Muslims and the Wider Society

Shah Abdul Qadir: Tu keh, ae munkiro (So say, O deniers). Most translators have rendered this Quranic verse in this way. Translating kafir in this verse in this manner is not correct. Even if, purely from a lexical point of view, it may not be incorrect, it is still an objectionable word for other communities. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid such a translation. Moreover, this is not merely a matter of translation. On the basis of such a translation, a mindset is formed, and this mindset finds expression in speech and writing. In this way, such a translation becomes a cause of negative mental conditioning for the entire community. This translation creates a “we and they” mindset, and such a divisive mindset is not correct from the dawah perspective. As mentioned above, only one scholar translated these Quranic words correctly, and that was Shah Abdul Qadir Dehlavi. Shah Abdul Qadir’s Urdu translation is regarded by all scholars as highly authentic. He translated the relevant verses using the word munkar (denier). In Chapter 109 of the Quran, the phrase Qul ya ayyuhalkafirun (say, O deniers) appears. This style of address occurs only once in the entire Quran, in this single