7. Sura al-Araf

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَنَادَى أَصْحَابُ الأَعْرَافِ رِجَالاً يَعْرِفُونَهُمْ بِسِيمَاهُمْ...

7: 48. The men on the heights will call to certain men whom they will know from their marks,

...قَالُواْ مَا أَغْنَى عَنكُمْ جَمْعُكُمْ وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ ﴿٤٨﴾

saying: "Of what profit to you were you hoards and your arrogant ways?

C1027. This speech is in three parts:

1. the last lines of this verse are addressed to the Companions of the Fire, reminding them (as a bench of judges might speak to a prisoner) of the futility of their wealth and riches and arrogance in their earthly life:

2. the second part, in the first half of verse 49, recalls to their minds how false was their contempt of the good but lowly men who are now to be the inheritors of heaven: and

3. the latter part of verse 49, "enter ye the Garden" is addressed to the Blessed, to give them a welcome to their state of felicity.

أَهَـؤُلاء الَّذِينَ أَقْسَمْتُمْ لاَ يَنَالُهُمُ اللّهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ...

7: 49. "Behold! are these not the men whom you swore that Allah with His mercy would never bless?

...ادْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ لاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلاَ أَنتُمْ تَحْزَنُونَ ﴿٤٩﴾

Enter ye the garden:

no fear shall be on you, nor shall ye grieve."

Other versions:

7: 48 [al-Araf, Mecca 39]

Asad And they who [in life] has possessed this faculty of discernment will call out to those…….”What has your amassing [of wealth] availed you, and all the false pride of your past?”

Yusuf Ali The men on the heights will call to certain men whom they will know from their marks saying: "Of what profit to you were you hoards and your arrogant ways?

Pickthall And the dwellers on the Heights call unto men whom they know by their marks, (saying): What did your multitude and that in which ye took your pride avail you?

Transliteration Wa na_da_ asha_bul a'ra_fi rija_lay ya'rifu_nahum bi sima_hum qa_lu_ ma_ agna_ 'ankum jam'ukum wa ma_ kuntum tastakbiru_n(a).

[[ Ruby’s comment – I disagree with Asad here: this faculty of discernment is given to everyone, each human being, whether they use it or not that is a different question. I do not know this meaning of the word “araf” is appropriate here or not. ]]

7: 49

Yusuf Ali "Behold! are these not the men whom you swore that Allah with his mercy would never bless? Enter ye the garden: no fear shall be on you nor shall ye grieve."

Pickthall Are these they of whom ye swore that Allah would not show them mercy? (Unto them it hath been said): Enter the Garden. No fear shall come upon you nor is it ye who will grieve.

Transliteration Aha_'ula_'il lazina aqsamtum la_ yana_luhumulla_hu bi rahmah(tin), udkhulul jannata la_ khaufun 'alaikum wa la_ antum tahzanu_n(a).