10. Surah Yunus
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَإِذَا
مَسَّ الإِنسَانَ
الضُّرُّ دَعَانَا
لِجَنبِهِ أَوْ
قَاعِدًا أَوْ
قَآئِمًا...
10: 12. When trouble toucheth a man, he crieth unto Us (in all postures) lying down on his side, or sitting, or standing.
C1399. Not only do men fail to use their respite: even those who have a superficial belief in Allah call on Him in their trouble but forget Him when He has relieved their trouble.
Their Faith is not strong enough to make them realise that all good proceeds from Allah. But in moments of trouble they use every position, literally and figuratively, to appeal to Him.
...فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهُ مَرَّ كَأَن لَّمْ يَدْعُنَا إِلَى ضُرٍّ مَّسَّهُ...
But when We have solved his trouble, he passeth on his way as if he had never cried to Us for a trouble that touched him!
...كَذَلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٢﴾
Thus do the deeds of transgressors seem fair in their eyes!
C1400. Those without Faith are selfish, and are so wrapped up in themselves that they think every good that comes to them is due to their own merits or cleverness. That is itself a cause of their undoing. They do not see their own faults.
وَلَقَدْ
أَهْلَكْنَا
الْقُرُونَ
مِن قَبْلِكُمْ
لَمَّا ظَلَمُواْ...
10: 13. Generations before you We destroyed when they did wrong:
...وَجَاءتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَمَا كَانُواْ لِيُؤْمِنُواْ...
their Messengers came to them with Clear Signs, but they would not believe!
...كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْقَوْمَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ ﴿١٣﴾
Thus do We requite those who sin!
ثُمَّ
جَعَلْنَاكُمْ
خَلاَئِفَ فِي
الأَرْضِ مِن
بَعْدِهِم
لِنَنظُرَ
كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٤﴾
10: 14. Then We made you heirs in the land after them, to see how ye would behave!
C1401. This is addressed to the Quraish in the first instance, for they had succeeded to the 'Ad and the Thamud heritage.
But the application is universal, and was true to the 'Abbasi Empire in the time of Harun-ar-Rashid, or the Muslim Empire in Spain or the Turkish Empire in its palmiest days, and indeed, apart from political power, to the Muslims and non-Muslims of our own days.
Other versions:
10:12
Asad And do not lie in ambush by every road [that leads to the truth , note 69], threatening and trying to turn away from God’s path all who believe in Him, and trying to make it appear crooked. ...............and behold what happened in the end to the spreaders of corruption
Yusuf Ali "And squat not on every road breathing threats hindering from the path of Allah those who believe in Him and seeking in it something crooked; but remember how ye were little and He gave you increase. And hold in your mind's eye what was the end of those who did mischief.
Pickthall Lurk not on every road to threaten (wayfarers), and to turn away from Allah's path him who believeth in Him, and to seek to make it crooked. And remember, when ye were but few, how He did multiply you. And see the nature of the consequence for the corrupters!
Transliteration Wa la_ taq'udu_ bikulli sira_tin tu_'idu_na wa tasuddu_na 'an sabililla_hi man a_mana bihi wa tabgu_naha_'iwaja_(n), wazkuru_ in kuntum qalilan fa kassarakum, wanzuru_ kaifa ka_na 'aqibatul mufsidin(a).
[[ Asad’s note – 69 – Thus Zamakhshari and Razi, stressing the metaphorical meaning of the above phrase. Cf. a similar expression, attributed to Satan, in verse 16 of this surah.]]
10: 13 [Yunus, Mecca 51]
Yusuf Ali Generations before you We destroyed when they did wrong: their Apostles came to them with Clear Signs but they would not believe! Thus do We requite those who sin!
Pickthall We destroyed the generations before you when they did wrong; and their messengers (from Allah) came unto them with clear proofs (of His Sovereignty) but they would not believe. Thus do We reward the guilty folk:
Transliteration Wa laqad ahlaknal quru_na min qablikum lamma_ zalamu_, wa ja_'athum rusuluhum bil bayyina_ti wa ma_ ka_nu_ liyu'minu_, kaza_lika najzil qaumal mujrimin(a).
10: 14
Yusuf Ali Then We made you heirs in the land after them to see how ye would behave!
Pickthall Then We appointed you viceroys in the earth after them, that We might see how ye behave.
Transliteration Summa ja'alna_kum khala_'ifa fil ardi mim ba'dihim liyanzura kaifa ta'malu_n(a).