39. Surah Az-Zumar (The Throngs)

Mecca Period 59 [75 verses]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَالَّذِينَ اجْتَنَبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ أَن يَعْبُدُوهَا وَأَنَابُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ لَهُمُ الْبُشْرَى...

39:17 [Ali]. Those who eschew Evil -- and fall not into its worship -- and turn to Allah (in repentance) -- for them is Good News:

C4268. There is always the danger that Evil may seize us even if we approach it out of mere curiosity. If we take an interest in it we may become its worshippers or slaves. The wise man eschews it altogether, and so he enrolls among the Servants of Allah, and gets the good news of His Mercy and Good Pleasure.

... فَبَشِّرْ عِبَادِ ﴿١٧﴾

so announce the Good News to My Servants --

الَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ...

39: 18. Those who listen to the Word, and follow the best (meaning) in it:

C4269. The Commentators construe this clause in two alternative ways.

1. If "word" be taken as any word, the clause would mean that good men listen to all that is said and choose the best of it.

2. If "word" be taken to mean Allah's Word, it would mean that they should listen reverently to it, and where permissive and alternative courses are allowed for those who are not strong enough to follow the higher course, those "endued with understanding" should prefer to attempt the higher course of conduct.

For example, it is permitted (within limits) to punish those who wrong us, but the nobler course is to repel evil with good (23:96): we should try to follow the nobler course.

I prefer the latter construction: it accords better with my interpretation of the last verse: see n. 4268.

... أُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَاهُمُ اللَّهُ...

those are the ones whom Allah has guided,

... وَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ أُوْلُوا الْأَلْبَابِ ﴿١٨﴾

and those are the ones endued with understanding.

Asad’s Version:

(39:17)[Asad] seeing that for those who shun the powers of evil lest they [be tempted to] worship them, 20 and turn unto God instead, there is the glad tiding [of happiness in the life to come]. 21 Give, then, this glad tiding to [those of] My servants

(39:18) who listen [closely] to all that is said, and follow the best of it: 22 [for] it is they whom God has graced with His guidance, and it is they who are [truly] endowed with insight!