9. Surah At Tawbah

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَمِنَ الأَعْرَابِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مَا يُنفِقُ مَغْرَمًا وَيَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمُ الدَّوَائِرَ...   

9: 98.  Some of the desert Arabs Look upon their payments as a fine, and watch for disasters for you:

C1346. The payments refer to the regular Charity established by Islam-the obligatory alms. If you look upon them as a fine or a burden, their virtue is lost.

If you rejoice that you have there an opportunity of helping the Community to maintain its standards of public assistance and to suppress the unseemly beggary and loathsome importunity whose relief is only governed by motives of getting rid of awkward obstacles on the way, then your outlook is entirely different. You wish for organized and effective efforts to solve the problems of human poverty and misery.

In doing so, you get nearer to Allah, and you earn the good wishes and prayers of godly men, led by our Holy Leader Mustafa.

... عَلَيْهِمْ دَآئِرَةُ السَّوْءِ وَاللّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿٩٨﴾

on them be the disaster of evil:

for Allah is He that heareth and knoweth (all things).

وَمِنَ الأَعْرَابِ مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ...   

9: 99.  But some of the desert Arabs believe in Allah and the Last Day,

... وَيَتَّخِذُ مَا يُنفِقُ قُرُبَاتٍ عِندَ اللّهِ وَصَلَوَاتِ الرَّسُولِ... 

and look on their payments as pious gifts bringing them nearer to Allah and obtaining the prayers of the Messenger.

... أَلا إِنَّهَا قُرْبَةٌ لَّهُمْ ...

Aye, indeed they bring them nearer (to Him):

... سَيُدْخِلُهُمُ اللّهُ فِي رَحْمَتِهِ ...

soon will Allah admit them to His Mercy:

C1347. The Mercy of Allah is always present, as the sun is always shining. But when we have prepared ourselves to receive it, we come to the full enjoyment of it, as a man who was in a shade comes out by his effort into the open, and basks in sunshine.

... إِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٩٩﴾

for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Pickthall’s Version:

9: 98

Pickthall And of the wandering Arabs there is he who taketh that which he expendeth (for the cause of Allah ), as a loss, and awaiteth (evil) turns of fortune for you (that he may be rid of it). The evil turn of fortune will be theirs. Allah is Nearer, Knower.

Transliteration Wa minal a'ra_bi may yattakhizu ma_ yunfiqu magramaw wa yatarabbasu bikumud dawa_'ir(a), 'alaihim da_'iratus sau'(i), walla_hu sami'un 'alim(un).

9: 99

Pickthall And of the wandering Arabs there is he who believeth in Allah and the Last day, and taketh that which he expandeth and also the prayers of the messenger as acceptable offerings in the sight of Allah. Lo! verily it is an acceptable offering for them. Allah will bring them into His mercy. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

Transliteration Wa minal a'ra_bi may yu'minu billa_hi wal yaumil a_khiri wa yattakhizu ma_ yunfiqu quruba_tin 'indalla_hi wa salawa_tir rasu_l(i), ala_ innaha_ qurbatul lahum, sayudkhiluhumulla_hu fi rahmatih(i), innalla_ha gafu_rur rahim(un).