66. Surah Al Tahrim

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ...   

66: 6.    O ye who believe!

C5538. Note how we have been gradually led up in admonition from two Consorts to all consorts, to all women, to all Believers, and to all men and women. We must carefully guard not only our own conduct, but the conduct of our families, and of all who are near and dear to us. For the issues are most Serious, and the consequences of a fall are most terrible.

... قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ ...

save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones,

C5539. "A Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones."

Cf. 2:24.

This is a terrible Fire: not merely like the physical fire which burns wood or charcoal or substances like that, and consumes them. This Fire will have for its fuel men who do wrong and are as hard hearted as stones, or stone Idols as symbolical of all the unbending Falsehoods in life.

...عَلَيْهَا مَلَائِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ ...

over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe,

C5540. Cf. 74:31.

We think of the angel nature as gentle and beautiful, but in another aspect perfection includes justice, fidelity, discipline, and the firm execution Of duty according to lawful commands. So, in the attributes of Allah Himself, Justice and Mercy, Kindness and Correction are not contradictory but complementary. An earthly ruler will be unkind to his loyal subjects if he does not punish evil-doers.

... لَا يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ ﴿٦﴾

who flinch not (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do (precisely) what they are commanded.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَا تَعْتَذِرُوا الْيَوْمَ ...

66: 7.     (They will say), "O ye Unbelievers!

make no excuses this day!

إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٧﴾

Ye are being but requited for all that ye did!"

C5541. 'This is no hardship or injustice imposed on you. It is all but the fruit of your own deeds; the result of your own deliberate choice.'

Asad’s Version:

66:6 O YOU who have attained to faith! Ward off from yourselves and those who are close to you" that fire [of the hereafter] whose fuel is human beings and stones: 12 [lording] over it are angelic powers awesome [and] severe," who do not disobey God in whatever He has commanded them, but [always] do what they are bidden to do. 14

(66:7) [Hence,] O you who are bent on denying the truth, make no [empty] excuses today: 15 [in the life to come] you shall be but recompensed for what you were doing [in this world] .

[[ Asad’s notes - 12 See surah 2, note 16.

13 See 74:27 ff. and the corresponding notes, particularly notes 15 and 16, in which I have tried to explain the allegorical meaning of that passage.

14 I.e., these angelic powers are subject to the God-willed law of cause and effect which dominates the realm of the spirit no less than the world of matter.

1 5 I.e., "do not try to rationalize your deliberate denial of the truth" - the element of conscious intent being immplied in the past-tense phrase alladhina kafaru (see note 6 on 2:6). ]]