Re: Islamically can you join a national army...
حَفِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَتِ وَالصَّلَوةِ الْوُسْطَى وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَنِتِينَ
And it does not seem the least bit odd to you that the verses arround seem to be structured around family/wife/Divorce/death-Will-for-family and all of a sudden the middle/Dhuhr salat comes in??? Unless the verse is expounding around the leading and trailing ideas? The preceding verses talk of Divorce, and the proceeding ones speak of widowing? What would be central to these concepts? What then is the Salaat il Wustaa? The day prayer, or following Gods commandment to be committed to your family?
I will comment later on the remaining translations of Yousuf Ali you presented. Gotta get home...