By S.Sarwar.Malik
Available in more than one hundred languages; scores in English and Urdu alone, translations or commentaries of the Holy Quran, by Sunni, Salafi,Shia or for that matter by the modernist, Scholars, that came to light during the last fourteen centuries, make it most accessible, like Bible (OT+NT).
From George Sale (1734 AD), to M.M.Pickthall (1930) & A.Yusuf Ali(1934); from Abul Ala Maududi, Ashraf Ali Thanvi to Sanaullah Amritsari; from Abd-al-Razzaq Al Kashani to Qazi Panipati (Sufi school) ; or Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai (Shiate school) to Hafiz Salahudin Yusuf (Salafi School); we hear of hundreds of scholars, not to forget the recent ones from Anwar Shah Kashmiri to Prof Muhammad Taqi ud Din al Hilali al Maghribi & Muhammad Muhsin Khan (1998; Medina) and Iranian Prof.Seyyed Hossein Nasr (- & four others; i:e intra-faith translation of 2015).
About the commentaries, written from( 300H to 900H) we have heard about the ones written by personalities of yore, like Tabari, Zamkhashri, Razi, Baidhawi, Ibn Kathir, Sayuti and Jalaalain’s. From our subcontinent recent names like Shah Walli ullah Dehlvi, Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan (-and many others) too come to mind.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali gave us in 1934 AD; THE HOLY QURAN– Text, Translation and Commentary; that besides giving a short introductory commentary (-to the eight major topics that he has chosen); gives individual introduction to each surah, and verse-wise notes , besides the Arabic Text and English translation; supplementing it with an index (- in alphabetical order) at the end.
Most recent translation, that I heard in Nov 2023 is by Zafarul-Islam Khan (- of the Institute Of Islamic & Arab Studies, New Delhi, an alumnus of Al-Azhar & Cairo universities, besides phD Manchester University; son of Maulana Wahidudin Khan.)
Spread over 1235 pages THE GLORIOUS QURAN- an English Translation With Extensive Annotations & parallel Arabic Text, begins with the Notes & Introduction by the author, Z.I.Khan,and carries, besides other lesser features, a short biography of Holy Prophet,followed by Islamic Terms, and Subject Index in Appendices. Size wise Z.I.Khan’s book is nearly 50% thinner than that of A.Y.Ali.
Reading, in Khan’s book, about the ‘word’ DEEDS (on page 1108) in the subject Index, it occurred to me how useful such indices are (-mostly in advanced age & especially to those who are not tech-savvy). Reading from Z.I.khan & A.Y.Ali, what I give below, led to the concluding thoughts.
‘Whoever does righteous deeds (aml e saliha)benefits his own self’ and whoever does evil, it is against his own self’…(41:46); …the doer… will be successful…(28:67)…will be granted Viceregency on Earth as granted to The People Before Them… (24:55)…Those who repent & believe and do good deeds… they will enter paradise, yedkhaloon ul Jannah…(19:60)…reward…shall not be forfeited…( 18:30)….doer of good deeds will be in the meads of the Gardens [Janaat ] 42:22… be he male or female… will enter paradise…(4:124)… for good deeds, recompense will be even MORE..(4:173)…whose good deeds outweigh his bad deeds…will be successful … (23:102)..good tidings..in lieu of loving-kinsmen-nearer (-to-me) [Qurba] will get multifold Good …(42:23)…will be given fulfilling rewards (95:6).
In addition to these ayahs, we should remember the stress Islam lays on haqooq ul Ibaad.
Dear reader, life provides us a chance to act here in this phenomenal existence; the actions possible by the exercise of the bestowed faculties.
Birth and death are two realities, where we humans have no role, leaving only the middle stage, where we are capable of doing something.
Now actions can be positive or negative. Love is positive, hate negative but indifference – neither loving nor hating; a sort of neutrality, though amounting to no- action, undesirable- most of the time. Positive will breed positivism and negativity will cast us in the negative vortex.
Time for good deeds is NOW, this living moment.Yesterday has gone into oblivion, Future is nowhere in sight, only today is real and pulsating with life. In fact when tomorrow comes it will come in the form of today. So the best time for desirable positive actions is now, this very moment. Hence ‘doing good to others now, as we would wish others to do to us’, is The Scriptural Truth, dear reader.
Allow me to conclude today’s write up with the opening and closing verses of a beautiful poem, written by an accomplished Urdu poet:
Holding a pencil for the first time/
My son asks/
“What should I write?”/
What shall I tell You, child/
…..( my dream- filled child)/
Write ALL beautiful words/
On the page of tomorrow/
T-R-U-T-H (-forever)/
G-O-O-D (-unto others)/
L-O-V-E ( one & all ) ///
- Views expressed in the article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial stance of Kashmir Observer
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