Welcome Friends: Ahlan wa sahlan!
With each day’s Reading we think even more deeply about ourselves and realize how far we have strayed from God’s beautiful Message to Humanity. As Cognizant Humans, we should have recognized its worth. As Muslims, we should have made more effort to follow its guidance and values. As Arabs however, we should have understood it better and projected the correct set of priorities. Misunderstanding the Qur’an is a major cause of many of our troubles today.
It is up to any Cognizant Human who truly cares for the well-being of Humanity to help setting the record straight.
COMMENTS:
- s Reading starts with a beautiful verse which tells us about creation, ending with the statement: .. “in this are ayaat, ‘Messages/Signs,’ for people who ya’qiloon ‘use their reason/that are wise’ (Asad & Ali respectively).
The root-verb ‘aqala’ (as mentioned in Day 8) is about tying something and securing it (like tying a camel to a post). The argument is that people who use their intellect could ‘secure’ knowledge’ and should recognize The Creator in all that is around them; everything in creation is evidence of Him. Indeed, as verse 165 indicates, it is He Whom the Faithful love above all else, whereas others would perhaps love other creatures or concepts they set up and consider equal to God. What this verse tells us indirectly is that the Faithful are those who love God after having, in fact, recognized Him on many levels including the intellectual.
The wrongdoers, on the other hand, who loved and worshipped other than God, if they were to see suffering, they would realize that all power is God’s Alone. ‘Athaab/suffering’ was translated by Asad as ‘punishment’ and by Ali as ‘penalty.’
- Verses 166-167 offer a glimpse into a likely argument between two parties, each seeking to absolve itself of responsibility: the ‘followers’ and the ‘followed.’ But this scene takes place when it is too late to make amends, when the most bitter fruit of their deeds, is Regret.
- Verse 168 begins with a call: ‘O Cognizant Humans/Naas!’ Here, God calls upon all of us, not just the Faithful, welcoming us to partake of what is on earth, unbound and wholesome, and not to get carried away, ‘following the missteps of the Deviant,’ partaking of that which is harmful.[1]
Both Asad and Ali translate ‘Halal’ as Lawful, but in this instance I prefer the word ‘unbound’ with its wider connotation, seeing that ‘Halal’ comes from ‘Halla’ a root verb which means ‘to undo, to unbind.’[2] Their translation is correct too, for when something is ‘lawful’ it is not tied by law. I do prefer the term ‘unbound’ however since the call is for Humanity at large, at a time preceding any set laws, and furthermore, laws do differ from one community to another.[3]
- Verses 168-169 refer to an important subject, discussed by M. Asad in footnote no. 137:
“This refers to an arbitrary attribution to God of commandments or prohibitions in excess of what has been clearly ordained by Him (Zamakhsharī). Some of the commentators (e.g., Muhammad ‘Abduh in Manār II, 89 f.) include within this expression the innumerable supposedly “legal” injunctions which, without being clearly warranted by the wording of the Qur’ān or an authentic Tradition, have been obtained by individual Muslim scholars through subjective methods of deduction and then put forward as “God’s ordinances.” End quote.
Even today, it is common for certain people (often titled ‘scholars’) to use subjective self-serving arguments in disregard of the original meaning of words in their Holy Book, to put forward certain injunctions and call them ‘God’s ordinances.’ This has happened throughout history, wherever injustice and aggression paraded itself as a ‘Divine Law.’ It has happened wherever young devotees serving a narrow ideology resorted to indiscriminate killing of innocents, saying they did so in the ‘name of God.’ It has happened in all faiths (although historically less in Islam than others), with glaring examples committed by people who believe themselves ‘chosen’ for ‘divine missions.’ Indeed, if we considered ourselves among Those Who Attained Faith/الذين آمنوا to whom the Qur’an is addressed, we should be more discerning of what is indeed mentioned in the Qur’an and bring that knowledge to areas of ignorance, and we should be vigilant and outspoken against all trespasses committed in God’s name.
- Verses 170-171 reproach those who blindly follow their forefathers, and those who hear without actually listening or using reason.
- Verses 172-173 now calls upon Those Who Attained Faith specifically, telling us to partake of the wholesome bounty He has provided for us, and to appreciate TO God (lil-Lah),[4] if indeed it is He Whom we worshipped. The verses then give us a shortlist of prohibitions. These prohibitions may be consumed only in dire need, without desire or indulgence; just the minimum requirement for survival.
- Verses 174-176 discuss those who suppress what God has revealed in their Book/Compilation. Here the Qur’an tells us that they have exchanged error for guidance and suffering for forgiveness.
The last part is a statement regarding this Kitaab/Compilation. It is sent down in Truth, and those who are set against it are most deeply in the wrong.
Asad calls it “Divine Writ”- Ali calls it “Book,” but I prefer to translate it as Compilation, from the root verb ‘ka ta ba’ to compile or put together to form a unit (kitaab). A team of horses, or an army unit, is called ‘kateeba.’[5]
This distinction is very important: The Revelation has always been a ‘Kitaab’ compiled in memory. It was not made into a ‘Book,’ compiled on paper until much later. The Revelation we read online today is NOT a book. Neither is what we hear on the radio or what is on CD or DVD or online through websites, or apps. These are all ‘compilations.’
Enough said!
Our reading for tomorrow is from verse 177-186.
Peace unto all.
[1] Harm is in our unrestrained consumption of Earth’s resources, in depleting its flaura and fauna, in eating what is unwholesome or has been ‘bound’ by law, in behaviors that cause us physical or spiritual injury, or break our communities apart.
It is interesting to note that the word ‘harm’ itself -by virtue of its pronunciation and meaning- seems to have had its origins in the Arabic ‘Haram,’ although you would hardly find Etymology books admitting to Arabic influence. Etymology relates the word to Old English ‘hearm,’ meaning “hurt, pain; evil, grief; insult, from the Proto-Germanic “harmaz.” Proto-Germanic, however, is NOT attested to by any surviving texts, but rather, is a reconstruction of a theorized common ancestor, hypothesized to have been spoken as a single language, which needs to have existed due to the omission of Arabic as a possible common ancestor.
Nevertheless, there can be no complete omission of Arabic: Arabic was the Lingua Franca in many parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa for many centuries, especially during the golden age of Islam (8th-14th century). All highly educated personalities of the time studied in Arabic-speaking universities; Christian scholars wrote in Arabic better than they did in Latin, to the chagrin of their churches. Arabic was the language of science and diplomacy, and countless words in the European languages are of yet to be revealed Arabic origin. Here we do mention the words that seem to be related, and ask readers to help by lending their ear!
[2] حل: لـه فروع كثيرة ومسائلُ، وأصلها كلُّها عندي فَتْح الشيء، لا يشذُّ عنه شيء. يقال حلَلْتُ العُقدةَ أحُلُّها حَلاًّ. والحلال: ضِدُّ الحرام، وهو من الأصل الذي ذكرناهُ، كأنه من حَلَلْتُ الشيء، إذا أبحْتَه وأوسعته لأمرٍ فيه.”
[4] The fact that the Qur’an never tells us to ‘appreciate God/Allah/Rabb’ but rather to ‘appreciate TO God/Allah/Rabb’ is proof of the word ‘shukr’ being about the increase/enhancement of something (opposite of depreciation).
[5] كتب: يدلُّ على جمع شيءٍ إلى شيءٍ. من ذلك الكِتَابُ والكتابة… ومن الباب كتائب الخيل.”
Unless otherwise specified, all definitions are from our 10th C. Lexicon by Ibn Fares