Red Flag #2: حَرِيصٌ (ḥarīṣun)
Linguistic Concerns
9:128 also uses the word حَرِيصٌ (ḥarīṣun). This word comes from the root "Ha-Ra-Saad" ( ح ر ص). This root is only used four times in the entire Quran. All the occurrences of this root are in the context of desire, but in the context of 128, this word is translated as “concerned.”
| Transliteration | Arabic | Translation | Sura:Verse:Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| aḥraṣa | أَحْرَصَ | (the) greediest / most covetous (of) | 2:96:2 |
| ḥaraṣtum | حَرَصْتُمْ | you [all] desired (to). | 4:129:8 |
| ḥaraṣta | حَرَصْتَ | you desire, | 12:103:5 |
| taḥriṣ | تَحْرِصْ | you desire | 16:37:2 |
In fact, you will find them the most covetous of life; even more so than the idol worshipers. The one of them wishes to live a thousand years. But this will not spare him any retribution, no matter how long he lives. GOD is seer of everything they do. وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ أَحْرَصَ ٱلنَّاسِ عَلَىٰ حَيَوٰةٍ وَمِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ يَوَدُّ أَحَدُهُمْ لَوْ يُعَمَّرُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَمَا هُوَ بِمُزَحْزِحِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ أَن يُعَمَّرَ وَٱللَّهُ بَصِيرٌۢ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ