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The Meaning of Daraba: Difference between revisions
→The Main Meaning: To Strike or Beat
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==Modern Claims== | ==Modern Claims== | ||
An argument has been presented on some ( | An argument has been presented on some ( exclusively western) Islamic websites and by some Muslims and apologists which claim to have "modern" translations of the [[Qur'an]]<ref>Such as [http://free-minds.org Free-Minds.org] and [http://progressive-muslims.org Progressive-Muslims.org]</ref>, which claims that the Arabic verb "ضرب" "daraba" means something other than to "strike" "beat" or "hit." Alternatives offered include "separate from them" or somewhat nonsensically for a native English speaker "strike them out." The people making these claims are generally seeking to "reform" [[Islam]], but this translation flies in the face of over a thousand years of understanding of the Arabic language, by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. These apologetic arguments are clearly directed people of a westernized/liberal background with little to no knowledge of Arabic, as any Muslim who has an adequate command of the [[Arabic]] language or any non-Muslim Arab, or any non-Arabic speaking Muslim familiar with the [[hadith]] and [[tafsir]] text [[Wife Beating in Islamic Law#Islamic_Scriptures_and_Wife-Beating|related to this issue]], will find the claim being presented to be ridiculous and prima facia untenable. Despite this, the obviously incorrect translation of this verb can be found in prominent cases such as that of Laleh Bakhtiar, an American Muslim apologist. She went so far as to incorporate this incorrect translation into her translation of the Qur'an, a translation which the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) refused to sell in their bookstore for its inaccuracy. | ||
==Agreed-Upon Translations== | ==Agreed-Upon Translations== | ||
Almost all Qur'anic professional translators in English have translated the term as "beat them". | Almost all Qur'anic professional translators in English have translated the term as "beat them". | ||
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===Ten Meanings for "Hit"=== | ===Ten Meanings for "Hit"=== | ||
Ten of these metaphorical/derived meanings are as follows (note that the nouns in the brackets are the objects to be hit): | |||
#Go through (''Road'') | #Go through (''Road'') | ||
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''daraboo ضَرَبُوا۟'' is derived from ''daraba'', meaning " | ''daraboo ضَرَبُوا۟'' is derived from ''daraba ضرب'', meaning "hit" 'beat" or "strike." ''Fee في'' literally means "in". ''Al-Ardi'' ٱلْأَرْضِ means "the land" or "the earth." Thus, the whole statement ''daraboo fee al-ardi'' ضَرَبُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ translates literally as "hit in the land", with a meaning of something like "hit the road" that is "'''to travel'''", a clearly figurative extension of the main meaning of the verb, "hit." | ||
"Hit" here gives this meaning only when it is against "land"; it is a well-known expression in Arabic. | "Hit" here gives this meaning only when it is against "land"; it is a well-known expression in Arabic. | ||
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''darabtum fee al-ardi ضَرَبْتُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ'' literally meaning " | ''darabtum fee al-ardi ضَرَبْتُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ'' literally meaning "you (plural) hit in the land" again meaning here "'''to travel'''" or to move across the land. | ||
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''yadriboona fee al-ardi'' يَضْرِبُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ literally meaning " | ''yadriboona fee al-ardi'' يَضْرِبُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ literally meaning "they hit in the land" again meaning here "'''to travel'''" or to move across the land. | ||
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''darban fee al-ardi'' ضَرْبًا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ literally " | ''darban fee al-ardi'' ضَرْبًا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ literally "a hit in the land" again meaning "'''moving about in the land'''." | ||
===Meaning number 2: To set up or place=== | ===Meaning number 2: To set up or place=== | ||
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''faduriba baynahum bisoorin'' فَضُرِبَ بَيْنَهُم بِسُورٍ literally " | ''faduriba baynahum bisoorin'' فَضُرِبَ بَيْنَهُم بِسُورٍ literally "a wall was struck between them" which is understood as "'''a wall was placed between them'''." | ||
===Meaning number 3: To give examples=== | ===Meaning number 3: To give examples=== | ||
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''daraba Allahu mathalan ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا'' literally " | ''daraba Allahu mathalan ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا'' literally "Allah struck an example", meaning "'''he gave an example.'''" | ||
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''Daraba Allahu mathalan'' literally meaning "'''Allah hit an example.'''" | ''Daraba Allahu mathalan ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا'' literally meaning "'''Allah hit an example.'''" | ||
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''bima daraba liIrrahmani mathalan'' literally meaning "'''in the examples hit by the Merciful.'''" | ''bima daraba liIrrahmani mathalan'' بِمَا ضَرَبَ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ مَثَلًا literally meaning "'''in the examples hit by the Merciful.'''" | ||
'''Verse:''' 43.58 '''Object:''' Example | '''Verse:''' 43.58 '''Object:''' Example | ||
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''watilka al-amthalu nadribuha liInnasi'' literally meaning "'''and these are the examples that we hit for the people.'''" | ''watilka al-amthalu nadribuha liInnasi'' وَتِلْكَ ٱلْأَمْثَٰلُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ literally meaning "'''and these are the examples that we hit for the people.'''" | ||
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''Daraba Allahu mathalan'' literally meaning "'''Allah has hit an example.'''" | ''Daraba Allahu mathalan ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا'' literally meaning "'''Allah has hit an example.'''" | ||
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''Wadaraba Allahu mathalan'' literally meaning "'''And Allah has hit an example.'''" | ''Wadaraba Allahu mathalan وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا'' literally meaning "'''And Allah has hit an example.'''" | ||
===Meaning number 4: To take away, to ignore=== | ===Meaning number 4: To take away, to ignore=== | ||
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''Afanadribu AAankumu aIththikra'' literally meaning "'''shall we strike the remembrance from you'''" meaning "shall we forget to remind you." Again, this is a known expression. | ''Afanadribu AAankumu aIththikra'' أَفَنَضْرِبُ عَنكُمُ ٱلذِّكْرَ literally meaning "'''shall we strike the remembrance from you'''" meaning "shall we forget to remind you." Again, this is a known expression. | ||
===Meaning number 5: To condemn=== | ===Meaning number 5: To condemn=== | ||
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This verse mentions the verb ''daraba'' twice. In the first occurrence, it says ''walyadribna bikhumurihinna AAala juyoobihinna وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ'' literally meaning "'''and they should strike their veils over their bosoms'''," meaning they should place their veils over their bosoms or cover their bosoms. | This verse mentions the verb ''daraba ضرب'' twice. In the first occurrence, it says ''walyadribna bikhumurihinna AAala juyoobihinna وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ'' literally meaning "'''and they should strike their veils over their bosoms'''," meaning they should place their veils over their bosoms or cover their bosoms. | ||
In the second occurrence, ''wala yadribna bi-arjulihinna وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ'' literally means "'''they should not hit their feet''';" and here "hit" is meant literally as "hit" or "strike." | In the second occurrence, ''wala yadribna bi-arjulihinna وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ'' literally means "'''they should not hit their feet''';" and here "hit" is meant literally as "hit" or "strike." | ||
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Another two instances of " | Another two instances of "daraba" here: ''yadribu Allahu alhaqqa waalbatila يَضْرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْحَقَّ وَٱلْبَٰطِلَ ۚ'' literally meaning "'''Allah hits the truth and the vanity'''," as in "Allahs explains the truth and the vanity." | ||
''yadribu Allahu al-amthala'' literally means "'''Allah hits an example.'''" | ''yadribu Allahu al-amthala'' literally means "'''Allah hits an example.'''" | ||