002:134

The Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                                 002:134

اَمۡ كُنۡتُمۡ شُهَدَآءَ اِذۡ حَضَرَ يَعۡقُوۡبَ الۡمَوۡتُۙ اِذۡ قَالَ لِبَنِيۡهِ مَا تَعۡبُدُوۡنَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِىۡؕ قَالُوۡا نَعۡبُدُ اِلٰهَكَ وَاِلٰهَ اٰبَآٮِٕكَ اِبۡرٰهٖمَ وَاِسۡمٰعِيۡلَ وَاِسۡحٰقَ اِلٰهًا وَّاحِدًا ۖۚ وَّنَحۡنُ لَهٗ مُسۡلِمُوۡنَ‏

Um-koon-toom-sho-ha-daa-aa-iz-ha-dza-ra-yau-qoo-bul-mao-to
Iz-qaa-la-lay-ba-nee-hay-maa-tau-bo-doo-na-min-bau-dee
Qaa-loo-nau-bo-do-elaa-ha-ka-wa-elaa-ha-aa-baa-aiy-ka
Ib-raa-he-ma-wa-is-ma-ee-la-wa-is-haa-qa-elaa-hun-waa-hay-dun
Wa-nuh-no-la-hoo-moos-lay-moo-n.

Had you been present when the death came to Jacob?
Recall when he said to his sons “Who will you worship after me.”
They said, “We will worship your God and God of your fathers
Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac, the One and only One God.
And for Him we remain submissive.”

• اَم — Um — Did / had / were (= Question mark like could, should, would?)
• كُنۡ — Koon — Have been (= v., Conveys continuation from the past to the future)
• تُمۡ — Toom — You (= pl., m., 2nd person.  You men. Generally this way the Holy Qor-aan addresses both men and women)
• شُهَدَآءَ — Sho-ha-daa-aa — Present (= Helpers; observers; supporters; testifiers; witnesses)
• اِذۡ — Iz — Recall when (= Behold; call to mind, recall; remember or think of the
  time, event, occasion, opportunity or time)
• حَضَرَ — Ha-dza-ra — Came (= Approached; arrived; faced; presented; visited)
• يَعۡقُوۡبَ — Yau-qoo-ba(l) Jacob (= The name of a Messenger / Prophet of Allah)
• الۡمَوۡتُۙ — Mao-to — Death (= End of life on earth; extinction; hour of death; stupor)
• اِذۡ — Iz — When (= Behold; call to mind, recall; remember or think of the
  time, event, occasion, opportunity or time)
• قَا لَ — Qaa-la — He said (= v., past, s., m, 3rd person.  Admonished; advised; asked; called upon; conveyed; directed; emphasized; mandated; preached; queried; questioned; specified; stated; willed; professed; told)
• لَ — La — For (= To or for the attention, benefit, purpose or reason)
• بَنِيۡ — Ba-nee — Sons (= Children; followers; nation; tribes)
• هِ — Hay — His (= pro., s., m., 3rd person. Refers to the sons of Jacob)
• مَاۤ — Maa — Who (= What; what will that be; whatever; whom; whoever)
• تَعۡبُدُونَ — Tau-bo-doona — You worship (= v. pl., Who, what and how you worship. The person, the manner, the method or the way you appreciate, praise, serve and thank that you worship)
• مِنۡ — Min — From (= Among, from or out of the class, category, count, kind of several articles persons, things phenomenon)
• بَعۡدِ — Bau-de — After (= Behind; later; subsequently to me)
• ى — Ee — Me (= s., m & f., 1st person. Jacob pointed to himself)
• قَا لُوۡا — Qaa-loo — They said (= v., past., pl., m; 3rd person. Acknowledged; admitted; announced; answered; conveyed; declared; explained; expounded; informed; professed; replied; responded; specified; stated; submitted)
• نَعۡبُدُ — Nau-bo-do — We worship (= v. pl., Who, what and how we worship. The person, the manner, the method or the way we appreciate, praise, serve and thank that we worship)
• إِلَـٰهَ — Elaa-ha — God (= Any Deity, object, person or value worthy of worship)
• كَ — Ka — You (= pro., s., m., 2nd person. You, referring to Jacob)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but; also; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• إِلَـٰهَ — Elaa-ha — God (= Any Deity, object, person or value worthy of worship)
• اٰبَآٮٕ — Aa-baa-aiy — Fathers (= Fathers how-high-so-ever; forefathers)
• كَ — Ka — Your (= pro., s., m., 2nd person. You, referring to Jacob)
• اِبۡرٰهٖمَ — Ib-raa-he-ma — Abraham (= The name of a Messenger / Prophet of Allah)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above) )
• اِسۡمٰعِيۡلَ — Is-maa-ee-la — Ishmael (= The name of a Messenger / Prophet of Allah)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• اِسۡحٰق — Is-haa-qa — Isaac (= The name of a Messenger / Prophet of Allah)
• اِلٰهًا — Elaa-hun — God (= Any Deity, object, person or value worthy of worship)
• وَّاحِدًا — Waa-hay-dun — The Only One (= A single being, entity, item or individual. Monotonous)
• وّ — Wa — And  *   (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• نَحۡنُ — Nuh-no — We (= pl., m & f genders., 1st person. We, the sons of Jacob)
• لَ — La — For (= For the attention, benefit, purpose or reason of)
• هٗ — Hoo — Him (= pro., s., m., 3rd person. Refers to The Almighty God)
• مُسۡلِمُوۡنَ — Moos-lay-moo-n — Submissive (= n., pl., The believers. The worshippers surrendered to the will of God in dedication and devotion and so at  peace. See Note 003:053)

*  Note 002:134.   The verses 002:134 and 002:137 illustrate how the same words used in different set-ups convey different shades of meanings and why the reference to the context is so important in knowing true meanings of a writing.   The words نَحۡنُ لَهٗ convey the meaning that “we are and forever remain” but are controlled by the word that follows them.   Both these verses end with the word مُسۡلِمُوۡنَ  which means obedient and submissive.  Both verses end with the same five words.  However, the changed underlying scenario gives different shades to the meanings.

In verse 002:134 the said five words are an assurance by Jacob’s sons following their father’s advice and wish to remain submissive to God. That was several centuries before Islam when they could not be Moslems as adherents of a religion that had not yet come.   In verse 002:137 those five words are an expression of obedience by the Moslems to the Almighty God who had commanded them after the advent of Islam and as the readers of the Holy Qor-aan.  So the words used for two different people in two different eras must be translated differently.