4. Sura an-Nisa

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

لَّيْسَ بِأَمَانِيِّكُمْ وَلا أَمَانِيِّ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ...   

4: 123. Not your desires, nor those of the People of the Book (can prevail):

C632. Personal responsibility is again and again insisted on as the key-note of Islam. In this are implied faith and right conduct.

Faith is not an external thing: it begins with an act of will, but if true and sincere, it affects the whole being, and leads to right conduct.

In this it is distinguished from the kind of faith which promises salvation because some one else in whom you are asked to believe has borne away the sins of men, or the kind of faith which says that because you are born of a certain race ("Children of Abraham") or a certain caste, you are privileged, and your conduct will be judged by a different standard from that of other men.

Whatever you are, if you do evil, you must suffer the consequences, unless Allah's Mercy comes to your help.

... مَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ...  

whoever works evil, will be requited accordingly.

... وَلاَ يَجِدْ لَهُ مِن دُونِ اللّهِ وَلِيًّا وَلاَ نَصِيرًا  ﴿١٢٣﴾

Nor will he find, besides Allah, any protector or helper.

Other versions:

4: 123

Asad It may not accord with your wishful thinking – nor with the wishful thinking of the followers of earlier revelation [note 143] – [that] he who does evil shall be required for it, and shall find none to protect him from God, and none to bring him succor,

Yusuf Ali Not your desires nor those of the people of the Book (can prevail): whoever works evil will be requited accordingly. Nor will he find besides Allah any protector or helper.

Pickthall It will not be in accordance with your desires, nor the desires of the People of the Scripture. He who doeth wrong will have the recompense thereof, and will not find against Allah any protecting friend or helper.

Transliteration Laiasaa bi ama_niyyikum wa la_ ama_niyyi ahlil kita_b(i), may ya'mal su_'ay yujza bih(i), wa la_ yajid lahu_ min du_nilla_hi waliyyaw wa la_ nasira_(n).

[[ Asad’s note 143 – An allusion to both the Jewish idea that they are “God’s chosen people” and, therefore, assure of His grace in the thereafter, and to the Christian dogma of “vicarious atonement”, which promises salvation to all who believe in Jesus as “God’s son”.]]

Ali’s note - 632 Personal responsibility is again and again insisted on as the key-note of Islam. In this are implied faith and right conduct. Faith is not an external thing: it begins with an act of will, but if true and sincere, it affects the whole being, and leads to right conduct. In this it is distinguished from the kind of faith which promises salvation because some one else in whom you are asked to believe has borne away the sins of men, or the kind of faith which says that because you are born of a certain race ("Children of Abraham") or a certain caste, you are privileged, and your conduct will be judged by a different standard from that of other men. Whatever you are, if you do evil, you must suffer the consequences, unless Allah's Mercy comes to your help. (4.123) ]]