Miscellaneous - 7

 

Abrogation

Critic:-

The Pope hardly needed to specify which parts of the Quran justify Jihad and forced conversion: the reference is to the Verse of the Sword which certainly contradicts and abrogates "there is no compulsion in religion" and about a hundred other more moderate and peaceable verses.

Comment:-

Statements based on ignorance, partial knowledge, and prejudice, especially when the errors have been pointed out several times, can have no purpose other than mischief-making.

There is no verse in the Quran that abrogates the verse "There is no compulsion in religion" even if some people think so. You can see this from the wording, particularly "henceforth":-

"There is no compulsion in religion; the right way is henceforth distinct from the wrong. And whoever rejects Taghut (false deities) and believes in Allah, he has grasped a firm handle which will not break; but Allah is both Hearer and Knower. Allah is the patron of those who believe, He brings them forth from darkness into light. But those who disbelieve, their patrons are false deities; these bring them forth from light to darkness. Such are fellows of the Fire, they will dwell therein." 2:256-257

It is also clear from several other verses such as 5:105, 10:109, 17:15 that tell you that each person is responsible for his own salvation.

In fact, it is a mistake to suppose that any verse in the Quran abrogates another unless it states that it is abrogated or superceded. This can be seen from:-

"Whatever ayat We may annul or cause you to forget, We will bring a better one than it, or one like it; do you not know that Allah has power over all? " 2:106

The verse refers to the revelation in the Quran, and the verses in the Quran have not been forgotten, but some of the instructions in the previous scriptures have been superceded and, as the Quran also points out, some of them have been forgotten.

Apart from this the word "ayat" which has been translated as "verse" really means "signs" (of Allah) and also refers to natural phenomena and there is no doubt that the world changes as evolution takes place.

"Jihad" means striving in the cause of Allah and has a much wider meaning than armed struggle (see all the verses where this word or its derivatives is used e.g. 5:35, 9:20, 22:78, 29:6, 53:39 etc) and is also an aspect of the processes of nature. When it refers to fighting, the Quran clearly tells us that it is for defence and not aggression.

"Fight in the Cause of Allah with those who fight you, but transgress not the limits (or begin not hostilities); verily, Allah loves not those who transgress (or the aggressors)." 2:190

Critic:-

According to some Muslim scholars the verse about no compulsion has been abrogated. Refer to "Fatwa Concerning the Deliberations of Pope Benedict XVI in Germany" by Shaykh Dr. Abdalqadir as-Sufi.

http://www.shaykhabdalqadir.com/content/articles/Art066_21092006.html

Comment:-

There has been a misinterpretation here. The Shaikh quotes ibn-Arabi who said that the verse 2:256 "There is no compulsion where the Deen is concerned" has been abrogated by the verse 47:4 "Therefore when you meet those who are kafir strike their necks. Then when you have decimated them, tie their bonds tightly and set them free or ransom them, until the war is finally over."

It is not difficult to see that this verse does not actually speak about compelling people to believe. It is speaking about the unbelievers who attack Muslims. Look at the verse in its context. The word "abrogation" is being used in quite a different sense than that under discussion here. The mistake comes from jumping to conclusion based on insufficient knowledge and understanding.

Critic:-

Quran 4:43 prohibits alcohol when praying, but Quran 5:90  forbids it altogether. If neither is abrogated and both verses convey meaning, then we are stuck with a contradiction. How is one to decide what God is telling us to do?

Comment:-

(1) If 5:90 forbids it altogether then it includes 4:43 which forbids it when praying. It does not contradict it.

(2) Muslims are required to make their whole life into a prayer - the religion is called Islam - surrender to God.

(3) The two verses show how change can be affected gradually. We know that the verses were revealed in connection with events.

(4) Apart from this the verses have other meanings besides the obvious ones. Quran 4:43 tells us not to approach prayer while drunk. This does not necessarily refer to alcohol but to anything that disables one mentally from knowing and understanding what one is doing. Consider also all the other instructions in that verse about purification.

Quran 5:90 tells us about four things that we ought to avoid because they mislead us from the path of God and these should be understood in a wider sense. The verse does not specify alcohol. It mentions fermented drinks (or intoxicants), gambling (getting something for no equivalent work), idolatry and divining arrows which refer to superstitions.

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Satan

Question:-

I was just wondering if Iblis was actually a jinn or an angel. This particular issue recently sparked my curiosity when it was presented to me by a person I know. If he is an angel, then how is it he disobeyed Allah, when Angels have no will of their own and follow only Allah's command. If he is really a jinn, then it would better explain his disobedience as then he actually had the choice to obey or disobey Allah.

Comment:-

The Verse in Quran 18:51 clearly states that Iblis was a Jinn. So why the question?

However, from other traditions, Satan started off as an Archangel (made of Spirit), called Lucifer (Angel of Light), and then fell owing to envy of Man. They were both spiritual beings. Lucifer, fell into the realm of fire and became a jinn and Man owing to sin fell into the realm of earth and became a material being. The word angel is sometimes used to refer to all three - Archangel, angel and jinn.

Satan was obviously made by Allah and given permission to tempt man. The Quran indicates that Allah knew that man would fall to temptation and even placed the Forbidden Tree in Paradise to tempt him. It can be inferred with some certainty that the creation of man was not complete and that he also had to learn. (See Quran 2:30-39, 7:11-27, 95:4-6). His perfection consisted of the fact that he had the capacity or potentiality to learn and develop and become an autonomous agent of God. But this potentiality needed to be actualised. This actualisation is achieved by overcoming opposition, just like strength grows by exercise against weights.

Satan, therefore, has a good purpose and function in the scheme of things. Goodness grows by overcoming his temptations and distractions.

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Jesus

Critic:-

Jews ignore Jesus and his message, Christians adore both. Muslims accept him and reject his message, as it has come down to us. But it is a poor 'compromise', because it makes Jesus a failure, alone among the great prophets. How does Islam resolve this anomaly, a unique prophet, an abject failure?

Comment:-

Read the Quran for the answer. The Quran does not reject the Message of Jesus but confirms it. The Quran does not think Jesus is a failure. But the Quran rejects the falsification of his message.

Jesus did not teach (1) Trinity, (2) his own divinity or (3) Vicarious atonement. This has been pointed out from the NT several times. These are the main differences between Christianity and Islam. But you can ignore all this and believe whatever you like.

What Jesus taught was:-

(1) That there was one God, whom he called the Father in Heaven.

"And this is Eternal Life that they might know THEE THE ONLY TRUE GOD " John 17:3

"While I was with them in the world I kept them in THY NAME..." John 17:12

"And he said unto him, Why do you call me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if you will enter into life, keep the commandments." Mt 19:17

See also John 1:18, 5:37, 6:29,46, 13:16 15:1-2, 4:28 17:3, 20:17 Romans 15:6 1Corinthians 1:3, 3:22-23, 8:5-6, 11:3, 12:4-6, 2Corinthians 1:2-3, 11:31, 13:14 Ephesians 1:2-3, 17 6:23, 4:4-6 Galatians 4:4-6 Philippians 1:2, 4:19-20 Colossians 1:2-3 1Thessalonians 1:1 2Thessalonians 1:1-2 1John 4:12, 2John 1:3 1Timothy 1:2, 17, 2:5, 6:15-16 Titus 1:4 Philemon 1:3 James 2:19 Jude 1:1 1 Peter 1:2-3

(2) That he had been sent by God. Jesus did not do or speak of himself but what God instructed. (John 6:38, 57, 7:16, 8:28, 10:37-38, 12:49)

"..I do nothing of myself; but as the Father hath taught me, I speak these things." John 8:28

(3) That salvation was by obedience to God (not by his crucifixion). See Matthew 7:21-23

Critic:-

The Quran admits that Jesus was unique. So my question remains, how does Islam resolve the anomaly of uniqueness and failure of Jesus?

Comment:-

You are creating a "straw man", a false assumption. - There is no anomaly for Islam. It is only in your mind. As I said Islam does not reject the uniqueness of Jesus, but he is a Messenger like others, each of whom were also unique. Do you not claim that Jesus was like Moses according to your interpretation of Deuteronomy 18:18?

Islam does not accept that Jesus (saw) was a failure - he accomplished the mission for which he was sent.

Critic:-

According to the Quran the teachings of Jesus did not get through. So his mission was a failure.

Comment:-

His message did get through. It is in the New Testament and the Quran.

Critic:-

But the NT has been misunderstood hasn't it? What good is that? My criticism still stands. In Islam Jesus is a unique prophet, and also a unique failure.

Comment:-

That is your problem not one for Muslims. Yes there has been misinterpretation, but not entirely. It has its good effects. As the Quran points out there are Jews and Christians who are righteous.

Everyone has partial knowledge and follows their religion to different degrees. It is a question of balance - whether it is heavier with good or evil and by how much. There is no compulsion in religion. It is up to each individual to study and apply it.

The mission of the Messengers was to introduce a causal impulse into humanity, not to coerce them into immediate transformation. This impulse spreads but gets used up as it transforms. It takes time.

I look at the world and see that a great percentage of the population is Christian to various degrees and that the cultures and activities of nations have been modified by Christian teachings about love and charity as it has been again transformed by Islam and its teachings about Truth. The world is most certainly a different place because of Moses, Jesus and Muhammad Allah's blessings on them all.

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Acts of Faith

A Muslim:-

My wife insists that it is Sunnah to urinate sitting down for males.

Critic:-

I am astonished. Can God really concern Himself with such trivialities?

Comment:-

Your question judges God, but seems to show a misconception of what God is. He is not a man. As the creator of the Universe and all things in it, He is certainly concerned with everything that affects it, including everything that human beings do, good or bad, particularly as they have been created as agents of God.

Yes, sitting down for males while urinating is Sunnah (a tradition of the Prophet).

However, the instruction appears to have been given because of the danger of splashing of urine on clothing or the floor where germs and unpleasant smells and disease can develop. This may not be the case when using WCs.

But this rule is part of a set of rules connected with toilets. For instance, entering the bathroom or cleaning area with the left foot first and leaving it with the right foot first and washing the genitals after urination. It has to do with purification, not only physically but also mentally and spiritually and with deliberate conscious actions as exercises.

Another Muslim:-

Studies have demonstrated that urinating into the water in a toilet while standing splashes urine far beyond the toilet bowl.

Speculation about the "why" of an instruction is vanity and can lead to serious misguidance.

Comment:-

If it does splash then obviously that must be avoided. However, the instruction is not in the Quran where it would be if it was very serious. Though it is possible that the instruction had other purposes apart from those I mentioned, I understood from the context that it was the splashing that was the reason.

This idea that we ought not to consider the "Why" of an instruction is an interesting and controversial issue that has seldom been justified.

(1) Yes, speculation cannot take the place of truth, as the Quran says (10:37, 51:10-11). The speculation may not be true, it may contradict it, or there may be other things that are also true or true instead.

(2) But we are required to seek truth and knowing a good reason for an instruction does reinforce faith, if it is not understood as blind belief but as confidence.

"And follow (or pursue) not that of which you have no knowledge; verily, the hearing, the sight, and the heart, of all of these it shall be asked (to give an account)." 17:36

"There is no compulsion in religion; the right way is henceforth distinct from the wrong." 2:256

"But most of them follow naught but conjecture (suspicion, fancy, guesswork, speculation); verily, conjecture can by no means take the place of (or avail against) truth. Verily, Allah is Aware of what they do." 10:37

"And unto you (Muhammad) have We revealed the Book in truth, verifying what was before it, and preserving it. Judge then between them by what Allah has revealed, and follow not their lusts (prejudices, fantasies), turning away from what is given to you of the truth." 5:48

"And say: Truth has come, and falsehood has vanished! Verily, falsehood is ever bound to vanish." 17:81

(3) It is perfectly possible to hold a tentative hypothesis that has a degree of probability without being dogmatic about it or dismissing other possibilities. (The questioner asked for an opinion and I gave him one and did state that it was Sunnah.)

(4) But agreed that doing things just because God has instructed it is also an act of faith and trust, a part of surrender.

(5) And accepting a statement does allow one to make the effort to seek truth rather than become negativistic and argumentative which prevents seeking and finding truth.

(6) Muslims say in their prayers:- "I bear witness that Muhammad is the slave and Messenger of God". The word "witness" can be interpreted as meaning that the person affirms his belief about Muhammad, but at a deeper level it implies that he manifests the nature of Muhammad in his own behaviour. Some Muslims, therefore, imitate the Prophet in order to align themselves with him and adopting the same system of features that will hopefully achieve the same inner qualities of nearness to God as he did. But obviously, doing this intelligently rather than blindly is likely to be much more effective.

(7) Ideally and as far as possible (i) all thoughts, motives (desires) and actions should be (ii) done intelligently and consciously or based on intelligent, conscious decisions and not on habit, impulse, conditioned reflexes or coercion (iii) for the spiritual, mental, and physical benefit, in this order of priority (iv) of the person, other people, the society, other creatures and the environment. (v) It is necessary to consider (a) the action, desire or thought itself, (b) that to which it applies, and (c) the abilities and resources of the person. (vi) This involves consideration of the causes, the conditions or context, the effects, the potentialities, whether something is essential, changeable, accidental, or improvable, the requirements, the priorities (judgement about relative importance) and the economy of effort, time, materials and energy ( whether things can be done better or more efficiently with less waste or negative consequences.

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Muslims in USA

Assertion:-

The most important thing the Muslim community in the United States can do to earn toleration here is to treat their women in the local way.

Comment:-

Do you mean they should beat their wives, approve of prostitution, let them display themselves for commercial purposes, offer themselves for porn on the internet, use them as pleasure objects, treat each other with mutual irresponsibility, indulge in fornication and adultery, destroy marriages and families where children can be brought up securely, and generally devalue feminine characteristics and virtues in favour of cultivating aggressive masculine ones?

Assertion:-

I don't know about Europe. But in the United States Muslims (apart from our home-grown black variety) need to walk very carefully for the next few years and earn their niche. But it can be done.

Comment:-

Are Muslims in the USA only black and is colour prejudice the accepted basis for judgement. Are you saying that Muslims must conform and the notions of a multi-cultural society, Democracy, Freedom and Tolerance are at an end in the USA even as an ideal?

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Reactions

Critic:-

Abuse is nothing to fear. In fact it baffles me why Muslims go into a spin when a prophet is abused. In doing so they are in effect saying that the word by which they live will not stand up to persecution, which would be ridiculous if they are claiming it is the word of God.

Comment:-

Some people love and care for their Prophet and Religion and identify themselves with it more than others and are therefore hurt when these are abused and they react to that hurt.

Civilised people do not or should not insult each other or their faith but respect each other.

Apart from this, a consequence of the continuing abuse is the erosion of religion and respect for the spiritual leaders. Abuse tends to proliferate when it has no consequences.

However, I agree that reaction to abuse can be counterproductive because it encourages even more abuse on the part of perverse people. The behaviour of people ought to be controlled through intelligence rather than thoughtless "knee jerk" reactions.

It is also known that people react in an extreme way when they themselves have guilt feelings about some thing in which they have failed. The abuse reminds them that is what they are doing, and they do not want to be reminded of that. It is a form of hypocrisy.

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