Signs of the Failed Ones: the Bottom Ones
9. At Tawbah
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
قُلْ
أَنفِقُواْ
طَوْعًا أَوْ
كَرْهًا لَّن
يُتَقَبَّلَ
مِنكُمْ ...
9: 53. Say:
"Spend (for the cause) willingly or unwillingly: not from you will it be accepted:
C1314. The Hypocrites, who secretly plotted against Islam, might sometimes (and they did) make a show of making some contribution to the Cause in order to keep up their pretence.
Their contributions were not acceptable, whether they seemed to give willingly or unwillingly, because rebellion and disobedience were in their hearts. Three reasons are specifically given for their rejection, in the next verse:
1. they did not believe;
2. their prayers were not earnest, but for mere show: and
3. in reality their hearts were not behind the contributions which they offered.
Nothing is acceptable to Allah which does not proceed from a pure and sincere heart.
...إِنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ قَوْمًا فَاسِقِينَ ﴿٥٣﴾
for ye are indeed a people rebellious and wicked."
وَمَا
مَنَعَهُمْ
أَن تُقْبَلَ
مِنْهُمْ
نَفَقَاتُهُمْ
إِلاَّ أَنَّهُمْ
كَفَرُواْ
بِاللّهِ
وَبِرَسُولِهِ...
9: 54. The only reasons why their contributions are not accepted are:
- that they reject Allah and His Messenger;
...وَلاَ يَأْتُونَ الصَّلاَةَ إِلاَّ وَهُمْ كُسَالَى...
- that they come to prayer without earnestness;
...وَلاَ يُنفِقُونَ إِلاَّ وَهُمْ كَارِهُونَ ﴿٥٤﴾
- and that they offer contributions unwillingly.
فَلاَ
تُعْجِبْكَ
أَمْوَالُهُمْ
وَلاَ أَوْلاَدُهُمْ...
9: 55. Let not their wealth nor their (following in) sons dazzle thee:
C1315. If they appeared to be prosperous, with their purses and their quivers full (metaphorically), they were not to be envied. In reality their wealth and their sons might themselves be a snare: Cf. 8:28.
On this particular occasion this was proved to the hilt. The wealth of the Pagans filled them with pride, darkened their understanding, and led to their destruction. Their sons and followers adopted the Faith which their fathers had fought against, much to the chagrin of the fathers, whose spiritual death was even worse than their discomfiture in this world.
...إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا...
in reality Allah's plan is to punish them with these things in this life
C1316. Cf. 3:176-178.
...وَتَزْهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَافِرُونَ ﴿٥٥﴾
and that their souls may perish in their (very) denial of Allah.
Asad’s Version:
9: 53 Say: “You may spend, willingly or unwillingly, it shall never be accepted from you – for, verily, you are people bent on iniquity!”
9: 54 For, only this prevents their spending from being accepted from them: they are bent on refusing to acknowledge God and His Apostle, and never pray without reluctance and never spend without resentment
9: 55 Let not, then, their worldly goods or their children excite your admiration: God but wants to chastise them by these means in this worldly life, and their souls to depart while they are denying the truth.
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19. Surah Maryam
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَإِذَا تُتْلَى
عَلَيْهِمْ
آيَاتُنَا
بَيِّنَاتٍ
قَالَ الَّذِينَ
كَفَرُوا لِلَّذِينَ
آمَنُوا...
19: 73. When Our Clear Signs are rehearsed to them, the Unbelievers say to those who believe,
...أَيُّ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ خَيْرٌ مَّقَامًا وَأَحْسَنُ نَدِيًّا ﴿٧٣﴾
"Which of the two sides is best in point of position?
Which makes the best show in council?"
C2519. The Unbelievers may, for a time, make a better show in worldly position, or in people's assemblages where things are judged by the counting of heads. But Truth must prevail even in this world, and ultimately the positions must be reversed.
19: 73
Asad As it is, whenever Our messages are conveyed to them in all their clarity, those who are bent on denying the truth are wont to say unto those who have attained to faith: “Which of the two kinds of man is in a stronger position and superior as a community?”
Pickthall And when Our clear revelations are recited unto them those who disbelieve say unto those who believe: Which of the two parties (yours or ours) is better in position, and more imposing as an army?
Transliteration Wa iza_ tutla_ 'alaihim a_ya_tuna_ bay yina_tin qa_lal lazina kafaru_ lil lazina a_manu_ ay yul fariqaini khairum maqa_maw wa ahsanu nadiy ya_
[ Asad’s note 59: ……….a society which refuses to submit to any absolute moral imperatives and is determined to obey the dictates of expediency alone……….It goes without saying that this attitude……..is diametrically opposed to the demand, voiced by every higher religion, that man’s social life, if it is to be a truly “good” life, must be subordinated to definite ethical principles and restraints. By their very nature, these restraints inhibit the unprincipled power-drive which dominates the more materialistic societies and enables them to achieve ……outward comforts and position of strength in the shortest possible time: but precisely because they do act as a brake on man’s selfishness and power-hunger, it is there moral considerations and restraints – and they alone – that can free a community from the interminable, self-destructive inner tensions and frustrations to which materialistic societies are subject, and thus bring about a more enduring, because more organic, state of social well-being. This, in short, is the elliptically implied answer of the Quran to a rhetorical question placed in the mouths of “those who are bent on denying the truth”.]