8. Surah Al Anfal
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
إِنَّ شَرَّ
الدَّوَابَّ
عِندَ اللّهِ
الصُّمُّ ...
8:22. For the worst of beasts in the sight of Allah are the deaf and the dumb,
C1195. Cf. 2:18.
... الْبُكْمُ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٢٢﴾
those who understand not.
وَلَوْ
عَلِمَ اللّهُ
فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا
لَّأسْمَعَهُمْ...
8:23. If Allah had found in them any good, He would indeed have made them listen;
...وَلَوْ أَسْمَعَهُمْ لَتَوَلَّواْ وَّهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ ﴿٢٣﴾
(as it is), if He had made them listen, they would but have turned back and declined (faith).
8: 22 Asad Verily, the vilest of all creatures in the sight of God are those deaf, those dumb ones who do not use their reason.
Pickthall Lo! the worst of beasts in Allah's sight are the deaf, the dumb, who have no sense.
Transliteration Inna syarrad dawa_bbi 'indalla_his summul bukmul lazina la_ ya'qilu_n(a).
8: 23
Pickthall Had Allah Known of any good in them He would have made them hear, but had He made them hear they would have turned away, averse.
Transliteration Wa lau 'alimalla_hu fihim khairal la'asma'ahum, wa lau asma'ahum latawallau wa hum mu'ridu_n(a).
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Not believing in the Hereafter lead to astray – not find the way
23. Surah Al-Muminun
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَإِنَّكَ
لَتَدْعُوهُمْ
إِلَى صِرَاطٍ
مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
﴿٧٣﴾
23: 73. But verily thou callest them to the Straight Way;
وَإِنَّ
الَّذِينَ
لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
بِالْآخِرَةِ
عَنِ الصِّرَاطِ
لَنَاكِبُونَ
﴿٧٤﴾
23: 74. And verily those who believe not in the Hereafter are deviating from that Way.
وَلَوْ
رَحِمْنَاهُمْ
وَكَشَفْنَا
مَا بِهِم مِّن
ضُرٍّ...
23: 75. If We had mercy on them and removed the distress which is on them,
C2921. The reference is to a very severe famine felt in Makkah, which was attributed by the Unbelievers to the presence of the holy Prophet among them and his preaching against their gods.
As this is a Makkan Surah, the famine referred to must be that described by Ibn Kathir as having occurred in the 8th year of the Mission, say about four years before the Hijrah.
There was also a post-Hijrah famine, which is referred to by, Bukhari, but that was a later event.
...لَّلَجُّوا فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ ﴿٧٥﴾
they would obstinately persist in their transgression, wandering in distraction to and fro.
وَلَقَدْ
أَخَذْنَاهُم
بِالْعَذَابِ
...
23: 76. We inflicted Punishment on them,
C2922. Some Commentators understand the battle of Badr to be meant here; if so, this particular verse would be of the Madinah period.
But it is better to understand it as referring to the same "distress" as in the preceding verse, or to punishments in general, which obstinate sinners refuse to take as warnings given to them to mend their ways and turn in repentance to Allah.
... فَمَا اسْتَكَانُوا لِرَبِّهِمْ وَمَا يَتَضَرَّعُونَ ﴿٧٦﴾
but they humbled not themselves to their Lord, nor do they submissively entreat (Him)! --
حَتَّى
إِذَا فَتَحْنَا
عَلَيْهِم
بَابًا ذَا
عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ
إِذَا هُمْ
فِيهِ مُبْلِسُونَ
﴿٧٧﴾
23: 77. Until We open on them a gate leading to a severe Punishment: then
Lo! they will be plunged in despair therein!
C2923. Cf. 6:44.
If the little trials in the present life will not open their eyes, will great trials do so?
Unfortunately they only cause in the wicked a feeling of despair.
In the final Punishment after the Judgment, it will be too late for them to repent, and despair will be their only lot.
Asad’s Version:
23:73
And, verily, thou callest them onto a straight way –
(23:74) but, behold, those who will not believe in the life to come are bound to deviate from that way.
(23:75) And even were We to show them mercy and remove whatever distress might befall them [in this life], 45 they would still persist in their overweening arrogance, blindly stumbling to and fro.
23:76 And, indeed, We tested them" through suffering, but they did not abase themselves before their Sustainer; and they will never humble themselves
(23:77) until We open before them a gate of (truly] severe suffering [in the life to come]: and then, lo! they will be broken in
spirit. 47
[[Asad’s ntoes - 45 Sc, "as it inevitably befalls all human beings" : an oblique allusion to the fact that human life
is never free from distress.
46 Lit., "We took them to task".
47 Or: "they will despair of all hope".
48 Lit., "and all who are on it". ]]