Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary * - Translations’ Index
Translation of the meanings Ayah: (110) Surah: Al-Isrā’
قُلِ ٱدۡعُواْ ٱللَّهَ أَوِ ٱدۡعُواْ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنَۖ أَيّٗا مَّا تَدۡعُواْ فَلَهُ ٱلۡأَسۡمَآءُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰۚ وَلَا تَجۡهَرۡ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتۡ بِهَا وَٱبۡتَغِ بَيۡنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلٗا
(110) Say ˹Muhammad˺: [3726]“Pray to Allah or pray to the Most Beneficent, Whoever you pray to, His are the Most Magnificent Names!”; [3727]and do not raise your voice in your Prayers ˹O Muhammad˺ and do not quieten your voice in them, but seek a middle way between these.
[3726] This could be understood differently depending on who the addressees are taken to be. Both al-Ṭabarī and Ibn Kathīr opine that these are the Makkan idolaters who deemed it unfit to ascribe the Attribute of Mercy to God Almighty, and thus they would not accept Him to be called al-Raḥmān (The Most Beneficent). Further, Ibn Taymiyyah (Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā, 14: 15) says that the Makkans heard the Noble Messenger (ﷺ) praying to God Almighty, once as Allah and on another occasion as al-Raḥmān and claimed that he was praying to two different gods.
On the other hand, this could be seen as an address to the Believers to turn away from the exhausting wrangles of the Deniers and occupy themselves with praying to God varying between His Most Magnificent Names (cf. al-Wāḥidī, al-Wajīz, al-Shirbīnī). Both being two Names for the Same, One and Only, God (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Saʿdī, Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[3727] The great exegete ʿAbdullāh Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) reports the reason behind the revelation of this aya: “It came down when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was lying low in Makkah. When he used to lead his Companions in Prayer and raise his voice and the Associators heard him, they would curse the Qur’an and He Who sent it down. So Allah ˹in effect˺ said to His Messenger: “Do not raise your voice is Prayer upon which the Associators would hear you, but do not be very quiet with that so that your Companions may hear you. Make them hear the Qur’an but do not raise your voice to that extent; seeking a middle way between them”” (al-Bukhārī: 4722; Muslim: 446).
On the other hand, this could be seen as an address to the Believers to turn away from the exhausting wrangles of the Deniers and occupy themselves with praying to God varying between His Most Magnificent Names (cf. al-Wāḥidī, al-Wajīz, al-Shirbīnī). Both being two Names for the Same, One and Only, God (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Saʿdī, Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[3727] The great exegete ʿAbdullāh Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) reports the reason behind the revelation of this aya: “It came down when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was lying low in Makkah. When he used to lead his Companions in Prayer and raise his voice and the Associators heard him, they would curse the Qur’an and He Who sent it down. So Allah ˹in effect˺ said to His Messenger: “Do not raise your voice is Prayer upon which the Associators would hear you, but do not be very quiet with that so that your Companions may hear you. Make them hear the Qur’an but do not raise your voice to that extent; seeking a middle way between them”” (al-Bukhārī: 4722; Muslim: 446).
Arabic explanations of the Qur’an:
Translation of the meanings Ayah: (110) Surah: Al-Isrā’
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.