Islamic Translation Of Verse 64 Essay

Linguistics and Translations:Sura 3:64-69 narrates a dialogue between Muslims and the People of the Book, in which the Jews and Christians are persuaded to follow the guidance of the Divine Law set out by Allah. Verse 64 is an invitation for all three religions to come to an agreement and accept the worship of a single God. However some translations, such as the Ali translation, utilize the word “Muslim” as a substitute for “one who submits to God.” While the term Muslim is commonly identified as being a follower of Islam, the definition is clarified when comparing the Ali translation to other translations, such as the Asad. The Asad translation of verse 64 fully states that it is “we who have surrendered ourselves unto Him” rather than “we are muslim” like the Ali translation (Asad 91). The term “muslim” can be used interchangeably with the phrase “one who submits to God”. Therefore, in verse 67 when stating that “Abraham was not a Jew” or a “Christian”, the verse alludes to Abraham as a …show more content…
This is a Medinan sura, which was revealed to Muhammad after the Hijra to Medina in 622 A.D. Medinan suras concentrate on messages on community building. Therefore, Sura 3 focuses on the contact that Muslims have with Jews and Christians, conveying the message that the “central tenet of faith is devotion to God” (Haleem, 34). One of the conflicts among the three religions was about the nature of Jesus, and in order to resolve this, Muhammad tried to unite the three faiths on the common idea that all three religions worship only one God in verse 64 (Emerick, 114). Emerick continues to elaborate on how Verses 65-69 were revealed when a Jewish rabbi claimed Abraham as Jewish, and continued to accuse Muhammad of being jealous of God (Emerick, 115), when in actuality, Muhammad had tremendous respect for the Jewish religion, and wished to unite the three