5. Surah Al-Ma'idah
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
يَا
أَيُّهَا
الَّذِينَ
آمَنُواْ...
5: 94. O ye who believe!
... لَيَبْلُوَنَّكُمُ اللّهُ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الصَّيْدِ تَنَالُهُ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَرِمَاحُكُمْ لِيَعْلَمَ اللّهُ مَن يَخَافُهُ بِالْغَيْبِ...
Allah doth but make a trial of you in a little matter of game well within reach of your hands and your lances, that He may test who feareth Him unseen:
C799. Literally, "know" Cf. 3:166, and 3:154, n. 467.
Game is forbidden in the Sacred Precincts. If we deliberately break that injunction, we have no faith and reverence.
... فَمَنِ اعْتَدَى بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَلَهُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿٩٤﴾
any who transgress thereafter will have a grievous penalty.
Asad’s Version:
5: 94 O you who have attained to faith! Most certainly God will try you by means of the game which may come within the reach of your hands and your weapons [while you are on pilgrimage], so that God might mark out those who fear Him although He is beyond the reach of human perception. And as for him who, after all this, transgress the bounds of what is right – grievous suffering awaits him!
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَلَوْ
يُعَجِّلُ
اللّهُ لِلنَّاسِ
الشَّرَّ
اسْتِعْجَالَهُم
بِالْخَيْرِ
لَقُضِيَ إِلَيْهِمْ
أَجَلُهُمْ...
10: 11. If Allah were to hasten for men the ill (they have earned) as they would fain hasten on the good -- then would their respite be settled at once.
C1398. Those who have no hope for the Future grasp at any temporary advantage, and in their blindness even mockingly ask for immediate punishment for their sins (8:32), thus vainly challenging Allah, in Whom they do not believe.
If the beneficent Allah were to take them at their word, they would have no chance at all. Their doom would be sealed. But even the respite they get they use badly. They merely wander about distractedly like blind men, to and fro. Cf. 2:15.
...فَنَذَرُ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءنَا فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ ﴿١١﴾
But We leave those who rest not their hope of their meeting with Us, in their trespasses, wandering in distraction to and fro.
وَإِذَا
مَسَّ الإِنسَانَ
الضُّرُّ دَعَانَا
لِجَنبِهِ أَوْ
قَاعِدًا أَوْ
قَآئِمًا...
10: 12. When trouble toucheth a man, he crieth unto Us (in all postures) lying down on his side, or sitting, or standing.
C1399. Not only do men fail to use their respite: even those who have a superficial belief in Allah call on Him in their trouble but forget Him when He has relieved their trouble.
Their Faith is not strong enough to make them realise that all good proceeds from Allah. But in moments of trouble they use every position, literally and figuratively, to appeal to Him.
...فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهُ مَرَّ كَأَن لَّمْ يَدْعُنَا إِلَى ضُرٍّ مَّسَّهُ...
But when We have solved his trouble, he passeth on his way as if he had never cried to Us for a trouble that touched him!
...كَذَلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٢﴾
Thus do the deeds of transgressors seem fair in their eyes!
C1400. Those without Faith are selfish, and are so wrapped up in themselves that they think every good that comes to them is due to their own merits or cleverness. That is itself a cause of their undoing. They do not see their own faults.
ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَا
مِن بَعْدِهِ
رُسُلاً إِلَى
قَوْمِهِمْ...
10: 74. Then after him We sent (many) Messengers to their Peoples:
...فَجَآؤُوهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ...
they brought them Clear Signs,
...فَمَا كَانُواْ لِيُؤْمِنُواْ بِمَا كَذَّبُواْ بِهِ مِن قَبْلُ...
but they would not believe what they had already rejected beforehand.
C1460. I understand the meaning to be that there is a sort of spiritual an influence descending from generation to generation, among the Unbelievers as among the men of Faith.
In history we find the same problems in many ages, -denial of Allah's grace, defiance of Allah's law, rejection of Allah's Message.
These influences cause the hearts of the contumacious to be sealed and impervious to the Truth Cf. 2:7 and notes.
What they do is to prejudge the issues even before the Prophet explains them.
...كَذَلِكَ نَطْبَعُ عَلَى قُلوبِ الْمُعْتَدِينَ ﴿٧٤﴾
Thus do We seal the hearts of the transgressors.
Pickthall’s Version:
10: 11
Pickthall If Allah were to hasten on for men the ill (that they have earned ) as they would hasten on the good, their respite would already have expired. But We suffer those who look not for the meeting with Us to wander blindly on in their contumacy.
Transliteration Wa lau yu'ajjilulla_hu lin na_sisy syarra-sti'ja_lahum bil khairi laqudiya ilaihim ajaluhum, fa nazarul lazina la_ yarju_na liqa_'ana_ fi tugya_nihim ya'mahu_n(a).
10: 12
Pickthall And if misfortune touch a man he crieth unto Us, (while reclining) on his side, or sitting or standing, but when We have relieved him of the misfortune he goeth his way as though he had not cried unto Us because of a misfortune that afflicted him. Thus is what they do made (seeming) fair unto the prodigal.
Transliteration Wa iza_ massal insa_nad durru da'a_na_ li jambihi au qa_'idan au qa_'ima_(n), falamma_ kasyafna_ 'anhu durrahu_ marra ka allam yad'una_ ila_ durrim massah(u_), kaza_lika zuyyina lil musrifina ma_ ka_nu_ ya'malu_n(a).
10: 74
Asad And then, after him, We sent forth [other] apostles – each one unto his own people – and they brought them all evidence of the truth; but they would not believe in anything to which they had once given to lie: thus it is that We seal the hearts of such as transgress the bounds of what is right.
Pickthall Then, after him, We sent messengers unto their folk, and they brought them clear proofs. But they were not ready to believe in that which they before denied. Thus print We on the hearts of the transgressors.
Transliteration Summa ba'asna_ mim ba'dihi rusulan ila_ qaumihim fa ja_'u_hum bil bayyina_ti fama_ ka_nu_ liyu'minu_ bima_ kazzabu_ bihi min qabl(u), kaza_lika natba'u 'ala_ qulu_bil mu'tadin(a).