Refuting quran 4:3 error help

[karim fattah]

A christian claims this is an error in the quran i found out he copied it from wikiislam but s till how do we answer


Transliteration: "fainkihoo ma taba lakum mina alnnisa-i mathna wathulatha warubaAAa"
Yusuf Ali: .. marry women of your choice, Two or three or four;..
Pickthal: .. marry of the women, who seem good to you, two or three or four;
Shakir: .. marry such women as seem good to you, two and three and four;
Transliteration and Translation of Quran 4:3
Yusuf Ali and Pikthal are both using "or". Shakir is using "and".
The Arabic version is using "and" (the transliteration of 4:3 is using the conjuntive symbol wa (and)).
Thus this verse is telling men that they can marry two and three and four women. The total happens to be nine women, whereas Islamic law allows maximum four.
A grammatically correct verse should be using the disjunctive symbol aw (or); "Marry two or three or four."
If one were to re-write 4:3 and correct the logic mistake, then the Qur'anic challenge to write a 'better verse' would be met.

[Sama]

Imam Qurtubi has refuted this claim;

. وأما قولهم : ان الواو جامعة ، فقد قيل ذلك ، لكن الله تعالى خاطب العرب بأفصح اللغات . والعرب لا تدع أن تقول تسعة ، وأن تقول اثنين وثلاثة ، وأربعة . وكذلك تستقبح ممن يقول أعط فلانا أربعة ، ستة ، ثمانية ، ولا يقول ، ثمانية عشر . وإنما الواو في هذا الموضع بدل ، أي أنكحوا ثلاثة بدلا من مثنى ، ورباعا بدلا من ثلاث ، ولذلك عطف بالواو ولم يعطف ب‍ " أو " . ولو جاء ب‍ " أو " لجاز ألا يكون لصاحب المثنى ثلاث ، ولا لصاحب الثلاث رباع .

[QuranSearchCom]

. وأما قولهم : ان الواو جامعة ، فقد قيل ذلك ، لكن الله تعالى خاطب العرب بأفصح اللغات . والعرب لا تدع أن تقول تسعة ، وأن تقول اثنين وثلاثة ، وأربعة . وكذلك تستقبح ممن يقول أعط فلانا أربعة ، ستة ، ثمانية ، ولا يقول ، ثمانية عشر . وإنما الواو في هذا الموضع بدل ، أي أنكحوا ثلاثة بدلا من مثنى ، ورباعا بدلا من ثلاث ، ولذلك عطف بالواو ولم يعطف ب‍ " أو " . ولو جاء ب‍ " أو " لجاز ألا يكون لصاحب المثنى ثلاث ، ولا لصاحب الثلاث رباع .

Translation of brother Sama's above post:

"And as to their say that the WAW is combining, Allah Almighty spoke to the Arabs with the a the language (Arabi) that has the highest eloquence.  And the Arabs wouldn't say nine by saying it two and three and four (2+3+4).  Also, they dislike someone saying give someone four, six, eight (4+6+8) as opposed to saying eighteen.  The WAW here is choice; meaning marry three instead of two, four instead of three.  Hence, the use of WAW and not AW.  And if AW was used, then it could mean that the one with two wives can't have three, and the one with three can't have four."

Jazaka Allah Khayr, dear brother Sama.



My disagreement with the last part:

 ولو جاء ب‍ " أو " لجاز ألا يكون لصاحب المثنى ثلاث ، ولا لصاحب الثلاث رباع .

"And if AW was used, then it could mean that the one with two wives can't have three, and the one with three can't have four."

I disagree with this one.  The use of AW would've still been valid for the limitation of four wives only, even if the man had less than four wives, he would still be allowed to marry up to four, especially if Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, interpreted it this way to all Muslims.  The WAW here was more appropriate because it is generally used, - as it is in all languages, - as a gesture for generosity.  It's like when I am always asked by other Muslims if they could use this article or that, I reply to them by saying:

Dear brother/sister, you can use this article AND the entire website's material in your Islam propagation tasks.  I could use OR.  But the AND here is a stronger gesture of generosity.




Taaba Lakum (what you desire):

"Marry ma taaba lakum from women (plural) two and three and four..."

Taaba Lakum = what you desire.
Women is plural.

We know woman is one.  Allah Almighty here used women.  And He did tell the Muslim man to marry TWO AND THREE AND FOUR as his heart desires.  Again, a gesture for generosity.  The Command is in the plural to all Muslim men.  Polygamy is limited to four women only. 

Also, if one wants to challenge the Glorious Quran, then he/she should try refute the Overwhelming Scientific and Numerical Miracles and Prophecies of our Holy Book:

www.answering-christianity.com/ac20.htm#links
www.answering-christianity.com/ac3.htm#links

Take care,
Osama Abdallah

[Sama]

Jazakum Allahu khaira Brother Osama.

Do you agree with this translation ?
 ولو جاء ب‍ " أو " لجاز ألا يكون لصاحب المثنى ثلاث ، ولا لصاحب الثلاث رباع .
"And if AW was used, then it could mean that the one with two wives can't have three, and the one with three can't have four."

[QuranSearchCom]

Jazaka Allah Khayr for the correction, dear brother Sama.  Sorry, the text was too small and I didn't enlarge it when I translated it because I was in a hurry.  I misread the ألا.  Yes, brother, your translation is the accurate one for that sentence.  I still have objection though to Imam Qurtubi's statement and I updated my objection above.

Take care,
Osama Abdallah