Sura 3, al-Imran (The Family of Imran), Medina 89
The Quranic Text & Ali’s translation:
وَمِنْ
أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ
مَنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ
بِقِنطَارٍ
يُؤَدِّهِ
إِلَيْكَ...
3: 75. Among the People of the Book are some who, if entrusted with a hoard of gold, will (readily) pay it back;
[ Note 409 - Hoard of gold: qintar: a talent of 1,200 ounces of gold. See 43:14. 4n. 354. (R).]
...وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِدِينَارٍ لاَّ يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ إِلاَّ مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَآئِمًا...
others, who, if entrusted with a single silver coin, will not repay it unless thou constantly stoodest demanding,
...ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُواْ لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِي الأُمِّيِّينَ سَبِيلٌ...
because, they say, "There is no call on us (to keep faith) with these ignorant (pagans)."
...وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٧٥﴾
But they tell a lie against God, and (well) they know it.
Transliteration Wa min ahlil kita_bi man in ta'manhu bi qinta_riy yu'addihi ilaik(a), wa minhum man in ta'manhu bi dina_ril la_ yu'addihi ilaika illa_ ma_ dumta 'alaihi qa_'ima_(n), za_lika bi annahum qa_lu_ laisa 'alaina_ fil umiyyina sabil(un), wa yaqu_lu_na 'alalla_hil kaziba wa hum ya'lamu_n(a).
بَلَى
مَنْ أَوْفَى
بِعَهْدِهِ
وَاتَّقَى
فَإِنَّ اللّهَ
يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ
﴿٧٦
Transliteration Bala_ man aufa_ bi 'ahdihi wattaqa_ fa innalla_ha yuhibbul muttaqin(a).
3: 76. Nay.
Those that keep their plighted faith and act aright, verily God loves those who act aright.
Other translations:
3: 75
Asad
AND AMONG the followers of earlier revelation there is many a one who, if thou entrust him with a treasure, will [faithfully] restore it to thee; and there is among them many a one who, if thou entrust him with a tiny gold coin, will not restore it to thee unless thou keep standing over him - which is an outcome of their assertion, 57 "No blame can attach to us [for anything that we may do] with regard to these unlettered folk" : and [so] they tell a lie about God, being well aware [that it is a lie]." 58
Pickthall Among the People of the Scripture there is he who, if thou trust him with a weight of treasure, will return it to thee. And among them there is he who, if thou trust him with a piece of gold, will not return it to thee unless thou keep standing over him. That is because they say: We have no duty to the Gentiles. They speak a lie concerning Allah knowingly.
ASAD
3:76
Nay, but [God is aware of] those who keep their bond with Him, 59 and are conscious of Him: and, verily, God loves those who are conscious of Him.
Pickthall
Nay, but (the chosen of Allah is) he who fulfilleth his pledge and wardeth off (evil); for lo! Allah loveth those who ward off (evil).
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Amatulla’s comments: –
Since this is in the context of the people of the earlier Book -- Jews, Christians, and Others -- the “muttaqin” among them indicating piety among them here.
Ali’s comments:
411. Every race imbued with race arrogance resorts to this kind of moral or religious subterfuge. Even if its members are usually honest or just among themselves, they are contemptuous of those outside their circle, and cheat and deceive them without any qualms of conscience.
This is a "lie against Allah."
Asad’s comments:
57 Lit., "this, because they say". In Arabic usage, the verb qala (lit., "he said") often signifies "he asserted" or "expressed an opinion". As is evident from many Traditions, the people referred to are the Jews.
58 I.e., they falsely claim that God Himself has exempted them from all moral responsibility towards non-Jews (contemptuously described as "unlettered folk"), knowing well that their own scriptures provide no basis whatever for such a claim.
59 Some of the commentators relate the personal pronoun in 'ahdihi to the person or persons concerned, and therefore take 'ahd as meaning "promise" - thus: "[as for] him who fulfils his promise ...", etc. It is, however, obvious from the next verse that the pronoun in 'ahdihi refers to God; consequently, the phrase must be rendered either as "those who fulfil their duty towards Him", or "those who keep their bond with Him" - the latter being, in my opinion, preferable. (For the meaning of maris "bond with God", see surah 2, note 19.)