42. Ash-Shura (Consultation)

Mecca Period

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَلَوْ شَاء اللَّهُ لَجَعَلَهُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَكِن يُدْخِلُ مَن يَشَاء فِي رَحْمَتِهِ...

42: 8. If Allah had so willed, He could have made them a single people; but He admits whom He will to His Mercy;

C4536. Cf. 5:51, and n. 761.

It is one of the Signs of Allah that He has made us different, that we may be tried in the exercise of our will, and that we may reach, through righteousness and Faith, our highest development, and enjoy His gifts of Mercy and Grace. But we must not become contentious, and fall into evil: we must understand our own limitations. Otherwise we shall lose His grace and protection.

...وَالظَّالِمُونَ مَا لَهُم مِّن وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ ﴿٨﴾

and the wrongdoers will have no protector nor helper.

أَمِ اتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاء...

42: 9. What!

Have they taken (for worship) protectors besides Him?

... فَاللَّهُ هُوَ الْوَلِيُّ وَهُوَ يُحْيِي المَوْتَى...

But it is Allah, He is the Protector, and it is He Who gives life to the dead:

C4537. There can be no greater ingratitude or blasphemy than to worship false gods, or to seek protection from things that have no power, when Allah-Who has power over all things-is always seeking to protect and cherish His creatures, and placing in their way all the means for attaining the best in them.

...وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿٩﴾

it is He Who has power over all things.

Asad’s Version:

42:8

Now had God so willed, He could surely have made them all one single community: 6 none the less, He admits unto His grace him that wills [to be admitted] 7 whereas the evildoers shall have none to protect them and none to succour them [on Judgment Day] .

42:9 Did they, perchance, [think that they could) choose protectors other than Him? But God alone is the Protector [of all that exists], since it is He alone who brings the dead to life, and He alone who has the power to will anything.