The Holy Qor-aan 004:090
وَدُّوۡا لَوۡ تَكۡفُرُوۡنَ كَمَا كَفَرُوۡا فَتَكُوۡنُوۡنَ سَوَآءً فَلَا تَتَّخِذُوۡا مِنۡهُمۡ اَوۡلِيَآءَ حَتّٰى يُهَاجِرُوۡا فِىۡ سَبِيۡلِ اللّٰهِ ؕ فَاِنۡ تَوَلَّوۡا فَخُذُوۡهُمۡ وَاقۡتُلُوۡهُمۡ حَيۡثُ وَجَد تُّمُوۡهُمۡ وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوۡا مِنۡهُمۡ وَلِيًّا وَّلَا نَصِيۡرًا ۙ
Wud-do-lao-tuk-fo-roo-na-ka-maa-ka-fa-roo Fa-ta-koo-noo-na-sa-waa-oon Fa-laa-tut-ta-kha-zoo-min-hoom-auo-lay-yaa-aa Hut-taa-yo-haa-jay-roo-fee-sa-bee-lil-laa-hay
Fa-in-ta-wal-lao-fa-kho-zoo-hoom Wuq-to-loo-hoom-hai-tho-wa-jut-to-moo-hoom Wa-laa-tut-ta-khay-zoo-min-hoom-wa-lee-yun-wa-laa-na-see-raa
They love that you disbelieve like they had disbelieved Thus you all will become exactly the same. But you do not take among them friends Until they make a move in the cause of Allah
But if they turn back then you catch them And you fight them wherever you found them And never take from them any as a friend nor as a helper
- وَدُّوۡا — Wud-do — They love (= v., pres., pl.. 3rd person., Cherish; crave; desire; go after; like; long; seek; want; wish. A/t/a, ‘They but wish,’ ‘They wish,’ ‘The (hypocrites) wish’ and ‘They would like’)
- لَوۡ — Lao — If (= In case; under the circumstances; would)
- تَكۡفُرُوۡنَ — Tuk-fo-roo-na — You disbelieve (= v., pres., pl., 2nd person. You all people deny, refuse, resist. For more meanings see our Commentary Believe and Disbelieve. A/t/a, ‘ye Should reject Faith,’ ‘you reject Faith,’ ‘ye should disbelieve,’ ‘you should disbelieve,’ ‘you to reject’ and ‘you would disbelieve’)
- كَ — Ka — Like (= Example, identical; just the way resembling. A/t/a, ‘as’)
- مَا — Maa — All those (= All that; what; whatever; whatsoever. A/t/a, ‘even as’)
- كَفَرُوۡا — Ka-fa-roo — They disbelieved (= v., past, pl., 3rd person. Denied, refused and rejected the Faith and belief in Allah, the Holy Qor-aan, Islam and become Moslem. A/t/a, ‘They do,’ ‘they have disbelieved,’ ‘they have rejected (Faith)’ and ‘they have done themselves’)
- فَ — Fa — Thus (= After this; at the end; consequently; finally; hence; in conclusion; so; so that; thereafter; therefore; thus. A/t/a, ‘so that’)
- تَكُوۡنُوۡنَ — Ta-koo-noo-na — You become (= v., past., pl., 2nd person. You all become or grow to be. A/t/a, ‘you might be,’ ‘ye may be,’ ‘you may become,’ ‘you would be’ and ‘you all become’)
- سَوَآءً — Sa-waa-un — Exactly the same (= Alike; common; equal; similar. A/t/a, on or upon the ‘same footing (as they),’ ‘same level,’ ‘level (with them),’ ‘equal (like one another’ and ‘all alike’)
- فَ — Fa — But (= After this; hence; so; thus; therefore. See فَ above)
- لَا — Laa — Do not (= Naught; neither; never; none; nor; not at all; absolute denial and total negation without exception)
- تَتَّخِذُوا — Tut-ta-khay-zoo — You take (= v., pres., pl., 2nd person. Adopt; bring; catch; consider; construe; make part and parcel; put in; take. A/t/a, ‘choose,’ ‘make not,’ ‘take not’ and ‘make no’)
- مِنۡ — Min — From (= Among, from or out of the class or category of several. A/t/a, ‘any of’ and ‘with’)
- هُمۡ — Hoom — Them (= pro., pl., m., 3 rd person. They; them; their; theirs. A/t/a, ‘Their ranks’)
- أَوۡلِيَآءَ — Auo-lay-yaa-aa — True friends (= n., pl., Guardians; guides; helpers; leaders; patrons; protectors; protective friends; sincere well-wishers who heed one in need; supporters. Also, those who pretending to be aides, assistants, henchmen or sincere well-wishers but really hindering from the right road. A/t/a, ‘protectors or friends.’ These four words are translated as ‘befriend them’)
- حَتّٰى — Hut-ta — Until (= By the end of the period or term; till the time)
- يُهَاجِرُوۡا — Yo-haa-jay-roo — They make move (= v., pres., pl., 3rd person. Change outlook, improve stance or leave current environment. The word also means emigrate, immigrate, migrate, move home and hearth, or move to another geography, jurisdiction or location, relocate, or suffer deportation or exile. A/t/a, ‘They flee … (From what is forbidden),’ ‘they leave (their homes),’ ‘they forsake their homes’ and ‘they migrate.’ This verb has been translated incorrectly in the present tense as ‘they have fled their homes’)
- فِىۡ — Fee — In (= In; concerning; regarding; in reference; relative to. Also, amidst, during or inside a time, place or event)
- سَبِيۡلِ — Sa-bee-l … (il) — Cause (= n., s., Action; alternative; cause, course; escape; line; means; measure; method; path; pretext; remedy; road; way. See Note 004:089 & Phrase fee-sa-be-lil-laa-hay)
- اللّٰهِ — (i) Laa-hay..(il) — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship. A/t/a, ‘in the way of Allah’ and ‘in the way of Allah (to Muhammad s.a.w)’
- فَ — Fa — But (= After this; hence; so; thus; therefore. See فَ above. A/t/a, ‘but’)
- اِنۡ — In — If (= In case; under the circumstances; when; when situation arises; whenever)
- تَوَلَّوۡا — Ta-wul-lao — They turn back (= v., past., pl., 3rd person. Continue, persist or purse their former ways; revert. A/t/a, ‘They turn renegade,’ ‘turn back (to enmity),’ ‘turn back (to hostility),’ ‘turn back’ (from Islam),’ ‘turn away’ and ‘desert you’)
- فَ — Fa — Then (= After this; hence; so; thus; therefore. See فَ above)
- خُذُوۡ — Kho-zoo — Catch (= v., past., pl., 2nd person. Capture; grab; get hold of; seize. A/t/a, ‘take’ (hold of)’
- ھُمۡ — Hoom — Them (= pro., pl., m., 3rd person. They; them; their; theirs)
- وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but; also; more over; though; when; while; yet)
- اقۡتُلُوۡ — Uq-to-loo — You fight (= v., pres., pl., 2nd person, Attack; oppose; push back; strive hard. A/t/a, ‘slay’ and ‘put them to death.’ See 002:073 and Commentary Jihad – Is It Fighting)
- ھُمۡ — Hoom — Them (= pro., pl., m., 3rd person. They; them; their or theirs)
- حَيۡثُ — Hai-tho — Wherever (= Anywhere; where; wherever)
- وَجَد تُّمُو — Wa-jut-to-moo — You found (= v., past., pl., 2nd person. Catch; discover; get hold of; see. See Note 002:192a for an important relationship of this word with ثَقِفۡتُمُوۡ used there. A/t/a, ‘you find’ but translating this verb in the present tense is not of what the Holy Qor-aan has stated in the past tense )
- ھُمۡ — Hoom — Them (= pro., pl., m., 3rd person. They; them; their; theirs)
- وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ above. A/t/a, ‘And (in any case)’
- لَا — Laa — Never (= Naught; neither; never; none; nor; not at all; absolute denial and total negation without exception)
- تَتَّخِذُوا — Tut-ta-khay-zoo — You take (= v., pres., pl., 2nd person. Adopt; bring; catch; consider; construe; make part and parcel; put in; take. A/t/a, ‘take,’ ‘choose’ and ‘Look for’)
- مِنۡ — Min — From (= Among, from or out of the class or category of several. A/t/a, ‘anyone of them’)
- هُمۡ — Hoom — Them (= pro., pl., m., 3 rd person. They; them; their; theirs. A/t/a, ‘Their ranks’)
- وَلِيًّا — Wa-lee-yun — As a friend (= n., s., Guardian; guide; helper; leader; patron; protector and protective friend. Sincere well-wisher who heeds one in need; supporter. See أَوۡلِيَآءَ above. A/t/a, ‘protectors and friends’)
- وَّ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ above. )
- لَا — Laa — Nor (= Naught; neither; never; none; nor; not at all; absolute denial and total negation without exception)
- نَصِيۡرًا — Na-see-raa — As a helper (= n., Helper; supporter. Adv., Helpful; supportive)
004:089
The Holy Qor-aan 004:089
فَمَا لَـكُمۡ فِىۡ الۡمُنٰفِقِيۡنَ فِئَـتَيۡنِ وَاللّٰهُ اَرۡكَسَهُمۡ بِمَا كَسَبُوۡا ؕ اَ تُرِيۡدُوۡنَ اَنۡ تَهۡدُوۡا مَنۡ اَضَلَّ اللّٰهُ ؕ وَمَنۡ يُّضۡلِلِ اللّٰهُ فَلَنۡ تَجِدَ لَهٗ سَبِيۡلًا
Fa maa la koom fee il-mo-naa-fay-qee-na fay-aa-tai-nay Wa ul-laa-ho ur-ka-sa hoom bay maa ka-sa-boo Aa to-re-do-na un tauh-ta-do mun aa-dzul-la ul-laa-ho Wa mun yoodz-lay-lil laa-ho fa lun ta-jay-da la hoo sa-be-laa
So, what is with you regarding the two groups of hypocrites? By God Allah drove them back because of what they had earned. Do you intend to guide him whom Allah has let go stray? And he whom Allah lets go stray, then you can’t find for him the right way
The text in next eleven (11) words is repeated in verses 004:089 and 004:144
** Note 004:089. The word سَبِيۡلًا (sa-be-laa) is a noun. It has also been frequently used as an adjective or adverb. Its meanings include the following.
** Note 004:089a. The word اَضَلَّ (aa-dzul-la) is the past tense that means means lost or misled. The word يُّضۡلِ (Yoodz-lay) is its present tense that means loses or misleads.
Only some translators recognized the difference between these two words. M M Pickthall translated the former as sent away and the later as sendeth astray. M Sher Ali, M Zafrullah Khan and M Ghulam Farid translated the former as caused to perish and the later as causes to perish.
But other authors just ignored the different meanings that each word really conveys.
A Yusuf Ali translated both the words the same in the past tense as ‘hath thrown out of the way’ — the first word correctly but the second word incorrectly.
M Muhammad Ali translated both the words similarly in the present tense as ‘leaves in error’ — the first word incorrectly but the second word correctly.
M Muhsin Khan and T D Al-Hilali translated both the words similarly in the past tense as ‘made to go astray’
N J Dawood translated both the words similarly in the past tense as ’caused to err’ and ‘led astray’ — the first word correctly but the second word incorrectly.
Sadly, such mistranslations by disregarding Arabic grammar are quite rampant in many translations on the market.