35. Al-Fatir (The Originator)

Mecca Period 43

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَالَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ هُوَ الْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ...

35:31 That which We have revealed to thee of the Book is the Truth -- confirming what was (revealed) before it:

... إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِعِبَادِهِ لَخَبِيرٌ بَصِيرٌ ﴿٣١﴾

for Allah is assuredly -- with respect to His servants -- well acquainted and Fully-Observant.

C3918. All Revelation is one. The Quran therefore confirms the main and uncorrupted features of previous revelations.

ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْكِتَابَ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا...

32. Then We have given the Book for inheritance to such of Our servants as We have chosen:

C3919. The force of "then" is that of finality.

The Quran is that last Book revealed, Or

it may be here to point the contrast between "to thee" in the last verse, i.e., the holy Prophet, in contradistinction to the People of Islam, who inherited the Book after him.

... فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ...

but there are among them some who wrong their own souls;

C3920. The custodians of the Quran after the holy Prophet were the People of Islam. They were chosen for the Book, not in any narrow sense, but in the sense that the Book was given for their age and they were charged to obey it and preserve and propagate it, so that all mankind should receive the Message. But it does not follow that they are all true and faithful to their charge, as indeed we see too painfully around us to-day.

Just as mankind was chosen collectively to be Vicegerents and yet some among mankind fell into evil,-even so, some in the house of Islam fail to follow the Light given to them, and thus "wrong their own souls".

... وَمِنْهُم مُّقْتَصِدٌ...

some who follow a middle course;

But some follow a middle course:

in their case "the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak": their intentions are good, but they have much to learn yet of the true Muslim life and Muslim virtues.

... وَمِنْهُمْ سَابِقٌ بِالْخَيْرَاتِ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ...

and some who are, by Allah's leave, foremost in good deeds;

Then there is a third class: they may not indeed be perfect, but both their intentions and their conduct are sound, and they form an example to other men: they are "foremost" in every good deed.

They are so, not by their own merits, but by the Grace of Allah. And they have reached the highest Achievement,- the salvation, which is typified by the various metaphors that follow.

... ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْكَبِيرُ ﴿٣٢﴾

that is the highest Grace.

Asad’s Version:

35:31 And (know that] all of the divine writ with which We have inspired thee is the very truth, confirming the truth of whatever there still remains of earlier revelations 21 - for, behold, of [the needs of] His servants God is fully aware, all-seeing.

35:32 And so, We have bestowed this divine writ as a heritage unto such of Our servants as We chose: and among them are some who sin against themselves; and some who keep half-way [between right and wrong]; 22 and some who, by God's leave, are foremost in deeds of goodness: [and] this, indeed, is. a merit most high!