16.Surah an-Nahl
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
16: 22. Your Allah is One Allah:
... فَالَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالآخِرَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مُّنكِرَةٌ وَهُم مُّسْتَكْبِرُونَ ﴿٢٢﴾
as to those who believe not in the Hereafter, their hearts refuse to know and they are arrogant.
C2045. Everything points to Allah, the One True Eternal God. If so, there is a Hereafter, for He has declared it.
In so far as people do not believe this, the fault is in their Will; they do not wish to believe, and the motive behind is arrogance, the sin which brought about the fall of Iblis: 2:34. (R).
لاَ جَرَمَ
أَنَّ اللّهَ
يَعْلَمُ مَا
يُسِرُّونَ
وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ...
16: 23. Undoubtedly Allah doth know what they conceal, and what they reveal:
C2046. Cf. 16:19, where the same words refer to man generally.
Whether he conceals or reveals what is in his heart, Allah knows it, and as Allah is Oft-Forgiving. Most Merciful, His grace is available as His highest favour if man will take it.
Here the reference is to those who "refuse to know", who reject Allah's guidance out of arrogance. Allah"loveth not the arrogant". Such men deprive themselves of Allah's grace.
... إِنَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ ﴿٢٣﴾
verily He loveth not the arrogant.
وَإِذَا
قِيلَ لَهُم
مَّاذَا أَنزَلَ
رَبُّكُمْ...
16: 24. When it is said to them, "What is it that your Lord has revealed?"
C2047. When the arrogant Unbelievers are referred to some definite argument or illustration from Scripture, they dismiss it contemptuously with the remark. "Tales of the ancients!"
In this, they are not only playing with their own conscience, but misleading others, with perhaps less knowledge than themselves.
... قَالُواْ أَسَاطِيرُ الأَوَّلِينَ ﴿٢٤﴾
They say, "Tales of the ancients!"
لِيَحْمِلُواْ
أَوْزَارَهُمْ
كَامِلَةً
يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ...
16: 25. Let them bear, on the Day of Judgment, their own burdens in full,
... وَمِنْ أَوْزَارِ الَّذِينَ يُضِلُّونَهُم بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ...
and also (something) of the burdens of those without knowledge, whom they misled.
C2048. Their responsibility or crime is twofold:
- that they rejected Allah's Message, and
- that they misled others.
Their Penalty will also be double.
In 6:164, we are told that "no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another".
This is against the doctrine of vicarious atonement. Every man is responsible for his own sins; but the sin of misleading others is a sin of the misleader himself, and he must suffer the penalty for that also, without relieving those misled, of their responsibility.
... أَلاَ سَاء مَا يَزِرُونَ ﴿٢٥﴾
Alas, how grievous the burdens they will bear!
Pickthall’s Version:
16: 22
Pickthall Your God is One God. But as for those who believe not in the Hereafter their hearts refuse to know, for they are proud.
Transliteration Ila_hukum ila_huw wa_hid(un), fallazina la_ yu'minu_na bil a_khirati qulu_buhum munkiratuw wa hum mustakbiru_n(a).
16: 23
Pickthall Assuredly Allah knoweth that which they keep hidden and that which they proclaim. Lo! He loveth not the proud.
Transliteration La_ jarama annalla_ha ya'lamu ma_ yusirru_na wa ma_ yu'linu_n(a), innahu_ la_ yuhibbul mustakbirin(a).
16: 24
Pickthall And when it is said unto them: What hath your Lord revealed? they say: (Mere) fables of the men of old.
Transliteration Wa iza_ qila lahum ma_ anzala rabbukum, qa_lu_ asa_tirul awwalin(a),
16: 25
Pickthall That they may bear their burdens undiminished on the Day of Resurrection, with somewhat of the burdens of those whom they mislead without knowledge. Ah! evil is that which they bear!
Transliteration Liyahmilu_ auza_rahum ka_milatay yaumal qiya_mah(ti), wa min auza_ril lazina yudillu_nahum bi gairi 'ilm(in), ala_ sa_'a ma_ yaziru_n(a).