7. Sura al-Araf
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَبَيْنَهُمَا
حِجَابٌ...
7: 46. Between them shall be a veil,
...وَعَلَى الأَعْرَافِ رِجَالٌ يَعْرِفُونَ كُلاًّ بِسِيمَاهُمْ...
and on the heights will be men who would know everyone by his marks:
C1025. This is a difficult passage, and Commentators have interpreted it in different ways. Three distinct schools of thought may be discerned in the interpretation.
1. One school thinks that the men on the Heights are angels, or such men of exalted spiritual dignity (e.g., the great prophets), as will be able to know the souls at sight as regards their real worth:
the Heights will be their exalted stations, from which they will welcome the righteous with a salutation of peace, even before the righteous have entered heaven; the salutation of peace being itself an assurance of salvation to those whom they salute.
2. Another school of thought thinks that the men on the Heights are such souls as are not decidedly on the side of merit or decidedly on the side of sin, but evenly balanced on a partition between heaven and hell.
Their case is yet to be decided, but their salutation to the righteous is a wistful salutation, because they hope for Allah's Mercy.
3. The third line of interpretation, with which I agree, is close to the first, with this exception, that the partition and the Heights are figurative. The higher souls will rejoice at the approaching salvation of the righteous.
...وَنَادَوْاْ أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ أَن سَلاَمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ...
they will call out to the companions of the garden, "Peace on you"
...لَمْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَهُمْ يَطْمَعُونَ ﴿٤٦﴾
they will not have entered, but they will have an assurance (thereof).
وَإِذَا
صُرِفَتْ
أَبْصَارُهُمْ
تِلْقَاء أَصْحَابِ
النَّارِ...
7: 47. When their eyes shall be turned towards the companions of the fire,
C1026. Their eyes: according to interpretation 2 of the last note, "their" would refer to the people whose fate has not yet been decided, and the speech would be theirs;
according to interpretations 1 and 3 in that note, "their" would refer to the Companions of the Garden, who would realise the terrible nature of hell, and express their horror of it. I prefer the latter.
Then the mention of the "men on the Heights" and their speech in verse 48 comes in naturally as a different kind of speech from a different kind of men.
...قَالُواْ رَبَّنَا لاَ تَجْعَلْنَا مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿٤٧﴾
they will say: "Our Lord! send us not to the company of the wrongdoers."
Other versions:
7: 46
Asad And between the two there will be a barrier [note 36]
Yusuf Ali Between them shall be a veil and on the heights will be men who would know everyone by his marks: they will call out to the companions of the garden "peace on you" they will not have entered but they will have an assurance (thereof.)
Pickthall Between them is a veil. And on the Heights are men who know them all by their marks. And they call unto the dwellers of the Garden: Peace be unto you! They enter it not although they hope (to enter).
Transliteration Wa bainahuma_ hija_b(un), wa'alal a'ra_fi rija_luy ya'rifu_na kullam bi sima_hum, wa na_dau asha_bal jannati an sala_mun 'alaikum, lam yadkhulu_ha_ wa hum yal'abu_n(a).
[[ Asad’s note 36- The word “hijab” denotes anything that intervenes as an obstacle between things or conceals one thing from another; it is used in both an abstract and a concrete sense.
37 – The term “al-a’raf” occurs in the Quran only twice namely, in the above verse and in verse 48. It is the plural of ‘urf’, which primarily denotes “acknowledgement” or “discernment” …….. ]]
7: 47
Yusuf Ali When their eyes shall be turned towards the companions of the fire they will say: "Our Lord! send us not to the company of the wrong- doers."
Pickthall And when their eyes are turned toward the dwellers of the Fire, they say: Our Lord! Place us not with the wrongdoing folk.
Transliteration Wa iza_ surifat absa_ruhum tilqa_'a asha_bin na_r(i), qa_lu_ rabbana_ la_ taj'alna_ ma'al qaumiz za_limin(a).
[[ Alis notes - 1025 This is a difficult passage, and Commentators have interpreted it in different ways. Three distinct schools of thought may be discerned in the interpretation. (1) One school thinks that the men on the Heights are angels, or such men of exalted spiritual dignity (e.g., the great prophets), as will be able to know the souls at sight as regards their real worth: the Heights will be their exalted stations, from which they will welcome the righteous with a salutation of peace, even before the righteous have entered heaven; the salutation of peace being itself an assurance of salvation to those whom they salute. (2) Another school of thought thinks that the men on the Heights are such souls as are not decidedly on the side of merit or decidedly on the side of sin, but evenly balanced on a partition between heaven and hell. Their case is yet to be decided, but their salutation to the righteous is a wistful salutation, because they hope for Allah's Mercy. (7.46)
1026 Their eyes: according to interpretation (2) of the last note, "their" would refer to the people whose fate has not yet been decided, and the speech would be theirs; according to interpretations (1) and (3) in that note, "their" would refer to the Companions of the Garden, who would realise the terrible nature of hell, and express their horror of it. I prefer the latter. Then the mention of the "men on the Heights" and their speech in verse 48 comes in naturally as a different kind of speech from a different kind of men. (7.47) ]]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَالَّذِينَ
كَسَبُواْ
السَّيِّئَاتِ
جَزَاء سَيِّئَةٍ
بِمِثْلِهَا ...
10: 27. But those who have earned evil will have a reward of like evil:
C1416. Note that the evil reward is for those who have "earned" evil, i.e., brought it on themselves by the deliberate choice of evil.
Further, in the justice of Allah, they will be requited with evil similar to, and not greater in quantity or intensity, than the evil they had done,-unlike the good, who, in Allah's generosity, get a reward far greater than anything they have earned or could possibly earn.
... وَتَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ...
ignominy will cover their (faces):
...مَّا لَهُم مِّنَ اللّهِ مِنْ عَاصِمٍ...
no defender will they have from (the wrath of) Allah:
...كَأَنَّمَا أُغْشِيَتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ قِطَعًا مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ مُظْلِمًا...
their faces will be covered, as it were, with pieces from the depth of the darkness of Night:
C1417. Night is the negation of Light and metaphorically of joy and felicity. The intensive is indicated by "the depth of the darkness of Night."
...أُوْلَـئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ ﴿٢٧﴾
they are Companions of the Fire:
they will abide therein (for aye)!
Other versions:
10: 27
Yusuf Ali But those who have earned evil will have a reward of like evil: ignominy will cover their (faces): no defender will they have from (the wrath of) Allah: their faces will be covered as it were with pieces from the depth of the darkness of Night: they are Companions of the Fire: they will abide therein (for aye)!
Pickthall And those who earn ill deeds, (for them) requital of each ill deed by the like thereof; and ignominy overtaketh them. They have no protector from Allah. As if their faces had been covered with a cloak of darkest night. Such are rightful owners of the Fire; they will abide therein.
Yuksel As for those who earn evil, the recompense of evil will be evil like it, and they will be humiliated. They do not have any besides God as a protector. It is as if their faces have been covered by a piece of darkness from the night. These are the people of the fire, in it they will abide.
Transliteration Wallazina kasabus sayyi'a_ti jaza_'u sayyi'atim bi misliha_, wa tarhaquhum zillah(tun), ma_ lahum minalla_hi min 'a_sim(in), ka annama_ ugsyiyat wuju_huhum qita'am minal laili muzlima_(n), ula_'ika asha_bun na_r(i), hum fiha_ kha_lidu_n(a).
27. Surah Al-naml
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
مَن
جَاء بِالْحَسَنَةِ
فَلَهُ خَيْرٌ
مِّنْهَا...
27: 89. If any do good, good will (accrue) to them therefrom;
...وَهُم مِّن فَزَعٍ يَوْمَئِذٍ آمِنُونَ ﴿٨٩﴾
and they will be secure from terror that Day.
Asad’s Version:
27:89 Whoever shall come [before Him] with a good deed will gain [further] good therefrom; 7 ' and they will be secure from the terror of that Day. (27:90) But they who shall come with evil deeds 80 - their faces will be thrust into the fire, [and they will be asked:] "Is this aught but a just requital 81 for what you were doing [in life]?"