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Quranism: Difference between revisions
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=== Sunni-Shia Split === | === Sunni-Shia Split === | ||
There is | There is no mention of how religious or community leaders are rightfully meant to be chosen, nor how religious laws are meant to be administered in the Qur'an. With no direct instructions for a successor, or how to chose one (or multiple) in the Quran, there was a civil war almost immediately after Muhammad's death - which according to traditional accounts contributed to the Sunni-Shi'a split. | ||
There is no actual direct concept of a political caliph (khilafah) in the Quran, which is central to both of the two most widespread branches of Islam, Sunni and Shi'i Islam. One can see all the ways this word is used on Quran Corpus [https://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=xlf here] in the 'noun' sections, denoting general successors rather than the political leader of the Muslim community. In fact the term did not denote a distinct political or religious institution during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad. It began to acquire its later meaning and to take shape as an institution after Muhammad’s death.<ref>''[https://www.britannica.com/topic/caliph Caliph Entry]'' | Definition & History | Britannica | Professor Asma Afsaruddin</ref> | There is no actual direct concept of a political caliph (khilafah) in the Quran, which is central to both of the two most widespread branches of Islam, Sunni and Shi'i Islam. One can see all the ways this word is used on Quran Corpus [https://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=xlf here] in the 'noun' sections, denoting general successors rather than the political leader of the Muslim community. In fact the term did not denote a distinct political or religious institution during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad. It began to acquire its later meaning and to take shape as an institution after Muhammad’s death.<ref>''[https://www.britannica.com/topic/caliph Caliph Entry]'' | Definition & History | Britannica | Professor Asma Afsaruddin</ref> | ||
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But there is no obvious way to reconcile this without the extra traditions. | But there is no obvious way to reconcile this without the extra traditions. | ||
=== Verses that have no meaning | === Verses that have no meaning === | ||
Many verses lack any clear meaning without further context, a few (of many) are given below. For example it is impossible to know what the following verses are talking about by themselves (tafsirs generally link them to angels, though the third verse is sometimes also linked to humans reciting the Quran).<ref>''[https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Jalal/37.1 Tafsir Jalalayn on verse 31:1].'' Al Jalalayn / Jalal ad-Din al-Maḥalli and Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti. Published in 1505.</ref><ref>''[https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Kathir/37.1 Tafsir Ibn Kathir on Verse 37:1-5]''. Ibn Kathir d 1373.</ref>{{Quote|{{Quran|37|1-4}}|“By those ranged in ranks. | Many verses lack any clear meaning without further context, a few (of many) are given below. For example it is impossible to know what the following verses are talking about by themselves (tafsirs generally link them to angels, though the third verse is sometimes also linked to humans reciting the Quran).<ref>''[https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Jalal/37.1 Tafsir Jalalayn on verse 31:1].'' Al Jalalayn / Jalal ad-Din al-Maḥalli and Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti. Published in 1505.</ref><ref>''[https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Kathir/37.1 Tafsir Ibn Kathir on Verse 37:1-5]''. Ibn Kathir d 1373.</ref>{{Quote|{{Quran|37|1-4}}|“By those ranged in ranks. | ||
Then those who drive away with reproof. | Then those who drive away with reproof. | ||
And those who recite a reminder. | And those who recite a reminder. | ||
Lo! Your Lord is surely One.”}} | Lo! Your Lord is surely One.”}} | ||
Similarly the | Similarly the verses below are often given mythological explanations by commentators, far beyond would ever be possible to gather from the Quran itself:<ref>[https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Kathir/52.1 ''Tafsir Ibn Kathir on Verse 52:1-16''.] Ibn Kathir d. 1373.</ref> <ref>''[https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Jalal/52.4 Tafsir Jalalayn on verse 52:4.]'' Al Jalalayn / Jalal ad-Din al-Maḥalli and Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti. Published in 1505.</ref> | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|52|1-4}}|By the mountain, | {{Quote|{{Quran|52|1-4}}|By the mountain, | ||
And a book inscribed, | And a book inscribed, | ||
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And those who race each other (in) a race, | And those who race each other (in) a race, | ||
by those that direct an affair!}} | by those that direct an affair!}} | ||
And | And again | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|77|1-4}}|I CALL TO WITNESS those who are sent consecutively, | {{Quote|{{Quran|77|1-4}}|I CALL TO WITNESS those who are sent consecutively, | ||
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And those that distinguish distinctly,}} | And those that distinguish distinctly,}} | ||
And | And again | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|51|1-4}}|By oath of those which carry away while dispersing. | {{Quote|{{Quran|51|1-4}}|By oath of those which carry away while dispersing. | ||
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{{Quote|{{Quran|38|34}}|And We certainly tried Solomon and placed on his throne a body; then he returned.}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|38|34}}|And We certainly tried Solomon and placed on his throne a body; then he returned.}} | ||
In the below verse, there is no explanation of what the ten nights are in the Quran. | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|89|1-3}}|“By the break of dawn, And ten nights, And the even and the odd,}}Nor the four months. | {{Quote|{{Quran|89|1-3}}|“By the break of dawn, And ten nights, And the even and the odd,}}Nor the four months below. | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|9|36}}|The number of months with God is twelve in accordance with God's law since the day He created the heavens and the earth. Of these four are holy. | {{Quote|{{Quran|9|36}}|The number of months with God is twelve in accordance with God's law since the day He created the heavens and the earth. Of these four are holy. | ||
This is the straight reckoning. So do not exceed yourselves during them; but fight the idolaters to the end as they fight you in like manner; and remember, God is with those Who preserve themselves from evil and do the right.}} | This is the straight reckoning. So do not exceed yourselves during them; but fight the idolaters to the end as they fight you in like manner; and remember, God is with those Who preserve themselves from evil and do the right.}} | ||
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{{Quote|{{Quran|15|87}}|And We have certainly given you, [O Muhammad], seven of the often repeated [verses] and the great Qur'an.}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|15|87}}|And We have certainly given you, [O Muhammad], seven of the often repeated [verses] and the great Qur'an.}} | ||
In Islamic tradition the consensus view is that these seven verses relate to the seven verses of the opening surah al-Fātiha, as to be used as units of every prayer; which nothing in the text itself suggests, and there have been other minority opinions.<ref>See Islamic commentaries for [https://quranx.com/tafsirs/15.87 ''verse 15:87'']</ref> Interestingly Allah is meant to be the speaker of all verses, so without extra-qur'anic material one would simply be left with a statement of prayer to | In Islamic tradition the consensus view is that these seven verses relate to the seven verses of the opening surah al-Fātiha, as to be used as units of every prayer; which nothing in the text itself suggests, and there have been other minority opinions.<ref>See Islamic commentaries for [https://quranx.com/tafsirs/15.87 ''verse 15:87'']</ref> Interestingly Allah is meant to be the speaker of all verses, so without extra-qur'anic material one would simply be left with a statement of prayer by Allah to Allah, and no instruction/explanation of the reason for its inclusion (as a ritual prayer). | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|1|1-7}}|1:1 In the name of Allah, the merciful and compassionate | {{Quote|{{Quran|1|1-7}}|1:1 In the name of Allah, the merciful and compassionate | ||
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The same issue occurs with the final two 'prayer' surahs, 113 ({{Quran|113|1-5}}) and 114 ({{Quran|114|1-6}}), although these at least open with the statement 'say' (''qul'' قول')<ref>[https://lexicon.quranic-research.net/pdf/Page_2994.pdf قول] - Lane's Lexicon pp. 2294</ref> however there is no context given for why, when and where they are supposed to be said found in the Qur'an. | The same issue occurs with the final two 'prayer' surahs, 113 ({{Quran|113|1-5}}) and 114 ({{Quran|114|1-6}}), although these at least open with the statement 'say' (''qul'' قول')<ref>[https://lexicon.quranic-research.net/pdf/Page_2994.pdf قول] - Lane's Lexicon pp. 2294</ref> however there is no context given for why, when and where they are supposed to be said found in the Qur'an. | ||
In fact this happens to many verses throughout the Qur'an, where only later traditions clarify that the whole book is meant to be from Allah, and not just the parts of it that can be gained from reading the Qur'an alone; such as swearing oaths on | In fact this happens to many verses throughout the Qur'an, where only later traditions clarify that the whole book is meant to be from Allah, and not just the parts of it that can be gained from reading the Qur'an alone; without this contexts, it would not be clear that verses such as swearing oaths on Allah, angels speaking, and the regular (and unnaturally sounding) third person voice are all meant to be read as coming from Allah himself. | ||
{{Quote|Bell, Richard., and W. Montgomery. Watt. Introduction to the Quran. Edinburgh, 1977. pp. 66-67|The assumption that God is himself the speaker in every passage, however leads to difficulties. Frequently God is referred to in the third person. It is no doubt allowable for a speaker to refer to himself in the third person occasionally, but the extent to which we find the Prophet apparently being addressed and told about God as a third person, is unusual. It has, in fact, been made a matter of ridicule that in the Quran God is made to swear by himself. That he uses oaths in some of the passages beginning, “I swear (not)…” can hardly be denied [e.g., 75.1, 2; 90.1].…“By thy Lord,” however, is difficult in the mouth of God…. Now there is one passage which everyone acknowledges to be spoken by angels, namely 19.64: “We come not down but by command of thy Lord; to him belongs what is before us and what is behind us and what is between that; nor is thy Lord forgetful, Lord of the heavens and the earth and what is between them; so serve him, and endure patiently in his service; knowest thou to him a namesake?” | {{Quote|Bell, Richard., and W. Montgomery. Watt. Introduction to the Quran. Edinburgh, 1977. pp. 66-67|The assumption that God is himself the speaker in every passage, however leads to difficulties. Frequently God is referred to in the third person. It is no doubt allowable for a speaker to refer to himself in the third person occasionally, but the extent to which we find the Prophet apparently being addressed and told about God as a third person, is unusual. It has, in fact, been made a matter of ridicule that in the Quran God is made to swear by himself. That he uses oaths in some of the passages beginning, “I swear (not)…” can hardly be denied [e.g., 75.1, 2; 90.1].…“By thy Lord,” however, is difficult in the mouth of God…. Now there is one passage which everyone acknowledges to be spoken by angels, namely 19.64: “We come not down but by command of thy Lord; to him belongs what is before us and what is behind us and what is between that; nor is thy Lord forgetful, Lord of the heavens and the earth and what is between them; so serve him, and endure patiently in his service; knowest thou to him a namesake?” | ||
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In 37.161-166 it is almost equally clear that angels are the speakers. This, once admitted, may be extended to passages in which it is not so clear. In fact, difficulties in many passages are removed by interpreting the “we” of angels rather than of God himself speaking in the plural of majesty. It is not always easy to distinguish between the two, and nice questions sometimes arise in places where there is a sudden change from God being spoken of in the third person to “we” claiming to do things usually ascribed to God, e.g., 6.99; 25.45.}} | In 37.161-166 it is almost equally clear that angels are the speakers. This, once admitted, may be extended to passages in which it is not so clear. In fact, difficulties in many passages are removed by interpreting the “we” of angels rather than of God himself speaking in the plural of majesty. It is not always easy to distinguish between the two, and nice questions sometimes arise in places where there is a sudden change from God being spoken of in the third person to “we” claiming to do things usually ascribed to God, e.g., 6.99; 25.45.}} | ||
Some verses that seem to be spoken by the jinn in surah 72 (surah al-jinn)<ref>Durie, Mark. The Qur’an and Its Biblical Reflexes: Investigations into the Genesis of a Religion pp. 25. (pp. 116 Kindle Edition). Lexington Books. | |||
..There are conversations reported between the Messenger and others and between believers and disbelievers, and there are often rapid switches between different conversations. ''There are even conversations where jinn speak to each other (Q72)...''</ref> beginning from verse 8 onwards, | ..There are conversations reported between the Messenger and others and between believers and disbelievers, and there are often rapid switches between different conversations. ''There are even conversations where jinn speak to each other (Q72)...''</ref> beginning from verse 8 onwards, would not seem to be attributable to Allah without the tradition informing us that this is the case.Even the whole of Surah 105 (Surah of the Elephant) would be difficult to explain, as if Allah is speaking he's very strangely referring to himself in the 3rd person. The meaning of these verses are also very unclear without the tradition.<ref>E.g. ''[https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Jalal/105.1 Tafsir Jalalayn on verse 105:1.]'' (Al Jalalayn / Jalal ad-Din al-Maḥalli and Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti. Published in 1505.) summarises the general story.</ref> | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|105|1-5}}|Have you not regarded how your Lord dealt with the army of the elephants? | {{Quote|{{Quran|105|1-5}}|Have you not regarded how your Lord dealt with the army of the elephants? | ||
Did He not put their scheme into ruin? | Did He not put their scheme into ruin? | ||