6. Sura al-Anam
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَلَقَدْ
أَرْسَلنَآ
إِلَى أُمَمٍ
مِّن قَبْلِكَ
...
6: 42. Before thee We sent (Messengers) to many nations
...فَأَخَذْنَاهُمْ بِالْبَأْسَاء وَالضَّرَّاء لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَضَرَّعُونَ ﴿٤٢﴾
and We afflicted the nations with suffering and adversity, that they might learn humility.
فَلَوْلا
إِذْ جَاءهُمْ
بَأْسُنَا
تَضَرَّعُواْ...
6: 43. When the suffering reached them from Us, why then did they not learn humility?
C861. Sorrow and suffering may (if we take them rightly) turn out to be the best gifts of Allah to us. According to the Psalms (94:12), "Blessed is the man whom Thou chastenest, O Lord!"
Through suffering we learn humility, the antidote to many vices and the fountain of many virtues. But if we take them the wrong way, we grumble and complain: we become faint-hearted; and Satan gets his opportunity to exploit us by putting forward the alluring pleasures of his Vanity Fair.
...وَلَـكِن قَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٤٣﴾
On the contrary their hearts became hardened, and Satan made their (sinful) acts seem alluring to them.
فَلَمَّا
نَسُواْ مَا
ذُكِّرُواْ
بِهِ فَتَحْنَا
عَلَيْهِمْ
أَبْوَابَ كُلِّ
شَيْءٍ...
6: 44. But when they forget the warning they had received, We opened to them the gates of all (good) things,
C862. Learning the inner truth of ourselves and the world presupposes a certain advanced stage of sensitiveness and spiritual development. There is a shallower stage, at which prosperity and the good things of life may teach us sympathy and goodness and cheerfulness like that of Mr. Cheeribyles in Dickens. In such cases the Message takes root. But there is another type of character which is puffed up in prosperity.
For them prosperity is a trial or even a punishment from the higher point of view. They go deeper and deeper into sin, until they are pulled up of a sudden, and then instead of being contrite they merely become desperate.
...حَتَّى إِذَا فَرِحُواْ بِمَا أُوتُواْ أَخَذْنَاهُم بَغْتَةً فَإِذَا هُم مُّبْلِسُونَ ﴿٤٤﴾
until, in the midst of their enjoyment of Our gifts, on a sudden, We called them to account, when lo! they were plunged in despair!
فَقُطِعَ
دَابِرُ الْقَوْمِ
الَّذِينَ
ظَلَمُواْ...
6: 45. Of the wrongdoers the last remnant was cut off.
...وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿٤٥﴾
Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher of the worlds.
C863. Allah's punishment of wrong-doers is a measure of justice, to protect the true and righteous from their depredations and maintain His righteous decrees. It is an aspect of His character which is emphasised by the epithet "Cherisher of the Worlds".
Other versions:
6: 42
Asad And, indeed, We sent Our messages unto people before your time, [O Prophet,] and visited them with misfortune and hardship so that they humble themselves.
Yusuf Ali Before thee We sent (Apostles) to many nations and We afflicted the nations with suffering and adversity that they might learn humility.
Pickthall We have sent already unto peoples that were before thee, and We visited them with tribulation and adversity, in order that they might grow humble.
Transliteration Wa laqad arsalna_ ila_ umamim min qablika fa akhazna_hum bil ba'sa_'i wad darra_'i la'allahum yatadarra'u_n(a).
6: 43
Yusuf Ali When the suffering reached them from Us why then did they not learn humility? On the contrary their hearts became hardened and Satan made their (sinful) acts seem alluring to them.
Pickthall If only, when our disaster came on them, they had been humble! But their hearts were hardened and the devil made all that they used to do seem fair unto them!
Transliteration Fa lau la_ iz ja_'ahum ba'suna_ tadarra'u_ wa la_kin qasat qulu_buhum wa zayyana lahumusy syaita_nu ma_ ka_nu_ ya'malu_n(a).
6: 44
Asad …..they were broken in spirit [note 34];
Yusuf Ali But when they forget the warning they had received We opened to them the gates of all (good) things until in the midst of their enjoyment of Our gifts on a sudden We called them to account when lo! they were plunged in despair!
Pickthall Then, when they forgot that whereof they had been reminded, We opened unto them the gates of all things till, even as they were rejoicing in that which they were given, We seized them unawares, and lo! they were dumbfounded.
Transliteration Falamma_ nasu_ ma_ zukkiru_ bihi fatahna_ 'alaihim abwa_ba kulli syai'(in), hatta_ iza_ farihu_ bima_ u_tu_ akhazna_hum bagtatan fa iza_ hum mublisu_n(a).
[[ Asad’s note 34 –The verb ‘ablasa’ signifies “he despaired of all hope’ or ‘become broken in spirit’, (for the linguistic connection of this word the name of ‘iblis’, the Fallen Angel, see surah 7, note 10.
6: 45
Asad and [in the end ] the last remnant of those folk who had been bent on evildoing was wiped out [note 35]. For all praise is due to God, the Sustainer of all the worlds.
Yusuf Ali Of the wrong-doers the last remnant was cut off. Praise be to Allah the Cherisher of the worlds
Pickthall So of the people who did wrong the last remnant was cut off. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds!
Transliteration Faquti'a da_birul qaumil lazina zalamu_, wal hamdu lilla_hi rabbil 'a_lamin(a).
[[Asad’s note 35 – Lit., “cur off”. The above passage illustrates a phenomenon well known in history: namely, the inevitable social and moral disintegration of communities which have lost sight of spiritual truths.]]
[[ Ali’s notes
861 Sorrow and suffering may (if we take them rightly) turn out to be the best gifts of God to us. According to the Psalms (xciv. 12), "Blessed is the man whom Thou chastenest, O Lord!" Through suffering we learn humility, the antidote to many vices and the fountain of many virtues. But if we take them the wrong way, we grumble and complain: we become faint-hearted; and Satan gets his opportunity to exploit us by putting forward the alluring pleasures of his Vanity Fair. (6.43)
862 Learning the inner truth of ourselves and the world presupposes a certain advanced stage of sensitiveness and spiritual development. There is a shallower stage, at which prosperity and the good things of life may teach us sympathy and goodness and cheerfulness like that of Mr. Cheeribyles in Dickens. In such cases the Message takes root. But there is another type of character which is puffed up in prosperity. For them prosperity is a trial or even a punishment from the higher point of view. They go deeper and deeper into sin, until they are pulled up of a sudden, and then instead of being contrite they merely become desperate. (6.44)
863 God's punishment of wrong-doers is a measure of justice, to protect the true and righteous from their depredations and maintain His righteous decrees. It is an aspect of His character which is emphasized by the epithet "Cherisher of the Worlds." (6.45) ]]