Messages

391

General Discussions / Re: Ignore or Reply ? Your Views

« on: April 27, 2012, 06:22:29 AM »

Salaam,

If you feel that other people who read the posts you participate in may benefit from your opinion, then it may be worth responding. It is frustrating when people can't see that they are taking verses out of context and often exchanges get heated.

What we tend to forget about are those people who read the posts but don't participate directly. They could really benefit from your view as it may prompt them to look into the details more deeply and potentially they may start to 'think' again

392

Discussions / Re: Bible is mistranslation

« on: April 10, 2012, 10:11:08 AM »

Salaam,

The words you mention are Greek and are are matter of debate in the academic world, with some people equating the two and the majority saying that they have a distinct difference.

Hupotassomai:
yielding or submitting either to a person in authority or to wise counsel.

Agapao:
to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly of things,to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing


The key here is that the system of marriage had a hierarchical structure that was conveyed through the use of these words. A husband would be incomplete without the support of his wife but ultimately he was the head of the household.

So her submission (Hupotassomai) would be in this context and not as a child who is told what to do and when to do it. At the same time, a husband is to love (Agapao) and care for his wife because she is his valued companion.


I think that we will have to understand the hierarchical significance that is alluded to in the Bible and also the Quran when is comes to the positions of spouses.


 

393

Women / Re: Hijab a choice

« on: April 10, 2012, 08:19:24 AM »

Salaam,

I look forward to reading the article that you mention. I didn't understand your last sentence though:

'Should women be fear to report abuse.'

Do you mean that women are too afraid to report abuse by their husbands or that they should report it to the police?

394

General Discussions / Re: Jin

« on: March 11, 2012, 07:51:22 AM »

Salaam,

We are not told about the names of the Jinns that the people were associating with God, rather the fact that they had the audacity to attach created beings (albeit unseen ones) to their Creator and made them equal to God.

395

General Discussions / Re: about sura74

« on: March 06, 2012, 05:54:16 PM »

Dear Chadiga,

Please do not feel that you cannot express yourself or ask certain questions here. I think that because the 19 theory is a sore point for many readers, they are just getting frustrated at the source of the theory, not you.

You have obviously read about it in detail, but I think that the forum members are saying that the code is not worth even considering because of the fact that it needs two verses of the Quran to be removed for it to succeed.

If this was not that case then I am sure people would discuss further.

396

General Discussions / Re: about sura74

« on: March 03, 2012, 05:59:08 AM »

Dear Chadiga,

I have read about the 19 theory and I find it ridiculous to be frank. It took R.K all his lifetime, consumed with numbers and formulae and in the end he concluded that 2 verses were to be omitted for his 'theory' to be correct. That, in my view is unacceptable and should highlight further that his hypothesis is flawed.

The excerpt you provided about 'clicking' etc is a far fetched attempt of someone trying to 'fit' a theory into the Quranic text by using obscure meanings for well known words.

With the 19, it clearly is the number of angels guarding the fire. By God mentioning this number, some people will want to know why this is and will start to delve into matters that they have no knowledge of and the result is Rashad Khalifa.

I don't know what one can gain with having the Quran in a 19 code . It does not reveal any new directive or give us any new information and I am sure that Muslims were practising their faith in full and they managed to believe in the Quran without the the so called number 19 'miracle'.

The Quran is a straight forward book full of wisdom and we will surely miss out on all of it's beauty and magnificence if we just see it in numerical code.

397

General Discussions / Re: question about 2.187

« on: February 24, 2012, 07:25:30 AM »

Salaam Chadiga,

The 'approach' is about conjugal relations. The whole verse is dealing with Ramadhan and what the limits are within the days of fasting.
Men are permitted to 'approach' their wives at night once fasting is over. However when men are devoting and secluding themselves in the mosques for the worship of God, then this permission does not apply because it is inappropriate.

If a man for example, committed himself to spend time in the mosque during Ramadhan for devotion to God, he should not, in that case go home to have any such relations with his wife.

I have copied the translation you gave but have substituted the word 'approach' and also included some Arabic words.:

2:187 Lawful for you in the night of the abstinence/fast is sexual approach to your women (RAFATHU), they are a garment for you and you are a garment for them. God knows that you used to betray/deceive yourselves so He turned towards you and He forgave you; so now have relations with them (BASHIRUHUNNA) and seek what God has decreed/written for you. And you may eat and drink until becomes distinct the white thread, from the black thread, of dawn. Then you shall complete the abstinence/fast until the night, and do not have relations with them (TUBASHIRUHUNNA) while you are devoting/staying in the maSaJiD /. These are God's boundaries, so do not transgress them. It is thus that God makes His revelations clear to the people that they may be righteous.

398

General Discussions / Re: Is 5:3 The last verse of the Qur'an?

« on: February 24, 2012, 06:25:50 AM »

Salaam,

I think that this could be the last one but if you look at this verse and the previous one, they entail specific laws so it may be a reference to that aspect of faith. In the end we will never really know.

399

General Discussions / Re: 4:34 and translators

« on: February 10, 2012, 08:24:46 AM »

Salaam  Mubashir,

I think there are a couple of points here. Whether beat in this context 'fits' with the rest of the verses dealing with marital issues and whether 'idhrib hunna' can mean anything but 'beat'.  I understand that an 'an' is usually required to make the word mean 'shun'. This is absent from the text. A relevant article of Joseph acknowledges this but argues that 'an' is not always necessary to understand the word as shun.

I feel that 'beating' does not fit in this verse, especially when looking at the overall subject of marriage in the Quran, which God expects us to conduct with mutual respect and consultation.

The point you raise about when a wife has been immoral, is addressed by the Quran separately under 'fahisha'. 4:34 is dealing with 'nushuz'.

Does Quran really sanction the beating of wives? http://quransmessage.com/articles/does%20the%20quran%20sanction%20wife%20beating%20FM3.htm

A Deeper Look at the word 'Dharaba' (to beat) in context of wives. http://quransmessage.com/articles/a%20deeper%20look%20at%20the%20word%20dharaba%20FM3.htm

400

Islamic Duties / Re: Wudhu

« on: February 07, 2012, 07:17:08 AM »

Salaam,

Indeed,the verse covers all the scenarios for wudu. The other factors that you mention are based on the secondary sources.

I imagine that people approached scholars in the past asking what to do in certain situations and from there the fiqh developed. However, they warrant no support from the Quran.

401

General Discussions / Re: Original Sanctuary, Masjid al-Haram and the Qibla Change

« on: February 06, 2012, 08:51:54 AM »

Salam Sis

What is comment on this link - www.free-minds.org/where-was-mohammad

Rgds

Salaam Saleh,

I checked out your link but it doesn't seem to work. Please can you post the link again.

Thanks.

402

General Discussions / Re: Resurrection explained by a parable

« on: January 24, 2012, 08:27:37 AM »

Salaam,

Thanks for all the input. I think that Joseph has put the verse into much context especially when relating it to Surah Kahf and also pointing out that it is not a riddle to be solved. I also agree completely with Sardar Miyan's last comment regarding the significance of keeping the food fresh and letting the donkey decay. There is much wisdom in this as it's a visual representation relating to resurrection and also eternity.

However, I feel that the interpretation of G.Parwez is odd in that it talks about the event as being symbolic by saying:
'When the passer-by had reflected upon the parable, he said: 'Now I can understand how Allah can give life to dead nations.'

Also when you read the verse, you have no idea about the background to the village or man, yet in the text G Parwez inserts:
'As is known in history, after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, the Bani-Israel lived in captivity for about a hundred years. Then they were liberated and re-established in Jerusalem.'

I note that with all of his translations relating to miracles, he interpreted the events very differently from what the Arabic says simply because he had (as far as I am aware) an aversion to such things (i.e miracles).

We must not restrict the abilities of God. The verses are what they are, including miracles and it is up to the individual to accept them, not change them into what makes him/her feel comfortable.

403

General Discussions / Re: Resurrection explained by a parable

« on: January 21, 2012, 11:49:00 AM »

Salaam,

I agree with you that the scenario you gave in your last post would equally make the man believe that he was resurrected.

The contention I have is why you feel that would make more sense than the actual scenario depicted in the verse.

There is obviously a reason and significance as to why God chose to keep the food and drink free from decay and not the donkey. This is not to be overlooked, hence my attempt to understand the importance and offer a possible explanation as to why.

404

General Discussions / Re: Resurrection explained by a parable

« on: January 20, 2012, 11:17:36 PM »

Salaam,

I am of the opinion that the donkey was not preserved, only the man along with his food and drink. If you go with what the translations infer regarding the donkey, the man when being told that he had in fact slept for 100 years, may well have thought that he was delusional as his donkey, food and drink were in the same original condition.

By having a visual representation by way of his donkey's bones, this would have further reassured him and also confirmed that what he was being told was true.
I say this because further in the verse, the man is being asked to look at the bones and how it is these that are put together and clothed with flesh by God. (As was the state of the donkey when he was with the man originally).

As the topic of the verse is about the man questioning resurrection, he himself was resurrected. Furthermore, resurrection is linked to eternal life. I think that the food and drink not being touched by time may well be referring to the fact that in the afterlife there will never be decay and that world will not suffer the ill effects of time as indeed everything in our world does. The donkey remaining only as bones signifies that on Day of Resurrection, we will be raised from bones and recreated as this is indeed an easy task for God.

I don't see how it would make more sense by having everything decayed, maybe the wisdom behind it is not clear yet. Would others  like to share what they think the significance is?

405

Islamic Duties / Re: 'Khatams'

« on: January 17, 2012, 07:15:37 PM »

Salaam all,

Khatams are very common in the Indian sub continent. Some (general) hadiths have been used to justify this practice but in the main they have been promoted by imams as having great benefits especially to the deceased.
 
There is a concept that by people reciting the Quran and other supplications, the 'sawab' or 'reward'' of this act, is transferred to the deceased. This is clearly contradictory to the Quran.

Because of this misguided notion, you will see that the tradition of khatams being held for the deceased has been extended to being conducted on specific days after death and being completed on the 40th day after death. We can see how one thing leads to another and now, many people are under pressure to host such khatams as they are considered as being good and holy.

In the main however, the majority of people participating in this ritual have no idea what they are reading as the Quran is read in Arabic which is not understood by them.
The aim of the khatam is to finish the Quran at least once in the gathering as of course, according to these people, the more they read, the more benefit for the deceased. This in my humble view defeats the purpose of the Quran but I do understand that people think that they are doing a good act and God will judge them for their efforts.