Sura-3 [Al-Imran, Medina 89 ]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s version:

مَّا كَانَ اللّهُ لِيَذَرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى مَآ أَنتُمْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّىَ يَمِيزَ الْخَبِيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ...

3:179. Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which ye are now, until He separates what is evil from what is good.

C481. The testing of good men by calamities and evil men by leaving them in the enjoyment of good things is part of the trials of Allah, in which some freedom of choice is left to man.

The psychological and subjective test is unfailing, and the separation is effected partly by the operation of the human wills, to which some freedom is allowed. But it must be effected, if only in the interests of the good.

...وَمَا كَانَ اللّهُ لِيُطْلِعَكُمْ عَلَى الْغَيْبِ ...

Nor will He disclose to you the secrets of the Unseen.

C482. Man in his weak state would be most miserable if he could see the secrets of the Future or the secrets of the Unseen. But things are revealed to him from time to time as may be expedient for him, by Messengers chosen for the purpose.

Our duty is to hold fast by faith and lead a good life.

... وَلَكِنَّ اللّهَ يَجْتَبِي مِن رُّسُلِهِ مَن يَشَاء...

But He chooses of His Messengers (for the purpose) whom He pleases.

...فَآمِنُواْ بِاللّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ ...

So believe in Allah and His Messengers:

...وَإِن تُؤْمِنُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ فَلَكُمْ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿١٧٩﴾

and if ye believe and do right, ye have a reward without measure

Asad’s Version:

3: 179

Asad It is not God’s will [O you who deny the truth] to abandon the believers to your way of life [note 136]: [and] to that end He will set apart the bad form the good. And it is not God’s will to give you insight into that which is beyond the reach to human perception: but [to that end] God elects whomsoever He wills from among his apostles [note 137]. Believe, then, in God and his apostles; for if you believe and are conscious of Him, a magnificent requital awaits you..

Yusuf Ali Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which ye are now until He separates what is evil from what is good. Nor will He disclose to you the secrets of the Unseen. But He chooses of his Apostles (for the purpose) whom He pleases. So believe in Allah and His Apostles: and if ye believe and do right ye have a reward without measure.

Pickthall It is not (the purpose) of Allah to leave you in your present state till He shall separate the wicked from the good. And it is not (the purpose of) Allah to let you know the unseen. But Allah choose of His messengers whom He will, (to receive knowledge thereof.) So believe in Allah and His messengers. If ye believe and ward off (evil), yours will be a vast reward.

Transliteration Ma_ ka_nalla_hu liyazaral mu'minina 'ala ma_ antum'alaihi hatta_ yamizal khabisa minat tayyib(i), wa ma_ ka_nalla_hu liyutli'akum'alal gaibi wa la_kinnalla_ha yajtabi mir rusulihi may yasya_'(u), fa a_minu_ billa_hi wa rusulih(i), wa in tu'minu_ wa tattaqu_ fa lakum ajrun 'azim(un).

[yamizal – means differentiate, root from majaya. khabisa means evil and tayyib means good ones]

[ Asad’s note 136: …………..people addressed here are “those who deny the truth” to whom the preceding passages refer. ]