Fitna (word)

Fitna (فتنة) is an Arabic word, generally regarded as very difficult to translate. It is often used to refer to civil war, disagreement and division within Islam and specifically alludes to a time involving trials of faith, similar to the Tribulation in Christian eschatology. The word also implies meanings including secession, upheaval and anarchy.

The term comes originally referred to the refining of metal to remove dross ^[1], but became common in apocalyptic writings and is often used to refer to the First Islamic civil war, in 656–661 CE, a prolonged struggle for the caliphate after the 656 assassination of the caliph Uthman ibn Affan. The Second Fitna, or Second Islamic civil war, is usually identified as the 683–685 CE conflict among the Umayyads for control of the caliphate.

Variant Qur'anic translations demonstrate some of the confusion this term has engendered:

(8:39) "So fight them until there is no more disbelief (fitnah) and all submit to the religion of Allah alone (in the whole world)"

(8:39) "And fight with them until there is no more persecution (fitnah) and religion should be only for Allah"

The meaning of the term is illustrated in the apocalyptic literature by people under extreme moral and psychological stress to compromise an element of their faith in return for worldly gain, and sometimes in return for their lives. They are made to chose, often not knowing exactly what is good and what is evil. ^[2]

References

1. ^ Arab-English Lexicon, Lane, E.: a burning of fire, a melting of (metals) in order to distinguish the bad from the good, a means wherby the condition of aman is evinced in respect of good or evil, punishment, chastisement, conflict among people, faction and sedition, discord, dissension, difference of opinions, a misleading, causing to err, seduction, temptation.
2. ^ David Cook. Studies in Muslim Apocalyptic. Darwin Press, March 1, 2003 (ISBN 0878501428)