Sura-5 [Al Maida Medina 112]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s version:

أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللّهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ...

5:40. Knowest thou not that to Allah (alone) belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth?

C743. Punishment really does not belong to mortals, but to Allah alone.

Only, in order to keep civil society together, and protect innocent people from crime, certain principles are laid down on which people can build up their criminal law. But we must always remember that Allah not only punishes but forgives, and forgiveness is the attribute which is more prominently placed before us.

It is not our wisdom that can really define the bounds of forgiveness or punishment, but His Will or Plan, which is the true standard of righteousness and justice.

... يُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاء وَيَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاء...

He punisheth whom He pleaseth, and He forgiveth whom He pleaseth:

... وَاللّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿٤٠﴾

and Allah hath power over all things.

يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ لاَ يَحْزُنكَ الَّذِينَ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْكُفْرِ ...

41. O Messenger!

let not those grieve thee, who race each other into unbelief:

C744. Two classes of men are meant, viz.,

- the Hypocrites and

- the Jews.

For both of them Al-Mustafa labored earnestly and assiduously, and it must have been a cause of great grief and disappointment to him that some among them showed so much insincerity, great grief an cunning, and hardness of heart.

These are types not yet extinct.

... مِنَ الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ آمَنَّا بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَلَمْ تُؤْمِن قُلُوبُهُمْ...

(whether it be) among those who say: "We believe" with their lips but whose hearts have no faith;

... وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ هِادُواْ سَمَّاعُونَ لِلْكَذِبِ سَمَّاعُونَ لِقَوْمٍ آخَرِينَ لَمْ يَأْتُوكَ...

or it be among the Jews, men who will listen to any lie, will listen even to others who have never so much as come to thee.

C745. There were men among the Jews who were eager to catch up any lie against the Prophet. They had their ears open even to tales from people who had never so much as come near to the Prophet.

If we understand "for" instead of "to" before "others" (for the Arabic word would bear both meanings), the sense will be:

They are keen listeners or spies for any lies they can catch; and they will act as spies for others (their Rabbis, etc.) who are in the background but to whom they carry false tales.

... يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ مِن بَعْدِ مَوَاضِعِهِ...

They change the words from their (right) times and places;

C746. Cf. 5:14.

The addition of the words min ba'di here suggests the change of words from their right times as well as places.

They did not deal honestly with their Law, and misapplied it, by distorting the meaning.

Or it may be that as tale-bearers they distorted the meaning by misrepresenting the context.

... يَقُولُونَ إِنْ أُوتِيتُمْ هَـذَا فَخُذُوهُ وَإِن لَّمْ تُؤْتَوْهُ فَاحْذَرُواْ...

they say, "If ye are given this, take it, but if not, beware!"

... وَمَن يُرِدِ اللّهُ فِتْنَتَهُ فَلَن تَمْلِكَ لَهُ مِنَ اللّهِ شَيْئًا...

If anyone's trial is intended by Allah, thou hast no authority in the least for him against Allah.

... أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُرِدِ اللّهُ أَن يُطَهِّرَ قُلُوبَهُمْ...

For such it is not Allah's will to purify their hearts.

... لَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا خِزْيٌ وَلَهُمْ فِي الآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿٤١﴾

For them there is disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter a heavy punishment.

Asad’s Version:

5:41

Asad O APOSTLE! Be not grieved by those who vie with one another in denying the truth: such as those [note 50] who say with their mouths, “We believe,” the while their hearts do not believe; and such of the Jewish faith as eagerly listen to any falsehood, eagerly listen to other people without having come to thee [for enlightenment] [note 51]. They distort the meaning of the [revealed] worlds, taking them out of their context, saying [to themselves], “If such-as-such [teaching] is vouchsafed unto you, accept it; but if it is not vouchsafed unto you, be on your guard!” [note 52]

[Be not grieved by them] for, if God wills anyone to be tempted to evil, you cannot in no wise prevail with God in his behalf [note 53].

It is they whose hearts God is not willing to cleanse. Theirs shall be ignominy in this world, and awesome suffering in the life to come.

Yusuf Ali O Apostle! let not those grieve thee who race each other into unbelief: (whether it be) among those who say: "We believe" with their lips but whose hearts have no faith; or it be among the Jews men who will listen to any lie will listen even to others who have never so much as come to thee. They change the words from their (right) times and places; they say "If ye are given this take it but if not beware:" If anyone's trial is intended by Allah thou hast no authority in the least for him against Allah. For such it is not Allah's will to purify their hearts. For them there is disgrace in this world and in the Hereafter a heavy punishment.

Pickthall O Messenger! Let not them grieve thee who vie one with another in the race to disbelief, of such as say with their mouths: "We believe," but their hearts believe not, and of the Jews: listeners for the sake of falsehood, listeners on behalf of other folk who come not unto thee, changing words from their context and saying: If this be given unto you, receive it but if this be not given unto you, then beware! He whom Allah doometh unto sin, thou (by thine efforts) wilt avail him naught against Allah. Those are they for whom the will of Allah is that He cleanse not their hearts. Theirs in the world will be ignominy, and in the Hereafter an awful doom;

Transliteration Ya_ ayyuhar rasu_lu la_ yahzunkal lazina yusa_ri'u_na fil kufri minal lazina qa_lu_ a_manna_ bi afwa_hihim wa lam tu'min qulu_buhum, wa minal lazina ha_du_ samma_'u_na lil kazibi samma_'u_na liqaumin a_kharin(a), lam ya'tu_k(a), yuharrifu_nal kalima mim ba'di mawa_di'ih(i), yaqu_lu_na in u_titum ha_za_ fa khuzu_hu wa illam tu'tauhu fahzaru_, wa may yuridilla_hu fitnatahu_ falan tamlika lahu_ minalla_hi syai'a_(n), ula_'ikal lazina lam yuridilla_hu ay yutahhira qulu_bahum, lahum fid dunya_ khizyuw wa lahum fil a_khirati 'aza_bun 'azim(un).