57. Surah Al-Hadid (Iron)
Medina Period [94]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَالَّذِينَ
آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ
وَرُسُلِهِ
أُوْلَئِكَ
هُمُ الصِّدِّيقُونَ...
57: 19. And those who believe in Allah and His messengers -- they are the Sincere (Lovers of truth),
The four categories there mentioned as constituting the beautiful Company of Faith are:
the Prophets who teach, the Sincere Lovers of Truth,
the Martyrs, and
the Righteous who do good.
Of these, the prophets or messengers have already been mentioned in this verse. The Righteous who do good are mentioned as the men and women given over to deeds of charity in verse 18.
...وَالشُّهَدَاء ...
and the witnesses (who testify),
C5300.
The Witnesses are not only Martyrs, but all those who carry the Banner of Truth against all odds and in all positions of danger, whether by pen or speech, or deed or counsel.
... عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ وَنُورُهُمْ...
in the eyes of their Lord: they shall have their Reward and their Light,
C5301. Note that these two are specially high degrees in the Hereafter, just short of Prophethood. For they have not only their reward in the Hereafter, like those who practice charity (verse 18 above), but they themselves become sources of light and leading.
...وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا أُوْلَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ ﴿١٩﴾
but those who reject Allah and deny Our Signs -- they are the Companions of Hell-Fire.
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:
(57:19) For, they who have attained to faith in God and His Apostle - it is they, they who uphold the truth, and they who bear witness thereto] before God: 28 [and so] they shall have their reward and their light!
But as for those who are bent on denying the truth and on giving the lie to Our messages - it is they who are destined for the blazing fire !
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.
Yuksel’s version
57:21 You shall race towards forgiveness from your Lord, and a Paradise whose width is as the width of the heaven and the earth, prepared for those who acknowledged God and His messengers. Such is God's grace that He bestows upon whomever He wills. God is the Possessor of Infinite Grace.
[[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. ]]