QA XXII
[22]
سورة الماء
Sūrat al-Ma' (The Surah of the Watery Expanse).
on Qur'ān 12: 21
Translation Stephen N. Lambden, UC Merced.
1982-2020- IN PROGRESS - Last uploaded 24-03-2021.
[1]
بسم اللّه الرّحمن الرّحيم
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
[2]
He that bought him, being of Egypt, said to his wife, 'Give him goodly lodging, and it may be that he will profit us, or we may take him for our own son.' So We established Joseph in the land, and that We might teach him the interpretation of tales (ta'wil al-ahadith). God prevails in His purpose, but most men know not." (Q. 12:21, Trans. Arberry).
[3]
طظل
Ṭ-Ẓ-L
[Abjad = 9+900+40 = 949]
[4-7]
اللّه الّذی لا له الّا هو يعلم غيب السّموات الارض و هو اللّه قد كان بكل شیء محيطاً ه
و انّا نحن قد قدّرنا الموت حول الباب من حكم الكتاب محتوماً ه
و انّا نحن قد قدّرنا الموت فی سبيل العلیّ علی الحقّ مرّتين علی حكم الكتاب من لدی الرّحمن مقضيّاً ه
اللّه قد خلق السّموات بالحقّ علی طبق الارض من حكم الكتاب طباقاً ه
[4] God Who, no God is there except Him. He knoweth what is Unseen (ghayb) of the heavens and of the earth. And He is God who hath ever been One All-Surrounding [All-Observant] (muhit an). [5] And We, We decreed death nigh the Bab (hawl al-bab) by means of the sealed decree of the Bab! [6] And We. we indeed decreed death (al-mawt) in the Path of the One Exalted [`Ali] (sabil al-`aliyy), in very Truth, twice over (marratayn) according to the decree of the Book, ordained indeed on the part of the All-Merciful (al-rahman). [7] God indeed created the heavens (al-samawat) in Truth, according to the ordering of the earth (`ala tabaq al-ard), an hierarchical ordering of one above the other (طباقاً = tibaq an) as accords with the decree of the Book [cf. Q. 67:3; 71:15].
[8]
قل
ما نری فی بدع اللّمن شیء علی الباب الحقّ الّا علی طبق الكلّ قد كان مخلوقا ه
Say: We do not see in the creative activity of God (bad` Allah) anything exalted above the Bab, the True One (al-haqq)! This accords with the ordered creation of the All [everything, the Pleroma; al-kull). Such was ever indeed, the manner of created reality (al-makhluq an).
[9]
قل
ارجعوا الابصار من
حول النّار هل تجدون من امر اللّه الحقّ علی الحقّ بالحقّ فطوراً ه
Say: Repeat ye the gaze! towards the Theophanic Fire! (al-nar)! Do ye then perceive, in Truth, in very Truth, relative to the Cause of God, the True One (min amr Allah al-haqq), any inconsistency [flaw] (fatur an )?
[10-11]
كلّا ثم كلّا اليك ترجع الابصار
حول الماء فی قطب نقطة البهاء ممدودا
و انّا نحن قد قدّرنا باذن اللّه للسّماء الدّنيا علی الحقّ حول القطب نجوماً ه
So may "Everyone" (kalla/kulla) [among believers, "soon come to know"]! Then "Everyone Else" (kalla/kulla) [among non-believers" soon come to know"] when they return their gaze unto Thee [be suitably aware]! [Q 78: 4-5]. This nigh the watery Expanse (al-ma') extended (mamdud an) towards the very Apex [Pivot) (qutb) of the Point of al-Baha' (Glory-Beauty). [11] And We, verily, decreed with the permission of God, that there be related to the Heaven (al-sama'), in very Truth, this worldly domain (al-dunya') [below], and stars (nujum an) [above] set about the celestial Pivot (al-qutb) [of Glory-Beauty].
[12-13]
و انّا نحن قد قدّرنا لنجوم رجوماً فی السّماء مركوزاً ه
و اذا القوا كلمة من العمق الاكبر قد شهقوا
لها و قد كانوا كالمهل فی قعر التّابوت محروقاً ه
[12] And We indeed further decreed, that there be a pelting with stones [stoning] (rujum an) for the stars (al-nujum) at the very centre of the heaven(s). [13] And should they encounter the Word (al-kalimat) [coming forth through] from the Greatest Depth (al-`amq al-akbar), they would assuredly be sighing on account of the roaring of hellfire before it [this Word]. They [these pivotal stars] were indeed even as something tarrying (al-mahall), fiercely burning (mahruq an) in the Abyssmal Depth of the Ark (qa`r al-tabut).
[14]
و كلّما القت سرّا من المستسرّالمسطر فوق السّتر قد دخلت فوج و قد خرجت فوج
فسبحان اللّه العلیّ الّذی لا اله الّا هو و كان اللّه عليّاً حكيماً ه
[14] At this an utterance (kallim an) ensued intimating a Mystery (sirr an) concerning what is secretly inscribed above an alphabetical line (min al-mustasirr al-mastur fawq al-satr). Wherefore indeed did "a troop" (fawj) enter therein. And thereat indeed did "a troop" (fawj) exit therefrom! So Glorified be God, the One Exalted, Who, no God is there except Him. And God was indeed ever One Exalted (`aliyy an), All-Wise (hakim an).
[15-16]
انّ الّذين يخشون ربّهم لباب بالحقّ سرّاً و علی الحقّ جهراً ه
انّا نحن قد قدّرنا لهم باذن اللّه فی الدّار الاخرة مغفرة علی الحقّ و اجراً كبيراً ه
[15] And those who feared their Lord before the Bab were, in very Truth, privy to a secret Mystery (sirr an) which in Truth became publicly evident (jahr an)! [16] We, we indeed did decree for them, with the permission of God, within the Abode of the Hereafter (dar al-akhira), in very Truth, a pardon (maghfira), a mighty reward (ajr an kabir an) indeed!
[17] Are ye not aware of the state of humanity [the creatures] (khuluq)? He is indeed One All-Knowing with respect to the essential Reality of the Cause (bi-dhat al-amr). So how is it that ye remain unaware of His handiwork (san`) respecting the reconfiguration (`ala al-bida`) of whatsoever He willeth? Do ye not gaze upon this Bird (al-tayr) that moveth about in the firmament of Heaven (jaww al-sama')? How can he possibly be accused of violating the [covenant of the true] Bab when he is engaged in instructing thee, in very Truth, about the diverse stages of the Doves (atwar al-waraqat) of the Tree of Camphor (shajarat al-kafur)? How could this possibly be one who witholds access to the True One [Truth] (mumsik `ala al-haqq) aside from God. thy Lord? So glorified be God! way beyond is He above that which these oppressors assert! He indeed hath ever been insightful about everything (bi-kulli shay' basir an).
[18] Thou expressed belief in this Bab as opposed to what is other than the Bab amongst thyselves. So how then can ye attain any victory (nasir an) for thyselves aside from association with him, the True One, whom God hath exalted? The unbelievers hath ever been descending into the fiery depth of the genesis of hellfire!
افمن ينظر الی اللّه و لايری شيئا معه علی الحقّ كمن لا تری الّا نفسه علی غير الحقّ ما لكم كيف ترضون لا نفسكم بحكم الطّاغوت من دون اللّه و انّ الذّكر لقد كان علی الصّراط القيّم فی حول النّار مستقيماً ه
[19] Is it not the case that whoso gazeth towards God and seeth nothing alongside Him contrary to the Truth is even as he who seeth naught except his own self as something contrary to the Truth (ghayr al-haqq)?
[20]
[21]
[22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30]
[31]
[32]
يا قرّة العين
O Qurrat al-`Ayn!
O Solace of Mine Eyes [the Bab]!
قل للمشركين ان انتم لاتعبدون اللّه بارئكم الّذی لا اله الّا هو فو ربّ البيت انّه الحقّ و انّی ما عبدت و لن اعبد الّا اللّه مولينا الحقّ
لكم دينكم و لنا الدّين الخالص حول الماء بالحقّ علی الحقّ محتوماً ه
[32>] Say unto the unbelievers (al-mushrikin): `Thou shalt serve God, the Creator Who, `No God is there except Him'! So By the Lord of the House (rabb al-bayt)! He indeed is the True One (al-haqq). And I have never served nor will I ever serve any except God, our Lord, the True One (al-haqq)! For thee is thy religion (din) while for Us is He Who is the Pure One (al-khalis), in Truth, in very Truth, sealed up (makhtum an) nigh the Watery expanse (hawl al-ma')!
[33-34]
يا قرّة العين
O Qurrat al-`Ayn!
O Solace of Mine Eyes [the Bab]!
انّ اللّه قد جعل العينين فی ايديك هذه عين الكافور حول الماء مسطوراً ه
وهذه ماء الطّهور من الكوثر المسجور حول النّار مستوراً ه
[33>] God did indeed make two Springs [Fountains] (al-`aynayn) in Thy two hands. This one is the Spring of Camphor (`ayn al-kafur) scribed (mast.ur an) about the Watery Expanse (hawl al-ma'). [34] And this [other] one is the Water of Purity (ma' al-tahur) issuing forth (al-masjur) from al-Kawthar (The Fount of Abundance), spread out (mastur an) nigh the Theophanic [Sinaitic] Fire (al-nar)!
[35] [36] [37] [38] [39]
[40] [41] [42]
SELECT NOTES AND COMMENTS
Stephen Lambden
QA XXII:9a = كلّا ثم كلّا اليك ترجع الابصار
See Q. 78:4-5 = كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ ♦ ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ (Q.78: 4-5)
كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ (4) ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ (5)
= Surat al-Naba' (`The Surah of the Announcement'), Q. 78: 4-5): كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ (4) ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ (5)
It is most likely here that the Bab is here presenting a succinct semi-citation of the Surat al-Naba' (`The Surah of the Announcement'), Q. 78, verses 4-5 = كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ (4) ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ (5) . As in several mss. of the QA and in Q. 78:4-5 the K-L-A twice occurs with tashdid over the letter Lam (Arabic letter L). This seems to be the twice repeated كَلَّا (kalla) found commencing verses 4 &5 of Q, 78 4-5 followed twice by the future tense particle سَيَعْلَمُونَ (sa-ya`lamun = "will come to know") omitted.
كلّا ثم كلّا اليك ترجع الابصار
"Not at all" (kalla)! then "By no means" (kalla)! should they repeat their gaze towards Thee! Let "Everyone" (kalla) then "Everyone Else" (kalla) turn their gaze towards thee [Believers and non-believers seeking to know about the Great Announcment; see Q 78:4-5] [perhaps meaning believers and non-believers seeking to know about the eschatological Great Announcment alluded to in Q 78: 4-5]
When the "All" (kull an ) then the "All" (kull an/ kalla) turn return the Gaze towards Thee!
كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ (4) ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ (5)
= "Not at all" (kalla)! then "By no means" (kalla)! should they repeat their gaze towards Thee!
When the "All"/ Everyone (kull an /kalla ) then the "All" (kull an/ kalla) again [Everyone else] return the Gaze unto Thee!
QA XXII: 13.
[13] "At this an utterance (kallim an) ensued intimating a mystery (sirr an) concerning what is secretly inscribed above an alphabetical line (min al-mustasirr al-mastur fawq al-satr). Wherefore indeed did "a troop" (fawj) enter [therein]. And thereat indeed [also] did "a troop" (fawj) exit therefrom! So Glorified be God, the One Exalted, Who, no God is there except Him. And God was indeed ever One Exalted (`aliyy an), All-Wise (hakim an).
See in this connection the noun fawj = "troop", "company" in the Q. at 27:83; 38:59;67:8; 78:18; 110:2.
