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Allah, the Best Deceiver (Qur'an 3:54): Difference between revisions
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Allah, the Best Deceiver (Qur'an 3:54) (view source)
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The [[Qur'an]] openly states many times that [[Allah]] is the 'best deceiver'. The | The [[Qur'an]] openly states many times that [[Allah]] is the 'best deceiver'. The Arabic word used here is "ماكر" "maakir", coming from the root m-k-r م-ك-ر, with the word ''Makr'' "مكر" meaning ''deception''. | ||
==Introduction== | ==Introduction== | ||
The Qur'an openly states many times that Allah is the 'best deceiver'. The root word used in these verses is ''Makr'' which means ''deception''. The literal translations presented here, referenced from a Muslim | The Qur'an openly states many times that Allah is the 'best deceiver'. The root word used in these verses is ''Makr'' which means ''deception''. The literal translations presented here, referenced from a Muslim website, make this very clear. However, the majority of Qur'anic translations [[Mistranslations of Islamic Scripture (English)|erroneously translate]] this term; as can be seen in the following quotes and analysis. | ||
Although there are many places in the Qur'an that use the same word (makir) in reference to Allah,<ref>[http://www.irreduciblefifth.force9.co.uk/burhan/b.x.311.htm Quran root browser - م ك ر - m-k-r]</ref> this article will focus only on the verses in which Allah describes himself as the 'best deceiver'. | Although there are many places in the Qur'an that use the same word (makir) in reference to Allah,<ref>[http://www.irreduciblefifth.force9.co.uk/burhan/b.x.311.htm Quran root browser - م ك ر - m-k-r]</ref> this article will focus only on the verses in which Allah describes himself as the 'best deceiver'. | ||
==Qur'an== | ==Qur'an== | ||
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The translations of Yusuf Ali, Sarwar Hilali/Khan and Malik are especially misrepresentative in their 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 insist on 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. | The translations of Yusuf Ali, Sarwar Hilali/Khan and Malik are especially misrepresentative in their 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 insist on 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 a misrepresentation because they completely disregard 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 | 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 a misrepresentation because they completely disregard 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. | ||
In this way, Pickthal, Khalifa, Free Minds and Shakir are the best translations here, because they correctly translate makir - which can mean scheme. However they leave it a little open ended by not conveying 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. | In this way, Pickthal, Khalifa, Free Minds and Shakir are the best translations here, because they correctly translate makir - which can mean scheme. However they leave it a little open ended by not conveying 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. | ||
== | ==Islamic Views on the Translation of Makir== | ||
===Jamal Badawi=== | ===Jamal Badawi=== | ||
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==Responses to Apologetics== | ==Responses to Apologetics== | ||
#'''''"According to the Quranic Arabic Corpus website, 'Makr' means 'Planner'"'''''<br>The Quranic Arabic Corpus website also claimed at one time that ''Idriboohunna'' in Qur'an 4:34 meant "[[ | #'''''"According to the Quranic Arabic Corpus website, 'Makr' means 'Planner'"'''''<br>The Quranic Arabic Corpus website also claimed at one time that ''Idriboohunna'' in Qur'an 4:34 meant "[[Wife Beating in the Qur'an|separate from them]]" (i.e. the husbands from their wives) rather than to "beat them" for the fear of disobedience. However, ''Idriboohunna'' (أضربوهن) means "beat them" (for female plural). ''Adriboo Anhunna'' (اضربوا عنهن) is the phrase that means abandon or leave them. They are completely different phrases with completely different meanings, and the attempts to mix up the two is only a modern development used by a few western Muslim apologists. To their credit, the website has acknowledged this error by now having corrected this blatant mistranslation, but they have also shown themselves to be an unreliable source concerning the Arabic language.<BR><BR>In any case, Edward William Lane's ''Arabic-English Lexicon'' (the most revered and scholarly dictionary of the Arabic language), ''Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic'', and the ''Arabic Lexicon'' all disagree with the Quranic Arabic Corpus website's rendering of the word. And every single one of these sources are more reliable than that website. In addition to these reliable sources, there are Dr. Jamal Badawi and Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid who are both native Arabic speakers and respected individuals (in relation to issues concerning Islam). Although they may make excuses for the use of that particular word, they do both actually admit that makr means deceiver. | ||
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
{{Hub4|Allah|Allah}} | {{Hub4|Allah|Allah}} | ||
{{Hub4| | {{Hub4|Mistranslations of Islamic Scripture (English)|Mistranslated Verses}} | ||
{{Translation-links-english|[[Allah le meilleur trompeur|French]]}} | {{Translation-links-english|[[Allah le meilleur trompeur|French]]}} | ||
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[[Category:Qur'an]] | [[Category:Qur'an]] | ||
[[Category:Allah | [[Category:Allah]] | ||
[[Category:Tafsir]] | |||
[[Category:Criticism of Islam]] | |||
[[Category:Apologetics]] | |||