30. Ar-Rum (The Byzantines)
Mecca Period [6-7 years before Hijra]
Asad’s Version:
30:29 But nay - they who are bent on evildoing follow but their own desires, without having any knowledge [of the truth].- And who could guide those whom God has [thus] let go astray, and who [thereupon] have none to succour them? 24
[[ Asad’s notes -
24 For an explanation of God's "letting man go astray", see note 4 on the second sentence of 14:4, as well as note 7 on 2:7. ]]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
بَلِ
اتَّبَعَ الَّذِينَ
ظَلَمُوا أَهْوَاءهُم
بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ...
30: 29. Nay, the wrongdoers (merely) fellow their own lusts, being devoid of knowledge.
...فَمَن يَهْدِي مَنْ أَضَلَّ اللَّهُ...
But who will guide those whom Allah leaves astray?
C3539. The wrong-doers-those who deliberately reject Allah's guidance and break Allah's Law-have put themselves out of the region of Allah's mercy. In this they have put themselves outside the pale of the knowledge of what is for their own good. In such a case they must suffer the consequences of the personal responsibility which flows from the grant of a limited free-will.
Who can then guide them or help them?
...وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ ﴿٢٩﴾
To them there will be no helpers.
===================================
40. Sura al Mu’min [Mecca, ] 85 verses
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَيَا
قَوْمِ إِنِّي
أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ
يَوْمَ التَّنَادِ
﴿٣٢﴾
40: 32. "And, O my People!
I fear for you a Day when there will be mutual calling (and wailing).
C4404. This Day may refer to the Day of Judgment, of which three features are here referred to.
- People may wail and call to each other, but no one can help another: each one will have his own judgment to face;
- the wicked will then be driven to Hell from the Judgment-Seat; and
- there will be no one to help, guide, or intercede, because the grace and guidance of Allah had already been rejected.
But the words are perfectly general, and are applicable to all stages at which the Wrath of Allah is manifest.
يَوْمَ
تُوَلُّونَ
مُدْبِرِينَ
مَا لَكُم مِّنَ
اللَّهِ مِنْ
عَاصِمٍ...
40: 32. "And, O my People!
I fear for you a Day when there will be mutual calling (and wailing).
... وَمَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ ﴿٣٣﴾
any whom Allah leaves to stray, there is none to guide...
Asad’s Version:
40:32 "And, O my people, I fear for you [the coming of] that Day of [Judgment - the Day when you will be] calling unto one another [in distress] –
(40:33) the Day when you will [wish to] turn your backs and flee, having none to defend you against God: for he whom God lets go astray can never find any guide. 23
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42. Ash-Shura (Consultation)
Mecca Period 53
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
إِنَّمَا
السَّبِيلُ
عَلَى
الَّذِينَ
يَظْلِمُونَ
النَّاسَ
وَيَبْغُونَ
فِي
الْأَرْضِ
بِغَيْرِ
الْحَقِّ...
42: 42. The blame is only against those who oppress men with wrongdoing and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land, defying right and justice:
C4585. The fact that men seek the lower rather than the higher Law is itself a result of arrogant wrong-doing of which the type was the Pharaoh who claimed to be "your Lord Most High" and oppressed the Israelites, and kept his own people under slavery and subjection, and the false glamour of magic and deception.
...أُوْلَئِكَ لَهُم عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿٤٢﴾
for such there will be a Penalty grievous.
وَمَن
يُضْلِلِ
اللَّهُ
فَمَا
لَهُ
مِن
وَلِيٍّ
مِّن
بَعْدِهِ...
42:44. For any whom Allah leaves astray, there is no protector thereafter,
...وَتَرَى الظَّالِمِينَ لَمَّا رَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ يَقُولُونَ هَلْ إِلَى مَرَدٍّ مِّن سَبِيلٍ ﴿٤٤﴾
and thou wilt see the wrongdoers, when in sight of the Penalty, Say:
"Is there any way (to effect) a return?
وَتَرَاهُمْ
يُعْرَضُونَ
عَلَيْهَا
خَاشِعِينَ
مِنَ
الذُّلِّ
يَنظُرُونَ
مِن
طَرْفٍ
خَفِيٍّ...
42: 45. And thou wilt see them brought forward to the (Penalty), in a humble frame of mind because of (their) disgrace, (and) looking with a stealthy glance.
C4588. They were very arrogant in their probationary life. Now they will be humbled to the dust. And they will be in utter despair and misery. They will not be able to see the favours and good things of the other life (Cf. 20:124-126).
Even their misery, which will. face them as a terrible Reality, they will only be able to look at askance, so thoroughly cowed will be their spirit.
...وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ الْخَاسِرِينَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ...
And the Believers will say:
"Those are indeed in loss, who have given the perdition their own selves and those belonging to them on the Day of Judgement.
C4589. This will be their thought, and their realized experience: 'after all, any troubles and sorrows, any persecutions and taunts which they suffered in the life of probation from the enemies of truth, were of no consequence; the real loss was that revealed at the Judgment at the restoration of true values; the wicked and the arrogant have lost their own souls, and have brought to perdition all who attached themselves to them and followed their evil ways; and this Penalty is one that will endure!
How much more real it is!
...أَلَا إِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ فِي عَذَابٍ مُّقِيمٍ ﴿٤٥﴾
Behold! truly the wrongdoers are in a lasting Penalty!"
وَمَا
كَانَ
لَهُم
مِّنْ
أَوْلِيَاء
يَنصُرُونَهُم
مِّن
دُونِ
اللَّهِ...
42: 46. And no protectors have they to help them, other than Allah:
C4590. The argument begun in verse 44 above is here rounded off.
'If once men finally cut themselves off from Allah's guidance and care, they will have no protection whatever. All their false objects of worship will only mislead them further and further. How they will wish the fact blotted out when they are in sight of Judgment, and vainly wish for time to be reversed! They will be in the Fire, while the men whom they despised and rejected will have reached the final Goal! For them there will be no such way!'.
...وَمَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِن سَبِيلٍ ﴿٤٦﴾
and for any whom Allah leaves to stray, there is no way (to the Goal).
Asad’s Version:
(42:42) blame attaches but to those who oppress [other] people and behave outrageously on earth, offending against all right: for them there is grievous suffering in store!
42:45 And thou wilt see them exposed to that [doom], humbling themselves in abasement, looking [around] with a furtive glance - the while those who had attained to faith will say, "Verily, lost on [this] Day of Resurrection are they who have squandered their own and their followers' selves!" u Oh, verily, the evildoers will fall into long-lasting suffering,
(42:46) and will have no protector whatever to succour them against God: for he whom God lets go astray shall find no way [of escape].