A Sign of Allah - Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrulla Khan — Page 5
A Sign of Allah 5 to these heavens from which they will neither be removed nor will they desire to leave. Then Allah the Almighty states: 1 ْلُق ْوَّل َناَك ُرْحَبْلا اًداَدِم ِتٰمِلَكِّل ِّبَر O Muhammad s as ! Proclaim that ْوَّل َناَك ُرْحَبْلا اًداَدِم ِتٰمِلَكِّل ْيِّبَر if an effort were to be made to write out the kalim a t 2 of my Lord, then even if the oceans were turned into ink, َدِفَنَل ُرْحَبْلا the oceans would dry up, ُتٰمِلَك ْيِّبَر but my Lord’s kalim a t would never end, َو ْوَل اَنْئِج ٖهِلْثِمِب اًدَدَم۰۰ even if identical oceans were brought to replenish the dried up ones. This seems to be a completely separate subject from that of the previous verse. And then, seemingly, a third and separate subject is: 3 ْلُق ۤاَمَّنِا اَنَا ٌرَشَب ْمُكُلْثِّم That O Muhammad s as ! Also proclaim that “I too was just a man like you. ” This may be translated as, “I too am a man like 1. S u rah al-Kahf, 18:110 [Publisher] 2. Kalim a t , plural of kalimah, translates most directly to “words. ” Kalim a t can also be understood as anything uttered, or speech ( aqrab ); or a decree or commandment ( mufrad ā t ). Besides the lit - eral meaning, the Quran has used the word as “a sign” or “promise” (8:8, 66:13) [Publisher]. 3. S u rah al-Kahf, 18:111 [Publisher]