When Fight means Murder
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[edit] Introduction
In our daily use of English, "fight" rarely connotes "murder" or "death". Only if "fight" is used in reference to fighting in a war does the word ever connote the loss of lives. Even then, it is the war itself that causes death and not just the fight. "Fighting" can often be a positive action. Every day, people "fight" against cancer, people "fight" to be heard. In Arabic however, the verb for "fight" is not as benign as the English version. In Arabic, the verb is "Qatal". "Qatal", the Arabic word translated as "fight" in an English language Qur'an, more accurately translates as "kill", "massacre", or "slaughter".
[edit] Definitions
[edit] Qatal
Here is the meaning of the word "Qatal":
qatala vb. (I) perf. act. 2:72, 2:251, 3:183, 4:92, 4:157, 4:157, 4:157, 5:30, 5:32, 5:32, 5:95, 5:95, 6:140, 8:17, 18:74, 18:74, 20:40, 28:19, 28:33 impf. act. 21, 2:85, 2:87, 2:91, 3:21, 3:21, 3:112, 4:29, 4:92, 4:93, 5:27, 5:28, 5:28, 5:70, 5:95, 6:151, 6:151, 7:150, 8:17, 8:30, 9:111, 12:10, 17:31, 17:33, 25:68, 26:14, 28:9, 28:19, 28:20, 28:33, 33:26, 40:26, 40:28, 60:12 impv. 2:54, 2:191, 2:191, 46, 4:89, 4:91, 9:5, 12:9, 29:24, 40:25 perf. pass. 3:144, 3:154, 3:156, 3:157, 3:158, 3:168, 3:169, 3:195, 17:33, 22:58, 47:4, 51:10, 74:1Italic text9, 74:20, 80:17, 81:9, 85:4 impf. pass. 2:154, 4:74, 9:111 n. vb. 2:191, 2:217, 3:154, 3:181, 4:155, 5:30, 6:137, 17:31, 17:33, 33:16
qatala n.m. (pl. of qatil) - 2:178,
qattala vb. (II) impf. act. 7:127, 7:141 perf. pass. 33:61 impf. pass. 5:33, n. vb. 33:61
qatala vb. (III) perf. act. 2:191, 3:146, 3:195, 4:90, 9:30, 33:20, 48:22, 57:10, 57:10, 60:9, 63:4 impf. act. 2:190, 2:191, 2:191, 2:217, 2:246, 2:246, 2:246, 3:13, 3:111, 4:74, 4:74, 4:75, 4:76, 4:76, 4:90, 4:90, 4:90, 9:13, 9:36, 9:83, 9:111, 48:16, 59:14, 60:8, 61:4, 73:20 impv. 2:190, 2:193, 2:244, 3:167, 4:76, 4:84, 5:24, 8:39, 9:12, 9:14, 9:29, 9:36, 9:123, 49:9 perf. pass. 59:11, 59:12 impf. pass. 22:39 n. vb. 2:216, 2:217, 2:217, 2:246, 2:246, 3:121, 3:167, 4:77, 4:77, 8:16, 85, 33:25, 47:20
iqtatala vb. (VIII) perf. act. 2:253, 2:253, 49:9, impf. act. 28:15
LL, V8, p: 238[edit] Fight
Here is the meaning of the word "Fight":
v.intr.
- 1.
- a. To attempt to harm or gain power over an adversary by blows or with weapons.
- b. Sports To engage in boxing or wrestling.
- 2. To engage in a quarrel; argue: They are always fighting about money.
- 3. To strive vigorously and resolutely: fought against graft; fighting for her rights.
v.tr.
- 1.
- a. To contend with physically or in battle.
- b. To wage or carry on (a battle).
- c. To contend for, by or as if by combat: "I now resolved that Calais should be fought to the death" (Winston S. Churchill).
- 2.
- a. Sports To box or wrestle against in a ring.
- b. To participate in (a boxing match, for example).
- 3. To set (a boxer, for example) in combat with another. See Synonyms at oppose.
- 4. To contend with or struggle against: fight cancer; fight temptation.
- 5. To try to prevent the development or success of.
- 6. To make (one's way) by struggle or striving: fought my way to the top.
n.
- 1. A confrontation between opposing groups in which each attempts to harm or gain power over the other, as with bodily force or weapons.
- 2. A quarrel or conflict.
- 3.
- a. A physical conflict between two or more individuals.
- b. Sports A boxing or wrestling match.
- 4. A struggle to achieve an objective. See Synonyms at conflict.
- 5. The power or inclination to fight; pugnacity: I just didn't have any fight left in me.
[edit] In the Qur'an
If one looks at verse 4:157, even Yusuf Ali uses the word "kill" as the translation for the word "Qatal". In this verse Allah denies Jesus was crucified or killed, with the words 'WA MAA QATALOOHU WA MAA SALABOOHU' which means "and they killed him not and they crucified him not."
In verse 18:74 the wiseman, to whom Moses is sent to learn wisdom, kills a boy. Here again, the word "qatal" is translated as "slain".
Also verse 2:154 tells us that those who are killed for the cause of Allah etc.
However, when we come to verses like 8:39, the translation changes all of a sudden to fighting rather than killing.
The context of the verse is very clear, i.e. break the strength of the infidels by way of mass killings, so that there is no more opposition. It is telling you to fight until you overcome the opposition, something which is not possible without the mass slaughter of opponents, i.e. without reducing their number.
So a more accurate translation would be something like "keep on killing them till dispute is no more," i.e. till the opposition is wiped out.
The same applies to verse 9:29. While the watered-down English translations use the word "fight", the actual message that is being conveyed to the Arabic-speaking Muslims who read this verse is "Kill those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day".
If we read Shakir's translation of verse 63:4, he uses the word "destroy".
Clearly, the English translators of the Qur'an are selectively avoiding the use of words such as "kill" or "murder" in certain passages.
[edit] Conclusion
The word "Qatal" = murder. "Maqtool" = the murdered. Maqtal = the place where the killing takes place. Qaatal = the murderer.
The secondary meaning of the word is more of an interpretation rather than a direct translation of the word, e.g. battle. The idea seems to be based upon collective killings. In any case, the word "Qatal" is only used when Muslims are meant to fight to kill, i.e. killing is the primary objective or the desired or required outcome.
