8. [al-Anfal, Medina 88, after Badr 2 H ]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
إِنَّ شَرَّ
الدَّوَابَّ
عِندَ اللّهِ
الصُّمُّ ...
8: 22. For the worst of beasts in the sight of Allah are the deaf and the dumb,
C1195. Cf. 2:18.
... الْبُكْمُ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٢٢﴾
those who understand not.
وَلَوْ
عَلِمَ اللّهُ
فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا
لَّأسْمَعَهُمْ...
8: 23. If Allah had found in them any good, He would indeed have made them listen;
...وَلَوْ أَسْمَعَهُمْ لَتَوَلَّواْ وَّهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ ﴿٢٣﴾
(as it is), if He had made them listen, they would but have turned back and declined (faith).
إِنَّ
شَرَّ الدَّوَابِّ
عِندَ اللّهِ
الَّذِينَ
كَفَرُواْ
فَهُمْ لاَ
يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿٥٥﴾
8: 55. For the worst of beasts in the sight of Allah are those who reject Him:
They will not believe.
C1223. In 8:22 we were warned against "the worst of beasts in the sight of Allah", who do not make use of their faculties of hearing, speaking and understanding, in the service of Allah, and in fact misuse their faculties to blaspheme Allah.
The same brute creatures are shone here in another light: they are faithless both to Allah and man.
الَّذِينَ عَاهَدتَّ
مِنْهُمْ ثُمَّ
يَنقُضُونَ
عَهْدَهُمْ
فِي كُلِّ
مَرَّةٍ...
8: 56. They are those with whom thou didst make a Covenant, but they break their covenant every time
C1224. The immediate occasion was the repeated treachery of the Banu Quraiza after their treaties with the Muslims. But the general lesson remains, as noted in the two following verses.
Treachery in war is doubly wrong, for it endangers so many lives. Such treachery should be punished in such a way that it gets no chance again. Not only the actual perpetrators but those who follow their standard should be rendered powerless.
And the broken treaty should be denounced so that the innocent party can at least fight on equal terms.
From actual physical warfare we can carry the same lesson to spiritual warfare. A truce or understanding is possible with those who respect definite principles, not with those who have no principles and are merely out for oppression and wickedness.
...وَهُمْ لاَ يَتَّقُونَ ﴿٥٦﴾
and they have not the fear (of Allah).
فَإِمَّا
تَثْقَفَنَّهُمْ
فِي الْحَرْبِ
فَشَرِّدْ بِهِم
مَّنْ خَلْفَهُمْ
لَعَلَّهُمْ
يَذَّكَّرُونَ ﴿٥٧﴾
8: 57. If ye gain the mastery over them in war, disperse, with them, those who follow them, that they may remember.
C1224a. The purpose of the verse is to urge Muslims to act against their enemies described above with a severity and resoluteness which would serve as a deterrent to other enemies of Islam who might be inclined to follow their example and act treacherously towards Muslims. (Eds.).
وَإِمَّا تَخَافَنَّ
مِن قَوْمٍ
خِيَانَةً
فَانبِذْ إِلَيْهِمْ
عَلَى سَوَاء...
8: 58. If thou fearest treachery from any group, throw back (their covenant) to them, (so as to be) on equal terms:
...إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ الخَائِنِينَ ﴿٥٨﴾
for Allah loveth not the treacherous.
8: 22
Asad Verily, the vilest of all creatures in the sight of God are those deaf, those dumb ones who do not use their reason.
Pickthall Lo! the worst of beasts in Allah's sight are the deaf, the dumb, who have no sense.
Transliteration Inna syarrad dawa_bbi 'indalla_his summul bukmul lazina la_ ya'qilu_n(a).
8: 23
Pickthall Had Allah Known of any good in them He would have made them hear, but had He made them hear they would have turned away, averse.
Transliteration Wa lau 'alimalla_hu fihim khairal la'asma'ahum, wa lau asma'ahum latawallau wa hum mu'ridu_n(a).
8: 55
Asad Verily, the vilest creatures in the sight of God are those who are bent on denying the truth and therefore do not believe [note 58].
Pickthall Lo! the worst of beasts in Allah's sight are the ungrateful who will not believe;
Transliteration Inna syarrad dawa_bbi 'indalla_hil lazina kafaru_ fahum la_ yu'minu_n(a).
[[ Asad’s note 58 – Cf. verse 22 of this surah, where the same epithet is applied to human beings “who do not use their reason”. In the present instance, it should be noted, the particle ‘fa’ at the beginning of the phrase ‘fa-hum la yuminun’ has the meaning of “and therefore” (“and therefore they do not believe”): thus showing that lack of belief in spiritual verities is a consequence of one’s being “bent on denying the truth”.
Expressed in positive terms, this amounts to the statement that belief in any ethical proposition depends on one’s readiness to consider it on its merits and to admit the established – truths. As regards the expression ‘alladhina kafaru’, the use of the past tense is meant here, as so often in the Quran, to stress the element of intention, and is, therefore, consistently rendered by me –wherever the context warrants it – as “those who are bent on denying the truth’ (see also surah 2, note 6).]]
[[ Ali’s note - 1223 In viii. 22 we were warned against "the worst of beasts in the sight of Allah", who do not make use of their faculties of hearing, speaking and understanding, in the service of Allah, and in fact misuse their faculties to blaspheme Allah. The same brute creatures are shone here in another light: they are faithless both to Allah and man. (8.55) ]]
8: 56
Asad As for those with whom you have made a covenant, and who thereupon break their covenant on every occasion [note 59], not being conscious of God-
Pickthall Those of them with whom thou madest a treaty, and, then at every opportunity they break their treaty, and they keep not duty (to Allah).
Transliteration Allazina 'a_hatta minhum summa yanqudu_na 'ahdahum fi kulli marratiw wa hum la_ yattaqu_n(a).
8: 57
Asad if you find them at war [with you], make of them a fearsome example for those who follow them [note 60]
Pickthall If thou comest on them in the war, deal with them so as to strike fear in those who are behind them, that haply they may remember.
Transliteration Fa imma_ tasqafannahum fil harbi fa syarrid bihim man khalfahum la'allahum yazzakkaru_n(a).
8: 58
Pickthall And if thou fearest treachery from any folk, then throw back to them (their treaty) fairly. Lo! Allah loveth not the treacherous.
Transliteration Wa imma_ takha_fanna min qaumin khiya_natan fambiz ilaihim 'ala_ sawa_'(in), innalla_ha la_ yuhibbul kha_'inin(a).
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Greatest losers [[humul akhsaru_n ]]
[[ Ruby’s Note – The following verses lay down the greatest failures/wrongs:
Invent Lies against God
Deny or do not believe Hereafter
3. Lose their faculty of reason ]]
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) ]]
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