16. Sura al-Nahl

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

تَاللّهِ لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَى أُمَمٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ...   

16:63.  By Allah, We (also) sent (our prophets) to peoples before thee; but Satan made, (to the wicked), their own acts seem alluring:

... فَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُمُ الْيَوْمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿٦٣﴾

he is also their patron today, but they shall have a most grievous Penalty.

C2090. In all ages and among all Peoples Allah sent His Messengers to teach the Truth and point the way to righteousness. But the allurements of Evil seemed always attractive, and many men preferred their own ways and the ways of their ancestors to the more difficult path of rectitude.

This happened again in the time of Al-Mustafa, and will always happen as long as men succumb to Evil.

وَمَا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ إِلاَّ لِتُبَيِّنَ لَهُمُ الَّذِي اخْتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ...   

16:64.  And We sent down the Book to thee for the express purpose, that thou shouldst make clear to them those things in which they differ,

C2091. But the path of duty before Allah's Messenger is clear. He is sent with the Revelation (the Quran) for three express purposes;

1.     that he should bring about unity among the jarring sects, for the Gospel of Unity, while preaching the One True God, leads also to the unity of mankind;

2.     that the revelation should be a guide to right conduct; and

3.     that it should show the path of repentance and Salvation, and thus be the highest mercy to erring sinners.

... وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿٦٤﴾

and that it should be a guide and a mercy to those who believe.