabi, Vol. 18 page 234
[2] Quran, The Clot Chapter 19 verses 3 and 4.
[3] Summary of Ibn Kathir Vol. 3, page 532[1] Quran Stone land Chapter 15 verse 6
[4] Quran Stone land Chapter 15 verse 6
[5] The Surrounding Sea, Vol. 8 page 308. Abu Hiyan mentioned that this verse is definitive evidence of the correctness of the claim (That he is not mad). “The favour” was clear in the perfection of his eloquence, wisdom, praiseworthy life and noble characteristics such that accusations should be self-evidently denied.
[6] The two shaikh’s (Bukhari and Muslim) narrate on the authority of Anas ibn Malik, , “I served the Messenger of God for ten years and he never said “Uff” to me, nor did he say to me about some I had done, “Why did you do this?” nor to some thing I didn’t do, “Why didn’t you do this?” And he was the best of all people in behavior. I never felt any piece of velvet or silk or anything else softer than the palm of the Messenger of Allah , I never smelt musk nor fragrance more pleasant than the sweat of Messenger of Allah ”. In Bukhari, on the authority of Aisha, may God be please with her, when she was asked about his manners, she said, “His manners were the Quran”. She meant he characterized himself with the good characteristics mentioned in the Quran.
[7] Tafsir Qurtabi Vol. 18 page 229
The translation of the Quran is from Pickthal, which I realized is pretty good at getting the a literal translation.
Enjoy:
Verses 1 - 8
The chapter of “The Pen” is from the Meccan Chapters that deal with the principles of belief and creed.
The chapter is composed of three fundamental subjects:
1) The theme of prophethood and the Meccan Pagan's accusations against the mission of Muhammad ibn Abdullah .
2) The story of the companions of the garden, which illustrates the outcome of disbelief and rejection of God’s bounties.
3) The Hereafter, the events surrounding it, its hardships and what God has prepared for the two parties, the believers and the disbelievers.
However the axis this chapter revolves around the theme of affirming Muhammad’s prophethood.
The chapter begins by taking an oath to confirm the great ability and aptitude of the Prophet, his nobility and innocence from that which the pagans accusations against his personality- in particular their charge (and God forbid) of madness. With clarity this chapter describes his grand character and elevated traits.
“Nun. By the pen and that which they write (therewith), Thou art not, for thy Lord's favour unto thee, a madman. And lo! thine verily will be a reward unfailing. And lo! thou art of a tremendous nature…”
Then the chapter turns to the malefactors’ stance concerning the Messenger's call and what God has prepared for them in punishment and torture.
Then a parable is struck whereby the Meccan disbelievers' rejection of God’s greatest bounty, raising the final Messenger amongst them, is compared to the story of the Companions of the Garden who revolted in the face of God's blessings and forbade the rights of the poor and destitute. God burned down their garden and made their story an example for those who contemplate.
“Lo! We have tried them as We tried the owners of the garden when they vowed that they would pluck its fruit next morning, And made no exception (for the Will of Allah); Then a visitation from thy Lord came upon it while they slept. And in the morning it was as if plucked….”
Then the chapter compares the Faithful and the Infidels in method often used by the Quran by grouping between الترهيب and الترغيب, between admonition and inciting desire.
“Shall We then treat those who have surrendered as We treat the guilty?”
The great chapter then turns to the Resurrection and its terrible events. It mentions the place of the guilty disbelievers on the day when they will be called upon to prostrate to the Lord of the Universe, but they will will be unable.
“On the day when it befalleth in earnest, and they are ordered to prostrate themselves but are not able…”
The chapter concludes by ordering the Prophet to be steadfast in the face of the Pagan offences , and to free himself from the exasperation from the trials he will face on the path of calling others towards God just as Jonas faced when he left his people and rushed to the sea.
“But wait thou for thy Lord's decree, and be not like him of the fish, who cried out in despair…”
Language
يَسْطُرُونَ -They write. When someone does the act of سطر to some knowledge it means they write it with a pen.
مَمْنُونٍ -Cut off, severed. One can say, that some one has done the act of من to a rope if he cuts it.
عُتُلٍّ - العتل (with a dammah on the ع) is rough, crude hash, and brutish, quick to evil. The word comes from the العتل (with a fatha on the ع) which is pulling.
خُذُوهُ فَغُلُّوهُ “Take him and fetter him”. In the Jauhari’s lexicon, Sihah, we find “someone will do the act of عتل to another if he pulls the other with a stern pulling.
زَنِيمٍ - Someone who is attached to a group of people, but he is not from them. He is an illegitimate child whose father is not known. The poet said:
بغي الأم ذو حسب لئيم
زنيم ليس يعرف من أبوه
“Illegitimate, whose father is not known
A loose mother with a rebukeable account. (1)
صَارِمِينَ -A thing that has the act of صرم done to it is severed. When this is done to a palm tree, its fruits have been cut off.
حَرْدٍ -Endeavor and determination.
زَعِيمٌ - Liable and responsible.
مَكْظُومٌ -Filled with fury and grief.
Tafsir
Nun. By the pen and that which they write (therewith),
Nun is one of the Huruf Maqtuah, separated letters that appear at the beginning of some chapters of the Quran. It is used here to bring attention to the inimitable nature of the Quran. God swears by the pen which man used to inscribe knowledge and science. The pen is the fraternal companion to the tongue, and is from the bounty of al-Rahman provides his servants.
The meaning of the verse is: "I swear by the pen and what the writers write with it, concerning the truth of Muhammad. That he is free from the madness that the guilty infidels ascribe to him." In swearing by the pen and what is written, we get a sense of mangitude and praiseworthiness of reading and writing. Man is alone from amongst all other creatures who has been selected with the knowledge of writing which allows him to articulate what he finds within himself. “Who teacheth by the pen, Teacheth man that which he knew not.” (2)
Sufficient evidence of the pen’s nobility is that God swore by it in this chapter, and thus glorifying the station of writers and elevating the station of those of knowledge. In the pen there is expression just as with the tongue. With it knowledge and science is sustained. Ibn Kathir said: “Apparent from God’s saying By the pen and that which they write is that “the pen” is the genus of pens (the idea of Pen). God, the Exalted, swears by the pen to bring to His creation’s attention His Blessings, namely teaching them writing by which they can attain knowledge." (3)
Thou art not, for thy Lord's favour unto thee, a madman
Oh Muhammad, by God’s blessings and His favour of Prophethood, you are not mad like the ignorant claim. You are, and Praise be to God, wise and not as they claim: “…O thou unto whom the Reminder is revealed, lo! thou art indeed a madman!” (4). Ibn Atiyah says: “this verse is the answer to what is being swear upon. [i.e. I swear by the pen and that which they write that you are not a madman.] And His saying “for thy Lord's favour unto thee” is an objection or rebuttal . Just as you may say to someone “You are, with the praise of God, gracious”(5) .
And lo! thine verily will be a reward unfailing.
That is, for you there is reward,without any cease or limitation, for enduring the harm found on the path of delivering God’s invitation.
And lo! thou art of a tremendous nature.
You are, Oh Muhammad, refined and noble in behoavior beyond enumeration. For God has collected within you virtue and perfection. No man has been able to properly appreciate his nature for the Lord of might, Elevated and Sublime, has characterized Muhammad with such venerated characteristics.
From his nature was knowledge and gentleness, intense modesty, abundance of worship and generosity, patientnce and thankfulness, humility and asceticism, mercy and sympathy, and perfection of companionship and manners (6). How great was the saying of the poet,
إذا الله أثنى بالذي أهله
فما مقدار ما تمدح الورى عليك
“If God described you with what befits you,
then what is the weight of what mankind praises you with?”
And thou wilt see and they will see
That is, you shall see, Oh Muhammad, and your people and those that oppose you, shall see when the punishment will befall them.
Which of you is the demented.
That is, which one of you has been tormented with madness? Is it as they claim? Or is it them with their disbelief and their turning away from guidance?
Qurtabi says: “المفتون is the demented who has been tormented by the devil. Most of this surah has been revealed in relation to al-Walid ibn al-Mugirah and Abi Jahl. The pagans would say “Indeed Muhammad is a devil”. It was this by which they meant by mad – المجنون. So God says, they will know tomorrow which one of them is mad, that is, which is the devil from whose touch madness and manipulation of the mind occurs.” (7)
Lo! thy Lord is Best Aware of him who strayeth from His way, and He is Best Aware of those who walk aright.
It is He, Glorified, who knows who is evil minded and deviant from God's religion and the path of guidance. And He it is who knows the righteous and those guided to the true religion.
This is the justification of what is before it and is assurance for that which is promised. It is as if He is saying: “Truly they as the ones that are mad and not you. For they had intellects that they never benefited from or never used to protect and truely give themsleves delight.
Therefor obey not thou the rejecters
That is, do not obey the leaders of disbelief and deviation who have belied your message and the Quran by in taking heed to their call.
Al-Razi says: “The people of Mecca called him to the religion of their fathers and God forbade him from obeying them. This was إلهام inspiration from God and a threatening command to oppose them.
__________________________________
[1] Tafsir Qurtabi, Vol. 18 page 234
[2] Quran, The Clot Chapter 19 verses 3 and 4.
[3] Summary of Ibn Kathir Vol. 3, page 532[1] Quran Stone land Chapter 15 verse 6
[4] Quran Stone land Chapter 15 verse 6
[5] The Surrounding Sea, Vol. 8 page 308. Abu Hiyan mentioned that this verse is definitive evidence of the correctness of the claim (That he is not mad). “The favour” was clear in the perfection of his eloquence, wisdom, praiseworthy life and noble characteristics such that accusations should be self-evidently denied.
[6] The two shaikh’s (Bukhari and Muslim) narrate on the authority of Anas ibn Malik, , “I served the Messenger of God for ten years and he never said “Uff” to me, nor did he say to me about some I had done, “Why did you do this?” nor to some thing I didn’t do, “Why didn’t you do this?” And he was the best of all people in behavior. I never felt any piece of velvet or silk or anything else softer than the palm of the Messenger of Allah , I never smelt musk nor fragrance more pleasant than the sweat of Messenger of Allah ”. In Bukhari, on the authority of Aisha, may God be please with her, when she was asked about his manners, she said, “His manners were the Quran”. She meant he characterized himself with the good characteristics mentioned in the Quran.
[7] Tafsir Qurtabi Vol. 18 page 229
posted by Saqib at 3:34 AM
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