Languages are constantly evolving, new words are introduced into the vocabulary by way of colloquialism and slang every generation. Here are some examples of evolution in the English language: https://ideas.ted.com

Nice: This word used to mean “silly, foolish, simple.” Far from the compliment it is today.

Naughty: Long ago, if you were naughty, you had naught or nothing. Then it came to mean evil or immoral, and now you are just badly behaved.

Clue: Centuries ago, a clue (or clew) was a ball of yarn. Think about threading your way through a maze and you’ll see how we got from yarn to key bits of evidence that help us solve things.

How a word is used evolves over time, giving rise to new meanings. The etymology of a word (the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history) is a very important factor to consider.

Arabic words have a trilateral root, the core of the word, which preserves the word’s original intent. These three letters serve as the foundation of the word, onto which prefixes and pronouns are attached to form a phrase.

An Arabic word is derived from the characteristic of its root word. Because language changes over time, studying the Quran through Its root words is critical to understanding and preserving Its original message.

Literary devices.net explains colloquial language as follows: In literature, colloquialism is the use of informal words, phrases, or even slang in a piece of writing. Colloquial expressions tend to sneak in as writers, being part of a society, are influenced by the way people speak in that society. Naturally, they are bound to add colloquial expressions to their vocabulary.

A simple analogy would be that of a tree. The root of the tree is always the same, while the tree itself changes with the seasons.

For example, the root word سمع (sin-mim-ayn) is described in Lane’s Lexicon as:

He gave ear, hearkened, listened, – intentionally; he understood its meaning, the meaning of a person’s speech. So from this meaning, the words hear, listen, are derived.



And since the root word قلب (qaf-lam-ba), means to turn something over and over; he turned the thoughts over and over in his mind meditating what he should do. The word heart is derived, since a heart turns over and over emotions.

Another example is the root نظر (nun-zua-ra), meaning to regard, compare, or examine something intellectually in order to adduce an opinion about it. From these characteristics, the word look is derived.

These examples showcase the difference between the deep meaning of a root and the simplicity of the word derived from it. Insert these simple meanings into the verses and you lose the realization, perception, and the message behind the word.

Evolution of the word Nisa and Rijal:

Now a look at the word nisa- نسا (nun-sin-alif) and how it evolved over time: Lane’s lexicon page 2785- the root word means to postpone or delay a thing. A few sayings from tradition: نسا الله اجله means God postponed the end of his life; ie, prolonged his life. ماله نساه الله means may God render him ignominious, or put him backwards. غريمه استنسا he asked his creditor to grant him a delay in his payment or debt.

So from this root word meaning of postponement, delay, a woman who was pregnant was called nisa due to her menses being postponed, or delayed.

But eventually the word nisa evolved to mean all women, reagardless of pregnancy. The original meaning, the postponement of a thing, was lost.

And so nisa, erroneously, became translated as women in the Quran. I say erroneously since the following translations makes no sense:

The Monotheist Group Translation (The Quran): 49:11 -O you who believe, let not any people (QAWM) ridicule other people (QAWM), for they may be better than they. Nor shall any women (NISA) ridicule other women (NISA), for they may be better than they…

Muhammad Asad (The Message of Quran): 49:11 -O you who have attained to faith! No men (QAWM) shall deride other men (QAWM): it may well be that those are better than themselves; and no women (NISA) shall deride other women (NISA): it may well be that those are better than themselves…

If QAWM means people then aren’t NISA (women) people? Why are they addressed separately? It makes no sense to compare people (QAWM) and women (NISA) since women are people. Mohammad Asad, however, saw the contradiction in this and his solution was to just change the word QAWM into men, to try and make sense. But QAWM does not mean men.

3:14 –Beautified for people (NAS) is the love of that which they desire of women (NISA) and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return.



People (NAS) would mean all people, so kids, men, and women. So how does that make sense that Quran is saying women desire women and kids desire sons? This is a contradiction. It doesn’t fit. And note the translators translated both QAWM and NAS as people.

Women (and children) are being put in with commodities like silver, gold, horses, cattle and land?

Nisa does not mean women. Translating as women makes no sense unless you change other words around it to fit like Mohammad Asad did. Nisa, from the root word, would mean someone or a group of people who are postponed/ delayed/ left behind/ lag behind/ perhaps a weaker segment that are not in power because they are postponed and not put first, or not in the forefront (the leading or most important position or place). This root will be revisited based upon further studies.

The same goes for the word rijal, which is translated as men in the Quran. The root word رجل (ra-jim-lam) page 1043 Lane’s Lexicon: To go on foot on a journey, without a beast to ride on, and continue, in other words he was strong, so he walked not rode. ترجيل – the making or rendering strong. راجل strong, perfect, or complete. A woman who is strong is also called rijal. This root word will be revisited based on further studies.

In verse 22:27 rijal is translated as “on foot” because man would not fit here:

Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran ):



22:27 Hence, [O Muhammad,] proclaim thou unto all people the [duty of] pilgrimage: they will come unto thee on foot (RIJAL) and on every [kind of] fast mount, coming from every far-away point [on earth],



2:239 -But if you are in danger, [pray] walking (RIJAL) or riding;* and when you are again secure, bear God in mind – since it is He who taught you what you did not previously know.

In verse 17:64 rijal is translated as infantry, or foot soldiers. Eighteen times in Quran it is translated as foot/feet, and 55 times as men/man. They change the meaning into one which suites their interpretation. These contradictions are highlighted in a horizontal reading (tasreef).

Through time, rijal evolved into meaning man. But from the root word, strong, powerful, and how Quran addresses the rijal; it is someone or a segment of society which is strong, powerful mentally, physically, or societally.

Now the infamous translation of verse of 4:34 which endorses a divinely ordained misogyny: Sahih International translation: Men (RIJAL) are in charge of women (NISA) by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband’s] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance – [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand.

PLEASE NOTE I NO LONGER ENDORSE THIS EXPLANATION OF VERSE 4:34 BASED ON FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE ROOTS NISA AND RIJAL. I WILL LINK THE STUDY HERE ONCE COMPLETE.

Aside from the interpreter’s own opinions, which appear in the parenthesis, the change of nisa and rijal into women and men, resulted into one of the most contentious misogynistic verses in the Quran. Based on the roots words, however, it would translate as such: The stronger are responsible for the weaker…. And this corresponds to the Quran’s theme of justice. The rest of the verse is also in dire need of root word translations, and will be addressed in a later post based on further studies. The take away from this is to rule out the possibility of translating as men and women.

Understanding the root word removes the strong misogyny introduced by man, ingrained in the Muslim world, through theses translations. By clearing the mind of preconceived notions, recognizing confirmation bias, root words, horizontal reading, and the rationale embedded in Quran, one paves the way towards understanding Its timeless universal message of justice, social coherence, and human rights.