English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 24: An-Nur — The Light (Revealed at Madinah: 9 sections, 64 verses)
Section 6 (Verses 24:41–24:50): Manifestation of Divine Light
Translation:
اَلَمۡ تَرَ اَنَّ اللّٰہَ یُسَبِّحُ لَہٗ مَنۡ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ وَ الطَّیۡرُ صٰٓفّٰتٍ ؕ کُلٌّ قَدۡ عَلِمَ صَلَاتَہٗ وَ تَسۡبِیۡحَہٗ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ عَلِیۡمٌۢ بِمَا یَفۡعَلُوۡنَ ﴿۴۱﴾
24:41 Do you not see that Allah is He Whom do glorify all those who are in the heavens and the earth, and the birds with wings outspread? Each one knows its prayer and its glorification. And Allah is Knower of what they do.
وَ لِلّٰہِ مُلۡکُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ ۚ وَ اِلَی اللّٰہِ الۡمَصِیۡرُ ﴿۴۲﴾
24:42 And Allah’s is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and to Allah is the eventual coming.
اَلَمۡ تَرَ اَنَّ اللّٰہَ یُزۡجِیۡ سَحَابًا ثُمَّ یُؤَلِّفُ بَیۡنَہٗ ثُمَّ یَجۡعَلُہٗ رُکَامًا فَتَرَی الۡوَدۡقَ یَخۡرُجُ مِنۡ خِلٰلِہٖ ۚ وَ یُنَزِّلُ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مِنۡ جِبَالٍ فِیۡہَا مِنۡۢ بَرَدٍ فَیُصِیۡبُ بِہٖ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ وَ یَصۡرِفُہٗ عَنۡ مَّنۡ یَّشَآءُ ؕ یَکَادُ سَنَا بَرۡقِہٖ یَذۡہَبُ بِالۡاَبۡصَارِ ﴿ؕ۴۳﴾
24:43 Do you not see that Allah drives along the clouds, then gathers them together, then piles them up, so that you see the rain coming forth from their midst? And He sends down from the heaven (clouds like) mountains, in which is hail, afflicting with it whom He pleases and turning it away from whom He pleases. The flash of His lightning almost takes away the sight.
یُقَلِّبُ اللّٰہُ الَّیۡلَ وَ النَّہَارَ ؕ اِنَّ فِیۡ ذٰلِکَ لَعِبۡرَۃً لِّاُولِی الۡاَبۡصَارِ ﴿۴۴﴾
24:44 Allah causes the night and the day to succeed one another. Surely there is a lesson in this for those who have sight.
وَ اللّٰہُ خَلَقَ کُلَّ دَآبَّۃٍ مِّنۡ مَّآءٍ ۚ فَمِنۡہُمۡ مَّنۡ یَّمۡشِیۡ عَلٰی بَطۡنِہٖ ۚ وَ مِنۡہُمۡ مَّنۡ یَّمۡشِیۡ عَلٰی رِجۡلَیۡنِ ۚ وَ مِنۡہُمۡ مَّنۡ یَّمۡشِیۡ عَلٰۤی اَرۡبَعٍ ؕ یَخۡلُقُ اللّٰہُ مَا یَشَآءُ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ قَدِیۡرٌ ﴿۴۵﴾
24:45 And Allah has created every animal of water.1 So among them is that which crawls on its belly, and among them is that which walks on two feet, and among them is that which walks on four.2 Allah creates what He pleases. Surely Allah is Powerful over all things.
لَقَدۡ اَنۡزَلۡنَاۤ اٰیٰتٍ مُّبَیِّنٰتٍ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ یَہۡدِیۡ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ اِلٰی صِرَاطٍ مُّسۡتَقِیۡمٍ ﴿۴۶﴾
24:46 We have indeed revealed clear messages. And Allah guides whom He pleases to the right way.
وَ یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ اٰمَنَّا بِاللّٰہِ وَ بِالرَّسُوۡلِ وَ اَطَعۡنَا ثُمَّ یَتَوَلّٰی فَرِیۡقٌ مِّنۡہُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ ذٰلِکَ ؕ وَ مَاۤ اُولٰٓئِکَ بِالۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ ﴿۴۷﴾
24:47 And they say: We believe in Allah and in the Messenger and we obey; then some of them turn away after this, and they are not believers.
وَ اِذَا دُعُوۡۤا اِلَی اللّٰہِ وَ رَسُوۡلِہٖ لِیَحۡکُمَ بَیۡنَہُمۡ اِذَا فَرِیۡقٌ مِّنۡہُمۡ مُّعۡرِضُوۡنَ ﴿۴۸﴾
24:48 And when they are invited to Allah and His Messenger that he may judge between them, then some of them turn aside.
وَ اِنۡ یَّکُنۡ لَّہُمُ الۡحَقُّ یَاۡتُوۡۤا اِلَیۡہِ مُذۡعِنِیۡنَ ﴿ؕ۴۹﴾
24:49 And if the right is on their side, they hasten to him in submission.
اَفِیۡ قُلُوۡبِہِمۡ مَّرَضٌ اَمِ ارۡتَابُوۡۤا اَمۡ یَخَافُوۡنَ اَنۡ یَّحِیۡفَ اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِمۡ وَ رَسُوۡلُہٗ ؕ بَلۡ اُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الظّٰلِمُوۡنَ ﴿٪۵۰﴾
24:50 Is there in their hearts a disease, or are they in doubt, or do they fear that Allah and His Messenger will deal with them unjustly? But they themselves are the wrongdoers.
Commentary:
- Here only animals are spoken of as having been created from water, but in 21:30 we are told that all life, whether animal or plant, has been created from water. ↩
- The various kinds of animal life are here divided into three classes: (1) The creeping things, the lowest and the first form in the development of animal life. (2) Those walking upon two legs, such as birds, the second form of the development of animal life. Man, though walking on two legs, is not included in them, because human life is the highest form of the development of animal life, and it is generally mentioned as quite distinct from all animal life. (3) Those which walk on four legs, and to this class belong most of the mammals. ↩