Surah 37. As-Saffat

and caused a creeping plant to grow over him [out of the barren soil].⁵⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., to shade and comfort him. Thus, rounding off the allegory of Jonah and the fish, the Qur'an points out in the figurative manner so characteristic of its style that God, who can cause a plant to grow out of the most arid and barren soil, can equally well cause a heart lost in darkness to come back to light and spiritual life.

and caused a gourd plant to grow over him.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And We caused a tree of gourd to grow above him;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And [then] We sent him [once again] to [his people,] a hundred thousand [souls] or more:

  - Mohammad Asad

Then We sent him to a nation of one hundred thousand people or more.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And We sent him to a hundred thousand (folk) or more

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and [this time] they believed [in him]⁵⁹ -and so We allowed them to enjoy their life during the time allotted to them.⁶⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. the reference to the people of Jonah in 10:98 . For the Biblical version of this story, see The Book of Jonah iii.

Lit., "for a time": i.e., for the duration of their natural lives (Razi; also Manar XI, 483).

They believed in him, so We permitted them to enjoy their life for a while.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And they believed, therefor We gave them comfort for a while.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND NOW ask them⁶¹ to enlighten thee: Has thy Sustainer daughters, whereas they would have [only] sons?⁶²

  - Mohammad Asad

This reference to people who ascribe divinity to beings other than God connects with verse 4 ("verily, most surely, your God is One") as well as with verses {69-70} ("behold, they found their forebears on a wrong way, and [now] they make haste to follow in their footsteps").

For an explanation of this passage, see {16:57-59} and the corresponding notes.

Just ask the unbelievers: Does it make any sense that their Rabb should have daughters while they choose to have sons?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Now ask them (O Muhammad): Hath thy Lord daughters whereas they have sons?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

- or is it that We have created the angels female, and they [who believe them to be divine] have witnessed [that act of creation]?

  - Mohammad Asad

Or is it that We created the angels as females and they were present at their creation?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Or created We the angels females while they were present?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Oh, verily, it is out of their own [inclination to] falsehood that some people⁶³ assert,

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "they".

Surely they invent a lie when they say:

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! it is of their falsehood that they say:

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"God has begotten [a son]"; and, verily, they are Iying [too, when they say],

  - Mohammad Asad

"Allah has children. They are utter liars."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Allah hath begotten. And lo! verily they tell a lie.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"He has chosen daughters in preference to sons"!⁶⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. 6:100 ("they have invented for Him sons and daughters") and the corresponding notes [87] and [88]. See also note [49] on 17:40 , as well as {53:19-22} and the corresponding notes.

Would He choose daughters rather than sons?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

(And again of their falsehood): He hath preferred daughters to sons

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

What is amiss with you and your judgment?⁶⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

T it. "how do you judge?"

What is the matter with you? How do you judge?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

What aileth you? How judge ye?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Will you not, then, bethink yourselves?

  - Mohammad Asad

Will you not take heed?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Will ye not then reflect?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Or have you, perchance, a clear evidence [for your assertions]?

  - Mohammad Asad

Or do you have any proof of what you are saying?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Or have ye a clear warrant?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Produce, then, that divine writ of yours, if you are speaking the truth!

  - Mohammad Asad

Show us your scriptures if you are truthful!

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Then produce your writ, if ye are truthful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And some people⁶⁶ have invented a kinship between Him and all manner of invisible forces⁶⁷ -although [even] these invisible forces know well that, verily, they [who thus blaspheme against God] shall indeed be arraigned [before Him on Judgment Day:⁶⁸ for]

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "they".

See Appendix III. Whereas most of the classical commentators are of the opinion that the term al-jinnah denotes here the angels, since they - like all beings of this category - are im-perceptible to man's senses, I believe that the above verse refers to those intangible forces of nature which elude all direct observation and manifest themselves only in their effects: hence their designation, in this context, by the plural noun al-jinnah, which primarily denotes "that which is concealed from [man's] senses". Inasmuch as people who refuse to believe in God often tend to regard those elemental forces as mysteriously endowed with a purposeful creative power (cf. Bergson's concept of the elan vital), the Qur'an states that their votaries invent a "kinship" between them and God, i.e., attribute to them qualities and powers similar to His.

For this metaphorical attribution of "knowledge" to the elemental forces of nature, see verses {164-166} and the corresponding note [71].

They assert blood-relationship between Him and the jinns; and the jinns know quite well that they will be called to account.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And they imagine kinship between him and the jinn, whereas the jinn know well that they will be brought before (Him).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

limitless is God in His glory, above anything that men may devise by way of definition!⁶⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

See note [88] on the last sentence of 6:100 .

Glory be to Allah! He is free from what they ascribe to Him

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Glorified be Allah from that which they attribute (unto Him),

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Not thus, however, [behave] God's true ser-vants:

  - Mohammad Asad

except His sincere devotees who do not attribute such things to Him.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Save single-minded slaves of Allah.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall