Surah 14. Ibrahim, Ayah 4
| وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا بِلِسَانِ قَوْمِهِ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ ۖ فَيُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ |
| Transliteration | : | wa- maa arsalnaa min rasol 'illaa bi- lisaan qawm -hi li- yubayyin la- -hum fa- yud.ill 'allaah man yashaa' wa- yahde man yashaa' wa- huwa al- cazez al- h.akem |
| Pickthall | : | And We never sent a messenger save with the language of his folk, that he might make (the message) clear for them. Then Allah sendeth whom He will astray, and guideth whom He will. He is the Mighty, the Wise. |
| Asad | : | AND NEVER have We sent forth any apostle otherwise than [with a message] in his own people's tongue, so that he might make [the truth] clear unto them;3 but God lets go astray him that wills [to go astray], and guides him that wills [to be guided] - for He alone is almighty, truly wise.4 |
| Malik | : | We have not sent any Rasool except that he speaks the language of his own people, so that he could explain to them clearly. Then Allah leaves in error whom He will and guides whom He pleases: He is the Mighty, the Wise. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | We sent an apostle except (to teach) in the language of his (own) people in order to make (things) clear to them. Now Allah leaves straying those whom He pleases and guides whom He pleases: and He is Exalted in power Full of Wisdom. 1874 1875 |
Note - 3Since every divine writ was meant to be understood by
man, it is obvious that each had to be formulated in the
language of the people whom the particular prophet was
addressing in the first instance; and the
Qur'an-notwithstanding its universal import (cf. note
[126] on 7:158)-is no exception in this respect.
|
Note - 4Or: "God lets go astray whomever He wills, and guides
whomever He wills". All Qur'anic references to God's
"letting man go astray" must be understood against the
background of {2:26-27} - "none does He cause to go
astray save the iniquitous, who break their bond with
God" (regarding which latter expression, see surah {2},
note [19]): that is to say, man's "going astray" is a
consequence of his own attitudes and inclinations and not
a result of an arbitrary "predestination" in the popular
sense of this word (cf. surah {2}, note [7]). In his
commentary on the above verse, Zamakhshari stresses this
aspect of free choice on the part of man and points out
that "God does not cause anyone to go astray except one
who, as He knows, will never attain to faith; and He does
not guide anyone aright except one who, as He knows, will
attain to faith. Hence, the [expression] 'causing to go
astray' denotes [God's] leaving [one] alone (takhliyah)
and depriving [him] of all favour, whereas [the
expression] 'guidance' denotes [His] grant of fulfilment
(tawfiq) and favour.... Thus, He does not forsake anyone
except those who deserve to be forsaken, and does not
bestow His favour upon anyone except those who deserve to
be favoured." Commenting on the identical phrase
occurring in 16:93, Zamakhshari states: "[God] forsakes
him who, as He knows, will [consciously] choose to deny
the truth and will persevere in this [denial]; and...He
bestows His favour upon him who, as He knows, will choose
faith: which means that He makes the issue dependent on
[man's] free choice (al-ikhtiyar), and thus on his
deserving either [God's] favour or the withdrawal of
[His] aid...and does not make it dependent on compulsion
[i.e., predestination], which would rule out [man's]
deserving anything of the above."
|
Note - 1874If the object of a Message is to make things clear, it
must be delivered in the language current among the
people to whom the Messenger is sent. Through them it can
reach all mankind. There is even a wider meaning for
"language". It is not merely a question of alphabets,
letters, or words. Each age or people-or world in a
psychological sense- casts its thoughts in a certain
mould or form. Allah's Message-being universal-can be
expressed in all moulds and forms, and is equally valid
and necessary for all grades of humanity, and must
therefore be explained to each according to his or her
capacity or receptivity. In this respect the Qur-an is
marvellous. It is for the simplest as well as the most
advanced.
|
Note - 1875'Whom He pleases'; the usual expression for Mashiyat, the
universal Will and Plan, which is all-wise and on the
highest plane of goodness and righteousness.
|
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Since every divine writ was meant to be understood by man, it is obvious that each had to be formulated in the language of the people whom the particular prophet was addressing in the first instance; and the Qur'an-notwithstanding its universal import (cf. note [126] on 7:158)-is no exception in this respect. |
| |
Or: "God lets go astray whomever He wills, and guides whomever He wills". All Qur'anic references to God's "letting man go astray" must be understood against the background of {2:26-27} - "none does He cause to go astray save the iniquitous, who break their bond with God" (regarding which latter expression, see surah {2}, note [19]): that is to say, man's "going astray" is a consequence of his own attitudes and inclinations and not a result of an arbitrary "predestination" in the popular sense of this word (cf. surah {2}, note [7]). In his commentary on the above verse, Zamakhshari stresses this aspect of free choice on the part of man and points out that "God does not cause anyone to go astray except one who, as He knows, will never attain to faith; and He does not guide anyone aright except one who, as He knows, will attain to faith. Hence, the [expression] 'causing to go astray' denotes [God's] leaving [one] alone (takhliyah) and depriving [him] of all favour, whereas [the expression] 'guidance' denotes [His] grant of fulfilment (tawfiq) and favour.... Thus, He does not forsake anyone except those who deserve to be forsaken, and does not bestow His favour upon anyone except those who deserve to be favoured." Commenting on the identical phrase occurring in 16:93, Zamakhshari states: "[God] forsakes him who, as He knows, will [consciously] choose to deny the truth and will persevere in this [denial]; and...He bestows His favour upon him who, as He knows, will choose faith: which means that He makes the issue dependent on [man's] free choice (al-ikhtiyar), and thus on his deserving either [God's] favour or the withdrawal of [His] aid...and does not make it dependent on compulsion [i.e., predestination], which would rule out [man's] deserving anything of the above." |
| |
If the object of a Message is to make things clear, it must be delivered in the language current among the people to whom the Messenger is sent. Through them it can reach all mankind. There is even a wider meaning for "language". It is not merely a question of alphabets, letters, or words. Each age or people-or world in a psychological sense- casts its thoughts in a certain mould or form. Allah's Message-being universal-can be expressed in all moulds and forms, and is equally valid and necessary for all grades of humanity, and must therefore be explained to each according to his or her capacity or receptivity. In this respect the Qur-an is marvellous. It is for the simplest as well as the most advanced. |
