Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
Salam@Link
Suppose for a moment the eloquence of the Qur'an is divine. That would be the original text, memorised by Mohammed (PBUH) and transcribed in Arabic.
You have no reason to suppose English translations maintain their divine eloquence, do you?
My latest post in the thread where I'm trying to show eloquence of Quran and signs of it being from God in that respect.
I wrote:
Salam
What does this have to do with eloquence? One way to define eloquence, is to talk about words picked in a way that are very well placed with respect to one another. That out of the words picked as there are many ways to say the same thing, the choice of words are very well chosen.
Now with respect to the reward verses, I believe I have not only shown they are well chosen (eloquent) with respect to the Surahs, and that they fit there more then others, but that they are perfectly chosen words. That these words with respect to the Surahs they are in, are perfectly placed words.
Now humans are not going to do this. They are not going to repeat same message of verses, but paraphrased differently or with additions, that are perfectly suited exactly where they are.
Keep in mind that Surahs were dynamically built over time, and that the Quran surahs were not revealed in one go, this is another major sign.
To be this precise and calculative with picking these words is a major sign. Out of the reward verses, one stands unique however, and that's 42:23.
Yet as it's explicit it's the family of Mohammad (s), the Surah more then any other Surah, emphasizes Islam is not about Mohammad (s) or his family (a) but they are chosen means for God's Welayah on his creation and he has a unique Welayah. He sent Mohammad (s) because of this Welayah he has. He sent Messengers in the past because of this Welayah.
He distinguishes who he wants for himself and guides who he wishes.
The Surah is so calculatedly related to the issue "it's about Mohammad (s) but not really, it's about God Welayah through Mohammad (S)".
And this is why when it mentions the Al-Qurba in 42:23 it does so after mentioned "faith and good actions" and after mentions "whoever earns goodness, we will increase them therein in it's beauty" and emphasizing "indeed God is forgiving, thankful", but what is most eloquent is the verse right after with all this...
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا ۖ فَإِنْ يَشَإِ اللَّهُ يَخْتِمْ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ ۗ وَيَمْحُ اللَّهُ الْبَاطِلَ وَيُحِقُّ الْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَاتِهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ | Do they say, ‘He has fabricated a lie against Allah’? If so, should Allah wish He would set a seal on your heart, and Allah will efface the falsehood and confirm the truth with His words. Indeed He knows well what is in the breasts. | Ash-Shura : 24
This shows, if not Mohammad (s), someone else, if not his Ahlulbayt (a), then another Ahlulbayt (a), and so don't make it personal about Mohammad (s).
It's about God and his Welayat. We see this theme in another Surahs, for example, Surah Furqan emphasizes on Mohammad (s) being the way to God and the reward he is accused of seeking to be in reality for who wants to, to take path to their Lord.
But this Surah has the most "it's about God, so don't make it personal".
It also has "there is no argument between us and you, to you is your actions and to us is our actions", and so to let the truth prevail, and let everyone present their religion and not make it personal.
Of course, God distinguishes for himself who he wishes, and Al-Qurba in 42:23 are obviously the center point of the message, and are the means to God, but it's not about them, because if not them, and Mohammad (S) lied, then a different Al-Qurba would be the object.
Al-Qurba is also stated in a way, that no matter what time and age, there is always an Al-Qurba to love and earn goodness through and are means to God and his signs, and way to believe in God's light and do good.
The ending of Surah Shura also very eloquent....it talks about God guiding through the spirit he inspired/revealed from his command, and that it's a light who he guides who he wants, but then says "...and indeed you guide to a straight path"
And we read in Surah Fatiha "the path of those who you favored upon..." but here we read "the path of God..." and ends with "alas to God return the affairs"
This too good. Too good for humans to calculate and place. And 42:23 stands unique and yet is explained by all the reward verses which are all perfectly placed and related to their Surahs. They interpret each other and woven each other to imply one meaning.
This way of Quranic interpreting itself and relating it's repeated themes to one another, is not a sign of boring repetition, but actually, it's a sign of calculating words to perfection from God. And nothing is repeated in vain.
It's very calculative repetition in a way, that things get woven together and interpret one another. We see for example in repeating the reward and how it's calculated to be in a Surah perfectly, is a miracle. Everything so precisely placed.
We also saw the names of Prophets and Messengers and how they appear and which order, in the Surahs, they appear, is also very precise and perfectly chosen words.
Again, eloquence can be said to measure the degree of how words are chosen out of all words. I believe I've objectively shown a lot of examples of how words are not just exalted and high in eloquence, that they are very good placement of words and hence eloquent, but they are precisely chosen in a subtle way humans do not know how to choose,
Keeping in mind Quran was dynamically revealed with events and the Sunnah, this perfectly placed words should be seen as a miracle for sure.
------
My comment. Pick the best option for you. I realize some options you can select more then once, but just pick the best one.
@Link
Suppose for a moment the eloquence of the Qur'an is divine. That would be the original text, memorised by Mohammed (PBUH) and transcribed in Arabic.
You have no reason to suppose English translations maintain their divine eloquence, do you?
I brought up Bahai example. It claims writing is proof from God and beyond our capability. It's a claim trying to mimic Islam's claim. Yet, it's not even at the level of eloquence. I've mentioned why. If you want I can show examples too, how it fails in eloquence. I can provide detailed thread show examples of chaotic uncalculated speech and it's too much to even begin to compare with Quran. It has no comparison.
Yet to you, it's simply the claim.
The claim does not make it true. The claim is just an invitation to study it and see if it's beyond human capability or not.
I believe with how much hostility the unseen realm (dark magic) and seen realm has towards Quran, if this challenge is seriously met, we would have some serious testimony about it.
As for your examples (Musalyma, etc), we can look at their literature and compare. If you don't want to start a thread about, I can. I didn't reply to it in the other thread, because it was saying challenge is met. Not that the challenge itself is not a reasonable challenge.
You have to decide between these two in the first place.
Is God capable of providing a sign?
If so, in what form? Just physical power miracles or is a literature possible something God can use a proof?
If you say it's impossible, then no matter what level of eloquence and how precise, you are going to say, so what?
But if you believe highest literature and incapability of bringing like it, and that God provide proof through literature, then we can have a meaningful dialogue of how Quran towers.
I think even if you are stuck on one, you should just skip to seeing examples of eloquence of Quran, because for all you know, God can speak in a way far above humans and you can detect some of that eloquence and see how it towers above in precise perfectly placed words.
The more I read the Holy Quran the more I am overwhelmed by its beauty and truth. But what is more important to me is that it is from God and I see the exact same truth in the Words of Baha’u’llah. If I were to deny Baha’u’llah I would have to deny Muhammad and the Quran because to me they are One and the same, all from the one God.
If I may?
You are right. Eloquence is a particular study. It's called Ilme Balaga. It can only be analysed in Arabic. For example, take an old English poem that rhymes. And if it's a long poem the tone changes when needed. The voice changes when needed. When you translate it to lets say another language like Arabic, can we maintain the same writers style that you got in English? It's absolutely difficult. I don't know how you could do it really.
Eloquence in the Arabic poetry and writing style of the Qur'an is not what we will think of when someone says the word Eloquence. We tend to think too simplistically.
Nevertheless, you are right. English translations do not maintain the eloquence. A translator can try his levels best to try and "maintain" the eloquence, but that will turn into a weird poetic writeup, not a translation. I don't think it's possible.
Have you read the Qayoom al asma of the bab? Have you done some research on the linguistics and compared it with the Qur'an? That being a claimed superimposition of the same eloquence of the Qur'an, thus I ask.
Thanks for the extrapolation, I appreciate the clarity.
That's kinda what I figured. Even a really good translator is putting a level of human intervention and fallibility between the original text and the translated version.
For that reason I answered 'I don't know'. As an atheist, my assumption would always be that at best they were written by one or more eloquent humans. But I can't judge the original text, so that seems the appropriate answer.
I only know that the more I read the Quran the more I love it and the same with the Holy Words of all God’s Messengers.
I ask because the topic is very specific. It's the luhaweeyun or the study of language and writing. It's the Ilme Balagha or the study of the so called "eloquence". Not about "love" or preaching.
If anyone spends some time studying the Qur'an, the Bab's writings and Bahailah's writings, they are poles apart. can never be matched. No way. I am sorry but trying to bring in Bahai writings into the same picture is just a vain attempt.
If a Jew has a thread on a similar topic on the Jewish writings, I will say "I have no clue because I am absolutely ignorant of the linguistic beauty of the Hebrew writings". That is the honest response. I will not try to bring the Qur'an into that equation and hitch a ride. The day I make that study of the Hebrew language to "that level", I will make some analysis. And for me to educate myself on the Hebrew language to "that level", it might take me 7 years of full time study. I don't know I am speculating. Maybe more.
I remember the very first time I read the Book of Certitude by Baha’u’llah. I hardly understood a word but it was like reading a song. It had a most beautiful melody and blending of words that is inexplicable.
The other Writings of His I feel the same melodic harmony and perfection in the context and relevancy for this age. It was through Baha’u’llah’s Words I came to read the Quran and it is so addictive. I feel so much hunger spiritually to read and understand more and to me the Quran has a matchless beauty that makes it undoubtedly the Word of God.
But in my soul I feel the same beauty and perfection in both the Writings of Baha’u’llah and the Quran after years of reading. The Bab the same. They each have Their own style but to me it is different styles of perfection. That is, the Word of God revealed in different contexts for different purposes but all perfection.
Whether they meet any human standards of grammar etc is irrelevant to me with regards to ascertaining truth. If God gives me a sweet melon or a sour grape it’s the same to me because it is from God so I accept gracefully, gratefully and humbly as His servant.
So we can compare the two, and say Quran towers above it. But you can even compare Bahai scriptures to other writing of humans, or even of Kahen channeling from Jinn, and you will see Bahai scriptures are not eloquent.
If anyone spends some time studying the Qur'an, the Bab's writings and Bahailah's writings, they are poles apart. can never be matched. No way. I am sorry but trying to bring in Bahai writings into the same picture is just a vain attempt.
Your comments are not supported by those who heard Baha'u'llah revealed verses.
I see a dogmatic bias would be the only difference.
Regards Tony
Your poll will give you arbitrary opinions only. It will all be bias. But I'm sure you know that.
Your comments are not supported by those who heard Baha'u'llah revealed verses.
I see a dogmatic bias would be the only difference.
Regards Tony
To be honest I don't see the difference between your accusations of bias and Tony's.That's just ad hominem. Irrelevant. Absolutely irrelevant.
The book is there to read any day, any time. So study it, and present the Ilme Balagha in it and then, that's a relevant discussion.
My latest post in the thread where I'm trying to show eloquence of Quran and signs of it being from God in that respect.
I wrote:
Salam
What does this have to do with eloquence? One way to define eloquence, is to talk about words picked in a way that are very well placed with respect to one another. That out of the words picked as there are many ways to say the same thing, the choice of words are very well chosen.
Now with respect to the reward verses, I believe I have not only shown they are well chosen (eloquent) with respect to the Surahs, and that they fit there more then others, but that they are perfectly chosen words. That these words with respect to the Surahs they are in, are perfectly placed words.
Now humans are not going to do this. They are not going to repeat same message of verses, but paraphrased differently or with additions, that are perfectly suited exactly where they are.
Keep in mind that Surahs were dynamically built over time, and that the Quran surahs were not revealed in one go, this is another major sign.
To be this precise and calculative with picking these words is a major sign. Out of the reward verses, one stands unique however, and that's 42:23.
Yet as it's explicit it's the family of Mohammad (s), the Surah more then any other Surah, emphasizes Islam is not about Mohammad (s) or his family (a) but they are chosen means for God's Welayah on his creation and he has a unique Welayah. He sent Mohammad (s) because of this Welayah he has. He sent Messengers in the past because of this Welayah.
He distinguishes who he wants for himself and guides who he wishes.
The Surah is so calculatedly related to the issue "it's about Mohammad (s) but not really, it's about God Welayah through Mohammad (S)".
And this is why when it mentions the Al-Qurba in 42:23 it does so after mentioned "faith and good actions" and after mentions "whoever earns goodness, we will increase them therein in it's beauty" and emphasizing "indeed God is forgiving, thankful", but what is most eloquent is the verse right after with all this...
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا ۖ فَإِنْ يَشَإِ اللَّهُ يَخْتِمْ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ ۗ وَيَمْحُ اللَّهُ الْبَاطِلَ وَيُحِقُّ الْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَاتِهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ | Do they say, ‘He has fabricated a lie against Allah’? If so, should Allah wish He would set a seal on your heart, and Allah will efface the falsehood and confirm the truth with His words. Indeed He knows well what is in the breasts. | Ash-Shura : 24
This shows, if not Mohammad (s), someone else, if not his Ahlulbayt (a), then another Ahlulbayt (a), and so don't make it personal about Mohammad (s).
It's about God and his Welayat. We see this theme in another Surahs, for example, Surah Furqan emphasizes on Mohammad (s) being the way to God and the reward he is accused of seeking to be in reality for who wants to, to take path to their Lord.
But this Surah has the most "it's about God, so don't make it personal".
It also has "there is no argument between us and you, to you is your actions and to us is our actions", and so to let the truth prevail, and let everyone present their religion and not make it personal.
Of course, God distinguishes for himself who he wishes, and Al-Qurba in 42:23 are obviously the center point of the message, and are the means to God, but it's not about them, because if not them, and Mohammad (S) lied, then a different Al-Qurba would be the object.
Al-Qurba is also stated in a way, that no matter what time and age, there is always an Al-Qurba to love and earn goodness through and are means to God and his signs, and way to believe in God's light and do good.
The ending of Surah Shura also very eloquent....it talks about God guiding through the spirit he inspired/revealed from his command, and that it's a light who he guides who he wants, but then says "...and indeed you guide to a straight path"
And we read in Surah Fatiha "the path of those who you favored upon..." but here we read "the path of God..." and ends with "alas to God return the affairs"
This too good. Too good for humans to calculate and place. And 42:23 stands unique and yet is explained by all the reward verses which are all perfectly placed and related to their Surahs. They interpret each other and woven each other to imply one meaning.
This way of Quranic interpreting itself and relating it's repeated themes to one another, is not a sign of boring repetition, but actually, it's a sign of calculating words to perfection from God. And nothing is repeated in vain.
It's very calculative repetition in a way, that things get woven together and interpret one another. We see for example in repeating the reward and how it's calculated to be in a Surah perfectly, is a miracle. Everything so precisely placed.
We also saw the names of Prophets and Messengers and how they appear and which order, in the Surahs, they appear, is also very precise and perfectly chosen words.
Again, eloquence can be said to measure the degree of how words are chosen out of all words. I believe I've objectively shown a lot of examples of how words are not just exalted and high in eloquence, that they are very good placement of words and hence eloquent, but they are precisely chosen in a subtle way humans do not know how to choose,
Keeping in mind Quran was dynamically revealed with events and the Sunnah, this perfectly placed words should be seen as a miracle for sure.
------
My comment. Pick the best option for you. I realize some options you can select more then once, but just pick the best one.
@Link
Suppose for a moment the eloquence of the Qur'an is divine. That would be the original text, memorised by Mohammed (PBUH) and transcribed in Arabic.
You have no reason to suppose English translations maintain their divine eloquence, do you?
To be honest I don't see the difference between your accusations of bias and Tony's.
In my opinion.