Who Are SABIQUN – the first and the foremost in the race of goodness and goodwork

Sura 23, Al-Muminun [The Believers], Mecca 74

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Translation:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ ﴿٥٧﴾

23: 57. Verily those who live in awe for fear of their Lord;

وَالَّذِينَ هُم بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿٥٨﴾

23: 58. Those who believe in the Signs of their Lord;

وَالَّذِينَ هُم بِرَبِّهِمْ لَا يُشْرِكُونَ ﴿٥٩﴾

23: 59. Those who join not (in worship) partners with their Lord;

وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْتُونَ مَا آتَوا وَّقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ رَاجِعُونَ ﴿٦٠﴾

23: 60. And those who dispense their charity with their hearts full of fear, because they will return to their Lord –

Waallatheena yu/toona ma ataw waquloobuhum wajilatun annahum ila rabbihim rajiAAoona

أُوْلَئِكَ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَهُمْ لَهَا سَابِقُونَ ﴿٦١﴾

Ola-ika yusariAAoona fee alkhayrati wahum laha sabiqoona

23:61. It is these who hasten in every good work, and these who are foremost in them.

Asad’s Translation:

(23:57) Verily, [only] they who stand in reverent awe of their Sustainer,

(23:58) and who believe in their Sustainer's messages,

(23:59) and who do not ascribe divinity to aught but their Sustainer,

(23:60) and who give whatever they [have to] give 33 with their hearts trembling at the thought that unto their Sustainer they must return:

23:61 it is they who vie with one another in doing good works, and it is they who outrun [all others] in attaining to them!

M. M. Pickthall

23:60

And those who give that which they give with hearts afraid because they are about to return unto their Lord,

23:61

These race for the good things, and they shall win them in the race.

Edip Yuksel

23:60

And they give of what they were given, and their hearts are full of reverence that they will return to their Lord.

23:61

These are the ones who race in doing good, and they are the first to it.

Shakir

23:60

And those who give what they give (in alms) while their hearts are full of fear that to their Lord they must return,

23:61

These hasten to good things and they are foremost in (attaining) them.

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Asad’s comments:

33 This is an allusion to the giving of what one is morally obliged to give, whether it be in charity or in satisfaction of rightful claims on the part of one's fellow-men, including such intangible "gifts" as the dispensing of justice.

Ali’s comments:

2912. Their hearts are full of reverence for Allah and fear lest their charity or their hearts be not good enough for acceptance before their Lord; for they have the certainty of a future life, in which they will stand before the Judgment Seat. They fear for their own worthiness, but they hope in Faith.