Verse 204
Q: What is the Arabic text and translation of Verse 204?
A:
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يُعْجِبُكَ قَوْلُهُ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيُشْهِدُ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا فِي قَلْبِهِ وَهُوَ أَلَدُّ الْخِصَامِ
“Among people there is a kind whose sayings on the affairs of the world fascinate you: he calls Allah again and again to bear testimony to his sincerity; yet he is most fierce in enmity.”
Q: What type of person is described in Verse 204?
A: A hypocrite who presents himself as a sincere well-wisher, constantly invoking Allah as a witness to his good intentions and claiming to work for truth, righteousness, and the welfare of the people — all while actually pursuing personal aggrandizement.
Q: What does the phrase “aladd al-khisam” mean, and what does it signify?
A: It means “the most fierce in enmity.” It describes someone who concentrates all his energies on opposing truth and resorts to falsehood, dishonesty, treachery, and breach of faith in whatever measure he deems necessary to achieve his ends.
Verse 205
Q: What is the Arabic text and translation of Verse 205?
A:
وَإِذَا تَوَلَّىٰ سَعَىٰ فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيُفْسِدَ فِيهَا وَيُهْلِكَ الْحَرْثَ وَالنَّسْلَ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْفَسَادَ
“Whenever he attains authority, he goes about the earth spreading mischief and laying to waste crops and human life, even though Allah (whose testimony he invokes) does not love mischief.”
Q: What happens when the hypocrite described in Verse 204 gains power or turns away?
A: He abandons his sweet and seemingly genuine talk and engages in arrogant and destructive action — spreading corruption across the earth and destroying crops and human life, the very opposite of the welfare he claimed to champion.
Q: What is the significance of mentioning that “Allah does not love mischief” in this verse?
A: It highlights the stark contradiction in the hypocrite’s behavior: he repeatedly invokes Allah as a witness to his sincerity, yet his actions are the precise opposite of what Allah loves. His constant appeal to Allah is therefore exposed as hollow and fraudulent.
Q: What are the two possible translations of “idha tawalla” in this verse?
A: First, it can mean “whenever he attains authority” — referring to what he does when he gains power. Second, it can mean “when he turns away” — describing how, after his apparently sincere conversation, he privately engages in arrogance and destructive conduct.
Verse 206
Q: What is the Arabic text and translation of Verse 206?
A:
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ أَخَذَتْهُ الْعِزَّةُ بِالْإِثْمِ ۖ فَحَسْبُهُ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَلَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ
“Whenever he is told: ‘Fear Allah,’ his vainglory seizes him in his sin. So Hell shall suffice for him; what a wretched resting place!”
Q: How does the hypocrite react when advised to fear Allah?
A: Instead of humbling himself and reflecting, his arrogance takes over and drives him deeper into sin. He refuses to accept correction, and his pride becomes the very mechanism that locks him further into wrongdoing.
Q: What is the ultimate consequence decreed for such a person?
A: Hell is declared sufficient for him as his final abode — described as a wretched resting place — because he combined hypocrisy in speech, corruption in action, and arrogant rejection of sincere counsel.
Verse 207
Q: What is the Arabic text and translation of Verse 207?
A:
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَشْرِي نَفْسَهُ ابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاتِ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ رَءُوفٌ بِالْعِبَادِ
“On the other hand, among men there is a kind who dedicates his life seeking to please Allah; Allah is Immensely Kind to such devoted servants.”
Q: How does the person described in Verse 207 contrast with the hypocrite in Verses 204–206?
A: While the hypocrite uses beautiful words to mask corruption and selfishness, this person is the opposite — he genuinely gives his entire self in pursuit of Allah’s pleasure, with no hidden agenda. His sincerity is in his deeds, not merely his words, and Allah responds with immense kindness toward such devoted servants.
Verse 208
Q: What is the Arabic text and translation of Verse 208?
A:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ادْخُلُوا فِي السِّلْمِ كَافَّةً ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ ۖ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُبِينٌ
“Believers! Enter wholly into Islam and do not follow in the footsteps of Satan for he is your open enemy.”
Q: What does “enter wholly into Islam” mean according to Maududi’s explanation?
A: It means that a believer must submit every dimension of his life — his intellectual pursuits, outlook, behavior, interactions with others, and modes of endeavor — entirely to the will of Allah. Islam does not permit the compartmentalization of life, where some areas are governed by its teachings and others are exempt.
Q: Why is the warning against following Satan’s footsteps mentioned alongside the command to enter Islam wholly?
A: Because Satan’s primary strategy is to convince believers to accept Islam partially — embracing certain aspects while excluding others. Partial submission opens the door to his influence, which is why believers are reminded that he is their open and declared enemy.
Verse 209
Q: What is the Arabic text and translation of Verse 209?
A:
فَإِنْ زَلَلْتُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْكُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
“And if you stumble in spite of the clear instructions which have come to you, then know well that Allah is Most Mighty, Most Wise.”
Q: What is the warning conveyed through Allah’s attributes of “Most Mighty, Most Wise” in Verse 209?
A: The mention of Allah’s might and wisdom serves as a firm warning: He possesses overwhelming power and knows precisely how to punish those who transgress. Stumbling after receiving clear guidance is therefore an especially serious matter, as one cannot claim ignorance and cannot escape His just reckoning.
Verse 210
Q: What is the Arabic text and translation of Verse 210?
A:
هَلْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي ظُلَلٍ مِنَ الْغَمَامِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ ۚ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ
“Are those people (who are not following the Right Path in spite of admonition and instruction) waiting for Allah to come to them in canopies of clouds with a retinue of angels and settle the matter finally? To Allah shall all matters ultimately be referred.”
Q: What important principle about the nature of human testing does Maududi derive from Verse 210?
A: Man’s test lies in whether he accepts reality without directly perceiving it through his senses, and whether — having accepted it — he possesses the moral stamina to obey Allah despite having the capacity to disobey. This is the very purpose of the test: free choice in the face of an unseen reality.
Q: Why has Allah never disclosed reality so completely as to make rejection impossible?
A: Because if reality were fully unveiled — with Allah visibly present on His Throne of Majesty and the entire universe manifestly operating under His command — no one, not even the most stubborn disbeliever, could refuse to submit. Such compelled submission would strip faith and obedience of all meaning and value. The worth of belief lies precisely in accepting truth while its rejection remains possible.
Q: What would happen if Allah were to appear as described in this verse, and what would that moment signify?
A: It would mark the absolute end of the testing period granted to mankind. There would be no further opportunity to decide, believe, or obey — it would, in effect, be the Day of Judgment itself. All matters return to Allah, and at that point every account is settled finally.
Messages from Quran 