The Holy Qor-aan 002:261
وَاِذۡ قَالَ اِبۡرٰهمُ رَبِّ اَرِنِىۡ كَيۡفَ تُحۡىِ الۡمَوۡتٰى ؕ قَالَ اَوَلَمۡ تُؤۡمِنۡؕ قَالَ بَلٰى وَلٰـكِنۡ لِّيَطۡمَٮِٕنَّ قَلۡبِىۡؕ قَالَ فَخُذۡ اَرۡبَعَةً مِّنَ الطَّيۡرِ فَصُرۡهُنَّ اِلَيۡكَ ثُمَّ اجۡعَلۡ عَلٰى كُلِّ جَبَلٍ مِّنۡهُنَّ جُزۡءًا ثُمَّ ادۡعُهُنَّ يَاۡتِيۡنَكَ سَعۡيًاؕ وَاعۡلَمۡ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ عَزِيۡزٌ حَكِيۡمٌؕ
Wa-iz-qaa-la-ib-ra-he-mo Rub-bay-aa-ray-nee-kai-fa-toh-yil-mao-taa Qaa-la-aa-wa-lum-tou-min. Qaa-la-ba-laa-wa-laa-kin-na-lay-yoot-may-in-na-qul-bee. Qaa-la-fa-khooz-ur-ba-aa-tum-may-nut-tai-ray Fa-soor-hoon-na-alai-ka Thoom-muj-ul-alaa-kool-lay-ja-ba-lim-min-hoon-na-jooz-un Thoom-mud-o-hoon-na-yau-tee-na-ka-sa-yun Wau-lum-un-nul-laa-ha-azee-zoon-ha-keem.
And when Abraham said “My God, show me how You give life to the dead.” He (Allah) said, “And, don’t you believe?”
He (Abraham) said, ‘Yes, but to comfort of my mind.” He (Allah) said, “Then take four birds. Then get them used to you.
“Then put each of them separately on as many hills.
“Then call them. They’ll come to you scurrying. “And know that Allah certainly is the Mightiest, the Wisest.”
- وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but; also; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
- إِذۡ — Iz — When (= 1. At the juncture, occasion, place or time. 2. Call to mind; consider; recall; remember; think about)
- قَالَ — Qaa-la — He said (= v., past., s., m.3rd person. Asked; asserted; begged; conveyed; informed, insisted; maintained; prayed; requested; stated; submitted; supplicated; told)
- إِبۡرَٲهِـۧمُ — Ibra-he-mo — Abraham (= The name of a Messenger / Prophet of Allah)
- رَبِّ — Rub-bay — God (= The Almighty Allah who fills needs of all creatures; Cherisher;
Creator; Guardian; Master; Lord Provident. The Only One Who provides all that sustains life. The Ultimate Provider of air, water, food and whatever we and all other creatures need to live and subsist) - اَرِ — Aa-ray — Show (= Demonstrate; make it visible; make us see; manifest; materialize. Also, Educate; instruct; teach; train; tutor)
- نِىۡ — Nee — Me (= pro., s., m & f., 1st person. Me / My)
- كَيۡفَ — Kai-fa — How (= How about. How would it be, do or fare. What would it look. In what fashion, manner, method or in which way)
- تُحۡىِ — Toh-ye…(il) — You give life (= v., pres., 2nd person. Bestow or bring back to life; create; enliven; ordain or quicken to life; preserve life; raise, restore life or revive those considered dead; spare someone to live)
- الۡمَوۡتٰى — Mao-taa — The dead (= Lifeless; those passed away; whose life has ended)
- قَالَ — Qaa-la — He said (= v., past., s., m., 3rd person. Asked; questioned; stated; told; announced; reminded)
- اَ — Aa — Do (= Question mark like Are, Can, Have, Shell or Will?)
- وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See also وَ above)
- لَّمۡ — Lum — Not (= Do not, does not, did not or would not)
- تُؤۡمِنۡ — Tou-min — You believe (= Bear conviction; have faith, trust)
- قَالَ — Quaa-la — He said (= v., past., s., m.3rd person. Asserted; begged; conveyed; insisted; maintained; prayed; requested; stated; told)
- بَلٰى — Ba-laa — Indeed (= But; aye; nay; however; instead; of course; nevertheless; on the contrary; rather; really; the fact is; the fact nevertheless is; the truth is; truthfully; verily; yea but; yes)
- وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See also وَ above)
- لٰـكِنۡ — Laa-kin..(l) — But (= However; nevertheless; yet)
- لِّ — Lay — For (= For the purpose of; in order to; so that; with intent to. A/t/a ‘I have asked this question that’ [Zafrullah Khan])
- يَطۡمَٮِٕنَّ — Yut-may-inna — To comfort (= Assure; ease; put at peace; reassure; satisfy; strengthen)
- قَلۡب — Qul-b..(ee) — Mind (= n., s., 1. The central organ inside the chest of all living creatures that keeps up the supply of blood to every tissue by pumping blood constantly through veins and controls all body parts and directs all their functions. 2. Heart; inner soul; ability to think, choose, decide and act in an appropriate manner both physically and spiritually’; understanding)
- ىۡ — Ee — Me (= pro., s., m & f., 1st person. Me / My)
- قَالَ — Qaa-la — He said (= v., past., s., m., 3rd person. Admonished; announced;
commanded; declared; directed; informed, instructed; mandated; ordained; ordered; stated; told) - فَ — Fa — Then (= Consequently; resultantly; so; thereafter; therefore; yet)
- خُذۡ — Khooz — Take (= v., pres., m., p., 3rd person., Adopt; carry; catch; draw; get attached; get hold of; grab; hold; impound; move; obtain; pick up; pound; receive; secure; seize; take charge and control. Also, Absorb; comprehend; grasp; understand)
- اَرۡبَعَةً — Ur-ba-aa-ta … (um) — Four (= Cardinal number equal to the sum of 3 + 1)
- مِّنَ — May-na-(ut) — From (= From among a class, category, count, out or persons of)
- الطَّيۡرِ — Tai-ray — The birds (= n., The warm-blooded egg-laying feathered flying creatures. See the Note below for different translation of this word in the verse 003:050)
- فَ — Fa — Then (= Consequently; resultantly; so; thereafter; therefore; yet)
- صُرۡ — Soor — Train (= Acclimatize; attach; draw; habituate; get them used to; have them attached; incline; habituate; tame. The next 2 words negate translating this word into ‘cut into pieces’ or ‘slaughter’)
- هُنَّ — Hoon-na — Them (= pro., pl., f., 3rd person. Refers to all those birds)
- إِلَى — Alai — To (= In the direction of; to; towards)
- كَ — Ka — You (= pro., s., m., 2nd person. Points towards Abraham)
- ثُمَّ — Thom-ma..(uj) — Then (= After that; later on; subsequently; thereafter)
- اجۡعَلۡ — Uj-al — Put (= Install; leave; plant; place)
- عَلٰى — A-laa — On (= In the direction of; over; to; top of; towards; upon)
- كُلِّ — Kool-lay — As many (= Put them on hills. As many as the birds; every one of them; the total number)
- جَبَلٍ — Ja-ba-lin..(m) — Hill (= Hillock; mount; mountain)
- مِنۡۢ — Min — From (= From among a class, category, count, out or persons of)
- هُنَّ — Hoon-na — Them (= pro., pl., f., 3rd person. Refers to all those birds)
- جُزۡءًا — Jooz-un — Separately ** (= Apart from each other; individually; one at a time; one by one; one on a hill. A/t/a, in parts)
- ثُمَّ — Thom-m..(ud) — Then (= After that; later on; subsequently; thereafter)
- ادۡعُ — Ud-o — You call (= Holler at; invite; summon; scream or shout)
- هُنَّ Hoon-na Them (= pro., pl., f., 3rd person. Refers to all those birds)
- يَاۡتِيۡنَ — Ya-tee-na — They’ll come (= Fly; home in; respond; return; revert)
- كَ — Ka — You (= pro., s., m., 2nd person. Points towards Abraham)
- سَعۡيًا — Sau-yun — Scurrying (= Coming speedily and swiftly; hastening; hurrying in haste; flying fast; running hard; rushing; speeding)
- وَ — Wa…(u) — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See alsoوَ above)
- اعۡلَمۡ — Lum — You know (= Accept; acknowledge; admit)
- اَنَّ –Un-n…(ul) — Certainly (= Absolutely; assuredly; clearly; definitely; indeed; positively; surely, verily)
- اللّٰهَ — Laa-ha — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
- عَزِيۡزٌ — Azee-zoon — Mightiest (= superlative form indicates the greatest, the highest, the most and highlights that none more than Him is Revered. The Highest. Most elevated, honored and respected. All-Mighty. Exalted in Might and Power. The Mightiest. This one word has the meanings of might and respect combined in it)
- حَكِيۡمٌ — Ha-kee-m — Wisest (= superlative form indicates the greatest, the highest, the most and highlights that none more than Him is Exalted in Wisdom. Best Possessor of Wisdom. Extremely shrewd. Full of wisdom. The Wisest)
* Note 002:261a. The word الطَّيۡرِ means the birds that qualify according to فَصُرۡهُنَّ اِلَيۡكَ and so can get tamed, attached and used to human beings. The qualification of being the fliers, flying creatures, living birds or soaring being that fly and float in air with wings spread is not essential since the flying vultures and bats can’t be tamed and or get used to humans.
The pigeons are warm-blooded egg-laying feathered flying creatures that fly with wings spread out. And the chicken and turkeys, though not flying and soaring beings, nevertheless fall in the ambit of this verse because of the words يَاۡتِيۡنَكَ سَعۡيًا since ‘they will come to you hurrying, scurrying, swiftly and doing their utmost.’
That word الطَّيۡرِ in the verse 003:050 is translated as the spiritual flights of imaginations, ideas, thoughts or plans. But Man did know when Jesus son of Mary was born as to what would happen nineteen centuries later. The prophetic forecast came true when his followers invented flying and soaring things with wings spread out such as airplanes, missiles, satellites and drones fueled by sources of energy unknown to Man nineteen hundred years earlier.
** Note 002:261b. The simple straightforward translation of this section as given above is ‘Then get them used to you. Then place them apart on all (as many) hills’.
The convoluted extrapolations by making additions such as ‘then slaughter them, cut them into pieces’ [Dr Al-Hilali and Dr Khan] and ‘cut their bodies to pieces’ and ‘scatter them over the mountain tops’ [NJ Dawood] are not palatable for the following reasons.
- Such translations are contrary to the Law of Nature since a physically dead person is not returned to physical life on earth again.
- No word in the original text provides any of the impugned extrapolations.
- The prior words فَصُرۡهُنَّ اِلَيۡكَ categorically negate any possibility of such extrapolations.
- The translations like ‘Put them each on a separate hill’ [Allamah Nooruddin] positively contradicts impugned extrapolations.
