6.Surah al-Anam

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

اتَّبِعْ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ...

6: 106. Follow what thou art taught by inspiration from thy Lord:

...لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿١٠٦﴾

there is no god but He:

and turn aside from those who join gods with Allah.

وَلَوْ شَاء اللّهُ مَا أَشْرَكُواْ...

6: 107. If it had been Allah's Plan, they would not have taken false gods:

C935. Allah's Plan is to use the human will to co-operate in understanding Him and His relations to us. This is the answer to an objector who might say: "If He is All-powered, why does sin or evil exist in the world? Can He not destroy it?"

He can, but His Plan is different, and in any case it is not for a Teacher to force any one to accept the truths which he is inspired to preach and proclaim.

...وَمَا جَعَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا وَمَا أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِوَكِيلٍ ﴿١٠٧﴾

but We made thee not one to watch over their doings,

nor art thou set over them to dispose of their affairs.

وَلاَ تَسُبُّواْ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللّهِ فَيَسُبُّواْ اللّهَ عَدْوًا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ...

6: 108. Revile not ye those whom they call upon besides Allah, lest they out of spite revile Allah in their ignorance.

...كَذَلِكَ زَيَّنَّا لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ عَمَلَهُمْ ...

Thus have We made alluring to each people its own doings.

C936. A man's actual personal religion depends upon many things,

- his personal psychology,

- the background of his life,

- his hidden or repressed feelings,

- tendencies, or history (which psychoanalysis tries to unravel),

- his hereditary dispositions or antipathies, and

- all the subtle influences of his education and his environment.

The task before the man of Allah is:

1. to use any of these which can subserve the higher ends,

2. to purify such as have been misused,

3. to introduce new ideas and modes of looking at things, and

4. to combat what is wrong and cannot be mended:

all for the purpose of leading to the truth and gradually letting in spiritual light where there was darkness before.

If that is not done with discretion and the skill of a spiritual Teacher, there may be not only a reaction of obstinacy, but an unseemly show of dishonour to the true God and His Truth, and doubts would spread among the weaker brethren whose faith is shallow and infirm.

What happens to individuals is true collectively of nations or groups of people. They think in their self-obsession that their own ideas are right. Allah in His infinite compassion bears with them, and asks those who have purer ideas of faith not to vilify the weaknesses of their neighbors, lest the neighbors in their turn vilify the real truth and make matters even worse than before.

In so far as there is active evil, He will deal with it in His own way. Of course the righteous man must not hide his light under a bushel, or compromise with evil, or refuse to establish right living where he has the power to do so.

...ثُمَّ إِلَى رَبِّهِم مَّرْجِعُهُمْ فَيُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٠٨﴾

In the end will they return to their Lord, and We shall then tell them the truth of all that they did.

وَأَقْسَمُواْ بِاللّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ لَئِن جَاءتْهُمْ آيَةٌ لَّيُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهَا...

6: 109. They swear their strongest oaths by Allah that if a (special) sign came to them, by it they would believe.

...قُلْ إِنَّمَا الآيَاتُ عِندَ اللّهِ وَمَا يُشْعِرُكُمْ أَنَّهَا إِذَا جَاءتْ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١٠٩﴾

Say:

"Certainly (all) signs are in the power of Allah:

but what will make you (Muslims) realize that even if a (special) sign comes, they will not believe."

C937. If the Unbelievers are merely obstinate, nothing will convince them. There is no story more full of miracles than the story of Jesus. Yet in that same story we are told that Jesus said:

"A wicked adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the Prophet Jonas":

Matt, 16:4.

There are Signs given by Allah every day -understood by those who believe. A mere insistence upon some particular or special Sign meant mere contumacy and misunderstanding of the spiritual world.

وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَارَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُواْ بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ...

6: 110. We (too) shall turn to (confusion) their hearts and their eyes, even as they refused to believe in the first instance:

C938. Where there is sheer obstinacy and ridicule of faith, the result will be that such a sinner's heart will be hardened and his eyes will be sealed, so that he cannot even see the things visible to ordinary mortals.

The sinner gathers impetus in his descent towards wrong.

...وَنَذَرُهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ ﴿١١٠﴾

We shall leave them in their trespasses, to wander in distraction.

C939. Cf. 2:15.

Allah's grace is always ready to help human weakness or ignorance and to accept repentance and give forgiveness.

But where the sinner is in actual rebellion, he will be given none, and it will be his own fault if he wanders about distractedly, without any certain hope or refuge.

Pickthall’s Version:

6: 106

Asad Follow you what has been revealed unto you by your Sustainer – save whom there is no deity and turn your back upon all who ascribe divinity to aught beside Him.

Pickthall Follow that which is inspired in thee from thy Lord; there is no God save Him; and turn away from the idolaters.

Transliteration Ittabi' ma_ u_hiya ilaika mir rabbik(a), la_ ila_ha illa_ huw(a), wa a'rid 'anil musyrikin(a).

6: 107

Pickthall Had Allah is willed, they had not been idolatrous. We have not set thee as a keeper over them, nor art thou responsible for them.

Transliteration Wa lau sya_'alla_hu ma_ asyraku_, wa ma_ ja'alna_ka'alaihim hafiza_(n), wa ma_ anta 'alaihim bi wakil(in).

6: 108

Pickthall Revile not those unto whom they pray beside Allah lest they wrongfully revile Allah through ignorance. Thus unto every nation have We made their deed seem fair. Then unto their Lord is their return, and He will tell them what they used to do.

Transliteration Wa la_ tasubbul lazina yad'u_na min du_nilla_hi fa yasubbulla_ha 'adwam bi gairi 'ilm(in), kaza_lika zayyanna_ likulli ummatin'amalahum, summa ila_ rabbihim marji'uhum fa yunabbi'uhum bima_ ka_nu_ ya'malu_n(a).

6: 109

Pickthall And they swear a solemn oath by Allah that if there come unto them a portent they will believe therein. Say: Portents are with Allah and (so is) that which telleth you that if such came unto them they would not believe.

Transliteration Wa aqsamu_ billa_hi jahda aima_nihim la'in ja_'athum a_yatul layu'minunna biha_, qul innamal a_ya_tu 'indalla_hi wa ma_ yusy'irukum annaha_ iza_ ja_'at la_ yu'minu_n(a).

6: 110

Pickthall We confound their hearts and their eyes. As they believed not therein at the first, We let them wander blindly on in their contumacy.

Transliteration Wa nuqallibu af'idatahum wa absa_rahum kama_ lam yu'minu_ bihi awwala marratiw wa nazaruhum fi tugya_nihim ya'mahu_n(a).

16.Surah an_Nahl

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُواْ لَوْ شَاء اللّهُ مَا عَبَدْنَا مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَيْءٍ ...

16:35.  The worshippers of false gods say:

"If Allah had so willed, we should not have worshipped aught but Him --

... نَّحْنُ وَلا آبَاؤُنَا ...

neither we nor our fathers --

C2057. The old-old argument: if Allah is All-Powerful, why did He not force all persons to His Will?

This ignores the limited Free-will granted to man, which is the whole basis of Ethics. Allah gives man every opportunity of knowing and understanding things, but He does not force him, for that would be against the whole Plan on which our present Life is constituted.

... وَلاَ حَرَّمْنَا مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَيْءٍ... 

nor should we have prescribed prohibitions other than His."

C2058. The Pagan Arabs prescribed various arbitrary prohibitions in the matter of meat; see 6:143-145.

These, of course, are not recognised by Islam, which also removed some of the restrictions of the Jewish Law;6:146. The general meaning, however, is far wider.

Men erect their own taboos and prohibitions, barriers and restrictions, and ascribe them to Religion. This is wrong, and more consonant with Pagan practice than with Islam.

... كَذَلِكَ فَعَلَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ... 

So did those who went before them.

... فَهَلْ عَلَى الرُّسُلِ إِلاَّ الْبَلاغُ الْمُبِينُ ﴿٣٥﴾ 

But what is the mission of Messengers but to preach the Clear Message?

C2059. Clear Message: Mubin: in three senses;

-        a Message clear and unambiguous;

-        one that makes all things clear to those who try to understand, because it accords with their own nature as created by Allah;

-        one preached openly and to everyone.

وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الطَّاغُوتَ...   

16:36.  For We assuredly sent amongst every People a Messenger, (with the Command),

"Serve Allah and eschew Evil":

C2060. Even though Allah's Signs are everywhere in Nature and in men's own conscience, yet in addition Allah has sent human Messengers to every People to call their attention to the Good and turn them from Evil.

So they cannot pretend that Allah has abandoned them or that He does not care what they do. His divine Grace always invites their will to choose the right.

... فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى اللّهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلالَةُ... 

of the people were some whom Allah guided, and some on whom Error became inevitably (established).

C2061. While some people accept the guidance of the divine Grace, others so surrender themselves to Evil that it must necessarily follow that Evil obtains a grip over them. They have only to travel through Time or Space to see the end of those who abandoned their lights and surrendered to Evil and Error.

For haqqat and the meaning of haqq in this connection cf. 15:64.

... فَسِيرُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ فَانظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ ﴿٣٦﴾ 

So travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who denied (the Truth).

إِن تَحْرِصْ عَلَى هُدَاهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يَهْدِي مَن يُضِلُّ...   

16:37.  If thou art anxious for their guidance, yet Allah guideth not such as He leaves to stray,

C2062. When once Allah's Grace is rejected by any one, such a person loses all help and guidance. Such persons are then outside Allah's Grace, and therefore they are outside guidance.

... وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ ﴿٣٧﴾ 

and there is none to help them.

وَأَقْسَمُواْ بِاللّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ ...

16:38.  They swear their strongest oaths by Allah,

C2063. The strongest oath of the Pagan Arabs would be by the Supreme Allah; less strong oaths would be by their subordinate deities, or their ancestors, or other things they valued or held sacred.

... لاَ يَبْعَثُ اللّهُ مَن يَمُوتُ...  

that Allah will not raise up those who die:

C2064. The usual Pagan creed is:

'If there is a God, it does not follow that He will raise us up; why should He?'

The answer is twofold:

-        Allah has promised it, and Allah's promise is true;

-        He must finally manifest the Truth to them, convict them of their falsehood, and enforce their personal responsibility (16:39).

... بَلَى وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا وَلـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٣٨﴾

Nay, but it is a promise (binding) on Him in truth:

but most among mankind realize it not.

لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمُ الَّذِي يَخْتَلِفُونَ فِيهِ...   

16:39.  (They must be raised up), in order that He may manifest to them the truth of that wherein they differ,

... وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ كَاذِبِينَ ﴿٣٩﴾ 

and that the rejecters of Truth may realize that they had indeed (surrendered to) Falsehood.

C2065. See the last note.

Pickthall’s Version:

16: 35

Pickthall And the idolaters say: Had Allah willed, we had not worshipped aught beside Him, we and our fathers, nor had we forbidden aught without (command from) Him. Even so did those before them. Are the messengers charged with aught save plain conveyance (of the message)?

Transliteration Wa qa_lal lazina asyraku_ lau sya_'alla_hu ma_ 'abadna_ min da_nihi min syai'in nahnu wa la_ a_ba_'una_ wa la_ harramna_ min du_nihi min syai'(in), kaza_lika fa'alal lazina min qablihim, fa hal 'alar rusuli illal bala_gul mubin(u).

16: 36

Pickthall And verily We have raised in every nation a messenger, (proclaiming): Serve Allah and shun false gods. Then some of them (there were) whom Allah guided, and some of them (there were) upon whom error had just hold. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for the deniers!

Transliteration Wa laqad ba'asna_ fi kulli ummatir rasu_lan an-i'budulla_ha wa-jtanibu_t ta_gu_t(a), fa minhum man hadalla_hu wa minhum man haqqat 'alaihid dala_lah(tu), fa siru_ fil ardi fa-nzuru_ kaifa ka_na 'a_qibatul mukazzibin(a).

16: 37

Pickthall Even if thou (O Muhammad) desirest their right guidance, still Allah assuredly will not guide him who misleadeth. Such have no helpers.

Transliteration In tahris 'ala_ huda_hum fa innalla_ha la_ yahdi may yudillu wa ma_ lahum min na_sirin(a).

16: 38

Pickthall And they swear by Allah their most binding oaths (that) Allah will not raise up him who dieth. Nay, but it is a promise (binding) upon Him in truth, but most of mankind know not,

Transliteration Wa aqsamu_ billa_hi jahda aima_nihim, la_ yab'asulla_hu may yamu_t(u), bala_ wa'dan 'alaihi haqqaw wa la_kinna aksaran na_si la_ ya'lamu_n(a),

16: 39

Pickthall That he may explain unto them that wherein they differ, and that those who disbelieved may know that they were liars.

Transliteration Liyubayyina lahumul lazi yakhtalifu_na fihi wa liya'lamal lazina kafaru_ annahum ka_nu_ ka_zibin(a).