HOW TO UNDERSTAND QURAN
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Thank you for yet another important reminder, much needed!
group
peace
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Peace,
CERTAINTY
Yes logic must be tested by debate or proved or disproved by evidence.
But the subject is "submission" not philosophy or any other subject, therefore
we must turn to God's revelations for the answers. The first person who comes
to mind is Abraham the monotheistThe Debate
Recall that Abraham said to his father ?zer, "How could you worship statues as gods? I see that you and your people have gone far astray."
The Guidance
We showed Abraham the marvels of the heavens and the earth, and blessed him with certainty
The reflection (logic)
When the night fell, he saw a shining planet. "Maybe this is my Lord," he said. When it disappeared, he said, "I do not like (gods) that disappear."
When he saw the moon rising, he said, "Maybe this is my Lord!" When it disappeared, he said, "Unless my Lord guides me, I will be with the strayers."
When he saw the sun rising, he said, "This must be my Lord. This is the biggest." But when it set, he said, "O my people, I denounce your idolatry.The Conclusion
"I have devoted myself absolutely to the One who initiated the heavens and the earth; I will never be an idol worshiper."
Certainty
His people argued with him. He said, "Do you argue with me about GOD, after He has guided me? I have no fear of the idols you set up. Nothing can happen to me, unless my Lord wills it. My Lord's knowledge encompasses all things. Would you not take heed?
Steadfastness
"Why should I fear your idols? It is you who should be afraid, since you worship instead of GOD idols that are utterly powerless to help you. Which side is more deserving of security, if you know?"
Ask For Understanding from God
Abraham said, "My Lord, show me how You revive the dead." He said, "Do you not believe?"
He said, "Yes, but I wish to reassure my heart." He said, "Take four birds, study their marks, place a piece of each bird on top of a hill, then call them to you. They will come to you in a hurry. You should know that GOD is Almighty, Most Wise."I also submit that faith is an branch of understanding or misunderstanding
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PROOF OF GOD
Language the human use of spoken or written words as a communication system.
Communicate to exchange information
Creator somebody who creates somebody who produces or initiates something
Synonyms maker, inventor, originator, architect, designer, author, initiator
Recall that Moses said to his people, "O my people, you have wronged your souls by worshiping the calf. You must repent to your Creator. You shall kill your egos. This is better for you in the sight of your Creator." He did redeem you. He is the Redeemer, Most Merciful.
"My Lord, You have given me kingship and taught me the interpretation of dreams. Initiator of the heavens and the earth; You are my Lord and Master in this life and in the Hereafter. Let me die as a submitter, and count me with the righteous."
He is Allah the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner; His are the most excellent names; whatever is in the heavens and the earth declares His glory; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.
We measured it precisely. We are the best designers.
Manufacture made by hand
This is to provide them with fruits, and to let them manufacture with their own hands whatever they need. Would they be thankful?
Praise God lord of the universe
Peace
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Peace.
My apology for intruding, but I just want to bring all attentions to Chapter 96 (Al3alaq).
Please browse here for some English translations http//quran.com/96
And of course, with regards to the discussions in this topic, verses 969-8 are very much relevant, methinks.
So here are my notes
In this chapter we are reminded that our Rabb is the one that teaches us, everything that we now know. (Yes, I fully agree with some comments earlier forwarded regarding this idea, particularly by Zulf & Good logic.) Indeed, "He taught man that which he knew not."
But what has actually happened? Some of us (now and before) thought that we do not need our Rabb in our learning. So some of us considered that it is sufficient to understand the Qur-an with a mastery of Arabic Grammar (+ Classical of course), Lughatu Alnnuzool, etc. Unwittingly we fall into this group of people termed 'yatgha' (going overboard, is too much, transgressing the limit).
Why? "In that he sees himself self-sufficient." Never depend on the Rabb when, "Indeed, to your Lord is the reference/source/allusion."
Chapter 96 is the first revelation. And in this very chapter we are taught on this simple fact that our Rabb (we don't come across the word 'allah' in this chapter) is the one that teaches each and everyone of us. And He teaches 'bi-alqalam' (by the bits/chips or small portions or small amounts).
But what is 'rabb'? To me, 'alrrabb' is 'the one in control'. Our Rabb is of course the one in control of us. For example, who is the one in control of us right now? Is it Allah? Or is it our ego? Our fears? Or merely our desires? Shaitan? Iblees? Our son? The wife/husband? The mullah?
So essentially what we understand, methinks, is directly tied to, or dependent upon, the one that has been in control of us. And the collection of understandings we accumulate over the years is reflected in our deeds and communications (interactions).
And so, in taking the lessons of Chapter 96 we should (I trust we must, when we have the faith) solely depend on our Rabb in everything. When Allah is the Rabb, then we appreciate the relationship between the Rabb (the Creator) and us (the created).
But of course the total surrender to Allah the Rabb is not in anyway similar to what is popularly known as fatalism. No.
Why? In the proceeding chapters (revelations after Al3alaq) we are taught on how to have Allah as our Rabb. We are given free will, but we are individually accountable for every decision that we have made.
And there are certain practices that we must do, right from the time of waking up (musbiheen) to the time of hitting the bed. We are taught on what to do before embarking upon a task like studying the Qur-an, or upon receiving an invitation to a gathering, or in the face of trials and tribulations.
In short, in the Qur-an we could learn on whats and hows in establishing and nurturing the relationship/connection (salat) with Allah as the Rabb. We could also learn on how to give 'acknowledgment' (ruku3), perform 'submission' (sujood), making the right 'approach' (qiblat), when and how to perform 'meditation' (bayt), on the nurturing of 'habits' (diyar), when and how to perform 'non-talking' with humans (siyam), deliberation (hajj) and rectification/correction (umrah), etc.
And all these while we have individually employed a certain approach in studying the Qur-an. Are you satisfied with the result? Or do the meanings of words you have recently discovered made you really really calm in the heart? I am talking about the heart here, and not the head/mind.
We have to be really really careful as the mind is the seat of the ego. The ego will drive one to judge (and prosecute) another. And 9615 is talking about the mind - the mind that drives one to restrain another from establishing a relationship/connection with his/her Rabb. Thus the warning "No! If he doesn't stop, We will surely burn his mind (scorch by his forehead)."
It essentially boils down to 96 "He taught man that which he knew not."
But this is merely my personal comprehension. It may not be the truth to/for you. So please ignore this when you don't enjoy peacefulness in your heart while reading it.
May Allah guide us all correctly.
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Thank you @Joe Betik for your exposition,
I fully agree with you, and I like the distinction between Rabb and Allah with tendency that Rabb should be our Allah.
Lately I often think about useful and obsolete knowledge for our spiritual identity we all might have, and about relevant and irrelevant information for our soul. I pray Allah to grant me the knowledge important for me, and to liberate me of all mental junk that might accumulate along the way, during this lamentable terrestrial life on dunyaluk.
Blessed be Allah! -
But what is 'rabb'? To me, 'alrrabb' is 'the one in control'. Our Rabb is of course the one in control of us. For example, who is the one in control of us right now? Is it Allah? Or is it our ego? Our fears? Or merely our desires? Shaitan? Iblees? Our son? The wife/husband? The mullah?
So essentially what we understand, methinks, is directly tied to, or dependent upon, the one that has been in control of us. And the collection of understandings we accumulate over the years is reflected in our deeds and communications (interactions).
Does that mean you consider humans to be controlled and remote controlled?
Do you think that without guidance our intellect is not sufficient to have us lead the best life possible - whatever that may mean for an individual? -
Does that mean you consider humans to be controlled and remote controlled?
Do you think that without guidance our intellect is not sufficient to have us lead the best life possible - whatever that may mean for an individual?Peace.
I prefer to see it this way. One has free will, meaning he/she has the freedom of choice, and every choice one makes has its very own effect/outcome (positive/negative).
Lets take an example of one who has made a choice/decision of learning the Q by oneself (meaning one depends solely on one's intellect), or that person has considered him/her-self to be self-sufficient. In other words, that person only depends on his own self, that which has the intellect & emotions. (A dead body is an incomplete person, or not a human being, for it has no self, thus no intellect nor emotion.) For this person, his/her Rabb (the one in control of him/her) is none other than his/her very own self (nafs). And in the Q we learn about the self - what it is, and what it is (in)capable of.
I suppose we are very familiar with sayings like, "You are what you think you are," or "I think, therefore I am."
Lets say that this person thinks that he/she holds the absolute truth about something. Have we not seen how such a person thinks and behaves? I trust that we have seen them here in this forum, and elsewhere.
An example was also included in Chapter 96. Was he guided (on guidance) when restraining the 'abdan'? No.
Indeed, everyone has a Rabb, but one may not necessarily appoint Allah (God) to be his/her Rabb (the one in control). One may instead appoint his/her own self, money, other gods, etc., as the Rabb. So when one has appointed his/her-self as the Rabb, then his comprehending of him/her-self, of God, of the world, etc, will solely depend on his/her own self (intellect and emotions). So what will happen to the intellectually challenged, then?
Lets take 210. You may browse here for some translations http//quran.com/2/10 . I understand the first phrase to mean "In their hearts is a disease so God increased their disease ... ."
The very interesting idea is that God increases. It implies that if we have a disease (ill-feelings, jealousy, vengeance, etc.) in our hearts, then God will increase/multiply the disease. Over time, we will end up being punished like those objects of anger (almaghdoobi AAalayhim) we learn in Chapter 1.
And of course we should be mindful of 961. But to me it is "Ponder! In status, your Rabb is the one who created." (By the way, I have a different comprehension for certain words and phrases found in Chapter 96. For example (one or two was/were mentioned in my earlier post) iqra/ (ponder), ism (status/rank), min AAalaq (hanging/in dependance/depending).
So back to your first question, it should be yes, we are controlled by something (as mentioned in my earlier post).
Our relationship with God is basically within this concept of 'qisas' (reciprocity) - Remember Me, I will remember you (2152). Or, "... I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. ... ." (2186). Indeed there are many verses in the Q that explain this idea.
In 238 God's guidance is mentioned, and how to behave about it.
But it is strictly up to each and everyone of us to make an individual choice. Some decisions will lead us to the concealed garden of comfort, while some others will lead us to the inferno. So in this discussion, we are fully free to make a choice whether to appoint God (Allah) as our Rabb (the one in control), or appoint something/somebody else.
As always, this is only my personal comprehension. It may not be the truth to/for you. So please ignore this when you don't enjoy peacefulness in your heart while reading it.
May Allah guide us all correctly.
Cheers!
Mohammed Noh -
GROUPING
In order to get a proper understanding of God's revelations it is essential for one to learn
how to group ayats according to subject matter, for instance, the subject of (sukara) intoxicant.Intoxication is any substance that clouds the intellect and hinders one from making clear judgements. Based on this definition, intoxication refers to both drugs and alcohol.
It is best to of sober mind, most societies imbibe intoxicants in one form or another,
and so did the people of Muhammad's time.They ask you about intoxicants and gambling say, "In them there is a gross sin, and some benefits for the people. But their sinfulness far outweighs their benefit." They also ask you what to give to charity say, "The excess." GOD thus clarifies the revelations for you, that you may reflect, upon this life and the Hereafter ...
O you who believe, intoxicants, and gambling, and the altars of idols, and the games of chance are abominations of the devil; you shall avoid them, that you may succeed.
The devil wants to provoke animosity and hatred among you through intoxicants and gambling, and to distract you from remembering GOD, and from observing the Contact Prayers (Salat). Will you then refrain?When the two ayats are taken together it becomes obvious that intoxicants and gambling
are to be avoided.While the word benefit is used in it is absent from
Abominations of the devil is used in but not inis more succinct about the avoidance of things that befog the mind.
Peace
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GROUPING CONTINUED
Surely, those who believe, those who are Jewish, the Christians, and the converts; anyone who (1) believes in GOD, and (2) believes in the Last Day, and (3) leads a righteous life, will receive their recompense from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.
Anyone who accepts other than Submission as his religion, it will not be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter, he will be with the losers.
The two verses agree and are not contradictory, the difference is that the word
submission does not appear in ayat and believers does not appear in
together they read "those who believe and submit. (except in a case when
people become submitters under false pretenses like in verse ). There is no need
for both words to be present in the same ayat because either word gives
a clear message. Believers submit/submitters believe.Peace
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Excellent @hawkninetynine.
Thank you
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Thank you.
God bless you.
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A Reminder from brother Wakas
Part 1
What does The Quran say?
The following is a brief list taken directly from The Quran on how to process information, read, study and understand it
1698 - seek God's spiritual aid, away from the forces of satan/opposition (e.g. emotional instability, personal desire, self-delusion, arrogance, prejudice, deviation).
37 - ground oneself in solid principles, maintain sincerity.
656, 1337, 3029, 4214-15 - be wary of following desires as opposed to following God's revelation.
3195, 4135, 58, 861, 2854, 4240 - remain true to its principles of justice, equivalence, fairness, compassion, opting for the good/better response etc.
6114, 12111, 1590-91, 1789, 1689, 1854, 3927 - try to utilise and appreciate its complete system of concepts.
482 - anything from God will not have contradiction/inconsistency/variance. This also applies to our understanding as well. If we formulate a correct interpretation of The Quran, we will find that everything falls into place. This is one of the most crucial criteria.
5101, 20114, 2532, 7320, 7517 - do not rush our learning, read what is easy of it, gradually build knowledge and acceptance to strengthen one's heart, and ask God to increase our knowledge.
734-5 - in order to receive a weighty or profound word or saying, we need to arrange the likenesses in The Quran, e.g. cross-reference concepts/words/topics.
2110, 3030, 4153, 5120-21 - its information and teachings should map to our reality (within our psyche, experience and to the furthest horizons). All signs, internal and external can point to the truth of it and act as a verification mechanism.
2920, 3137, 3190-191, 453-4 - knowledge of archaeology/biology/physics/history/sciences/philosophy etc will all help to better understand it.
675-79, 2157-67, 3678-79, 2122, 2391, 2258, 1226-27, 225-6, 2260 - promotes logical thinking.
2269, 822 - strong affinity towards use of wisdom and reason.
496, 4524, 6116, 5328, 2111, 2124 - disapproves of conjecture/guesswork and promotes examination of evidence.
3446, 650, 2219, 3191, 1024, 1644, 3021 - shows the importance of reflection, to deeply consider/think.
4724, 2368 - "tadabbur" means to ponder over something giving careful consideration to its consequences.
4144 - language is not a barrier, belief/acceptance of it will help understanding.
2533, 1741 - it contains the best response/explanation.Peace
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Peace,
That's an excellent observation by Wakas. I fully subscribe to that approach.
Here is what you read at http//free-minds.org/quran/PM/A01
- Be Patient And Seek God's Help
Even with all the skill and knowledge we may possess, the study of the Scripture will always be lacking if God is not sought for help and assistance. After all, He is the ultimate teacher of mankind in all things, especially the Scripture.
"So, when you study the Quran, you shall seek refuge with God from Satan the outcast. He has no authority over those who believe, and who put their trust in their Lord. His authority is over those who follow him, and set him up as a partner." (Quran 1698-100)
Also, do not be scared or confused if your findings or understanding does not conform to what others have said or taught for years or centuries. Truth does not need to conform to the majority to be truth.
"And if you obey the majority of those on Earth they will lead you astray; that is because they follow conjecture, and that is because they only guess." (Quran 6116)
Finally, remember we are here on this planet to serve God and walk in His path, and not to serve our own agendas and our own egos "You alone we serve, and You alone we seek for help." (15)
The above quote and your quotation of Wakas are very much self-explanatory, and read together with my earlier posts in this topic, I hope it is now very clear regarding our seeking of God's guidance in studying the Q. In fact to me, this should be the very first step in all of our endeavors in life.
Cheers!
Mohammed Noh -
Peace,
That's an excellent observation by Wakas. I fully subscribe to that approach.
Here is what you read at http//free-minds.org/quran/PM/A01
The above quote and your quotation of Wakas are very much self-explanatory, and read together with my earlier posts in this topic, I hope it is now very clear regarding our seeking of God's guidance in studying the Q. In fact to me, this should be the very first step in all of our endeavors in life.
Cheers!
Mohammed NohJoe Betik,
Agreed
Thank you for the very helpful link, there is more to come, feel free to add your research.
"Our Lord, let not our hearts waver, now that You have guided us. Shower us with Your mercy; You are the Grantor.
Language is Irrelevant
If we made it a non-Arabic Quran they would have said, "Why did it come down in that language?" Whether it is Arabic or non-Arabic, say, "For those who believe, it is a guide and healing. As for those who disbelieve, they will be deaf and blind to it, as if they are being addressed from faraway."
Peace
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Let me highlight one method which needs to be at the foundation of all other methods. It's a method without which you can have the most sophisticated and intelligent study method in the world, and all you'll come up with is confusion. It's a method that is surprisingly simple but greatly overlooked and taken for granted, or not taken seriously at all.
Surprise surprise, but it is to simply ask Allah to teach you the quran and to be able to handle that which you come to know. yes This is the same as having a sincere and honest desire to be able to see the truths in the quran, one level at a time. This ability cannot be achieved through method alone. Once you have the capacity to grasp the real meanings, at a certain level, then sound and consistent method will help you... or it might just come at you by no method at all. I have experienced this to be crucial for any kind of understanding, not only the quran. Reality is after-all reality and the approach is the same.
I also see how it is overlooked so much by people. Why not seek help from The Source of all things? Why not always start there? Could it be simpler? Ask and have patience, that's all it takes! But it has to be sincere and honest desire to know the reality, unconditionally. Otherwise it won't work. You cannot fool Allah. You heart and mind are what they are, and you cannot conceal it. Either you're in or you're out.
D
bravo
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THE MANUAL
As humans and jinns we are the only created beings that pocess free will, we constantly live
at the proverbial "fork in the road" we make decisions on an ongoing basis that affect our daily existence.
some decisions can be a turning point leading to happiness or unhappiness, therefore we must become
adept at making the correct decisions.We have offered the responsibility (freedom of choice) to the heavens and the earth,
and the mountains, but they refused to bear it, and were afraid of it. But the human being
accepted it; he was transgressing, ignorant.This free will is a awesome thing and has many benefits, one of which is conciousness,
perpective or awareness. Another aspect of free will is the ego or the self. These as well
as other aspects give humans and jinns the opportunity to experience their existence like
no other beings. We are aware of heaven or eternal bliss and earthly happiness.As for the righteous, when they are asked, "What do you think of these revelations from
your Lord," they say, "Good." For those who lead a righteous life, happiness, and the abode of the
Hereafter is even better. What a blissful abode for the righteous.On the otherhand, free will can become our enemy, causing us our families, and society misery.
We humans and jinns are not like other creatures who are governed primarily by instincts.
Dogs need no instructions how to live, neither do lions or bears, but those of us who have free
will need laws and instructions how to proceed. Just take a look at the self help Guru explosion
in the last half century!God in his infinite wisdom is far above all the "instructors" combined. What I mean by Instructors
is that those who purport to tell us how to live. All fall short because they do not know the human
like the creator.Whether you keep your utterances secret, or declare them, He is fully aware of the
innermost thoughts.God knows his creation and did not leave us without instructions
We said, "Go down therefrom, all of you. When guidance comes to you from Me, those
who follow My guidance will have no fear, nor will they grieve.We made the Quran easy to learn. Does any of you wish to learn?
Peace
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May peace be upon you all here,
The Q to me (as I have mentioned before) is a compilation of messages revealed to Muhammad the nabiy, and then he delivered them to the people around him. Initially the delivery was two phased, i.e. revealed & delivered. But after some time, it was simply a live-delivery (on the spot).
In the Q we come across verses that remind us that Muhammad the nabiy did not compose nor doctor those messages.
But what are the messages that was revealed to him? Or in other words, what could we find in the Q?
Initial Stage (A brief note)
Theories on his Rabb and his God, and the practices that should turn into his habits (diyarihi) in relation to his faith in his Rabb and his God. In other words, what should be his attitude and what should he do in his establishment and nurturing of his relationship (salat) with his Rabb, and his God.
And in the early chapters, we learn about the practice on remembering God immediately on waking up from sleep (musbiheen) in 68. We also learn about what God will do when we are arrogant, or when we are prejudiced (thalim).
In other chapters we read about what we should do during the day and during the night. I trust we have all read about spending some parts of the night meditating on the messages that we have received/understood/learned/read. Or that we should immerse ourselves in the remembering of God while spending the day at work, in sports or whatever activities we might have.
In short, in the early chapters we learn 'Relationship 101' with God as the Rabb. There are many chapters that deal with man (insan), the self (nafs) and revelation (nuzool). Day and night, the sun, the moon and the stars mentioned in those chapters are more often allegories, parables or figure of speeches about revelations - on what, when, how and why such events occur to him or other people. Yet some chapters deal strictly with other people, especially those who depended on Muhammad the nabiy in as far as messages for them that was revealed to him are concerned.
Over time, Muhammad become one who some people depended on for God's guidance. These people emulated him, or they became copycats. But just like any school of thoughts, some people have full faith in him, some others might just be testing/experimenting, and there are sceptics too. But many people in his community, i.e. the non believers make great efforts in trying to hinder or stop him. I trust you have all came across some verses about this of the Q.
Later Stages (A brief note)
In the later stages, Muhammad the nabiy was becoming into a man of great influence. The messages he received grew in scopes and themes. So we learn about how to behave with other people, on what to do in specific situations, so on and so forth.
And the methods of him getting revelations became more varied. At first it was in the form of a speech (735 & 6) to be heard within, but later on there was the vision (a-l-r), the feel (a-l-m) and so on.
As I have said, to me the Q is a compilation of messages revealed to Muhammad the nabiy. We are now studying the Q, but the individual objectives are very much varied. Each one of you know why you are studying the Q.
To me, I study the Q to become a copycat, the best of copycats if possible. I want to learn the theories and practices of having God (allah) as the Rabb (alrrabb) just like Muhammad the nabiy.
After I came across the fact that God is the teacher, then I apply the idea into practice. After I learned about the practice of remembering God upon waking up from sleep, then I make it into a practice. So in short, I put into practice whatever I gather from the Q.
I sincerely hope I am not bragging, but allow me to say that when we put into practive whatever we correctly gather from the Q, we will go through similar experiences as Muhammad the nabiy, insha allah. No. I am not talking about having 4 wives for the men, but the experiences of getting revelations from God. Let me also say that the gist of the messages will always be similar to the Q. But some very personal messages could be yours when you ask for it. And the beauty of it all is that it is in our very own individual language. And you will definitely be made known that what has been revealed to you is the truth from God when you have personally experienced it.
And likewise, the truth of this post of mine could be proven when you have experienced it. Otherwise it is merely a commentary or a post. Drinking a glass of water might appease your thirst but just having the idea of drinking does nought.
So I pray that you guys will develop into efficient harvesters of the Q. Don't just harvest the ideas, but implement the practices. The Q is as relevant to Muhammad the nabiy as it is to you today.
But of course as in any relationship, what is the meaning of a relationship when there is no communication? Strike a conversation with God. Implore if you will, but be respectful. You could get some ideas from the narratives on Ibraheem, Zakariya, Maryam, Moosa, etc. Emulate them. Copy their methods. Be the best of copycats.
May God guide us all correctly.
Cheers!
Mohammed Noh