Surah 2. Al-Baqara, Ayah 20
| يَكَادُ الْبَرْقُ يَخْطَفُ أَبْصَارَهُمْ ۖ كُلَّمَا أَضَاءَ لَهُمْ مَشَوْا فِيهِ وَإِذَا أَظْلَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ قَامُوا ۚ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَذَهَبَ بِسَمْعِهِمْ وَأَبْصَارِهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ |
| Transliteration | : | yakaad al- barq yakht.af abs.aar -hum kulla-maa ad.aa'a la- -hum mashaw fe -hi wa- 'idhaa az.lama calay -him qaamo wa- law shaa'a 'allaah la- dhahaba bi- samc -him wa- abs.aar -him 'inna 'allaah calaa kull shay' qader |
| Pickthall | : | The lightning almost snatcheth away their sight from them. As often as it flasheth forth for them they walk therein, and when it darkeneth against them they stand still. If Allah willed, He could destroy their hearing and their sight. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things. |
| Asad | : | The lightning well-nigh takes away their sight; whenever it gives them light, they advance therein, and whenever darkness falls around them, they stand still. And if God so willed, He could indeed take away their hearing and their sight:12 for, verily, God has the power to will anything. |
| Malik | : | The lightning terrifies them as if it was going to snatch away their eyesight; whenever it flashes they walk on; when it becomes dark, they stand still. And if Allah wanted He could have totally taken away their hearing and their sight; for Allah has power over everything. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | The lightning all but snatches away their sight; every time the light (helps) them they walk therein and when the darkness grows on them they stand still. And if Allah willed He could take away their faculty of hearing and seeing; for Allah hath power over all things. |
Note - 12The obvious implication is: "but He does not will this" -
that is, He does not preclude the possibility that "those
who have taken error in exchange for guidance" may one
day perceive the truth and mend their ways. The
expression "their hearing and their sight" is obviously a
metonym for man's instinctive ability to discern between
good and evil and, hence, for his moral responsibility. -
In the parable of the "people who kindle a fire" we have,
I believe, an allusion to some people's exclusive
reliance on what is termed the "scientific approach" as a
means to illumine and explain all the imponderables of
life and faith, and the resulting arrogant refusal to
admit that anything could be beyond the reach of man's
intellect. This "overweening arrogance", as the Qur'an
terms it, unavoidably exposes its devotees - and the
society dominated by them - to the lightning of
disillusion which "well-nigh takes away their sight",
i.e., still further weakens their moral perception and
deepens their "terror of death".
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The obvious implication is: "but He does not will this" - that is, He does not preclude the possibility that "those who have taken error in exchange for guidance" may one day perceive the truth and mend their ways. The expression "their hearing and their sight" is obviously a metonym for man's instinctive ability to discern between good and evil and, hence, for his moral responsibility. - In the parable of the "people who kindle a fire" we have, I believe, an allusion to some people's exclusive reliance on what is termed the "scientific approach" as a means to illumine and explain all the imponderables of life and faith, and the resulting arrogant refusal to admit that anything could be beyond the reach of man's intellect. This "overweening arrogance", as the Qur'an terms it, unavoidably exposes its devotees - and the society dominated by them - to the lightning of disillusion which "well-nigh takes away their sight", i.e., still further weakens their moral perception and deepens their "terror of death". |
