| Does the Quran Force Jews and Christians to Submit | | | | offering. It is most holy to the Lord' (Exod. 30: 10. |
| to Islam? By Gabriel Sawma The Quran states the | | | | NRSV. Biblia Hebraica). The term 'kfr' is used to |
| following: INNA ALLADHIINA KAFARU SWAA ON | | | | describe the 'sin offering' as is shown in the following |
| ALAYHIM ANDHARTAHUM AM LAM TUNDHIRHUM | | | | Biblical passage: 'These are the ordinances for the |
| LA YUMINOON, (Quran 2: 7). Muslim commentators | | | | altar, on the day when it is erected for burnt offerings |
| render the following interpretation: 'God hath set a seal | | | | upon it and for dashing blood against it…a bull |
| on their hearts and on their hearing, and on their eyes | | | | for (kfr) sin offering' (Ezekiel 43: 19. NRSV. Biblia |
| is a veil; great is the penalty they incur. As those who | | | | Hebraica). 'kfr' is used to mean 'cover over, pacify, |
| reject the faith, it is the same to them whether thou | | | | propitiate' as indicated in the Book of Genesis: 'Let me |
| warn them or do not warn them, they will not believe' | | | | cover over his face by the present ) so that he does |
| (translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali). The translator | | | | not see the offense, i.e. pacify him' (Gen. 32: 21). In the |
| renders the following interpretation: 'Kafara, kufr, kafir, | | | | New Testament, the "kfr" (i.e. ransom) is no longer |
| are derivative forms of the word, imply a deliberate | | | | associated with the temple sacrifices, still less with |
| rejection of Faith as opposed to a mistaken idea of | | | | payments of money, or incense, or even with prayers. |
| God or faith, which is not inconsistent with an earnest | | | | It is the life of Jesus and his death by crucifixion, with |
| desire to see the truth. Where there is such desire, the | | | | the actual shedding of blood that makes the ransom |
| grace and mercy of God gives guidance. But that | | | | "kfr" possible. The New Testament declares that in |
| guidance is not efficacious when it is deliberately | | | | Christ and his death is all that man needs in order for |
| rejected, and the possibility of rejection follows from | | | | his sins to be forgiven, and his life is "kfr" (i.e. |
| the grant of free will. The consequence of the | | | | ransomed). There is no indication in the Aramaic |
| rejection is that the spiritual faculties become dead to | | | | language of the Bible that the word 'kfr' means 'infidel' |
| impervious to better influence. The roots kafara has | | | | or 'those who did not accept Islam'. Misinterpretation of |
| many shades of meaning: (1) to deny God's goodness, | | | | the Quran led Muslim commentators to render an |
| to be ungrateful. (2) To reject Faith, deny His revelation. | | | | erroneous definition to the Aramaic word "kfr". It is |
| (3)To blaspheme, to ascribe some limitation or attribute | | | | important to keep in mind that the early copies of the |
| to God, which is derogatory to His nature. In a | | | | Quran did not have the vowel signs necessary for |
| translation, one shade or another must be put forward | | | | vocalization. When the vowel signs were introduced at |
| according to the context, but all are implied'. (See | | | | a later time, Aramaic 'kfr' changed to 'kafaru'. The |
| Abdullah Yusuf Commetary on the Glorious Qur'an, | | | | Quranic word 'sawaa' has been interpreted |
| numbers 30 and 93). The Quranic word 'kafara', which | | | | erroneously as 'whether'. Aramaic 'shwh' means 'to |
| is interpreted in modern days as 'infidel', does not | | | | agree with' (Isa. 16: 6). The shift from /sh/ to /s/ and |
| necessarily mean 'to reject faith'. Aramaic 'kfr' means | | | | vice versa is interchangeable in the Semitic languages |
| 'the price of life, ransom'. Akkadian "kaparu" means | | | | as for example 'sham[s]' (sun) and 'sham[sh]a'; 'M[es]ih' |
| 'wipe off, redemption, ransom'. In the book of Exodus | | | | and 'M[sh]iha' (Messiah) etc. The Quranic word |
| we read the following: 'If a ransom is imposed on the | | | | 'andhartuhum' has been interpreted as 'you warn them'. |
| owner' (Exod. 21: 30. NRSV). Paying ransom for life | | | | Syriac (a dialect of Aramaic) 'etnadrat' means 'you |
| was a form of taxes. It was a natural obligation on | | | | give a notice, make a vow' (Syriac Peshito, Gen. 31: 13). |
| individuals to buy protection for their lives. During the | | | | Aramaic 'ndr' means 'vow' (Psalms 132). In Aramaic, |
| time of Moses, God imposed a ransom on each | | | | letter /d/ is also spirant /dh/ like 'there'. When the |
| Israelite, the Bible reads: 'The Lord spoke to Moses: | | | | Arabic vowel signs, which developed later, were |
| When you take a census of the Israelites to register | | | | added, Aramaic 'ndr' change to 'nadhara' or 'andhara'. |
| them, at registration all of them shall give a (kfr) | | | | The Quran is saying: 'those who used sin offering for |
| ransom for their lives to the Lord, so that no plague | | | | ransom agree (Jews and Christians), whether you give |
| may come upon them for being registered' (Exod. 30: | | | | them a notice or not, are not going to believe (i.e. in the |
| 11. NRSV. Biblia Hebraica). 'kfr' also means 'ransom for | | | | Quran). In Syriac, the verse is pronounced as following: |
| sin offering' as stated in the Biblia Hebraica: 'Throughout | | | | 'holen kafore, showe 'layhoon, etnadrat lhun ao lo |
| your generations he shall perform the atonement for it | | | | atnadrat lhun lo mhaymne enun'. Gabriel Sawma, P. O. |
| once a year with the blood of the atoning 'kfr' sin | | | | |