5:73

Salaam all,



Laqad kafara allatheena qaloo inna Allaha thalithu thalathatin wama min ilahin illa ilahun wahidun wain lam yantahoo AAamma yaqooloona layamassanna allatheena kafaroo minhum AAathabun aleemun

The Aya says:
Indeed, those who say that Allah is a third of three have rejected. And there is not of entity worthy of worship if not one entity worthy of worship. And if they do not cease from that they say then indeed, painful suffering will touch those who reject amongst them.

My personal note:
A third of three covers several potential meanings, and mainly those two:
1- The three entities are totally separate three entities.
2- The three entities are divisible parts of one entity.

So the aya negates both descriptions from applying to God. The Aya does not mention who the three entities are and this means that no matter what three entities are mentioned they are negated.

There is a subtle message also in the Aya. At the beginning it mentions that those who say this have rejected. In the end it gives the specific warning to those amongst them who have not ceased from doing so, once they learned of this Aya. Therefore for those who understand this Aya, it is a message to change the form of belief regarding the nature of God from “a third of three” to just purely one indivisible entity.

Translation of the transliterated words:
Laqad: indeed
Kafara: they rejected (Allah and His message)/ discarded
Note: the root is K-F-R and it means cover or bury in the ground, as in put the seed in the ground and cover it. This is then used conceptually for many purposes as in discarding and rejecting as well as burying. KAFARA is an action that is completed. It means: the action of rejection or discarding of the object (not declared, but understood from the context to point to God and/or the message) happened by the subject (third person singular).
Allatheena: those who
Qaloo: said/ communicated
Note: QALOO is derived from the root Qaf-W-L and it means saying in any way possible. QALOO is an action that is completed that is derived from the root. It means the action of saying happened by the subject (third person plural). This, in turn means: they said or they happened to say or communicate.
Inna: indeed
Allaha: Allah
Thalithu: third of
Note: the root is root Th-L-Th and it means three. THALITHU means third of.

Thalathatin: three
Note: the root is root Th-L-Th and it means three. THALATHATIN means three.

Wama: and not
Min: of/ from
Ilahin: God/ one worthy of worship
Note: the root is Hamza-L-H and it means God or one who is worthy of worship. ILAHIN means a God or an entity worthy of worship.

Illa: except/ if not
Ilahun: a God/ an entity worthy of worship
Note: the root is Hamza-L-H and it means God or one who is worthy of worship. ILAHUN means a God or an entity worthy of worship.
Wahidun: one
Note: the root is W-Ha-D and it means one. WAHIDUN means one
Wain: and if
lam yantahoo: they did not stop/ they did not desist/ they did not cease
Note: LAM suggests that the action that comes after is being negated. YANTAHOO is derived from the root N-H-Y and it means stopping or ending or desisting. This then takes different form according to the plane of thought of the sentence. LAM YANTAHU is an action that is being completed or will be completed. It means: the action of not making oneself desist or cease what they are doing is happening or will be happening by the subject (third person plural).

AAamma: from what
Yaqooloona: they (plural) say/ communicate
Note: the root is Qaf-W-L and it means saying or communicating in any way possible whether in words or otherwise. YAQOOLOONA is an action that is being completed or will be completed that is derived from the root. It means the action of saying happened by the subject (third person plural). This, in turn means: they say or they happen to say or communicate.

Layamassanna: then indeed will touch/ will affect them
Note: LA here suggests an emphasis of the action that will follow. YAMASSANNA is derived from the root M-S-S and it means touching. Conceptually, it takes many meanings that are related to touch and they range from just touch to deep influence and so on according to the context. YAMASSANNA is an action that is being completed or will be completed. It means: the action of touching or affecting is going to happen with emphasis to the object (Allatheena= those who) by the subject (AAaTHAB= suffering).
Allatheena: those who
Kafaroo: rejected (Allah and His message)/ discarded
Note: the root is K-F-R and it means cover or bury in the ground, as in put the seed in the ground and cover it. This is then used conceptually for many purposes as in discarding and rejecting as well as burying. KAFARO is an action that is completed. It means: the action of rejection or discarding of the object (not declared, but understood from the context to point to God and/or the message) happened by the subject (third person plural).
Minhum: amongst them
AAathabun: suffering
Note: the root is 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.
Aleemun: painful
Note: the root is Hamza-L-M and it means pain. ALEEMUN means painful.

Salaam all and have a great day.

Hussein