14. Surah Ibrahim

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُواْ نِعْمَةَ اللّهِ كُفْرًا وَأَحَلُّواْ قَوْمَهُمْ دَارَ الْبَوَارِ ﴿٢٨﴾

14: 28.  Hast thou not turned thy vision to those who have changed the favor of Allah into blasphemy and caused their people to descend to the House of Perdition? --

C1904. There is a particular and a general meaning.

-        The particular meaning is understood to be a reference to the Makkan Pagans who turned the House of Allah into a place for the worship of horrible idols and the practice of unseemly rites and cults.

There is no real difficulty in accepting this as part of a late Makkan Surah even without supposing it to be a prophecy.

The Makkan Pagans had turned Religion into a blasphemous superstition, and were misguiding their people, persecuting the true Messenger of Allah and all who followed his teaching. Their cup of iniquity seemed about full, and they seemed to be heading to perdition, as later events indeed showed to be the case.

-        The general meaning is also clear. Selfish men, when they seize power, want worship for themselves or their Phantasies, in derogation of the true God. Power, which should have been an instrument of good, becomes in their hands an instrument of evil. They and their people rush headlong to perdition. "These be thy gods, 0 Israel!" has been a cry repeated again and again in history, in the face, or at the back, of men of God!

جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَوْنَهَا وَبِئْسَ الْقَرَارُ ﴿٢٩﴾

14: 29.  Into Hell?

They will burn therein -- an evil place to stay in!

وَجَعَلُواْ لِلّهِ أَندَادًا لِّيُضِلُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِهِ...   

14: 30.  And they set up (idols) as equal to Allah, to mislead (men) from the Path!

...قُلْ تَمَتَّعُواْ فَإِنَّ مَصِيرَكُمْ إِلَى النَّارِ ﴿٣٠﴾

Say:

"Enjoy (your brief power)! But verily ye are making straightway for Hell!"

Other versions:

14: 28

Yusuf Ali Hast thou not turned thy vision to those who have changed the favor of Allah into blasphemy and caused their people to descend to the House of Perdition?

Pickthall Hast thou not seen those who gave the grace of Allah in exchange for thanklessness and led their people down to the Abode of Loss,

Transliteration Alam tara ilal lazina baddalu_ ni'matalla_hi kufraw wa ahallu_ qaumahum da_ral bawa_r(i),

14: 29

Yusuf Ali Into Hell? They will burn therein an evil place to stay in!

Pickthall (Even to) hell? They are exposed thereto. A hapless end!

Transliteration Jahannam(a), yaslaunaha_, wa bi'sal qara_r(u).

14: 30

Yusuf Ali And they set up (idols) as equal to Allah to mislead (men) from the Path! Say: "Enjoy (your brief power)! But verily ye are making straightway for Hell!"

Pickthall And they set up rivals to Allah that they may mislead (men) from His way. Say: Enjoy life (while ye may) for lo! your journey's end will be the Fire.

Transliteration Wa ja'alu_ lilla_hi anda_dal liyudillu_ 'an sabilih(i), qul tamatta'u_ fa inna masirakum ilan na_r(i).