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Allah, the Best Deceiver (Qur'an 3:54): Difference between revisions
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[[File:Quran 3-54.png|290px|right|thumb]] | [[File:Quran 3-54.png|290px|right|thumb]] | ||
The [[Qur'an]] openly states many times that [[Allah]] is the ' | The [[Qur'an]] openly states many times that [[Allah]] is the best of ''l-mākirīna'', a word sometimes mildly translated as ''planners'', though also as ''schemers'' or ''plotters''. The Arabic word used here is "ماكر" "maakir", coming from the root m-k-r م-ك-ر, with the word ''Makr'' "مكر" primarily meaning to practice deceit or guile or circumvention.<ref>Makr - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume7/00000256.pdf Lane's Lexicon p. 2728]</ref> Due to this definition, some critics consider it a highly inappropriate term for the Quran to describe Allah, particularly as the Quran elsewhere tells believers to shun lying speech ({{Quran|22|30}}), to not testify to falsehood ({{Quran|25|72}}), and describes them as the truthful ({{Quran|3|17}}). Similar exhortations to truthfulness are found in hadiths, with exceptions in the case of warfare, to facilitate the murder of one of Muhammad's enemies, or to bring reconciliation between parties (on a related note, one Quranic concept is commonly misrepresented in online critical discourse as if it were a general permission to lie about the faith, which is not the case, as explained in the article [[taqiyya]]). | ||
==Introduction== | ==Introduction== | ||
The Qur'an openly states many times that Allah is the ' | The Qur'an openly states many times that Allah is the best of ''l-mākirīna''. The root word used in these verses is ''Makr'' which means deception, guile or circumvention. 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 of l-mākirīna. | ||
==Qur'an== | ==Qur'an== | ||
In the following Qur'an verses, Allah | In the following Qur'an verses, Allah is said to be the best of l-mākirīna, is faster in makran, or that all l-makru is Allah's. | ||
===Qur'an 3:54=== | ===Qur'an 3:54=== | ||
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===Lane's Lexicon=== | ===Lane's Lexicon=== | ||
Edward William Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon is the most revered and scholarly English dictionary of the Arabic language. From Lane's Lexicon (the full entry can be viewed [[:File:Makr Lane-Lexicon-page Vol 7-pg. 256.jpg|here]]): | Edward William Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon is the most revered and scholarly English dictionary of the Arabic language. From Lane's Lexicon p. 2728 (the full entry can be viewed [[:File:Makr Lane-Lexicon-page Vol 7-pg. 256.jpg|here]] or [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume7/00000256.pdf here]): | ||
{{Quote|1=[http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume7/00000256.pdf Lane's Lexicon p. 2728]|2=1. مَكَرَ, aor. مَكُرَ, (Msb, TA,) inf. n. مَكْرٌ; (S, A, Msb, K;) and ↓ امكر; (Msb;) He practised deceit, guile, or circumvention; or he practised deceit, guile, or circumvention, desiring to do to another a foul, an abominable, or an evil, action, clandestinely, or without his knowing whence it proceeded; syn. خَدَعَ; (Msb;) and of the inf. n. خَدِيعَةٌ: (S, A, K:) he practised an evasion or elusion, a shift, an artifice, or artful contrivance or device, a machination, a trick, a plot, a stratagem, or an expedient; he plotted; or he exercised art, craft, cunning, or skill, in the management or ordering of affairs, with excel-lent consideration or deliberation, and ability to manage according to his own free will; syn. of the inf. n. إِحْتِيَالٌ: (S, TA:) or to this explanation, conveyed by احتيال as the syn. of the inf. n., should be added secretly, or privately: (Lth, TA:) مَكْرٌ is praised or dispraised according to the nature of its object. (El-Basáir.) [For further explanation, see what follows.] It is trans. by means of بِ: and also, accord. to Z, by itself: (MF:) [but I know not any instance of its being trans. by itself: except as meaning he plotted a thing: see مَكْرَ السَّيِّئ in the Kur, xxxv. 41, cited voce سَيِّئٌ:] you say مَكَرَ بِهِ, (S, A, TA,) aor. and inf. n. as above, (S, TA,) meaning, He deceived, beguiled, or circumvented, him; or he deceived, beguiled, or circumvented, him, and desired to do him a foul, an abominable, or an evil, action, clandestinely, or without his knowing whence it proceeded: &c.: (S, A, TA:) syn. كَادَهُ: or it differs [somewhat] from كاده, accord. to Aboo-Hilál El-'Askeree: (TA:) some say, that مكر به signifies as above with the addition of feigning the contrary of his real intentions; which كاده does not imply: or this latter signifies “ he did him harm,” or “ mischief; ” and the former, he did him harm, or mischief, clandestinely. (MF, voce كاد.) See art. خدع. مَكَرَ also signifies He managed with thought, or consideration, or acted with policy, and practised stratagem, in war. (TA.) مَكَرَ اللّٰهُ and ↓ أَمْكَرَ are syn., (IKtt, Msb,) signifying, (tropical:) God recompensed, or requited, for مَكْر [or the practising deceit, &c.]: (Lth, * Msb, TA: *) or مَكْرُ اللّٰهِ signifies God's granting a man respite or delay, and enabling him to accomplish his worldly aims [so as to bring upon himself the punishment due to his evil actions]: (Er-Rághib, TA:) or, accord. to IAth, God's causing his trials to befall his enemies, exclusively of his friends: or his taking men by little and little, so that they do not reckon upon it, bestowing upon them renewed favours for acts of obedience which are imagined to be accepted whereas they are rejected. (TA.)<BR /> | |||
3. ماكرهُ He practised with him mutual deceit, guile, or circumvention; &c.; (A, * TA;) syn. خَادَعَهُ. (TA.)<BR /> | |||
4. see 1, in two places.<BR /> | |||
6. تماكروا They practised mutual deceit, guile, or circumvention; &c. (A, * TA.)<BR /> | |||
مَكُورٌ: see مَاكِرٌ.<BR /> | |||
مَكَّارٌ: see مَاكِرٌ.<BR /> | |||
مَاكِرٌ (S, A, Msb, K) and ↓ مَكَّارٌ (S, A, K) and ↓ مَكُورٌ (K) epithets from مَكَرَ: (S, A, Msb, K:) [the first signifying Practising deceit, guile, or circumvention; &c.: and the second and third, practising the same much, or frequently; deceitful, guileful, artful, crafty, or cunning; a trickster, or crafty knave.] | |||
[[:File:Makr Lane-Lexicon-page Vol 7-pg. 256.jpg| | [[:File:Makr Lane-Lexicon-page Vol 7-pg. 256.jpg|Lane's Lexicon, p: 2728]]}} | ||
===Hans Wehr=== | ===Hans Wehr=== | ||
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==Inaccurate Translations== | ==Inaccurate Translations== | ||
The following are the English translations of the selected verses. As mentioned above, makir is never used in a positive sense - it denotes a shifty, sly person who uses deception as a means to their ends. | The following are the English translations of the selected verses. As mentioned above, makir is never used in a positive sense - it denotes a shifty, sly person who uses deception as a means to their ends, even if the ends themselves may be viewed in either a favourable or unfavourable light. | ||
We see that most of the translators have taken makir (with one of its possible translations 'scheme') to mean 'a systematic plan of action', and have translated makir to mean 'planner | We see that most of the translators have taken makir (with one of its possible translations 'scheme') to mean 'a systematic plan of action', and have translated makir to mean 'planner'. However this completely disregards the accepted connotations of the word and the context of the given verses. Makir does not mean planner. Just because makir can be translated as scheme, and scheme can mean plan/plot, this does not mean that you can translate makir as planner. | ||
Since the same word is used for both the unbelievers and Allah, in most cases the translations have opted for the more benign (and incorrect) translation in order to avoid the difficult statements made by the Qur'an. | Since the same word is used for both the unbelievers and Allah, in most cases the translations have opted for the more benign (and incorrect) translation in order to avoid the difficult statements made by the 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]] | |||