2. Surah Al Baqarah

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ آمَنَّا بِاللّهِ وَبِالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ ...

2: 8. Of the people there are some who say:

"We believe in Allah and the Last Day,"

C33. We now come to a third class of people, the hypocrites.

They are untrue to themselves, and therefore their hearts, they soon pass into the category of those who deliberately reject light.

... وَمَا هُم بِمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٨﴾

but they do not (really) believe.

يُخَادِعُونَ اللّهَ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا...

2: 9. Fain would they deceive Allah and those who believe,

... وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إِلاَّ أَنفُسَهُم وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴿٩﴾

but they only deceive themselves and realize (it) not!

فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَهُمُ اللّهُ مَرَضاً...

2: 10. In their hearts is a disease; and Allah has increased their disease,

C34. The insincere man who thinks he can get the best of both worlds by compromising with good and evil only increased the disease of his heart, because he is not true to himself.

Even the good which comes to him he can pervert to evil. So the rain which fills out the ear of corn or lends fragrance to the rose also lends strength to the thorn or adds strength to the poison of the deadly nightshade.

... وَلَهُم عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْذِبُونَ ﴿١٠﴾

and grievous is the penalty they (incur), because they are false (to themselves).

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لاَ تُفْسِدُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ ...

2: 11. When it is said to them: "Make not mischief on the earth,"

... قَالُواْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ ﴿١١﴾

they say: "Why, we only want to make peace!"

أَلا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَـكِن لاَّ يَشْعُرُونَ ﴿١٢﴾

2: 12. Of a surety, they are the ones who make mischief, but they realize (it) not.

C35. Much mischief is caused (sometimes unwittingly) by people who think that they have a mission of peace, when they have not even a true perception of right and wrong.

By their blind arrogance they depress the good and encourage the evil.

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ آمِنُواْ كَمَا آمَنَ النَّاسُ ...

2: 13. When it is said to them: "Believe as the others believe"

... قَالُواْ أَنُؤْمِنُ كَمَا آمَنَ السُّفَهَاء ...

they say: "Shall we believe as the fools believe?" --

... أَلا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ السُّفَهَاء وَلَـكِن لاَّ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿١٣﴾

nay,

of a surety they are the fools but they do not know.

C36. This is another phase of the hypocrite and the cynic.

"Faith" he says, "is good enough to fools."

But his cynicism may be the greatest folly in the eyes of Allah.

وَإِذَا لَقُواْ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ قَالُواْ آمَنَّا...

2: 14. When they meet those who believe, they say: "We believe,"

C37. A deeper phase of insincerity is actual duplicity. But it never pays in the end. If we compare such a man to a trader, he loses in the bargain.

... وَإِذَا خَلَوْاْ إِلَى شَيَاطِينِهِمْ قَالُواْ ...

but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say:

... إِنَّا مَعَكْمْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُسْتَهْزِؤُونَ ﴿١٤﴾

"We are really with you, we (were) only jesting."

اللّهُ يَسْتَهْزِىءُ بِهِمْ ...

2: 15. Allah will throw back their mockery on them,

... وَيَمُدُّهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ ﴿١٥﴾

and give them rope in their trespasses; so they will wander like blind ones (to and fro).

أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرُوُاْ الضَّلاَلَةَ بِالْهُدَى...

2: 16. These are they who have bartered guidance for error:

... فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَارَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُهْتَدِينَ ﴿١٦﴾

but their traffic is profitless, and they have lost true direction.

مَثَلُهُمْ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي اسْتَوْقَدَ نَاراً ...

2: 17. Their similitude is that of a man who kindled a fire;

C38. The man wanted light; he only kindled a fire. It produced a blaze, and won the applause of all around. But it did not last long. When the flame when out as was inevitable, the darkness was worse than before. And they all lost their way.

So hypocrisy, deception, arrogant compromise with evil, cynicism, or duplicity may win temporary applause. But the true light of faith and sincerity is wanting, and therefore it must mislead and ruin all concerned. In the consternation they cannot speak or hear each other, and of course they cannot see; so they end like the deliberate rejecters of Faith (2:7), wildly groping about, dumb, deaf and blind.

... فَلَمَّا أَضَاءتْ مَا حَوْلَهُ ذَهَبَ اللّهُ بِنُورِهِمْ...

when it lighted all around him, Allah took away their light

... وَتَرَكَهُمْ فِي ظُلُمَاتٍ لاَّ يُبْصِرُونَ ﴿١٧﴾

and left them in utter darkness, so they could not see.

Pickthall’s Version:

2:9 “They deceive God and those who have attained to faith – the while they deceive none but themselves”) ]

2: 8

Pickthall And of mankind are some who say: We believe in Allah and the Last Day, when they believe not.

Transliteration Wa minanna_si may yaqu_lu a_manna_ billa_hi wa bil yaumil a_khiri wa ma_ hum bimu'minin(a).

2: 9

Asad They would deceive God and those who have attained to faith – the while they deceive none but themselves, and perceive it not.

Pickthall They think to beguile Allah and those who believe, and they beguile none save themselves; but they perceive not.

Transliteration Yukha_di'u_nalla_ha wallazina a_manu_, wa ma_ yakhda'u_na illa_ anfusahum wa ma_ yasy'uru_n(a).

2: 10

Pickthall In their hearts is a disease, and Allah increaseth their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie.

Transliteration Fi qulu_bihim maradun, faza_dahumulla_hu maradu_(n), wa lahum 'azibun alim(un), bima_ ka_na_ yakzibu_n(a).

Ayah 11

Pickthall And when it is said unto them: Make not mischief in the earth, they say: We are peacemakers only.

Transliteration Wa iza_ qila lahum la_ tufsidu_ fil ard(i), qa_lu_ innama_ nahnu muslihu_n(a).

Ayah 12

Pickthall Are not they indeed the mischief makers? But they perceive not.

Transliteration Ala_ innahum humul mufsidu_na wala_kil la_ yasy'uru_n(a).

Ayah 13

Pickthall And when it is said unto them: Believe as the people believe, they say: Shall we believe as the foolish believe? Are not they indeed the foolish? But they know not.

Transliteration Wa iza_ qila lahuma_minu_ kama_ a_manan na_su qa_lu_ anu'minu kama_ a_manas sufaha_'(u), ala_ innahum humus sufahu_'u wa la_kil la_ ya'lamu_n(a).

Ayah 14

Pickthall And when they fall in with those who believe, they say: We believe; but when they go apart to their devils they declare: Lo! we are with you; verily we did but mock.

Transliteration Wa iza_ laqullazina a_manu_ qa_lu_a_manna_, wa iza_ khalau ila_ syaya_tinihim, qa_lu_ inna_ ma'akum, innama_ nahnu mustahzi'u_n(a).

Ayah 15

Pickthall Allah (Himself) doth mock them, leaving them to wander blindly on in their contumacy.

Transliteration Alla_hu yastahzi'u bihim wa yamudduhum fi tugya_nihim ya'mahu_n(a).

Ayah 16

Pickthall These are they who purchase error at the price of guidance, so their commerce doth not prosper, neither are they guided.

Transliteration Ula_'ikal lazinasy tarawuddala_lata bil huda_, fama_ rabihat tiaja_ratuhum wama_ ka_nu_ muhtadin(a).

Ayah 17

Pickthall Their likeness is as the likeness of one who kindleth fire, and when it sheddeth its light around him Allah taketh away their light and leaveth them in darkness, where they cannot see,

Transliteration Masaluhum kamasalil lazis tauqadana_ra_(n), falamma_ ada_'at ma_ haulahu_ zahaballa_hu binu_rihim wa tarakahum fi zuluma_til la_ yubsiru_n(a).