4. Sura an-Nisa
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
الَّذِينَ
يَتَّخِذُونَ
الْكَافِرِينَ
أَوْلِيَاء
مِن
دُونِ
الْمُؤْمِنِينَ...
4: 139. Yea, to those who take for friends unbelievers rather than believers:
... أَيَبْتَغُونَ عِندَهُمُ الْعِزَّةَ فَإِنَّ العِزَّةَ لِلّهِ جَمِيعًا ﴿١٣٩﴾
is it honor they seek among them?
Nay, all honor is with Allah.
C648. If the motive is some advantage, some honour, -the fountain of all good is Allah.
How can it really be expected from those who deny Faith?
And if there is some show of worldly honour, what is it worth against the contempt they earn in the next world?
وَقَدْ
نَزَّلَ
عَلَيْكُمْ
فِي
الْكِتَابِ
أَنْ
إِذَا
سَمِعْتُمْ
آيَاتِ
اللّهِ
يُكَفَرُ
بِهَا
وَيُسْتَهْزَأُ
بِهَا...
4: 140. Already has He sent you word in the Book, that when ye hear the signs of Allah held in defiance and ridicule,
C649. Cf. 6:68, an earlier and Makkan verse. Where we see or hear Truth held in light esteem, we ought to make our protest and withdraw from such company, not out of arrogance, as if we thought ourselves superior to other people, but out of real humility, lest our own nature be corrupted in such society.
But it is possible that our protest or our sincere remonstrance may change the theme of discourse. In that case we have done good to those who were inclined to hold Truth in light esteem, for we have saved them for ridiculing Truth.
... فَلاَ تَقْعُدُواْ مَعَهُمْ حَتَّى يَخُوضُواْ فِي حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِ إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا مِّثْلُهُمْ ...
ye are not to sit with them unless they turn to a different theme:
if ye did, ye would be like them.
... إِنَّ اللّهَ جَامِعُ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ جَمِيعًا ﴿١٤٠﴾
For Allah will collect the Hypocrites and those who defy faith, all in hell.
يَا
أَيُّهَا
الَّذِينَ
آمَنُواْ
...
4: 144. O ye who believe!
... لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاء مِن دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ...
take not for friends unbelievers rather than believers:
... أَتُرِيدُونَ أَن تَجْعَلُواْ لِلّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَانًا مُّبِينًا ﴿١٤٤﴾
do ye wish to offer Allah an open proof against yourselves?
Asad’s Version:
4: 139 As for those who take the deniers of the truth for their allies in preference to the believers – do they hope to be honored by them when, behold, all honor belongs to God (alone).
4: 140 And, indeed , He has enjoined upon you in this divine writ that whenever you fear people deny the truth of God’s messages and mock at them, you shall avoid their company until they begin to talk of other things – or else, verily, you will become like them.
4: 144 O you who have attained faith! Do not take the deniers of the truth for your allies in preference to the believers! Do you want to place before God a manifest proof of your guilt? (see Asad note 159, 154)