Surah 24. An-Nur, Ayah 40
| أَوْ كَظُلُمَاتٍ فِي بَحْرٍ لُجِّيٍّ يَغْشَاهُ مَوْجٌ مِنْ فَوْقِهِ مَوْجٌ مِنْ فَوْقِهِ سَحَابٌ ۚ ظُلُمَاتٌ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ إِذَا أَخْرَجَ يَدَهُ لَمْ يَكَدْ يَرَاهَا ۗ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَجْعَلِ اللَّهُ لَهُ نُورًا فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ نُورٍ |
| Transliteration | : | 'aw ka- z.ulumaat fe bah.r lujjey yaghshaa -hu mawj min fawqi -him mawj min fawqi -him sah.aab z.ulumaat bacd. -haa fawqa bacd. 'idhaa akhraja yad -hu lam yakad yaraa -haa wa- man lam yajcal 'allaah la- -hu nor(an) fa- maa la- -hu min nor |
| Pickthall | : | Or as darkness on a vast, abysmal sea. There covereth him a wave, above which is a wave, above which is a cloud. Layer upon layer of darkness. When he holdeth out his hand he scarce can see it. And he for whom Allah hath not appointed light, for him there is no light. |
| Asad | : | Or [else, their deeds60 are] like the depths of darkness upon an abysmal sea, made yet more dark by wave billowing over wave, with [black] clouds above it all: depths of darkness, layer upon layer61 [so that] when one holds up his hand, he can hardly see it: for he to whom God gives no light, no light whatever has he! |
| Malik | : | Or another parable of unbelievers' efforts is that of person trying to swim in a bottomless ocean overwhelmed with billows, one over the other, overcast with dark clouds - layers of utter darkness one above another - so much so that if he stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it. The one to whom Allah does not give light, will have no light! |
| Yusuf Ali | : | Or (the Unbelievers' state) is like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean overwhelmed with billow topped by billow topped by (dark) clouds: depths of darkness one above another: if a man stretches out his hand he can hardly see it! for any to whom Allah giveth not light there is no light! 3013 3014 3015 |
Note - 60I.e., their bad deeds, as contrasted with their good
deeds, which in the preceding verse have been likened to
a mirage.
|
Note - 61Lit., "one above another".
|
Note - 3013What a graphic picture of darkness in the depths of the
Ocean, wave upon wave, and on top of all, dense dark
clouds! There is so little light even in ordinary depths
of the Ocean that fishes which live there lose their eyes
as useless organs.
|
Note - 3014A contrast to "Light upon Light" in xxiv. 35 above.
|
Note - 3015The true source of Light in the world of Reatity is
Allah, and anyone who cuts himself off from that Light is
in utter darkness indeed, for it is the negation of the
only true light, and not merely relative darkness, like
that which we see, say, in the shadows of moonlight.
|
Share your thoughts about this with others by posting a comment. Visit our FAQ for some ideas.
Filter Comments 
 |
What a graphic picture of darkness in the depths of the Ocean, wave upon wave, and on top of all, dense dark clouds! There is so little light even in ordinary depths of the Ocean that fishes which live there lose their eyes as useless organs. |
| |
The true source of Light in the world of Reatity is Allah, and anyone who cuts himself off from that Light is in utter darkness indeed, for it is the negation of the only true light, and not merely relative darkness, like that which we see, say, in the shadows of moonlight. |
