Quran and future generations (i.e. us!)...?
-
Hello All,
I guess this questions falls somewhat in the philosophical realm, but I have been very curious about whether God mentions what will happen with future generations in regards to our faith, seeing as how we are 14 centuries removed from Mohammad's revelations and that there will be no more prophets? I am not, thus far, familiar with any clear references. Please continue reading to see where my inquiry is coming from...
The reason I ask this is because the Quran was delivered to a specific people in their familiar tongue, as were the other books. It is very SPECIFIC to their community, situations, etc, and in many cases those verses relate ONLY to them, and not, for example, to us - this is very clear, as exemplified by the fact that in there He DIRECTLY addresses, for example, the wives of the prophet, Abu Lahab, The Qureaish, the pre-Islamic Arab idolaters and their particular practices, etc...while we may derive some wisdom and insight from these verses, most of them do not pertain to us - for example commanding the wives of the prophet to speak from behind a "hijab" is irrelevant (from an Islamic jurisprudence point of view) to me or any other woman
The Quran was supposedly clear and easy to understand, (can't remember the verse number), and I'm sure it was ....TO 7th CENTURY BEDOUINS. So, where does that leave us? In order to CLEARLY understand the context of most of the verses to see where God was really coming from, since so many verses are highly ambiguous, and since we can't rely on hadith, we MUST at least have a good understanding of the historical context. Further, since the nature of language is such that words change in meaning, usage, connotation, etc. we would also need a good understanding of the 7th century Arabic language. Unfortunately, it is difficult to have a completely thorough understanding of the history of the region and Mohammad and the history of the language given the informational constraints of 1400 years ago. This leads us our community to wildly different interpretations of Quranic words, verses, and consequently laws and understanding of the nature of religion, even among highly educated folk. For example, if you are familiar with the history of Mohammad's life, the term UNBELIEVERS (i.e. the vile folk destined for the worst of punishments) as mentioned in the Quran MOST LIKELY referred to a SPECIFIC group of people - those who were the enemies of Islam at the time, the REJECTORS of the faith after hearing clear arguments from Mohammad himself, who actively hindered Mohammad's propagation of the religion for fear of losing their power, wealth, and influence (i.e. the ruling elite tribes, who Abu Lahab, for example, belonged to) - and this perfectly fits into the context of many Quranic verses. So now, where does that leave us today? Who are the unbelievers in MY world? The concept of 'peaceful agnostic' didn't really exist back then in that particular setting, and is a highly new concept - so would those people today who are unsure about the existence of God, due largely in part to the aforementioned holes in interpretation and translation widened over the 14 centuries, be in the same category (unbeliever) as one of Mohammad's enemies who REJECTED the religion after hearing the word of God from the own mouth of the prophet, for the reason of their own personal (financial) gain? (Perhaps this should be the topic of another thread, haha)
So anyways, sorry for my long-winded, impassioned explanation . But therefore, I am lead back to my original question - what about us? What are God's expectations of us (the future!) and our faith? Is there any insight given in the Quran about this? Are we held to the same exact standards in terms of practice of faith as someone in the prophets time who had a very clear understanding of God's commandments for faith? This is obviously a question that is troubling me, as I cannot come to a consensus on some very important issues, such as salat, even with MYSELF, due to these said language and historical barriers. Any (constructive) thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated
-
Hello donya,
The msgers all said the same thing when they warned their people. "My people, serve God you have no God other than Him."
The practice of God has no change, what applies in the past applies now, hence, it helps that we understand the historical context when the quran is delivered. However, when you said we MUST at least have understanding of the historical context and master the language usage during that time in order to understand the verses, then comes the question how we are supposed to understand what is expected of us according to the quran..since, "it is difficult to have a completely thorough understanding of the history of the region and Mohammad and the history of the language given the informational constraints of 1400 years ago."
But before we ponder on that question, how sure are you that we MUST know the past to comprehend the sentences in alquran? Is that the ONLY way to understand the verses...or is there more or other ways?
Moreover, do we have to seek "the color, the size, and the age of the cow" when "a cow" is all that is what specified to us?
The quran is detailed. when it is simply written "unbeliever", then it applies to unbelievers of all type and of all time unless it specified the "what, when, where" of "unbeliever".
-
Hi Katara
But before we ponder on that question, how sure are you that we MUST know the past to comprehend the sentences in alquran? Is that the ONLY way to understand the verses...or is there more or other ways?
As with any literary work, there are always many ways to interpret what is written. However, an author usually has a SPECIFIC DIRECTION in mind when he writes (unless it's something quirky, which the Quran is not supposed to be), regardless of what interpretations others derive from it. For many of the verses which God himself stated were CLEAR, there obviously was a direct objective in mind. Even for those supposedly "straightforward" verses, we today derive vastly different interpretations! Now I'm sure God would have anticipated this happening, and I hope for all our sakes he will be merciful about it, but since this is something that involves our lives, our faiths and quite possibly our futures, wouldn't you want to know at least what God was really commanding us to do?
Moreover, do we have to seek "the color, the size, and the age of the cow" when "a cow" is all that is what specified to us?
Well, here is the difference Let's say, hypothetically, God in the Quran commands us to sacrifice a cow. Due to these language constraints, I might think he's really asking me to sacrifice a horse, or to raise a cow, feed a cow, etc etc. Now, this confusion comes before asking for the excessive details. So fundamentally, this is not an issue of demanding too many details, but rather an issue of not even KNOWING what God is asking me to do! Do you see the difference? And as an aside, I think the purpose of that verse was not to criticize the Israelites for demanding the details, but is chiding them for being sluggish and reluctant to do what God has specifically requested.
The quran is detailed. when it is simply written "unbeliever", then it applies to unbelievers of all type and of all time unless it specified the "what, when, where" of "unbeliever".
This is where I do not at all agree. Again, you have to first distinguish between what 1) God has intended by his words (we can never know for sure) and 2) What WE think he intends by his words/how we translate and interpret them. And there are undoubtedly many flaws with man's interpretations of the words...or else this site probably wouldn't exist . WE have translated/interpreted the word as "unbeliever," simply one who does not believe in God, in all contexts, so we understand it in the context of how our language defines "unbeliever" and therefore categorize accordingly. As I explained above, 1) Looking at the CONTEXT of the verses in which the term "unbeliever" is addressed (sura 107 is one example) and 2) KNOWING the history of Mohammad's time and the resistance with which he was met by the rich, powerful tribes who oppressed the common folk through economic means, (notice also how "unbeliever" is often paired in a verse with FINANCIAL inequity - "buying this life for the next" "their WEALTH will not avail them" etc etc - when, btw, there are many people today who are poor as dirt who don't believe in God) - all leads me to believe that the word "unbeliever" for "Kafir" is not entirely accurate. I think a better translation would be a word which denotes "a person who actively rejects the faith of God after very clear arguments come onto him". Now, whether the fate of others today who do not believe in God because they are not SURE, or because they have not had substantial evidence/arguments to establish faith in theirs hearts will be different than those who belligerently rejected faith in the prophets time, I have absolutely no idea and there is no evidence to suggest either way. But I think it's important to make the distinction.
Now, as I mentioned before, sura 107 is a great example. The purpose of this Sura appears to be to elucidate who these "Kafirs" really are, and in the conext of this verse fits in very perfectly with the Rich Meccan Elite of 7th century, and would perfectly encompass the 'oppressors' of today, as well as with Muslim Hypocrites
Have you considered him who calls the judgment a lie?
That is the one who treats the orphan with harshness,
And does not urge (others) to feed the poor.
So woe to those who make the connection,
Who are unmindful of their salat,
Who do (good) to be seen,
And withhold the necessaries of life.Now does a peaceful agnostic person who works for humanity, devotes their lives to charity, and takes in poor orphans really fit into this description? I don't think so. What their status is with God, I have no idea, but if we continue to believe Kafir to = any and all who do not believe in God, i.e. "unbeliever," as the word denotes, then they are in the exact same category as the rejectors of faith. But in the context of the Quran itself, I really don't think they fit into most descriptions of "Kafir".
-
Salam Donya, all,
Thanks for sharing your knowledge on "unbelievers", based on the context of the quran itself. )
A friend of my shared this verse with me, (only with God's permission).. hope it shed some light on Quran and Future Generations. )
2110
We had decended to you a Book in it your remembrance/memory/mention, so do you not reason/understand?
