Quote:
{27:20} And he took attendance of the birds and said, "Why do I not see the hoopoe - or is he among the absent?
Asad got the linguistic meaning of
تفقد which means "to look for something or someone missing." The verb is used in modern parlance to mean "to take attendance." I suggest,
{27:20} And he looked for missing birds and said, "How come I do not see the hoopoe - or is it of the absent?"Quote:
{27:22} But the hoopoe stayed not long and said, "I have encompassed [in knowledge] that which you have not encompassed, and I have come to you from Sheba with a certain news.
I suggest,
{27:22} But the hoopoe tarried not far and said, "I have compassed what you have not compassed, and I have come to you from Sheba with certain news."Quote:
{27:24} I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of God, and Satan has made their deeds pleasing to them and averted them from [His] way, so they are not guided,
I suggest,
{27:24} "I found her and her people prostrating to the sun besides God, and Satan has embellished for them their deeds and shunned them from the way, so they are not guided,"Quote:
{27:25} [And] so they do not prostrate to God, who brings forth what is hidden within the heavens and the earth and knows what you conceal and what you declare -
Just about all translations I consulted treat the first sentence as a regular declarative one. But the conjugation of the verb
يسجدوا clearly indicates it's not. The only one who got that was George Sale. I suggest,
{27:25} "Lest they should prostrate to God, who brings forth the hidden within the heavens and the earth and knows what you conceal and what you declare -"Quote:
{27:26} God - there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Great Throne."
I suggest,
{27:26} "God - there is no deity but He, Lord of the Grand Throne."