Sunni and Shiite translations distort the meaning of three words in verse 66:5
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From the Quran a Reformist Translation
?If he divorces you, his Lord will substitute other wives in your place who are better than you; peacefully surrendering (to God), acknowledging, devout, repentant, serving, active in their societies, responsive, and foremost ones.? (665)
Edip-Layth - End Note 4 (665)
Traditional translations mistranslate the last three adjectives used here to describe Muslim women. They distort their meaning as ?fasters, widows and virgins." When the issue is about women, somehow, the meaning of the Quranic words passes trough rapid mutations. For instance, we know that the Sunni and Shiite scholars who could not beat cows and examples found it convenient and fair to beat women (see 434). Those of us who have rejected other religious sources besides the Quran are still struggling to clean our minds from these innovations that even have sneaked into the Arabic language long after the revelation of the Quran. There is, in fact, nothing whatsoever about fasting, widows and virgins in this verse. We are rediscovering and relearning the Quran. The third word from the end of the verse, SaYiHat, which we have translated as "active in their societies" simply means to travel or move around for a cause. About two century after the revelation of the Quran, when the rights of women were one by one were taken through all-male enterprises called hadith, ijtihad and tafseer, Muslim communities found themselves thinking and living like the enemies of Islam in the Days of Ignorance. The misogynistic mind of orthodox commentators and translators simply could not fathom the notion of a Muslim woman traveling around alone to do anything ? and so they pretended that the word in question was not SaYaHa, but SsaWM ? fasting! Socially active women were indeed more difficult to control than the women who would fast in their homes; they were even less costly, since they would eat less. For the usage of the verb form of the root, see 92. The word SaYaHa has nothing to do with fasting; the Quran consistently uses the word SaWaMa for fasting (2183-196; 492; 589,90; 1926; 3335; 584). The second word from the end is THaYiBat, which means ?those who return, or those who are responsive". Various derivatives of the same root are used to mean ?reward" or ?refuge" or ?cloths". For instance, see 2125; 3195. The Arabic words for widow are ARMiLa or AYaMa. The Quran uses AYaMa for widow or single; see 2432. The last word of this verse, aBKaR, which means those who are "young," "early risers" or "foremost," has traditionally, and implausibly, been interpreted as "virgins" in this passage. The resulting distorted meaning of the verse supports a sectarian teaching that justifies a man marrying more than one virgin. The Arabic word for virgin is BaTuL or ADRa. This false interpretation has become so popular that it is apparently now considered beyond any challenge. Excluding Edip Yuksel's Turkish translation, Mesaj; published in 1999, we have not seen any published translation that does not duplicate this centuries-old error. For a comparative discussion of this verse, see the Sample Comparisons section in the Introduction.
For a comparative discussion on the hadith/sunna based distortions of 15 verses, see the Introduction of the QRT. You read it at
http//19.org/767/reformist-vs-sectarian/
Peace,
Edip -
From the Quran a Reformist Translation
?If he divorces you, his Lord will substitute other wives in your place who are better than you; peacefully surrendering (to God), acknowledging, devout, repentant, serving, active in their societies, responsive, and foremost ones.? (665)
Edip-Layth - End Note 4 (665)
665 perhaps his Lord if divorce you that will substitute to him spouses better from you submissive believers obedient turning/repentant servants who fast non-virgins and virgins
Siin-Ya-Ha = to flow over the ground (water), run backwards and forwards, turn, move. siyahat - travel/journey/tour. saihun - devotee, wandering, one who fasts, one who holds himself back from doing or saying or thinking evil.
saha vb. (1) impv. 92
pcple. act. 9112, 665
LL, V4, p 206, 207Tha-Ya-Ba = to have no connection as a husband and wife (no first form). thayyib - separated wives from their husbands through divorce or death, non-virgins.
thayyibat n.f. (pl. of thayyib) 665
Lane's Lexicon, Volume 1, pages 403Ba-Kaf-Ra = Beginning of the day, first part of the day, early morning, between daybreak and sunrise
Possessing the quality of applying oneself early, or in hastening
Performing something at the commencement of it, or doing something early
Before it's time, preceding or took precedence
Youthful male camel, young one of a camel
A virgin male or female, or anything untouched, new, fresh
Virginity or maidenhead
A woman or female animal having delivered only once
First flush of anything (plant, tree, fruit, honey, rain, flowers)
First born or young children
First of anything, unique action
A want or need seeking to be fulfilled
A cutting blow or stroke that kills at once
A pulley (e.g. of a well)
Small ring or bead
An assembly, company, congregated body
All coming together without exception
bikr n.f. 268, 5636, 665
bukrah n.f. 1911, 1962, 255, 3342, 489, 5438, 7625
abkara vb. (4) n. 341, 4055666 O you the ones who believe protect yourselves and your families a fire and fuel the mankind and the stones over her/it angels stern severe not they disobey The God what directed them and they do what they are ordered
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Not surprised. They have distorted many meanings
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With sincerity, correct intentions and prayer, we can for sure arrive at better and better understanding of the quran. The only sure thing to do seems to be to let the quran explain itself. The quran has to be allowed to play the role of the criterion, also for its own translation and interpretation. Otherwise we will never reach any real conclusions. This way one would also realize that even great works like that of Lane may contain falsehood that was injected into the minds of people long long ago.
We have to let Allah explain the quran... through the quran.... and perhaps also if there are any additional ways that Allah would let us see what is reasonable and not... but it seems even e.g. science is nothing one can trust fully since falsehood and lies can be injected into this discipline as well.... and many times has.Anyhow...
Peace -
With sincerity, correct intentions and prayer, we can for sure arrive at better and better understanding of the quran. The only sure thing to do seems to be to let the quran explain itself. The quran has to be allowed to play the role of the criterion, also for its own translation and interpretation. Otherwise we will never reach any real conclusions. This way one would also realize that even great works like that of Lane may contain falsehood that was injected into the minds of people long long ago.
We have to let Allah explain the quran... through the quran.... and perhaps also if there are any additional ways that Allah would let us see what is reasonable and not... but it seems even e.g. science is nothing one can trust fully since falsehood and lies can be injected into this discipline as well.... and many times has.Anyhow...
PeaceLol no.
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Lol no.
how is it no?
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Lol no.
Dear Kaiokenred,
Most certainly you and I mean different things when we say "prayer". What I mean when I say prayer, and then so also in this case, is a communication with Allah... request for help and guidance. Aren't we recommended through the quran to ask Allah for help? I find it to be madness NOT to ask Allah for help... then what are we supposed to do?? Just shut up and not involve Allah in our affairs??? What did you think I meant when I wrote 'pray'?
peace