Faith Must Translate into Goodwork

6. Sura al-Anam

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلاَّ أَن تَأْتِيهُمُ الْمَلآئِكَةُ أَوْ يَأْتِيَ رَبُّكَ...

6: 158. Are they waiting to see if the angels come to them, or thy Lord (Himself), or certain of the signs of thy Lord!

...أَوْ يَأْتِيَ بَعْضُ آيَاتِ رَبِّكَ يَوْمَ يَأْتِي بَعْضُ آيَاتِ رَبِّكَ لاَ يَنفَعُ نَفْسًا إِيمَانُهَا...

the day that certain of the signs of thy Lord do come, no good will it do to a soul to believe in them then,

C983. There is no merit in faith in things that you are compelled to acknowledge when they actually happen.

Faith is belief in things which you do not see with your own eyes but you understand with your spiritual sense: if your whole will consents to it, it results in deeds of righteousness, which are the evidence of your faith.

...لَمْ تَكُنْ آمَنَتْ مِن قَبْلُ أَوْ كَسَبَتْ فِي إِيمَانِهَا خَيْرًا...

if it believed not before nor earned righteousness through its Faith.

...قُلِ انتَظِرُواْ إِنَّا مُنتَظِرُونَ ﴿١٥٨﴾

Say: "Wait ye: we too are waiting."

C984. The waiting in the two cases is in quite different senses:

- the foolish man without faith is waiting for things which will not happen, and is surprised by the real things which do happen;

- the righteous man of faith is waiting for the fruits of righteousness, of which he has an assured hope; in a higher state of spiritual elevation, even the fruits have no personal meaning to him, for Allah is to him in all: 6:162.

Asad’s Version:

6: 158 Do they, perchance, wait for the angels to appear unto them, or for thy Sustainer’s

[Himself] to appear, or for some of they Sustainer’s portents to appear? On the Day when thy Sustainer’s portents do appear , believing will be of no avail to any human being who did not believe before, or who, while believing, do not do good works.

20 Sura Taha

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِّمَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ثُمَّ اهْتَدَى ﴿٨٢﴾

20: 82.  "But, without doubt, I am (also) He that forgives again and again, to those who repent, believe, and do right -- who, in fine are ready to receive true guidance."

Asad’s Version:

20: 82 [Taha, Mecca 45 ]

Asad Yet withal, behold, I forgive all sins unto any who repents and attains to faith and does righteous deeds, and there after keeps to the right path.

Yusuf Ali "But without doubt I am (also) He that forgives again and again to those who repent believe and do right who in fine are ready to receive true guidance."

Pickthall And lo! verily I am Forgiving toward him who repenteth and believeth and doeth good, and afterward walketh aright.

Transliteration Wa in ni laghaf fa_rul liman ta_ba wa a_mana wa 'amila sha_lihan sum mahtada