Surah 3. Al-i'Imran, Ayah 178
| وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ خَيْرٌ لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ ۚ إِنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ لِيَزْدَادُوا إِثْمًا ۚ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ |
| Transliteration | : | wa- laa yah.sabanna 'alladhena kafaro 'anna maa numle la- -hum khayr li- anfus -him 'inna-maa numle la- -hum li- yazdaado 'ithm(an) wa- la- -hum cadhaab muhen |
| Pickthall | : | And let not those who disbelieve imagine that the rein We give them bodeth good unto their souls. We only give them rein that they may grow in sinfulness. And theirs will be a shameful doom. |
| Asad | : | And they should not think - they who are bent on denying the truth - that Our giving them rein is good for them: We give them rein only to let them grow in sinfulness; and shameful suffering awaits them.135 |
| Malik | : | Let not the Unbelievers think that Our granting of respite is good for their souls. We grant them respite so that they may add more to their sins. They shall have a disgraceful punishment. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | Let not the Unbelievers think that our respite to them is good for themselves: We grant them respite that they may grow in their iniquity: but they will have a shameful punishment. 480 |
Note - 135This is an allusion to the doctrine of natural law (in
Qur'anic terminology, sunnat Allah, "God's way") to which
man's inclinations and actions - as well as all other
happenings in the universe - are subject. The above verse
says, as it were, "Since these people are bent on denying
the truth, Our giving them rein [that is, freedom of
choice and time for a reconsideration of their attitude]
will not work out for their benefit but will, on the
contrary, cause them to grow in false self-confidence
and, thus, in sinfulness." As in many similar passages in
the Qur'an, God attributes here their "growing in
sinfulness" to His own will because it is He who has
imposed on all His creation the natural law of cause and
effect. (See also note [4] on 14:4.)
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Note - 480That the cup of their iniquity may be full. The appetite
for sin grows with what it feeds on. The natural result
is that the sinner sinks deeper into sin. If there is any
freedom of will, this naturally follows, though Allah's
Grace is always ready for the repentant. If the Grace is
rejected, the increase of iniquity makes the nature of
iniquity plainer to those who might otherwise be
attracted by its glitter. The working of Allah's Law is
therefore both just and merciful. See also the next
verse.
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This is an allusion to the doctrine of natural law (in Qur'anic terminology, sunnat Allah, "God's way") to which man's inclinations and actions - as well as all other happenings in the universe - are subject. The above verse says, as it were, "Since these people are bent on denying the truth, Our giving them rein [that is, freedom of choice and time for a reconsideration of their attitude] will not work out for their benefit but will, on the contrary, cause them to grow in false self-confidence and, thus, in sinfulness." As in many similar passages in the Qur'an, God attributes here their "growing in sinfulness" to His own will because it is He who has imposed on all His creation the natural law of cause and effect. (See also note [4] on 14:4.) |
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That the cup of their iniquity may be full. The appetite for sin grows with what it feeds on. The natural result is that the sinner sinks deeper into sin. If there is any freedom of will, this naturally follows, though Allah's Grace is always ready for the repentant. If the Grace is rejected, the increase of iniquity makes the nature of iniquity plainer to those who might otherwise be attracted by its glitter. The working of Allah's Law is therefore both just and merciful. See also the next verse. |
