God Guides who believes and does good work
2. Surah Al Baqarah
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
الَّذِينَ
يُؤْمِنُونَ
بِالْغَيْبِ
وَيُقِيمُونَ
الصَّلاةَ ...
2: 3. Who believe in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer,
... وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ ﴿٣﴾
and spend out of what We have provided for them.
C27. All bounties proceed from Allah.
- They may be physical gifts, e.g., food, clothing, houses, gardens, wealth, etc. or
- intangible gifts, e.g., influence, power, birth and the opportunities flowing from it, health talents, etc. or
- spiritual gifts, e.g., insight into good and evil, understanding of men, the capacity for love, etc.
We are to use all in humility and moderation. But we are also to give out of every one of them something that contributes to the well-being of others.
We are to be neither ascetics nor luxurious sybarites, neither selfish misers nor thoughtless prodigals.
2: 3
Asad who believe in [the existence of] that which is the reach of human perception, and are constant in prayer, and spend on others out of what We provide for them as sustenance;
Pickthall Who believe in the unseen, and establish worship, and spend of that We have bestowed upon them;
Transliteration Allazina yu'minu_na bil gaibi wa yuqimu_nas sala_ta wa mimma_ razaqna_hum yunfiqu_n(a).
[ Asad’s note 3: Al-ghayb is used in the Quran to denote all those sectors or phases of reality which lie beyond the range of human perception and cannot, therefore, be proved or disproved by scientific observation or even adequately comprised within the accepted categories of speculative thought: …………]
[Ruby’s note: I believe the Quran deliberately used this word “gaibi” or “that which is beyond human perception” to convey a general meaning and did not use God in particular. The reason I believe is that it is not only God Who is beyond human perception, there are other things and beings that are also beyond human perception and human being to understand the reality better need to accept that truth beyond human conception and then attempt to understand the truth from the manifested reality. Secondly one needs to accept this idea of “beyond human conception” in order to take clues in understanding the reality better. If this idea is not a part of one’s conviction then one is going to be misled in life to understand the signs given in our reality. These signs [ayat as the Quran puts it] are not only the verses of the Quran but also what is imbued in the entire reality: nature, life, events of life, etc. All these manifested or expressed things do not convey the reality by themselves, but connotes to or implies to much deeper messages of truth. ]
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10. Surah Yunus
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
إِنَّ
الَّذِينَ
آمَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ
الصَّالِحَاتِ
يَهْدِيهِمْ
رَبُّهُمْ
بِإِيمَانِهِمْ...
10: 9. Those who believe, and work righteousness, their Lord will guide them because of their faith:
C1396. Their Faith is the cause as well as the instrument of their Guidance, -the Kindly Light which leads them as well as the Joy which fills their Soul.
The usual symbols of Gardens and Fire are again contrasted - in each case the result of Good or Evil in Life,
...تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهِمُ الأَنْهَارُ فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ ﴿٩﴾
beneath them will flow rivers in Gardens of Bliss.
دَعْوَاهُمْ
فِيهَا سُبْحَانَكَ
اللَّهُمَّ
وَتَحِيَّتُهُمْ
فِيهَا سَلاَمٌ...
10: 10. (This will be) their cry therein:
"Glory to Thee, O Allah!"
and
"Peace" will be their greeting therein!
...وَآخِرُ دَعْوَاهُمْ أَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿١٠﴾
And the close of their cry will be:
"Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds!"
C1397. A beautiful piece of spiritual melody! They sing and shout with joy, but their joy is in the Glory of Allah! The greetings they receive and the greetings they give are of Peace and Harmony!
From first to last they realise that it is Allah Who cherished them and made them grow, and His rays are their Light.
Pickthall’s Version:
10: 9
Pickthall Lo! those who believe and do good works, their Lord guideth them by their faith. Rivers will] flow beneath them in the Gardens of Delight,
Transliteration Innal lazina a_manu_ wa 'amilus sa_liha_ti yahdihim rabbuhum bi ima_nihim, tajri min tahtihimul anha_ru fi janna_tin na'im(i).
10: 10
Pickthall Their prayer therein will be: Glory be to Thee, O Allah! and their greeting therein will be: Peace. And the conclusion of their prayer will be: Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds!
Transliteration Da'wa_hum fiha_ subha_nakalla_humma wa tahiyyatuhum fiha_ sala_m(un), wa a_khiru da'wa_hum anil hamdu lilla_hi rabbil 'a_lamin(a).
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22. [al-Hajj, Medina 103]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
إِنَّ
اللَّهَ يُدْخِلُ
الَّذِينَ
آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا
الصَّالِحَاتِ
جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي
مِن تَحْتِهَا
الْأَنْهَارُ...
22: 23. Allah will admit those who believe and work righteous deeds, to Gardens beneath which rivers flow:
C2795. In 22:14 above, was described the meed of the Righteous as compared with the time-servers and those who worshipped false gods (Verses. 10-13):
here we have the case of those who were Persecuted, abused, prevented from entering the Ka'bah and deprived of all that makes life smooth, agreeable, and comfortable. For them the meed is described in a way that negative these afflictions:
- costly adornments (as against being stripped of home and property),
- purity of speech (as against the abuse they received),
- the Path of the Lord of Praise (as against the fierce and malignant persecution to which they were subjected).
...يُحَلَّوْنَ فِيهَا مِنْ أَسَاوِرَ مِن ذَهَبٍ وَلُؤْلُؤًا ...
they shall be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and pearls;
...وَلِبَاسُهُمْ فِيهَا حَرِيرٌ ﴿٢٣﴾
and their garments there will be of silk.
وَهُدُوا
إِلَى الطَّيِّبِ
مِنَ الْقَوْلِ...
22: 24. For they have been guided (in this life) to the purest of speeches;
...وَهُدُوا إِلَى صِرَاطِ الْحَمِيدِ ﴿٢٤﴾
they have been guided to the Path of Him Who is worthy of (all) praise.
Other Versions:
22:23
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22:24
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27. An-Naml (The Ants)
Mecca Period 48
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَإِنَّهُ
لَهُدًى
وَرَحْمَةٌ
لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
﴿٧٧﴾
27: 77. And it certainly is a Guide and Mercy to those who believe.
إِنَّكَ
لَا تُسْمِعُ
الْمَوْتَى
وَلَا تُسْمِعُ
الصُّمَّ الدُّعَاء
إِذَا وَلَّوْا
مُدْبِرِينَ
﴿٨٠﴾
22: 80. Truly thou canst not cause the Dead to listen, nor canst thou cause the Deaf to hear the call, (especially) when they turn back in retreat.
C3311. The Prophet's responsibility was to preach and show the way. Men and women of goodwill had faith and accepted the Message. But he was not responsible for the obstinacy and perversity of men who turned away from Allah's Signs and rejected the Truth.
وَمَا
أَنتَ بِهَادِي
الْعُمْيِ عَن
ضَلَالَتِهِمْ...
22: 81. Nor canst thou be a guide to the Blind, (to prevent them) from straying;
...إِن تُسْمِعُ إِلَّا مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِآيَاتِنَا فَهُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ﴿٨١﴾
only those wilt thou get to listen who believe in Our Signs, and they will bow in Islam.
Asad’s Version:
(27:77) and, verily, it is a guidance and a grace unto all who believe [in it].
27:80 [But,] verily, thou caust not make the dead hear: and [so, too] thou canst not make the deaf [of heart] hear this call when they turn their backs [on thee] and go away,
(27:81) just as thou canst not lead the blind [of heart] out of their error; none canst thou make hear save such as [are willing to] believe in Our messages, and thus surrender themselves unto Us. 72
[[Asad’s note - 72 This passage corresponds to the oft-repeated Qur'anic statement that "God guides him that wills [to be guided] (yahdi man yasha')". ]]
