BeFEAR no one else except GOD
2. Surah Al Baqarah
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَمِنْ
حَيْثُ خَرَجْتَ
فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ
شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ
الْحَرَامِ
...
2: 150. So from whencesoever thou startest forth, turn thy face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque;
... وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ لِئَلاَّ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَيْكُمْ حُجَّةٌ...
among wheresoever ye are turn your face thither, that there be no ground of dispute against you among the people,
... إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنْهُمْ فَلاَ تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِي...
except those of them that are bent on wickedness; so fear them not, but fear Me;
... وَلأُتِمَّ نِعْمَتِي عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ﴿١٥٠﴾
and that I may complete My favors on you, and ye may (consent to) be guided.
Other versions:
2: 150
Asad Hence, from wherever you may come forth, turn your face [in prayer] towards the Inviolable House of Worship; and wherever you all may be, turn your faces towards it, so that people should have no argument against you unless they are bent upon wrongdoing. And hold not them in awe, but stand in awe of Me, and [obey Me,] so that I might bestow upon you the full measure of My blessings, and that you might follow the right path.
Yusuf Ali So from whencesoever thou startest forth turn thy face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque; among wheresoever ye are turn your face thither that there be no ground of dispute against you among the people except those of them that are bent on wickedness; so fear them not but fear Me; and that I may complete My favors on you and ye may (consent to) be guided.
Pickthall Whencesoever thou comest forth turn thy face toward the Inviolable Place of Worship; and wheresoever ye may be (O Muslims) turn your faces toward it (when ye pray) so that men may have no argument against you, save such of them as do injustice. Fear them not, but fear Me and so that I may complete My grace upon you, and that ye may be guided.
Transliteration Wa min haisu kharajta fawalli wajhaka syatral masjidil hara_m(i), wa haisu ma_ kuntum fawallu_ wuju_hakum syatrah(u_), li alla_ yaku_na linna_si 'alaikum hujjatun illal lazina zalamu_ minhum fala_ takhsyauhum wakhsyauni wa li utimma ni'mati 'alaikum wa la'allakum tahtadu_n(a
3. Sura al-Imran
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
إِنَّمَا
ذَلِكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ
يُخَوِّفُ
أَوْلِيَاءهُ
فَلاَ تَخَافُوهُمْ...
3: 175. It is only the Evil One that suggests to you the fear of his votaries:
be ye not afraid of them,
...وَخَافُونِ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١٧٥﴾
but fear Me, if ye have faith.
Asad’s Version:
3: 175 It is but Satan who instills (into you) fear of his allies: so fear them not, but fear me, if you are (truly) believers! ( re: Uhud)
4. Sura an-Nisa
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
أَلَمْ
تَرَ إِلَى
الَّذِينَ قِيلَ
لَهُمْ كُفُّواْ
أَيْدِيَكُمْ
...
4: 77. Hast thou not turned thy vision to those who were told to hold back their hands (form fight)
C595. Before the command for fighting was issued there were some who were impatient, and could scarcely be held back. They wanted fighting from human motives,- pugnacity, hatred against their enemies, the gaining of personal ends. Fighting from such motives is wrong at all times.
When the testing time came, and they had to fight, not for their own hand, but for a Sacred Cause, in which there was much suffering and little personal gain, the Hypocrites held back and were afraid.
... وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلاَةَ وَآتُواْ الزَّكَاةَ...
but establish regular prayers and spend in regular charity?
... فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَخْشَوْنَ النَّاسَ كَخَشْيَةِ اللّهِ أَوْ أَشَدَّ خَشْيَةً...
When (at length) the order for fighting was issued to them, behold! a section of them feared men as, or even more than, they should have feared Allah:
... وَقَالُواْ رَبَّنَا لِمَ كَتَبْتَ عَلَيْنَا الْقِتَالَ...
they say: "Our Lord! why hast Thou ordered us to fight?
... لَوْلا أَخَّرْتَنَا إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ ...
Wouldst Thou not grant us respite to our (natural) term, near (enough)?"
C596. "Our natural term of life," they would say, "is short enough; why should we jeopardize it by fighting in which there is no personal gain?"
The answer is begun in this verse and continued in the next. Briefly, the answer is:
1. in any case the pleasures of this world are short; this life is fleeting; the first thing for a righteous man to do is to emancipate himself from its obsessions;
2. to do your duty is to do right; therefore turn your attention mainly to duty;
3. when duty calls for self-sacrifice, be sure that Allah's call is never unjust, and never such as to exceed your capacity; and
4. if you fear death, you will not by fear escape death; it will find you out wherever you are; why not face it boldly when duty calls?
... قُلْ مَتَاعُ الدَّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ ...
Say: "Short is the enjoyment of this world:
... وَالآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّمَنِ اتَّقَى وَلاَ تُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلاً ﴿٧٧﴾
the Hereafter is the best for those who do right: never will ye be dealt with unjustly in the very least!
فَقَاتِلْ
فِي سَبِيلِ
اللّهِ لاَ
تُكَلَّفُ
إِلاَّ نَفْسَكَ
وَحَرِّضِ
الْمُؤْمِنِينَ...
4: 84. Then fight in Allah's cause -- thou art held responsible only for thyself, and rouse the believers.
... عَسَى اللّهُ أَن يَكُفَّ بَأْسَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ...
It may be that Allah will restrain the fury of the unbelievers:
... وَاللّهُ أَشَدُّ بَأْسًا وَأَشَدُّ تَنكِيلاً ﴿٨٤﴾
for Allah is the strongest in might and in punishment.
C603. The courage of Muhammad was as notable as his wisdom, his gentleness, and his trust in Allah. Facing fearful odds, he often stood alone, and took the whole responsibility on himself. But his example and visible trust in Allah inspired and roused the Muslims, and also -speaking purely from a human point of view- restrained the fury of his enemies.
When we consider that he was Allah's inspired Messenger to carry out His Plan, we can see that nothing can resist that Plan. If the enemy happens to have strength, power, or resources, Allah's strength, power, and resources are infinitely greater. If the enemy is meditating punishment on the righteous for their righteousness. Allah's punishment for such wickedness will be infinitely greater and more effective.
Other versions:
4: 77
Asad Are you not aware of those who have been told, “Curb your hands [note 91] and be constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues”? But as soon as fighting [in God’s cause] is ordained for them, lo, some of them stand in awe of men as one should stand in awe of God – or in even greater awe – and say, “O our Sustainer! Why have you ordained fighting for us? If only you had granted us a delay for a little while!” Say: “Brief is the enjoyment of this world, whereas the life to come is the best for all who are conscious of God – since none of you shall be wronged by as much as a hair’s breadth.
Yusuf Ali Hast thou not turned thy vision to those who were told to hold back their hands (from fight) but establish regular prayers and spend in regular charity? When (at length) the order for fighting was issued to them behold! a section of them feared men as or even more than they should have feared Allah: they say: "Our Lord! why hast Thou ordered us to fight? Wouldst Thou not grant us respite to our (natural) term near (enough)?" Say: "Short is the enjoyment of this world: the Hereafter is the best for those who do right: never will ye be dealt with unjustly in the very least!
Pickthall Hast thou not seen those unto whom it was said: Withhold your hands, establish worship and pay the poor due, but when fighting was prescribed for them behold, a party of them fear mankind even as their fear of Allah or with greater fear, and say: Our Lord! Why hast thou ordained fighting for us? If only Thou wouldst give us respite yet a while! Say (unto them, O Muhammad): The comfort of this world is scant; the Hereafter will be better for him who wardeth off (evil); and ye will not be wronged the down upon a date stone.
Alam tara ilal lazina qila lahum kuffu_ aidiyakum wa aqimus sala_ta wa a_tuz zaka_h(ta), falamma_ kutiba'alaihimul qita_lu iza_ fariqum minhum yakhsyaunan na_sa ka khasyyatilla_hi au asyadda khasyyah(ti), wa qa_lu_ rabbana_ lima katabta'alainal qita_l(a), lau la_ akhkhartana_ ila_ ajalin qarib(in), qul mata_'ud dunya_ qalil(un), wal a_khiratu khairul limanittaqa_, wa la_ tuzlamu_na fatila_(n).
[[ Asad’s note 91 – I.e., from unrighteous violence, to which man so often inclines. The fact that most people have to be told to refrain from violence in contrasted, in the next sentence, with the unwillingness on the part of many of them to expose themselves to physical danger in a righteous cause.]]
595 Before the command for fighting was issued there were some who were impatient, and could scarcely be held back. They wanted fighting from human motives,- pugnacity, hatred against their enemies, the gaining of personal ends. Fighting from such motives is wrong at all times. When the testing time came, and they had to fight, not for their own hand, but for a Sacred Cause, in which there was much suffering and little personal gain, the Hypocrites held back and were afraid. (4.77)
596 "Our natural term of life," they would say, "is short enough; why should we jeopardize it by fighting in which there is no personal gain?" The answer is begun in this verse and continued in the next. Briefly, the answer is: (1) in any case the pleasures of this world are short; this life is fleeting; the first thing for a righteous man to do is to emancipate himself from its obsessions; (2) to do your duty is to do right; therefore turn your attention mainly to duty; (3) when duty calls for self-sacrifice, be sure that Allah's call is never unjust, and never such as to exceed your capacity; and (4) if you fear death, you will not by fear escape death; it will find you out wherever you are; why not face it boldly when duty calls? (4.77)]]
4: 84 Fight you, then , in God's cause - since you are but responsible for your own self - and inspire the believers to overcome all fear of death. God may well curb the might of those who are bent on denying the truth: for God is stronger in might, and stronger in ability to deter.
5. Surah Al-Ma'idah
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
لَئِن
بَسَطتَ إِلَيَّ
يَدَكَ لِتَقْتُلَنِي
مَا أَنَاْ
بِبَاسِطٍ
يَدِيَ إِلَيْكَ
لَأَقْتُلَكَ...
5: 28. "If thou dost stretch thy hand against me, to slay me, it is not for me to stretch my hand against thee to slay thee:
... إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿٢٨﴾
for I do fear Allah, the Cherisher of the worlds.
إِنَّا
أَنزَلْنَا
التَّوْرَاةَ
فِيهَا هُدًى
وَنُورٌ...
5: 44. It was We who revealed the Law (to Moses);
therein was guidance and light.
C750. Guidance, with reference to conduct,
light, with reference to insight into the higher realms of the spirit.
... يَحْكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُواْ لِلَّذِينَ هَادُواْ وَالرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالأَحْبَارُ...
By its standard have been judged the Jews, by the Prophet who bowed (as in Islam) to Allah's Will, by the Rabbis and the doctors of Law:
C751. Rabbaniyyun may, I think, be rightly translated by the Jewish title of Rabbi for their learned men. Jewish learning is identified with Rabbinical literature.
Ahbar is the plural of hibr or habr, by which we may understand Jewish Doctors of Law.
Later the term was applied to those of other religions.
Query:
Is this word connected with the same root as "Hebrew", or "Eber" (Gen. 10:21), the ancestor of the Hebrew race?
This seems negatived by the fact that the Arabic root connected with the word "Hebrew" is 'Abar, not Habar.
... بِمَا اسْتُحْفِظُواْ مِن كِتَابِ اللّهِ وَكَانُواْ عَلَيْهِ شُهَدَاء ...
for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah's Book, and they were witnesses thereto:
C752. They were living witnesses to the truth of Scripture, and could testify that they had made it known to the people:
... فَلاَ تَخْشَوُاْ النَّاسَ وَاخْشَوْنِ وَلاَ تَشْتَرُواْ بِآيَاتِي ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً ...
therefore fear not men, but fear Me, and sell not My Signs for a miserable price.
C753. Two charges are made, against the Jews:
1. that even the books which they had, they twisted in meaning, to suit their own purposes, because they feared men rather than Allah:
2. that what they had was but fragments of the original Law given to Moses, mixed up with a lot of semi-historical and legendary matter, and some fine poetry.
The Tawrah mentioned in the Quran is not the Old Testament as we have it: nor is it even the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament, containing the Law embedded in a great deal of semi-historical and legendary narrative).
See Appendix II, on the Tawrah (printed at the end of this Surah).
... وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ ﴿٤٤﴾
If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, they are (no better than) Unbelievers.
Other versions:
5: 28 Even if you lay your hand on me to slay me, I shall not lay hand on you to slay you: behold, I fear God, the Sustainer of all the worlds. (the story of Abel and Cain)
Therefore, hold not men in awe, but stand in awe of Me; and do not barter away My messages for a trifling gain: for they who do not judge in accordance with what God has bestowed from on high are, indeed, deniers of the truth!
5: 44
Yusuf Ali It was We who revealed the law (to Moses); therein was guidance and light. By its standard have been judged the Jews by the Prophet who bowed (as in Islam) to Allah's will by the Rabbis and the doctors of Law: for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah's Book and they were witnesses thereto: therefore fear not men but fear Me and sell not My Signs for a miserable price. If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed they are (no better than) unbelievers.
Pickthall Lo! We did reveal the Torah, wherein is guidance and a light, by which the Prophets who surrendered (unto Allah) judged the Jews, and the rabbis and the priests (judged) by such of Allah's Scripture as they were bidden to observe, and thereunto were they witnesses. So fear not mankind, but fear Me. And barter not My revelations for a little gain. Whoso judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed: such are disbelievers.
Transliteration Inna_ anzalnat taura_ta fiha_ hudaw wa nu_r(un), yahkumu bihan nabiyyunal lazina aslamu_ lillazina ha_du_ war rabba_niyyu_na wal ahba_ru bimastuhfizu_ min kita_billa_hi wa ka_nu_ 'alaihi syuhada_'(a), fala_ takhsyaun na_sa wakhsyauni wa la_ tasytaru_ bi a_ya_ti samanan qalila_(n), wa mal lam yahkum bima_ anzalalla_hu fa ula_'ika humul ka_firu_n(a).
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
لَّوْلاَ
كِتَابٌ مِّنَ
اللّهِ سَبَقَ
لَمَسَّكُمْ
فِيمَا أَخَذْتُمْ
عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿٦٨﴾
8: 68. Had it not been for a previous ordainment from Allah, a severe penalty would have reached you for the (ransom) that ye took.
C1235. Though any motive of worldly gain, which may have been in the minds of some among the victorious Muslim army, is condemned as worthy of a severe penalty, what actually happened is ascribed to the Plan of Allah, which was preordained.
Among the prisoners taken were the Prophet's uncle 'Abbas and Hadhrat 'Ali's brother, Aqil, who afterwards became Muslims. 'Abbas was an ancestor of the founder of the celebrated 'Abbasi Dynasty which played such a notable part in Islamic history. In his case the promise made in verse 70 was amply fulfilled.
In the case of all prisoners, if there was any good in their hearts, their very fight against Islam and their capture led to their being blessed with Islam. Thus does Allah's Plan work in a marvelous way, and evolve good out of seeming evil.
فَكُلُواْ
مِمَّا غَنِمْتُمْ
حَلاَلاً طَيِّبًا
وَاتَّقُواْ
اللّهَ...
8: 69. But (now) enjoy what ye took in war, lawful and good:
but fear Allah:
C1236. Enjoy: literally, eat. See 7:19. n. 1004, and 5:66, n. 776.
...إِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٦٩﴾
for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Asad’s Version:
8: 68 Had it not been for a previous ordainment from God, a severe penalty would
have reached you for the [ransom] that you took.
8: 69 But enjoy what you took in war, lawful and good: but fear God: for God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
13.Surah ArRa'd
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَالَّذِينَ
يَصِلُونَ مَا
أَمَرَ اللّهُ
بِهِ أَن يُوصَلَ...
13: 21. Those who join together those things which Allah hath commanded to be joined,
- join faith with practice,
- love of God with love of man, and
- respect for all Prophets alike, i.e., follow the right Religion, and not odd bits of it.
...وَيَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ وَيَخَافُونَ سُوءَ الحِسَابِ ﴿٢١﴾
hold their Lord in awe, and fear the terrible reckoning;
Other versions:
13: 21
Yusuf Ali Those who join together those things which Allah hath commanded to be joined hold their Lord in awe and fear the terrible reckoning;
Pickthall Such as unite that which Allah hath commanded should be joined, and fear their Lord, and dread a woeful reckoning.
Transliteration Wallazina yasilu_na ma_ amaralla_hu bihi ay yu_sala wa yakhsyauna rabbahum wa yakha_fu_na su_'al hisa_b(i).