Surah 25. Al-Furqan

Blessed is the One Who sent down the Standard¹ to His servant,² so that he may be a warner to the whole world.³

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Al-Furqân, which is one of names of the Quran, means "the standard to distinguish between right and wrong."

 Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ).

 For both humans and jinn.

Blessed is He Who sent down the Criterion to His servant that it may be an admonition to all creatures ^{3052 3053 3054}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Tabaraka: the root meaning is "increase" or "abundance". Here that aspect of Allah's dealing with His creatures is emphasised, which shows His abundant goodness to all His creatures, in that He sent the Revelation of His Will, not only in the unlimited Book of Nature, but in a definite Book in human language, which gives clear directions and admonitions to all. The English word "blessed" hardly conveys that meaning, but I can find no other without departing far from established usage. To emphasise the meaning I have explained, I have translated "Blessed is..." but "Blessed be..." is also admissible, as it brings out another shade of meaning, that we praise and bless His holy name.

That by which we can judge clearly between right and wrong. Here the reference is to the Qur-an, which has already been symbolised by light. This symbol is continued here, and many contrasts are shown, in the midst of which we can distinguish between the true and the false by Allah's Light, especially the contrast between righteousness and sin.

The pronoun in yakuna may refer either to Furqan (the Criterion) or to 'Abd (the holy Prophet). In either case the ultimate meaning is the same. The Qur-an is the standing Criterion for judgment between right and wrong.

'Allah is' the One to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, Who has never had 'any' offspring, nor does He have a partner in 'governing' the kingdom. He has created everything, ordaining it precisely.

  - Mustafa Khattab

He to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: no son has He begotten nor has He a partner in His dominion: it is He Who created all things and ordered them in due proportions. ³⁰⁵⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The majesty of Allah and His independence of all wants or help are mentioned to show how exceedingly great is His goodness in revealing His Will to us.

Yet they have taken besides Him gods who cannot create anything but are themselves created. Nor can they protect or benefit themselves. Nor can they control life, death, or resurrection.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Yet have they taken besides Him gods that can create nothing but are themselves created; that have no control of hurt or good to themselves; nor can they control Death nor Life nor Resurrection. ³⁰⁵⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This is the first great distinction taught by the Criterion; to know the attributes of the true God, as against the false fancies of men.

The disbelievers say, 'This 'Quran' is nothing but a fabrication which he¹ made up with the help of others.' Their claim is totally unjustified and untrue!

  - Mustafa Khattab

 The Prophet (ﷺ).

But the Misbelievers say: "Naught is this but a lie which he has forged and others have helped him at it." In truth it is they who have put forward an iniquity and a falsehood. ³⁰⁵⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Ifk, which I have translated a "lie" may be distinguished from zur at the end of this verse, translated "falsehood". The "lie" which the enemies attributed to the holy Prophet of Allah was supposed to be something which did not exist in reality, but was invented by him with the aid of other people: the implication was that (1) the Revelation was not a revelation but a forgery, and that (2) the things revealed e.g. the news of the Hereafter, the Resurrection, the Judgment, the Bliss of the Righteous and the sufferings of the Evil, were fanciful and had no basis in fact. Delusion is also suggested. The reply is that, so far from that being the case, the facts were true and the charges were false (zar),-the falsehood being due to the habits of iniquity for which the Misbelievers' whole mental and spiritual attitude was responsible.

And they say, ''These revelations are only' ancient fables which he has had written down, and they are rehearsed to him morning and evening.'¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Some Arab pagans claimed that the Prophet (ﷺ) had been taught the Bible by some non-Arab Christians. The Quran itself (16:103) refutes this claim by arguing that a non-Arab could not come up with an eloquent Arabic scripture like the Quran when eloquent Arabs failed to produce something like it. For more details, see the Introduction.

And they say: "Tales of the ancients which he has caused to be written: and they are dictated before him morning and evening." ³⁰⁵⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In their misguided arrogance they say: 'We have heard such things before; they are pretty tales which have come down from ancient times; they are good for amusement, but who takes them seriously?' When the beauty and power of the Revelation are pointed out, and its miracle as coming from an unlearned man, they again hint at other men who wrote them, though they could not produce any one who could write anything like it.