FRIDAY NOTES (29/11/2024) FROM THE QURAN - DID THE WOMEN CHOP OFF THEIR HANDS?

 

Non-Muslims can also read this if you are interested. You may find this useful.

 

Today we will look briefly at the word 'cut'. In Quranic Arabic it looks something like this :  قَطَّعْنَ  .     This Arabic word and its derivatives appear 36 times in 26 verses of the Quran.

 

In the story of Joseph (Yusuf) in Surah 12 of the Quran there is the episode of some women who were so mesmerised by Joseph's appearance that they unknowingly nicked the palms of their hands with the knives they were using at that time. 

Yusuf Ali    Surah 12:31  "When she heard of their malicious talk, she sent for them and prepared a banquet for them: she gave each of them a knife: and she said (to Joseph), "Come out before them." When they saw him, they did extol him, and (in their amazement) cut their hands: they said, "Allah preserve us! no mortal is this! this is none other than a noble angel!" 

Here is the relevant part of the verse again :

    فَلَمَّا رَأَيْنَهُۥٓ أَكْبَرْنَهُۥ وَقَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُن  :  When they saw him, they did extol him, and (in their amazement) cut their hands . .

They were so amazed at Joseph that they indeed cut their hands. It is unlikely that they cut their hands off completely or chopped off their hands completely. It is most likely that they nicked their hands with the knife.

The same word for cut   قَطَّعْنَ   also appears in the well known Surah 5:38 which is referred to as the verse of cutting the hands of the thief.

 

Surah 5:38      وَٱلسَّارِقُ وَٱلسَّارِقَةُ فَٱقْطَعُوٓا۟ أَيْدِيَهُمَا جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَسَبَا نَكَـٰلًۭا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌۭ    

Yousuf Ali   Surah 5:38  As to the thief, male or female, cut off his or her hands: a punishment by way of example, from Allah, for their crime: and Allah is Exalted in power.

 

Here are some other verses where the same Arabic word appears.

Surah 27:32    قَالَتْ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمَلَؤُا۟ أَفْتُونِى فِىٓ أَمْرِى مَا كُنتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمْرًا حَتَّىٰ تَشْهَدُونِ  

Yusuf Ali   Surah 27:32   She (Queen of Sheba) said: "Ye chiefs! advise me in my affair: no affair have I decided   ( قَاطِعَةً  )    except in your presence."     

Here in 27:32 the same word is translated as "decided".

 

Surah 6:45   فَقُطِعَ دَابِرُ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ ۚ وَٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ  

Yusuf Ali Surah 6:45   Of the wrong-doers the last remnant was cut off (  فَقُطِعَ  ). Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher of the worlds.

The word  cut off (  فَقُطِعَ  ) in this verse refers the fringes of some wicked people who were isolated.

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