Surah 81. At-Takwir

which travel and hide,¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 This probably refers to black holes. Kanasa means to sweep or hide. Miknasah is derived from this, and is the standard word for a vacuum cleaner.

Go straight or hide;

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

and the night as it falls

  - Mustafa Khattab

And the Night as it dissipates ⁵⁹⁸⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

How the Night gradually declines after its height at midnight! It seems gradually to steal away, and as Dawn approaches, to merge into Day. So a soul in spiritual darkness gradually awakes to its spiritual Dawn through Revelation.

and the day as it breaks!¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 lit., the day as it takes its first breath.

And the Dawn as it breathes away the darkness ⁵⁹⁸⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The slow "breathing out" of the darkness by the Dawn, shows us, by beautiful imagery, that these wonderful operations, of which people in their ignorance are frightened if they have to do with darkness, are really beneficent operations of Allah. They have nothing to do with evil spirits, or witches, or magic. For three questions were actually raised about the holy Prophet's Ministry by the ignorant. (1) Did his wonderful works come from himself and not from Allah? (2) Was he possessed of an evil spirit? In other words, was he mad? For that was the theory of madness then current. (3) Was he a soothsayer, or necromancer, or magician? For he had virtues, powers and eloquence, so extraordinary that they could not understand him.

Indeed, this 'Quran' is the Word of 'Allah delivered by Gabriel,' a noble messenger-angel,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Verily this is the word of a most honorable Messenger ⁵⁹⁸⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They are told here that all their three theories were foolish. The Revelation was really from Allah. Their wonder should cease if they observe the daily miracles worked round them in nature. The bringer of Allah's Message was the angel Gabriel, and not an evil spirit.

full of power, held in honour by the Lord of the Throne,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Endued with Power with rank before the Lord of the Throne ⁵⁹⁸⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Not only was the bringer of the Revelation, Gabriel, an honorable Messenger, incapable of deceit, but he had, in the angelic kingdom, rank and authority before Allah's Throne, and he could convey an authoritative divine Message. He was, like the holy Prophet, faithful to his trust; and therefore there could be no question of the Message being delivered in any other way than exactly according to the divine Will and Purpose. These epithets could apply to the Prophet himself, but in view of verse 23 below, it is best to understand them of Gabriel.

obeyed there 'in heaven', and trustworthy.

  - Mustafa Khattab

With authority there (and) faithful of his trust.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And your fellow man¹ is not insane.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 i.e., Muḥammad (ﷺ).

And (O people!) your companion is not one possessed; ⁵⁹⁹⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

After describing the credentials of the Archangel Gabriel, the Text now appeals to the people to consider their own "Companion", the Prophet, who had been born among them and had lived with them, and was known to be an honorable, truthful, and trustworthy man. If Gabriel was the one who brought the Message to him, then there was no question of demoniacal possession. And the Prophet had seen him in his inspired vision "in the clear horizon".

And he did see that 'angel' on the clear horizon,¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 This is first time the Prophet (ﷺ) saw Gabriel in his angelic form. He saw him a second time in heaven during the Night Journey. See 53:5-15.

And without doubt he saw him in the clear horizon. ⁵⁹⁹¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Read along with this the whole passage in liii. 1-18 and notes there; specially n. 5092, where the two occasions are mentioned when there was a vision of inspiration: "For truly did he see, of the Signs of his Lord, the Greatest" (liii. 18).

and he does not withhold 'what is revealed to him of' the unseen.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Neither doth he withhold Grudgingly a knowledge of the Unseen. ⁵⁹⁹²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Such would be the words of a soothsayer, guarded, ambiguous, and misleading. Here everything was clear, sane, true, and under divine inspiration.

And this 'Quran' is not the word of an outcast devil.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 See 26:210-212.

Nor is it the word of an evil spirit accursed. ⁵⁹⁹³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Such as evil suggestions of envy, spite, greed, selfishness, or other vices. On the contrary the teaching of the Qur-an is beneficent, pointing to the Right Way, the Way of Allah. Rajim: literally, driven away with stones, rejected with complete ignominy. Cf. xv. 17. The rite of throwing stones in the valley of Mina at the close of the Makkan Pilgrimage [see n. 217 (6) to ii. 197] suggests symbolically that the Pilgrim emphatically, definitely, and finally rejects all Evil.

So what 'other' path would you take?

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then whither go ye? ⁵⁹⁹⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It has been shown that this is no word of a mortal, but that it is full of divine wisdom; that its teaching is not that of a madman, but sane to the core and in accordance with human needs; that it freely and clearly directs you to the right Path and forbids you the Path of evil. Why then hesitate? Accept the divine Grace; repent of your sins; and come to the higher Life.

Surely this 'Quran' is only a reminder to the whole world-

  - Mustafa Khattab

Verily this is no less than a Message to (all) the Worlds: ⁵⁹⁹⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It is not meant for one class or race; it is universal, and is addressed to all the Worlds. For the meaning of "Worlds", see n. 20 to i. 2.

to whoever of you wills to take the Straight Way.

  - Mustafa Khattab

(With profit) to whoever among you wills to go straight. ⁵⁹⁹⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. lxxiv. 55-56. Allah is the Cherisher of the Worlds, Lord of Grace and Mercy, and His guidance is open to all who have the will to profit by it. But that will must be exercised in conformity with Allah's Will (verse 29). Such conformity is Islam. Verse 28 points to human free-will and responsibility; verse 29 to its limitations. Both extremes, viz., cast-iron Determinism and an idea of Chaotic Free-will, are condemned.

But you cannot will 'to do so', except by the Will of Allah, the Lord of all worlds.

  - Mustafa Khattab

But ye shall not will Except as Allah wills The Cherisher of the Worlds.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali