Happy New Year everyone!
Just a thought while I'm away and looking out at five feet of snow and the thermometer plunges...did Allah think that cool shady bowers was a universally appealing prospect for those contemplating Paradise? What of those of his Creation who spend their lives trying to keep warm as opposed to sheltering from the heat of the desert? Do they not get a look-in?
Does such a parochial view of heaven not provoke the slightest twinges of doubt in the breasts of the believers now they know that a huge swathe of humanity would view hot chocolate and and a log fire as heavenly. Is that any sillier than rivers of cool wine and foxy virgins?
Anyway, back to work and the boring quotidian of earning a living soon -
Apologies if some comments on previous posts have not been approved as quickly as normal. Usual service will be resumed shortly...
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of a discussion about Jannat I once had with my cousin. One of his proofs of the beauty of Islam was the gifts of Paradise which would provide trees with miles of shade, fountains of flowing water and rivers of wine and honey. My retort was if you present this argument to an inhabitant of the rain forest it would not in anyway convince them that there was any meaningful reward in accepting such an after life.
ReplyDeleteWell... maybe for the houris, if you're that way inclined.
Azim
For me the prospect of 72 beautiful women was enticing. the rest sounds good and all but rather boring. For me i'd rather have adventure and basically live again.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note what use are 72 virgins if they all look the same. If they came in blonde, dark and red hair, tanned, fair and dark skin it would be a lot more appealing. But in islamic tradition the women have a discription of what was considered beautiful in the 7th century. For me I prefer variety.
I propose the following theory: "Allah" can only know what Muhammad could know
ReplyDeleteLets see if Muslims can find any counterexamples
Muhammad (peace be upon him)was unletterd- he could not read or write. The Quran itself addressed him as follows: “Before this, you did not read any book, nor did you write anything with your hands”. (29:48)
ReplyDeleteAll historians are unanimous that the Prophet was an unlettered man who had never known books or teachers and never learned how to write.
Before the revelation of the Holy Quran, the Holy Prophet could neither write with his own hand nor could he read anything written by the others, and this is a fact vouched by one and all of the age of the Holy Prophet. No opponent in the life time of the Prophet ever raised his voiced to challenge this verse, since for the forty years they stayed with him, they knew he was unlettered. How could have then the prophet authored such an unmatchable book by himself. With this fact in view, it would be sheer absurdity to say that what he delivered as the Quran was not the revelation from God, but a reproduction of what he read in the other scriptures and what he wrote, i.e. composed of and memorised.
Infact, the immediate next verse of the Holy Quran asserts that the Prophet was granted knowledge: “Nay! It (Quran) is the clear signs in the breast of those who have been granted the knowledge” (29:49).
Whatever the case, the obvious fact remains the same: the one who had never learnt from any human teacher how to read or write, to present this incontestable and universally recognised truth - the Quran - which never before was revealed even to the great apostles in the past, could not have possibly been without its source being from above. Unfortunately, there were some who accused the Prophet that he learnt the contents of Quran from the others. But this is refuted by the Quran eloquently:
“Say (O Muhammad)! The Holy Spirit (Jibriil) has brought it (Quran) down from your Lord with the truth, that it may establish those who believe, and as a guidance and glad tidings unto those who submit (themselves to God). And indeed We know what they say: ‘It is only a man that teaches him’. The tongue of him whom they falsely hint at, is outlandish (foreign language, not eloquent, slang), while this language is Arabic (pure and) plain”. (16:102-103).
However, it is remarkable that such a man who had never studied from any mortal being, was given the most eloquent book: The Glorious Quran, and became the standard-bearer of a movement calling for science and free thought. It is said that the mystic object in keeping the Prophet unaware of the art of reading and writing was to help the people to recognise the Quran as a Word of God.
You can not therefore trivialise God's knowledge. His knowledge is infinite and indeficient.
See the following http://www.al-islam.org/authen_of_the_quran/10.htm
The following is proof of why one can not trivialise Allah's (SW)knowledge to that of a human being or any other creature for that matter.
ReplyDeleteThe Prophet (peace be upon him) was unlettered - he could not read or write. All historians are unanimous that the Prophet was an unlettered man who had never known books or teachers and never learned how to write. The Quran itself addressed him as follows: “Before this, you did not read any book, nor did you write anything with your hands”. (29:48).
No opponent in the life time of the Prophet ever challenged this verse, since for the forty years they stayed with him, they knew he was unlettered. How could have then the prophet authored such an unmatchable book by himself. With this fact in view, it would be sheer absurdity to say that what he delivered as the Quran was not the revelation from God, but a reproduction of what he read in the other scriptures and what he wrote, i.e. composed of and memorised.
One may wonder why God, the Almighty commissioned one who was deprived of the capacity of reading or writing as His Apostle? Was not the Prophet supposed to be the most knowledgeable one who was required to teach the people the Book and the wisdom? The answer is that inability to write and read does not mean ignorance, as the Holy Prophet was gifted divine knowledge through miracle, and according to some researchers, the Prophet knew how to read and write not through learning from a teacher but through divine inspiration and miracle.
Infact, the immediate next verse of the Holy Quran asserts that the Prophet was granted knowledge: “Nay! It (Quran) is the clear signs in the breast of those who have been granted the knowledge” (29:49). The Prophet (saww) confirmed this by saying: “I am the city of Knowledge and Ali is its door”.
Whatever the case, the obvious fact remains the same: the one who had never learnt from any human teacher how to read or write, to present this incontestable and universally recognised truth - the Quran - which never before was revealed even to the great apostles in the past, could not have possibly been without its source being from above. Unfortunately, there were some who accused the Prophet that he learnt the contents of Quran from the others. But this is refuted by the Quran eloquently:
“Say (O Muhammad)! The Holy Spirit (Jibriil) has brought it (Quran) down from your Lord with the truth, that it may establish those who believe, and as a guidance and glad tidings unto those who submit (themselves to God). And indeed We know what they say: ‘It is only a man that teaches him’. The tongue of him whom they falsely hint at, is outlandish (foreign language, not eloquent, slang), while this language is Arabic (pure and) plain”. (16:102-103).
However, it is remarkable that such a man who had never studied from any mortal being, was given the most eloquent book: The Glorious Quran, and became the standard-bearer of a movement calling for science and free thought. It is said that the mystic object in keeping the Prophet unaware of the art of reading and writing was to help the people to recognise the Quran as a Word of God.
Muhammad (peace be upon him)was unletterd- he could not read or write. The Quran itself addressed him as follows: “Before this, you did not read any book, nor did you write anything with your hands”. (29:48)
ReplyDeleteAll historians are unanimous that the Prophet was an unlettered man who had never known books or teachers and never learned how to write.
Before the revelation of the Holy Quran, the Holy Prophet could neither write with his own hand nor could he read anything written by the others, and this is a fact vouched by one and all of the age of the Holy Prophet. No opponent in the life time of the Prophet ever raised his voiced to challenge this verse, since for the forty years they stayed with him, they knew he was unlettered. How could have then the prophet authored such an unmatchable book by himself. With this fact in view, it would be sheer absurdity to say that what he delivered as the Quran was not the revelation from God, but a reproduction of what he read in the other scriptures and what he wrote, i.e. composed of and memorised.
Infact, the immediate next verse of the Holy Quran asserts that the Prophet was granted knowledge: “Nay! It (Quran) is the clear signs in the breast of those who have been granted the knowledge” (29:49).
Whatever the case, the obvious fact remains the same: the one who had never learnt from any human teacher how to read or write, to present this incontestable and universally recognised truth - the Quran - which never before was revealed even to the great apostles in the past, could not have possibly been without its source being from above. Unfortunately, there were some who accused the Prophet that he learnt the contents of Quran from the others. But this is refuted by the Quran eloquently:
“Say (O Muhammad)! The Holy Spirit (Jibriil) has brought it (Quran) down from your Lord with the truth, that it may establish those who believe, and as a guidance and glad tidings unto those who submit (themselves to God). And indeed We know what they say: ‘It is only a man that teaches him’. The tongue of him whom they falsely hint at, is outlandish (foreign language, not eloquent, slang), while this language is Arabic (pure and) plain”. (16:102-103).
However, it is remarkable that such a man who had never studied from any mortal being, was given the most eloquent book: The Glorious Quran, and became the standard-bearer of a movement calling for science and free thought. It is said that the mystic object in keeping the Prophet unaware of the art of reading and writing was to help the people to recognise the Quran as a Word of God.
You can not therefore trivialise God's knowledge. His knowledge is infinite and indeficient.
See the following http://www.al-islam.org/authen_of_the_quran/10.htm
Hi Love x3
DeleteThanks for your comment and for the time and effort you've put into explaining your position. I appreciate it. I will do my best to address your points in a post if you don't mind. It'll take me a couple of days to write so be patient!
all Muslims leave this page, this blog, to them is their religion, to ours is ours, they will not worship what we worship and neither will we worship what they worship
ReplyDeleteDo you not see that Allah drives clouds? Then He brings them together, then He makes them into a mass, and you see the rain emerge from within it. And He sends down from the sky, mountains [of clouds] within which is hail, and He strikes with it whom He wills and averts it from whom He wills. The flash of its lightening almost takes away the eyesight. (Q.S An Nur :43)
ReplyDelete