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Aurangzaib Yousufzai – July 2017

Thematic Quranic Translation Series Installment 14

(In English Language)

The Fake Story of Prophet Mohammad’s Marriage

With the Divorced Wife of His Adopted Son.

Rationally Re-translated from Chapter Al-Ahzaab (33)

PRELUDE

A hell of a lot of hue and cry is raised by Islamophobes on the issue of Prophet Mohammad pbuh undertaking to marry Zaiynab, the wife of one called Zayid, having been attracted to her due to her beautiful looks.  Zayid is a fabricated character, who is actually reported, in hearsay based Islamic Tradition, to be the Prophet’s adopted son, who upon knowing the intentions of the Prophet, agreed unhesitatingly to divorce his wife Zaiynab in order to facilitate her re-marriage with the Prophet.  Through the fake translations of the Quran, even Allah swt is not spared from being blamed of blessing this debauchery on the part of the holy Prophet (Na’oozu Billah), and of ordaining him not to hide his desire, and of going ahead with this marriage in an open manner, so that a custom is established whereby adopted sons’ spouses can be taken into matrimony, when divorced, as a permissible conduct.

Most regrettably, the Quranic text or its assertions do not state, allege, infer or imply any act of marriage in the relevant verses!!! There is no attestation found in the Quran, even in the least, of the tradition based fictitious story of such a marriage.  No names of Zayid or Zaiynab are to be found therein.  No mention of an adopted son, no divorce, and no hiding of desires, as falsely interpreted, are to be discovered in the relevant Quranic narration.  Contrary to this blame game agenda of the Arab despotic enemies of Islam, the issue under discussion in these Verses belongs to the requirement of an “unfaltering and unhesitating compliance of divine government’s directives” and to “meeting promptly the strategic requirements by responsible officials of the governing body when decided to do so”.

Keeping this obvious perspective in view, a fresh, most rational and academic translation of relevant verses is attempted hereunder. Its linguistic and empirical approach and merit are hopefully not going to require any further elaboration, debate or discourse. Should there be a scholarly objection to this work, those with authentic supportive material from the Quran will be welcomed in a spirit of academic cooperation.

VERSE 33:36:

وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ ۗ وَمَن يَعْصِ اللَّهَ
وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا مُّبِينًا

33:36:  “If and when clear-cut orders are issued from the divine Government (قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ), it is not permissible for the responsible peace keeping individuals (لِمُؤْمِنٍ) and such groups/bodies (مُؤْمِنَةٍ) to exercise their own discretion (لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ) in carrying out the orders given to them (أَمْرِهِمْ). Whoever of the responsible officials would rebel against the divine Government (یعص اللہ و رسولہ ) will be construed as having gone into manifest transgression.”

VERSE 33:37: آیت : ۳۳/۳۷

وَإِذْ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِي أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ
وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَن تَخْشَاهُ ۖ فَلَمَّا قَضَىٰ زَيْدٌ مِّنْهَا وَطَرًا زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا لِكَيْ لَا يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
حَرَجٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ إِذَا قَضَوْا مِنْهُنَّ وَطَرًا ۚ وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ مَفْعُولًا.

33:37:  “Do remember in this connection the case of the one whom God and thou had rewarded (given a senior position); when you had ordered him by saying:

“keep united with your close ally (أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ) and remain cautious and god-fearing in respect of divine Government’s directives (وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ); you are known to keep those strategic affairs concealed under your personal knowledge (وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ) which the divine Government wanted to be acted upon openly (مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ), just because you fear reaction from some people (وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ ); whereas, divine Government’s disobedience was more liable to be afraid of (وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَن تَخْشَاهُ); and when it was agreed that an increase (or a raise) in the manpower from the present level (زَيْدٌ مِّنْهَا) had become an inevitable necessity (وَطَرًا), we had made you join hands with that allied group (زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا) in order to establish a precedent for other law enforcers (الْمُؤْمِنِينَ) not to hesitate ( لَا يَكُونَ حَرَجٌ) in enrolling into their ranks (أَزْوَاجِ) those who seek to be their close associates (أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ), if they may have taken such a decision in view of their mandatory requirements (وَطَرًا). And thus Divine Government’s orders may have been implemented (أَمْرُ اللَّهِ مَفْعُولًا)”.”

(The above Verse is an Arabic narrative too difficult in its structure and composition to be brought in order in a translation work. BUT, please take particular notice of who is speaking here, to whom, and who is presenting this dialogue between two men as a Quranic text. It is NOT Allah here speaking with His Rusool. Actually, Allah swt here narrates the episode of Rusool, and here it is the Rusool who is reprimanding his subordinate officer of a region till the end of the Verse. Deplorably, the Arab historical crooks, taking advantage of the difficult and lengthy non-stop text, have turned the episode upside down making Allah speak here with His Rusool about his personal matters, by exercising a lot of interpolation. I have separated the Rusool’s reprimand from the opening sentence of the Verse, by adding a new paragraph, to make things easier to follow and understand.)

VERSE 33:38:

مَّا كَانَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ مِنْ حَرَجٍ فِيمَا فَرَضَ اللَّهُ لَهُ ۖ سُنَّةَ اللَّهِ فِي الَّذِينَ خَلَوْا مِن قَبْلُ ۚ وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ قَدَرًا مَّقْدُورًا

33:38:  “Your Supreme Leader (النَّبِيِّ) cannot be held blame worthy for carrying out the duties that God has ordained for him. Such was God’s way with those that have passed in earlier times. God’s will is a law which becomes applicable without fail.”

- - - - -

P.S.

So friends, this is the true picture of the fake traditional story of Zayid and Zayinab invented to defame and destroy the true Islam and to use libel and slander against its holy founder. Religious insanity is so greatly manifest in Muslim intelligentsia that over the centuries they did not give a damn about what havoc was being played with their foundations. On the other hand, these fictitious interpretations were circulated across the land beginning the early Umayyad era, and regional governors were ordered to disseminate and enforce them by sword among the religious scholars and in academic and intellectual circles. Thus this fictitious material was soon to assume the status of canonical interpretation throughout the Muslim world, and a single word spoken against its authenticity made one liable to death. My readers will find the same old fictitious and libelous story in almost every Quranic translation and interpretation that exists anywhere in any major language of the world.

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Aurangzaib Yousufzai – July 2017

Thematic Quranic Translation Series Installment 13 

(In English Language)

Is “KA’BAH” Really The House of GOD?

Is “MASJID AL-HARAAM” The Other 

Name Of KA’BAH?

Fake Concepts Repudiated By Answers 

In The True Light of the Quran

Prelude

These lines are written in response to questions from friends, who are victims of misguidance on account of gross distortions in Scriptural narratives by Umayyad Despots through the medium of fictitious interpretations.  A substantial number of modern, enlightened Muslim minds wish to know the true meanings of the Quranic words ---- “Ka’bah” (کعبہ), ---- “Bayit ullah” (بیت اللہ), and ---- “Hajj” (حج), representing or signifying the foundations of Muslim faith.

Some of the questions and answers are presented here below for a general awareness by truth seekers.

QUESTION NO. 1)  “Rabba haadhal Bayit” ( رب ھذا البیت)? Does it not clearly mean “Ka’bah”???

ANSWER

In this context, a modern rational translation of Chapter Qurayish (106) has been presented and uploaded on “ebooks.i360.pk” library (Thematic Translation Series Installment 9), where these words are defined in their true conceptual light, and it is contextually proven that these DO NOT signify Ka’bah.  Here is the relevant Verse from Chapter Qurayish :-

فَلْيَعْبُدُوا رَبَّ هَـٰذَا الْبَيْتِ ﴿٣﴾ “Fal-ya’budu Rabba hadhal Bayit”

Authentic and Rational translation goes like this:-

106:3  “Hence, it is essential that they collectively obey the Lord of this IDEOLOGICAL CENTER”.

“Al-Bayit” can be any ideological institution, command center, headquarters of a movement or the secretariat of the central leadership. House of Lords and House of Commons are the usual terms in English language signifying the institutions of a Government. And ‘al-Bayit al-Maal” is a known term in Arabic for the Center of Treasury. Here the suggestion is towards the centre of leadership/command established by Mohammad pbuh to control and administer his revolutionary movement.

QUESTION NO. 2) “Hazal Baladil Ameen” (ھذا البلد الامین)? Doesn’t this mean Makkah and Ka’bah???

ANSWER

This sentence is from Chapter At-Teen (95).  A Rational Translation is presented hereunder to prove that it neither suggests Makkah nor Ka’bah.

Please check Thematic Translation Series Installment 11 for full translation of Chapter At-Teen (95) – ebooks.i360.pk ).

وَالتِّينِ وَالزَّيْتُونِ ﴿١﴾ وَطُورِ‌ سِينِينَ ﴿٢﴾ وَهَـٰذَا الْبَلَدِ الْأَمِينِ ﴿٣﴾

95:1-3  “We swear by the divine gifts like the fig and the olive (وَالتِّينِ وَالزَّيْتُونِ), and by fame and glory (وَطُورِ‌ سِينِينَ), and by this land of peace under your command,”….
(“Teen” (تین) Lane’s lexicon page 325 (of 3039). )

Suggestion here is more plausibly found towards the town of Yathrab (Medinah), where Mohammad pbuh had migrated to and established his Center of Command. No hint towards Ka’bah or Makkah.

QUESTION NO. 3): “Min Masjid al-Haraam ila Masjid al-Aqsaa” (۱۷/۱ : "من المسجد الحرام الی مسجد الاقصٰی " )???? Don’t the words Masjid Al-Haraam here suggest Ka’bah???

ANSWER

No. No suggestion again towards Ka’bah here. The relative Verse of Chapter Asraa (17) is translated here to offer you a satisfactory answer.

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَ‌ىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَ‌امِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَ‌كْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِ‌يَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ‌

17:1  “Limitless in Glory is He Who directed His servant, in the midst of persistent darkness, to migrate from that “place where submission to Allah was forbidden” to another “distant center of submission to Allah’s commands” whose environment We had already made conducive and supportive for his mission, in order that we manifest for him prospects of success. Verily He is the one Who listens about and monitors your struggle.”

Masjid, the Noun of time and place from sjd (submission), is the centre of submission and surrender as well as the commandments to which one has to submit. Even Quran itself can be called Masjid because we need to submit to its teachings. When used with “Al” it signifies a particular station, point, center, land where submission is in force.

QUESTION NO. 4)  “Waadin ghayira dhi zar’a ….’inda bayituka al-Moharram” ("واد غیر ذی زرع،،،،،،،عند بیتک المحرم،،" ) : Aren’t Makkah and Ka’bah meant here too from “Bayitak al-Moharram” and “a barren valley”???

ANSWER

These terms are from the Chapter Ibraheem. Nowhere is found any suggestion in this Chapter towards Ka’bah or Makkah being a holy or central place. Here is the latest Rational translation of related Verses:-

Chapter Ibraheem (14): Verses 14/35 to 14/37:

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَ‌اهِيمُ رَ‌بِّ اجْعَلْ هَـٰذَا الْبَلَدَ آمِنًا وَاجْنُبْنِي وَبَنِيَّ أَن نَّعْبُدَ الْأَصْنَامَ ﴿٣٥﴾

14:35  And remember the time when Abraham spoke thus: “O my Sustainer! Make this land peaceful/secure and help me and my posterity to keep away from surrendering to self-fabricated ideals (الْأَصْنَامَ ).

رَ‌بِّ إِنَّهُنَّ أَضْلَلْنَ كَثِيرً‌ا مِّنَ النَّاسِ ۖ فَمَن تَبِعَنِي فَإِنَّهُ مِنِّي ۖ وَمَنْ عَصَانِي فَإِنَّكَ غَفُورٌ‌ رَّ‌حِيمٌ ﴿٣٦﴾

14:36  O lord, these false ideals have led a multitude of men astray. So, from now on, who followed my path, only he is truly of me; and who disobeyed me, his case is to be taken up by you, the bearer of the attributes of protection and mercy.

رَّ‌بَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّ‌يَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ‌ ذِي زَرْ‌عٍ عِندَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّ‌مِ رَ‌بَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ فَاجْعَلْ أَفْئِدَةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِمْ وَارْ‌زُقْهُم مِّنَ الثَّمَرَ‌اتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُ‌ونَ ﴿٣٧﴾

14:37  O my Sustainer, I have settled my offspring by your venerable center of command/Idiology (عِندَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّ‌مِ) in between such people (بِوَادٍ) whose minds have not been cultivated to receive your teachings (غَيْرِ‌ ذِي زَرْ‌عٍ). O my Sustainer, this is so that they may establish among these people a strict pursuance of your commands (لِيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ). To achieve that goal, kindly turn their hearts to incline towards them and grant them fruitful sustenance so that their efforts may produce results (يَشْكُرُ‌ونَ ).

QUESTION NO. 5)   Another very crucial Verse At-Tawbah (9): 19-20, which provides a solid proof of Ka’bah’s authenticity as it talks of water supply to pilgrims and the building of Ka’bah :

التوبہ: ۱۹-۔۲۰ : اجعلتم سقایۃ الحاج و عمارۃ المسجد الحرام، کمن آمن باللہ و الیوم الآخر و جٰھد فی سبیل اللہ۔ لایستون عنداللہ . واللٰہ لا یھدی القوم الظٰلمین۔ اللذین اٰمنو و ھاجروا و جاھدُوا فی سبیل اللٰہ باموالھم و انفُسھم، اعظمُ درجۃ عند اللٰہ۔ و اُولٰئک ھم الفآئزون۔

What would be your response to it ???

ANSWER

No Sir. This Verse too does not authenticate the so-called Ka’bah as a center or as holder of some kind of sanctity for Muslims. And this denial is on two accounts as follows :-

1) “Saqayatul Haaj”, the thirst-quenching of Haaj was not done by offering water to certain pilgrims, but by offering the seekers the ideological knowledge and material that may satisfy and convince them to reach the stage of faith and submission. That’s what is called Hajj in Quran. And ;

2) “’imaratul Masjid al-Haraam” is NOT the building around so-called Ka’bah, but Umara and Imaarat is defined as “tending or serving of the center where dissemination of Quranic knowledge” was in practice. And it was not that old Pagan Temple, but the one established by Mohammad pbuh at some appropriate location.

Here is the modern, rational and logical translation of the relevant text:-

9:19-20:   “Do you regard the mere act of quenching the academic thirst of contenders seeking faith (سقایۃ الحاج) and of those occupying/inhabiting/serving/tending the respected Center of Submission (عمارۃ المسجد الحرام),,,,, as being equal to the performance of those who believed in Allah and the Hereafter and then strove hard in the cause of Allah? Nay, the two categories do not stand equal in the sight of Allah. And do remember that Allah does not grace with His guidance those who disregard merit (القوم الظٰلمین). In fact, those who attained to faith, and forsook the domain of evil, and strove hard in Allah’s cause with their possessions and their lives, have the highest rank in the sight of God, and it is they who shall be highly rewarded (الفآئزون) in the end.”

QUESTION NO. 6):  Why then the pilgrimage (Hajj) to Ka’bah is still performed in Makkah by Muslims?

ANSWER

The hoax of pilgrimage (The Hajj) to the Ka’bah has been intensively explored, investigated and researched academically, historically and geographically in recent times, taking into account all aspects of this Pagan ritual.  Thanks to the despotic Arab regimes of the arch enemies of Islam, which had usurped the Pious Caliphate just 24 years after the death of Mohammad pbuh, no part of the true Islamic ideology has reached us in its original form.  The same is the case with the definition of the Quranic word Hajj.  Please open this link and view a startlingly true picture of Ka’bah and pilgrimage:-

Hajj, A Delusional Journey of Deliverance

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Aurangzaib Yousufzai – July 2017

Thematic Quranic Translation Series Installment 12

(In English Language)

The Myth of Prophet Younus a.s. (Jonah)

In the Belly of a Great Fish

Re-defined in the True Light of the Quran

PRELUDE

The episode of Prophet Younus (Jonah) a.s. in the Quran was narrated to highlight his strategic missionary struggle against the terrorist rulers of his time, and was solely meant to enhance the fortitude of Mohammad pbuh in the miseries and affliction he was facing, in the wake of his great revolutionary struggle against the savage capitalist rulers of Arabia.

However, like the interpolations exercised in all the other enlightening episodes of divine envoys, which invariably emphasized their dauntless struggles for emancipation of the downtrodden masses, this one’s picture too was painted with the fake colors of a religious myth, mystery and miracles, by the despotic enemies of Islam.  Kindly check any available interpretations from any inherited or modern edition of Quran.

This, therefore, is a humble effort in re-infusing the deleted spirit of truth and rationality back into the Quranic narrative, and to present the real facts of the episode of Younus a.s. in its true light.  This venture is launched to address various challenges facing the nascent Quranic community, and the theological and spiritual matters any religion seeks to expound.

Any probable errors or omissions in the work can be pointed out, with Quranic authority, in a spirit of close academic cooperation, and with the aim of achieving a consensus of opinion on this issue.

It is worth mentioning here that this part of the research work was inspired by Prof. Abdur Razzaq (late) of Ahl-e-Quran (Lahore), who had individually attempted a logical and academic re-presentation of this theme in some distant past.

Verse 6/86:

وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَالْيَسَعَ وَيُونُسَ وَلُوطًا ۚ وَكُلًّا فَضَّلْنَا عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿٨٦﴾

6:86  “And it is about Ishmael, and Elisha, and Jonah (Younus), and Lot. And all others did We honor above other people;”

Verses 21/87—88: آیت: ۲۱/۸۷-۸۸

وَذَا النُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَاضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقْدِرَ‌ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فی الظلمات أَن لَّا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿٨٧﴾

21:87  AND remember the possessor of divine wisdom, Younus (وذاالنُّونِ), when he went off highly displeased and disturbed (مُغَاضِبًا), assuming that We may not evaluate his high status and his great struggle! Then in the darkness of despair he called out his Lord thus: “There is no authority except Thee! Limit¬less art Thou in Thy glory! Verily, I have been the one lost in darkness!”

فاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْغَمِّ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُنجِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٨٨﴾

21:88  And so We responded unto him and delivered him from the state of grief and distress: for thus do We deliver all who have faith and work for peace.

Verses 37/139-149 : آیت: ۳۷/۱۳۹-۱۴۸

وَإِنَّ يُونُسَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْ‌سَلِينَ ﴿١٣٩﴾

37:139  AND, Younus (Jonah) was indeed one of Our Messengers;

إِذْ أَبَقَ إِلَى الْفُلْكِ الْمَشْحُونِ ﴿١٤٠﴾

37:140  when he had to migrate (ابَقَ) to an elevated piece of land (الْفُلْكِ), densely inhabited (الْمَشْحُونِ ) with people;

فَسَاهَمَ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْمُدْحَضِينَ ﴿١٤١﴾

37:141  He had worked hard to fulfill his mission (فَسَاهَمَ), but had faced failure (مِنَ الْمُدْحَضِينَ);

فَالْتَقَمَهُ الْحُوتُ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ ﴿١٤٢﴾

37:142  But, then, his extreme concentration on his mission (الْحُوتُ) had fully absorbed/captivated him (فَالْتَقَمَهُ) and he was blaming himself (ھومُلِيمٌ );

فَلَوْلَا أَنَّهُ كَانَ مِنَ الْمُسَبِّحِينَ ﴿١٤٣﴾ لَلَبِثَ فِي بَطْنِهِ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ ﴿١٤٤﴾

37:143-144  So, had he not been of those doing their utmost (الْمُسَبِّحِينَ), he would indeed have languished in the belly of that land (لَلَبِثَ فِي بَطْنِهِ) till the Day when all shall be raised from the dead (يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ):

فَنَبَذْنَاهُ بِالْعَرَ‌اءِ وَهُوَ سَقِيمٌ ﴿١٤٥﴾

37:145  but We thought it suitable to cut him off from his people (فَنَبَذْنَاهُ) and plant him on a vast piece of land (بِالْعَرَ‌اءِ), while he was highly sensitive of his weaknesses/drawbacks (وَهُوَ سَقِيمٌ).

وَأَنبَتْنَا عَلَيْهِ شَجَرَ‌ةً مِّن يَقْطِينٍ ﴿١٤٦﴾

37:146  and We caused to grow for him plants full of fruits (made his efforts fruitful);

وَأَرْ‌سَلْنَاهُ إِلَىٰ مِائَةِ أَلْفٍ أَوْ يَزِيدُونَ ﴿١٤٧﴾

37:147  And enhanced his status as Messenger over a hundred thousand, or more, people;

فَآمَنُوا فَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ ﴿١٤٨﴾

37:148  and they all attained to faith, and so We allowed them to enjoy a fulfilling sustenance up to a certain time;

Verses 68/48-50 : آیت: ۶۸/۴۸-۵۰

فَاصْبِرْ‌ لِحُكْمِ رَ‌بِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ الْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌ ﴿٤٨﴾

68:48  In the same way, you too must remain steadfast for the sake of the rule of your Lord, and be not the victim of despair like Younus, the one devoted to his mission (َصَاحِبِ الْحُوتِ), who cried out [in distress] after having given in to pressures (مَكْظُومٌ).

لَّوْلَا أَن تَدَارَ‌كَهُ نِعْمَةٌ مِّن رَّ‌بِّهِ لَنُبِذَ بِالْعَرَ‌اءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُومٌ ﴿٤٩﴾

68:49  Because it is to remember that had not grace from his Sustainer reached him, he would indeed have been cast forth (لَنُبِذَ) upon that barren land (بِالْعَرَ‌اءِ) in a state of regret (مَذْمُومٌ):

فَاجْتَبَاهُ رَ‌بُّهُ فَجَعَلَهُ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ ﴿٥٠﴾

68:50  but his Sustainer had responded to him and placed him among the great Reformers.

Verse 10/98:  آیت: ۱۰/۹۸

فَلَوْلَا كَانَتْ قَرْ‌يَةٌ آمَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَا إِيمَانُهَا إِلَّا قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّا آمَنُوا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ الْخِزْيِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ ﴿٩٨﴾

10:98  For, alas, why wasn’t there another community apart from the one of Younus, at that time, whose faith may have awarded them similar blessings: because when they attained to faith we had removed from them sufferings and hardships of the worldly life and provided them for a long time with unlimited sustenance.

A Running Translation Now:

And it is about Ishmael, and Elisha, and Jonah (Younus), and Lot. And all others did We honor above other people.
AND remember the follower of divine wisdom, Younus, when he went off, highly displeased and disturbed, assuming that We may not evaluate his high status and his great struggle! Then in the darkness of despair he called out his Lord thus: “There is no absolute authority except Thee! Limit¬less art Thou in Thy glory! Verily, I have been the one lost in darkness!”And so We responded unto him and delivered him from the state of grief and distress: for thus do We deliver all who have faith and work for peace.
AND, Younus (Jonah) was indeed one of Our Messengers; when he had to migrate to an elevated piece of land, densely inhabited with people; He had worked hard to fulfill his mission, but had faced failure. But, then, his extreme concentration on his mission kept him fully absorbed/captivated and he felt like blaming himself .

So, had he not been of those doing their utmost, he would indeed have languished in the belly of that land till the Day when all shall be raised from the dead.

But We thought it suitable to cut him off from his people and plant him on a vast piece of land, while he was highly sensitive of his weaknesses/drawbacks. And We caused to grow for him plants full of fruits (made his efforts fruitful); And enhanced his status as Messenger over a hundred thousand, or more, people;

And they all attained to faith, and so We allowed them to enjoy a fulfilling sustenance up to a certain time.

In the same way, you too must remain steadfast for the sake of the rule of your Lord, and be not the victim of despair like Younus, the one devoted to his mission who cried out [in distress] after having given in to pressures. Because it is to remember that had not grace from his Sustainer reached him, he would indeed have been cast forth upon that barren land in a state of regret. But his Sustainer had responded to him in time and placed him among the great Reformers.

For, alas, why wasn’t there another community apart from the one of Younus, at that time, whose faith may have awarded them similar blessings: because when they attained to faith we had removed from them sufferings and hardships of the worldly life and provided them for a long time with unlimited sustenance.

Important words given in brackets above:

Mughaaziban [مُغَاضِبًا] : wrath, rage, indignation, angry, irritated, furious

(fi az-zulumaat) فی الظلمات: In the darkness; darkness of despair, disappointment.

Al-Fulk (الفُلک) : A wide piece of land or field; pieces of land within a circle and elevated; boat; ship.

Abaqa (ابق) : run away, to escape.

Al-mashhoon (المشحون): loaded, charged, filled; a densely populated community or town; a loaded ship, or room, or house, etc.

Fa-Sahama (فساھم): Sahama: to strive hard for an assignment; to make serious efforts; to cast arrows; to face or confront someone or something.

Al-Mudhazeen (المدحضین) : Loser, suffered defeat.

Al-Hoot (الحُوت): to concentrate upon a central object; to move in circles around something; concentrate on orders or purposes; fish; movement of fish in circles.

Fa Al-Taqum-hu (فالتقمہ); luqm; to take a bite by your mouth; to grip into jaws, or hold; to captivate from all around;

Muleem (مُلیم) : to be regretful; to feel disgraced, insulted, lowered.

Al-Musabbaheen (المسبّحین): Those who strive with full capacity and resources; as is done by a swimmer while swimming.

Fa-nabaznaa-hu (فنبذناہ) : Nabaza: To cut off from people and move aside; to become a hermet; to throw away something after rejecting; surrender, resign, discard.

Bil ‘Araa (بالعراء) : in a vast land; in a barren land

Saqeem (سقیم ) : Saqam: sickness, shortcoming, weakness, unhappy, dejected, distempered, disordered.

Makzoom (مکظوم) : under immense pressure; man afflicted with grief, silent, in pain. 

Mazmoom (مذموم) : Discredited, blamed, reviled, reproved, forsaken.

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Aurangzaib Yousufzai

Thematic Quranic Translation Series Installment 11

(In English Language)

Chapter At-TEEN (95)

A Strict, Up-to-Date, Rational Translation

PRELUDE

Here is another Installment in the series of Thematic Translations from the Quran, which aim at exposing the havoc played with the Quranic exegesis and renditions under the direct orders and auspices of Arab Royalty of the House of Umayyads.  This exposure is presented through a fresh translation process, under pure, rational and academic criteria.  This process deals with particular Quranic topics, segment by segment, in a gradual and comprehensive way, and doesn’t allow addition or interpolation of a single word from outer sources.

It goes without saying that the genuine Quranic doctrine could not have matched with the evil designs of the earliest usurpers of Islam’s Pious Caliphate.  Its benevolent, welfare-based rule was done away with by the usurpers in 40 AH.  These usurpers were the same old capitalist rulers of the region who were the arch enemies of the Holy Messenger of Islam.  It was those from whose clutches the Messenger of God had freed the downtrodden masses, and effectively eradicated the persistent exploitation, bloodshed and widespread trade of slavery.  The moment these enemies succeeded in their treacherous tactics and came back to power, their first priority was to corrupt and deface the Islamic socialist ideology which had caused their defeat, and had forced them to surrender to the majority of the poor masses who had been raised to the position of power and authority over their old tyrannical masters.

Needless to mention here that the entire corpus of research articles and books on Islamic heritage being written and introduced all over the world, including Quranic translations and/or interpretations, usually do not take into account the above historical upheaval of a great magnitude, and its massive damaging influence and long lasting after effects on the Muslim civilization and Islamic Doctrine at large.  Hence it can safely be surmised that all those writings that continue cropping up on Islam, particularly from the West, are fundamentally devoid of the real facts of Islamic history, and, resultantly, miss deplorably the essence of the great Islamic Revolutionary Movement of the medieval times.  They also follow the corrupted versions of Quranic exegeses, and, therefore, stand on fictitious foundations.

After this short review of the crucial background information, let us start with our theme with a fresh academic and research-oriented outlook.

Chapter At-Teen with its most Rational Translation:-

سورۃ التین: ۹۵
وَالتِّينِ وَالزَّيْتُونِ ﴿١﴾ وَطُورِ‌ سِينِينَ ﴿٢﴾ وَهَـٰذَا الْبَلَدِ الْأَمِينِ ﴿٣﴾ لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ ﴿٤﴾ ثُمَّ رَ‌دَدْنَاهُ أَسْفَلَ سَافِلِينَ ﴿٥﴾ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فَلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ‌ غَيْرُ‌ مَمْنُونٍ ﴿٦﴾ فَمَا يُكَذِّبُكَ بَعْدُ بِالدِّينِ ﴿٧﴾ أَلَيْسَ اللَّـهُ بِأَحْكَمِ الْحَاكِمِينَ ﴿٨﴾

Verses 95/1 to 95/3:

۹۵/۱ – ۹۵/۳ : وَالتِّينِ وَالزَّيْتُونِ ﴿١﴾ وَطُورِ‌ سِينِينَ ﴿٢﴾ وَهَـٰذَا الْبَلَدِ الْأَمِينِ

“We swear by the divine gifts like the fig and the olive (وَالتِّينِ وَالزَّيْتُونِ), and by fame and glory (وَطُورِ‌ سِينِينَ), and by this land of peace under your command,”

(“Teen” (تین) Lane’s lexicon page 325 (of 3039). )

قسم ہے انجیر اور زیتون جیسی نعمتوں کی، اور شان و شوکت ، نام و نمود والے اس مرحلے کی [وَطُورِ‌ سِينِينَ ]جہاں تم پہنچ چکے ہو، اور قسم ہےاس مامون و محفوظ کیے گئے خطہءِ زمین کی [الْبَلَدِ الْأَمِينِ ]جو اب تمہیں حاصل ہو چکاہے،

Verse 95/4:

۹۵/۴: لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ

“that We had created man in the best of proportion, balance and conformation;”

کہ ہم نے توانسان کی تخلیق بہترین ترتیب و توازن کے ساتھ انجام دی تھی ۔

Verse 95/5:

۹۵/۵: ثُمَّ رَ‌دَدْنَاهُ أَسْفَلَ سَافِلِينَ

“But what you have faced to reach your present stage was due to the facts that violation of our laws had downgraded him to the lowest levels of conduct”.

لیکن تمہیں اس مرحلے تک پہنچنے کے لیے انسانوں کے ہاتھوں جن مصائب و مشکلات کا سامنا کرنا پڑا وہ صرف اس سبب سے تھاکہ ہمارے قوانین کی خلاف ورزی نے ا نہیں پست ترین درجے میں واپس بھیج دیا تھا ۔

Verse 95/6:

۹۵/۶: إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فَلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ‌ غَيْرُ‌ مَمْنُونٍ۔

“Only those were the exceptions that had attained to faith and followed reformative and constructive ways of conduct. Hence they will be rewarded without wishing or desiring (غَيْرُ‌ مَمْنُونٍ).”

Verse 95/7:

۹۵/۷: فَمَا يُكَذِّبُكَ بَعْدُ بِالدِّينِ

“What can henceforth declare thee a false pretender of knowledge after having established the divinely ordained social system successfully?”

Verse 95/8:

۹۵/۸: أَلَيْسَ اللَّـهُ بِأَحْكَمِ الْحَاكِمِينَ ﴿٨﴾

“Isn’t it made clear that God is the super Ruler over all other rulers?”

اور اب رواں ترجمہ :
قسم ہے انجیر اور زیتون جیسی نعمتوں کی، اور شان و شوکت ، نام و نمود والے اس مرحلے جہاں تم پہنچ چکے ہو، اور قسم ہےاس مامون و محفوظ کیے گئے خطہءِ زمین کی جو اب تمہیں حاصل ہو چکاہے، کہ ہم نے توانسان کی تخلیق بہترین ترتیب و توازن کے ساتھ انجام دی تھی ۔
لیکن تمہیں اس مرحلے تک پہنچنے کے لیے انسانوں کے ہاتھوں جن مصائب و مشکلات کا سامنا کرنا پڑا وہ صرف اس سبب سے تھاکہ ہمارے قوانین کی خلاف ورزی نے ا نہیں پست ترین درجے میں واپس بھیج دیا تھا ۔ سوائے تمہاری اس جماعت کے جنہوں نے یقین و ایمان کی دولت پا لی اور معاشرے کی فلاح کے لیے صلاحیت افروز اور تعمیری کام کیے ۔ پس ان سب کے لیے ایسا انعام مقرر کیا گیا ہے جو انہیں بغیر احسان مند ہوئے خود کار انداز میں مل جائے گا۔ اب اس کامیابی کے مرحلے کے حصول کے بعد ہمارے تجویز کردہ نظامِ زندگی [ضابطہِ حیات] کے بارے میں تمہیں کیسے جھٹلایا جا سکے گا ؟ تو کیا اب یہ ثابت نہیں ہوگیا کہ اللہ ہی تمام حاکموں سے بڑا حاکم ہے ؟
بریکٹوں میں دیے گئے مشکل الفاظ کا مستند ترجمہ:
[وَطُورِ‌ سِينِينَ ]: طور : گرد گھومنا، قریب جانا، وقت یا ایک خاص وقت؛ متعدد مرتبہ؛ تعداد/پیمانہ/حد/پہلو/شکل و صورت/حلیہ/طور طریقہ/ تہذیب و آداب/قسم/طبقہ/مرحلہ/درجہ؛ سینا پہاڑ، زیتون کا پہاڑ؛ بہت سے دوسرے پہاڑ، وہ پہاڑ جہاں درخت پیدا ہوتے ہوں؛ خود کو انسانوں سے علیحدہ کر لینا، اجنبی، آخری حد، دو انتہاوں کا سامنا۔ سینین: س ن و: سنا : شان و شوکت، رحمتیں اور انعامات، ناموری ۔ بعض اسے سیناء سے ملاتے ہیں جو صحرائے سینائی میں ایک پہاڑ ہے ۔ مگر جس کی کوئی ٹھوس لسانی بنیاد نہیں ہے ۔
[الْبَلَدِ الْأَمِينِ ] : البلد : زمین کا ایک خطہ، حدود مقرر کردہ قطعہِ اراضی، آبادی کا علاقہ۔ البلد الامین = وہ خطہِ زمین جسے مامون و محفوظ کر لیا گیا ہو۔

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Aurangzaib Yousufzai – July 2017

Thematic Quranic Translation Series Installment 10

(In English Language)

The Tale of Prophet Job (Ayyub a.s.)

Recovered From the Dark Confines of Mythology

And Rehabilitated in the True Light of the Quran

PRELUDE

The Reality behind the frivolous details of awful improbable diseases, a protracted chain of inexplicable afflictions and misery, and in the face thereof, the exemplary patience and fortitude displayed by Ayyub a.s. (Prophet Job ).

According to traditional details derived from the Bibles, the Prophet Job had to undergo unaccountable misery and affliction due to the intervention of Lucifer in his life.  And thus he was reduced to a miserable living of poverty, hunger, diseases and unaccountable distress, in spite of his earlier position of affluence and power as head of a prominent tribe.  He is reported to have lost all relatives and servants, and was left fully incapacitated with only a wife to take care of him.  Different exegeses of the Quran have shown him to have been afflicted by a variety of physical disasters.  One of these caused him to suffer from sores all over his body, filled with puss, and due to continued secretions he was obliged to lie down in the open on a bed of sand or ashes.  His poor wife, being the only attendant, fanned his afflicted body to move flies and insects away from him.  She also labored in peoples’ homes to scratch a living for herself and her husband.  One of the interpreters went so far as to have him bitten by a venomous snake, following the lead from Bibles where the Devil is given the name of serpent.  After long years, when his patience came to its end, he called upon his Lord.  The Lord then came to his rescue and put an end to his painful trials.  A kick from his foot caused a spring to flow out of the ground.  The water from this source worked as a remedy for all his physical diseases and distress.  (The effects of snake bite that had afflicted him for years were also cured).  Then he was joined by his lost family and relatives, regained health, wealth and prominence.  He lived to be 140 years’ old and saw four next generations of his offspring.  During the miserable times, his lone faithful wife was forced by the Devil to say something disturbing to him.  Upon this, he vowed to punish her with 100 lashes when his ordeal ended.  But then God saved his wife from this cruel sentence by proposing to replace the lashes with a dried bunch of bush tied in a knot, and to be stricken only once.  Please check the available interpretations for this amazing episode of childish fantasy and mythical fabrications.

It is a strange and regrettable fact that no such imaginary fabrications are to be noted on the pages of the Quran, and these are obviously planted in its translations or interpretations by copying from the Bibles in a superfluous manner.  The sole purpose behind this imagery was to hide the revolutionary struggle of Prophet Job against the powerful tyrants of his time for the rehabilitation of human rights.

Hence, instead of mourning the level of intellect of our learned translators/interpreters, or the malicious agenda they were given to follow, let us try by ourselves to work out a most rational and authentic translation of the related Verses.  Let us try to present, with full authority, just as much as Quran has elucidated on this issue, without adding a single word from outer sources, so that the reality hidden behind the ancient myth can be fully brought to light. Hopefully this effort would culminate in a comprehensive exposition which would not need any further elaboration than the actual words of Quran.

Verse 21/83-84:

۲۱/۸۳ : وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَ‌بَّهُ أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ‌ وَأَنتَ أَرْ‌حَمُ الرَّ‌احِمِينَ ﴿٨٣﴾

21:83  “AND remember Ayyub, when he cried out to his Sus¬tainer, “O Lord I have fallen into great harm/hardship in the fulfillment of my mission but I believe in you as the best provider of mercy and protection.”

۲۱/۸۴ : فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ فَكَشَفْنَا مَا بِهِ مِن ضُرٍّ‌ ۖ وَآتَيْنَاهُ أَهْلَهُ وَمِثْلَهُم مَّعَهُمْ رَ‌حْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَذِكْرَ‌ىٰ لِلْعَابِدِينَ ﴿٨٤﴾

21:84  “Whereupon We responded unto him and removed all the difficulties/setbacks that he had sustained; and We made him join with his comrades and companions, and with many more of the same faith. It was a merciful provision for him from us, and a remembrance for our obedient servants”.

Verse 38/41-44:

۳۸/۴۱ : وَاذْكُرْ‌ عَبْدَنَا أَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَ‌بَّهُ أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الشَّيْطَانُ بِنُصْبٍ وَعَذَابٍ ﴿٤١﴾

38:41  “AND remember our servant Ayyub when he called unto his Sustainer, “Behold, the corrupt Rebellious one (الشَّيْطَانُ) has afflicted me with torture (عَذَابٍ) in a frenzy of enmity and confrontation (بنُصْبٍ)”.

۳۸/۴۲ : ارْ‌كُضْ بِرِ‌جْلِكَ ۖ هَـٰذَا مُغْتَسَلٌ بَارِ‌دٌ وَشَرَ‌ابٌ ﴿٤٢﴾

38:42  “We ordered him to take quick steps in moving away from that community. And suggested to him a station where opportunities were available for cleansing people’s hearts towards purity (مُغْتَسَلٌ), cooling of eyes (بَارِ‌دٌ) in the light of divine revelation and following a righteous mode of conduct (شَرَ‌ابٌ)”.

۳۸/۴۳ : وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ أَهْلَهُ وَمِثْلَهُم مَّعَهُمْ رَ‌حْمَةً مِّنَّا وَذِكْرَ‌ىٰ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ ﴿٤٣﴾

38:43  “And there We bestowed him with his old ideological companions and many more having the same faith. It was our special favor for him; similarly, therein was a remembrance for all those with wisdom and intellect”.

۳۸/۴۴ : وَخُذْ بِيَدِكَ ضِغْثًا فَاضْرِ‌ب بِّهِ وَلَا تَحْنَثْ ۗ إِنَّا وَجَدْنَاهُ صَابِرً‌ا ۚ نِّعْمَ الْعَبْدُ ۖ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ ﴿٤٤﴾

38:44  “Then we ordered him to consolidate his power (ضِغْثًا) by exercising his energy and talents (بِيَدِكَ); and then to set out (َاضْرِ‌ب) for spreading his revolutionary message in such a way as not violating a treaty, oath, covenant or principle (وَلَا تَحْنَثْ ). Indeed we found him steadfast in his mission. He was an excellent servant of ours; He would always turn unto Us in times of need”.

Dear friends, that’s all there is to it.  Prophet Ayyub’s short episode does not suggest personal, physical or financial problems of a Divine Envoy, as the case goes with the scriptural biographies of all other holy men.  They come to reform the societies by confronting the tyrants of the time, and thus to establish precedents for the coming generations of humans to follow.  And the Scriptures only give hints towards their revolutionary struggles, aimed at freeing the common humans from servile bonds and exploitation, inflicted upon the majority of them by a minority of powerful ruling classes.

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Aurangzaib Yousufzai – July 2017

Thematic Quranic Translation Series Installment 9

(In English Language)

Chapter 106 – “Quraish”

Treacherous Conversion of a Meaningful Word
into the Name of a Royal Tribe

The Treachery Exposed in the True Light of the Quran

Prelude

Here is another installment in the series of Thematic Translations from the Quran which aim at exposing the havoc played with the Quranic exegesis and renditions under the direct orders and auspices of the Arab Royalty of the House of Umayyads.  This exposure is presented through a fresh translation process, under pure rational and academic criteria.  This process deals with particular Quranic topics, segment by segment, in a gradual and comprehensive way.

It goes without saying that the genuine Quranic doctrine could not have matched with the evil designs of the earliest usurpers of Islam’s Pious Caliphate.  Its benevolent, welfare-based rule was done away with in 40 AH.  The usurpers were the same old capitalist rulers of the region who were the arch enemies of the Holy Messenger.  It was those from whose clutches the Messenger of God had freed the downtrodden masses and eradicated the persistent exploitation, bloodshed and widespread trade of slavery. The moment these enemies succeeded in their treacherous tactics and came back to power, their first priority was to corrupt and deface the Islamic socialist ideology which had caused their defeat, and had forced them to submit to the majority of poor masses who had been raised to the position of power and authority over their old tyrannical masters.

The Chapter Qurayish was also made a target of misrepresentation.  It was wishfully made to refer to the tribe of Qurayish, which it did not.  Any reference to a tribe in this Chapter makes its thesis grossly meaningless and inconsistent, as you can readily discern from some of the inherited translations.  Nevertheless, the Umayyad despots were the most prominent branch of Qurayish and they needed self-aggrandizement by a particular mention of their tribe in the Quran.  So, to that end, they did not care about creating ambiguity and confusion in its rendering.

Let us have a round of different, totally ambiguous, traditional translations which stand inspired by their great scam.

Chapter 106 – Qurayish

Examples from prevalent traditional translations:-

لِإِيلَافِ قُرَ‌يْشٍ ﴿١﴾ إِيلَافِهِمْ رِ‌حْلَةَ الشِّتَاءِ وَالصَّيْفِ ﴿٢﴾ فَلْيَعْبُدُوا رَ‌بَّ هَـٰذَا الْبَيْتِ ﴿٣﴾ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن جُوعٍ وَآمَنَهُم مِّنْ خَوْفٍ ﴿٤﴾

ASAD: “SO THAT the Quraysh might remain secure, secure in their winter and summer journeys, Let them, therefore, worship the Sustainer of this Temple; who has given them food against hunger, and made them safe from danger.”

ARBERRY: “For the composing of Koraish, their composing for the winter and summer caravan! So let them serve the Lord of this House who has fed them against hunger and secured them from fear.”

YUSUF ALI: “For the covenants (of security and safeguard enjoyed) by the Quraish, Their covenants (covering) journeys by winter and summer,- Let them adore the Lord of this House, Who provides them with food against hunger, and with security against fear (of danger).

SHAKIR: “For the protection of the Quraish--Their protection during their trading caravans in the winter and the summer--So let them serve the Lord of this House Who feeds them against hunger and gives them security against fear.”

You will kindly agree, that after employing your best qualities of heart and mind over these translations, no aim, target, purpose or insight of these Verses can be identified in the perspective of revolutionary movement of Mohammad pbuh.  Even the text contained in these three lines is ambiguous and inconsistent, leading to nowhere.  No mention of any “trade caravan” can be located in the text under research.  “Rehla-tash-shitaa was-sayif” simply means passage of seasons symbolizing “passage of time."   There was no temple or house or worship.

Therefore, this humble writer declares, with full authenticity, that the above translations, along with all other traditional or inherited translations of this Chapter, are nothing except a grave contempt of logic, rationality and intellect.  Still, if any of my respected readers can present another consistent and meaningful concept coming out of the above traditional presentations, he may kindly help and guide us to a logical scenario.

AND NOW, a translation based on latest research is submitted to offer a simple and straightforward as well as fully consistent understanding.

۱۰۶/۱: لِإِيلَافِ قُرَ‌يْشٍ – Verse: 104/1

For the sake of assimilating, mutually familiarizing, organizing (لِإِيلَافِ ) the “people gathered from far and wide busy fighting each other” (قُرَ‌يْشٍ ),

۱۰۶/۲: إِيلَافِهِمْ رِ‌حْلَةَ الشِّتَاءِ وَالصَّيْفِ- Verse: 104/2

AND, for keeping them tied in the bonds of love, friendship and harmony (إِيلَافِهِمْ ) with the passage of time –(passing of hot and cold seasons) – (رِ‌حْلَةَ الشِّتَاءِ وَالصَّيْفِ ),,,

۱۰۶/۳: فَلْيَعْبُدُوا رَ‌بَّ هَـٰذَا الْبَيْتِ- Verse 104/3

,,,,it is of utmost importance that they submit themselves in obedience to the Lord of this Center of Command,,,,
۱۰۶/۴: الَّذِي أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن جُوعٍ وَآمَنَهُم مِّنْ خَوْفٍ ﴿٤﴾ - Verse 104/4

And it should be made clear to them that this is the Authority That has been providing them with sustenance (أَطْعَمَهُم) in hunger and want (جُوعٍ ), and peace (آمَنَهُم) in fear and apprehensions (خَوْفٍ).

Authentic meanings of key words in Parenthesis:

قرش؛ Qarash

: To gather/collect people scattered here and there, fighting each other and to organize, merge together, familiarize them; (Lisan ul-Arab, page 3585)

Alif-Lam-Fa = he kept or clave to it, he frequented it, resorted to it habitually, he became familiar with it or accustomed/habituated, became sociable/companionable/friendly with him, liked/approved/amicable, protect/safeguard, covenant/obligation involving responsibility for safety. to unite or bring together, state of union/alliance/agreement, to cause union or companionship, to collect/connect/join/conjoin. Become a thousand. A certain rounded number that is well known.
iilaaf: Unity; Compact; Alliance; Covenant for the purpose of trade; Obligation involving responsibility for safety and protection; Attachment.

Alaf: Thousand.

Ra-Ha-Lam = to depart, saddle-bag, he saddled the camel, he bound upon the camel, to mount, rode, pack, caravan, remove/travel/journey.

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Aurangzaib Yousufzai – June 2017

Thematic Quranic Translation Series Installment 8 

(In English Language)

The Crucial Themes of SOUM (Fasting) 

& Hajj (Pilgrimage)

Explained in the True Light of the Quran

PRELUDE

This piece of work takes due cognizance of the fact that the holy text of the QURAN qualifies as a masterpiece of unparalleled classical Arabic prose.  That’s a fact invariably attested by eminent scholars of Arabic language and literature over the past centuries, and stands as an attribute worthy of the Universal Majesty of its Divine Narrator.  Yet, very few have been able to reveal the mystery that a devastating corruption initiative was unleashed by Umayyad despots against the Quran immediately after they had usurped the Pious Caliphate in Hejirah year of 35.  This silent and sordid operation was carried out by preparing superfluous, false and fictitious Interpretations, which were to render the Quranic doctrine devoid of any logical and scholarly value or validity for the next 1400 years.

This series of research work, therefore, keeps in strict observance the historical manipulation of the Quranic texts by enemies on the one hand, and, on the other, pays due attention to the frequent presence of allegories, similes, metaphors, idioms and symbolic expressions in its narratives – a style that a classical writing essentially embodies.  Each installment of this series deals exclusively with a single major topic from the Scripture, and its related sub-topics, if any.  This paper, however, discusses two crucial topics, just because many of the related Verses deal with both of these topics simultaneously.  The purpose is to offer direct, short, and to-the-point solutions of numerous ideological riddles confronting a seeker of Truth, which hitherto have continued intriguing the minds, in spite of an easy excess to bulky volumes of relative explanations bearing the names of ‘Tafaseer,' exegeses or Interpretations.  This chosen modus operandi serves not only to reduce the volume of translation work substantially, but also to eliminate the occurrence of lengthy repetitions effectively.

The standard procedure adopted for this venture introduces a most efficient and flawless system of producing a strict and exact translation work.  This system ensures that the final outcome is not in any measure infiltrated or adulterated with a single word from external sources, such as personal opinions, convictions, dogmas or the translator’s own understanding reflecting his own particular mindset.  The standard yardstick of this system has been fixed upon knowledge, rationality, logic and intellect, and the latest research techniques, with a view to keeping it pure and free from all additions, interpolations, redactions and biases.

The hitherto prevalent literal translations of these themes are vehemently condemned, having been grossly interpolated.  It is the corrupt legacy of our inglorious past where the Quranic doctrine was grossly misconstrued and misrepresented to serve the tyranny and debauchery of Arab despots.  It is recommended to reject and discard those purposeful and vicious fabrications in view of their proven role in corrupting the original and pristine image of the Quran.

It goes without saying that the pursuit of the Quran’s prescribed mode of conduct, if presented once again in its true light, stands as the best medium of guidance the human caravan needs to march without hindrance towards its exalted destination of peace and glory.

Let us then, after this short expression of the related background, have a glance on the most up to date academic and rational research on our themes under discussion.

Verses 2:183 to 2:202 (From Chapter al-Baqarah)

Though our translation work takes a start from Verse 2:183, still it is of utmost importance to refer to the context as an essential priority.  Quranic narrations are fully integrated, coherent and consistent.  Hence a quick glance over the context would remove any possible obstacles from the way of an easy and comprehensive grasp of the themes under research.

The continuing theme here is that of the mandatory duty of preparing a will (Verse 180), and of prohibition to change the will by a malicious interest of depriving the rightful heirs (Verse 181); of undoing any injustice if done in the will by the one leaving the will behind; then there’s the injunction of ‘Qasaas’, the just retribution (Verse 179); of the consideration of remission and restitution in the course of ‘Qasaas’; to keep away from transgression and excesses; of the clarification that it is not the path of virtue and generosity to turn towards East or West (Verse 177), but to believe in God’s existence, in the Hereafter, in the Books and Holy Messengers, and to spend your wealth for the needy was the right path to virtue and evolution; and the theme here is that of Salaat, Zakaat, fulfillment of your covenants and showing of fortitude.  On the whole, the entire former text is based on the commandments and education relating to human conduct in the society.

Now dear friends, reverting back to Verse 2:183, do not think that a sudden track change has taken place where a new and radically irrelevant theme is abruptly inserted herein that leads you to a worship ritual of remaining hungry by imposing the self-torture of fasting.  Certainly the upcoming theme, too, is that of training in moral values in a particular condition of a society.  After all the Quran, by its own writing, enjoys the status of a Timeless Mode of Conduct (“Hudan” -2:2).  It goes without saying that without a team of honest men, no ideology, divine or man-made, can be applied practically onto a society with success.  Abstention from eating and drinking and the mandatory self-torture is not known to ever have succeeded in creating a virtuous or pious society leading to welfare and prosperity of the masses.  This kind of rituals of worship rather turns a man into a dull and inoperative machine, by squeezing out his energy and potential.  Inflicted with thirst, weakness and fatigue, he is rendered workless, and can only wait for the time to break his fast.

Let us now start with Verse 2:183:-

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ ﴿١٨٣﴾

“O YOU who have attained to faith & peace! Training in abstention/restraint from evil practices (Al-Siyaam) is ordained for you as it was ordained for those before you, so that you might remain conscious of God:”

أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَاتٍ ۚ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِ‌يضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ‌ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ‌ ۚ وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ ۖ فَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرً‌ا فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ‌ لَّهُ ۚ وَأَن تَصُومُوا خَيْرٌ‌ لَّكُمْ ۖ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿١٨٤﴾

Verse 2:184: “As these are days of preparations (معْدُودَاتٍ - readiness, preparedness) for your great mission, those of you who still are weak and doubtful about their convictions (مَّرِ‌يضًا), or are still midway in the journey of truth seeking (عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ‌), they may postpone their preparations till another time. And for those who might face other difficulties in getting ready, they may, as a compensation/alternative thereof (فدْيَةٌ), fulfil the needs of a helpless one (طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ ). Whoever would volunteer (تَطَوَّعَ) for good deeds that would go a long way for his own good. And if you keep yourself restrained from wrong (تَصُومُوا), it is the best way for you if you have already become aware of such conduct.”

شَهْرُ‌ رَ‌مَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْ‌آنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَىٰ وَالْفُرْ‌قَانِ ۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ‌ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِ‌يضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ‌ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ‌ ۗ يُرِ‌يدُ اللَّـهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ‌ وَلَا يُرِ‌يدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ‌ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُ‌وا اللَّـهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُ‌ونَ ﴿١٨٥﴾

Verse 2:185: “It was the prevalent deplorable state (شَهْرُ ) of burning violence and tyranny (رَ‌مَضَانَ ) in which the Qur'an was bestowed as a “timeless mode of conduct” (هُدًى) unto man and a self-evident proof of that guidance, and as the standard by which to discern the true from the false (الْفُرْ‌قَانِ). Hence, whoever of you faced this situation, he must abstain from being a part of it (فَلْيَصُمْهُ). And it is again emphasized that those who still suffer from weakness or doubt about their convictions, or are midway in the journey of seeking, may postpone their involvement in this movement to a later time. It is because God wills that you may have ease and abundance (الْيُسْرَ‌), and does not will you to suffer hardship and want (الْعُسْرَ); but He desires that you must accomplish your preparedness any way so that you extol God’s glory the way He has guided you to do; and He desires that your efforts may bear fruit

(تَشْكُرُ‌ونَ);”وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِ‌يبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْ‌شُدُونَ ﴿١٨٦﴾

Verse 2:186: “and that when My subjects may ask thee about Me, you can assert that I am near; and I do respond to the caller when he calls unto Me: let them, then, respond unto Me, and believe in Me, so that they might follow the right way.”

أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّ‌فَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَائِكُمْ ۚ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ ۗ عَلِمَ اللَّـهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنكُمْ ۖ فَالْآنَ بَاشِرُ‌وهُنَّ وَابْتَغُوا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ ۚ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَ‌بُوا حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ‌ ۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ ۚ وَلَا تُبَاشِرُ‌وهُنَّ وَأَنتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ ۗ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّـهِ فَلَا تَقْرَ‌بُوهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّـهُ آيَاتِهِ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ ﴿١٨٧﴾

Verse 2:187: “During the dark period of non-restraint ( لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ ), it was made lawful for you to make your weaker segments (Nissa’i-kum ) a target of insult and abuse (al-Rafath- الرَّ‌فَثُ), although they are as essential for you (Libaasul-la-kum) in your society as you are for them. God is aware that you have been usurping your people’s rights (تَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ). He has however turned unto you in His mercy and has forgiven you. Now, then, you may keep in close touch with them (بَاشِرُ‌وهُنَّ), and charge them (ابْتَغُوا) for only as much as God has ordained fair for you (مَا كَتَبَ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ ). And acquire knowledge (وَكُلُوا) and reform your conduct (وَاشْرَ‌بُوا) enabling you to discern the right from the wrong (الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ) in the light of Quran (مِنَ الْفَجْرِ); And spread the spirit of abstention and restraint (أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ) across the darkness of tyranny and exploitation (إِلَى اللَّيْلِ ). When you are still in the stage of deliberations in respect of divine commandments and formulation of subsequent rules and regulations thereof (عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ ), avoid spreading any glad tidings among your people (وَلَا تُبَاشِرُ‌وهُنَّ). These are the limitations/parameters set by God for you. Do not offend against them. It is thus that God makes clear His instructions unto mankind so that they all become conscious of Him”.

وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَكُم بَيْنَكُم بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتُدْلُوا بِهَا إِلَى الْحُكَّامِ لِتَأْكُلُوا فَرِ‌يقًا مِّنْ أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ بِالْإِثْمِ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿١٨٨﴾

Verse 2:188: “And (it is repeated that you) GRAB NOT one another's possessions wrongfully, and neither get access up to the local authorities in this behalf with a view to acquiring a part of people’s property in a criminal manner, fully knowing that you are committing a transgression.”

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ ۖ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ ۗ وَلَيْسَ الْبِرُّ‌ بِأَن تَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِن ظُهُورِ‌هَا وَلَـٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ‌ مَنِ اتَّقَىٰ ۗ وَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِنْ أَبْوَابِهَا ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿١٨٩﴾

Verse 2:189: “THEY WILL ASK thee about the possibility of open and loud dissemination of the Divine Discipline (الْأَهِلَّةِ). Tell them that the time has come when people are openly gathered together for their spiritual advancement (مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ) and for securing their intended faith (الْحَجِّ ). It is not the pious way to convey your teachings to society’s elite class through back doors, or in a clandestine way. The piety reflects itself in getting spiritually stronger first, and then presenting your message to the elite class from the front doors, namely, through open proclamations. The way to attain success is to keep the divine guidance always in view.”

ح جج= Haa-Jiim-Jiim = to intend to a certain target, aim at, repair, undertake, repaired/betook himself to or towards a person / place / object of veneration/respect/honour, went/visit frequently/repeatedly, pilgrimage.

Overcome another by/in argument/evidences/proofs/testimonies, plead, contend/argue/dispute.
Refrain/abstain.

وَقَاتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ وَلَا تَعْتَدُوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ ﴿١٩٠﴾

Verse 2:190: “AND FIGHT in God's cause against only those who wage war against you, but do not commit aggression - for, verily, God does not love aggressors.”

وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ ثَقِفْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَخْرِ‌جُوهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ أَخْرَ‌جُوكُمْ ۚ وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ ۚ وَلَا تُقَاتِلُوهُمْ عِندَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَ‌امِ حَتَّىٰ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِيهِ ۖ فَإِن قَاتَلُوكُمْ فَاقْتُلُوهُمْ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ جَزَاءُ الْكَافِرِ‌ينَ ﴿١٩١﴾

Verse 2:191: “And fight the aggressors wherever you may come upon them, and drive them away from wherever they drove you away - for oppression is even worse than killing. And fight not against them as long as the restrictive commands/conditions are applicable until they come down to a violation thereof and start fighting. Then if they fight against you, you also retaliate. Such shall be the recompense of those who deny the truth.”

فَإِنِ انتَهَوْا فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ غَفُورٌ‌ رَّ‌حِيمٌ ﴿١٩٢﴾

Verse 2:192: “But if they desist - behold, God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.”

وَقَاتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّىٰ لَا تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ لِلَّـهِ ۖ فَإِنِ انتَهَوْا فَلَا عُدْوَانَ إِلَّا عَلَى الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿١٩٣﴾

Verse 2:193: “Hence, fight against them until there is no more oppression and the divine discipline is enforced. But if they desist, then all hostility shall cease, save against those who wilfully do wrong.”

الشَّهْرُ‌ الْحَرَ‌امُ بِالشَّهْرِ‌ الْحَرَ‌امِ وَالْحُرُ‌مَاتُ قِصَاصٌ ۚ فَمَنِ اعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاعْتَدُوا عَلَيْهِ بِمِثْلِ مَا اعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّـهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿١٩٤﴾

Verse 2:194: “In case prohibitive conditions (الشَّهْرُ‌ الْحَرَ‌امُ) are imposed upon you by the enemy, you can also retaliate with similar prohibitive conditions (بِالشَّهْرِ‌ الْحَرَ‌امِ ); and it is understood that any violation(الْحُرُ‌مَاتُ ) thereof results in just retribution (قِصَاصٌ ). Thus, if anyone commits aggression against you, you transgress against him just in the same measure as he has done against you – but, in these acts, remain always conscious of God, and know that God is with those who remain conscious of Him.”

وَأَنفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ وَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ ۛ وَأَحْسِنُوا ۛ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿١٩٥﴾

Verse 2:195: “And spend freely in God's cause, and let not your own hands throw you into destruction; and persevere in doing good: behold, God loves the righteous ones”.

وَأَتِمُّوا الْحَجَّ وَالْعُمْرَ‌ةَ لِلَّـهِ ۚ فَإِنْ أُحْصِرْ‌تُمْ فَمَا اسْتَيْسَرَ‌ مِنَ الْهَدْيِ ۖ وَلَا تَحْلِقُوا رُ‌ءُوسَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ الْهَدْيُ مَحِلَّهُ ۚ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِ‌يضًا أَوْ بِهِ أَذًى مِّن رَّ‌أْسِهِ فَفِدْيَةٌ مِّن صِيَامٍ أَوْ صَدَقَةٍ أَوْ نُسُكٍ ۚ فَإِذَا أَمِنتُمْ فَمَن تَمَتَّعَ بِالْعُمْرَ‌ةِ إِلَى الْحَجِّ فَمَا اسْتَيْسَرَ‌ مِنَ الْهَدْيِ ۚ فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ فِي الْحَجِّ وَسَبْعَةٍ إِذَا رَ‌جَعْتُمْ ۗ تِلْكَ عَشَرَ‌ةٌ كَامِلَةٌ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن لَّمْ يَكُنْ أَهْلُهُ حَاضِرِ‌ي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَ‌امِ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّـهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ ﴿١٩٦﴾

Verse 2:196: “AND secure fully your intended target of faith (الْحَجَّ ) and then remodel your living (وَالْعُمْرَ‌ةَ ) for the sake of God (لِلَّـهِ ). But if you are surrounded by hostile circumstances, then follow that part of the guidance which may deem easier to you. And do not encircle or approach (تَحْلِقُوا) your chieftains (رُ‌ءُوسَكُمْ ) until the principles of guidance (الْهَدْيُ ) have reached (يَبْلُغَ ) their target and have become well established (مَحِلَّهُ ). In spite of that, if one of you suffers from deficiency in knowledge, or is put in a difficult/painful state by his local chief/commander/authority, then he must either compensate for it (فَفِدْيَةٌ) by educating himself in the discipline of self-restraint (مِّن صِيَامٍ), or try to prove his righteousness (صَدَقَةٍ), or work more for his inner purification (نُسُكٍ). And then, when things settle down, those who have been blessed with a pious living (بِالْعُمْرَ‌ةِ ), and have achieved their target of faith in God (إِلَى الْحَجِّ), they must abide by what has become easy and available for them from the precious rules of guidance. As for those to whom such has not become easy yet, they must undergo three rounds of training in self restraint (فَصِيَامُ) in the course of their intended target of faith (فِي الْحَجِّ ) As for those who have abandoned or turned back from this mission altogether, it will be necessary to undergo many rounds of training (وَسَبْعَةٍ إِذَا رَ‌جَعْتُمْ ). This is how a perfect divine community if formed (تِلْكَ عَشَرَ‌ةٌ كَامِلَةٌ). This particular course of action is prescribed for those groups of people who are still not qualified or competent (لَّمْ يَكُنْ أَهْلُهُ) to submit to the respected commandments/laws/regulations, or to remain in obedience to them (حَاضِرِ‌ي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَ‌امِ ). Nevertheless you all must collectively remain conscious of God and be constantly aware that Allah is severe in retribution.”

= Ayn-Miim-Ra عمر؛ = to inhabit, dwell, mend, repair/revive, tend, build, promote, cultivate, make habitable, to make better, to develop, populate, to serve/uphold/observe/regard, to visit, to colonize, aimed at it, frequently visit, a visit in which is the cultivation of love/affection, repairing to an inhabited place; perform a sacred visitation, minor pilgrimmage, pilgrimmage with fewer rites; to remain alive (save life), to live, life, age, long-life, old-age.

الْحَجُّ أَشْهُرٌ‌ مَّعْلُومَاتٌ ۚ فَمَن فَرَ‌ضَ فِيهِنَّ الْحَجَّ فَلَا رَ‌فَثَ وَلَا فُسُوقَ وَلَا جِدَالَ فِي الْحَجِّ ۗ وَمَا تَفْعَلُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ‌ يَعْلَمْهُ اللَّـهُ ۗ وَتَزَوَّدُوا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ‌ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَىٰ ۚ وَاتَّقُونِ يَا أُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ ﴿١٩٧﴾

Verse 2:197: “It is widely known (أَشْهُرٌ‌ مَّعْلُومَاتٌ ) how to reach the intended target of faith (الْحَجُّ ). Thus, whoever undertakes to reach the intended target through debate according to this known procedure (فَمَن فَرَ‌ضَ فِيهِنَّ الْحَجَّ), he will not resort to contemptuous language (رَ‌فَثَ), to breaking the law and order (فُسُوقَ), to quarrel against one another (جِدَالَ). Whatever good behaviour you will display, Allah would definitely be aware of it. So, forge ahead, as the best way of evolution is the God consciousness. Hence, O you, who are endowed with insight, follow the way of God consciousness”.

لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَبْتَغُوا فَضْلًا مِّن رَّ‌بِّكُمْ ۚ فَإِذَا أَفَضْتُم مِّنْ عَرَ‌فَاتٍ فَاذْكُرُ‌وا اللَّـهَ عِندَ الْمَشْعَرِ‌ الْحَرَ‌امِ ۖ وَاذْكُرُ‌وهُ كَمَا هَدَاكُمْ وَإِن كُنتُم مِّن قَبْلِهِ لَمِنَ الضَّالِّينَ ﴿١٩٨﴾

Verse 2:198: “However, you will be committing no sin if, during this discourse, you seek to continue earning your livelihood. And when you acquire the stage of full awareness and are filled with (أَفَضْتُم) the knowledge of truth (عَرَ‌فَاتٍ), you must always keep in view the divine commandments when facing any prohibited rituals or conduct (عِندَ الْمَشْعَرِ‌ الْحَرَ‌امِ), and keep His attributes in mind the way He has commanded you to do, although earlier you indeed were going astray”.

ثُمَّ أَفِيضُوا مِنْ حَيْثُ أَفَاضَ النَّاسُ وَاسْتَغْفِرُ‌وا اللَّـهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ غَفُورٌ‌ رَّ‌حِيمٌ ﴿١٩٩﴾

Verse 2:199: “And spread your knowledge just as the multitudes of men are scattered all over; and seek protection from God. Indeed God is the Protector and the Dispenser of Grace.”

فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُم مَّنَاسِكَكُمْ فَاذْكُرُ‌وا اللَّـهَ كَذِكْرِ‌كُمْ آبَاءَكُمْ أَوْ أَشَدَّ ذِكْرً‌ا ۗ فَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ رَ‌بَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَمَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَ‌ةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ ﴿٢٠٠﴾

Verse 2:200: “And when you have performed the acts of your inner purification (مَّنَاسِكَكُمْ), keep always remembering God in your mind like your remembrance of your own great elders - nay, with a yet keener remembrance! And know that there are some who pray, "O our Sustainer! Do reward us is in this world (with the worldly luxuries)" - and such shall not partake in the blessings of the life to come."

وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ رَ‌بَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَ‌ةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ‌ ﴿٢٠١﴾ أُولَـٰئِكَ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا كَسَبُوا ۚ وَاللَّـهُ سَرِ‌يعُ الْحِسَابِ ﴿٢٠٢﴾

Verse 2:201: “And there are among them such as pray, "O our Sustainer! Grant us good in this world and good in the life to come, and keep us safe from suffering through the fire of remorse": it is these for whom there is a fortune in return for what they have earned. And God is swift in reckoning.”

A supplement on the theme of Hajj:

What does the Quranic Term
“al-Hajj Al-Akbar” mean???

ANSWER:

You have asked about a well-known term “al-Hajj al-Akbar” which is generally taken as the “Bigger Hajj” or “a more Virtuous Hajj."  We are given to understand by the Muslim clergy that whenever a pilgrimage falls on a Friday by any chance, it is to be conceived as one bestowing a higher degree of blessings and grace.  Thus it is an al-Hajj al-Akbar.

As I understand, what actually intrigues your mind at this juncture is that if Hajj is not a pilgrimage, but “reaching an intended target thru debate," then why is the term “Bigger Hajj” used in the Quran.

Your confusion is not unfounded.  It is the gift from fake translations we have inherited from the Great Arab Scam.  You still are hesitant about the new, research-based, fully academic and rational definition of Hajj, and the inherited dogmas keep you shy of acknowledging its undeniable veracity.  This question also stems from you and your friends’ still lingering doubts.  My duty, however, is not to criticize, but to give a satisfying answer.  I’ll try to fulfill this duty in a most satisfactory manner.

Please bear in mind that the structure of this term consists of three words in sequence :- “Youm---- al-Hajj---- al-Akbar” – usually known as “the day of the Bigger Hajj."

Please note that it is not the correct translation of this compound.  The correct Translation goes like this :-

“the Great Occasion (the Youm al-Akbar) of achieving the intended target of faith (Al-Hajj)”, OR,
“the Occasion of a massive conversion to the intended target of faith."

I hope you understand. It is “the Great Day or Occasion” (youm al-Akbar), not the “Greater al-Hajj."  Or, it is a massive al-Hajj, meaning a collective or massive conversion to the faith.  Hajj is only Hajj, an intended target of faith.  It can’t be Bigger, Greater, or smaller or inferior, etc., in relation to one or the other particular day of the week.

The issue is raised in Verses 3 and 4 of the Chapter 9 (At-Tawbah), which is translated herein with full rationality and utmost authenticity from world famous lexicons.  This Verse has, as its context, the scenario of treaties made with polytheist powers of the time.

وَأَذَانٌ مِّنَ اللَّـهِ وَرَ‌سُولِهِ إِلَى النَّاسِ يَوْمَ الْحَجِّ الْأَكْبَرِ‌ أَنَّ اللَّـهَ بَرِ‌يءٌ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِ‌كِينَ ۙ وَرَ‌سُولُهُ ۚ فَإِن تُبْتُمْ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ‌ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَإِن تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ غَيْرُ‌ مُعْجِزِي اللَّـهِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ‌ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُ‌وا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ ﴿٣﴾ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ عَاهَدتُّم مِّنَ الْمُشْرِ‌كِينَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَنقُصُوكُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَمْ يُظَاهِرُ‌وا عَلَيْكُمْ أَحَدًا فَأَتِمُّوا إِلَيْهِمْ عَهْدَهُمْ إِلَىٰ مُدَّتِهِمْ ۚ

Verse 9:3-4: “It is proclaimed herewith on behalf of God and His Messenger unto the general public that on this Great day/occasion (الْأَكْبَرِ‌ يَوْمَ ) of a massive attainment of the intended target of faith (الْحَجِّ ), Allah and His Messenger are absolved from all moral and strategic obligations towards the polytheists. So, if you revert to the righteous way, it will result in peace and prosperity for you. But if you still back away from it, rest assured you cannot create annoyance for Allah. O Messenger, convey to the deniers of truth tidings of a painful torment, excluding only those polytheists whom you still have treaties with and who have never violated their terms and conditions; nor have one of them tried to overcome and conquer you. Therefore, you are bound to adhere with your commitments made with them till the deadline of the stipulated period is reached.”

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Aurangzaib Yousufzai – June 2017

Thematic Quranic Translation Series Installment 7 

(In English Language)

Consciousness, Death of the Physical Organism, 

Torture in the Graves and Resurrection

Explained in the True Light of the Quran

PRELUDE

Some questions are answered here in the light of Quranic injunctions which may lead to remove some of the prevalent misunderstood concepts about the themes shown in the title above.  These questions were raised during a debate between some Quranist friends some time ago and the writer was asked to answer in the form of a proper article to help future referencing in times of need.

Question:

Aren’t the following Verses clearly denying the concepts of Consciousness, Torture in the Graves and the Period of Interval between physical death and eventual Resurrection of Spiritual Self :-
Verses: 2/154-155; 16/20-21; 3/169-170; 22/58; 23/12-16 ???
( Also added here are Verses : 23/16 and 23/100.)

Answer:

You have advanced at least three separate questions to be answered, and those stand like this :-

1) Rebuttal of the concept of Consciousness
2) Rebuttal of the concept of Torture in the Graves
3) Rebuttal of the Interval between Death & Resurrection

1) CONSCIOUSNESS (2/154-55 & 16/20-21)

You are mistakenly treating the words “Yash’aroon” (یشعرون) or “Tash’aroon” (تشعرون) - used in purely verbal form in the Verses you have referred to - as the noun “Consciousness”. No Sir. This verb in its present context denotes the “act of perceiving or knowing or having some sense thereof”. Look at the Root meanings of this verbal form :-

= Shiin-Ayn-Ra = to know/perceive/understand, to acquaint, perceive by senses: make verses, remark, poetry, poet, verse, art of poetry, feeling,etc.

On the contrary, the noun “Consciousness” in its academic perspective bears much deeper meanings.  So much so that even the LIFE itself is the other name of Consciousness because Consciousness is the essence of all living things.  The entire field or science of Psychology deals with Consciousness, viz., man’s Conscious Self.

Here are those Verses, translated in a Rational manner to highlight the verbal use of the word “Sha’ara”:-

Verses 2/154-155:

لا تقولوا لمن یقتل فی سبیل اللہ اموات،، بل احیاء و لکن لا تشعرون ۔۔ و لنبلونکم بشیء من الخوف و الجوع و نقص من الاموال و الانفس و الثمرات۔۔ و بشر الصابرین ۔

“And say not of those who are slain in God's cause, "they are dead": nay, they are rather alive in a higher stage which you perceive not in your present stage of life.  And most certainly shall We continue giving you opportunities for your evolution to higher stages by passing you through fear, and hunger, and loss of worldly goods, of lives and of labor’s fruits.  So, do give glad tidings unto those who exercise patience in adversity.”

Verses 16/20-21:

و الذین یدعون من دون اللہ لا یخلقون شیئا و ھم یخلقون ۔ اموات غیر احیاء ۔ و ما یشعرون ایان یبعثون۔

“Those beings that some people invoke beside God cannot create anything, since they themselves are but created: they are dead, not living, and they can’t even perceive when they will be raised from the dead!”

As for the concept of Consciousness, we found nowhere in the referred Verses a clear or even distant and ambiguous suggestion leading to denial of this concept.  Wherever in these Verses you come across glad tidings of a future New Life, it always means a life of pure Consciousness which is neither a material nor visible form of life.  It is because the physical death is imminent, and physical life has no point to return once again as it is governed by the Laws of Nature.  And Consciousness is not material or physical and can’t be perceived with the naked eye.  If the physical form of life returns in the same old stead, in the same physical stage of creation, it can’t be called a new and more evolved life form.  At the same time, in the process of nature, almost certainly, no reverse gear can be applied.  Time is linear, not circular.  So it doesn’t recur or come back.  Only a journey towards more and more advancement with a higher form of life than the present, and evolution to higher degrees of Consciousness is envisaged.  Check the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, which proclaims that nature’s processes proceed in only one direction, and can’t be reversed.  The entire process of Creation practically confirms the same underlying course of action or purpose.  In the Quran it is called “Siraatum Mustaqeemun” – a stable, straight and forward looking Path. The next higher, and perhaps the last and the ultimate stage, is the stage of purely conscious or spiritual life which has appropriately been given the name of “the Hereafter” in the Quran; and for which preparations continue to be made during the present physical+semi spiritual stage of life.  For that phenomenon, substantial undeniable and highly manifest signs keep constantly appearing before us.

It is not known how you conceived the idea of rebuttal of Consciousness.  From the genesis till our present times, whatever has emerged, developed and has appeared before us through the successive acts of creation, always reflects the presence of Consciousness.  Its level and its values have been getting higher and higher with the creation of every new stage of life.  Eventually, at the human stage of creation, this conscious level has reached its hitherto highest level.  It means that it has reached the level of “Self-Consciousness," which is a level that no creation before us has been blessed with.  It means that in every stage of creation, consciousness has successively been developing from its lower values to higher ones and finally, in the human form of life, it reached the highest stage yet of Self-Consciousness or Self-Awareness.  And it is worth mentioning here that “self-awareness” is in reality the stage of awareness by a creation of its Creator.

Those who have some knowledge of Sufis’ lives also are likely to know the fact that every Sufi seeking to know the Creator immerses himself into the depths of his own inner self.  He knows that Creator’s attributes are the great inheritance of a creation, and these attributes are transmitted into its inner self before it is created or takes birth.  It is worthwhile to mention here that every creator, whoever he might be, in fact craves for the manifestation of his own unique qualities and potentialities, and he fulfils this desire through the act of creation.

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2) THE THEORY OF TORTURE IN THE GRAVES

There definitely is the rebuttal of the concept of “Torture in the Graves” in the Quran, as in the entire length of the Quran, no mention of it can be found.  There’s the mention of physical death, then disposal of the body, and then, at some undetermined point in time, the resurrection of man’s immortal Conscious Self, free from its previous material entity, called the Life of the Hereafter.  That is what is usually called the Spiritual Life.  In this entire process or system, no punitive action of this kind of retribution is conceivable in the graves, in view of the obvious reality that many other modes and means, apart from burial, are also practiced, through which human bodies are entrusted back to the nature for a useful disposal.

Here is the most relevant Verse, rationally translated :-

Verse 23/16:

ثُمَّ إِنَّكُم بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ لَمَيِّتُونَ ﴿١٥﴾ ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ تُبْعَثُونَ ﴿١٦﴾

“And then, behold! after all this, you are destined to die; and then, behold! you shall be raised from the dead on the day the last Stage of creation is established/launched.”

3) THE GRAND INTERVAL CALLED “BARZAKH”

As for the Interval called "Barzakh” in the Quran, in the common sense it is that period which accrues between the physical death of the organism, where man’s inner conscious self goes to a deep hibernation, and its re-awakening in the form of resurrection in a future higher stage of Life.

This Interval is confirmed by Quranic injunctions, and there’s no authentic justification to reject this concept.  No one can know of this Interval as to the length of its duration, whereabouts of the human conscious self and its nature and station of safe custody, or whether it is going to be a total conscious black-out or not.  We can only speculate.  No flight of thought even at lightning speed would be able to afford a satisfactory answer in this respect.  The more you delve into its intellectual depths, the more complex questions may arise in your minds, with almost no tangible explanations.  Ultimately, a consensus will be reached, which man has already concluded through his knowledge and observations, that living at a lower conscious stage, no creation is capable of acquiring the knowledge and information about a stage much higher in conscious values than its own stage.

It is quite rational too for the reason that in our normal life, no school student can know about the education given in a College, or no college student can know about the higher education given in the universities.  It is identical to animals that, being in a lower stage, living with much lower conscious values, cannot comprehend the conditions and values of man’s higher stage of life.  On the other hand, man living in the most advanced stage of life or consciousness yet, is destined to know all about the four earlier stages of creation which function with much lower conscious values than what he possesses.

Here is the meaning of Barzakh, or the Interval between now and the upcoming stage of life called Hereafter:-

Ba-Ra-Zay-Kha = a thing that intervenes between two things, a bar/obstruction that makes a separation, the interval between the present and that which is to come, from the period of the death to the resurrection, what is between doubt and certainty.
barzakh n.m. 23:100, 25:53, 55:20

The most relevant Verse is translated hereunder :-

Verse 23/100:

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ ﴿٩٩﴾لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ ۚ كَلَّا ۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا ۖ وَمِن وَرَائِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ ﴿١٠٠﴾

“….until, when death approaches any of them, he prays: “O my Sustainer! Let me return, let me return [to life], so that I might act righteously in whatever I have failed !” Nay, it is indeed but a meaningless word that he utters: for behind those who leave the world there is a barrier until the Day when all will be raised from the dead!”

Here is a rational translation of the rest of the Verses you have referred to, hoping to clear the puzzles in a satisfactory manner.  By the way, what these Verses are trying to prove, in a clear way, is the certain existence of an upcoming higher stage of life – the promised existence of a Hereafter.

Verses 3/169-170:

و لا تحسبن الذین قتلوا فی سبیل اللہ امواتا۔ بل احیاء عند ربھم یرزقون۔۔۔

“But do not think of those that have been slain in God's cause as dead. Nay, they are alive! With their Sustainer they are provided with their means of sustenance/evolution…”

Verses 22/58-59:

و الذین ھاجروا فی سبیل اللہ ثم قتلوا او ماتوا لیرزقنھم اللہ رزقا حسنا ۔ و ان اللہ لھو خیر الرازقین ۔ ۔ لیدخلنھم مدخلا یرضونہ۔ و ان اللہ لعلیم حلیم،۔۔۔

“AND as for those who forsook the domain of evil in God’s cause, and then were slain or died - God will most certainly provide for them beautiful means of evolution for, verily, God - He alone - is the best of providers; [and] He will most certainly cause them to enter upon a state of being that shall please them well: for, verily, God is all-knowing, most forbearing.”

Verses 23/12-16:

و لقد خلقنا الانسان من سلالۃ من طین ۔ ۔ ثم جعلناہ نطفۃ فی قرار مکین ۔ ثم خلقنا النطفۃ علقۃ ، فخلقنا العلقۃ مضغۃ ، فخلقنا المضغۃ عظاما ، فکسونا العظام لحما ،ثم انشاناہ خلقا آخر ۔ فتبارک اللہ احسن الخالقین ۔ ثم انکم بعد ذلک لمیتون ۔ ثم انکم یوم القیامۃ تبعثون۔

“NOW, INDEED, We have created man out of the essential ingredients of clay, and subsequently caused him to remain as a drop of sperm in firm keeping, and then We created out of the drop of sperm a germ-cell, and then We created out of the germ-cell an embryonic lump, and then We created within the embryonic lump bones, and then We clothed the bones with flesh - and then at this point of completion of physical organism, We turned him into a new, different and higher kind of creation: hallowed, therefore, is God, the best of artisans! And then, behold! after all this, you are destined to die; and then, behold! you shall be raised from the dead when the last stage of creative plan is established (یوم القیامۃ ).”

Here, like some other places in Quran too, the process of human birth is detailed step by step. It can be expressed in many ways adhering with the divine wording and the latest discoveries in medical and anatomical sciences.

- - - - - -

Important words translated:-

Rizq (رزق): All resources and grants leading to man’s evolution and sustenance. This sustenance is material as well intellectual and educational; particularly bestowed by God.

Fi Sabeel-il-laah (فی سبیل اللہ): The way God’s plans and purposes are served; in the service of Divine cause; any act or process leading to that path.

Khalqan Aakhir (خلق آخر): A different kind of creation, different and higher from the physical or animal organism being discussed.

Youm al-Qiyamah (یوم القیامہ): That promised era or point in time when a pre-planned creative stage is established/launched, which is higher in conscious level from the current stage of life.

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Aurangzaib Yousufzai – June 2017

Thematic Quranic Translation Series Installment 6 

(In English Language)

Chapter ‘Abasa (80)

The Crime of Implicating Mohammad pbuh
for Callous Behavior

Re-presented in the True Light of the Quran

PRELUDE

As a common practice, every learned translator has assumed the sacred person of Mohammad pbuh as the addressee of the admonitions contained in this Chapter.  It goes without saying that this general tendency implicates the noble self of the Holy Messenger for not distinguishing the virtue from the vice, and for impolite responses to a poor seeker of knowledge.  Thus a grave insult and sacrilege is committed, purposefully or unintentionally. And then different kinds of hollow rhetoric are employed by different scholars to try to offset the adverse effects of this sacrilege.

It must be borne in mind at this juncture that the pronouns used in this Chapter are of third person, and second person, masculine, singular, perfect verb, which cannot be ascribed or attributed to the Holy Messenger, or any other particular person, because they are implicit subject pronouns; and in the entire length of this chapter the subject of these pronouns has not been named or brought forth.

Hence, this is a general address which is aimed towards all people of knowledge, particularly those scholars whose conduct towards teaching a seeker of knowledge is that of impolite callousness on grounds that the contender is a poor illiterate one.  It is those who would rather pay full attention towards one who deems himself a highly educated one, and may not be, to a substantial degree, attentive towards learning.  It is emphasized that dissemination of Quranic knowledge to every human being is an essential duty, irrespective of the high or low level of education or intellect the seeker may have.  To behave in this way in any degree would mean that the teaching scholar is not fully aware of the process and purpose of his creation, in spite of all the knowledge he may have acquired.

A fully qualified, honest and rational Translation of the Chapter under analysis is attempted, upon the insistence of close associates, for deliberation by Quranic scholars, as a milestone leading the way towards the ultimate destination of rediscovering the deeply buried ultimate reality of Quran.

For meeting this goal, it takes into account all prominent features of the classic style of the Quran’s narration, lays special emphasis on the text’s consistency and mutual coherence between its different objective targets, in the perspective of nature, society, human self and the Hereafter.

Let us start this most rational translation with the holy name of our Lord, the Almighty Who is the Guiding Light of the entire Universe and the Earth. This is going to tell us in all earnestness how serious it is with God to deny knowledge to some poor but needy one because of his lowly appearance, and to pay attention to the other one for just his haughty, confident looks.

Chapter ‘Abasa

عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ﴿١﴾ أَن جَاءَهُ الْأَعْمَىٰ ﴿٢﴾ وَمَا يُدْرِ‌يكَ لَعَلَّهُ يَزَّكَّىٰ ﴿٣﴾ أَوْ يَذَّكَّرُ‌ فَتَنفَعَهُ الذِّكْرَ‌ىٰ ﴿٤﴾ أَمَّا مَنِ اسْتَغْنَىٰ ﴿٥﴾ فَأَنتَ لَهُ تَصَدَّىٰ ﴿٦﴾ وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّىٰ ﴿٧﴾ وَأَمَّا مَن جَاءَكَ يَسْعَىٰ ﴿٨﴾ وَهُوَ يَخْشَىٰ ﴿٩﴾ فَأَنتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّىٰ ﴿١٠﴾ كَلَّا إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَ‌ةٌ ﴿١١﴾ فَمَن شَاءَ ذَكَرَ‌هُ ﴿١٢﴾ فِي صُحُفٍ مُّكَرَّ‌مَةٍ ﴿١٣﴾ مَّرْ‌فُوعَةٍ مُّطَهَّرَ‌ةٍ ﴿١٤﴾ بِأَيْدِي سَفَرَ‌ةٍ ﴿١٥﴾ كِرَ‌امٍ بَرَ‌رَ‌ةٍ ﴿١٦﴾ قُتِلَ الْإِنسَانُ مَا أَكْفَرَ‌هُ ﴿١٧﴾ مِنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ ﴿١٨﴾ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ خَلَقَهُ فَقَدَّرَ‌هُ ﴿١٩﴾ ثُمَّ السَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَ‌هُ ﴿٢٠﴾ ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُ فَأَقْبَرَ‌هُ ﴿٢١﴾ ثُمَّ إِذَا شَاءَ أَنشَرَ‌هُ ﴿٢٢﴾ كَلَّا لَمَّا يَقْضِ مَا أَمَرَ‌هُ ﴿٢٣﴾ فَلْيَنظُرِ‌ الْإِنسَانُ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِهِ ﴿٢٤﴾ أَنَّا صَبَبْنَا الْمَاءَ صَبًّا ﴿٢٥﴾ ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا الْأَرْ‌ضَ شَقًّا ﴿٢٦﴾ فَأَنبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبًّا ﴿٢٧﴾ وَعِنَبًا وَقَضْبًا ﴿٢٨﴾ وَزَيْتُونًا وَنَخْلًا ﴿٢٩﴾ وَحَدَائِقَ غُلْبًا ﴿٣٠﴾ وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا ﴿٣١﴾ مَّتَاعًا لَّكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَامِكُمْ ﴿٣٢﴾ فَإِذَا جَاءَتِ الصَّاخَّةُ ﴿٣٣﴾ يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ‌ الْمَرْ‌ءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ ﴿٣٤﴾ وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ ﴿٣٥﴾ وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَبَنِيهِ ﴿٣٦﴾ لِكُلِّ امْرِ‌ئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ ﴿٣٧﴾ وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُّسْفِرَ‌ةٌ ﴿٣٨﴾ ضَاحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَ‌ةٌ ﴿٣٩﴾ وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَ‌ةٌ ﴿٤٠﴾ تَرْ‌هَقُهَا قَتَرَ‌ةٌ ﴿٤١﴾ أُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَفَرَ‌ةُ الْفَجَرَ‌ةُ ﴿٤٢﴾
عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ﴿١﴾ أَن جَاءَهُ الْأَعْمَىٰ ﴿٢﴾

80:1-2  If SOMEONE is approached by one looking worthless and deprived of knowledge (الْأَعْمَىٰ ), would it be fair that he may frown and turn him away?

وَمَا يُدْرِ‌يكَ لَعَلَّهُ يَزَّكَّىٰ ﴿٣﴾ أَوْ يَذَّكَّرُ‌ فَتَنفَعَهُ الذِّكْرَ‌ىٰ ﴿٤﴾

80:3-4  How can you be made aware that this is not the right conduct as he may show enough mental maturity to acquire growth and progress; or may exert so much that this Guidance from Allah(الذِّكْرَ‌ىٰ) may eventually prove inspiring and profitable for him.

أَمَّا مَنِ اسْتَغْنَىٰ ﴿٥﴾ فَأَنتَ لَهُ تَصَدَّىٰ ﴿٦﴾:

80:5-6  Now as for the other one who might regard himself to be self-sufficient, and you pay full attention to his learning;

وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّىٰ ﴿٧﴾ :

80:7  And still he may not show mental progress, so how is this failure going to reflect upon your accountability?

وَأَمَّا مَن جَاءَكَ يَسْعَىٰ ﴿٨﴾ وَهُوَ يَخْشَىٰ ﴿٩﴾ فَأَنتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّىٰ ﴿١٠﴾

80:8-10  And, as for him who gained access unto thee and is eager to make efforts, and is in awe [of God], would you hold him in utter disregard!

كَلَّا إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَ‌ةٌ ﴿١١﴾ فَمَن شَاءَ ذَكَرَ‌هُ ﴿١٢﴾ :

80:11-12  NAY, VERILY, these teachings consist of general guidance and remembrance; so whoever is willing to do so may learn and keep in mind.

فِي صُحُفٍ مُّكَرَّ‌مَةٍ ﴿١٣﴾ مَّرْ‌فُوعَةٍ مُّطَهَّرَ‌ةٍ ﴿١٤﴾

80:13-14  These are preserved in sacred scrolls of dignity, loftiness and purity,

بِأَيْدِي سَفَرَ‌ةٍ ﴿١٥﴾ كِرَ‌امٍ بَرَ‌رَ‌ةٍ ﴿١٦﴾:

80:15-16  and are written by the hands of scroll writers noble and most virtuous.

قُتِلَ الْإِنسَانُ مَا أَكْفَرَ‌هُ ﴿١٧﴾

80:17  In fact man’s is often destroyed by his denial of the truth.

مِنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ ﴿١٨﴾ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ خَلَقَهُ فَقَدَّرَ‌هُ ﴿١٩﴾:

80:18-19  He must remember of what substance God has created him? Out of a drop of sperm He created him, and thereupon determined his nature and balance, ثُمَّ السَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَ‌هُ ﴿٢٠﴾ ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُ فَأَقْبَرَ‌هُ ﴿٢١﴾ ثُمَّ إِذَا شَاءَ أَنشَرَ‌هُ ﴿٢٢﴾

80:20-22  and then He made his way through life easily available to him; and in the end He caused him to die and brought him to the intermediate state in which the soul lives after death till the resurrection (أَقْبَرَ‌ه) ; and then, when He so willed, He shall raise him again to life.

Qaf-Ba-Ra = to bury (the dead). aqbara - to cause to be buried, have a grave day, have anyone buried. Grave, tomb, intermediate state in which the soul lives after death till the resurrection. maqabir - cemetery, place of burying.

كَلَّا لَمَّا يَقْضِ مَا أَمَرَ‌هُ ﴿٢٣﴾

80:23  Nay, but never think yet that man has achieved the destination fixed for him!

فَلْيَنظُرِ‌ الْإِنسَانُ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِهِ ﴿٢٤﴾

80:24  Hence, to reach that destination, man must concentrate upon his acquisition of knowledge and progress (طَعَامِهِ ); and think about

أَنَّا صَبَبْنَا الْمَاءَ صَبًّا ﴿٢٥﴾ ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا الْأَرْ‌ضَ شَقًّا ﴿٢٦﴾ فَأَنبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبًّا ﴿٢٧﴾ وَعِنَبًا وَقَضْبًا ﴿٢٨﴾ وَزَيْتُونًا وَنَخْلًا ﴿٢٩﴾ وَحَدَائِقَ غُلْبًا ﴿٣٠﴾ وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا ﴿٣١﴾ مَّتَاعًا لَّكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَامِكُمْ ﴿٣٢﴾

80:25-32  [how it is] that We poured down water abundantly; and then We cleaved the earth cleaving it asunder, and thereupon We caused grain to grow out of it, and vines and edible plants, and olive trees and date-palms, and gardens dense with foliage, and fruits and herbage, for you and for your animals to enjoy.

Nun-Ba-Tay = to gush or flow out, draw water, reach water by digging well. anbata - to bring a thing to light, deduce a thing. istanbata - to find out, elicit, elucidate. nabatun - internal state of a person.

فَإِذَا جَاءَتِ الصَّاخَّةُ ﴿٣٣﴾ يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ‌ الْمَرْ‌ءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ ﴿٣٤﴾ وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ ﴿٣٥﴾ وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَبَنِيهِ ﴿٣٦﴾ لِكُلِّ امْرِ‌ئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ

80:33-36  AND SO, when the piercing call is heard on a Day when everyone will [want to] flee from his brother, and from his mother and father, and from his spouse and his children: on that Day, to every one of them will his own state be of sufficient concern.

﴿٣٧﴾ وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُّسْفِرَ‌ةٌ ﴿٣٨﴾ ضَاحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَ‌ةٌ ﴿٣٩﴾ وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَ‌ةٌ ﴿٤٠﴾ تَرْ‌هَقُهَا قَتَرَ‌ةٌ ﴿٤١﴾ أُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَفَرَ‌ةُ الْفَجَرَ‌ةُ ﴿٤٢﴾

80:37-42  Some faces will on that Day be bright with happiness, laughing, rejoicing at glad tidings. And some faces will on that Day with dust be covered, with darkness overspread: these will be the ones who denied the truth and were immersed in iniquity!

.-.-.-.-.-.-

A Running Translation NOW:-

If SOMEONE is approached by one looking worthless and deprived of knowledge (الْأَعْمَىٰ ), would it be fair that he may frown and turn him away?

How can you be made aware that this is not the right conduct as the contender may show enough mental maturity to acquire growth and progress; or may exert so much that this Guidance from Allah (الذِّكْرَ‌ىٰ= The Quran) may eventually prove inspiring and profitable for him.

Now as for another one who might look haughty and self-sufficient, and you might pay full attention to his learning, and still he may not show mental progress; so how is this failure going to reflect upon your accountability?

And, as for him who gained access unto thee and is eager to make efforts, and is noted to be in awe [of God], would you hold him in utter disregard!

NAY. VERILY, these teachings consist of general guidance and remembrance; so whoever is willing to do so may learn and always keep them in observance. These are preserved in sacred scrolls bearing dignity, loftiness and purity, and are written by the hands of scroll writers noble and most virtuous.

In fact man is often destroyed by his denial of the truth. He must remember his humble origins as to what substance God has created him from? Out of a drop of sperm He created him, and thereupon determined his nature and balance; and then He made his way through life easy and available to him; and in the end He caused him to die and brought him into an intermediate state in which the soul lives after death till the resurrection; and then, when He so willed, He shall raise him again to life.

Nay, but never think yet that man has achieved the destination fixed for him! To reach that destination, man must concentrate upon his acquisition of knowledge and progress (طَعَامِهِ ); and observe and acknowledge how it is that We poured down water abundantly; and then We cleaved the earth cleaving it asunder, and thereupon We caused grain to grow out of it, and vines and edible plants, and olive trees and date-palms, and gardens dense with foliage, and fruits and herbage, for you and for your animals to enjoy. (all the laws of nature)

AND SO, when the piercing call is heard on a Day when everyone will [want to] flee from his brother, and from his mother and father, and from his spouse and his children: on that Day, to every one of them will his own state be of sufficient concern. Some faces will on that Day be bright with happiness, laughing, rejoicing at glad tidings. And some faces will on that Day with dust be covered, with darkness overspread: these will be the ones who denied the truth and were immersed in iniquity!

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Aurangzaib Yousufzai – June 2017

Thematic Quranic Translation Series Installment 5 

(In English Language)

Chapter Al-Feel (105)

Story of Invasion of Makkah by King Abraha –
With a Contingent of Elephants

Defined in the True Light of the Quran

PRELUDE

Chapter Al-Feel of Quran just cannot refer to an episode from the past, pre-Mohammadan history of Makkah or Arabia..... as we are invariably misled to believe in our inherited exegeses. It is by all accounts a narrative in purely present continuous tense, in exclamatory terms, assuring the Holy Messenger about the setbacks being suffered by his enemies in their antagonism of his divine mission. The sentences in a quite obvious present tense are presented like this :-

“Do you not witness how....(أَلَمْ تَرَ‌ كَيْفَ)”,,,,,,, and,
“Does He not make their follies/plannings go waste....( أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِي تَضْلِيلٍ )”!!!

Had it been a description of a past event of history, Quran would never use such a present form of address. To this humble writer’s best knowledge, no learned Quranist scholar has hitherto made the slightest effort to discover this obvious and readily veritable truth. On the contrary, all have followed blindly the same myth of “The People of the Elephants” which they had inherited from an inglorious past. However, every learned translator’s vocabulary and style of presentation may certainly be found slightly different from others. Some have also tried to become somewhat rational by doing away with the old theory of “stone-throwing birds”, and replacing it with Makkans throwing stones from mountain tops. Nevertheless, what does Quran in reality elucidate by this small Chapter,,,,,,,,,, we’re going to know, perhaps for the very first time, by the most rational, honest and academic translation that follows hereunder.

Acknowledging Quran’s sacred text as a proven masterpiece of Classical Arabic, a style most befitting the Exalted Being of its Narrator, this humble writer has initiated and introduced a project of purely thematic translations of this Book’s divergent guiding injunctions. To lay emphasis on only “Themes” serves the purpose of reducing the volume of each and every piece of work to the level of an easy and quick reading, and to throw light on just those misconstrued issues that become a target of ridicule in our day to day life. This type of classified work also saves this writer from a formidable venture of translating the entire Book for which he neither finds the required time nor possesses the relevant degree of competence. On the other hand, in more expanded undertakings, chances of substantial repetitions do exist. Countless number of full translations exists everywhere, whose uncontroversial part of contents may not differ from, but conform to a great extent with, any other new version.

So, this rational translation series takes into account Quran’s metaphoric, allegoric, idiomatic and symbolic expressions and strives to purify the gross misrepresentation of its texts by vested interests in the past. Very commonplace and literal meanings of words were employed in the past with the ulterior motives of carrying out a large scale corruption of Quran’s ideology. That vicious practice is fully condemned and discarded herewith. A dozen most authentic Arabic lexicons are widely utilized in arriving at those definitions that best suit the context of themes being discussed, keeping fully in view the relative background of every narrative, while adhering strictly with the values and ideals of human conduct that are the essence, and form the basis of Quranic message.

Let us start with the name of our Lord, the Almighty Allah.

أَلَمْ تَرَ‌ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَ‌بُّكَ بِأَصْحَابِ الْفِيلِ ﴿١﴾ أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِي تَضْلِيلٍ ﴿٢﴾ وَأَرْ‌سَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرً‌ا أَبَابِيلَ ﴿٣﴾ تَرْ‌مِيهِم بِحِجَارَ‌ةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ ﴿٤﴾ فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍ ﴿٥﴾

أَلَمْ تَرَ‌ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَ‌بُّكَ بِأَصْحَابِ الْفِيلِ ﴿١﴾

“Alam tara kayifa fa’ala Rabbu-ka bi-Ashaab il Feel”(1)

105:1  “Do you not witness how your Lord dealt with those ignoble ones possessed of pomp and arrogance (بِأَصْحَابِ الْفِيلِ )?”

Fa-Ya-Lam = to be weak-minded, to rebuke, lack of wisdom, give bad counsel, to magnify & aggrandize oneself. Weak and erroneous judgement or opinion, erring in judgement/insight, to magnify oneself and become like an elephant, showed a morose aspect, elephant, (it) increased, to become fat/big like an elephant, Heavy (or dull) and low, ignoble or mean, keeper/master of the elephant.

أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِي تَضْلِيلٍ ﴿٢﴾

“a-lam yaj’al kayida-hum fi tadhleel” (2)

105:2  “Does He not make all their planning/tricks go lost/waste?”

وَأَرْ‌سَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرً‌ا أَبَابِيلَ ﴿٣﴾

“wa arsala ‘alayi-him tayiran ababeel” (3)

105:3  “Because He has sent against them groups (ابَابِيل) of eagle-eyed men (طَيْرً‌ا ) to knock them out,”

ط ي ر ; = Tay-Ya-Ra = flew, hasten to it, outstripped, become foremost, fled, love, become attached, famous, conceive, scatter/disperse, fortune; rush, shoot, knock out, to blow, to make disappear, dispel; predatory birds; birds of prey
Ababil: a flock, a bundle, numerous, herd of camels, etc.

تَرْ‌مِيهِم بِحِجَارَ‌ةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ ﴿٤﴾

“tarmee-him bi-hijaaratim min sijjeel”(4)

105:4  “Who keep striking/showering them with intellectual arguments (حِجَارَ‌ةٍ) from a written Scroll (سِجِّيلٍ ) ”.

Hijaaratin; Hijr: intellect (Steingass, page 264);
Understanding, intelligence, intellect, mind, or reason (Lane’s page 520);
Controlling power, restrictive power (89/5) لذی حجر , for a rational person, person of discernment, reasonable person, a person with restraint (Brill, page 191);
One gifted with intelligence (89/5)- (Dict. And Glos of Quran by Penrice, page 32);
Understanding, intelligence, reason (89/5) – (M.G.Farid, page 166);

Siin-Jiim-Lam = to pour out, spill (liquid), write a paper or a scroll, decide judicially.
sijil - written scroll, writing-roll, deed, writ, judicial record, scribe.
sijjil - hardened and petrified clay, stones of clay which had been written or decreed for them that they should be punished therewith, scroll of writing, scribe.

فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍ ﴿٥﴾

“fa-ja’ala-hum ka-‘asfim maakool” (5)

105:5  “Thus, with this kind of confrontations, He caused to turn them into a humble thing like eaten straw”.

AND NOW A RUNNING TRANSLATION:-

105:1-5  “Do you not witness how your Lord dealt with those ignoble ones possessed of pomp and arrogance? Does He not make all their planning/tricks go waste? It is because He sent against them groups of eagle-eyed men to disperse them, who keep striking/showering them with intellectual arguments from a written Scroll. Thus, with this kind of advances, He caused to turn them into a humble thing like eaten straw”.

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Aurangzaib Yousufzai – June 2017

Thematic Quranic Translation Series Installment 4 

(In English Language)

Crucial Themes of “MASJID & MASAAJID-ALLAH”

(MOSQUE AND ALLAH’S MOSQUES)

Defined in the True Light of the Quran

PRELUDE

A Mosque or Masjid in the Quran is always defined throughout the length of the Quran and in all the early and most of the modern translations and exegeses as a “Muslim place of worship."   And so it is construed all over the world by people of other faith groups.

However, very few people know that no act of WORSHIP has been ordained for Muslims in the Quran.  In fact, the words meaning “Obedience” or “pursuit” or “surrender” are mischievously converted into “Worship” under the vicious agenda of the despotic Arab Kings.

The Quran as per its own absolute verdict is a “timeless mode of conduct” (Hudan – ھدی – Verse 2/2) ordained for the entire humanity to follow.  And there is not a single place in the Quran where an act of worship or a place, site or Center of worship for the Muslims might have been asserted, implied or inferred in its text.

Hence the question as to what in the real rational sense this widely accepted Worship or Place of Worship (Masjid) academically represents?

A careful analysis of the Root Word S J D ( س ج د), where Masjid is derived from as the Noun of time, place, mode, practice and source, reveals that the verb SAJADA has two kinds of meanings – a literal, commonplace one, and a metaphorical or allegorical one. The scope of the literal definition is like this:

worship, prostrate, make obeisance, lower/bend oneself down towards the ground, lower the head, etc.

The metaphorical one is defined like this: lowly, humble, submissive, salute/honour/magnify, to pay respect, to adore, to stand up, to look continually and tranquilly.

MASJID: MSJD – According to the metaphorical definition given above, a Masjid is a place to submit to, to be humble and lowly towards, to salute, honor, magnify, to pay respect to, to look up to for obeying.  Hence, the offices of the ruling government, the center of authority, and the commandments to be obeyed, the source of law, rule and command, all are covered under the scope of a MASJID.  AND this is the definition that is employed in the Quran for a Masjid as is fully substantiated by the context of its narrations presented hereunder, and by the deeper philosophy and loftier ideals the Quranic texts embody.

Since the despotic Arab kingdoms of the Umayyad and Abbaside dynasties are known and proved to be the major corrupting elements of the Quranic Doctrine, it is surmised, as a result of widespread research into history, that it was they who, after moving in to Forts and luxurious palaces, abandoned the real down to earth ruling centers called Masaajid (Mosques) in the age of Mohammad pbuh and his Pious Caliphs.  After they had corrupted the “obedience of Divine Commandments” into the “Worship of Allah”, they already had those empty Masajid available for converting into places of worship, which they carried out forthwith.  After which they immediately created a creed and order of religious clergy, called Mullahs, which was suitably installed to lead those prayers in those Masajid. The form of prayers called Salaat or Namaaz had been in practice among pagan Arabs, and it was re-installed too with necessary amendments/alterations.  This is how and why the places of worship called Masajid came into existence throughout the Muslim empire.

After this background information, let us start checking the references to prove our point from Quran itself with the most up to date rational translation of its relevant verses with a strong back up of most authentic lexicons. All Verses mentioning the words Masjid and Masaajid Allah have been taken into account.

Chapter 2, Verse 114

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن مَّنَعَ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّـهِ أَن يُذْكَرَ‌ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ وَسَعَىٰ فِي خَرَ‌ابِهَا ۚ أُولَـٰئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ أَن يَدْخُلُوهَا إِلَّا خَائِفِينَ ۚ لَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا خِزْيٌ وَلَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَ‌ةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

2:114  “Hence, who could be more wicked than those who obstructed the process of taking advice and guidance from Allah’s attributes (يُذْكَرَ‌ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ) in the Divine Centers of Submission (مَسَاجِدَ اللَّـهِ ) and strove to ruin and corrupt them. Those are the ones who have no right to enter these centers except in a state of awe. For them, in this world, there is ignominy in store; and for them, in the Hereafter, a great suffering”

Siin-Miim-Waw =I s m : to be high/lofty, raised, name, attribute. samawat - heights/heavens/rain, raining clouds. ismun - mark of identification by which one is recognised. It is a derivation of wsm (pl. asma). ism - stands for a distinguishing mark of a thing, sometimes said to signify its reality

Chapter al-A’raaf (7): Verses 29 & 31

قُلْ أَمَرَ رَبِّي بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ وَأَقِيمُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَادْعُوهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ ۚ كَمَا بَدَأَكُمْ تَعُودُونَ ﴿٢٩﴾

7:29  “Tell them: "My Sustainer has [but] enjoined the doing of justice; Therefore, fix your direction towards all of His commandments (كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ ) keeping sincere in your faith in Him. Just as He has brought you into being in the first instance, so he makes you return a second time (تعُودُون ).”

Ayn-Ya-Dal/Ayn-Waw-Dal = to return, come back, to go back, be traceable, to revert, to refer, relate, to be due, to give up, abandon, relinquish, withdraw, resign, tobring back, to take back, return, reduce; He repeated, did a second time. ever-occurring, periodical, festival

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ خُذُوا زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا وَلَا تُسْرِفُوا ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ ﴿٣١﴾

7:31  “O Human kind! Acquire the beauty of your conduct by submission to every commandment (كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ ) and learn (كُلُوا) and get inspired (اشْرَبُوا), and do not commit transgression. Verily He doesn’t love the transgressors.”

Siin-Ra-Fa = to eat away, excess, suckle (a child), be ignorant, be unmindful/heedless, exceed the undue bounds or just limits, commit many faults/offences/crimes/sins. asrafa - to squander one's wealth, act immoderately, be prodigal, extravagant, transgress. musrif - one who is wasteful.

Chapter At-Taubah – Verses 9:17-18

مَا كَانَ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يَعْمُرُوا مَسَاجِدَ اللَّـهِ شَاهِدِينَ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِم بِالْكُفْرِ ۚ أُولَـٰئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ وَفِي النَّارِ هُمْ خَالِدُونَ ﴿١٧﴾ إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّـهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّـهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلَّا اللَّـهَ ۖ فَعَسَىٰ أُولَـٰئِكَ أَن يَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ ﴿١٨﴾

9:17  “IT IS NOT for the polytheists to promote and cultivate (أَن يَعْمُرُوا ) Allah’s commandments (مَسَاجِدَ اللَّـهِ ) while they bear witness against themselves by denying the truth. It is they whose acts and deeds shall come to naught, and in the fire they shall abide

9:18  Only he should tend to and cultivate God's commandments who believed in God and the Last stage of life and enforced pursuit thereof (وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ ), and provided means of sustenance and growth (وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ ), and stands in awe of none but God: for such ones may hope to be among the right-guided!”

Aitmara; ‘Umrah; ع م ر; to inhabit, dwell, mend,، repair/revive, tend, build, promote, cultivate, make habitable, to make better, to develop, populate, to serve/uphold/observe/regard, to visit, to colonize, aimed at it, frequently visit, a visit in which is the cultivation of love/affection, repairing to an inhabited place. perform a sacred visitation, minor pilgrimmage, pilgrimmage with fewer rites. to remain alive (save life), to live, life, age, long-life, old-age.

Chapter At-Tawbah, Verses 9:107-108

وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مَسْجِدًا ضِرَارًا وَكُفْرًا وَتَفْرِيقًا بَيْنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَإِرْصَادًا لِّمَنْ حَارَبَ اللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ وَلَيَحْلِفُنَّ إِنْ أَرَدْنَا إِلَّا الْحُسْنَىٰ ۖ وَاللَّـهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ ﴿١٠٧﴾ لَا تَقُمْ فِيهِ أَبَدًا ۚ لَّمَسْجِدٌ أُسِّسَ عَلَى التَّقْوَىٰ مِنْ أَوَّلِ يَوْمٍ أَحَقُّ أَن تَقُومَ فِيهِ ۚفِيهِ رِجَالٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُوا ۚ وَاللَّـهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُطَّهِّرِينَ ﴿١٠٨﴾

9:107  “And there are those who have acquired (اتَّخَذُوا ) a center of authority (مَسْجِدًا ) for the sake of mischief and denial of truth and creating rifts among the faithful, and working as a station for those who wage war against the Divine Kingdom since early times, and they keep asserting their resolute intentions towards righteousness; but Allah is witness that they are confirmed liars.

9:108  Do not stand in its support ever. A Centre of command & submission established from the first day on the basis of God consciousness has the right and first preference that you should stay in its support. In it are those stalwarts who love to get purified. And Allah also loves those who purify themselves”.

Chapter Al-Asraa  – Verse 17:7

إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ ۖ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا ۚ فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ الْآخِرَةِ لِيَسُوءُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَلِيَدْخُلُوا الْمَسْجِدَ كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَلِيُتَبِّرُوا مَا عَلَوْا تَتْبِيرًا ﴿٧﴾

The address here is to the Israelites :

17:7  "If you persevere in doing good, you will but be doing good to yourselves; and if you do evil, it will be done to yourselves." And so, when the prediction of the second period came true, they came to disgrace you utterly, and to enter your Centre of authority (الْمَسْجِدَ ) as they had entered it once before, and to destroy with utter destruction all that they had conquered.

Chapter Al-Hajj – Verse 22:40

الَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا مِن دِيَارِهِم بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ إِلَّا أَن يَقُولُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّـهُ ۗ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّـهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَّهُدِّمَتْ صَوَامِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَاتٌ وَمَسَاجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسْمُ اللَّـهِ كَثِيرًا ۗ وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ اللَّـهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ ﴿٤٠﴾

22:40  “There are those who have been driven from their homelands unjustifiably for the only reason that they proclaimed Allah their Sustainer.” And the fact is, if God had not enabled people to defend themselves against one another, demolition/destruction would have been the fate of monasteries (tall buildings with tapered roof tops), powerful bargaining and trading houses, synagogues and centers of authority (وَمَسَاجِدُ ) - in all of which God’s attributes are abundantly concentrated upon / kept in view. And God will most certainly succour him who suc¬cours His cause: for, verily, God is most powerful, almighty.”

S M Ayn: Sawameh: Sharp, acute, vigilent, intelligent, prudent, discreet, firm and sound of mind. A Christian chamber, cell, for retirement, or seclusion, having a high and slender head. Cell of a recluse; a monk’s cell. High tapering building; to be courageous.

ب ي ع = Ba-Ya-Ayn = Selling or buying; Exchanging or exchange of property; Gaining mastery over someone, superceding or occupying their place also by superior power or force. Making a covenant, an engagement, a contract (e.g. promising allegiance, swearing, oaths), Hire or hiring of land, Sealing the deal, also striking together hand of two contracting parties in token of the ratification of sale, An article of merchandise.

ص ل و = Sad-Lam-Waw = prayer, supplication, petition, oration, eulogy, benediction, commendation, blessing, honour, magnify, bring forth, follow closely, walk/follow behind closely, to remain attached. Salawaat: Jews places of worship are also called Salawaat.

Chapter Al-JINN . Verse 72:18

وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّـهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّـهِ أَحَدًا ﴿١٨﴾

72:18  And [know] that all the authority and submission (الْمَسَاجِدَ ) is reserved for Allah alone: hence, do not invoke anyone side by side with God!

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 Aurangzaib Yousufzai 

Thematic Quranic Translation Series Installment 3

(In English Language) 

Crucial Themes of "H

ALAAL & HARAAM FOOD"

From Chapter Al-Maidah, al-Hajj, Al-An'aam,

Younus, An-Nahal, Al-Baqarah"

Defined in the True Light of the Quran 

PRELUDE

This thesis takes into account the mass manipulation of the Quranic vocabulary and subsequent misrepresentation of its original doctrine on a gigantic scale by the tyrannical Arab regimes of the Umayyad and Abbaside dynasties in the early period of Islam.  Therefore, this is a humble effort to re-discover the real spirit of the Quran, while converting its Arabic text into English, with a fresh modern rational outlook that takes full cognizance of its classical beauty, and the unquestionable and inexhaustible wisdom of its beneficent ideology.  This formidable venture fully adheres with the Quran’s original perspective of the Universe, nature, global human society and the moral and intellectual evolution of the human self.  It also takes into consideration its revolutionary message against the cruel domination of the capitalist powers of the time and prevalent racial and class discrimination and prejudices in the socio-economic scenario of human life.

The corrupted and misleading Quranic exegesis and translations abound in the Muslim world and abroad.  The Muslim clergy tenaciously cling to them for maintaining their spiritual authority as well as politico-social influence over the perpetually downtrodden Muslim masses.  This unenviable and substandard stuff is inherited from an inglorious past, thanks to the counter revolution unleashed by the despotic Damascus regime of the Umayyads in the early age of Islam.  This counter revolution, by the arch enemies of Mohammad pbuh, had succeeded in demolishing not only the pious caliphate established by him, but in re-modeling the entire teachings of Islamic philosophy. This great conspiracy of the time was carried out under a concerted and prolonged planning by the tyrannical dynastic Arab monarchies that followed.  It goes without saying that a dynastic dictatorial rule is deemed grossly illegitimate in Islamic doctrine. The Quran only allows and ordains a social democratic regime run through consultation between a council of competent and pious elders.

It is therefore earnestly hoped that this effort may draw forth and present the true, unadulterated and uncorrupted image of this doctrine, that may be equally applied to all human societies for all times to come and in all given circumstances and situations till the end of times.

- - - - - -

SYNOPSIS

The theme of Halaal (fair, legal, permitted) and Haraam (unfair, illegal, prohibited) Food has a crucial importance in the fields of knowledge related to Islamic Theology.  The earlier and later theologians have discussed it at length in light of the Quran and the Hadith.  Statutory laws have been formulated under Islamic Jurisprudence and loads of religious edicts issued.

It may look funny, however, that according to the fully authoritative and most reliably documented Word of God, THE QURAN IS NOT A GUIDE TO EATING.  It is a “Timeless Mode of Conduct” (Hudan – ھدی 2/2) , which presents a discipline of human morals and ethics (Values) that enables man to decide consciously and independently about his way of living, viz., his society’s administration and control, his style of family life, his attire and decorum, his choice of profession, and ----------his Eating and Drinking preferences.

Hence the problem confronting us in respect of Halaal and Haraam actually lies in our bogus legacy of those traditionist translations which, treading the path of their usual illogical and irrational deviations, forces us to assume that in this divine code Allah swt is more concerned with our eating and drinking habits than our character-building conduct.  And thus He, along with ordaining our acts and deeds as fair or unfair, is also permitting us to eat a particular kind of food and prohibiting the other kind.  In this way it suggests to us as if imposing of restrictions on food and its categorization in Halaal and Haraam was to lend some kind of support in our character-building process, and for which issuance of specific orders was to be regarded a pre-requisite.

But when we are taking into account the ground realities, certain facts come to our notice.  One of them tells us that those eatables which we are led to believe Quranic injunctions declare prohibited for Muslims, are constantly being consumed by three fourths of humanity from other nations in their daily lives.  So we are compelled to question that:

1) If the Lord Almighty had deputed his Messengers to all nations with the same commandments, just as the Quran specifically ordains, why then are His Laws and His prescribed way of life not the same for the entire humanity?  Why are some taboos, in respect of eatables, reserved for just the Muslims?  Whereas the Quran ordains that God doesn’t change his commandments or laws for any one; therefore they apply unto the entire humanity.

2) If we are at all prohibited to eat some Haraam items because of their probable harmful effects on our health, why are other faith groups regularly consuming the same items, generation after generation, without being inflicted by their ill effects?  Isn’t it evident that general health and energy levels in other nations are far better than ours?  They enjoy longer lives too?  Why is it so ?,,,,,,, and,

3) If Haraam or prohibited food causes some spiritual or moral decay in humans, why, even after our collective abstinence for 1400 years, are we Muslims in the most precarious spiritual and moral degradation?  Why does the degree of our sufferings in economic, social, technological and strategic spheres stand in an overwhelmingly pathetic state?

4) Some narrow-minded but highly educated conformists, assuming the status of great modern researchers in theology, would refer to some Verses from Bibles where Khanzeer (Pig) has been specifically prohibited to eat.  They would not simply pay attention to the three fourth of humanity eating pig meat routinely since times immemorial, but would opt for offering diverse scientific or medical theories too to substantiate the most harmful effects of Pig meat eating.  Such are those whose mental faculties are retarded and their scope of conscious thinking is restricted by inherited dogmas.  They would go to great, irrelevant, sickening lengths to assert their archaic viewpoint by quoting numerous most unlikely references from diverse sources.  It is they who would invariably endeavor to derive every damned detail of walking, sitting, bowing, eating, drinking, clothing, washing, shitting and even sleeping with their women, from the Quran.  The Quran fortunately is not for the delinquent, the psychotic, or the belligerent.  Had Allah been resorting to direct us about each and every physical act or aspect of our living patterns, would He not probably need to transmit to us at least fifty (50) volumes of Quran’s magnitude?  And still He would be transforming us, the free thinking and independent humans, into Robots or Zombies????

Since no one has a rational and satisfying answer to these questions, we are led to believe that something has grossly gone wrong in our traditionist translations when they declare those things Haraam and Halaal that belong to the category of eatables. Obviously, some commandments leading to reforming the human conduct have been pilfered with, redacted or misconstrued to ordain restrictions on some human food.  Another possibility is the tendency of easy, word to word literal and commonplace, and unscholarly practice of translations, which often cause a radical alteration of the original message in the course of its conversion into another language.  It is essential that, in transferring one language to another, the style, level of prose and intellectual standard of the source text, and its aspirations or destination, must be kept in view.  As an acknowledged rule, a translation venture must be undertaken in full concordance with the above standards.

So, let us try a purely academic and rational effort, hoping to clear the dormant ambiguity by exposing the true picture of God’s message in the Quran.  The sub-theme of offering “Animal Sacrifice” would also fall within our purview, as it is also related with food or flesh-meat eating.  It is regarded as a source of pleasing a god who directs us to kill his own creation in multitudes in every home, locality, street and town of the faithful at the time of Hajj.  It is a gory scenario filled with flowing blood and carcasses lying and hanging around, the sickening sight of which women and children can’t withstand.  Yet many ignorant and fundamentalist savages learn the lesson of barbarity and brutality there from.

This translation would go a long way to prove that God Almighty has never given orders about what to eat and what not.  He has not ordained a sacrifice of man or animals.  He has rather admonished against it by saying that “I fix the criterion of Halaal and Haraam acts that influence your morality and conduct, whereas you ditch me deliberately and divert that criterion with mal-intention towards the material things of eating.”

This translation is in keeping with the lofty ideals of the Quranic doctrine, the unparalleled beauty of its classical narrative, the context in which the Verses have been revealed, and full guidance from 10 authentic world famous Arabic lexicons.  Nowhere has a transgression beyond the Root Meanings of words been committed.  Any serious mistakes, if found, can be pointed out with authentic references.

- - - - - -

Chapter Al-Maaidah(5): Verses 1 to 7

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَوْفُوا بِالْعُقُودِ ۚ أُحِلَّتْ لَكُم بَهِيمَةُ الْأَنْعَامِ إِلَّا مَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ غَيْرَ‌ مُحِلِّي الصَّيْدِ وَأَنتُمْ حُرُ‌مٌ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يَحْكُمُ مَا يُرِ‌يدُ ﴿١﴾

5:1  “O people of peace and faith, always fulfil (awfoo) the contracts/obligations/ vows of allegiance (‘aqood) agreed upon. It had been allowed for you in the past (ahillat lakum) to adopt a cattle-like ambiguous and unspecific mindset (baheematul an’aam) in this context, and you were bound to obey (antum hurumun) just the verbal orders issued to you (ma yutlaa alayikum) about the captives (al-Sayid) not freed from the prisons (ghayira mahalli). But Allah would issue commands in this respect as He deems fitting.”

Ayn-Qaf-Dal = to tie in a knot, make a knot, strike a bargain, contract, make a compact, enter into an obligation, bind, judgement, consideration of one's affairs, management, promise of obedience or vow of allegiance.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُحِلُّوا شَعَائِرَ‌ اللَّـهِ وَلَا الشَّهْرَ‌ الْحَرَ‌امَ وَلَا الْهَدْيَ وَلَا الْقَلَائِدَ وَلَا آمِّينَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَ‌امَ يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّن رَّ‌بِّهِمْ وَرِ‌ضْوَانًا ۚ وَإِذَا حَلَلْتُمْ فَاصْطَادُوا ۚ وَلَا يَجْرِ‌مَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ أَن صَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَ‌امِ أَن تَعْتَدُوا ۘ وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ‌ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ ﴿٢﴾

5:2  “Therefore, o people of peace and faith, do not violate the statutes of Allah (شَعَائِرَ‌ اللَّـهِ ) nor the binding conditions of agreements (الشَّهْرَ‌ الْحَرَ‌امَ ), nor neglect the precious values of a beautiful conduct (الْهَدْيَ ), nor avoid other responsibilities conferred upon you (الْقَلَائِدَ ), nor overlook the safeguarding of those responsible for running the respectable centre of divine leadership (آمِّينَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَ‌امَ ) who are seeking blessings from of their Sustainer and His approval. But when you come out of the imposed restrictions (حَلَلْتُمْ), do strive for stabilizing your power and control (فَاصْطَادُو ). And even in this case, do not let the enmity of a people for having obstructed you from complying with the inviolable divine commandments (الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَ‌امِ ) lead you to transgression (تَعْتَدُوا ). And keep in mind to cooperate always in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression. And remain fearfully attached with Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in monitoring.”

حُرِّ‌مَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنزِيرِ‌ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ‌ اللَّـهِ بِهِ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَ‌دِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَا أَكَلَ السَّبُعُ إِلَّا مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِ وَأَن تَسْتَقْسِمُوا بِالْأَزْلَامِ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ ۗ الْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُ‌وا مِن دِينِكُمْ فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِ ۚ الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَ‌ضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا ۚ فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ‌ فِي مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ‌ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِّإِثْمٍ ۙ فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ غَفُورٌ‌ رَّ‌حِيمٌ ﴿٣﴾

(Please check also here identical verses 2/173 and 6/145.  The next translation applies to the beginning parts of these Verses too.

A repetition is avoided for fear of making the writing lengthy).

5:3  “Prohibited for you is to become dead by losing your intellect (al-Mayitatah); or smear your account with human blood; or to get close to the ill-natured, cunning ones; or to embrace an ideology by which a name of other than Allah is raised (أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ‌ اللَّـهِ بِهِ ) . And also declared unlawful for you is to crush an individual or group by silencing their voice (al-Munkhaniqah); or kill them through mental and physical torture (al-Mauqoodah); or throw someone into oblivion by depriving his acquired high status (al-mutaraddiyah); or to push someone to ill-fate and bad luck (an-nateehah); and to create a state of affairs where all human values have been devoured by terror and brutality (wa maa akalas subu’u) except the few ones which you might have saved and cultivated (maa zakkayitum); or to sacrifice someone’s career/life on the pretext of a self-designed goal or standard (wa maa zubiha ‘alan nusubi); or to create rift among people by adopting faulty policies (tastaqsimoo bil-azlaam). ِIt must be borne in mind that all the above policy steps fall under the crimes of misconduct and corruption (fisq). It is these values of your discipline that have made the deniers of truth disappointed and remorseful. Hence you need now to give up your fear of them and keep my glory always in view. At this juncture of the passing time I have completed for you your permanent way of conduct and, by that, have fully blessed you with ease and comforts; and the peace and security of humanity has been appointed as your destination. Keeping vigilant about the above guideline, whosoever among you may find himself in a fix (فِي مَخْمَصَةٍ), while having no intentions towards evil (غَيْرَ‌ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِّإِثْمٍ ), God would bless him with his protection and mercy.”

يَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا أُحِلَّ لَهُمْ ۖ قُلْ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ ۙ وَمَا عَلَّمْتُم مِّنَ الْجَوَارِ‌حِ مُكَلِّبِينَ تُعَلِّمُونَهُنَّ مِمَّا عَلَّمَكُمُ اللَّـهُ ۖ فَكُلُوا مِمَّا أَمْسَكْنَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَاذْكُرُ‌وا اسْمَ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْهِ ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ سَرِ‌يعُ الْحِسَابِ ﴿٤﴾

5:4  “They would ask you as to what has been made lawful to them. Tell them, "Lawful for you are all the acts of virtue and goodness (الطَّيِّبَاتُ). And when you are educating (tu’allimoona-hunna) the tied up and injured batches of prisoners (al-jawaareh al-mukallabeen) from what God has endowed you with (mimma ‘allama-kum-ullaah), take care to grasp those things that they hold against you and implicate you with (mimma amsakna ‘alayikum). Then deliberate upon it in the light of divine attributes (wa adhkaru ismal-laaha ‘alayihi) with the aim of reforming your conduct. And be afraid of God’s accountability. Indeed, He is swift in account.”

الْيَوْمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ ۖ وَطَعَامُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ حِلٌّ لَّكُمْ وَطَعَامُكُمْ حِلٌّ لَّهُمْ ۖ وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ إِذَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَ‌هُنَّ مُحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ‌ مُسَافِحِينَ وَلَا مُتَّخِذِي أَخْدَانٍ ۗ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ‌ بِالْإِيمَانِ فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَ‌ةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِ‌ينَ [۵]

5:5  “From the present time onwards, all the acts of virtue and goodness (Tayyibaat) are declared lawful for you. Moreover, the acquisition/learning (Ta’aam) of all the praiseworthy attributes/values found among the People of the Book has been made lawful to you, and similarly, your values have been made lawful to them. And also is lawful to you relationship with the morally solid and secured communities (al-Mohsinaat) from amongst the people of peace and faith (mo’minaat); and with those communities belonging to the people given the Book before you, provided you pay their dues and rights fully and systematically and they remain solid and secured (Mohsineena), without resorting to bloodshed or dishonesty (ghayira Musafiheena), nor should indulge in secret conspiracies (laa muttakhizi akhdaan). It must be born in mind by all that whoever denies the faith, his good work has become worthless, and he, in the Hereafter, will land among the losers”.

“Wudhu” – Ablution:

Dear Readers, by a lucky chance the next Verse that comes under our scrutiny in this theme of Haraam and Halaal is the one proclaimed collectively by every grand scholar of Islam to be teaching the ritual of Ablution!!!

Imagine!  Virtually, what we are talking about in our thesis from the very beginning up to this point - and even after this Verse - displays no link, relation, coherence, consistence or coexistence by any degree with an “Ablution”!  And imagine also the Lord of the Universe, the Supreme Consciousness behind the unimaginable work of creation, turning into a nursery teacher for ‘small kids’, instructing them how to wash their hands, face and feet!

Instead of the word-to-word commonplace traditionist translations you must have noticed everywhere, kindly now have a perusal of the following befitting translation carried out on the basis of the metaphoric and idiomatic style of the Quran’s classical Arabic.  Fully integrated with the former text and consistent with the upcoming narrative, this Verse too imparts the rules of conduct as continued from the previous lines. Here it goes.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَ‌افِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُ‌ءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْ‌جُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُ‌وا ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْ‌ضَىٰ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ‌ أَوْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ مِّنكُم مِّنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِ‌يدُ اللَّـهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَ‌جٍ وَلَـٰكِن يُرِ‌يدُ لِيُطَهِّرَ‌كُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُ‌ونَ ﴿٦﴾

5:6  “O people of faith and peace, when you embark upon (Qum-tum) the pursuit and enforcement of divine commandments (ilas-Salaat), then purify (ughsiloo) your vision and thoughts (Wujuha-kum) and your powers/capabilities (ayidiya-kum) from all errors and negative influences until they become the closest source of support and assistance (al-Maraafiq) in your mission.  At the same time, carefully check and assess the qualities/competence (amsahu) of your ranks and chieftains (bi raoosikum wa arjulikum) and upgrade them to the status of excellence (ilal-ka’bayin). In case you have been a stranger (junuban) on this ideological front, then start the process of purifying your mind from negative influences (fa at-tahharoo). And if you suffer from infirmities of faith and belief (mardhaa), or still are in the middle of your learning process (‘alaa safarin), or if one of you has come up from a very low intellectual level (min al-Ghaait), or a particular conscious weakness has touched/influenced you (laamas-tum an-Nisaa) and you have not known a revelation/guidance solving this problem, all you need is to keep your targets and aspirations very high and noble. And in the light thereof, you need to assess and analyze your thoughts and capabilities once again. It is so because God doesn’t want to burden you unduly, but He intends to purify you and finalize His favours upon you so that your efforts may produce required results.”

وَاذْكُرُ‌وا نِعْمَةَ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَمِيثَاقَهُ الَّذِي وَاثَقَكُم بِهِ إِذْ قُلْتُمْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ [۷]۔

(This Verse is taken into account with the sole purpose of proving the consistency and concordance with the continuing theme under discussion, namely the adherence with signed protocols, agreements, contracts or covenants as well as the values of character. Thus the interpolation of the subject of Ablution here is fully exposed.)

“And remember the favour of Allah upon you and His covenant with which He has bound you when you said, "We have heard and we have obeyed"; and remain cautiously attached with Allah. Indeed, Allah knows the state of your inner self.”

Chapter Al-An’aam (6): Verse 151

سورہ الانعام: ۱۵۱
قُلْ تَعَالَوْا أَتْلُ مَا حَرَّ‌مَ رَ‌بُّكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ أَلَّا تُشْرِ‌كُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا ۖ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا ۖ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُم مِّنْ إِمْلَاقٍ ۖ نَّحْنُ نَرْ‌زُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ ۖ وَلَا تَقْرَ‌بُوا الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ‌ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ ۖ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّ‌مَ اللَّـهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُم بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿١٥١﴾

6:151  “Say, “Come to me and I will tell you what actually has Allah forbidden (declared Haraam) to you”. Do not associate anyone or anything with his exclusive sovereignty and extend good and balanced treatment to your elders; Do not ruin your young generation, out of poverty, by keeping them deprived of moral and conscious development (وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا ) as We are responsible to provide for you and them; Do not go near obscene behavior, apparent or concealed; Do not waste a life whom Allah has declared prohibited or respected, except when it becomes a rightful duty. This has He instructed you that you may exercise reason.”

Chapter Younus (10): Verses 59-60

قُلْ أَرَ‌أَيْتُم مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّـهُ لَكُم مِّن رِّ‌زْقٍ فَجَعَلْتُم مِّنْهُ حَرَ‌امًا وَحَلَالًا قُلْ آللَّـهُ أَذِنَ لَكُمْ ۖ أَمْ عَلَى اللَّـهِ تَفْتَرُ‌ونَ ﴿٥٩﴾ وَمَا ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُ‌ونَ عَلَى اللَّـهِ الْكَذِبَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ‌هُمْ لَا يَشْكُرُ‌ونَ ﴿٦٠﴾

10:59-60  “Say, “Have you seen what Allah has bestowed upon you of provisions; and then you have dared to make Haraam and Halaal out of them?” Say, “Has Allah ever allowed you to do so, or do you invent lies upon Allah?” And what do these insinuators suppose is going to happen to them the day the next stage of life is launched/established (يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ). Allah is full of bounties for people, but most of them do not strive to make their efforts fruitful.”

Chapter Al-Hajj (22) : Verses 27-30

وَأَذِّن فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِ‌جَالًا وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ‌ يَأْتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ ﴿٢٧﴾

22:27  “And invite people for exchange of arguments for acceptance of God’s message (بِالْحَجِّ ). They may come to you boldly and on calls of their conscience (وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ ), from distant places.”

لِّيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ وَيَذْكُرُ‌وا اسْمَ اللَّـهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَاتٍ عَلَىٰ مَا رَ‌زَقَهُم مِّن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ ۖ فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَ‌ ﴿٢٨﴾

22:28  “To witness the obvious benefits for them and to memorize the attributes of Allah in a round of acquiring knowledge, and then superimpose that knowledge over what was previously taught to them of a cattle-like uncertain and ambiguous way of life (بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ ). They must get enlightened by this ideology (فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا) and thereafter spread and impart (وَأَطْعِمُوا ) it to those who are deprived and needy.”

ثُمَّ لْيَقْضُوا تَفَثَهُمْ وَلْيُوفُوا نُذُورَ‌هُمْ وَلْيَطَّوَّفُوا بِالْبَيْتِ الْعَتِيقِ ﴿٢٩﴾

22:29  “Subsequently, they must carry out their purification from mental rubbish
(تَفَثَهُمْ ), fulfil their obligations (وَلْيُوفُوا نُذُورَ‌هُمْ ) and take up the duties of guarding and protecting (وَلْيَطَّوَّفُوا) the sanctity of the august center of Divine ideology (بِالْبَيْتِ الْعَتِيقِ ).”

ذَٰلِكَ وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ حُرُ‌مَاتِ اللَّـهِ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ‌ لَّهُ عِندَ رَ‌بِّهِ ۗ وَأُحِلَّتْ لَكُمُ الْأَنْعَامُ إِلَّا مَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ فَاجْتَنِبُوا الرِّ‌جْسَ مِنَ الْأَوْثَانِ وَاجْتَنِبُوا قَوْلَ الزُّورِ‌ ﴿٣٠﴾

22:30  “Apart from that, whosoever would honor God’s appointed prohibitions, it would be best for him in the sight of God. And allowed for you is all that God has bestowed upon you except the few things that are specifically read out to you (مَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ ). Hence abstain from the evil of making different man-made things target of your pursuit or following (الْأَوْثَانِ ), and abstain from a speech full of lies.”

Chapter Al-Hajj (22): Verses 32-38

ذَٰلِكَ۔۔۔۔۔۔ وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ‌ اللَّـهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِن تَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِ ﴿٣٢﴾

22:32  “Apart from that, whosoever would honor the divine values, he will find them resulting into piety of mind.”

لَكُمْ فِيهَا مَنَافِعُ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ثُمَّ مَحِلُّهَا إِلَى الْبَيْتِ الْعَتِيقِ ﴿٣٣﴾

22:33  “In those values lie benefits for you for a known period; thereafter the permanent source of dissemination thereof is to be installed at the august center of this ideology.”

وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنسَكًا لِّيَذْكُرُ‌وا اسْمَ اللَّـهِ عَلَىٰ مَا رَ‌زَقَهُم مِّن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ ۗ فَإِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَلَهُ أَسْلِمُوا ۗ وَبَشِّرِ‌ الْمُخْبِتِينَ ﴿٣٤﴾

22:34  “And for all communities we have prescribed ways to purify themselves (مَنسَكًا ) so they can keep in mind the attributes of Allah and superimpose them over what had been imparted to them (مَا رَ‌زَقَهُم) previously of cattle-like ambiguous conduct (بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ ); and they may realize that their lord is the only one God; hence submit and surrender to him alone. The humble and obedient ones in this respect should be given glad tidings.”

الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ‌ اللَّـهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَالصَّابِرِ‌ينَ عَلَىٰ مَا أَصَابَهُمْ وَالْمُقِيمِي الصَّلَاةِ وَمِمَّا رَ‌زَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ ﴿٣٥﴾

22:35  “Those are the ones that when Allah is remembered, their hearts are filled with fear ; and those who remain steadfast over what afflicts them; and those who establish the pursuit of divine commandments (وَالْمُقِيمِي الصَّلَاةِ) and spend openly from what We have provided them with.”

وَالْبُدْنَ جَعَلْنَاهَا لَكُم مِّن شَعَائِرِ‌ اللَّـهِ لَكُمْ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ‌ ۖ فَاذْكُرُ‌وا اسْمَ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْهَا صَوَافَّ ۖ فَإِذَا وَجَبَتْ جُنُوبُهَا فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْقَانِعَ وَالْمُعْتَرَّ‌ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ سَخَّرْ‌نَاهَا لَكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُ‌ونَ ﴿٣٦﴾

22:36  “Stout armoured body of troops (al-Budna) is prescribed for you by us as an essential requirement of the Kingdom of God and in this are beneficial results for you. You must keep them reminding of the divine attributes (فَاذْكُرُ‌وا اسْمَ اللَّـهِ) as they prepare and stand in formations for your defence (صَوَافَّ). Then if it becomes compulsory (وَجَبَتْ) for you to share their ventures (جُنُوبُهَا), you must learn from them, then teach all those who are though content but are in need of it. In this way we have arranged to bring things under your control so that your efforts may fetch results.”

لَن يَنَالَ اللَّـهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَاؤُهَا وَلَـٰكِن يَنَالُهُ التَّقْوَىٰ مِنكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ سَخَّرَ‌هَا لَكُمْ لِتُكَبِّرُ‌وا اللَّـهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَاكُمْ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ‌ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٣٧﴾

22:37  “Do remember that joining them (لُحُومُهَا ) or their warfare activities (دِمَاؤُهَا) do not have a favour with Allah. However, it is the circumspection on your part that serves God’s purpose. So He has thus given you control over things so that you establish His supremacy the way He Has guided you; And glad tidings are for those who maintain beauty and balance of society.”

إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يُدَافِعُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ۗ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ خَوَّانٍ كَفُورٍ‌ ﴿٣٨﴾

22:38  “Those who become people of faith and peace, Allah defends and advances them and verily He does not love the treacherous and ungrateful.”

Chapter An-Nahl 16:116

وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَا تَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ الْكَذِبَ هَـٰذَا حَلَالٌ وَهَـٰذَا حَرَ‌امٌ لِّتَفْتَرُ‌وا عَلَى اللَّـهِ الْكَذِبَ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُ‌ونَ عَلَى اللَّـهِ الْكَذِبَ لَا يُفْلِحُونَ ﴿١١٦﴾

16:116  “And do not speak what comes out of your tongues untruthfully by saying “this is lawful and that is unlawful” to invent falsehood about Allah. Those who hold Allah responsible for their falsehood are not going to prosper. “

2:196-200: البقرۃوَأَتِمُّوا الْحَجَّ وَالْعُمْرَ‌ةَ لِلَّـهِ ۚ فَإِنْ أُحْصِرْ‌تُمْ فَمَا اسْتَيْسَرَ‌ مِنَ الْهَدْيِ ۖ وَلَا تَحْلِقُوا رُ‌ءُوسَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ الْهَدْيُ مَحِلَّهُ ۚ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِ‌يضًا أَوْ بِهِ أَذًى مِّن رَّ‌أْسِهِ فَفِدْيَةٌ مِّن صِيَامٍ أَوْ صَدَقَةٍ أَوْ نُسُكٍ ۚ فَإِذَا أَمِنتُمْ فَمَن تَمَتَّعَ بِالْعُمْرَ‌ةِ إِلَى الْحَجِّ فَمَا اسْتَيْسَرَ‌ مِنَ الْهَدْيِ ۚ فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ فِي الْحَجِّ وَسَبْعَةٍ إِذَا رَ‌جَعْتُمْ ۗ تِلْكَ عَشَرَ‌ةٌ كَامِلَةٌ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن لَّمْ يَكُنْ أَهْلُهُ حَاضِرِ‌ي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَ‌امِ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّـهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ ﴿١٩٦﴾

2:196-200  And to meet the divinely appointed goals (لِلَّـهِ ), conclude discussions leading to your final submission to Divine Discipline (الْحَجَّ ) and devote your lives for its spread and promotion (وَالْعُمْرَ‌ةَ ). But if you are prevented due to unfavourable circumstances, then follow whatever has become available to you previously of the precious values of conduct (مِنَ الْهَدْيِ ). And do not approach and surround your chiefs/elders/elite (َلا تحْلِقُوا رُ‌ءُوسَكُمْ ) until the precious values of conduct have been fully disseminated around (يَبْلُغَ ) and fully established in their right places (مَحِلَّهُ ). And whoever among you may still suffer from a weakness or doubt about his faith and belief (َّمرِ‌يضًا), or has become liable for a sentence by his chief/elder (أَذًى مِّن رَّ‌أْسِهِ) he should compensate (فَفِدْيَةٌ ) for this by undergoing training for abstinence (صِيَامٍ), or otherwise prove his standpoint as true (صَدَقَةٍ), or carry out a cleansing operation of his inner self (نُسُكٍ).

And when you are settled in peace, then whoever may decide to benefit from a life of pursuit of truth (تَمَتَّعَ بِالْعُمْرَ‌ةِ )and has reached the state of concluding his issue of faith (الْحَجِّ ), he must adhere with the precious values of conduct made available to him (اسْتَيْسَرَ‌ مِنَ الْهَدْيِ ). And whoever may not find him in this situation, he must undergo three rounds of training in abstinence (فَصِيَامُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ) to reach the conclusion about his faith (فِي الْحَجِّ ). For those who have withdrawn completely from this process (إِذَا رَ‌جَعْتُمْ ), they would need a number of learning/training sessions (سَبْعَةٍ ) afresh. This is the only methodology to build a perfect society (عَشَرَ‌ةٌ كَامِلَةٌ). This procedure is prescribed particularly for those who do not qualify (لِمَن لَّمْ يَكُنْ أَهْلُهُ ) yet for submission to the divine commandments (حَاضِرِ‌ي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَ‌امِ )or to follow them in letter and spirit. Nevertheless, you all must act circumspectly and beware that Allah’s accountability is very severe.

- - - - - - -

The words in parenthesis are defined hereunder from authentic lexicons.

Al-uqood: [ِالْعُقُودِ]: , Protocols, contracts, agreements, covenants.

Aoufoo: [اوفو] ; Waw-Fa-Ya = to reach the end, keep ones promise, fulfil ones engagement, pay a debt, perform a promise. tawaffa - to die. wafaat - death.

Al-An’aam: [الْأَنْعَامِ]: Bounties, comforts of life; cattle;

Baheemah: [بَهِيمَةُ] : One knows not the way or manner in which it should be engaged in, done, executed, performed; speech which is confused, vague, dubious; also applied to closed or locked door, one can’t find a way to open it;

Wa antum Hurumun: [وَأَنتُمْ حُرُ‌مٌ] ; While you are restricted; prohibited.

As-Sayid: [الصَّيْدِ]: That which is captivated, imprisoned; stiff-necked; proud; one with prestige and authority; animal of prey.

Ghayira muhalli: [غَيْرَ‌ مُحِلِّي]: Not set free; not violating the prohibition; the place or time where something becomes lawful, permissible.

Yutlaa ‘alayikum: [يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ] : What is read out to you for obeying, carrying out, doing.

Ash-Shahrul Haraam: [الشَّهْرَ‌ الْحَرَ‌امَ]: A state of restrictions/prohibitions; a month of sanctity.

Al-Hadya: [الْهَدْيَ]: Anything venerable or precious; Maa Ahsana Hadyituhu: How beautiful is his conduct/character; gift, present, donation, prisoner, respectable conduct; behaviour; (general = the sacrificial animal).

Al-Qalaaid: [الْقَلَائِدَ]: Lane's Lexicon on 5:2 - prefects or the like with offices of administration, permanent badge (of favour), authority, mode of order-giving, impose upon a thing. Management. Carrying out the orders; security control; pursuance; discipline.

Aammeenal Bayit al-Haraam: [آمِّينَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَ‌امَ ]: Administrators and controllers of the revered center of ideology.

Ahlal-tum: [احَلَلْتُمْ] : You become free; free from restrictions/prohibitions; free from responsibilities, etc

Fa-Astaadoo: [فَاصْطَادُوا] : Then you acquire dominance; establish hold; establish power and domination; hold on to something.

Al-Masjid Al-Haraam: [الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَ‌امِ]: The Inviolable and respected commandments to be obeyed.
A center of such commands to be surrendered to;

Al-Maytatah: [الْمَيْتَةُ] : Diminishing of the Intellect (Raghib Isfahani); death of the faculty of intellect.

Ad-Damma: [الدَّمُ] :Stuff for painting red; blood; blood-letting; smearing with blood or some other stuff; blood stained; something or form which is painted; to coat a house with mud; a women who has painted with saffron around her eye; A very uncivilized and impolite attitude.

Al-Khinzeer [الْخِنزِيرِ]:: Kh z r: He affected, or pretended to be cunning, intelligent or sagacious, or intelligent with a mixture of craft and forecast. Narrowing of the eyes; he looked at him from the outer angle of the eye, as one does in pride and in light estimation of the object at which he looks; look through small or closed eyes; shrewd, cunning.

Laham [َلَحْمُ]: to mend, patch, weld, solder; to join in battle, engage in a mutual massacre; to cling together, cleave together, stock together, hang together, cohere, to hold firmly together; to be joined, united; to be in immediate contact.

Uhilla li ghayiril-laaha bihi [أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ‌ اللَّـهِ بِهِ]: That from which the name other than Allah may rise.

Al-Munkhaniqatu [وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ ]: KH N Q: Kh-Nun-Qaf = To throttle/strangle/choke (a person or thing), to straiten, nearly cover or nearly attain a thing, fill/fill up a thing, squeeze or compress upon one's throat, take or seize by the throat, constrain or distress.

Al-Mowqudatu [وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ]: To kill by striking; kill by a blow.

Al-Mutaraddiyah[وَالْمُتَرَ‌دِّيَةُ ]: : To fall from heights; fall into insult and obscurity; fall into hell.

An-Nateehatu[وَالنَّطِيحَةُ ]: : Pushed to ill fate and bad luck; struck with horn or blow.

Maa Ukulu as-Sabu’u [وَمَا أَكَلَ السَّبُعُ]: a state of affairs where all human values have been devoured by terror and brutality.

Maa Zakkayitum[مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ ]: : Which you have saved and nurtured or cultivated.

An-Nusubi [النُّصُبِ]: Some appointed target,standard, limits, sign, signal showing way; an installed stone for worship; status, post, source, dynastic chain, elite class.

Azlaam [ْأَزْلَامِ]: z l m : to make a mistake; to speak before thinking; to cut from around; to wander around aimlessly; to suffer from hunger; to cut a piece of ear, an arrow without wings.

Fisq [فِسْقٌ] : : A voice, corruption, exceeding limits, sin, crime, immoral act, bad character.

Makhmasatin [ مَخْمَصَةٍ]: A difficult, problem, compulsion.

Al-Jawareh [الْجَوَارِ‌حِ]:: J R H: to injure; sustain injuries; an animal of prey; hands and feet are also “Jawareh” as they hunt and capture the hunted, or commit good or bad deeds; to earn; “maa lahu Jaareh” = he has no earner; to render inactive.

Mukallabeen [مُكَلِّبِينَ] : A tied up prisoner; one strapped; one who trains the hunter animal; to lose senses by madness; madness in a dog by eating human flesh.

Kulu mimma Amsakna ‘alayikum: [فَكُلُوا مِمَّا أَمْسَكْنَ عَلَيْكُمْ]: Know all that they hold against you, or keep in their hearts against you.

Ta’aam [طَعَامُ]:: to take to education, to have power or ability to do it; to be vaccinated, inoculated; to have power over him.

Al-Mominaat [الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ]: Particular Momin groups, parties, communities; Momin females.

Al-Mohsinat [الْمُحْصَنَاتُ]:: Chaste, guarded, fortified, protected communities, groups, or women, in places difficult of access, approach; abstaining from what’s not lawful or from that which induces suspicion or evil opinion.

Al-Mohsineen [مُحْصِنِينَ ] : Same people as mentioned above.

Musaafiheen [مُسَافِحِينَ]:: causing bloodshed; S F H: the lowest level on ground; feet; he caused to flow; he caused bloodshed; illegitimate sexual act; Saffaah: blood letter; killer; ruthless.

Muttakhizi Akhdaan [مُتَّخِذِي أَخْدَانٍ]: : Whispering in secret; conspirator.

Wujooha-kum [وُجُوهَكُمْ] : the direction of your thoughts, targets, ideology; faces.

Ayidiya-kum [أَيْدِيَكُمْ] : Your resources, capabilities, strength, hands.

Ughsiloo [فَاغْسِلُوا] : To wash, clean up, to do cleansing.

Al-Maraafiq [الْمَرَ‌افِقِ]: : Elbows; sources of companionship and assistance; mutually linked, joined.

Amsahu (امْسَحُوا): To start journey on land; to survey, to assess, to cover an area of land, to measure, one who journeys a lot; cleansed; to clean what is wet or dirty.

Ila-al-Ka’abain (إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ ): To the extent of excellence and nobility.

Junuban (جُنُبًا ): A side, direction, corner, strange, stranger, unrelated, from far off, not known.

Attahharu (اطَّهَّرُ‌وا ): Do the cleansing.

Mardhaa (مَّرْ‌ضَىٰ): Afflicted with sickness; in weakness; in problem, error, shortcoming, lacking. One whose heart is in doubt or lags behind in faith and belief (Al-Raaghib).

‘Ala Safarin (عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ‌ ): Travel, travel for acquisition of knowledge and awareness; to shine on the sky of discovery and progress; to illuminate; to become manifest, apparent; to glow, shine, yield, achieve, rise; to draw results; to clean the house from rubbish; Asfaar = Books that reveal truth; to unveil, uncover.

Min Al-Ghaait (مِّنَ الْغَائِطِ): one coming up from a low mental and intellectual level.

Laamastum An-Nisaa (لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ ): Caught or inflicted by some weakness.

Lam Tajidu Maa’an (َلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً): Maa is often used for divine revelation or guidance.

Tayammamu (تَيَمَّمُوا ): Aims, ends, intentions, to determine.

Sa’eedan Tayyiban (صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا): Lofty, exalted, pure.

Al-Bayit al-‘Ateeq (الْبَيْتِ الْعَتِيقِ ): A Center or Institution having overall priority, superiority, being guarded, revered, preferred.

Mansakan (مَنسَكًا) : Values and principles for cleansing or purifying one’s inner self.

Yadhkiroo Ism Allahi (ِّيَذْكُرُ‌وا اسْمَ اللَّـهِ): Memorizing, keeping in view the Divine Attributes/Values.

Baheematul An’aam (بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ): Ambiguous, unpredictable, unspecific, sporadic conduct like that of animals, cattle.

Maa Razaqa-hum (مَا رَ‌زَقَهُم ): Rizq: Free Intellectual dissemination for the hearts and minds, such as several sorts of knowledge and science; to bestow material or spiritual possessions; anything granted to one from which he derives benefit.

Al-Budna (وَالْبُدْنَ): A stout body, grown up and strong; A dress of armour; A body of troops fully armed and equipped.

Sawwaafun (صَوَافَّ ): to devote as a trust for religious activities of service; to present oneself for such service; to dry; to stop; to turn the direction; a trader of wool.

Junoobu-ha (جُنُوبُهَا ): His side; he separated his side or a wing; to afflict damage; to accompany, share, to share a travel or venture; his rights; his landing, settlement, to abide bye, to obey and follow; His Partner, Neighbor; to evade.

Wajabat (وَجَبَتْ ): To become essential, inevitable, compulsory; to fall to ground

Fa Kuloo (فَكُلُوا): Kuloo: Acquire, Benefit from; Take, eat.

Dimaa’ooha (دِمَاؤُهَا ) : (from Damm); his/their bloodletting; Bloodletting by them.

Min Kulli Fajjin ‘Ameeq (مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ ): From every far off place.

Rijaalan (رِ‌جَالًا ): With courage, bravery, manhood,on foot.

‘Ala Kulli Dhaamirin ‌ (وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ‌ ) : Upon every one’s call of conscience.

Fi Ayyamin Ma’loomaat (فِي أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَاتٍ ) : A known, determined period of time.

Tafatha-hum (تَفَثَهُمْ ): Cleaning of mental deviations/rubbish.

Li-Yaqdhoo (لْيَقْضُوا ) : So they may finalize, decide, complete a work.

Yoofu Nazoora-hum (وَلْيُوفُوا نُذُورَ‌هُمْ ) : So that they fulfil their vows, promises, covenants, etc.

Yattawwafu (يَطَّوَّفُوا ) : Tawaaf: To guard, to protect.

Hurumaatil laah (حُرُ‌مَاتِ اللَّـهِ ) :what is prohibited or declared inviolable by God.

Al-An’aam (الْأَنْعَامُ ):Cattle, animals; Bounties from God.

Al-Authaan (الْأَوْثَانِ ) : Wathan; A target of devotion, worship; steadfast; strongly established; to have literary faculty of mind.

Al-Hajj (الْحَجّ): The debate/arguing leading to acceptance of faith.

Al-Umrata (َالْعُمْرَ‌ةَ): = Ayn-Miim-Ra = to inhabit, dwell, mend, repair/revive, tend, build, promote, cultivate, make habitable, to make better, to develop, populate, to serve/uphold/observe/regard, to visit, to colonize, aimed at it, frequently visit, a visit in which is the cultivation of love/affection, repairing to an inhabited place.
perform a sacred visitation, minor pilgrimmage, pilgrimmage with fewer rites.
to remain alive (save life), to live, life, age, long-life, old-age.

Siyaam (صِيَامٍ): Abstinence; training in abstinence.

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Welcome to The Library 

This website offers a wealth of knowledge based on the Quran's divine wisdom and the history of the rise of Islam.  Around 100 small and moderate sized Articles, Books and Thematic Translations await your attention.  This chain of Thematic Translations still continues, and Aurangzaib Yousufzai produces more Quranic Themes elaborated most rationally, from time to time.

All future work will continue to be added and uploaded onto this website.

The hope is that it would revolutionize the Readers' concepts to a great extent, and that they would start looking at the Quran and Islam from a radically altered, but most rational, modern perspective.

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 Aurangzaib Yousufzai - May 2017

 Thematic Quranic Translation Series Installment 2

(In English Language)

Crucial Themes of "Justice with Orphans;"

"The Tragic Allowance of 4 Marriages with Orphans;"

"Men Supervisors over Women"

From Chapter An-Nisaa

Defined in the True Light of the Quran

PRELUDE

Acknowledging the holy text of the QURAN as a masterpiece of unparalleled literary excellence, a fact fully attested by eminent scholars of Arabic language and literature, and an attribute worthy of the Exalted Majesty of its Divine Narrator, this humble writer feels utmost pleasure in initiating a series of short translation papers from this Scripture.  Each installment of this series deals exclusively with a single major topic of the Scripture and its related sub-topics, if any.  The purpose is to offer solutions of numerous ideological riddles confronting man in his day to day life in spite of the existence of loads of full-fledged relative explanations available in the markets with the name of Tafaseer or Interpretations.

Hence, the translation series under study keeps in strict observance the frequent occurrence of allegories, similes, metaphors, idioms and symbolic expressions employed in the Quranic texts – a style that a classical literary writing essentially owns by virtue of its acknowledged attributes.

You will kindly note that every important word or term has, in the first instance, been marked with parenthesis and in the end of the writing, such words and terms are defined in their full scope of meanings by utilizing the input from about one dozen most authentic Arabic lexicons.

This standard procedure not only introduces a most efficient and flawless system for producing strict and exact translation work, but assures that the final outcome is not going to be influenced or adulterated with a tiniest input from external sources such as personal opinions, convictions, dogmas or from the translator’s own understanding reflecting his own particular mindset.

Herewith presented now is the translation of a few initial Verses of Chapter An-Nisaa, brought under intensive research as per the wishes of some close associates.  The basic element in these Verses embodies the issue of Orphans in respect of which necessary guidelines have been prescribed.

It may be pointed out in advance that this theme has been grossly misconceived and misrepresented in a wishful way where the learned translators have unanimously tried to substitute the said Orphans (Yatama) with “destitute women” or “widows” only because the word Nisaa is used in the text symbolically; and because the word NIKAAH is also mentioned at two places.

The entire relative context actually deals with care, upbringing of minor children and handing over their inheritance to them upon reaching the age of reason, and is fully in consonance with the theme under discussion.  In the light of these facts, the questions confronting us are thus elaborated: 

Wherefrom have sprung up here countless women of matured age for the Momineen to marry with twos, threes, and fours of them simultaneously, as per our inherited interpretations? God never talks of widows here.

OR, how can you marry minor Orphan children? 

Even if you commit this crime with minor girls, what do you do with minor males?

What words of Quran suggest the issue of payment of Mehr – the bridal due?

We must feel highly obliged if any learned scholar can enlighten us on these points. Any learned friend who differs is most welcome to contact us with authentic academic references with sincere intentions.

The definitions used in respect of the following translations are attested by authentic lexicons which include Lane’s Lexicon, Al-Munjid, Mufarradaat Raghib, Qamoos al-Waheed, Urdu Mukhtar As-Sehah, Hans Wehr, M.G. Fareed, Nadvi, Bril, etc. etc.

Let us see the results of this effort and analyze it without reservations, wishing to God that He may enlighten us by His divine wisdom.

Chapter An-Nisaa’

Verses 1 to 10

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَ‌بَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِ‌جَالًا كَثِيرً‌ا وَنِسَاءً ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْ‌حَامَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَ‌قِيبًا ﴿١﴾

4:1  O MANKIND! Keep very consciously fearful of your Sustainer, who has created you out of one living entity, and then by its division into two halves, but still complete beings, in the form of male and female, created its mate, and out of their spiritual and physical mating, spread abroad a multitude of men and women. And remain consciously aware of God, in whose name you assert your rights and kinships upon one another. Verily, God is ever watchful over your journey of evolution!

وَآتُوا الْيَتَامَىٰ أَمْوَالَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا تَتَبَدَّلُوا الْخَبِيثَ بِالطَّيِّبِ ۖ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَهُمْ إِلَىٰ أَمْوَالِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حُوبًا كَبِيرً‌ا ﴿٢﴾

4:2  Hence, render unto the orphans their posses¬sions, and do not substitute bad deeds for the good ones; which means, do not grab their possessions by mixing up with your own: this, verily, is a great crime.

وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تُقْسِطُوا فِي الْيَتَامَىٰ فَانكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُم مِّنَ النِّسَاءِ مَثْنَىٰ وَثُلَاثَ وَرُ‌بَاعَ ۖ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰ أَلَّا تَعُولُوا ﴿٣﴾

4:3  And if you have reason to fear that you might not act equitably towards orphans, then sponsor and become guardians (ankahu) of those of this weaker segment of society (min an-Nisaa) who might look suitable for you; may they be two, three or four of them. Still if you have reason to fear that you might not be able to treat them with equal fairness, then sponsor only one - or if you already have one under your sponsorship/supervision/responsibility, that is sufficient. This will make it more likely that you will not suffer undue economic burden.

وآتُوا النِّسَاءَ صَدُقَاتِهِنَّ نِحْلَةً ۚ فَإِن طِبْنَ لَكُمْ عَن شَيْءٍ مِّنْهُ نَفْسًا فَكُلُوهُ هَنِيئًا مَّرِ‌يئًا ﴿٤﴾

4:4  And give this weaker class of society (An-Nisaa) their dues (sadaqaati-hunna) without recourse to argumentation (nihlatun). But if they, of their own accord, intend to give up unto you a part thereof, then enjoy it with pleasure.

وَلَا تُؤْتُوا السُّفَهَاءَ أَمْوَالَكُمُ الَّتِي جَعَلَ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ قِيَامًا وَارْ‌زُقُوهُمْ فِيهَا وَاكْسُوهُمْ وَقُولُوا لَهُمْ قَوْلًا مَّعْرُ‌وفًا ﴿٥﴾

4:5  But keep in mind the general principle not to entrust to those who are weak of judgment the possessions which God has made the means of your stability; but let them have their sustenance there from, and groom them, and speak unto them in a kindly way.

وَابْتَلُوا الْيَتَامَىٰ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغُوا النِّكَاحَ فَإِنْ آنَسْتُم مِّنْهُمْ رُ‌شْدًا فَادْفَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوهَا إِسْرَ‌افًا وَبِدَارً‌ا أَن يَكْبَرُ‌وا ۚ وَمَن كَانَ غَنِيًّا فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ فَقِيرً‌ا فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِالْمَعْرُ‌وفِ ۚ فَإِذَا دَفَعْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فَأَشْهِدُوا عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِاللَّـهِ حَسِيبًا ﴿٦﴾

4:6  And test those orphans by passing through trials until they reach (balaghoo) the age of taking possession and control (An-Nikaah); then, if you find them to be mature of mind, hand over to them their possessions; and do not consume their assets by wasteful spending, and in haste, ere they grow up. And let him who is rich abstain entirely from his ward's property; and let him who is in need partake thereof in a fair manner. And when you hand over to them their possessions, let there be witnesses on their behalf - although none can take count as God does.

ِّللرِّ‌جَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا تَرَ‌كَ الْوَالِدَانِ وَالْأَقْرَ‌بُونَ وَلِلنِّسَاءِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا تَرَ‌كَ الْوَالِدَانِ وَالْأَقْرَ‌بُونَ مِمَّا قَلَّ مِنْهُ أَوْ كَثُرَ‌ ۚ نَصِيبًا مَّفْرُ‌وضًا ﴿٧﴾

4:7  Males out of them SHALL have the full right on what their parents and kinsfolk have left behind, and females shall have full right on what their parents and kinsfolk have left behind, whether it be little or much - a right ordained [by God].

وَإِذَا حَضَرَ‌ الْقِسْمَةَ أُولُو الْقُرْ‌بَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينُ فَارْ‌زُقُوهُم مِّنْهُ وَقُولُوا لَهُمْ قَوْلًا مَّعْرُ‌وفًا ﴿٨﴾

4:8  And when [other] near of kin and orphans and needy persons are present at the distribution of inheritance, give them something thereof for their sustenance, and speak unto them in a kindly way.

وَلْيَخْشَ الَّذِينَ لَوْ تَرَ‌كُوا مِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ ذُرِّ‌يَّةً ضِعَافًا خَافُوا عَلَيْهِمْ فَلْيَتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ وَلْيَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا ﴿٩﴾

4:9  And all concerned must visualize the possible fate of leaving behind them their own weaker offspring fearing their destitution; so let them all remain conscious of God, and let them always be just and straightforward.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ الْيَتَامَىٰ ظُلْمًا إِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِي بُطُونِهِمْ نَارً‌ا ۖ وَسَيَصْلَوْنَ سَعِيرً‌ا ﴿١٠﴾

4:10  Behold, those who sinfully grab the posses¬sions of orphans they fill up their bellies with fire: they will have to endure a blazing flame!


An-Nisaa: 34

الرِّ‌جَالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ اللَّـهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ وَبِمَا أَنفَقُوا مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ ۚ فَالصَّالِحَاتُ قَانِتَاتٌ حَافِظَاتٌ لِّلْغَيْبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ اللَّـهُ ۚ وَاللَّاتِي تَخَافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَاهْجُرُ‌وهُنَّ فِي الْمَضَاجِعِ وَاضْرِ‌بُوهُنَّ ۖ فَإِنْ أَطَعْنَكُمْ فَلَا تَبْغُوا عَلَيْهِنَّ سَبِيلًا ۗ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ كَانَ عَلِيًّا كَبِيرً‌ا ﴿٣٤﴾

4:34  The people of power and authority in a society are required to provide all the means of stability to their weaker segments inasmuch as God’s law has, as a matter of course, granted some of them status of superiority over others and inasmuch as they are in a position to spend from the public exchequer. Hence, the society’s righteous segments, loyal and obedient groups, are the guardians of those future aspirations of their nations which God Himself safeguards. However, those of them you fear disobedience from, admonish them, leave them to counsel in their meetings and explain things to them clearly. Thereafter, if they obey your directives in normal course, do not find ways to confront them. Verily only Allah is the high and exalted one.

Authentic meanings of words in parenthesis:

Attaqu [اتَّقُوا ]; Waw-Qaf-Ya = to protect, save, preserve, ward off, guard against evil and calamity, be secure, take as a shield, regard the duty. muttaqii - one who guard against evil and against that which harms and injures and is regardful of his duty towards human beings and God.

Al-arhaam: . Arham - Wombs (singular) womb, i.e. place of origin. The receptacle of the young in the belly.

Ruhmun - Relationship, i.e. nearness of kin, connection by birth; relationship connecting with an ancestor. A connection or tie of relationship.

Raqeeban: Ra-Qaf-Ba = to guard, observe, watch, respect, regard, wait for, tie by the neck, warn, fear, control. raqib - guard, observer, watcher. yataraqqab - observing, awaiting, looking about, watching. riqab - neck, slave, captive of war.

Al-Yatama: Ya-Ta-Miim = orphan, fatherless, become isolated or lonely, solitary, weary, jaded, become without father before puberty/maturity.

Hooban: Ha-Waw-Ba (Ha-Alif-Ba) = To transgress, commit a sin, do what is unlawful, be in an evil condition or state, to slay, pursue a course which leads to sin or crime, to cry or cry out in sorrow and grief, to lament or complain.

An-Nisaa: NSW and NSY: forgotten, forsaken, neglected, feminine, weak, weakness, women, womanly, effeminate.

Ankihu: NKH: to enter into agreement, to overpower, to take possession, to enter into marriage agreement, absorption of rainwater into earth.

Sadaqaat: [صَدُقَاتِهِنَّ]: ; Dues; due payments; due rights; taxes and levies; cattle money; poor rate.

Balaghoo: [بَلَغُوا]: Ba-Lam-Gh =Reaching, attaining, arriving, coming to the utmost point to which one directs one's course or one who seeks, pursues, desires, intends or tries to reach. Or the reaching, attaining or coming to a point.
An event/time that is premeditated, intended, determined or appointed
Having an effect
Bringing, conveying or delivering communications, announcements, news or tidings
Exceeding usual, proper, ordinary just bounds/degrees, acting egregiously, immoderately or extravagantly

__________________________________

"I have read about an objection raised with regard to the authentic meanings of NISA discovered in my research process.  I welcome this gesture and feel obliged to answer.  Therefore, here is the most authentic explanation of the scope of meanings of NISA from different world famous lexicons:

The word NISAA according to different authentic lexicons:

NISAA: nsw, nsy; tansiah; mansaah: ([النِّسَاءُ]: تنسئۃ ۔ نسیء۔ نساء ۔ نسُوء۔ منساۃ ۔ ن س ی/ن س و
lowly people; rubble; a forlorn thing, insignificant, completely forgotten, womanly, effeminate, to render ignominious, render backward, postponement, delay; oblivion, forgotten, counted for nothing, who is despised.
“’Arq-un-Nisaa”- a sickness that causes weakness – Sciatic Nerve. Both root words overlap with each other.

In Lane’s Lexicon both roots are given together and ‘women’ are not specified in their definition – see supplement, page 3033.

‘Tanasah’تناساہ : He showed that he has forgotten it; he forgot it; he neglected; he threw it out of mind.
In “Lughaat al-Quran” its figurative meaning is given as “that segment of a society who lacks manhood” (for details, see the title ZBH and BNW).

In other Lexicons both Roots are defined separately as under :-

NSW: An-Niswah, An-Nisaa,An-Niswaan: All of these are non-literal plurals of al-Mar’ah, meaning that al-Mar’ah means ‘a woman’ and ‘an-Nisa’(etc.) means many women. Its singular does not appear from its Root. On the other hand, in Lisaan al-‘Arab, its plural is also shown as ‘Niswah’. With reference to Sibawiyah, nisaa, niswi, niswah and nusiaat are mentioned.

NSY: Its meaning is given as ‘to disregard, to neglect, to forgo. Nasi here signifies as ‘to disappear from the sight (5/14)’; Insaa: to put off, to delay."

Hope the authentic references above serve to satisfy the probing minds in respect of the real and genuine meanings of NISA."

---Aurangzaib Yousufzai

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Aurangzaib Yousufzai - May 2017

Thematic Quranic Translation Series Installment 1 

(In English Language)

Crucial themes of “Azwaaj-un-Nabi” and “Buyoot-un-Nabi”; “Zahaar”,
“Nikaah”,“Ta’aam”
From Chapter Al-Ahzaab

Defined in the True Light of the Quran

PRELUDE

Acknowledging the holy text of the QURAN as a masterpiece of unparalleled literary excellence, a fact fully attested by eminent scholars of Arabic language and literature, and an attribute worthy of the Universal Majesty of its Divine Narrator, this humble writer feels utmost pleasure in initiating a series of short translation papers from this Scripture.  Each installment of this series deals exclusively with a single major topic of the Scripture and its related sub-topics, if any.  The purpose is to offer solutions of numerous ideological riddles confronting man in his day to day life in spite of the easy availability of full-fledged relative explanations appearing in the markets with the name of Tafaseer or Interpretations.

To lay emphasis on just the particular themes serves the purpose of reducing the magnitude of work undertaken.  It helps sidetrack the long and frightening process of a complete or wholesome translation (or interpretation) of the entire Quran – a formidable task which would definitely entail lots of useless repetitions.  It also helps target only those most controversial issues whose essence has been grossly corrupted by vested interests in the early age of Islam.

Hence, the translation series under study keeps in strict observance the frequent occurrence of allegories, similes, metaphors, idioms and symbolic expressions in the Quranic texts – a style that a classical literary writing essentially owns by virtue of its acknowledged attributes.

You will kindly note that every important word or term has, in the first instance, been marked with parenthesis and in the end of the writing, such words and terms are defined in their full scope of meanings by utilizing the input from about one dozen most authentic Arabic lexicons.

This standard procedure not only introduces a most efficient and flawless system for producing strict and exact translation work, but assures that the final outcome is not going to be infiltrated or adulterated with a single word from external sources such as personal opinions, convictions, dogmas or from the translator’s own understanding reflecting his own particular mindset.

The standard yardstick of this work has been fixed upon knowledge, rationality, logic and intellect, along with the latest research techniques, with a view to keeping it pure from all additions, interpolations, redactions and biases.

The hitherto prevalent literal translations of these themes, inherited from an unenviable past, are vehemently condemned and it is recommended to discard those fabrications altogether in view of their proven vicious role in corrupting the original and pristine image of the Quran.

This humble writer is neither affiliated with a religious sect, nor believes in schism, split or sectarianism among humanity.  His perspective is none other than the Creator and the underlying purpose behind His overall Creative act - starting from the cosmic stage, gradually expanding in successive steps and finally culminating into the launch of the yet most advanced stage of human life.  He deliberates in Al-Quran with the said perspective in mind, exploring its ultimate Guidance for building the noblest of human character and conduct.  It goes without saying that the pursuit of the Quran’s prescribed mode of conduct in its true light can keep the human caravan in motion, generation after generation, towards its appointed destination.

Let us then, after this short expression of the related background, have a glance on the most up to date academic and rational research on our theme under discussion.

It may be added here as an advance hint that our religious clergy have memorized only a single definition of every word or term of the Quranic texts which, beyond a fraction of variance, is indiscriminately applied in all contexts as a literal and most commonplace meaning prevalent among the street masses.  Higher style of an intellectual and literary writing like allegories, metaphors, symbolic or idiomatic expressions, always observed in the exalted texts of the Quran, have always been impossible for them to discern and follow, or they deliberately ignored these literary expressions in order to meet their vicious ends – those ends which could not be served by a qualified scholarly translation.  They have been bereft of the ability of undertaking research for checking the veracity of main propositions of a Quranic theme and, as a result, indulged in deriving blind deductions therefrom without giving a thought to the essence of the most literary vocabulary used.  In the Verses under review too, our learned translators have been taught only a single meaning of the word “Azwaaj”,,,,viz.,,,,Wives.  Similarly, “Buyoot and Ta’aam” also meant for them as just “houses and food."

Let us see after the latest research efforts as to how beautifully Allah swt prescribes the noble values of character that lead to humankind’s evolution, and how His narrative has been converted into frivolities like wives, houses, eating and false oath-taking, etc.  Let us find out how every sentence fits in its context like pearls fitted perfectly in a necklace.

Verses 1 to 6: 

یَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ اللَّـهَ وَلَا تُطِعِ الْكَافِرِ‌ينَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا ﴿١﴾

33:1  O Exalted Leader (An-Nabi); remain conscious of God’s commandments, and follow not the deniers of the truth and the hypo-crites: for God is the one with knowledge and wisdom.

وَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّ‌بِّكَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرً‌ا ﴿٢﴾ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّـهِ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِاللَّـهِ وَكِيلًا[۳]

33:2-3  Therefore follow only that which comes unto thee through revelation from thy Sustainer: for God is truly aware of all that you do.  And place thy trust in God alone: for none is as worthy of trust as God.

مَّا جَعَلَ اللَّـهُ لِرَ‌جُلٍ مِّن قَلْبَيْنِ فِي جَوْفِهِ ۚ وَمَا جَعَلَ أَزْوَاجَكُمُ اللَّائِي تُظَاهِرُ‌ونَ مِنْهُنَّ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ ۚ وَمَا جَعَلَ أَدْعِيَاءَكُمْ أَبْنَاءَكُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ قَوْلُكُم بِأَفْوَاهِكُمْ ۖ وَاللَّـهُ يَقُولُ الْحَقَّ وَهُوَ يَهْدِي السَّبِيلَ ﴿٤﴾

33:4  NEVER has God endowed any man with two minds in one self: and likewise He has never declared those you have recently overcome (tuzahiroona) your true peers (ummahati-kum); nor has He declared those you have adopted/converted into your own (ad’iya’a-kum) as your sons of the soil (abnaa’akum).  These are but figures of speech uttered by your mouths (Qaulu-kum bi-afwahi-kum) - whereas God always speaks the absolute truth: and it is He alone who can show the right path.

ادْعُوهُمْ لِآبَائِهِمْ هُوَ أَقْسَطُ عِندَ اللَّـهِ ۚ فَإِن لَّمْ تَعْلَمُوا آبَاءَهُمْ فَإِخْوَانُكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَمَوَالِيكُمْ ۚ وَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ فِيمَا أَخْطَأْتُم بِهِ وَلَـٰكِن مَّا تَعَمَّدَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّـهُ غَفُورً‌ا رَّ‌حِيمًا ﴿٥﴾

33:5  Call such people by their [real] fathers’ names: this is more equitable in the sight of God; and if you know not who their fathers were, call them your brethren in faith and your friends.  However, you will incur no sin if you err in this respect: unless you do it with your hearts’ intent - for God is indeed much-forgiv¬ing, a dispenser of grace!

النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَىٰ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ ۗ وَأُولُو الْأَرْ‌حَامِ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلَىٰ بِبَعْضٍ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّـهِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُهَاجِرِ‌ينَ إِلَّا أَن تَفْعَلُوا إِلَىٰ أَوْلِيَائِكُم مَّعْرُ‌وفًا ۚ كَانَ ذَٰلِكَ فِي الْكِتَابِ مَسْطُورً‌ا ﴿٦﴾

33:6  The Exalted Leader (An-Nabi) commands a position of an elder and a friend for the enforcers of peace closer to them than their own selves; and his close companions (azwaaju-hu) have the position of Roots and foundations of their community (ummahaatu-hum): and they who are closely related to each other (oolu-al-arhaam) among the peace enforcers and the immigrants have the same status of close friends and supporters for each other in accordance with God’s decree.  None the less, be careful that you act in favour of each other in the way generally acceptable; such is the divine law written down in the Book clearly.

From Verse 50 to 54

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَحْلَلْنَا لَكَ أَزْوَاجَكَ اللَّاتِي آتَيْتَ أُجُورَ‌هُنَّ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُكَ مِمَّا أَفَاءَ اللَّـهُ عَلَيْكَ وَبَنَاتِ عَمِّكَ وَبَنَاتِ عَمَّاتِكَ وَبَنَاتِ خَالِكَ وَبَنَاتِ خَالَاتِكَ اللَّاتِي هَاجَرْ‌نَ مَعَكَ وَامْرَ‌أَةً مُّؤْمِنَةً إِن وَهَبَتْ نَفْسَهَا لِلنَّبِيِّ إِنْ أَرَ‌ادَ النَّبِيُّ أَن يَسْتَنكِحَهَا خَالِصَةً لَّكَ مِن دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۗ قَدْ عَلِمْنَا مَا فَرَ‌ضْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ فِي أَزْوَاجِهِمْ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ لِكَيْلَا يَكُونَ عَلَيْكَ حَرَ‌جٌ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّـهُ غَفُورً‌ا رَّ‌حِيمًا ﴿٥٠﴾

33:50  O Exalted Leader (An-Nabi), We have absolved (ahlal-na) those of your people (Azwajaka) whose remunerations you have already fixed, from all other duties and responsibilities to work for your mission (la-ka).  And those too are free whom Allah has brought under your subordination or supervision (ma malakat ayimanukum) as a result of wars.  Moreover those of your maternal and paternal female cousins who have emigrated along with you as well as those lady peace enforcers who volunteer for your mission, you can call them up to perform duties under certain terms and conditions (yastankihu-ha) should you so require as Head of the State.  The discretion in this case is exclusively for you, not for other responsible peace-keepers.  As far as other responsible officers are concerned, they have already been briefed on their functions and responsibilities in respect of the people under their jurisdiction so that you are not over burdened with overall responsibilities.  God’s laws ensure protection and sustenance for all.

تُرْ‌جِي مَن تَشَاءُ مِنْهُنَّ وَتُؤْوِي إِلَيْكَ مَن تَشَاءُ ۖ وَمَنِ ابْتَغَيْتَ مِمَّنْ عَزَلْتَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰ أَن تَقَرَّ‌ أَعْيُنُهُنَّ وَلَا يَحْزَنَّ وَيَرْ‌ضَيْنَ بِمَا آتَيْتَهُنَّ كُلُّهُنَّ ۚ وَاللَّـهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّـهُ عَلِيمًا حَلِيمًا ﴿٥١﴾

33:51  You may put off for a time whichever of these groups you wish to, and you may call up and entrust duties unto whichever you deem fit; and subsequently if you summon any one from whom you have kept waiting for a time, you will incur no transgression.  This way will make it more likely that their eyes are gladdened and that they do not grieve and that all of them may find contentment in whatever thou hast to give them. God alone knows what is in your hearts - and God is indeed all-knowing, forbearing.

لَّا يَحِلُّ لَكَ النِّسَاءُ مِن بَعْدُ وَلَا أَن تَبَدَّلَ بِهِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ حُسْنُهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُكَ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّـهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ رَّ‌قِيبًا ﴿٥٢﴾

33:52  Subsequent to that, women shall henceforth not be absolved from their responsibilities (laa yuhilla) to work for your mission; nor would you replace their present groups with others even though their qualities should please you greatly.  The exception would be just for those who are already working under your subordination/supervision (maa malakat yameenika). Keep in mind that God keeps watch over everything.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتَ النَّبِيِّ إِلَّا أَن يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ إِلَىٰ طَعَامٍ غَيْرَ‌ نَاظِرِ‌ينَ إِنَاهُ وَلَـٰكِنْ إِذَا دُعِيتُمْ فَادْخُلُوا فَإِذَا طَعِمْتُمْ فَانتَشِرُ‌وا وَلَا مُسْتَأْنِسِينَ لِحَدِيثٍ ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكُمْ كَانَ يُؤْذِي النَّبِيَّ فَيَسْتَحْيِي مِنكُمْ ۖ وَاللَّـهُ لَا يَسْتَحْيِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ ۚ وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَاسْأَلُوهُنَّ مِن وَرَ‌اءِ حِجَابٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ‌ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَن تُؤْذُوا رَ‌سُولَ اللَّـهِ وَلَا أَن تَنكِحُوا أَزْوَاجَهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ أَبَدًا ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكُمْ كَانَ عِندَ اللَّـهِ عَظِيمًا ﴿٥٣﴾

33:53  O People of peace and faith, to attain your goal of seeking knowledge (ilaa Ta’aam), do not intrude (laa tadkhulu) in your exalted Leader’s strategic planning and deliberations (Buyoot-un-Nabi) without waiting for a suitable time, unless you are allowed in.  Therefore, you may enter only when invited to and may leave as soon as you get your feedback, without prolonging your discourse unnecessarily.  Your previous conduct is the cause of offence to your leader and yet he feels shy of asking you to leave.  Nevertheless, God is not shy of teaching you what is right.  And whenever you need to ask them for some material assistance, it will be helpful for both parties’ purity of hearts if such is asked in private avoiding the sight of irrelevant onlookers (min waraai-hijaab), . Moreover, it does not behove you to give offence to God’s Apostle by your conduct - just as it would not behove you ever to overpower (tankihu) or pressurize his elder companions (azwaja-hu) in his absence (min ha’adu-hu).  That, verily, would be an enormity in the sight of God.

إِن تُبْدُوا شَيْئًا أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا ﴿٥٤﴾

33:54  Whether you do anything openly or in secret, remember that, verily, God has full knowledge of everything.

Words in brackets defined as under:

(Azwaajukum): ازواجکم; Your people, companions, comrades, different groups of people.

(Tuzahiroona): ظ ہ ر: to overcome, dominate, become prominent, gain superiority.

(Ummahaati-kum): ا م م ; Nation, people, posterity, foundation; root, origin, community; leader; example, direction, source, grandmother, etc.

(ad’iya’akum): ۔ادعیائکم; those whom you seek, desire, ask, demand, summon, call upon; those you invite & include in your people; and who affiliate themselves to their own fathers and communities/tribes/nations.

(abnaa-akum) : ابنائکم; Heroes of a nation; sons of soil; proud sons of a community; your sons.

(qaulu-kum): قولکم; Your statement; your words.

(bi-afwahi-kum): بافواھکم; uttered by your tongue;

(azwaji-hi): ازواجہ; His people, his comrades, companions, his community, crowd.

(An-Nabi): النبی; One standing on a high pedestal of a leader/guide.

(Ujura-hunna): ا ج ر ; Wages, salaries, remuneration, rights, returns.

(Ahlal-na): halla; ح ل ل; settle, stop, descend, sojourn, lodging, taking abode, make lawful or free or allowable, free from obligation, responsibility, untying, unfastening, solution, unraveling, dissolution, disbandment, decontrol.

(Afa’allahu alyika): و ف ی ; Compensation from wars, spoils of war, to discharge obligations, to pay in full, to fulfill, to keep promise, to pay a debt, to die.

(maa malakat yameeni-ka): ما ملکت یمینک; A subordinate/servant under a contract; those under your sponsorship/supervision; employees working for you under terms and conditions.

(an-yastankihu-ha); استنکاح; the measure of ISTAF’AAL ; to summon for posting, for awarding responsibilities; to call for making a contract or agreement; to call to give a job; to call for a marriage agreement.

(al-Momineen): المومنین; The enforcer of Peace; those responsible for establishment of peace and faith; those who spread the ideology of peace; faithful, peace loving responsible people.

(Turji): ارجا; to cause to wait, to delay, postpone, put off, adjourn

(Tu’wi ilayika): آویٰ; To receive hospitably, to take to yourself, to shelter and to strengthen, to return.

(laa yuhilla): لا یحل; Not permitted; not allowed; restricted; not freed from responsibilities or obligations; not settled; problem not solved.

(Ta’aam): طعام; to acquire, an appropriate quality in a man, to take to education, to have power or ability to do it, to be vaccinated, inoculated.

(Buyoot); بیت، بیوت; secret deliberations; to make decision in secrecy; elite class; respectable house; noble person; elders; overnight thinking and decision making. (Al-Munjid, Hans Wehr, Qamoos al-Waheed).

(Laa tadkhuloo): لا تدخلو؛ د خ ل ; to enter; to interfere; income; revenue, something happen to someone; to appear, to intrude in a meeting, to confuse, to mix up, etc.

(illa an-yuzana lakum); إِلَّا أَن يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ; except/incase they allow you.

(izaa du’ayitum); إِذَا دُعِيتُمْ; If you are invited.

(izaa ta’imtum); فَإِذَا طَعِمْتُم; When you have learnt, acquired, eaten.

(mata’an); مَتَاعًا; Necessities of life,pleasure,benefit,wealth, property.

(min waraa-i-hijaab); مِن وَرَ‌اءِ حِجَابٍ; In private, in seclusion, by keeping hidden, secret, safe; away from sight.

(An-Nisaa); النِّسَاءُ; تنسئۃ، نسیء، نساء، نسوء، منساۃ۔ ن س ی/ن س و; Lowly, forlorn thing; insignificant; rubble; completely forgotten; womanly; effeminate; to render ignominious; render backward; postponement; delay.

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Aurangzaib Yousufzai – November 2017

Thematic QuranicTranslation Series - Installment 29 

(In English Language)

RIBA OR AL-RIBA NOT INTEREST/USURY 

IN THE QURAN!

Rebuttal of Fictitious Traditional Interpretations

Relevant Verses Brought under Rational and Academic

Scrutiny

PRELUDE

The fundamental question confronting us in this research Article stands like this :-

Are the Quranic terms “RIBA” and “AL-RIBA”, in purely linguistic terms, synonymous with INTEREST/USURY as stipulated in our Interpretations (tafaseer) and translations –

OR, is that another manifest distortion of, and deviation from, the real and original Quranic theme?

WHAT was the ACTUAL QURANIC THEME as represented by RIBA and Al-RIBA, and why was it camouflaged under a false definition, WE ARE GOING TO DISCOVER from the following meticulous research.

This is another chapter in the chain of our continued mission of introducing radical reforms in those bogus interpretations of Quran through which its original philosophy was grossly misconstrued and misrepresented to meet the vicious ends of despotic Umayyad and Abbaside regimes in the early age of Islam. Quran’s content was in fact subjected to deliberate systematic corruption that smeared its face with confusion and ambiguity. This conspiracy was to exercise a most potent and devastating influence on the genuine Islamic Doctrine. From the Quran’s “officially” fabricated corrupt Interpretations (Tafaseer) sprang up a series of fake and substandard translations that served to spread a false picture of Islam in the entire world, thereby making the Muslim faith group a target of hatred, fanaticism and ridicule. The sole aim of this writing, therefore, is to reintroduce the Quranic injunctions to the world in their purest and most rational form, thereby seeking to refute and discredit its alleged teachings of hate, violence and intolerance.

As we still find before us countless insane translations with their meaningless presentations, preventing us effectively from reaching the true message of our Creator, therefore, if this writer might exercise a bit of Inductive Logic on the issue of our Title, and proclaim through this writing that INTEREST is NOT a distinct topic discussed in Quran at all, what would be the Readers’ reaction to this alarming discovery???

In other words, if a naked reality is highlighted here on the basis of a purely scholarly research, proving that the Verses supposed to be dealing with INTEREST, are actually misconstrued and misrepresented in a typical way; these rather speak of the problem of huge growth of wealth through exorbitant profiteering and the great exploitation resulting there from, and that our Lord at this juncture forbids and admonishes those who indulge in this kind of adventure, and that He never even once spoke on the issue of INTEREST in this context, what would be the Readers’ response to that startling discovery???

Allow me to say, without hesitation, that the seasoned Quranic scholars as well as a huge number of students of Islamic theology around the globe would straightaway declare the above claim as nonsense. Why so? It is because this type of mindset is not of their making!!! They are led to act this way only because the entire corps of our old and modern Quranic scholars, including our most respected contemporary teachers, have collectively followed a more or less blind pursuit policy in respect of our Ideology. They have never adequately realized that they have inherited it in a fully distorted form. Most of them have discarded the remotest possibility of error in the distorted definitions of Quranic “RIBA”. All of them have assumed its prevalent illogical definition as correct, and have produced numerous expositions, books and research articles justifying its lame and meaningless translations and discussing its pros and cons. Hence, they have proved that a dead nation like Muslims nowhere else exists on this Planet, having been persistently adamant in employing the deductive logic of ancient times in all its philosophical pursuits.

Accordingly, you may always find them preposterously insisting upon “fitting the “mold” on the cap, rather than fitting the cap on its mold”. Failing to succeed in this pretentious venture, because the cap is of a wrong size, you will find them hell bent on rejecting the “mold” itself in an insane sentimental way, because they fear it may desecrate the verdicts given by their old sage Imams (Religious Scholars). And in this particular mindset of turning a universal truth into a wrong just for the sake of respect for old Imams, this nation holds a unique position in the World.

Dear friends, it goes without saying that it was the “acknowledgement of the possibility of error” which introduced the Inductive Logic in man’s journey of intellectual evolution. Inductive Logic was the harbinger of Europe’s Renaissance - the Europe which today leads the world in knowledge, philosophy and sciences and follows the route to unimaginable progress. As for the ancient Deductive Logic, it was always unable to benefit the humanity except in providing the backward with a so-called “logical base” for a morbid thought process; whereas, in contrast, the Inductive Logic was the source of freedom of thought, advancement in knowledge and cultivation of broad based research orientation. It raised the foundations of scientific thinking and enlightened the roads of analysis, assessment, exploration and discovery and paved the way for new and novel thinking.

In short, the Quranic term “RIBA, in its entire context, is defined as “increase, excess, addition, growth, a swelling” obtained in wealth or investment. This is the definition of its Root. Moreover, where this word is narrated in the form of “Al-Riba”, it denotes “that particular rate of growth/profit/addition which dishonestly multiplies one’s wealth”. This particular definition of Al-Riba has been confirmed by the Almighty in His own words by saying : “Laa ta’kuloo Al-Riba idh’aafan mudha’ifatan” (3/130) – meaning,,,,”Do not grab that kind of profit which multiplies your wealth many times”- - - - simply signifying the concentration of wealth.

Hence, according to this explanation by the Lord Himself, INTEREST does not fall under the purview of Al-Riba. To some extent, it could have suggested INTEREST in case the narration may have referred to some kind of loan. But let us bring on record that in the entire context of RIBA in Quran, the giving or taking of loan or its repayment has not been discussed at all. But the translators and the exegetists had the audacity, in a defiant way, to make frequent unauthorized additions of loaning and its repayment in the margins or footnotes of their interpretations. And thus they have committed open acts of interpolations in Quranic texts. Contrary to their “witty craftsmanship”, this Quranic theme neither deals with loans nor with INTEREST, as you will kindly discover from the authentic rational and academic translations of relevant Verses that are presented herewith to make this old balloon burst.

Therefore, the situation boils down like this; that in case we intend to derive a meaning from RIBA of other than “addition/growth in the wealth or investment”, or “unfair/ exorbitant/multiplying profit or addition”, in an effort to divert it illegitimately towards INTEREST to create a senseless drama, we would need to fabricate our own terminology of some combinations like ,,,Riba al-Fadhl, Riba al-nasi’ah, Riba al-yad, Riba al-Qardh, Riba al-maal, al-Marabaat,, etc. etc., as you will find having been attempted in “Umdat ul Haffaaz” and “Al-Munjid”, etc.

Supposing for example, if we agree to the old illegitimate definition of INTEREST from the word Riba, which goes like this :- “Do not eat that Interest which becomes double and quadruple (multiplies) (3/130)”,,,then we have to face some questions which have remained unanswered till date, like:-

Is some kind of Interest allowed and some other kind prohibited??? Say for example, if some kind of Interest does not multiply,,,,but rather is limited to 10 or 20% per year,,,,would it then be allowed???

Or say,,,Is the simple Interest allowed and the Compound Interest prohibited??? If the answer is in YES,,,would that derivation be authentic under other Quranic injunctions which totally ban any kind of Interest??? Would that not be called our own personal concept???

If we take RIBA as INTEREST in this Verse, would this definition fit in the context of other relevant verses???-- - - No dear friends, it won’t ever be possible.

In fact, we have never tried to deliberate as to why the Lord Almighty would ignore altogether all the other big and ugly manipulative practices of an exploitative capitalist economy, and why He would only concentrate on a single segment of INTEREST!!! And why would He speak about the abrogation of it alone???

Let us think that the Almighty Who is the Creator and the Guide of the entire Universe and responsible for its flawless functioning, just can’t overlook the entire fields of exorbitant profiteering, viz., smuggling, hoarding, black marketing, cartelization, monopolies, licenses, permits, quotas, artificially induced higher prices, cruel taxation, etc. - - -which are the manipulative tactics of a capitalist economy, and the means of unlimited multiplication of wealth by a few people! Why would He keep quiet about those exploitive practices, and would not pass commandments against them? What in God’s name is the problem with the interest-bearing loans alone? Why would they should be apprehended exclusively while countless other means of financial manipulation and exploitation may be openly functioning?? And because of those crooked financial tactics, not only loan seekers, but each and every one of the population might have become a victim of financial robbery and extortion!!! In our homeland at least, we are witness to this situation every minute of our lives and continue suffering grievously.

It also goes without saying that all of us do collectively acknowledge that Allah’s exalted commandments are versatile and diverse in their nature and stand on the foundations on all-pervasive values and virtues. These values and virtues are applicable in every practical field in their vast entirety. And He emphasizes in His Word too that He has not ignored anything without mentioning or clarifying. ”All the dry and the wet exists in His vivid Book” (Verse 6/59). Hence, in your opinion, why is it not so about our topic of discussion? Why at this juncture, just one small segment of our economic activity (interest!) has been subjected to severe condemnation, and all the rest are set free to do what they want?

Dear friends, in fact, nothing escapes the knowledge of Allah. In the misconstrued or distorted issue of Al-RIBA too, He has not neglected a single segment of economy. Rather, He has imposed the element of “Al-Riba” on the entire economy by declaring it “the unfair and multiplying addition or profit”. Therefore, the hitherto conspicuously concealed reality is that the Quranic terms “RIBA” and “Al-RIBA” are not INTEREST in their root meaning. These signify something other than that. Let us do away with this conundrum and move forward together step by step and witness the all-pervading scope of Quran and the height of its divine wisdom.

So, presented herewith before the people of intellect is the latest, purely rational and academic research on the important theme of “Quranic Al-RIBA”. Because this humble writer is endeavoring in a missionary struggle to introduce, through his Thematic Translation Series, an absolutely fresh and highly advanced Quranic era, therefore, on this theme too you would find a revolutionary advancement, opening up some new vistas of Divine Wisdom, presenting Quran in its true and pure meanings. You will find such depth and width of meanings as would startle you and force you to undertake a probing process of your own and pass this translation through stages of investigation and assessment, and then, if necessary, raise questions about its veracity wherever you may find a deficiency. The aim is to present to the world out there, through consensus of opinion, an authentic and reliable form of Divine Injunctions, free from the effects of a scary past, and enlighten the vision of the intellectual world with the light of its wider truth. The last Divine Scripture’s dynamic wisdom may appear like a blazing sun and force the world to submit in reverence and obedience.

Under the title of “INTEREST” there goes on a perennial conflict in the faith as to what should be construed as INTEREST?,,,and what may not be taken as INTEREST?- - - - which kind of Interest is allowed and which one is prohibited (the debate of simple Interest and Compound Interest)?- - - -What rate of Interest has been allowed, and what is Haraam??? What is acceptable with one school of thought and what else is acknowledged by the other school of thought??? The most valued Muslim religious University like Jamia Al-Azhar also issues edicts on this issue from time to time. Under the perspective of Quranic Injunctions, and on the basis of their substandard, illogical and unauthentic traditional translations, taken up directly from the fake wishful interpretations, the same old Deductive Logic is applied and conclusions are drawn and presented. This process continues till date. There are loads of theses, articles and research papers by world’s most eminent scholars. However, the focal point of this entire process is based on blind pursuit or conformism. Turning away from the probe and investigation of a fundamental misconception, emphasis are laid on “rejecting the mold” and substantiate the “faulty cap” as fit. On the other side, Hadith is used to fetch references in support of personal concepts. Thirdly, the vast field of Fiqh (Jurisprudence) is crowded with the edicts of jurists which at large are contradictory and inconsistent with each other, and laced with awesome formidable terminology, too difficult to comprehend. That’s why they stand practically inapplicable. On the fourth side, the field of modern economics is also not left alone and all the prevalent forms of Interest in vogue presently and experts’ opinions on them are included in these discussions so that this issue reaches a mutually agreed conclusion.

But-- - -has anyone ever bothered to think as to whether the Quranic Root word stands for INTEREST or NOT??? And what does its Root meaning basically imply or infer????

The Quran, in its Verses, narrates a word “Riba”,,,or,,,”Al-Riba”,,,,whose authentic meaning can in no way be taken as “INTEREST”. Lane’s world famous Lexicon, in its most comprehensive explanation of RIBA, takes its meaning as INTEREST only under the influence of prevalent fictitious interpretations, in a supplemental way, and for this reason such a meaning and its explanation, because of Compiler’s reservations, is always presented in parenthesis. It means that INTEREST is not taken as a basic meaning derived from Riba’s Root. And Lane’s style looks right in this respect as Quran is signifying here a certain growth and addition or - - -an unfair growth, in wealth. And it means that it is, at large, such an extreme profit from a business that crosses limits of justice and fair play, and multiplies the capital. It doesn’t mention any kind of INTEREST taking.

So friends, this research also substantiates with authority that Quran has not brought under discussion any distinct theme that might be called INTEREST. Commonsense also stipulates that where there is INTEREST there ought to be a certain mention in its context of a loan taking or loan repaying act. BUT, on the contrary, all the relevant verses fail to suggest the theme of a loan at all. Kindly check the authentic meaning of RIBA’s root word, where you would find that INTEREST just can’t be derived from its scope:-

1) Look at the Root word: Ra-Ba-Waw: ر ب و = it increased/ augmented, , excess/addition, an addition obtained more than what is supposed to be received, become high/grown up/large/swollen/risen, mount up, to grow/swell, out of breath, panting. rabiyatun - ever-increasing, severe. arba (comp. form) - more numerous, more increased,

2) Look at the infinitive: Tarbiah : تربیۃ : tarbiayatun; rabbayitu-hu; ربّیتُہ: I reared him, fostered him, or brought him up; namely a child: I fed, or nourished, him, or it; or anything of what grows, or increases, such as a child, and seed-produce, and the like; Rabbayitu; ربیتُ: I reared, or cultivated, plants or trees. And ربّی: is said of earth, or soil, meaning It fostered plants or herbage.

3) Look at the equivalent of INTEREST in Arabic, in the Cambridge English-Arabic Dictionary:- “Interest (noun) is= فائدہ ; the extra money that you must pay to a bank if you borrow money, or that you receive from the bank if you keep your money there: فائدة .” (Please note that it is NOT RIBA ربا.)

4) Look into many Arabic only Authentic Dictionaries, including Lisaan ul Arab. There too you would find the equivalent of INTEREST as “FAAIDAH” فائدہ.

5) Look at the Verbal Usage of RIBA in Quran, which shows the verbs YARBU, YARBI. Nowhere you will find INTEREST derived there from!!!...

The writer trusts the five points illustrated above are enough to satisfy every scholar or student about the fact that INTEREST cannot be derived from the Root of RIBA.

Therefore, we are in reality misled to believe that its meaning covers INTEREST too just because the earlier scholars have taken it for that meaning. BUT it is a misconception and it is clear from all relevant verses that no linguistic technique and no formal literary style in the narrative support the meaning of INTEREST. For example, let us take a single relevant Verse and translate it with authenticity and rationality in order to fully discard the meaning of RIBA as INTEREST. The Verse is 30/39:-

***: وَمَا آتَيْتُم مِّن رِّ‌بًا لِّيَرْ‌بُوَ فِي أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ فَلَا يَرْ‌بُو عِندَ اللَّـهِ ۖ وَمَا آتَيْتُم مِّن زَكَاةٍ تُرِ‌يدُونَ وَجْهَ اللَّـهِ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُضْعِفُونَ30/39

Transliteration: 30/39: “Wa maa aatayitum min riban li-yarbu fi amwaal-un-naas, fa laa yarbu ‘ind-Allah. Wa maa aatayitum min zakaatin turidoona wajha-Allah, fa oolaaika hum al-mudh’afoon”.

But first of all we need to analyze here as to what havoc has been played with this particular Verse in the past in the OLD TRANSLATIONS. Let us therefore have a glance over its record for a general awareness. This would naturally be followed by a complete reproduction of RIBA related Verses with their old translations and, in comparison, their most up to date Rational translations. The aim is to prove categorically that taking INTEREST as the meaning of RIBA or AL-RIBA has no solid foundations. It is rather a part of the old Arab Royalty’s conspiracy to corrupt the Quranic injunctions.

OLD TRANSLATIONS:

1) Eminent medieval Scholar of Lughat, Imam Raghib brings forth an extremely ambiguous translation like this:-
“And whatever (donation) you give for a higher return, aiming an increase in people’s wealth, it will not increase with Allah”!

2) Allama Asad: “And (remember:) whatever you may give out in usury so that it might increase through (other) people’s possessions will bring (you) no increase in the sight of God, whereas all that you give out in charity, seeking God’s countenance, (will be blessed by Him;) for it is they, they (who thus seek His countenance) that shall have their recompense multiplied!” (check the unauthorized additions in brackets)

3) The respected modern Scholar of Quran, G.A. Pervaiz writes down a comparatively progressive translation in his “Mafhoom al-Quran”, like this:-
“Whatever you grant people more than their dues, aiming towards a growth therein, no growth takes place in the Divine System thereby. It was further elaborated in Verse 6/74 by saying “Laa tamnan tastakthur” لا تمنن تستکثر ; Do not oblige any one hoping a higher return from him”.

Analysis by the writer:

Kindly note that,,,,No.1) above defines RIBA as “Donation for higher return”...in No.2) above, RIBA was translated as “Usury” and in No.3) above, ,,,,”more than the dues”.

And this inconsistency clearly proves that none of the translators agreed with the other; hence could not come up with an authentic meaning of the term. If at all RIBA meant INTEREST, why then that widely accepted meaning of it could not be fitted into this context by two eminent scholars mentioned above???? ....

Unfortunately, we do not find the answer to this question with any other earlier scholar too!

Secondly, as you have already noted, in all three translations, the message and the concept of the Verse was found absolutely bereft of clarity and comprehension, and thus looks meaningless. The reader cannot comprehend as to

”whom the directive is addressed to?
”what people are referred to”?
“what Imam Raghib meant by Donation”?
“Who is paying Usury to whom, and why”?(Allama Asad),,,
”which dues are discussed”?,,,,what is meant by “more than the dues”?(Allama Pervaiz),,,,
and,,,,what is meant by “growth in the Divine System” ?(Allama Pervaiz)

The sentence,,, “And whatever (donation) you pay for higher return...?” (Imam Raghib), is again a radically ambiguous expression as no head or tail thereof can be determined. For example, what is it that “you pay”?,,,,”how much do you pay”?,,,,”to whom do you pay”?,,,, to take or expect “what higher return”???

For God’s sake.......Nothing is clear!

The most Rational and comprehensive translation of this Verse is given now in the following lines where you can easily determine as to what “amwaal” and which “growth” is discussed. The Quranic narration is quite rational and easily understood with the help of a qualified translation.

Most Rational and Fully Comprehensible Translation:

وَمَا آتَيْتُم مِّن رِّ‌بًا لِّيَرْ‌بُوَ فِي أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ فَلَا يَرْ‌بُو عِندَ اللَّـهِ ۖ وَمَا آتَيْتُم مِّن زَكَاةٍ تُرِ‌يدُونَ وَجْهَ اللَّـهِ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُضْعِفُونَ

30:39 “And whatever additional revenues (مِّن رِّ‌بًا) you earmark (آتَيْتُم) for the growth of Public Exchequer/treasury(لِّيَرْ‌بُوَ فِي أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ), be it known that with Allah it does not grow(فَلَا يَرْ‌بُو) at all. But whatever funds you provide (آتَيْتُم) for the growth and nourishment of people(مِّن زَكَاةٍ), seeking the approval of Allah, that alone stands as the real growth(الْمُضْعِفُونَ).”

Here, very explicitly and directly, it is admonished to the authorities that instead of depositing all additional revenues into the treasuries, these must be employed for the benefit and growth of common humans, because treasuries do not grow with the stockpiling of money but with the prosperity and growth of people.

Kindly note a very important point here. The term “Amwaal un Naas” has never been properly translated in the past by any translator, resulting always in an ambiguous and upside down translation of this Verse. To check, kindly go through about a dozen old translations; and you will be satisfied with the veracity of this statement. The point is very straightforward:-

1) As Zakaat is also being ordered herewith - which is always a duty of the State Authority to dispense to the needy - therefore the address here is directed to the Government alone,

2) And “amwaal-un-naas” here can only be defined as nothing else but “public exchequer” literally too, and upon the categorical understanding that the government treasury in any welfare oriented and benevolent government is always acknowledged as “public money”.

And this very rational definition alone can lead you, for the very first time in the entire history of past interpretations, to a rational translation of this Verse. Any other definition would take you far away from Rationality and logic, as you can verify by going through the heaps of old translations. The same deplorable reality is brought forth in the three translations of this Verse illustrated above.

By now you must have realized that the terms “RIBA” and “YARBU” in the text of this Verse can never give the meaning of INTEREST from any angle. Probably, there is no more need for presenting any other authority.

BUT now, let us go through the rest of the Relevant Verses:

Verse 2:276: یمْحَقُ اللَّهُ الرِّبَا وَيُرْبِي الصَّدَقَاتِ—

Transliteration: “Yamhaq-ullahu Al-Riba wa yurbi as-Sadaqaat”.

Old translation:

In this respect, Imam Raghib writes something like this:- “Allah condemns INTEREST and grows CHARITIES”???

Our question to Imam Raghib goes like this: “When you declare RIBA as “a higher donation” in Verse 30/39 (See above), how then can you call the same RIBA in this Verse as INTEREST”???

Again,,,when you translate Al-Riba in this Verse as INTEREST, how can you draw the meaning of “He Increases”...from its Verb “YARBI”?? According to your own stand on RIBA here, it should be construed as “He takes INTEREST”, it being the third person, singular, Verb of present tense???....What is this “acrobatics”?

So dear Readers, we have clearly seen that in the same small single sentence “Riba” is “Interest” as well as addition/growth too.----This is what we may call a Double Standard – and that too applied in a single sentence?? Had we taken it in the meaning of INTEREST, following the very stance of Imam Raghib, the translation should have been - bidding farewell to logic - like this:- “Allah condemns/erodes Interest but takes Interest on Charities”????

But noticing the terrible results appearing from his own standpoint, he reverts on the back foot quickly to change the meaning back to the genuine one, without having any scruples!!!

Let us look now at the Rational translation of this Verse:-

2:276 “Allah swt ordains doing away with multiplying additions in wealths (Al-Riba), and recommends addition/growth in Tax Revenues”.

It must be noted here that Sadaqaat, contrary to all prevalent concepts, are in reality the REVENUE collected from taxes and levies imposed on public properties and trade.

Verse 3:130: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَأْكُلُوا الرِّبَا أَضْعَافًا مُضَاعَفَةً

Old Translations:

Respected Allama Pervaiz: Do not eat Interest. You presume that it increases wealth, whereas, in fact it causes reduction in national wealth (See Title dh-ayn-f ض ع ف)”.

Jalandhry: “O’ people of faith, do not eat multiplied Interest”.

Analysis:

Please note that as far as the term “Idh’aafan Mudha’afatan” ( أَضْعَافًا مُضَاعَفَةً) is defined, both the above translation are opposite to each other. Which of the two may be taken as authentic?,,,,that’s a separate question. However, both have declared “Al-Riba” as INTEREST which, as per the Root meaning, is not an authentic definition. No background of loan taking/repayment is narrated here either, whose perspective might entitle it to be called INTEREST.

Whereas, its Rational Translation, which covers all branches of trade and commerce, may be presented as follows:-

3:130 “O’ people of faith and peace, do not charge exorbitant profits which may multiply your wealth”.

It may be noted here that the term “Idh’afan mudha’afatan” in this context does not give the meaning of deficiency, weakness, decline which G.A. Pervez has proposed. This fact is manifest in the translation of Verse 30/39 through the use of word “Mudh’afoon”,,,,,where it proves that it means “growth/increase”. Please further note the same fact in the Verse 2/261 which reads :- وَاللَّـهُ يُضَاعِفُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ ۗ – “Allah swt grants multiple growth to whom he wills”.

Clearly, “Al-Riba” is that particular degree of addition/growth or profit which multiplies wealth; Why multiplication of wealth is so abhorrent? The answer is natural. It is because it creates big concentrations of it, from which sprouts the twig of Capitalism. No mention here is recorded of some “loan”,,,or of some “interest” applied on it. Rather, Allah’s Divine Law here is pervading through the entire field of economy and commerce.

Verse 2:275:

الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ الرِّ‌بَا لَا يَقُومُونَ إِلَّا كَمَا يَقُومُ الَّذِي يَتَخَبَّطُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ مِنَ الْمَسِّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا الْبَيْعُ مِثْلُ الرِّ‌بَا ۗ وَأَحَلَّ اللَّـهُ الْبَيْعَ وَحَرَّ‌مَ الرِّ‌بَا ۚ

Old Translation:

Jalandhry: “Those people who eat INTEREST they would resurrect (from graves) in a way (senseless) as if dominated by JINN. This because they say that trading (in respect of profit) also is the same as INTEREST (taking); while Allah has allowed trading and prohibited INTEREST”.

Analysis:

It obviously is a highly corrupted, substandard and commonplace translation. At times, additions have been made freely by inserting words in brackets serving to reduce the inconsistency of translated text; while the fact is obvious that addition or alteration in God’s Word is a crime. Here too INTEREST is applied unjustifiably so that a common error is given a permanent status, and efforts to corrupt Quran may continue. The same “Al-Riba” - meaning unlimited profit - has been intentionally reserved for and limited to INTEREST TAKING, and is made a target of selected and exclusive prohibition. And in this way, the common overall practice of earning exorbitant profits is turned into the guise of INTEREST, and thus restricted only to INTEREST-BEARING business activity, thereby saving or protecting the undue profit taking in all the other trading sectors!!! Moreover, kindly note the low standard of translation from the term “Yakuloon”. Everyone defines it by the term “eating”, as if Interest or Profit is not money which is “earned”,,,but some foodstuff which is “eaten”!!!

Now, let us check the latest Rational translation:

2:275 “Those who indulge in unfair/exorbitant profiteering (Al-Riba), their status becomes equal to that one whose intellect is negatively influenced(یتخبطہ) by the sentiments of transgression(شطن؛ سرکشی؛ شیطان) from the Divine Commandments. This insane stage is manifest (ذلک) in the fact that such people would start propagating that TRADE is always identified with UNLIMITED PROFIT,,,or is a form of the same(مثل الربا). On the contrary, the truth is that Allah swt declares all kinds of trade as fair, but prohibits (حرّم) securing unfair and unlimited profits (الربا) there from.”

It is hoped that the Allah’s message must have been understood fully by now.

Verse: 2:278-279:

یا ایہا الذین آمنو اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَذَرُوا مَا بَقِيَ مِنَ الرِّبَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ ۔ فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُوا فَأْذَنُوا بِحَرْ‌بٍ مِّنَ اللَّـهِ وَرَ‌سُولِهِ ۖ وَإِن تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُ‌ءُوسُ أَمْوَالِكُمْ لَا تَظْلِمُونَ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ ﴿٢٧٩﴾

The latest Rational Translation:

2:278-279 “O’ People of faith and Peace, remain conscious of God, and give up what still continues (مَا بَقِيَ) of exorbitant profiteering (مِنَ الرِّبَا) if you are a peace maker/provider. If you do not, then announce your intention to wage a war against the Divine Kingdom. But if you revert to the right way (وَإِن تُبْتُمْ) then your due is the maximum prevalent value of your capital or investment(رُ‌ءُوسُ أَمْوَالِكُمْ). Thus neither would you do wrong to others, nor would others do wrong to you.”

(Ra’s-ul-Maal is a term which is the maximum exchange value of your capital/investment in commodities. Any commodity or gold can be fixed as a standard of valuation for this purpose).

Verse 4:161: وَأَخْذِهِمُ الرِّ‌بَا وَقَدْ نُهُوا عَنْهُ وَأَكْلِهِمْ أَمْوَالَ النَّاسِ بِالْبَاطِلِ ۚ

Old Translations:

Jalandhry: ...And because they were forbidden to take Interest and also because they were eating people’s money by deceit...

Allama Asad:...And they were taking usury although it was prohibited for them, and they were eating people’s money unfairly...

Allama Pervaiz: ....It was also included in their wrongdoings that they practiced usury/Interest whereas it was forbidden, and they were grabbing people’s wealth through unlawful means....

Authentic Rational Translation (which covers all fiends of trade and services):-

4:161 partial “....And they were multiplying their wealth through exorbitant profit taking though they were forbidden to do so, and thus by employing unfair practices they were robbing people of their financial means....”

...........

Dear Readers, down to this point, we have encircled and covered all the relevant Verses from the Quran.  As is evident from the above research, and you must have observed by now, the issue is quite clear.  In the era of despotic rule the power had vested in the hands of dictatorial capitalist class, and to justify their rule, they had started corrupting the Quran in its entirety.  The theme under discussion here was also manipulated by them.  In the field of economy, to protect their own class, which is the class always involved in big business, and trying to save all the other corrupt business practices, the Quranic commandments were diverted towards just one sector, viz., Interest-related business.  You will appreciate that the question of Interest arises only in the context of a loan taking or repaying business.

However, it is clear that throughout all the injunctions about RIBA, no business of loans or banking is discussed.  Here the Almighty prohibits exorbitant profit taking in all the business activities in order to avoid concentration of wealth in a few hands.

As a supplementary point, it should be brought on record here that Allah swt has not ignored the subject of loans either.  In Verse 2:282, loaning is specified in clear terms by the word “Dayin – دَین).  But a careful study of this Verse would prove that here the dealings in loans are being regularized under a code of procedure.  It is being ordained in this Verse that the matter of securing a loan, be it a big one or small, must be written down on paper with all the relevant terms and conditions.  Two authentic witnesses should also be included therein.  Worth noting here is the point that

“while the topic of loan itself is being discussed, no issue of Interest is ever raised, discussed or highlighted in its context in the Quran.”

The World at large, from the start of the Agricultural Age up to the present times, follows the capitalist system which is represented by all kinds of cruelty, exploitation and suppression.  God’s Guidance and His exalted emissaries have always been sent to combat such forces of Capitalism.  INTEREST in itself is a tool of the cruel capitalism.  The fact is open to everyone that whenever big amounts of money are stockpiled, this situation becomes a source of financial exploitation.  Loans would also be issued from there and money will be made through Interest too.  However, the Quran takes in its stranglehold the root cause of the big concentrations of wealth, aiming to eradicate the existence of capitalism from its source, and does not let the money become so powerful that it may turn the markets and the humans to the status of slaves.  It may also be mentioned here that the same cruel system of capitalism, by virtue of concentration of big money, produces numerous tools like banking system, big industrial corporations, big monopolistic trading, stock markets, currency, commodity, metals, currency markets where blind stakes in the name of speculation have become big business.  RIBA related injunctions from God target the Capitalist ideology as a whole, with the purpose of discouraging the overall System it enforces.  Therefore, these injunctions address the capitalist practices in all their manifestations, sectors and forms.  Here, the concentration of wealth is declared Haraam (illegal) only because the power of exploitative capitalism may not grow limitlessly.  However, on the contrary, the concept of our Muslim scholars has been limited to the same old and rotten pattern , viz., to condemn only the INTEREST and leave alone all the other tools of capitalism to flourish.  It provides them a false satisfaction that Divine injunctions are being obeyed.

Hence,,,the Quranic term “RIBA” or “AL-RIBA” does not signify INTEREST OR USURY.  Through the Old interpretations and interpretation-inspired translations, we and the world have been grossly misguided. The Quran on this topic is commanding us to bring our overall trading sector away from the insane lust of grabbing big and corrupt money so that the concentration of it in a few hands may not become a source of tyranny and oppression for the common folks.  In the context of concentration of wealth, Allah’s verdict is very elaborate, resolute and awe inspiring in Verse 9:34-35 :- وَالَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَلَا يُنفِقُونَهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ فَبَشِّرْ‌هُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ ﴿٣٤﴾ يَوْمَ يُحْمَىٰ عَلَيْهَا فِي نَارِ‌ جَهَنَّمَ فَتُكْوَىٰ بِهَا جِبَاهُهُمْ وَجُنُوبُهُمْ وَظُهُورُ‌هُمْ ۖ هَـٰذَا مَا كَنَزْتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ فَذُوقُوا مَا كُنتُمْ تَكْنِزُونَ .....”Those who hoard treasures of gold and silver and do not spend them for the sake of God – give them the tiding of grievous suffering; on the Day when that (hoarded wealth) shall be heated in the fire of hell and their foreheads and their sides and their backs branded therewith, (those sinners shall be told;) “These are the treasures which you have laid up for yourselves! Taste, then, (the evil of) your hoarded treasures!” (Allama Asad).

God bless you.

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The Quran Explains Itself

"Let us make it clear that this Thematic Translation Series is presented with the sole aim of condemning the deplorable ART OF WRITING EXEGESES from the Quranic Texts. So, it can't be called an exegesis itself.

Writing of an Exegesis of the Quran is a crime and a major sin.  In the exegesis, a writer essentially incorporates his own thoughts, own understanding and his own words into the so-called "explanations" of Verses on the pretext of making the comprehension of the text easier for the readers.  And that's what makes the work impure and wishful, losing its genuineness and originality.

The Quran, in its own words, is already a fully explained and interpreted Book.  Therefore, any attempt towards a further interpretation is tantamount to the crime of interpolation and fabrication smacking of ulterior motives.  The inherited mountain of Quranic exegeses and interpretations scattered all over the globe display nothing but a blatant and shameless violation of explicit Divine injunctions, and have always resulted into twisting, misconstruing and misrepresenting the facts and tenets of Quranic Ideology.

The work now presented, in the Thematic Style introduced for the very first time in history, can in no way be called, or so to say, proved by any esteemed scholar of the Quran to be an exegesis or interpretation in the least possible degree.  Each and Every Word of the Quran is purely, strictly, transparently and legally translated into English without the addition of a single word or thought from the translator, or from any out of Quran source whatsoever!

A synopsis in the beginning of every Translation Article is deemed necessary for the first-time readers to apprise them of the background stimulus to the research work undertaken and, sometimes, to offer a correlated context which is often a pre-requisite for following closely the essence of what is coming up in the following lines."

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PRELUDE

"Acknowledging the holy text of the QURAN as a masterpiece of unparalleled literary excellence, a fact fully attested by eminent scholars of Arabic language and literature, and an attribute worthy of the Universal Majesty of its Divine Narrator, this humble writer feels utmost pleasure in initiating a series of short translation papers from this Scripture. Each installment of this series deals exclusively with a single major topic of the Scripture and its related sub-topics, if any.  The purpose is to offer solutions of numerous ideological riddles confronting man in his day to day life in spite of the easy availability of full-fledged relative explanations appearing in the markets with the name of Tafaseer or Interpretations.

To lay emphasis on just the particular themes serves the purpose of reducing the magnitude of work undertaken. It helps sidetrack the long and frightening process of a complete or wholesome translation (or interpretation) of the entire Quran – a formidable task which would definitely entail lots of useless repetitions.  It also helps target only those most controversial issues whose essence has been grossly corrupted by vested interests in the early age of Islam.

Hence, the translation series under study keeps in strict observance the frequent occurrence of allegories, similes, metaphors, idioms and symbolic expressions in the Quranic texts – a style that a classical literary writing essentially owns by virtue of its acknowledged attributes.

You will kindly note that every important word or term has, in the first instance, been marked with parenthesis, and in the end of the writing, such words and terms are defined in their full scope of meanings by utilizing the input from about one dozen most authentic Arabic lexicons.

This standard procedure not only introduces a most efficient and flawless system for producing strict and exact translation work, but assures that the final outcome is not going to be infiltrated or adulterated with a single word from external sources such as personal opinions, convictions, dogmas or from the translator’s own understanding reflecting his own particular mindset.

The standard yardstick of this work has been fixed upon knowledge, rationality, logic and intellect, along with the latest research techniques, with a view to keeping it pure from all additions, interpolations, redactions and biases. The hitherto prevalent literal translations of these themes, inherited from an unenviable past, are vehemently condemned, and it is recommended to discard those fabrications altogether in view of their proven vicious role in corrupting the original and pristine image of the Quran.

This humble writer is neither affiliated with a religious sect, nor believes in schism, split or sectarianism among humanity. His perspective is none other than the Creator and the underlying purpose behind His overall Creative act - starting from the cosmic stage, gradually expanding in successive steps and finally culminating into the launch of the yet most advanced stage of human life. He deliberates in Al-Quran with the said perspective in mind, exploring its ultimate Guidance for building the noblest of human character and conduct.  It goes without saying that the pursuit of the Quran’s prescribed mode of conduct, in its true light, can keep the human caravan in motion, generation after generation, towards its appointed destination.

It may be added here, as an advance hint, that our religious clergy have memorized only a single definition of every word or term of the Quranic texts, which, beyond a fraction of variance, is indiscriminately applied in all contexts as a literal and most commonplace meaning prevalent among the street masses.  A Higher style of intellectual and literary writing, like allegories, metaphors, symbolic or idiomatic expressions, always observed in the exalted texts of the Quran, have always been impossible for them to discern and follow, or they deliberately ignored these literary expressions in order to meet their vicious ends – those ends which could not be served by a qualified scholarly translation.  They have been bereft of the ability of undertaking research for checking the veracity of the main propositions of a Quranic theme and, as a result, indulged in deriving blind deductions there from without giving a thought to the essence of the most literary vocabulary used."