Sura-3 [Al-Imran, Medina 89 ]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s version

فَاسْتَجَابَ لَهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ...

3:195. And their Lord hath accepted of them, and answered them:

...أَنِّي لاَ أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَامِلٍ مِّنكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَى بَعْضُكُم مِّن بَعْضٍ...

"Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female:

ye are members, one of another;

C500. In Islam the equal status of the sexes is not only recognised but insisted on. If sex distinction, which is a distinction in nature, does not count in spiritual matters, still less of course would count artificial distinctions, such as rank, wealth, position, race, colour, birth, etc,

...فَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُواْ وَأُخْرِجُواْ مِن دِيَارِهِمْ وَأُوذُواْ فِي سَبِيلِي وَقَاتَلُواْ وَقُتِلُواْ...

those who have left their homes, or been driven out therefrom, or suffered harm in My cause, or fought or been slain,

...لأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَلأُدْخِلَنَّهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ ...

verily, I will blot out from them their iniquities, and admit them into gardens with rivers flowing beneath;

... ثَوَابًا مِّن عِندِ اللّهِ...

a reward from the presence of Allah,

C501. Here, and in 3:198 below, and in many places elsewhere, stress is laid on the fact that whatever gift, or bliss will come to the righteous, its chief merit will be that it proceeds from Allah Himself.

"Nearness to Allah" expresses it better than any other symbol.

...وَاللّهُ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ الثَّوَابِ ﴿١٩٥﴾

and from His presence is the best of rewards."

Asad’s Version:

3: 195 And thus does their Sustainer answer their prayer: “I shall not lose sight of the labors [in My way], be it man or woman: each of you is an issue of the other [note 150]. Hence as for those who forsake the domain of evil [151], and are driven from their homelands, and suffer hurt in My cause, and fight [for it], and are slain – I shall most certainly efface their bad deeds, and shall most certainly bring them into gardens through which running waters flow, as a reward from God: for with God is the most beauteous of rewards.”

Yusuf Ali And their Lord hath accepted of them and answered them: "Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you be he male or female: ye are members one of another; those who have left their homes or been driven out there from or suffered harm in My cause or fought or been slain verily I will blot out from them their iniquities and admit them into gardens with rivers flowing beneath; a reward from the presence of Allah and from His presence is the best of rewards."

Pickthall And their Lord hath heard them (and He saith): Lo! I suffer not the work of any worker, male or female, to be lost. Ye proceed one from another. So those who fled and were driven forth from their homes and suffered damage for My cause, and fought and were slain, verily I shall remit their evil deeds from them and verily I shall bring them into Gardens underneath which rivers flow. A reward from Allah. And with Allah is the fairest of rewards.

Transliteration Fastaja_ba lahum rabbuhum anni la_ udi'u 'amala'a_milim minkum min zakarin au unsa_, ba'dukum mim ba'd(in), fallazina ha_jaru_ wa ukhriju_ min diya_rihim wa u_zu_ fi sabili wa qa_talu_ wa qutilu_ la'ukaffiranna'anhum sayyi'a_tihim wa la'udkhilannahum janna_tin tajri min tahtihalanha_r(u), sawa_bam min'indilla_h(i), walla_hu'indahu_ husnus sawa_b(i).

[[ Asad’s note 150 – I.e., “you all are members of one and the same human race, and therefore equal to one another.” ]

[[ Ali’s notes - 500 In Islam the equal status of the sexes is not only recognized but insisted on. If sex distinction, which is a distinction in nature, does not count in spiritual matters, still less of course would count artificial distinctions, such as rank, wealth, position, race, color, birth, etc, (3.195)

501 Here, and in iii. 198 below, and in many places elsewhere, stress is laid on the fact that whatever gift, or bliss will come to the righteous, its chief merit will be that it proceeds from Allah Himself. "Nearness to Allah" expresses it better than any other term. (3.195) ]]