4:107

Salaam all,

This is 4:107
وَلاَ تُجَادِلْ عَنِ الَّذِينَ يَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَهُمْ إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ خَوَّانًا أَثِيمًا
Wala tujadil AAani allatheena yakhtanoona anfusahum inna Allaha la yuhibbu man kana khawwanan atheeman

The Aya says:
And do not argue on behalf of those who mislead themselves. Indeed, Allah does not love one who misleads emphatically, sins emphatically.

My personal note:
Misleading themselves is a term that carries several meanings and all are applicable here. It covers a person misleading or committing treachery against oneself. This is any sin we do to ourselves. It also covers a group whose members mislead each other. It also covers anyone who misleads others for personal gain. All the three are covered by that term.

The Aya ends in declaring that God does not love the ones who do the act of misleading or treachery with emphasis. The emphasis points to frequency or intention or both and may be more.

This is important to remember and a point of the beauty of the Qur’an. It is because many people in one way or another will unintentionally mislead themselves or others. Those people do not lose the love of God. It is those who do it with emphasis or intention or high frequency that risk losing god’s love. And indeed, God is forgiving for those who repent and return to His path.

Translation of the transliterated words:
Wala: and not
Tujadil: you (singular) argue/ verbally dispute
Note: the root is J-D-L The concrete word is braiding of the hair. In abstract, it is used for anything that goes in circles or twists around itself or others. Therefore, it is used conceptually for arguing especially when it is used in an interactive form. TUJADIL is an action that is being completed or will be completed. It means: the action of arguing is happening or will be happening by the subject (second person singular pointing to the prophet pbuh). WALA TUJADIL is an order or a request not to argue or verbally dispute something.
AAani: on behalf of/ about
Note: this word takes the meaning of from, but at times takes the meaning of away from, about and so on. In this context it takes the meaning of “on behalf of” or “make an argument away from”.
Allatheena: those who
Yakhtanoona: mislead themselves/ each other
Note: the root is KH-W-N and it means misleading or treason. Conceptually treason is encompassed in misleading, as in misleading the person to trust someone who is not worthy of trust. YAKHTANOONA is an action that is being completed or will be completed. It means: the action of misleading oneself or for oneself is happening by the subject (third person plural anfusahum =themselves, coming up). Misleading themselves here takes two meanings that are correct and not mutually exclusive and those are misleading oneself and misleading other people in the group or each other.
Anfusahum: themselves
Note: ANFUSAHUM 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. HUM means them.
Inna: indeed
Allaha: Allah
La: not
Yuhibbu: loves
Note: the root is Ha-B-B and it means in concrete seed. This word also means love. As if the seed is the product of love or the love will end up in a seed. YUHIBBU is an action that is derived from the root and that is being completed or will be completed. It means: the action of loving is happening or will be happening by the subject (third person singular pointing to Allah) of the object (man kana= whoever happened to be)
Man: who/ whoever/ one who
Kana: happened to be
Note: the root is 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.

Khawwanan: frequently misleading/ intentionally misleading/ emphatically misleading
Note: the root is KH-W-N and it means misleading or treason. Conceptually treason is encompassed in misleading, as in misleading the person to trust someone who is not worthy of trust. KAWWANAN is the one who misleads or acts treacherously with emphasis. This suggests that he does it frequently, intentionally or both. The two are related since the one who does an act intentionally will do it frequently.

Atheeman: Frequently sinning/ intentionally sinning/ emphatically sinning
Note: the root is Hamza-TH-M and it means breaking of rule or rules of justice. This means error or fault with a tinge of knowing it. ATHEEM is the one who breaks the rule or sins with emphasis. This suggests that he does it frequently, intentionally or both. The two are related since the one who does an act intentionally will do it frequently.

Salaam all and have a great day

Hussein