Fitnah definition-- A Question for Joseph

[wanderer]

There seems to be a lot of controversy as to the real meaning of this word, particularly in verses 8:39 and 2:191 and 2:193. Extremists and critics say it means disbelief, while many others say it means oppression (in these verses). This was really worrying me, so I checked the Quranic Arabic Corpus (my go-to guide) and they classified it as 'oppression' which relieved me. However, I note that is a very rare definition of the word. Brother Joseph, I trust your expertise on Classical Arabic, so can you please explain this to me??
Regards
wanderer

[Hassan3000]

Peace be upon you

In the meanwhile while Brother Joseph answers, I would like to give my response to it as well.

The root word is Fa-Ta-Nun ف ت ن
Meaning - to try or prove, persecute, burn, assay, put into affliction, distress and hardship, slaughter, cause to err, seduce from faith by any means, mislead, sow dissension or difference of opinion, mischief, put in confusion, punish, give reply or excuse, tempt, lead to temptation, make an attempt upon, seduce. fitnatun - persecution, trial, probation, burning, assaying, reply, excuse, war, means whereby the condition of a person is evinced in respect of good or evil, hardship, punishment, answer, temptation, burning with fire.

The places the word fitna is used as a verb in the Quran: [1]
perf. act. 6:53, 20:40, 20:85, 29:3, 38:24, 38:34, 44:17, 57:14, 85:10
impf. act. 4:101, 5:49, 7:27, 9:49, 10:83, 17:73, 20:131, 72:17
perf. pass. 16:110, 20:90
impf. pass. 9:126, 27:47, 29:2, 51:13
n.vb. 20:40
pcple. act. 37:162
pcple. pass. 68:6

Meaning trial, to put in hardship, being tempted, etc.

The places the word fitna is used as a noun in the Quran:
2:102, 2:191, 2:193, 2:217, 3:7, 4:91, 5:41, 5:71, 6:23, 7:155, 8:25, 8:28, 8:39, 8:73, 9:47, 9:48, 9:49, 10:85, 17:60, 21:35, 21:111, 22:11, 22:53, 24:63, 25:20, 29:10, 33:14, 37:63, 39:49, 51:14, 54:27, 60:5, 64:15, 74:31

The places you cited 8:39, 2:191 and 2:193 are all using the noun form.
The word used in 8:39 فِتْنَةٌ has a many meanings, but as God said we should always follow the best meaning.
039:018
"Those who listen to the Word (the Quran) and follow the best meaning in it / best of it (Arabic: fayattabi'una ahsanahu) those are the ones whom God has guided and those are the one's endowed with understanding (Arabic: Albabi)

So the meaning "it signifies also Punishment, castigation, or chastisement. (T, M, Ḳ.) And Slaughter: (T:) and civil war, or conflict occurring among people: (M:) and slaughter, and war, and faction, or sedition" - From Edward Lane's Lexicon
You can find the complete meaning of the word from here http://lexicon.quranic-research.net/data/20_f/023_ftn.html

You can also confirm the meaning of the word by going through the lexicons available here http://ejtaal.net/aa/#q=ftn

If I was wrong, please correct me hope that somewhat answers the question in the meanwhile.


[1] - http://www.studyquran.co.uk/PRLonline.htm

[ilker]

salam

a really nice explanation of the word "fitnah" grammatically is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBtswTE-Cx8&t=1m3s (from 1:03 on)

[wanderer]

Yes thank you ilker, Hassan3000, for your detailed responses! I already knew that the primary usage of the word was "trials", however, I can now see it has a general meaning of affliction, persecution and hardship, so "oppresion" would work quite well in this context. Now, has the Quran ever used this word or a derivative thereof to mean "disbelief"? Because I heard some say yes, but the Quranic Arabic Corpus says no.
Regards
wanderer

[Hassan3000]

It depends on what the translator translates the word fitnah into, as I told you it has a variety of meanings. Although it can mean disbelief. "deviation from the right way. (M, Ḳ.) And Infidelity; or unbelief: (T, M, Ḳ:)" - Edward Lane's Lexicon.

However the Quran uses the word kufr (ك ف ر) to address disbelief, and so a question arises as to why fitnah is sometimes translated to disbelief when the Quran uses another word which is very clear to denote disbelief.

In general the Quran does not use the word fitnah for disbelief, but translators do translate fitnah to disbelief, one for example would be “And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allaah)” [al-Baqarah 2:193]
Again a question would arise, as to why God did not use the word kufr to make his point very clear, but instead used the word fitnah, if he wanted to say disbelief.

[Duster]

Shalom / peace,

Brother Joseph has a post on this from over 3 years ago ......

https://facebook.com/joseph.a.islam/posts/278846865585781

[wanderer]

Right, this is what I was worried about,  the translation of fitnah to disbelief in verses 2:193 and 8:39, since this would imply forced conversion. Can someone here (especially Brother Joseph) provide an analysis of these verses to prove the translation of "fitnah" to "opression". Because I could personally see both working in the context: Fight them until there is no oppression and the religion (Islam) is for God (as in people are no longer being oppressed from practicin religion, or "Fight them until there is no disbelief and the religion (all religion) is for God" in that people should be forcefully converted, which really, really bothers me. So which one is right??
Please respond
wanderer

[wanderer]

Also, am I correct in saying that disbelief is only a secondary definition of fitnah, and oppression is a much more common one?

[Hassan3000]

There is not really a primary or secondary definition of a word as I think? But places that can actually even be translated to disbelief and make sense is less in the Quran.

Yes the transition of the verses can be correct, fitnah does also mean disbelief, but one should not read ayaas in isolation. There are other ayaas that are against forced faith. If the Quran says there should be no compulsion in religion, then if fitnah would be translated to disbelief, it would not make sense. So we should always find the best meaning of the word in the light of Quran's guidance.

[wanderer]

Thank you for your help brother Hassan 30 00, I was very upset but I think I understand it now.
Regards
wanderer

[Hassan3000]

You're welcome brother , thank God for helping you understand it, and helping me to explain it.
Peace.