22. Surah al-Hajj
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
22: 11. There are among men some who serve Allah, as it were, on the verge:
C2782. They are men whose minds are not firm: they will have faith, if all goes well with them, but as soon as they are tried, they are found wanting.
They are a different kind from hypocrites. It is not fraud or double dealing that is their sin: it is a weak mind, petty standards of judging right by success, a selfishness that gives nothing but asks for all, a narrow-mindedness that does not go beyond petty mundane calculations- a "nicely calculated less or more" of the good things of this world.
They fail in both worlds, and their failure in this world is patent for every on-looker.
...فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُ خَيْرٌ اطْمَأَنَّ بِهِ...
if good befalls them, they are, therewith, well content;
...وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ انقَلَبَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ...
but if a trial comes to them, they turn on their faces:
...خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةَ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ ﴿١١﴾
they lose both this world and the Hereafter:
that is loss for all to see!
يَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُ وَمَا لَا يَنفَعُهُ...
22:12. They call on such deities, besides Allah, as can neither hurt nor profit them:
C2783. To such minds religion does not mean high endeavour, self-sacrifice for noble ends, the recognition of Allah's infinite world, but just a small concession to formalism, perhaps a present to an idol (literal or figurative), perhaps attendance at worship if it can be done without trouble!
It is false gods they worship, and the more they worship, the more they stray.
...ذَلِكَ هُوَ الضَّلَالُ الْبَعِيدُ ﴿١٢﴾
that is straying far indeed (from the Way)!
يَدْعُو لَمَن ضَرُّهُ أَقْرَبُ مِن نَّفْعِهِ
يَدْعُو لَمَن ضَرُّهُ أَقْرَبُ مِن نَّفْعِهِ...
22: 13. (Perhaps) they call on one whose hurt is nearer than his profit:
C2784. Such false worship is not always neutral, bringing neither harm nor good.
Perhaps the harm comes first, and there is no help from Allah. Such minds are themselves demoralised, and render themselves unfit for help!
...لَبِئْسَ الْمَوْلَى وَلَبِئْسَ الْعَشِيرُ ﴿١٣﴾
evil, indeed, is the patron, and evil the companion (for help)!
Asad’s Version:
22:11
And there is, too, among men many a one who worships God on the border-line [of faith]: 8 thus, if good befalls him, he is satisfied with Him; but if a trial assails him, he turns away utterly,' losing [thereby both] this world and the life to come: [and] this, indeed, is a loss
beyond compare. 10
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22:12
[By behaving thus,] he invokes, instead of God, something that can neither harm nor benefit him:" [and] this is indeed the utmost one can go astray. 12 (22:13) [And sometimes] he invokes [another human being - ] one that is far more likely to cause harm than benefit: vile, indeed, is such a patron, and vile the follower! 13
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[[Asad’s notes - 8 I.e., wavering between belief and disbelief, and not really committed to either.
9 Lit., "he turns about on his face" the "face" (wajh) of man signifying metonymically his whole being.
10 Lit., "the [most] obvious loss".
1 1 By failing to commit himself unreservedly to the faith which he professes, man is often inclined to attribute to all manner of extraneous forces, be they real or imaginary, a decisive "influence" on his own destiny, and thus invests them, as it were, with divine qualities.
12 Lit.,"this, this (dhalika huwa) is the straying far-away". For an explanation of my paraphrase, see note 25 on the last sentence of 4:18. ]]
(22:13)
[And sometimes] he invokes [another human being - ] one that is far more likely to cause harm than benefit: vile, indeed, is
such a patron, and vile the follower! 13
[[ Asad note - 1 3 The interpolation of "another human being" in the opening clause of this verse is necessitated by the relative pronoun man ("one that" or "who"), which almost always relates to an animate person - in this case, a human being who, by allowing himself to be idolized by those who "worship God on the border-line of faith", causes infinite spiritual harm to himself and to his followers.]]