Chapter 10
Conviction No. 5
“Al-Ghayib (The Unseen)
Actually MEANS "Qudrat Kay Paimaney"
(Nature's Yardsticks / Standards / Laws)”
The meaning of the term GHAYIB is defined by the learned translator in his current Quranic translation as “Qudrat kay Paimaney.” He translates the phrase “Yu'minoona bil Ghaayib” as: “They establish Peace with Nature's Values / standards / yardsticks (meaning "Laws‟).” Please check the proof from his own writing in his translation of Chapter Al-Baqarah, Verse No.3, at his website.
This openly implies that “unseen reality” or “some phenomena that may result in the future” or “something distant or absent” are not the accurate definitions of the term “Ghayib.” The underlying conviction here is that the “Quran does not talk of things that cannot be materially proved”; thus, as in its authentic lexical meanings, Ghayib is something not provable or comprehensible, therefore, this meaning must be "changed.‟
After the above theory as presented by the learned translator, we are confronted with the question as to how to prove this far-fetched conclusion of his, viz. “Qudrat ke Paimaney,” as an accurate and pertinent, or, an alternative definition of the term “Al-Ghayib”?
In this difficult scenario, let us, first of all, check the word “Ghayib” from Lane's Lexicon to find out the right answer :-
“ ghayn-ya-ba : absent/remote/hidden/concealed, absent from the range or beyond the reach of perception by sense or of mental perception, unseen/invisible, slander, backbite, hidden reality, absent one.” (Derivatives: Ghayib, ghuyoub, ghiyaab, ghayubah, mughayib, ghayibooba, mughaab, ghaaba versus hadhara, ghayibat, aghtaabah..)”
Please go through minutely the full scope of meanings of all the derivatives of GHAYIB described on pages 96, 97, and 98 of Volume 6 of LANE's, you would fail to find a near or distant link of its lexical meanings with the learned translator's "unique‟ definition.
This writer respectfully submits that an unmatched contempt of human intellect has been committed here once again, which cannot be duly condemned in a few words. This blatant mutilation of the Quranic message can be seen as manifest evidence of a secret AGENDA, leading the contender into the darkness of sheer unscrupulousness. However, an understanding of the true face of the story may not be difficult at all, if we keep in view the already exposed convictions of the learned translator and his Agenda. We can easily discern the problems faced by him, like this:-
- ―The Quran does not talk of anything that cannot be proved or comprehended. This being his basic personal conviction, how can he contradict it himself by translating the word “Ghayib” correctly? “Ghayib,” i.e. "the Unseen,‟ is not physically visible to the eye. So, where would the proof of it come from? Hence, why should it be defined as “unseen, or as an absent reality” by making an accurate translation? If it is rightly defined, it will have to be conceded that ―the Quran DOES talk of things that cannot be seen or comprehended. Therefore, it was an inevitable compulsion for the learned translator to distort the true face of the translation.
The word ―Eimaan is also attached with the word ―Ghayib. Had the word ―Ghayib been translated accurately, he had to wash his hands of his second conviction too by having to recognize the word ―Faith/Belief as the right translation of ―Eimaan (viz., ―BELIEF, in the unseen”)! It must be remembered that he regards the definition of Eimaan as ―the state of Peace, not ―Faith. Here the irony of the situation was reflected in having to acknowledge the Ghayib without a proof, which, in turn, would further necessitate the acknowledgment of “Faith" in it. He was to translate Eimaan accurately, along with the accurate translation of Ghayib, thereby, violating the second core issue of his materialistic AGENDA.
- And also obvious is the fact that, by having to admit Ghayib and Eimaan in their true meanings, the implementation of the foreign AGENDA of the Quran's materialistic interpolation, so obviously manifest in his designs, would suffer a drastic setback.
This student humbly submits here that a careful study of the Quranic compound, ―Aalim-ul-Ghayib, alone, would have been sufficient to prevent him from venturing into this blatant falsity. This murakkab- e-izaafi‘ is used in the following Verses :-
Chapter Al-Jinn 72:26, Al-Taghaban 64:18, Al-Jum'aah 62:8, Al-Hashr 59:22, Al- Zumr 39:46, Faatir 35:38, Al-Ra'ad 13:9, Al-Mominoon 23:92, Al- Taubah 9:94,105…..
And in all the above places, to define this term as ―the one aware of Qudrat ke Paimaney, viz. ―having knowledge of the values He HIMSELF has created would be a climax of ridiculous surmise. By all accounts, in all those places, we can only interpret this compound as none other than the ―Knower of unseen destiny, or concealed realities.
Apart from that, the learned translator has completely ignored various other places in the Quran where the accurate lexical translation of Ghayib has been amply substantiated by the undeniable and precise formula of ―comparison of opposites / antonyms. Please check ―Aalim-ul- Ghayibi wa ash-Shahaadah‖: Verses: Al-An'aam 6:73, Al- Taubah 9:93,105, Al-Ra'ad 13:9, Al-Mominoon 23:92, Al-Sajdah 32:6, Al- Zumr 39:46, Al-Hashr 59:22, Al-Jum'aah 62:8, Al-Taghaban 64:18, where the Concealed and the Manifest, viz. the comparative state of Absent and Present, absolutely precludes a wishful twisting of Ghayib‘s meanings; unless, of course, the twister comes down to exercising a blatant self- destructive strategy and puts his own respect and status at risk.
Let us also check Verse No.6:59: “Wa „inda-hu mafateeh-ul-Ghayib, laa ya'lamu-ha illaa huwa”.
Translation: “The keys of Al-Ghayib are with Him, so no one except Him knows it (al-Ghayib)”.
Can the learned translator tell us what kind of ―Qudrat key Paimaney‖ these are, whose keys are only with Allah swt, and its knowledge too is only with Him? Under this Divine injunction, how would the learned translator try to ―establish Peace with these Qudrat ke Paimany whose knowledge, as the Creator ordains, He has not exposed to anyone? This Verse decisively establishes that the wishful translations of these terms by him can be classified as bogus.
The second point also established here is about the learned translator's statement that : ―the Quran does not talk of anything that can‘t be comprehended. It is also a directionless flight of thought. The Quran does talk about many things that are beyond human comprehension at the present stage of its evolution.
This humble one thinks that the above effort may suffice to clarify the issue under this topic. The Readers can easily decide now as to the right or wrong of it.
I might still humbly try to make the subject of “Al-Ghayib” a little bit clear to the learned translator.
The basic urge of the human self is to know the aim or purpose of life. Since, however, it is not possible for man to understand and partake the glimpses of higher spiritual life and its values at his low conscious level, therefore, according to the creative process, man must have FAITH IN THE UNSEEN as proclaimed by Divine guidance. The faith in the unseen amounts to believing and accepting as true those spiritual and conscious values which man is not capable of comprehending intellectually at his lower stage of creation. FAITH IN THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF LIFE NOT ONLY GIVES IMMENSE SATISFACTION TO THE HUMAN SELF FOR HAVING KNOWN HIMSELF, BUT IT ALSO PROVIDES GREAT SPIRITUAL STRENGTH FOR ADVANCING TOWARDS THE GOAL. Those who do not believe in Divine guidance have per force to choose some ideal of life. Even those who deny the Creator and have no faith in life after death had to have some view in regard to life, because it is the urge of the human self to know the reality. The Human self cannot simply live at the self-conscious state unless it identifies itself and knows the purpose of its existence.
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