Editorial revision of a classical Arabic commentary translation, continued

“There is none better in religion than Allah” makes God Himself the subject of comparison, as though He is being evaluated for how well He practises religion. The Arabic is praising the perfection of the religion ordained by Allah.

The revision makes this explicit: no one has a religion better than that of Allah. It also replaces “obligatory love,” which sounds mechanical and legalistic in English, with “the love that is His due,” which captures the theological meaning of المحبة الواجبة.

In English, “Worship your Lord also” can imply that the reader is being asked to worship another object in addition to something already worshipped. The Arabic placement of أيضاً is understood from context, but English word order makes the ambiguity more serious.

The revision moves “also” to the reason for worship. He is also the One who made the earth, the sky, and the provision that comes from them.

The Arabic distinguishes between الآيات الشرعية, revealed or scriptural signs, and الآيات الكونية, cosmic signs. “Divine signs” is not wrong in isolation, but using it only for the first category may imply that the cosmic signs are not divine.

“Revealed or cosmic signs” preserves the distinction the Arabic actually makes without creating that unintended implication.

This observation concerns the internal structure of the passage, not the named group or figure involved. The Arabic presents two separate actions: first, fabricated and false claims about sorcery; then attribution of that sorcery to the figure named in the passage.

The Before version collapses those actions into a single phrase, “falsely attributed,” and loses the first step. The revision separates them so the English reflects the full sequence in the Arabic. The source excerpt has been shortened to the relevant wording because the identities are not needed to understand the translation issue.

“Guidance from misguidance” can be read as guidance originating in misguidance, which is the opposite of the intended meaning. The Arabic means guidance that leads away from misguidance.

Adding “away” resolves that ambiguity without changing the sentence’s structure or register.

The point here is the connotation of فرضها, not the identity of the figure in the passage. “Imposed” often carries connotations of unwelcome pressure or coercion. In this context, the Arabic refers to divine prescription: duties set down by God for His servant.

“Prescribed” conveys the same authority without importing an adversarial tone. The excerpt is shortened to the relevant wording because the named figure is not necessary to understand the editorial distinction.

The Arabic formula قيل … وقيل presents two distinct scholarly interpretations without choosing between them. The Before version compresses those views into a single “i.e.” gloss, as though both identifications form one combined definition.

The revision keeps the two-view structure visible. The Arabic and English excerpts are deliberately anonymised because the particular groups named in the original passage are not needed to understand the interpretive problem.

“Activity” usually refers to physical action or busyness. نشاط in this context conveys energetic eagerness, liveliness, and readiness to engage.

“Vigour” carries that sense more naturally in English. The same problem appeared elsewhere in the document, suggesting a repeated misunderstanding of the term rather than a one-off slip.