002:028

Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                                      002:028

الَّذِيۡنَ يَنۡقُضُوۡنَ عَهۡدَ اللّٰهِ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مِيۡثَاقِهٖ وَيَقۡطَعُوۡنَ مَآ اَمَرَ اللّٰهُ بِهٖۤ اَنۡ يُّوۡصَلَ وَيُفۡسِدُوۡنَ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ‌ؕ اُولٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ الۡخٰسِرُوۡنَ‏

Aul-la-ze-na  yaun-qo-dzoo-na  auh-da  ul-laa-hay                                                                        Min  bau-day  me-thaa-qay  he  wa                                                                                                Yauq-ta-oo-na  maa  aa-ma-ra  ul-laa-ho  bay  he  aun  you-sa-la                                          Wa  yoof-say-do-na  fee  il-aur-dzay                                                                                                  O-laa-aiy-ka  ho-mo  ol-khaa-say-roo-n

Those who break pledge with Allah                                                                                 After its confirmation and                                                                                                      Cut off what Allah has commanded that it is connected                                          And spread corruption on earth                                                                                             They all are the losers.

• ٱلَّذِينَ — Aul-la-ze-na — Those who (= pl., m., 3rd person. Refers to those articles, persons, phenomenon or things))
• يَنۡقُضُوۡنَ — Yaun-qo-dzoo-na — They break (= v., pres., pl., 3^rd person. Fail; foul; go against; terminate; violate. See also 013:026)
• عَهۡدَ — Auh-da … (ul) — Promise (= n., Affirmation. Agreement. Commitment. Contract. Covenant. Obligation. Pledge. Promise Undertaking. Undertaking. Vouchsafe. Word of honor. Also, binding firm, on oath, real, serious, sincere, solemn or sworn assurance, confirmation, statement or ratification)
• اللهِ –Laa-hay — Allah (= The Almighty God; the One Only worthy of worship)
• مِنۡ — Min — From (= Among, from or out of the class, category, count, kind of several articles, things, persons or phenomenon)
• بَعۡدِ — Bau-day — After (= Afterwards; behind; later; subsequently; succeeding)
• مِيۡثَاقِ — Me-thaa-qay — Pledge (= n., An arrangement, assurance, promise or undertaking made unilaterally (by-one-side) vouching that its maker will always honor it. For an arrangement or agreement between 2-or-more-parties, see Note 003:188)
• هٖ — He — It (= pro., s, m, 3rd person. Refers to aforesaid promise)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., Links words, phrases or clauses; also; but; additionally; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• يَقۡطَعُوۡنَ — Yauq-ta-oo-na — They cut off (= v., pres., pl., 3^rd person. Break; cut down; cut off; cut asunder; disconnect; disjoint; divide; separate; tear down; unlink)
• مَاۤ — Maa — All that (= What; whatever; whatsoever. Refers to aforesaid ‘ties’ or ‘relations’)
• اَمَرَ — Aa-ma-ra … (ul) — Commanded (= v., past., s., m., 3^rd person. Decreed; dictated; directed; instructed; laid down; mandated; ordained; ordered; taught. See Note 002:211)
• اللّٰهُ — Laa-ho — Allah (= The Almighty God; the One Only worthy of worship)
• بِ — Bay — With (= This word in Arabic literally means ‘with’)
• هٖ — He — That (= pro., s., m., 3rd person. Refers to the Command)
• اَنۡ — Aun — That (= So that; the fact is that)
• يُّوۡصَلَ — You-sa-la — Is connected (= v., pres., pass., pl., 3^rd person.  Honored; joined; linked; maintained; respected; united. Foster relations with the Creator and His creatures by practicing the God-given laws)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., It links words, phrases or clauses, etc. See وَ  above)
• يُفۡسِدُوۡنَ — Yoof-say-do-na — Corrupt (= v., pres., pl., 3^rd person. They act, cause, commit, create, develop, fan, make, multiply, promote or spread any corruption, evil, disorder, disorder, disruption, harm, mischief or any law and order situation. The transgressing evildoers who foul, directions, infringe laws and rebel. Wicked people who violate God’s Laws and Commandments)
• فِى — Fee … (il) — On (= Amidst. Among. Contained or inside a duration, event, place, period, person, phenomenon, situation, thing or time. Also, about; concerning; in reference, regarding, relative to. See Note 002:028 below)
• الۡاَرۡضِ — Aur-dzay — Earth (= n., Area; country; ground; land; territory; life on earth; nation, people or society in general. See Note 002:028a below)
• اُولٰٓٮِٕكَ — O-laa-aiy-ka — All of these (= Acts; facts, items, persons or things)
• هُمُ — Ho-mo … (ol) — They (= pro., pl., m., 3rd person. Refers to the corrupt individuals)
• الۡخٰسِرُوۡنَ — Kha-say-roo-n — The Losers (= n., pl., Duds; failures; has-beens; real and total failures; those who loose; lost)

* Note 002:028. The meanings of the word  فِى  (fee) can both be ‘in’ and ‘on’ although it has been inaccurately translated into many other words.

To convey the actual intent of the message of this verse in American English, ‘on earth’ is more appropriate as is also shown among others in verses 002:265 and 002:274.

Literal translation of the phrase  يُفۡسِدُوۡنَ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ‌   is “causing corruption ‘in’ or ‘inside’ the earth.”  But this won’t deliver the full and real intent of the message. Translating  فِىۡ  with ‘in’, ‘inside’ and/or ‘on’ completely delivers the original message as intended. The fact is that God Almighty created everything —
— Those ‘inside’ the earth requiring mining or digging out,
— Those ‘on’ top of it like the growing vegetation on its soil, and
— Those ‘on and around’ it being spread all over it, its space and the Universe.

Following are other examples where both ‘in’ and ‘on’ have been the translations.

• Allah created everything on earth for the benefit of Man – (002:030).
• Angels objected against Man’s creation arguing that he will corrupt the earth and shed blood – (002:031).
• On earth you have a place to rest and enjoy a decent living for a while – (002:037).
• You do not spread out in earth as mischief mongers – (002:061).
• And He is Allah of all in the heavens and all on earth – (006:004).
• You travel in earth and see for yourself the fate of the liars – (006:012).
• Diverse tracts on earth grow grape-gardens, cornfields and date-palms – (013:005).
• Even if you and all on earth act ungratefully, Allah still is far above needing any of you and is praise-worthy – (014:009)
• We pour water from sky and station it in earth; We control taking it away – (023:019)
• Pharaoh alleged that Moses was going to create disorder on earth (040:027).
• All in the heavens and on earth praise Allah – (057: 002), (059:002), (061:002), (062:002), (064:002)
• He has spread you all over on earth and to Him you will eventually return (067:025).

** Note 002:028a. The word ٱلۡأَرۡضَ (aur-dza = earth) has many meanings besides those given above, including all material things around that we can see, touch, feel and know‘ as against the ones in heavens i.e. ‘above and beyond our sure knowledge about.

Various authors have also translated the word as follows.                                                             1. Assets; material possessors; worldly things.                                                                                 2. Area; country; ground; land;; soil; territory.                                                                               3. Life on earth; things valued and worth owning in life.                                                             4. Nations, people or society in general.                                                                                           5. The Land of Paradise (Dr Khan and Dr Al-Hilali)                                                                     6. Palestine as a prophecy (Malik Ghulam Farid) and “Land” with the capital ‘L’ showing the reference is to the Palestine (M Zafrulla Khan. 021:106)