God is the Best and Sufficient Witness
3. Sura al-Imran
Medina 89 [200 verses]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
قُلْ
يَا أَهْلَ
الْكِتَابِ
لِمَ تَكْفُرُونَ
بِآيَاتِ اللّهِ...
3: 98. Say:
"O People of the Book! why reject ye the signs of Allah,
...وَاللّهُ شَهِيدٌ عَلَى مَا تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٩٨﴾
when Allah is Himself witness to all ye do?
قُلْ
يَا أَهْلَ
الْكِتَابِ
لِمَ تَصُدُّونَ
عَن سَبِيلِ
اللّهِ مَنْ
آمَنَ تَبْغُونَهَا
عِوَجًا وَأَنتُمْ
شُهَدَاء...
3: 99. Say:
"O ye People of the Book!
why obstruct ye those who believe, from the path of Allah, seeking to make it crooked, while ye were yourselves witnesses (to Allah's Covenant)?
C426. Cf. 3:81.
...وَمَا
اللّهُ بِغَافِلٍ
عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
﴿٩٩﴾
But Allah is not unmindful of all that ye do."
Pickthall’s Version:
3: 98
Pickthall Say: O People of the Scripture! Why disbelieve ye in the revelations of Allah, when Allah (Himself) is Witness of what ye do?
Transliteration Qul ya_ ahlal kita_bi lima takfuru_na bi a_ya_tilla_hi walla_hu syahidun 'ala_ ma_ ta'malu_n(a).
3: 99
Pickthall Say: O People of the Scripture! Why drive ye back believers from the way of Allah, seeking to make it crooked, when ye are witnesses (to Allah's guidance)? Allah is not unaware of what ye do.
Transliteration Qul ya_ ahlal kita_bi lima tasuddu_na 'an sabililla_hi man a_mana tabgu_naha_ 'iwajaw wa antum syuhada_'(u), wa malla_hu bi ga_filin 'amma_ ta'malu_n(a).
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4. Sura an-Nisa
Medina 92 [Hijra 4]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version
مَّا
أَصَابَكَ مِنْ
حَسَنَةٍ فَمِنَ
اللّهِ وَمَا
أَصَابَكَ مِن
سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِن
نَّفْسِكَ...
4: 79. Whatever good, (O man!) happens to thee, is from Allah; but whatever evil happens to thee, is from thy (own) soul.
... وَأَرْسَلْنَاكَ لِلنَّاسِ رَسُولاً ...
And We have sent thee as a Messenger to (instruct) mankind:
C598. To blame a man of God for our misfortunes is doubly unjust. For he comes to save us from misfortune, and it is because we flout him or pay no heed to him, that our own rebellion, brings its own punishment.
If we realise this truth we shall be saved from two sins:
1. the sin of injustice to Allah's Messengers, who come for our good, and not for our harm:
2. the sin of not realising our own shortcomings or rebellion, and thus living in spiritual darkness.
If the Message is from Allah, that carries its own authority:
"enough is Allah for a witness."
... وَكَفَى بِاللّهِ شَهِيدًا ﴿٧٩﴾
and enough is Allah for a witness.
لَّـكِنِ
اللّهُ يَشْهَدُ
بِمَا أَنزَلَ
إِلَيْكَ أَنزَلَهُ
بِعِلْمِهِ
وَالْمَلآئِكَةُ...
4: 166. But Allah beareth witness that what He hath sent unto thee He hath sent from His (Own) Knowledge, and the angels bear witness:
C672. Inspiration, though it is clothed in human language, and shaped to the personality of the inspired one, proceeds from the knowledge of Allah. (R).
... يَشْهَدُونَ وَكَفَى بِاللّهِ شَهِيدًا ﴿١٦٦﴾
but enough is Allah for a Witness.
4: 79
Asad Whatever good happens to you is from God; and whatever evil befalls thee is from yourself [note 94]. And We have sent you [O Muhammad] as an apostle unto all mankind: and none can bear witness [thereto] as God does.
Pickthall Whatever of good befalleth thee ( O man ) it is from Allah, and whatever of ill befalleth thee it is from thyself. We have sent thee ( Muhammad ) as a messenger unto mankind and Allah is sufficient as witness.
Ma_ asa_baka min hasanatin faminalla_h(i), wa ma_ asa_baka min sayyi'atin famin nafsik(a), wa arsalna_ka linna_si rasu_la_(n), wa kafa_ billa_hi syahida_(n).
4: 166
Asad However it be, God [Himself] bears witness to the truth of what He has bestowed from on high upon thee: out of His own wisdom has He bestowed it from on high, with the angels bearing witness thereto- although none can bear witness as God does.
Pickthall But Allah (Himself) testifieth concerning that which He hath revealed unto thee; in His knowledge hath He revealed it; and the Angels also testify. And Allah is sufficient witness.
Transliteration La_kinilla_hu yasyhadu bima_ anzala ilaika anzalahu_ bi'ilmih(i), wal mala_'ikatu yasyhadu_n(a), wa kafa_ billa_hi syahida_(n).
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6. [al-Anam, Cattle Mecca 55]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
قُلْ
أَيُّ شَيْءٍ
أَكْبَرُ شَهَادةً...
6: 19. Say: "What thing is most weighty in evidence?"
...قُلِ اللّهِ شَهِيدٌ بِيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ ...
Say: "Allah is Witness between me and you:
...وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ لأُنذِرَكُم بِهِ وَمَن بَلَغَ...
this Qur'án hath been revealed to me by inspiration that I may warn you and all whom it reaches.
...أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَشْهَدُونَ أَنَّ مَعَ اللّهِ آلِهَةً أُخْرَى...
Can ye possibly bear witness that besides Allah there is another god?"
...قُل لاَّ أَشْهَدُ...
Say: "Nay! I cannot bear witness!"
...قُلْ
إِنَّمَا هُوَ
إِلَـهٌ وَاحِدٌ
وَإِنَّنِي
بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا
تُشْرِكُونَ
﴿١٩﴾
Say: "But in truth He is the One Allah, and I truly am innocent of (your blasphemy of) joining others with Him.
Other Versions:
6: 19
Asad Say:”What could most weightily bear witness to the truth?” Say: “God is witness between me and you; and this Quran has been revealed unto me so that on the strength thereof I might warn you and all whom it may reach.”……………
Pickthall Say (O Muhammad) : What thing is of most weight in testimony? Say: Allah is witness between you and me. And this Qur'an hath been inspired in me, that I may warn therewith you and whomsoever it may reach. Do ye in truth bear witness that there are gods beside Allah? Say: I bear no such witness. Say: He is only One God. Lo! I am innocent of that which ye associate (with Him).
Transliteration Qul ayyu syai'in akbaru syaha_dah(tan), qulilla_h(u), syahidum baini wa bainakum, wa u_hiya ilayya ha_zal qur'a_nu li unzirakum bihi wa mam balag(a), a'innakum latasyhadu_na anna ma'alla_hi a_lihatan ukhra_, qul la_ asyhad(u), qul innama_ huwa ila_huw wa_hiduw wa innani bari'um mimma_ tusyriku_n(a).
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10. Surah Yunus, Mecca 51
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَيَوْمَ
نَحْشُرُهُمْ
جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ
نَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ
أَشْرَكُواْ
مَكَانَكُمْ
أَنتُمْ وَشُرَكَآؤُ...
10: 28. One Day shall We gather them all together. Then shall We say to those who joined gods (with Us):
"To your place! ye and those ye joined as 'partners.'"
...كُمْ فَزَيَّلْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ...
We shall separate them,
...وَقَالَ شُرَكَآؤُهُم مَّا كُنتُمْ إِيَّانَا تَعْبُدُونَ ﴿٢٨﴾
and their "partners" shall say: "It was not us that ye worshipped!"
C1418. The false gods are not real: they are only the figments of the imaginations of those who indulged in the false worship.
But the prophets or great or good men whose names were vainly taken in competition with the name of Allah, and the personified Ideas or Idols treated in the same way would themselves protest against their names being used in that way, and show that the worship was paid not to them, but to the ignorance or superstition or selfish lusts of the false worshippers.
فَكَفَى
بِاللّهِ شَهِيدًا
بَيْنَنَا
وَبَيْنَكُمْ
إِن كُنَّا عَنْ
عِبَادَتِكُمْ
لَغَافِلِينَ ﴿٢٩﴾
10: 29. "Enough is Allah for a witness between us and you: we certainly knew nothing of your worship of us!
C1419. See last note.
They did not even know that they were being falsely worshipped in that way.
وَمَا تَكُونُ
فِي شَأْنٍ
وَمَا تَتْلُو
مِنْهُ مِن
قُرْآنٍ...
10: 61. In whatever business thou mayest be, and whatever portion thou mayest be reciting from the Qur'án --
...وَلاَ تَعْمَلُونَ مِنْ عَمَلٍ إِلاَّ كُنَّا عَلَيْكُمْ شُهُودًا إِذْ تُفِيضُونَ فِيهِ...
and whatever deed ye (mankind) may be doing --
We are Witnesses thereof when ye are deeply engrossed therein.
...وَمَا يَعْزُبُ عَن رَّبِّكَ مِن مِّثْقَالِ ذَرَّةٍ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلاَ فِي السَّمَاء...
Nor is hidden from thy Lord (so much as) the weight of an atom on the earth or in heaven.
...وَلاَ أَصْغَرَ مِن ذَلِكَ وَلا أَكْبَرَ إِلاَّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴿٦١﴾
And not the least and not the greatest of these things but are recorded in a clear Record.
C1450. There is nothing that men can do but Allah is a witness to it. We may be deeply engrossed in some particular thing and for the time being be quite unconscious of other things. But Allah's knowledge not only comprehends all things, but has all things actively before it.
Nothing is hidden from Him. And His knowledge has another quality which human knowledge has not.
Human knowledge is subject to time, and is obliterated by time. Allah's knowledge is like a Record and endures for ever. And His Record has a further quality which human records have not. The most permanent human record may be quite intelligible to those who make it but may be ambiguous to others and may become unintelligible with the progress of time, as happens almost invariably to the most enduring inscriptions from very ancient times: but in Allah's "Record" or knowledge there is no ambiguity, for it is independent of time, or place, This is the force of Mubin ("clear") here.
Other Versions:
10: 28
Pickthall On the day when We gather them all together, then We say unto those who ascribed partners (unto Us): Stand back, ye and your (pretended) partners (of Allah)! And We separate them, the one from the other, and their (pretended) partners say: It was not us ye worshipped.
Transliteration Wa yauma nahsyuruhum jami'an summa naqu_lu lillazina asyraku_ maka_nakum antum wa syuraka_'ukum, fa zayyalna_ bainahum wa qa_la syuraka_'uhum ma_ kuntum iyya_na_ ta'budu_n(a).
10: 29
Pickthall Allah sufficeth as a witness between us and you, that we were unaware of your worship.
Transliteration Fakafa_ billa_hi syahidam bainana_ wa bainakum in kunna_ 'an 'iba_datikum laga_filin(a).
10: 61
Pickthall And thou (Muhammad) art not occupied with any business and thou recitest not a lecture from this (Scripture), and ye ( mankind) perform no act, but We are Witness of you when ye are engaged therein. And not an atom's weight in the earth or in the sky escapeth your Lord, nor what is less than that or greater than that, but it is (written) in a clear Book.
Yuksel You do not engage in any business, nor do you recite any from the Quran, nor do you do any work; without us being witnesses over you when you undertake it. Nothing is hidden from your Lord, not even an atom’s weight on earth or in the heavens, nor smaller than that nor larger, but is in a clear book.
Transliteration Wa ma_ taku_nu fi sya'niw wa ma_ tatlu_ minhu min qur'a_niw wa la_ ta'malu_na min 'amalin illa_ 'alaikum syuha_dan iz tufidu_na fih(i), wa ma_ ya'zubu 'ar rabbika mim misqa_li zarratin fil ardi wa la_ fis sama_'i wa la_ asgara min za_lika wa la_ akbara illa_ fi kita_bim mubin(in).
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17. [al-Israa, Mecca 50 ]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
قُلْ كَفَى
بِاللّهِ شَهِيدًا
بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ...
17: 96. Say:
"Enough is Allah for a witness between me and you:
C2301. 'If you want a real witness, it is not these sorts of fancy miracles, but the witness of the true ever-living God. Purify your hearts, and ask Him in true contrition and repentance, and He will guide you and show you the Way'. (R).
...إِنَّهُ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِ خَبِيرًا بَصِيرًا ﴿٩٦﴾
for He is well-acquainted with His servants, and He sees (all things)."
Other Versions:
17: 96
Qul kafa_ billa_hi syahidam baini wa bainakum, innahu_ ka_na bi'iba_dihi khabiram basira_(n).
Asad Say: ”None can bear witness between me and you as God does: verily, fully aware is He of His creatures, and He sees all.”
Pickthall Say: Allah sufficeth for a witness between me and you Lo! He is Knower, Seer of His slaves.