Ali Quli Qarai, The Qur’ān with a Phrase-by-Phrase English Translation (2005)
Rather it is Allah who purifies whomever He wishes,
and they will not be wronged
[so much as] a single date-thread.
50 Look, how they fabricate lies against Allah!
That suffices for a flagrant sin.
51 Have you not regarded those
who were given a share of the Book 1
believing in idols and the Rebels 2
and saying of the pagans:
‘These are better guided
on the way than the faithful’?
52 They are the ones whom Allah has cursed,
and whomever Allah curses,
you will never find any helper for him.
53 Or do they have a share in sovereignty?3
If so, they will not give the people
[so much as] a speck on a date-stone!
54 Or do they envy the people
for what Allah has given them out of His grace?
We have certainly given the progeny of Abraham
the Book and wisdom,
and We have given them a great sovereignty.4
55 Of them 5 are some who believe in him,
and of them are some who deter [others] from him;
1 That is, the Jews.
2 Or ‘magic and evil spirits.’ Cf. footnote at 2:256.
3 Or ‘in the kingdom.’
4 A reference to the Imamate, as mentioned in 2:124. According to the traditions of the Imams of the Prophet’s descent (who represent Abraham’s progeny, through Ishmael), by the ‘great sovereignty’ is meant the office of the Imamate, because to obey the Imam is to obey Allah and to disobey the Imam is to disobey Allah. See the commentaries of Furāt al-Kūfī, ‘Ayyāshī, Qummī and Ḥibrī.
5 That is, from among the Jews there are some who believe in the Prophet (ṣ).
