6. Sura al-Anam
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَيَوْمَ
يِحْشُرُهُمْ
جَمِيعًا
يَا
مَعْشَرَ
الْجِنِّ
قَدِ
اسْتَكْثَرْتُم
مِّنَ
الإِنسِ...
6: 128. One day will He gather them all together, (and say):
"O ye assembly of Jinns! much (toll) did ye take of men."
C949. Jinns are spirits -here evil spirits.
...وَقَالَ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُم مِّنَ الإِنسِ ...
Their friends amongst men will say:
... رَبَّنَا اسْتَمْتَعَ بَعْضُنَا بِبَعْضٍ وَبَلَغْنَا أَجَلَنَا الَّذِيَ أَجَّلْتَ لَنَا ...
"Our Lord! we made profit from each other: but (alas!) we reached our term -- which Thou didst appoint for us."
C950. It is common experience that the forces of evil make an alliance with each other, and seem thus to make a profit by their mutual log-rolling.
But this is only in this material world. When the limited term expires, their unholy bargains will be exposed, and there will be nothing but regrets.
...قَالَ النَّارُ مَثْوَاكُمْ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا إِلاَّ مَا شَاء اللّهُ...
He will say:
"The fire be your dwelling-place you will dwell therein for ever, except as Allah willeth."
C951. Eternity and infinity are abstract terms. They have no precise meaning in our human experience.
The qualification, "except as Allah willeth," makes it more intelligible, as we can form some idea -however inadequate- of a Will and Plan, and we know Allah by His attribute of Mercy as well as of Justice.
...إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَليمٌ ﴿١٢٨﴾
For thy Lord is full of wisdom and knowledge.
Asad’s Version:
6: 128 And on the day when He shall gather them [all] together, [He will say] “o you who have lived in close communion with [evil] invisible beings! A great many human beings have you ensnared!” And those of the humans who were close to them will say: “O our Sustainer ! We did enjoy one another’s fellowship [in life] ; but we have reached the end of our term – the term which You have laid down for us – [we see the error of our ways]!”
He will say : “ The fire shall be your abode, therein to abide – unless God wills it otherwise.” Verily, your Sustainer is wise, all knowing. Asad