Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary * - Translations’ Index
Al-Fātihah
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
[3] Allah (الله) is God’s most unique Name, grandly referred to as Lafẓ al-Jalālah (The Word of Majesty). It occurs in the Qur’an 2,697 times in 85 of its 114 suras. Allah is considered the Almighty’s Supreme Name (al-Ism al-Aʿẓam) by Abū Ḥanīfah (quoted in al-Ṭaḥāwī, Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār, 1: 1616). According to the vast majority of scholars Allah is linguistically unique in that it is originally a proper and underived noun (cf. al-Shawkānī, Nayl al-Awṭār: 1: 18). None other than the Almighty is named by it: “Do you know any other of a Name like His?” (19: 65) In Abrahamic religions, i.e. Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the concept of God basically has the same referent. He is unlimited with regards to knowledge (omniscience), power (omnipotence), existence (omnipresence) and benevolence. However, there are points of departure regarding how each religion perceives God. The most outstanding of which is that Islam Believes in a One and Only God without the slightest form of Association (cf. 3: 64):“Say: He is God, Unique. *God is the Oft-Beseeched. *He begot none, nor was He begotten. *None is equal to Him” (Sura al-Ikhlāṣ, Q. 112). Additionally, God in Islam has unique Names and Attributes and in accordance with Muslim belief (ʿaqīdah) the Muslim conception of God is not anthropomorphic in the slightest form: “Nothing is like Him; He is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing”. (42: 11)
[4] The ‘Most Beneficent’ and the ‘Most Merciful’ here stand for the Arabic ar-Raḥmān and ar-Raḥīm, respectively. They are both intensive forms derived from the noun raḥmah, mercy. Whilst they both denote the trait of mercy, semantically, however, they are different; ar-Raḥmān is more intensive than ar-Raḥīm (cf. Ibn Manẓūr, Lisān al-ʿArab, root: r ḥ m). According to exegetes, ar-Raḥmān’s Mercy encompasses all creatures, whereas ar-Raḥīm’s is reserved only for Believers (cf. 33:43, al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, al-Shinqiṭī, al-Saʿdī). The extent of God’s Mercy is highlighted in the following tradition: Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “God has one hundred mercies. He sent down one of them on humans, jinn, animals and venomous creatures. Through it they show mercy to each other, and through it wild beasts show mercy to their young. God has reserved ninety-nine mercies with which He bestows mercy on his servants on the Day of Judgement” (al-Bukhārī: 6000; Muslim: 2752).
[4] The ‘Most Beneficent’ and the ‘Most Merciful’ here stand for the Arabic ar-Raḥmān and ar-Raḥīm, respectively. They are both intensive forms derived from the noun raḥmah, mercy. Whilst they both denote the trait of mercy, semantically, however, they are different; ar-Raḥmān is more intensive than ar-Raḥīm (cf. Ibn Manẓūr, Lisān al-ʿArab, root: r ḥ m). According to exegetes, ar-Raḥmān’s Mercy encompasses all creatures, whereas ar-Raḥīm’s is reserved only for Believers (cf. 33:43, al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, al-Shinqiṭī, al-Saʿdī). The extent of God’s Mercy is highlighted in the following tradition: Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “God has one hundred mercies. He sent down one of them on humans, jinn, animals and venomous creatures. Through it they show mercy to each other, and through it wild beasts show mercy to their young. God has reserved ninety-nine mercies with which He bestows mercy on his servants on the Day of Judgement” (al-Bukhārī: 6000; Muslim: 2752).
Arabic explanations of the Qur’an:
ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ
[5] The Arabic rabb translated here as ‘Lord’ is semantically and lexically related to tarbiyah, which means to nurture, but with much care and attention (cf. Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-Lughah, 2: 381). When used in its absolute form with the definite article, al-Rabb, it could only mean God Almighty, Who is the One Who takes care and provides for all beings.
[6] ‘All beings’ here stands for al-‘ālamīn, usually translated as ‘worlds’. It means the Heavens the Earth and all that is within them and all that is between them (cf. 26: 23-24).
[6] ‘All beings’ here stands for al-‘ālamīn, usually translated as ‘worlds’. It means the Heavens the Earth and all that is within them and all that is between them (cf. 26: 23-24).
Arabic explanations of the Qur’an:
ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Arabic explanations of the Qur’an:
مَٰلِكِ يَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ
[7] ‘The Day of Judgement’, a translation of yawm ad-dīn in this aya, is a recurrent theme in the Qur’an. However, its nomenclature differs according to the effect intended, and whereby it is variously Yawm ad-Dīn (the Day of Judgement), Yawm al-Ḥisāb (the Day of Reckoning), Yawm al-Qiyāmah (the Day of Resurrection), al-Wāqiʿah (the Befalling), aṭ-Ṭāmmah (the Dumbfounding), aṣ-Ṣākhkhah (the Deafening), ar-Rājifah (the Quaking), al-Fazaʿ al-Akbar (the Great Fright) and al-Ḥāqqah (the Real). These many names for one and the same thing, some of which are indeed heart-rending, signify its magnitude and drive home the message: “Be Mindful of a Day on which you shall be returned to Allah”. (2: 281)
Arabic explanations of the Qur’an:
إِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِينُ
Arabic explanations of the Qur’an:
ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ
[8] al-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm is the road (an Arabicized word after the Latin word strāta, i.e. road) which is straight, clear and has no turns or curves (al-Ṭabarī). It is used figuratively in the Qur’an to denote the correct manner in which God is to be worshipped and which leads to His Pleasure. It also denotes being spared torment in the Hereafter (cf. 6: 153).
Arabic explanations of the Qur’an:
صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ غَيۡرِ ٱلۡمَغۡضُوبِ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ
(7) the path of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace[9], not those on whom ˹is Your˺ Wrath[10] nor the misguided[11].
[9] Those who know the Truth and follow it: “Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, then those are among the ones on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace—of the Prophets, the Affirmers of Truth, the martyrs and the pious—indeed the companion of these is well off”. (4: 69)
[10] Those who know the Truth and do not follow it. (al-Ṭabarī)
[11] Those who are ignorant of the Truth and worship God following only their whims and wishful thinking. (al-Ṭabarī)
[10] Those who know the Truth and do not follow it. (al-Ṭabarī)
[11] Those who are ignorant of the Truth and worship God following only their whims and wishful thinking. (al-Ṭabarī)
Arabic explanations of the Qur’an:
Translation of the meanings Surah: Al-Fātihah
Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - Translations’ Index
Translation of the meanings of the Noble Qur’an into English - in progress - translated by Dr. Walid Bleihesh Al-Omari.