003:113

The Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                                     003:113

ضُرِبَتۡ عَلَيۡهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ اَيۡنَ مَا ثُقِفُوۡۤا اِلَّا بِحَبۡلٍ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ وَحَبۡلٍ مِّنَ النَّاسِ وَبَآءُوۡ بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ وَضُرِبَتۡ عَلَيۡهِمُ الۡمَسۡكَنَةُ  ؕ ذٰ لِكَ بِاَنَّهُمۡ كَانُوۡا يَكۡفُرُوۡنَ بِاٰيٰتِ اللّٰهِ وَيَقۡتُلُوۡنَ الۡاَنۡۢبِيَآءَ بِغَيۡرِ حَقٍّ‌ؕ ذٰ لِكَ بِمَا عَصَوۡا وَّكَانُوۡا يَعۡتَدُوۡنَ‏

Dzo-ray-but-alai-hay-mooz-zil-la-to-aina-maa-tho-qay-foo                                                       Il-laa-bay-hub-lin-may-nul-laa-hay                                                                                               Wa-hub-lin-may-nun-naa-say                                                                                                             Wa-baa-oo-bay-gha-za-bim-may-nul-laa-hay                                                                              Wa-dzo-ray-but-alai-hay-mool-mus-kana-to                                                                                  Zaa-lay-ka-bay-un-na-hoom-kaa-noo                                                                                            Yuk-fo-roo-na-bay-aa-yaa-til-laa-hay-wa                                                                                      Yuk-to-loo-nul-un-bay-yaa-aa-bay-ghai-ray-huq-qin                                                                 Zaa-lay-ka-bay-maa-aa-suw                                                                                                            Wa-kaa-noo-yau-ta-doo-n.

The humiliation inflicted on them where all that is found,                                    Except with a connection from Allah                                                                                    And a connection from the people.                                                                                      And they bought the wrath of Allah                                                                                       And the destitution inflicted upon them.                                                                            This was because they had been                                                                                            Rejecting the signs of Allah and                                                                                            They had been persecuting the prophets without justification.                                  This was because they disobeyed                                                                                           And had been continually transgressing.

• ضُرِبَتۡ — Dzo-ray-but — Inflicted (= v., past; pass., s., f., 3rd person. Afflicted, covered, hit, imposed, pitched over, put over; smacked, smitten, stamped, stuck, struck with, thrown in a cleft or thrust upon. The past tense of the verb in its original text was    changed by Ahmad Zidan to the present tense in its English translation.  See the Note 003:113 below)
• عَلَيۡ — Alai — On (= Above; against; for; on top of; over; upon. A/t/a, lot,  portion or share)
• هِمُ  — Hay-mo…(oz) — Them (= pro., pl., m., 3^rd person. This word is used in 002:062 and refers to the Israelites)
• الذِّلَّةُ — Zil-la-to — Humiliation (= n., Abasement; degradation; disgrace; dishonor,  indignity; insult; ignominy; shame)
• اَيۡنَ — Aina — Where (= Wherever; which direction or destination; wither)
• مَاۤ — Maa — All that (= What; whatever; whatsoever; at such time; when)
• ثُقِفُوۡۤا — Tho-qay-foo — Found (= v., past., pass., Caught; come upon; confronted; faced; met. A/t/a, found out of the discipline.)
• اِلَّا — Il-laa — Except (= Apart from, besides, but, excluding, save or unless protected and safeguarded by)
• بِ — Bay — With (= Literally the word  بِ  means ‘with’)
• حَبۡلِ — Hub-lay…(in) — Connection (= n., Bond; cord; covenant; link; rope; yoke. Agreement, bond, pact, pledge, promise or word to protect against a common threat. Covenant of protection. Something to grasp to save from falling down)
• مِّنَ — May-na…(ul) — From (= Among, from or out of the class or category or several articles, counts, kind, things, persons or phenomenon)
• اللّٰهِ —  Laa-hay — Allah (= The One and the Only One Almighty God)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but;  also; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• حَبۡلِ — Hub-lay…(in) — Connection (= n., Bond; cord; covenant; link; rope; yoke. Agreement, bond, pact, pledge, promise or word to protect against a common threat. Covenant of protection. Something to grasp to save from falling down)
• مِّنَ — May-na…(ul)   From (= Among, from or out of the class or category or several     articles, counts, kind, things, persons or phenomenon)
• النَّاسِ — Un-naa-say — The people (= Factions; folks, mankind, groups, men, nations or tribes. Human beings. All people regardless of color, creed, culture or country of origin)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., Connects words, phrases or clauses; seeوَ above
• بَآ ءُ وۡ — Baa-oo — They bought (= v., past., Bartered; brought on themselves, earned; got; drew; incurred; laden or loaded with; purchased; took. The past tense of the verb in its original text was changed by A Yusuf Ali to the present tense as ‘draw’ in its English translation. See the Note 003:113 below)
• بِ — Bay — With (= About; entitled to; of; in ref to; relative to; suited for)
• غَضَبٍ — Gha-za-bin(m) — Wrath (= Anger; chastisement; displeasure; fury; punishment)
• مِّنَ — May-na…( ul) — Of / From (= Among, from or out of a class, category, count, kind or several things)
• اللّٰهِ — Laa-hay — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., Connects words, phrases or clauses; see  وَ  above
• ضُرِبَتۡ — Dzo-ray-but — Inflicted (= v., past; pass., s., f., 3rd person. Afflicted, covered, hit, imposed, pitched over, put over; smacked, smitten, stamped, stuck, struck with, thrown in a cleft or thrust upon. The past tense of the verb in its original text was    changed by Ahmad Zidan to the present tense in its English translation.  See the Note 003:113 below)
• عَلَيۡ — Alai — Upon (= Above; against; for; on top of; over; upon)
• هِمُ — Hay-mo…(ol) — Them (= pro., pl., m., 3^rd person. This word is used in 002:062  and refers to the Israelites)
• الۡمَسۡکَنَةُ — Mus-ka-na-to — Destitution (= 1. Homelessness; poverty.  2. Humiliation; misery; wretches; wretchedness.  A/t/a, Destruction; tent of destitution)
• ذٰلِكَ — Zaa-lay-ka — All this (= This was because; right in there was)
• بِ — Bay — With (= About; entitled to; of; in ref to; relative to; suited for)
• اَنَّ — Un-na — Definitely (= Certainly; doubtlessly; indeed, positively, surely)
• ھُمۡ‌ — Hoom — They (= pro., pl., m., 3^rd person. This word is used in 002:062 and refers to the Israelites)
• كَانُوۡا — Kaa-noo — Had been (= v., 3^rd person. All those.  14 grammatical variations of this verb indicate an action’s continuity from the past to the present and into the future like continually ‘had been’, ‘used to ‘ or ‘went on doing’)
• يَكۡفُرُوۡنَ — Yuk-fo-roo-na — Rejecting (= v., pres., 3rd person., pl., Acting ungratefully; denying, disbelieving, discarding, disowning or refusing belief in Allah, the Holy Qor-aan and the Islaam; did not become Moslem; were disbelievers, heretics, infidels,  thankless, unappreciative or unbelievers. The present tense of this verb in its original text was changed by A Yusuf Ali in English translation to “rejected” in the past tense. See the    Note 003:113 below)
• بِ — Bay — With (= About; entitled to; of; in ref to; relative to; suited for)
• اٰيٰتِ — Aa-yaa-tay…(il) — Signs (= n., pl. 1. Revelations; verses. 2. Commands; directions;  laws; orders. 3. Corroborations; evidence; indications; lessons; manifestations; messages; pointers; portents; proofs; symbols; token. 4. Parts, portions, proofs or signs that point to the truth. 5. All elements and create a clear crystal picture leading to an absolute conviction)
• اللّٰهِ — Laa-hay — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., Connects words, phrases or clauses; seeوَ above
• يَقۡتُلُوۡنَ — Yuq-to-loo-na — Persecuting (= v., pres., pl., 3rd person., Seeking and trying to kill, murder, oppose, oppress, suppress or slay. History shows that no prophet of God including Jesus Christ were ever killed by his enemies. That is why the best translation what this site has done is persecuting and not killing or murdering or slaying. More meanings in the Commentary titled as the Jihad – Is It Fighting. The present tense of this verb in its original text was changed by A Yusuf Ali, N J Dawood and Ahmad  Zidan in their English translations to “slew” in the past tense, and by Dr Khan and Dr Al-Hilali in their English translation to “killed” in the past tense. See the Note  003:113 below)
• الۡاَنۡۢبِيَآءَ — Un-baye-yaa-aa — Messengers (= pl., Prophets who receive revelations from God and bring them to the people as something new or a news)
• بِغَيۡرِ — Bay-ghai-ray — Without (= Separately the Arabic words  بِ  means ‘with’ and غَيۡرِ means ‘other, else’, jointly they mean ‘without.’ A/t/a, in defiance)
• حَقٍّ — Huq-qin — Justification (= Appropriateness; good reason; fairness; just cause;  propriety; reasonableness; suitability; truth)
• ذٰلِكَ — Zaa-lay-ka — All this (= Right in there was; this was because; the result was)
• بِمَا — Bay-maa — With that (= Combination of two words. بِ  means ‘with’ and  مَاۤ  means ‘all that, whatever, whatsoever or whenever.’  The combination means ‘because of; on account of; for the reason; due to)
• عَصَوا — Aa-saoo … (wa) — Disobeyed (= v., past., Denied; flouted; rebelled; refused; violated. Here A  Yusuf Ali correctly translated the verb in the past tense as ‘rebelled‘)
• وَّ — Wa — And (= Conj., Connects words, phrases or clauses; see وَ  above
• كَانُوۡا — Kaa-noo — Had been (= v., 3^rd person. All those.  Indicates an act’s continuity  from the past to the present and into the future like continuing ‘had been’, ‘used to ‘ or ‘went on doing.’ A/t/a, As usual)
• يَعۡتَدُوۡنَ — Yau-ta-doo-n — Transgressing (= v., pres., Becoming aggressive; committing excesses; crossing the line; exceeding the limits; violating all bounds and boundaries ‘in Allah’s disobediences, sins and crimes’ [Dr Khan and Dr Al-Hilali]. The present   tense of this verb in its original text was changed into past tense in the English translations by N J Dawood “They were rebels and transgressors“ and A Yusuf Ali as “transgressed”. See the Note 003:113 below)

* Note 003:113. The very precise nature of the Arabic language is partially reflected in every one of our several posts titled under Arabic Grammar. But this flaw is conspicuously clear in translating Verse 003:113 of which the following words have been mistranslated.

1. ضُرِبَتۡ (Dzo-ray-but    = Inflicted). The past tense of the verb in its original text was changed by Ahmad Zidan to the present tense in its English translation.
2. ثُقِفُوۡۤا (Tho-qay-foo = They be found). The past tense of the verb has been changed in many translations.
3. بَآ ءُ وۡ (Baa-oo = They bought). The past tense of the verb in its original text was   changed by A Yusuf Ali to the present tense as ‘draw’ in its English translation. See the Note 003:113 below)
4. يَكۡفُرُوۡنَ (Yuk-fo-roo-na = Rejecting). The present tense of the verb in its original text was changed by A Yusuf Ali to the past tense as “rejected” in its English translation.
5. يَقۡتُلُوۡنَ (Yuq-to-loo-na = Persecuting). The present tense of the verb in its original text was changed by N J Dawood and Ahmad Zidan to the past tense as “slew” in its English translations. Dr Khan and Dr Al-Hilali similarly used the past tense in translating it as “killed.“
6. يَعۡتَدُوۡنَ (Yau-ta-doo-n  = Transgressing). The present tense of this verb in its original text was changed into past tense in the English translations by N J Dawood  “They were rebels and transgressors“ and A Yusuf Ali as “transgressed”.

Describing an event in the past tense means that the stated event has already occurred in the past. It is no longer a matter of conjecture. The accuracy of the narration is borne by history.

Describing an act in the present (or present participle) tense shows the specified act as a matter of faith. God Almighty guarantees that it will always happen, keep recurring again and again, at all times in the present and the future. Some people could construe such statement of a forecast as a mere conjecture but really it is a Rule of Universal Application with no exception.

A repeated disregard of the Arabic grammar and arbitrarily changing the present to the past or the past to the present in translating the Holy Qor-aan strengthens the contention of all opponents of Islam who portray it to be just a narration of events in the past history of religions.

The fact is that the Holy Qor-aan is the divine guidance for the mankind forever — for all times from the present to the future that has yet to come. See the Commentary titled as ‘The Holy Qor-aan – Spiritual Guidance Book.’

An inaccurate translation of a fact originally stated in the present or past tenses but then translated into a different or opposite tense is not appropriate. It is arbitrary, inconsistent and a violation of the rules of Arabic grammar. One example is regarding the several words shown above. Another example is in the various translation of verse 003:136.

An inaccurate translation of an act originally specified in the present tense but translated only as an event in the past tense would negate the consequence as a forecast guaranteed by God that it would happen again if similar wrongs were ever committed in the future.

An inaccurate translation of an event in the past tense would lead a reader to conclude that the consequence may or not materialize next time a similar situation arises. The forewarning by the use of present tense as a forecast in describing the act would be practically nullified. We at this site construe such translations of the Holy Qor-aan as a real wrong.