02-12-2005, 12:22 AM
Bismillah
I read this post, and I did not intend to answer, but then when I saw there was a bit of confusion, I decided to answer according to what our Azharete scholar Sheikh sayed Noah taught us and I wish from Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala that this issue will be cleared, and I wish that when any1 try to translate a Ayah or verse not to translate it alone but connect it with verses before and after, and also what is the purpose or the main meaning in The Whole Surrah, like this no one can find any fault or can attack the Quran, because each verse is connected to another in strong chains that cannot be seperated, and no1 should say that the verses of each ayah is not relevant to the other and just copy from anti islamic sites in order to fight Islam and prove that The Quran is not The Authentic Word of Allah(SWS), and if any1 still does it is because of their sealed hearts that seals their sights and ears as well.
I hope everybody will be patient with me, as this might be a bit long, but I will try to be as brief as possible.
Now The verses that martini Quoted were from Surrat Al-Baqara. To begin I would like to state here that as we all know that the Quran contains 114 Sura. Each Surrah has 4 main aspects:
- Date of Revelation.
- Subject of Surrah and its Purpose.
- The method of Speech.
- The Merit of The Surrah and its position or status.
means if it was revealed in Mekka or Madinah, Al-Baqara was revealed in Al-Madina according to conssensus of moslem legal scholars. Proof of that is:
- [1] It is based on a group of Rules and Legislations that organizes the society affairs and matters:<ul><li>Organizing the Ruling of Blood.
- Organizing th Ruling of Finance.
- Organizing preservation of intellectual reasoning.
- Legislations for preserving the Offspring.
- Legislations for preserving The Relegion.
[2] The Surrah talks about the hyppocrites, and hyppocracy was first revealed in Madeenah and not Mekkah.
[3] Its Speech about the Jews and Christians, the fight agaisnt Islam was first started from Madina from Jews and christians.
[4] The length of the verses.
[5] Transferring The Qibla(Direction where Muslims pray Qa'baa).
[6] Reporting from Sahaba
These are six proofs that it was revealed in Madinah.
Subject of Surrah and its Purpose:
It talks about Legislations and rulings that organizes various society matters within the society or outside it, how to preserve themselves from all aspects from within, against The shaytan(devil) and his soldiers. He is the main enemy for all humans, and how to save themselves from outside enemies:
- Kuffar.
- Jews.
- Christians.
- Hyppocrites.
The method of Speech.:
The method of speech means wether it is direct or indirect, it is here in Surat Al-Baqara it is mostly direct.
What is Direct Speech? It is How Allah(SWS) adresses his speech directly to persons. E.G40. O Children of Israel! Remember My Favour which I bestowed upon you, and fulfill (your obligations to) My Covenant (with you) so that I fulfill (My Obligations to) your covenant (with Me), and fear none but Me.
He is adressing His Speech directley to children of Israel.
Also there are other kind of speeches:
- Statements that leads to what to Do(Amr,Orders) and what not to Do(Nahy,Prohibitions)
- There are stories in it of children of Israel.
- Parables that lead to great meanings.
- Allah addresses us by 2 ways, once by arousing our interest in his mercy if we do rightous deeds, and second to frighten us from the fate that awaits us if we do not beleive in him.
- It is full with speach that fulfills the emotions and brains.
The Merit of The Surrah and its position or status.
- The House that The Baqara is read in the devils or jinns do not approach it or come near it.
- Al-Baqara & Al-Imran saves us from the most devilish and divious devils.
- Al-Baqara & Al-Imran on day of resurriction comes over us like tow huge clouds defending those who used to recite them or memorize them.
If we read the first surras:
Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Raheem
1. Alif-Lâm-Mîm. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur'ân and none but Allâh (Alone) knows their meanings].
2. This is the Book (the Qur'ân), whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqûn [the pious and righteous persons who fear Allâh much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allâh much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)].
3. Who believe in the Ghaib and perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and spend out of what we have provided for them [i.e. give Zakât , spend on themselves, their parents, their children, their wives, etc., and also give charity to the poor and also in Allâh's Cause - Jihâd, etc.].
4. And who believe in (the Qur'ân and the Sunnah) which has been sent down (revealed) to you (Muhammad Peace be upon him ) and in [the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel), etc.] which were sent down before you and they believe with certainty in the Hereafter. (Resurrection, recompense of their good and bad deeds, Paradise and Hell, etc.).
5. They are on (true) guidance from their Lord, and they are the successful.
So the begining talks about those who beleive in Allah, Alif Lam Meem, these three letters to show that this book is from Allah(SWS) and not from any one else not even Muhammad, and he revealed who aree those who are Mutagoon(truly Guided), they are those who beleive in Ghaib, which is:
- Beleif in Allah.
- Beleif in Angels and Jinns.
- Beleif in Day of resurriction.
Now if we beleive in Ghaib, then we will perform what Allah ordered us to do, Salat most important, and to give Zakat.
So Allah(SWT) Started the Surrah with the main thing in Relegion, and that is to beleive in Him and his Onnes, then after those 5 verses He starts to state who is The Kuffar and thier condition, then who will enter hell and who will enter heaven, Then he starts with the creation of Adam and why He created us, till He reaches to The children of Israel, and He(SWT) starts to talk about them and how they disobeyed Musa and how they killed many prophets, and how they refused to fight against the enemy fearing to die. Then it starts to reveal the relation ship between jews and christians and how both of them do not beleive in each other, and how they think that only them who will enter heaven, then Allah reveals the story of Abraham, and that he was not a jew or christian, and that this was written in The Torah and Bible, and those who state otherwise are the losers. Then Allah starts to talk about the Qibla, and why it was changed, and that the people of the scripture know that this is the true direction but deny it, then He(SWT) starts to talk about Haj and the Rules and Legislations that organizes the society affairs in marriage and divorce and about jihad and fighting and legal law rules, about motherhood and so on.
Now if we come to the verses that Martini stressed on let us look at the verses before that if u read from verses 47 to 61 as a whole, and I will put a few verses below :
Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Raheem
60. And (remember) when Mûsa (Moses) asked for water for his people, We said: "Strike the stone with your stick." Then gushed forth therefrom twelve springs. Each (group of) people knew its own place for water. "Eat and drink of that which Allâh has provided and do not act corruptly, making mischief on the earth."
61. And (remember) when you said, "O Mûsa (Moses)! We cannot endure one kind of food. So invoke your Lord for us to bring forth for us of what the earth grows, its herbs, its cucumbers, its Fûm (wheat or garlic), its lentils and its onions." He said, "Would you exchange that which is better for that which is lower? Go you down to any town and you shall find what you want!" And they were covered with humiliation and misery, and they drew on themselves the Wrath of Allâh. That was because they used to disbelieve the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allâh and killed the Prophets wrongfully. That was because they disobeyed and used to transgress the bounds (in their disobedience to Allâh, i.e. commit crimes and sins).
62. Verily! Those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians, and Sabians, whoever believes in Allâh and the Last Day and do righteous good deeds shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve .
63. And (O Children of Israel, remember) when We took your covenant and We raised above you the Mount (saying): "Hold fast to that which We have given you, and remember that which is therein so that you may become Al-Muttaqûn (the pious - see V.2:2).
64. Then after that you turned away. Had it not been for the Grace and Mercy of Allâh upon you, indeed you would have been among the losers.
Here Allah(SWT) is revealing what children of Israel did with Moses and how they disobeyed him, and then disobeyed and killed many prophets, and how they committed crimes and sins. But then a Question comes here, was there not one person of the children of Israel who beleived and did good and was rightous?
So comes this verse, after stating all the sins that the children of Israel did, Allah states that not all of children of Israel were wrong doers or the christians or the sabians, there were among them who were believers and pious and those who will enter the heavens, and this ayah also can be applied on nowadays Jews and Christians and Sabians, who after they heared of Islam and are convinced in it and beleive in what Allah stated in the begining of The Surrah, are those who Allah Will be pleased with them and those who will enter the heaven. And then we find in verses 63 and 64 again he is reminding them, children of Israel after he took covenant over them again they denied and turned away, and it shows the Patience and Mercy of Allah with them at that time of period.
And as sister Honeycomb said, u do not want to beleive in God, and still u want to enter Heaven?
So the main factor in the Surrah is beleiving in Allah(SWT), and whoever hears of Islam and Prophet Muhammad and do not belive in him, then he is the loser and he will enter hell. There is no contradiction whatsoever, and those who bring verses from here and there to fight The Quran with it, is because they are really ignorant or they are like parrots who copy what others ask them to do, the Quran must be studied properly and understood well, otherwise u will never understand its meaning well even if u r a muslim.
Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Raheem
7. It is He Who has sent down to you (Muhammad ) the Book (this Qur'ân). In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of the Book [and those are the Verses of Al-Ahkâm (commandments, etc.), Al-Farâ'id (obligatory duties) and Al-Hudud (legal laws for the punishment of thieves, adulterers, etc.)]; and others not entirely clear.<b> So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the truth) they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, seeking Al-Fitnah (polytheism and trials, etc.), and seeking for its hidden meanings, but none knows its hidden meanings save Allâh.</b> And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in it; the whole of it (clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord." And none receive admonition except men of understanding. (Tafsir At-Tabarî). 2 Surrat Al-Imran
I used this Ayah in many posts before, but still those who are blinded do not wish to stop translating The Quran according to their own whims.
I hope I made things clear here, I posted all this so non muslim members will stop putting Ayahs which they do not know the meaning of just to prove that Islam is wrong or that the verses contradict each other. Each Surra is a whole integrated subject as I posted above, for those who are willing to learn may Allah enlighten their heart, and those who are still blind and still insist to disbelive in Allah's Onnes and that He is The only Devine God and no one else is compared to him, then it is his own choice and he has to wait for his punishment on the day of resurriction, and he will know his destiny the moment he dies, for he will be able to c that moment if he is in heaven or hell.
I appologize for the long post, but I saw that it was necessary to clear such a matter once and for all. I Hope
And Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'la Is A'la(Higher) Wa A'lam(AllKnower) Knows best.
May Allah accept from me, if I am right from Allah, if I am wrong From my mistake and Ignorance.
Wasalam