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Reliance of Traveler |
Arabic |
Arabic
Translation Word for Word |
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a3.2 Allah Most High says: (1) "Whoever wants to
cultivate the afterlife We shall increase for him his tillage,
while whoever wants to cultivate this world, we shall give him of it,
but he will have no share in the next" (Koran 42:20). (2) "Whoever wants the
present world We hasten for him therein whatever We will, for whomever We
want, and then consign him to hell, roasting in it condemned and
rejected" (Koran 17: 18). (3) "Verily, your Lord is
ready at ambush" (Koran 89:14). (4) "They were not ordered
except to worship Allah, making their religion sincere unto Him as pure
monotheists" (Koran 98:5). |
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a3.2 Allah Most High said: “Whoever desires
the harvest of the Hereafter, We will increase for him in his harvest.
And whoever desires the harvest of this world, We will give him
thereof, but he will have no share in the Hereafter.” [Ash-Shura: 20] And
He, the Exalted, said: “Whoever desires the immediate life, We hasten for him
therein what We will to whom We intend. Then We have assigned for him Hell,
which he will [enter to] burn, disgraced and banished.” [Al-Isra:
18] And
He, the Exalted, said: “Indeed, your Lord is ever watchful.”[Al-Fajr: 14] And
God Almighty said: {And they were not commanded except to worship God, being
sincere to Him, those who are upright in their nature. [: 5] |
(1) If we only look at the RofT
translation there is a word here that is more affiliated with Eastern faith
structures. “Cultivate” is word used with a belief in reincarnation, than in a
faith structure that claims it believes in monotheism.
“Tillage” is used in the Qur’an to
refer to a man’s sexual prowess with his wives and/slaves. This can be seen in
2:223 Pickthall translation states, “Your women are a tilth for you (to
cultivate) so go to your tilth as ye will, and send (good deeds) before for
your souls, and fear Allah, and know that ye will (one day) meet him. Give glad
tidings to believers, (O Muhammad).” Sahih International translates this verse
(aya) as “Your wives are a place of sowing of seed for you, so come to your
place of cultivation however you wish and put forth [righteousness] for
yourselves. And fear Allah and know that you will meet Him. And give glad
tidings to the believers.”
Let’s look at an accurate
translation of the Qur’an. Usama Dakdok’s Generous Qur’an, is the one
Qur’an that this author trusts as accurate.
42:20
“Whoever was desiring the harvest of
the hereafter, we will increase to him in his harvest. And whoever was desiring
the harvest of this world, we will give to him from it. And he will not have
any portion in the hereafter.”
This has a pointed difference that
is also found in the word for word translation. Cultivation is done to soil in
preparation for planting. But the Word for Word translation provided in the table
and Usama’s translation reference reaping a harvest.
Tafsirs, which are Islamic
commentaries, also place the terminology here as referring to a harvest not
cultivating or anything sexual. Considering that RofT was written for English
speaking Muslims who do not know Arabic, was the translator purposefully
connecting the acquisition of knowledge to sexual prowess to deceive the
non-Arabic Muslim?
(2) Usama Dakdok’s translation of 17:18,
is very close to the RofT translation.
“Whoever was desiring the hasty, we
hastened to him in it what we will, to whom we will. Then we made hell to be
his. He will roast in it, despised and rejected.
(3) But both the Word for Word and
Usama’s translation of 89:14, mention Allah being “watchful”, not “being ready
to ambush.”
(1)
What is
interesting in the difference between the word for Word translation, the RofT
translation and Usama Dakdok’s translation is that the specifics of what it
means to be “sincere” in their faith. The Generous Qur’an 98:5 states:
“And they were not commanded except
to serve Allah, devoted in the religion to him, hanifa, and to perform the
prayer and bring the legal alms. And this is the worthy religion.”
Given that this translation of
Shariah is written for English speaking Muslims, we must ask why they did not include the
specifics.
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