Pak Tea House » Islam, Islamic Holy Book Quran » Quranic Reflections: Surah Al-Mulk (The Dominion)
Quranic Reflections: Surah Al-Mulk (The Dominion)
An important element of Quranic discourse – and a kind of indirect proof of its Divine originality – is how it pushes the reader towards an almost natural and impulsive mode of pondering. This is sometimes achieved by countering the inner-most arguments developing deep within the folds of the human self. In his autobiographical journey towards Islam from atheism, Dr. Jeffrey Lang shares how he used to encounter responses to his questions as he interacted with the Quran on day to day basis. In fact, most of the Quranic interlocutors would agree that this observation is not a totally extraordinary experience and often there are moments when an unbiased and persistently reflective reader would feel as if his subconscious is laid bare before the Quran.
Being structurally as well as linguistically more coherent and direct, shorter Surahs [1] towards the end of the Quran better depict these characteristics of brevity and candor and this one, i.e., Al Mulk (the Dominion), is indeed no exception.
In what can be called a thematically single and well connected unit, a reader is warned regarding temporal nature of human life and this world, through an invitation to reflect upon the multifarious dimensions in which God’s Omnipotence is depicted in the observable universe. Being a frequently adopted style throughout Quran, this warning is delivered categorically by repetitively invoking the person of the Prophet by using explicitly the vocative case قُلْ implying that interlocutors of the Prophet were actively engaged with him where verses of the Quran were continuously serving as part of the ongoing dialogue.
Using observable phenomena in nature as a symbol pointing towards an Omniscient (67:14) and Omnipotent (67:1) Designer, the reader is asked to literally look upwards and observe the universe and creation of skies (67:3-5), look down and observe the creation of earth and how it facilitates movement like a tamed and domesticated camel (67:15) [2], and again pointed above to watch the flight and suspension of birds (67:19).
At first sight, this indeed looks like a straightforward framing of teleological argument, which is critically reviewed by Iqbal in these words [3]:
The teleological argument is no better. It scrutinizes the effect with a view to discover the character of its cause. From the traces of foresight, purpose, and adaptation in nature, it infers the existence of a self-conscious being of infinite intelligence and power. At best, it gives us a skillful external contriver working on a pre-existing dead and intractable material the elements of which are, by their own nature, incapable of orderly structures and combinations.
Even though, Iqbal’s critique of the argument emanates from an altogether different motivation (i.e., aiming at philosophical framing of the argument which is obviously distinct than the Divine formulation; and the latter cannot possibly be restricted under one of the classical arguments for the existence of God), a reader primarily accessing the revelation philosophically may still remain unsatisfied on closely similar grounds as Iqbal. Yet another kind of agnostic reader may feel utterly unmoved by Quran’s call to find the flaws in the perfect design of natural world. Take for instance, the case of this classic argument for denial in someone like Russell [4]:
When you come to look into this argument from design, it is a most astonishing thing that people can believe that this world, with all the things that are in it, with all its defects, should be the best that omnipotence and omniscience have been able to produce in millions of years. I really cannot believe it. [...] Moreover, if you accept the ordinary laws of science, you have to suppose that human life and life in general on this planet will die out in due course: it is a stage in the decay of the solar system; at a certain stage of decay you get the sort of conditions of temperature and so forth which are suitable to protoplasm, and there is life for a short time in the life of the whole solar system. [...] Therefore, although it is of course a gloomy view to suppose that life will die out, it is not such as to render life miserable. It merely makes you turn your attention to other things.
Quranic discourse tends to address most of such counter-arguments all over the revelation; however, in this Surah specifically, part of the above limitations are overcome by what can be called a carefully refining of somewhat mechanistic God-Nature relationship (as viewed in classical framing of the argument) with the one of considered Divine intention and purpose. In my view, this is achieved right in the beginning when the concept of death, which essentially implies transformation of of all life into an eventual mote of cosmic dust in a world without God, is not only attached with the Divine creativity but also given a greater and completely logical purpose of Divine judgement regarding who ultimately succeeds in achieving the moral good (67:2).
As if providing a possible rejoinder to Russell’s last remark, Quran forces the reader to remain attentive to this world as much as the other.
Without picking up this important nuance, the whole argument is rendered too simplistic and seemingly based on mechanistic Designer/ Designed duality. On a different note, these initial verses tend to transpose the way how an atheistic argument would approach this whole issue of life and death, i.e., by turning one’s attention to other things. Quranic argument like the atheistic stand is also rooted in the natural world but unlike the latter, this natural world – in its existence as well as extinction – is not considered to be moving towards a purposeless decay but serving as a test bed for human conduct.
Not classically opposing but nevertheless an ostensibly reasonable counter-question can be that when will this promise of ultimate day of judgement be fulfilled (67:25), to which the Prophet is simply asked to respond that he does not possess such knowledge, as he is merely given the mission to convey a clear warning (67:26). Faith, therefore, is not always based on positivist empirical grounds (67:12).
The acme of this Divine drama as well as response to deniers’ myopic reasoning is set in the hereafter where groups of the persistent deniers, after being thrown into the animated Hell, will be asked whether no warner has been sent to them with the warning. To which, they will reply that warners were indeed sent to them but they rejected them and considered them deluded (67:7-11).
Perhaps the most peculiar and interesting point in these verses is Quranic commentary on rationality. The human faculty of reason, as the dialogue (67:7-11) quite clearly establishes, if used judiciously, must lead man to use natural world as a symbol to infer existence of God and a greater plan in creation. “Is then one who walks headlong, with his face grovelling, better guided,- or one who walks evenly on a Straight Way?”, asks Quran from the ones who ascribe to reason as an ideal in itself and blinds themselves to the actual ideals in the process (67:22).
Just like it is reasonable enough to believe in warnings given to us daily by people whom we fully trust, it is also rational to believe in the warnings given to us by human beings whom God chooses as His messengers. It is perhaps correct to contend that reason, according to Quranic view of rationality, is not an ideal in itself but a means to achieve the only true ideal of conceiving and appreciating the Divine consciousness scattered everywhere in the cosmos [5].
Among the obvious philosophical difficulties of understanding this kind of Quranic discourse – where the argument is rooted in the warning as well as the person of the warner – is the question whether a contemporary reader should differentiate between the direct and indirect recipients of the revelation. In my view, the point regarding warner’s proximity to those being warned clearly differentiates both kind of recipients in how they employ their respective faculties of reason; as what was originally a two-dimensional approach of warning – closely binding the person of Prophet as well as the Revelation – has been transformed into a single textual dimension for later communities after the Prophet.
This indeed is among the common semantic difficulties (albeit usually ignored) which a careful reader of the Quran, especially the one carrying the burden of historical interpretation, faces too often. Important among some other difficulties specific to this Surah are the exegetical issues whether the idiomatic meaning of phrase رُجُومًا لِّلشَّيَاطِين can be taken in verse 67:5 [6]; and what purpose is possibly intended when Quran employs a language that apparently confines God to celestial space (67:16-17) [7].
__________________________________________
- Shah Wali Ullah categorizes these Surahs as Mufassal in Al-Fauzul Kabir fi Usul al-Tafsir (although the categorization is not originally from him but coming from the classical tradition of exegesis) and this is the seventh and last group of according to Amin Ahsan Islahi’s grouping in Taddabbur-e-Quran.
- Islahi shares great insights on idiomatic constructions in 67:15 in his Taddabbur-e-Quran.
- Muhammad Iqbal, Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam.
- Bertrand Russell, Why I am not a Christian.
- Muhammad Asad gives brief but good insights regarding these verses in his The Message of the Quran. For detailed critique of modern views of rationality in relation to human psychology and its inter-relationship with knowledge, ideals, instincts and self, see Muhammad Rafiuddin, Ideology of the Future. For an in-depth survey of rationality in relation to various traditions of morality, see the seminal works of Alasdair MacIntyre, especially After Virtue and Whose Justice, Which Rationality.
- Asad, for instance, translates the verse idiomatically by rendering it to refer to astrologers who use patterns and positions of stars to make futile and random guesses.
- This indeed seems to be a metaphorical figure of speech not implying literal confinement to heavens above, as human beings sometimes symbolically (and almost naturally) refer to the celestial spaces while mentioning God. Some translators have rendered the particle فِي as possessive rather than implying the usual meaning of containing within, which is a linguistic stretch in my opinion.
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41 Responses to "Quranic Reflections: Surah Al-Mulk (The Dominion)"
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A 7th century book cannot understand the problems of the mankind of the 21st century, let alone solve them. In fact the kuran has caused a worsening of many problems wherever and whenever kuranic “solutions” (be they intellectual, juridical or political) were enforced or admixed or injected. The muslim has been made (through the heavy islamic propaganda, street-gangsterism and intimidation) incapable of seeing this or admiting this. So we are in for big and bigger trouble.
God’s interaction with mankind is intellectual-rational and it did not come to a final score in the 7th century Arabia. Humans have to manage their affairs without god and god’s help or intervention. That is the basic intellectual platform. Even if god wishes to intervene we must keep him politely away. Humans intoxicated with the god-disease have wrought much havoc. God should know that by now.
We can’t subordinate 21st century mankind under some 7th century dictators and dictationers.
It is great that people are pondering over the message of Quran and reflecting over its meanings.
You say, “…It is great that people are pondering over the message of Quran and reflecting over its meanings….”.
. Please enlighten us as to who are that people..?
. Is Quran is the only place one turn to? Or is it necessary?
. Do you think Muslims can get benefitted by examining contents of
sacred books of Jews, Christians, Hindoos, Buddhists, Zoroastrians,
Jains,Sikhs and writings of Christopher Hitchins, Mao-Zedong…..?
Wa Salaam
hinduism in practice is worst type of apartheism.with zoinism brhmnsm is also most brutal force on earth.following is wxample,
August 2, 2011 at 6:06 pm
s.singh balwinder the shudra khosla and ravi the sher,
u want hindu rashtra based on following,
Reports
SECRET OF BRAHMINIST RULE OVER INDIA
Keep Bahujans starved by diverting funds to war & violence
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Bangalore: The world has just learnt the official announcement of China becoming the world’s second most powerful economy, overtaking Japan. But the Hindu rulers of India, who have kept the over 85% of its slaves crushed, are least bothered about the failing health of the country. Because they say the country does not belong to them as they are Aryans, aliens and invaders.
They say their job is to rule India at any cost and they have been successfully doing it since centuries.
BAHUJANS HAVE NO ENEMY
In 1962, China crushed India in a border war and even after about 48 years the border dispute remains unsolved. On one side the Indian rulers are spending so much on “defending” Kashmir where the local people are on perpetual revolt. On the other side it is spending its resources on guarding the Himalayan borders against China. And fighting Pakistan.
A major portion of the Indian tax-payers money is being diverted to defence expenditure, further depriving funds meant for the food, clothing and shelter of the 85% indigenous Bahujan have-nots.
OUR MONEY DIVERTED TO WAGE WARS
Since the West, led by its Jewish hate-mongers are against China but chummy with the ruling “Jews of India” it is very difficult to get at the truth in this series of conflicts between India and China, Pakistan, Kashmir.
The native Bahujans are peace-lovers. They are poverty-stricken, illiterate and devoid of health care.
But the ruling micro-minority Brahminists are diverting our money to wage war against the these “enemies”.
Reading between the lines in Western media reports, we were able to make out that China-India relations are as bad as ever — if not deteriorating because India’s policy-making is in the hands of the hate-mongering Brahminists who being “Jews of India” always go hand in hand with their Jewish cousins.
China has patched up its differences with all its neighbours as far as border disputes are concerned — except India. The 4,000 km border between the two is the main bone of contention even after half a century. The border dispute affects pockets in Uttarkhand, Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh — thousands of miles.
OFFICERS SIPPING WHISKEY
Such a lengthy border is manned by our Bahujan soldiers in freezing cold round the year. The Army bosses, all Aryan upper castes, spend time sipping whiskey in the cosy comforts of army clubs.
Brahminical rulers giving shelter to the hated Tibetan refugee, the Dalai Lama, is the main source of trouble between the two countries.
Whenever the Hindu rulers want to irritate China, they let loose the well-fed Tibetan hounds to attack the Chinese embassy in Delhi despite the embassy enjoying all the diplomatic privilege and protection. The entire police force deployed to “protect” the embassy belongs to our Bahujan Samaj.
DALAI LAMA’S HEINOUS ROLE
As long as this hated Dalai Lama is pampered and protected by the Indian rulers, China will never be ready for any reconciliation with India. Political observers say the Hindu rulers are sheltering the Dalai Lama, a stooge of the West, only to irritate China.
Does it not mean India is deliberately diverting billions and billions of rupees meant for its Bahujan have-nots for border defence? Who asked the rulers to wage war against these countries?
BORDER DISPUTE DELIBERATELY NOT SOLVED
If the rulers are genuinely interested in the well-being of its own population will it divert such huge funds for border defence?
Aryan rulers hate Bahujans and to punish them they play such war games.
The only thing that guides and directs the Indian upper caste rulers is hate. They hate the over 85% oppressed, starving Indians and that is why to keep them permanently under slavery they are not solving the border disputes.
In other words there is no chance of a border settlement with China.
WANTED MORE BOMBS
The Hindu rulers have just pushed through a nuclear deal with US which the observers see as a sign of America trying to use India against China. India became a nuclear power to fight Pakistan. Now it wants more bombs and more powerful ones to face the super power China. That means more money will be diverted to buy bombs.
BRAHMINISTS GAIN IN EVERY WAR
Look at the American hypocrisy. It is against Iran going nuclear but it is giving all-out help to further enhance the capabilities of the already nuclear power (India).
The hate-mongering Jews, after enslaving the White Western Christians, forced the West to attack Islam. Iraq and Afghanistan are pounded. But the West did not win — rather defeated. Their next target is said to be China for which they are using India’s Brahminical rulers.
Having been once defeated, is it ready to face China, now a super power? The Aryan rulers are not bothered.
If there is a war with China or Pakistan those who die in battlefield are our people. The money meant for us will be spent. Both ways the Brahminists stand to gain.
China is fully aware of all these developments and that is why it has encircled the whole of India. All the countries surrounding India have become closest allies of China after Hindu rulers quarrelled with every neighbour.
ITCHING FOR ANOTHER WAR WITH PAKISTAN
Pakistan and “Hindu India” had several wars and Indian rulers are itching for another war. “Hate Muslim” campaign is at its height in India.
Brahminical terrorism led by the Abhinav Bharat is preparing the ground with Israeli funds and weapons.
But China has assured full support. It has become Pakistan’s biggest supplier of defence hardware and fighter planes and guided missiles. And even bomb.
As long as Brahminical rulers continue to hold India’s neck, the Bahujans will be kept at starvation level with war and violence against neighbours always exploding on our face.
But when will the Bahujans wake up? When will they understand the Brahminist game to keep us enslaved? No answer.
REFERENCES:
DV April 16, 2010 p.6: “Dalai Lama: DV wins”
DV Oct.16, 2009 p.12: “Dalai Lama promotes second Israel inside India”.
DV Sept.1, 2009p.11: “Brahminical rulers itching for war with China?”
DV Edit Aug.16, 2009: “China tightens grip on India’s neck: Brahminical rulers unconcerned because they remain unchallenged”.
DV May 1, 2009 p.11: “Dalai Lama is a hated blood-sucker feudal lord”.
DV April 1, 2009 p.9: “Dalai Lama admits defeat”.
DV Dec.16, 2008 p.8: “West realises its mistake on Tibet”.
DV Sept.1, 2008 p.13: “World recognises China as super power”.
DV July 16, 2008 p.23: “Dalai Lama as CIA pimp: Killers of democracy funding him”.
DV Edit April 16, 2008: “Dalai Lama propped up by US to irritate China: Vaidik rulers bid to pelase West will harm India”, p.3: “USA using India to liberate Tibet”, p.4: “British backing Dalai Lama”.
DV Edit Feb.1, 2008: “PM’s China visit fails: His mad love for US will not allow him to embrace Beijing”.
DV July 1, 2007 p.19: “Indian rulers are not honest in friendship with China”.
DV Dec.16, 2006 p.7: “No peace with China until Dalai Lama is kicked out”.
DV May 16, 2005 p.10: “China as hope of Third world”.
DV April 16, 2005 p.23: “India can never, ever overtake China because of caste system’.
DV Edit July 16, 2003: “How can Hindu rulers driven by hate & hegemony generate love & peace with China”.
DV July 16, 1999 p.11: “Chou Enlai predicted Nehru bid to establish a great Brahminical empire in India”.
DV Edit Oct.1, 1985: “Who Faked the boundary document: It is time to patch up with China”.
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Police raid on Calicut book house
A CORRESPONDENT
Calicut: The office of the Other Book was raided on Aug.6 2010. The police team was led by Calicut Assistant Police Commissioner Showkath Ali. There was no search warrant. The police told the media that they had not seized any incriminating data from our office (Hindu, Aug.8, 2010). The reason for the raid was said to be that an accused in an undisclosed case under the Aluva police station limit possessed a book and pamphlet whose publisher they wanted to trace. The incident was part of the state-wide attack on Popular Front of India, a Muslim socio-political organization in connection with the attack on Prof. Joseph, who prepared a question paper insulting Prophet Muhammed.
The Brahmin-Nair led marxist-front Govt. of Kerala has proved to be more dangerous to Dalits and Muslims than the Manuwadi-Congress govt. The Other Book is a scholarly publishing house with which Dalit Vioce is closely associated. DV members in Kerala and Malabar in particular must strongly defend the Other Boook — EDITOR.
——————————————————————————–
Kerala OBC youth under Nair attack
A CORRESPONDENT
Ernakulam: V.S. Shine, an Ezhava youth (OBC), SNDP Yogam activist, and a close associate of Vellappally Natesan, its powerful general secretary, a Kerala Govt. servant hailing from Alleppey dt. is being hunted for writing a blog in internet (www.vichitrakeralam.blogpost.com) on the Nair past history based on proven historical facts. Nair (sudra) is the most oppressive upper caste in Kerala. Both are ruling Left front and the opposition Congress are controlled by Nairs and Syrian Christians. In the past the notorious custom of Nambuthiri Sambandam, which a famous Nair, Swami Dharmatheertha, was roundly condemned in his book, History of Hindu Imperialism. The Nair Service Society chief lodged a complaint against Shine and the police are after him. The “marxist” (CPM) govt. of Kerala is more casteist compared to the Brahmana Jati Party (BJP). Shine fortunately got bail with stringent conditions. Nair police, Nair govt. advocate, Nair judiciary colluded with each other to finish the Ezhava youth. SNDP Yogam activists, Ezhavas, Kerala’s single largest caste, want to make this an international issue of human rights violation and naked racism. Meanwhile, the poor Abdul Nasser Madani, finally out of the Coimbatore Jail on concocted charges, is once again facing Brahminical fury. This time they are bent upon jailing him and finish him there.
——————————————————————————–
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Ms. Saleena Karim, London: I am a British Pakistani writer who became interested in the debate over the so-called Pakistan idea a few years ago. I happened to discover that a quote attributed to Jinnah was a fake and wrote a book about it (released in 2005, now out of print). Since then I have also attempted to start a ‘Jinnah Archive’ of Jinnah’s speeches online. My current book is a political biography of Jinnah and an in-depth discussion of the Pakistan idea (seep.28). I have taken the position that speaking in terms of either a ‘secular Jinnah’ or a ‘Muslim Jinnah’ is too black-and-white and that Jinnah has been misunderstood because of this simplistic categorisation. I also argue that whilst Jinnah was protecting Muslim interests he was by no means ‘communalist’ and defended the civil rights of all minority communities, whatever their faith or ethnicity, both in pre-partition India (for instance in the Round Table Conferences in the 1930s) and later in Pakistan. Finally I have suggested that Muslims in Pakistan have failed to understand Islamic idealism and that this is directly responsible for their inability to resolve Pakistan’s ‘ideological’ question. More information about myself and my work is at my website: http://www.secularjinnah.co.uk.
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THUS SPAKE PERIYAR
Brahmin punishment to shudras
Christening: Good and auspicious names should be given to the Brahmins only. Kshatriyas should be given names connoting braveness and valour. Vaisyas’s name should be based on articles.
Sudras alone should be given names meaning disgrace and degradation. Further the word “Dasan” should be the suffix for all the sudra names. (Chap.2, S.31 and 32).
A Brahmin’s “Poonul” (thread) should be made of cotton. Khatriyas Poonul should be made 3 of janappa threads. Vaisyas Poonul should be made of goat’s hair. (Chap. 2.S.44).
Pigs & sudras: Any eatable article becomes polluted and unfit for consumption when:
(1) A pig dashes against, (2) hens and **** fly over, (3) when a dog looks at, (4) when a sudra touches. (Chap.3.S.241).
Any one, who offers anything eatable to a sudra after the ceremony will go to hell. Such a fool will be punished there. He will have to live there upside down. (Chap.3.S.249).
If the Brahmins happen to eat anything that has been tasted or touched by a sudra, that Brahmin should have intercourse with his wife that night and the dead will live in the motion of the wife for a month (Chap.3.S.250).
There are seven varieties of sudras:
(1) He who retreats in a war. (2) A prisoner in a war. (3) One who serves a Brahmin out of devotion. (4) Son of a prostitute. (5) One who is purchased. (6) One who is adopted. (7) One who is a traditional worker. (Chap.8.S.415).
Duties of the sudra: A sudra worships a Brahmin either for salvation or for his livelihood. It will be a good thing for him if he calls all others inferior to Brahmins. (Chap.10.S.122).
As the Kshatriyas have failed to perform rituals and as they neglected to worship the Brahmins, they are becoming sudras (Chap.10.S.43).
In any congregation, the Brahmin alone should eat first. If there is balance of food, that alone should be given to others. New clothes should be worn by Brahmins only and when they become old and torn they should be given to others. A sudra is entitled to receive only these. (Chap.8.S.125)
It is the duty of the king to order the sudra to serve the Brahmins. If the sudra refuses he should be punished and forced. (Chap.10.S.235).
A Brahmin could extract work from the sudra paying or without paying. Brahma has created the sudra only to work for the Brahmins. (Chap.8.S.413).
It is the main duty of the sudra to serve the other communities without jealousy. For his service he may get wages. (Chap.1.S.91).
Exploitation: The wealth of the sudra who does not perform yagna is to be deemed as the property of the Asuras. So his wealth could be plundered.. (Chap.7.S.248).
The wealth of the sudra could be forcibly plundered. No consent is needed. There need not be any hesitation. (Chap.11.S.13).
Even if a sudra is in a position to earn, he should not earn anything more than what is needed to his family. If any sudra does so, he may go against the Brahmins and be tortured. (Chap.10.S.126).
Punishment to sudras: If a sudra talks ill of a Brahmin his tongue should be cut off. (Chap.8.S.270).
If a sudra pronounces the name of a Brahmin or talks of his caste or accuses him, an iron rod ten inches long should be heated red-hot and thrust into the mouth of the sudra. (Chap.8.S.271).
If the sudra dictates the Brahmin to do a particular thing, boiled oil should be poured into the mouth and ears of the sudra. (Chap.8.S.272).
If the sudra hits at Brahmin’s hair beard, legs, neck, penis, his hands must be cut off. (Chap.8.S.283).
If the sudra sits in a seat along with a Brahmin, his hips should be scorched or he should be driven away from the town. (Chap.8.s.281).
this is only one.because of hinduism india remain in dark till advent of islam.
another fraud is yoga,it is a great hindu art of deceiving.now a days a fraudname sre sree is running his racket from banglore fooling the innocents and providing access to international py ring in india.
nother hindu jewel,
“They appeared to us like young pythons with soft bodies who are brought up in the venomous Hindu culture” (p.18)
“The Baniya, with his huge belly, loose-hanging flesh looks very ugly. Thread on the upper body, ashes on the forehead complete the appearance.While the Hindu priest earns without fear of sin through free doles, the Hindu Baniya earns without fear of sin through trade.” (p.42 Tel.)
“If a Brahmin invested anything at all, it is only manthra chanting. It is well known how much a Brahmin fears work. The Brahmin’s craving for food also confirms it.” (p. 141 Tel.)
“Because they are mostly idle, the Brahmins could conjure-up sixty four poses of copulation.” (p.46 Tel.)
“When a Brahmin dies with a desire to enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, his wife has to follow him. She has to commit sati. If she remains alive, there is chance that she may cohabit with a Sudra or a Chandala. So her death settles the problem for ever
It is good that Aasam Bakhshi’s personal thoughts and views about Quraan and specific suras are allowed by PTH to appear. Muslims should, however, be aware that the holy Quraan is there to guide those in life who seek knowledge of the universe and personal salvation, recognising also the present limitations of our intellect and brain cells.
As of today, we have not been able to utilise more than twenty percent of the potential brain capability. Blessed are those who have decoded the distinct messages in specific suras of Quraan.
Rex Minor
The Holy Koran, most modern of the revealed Sacred texts, God states unequivocally (my translation:) that sHe has arranged apropriate entertainment in Hell for the deviates and disbelievers.
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The megacorrupt.
The hyperdeviates and Hypocrites are the greatest perverts as far as pakistan goes (down, unless we can atrrest the deckline)
and
Godspeed!
Ahoy!!
Aasem
This is an extremely weak write up.
Here is why it is weak. Take out all the big words and long sentences. Write down what you wish to convey, using a few simple words.
My fear is that you will find that you will convince only those who are already convinced.
Now, that is not a bad goal, in itself, though.
Some of the contributions in this thread show the deep anger, hate, foolishness and irrationality of those who follow or idealize kuran and islam. They live under the impression that islam alone is good and good only and everything else is evil and evil only. This proves that islamic upbringing leads to an arrogant, conceited, fascist way of life and ideology.
No wonder that is islam-based societies (not only muslim majority societies) violence, lies and fascism have taken over all power and destroyed all reasonability.
Btw, Russel was an atheist and not an agnostic and as one of the intellectual giants of the last century, his thoughts cannot be dismissed with such nonchalance. The writer would do well to follow KaalChakra’s advice. There is a lot of smokescreen created with big words without really any coherent string of ideas. The author seems convinced by the inherent divinity of Quran and, therefore, what it says has to be true. Such tautological reasoning convinces no one and in the end does more harm than benefit.
to BM and kaalchhakra
How can a faithful muslim write about kuran and islam (and Mohammad) without self-deception and flowery words of compulsive glorification?
Assuming kuran is divine in order to prove it is divine is the typical self-deception that islam (=submission=mental slvery) enforces on muslims. A muslim who tries to break out of this compulsion and indoctrination will have his neck and skull broken by his muslim “brothers”.
When I read the kuran I realized that it is a book that has no other purpose and use except to drive simple-minded or fascistically oriented human beings into becoming zombies of a totalitarian system. It has no other use except to manipulate such human beings through bribery and intimidation. It works “perfectly” since 1400 years and causes a huge lot of misery, backwardness, fascism, violence, overpopulation and arrogance among muslims. Especially the short chapters of the kuran are powerful manipulations upon timid or irrational humans. The long chapters are boring and may cause only sleep and bad dreams. Muslim lives show these aspects in daily life. The resulting mental illness causes them to blame it all on the non-muslims and go berserk over it.
In an overpopulated world the only purpose that islam will serve is to decimate human beings or imprison them under fascism. But islam’s ability to produce muslim children is larger that its ability to kill non-muslims. So the overpopulation catastrophe does not go away. Pakistan is the test-tube case of islam. It explodes and then the try the same experiment with more gunpowder, anger, conspiracy theories and curses.
Needless to say that the author has made a number of basic errors; the holy book of Quraan is not meant for atheists, the non-believers (any reference to Russel or the like is of no relevance; atheists by definition are ignorants in the field of metaphysics and are sceptic of divine power and fall into the group of disbelievers, nonbelievers, unbelievers,doubter, empirists, heathen, heretic,infidel, pagan, despite the historical development. This group has expanded with new names only ever ignoring the reveleation to the mankind of the God of Ibrahim and the appearance of the prophets/ambassadors who brought the messages of God which appear today in holy scriptures including Quraan.
Rex Minor
ollow the ancient have re. Even the believers do not have the absolute knowledge yet to understand fully the mystaries of the universe simply because we have not yet been able to utilise the potential capacity of our senses, our geist(soul and mind) not to mention that we are not even able to communicate fully with each ther because of our linguistic, cultural and DNA backgrounds which are not in uniformity with one another.
Let us follow the logkeep
Those who are scepticborn with sceptiare not are restricts individual cultural of the universe and as such of stand ( incidently Russel was not an intellectual giant of the last centuryintellectualsQuraan . ussel was anThe author
Rex Minor shows his real face!!!!
He got good measure of non believers potential of brain and their senses but his CIRCUMCISED brain can understand and comprehand fully the non sense of prophets and their alter ego projected as god
Needless to say that the author has made a number of basic errors; the holy book of Quraan is not meant for atheists, the non-believers (any reference to Russel or the like is of no relevance; atheists by definition are ignorants in the field of metaphysics and are sceptic of divine power and fall into the group of disbelievers, nonbelievers, unbelievers,doubter, empirists, heathen, heretic,infidel, pagan, despite the historical development. This group has expanded with new names only ever ignoring the reveleation to the mankind of the God of Ibrahim and the appearance of the prophets/ambassadors who brought the messages of God which appear today in holy scriptures including Quraan.
Rex Minor
In an overpopulated world the only purpose that islam will serve is to decimate human beings or imprison them under fascism
any proof.hindus decimated budhhdist and jainese and enslaved indians.frm libya to jakarta muslims are providing most humane goverment.providing employment to 2 crores hindus ,who are feeding half india.all indian cities are full of slums and poors.
what u say applies on vedics not on muslims.
Tajender, Rex,
It seems you both are expert on Quran. I would like to learn something from both of you. Is Allah for muslims only or for
whole mankind? Am I also the child of Allah as you both are ?
I want to learn and clear my doubts. I will not use any deregotory
term for any religion or any holy book.
He got good measure of non believers potential of brain and their senses but his CIRCUMCISED
u bloody hindus should know that islamic civilization is the base of european civilization.
hindu bhagwans are the partners in their of robbery cheating and killing who are paid handsomely after act is succesfully finished.
It seems you both are expert on Quran. I would like to learn something from both of you. Is Allah for muslims only or for
whole mankind
llah in islam is rabbul momeneen not rabbul muslemeen.allah is protector of entire mankind.not only for muslims.
gautam
our allah is protector of ntire humanity.islam is message.
magna carta the fist document of justice is copied from holy quran.
rabbul momeneen
rabbul alameen.sorry
@ hiob,
I hope you would at least agree that the seventh century book is very much into the equation as far as impacts on contemporary realities are concerned, for good or bad. Even if it has worsened the situation according to your contention, reading and interpreting it becomes more necessary and not less.
@kaalchakra,
Thank you for pointing out the weakness in my write-up but sharing a reading of scripture is not trying to convince someone, per se. Or do I still make no sense to you?
@Bade Miyan,
Does it really matter in the context of present discussion whether Russell was an agnostic or atheist. In fact, he associated himself with both position in different contexts and discussing his particular association is itself needless. And BTW, I am sorry if it seems as if I am dismissing his thoughts nonchalantly; his reference was only made as he provides the common atheist rebuttal to argument from design. Or do you purpose that one should go about critically reviewing whatever he wrote in refutation of religion before one decides to refer him in a blog. Lastly, the kind of objectivity you are expecting does not exist in real world. Obviously, if one shares a reading of scripture, there has to be a set of assumptions to move from. In this case, the reading would only interest anyone who wants to access the book at first place. Just like one doesn’t go about reading all the book reviews that are published on LRB or NYRB.
@Rex Minor,
Your assertion that the holy book is not meant for the atheists or non-believers is quite confounding. Why would it address them incessantly then?
@ Aasem Bakhshi:
I would agree with kaalchakra about your article, and your use of language.
What I could make out from the article, and that was a tough job in itself, is that the Quran challenges those using rational and logical arguments with the idea that their mental capacities are too limited to understand God’s purpose, and so they better believe blindly in the warnings and the rest of the Prophet’s message.
But if that is really the case, then the Quran is not putting its “counter argument” in terms that those using rational and logical arguments could understand.
For example, the Quran is appealing to emotion using fear to counter rational and logical arguments, which would be a logical fallacy, and so will be rejected by those who tend to follow logic in their arguments.
Logical arguments should be countered with logically sound arguments.
@Gautam
I am not an expert on Quraan, but agree with Tajender’s response to your question.
@hiob
let us not start discussing subjects which one learns in schools. Holy scriptures are for the believers and not for those who do not believe in the super human power which demands obedience and unconditional worship.
No offence is intended.
Rex Minor
Only 2 things come to mind, A Godhood full of desires, demands and egocentric limited thinking .Other being religion is not the opium of masses but the opium of retards ,less developed mind utterly incapabale of taking independent spiritual journey but so sure about the beilefs in this world where wise ones are full of doubts. Any docrine which lowers the standard of human rational thinking and become impendiment in human spiritual growth is definitely not fit for human society. A Universal God is beyond any scripture and what is called Prophethood. A healthy Man on the path dont need any of these crutches. Sick , weak ones can use them as temporary help but only complete physically and mentally handicapped will remain dependent for life long. But you know, just like there are parking space kept reserved for handicaps, same way spiritually handiapped ought to be helped and kept in reserved places.
Tajender, Rex,
Tks vm. One of my very good muslim friend told me that according to the holy Quran there is a a book called Lohe Mahfouz which is kept with Allah in which every thing is written about all the people who till now have come to this
world, who are now residing here and in future who will come. Everything
about them, their life, where they will be born, what they will do
etc. Is that correct?
@Gautam
Your good muslim friend must have special connections with God to know about the special book Perhaps he meant Wikipedia orGoogle who are now collecting not only names but their profiles, at the request of CIA?
Rex Minor
Rex,
I was not joking when I asked about Lohe Mahfouz. May be some one else
will have a reply to this. Tajender can you help me please in this .
to rex
The idea of holy book is meant for frightening humans into becoming submissive and prevent them from asking tough questions. If some wish to believe in so-called holy books and persons then let them know for sure that their ideology wiil end up becoming a fascism centred around this book or person. That is what has happened in islam. Furthermore believrs must not try to enforce their beliefs on non-believers. But under islam there is a political, social and even juridical compulsion to be a mental slave of islam.
@Hiob
You and your Indian compatriotsas well as the rest of the nonbelievers are in a difficult situation! For countless generations they have stayed put worshipping native figures leaving ethics and morality to others who have now manifested their beliefs in HUMAN RIGHTS. O’h yes, I almost forgot you did manage to declare your sympathy and affinity with the new breeds of ATHEISTS, AGNOSTiCS and the lie. Not a great progress for the future, considering that people after death have to face a longer period than that during life!
Rex Minor
@Gautam
I was not joking either!
Rex Minor
to rex
Can you prove that people have to face a longer period after death? Your beliefs cannot be regarded as proven truths. Worshipping native figures is better than becoming the mental slave of a 7th century arab god-concept. Muslims ethics is proving to be the most debaucherous, violence-glorifying, idiotizing and deceitful in its real effect.
@Rex:
” O’h yes, I almost forgot you did manage to declare your sympathy and affinity with the new breeds of ATHEISTS, AGNOSTiCS and the lie. Not a great progress for the future, considering that people after death have to face a longer period than that during life!…”
Please leave the atheists out of your petty wrangling.
You can live with your fairy tales and fears but bigger minds are not impressed nor interested.
Read below:
“Religion is based, I think, primarily and mainly upon fear. It is partly the terror of the unknown and partly, as I have said, the wish to feel that you have a kind of elder brother who will stand by you in all your troubles and disputes. Fear is the basis of the whole thing — fear of the mysterious, fear of defeat, fear of death. Fear is the parent of cruelty, and therefore it is no wonder if cruelty and religion have gone hand in hand. It is because fear is at the basis of those two things. In this world we can now begin a little to understand things, and a little to master them by help of science, which has forced its way step by step against the Christian religion, against the churches, and against the opposition of all the old precepts. Science can help us to get over this craven fear in which mankind has lived for so many generations. Science can teach us, and I think our own hearts can teach us, no longer to look around for imaginary supports, no longer to invent allies in the sky, but rather to look to our own efforts here below to make this world a better place to live in, instead of the sort of place that the churches in all these centuries have made it….”
(Bertrand Russell, in Why I am not a Christian)
@casual observer
Fear is foreign to those who do not fear the aggressor. Fear causes aggression and we are witnessing it on a daily basis from those who have a paranoia. A large armada with nuclear arsenal and hordes of spy planes, drones and massive control of the world wide communications and body search of millions of travellers on a daily basis is prompted by fear and proves that no one is safe regardless of…?
People do not fear religion but fellow humans who have no morals, ethics or respect for humanity. Humans are the living science, a mystery hitherto not fully understood either by the famous philosophers and follow up scientests in their time, and still represent a challenge to the learned for further research to uncover the unexplored the secrets of life. The creator of the human has its own timetable for the human mind to understand the secrets.
If you are interested in philosophy then Immanuel Kannt is of more importance than Russel or the like, unless you were schooled about the evaluation theory and are the fan of the zoologist Darwin and therefore seeking alibis with non-believers. I am not interested in those who in their time were heavy weight in particular subjects but failed to come near their creator and in the end concluded that the universe and its residents are merely there simply as a result of the process of evolution. I believe that the process of evolution has not yet ended and with each discovery we reach at a stage of unknown. This gives us th impetus and motivates us to learn and explore furher.
Rex Minor
@Hiob
How come that you do not follow a simple statement that the dead are gong to stay dead a longer time than that they lived!
Rex Minor
Well atheist and agnostic together are the largest growing intellectuals in the world. Reason I call them intellectual is because they question every thing. they do not take religion blindly. They question why Quran claims sun moves in an orbit like moon and earth is fixed abode. Why Quran claims earth is made in 6 days. Why Quran claims we all are from one person Adam and not evolved from ape. Science have answers we know earth is 4.3 billion year old and sure not made in 6 days. It took billion of years for first form of life to evolve on earth. Sun does not have any orbit. All bodies in galaxy move in a spiral unfixed path around galactic center that is obviously not sun’s orbit also. Quran is a man made fictitious booklike any other religious book. It contradicts with science also which clearly means it’s man made. Those who use there common sense and brain are leaving islam every day and joning the intellectuals.
@Free thinker
Like your name you are free to think and express your opinon! But it would also be useful to learn, go to school, the university and for hablitation to earn yourself a Phd. This is going to make you think twice before you put out nonsensical thoughts which by the way many of your compatriots including some self styled journalists also do!
How and why was the start of the padagogy, the educational process of learning, research, laboratory and clinical studies! People were eating leaves from a bush to treat heir illness which the research later identified the ingredient and asprin was brought out. research of ancient practices also dentified the elements which were healing people. Philosophy was followed by science and the world became aware of the mysteries of humans and the universe, the process is continuing could not have been completed from the fact that todays humans are not yet able to utilize more than twenty percent of the potential brain capacity. The scriptures or Gods commandments were received in hebraesh and arabic language, the languages which contain the wealth of philosophy and science and practicaly no emotions and no contridictions.
You are fond of evolution theory put forward by the zoologist Darwin, then you also accept that the evolution is not yet complete. And if I were to say that some people are not yet fully biologicaly developed, such as the African community then I would be called a racist? No I do not believe in the diobolic theory of evolution. Human design is too precious to be placed at the mercy of an accident or a coincidence.
Now what were you saying about the science regarding Adam and eve being the single source? Do you have any idea as to how many of the cloned animals and cloned humans have todate been produced in the USA? take care and be on the watch, someone may try to clone you?
Rex Minor
Rex,
“if I were to say that some people are not yet fully biologicaly developed, such as the African community then I would be called a racist”
You are an asshole who hasn’t evolved much from Balaam’s ass.
Bad Man with Bad Mouth reminds me of Shahnameh’s author Ferdowsi’s statement for the Persian King who refused to pay him the agreed sum for his manuscripts. Those bloggers who have neither the knowledge of a subject nor the intention to learn and lack even the civility towards others do not interest me. Sorry, I am the wrong partner for the anti-Islam mob!
Rex Minor
Allah has described the Noble Qur’aan with a number of magnificent characteristics of which Ibn Qudaamah mentioned eight in points 27 – 30 of Lum‘atul-I‘tiqaad.
They are as follows:
1. That it is clear (mubeen) and makes clear the laws and reports which it contains.
2. That it is Allah’s firm rope (Hablullaah) that is; it is the solid contract which Allah made a reason for reaching Himself and the attainment of success by His Grace.
3. That it consists of distinct chapters (muhkamaat), each distinct from the other, perfected and preserved from any flaws or contradictions.
4. That it consists of clear verses (aayaat bayyinaat) which are clear and obvious signs indicating Allah’s unique unity, the perfection of His attributes, and the goodness of His laws.
5. That it contains clear and obscure verses (aayaat muhkamaat wa mutashaabihaat); the clear being that whose meaning is clear and the obscure being those whose meaning is hidden. And this does not contradict point number three above because the clarity there refers to perfection and protection from flaws and contradiction, while here it refers to clarity of meaning. If the obscure is referred back to the clear, all of it will become clear.
6. That it is the truth (haqq) that cannot be affected by falsehood from any direction.
7. That it is free from its description by the disbelievers as being poetry, magic or human speech.
8. That it is a miracle that no one can imitate even with the help of others.