Salaam Bahman
"Over it are nonteen". What does the "it" in this verse refer to?
AL-MUDDATHTHIR
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YUSUFALI: O thou wrapped up (in the mantle)!
PICKTHAL: O thou enveloped in thy cloak,
SHAKIR: O you who are clothed!
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YUSUFALI: Arise and deliver thy warning!
PICKTHAL: Arise and warn!
SHAKIR: Arise and warn,
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YUSUFALI: And thy Lord do thou magnify!
PICKTHAL: Thy Lord magnify,
SHAKIR: And your Lord do magnify,
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YUSUFALI: And thy garments keep free from stain!
PICKTHAL: Thy raiment purify,
SHAKIR: And your garments do purify,
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YUSUFALI: And all abomination shun!
PICKTHAL: Pollution shun!
SHAKIR: And uncleanness do shun,
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YUSUFALI: Nor expect, in giving, any increase (for thyself)!
PICKTHAL: And show not favour, seeking wordly gain!
SHAKIR: And bestow not favors that you may receive again with increase,
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YUSUFALI: But, for thy Lord's (Cause), be patient and constant!
PICKTHAL: For the sake of thy Lord, be patient!
SHAKIR: And for the sake of your Lord, be patient.
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YUSUFALI: Finally, when the Trumpet is sounded,
PICKTHAL: For when the trumpet shall sound,
SHAKIR: For when the trumpet is sounded,
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YUSUFALI: That will be- that Day - a Day of Distress,-
PICKTHAL: Surely that day will be a day of anguish,
SHAKIR: That, at that time, shall be a difficult day,
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YUSUFALI: Far from easy for those without Faith.
PICKTHAL: Not of ease, for disbelievers.
SHAKIR: For the unbelievers, anything but easy.
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YUSUFALI: Leave Me alone, (to deal) with the (creature) whom I created (bare and) alone!-
PICKTHAL: Leave Me (to deal) with him whom I created lonely,
SHAKIR: Leave Me and him whom I created alone,
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YUSUFALI: To whom I granted resources in abundance,
PICKTHAL: And then bestowed upon him ample means,
SHAKIR: And give him vast riches,
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YUSUFALI: And sons to be by his side!-
PICKTHAL: And sons abiding in his presence
SHAKIR: And sons dwelling in his presence,
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YUSUFALI: To whom I made (life) smooth and comfortable!
PICKTHAL: And made (life) smooth for him.
SHAKIR: And I adjusted affairs for him adjustably;
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YUSUFALI: Yet is he greedy-that I should add (yet more);-
PICKTHAL: Yet he desireth that I should give more.
SHAKIR: And yet he desires that I should add more!
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YUSUFALI: By no means! For to Our Signs he has been refractory!
PICKTHAL: Nay! For lo! he hath been stubborn to Our revelations.
SHAKIR: By no means! surely he offers opposition to Our communications.
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YUSUFALI: Soon will I visit him with a mount of calamities!
PICKTHAL: On him I shall impose a fearful doom.
SHAKIR: I will make a distressing punishment overtake him.
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YUSUFALI: For he thought and he plotted;-
PICKTHAL: For lo! he did consider; then he planned -
SHAKIR: Surely he reflected and guessed,
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YUSUFALI: And woe to him! How he plotted!-
PICKTHAL: (Self-)destroyed is he, how he planned!
SHAKIR: But may he be cursed how he plotted;
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YUSUFALI: Yea, Woe to him; How he plotted!-
PICKTHAL: Again (self-)destroyed is he, how he planned! -
SHAKIR: Again, may he be cursed how he plotted;
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YUSUFALI: Then he looked round;
PICKTHAL: Then looked he,
SHAKIR: Then he looked,
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YUSUFALI: Then he frowned and he scowled;
PICKTHAL: Then frowned he and showed displeasure.
SHAKIR: Then he frowned and scowled,
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YUSUFALI: Then he turned back and was haughty;
PICKTHAL: Then turned he away in pride
SHAKIR: Then he turned back and was big with pride,
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YUSUFALI: Then said he: "This is nothing but magic, derived from of old;
PICKTHAL: And said: This is naught else than magic from of old;
SHAKIR: ~Then he said: This is naught but enchantment, narrated (from others);
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YUSUFALI: "This is nothing but the word of a mortal!"
PICKTHAL: This is naught else than speech of mortal man.
SHAKIR: This is naught but the word of a mortal.
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YUSUFALI: Soon will I cast him into Hell-Fire!
PICKTHAL: Him shall I fling unto the burning.
SHAKIR: I will cast him into hell.
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YUSUFALI: And what will explain to thee what Hell-Fire is?
PICKTHAL: - Ah, what will convey unto thee what that burning is! -
SHAKIR: And what will make you realize what hell is?
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YUSUFALI: Naught doth it permit to endure, and naught doth it leave alone!-
PICKTHAL: It leaveth naught; it spareth naught
SHAKIR: It leaves naught nor does it spare aught.
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YUSUFALI: Darkening and changing the colour of man!
PICKTHAL: It shrivelleth the man.
SHAKIR: It scorches the mortal.
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YUSUFALI:
Over it are Nineteen. PICKTHAL: Above it are nineteen.
SHAKIR: Over it are nineteen.
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YUSUFALI: And We have set none but angels as Guardians of the Fire; and We have fixed their number only as a trial for Unbelievers,- in order that the People of the Book may arrive at certainty, and the Believers may increase in Faith,- and that no doubts may be left for the People of the Book and the Believers, and that those in whose hearts is a disease and the Unbelievers may say, "What symbol doth Allah intend by this?" Thus doth Allah leave to stray whom He pleaseth, and guide whom He pleaseth: and none can know the forces of thy Lord, except He and this is no other than a warning to mankind.
PICKTHAL: We have appointed only angels to be wardens of the Fire, and their number have We made to be a stumbling-block for those who disbelieve; that those to whom the Scripture hath been given may have certainty, and that believers may increase in faith; and that those to whom the Scripture hath been given and believers may not doubt; and that those in whose hearts there is disease, and disbelievers, may say: What meaneth Allah by this similitude? Thus Allah sendeth astray whom He will, and whom He will He guideth. None knoweth the hosts of thy Lord save Him. This is naught else than a Reminder unto mortals.
SHAKIR: And We have not made the wardens of the fire others than angels, and We have not made their number but as a trial for those who disbelieve, that those who have been given the book may be certain and those who believe may increase in faith, and those who have been given the book and the believers may not doubt, and that those in whose hearts is a disease and the unbelievers may say: What does Allah mean by this parable? Thus does Allah make err whom He pleases, and He guides whom He pleases, and none knows the hosts of your Lord but He Himself; and this is naught but a reminder to the mortals
"Over it are nineteen (angels as guardians and keepers of Hell)." (74:30)
"And We have set none but angels as guardians of the Fire, and We have fixed their number (19) only as a trial for the disbelievers, in order that the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) may arrive at a certainty [that this Qur'an is the truth as it agrees with their Books i.e. their number (19) is written in the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] and the believers may increase in Faith (as this Qur'an is the truth) and that no doubts may be left for the people of the Scripture and the believers, and that those in whose hearts is a disease (of hypocrisy) and the disbelievers may say: "What Allah intends by this (curious) example ?" Thus Allah leads astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And none can know the hosts of your Lord but He. And this (Hell) is nothing else than a (warning) reminder to mankind." (74:31)