Aurangzaib Yousufzai – September 2017
Thematic Quranic Translation Series
Installment 23
(In English Language)
GOG AND MAGOG
From Chapters Al-Ambiaa (21)
and Al-Kahaf (18)
Academically and Rationally Re-translated
PRELUDE
What the Muslims of today have inherited of their Religion or of its only source, the Divine Scripture called the Quran, is nothing but the corrupted and wishfully molded legacy of the enemies of Islam. These enemies were none other than the posterity of the arch enemy of Mohammad pbuh, the Quraishi Chieftain of Pagan Arabs in Makkah, Abu Sufyan, known in history as the Umayyad dynasty of despotic monarchic rulers. They had succeeded in unleashing a counter-revolution against the Islamic kingdom of God, known as the Pious Caliphate, as early as only 24 years after the sad demise of the holy Messenger.
It is a foregone conclusion that after a lapse of 1400+ years, Islamic ideology of human emancipation is still riddled with confusion and puzzles. Its postulates are constantly being brought under thorough investigation and research. Exegeses are still being written, irrespective of the fact that a mountain of unreadable exegetic material is available since old times. This unbridled passion reveals the inner conviction of Islamic scholars that no version of the esoteric material available in the name of Islamic doctrine comes up to the satisfaction of the Muslim intelligentsia. However, it appears that no one is competent enough to extract or discover the pearls of wisdom lying hidden under the fictitious interpretations of this Scripture, in a way that its pure and pristine image is fully revealed in a language and style that is comprehensible for all; a style which should go a long way in clearing up the rubbish of superstition, myth and miracles; which must conform with the criteria of modern knowledge, intellect and sciences; and which may not allow an admixture of human thoughts and concepts with the holy Word of God. To write an absolutely pure and strict translation of the Word of God, without adding a single word from any outer source whatsoever – and which should still be fully comprehensible in its narrative - is a venture which requires the hardest of toils, along with the deepest of insight into the aims and goals of the Quran. Such research ventures do not match with the easy going mindset of the Muslim scholars of our time.
In the present series of purely Rational and Academic translations of Quranic Themes, effort is made to virtually follow the above mentioned criteria of research undertakings. The target is to condemn and discard the ongoing chain of a 1400-years long pattern of “tafseer writing” (explanation, interpretation, exegesis, etc.) where the writer can add heaps of wishful material into his translation work, from all non-Quranic sources. It is ensured that the Quran may at last be presented in your own language, in its purest form, in full cohesion with its Author’s own words. The Exalted Author proclaims that this Book of His DOES NOT need a single word of further explanation, as it is already exhaustively explained.
It is a universal truth that the Word of God always descends for the benefit of the entire humanity. It is therefore imperative that its pure and strict word-to-word translation is done for all the peoples on the globe in their own languages, without adding a single word on the pretext of explanation or interpretation. As for the Quran, the entire humanity is envisioned to be able to benefit from this spring of mercy and beneficence, instead of only the Arab nation. The Quran is therefore presented as fully convertible into any other language.
There’s no authenticity in the general saying that “the Quran can’t be translated into another language”. It’s a claim by those who are not qualified to undertake the arduous task of a self-sufficient and self-explanatory translation, or whose aims and goals are to wrap the Quran in the cloak of their wishful fabrications. A corrupted translation would always require a heavy input of personal concepts loaded with ill intention under a vicious agenda, and it is this kind of dishonesty which always turns a pure and honest translation work into an impure and dishonest “interpretation,” which is an act of transgression as confirmed by various Quranic injunctions.
As for our present theme of Gog and Magog, you will also note here, that in spite of a factual academic and rational translation, we have been diverted towards an explanation which is meaningless and inconsistent with its context. In this explanation lots of old mythology has been incorporated. Some existing translations are quoted here-under for your kind perusal, which reflect their futility by their ambiguous style of narration. These terms are depicted in only two places in the Quran, and in the Quran’s own unique style, one place explains the other place automatically.
Here are some references from the prevalent misguiding translations:-
Chapter al-Ambiaa – 21:95-96:
وحرام علیٰ قریۃ اھلکناھا انھم لا یرجعون(95) حتیٰ اذا فُتحت یاجوج و ماجوج و ھم من کل حدب ینسلون(96)۔
Maudoodi: It has been ordained against every town that We ever destroyed that they shall not return (to enjoy a new lease of life) until Gog and Magog are let loose, and begin swooping from every mound,
Shakir: And it is binding on a town which We destroy that they shall not return. Even when Gog and Magog are let loose and they shall break forth from every elevated place.
Ahmed Ali: It is imperative that a habitation We have destroyed will not desist (from unbelief) Until when the way is opened up for Gog and Magog and they press from every elevated place,
Arberry: There is a ban upon any city that We have destroyed; they shall not return till, when Gog and Magog are unloosed, and they slide down out of every slope,
Asad: Hence, it has been unfailingly true of any community whom We have ever destroyed that they [were people who] would never turn back [from their sinful ways] until such a time as Gog and Magog are let loose [upon the world] and swarm down from every corner [of the earth],
Yusuf Ali: But there is a ban on any population which We have destroyed: that they shall not return, Until the Gog and Magog (people) are let through (their barrier), and they swiftly swarm from every hill.
Pervaiz: On the contrary, those communities whose potentialities are hindered from evolving, they ruin themselves and become deprived of life’s pleasantries; they in that case cannot return to prosperity. However, a way out of this impasse can come their way if powerful and efficient nations invade them and capture their territories. Then eventually, as a reaction to that slavery, those dead nations can re-infuse in themselves the spirit of a new life and they set out to struggle to regain their lost freedom.”
A review of all the above translations would reveal that only the last translation by Mr. G.A. Pervaiz holds some amount of rationality. However, it still is founded on his personal concepts. Personal concepts are not allowed by Allah to proliferate and spoil the essence of His injunctions. All the rest are writing un-intelligible or insane explanations. It can be easily discerned that these translators, while working on this text, were fully aware of the fact that their work cannot come up to any standard of intelligence, being utterly meaningless. They still did not venture to insert some sense therein by undertaking some research by way of some diverse studies or hard working.
Many questions arise out of their translations like :
-who were those Gog and Magog; where are they found;
-what kind of cages or dungeons were they kept imprisoned in;
-who was going to free them or “unlock” the doors of their cells;
-what kinds of “heights” they would be climbing down from;
-and by their invasion, how the invaded nations would become alive from dead?
Are there such hypothetical invading militant nations existing on the globe in hiding who would act in this way with all the dead nations?
The modern man, as we all know, has explored and discovered all the depths and heights of this globe, and they have failed to find Gog Magog of this myth kept imprisoned in some particular geographical areas of the globe. And if Gog Magog means some nations with military might who colonize weaker nations (G.A. Pervaiz), we daresay that during the last three centuries of colonization by European nations, we have not noticed dead nations regaining a new lease of life. The former colonies are still slaves economically, culturally and strategically. The great invasion of the Mongols into Muslim territories took place 800+ years ago, and did not revive the Muslim spirits in the least. Their might and unity withered away, and smaller independent states surfaced here and there and kept engaged into armed skirmishes against each other, culminating at last into slavery of Western powers.
And now presented is a contextually cohesive and consistent, fully rational translation in which you won’t find a single word or thought added from any un-Quranic source in the name of interpretation, but which still explains the episode precisely into its original form of a natural law governing nations :
وحرام علیٰ قریۃ اھلکناھا انھم لا یرجعون(95) حتیٰ اذا فُتحت یاجوج و ماجوج و ھم من کل حدب ینسلون(96)۔
21:95-96 “It becomes a state of prohibition (حرام) imposed upon those communities (علیٰ قریۃ) whom violation of our laws have sunk into disgrace and oblivion (اھلکناھا), that they can’t regain their former status (یرجعون), unless the perpetrators of corruption in their societies (یاجوج و ماجوج) are conquered/overcome (فُتحت) and they are plucked apart from all higher posts of power and authority (من کل حدب) and thrown away by cutting into pieces (ینسلون).”
Now this latest translation can be rechecked by a comparison with all the previous work. Many misconceptions will be removed in a jiffy.
Please check the following popular names :- Modudi, Sahih International, Pikthal, Yusuf Ali, Shakir, Mohammad Sarwar, Mohsin Khan, Arberry, Jalandhary, Allama Asad, Allama Pervaiz, etc. In their work you would come across an ambiguous, mythical, or illogical, or a personal concept-based translation which is totally devoid of the rational Quranic definition of Gog and Magog, although this definition has been vividly explained within the Quran in its Chapter Al-Kahaf.
Moreover, in all of their work, they have assumed the meaning of “Futihat” , without exception, as “having opened”, whereas, its authentic definition illustrates the meanings of “having victory, to overcome, to dominate by defeating”, etc. etc. which is found in every Arabic Lexicon. This meaning is proven from Quranic text too (see Chapter Al-Fatah), and therefore, is offering a most rational and befitting equivalent in this context too. “Hadab” has been invariably taken for a physical station of high altitude, whereas it can easily mean “higher post or rank or position of power and authority”. “Yansiloon” is assumed as “climbing down” while it clearly denotes plucking out and shredding into pieces.
Since the earlier exegeses have defined the above terms in their wishful form of “opening” or “setting free”, “physical heights”, and “climbing down”, so our rigid and blind fraternity of conformist scholars did not allow us to look for a more suitable alternative definition.
Kindly look at Chapter Al-Kahaf, Verse 18:94:
"قالوا یا ذا القرنینِ ان یاجوجَ و ماجوجَ مفسدونَ فی الارضِ۔"
“They said : “O Zal Qarnain, indeed Gog and Magog are the perpetrators of chaos and unrest in our land.”
Please note that Allah swt Himself clears the point here that the term Gog and Magog is an idiom used for the powerful elite class of people whose interest is to keep the land full of chaos and violence. Every nation has its own Gog and Magog and they are those who are clinging to all the seats of power in a society. They need to be plucked out of those seats and thrown out into pieces. Only then a society can look forward to bringing peace and prosperity to its people.
The complete Verse is presented as follows :-
قالوا یا ذا القرنینِ ان یاجوجَ و ماجوجَ مفسدونَ فی الارضِ فھل نجعلُ لک خرجا علٰ ان تجعل بیننا و بینھم سدا (94)۔ قال ما مکّنّی فیہ ربی خیر فاعینونی بقوّۃ اجعل بینکم و بینھم ردما (95)۔
18:94-95 “They informed him: “O Zal Qarnain, indeed here we have an elite group of perpetrators of chaos and violence (یاجوجَ و ماجوجَ مفسدونَ) in our land; so what about us offering you recompense if you create between them and us a protective division.” He replied: “Whatever my Sustainer has bestowed upon me of resources, that’s sufficient for me; so you just stand up to assist me with your manpower, and I would take steps to settle what is between you and them in an appropriate manner”.
In spite of this most logical, and fully authentic possible outcome, the entire corpus of earlier and later interpreters have derived supernatural kinds of ambiguous concepts there from by assuming Gog and Magog to be a peculiar violent people hidden from the civilized world. In fact, it was easy for them to copy centuries-old explanations of these terms from Bibles’ books, Ezekiel and Book of Revelations and incorporate them into the Quran, letting their own intelligence to rot in disability. At the same time, these scholars are adamant in their standpoint that the Bibles are distorted or corrupted books. The question thus arises as to why have they copy-pasted Gog and Magog’s borrowed definitions from those books on the pages of the Quran? I’m sure they would have no answer to cover their hypocrisy.
Resultantly, hundreds of pages are filled with conjectures made to interpret the terms Gog and Magog, and imagination is employed in quoting their attributes and capabilities. And that’s done in utter disregard of the fundamental principle that in a Quranic translation, adding a single word from your own suppositions is tantamount to a serious crime. Hence, our old translations, as well as the entire centuries-old heaps of Interpretations, are the living and burdensome symbols of sin and crime.
Important words (in parenthesis) defined from authentic lexicons:
N s l : نسل : to beget, procreate, sire, father (children)
Verb: to pluck out; to pluck, to ravel out, unravel (to open a knot), to fall out, to separate into fibers, to shred, undo, to fall out; to imprecate (offensive words).
H d b : حدب : noun: protuberant; raised high, elevated, grown up; grown high.