Ali 'Imran 14: Mankind has an affinity towards (worldly) desires, women, sons, stacked gold and silver, branded horses, cattle and tilth. These are the temporary benefits of worldly life. Certainly, the good place to return is with Allah.

A. Metin Saruhan · 15 February 2022 · Misinterpreted Verses

The misinterpretation

Infatuation with sensual desires (especially) for women, sons, heaps of gold and silver, loose horses, livestock and crops has been made attractive to people. These are the possessions of this world's life. However, the best place to reach is with Allah.

The right translation

Mankind has an affinity towards (worldly) desires, women, sons, stacked gold and silver, branded horses, cattle and tilth. These are the temporary benefits of worldly life. Certainly, the good place to return is with Allah.

Explanation

This is where this verse goes wrong: And the lusts of the flesh (especially) women, and sons, and heaps and heaps of gold and silver, and loose horses, and milking cattle, and crops, have been made attractive to mankind. Indeed: And (especially) women and sons, and heaps and heaps of gold and silver, and loose horses and milking cattle and crops, for the desires of the flesh.

If this is the command of our Lord in the wrong opening, why should people sin? They will be rewarded by fulfilling the command of our Lord. But that is not the meaning of the verse. The human soul is inclined to these things and sees them as ornamental. People are attracted to sensual desires (especially) women, sons, heaps and heaps of gold and silver, loose horses, milking animals and crops. These things have appeared attractive to people and people have been attracted to them by their egoistic feelings.

Man himself has forgotten his Creator by inclining to them with his egoistic feelings, forgetting the command of our Lord, inclining to the creation of the Owner of the worlds. If our Lord has made people to value worldly goods in such a way that they seem to be fond of them and attracted to them, why should people who do what our Lord says be sinners? However, every human being is free in his own will. Our Lord has given to the one who asked for what he asked for, and He has given it to him in full. In this situation, our Lord is warning people. He warns people that the worldly realm is temporary, that the realm of the Hereafter is the true home, that our Lord has sent people to this realm for a test, and that people should not forget their Lord by gazing at the blessings of the world and the beings they have created for the sustenance of people in this realm. Accordingly, the verse goes on to say that the best destination is with Allah.

What is said in the video

Now, we come to verse 14, on page 50, verse 14. Again

I will read the wrong one,

and when I read the correct one in the other verse I will explain it to you. Love of the desires of the self, especially for women, sons, heaped-up hoards of gold and silver, free-grazing horses, milch animals and crops, has been made attractive to people. These are the fleeting goods of the life of this world. Yet the beautiful place of return is with Allah. This is the wrongly translated verse. I'll read it once more. Listen with both ears, listen well. Maybe you will find the mistake yourselves. We will explain it here anyway. Love of the desires of the self, especially for women, sons, heaped-up gold and silver, free-grazing horses, milch animals and crops, has been made attractive to people. These are the fleeting goods of the life of this world.

Yet the beautiful place of return is with Allah. Will you be able to say it? Where? The mistake here.

Sit up properly, let's see.

Can you find where? You'll say it once more, hodja. Let me read it once more. Love of the desires of the self, especially for women, sons, heaped-up gold and silver, free-grazing horses, milch animals and crops has been made attractive to people. These are the fleeting goods of the life of this world. Yet the beautiful place of return is with Allah. "Has been made attractive to people," Hodja. Well done. You found it. You found the spot. Now we explain it.

Now we read the correct one. To the desires of the self, especially to women, sons, heaped-up gold and silver, free-grazing horses, milch animals and crops, people are drawn and attached, it says. People are drawn to these; Allah did not make them attractive. If He had made them attractive, no one could step outside what He programmed. Whereas people are drawn to and attached to crops. To crops, to gold, to sons, to women. Drawn and attached. These are the fleeting goods of the life of this world. If Allah Almighty had made them attractive to us, He would also have praised them to us. He would have said: take these. What does He say?

These are the fleeting goods of the life of this world. He would have said: take them. But what does He say? Yet the beautiful place of return is with Allah, He says. Yes, I gave you gold. Why did I give you gold? So you can trade. I gave you crops. You will sell them. You will earn your living. I sustained you through eating and drinking, He says. I gave you wives and children. I placed responsibility on you, He says. Now, how will you do these things? With the things I created, He says, by trading, you will earn your living, and while doing so you will prove what kind of person you are, He says. Now in that case, if He made us attracted and we turned towards it, turning to what Allah Almighty created, carrying out His command, is an obligation. It is not a sin.

But what does He say? When I gave them to you as provision, when I gave them so you could make a living, you inclined towards them and forgot the Hereafter, He says. How beautifully He puts it here. That is the meaning anyway. People are drawn and attached to animals and crops. These are the fleeting goods of the life of this world. Yet the beautiful place of return is with Allah. Yes. So take them. He doesn't say don't take them, see. Take, He says. Take, but give their zakat. Help the orphan, the poor, the stranded traveller. Let me put it this way: people, do good works. Give charity in the way of Allah.

Whoever buys Paradise with their wealth and their lives, in response to that verse. Apply the verses exactly to it. Yes.

How beautiful, isn't it? Yes.