16.Sura al-Nahl

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الطَّاغُوتَ...   

16: 36.  For We assuredly sent amongst every People a Messenger, (with the Command),

"Serve Allah and eschew Evil":

C2060. Even though Allah's Signs are everywhere in Nature and in men's own conscience, yet in addition Allah has sent human Messengers to every People to call their attention to the Good and turn them from Evil.

So they cannot pretend that Allah has abandoned them or that He does not care what they do. His divine Grace always invites their will to choose the right.

... فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى اللّهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلالَةُ... 

of the people were some whom Allah guided, and some on whom Error became inevitably (established).

C2061. While some people accept the guidance of the divine Grace, others so surrender themselves to Evil that it must necessarily follow that Evil obtains a grip over them. They have only to travel through Time or Space to see the end of those who abandoned their lights and surrendered to Evil and Error.

For haqqat and the meaning of haqq in this connection cf. 15:64.

... فَسِيرُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ فَانظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ ﴿٣٦﴾ 

So travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who denied (the Truth).

إِن تَحْرِصْ عَلَى هُدَاهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يَهْدِي مَن يُضِلُّ...   

16: 37.  If thou art anxious for their guidance, yet Allah guideth not such as He leaves to stray,

C2062. When once Allah's Grace is rejected by any one, such a person loses all help and guidance. Such persons are then outside Allah's Grace, and therefore they are outside guidance.

... وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ ﴿٣٧﴾ 

and there is none to help them.

Other versions:

16: 36

Asad ……..go, then about the earth and behold what happened in the end to those who gave the live to the truth!

Yusuf Ali For We assuredly sent amongst every People an apostle (with the Command) "Serve Allah and eschew Evil": of the people were some whom Allah guided and some on whom Error became inevitably (established). So travel through the earth and see what was the end of those who denied (the Truth).

Pickthall And verily We have raised in every nation a messenger, (proclaiming): Serve Allah and shun false gods. Then some of them (there were) whom Allah guided, and some of them (there were) upon whom error had just hold. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for the deniers!

Transliteration Wa laqad ba'asna_ fi kulli ummatir rasu_lan an-i'budulla_ha wa-jtanibu_t ta_gu_t(a), fa minhum man hadalla_hu wa minhum man haqqat 'alaihid dala_lah(tu), fa siru_ fil ardi fa-nzuru_ kaifa ka_na 'a_qibatul mukazzibin(a).

16: 37

Yusuf Ali If thou art anxious for their guidance yet Allah guideth not such as He leaves to stray and there is none to help them.

Pickthall Even if thou (O Muhammad) desirest their right guidance, still Allah assuredly will not guide him who misleadeth. Such have no helpers.

Transliteration In tahris 'ala_ huda_hum fa innalla_ha la_ yahdi may yudillu wa ma_ lahum min na_sirin(a).