002:256

The Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                                     002:256

اللّٰهُ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ الۡحَـىُّ الۡقَيُّوۡمُ ۚ لَا تَاۡخُذُهٗ سِنَةٌ وَّلَا نَوۡمٌ‌ؕ  لَهٗ مَا فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ وَمَا فِى الۡاَرۡضِ‌ؕ  مَنۡ ذَا الَّذِىۡ يَشۡفَعُ عِنۡدَهٗ اِلَّا بِاِذۡنِه‌ٖؕ  يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ اَيۡدِيۡهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ‌ۚ  وَلَا يُحِيۡطُوۡنَ بِشَىۡءٍ مِّنۡ عِلۡمِهٖۤ اِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ  وَسِعَ كُرۡسِيُّهُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضَ‌‌ۚ  وَلَا يَـــُٔوۡدُهٗ حِفۡظُهُمَا ‌ۚ وَ هُوَ الۡعَلِىُّ الۡعَظِيۡمُ

Al-laa-ho-laa-elaa-ha-il-la-ho-waul-huy-yool-quy-yoom                                                            Laa-tau-kho-zo-hoo-say-na-toon-wa-laa-naum                                                                             La-hoo-maa-fis-sa-maa-waa-tay-wa-maa-fil-ur-dzay.                                                            Mun-zul-laa-zee-yush-fa-o-in-da-hoo-il-laa-bay-iz-nay-he                                                       Yau-la-mo-maa-bai-na-ai-dee-him-wa-maa-khul-fa-hoom                                                      Wa-laa-yo-he-too-na-bay-shai-in-min-il-may-he-il-laa-bay-maa-shaa-aa                           Wa-say-aa-koor-see-hoos-sa-maa-waa-tay-wul-urdz(a)                                                       Wa-laa-ya-oo-do-hoo-hif-zo-ho-maa                                                                                            Wa-ho-wul-ali-yool-azeem.

 
Allah! There is no God except Him, the Living, the Lasting.                              Never catches up to Him any slumber nor sleep.                                                          For Him is all in the heavens and all in the earth.                                                         Who is that who will intercede with Him except by His leave?                                   He knows what’s before them and what’s behind them. *                                    They don’t encompass any part of His knowledge except with what He chose. His Control has extended over the heavens and earth.                                                  And protecting them both never tires Him.                                                                   And He is The Highest, Most Glorious. 

The construction of next five words is in 002:256, 003:003, 004:088

• اللّٰهُ — Al-laa-ho — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• لَا — Laa — No (= Absolute denial; never; no; not at all; total negation)
• اِلٰهَ — Elaa-ha — God (= Worthy of worship)
• اِلَّا — Il-laa — Except (= Apart from; excluding; other than; save)
• هُوَ — Ho-wa — Him (= pro., s., m., 3^rd person. Refers to the Almighty God. This word in common parlance is pronounced as hoo by ignoring the vowel ka-sa-rah on its last word. The Phrase Allaa-ho-aa-hud meaning Allah is One shows some other ways also that the Holy Qor-aan repeates its message about the Oneness of God)
• الۡحَـىُّ — Ul-huy-yo…(ol) — The Living (= superlative form indicates the greatest, the highest, the most, and highlights that none more than Him is Alive and Active. Everlasting. Ever-living. Lives by Himself. Self-subsisting. By whom all subsist)
• الۡقَيُّوۡمُ — Quy-yoom — The Lasting (= superlative form indicates the greatest, the highest, the most, and highlights that none more than Him is Well-Established. Eternal. Existing forever. Long lasting. Perpetually there to help others. Protecting others. Self-sustaining. Sustains Himself)
• لَا — Laa — Never (= Absolute denial; never; no; not at all; total negation)
• تَاۡخُذُ — Ta-kho-zo — Catches up (= v., Burdens; comes to hold; imposes; overtakes; seizes; takes over; tires out)
• هٗ — Hoo — Him (= pro., s., m., 3^rd person. Refers to the Almighty God)
• سِنَةٌ — Say-na-toon — Slumber (= n., Catnap; fatigue; light sleep; tiredness)
• وَّ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but also; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• لَا — Laa — Not (= Absolute denial; never; no; not at all; total negation)
• نَوۡمٌ‌ — Naom — Sleep (= n., A catnap, doze, nap, slumber or snooze for an extended period of time in hours. Deep and total sleep – like the one that one has got to fight to get up in the morning upon hearing the loud announcement of the morning call for the prayer Azaan [Us-sua-laa-to-khair-room-may-nun-naum – Th prayer is better than the Sleep)

– The Holy Qor-aan repeats the Phrase “lil-laa-hay … ” in next nine (9) words frequently –

• لِ — L … (il) — For (= Belonging to; for the benefit, person, purpose or reason)
• هٗ — Hoo — Him (= pro., s., m., 3^rd person. Refers to the Almighty God. The present and the prior word together have been  also been translated as ‘His’)
• مَاۤ — Maa — All that (= What; whatever; whatsoever)
• فِى — F … (is) — In (= About; amidst, among, inside a duration, time, place, period, thing or situation. Also, concerning; regarding, relative to or in reference. See Note 002:028)
• السَّمٰوٰتِ — Sa-maa-waa-tay — The heavens (= n., pl., All above ground or earth; clouds; firmament; heavens; rain; skies; universe. Also, knowledge of astronomical objects in space)
• وَ — Wa — And  (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but; also; more over; though; when; while; yet)
• مَاۤ — Maa — All that (= What; whatever; whatsoever)
• فِى — F… (il) —  In (= About, inside a time, place or thing. See فِىۡ above)
• الۡاَرۡضِ — Ul-ur-dzay — Earth (= n., s., Area; country; earth; ground; land; territory. Also, life on earth, nation; people or society in general)
• مَنۡ — Mun — Who (= Who; whoever. A/t/a ‘Is there anyone’)
• ذَا — Dza…(ul) — Is that (= 1. Of; That. 2. Controller; lord; master; owner; possessor. 3. Owned or [ذِى Zee] possessed by)
• الَّذِىۡ — Ul-la-zee — Who (= s., m., 3^rd person article, thing or person; he; who)
• يَشۡفَعُ — Yush-fa-o — Will intercede (= v., Intervene; recommend; request for clemency. Some translators have padded this word by adding ‘dare to’ before the contemplated act of interceding)
• عِنۡد– In-da — With (= Address him; in the presence of)
• هٗ — Hoo — Him (= pro., s., m., 3^rd person. Refers to the Almighty God)
• اِلَّا — Il-laa — Except (= Excluding; save)
• بِ — Bay — With (= About; of; in reference to; relative to)
• اِذۡنِ — Iz-nay — Leave (= n., Approval; decree; permission; plan; scheme; will)
• ه‌ٖ — He — His (= pro., s., m., 3^rd person. Refers to the Almighty God)
• يَعۡلَمُ — Yau-la-mo — He knows (= Aware; informed; knowledgeable)
• مَا — Maa — All that (= Whatever; whatsoever)
• بَيۡنَ —  Bai-na — Between (= Before; in front of; in the presence of; right in this life)
• اَيۡدِيۡ — Aiy-dee — Both hands   *   (= The terminal part of the arm below the wrist; their own hands. In Arabic the expression refers to things which are ahead, before, in front, in future, imminently about to occur, in immediate presence or right in front of. a/t/a, What ‘appears to His creatures as before’ them)
• هِمۡ — Him — Their (= pro., pl., m., 3^rd person. Refers to everything in the heavens and the earth.  A/t/a ‘He knows what happens to His creatures’)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See  وَ  above)
• مَا — Maa — All that (= Whatever; whatsoever)
• خَلۡف — Khul-fa — Behind      *       (= After; afterwards; at the back; behind; came after; in the back; later life; past; posterity; succeeding generation; successors who followed them; the life Here after. A/t/a, What ‘appears to His creatures as behind’ them)
• هُمۡ‌ — Hoom — Them (= pro., pl., m., 3^rd person. Refers to everything in the heavens and the earth.  A/t/a He knows ‘what will happen to them in the Hereafter)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See  وَ  above)
• لَا — Laa — Do not (= Absolute denial; never; no; not at all; total negation)
• يُحِيۡطُوۡنَ — Yo-he-too-na — Encompass (= v., present participle. Attain; compass; control; cover; encircle; enter; get; grasp; surround; totally master)
• بِ — Bay — With (= About; of; in reference to; relative to)
• شَىۡءٍ — Shai-in — Anything (= Smallest part of any article, item, object, material, matter, thing, phenomenon or stuff; to the least extent. Anything however or whatsoever little or insignificant)
• مِنۡۢ — Min — From (= From among; from a class, category or count of; out of)
• عِلۡمِ — Il-may — Knowledge (= n., Awareness, experience, expertise, equipped with appropriate instruction, familiarity with facts, intelligence, know-how, information accumulation, sound instruction and wisdom. Knowledge which is full, perfect, total and wholesome)
• ه‌ٖ — Hee — His (= pro., s., m., 3^rd person. Refers to the Almighty God)
• اِلَّا — Il-laa — Except (= Apart from; excluding; save)
• بِ — Bay — With (= About; of; in reference to; relative to)
• مَا — Maa — What (= All that; whatever)
• شَآءَ — Shaa-aa — He chose (= v., past., s., 3^rd person. Allowed; approved; chose;  decided; decreed; designed; determined; dictated; elected; enforced; liked; permitted; planned; pleased; preferred; selected; sanctioned; willed. The meanings ‘desired, wanted or wished’ do not apply relative to the Almighty God Who has all control, power and will to implement instantly what He intends)
• وَسِعَ — Wa-say-aa — Has extended (= v., past., s., 3^rd person. Become enormous; covered all over; expanded; spread out; stretched over; widened)
• كُرۡسِيُّ — Kor-see-yo — Control (= Controlling seat; high chair; key post; knowledge; throne)
• هُ — Ho..(os) — His (= pro., s., m., 3^rd person. Refers to the Almighty God)
• السَّمٰوٰتِ — Sa-ma-wa-tay — Heavens (= Skies; universe.  See السَّمٰوٰتِ  above)
• وَ — Wa…(ul) — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• الۡاَرۡضَ‌‌ — Ur-dza — Earth (= Land; the whole wide world.  See الۡاَرۡضِ‌  above)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See  وَ  above)
• لَا — Laa — Never (= Absolute denial; never; no; not at all; total negation)
• يَـــُٔوۡد — Ya-oo-do — Tires (= v., Makes Him become, feel or get burdened, fatigued, fed up or weary of)
• هٗ — Hoo — Him (= pro., s., m., 3^rd person. Refers to the Almighty God)
• حِفۡظ — Hif-zo — Protecting (= Guarding; preserving; taking care of; undertaking the responsibility)
• هُمَا — Ho-maa — Them both (= pro., 3^rd person. Refers to 2 things or persons. Here the reference is to the heavens and the earth)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See  وَ  above)
• هُوَ — Ho-wa…(ul) — He (= pro., s., m., 3^rd person. Refers to the Almighty God)
• الۡعَلِىُّ — Ali-yoo..(l) — The Highest (= superlative form indicates the greatest, the highest, the most and highlights that none more than Him is exalted and sublime)
• الۡعَظِيۡمُ — Azeem — Most Glorious (= As an attribute of God Almighty Allah … the superlative form that indicates the greatest, the highest, the most, and that none more than Him is Glorious, Magnificent, Great, Greatest, Awesome, Mighty and Tremendous. See also Note 003:173a.

* Note 002:256. This verse is also known as the Aa-ya-tool-kor-see. It is customarily used as a very comprehensive prayer. It starts with the proclamation of the Unity of God, ends by reiterating His Most Exalted status as the Highest, the Greatest, and in-between its nine clauses cover enormous grounds.

Few humans can describe the depth of its meanings or comprehend the breadth of its significance. A lot has been written in its translations, interpretations and extrapolations. But it is an excellent way to reach the Almighty God no matter how a beseecher uses it.

** Note 002:256a.  Several meanings have been attached to the following two sets of words.

The words  اَيۡدِيۡ هِمۡ  are best translated with between their hands or before them as stated above.  However, other translations have expressed them as ‘He knows what appears to His creatures before them or lies ahead or in front of them’ and ‘He knows what His creatures do.’

            The words خَلۡفَ هُمۡ are best translated with behind them as stated above.  However, other translations have expressed them as ‘He knows what appears to His creatures behind them’ and ‘He knows what happens or will happen to them in the Hereafter.’