15. [al-Hijr, Mecca 54]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
رُّبَمَا
يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ
كَفَرُواْ لَوْ
كَانُواْ
مُسْلِمِينَ ﴿٢﴾
15: 2. Again and again will those who disbelieve wish that they had bowed (to Allah's Will) in Islam.
C1935. The time must inevitably come when those who allow themselves to be deceived by falsehood or deliberately break Allah's Law will find themselves in a terrible plight. They will then wish, ardently and again and again, that they had sought Allah's Will and walked in the light of Truth.
That time may be early or late,-in this life, or at death, or at the Day of Judgment, but it must come. Man's own highest interest requires that he should awake to the Reality before it is too late for repentance.
ذَرْهُمْ
يَأْكُلُواْ
وَيَتَمَتَّعُواْ ...
15: 3. Leave them alone, to enjoy (the good things of this life) and to please themselves:
C1936. Literally, "to eat", Cf. 5:66 and n. 776.
... وَيُلْهِهِمُ الأَمَلُ...
let (false) Hope amuse them:
...فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٣﴾
soon will knowledge (undeceive them).
C1937. The foolish and the wicked set great store by the pleasures of this world. In their pride they think they have all knowledge. In the fullness of knowledge they will see how wrong they were.
Meanwhile those who have received the Light should not for a single moment wonder at the apparent prosperity of the ungodly in this world. They should leave them alone, confident in the goodness and justice of Allah.
وَمَا
أَهْلَكْنَا
مِن قَرْيَةٍ
إِلاَّ وَلَهَا
كِتَابٌ مَّعْلُومٌ ﴿٤﴾
15: 4. Never did We destroy a population that had not a term decreed and assigned beforehand.
C1938. Kitabun ma'lum: literally, "a writing known".
There are many shades of meaning implied,
- For every people, as for every individual, there is a definite Term assigned: their faculty of choice gives them the opportunity of moulding their will according to Allah's Will, and thus identifying themselves with Allah's Universal Law. During that Term they will be given plenty of rope; after that Term is past, there will be no opportunity for repentance.
- Neither the righteous nor the ungodly can hasten or delay the doom: Allah's Will must prevail, and He is All-Wise.
- The destruction of a people is not an arbitrary punishment from Allah: the people bring it on themselves by their own choice; for the fixed Law or Decree of Allah is always made known to them beforehand, and in many ways.
15: 2
Pickthall It may be that those who disbelieve wish ardently that they were Muslims.
Transliteration Rubama_ yawaddul lazina kafaru_ lau ka_nu_ muslimin(a).
15: 3
Pickthall Let them eat and enjoy life, and let (false) hope beguile them. They will come to know!
Yuksel Those who have rejected will often wish they were of those who peacefully surrendered!
Leave them to eat and enjoy, and let them be preoccupied with hope. They will come to know.
Transliteration Zarhum ya'kulu_ wa yatamatta'u_ wa yulhihimul amalu fa saufa ya'lamu_n(a).
15: 4
Pickthall And We destroyed no township but there was a known decree for it.
Yuksel We have not destroyed any town except that it had an appointed time.
Transliteration Wa ma_ ahlakna_ min qaryatin illa_ wa laha_ kita_bum ma'lu_m(un).
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16. [an_Nahl, Mecca 70]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
مَن كَفَرَ
بِاللّهِ مِن
بَعْدِ إيمَانِهِ ...
16: 106. Anyone who, after accepting faith in Allah, utters unbelief,
C2145. The exception refers to a case like that of 'Ammar, whose father Yasir and mother Sumayya, were subjected to unspeakable tortures for their belief in Islam, but never recanted. 'Ammar,
suffering under tortures himself and his mind acted on by the sufferings of his parents, uttered a word construed as recantation, though his heart never wavered and he came back at once to the Prophet, who consoled him for his pain and confirmed his faith. (R).
... إِلاَّ مَنْ أُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالإِيمَانِ...
except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in faith,
... وَلَـكِن مَّن شَرَحَ بِالْكُفْرِ صَدْرًا فَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ مِّنَ اللّهِ...
but such as open their breast to unbelief, on them is Wrath from Allah,
... وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿١٠٦﴾
and theirs will be a dreadful Penalty.
ذَلِكَ
بِأَنَّهُمُ
اسْتَحَبُّواْ
الْحَيَاةَ
الْدُّنْيَا
عَلَى الآخِرَةِ...
16: 107. This because they love the life of this world better than the Hereafter:
... وَأَنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ ﴿١٠٧﴾
and Allah will not guide those who reject faith.
Pickthall’s Version:
16: 106
Pickthall Whoso disbelieveth in Allah after his belief save him who is forced thereto and whose heart is still content with Faith but whoso findeth ease in disbelief: On them is wrath from Allah. Theirs will be an awful doom.
Transliteration Man kafara billa_hi mim ba'di ima_nihi illa_ man ukriha wa qalbuhu_ mutma'innum bil ima_ni wala_kin man syaraha bil kufri sadran fa 'alaihim gadabum minalla_h(i), wa lahum 'aza_bun 'azim(un).
16: 107
Pickthall That is because they have chosen the life of the world rather than the Hereafter, and because Allah guideth not the disbelieving folk.
Transliteration Za_lika bi annahum-ustahabbul haya_tad dunya_ 'alal a_khirah(ti), wa annalla_ha la_ yahdil qaumal ka_firin(a).