2. Surah al-Baqara, Medina 87
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
أُولَـئِكَ
لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ
مِّمَّا كَسَبُواْ
وَاللّهُ سَرِيعُ
الْحِسَابِ
﴿٢٠٢﴾
2: 202. To these will be allotted what they have earned, and Allah is quick in account.
C225. Our spiritual account is counting up, both on the debit and credit side. In worldly accounts, both our profits and our losses may be delayed. But in Allah's books there is no delay. Our actions go before us.
Other Versions:
2: 202
Asad it is these that shall have their portion [of happiness] in return for what they have earned. And God is swift in reckoning.
Pickthall For them there is in store a goodly portion out of that which they have earned. Allah is swift at reckoning.
Transliteration Ula_'ika lahum nasibum mimma_ kasabu_, walla_hu syari'ul hisa_b(i).
Wazkurulla_ha fi ayya_mim ma'du_da_t(in), fa man ta'ajjala fi yaumaini fa la_ isma 'alaih(i), fa manta'akhkhara fa la_ isma 'alaih(i), li manit taqa_, wattaqulla_ha wa'lamu_ annakum ilaihi tuhsyaru_n(a).
[ Ali’s note - 225 Our spiritual account is counting up, both on the debit and credit side. In worldly accounts, both our profits and our losses may be delayed. But in God's books there is no delay. Our actions go before us. (See ii. 95. n) (2.202) ]
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3. Sura al-Imran
Medina 89 [200 verses]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
إِنَّ
الدِّينَ عِندَ
اللّهِ الإِسْلاَمُ
...
3: 19. The Religion before Allah is Islam (submission to His will):
...وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ الَّذِينَ أُوْتُواْ الْكِتَابَ إِلاَّ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءهُمُ الْعِلْمُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ...
nor did the People of the Book dissent therefrom except through envy of each other, after knowledge had come to them.
C359. Baghyan:
- through envy,
- through selfish contumacy or obstinacy,
- through sheer contrary-mindedness, or desire to resist or rebel.
...وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِآيَاتِ اللّهِ فَإِنَّ اللّهِ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ ﴿١٩﴾
But if any deny the Signs of Allah, Allah is swift in calling to account.
3: 19
Pickthall Lo! religion with Allah (is) The Surrender (to His will and guidance). Those who (formerly) received the Scripture differed only after knowledge came unto them, through transgression among themselves. Whoso disbelieveth the revelations of Allah (will find that) Lo! Allah is swift at reckoning.
Transliteration Innad dina 'indalla_hil isla_m(u), wa makhtalafal lazina u_tul kita_ba illa_ mim ba'di ma_ ja_'ahumul 'ilmu bagyam bainahum, wa may yakfur bi a_ya_tilla_hi fa innalla_ha sari'ul hisa_b(i).
[ Ali’s note - 359 Bagyan: through envy, through selfish contumacy or obstinacy, through sheer contrary-mindedness, or desire to resist or rebel. Cf. ii. 90, and ii. 213. (3.19) ]
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14. Surah Ibrahim, Mecca 72
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
لِيَجْزِي
اللّهُ كُلَّ
نَفْسٍ مَّا
كَسَبَتْ...
14: 51. That Allah may requite each soul according to its deserts;
C1929. Its deserts: i.e., according to what it earned by its own acts, good or evil, in its life of probation.
...إِنَّ اللّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ ﴿٥١﴾
and verily Allah is Swift in calling account.
C1930. Swift in calling to account: We can understand this in two significations.
1. Let not the wicked think that because Allah, out of His infinite grace and mercy, grants respite, therefore the retribution will be slow in coming.
When the time comes in accordance with Allah's Plan and Wisdom, the retribution will come so swiftly that the ungodly will be surprised and they will wish they could get more respite (14:44).
2. On the great Day of Reckoning, let it not be supposed that, because there will be millions of souls to be judged, there will be any delay in judgment as in a human tribunal.
It will be a new world and beyond the flight of Time. Or
if a metaphor from time as we conceive it in this world can be taken, it will all be as it were in the twinkling of an eye (16:77).
Pickthall’s Version:
14: 51
Pickthall That Allah may repay each soul what it hath earned. Lo! Allah is swift at reckoning.
Transliteration Liyajziyalla_hu kulla nafsim ma_ kasabat, innalla_ha sari'ul hisa_b(i).
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40. Ghafir (Forgiving)/al mumin
Mecca 60 [85 verses]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
الْيَوْمَ
تُجْزَى
كُلُّ
نَفْسٍ
بِمَا
كَسَبَتْ...
40:17 That Day will every soul be requited for what it earned;
... لَا ظُلْمَ الْيَوْمَ ...
no injustice will there be that Day,
... إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ ﴿١٧﴾
for Allah is Swift in taking account.
C4380. Swift in several senses;
- the time of the present life or of the interval before Judgment. i.e., before the restoration of true values, is so short as compared to Eternity, that it may be counted as negligible: in the next verse the Day is characterized as "(ever) drawing near";
- in spite of the great concourse of souls to be judged, the process of Judgment will be almost instantaneous, "in the twinkling of an eye" (16:77), because everything is already known to Allah; and yet not the least injustice will be done.
وَأَنذِرْهُمْ
يَوْمَ الْآزِفَةِ
إِذِ الْقُلُوبُ
لَدَى الْحَنَاجِرِ
كَاظِمِينَ...
40: 18. Warn them of the Day that is (ever) drawing near, when the Hearts will (come) right up to the Throats to choke (them);
C4381. Hearts will come right up to the Throats to choke them:
an idiom implying that the whole of their life-functions will be choked up with terror.
But a more subtle meaning emerges from further analysis.
The heart (or the breast) is the seat of affection, emotion, and every kind of feeling, such as terror, pain, despair, etc. These things will as it were overflow right up to the throat and choke it. The throat is the vehicle for the voice; their voice will be choked, and they will be able to say nothing. The throat is the channel for food, which goes to the stomach and maintains a healthy functioning of life; the choking means that the healthy functioning will stop, and there will be nothing but woe.
... مَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ حَمِيمٍ وَلَا شَفِيعٍ يُطَاعُ ﴿١٨﴾
no intimate friend nor intercessor will the wrongdoers have, who could be listened to.
C4382. In that enforcement of personal responsibility, what sympathy or intercession can the wrong-doers get?
Is Hamim in any way connected with the Abbreviated letters Ha Mim attached to this Surah?
See Introduction.
يَعْلَمُ
خَائِنَةَ
الْأَعْيُنِ
...
40: 19. (Allah) knows of (the tricks) that deceive with the eyes,
C4383. Men may be taken in by tricks that deceive with the eyes, but Allah's perfect knowledge penetrates through all mysteries.
"Deceive with the eyes" may mean several things;
- a sleight of hand (literally or figuratively) may deceive in respect of the eyes of beholders, for the things that they see do not actually happen;
- it may be the deceiver's own eyes that play false, because, for example, they show love when hatred is meant; or
- it may be that the eyes of the beholder play him false, in that he sees things that he should not see, and thus sins with his eyes.
... وَمَا تُخْفِي الصُّدُورُ ﴿١٩﴾
and all that hearts (of men) conceal.
C4384. Here we come into the region of evil motives and thoughts which may be concealed in the hearts, breast, or mind, but which are all perfectly known to Allah.
Asad’s Version:
40:17 On that Day will every human being be requited for what he has earned: no wrong [will be done] on that Day: verily, swift in reckoning is God!
(40:18) Hence, warn them of that Day which draws ever nearer, when the hearts will chokingly come up to the throats: no loving friend will the evildoers have, nor any intercessor who would be heeded: 15
(40:19) [for] He is aware of the [most] stealthy glance, and of all that the hearts would conceal. 14
[[ Asad’s notes - 14 God's omniscience is shown here as the reason why there can be no "intercession" with Him in the commonly-accepted sense of this term (cf surah 10, note 27).
15 I.e., saints, whether real or imaginary, or angels. (The pronoun alladhina is used only with reference to sentient beings endowed with reason.)]]