Greatest losers [[humul akhsaru_n ]]

[[ Ruby’s Note – The following verses lay down the greatest failures/wrongs:

  1. Invent Lies against God and make a faith crooked.

  2. Deny or do not believe in Hereafter

3. Lose their faculty of reason

4. Deliberately and actively repel others from the path of God. ]]

11. Surah Hud

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللّهِ كَذِبًا...   

11: 18.   Who doth more wrong than those who invent a lie against Allah?

...أُوْلَـئِكَ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَى رَبِّهِمْ وَيَقُولُ الأَشْهَادُ هَـؤُلاء الَّذِينَ كَذَبُواْ عَلَى رَبِّهِمْ...

They will be turned back to the presence of their Lord, and the witnesses will say,

"These are the ones who lied against their Lord!

...أَلاَ لَعْنَةُ اللّهِ عَلَى الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿١٨﴾

Behold!

the Curse of Allah is on those who do wrong! --

الَّذِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا...   

11: 19.  "Those who would hinder (men) from the path of Allah and would seek in it something crooked:

...وَهُم بِالآخِرَةِ هُمْ كَافِرُونَ ﴿١٩﴾

these were they who denied the Hereafter!

C1514. Cf. 7:45.

أُولَـئِكَ لَمْ يَكُونُواْ مُعْجِزِينَ فِي الأَرْضِ وَمَا كَانَ لَهُم مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاء...   

11: 20.   They will in nowise frustrate (His design) on earth,

nor have they protectors besides Allah!

...يُضَاعَفُ لَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ...

Their Penalty will be doubled!

C1515. Cf. 7:38.

In this context, it is implied that they committed a two-fold wrong:

1.     in inventing falsehoods against Allah, which deadened their own soul, and

2.     in leading others astray or hindering them from Allah's path.

Thus they lost the faculty of hearing, which they might have used to hear the Word of Allah, and they blinded the faculty of sight by shutting out Allah's light.

...مَا كَانُواْ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ السَّمْعَ وَمَا كَانُواْ يُبْصِرُونَ ﴿٢٠﴾

They lost the power to hear, and they did not see!

أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ ﴿٢١﴾

11: 21.   They are the ones who have lost their own souls:

and the (fancies) they invented have left them in the lurch!     

لاَ جَرَمَ أَنَّهُمْ فِي الآخِرَةِ هُمُ الأَخْسَرُونَ ﴿٢٢﴾

11: 22.  Without a doubt, these are the very ones who will lose most in the Hereafter!

Others version:

11: 18

Asad And who could be more wicked than they who attribute their own lying inventions to God? ….these shall be arranged before their Sustainer, and those who are called upon to bear witness [against them] [note 35] shall say, “It is they who uttered lies about their Sustainer!

Pickthall Who doeth greater wrong than he who inventeth a lie concerning Allah? Such will be brought before their Lord, and the witnesses will say: These are they who lied concerning their Lord. Now the curse of Allah is upon wrong-doers,

Yuksel The Most Wicked: Rabbis, Priests, Mullahs, Monks Who Attribute Lies to God

Who is more wicked than one who invents lies about God? They will be brought before their Lord, and the witnesses will say, "These are the ones who lied about their Lord." Alas, God's curse will be upon the wicked.



Transliteration Wa man azlamu mim man-iftara_ 'alalla_hi kaziba_(n), ulu_'ika yu'radu_na 'ala_ rabbihim wa yaqu_lul asyha_du ha_'ula_'il lazina kazabu_ 'ala_ rabbihim,






[[ Asad’s note 35 – Lit., “the witnesses”. Most of the earliest authorities take this to mean the recording angels, while others …..relate it to the prophets, who, on the Day of Judgment, will be called upon to testify for or against the people t o whom they were sent……………..on the basis of 16:84, where witnesses “out of every community” are mentioned …………..]]


11: 19

Pickthall Who debar (men) from the way of God and would have it crooked, and who are disbelievers in the Hereafter.


Yuksel Those who repel others from the path of God and they seek to twist it; and regarding the Hereafter they are in denial.


Transliteration Allazina yasuddu_na 'an sabililla_hi wa yabgu_naha_ 'iwaja_(n), wa hum bil a_khirati hum ka_firu_n(a).

11: 20

Asad Never can they elude [their final reckoning, even if they remain unscathed] on earth: never will they find anyone who could protect them from God. [In the life to come] double suffering will be imposed on them [note 40] for having lost the ability to hear [the truth] and having failed to see [it] [note 41].

Pickthall Such will not escape in the earth, nor have they any protecting friends beside Allah. For them the torment will be double. They could not bear to hear, and they used not to see. These are the ones who will not escape on earth, nor do they have besides God any allies. The retribution will be doubled for them. They were not able to hear, nor could they see.


Yuksel These are the ones who will not escape on earth, nor do they have besides God any allies. The retribution will be doubled for them. They were not able to hear, nor could they see.

Transliteration Ula_'ika lam yaku_nu_ mu'jizina fil ardi wa ma_ ka_na lahum min du_nilla_hi min auliya_'(a), yuda_'afu laumul 'aza_b(u), ma_ ka_nu_ yastati'u_nas sam'a wa ma_ ka_nu_ yubsiru_n(a).


[[Asad’s note 40 – For an explanation of the “double suffering”, see surah 7, note 29.

Note 41- Lit., “they were unable to hear and they did not see”: cf.2:7 and the corresponding note 7, as well as 7:179.]]

11: 21

Pickthall Such are they who have lost their souls, and that which they used to invent hath failed them.


Yuksel They are the ones who lost themselves, and what they had invented has abandoned them.

Transliteration Ula_'ikal lazina khasiru_ anfusahum wa dalla 'anhum ma_ ka_nu_ yaftaru_n(a).

11: 22

Pickthall Assuredly in the Hereafter they will be the greatest losers.

Yuksel There is no doubt, that in the Hereafter they are the greatest losers.

Transliteration La_ jarama annahum fila a_khirati humul akhsaru_n(a).


[[ Ali’s notes - 1514 Cf. vii. 45. (11.19)

1515 Cf. vii. 38. In this context, it is implied that they committed a two-fold wrong: (1) in inventing falsehoods against Allah, which deadened their own soul, and (2) in leading others astray or hindering them from Allah's path. Thus they lost the faculty of hearing, which they might have used to hear the Word of Allah, and they blinded the faculty of sight by shutting out Allah's light. (11.20)

1516 Note that the humility is to be "before their Lord," i.e., in Allah's sight. There is no virtue, quite the contrary, in rubbing our noses to the ground before men. We are not to be arrogant even before men because we are humble as in Allah's sight. Nor does true humility lose self-confidence; for that self-confidence arises from confidence in the support and help of Allah. (11.23) ]]



18. Surah Al Kahf

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:



18: 103. Say:

"Shall we tell you of those who lose most in respect of their deeds? --

C2448. That is, those who prided themselves on their works in this life, and now find that those works are of no avail. Their loss is all the greater because they had a misplaced confidence in their own deeds or in the assistance of false "protectors".

Allah is the only Protector: no one else's protection is of any use.

الَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعًا ﴿١٠٤﴾

18: 104. "Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while they thought that they were acquiring good by their works?"

C2449. Many people have such a smug sense of self-righteousness that while they go on doing wrong, they think that they are acquiring merit.

So, in charity, all the elements that make for outward show or selfishness (as to get some worldly advantage) nullify the deed of charity.

In the same way hypocrites sometimes affect to be surprised that their declared effort for somebody's good is not appreciated, when they are really seeking some hidden gain or false glory for themselves.

The sincere are only those who believe in their spiritual responsibility and act as in Allah's sight.

أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَلِقَائِهِ فَحَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ...   

18: 105. They are those who deny the Signs of their Lord and the fact of their having to meet Him (in the Hereafter):

vain will be their works,

... فَلَا نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَزْنًا ﴿١٠٥﴾

nor shall We, on the Day of Judgment, give them any Weight.

C2450. What weight can be attached to works behind which the motives are not pure, or are positively evil?

They are either wasted or count against those who seek to pass them off as meritorious!

ذَلِكَ جَزَاؤُهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ بِمَا كَفَرُوا وَاتَّخَذُوا آيَاتِي وَرُسُلِي هُزُوًا ﴿١٠٦﴾

18: 106. That is their reward, Hell; because they rejected Faith, and took My Signs and My Messengers by way of jest.

C2451. False motives, pretence, deception, and hypocrisy, flourish because people do not take the higher life seriously. In effect they treat it as a jest. Signs and Messengers are sent as a special and personal Mercy from Allah, and for such things the first person singular is used as in this verse, even when it involves a sudden transition from the first person plural as in the last verse.

Others version:

18:103

Qul hal nunabbi-okum bial-akhsareena aAAmalan

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Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning

Muhammad Asad

 

Say: "Shall we tell you who are the greatest losers in whatever they may do?

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M. M. Pickthall

 

Say: Shall We inform you who will be the greatest losers by their works?

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Shakir

 

Say: Shall We inform you of the greatest losers in (their) deeds?

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Yusuf Ali

 

Say: "Shall we tell you of those who lose most in respect of their deeds?-

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[Al-Muntakhab]

 

Say to the infidels O Muhammad "shall We tell you who they are whose deeds in life have lost them the most!"

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[Progressive Muslims]

 

Say: "Shall we inform you of the greatest losers"

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Abdel Haleem

 

Say [Prophet], ‘Shall we tell you who has the most to lose by their actions,

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Abdul Majid Daryabadi

 

Say thou: shall I declare unto you the greatest losers in respect of works?

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Ahmed Ali

 

Say: "Do We inform you with the most losers (in their) deeds ?"




18:104


Allatheena dalla saAAyuhum fee alhayati alddunya wahum yahsaboona annahum yuhsinoona sunAAan

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Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning

Muhammad Asad

 

"[It is] they whose labour has gone astray in [the pursuit of no more than] this world's life, and who none the less think that they are doing good works:

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M. M. Pickthall

 

Those whose effort goeth astray in the life of the world, and yet they reckon that they do good work.

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Shakir

 

(These are) they whose labor is lost in this world's life and they think that they are well versed in skill of the work of hands.

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Yusuf Ali

 

"Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while they thought that they were acquiring good by their works?"

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[Al-Muntakhab]

 

"They are those who presumed upon Providence and conducted themselves in life according to false concepts and they thought they were doing what is right".

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[Progressive Muslims]

 

"Those whose efforts in the worldly life were wasted while they thought they were doing good!"




18:105



Ola-ika allatheena kafaroo bi-ayati rabbihim waliqa-ihi fahabitat aAAmaluhum fala nuqeemu lahum yawma alqiyamati waznan

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Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning

Muhammad Asad

 

it is they who have chosen to deny their Sustainer's messages and the truth; that they are deseined to meet Him." Hence, all their [good] deeds come to nought, and no weight shall We assign to them on Resurrection Day.

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M. M. Pickthall

 

Those are they who disbelieve in the revelations of their Lord and in the meeting with Him. Therefor their works are vain, and on the Day of Resurrection We assign no weight to them.

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Shakir

 

These are they who disbelieve in the communications of their Lord and His meeting, so their deeds become null, and therefore We will not set up a balance for them on the day of resurrection.

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Yusuf Ali

 

They are those who deny the Signs of their Lord and the fact of their having to meet Him (in the Hereafter): vain will be their works, nor shall We, on the Day of Judgment, give them any weight.

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[Al-Muntakhab]

 

It is these who have denied the truth of their Creator's signs and counselled deaf to His spirit of truth guiding into all truth and to His promise of Judgment at Resurrection. In consequence their hopes shall be doomed to disappointment and their deeds to worthlessness, and in Day of Judgement We will attach to them no importance nor shall their pleading be of weight.




18:106


Thalika jazaohum jahannamu bima kafaroo waittakhathoo ayatee warusulee huzuwan

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Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning

Muhammad Asad

 

That will be their recompense - [their] hell -for having denied the truth and made My messages and My apostles a target of their mockery.

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M. M. Pickthall

 

That is their reward: hell, because they disbelieved, and made a jest of Our revelations and Our messengers.

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Shakir

 

Thus it is that their recompense is hell, because they disbelieved and held My communications and My messengers in mockery.

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Yusuf Ali

 

That is their reward, Hell, because they rejected Faith, and took My Signs and My Messengers by way of jest.

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[Al-Muntakhab]

 

These are the ill-fated who justly deserve the abode in Hell by reason of their infidelity and disobedience and by consequence of laughing My revelations and signs and My Messengers to scorn.

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[Progressive Muslims]

 

That is their recompense, Hell; for what they rejected and for taking My revelations and My messengers for mockery!