9:23

Salaam all,

9:23
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ آبَاءكُمْ وَإِخْوَانَكُمْ أَوْلِيَاء إَنِ اسْتَحَبُّواْ الْكُفْرَ عَلَى الإِيمَانِ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ
Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo la tattakhithoo abaakum waikhwanakum awliyaa ini istahabboo alkufra AAala aleemani waman yatawallahum minkum faolaika humu alththalimoona

The Aya says:
O you have faith do not follow your parents/ ancestors and your siblings if they prefered rejection over faith. And whoever follows then amongst you and those are the unjust/ the transgressors.

My personal note:
I have translated the term (TATTAKHITHOO) into follow. This is because the term has the concept of following direction and being under protection the one that you follow. It is also a term that, although at times has friendship included within it, is more of a term related to a friend/ loved one/ leader/ guardian who influences the other into acting likewise through subtle and not so subtle ways. So the message is not about loving one's family, it is against having the family make negative influences on the faithful or making the faithful lose their autonomy and independence in belief and practice of their religion.

Translation of the transliterated words:
Ya ayyuha: O you
Allatheena: those who
Amanoo: made themselves safe/ attained faith
Note: the root is Hamza-M-N and it means safe or safety. AMANOO is an action that is derived from the root and that is completed. It means: the action of making the object (not mentioned and therefore the subject and the object can be the same entity here) become safe happened by the subject (third person plural). So, it ends up meaning: they made themselves safe.
La: not/ do not
tattakhithoo: you (plural) take for yourselves/ you take
Note: the root is Hamza-KH-TH and it means to take. TATTAKHITHOO is an action that is completed. It means: the action of taking the object (Abaakum= your parents) for oneself was made to happen by the subject (second person plural).
Abaakum: your parents/ your ancestors
Note: the root is root Hamza-B and it means father or parent. ABA means parent or father of. KUM means plural you. Here the term “fathers” is extended from parents to grandparents and further.

Waikhwanakum: and your siblings
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. IKHWANAKUM is derived from theroot Hamza-KH and it means brother or sibling. IKHWANA means brothers / siblings of. KUM means plural you.

Awliyaa: guardians/ examples to follow
Note: the root is W-L-Y and it means direction or following direction with some guarantee. It comes close to guardianship. AWLIYAA is either the one who is a guardian or the one who receives guardianship of another or both. In this context, guardian and director apply.
Ini: if
Istahabboo: they preferred/ sought love
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. ISTAHABBOO is an action that is derived from the root and that is being completed. It means: the action of seeking the love of the object (Alkufra= the rejection) happened by the subject (third person plural). The context here is preference.
Alkufra: the rejection/ the denial
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. ALKUFR is the rejection or denial and so on.

AAala: over
Aleemani: faith/ safety/ trust
Note: the root is Hamza-M-N and it means safe or safety. EEMANAN means safety or trust as in safe in the belief system they are in and so on and it can point to safety and trust at the same time. ALEEMAN is the faith and safety and trust (in Allah)

Waman: and whoever
yatawallahum: makes them his guardians/ follow their direction
Note: the root is W-L-Y and it means direction or following direction with some guarantee. It comes close to guardianship. WALI is either the one who is a guardian or the one who receives guardianship of another or both. YATAWALLA is an action that is being completed or will be completed. It means in this context: the action of following the guardianship or direction of the object (HUM= them) is happening or will be happening by the subject (third person singular or plural).
Minkum: of you (plural)
Faolaika: then those
Humu: they
alththalimoona: the unjust/ transgressors/ putting things out of place
Note: the root is THA-L-M and it means darkness in the most concrete form. This word also takes the meaning of misplacing right from wrong and transgression or injustice since injustice is displacing right from wrong and a decision made in darkness. ALTHTHALIMOON are the unjust or the one who misplaces right from wrong intentionally and that is the one who decides and acts in darkness.

Salaam all and have a great day.

Hussein