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I'm reading The Quran Translated by M.Marmaduke Pickthall. Its a page turner since the language is so easy to understand than the usual english translations of the Holy Quran.
Anyone who wishes to read the English Quran, I would say just go for it !
The only question I would like to ask, is that Is Quran biased with respect to religion? As in It favours Muslims and advises us not to trust Jews with our secrets.
Hope I'd get some useful and scholarly responses here.
There are many holy books. Christians have the Bible, Jews the Torah (and Talmud), Hinduists the Vedas, Mormons the Book of Mormon etc... Muslims have the Qu'ran (and the Hadiths).Quote:
Originally Posted by Nazish
Each holy book tells a different story. They're all mutually contradicting, and many of the books preach intolerance towards other religions (especially Torah/Old Testament and the Qu'ran). The books can't all be right, and there's no reason to simply assume that one must be right.
If Muslims 100%ly believe the Qu'ran is the literal truth, Christians 100%ly believe the Bible is the literal truth, and Jews 100%ly believe the Torah + Talmud is the literal truth, it'll just end in bloodsheds; besides, simple logic shows that at least two out of three would kill in vain for the wrong religion.
I strongly suggest to approach the matter with an open mind.
The Bible for instance has some very rough passages favoring genocide, oppression of women, rape and other atrocities. Yet the Christian denominations have become modernized, ideas from the Enlightenment have been incorporated. The church now doesn't blindly and literally follow the Bible, it has evolved, and to some extent adjusted to the new circumstances.
Yes, the Quran is biased.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nazish
Not only that, it attempts to create divisions among people based on those who have "faith" in it. In particular, Surah 109 comes to mind.
I never meant to start anything controversial here. I believe all those who read Quran come to know that indeed it is the last book, the very last revelation from God. The reason for this biasness is to let people from other religion know that what they're doing is wrong by not believing in what is right. Quran tells us about the truth of all the Prophets before Muhammad (May peace and blessings be upon him) as Muslims (those who surrender to God) except for the polytheists.
It is for people of wisdom to understand and believe. I would particularly like an Islamic scholar to comment over it.
no it's not
Quran teaches us how to be good with others and at the same time how to be strong
it teaches us that ( we must believe in all the prophets before Mohammed peace be upon him and all the prophets)
now u r reading the translation of the meaning of the Quran so u can judge by yourself
I hope the translation that u r reading is good because there is some mistakes we found it because of misunderstanding
by the way Islam has just one book which is Quran and Hadeethes is not the Holy Book ,it is Mohammed speeches
the first reference is Quran then if we don't understand anything or we want more explanation or we want to know what he said or how he behaves ....... we read Hadeeths
"And We gave him Ishaque (Isaac) and Yaqub (Jacob) We showed the path to all of them and showed the path to Nuh (Noah) before them, and of his progeny, to Daud (David) and Suleman (Solomon) and Ayub (Job) and Yusuf (Joseph) and Musa (Moses) and Haroon (Aaron), and thus We recompense the righteous. And to Zakaria (Zacharia) and Yahya (John) and Isa (Jesus) and Ilyas (Elias). These are all entitled to be Our near ones (righteous). And to Ismail and Yasa (Elisha) and Yunus (Jonah) and Lot, And to each one We preferred above all in his time. And also to some of their fathers and their progeny and some of their brothers, and We chose them and showed them the straight path. This is the guidance of Allah. He gives whom He will of His bondmen, and if they would have committed polytheism, then surely, all that they had already done would have been destroyed."
6:84-88
"There have come to you the eye Opener arguments from your Lord, then whosoever saw it, then it is for his own good and whosoever became blind, then it is for his own bad and I am not a guardian over you." 6:104
Quote:
Originally Posted by orgoo
I second you. Islam teaches religious tolerance as it wants us to believe that all that was revealed to the prophets before Mohammad (peace and blessing be upon him) was from Allah too.
With all due respect, that's absurd. I'm glad if you interpret it that way, but if you actually read the Qu'ran, you'll find that Islam doesn't do that. There's the death penalty for apostasy, the lesser jihad, the prejudices against Jews you alluded to yourself, and of course shariah law.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nazish
It teaches tolerance UP TO THAT POINT where Muhammad actually wrote the Qu'ran, but afterwards, as you say as 'last prophet', the presented choice is either Islam or damnation.
Again, I very much welcome it if muslims advocate religious tolerance, I'm just emphasizing that it's not really in the Qu'ran. And that's quite scary, to be honest.
With all due respect, but the death penalty is not in the Quran,it is in Hadeeth which means is a human speech ,and there is kinds of the reality of Hadeeth some of them are weak and so on, and if this Hadeeth is 100 percent true the penalty applied under conditions you can look for it but the important thing is that ( this penalty not in the Quran)Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodo25
jihad also not to fight innocent people or people that are live with us ,jihad when people fight us normally any person will eliminate ,will defend and will fight against those who r trying to take his home,his family,his nation and his stability
the same is when someone harm your kid ,,, what u want him to do?
cry , stay alone? sure u want him protect him self
the same is applied on Jews if they fight us we have to protect our selves and vice versa
Prophet Mohammed when he dead،his knife was bonded with Jew person ..what that means?
it means there is good ties between each others
nice talk to you but I have exam I have 2 study:)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nazish
Tell me the name of any religious book or any religious scholar who is not biased in favor of the idea it/he/she propagates.
@ Dodo - It is a mistaken notion that Muhammad(peace be upon him) wrote the Holy Quran. He did not know how to read and write. Of course you are free to believe or not to believe in him but you must not twist or misrepresent facts. When I approach any religious text, first of all I keep in my mind how the people who believe in it regard it. It helps me to understand them better.
When I think about the Qura'an I like to think about how a middle aged man overnight start spouting out poetry like Shakespeare.
As far as I know, the only alternative to Muhammad is Allah. And you won't get me to say that because I think it's wrong, and I'm definitely not misrepresenting facts. Facts are founded in science and reason, not in faith.Quote:
Originally Posted by aliengirl
I appreciate your criticism though, I'm now more aware of how Muslims see the matter.
Thank you for your appreciation. You understood it right. Muslims believe that Quran is the word of Allah. I would again repeat that everyone is perfectly free to believe or disbelieve it.
"[060:008] God forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for God loveth those who are just.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodo25
[060:009] God only forbids you, with regard to those who fight you for (your) Faith, and drive you out of your homes, and support (others) in driving you out, from turning to them (for friendship and protection). It is such as turn to them (in these circumstances), that do wrong."
there's a reason but It's not that simple, If someone can believe it's from the Creator of the universe, then it's not a big matter to simply believe in every thing in it, right??Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodo25
why does it have to be blood shedding??!!! each can believe in what they want 100% but still all can live TOGETHER in PEACE...Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodo25
"Surely, those who (profess to) believe (in Islam), and those whoQuote:
Originally Posted by YesNo
follow the Jewish faith, the Christians and the Sabians, whosoever
(of these truly) believes in Allah(God) and the Last Day and acts righteously
shall have their reward with their Lord, and shall have nothing to fear,
nor shall they grieve" The Holy Qura'n.
"and certain it is that either we or ye are on right guidance or in manifest error!" The Holy Qur'an.
I'll just let you judge .. could it be biased the book that include such words?????
another quote :)
"if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land - it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind" The Qur'an
completely agree :)Quote:
Originally Posted by aliengirl
Nice verses :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Olive
I had started this thread for hope of learning some thing useful. But I think I posted it at the wrong place. It just started a fiery debate outta nothing at all.
This thread is closed now. I request all of you not to post any more replies.
Thanks !
There isn't anything wrong with taking a position or having an inherent bias. Making a case for a given position is admirable, being wishy-washy is not. I am currently reading the Koran and I'm about half-way through. There are some pithy sections that I enjoy immensely. Among them;
Al-MaedaQuote:
Help ye one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye not one another in sin and rancour:. . .
5.002
Al-MaedaQuote:
. . .let not hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice.
5.008
Al-AnaamQuote:
With Him are the keys of the unseen, the treasures that none knoweth but He.
6.059
As for friendly criticism, I have to say that the repeated mentioning of the exodus and warnings about "people of the Book" is at worst tiresome and in the least, repetitive. There are parts that remind of the book of Leviticus in regards to conduct for living and how to arrange contractual affairs. I wish there was more aesthetic literary beauty along the lines of what I have quoted above. I have yet to find a book of Psalms in that regard, though the works of Jalaladin Rumi will have to suffice.