From the translation by
Muhammad Asad (Leopold Weiss)
About the translator:
Muhammad Asad, Leopold Weiss, was born of Jewish
parents in Livow, Austria (later Poland) in 1900,
and at the age of 22 made his first visit to the
Middle East. He later became an outstanding foreign
correspondent for the Franfurter Zeitung, and after
his conversion to Islam travelled and worked throughout
the Muslim world, from North Africa to as far east
as Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. After years
of devoted study he became one of the leading Muslim
scholars of our age. His translation of the Holy
Qur’an is one of the most lucid and well-referenced
works in this category, dedicated to “li-qawmin
yatafakkaroon” (For people who think).
Chapter 28, Verses 86 - 88
Now [as for thyself, O believer,] thou couldst never
foresee that this divine writ would [one day] be
offered to thee: but [it did come to thee] by thy
Sustainer’s grace.
Hence, never uphold those who deny the truth [of
divine guidance], and never let them turn thee away
from God’s messages after they have been bestowed
upon thee from on high; instead, summon [all men]
to thy Sustainer.
And never be of those who ascribe divinity to aught
but Him, and never call upon any other deity side
by side with God.
There is no deity save Him. Everything is bound
to perish, save His [eternal] Self. With Him rests
all judgment; and unto Him shall you all be brought
back.
Chapter 29, Verses 2 - 3
Do men think that on their [mere] saying, “We
have attained to faith”, they will be left
to themselves, and will not be put to a test?
Yea, indeed, We did test those who lived before
them; and so, [too, shall be tested the people now
living: and] most certainly will God mark out those
who are lying.
Chapter 29, Verses
6 - 9
Hence, whoever strives hard [in God’s cause]
does so only for his own good: for, verily, God
does not stand in need of anything in all the worlds!
And as for those who attain to faith and do righteous
deeds, We shall see most certainly efface their
[previous] bad deeds, and shall most certainly reward
them in accordance with the best that they ever
did.
Now [among the best of righteous deeds which] We
have enjoined upon man [is] goodness towards his
parents; yet [even so,] should they endeavor to
make thee ascribe divinity, side by side with Me,
to something which thy mind cannot accept [as divine],
obey them not: [for] it is unto Me that you all
must return, whereupon I shall make you [truly]
understand [the right and wrong of] all that you
were doing [in life].
But as for those who have attained to faith and
have done righteous deeds, We shall most certainly
cause them to join the righteous [in the hereafter
as well].