The Holy Qor-aan 005:058
يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَا تَـتَّخِذُوا الَّذِيۡنَ اتَّخَذُوۡا دِيۡنَكُمۡ هُزُوًا وَّلَعِبًا مِّنَ الَّذِيۡنَ اُوۡتُوا الۡكِتٰبَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِكُمۡ وَالۡـكُفَّارَ اَوۡلِيَآءَ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ مُّؤۡمِنِيۡنَ
Yaa-auy-yo-hul-la-zee-na-aa-ma-noo Laa-tut-ta-khay-zool-la-zee-nut-kha-zoo-dee-na-koom Ho-zo-wun-wa-la-aiy-bunm-may-nul-la-zee-na Oo-tool-kay-taa-ba-min-qub-lay-koom Wul-koof-faa-ra-auo-lay-yaa-aa Wut-ta-qool-laa-ha-in-koon-toom-moe-may-nee-n
Listen you all who have believed! Do not take those who took your religion As a joke or sport from among those who Were given the Book before you And the Disbelievers as true friends. And be dutiful to Allah if you have been Believers.
The Holy Qor-aan has used the Phrase Yaa-auy-yo-hul-la-zee-na-aa-ma-noo many times
- يٰۤ — Yaa — Listen (= Be attentive; hearken; pay attention; O!)
- اَيُّهَا — Auy-yo-ha(ul) — You all (= All addressees; entire audience; whole lot of listeners)
- ٱلَّذِينَ — Ul-la-zee-na — Those who (= pl., m, 3rd person. Those articles, things or persons
- اٰمَنُوۡۤ — Aa-ma-noo — They Believed (= v., past., pl., 3rd person. Believed in the Holy Qor-aan; became Moslems. Accepted, acknowledged, admitted or witnessed their entry in Iss-laam. See Commentaries like Islam – 101, Phrase Aa-ma-noo-wa-aa-may-loos … and Believe and Disbelieve that floodlight other aspects how the Holy Qor-aan has used this word)
- لَا — Laa — Do not (= Naught; neither; never; none; nor; not at all; absolute denial and total negation without exception)
- تَتَّخِذُوۡٓا — Tut-ta-khay-zoo … (l) — You take (= v., pres., pl., 2nd person. Adopt; bring; catch; consider, construe; take; treat. This word in some contexts can mean commit, enforce, involve, make part and parcel, practice, put in; seize. See below Note 005:058. A/t/a, ‘take,’ ‘choose,’ ‘make’ and ‘seek’)
- ٱلَّذِينَ — Ul-la-zee-na … (ut) — Those who (= pl., m, 3rd person. Refers to the Disbelievers. A/t/a, ‘such of those who’)
- اتَّخَذُوۡا — Ut-ta-kha-zoo — They took (= v., past., pl., 3rd person. Adopted; brought in; caught; committed; considered; construed; made part and parcel; practiced; put in. See below Note 005:058. A/t/a, ‘have made’)
- دِيۡنَ — Dee-na — Faith (= n., s., Belief system; faith; religion)
- كُمۡ — Koom — You (= pro., pl., 2nd person. You all men. Generally this way the Holy Qor-aan addresses men and women jointly)
- هُزُوًا — Ho-zo-waa — Joke (= adj., Funny; humiliation; jest; laughing matter; laughingstock; lightly; mockery. Hold or project someone in contempt or ridicule. Make a game of)
- وَّ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but; also; more over; though; when; while; yet)
- لَعِبًا — La-aiy-bun … (m) — Sport (= n., Amusement. Entertainment. Game. Play. Sports event. A/t/a, ‘make … sport,’ ‘pastime.’ ‘worthless,’ ‘a joke’ and ‘fun’)
- مِّنَ — May-na … (ul) From (= Among, from or out of the class or category of several articles, counts, kind, things, persons. A/t/a, ‘from among’)
- ٱلَّذِينَ — Ul-la-zee-na — Those who (= pl., m, 3rd person. Refers to people of Book)
- اُوۡتُوا — Oo-too…(l) — Were given (= v., past., passive v., pl., 3rd person. Awarded; bestowed; conferred; entrusted; gifted; granted; made responsible. A/t/a ‘were given.’ But stating ‘received’ in the active voice is no translation of what the Holy Qor-aan has stated in the passive voice)
- الۡكِتٰبَ — Ul-Kay-taa-ba — The Book (= n., The Divine Directive of Commands, Prohibitions and Regulations. A/t/a, ‘Scripture’)
- مِنۡ — Min — From (= Among, from or out of the class. See مِنۡ above)
- قَبۡلِ — Qub-lay — Before (= Earlier, former, older, past or prior times. Aforetime. Ahead. Something that happened or occurred in prior periods antecedently, historically and previously. A/t/a, ‘earlier’)
- كُمۡ — Koom — You (= pro., pl., 2nd person. You all men. Generally this is the way the Holy Qor-aan addresses men and women)
- وَ — Wa … (ul) — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَّ above)
- الۡـكُفَّارَ — Koof-faa-ra — Disbelievers (= n., pl., Those who truly … abuse, deny, fail, misuse, reject or refuse to appreciate, thank, use or utilize any God-given ability, blessing, capacity, capability or opportunity afforded and talent endowed. See more details in our Commentary Believe and Disbelieve. A/t/a, ‘disbelievers,’ ‘other disbelievers,’ ‘who reject Faith,’ ‘other infidels’ and ‘unbelievers’)
- اَوۡلِيَآءَ — Auo-lay-yaa-aa — True friends (= n., pl., Guardians; guides; helpers; leaders; patrons; protectors; protective friends; sincere well-wishers who heed one in need; supporter. The word includes the meanings of false gods and evil persons who are always there as abettors, aides, assistants, henchmen and well-wishers while really hindering people from following the right road. See Note 003:176. A/t/a, ‘for friends and protectors,’ ‘helpers,’ ‘friends,’ ‘allies,’ ‘the friendship’ and ‘Auliya (protectors and helpers)’
- وَ — Wa … (ut) — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ above)
- اتَّقُوا — Tuq-qoo … (l) — Do duty to (= v., pres., m., 2nd person, Be clean, righteous and do duty owed to God. This word has many concepts that are condensed in our Commentary The Righteous. A/t/a, ‘keep your duty,’ ‘fear ye,’ ‘be mindful of your duty,’ ‘have fear’ and ‘fear’)
- ٱللَّهَ — Laa-ha — Allah (= The One and the Only One Almighty God)
- اِنۡ — In — If (= In case; under the circumstances; when; when situation arises; whenever. A/t/a, ‘if … indeed are’)
- كُنۡ — Koon — Have been (= v., past., s., m., 3rd person., Continued doing; used to; went on; were doing. Words has or had always been indicate endless continuity from the past to the present and leading into the future. A/t/a, ‘are’ and ‘have’)
- تُمۡ — Toom — You (= pro., pl., 2nd person. You all men. See كُمۡ above)
- مُّؤۡمِنِيۡنَ — Moe-may-nee-n — Believers (= n,. pl., Adherents of Islam; those who enter the Faith, believe and follow the Holy Qor-aan, the Iss-laam and become Moslems. Men of faith. The faithful. A/t/a, ‘believers,’ ‘true believers’ and ‘have Faith (indeed)‘
** Note 005:058: The word تَّخِذُوۡٓا has a kasra ( ِ ) under the letter khay ( خِ ). It is a verb in the present tense for a 2nd person, a command to do a specified act, and the effect that means ‘You’ take, adopt, bring in, catch, consider, construe, seize or treat the commanded act.
The other word تَّخَذُوۡا has a fataha ( َ ) upon the letter khay ( خَ ). It is a verb in the past tense for a 3rd person, describes disbelievers who had done the wrong and the cause that means ‘They’ took, acted upon, adopted, committed or practiced the proscribed prohibition. It is this word that has been mistranslated by many authors. Only some authors translated it correctly.
Placement of a single vowel makes these two words different. One is in the present tense for 2nd person. The other is in the past tense for 3rd person. See Commentary Arabic Grammar 5 – Punctuations and vowels.
The mistranslation of the word تَّخَذُوۡا describes disbelievers’ ridicule of Moslem prayer. It should have been translated in the past tense as the feat accompli that resulted in the command to the believers. Translating it in the present tense is plainly wrong.
The mistranslation shows failure to distinguish the two words. One is the result or effect. The other is the reason or cause. Perhaps they look alike to an eye not well-versed in the Arabic language of which every root produces several dozens of words as its derivates. Each derivative is a different word and has different meanings.
The mistranslation is by several following authors, perhaps some by just duplication.
- Maulawi Sher Ali and M Zafrulla Khan translated it as ‘Who make.’
- M Muhammad Ali, Amatul Rahman Omar, Dr Zidan Ahmad, M Mohsin Khan and Taqi-uddin Al-Hilali translated it as ‘Who take.’
The mistranslation in the present tense shows failure to know (a) the Arabic grammar (see Arabic Grammar 2 – Basics to Arabic, Note 002:031 and Grammar 6 – Material Mistakes), (b) the impact of vowels (see Arabic Grammar 5 – Punctuations and vowels) and (c) the distinction between two different words that mean differently and must be translated differently.
The Holy Qor-aan gives Rules of Universal Application. A failure to follow these rules results in inequities. This verse shows the appropriate sequence. The wrong done earlier must be stated in the past tense. The resulting Command of obedience follows in the present tense. This site strongly disavows wrong meanings implanted on the Holy Qor-aan.
