Supreme Law-Design-Plan

6. [al-Anam, Cattle Mecca 55]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

إِنَّ مَا تُوعَدُونَ لآتٍ ...

6: 134. All that hath been promised unto you will come to pass:

C956. Both the good news and the warning which Allah's messengers came to give will be fulfilled. Nothing can stop Allah's Universal Plan.

See n. 947 to 6:125.

... وَمَا أَنتُم بِمُعْجِزِينَ ﴿١٣٤﴾

nor can ye frustrate it (in the least bit).

قُلْ يَا قَوْمِ اعْمَلُواْ عَلَى مَكَانَتِكُمْ إِنِّي عَامِلٌ...

6: 135. Say:

"O my people! do whatever ye can: I will do (my part):

C957. In so far as this is addressed to the Unbelievers it is a challenge:

"Do your utmost; nothing will deter me from my duty: we shall see who wins in the end."

Passing from the particular occasion, we can understand it in a more general sense, which is true for all time. Let the evil ones do their worst. Let those who believe do all they can, according to their opportunities and abilities.

The individual must do the straight duty that lies before him. In the end Allah will judge, and His Judgement is always true and just.

...فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَن تَكُونُ لَهُ عَاقِبَةُ الدِّارِ...

soon will ye know who it is whose end will be (best) in the Hereafter:

...إِنَّهُ لاَ يُفْلِحُ الظَّالِمُونَ ﴿١٣٥﴾

certain it is that the wrongdoers will not prosper."

وَجَعَلُواْ لِلّهِ مِمِّا ذَرَأَ مِنَ الْحَرْثِ وَالأَنْعَامِ نَصِيبًا...

6: 136. Out of what Allah hath produced in abundance in tilth and in cattle, they assigned Him a share:

...فَقَالُواْ هَـذَا لِلّهِ بِزَعْمِهِمْ وَهَـذَا لِشُرَكَآئِنَا...

they say, according to their fancies: "This is for Allah, and this for our 'partners'"!

C958. There is scathing sarcasm here, which some of the Commentators have missed.

The Pagans have generally a big Pantheon, though above it they have a vague idea of a Supreme God. But the material benefits go to the godlings, the fancied "partners" of Allah; for they have temples, priests, dedications, etc., while the true and supreme God has only lip-worship, or at best a share with numerous "partners". This was so in Arabia also.

The shares assigned to the "partners", went to the priests and hangers-on of the "partners", who were many and clamorous for their rights. The share assigned to Allah went to the poor, but more probably went to the priests who had the cult of the "partners", for the Supreme God had no separate priests of His own.

It is also said that when heaps were thus laid out, if any portion of Allah's heap fell into the heaps of the "partners", the priests greedily and promptly appropriated it, while in the contrary case, the "partners" priests were careful to reclaim any portion from what they called "Allah's heap".

The absurdity of the whole thing is ridiculed. Allah created everything: how can He have a share?

...فَمَا كَانَ لِشُرَكَآئِهِمْ فَلاَ يَصِلُ إِلَى اللّهِ...

But the share of their 'partners' reacheth not Allah,

...وَمَا كَانَ لِلّهِ فَهُوَ يَصِلُ إِلَى شُرَكَآئِهِمْ ...

whilst the share of Allah reacheth their 'partners'!

...سَاء مَا يَحْكُمُونَ ﴿١٣٦﴾

Evil (and unjust) is their assignment!

Asad’s Version:

6: 134Verily, that [reckoning] which you are promised is bound to come, and you cannot elude it!

6: 135 Say: ‘O my [unbelieving ] people! Do yet all that may be within your power, [while] I, behold, shall labor [in God’s way]; and in time you will come to know to whom the future belongs. Verily, never will evildoers attain to a happy state!” Asad

6: 136 “.....Certain it is that the wrongdoers will not prosper.” Ali