The Quran

Preface

وَلَو أَنَّهُم أَقامُوا التَّوراةَ وَالإِنجيلَ وَما أُنزِلَ إِلَيهِم مِن رَبِّهِم لَأَكَلوا مِن فَوقِهِم وَمِن تَحتِ أَرجُلِهِم ۚ مِنهُم أُمَّةٌ مُقتَصِدَةٌ ۖ وَكَثيرٌ مِنهُم ساءَ ما يَعمَلونَ

Yusuf Ali

If only they had stood fast by the Law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that was sent to them from their Lord, they would have enjoyed happiness from every side.¹ There is from among them a party on the right course: but many of them follow a course that is evil.

The literal translation of the two lines would be: “They would have eaten from above them and from below their feet.” To eat (akala) is a very comprehensive word, and denotes enjoyment generally, physical, social, mental and moral, and spiritual. “To eat what is forbidden” in verses 65 and 66 referred to taking unlawful profit, from usury or trust funds or in other ways. Here “eating” would seem to mean receiving satisfaction or happiness in this life as well as in the life to come. “From above them” may refer to heavenly or spiritual satisfaction, and “from below their feet” to earthly satisfaction. But it is better to take the words as a general idiom, and understand “satisfaction or happiness from every side”, (Cf. 6:14 and 7:19). (R).