GOD’S WILL

5. Surah Al-Ma'idah (The Repast)

Medina Period

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى نَحْنُ أَبْنَاء اللّهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ...

5: 18. (Both) the Jews and the Christians say: "We are sons of Allah, and His beloved."

C718. Sons of Allah:

Cf. Job, 38:7; "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy."

In the 29th Psalm, 1st verse, the authorized Translation "O ye mighty" should apparently be "O ye sons of Elim". El being a name of God,

Cf. also Genesis, 6:2: "The sons of God saw the daughters of men." Beloved:

Cf. Psalms, 127:2: "He giveth his beloved sleep."

If used figuratively, these and like words refer to the love of Allah. Unfortunately, "son" used in a physical sense, or "beloved" in an exclusive sense as if Allah loved only the Jews, make a mockery of religion.

... قُلْ فَلِمَ يُعَذِّبُكُم بِذُنُوبِكُم بَلْ أَنتُم بَشَرٌ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقَ ...

Say: "Why then doth He punish you for your sins?

Nay, ye are but men, of the men He hath created:

... يَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاء وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاء...

He forgiveth whom He pleaseth, and He punisheth whom He pleaseth:

... وَلِلّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ...

and to Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between:

C719. This refrain in the last verse negatives the idea of sonship, and in this verse negatives the idea of an exclusive "Beloved".

In both cases it means that Allah is independent of physical relationship or exclusive partiality.

... وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ ﴿١٨﴾

and unto Him is the final goal (of all)."

قَالَ اللّهُ هَذَا يَوْمُ يَنفَعُ الصَّادِقِينَ صِدْقُهُمْ ...

5: 119. Allah will say: "This is a day on which the truthful will profit from their truth:

... لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا...

theirs are Gardens, with rivers flowing beneath, their eternal home:

... رَّضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُواْ عَنْهُ ...

Allah well-pleased with them, and they with Allah:

... ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ ﴿١١٩﴾

that is the great Salvation, (the fulfillment of all desires)."

C833. Fauz: Felicity, happiness, achievement, salvation, the attainment or fulfilment of desires.

What a beautiful definition of salvation or the end of life! -that we should win Allah's good pleasure and that we should reach the stage at which His good pleasure is all-in-all to us.

لِلّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَا فِيهِنَّ ...

5: 120. To Allah doth belong the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is therein,

... وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿١٢٠﴾

and it is He who hath power over all things.

Asad’s Version:

5: 18 And the Jews and the Christians say, “We are God’s children, and His beloved ones,” Say: “Why, then, does He cause you to suffer for your sins? Nay, you are but human beings of His creating. He forgives whom He wills, and He causes to suffer whom He wills: for God’s is the dominion over the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, and with Him is all journeys’ end.”

5:119 [And on Judgment Day] God will say: “ Today, their truthfulness shall benefit all who have been true to their word: theirs shall be gardens through which running waters flow, therein to abide beyond the count of time; well-pleased is God with them, and well-pleased are they with Him: this is the triumph supreme.”

5: 120 God’s is the dominion over the heavens and the earth and all that they contain: and He has the power to will anything.