AS-SIRAAT AL-MUSTAQEEM

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The Main Misconception About the Qurâ€™an

<ol> <li><a href="content_detail.php?id=13#1">Muhammad (PBUH) wrote the Qur’an</a></li> <li><a href="content_detail.php?id=13#2">The Qur’an is Incoherent and Unorganised</a></li> <li><a href="content_detail.php?id=13#3">The Qur’an is Void of Reason</a></li> <li><a href="content_detail.php?id=13#4">The Qur’an Espouses Polytheism</a></li> <li><a href="content_detail.php?id=13#5">The Qur’an States that God belongs to one people</a></li> <li><a href="content_detail.php?id=13#6">God is Wrathful and Unloving in the Qur’an</a></li> <li><a href="content_detail.php?id=13#7">The Qur’an Preaches Fatalism or Fundamentalism</a></li> <li><a href="content_detail.php?id=13#8">Jihad means ‘Holy War’</a></li> <li><a href="content_detail.php?id=13#9">The Qur’an Discourages Inter-Faith Dialogue and Communication between People of other faiths</a></li> <li><a href="content_detail.php?id=13#10">The Qur’an Values Men more than Women</a></li> <li><a href="content_detail.php?id=13#11">The Status and Rights of the Servants (of God) in the Qur’an (and according to the Teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH))</a></li> </ol> There are several misconceptions about the Qur’an on the understanding of Islam. <a id="1" name="1"></a>Muhammad Wrote the Qur’an All previous divine revelations were criticised. The Qur’an has also been under critical attack initially by the Arabs who were the first recipients of the Qur’anic revelations. People who rejected the Prophet Muhammad’s call to Islam argued that Prophet, Muhammad (PBUH) was simply preaching “tales of previous scriptures”, (16:24). The Qur’an responds to this demand for evidence of divine authenticity by producing an eloquent form of Arabic that to this day remains unsurpassed by even the most articulate poets and writers of the Arabic language. The Qur’an is divinely inspired language and it challenges those who question the authenticity of the Qur’an and no one has been able to achieve the same level of linguistic eloquence as the Qur’an (10:37-38; 17:88). The Qur’an also states that if any of the chapters or verses in the Qur’an were man-made, contradictions and omissions would appear but it is rather a coherent, consistent and is complete (4:82; 39:23). Muslims in the wide world have accepted that the Qur’an majestic literary form as a sure sign of divine revelation, especially because the Prophet Muhammad never participated in the influential poetry culture of the Arabs before the revelation of the Qur’an took place. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is even known as the “unlettered” prophet, in the Qur’an to indicate that he had no knowledge of reading or writing (7:157-158). The Qur’an quotes rejecters of the Qur’an as calling Prophet Muhammad a “poet”, (21:5; 37:36). It firmly denies this title by saying, it is not the word of a poet, (36:37). The Qur’an also forcefully argues that Prophet Muhammad had no authority to change the words of Allah (swt) (God), and speak only that, which was directly revealed to him through Angel Gabriel/Jibraeel (53:1-10). It is further stated that had the Qur’an been the eloquent articulation of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he would surely have displayed the same level of eloquence in his collected sayings, known as the Hadith (teachings of the Prophet). Whilst, it is accepted that Hadith are full of wisdom but they do not come anywhere close to the high literary standard of the Qur’an, which revolutionised the Arabic language with its eloquence. <a class="float_right" href="content_detail.php?id=13#">↑ top</a> <a id="2" name="2"></a>The Qur’an is Incoherent and Organised Any non-Muslim readers, such as the British Historian, Thomas Carlyle, view that the Qur’an is a rather unorganised and difficult text to comprehend. One of the reasons for this is that most western literature is linear and non-oral in nature. Non-Muslims, especially those familiar with the biblical scripture expect books to contain a narrative form with a beginning, middle and an end. The Qur’an on the other hand, has a non-linear style. For example, the Qur’an begins with a declaration of Allah (swt’s) (God’s) attributes; moves into a supplication; begins the chapter (Surah) with an introduction to the Qur’an’s belief system; then moves into describing the hearts of the believers, rejecters of faith and hypocrites; then defends its own scriptural authenticity against the attack of critics; briefly argues the case for Allah (swt’s) (God’s) existence; and finally describes the beginning of time in creation with verse 30 of Chapter 2. Later the Qur’an returns to the subject of creation at different times throughout the book. The Qur’an literary structure can prove challenging to anyone who is used to a linear, structured body of text, whether sacred or secular in nature. However, the Qur’an’s structure is not randomly pieced together, nor is it as unstructured as you may initially find it to be. Rather the Qur’an structure is built on a world-view that sees human moral experience as part of history. The Qur’an’s style concentrates around mankind’s relationship with Allah (swt) (God). The Qur’an views the history of creation and Prophets as part of that intellectual and moral discourse, rather than the primary subject at hand. The Qur’an is structured in such a way to place emphasis on moral and ethical lessons and guidelines. The history of creation, prophets and civilisations appear as examples and points of reference for the overall Qur’anic argument. For example, the story of Prophet Moses appears in 44 different places throughout the Qur’an whenever Moses’ story fits the moral context of Qur’an discourse. It is widely accepted that reading the Qur’an is not a simple task if you are accustomed to reading western literature. When reading the Qur’an you need to eliminate the concept of how narratives structure works. <a class="float_right" href="content_detail.php?id=13#">↑ top</a> <a id="3" name="3"></a>The Qur’an is Void of Reason The general consensus is that Muslims all over the world are perceived as having an interest in a set of rituals, declining intellectual debate and reasons. However, the Qur’an places great emphasis on intellect and reason as a way of coming to know Allah (swt) (God). In fact, the Qur’an asserts in several places that guidance is for those who “ponder” (16:12) and “reflect”, (30:21). The Qur’an also states that its message is for “men (and women) of understanding”, (12:111). The entire chapters in the Qur’an are almost exclusively dedicated to inspire man’s intellect (chapter 55). The Prophet Abraham who is honoured as a role model of true faith (16:120-123), comes to the worship of Allah (swt) (God) alone through reason (6:76-79) and preaches faith also through the use of reason (2:258; 21:51-67). Of the highly praised chapters is Luqman (chapter 31) are praised for the deep wisdom and intellect. The Qur’an seeks to respond with reason to questions and arguments of those who rejected the Prophet Muhammad’s call to accept Islam. For example, the pre-Islamic pagan Arabs had no belief in a hereafter and would mockingly question Prophet Muhammad, “who can give life to bones and decomposed ones?”, (36:78). The Qur’an responds to this as follows: “He will give them life who created them for the first time, for He fully knows all creation...” (3:79). The Qur’an logically concludes that if Allah (swt) (God) made man out of nothing, then surely he can remake man in the same form. The Qur’an expects its readers to believe and act without thinking is wrong. In reality the entire Qur’an proceeds from the notion of reason as the way of coming to faith. <a class="float_right" href="content_detail.php?id=13#">↑ top</a> <a id="4" name="4"></a>The Qur’an Espouses Polytheism The Qur’an’s fundamental teaching that worship and servitude to Allah (swt) (God) alone, without associating any partners with Him. In fact, the entire religion of Islam is built on Oneness of Allah (swt) (God), known as Tawheed. Academic scholars of Islam, firmly believe in the teachings of Allah (swt) (God’s) absolute Oneness in the Qur’an is so strong that Islam’s belief system can be referred to as the strictest form of monotheism in religious traditions today. There are some people who argue that Islam does not teach monotheism and these claims are erroneous. Muslims Worship the “Moon God” This is derived from the myth of Islam worshipping a moon god comes from the belief that “Allah”, was the name of a moon god among the pagan Arabs. While the pagan Arabs did believe in a set of smaller gods, the Qur’an recognises that Pagan Arabs had a concept of a universal supreme God, they called Allah in Arabic. There is further evidence to suggest that Allah (swt) is simply the name of God in Arabic is the fact that Arabs of all other faiths, including Jews and Christians, call God “Allah”. In fact, in Aramaic – the language of Jesus – the name for God is “Allaha”, which is close to “Allah” since both Arabic and Aramaic come from the same family language. Similarly, “Eloh” or “Elohim” – the name for God in Hebrew – also comes from the same roots as “Allah”. The other conception comes from the crescent moon that is often seen on Mosques, which is not originally part of any Islamic symbol associated with the Islamic faith. In fact, Islam, was originally void of any symbols at all because of the fear that later generations would fall back into pagan practices of worshipping idols and symbols, rather than Allah (swt) (God) alone. The present symbol from most historical accounts, became Islam’s “symbol”, when the Turkish Ottoman empire became the capital of the Islamic civilisation and decided to leave the age-old crescent moon on their flag and other government institutions. Muslims Worship Muhammad and not God This is a totally ludicrous belief, which comes from pure ignorance and not any sort of misunderstanding of history, as the case may be for the “moon” God. This myth arises from the reasoning just as Buddhists worship Buddha and Christians worship Jesus, Muslims probably also worship the Prophet Muhammad. Also, Orientalists who studied Islam in earlier generations referred to Islam as “Muhammadanism”. The Qur’an totally rejects such a concept. The Qur’an tells Muhammad to teach his companions that “I am but a mortal man like all of you. It has been revealed unto me that your God is the One and Only God...” (18:110). The Qur’an also warns Muslims not to leave the worship and service of one God after the death of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) (3:144). Abu Bakr, the first Caliph of Islam after Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), exemplified this teaching when he stood in front of a large congregation that had gathered upon hearing of Prophet Muhammad’s death, and said “those of you who worshipped Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) know that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is dead. But, those of you who worship Allah (swt) (God) know that he is living and will never die”. <a class="float_right" href="content_detail.php?id=13#">↑ top</a> <a id="5" name="5"></a>The Qur’an says that God belongs to one People The second verse of the Qur’an gives Allah (swt) (God) a universal attribute: “Praise be to Allah, the Sustainer of all the worlds..” (1:2). The Qur’an goes on to state several times that Allah (swt) is the Lord of the East and the West (73:9). The Qur’an teaches that all prophets throughout history form a single community of brother-hood under the Lordship of Allah (swt) (God) alone (23:51). The Qur’an teaches His universality as the Sustainer of not only every human being, but of all the universe, including animal life, plant life, everything in the universe. <a class="float_right" href="content_detail.php?id=13#">↑ top</a> <a id="6" name="6"></a>Allah (swt) (God) is Wrathful and Unloving in the Qur’an Some critics of the Qur’an have argued that it describes Allah (swt) (God) as full of wrath and rage, and not of love and mercy. This completely is untrue and initially demonstrates the lack of understanding the concept of Allah (swt) (God). In the Qur’an Allah (swt) is: “Most Merciful, Most Compassionate” (1:3). In fact, every single chapter except one begins with this declaration about the divine nature. Allah (swt) is also known in the Qur’an as “full of loving-kindness” (11:90; 85:14). It is with the attribute of divine love that the Qur’an most often seeks to directly create a relationship with humanity by encouraging those actions that bring God’s love and discouraging those actions that extinguish God’s love. The Qur’an also mentions Allah (swt’s) (God’s) Wrath for those who reject faith or go against Allah (swt’s) (God’s) law (transgressors and hypocrites), after clear signs have come to them, and upon those who are determined on spreading evil and corruption on earth. Allah (swt’s) (God’s) Mercy prevails over Wrath. <a class="float_right" href="content_detail.php?id=13#">↑ top</a> <a id="7" name="7"></a>The Qur’an preaches fatalism or fundamentalism The Qur’an itself creates a complex faith over predestination versus free will. The Qur’an presents verses that seem to activate fatalism and other times free will. Some have argued that either the Qur’an contradicts itself, or that the Qur’an on this issue heavily sides with fatalism. In order to understand this, it is necessary to understand the Qur’anic world view that says, “Every human being is bound to taste death, and We test you (all) through the bad and the good by way of trial and unto you and Us you all must return (21:35). This means that the life of this world serves as a test for every soul in both good and bad things that happen in life. Both the good and bad cannot occur without the permission and Will of Allah (swt) (God), which comes to men and women in the form of a trail. Faith by its very nature, must be tested in order to be proven true. The Qur’an states that all of humanity will be tested on the Day of Judgment for all the good they did and all the evil they did. However, none will be tested or asked to account for long they lived, how much wealth they had, or where they were born because these factors are, for most part, not within human control. The Qur’an offers a balance between divine measurement, known as Qadr (destiny) in the Qur’an and free will. <a class="float_right" href="content_detail.php?id=13#">↑ top</a> <a id="8" name="8"></a>Jihad means “Holy War” Jihad is a widely misconceived concept as being “holy war”. The Arabic word Jihad actually means “to struggle”, or “to exert one’s utmost”. In the Qur’an, Jihad means the struggle for good against all evil. This struggle also includes the suppression of the lower self in order to reach a state of higher God-consciousness that leads to a pure soul. Jihad can take place in many forms, including speaking out against injustice or spending your wealth in the cause of public good, such as alleviating poverty. Jihad does also include armed struggle, which at times becomes necessary in order to protect the weak and to establish freedom of religion. Jihad in the context of armed struggle is known as Qital. Critics of the Qur’an widely quote the passage such as (9:5) of the Qur’an, which calls for taking up arms against those who associate partners with Allah (swt) (God). Most often, these critics fail to understand the context of such passages. It is misleading to take passages out of context in order to erroneously prove a point. All verses in the Qur’an that deal with armed struggle advocate the use of force only for self-defence in the wider sense possible, such as freeing the oppressed and establishing the freedom of worship. The Qur’an clearly states that fighting in the path of God does not include converting people by the sword. The Qur’an emphatically declares, “Let there be no compulsion in religion” (2:256). <a class="float_right" href="content_detail.php?id=13#">↑ top</a> <a id="9" name="9"></a>The Qur’an Discourages Inter-Faith Dialogue and Co-operation Again it has often been argued that the Qur’an shows a hostile attitude towards non-Muslims and discourages friendship with anyone outside the Islamic tradition. This misunderstanding comes from the passages, such as 5:51, that discourage Muslims from taking Jewish and Christians as their Awliyah, a word often mis-translated as “friends”, (constitutes shirk) but in which it in fact means “allies”, or “protectors” or “defenders”. In the Qur’an verse 60:8-9 make it plainly that the Qur’an only discourages mutual co-operation and friendship with those unbelievers who fight Muslims because of their faith or unjustly expel them from their homes and make them destitute. Furthermore, causing oppression in the Muslim community (60:9). Otherwise, the Qur’an encourages Muslims to engage peacefully with unbelievers with justice and kindness (60:8). The Qur’an calls for dialogue between religions, cultures and civilisations regardless of faith in order to know one another, and by implication become close friends in mutual kindness (16:125; 5:5; 49:13). Another famously quoted passage led people to believe that the Qur’an is hostile towards other faiths including those that condemn Kafirs to Hell Fire. The Arabic word Kafir does not mean “unbeliever”, or an even worse translation “infidel”, rather the term Kafir at its root means one who is ungrateful. The term describes an individual who is so ungrateful of Allah (swt) (God) that he rejects Him and turns away from worshipping and serving Him. The word also describes an individual who is ungrateful towards Allah (swt) (God) and therefore begins worshipping other idols besides Him, including idol worship, worship of the lower self, worship of intellectual concepts that defy divine ethics and morality, or associating with Allah (swt) (God) anything such as a mother, son, or wife (98:1). Some critics of the Qur’an have said that it refers to Jewish and Christians as apes and pigs, therefore providing “proof of the Qur’anic scriptures” to establish hostility towards these two religions. However, the Qur’an does not call Jewish or Christians “apes”, or “pigs” but rather refers to a physical (and moral state) that a small group of “evil worshippers, 5:60”, from among the Jewish and Christians fell into. This is by no means accusation of all Jewish and Christians but only of that small group who fell into evil practices and belief of evil practices. The Qur’an provides stories about errant peoples in history not merely for the sake of criticising or making fun but for the serious purpose of warning followers of the Qur’an not to take similar pass of hypocrisy. The Qur’an warns against making unfair generalisations about Jewish and Christians among whom there are such that stand for justice, pray to Allah (swt) (God) all night and do good works (3:113-115). The Qur’an even espouses a close affinity of love with the Christians who are praised for their dedication to learning, simplicity and humbleness (5:82). The Qur’an strongly rejects paganism but in no way means that Muslims should treat peaceful Pagans (and other faith groups) with injustice and unkindness, as is stated in 60:8. <a class="float_right" href="content_detail.php?id=13#">↑ top</a> <a id="10" name="10"></a>The Qur’an Values Men more than Women This is a widely misunderstood concept about women in the Qur’an outside of their context, giving rise to numerous misunderstandings about the status of women. There is also the problem that Arabic words used in the case of sensitive marital issues are very sophisticated terms that are more often mistranslated in the English language. The Qur’an, in fact, argues that women are completely equal to men in the sight of Allah (swt) (God), and that both men and women will be rewarded solely according to their deeds, and not due to any sort of preference for one gender over the other. The Qur’an states, “verily, for all men and women who have surrendered themselves unto Allah, and all believing men and believing women and all truly devote men and truly devote women and all men and women who are patient in adversity, and all men and women who humble themselves, and all men and women who give in charity and all men and women who keep a fast, and all men and women who remember Allah constantly: For all of them as Allah prepared forgiveness of sins and a mighty reward”, (33:35). These are the main misconceptions but it is extremely important to read the Qur’an before formulating faceless arguments, which creates hostility and hatred plus spreading evil in society. <a class="float_right" href="content_detail.php?id=13#">↑ top</a>

Saturday 18 Jan 2025