User:CPO675/Sandbox 1: Difference between revisions

Write about pre-scientific worldview and miracles in antiquity here - which continued (maybe put Aal-ghazili quote on everything coming from god here??

Miracle Magic being possible, including black magic. Prophets given miracle to prove themselves. god controlling everything (as opposed to natural laws making paths somewhat random in how peopel are effected than part of a masterplan).

The Qur'an mentions  'al-muqarrabūn' [Those close to god]. The traditional view of 'al-muqarrabūn' [Those close to god] is often a rank of angels.<ref>[https://theoceanofthequran.org/83-21/ The Ocean of the Qur'an: Q 83:21]</ref> Some academics have suggested these are [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherub cherubs], which have existed in some classical Islamic cosmologies, such as the famous philosopher Ibn Sīnā's (often known as Avicenna in the West).<ref>Stephen Burge. ''"Angels (malāʾika)." [https://www.saet.ac.uk/Islam/Angels#section4.3 4.3 Angels in classical emanationist cosmologies]'' In St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology, edited by Brendan N. Wolfe et al. University of St Andrews. Article published August 29, 2024. <nowiki>https://www.saet.ac.uk/Islam/Angels</nowiki>. Journal TSAQAFAH ''[https://philarchive.org/archive/ARIDEA Divine Emanation As Cosmic Origin: Ibn Sînâ and His Critics] pp 334.'' Syamsuddin Arif* Institut Studi Islam Darussalam (ISID)</ref>{{Quote|Decharneux, Julien. Creation and Contemplation: The Cosmology of the Qur'ān and Its Late Antique Background (Studies in the History and Culture of the Middle East Book 47) (pp. 306-307). De Gruyter. Kindle Edition.|As for the cherubs, they are designated by the name al-muqarrabūn in a few passages:<br> <i>By no means! Surely the book of the pious is indeed in ‘Illiyīn. And what will make you know what ‘Illiyīn is? A written book. The ones brought near bear witness to it [yashhadu-hu l-muqarrabūna]. (Q 83:18 – 21)</i> <br>Despite the rather cryptic character of these verses, we see here the motif already studied of angels “witnessing” celestial phenomena. In another passage, Jesus and the angels are also called al-muqarrabūn (“the ones brought near”; Q 4:172). This designation is very odd, especially ascribed to Jesus. The word muqarrabūn sounds like a deformation of the Hebrew or Syriac word for “cherubs”, kerūbīm/krūbē. The name kerūbīm in the Bible is an Assyrian loanword and designates “those who pray” but the root KRB is not used otherwise in the Bible. The cherubs are specifically said to support God’s throne in the Bible (1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; 1 Ch 13:6; 2 K 19:15; Is 37:16; Ps 80:2, 90:1).713 In light of this function, the Qur’ān seems to distort the original Semitic root KRB into QRB so as to give a new meaning to these angels’ name. The cherubs are now muqarrabūn, “the ones close to God”.}}

{{Main|Houri (Heavenly Virgin)}}There are allegedly Heavenly maidens to service righteous men in heaven. No equivalent exists for women.{{Quote|{{Quran|56|22}}|And [for them are] fair women with large, [beautiful] eyes,}}{{Quote|{{Quran|78|33}}|and maidens with swelling breasts, like of age,}}

{{Quote|{{Quran|5|22-24}}|They said, "O Musa! Indeed, in it (are) people (of) tyrannical strength and indeed, we never will enter it until they leave from it, and if they leave [from] it then certainly we (will) enter (it)." Then out spake two of those who feared (their Lord, men) unto whom Allah had been gracious: Enter in upon them by the gate, for if ye enter by it, lo! ye will be victorious. So put your trust (in Allah) if ye are indeed believers. They said: O, Moses! We will never enter (the land) while they are in it. So go thou and thy Lord and fight! We will sit here.”}}According to many prominent tafsirs these powerful people were giants.<ref>E.g. Tafsir Al-Jalalayn on [https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Jalal/5.22 ''Verse 5:22''] and [https://quranx.com/tafsirs/5.22 others].</ref> There is no evidence that these existed.

The Qur'an relates a story where a servant of Allah ([[:en:Dhul-Qarnayn_and_the_Alexander_Romance|Dhul-Qarnayn]]) traps "Gog and Maggog" behind an iron wall where they will remain until judgement day (essentially making them creatures that live a beyond human lifespan, if not immortal), where they will then swarm the Earth. Most scholars say they are humans, for example Ibn Kathir says they are also descents of Noah through his son Yafith (Japheth), who was the father of the Turks; Turk referring to the group of them who were left behind the barrier which was built by Dhul-Qarnayn.<ref>Ibn Kathir (d 1373.) [https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Kathir/21.95 ''Commentary on Verse 21:96 (95-97)'']</ref> Though others such as al-Idrisi (d. 1165) say they are monsters, with some 120 cubits high and the same length wide among other non-human descriptions.<ref>van Donzel, Emeri; Schmidt, Andrea. ''Gog and Magog in Early Eastern Christian and Islamic Sources: Sallam's Quest for Alexander's Wall''. Leiden: Brill. ''pp. 91-92''. [[International Standard Book Number|ISBN]] [[Special:BookSources/9789004174160|9789004174160]], 2010. The full book and their analysis of the journey taken by Sallam can be read on the ''[https://archive.org/details/gogandmagoginearlyeasternchristianandislamicsources/page/n109/mode/2up Internet Archive linked here.] (page 110 of 229 the PDF)''</ref> However regardless if they are monsters or humans they are still mythical as clearly they would have been found if trapped behind a giant wall until judgement day given we have explored the Earth as a whole.{{Quote|{{Quran|18|94}}|They said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, indeed Gog and Magog are [great] corrupters in the land. So may we assign for you an expenditure that you might make between us and them a barrier?"}}{{Quote|{{Quran|21|96}}|Until when [the dam of] Gog and Magog has been opened and they, from every elevation, descend}}

Sacred (''ḥaram'')<ref>[https://lexicon.quranic-research.net/data/06_H/076_Hrm.html ''ḥā rā mīm'' (ح ر م)] Lane's Lexicon - Quranic Research ''ḥaram'' [https://lexicon.quranic-research.net/pdf/Page_0553.pdf Lane's Lexicon Book 1 page 553] & [https://lexicon.quranic-research.net/pdf/Page_0554.pdf 554]</ref> geography is in Qur'anic theology, currently in Mecca, the Ka'ba. The sacred house referred to as the sacred mosque/place of worship (''al-masjidi al-ḥarāmi'') E.g. {{Quran|17|1}} or the sacred house ''al-bayta al-haram'' {{Quran|5|2}}{{Quote|{{Quran|5|97}}|Allah has made the Ka‘bah, the Sacred House, standing for the people and [has sanctified] the sacred months and the sacrificial animals and the garlands [by which they are identified]. That is so you may know that Allah knows what is in the heavens and what is in the earth and that Allah is Knowing of all things.}}Similarly Jerusalem temple referred to as the '''furthest mosque''' '''(''al-masjidi al-aqṣā'')''', which although not directly called in the Qur'an it is implied at least was sacred, and later tradition was undecided on the matter.<ref>Neuwirth, Angelika. (2003). From the Sacred Mosque to the Remote Temple: Sūrat al-Isrā' between Text and Commentary. 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195137279.003.0025. </ref> '''(does Sean Anthony cover this in his paper?)'''{{Quote|{{Quran|17|1}}|Immaculate is He who carried His servant on a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque whose environs We have blessed, that We might show him some of Our signs. Indeed, He is the All-hearing, the All-seeing.}}Israel is described as the holy land (''al-arḍa al-muqadasata'') by Moses.<ref>[https://lexicon.quranic-research.net/data/21_q/037_qds.html ''qāf dāl sīn'' (ق د س)] Lane's Lexicon - Quran research

While miracles by definition are supposed to defy the laws of nature and scientific explanation, the examples of myths and legends briefly listed in this section illustrate the pre-scientific worldview with which the Quran was composed.