2: 94

Asad Say: “If an after life with God is to be for you alone, to the exclusion of all other people [note 79], then you should long for death – if what you say is true!”

Yusuf Ali Say: "If the last Home with Allah be for you specially and not for anyone else then seek ye for death if ye are sincere."

Pickthall Say (unto them): If the abode of the Hereafter in the providence of Allah is indeed for you alone and not for others of mankind (as ye pretend), then long for death (for ye must long for death) if ye are truthful.

Transliteration Wa lay yatamannauhu abadam bima_ qaddamat aidihim, walla_hu 'alimum biz za_limin(a).

[ Asad’s note 79: An allusion to the Jewish belief that paradise is reserved for the children of Israel alone (cf. verse 111 of this sura).



2: 95

Asad But never will they long for it, because [they are aware] of what their hands have sent ahead in this world: and God has full knowledge of evildoers.

Yusuf Ali But they will never seek for death on account of the (sins) which their hands have sent on before them. And Allah is well acquainted with the wrong-doers.

Pickthall But they will never long for it, because of that which their own hands have sent before them. Allah is Aware of evildoers.

Transliteration Wa latajidannahum ahrasan na_si 'ala_ haya_tiw wa minal lazina asyraku_, yawaddu ahaduhum lau yu'ammaru alfa sanah(tin), wa ma_ huwa bi muzahzihihi minal 'aza_bi ay yu'ammar(u), walla_hu basirum bima_ ya'malu_n(a).

[ Ali’s note 100: The phrase "What their hands have sent on before them" frequently occurs in the Qur-an. Here, and in many places, it refers to sins. In such passages as lxxviii. 40, or lxxxi. 14, it is implied that both good and bad deeds go before us to the judgement seat of God before we do ourselves. In ii. 110, it is the good that goes before us. Our deeds are personified. They are witnesses for or against us, and they always go before us. Their good or bad influence begins to operate before we even know it. This is more general than the New Testament idea in the First Epistle of St. Paul to Timothy, v. 24: "Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after." (2.95)]

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2: 96

Asad And thou will most certainly find that they cling to life more eagerly than any other people, even more than those who are bent on ascribing divinity to other beings beside God: every one of them would love to live a thousand years, ……………..


Yusuf Ali Thou wilt indeed find them of all people most greedy of life even more than the idolaters; each one of them wishes he could be given a life of a thousand years; but the grant of such life will not save him from (due) punishment for Allah sees well all that they do.

Pickthall And thou wilt find them greediest of mankind for life and (greedier) than the idolaters. (Each) one of them would like to be allowed to live a thousand years. And to live (a thousand years) would by no means remove him from the doom. Allah is Seer of what they do.