23. Surah al Muminun, Mecca 74]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
إِنِّي
جَزَيْتُهُمُ
الْيَوْمَ بِمَا
صَبَرُوا أَنَّهُمْ
هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ
﴿١١١﴾
23: 111. "I have rewarded them this day for their patience and constancy:
they are indeed the ones that have achieved Bliss..."
Asad’s Version:
23:111 [But,] behold, today I have rewarded them for their patience in adversity: verily, it is they, they who have achieved a triumph!"
25.Surah Al Furqan
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَعِبَادُ
الرَّحْمَنِ
الَّذِينَ
يَمْشُونَ عَلَى
الْأَرْضِ
هَوْنًا...
25: 63. And the servants of (Allah) Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility,
... وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا ﴿٦٣﴾
and when the ignorant address them, they say, "Peace!"
C3123. Ignorant: in a moral sense.
Address: in the aggressive sense.
Their humility is shown in two ways:
- to those in real search of knowledge, they give such knowledge as they have and as the recipients can assimilate;
- to those who merely dispute, they do not speak harshly, but say "Peace!", as much as to say,
"May it be well with you, may you repent and be better"; or
"May Allah give me peace from such wrangling"; or
"Peace, and Good-bye; let me leave you!"
وَالَّذِينَ
يَبِيتُونَ
لِرَبِّهِمْ
سُجَّدًا وَقِيَامًا
﴿٦٤﴾
25: 64. Those who spend the night in adoration of their Lord prostrate and standing;
C3124. Humble prayer brings them nearer to Allah.
وَالَّذِينَ
يَقُولُونَ
رَبَّنَا اصْرِفْ
عَنَّا عَذَابَ
جَهَنَّمَ...
25: 65. Those who say,
"Our Lord! avert from us the Wrath of Hell,
... إِنَّ عَذَابَهَا كَانَ غَرَامًا ﴿٦٥﴾
for its Wrath is indeed an affliction grievous --
C3125. This is a prayer of humility:
such a person relies, not on any good works which he may have done, but on the Grace and Mercy of Allah; and he shows a lively sense of the Day of Judgment, when every action will weigh for or against a soul.
إِلَّا
مَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ
وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا
صَالِحًا...
25: 70. Unless he repents, believes, and works righteous deeds,
... فَأُوْلَئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ...
for Allah will change the evil of such persons into good,
... وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا ﴿٧٠﴾
and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
C3130. But even in the case of great crimes, if there is true repentance as tested by a changed life in conduct, Allah's Mercy is available, and it will transform the repentant's nature from evil to good.
وَمَن
تَابَ وَعَمِلَ
صَالِحًا فَإِنَّهُ
يَتُوبُ إِلَى
اللَّهِ مَتَابًا
﴿٧١﴾
25: 71. And whoever repents and does good has truly turned to Allah with an (acceptable) conversion --
وَالَّذِينَ
لَا يَشْهَدُونَ
الزُّورَ ...
25: 72. Those who witness no falsehood,
C3131. Witness no falsehood has two significations, both implied in this passage:
- those who give no evidence that is false; and
- those who do not assist at anything which implies fraud or falsehood.
... وَإِذَا مَرُّوا بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّوا كِرَامًا ﴿٧٢﴾
and, if they pass by futility, they pass by it with honorable (avoidance);
C3132. There is not only condemnation of positive falsehood or of being mixed up with things implying falsehood; but futilities -vain random talk, unedifying jokes, useless show, etc.- are all condemned.
If a good man finds himself in such an affair, he must withdraw from it in an honourable, dignified way, not in a fussy arrogant way.
وَالَّذِينَ
إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا
بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ
لَمْ يَخِرُّوا
عَلَيْهَا
صُمًّا وَعُمْيَانًا
﴿٧٣﴾
25: 73. Those who, when they are admonished with the Signs of their Lord, droop not down at them as if they were deaf or blind:
C3133. Kharra may mean:
- to fall down,
- to snore,
- to droop down as if the person were bored or
inattentive, or
did not wish to see or hear or pay attention.
وَالَّذِينَ
يَقُولُونَ...
25: 74. And those who pray,
... رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ...
"Our Lord! grant unto us wives and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes,
C3134. We must also pray for the maintenance of Allah's Law after us, through our wives and descendants: in our eyes they should not be mere accidents or play-things, but a real comfort and fulfilment of our spiritual longings.
Perhaps, through them, as well through ourselves, we may, by Allah's grace, be able to give a lead for truth and righteousness.
... وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا ﴿٧٤﴾
and give us (the grace) to lead the righteous."
C3135. Let us recapitulate the virtues of the true servants of Allah:
1. they are humble and forbearing to those below them in spiritual worth;
2. they are constantly, by adoration, in touch with Allah;
3. they always remember the Judgment in the Hereafter;
4. they are moderate in all things;
5. they avoid treason to Allah, to their fellow-creatures, and to themselves;
6. they give a wide berth not only to falsehood but to futility;
7. they pay attention, both in mind and manner, to the Signs of their Lord;
8. their ambition is to bring up their families in righteousness and to lead in all good.
A fine code of individual and social ethics, a ladder of spiritual development, open to all.
أُوْلَئِكَ
يُجْزَوْنَ
الْغُرْفَةَ
بِمَا صَبَرُوا...
25: 75. Those are the ones who will be rewarded with the highest place in heaven, because of their patient constancy;
... وَيُلَقَّوْنَ فِيهَا تَحِيَّةً وَسَلَامًا ﴿٧٥﴾
therein shall they be met with salutations and peace,
خَالِدِينَ
فِيهَا...
25: 76. Dwelling therein --
... حَسُنَتْ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَمُقَامًا ﴿٧٦﴾
how beautiful an abode and place of rest!
Asad’s Version:
25:63 And the servants of (God) most gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, “Peace !”
(25:64) and who remember their Sustainer far into the night, prostrating themselves and standing;
(25:65) and who pray: "O our Sustainer, avert from us the suffering of hell - for, verily, the suffering caused by it is bound to be a torment dire:
25:70 Excepted, however, shall be they who repent and attain to faith and do righteous deeds: for it is they whose [erstwhile] bad deeds God will transform into good ones - seeing that God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace,
(25:71) and seeing that he who repents and [thenceforth] does what is right has truly turned unto God by [this very act of] repentance.
25:72 And [know that true servants of God are only] those who never bear witness to what is false, 54 and [who], whenever they pass by [people engaged in] frivolity, pass on with dignity;
(25:73) and who, whenever they are reminded of their Sustainer's messages, do not throw themselves upon them [as if] deaf and blind; 55
(25:74) and who pray: "O our Sustainer! Grant that our spouses and our offspring be a joy to our eyes, 56 and cause us to be foremost among those who are conscious of Thee ! "
25:75 [Such as] these will be rewarded for all their patient endurance [in life] with a high station [in paradise], and will be met therein with a greeting of welcome and peace,
(25:76) therein to abide: [and] how, goodly an abode and [how high] a station