Islamic Scholars Say Quran Mistranslated: Martyrs for Islam Get 'Raisins,' Not 'Virgins'

Jun 01, 2016 12:51 PM EDT

Is martyrdom in Quran a deception? Islamic scholars answered it with a "yes," but American renown radio host Rush Limbaugh thinks the matter of interpretation will remain unsettled. 

The Arabic word in Quran in question has been interpreted to mean "virgin" - heaven's price for martyrdom. However, Quran scholars were startled to realize that it's actually "raisins," not "virgins." If it is accurate, extremism is more curseable, and that jihadists have been fighting for veiled lies.

These bamboozlement have for years cost many lives around the world, and destroyed countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.

Irshad Manji, a Canadian author and Quran scholar, said these Islamic beliefs, which is a mistranslation, fuels militant's quest for martyrdom, and hatred against the West and America.

"Nowhere in the Quran does it promise 72 virgins, 70 virgins, 48 virgins. The Arabic word for virgin has been mistranslated. The original [word] that was used in the Quran was the word for raisin, not virgin. In other words, that martyrs would get raisins in heaven, not virgins," Manji said in a show "Why They Hate Us" hosted by Fareed Zakari on CNN. 

His contention reinforced the admission of Nahdlatul Ulama, world's largest Muslim organization based in Indonesia, that there are wrong Islamic teachings, and extremism sprang from these mistakes.

While they condemned extremism especially the ISIS and Al-Queda, the group is pushing for a revision of Islamic teaching.

Limbaugh said he did his own research and found out that Arabic word interpreted by jihadists to mean "virgin" is truly contested.

"What Islamist leaders are promising their would-be martyrs is actually a 180-degree skewing of truth, and I'd like to be there when they tell them this..Uh, sorry. Not virgins. You were misinformed. Here are the 73 raisins that you envisioned," he said on his radio program.