35. Al-Fatir (The Originator)

Mecca Period 43

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى...

35:18 Nor can a bearer of burdens bear another's burden.

C3900. Bearer: hamilatun: feminine in Arabic, as referring to the soul (nafs), as in 6:164.

... وَإِن تَدْعُ مُثْقَلَةٌ إِلَى حِمْلِهَا لَا يُحْمَلْ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَى...

If one heavily laden should call another to (bear) his load, not the least portion of it can be carried (by the other), even though he be nearly related.

... إِنَّمَا تُنذِرُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُم بِالغَيْبِ ...

Thou canst but admonish such as fear their Lord unseen

C3902. Bil-gaibi: unseen in the adverbial sense.

The man, who, though he does not see Allah, so realises Allah's Presence in himself as if he saw Him, is the man of genuine Faith, and for him Allah's Revelation comes through many channels and is always fruitful.

... وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ...

and establish regular Prayer

C3903. Prayer is one of the means of purifying ourselves of lower motives in life, for in prayer we seek the Presence of Allah.

... وَمَن تَزَكَّى فَإِنَّمَا يَتَزَكَّى لِنَفْسِهِ ...

and whoever purifies himself does so for the benefit of his own soul;

But the purity which we seek is for our own souls: we confer no favour on Allah or on any Power in the spiritual world, as some imagine who make "gifts" to Allah. In any case the destination of all is to Allah.

... وَإِلَى اللَّهِ الْمَصِيرُ ﴿١٨﴾

and the destination (of all) is to Allah.

Asad’s Version:

35:18 AND NO BEARER of burdens shall be made to bear another's burden; 15 and if one weighed down by his load calls upon [another] to help him carry it, nothing thereof may be carried [by that other], even if it he one's near of kin."

Hence, thou canst [truly] warn only those who stand in awe of their Sustainer although He is beyond the reach of their perception, 17 and are constant in prayer, and [know that] whoever grows in purity, attains to purity but for the good of his own self, and (that] with God is all journeys' end.

[[ Asad’s notes -

17 For an explanation of this rendering of bi'1-ghayb, see surah 2, note 3. The meaning is that only those "who believe in the existence of that which is beyond the reach of human perception" can really benefit by the "warning" inherent in the preceding statement. (See also 27:80-81 and 30:52-53.) ]]