Translation of Surah Ya Sin

Dr. T.B. Irving provided Muslims with the first translation of the Quran into American English. Below is his translation of Surah Ya Sin from his work The Qur'an: The Noble Reading.

In the name of God, the Mercy-giving, the Merciful!

(I) * Y. S.

* By the Wise Reading, * you are an emissary * [sent] along a Straight Road ** with arevelation from the Powerful, the Merciful, * so you may warn a folk whose forefathers have not been warned, and hence they are unaware.

Fate and Destiny

* The statement has been proven to be true about most of them, yet they still will not believe. * We have placed fettes around their necks which reach up to their chins till they seem to be out of joint. * We have placed a barrier before them and another barrier behind them, and have covered them up so they do not notice anything.

** It is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them; they still will not believe. * You will only warn someone who follows the Reminder and dreads the Mercy-giving even though He is Unseen. Proclaim forgiveness and generous payment to him. * We revive the dead and write down whatever they have sent on ahead and [left] as traces; We calculate everythin in an open ledger.

The Town Which Was Warned

(II) * Compose a parable for them about the inhabitants of the town when emissaries came to them. * When We sent them two, they rejected them both, so We reinforced them with a third. They said; "You are only human beings like ourselves. The Mercy-giving has net sent anything down; you are only lying!" * They said: "Our Lord knows that we have been [sent] to you as emmissaries. * We have only to proclaim things clearly."

* They said: "We sense something unlucky about you; so if you will not stop, we'll expel you, and painful torment from us will afflict you." * They said: "The bad luck you sense lies within yourselves. Will you not be reminded? Indeed you are such dissipated folk!"

** A man came hurrying up from the further end of the city. he said: "O my people, follow the emissaries! * Follow someone who does not ask for any payment while they are being guided."

PART TWENTY-THREE

(II cont'd) * Why should I worship the One Who fashioned me and to Whom you will (all) return? * Should I adopt other gods instead of Him? If the Mercy-giving should want any harm [to happen] to me, their intercession would never help me out in any way nor would they rescue me: * I'd then be completely lost! ** I believe in your Lord, so hear me!"

* He was told: "Enter the Garden." He said: "If my people only knew * how my Lord has forgiven me and placed me among the honored ones!"

* We did not send any army down from Heaven to his folk after him, nor do We ever send any down. * There was only a single Blast, and imagine, they [lay] shrivelled up! ** What a pity it is with such worshippers! No messenger has ever come to them unless they made fun of him. * Have they not seen how many generations We have wiped out before them who will never return to them? * Each will be arraigned so they all stand before Us.

God's Signs

(III) * The dead earth serves as a sign for them; We reveve it and bring forth grain from it which they may eat. * We have placed date groves and vineyards on it, and make springs flow forth from it ** so they may eat its fruit. Their own hands did not produce it. So, will they not give thanks? * Glory be to the One Who has created every kind of species such as the earth grows, their own kind, and even some things they do not know!

* Another sign for them is night; We strip daylight off from it so they are pluged into darkness! * The sun runs along on a course of its own. Such is the designof the Powerful, the Aware! * And We have designed phases for the moon so it finally appears again like an old palm frond. ** The sun dare not overtake the moon nor does night outpace the day. Each floats along in its own orbit.

* Another for them is how We transported their offspring on the laden ship. * We fave created something like it for them on which they must sail. * If We wished, We might even let them drown and they would have no one tho cry out to, nor would they be rescued * except as a mercy from Us and to enjoy things for a wile.

** When they are told: "Heed what lies in front of you and what's behind you so that you may find mercy," * not ont of their Lord's signs has come to them except they tried to avoid it. * When they are (also) told: "Spend something God has provided you with," the ones who disbelieve tell those who believe: "Should we feed someone whom God would feed if He so wishes? You are quite obviously in error!"

The Last Trumpet

*They say: "When will this promise occur if you are so truthful?" * They need only wait for a single Blast to catch them while they are arguing away. ** They will not even manage to draw up a will, nor will they return to their own people.

(IV) * The Trumpet will be blow and then they will swarm forth from their tombs to meet their Lord. * They will say: "It's too bad for us! Whoefer has raised us up from our sleeping quarters? This is what the Mercy-giving promised; the emissaries have been telling the truth."

Paradise

* There will be only a single Blast and then they will all be assembled in Our presence. * On that day no soul will be harmed in any way, and you will be rewarded only for what you have been doing. ** The inhabitnts of the Garden will be happily at work of that day. * They and thier spouses will relax on couches in shady nooks; * they will have fruit and they shall have anything they request. * "Peace!" will be a greeting from a Merciful Lord.

Satan a Hindrance

* "Step aside today, you criminals! ** Did I not contract you, O children of Adam, not to serve Satan? He is an open enemy of yours. * And to worship Me [Alone]! This is a Straight Road. * He has led a numerous mob of you astray. Havent you been reasoning things out? * This is Hell, which you were threatened with. * Roast in it today because you have disbelieved!"

** That day We shall seal their mouths up whil their hands will speak to Us and their feet bear witness about what they have been earning. * If We so wished, We would put their eyes out so they must grope along the Road. Yet how will they ever norice [anything]? * If We wished, We would nail them to the spot so they would not manage to keep on going nor would they ever return.

(V) * Anyone We grant long life to, We switch around within creation. Will theynot use their reason?

Muhammad no Poet

*We have not taught him any poetry nor would it be fitting for him. It is merely a Reminder and a clear Reading ** so he may warn anyone who is alive and the Sentence may be confirmed against disbelievers.

* Have they not considered how We have created livestock for them out of what Our own hands have made, and they are masters over them? * We let them tame them: some of them are to be ridden, while others they eat; * they recieve benefits and drinks from them. Will they not act grateful?

* Yet they have adopted [other] gods instead of God [Alone, so that they may be supported. ** They still cannot achieve their support; yet they stand up for them like an army in thier prescence! * Do not let their statemant sadden you; We know what they are keeping secret and what they are disclosing.

* Has not man considered how We created him from a drop of semen? Yet he is an open adversary! * He makes something up to be compared with Us and forgets how he was created. He even says: "Who will revive [our] bones once they have rotted away?"

*SAY: "The One Who raised them up in the first place will revive them. He is Awware of all creation, ** the One Who grants you fire from green trees. Notice how you kindle a fire for them. * Is not Whoever created Heaven and Earth Able to create the same as them?"

Of course [He is]! He is the Creator, the Aware. * Once He wishes anything, His command only needs to tell it: "Be"; and it is!

* Glory be to Him Whose hand

holds sovereignty over everything!

To Him will you return.