16. Sura al-Nahl, Mecca 70
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَعَلَى
الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ
حَرَّمْنَا
مَا قَصَصْنَا
عَلَيْكَ مِن
قَبْلُ...
16: 118. To the Jews We prohibited such things as We have mentioned to thee before:
The further prohibitions to them were a punishment for their hardness of hearts, and not a favour.
... وَمَا ظَلَمْنَاهُمْ وَلَـكِن كَانُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ ﴿١١٨﴾
We did them no wrong, but they were used to doing wrong to themselves.
ثُمَّ
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لِلَّذِينَ
عَمِلُواْ
السُّوءَ بِجَهَالَةٍ
ثُمَّ تَابُواْ
مِن بَعْدِ
ذَلِكَ وَأَصْلَحُواْ...
16: 119. But verily thy Lord, to those who do wrong in ignorance, but who thereafter repent and make amends,
... إِنَّ رَبَّكَ مِن بَعْدِهَا لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿١١٩﴾
thy Lord, after all this, is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
C2155. See above, 16:110 and n. 2147.
The parallelism in construction confirms the suggestion of the alternative reading which is made in that note.
The similarity of expressions also rounds off the argument, as by a refrain in poetry.
What follows now in this Surah is an exhortation to right conduct.
16: 118
Pickthall And unto those who are Jews We have forbidden that which We have already related unto thee. And We wronged them not, but they were wont to wrong themselves.
Yuksel For those who are Jews, We forbade what We narrated to you before. We did not wrong them, but it was themselves they used to wrong.
Transliteration Wa 'alal lazina ha_du_ harramna_ ma_ qasasna_ 'alaika min qabl(u), wa ma_ zalamna_hum wa la_kin ka_nu_ anfusahum yazlimu_n(a).
[[Ali’s note - 2152 Cf. ii. 173 and notes, v. 3-4, and vi. 121 and 138-146. (16.115)
2153 Men are apt to create taboos for themselves, out of superstition, and often for selfish ends, and enforce them in the name of religion. Nothing can be more reprehensible. (16.116)
2154 See vi. 146 and n. The further prohibitions to them were a punishment for their hardness of hearts, and not a favour. (16.118) ]]
16: 119
Pickthall Then lo! thy Lord for those who do evil in ignorance and afterward repent and amend--lo! (for them) thy Lord is afterward indeed Forgiving, Merciful.
Yuksel Yet, your Lord, to those who repent and reform after committing evil out of ignorance, your Lord after that is Forgiving, Compassionate
Transliteration Summa inna rabbaka lillazina 'amilus su_'a bi jaha_latin summa ta_bu_ mim ba'di za_lika wa aslahu_ inna rabbaka mim ba'diha_ lagafu_rur rahim(un).
[[ Ali’s note - 2155 See above, xvi. 110 and n. 2147. The parallelism in construction confirms the suggestion of the alternative reading which is made in that note. The similarity of expressions also rounds off the argument, as by a refrain in poetry. What follows now in this Sura is an exhortation to right conduct. (16.119) ]]