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Formulas and refrains 6 / 17
« نَقَمَ … إِلَّآ أَن »: the only grievance is a blessing
The construction « مَا نَقَمَ … إِلَّآ أَن … » ("they reproached nothing, except …") states a reproach whose only object is something good: having believed, or having been enriched. The reproach turns back on those who make it. It is rendered everywhere by "reproach … except …".
The four occurrences:
- 85:8, the men of the trench: « وَمَا نَقَمُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّآ أَن يُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ », they reproached them for nothing except that they believed in God;
- 7:126, the magicians to Fir'awn: « وَمَا تَنقِمُ مِنَّآ إِلَّآ أَنْ ءَامَنَّا », you reproach us for nothing except that we believed;
- 5:59, to the people of the Scripture: do you reproach us for anything other than that we believed;
- 9:74, the hypocrites: « وَمَا نَقَمُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ أَنْ أَغْنَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ », they have nothing to reproach, except that God enriched them.
The construction is an exception after a negation: "nothing … except". The text empties the reproach of any content, then names the only thing left, and it is a good thing. The irony is only visible if the same verb is used everywhere: "reprocher" in French, "reproach" in English, "reprochar", "rimproverare", "mencela", "упрекать".
In the text
وَمَا نَقَمُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّآ أَن يُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ“And they reproached them for nothing except that they believed in God”
The only grievance: faith.
وَمَا تَنقِمُ مِنَّآ إِلَّآ أَنْ ءَامَنَّا“And you reproach us for nothing, except that we believed”
The magicians turn the reproach back on Fir'awn.
وَمَا نَقَمُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ أَنْ أَغْنَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ“They have nothing to reproach, except that God and His messenger enriched them”
Here the only grievance is a favour received.