003:168

The Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                                     003:168

 ‌وَلِيَعۡلَمَ الَّذِيۡنَ نَافَقُوۡا  ۖۚ وَقِيۡلَ لَهُمۡ تَعَالَوۡا قَاتِلُوۡا فِىۡ سَبِيۡلِ اللّٰهِ اَوِ ادۡفَعُوۡا ‌ۚ  قَالُوۡا لَوۡ نَعۡلَمُ قِتَالًا لَّا تَّبَعۡنٰكُمۡ‌ ؕ  هُمۡ لِلۡكُفۡرِ يَوۡمَٮِٕذٍ اَقۡرَبُ مِنۡهُمۡ لِلۡاِيۡمَانِ ‌ۚ  يَقُوۡلُوۡنَ بِاَفۡوَاهِهِمۡ مَّا لَيۡسَ فِىۡ قُلُوۡبِهِمۡ‌ؕ وَاللّٰهُ اَعۡلَمُ بِمَا يَكۡتُمُوۡنَ‌

Wa-lay-yau-la-mul-la-ze-na-naa-fa-qoo                                                                                      Wa-qee-la-hoom-ta-aa-lao                                                                                                                Qaa-tay-loo-fee-sa-bee-lil-laa-hay                                                                                                Aa-wid-fa-oo                                                                                                                                          Qaa-loo-lao-nau-la-mo-qay-taa-lun-lut-ta-bau-naa-koom                                                    Hoom-lil-koof-ray-yao-ma-aiy-zin-uq-ra-bo-min-hoom-lil-ee-maa-nay                                Ya-qoo-loo-na-bay-uf-waa-aiy-him-maa-lai-sa-fee-qo-loo-bay-him                                        Wa-ul-laa-ho-au-la-mo-bay-maa-yuk-to-moo-n.

 And for making known those who acted hypocritically.                                       And it was said to them, “You come along.                                                               Fight offensively in the cause of Allah                                                                             Or at least defensively push them away.”                                                                     They said, “If we knew the fighting, we would have followed you.”                   That day they were nearer to the disbelief than they were to the Belief.                 They speak with their mouths what is not in their hearts.                                          And by God Allah knows best with what they conceal.

• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but; also; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• لِ — Lay — For (= Concerning; due to; for the reason of; on account of; regarding; relative to; so that)
• يَـعۡلَمَ — Yau-la-ma — Making known (= v., pres., s., 3^rd person., Distinguish; expose; publicize; test. A/t/a ‘were told;’  ’cause the hypocrites to be distinguished.’  Also, the translation that ‘He might know the hypocrites’ indicates as if God did not know the reality regarding who were the hypocrite until He had taken this step)
• ٱلَّذِينَ — Ul-la-zee-na — Those who (= pl., m, 3^rd person. Ref is to ‘all those men’ in masculine gender.’ All those articles, things or persons)
• نَافَقُوۡا — Naa-fa-qoo  *  Acted hypocritically (= v., past., pl., 3^rd person., Behaved double-faced; those who said something and acted the opposite. A/t/a, This verb is translated as a noun ‘Hypocrites.’  Some authors have translated this word as a verb in the present tense and stated ‘who practice hypocrisy,’ whereas the original in the Holy Qor-aan is a verb in the past tense but)
• وَ — Wa — And  (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See  وَ  above)
• قِيۡلَ — Qee-la — Said (= v., past., pass., pl., 3^rd person, Announced; broadcast; called out; conveyed; declared; informed; instructed; specified, stated or told. Also, commanded; directed; dictated; laid down; mandated; ordered)
• لَ — La — For (= For the attention, benefit, convenience, determination, good, object or purpose; to; towards. Also, concerning, regarding; relative to; intended for)
• هُمۡ‌ — Hoom — Them (= pro., pl., m., 3 ^rd person. Refers to aforesaid hypocrites)
• تَعَالَوۡا — Ta-aa-lao Come along     (= v., pres., pl., 2^nd person., Come forward; come here. A/t/a, ‘come ye’)
• قَاتِلُوۡا– Qaa-tay-loo — You fight (= v., pres., pl., 2^nd person, Attack; battle; combat; fight  back; oppose; push back; resist; retaliate; strive; struggle; war. Also, resist the hostilities, oppression and suppression. See our Commentary “Jihad, Is It Fighting?“)
• فِىۡ — Fee  — For (= In; concerning; regarding; in reference; relative to)
• سَبِيۡلِ — Sa-bee-l..(il) — Cause (= For the cause or sake of.  Also, an appropriate, correct,  proper, right or straight course, direction, highway, line, passage, path, road, route or way to traverse in conducting affairs of this life)
• اللّٰهِ — Laa-hay — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• اَوِ — Aa-w…(id) — Or (= Alternatively; in substitution. A/t/a, ‘and’ [mzk] )
• ادۡفَعُوۡا — Id-fa-oo — Push away(= v., pres., pl, 2^nd person., You push back or repel. Also, Be gone. A/t/a, ‘(at least) drive (The foe from your city),’  ‘repel the attack of the enemy,’  ‘repel the enemy,’  ‘(at least) defend yourself,’  ‘defend yourself’ and ‘help thereto’)
• قَا لُوۡا — Qaa-loo — They said (= v., past, pl., f., 3^rd person. Alleged; argued; asserted;  challenged; claimed; contended; contested; countered; objected; persisted; protested; replied; retorted. Also, in different scenarios the meanings include announced; broadcast; called out; conveyed; declared; elaborated; expounded; insisted; maintained; stated; suggested; told)
• لَوۡ — Lao — If (= In case; under the circumstances)
• نَعۡلَمُ — Nau-la-mo — We knew (= v., past., pl., 1st person., Aware; had in our knowledge. “If only we could fight’ or ‘If we knew how to fight’)
• قِتَالًا — Qay-taa-lun — Fighting (= Attack; battle; combat; oppose; strive; struggle; war. Also, fight or push back, resist or retaliate oppression or suppression. A/t/a, both (a) as a noun ‘fighting will take place’ and ‘there is fighting’ and (b) as a verb ‘how to fight’ and ‘knew aught of fighting’)
• لَ — Laa … (ut) — Certainly (= Absolutely; assuredly; categorically; clearly, definitely; doubtlessly; earnestly; indeed; positively; really; truly; seriously; sincerely; specifically; surely; verily)
• ا تَّبَعۡ — Ta-bau — Have followed (= v., past., Acted upon. Carried out. Fell in rank. Obeyed the command, direction, instruction, mandate, order or prohibition. Received, pursued or supported the assigned, given or laid down course, line of action or task. A/t/a, ‘we would surely come with you’)
• نَآ — Naa — We (= pro., pl., 1^st person. Us)
• كُمُ — Koom — You (= pro., pl., m., 2^nd person., You . The Holy Qor-aan states that way when addressing both men and women jointly)
• هُمۡ‌ — Hoom — They (= pro., pl., m., 3 ^rd person. Refers to aforesaid hypocrites)
• لِلۡ — L…(il) — To / For (= Concerning, regarding; relative to; intended for; towards)
• کُفۡر — Koof-ray — Disbelief (= n., Denial, failure or refusal to appreciate; faithlessness; gratefulness; ingratitude; thanklessness; unbelief; ungratefulness)
• يَوۡمَٮِٕذٍ — Yao-ma-aiy-zin — This day (= The day of the conversation between the believers who had followed the directive and the disbelievers who had violated that)
• أَقۡرَبُ — Uq-ra-bo — A lot closer (= Akin to; fairer; great deal; greatly; highly; much; more; nearer; a whole lot more appropriate. Also exceedingly properly, totally, very or wholly)
• مِنۡ — Min — From (= Among, from or out of the class or category)
• هُمۡ‌ — Hoom — They (= pro., pl., m., 3 ^rd person. Refers to aforesaid hypocrites)
• لِلۡ — L…(il) — To / For (= Concerning, regarding; relative to; intended for; towards)
• اِيۡمَانِ — Ee-maa-nay — Belief (= n., Affirmation; behest of faith; belief; Faith. A/t/a, pledge; promise; total confidence; trust; vow)
• يَقُوۡلُوۡنَ — Ya-quo-loona — They say  *  (= v., pres, pl, m, 3^rd person. Announce; call; broadcast; convey; declare; explain; elaborate; inform; mutter; profess; reply; respond; specify; state; tell; utter. Some authors have translated this verb in the past tense and stated ‘Their words belied their feelings,’ but the original in the Holy Qor-aan is a verb in the past tense)
• بِ — Bay — With (= Literally the word  بِ  means ‘with.’ A/t/a, ‘through their mouths’)
• اَفۡوَاهِ — Uf-wa-hay — Mouths  ** (= n., pl., A/t/a, ‘Saying with their lips.’  See below the Note 003:168)
• هِمۡ — Him — They (= pro., pl., m., 3 ^rd person. to aforesaid hypocrites)
• مَاۤ — Maa — What (= Al that; whatever; whatsoever)
• لَيۡسَ — Lai-sa — Not (= Absolute denial; never; not at all; total negation)
• فِىۡ — Fee — In (= About; concerning; in reference, regarding relative to. Also, amidst; among; belonging; contained or inside a duration, event, time, place, period, thing or situation)
• قُلُوۡبِ — Qo-loo-bay — Hearts (= n., pl., Mind; inner soul; ability to think, choose, decide and act in an appropriate manner both physically and spiritually’; understanding. Physically the central organ inside the chest of all living creatures that keeps up the supply of blood to every tissue by pumping blood constantly through veins and controls all body parts and directs all their functions. A/t/a, ‘secret thoughts’)
• هِمۡ — Him — They (= pro., pl., m., 3 ^rd person. Refers to aforesaid hypocrites)
• وَ — Wa…(ul) — And (= This vaao is tantamount to taking oath; solemn declaration or calling as a witness. Normally a Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; also; and; but; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• اللّٰهُ — Laa-ho — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• اَعۡلَمُ — Au-la-mo — Knows best (= n., Better equipped with awareness. Better knowing.    With greater knowledge. One author translated this noun as a verb and said ‘hath full knowledge.’ Another author has translated it in the past tense)
• بِمَا — Bay-maa — With what (= Combination of two words.  بِ  means ‘with / in’ and  مَاۤ  means ‘all that, whatever, whatsoever or whenever.’ The combination  بِمَا  (bay-maa) means ‘because of; on account of; for the reason; due to; with / in all that’)
• يَكۡتُمُوۡنَ — Yuk-to-moo-na — They conceal (= Deliberately and intentionally hide, keep secret or suppress any part of the teachings.

* Note 003:168a. This verse is another example of how some authors arbitrarily used the past for the present tense [and present tense for the past tense] rather than translating accurately what and how the Holy Qor-aan has stated originally.

** Note 003:168b. The wordاَفۡوَاهِ   (uf-wa-hay) is the plural of the word فَاه  (faa-ho) that means mouth.

The dictionary provides over twelve (12) different shades of their meanings and some of the following can accurately translate the word as used in the instant case.

1. This is how one speaks or says something in a loud, affected, or insincere way.
2. The way one forms words with the tongue and lips without making a sound in order to avoid being heard or to pretend to speak something.
3. The way of using language which others think as inappropriate or offensive.
4. The impudent way to challenge someone in response to a command, order or question.
5. The part of mouth or the opening between the lips that others see.
6. The mouth regarded as the organ of speech.
7. The opening in the head and its surrounding lips, gums, tongue, and teeth, through which people and animals take food or make sounds that others can hear.
8. Inapplicable to instant case are the meanings of an opening of a cave, tunnel, volcano or mine shaft.