2. Surah Al Baqarah
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَاسْتَعِينُواْ
بِالصَّبْرِ
وَالصَّلاَةِ...
2: 45. Nay, seek (Allah's) help with patient perseverance and prayer:
C61. The Arabic word Sabr implies many shades of meaning, which it is impossible to comprehend in one English word.
It implies;
1. patience in the sense of being thorough, not hasty;
2. patient perseverance, constancy, steadfastness, firmness of purpose;
3. systematic as opposed to spasmodic or chance action;
4. a cheerful attitude of resignation and understanding in sorrow, defeat, or suffering, as opposed to murmuring or rebellion, but saved from mere passivity or listlessness, by the element of constancy or steadfastness.
... وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلاَّ عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ ﴿٤٥﴾
it is indeed hard, except to those who bring a lowly spirit.
الَّذِينَ
يَظُنُّونَ
أَنَّهُم مُّلاَقُو
رَبِّهِمْ
وَأَنَّهُمْ
إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
﴿٤٦﴾
2: 46. Who bear in mind the certainty that they are to meet their Lord, and that they are to return to Him.
يَا
أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ
آمَنُواْ
اسْتَعِينُواْ
بِالصَّبْرِ
وَالصَّلاَةِ
...
2: 153. O ye who believe! seek help with patient perseverance and prayer:
An additional meaning implied in sabr is self-restraint.
Haqqani defines it in his Tafsir as following Reason and restraining Fear, Anger, and Desire.
What can be a higher reward for patience, perseverance, self-restraint and constancy than that Allah should be with us?
For this promise opens the door to every kind of spiritual well-being.
... إِنَّ اللّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ ﴿١٥٣﴾
for Allah is with those who patiently persevere.
وَلاَ
تَقُولُواْ
لِمَنْ يُقْتَلُ
فِي سَبيلِ
اللّهِ أَمْوَاتٌ
...
2: 154. And say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah: "They are dead."
C158. The "patient perseverance and prayer" mentioned in the last verse is not mere passivity. It is active striving in the way of Truth, which is the way of Allah.
Such striving is the spending of one's self in Allah's way,
- either through our property or through our own lives,
- or the lives of those nearest and dearest to us,
- or it may be the loss of all the fruits of a lifetime's labour not only in material goods but in some intellectual
- or moral gain, some position which seemed in our eyes to be eminently desirable in itself, but which we must cheerfully sacrifice if necessary for the Cause.
With such sacrifice, our apparent loss may be our real gain: he that loses his life may really gain it; and the rewards or "fruits" that seem lost were mere impediments on our path to real inward progress. (R).
... بَلْ أَحْيَاء وَلَكِن لاَّ تَشْعُرُونَ ﴿١٥٤﴾
Nay, they are living, though ye perceive (it) not.
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ
بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ
الْخَوفْ وَالْجُوعِ
وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ
الأَمَوَالِ
وَالأنفُسِ
وَالثَّمَرَاتِ...
2: 155. Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil),
... وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ ﴿١٥٥﴾
but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.
C159. The glad tidings are the blessings of Allah in 2:157 or (which is the same thing) the promise in 2:153 that Allah will be with them.
الَّذِينَ
إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم
مُّصِيبَةٌ
قَالُواْ إِنَّا
لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا
إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ
﴿١٥٦﴾
2: 156. Who say, when afflicted with calamity:
"To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return."
أُولَـئِكَ
عَلَيْهِمْ
صَلَوَاتٌ مِّن
رَّبِّهِمْ
وَرَحْمَةٌ
...
2: 157. They are those on whom (descend) blessings from Allah, and Mercy,
... وَأُولَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ ﴿١٥٧﴾
and they are the ones that receive guidance.
Other versions:
2: 45 [al-Baqarah, Medina 87, Addressed to the Children of Israel]
Asad And seek aid in steadfast patience and prayer: and this, indeed, is a hard thing for all but the humble in spirit,
Pickthall Seek help in patience and prayer; and truly it is hard save for the humble-minded,
Transliteration Wasta'inu_ bis sabri was sala_h(ti), wa innaha_ lakabiratun illa_ 'alal kha_syi'in(a).
2: 46
Asad who know with certainty that they shall meet their Sustainer and that unto Him they shall return.
Pickthall Who know that they will have to meet their Lord, and that unto Him they are returning.
Transliteration Allazina yazunnu_na annahum mula_qu_ rabbihim wa annahum ilaihi ra_ji'u_n(a).
[ Ali’s note: 61 The Arabic word Sabr implies many shades of meaning, which it is impossible to comprehend in one English word. It implies (1) patience in the sense of being thorough, not hasty; (2) patient perseverance, constancy, steadfastness, firmness of purpose; (3) systematic as opposed to spasmodic or chance action; (4) a cheerful attitude of resignation and understanding in sorrow, defeat, or suffering, as opposed to murmuring or rebellion, but saved from mere passivity or listlessness, by the element of constancy or steadfastness. (2.45) ]
2: 153
Asad O you who have attained to faith! Seek aid in steadfast patience and prayer: for, behold, God is with those who are patient in adversity.
Pickthall O ye who believe! Seek help in steadfastness, and prayer. Lo! Allah is with the steadfast.
Transliteration Ya_ ayyuhal lazina a_manus ta'inu_ bis sabri was sala_h(ti), innalla_ha ma'as sa_birin(a).
2: 154
Pickthall And call not those who are slain in the way of Allah "dead." Nay, they are living, only ye perceive not.
Transliteration Wa la_ taqu_lu_ limay yuqtalu fi sabililla_hi amwa_t(un), bal ahya_'u wa la_kil la_ tasy'uru_n(a).
2: 155
Asad And most certainly shall We try you by means of danger, and hunger, and loss of worldly goods, of lives and of [labor’s] fruits. But give glad tidings unto those who are patient in adversity -
Pickthall And surely We shall try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and crops; but give glad tidings to the steadfast,
Transliteration Wa lanabluwannakum bi syai'im minal khaufi wal ju_'i wa naqsim minal amwa_li wal anfusi was samara_t(i), wa basysyiris sa_birin(a).
2: 156
Asad who, when calamity befalls them, say, “Verily, unto God do we belong and, verily, unto Him we shall return.”
Pickthall Who say, when a misfortune strike them: Lo! we are Allah's and Lo! unto Him we are returning.
Transliteration Allazina iza_ asa_bathum musibah(tun), qa_lu_ inna_ lilla_hi wa inna_ ilaihi ra_ji'u_n(a).
.
2: 157
Asad It is they upon whom their Sustainer’s blessings and grace are bestowed , and it is they, they who are on the right path!
Pickthall Such are they on whom are blessings from their Lord, and mercy. Such are the rightly guided.
Transliteration Ula_'ika 'alaihim salawa_tum mir rabbihim wa rahmah(tun), wa ula_'ika humul muhtadu_n(a)
3. Sura al-Imran
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
يَا
أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ
آمَنُواْ ...
3: 200. O ye who believe!
...اصْبِرُواْ وَصَابِرُواْ ...
persevere in patience and constancy:
vie in such perseverance;
C502. The full meaning of Sabr is to be understood here, viz.: Patience, perseverance, constancy, self-restraint, refusing to be cowed down.
These virtues we are to exercise for ourselves and in relation to others; we are to set an example, so that others may vie with us, and we are to vie with them, lest we fall short; in this way we strengthen each other and bind our mutual relations closer, in our common service to Allah.
... وَرَابِطُواْ وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٢٠٠﴾
strengthen each other;
and fear Allah; that ye may prosper.
C503. Prosperity (falah) here and in other passages is to be understood in a wide sense, including prosperity in our mundane affairs as well as in spiritual progress.
In both cases it implies happiness and the attainment of our wishes, purified by the love of Allah.
Pickthall’s Version:
3: 200
Pickthall O ye who believe! Endure, outdo all others in endurance, be ready, and observe your duty to Allah, in order that ye may succeed.
12. Surha Yusuf (Joseph)
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَجَآؤُوا
عَلَى
قَمِيصِهِ
بِدَمٍ
كَذِبٍ...
12: 18. They stained his shirt with false blood.
C1651. Joseph wore a garment of many colours, which was a special garment peculiar to him. If the brethren could produce it blood-stained before their father, they thought he would be convinced that Joseph had been killed by a wild beast.
But the stain on the garment was a stain of "false blood", -not the blood of Joseph, but the blood of a goat which the brethren had killed expressly for this purpose.
Their device, however, was not quite convincing because, as some Commentators have pointed out the garment was intact which is unconceivable if a wolf had indeed devoured Joseph. (R).
...قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًا...
He said:
"Nay, but your minds have made up a tale (that may pass) with you.
C1652. Jacob saw that there had been some foul play, and he did not hesitate to say so. In effect he said
"Ah me! the tale you tell may be good enough for you, who invented it!
But what about me, your aged father?
What is there left in life for me now, with my beloved son gone?
And yet what can I do but hold my heart in patience and implore Allah's assistance?
I have faith, and I know that all that He does is for the best!"
...فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ...
(For me) patience is most fitting:
...وَاللّهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَى مَا تَصِفُونَ ﴿١٨﴾
against that which ye assert, it is Allah (alone) whose help can be sought"...
وَاسْأَلِ
الْقَرْيَةَ
الَّتِي
كُنَّا
فِيهَا...
12: 82. "'Ask at the town where we have been and the caravan in which we returned,
...وَالْعِيْرَ الَّتِي أَقْبَلْنَا فِيهَا وَإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ ﴿٨٢﴾
and (you will find) we are indeed telling the truth.'"
C1755. To vouch for the truth of the story, the nine brothers are asked by Judah to appeal to their father to enquire at the place where they stayed and the caravan with which they came, and he would find that the facts were as they stated them. The nine brothers came back and told their father as they had been instructed by Judah.
قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ
لَكُمْ
أَنفُسُكُمْ
أَمْرًا ...
12: 83. Jacob said:
"Nay, but ye have yourselves contrived a story (good enough) for you.
C1756. Jacob was absolutely stunned by the story. He knew his darling little Benjamin too well to believe that he had committed theft. He flatly refused to believe it, and called it a cock-and-bull story, which indeed it was, though not in the sense in which he reproached the nine brothers.
With the eye of faith he saw clearly the innocence of Benjamin, though he did not see every detail of what had happened.
... فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ...
So patience is most fitting (for me).
...عَسَى اللّهُ أَن يَأْتِيَنِي بِهِمْ جَمِيعًا...
Maybe Allah will bring them (back) all to me (in the end):
C1757. With the eye of faith he clung to even a larger hope. Perhaps all three of his lost sons would come back, -Joseph, Benjamin, and Judah. His faith in Allah was unswerving, although alas! the present facts altogether unnerved him. (R).
...إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ ﴿٨٣﴾
for He is indeed full of knowledge and wisdom."
قَالُواْ أَإِنَّكَ
لَأَنتَ
يُوسُفُ...
12: 90. They said: "Art thou indeed, Joseph?"
C1766. Their father's words, the way events were shaping themselves. Joseph's questionings, perhaps Benjamin's manner now, not a slave kept in subjection but one in perfect love and understanding with this great Wazir, -perhaps also a recollection of Joseph's boyish dream,- all these things had prepared their minds and they ask the direct question, "Art thou Joseph?"
They get the direct reply, "Yes, I am Joseph; and if you have still any doubt of my identity, here is Benjamin: ask him. We have suffered much, but patience and right conduct are at last rewarded by Allah!"
...قَالَ أَنَاْ يُوسُفُ وَهَـذَا أَخِي...
He said:
"I am Joseph, and this is my brother:
...قَدْ مَنَّ اللّهُ عَلَيْنَا...
Allah has indeed been gracious to us (all):
...إِنَّهُ مَن يَتَّقِ وَيِصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٩٠﴾
behold, he that is righteous and patient -- never will Allah suffer the reward to be lost, of those who do right."
Other versions:
12: 18
Asad ……..patience in adversity is most goodly [in the sight of God]: and it is to God that I pray to give me strength to bear the misfortune which you described to me.”
Pickthall And they came with false blood on his shirt. He said: Nay, but your minds have beguiled you into something. (My course is) comely patience. And Allah it is whose help is to be sought in that (predicament) which ye describe.
Yuksel They came with his shirt stained in false blood. He said, "You have invented this tale yourselves. Patience is good, and God's help is sought against what you describe."
Transliteration Wa ja_'u_ 'ala_ qamisihi bi damin kazib(in), qa_la bal sawwalat lakum anfusukum amra_(n), fa sabrun jamil(un), walla_hul musta'a_nu 'ala_ ma_ tasifu_n(a).
12: 82
Pickthall Ask the township where we were, and the caravan with which we travelled hither. Lo! we speak the truth.
Yuksel "Ask the people of the town which we were in, and the caravan which we have returned with. We are being truthful."
Transliteration Wa-s'alil qaryatal lati kunna_ fiha_ wal 'iral lati aqbalna_ fiha_, wa inna_ lasa_diqu_n(a).]]
12: 83
Pickthall (And when they came unto their father and had spoken thus to him) he said: Nay, but your minds have beguiled you into something. (My course is) comely patience! It may be that Allah will bring them all unto me. Lo! He, only He, is the Knower, the Wise.
Transliteration Qa_la bal sawwalat lakum anfusukum amra_(n), fa sabrun jamil(un), 'asallaa_hu ay ya'tiyani bihim jami'a_(n), innahu_ huwal 'alimul hakim(u).
12: 90
Asad “ ………..Verily, if one is conscious of Him and patient in adversity behold, God does not fail to requite the doers of good!”
Pickthall They said: Is it indeed thou who art Joseph? He said: I am Joseph and this is my brother. Allah hath shown us favor. Lo! he who wardeth off (evil) and endureth (findeth favor); for verily Allah loseth not the wages of the kindly.
Yuksel They said, "Are you indeed Joseph?" He said, "I am Joseph, and this is my brother. God has been gracious to us. For anyone who reveres and is patient, then God will not waste the reward of the good doers."
Transliteration Qa_lu_ a'innaka la'anta yu_suf(u), qa_la ana yu_sufu wa ha_za_ akhi qad mannalla_hu 'alaina_,
7. Sura al-Araf
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَإِن
كَانَ طَآئِفَةٌ
مِّنكُمْ آمَنُواْ
بِالَّذِي
أُرْسِلْتُ
بِهِ...
7: 87. "And if there is a party among you who believes in the message with which I have been sent,
...وَطَآئِفَةٌ لَّمْ يْؤْمِنُواْ ...
and a party which does not believe,
C1056. Madyan is torn by internal conflict. Shu'ayb comes as a peace-maker, not in virtue of his own wisdom, but by appeal to the truth, righteousness and justice of God.
As we see later, the real motives of his opponents were selfishness, arrogance, violence, lawlessness, and injustice. Bu he appeals to their better nature, and is prepared to argue on the basis that the party which wants to suppress those who believe in God's Message and in righteousness, has some sincere mental difficulty in accepting Shu'ayb's mission.
"If," he says to them, "that is the case, do you think it justifies you intolerance, your violence, or your persecution? On the contrary, events will prove by themselves who is right and who is wrong."
To the small band who believe in his mission and follow his teaching, he would preach patience and perseverance. His argument to them would be:
"You have faith; surely your faith is strong enough to sustain you in the hope that Allah's truth will triumph in the end; there is no cause for despair or dejection."
How exactly these past experiences fit the times of our holy guide Muhammad! And it is for that analogy and that lesson that the stories of Noah, Hud, Salih, Lut, and Shu'ayb are related to us, all different, and yet all pointing to the great lessons in Muhammad's life.
... فَاصْبِرُواْ حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ اللّهُ بَيْنَنَا...
hold yourselves in patience until Allah doth decide between us:
...وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ ﴿٨٧﴾
for He is the best to decide."
C1057. See the argument in the last note.
Allah's decision may come partly in this very life, either for the same generation or for succeeding generations, by the logic of external events. But in any case it is bound to come spiritually on a higher plane eventually, when the righteous will be comforted and the sinners will be convinced of sin from their own inner conviction.
وَمَا
تَنقِمُ مِنَّا
إِلاَّ أَنْ
آمَنَّا بِآيَاتِ
رَبِّنَا لَمَّا
جَاءتْنَا...
7: 126. "But thou dost wreak thy vengeance on us simply because we believed in the signs of our Lord when they reached us!
...رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَتَوَفَّنَا مُسْلِمِينَ ﴿١٢٦﴾
Our Lord! pour out on us patience and constancy, and take our souls unto thee as Muslims (who bow to thy will)"!
C1083. These Egyptians, by their patience and constancy, show that their repentance was true. Thus in their case the mission of Moses was fulfilled directly, and their number must have amounted to a considerable figure.
They were martyrs to their faith, and their martyrdom affected their nation in two ways.
- In the first place, as they were the pick of those who practised magic in Egypt, their conversion and disappearance dealt a staggering blow to the whole system.
- Secondly, the indirect effect of their martyrdom on the commonalty of Egypt must have been far greater than can be measured by numbers.
The banner of Allah was planted, and the silent spiritual fight must have gone on ever since, though history, in recording outward events, is silent on the slow and gradual processes of transformation undergone by Egyptian religion.
From a chaotic pantheon of animals and animal gods, the worship of the sun and the heavenly bodies, and the worship of the Pharaoh as the embodiment of power, they gradually came to realise the oneness and mercy of the true God. After many glimpses of Monotheism on Egyptian soil itself, the Gospel of Jesus reached them, and eventually Islam.
وَقَالَ
الْمَلأُ مِن
قَوْمِ فِرْعَونَ...
7: 127. Said the chiefs of Pharaoh's people:
...أَتَذَرُ مُوسَى وَقَوْمَهُ لِيُفْسِدُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ وَيَذَرَكَ وَآلِهَتَكَ...
"Wilt thou leave Moses and his people, to spread mischief in the land, and to abandon thee and thy gods?"
...قَالَ سَنُقَتِّلُ أَبْنَاءهُمْ وَنَسْتَحْيِـي نِسَاءهُمْ وَإِنَّا فَوْقَهُمْ قَاهِرُونَ ﴿١٢٧﴾
He said:
"Their male children will we slay; (only) their females will we save alive;
and we have over them (power) irresistible."
C1084. Pharaoh's order against the sorcerers was drastic enough. But his Council is not satisfied.
What about Moses and the Israelites?
They had a seeming victory, and will now be more mischievous than ever. They appeal to Pharaoh's vanity and his superstition and sense of power. "If you leave them alone." they say, "where will be your authority? You and your gods will be defied!"
Pharaoh has a ready answer. He was really inwardly cowed by the apparent power of Moses. He dared not openly act against him. But he had already, before the birth of Moses, passed a cunning order to destroy the whole people of Israel. Through the instrumentality of midwives (Exod. 1:15-16) all the male children were to be destroyed. and the females would then be for the Egyptians: the race of Israel would thus be at an end. This order was still in force, and would remain in force until the despised race was absorbed.
But Egyptian cunning and wickedness had no power against Allah's Plan for those who had faith.
See verse 129 below.
قَالَ
مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ
اسْتَعِينُوا
بِاللّهِ
وَاصْبِرُواْ...
7: 128. Said Moses to his people:
"Pray for help from Allah, and (wait) in patience and constancy:
... إِنَّ الأَرْضَ لِلّهِ يُورِثُهَا مَن يَشَاء مِنْ عِبَادِهِ...
for the earth is Allah's to give as a heritage to such of his servants as He pleaseth;
...وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿١٢٨﴾
and the end is (best) for the righteous.
C1085. Notice the contrast between the arrogant tone of Pharaoh and the humility and faith taught by Moses.
In the end the arrogance was humbled, and humility and faith were protected and advanced.
وَأَوْرَثْنَا
الْقَوْمَ
الَّذِينَ
كَانُواْ
يُسْتَضْعَفُونَ
مَشَارِقَ
الأَرْضِ
وَمَغَارِبَهَا
الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا
فِيهَا ...
7: 137. And We made a people, considered weak (and of no account), inheritors of lands in both east and west, lands whereon We sent down our blessings.
...وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ الْحُسْنَى عَلَى بَنِي إِسْرَآئِيلَ بِمَا صَبَرُواْ...
The fair promise of the Lord was fulfilled for the children of Israel, because they had patience and constancy,
...وَدَمَّرْنَا مَا كَانَ يَصْنَعُ فِرْعَوْنُ وَقَوْمُهُ وَمَا كَانُواْ يَعْرِشُونَ ﴿١٣٧﴾
and We levelled to the ground the great works and fine buildings which Pharaoh and his people erected (with such pride).
C1096. Israel, which was despised, became a great and glorious nation under Solomon. He had goodly territory, and was doubly blest. His land and people were prosperous, and he wits blessed with wisdom from Allah. His sway and his fame spread east and west. And thus Allah's promise to Israel was fulfilled.
Note that Syria and Palestine had once been under the sway of Egypt. At the same time the proud and rebellious Pharaoh and his people were brought low. The splendid monuments which they had erected with so much skill and pride were mingled with the dust. Their great cities-Thebes (or No-Ammon), Memphis (or Noph, sacred to the Bull of Osiris), and the other splendid cities, became as if they had not existed, and archaeologists have had to dig up their ruins from the sands.
The splendid monuments-temples, palaces, tombs, statues, columns, and stately structures of all kinds-were buried in the sands. Even monuments like the Great Sphinx, which seem to defy the ages, were partly buried in the sands, and owe their rescue to the comparatively recent researches of archaeologists.
As late as 1743 Richard Pococke in his Travels in Egypt (p. 41), remarked:
"Most of those pyramids are very much ruined." (R).
وَجَاوَزْنَا
بِبَنِي إِسْرَآئِيلَ
الْبَحْرَ ...
7: 138. We took the children of Israel (with safety) across the sea.
... فَأَتَوْاْ عَلَى قَوْمٍ يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَى أَصْنَامٍ لَّهُمْ...
They came upon a people devoted entirely to some idols they had.
C1097. Who were these people?
We are now in the Sinai Peninsula. Two conjectures are possible.
1. The Amalekites of the Sinai Peninsula were at perpetual war with the Israelites. They were probably an idolatrous nation, but we have very little knowledge of their cult.
2. From Egyptian history we know that Egypt had worked from very ancient times some copper mines in Sinai. An Egyptian settlement may have been here. Like all mining camps it contained from the beginning the dregs of the population.
When the mines ceased to be worked, the settlement, or what remained of it, must have degenerated further. Cut off from civilisation, its cult must have become still narrower, without the refining influences which a progressive nation applies even to its idolatry.
Perhaps Apis, the sacred bull of Memphis, lost all its allegorical meaning for them, and only gross and superstitious rites remained among them.
The text speaks of "some idols they had," implying that they had merely a detached fragment of a completer religion.
This was a snare in the path of the Israelites, whom many generations of slavery in Egypt had debased into ignorance and superstition.
...قَالُواْ يَا مُوسَى اجْعَل لَّنَا إِلَـهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ آلِهَةٌ...
They said: "O Moses! fashion for us a god like unto the gods they have."
...قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ ﴿١٣٨﴾
He said: "Surely ye are a people without knowledge.
Other versions:
7: 87
Asad “And if there be some among you who have come to believe in the message which I bear, ..........then have patience in adversity till God shall judge between us: for He is the best judges.
Pickthall And if there is a party of you which believeth in that wherewith I have been sent, and there is a party which believeth not, then have patience until Allah judge between us. He is the best of all who deal in judgment.
Transliteration Wa in ka_na ta_'ifatum minkum a_manu_ billazi ursiltu bihi wa ta_'ifatul lam yu'minu_ fasbiru_ hatta_ yahkumalla_hu bainana_, wa huwa khairul ha_kimin(a).
7: 126 [al-Araf, Mecca 39, Pharaoh take revenge on Sorcerers after believing in God, - Moses]
Pickthall Thou takest vengeance on us only forasmuch as we believed the tokens of our Lord when they came unto us. Our Lord! Vouchsafe unto us steadfastness and make us die as men who have surrendered (unto Thee).
Transliteration Wa ma_ tanqimu minna_ illa_ an a_manna_ bi a_ya_ti rabbina_ lamma_ ja_'atna_, rabbana_ afrig 'alaina_ sabraw wa tawaffana_ muslimin(a).
7: 127
Pickthall The chiefs of Pharaoh's people said: (O King), wilt thou suffer Moses and his people to make mischief in the land, and flout thee and thy gods? He said: We will slay their sons and spare their women, for lo! we are in power over them.
Transliteration Wa qa_lal mala'u min qaumi fir'auna atazaru mu_sa_ wa qaumahu_ liyufsidu_ fil ardi wa yazaraka wa a_lihatak(a), qa_la sanuqattilu abna_'ahum wa nastahyi nisa_'ahum, wa inna_ fauqahum qa_hiru_n(a).
7: 128
Asad …..”Turn unto God for aid, and have patience in adversity. Verily, all the earth belongs to God: He gives it as a heritage to such as He wills of His servants; and the future belongs to the God-consciousness!”
Pickthall And Moses said unto his people: Seek help in Allah and endure. Lo! the earth is Allah's. He giveth it for an inheritance to whom He will. And lo! the sequel is for those who keep their duty (unto Him).
Transliteration Qa_la mu_sa_ li qaumihista'inu_ billa_hi wasbiru_, innal arda lilla_h(i), yu_risuha_ may yasya_'u min 'iba_dih(i), wal'a_qibatu lil muttaqin(a).
7: 137
Asad ……..in result of their patience in adversity [note 9].
Pickthall And We caused the folk who were devised to inherit the eastern parts of the land and the western parts thereof which We had blessed. And the fair word of the Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel because of their endurance; and We annihilated (all) that Pharaoh and his folk had done and that they had contrived.
Transliteration Wa aurasnal qumal lazina ka_nu_ yustad'afu_na masya_riqal ardi wa maga_ribahal lati ba_rakna_ fiha_, wa tammat kalimatu rabbikal husna_ 'ala_ bani isra_'ila bima_ sabaru_, wa dammarna_ ma_ ka_na yasna'u fir'aunu wa qaumuhu_ wa ma_ ka_nu_ ya'risyu_n(a).
[[ Asad’s note 99 – The promise of God referred to here is the one given to the children of Israel through Moses (see verses 128 and 129). ]]
7: 138
Pickthall And We brought the Children of Israel across the sea, and they came unto a people who were given up to idols which they had. They said: O Moses! Make for us a god even as they have gods. He said: Lo! ye are a folk who know not.
Transliteration Wa ja_wazna_ bi bani isra_'ilal bahra fa atau 'ala_ qaumiy ya'kufu_na 'ala_ asna_mil lahum, qa_lu_ ya_ mu_saj'al lana_ ila_han kama_ lahum a_lihah(tun), qa_la innakum qaumun tajhalu_n(a).
8. Surah Al Anfal
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَأَطِيعُواْ
اللّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ...
8: 46. And obey Allah and His Messenger;
...وَلاَ تَنَازَعُواْ فَتَفْشَلُواْ وَتَذْهَبَ رِيحُكُمْ...
and fall into no disputes, lest ye lose heart and your power depart;
...وَاصْبِرُواْ إِنَّ اللّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ ﴿٤٦﴾
and be patient and persevering:
for Allah is with those who patiently persevere.
C1215. A fine description of the Muslim virtues which make for success and whose loss brings about humiliation and failure.
"Power": literally, "wind", -the favourable wind for a sailing ship.
وَلاَ تَكُونُواْ
كَالَّذِينَ
خَرَجُواْ مِن
دِيَارِهِم
بَطَرًا وَرِئَاء
النَّاسِ وَيَصُدُّونَ
عَن سَبِيلِ
اللّهِ...
8: 47. And be not like those who started from their homes insolently and to be seen of men, and to hinder (men) from the path of Allah:
C1216. A true description of the Makkan army which met its doom.
...وَاللّهُ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ ﴿٤٧﴾
for Allah compasseth round about all that they do.
وَإِذْ
زَيَّنَ لَهُمُ
الشَّيْطَانُ
أَعْمَالَهُمْ
وَقَالَ...
8: 48. Remember Satan made their (sinful) acts seem alluring to them, and said:
...لاَ غَالِبَ لَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَإِنِّي جَارٌ لَّكُمْ...
"No one among men can overcome you this day, while I am near to you":
...فَلَمَّا تَرَاءتِ الْفِئَتَانِ نَكَصَ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ وَقَالَ...
but when the two forces came in sight of each other, he turned on his heels, and said:
...إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِّنكُمْ إِنِّي أَرَى مَا لاَ تَرَوْنَ إِنِّيَ أَخَافُ اللّهَ...
"Lo! I am clear of you;
lo! I see what ye see not;
lo! I fear Allah;
...وَاللّهُ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ ﴿٤٨﴾
for Allah is strict in punishment.
C1217. It is the way with the leaders of evil, when they find their cause lost, that they wash their hands of their followers and leave them in the lurch. They see more clearly than their dupes. They are not simpletons: they know the consequences of the wrath of Allah.
Satan's "fear" of Allah is terror combined with hatred, -the very opposite of the feeling which is described in Taqwa viz., the desire to avoid doing anything against Allah's will, such desire being founded on trust in Allah and the love of Allah.
Other versions:
8: 46
Pickthall And obey Allah and His messenger, and dispute not one with another lest ye falter and your strength depart from you; but be steadfast! Lo! Allah is with the steadfast.
Transliteration Wa ati'ulla_ha wa rasu_lahu_ wa la_ tana_za'u_ fa tafsyalu_ wa tazhaba rihukum wasbiru_, innalla_ha ma'as sa_birin(a).
8: 47
Asad And be not like those [unbelievers] who went forth from their homelands full of self-conceit and a desire to be seen and praised by men [note 51]: for they were trying to turn others away from the path of God – the while God encompassed all their doings [with His might].
Pickthall Be not as those who came forth from their dwellings boastfully and to be seen of men, and debar (men) from the way of Allah, while Allah is surrounding all they do.
Transliteration Wa la_ taku_nu_ kallazina kharaju_ min diya_rihim bataraw wa ri'a_'an na_si wa yasuddu_na 'an sabililla_h(i), walla_hu bima_ ya'malu_na muhit(un).
[[ Asad’s note 51 - ……….These words imply a warning to the believers, of all times, never to go to war boastfully and for the sake of empty glory. ]]
8: 48
Pickthall And when Satan made their deeds seem fair to them and said: No one of mankind can conquer you this day, for I am your protector. But when the armies came in sight of one another, he took flight, saying: Lo! I am guiltless of you. Lo! I see that which ye see not. Lo! I fear Allah. And Allah is severe in punishment.
Transliteration Wa iz zayyana lahumusy syaita_nu a'ma_lahum wa qa_la la_ ga_liba lakumul yauma minan na_si wa inni ja_rul lakum, falamma_ tara_'atil fi'ata_ni nakasa 'ala_ 'aqibaihi wa qa_la inni bari'um minkum inni ara_ ma_ la_ tarauna inni akha_fulla_h(a), walla_hu syadidul 'iqa_b(i).
11.Surah Hud
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
تِلْكَ مِنْ
أَنبَاء الْغَيْبِ
نُوحِيهَا
إِلَيْكَ...
11: 49. Such are some of the stories of the Unseen, which We have revealed unto thee:
...مَا كُنتَ تَعْلَمُهَا أَنتَ وَلاَ قَوْمُكَ مِن قَبْلِ هَـذَا...
before this, neither thou nor thy People knew them.
...فَاصْبِرْ إِنَّ الْعَاقِبَةَ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٤٩﴾
So persevere patiently:
for the End is for those who are righteous.
C1544. Cf. n. 1528 to 11:35.
The sum of the whole matter is that the righteous, who work for Allah and their fellow-men, may be traduced, insulted, and persecuted. But they will be sustained by Allah's Mercy. They must go on working patiently, for the End will all be for them and their Cause.
11: 115. And be steadfast in patience;
...فَإِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿١١٥﴾
for verily Allah will not suffer the reward of the righteous to perish.
Other versions:
11: 49
Pickthall This is of the tidings of the Unseen which We inspire in thee (Muhammad). Thou thyself knewest it not, nor did thy folk (know it) before this. Then have patience. Lo! the sequel is for those who ward off (evil).
Transliteration Tilka min amba_'il gaibi nu_hiha_ ilaik(a), ma_ kunta ta'lamuha_ anta wa la_ qaumuka min qabli ha_za_, fa-sbir, innal 'a_qibata lil muttaqin(a).
11: 115
Pickthall And have patience, (O Muhammad), for lo! Allah loseth not the wages of the good.
Transliteration Wa-sbir fa innalla_ha la_ yudi'u ajral muhsinin(a).
13.Surah ArRa'd
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَالَّذِينَ
صَبَرُواْ
ابْتِغَاء
وَجْهِ رَبِّهِمْ...
13: 22. Those who patiently persevere, seeking the countenance their Lord;
...وَأَقَامُواْ الصَّلاَةَ وَأَنفَقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلاَنِيَةً...
establish regular prayers;
spend, out of (the gifts) We have bestowed for their sustenance, secretly and openly;
...وَيَدْرَؤُونَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ السَّيِّئَةَ...
and turn off Evil with good:
...أُوْلَئِكَ لَهُمْ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ ﴿٢٢﴾
for such there is the final attainment of the (Eternal) Home --
C1836. Their journey in this life was at best a sojourn. The Heaven is their eternal Home, which is further prefigured in the two following verses.
جَنَّاتُ
عَدْنٍ يَدْخُلُونَهَا
وَمَنْ صَلَحَ
مِنْ آبَائِهِمْ
وَأَزْوَاجِهِمْ
وَذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ...
13: 23. Gardens of perpetual bliss:
they shall enter there, as well as the righteous among their fathers, their spouses, and their offspring:
C1837. The relationships of this life are temporal, but love in righteousness is eternal.
In the eternal Gardens of Bliss the righteous will be reunited with all those near and dear ones whom they loved, provided only that they were righteous also; for in eternity nothing else counts.
Blood-relationships and marriage relationships create certain physical bonds in this life, which may lead to much good, and possibly also to evil. All that is physical or evil will go. But the good will come forth with a new meaning in the final Reckoning. Thus ancestors and descendants, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, (for dhurriyat includes them), whose love was pure and sanctified, will find new bliss in the perfecting of their love and will see a new and mystic meaning in the old and ephemeral bonds.
Can we wonder at Jacob's reunion with Joseph, or that of Moses with Aaron, or Muhammad Al Mustafa with the Lady Khadija?
In fact all the Righteous will be reunited in the Hereafter (12:101).
...وَالمَلاَئِكَةُ يَدْخُلُونَ عَلَيْهِم مِّن كُلِّ بَابٍ ﴿٢٣﴾
and angels shall enter unto them from every gate (with the salutation):
سَلاَمٌ
عَلَيْكُم بِمَا
صَبَرْتُمْ
فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَى
الدَّارِ ﴿٢٤﴾
13: 24. "Peace unto you for that ye persevered in patience!
Now how excellent is the final Home!"
Other versions:
13: 22
Pickthall Such as persevere in seeking their Lord's countenance and are regular in prayer and spend of that which We bestow upon them secretly and openly, and overcome evil with good. Theirs will be the sequel of the (heavenly) Home.
Yuksel Those who are patient seeking their Lord's direction; and they hold the contact prayer, and they spend from what We bestowed upon them secretly and openly, and they counter sin with good; these will have an excellent abode.
Transliteration Wallazina sabaru-btiga_'a wajhi rabbihim wa aqa_mus sala_ta wa anfaqu_ mimma_ razaqna_hum sirraw wa 'ala_niyataw wa yadra'u_na bil hasana_tis sayyi'ata ula_'ika lahum 'uqbad da_r(i),
[ Asad note 44: ………But the great majority of the classical commentators hold that the meaning is “they repay evil with good” : thus Al-hasan al-Basri (as quoted by Baghawi, Zamakhshari and Razi): “When they are deprived [of anything], they give; and when they are wronged, they forgive.” Tabari’s explanation is very similar: “They repel the evil done to them by doing good to those who did it”; and “they do not repay evil with evil, but repel it by [doing ] good”. See also 41:34-36. ]
13: 23
Pickthall Gardens of Eden which they enter, along with all who do right of their fathers and their helpmeets and their seed. The angels enter unto them from every gate.
Transliteration Janna_tu 'adniy yadkhulu_naha_ wa man salaha mina a_ba_'ihim wa azwa_jihim wa zurriyya_tihim wal mala_'ikatu yadkhulu_na 'alaihim min kulli ba_b(in).
13: 24
Pickthall (Saying): Peace be unto you because ye persevered. Ah, passing sweet will be the sequel of the (heavenly) Home.
Transliteration Sala_mun 'alaikum bima_ sabartum fa ni'ma 'uqbad da_r(i).
14. Surah Ibrahim
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَلَقَدْ
أَرْسَلْنَا
مُوسَى بِآيَاتِنَا
أَنْ أَخْرِجْ
قَوْمَكَ مِنَ
الظُّلُمَاتِ
إِلَى النُّورِ...
14: 5. We sent Moses with Our Signs (and the command),
"Bring out thy people from the depths of darkness into light,
...وَذَكِّرْهُمْ بِأَيَّامِ اللّهِ...
and teach them to remember the Days of Allah."
C1876. "The Days of Allah": the days when Allah's mercy was specially shown to them.
Every day and every hour and minute, Allah's grace flows to us abundantly, but there are special events in personal or national history which may be commemorated as Red-letter Days. Those to the Israelites were set out in great detail in 2:30-61 and on other places.
...إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَاتٍ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ ﴿٥﴾
Verily in this there are Signs for such as are firmly patient and constant -- grateful and appreciative.
C1877. Sabbar is the intensive form, and includes all the ideas implied in Sabr (2:45 and n. 61, and 2:153, n. 157) in an intensive degree.
Shakur and Shakir have in them the idea of appreciation, recognition, gratitude as shown in deeds of goodness and righteousness.
Both terms are applied to Allah as well as to men.
A slight distinction in shades of meaning may be noted.
Shakur implies that the appreciation is even for the smallest favours and response on the other side; it is a mental attitude independent of specific facts.
Shakir implies bigger and more specific things.
وَإِذْ قَالَ
مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ...
14: 6. Remember! Moses said to his people:
...اذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَةَ اللّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ أَنجَاكُم مِّنْ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ...
"Call to mind the favor of Allah to you when He delivered you from the people of Pharaoh:
C1878. Cf. 2:49.
The reference back to Israel and Moses serves a double purpose;
- as an appeal to the People of the Book, and
- as a reminder to the Quraish of the favour now conferred on them by the coming among them of a greater Prophet than Moses.
... يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ وَيُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَاءكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَاءكُمْ...
They set you hard tasks and punishments, slaughtered your sons, and let your womenfolk live:
...وَفِي ذَلِكُم بَلاء مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌ ﴿٦﴾
therein was a tremendous trial from your Lord."
Pickthall’s Version:
14: 5
Pickthall We verily sent Moses with Our revelations, saying: Bring thy people forth from darkness unto light. And remind them of the days of Allah. Lo! therein are revelations for each steadfast, thankful (heart).
Transliteration Wa laqad arsalna_ mu_sa_ bi a_ya_tina_ an akhrij qaumaka minaz zuluma_ti ilan nu_r(i), wa zakkirhum bi ayya_milla_h(i), inna fi za_lika la a_ya_til likulli sabba_rin syaku_r(in).
14: 6
Pickthall And (remind them) how Moses said unto his people: Remember Allah's favor unto you when He delivered you from Pharaoh's folk who were afflicting you with dreadful torment, and were slaying your sons and sparing your women; that was a tremendous trial from your Lord.
Transliteration Wa iza qa_la mu_sa_ li qaumihi-zkuru_ ni'matalla_hi 'alaikm iz anja_kum min a_li fir'auna yasu_mu_nakum su_'al 'aza_bi wa yuzabbihu_na abna_'akum wa yastahyu_na nisa_'akum, wa fi za_likum bala_'um mir rabbikum 'azim(un).
[[ Ali’s notes - 1876 "The Days of Allah": the days when Allah's mercy was specially shown to them. Every day and every hour and minute, Allah's grace flows to us abundantly, but there are special events in personal or national history which may be commemorated as Red-letter Days. Those to the Israelites were set out in great detail in ii. 30-61 and on other places. (14.5)
1877 Sabbar is the intensive form, and includes all the ideas implied in Sabr (ii. 45 and n. 61, and ii. 153 n. 157) in an intensive degree. Shakur and Shakir have in them the idea of appreciation, recognition, gratitude as shown in deeds of goodness and righteousness. Both terms are applied to Allah as well as to men. A slight distinction in shades of meaning may be noted. Shakur implies that the appreciation is even for the smallest favours and response on the other side; it is a mental attitude independent of specific facts. Shakir implies bigger and more specific things. (14.5)
1878 Cf. ii. 49. The reference back to Israel and Moses serves a double purpose-as an appeal to the People of the Book, and as a reminder to the Quraish of the favour now conferred on them by the coming among them of a greater Prophet than Moses. (14.6)]]
16.Sura al-Nahl
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُواْ
فِي اللّهِ مِن
بَعْدِ مَا
ظُلِمُواْ ...
16: 41. To those who leave their homes in the Cause of Allah, after suffering oppression --
C2067. There is no merit in suffering exile (Hijrah) in itself. To have any merit, it must be;
- in the cause of Allah, and
- after such an oppression as forces the sufferer to choose between Allah and man.
When these conditions are fulfilled, the exiles are entitled to the highest honour, as having made a great sacrifice in the cause of Allah.
Such were the early Muslim exiles to Abyssinia; such were the later exiles to Madinah before the Prophet himself left his home in Makkah and went to Madinah; and such were the exiles who went with the Prophet or followed him.
At all these stages, his approval or advice was always obtained, either specifically or generally.
... لَنُبَوِّئَنَّهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً...
We will assuredly give a goodly home in this world:
... وَلَأَجْرُ الآخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ لَوْ كَانُواْ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٤١﴾
but truly the reward of the Hereafter will be greater, if they only realize (this)!
الَّذِينَ
صَبَرُواْ
وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ
يَتَوَكَّلُونَ ﴿٤٢﴾
16: 42. (They are) those who persevere in patience, and put their trust on their Lord.
مَا عِندَكُمْ
يَنفَدُ وَمَا
عِندَ اللّهِ
بَاقٍ...
16: 96. What is with you must vanish:
what is with Allah will endure.
... وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٩٦﴾
And We will certainly bestow, on those who patiently persevere, their reward according to the best of their actions.
C2136. What comparison can there possibly be between spiritual Good, which will endure for ever, and any temporal advantage which you may snatch in this world, which will fade and vanish in no time?
And then, Allah's generosity is unbounded. He rewards you, not according to your merits, but according to the very best of your actions.
مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا
مِّن ذَكَرٍ
أَوْ أُنثَى
وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ
فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ
حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً...
16: 97. Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily, to him will We give a new life, a life that is good and pure,
C2137. Faith, if sincere, means right conduct. When these two confirm each other, Allah's grace transforms our life.
Instead of being troubled and worried, we have peace and contentment; instead of being assailed at every turn by false alarms and the assaults of evil, we enjoy calm and attain purity. The transformation is visible in this life itself, but the "reward" in terms of the Hereafter will be far beyond our deserts.
... وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٩٧﴾
and We will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions.
C2138. The same ending as in the previous verse deepens the overall effect bringing home the message forcefully and beautifully.
The argument is completed and rounded off. (R).
ادْعُ إِلِى
سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ
بِالْحِكْمَةِ
وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ
الْحَسَنَةِ...
16: 125. Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching;
... وَجَادِلْهُم بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ...
and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious:
C2161. In this wonderful passage are laid down principles of religious preaching, which are good for all time.
But where are the Teachers with such qualifications?
We must invite all to the Way of Allah, and expound His Universal Will; we must do it with wisdom and discretion, meeting people on their own ground and convincing them with illustrations from their own knowledge and experience, which may be very narrow, or very wide.
Our preaching must be, not dogmatic, not self-regarding, not offensive, but gentle, considerate, and such as would attract their attention. Our manner and our arguments should not be acrimonious, but modeled on the most courteous and the most gracious example, so that the hearer may say to himself,
"This man is not dealing merely with dialectics; he is not trying to get a rise out of me; he is sincerely expounding the faith that is in him, and his motive is the love of man and the love of Allah."
... إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ ﴿١٢٥﴾
for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance.
C2162. It may be that the Preacher sometimes says to himself,
"What is the use of teaching these people?
they have made up their minds, or they are obstinate; or they are only trying to catch me out,"
Let him not yield to such a thought. Who knows how the seed of the Word of Allah may germinate in people's minds? It is not for man to look for results. Man's inner thoughts are known best to Allah.
وَإِنْ عَاقَبْتُمْ
فَعَاقِبُواْ
بِمِثْلِ مَا
عُوقِبْتُم
بِهِ...
16: 126. And if ye do catch them out, catch them out no worse than they catch you out:
... وَلَئِن صَبَرْتُمْ لَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لِّلصَّابِرينَ ﴿١٢٦﴾
but if ye show patience, that is indeed the best (course) for those who are patient.
C2163. In the context this passage refers to controversies and discussions, but the words are wide enough to cover all human struggles, disputes, and fights.
In strictest equity you are not entitled to give a worse blow than is given to you. Lest you should think that such patience only gives an advantage to the adversary, you are told that the contrary is the case, the advantage is with the patient, the self-possessed, those who do not lose their temper or forget their own principles of conduct.
وَاصْبِرْ
وَمَا صَبْرُكَ
إِلاَّ بِاللّهِ...
16: 127. And do thou be patient, for thy patience is but from Allah;
C2164. In the previous verse are laid down the principles of conduct in controversy for all Muslims;
'if you catch them out, you are not entitled to strike a heavier blow than you received, but it is better to restrain yourself and be patient.'
There patience was recommended.
In this verse a command is directly addressed to the Prophet. 'Do thou be patient.'
It is a command: his standard as the Great Teacher is much higher; and he carried out in his life.
His patience and self-restraint were under circumstances of extraordinary provocation. In his human wisdom it may sometimes have seemed questionable whether forbearance and self-restraint might not be human weaknesses; he had to defend his people as well as himself against the enemy's persecutions.
He is told here that he need not entertain any such fears. Patience (with constancy) in those circumstances was in accordance with Allah's own command.
Nor was he to grieve if they rejected Allah's Message-, the Prophet had done his duty when he boldly and openly proclaimed it.
Nor was his heart to be troubled if they hatched secret plots against himself and his people, Allah would protect them.
... وَلاَ تَحْزَنْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ تَكُ فِي ضَيْقٍ مِّمَّا يَمْكُرُونَ ﴿١٢٧﴾
nor grieve over them: and distress not thyself because of their plots.
إِنَّ
اللّهَ مَعَ
الَّذِينَ
اتَّقَواْ
وَّالَّذِينَ
هُم مُّحْسِنُونَ ﴿١٢٨﴾
16: 128. For Allah is with those
- who restrain themselves,
- and those who do good.
C2165. And the Surah ends with the highest consolation which the righteous can receive; the assurance that Allah is with them. A double qualification is indicated for so high an honour,
- that they should not yield to human passion or anger or impatience, and
- that they should go on with constancy doing good all around them. To attain to the Presence of Allah in the sense of "I am with you" is the culmination of the righteous man's aspiration.
Pickthall’s Version:
16: 41
Pickthall And those who became fugitives for the cause of Allah after they had been oppressed, We verily shall give them goodly lodging in the world, and surely the reward of the Hereafter is greater, if they but knew;
Transliteration Wallazina ha_jaru_ filla_hi mim ba'di ma_ zulimu_ lanubawwi'annahum fid dunya_ hasanah(tan), wa la'ajrul a_khirati akbar(u), lau ka_nu_ ya'lamu_n(a),
16: 42
Pickthall Such as are steadfast and put their trust in Allah.
Transliteration Allazina sabaru_ wa 'ala_ rabbihim yatawakkalu_n(a).
16: 96
Pickthall That which ye have wasteth away, and that which Allah hath remaineth. And verily We shall pay those who are steadfast a recompense in proportion to the best of what they used to do.
Transliteration Ma_ 'indakum yanfadu wa ma_ 'indalla_hi ba_q(in), wa lanajziyannal lazina sabaru_ ajrahum bi ahsani ma_ ka_nu_ ya'malu_n(a).
16: 97
Pickthall Whosoever doeth right, whether male or female, and is a believer, him verily We shall quicken with good life, and We shall pay them a recompense in proportion to the best of what they used to do.
Transliteration Man 'amila sa_liham min zakarin au unsa_ wa huwa mu'minun fa lanuhyiyannahu_ haya_tan tayyibah(tan), wa lanajziyannahum ajrahum bi ahsani ma_ ka_nu_ ya'malu_n(a).
16:125
Asad Invite to the path of your Lord with wisdom and good advice, and argue with them in the best possible manner. Your Lord is fully aware of who is misguided from His path, and He is fully aware of the guided ones.
Transliteration Ud'a_ ila_ sabili rabbika bil hikmati wal mau'izatil hasanati wa ja_dilhum bil lati hiya ahsan(u), inna rabbaka huwa a'lamu biman dalla 'an sabilihi wa huwa a'lamu bil muhtadin(a).
[[ Ali’s notes -
2161 In this wonderful passage are laid down principles of religious preaching, which are good for all time. But where are the Teachers with such qualifications? We must invite all to the Way of Allah, and expound His Universal Will; we must do it with wisdom and discretion, meeting people on their own ground and convincing them with illustrations from their own knowledge and experience, which may be very narrow, or very wide. Our preaching must be, not dogmatic, not self-regarding, not offensive, but gentle, considerate, and such as would attract their attention. Our manner and our arguments should not be acrimonious, but modelled on the most courteous and the most gracious example, so that the hearer may say to himself, "This man is not dealing merely with dialectics; he is not trying to get a rise out of me; he is sincerely expounding the faith that is in him, and his motive is the love of man and the love of Allah." (16.125)
2162 It may be that the Preacher sometimes says to himself, "What is the use of teaching these people? they have made up their minds, or they are obstinate; or they are only trying to catch me out," Let him not yield to such a thought. Who knows how the seed of the Word of Allah may germinate in people's minds? It is not for man to look for results. Man's inner thoughts are known best to Allah. (16.125) ]]
16: 126
Pickthall If ye punish, then punish with the like of that wherewith ye were afflicted. But if ye endure patiently, verily it is better for the patient.
Transliteration Wa in 'a_qabtum fa 'a_qibu_ bi misli ma_ 'u_qibtum bih(i), wa la'in sabartum lahuwa khairul lis sa_birin(a).
16: 127
Pickthall Endure thou patiently (O Muhammad). Thine endurance is only by (the help of) Allah. Grieve not for them, and be not in distress because of that which they devise.
Transliteration Wa-sbir wa ma_ sabruka illa_ billa_hi wa la_ tahzan 'alaihim wa la_ taku fi daiqim mimma_ yamkuru_n(a).
16: 128
Pickthall Lo! Allah is with those who keep their duty unto Him and those who are doers of good.
Transliteration Innalla_ha ma'al lazina-ttaqau wal lazina hum muhsinu_n(a).
18.Surah Al Kahf
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَاصْبِرْ
نَفْسَكَ مَعَ
الَّذِينَ
يَدْعُونَ
رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ
وَالْعَشِيِّ
يُرِيدُونَ
وَجْهَهُ...
18: 28. And keep thy soul content with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking his Face;
The true servants of Allah are those whose hearts are turned to Him morning, noon, and night, and who seek not worldly gain, but Allah's Grace, Allah's own Self, His Presence and nearness.
Even if they are poor in this world's goods, their society gives far more inward and spiritual satisfaction than worldly grandeur or worldly attractions.
... وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا...
and let not thine eyes pass beyond them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this Life;
... وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا...
nor obey any whose heart We have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us,
... وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا ﴿٢٨﴾
one who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds.
C2370. For those who stray from Allah's path, Allah's Grace is ever anxious: it seeks to reclaim them and bring them back to the path.
If such a one resists, and follows his own lusts, a point is reached when his case becomes hopeless. Allah's Grace does not then Teach him, and he is abandoned to his pride and insolence. Beware of following the example or advice of such a one or seeking his society, or hankering after his wretched idols.
Other versions:
18: 28
Asad And contain yourself in patience by the side of all who at morn and at evening invoke their Sustainer, seeking His countenance, and let not your eyes pass beyond them in quest of the beauties of this world’s life; and pay no heed to any whose heart We have rendered heedless of all remembrance of Us because he had always followed his own desires, abandoning all that is good and true.
Pickthall Restrain thyself along with those who cry unto their Lord at morn and evening, seeking His countenance; and let not thine eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, who followeth his own lust and whose case hath been abandoned.
Transliteration Wa-sbir nafsaka ma'al lazina yad'u_na rabbahum bil gada_ti wal 'asyiyyi yurida_na wajhahu_ wa la_ ta'du 'aina_ka 'anhum, turidu zinatal haya_tid dunya_, wa la_ tuti' man agfalna_ qalbahu_ 'an zikrina_ wa-ttaba'a hawa_hu wa ka_na amruhu_ furuta_(n).
[Asad note: 36……see verse 6:52……note 41]]
19. Surah Maryam
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
رَبُّ
السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالْأَرْضِ
وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا...
19: 65. "Lord of the heavens and of the earth, and of all that is between them:
...فَاعْبُدْهُ وَاصْطَبِرْ لِعِبَادَتِهِ ...
so worship Him, and be constant and patient in His worship:
...هَلْ تَعْلَمُ لَهُ سَمِيًّا ﴿٦٥﴾
knowest thou of any who is worthy of the same Name as He?"
C2515. The more we taste of the truth and mystery of life, the more do we realise that there is no one to be mentioned in the same breath as Allah.
He is above all names. But when we think of His beautiful qualities, and picture them to ourselves by names which give us some idea of Him, we can search the whole wide world of our imagination, and we shall not find another to be compared with Him in name or quality.
He is the One: praise be to Him!
Other versions:
19:65
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[[Asad’s note - 50 I.e., that which even the angels can only glimpse but not fully understand. Literally, the above phrase reads, "that which is between our hands and that which is behind us and that which is between these". Regarding this idiomatic expression, see 2:255 - "He knows all that lies open before men and all that is hidden from them" - and the corresponding note 247. The reference to the angels connects with the preceding mention of some of the earlier prophets who, like Muhammad, were recipients of divine revelation. ]]
47. Surah Muhammad [38 verses]
Medina 95
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ
حَتَّى نَعْلَمَ
الْمُجَاهِدِينَ
مِنكُمْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ...
47: 31. And We shall try you until We test those among you who strive their utmost and persevere in patience;
C4855. Cf. 34:21, and n. 3821.
The test and trial is for our own psychological development, to help in the exercise of such choice as has been given to us in our free- will.
...وَنَبْلُوَ أَخْبَارَكُمْ ﴿٣١﴾
and We shall try your reported (mettle).
C4856. Akhbar: the things reported of you; reputation for courage and constancy, which has to be brought to the test of facts and experience.
Asad’s Version:
(47:31) and most certainly We shall try you all, so that. We might mark out 37 those of you who strive hard [in Our cause] and are patient in adversity: for We shall put 38 to a test [the truth of) all your assertions.
