Lying, Deceiving, Distrustful
3. Sura al-Imran
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
how excellent a recompense for those who work (and strive)!
قَدْ
خَلَتْ
مِن
قَبْلِكُمْ
سُنَنٌ
...
3: 137. Many were the Ways of Life that have passed away before you:
C456. Cf. Tennyson (In Memoriam):
"Our little systems have their day. They have their day and cease to be: They are but broken lights of Thee, And Thou, 0 Lord! art more than they."
Only Allah's Truth will last, and it will gain the mastery in the end. If there is defeat, we must not be dejected, lose heart, or give up the struggle. Faith means hope, activity, striving steadfastly on to the goal.
... فَسِيرُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذَّبِينَ ﴿١٣٧﴾
travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who rejected truth.
وَمَا
كَانَ
لِنَبِيٍّ
أَن
يَغُلَّ
...
3: 161. No prophet could (ever) be false to his trust.
C472. Besides the gentleness of his nature, Al-Mustafa was known from his earliest life for his trustworthiness. Hence his title of Al-Amin. Unscrupulous people often read their own low motives into other men, and their accusation, which is meant to injure, fastens on the various virtues for which the man they attack is well known.
Some of the Hypocrites after Uhud raised some doubts about the division of the spoils, thinking to sow the seeds of poison in the hearts of the men who had deserted their posts in their craving for booty.
Those low suspicions were never believed in by any sensible people, and they have no interest for us now. But the general principles here declared are of eternal value.
1. Prophets of Allah do not act from unworthy motives.
2. Those who act from such motives are the lowest of creatures, and they will make no profit,
3. A prophet of Allah is not to be judged by the same standard as a greedy creature.
4. in Allah's eyes there are various grades of men, and we must try to understand and appreciate such grades.
If we trust our Leader, we shall not question his honesty without cause. If he is dishonest, he is not fit to be a leader. (R).
... وَمَن يَغْلُلْ يَأْتِ بِمَا غَلَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ...
If any person is so false, He shall, on the Day of Judgment, restore what he misappropriated;
...ثُمَّ تُوَفَّى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُونَ ﴿١٦١﴾
then shall every soul receive its due, whatever it earned, and none shall be dealt with unjustly.
لاَ
تَحْسَبَنَّ
الَّذِينَ
يَفْرَحُونَ
بِمَا
أَتَواْ
وَّيُحِبُّونَ
أَن
يُحْمَدُواْ
بِمَا
لَمْ
يَفْعَلُواْ
...
3: 188. Think not that those who exult in what they have brought about, and love to be praised for what they have not done,
C496. A searching picture of the worldly wise!
They may cause mischief and misery to others, but gloat over any glory it may bring them!
They may trample down Allah's truths, and enthrone false standards of worship.
They may take credit for virtues they do not possess and seeming successes that come in spite of their despicable deceptions.
...فَلاَ تَحْسَبَنَّهُمْ بِمَفَازَةٍ مِّنَ الْعَذَابِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿١٨٨﴾
think not that they can escape the penalty.
For them is a penalty grievous indeed.
Asad’s Version:
3:137 Ways of life have passed away before your time. Go, then, about the earth and behold what happened in the end to those who gave the lie to the truth: (138) this (should be) a clear lesson unto all men and a guidance and an admonition unto the God-conscious.
3: 161 And it is not conceivable that a prophet should deceive - since he who deceives shall be faced with his deceit on the Day of Resurrection, when every human being shall be repaid in full for whatever he has done, and none shall be wronged.
Asad(see note 123, p.92)
3: 161 No prophet could (ever) be false to his trust. If any person is false, he shall on the Day of Judgement, restore what he misappropriated; then shall every soul receive its
due, whatever it earned and none shall be dealt with unjustly. Ali
3: 188 Think not that those who exult in what they have thus contrived, and who love to be praised for what they have not dome - think not that they will escape suffering: for grievous suffering does await them.
6. Sura al-Anam
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
قُلْ
سِيرُواْ
فِي
الأَرْضِ
ثُمَّ
انظُرُواْ
كَيْفَ
كَانَ
عَاقِبَةُ
الْمُكَذِّبِينَ
﴿١١﴾
6: 11. Say: "Travel through the earth and see what was the end of those who rejected truth."
وَكَذَلِكَ
جَعَلْنَا
لِكُلِّ
نِبِيٍّ
عَدُوًّا
شَيَاطِينَ
الإِنسِ
وَالْجِنِّ
...
6: 112. Likewise did We make for every Messenger an enemy, evil ones among men and Jinns,
C941. What happened in the history of the Holy Prophet happens in the history of all righteous men who have a Message from Allah. The spirit of evil is ever active and uses men to practice deception by means of highly embellished words and plausible excuses and objections.
Allah permits these things in His Plans. It is not for us to complain. Our faith is tested, and we must stand the test steadfastly.
...يُوحِي بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ الْقَوْلِ غُرُورًا...
inspiring each other with flowery discourses by way of deception.
...وَلَوْ شَاء رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوهُ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ ﴿١١٢﴾
If thy Lord had so planned, they would not have done it:
so leave them and their inventions alone.
Asad’s Version:
6: 11 Say: “Go all over the earth, and behold what happened in the end to those who gave the lie to the truth!”
6: 112 And thus it is that against every prophet We have set up as enemies the evil forces from among humans as well as from among invisible beings that whisper unto one another glittering half-truths meant to delude the mind. But they could not do this unless your Sustainer had so willed; stand, therefore, aloof from them and from all their false imagery! Asad
6: 112 ....evil ones among men and Jinns, inspiring each other with flowery discourses by way of deception. If Lord had so planned, they would not have done it: so leave them and their inventions alone. Ali
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَجَاء
الْمُعَذِّرُونَ
مِنَ الأَعْرَابِ
لِيُؤْذَنَ
لَهُمْ...
9: 90. And there were, among the desert Arabs (also), Men who made excuses and came to claim exemption;
...وَقَعَدَ الَّذِينَ كَذَبُواْ اللّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ...
and those who were false to Allah and His Messenger (merely) sat inactive.
C1342. Not only had the Hypocrites a nest in Madinah, but their tactics affected some of the village or desert Bedouins, who loved war and would have followed a standard of war even if no question of Faith or a sacred Cause was involved.
But some of them, though professing Islam, were frightened by the hardships of the Tabuk expedition and the prospect of meeting the trained armies of the great Roman (Byzantine) Empire. They made all sorts of lying excuses, but really their want of faith made them ineligible for being enlisted in a sacred Cause, in the terms of 9:46-47 and 9:53-54. Some came to make excuses: other did not even come , but sat at home, ignoring the summons.
...سَيُصِيبُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿٩٠﴾
Soon will a grievous penalty seize the unbelievers among them.
Asad’s Version:
9: 90 And there came such of the Bedouin as had some excuse to offer, that they be granted exemption, whereas those who were bent on giving the lie to God and His Apostle [simply] remained at home. [And] grievous suffering is bound to befall such of them as are bent on denying the truth!