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Archive for April 16, 2009, 7:21 pm

Similarities and Differences

April 16, 2009, 7:21 pm by dc-agape.

Surāh 90 – Al-Balad: The City

I will start each post on the Qur’an with a link to M Mohammad Ali’s translation of the Qur’an with his commentaries. 

Reading the different translations and commentaries at my disposal makes this surāh very interesting.  Most of the commentaries indicate that the City is not just Mekkah, but the entire planet.  Using the loosest definition of the word “city” to mean any where someone lives.  But M Ali claims that this is an error.  His opinion is that the beginning of this surāh is a prophetic vision of when the Prophet returned to Mekkah.  Interestingly, M Ali also disagrees with the other commenters on verse 3.  He argues that the begetter in this verse can only be Abraham or Ishmael.  Others believe that “begetter” can mean both male and female parent.  This is only the second surāh, which I have covered, that M Ali disagrees with most translations.

Unity is once again restored once again in verse 4 and all commentaries agree on the meaning of the rest of the surāh.  I still find it interesting that from Judea-Christian view, YHWH did not intend humans to suffer; it was the “sin” of eating from the tree of knowledge that caused us to suffer in life.  Yet it is quite clear in the Qur’an that Allah did intend humans to suffer.  Neither outcome is what one would call a loving “father”, but at least the Muslim faith explains that suffering is required to understand goodness, compassion, and comfort.

This surāh returns to the concept that an all-powerful supernatural being is watching each one of us constantly.  This, of course, is impossible to prove.  And the following verse does not apply to every situation.  Our most resent President GW Bush will never admit that he wasted much wealth during his tenure in stopping the spread of at least one radical form of Islam.  Without doubt, his war in Iraq was not about terrorism, it was about spreading “freedom”.  The “freedom” he intended was not for the oppressed minorities, it was for the spread of Western culture and religion.  Men like the US former president do believe that someone is watching, and approving of each minute action that is taken.  Our Republican candidate for VP Sarah Palin was certain the YHWH approved of the war in Iraq. 

The section of this surāh that covers the “uphill road” is quite compelling.  And it is certainly true that doing the right thing is always an uphill trip.  Much of what the Prophet mentions here as acts of kindness are identical to other religions: feed the hungry, take care of the poor, orphans, and widows.  But one new concept is included that even Christianity does not teach: freedom from slavery.  True Christians love to claim that they were the ones who ended slavery in the US and across Europe, but that is not true.  These attributes of the “uphill road” are well worth focusing on during all of our daily lives.

The end of this surāh is a claim that also cannot be verified.  How do we know that “Fire” will close over anyone who does not believe this message?  Even more challenging is the meaning of “Our message”.  Is if disbelievers in the message of this particular surāh?  Or is it disbelievers in the entire Qur’an?  To claim that “On them is Fire close over” anyone who does not believe in the entire Qur’an is a tall order.  Can anyone prove that everyone who does not believe the Qur’an will be punished?  It is a pretty threat, but that is all it is…there is no physical “muscle” behind the threat.  In the end, this is what most Atheist see as the weakness in all religions.  No proof exists to back up the promises or the threats that religion makes.

Posted in Holy Qur'an, Readings | Print | 7 Comments »

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