5:18

Salaam all,

This is 5:18
وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى نَحْنُ أَبْنَاء اللّهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ قُلْ فَلِمَ يُعَذِّبُكُم بِذُنُوبِكُم بَلْ أَنتُم بَشَرٌ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقَ يَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاء وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاء وَلِلّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ
Waqalati alyahoodu waalnnasara nahnu abnao Allahi waahibbaohu qul falima yuAAaththibukum bithunoobikum bal antum basharun mimman khalaqa yaghfiru liman yashao wayuAAaththibu man yashao walillahi mulku alssamawati waalardi wama baynahuma wailayhi almaseeru

The Aya says:
And the Jews and the Christians said: “We are Allah’s children and His beloved”. Say ( O Muhammad) then why does He make you suffer through your sins?! But instead you are humans amongst who He created. He protectively covers whoever He wills and makes whoever He wills suffer. And to Allah belongs the authority of the heavens and the earth and what is between the two and towards him is the destination.

My personal note:
This aya explains why Muslims avoid the term “We are Allah’s children”. The message is that there are no humans who are more special than others. We all are dealt with by Allah according to our love for Him and our adherence to his commands.

Some scholars in the past explained the reason why Christians and Jews refer to Allah as their father in the sense that the term ABB which means father in Hebrew, Arabic and Aramaic was more interchangeably used with the term RABB which means Nurturing Lord in the three languages. So, if the term ABB was used in the bible then it was used to mean RABB but not an actual literal father as was the understanding of some Christians and Jews.

The term “makes you suffer through your sins” established that some of our suffering in this life can be because of our sins. However, this does not mean that all of our suffering is because of our sins. There are many reasons why Allah makes us suffer in addition to our sins. It is all within Allah’s mercy, justice and wisdom. However, Muslims scholars indicate that the suffering that we undergo in this life, no matter what the reason, serves as an atonement and protection from the effect of our sins in the next life.

Translation of transliterated words:
Waqalati: and said/ communicated
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. QALAT is derived from the root Qaf-W-L and it means saying in any way possible. QALAT is an action that is completed that is derived from the root. It means the action of saying happened by the subject (third person singular or plural pointing to the Jews and Christians). This, in turn means: They said/ communicated.
Alyahoodu: the Jews
Note: the root is H-W-D and it means repentance and return to God. It is used mainly to point to Judaism, often specifically. ALYAHOOD means the Jews.
Waalnnasara: and the Christians
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. ALNNASARA is derived from the root N-Sad-R and it means aid or help at a time of need. ALNNASARA means: the supporters or helpers at the time of need. It is a term that is used for Christians in the Qur’an because they were the ones who supported and aided Jesus (pbuh)
Nahnu: we
Abnao: children of/ sons of
Note: the root is B-N-Y and it means child or son in some of the derivatives and building in another. The two meanings since having children is like building where one builds a family and builds the child to become an adult and so forth. ABNAO means sons of or children of/ products of
Allahi: Allah
Waahibbaohu: and His loved ones/ including His loved ones/ His beloved

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. AHINNAOHU is derived from the root 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. AHIBBAO means loved ones of. HU means him and it points to Allah.
Qul: Say/ communicate/respond
Note: the root is Qaf-W-L and it means saying or communicating. QUL is an order or a request addressed to a singular. It means: say or communicate.
Falima: then why?!
yuAAaththibukum: He makes you suffer
Note: YUAAaTHTHIBUKUM is derived from the root Ain-TH-B and it means an easy to swallow food or drink. AAaTHAB is what makes one not take an easy to swallow food or drink. That is suffering. YUAAaTHTHIBUKUM is an action that is being completed or will be completed. It means: the action of making the object (KUM=plural) suffer is happening or will be happening by the subject (third person singular).
Bithunoobikum: by your sins
Note: Bi suggests that what comes after it is either an association with the action, a tool of the action or an object of the action or any combination of the three. If bi serves as an object of the action that it serves as an emphasis of the action. THUNOOBIKUM is derived from the root TH-N-B and it means tail if spelled THANAB and sin if spelled THANB. It is difficult to know if the two meanings are related. THUNOOBI means sins of. KUM means plural you.

Bal: but instead
Antum: you (plural)
Basharun: humans/ people
Note: the root B-SH-R and it means the outer skin of people. This is also a sign of beauty and good news in the abstract. BASHARUN means outer skin of people but is also used for human since humans are covered by it.
Mimman: from who/ from amongst
Khalaqa: He created
Note: the root is KH-L-Qaf and it means creating and creation. The word has many little other meanings that revolve around that theme, in concrete, it means the smoothened rock that was shaped that way, so it has the cutting and shaping and making things as part of the meaning as well as creating out of nothing as well. KHALAQA is an action that is completed. It means: the action of creating or shaping happened by the subject (third person singular).

Yaghfiru: He protectively covers/ he forgives
Note: the root is GH-F-R and it means the helmet of the soldier in the battle. This is one of the concrete uses of the word and the word is therefore used to mean protective covering in many fashions as in protecting the person from the error or protecting the person from the consequence of error and that is forgiveness. YAGHFIRU is an action that is being completed or will be completed. It means: the action of protectively covering or forgiving is happening or will be happening by the subject (third person singular pointing to Allah).
Liman: to whoever/ to whomever
Yashao: He wills/ He entities
Note: the root is SH-Y-Hamza and it means entity for noun and to entity for the action. This means making a non entity become an entity, which also means making what was impossible possible, or what was non existent, existent or what was un-allowed allowed, and so forth. YASHAO is an action that is related to the root that is being completed or will be completed. It means: The entity is happening or will be happening by the subject (third person singular and points to God).
wayuAAaththibu: and He makes suffer
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. YUAAaTHTHIBU is derived from the root Ain-TH-B and it means an easy to swallow food or drink. AAaTHAB is what makes one not take an easy to swallow food or drink. That is suffering. YUAAaTHTHIBU is an action that is being completed or will be completed. It means: the action of making the object (MAN=whoever) suffer is happening or will be happening by the subject (third person singular).
Man: who/ whomever
Yashao: He wills/ He entities
Note: the root is SH-Y-Hamza and it means entity for noun and to entity for the action. This means making a non entity become an entity, which also means making what was impossible possible, or what was non existent, existent or what was un-allowed allowed, and so forth. YASHAO is an action that is related to the root that is being completed or will be completed. It means: The entity is happening or will be happening by the subject (third person singular and points to God).
Walillahi: and to Allah belongs
Mulku: authority of/ ownership of
Note: the root is M-L-K and it means ownership or authority over something. One concrete meaning is the fruit when it becomes strong and held together. So, in a sense MULK has the meaning of holding things together in a strong bond and that is the authority. MULKU means authority of ownership of.
Alssamawati: the aboves / the heavens/ the beyond the earth
Note: the root is S-M-W and it means rising. This word is used to mean many things that are related to that meaning. One of the meanings is name because when a person’s name is called, he or she would rise and respond. ALSSAMAWATI are the aboves or what are above, that is the skies or the heavens or any entity from the atmosphere to beyond that.
Waalardi: and the earth
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 is often translated as an addition (and), but inclusion probably covers the meaning a little better. ALARDI is derived from the root Hamza-R-Dhad and it means earth or land. ALARDI is the earth/ the land.
Wama: and what/ including what
Baynahuma: between the two.
Wailayhi: and to him/ towards him
Almaseeru: the end/ the final outcome/ the destination
Note: The root is Sad-Y-R and it means in concrete where the water ends. It is used to mean the end of a transformation or the ending of any process. ALMASEER is the place or time of ending or both. It can also mean the ending. In this context, it carries the notion of the final destination or just the destination.

Salaam all and have a great day.

Hussein