Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth — Page 643
UNVEILING OF THE 'UNSEEN' BY THE QURAN – A HISTORIC PERSPECTIVE. O company of Jinn and men! if you have power to go beyond the confines of the heavens and the earth, then do go. But you cannot go save with authority. 41. We humbly suggest that a more appropriate translation in this context should have been 'Except with the help of most powerful deductive logic'. This means that although physically unable to transcend the boundaries of the universe, man would still be able to reach the limits of the universe as far as the extension of his knowledge is concerned. We have the following reasons to support this inference:. The translation 'Save with authority' can in fact create the opposite impression to what the Quran actually intends to convey which is a categorical denial of the possibility of physical conquest of space by man to its outer limits. . Authority is not the only meaning of the word Al-Sultān. It can be simultaneously translated as a mighty monarch, a powerful argument or strong deductive logic. Hence it may signify that man will still be able to reach across the boundaries of the universe through powerful logical deduction. . What is clearly denied is not just a short hop or two into space. What is denied is the ability of man to reach the limits of the universe with his physical body. Incidentally the hazards attending upon space flights are also mentioned as follows: يُرْسَلُ عَلَيْكُمَا شُوَاظٌ مِنْ نَارٍ وَنُحَاسٌ فَلَا تَنتَصِرُنِ* 55:36. There shall be sent against you blasts of fire, and smoke; and you shall not be able to help yourselves. 42 603