Mistranslations of Islamic Scripture (English): Difference between revisions

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Modern Islamic scholars have argued that the verse describes a visual representation of what Dhul-Qarnayn saw as the sun set into the “horizon”. Such explanations are frustrated by authoritative sources, themselves represented by the likes of ''Tafsir Al-Jalaleen'' (p. 251), and numerous classical authorities (which explain that the setting of the sun is in a well containing a murky mud). The same interpretation is found in al-Tabari’s commentaries (p. 339) as well as in the ''Concise Interpretation of al-Tabari'' (p. 19 of part 2) in which he remarks that the well in which the sun sets "contains lime and murky mud". The words “apparent” or “looks like” do not appear in classical explanations or commentaries. Indeed, the verse appears to reflect the [[Cosmology of the Quran|cosmological views]] [[Muhammad|Muhammad]] would have been expected to have in seventh century Arabia. Furthermore, since the earth is in fact round, [[Flat Earth and the Quran|not flat]] (as the Qur'an appears to suggest), Dhul-Qarnayn could never have reached some "farthest point", since no such point exists on a globe. Other modern Islamic scholars have suggested that it was Dhul-Qarnayn's “opinion” and not the Qur'an's.  
Modern Islamic scholars have argued that the verse describes a visual representation of what Dhul-Qarnayn saw as the sun set into the “horizon”. Such explanations are frustrated by authoritative sources, themselves represented by the likes of ''Tafsir Al-Jalaleen'' (p. 251), and numerous classical authorities (which explain that the setting of the sun is in a well containing a murky mud). The same interpretation is found in al-Tabari’s commentaries (p. 339) as well as in the ''Concise Interpretation of al-Tabari'' (p. 19 of part 2) in which he remarks that the well in which the sun sets "contains lime and murky mud". The words “apparent” or “looks like” do not appear in classical explanations or commentaries. Indeed, the verse appears to reflect the [[Cosmology of the Quran|cosmological views]] [[Muhammad|Muhammad]] would have been expected to have in seventh century Arabia. Furthermore, since the earth is in fact round, [[Flat Earth and the Quran|not flat]] (as the Qur'an appears to suggest), Dhul-Qarnayn could never have reached some "farthest point", since no such point exists on a globe. Other modern Islamic scholars have suggested that it was Dhul-Qarnayn's “opinion” and not the Qur'an's.  


The Al-Azhar site confront this challenge by distorting the translation of the verse, which states that the "muddy spring" is in fact the Atlantic ocean, which ''appeared to Dhul-Qarnayn'' as a muddy spring.  
The al-Azhar site confront this challenge by distorting the translation of the verse, which states that the "muddy spring" is in fact the Atlantic ocean, which ''appeared to Dhul-Qarnayn'' as a muddy spring. A similar tactic is employed by the Sahih International translation.  


=== (86:5-7) Semen production ===
{{Quote|{{quran|18|86}}|Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it [as if] setting in a spring of dark mud, and he found near it a people. Allah said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish [them] or else adopt among them [a way of] goodness."}}
 
===(86:5-7) Semen production===
{{Main|Quran and Semen Production}}
{{Main|Quran and Semen Production}}
{{Quran-range|86|5|7}} states that sperm originates from an area between the breastbone and the backbone.  
{{Quran-range|86|5|7}} states that sperm originates from an area between the breastbone and the backbone.  
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7. Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs:}}
7. Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs:}}


The Al-Azhar site translates the origination point of sperm as from "between the pelvis and breast bone"; neither of these translations, however, mention the role of the testes.
The al-Azhar site translates the origination point of sperm as from "between the pelvis and breast bone"; neither of these translations, however, mention the role of the testes.


In {{Quran|2|10}} it says that unbelievers are creatures sick in their hearts and Allah increases their sickness, but the translation distorts the verse to exonerate Allah from playing this role.
In {{Quran|2|10}} it says that unbelievers are creatures sick in their hearts and Allah increases their sickness, but the translation distorts the verse to exonerate Allah from playing this role.

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Quran 15:9 declares that the Qur'an is Allah's revelation and that he promises to preserve it and protect it from corruption. In Quran 16:103, Quran 44:58 and Quran 54:22, 32, 40, it is emphasized that the Qur'an was revealed in straight forward, easy to understand, and pure Arabic. Islamic scholars agree that all that which is fundamental to Islam (particularly most of Islamic law) which is not contained in the Quran must have been preserved in the form of hadiths. However, translations of these scriptures have not always been rendered faithfully, particularly in recent times and especially when the audience concerned is that of a developed, first-world variety which likely holds to advanced notions of human rights and liberty.

Some of the most prominent and officially recognized English translators of the Qur'an (like Yusuf Ali, Dr. Rashad Khalifa and Muhammad Asad), however, have often mistranslated the most controversial and problematic verses in Qur'an. That these inaccurate translations are most common with verses that would be considered barbaric, unscientific, or crude in the West suggests that these mistranslations were not unintentional or due to some unique difficulty of the Arabic words used in these verses. Similar mistranslations have been observed in translations of the hadiths as well as in translations of other key Islamic texts, such as legal manuals.

Quran

(4:34) Wife-beating

Quran 4:34 famously instructs men to beat their wives and forms the basis of the Islamic legal ruling which permits as much. The below translation is taken from Yusuf Ali.

Yusuf Ali: Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what Allah would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (lightly); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance): For Allah is Most High, great (above you all).
Quran 4:34

This verse states that men are in charge of women with what they spend on them, and have the right to direct them in life. Also in the same verse, women are told to obey men and if they don’t, then men have the authority to admonish them and if they persist in disobedience (or, read more literally, if the husband simply fears disobedience), then men may proceed to beat them. Yusuf Ali, a prominent translator of the Qur'an, adds the word “lightly” in brackets, after “beating them”, presumably to reduce offense.

(23:14) Fetal development

Quran 23:14 presents a schema regarding the development of the human fetus. The following translations are taken from Pickthall an Yusuf Ali.

Pickthal: Then fashioned We the drop a clot, then fashioned We the clot a little lump, then fashioned We the little lump bones, then clothed the bones with flesh, and then produced it as another creation. So blessed be Allah, the Best of creators!
Yusuf Ali: Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then we developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create!
Quran 23:14

This verse is often used as an example of how translators (in this case Yusuf Ali, who is authorized by the Saudi Islamic authority and Al-Azhar University) have often attempted to distort verses in order to make them appear less objectionable to Western audiences.

Yusuf Ali, in his translation, replaces the word "then" with "and". He also replaces “the best of creators” (plural) with “the best to create” (singular). The difference in the meaning is crucial because the word “then” suggests another and separate phase, while the word “and” means bones and flesh form simultaneously or during one phase, which conforms to modern science. However this does not appear in the original Arabic text.

Likewise, the plural form of “creators” seems to affirm the existence of multiple creators (of whom Allah would be the best), which appears to contradict the key Islamic doctrine of tawḥīd (توحيد) regarding the oneness of Allah, the only creator. Similar mistranslations are given by the Rashad Khalifa and Muhammad Saad translations. By contrast, the Pickthal translation is more accurate in this case, conforming to the original Arabic text.

Similarly distorted translations are also presented by institutions such as al-Azhar, the Egyptian Ministry of Awqaf, and the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, as is seen on the Al-Azhar web site. The above verse is translated as below:

Then We created the nutfah (sperm-drop) into a clinging organism. Then We created the clinging organism into a bolus-like chewed-up mass of coherent body of matter. Then We created the bolus-like chewed-up mass into bones, and We dressed the bones flesh. Out of this We brought it forth as a different creation. So, blessed be Allâh, The Fairest of creators.
Quran 23:14

(18:86) Sun sets in a muddy spring

Main Article: Dhul-Qarnayn and the Sun Setting in a Muddy Spring

Quran 18:86 describes the story of Dhul-Qarnayn (Alexander the Great) wherein he is said to arrive at a location where he observes the sun setting in a muddy spring.

Till, when he reached the setting-place of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and found a people thereabout. We said: O Dhu'l-Qarneyn! Either punish or show them kindness.
Quran 18:86

Modern Islamic scholars have argued that the verse describes a visual representation of what Dhul-Qarnayn saw as the sun set into the “horizon”. Such explanations are frustrated by authoritative sources, themselves represented by the likes of Tafsir Al-Jalaleen (p. 251), and numerous classical authorities (which explain that the setting of the sun is in a well containing a murky mud). The same interpretation is found in al-Tabari’s commentaries (p. 339) as well as in the Concise Interpretation of al-Tabari (p. 19 of part 2) in which he remarks that the well in which the sun sets "contains lime and murky mud". The words “apparent” or “looks like” do not appear in classical explanations or commentaries. Indeed, the verse appears to reflect the cosmological views Muhammad would have been expected to have in seventh century Arabia. Furthermore, since the earth is in fact round, not flat (as the Qur'an appears to suggest), Dhul-Qarnayn could never have reached some "farthest point", since no such point exists on a globe. Other modern Islamic scholars have suggested that it was Dhul-Qarnayn's “opinion” and not the Qur'an's.

The al-Azhar site confront this challenge by distorting the translation of the verse, which states that the "muddy spring" is in fact the Atlantic ocean, which appeared to Dhul-Qarnayn as a muddy spring. A similar tactic is employed by the Sahih International translation.

Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it [as if] setting in a spring of dark mud, and he found near it a people. Allah said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish [them] or else adopt among them [a way of] goodness."
Quran 18:86

(86:5-7) Semen production

Main Article: Quran and Semen Production

Quran 86:5-7 states that sperm originates from an area between the breastbone and the backbone.

5. Now let man but think from what he is created!

6. He is created from a drop emitted-

7. Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs:
Quran 86:5-7

The al-Azhar site translates the origination point of sperm as from "between the pelvis and breast bone"; neither of these translations, however, mention the role of the testes.

In Quran 2:10 it says that unbelievers are creatures sick in their hearts and Allah increases their sickness, but the translation distorts the verse to exonerate Allah from playing this role.

Another instance of distorted translation can be found in Az-Zumar.

He created you (all) from a single person: then created, of like nature, his mate; and he sent down for you eight head of cattle in pairs: He makes you, in the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness. such is Allah, your Lord and Cherisher: to Him belongs (all) dominion. There is no god but He: then how are ye turned away (from your true Centre)?
Quran 39:6

However, the word "butun" which is translated in this verse as "womb", in fact means, quite clearly, "stomach".

The most widespread mistranslation of a single word throughout the Qur'an, is the Arabic word "Qatal", which means to "kill", "massacre", or "slaughter". Yusuf Ali correctly translates it in An-Nisa’ Quran 4:157 as "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah";- but they killed him not", but then distorts the same word as "fight" in At-Tawbah Quran 9:29, "Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day.", whereas the Arabic text reads "Kill those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day". Yusuf Ali reproduces this translation in Al-Anfal Quran 8:39 and several other verses.

(67:5) Shooting stars

Here is the literal meaning of verse 67:5. It discusses the Jinn (mythical ethereal creatures that are described in Islamic scriptures as living among humans)[1] and stars from the "lowest heaven" which are used as missiles against any mischievous jinn that attempts to eavesdrop on conversations between angels.[2]

وَلَقَدْ زَيَّنَّا ٱلسَّمَآءَ ٱلدُّنْيَا بِمَصَٰبِيحَ وَجَعَلْنَٰهَا رُجُومًا لِّلشَّيَٰطِينِ ۖ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَابَ ٱلسَّعِيرِ


Transliteration: Walaqad zayyanna alssamaa alddunya bimasabeeha wajaAAalnaha rujooman lilshshayateeni waaAAtadna lahum AAathaba alssaAAeeri

Literal: And certainly We have beautified the heaven (ٱلسَّمَآءَ, as-samaa'a) nearest (ٱلدُّنْيَا, ad-dunyaa) with lamps (بِمَصَٰبِيحَ, bi-masaabeeh) and We have made them (as) missiles (رُجُومًا, rujooman) for the devils, and We have prepared for them punishment(of) the Blaze.[3]
Qur'an Text/Transliteration 67:5
  • ٱلسَّمَآءَ (as-samaa'a) means heaven or sky [4]
  • ٱلدُّنْيَا (ad-dunya) is translated "the world" or "the lower". The world" is called "the lower", because according to Islamic cosmology the heavens appear one atop the other and the earth is the lowest in this structure.
  • بِمَصَٰبِيحَ (bi-masaabeeh) - you can google images of مصابيح to see its meaning is "lamps" even in today's Arabic.
  • رُجُومًا (rujooman) - notice it is from the same root as رجم (rajm), meaning "stoning", which is the Islamic punishment for sex outside marriage. The Shaytan is also called "ar-rajeem" (الرجيم), "the stoned one", possibly because of this verse.

Accurate translations

Here are the three most popular and readily available translations of this verse by Muslims.

Pickthal: And verily We have beautified the world's heaven with lamps, and We have made them missiles for the devils, and for them We have prepared the doom of flame.
Shakir: And certainly We have adorned this lower heaven with lamps and We have made these missiles for the Shaitans, and We have prepared for them the chastisement of burning.
Yusuf Ali: And we have, (from of old), adorned the lowest heaven with Lamps, and We have made such (Lamps) (as) missiles to drive away the Evil Ones, and have prepared for them the Penalty of the Blazing Fire.

The following four translations are by non-Muslims whose work are sometimes viewed with suspicion among Muslims, yet their renditions match those of the three generally accepted and popular translations.

Arberry: And We adorned the lower heaven with lamps, and made them things to stone Satans; and We have prepared for them the chastisement of the Blaze.
Palmer: And we have adorned the lower heaven with lamps; and set them to pelt the devils with; and we have prepared for them the torment of the blaze!
George Sale: Moreover We have adorned the lowest heaven with lamps, and have appointed them to be darted at the devils, for whom We have prepared the torment of burning fire:
JM Rodwell: Moreover we have decked the lowest heaven with lights, and have placed them there to be hurled at the Satans, for whom we have prepared the torment of the flaming fire.

A further twelve Muslim translations also confirm this.

Abdel Haleem: We have adorned the lowest heaven with lamps and made them [missiles] for stoning devils for whom We have also prepared the torment of a blazing fire.
Muhammad Ahmed - Samira: We have adorned the lowest sky with lamps, and made them missiles against the devils, for whom We have prepared a torment of most intense fire.
Qaribullah: We have adorned the lower heaven with lamps, and We made them a stoning for the satans, We have prepared the punishment of the Blaze for them.
Faridul Haque: And indeed We have beautified the lower heaven with lamps, and have made them weapons against the devils, and have kept prepared for them the punishment of the blazing fire.
Syed Vickar Ahamed: And indeed, We have decorated the lowest heaven with lamps, and We have made them (like) missiles to drive away the Satans, and have prepared for them the penalty of the blazing Fire.
Muhammad Taqi Usmani: And We have decorated the nearest sky with lamps, and have made them devices to stone the devils, and We have prepared for them the punishment of Hell.
Muhammad Sarwar: We have decked the lowest heavens with torches. With these torches We have stoned the devils and We have prepared for them the torment of hell.
Hamid S. Aziz: And certainly We have adorned this lower heaven with lamps and We have made these missiles for Satan, and We have prepared for them the chastisement of burning.
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali: And indeed We have already adorned the lowest heaven with lamps and made them outcast (meteorites) for Ash-Shayatin (The ever-vicious "ones", i.e., the devils) and We have readied for them the torment of the Blaze.
Ali Quli Qara'i: We have certainly adorned the lowest heaven with lamps, and made them missiles against the devils, and We have prepared for them punishment of the Blaze.
Abdul Majid Daryabad: And assuredly We have bedecked the nearest heaven with lamps, and We have made them missiles for satans: and for them We have gotten ready the torment of the Blaze.
Sher Ali: And verily, WE have adorned the lowest heaven with lamps, and WE have made them the means of driving away satans, and WE have prepared for them the punishment of the blazing Fire.

Distorted Translations

The following two translations attempt to alter the idea of stars being made for the purpose of stoning jinn by describing the missiles as being made out of/from the stars, but not the stars themselves.

Umm Muhammad (Sahih International): And We have certainly beautified the nearest heaven with stars and have made [from] them what is thrown at the devils and have prepared for them the punishment of the Blaze.
Ali Ünal: And, indeed, We have adorned the lowest heaven (the heaven of the world) with lamps (stars), and made (out of) them missiles to drive away devils; and for them We have prepared (in the Hereafter) the punishment of the Blaze.

The next two translations include their modifications without using brackets, giving the impression that their understanding of the verse was already, in essence, conveyed by the original Arabic.

Aisha Bewley: We have adorned the lowest heaven with lamps and made some of them stones for the shaytans for whom We have prepared the punishment of the Blaze.
Al-Muntakhab: And We decorated the lowermost heaven with lamps (or heavenly bodies), some of them adapted to be like weapons in pursuit of the evil ones for whom We have prepared torture in the blazes of Hell.

In the following two translations, the lamps and the projectiles used against the devilish jinn are referred to as separate entities, though this disagrees with the Arabic text in which there is a pronoun used to refer to the "projectiles" whose clear antecedent is the plural word "lamps".

Khalifa: We adorned the lowest universe with lamps, and guarded its borders with projectiles against the devils; we prepared for them a retribution in Hell.
Progressive Muslims: And We have adorned this universe with lamps, and We made it with projectiles against the devils; and We prepared for them the retribution of the blazing Fire.

Reinterpretations Presented as Translation

The following translations depart entirely from the classical interpretations of the verse and, it would appear, the very wording of the verse itself.

Maulana Ali: And certainly We have adorned this lower heaven with lamps and We make them means of conjectures for the devils, and We have prepared for them the chastisement of burning.
Shabbir Ahmed: And indeed, We have beautified the sky of the world with shining lamps. And made them objects of futile guesses for the satans. (15:17), (37:6-9), (72:8). And for them We have prepared the doom of blazing flames.

The next three translations go a little further by asserting that the "devils/evil ones" refer to evil human cohorts and not to the jinn.

Asad: And, indeed, We have adorned the skies nearest to the earth with lights, and have made them the object of futile guesses for the evil ones [from among men]: and for them have We readied suffering through a blazing flame –
Farook Malik: And, indeed, We have adorned the skies nearest to the earth with lights, and have made them the object of futile guesses for the evil ones [from among men]: and for them have We readied suffering through a blazing flame.
Amatul Rahman Omar: We have, certainly, adorned the lowest heaven with (stars-like) lamps and We have made them as means of conjecture for the evil ones (and the astrologers who invent good or bad omens from the movement of the stars). (Remember) We have prepared for these (soothesayers) the punishment of the blazing Fire.

Incorporation of Modern Science into Translation

The following translation attempts to incorporate modern science into its reading of the verse, though makes it a point to use brackets to differentiate this interpretation from the words of the verse.

Bijan Moeinian: God has adorned the lowest universe with the sources of light [probably a reference to the Quasars], being used as missiles against the devils [perhaps the reference is to anti-matter which will be destroyed immediately in contact with the matter] and prepared for them a blazing fire.

Hadith

Aisha's age at consummation

'Aisha lived with her parents before her marriage to Muhammad was consummated at the age of 9 (Sahih Muslim 8:3310). The following mistranslation is often presented as evidence that she reached puberty while she still lived there.

Narrated `Aisha: (the wife of the Prophet) I had seen my parents following Islam since I attained the age of puberty. Not a day passed but the Prophet (ﷺ) visited us, both in the mornings and evenings...
Sahih Bukhari 1:8:465

The word أَعْقِلْ means to use thoughts or reasoning, but the translator Muhsin Khan has used the word 'puberty'. The meaning rather is that 'Aisha was never aware of a time when her parents were not Muslim. A literal translation would be "I was not aware of my parents other than that the two of them both acknowledged the religion" (لَمْ أَعْقِلْ أَبَوَىَّ إِلاَّ وَهُمَا يَدِينَانِ الدِّينَ). The same Arabic phrase is translated as follows in another hadith by the same translator:

Narrated `Aisha: (the wife of the Prophet) "I do not remember my parents believing in any religion other than the Religion (of Islam), and our being visited by Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in the morning and in the evening....
Sahih Bukhari 8:73:102

See also the two other occurrences in Sahih Bukhari 3:37:494 and Sahih Bukhari 5:58:245.

The 'puberty' mistranslation also fails to achieve chronological sensibility. 'Aisha's father, Abu Bakr, was one of Muhammad's first followers. It would not have taken until puberty for 'Aisha to notice that her father followed the religion.

See Also

External Links

  1. ↑ Mawdudi, Sayyid Abul Ala, Tafhim ul Quran, Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, 1995, vol. 6, p.110
  2. ↑ "...The Jinns would go to the lowest heaven and listen to the Angels conversing amongst themselves about events of the Future which they heard from Allah. The Jinns would then inform the fortune-tellers. This is why before the time of the Prophet (saws) many fortune-tellers were very accurate in their predictions. However, upon the Prophet's arrival the heavens were guarded intensely by the Angels, and any Jinn who tried to listen was attacked by meteors (shooting stars)..." - The World of Jinn - Invitation to Islam, Issue 4, January 1998
  3. ↑ Word-by-Word Grammar - Verse (67:5) - The Quranic Arabic Corpus
  4. ↑ https://www.almaany.com/en/dict/ar-en/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A1/
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