The Quran

165

Preface

وَهُوَ الَّذي جَعَلَكُم خَلائِفَ الأَرضِ وَرَفَعَ بَعضَكُم فَوقَ بَعضٍ دَرَجاتٍ لِيَبلُوَكُم في ما آتاكُم ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ سَريعُ العِقابِ وَإِنَّهُ لَغَفورٌ رَحيمٌ

Yusuf Ali

It is He Who hath made you (His) agents, inheritors¹ of the earth: He hath raised you in ranks, some above others: that He may try you in the gifts He hath given you: for thy Lord is quick in punishment: yet He is indeed Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

Cf. 2:30 and n., where I have translated “Khalifah” as “Vicegerent”, it being God’s Plan to make Adam (as representing mankind) His vicegerent on earth. In C. 1, I have construed the same word by the word “Agent.” Another idea implied in “Khalifah” is that of “successor, heir, or inheritor,” i.e., one who has the ultimate ownership after the present possessors, to whom a life tenancy has been given by the owner, have passed away. In 15:23 occurs the striking word, “heirs” (warithun), applied to God: “We give life and death, and We are the Heirs (or Inheritors).” The same idea occurs in 3:180, where see n, 485, and 19:40. The translation here attempts to express both the ideas which I understand from the original.