2. Surah al-Baqara, Medina 87
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَإِذْ
قَالَ مُوسَى
لِقَوْمِهِ
...
2: 54. And remember Moses said to his people:
... يَا قَوْمِ إِنَّكُمْ ظَلَمْتُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ بِاتِّخَاذِكُمُ الْعِجْلَ...
"O my people! Ye have indeed wronged yourselves by your worship of the calf,
... فَتُوبُواْ إِلَى بَارِئِكُمْ فَاقْتُلُواْ أَنفُسَكُمْ ...
so turn (in repentance) to your Maker, and slay yourselves (the wrongdoers);
... ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ عِندَ بَارِئِكُمْ ...
that will be better for you in the sight of your Maker."
... فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴿٥٤﴾
Then He turned toward you (in forgiveness);
for He is Oft-returning, Most Merciful.
Transliteration Wa iz qa_la mu_sa_ liqaumihi ya_ qaumi innakum zalamtum anfusakum bit tikha_zikumul 'ijla fa tu_bu_ ila_ ba_ri'ikum faqtulu_ anfusakum, za_likum khairul lakum 'inda baa_ri'ikum, fa ta_ba 'alaikum, innahu_ huwat tawwa_bur rahim(u).
2: 54
Asad and when Moses said unto his people: “O my people! Verily, you have sinned against yourselves by worshipping the calf; turn, then, in repentance to your Maker and mortify yourselves; this will be the best for you in your Maker’s sight.”
And thereupon He accepted your repentance: for, behold, He alone is the Acceptor of Repentance, the Disposer of Grace.
Pickthall And when Moses said unto his people: O my people! Ye have wronged yourselves by your choosing of the calf (for worship) so turn in penitence to your Creator, and kill (the guilty) yourselves. That will be best for you with your Creator and He will relent toward you. Lo! He is the Relenting, the Merciful.
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[Asad’s note 39: Lit., “Kill yourselves” or , according to some commentators, “kill one another”. This literal interpretation (probably based on the Biblical account in Exodus xxxii, 26-28) is not, however, convincing in view of the immediately preceding call to repentance and the subsequent statement that this repentance was accepted by God. I incline, therefore, to the interpretation given by “Abd al-Jabbar (quoted by Razi in his commentary on this verse) to the effect that the expression “kill yourselves” is used here I na metaphorical sense (majazan), i.e., “mortify yourselves”. ]
[ Ali’s note: 69 Moses' speech may be construed literally, as translated, in which case it reproduces Exod. xxxii 27-28 but in a much softened form, for the Old Testament says: "Go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor... and there fell of the people that day 3,000 men." A more spiritualized version would be that the order for slaying was given by way of trial, but was withdrawn, for God turned to them in forgiveness. A still more spiritualized way of construing it would be to take "anfusakum" as meaning "souls" not "selves". Then the sense of Moses' speech (abbreviated) would be: "By the worship of the calf you have wronged your own souls; repent: mortify (=slay) your souls now: it will be better in the sight of God." (2.54) ]
[ Ruby’s note: I think the original command was indeed to slay the guilt, but upon repentance and asking forgiveness, this was withdrawn and Jews were not slain. This is simple and I do not think a spiritual explanation or other interpretation is necessary here. Generally, God has given the right to choose the wrong path, the punishment of which is only by God and not by a human being here in this life. However, here God directly is acting through Moses. Moreover, in this especial case, where the Israelites were saved by God from a cruel bondage of Pharaoh through miracles and then only within a time period of 40 days they forgot and betrayed and did the worst thing believers can do, that is to worship an idol. This particular occasion where the people who did extreme betrayal and set a serious damaging example to the society collectively by disregarding the savior’s message may entitle this serious retribution. But then God forgave them after repentance almost instantly.]
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15. Surah Al Hijr
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
نَبِّىءْ
عِبَادِي أَنِّي
أَنَا الْغَفُورُ
الرَّحِيمُ ﴿٤٩﴾
15: 49. Tell My servants that I am indeed the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful;
C1979. We must realise both sides of Allah's attributes: His mercy, grace, and forgiveness are unbounded; if we reject all this, His justice and punishment will also be beyond all that we can conceive.
وَ
أَنَّ عَذَابِي
هُوَ الْعَذَابُ
الأَلِيمَ ﴿٥٠﴾
15: 50. And that My Penalty will be indeed the most grievous Penalty.
Pickthall’s Version:
15: 49
Pickthall Announce, (O Muhammad) unto My slaves that verily I am the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Transliteration Nabbi' 'iba_di anni anal gafu_rur rahim(u).
15: 50
Pickthall And that My doom is the dolorous doom.
Transliteration Wa anna 'aza_bi huwal 'aza_bul alim(u).
[ Asad note 36: In his commentary on the above two verses, Razi notes that the statement relating to God’s forgiveness and grace contains a threefold emphasis – expressed by the repetition of the personal pronoun “ana” relating to God, and the definite article “al” before each of the two participial adjectives – whereas there is no such stress in the mention of His chastisement of recalcitrant sinners. (Sf. 6:12 - …….6:54 both of which verses state that God “has willed upon Himself the law of grace and mercy”.) ]
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16. Sura al-Nahl, Mecca 70
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
أَوْ يَأْخُذَهُمْ
عَلَى تَخَوُّفٍ...
16: 47. Or that He may not call them to account by a process of slow wastage --
C2073.
4. Or, as often happens, the punishment comes slowly and imperceptibly, the power of the enemies of Allah being wasted gradually, until it is extinguished.
This happened to the Makkans during the eight years of the Prophet's exile. The conquest of Makkah was bloodless, because the power of the enemy had gradually vanished. The Prophet was thus able to show the unexampled generosity and clemency which he showed on that occasion, for two of Allah's attributes are expressed in the titles "Full of kindness" (Ra'uf) and "Full of mercy" (Rahim).
... فَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ لَرؤُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٤٧﴾
for thy Lord is indeed full of kindness and mercy.
Other Versions:
16: 47
Asad or take them to task through slow decay? And yet, behold, your sustainer is most compassionate, a dispenser of grace!
Pickthall Or that He will not seize them with a gradual wasting? Lo! thy Lord is indeed Full of Pity, Merciful!
Transliteration Au ya'khuzahum 'ala_ takhawwuf(in), fa inna rabbakum lara'u_fur rahim(un).