6. Sura al-Anam
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَهُوَ
الَّذِي
أَنشَأَ
جَنَّاتٍ
مَّعْرُوشَاتٍ
وَغَيْرَ
مَعْرُوشَاتٍ...
6: 141. It is He who produceth gardens, with trellises and without,
C964. Ansha'a: see 6:98, n. 923.
...وَالنَّخْلَ وَالزَّرْعَ مُخْتَلِفًا أُكُلُهُ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالرُّمَّانَ مُتَشَابِهًا وَغَيْرَ مُتَشَابِهٍ...
and dates, and tilth with produce of all kinds,
and olives and pomegranates, similar (in kind) and different (in variety):
C965. A beautiful passage, with music to match the meaning.
Cf. 6:99 and notes.
... كُلُواْ مِن ثَمَرِهِ إِذَا أَثْمَرَ وَآتُواْ حَقَّهُ يَوْمَ حَصَادِهِ ...
eat of their fruit in their season, but render the dues that are proper on the day that the harvest is gathered.
... وَلاَ تُسْرِفُواْ...
But waste not by excess:
C966. "Waste not, want not," says the English proverb.
Here the same wisdom is preached from a higher motive. See what magnificent means Allah provides in nature for the sustenance of all His creatures, because He loves them all. Enjoy them in moderation and be grateful.
But commit no excess, and commit no waste: the two things are the same from different angles of vision. If you do, you take away something from other creatures and Allah would not like your selfishness.
...إِنَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ ﴿١٤١﴾
for Allah loveth not the wasters.
وَمِنَ
الأَنْعَامِ
حَمُولَةً
وَفَرْشًا...
6: 142. Of the cattle are some for burden and some for meat.
C967. Superstition kills true religion. We come back to the Arab Pagan superstitions about cattle for food.
The horse is not mentioned, because horse flesh was not an article of diet and there were no superstitions about it.
Sheep and goats, camels and oxen were the usual sources of meat. Sheep and goats were not used as beasts of burden, but camels (of both sexes) were used for carrying burdens, and oxen for the plough, though cows were mainly used for milk and meat.
The words "some for burden and some for meat" so not differentiate whole species, except that they give you the first two and the last two categories.
...كُلُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ اللّهُ...
Eat what Allah hath provided for you,
...وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ ﴿١٤٢﴾
and follow not the footsteps of Satan: for he is to you an avowed enemy.
6: 141
Asad For it is He who has brought into being gardens – [both] the cultivated ones and those growing wild [note 127] –and the date-palm, and fields bearing multiform produce, and the olive tree, and the pomegranate: [all] resembling one another and yet so different [note 128]! Eat of their fruit when it comes to fruition, and give [unto the poor] their due on harvest day. And do not waste [God’s bounties]: verily, He does not love the wasteful!
Pickthall He it is Who produces gardens trellised and untrellis, and the date palm, and crops of divers flavor, and the olive and the pomegranate, like and unlike. Eat ye of the fruit thereof when it fruits, and pay the due thereof upon the harvest day, and be not prodigal. Lo! Allah loves not the prodigals.
Transliteration Wa huwal lazi ansya'a janna_tim ma'ru_sya_tiw wa gaira ma'ru_sya_tiw wan nakhla waz zar'a mukhtalifan ukuluhu_ waz zaitu_na war rumma_na mutasya_bihaw wa gaira mutasya_bih(in), kulu_ min samarihi iza_ asmara wa a_tu_ haqqaha_ yauma hasa_dih(i), wa la_ tusrifu_, innahu_ la_ yuhibbul musrifin(a).
6: 142
Asad …….eat whatever God has provided for you as sustenance, and follow not Satan’s footsteps [note 129]: behold, he is your open foe!
Pickthall And of the cattle (He produceth) some for burdens, some for food. Eat of that which Allah hath bestowed upon you, and follow not the footsteps of the devil, for lo! he is an open foe to you.
Transliteration Wa minal an'a_mi hamu_lataw wa farsya_(n), kulu_ mimma_ razaqakumulla_hu wa la_ tattabi'u_ khutuwa_tisy syaita_n(i), innahu_ lakum'aduwwum mubin(un).
[[ Asad’s note 128 – see note 85 on verse 99 of this surah.
129 - I.e., by superstitiously declaring as forbidden what God has made lawful to man. All the references to pre-Islamic taboos given in verse 138-140 as well as 142-144 are meant to stress the lawfulness of any food (and, by implication, of any other physical enjoyment) which God has not expressly forbidden through revelation.]]
[[ Ali’s notes - 964 Ansha-a: see vi. 98, n. 923. (6.141)
965 A beautiful passage, with music to match the meaning. Cf. vi. 99 and notes. (6.141)
966 "Waste not, want not," says the English proverb. Here the same wisdom is preached from a higher motive. See what magnificent means God provides in nature for the sustenance of all His creatures, because He loves them all. Enjoy them in moderation and be grateful. But commit no excess, and commit no waste: the two things are the same from different angles of vision. If you do, you take away something from other creatures and God would not like your selfishness. (6.141)
967 Superstition kills true religion. We come back to the Arab Pagan superstitions about cattle for food. The horse is not mentioned, because horse flesh was not an article of diet and there were no superstitions about it. Sheep and goats, camels and oxen were the usual sources of meat. Sheep and goats were not used as beasts of burden, but camels (of both sexes) were used for carrying burdens, and oxen for the plough, though cows were mainly used for milk and meat. The words "some for burden and some for meat" do not differentiate whole species, except that they give you the first two and the last two categories. (6.142)]]