28.Al-Qasas, (The Story)
Mecca Period 49
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
قُلْ
فَأْتُوا
بِكِتَابٍ مِّنْ
عِندِ اللَّهِ
هُوَ أَهْدَى
مِنْهُمَا
أَتَّبِعْهُ...
28: 49. Say:
"Then bring ye a Book from Allah, which is a better Guide than either of them, that I may follow it!
...إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ﴿٤٩﴾
(Do), if ye are truthful!"
فَإِن
لَّمْ
يَسْتَجِيبُوا
لَكَ فَاعْلَمْ
أَنَّمَا يَتَّبِعُونَ
أَهْوَاءهُمْ...
28: 50. But if they hearken not to thee, know that they only follow their own lusts:
C3383. They were challenged to produce something better, to be a guide in life. But as they could not, it was evident that their objections were fractious. They were only following their own selfish lusts of power, monopoly, and exploitation of the poor and ignorant.
How can such people receive guidance?
...وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنِ اتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ بِغَيْرِ هُدًى مِّنَ اللَّهِ...
and who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts, devoid of guidance from Allah?
...إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿٥٠﴾
For Allah guides not people given to wrongdoing.
Asad’s Version:
28:49 Say: "Produce, then, [another] revelation from God which would offer better guidance than either of these two 49 - [and) I shall follow it, if you speak the truth!"
28:50 And since they cannot respond to this thy challenge, 50 know that they are following only their own likes and dislikes: and who could be more astray than he who follows [but) his own likes and dislikes without any guidance from God? Verily, God does not grace with His guidance people who are given to evildoing!
[[ Asad’s notes - 49 I.e., the Torah and the Qur'an. The Gospel is not mentioned in this context because, as Jesus himself had stressed, his message was based on the Law of Moses, and was not meant to displace the latter.
50 Lit., "if they do not respond to thee", implying that they are unable to accept the above challenge. ]]
Qul fa/too bikitabin min AAindi Allahi huwa ahda minhuma attabiAAhu in kuntum sadiqeena |
Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning |
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Say: “Produce, then, [another] revelation from God which would offer better guidance than either of these two [and] I shall follow it, if you speak the truth!” |
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Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Then bring a scripture from the presence of Allah that giveth clearer guidance than these two (that) I may follow it, if ye are truthful. |
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Say: Then bring some (other) book from Allah which is a better guide than both of them, (that) I may follow it, if you are truthful. |
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Say: "Then bring ye a Book from Allah, which is a better guide than either of them, that I may follow it! (do), if ye are truthful!" |
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Say: Then, bring a Book from God that is better guided than these two that I follow it, if you had been ones who are sincere. |
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Say to them, Bring down from God a scripture that is a better guide than these two and I will follow it, if what you say be true. |
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SAY: "Bring a book from God´s presence which will be a better guide than either of them so I may follow it if you are that truthful." |
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Say to them O Muhammad: "If indeed you are declaring the truth then try to bring down from the realm of heaven a better book that you consider to be the truth that guides into all truth and I will be happy to follow it." |
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Say: "Then bring forth a scripture from God that is better in guidance so I may follow it, if you are truthful." |
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28:51 NOW, INDEED, We have caused this word [of Ours] to reach mankind step by step, 51 so that they might [learn to] keep it in mind. (28:52) As for those unto whom We have vouchsafed revelation aforetime - they [are bound to] believe in this one [as well]; 52
(28:53) and whenever it is [clearly] conveyed unto them, they [are bound to] profess, "We have come to believe in it, for, behold, it is the truth from our Sustainer - and, verily, even before this have we surrendered ourselves unto Him!"
[[Asad’s notes :
49 I.e., the Torah and the Qur'an. The Gospel is not mentioned in this context because, as Jesus himself had stressed, his message was based on the Law of Moses, and was not meant to displace the latter.
50 Lit., "if they do not respond to thee", implying that they are unable to accept the above challenge.
51 Lit., "We have caused this word to reach them gradually" : this meaning is implied in the verbal form wassalna; which - like the grammatically identical form nazzalna - points to the gradual, step-by-step revelation of the Qur'an during the twenty-three years of Muhammad's prophetic ministry.
52 This is both a statement of historical fact - alluding to conversions of Jews and Christians in Muhammad's lifetime - and a prophecy. It must, however, be understood that, in the above context, God's "vouchsafing" revelation implies a conscious, sincere acceptance of its teachings by those to whom it has been conveyed: for it is this sincerity that has enabled them - or will enable them to realize that the Qur'an preaches the same ethical truths as those forthcoming from earlier revelations. (Cf. 26:196-197 and the corresponding notes 83-85.)
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