35. Sura Fatir
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَمَا
يَسْتَوِي
الْأَعْمَى
وَالْبَصِيرُ
﴿١٩﴾
35:19 [Ali] . The blind and the seeing are not alike;
C3904. Now we are offered some contrasts between those who obey Allah's Law and are thus citizens of Allah's Kingdom and those who are rebels against Allah's Kingdom and are thus outlaws.
How can they be considered alike?
The godly are like those who see, as contrasted with those who are blind; and their motives and actions are like the purest and highest Light, contrasted with the depths of darkness; or,
to take another metaphor, their lives are like the genial and warmth-giving heat of the sun, which benefits all who come within its influence, contrasted with the chilly shadows of gloom in which no vegetation flourishes. (R).
وَلَا
الظُّلُمَاتُ
وَلَا النُّورُ
﴿٢٠﴾
35: 20. Nor are the depths of Darkness and the Light;
وَلَا
الظِّلُّ وَلَا
الْحَرُورُ
﴿٢١﴾
35: 21. Nor are the (chilly) shade and the (genial) heat of the sun:
وَمَا
يَسْتَوِي
الْأَحْيَاء
وَلَا الْأَمْوَاتُ...
35: 22. Nor are alike those that are living and those that are dead.
C3905. The final contrast is between the Living and the Dead;
those whose future has in it the promise of growth and fulfilment, and those who are inert and on the road to perish.
With Allah everything is possible: He can give Life to the Dead. But the human Teacher should not expect that people who are (spiritually) dead and buried will by any chance hear his call.
... إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَاء...
Allah can make any that He wills to hear;
... وَمَا أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِي الْقُبُورِ ﴿٢٢﴾
but thou canst not make those to hear who are (buried) in graves.
إِنْ
أَنتَ إِلَّا
نَذِيرٌ ﴿٢٣﴾
35: 23. Thou art no other than a warner.
C3906. The function of a Prophet is to preach Allah's Truth, to point out the right Way, to show men the need of repentance, and to warn them against the dangers which they incur by living a life of evil. He cannot compel them to accept the Truth or listen to the Message
Asad’s Version:
35:19 For [thus it is:] the blind and the seeing are not equal;
(35:20) nor are the depths of darkness and the light;
(35:21) nor the [cooling) shade and the scorching heat:
(35:22) and neither are equal the living and the dead [of heart]. Behold, [O Muhammad] God can make hear whomever He wills, whereas thou canst not make hear such as are [dead of heart like the dead] in their graves:
(35:23) thou art nothing but a warner.