16. [an-Nahl, Mecca 70]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُواْ لَوْ شَاء اللّهُ مَا عَبَدْنَا مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَيْءٍ ...

16: 35.  The worshippers of false gods say:

"If Allah had so willed, we should not have worshipped aught but Him --

... نَّحْنُ وَلا آبَاؤُنَا ...

neither we nor our fathers --

C2057. The old-old argument: if Allah is All-Powerful, why did He not force all persons to His Will?

This ignores the limited Free-will granted to man, which is the whole basis of Ethics. Allah gives man every opportunity of knowing and understanding things, but He does not force him, for that would be against the whole Plan on which our present Life is constituted.

... وَلاَ حَرَّمْنَا مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَيْءٍ... 

nor should we have prescribed prohibitions other than His."

C2058. The Pagan Arabs prescribed various arbitrary prohibitions in the matter of meat; see 6:143-145.

These, of course, are not recognised by Islam, which also removed some of the restrictions of the Jewish Law;6:146. The general meaning, however, is far wider.

Men erect their own taboos and prohibitions, barriers and restrictions, and ascribe them to Religion. This is wrong, and more consonant with Pagan practice than with Islam.

... كَذَلِكَ فَعَلَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ... 

So did those who went before them.

... فَهَلْ عَلَى الرُّسُلِ إِلاَّ الْبَلاغُ الْمُبِينُ ﴿٣٥﴾ 

But what is the mission of Messengers but to preach the Clear Message?

C2059. Clear Message: Mubin: in three senses;

-        a Message clear and unambiguous;

-        one that makes all things clear to those who try to understand, because it accords with their own nature as created by Allah;

-        one preached openly and to everyone.

Pickthall’s Version:

16: 35

Pickthall And the idolaters say: Had Allah willed, we had not worshipped aught beside Him, we and our fathers, nor had we forbidden aught without (command from) Him. Even so did those before them. Are the messengers charged with aught save plain conveyance (of the message)?

Transliteration Wa qa_lal lazina asyraku_ lau sya_'alla_hu ma_ 'abadna_ min da_nihi min syai'in nahnu wa la_ a_ba_'una_ wa la_ harramna_ min du_nihi min syai'(in), kaza_lika fa'alal lazina min qablihim, fa hal 'alar rusuli illal bala_gul mubin(u).