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DE TOMEXXXVIIISeptembre-Octobre1993No5 :Iitl-!il :;,iy,..',:'.,.I,'. GEO&GiS,','IGO&E',,t l:.':":.:,; J'rs],rlluigCtudyiwa$iaitistodlrinbider:tofindsdfre'Rdftdnian equiyalentsfor theKorantd'words, withinan *mple actidn es,rried byus, to f,ranslatethemeaningsofthe Koran intoRomanian. Perhapshe first stepnat'tempt-iilg,66'uhd6rstand the Koranic text, wil,htheabilitstoeonvey itinlotrndfhtn,la,ngragEr,,rvouldo boperceivethe meaning's ofGodlsdinet-v-ni6efteElle8,iJ'dtltri3mfr,'6l:lpti8nd, whiehroplesdntthequinteBsencoofthetrslarniB.ge,ith;The translationof:thesenailres begins with tlre interpretalt{giislgflexicographers and theologians, Theset.fansla;tions cld, however,vd,ry.: nefromlanotherand. are sometirnes contradictory. Unfortunately,th+rffianslationcr,nnotentirely iovsr thermaterialgiveir by an intelpre-tartti.nEach in{erpretation'esfablishess€v6ral'meahingsofa' rvordandconseouentlvonlvonemeaninEcanbe chosonofthetranslatidn. There isafdggibilitylth*b-tho,rvortt'ehosenas*nequiva;lentmayi66idoide withotherfrt-eanings'of.thbbasic rflordas well,assom€ meaningsrtbtcofltainediin;its.:;:... :;i I {;.rived.fromafixed from-maw|fi,'. Othersthinkthey afe two nam.0s cle-rivod. from an Arabic root. This:is"ar;bri€frsuinrl.aryrdfi,*ii'opmblem trtrb,re-gardett fromvariouspoints of view,therealsoeppoar''someotheras-pectswhich wdlarggoifrgto'andlyzethroughoutthispaper.One aspeetig.f,,he,fppt,hqt tlereisan intprmediategroupwhooonsidel !hat.only-Eal.a-,qqnts i,ptoper;n?p*e1wbilqRa4Atn,i$aeledved.nam€,withnqetymologicalcbiiirbetionTbtriden them. Anofhet'aspectis that we cannotconsiderthesecond.roupasaunit block becausehey splitup immediately when trypgtoidentif5r the root of the doullet Rafumd,n-Rafutm.lWe'sha}ltartrviththeproblbmraisedby these'c6ntt{,Foupr"e6nsiitUti,irgtsiimportancri'in t&g}*.qfttd$griji,ri-'t:,.r:..it,r,ltii;11111,ii"r,:: ,,-:r,iii,;.,1,t;1ti::,,..i'll|Icrrgtti1}ril,!)L:jttti,'l',lr'r.i'iiliiirirr'.1!r'1..\t'',ir!,,r i,l.r;il1j;':i.:i',jiil'rl;.'R.R.L.,XXXVIII,5rp.463-470, Bucarest, 1993':t;tii'll.t;ll.'i;i''':ti ,t 1'"'l"'rii;'iirriJ; 464 GeorgeGrigore Theattempt!tofr]ldexplanation*forthedoubletRafumd,wRafudmare numberlesswithresultsthat aresometimescontradictor)r.'fheaountJtseemstobeparallelepithejAyi_t!almostidenticalmeanings",derivedfromtlre rootnV]LThe root44ahastwo mainmeanings,Eowever,wearenot goingto cornmentontheirconnectionhereancl nou'.theyare:(a).ral1,nt.ahavingthegeneralmeaningof.(merc-1',compassion,';!9].t"ilyllrahm-having^lhugeneralmeaningof'(uterus,*vromb,,''(I{ans\Fehr, 1961, p.331-332).Theoverwhekningmajority ofthe com:nentatorsoftheKonr,nstartn'iththefirstmeaningofthe root,namelyral.tmarbutevonhe secondmean-ingrlicl notgounnoticedorunstudied.so there are someinterpret'ationsstarting_flg^rihmv.]nia]ncanbe;infact,the-basiclexicalmea-ningofthe rootRHM,totallydifferentfromt'he senservhich therootwiil aequire-intime_,hrsrchtheinterpretationJgiyl.enby theologians.ITorvever,considerin-ghelattertobesecoi.d.ar5.r,wewillnotcommentonit.rtis notconnectedtoanytradition.andisnodsup-p,ortecl--bythedoublet's-meaningasitappearJiotherslamicexegesi's,we rsill mentionAndre-chouraquias anexamplowho, alongthes**fii"u,suggests f9".t4_"Frsxohtranslation otRafumiln-Rnhinx,MT,tricdant-lvratri_cieun(Andr6Chouraqui,1992,p.3). .in"_.'so*l_"pi"ioo'istdinivryanand.Rafuim,retwoqualificative epithetsderived_fromral1,nta.oneof themisofihestemtype/a,lanandtlreother isof thestemtype./a'il._Both-hav,ethegeneralirieairingofdaralr'ma-('rvhichba's roljma"-withslightdifferenlesofintensify.-Tilintensityofoneof themis acldedto theother.,Inorderlgl"UYunderstandthe sig_nifi-cancefEafumd,n_Ralpi,m,,emustexaminethe meaningofral.tmaonboththelexicogra,phicalhnd'thetheologicalle'els.-AspreviSuslym'entio:red,tG;;-tft;q;""try"."o1tr"i-ationis(.mercy,kildrress,.compassion"1.1'ohnenrice,iAZa,p.SS;..Accordingtol,ezj,themain me^aningfor-rafum'as,,Liindness,blos-sing ancl_gentleness".rlementions,forexample,-thestoryof the'smallravens.when the ravenscomeout oftheireggs{neyareabandonedbui;thenmosquitoesand fliesrushinand theyare"Ted.R"ezitt.iir""ti"*tnJsenseoffather'sti"4g.j.in-.heexampleofMoses'tripwithAl-Hidr(Ar-Rd'zi,r324h,p.120-122),commentatbrsoftenbelon$toadlversdgrolips,so themeaningsgir-entorafumaa,reantonymous.Mudarradmasinet'otjiosng rneaningsl-rtqqat;rigqatal-qalbgood-hcarbedness);-tal.tannun fondness)-tcr,hlluJ benevolence,kind.ness)Abu-$Atim,19bg,p.2B).Inanoth-er g'9op,\ve_mayquoteZamabsariwhopointsouttwomeaningsof rall,mathat arethetotaloppositeofthe abovefreanings.They,aro :-faqa,qa(harshness);-gisua(severity)(Aii[.gd,tim,1958, p.2b).\Yewould also liketo mentiononeof Mubarrad'sinterpretations.rlosa-r-shatthe rneaningof riqq!:tal,qal,bs applicabletohum-anbeingsoniyandcannotbea Divineattribute. Al-Raf,mdnAI-Rahim.Problenis.of.Interpretation and Translation - -Gazzd,li-givesmorecategoricaldefinitionwhenhe saryshat riqqutal-qalb, strictly,spgaking,mustbeeliminaterl fiomthe divineralpma-be-musg rigga-itselfhasthegeneralmeaning of'(thinness,slenderness,and slim-nessl'whicharc attributesthatcanneverbegiventoGod(Abclal-Gabbar,1960-65, p.66, L-11and 132,9-11)._,',.4olgths- same ilesGubba'isuggests hrt riqqatat,qatb be replacedbyni'mg(benefaction)becausehewhois soft-heartetis abenefactoi..ThefactisGubba'i believes-themeaningof"algmasincludedirt ni,ma(bene-laction).Thisideawa,ssupBortedbysomeversesoftheKoranwhereraft,maisasynonymofni'ma(IbnBabtry6,1387,p.204,2-4).Similarly,Mubarradproposes,as synonymsof theclivine raftma,Lhefollowingwordswhichineludethe'meanings:ofralj,ma-intd,rn -ifusd,n-iJd'at--tafadd,ul (Abu-Hdtim,958;'p.23, 7) 'Mutazilitesalsoagreewiththis.senseoflin(d,m,whileBagdd,dznsiststhemeaning"non-punishrnentfor hewho deserves'itt'rnust6e consiclerd.(Al-Bagdddi,1547, p.174bt2-L4).- _The meaniagof"fotgiveness",useclbyMutazilites,is themostwielely.use{among,Korantransl*torsinto Europeanlanguages.-Accordpgto, the IslamicOrthodoxy\slr,wau,hereaietwotrendsrelatingto- thedivine_ralpma.Both ofthem startbp cornment,ingthemomentwhen.ral.tma,,recomesmanifest.one ofthe$roupsstateJthatral.r'mumeans"blessing')itself.CIheidea isthatthe blessing aptionisper-{orrnedhyGodrlimselfantlthus ralprnaisconsideredtobe"an,,actionattribute";iTheothergroupstatesthat'it is not rliswishtoperformthea9t.of blessingandthusral.tmasoJref the!'eternityattributes,'asevery-thing relatedtodivine will.(Al-Guwayni,1"938,.SS,6-9).Nowthat rvehave approachedthe meaning'oLratpma, generallyspeakitrg,and_ofdivine raftmufromthecommen{ators poinis-ofview,l9tusapproachoneofthemostcontroversialprobiems.ttreproblemthatis stillasource ofspeculationiswhesherRatpmd,+t, ndRi6im aremer-elytwo synonyrnsorif they haveslightlydifferent meanings,andi!that case,':what arethetwomeanings.We-start withthe opinion ofthegrammarianAbu-Ubaydawhscon,sidersthatRaft,md,n andnaTtAm,areper{ectsylo,nyrhs, hav"ing absolutelythesamesenseandmeaning.Ilesaystheyfollowthe case ofotherdoubletsthathaveiclenticalderi;vationlik:efr,admd,n.nailtm',{dr:inkingompa,niont, al'-Za!Sa,gi,986,88,14-Abt-BakrAl-Baihaqi,1939,51,,2).'Others, ZafB-a$must beeSpecially mentioned,although acceptingthesynonymity ofttretwo epithets raisetheproblemofthedegrbeoTintensity givenbythetwo clerivationstems,atld,natd/o(dl. Thesesternsare thebaseof Rafumd.n'and,afuimbutinspite ofveryd.etaileclstudiesngggnglusionhasbeen reached,yet.To.answerthequestionn hy, rvestz,tethefactthatbobhfa(ld,nandfa!i,l,areintensitystemsanclthesuperiordegree-ofqualityindicated by one orthe other eouldnot, tre iclentified(Abu-Ga'far,1376/1F57,I,28,,21). on thismanner,thedifferencebe-tWeenthetrvoepithets is notbrought out clearly. \\'hence u'eh&ve he twoformulasquotedby Tabarsiandaiit'i$ut:ecl toGa'farAIS6diqEafup.tQn,i.s.?particular-denomi:rationit[ageneralopening"L-isniTp?p{"bi:sifat-in'dmrnawhichappliestorGotlonly,but:thg,;aptiQoj.s'fteets,lllhumanibeiFs$iw'hde&ahi*nrit.a;;figi,enoraldeuprnjuatiqnwitharjp*rtig.nlftroppllidgll,t-yisr.rtlfrtwvt,i.rq'i7fat,j71,'hfrgW',*rvhichapplieso others besidesGodrbut itsao^tion.4ffgqtsrbplisliqlnrpnlyl(Abu-BakrAl-Baihaqi,1358/1939,0,2L..*23,bn'Babfly6;*382h,5-16).The ideaisdevelopedhy'Gubb&liteswhoessentjallJ,pqpsiderithatGod isRaljrnanbf,rereatinge?ch,hunanbeing,thengivingihlmr.wishes,desirqsr,|ahqwd,t-,+andtho,,abil.ityrosa.tisfythem.,,Divine{afumiasexpressetl y Rafuman:onsists,above aIIofthatAbiliffgivento rsanrikindto satisfya,llts needsAbdal Gabbar,960rr05.,X"I,lO?,,9),,,,,!r.,Onll:for.*believer$,.,rril"1rtu'imfr,mtiig,,,God,.&o&,ia4bytforgrvriagtthr.ir sins,,,howing th,em,,thestraightpath,answorrqg heirrequsstg,;r€Xarcllughem,on;F&rth;r,ared,.,rrhat'iB,irract.,the,,qr{i&tsg$escd,Dirt&&divine rwl\mq:oxpresfledrV',twb4,w,OqaeBtingijtheslin,Pftrardisp,(Ebb$AX.Dlni1-$ffin''i1&96#rg,?6i,,tr15+11trZ),,,,;,,,r,,,:',,,,,,.':,rTlrerofore; ho,:firsb'epiihet;otlthe dqublet is.hlgher;,rnob_ler,..i9&fl,morc:oofnp,rehensivei.,tltat,the.,soooltd.one,,Mgr@ver, t,may,qqplg,cetbolrqord,,sfod",itselt,wh.iehs A,synonyfrr,&at.iqused)m&uy iime,s lrftberKoran.:IiV.eGarrldsaiyilbati,&gb,m&,rr,s.tbetrg,nscendsntal.,xptrgssignfiRerhirn,,rtsrapster'jrrto:;pwO;asdrebeslute"TVe,alsp:have-ithe,stlei,rridp;thatsayr.4afundm,gNey;ssme.qfits,magnifiee,nas;lo,.RqJlErnpdrialbhpnghiitlisappiied toburnan!sings;,iDbnsn'plwitisr&hsolu:belyLsuperiql'as.,eo$uparedto,thejqrdisary,rrneenieg,(Aqd,r6MiqueL,1992,Fi,i235),.,;trr,.,,i;l:II,:Sinoe,J?aft?&Er:,lis,',torrall,,hrlrng{r.beings.and,JRel.ld*r",,otrlT.fothcLiervers,especiallyfortheirsoulsatterdeathnho.Mwlino;txedi.t-icnJ*dqBis rrers".(Pichthal,1970.p.555). twci,epithelq.{qf*hrcS+ 116,q;Abu-$etim,1957/195!,4, 21). the idea tbatRs,bttldrasforthisWorld.a,pd,Rahimisforlbellerea,fter.God,asRafumd,n, preaalsl{is rabmaoverallmankindand4sRghifi od,asRal.1mdn,preaalsFis ral.t,maverallmankindand4sRghlry,s'preadsJ:isaltrnaonlytobelievgfs intheEerea,fber.his issho*pinqf6rmulatoiuiioke',Oivinity,evincingthespecializedmeapinApQfr tfui,ormulatoiuvokB,rlivipily,evincingthespeciahzedmeaprn$g9f11ffi,twoepithets'rIFRqhftA'nI-PWWAwaafiiat,g,l'Ahira!.-Qh,Rgltfqry,ofWorld and Rg;birwgf EereqfterI(r'arbrAI-DipAl-Rati;lpggil9?q',
