39 Az-Zumar (The Throngs)

Mecca Period 59 [75 verses]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

لَهُ مَقَالِيدُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ...

39: 63. To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth:

... وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ أُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ ﴿٦٣﴾

and those who reject the Signs of Allah, it is they who will be in loss.

C4336. Allah has nothing to lose by the rebellion or disobedience of His creatures.

It is they who lose, because they go counter to their own nature, the beautiful mould in which Allah created them.

قُلْ أَفَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ تَأْمُرُونِّي أَعْبُدُ أَيُّهَا الْجَاهِلُونَ ﴿٦٤﴾

39: 64. Say:

"Is it someone other than Allah that ye order me to worship,

O ye ignorant ones?"

C4337. "Order me": there is great irony here. The Prophet of Allah turns to his critics and says:

"You arrogate to yourselves the right to order me how to worship! But who are you?

You are only ignorant men! My commission is from Allah. It is the same as came to Prophets of Allah before me in all ages, viz.,

- that the only Truth is in the Gospel of Unity; and

- that if you worship other things and turn away from Allah, your life will be wasted and all your probation will have been of no account." (R).

Asad’s Version:

(39:63) His are the keys [to the mysteries] of the heavens and the earth: and they who are bent on denying the truth of God's messages - it is they, they, who are the losers!

39:64 Say: "Is it, then, something other than God that you bid me to worship, O you who are unaware [of right and wrong]?"

(39:65) And yet, it has already been revealed to thee [O man,] 65 as well as to those who lived before thee, that if thou ever ascribe divine powers to aught but God, all thy works shall most certainly have been in vain: for [in the life to come] thou shalt most certainly be among the lost.

وَلَقَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ...

39:65 [Ali] But it has already been revealed to thee -- as it was to those before thee --

C4338. The Message of Unity, renewed in Islam, has been the Message of Allah since the world began.

... لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ ﴿٦٥﴾

"If thou wert to join (gods with Allah), truly fruitless will be thy work (in life), and thou wilt surely be in the ranks of those who lose (all spiritual good)."