Āl 'Imrān: (112) Hum are covered with ignominy...

After Allah Almighty explained that if they fight, they will return defeated and unsupported,

He mentioned that despite this, ignominy (ذلة) has been cast upon them. There are several issues concerning this verse:

Issue 1: The Meaning of "Cast Upon Them" (ضُربت عليهم)

We have previously explained the meaning of this term in Sūrat al-Baqarah. The meaning here is that ignominy is affixed to them, as if something is struck onto another thing, causing it to adhere. This is derived from the saying, "This is not a binding strike upon me" (ما هذا علي بضربة لازب), and similarly, the tax levied is called a ḍarībah (a levy/strike).

Issue 2: The Meaning of Ignominy (الذلة)

Ignominy means humiliation (dhull). There are different opinions regarding what this humiliation specifically refers to:

1. The Strongest Opinion: It means that they are fought, killed, their wealth plundered, their offspring taken captive, and their lands conquered. This aligns with His saying: {And slay them wherever you find them} (Al-Baqarah: 191).
   • Then Allah Almighty said: {except by a rope from Allah} (إلا بحبل من الله). This means except by a covenant from Allah, protection, and a pledge from Allah and the believers. At that point, these rulings cease; there is no killing, no plunder, and no captivity.
2. Second Opinion: This ignominy is the jizyah (poll tax), because imposing the jizyah upon them necessitates humiliation and subjugation.
3. Third Opinion: It means that you do not see among them any conquering ruler or respected leader; rather, they are despised in all lands, humiliated, and degraded.

Analysis: It is not possible to hold that the meaning of ignominy is only the jizyah or only this degradation. This is because the exception {except by a rope from Allah} implies that this ignominy is removed when this "rope" is obtained. The jizyah, subjugation, and degradation do not cease when this "rope" is obtained. Therefore, interpreting ignominy solely as the jizyah is invalid.

Some who hold this view (like Muhammad ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī) respond by saying that this exception is disjunctive (استثناء منقطع). They argue: "The Jews have ignominy cast upon them whether they are under a covenant from Allah or not, so this exception does not remove them from ignominy into honor." In this case, {except by a rope from Allah} means: "But they may hold fast to a rope from Allah and a rope from people."

Critique: This interpretation is weak because taking illā (except) to mean lākin (but) goes against the apparent meaning. Furthermore, if we interpret it as "But they may hold fast to a rope from Allah and a rope from people," the statement remains incomplete without specifying what they hold fast to (i.e., protection from the enemy), which requires an implied object, and omission is contrary to the principle unless necessary.

The Preferred View: The ignominy encompasses all these aspects: killing, captivity, enslavement of offspring, confiscation of wealth, imposition of subjugation, and degradation. The benefit of the exception is that the entire set of these rulings is lifted. This does not contradict the persistence of some of these rulings, such as taking a small portion of their wealth (which is called the jizyah), while the humiliation, contempt, and subjugation remain among them. This is the soundest interpretation here.

His saying {wherever they are found} (أينما ثقفوا) means wherever they are encountered or come across. It is said, "I thaqaftu [found/overtook] so-and-so in battle," meaning I reached him. This has already been discussed regarding {wherever you find them} (Al-Baqarah: 191).

Issue 3: The Meaning of the Preposition 'Bā' (ب) in {إلا بحبل من الله}

There are several interpretations:

1. Al-Farrā’s View: The implied meaning is: "Except if they hold fast to a rope from Allah." He cited poetry as evidence.
   • Objection: Critics argue that it is impermissible to omit the relative pronoun (the antecedent, al-mawṣūl) while retaining its relative clause (ṣilah). The relative pronoun is the origin, and the clause is secondary; thus, the secondary can be omitted based on the primary, but not vice versa.
2. Meaning-Based Exception: The ignominy is so firmly affixed to them that it never leaves them. It is as if the meaning is: "Ignominy will not depart from them, and they will not be saved except by a rope from Allah and a rope from people."
3. The Preposition 'Bā' as 'With' (مع): Similar to the saying, "Go out with us, we will do such-and-such" (اخرج بنا نفعل كذا), meaning "with us." The meaning would be: "Except with a rope from Allah."

Issue 4: The Meaning of the "Rope of Allah" (حبل الله)

The "Rope of Allah" refers to the covenant (عهد). We previously explained that a covenant is called a rope because a person, before the covenant, is fearful and that fear prevents him from reaching his goal. Once the covenant is established, he reaches his goal through it, resembling a rope that saves one who clings to it from the fear of harm.

Inquiry: If the text mentions "a rope from Allah" and then "a rope from people" (وحبل من الناس), this conjunction implies a difference. How can this difference be explained?

Response:

• Some say: The "Rope of Allah" is Islam, and the "rope from people" is the covenant and protection (dhimmah). This is unlikely, as the text would have said "or a rope from people."
• Others say: Both ropes refer to the covenant and security/protection (amān). Allah mentioned both because the security granted by the believers is security granted by Allah's permission. This view is also weak in my opinion.

My View: The security granted to the dhimmi (non-Muslim subject) has two parts:

1. That which Allah explicitly stipulated: imposing the jizyah. This is called the Rope of Allah.
2. That which is left to the Imam's discretion, which he may increase or decrease based on ijtihād (independent reasoning). This is called the Rope from People (i.e., the believers/ruling authority).

Then Allah Almighty said: {And they returned with the wrath of Allah} (وباءوا بغضب من الله). We have explained that this means they remained, lingered, and persisted in the wrath of Allah. The root is derived from al-bū’, meaning a dwelling place (e.g., "So-and-so settled in such-and-such a dwelling"). The meaning is that they dwelled in the wrath of Allah, just as it is said that wrath descended upon them, and they descended into it.

Then He said: {And humiliation (المسكنة) was cast upon them}. The majority hold that al-miskinah refers to the jizyah. This is the view of Al-Hasan, because Allah excluded al-miskinah from the exception, which indicates that it remains upon them and does not depart. What remains upon them is nothing but the jizyah.

Others say: Al-miskinah means that the Jew displays poverty outwardly, even if he is wealthy. Some say this is a report from Allah that He made the Jews a source of sustenance for the Muslims, thus they become poor.

Then, after mentioning these types of warnings, Allah said: {That is because they used to disbelieve in the signs of Allah and kill the prophets unjustly}. The meaning is that Allah affixed three types of disliked things to the Jews:

1. Making ignominy permanent upon them.
2. Making the wrath of Allah permanent upon them.
3. Making poverty/humiliation permanent upon them.

In this verse, He explained that the reason for affixing these disliked things to them is that they used to disbelieve in the signs of Allah and kill the prophets unjustly. There are two questions here:

This ignominy and poverty only attached to the Jews after the rise of the Islamic state. Those who killed the prophets lived centuries before the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Thus, the cause (killing the prophets) occurred at a time when the effect (ignominy and poverty) had not yet materialized, and the effect materialized at a time when the cause (by those specific individuals) had not occurred. This creates a dilemma.

Answer: Although these later generations did not personally kill the prophets, they consented to it. Their ancestors were the ones who killed the prophets, and these later generations approved of their ancestors' actions. Therefore, the act is attributed to them because it was the wicked deed of their forefathers, and they affirmed their ancestors in those actions.

Why is the statement repeated: {That is because they disobeyed} (ذالك بما عصوا)? What is the wisdom in this repetition? It cannot be for emphasis (ta’kīd), because emphasis requires something stronger than what is being emphasized, and disobedience is a lesser state than disbelief; so, disbelief should not be emphasized by disobedience.

Answer (Two aspects):

1. The cause for the ignominy, wrath, and poverty is disbelief and killing the prophets. The cause for disbelief and killing the prophets is disobedience (المعصية). This is because when they became deeply entrenched in sins and transgressions, the darkness of sin increased step by step, and the light of faith weakened step by step, until the light of faith was extinguished and the darkness of disbelief occurred. This is alluded to in His saying: {Nay, but there rusts over their hearts what they used to earn} (Al-Muṭaffifīn: 14). Thus, {That is because they disobeyed} refers to the cause of the cause. This is why scholars of spiritual discipline say: Whoever is afflicted by abandoning etiquette falls into abandoning the Sunnahs; whoever is afflicted by abandoning the Sunnahs falls into abandoning the obligations; whoever is afflicted by abandoning the obligations falls into despising the Shari'ah; and whoever is afflicted by that falls into disbelief.
2. It is possible that {That is because they used to disbelieve} refers to those who preceded them, and {That is because they disobeyed} refers to those present during the time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). In this case, there is no repetition. It is as if Allah explained the cause of punishment for the predecessors, and then explained that those who came later deserved a similar punishment because they followed their predecessors in their disobedience and enmity. This demonstrates to creation that the affliction and trial sent down by Allah upon both groups is purely an act of justice and wisdom.

7 < { They are not alike. Among the People of the Scripture is a community standing [in obedience], reciting the verses of Allah during periods of the night while they prostrate. * They believe in Allah and the Last Day and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and hasten to good deeds - and those are of the righteous. * And whatever good they do, never will they be denied it; and Allah is knowing of the righteous. } > 7

<