Translation of ayah 2:108

[tatanka]

Or (do) you wish that you ask your Messenger as was asked Musa from before? And whoever exchanges [the] disbelief with [the] faith, so certainly he went astray (from) (the) evenness (of) the way.(2:108)

is this valid translation of this ayah?

[Fusion]

Are you trying to say that people who adopt Islam go astray? Or are you suggesting the traditional faith is not the correct one?

Your Flipping changes the direction and the meaning of the verse. So even if it sounds close, it may appear as a distortion of the original intent.

Nevertheless if you can reveal your motive, perhaps I may understand your trying to explain what?

The literal translation sounds like "Whoever replaces disbelief with faith."

يَتَبَدَّلِ = he exchanges / swaps / replaces

الْكُفْرَ = disbelief (object being replaced)

بِالْإِيمَانِ = with faith (what it's being replaced with)

The verb تَبَدَّلَ [X] بِـ [Y] means:

To take X and swap it for Y → meaning X is what you end up with, and Y is what you give up.

So on the surface it sounds like:
"Disbelief is being removed, and faith is being taken.
Which would be a positive action — like becoming a believer.

I asked with my colleague here in Arabia and according to him in Arabic grammar, the object before the verb (الكفر) is what's being taken, and the thing after بـ (الإيمان) is what's being replaced. So the verse means: 'Whoever takes disbelief in place of faith' — not the other way around. Even literal translations must follow this rule — otherwise they reverse the meaning.

I welcome native arabic speakers to please advise on this.

[tatanka]

I found that some translators translate that verse in this way, and it's also a literal translation. I didn't know that such a rule exists in Arabic grammar.
Thank you for clarification.

[good logic]

Peace tatanka.

Fusion is right. The replacement is of the disbelief instead of the belief/faith.;
Also the verb is "Yatabadal"  not "Yabadal" which clarifies that the disbelief is replacing the belief/faith:
2:108
"Do you wish to demand of your messenger what was demanded of Moses in the past? Anyone who replaces/chooses disbelief, instead of belief/faith, has truly strayed off the right path.
أَم تُريدونَ أَن تَسـَٔلوا رَسولَكُم كَما سُئِلَ موسىٰ مِن قَبلُ وَمَن يَتَبَدَّلِ الكُفرَ بِالإيمٰنِ فَقَد ضَلَّ سَواءَ السَّبيلِ

The following context also clarifies this:
2:109
Many followers of the scripture would rather see you revert to disbelief, now that you have believed. This is due to jealousy on their part, after the truth has become evident to them. You shall pardon them, and leave them alone, until God issues His judgment. God is Omnipotent.
وَدَّ كَثيرٌ مِن أَهلِ الكِتٰبِ لَو يَرُدّونَكُم مِن بَعدِ إيمٰنِكُم كُفّارًا حَسَدًا مِن عِندِ أَنفُسِهِم مِن بَعدِ ما تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الحَقُّ فَاعفوا وَاصفَحوا حَتّىٰ يَأتِىَ اللَّهُ بِأَمرِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلىٰ كُلِّ شَىءٍ قَديرٌ

Like saying for example the Americans have replaced Trump instead of Biden as president, this choice will more likely leave them worse off.

GOD bless you.
Peace.