Fortune-Misfortune of this life: Attitude toward
3. Surah al-Imran
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ
بِنِعْمَةٍ
مِّنَ
اللّهِ
وَفَضْلٍ
...
3:171. They glory in the Grace and the Bounty from Allah,
...وَأَنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١٧١﴾
and in the fact that Allah suffereth not the reward of the faithful to be lost (in the least).
فَانقَلَبُواْ
بِنِعْمَةٍ
مِّنَ
اللّهِ
وَفَضْلٍ
...
3:174. And they returned with Grace and Bounty from Allah:
... لَّمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ وَاتَّبَعُواْ رِضْوَانَ اللّهِ ...
no harm ever touched them; for they followed the good pleasure of Allah:
...وَاللّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ ﴿١٧٤﴾
and Allah is the Lord of bounties unbounded.
إِنَّ
الَّذِينَ
اشْتَرَوُاْ
الْكُفْرَ
بِالإِيمَانِ
لَن
يَضُرُّواْ
اللّهَ
شَيْئًا
...
3:177. Those who purchase unbelief at the price of faith, not the least harm will they do to Allah,
... وَلهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿١٧٧﴾
but they will have a grievous punishment.
Asad’s Version:
3:171 They rejoice in the glad tiding of God's blessings and bounty, and that God will not fail to requite the believers who responded to the call of God and the Apostle after misfortune had befallen
3:174 ..and they should not think - they who are bent on denying the truth - that Our giving them rein is good for them: We give them rein only to let them grow in sinfulness; and shameful suffering awaits them.
3: 177 Verily, they who have bought a denial of the truth at the price of faith……..
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4. Surah an-Nisa
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
أَيْنَمَا
تَكُونُواْ
يُدْرِككُّمُ
الْمَوْتُ
وَلَوْ
كُنتُمْ
فِي
بُرُوجٍ
مُّشَيَّدَةٍ...
4: 78. "Wherever ye are, death will find you out, even if ye are in towers built up strong and high!"
... وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةٌ يَقُولُواْ هَـذِهِ مِنْ عِندِ اللّهِ...
If some good befalls them, they say, "This is from Allah;"
... وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَقُولُواْ هَـذِهِ مِنْ عِندِكَ...
but if evil, they say, "This is from thee"
... قُلْ كُلًّ مِّنْ عِندِ اللّهِ...
(O Prophet). "Say: "All things are from Allah.
C597. The Hypocrites were inconsistent, and in this reflect unregenerate mankind.
If a disaster happens, due to their own folly, they blame somebody else; but if they are fortunate, they claim reflected credit by pretending that Heaven has favoured them because of their own superior merits.
The modern critic discards even this pretence, eliminates Heaven altogether, and claims all credit direct to himself, unless he brings in blind Chance, but that he does mostly to "explain" misfortune.
If we look to the ultimate Cause of all things, all things come from Allah. But if we look to the proximate cause of things, our own merit is so small, that we can hardly claim credit for good ourselves with any fairness.
In Allah's hand is all good: 3:26. On the other hand, the proximate cause of our evil is due to some wrong in our own inner selves; for never are we dealt with unjustly in the very least: 4:77.
... فَمَا لِهَـؤُلاء الْقَوْمِ لاَ يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ حَدِيثًا ﴿٧٨﴾
But what hath come to these people, that they fail to understand a single fact?
مَّا
أَصَابَكَ
مِنْ
حَسَنَةٍ
فَمِنَ
اللّهِ
وَمَا
أَصَابَكَ
مِن
سَيِّئَةٍ
فَمِن
نَّفْسِكَ...
4: 79. Whatever good, (O man!) happens to thee, is from Allah; but whatever evil happens to thee, is from thy (own) soul.
... وَأَرْسَلْنَاكَ لِلنَّاسِ رَسُولاً ...
And We have sent thee as a Messenger to (instruct) mankind:
C598. To blame a man of God for our misfortunes is doubly unjust. For he comes to save us from misfortune, and it is because we flout him or pay no heed to him, that our own rebellion, brings its own punishment.
If we realise this truth we shall be saved from two sins:
1. the sin of injustice to Allah's Messengers, who come for our good, and not for our harm:
2. the sin of not realising our own shortcomings or rebellion, and thus living in spiritual darkness.
If the Message is from Allah, that carries its own authority:
"enough is Allah for a witness."
... وَكَفَى بِاللّهِ شَهِيدًا ﴿٧٩﴾
and enough is Allah for a witness.
Asad’s Version:
4: 78…..Yet when a good thing happens to them, some say, " This is from God," whereas when evil befalls them, they say, "This is from thee [O fellow man].
Say: "All is from God."
See Ali's note 597
4: 78………What, then, is amiss with this people that they are in no wise near to grasping the truth of what they are told?
4: 79 Whatever good happens to thee is from God; and whatever evil befalls thee is from thyself.
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6. Surah al-Anam
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَإِن
يَمْسَسْكَ
اللّهُ
بِضُرٍّ
فَلاَ
كَاشِفَ
لَهُ
إِلاَّ
هُوَ...
6: 17. "If Allah touch thee with affliction, none can remove it but He;
...وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدُيرٌ ﴿١٧﴾
if He touch thee with happiness, He hath power over all things.
C849. The vulgar worship of false gods out of fear that they would harm them or hope that they would confer some benefit on them. These false gods can do neither.
All power, all goodness is in the hands of Allah. All else is pretence or illusion.
وَهُوَ
الْقَاهِرُ
فَوْقَ
عِبَادِهِ
وَهُوَ
الْحَكِيمُ
الْخَبِيرُ
﴿١٨﴾
6: 18. "He is the Irresistible, (watching) from above over His worshippers;
and He is the Wise, acquainted with all things."
Asad’s Version:
6: 17, 18 And if God should touch thee with misfortune, there is none who could remove it but He; and if He should touch thee with good fortune – it is He has the power to will anything: for He alone holds sway over His creatures, and He alone is truly wise, all-aware.
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8. Surah Al Anfal
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَاذْكُرُواْ
إِذْ أَنتُمْ
قَلِيلٌ مُّسْتَضْعَفُونَ
فِي الأَرْضِ...
8: 26. Call to mind when ye were a small (band), despised through the land,
...تَخَافُونَ أَن يَتَخَطَّفَكُمُ النَّاسُ ...
and afraid that men might despoil and kidnap you;
C1199. On the immediate occasion the Muslims were reminded that;
- they were a small band in Makkah despised and rejected;
- living in a state of insecurity for their persons,
- their lives, their property,
and those of their dependants, persecuted and exiled and how by the grace of Allah they found a safe asylum in Madinah;
- how they found friends and helpers,
- how their many needs were cared for, and
- how at length they gathered strength and numbers enough to defeat the forces of godlessness, injustice, and oppression.
But for every individual, in some form or other, the lesson applies. His spiritual life begins humbly; he is despised and laughed at, perhaps persecuted and shut out from ordinary privileges open to all; but Allah gives him strength; friends spring up for him; and he is sustained until his highest spiritual desires are gradually fulfilled.
... فَآوَاكُمْ وَأَيَّدَكُم بِنَصْرِهِ ...
but He provided a safe asylum for you, strengthened you with his aid,
...وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٢٦﴾
and gave you good things for sustenance: that ye might be grateful.
Asad’s Version:
8: 26 And remember the time when you were few [and] helpless on earth, fearful lest people do away with you – whereupon He sheltered you, and strengthened you with his succor, and provided for you sustenance out of the good things of life, so that you might have cause to be grateful.
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11. Surah Hud
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَلَئِنْ
أَذَقْنَا
الإِنْسَانَ
مِنَّا رَحْمَةً
ثُمَّ نَزَعْنَاهَا
مِنْهُ إِنَّهُ
لَيَئُوسٌ
كَفُورٌ ﴿٩﴾
11: 9. if We give man a taste of mercy from Ourselves, and then withdraw it from him, behold! he is in despair and (falls into) blasphemy.
C1506. He does not realise that some kinds of chastening are good for discipline and the training of our spiritual faculties.
وَلَئِنْ
أَذَقْنَاهُ
نَعْمَاء بَعْدَ
ضَرَّاء مَسَّتْهُ
لَيَقُولَنَّ
ذَهَبَ السَّيِّئَاتُ
عَنِّي...
11: 10. But if We give him a taste of (Our) favors after adversity hath touched him, He is sure to say,
"All evil has departed from me;"
C1507. He takes it as a matter of course, or as due to his own merit or cleverness!
He does not realise that both in good and ill fortune there is a beneficent purpose in the Plan of Allah.
...إِنَّهُ لَفَرِحٌ فَخُورٌ ﴿١٠﴾
Behold! he falls into exultation and pride.
Pickthall’s Version:
11: 9
Pickthall And if We cause man to taste some mercy from Us and afterward withdraw it from him, lo! he is despairing, thankless.
Transliteration Wa la'in azaqnal insa_na minna_ rahmatan summa naza'na_ka minh(u), innahu_ laya'u_sun kafu_r(un).
11: 10
Pickthall And if We cause him to taste grace after some misfortune that had befallen him, he saith: The ills have gone from me. Lo! he is exultant, boastful;
Transliteration Wa la'in azaqna_hu na'ma_'a ba'da darra_'a massathu layaqu_lanna zahabas sayyia 'a_tu 'anni, innahu_ lafarihun fakhu_r(un),