Verses about Burden / For Each His Own - inQuran Topics

English - Hazrat Molavi Sher Ali ^ra

He who follows the right way follows it only for the good of his own soul: and he who goes astray, goes astray only to his own loss. And no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another. We never punish until We have sent a Messenger.

اردو ترجمہ مرزا طاہر احمد خلیفة المسیح الرابعؒ

جو ہدایت پا جائے وہ خود اپنی جان ہی کے لئے ہدایت پاتا ہے اور جو گمراہ ہو تو وہ اسی کے مفاد کے خلاف گمراہ ہوتا ہے۔ اور کوئی بوجھ اٹھانے والی کسی دوسری کا بوجھ نہیں اٹھائے گی۔ اور ہم ہرگز عذاب نہیں دیتے یہاں تک کہ کوئی رسول بھیج دیں (اور حجت تمام کردیں)۔

French

Celui qui suit le bon chemin le suit seulement pour le biende son âme : et celui qui s’égare, s’égare seulement à son propre détriment. Et aucun porteur de fardeau ne portera le fardeau d’un autre. Et Nous ne châtions jamais avant d’avoir envoyé un Messager.

German

Wer den rechten Weg befolgt, der befolgt ihn nur zu seinem eigenen Heil; und wer irregeht, der geht irre allein zu seinem eigenen Schaden. Und keine lasttragende (Seele) trägt die Last einer anderen. Und Wir strafen nie, ehe Wir denn einen Gesandten geschickt haben.

Chinese

(要牢记!) [c]凡是接受正道的, 他的获得正道对他自己有益; 凡是走入歧途的, 他的走入歧途对自己有害。[705] [d]没有一个负担的人, 将负担别人的担子。[706] [e]在尚未 (对一个民族) 派遣使者之前, 我绝不 (对其) 下降惩罚。[707]

Italian

Colui che segue la retta via, la segue solo per il bene della sua stessa anima. E colui che se ne allontana, se ne allontana solo a suo proprio danno. E nessun'anima che porta un carico può portare il carico di un'altra. E Noi non puniamo mai, finché non abbiamo inviato un messaggero.

Spanish

Quien sigue el camino recto lo hace únicamente por el bien de su propia alma: y quien se extravía, se extravía únicamente para su propia pérdida. Y nadie que soporte una carga llevará la carga de otro. Nosotros nunca castigamos mientras no hayamos enviado un Mensajero.

اردو تفسیرِ صغیر

(پس یاد رکھو کہ) جو ہدایت کو قبول کرے گا اس کا ہدایت پانا اسی کی ذات کے فائدہ کے لئے ہے جو (اس ہدایت کو رد کرکے) گمراہ ہوگا۔ اس کا گمراہ ہونا اسی کے (نفس کے) خلاف پڑے گا اور کوئی بوجھ اٹھانے والی جان[1] کسی دوسری (جان) کا بوجھ نہیں اٹھائے گی اور ہم (کسی قوم پر) ہرگز عذاب نہیں بھیجتے جب تک (ان کی طرف) کوئی رسول نہ بھیج لیں۔

English - Short Commentary Translation

[b]He who follows the right way follows it only for the good of his own soul; and he who goes astray, goes astray only to his own loss.[1600] [c]And no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another.[1601] And [d]We never punish until We have sent a Messenger.[1602]

English - Five Volume Translation

[a]He who follows the right way follows it only for the good of his own soul: and he who goes astray, goes astray only to his own loss. [b]And no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another. And [c]We never punish until We have sent a Messenger.[1945]

10:109; 39:42.

6:165; 35:19; 39:8; 53:39.

28:60.

Commentary:

This verse further explains the purport of the previous verse. It shows that man himself benefits by his good deeds or suffers the evil consequences of his bad deeds. So whatever he does, he does for or against his own self. A murderer, in fact, murders his own self, and a thief steals his own property. Similarly when a man does good to another person, in reality he does good to himself.

Christian theological writers sometimes quote this verse in support of the doctrine that Jesus took upon himself, and suffered for, the sins of man. They argue that according to this verse a sinner cannot bear the sins of another person, but Jesus, being sinless, could and did bear other people’s sins. Without entering here into the sinlessness or otherwise of Jesus, it may be pointed out that what the verse means is only this, that man himself and no one else in his place can suffer the consequences of his actions. He has to bear his own cross; none else shall answer for him. Punishment or reward is no external thing but is another name for the consequences of man’s actions, and it is evident that where the seed is sown only there does it bear fruit. So when punishment or reward proceeds from within the doer himself, how can any other person share it with him or be responsible for it?

The verse under comment thus lends no support to the Christian doctrine of Atonement; on the contrary, it refutes and contradicts it. The Christian doctrine is based on the assumption that punishment is something external and therefore one person can atone for the sins of another person. The present verse clearly refutes this unnatural idea.

In order to meet this objection Christians hold Hell to be a material thing. It is clearly unreasonable to believe that Hell is a material thing and Heaven spiritual. Either both are material or both spiritual. If Hell is spiritual then there is no sense in one person bearing the punishment of another. No person can share the regret, grief, anger, etc., of another, because all these things take their birth within man himself and are the result of his own deeds. He can become relieved of the punishment of his deeds only when he brings about death over his baser self and a complete and genuine change takes place in him through repentance and remorse.

The verse also explains another divine law viz. God does not send down destructive punishment upon a people unless He has first raised a Warner among them. This law has also been expressly laid down in vv. 67:9, 10; 39:72; 35:38 & 28:60.

The truth of these verses has been remarkably demonstrated in our own generation. The world has seen pestilences, famines, wars, earthquakes and other calamities of unprecedented severity and unparalleled magnitude in such rapid succession as to embitter human life. But before these calamities and catastrophes visited the earth God raised in the person of Ahmad, the Promised Messiah, a Warner who warned mankind of the impending tribulation.

God’s purpose in raising His Messengers and sending down punishment when people reject and oppose them is that they should listen to their admonitions and reform themselves. See also 4:166; 24:48; 35:38; 39:72 & 67:9-10.

اردو ترجمہ مودودی

جو کوئی راہ راست اختیار کرے اس کی راست روی اس کے اپنے ہی لیے مفید ہے، اور جو گمراہ ہو اس کی گمراہی کا وبا ل اُسی پر ہے کوئی بوجھ اٹھانے والا دوسرے کا بوجھ نہ اٹھائے گا اور ہم عذاب دینے والے نہیں ہیں جب تک کہ (لوگوں کو حق و باطل کا فرق سمجھانے کے لیے) ایک پیغام بر نہ بھیج دیں

English - Sahih

Whoever is guided is only guided for [the benefit of] his soul. And whoever errs only errs against it. And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And never would We punish until We sent a messenger.

اردو ترجمہ احمد علی

جو سیدھے راستے پر چلا تو اپنے ہی لیے چلا اور جو بھٹک گیا تو بھٹکنے کا نقصان بھی وہی اٹھائے گا اور کوئی بوجھ اٹھانے والا دوسرے کا بوجھ نہیں اٹھائے گا اور ہم سزا نہیں دیتے جب تک کسی رسول کو نہیں بھیج لیتے

English - Talal Itani

Whoever (is) guided then only he is guided for his soul. And whoever goes astray then only he goes astray against it And not will bear a bearer of burden, burden (of) another. And not We are to punish until, We have sent a Messenger.

Chinese Commentary ^*

Cross Refs:

c

10:109; 39:42.

d

6:165; 35:19; 39:8; 53:39.

e

28:60.

705

惩罚不是外来的事物, 而是在人类内部产生的。事实上, 天上的报答和火狱的惩罚只是人在今生做的种种善事或恶行的许多化身和代表。因此, 在今生人是他自己命运的缔造者, 而在后世可以这样说, 他是他自己的报答者或惩罚者。

706

每个人都须背上他自己的十字架。任何别人代他牺牲, 对他没有好处。这节经文彻底打击了替人赎罪的这一教义的基础。

707

在我们这一代, 这个世界已经见到了许多瘟疫、饥馑、战争、地震, 与其他史无前例地严重的、无可比拟的大规模的、一个紧接一个的灾难来加重人类生活的苦难。这些天灾人祸来到世间之前, 安拉一定已经派来了一个警告者。

اردہ تفصیرِ صغیر نوٹس ^*

1

یعنی کوئی شخص جس پر جواب دہی لازمی ہو دوسرے کی جگہ جواب دہی نہیں کر سکے گا۔ نیز دیکھئے نوٹ سورۃ انعام آیت۱۶۵

English - Arberry

Whosoever is guided, is only guided to his own gain, and whosoever goes astray, it is only to his own loss; no soul laden bears the load of another. We never chastise, until We send forth a Messenger.

English - Maududi

He who follows the Right Way shall do so to his own advantage; and he who strays shall incur his own loss. No one shall bear another's burden. And never do We punish any people until We send a Messenger (to make the Truth distinct from falsehood).

English - Ahmed Ali

"He who finds the right path does so for himself; and he who goes astray does so to his own loss; and no one who carries a burden bears another's load. We never punish till We have sent a messenger.

English - Yusuf Ali

Who receiveth guidance, receiveth it for his own benefit: who goeth astray doth so to his own loss: No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent an messenger (to give warning).

English - Five Volume Commentary ^*

Cross Refs:

a

10:109; 39:42.

b

6:165; 35:19; 39:8; 53:39.

c

28:60.

1945

Commentary:

This verse further explains the purport of the previous verse. It shows that man himself benefits by his good deeds or suffers the evil consequences of his bad deeds. So whatever he does, he does for or against his own self. A murderer, in fact, murders his own self, and a thief steals his own property. Similarly when a man does good to another person, in reality he does good to himself.

Christian theological writers sometimes quote this verse in support of the doctrine that Jesus took upon himself, and suffered for, the sins of man. They argue that according to this verse a sinner cannot bear the sins of another person, but Jesus, being sinless, could and did bear other people’s sins. Without entering here into the sinlessness or otherwise of Jesus, it may be pointed out that what the verse means is only this, that man himself and no one else in his place can suffer the consequences of his actions. He has to bear his own cross; none else shall answer for him. Punishment or reward is no external thing but is another name for the consequences of man’s actions, and it is evident that where the seed is sown only there does it bear fruit. So when punishment or reward proceeds from within the doer himself, how can any other person share it with him or be responsible for it?

The verse under comment thus lends no support to the Christian doctrine of Atonement; on the contrary, it refutes and contradicts it. The Christian doctrine is based on the assumption that punishment is something external and therefore one person can atone for the sins of another person. The present verse clearly refutes this unnatural idea.

In order to meet this objection Christians hold Hell to be a material thing. It is clearly unreasonable to believe that Hell is a material thing and Heaven spiritual. Either both are material or both spiritual. If Hell is spiritual then there is no sense in one person bearing the punishment of another. No person can share the regret, grief, anger, etc., of another, because all these things take their birth within man himself and are the result of his own deeds. He can become relieved of the punishment of his deeds only when he brings about death over his baser self and a complete and genuine change takes place in him through repentance and remorse.

The verse also explains another divine law viz. God does not send down destructive punishment upon a people unless He has first raised a Warner among them. This law has also been expressly laid down in vv. 67:9, 10; 39:72; 35:38 & 28:60.

The truth of these verses has been remarkably demonstrated in our own generation. The world has seen pestilences, famines, wars, earthquakes and other calamities of unprecedented severity and unparalleled magnitude in such rapid succession as to embitter human life. But before these calamities and catastrophes visited the earth God raised in the person of Ahmad, the Promised Messiah, a Warner who warned mankind of the impending tribulation.

God’s purpose in raising His Messengers and sending down punishment when people reject and oppose them is that they should listen to their admonitions and reform themselves. See also 4:166; 24:48; 35:38; 39:72 & 67:9-10.

English - Short Commentary Notes ^*

Cross Refs:

b

10:109; 39:42.

c

6:165; 35:19; 39:8; 53:39.

d

28:60.

1600

Punishment is not something that comes from outside but it takes its birth within man himself. In fact, the punishments and rewards of Heaven and Hell will only be so many embodiments and representations of the deeds, good or bad, of man done by him in this life. Thus in this life man is the architect of his own destiny and in the next he will be, so to say, his own rewarder or punisher.

1601

Everyone has to bear his own cross. Nobody’s vicarious sacrifice can do him any good. The verse strikes at the root of the doctrine of atonement.

1602

The world has, in our own generation, seen pestilences, famines, wars, earthquakes and other calamities of unprecedented severity and unparalleled magnitude in such rapid succession as to embitter human life. Before these calamities and catastrophes visited the earth, God must have raised a Warner.

English - Pickthall

Whosoever goeth right, it is only for (the good of) his own soul that he goeth right, and whosoever erreth, erreth only to its hurt. No laden soul can bear another's load, We never punish until we have sent a messenger.

English - Muhammad Ali ^ra

Whoever goes aright, for his own soul does he go aright; and whoever goes astray, to its detriment only does he go astray. And no bearer of a burden can bear the burden of another. Nor do We chastise until We raise a messenger.

English - Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan ^ra

He who follows the right way follows it to his own good, and he who goes astray does it to his own loss. He who carries a responsibility cannot be relieved of it by another. We never punish a people until after We have sent a Messenger.

Topic: For Each His Own

View Aspects

Explore Topics

Explore Roots