4. Sura an-Nisa
Medina 92 [Hijra 4]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَلَوْ
أَنَّا كَتَبْنَا
عَلَيْهِمْ
أَنِ اقْتُلُواْ
أَنفُسَكُمْ
أَوِ اخْرُجُواْ
مِن دِيَارِكُم
...
4: 66. If We had ordered them to sacrifice their lives or to leave their homes,
... مَّا فَعَلُوهُ إِلاَّ قَلِيلٌ مِّنْهُمْ...
very few of them would have done it:
C584. The highest in faith willingly sacrifice their lives, their homes. and all that they hold dearest, in the cause of Allah.
Those whose faith is not so strong are expected at least to do what a loyal member of any society does, submit his doubts and disputes to the head of the society and cheerfully accept his decision and submit to it,
The contrast is between the Hypocrites who will not even do this, and the really devoted men and women who would voluntarily sacrifice their lives.
... وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ فَعَلُواْ مَا يُوعَظُونَ بِهِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ وَأَشَدَّ تَثْبِيتًا ﴿٦٦﴾
but if they had done what they were (actually) told, it would have been best for them, and would have gone farthest to strengthen their (faith).
Asad’s Version:
4: 66 Yet We were to ordain for them, "Lay down your lives," or, "Forsake your homelands," only a very few of them would do - although, if they did what they are admonished to do, it would indeed be for their own good and apt to strengthen them greatly [in faith]
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2. Surah al-Baqara, Medina 87
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
إِنَّ
الَّذِينَ
آمَنُواْ وَالَّذِينَ
هَاجَرُواْ
وَجَاهَدُواْ
فِي سَبِيلِ
اللّهِ...
2: 218. Those who believed and those who suffered exile and fought (and strove and struggled) in the path of Allah,
... أُوْلَـئِكَ يَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَ اللّهِ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٢١٨﴾
they have the hope of the Mercy of Allah; and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Asad’s Version:
2: 218 Verily, they who have attained to faith, and they who have forsaken the domain of evil and striving hard in God's cause - these it is who may look forward to God's grace:
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Asad’s Version:
(22:58) AND AS FOR those who forsake the domain of evil 71 [and strive] in God's cause, and then are slain or die - God will most certainly provide for them a goodly sustenance [in the life to come]: for, verily, God - He alone - is the best of providers;
(22:59) [and] He will most certainly cause them to enter upon a state [of being] that shall please them well: 72 for, verily,
God is all-knowing, most forbearing.
[[Asad’s notes - 71 For this rendering of the phrase alladhi~na hajaru, see note 203 on 2:218. The subsequent mention of "those who strive in God's cause, and then are slain or die" connects with the reference, in verses 39-40, to God's permission to the believers to fight in defence of their faith and liberty. The extreme merit of the self-sacrifice involved is stressed in several Qur'anic passages, and particularly in 4:95-96; hence, it has also a bearing on the Day of Judgment spoken of in the preceding passage.
72 Or: "cause them to enter [upon their life after death] in a manner that will please them well" (cf . note 40 on the last clause of 4 : 3 1 )- thus implying that by sacrificing their lives in God' s cause they will have obtained His forgiveness of whatever sins they may have previously committed. ]]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَالَّذِينَ
هَاجَرُوا فِي
سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ
ثُمَّ قُتِلُوا
أَوْ مَاتُوا
لَيَرْزُقَنَّهُمُ
اللَّهُ رِزْقًا
حَسَنًا...
Waallatheena hajaroo fee sabeeli Allahi thumma qutiloo aw matoo layarzuqannahumu Allahu rizqan hasanan
22: 58. Those who leave their homes in the Cause of Allah, and are then slain or die -- on them will Allah bestow verily a goodly Provision:
C2838. Rizq: sustenance, provision.
I have preferred the latter word here, because after death we can only think of rizq in a large metaphorical sense. i.e., all the provision necessary to equip the person for a full and happy Future Life, and also, I think, a provision for his dependents and near and dear ones in this life. (R).
...وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُوَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ ﴿٥٨﴾
wa-inna Allaha lahuwa khayru alrraziqeena
truly Allah is He Who bestows the best Provision.
22: 59. Verily He will admit them to a place with which they shall be well pleased:
...وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَلِيمٌ حَلِيمٌ ﴿٥٩﴾
for Allah is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing.
C2839. Martyrdom is the sacrifice of life in the service of Allah. Its reward is therefore even greater than that of an ordinarily good life.
The martyr's sins are forgiven by the very act of martyrdom, which implies service and self-surrender in the highest sense of the word- Allah knows all his past life but will forbear from calling him to account for things that should strictly come into his account.