O You Trusted People - The people of action

Folks this is something about the Quran, so for those who may not be interested, be advised.  I would still reccomend you to read it though. Its interesting (cos this is outsyed the box) 

This blog began seven years ago in 2008. In my over 5161 blog posts since then I referred to only one of my posts as the most important blogpost that I would ever write. 

It was about the Arabic word 'mathalu' in the Quran. The Malay word 'mithal' ('example' or allegory in English) comes from the Arabic 'mathalu'.  It still remains the most important blogpost I have ever written.  

Sadly in this dumbnut society of ours inhabited by the morons and their cheerleaders, I cannot tell you why that was the most important blogpost because it could be detrimental to my well being.

Today, this post about 'O you trusted people' shall be the second most important blogpost that I will write.  I know so.

While researching the reference for Surah 4:135 that I used in the previous post, I stumbled upon this website Islam Awakened which hosts online Quran translations. 

It was very interesting because it has so many English translations of the Quran. They list 51 English translations of the Quran plus one Corpus.

Here is a cut and past of the translations of Surah 4:135 alone :   

http://islamawakened.com/quran/4/135/

 

In the original Arabic, Surah 4:135 begins with this phrase 'Yaa aiyyuhal lazee na aamanu'.

It is generally translated in the English language as 'O ye who believe'.

There are two issues here.  

The first issue is that the English translations are usually in the present tense (al mudarik)   'O ye who believe'.

But the original Arabic is actually in the past tense (al maadi) : "Ya aiyyuhal lazee na aamanu".

I noticed that some of the 51 English translators above plus the Corpus Quran indeed have correctly detected the past tense. 

For your interest look again at the correct 'past tense' version used by the following translators above : 

1. Muhammad Asad - O you who have attained to faith
2. Dr Laleh Bakhtiar - O those who believed
3. Al Munthakab - O you who have conformed
4. Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali - O you who have believed
5. Shabir Ahmed - O you who have chosen to be graced (??)
6. Umm Muhammad - O you who have believed
7. Dr Kamal Omar - O you people who have believed
8. Muhamed Ahmed and daughter Samira -  You, you those who believed

All eight correctly use the past tense. These eight different translators plus the Corpus Quran (also written by a human being of course)  correctly translate 'ya aiyyuhal lazee na amanu' in the past tense.  Here is the Corpus Quran  :

Folks, this really has huge implications. It is not present tense.  Ok keep that in mind somewhere, if you have the interest. 

The second issue is with the correct English translation of the Arabic word 'amanu'. 

Believe / believed is not the right translation of 'amanu'.

The word 'amanu'  in Arabic is rooted in 'amana'  which means "trust".

The same Arabic word has been borrowed by the Malay language for 'amanah' which also means trust.

For example in Malay,  Amanah Saham Nasional means 'National Unit Trust'.

Amanah Raya means 'public trust(ee)'.  

'Orang yang amanah' means a 'trustworthy person'.

'Pecah amanah' means 'breech of trust'.

'Pegang amanah' means 'to uphold a trust'

So rewording those eight "past tense" translations above : 

1. Muhammad Asad - O you who have attained to trust
2. Dr Laleh Bakhtiar - O those who trusted
3. Al Munthakab - O you who have trusted
4. Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali - O you who have trusted
5. Shabir Ahmed - O you who have chosen to be trusted
6. Umm Muhammad - O you who have trusted
7. Dr Kamal Omar - O you people who have trusted
8. Muhamed Ahmed and daughter Samira -  You, you those who trusted

Without a doubt the emphasis here is trust. To trust in someone or something. To attain to trust, to be trusted. 

Here is the big difference. 

If you say that 'I am a believer' then you can withdraw into a cave and still declare 'I am a believer'.

You can cut yourself  off from the society around you, especially a society that you hate or dislike, cocoon yourself inside your own environment, commune, cult, cave, church, synagogue, temple or that other structure and still reassure yourself 'I am a believer'.  You can recite magic mantras,  perform rituals all by yourself or with people of the same ilk and still declare "We are believers".    

But it is not the same if you want to say that 'I have attained to trust' or  'I have chosen to be trusted'.

To become a trusted person or a trustworthy person or to be trusted by other people, you CANNOT WITHDRAW from society. 

You cannot  cut yourself  off from the society around you, even if it is a society that you disagree with or dislike, or cocoon yourself inside your own environment, commune, cult, cave, church, synagogue, temple or that other structure and still reassure yourself 'I am a trusted person'.

Trusted by whom? The spiders and the lizards inside your cave?

To become a trusted person, you must go out and engage with other human beings and earn their trust. It is a life of action. Of constant effort and good works. 

So folks imagine two situations.

1. The first situation is a society that teaches its people that they can withdraw from other human beings or even from their own people (physically, intellectually, psychologically, "spiritually") and still claim that 'I am a believer'.  They can sit by themselves or with people of the same inclinations and declare 'We are believers'. Does this sound familiar?   

2. The second situation is a society that teaches its people that they must constantly engage with other human beings, animals, trees, forests, the whales,   in order to earn their trust. A constant preocupation with engaging with society to earn trust.

'I will blow you up, its for your own good, 'I will blow myself up, its for your own good, do not win anyone's trust.   

In your profession, in your business, in your trade,  in your politics, in your social affairs, in every endeavour you embark upon, you shall try to become a trusted person.  O you trusted people.   

This is a life of positive action. Of going out everyday and earming someone's trust in righteousness.

Yaa aiyyuhal lazee na aamanu.