Quran the Criterion?
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2185
FM A month in early autumn, in which the Quran was sent down as a guide to the people and a clarification of the guidance and the criterion. Therefore, whoever of you can observe the season, then let him fast therein. And whoever is ill or traveling, then the same number from different days. God wants to bring you ease and not to bring you hardship; and so that you may complete the count, and glorify God for what He has guided you, that you may be thankful.
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251 Most Blessed is He Who has revealed to His servant, the Criterion of the
right and the wrong so that it might be a warning to the entire world. -
peace,
These types of questions are easy to answer with the tools available online now
Use a word search and type in "criterion".
Use a phonetic search and type in "furqan"
Use www.openburhan.com to find a verse with "criterion" in it and locate its every occurrence, its root etc.
Use PRL to find all occurrences, classical arabic meanings and grammar info
http//www.studyquran.co.uk/PRLonline.htmFrom PRL
furqan n.m. 253, 2185, 34, 829, 841, 2148, 251
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Peace,
Verse 251 is about the Quran, as the Quran is the only Revelation send to the WHOLE world, while all other Revelations were send to specific people.
251 Most Blessed is He Who has revealed to His servant, the Criterion of the
right and the wrong so that it might be a warning to the world.21107 And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds.
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Pay attention kiddo )
This Quran is the only one send to the whole world, which 251 says.
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But doesn't that say the quran was sent down as a guide and clarification of the guidance and clarification? So it's an explanation of the criterion?
"the Quran was sent down as a guide to the people and a clarification of the guidance and the criterion"
It's involving three things here, as a guide, a clarification of guidance and the criterion (to judge/seperate between right/wrong). This can be seen in the other verses using criterion as well. The explanation/clarification of the criterion can be found within the quran as well as the criterion itself.
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peace
See, I'm thinking that "al-kitab" is the criterion and the quran is the explanation of it. Al-kitab is the revelation.
SC, the verse can be read as "the quran is the explanation of " instead of "...the quran is and the criterion."
I have to do a little research on this, though. -
Peace,
I thought that was simple enough to understand?
Apparently not bro .
SC, the verse can be read as "the quran is the explanation of " instead of "...the quran is and the criterion."
This would then read as a clarification of guidance and of right from wrong (what criterion is used in the quran as). It still means the same thing as whether it gives you the clarification of right from wrong or just right from wrong it's still inclusive of the right and/from wrong in the first place for both cases, so the quran being the criterion is established anyways.
See, I'm thinking that "al-kitab" is the criterion and the quran is the explanation of it. Al-kitab is the revelation.
What's the revelation? And see above. added here I just realised that you might mean the revelation (whatever you mean by it) is al-kitab (what do you understand by this term as well??) but not the quran? Please explain if this is the case.
I have to do a little research on this, though.
Ok.
edit to add
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Peace Waleed, all,
2185 The full moon of scorching heat, in which the Qur'an was revealed; as a guide to the people and clarifications FROM (MIN) the guidance and the criterion............
As usual the confusion arises from mistranslations. It is "bayyinaat"/clarifications/evidences "MIN"/FROM "alhudaa"/the guidance "wa alfurqaan"/and the criterion. It is not "OF" but "FROM". If it was "of" then it would have said "bayyinaat alhudaa wa alfurqaan" instead of "bayyinaat MIN alhudaa wa alfurqaan".
"Bayyinaat min alhudaa wa alfurqaan" can mean "clarifications from the guidance" and "the criterion" (two separate descriptions), or it could mean "clarifications from the guidance and clarifications from the criterion" (not "clarification OF the criterion" which is not what the sign is telling us and leads to your misunderstanding), and both meanings would fit.
According to the first interpretation, the Qur'aan is
- A guide to the people
- Clarifications from the guidance (it clears things by the guidance it gives)
- The criterion
According to the second interpretation, the Qur'aan is
- A guide to the people
- Clarifications from the guidance (it clears things by the guidance it gives)
- Clarifications from the criterion (it clears things by the criterion it establishes).
Which interpretation is better ? I think both make sense as according to the first, the Qur'aan is the criterion, and according to the second, it clarifies things by the criterion it establishes, which would mean that it contains the criterion, hence arriving at almost the same interpretation.
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Peace,
Verse 251 is about the Quran, as the Quran is the only Revelation send to the WHOLE world, while all other Revelations were send to specific people.
251 Most Blessed is He Who has revealed to His servant, the Criterion of the
right and the wrong so that it might be a warning to the world.21107 And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds.
Feel like a record that is stuck, repeating the same over and over and over.......
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Let's turn it around, show us previous Revelations that were also send to the whole world and not just to their people.
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This would then read as a clarification of guidance and of right from wrong (what criterion is used in the quran as). It still means the same thing as whether it gives you the clarification of right from wrong or just right from wrong it's still inclusive of the right and/from wrong in the first place for both cases, so the quran being the criterion is established anyways.
peace SC,
Yes, but the quran is not the source of the guidance, it is an explanation. It is a book, and not all books are true. It can only be the criterion if it's interpretation is in harmony with the actual criterion.What's the revelation? And see above. added here I just realised that you might mean the revelation (whatever you mean by it) is al-kitab (what do you understand by this term as well??) but not the quran? Please explain if this is the case.
Well, the revelation is the understanding of al-kitab, which I believe is referring to this world/universe. The revelation isn't a book, it's just...this !
and whoever has that light bulb go off in his head writes it down or preaches it if he wants. That's probably how we get this quran.I think the Quran can't be the criterion because a criterion is a standard that we judge everything else by. We don't judge or critically examine a criterion. But we judge the quran all the time. We argue over what it says, and prove what it says by giving proof from the real world.
There's a reason we keep looking for proofs of the quran in the real world. It's because the quran isn't the criterion, the universe is.Tanveer, thanks for that explanation. I think I'll go for the second interpretation based on the above reasoning.
peace -
Peace,
Yes, but the quran is not the source of the guidance, it is an explanation.
The source of guidance gave the quran as guidance and explanation. Many other guides are there as well, I don't think this is the only way to make it.
It is a book, and not all books are true.
A book can be true.
It can only be the criterion if it's interpretation is in harmony with the actual criterion.
Explained somewhere below.
Well, the revelation is the understanding of al-kitab, which I believe is referring to this world/universe.
Previously you wrote
See, I'm thinking that "al-kitab" is the criterion and the quran is the explanation of it. Al-kitab is the revelation.
Bit confusing the two quotes? Al kitab is the revelation but the revelation is the understanding of al kitab but al kitab you believe is referring to this world/universe (or is it the revelation?) and al kitab is the criterion as well as the revelation which is an explanation of al kitab? Anyway, I'll just pick one and go with it. The world/universe cannot be a criterion. Think of it as a superset, a criterion has to be established by making subsets thus distinguishing. The world/universe is inclusive of all, so how can it be a criterion to distinguish between right and wrong?
and whoever has that light bulb go off in his head writes it down or preaches it if he wants. That's probably how we get this quran.
Okay.
I think the Quran can't be the criterion because a criterion is a standard that we judge everything else by.
And the world/universe is what we judge everything by? Makes far more sense for the quran or any subset to be a criterion than the world/universe as that is what you are distinguishing by. It's only logical that anything inclusive of everything needs a criterion that distinguishes something/anything out of that everything. This criterion is not the anything that is inclusive of everything obviously.
We don't judge or critically examine a criterion.
Why not? Any criterion should be critically examined. It should also be contrasted/used with the arena it is meant for to see if it makes sense. If it's true it will prevail/make sense/bring about growth/benefits for all etc etc, if not we ditch it. That doesn't stop it from being a criterion, it only makes it a false or true criterion.
But we judge the quran all the time. We argue over what it says, and prove what it says by giving proof from the real world.
That doesn't mean it just can't be a criterion, it means that we are using the criterion (theoretically or practically) in the real world and seeing it make sense. It goes hand in hand both aspects, the quran being a criterion means its got to be used to actually distinguish and where else are you going to use it? And once again, a criterion is something that distinguishes from say a blob that has everything in it. One can't use nature/world/universe as a criterion because other than the obvious issues, where does it distinguish right from wrong unless its contrasted with something else that actually gives you a criterion to distinguish with?
There's a reason we keep looking for proofs of the quran in the real world. It's because the quran isn't the criterion, the universe is.
Explained above. The universe doesn't give you the criterion, something else does...whether it's your own mind that tries to make sense of the universe or a book.Edit to add.
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Bit confusing the two quotes? Al kitab is the revelation but the revelation is the understanding of al kitab but al kitab you believe is referring to this world/universe (or is it the revelation?) and al kitab is the criterion as well as the revelation which is an explanation of al kitab? Anyway, I'll just pick one and go with it.
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Let's just put it this way
al kitab is the universe, which contains god's signs, and revelation is what comes from that.
EDIT I'll have to review the above statement to make sure it makes sense.The world/universe cannot be a criterion. Think of it as a superset, a criterion has to be established by making subsets thus distinguishing. The world/universe is inclusive of all, so how can it be a criterion to distinguish between right and wrong?
hmm
good point.Why not? Any criterion should be critically examined. It should also be contrasted/used with the arena it is meant for to see if it makes sense. If it's true it will prevail/make sense/bring about growth/benefits for all etc etc, if not we ditch it. That doesn't stop it from being a criterion, it only makes it a false or true criterion.
How do you know if a book's true?
How do you know if something's good or not?
There are people who haven't read the quran, or any other holy book, who know right from wrong, and truth from falsehood, how?
That's what I wanna know. Because I think there's more involved here than just a book, or an outside criterion.Explained above. The universe doesn't give you the criterion, something else does...whether it's your own mind that tries to make sense of the universe or a book.
Yeah, I think that's probably true. But again, the universe is the reality. We can't have right or wrong, or a book, without that reality. If we change the reality, our whole concept of right and wrong would have to change too.
