Red Flag #2: حَرِيصٌ (ḥarīṣun)

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.”

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

[2:96] 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

[4:129] You can never be equitable in dealing with more than one wife, even if you desire. Therefore, do not be so biased as to leave one of them hanging (neither enjoying marriage, nor left to marry someone else). If you correct this situation and maintain righteousness, GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.

وَلَن تَسْتَطِيعُوٓا۟ أَن تَعْدِلُوا۟ بَيْنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتُمْ فَلَا تَمِيلُوا۟ كُلَّ ٱلْمَيْلِ فَتَذَرُوهَا كَٱلْمُعَلَّقَةِ وَإِن تُصْلِحُوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا

[12:103] Most people, even if you desire, will not believe.

وَمَآ أَكْثَرُ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ

[16:37] If you desire to guide them, GOD does not guide the ones He had committed to straying. Thus, no one can help them.

(٣٧) إِن تَحْرِصْ عَلَىٰ هُدَىٰهُمْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى مَن يُضِلُّ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّـٰصِرِينَ

Again, from the verses of the Quran and looking at how words with the same root are used in other occurrences, we see that to translate the expression “حَرِيصٌ عَلَيۡكُم” as “He is concerned over you” does not correspond with other uses of this root. Instead, according to the meaning of this word as used per the Quran, the translation would imply that the prophet was covetous or desiring of the believers, which again does not align with the rest of the Quran. However, due to the only select uses of this root in the Quran, this point is not as strong as the previous point.

10	حَرِيصٌ	Covetous / Desiring	ḥarīṣun	ح ر ص
11	عَلَيْكُمْ	for you [all].	ʿalaykum	ع ل ي