# How does the guest translate the verses on cutting off the thief's hand, jizya and polygamy?

*Other retranslations: cutting off means, war reparations, active women, and polygamy for widows*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zmirskjob4o/s/22/
- Date: 2020-06-26 · Kind: discussion · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Prof. Edip Yuksel | Rejecting Hadith, Rashad Khalifa & Realizing '19' | MindTrap with Mufti #27 (2:12:32–2:16:30)
- Status: a view quoted in order to be discussed, not a position held
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmIrskjob4o&t=7952s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zmirskjob4o/

**Topics:** Hudud and punishments; Polygamy and mut'ah; Contested verses

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** The guest's translation renders the thief's punishment as cutting off the means, the tax on non-Muslims as war reparations, sa'ihat as women active in society, and polygamy as permitted only for widows with orphans in exigent circumstances.

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth goes through further entries in the guest's comparison table. On the thief's hand, the guest's rendering is to cut off the hands or means, and he says the word carries multiple meanings deliberately and that other verses rule out amputation, so cutting off the means must be the reading. On the tax levied on non-Muslims he translates it as war reparations, with nothing to do with religion, imposed after aggressive wars. He reads sa'ihat, usually taken as women who fast, as women active in society and travelling, and takes the word for first-ranked to mean leaders. Asked in jest whether polygamy allows marrying nineteen, he says polygamy in chapter 4 is sandwiched between verses on orphans whose fathers were killed and was an option to protect widows and their orphans in exigent circumstances, not a licence to marry for sex or to marry virgins; Mufti jokes that he will lose much of his male following.

## Sources and names cited

- Edip Yuksel
- Quran 5:38 (the thief, cut off their hands): https://quran.com/5/38
- jizya
- sa'ihat
- Quran: A Reformist Translation

## Transcript (machine tier, 2:12:32–2:16:30)

[2:12:18] next one on the same page or it goes to the next page something here it goes on about about now still about the heating no then it's the next page because the next one is should the thieves hand be cut off okay yep and you've translated that as the means isn't it saying that the cut cutting of the means is that correct as opposed to and I'll just show I'll show that to the

[2:12:57] the audience as well so they can see the there is so you've got the translation the of Abdullah Yusuf Ali of Pickthall saying about cutting the hand shark here as well saying cut off the hand it's that I'm a circuit but no no no this is sorry this is an English and you've got yours saying to kurtal cut off the hands stroke means as a punishment there are multiple ideas you can tell and deliberately God made it that way so that people will get and but according

[2:13:35] to other verses you cannot cut off their hands I discuss it there it could be one of the understanding but it must be more cut or cut he means and you've mentioned regarding levying taxes you've stated in your translation reparation absolutely it is war related it has nothing to do with religion after aggressive wars against you they hurt they basically they aggress against you they cause damage and thereafter the world there they will be levied some collaboration

[2:14:11] of you also translated the is it monitored or the characteristics of of Muslim women but if those who say as opposed to fasting you've you've made it as active in society of course are you had those who say I have it is nothing to do sorry mouth it doesn't say sorry much they didn't like women travelling activists women say a heart and they miss translated as assignment it's not so much to say as this trouble and also AB Karen that is means third early woman

[2:14:50] ahead them is the the leaders but somehow you like Abu Baker was the leader are you gonna tell us a tip that on polygamy were allowed to marry nineteen is this what you're gonna say polygamy is if you look at the beginning of chapter four polygamy is in the context in fact if the sandwiched between verses about the orphans with fatherly killed yeah it is about the mothers who are widows who

[2:15:29] have orphans in order to really protect the orphans and their mothers and that was the option for them and it was not just for sexual thing that was an exigent circumstance if it is for sexual is that are you saying that it's not allowed if it's just for saying no you cannot marry for if they are widows with the orphans yes you can marry okay that's fine it is a - who are we to say they should be remaining without nerves usually if there are less man and

[2:16:05] you do them forever not having a support of men psychologically or in socially or economically that would if someone can afford it and it is really not easy to have the woman especially with children or things and it was a exigent circumstances it's not marrying like virgins and I mean I think you're gonna lose so much of your male following now this is we're gonna be like what and

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment ZmIrskjob4o/s/22. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zmirskjob4o/s/22/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.