003:136

The Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                               003:136

وَالَّذِيۡنَ اِذَا فَعَلُوۡا فَاحِشَةً اَوۡ ظَلَمُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَهُمۡ ذَكَرُوا اللّٰهَ فَاسۡتَغۡفَرُوۡا لِذُنُوۡبِهِمۡوَمَنۡ يَّغۡفِرُ الذُّنُوۡبَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ  وَلَمۡ يُصِرُّوۡا عَلٰى مَا فَعَلُوۡا وَهُمۡ يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ‏

Wul-la-ze-na-ezaa-fa-aa-loo-faa-hay-sha-tun                                                                             Auo-za-la-moo-un-fo-sa-hoom                                                                                                        Za-ka-rool-laa-ha-fus-tugh-fa-roo-lay-za-noo-bay-him                                                               Wa-mun-yugh-fay-rooz-zo-noo-ba-il-lul-laa-ho                                                                         Wa-lum-yo-ser-roo-alaa-maa-fa-aa-loo-wa-hoom-yau-la-moo-n

And those who when they committed a lewdness                                                            Or wronged themselves                                                                                                          And then they remembered Allah and repented for their sins —                               And who can forgive the mistakes except Allah —                                                           And they do not persist on what they did and know full well.

• وَ — Wa…(ul) — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but; also; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• ٱلَّذِينَ — Ul-la-zee-na — Those who (= pl., m, 3^rd person. All those articles, things or persons)
• اِذَاۤ — Ezaa — When (= Any time or event; if. Also, behold; call to mind, consider; recall ponder over; reflect; remember or think of the time, event, now that; occasion, opportunity; take into consideration; whenever)
• فَعَلُوۡا — Fa-aa-loo — Committed  (= v., past., pl. 3^rd person., Acted; committed; dealt; did; fared; performed; reacted; returned; proceeded; treated. A/t/a, ‘commit’ in the present tense but the Holy Qor-aan has stated the fact with a verb in the past tense. See the Note 003:136 below **)
• فَاحِشَةً — Faa-hay-sha-tun — Lewdness (= n., s., Abomination. Immorality. Indecency. Illegality. Inherently bad, evil, foul, immoral, improper, lewd, obscene, repulsive, shameful, sinful or unseemly act, conduct, deed, practice or thing. Open foul infraction. Sexual perversion. Violation. Wickedness by doing in public view any of the above outrages. A/t/a, niggardliness; tenaciousness; “having done something to be ashamed of’ but two authors have translated it as  ‘illegal sexual intercourse’)   
• اَوۡ — Auo — Or (= Alternatively; in substitution)
• ظَلَمُوۡا — Zaa-la-moo — Wronged (= v., past., pl., 3^rd person., Acted badly. Behaved wickedly. Caused evil. Committed crimes or cruelty. Did injustice. Harmed. Maltreated. Shortened. Transgressed. Treated improperly or unjustly. Violated rights of others. See the Note 003:136 below **.  A/t/a, unrighteous and wicked)
• اَنۡفُسَ — Un-fo-sa — Selves (= n., pl., 1. Hearts; individuals; minds; own sake; persons; souls. Refers also to the ‘loved one’s.  2. Fellows; folks; followers; individuals; people.  3. Brethren; countrymen; kinsman; nation; tribe; tribesmen)
• هُمۡ‌ — Hoom — Them (= pro., pl., m., 3 ^rd person. Refers to aforesaid persons who have done a lewd act or wronged themselves)
• ذَكَرُوا — Za-ka-roo… (l) — Remembered (= v., past., m., pl., 3^rd person. Called to mind. Exalted. Extolled. Glorified. Prayed earnestly, sincerely and remorsefully. Recalled. Turned towards. A/t/a, ‘Call… to mind’ and ‘Earnestly bring God to mind’ in the present tense are no translations of the original text that is in the past tense.  See the Note below **)
• اللّٰهَ — Laa-ha — Allah (= The One and the Only One Almighty God)
• فَ — Fa…(us) — And / then (= And; as a result; consequently; hence; so; therefore; yet. A/t/a, after all this; at the end; in the final analysis; in conclusion; thereafter)
• اسۡتَغۡفَرُوۡا — Us-tugh-fa-roo — Repented (= v., past., pl., 3^rd person., Regretfully, repentantly and remorsefully beseeched, begged, desired, implored, prayed, pursued, requested, sought to be excused, forgiven, pardoned or reprieved. Tried for being granted forgiveness, expiation or salvation. The translation “implore forgiveness” is in the present tense whereas the original text is in the past tense. See the Note below **)
• لِ — Lay — For (= Concerning; regarding; relative to; so that; to; towards)
• ذُنُوۡبِ — Zo-noo-bay — Sins (= n., pl of s., ذُنب ; Culpable acts; inappropriate conduct;crimes; errors; faults; illegal acts; misdeeds; mistakes; offences; wrongs)
• هِمۡ — Him  — Their (= pro., pl., m., 3 ^rd person. Refers to aforesaid persons who have  done a lewd act or wronged themselves)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• مَنۡ — Mun — Who (= Anyone; whoever; whom; whomever; whoso)
• يَّغۡفِرُ — Yugh-fay-rooz — He forgives (= v., pres., s., 3^rd person., Excuses; gives a pass; gets rid of sins; grants protection; overlooks; pardons; wipes off; cleans. Also, Grants begging, beseeching, desires, imploring, prayers, requests, seeking and tries for being excused, forgiven and granted reprieve. Also, see اسۡتَغۡفَرُوۡا  above)
• الذُّنُوۡبَ — Zo-noo-ba — The sins (= n., pl., Culpable acts; inappropriate conduct, See ذُنُوۡبِ  above)
• اِلَّا — Il-laa…(ul) — Except (= Apart from; but; besides; excluding; save; unless)
• اللّٰهُ — Laa-ho — Allah (= The One and the Only One Almighty God)
• وَ  — Wa  — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• لَمۡ — Lum — Do not (= Absolutely never; no, not at all)
• يُصِرُّوۡا — Yo-ser-roo — Persist (= v., pres; pl., 3^rd person., Consciously, deliberately,  intentionally or knowingly Do again or repeat. Also, are not headstrong, inflexible, mulish, obstinate or stubborn in continuing with the prior misdeeds and old ways)
• عَلٰى — Alaa — On (= Above; against; before; during; for; on; on top of; over; to; upon)
• مَاۤ — Maa — What (= All that; whatever; whatsoever)
• فَعَلُوۡا — Fa-aa-loo — They did (= v., past., m., pl., Acted; dealt; committed; did; fared; fell to do; performed; reacted; returned; proceeded; treated. See فَعَلُوۡا above)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• هُمۡ‌ — Hoom — They (= pro., pl., m., 3 ^rd person. Refers to the aforesaid persons who have done a lewd act or wronged themselves)
• يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ — Yau-la-moo-n — Know (= v., pres., pl., 3^rd person., Knowing the consequences of their calumny and enormity of their prior wrongs) See below Note 003:136)

** Note 003:136. The Holy Qor-aan uses some verbs in the past tense to show a past act. It uses the present participle tense in others to state the action that will happen again and again.

Frequently the same verse narrates a feat accompli and then spells out its results for the future. But some translations reflect failure to see the obvious reason or observe the distinction.

The verse 003:136 in four verbs [فَعَلُوۡا , ظَلَمُوۡۤا , ذَكَرُوا and فَعَلُوۡا ] in the past tense show past acts. The three verbs [يَّغۡفِرُ , يُصِرُّوۡا and يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ] in the present participle state the doers’ conduct for the present and/or in the future.

An accurate translation of the text must show in the past tense where such words narrate  a prior act. Then it must show in the past tense where the text provides guidance for the future.     

Failure to convey the original text accurately has misled many. The effect is elaborated in the Note to verse 003:113 and Commentaries titled as Preciseness – Hallmark of the Arabic and the Translations Ignoring Grammar.