Messages

["Allah is a Witness between me and you. And this Quran has been revealed to me that I may warn you with it and those whom it reaches."]

Peace Duster,

"Allah is a Witness between me and you.  And this Quran has been revealed to me that I may warn you with it and those whom it reaches."

There is no need to repeat the words [revealed by a revelation.]  Revelation means something that is revealed; the meaning is inherent in the noun.

Peace Duster,

I never said wahi cannot mean inspiration.   Linguistically it can.  Wahy also means revelation.  What I was proposing was that it should be translated as revelation when the object is the Quran.  I gave the example of wahi received by Moses regarding his rod which should be translated as inspiration.  I am not off base here.  Wahy can mean revelation or inspiration.  I choose revelation for Quran.  Quran as the kalamullah, each word should reflect God's speech because it is a Scripture.  Do you know the words or kalamullah received by Moses' mother?  No, we know the general sentiment prompting her to action as it was intended.

["...This Quran has been revealed to me by inspiration (wahi) that I may warn you and all whom it reaches..."]

Dear Joseph,

Appreciate your reply.

"...This Quran has been revealed to me by inspiration (wahi) that I may warn you and all whom it reaches..."  I object to the translation of wahi as inspiration here in 6:19 because we are talking about a Scripture/kitab/divine words that will stay with us till the end.  The wahi as an inspiration received by Moses and his mother do not have words we need to know.  They were inspired to act in a certain way, once it is accomplished, it is over. The rod changed into a snake and swallowed up what the magicians schemed.  It is not necessary for Moses to have the awareness of exact words but just the idea and act in accordance with it.  This is my understanding of inspiration.  I may be wrong as usual.

I come with peace and leave with peace.

[kalam]

Salaam brother Joseph,

Thanks for your very informative post.  Yes, the word 'wahy' has several meanings depending on context.  When it comes to Quran, it is not an inspiration but a revelation.


Quran uses the word kalam to describe Revelation
   Jews used to hear the Kalam Allah before they altered it  2:75
   Prophet was asked to give refuge to the polytheists if requested so they may have a chance of hearing kalamullah.  9:6
   God establishes the Truth with His words/kalimah  42:24
   Prophet Muhammad was entrusted with a heavy word/responsibility. 73:5

Revelation  is an extraordinary phenomenon.  The Speaker is God and speaks Arabic so that the man hears the words and understands.

Prophet's community did not understand because the interaction was between God and Muhammad although it was a unilateral communication. 
From the Jahili point of view, the prophet was possessed by a jinn momentarily who uttered words through him.
Jahiliyah was familiar with a Kahin who was supposed to see the future and able to be possessed at any moment by a supernatural force.

Iin ancient Arabia poet was an 'inspired' man.  Goldziher shows in his 'Muslim Studies" the poetry called al-hija which is based on a shamanistic conception of poetry.  Shair/poet is a derivation from the verb sha'ara meaning to have cognizance of.  Poet was a person who had a knowledge of the unseen world.  Poetry was the result of direct communication with the unseen spirits.  There was an intimate relationship between the poet and the jinn, poet calling him his friend (khalil).  Izutsu points out that this kind of demonic inspiration was always felt by the poet to be something 'coming down' from above. The word 'nuzul'  was used for poetic inspration.  Quran uses their terminology, sha'ir majnun.

I can see where pagan Arabs are coming from.  In their eyes, Muhammad was possessed and inspired by a Jinn because  Muhammad was claiming to have knowledge of the al-ghayb, brought to him by a supernatural being coming down from heaven (nuzul).  Whether the being was God, angel, or jinn did not matter.

37:158  "They set up between Allah and the Jinn a kinship"

52:29   "By the grace of thy Lord, you are neither a soothsayer nor man possessed by a Jinn!

As 42:51 shows there are three types of verbal communication from God to man:  by wahi, from behind a veil or sending rasulan to communicate (yuhiya)

As for wahy, we do not know in concrete terms how it happens- this is not a simple inspiration or 'ilham'; the hearer does not have any vision of the speaker.  Hadith provides information like 'ringing of a bell'; he was not hearing distinct words spoken yet he understood what was being said to him.  it was a mysterious sound.  Direct communication was a divine favor bestowed upon Moses only.  Prophet Muhammad was an auditory type of prophet but Quran  makes reference to two incidents of the Mighty Being transmitting to him Allah's words.  53:1-8 and 81:15-25.

This being who made himself visible to the prophet was called by the symbolic name of ruh al-quds 16:102  and al-ruh al-amin 26:193

Quran is a revelation involving four- person verbal relation.  Rasul Gabriel was acting intermediary between God and His prophet.  Muhammad was acting intermediary between God and the world.

Wahi can be described as a kind of command, prompting into action like when God awhayna to Moses to throw down his staff and to the mother of Moses.  the words are not necessary

So, in short, I would not use the term inspiration in regards to Quran.  Bees and spiders maybe inspired but that means it is in their nature given by God before they came into existence.  Was Moses' mother conscious of the fact that it was her Lord guiding her to put the basket in the river or was she compelled to do it by a sudden urge?

Salaam Orange,

the Message that Prophet was inspired with (Quran

I believe there is a difference between Wahy and inspiration.  Prophets knew from Whom  the Message was coming whereas in "inspiration" the receiver does not know.

[35:24 "And there never was a people, without a warner having lived among them]

Peace to you Adil Hussain and your Hindu friend,

The Hindus and the Muslims have the same God.  Hindus understand the various deities to be expressions of a single Absolute Reality.  There are numerous religions on earth and none is entirely man-made.  Every religion has its sincere believers seek the transcendental Being.

35:24  "And there never was a people, without a warner having lived among them.

40:78  "Verily, We have sent messengers before you, among them some of those of whom We have told you, and some of whom We have not told you"

22:67  "Unto each nation have We given sacred rites which they are to perform; so let them not dispute with you of the matter, but you summon unto your Lord.

5:69  Here I understand Sabaeans as all others who believe in One Absolute Reality and human accountability and work righteousness.

Quran is "a watcher" over other revelations by which we can evaluate their beliefs.  Orthodox Islam claims it is the sole path.  If different interpretations go beyond the letter of the Quran, Quran itself prohibits disputes between religions.  Each is held responsible only to the truth found in its own scripture.  The contest is in the field of good works.  Reconciling differences is left to God.  5:44-48


Sikhism, Aad Granth, Ramkali

Some call on the Lord, "Rama", some cry, "Khuda,"
Some bow to Him as Gosain, some as Allah;
He is called the Ground of Grounds and also the Bountiful,
The Compassionate One and Gracious.
Hindus bathe in holy waters for His sake;
Muslims make the pilgrimage to Mecca.
The Hindus perform puja; others bow their heads in namaz.
There are those who read the Vedas and others- Christians, Jews, Muslims-
who read the semitic scriptures.
Some wear blue, some white robes,
Some call themselves Muslims, others Hindus.
Some aspire to Muslim Heaven, some to Hindu Heaven,
Says Nanak, whoever realizes the will of the Lord, he will find out the Lord's secrets!

Salaam all,

We have two threads running here.  Creation of mankind and Adam in the garden.

As far as I can tell, Quran does not reveal when or how Adam was born or even if he and his partner were ever the first couple.  All we know he was made from the dust just like the homo sapiens, meaning wise man. Dust representing the organic and inorganic materials of the physical body.  Then we get 3 essential human faculties, like hearing, sight and heart . 32:9.  Into this mixture, human soul and divine Spirit are added;  something I cannot give you a timetable.  Death is the condition of the dust part; life, soul, spirit leave.  Souls are recalled by God  39:42  It has the taste of death before returning to God 21:35.  Taste of death could be related to the sleeping when souls are separated from the body as suggested in 39:42 during virtual reality dreams. 

God knows best

Salaam Talib,

The idea that Jesus' body moved to heaven came originally from the Christian tradition. Jews believed in the prophecy of the second coming of Messiah and Luke 1:17 says, "He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly."  The verse says in spirit and power yet it translated somehow into Jesus  raised alive to heaven.  Maybe it is because the expected mission was not accomplished and he has to come back to finish the mission.

Quran does not support such an idea. 3:55 clearly shows that he is exalted after his death; he is exalted in rank.  Quran is not saying that he was lifted up to heaven while somebody else who was made to look like him was nailed to the cross.  Quran does not tell us the details after the crucifixion except he and  his mother were given a refuge.  23:50

Salaam Orange,


Biologically both sexes have originated from "one living entity".  Most of the classical commentators understood nafs as human being and assume that it refers here to Adam.  Modern science complicates things a little bit.  All humans have mitochondrial DNA which is passed down from mother to offspring and never from father to child.  Which came first?  Woman or man? Like the chicken/egg conundrum.

[10:59 Say, Have you considered the provision God has sent down for you, and have you made some of it unlawful and some lawful? Say, Has God given you permission [to do this], or are you inventing falsehoods about God?]

Salaam all,

I like Ziauddin Sardar and he is so correct in focusing on the positive aspects of the rizq provided.

10:59  Say, Have you considered the provision God has sent down for you, and have you made some of it unlawful and some lawful? Say, Has God given you permission [to do this], or are you inventing falsehoods about God?

Rizq applies all that may be good and useful to man.  It applies exclusively to positive, beneficial means of sustenance be it physical, mental or spiritual since we have needs on each of these levels.  Arbitrary prohibitions invented by man who refuse to be guided by revelation and prefer conjecture make us "boring" and stifled.

Peace brother Joseph,

Thank you for a very informative reply and putting my heart at ease.

['wa-hum']

Peace brother Joseph,

Thank you for your explanation.  I agree with you, yet as prophet Ibrahim would say, "in order to make tranquil my heart", why would 'wa-hum' be understood as while they, why would the Corpus I use says "conditional prep"?  Is it because of Shia bias?

[And]

Salaam,

Corpus seems to suggest "while". I have no problem with "while" or simply "and"

This was my question.  And supports Sunni view While supports Shia view.

I wanted to know which meaning the verse is saying.

Salaam,

So true br Joseph, the wives of Nuh and Lut are great examples of a condition of a heart that is even though nurtured in the environment, can act treacherously like being nearer to mosque but farther from God.  How about Satan?  He was in the company of the angels and was a submitter yet the condition of his heart led to its banishment.

[exalted]

Salaam Talib,

(19:57)  warafaʿnāhu= And We raised him     makānan= (to) a position     ʿaliyyan=high.

God raises all pious people

6:165  It is He who has made you successors [of others] on the earth and has exalted some of you over the others in degrees of rank, so that He may test you by that which He has given you. Your Lord is swift in punishment; yet surely He is forgiving, and merciful.

7:176  And if We had pleased, We would certainly have exalted him thereby; but he clung to the earth and followed his low desire, so his parable is as the parable of the dog; if you attack him he lolls out his tongue; and if you leave him alone he lolls out his tongue; this is the parable of the people who reject Our communications; therefore relate the narrative that they may reflect.