Sura-16, An-Nahl [Bees], Mecca 70
The Quranic Text & Ali’s translation:
إِنَّ
إِبْرَاهِيمَ
كَانَ أُمَّةً
قَانِتًا لِلّهِ
حَنِيفًا...
16:120. Abraham was indeed a model, devoutly obedient to God, (and) true in faith,
... وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿١٢٠﴾
and he joined not gods with God:
Transliteration Inna ibra_hima ka_na ummatan qa_nital lilla_hi hanifa_(n), wa lam yaku minal musyrikin(a),
16:121. He showed his gratitude for the favors of God,
... اجْتَبَاهُ وَهَدَاهُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ﴿١٢١﴾
Who chose him, and guided him to a straight way.
Transliteration Sya_kiral li'an'umih(i), ijtaba_hu wa hada_hu ila_ sira_tim mustaqim(in).
وَآتَيْنَاهُ
فِي الْدُّنْيَا
حَسَنَةً...
16:122. And We gave him good in this world,
... وَإِنَّهُ فِي الآخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ ﴿١٢٢﴾
and he will be, in the Hereafter, in the ranks of the righteous.
[Ali’s comment: 2158. Cf. 2:130.]
Transliteration Wa a_taina_hu fid dunya_ hasanah(tan) wa innahu_ fil a_khirati laminas sa_lihin(a).
ثُمَّ
أَوْحَيْنَا
إِلَيْكَ أَنِ
اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ
إِبْرَاهِيمَ
حَنِيفًا...
16:123. So We have taught thee the inspired (message), "Follow the ways of Abraham the true in faith,
... وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿١٢٣﴾
and he joined not gods with God."
Transliteration Summa auhaina_ ilaika an-ittabi' millata ibra_hima hanifa_(n), wa ma_ ka_na minal musyrikin(a).
Asad’s translation:
16:120
VERILY, Abraham was a man who combined within himself all virtues, 144 devoutly obeying God's will, turning away from all that is false, 145 and not being of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God:
(16: 121) [for he was always] grateful for the blessings granted by Him who had elected him and guided him onto a straight way.
16:122 And so We vouchsafed him good in this world; and, verily, in the life to come [too] he shall find himself among the righteous.
(16:123) And lastly, 146 We have inspired thee, [O Muhammad, with this message:] "Follow the creed of Abraham, who turned away from all that is false, and was not of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God;
(16:124) [and know that the observance of] the Sabbath was ordained only for those who came to hold divergent views about him; 147 but, verily, God will judge between them on Resurrection Day with regard to all on which they were wont to differ. 148
Pickthall’s Translation:
16: 120
Lo! Abraham was a nation obedient to Allah, by nature upright, and he was not of the idolaters;
16: 121
Thankful for His bounties; He chose him and He guided him
unto a straight path.
16: 122
And We gave him good in the world, and in the Hereafter he
is among the righteous.
16: 123
And afterward We inspired thee (Muhammad, saying):
Follow the religion of Abraham, as one by nature upright.
He was not of the idolaters.
Ali’s comments:
C2156. Ummah: a model, pattern, example for imitation; but the idea that he was an Ummah in himself, standing alone against his world, should not be lost sight of.
See next note.
C2157. The Gospel of Unity has been the comer-stone of spiritual Truth for all time. In this respect Abraham is the model and fountain-head for the world of western Asia and its spiritual descendants all over the world.
Abraham was among a people (the Chaldeans) who worshipped stars and had forsaken the Gospel of Unity. He was among them but not of them. He suffered persecution, and left his home and his people, and settled in theland of Canaan.
Asad’s comments:
142 I.e., in 6:146, revealed shortly before the present surah. The conjunctive particle "And" at the beginning of this sentence establishes a connection with the precept laid down in verse 114 above, "partake of all the lawful, good things which God has provided for you as sustenance" : the implication being (as in 6 : 1 45) that none of the really good and wholesome things have been forbidden to the believer, and that the many dietary prohibitions and restrictions imposed on the Jews were imposed on them alone in punishment of their persistent sinning (cf. 3:93).
143 For this rendering of thumma, see surah 6, note 3 1 .
144 This is one of the many meanings of the term ummah and, to my mind, the one most appropriate in the above context. - The mention of Abraham at this place contains a subtle allusion to verse 118, where the Jews are spoken of: for, the latter claim to be "the chosen people" on account of their descent from Abraham, whereas the Qur'an consistently rejects all claims to a special status by virtue of one's descent. Moreover, the Qur'an states in many places that whereas this particular ancestor of the Hebrews - and, by the way, of most of the Arab tribes as well - was a personification of all that is good and upright, so that "God exalted him with His love" (4:125), his Jewish descendants always tended to rebel against God and, thus, "persistently wronged themselves" .
145 For an explanation of this rendering of the term hanlf, see surah 2, note 110.
146 Lit., "thereafter" or "afterwards" (thumma): but since this particle evidently alludes here to
the climax of all revelation as manifested in the Qur'an, the above rendering seems to be suitable.
147 I.e., about Abraham. The implication is that the majority of the Jews had deviated from the true creed of Abraham (which is the meaning of the phrase, "those who came to hold divergent views about him") inasmuch as most of them became convinced that they were "God's chosen people" simply because of their physical descent from that great Prophet: an assumption which obviously runs counter to every truly religious principle. As the Qur'an repeatedly points out, this spiritual arrogance was punished by God's imposition on the children of Israel - and on them alone - of all manner of severe restrictions and rituals, of which the obligation to refrain from all work and even travel on the Sabbath was one. In its widest implication, this passage is meant to stress the fact that all God-imposed rituals are only a means towards the achievement of spiritual discipline, and never a religious goal in themselves.
148 I.e., He will judge between those who are convinced of their ultimate salvation on the basis of their alleged status of "God's chosen people", and those who believe in man's individual responsibility before God: and thus the discourse returns to the problem of God-consciousness and righteous living.