13. FITNAH

The Qur’ānic science has many branches, among which are: اْلقََوَاعِد (Arabic grammar), عِلْمُ اْلبَلَاغَة (Rhetoric), أَسْبَابُ النُّزُوْل (the occasion which led to the occurrence of revelation), and الوُجُوْهُ وَ النَّظَائِر (al-wujūh wa’l-naz.ā’ir), usually translated, although not very accurately, as Homonyms and Synonyms.
Wujūh is the plural of wajh which has many meanings, among which are: face, aspect, sense, meaning, intention, side, way, method, reason, etc. Naz.ā’ir is the plural of naz.īr, which has also many meanings, among which are: matching, equivalent, compensation, and exchange. The expression لَيْسَ لَهُ نَظِيْر means “unequalled, matchless, unparalleled, or unique of his (its) kind". Therefore al-wujūh wa ‘l-naz.ā’ir can also be translated as Meanings and Equivalents.
Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/1201) in his book الوُجُوْهُ وَ النَّظَائِر فِي الْقُرْآن (Meanings and Equivalents in the Qur’ān) mentions fifteen meanings of the term fitnah and its derivatives. They are: test, burning with fire, infidelity, killing, straying from the right path, madness, torture, hindrance, example, punishment, disease, decree, sin, excuse and idolatry. The details and examples are as follows:
1. الإخْتِبَار (test). This is the literal meaning of fitnah. he expression فَتَنْتُ الذَّهَبَ فيْ النَّار means “I tested the gold with fire.” We remember the English proverb, “Gold is tested with fire, women with gold, and men with women.” The goldsmith in Arabic is called فتّان (fattān, a tester), and the stone used to test the gold is called فتّانَة (fattānah, a tester). The example in the Qur’ān is as follows:
الم. أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَنْ يُتْرَكُوا أَنْ يَقُولُوا آَمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ.
وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَاذِبِينَ
(العنكبوت : ١-٢).
“A.L.M. Do men think that they will be left alone on saying
‘we believe’ and that they will not be tested? We did test
those before them, and Allah will certainly know
those who are true from those who are false.”55
2. الإحْرَاقًُ بِالنَّار (burning with fire). The expression ذَهَبٌ فَتِيْن means “burned gold.” Speaking about أَصْحَابُ الأُخْدُوْد (the makers of the pit of fire) who burned the believers alive, Allah says:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَتَنُوا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا فَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ الْحَرِيقِ
(البروج: ‍‍‍‍١٠‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍).
“Those who persecute [here A. Yusuf Ali translates فَتَنُوا as ‘persecute’
while it means more specifically ‘burn alive’] the believers, men and
women, and do not turn in repentance, will have the chastisement
of Hell; they will have the chastisement of the burning fire.”56
Why did Allah mention “the chastisement of burning fire” in this verse? Because the word fitnah here means ‘burning with fire” and Allah wanted to inflict the same kind of chastisement they had done to the believers.
3. الكُفْر (unbelief, infidelity). The example in the Qur’ān is as follows:
فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ
(آل عمران: ٧).
“…. But those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part thereof that
is not entirely clear, seeking discord [here A. Yusuf Ali translates
fitnah as “discord”, whereas according to Ibn al-Jawzi it means
“unbelief”], andsearching for its interpretation…”57
Al-Dāmaghānī in his bookالوُجُوْهُ وَ النَّظائِر mentions the following verse where the word فِتْنَة means “unbelief”:
لَقَدِ ابْتَغَوُا الْفِتْنَةَ مِنْ قَبْلُ (التوبة: ٤٨).
“Indeed they [i.e., the hypocrites of Madinah who made
an excuse for not joining the campaign of Tabuk
had plotted sedition [i.e., unbelief] before.” 58
4. القَتْل (killing). The example in the Qur’ān is as follows:

وَإِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ
تَقْصُرُوا مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ إِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَنْ يَفْتِنَكُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا
(النساء : ١٠١).
“And when ye travel through the earth, there is no blame
on you if ye shorten your prayers, for fear the
unbelievers may attack [i.e., kill] you.” 59
Here A. Yusuf Ali translates fitnah as “attack”, while according to Ibn al-Jawzī and al-Dāmaghānī it means “killing.” A question arises here: If no more danger of killing or attack, are we still allowed to shorten our prayers? Imām Ah.mad b. H...anbal reported that Ya‘lá b. Umayyah asked ‘Umar b. Khat.t.āb about this issue. ‘Umar, not knowing the answer, asked the Prophet who said: “It is a gift from Allah to you, so accept His gift.” The distance of journey, which entitles us to shorten the prayer, is about 85 km (some scholars say shorter).
5. الضَّلَال (straying from the right path). The example in the Qur’ān is as follows:
وَمَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ فِتْنَتَهُ فَلَنْ تَمْلِكَ لَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا (المائدة: ٤١).
“If any one’s trial [i.e., straying from the truth] is intended by Allah,
thou hast no authority in the least for him against Allah.”60
This verse dealt with the hypocrites and the Jews who were eager to catch up any lies against the Prophet.
6. الجُنُوْن (madness). The example in the Qur’ān is as follows:
فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَ. بِأَيِّيكُمُ الْمَفْتُونُ (القلم: ٥-٦).
“Soon wilt thou see, and they will see, which
of you is afflicted with madness.”61
7. اْلعَذَاب (torture, persecution). The example in the Qur’ān is as follows:
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَقُولُ آَمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ فَإِذَا أُوذِيَ فِي اللَّهِ جَعَلَ فِتْنَةَ النَّاسِ كَعَذَابِ اللَّهِ
(العنكبوت: ١٠)
“Then there are among men such as say: ‘We believe in Allah’, but
when they suffer affliction in (the cause of) Allah, they treat men’s
oppression [i.e., torture] as if it were the wrath of Allah.”62
8. الصَّدُّ (hindrance). The example in the Qur’ān is as follows:
وَاحْذَرْهُمْ أَنْ يَفْتِنُوكَ عَنْ بَعْضِ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ (المائدة: ٤٩).
“But beware of them lest they beguile [i.e., hinder] thee from any
of that (teaching) which Allah hath sent down to thee…”63
9. اْلعِبْرَة (example). The example in the Qur’ān is as follows:
رَبَّنَا لَا تَجْعَلْنَا فِتْنَةً لِلْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ (يونس: ٨٥).
“O Lord! Make us not a trial [i.e., an example]
for those who practise oppression.”64
This was the supplication of the Israelites who followed Prophet Moses (p.b.u.h). They prayed to Allah that they would not be conquered and oppressed by the Pharaoh and his followers, so that they would not become an example for the oppressors by thinking that since they had conquered the Israelites, the victor was on the right side and the conquered was on the wrong way.
10. اْلعُقُوْبَة (punishment). The example in the Qur’ān is as follows:
فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِ أَنْ تُصِيبَهُمْ فِتْنَةٌ أَوْ يُصِيبَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
(النور: ٣٦).
“Let those beware who withstand the Messenger’s order,
lest some trial [i.e., punishment] befall them, or
a grievous chastisement be inflicted on them.”65
Here A. Yusuf Ali translates fitnah as “trial”, while according to Ibn Kathīr, it means “unbelief, hypocrisy and heresy”.
11. المَرَض (disease). The example in the Qur’ān is as follows:
أَوَلَا يَرَوْنَ أَنَّهُمْ يُفْتَنُونَ فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ مَرَّةً أَوْ مَرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ لَا يَتُوبُونَ وَلَا هُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ
(التوبة: ١٢٦‌).
“See they not that they [i.e., the hypocrites] are tried
[with disease] every year once or twice? Yet they
turn not in repentance, and they take no heed.”66
According to Ibn al-Jawzī the fitnah is “disease”, because the previous verse mentions “the disease of the heart”, while according to Mujāhid and Qatādah it means respectively “hunger” and “invasion”.
12. القَضَاء (decree). The example in the Qur’ān is as follows:
وَاخْتَارَ مُوسَى قَوْمَهُ سَبْعِينَ رَجُلًا لِمِيقَاتِنَا فَلَمَّا أَخَذَتْهُمُ
الرَّجْفَةُ قَالَ رَبِّ لَوْ شِئْتَ أَهْلَكْتَهُمْ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَإِيَّايَ أَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ
السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَّا إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا فِتْنَتُكَ تُضِلُّ بِهَا مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتَهْدِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ
أَنْتَ وَلِيُّنَا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْغَافِرِينَ
(الأعراف: ‍‍‍١٥٥)
“And Moses chose seventy of his people for Our place of meeting:
when they were seized with violent quaking, he prayed: ‘O my Lord!
If it had been Thy will Thou couldst have destroyed, long before,
both them and me: wouldst Thou destroy us for the deeds of
the foolish ones among us? This is no more than Thy trial
[i.e., decree]: by it Thou causest whom Thou wilt stray,
and Thou leadest whom Thou wilt into the right path.
Thou art our protector: so forgive us and give us Thy
mercy; for Thou art the best of those who forgive.’”67
However, according to Ibn Kathīr fitnah here means “test”.
13. الإثْم (sin). The example in the Qur’ān is as follows:
أَلَا فِي الْفِتْنَةِ سَقَطُوا (التوبة: ٤٩).
“Have they not fallen into trial [i.e., sin]already?”68
It means that they have fallen into sin. However, according to al-Dāmaghānī the word fitnah here means kufr (unbelief).
14. المَعْذِرَة (excuse). The example in the Qur’ān is as follows:
وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ نَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا
أَيْنَ شُرَكَاؤُكُمُ الَّذِينَ كُنْتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ. ثُمَّ لَمْ تَكُنْ فِتْنَتُهُمْ
إِلَّا أَنْ قَالُوا وَاللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ
(الأنعام:‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌-‌٣‌‌‌۲).
“One day shall We gather them together:
We shall say to those who ascribed partners (to Us):
‘Where are the partners whom ye (invented and) talked
about?’There will then be (left) no excuse for thembut
to say: ‘By Allah our Lord, we were not those
who joined gods with Allah.’”69
This is also the interpretation of ‘At.ā’ and Qatādah. However, according to Ibn ‘Abbās, the expression فِتْنَتُهُمْ here means حُجَّتُهُمْ (their argument) which was adopted by A.Y. Ali who translated it as “subterfuge” before the revision of his translation.
15. الشِّرْك (idolatry). The example in the Qur’ān is as follows:
وَقَاتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ وَلَا تَعْتَدُوا
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ. وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ ثَقِفْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَخْرِجُوهُمْ
مِنْ حَيْثُ أَخْرَجُوكُمْ وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ
(البقرة: ۱٩٠‍-۱٩۱ ).
“Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do
not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors. And
slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from
where they have turned you out; for persecution
[i.e., idolatry] is worse than slaughter.”70
Beside Ibn al-Jawzī, al-Dāmaghānī al-Tiflisī, Abū al-‘Āliyah, Mujāhid, ‘Ikrimah, al-T.abarī and Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūt.ī all say that the fitnah which is worse than killing is shirk (idolatry). So it is not “denouncing against someone” as we used to hear people say, but idolatry. Ibn Kathīr says: “Idolatry, unbelief and turning away from Allah’s way are worse than killing.” Sayyid Qutub says: “Fitnah in religion is an attack against the most sacred thing in human life, and therefore, is worse than killing … whether it is in the form of threat and infliction, creation of bad condition which will lead people astray … such as the teaching of atheism, legalizing the prohibited things such as adultery and alcohol.”
With regard to the fitnah which means “informing about or against somebody” which is a common meaning of fitnah in Egypt, or the fitnah which means “slandering, backbiting” a common meaning of fitnah in Indonesia, this is not the kind of fitnah which is worse than killing, but rather the shirk, idolatry, polytheism. Here lies the danger of interpreting Allah’s words without sufficient knowledge. A. Yusuf Ali did mention the various meanings of fitnah, namely, trial or temptation, punishment, tumult or oppression, discord, sedition, and civil strive.
By learning الوُجُوْهُ وَ النَّظَائِر in the Qur’ān we have a better understanding of the verses of the Qur’ān. Further study of this branch of the Qur’ānic science is extremely needed for those who want to learn more about the Qur’ān.

Footnotes:
55. Qur’ān, al-‘Ankabūt [29]:1-3
56. Qur’ān, al-Burūj [85]:10
57. Qur’ān, al-‘Imrān [3]:7
58. Qur’ān, al-Tawbah [9]:48
59. Qur’ān, al-Nisā’ [4]:401
60.Qur’ān, al-Mā’idah [5]:41
61. Qur’ān, al-Qalam [68]:5-6
62. Qur’ān, al-‘Ankabūt [29]:10
63. Qur’ān, al-Mā’idah [5]:49
64. Qur’ān, Yūnus [10]:85
65. Qur’ān, al-Nūr [24]:63
66. Qur’ān, al-Tawbah [9]:126
67. Qur’ān, al-A‘rāf [7]:155 Qur’ān, al-Tawbah [9]:49
68. Qur’ān, al-Tawbah [9]:49
69. Qur’ān, al-An‘ām [6]:22-23
70. Qur’ān, al-Baqarah [2]:190-191