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#81
Discussions / Re: New article: The book and ...
Last post by fireheart47 - December 23, 2024, 07:59:23 AMQuote from: Wakas on December 23, 2024, 04:43:42 AMI haven't concluded in my understanding of 27:40. If you have a cogent understanding please share.
The verse reminds me of this article: https://www.islamicity.org/7691/understanding-kufr/
From my perspective, the Qur'an teaches how people cover up the truth (كفر), and they also deny it (كذب).
Especially in relation to the interpretation of scriptures. Just look at how people cover up and deny the sons of God (plural) in the Bible. I believe if it were not covered up or denied by believers, it would've directed our devotion to each other in servitude of God, rather than to statues and images of one person.
Although it might also cause people to feel like special, and better than others, hateful of "the sinners" (because we all are). That's why 1st Letter of John Chapter 3 discusses Cain and Abel, hate is the sin.
#82
Discussions / Re: New article: The book and ...
Last post by Wakas - December 23, 2024, 04:43:42 AMpeace,
I'm not really saying they are one and the same. I am saying they are related, i.e. not a secondary source compiled from hearsay reports.
There is variance when it comes to the understanding of 27:40 however I meant where it says "the one who had knowledge of the kitab..." was able to do XYZ in a seemingly extraordinary way. Asad considers this person to be Solomon, others do not. Some interpolate various interpretations of what happened. http://quranix.org/27#40
I haven't concluded in my understanding of 27:40. If you have a cogent understanding please share.
Re: 66:3, my understanding:
One of the wives told another and the prophet was made aware of this so when he talked about it he discussed one part of it and left a part out. Main point is, relevant to the article, is she was reprimanded for divulging a hadith of his i.e. not meant to spread it.
I'm not really saying they are one and the same. I am saying they are related, i.e. not a secondary source compiled from hearsay reports.
There is variance when it comes to the understanding of 27:40 however I meant where it says "the one who had knowledge of the kitab..." was able to do XYZ in a seemingly extraordinary way. Asad considers this person to be Solomon, others do not. Some interpolate various interpretations of what happened. http://quranix.org/27#40
I haven't concluded in my understanding of 27:40. If you have a cogent understanding please share.
Re: 66:3, my understanding:
One of the wives told another and the prophet was made aware of this so when he talked about it he discussed one part of it and left a part out. Main point is, relevant to the article, is she was reprimanded for divulging a hadith of his i.e. not meant to spread it.
#83
Discussions / Re: New article: The book and ...
Last post by fireheart47 - December 21, 2024, 09:54:26 AMQuote from: Wakas on December 21, 2024, 07:03:47 AMThe article has now been updated...
Your articles are always very informative. I found the other one about lunar calendar very insightful.
I agree with your argument in this article about kitab and hikmah, it being one and the same. Your discussion about the deeper meaning of kitab resolved one of my doubts of the Qur'an. I agree it makes sense for us to interpret it as a record or decree.
However, life experience shows me wisdom can be found outside of the scriptures. I'm sure the hadiths have some wisdom. Yet, when it pertains to religion, it makes sense to focus on the original documents and prioritize those.
I like when you mentioned the lack of intra-textual analysis. This is very descriptive of the thinking pattern, which is best to analyze the text to fullest potential.
Dogmatic thinking often causes people to fall into routine, and causes people to confuse faith in the unseen and receptivity with obedience. It can hinder the most important part of our faith, which is to treat other people well.
When I think of an example in the gospels, I think of the one Son of God and Son of Man versus the many more examples of Sons of God, Sons of Devil, and Sons of Gehenna, and many of other examples in the Hebrew Bible and other Jewish literature (ex: Sons of Prophets [bnei nevim]). Most people ignore these metaphors, because they contradict the practice of worshipping Jesus. I don't think he would've wanted that, and would've wanted us to worship God and help others. He is quoted, however, telling his disciples that he set forth an example for them to know the Father, which again is a less-frequently occurring metaphor used in the Hebrew Bible for God, which seems to have been popularized at the time of Jesus in certain Jewish communities. The apparent contradiction between Qur'an and Bible, seems to orient us towards a perspective of the gospels, which supports the historical worldview, where it makes most sense that it is not literal father nor literal son, rather a metaphor or attribute, and for all who behave that way, not just one.
My questions are:
What did you mean when you said this about 27:40? Can you help me understand this verse? To me it doesn't seem to say that, was it a mistake?
Quotenatural laws of the universe for example (see the interesting example of 27:40).
Also, can you help me understand Surah at-Tahrim 66:3? What does it mean by
Quoteshe informed [another] of it and Allah showed it to him, he made known part of it and ignored a part?
#84
Discussions / Re: New article: The book and ...
Last post by Wakas - December 21, 2024, 07:03:47 AMThe article has now been updated and discusses the meaning of kitab, hikma, ummi, and touches upon a few interesting observations and how it all fits together.
#85
Posts on Facebook / Re: The Pandemic
Last post by fireheart47 - December 20, 2024, 12:01:22 PMMay God guide us. May God protect us.
During my studies, I studied a major within the plant sciences. I took a course on genetics, which focused on human and animal genetics. Plant genetics is an important topic, because it is where the first contributions to the study of genetics occurred, and also other fields within biology.
This is important and sensitive information. Before the mechanics of genetics was understood, people used the concept of genetics to murder millions of innocent people. It goes to show how easily people can manipulate the truth. This occurred after World War 1, which created the conditions where people were not at their healthiest and sound of mind.
The simple lesson from the course, which I learned: DNA instructs the production of RNA and proteins.
The false idea that DNA affects everything is called, "genetic determinism". Some of it is controlled by societal factors (how parents treated us, how their parents treated them, generational trauma, wealth, poverty, diet).
There are many factors, which influence our being.
In other biology courses, we talked about "emergent features", which show how complicated functions arise from the simple functions. This is an important topic. DNA is near the bottom of a long list of processes and structures, which contribute to higher function. This is why there is a lot of risk in changing DNA, and RNA.
I have faith we are not doomed. I have faith God will protect us. One of my reasons is that DNA is not the main process influencing complicated processes. For example, if you studied a fish in the ocean, and I told you it happened because of the formation of the Milky Way galaxy, it wouldn't give you the relevant processes. Yet without the proper formation of the Milky Way galaxy, Earth wouldn't exist, neither us or the fish. For this reason, I believe our collective understanding of DNA does not seem to be accurate, which gives room for unexpected protection for honest mistakes.
This is one reason I am very critical of Genetic Engineering (GE). DNA is at the beginning of a complicated process tree, and changing it can have unintended consequences. Also, because changes which are made do not appear to be reversible.
In the case of crop seeds, new GE crops get bred and replace the old seed. I am unaware of any GE crops which affect our health through consumption. This could be an important research topic. It is entirely possible, a GE crop could produce an unwanted metabolite. This is something researchers are interested in. Yet, it certainly is a problem for the future genetics of the crop species. Even conventional breeding can have detrimental effects, so why is it so controversial to speak out against the manipulation of some of the most important and consequential features of life on Earth?
I have faith in God, even though I cannot provide proof. My faith gives me hope there are things, which we don't understand which will protect us. Mechanisms in our bodies which protect us against mistakes.
In one course, they talked about how mosquitos can make changes to the expression of DNA through RNA interference. They often boasted about this, because it disproved the naysayers against GE. This doesn't change the risk of changing the fundamental processes at the beginning of chains of processes we don't seem to understand.
We have many warners, and yet we do not listen. We also have many people who fight for a cause they do not know the consequences of. We have people who try to manipulate others, because they realize they can't convince others with information.
One example is how people use a creative interpretation of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO), which says traditionally bred animals and crops are also GMO. This gives the false impression, that the proposed GMO is normal and not new. For this reason, I refer to it as Genetically Engineered (GE).
There are many terrible things in this world, and it is easy to fall into a very negative mindset. One which enables us to act against God's will for peace, and contributes more to the problems. I believe in the power of prayer. I also believe in the power of people. For this reason, I feel obligated to warn you all, and to try my best to give you reassurances if you feel scared about the current moment.
However, I am fallible, elementary, and only human. May God protect us, and may God grant us peace to talk to people and treat each other as we would want to be treated. May God help us win people's hearts, and to find peace in our inability to control the world.
During my studies, I studied a major within the plant sciences. I took a course on genetics, which focused on human and animal genetics. Plant genetics is an important topic, because it is where the first contributions to the study of genetics occurred, and also other fields within biology.
This is important and sensitive information. Before the mechanics of genetics was understood, people used the concept of genetics to murder millions of innocent people. It goes to show how easily people can manipulate the truth. This occurred after World War 1, which created the conditions where people were not at their healthiest and sound of mind.
The simple lesson from the course, which I learned: DNA instructs the production of RNA and proteins.
The false idea that DNA affects everything is called, "genetic determinism". Some of it is controlled by societal factors (how parents treated us, how their parents treated them, generational trauma, wealth, poverty, diet).
There are many factors, which influence our being.
In other biology courses, we talked about "emergent features", which show how complicated functions arise from the simple functions. This is an important topic. DNA is near the bottom of a long list of processes and structures, which contribute to higher function. This is why there is a lot of risk in changing DNA, and RNA.
I have faith we are not doomed. I have faith God will protect us. One of my reasons is that DNA is not the main process influencing complicated processes. For example, if you studied a fish in the ocean, and I told you it happened because of the formation of the Milky Way galaxy, it wouldn't give you the relevant processes. Yet without the proper formation of the Milky Way galaxy, Earth wouldn't exist, neither us or the fish. For this reason, I believe our collective understanding of DNA does not seem to be accurate, which gives room for unexpected protection for honest mistakes.
This is one reason I am very critical of Genetic Engineering (GE). DNA is at the beginning of a complicated process tree, and changing it can have unintended consequences. Also, because changes which are made do not appear to be reversible.
In the case of crop seeds, new GE crops get bred and replace the old seed. I am unaware of any GE crops which affect our health through consumption. This could be an important research topic. It is entirely possible, a GE crop could produce an unwanted metabolite. This is something researchers are interested in. Yet, it certainly is a problem for the future genetics of the crop species. Even conventional breeding can have detrimental effects, so why is it so controversial to speak out against the manipulation of some of the most important and consequential features of life on Earth?
I have faith in God, even though I cannot provide proof. My faith gives me hope there are things, which we don't understand which will protect us. Mechanisms in our bodies which protect us against mistakes.
In one course, they talked about how mosquitos can make changes to the expression of DNA through RNA interference. They often boasted about this, because it disproved the naysayers against GE. This doesn't change the risk of changing the fundamental processes at the beginning of chains of processes we don't seem to understand.
We have many warners, and yet we do not listen. We also have many people who fight for a cause they do not know the consequences of. We have people who try to manipulate others, because they realize they can't convince others with information.
One example is how people use a creative interpretation of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO), which says traditionally bred animals and crops are also GMO. This gives the false impression, that the proposed GMO is normal and not new. For this reason, I refer to it as Genetically Engineered (GE).
There are many terrible things in this world, and it is easy to fall into a very negative mindset. One which enables us to act against God's will for peace, and contributes more to the problems. I believe in the power of prayer. I also believe in the power of people. For this reason, I feel obligated to warn you all, and to try my best to give you reassurances if you feel scared about the current moment.
However, I am fallible, elementary, and only human. May God protect us, and may God grant us peace to talk to people and treat each other as we would want to be treated. May God help us win people's hearts, and to find peace in our inability to control the world.
#86
General Discussions / Re: al-'alameen
Last post by fireheart47 - December 20, 2024, 10:14:47 AMOne topic related to knowledge and science, and also to the aforementioned verse, is the topic of miracles.
Many dismiss the possibilities of miracles, because they often think of the unrealistic stories we often told to accept by force, which contradict common sense. Many stories could've been exaggerated through time, changed through the game of telephone and hearsay, yet which still hold an element of truth, or a moral.
One certain miracle is how any of the holy scriptures have maintained a comparatively high degree of stability through countless scribes and thousands of years, with ancient wisdom and visions into the ancient past to savor.
There are things which defy our understanding and there some things we cannot study well.
The scientific method is a method to discover knowledge, which has been the best method to discover truths in our world. The scientific method requires building a hypothesis, experimentation, logical interpretation of data, and a conclusion, or continuation. It also requires peer-review, and this is what distinguishes it from religion. Because science ideally seeks to be refuted, until it arrives to certainty.
Religion teaches other truths. Truths about how people interact, how to expect the unexpected, and teaches the importance of faith.
The scientific method is really good at discovering the mechanistic properties of the universe, yet if something can only occur once, or appear to occur once, it is difficult to study. Also, even though the scientific process is logically oriented and the work scrutinized by others with a logical standard, the hypothesis building process can be illogical and involves faith. The way someone's life journey unfolds towards a certain topic can be a mystery, which is hard to predict. Often people have dreams or experience something illogical, which inspires them (ex: Mendeleev's Dream). Many times emotions, opinions, and worldviews influence what topics receive more attention, and what topics should be refuted.
Even our refutations belong at first to the world of imagination, possibilities upon possibilities.
It is important to distinguish the ideals of scientific method and the reality. The reality is that many people educate others and contribute to our collective opinions, and fewer participate in the real process.
How can we explain how events coincide? How does time work? And are the miracles we experience illusions, which appear to be exceptions to the rules? Or is there something we just can't understand? Perhaps if we satisfy ourselves with the unexpected goodness, we can receive its benefit. I've been told often people shun good things which come their way, because of self-perception.
May God help us. May God allow us to accept the miracles in our lives and to not feel excessive fear, rather to use discernment when necessary. May God help us have an ordered mind, which is not too rigid, yet natural and productive, so we can discover and do more good.
Praise belongs to God, the Lord of all Being.
Many dismiss the possibilities of miracles, because they often think of the unrealistic stories we often told to accept by force, which contradict common sense. Many stories could've been exaggerated through time, changed through the game of telephone and hearsay, yet which still hold an element of truth, or a moral.
One certain miracle is how any of the holy scriptures have maintained a comparatively high degree of stability through countless scribes and thousands of years, with ancient wisdom and visions into the ancient past to savor.
There are things which defy our understanding and there some things we cannot study well.
The scientific method is a method to discover knowledge, which has been the best method to discover truths in our world. The scientific method requires building a hypothesis, experimentation, logical interpretation of data, and a conclusion, or continuation. It also requires peer-review, and this is what distinguishes it from religion. Because science ideally seeks to be refuted, until it arrives to certainty.
Religion teaches other truths. Truths about how people interact, how to expect the unexpected, and teaches the importance of faith.
The scientific method is really good at discovering the mechanistic properties of the universe, yet if something can only occur once, or appear to occur once, it is difficult to study. Also, even though the scientific process is logically oriented and the work scrutinized by others with a logical standard, the hypothesis building process can be illogical and involves faith. The way someone's life journey unfolds towards a certain topic can be a mystery, which is hard to predict. Often people have dreams or experience something illogical, which inspires them (ex: Mendeleev's Dream). Many times emotions, opinions, and worldviews influence what topics receive more attention, and what topics should be refuted.
Even our refutations belong at first to the world of imagination, possibilities upon possibilities.
It is important to distinguish the ideals of scientific method and the reality. The reality is that many people educate others and contribute to our collective opinions, and fewer participate in the real process.
How can we explain how events coincide? How does time work? And are the miracles we experience illusions, which appear to be exceptions to the rules? Or is there something we just can't understand? Perhaps if we satisfy ourselves with the unexpected goodness, we can receive its benefit. I've been told often people shun good things which come their way, because of self-perception.
May God help us. May God allow us to accept the miracles in our lives and to not feel excessive fear, rather to use discernment when necessary. May God help us have an ordered mind, which is not too rigid, yet natural and productive, so we can discover and do more good.
Praise belongs to God, the Lord of all Being.
#87
Posts on Facebook / Re: The Pandemic
Last post by fireheart47 - December 20, 2024, 09:40:14 AMOne perspective, which I think should be considered, is the complexity of the world and in our inability to understand it and communicate it perfectly. One term which I found intriguing was "Black Swan event". It seems there are many factors which contribute to big events in history, and we are only able to understand it collectively in hindsight. Some of these factors include societal issues we aren't all aware of, or if we are, we often dismiss them because of other things. Sometimes it is hard to communicate this with others, because many are dogmatic and disrespectful about things beyond their true knowledge, when sometimes it is good to say, "It could be." or "It might be." or "I find that one thing you said interesting." There are also timescales we aren't well adjusted to and so this can challenge our expectations of how events unfold. I was told by my brother, we should leave room for miracles, so we allow an opportunity for good things to happen unexpectedly. So we can heal from chronic issues. I strive to find simple ways to live, simple ingredients in food, simple attitudes towards others and ourselves, and simple methods behind solving problems, in order to avoid unintended consequences. I believe God is merciful, and we are given many chances to make the right choices. May God guide us and show us what we need to know, and for our faith to be strengthened for the uncertainties and a purpose to survive the struggles, like Viktor Frankl talked about.
#88
Prophets and Messengers / Re: Question derived from hadi...
Last post by fireheart47 - December 20, 2024, 09:04:16 AMOne of the reasons I have faith in the Prophet Muhammad, the reciter of the Qur'an, is because of the story where he helps move the Kaaba by having people hold each end of a large cloth. It is very ingenious way of bringing people together, and one of the parts of his story I remembered the most. One day I had to clear objects from a table and had a towel to place the items onto. That reminded me of him, and it caused me to be more considerate.
#89
General Discussions / Re: Surah al-Bayyinah
Last post by fireheart47 - December 20, 2024, 02:01:10 AMDear QM Forum,
This excerpt from Surah al-Bayyinah 98:6, is sometimes troublesome for me:
The word جهنم is similar to the word Gehenna, which also found in the Bible in Greek with similar meaning (Gospel of Matthew 10:28). Its origin, Hinnom, is also found in Hebrew Bible, where it is described multiple times as a place where children were sacrificed by fire (Book of Jeremiah 7:31). The Valley of Hinnom is a north-facing valley outside of Jerusalem, so it does not get as much sunlight. Considering the geology of Israel/Palestine and Jordan, it could be a fissure, part of the greater tectonic fault.
The translation "hell" is from Germanic cosmology, first used by Wulfila in the Gothic Bible "halja" as an equivalent for the Greek "hades" used in the Bible. Yes, the Greek deity, which represented the underworld. The original Germanic concept of hell was a cold afterlife destiny. Whereas Hades seems to be associated with fire, which could be due to climate and geography. For example, near Greece there are many volcanoes. Likewise, in Arabia near Medina there also many volcanoes.
Both hades and hell seem to originally represent death, and in the Bible it is also used this way (Acts of the Apostles 2:27). (Source: https://www.christianpublishers.org/post/what-is-the-biblical-understanding-of-sheol)
Across many cultures, the physical world is used to describe different emotions, and complex ideas. In many Native American cultures (ex: Ojibwe, Yucatan), there is a water panther, which governs the underworld. The panther is one of the largest predatory animals, and therefore represents danger. When projected into the watery underground places, it could symbolize a place of danger. The underground is where all life decays towards, and is where there is no freedom of movement, no light, and high risk of being trapped and dying. From what I understand, in ancient Egyptian cosmology, Apep plays a similar role, and represents watery chaos and annihilation below the desert.
Likewise, the sky often represents freedom and a higher power. The stars fill us with imagination and good feelings. In Hebrew the word מזל (Mazl, like Mazl Tov [Hebrew: Good Fortune]) can also mean stars, similar to how people think of horoscopes and astrology.
Birds, which fly in the sky, sometimes represent positive ideas. Bird feathers, for example, are used in ancient Egyptian culture, particularly Nubian culture, and in Native American cultures as a symbol for higher ideals. The feather in the Book of Coming Forth by Day (Book of the Dead) is shown on one side of the scales of justice, and a heart on the other. The feather is also seen in the Book of Coming Forth by Day on the heads of a group of people. For ancient Egyptians, pictures were their language, therefore the feather has a deeper meaning.
However not all birds in cultures represent good, there are also ideas of Thunderbirds, which in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, was found to represent an earthquake and tsunami. There are many other exceptions. This is the limitation of using symbols in nature to describe metaphysical and emotional truths.
In Abrahamic religions, heaven also represents the best place. In Hebrew, it is the abode of God and the angels. The Hebrew שמים (Shamayim) is related to the Arabic word سماء (sama'). In English, heaven is the best afterlife destiny. However, heaven as the afterlife destiny in the religion of Islam is جنة (jannah), which means gardens. This is similar to the English word "paradise", which originally meant gardens in Persian. These ideas are very important, especially if we seek reward and things, which we are not given by other people in this world.
In Surah ash-Shu'arah, the people are warned to be aware of the source of their "gardens and springs"(Surah ash-Shu'arah 26:134), various times, and those who warned them are accused of magic (Surah ash-Shu'arah 26:153), just like Jesus was accused of using evil magic by the Pharisees (Gospel of Matthew 12:24).
I've heard it said that Jewish people don't believe in hell or heaven, like Christians and Muslims do. Yet, after studying a few chapters in the TaNaKh, I believe this isn't entirely true. I believe the Hebrews were much like the Native Americans, and projected complex ideas onto the physical realm. The concept of Sheol (שעול) seems to mostly represent the underworld, which was death, our eventual fate, rather than one of two destinies of the afterlife. Yet, there are some verses, which show the connection between destructive behaviors and Sheol (Proverbs Chapter 7 [adultery]). Adultery is one of the sins of the 10 commandments , which is not directly in Qur'an, however there some verse where lists of commandments are made, which are similar. Perhaps someone knowledgeable could help me find them again.
And so, my problem with the first aformentioned verse, Surah al-Bayyinah 98:6, has to do with how people mistreat others and threaten them with hell, or manipulate people with the threat of hell, without using reason to understand the destructive behaviors.
After I finished reading the New Testament, I believe that the concept of sin was created to explain a reality, where our behaviors do not meet the expectations of life, and therefore contribute to suffering. The commandments were created from observations about life. For example, the impact of murder on ancient societies and how it caused many problems, and destroys the most precious thing on this planet.
I believe we can be perfect in the eyes of God, in the sense that God can accept us as we are and that this idea can bring us peace. However, we can still not meet the expectations of life by making wrong choices, and that is sin.
I believe once we are unburdened by shame and can live in the present moment, having faith that our sins can be forgiven, we are more capable of changing. Because shame can often make us feel tainted or irredeemable, which causes us to suffer and continue destructive behaviors. If we let go of the past, we can live in the present moment and become aware of God's mercy, and live our lives a better way.
In my life, I have experienced something like karma. I would begin to struggle and it would remind me of something bad I did in the past, causing me to reflect on my actions. Later, I reasoned that it was a blessing for me to experience a complicated consequence or a retribution from God for my actions earlier in my life, because otherwise it would come slowly and I would never be prepared for it nor be able to perceive it, causing more suffering in ignorance. Yet, I am very blessed, and the struggles contribute to new types of blessings, like the direction of my education towards Bible and Qur'an.
In European cultures, they portrayed something similar: the wheel of fortune. However, it seems not everybody experiences consequences in this lifetime, and I don't know why. The Book of Job is like a Hebrew philosophical debate around the idea of suffering in this life, and seems to suggest the best way to deal with it is to accept that we don't know and to have faith and continue worshiping God, despite our struggles.
God knows, I don't. God controls our destiny. God is the creator and destroyer, yet I believe God wants to create more, because of the blessings we receive by taking care of God's creation.
Just like a hospital services the needs of people in this life, so can a garden. Especially in these cities which contribute to our ailments and aren't healthy places for us to live. I don't believe we should have to wait until the afterlife to receive basic needs. Yet, there is so much that is out of our control and we should be ready to confront it and lose. From dust to dust. I believe shouldn't try to make utopia, and kill or hurt in the process, rather a better world should emerge from the simple goodness between individuals, particularly those closest to each other. If life is a game where we all lose, why do bad things trying win? If we all lose, then its about how we play the game. (Source: Level 42 - The Way Back Home)
Thanks for reading my perspective,
Fireheart47
This excerpt from Surah al-Bayyinah 98:6, is sometimes troublesome for me:
Quoteفِى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ
QuoteFī Nāri Jahannama Khālidīna Fīhā
Quotewill be in the fire of Hell, abiding eternally therein
The word جهنم is similar to the word Gehenna, which also found in the Bible in Greek with similar meaning (Gospel of Matthew 10:28). Its origin, Hinnom, is also found in Hebrew Bible, where it is described multiple times as a place where children were sacrificed by fire (Book of Jeremiah 7:31). The Valley of Hinnom is a north-facing valley outside of Jerusalem, so it does not get as much sunlight. Considering the geology of Israel/Palestine and Jordan, it could be a fissure, part of the greater tectonic fault.
The translation "hell" is from Germanic cosmology, first used by Wulfila in the Gothic Bible "halja" as an equivalent for the Greek "hades" used in the Bible. Yes, the Greek deity, which represented the underworld. The original Germanic concept of hell was a cold afterlife destiny. Whereas Hades seems to be associated with fire, which could be due to climate and geography. For example, near Greece there are many volcanoes. Likewise, in Arabia near Medina there also many volcanoes.
Both hades and hell seem to originally represent death, and in the Bible it is also used this way (Acts of the Apostles 2:27). (Source: https://www.christianpublishers.org/post/what-is-the-biblical-understanding-of-sheol)
Across many cultures, the physical world is used to describe different emotions, and complex ideas. In many Native American cultures (ex: Ojibwe, Yucatan), there is a water panther, which governs the underworld. The panther is one of the largest predatory animals, and therefore represents danger. When projected into the watery underground places, it could symbolize a place of danger. The underground is where all life decays towards, and is where there is no freedom of movement, no light, and high risk of being trapped and dying. From what I understand, in ancient Egyptian cosmology, Apep plays a similar role, and represents watery chaos and annihilation below the desert.
Likewise, the sky often represents freedom and a higher power. The stars fill us with imagination and good feelings. In Hebrew the word מזל (Mazl, like Mazl Tov [Hebrew: Good Fortune]) can also mean stars, similar to how people think of horoscopes and astrology.
Birds, which fly in the sky, sometimes represent positive ideas. Bird feathers, for example, are used in ancient Egyptian culture, particularly Nubian culture, and in Native American cultures as a symbol for higher ideals. The feather in the Book of Coming Forth by Day (Book of the Dead) is shown on one side of the scales of justice, and a heart on the other. The feather is also seen in the Book of Coming Forth by Day on the heads of a group of people. For ancient Egyptians, pictures were their language, therefore the feather has a deeper meaning.
However not all birds in cultures represent good, there are also ideas of Thunderbirds, which in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, was found to represent an earthquake and tsunami. There are many other exceptions. This is the limitation of using symbols in nature to describe metaphysical and emotional truths.
In Abrahamic religions, heaven also represents the best place. In Hebrew, it is the abode of God and the angels. The Hebrew שמים (Shamayim) is related to the Arabic word سماء (sama'). In English, heaven is the best afterlife destiny. However, heaven as the afterlife destiny in the religion of Islam is جنة (jannah), which means gardens. This is similar to the English word "paradise", which originally meant gardens in Persian. These ideas are very important, especially if we seek reward and things, which we are not given by other people in this world.
In Surah ash-Shu'arah, the people are warned to be aware of the source of their "gardens and springs"(Surah ash-Shu'arah 26:134), various times, and those who warned them are accused of magic (Surah ash-Shu'arah 26:153), just like Jesus was accused of using evil magic by the Pharisees (Gospel of Matthew 12:24).
I've heard it said that Jewish people don't believe in hell or heaven, like Christians and Muslims do. Yet, after studying a few chapters in the TaNaKh, I believe this isn't entirely true. I believe the Hebrews were much like the Native Americans, and projected complex ideas onto the physical realm. The concept of Sheol (שעול) seems to mostly represent the underworld, which was death, our eventual fate, rather than one of two destinies of the afterlife. Yet, there are some verses, which show the connection between destructive behaviors and Sheol (Proverbs Chapter 7 [adultery]). Adultery is one of the sins of the 10 commandments , which is not directly in Qur'an, however there some verse where lists of commandments are made, which are similar. Perhaps someone knowledgeable could help me find them again.
And so, my problem with the first aformentioned verse, Surah al-Bayyinah 98:6, has to do with how people mistreat others and threaten them with hell, or manipulate people with the threat of hell, without using reason to understand the destructive behaviors.
After I finished reading the New Testament, I believe that the concept of sin was created to explain a reality, where our behaviors do not meet the expectations of life, and therefore contribute to suffering. The commandments were created from observations about life. For example, the impact of murder on ancient societies and how it caused many problems, and destroys the most precious thing on this planet.
I believe we can be perfect in the eyes of God, in the sense that God can accept us as we are and that this idea can bring us peace. However, we can still not meet the expectations of life by making wrong choices, and that is sin.
I believe once we are unburdened by shame and can live in the present moment, having faith that our sins can be forgiven, we are more capable of changing. Because shame can often make us feel tainted or irredeemable, which causes us to suffer and continue destructive behaviors. If we let go of the past, we can live in the present moment and become aware of God's mercy, and live our lives a better way.
In my life, I have experienced something like karma. I would begin to struggle and it would remind me of something bad I did in the past, causing me to reflect on my actions. Later, I reasoned that it was a blessing for me to experience a complicated consequence or a retribution from God for my actions earlier in my life, because otherwise it would come slowly and I would never be prepared for it nor be able to perceive it, causing more suffering in ignorance. Yet, I am very blessed, and the struggles contribute to new types of blessings, like the direction of my education towards Bible and Qur'an.
In European cultures, they portrayed something similar: the wheel of fortune. However, it seems not everybody experiences consequences in this lifetime, and I don't know why. The Book of Job is like a Hebrew philosophical debate around the idea of suffering in this life, and seems to suggest the best way to deal with it is to accept that we don't know and to have faith and continue worshiping God, despite our struggles.
God knows, I don't. God controls our destiny. God is the creator and destroyer, yet I believe God wants to create more, because of the blessings we receive by taking care of God's creation.
Just like a hospital services the needs of people in this life, so can a garden. Especially in these cities which contribute to our ailments and aren't healthy places for us to live. I don't believe we should have to wait until the afterlife to receive basic needs. Yet, there is so much that is out of our control and we should be ready to confront it and lose. From dust to dust. I believe shouldn't try to make utopia, and kill or hurt in the process, rather a better world should emerge from the simple goodness between individuals, particularly those closest to each other. If life is a game where we all lose, why do bad things trying win? If we all lose, then its about how we play the game. (Source: Level 42 - The Way Back Home)
Thanks for reading my perspective,
Fireheart47
#90
Q&As with Joseph Islam - Information Only / Ahl kitab and Qur’an
Last post by fireheart47 - December 19, 2024, 09:01:00 AMDear Joseph Islam,
If the Qur'an was once only recited, and thus the other believers were called People of the Book (Ahl Al-Kitab), does that mean after the Qur'an was compiled and made into a book that the believers of it are now also People of the Book?
Sincerely,
Fireheart47
If the Qur'an was once only recited, and thus the other believers were called People of the Book (Ahl Al-Kitab), does that mean after the Qur'an was compiled and made into a book that the believers of it are now also People of the Book?
Sincerely,
Fireheart47