Friday Notes From The Quran (5/5/2023) - The Past Tense

 

Non-Muslim readers can skip this, it is too technical.

I have written in the past that the Quran is the earliest (or oldest) known book that is written in the Arabic language. There is no evidence of any other complete or incomplete book, manuscript or inscription in Arabic that precedes the Quran.

This also means that ALL books of Arabic language grammar that we know of were written AFTER the advent of the Quran. The Quran came first but the Arabic grammar books came later. 

Every language, including Arabic,  certainly has its rules of grammar, even before they were written down in book form. Even without a book of Malay grammar we know that you dont say 'saya api kereta naik'. The proper Malay is 'Saya naik kereta api'. 

The earliest known book of Arabic grammar was written by a Persian fellow called Sibawayh who lived during the 8th century Abbasid Caliphate. His mother tongue was Persian. He wrote a book of arabic grammar which was known simply as al Kitab. 

It is interesting to note the present tense, past tense and future tenses used in the Quran.

I have taken some of the following from this link : https://youtu.be/zZeaPkT6Bz4

You may listen to it if you wish.

For example the word kaana means 'was' (past tense).

Here is kaana written in Arabic.

For example the phrase :

wa kaana allahu ghafooran raheema : And Allah was (past tense) ever Forgiving and Merciful. 

But most (if not all) Englih translators however translate this verse in the present tense : "And Allah is (present tense) ever Forgiving and Merciful".

For comparison, the following verse is correctly translated in the past tense:

maa kaana ibraheemu : Abraham was (past tense) neither..

The question is why was the past tense kaana switched into the present tense in the English translation of the earlier verse but the translators correctly maintained kaana in the past tense in the second verse above? 

Here is another verse in the past tense:

The short verse above 'wa nufiha fi suuri' means 'and the horn WAS blown' (past tense). This is correctly in the past tense.

But most English translators translate it as 'And the horn will be blown' (future tense). Here they have switched the past tense into the future tense. Quite a jump.

If you are interested further, do click on the YouTube link above.

To conclude for this Friday, here is the qariah Jennifer Grout, originally an American singer, who has become quite famous for her powerful recitation of the Quran. 

Ms Grout has recited Surah 2:285 and 2:286 which has the following translation:

2:285 The Messenger believes in what hath been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith. Each one believeth in Allah, His angels, His books, and His Messengers. "We make no distinction between any one of His Messengers." And they say: "We hear, and we obey, Thy forgiveness our Lord, and to Thee is the return."

2:286 Allah does not burden a Self more than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns.  "Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden Like that which Thou didst lay on those before us; Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our wrongs, and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector; Help us against the rejectors."

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.