Sura 25, al-Furqan, Mecca 42
The Quranic text and Ali’s version
وَما
أَرْسَلْنَا
قَبْلَكَ مِنَ
الْمُرْسَلِينَ
إِلَّا إِنَّهُمْ
لَيَأْكُلُونَ
الطَّعَامَ...
25:20. And the messengers whom We sent before thee were all (men) who ate food
... وَيَمْشُونَ فِي الْأَسْوَاقِ...
and walked through the streets:
... وَجَعَلْنَا بَعْضَكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ فِتْنَةً ...
We have made some of you as a trial for others:
C3076. In Allah's universal Plan, each unit or thing serves a purpose.
If some are rich, the poor should not envy them: it may be that the rich man's proximity is itself a trial of their virtue.
If some are poor, the righteous rich should not despise or neglect them: it may be that their coming within their sight is a trial for the real feeling of charity or brotherly love in the rich.
If A is bad-tempered or persecutes or ill-uses B, it may be an opportunity for B to show his patience or humility or his faith in the ultimate prevalence of justice and truth.
Whatever our experiences with other human beings may be, we must make them subserve the ends of our spiritual improvement and perhaps theirs too.
... أَتَصْبِرُونَ...
will ye have patience?
... وَكَانَ رَبُّكَ بَصِيرًا ﴿٢٠﴾
For Allah is One Who sees (all things).
Asad’s version
25:20 [al-Furqan, Mecca 42]
AND [even] before thee, [O Muhammad,] We never sent as Our message-bearers any but [mortal men,] who indeed ate food [like other human beings] and went about in the market- places: for [it is thus that] We cause you [human beings] to be a means of testing one another. "
Are you 17 able to endure [this test] with patience? For [remember, O man,] thy Sustainer is truly all-seeing!
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[[Asad’s notes - 17 I.e., "you men" or, more specifically, "you whom the message of the Qur'an has reached". ]]