دام الله ظلّه

[HotIcyDonut]

I noticed some Twelver Shi'ites, when referring to their clerics, they sometimes add دام الله ظلّه. I googled the expression, and I know what it means, they implore God for their clerics to expand the authority/reputation of a given scholar they consider OK, so that more their fellow Shi'a listen to a said scholar (find themselves "in the shade" of a given scholar). But I have trouble properly translating it. "May Allah extend/perpetuate his shadow" could be correct but at risk of being misunderstood by an unfamiliar person. I thought about replacing "his shadow" with "his reach" or something along the lines, but I don't really know. Any suggestions?

شكراً مقدماً

 

[WadiH]

"May God extend his presence"?

Btw it should be أدام not دام.

 

[tracer2]

If you wanted to emphasize the scholar's "authority/reputation", you might try:

"May God broaden his influence."

or to be more in line with the original Arabic:

"May God broaden his reach and influence."

 

[WadiH]

But أدام doesn't mean 'broaden' -- it means 'perpetuate'.

 

[tracer2]

Nothing wrong with "perpetuate"...that's a good, strong alternative.

But to me, "perpetuate" means "to cause to last or continue indefinitely"

I was taking as my "source" the OP's words: " they implore God for their clerics to expand the authority/reputation of a given scholar they consider OK,"
As I said above, if the OP means to emphasize the scholar's "authority and reputation" and to "expand" these......then "broaden" is a more exact word for that.

But if there is really no "expansion/increase" implied or suggested in أدام الله ظلّه......then yes, "perpetuate" is a better word, and I totally agree with you.

 

[Mahaodeh]

But to me, "perpetuate" means "to cause to last or continue indefinitely"

That’s exactly what أدام means.

I was taking as my "source" the OP's words: " they implore God for their clerics to expand the authority/reputation of a given scholar they consider OK,"

I think the OP misunderstood the meaning of the verb.

 

[WadiH]

Yes أدام specifically means extending in time. If you take out the time element you are no longer translating that word.

 

[HotIcyDonut]

Yes أدام specifically means extending in time. If you take out the time element you are no longer translating that word.

Could then أدام الله ظلّه also metaphorically mean "May Allah prolong his life" (here, I think along the lines of a scholar being alive, he walks alive casting shadow, so let his presence (denoted by "shadow") on this Earth/دنيا be longer so that others would benefit from his knowledge)?

 

[WadiH]

Yes I think that is basically what it means.