4:66

Salaam all,

This is 4:66
وَلَوْ أَنَّا كَتَبْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَنِ اقْتُلُواْ أَنفُسَكُمْ أَوِ اخْرُجُواْ مِن دِيَارِكُم مَّا فَعَلُوهُ إِلاَّ قَلِيلٌ مِّنْهُمْ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ فَعَلُواْ مَا يُوعَظُونَ بِهِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ وَأَشَدَّ تَثْبِيتًا
Walaw anna katabna AAalayhim ani oqtuloo anfusakum awi okhrujoo min diyarikum ma faAAaloohu illa qaleelun minhum walaw annahum faAAaloo ma yooAAathoona bihi lakana khayran lahum waashadda tathbeetan

The Aya says:
And if we mandated on then that kill yourselves or make yourselves leave your homes, they would not have done it, except a few amongst them. And if they had done what they were advised with, then it would have been better for them and stronger establishment.

My personal note:
God’s mercy on us tells us that He does not order us with something that is burdensome, such as kill ourselves or make ourselves leave our homes. The “IF” here carries a suggestion that God did not order it nor plans to order it. Kill oneself here does not necessarily mean suicide, but mostly the community killing members of the same community. The same for making oneself leave means making members of the same community leaver their houses or the territory or area where they are.

The end of the Aya tells us that if we do what God orders us to do or advises us to do, then it will always be for our better and it will give us stronger establishment, both in material and spiritual spheres.

The “IF” in the last part of the sentence is also a skeptical “if”. It suggests that people rarely do what they are advised to do, even though there is good for them in it.

Translation of the transliterated words:
Walaw: and if
Note: there is a tone of skepticism here mainly that the condition did not happen.
Anna: that We/ We
Katabna: wrote/ mandated/ obligated/ decreed
Note: the root is K-T-B and it means putting together of things or beings and so forth. It is understood often as writing because writing is the putting together of letters, words and ideas. KATABNA is a verb form that is derived from the root. It means: writing happen by the subject. Writing can take one of two meanings: one is decree and the other is the meaning of pre-knowledge/documentation but not necessarily a decree. In this context, it is pointing to a decree.
AAalayhim: on them/ upon them
Ani: that
Oqtuloo: kill/ fatally harm or injure
Note: the root is Qaf-T-L and it means killing or actions leading to death as in causing serious injury or harm. OQTULOO is a demand or an order addressed to a group. It means kill or fatally/ seriously harm or injure.
Anfusakum: yourselves
Note: ANFUS is derived from the root N-F-S and it means to breath but is extended to mean self since the self breathes and that defines her existence. ANFUSA is a noun that is derived from this root and it means Selves of. KUM means plural you.
Awi: or
Okhrujoo: come out/ leave
Note: The root is KH-R-J and it means coming out or exiting. That is the conceptual meaning and it assumes it’s more specific meaning or meanings according to the plane of thought of the sentence. OKHRUJOO is an order or a request that is addressing a group of people. It means: come out or leave.
Min: from
Diyarikum: your homes/ your territory/ your place of residence/ area
Note: the root is D-W-R and it means to circle around for the verb and House for the noun. The relationship may be that the house has a territory that circles around it and that is part of the house. DIYARI means homes of or houses of but conceptually can be extended to territory or place of residence or area in general. KUM means plural you.
Ma: not
faAAaloohu: did him/ did it
Note: the root is F-Ain-L and it means doing. FaAAaLOOHU is an action that is completed. It means: the action of doing the object (hu= him and points to the previous order) by the subject (third person plural).
Illa: except/ if not
Qaleelun: a few
Note: the root is Qaf-L-L and it means becoming few which may point to quality or quantity according to the context of the sentence. QALEELAN is little or few.
Minhum: from them/ amongst them
Walaw: and if
Annahum: that they
faAAaloo: did
Note: the root is F-Ain-L and it means doing. FaAAaLOO is an action that is completed. It means: the action of doing the object (ma= what which is coming next) by the subject (third person plural).
Ma: what
yooAAathoona: they were advised
Note: the root is root W-Ain-THA and it means advice or advising. YooAAaTHOONA is an action that is being completed or will be completed. It means: the action of advising the object (third person plural) is happening or will be happening by an undeclared subject.
Bihi: with Him/ in him
Note: Bi denotes that what comes after is a tool and/or an object or an association with an action that was mentioned. If it is an object of the action then it makes it stronger. HI means him and it points to what they are advised.
Lakana: then it would have been
Note: la means then. KANA is derived from the root K-W-N and it means being. KANA is an action that is completed that is derived from the root. It means: the action of being happened by the subject (third personal singular). This in turn means: He was or He happened to be. LAKANA in this context carries the meaning of “then it would have been”.
Khayran: better
Note: the root is KH-Y-R and it means choice. It is also understood as good or as better, because one would chose the good over the bad. KHAYRAN means: good or best choice.
Lahum: to them/ for them
waashadda: and more tight/ stronger
Note: WA is a letter that links what is before with what is after. This link is through inclusion, either one is included in the other or they are all included in the bigger sentence or bigger picture. WA often corresponds with “and/ addition” but the more encompassing meaning is in inclusion one in another or all in a bigger picture or sentence. ASHADDA is derived from the root SH-D-D and it means tightening of the rope and that also means making something stronger/more stable/harder and tighter. ASHADDU means tighter or stronger
Tathbeetan: stability/ establishment
Note: TATHBEETAN is derived from the root TH-B-T and it means being or becoming well established in all the planes of thought. As in being well established for the building or the tent, to the well established act or deed, which could mean that it is well proven and/or it has staying power. TATHBEETAN is the action of making an entity well established or strong or stable and well entrenched. It could be many things including the acts of the people or being approved by God.

Salaam all and have a great day.


Hussein