Wednesday 11 July 2012

NATURAL QURAN

 As I said on the principle send piece of paper, I am not a fan of consuming holy journals (besides, the air we all inhale air should be clean).  On the Recycle Bin piece of paper we commenced the shredding method with the journal that is sacred to the “Abrahamic” Religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.  I said that we would progress on to other “pure papers,” sacred scriptures, and here we face the locked-in paper famous as the Qur’an, the Holy Qur’an, recited to Muhammad in a cave about fourteen centuries in the past (seventh one 100 of the “Common Era”).
{By the way, when population today “hear voices” we give them treatment:  counseling and medications.  When Moses or Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Paul, Muhammad or Joseph Smith “hear voices” population call them prophets, saints or gods.  If I said I discovered the voice of God right now, would you trust me?  Why not?}






There is much to be marvelled at in this text, not the slightest of which is the without bias dependable use of the time spans “compassionate and merciful” when citing to The God (Allah).  There are signals of serenity and calls for brotherhood; there are commands to be welcoming and inclusive; there are ways that lecture goodness and grace and godliness.  The Qur’an may not be as aged as the Bible or most other holy journals but it has honorable remarks that could be valued drawing close from any journal in history.
And, most of us recognise or have discovered that the Qur’an embraces calls to clear the world of unbelief and unbelievers (like the bible, preferably through amendment, but in addition vicious coercion), implication any and all who perform not accept Muhammad as Allah’s prophet, Allah as the One True God, or the Qur’an as the Best and Only and Final Word and Words from the mouth of the Eternal (and mouthless, that is, imageless) Creator of the Universe.
It is valued to declare here that for more years, when I was an interfaith chaplain, I granted out exact reproductions of a type of scriptures and spiritual elements on a once a day basis.  As a detention chaplain for 10 years, I commonly stayed at a restricted mosque and became acquainted with the imam, carrying him into the detention to get concurrently with muslim inmates.  The imam graciously bestowed countless exact reproductions of the Qur’an that I was cheerful to hand to hundreds of population in jail.  I employed to carry in a appeal rug and other icons of Islam into the chilled and dark elements of the detention and commanded countless debates that awarded the teachings of Muhammad near the wisdom of other historic spiritual teachers.  I did all this out of regard for each person’s right to rehearse their trust inside–their Constitutional right–and because this was my approach of interfaith work; it made sense and granted many implication to more, more talks and treatment times.  Not of slightest meaning, keeping debates with Muslims (of assorted social ethnicities) squatted alongside Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Atheists and other people was commonly many of pleasure and, peculiarly adequate, granted us expect that population in the “free world” could perform the same!
To be rightly free, we want to analyze letting depart of no matter what pulls apart us, embracing the books.  So, we ought be unbiased and honest.  If the Bible ought be shredded and recycled, so ought the Qur’an (and other people to follow).  For those who will declare this is “disrespectful” and “sacrilegious” and even “blasphemous” all we can declare here is that those are your time spans and claims.  The utmost Respect here ought be bestowed to the Truth and the midpoint certainty elucidated here:  All scriptures originated from and ought eventually disorganize back into the natural world of which they are (as we are) only a tiny part; and, The Natural Bible/Qur’an/Scripture of Nature is the grounding (and grinding) Text for all population, all over at all times.  Here we stand.  Here we shred.  Here we recycle.
One more extraordinary note: What we are recycling here is not the Qur’an.  According to Mohammed Pickthall (author of The Meaning of the Glorious Koran), “The Koran [sic] not able to be translated.”  This can be baffling for non-muslims since Pickthall himself paid out over 400 pieces of paper “translating” his Koran into English.  In his introduction he states, “The Book is here rendered virtually literally. . .but the effect is not the Glorious Koran. . .it is only an endeavour to present the implication of the Koran. . . .  It can not ever take the position of the Koran in Arabic. . . .”  So, in harmony with Islamic command, we only recycle Mr. Pickthall’s imperfect conversion, commentary and “meaning.”  This is not the Qur’an.  Are we clear on that?
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The Qur’an (that is, the conversion that is not the Qur’an)
In the Foreward to Pickthall’s conversion he makes a enquiring, but not unforeseen statement:  “It may be rationally alleged that no Holy Scripture can be without bias submitted by one who disbelieves its inspiration and its message.”  By this unusual turn of good sense there can be no aim examination or sensible examination of a “God Book” by every one who is not subjectively, in item devotedly, a believer in the text as the unquestioned and unquestionable Word of (their particular) God.
This is our first rank of enterprise with the shredder/recycler:  we ought commence by revisiting this “logic” to the world as none more than the anti-rational, a priori presuppositions that preclude any honourable debate as to the verifiable certainty of any journal, “holy” or otherwise.
Continuing through Pickthall’s Introduction, he briefs the life of Muhammad and his emergence as The Prophet.  Now satisfy consider that here we are only recycling English remarks typed in the early part of the 20th C.  by one English, Muslim, linguist (and, I would hasten to add, we will present no images of the man excepting those word-images gave to us by the good university lecturer, since this would be “idolatry” though The Prophet was not divine and so could not perhaps be an idol of any kind. . .now that we’re clear with that, we can progress on. . .). . .
According to Mr. Pickthall (MP), Muhammad was born in Mecca “fifty three years before the Hijrah” (when he was impelled to leave Mecca for Medina).  At slightest there is no mention of angels and shepherds and santa’s elves here.  His male parent deceased before he was born (another “looking for a father” kind of story—remember Joseph?).   An older woman engaged in work him in her caravan enterprise and he did such good work that she wedded the youthful man.  The faith in township was middled on the Kabah where there were diagrams recollecting population of Abraham.  Those who didn’t trust this rubbish were the Hunafa (those who turn away–from idols), one could declare they were “righteous heretics.”  MP declares “they were the agnostics of their day, each looking for certainty by the light-weight of his own interior consciousness.”  That’s somewhat fascinating, since Muhammad became one of these Hanif and went out to meditate in a cave for a month each year.  The rest is, as we declare, His Story, because out there one after dark when he was forty years aged the angel Gabriel advised him to read.  Muhammad responded, “I not able to read” (he was illiterate at forty).
Muhammad was “in a state of trance” when he was bestowed The Reading. . .in other remarks, The Qur’an.  Whatever was to be read was inscribed on his heart and when he got back to his wife, she trusted him, and then her relative trusted him, but most population in Mecca reflected he was “a little mad.”  Three years afterwards he got the communication to preach the communication so he became the messenger.  People observed him, not only as A prophet but he was THE Prophet.  Time went by (let’s not get fastened in the particulars here–anyone can read about it) and those who bowed to Muhammad in addition bowed to God (The God:  Allah) and became a Muslim (surrendered to God through Muhammad).  Politics and Religion united concurrently and Islam was born.  In 622 he and his followers left from Mecca and after many battles did not take back Mecca for 8 years when the habitation was  clarified of idols, Islam was made the state faith and Muhammad was undeniable ruler.  He announced, “Truth has come; darkness has departed away.”  “Pagan” tribes collected to take back their holy place but the military forces of The Prophet prevailed.  In the tenth year of the Hijrah (the commencing of the Islamic calendar), that is 632, The Prophet became unwell and died.  His new faith had propagated to be “the authorities of Arabia.”
The Natural Response: No suspect the man Muhammad of Mecca became a many warrior and political leader.  He was God’s General.  People are shocked and some will even put to death if Muhammad is idolized.  Strangely, isn’t it without bias clear that the NAME Muhammad has become an idolized image?  (and what of the disagreement that his followers are petrified a person might—they might—idolize him if they observe an photograph of him?  Faith-based dread is irrationality idolized).  Has a BOOK become the midpoint idol?  These are critical questions.  We blatantly have no record of him ever drafting any kind let only reading anything.  We only have his “words” and the practice (hadith) of what he said and taught.  Oral transmission looked like the way God treated these revelations.  The obstacle with verbal agreements (“God advised me this and you want to trust that God chatted to me”) is obvious:  Who verifies and How?  MP declares that the remarks shaped to Muhammad have been ”very very carefully preserved.”  How perform we know?  Just trust it, population say.  Sorry, that doesn’t reply anything.  Since the remarks in the Qur’an “borrow” more labels, narratives and teachings unbent from the Bible it begs the question:  Why another Holy Book?  Why another Prophet?  What is divergent here?  How is this God’s terminal remark and God’s terminal prophet and God’s terminal and accurate religion?  Just trust it?  From a naturalistic consideration this just doesn’t retain up.  Those who yield to Allah through Muhammad in addition yield their intellect and will to examine the allegations and investigate for wisdom and truth.  Therefore, like Moses and Buddha and Jesus and Krishna and all Mystics from all practices, we want to award what is honorable in the past files and regard what is decent in the someone (however renowned the narrative may be) and progress on with valour to observe what is truly practical and clever in the The Reading he fetched from the desolate cave.  Those who are not competent or keen to take this step into the light-weight, to carry the remarks out of the cave, will evermore be lost in the desolate until the light-weight of justification gleams on this book.
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Pickthall declares of the transmission and preservation of The Qur’an:  “All the surahs [chapters] of the Koran had been kept details in drafting before the Prophet’s death, and more Muslims had dedicated the total Koran to memory.”   We commence with the first of 114 surahs.
*
Surah 1: known as the Fatihah or “the opening” this first phase has in addition been called, problematically, the Muslim Lord’s Prayer.  First time we learn the unclasping “In the label of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.”  Three lines into the seven verses this merciful creator is called “Owner of the Day of Judgment.”  Not a very requesting invitation.  Not accurately good news.  Ends with a caution for ”those who depart astray.”  Enter:  Fear.  Believe or else.  Troubling that a journal alleging to be uncovered, shaped to a man in a cave, has God saying “Thee only we worship; Thee only we request for help.”  Does God devotion God?  Does God request God for help?
If I given you a journal, that I had not typed, but was “revealed” to me, and I said “Here, this is a communication from The God to you.”  What would you consider, declare, do?
Pickthall bids a masterful understatement about this surah:  “The day of the year of revelation is uncertain.”
As an opener, this phase is disappointing.  Who desires to turn the piece of paper and learn more of this “divine message?”  How would you sense if you were Allah and had to perceive to these seven verses billions and billions of times each day, month, year?
Surah 2: (we rise from 7 verses to 286 verses).  Apparently called “The Cow” because there are bovine references.  Moses advises the population God desires a female cattle given up and they make a golden female cattle (at slightest in the biblical account).  And the population whine:  Are you nuts?!   They demand to know which female cattle (of their valuable herd) this God desires dead–what shade of color, how aged, etc.   Moses beautiful much declares, finish bemoaning and just perform it!
Back at the commencing of the phase we get the unclasping lines:  “This is the Scripture whereof there is no doubt. . .”  Puzzling.  Words are whispered to a caravan operator in a desolate cave and a person other has to draft them down.  And, “there is no doubt”?   Immediately the world is pulled apart into believers and disbelievers.  Astoundingly disbelievers are on God’s horrid boundary right off the bat though “Allah has fastened their hearing and their hearts, and on their eyes there is a covering.”   God shells their ears and eyes and tells them they are doomed.  Doesn’t look like too fair.  Where is the compassion and mercy?  Easy:  just believe.
Then we get a re-telling of the Adam and Eve in the Garden narrative and a wink variety of the Pharaoh story.  The purpose of it all?  Once over, trust or be doomed.  Remember, this is the First Chapter of the Greatest Book on Earth.  Either you trust and trust in the right way (and trust that the one telling you to trust is Believable) or “such are the rightful holders of the Fire” (yes, Hell-fire).  Nice.  The most intense thing a Loving God can advise Humanity is that He is Loving and if you don’t accept that, well, you decease, tortured, burned to a crisp.  Sorry.  Ouch.  Things are heating up, and we’re only a small number pieces of paper into the most magnificent revelation ever bestowed to humanity.
And here we get the first “ecumenical/interfaith” moment.  Very touching.  Jews and Christians and Pagan-types will all get their compensate with the Lord.  Yes.  They are all embraced in the sandy oasis in the sky.  How can this be?!  Simple.  Very simple.  You can be no matter what faith you like, truly you can, as long as you trust in Allah and the “Last Day” and perform right and trust in what was uncovered to Muhammad—the Qur’an, this journal you’re reading).  See, I said it was simple.
But hold back, this female cattle is commencing to mooove.   “Woe be unto those draft the Scripture with their hands and then declare, ‘This is from Allah’.”  Whoops.  This is assumed to be a criticism upon those who are false believers, but what if it is applicable to the Qur’an?!  God forbid!  THEY can’t draft a thing and declare it’s from Allah!  Hell no!  We can, we did, and you’re damned to a Hot Place if you don’t accept OUR book! (Jews and Christians—sound familiar?).
A Muslim is “surrendered” to all the Prophets from Abraham to Jesus to the last and best Prophet Muhammad.
And now we have the setting for the total “blessed” book:  It’s all about Believers Versus Disbelievers.  And the last line summations it so handsomely:  “Pardon us, absolve us and have forgiveness on us!  Thou, our Protector, and give us win over the disbelieving folk.”  (Disbelievers, perform I learn an Amen to that?  Well, possibly you better depart read a thing else.  This is not going to be your camel ride).

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