Quran versus older Holy Writings of Divine Creator

Non-Arabic speaking people

Life is very short and in it we get a lot of material to read. One of the more important books I got to read in my life were books which are considered by many as Holy Books.
One of those Holy Books I could not read in the original Arabic and had to trust several translations, which I read and compared with interest. Some of those translations were easy to read and follow, others were very difficult. But of all of them, some would say we may not read and follow those translations, because we only should read the original language: Arabic.

For me this would be very strange, because the people who say that also are sure their book is the Word of God. But when only people who can speak and understand Arabic would be able to read that Word of God, would this God not give the other people the chance to get to know His Word? Would a God of love withhold His Holy Word for people who have no knowledge of Arabic?

A Word of the Creator for all His creatures

Is there also not that God of gods Who tells the world that all people are created from a single man and a single woman, and made into races and tribes so that they should recognise one another. Is also not written in those Scriptures that in God’s eyes, the most honoured of those people are the ones most mindful of Him: God is all knowing, all aware. (Sura 49:13)?

Front of the Quran (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When I remember the many times I read and reread the Quran/Koran I got the impression words from the Old Jewish and Christian writings were brought together and were once more explained, sometimes in a different order, but still telling the same. Was I wrong to get the impression that according to Quranic teaching, religious pluralism is vital for social order and progress? Was I wrong to have the impression that, in the same way Jesus spoke about agape love, and telling us that God wants to see people who have tolerance for others? Did the words of the prophet Muhammad also not tell about the attitude we should take unto others? Would the knowledge of the Quran also not provide the key to tolerance?

Celebrating difference

العربية: القرآن في متحف التاريخ الطبيعي في نيويورك (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Are there not a lot of teachers in Islam who teach us that the Quran celebrates the differences amongst humankind, and instructs not only one faith group, but all of humanity to do good deeds, remaining good manners and morals, and to live in peace with each other.
I in the previous years of reading (several times) the Quran, that those words repeatedly addressed humanity as a whole and told the world how we should behave, how we should try to form our own character, and how we should present ourselves to others. Several of the old Muslim school taught that the Quran directs people towards justice, moral and spiritual values, and addresses Muslims specifically when referring to acts of worship and Islamic law.

They also say that:

The Quranic message of variety and coexistence is the cornerstone of the Islamic principle for a just and harmonious society. Thus religious pluralism, according to the Quranic teaching, is vital for social order and progress, and provides the key to tolerance: “There is no compulsion in religion (2:256); “You have your religion and I have mine.” (109:6).

Set up against each other because of misunderstandings

Because of the difficulties by different Muslims, Jews and Christians and their attitude going wrong against each other, I found it important to compare the words from those three monotheist religions together under one loop of neutrality and to look at them from my Christian Christadelphian viewpoint.

Bringing these verses next to each other should give an idea of what is really written in those Holy Books: The Torah (The Law/Tawraat) also known as the Pentateuch, the Nevi’im or (Hebrew) Prophets, the (Aleph) Kethuvim or Hebrew Writings, (Bet-)Kethuvim or Messianic or Greek Writings (New Testament with its Gospels or Injeel/Injil, Apostolic Writings or Epistles and the Revelation of Saint John the apostle) and the much later written Quran, which is by many also considered to be the word of the “Lord of the Worlds”,

which Allah revealed to His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), to bring mankind forth from darkness into light.

In case we can find the word of Allah, it is God, also in “the recitation” as presented, Who verbally revealed, to the prophet Muhammad in the 7°century CE, those words should be in unison and complementary with the previous words of the Divine Creator.

Not eliminating previous scriptures

Lots of people seem to forget that the Quran does not eliminate the previous writings, known as the Word of God. The book we often hear about in the news and where many of those terrorist shout about, namely the Quran (Quoran/Koran) confirms the Books which came before it, the Tawraat (Torah) and Injeel (Gospel).Many do not seem to understand the Quran is a witness over them, as Allah says

005.048 وَأَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ عَمَّا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنْكُمْ شِرْعَةً وَمِنْهَاجًا وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَكِنْ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِي مَا آتَاكُمْ فَاسْتَبِقُوا الْخَيْرَاتِ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ
005.048 To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety: so judge between them by what Allah hath revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging from the Truth that hath come to thee. To each among you have we prescribed a law and an open way. If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (His plan is) to test you in what He hath given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to Allah; it is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which ye dispute;

Al-Qur’an, 005.048 (Al-Maeda [The Table, The Table Spread])

Text Copied from DivineIslam’s Qur’an Viewer software v2.913(English interpretation of the Quranic Verse):

Same or different god speaking

When it is the God of Moses speaking to the favoured prophet Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim, considered to be the founder of the religion of Islam and accepted by Muslims throughout the world as the last of the prophets of God, about the Holy Book that Quran (Quran/Koran)) in truth should confirm those books that came before it and Muhaymin (trustworthy in highness and a witness) over it (old Scriptures).

According to Sahih al-Bukhari, the Quran was recited among Levantines and Iraqis, and discussed by Christians and Jews, before it was standardized. There are also some non-Muslim groups who view the Quran as holy, such as Baha’is and Druze. Unitarian Universalists may also seek inspiration from the Quran.

Being one of the most-reviled figures in the history of the West from the 7th century until quite recent times Muhamad has encountered also a lot of controversy, his life, deeds, and thoughts having been debated by followers and opponents over the centuries.

Because in the past those trying to bring faith unto others having used quite often a lot of aggression, there has come a fear on both sites for the other believer in the Divine Creator.

Followers of false prophets and false teachers

Flag of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine. The organization’s banner leads from a verse in the Qur’an “And those who do jihad for Us, we shall guide them to our paths. And God is with those who do good.”

Today it even has become a bigger problem, having groups like those which foud inspiration in Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaida, Mujahideen, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Harakat al-Jihād or Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Hezbollah, Harakat al-Jihad al-Islami,  Harkat-ul-Mujahideen- al-Islami, Hamas, Boko Haram, Taliban, closer to us the Mirza Ghulam Ahmad movement, and other jihadists who claim their global jihad is grounded in Quranic “divine command ethics.” The leaders of those growing groups claim authority to interpret the religious text. Like we can find some Christians taking the Bible writings very literally and not taking the old language in mind, those Islamic preachers do the same with an almost literal reading of their sacred scripture. They are really convinced ‘they alone’ see the truth and others should have to follow them, who are following “pure Islam.”

The “Pure Islam,” those teachers present, is a faith

“to please Allah Azzawajal by serving Islam within the means He has bestowed upon the world “Insha Allah””.

They say their guide is the Speech of Allah Azzawajal as it is contained in the Qur’an and their example is in the authentic Sunnah of Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam

“as practiced by the Sahaabah radiallaahu ‘anhum and the righteous servants of Allah Azzawajal who have followed in their noble footsteps.”

The Kafirs and kaffers

Many of them paid by the Saudi Sunnis consider lots of other Muslim groups as ‘Kafir’ (كافر) which would be similar to calling them “disbeliever”. In Dutch it means non-believer, non-Mohammedan, and its variant ‘kaffer‘, invective, which has the meaning of peasant, ragamuffin rascal, scoundrel; peasant bastard; jerk; bastard, boorish person; boor; uncouth; infidel.

I do believe that in order to understand the true, peaceful Islam, we also should read the Quran and by having knowledge of that book, we also should be more able to speak to those Muslim brothers about their Holy Writing and about the matters spoken off in the Holy Scriptures the Bible.

Gabble over non-understandable words

We must be conscious that the great majority of Muslims around the world today, do not speak Arabic, and they too like we have to depend on translations. The greatest danger is that many of those Muslims dare not to take a translation but recite Quran verses in Arabic without really knowing what they say, a little bit like some decennia ago in Europe in the Catholic Churches, the priest speaking in Latin, with the majority in church not knowing what he really was saying. This way the preacher can say anything and make them believe anything what their denomination wants them to believe. That is also what we see happening today with the different Muslim groups. I know families in my street who have children married to two different Islamic groups, each saying the other is totally wrong and a bad Muslim. But none of them is willing to discuss the matters or to look at a Dutch  Koran translation.

Speaking to each other

The followers of the prophet Jesus should take all opportunities to speak about their faith. They, in the growing Islamization of our world should let others see what Jesus preached and how he made the previous words of his heavenly Father clear. It is true Jesus did not write down his nor his Father‘s Words, but Muhammad left also the written recording of his messages to others. Both those prophets words should be compared with each other. Only by recognising what the other reads in his Holy Scriptures there can come an understanding but can also be shown where certain Muslim preachers go wrong and even go so far to teach matters contrary to the Quran.

Therefore to show people where certain Muslims went or go astray and to bring them back on the right path, plus to give both, non-believer, believer in One or a god, Jew, Christian and Muslim an idea of what is written and meant in certain scriptures, I shall present a comparison of the Quran and Bible and sometimes discuss the verses of both books.

As in Christendom there have been many human writers or theological scholars who brought ideas and schools. As in Christendom we can find many traditions in Islamic families and may find several books of traditional commentaries, to shed light on various passages. I also shall dare to have a look at them and invite Muslims and Christians to give their commentary or understanding on all those verses, traditional schooling and commentaries.

By looking at the Quran and the Bible, next to each other, Muslim and Christian can come to understanding each-other better, I do believe. But we all shall be able to come to see more clearly what makes the jihadists tick — and also perhaps understand what we can and must do to resist them.

In the hope to find a way were we can live in peace according to the Will of Allah, the Most High Almighty God, The Elohim Hashem Jehovah.

 

from Smithsonian :Folio from a Koran :9th-10th century :Abbasid dynasty :Ink and color on parchment :H: 22.5 W: 29.7 cm :Egypt :Purchase, F1929.71 The verses are from sura (chapter) 22, entitled al-Hadj (Pilgrimage) and include a discussion of the pilgrimage to Mecca. The Hadj is one of the five principal duties of every Muslim. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Find also to read:

1. Creator and Blogger God 8 A Blog of a Book 2 Holy One making Scriptures Holy
2. Corruption in our translations !
3. Created to live in relation with God
4. Being Religious and Spiritual 3 Philosophers, Avicennism and the spiritual
5. Built on or Belonging to Jewish tradition #3 Of the earth or of God
6. Built on or Belonging to Jewish tradition #4 Mozaic and Noachide laws
7. Palestine, Israel, God’s people and democracy
8. Mocking, Agitation and Religious Persecution
9. Migrants to the West #1
10. Migrants to the West #2
11. Migrants to the West #3
12. Migrants to the West #4
13. Migrants to the West #5
14. Migrants to the West #6
15. Christian fundamentalism as dangerous as Muslim fundamentalism
16. Public not informed enough about Jihad terrorism in Belgium
17. Islamic State forcing the West to provide means for Kurdistan

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Additional reading:

1. Pentateuch
2. Full text: bin Laden’s ‘letter to America’
3. Fears as young Muslims ‘opt out’
4. About Pure Islam
5. New segiment – [Today’s Hadith . #1]
6. Critique of Pure Islam

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