At-Tawbah 37: To postpone (the forbidden months) is only to transgress in disbelief. This is because with it, those who deny go astray. To distort the number that Allah has determined to be forbidden, and to make lawful that which Allah has made unlawful, they take (the forbidden months) as lawful in one year, and as unlawful in another year. (And thus) their bad deeds seem attractive to them. A nation of infidels (who continue on the wrong path) cannot attain Allah’s guidance.

A. Metin Saruhan · 21 February 2022 · Misinterpreted Verses

The misinterpretation

(Haram months) Postponing is only going forward in disbelief. For with it the disbelievers are led astray. In order to break the number of what Allah has made unlawful and to make halal what He has made unlawful, they make it halal (the haram month) for one year, and they make it haram in a year (thus) Their evil deeds have been shown to them good. The community of disbelievers cannot reach the guidance of Allah.

The right translation

To postpone (the forbidden months) is only to transgress in disbelief. This is because with it, those who deny go astray. To distort the number that Allah has determined to be forbidden, and to make lawful that which Allah has made unlawful, they take (the forbidden months) as lawful in one year, and as unlawful in another year. (And thus) their bad deeds seem attractive to them. A nation of infidels (who continue on the wrong path) cannot attain Allah’s guidance.

Explanation

There are three places in this verse where there is a misunderstanding. The first is: Because by it the disbelievers are led astray. Second: Their evil deeds are made beautiful to them. Third: The community of disbelievers cannot attain Allah's guidance.

Their truth is as follows: Because by it, those who disbelieve go astray. The second right opening is as follows: Evil deeds seem good to them. The third right opening is as follows: The community of disbelievers (in that state) will not attain Allah's Guidance.

The error in the first place: For by it the unbelievers are led astray. Allah does not lead anyone astray. In the address Elestu bi Rabbikum, people have made a covenant with our Lord. Everyone's own desire and will is written as their destiny. In this case, a person either belongs to the group of rightists, i.e. he has chosen Islam, or he is a leftist, i.e. he is outside Islam. In this case, our Lord will not lead anyone astray. In the address Elestu bi Rabbikum, those who are leftists, those who deny our Lord, and those who expect another god, by their own desire and will, have gone astray. Indeed: For with it the disbelievers go astray.

The second false opening: It is said that their evil deeds have been made beautiful to them. Our Lord does not make evil deeds good for anyone. In fact, He sends Prophets, books and scholars to people to guide them towards the truth, away from evil and towards the mercy of Allah. Indeed: Bad deeds look good to them.

The third wrong opening is this: The community of disbelievers cannot attain the guidance of Allah. Are there not those who are guided among the community of disbelievers? There are many. Does this mean that our Lord did not know who among the community of disbelievers would be guided, and so He was ignorant of the future? Do not the verses contradict each other according to the Qur'anic verse, "There is not a single creature that will come until the Day of Judgment that we do not know what it will do"? Does not our Lord say that if this Qur'an were a human fabrication, you would find in it many words that do not agree with each other? Then the truth of this is as follows: The community of disbelievers cannot attain the guidance of Allah (while they are in that state). But when they see the truth, they repent and become guided.

What is said in the video

Surah At-Tawbah, verse 37: postponing the sacred months – I'm reading the wrong one – postponing the sacred months is only an increase in unbelief, it says, an increase in unbelief. For by it those who disbelieve are led astray. By it those who disbelieve are led astray. To upset the number of what Allah has made sacred, and to make lawful what He made sacred, the sacred month (?), they count the sacred month lawful one year and sacred another year. Thus their evil deeds have been made to seem good to them. The unbelieving people cannot attain Allah's guidance. In this, from start to finish, every sentence has a mistake.

From start to finish. Now let's first explain the wrong one, then read the correct one. Postponing the sacred months is only an increase in unbelief. This is correct too. For by it those who disbelieve are led astray. Look. Allah Almighty leads no one astray. A person goes astray himself. He turns his back on Allah. Look at this "are led astray". Whereas they go astray. By it they themselves go astray from Allah's path. To upset the number of what Allah has made sacred, and to make lawful what He made sacred, they count the sacred month lawful one year and sacred another year. Thus their evil deeds have been made to seem good to them.

Allah makes neither the world nor evil deeds seem good to anyone.

Evil deeds seemed good to them, it says. Evil deeds. Come on, let evil deeds seem good to you too, then.

Because of a person's faith in Allah Almighty, or because of his lack of faith, either evil deeds seem good, or they are made (?). They seem bad. The unbelieving people cannot attain Allah's guidance, it says. Come on, is there no one in the unbelieving people who becomes Muslim? There is. So as long as the unbelieving people continues in that state, it cannot attain Allah's guidance.

In court, the judge (?) – you were there, weren't you? Last one. At the Diyanet. No need to come up, sit down. When we went to court with the Diyanet, they brought in judges to decide, you know; I said: this case is not my case. It's not the Diyanet's case either, I said. This is the case of the truth, I said. The Diyanet says such and such, I said.

Yes.

Then the judges said: this one has also opened (?). It couldn't reach a verdict.

Look, now I'm reading the correct one. Postponing the sacred months is only an increase in unbelief. Yes. For by it those who disbelieve go astray. Not "are led astray". The unbelievers go astray. To upset the number of what Allah has made sacred, and to make lawful what He made sacred, they count the sacred month lawful one year and sacred another year. So that their evil deeds seem good to them. Evil deeds. Because a person will use his own will. Will is twofold: universal will and partial will. Universal will: Allah Almighty does and creates what He wishes. Partial will is when man, making the covenant with Allah Almighty, has his desire and wish, his intent, written for him as a script and plays it in the world as an actor in his destiny.

Yes, thus evil deeds seem good to them; the unbelieving people, while in that state, cannot attain Allah's guidance. How beautiful. For the deeds man did by his own will, he will be held accountable. Here, if you try to make Allah Almighty the one steering people – if Allah Almighty takes man's will from him and uses His own will over man, then what does He want from man here? That Creator does every deed. Isn't that so? Look what it says: for they, those who disbelieve, are led astray, it says. Come on, come on, lead me astray too. The same, the same thing. Why don't you go astray? Those who rebel against Allah go astray.

Then, sir,

evil deeds have been made to seem good to them, it says. Allah Almighty: I don't love you. I'll make evil deeds seem good to you. And I'll throw you into hell. Is this right now? Is this befitting of Allah? Whereas evil deeds seem good to them. Why do they seem good to them? Because he is rebellious in his covenant. He did not recognise Allah Almighty in his covenant. At the address "Am I not your Lord?" (Elestü bi Rabbiküm) he imagined the Lord he expected in his own fancy. That is why he denied the One who created him. Yes.