28. Surah Al-Qasad (The Story)

Mecca Period 49

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِكِتَابٍ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ هُوَ أَهْدَى مِنْهُمَا أَتَّبِعْهُ...

28: 49. Say:

"Then bring ye a Book from Allah, which is a better Guide than either of them, that I may follow it!

...إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ﴿٤٩﴾

(Do), if ye are truthful!"

فَإِن لَّمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا لَكَ فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا يَتَّبِعُونَ أَهْوَاءهُمْ...

28: 50. But if they hearken not to thee, know that they only follow their own lusts:

C3383. They were challenged to produce something better, to be a guide in life. But as they could not, it was evident that their objections were fractious. They were only following their own selfish lusts of power, monopoly, and exploitation of the poor and ignorant.

How can such people receive guidance?

...وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنِ اتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ بِغَيْرِ هُدًى مِّنَ اللَّهِ...

and who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts, devoid of guidance from Allah?

...إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿٥٠﴾

For Allah guides not people given to wrongdoing.

وَلَقَدْ وَصَّلْنَا لَهُمُ الْقَوْلَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿٥١﴾

28: 51. Now have We caused the word to reach them themselves, in order that they may receive admonition.

C3384. Before this the Quraish might have said that the Word of Allah had come to the Hebrews in their tongue or in Greek, which was used by the Hebrews in the time of Jesus. Now that Word is brought to their own doors, in their own Arabic tongue, by a man of their own race and family. Surely they have no excuse now for remaining strangers to the higher moral and spiritual law.

الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِهِ هُم بِهِ يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿٥٢﴾

28: 52. Those to whom We sent the Book before this -- they do believe in this (Revelation);

وَإِذَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِهِ...

28: 53. And when it is recited to them, they say:

"We believe therein,

...إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّنَا... ...

for it is the Truth from our Lord:

...إِنَّا كُنَّا مِن قَبْلِهِ مُسْلِمِينَ ﴿٥٣﴾

indeed we have been Muslims (bowing to Allah's Will) from before this."

C3385. There were Christians and Jews who recognised that Islam was a logical and natural development of Allah's revelations as given in earlier ages, and they not only welcomed and accepted Islam, but claimed, and rightly, that they had always been Muslims.

In that sense Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus had all been Muslims. (R).

Asad’s Version:

28:49 Say: "Produce, then, [another] revelation from God which would offer better guidance than either of these two 49 - [and) I shall follow it, if you speak the truth!"

28:50 And since they cannot respond to this thy challenge, 50 know that they are following only their own likes and dislikes: and who could be more astray than he who follows [but) his own likes and dislikes without any guidance from God? Verily, God does not grace with His guidance people who are given to evildoing!

28:51 NOW, INDEED, We have caused this word [of Ours] to reach mankind step by step, 51 so that they might [learn to] keep it in mind.

(28:52) As for those unto whom We have vouchsafed revelation aforetime - they [are bound to] believe in this one [as well]; 52

(28:53) and whenever it is [clearly] conveyed unto them, they [are bound to] profess, "We have come to believe in it, for, behold, it is the truth from our Sustainer - and, verily, even before this have we surrendered ourselves unto Him!"

[[ Asad’s notes - 49 I.e., the Torah and the Qur'an. The Gospel is not mentioned in this context because, as Jesus himself had stressed, his message was based on the Law of Moses, and was not meant to displace the latter.

50 Lit., "if they do not respond to thee", implying that they are unable to accept the above challenge. ]]

[[Asad’s notes :

49 I.e., the Torah and the Qur'an. The Gospel is not mentioned in this context because, as Jesus himself had stressed, his message was based on the Law of Moses, and was not meant to displace the latter.

50 Lit., "if they do not respond to thee", implying that they are unable to accept the above challenge.

51 Lit., "We have caused this word to reach them gradually" : this meaning is implied in the verbal form wassalna; which - like the grammatically identical form nazzalna - points to the gradual, step-by-step revelation of the Qur'an during the twenty-three years of Muhammad's prophetic ministry.

52 This is both a statement of historical fact - alluding to conversions of Jews and Christians in Muhammad's lifetime - and a prophecy. It must, however, be understood that, in the above context, God's "vouchsafing" revelation implies a conscious, sincere acceptance of its teachings by those to whom it has been conveyed: for it is this sincerity that has enabled them - or will enable them to realize that the Qur'an preaches the same ethical truths as those forthcoming from earlier revelations. (Cf. 26:196-197 and the corresponding notes 83-85.)

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