6. Sura al-Anam
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَلَقَدْ
أَرْسَلنَآ
إِلَى أُمَمٍ
مِّن قَبْلِكَ
...
6: 42. Before thee We sent (Messengers) to many nations
...فَأَخَذْنَاهُمْ بِالْبَأْسَاء وَالضَّرَّاء لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَضَرَّعُونَ ﴿٤٢﴾
and We afflicted the nations with suffering and adversity, that they might learn humility.
فَلَوْلا
إِذْ جَاءهُمْ
بَأْسُنَا
تَضَرَّعُواْ...
6: 43. When the suffering reached them from Us, why then did they not learn humility?
C861. Sorrow and suffering may (if we take them rightly) turn out to be the best gifts of Allah to us. According to the Psalms (94:12), "Blessed is the man whom Thou chastenest, O Lord!"
Through suffering we learn humility, the antidote to many vices and the fountain of many virtues. But if we take them the wrong way, we grumble and complain: we become faint-hearted; and Satan gets his opportunity to exploit us by putting forward the alluring pleasures of his Vanity Fair.
...وَلَـكِن قَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٤٣﴾
On the contrary their hearts became hardened, and Satan made their (sinful) acts seem alluring to them.
فَلَمَّا
نَسُواْ مَا
ذُكِّرُواْ
بِهِ فَتَحْنَا
عَلَيْهِمْ
أَبْوَابَ كُلِّ
شَيْءٍ...
6: 44. But when they forget the warning they had received, We opened to them the gates of all (good) things,
C862. Learning the inner truth of ourselves and the world presupposes a certain advanced stage of sensitiveness and spiritual development. There is a shallower stage, at which prosperity and the good things of life may teach us sympathy and goodness and cheerfulness like that of Mr. Cheeribyles in Dickens. In such cases the Message takes root. But there is another type of character which is puffed up in prosperity.
For them prosperity is a trial or even a punishment from the higher point of view. They go deeper and deeper into sin, until they are pulled up of a sudden, and then instead of being contrite they merely become desperate.
...حَتَّى إِذَا فَرِحُواْ بِمَا أُوتُواْ أَخَذْنَاهُم بَغْتَةً فَإِذَا هُم مُّبْلِسُونَ ﴿٤٤﴾
until, in the midst of their enjoyment of Our gifts, on a sudden, We called them to account, when lo! they were plunged in despair!
فَقُطِعَ
دَابِرُ الْقَوْمِ
الَّذِينَ
ظَلَمُواْ...
6: 45. Of the wrongdoers the last remnant was cut off.
...وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿٤٥﴾
Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher of the worlds.
C863. Allah's punishment of wrong-doers is a measure of justice, to protect the true and righteous from their depredations and maintain His righteous decrees. It is an aspect of His character which is emphasised by the epithet "Cherisher of the Worlds".
Other versions:
6: 42 [AL-Anam, Cattle, Mecca 55]
Asad And, indeed, We sent Our messages unto people before your time, [O Prophet,] and visited them with misfortune and hardship so that they humble themselves.
Yusuf Ali Before thee We sent (Apostles) to many nations and We afflicted the nations with suffering and adversity that they might learn humility.
Pickthall We have sent already unto peoples that were before thee, and We visited them with tribulation and adversity, in order that they might grow humble.
Transliteration Wa laqad arsalna_ ila_ umamim min qablika fa akhazna_hum bil ba'sa_'i wad darra_'i la'allahum yatadarra'u_n(a).
6: 43
Yusuf Ali When the suffering reached them from Us why then did they not learn humility? On the contrary their hearts became hardened and Satan made their (sinful) acts seem alluring to them.
Pickthall If only, when our disaster came on them, they had been humble! But their hearts were hardened and the devil made all that they used to do seem fair unto them!
Transliteration Fa lau la_ iz ja_'ahum ba'suna_ tadarra'u_ wa la_kin qasat qulu_buhum wa zayyana lahumusy syaita_nu ma_ ka_nu_ ya'malu_n(a).
6: 44
Asad …..they were broken in spirit [note 34];
Yusuf Ali But when they forget the warning they had received We opened to them the gates of all (good) things until in the midst of their enjoyment of Our gifts on a sudden We called them to account when lo! they were plunged in despair!
Pickthall Then, when they forgot that whereof they had been reminded, We opened unto them the gates of all things till, even as they were rejoicing in that which they were given, We seized them unawares, and lo! they were dumbfounded.
Transliteration Falamma_ nasu_ ma_ zukkiru_ bihi fatahna_ 'alaihim abwa_ba kulli syai'(in), hatta_ iza_ farihu_ bima_ u_tu_ akhazna_hum bagtatan fa iza_ hum mublisu_n(a).
[[ Asad’s note 34 –The verb ‘ablasa’ signifies “he despaired of all hope’ or ‘become broken in spirit’, (for the linguistic connection of this word the name of ‘iblis’, the Fallen Angel, see surah 7, note 10.
6: 45
Asad and [in the end ] the last remnant of those folk who had been bent on evildoing was wiped out [note 35]. For all praise is due to God, the Sustainer of all the worlds.
Yusuf Ali Of the wrong-doers the last remnant was cut off. Praise be to Allah the Cherisher of the worlds
Pickthall So of the people who did wrong the last remnant was cut off. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds!
Transliteration Faquti'a da_birul qaumil lazina zalamu_, wal hamdu lilla_hi rabbil 'a_lamin(a).
[[Asad’s note 35 – Lit., “cur off”. The above passage illustrates a phenomenon well known in history: namely, the inevitable social and moral disintegration of communities which have lost sight of spiritual truths.]]
[[ Ali’s notes
861 Sorrow and suffering may (if we take them rightly) turn out to be the best gifts of God to us. According to the Psalms (xciv. 12), "Blessed is the man whom Thou chastenest, O Lord!" Through suffering we learn humility, the antidote to many vices and the fountain of many virtues. But if we take them the wrong way, we grumble and complain: we become faint-hearted; and Satan gets his opportunity to exploit us by putting forward the alluring pleasures of his Vanity Fair. (6.43)
862 Learning the inner truth of ourselves and the world presupposes a certain advanced stage of sensitiveness and spiritual development. There is a shallower stage, at which prosperity and the good things of life may teach us sympathy and goodness and cheerfulness like that of Mr. Cheeribyles in Dickens. In such cases the Message takes root. But there is another type of character which is puffed up in prosperity. For them prosperity is a trial or even a punishment from the higher point of view. They go deeper and deeper into sin, until they are pulled up of a sudden, and then instead of being contrite they merely become desperate. (6.44)
863 God's punishment of wrong-doers is a measure of justice, to protect the true and righteous from their depredations and maintain His righteous decrees. It is an aspect of His character which is emphasized by the epithet "Cherisher of the Worlds." (6.45) ]]
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).
Other versions:
16: 36 [an-Nahl, Mecca 70]
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!
Yuksel We have sent a messenger to every nation: "You shall serve God and avoid transgression." Some of them were guided by God, and some of them deserved to be misguided. So travel in the land, and see how the punishment was of those who denied.
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).
22. Sura al-Hajj
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
فَكَأَيِّن
مِّن قَرْيَةٍ
أَهْلَكْنَاهَا
وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ...
22:45. How many populations have We destroyed, which were given to wrongdoing!
...فَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَى عُرُوشِهَا...
They tumbled down on their roofs.
C2823. The roofs fell in first, and the whole structure, walls and all, came tumbling after, as happens in ruins. The place was turned upside down.
...وَبِئْرٍ مُّعَطَّلَةٍ وَقَصْرٍ مَّشِيدٍ ﴿٤٥﴾
And how many wells are lying idle and neglected, and castles lofty and well-built!
C2824. In a dry country like Arabia, a well stands as a symbol for a living, flourishing population, and many place-names mean "the well of so-and-so" e.g., Bir 'Ali, a village just south of Madinah the quality of whose drinking water is famous, or Abyar Ibn Hassan, a noted stopping place on the road from Makkah to Madinah about 92 miles from Madinah.
أَفَلَمْ
يَسِيرُوا فِي
الْأَرْضِ...
22:46. Do they not travel through the land,
...فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَا أَوْ آذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا...
so that their hearts (and mind) may thus learn wisdom and their ears may thus learn to hear?
C2825. The word for "heart" in Arabic speech imports both the seat of intelligent faculties and understanding as well as the seat of affections and emotions.
Those who reject Allah's Message may have their physical eyes and ears, but their hearts are blind and deaf. If their faculties of understanding were active, would they not see the Signs of Allah's Providence and Allah's Wrath in nature around them and in the cities and ruins if they travel intelligently?
...فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَكِن تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ ﴿٤٦﴾
Truly it is not their eyes that are blind but their hearts which are in their breasts.
وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ
بِالْعَذَابِ
وَلَن يُخْلِفَ
اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ...
22:47. Yet they ask thee to hasten on the Punishment!
But Allah will not fail in His promise.
C2826. If Allah gives respite, those to whom it is given have a real chance of repentance and amendment. He will not curtail His promise of respite.
But on the other hand He has promised to call everyone to account for his deeds, and this involves justice and punishment for sin.
Hiis promise will also come true. It is foolish to try to hasten it. Time with Him is nothing. We keep count of time for our relative calculations. His existence is absolute, and not conditioned by Time or Place. What we call a thousand years may be nothing more than a day or a minute to Him.
...وَإِنَّ يَوْمًا عِندَ رَبِّكَ كَأَلْفِ سَنَةٍ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ ﴿٤٧﴾
Verily a day in the sight of thy Lord is like a thousand years of your reckoning.
وَكَأَيِّن
مِّن قَرْيَةٍ
أَمْلَيْتُ
لَهَا وَهِيَ
ظَالِمَةٌ ...
22:48. And to how many populations did I give respite, which were given to wrongdoing?
C2827. The argument begun in 22:45 is now rounded off and closed.
... ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهَا...
In the end I punished them.
...وَإِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ ﴿٤٨﴾
To Me is the destination (of all).
Asad’s Version:
22:45
And how many a township have We destroyed because it had been immersed in evildoing -
and now they [all] lie deserted, with their roofs caved in! And how many a well lies
abandoned, and how many a castle that [once] stood high!
22:46
Have they, then, never journeyed about the earth, letting their hearts gain wisdom, and causing
their ears to hear?" Yet, verily, it is not their eyes that have become blind - but blind have
become the hearts that are in their breasts!
22:47
And [so, O Muhammad,] they challenge thee to hasten the coming upon them of [God's] chastisement:" but God never fails to fulfil His promise - and, behold, in thy Sustainer's sight a day is like a thousand years of your reckoning."
(22:48) And to how many a community that was immersed in evildoing have I given rein for a while! But then I took it to task: for with Me is all journeys' end!
