Allah le meilleur trompeur: Difference between revisions

'''Maulana Ali:''' And those before them planned indeed, but all planning is Allah’s. He knows what every soul earns. And the disbelievers will come to know for whom is the (good) end of the Abode.  

'''t'''<ref name="iw13-42"/>}}

'''Free Minds:''' And those before them have schemed, but to God is all scheming. He knows what every soul earns and the rejecters will come to know to whom is the better abode. <ref name="iw13-42"/>}}

'''Qaribullah:''' Those who have gone before them devised, but to Allah is the devising altogether. He knows what every soul earns. The unbelievers shall know without doubt for whom is the Ultimate Abode. <ref name="iw13-42"/>}}

'''George Sale:''' Their predecessores formerly devised subtle plots against their prophets; but God is master of every subtle device. He knoweth that which every soul deserveth: And the infidels shall surely know, whose will be the reward of paradise. <ref name="iw13-42"/>}}

'''JM Rodwell:''' Those who lived before them made plots: but all plotting is controlled by God: He knoweth the works of every one, and the infidels shall know whose will be the recompense of the abode. <ref name="iw13-42"/>}}

'''Asad:''' Now those who lived before these [sinners] did, too, devise many a blasphemy"-but the most subtle devising is that of God, who knows what each human being deserves :12 and the deniers of the truth will [in time] come to know to whom the future belongs." <ref name="iw13-42"/>}}

'''Palmer:''' And those who were before them were crafty too; but God's is the craft altogether! He knows what every soul earns; and the misbelievers shall know whose is the recompense of the abode. <ref>[http://www.quranbrowser.com/cgi/bin/get.cgi?version=pickthall+yusufali+khan+shakir+sherali+khalifa+arberry+palmer+rodwell+sale+transliterated&layout=auto&searchstring=013:042 Quran Browser - Quran 13:42]</ref> }}

==== Analysis ====

The translations of Yusuf Ali, Sarwar Hilali/Khan and Malik have furthered their dishonesty in the translation of makir by translating the same word differently in two places (in the same verse). When referring to the unbelievers, they state that they 'plotted and planned' but that Allah only 'planned'. This implies that Allah's intentions and planning were completely benign, but that the unbelievers' intentions were not - as 'plotter' itself has negative connotations. This translation completely disregards the meaning and connotations of makir, but if they insisted in using the word 'plan', then they should have rendered both usages the same, or they should have used 'devious/deceitful planner' instead of just 'planner' in order to convey the intended meaning.

Arberry and Qaribullah use the word 'devised', Rodwell uses the word 'plotted', Sale uses 'devised a strategem' and Shakir, HK/Saheeh, QXP and Maulana Ali all use the word 'planned' in reference to both the unbelievers and Allah. As stated before, using any of these words (all synonyms for 'planner') is dishonest because the translators have completely disregarded the context and meaning of the word in question. Just because makir can mean scheme and scheme can mean plan/plot/devise, does not mean that you can translate makir as plan/plot/devise. This is a non-sequitor.  

In this way, Pickthal, Khalifa, Free Minds and Shakir are the best translations here, because they have correctly translated makir - which can mean scheme. However they have left it a little open ended in that they have not conveyed the full meaning of the word. In English, although the word 'scheme' usually has a negative connotation, this is not always the case. Makir is always used in a negative context. Palmer's use of 'crafty' in this verse, although accurate, presents the same problem.