21. [al-Aniybia, Mecca 73]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَكَمْ قَصَمْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍ كَانَتْ ظَالِمَةً...

21: 11. How many were the populations we utterly destroyed because of their iniquities,

...وَأَنشَأْنَا بَعْدَهَا قَوْمًا آخَرِينَ ﴿١١﴾

setting up in their places other peoples!

فَلَمَّا أَحَسُّوا بَأْسَنَا إِذَا هُم مِّنْهَا يَرْكُضُونَ ﴿١٢﴾

21: 12. Yet, when they felt Our Punishment (coming), behold, they (tried to) flee from it.

C2673. When they had every chance of repentance and reform, they rejected Allah's Message, and perhaps even put up an open defiance.

When they actually began to feel the Wrath coming, they began to flee, but it was too late! Besides, where could they flee to from the Wrath of Allah?

Hence the ironical appeal to them in the next verse: better go back to your luxuries and what you thought were your permanent homes!

Cf. Christ's saying in the present Gospel of St. Matthew (3:7):

"O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the Wrath to come?"

لَا تَرْكُضُوا وَارْجِعُوا إِلَى مَا أُتْرِفْتُمْ فِيهِ وَمَسَاكِنِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْأَلُونَ ﴿١٣﴾

21: 13. Flee not, but return to the good things of this life which were given you, and to your homes, in order that ye may be called to account.

C2674. See last note.

'You thought your homes so comfortable: why don't you go back to them? You will be called to account. Perhaps there may be rewards to be given you, who knows?

This irony is itself the beginning of the Punishment. But the ungodly now see how wrong they had been. But their signs and regrets now avail them nothing. It is too late. They are lost, and nothing can save them.

Asad’s Version:

21:11

For, how many a community that persisted in evildoing have We dashed into fragments, and

raised another people in its stead! 14

(21:12} And [every time,] as soon as they began to feel

Our punishing might, lo! they tried to flee from it –

(21:13)

(and at the same time they seemed

to hear a scornful voice]: "Do not try to flee, but return to all that [once] gave you pleasure and corrupted your whole being. 15 and [return] to your homes, so that you might be called to account [for what you have done] ! "

La tarkudoo wairjiAAoo ila ma otriftum feehi wamasakinikum laAAallakum tus-aloona

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Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad	[and at the same time they seemed to hear a scornful voice]: “Do not try to flee, but return to all that [once] gave you pleasure and corrupted your whole being. and [return] to your homes, so that you might be called to account [for what you have done]!”	&#x21E8
M. M. Pickthall	(But it was said unto them): Flee not, but return to that (existence) which emasculated you and to your dwellings, that ye may be questioned.	&#x21E8
Shakir	Do not fly (now) and come back to what you were made to lead easy lives in and to your dwellings, haply you will be questioned.	&#x21E8
Yusuf Ali	Flee not, but return to the good things of this life which were given you, and to your homes in order that ye may be called to account.	&#x21E8
Wahiduddin Khan	They were told, ‘Do not try to flee, but return to the comfort and luxuries in which you exulted and to the places where you lived, so that you may be questioned.’	&#x21E8
[Al-Muntakhab]	-In irony they were told-: do not flee but go back to your lustful life and to your dwellings; you may have much to answer for.	&#x21E8
[Progressive Muslims]	"Do not run, and come back to that which you were living lavishly in and your homes; so that you will be questioned."

[[Asad’s note - 15 For an explanation of the phrase ma utriftum fihi, see surah 11, note 147.

147 The verb tarifa means "he enjoyed a life of ease and plenty", while the participle mutraf denotes "one who enjoys a life of ease and plenty" or "indulges in the pleasures of life", i.e., to the exclusion of moral considerations. The form mutarraf has an additional significance, namely,

"one whom a life of softness and ease has caused to behave insolently", or "one whom the [exclusive] pursuit of the pleasures of life has corrupted" (Mughni ). Hence my above rendering of the phrase and utrifu fihi.

]]