We now go to Surah 2:10.
This one will be hard for Muslims to walk away from, and it has to do with why someone is guilty, either because they lie, or because they accuse someone else of lying. These are two completely different reasons.
So, how can Muslims say that two little vowels don’t change the meaning of the verse, when in fact they change it completely?
In the HAFS Qur’an, the transliteration of the Arabic word is, “Yakzibuuna”, which when translated means, “they lie”.
The Arabic word in question employs a ‘fatah’ (short ‘a’ sound) above the first letter ‘Y’, and a ‘Sukun’ (a small circle) above the second letter ‘K’ to stop the sound.
In the WARSH Qur’an, the transliteration of the Arabic word is, “Yukazzibuuna”, which
when translated means, “They accuse (others) of lying”.
The Arabic word in question employs a ‘dhamma’ (the ‘u’ vowel) above the first letter ‘Y’, and a ‘fatah’ (a short ‘a’ sound) above the second letter ‘K’.
So, there is only a difference in vowels here, not in consonants.
The Significance of these two vowels, however, is startling. Are those who have a diseased heart doomed because THEY LIE, or are they doomed because THEY ACCUSE OTHERS OF LYING, which then makes no sense, because it is the others who are then guilty?
This has theological significance as well, because either way it suggests they are guilty whether THEY LIE (Hafs) or whether THEY ACCUSE OTHERS OF LYING (Warsh). The object of the guilt should be different, yet they are the same.
So, which is it, and which of these two scenarios is found in the eternal Qur’an which resides in heaven?
© Pfander Centre for Apologetics – US, 2022
(63,030) Music: “Ukulele Fun” by Rafael Krux, from filmmusic-io