7. Sura al-Araf
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
سَأَصْرِفُ
عَنْ
آيَاتِيَ
الَّذِينَ
يَتَكَبَّرُونَ
فِي
الأَرْضِ
بِغَيْرِ
الْحَقِّ...
7: 146. Those who behave arrogantly on the earth in defiance of right,
وَإِن يَرَوْاْ كُلَّ آيَةٍ لاَّ يُؤْمِنُواْ بِهَا...
them will I turn away from My signs, they will not believe in them;
C1110. The argument may be simplified thus in paraphrase.
The right is established on the earth as Allah created it: Nature recognises and obeys Allah's law as fixed for each portion of Creation. But man, because of the gift of Will, sometimes upsets this balance. The root-cause is his arrogance, as it was in the case of Iblis.
Allah's Signs are everywhere, but if they are rejected with scorn and blasphemy, Allah will withdraw His grace, for sin hardens the heart and makes it impervious to the truth.
Want of faith produces a kind of blindness to spiritual facts, a kind of deafness to the warnings of a Day of Account. If we had contumaciously rejected faith, can we hope for anything but justice,-the just punishment of our sins? (R).
...وَإِن يَرَوْاْ سَبِيلَ الرُّشْدِ لاَ يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلاً...
and if they see the way of right conduct, they will not adopt it as the way;
...وَإِن يَرَوْاْ سَبِيلَ الْغَيِّ يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلاً...
but if they see the way of error that is the way they will adopt;
...ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُواْ بِآيَاتِنَا وَكَانُواْ عَنْهَا غَافِلِينَ ﴿١٤٦﴾
for they rejected Our signs, and failed to take warning from them.
C1111. Rejected Our Signs: again a return to the Plural of impersonal Dignity and Authority, from the singular of personal concern in granting grace and guidance to the Righteous.
وَالَّذِينَ
كَذَّبُواْ
بِآيَاتِنَا
وَلِقَاء
الآخِرَةِ
حَبِطَتْ
أَعْمَالُهُمْ...
7: 147. Those who reject Our signs and the meeting in the hereafter, vain are their deeds:
...هَلْ يُجْزَوْنَ إِلاَّ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٤٧﴾
can they expect to be rewarded except as they have wrought?
Others version:
7: 146
Asad From My messages shall I cause to turn away all those who, without any right, behave haughtily on earth: for, though they may see every sign [of the truth], they do not believe in it, and though they may see the path of rectitude, they do not choose to follow it – whereas, if they see a path of error, they take it for their own: this, because they have given the lie to Our messages, and have remained heedless of them [note 110].
Pickthall I shall turn away from My revelations those who magnify themselves wrongfully in the earth, and if they see each token believe it not, and if they see the way of righteousness choose it not for (their) way, and if they see the way of error choose it for (their) way. That is because they deny Our revelations and are used to disregard them.
Transliteration Sa asrifu 'an a_ya_tiyal lazina yatakabbaru_na fil ardi bi gairil haqq(i), wa iy yarau kulla a_yatil la_ yu'minu_ biha_, wa iy yarau sabilar rusydi la_ yattakhizu_hu sabila_(n), wa iy yarau sabilal gayyi yattakhizu_hu sabila_(n), za_lika bi annahum kazzabu_ bi a_ya_tina_ wa ka_nu_ 'anha_ ga_filin(a).
7: 147
Asad Hence, all who give the lie to Our messages, and [thus] to the truth of the life to come – in vain shall be all their doings: [for] are they to be rewarded for aught but what they were wont to do?
Pickthall Those who deny Our revelations and the meeting of the Hereafter, their works are fruitless. Are they requited aught save what they used to do?
Transliteration Wallazina kazzabu_ bi a_ya_tina_ wa liqa_'il a_khirati habitat a'ma_luhum, hal yujzauna illa_ ma_ ka_nu_ ya'malu_n(a).
[[ Asad’s notes: 108 see surah 6, note 156.
109 - ……….the meaning of ‘dar’ (“abode”) in this context, see surah 6, note118. …..the plural form of address in “I will show you” makes it more probable that it is the beginning of a parenthetic passage connected, no doubt, with the preceding one, but having a general import not confined to Moses.
110 – As so often in the Quran, God’s “causing” the sinners to sin is shown to be a consequence of their own behavior and the result of their free choice. By “those who, without any right, behave haughtily on earth” are obviously meant people who think that their own judgment as to what constitutes right and wrong is the only valid one, and therefore refuse to submit their personal concerns to the criterion of absolute (i.e., revealed) moral standards: cf. 96: 6-7-“man becomes grossly overweening whenever he believes himself to be self-sufficient”.]]
[[ Ali’s notes -1105 "Above (other) men": i.e. among his contemporaries. He had a high mission, and he had the honour of speaking to Allah. (7.144)
1106 Allah's revelation is for the benefit of His creatures, who should receive it with reverence and gratitude. While Moses was having these great spiritual experiences on the Mount, his people below were ungrateful enough to forget Allah and make a golden calf for worship (vii. 147). (7.144)
1107 The Tablets of the Law contained the essential Truth, from which were derived the positive injunctions and prohibitions, explanations and interpretations, which it was the function of the prophetic office to hold up for the people to follow. The precepts would contain, as the Shari'at does, matters absolutely prohibited, matters not prohibited but disapproved, matters about which there was no prohibition or injunction, but in which conduct was to be regulated by circumstances; matters of positive and universal duty, matters recommended for those whose zeal was sufficient to enable them to work on higher than minimum standards. No soul is burdened beyond its capacity; but we are asked to seek the best and highest possible for us in conduct. (7.145)
1108 Notice the transition from the "We" of authority and honour and impersonal dignity, to the "I" of personal concern in specially guiding the righteous. (7.145)
1109 Literally, the homes of the wicked, both individuals and nations, lie desolate, as in the case of the ancient Egyptians, the 'Ad, and the Thamud. (7.145)
1110 The argument may be simplified thus in paraphrase. The right is established on the earth as Allah created it: Nature recognises and obeys Allah's law as fixed for each portion of Creation. But man, because of the gift of Will, sometimes upsets this balance. The root-cause is his arrogance, as it was in the case of Iblis. Allah's Signs are everywhere, but if they are rejected with scorn and blasphemy, Allah will withdraw His grace, for sin hardens the heart and makes it impervious to the truth. Want of faith produces a kind of blindness to spiritual facts, a kind of deafness to the warnings of a Day of Account. If we had contumaciously rejected faith, can we hope for anything but justice,-the just punishment of our sins. (7.146)
1111 Rejected Our Signs: again a return to the Plural of impersonal Dignity and Authority, from the singular of personal concern in granting grace and guidance to the Righteous. (7.146)]]
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16. Sura al-Nahl
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
16: 22. Your Allah is One Allah:
... فَالَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالآخِرَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مُّنكِرَةٌ وَهُم مُّسْتَكْبِرُونَ ﴿٢٢﴾
as to those who believe not in the Hereafter, their hearts refuse to know and they are arrogant.
C2045. Everything points to Allah, the One True Eternal God. If so, there is a Hereafter, for He has declared it.
In so far as people do not believe this, the fault is in their Will; they do not wish to believe, and the motive behind is arrogance, the sin which brought about the fall of Iblis: 2:34. (R).
لاَ جَرَمَ
أَنَّ اللّهَ
يَعْلَمُ مَا
يُسِرُّونَ
وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ...
16: 23. Undoubtedly Allah doth know what they conceal, and what they reveal:
C2046. Cf. 16:19, where the same words refer to man generally.
Whether he conceals or reveals what is in his heart, Allah knows it, and as Allah is Oft-Forgiving. Most Merciful, His grace is available as His highest favour if man will take it.
Here the reference is to those who "refuse to know", who reject Allah's guidance out of arrogance. Allah"loveth not the arrogant". Such men deprive themselves of Allah's grace.
... إِنَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ ﴿٢٣﴾
verily He loveth not the arrogant.
16: 22
Asad Your God is the One God: but because of their false pride, the hearts of those who do not believe in the life to come refuse to admit this.
Pickthall Your God is One God. But as for those who believe not in the Hereafter their hearts refuse to know, for they are proud.
Transliteration Ila_hukum ila_huw wa_hid(un), fallazina la_ yu'minu_na bil a_khirati qulu_buhum munkiratuw wa hum mustakbiru_n(a).
[Asad note 15: I.e., they are too arrogant to accept the idea of man’s utter dependence on, and responsibility to, a Supreme Being.]
[Ruby’s note: If one refuse to believe Hereafter, and thinks that this life is final, then he/she has not enough reason to acknowledge existence of God and to submit to his Laws. They may think that they can get away with anything and they would not be accountable. ]
16: 23
Asad Truly, God knows all they keep secret as well as all that they bring into the open – [and,] behold, He does not love those who are given to arrogance,
Pickthall Assuredly Allah knoweth that which they keep hidden and that which they proclaim. Lo! He loveth not the proud.
Transliteration La_ jarama annalla_ha ya'lamu ma_ yusirru_na wa ma_ yu'linu_n(a), innahu_ la_ yuhibbul mustakbirin(a).