Mosque on WTC site ( Archived) (308)

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Interpreting the Qu'ran

As we all know, any religious Scripture may be interpreted in a way that satisfies one's own whims or desires. Indeed, some seem to engage in actual evil and then use religious Scriptures to rationalize their behaviors! The Qur'an is no different. Here are some guidelines for a proper understanding:
1. Linguistic Integrity. It is only considered "the Qur'an" in the original Arabic. Arabic translates poorly into English and so this must be taken into account. Often, there is no English equivilent for an Arabic word.
2. Historical Context. Each "episodes of revelation" was in response to a specific question or specific situation. When it comes to Qur'anic interpretation "context is everything".
3. Reference to Muhammad's Actual Behaviors. Called the sunnah. It is derived from the hadith ("sayings") literature and the practice of Muhammad's companions. The foundations of Islam-as-religious-tradition (Islam2) are comprised of the Qur'an and the sunnah of Muhammad. Muhammad is considered to be a "walking Qur'an". His example displays or embodies Qur'anic principles.
4. The Totality of the Message. Any particular interpretation must fit within the total ethos presented by the Qur'an as a whole.

The Qur'an describes itself as having both clear and ambiguous passages. Thus, there are differences among Muslims2 about its proper interpretation. There are also differences regarding the interpretations of the hadith literature(the saying of prophet muhammad..peace be upon him) from which we derive the sunnah. Because thousands of people came to accept Muhammad's claim to be a messenger from God the hadith literature contains detailed, and sometimes graphic accounts of his words and deeds. Some of today's Muslims seem to emphasize aspects of the sunnah such as beards for men and certain types of clothes. Some consider these of foundational importance for Islam. Others consider these accounts to be of secondary or no importance for Islam. They look more to Muhammad's character and personality-- taking into account his cultural context as a sixth century Arab-- more so than others. The personality characteristics exemplified by Muhammad(peace be upon on him) are listed by one author as follows....

Politeness
Kindness
Love and Mercy
Forgiveness
Generosity
Hospitality
Sacrifice
Simplicity
Humility
Modesty
Sincerity
Honesty and Truthfulness
Fair Dealing
Justice
Fulfillment of Promises
Piety and Righteousness
Moderation
Perseverance
Courage and Bravery
Humor.

Muhammad(peace be upon him) in general and especially early on, did not permit the writing down of his extra-Qur'anic sayings during his life-time, being fearful they would become confused with the text of the Qur'an. Many intra-Muslim fights are over the sunnah.

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JIHAD!( here i go..so please help me god!)

Jihad is not properly translated as "holy war" per say but as "struggle of good against evil". Jihad is the attempt to fully establish Islam on the planet, in our communities, and in ourselves. It contains Islam's theory of just war, but also contains much, much more.

Because Islam is firmly wholistic (the Field Model), it encourages jihad in all arenas of human expression: psychological, social, physical, political, and economic as well as spiritual...u name it! It is wrong to reduce jihad to but one area of life as we often see some Muslims doing today.

Islam allows physical warfare only against aggressors after attempts at change, treaty and reconciliation have failed. If peace is offered it is to be accepted.

from "Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet" by Karen Armstrong:



"The Qur'an began to urge the Muslims of Medina to participate in a jihad. This would involve fighting and bloodshed, but the root JHD implies more than a 'holy war'. It signifies a physical, moral, spiritual and intellectual effort. There are plenty of Arabic words denoting armed combat, such as harb (war), sira'a (combat), ma'araka (battle) or qital (killing), which the Qur'an could easily have used if war had been the Muslims' principal way of engaging in this effort. Instead it chooses a little vaguer, richer word with a wide range of conotations. The jihad is not one of the five pillars of Islam. It is not the central theme of the religion, despite the common Western views. But it was and remains a duty for Muslims to commit themselves to a struggle on all fronts-- moral, spiritual and political-- to create a just and decent society, where the poor and vulnerable are not exploited, in the way that God had intended man to live. Fighting and warfare might sometimes be necessary, but it was only a minor part of the whole jihad or struggle. A well-known tradition (hadith) has Muhammad(peace be upon him) saying on returning from a battle, "We return from the little jihad to the greater jihad," the more difficult and crucial effort to conquer the forces of evil in oneself and in one's own society in all the details of daily life."

Tawheed
Tawheed is an untranslatable term that contains within it the Muslim2 understanding of the implications of strict monotheism. According to some writers who bridge the gap between East and West tawheed is not easily grasped by those coming out of Euro-American traditions. It expresses a radical monotheism that severely restricts symbolic, figurative or anthropomorphic language to explain the relationship between Deity and creation. The Qur'an contains descriptions of God's activities and attributes often compiled as "The 99 Names". Prime among these is an absolute and total Uniqueness and Unity.

Tawheed anticipates the current fascination with "wholistic" thought or health. Tawheed is the means by which Islam expresses a wholistic conception of human life and the cosmos; integrating physical, social, psychological and spiritual concerns into a consonant whole. The parts of experience "fit together".

to be continued..

And it seems that the even are so much directly related to islam..unfortunately..so please forgive me...

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According to a famous islamic scholar,(i am paraphrasing it) tawheed implies the followings about reality:

"God and creation are ontologically separate. There is no pantheistic, panentheistic, or anthropmorphic tendencies permitted in our discourse about God.
Human beings can comprehend what God wants us to do.
Human life and all of creation is imbued with meaning and purpose.
Human beings are capable of molding life and the world according to the dictates of Islam.
The individual is responsible for molding life and the world according to Islam.

Tawheed also contains within it a foundational scientific approach to reality containing three principles:

Rejection of all that does not correspond with reality.
There are no ultimate contradictions.
Openness to new and/or contrary evidence."

Under Muslim Rule

the excerpts below has been taken from another islamic scholar and i am just paraphrasing it....

A fundamental principle of Islam is that Islam is fairness and mercy to all--Muslims and non-Muslims. The Prophet (SAW) was sent "not, but as a Mercy for all creatures" (21:107). This Mercy extends even to non-Muslims, who will continue to co-exist with Muslims forever. After all, "If it had been your Lord's Will, they would all have believed, -- all who are on earth!" (10:99). Thus, Muslims are one of many nations. The verse "Nay, you are but humans, --of the humans He has created" (5:18) applies equally well to Muslims and non-Muslims. Muslims cannot give themselves special privileges or favor themselves just in virtue of their being Muslims. Muslims are supposed to be "witnesses over the nations" (2:143). A "witness" must be fair. "Say: 'My Lord has commanded justice'" (7:29).

The political system in Islam has justice for all as its supreme principle. "When you judge between mankind, judge with justice" (4:58). "If you judge, judge in equity between them. For God loves those who judge in equity" (5:42). Note that one principle of justice is spelled out in Quran as "No compulsion in religion" (2:256). Now, only the person who rejects the principles of justice for all mankind is considered an apostate. According to Sa'id, if a person converts out of Islam we should congratulate the group that s/he joined, for apparently they had something to offer that we Muslims didn't. BUT, if a person rejects the political Islam, i.e. rejects the principles of justice which include "no compulsion in religion", then (and only then) this person is an apostate and must be dealt with as such.

An important lesson must be learnt from the verse that permitted Muslims to use force for the first time in their history: "To those against whom war was made, who were subject to injustice, permission is given (to fight)" (22:39). Note that these people were subject to injustice. Further, note the "compulsion in religion" part: the verse goes on to describe those to whom permission was granted to fight as "those who have been expelled from their homes in defiance of right, (for no other cause) except that they say 'Our Lord is God'."Only when we stick firmly to these principles of justice,would we fulfill the role of "witnesses over the nation."

to be continued...

Those that are truly interested can read the Quran themsleves, search online or visit a masjid.

We don't need it all in this thread.......too much already

I wish it was really too much..i really wish we never have to argue over the things that we deliberately refuse to learn. sometime i wish, we just didn't have to argue over things even if we have all the information at our disposal to malign each other. sometime i really wish that we would first listen to ourselves before expecting others to listen. Sometime, i really wish that we would just keep quite and ponder over the things that we really want to argue about.

You got it there already.....if they refuse then you are wasting your breath(typing). "They" will not read it anyway.....



If there is a god and said god wants people to know the "truth" then if thet REALLY want it then they will find it and find it w/o people's help.......very simple.