For z: And the word Deen!!

Submitted by dhimmi no more (United States), Jul 27, 2006 at 06:59

I find it very funny when pakistanis and other non Arabs pretend to know the Arabic language and come up with funny definitions of very stable Arabic words and I include here:

1. Islam and salam: both words come form the same root SLM therefore Islam and salam are one and the same, and now we have the funny: "Islam the religion of peace."

2. Jihad: that it means striving to improve yourself and nothing more. In actual fact any one who knows Arabic well, will be able to tell the differences between: Jihad (holy war), Mujahid, and Yajtahid. The first is fighter in a holy war and the second is the one who strives to improve himself. Very different words with very different meanings. The way yajtahid has a _secular_ meaning of improving yourself in work or school or whatever. Mujahid only means holy warrior.

3. And this one is the gem of all: Kafir means: to cover up the truth!!! Kafir means a non-Muslim and under certain conditions a kafir can be a Muslim.

Now we have the word Deen: z seems to define it as: culture/way of life. If he is pakistani (which I suspect that he is) his culture and way of life as a pakistani is very different from that of the Arabs. As we all know the centrality of language (in his case Urdu) in defining the culture and his way of life (Sapir Whrof Hypothesis). It is interesting to see Arabs lumping al-bakistaniuun wa al hunood (the Pakistanis and the Hindus) as one and the same, culture wise that is.

Now as for the word: Diin (DEEN as per z) dal, yeh, nuun: it means as per Lisan al-'Arab the Arabic dictionary par excellence (you can also find it in Hans Wehr page 306A): "Adyan (p.) religion, creed, faith, belief."

Nothing about _culture_ or _way of life_ as you claim.

I will be waiting for your answer ya ayuha al-faylasoof al-kabeer with great anticipation.

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