5. Al-Ma'idah (The Repast)

Medina Period

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى نَحْنُ أَبْنَاء اللّهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ...

5:18. (Both) the Jews and the Christians say: "We are sons of Allah, and His beloved."

C718. Sons of Allah:

Cf. Job, 38:7; "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy."

In the 29th Psalm, 1st verse, the authorized Translation "O ye mighty" should apparently be "O ye sons of Elim". El being a name of God,

Cf. also Genesis, 6:2: "The sons of God saw the daughters of men." Beloved:

Cf. Psalms, 127:2: "He giveth his beloved sleep."

If used figuratively, these and like words refer to the love of Allah. Unfortunately, "son" used in a physical sense, or "beloved" in an exclusive sense as if Allah loved only the Jews, make a mockery of religion.

... قُلْ فَلِمَ يُعَذِّبُكُم بِذُنُوبِكُم بَلْ أَنتُم بَشَرٌ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقَ ...

Say: "Why then doth He punish you for your sins?

Nay, ye are but men, of the men He hath created:

... يَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاء وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاء...

He forgiveth whom He pleaseth, and He punisheth whom He pleaseth:

... وَلِلّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ...

and to Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between:

C719. This refrain in the last verse negatives the idea of sonship, and in this verse negatives the idea of an exclusive "Beloved".

In both cases it means that Allah is independent of physical relationship or exclusive partiality.

... وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ ﴿١٨﴾

and unto Him is the final goal (of all)."

Other versions:

5: 18

Asad …………Nay, you are but human beings of his creating. He forgives whom He wills, and He causes to suffer whom he wills:

Pickthall The Jews and Christians say: We are sons of Allah and His loved ones. Say: Why then doth He chastise you for your sins? Nay, ye are but mortals of His creating. He forgives whom He will, and chastises whom He will. Allah's is the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, and unto Him is the journeying.

Transliteration Wa qa_latil yahu_du wan nasa_ra_ nahnu abna_'ulla_hi wa ahibba_'uh(u_), qul falima yu'azzibukum bi zunu_bikum, bal antum basyarum mimman khalaq(a), yagfiru limay yasya_'u wa yu'azzibu may yasya_'(u), wa lilla_hi mulkus sama_wa_ti wal ardi wa ma_ bainahuma_, wa ilaihil masir(u).

[[ Asad’s note 30 – Cf. EXODUS IV, 22-23 (“Israel is My son”), Jeremiah xxxi 9 (“I am a father to Israel”), and the many parallel expressions in the Gospels.]]