Salam All
This is 2:30
واذ قال ربك للملائكة اني جاعل في الارض خليفة قالوا اتجعل فيها من يفسد فيها ويسفك الدماء ونحن نسبح بحمدك ونقدس لك قال اني اعلم ما لا تعلمون
Wa-ith qala rabbuka lilmala-ikatiinnee jaAAilun fee al-ardi khaleefatan qalooatajAAalu feeha man yufsidu feeha wayasfiku alddimaawanahnu nusabbihu bihamdika wanuqaddisu lakaqala innee aAAlamu ma la taAAlamoona
Wa-ith: And as
Note: ITH is very difficult to explain but it means AS in this situation.
Qala: Said
Rabbuka: Your nurturer/your sustainer
Note: This is another very interesting word. RABB in Arabic is used most often to mean GOD. However it can also mean Raiser (the one that helps us grow in any sense of the word). This meaning is very consistent with the concept of GOD in Islam. It is also consistent with the Hebrew meaning of Rabbi as teacher (He/she helps us grow). Therefore I used the word nurturer/sustainer. It is not exactly the same but it comes close.
lilmala-ikati: To the Angels
Note: Mala-ika is the plural for the word MALAK, and it is the same as the Hebrew word for angel. It is a derivative of the root L-A-K and it means to convey a message. Therefore the MALAIKA are the conveyors of the message of GOD (to the creation). Some will argue that they are the laws that make everything function the way it is. Others will argue that they are the ones that apply the laws that GOD initiated. GOD knows best
innee: I (with some stress)
jaAAilun: Making
Note: JaAAL means to make. The root is J-AAa-L and it means to make.
fee al-ardi: In the land
khaleefatan: One that will manage what was left/successor
Note: KHLEEFAH is very difficult to explain. It is a derivative of the word KH-L-F which means to leave behind. KHALEEFAH is the person that will manage that was left behind, basically a successor. So here, GOD is saying that he left some things to be managed by man.
qaloo: They said
Note: QAL means to say
atajAAalu: Do you make
Note: This is another verb that is a product of the same root J-AAa-L. ATAJAAaLU is a form of the verb that is a question mark and it means, do you make?! (with a sense of surprise)
feeha: In her (pointing to the earth)
man: Who
yufsidu: Will do damage/does damage/cause ROT (So that what is damaged becomes useless)
Note: F-S-D is the root word here. It means Rotten when it is related to food (food that is not eatable). However, it is used in a wider sense to mean damaged/ not useable/not helpful (Physically and mentally according to the situation). The verb here relates to the one that makes things rotten/not useful/damaged and not helpful (So that the thing becomes useless)
Feeha: In her
Note: the HER here is pointing to the LAND/EARTH
Wayasfiku: And pour
Note: S-F-K means to pour. YASFIKU is a third person singular form of the verb that means to pour.
Alddimaa: The bloods
Note: DIMAA means bloods which is plural for DAM which means blood. The plural means a lot here.
Wanahnu: and we
Nusabbihu: Glorify
Note: That is another word that is shared with Hebrew. It is used when one says Subhan ALLAH and it means The Glory of GOD. It is a term used for admiration of GOD and extreme humbleness in front of him. Muslims use it on a daily basis.
Bihamdika: By your praise
Note: H-M-D is the root here and it means to praise. Muhammad (The name of the prophet, pbuh) is one of the derivatives here and it means, someone who is praised
Wanuqaddisu: And we make holy/clean from in and out/ purify
Note: Another word that is also in Hebrew and that is used in the bible with the same meaning. The root is Q-D-S and it means to clean. From in and out. As if saying that something Holy is something clean.
Laka: To you
Qala: He (GOD) said
Innee: I
aAAlamu: know
Note: the word AAaLM is knowledge aAALAM means I know
ma la: What you don’t
taAAlamoona: Don’t know
Note:
The AYAH says “And as your nurturer/sustainer said to the Angels (The ones that convey his messages), I (GOD) am leaving a successor in earth (To whom I will leave some control). They (the angels) said: Do you leave in her one that will cause damage in her (To make life difficult) and that will pour the blood, while we glorify in your praise and make Holy to you? GOD said: I know what you don’t know”
My personal note:
The point here is that whenever we question GOD, we have to always remember that he knows what we don’t know. We also have to remember that his mercy is as warm and as loving as our mothers’ wombs.
Salam and I will see you later
Hussein
2 comments:
SubhanAllah,
I was trying to understand this Ayah using different translations as I don't know Arabic.
I usually refer to following four translators:
Muhsin Khan, Yusuf Ali, Pickthal & Sahih International
And I heard many times people quoting this Ayah saying:
Angles made objection when Allah declared that he will create Adam/Human Being
Which I believe is not correct.
Nowhere in this Ayah did Angles objected to the creation of Human Being.
First Allah created earth and everything in it.
And then he declares that he is going to place Khaleefa on earth.
Now here, the translations used for the word Khaleefa by most translators are:
successive authority
viceroy
vicegerent
(mankind) generations after generations on earth
Though there is nothing wrong in these translations but they seem to suppress the Managing aspect of the word.
Translation that you gave in this post makes the reading easy and clears my doubts.
like,
Why did Angles make such an objection?
Now with your translations, the reading is:
First Allah created earth and everything in it.
And then he said to Angles:
"Indeed, I will make upon the earth a khaleefa (one that will manage what is left, ie. Earth)"
If you allow me to translate Khaleefa to Caretaker
That is:
khaleefa = Caretaker = One that will manage what was left.
Then translation will be:
"Indeed, I will make upon the earth a Caretaker(khaleefa)"
Now the next verses of Angles which is:
"Will You place upon it one who does damage therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?"
makes sense.
Why would one appoint someone who does damage as Caretaker?
While Angles are way more suitable for such Job.
Angels never objected to the creation of Human Beings.
They just did not understand how a creature, whose nature is to cause damage, can be a Caretaker?
Allah knows best (allāhu ʾaʿlam)
Jazāk Allāhu Khayran for the post.
Wa Alaikum Assalam,
Thank you so much for your note. I do find the translation as Caretaker reasonable as long as it also carries the meaning that caretaker takes from another caretaker who took from another caretaker and so on. The reason is the word does carry in it the meaning of transfer of the job or responsibility or right and so on(which is caretaker in a sense)
Hussein
Post a Comment