14. Surah Ibrahim, Mecca 72

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

لِيَجْزِي اللّهُ كُلَّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ...   

14: 51.  That Allah may requite each soul according to its deserts;

C1929. Its deserts: i.e., according to what it earned by its own acts, good or evil, in its life of probation.

...إِنَّ اللّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ ﴿٥١﴾

and verily God is Swift in calling account.

Transliteration Liyajziyalla_hu kulla nafsim ma_ kasabat, innalla_ha sari'ul hisa_b(i).

هَـذَا بَلاَغٌ لِّلنَّاسِ وَلِيُنذَرُواْ بِهِ...   

14: 52.  Here is a Message for mankind: let them take warning therefrom,

...وَلِيَعْلَمُواْ أَنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَـهٌ وَاحِدٌ...

and let them know that He is (no other than) One Allah:

...وَلِيَذَّكَّرَ أُوْلُواْ الأَلْبَابِ ﴿٥٢﴾

let men of understanding take heed.

Transliteration Ha_za_ bala_gul lin na_si wa liyunzaru_ bihi wa liya'lamu_ annama_ huwa ila_huw wa_hiduw wa liyazzakkara ulul alba_b(i).

Pickthall’s Version:

14: 51

Pickthall That Allah may repay each soul what it hath earned. Lo! Allah is swift at reckoning.

14: 52

Pickthall This is a clear message for mankind in order that they may be warned thereby, and that they may know that He is only One God, and that men of understanding may take heed.

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[ Ali’s notes:

C1930.  Swift in calling to account: We can understand this in two significations.

1.      Let not the wicked think that because Allah, out of His infinite grace and mercy, grants respite, therefore the retribution will be slow in coming.

When the time comes in accordance with Allah's Plan and Wisdom, the retribution will come so swiftly that the ungodly will be surprised and they will wish they could get more respite (14:44).

2.     On the great Day of Reckoning, let it not be supposed that, because there will be millions of souls to be judged, there will be any delay in judgment as in a human tribunal.

It will be a new world and beyond the flight of Time. Or

if a metaphor from time as we conceive it in this world can be taken, it will all be as it were in the twinkling of an eye (16:77).

C1931. Here is another aspect of the Truth of Unity. Allah being One, all justice is of one standard, for Truth is one, and we see it as one as soon as the scales of phenomenal diversity fall from our eyes. The one true Reality then emerges.

Blessed are those who treasured this Truth in their souls already in their life of probation. ]