16.Sura al-Nahl

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَضَرَبَ اللّهُ مَثَلاً...   

16: 112. Allah sets forth a parable:

... قَرْيَةً كَانَتْ آمِنَةً مُّطْمَئِنَّةً يَأْتِيهَا رِزْقُهَا رَغَدًا مِّن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ... 

a city enjoying security and quiet, abundantly supplied with sustenance from every place:

C2149. The reference may be to any of the cities or populations in ancient or modern times, which were favoured with security and other blessings from Allah, but which rebelled from Allah's Law and tasted the inevitable penalty, even in the midst of their iniquities.

Some Commentators see here a reference to the city of Makkah under Pagan control.

See next note.

... فَكَفَرَتْ بِأَنْعُمِ اللّهِ... 

yet was it ungrateful for the favors of Allah:

... فَأَذَاقَهَا اللّهُ لِبَاسَ الْجُوعِ وَالْخَوْفِ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَصْنَعُونَ ﴿١١٢﴾

so Allah made it taste of hunger and terror (in extremes) (closing in on it) like a garment (from every side), because of the (evil)which (its people) wrought.

C2150. There is a double metaphor:

-        the tasting of hunger and terror after the abundant supplies and the full security which it had enjoyed; and

-        the complete enfolding of the City as with a garment, by these two scourges, hunger and a state of subjective alarm.

If the reference is to Makkah shortly before its fall to the Muslims, the "hunger" was the seven years' severe famine which afflicted it, and the alarm was the constant fear in the minds of the Pagans that their day was done. Peace and prosperity were restored after the re-entry of the Prophet.

وَلَقَدْ جَاءهُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْهُمْ فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَخَذَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَهُمْ ظَالِمُونَ ﴿١١٣﴾    

16: 113. And there came to them a Messenger from among themselves, but they falsely rejected him;

so the wrath seized them even in the midst of their iniquities.

Other versions:

16: 112

Yusuf Ali Allah sets forth a parable: a city enjoying security and quiet abundantly supplied with sustenance from every place: yet was it ungrateful for the favors of Allah: so Allah made it taste of hunger and terror (in extremes) (closing in on it) like a garment (from every side) because of the (evil) which (its people) wrought.

Pickthall Allah coineth a similitude: a township that dwelt secure and well content, its provision coming to it in abundance from every side, but it disbelieved in Allah's favors, so Allah made it experience the garb of dearth and fear because of what they used to do.

Transliteration Wa daraballa_hu masalan qaryatan ka_nat a_minatam mutma'innatay ya'tiha_ rizquha_ ragadam min kulli maka_nin fa kafarat bi an'umilla_hi fa aza_qahalla_hu liba_sal ju_'i wal khaufi bima_ ka_nu_ yasna'u_n(a).

16: 113

Yusuf Ali And there came to them an Apostle from among themselves but they falsely rejected him; so the wrath seized them even in the midst of their iniquities.

Pickthall And verily there had come unto them a messenger from among them, but they had denied him, and So the torment seized them while they were wrong-doers.

Transliteration Wa laqad ju_'ahum rasu_lum minhum fa kazzabu_hu fa akhazahumul 'azu_bu wa hum za_limu_n(a).