39. Az-Zumar (The Throngs)

Mecca Period 59 [75 verses]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا...

39: 29. Allah puts forth a Parable --

... رَّجُلًا فِيهِ شُرَكَاء مُتَشَاكِسُونَ وَرَجُلًا سَلَمًا لِّرَجُلٍ...

a man belonging to many partners at variance with each other, and a man belonging entirely to one master:

C4287. The difference between the creed of Polytheism and the Gospel of Unity is explained by the analogy of two men.

One belongs to many masters; the masters disagree among themselves, and the poor man of many masters has to suffer from the quarrel of his many masters; it is an impossible and unnatural position.

The other serves only one master, his master is good, and does all he can for his servant; the servant can concentrate his attention on his service; he is happy himself and his service is efficiently performed.

Can there be any doubt as to

- which of them is the happier,

- and which of them is in a more natural position?

No man can serve two, still less numerous, masters.

... هَلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ مَثَلًا...

are those two equal in comparison?

... الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ...

Praise be to Allah!

C4288. Allah is praised that He has put us, not under gods many and lords many, but has, out of His infinite Mercy, allowed us direct approach to Him, the One, the True, the Eternal.

بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٢٩﴾

But most of them have no knowledge.

Asad’s Version:

39:29

[To this end,] God sets forth a parable: A man who has for his masters several partners, 35 [all of them] at variance with one another, and a man depending wholly on one person: can these two be deemed equal as regards their condition? 36 [Nay,] all praise is due to God [alone]: but most of them do not understand this.

[[Asad’s note - 35 Lit., "with regard to whom there are [several] partners (shuraka 1 )", i.e., as masters: a metaphor for belief in a plurality of divine powers.

36 The term mathal, which is usually rendered by me as "parable" (e.g., at the beginning of this verse as well as in verse 27), primarily denotes a "likeness", i.e., of one thing to another; but sometimes it is used tropically as a synonym for sifah (the "quality", "intrinsic attribute" or "nature" of a thing) or halah (its "state" or "condition"). In the present instance, the last-mentioned of these meanings is most appropriate, inasmuch as it alludes to man's condition arising from either of two

contrasting attitudes: a belief in God's transcendental oneness and uniqueness, on the one hand, and a readiness to ascribe divine powers and qualities to a variety of created beings or supposed "incarnations" of God, on the other.]]