Surah 16. An-Nahl

And God propounds [to you] the parable of two [other] men - one of them dumb,⁸⁶ unable to do anything of his own accord, and a sheer burden on his master: to whichever task the latter directs him,⁸⁷ he accomplishes no good. Can such a one be considered the equal of [a wise man] who enjoins the doing of what is right and himself follows a straight way?⁸⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

The term abkam signifies "dumb" both in the literal, physiological sense and (as in colloquial English) in the sense of being "unable to speak properly" on account of intellectual weakness: i.e., "dull-witted" or "stupid". Both these meanings are contained in the above Qur'anic description.

Or: "wherever he sends him".

I.e., who is not only wise and righteous but also has the strength and authority to enjoin a righteous way of living upon others. Thus, while in the first parable the main issue is the contrast between freedom and bondage or - more generally - between dependence and independence, in the second parable we are given the antithesis of dumbness and incompetence, on the one hand, and wisdom, justice and competence, on the other; and in both parables the implication is the same (see note [85] above).

Well! Allah gives you another example of two men: one of them is dumb and has no ability do anything - a burden on his master - whenever he sends him on an errand, he does nothing useful. Can he be equal to the one who executes orders properly and follows the directions in a Right Way?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And Allah sets forth a parable of two men: one of them is dumb, incapable of anything. He is a burden on his master. Wherever he is sent, he brings no good. Can such a person be equal to the one who commands justice and is on the Straight Path?¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 The two parables emphasize that Almighty Allah masterfully conducts the affairs of the heavens and the earth, whereas false gods are incapable of anything. If this is the case, these gods are not His equal and He is the only one worthy of worship.

And Allah coineth a similitude. Two men, one of them dumb, having control of nothing, and he is a burden on his owner; whithersoever he directeth him to go, he bringeth no good. Is he equal with one who enjoineth justice and followeth a straight path (of conduct)?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Allah sets forth (another) Parable of two men: one of them dumb with no power of any sort; a wearisome burden is he to his master; whichever way he directs him he brings no good: is such a man equal with one who commands justice and is on a straight way? ^{2108 2109}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In the second Parable, one man is dumb; he can explain nothing, and he can certainly do nothing; he is only a wearisome burden to his master, no matter what his master asks him to do; or perhaps he is really harmful instead of bringing any good; such are idols (literal and metaphorical) when taken as false gods. The other man is in a position to command, and he commands what is just and righteous; not only his commands but his doings also are on the path of righteousness. Such are the qualities of Allah.

The gist of the argument is that those who deviate from the worship of Allah commit twofold treason. (1) They do not recognise the immense difference between the Creator and created things, although, in their own little selfish lives, they are tenacious of any little differences there may be between themselves and other fellow-creatures not so gifted. (2) They are guilty of gross ingratitude in forgetting that the source of goodness and power is Allah, to Whom alone they owe all the gifts they enjoy in life.

And⁸⁹ God's [alone] is the knowledge of the hidden reality of the heavens and the earth.⁹⁰ And so, the advent of the Last Hour will but manifest itself [in a single moment,] like the twinkling of an eye, or closer still:⁹¹ for, behold, God has the power to will anything.

  - Mohammad Asad

This passage connects with the second sentence of verse {74} - "Verily, God knows [all], whereas you have no [real] knowledge."

As may be inferred from the sequence, the term ghayb - rendered here as the "hidden reality" - alludes in this context to the coming of the Last Hour, the time whereof is known to God alone (Zamakhshari). Parallel with this, it may also relate to God's Own existence, which cannot be directly established by the testimony of our senses (Baydawi) but, as the Qur'an consistently points out, may be inferred from the observable effects of His creativeness.

Lit., "the case [i.e., the manifestation] of the [Last] Hour will be like...", etc. - implying that it will be characterized by utter suddenness and unpredictability, both of them an outcome of the absence of any time-interval between God's decreeing it and its materialization: and this explains the phrase "or closer still" at the end of the above sentence.

Allah Alone has knowledge of the unseen things of the Heavens and the Earth. As for the taking place of the Hour of Judgment, it will be like a twinkling of an eye or even quicker: surely Allah has power over everything.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

To Allah 'alone' belongs 'the knowledge of' the unseen in the heavens and the earth. Bringing about the Hour would only take the blink of an eye, or even less. Surely Allah is Most Capable of everything.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And unto Allah belongeth the Unseen of the heavens and the earth, and the matter of the Hour (of Doom) is but as a winkling of the eye, or it is nearer still. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

To Allah belongeth the mystery of the heavens and the earth. And the decision of the Hour (of Judgment) is as the twinkling of an eye or even quicker: for Allah hath power over all things. ^{2110 2111}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The key to all things-not only those which we see and understand, but those which we do not see or of which we have no idea-is with Allah, Whose knowledge and power are supreme.

Lures of this world and its fleeting pleasures often make man forget that the life hereafter is an imminent reality. Many of those who claim to believe in the life to come act and behave as if it belonged to a distant future, and had no relevance to their present activities and mode of living. The Qur-An repeatedly reminds man that the Hour of Reckoning is not a distant possibility, but very close to man, and could come to pass any moment. The wisest course for man, therefore, is to be always alert and watchful and steer clear of all forms of sin and impiety, for when the Promised Hour comes it will come all of a sudden and without any prior notice. See also x. 45; xxx. 55, xlv. 35.

And God has brought you forth from your mothers' wombs knowing nothing - but He has endowed you with hearing, and sight, and minds, so that you might have cause to be grateful.

  - Mohammad Asad

Allah brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when you knew nothing, and He gave you hearing, sight and intelligence so that you may give thanks to Him.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And Allah brought you out of the wombs of your mothers while you knew nothing, and gave you hearing, sight, and intellect so perhaps you would be thankful.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And Allah brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers knowing nothing, and gave you hearing and sight and hearts that haply ye might give thanks.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

It is He Who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when ye knew nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affections: that ye may give thanks (to Allah). ²¹¹²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Literally, 'hearts,' which are considered the centres of the affections, and in Arabic idiom, of intelligence also. We should therefore give thanks to Allah, not to imaginary deities or powers or forces.

Have, then, they [who deny the truth] never considered the birds, enabled [by God] to fly in mid-air,⁹² with none but God holding them aloft? In this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who will believe!

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "subservient [to God's laws] in the air of the sky".

Do they not see the birds, that wing their flight in the air towards the sky? Who holds them up but Allah? Surely in this there are signs for the true believers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Have they not seen the birds glide in the open sky? None holds them up except Allah. Surely in this are signs for those who believe.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Have they not seen the birds obedient in mid-air? None holdeth them save Allah. Lo! herein, verily, are portents for a people who believe.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Do they not look at the birds held poised in the midst of (the air and) the sky? Nothing holds them up but (the power of) Allah. Verily in this are Signs for those who believe. ²¹¹³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

All the wonderful things in creation are due to the artistry, power, and wisdom of Allah. Such is the flight of birds in mid-air. So also are the inventions and discoveries, due to man's intelligence, in the next verse; for man's intelligence is a gift direct from Allah.

And God has given you [the ability to build] your houses as places of rest, and has endowed you with [the skill to make] dwellings out of the skins of animals⁹³ - easy for you to handle when you travel and when you camp - and [to make] furnishings and goods for temporary use of their [rough] wool and their soft, furry wool⁹⁴ and their hair.

  - Mohammad Asad

The term julud (sing. jild) denotes, literally, "skins", but apparently comprises here also the wool which grows on the skins of domesticated animals. It is to be noted that in Arabian usage the noun bayt ("house") signifies not only a solid building but also a "tent" - in brief, every kind of dwelling, whether permanent or temporary.

Wabar (here given in its plural, awbar) is the soft wool growing on the shoulders of camels ("camel-hair"), used in the weaving of fine cloths and sometimes also of bedouin tents.

Allah has made your homes the place for your rest, and animal skins for tents like houses so that you may find them light when you travel and easy to pitch when you stop; while from their wool, fur, and hair He provides you household items and articles of convenience for your prescribed term of life.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And Allah has made your homes a place to rest, and has given you tents from the hide of animals, light to handle when you travel and when you camp. And out of their wool, fur, and hair He has given you furnishings and goods for a while.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And Allah hath given you in your houses an abode, and hath given you (also), of the hides of cattle, houses which ye find light (to carry) on the day of migration and on the day of pitching camp; and of their wool and their fur and their hair, caparison and comfort for a while.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

It is Allah who made your habitations homes of rest and quiet for you; and made for you out of the skins of animals (tents for) dwellings which ye find so light (and handy) when ye travel and when ye stop (in your travels); and out of their wool and their soft fibers (between wool and hair) and their hair rich stuff and articles of convenience (to serve you) for a time. ^{2114 2115 2116 2117}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Man's social, intellectual, and spiritual gifts make, of his permanent dwellings, homes of rest and quiet, of refinement and the purer affections, which are the types, in this earthly life, of the highest spiritual Good, the love of Allah. The pure Home thus becomes the type of the highest spiritual Destiny of man. And these capacities in man are the gifts of Allah.

When man travels, he wants temporary dwellings, tents, which he can make of the skins of animals, or of the fabrics of vegetable fibres, similar to the skins of animals. These tents are easy to carry when moving, and easy to pitch during halts.

Suf, wool, is what we get from sheep. Sha'r, hair, is what we get from goats or similar animals, for weaving into fabrics. Wabar is the soft camel's hair of which, also, fabrics are woven; they may be considered intermediate between the other two; by extension and analogy the term may be applied to furs and such things, by way of illustration.

All such articles of refined luxury, and useful articles of comfort and convenience only last for a while, but they must be considered as Allah's gifts.

And among the many objects of His creation,⁹⁵ God has appointed for you [various] means of protection:⁹⁶ thus, He has given you in the mountains places of shelter, and has endowed you with [the ability to make] garments to protect you from heat [and cold],⁹⁷ as well as such garments as might protect you from your [mutual] violence.⁹⁸ In this way does He bestow the full measure of His blessings on you, so that you might surrender yourselves unto Him.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "out of that which He has created".

Lit., "shades (zilal. sing. zill). Metonymically, this term is occasionally used to describe anything that "shades" one in the sense of protecting him; and since the sequence clearly refers to means of protection, I believe that this derivative meaning of zilal is here preferable to the literal.

According to almost all the classical commentators, the mention of "heat" implies here its opposite as well, namely "cold"; hence my interpolation.

According to most of the commentators, the second incidence of the term "garments" (sarabil) in this verse is to be understood as "coats of mail" or "armour", in which case it would allude to wars and other instances of mutual violence. But although this interpretation cannot be ruled out, it seems to me that the second mention of "garments" can be understood in a much wider sense, perhaps metonymically denoting all manner of "coverings" (i.e., devices meant to protect the body) which man may be constrained to use in dangerous situations of his own making: hence the stress on "your violence" (ba'sakum).

Allah has provided you shades from the sun out of what He has created. He has granted you resorts in the mountains, has granted you garments to protect yourselves from heat; and coats of armor to protect you during your wars. Thus He completes his favors to you, so that you may become Muslims.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And Allah has provided you shade out of what He created, and has given you shelter in the mountains. He has also provided you with clothes protecting you from the heat 'and cold', and armour shielding you in battle. This is how He perfects His favour upon you, so perhaps you will 'fully' submit 'to Him'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And Allah hath given you, of that which He hath created, shelter from the sun; and hath given you places of refuge in the mountains, and hath given you coats to ward off the heat from you, and coats (of armor) to save you from your own foolhardiness. Thus doth He perfect His favor unto you, in order that ye may surrender (unto Him).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

It is Allah who made out of the things He created some things to give you shade; of the hills He made some for your shelter; He made you garments to protect you from heat and coats of mail to protect you from your (mutual) violence. Thus does He complete his favors on you that ye may bow to His will (in Islam). ^{2118 2119 2120}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

For example, trees, gardens, the roofs of houses; also from another point of view, the fact that the sun's rays at various times and in various parts of the earth, come obliquely, thus causing shadow along with sunshine. In the hills there are caves and grottoes.

Our clothes protect us from heat and cold, just as our armour protects us from the hurt which we might otherwise receive in battle.

All these blessings, which have both a physical and (by promoting the good of man) a spiritual purpose, should teach us to rally to Allah and tune our will with His Universal Will, which is another name for Islam.

BUT IF they turn away [from thee, O Prophet, remember that] thy only duty is a clear delivery of the message [entrusted to thee].

  - Mohammad Asad

If they still give no heed to you O Muhammad, you need not worry, for your duty is only to convey the message clearly.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But if they turn away, then your duty 'O Prophet' is only to deliver 'the message' clearly.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then, if they turn away, thy duty (O Muhammad) is but plain conveyance (of the message).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But if they turn away thy duty is only to preach the clear message.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They [who turn away from it] are fully aware of God's blessings, but nonetheless they refuse to acknowledge them [as such], since most of them are given to denying the truth.⁹⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., although they are aware of the many blessings which man enjoys, they refuse to attribute them to God's creative activity, thus implicitly denying the truth of His existence. My rendering of al-kafirun as "[such as] are given to denying the truth" is conditioned by the definite article al which, in the above construction, is meant to stress the quality of deliberate intent.

They recognize the favors of Allah, yet they deny them; most of them are ungrateful disbelievers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They are aware of Allah's favours, but still deny them. And most of them are 'truly' ungrateful.

  - Mustafa Khattab

They know the favor of Allah and then deny it. Most of them are ingrates.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

They recognize the favors of Allah; then they deny them; and most of them are (creatures) ungrateful. ²¹²¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

'Arafa is distinguished from 'alima is implying a specific discernment (or recognition) of various qualities and uses. All mankind recognised the value of the blessings they enjoy, but in forgetting or disobeying their Author, the wicked show gross ingratitude; for in practice they deny their obligation to Him for those blessings.

But one Day We shall raise up a witness out of every community,¹⁰⁰ whereupon they who were bent on denying the truth will not be allowed to plead [ignorance],¹⁰¹ and neither will they be allowed to make amends.

  - Mohammad Asad

An allusion to the Day of Judgment, when the prophets whom God has called forth within every community - or, in the wider sense of the term ummah, within every civilization or cultural period - will symbolically bear witness to the fact that they had delivered God's message to their people and explained to them the meaning of right and wrong, thus depriving them of any subsequent excuse.

According to Zamakhshari, their being "refused permission" to plead is a metonym for their having no valid argument or excuse to proffer. (Cf. also {77:35-36}.)

Do they realize what will happen on that Day when We shall call a witness from every nation? Then the unbelievers will neither be allowed to put forward any excuse nor will they receive any favor.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'Consider, O Prophet,' the Day We will call 'a prophet as' a witness from every faith-community. Then the disbelievers will neither be allowed to plead nor appease 'their Lord'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And (bethink you of) the day when We raise up of every nation a witness, then there is no leave for disbelievers, nor are they allowed to make amends.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

One day We shall raise from all peoples a witness: then will no excuse be accepted from Unbelievers nor will they receive any favors. ²¹²²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

To each People is sent Allah's Messenger or Teacher, to point out the right way. There may be one, or there may be many. Such a Messenger (Rasul) will be a witness that Allah's Truth was preached to all peoples in express terms, in addition to the Signs of Allah everywhere in nature. There will then be no room for excuses of any kind. Those who rejected Allah after repeated warnings cannot reasonably ask for more respite, as they had every kind of respite during their life of probation; nor can they now take refuge behind Allah's Grace, which they had repeatedly rejected. A) That is, they will not be allowed to seek grace by repentance. Cf. xxx. 57, xlv. 35.

And when they who were bent on evildoing behold the suffering [that awaits them, they will realize that] it will not be lightened for them [by virtue of their pleading]; and neither will they be granted respite.

  - Mohammad Asad

When the wrongdoers face the punishment, it will neither be lightened for them nor will they be granted a delay.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And when the wrongdoers face the punishment, it will not be lightened for them, nor will they be delayed 'from it'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And when those who did wrong behold the doom, it will not be made light for them, nor will they be reprieved.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

When the wrongdoers (actually) see the Penalty then will it in no way be mitigated nor will they then receive respite. ²¹²³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

When the terrible Penalty is actually on them, it is too late for repentance and for asking for Mercy. Justice must take its course.

And when they who were wont to ascribe divinity to beings other than God behold [on Judgment Day] those beings to whom they were wont to ascribe a share in His divinity,¹⁰² they will exclaim: "O our Sustainer! These are the beings to whom we ascribed a share in Thy divinity, and whom we were wont to invoke instead of Thee!"¹⁰³ - whereupon [those beings] will fling at them the retort: "Behold, you have indeed been lying [to yourselves]!"¹⁰⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. 6:22 and the corresponding note [15].

The Qur'an states in many places that every sinner who dies without repentance will be endowed on Judgment Day with a clear, objectified vision of his sins, every one of which will have assumed for him the status of an independent reality bearing witness against him and forcing him to acknowledge his now irremediable guilt. It is to be remembered in this connection that the Qur'an describes every act of sinning - whether it be an offence against the concept of God's oneness and uniqueness or a wrong done to any of His creatures - as, primarily, one's "wronging oneself" or "sinning against oneself".

Cf. {6:23-24} and the corresponding notes [16] and [17].

When the mushrikin see their deities whom they associated with Allah, they will say: "Our Rabb! Here are our 'associate gods' whom we used to invoke besides You." At this their deities will toss their statement back at them saying: "You are liars!"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And when the polytheists see their associate-gods, they will say, 'Our Lord! These are our associate-gods that we used to invoke besides You.' Their gods will throw a rebuttal at them, 'saying,' 'You are definitely liars.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

And when those who ascribed partners to Allah behold those partners of theirs, they will say: Our Lord! these are our partners unto whom we used to cry instead of Thee. But they will fling to them the saying: Lo! ye verily are liars!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

When those who gave partners to Allah will see their "partners" they will say: "Our Lord! these are our `partners' those whom we used to invoke besides thee." But they will throw back their word at them (and say): "Indeed ye are liars!" ²¹²⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The worshippers of false gods will try to shift the responsibility from their own shoulders to that of the false gods. They will suggest (though they will not have the courage for such a bare-faced lie) that they were misled by the false gods. But their lying suggestion will be contradicted and thrown back at them as explained in the next note.

And on that Day will they [who had thus been sinning, belatedly] proffer their surrender to God; and all their false imagery will have forsaken them.

  - Mohammad Asad

They shall tender their submission to Allah that Day: and the gods of their own inventions will leave them in the lurch.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They will offer 'full' submission to Allah on that Day, and whatever 'gods' they fabricated will fail them.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And they proffer unto Allah submission on that day, and all that they used to invent hath failed them.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

That day shall they (openly) show (their) submission to Allah; and all their inventions shall leave them in the lurch. ²¹²⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In so far as the false gods were real things, such as deified men or forces of nature, they will openly disclaim them and then (as always) show their submission to Allah. In so far as the false gods were the invention of the fancy of the idolaters, they will leave their worshippers in the lurch, for they will be shown as non-existent.

Upon all who were bent on denying the truth and who turned others away from the path of God will We heap suffering upon suffering in return for all the corruption that they wrought:

  - Mohammad Asad

As for those who disbelieve and debar others from the Way of Allah, We shall punish them all the more for their misdeeds.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

For those who disbelieve and hinder 'others' from the Way of Allah, We will add more punishment to their punishment for all the corruption they spread.

  - Mustafa Khattab

For those who disbelieve and debar (men) from the way of Allah, We add doom to doom because they wrought corruption.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Those who reject Allah and hinder (men) from the path of Allah for them will We add Penalty to Penalty; for that they used to spread mischief.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

for one Day We shall raise up within every community a witness against them from among themselves.¹⁰⁵ And thee [too, O Prophet,] have We brought forth to bear witness regarding those [whom thy message may have reached],¹⁰⁶ inasmuch as We have bestowed from on high upon thee, step by step, this divine writ, to make everything clear,¹⁰⁷ and to provide guidance and grace and a glad tiding unto all who have surrendered themselves to God.

  - Mohammad Asad

See note [100] above.

Although the Arabian contemporaries of the Prophet were, naturally, the first to whom his revelation was conveyed - a fact that gave a particular weight to the manner in which they responded to it - the Qur'anic message as such is addressed to all mankind (see in this connection, in particular, 7:158 and 21:107 , as well as the corresponding notes).

I.e., everything that pertains to the knowledge of good and evil, in both the individual and social senses of these terms. - Regarding my rendering of nazzalna, it should be borne in mind that this particular grammatical form is often used in the Qur'an to bring out the fact that it was revealed gradually ("step by step") over a considerable period of time, and not in one piece.

O Muhammad, warn them about that Day when We shall call a witness from every nation to testify against it, and We shall call you O Muhammad to testify against your people: that is why We have sent down to you this Book (The Qur'an) to explain everything - a guide, a blessing and good news for Muslims.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'Consider, O Prophet,' the Day We will call against every faith-community a witness of their own. And We will call you to be a witness against these 'people of yours'. We have revealed to you the Book as an explanation of all things, a guide, a mercy, and good news for those who 'fully' submit.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And (bethink you of) the day when We raise in every nation a witness against them of their own folk, and We bring thee (Muhammad) as a witness against these. And We reveal the Scripture unto thee as an exposition of all things, and a guidance and a mercy and good tidings for those who have surrendered (to Allah).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

One day We shall raise from all peoples a witness against them from amongst themselves: and We shall bring thee as a witness against these (thy people): and We have sent down to thee the Book explaining all things a guide a Mercy and glad tidings to Muslims. ²¹²⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

To the thought expressed in xvi. 84 above, is added another detail here. Not only will there be witnesses from Peoples, but the witnesses will be men from amongst the Peoples themselves, men of their own kith and kin, who understood them and explained Allah's Message in their own language. The Prophet Muhammad will be witness against all those who rejected the Message he brought. For those who believe in him of (all races and peoples), the Book which he brought will be an explanation, a guide, a mercy and a Gospel.

BEHOLD, God enjoins justice, and the doing of good, and generosity towards [one's] fellow-men;¹⁰⁸ and He forbids all that is shameful and all that runs counter to reason,¹⁰⁹ as well as envy; [and] He exhorts you [repeatedly] so that you might bear [all this] in mind.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "the giving to [one's] kinsfolk (dhu'l-qurba)". The latter term usually denotes "relatives", either by blood or by marriage; but since it occurs here in the context of a comprehensive ethical exhortation, it obviously alludes to man's "kinsfolk" in the widest sense of the term, namely, to his "fellow-men".

The term al-munkar (rendered by me in other places as "that which is wrong") has here its original meaning of "that which the mind [or the moral sense] rejects", respectively "ought to reject". Zamakshari is more specific, and explains this term as signifying in the above context "that which [men's] intellects disown" or "declare to be untrue" (ma tunkiruhu al-'uqul): in other words, all that runs counter to reason and good sense (which, obviously, must not be confused with that which is beyond man's comprehension). This eminently convincing explanation relates not merely to intellectually unacceptable propositions (in the abstract sense of the term) but also to grossly unreasonable and, therefore, reprehensible actions or attitudes and is, thus, fully in tune with the rational approach of the Qur'an to questions of ethics as well as with its insistence on reasonableness and moderation in man's behaviour. Hence my rendering of al-munkar, in this and in similar instances, as "all that runs counter to reason".

Allah commands doing justice, doing good to others, and giving to near relatives, and He forbids indecency, wickedness, and rebellion: He admonishes you so that you may take heed.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Indeed, Allah commands justice, grace, as well as courtesy to close relatives. He forbids indecency, wickedness, and aggression. He instructs you so perhaps you will be mindful.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Lo! Allah enjoineth justice and kindness, and giving to kinsfolk, and forbiddeth lewdness and abomination and wickedness. He exhorteth you in order that ye may take heed.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Allah commands justice the doing of good and liberality to kith and kin and He forbids all shameful deeds and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you that ye may receive admonition. ²¹²⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Justice is a comprehensive term, and may include all the virtues of cold philosophy. But religion asks for something warmer and more human, the doing of good deeds even where perhaps they are not strictly demanded by justice, such as returning good for ill, or obliging those who in worldly language "have no claim" on you; and of course a fortiori the fulfilling of the claims of those whose claims are recognised in social life. Similarly the opposites are to be avoided; everything that is recognised as shameful, and everything that is really unjust, and any inward rebellion against Allah's Law or our own conscience in its most sensitive form.