What is REAL translation of surah Al-Rehman's verse
Mike Harris
Frequently occuring verse in surah Al-Rehman (#55) is often translated
as:
'Which of your god's **bounties/favours/blessings** will you deny?'
It is true for the translations in Urdu language as well. And I am
sure, such must be case for other translations as well.
I was wondering which of the words in this verse are arabic for
[bounty/favour/blessing/etc]? Pardon my extreme ignorance, but I don't
think that the original words in Arabic contain these words. Why,
then, we don't put brackets around these translation-introduced words?
Please enlighten me.
thanks
Mike
Abdelkarim Benoit Evans
badsh...@hotmail.com (Mike Harris) wrote:
Some translations do put translator amplifications in brackets or
italics, especially when the translator must add a word in the
translatios that is not in the original but that is required for the
reader of the translation to understand the meaning in the way that the
meaning is understood by native speakers of the original. Yusuf Ali's
popular English translation does this.
In the verse you are referring to, the words you have as "your god's" is
in fact "your Lord's" (rabbikumaa).
The word you are asking about in the original is 'aalaa'i and means
something that is given or awarded and suggests that the thing given is
in close relation with the giver and is handed on or passed down. What
we receive from God is not something from a gift store, but something
devoled on us that proceeds from God's own being.
One French translation of this verse uses the terms "attributs", which
can have two meanings in French. It can mean the attributes or inherent
qualities and characteristics of God or that which is attributed (given)
to us out of God's infinite goodness towards us. Most French
translations use the word "bienfaits", which means benefits, that is
things from God that do us well.
In English, we have the adage that "a true gift is part of the giver".
In other words, when we accept a gift sincerely offered we receive
something of the giver's spiritual substance.
The 'aalaa'i that come to us from God are like that. God does not give
us the gift of a new car or a all-expenses paid vacation in Hawaii. He
gives us gifts from the heart, from his heart. Gifts like love, justice,
mercy, wisdom, perseveracne, patience, peace of mind, etc.
In English, words like bounties, favours, blessings, etc. all more or
less express the meaning of 'aalaa'i.
In Arabic, the verse is:
fabi'ayi 'aalaa'i rabbikumaa tukaththibaana
And which benefits of your Lord do you deny
--
Peace to all who seek God's face.
Abdelkarim Benoit Evans
Johannes Patruus
"Mike Harris" <badsh...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:a3e27c56.0405...@posting.google.com...
In the Arabic: "fa bi ayyi ālā'i rabbi-kumā tukadhdhibān", the word
corresponding to "blessings" is ālā'i, which is the plural of a noun
meaning, according to Lane's Lexicon, "a benefit, benefaction, favour,
boon, or blessing".
Other verses in which this plural is to be found are 7:69, 7:74 and 53:55.
Another point of interest is that the Arabic expresses "you" and "your" in
the dual number, captured thus by A.J.Arberry:
"O which of your Lord's bounties will you and you deny?"
and by Richard Bell:
"Which then of the benefits of your Lord will ye twain count false?"
Johannes
Haroon
All three words mean in essence the same thing. And the arabic word which
is used means all three things in one. The translation I have, by Dr.
Muhammad Muhsin Khan only has 'blessings' written.
Yusuf B Gursey
> Frequently occuring verse in surah Al-Rehman (#55) is often translated
> as:
>
> 'Which of your god's **bounties/favours/blessings** will you deny?'
Q 55:13
fa-bi'ayyi 'a:l'a:'i rabbikuma: tuka*dh**dh*iba:ni
> I was wondering which of the words in this verse are arabic for
'a:la:' (plural, triptote) (in this instance in the gentive case and the
construct state)
> [bounty/favour/blessing/etc]? Pardon my extreme ignorance, but I don't
> think that the original words in Arabic contain these words. Why,
they do. the sing. is usually consiodered to be 'ila"(n) (a" is alif maqSura,
(n) nunation) or 'ala"(n) or , or rarely 'ilw or 'alw , 'ily 'aly etc.
quite rare even in classical arabic.
but Wehr lists it under 'ly
see Lane, Book I, p. 87
> then, we don't put brackets around these translation-introduced words?
because the word is explicitly mentioned.
> Please enlighten me.
G. Waleed Kavalec
> [bounty/favour/blessing/etc]?
Salaam Mike
Fabi-ayyi ala-i rabbikuma tukaththibani
It's the 'alai', meaning blessings, the same root as in the greeting 'salaam
ALAIkum' (peace and blessings).
> Pardon my extreme ignorance, but I don't
> think that the original words in Arabic contain these words. Why,
> then, we don't put brackets around these translation-introduced words?
Ignorance is the best starting point for learning truth, because without it
we first have to unlearn all the things we know... that ain't so.
Alhamdulallah I have an adequate supply myself.
'Alai' does not map EXACTLY to 'blessings', as with all language translation
issues the central meaning of a word in language A may map to a word in
language B, but the nuances may not.
Example: In Spanish calle is street, boca is mouth. Bocacalle is
intersection.
"street mouth"
It makes 'sense' after the fact but the nuance does NOT map between the two
languages.
Hope this helps and may Allah aid you in your quest.
--
Peace and Blessings
G. Waleed Kavalec
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http://www.kavalec.com/path_to_islam.htm