6. Sura al-Anam

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَإِن كَانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيْكَ إِعْرَاضُهُمْ...

6: 35. If their spurning is hard on thy mind,

...فَإِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَن تَبْتَغِيَ نَفَقًا فِي الأَرْضِ أَوْ سُلَّمًا فِي السَّمَاء فَتَأْتِيَهُم بِآيَةٍ...

yet if thou wert able to seek a tunnel in the ground or a ladder to the skies and bring them a Sign, (what good?).

C856. There were many signs of a divine Mission in the Prophet's life and in the Message which he delivered. If these did not convince the Unbelievers, was it not vain to seek a miraculous Sign from the bowels of the earth or by a visible ascent to the skies?

If in the Prophet's eagerness to get all to accept his Message he was hurt at their callousness, active opposition, and persecution of him, he is told that a full knowledge of the working of Allah's Plan would convince him that impatience was misplaced. This was in the days of persecution before the Hijrah. The history in Madinah and after shows how Allah's truth was ultimately and triumphantly vindicated. Who among the sincere devotees of Muhammad can fail to read 6:33-35 without tears in his eyes?

...وَلَوْ شَاء اللّهُ لَجَمَعَهُمْ عَلَى الْهُدَى فَلاَ تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ ﴿٣٥﴾

If it were Allah's will, He could gather them together unto true guidance:

so be not thou amongst those who are swayed by ignorance (and impatience)!

Asad’s Version:

6: 35 And if it distress you that those who deny the truth turn their backs on thee – why, then, if you are able to go down deep into the earth or to ascend a ladder unto heaven in order to bring them a message, but had God so willed, He would indeed have gathered them all unto [His] guidance. Do not, therefore allow yourself to ignore [God’s Ways].

6: 36 Only they who listen can respond to a call; and as for the dead, God can raise them from the dead, whereupon unto Him they shall return.