28:57-Asad's Note

28:57-Asad's Note:

২৮:৫৭

وَقَالُوا إِنْ نَتَّبِعِ الْهُدَىٰ مَعَكَ نُتَخَطَّفْ مِنْ أَرْضِنَا ۚ أَوَلَمْ نُمَكِّنْ لَهُمْ حَرَمًا آمِنًا يُجْبَىٰ إِلَيْهِ ثَمَرَاتُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ رِزْقًا مِنْ لَدُنَّا وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

আৰু সিহঁতে ক’লে, ‘আমি যদি তোমাৰ লগত সৎপথ অনুসৰণ কৰো তেন্তে আমাক দেশৰ পৰা উৎখাত কৰি দিয়া হ’ব’। আমি সিহঁতৰ বাবে এটা নিৰাপদ হাৰাম প্ৰতিষ্ঠা কৰা নাই নে, য’ত সকলো প্ৰকাৰৰ ফলমূল আমদানী হয়, আমি প্ৰদান কৰা জীৱিকাস্বৰূপ? কিন্তু সিহঁতৰ সৰহভাগ মানুহেই এইটো নাজানে।

...

28:57 Now some say, “If we were to follow the guidance to which thou invitest us, we would be torn away from our very soil!"১* Why - have We not established for them a sanc­tuary secure, to which, as a provision from Us, shall be gathered the fruits of all (good) things?২* But most of them are unaware [of this truth].

Note১*

Lit., If we were to follow the guidance together with thee, we would be snatched away from our land" (or "our soil"). This passage has obviously twofold connotation. On the historical plane, it echoes an objection voiced by many pagan Meccans to Muhammad's preaching: "If we were to accept thy call, most of the other tribes would regard this as a betrayal of our common ancestral beliefs, and would drive us away from our land." In a more general, timeless sense it reflects the hesitation of so many people - of whatever period, environment or religious persuasion - who, while realizing the truth of a new spiritual call, are yet fearful of acknowledging it as true lest this acknowledgment cause a total breach between them and their community and thus, as were, cut the ground from under their feet.

Note২*

Like the preceding expression of fear, this Quranic answer, too, can be understood in two senses. In the limited, historical sense it is an allusion to Abraham's prayer that the land around the Kabah be made secure for all times and its natural barrenness be compensated by fruitful help from outside (cf. 14:35 also 2:126), and to God's acceptance of this prayer: thus, the Prophet's Meccan contemporaries are reminded that they need not fear to be dispossessed of this holy land so long as they remain righteous and trust in God. In its purely spiritual connotation, on the other hand, the "sanctuary secure" is God's promise - referred to in verse 61 below - that all who have faith in Him and are conscious of their responsibility to Him shall be graced with a sense of inner peace in this world and with enduring bliss in the life to come; and since they are thus to be rewarded with the "fruits" of all their good deeds, "no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve" (cf. 2:62, 3:170, 5:69, 6:48, 7:35, 10:62, 46:13). See also on 29:67.

.... Arranged Syedraf....