3. Surah al-Imran
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
ضُرِبَتْ
عَلَيْهِمُ
الذِّلَّةُ
أَيْنَ
مَا
ثُقِفُواْ
إِلاَّ
بِحَبْلٍ
مِّنْ
اللّهِ
وَحَبْلٍ
مِّنَ
النَّاسِ
...
3:112. Shame is pitched over them (like a tent) wherever they are found, except when under a covenant (of protection) from Allah and from men;
C435. Duribat: I think there is a simile from the pitching of a tent.
Ordinarily a man's tent is a place of tranquility and honour for him. The tent of the wicked wherever they are found is ignominy, shame, and humiliation. It is pity from Allah or from men that gives them protection when their pride has a fall.
Using the same simile of tent in another way, their home will be destitution and misery.
...وَبَآؤُوا بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَسْكَنَةُ ...
they draw on themselves wrath from Allah, and pitched over them is (the tent of) destitution.
...ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ يَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ الأَنبِيَاء بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ...
This because they rejected the signs of Allah, and slew the Prophets in defiance of right;
3: 112
Asad Overshadowed by ignominy are they wherever they may be, save [when they bind themselves again] in a bond with God and bond with men [note 83]; for they have earned the burned of God’s condemnation, and are overshadowed by humiliation: all this [has befallen them] because they persisted in defying the truth of God’s messages and in slaying the prophets against all right: all this, because they reveled [against God], and persisted in transgressing the bounds of what is right [note 84].
Pickthall Ignominy shall be their portion wheresoever they are found save (where they grasp) a rope from Allah and a rope from men. They have incurred anger from their Lord, and wretchedness is laid upon them. That is because they used to disbelieve the revelations of Allah, and slew the Prophets wrongfully. That is because they were rebellious and used to transgress.
Transliteration Duribat 'alaihimuz zillatu ainama_ suqifu_ illa_ bi hablim minalla_hi wa hablim minan na_si wa ba_'u_ bi gadabim minalla_hi wa duribat 'alaihimul maskanah(tu), za_lika bi annahum ka_nuyakfuru_na bi a_ya_tilla_hi wa yaqtulu_nal ambiya_'a bi gairi haqq(in),za_lika bima_ 'asau wa ka_nu_ ya'tadu_n(a).
[[Asad’s note -
83 I.e., if they return to the concept of God as the Lord and Sustainer of all mankind, and
give up the idea of being "God's chosen people" which creates a barrier between them and all other believers in the One God.
84 The above passage - as the very similar one in 2:61 - relates specifically to the children
of Israel, although this section as a whole (verses 110-115) obviously refers to the followers of the Bible in general, that is, to both the Jews and the Christians.]]