3. Sura al-Imran

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ...

3: 106. On the day when some faces will be (lit up with) white, and some faces will be (in the gloom of) black;

C432. The "face" (wajh) expresses our Personality, our inmost being.

White is the colour of Light; to become white is to be illumined with Light, which stands for felicity, the rays of the glorious light of Allah.

Black is the colour of darkness, sin, rebellion, misery; removal from the grace and light of Allah.

These are the Signs of heaven and hell. The standard of decision in all questions is the justice of Allah.

...فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ اسْوَدَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ أَكْفَرْتُم بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْ...

to those whose faces will be black, (will be said):

"Did ye reject faith after accepting it?

...فَذُوقُواْ الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ ﴿١٠٦﴾

Taste then the penalty for rejecting faith.

Other versions:

3: 106

Pickthall On the day when (some) faces will be whitened and (some) faces will be blackened; and as for those whose faces have been blackened, it will be said unto them: Disbelieved ye after your (profession of) belief? Then taste the punishment for that ye disbelieved.

Transliteration Yauma tabyaddu wuju_huw wa taswaddu wuju_h(un), fa ammal lazinaswaddat wuju_huhum, akafartum ba'da ima_nikum fa zu_qul 'aza_ba bima_ kuntum takfuru_n(a).

[ Ali’s note - 432 The "face" (wajh) expresses our Personality, our inmost being. White is the colour of Light; to become white is to be illumined with Light, which stands for felicity, the rays of the glorious light of Allah. Black is the colour of darkness, sin, rebellion, misery; removal from the grace and light of Allah. These are the Signs of heaven and hell. The standard of decision in all questions is the justice of Allah. (3.106) ]