Response to R, muslim translations are mostly politically correct

Submitted by N.Khan (United States), Jan 30, 2006 at 15:58

R wrote he did not find the hadiths.
I am pasting the first hadith from usc.edu/MSA ,a muslim website, as follows:

Bukhari Volume 4, Book 52, Number 220:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The apostle said, "I have been sent with the shortest expressions bearing the widest meanings, and I have been made victorious with terror ".

The second hadith has been removed from the usc/MSA webste (for obivious resons). However you have to go back to the original translation by Mohsin Khan to find that hadith.

As far as the translations of ayas are concerned R has quoted translations by muslims only, which are mostly watered down and politically correct in embarassing situations. For example look at the following translaions by muslims and non muslims for description of houris in islamic paradise:

Aya 78.33
Translations by muslims:
Yusuf Ali :Companions of equal age;
Shakir: And those showing freshness of youth, equals in age,
Sher Ali: And young maidens of equal age,
Khalifa: Magnificent spouses.

Translations by non muslims

Arberry: and maidens with swelling breasts, like of age,
Palmer: and girls with swelling breasts of the same age as themselves,
Rodwell: and damsels with swelling breasts, their peers in age,
Sale: and damsels with swelling breasts, of equal age

As you can see the muslim translators watered down the real meanings in an embarassing situation.

That is the very same reasonthe muslim imams only quote politically correct hadiths in their speeches and qutbas and never quote hundreds of the embarassing hadiths like the following ones in their friday qutbas:

Bukhari vol 3,Book46, No. 717

"Narrated Ibn Aun:

Prophet had suddenly attacked Bani Mustaliq without warning while they were heedless and their cattle were being watered at the places of water. Their fighting men were killed and their women and children were taken as captives; the Prophet got Juwairiya on that day.

Bukhari Vol. 5, Bk 59, No. 512

Narrated Anas:

The Prophet offered the Fajr Prayer near Khaibar when it was still dark and then said, "Allahu-Akbar! Khaibar is destroyed, for whenever we approach a (hostile) nation (to fight), then evil will be the morning for those who have been warned." Then the inhabitants of Khaibar came out running on the roads. The Prophet had their warriors killed, their offspring and woman taken as captives. Safiya was amongst the captives, She first came in the share of Dahya Alkali but later on she belonged to the Prophet .

"Sirat e Rasulullah" by Ishaq, pge 464

After 800-900 male adults of Bani Quraiza were beheaded in batches, and thrown in trenches dug in Madina, the apostle divided their property, wives and children as booty. . He took Rayhana d. Amr b. Khunafa for himself.

Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 52, Number 260:
Narrated Ikrima:
Ali burnt some people alive (former muslims)., Prophet had said, 'If somebody (a Muslim) discards his religion, kill him.' "

Volume 1, Book 11, Number 626:
Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, , "Certainly I decided to order the Mu'adh-dhin (call-maker) to pronounce Iqama and order a man to lead the prayer and then take a fire flame to burn all those who had not left their houses so far for the prayer along with their houses."


Translations I quoted are by Craig Winn. His book "prophet of Doom", gives the context and chronology of every chapter of quran using all the sahih hadiths and the original siras by Ishaq and Tabari without the biased tainting of the later day islamists (you can read it on line at prophetofdoom.net)

Yes I agree there are cosmetic differences between his translations and the ones you quoted, however there is not much difference between the overall meanings.


As far as R's complaining about the violence in the old testament is concerned, why is he surprised. Is not Allah the author of old testament also accoring to muslims?

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