Sura- 6 [Al Anam mecca 55]

The Quranic text and Ali’s version:

أَوَ مَن كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَاهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِي النَّاسِ...

6:122. Can he who was dead, to whom We gave life, and a Light whereby he can walk amongst men,

...كَمَن مَّثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا...

be like him who is in the depths of darkness, from which he can never come out?

...كَذَلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٢٢﴾

Thus to those without faith their own deeds seem pleasing.

وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَا فِي كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ أَكَابِرَ مُجَرِمِيهَا لِيَمْكُرُواْ فِيهَا...

6:123. Thus have We placed leaders in every town, its wicked men, to plot (and burrow) therein:

...وَمَا يَمْكُرُونَ إِلاَّ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴿١٢٣﴾

but they only plot against their own souls, and they perceive it not.

Asad’s Version:

6:122 ……[But] thus it is: goodly seem all their own doings to those who deny the truth.

Other versions:

Yusuf Ali Can he who was dead to whom We gave life and a Light whereby he can walk amongst men be like him who is in the depths of darkness from which he can never come out? Thus to those without faith their own deeds seem pleasing.

Pickthall Is he who was dead and We have raised him unto life, and set for him a light wherein he walketh among men, as him whose similitude is in utter darkness whence he cannot emerge? Thus is their conduct made fair-seeming for the disbelievers.

Transliteration Awaman ka_na maitan fa ahyaina_hu wa ja'alna_ lahu_ nu_ray yamsyi bihi fin na_si kaman masaluhu_ fiz zuluma_ti laisa bi kha_rijim minha_, kaza_lika zuyyina lilka_firina ma_ ka_nu_ ya'malu_n(a).

6: 123

Asad And it is in this way that We cause the great ones in every land to become its [greatest] evildoers [note 109], there to weave their schemes: yet it is only against that they scheme – and they perceive it not.

Yusuf Ali Thus have We placed leaders in every town its wicked men to plot (and burrow) therein: but they only plot against their own souls and they perceive it not.

Pickthall And thus have We made in every city great ones of its wicked ones, that they should plot therein. They do but plot against themselves, though they perceive not.

Transliteration Wa kaza_lika ja'alna_ fi kulli qaryatin aka_bira mujrimiha_ liyamkuru_ fiha_, wa ma_ yamkuru_na illa_ bi anfusihim wa ma_ yasy'uru_n(a).

[[ Asad’s notes - 108 Lit., "whereby he walks among men". All the commentators agree in that the expression "he who was dead" is metaphorical, and that it refers to people who become spiritually alive through faith and are thereupon able to pursue their way through life unerringly.

109 Because the consciousness of their importance makes them more or less impervious to

criticism, the "great ones" are, as a rule, rather less inclined than other people to question the moral aspects of their own behaviour; and the resulting self-righteousness only too often causes them to commit grave misdeeds. ]]