16.Sura al-Nahl

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَقِيلَ لِلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْاْ مَاذَا أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ...    

16: 30.  To the righteous (when) it is said, "What is it that your Lord has revealed?"

C2053. The contrast and parallelism is with 16:24, where the ungodly in their levity and their deliberate rejection of guidance find no profit from Allah's Revelation.

... قَالُواْ خَيْرًا... 

they say, "All that is good."

... لِّلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُواْ فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ... 

To those who do good, there is good in this world,

... وَلَدَارُ الآخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ... 

and the Home of the Hereafter is even better.

C2054. Unlike the ungodly, the good find good everywhere, -in this world and in the Hereafter; because they understand and are in accord with the truths around them.

... وَلَنِعْمَ دَارُ الْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٣٠﴾

And excellent indeed is the Home of the righteous --

جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ يَدْخُلُونَهَا تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ...   

16: 31.  Gardens of Eternity which they will enter:

beneath them flow (pleasant) rivers:

... لَهُمْ فِيهَا مَا يَشَآؤُونَ... 

they will have therein all that they wish:

... كَذَلِكَ يَجْزِي اللّهُ الْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٣١﴾ 

thus doth Allah reward the righteous --

الَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلآئِكَةُ طَيِّبِينَ...

16: 32.  (Namely) those whose lives the angels take in a state of purity,

C2055. In a state of purity: from the evils of this world, from want of faith and want of grace. Purity from such evil is the mark of true Islam, and those who die in such purity will be received into Felicity with a salutation of Peace.

... يَقُولُونَ سَلامٌ عَلَيْكُمُ ادْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٣٢﴾ 

saying (to them),

"Peace be on you; enter ye the Garden, because of the good which ye did (in the world)."

Other versions:

16: 30

Yusuf Ali To the righteous (when) it is said "What is it that your Lord has revealed?" they say "All that is good." To those who do good there is good in this world and the Home of the Hereafter is even better. And excellent indeed is the Home of the righteous

Pickthall And it is said unto those who ward off (evil): What hath your Lord revealed? They say Good: For those who do good in this world there is a good (reward) and the home of the Hereafter will be better. Pleasant indeed will be the home of those who ward off (evil).

Transliteration Wa qila lillazina-ttaqau ma_za_ anzala rabbukum, qa_lu_ khaira_(n), lillazina ahsanu_ fi ha_zihid dunya_ hasanah(tun), wa lada_rul a_khirati khair(un), wa lani'ma da_rul muttaqin(a),

16: 31

Yusuf Ali Gardens of Eternity which they will enter: beneath them flow (pleasant) rivers: they will have therein all that they wish: thus doth Allah reward the righteous

Pickthall Gardens of Eden which they enter, underneath which rivers flow, wherein they have what they will. Thus Allah repayeth those who ward off (evil),

Transliteration Janna_tu 'adniy yadkhulu_naha_ tajri min tahtihal anha_ru lahum fiha_ ma_ yasya_'u_n(a), kaza_lika yajzilla_hul muttaqin(a),

16: 32

Yusuf Ali (Namely) those whose lives the angels take in a state of purity saying (to them) "Peace be on you; enter ye the Garden because of the good which ye did (in the world)."

Pickthall Those whom the angels cause to die (when they are) good. They say: Peace be unto you! Enter the Garden because of what ye used to do.

Transliteration Allazina tatawaffa_humul mala_'ikatu tayyibin(a), yaqu_lu_na sala_mun 'alaikum-udkhulul jannata bima_ kuntum ta'malu_n(a).

48. Sura al-Fath

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

هُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ فِي قُلُوبِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ...

48: 4. It is He who sent down Tranquility into the hearts of the Believers,

C4869. The results were achieved by tranquility, calmness, and cool courage among the 1400 to 1500 unarmed men who accompanied the Prophet to Hudaybiyah and who were threatened with violence by the excited Quraish leaders of Makkah.

... لِيَزْدَادُوا إِيمَانًا مَّعَ إِيمَانِهِمْ ...

that they may Add Faith to their Faith;

C4870. It is a casuistical question to ask.

Are there degrees in Faith?

The plain meaning is that believers will see one Sign of Allah after another, and with each their Faith is confirmed. During all the long years of persecution and conflict they had Faith, but when they see their old enemies actually coming out to negotiate with them, their Faith is justified, fulfilled, and confirmed: and they turn in gratitude to Allah.

...وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ...

for to Allah belong the Forces of the heavens and the earth;

C4871. There are visible forces which you see in the physical world. Men fight with armed forces, and the Muslims had to defend themselves with arms also, and not without success.

But social, moral, and spiritual forces were fighting for them under Allah's command, and they were the real forces that established the Message of Islam and the position of its Leader and Preacher.

... وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا ﴿٤﴾

and Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom;

لِيُدْخِلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا...

48: 5. That He may admit the men and women who believe, to Gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein for aye,

C4872. This clause is coordinated to the previous clause, "'That they may add Faith to their Faith".

The intervening words, "For to Allah ... and Wisdom" are parenthetical. The third coordinate clause comes in the next verse, "And that He may punish ......

The skeleton construction will be, -Allah sends down calm courage to Believers in order that they may be confirmed in their Faith; that they may qualify for the Bliss of Heaven; and that the evil ones may receive the punishment they deserve."

...وَيُكَفِّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ عِندَ اللَّهِ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا ﴿٥﴾

and remove their ills from them;

and that is, in the sight of Allah, the highest achievement (For man)

Asad’s Version:

48:4 It is He who from on high has bestowed inner peace upon the hearts of the believers, so that –seeing that God's are all the forces of the heavens and the earth, and that God is all-knowing, truly wise they might grow yet more firm in their faith; 5

(48:5) [and] that He might admit the believers, both men and women, into gardens through which running waters flow, therein to abide, and that He might efface their [past bad] deeds: and that is, in the sight of God, indeed a triumph supreme!