The Beauty of the Qur'an and the Binary Nature of Islam

[Debater Slayer]

During my childhood, the way my conservative Muslim parents chose to raise and teach me was inspired primarily by Sunni Islamic teachings. They taught me to pray five times a day, fast during Ramadan at the very least, and treat them with respect according to Islamic rules.

But there is a lot more depth to the Qur'anic code of conduct than praying, fasting, and treating parents with respect; it is a full-fledged code of conduct. To this day, even after becoming an anti-religious atheist, I draw a lot of my principles from my Islamic upbringing. One of my main inspirations is the Qur'anic passage about Luqman and his son:

O my son, establish prayer, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, [all] that is of the matters [requiring] determination. • And do not turn your cheek [in contempt] toward people and do not walk through the earth exultantly. Indeed, Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful. • And be moderate in your pace and lower your voice; indeed, the most disagreeable of sounds is the voice of donkeys."

The above passages have a unique, captivating beauty in Arabic. It is impossible to convey the beauty of some Qur'anic verses in translation. One can translate the meaning, but there is no possible way to relay the poetry of the Qur'an in a language other than Arabic.

There is more to the Qur'an than beautiful poetry and prose. To borrow a cliche, it has the good, the bad, and the ugly. When the Qur'an commands something, it commands it all the way. Just as the verses about Jahannam and the eternal punishment of non-believers go all the way and describe torture in gruesome, graphic detail, the verses about mercy, kindness, and doing good deeds also go to great lengths to extol these qualities.

And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend.

And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word. • And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, "My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small."

Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided.

The Qur'an, for all its ethical and logical defaults, also carries poetic beauty, valuable moral teachings in certain areas, and masterfully crafted prose. Its poetry is so beauty that I still enjoy listening to the occasional Surah, even if it contains verses about Hell. I can see why a lot of people are easily too lost in the beauty of the Qur'an to find anything unethical about its passages. It has the most beautiful poetry I have ever read.

The binary nature of Islam lies in the fact that the Qur'an details both teachings about kindness and eternal torture, compassion and vengeance, mercy and punishment. This binary nature is embodied in the following Qur'anic verse:

Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah ; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in prayer], seeking bounty from Allah and [His] pleasure. Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration. That is their description in the Torah. And their description in the Gospel is as a plant which produces its offshoots and strengthens them so they grow firm and stand upon their stalks, delighting the sowers - so that Allah may enrage by them the disbelievers. Allah has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds among them forgiveness and a great reward.

(Source of all Qur'anic translations above.)

This is possibly the main reason there are so many hateful religious fundamentalists who are still capable of being loving, compassionate, and kind to their kin and those who don't oppose them—"forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves." I think it is the responsibility of any progressive person to encourage the positive aspects of Islam and support them over the negative ones. This, in my opinion, requires one to understand the binary nature of Islam.

 

[Sunstone]

Being "forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves." doesn't much impress me these days. It's merely a form of tribalism: Kind, compassionate towards "us", forceful towards "them". Tribalism has no place in the world community that is forming today.

 

[beenie]

One of the biggest flaws I find is that Muslims adapt the "us vs. them" mentality, often due to specific passages from the Qur'an. Although the Qur'an specifically says that the rules and punishments dictated in the Shariah apply to Muslims only, it also has incredibly divisive verses when it comes to interactions with other Muslims vs non-Muslims.

 

[Sunstone]

DS, I think your core point is correct. No one is going to abolish Islam anymore than anyone is going to rid the world of all religion all together. So the problem becomes how to make religions more benign and ameliorate the damage they sometimes do. That seems to be the direction you are headed.

 

[beenie]

Another issue at hand is that the vast majority of Muslims have little idea what they are reciting when either reciting for a lesson or memorizing the Qur'an. I completely agree that recitation, when done propriety, is beautiful to listen to; however, if one fully understands what is being said, it will change their perspective entirely. Telling people how they will be tortured for eternity in Hell sounds lovely in Arabic, with proper tajwid... put it in laymen's terms and suddenly it ain't so pretty anymore.

I've always taken issue with the fact that the Qur'an claims to be so simple and straightforward (perfected and unaltered)... but only a small segment of the population can even remotely understand it, and the rest of the world is left to rely on them to teach. Furthermore, even amongst those who claim to understand it will argue until the end of time about what certain phrases, words, and rules mean. Simplicity, to me, would include the ability for every person on earth to be able to understand the meaning of the Qur'an. It's arrogance of "learn Arabic to understand" that is a huge turn-off for many. When read in another language, it loses much of its unique poetic structure. It's both a beauty and a flaw.

 

[Revoltingest]

It reminds me of crime families who have such compassion for their own, yet kill others so readily.
This doesn't come from poetry or comforting ritual.
It's human nature to be able to treat outsiders as the enemy.
So when a scripture has components which can be interpreted to justify this, it poses risks to outsiders.
And even fellow believers can be viewed as such.

 

[paarsurrey]

But there is a lot more depth to the Qur'anic code of conduct than praying, fasting, and treating parents with respect; it is a full-fledged code of conduct. To this day, even after becoming an anti-religious atheist, I draw a lot of my principles from my Islamic upbringing. One of my main inspirations is the Qur'anic passage about Luqman and his son:

Well said and beautifully said. I appreciate
Regards

 

[sun rise]

I've learned that many parts of the Quran have proven to be very difficult to translate such as 17:100-104 which in some translations talk about the State of Israel being created by the will of God and as a sign of the end times!

But some parts of the Quran, notably the "Light Verse" are beautiful even in translation.

 

[mahasn ebn sawresho]

During my childhood, the way my conservative Muslim parents chose to raise and teach me was inspired primarily by Sunni Islamic teachings. They taught me to pray five times a day, fast during Ramadan at the very least, and treat them with respect according to Islamic rules.

But there is a lot more depth to the Qur'anic code of conduct than praying, fasting, and treating parents with respect; it is a full-fledged code of conduct. To this day, even after becoming an anti-religious atheist, I draw a lot of my principles from my Islamic upbringing. One of my main inspirations is the Qur'anic passage about Luqman and his son:

What is the beauty and the meaning of this verse from the Koran
It's a poetic phrase
But where is the beauty and morality
A curse from God on Abu Lahab, a cousin of Mohammed
And also his wife, and she says her bra firewood
I hope that this verse explains the moral and value ???
(Perish the hands of Abu Lahab and repent (1) what the richest earn him his money and (2) pray fire with flame (3) and his wife bra firewood (4) in both good rope from MSD (5)
In the name of God the Merciful Ra bracket.png What do you think that religion is lying Aya-1.png it is claimed that the orphan Aya-2.png nor incites poor food Aya-3.png woe to the worshipers Aya-4.png who are neglectful of their prayers Aya- 5.png who are seen of Aya-6.png and prevented Ma'un Aya-7.png La bracket.png. [1]

Surah al-ma'un Makiya number of verses 7 arranged 107
Are you able to provide evidence of the beauty of this sura of the Koran it stanza
The words were foreign
Here the Koran is not beautiful because it can not be translated into the languages of the world
If the word of God, it could have been translated into all the languages of the world
Yes What is the beauty of the word **** and ****
The beauty of the word vagina contained in the Koran ugly words in the body of your book Holy Quran

 

[mahasn ebn sawresho]

I wish to note that Google Translator refuses to translate words) الفرج والنكاح
al -frij and al- nkah
Google ashamed to translate words
But you enjoy be read to your children and your wives and rejoice Alaqbihtin these two words contained in the Arab Aqrank

 

[mahasn ebn sawresho]

I've learned that many parts of the Quran have proven to be very difficult to translate such as 17:100-104 which in some translations talk about the State of Israel being created by the will of God and as a sign of the end times!

But some parts of the Quran, notably the "Light Verse" are beautiful even in translation.

Remarks reading books Jews in the Koran and the Sunnah
Edited by Sayed Tantawi
And the talk about the special verse
I think that the Koran did not speak for the state of Israel
Because it is historically known
The state of Israel Nchaet in history
In both the first and the emergence of her Althatna was the end of the first emerging is the first Babylonian captivity
The second evolution was the end of the second Babylonian captivity
It is written in the Torah in detail
After

 

[mahasn ebn sawresho]

After that date became the children of Israel are struggling to return to their homeland Palestine
God even allowed them to do so at the end of the eighteenth century AD

 

[mahasn ebn sawresho]

Another issue at hand is that the vast majority of Muslims have little idea what they are reciting when either reciting for a lesson or memorizing the Qur'an. I completely agree that recitation, when done propriety, is beautiful to listen to; however, if one fully understands what is being said, it will change their perspective entirely. Telling people how they will be tortured for eternity in Hell sounds lovely in Arabic, with proper tajwid... put it in laymen's terms and suddenly it ain't so pretty anymore.

I've always taken issue with the fact that the Qur'an claims to be so simple and straightforward (perfected and unaltered)... but only a small segment of the population can even remotely understand it, and the rest of the world is left to rely on them to teach. Furthermore, even amongst those who claim to understand it will argue until the end of time about what certain phrases, words, and rules mean. Simplicity, to me, would include the ability for every person on earth to be able to understand the meaning of the Qur'an. It's arrogance of "learn Arabic to understand" that is a huge turn-off for many. When read in another language, it loses much of its unique poetic structure. It's both a beauty and a flaw.

Offer you a beautiful state of the Quran in her words, but written in the Bible and written in the Torah
By Mohammed
Christ says obey mom and dad
And this section can be translated into the languages of the world's languages
But in the Koran adhere to the text
And loses its original meaning
Koran industry lattice failed

 

[Debater Slayer]

What is the beauty and the meaning of this verse from the Koran
It's a poetic phrase
But where is the beauty and morality
A curse from God on Abu Lahab, a cousin of Mohammed
And also his wife, and she says her bra firewood
I hope that this verse explains the moral and value ???
(Perish the hands of Abu Lahab and repent (1) what the richest earn him his money and (2) pray fire with flame (3) and his wife bra firewood (4) in both good rope from MSD (5)
In the name of God the Merciful Ra bracket.png What do you think that religion is lying Aya-1.png it is claimed that the orphan Aya-2.png nor incites poor food Aya-3.png woe to the worshipers Aya-4.png who are neglectful of their prayers Aya- 5.png who are seen of Aya-6.png and prevented Ma'un Aya-7.png La bracket.png. [1]

Surah al-ma'un Makiya number of verses 7 arranged 107
Are you able to provide evidence of the beauty of this sura of the Koran it stanza
The words were foreign
Here the Koran is not beautiful because it can not be translated into the languages of the world
If the word of God, it could have been translated into all the languages of the world
Yes What is the beauty of the word **** and ****

Read my post again. I specifically said this:

[...] To borrow a cliche, it has the good, the bad, and the ugly. [...]

Nowhere did I say that the entirety of the Qur'an is beautiful. On the whole, I find it antithetical to religious diversity and tolerance, but that doesn't mean I don't find some parts of it beautiful.

The beauty of the word vagina contained in the Koran ugly words in the body of your book Holy Quran

1) I'm an atheist, not a Muslim.

2) I'm also anti-religious.

3) Therefore, the Qur'an is not "[my] book."

4) The word vagina is merely the name of a body part. There is nothing ugly about it except maybe to puritans.

I suggest reading posts more carefully before responding to them next time.

 

[Debater Slayer]

I wish to note that Google Translator refuses to translate words) الفرج والنكاح
al -frij and al- nkah
Google ashamed to translate words
But you enjoy be read to your children and your wives and rejoice Alaqbihtin these two words contained in the Arab Aqrank

فرج means genitals, especially a woman's genitals. نكاح in Qur'anic language means marriage. Nothing bad about either word.

I have neither a wife nor children, and even if I did, I would have no reason to read the Qur'an to them, so I don't know what you're talking about.

By the way, go read the Old Testament, since it is included in your beloved Bible. Go read that, look in the mirror, and try to tell yourself with honesty that you believe in it while decrying "ugly words" and telling yourself that others should be "ashamed" of their religion's scriptures.

 

[Sirona]

@Debater Slayer ,

I’ve lurked around in forums of ex-cultists (former Jehovah’s Witnesses) who describe a state of mind similar to what you describe. Many are hurt, many are angry. IMHO you are in a process of getting detached from your old religion, and this involves longing and mourning for thing you would miss, such as certain passages from scriptures or holidays spent with your family. It is probably very painful but it will eventually get by.

There is a famous ex-Muslim in Germany named Hamed Abdel-Samad. He wrote a book with the German title “My farewell to heaven”. I would recommend his book, but unfortunately it has not been translated to English, There’s just one of his books available in English, entitled “Islamic Fascism”. Maybe reading this or similar material from an outspoken atheist with a Muslim background would help you to get a more critical look at the religion you are in the process of leaving.

Take care.

 

[Debater Slayer]

@Debater Slayer ,

I’ve lurked around in forums of ex-cultists (former Jehovah’s Witnesses) who describe a state of mind similar to what you describe. Many are hurt, many are angry. IMHO you are in a process of getting detached from your old religion, and this involves longing and mourning for thing you would miss, such as certain passages from scriptures or holidays spent with your family. It is probably very painful but it will eventually get by.

There is a famous ex-Muslim in Germany named Hamed Abdel-Samad. He wrote a book with the German title “My farewell to heaven”. I would recommend his book, but unfortunately it has not been translated to English, There’s just one of his books available in English, entitled “Islamic Fascism”. Maybe reading this or similar material from an outspoken atheist with a Muslim background would help you to get a more critical look at the religion you are in the process of leaving.

Take care.

Thanks for the recommendation. I've heard of Hamed Abdel-Samad; he called Muhammad's destruction of Pagan idols upon conquering Mecca "the beginning of Islamic fascism." As a result of his statements, a couple of Islamist scholars issued fatwas stating that his blood was "halal," meaning that it would be permissible to kill him under Islamic law. I'm not surprised that he now resides outside Egypt.

 

[Sirona]

Thanks for the recommendation. I've heard of Hamed Abdel-Samad; he called Muhammad's destruction of Pagan idols upon conquering Mecca "the beginning of Islamic fascism." As a result of his statements, a couple of Islamist scholars issued fatwas stating that his blood was "halal," meaning that it would be permissible to kill him under Islamic law. I'm not surprised that he now resides outside Egypt.

Thanks for your reply. I can't quite figure out whether it is approval or rejection, but you will know. If you don’t like his books, maybe you can come up with better examples of ex-Muslim atheists. I just bought Islamic Fascism and read it in one single night. If the book actually contained hate speech, it would have been banned in Germany, especially in Germany.

It’s a pity that his first book, “My Farewell to Heaven” is not available in English. It’s not a political book, rather a diary or a biography. Abdel-Samad describes himself slowly drifting away from Islam, trying out other religions, drinking wine etc., until he finally realizes with disillusionment that he is an atheist. Maybe stories like this would be helpful to you. In “Islamic Fascism” he gives descriptions of the lives of 5 ex-Muslim atheists, and he describes how ex-Muslim atheists connect with each other over the internet. Good luck on your search.

 

[paarsurrey]

The above passages have a unique, captivating beauty in Arabic. It is impossible to convey the beauty of some Qur'anic verses in translation. One can translate the meaning, but there is no possible way to relay the poetry of the Qur'an in a language other than Arabic.

Yes that beauty is there; yet the beauty of meaning is much more than that, that one gets when one ponders on it deeply and correctly. Please
Regards

 

[outhouse]

The Qur'an, for all its ethical and logical defaults, also carries poetic beauty, valuable moral teachings in certain areas, and masterfully crafted prose.

True.

And you are removed from bias and fanaticism so you see more clearly the beauty in the text.

I would be the same for the bible, I can and do criticize it, but see the beauty more clearly then most theist ever could.

." I think it is the responsibility of any progressive person to encourage the positive aspects of Islam and support them over the negative ones. This, in my opinion, requires one to understand the binary nature of Islam.

Define progressive person.

I see many muslim followers doing this, and it is a positive step forward. But I'm afraid it is only a small insignificant step forward that skirts the real problems in islam which is the required severe fanaticism and fundamentalism.