split that cannot be repaired. So men, restrain
yourselves. Remember that these people are your
brothers. Be patient. Beware of rushing into anything
without guidance, for if you win the argument today,
you may lose it tomorrow.”
The nightmare loomed ahead—the one thing they
most dreaded, and the one thing that now seemed all but
inevitable: fitna.
Arabic is a subtle and sinuous language. Like all
Semitic languages, it plays on words, taking a three-
consonant root and building on it to create what
sometimes seems an inɹnite number of meanings. Even
the exact same word can have diʃerent connotations,
depending on the context. Perhaps the best-known
example is jihad, struggle, which can be either the inner
striving to live the Islamic life and attain a higher level
of spiritual consciousness, or the external armed
confrontation with those seen as enemies of Islam.
The sensitive Islamic term fitna is still more complex.
The root is the word for being led astray. It can mean
trial or temptation, intrigue or sedition, discord or
dissension. It always implies upheaval, even chaos. But
the most common meaning is civil war—the most
uncivil warfare of all. Tribes, clans, even families split
against themselves; cousins and in-laws take opposite
sides; brothers may even ɹght brothers, and fathers,