Red Flag #1: عَزِيزٌ (ʿazīzun)

Starting from the top of the verse, the first strange phenomenon is the use of the word عَزِيزٌ (ʿazīzun). This root occurs 119 times in the Quran. In the entire Quran, out of all 119 occurrences of this root, not once is this word, let alone this root, used in the context of a “grievance,” as is depicted in 128.

In the Quran, this word is consistently used in the context of power, honor, pride, dignity, and mostly in reference to might. This specific word is used predominantly as a name of God, which would be translated as Almighty, and it constitutes 88 of the 119 occurrences.

The closest use to any context even close to “grievous” is in the following two verses, 35:17 & 14:20, but even in these verses, the context of the word بِعَزِيزٍ (biʿazīzin) is still in regards to power and might, that such tasks are not “difficult” to do for God.

[35:17] This is not too difficult for GOD.

وَمَا ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ بِعَزِيزٍ

[14:20] This is not too difficult for GOD.

وَمَا ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ بِعَزِيزٍ

وَمَا	And not (is)	wamā	م ا
ذَٰلِكَ	that	dhālika	ذ ل ك
عَلَى	for	ʿalā	ع ل ي
اللَّهِ	God	l-lahi	ا ل ه
بِعَزِيزٍ	in difficulty.	biʿazīzin	ع ز ز

Based on the above, how does this impact the expression “عَزِيزٌ عَلَيۡهِ مَا عَنِتُّمۡ”? What does this expression even mean? It is clear that the common translation, as we find it, “Grievous to him is what you suffer,” does not match the Quranic use of the words. As described above, the Quran is not a mad lib where we select meanings arbitrarily to formulate sentences. If the word عَزِيزٌ (ʿazīzun) meant in any way, shape, or form grievous, we would expect to see this in at least one other verse out of the 119 occurrences, but we do not.

I do not doubt that this word could be used in other sources with the particular context as “grievous,” but we do not have even one time where this meaning is used in a single verse of the Quran in this context. The Arabic Quran is perfect and should be the standard by which we understand the text. If a word that is used as widely as عَزِيزٌ (ʿazīzun) is consistently translated with a particular set of meanings, it makes no sense to select a completely different meaning in this occurrence that contradicts all the other verses.

Therefore, the meaning using the Quran as the translator for this expression “عَزِيزٌ عَلَيۡهِ مَا عَنِتُّمۡ” should be “Mighty to him, what distresses you.” This does not make much sense, let alone align with the rest of the Quran, and because of this, it should be of major concern for those who doubt whether this verse belongs in the Quran.

6	عَزِيزٌ	Mighty	ʿazīzun	ع ز ز
7	عَلَيْهِ	to him,	ʿalayhi	ع ل ي
8	مَا	what	mā	م ا
9	عَنِتُّمْ	distresses you [all] / you [all] suffer.	ʿanittum	ع ن ت