17. Surah Al Isra
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَإِن
كَادُواْ لَيَفْتِنُونَكَ
عَنِ الَّذِي
أَوْحَيْنَا
إِلَيْكَ لِتفْتَرِيَ
عَلَيْنَا
غَيْرَهُ...
17: 73. And their purpose was to tempt thee away from that which We had revealed unto thee, to substitute in Our name something quite different: (in that case),
C2269. It happens with men of Allah, and it happened with the holy Prophet, that they are tempted by the world with many things which appeal to the world generally, if they would make some small concession in their favour. The "small concession" may hold the key of the position, and neutralize the whole teaching sent by Allah.
If the Prophet had accepted wealth and position among the Quraish and "only respected" their idols! The Quraish would have taken him into their inner circle!
A dishonest liar like Musaylama would have jumped at the opportunity and been hailed as a friend and associate and made much 0f. But Prophets of Allah are made of sterner stuff. They are given special strength to resist all plausible deception. (R).
...وَإِذًا لاَّتَّخَذُوكَ خَلِيلاً ﴿٧٣﴾
behold! they would certainly have made thee (their) friend!
وَلَوْلاَ
أَن ثَبَّتْنَاكَ
لَقَدْ كِدتَّ
تَرْكَنُ إِلَيْهِمْ
شَيْئًا قَلِيلاً ﴿٧٤﴾
17: 74. And had We not given thee strength, thou wouldst nearly have inclined to them a little.
C2270. From a purely human point of view it may seem policy to make a small "concession" to men's weakness in order to fulfil a divine mission. But the divine Messenger is given special strength to resist such temptations.
إِذاً
لَّأَذَقْنَاكَ
ضِعْفَ الْحَيَاةِ
وَضِعْفَ
الْمَمَاتِ...
17: 75. In that case We should have made thee taste an equal portion (of punishment) in this life, and an equal portion in death:
C2271. If such a thing was possible for a true Messenger of Allah, viz.:
a compromise with evil and a dereliction of his mission, he would be no exception to the law of personal responsibility.
Indeed, as the power and the responsibility were greater, the punishment would have been greater too. It would have been double,
- an exposure in this life and the usual punishment in or after death for a desertion of Truth.
...ثُمَّ لاَ تَجِدُ لَكَ عَلَيْنَا نَصِيرًا ﴿٧٥﴾
and moreover thou wouldst have found none to help thee against Us!
C2272. The motive held out by the world for a compromise with Truth is itself fallacious. The motive is that the compromise may bring influence, position, and opportunity, if not wealth and the other good things of life. But these themselves (if attained) would be of no use or help if pitted against the command of Allah.
وَإِن كَادُواْ
لَيَسْتَفِزُّونَكَ
مِنَ الأَرْضِ
لِيُخْرِجوكَ
مِنْهَا...
17: 76. Their purpose was to scare thee off the land, in order to expel thee;
C2273. As happened in the case of the holy Prophet, the enemies try to frighten the Prophet of Allah away from their midst, so that, once away, they could expel him and keep him out. But they are counting without the Plan of Allah. If they persecute the righteous, they dig their own graves! (R).
...وَإِذًا لاَّ يَلْبَثُونَ خِلافَكَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً ﴿٧٦﴾
but in that case they would not have stayed (therein) after thee, except for a little while.
سُنَّةَ
مَن قَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا
قَبْلَكَ مِن
رُّسُلِنَا...
17: 77. (This was Our) way with the Messengers We sent before thee:
...وَلاَ تَجِدُ لِسُنَّتِنَا تَحْوِيلاً ﴿٧٧﴾
thou wilt find no change in Our ways.
C2274. This was no new thing in history. Allah protects His own, and the ungodly cannot long enjoy the fruits of their unrighteousness even if their punishment be delayed a little while.
17: 73
Pickthall And they indeed strove hard to beguile thee (Muhammad) away from that wherewith We have inspired thee, that thou shouldst invent other than it against Us; and then would they have accepted thee as a friend.
Transliteration Wa lau la_ an sabbatna_ka laqad kitta tarkanu ilaihim syai'an qalila_(n),
17: 74
Asad And had We not made you firm, you might have inclined to them a little -
Pickthall And if We had not made thee wholly firm thou mightest almost have inclined unto them a little.
Transliteration Izal la'azaqna_ka di'fal haya_ti wa di'fal mama_ti summa la_ tajidu laka 'alaina_ nasira_(n).
17: 75
Asad in which case We would indeed have made you taste double in life and double after death, and you would have found none to succor you against Us!
Pickthall Then had We made thee taste a double (punishment) of living and a double (punishment) of dying, then hadst thou found no helper against Us.
Wa in ka_du_ layastafizzu_naka minal ardi liyukhriju_ka minha_ wa izal la_ yalbasu_na khila_faka illa_ qalila_(n).
17: 76
Pickthall And they indeed wished to scare thee from the land that they might drive thee forth from thence, and then they would have stayed (there) but a little after thee.
Transliteration Sunnata man qad arsalna_ qablaka mir rusulina_ wa la_ tajidu lisunnatina_ tahwila_(n).
17: 77
Asad [such has been Our] way with all of Our apostles whom We sent before your time; and no change will you find in Our Ways.
Pickthall (Such was Our) method in the case of those whom We sent before thee (to mankind), and thou wilt not find for Our method aught of power to change.
Yuksel This is the way of those whom We sent before you of Our messengers. You will not find any change in Our way.
Transliteration Sunnata man qad arsalna_ qablaka mir rusulina_ wa la_ tajidu lisunnatina_ tahwila_(n).
[[Asad’s note 94 - The people who drove them away were invariably punished with destruction..]]
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33. Al-Ahzab
Medina Period 90 [3-7 Hijrah]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
سُنَّةَ
اللَّهِ
فِي الَّذِينَ
خَلَوْا مِن
قَبْلُ...
33: 62 (Such was) the practice (approved) of Allah among those who lived aforetime:
C3770. The Jewish law was much more severe: see notes 3703 and 3704 to 33:26. That severity is mitigated in Islam.
But it is a universal principle that any element which deliberately refuses to obey law and aggressively tries to subvert all order in society, secretly and openly, must be effectively suppressed, for the preservation of the life and health of the general community.
...وَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّةِ اللَّهِ تَبْدِيلًا ﴿٦٢﴾
no change wilt thou find in the practice (approved) of Allah.
Asad’s Version:
33:62 Such has been God's way with those who [sinned in like manner and] passed away aforetime and never wilt thou find any change in God's way!" ]]
Yuksel’s Version:
33:62 This is God's way with those who have passed away before, and you will not find any change in God's way.*
[[ Yuksel’s notes - 033:062 The only valid sunna is God's sunna. See 33:38.]]