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 Post subject: Verses 2:108-110
PostPosted: 07 Jun 2009, 08:26 
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Suggested translation1,2:


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1This translation may have been updated from the original suggested translation as a result of the discussions that follow.
2Click on the {verse number} of a translation to see other good translations of the verse.

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 Post subject: Re: Verses 2:108-110
PostPosted: 17 Aug 2009, 16:04 
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Quote:
{2:108} Or do you intend to ask your Messenger as Moses was asked before? And whoever exchanges faith for disbelief has certainly strayed from the soundness of the way.

I'd say the first sentence should simply say, "Or do you want to ask ..." It's a more direct translation.

Quote:
{2:109} Many of the People of the Scripture wish they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of envy from themselves [even] after the truth has become clear to them. So pardon and overlook until God delivers His command. Indeed, God is over all things competent.

"Competent" does not translate قدير and I think we pointed that in an earlier post. I suggest the straightforward translation "powerful."

Quote:
{2:110} And establish prayer and give zakah, and whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with God. Indeed, God of what you do, is Seeing.

We talked about translating "Zakah" several times before and I always suggested "alms." The last sentence is grammatically correct and is faithful to the Arabic source but it just comes across strange. I think that fidelity to the Arabic word order here cannot be made without producing an awkward translation. Most other translations must have felt the same way because they used a verbal sentence instead of a nominal one. Unless there is a better suggestion, I think so too, i.e., "Verily, God [clearly] sees your work."

I suggested "work" instead of "do" because "do" translates تفعلون while "work" translates better تعملون. In Arabic, the difference between the two is defined by this rule:
القول عمل اللسان والفعل عمل الجوارح

Meaning: Utterance is the work of the tongue and action (doing) is the work of the limbs. Thus the above verse refers to the comprehensive meaning of the word عمل which includes what we say too!

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 Post subject: Re: Verses 2:108-110
PostPosted: 18 Aug 2009, 02:15 
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Linguistic wrote:
"Competent" does not translate قدير and I think we pointed that in an earlier post. I suggest the straightforward translation "powerful."

Agreed. Competent actually has a negative connotation in common use of meaning not all that great.

Quote:
Quote:
{2:110} And establish prayer and give zakah, and whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with God. Indeed, God of what you do, is Seeing.

I think that fidelity to the Arabic word order here cannot be made without producing an awkward translation. Most other translations must have felt the same way because they used a verbal sentence instead of a nominal one. Unless there is a better suggestion, I think so too, i.e., "Verily, God [clearly] sees your work."
I suggested "work" instead of "do" because "do" translates تفعلون while "work" translates better تعملون.

The noun "work" is a good choice. In other cases, the verb "act" may be suitable.

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 Post subject: Re: Verses 2:108-110
PostPosted: 04 Feb 2014, 20:44 
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So, I suggest:

{2:108} Or do you want to ask your Messenger as Moses was asked before? And whoever substitutes disbelief for faith has certainly strayed from the level road.

{2:109} Many of the People of the Book have wished they would turn you back, after your faith, [to being] disbelievers, out of envy from themselves [even] after has become clear to them the truth. So pardon and overlook until God brings His command. Verily, God is over everything Powerful.

{2:110} And establish prayer and give alms, and whatever you put forward for yourselves of good - you [will] find it with God. Verily God, of what you do, is All-Seeing.

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