Al-An'am 53: Some people were tested with some other people (to make them prove their character). Out of their desires, some of them said; “Are these the ones whom Allah has blessed with faith?” (Think!) Isn’t Allah the One Who knows the grateful ones best?
Contents
Explanation
The misinterpretation
We tested some of the people with others, so they said out of their whims. Are these among us whom God has bestowed faith on? Does not Allah know better those who are grateful?
The right translation
Some people were tested with some other people (to make them prove their character). Out of their desires, some of them said; “Are these the ones whom Allah has blessed with faith?” (Think!) Isn’t Allah the One Who knows the grateful ones best?
Explanation
This is where this verse goes wrong: We tested one part of mankind with another part of mankind, so that they said out of their desires. Indeed, some people have been tested with some other people (so that We may declare to them what kind of people they are).
In the wrong place, Allah Ta'ala is unaware of what kind of people they are, so He tests them with each other in this world so that He can understand what kind of people they are. However, when Allah (swt) made a covenant with people in Kalu Bela, He gave them their desires and wishes as their destiny. In that case, He knows the secrets of people's hearts.
According to the 172nd verse of Sûra A'râf, our Lord knows what kind of a human being people are. He has sent them to the world, which we call the unseen realm where His Essence is invisible, to prove what kind of human beings they are. In this case, the true meaning of the verse is: "Some people were tested with some other people (so that We may declare to them what kind of human beings they are). Did you think that you would die without proving what kind of people you are? This is the meaning of this verse. There are many more meanings in the footnote.
What is said in the video
They will be wary, it says. Yes.
Surah Al-An'am, verse 53.
We tested some people with others, so that out of their whims they said: Are these the ones among us on whom Allah has bestowed faith? Doesn't Allah know best those who are grateful?
Who will tell this here?
Look, let me read it once more. We tested some people with others, so that out of their whims they said: Are these the ones among us on whom Allah has bestowed faith? Doesn't Allah know best those who are grateful? it says. The sentence I read at the very beginning is wrong. What does it say here? We tested some people with others, it says. Allah couldn't know what they were like. So He tested some with others. Whereas: so that We make clear to them what kind of people they are, this part here is in brackets now. We do this so it's understood better. Some people were tested with other people. Some people were tested with other people.
Some of them, out of their whims, said this. Here, let's not say 'were', but 'were tested', were tested with people, that's correct. Some of them, out of their whims, said: Are these the ones among us on whom Allah bestows faith? Doesn't Allah know best those who are grateful, it says. Among those people they were tested with, doesn't He know best who is more grateful, it says. This first sentence has been translated wrongly. Let's read the wrongly translated one once more. We tested some people with others. Now, so that I know what kind of person you are, and what kind of person he is, I will test the two of you.
And in your test I will find out which of you is better. That's the sense of it. That, in that sense. And the other: so that We make clear to them what kind of people they are. I mean, when you made the covenant with Us, We know what kind of people you are. But, to the world, what kind of person you yourselves are, in an unseen world: because you saw Me earlier, you rebelled, because you saw Me in human form you did not believe in Me, so I sent you to an unseen world I sent. In this unseen world you, with the same feelings, you are tested here again and deny Me, but those who say 'my Lord' to Me also know Me as Lord in this worldly life and affirm Me.
And you are tested with one another. You make clear to yourselves, to Us, what kind of people you are, you make it clear to people, it says. You make yourselves clear. So if I now committed theft, Allah forbid, and you saw it, what would you say? Look at the Hodja, stealing! You'd say that. Well? Allah Almighty, who is present and watching in every particle of the whole world, of the seven heavens, doesn't He bear witness to what we do? Besides, isn't what we do recorded on tape like a video? And isn't what we do written down by the Kiraman Katibin, the scribes, on our right and left shoulders?
Yes.