35.Al-Fatir (The Originator)

Mecca Period 43

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى...

35: 18. Nor can a bearer of burdens bear another's burden.

C3900. Bearer: hamilatun: feminine in Arabic, as referring to the soul (nafs), as in 6:164.

... وَإِن تَدْعُ مُثْقَلَةٌ إِلَى حِمْلِهَا لَا يُحْمَلْ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَى...

If one heavily laden should call another to (bear) his load, not the least portion of it can be carried (by the other), even though he be nearly related.

C3901. Natural relationship may be considered as a reasonable cause or opportunity for bearing each other's burdens. For example, a mother or a father might offer to die for her or his child, and vice versa. But this does not apply to spiritual matters. There the responsibility is strictly personal and cannot be transferred to another.

In 29:13 we are told that the misleaders "will bear other burdens along with their own"; but the context shows that the "other" burdens are the burdens of deluding others with their falsehoods. Both sins are their own, viz., their original sin, and the sin of deluding the others. But the responsibility will be doubled.

... إِنَّمَا تُنذِرُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُم بِالغَيْبِ ...

Thou canst but admonish such as fear their Lord unseen

C3902. Bil-gaibi: unseen in the adverbial sense.

The man, who, though he does not see Allah, so realises Allah's Presence in himself as if he saw Him, is the man of genuine Faith, and for him Allah's Revelation comes through many channels and is always fruitful.

... وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ...

and establish regular Prayer

C3903. Prayer is one of the means of purifying ourselves of lower motives in life, for in prayer we seek the Presence of Allah.

... وَمَن تَزَكَّى فَإِنَّمَا يَتَزَكَّى لِنَفْسِهِ ...

and whoever purifies himself does so for the benefit of his own soul;

But the purity which we seek is for our own souls: we confer no favour on Allah or on any Power in the spiritual world, as some imagine who make "gifts" to Allah. In any case the destination of all is to Allah.

... وَإِلَى اللَّهِ الْمَصِيرُ ﴿١٨﴾

and the destination (of all) is to Allah.

وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْأَعْمَى وَالْبَصِيرُ ﴿١٩﴾

35: 19. The blind and the seeing are not alike;

C3904. Now we are offered some contrasts between those who obey Allah's Law and are thus citizens of Allah's Kingdom and those who are rebels against Allah's Kingdom and are thus outlaws.

How can they be considered alike?

The godly are like those who see, as contrasted with those who are blind; and their motives and actions are like the purest and highest Light, contrasted with the depths of darkness; or,

to take another metaphor, their lives are like the genial and warmth-giving heat of the sun, which benefits all who come within its influence, contrasted with the chilly shadows of gloom in which no vegetation flourishes. (R).

وَلَا الظُّلُمَاتُ وَلَا النُّورُ ﴿٢٠﴾

35: 20. Nor are the depths of Darkness and the Light;

وَلَا الظِّلُّ وَلَا الْحَرُورُ ﴿٢١﴾

35: 21. Nor are the (chilly) shade and the (genial) heat of the sun:

وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْأَحْيَاء وَلَا الْأَمْوَاتُ...

35: 22. Nor are alike those that are living and those that are dead.

C3905. The final contrast is between the Living and the Dead;

those whose future has in it the promise of growth and fulfilment, and those who are inert and on the road to perish.

With Allah everything is possible: He can give Life to the Dead. But the human Teacher should not expect that people who are (spiritually) dead and buried will by any chance hear his call.

... إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَاء...

Allah can make any that He wills to hear;

... وَمَا أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِي الْقُبُورِ ﴿٢٢﴾

but thou canst not make those to hear who are (buried) in graves.

إِنْ أَنتَ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ ﴿٢٣﴾

35: 23. Thou art no other than a warner.

C3906. The function of a Prophet is to preach Allah's Truth, to point out the right Way, to show men the need of repentance, and to warn them against the dangers which they incur by living a life of evil. He cannot compel them to accept the Truth or listen to the Message.

Asad’s Version:

35:18 AND NO BEARER of burdens shall be made to bear another's burden; 15 and if one weighed down by his load calls upon [another] to help him carry it, nothing thereof may be carried [by that other], even if it he one's near of kin." Hence, thou canst [truly] warn only those who stand in awe of their Sustainer although He is beyond the reach of their perception, 17 and are constant in prayer, and [know that] whoever grows in purity, attains to purity but for the good of his own self, and (that] with God is all journeys' end.

35:19 For [thus it is:] the blind and the seeing are not equal;

(35:20) nor are the depths of darkness and the light;

(35:21) nor the [cooling) shade and the scorching heat:

(35:22) and neither are equal the living and the dead [of heart]. Behold, [O Muhammad] God can make hear whomever He wills, whereas thou canst not make hear such as are [dead of heart like the dead] in their graves:

(35:23) thou art nothing but a warner.