no miracles?
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peace
i agree that word for word translation is not really the best way.
now just because arnold presented his view doesn't mean he's distorting the qur'an to fit what he says.
if he is, then we all are, when we say to not follow hadith and we find verses to back up our claims and it makes sense to us not to follow it. now, the sunnis are gonna do the same, and they have, they will find verses in the qur'an to prove that we do need to follow hadith and it makes sense to them to follow it.it appears to me that there are two qur'ans, one influenced by bible and hadith which says miracles did happen and we've listed verses,
and the second qur'an, the same verses, except the meaning is totaly different.first of all, how can we know which verses were distorted?
up until now i didn't mind the miracles thing since it could happen if God decided to do it. but now i hear about these laws that He doesn't break. could, but doesn't. and i thought ok, guess those things didn't happen, something else did, but what?and not far ago i heard this story of a blind woman, she went sky diving, and while falling she heard something pop in her head, when she landed her eye sight came back. now she can see.
but how can that happen, right. when you're blind, you're blind, nothing you can do to fix it. only God can fix it and the way it happened, i would call it a miracle.
but wait, we just said that there are laws that God doesn't break, right, everything goes by these laws, right.so there are either 2 possibilities
- a miracle happened
or - a cure for blindness is jumping from a plane
but if it wasn't a miracle, if it was a law that if you go sky diving you get your eye sight back, then why doesn't every blind person do it?
- a miracle happened
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Peace nerspi,
There were many factors involved when she got her eyesight back. It had also not really to do with the jump itself, the airpressure, adreline and maybe some more factors were only part of the factors that made the cells in her eyes to be activated again.
It is not that simple by saying blind is blind. There are always several factors involved which makes a person blind and also how he can regain his eyesight back. With every person this is different. We just not always know all the factors involved, and the human has still many onknown possibilities as can be seen through bioquantum mechanics. Some people use this as an explanation for what previous generations experienced as miracles, but I believe that with the story of the Quran, more simple answers can be given.
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6945 In the original Arabic, "his" before "right hand" does not exist. You correctly transliterated it., which is even a further proof that it means "mighty/power/most seriousness...)
Yusuf Ali implied ?His? so we?ll change?
Walaw taqawwala AAalayna baAAda alaqaweeli
6944 And if the apostle were to invent any sayings in Our name,Laakhathna minhu bialyameeni
6945 We should certainly seize him by THE RIGHT HAND,Thumma laqataAAna minhu alwateena
6946 And We should certainly then cut off the artery of his heartDepending on context RIGHT HAND can mean many things; a person?s power/freedom allowed by God as a ruler over a country in his ?right hand? or ability to write/concoct a story as in?
Wama kunta tatloo min qablihi min kitabin wala takhuttuhu biyameenika ithan lairtaba almubtiloona
2948 And thou wast not (able) to recite a Book before this (Book came), nor art thou (able) to transcribe it with thy right hand In that case, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubted.Obviously to understand one has to be read in CONTEXT ? verse, chapter, entire Qur?an.
Numbers when expressed literally are CLEAR verses not metaphorical as in Surah 18 about the youths along with their dog asleep in the cave for exactly 309 years?
Walabithoo fee kahfihim thalatha miatin sineena waizdadoo tisAAan
1825 So they stayed in their Cave three hundred years, and (some) add nine (more)The above seems odd like resurrection after 100 years (2259) mentioned earlier. We don?t know all the physics laws exactly; time is relative, matter energy slowed down; in our pond we have Koi fish which hibernate the entire winter under ice and they woke up only two days ago as from the dead; have to go feed them now.
Peace
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I agree with you, nuun. The story of the youth in the cave is straightforward. Unless one day we can hibernate. Untill then, I go with the literal meaning.
As for the "right hand", this is something I do not take literally at all. No need to mention "right" unless it has a deeper meaning. Arabic langage has not adopted the "right" when speaking of "hand written" or "hand made".
Yousuf Ali deliberately added "his" to force a literal meaning. If any possessive noun was to be added, it should be "Our God's", then it will definitely not be literal.
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I agree with you, nuun. The story of the youth in the cave is straightforward. Unless one day we can hibernate. Untill then, I go with the literal meaning.
You mean that story can also be metaphorical? ;D
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tilka ayatu alqurani wakitabin mubeen
These are verses of the Qur'an; a Book that makes things clear (271)I believe in the miracles mentioned in the Holy Quran, among other reasons, because Allah is not trying to trick us. He revealed a plain and simple Quran with clear meaning, there is no need for speculating. Furthermore, Allah is Qadeer (The Powerful), and nothing is impossible for Him.
Some people use the following verse to prove that Allah does not change the laws of nature, and so miracles must be interpreted within the context of nature and science
(Such was) the practice (approved) of Allah among those who lived aforetime No Change wilt thou find in the practice (approved) of Allah (3362)
However, this and other similar verses about the Sunnat (Way) of Allah have been taken out of context and their meanings have been twisted. This verse in particular, its context is that Allah is enjoining the Muslims to seeks out the treacherous Hypocrites and deal harshly with them. In this case, the Way of Allah is enjoining the Believers to violence against treacherous and immoral people. We read in the Bible the same thing about how Allah exhorted Prophet Yusha (Alaihi salaam) to wipe out his pagan enemies as well. So this is an established Sunnat (Way) of Allah which does not change. It has nothing to do with natural laws or science.
And here is a warning from God not to twist the meaning of the Holy Quran, but to leave its explanation and interpretation to Allah who knows best
He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book In it are verses basic or fundamental (of established meaning); they are the foundation of the Book others are allegorical. But those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part thereof that is allegorical, seeking discord, and searching for its hidden meanings, but no one knows its hidden meanings except Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say "We believe in the Book; the whole of it is from our Lord" and none will grasp the Message except men of understanding (37)
I feel like this verse was revealed specifically as a warning to people who twist the meaning of the Holy Quran, especially those who deny its literal meaning with regard to miracles.
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ilka ayatu alqurani wakitabin mubeen
These are verses of the Qur'an; a Book that makes things clear (271)From 271 you gave the impression that every thing in the Quran is literal. But then you quoted 37 that clearly indicates not everything is literal.
37 He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book In it are verses basic or fundamental (of established meaning); they are the foundation of the Book others are allegorical.
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Yes, but therein lies the pitfall.
God says,
But those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part thereof that is allegorical, seeking discord, and searching for its hidden meanings,
People who are taking the stories literally don't act the way the perverse people who are manipulating these verses for their own ends, healthy people take them as stories and believe they happened and benefit from the obvious wisdom of how the good people and bad people acted in it, furthermore, they take the fundamental verses and follow them through, unlike perverse people who wish to translate pork as this and jinn as that.
Also, allegorical verses doesn't mean the parables of the book, it means those verses with no clear understanding, however some Joe Messiah will always come along showing the people 'what it really means'.
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Salam.
I think that The GOD Almighty, AllPowerful knows best what happened back then.
My personal opinion did it all happen literally? Yeah, i think it did because those people needed some really, truly strong sign to see that a Messenger speaks the truth.
Today we have miracles but according to our understanding and our intelligence.
Back then, people wanted to see dead come to life, they even asked messengers to bring back the dead. Jesus brought the dead back, with the will of The GOD All Powerful, right?
They wanted to see GOD back then, correct? Well, after Moses walked through the dry ground through the sea, non-believers did see something they didn't believe - death, which is promised to everyoneone, but hard death and a tough one is given to true ly bad non-believers.GOD knows best.
Today we want to see GOD's miracles we see them every day, all day.
People smoke all day, for decades and don't die.
Same goes for drinking.
....Peace.
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Also, allegorical verses doesn't mean the parables of the book, it means those verses with no clear understanding, however some Joe Messiah will always come along showing the people 'what it really means'.
These are verses of the Qur'an; a Book that makes things clear (271)
If there are verses in Quran that have no clear understanding then how would you explain 271 and all other verses which says Verses of Quran makes things clear.
Since we have not given any seperate list of literal and allegorical verses, then how to decide which is which and what is what.
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peace
i think it did because those people needed some really, truly strong sign to see that a Messenger speaks the truth.
okay, then i wanna see miracles too.
If there are verses in Quran that have no clear understanding then how would you explain 271 and all other verses which says Verses of Quran makes things clear.
maybe the verses are unclear just today. in the future, who knows.
they didn't know the meaning of expanding the universe or mountains that move or the lowest point of the world, but now we do.anyway, these messengers came with signs, they showed signs, if they weren't cane turning to snakes or splitting seas or resurrecting the dead, then what were they?
i've read many times that disbelievers didn't believe in clear signs, now what were they? -
i've read many times that disbelievers didn't believe in clear signs, now what were they?
The following are the signs people do not reflect
3022
And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colours verily in that are Signs for those who know.12105
And how many Signs in the heavens and the earth do they pass by, yet they turn (their faces) away from them!maybe the verses are unclear just today. in the future, who knows.
This part is not in the verse that why verses are not clear but in our interpretation of that verse. This is exactly where people differ in opinion.
hey didn't know the meaning of expanding the universe or mountains that move or the lowest point of the world, but now we do.
They knew them according to their knowledge of the universe. We interpret them according to ours. After 500 years later people would interpret them according to their knowledge at that time.
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anyway, these messengers came with signs, they showed signs, if they weren't cane turning to snakes or splitting seas or resurrecting the dead, then what were they?
i've read many times that disbelievers didn't believe in clear signs, now what were they?peace nerspi,
I believe that the "the signs" are found in this universe. The messengers may point them out to us, but they are already there for all to see. Everything that happens and everything that exists has signs in it, some clear and other unclear. I think they're signs pointing to the right path and to the truth. Some people choose to ignore them or use the unclear signs to spread their false ideas.
look at the verse RasulHamsa posted above. Everything is a sign from God for those who know. -
okay, then i wanna see miracles too.
See then!
2164
Surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day and the ship that runs in the sea with profit to men, and the water God sends down from heaven therewith reviving the earth after it is dead and His scattering abroad in it all manner of crawling thing, and the turning about of the winds and the clouds compelled between heaven and earth -- surely there are signs for a people having understanding.
453
Verily in the heavens and the earth, are Signs for those who believe.
454And in the creation of yourselves and the fact that animals are scattered (through the earth), are Signs for those of assured Faith.
And also see all occurances of the word Ayah.
Peace, Hamsa
Note I am not presenting these verses to support my point of view and my undrstanding. (God forbid)
But Just to understand and reflect more and to get more wisdom from all you bros.edited to add note
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These are verses of the Qur'an; a Book that makes things clear (271)
Good point!
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I know. shshshsh. Just remove the sentence starting "Unless"
No no, I dont want to remove that sentence, but want to understand that story -*
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Peace all,
The fact is that some of the stories given in al-qur'aan CANNOT have a metaphorical interpretation. I gave the examples in an earlier post and everyone can see that no one has offered a metaphorical interpretation of those stories WITHOUT VIOLATING QUR'AANIC GRAMMAR, LOGIC, AND CONTEXT and without coming up with a nonsensical English rendering.
The story of a person dead for a hundred years and then resurrected from his bones CANNOT have a metaphorical interpretation in the context. The story of some people sleeping for 309 years and then waking up CANNOT have a metaphorical interpretation in the context. There are lessons to be learned and signs in those stories without metaphorical interpretations.
Some stories can have a metaphorical interpretation (like some people being turned into pigs and apes) but even ONE story in al-qur'aan that goes against the "commonly observable" phenomenon and cannot be interpretated metaphorically is enough evidence/proof of possibility of a literal "miracle".
Having said that, I agree that we should not keep pursuing allegorical signs per 37, and instead devote more of our attention and energy to the correct interpretation of the fundamental/law giving signs. No more comments on this subject from me in this thread.
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Peace brother Tanveer,
I completely understand your point but let us understand the metaphorical meanings as well, may be we get more wisdom. And I completely agree with your last paragraph.
God bless, Hamsa