Are you folks in favor of modernizing the Quran?
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The problem is the wording. For instance, "Muslim" generally means "Sunni" in western terms. "Reform" would bring the same connotations to them as "revisiting" to Quranists. Hence "modernizing" or "liberalising" would be the same as "finding the meaning without ahadeeth". It's a silly mess.
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Sis Samia, I've looked up in many classical arabic dictionaries and they do list 'To cut off' as a meaning. What do you base your saying on?
Nadeem
Since the qur'aan already used a derivative of the verb "batara amputate/cut off", there is no reason, or logic, in giving the same meaning to a different word.
Also, the usage of "qata3a" as "stopping/interrupting" is used in the qur'aan in verse 5633 "and abundant fruit, neither interrupted (in production; not seasonal) nor inaccessible"; 2166; 4722 (taqTa3uu ar7aamakum to disconnect from your close relatives. The opposite of this expression , Silatur ri7m connection with blood relatives, is used in the qur'aan).
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If you were replying to my post, that was only a hypothetical situation.
What about lashing?
It was a response to the messages that mentioned these two subjects which are usually what come to the mind when speaking of the "modernization" of the qur'aan, yes, including yours, but not specifically to you.
I do not agree with modernizing the qur'aan and I hate this expression.
What about lashing? Lash.
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Since the qur'aan already used a derivative of the verb "batara amputate/cut off", there is no reason, or logic, in giving the same meaning to a different word.
Also, the usage of "qata3a" as "stopping/interrupting" is used in the qur'aan in verse 5633 "and abundant fruit, neither interrupted (in production; not seasonal) nor inaccessible"; 2166; 4722 (taqTa3uu ar7aamakum to disconnect from your close relatives. The opposite of this expression , Silatur ri7m connection with blood relatives, is used in the qur'aan).
Sister Samia
Very well done!
The idea of cutting off hands is not just a problem of wrong interpretation, but also a problem of mis-translation.Peace to all,
I dont think we should modernize the Quran, we should Quranize the modern world.
Kurt
Yes, Kurt, you are right, but before we need to make sure that we fully understand what the Quran says and purge it of all mis-translations, mis-interpretations, etc.
Peace
Sister Francesca -
Peace amuslim,
I?m in favor of reading Qur?an which does not contradict thus if cross referenced usually will clarify as with the different uses of ?their hands? and take/apply best meaning?
Waalssariqu waalssariqatu faiqtaAAoo aydiyahuma jazaan bima kasaba nakalan mina Allahi waAllahu AAazeezun hakeemun
538 As to the THIEF, Male or female, cut off his or her hands a punishment by way of example, from Allah, for their crime and Allah is Exalted in power.
Wahuwa allathee kaffa aydiyahum AAankum waaydiyakum AAanhum bibatni makkata min baAAdi an athfarakum AAalayhim wakana Allahu bima taAAmaloona baseeran
4824 And it is He Who has restrained their hands from you and your hands from them in the midst of Makka, after that He gave you the victory over them. And Allah sees well all that ye do.In above verse as in 511 what was held back/restrained is ?their hands? or means to carry out. Likewise, for known thieves; i.e. repeat offenders; cut off their hands or means to do so.
Prison is certainly an option along with other methods.
Question is for professional thieves in 7th century Arabia was the ?literal? severing a way to cut off ?their means" to perpetrate crime? Probably yes.
Dear nun de plume
I think you are quoting the wrong verses.
Verse 538 is not about cutting thieves' hands, and verse 537 is about cutting alternate hands and feet (and/or banishing from the land) of those who war against God and His Apostle and go about committing disorders on Earth.
Also verse 511 says nothing of the sort.
I have the Quran right under my eyes while I am writing, and I cannot find anything talking about thieves and amputations.
Therefore, can anyone here tell me where the relevant verse is?
Peace
Sister Francesca -
peace francesca, all,
Yes, Kurt, you are right, but before we need to make sure that we fully understand what the Quran says and purge it of all mis-translations, mis-interpretations, etc.
Since this is an ongoing process you may have to wait a while...i.e. forever.
They key is to "be the change you want to see in the world" which is a quote commonly credited to Ghandi but its message was in AQ long before that "God is not to change what is in a people until they change what is within themselves."
I strongly believe in this and it is this that I personally try to follow and would recommend to others.When people realise understanding AQ is a bonus NOT a mandatory requirement to please God or enter heaven then we will see some real progress individualy and collectively.
As a sidenote on this thread... a small point
Are you folks in favor of modernizing the Quran?
I am not.
Now, can I ask you a question are you in favour of verifying the Quran?
If yes, can you please explain to us the difference between "modernizing" and "verifying", thanks.
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Dear nun de plume
I think you are quoting the wrong verses.
Verse 538 is not about cutting thieves' hands, and verse 537 is about cutting alternate hands and feet (and/or banishing from the land) of those who war against God and His Apostle and go about committing disorders on Earth.
Also verse 511 says nothing of the sort.
I have the Quran right under my eyes while I am writing, and I cannot find anything talking about thieves and amputations.
Therefore, can anyone here tell me where the relevant verse is?
Peace
Sister FrancescaOops, on my copy of the Quran the verse that you identify as 5 38 appears as verse 5 42.
My apologies for the mistake
Peace
Sister Francesca -
Peace Wakas,
I am not.
Now, can I ask you a question are you in favour of verifying the Quran?
If yes, can you please explain to us the difference between "modernizing" and "verifying", thanks.
Im in favour of verifying Quran and going to what it meant originally, before traditions and cultural views got in the way.
When I say modernizing, I mean make it (or change its meaning) to fit todays time. For example, if we go with the lashing for zina, people could modernize it and say, well we dont have to do that, even when it clearly says it in the quran to do so. Same with cutting off the hand, which people are debating as to whether it is or isnt. Most people (not saying people here but in general) would say that cutting off the hand is too barbaric, and therefore introduce a modernized version of it where we dont have to cut off the hand. Thats one example that I meant for modernizing.
I think as muslims, we should all verify the quran. Like God says
You shall not accept any information, unless you verify it for yourself. I have given you the hearing, the eyesight, and the brain, and you are responsible for using them.
Wa Salaam
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Peace Wakas,
Im in favour of verifying Quran and going to what it meant originally, before traditions and cultural views got in the way.
When I say modernizing, I mean make it (or change its meaning) to fit todays time. For example, if we go with the lashing for zina, people could modernize it and say, well we dont have to do that, even when it clearly says it in the quran to do so. Same with cutting off the hand, which people are debating as to whether it is or isnt. Most people (not saying people here but in general) would say that cutting off the hand is too barbaric, and therefore introduce a modernized version of it where we dont have to cut off the hand. Thats one example that I meant for modernizing.
I think as muslims, we should all verify the quran. Like God says
You shall not accept any information, unless you verify it for yourself. I have given you the hearing, the eyesight, and the brain, and you are responsible for using them.
Wa Salaam
Peace Amuslim
Oh, you are perfectly right when you talk about verifying, but unfortunately this is exactly what does NOT happen in the Muslim world.
An example? As I said before I grew up in Britain in a very strict and closed Pakistani Muslim community, a sort of Pakistani Muslim ghetto.
In the afternoon I usually attended the afterschool classes at the local madrasa attached to the local mosque, and most of the madrasa syllabus consisted of reading the Quran ... in Arabic.
But no, we only learned how to pronounce the words, we never learned the meaning of what we were reading.
Hope this example helps to illustrate the reason why there is so much religious illiteracy in the Muslim world.
Peace
Sister Francesca -
Im in favor of literal interpretation of Al Quran and presenting the book as it is and let the readers decide. As a non-Arabic speaker I find it extremely irritating when Quran translators put their own personal understanding instead of what is actually written in Al Quran thus concealing the truth intentionally or unintentionally.
How true. Just leave it as it is and let the reader interpret it. Well said. peace
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Peace Sisterfrancesca,
Peace Amuslim
Oh, you are perfectly right when you talk about verifying, but unfortunately this is exactly what does NOT happen in the Muslim world.
An example? As I said before I grew up in Britain in a very strict and closed Pakistani Muslim community, a sort of Pakistani Muslim ghetto.
In the afternoon I usually attended the afterschool classes at the local madrasa attached to the local mosque, and most of the madrasa syllabus consisted of reading the Quran ... in Arabic.
But no, we only learned how to pronounce the words, we never learned the meaning of what we were reading.
Hope this example helps to illustrate the reason why there is so much religious illiteracy in the Muslim world.
Peace
Sister FrancescaMy friends from Pakistan told me the same thing. Matter of fact, when I used to ask about Islam, most of them didnt know how to answer me. Also, most of the Quran that they know is only in Arabic, so when I try to discuss ayat to them, they get confused.
I still think that being able to pronounce it is still better than nothing at all. Matter of fact, thats a step above us who cant read Quran at all. I do hope that these madrasas change their style, its very pointless to recite something that you dont know what you are saying. Same with Salat. I had to tell my friend what he was saying because he had no clue.
Peace
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Since the qur'aan already used a derivative of the verb "batara amputate/cut off", there is no reason, or logic, in giving the same meaning to a different word.
Also, the usage of "qata3a" as "stopping/interrupting" is used in the qur'aan in verse 5633 "and abundant fruit, neither interrupted (in production; not seasonal) nor inaccessible"; 2166; 4722 (taqTa3uu ar7aamakum to disconnect from your close relatives. The opposite of this expression , Silatur ri7m connection with blood relatives, is used in the qur'aan).
You're the greatest sis!
Nadeem
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Peace Sisterfrancesca,
My friends from Pakistan told me the same thing. Matter of fact, when I used to ask about Islam, most of them didnt know how to answer me. Also, most of the Quran that they know is only in Arabic, so when I try to discuss ayat to them, they get confused.
I still think that being able to pronounce it is still better than nothing at all. Matter of fact, thats a step above us who cant read Quran at all. I do hope that these madrasas change their style, its very pointless to recite something that you dont know what you are saying. Same with Salat. I had to tell my friend what he was saying because he had no clue.
Peace
Peace Amuslim
Well, I believe that there is a vested interest for the madrasas to go on like this.
All what these mullahs want is to keep the populace under control.
Same story as the Roman Catholic Church in the Middle Ages, when the Mass was celebrated in Latin, a language that was already dead and totally unintelligible by the general populace.
You Quran-alone brothers and sisters might be unaware, but we already quite a few fatwas against us from both Sunnis and Shias.
Only when the Quran is widely understood in the correct manner can barriers and ghettoes be torn down.Peace
Sister Francesca -
Peace to all,
I agree with the others that we need to figure out the closest exact meaning we can to the Quran, once this is done, then it should be upto each individual to let its message speak to them in their own way.
As for traditionalists issuing fatwahs against Quran aloners i say let them, it gives us more publicity and people who hear these fatwahs will start questioning them and looking into true Islam, once they see the blatant silliness and contradictions contained in hadeeth and sunnah then God willing, they will find and follow the straight path to God alone.
Maybe one of our learned brothers or sisters here on this forum should issue our own fatwah against the traditionalists, this may get them angry and talking but at least others will here about the truth.
Im thinking Samia, Arnold Yasin, and many others here are highly qualified.
Kurt
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Maybe one of our learned brothers or sisters here on this forum should issue our own fatwah against the traditionalists, this may get them angry and talking but at least others will here about the truth.
No No No, why start a new war?
Majidah
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Peace Amuslim
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In the afternoon I usually attended the afterschool classes at the local madrasa attached to the local mosque, and most of the madrasa syllabus consisted of reading the Quran ... in Arabic.
But no, we only learned how to pronounce the words, we never learned the meaning of what we were reading.
Hope this example helps to illustrate the reason why there is so much religious illiteracy in the Muslim world.
Peace
Sister Francescasalaa all
In pakistan you ask any religious teacher you want to learn Quran with meaning they will tell you no no it is not for you leave it to us you just learn how to read Quran.
peace
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salaa all
In pakistan you ask any religious teacher you want to learn Quran with meaning they will tell you no no it is not for you leave it to us you just learn how to read Quran.
peace
Ha hah! Bingo!
During the Dark Ages the Roman Catholic authorities made it an offense for ordinary people (who could read, not many of them!) to own and study a Bible.
Now in Pakistan the clerics only allow you to read the Quran without understanding it.
The difference seems to be one of semantics only!
The clerics' vested interests (of keeping the ordinary people under a cloak of ignorance) is getting clearer and clearer.As to issuing counter-fatwas, I don't think we are strong enough, since the main author of these fatwas, a certain Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid apparently lives in Saudi Arabia and is very likely to be financially supported by billions of petrodollars.
Like Brother Kurt said, let them issue more fatwas, and then let people with brain judge the sheer stupidity of these fatwas, just have a look at the links below (for Goodness sake, logic does not seem to be in abundant supply in Saudi Arabia)
http//islamqa.com/index.php?ref=3440&ln=eng
http//islamqa.com/index.php?ref=604&ln=eng
Peace
Sister Francesca
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Salaam sister frances
Prophet was also a Quran alone he was following Quran and not hadith and sunna of others we are also following Quran in this way we are following the messanger and the other groups are following shaitan only, let me tell you some thing since many many years i used to call clergy men the follower of shaitan and my friends use to tell me some body will kill you be careful and the ppls use to call me kafir that time i use to think that I'm the only one who dislike them only recently i came to know that I'm not alone when i visited this site.
My personnel prophecy is that bearded religious men will be the first among Muslims who will be thrown in jahanum followed by Arabs,
some of my Arab friends tells me one day you will be in jail if you do not stop,
But actually i consider ordinary sunni innocent they are duped bye clergy men in believing all this nonsense
and today they trust and respect them more then God.
My heart goes for my parents,
Peace
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Salaam sister frances
Prophet was also a Quran alone he was following Quran and not hadith and sunna of others we are also following Quran in this way we are following the messanger and the other groups are following shaitan only
Salaam Afridi220
Actually the final Surah of the Quran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed just one month before he died.
If you think that Mohammed for most of his life was a nonMuslim and received his first revelation when he was 40 years old, you can easily understand how receiving the Quran over a period of 20 and more years was like a process of growth for him, through which he went like the rest of us.And on a slightly different point, I recall that years ago a scholar in Pakistan was sentenced to death by a Taleban-style tribal court for .... saying exactly what I have just said, and this goes on to show the hysteria that reigns in certain countries when you try to put forward a rational argument and to prove once more the vested interest that most clerics have in obstructing an open and frank debate.
Peace
Sister Francesca
PS I would refrain from referring to Mohammed as "The Prophet" this is a bad Sunni and Shia habit, and we all know that Islam has many prophet, none of whom were any lesser than Mohammed.
