16. Sura al-Nahl
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
16; 22. Your Allah is One Allah:
... فَالَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالآخِرَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مُّنكِرَةٌ وَهُم مُّسْتَكْبِرُونَ ﴿٢٢﴾
as to those who believe not in the Hereafter, their hearts refuse to know and they are arrogant.
C2045. Everything points to Allah, the One True Eternal God. If so, there is a Hereafter, for He has declared it.
In so far as people do not believe this, the fault is in their Will; they do not wish to believe, and the motive behind is arrogance, the sin which brought about the fall of Iblis: 2:34. (R).
لاَ جَرَمَ أَنَّ اللّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ...
16: 23. Undoubtedly Allah doth know what they conceal, and what they reveal:
C2046. Cf. 16:19, where the same words refer to man generally.
Whether he conceals or reveals what is in his heart, Allah knows it, and as Allah is Oft-Forgiving. Most Merciful, His grace is available as His highest favour if man will take it.
Here the reference is to those who "refuse to know", who reject Allah's guidance out of arrogance. Allah"loveth not the arrogant". Such men deprive themselves of Allah's grace.
... إِنَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ ﴿٢٣﴾
verily He loveth not the arrogant.
16: 22
Asad Your God is the One God: but because of their false pride, the hearts of those who do not believe in the life to come refuse to admit this.
Pickthall Your God is One God. But as for those who believe not in the Hereafter their hearts refuse to know, for they are proud.
Transliteration Ila_hukum ila_huw wa_hid(un), fallazina la_ yu'minu_na bil a_khirati qulu_buhum munkiratuw wa hum mustakbiru_n(a).
[Asad note 15: I.e., they are too arrogant to accept the idea of man’s utter dependence on, and responsibility to, a Supreme Being.]
[Ruby’s note: If one refuse to believe Hereafter, and thinks that this life is final, then he/she has not enough reason to acknowledge existence of God and to submit to his Laws. They may think that they can get away with anything and they would not be accountable. ]
16: 23
Asad Truly, God knows all they keep secret as well as all that they bring into the open – [and,] behold, He does not love those who are given to arrogance,
Pickthall Assuredly Allah knoweth that which they keep hidden and that which they proclaim. Lo! He loveth not the proud.
Transliteration La_ jarama annalla_ha ya'lamu ma_ yusirru_na wa ma_ yu'linu_n(a), innahu_ la_ yuhibbul mustakbirin(a).