Chapter 6
ON THE NOBILITY OF THE QURAN AND ITS PRAISE
مَوْلَاىَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
mawlā’a ṣalli wasallim dā’iman abadan
ʿalā ḥabībika khayril khalqi kullihimi
O my Lord, bless and grant peace always and forever
Upon Your beloved one, the Best of all Creation
دَعْنيِ وَوَصْفِيَ آيَاتٍ لَهُ ظَهَرَتْ
ظُهُورَ نَارِ القِرَى لَيْلاً عَلَى عَلَمِ
daʿnyi wawaṣfiya āyātin lahu ẓaharat
ẓuhūra nāril qirā laylan ʿalā ʿalami
Allow me to describe to you the signs that appeared to him,
Clearly visible like beacons lit at night On the high hills to welcome guests
فَالدُّرُّ يَزْدَادُ حُسْنًا وَهْوَ مُنْتَظِمٌ
وَلَيْسَ يَنْقُصُ قَدْرًا غَيْرَ مُنْتَظِمِ
fad durru yazdādu ḥusnan wahwa muntaẓimun
walaysa yanquṣu qadran ghayra muntaẓimi
Although a pearl’s beauty is increased when strung among others,
Its value is not lessened when alone, unstrung
فَمَا تَطَاوُلُ آمَالِ المَدِيحِ إِلَى
مَا فِيهِ مِنْ كَرَمِ الأَخْلاَقِ وَالشِّيَمِ
famā taṭāwulu āmālil madīḥi ilā
mā fīhi min karamil akhlaqi wash shiyami
What hope can the one who tries to praise it have
Of doing justice to its noble traits and qualities?
آيَاتُ حَقٍّ مِنَ الرَّحْمٰنِ مُحْدَثَةٌ
قَدِيمَةٌ صِفَةُ المَوْصُوفِ بِالقِدَمِ
āyātu ḥaqqin minar raḥmāni muḥdathatun
qadīmatun ṣifatul mawṣūfi bil qidami
Verses of truth from the Merciful — revealed in time,
Yet Eternal — the attribute of the Pre-eternal One
لَمْ تَقْتَرِنْ بِزَمِانٍ وَهْيَ تُخْبِرُنَا
عَنِ المَعَادِ وَعَنْ عَادٍ وَعَنْ إِرَمِ
lam taqtarin bizamiānin wahya tukhbirunā
ʿanil maʿādi waʿan ʿādin waʿan irami
They are not bound by time, and bring us tidings
Of the Last Day, and also of ‘Ad and Iram
دَامَتْ لَدَيْنَا فَفَاقَتْ كُلَّ مُعْجِزَةٍ
مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ إِذْ جَاءَتْ وَلَمْ تَدُمِ
dāmat ladaynā fafāqat kulla muʿjizatin
minan nabiyyīna idh jā’at walam tadumi
They have lasted to our time, and outstripped
Every miracle brought by other prophets, Which came, but did not last
مُحَكَّمَاتٌ فَمَا تُبْقِينَ مِنْ شُبَهٍ
لِذِي شِقَاقٍ وَمَا تَبْغِينَ مِنْ حَكَمِ
muḥakkamātun famā tubqīna min shubahin
lidhī shiqāqin wamā tabghīna min ḥakami
Verses so clear that no obscurity can remain
For the wrangler, nor do they require any judge
مَا حُورِبَتْ قَطُّ إِلاَّ عَادَ مِنْ حَرَبٍ
أَعْدَى الأَعَادِي إِلَيْهَا مُلْقِيَ السَّلَمِ
mā ḥūribat qaṭṭu ilāa ʿāda min ḥarabin
aʿdal aʿādī ilayhā mulqiyas salami
No implacable enemy has ever attacked them
Without retreating at last from the battle, begging for peace
رَدَّتْ بَلاَغَتُهَا دَعْوَى مُعَارِضِهَا
رَدَّ الغَيُورِ يَدَ الجَانِي عَنِ الحُرَمِ
raddat balaghatuhā daʿwā muʿāriḍihā
raddal ghayūri yadal jānī ʿanil ḥurami
Their very eloquence refutes the claim of one opposing them,
As an honourable man wards off the assailant’s hand From what is sacred
لَهَا مَعَانٍ كَمَوْجِ البَحْرِ فِي مَدَدٍ
وَفَوْقَ جَوْهَرِهِ فِي الحُسْنِ وَالقِيَمِ
lahā maʿānin kamawjil baḥri fī madadin
wafawqa jawharihi fīl ḥusni wal qiyami
They contain meanings like the sea’s never-ending waves,
And go far beyond its jewels in their beauty and value
فَمَا تُعَدُّ وَلاَ تُحْصَى عَجَائِبُهَا
وَلاَ تُسَامُ عَلَى الإِكْثَارِ بِالسَّأَمِ
famā tuʿaddu wala tuḥṣā ʿajā’ibuhā
wala tusāmu ʿalal ikthāri bis sa’ami
Their wonders are numberless and incalculable,
Nor does their constant repetition ever result in weariness or boredom
قَرَّتْ بِهَا عَيْنُ قَارِيهَا فَقُلْتُ لَهُ
لَقَدْ ظَفِرْتَ بِحَبْلِ اللهِ فَاعْتَصِمِ
qarrat bihā ʿaynu qārīhā faqultu lahu
laqad ẓafirta biḥablillāhi faʿ taṣimi
The one who recited them was filled with delight, and I said to him,
“Truly you have seized the rope of Allah — so hold on to it.”
إِنْ تَتْلُهَا خِيفَةً مِنْ حَرِّ نَارِ لَظَى
أَطْفَأْتَ حَرَّ لَظَى مِنْ وِرْدِهَا الشَّبِمِ
in tatluhā khīfatan min ḥarri nāri laẓā
aṭfa’ta ḥarra laẓā min wirdihash shabimi
If you recite them fearing the heat of the blazing Fire,
You have extinguished the heat of the blaze by their cool sweet water
كَأَنَّهَا الحَوْضُ تَبْيَضُّ الوُجُوهُ بِهِ
مِنَ العُصَاةِ وَقَدْ جَاءُوهُ كَالحُمَمِ
ka annahal ḥawḍu tabyaḍḍul wujūhu bihi
minal ʿuṣāti waqad jā’ūhu kal ḥumami
Like the Ḥawḍ, which makes bright the faces of the disobedient,
When they had arrived with faces black as coal
وَكَالصِّرَاطِ وَكَالمِيزَانِ مَعْدِلَةً
فَالقِسْطُ مِنْ غَيْرِهَا فِي النَّاسِ لَمْ يَقُمِ
wakaālṣṣirāṭi wakaālmīzāni maʿdilatan
fal qisṭu min ghayrihā fīn nāsi lam yaqumi
Like the Ṣirāṭ and like the Balance Scales in justice,
True justice among men cannot be established from any other
لاَ تَعْجَبَنْ لِحَسُودٍ رَاحَ يُنْكِرُهَا
تَجَاهُلاً وَهْوَ عَيْنُ الحَاذِقِ الفَهِمِ
la taʿjaban liḥasūdin rāḥa yunkiruhā
tajāhulan wahwa ʿaynul ḥādhiqil fahimi
Do not be surprised if an envious person refuses to acknowledge them,
Affecting ignorance, even though perfectly able to understand
قَدْ تُنْكِرُ العَيْنُ ضَوْءَ الشَّمْسِ مِنْ رَمَدٍ
وَيُنْكِرُ الفَمُ طَعْمَ المَاءِ مِنْ سَقَمِ
qad tunkirul ʿaynu ḍaw’ash shamsi min ramadin
wayunkirul famu ṭaʿmal mā’i min saqami
For the eye may reject the sun’s light when it is inflamed,
And when the body is unwell, The mouth may shun even the taste of sweet water