11. [Hud, Mecca 52]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:



for they are about to be overwhelmed (in the Flood)."

وَيَصْنَعُ الْفُلْكَ وَكُلَّمَا مَرَّ عَلَيْهِ مَلأٌ مِّن قَوْمِهِ سَخِرُواْ مِنْهُ...Shape1

11: 38.   Forthwith he starts constructing the Ark:

every time that the Chiefs of his People passed by him they threw ridicule on him.

C1531. The ridicule of the sinners, from their own point of view, was natural. Here was a Prophet turned carpenter! Here was a plain in the higher reaches of the Mesopotamian basin, drained by the majestic Tigris, over 800 to 900 miles from the sea Arabian Gulf in a straight line! Yet he talks of a flood like the Sea!

All material civilisations pride themselves on their Public Works and their drainage schemes. And here was a fellow relying on Allah! But did not their narrow pride seem ridiculous also to the Prophet of Allah!

Here were men steeped in sin and insolence! And they pit themselves against the power and the promise of Allah! Truly a contemptible race is man!

...قَالَ إِن تَسْخَرُواْ مِنَّا فَإِنَّا نَسْخَرُ مِنكُمْ كَمَا تَسْخَرُونَ ﴿٣٨﴾

He said: "If ye ridicule us now, we (in our turn) can look down on you with ridicule likewise!

C1532. The Arabic Aorist may be construed either by the present tense or the future tense, and both make good sense here.

Following Zamakhshari, I construe in the present tense, because the future is so tragic for the sinners.

For the time being the worldly ones looked down on the Believers as they always do: but the Believers relied on Allah, and pitied their critics for knowing no better!- for their arrogance was really ridiculous.

فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَن يَأْتِيهِ عَذَابٌ يُخْزِيهِ وَيَحِلُّ عَلَيْهِ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ ﴿٣٩﴾ Shape2   

11: 39.   "But soon will ye know who it is on whom will descend a Penalty that will cover them with shame -- will be unloosed a Penalty lasting."

Pickthall’s Version:


11: 38

Pickthall And he was building the ship, and every time that chieftains of his people passed him, they made mock of him. He said: Though ye make mock of us, yet we mock at you even as ye mock;

Transliteration Wa yasna'ul fulk(a), wa kullama_ marra 'alaihi mala'um min qaumihi sakhiru_ minh(u), qa_la in taskharu_ minna_ fa inna_ naskharu minkum kama_ taskharu_n(a).

11: 39

Pickthall And ye shall know to whom a punishment that will confound him cometh, and upon whom a lasting doom will fall.

Transliteration Fa saufa ta'lamu_n(a), may ya'tihi 'aza_buy yukhzihi wa yahillu 'alaihi 'aza_bum muqim(un).