English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 8: Al-Anfal — Voluntary Gifts (Revealed at Madinah: 10 sections, 75 verses)
Section 3 (Verses 8:20–8:28): The Way to Success
Translation:
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اَطِیۡعُوا اللّٰہَ وَ رَسُوۡلَہٗ وَ لَا تَوَلَّوۡا عَنۡہُ وَ اَنۡتُمۡ تَسۡمَعُوۡنَ ﴿ۚۖ۲۰﴾
8:20 O you who believe, obey Allah and His Messenger and do not turn away from Him while you hear.
وَ لَا تَکُوۡنُوۡا کَالَّذِیۡنَ قَالُوۡا سَمِعۡنَا وَ ہُمۡ لَا یَسۡمَعُوۡنَ ﴿۲۱﴾
8:21 And do not be like those who say, We hear; and they do not hear.
اِنَّ شَرَّ الدَّوَآبِّ عِنۡدَ اللّٰہِ الصُّمُّ الۡبُکۡمُ الَّذِیۡنَ لَا یَعۡقِلُوۡنَ ﴿۲۲﴾
8:22 Surely the vilest of beasts, in Allah’s sight, are the deaf, the dumb, who do not understand.1
وَ لَوۡ عَلِمَ اللّٰہُ فِیۡہِمۡ خَیۡرًا لَّاَسۡمَعَہُمۡ ؕ وَ لَوۡ اَسۡمَعَہُمۡ لَتَوَلَّوۡا وَّ ہُمۡ مُّعۡرِضُوۡنَ ﴿۲۳﴾
8:23 And if Allah had known any good in them, He would have made them hear. And if He makes them hear, they would turn away while they are averse.
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوا اسۡتَجِیۡبُوۡا لِلّٰہِ وَ لِلرَّسُوۡلِ اِذَا دَعَاکُمۡ لِمَا یُحۡیِیۡکُمۡ ۚ وَ اعۡلَمُوۡۤا اَنَّ اللّٰہَ یَحُوۡلُ بَیۡنَ الۡمَرۡءِ وَ قَلۡبِہٖ وَ اَنَّہٗۤ اِلَیۡہِ تُحۡشَرُوۡنَ ﴿۲۴﴾
8:24 O you who believe, respond to Allah and His Messenger, when he calls you to that which gives you life.2 And know that Allah comes in between a man and his heart,3 and that to Him you will be gathered.
وَ اتَّقُوۡا فِتۡنَۃً لَّا تُصِیۡبَنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ ظَلَمُوۡا مِنۡکُمۡ خَآصَّۃً ۚ وَ اعۡلَمُوۡۤا اَنَّ اللّٰہَ شَدِیۡدُ الۡعِقَابِ ﴿۲۵﴾
8:25 And guard yourselves against an affliction which may not strike those of you exclusively who are wrongdoers; and know that Allah is Severe in retribution.4
وَ اذۡکُرُوۡۤا اِذۡ اَنۡتُمۡ قَلِیۡلٌ مُّسۡتَضۡعَفُوۡنَ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ تَخَافُوۡنَ اَنۡ یَّتَخَطَّفَکُمُ النَّاسُ فَاٰوٰىکُمۡ وَ اَیَّدَکُمۡ بِنَصۡرِہٖ وَ رَزَقَکُمۡ مِّنَ الطَّیِّبٰتِ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تَشۡکُرُوۡنَ ﴿۲۶﴾
8:26 And remember when you were few, considered weak in the land, fearing if people should carry you off by force, He sheltered you and strengthened you with His help, and gave you good things that you might give thanks.
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَا تَخُوۡنُوا اللّٰہَ وَ الرَّسُوۡلَ وَ تَخُوۡنُوۡۤا اَمٰنٰتِکُمۡ وَ اَنۡتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿۲۷﴾
8:27 O you who believe, do not be unfaithful to Allah and the Messenger, nor be unfaithful to your trusts, while you know.
وَ اعۡلَمُوۡۤا اَنَّمَاۤ اَمۡوَالُکُمۡ وَ اَوۡلَادُکُمۡ فِتۡنَۃٌ ۙ وَّ اَنَّ اللّٰہَ عِنۡدَہٗۤ اَجۡرٌ عَظِیۡمٌ ﴿٪۲۸﴾
8:28 And know that your wealth and your children are a temptation, and that Allah is He with Whom there is a mighty reward.
Commentary:
- The deaf and the dumb signify those who are spiritually deaf and dumb — those who do not understand. ↩
- Faith or submission to Allah is life, and disbelief is death. By the expression that which gives you life some understand the Quran, others take it to mean jihad, or exertion in the cause of truth. Evidently it is faith. ↩
- By heart is meant the desires of the heart. The Divine intervention is the cutting off of those desires. The faithful are enjoined to be quick in responding to the call of the Holy Prophet, and not to indulge in worldly desires, for these may soon be cut off. Or, the meaning is that they must respond to the call of the Holy Prophet in case, having deprived themselves of one occasion of doing good, the heart should be hardened, and, as a punishment for the first rejection, Allah may so turn it that it may not turn to good at all. ↩
- This refers to afflictions that are of such a widespread nature as to overtake even others, in addition to those for whom they are primarily intended. ↩