Contradictions in the Quran? need som help
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This is a reply to Question 19.
"19. How many mothers does a Muslim have? Only one , or two , or at least ten ?"
(423) " "
(336) " "
(582) " "Answer
Since verses 423 and 336 do not give a specific number, there could not be a contradiction between these two verses. It is only when verse 582 is considered that some perceive a contradiction.
My reply has 2 parts
- To show that there is no contradiction between 582 and 423
- To show that there is no contradiction between 582 and 336
Part 1
Verse 582 implies that a person only has 1 mother ? the one who gave birth to them.
But it would be a mistake to assume that verse 423 implies that a person has 2 mothers, and here is why
There is a difference between ?? (your ?mothers?) and ? ? (your ?mothers-who-breastfed-you?). According to the Quran, if a baby was breasted by a different woman, that woman bears the title ?breastfeeding-mother?. This does not mean that the baby now has 2 mothers. He still only has 1 mother (by definition the one who gave birth to him). The second woman simply has the word ?mother? in her title out of respect (because the title ?breastfeeding-mother? is more respectful and dearer to the heart than simply calling her ?breastfeeding-woman?). To better understand what I mean, consider the various titles that we use in our modern world. For instance, ?grand-mother?. Although this title contains the word ?mother,? we all know that ?mother? and ?grand-mother? mean different things. If a person has a mother and a grand-mother, that doesn?t mean that they have 2 mothers. They still only have 1 true mother the one who gave birth to them. Another example is ?mother-in-law.? Again, this is a title that contains the word ?mother.? So, if a person has a ?mother? and a ?mother-in-law,? they still only have 1 mother. The ?mother-in-law? is simply a title of respect and does not hold the same meaning as ?mother.? And so, using a similar reasoning, it is easy to see that verse 423 does not imply that a person has 2 mothers.
Therefore, there is no contradiction between 423 and 582.Part 2
The confusion here only arises if a person is not familiar with Arabic. In Arabic, the word ?? (often translated as ?mother?) actually has many different meanings depending on which context it is used.
In the context of family, the word ?? means mother. Ex ? ? (meaning the child?s mother).
In the context of a book, the word ?? means introduction. Ex ? ? (meaning the book?s introduction).
In the context of anatomy, the word ?? means brain. Ex ? ? (غ (meaning the head?s brain).
In the context of the military, the word ?? refers to a flag held at the forefront of the troops.
In some other contexts, the word ?? means prominent/eminent/leading/notable/foremost.
Ex1 ? ? ( ة (the leading newspapers). Note that ?? is simply the plural form of ??.
Ex2 The city of Mecca is sometimes called ? ? (the notable city).
Etc.
There are still a few more meanings, but I think you got the picture by now.
The point is, many words in Arabic behave like this ? their meaning changes depending on the context in which they are used. So, the context is key.
When you read in Arabic, it is not enough to know 1 meaning for a word. It is important to be aware that some words have different meanings in different contexts.
Verse 582 is talking about a husband-wife relationship. So, the context here is family. The verse denounces a silly tradition that some Arabs used to have. (If a husband had a major disagreement with his wife, he would ? ? which is an expression that means that he would ?treat her like his mother?. So, for instance, he would no longer have any intimate or romantic relationship with her. It?s a silly practice and verse 582 condemns it). Since the context here is family, the meaning of the word ?? is ?their mothers?. And the Quran tells these men that their wives are not their mothers, and that their mothers are only the ones who gave birth to them. In other words, a person only has 1 mother ? the one who gave birth to them.
However, verse 336 does not talk about some family dynamics, but rather an entire society the Muslim nation of that time. Therefore, the context here is different. Since it?s not about family, it is actually a mistake to translate ?? as ?their mothers?. Rather, based on the context of verse 336, ?? must mean ?eminent/foremost among them.? And to better understand what this means, consider a modern example in the United States, the president?s wife is called ?the First Lady.? Again, this is simply an honorary title. And since Muhammad was the leader of the Muslim nation at that time, his wives bore the honorary title of ??, which, again, does not mean ?mothers? but ?eminent/foremost?. So, verse 336 does not in fact talk about mothers.
Therefore, there is no contradiction between 336 and 582.