Allah, Cherisher of Mankind?

Surah An-Nas (114:1)

Pickthall Yusuf Ali Shakir Sher Ali Rashad Khalifa Transliterated Arabic
Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, Say: I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherisher of Mankind, Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of men, Say, `I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of the people. Qul-'a-'uuthu bi-Rabbin-naas,

Obviously, the extra word "Cherisher" was here inserted by Yusuf Ali without any basis in the Arabic text of the Qur'an.

Did Yusuf Ali feel the Qur'an lacked this Biblical teaching of God's tender love to mankind, and therefore imported it into his English version of the Qur'an to make Islam more attractive to western readers? We may never know.

Further reading:

  • Who is God?
  • A study of the word "love" in the Qur'an

  • Qur'an Versions
    Answering Islam Home Page