17. Surah Al Isra

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:



وَكُلَّ إِنسَانٍ أَلْزَمْنَاهُ طَآئِرَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ...   

17 : 13.  Every man's fate We have fastened on his own neck:

C2187. Fate: Tair, literally a bird, hence an omen, an evil omen, fate.

Cf. 36:19.

The Arabs, like the ancient Romans, sought to read the mysteries of human fate from the flight of birds. And many of us in our own day seek to read our future fortunes by similar superstitions.

We read in the previous verse that there are Signs of Allah, but they are not meant to subserve the vulgar purpose of disclosing our future destiny in a worldly sense. They are meant for quite other purposes, as we have explained.

Our real fate does not depend upon birds or omens or stars. It depends on our deeds; good or evil, and they hang round our necks. (R).

...وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كِتَابًا يَلْقَاهُ مَنشُورًا ﴿١٣﴾

on the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a scroll, which he will see spread open.

C2188. These deeds, good or evil, will be embodied in a scroll which will be quite open to us in the light of the Day of Judgment, however much we may affect to be ignorant of it now or waste our energies in prying into mysteries that do not concern us.

اقْرَأْ كَتَابَكَ كَفَى بِنَفْسِكَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيبًا ﴿١٤﴾

17 : 14.  (It will be said to him:) "Read thine (own) record: sufficient is thy soul this day to make out an account against thee."

C2189. Our true accusers are our own deeds.

Why not look to them instead of vainly prying into something superstitious which we call a book of fortune or a book of omens?

مَّنِ اهْتَدَى فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدي لِنَفْسِهِ...   

17 : 15.  Who receiveth guidance, receiveth it for his own benefit:

...وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا...

who goeth astray doth so to his own loss:

C2190. The doctrine of personal responsibility is insisted on, and the basis of ethics is shown to be our own good or evil as furthering or obstructing our highest development.

...وَلاَ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى...

no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another:

C2191. The doctrine of vicarious atonement is condemned. Salvation for the wicked cannot be attained by the punishment of the innocent.

One man cannot bear the burden of another: that would be unjust. Every man must bear his own personal responsibility. Cf. 6:164.

But Allah never visits His wrath on anyone until due warning is conveyed to him through an accredited messenger.

...وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاً ﴿١٥﴾

nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent a Messenger (to give warning).


Others version:


17: 13

Yusuf Ali Every man's fate We have fastened on his own neck: on the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a scroll which he will see spread open.

Pickthall And every man's augury have We fastened to his own neck, and We shall bring forth for him on the Day of Resurrection a book which he will find wide open.


Yuksel We have attached every human's deeds to his own neck, and We bring forth for him a book on the day of Resurrection which he will find on display.*

Transliteration Wa kulla insa_nin alzamna_hu ta_'irahu_ fi 'unuqih(i), wa nukhriju lahu_ yaumal qiya_mati kita_bay yalqa_hu mansyu_ra_(n).

17: 14

Yusuf Ali (It will be said to him:) "Read thine (own) record: sufficient is thy soul this day to make out an account against thee."

Pickthall (And it will be said unto him): Read thy book. Thy soul sufficeth as reckoner against thee this day.

Yuksel Read your book! Today, you suffice as a reckoner against yourself.


Transliteration Iqra' kita_bak(a), kafa_ bi nafsikal yauma 'alaika hasiba_(n).

17: 15

Yusuf Ali Who receiveth guidance receiveth it for his own benefit: who goeth astray doth so to his own loss: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent an apostle (to give warning).

Pickthall Whosoever goeth right, it is only for (the good of) his own soul that he goeth right, and whosoever erreth, erreth only to its hurt. No laden soul can bear another's load. We never punish until We have sent a messenger.


Yuksel Whoever is guided is guided for himself, and whoever is misguided is for his own loss. No person shall carry the load of another, and We were not to punish until We send a messenger.*



Transliteration Man-ihtada_ fa innama_ yahtadi li nafsih(i), wa man dalla fa innama_ yadillu 'alaiha_, wa la_ taziru wa_ziratuw wizra ukhra_, wa ma_ kunna_ mu'azzibina hatta_ nab'asa rasu_la_(n).


[[ Yuksel’s notes - 017:013 All our intentions, words, and actions are recorded in a record. We will be impeached by this record on the Day of Judgment. See 57:22.

017:015 This verse confirms the Biblical verse Ezekiel 18:20. However, the Bible also contains verses claiming collective punishment: Exodus 20:5; Lamentations 5:7; Psalms 109:9-10. ]]


18.Surah Al Kahf

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:



وَوُضِعَ الْكِتَابُ فَتَرَى الْمُجْرِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ...

18: 49.  And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein;

... وَيَقُولُونَ يَا وَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ...

they will say,

"Ah! woe to us! what a book is this!

... لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّا أَحْصَاهَا... 

It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof!"

... وَوَجَدُوا مَا عَمِلُوا حَاضِرًا... 

They will find all that they did, placed before them:

... وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا ﴿٤٩﴾

and not one will thy Lord treat with injustice.

C2391. Personal responsibility, for all deeds in this life will then be enforced. But it will be done with perfect justice.

Expressed in the forms of this world, it will amount to a clear statement of all we did in this life; the record will be put before us to convince us.

As it will be a perfect record, with no omissions and no wrong entries, it will be perfectly convincing. Where there is punishment, it has been earned by the wrong-doer's own deeds, not imposed on him unjustly.


Others version:





18:49 WawudiAAa alkitabu fatara almujrimeena mushfiqeena mimma feehi wayaqooloona ya waylatana ma lihatha alkitabi la yughadiru sagheeratan wala kabeeratan illa ahsaha wawajadoo ma AAamiloo hadiran wala yathlimu rabbuka ahadan

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Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning

Muhammad Asad

 

And the record [of everyone's deeds] will be laid open; and thou wilt behold the guilty filled with dread at what [they see] therein; and they will exclaim: "Oh, woe unto us! What a record is this! It leaves out nothing, be it small or great, but takes everything into account!" For they will find all that they ever wrought [now] facing them, and [will know that] thy Sustainer does not wrong anyone.

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M. M. Pickthall

 

And the Book is placed, and thou seest the guilty fearful of that which is therein, and they say: What kind of a Book is this that leaveth not a small thing nor a great thing but hath counted it! And they find all that they did confronting them, and thy Lord wrongeth no-one.

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Shakir

 

And the Book shall be placed, then you will see the guilty fearing from what is in it, and they will say: Ah! woe to us! what a book is this! it does not omit a small one nor a great one, but numbers them (all); and what they had done they shall find present (there); and your Lord does not deal unjustly with anyone.

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[Progressive Muslims]

 

And the record was displayed, so you see the criminals fearful of what is in it. And they Say: "Woe to us!, what is wrong with this record that it does not leave out anything small or large except that it has counted it." And they found what they had done present. And your Lord does not wrong anyone.