6. Sura al-Anam

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَإِن تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَن فِي الأَرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللّهِ...

6: 116. Wert thou to follow the common run of those on earth, they will lead thee away from the Way of Allah.

...إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ الظَّنَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلاَّ يَخْرُصُونَ ﴿١١٦﴾

They follow nothing but conjecture:

they do nothing but lie.

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ مَن يَضِلُّ عَن سَبِيلِهِ...

6: 117. Thy Lord knoweth best who strayeth from His Way.

...وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ ﴿١١٧﴾

He knoweth best who they are that receive His guidance.

Other versions:

6: 116 [al-Anam, cattle, Mecca 55]

Asad Now if you pay heed unto the majority of those [who live] on earth, they will but lead you astray from the path of God: they follow but [other people’s] conjectures, and they themselves do nothing but guess [note 103].

Yusuf Ali Wert thou to follow the common run of those on earth they will lead thee away from the Way of Allah. They follow nothing but conjecture: they do nothing but lie.

Pickthall If thou obeyedst most of those on earth they would mislead thee far from Allah's way. They follow naught but an opinion, and they do but guess.

Transliteration Wa in tuti' aksara man fil ardi yudillu_ka 'an sabililla_h(i), iy yattabi'u_na illaz zanna wa in hum illa_ yakhrusu_n(a).

[[ Ruby’s Q – Is this refereed to the people then or for all time to come? ]]

6: 117

Yusuf Ali Thy Lord knoweth best who strayeth from His Way. He knoweth best who they are that receive His guidance.

Pickthall Lo! thy Lord, He knoweth best who erreth from His way; and He knoweth best (who are) the rightly guided.

Transliteration Inna rabbaka huwa a'lamu may yadillu 'an sabilih(i), wa huwa a'lamu bil muhtadin(a).