The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
أَوَ
مَن
كَانَ
مَيْتًا
فَأَحْيَيْنَاهُ
وَجَعَلْنَا
لَهُ
نُورًا
يَمْشِي
بِهِ
فِي
النَّاسِ...
6: 122. Can he who was dead, to whom We gave life, and a Light whereby he can walk amongst men,
C945. Here is an allegory of the good man with his divine mission and the evil man with his mission of evil.
- The former, before he got his spiritual life, was like one dead. It was Allah's grace that gave him spiritual life, with a Light by which he could walk and guide his own footsteps as well as the footsteps of those who are willing to follow God's light.
- The opposite type is that which hates Allah's light, which lives in the depths of darkness, and which plots and burrows against all that is good. But the plots of evil recoil on itself, although it thinks that they will hurt the good.
Can these two types be for a moment compared with each other?
Perhaps the lead in every centre of population is taken by the men of evil. But the good men should not be discouraged. They should work in righteousness and fulfil their mission.
...كَمَن مَّثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا...
be like him who is in the depths of darkness, from which he can never come out?
...كَذَلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٢٢﴾
Thus to those without faith their own deeds seem pleasing.
وَكَذَلِكَ
جَعَلْنَا
فِي
كُلِّ
قَرْيَةٍ
أَكَابِرَ
مُجَرِمِيهَا
لِيَمْكُرُواْ
فِيهَا...
6: 123. Thus have We placed leaders in every town, its wicked men, to plot (and burrow) therein:
...وَمَا يَمْكُرُونَ إِلاَّ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴿١٢٣﴾
but they only plot against their own souls, and they perceive it not.
Others version:
6: 122
Asad ……[But] thus it is: goodly seem all their own doings to those who deny the truth.
Pickthall Is he who was dead and We have raised him unto life, and set for him a light wherein he walketh among men, as him whose similitude is in utter darkness whence he cannot emerge? Thus is their conduct made fair-seeming for the disbelievers.
Transliteration Awaman ka_na maitan fa ahyaina_hu wa ja'alna_ lahu_ nu_ray yamsyi bihi fin na_si kaman masaluhu_ fiz zuluma_ti laisa bi kha_rijim minha_, kaza_lika zuyyina lilka_firina ma_ ka_nu_ ya'malu_n(a).
6: 123
Asad And it is in this way that We cause the great ones in every land to become its [greatest] evildoers [note 109], there to weave their schemes: yet it is only against that they scheme – and they perceive it not.
Pickthall And thus have We made in every city great ones of its wicked ones, that they should plot therein. They do but plot against themselves, though they perceive not.
Transliteration Wa kaza_lika ja'alna_ fi kulli qaryatin aka_bira mujrimiha_ liyamkuru_ fiha_, wa ma_ yamkuru_na illa_ bi anfusihim wa ma_ yasy'uru_n(a).