16.Sura al-Nahl, Mecca 70
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا
فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ
رَّسُولاً أَنِ
اعْبُدُواْ
اللّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ
الطَّاغُوتَ...
16: 36. For We assuredly sent amongst every People a Messenger, (with the Command),
"Serve Allah and eschew Evil":
C2060. Even though Allah's Signs are everywhere in Nature and in men's own conscience, yet in addition Allah has sent human Messengers to every People to call their attention to the Good and turn them from Evil.
So they cannot pretend that Allah has abandoned them or that He does not care what they do. His divine Grace always invites their will to choose the right.
... فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى اللّهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلالَةُ...
of the people were some whom Allah guided, and some on whom Error became inevitably (established).
C2061. While some people accept the guidance of the divine Grace, others so surrender themselves to Evil that it must necessarily follow that Evil obtains a grip over them. They have only to travel through Time or Space to see the end of those who abandoned their lights and surrendered to Evil and Error.
For haqqat and the meaning of haqq in this connection cf. 15:64.
... فَسِيرُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ فَانظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ ﴿٣٦﴾
So travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who denied (the Truth).
Other versions:
16: 36 [an-Nahl, Mecca 70]
Yusuf Ali For We assuredly sent amongst every People an apostle (with the Command) "Serve Allah and eschew Evil": of the people were some whom Allah guided and some on whom Error became inevitably (established). So travel through the earth and see what was the end of those who denied (the Truth).
Pickthall And verily We have raised in every nation a messenger, (proclaiming): Serve Allah and shun false gods. Then some of them (there were) whom Allah guided, and some of them (there were) upon whom error had just hold. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for the deniers!
Yuksel We have sent a messenger to every nation: "You shall serve God and avoid transgression." Some of them were guided by God, and some of them deserved to be misguided. So travel in the land, and see how the punishment was of those who denied.
Transliteration Wa laqad ba'asna_ fi kulli ummatir rasu_lan an-i'budulla_ha wa-jtanibu_t ta_gu_t(a), fa minhum man hadalla_hu wa minhum man haqqat 'alaihid dala_lah(tu), fa siru_ fil ardi fa-nzuru_ kaifa ka_na 'a_qibatul mukazzibin(a).
3. Sura al-Imran
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
قُلْ
آمَنَّا بِاللّهِ
وَمَا أُنزِلَ
عَلَيْنَا...
3: 84. Say:
"We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us
...وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالأَسْبَاطِ ...
and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes,
...وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَى وَعِيسَى وَالنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ...
and in (Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the Prophets, from their Lord;
...لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ ﴿٨٤﴾
we make no distinction between one and another among them,
and to Allah do we bow our will (in Islam)."
Other versions:
3: 84
Asad ………we make no distinction between any of them [note 68].
Yusuf Ali Say: "We believe in Allah and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham Isma`il Isaac Jacob and the Tribes and in (Books) given to Moses Jesus and the Prophets from their Lord; we make no distinction between one and another among them and to Allah do we bow our will (in Islam)."
Pickthall Say (O Muhammad): We believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and that which was vouchsafed unto Moses and Jesus and the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and unto Him we have surrendered.
Transliteration Qul a_mannu_ billa_hi wa ma_ unzila 'alaina_ wa ma_ unzila'ala_ ibra_hima wa isma_'ila wa isha_qa wa ya'qu_ba wal asba_ti wa ma_ u_tiya mu_sa_ wa 'isa_ wan nabiyyu_na mir rabbihim, la_ nufarriqu baina ahadim minhum, wa nahnu lahu_ muslimu_n(a).
7. Sura al-Araf
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَإِذْ
أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ
مِن بَنِي آدَمَ
مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ
ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ...
7: 172. When thy Lord drew forth from the children of Adam, from their loins, their descendants,
C1146. This passage has led to differences of opinion in interpretation.
According to the dominant opinion of commentators each individual in the posterity of Adam had a separate existence from the time of Adam, and a Covenant was taken from all of them, which is binding accordingly on each individual.
The words in the text refer to the descendants of the Children of Adam, i.e., to all humanity, born or unborn, without any limit of time. Adam's seed carries on the existence of Adam and succeeds to his spiritual heritage.
Humanity has been given by Allah certain powers and faculties, whose possession creates on our side special spiritual obligations which we must faithfully discharge: see 5:1. and n. 682. These obligations may from a legal point of view be considered as arising from implied Covenants.
In the preceding verse (7:171) a reference was made to the implied Covenant of the Jewish nation.
Now we consider the implied Covenant of the whole of humanity, for the Holy Prophet's mission was world-wide. (R).
...وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ...
and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): "Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?"
...قَالُواْ بَلَى شَهِدْنَا... ...
They said: "Yea! we do testify!"
C1147. The Covenant is completed in this way. We acknowledge that Allah is our Creator, Cherisher, and Sustainer: therefore we acknowledge our duty to Him: when we so testify concerning ourselves, the obligation is as it were assumed by us; for it follows from our very nature when it is pure and uncorrupted.
...أَن تَقُولُواْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَذَا غَافِلِينَ ﴿١٧٢﴾
(This), lest ye should say on the Day of Judgment:
"Of this we were never mindful."
أَوْ
تَقُولُواْ
إِنَّمَا أَشْرَكَ
آبَاؤُنَا مِن
قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا
ذُرِّيَّةً
مِّن بَعْدِهِمْ
...
7: 173. Or lest ye should say:
"Our fathers before us may have taken false gods but we are (their) descendants after them:
...أَفَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ ﴿١٧٣﴾
wilt thou then destroy us because of the deeds of men who were futile?"
C1148. The latent faculties in man are enough to teach him the distinction between good and evil, to warn him of the dangers that beset his life.
But to awaken and stimulate them, a personal appeal is made to each individual through the "still small voice" within him. This in its uncorrupted state acknowledges the truth and, as it were, swears its Covenant with Allah. There is, therefore, no excuse for any individual to say, either,
- that he was unmindful, or
- that he should not be punished for the sins of his fathers, because his punishment (if any) comes from his personal responsibility and is for his own rejection of faith and the higher spiritual influences. (R).
Other versions:
7: 172 [al-Araf, Mecca 39]
Asad …He [thus] calls upon them to bear witness about themselves: “Am I not your Sustainer?” – to which they answer: “Yes, indeed, we do bear witness thereto!” [note 139]
Yusuf Ali When thy Lord drew forth from the children of Adam from their loins their descendants and made them testify concerning themselves (saying): "Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?" They said: "Yea! we do testify!" (This) lest ye should say on the Day of Judgment: "of this we were never mindful."
Pickthall And (remember) when thy Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their reins, their seed, and made them testify of themselves, (saying): Am I not your Lord? They said: Yea, verily. We testify. (That was) lest ye should say at the Day of Resurrection: Lo! of this we were unaware;
Transliteration Wa iz akhaza rabbuka mim bani a_dama min zuhu_rihim zurriyyatahum wa asyhadahum 'ala_ anfusihim, alastu bi rabbikum, qa_lu_ bala_ - syahidna_ - an taqu_lu_ yaumal qiya_mati inna_ kunna_ 'an ha_za_ ga_filin(a).
7: 173
Yusuf Ali Or lest ye should say: "Our fathers before us may have taken false gods but we are (their) descendants after them: wilt thou then destroy us because of the deeds of men who were futile?"
Pickthall Or lest ye should say: (It is) only (that) our fathers ascribed partners to Allah of old and we were (their) seed after them. Wilt Thou destroy us on account of that which those who follow falsehood did?
Transliteration Au taqu_lu_ innama_ asyraka a_ba_'una_ min qablu wa kunna_ zurriyyatam mim ba'dihim, afatuhlikuna_ bima_ fa'alal mubtilu_n(a).
[[ Asad’s note 139 …….According to the Quran, the ability to perceive the existence of the Supreme Power is inborn in human nature (fitrah); and it is this instinctive cognition – which may or may not be subsequently blurred by self-indulgence or adverse environmental influences – that makes every sane human being “bear witness about himself” before God. As so often in the Quran, God’s “speaking” and man’s “answering” is a metonym for the creative act of God and of man’s existential response to it.]]
[[Ruby’s note – This is what I have been writing about it for many years now. From the verse 30:30 I got this clear idea that there is an unseen umbilical cord between God and humans. This sensing capacity or conscience as we often put it remains strong and clear if we remain purer or righteous. As we corrupt
ourselves with the excessive indulgences and remain hostage to our lower urges of greed, lust, envy, aggression or ego etc. this sensory capacity diminishes. As long as this remain strong un us we are successful, as it become weaker and weaker we become move along the path of failure and defeat. This concept is the key in religion. The Quran defines the universal religion for mankind in 30:30 and lays down that the one ever true faith is to comply with this “fitrah”, the true nature, the unseen umbilical cord to receive guidance, the conscience, etc. God has instilled into humans.]]