58. Al-Mujadalah (The Pleading)

Medina Period [105]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ...

58:7.     Seest thou not that Allah doth know (all) that is in the heavens and on earth?

...مَا يَكُونُ مِن نَّجْوَى ثَلَاثَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ رَابِعُهُمْ ...

There is not a secret consultation between three, but He makes the fourth among them,

C5341. Secrecy is a relative and limited term among ourselves. There is nothing hidden or unknown to Allah. Usually secrecy implies fear or distrust, plotting or wrong-doing. But all is open before Allah's sight.

... وَلَا خَمْسَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ سَادِسُهُمْ...

nor between five but He makes the sixth,

...وَلَا أَدْنَى مِن ذَلِكَ وَلَا أَكْثَرَ إِلَّا هُوَ مَعَهُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كَانُوا...

nor between fewer nor more, but He is in their midst wheresoever they be:

...ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا عَمِلُوا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ ﴿٧﴾

in the end will He tell them the truth of their conduct, on the Day of Judgment for Allah has full knowledge of all things.

Asad’s Version:

58:7 ART THOU NOT aware that God knows all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth? Never can there be a secret confabulation between three persons without His being the fourth of them, nor between five without His being the sixth of them; and neither between less than that, or more, without His being with them wherever they may be. But in the end, on Resurrection Day, He will make them truly understand what they did: for, verily, God has full knowledge of everything.