Some
Problems - 2
(6)
Allegories
Critic:-
Your repeated
quotation of Quranic verses does not answer the question that the Quran itself
poses. In 3.7 the Quran distinguishes between 'clear signs' (ayat e muhkamat) and those that our
allegorical (mutashabihaat) but states that those who seek allegorical meanings
cause dissension. But the Quran itself establishes no criterion for
distinguishing between the two categories. However, it is quite clear from what
the Quran says that non-allegorical meanings are to be avoided by those with a
pure heart.
Comment:-
You are mistaken.
For explanations
about the Quran you have to go to the Sunna of the Prophet and those of his
companions, some of which are recorded in the Hadith. And some are in the
explanations of the Saints.
The non-allegorical
verses are the ones that give clear instructions. The allegorical are
understood by those who are "well grounded in knowledge" None grasp
them save those who possess understanding. The warning is about controversies
based on ignorance and bad motives.
(7) Abrogation
Critic:-
I understand that
abrogation refers to progressive revelation so that some things supersede
others, but verses in the Quran are not sorted in chronological order. So the instruction "do not
drink alcohol" could be older then "do not drink alcohol when you
pray". But all verses are related to certain occasions. They all have to
be read within the historical background, and even Mohammad’s
personal situation (i.e. his mood) validates the verse.
Comment:-
The Quran is a
revelation and independent of Muhammad’s mood. It has to be read that
way.
The Quran is not in
the chronological order of revelation but the verses do have a context and
layers of meaning. The whole of it is applicable.
Even if the verse
"do not drink when you pray" was given after "do not drink
alcohol" it does not contradict it.
Apart from this, if
you read the verses correctly you will find that there is much more to them
than merely drinking alcohol. What the Quran says is:-
"O you who believe! Approach not prayer while
you are drunk, until you know (can understand) what you are saying; nor yet
while polluted - unless you are on a journey – until you have washed
yourselves...." 4:43
Here
"drunk" refers to anything that causes intoxication, mental
disability or pollutes the faculties.
"O you who believe! Verily, strong drinks and
el maisar and statues (idols, images), and divining arrows are only an
abomination of Satan's work; avoid them then that per chance you may succeed
(or prosper)." 5:90
Strong drinks can
refer to intoxicants, fermented or alcoholic drinks, drinks that impair the
faculties specially consciousness.
El maiser can refer
to gambling, trying to get something for nothing.
Divining arrows can
refer to superstitions and games of chance.
Why is it that
people who know and understand so little of the Quran feel compelled to make
comments on it without attempts to understand it. If they asked questions in
order to receive explanations that would be excusable and beneficial to them.
All these are
connected together in the verse.
(8) Borrowing
Critic:-
The Quran contains
much that is borrowed from other Scriptures. We constantly hear from Muslims that “killing an
innocent person is like killing the whole of mankind. This is borrowed from Jewish
sources. It is not original and not a revelation.
Comment:-
The Quran does tell
us that it contains and confirms what is true in all other scriptures. It also
tells us that this was given to the Israelites. Truth is truth wherever it is
found and its repetition for different people or even for the same people as
reminders is a good thing.
The question is:
Why has it been selected and included in the Quran?
Suppose I see the
sun in the sky and say "There is a sun in the sky" and if someone
else in China
sees the sun in the sky and says "There is a sun in the sky". Is it
the case I have borrowed the statement from the china man or did he borrow it
from me?
If something is
true and it is stated in several text books does it make these text books
untrue? Or should the repetition of the truth be forbidden as plagiarism?
Should all those who teach the truth to different sets of people be prosecuted?
Does the repetition of it prove that all the people who assert it have no
personal experience or insight?
But consider the
following facts:- The oldest manuscript of the Babylonian Talmud is from 1123
CE. Here we find the following words:- "... whosoever destroys a single
soul of Israel, Scripture
imputes [guilt] to him as though he had destroyed a complete world; and
whosoever preserves a single soul of Israel, Scripture ascribes [merit]
to him as though he had preserved a complete world."
The final version
of the Talmud came after Islam. This has the following amended text: "... whosoever destroys a
single soul is regarded as though he destroyed a complete world, and whosoever
saves a single soul is regarded as though he saved the complete world."
We see that the
Quran universalises what the Talmud originally restricts and later amends in
the light of Islam.
(9)
Interpretation
Critic:-
People like me, do
not see the Quran as sacred or a revelation, but just as a collection of
allegories and statements Mohammed made within about 20 years. All
statements are related to certain events and must be seen
within that context.
Comment:-
That is not what
the Quran was meant to be and as it was not written to be
understood that way. Therefore, what you read and understand is NOT the Quran.
Some of it needs to be understood with the help of the Sunna of the Prophet.
Critic:-
There were hundreds
of biographies of the life of Mohammed. The are all merged into one book about
300 years after the sudden death of Mohammed. Who decided (and why) what
content of the final Ahadith should have, and what criteria were used. One
thing is certain: that was no unselfish reason. More likely the Ahadith
were made as a tool to oppress people, to make them pliant and obedient.
To understand the "real" Islam, that book is useless.
Comment:-
The Hadith were
collected in the same as the Quran. Much research has gone into Hadith. But yes
several different compilations have been made that depend on selection for a
purpose.
And much has been
invented to serve various agendas. We know this because of the research or is
it that you are speculating and indulging wishful thinking?
The whole set has
to be examined for source and consistency, and compared with the Quran for
compatibility. That is exactly the kind of thing that other sciences also do.
In the meantime we are forbidden from disputes based on ignorance.
The basic tenets
and requirements of Islam are clear and almost all Muslims agree on them. The
rest has to be left to scholars and saints - those who have been given
knowledge and understanding as the Quran requires.
The fact that
non-Muslims who have little knowledge or understanding of Islam and still want
to make pronouncements about it and do not agree with Muslims or that some
people claim to be Muslim though they flout the clear instructions of the Quran
or that there are Muslims with varying degrees of knowledge or understanding
cannot make any difference to Islam.
(10) Satan
Critic:-
Satan is a biblical
invention, that the Quran preserved. In reality there is no Satan. There
is in fact just only ALLAH, nothing else.
Comment:-
You are implying
that the Quran is lying, and that you know better than what Allah revealed.
Muslims reject this assertion.
There is most
certainly a tendency to do evil. Human certainly have an Ego as well as a real
Self which refers to the Spirit of Allah within. There are mechanisms in the
mind that cause suppression, exaggeration, distortion, projection, addiction,
obsession, compulsion, distraction, excuse making, rationalisation,
self-deception, inversion and so on.
There is also hate, greed, fear, lust, vanity, pride, envy, violence,
selfishness, ignorance, prejudice, cruelty, confusion, lying, swindling,
coercion, destruction, deprivation, theft, robbery, injury, and murder. All these distort thinking, motivation
and action.
Most people know
the difference between good and evil and try to do what they think is good,
though they may deceive themselves. Or they attribute good to themselves and
regard as good whatever they have done. Those in whom conscience is not wholly
atrophied also know that they do evil owing to mistakes, temptations,
provocations, strong desires and uncontrolled passions, habits, addictions,
obsessions and inner compulsions or simply ignorance, folly or unawareness.
Many people become aware of this and have experience of the activity of Satan.
People do have guilt feelings, though these may also be based on wrong values
and erroneous thinking. Many repent and make amends and compensate. In general,
evil is that which causes inner contradiction, conflict and disintegration
owing to low awareness and inadequate processing of the data of experience.
Satan, as it were, works in darkness. It is often only necessary to become
conscious of what is going on in the mind and of Allah and the greater context
in which events take place to counteract this tendency.
As the ego, and the mental mechanisms it
controls, is a universal phenomenon then it has an objective existence and it
often leads to collective mass hysteria. This manifests from time to time,
causing much mischief and destruction in human societies and on the
international field.
However, Satan is
also a creation by Allah and has an ultimately good
function. This is because the good arises by overcoming evil, and the spiritual
faculties grow by exercise against opposition, just as muscles grow through
exercise against weights.
One only needs to
look at Quran 2:30-31 to see that Allah knew that man would sin and that it was
required that he should undergo a period of education on earth to complete his
development as a Vicegerent.
The reason why some
people wish to deny the reality of Satan is that they are materialists and
suppose that things that refer to the mind and Spirit are unreal, though they
most certainly have physical consequences that all can see.
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