57. Surah Al-Hadid (Iron)
Medina Period [94]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
سَابِقُوا
إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ
مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ
وَجَنَّةٍ
عَرْضُهَا
كَعَرْضِ السَّمَاء
وَالْأَرْضِ...
57: 21. Be ye foremost (in seeking) forgiveness from your Lord, and a Garden (of Bliss), the width whereof is as the width of heaven and earth,
...أُعِدَّتْ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ...
prepared for those who believe in Allah and His messengers:
...ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاء ...
that is the Grace of Allah, which He bestows on whom He pleases:
C5307. "Bestows on whom He pleases." That is, such grace and favour is beyond any one's own merits. It is bestowed by Allah according to His holy Will and Plan, which is just, merciful, and righteous.
... وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ ﴿٢١﴾
and Allah is the Lord of Grace abounding.
Asad’s Version:
57:21 [Hence,] vie with one another in seeking to attain to your Sustainer's forgiveness, 33 and [thus] to a paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth, which has been readied for those who have attained to faith in God and His Apostle: 34 such is the bounty of God which He grants unto whomever He wills - for God is limitless in His great bounty.
[[Asad’s notes - 33 Sc, "rather than in striving for glory and worldly possessions": implying elliptically that no man is free from faults and transgressions, and hence everyone is in need of God's forgiveness. (Cf note 41 on 24:31.)
34 For a further qualification of the humility which characterizes true believers, see 3:133-135. ]]